Start of a transcript of Why Pout My IFComp 2024 entry. Wordplay. by Mick Stupp Release 1 / Serial number 240828 / Inform 7 build 6G60 (I6/v6.36 lib 6/12N) Identification number: //948E1AA3-296C-499A-9B10-FEB88280A212// Standard interpreter 1.1 (1C) / Library serial number 080126 Standard Rules version 2/090402 by Graham Nelson Trivial Niceties version 1/140928 by Andrew Schultz Punctuation Stripper version 1/200614 by Andrew Schultz Bold Final Question Rows version 1/220701 by Andrew Schultz Old School Verb Total Carnage version 1/181008 by Andrew Schultz Versioning and Extensions Tweak version 1/240820 by Andrew Schultz Why Pout Tables version 1/240717 by Andrew Schultz Why Pout Definitions version 1/240816 by Andrew Schultz Why Pout Globals version 1/240720 by Andrew Schultz Why Pout Mistakes version 1/240825 by Andrew Schultz Why Pout I6 Replacements version 1/240819 by Andrew Schultz Trivial Text Shortcuts version 1/140928 by Andrew Schultz Revealing Passages version 1/240819 by Andrew Schultz >about Why Pout was written for IFComp 2024. It's something I originally thought about writing for EctoComp, but I never managed to mash enough ideas together. It reuses a lot of code from Roads of Liches and my Prime Pro Rhyme Row games, which have different mechanics but a similar conceit: guess the right two-word phrase. However, it's narrower in scope, and I didn't want to rely on too well-known examples of possible phrases for point scoring. Once I realized bigger projects weren't on the cards for IFComp 2024, I focused on something I could handle. I wound up making forty or so puzzle instead of the usual eighty. While the drip of ideas started February, 2020, according to my notes, I wasn't getting anything really original, or so it seemed. But the idea was always there. In my weekly writing file 20240429.txt, there's the game's title, and that's when significant ideas started appearing. But it wasn't until I registered for IFComp in July that ideas started clicking together. Deadlines are funny like that! Like most of my games, Why Pout rates merciful on the Zarfian cruelty scale. However, in this case, I want the puzzles to be more merciful in terms of general difficulty on the player's psyche than usual. Note that an optional room will appear about midway through the game. It may contain profanity, which I hope is amusing, but I don't blame you if you wish to skip it. blurglecruncheon@gmail.com is my email, and http://github.com/andrewschultz/why-pout is the github site, where you can report issues. I'm open to transcripts. CREDITS lists people who helped make Why Pout a reality, or a better version than it would've been without them. EXT shows the extensions listed, and VERSION or VERSIONS shows version info. >credits Thanks to Michael Baltes, Wade Clarke, Hanon Ondricek, P. B. Parjeter, Fred Snyder, and Daniel Stelzer for testing. They found stuff I just didn't have the time to find, or stuff I convinced myself I'd checked, honest I did, or even broke down cases for stuff where I was muddled and not sure how to test stuff. Oh and they inspired several ideas, too. It's always hard to ask someone for their time and energy, but I appreciate it so much! Michael, Fred and Daniel have IFComp '24 entries as well, and I always appreciate being able to trade testing with a fellow competitor, so it doesn't feel cutthroat. The cover art is my fault, and my fault alone. GENERAL THANKS: Thanks to everyone past and future involved in the administration of IFComp. Thanks to the I7 board on Intfiction.org for their help, as well as the people in the general topics as we discussed our plans. >l Eh, Raw Air, Aww The air chokes you a bit. It's too thick to see far beyond yourself. You barely know who you are, even. Ugh. You can't see much beyond yourself, really, so that'd be somewhere to start. >x me You think you have a name. Most people do, if you remember things correctly. For better or worse, you can't be special. You'd really like to have a purpose, too. The weird thing is, you feel the two must be inter-related in some simple way. A way that will feel dumb once you figure it out. But you haven't, yet. Hmm. A name. A name. You're focused on finding A NAME, and yet, if you just shook up this focus a bit, you might get something else... something that could kick-start you, no matter what your name is. >i There's that occasional voice ringing in your head asking "Why pout?" But besides that ... You are carrying nothing. >ray fame You're stuck with what to do right now. Perhaps you can use your senses for clues, or THINK, or look inward again with X ME, to give you an idea of how to get started. Not just a what, but a how or a why. You can't exactly look outward. [NOTE: until the main area, parser verb errors like this will give occasional hints. So don't be afraid to try stuff.] >smell No funk, or fun. Cor! >listen Air, or ... a roar?! >wipe out You aren't feeling too great, but you don't want or need to wipe yourself out, yet. Perhaps you can find the root of your problems and wipe it out one day, though. [NOTE: this command will be useful later, but you aren't ready to use it, yet. You can track commands like this by typing THINK, which will also clue you if they now work.] >think An inner voice says "Fry! Twist!" You feel fright, wist. It's hard not to, since you don't have a name or a purpose. For some reason, you're focused on getting a name, but you've got thins nagging feeling that's not quite it. Perhaps if you press a bit more, some thoughts may come out. You've already tried to WIPE OUT in response to taunts of "why pout," and you wonder if this all is easier. Maybe your search for a name will turn up something meaningful, regardless of what your name is. >* thins nagging -> this Comment noted. If you wanted this as a command, get rid of the starting character. >x me You think you have a name. Most people do, if you remember things correctly. For better or worse, you can't be special. You'd really like to have a purpose, too. The weird thing is, you feel the two must be inter-related in some simple way. A way that will feel dumb once you figure it out. But you haven't, yet. Hmm. A name. A name. You're focused on finding A NAME, and yet, if you just shook up this focus a bit, you might get something else... something that could kick-start you, no matter what your name is. >l Eh, Raw Air, Aww The air chokes you a bit. It's too thick to see far beyond yourself. You barely know who you are, even. Ugh. You can't see much beyond yourself, really, so that'd be somewhere to start. >think An inner voice says "Fry! Twist!" You feel fright, wist. It's hard not to, since you don't have a name or a purpose. For some reason, you're focused on getting a name, but you've got thins nagging feeling that's not quite it. Well, not quite a purpose, but ... what's the word? "Dumb pit. Dump it!" you think to yourself. Which sounds slightly off, but it's all you have to go on. You've already tried to WIPE OUT in response to taunts of "why pout," and you wonder if this all is easier. Maybe your search for a name will turn up something meaningful, regardless of what your name is. >mixed up You're stuck with what to do right now. Perhaps you can use your senses for clues, or THINK, or look inward again with X ME, to give you an idea of how to get started. Not just a what, but a how or a why. You can't exactly look outward. >mick stupp You're stuck with what to do right now. Perhaps you can use your senses for clues, or THINK, or look inward again with X ME, to give you an idea of how to get started. Not just a what, but a how or a why. You can't exactly look outward. >think An inner voice says "Fry! Twist!" You feel fright, wist. It's hard not to, since you don't have a name or a purpose. For some reason, you're focused on getting a name, but you've got thins nagging feeling that's not quite it. Well, not quite a purpose, but ... what's the word? "Aww, flake! Awful ache!" you think to yourself. Which sounds slightly off, but it's all you have to go on. You've already tried to WIPE OUT in response to taunts of "why pout," and you wonder if this all is easier. Maybe your search for a name will turn up something meaningful, regardless of what your name is. >x me You think you have a name. Most people do, if you remember things correctly. For better or worse, you can't be special. You'd really like to have a purpose, too. The weird thing is, you feel the two must be inter-related in some simple way. A way that will feel dumb once you figure it out. But you haven't, yet. Hmm. A name. A name. You're focused on finding A NAME, and yet, if you just shook up this focus a bit, you might get something else... something that could kick-start you, no matter what your name is. >an aim Yes. Now that you realize you want more than just to know your name, that you have bigger goals, you push a bit harder when you initially forget it. You remember patches of the past. You remember people harshly calling you by your last name, then your first. Your name is Mike Orr. You even remember it's -- well, one of these two things: short for Michal, which everyone pronounced Michael until you just gave up, or ... well, Michael. You look around a bit. You can see more, now. You're in some sort of tomb apse. You could exit--there are exits each way--but you suspect there's some horrible maze you could easily get lost in. Tomb Apse [Your score just went up by a point!] >two maps You look around for secrets. You find one line that is a hash of horizontal lines and another that is a hash of vertical lines. You put them together ... and you see a maze. You hope you can trace a passage out. And, with some effort, you do! Then you follow it. You hope it's right, and it leads somewhere better, or at least not as awful... Hype Lane It's still pretty dark here. You must still be underground. Around you, cell phones, cell phones everywhere. Such confident chatter. Or it seems confident. It distracts you and your bearings, trying to figure who you really are and get somewhere less dark. You don't remember everything about your former self, but you remember you hated cell phones and how they distracted you. Maybe if the people yacking into them were taken down a peg, you could focus a bit more. Dang cell phones. [Your score just went up by a point!] >high plane That would be a nicer place! But you have nothing that could help you move up yet. You'll have to observe the general area a bit more. (useful command again saved to THINK for later reference.) >x phones Whether or not the cell phones are the latest models, you don't want to pay attention to them too much. Just figure out a way for a harmless calamity that may make their users quiet down a bit. >x me You are Mike Orr. You know that now. Kind of pedestrian, you always thought. But you hoped it might have some greater meaning. >i There's that occasional voice ringing in your head asking "Why pout?" But besides that ... You are carrying nothing. You have a name, too, now, you remember: Mike Orr. >l Hype Lane It's still pretty dark here. You must still be underground. Around you, cell phones, cell phones everywhere. Such confident chatter. Or it seems confident. It distracts you and your bearings, trying to figure who you really are and get somewhere less dark. You don't remember everything about your former self, but you remember you hated cell phones and how they distracted you. Maybe if the people yacking into them were taken down a peg, you could focus a bit more. Dang cell phones. >self own A voice in your head encourages you: "Seem, or see, more!" You've got SOMETHING right, here. >x something Nothing here like that. Note that room names are not usually worth examining, as you can just L or LOOK. >l Hype Lane It's still pretty dark here. You must still be underground. Around you, cell phones, cell phones everywhere. Such confident chatter. Or it seems confident. It distracts you and your bearings, trying to figure who you really are and get somewhere less dark. You don't remember everything about your former self, but you remember you hated cell phones and how they distracted you. Maybe if the people yacking into them were taken down a peg, you could focus a bit more. Dang cell phones. >hi plain Hmm. That really, really SOUNDED like it should work, but it didn't. >listen Whether or not the cell phones are the latest models, you don't want to pay attention to them too much. Just figure out a way for a harmless calamity that may make their users quiet down a bit. >x phones Whether or not the cell phones are the latest models, you don't want to pay attention to them too much. Just figure out a way for a harmless calamity that may make their users quiet down a bit. >no sound You may have used a word or two too many or made a typo in the final word. >sound Man! The chatter from those phones must be distracting you from what you want and need to do, or maybe see. >seal phone Man! The chatter from those phones must be distracting you from what you want and need to do, or maybe see. >l Hype Lane It's still pretty dark here. You must still be underground. Around you, cell phones, cell phones everywhere. Such confident chatter. Or it seems confident. It distracts you and your bearings, trying to figure who you really are and get somewhere less dark. You don't remember everything about your former self, but you remember you hated cell phones and how they distracted you. Maybe if the people yacking into them were taken down a peg, you could focus a bit more. Dang cell phones. >help Man! The chatter from those phones must be distracting you from what you want and need to do, or maybe see. >hint Man! The chatter from those phones must be distracting you from what you want and need to do, or maybe see. >l Hype Lane It's still pretty dark here. You must still be underground. Around you, cell phones, cell phones everywhere. Such confident chatter. Or it seems confident. It distracts you and your bearings, trying to figure who you really are and get somewhere less dark. You don't remember everything about your former self, but you remember you hated cell phones and how they distracted you. Maybe if the people yacking into them were taken down a peg, you could focus a bit more. Dang cell phones. >self owns You take a step back from all the confident, constant chatter in the cell phones. You hear that, indeed, people are just repeating mantras, and they are not as smart as they think they are. You wonder if you should say something to the most egregious offenders ... and you eventually do! And they appear flustered. They attack you back for being too quiet. You mention that if they annoyed someone as too-quiet as you, they must have gone over the line. Your confrontation did not go unnoticed by other cell phoners. They take the hint and moderate their voices. However, now, a prize talk blasts through hidden loudspeakers. It exhorts you to find your dream, to find something that will help you move above and beyond everyone else. It's probably talking about money or power, but you're looking for something different. [Your score just went up by a point!] >* ah, the plural! Comment noted. If you wanted this as a command, get rid of the starting character. >l Hype Lane It's still pretty dark here. You must still be underground. Around you, a prize talk booms from unseen speakers, exhorting you to do, or at least earn, more. The heck with being above ground, with boring old nature that distracts you from being all you can be. Well, for the economy, at least. You'd like to DO something about the prize talk. Or seek out something that would give you passage away from it. >high plane That would be a nicer place! But you have nothing that could help you move up yet. You'll have to observe the general area a bit more. Hmph. That still doesn't quite work! You'll figure out the how and when and where, though. >pry stalk Among all the chatter, you discover a disused booth. Someone is preaching on about environmental stuff, and it's so much less painful than cell phone chat. You worry they're just going to blab on forever, but they're so grateful you listened as long as you did. They hand you a stalk they think can grow quickly. Their own special formula. It looks weird and glittery, and if anything can reach up out of here, this can. But the question is, where can it grow to? [Your score just went up by a point!] >l Hype Lane It's still pretty dark here. You must still be underground. Around you, a prize talk booms from unseen speakers, exhorting you to do, or at least earn, more. The heck with being above ground, with boring old nature that distracts you from being all you can be. Well, for the economy, at least. You'd like to DO something about the prize talk. Or seek out something that would give you passage away from it. >i There's that occasional voice ringing in your head asking "Why pout?" But besides that ... You are carrying nothing. You have a name, too, now, you remember: Mike Orr. >lee stern That thought/action/observation/request brings up nothing. Why Pout has a limited set of verbs, and the main thing is to guess a two-word phrase. To see what verbs are used, try VERBS. >verbs Why Pout bypasses many of the standard Inform parser verbs, since it is word-puzzle based. Things are taken implicitly, and you don't need to drop anything. The four standard directions (NORTH, SOUTH, EAST and WEST) work, and some passages lead IN, OUT, UP, and DOWN, too. In addition, there are NPCs you may wish to TALK TO, which can be shortened to T. THINK will remind you of things you found, but the time wasn't right. Finally, ABOUT gives basic information about Why Pout and also cues some other meta-commands. >think You try and think of stuff you tried, but the time wasn't quite right. You can find a HIGH PLAIN now you have something that can reach that far up. You will want to WIPE OUT the cause of your problems once you have them in your crosshairs. That's probably not for a while, though. >high plane You plant the stalk, which -- well, it's already a bit of a stalk, but it grows quickly and sturdily. It's not hard at all to climb. You are pretty sure you're aboveground, but it's hard to see for sure. Naff Haze You're surrounded by some really naff haze. It's naff because you can't go anywhere, and it also just makes you feel naff, and it seems so universal, like there's no escaping from it. [Your score just went up by a point!] >nah, phase NOTE: found a comma and replaced it with a space. You never need to use commas in commands. Why Pout will replace commas without nagging you in the future. The haze seemed too thick at first. But you recognize it doesn't have to be there. As you sift through it, you notice things that weren't there before. It lifts. High Plain Things have opened up a bit now, with the naff haze lifted. A keep, iller, rises to the WEST, but you see no way in. Gross tar blocks the way NORTH into darkness. A short rail leads -- well, not very far. You get the sense it should lead somewhere more. You feel policed here. And it's the mean American gung-ho militarized sort of policed, not the (usually) kinder UK brand. Where and what is this policed feeling coming from? [Your score just went up by a point!] >key pillar You look around the pillars for a key, since there's no flowerpot to hide it under. You find one, and you open the way west. [Your score just went up by a point!] >grow star You look at the gross tar, and you hope for a star in the sky to become brighter. It does, and clearly some of the tar is goopier than some of the other tar. You see a way to the north, and after you do, the tar isn't as relevant any more. [Your score just went up by a point!] >l High Plain Things have opened up a bit now, with the naff haze lifted. You got rid of the gross tar blocking your way NORTH. A keep, iller, rises to the WEST, and you figured how to enter it. A short rail leads -- well, not very far. You get the sense it should lead somewhere more. You feel policed here. And it's the mean American gung-ho militarized sort of policed, not the (usually) kinder UK brand. Where and what is this policed feeling coming from? >n You'd like to go north, but you feel, well, policed. >w You'd like to go west, but you feel, well, policed. >shore trail There must be more to the short rail than you see. And you start tracing where it is, where it can be, where it should go. You find something to dig up. It's ... surprisingly malleable. You have nothing else to do, anyway. Soon it feels like pulling cable from a ground. It's tough, since you can't see around, but indeed, the short rail does lead to a shore trail that leads south. [Your score just went up by a point!] >s You'd like to go south, but you feel, well, policed. >l High Plain Things have opened up a bit now, with the naff haze lifted. You got rid of the gross tar blocking your way NORTH. The shore trail you discovered leads SOUTH. A keep, iller, rises to the WEST, and you figured how to enter it. You feel policed here. And it's the mean American gung-ho militarized sort of policed, not the (usually) kinder UK brand. Where and what is this policed feeling coming from? >think You try and think of stuff you tried, but the time wasn't quite right. You will want to WIPE OUT the cause of your problems once you have them in your crosshairs. That's probably not for a while, though. >wipe out You aren't feeling too great, but you don't want or need to wipe yourself out, yet. Perhaps you can find the root of your problems and wipe it out one day, though. Hmph. That still doesn't quite work! You'll figure out the how and when and where, though. >* bad policing is part of the problem! Comment noted. If you wanted this as a command, get rid of the starting character. >l High Plain Things have opened up a bit now, with the naff haze lifted. You got rid of the gross tar blocking your way NORTH. The shore trail you discovered leads SOUTH. A keep, iller, rises to the WEST, and you figured how to enter it. You feel policed here. And it's the mean American gung-ho militarized sort of policed, not the (usually) kinder UK brand. Where and what is this policed feeling coming from? >po least That thought/action/observation/request brings up nothing. Why Pout has a limited set of verbs, and the main thing is to guess a two-word phrase. To see what verbs are used, try VERBS. >least That thought/action/observation/request brings up nothing. Why Pout has a limited set of verbs, and the main thing is to guess a two-word phrase. To see what verbs are used, try VERBS. >feelpo least That thought/action/observation/request brings up nothing. Why Pout has a limited set of verbs, and the main thing is to guess a two-word phrase. To see what verbs are used, try VERBS. >bad copse That thought/action/observation/request brings up nothing. Why Pout has a limited set of verbs, and the main thing is to guess a two-word phrase. To see what verbs are used, try VERBS. >l High Plain Things have opened up a bit now, with the naff haze lifted. You got rid of the gross tar blocking your way NORTH. The shore trail you discovered leads SOUTH. A keep, iller, rises to the WEST, and you figured how to enter it. You feel policed here. And it's the mean American gung-ho militarized sort of policed, not the (usually) kinder UK brand. Where and what is this policed feeling coming from? >hi plane That thought/action/observation/request brings up nothing. Why Pout has a limited set of verbs, and the main thing is to guess a two-word phrase. To see what verbs are used, try VERBS. >poe least That thought/action/observation/request brings up nothing. Why Pout has a limited set of verbs, and the main thing is to guess a two-word phrase. To see what verbs are used, try VERBS. >l High Plain Things have opened up a bit now, with the naff haze lifted. You got rid of the gross tar blocking your way NORTH. The shore trail you discovered leads SOUTH. A keep, iller, rises to the WEST, and you figured how to enter it. You feel policed here. And it's the mean American gung-ho militarized sort of policed, not the (usually) kinder UK brand. Where and what is this policed feeling coming from? >x me You are Mike Orr. You know that now. Kind of pedestrian, you always thought. But you hoped it might have some greater meaning. >i There's that occasional voice ringing in your head asking "Why pout?" But besides that ... You are carrying nothing. You have a name, too, now, you remember: Mike Orr. >think You try and think of stuff you tried, but the time wasn't quite right. You will want to WIPE OUT the cause of your problems once you have them in your crosshairs. That's probably not for a while, though. >listen Nothing that could help you. >smell No funk, or fun. Cor! >l High Plain Things have opened up a bit now, with the naff haze lifted. You got rid of the gross tar blocking your way NORTH. The shore trail you discovered leads SOUTH. A keep, iller, rises to the WEST, and you figured how to enter it. You feel policed here. And it's the mean American gung-ho militarized sort of policed, not the (usually) kinder UK brand. Where and what is this policed feeling coming from? >pole east Ah, yes. It makes sense. You find the pole. Strangely, there's just a single switch to flip. And even more strangely, the switch you flip causes the pole to revert into the ground. Yay! But there's more! A war pawn, like a chess piece, rolls into view. It looks pretty powerful. Maybe you see how to use it, but maybe you shouldn't use it right away. You've changed the landscape a lot, north, south, east and west. But there's more! You hear a rumbling beneath you, and another passage opens up! [Your score just went up by a point!] >l High Plain Things have opened up a bit now, with the naff haze lifted. You feel less policed, too, and you found a path EAST. You got rid of the gross tar blocking your way NORTH. There's also a way DOWN that opened up once you found passages in all cardinal directions. The shore trail you discovered leads SOUTH. A keep, iller, rises to the WEST, and you figured how to enter it. >w Keep (Iller) This keep has seen better days, but there seems to be a lot in its ruins. You can go back EAST. You also sense something fearsome from a passage south. You are really impressed by how no mold grows here. Someone must be keeping it up well. Who? A row (gold) shines in this otherwise forbidding keep. There's a bunch of manic herb here. You don't know a lot about it, other than that some is really poisonous and some is okay. There's so much, perhaps it's hiding something. A plant racker lies here, pretty much useless. A seedy sign stands here, advertising somewhere very risky indeed. >plan tracker Wow! That was ... surprisingly simple. You find a rather new-looking plan tracker behind the plant racker, which crumbles to dust as you push it aside. [Your score just went up by a point!] >i There's that occasional voice ringing in your head asking "Why pout?" But besides that ... You are carrying: a plan tracker (empty of ideas) a war pawn You have a name, too, now, you remember: Mike Orr. >l Keep (Iller) This keep has seen better days, but there seems to be a lot in its ruins. You can go back EAST. You also sense something fearsome from a passage south. You are really impressed by how no mold grows here. Someone must be keeping it up well. Who? A row (gold) shines in this otherwise forbidding keep. There's a bunch of manic herb here. You don't know a lot about it, other than that some is really poisonous and some is okay. There's so much, perhaps it's hiding something. A seedy sign stands here, advertising somewhere very risky indeed. >rogue old A rogue, old, appears, but after some conversation, you realize you don't have any money to pay them with. They'd like to help, but they worked for free once and felt ripped off. Maybe later. (useful command again saved to THINK for later reference.) >get gold Everything you need will be implicitly taken in Why Pout. >l Keep (Iller) This keep has seen better days, but there seems to be a lot in its ruins. You can go back EAST. You also sense something fearsome from a passage south. You are really impressed by how no mold grows here. Someone must be keeping it up well. Who? A row (gold) shines in this otherwise forbidding keep. There's a bunch of manic herb here. You don't know a lot about it, other than that some is really poisonous and some is okay. There's so much, perhaps it's hiding something. A seedy sign stands here, advertising somewhere very risky indeed. >fierce umm That thought/action/observation/request brings up nothing. Why Pout has a limited set of verbs, and the main thing is to guess a two-word phrase. To see what verbs are used, try VERBS. >gnome old You summon a gnome, old, to compliment them on keeping the keep looking so nice all these years. They thank you but mention they're a bit sick of it and they seek adventure. Yet they can't go adventuring in these tatty clothes. (useful command again saved to THINK for later reference.) >l Keep (Iller) This keep has seen better days, but there seems to be a lot in its ruins. You can go back EAST. You also sense something fearsome from a passage south. You are really impressed by how no mold grows here. Someone must be keeping it up well. Who? A row (gold) shines in this otherwise forbidding keep. There's a bunch of manic herb here. You don't know a lot about it, other than that some is really poisonous and some is okay. There's so much, perhaps it's hiding something. A seedy sign stands here, advertising somewhere very risky indeed. >see design You sort of want to see the hidden design, but you're sort of scared what will happen once you do. You feel like you need some support before you can give it your all. (useful command again saved to THINK for later reference.) >x sign There are clues in here to figure what it hides, if you look the right way. You might be scared to. >l Keep (Iller) This keep has seen better days, but there seems to be a lot in its ruins. You can go back EAST. You also sense something fearsome from a passage south. You are really impressed by how no mold grows here. Someone must be keeping it up well. Who? A row (gold) shines in this otherwise forbidding keep. There's a bunch of manic herb here. You don't know a lot about it, other than that some is really poisonous and some is okay. There's so much, perhaps it's hiding something. A seedy sign stands here, advertising somewhere very risky indeed. >s You try to go west, but with no support, you're just too scared. >forbid inkeep That thought/action/observation/request brings up nothing. Why Pout has a limited set of verbs, and the main thing is to guess a two-word phrase. To see what verbs are used, try VERBS. >many curb A voice in your head encourages you: "Seem, or see, more!" You've got SOMETHING right, here. >manny curb A voice in your head encourages you: "Seem, or see, more!" You've got SOMETHING right, here. >money curb A voice in your head encourages you: "Seem, or see, more!" You've got SOMETHING right, here. >many herb That thought/action/observation/request brings up nothing. Why Pout has a limited set of verbs, and the main thing is to guess a two-word phrase. To see what verbs are used, try VERBS. >l Keep (Iller) This keep has seen better days, but there seems to be a lot in its ruins. You can go back EAST. You also sense something fearsome from a passage south. You are really impressed by how no mold grows here. Someone must be keeping it up well. Who? A row (gold) shines in this otherwise forbidding keep. There's a bunch of manic herb here. You don't know a lot about it, other than that some is really poisonous and some is okay. There's so much, perhaps it's hiding something. A seedy sign stands here, advertising somewhere very risky indeed. >curb A voice in your head encourages you: "Seem, or see, more!" You've got SOMETHING right, here. >manny curb A voice in your head encourages you: "Seem, or see, more!" You've got SOMETHING right, here. >any curb A voice in your head encourages you: "Seem, or see, more!" You've got SOMETHING right, here. >search herb (One-time note: searching is functionally equivalent to examining in Why Pout. So X THING may be quicker in the future.) You're unable to see through it, to determine what's safe, and it'll probably require someone else's knowledge, from times way past, maybe even Biblical, once you know what to look for. >l Keep (Iller) This keep has seen better days, but there seems to be a lot in its ruins. You can go back EAST. You also sense something fearsome from a passage south. You are really impressed by how no mold grows here. Someone must be keeping it up well. Who? A row (gold) shines in this otherwise forbidding keep. There's a bunch of manic herb here. You don't know a lot about it, other than that some is really poisonous and some is okay. There's so much, perhaps it's hiding something. A seedy sign stands here, advertising somewhere very risky indeed. >e High Plain Things have opened up a bit now, with the naff haze lifted. You feel less policed, too, and you found a path EAST. You got rid of the gross tar blocking your way NORTH. There's also a way DOWN that opened up once you found passages in all cardinal directions. The shore trail you discovered leads SOUTH. A keep, iller, rises to the WEST, and you figured how to enter it. >n Wolf Rock A big rock in the shape of a wolf looms impressively, blocking all passages except back SOUTH. You feel high doubt here you can go anywhere else. There's a huge pile of lode ore here, too, and perhaps there's something in it. >wool frock You rummage about and find a wool frock. [Your score just went up by a point!] >hide out It's easy enough to say you should doubt yourself less. I mean, you'd feel stupid doubting it. But there's always a reason not to. Still, you involuntarily start a mantra: "Fine, doubt? Find out!" And what do you know? You find a hideout below! [Your score just went up by a point!] >l Wolf Rock A big rock in the shape of a wolf looms impressively, blocking all passages except back SOUTH. You can also go DOWN into the hideout you found. There's a huge pile of lode ore here, too, and perhaps there's something in it. >low door Maybe there's a low door beneath the lode ore, which definitely has small holes. But not small enough for you to fit through and scrabble and scrape to find one. (useful command again saved to THINK for later reference.) >awful odor That thought/action/observation/request brings up nothing. Why Pout has a limited set of verbs, and the main thing is to guess a two-word phrase. To see what verbs are used, try VERBS. >l Wolf Rock A big rock in the shape of a wolf looms impressively, blocking all passages except back SOUTH. You can also go DOWN into the hideout you found. There's a huge pile of lode ore here, too, and perhaps there's something in it. >x ore Maybe it is hiding something. If it were a pile of anything else, it might not be so interesting. >low door Maybe there's a low door beneath the lode ore, which definitely has small holes. But not small enough for you to fit through and scrabble and scrape to find one. Hmph. That still doesn't quite work! You'll figure out the how and when and where, though. >down Hideout You can only go back UP. It wouldn't be a very good hideout if you had too many places to sneak around. A booze troll sulks sullenly here. >boo stroll No, the booze troll shouldn't be blown off! They can become a better ... entity. >boost roll Hmm. That really, really SOUNDED like it should work, but it didn't. >listen Nothing that could help you. >up Wolf Rock A big rock in the shape of a wolf looms impressively, blocking all passages except back SOUTH. You can also go DOWN into the hideout you found. There's a huge pile of lode ore here, too, and perhaps there's something in it. >s High Plain Things have opened up a bit now, with the naff haze lifted. You feel less policed, too, and you found a path EAST. You got rid of the gross tar blocking your way NORTH. There's also a way DOWN that opened up once you found passages in all cardinal directions. The shore trail you discovered leads SOUTH. A keep, iller, rises to the WEST, and you figured how to enter it. >i There's that occasional voice ringing in your head asking "Why pout?" But besides that ... You are carrying: a wool frock a plan tracker (empty of ideas) a war pawn You have a name, too, now, you remember: Mike Orr. >w Keep (Iller) This keep has seen better days, but there seems to be a lot in its ruins. You can go back EAST. You also sense something fearsome from a passage south. You are really impressed by how no mold grows here. Someone must be keeping it up well. Who? A row (gold) shines in this otherwise forbidding keep. There's a bunch of manic herb here. You don't know a lot about it, other than that some is really poisonous and some is okay. There's so much, perhaps it's hiding something. A seedy sign stands here, advertising somewhere very risky indeed. >gnome old A gnome, old, arrives from a room above in the keep. They offer to adventure with you, if you have suitable enough adventuring gear. As a matter of fact, you do. The wool frock works well. "Less gnome attic, more nomadic," they muse. Funnily, you stop specifically noticing the lack of mold now your new companion's joined you. But you still appreciate their efforts deep down! It looks like the gnome (old) will be following you around. All that silence might get awkward, so you may wish to T or TALK (TO) them. [Your score just went up by a point!] >t gnome You chat with the gnome (old) a bit, learning more about the history of the area you're exploring and why you're here. It fills in some blanks in your memory. The gnome (old) discusses ways of finding hidden psychic weaknesses in a very tough opponent. You also hear how whatever force there is, it only cares about things looking good on the outside. The gnome had so much mold to protect against and continually scrape away, even outside of the keep. Wow! Things are starting to make sense. Maybe talking to others will help make even more sense. >e High Plain Things have opened up a bit now, with the naff haze lifted. You feel less policed, too, and you found a path EAST. You got rid of the gross tar blocking your way NORTH. There's also a way DOWN that opened up once you found passages in all cardinal directions. The shore trail you discovered leads SOUTH. A keep, iller, rises to the WEST, and you figured how to enter it. The gnome (old) follows you. >s No Notion You simply have no notion what lies beyond here. Surely the shore trail didn't just lead to a dead end! You can go back north to where you started. The gnome (old) follows you. >none ocean A voice in your head encourages you: "Seem, or see, more!" You've got SOMETHING right, here. >known ocean Ah, yes. Things clear up a bit now. There we go ... you see where an ocean should be, and ... yes, you dip your toe in some wetness. Things clear up. You even see a sick squid! Maybe you can help it. [Your score just went up by a point!] >x squid It seems like it's half choking on something, not enough to strangle it, but enough to make it really uncomfortable. >six quid You have an idea what is bothering the squid. Yes, a few coins stuck. Surprisingly, it lets you help out. "Current, sea, currency," you mutter as you poke around. Ah, there you go. You offer to give it some of the coins it almost choked on, but it does not need them. It seems to wait around, as if to help you with travel to places you may get to go. It's willing to wait. [Your score just went up by a point!] >l Known Ocean It looks like there is an ocean, or some large body of water, and maybe some islands in the distance. They are too far to swim to. You can go back north to where you started. A formerly (thanks to you) sick squid trundles about in the water here. The gnome (old) waits here for what to do or where to go next. >n High Plain Things have opened up a bit now, with the naff haze lifted. You feel less policed, too, and you found a path EAST. You got rid of the gross tar blocking your way NORTH. There's also a way DOWN that opened up once you found passages in all cardinal directions. The shore trail you discovered leads SOUTH. A keep, iller, rises to the WEST, and you figured how to enter it. The gnome (old) follows you. >w Keep (Iller) This keep has seen better days, but there seems to be a lot in its ruins. You can go back EAST. You also sense something fearsome from a passage south. A row (gold) shines in this otherwise forbidding keep. There's a bunch of manic herb here. You don't know a lot about it, other than that some is really poisonous and some is okay. There's so much, perhaps it's hiding something. A seedy sign stands here, advertising somewhere very risky indeed. The gnome (old) follows you. >rogue old A rogue, old, arrives. They mention they'd like to help you but, you know, the row (gold) needs maintenance. You offer to pay them three quid.. This transaction reduces your wealth from six quid to three quid. [Your score just went up by a point!] >l Keep (Iller) This keep has seen better days, but there seems to be a lot in its ruins. You can go back EAST. You also sense something fearsome from a passage south. The rogue (old) and the gnome (old) waits here for what to do or where to go next. A row (gold) shines in this otherwise forbidding keep. There's a bunch of manic herb here. You don't know a lot about it, other than that some is really poisonous and some is okay. There's so much, perhaps it's hiding something. A seedy sign stands here, advertising somewhere very risky indeed. >t rogue You chat with the rogue (old) a bit, learning more about the history of the area you're exploring and why you're here. It fills in some blanks in your memory. The rogue (old) discusses ways to sneak around so vastly overpowered opponents can't blow you away, and you also learn not to feel guilty or shifty about being good at sneaking around, around much more unsavory entities than yourself. Well, that's even more useful information worth remembering. >l Keep (Iller) This keep has seen better days, but there seems to be a lot in its ruins. You can go back EAST. You also sense something fearsome from a passage south. The rogue (old) and the gnome (old) waits here for what to do or where to go next. A row (gold) shines in this otherwise forbidding keep. There's a bunch of manic herb here. You don't know a lot about it, other than that some is really poisonous and some is okay. There's so much, perhaps it's hiding something. A seedy sign stands here, advertising somewhere very risky indeed. >see desing A voice in your head encourages you: "Seem, or see, more!" You've got SOMETHING right, here. >see design You see the design in the seedy sign. It leads somewhere scary. Somewhere you don't want your friends to visit. Though you appreciate their support. You'll be right back. You think. You hope. Nigh Fright Whatever you need to do or find here, you only want to do it once. You don't want to have to come back. You're glad your friends supported you enough to get here, but you don't want to have to rely on them like that again. So, what do you need to find, before getting out? [Your score just went up by a point!] >knife right With your friends boosting your spirits, you look for a sacred/profane weapon. It turns up. Eerie howling begins. You hightail it out of there. Keep (Iller) [Your score just went up by a point!] >l Keep (Iller) This keep has seen better days, but there seems to be a lot in its ruins. You can go back EAST. You also sense something fearsome from a passage south. The rogue (old) and the gnome (old) waits here for what to do or where to go next. A row (gold) shines in this otherwise forbidding keep. There's a bunch of manic herb here. You don't know a lot about it, other than that some is really poisonous and some is okay. There's so much, perhaps it's hiding something. That seedy sign stands off to the side here. It's no longer scary, but you don't wish to bother with it, any more. >many curb A voice in your head encourages you: "Seem, or see, more!" You've got SOMETHING right, here. >man e curb A voice in your head encourages you: "Seem, or see, more!" You've got SOMETHING right, here. >money curb A voice in your head encourages you: "Seem, or see, more!" You've got SOMETHING right, here. >mini curb A voice in your head encourages you: "Seem, or see, more!" You've got SOMETHING right, here. >l Keep (Iller) This keep has seen better days, but there seems to be a lot in its ruins. You can go back EAST. You also sense something fearsome from a passage south. The rogue (old) and the gnome (old) waits here for what to do or where to go next. A row (gold) shines in this otherwise forbidding keep. There's a bunch of manic herb here. You don't know a lot about it, other than that some is really poisonous and some is okay. There's so much, perhaps it's hiding something. That seedy sign stands off to the side here. It's no longer scary, but you don't wish to bother with it, any more. >e High Plain Things have opened up a bit now, with the naff haze lifted. You feel less policed, too, and you found a path EAST. You got rid of the gross tar blocking your way NORTH. There's also a way DOWN that opened up once you found passages in all cardinal directions. The shore trail you discovered leads SOUTH. A keep, iller, rises to the WEST, and you figured how to enter it. The rogue (old) and gnome (old) follow you. >s Known Ocean It looks like there is an ocean, or some large body of water, and maybe some islands in the distance. They are too far to swim to. You can go back north to where you started. A formerly (thanks to you) sick squid trundles about in the water here. The rogue (old) and gnome (old) follow you. >t squid It seems to be choking a bit. >*still? Comment noted. If you wanted this as a command, get rid of the starting character. >six quid You don't need any more money, and the squid doesn't need any more help. >n High Plain Things have opened up a bit now, with the naff haze lifted. You feel less policed, too, and you found a path EAST. You got rid of the gross tar blocking your way NORTH. There's also a way DOWN that opened up once you found passages in all cardinal directions. The shore trail you discovered leads SOUTH. A keep, iller, rises to the WEST, and you figured how to enter it. The rogue (old) and gnome (old) follow you. >n Wolf Rock A big rock in the shape of a wolf looms impressively, blocking all passages except back SOUTH. You can also go DOWN into the hideout you found. There's a huge pile of lode ore here, too, and perhaps there's something in it. The rogue (old) and gnome (old) follow you. >low door Maybe there's a low door beneath the lode ore, which definitely has small holes. But not small enough for you to fit through and scrabble and scrape to find one, and nobody around is quite small enough to help you. Well, yet. Hmph. That still doesn't quite work! You'll figure out the how and when and where, though. >d Hideout You can only go back UP. It wouldn't be a very good hideout if you had too many places to sneak around. A booze troll sulks sullenly here. The rogue (old) and gnome (old) follow you. >boost roll Hmm. That really, really SOUNDED like it should work, but it didn't. >boo stroll No, the booze troll shouldn't be blown off! They can become a better ... entity. >u Wolf Rock A big rock in the shape of a wolf looms impressively, blocking all passages except back SOUTH. You can also go DOWN into the hideout you found. There's a huge pile of lode ore here, too, and perhaps there's something in it. The rogue (old) and gnome (old) follow you. >e Wolf Rock blocks every normal passage except back south. There's a hideout above as well. >s High Plain Things have opened up a bit now, with the naff haze lifted. You feel less policed, too, and you found a path EAST. You got rid of the gross tar blocking your way NORTH. There's also a way DOWN that opened up once you found passages in all cardinal directions. The shore trail you discovered leads SOUTH. A keep, iller, rises to the WEST, and you figured how to enter it. The rogue (old) and gnome (old) follow you. >e Lobe End This lobe of land appears to end in all directions except back west. Maybe you could look for something that might be a hill, even a steep one. The rogue (old) and gnome (old) follow you. >low bend You almost despair for a minute that you reached a dead end so soon. You page through all the possible ways out, proving to yourself you're right, hoping against hope you're wrong. And looking around, you see youi are! There is a bit more to all this. A very thin and reasonably sloped path north leads down to some water. Which you can't cross at the moment, but maybe you'll figure a way. [Your score just went up by a point!] >l Low Bend The low bend (former lobe end) now bends from west to north, where you see water, too much to cross on foot. Well, nobody's probably going to give you transport north for free. Maybe you can summon or find someone who will. The rogue (old) and the gnome (old) waits here for what to do or where to go next. >w High Plain Things have opened up a bit now, with the naff haze lifted. You feel less policed, too, and you found a path EAST. You got rid of the gross tar blocking your way NORTH. There's also a way DOWN that opened up once you found passages in all cardinal directions. The shore trail you discovered leads SOUTH. A keep, iller, rises to the WEST, and you figured how to enter it. An ominous new construction appears here. It's called BRUISE WARES. Perhaps you should ignore it. Often one doesn't want to engage that sort of thing. But you may feel that much more accomplished doing so. The rogue (old) and gnome (old) follow you. >w Keep (Iller) This keep has seen better days, but there seems to be a lot in its ruins. You can go back EAST. You also sense something fearsome from a passage south. A row (gold) shines in this otherwise forbidding keep. There's a bunch of manic herb here. You don't know a lot about it, other than that some is really poisonous and some is okay. There's so much, perhaps it's hiding something. That seedy sign stands off to the side here. It's no longer scary, but you don't wish to bother with it, any more. The rogue (old) and gnome (old) follow you. >e High Plain Things have opened up a bit now, with the naff haze lifted. You feel less policed, too, and you found a path EAST. You got rid of the gross tar blocking your way NORTH. There's also a way DOWN that opened up once you found passages in all cardinal directions. BRUISE WARES, some sort of odd disturbing shop, has popped up here. You can probably figure why it's forbidding and such. But perhaps it is only for a certain sort of adventurer. The shore trail you discovered leads SOUTH. A keep, iller, rises to the WEST, and you figured how to enter it. The rogue (old) and gnome (old) follow you. >n Wolf Rock A big rock in the shape of a wolf looms impressively, blocking all passages except back SOUTH. You can also go DOWN into the hideout you found. There's a huge pile of lode ore here, too, and perhaps there's something in it. The rogue (old) and gnome (old) follow you. >d Hideout You can only go back UP. It wouldn't be a very good hideout if you had too many places to sneak around. A booze troll sulks sullenly here. The rogue (old) and gnome (old) follow you. >boost role You talk with the booze troll for a bit. They seem not to know who they are, and that gives you something in common with them. They don't want to be a lousy boozer all their life. They are sick of drinking Base Ale. You begin chatting with them. You mention you've been having an adventure, and they'd sort of like one, too. They hand you a bottle of Base Ale as thanks. Not that they want you to go down their road. But it might be useful in bartering. [Your score just went up by a point!] >bay sale No water here. Maybe somewhere else. (useful command again saved to THINK for later reference.) >i There's that occasional voice ringing in your head asking "Why pout?" But besides that ... You are carrying: some Base Ale a knife (right) a plan tracker (empty of ideas) a war pawn You still have three quid left from helping the sick squid. You have a name, too, now, you remember: Mike Orr. >l Hideout You can only go back UP. It wouldn't be a very good hideout if you had too many places to sneak around. The new troll, the rogue (old) and the gnome (old) waits here for what to do or where to go next. >u Wolf Rock A big rock in the shape of a wolf looms impressively, blocking all passages except back SOUTH. You can also go DOWN into the hideout you found. There's a huge pile of lode ore here, too, and perhaps there's something in it. Your three companions follow you. >low door Maybe there's a low door beneath the lode ore, which definitely has small holes. But not small enough for you to fit through and scrabble and scrape to find one, and nobody around is quite small enough to help you. Well, yet. Hmph. That still doesn't quite work! You'll figure out the how and when and where, though. >t troll You chat with the new troll a bit, learning more about the history of the area you're exploring and why you're here. It fills in some blanks in your memory. The new troll relates ways to shake oneself free from despair (no! Really! It managed to for a while!) before relating more ways to avoid it in the first place, or help others you care about do the same. Well, that's more useful information worth remembering. >l Wolf Rock A big rock in the shape of a wolf looms impressively, blocking all passages except back SOUTH. You can also go DOWN into the hideout you found. There's a huge pile of lode ore here, too, and perhaps there's something in it. The new troll, the rogue (old) and the gnome (old) waits here for what to do or where to go next. >a low door Maybe there's a low door beneath the lode ore, which definitely has small holes. But not small enough for you to fit through and scrabble and scrape to find one, and nobody around is quite small enough to help you. Well, yet. Hmph. That still doesn't quite work! You'll figure out the how and when and where, though. >l Wolf Rock A big rock in the shape of a wolf looms impressively, blocking all passages except back SOUTH. You can also go DOWN into the hideout you found. There's a huge pile of lode ore here, too, and perhaps there's something in it. The new troll, the rogue (old) and the gnome (old) waits here for what to do or where to go next. >s High Plain Things have opened up a bit now, with the naff haze lifted. You feel less policed, too, and you found a path EAST. You got rid of the gross tar blocking your way NORTH. There's also a way DOWN that opened up once you found passages in all cardinal directions. BRUISE WARES, some sort of odd disturbing shop, has popped up here. You can probably figure why it's forbidding and such. But perhaps it is only for a certain sort of adventurer. The shore trail you discovered leads SOUTH. A keep, iller, rises to the WEST, and you figured how to enter it. Your three companions follow you. >brew swears Yes. That's what BRUISE WARES is really for. Enter at your own risk. It's ... an adventure, of its own sort. [Your score just went up by a bonus point!] [Your score just went up by a point!] >l High Plain Things have opened up a bit now, with the naff haze lifted. You feel less policed, too, and you found a path EAST. You got rid of the gross tar blocking your way NORTH. There's also a way DOWN that opened up once you found passages in all cardinal directions. The new troll, the rogue (old) and the gnome (old) waits here for what to do or where to go next. BRUISE WARES, some sort of odd disturbing shop, has popped up here. You can probably figure why it's forbidding and such. But perhaps it is only for a certain sort of adventurer. The shore trail you discovered leads SOUTH. A keep, iller, rises to the WEST, and you figured how to enter it. >in Your companions stay behind. They recognize this is a spiritual fight for you and you alone. Brew Swears If you thought Hype Lane was bad, this is even worse. Some grinch earls parade around here, bragging about how they ruin boring people's fun with their dynamic ways and pointing out that it's easy to be nice if you're boring. They fix you with a "We parse: weep, arse" gaze, though they're less effective than when they were self-styled earls. They constantly blather "WE CUSS" and seem quite proud of that. A crude orc trundles around here, ready to follow you, with all the rough language taken care of. >weak us You're surprised how just making a little shift can make the grinch earls seem much weaker. Their strength is the sort of brute force that doesn't life other people up. They throw down the gauntlet at this point. Don't you know cussing shows higher intelligence? Some study or other showed that! The crude orc looks back and forth between you and the grinch earls. [Your score just went up by a bonus point!] [Your score just went up by a point!] >crew dork You break the truth gently to the crude orc that, well, they're at the bottom of the totem pole for this crew. They'll use the crude orc, maybe even not let them into the clique, and then find the next sucker. The grinch earls surprisingly have little response to this besides, well, profanity. You sense your job here is done, though you can continue to deflect profanity if you want. [Your score just went up by a bonus point!] [Your score just went up by a point!] >grin churls You slip in a few sly digs and say "grin, churls." It's not fatal, but they look annoyed. [Your score just went up by a bonus point!] [Your score just went up by a point!] >l Brew Swears If you thought Hype Lane was bad, this is even worse. The crude orc wait here for what to do or where to go next. Some grin churls parade around here, bragging about how they ruin boring people's fun with their dynamic ways and pointing out that it's easy to be nice if you're boring. They fix you with a "We parse: weep, arse" gaze. You cut their "we cuss" down to size, so they're now giving examples of how they cuss. The grin churls mock you, or maybe boost themselves, with "Heh, class!" >heckle ass You give back at least as good as you got, showing you don't need to use the big cuss words to get a point in as well. [Your score just went up by a bonus point!] [Your score just went up by a point!] >l Brew Swears If you thought Hype Lane was bad, this is even worse. The crude orc wait here for what to do or where to go next. Some grin churls parade around here, bragging about how they ruin boring people's fun with their dynamic ways and pointing out that it's easy to be nice if you're boring. They fix you with a "We parse: weep, arse" gaze. You cut their "we cuss" down to size, so they're now giving examples of how they cuss. The grin churls take cheap shots and say "Life occurs." >lie fuckers You cut down the grin churls for making things more bleak than they are. Sure, life can be cruel, but that's no excuse to make it even more cruel. They give a "whatever," but you see the point touched home. [Your score just went up by a bonus point!] [Your score just went up by a point!] >l Brew Swears If you thought Hype Lane was bad, this is even worse. The crude orc wait here for what to do or where to go next. Some grin churls parade around here, bragging about how they ruin boring people's fun with their dynamic ways and pointing out that it's easy to be nice if you're boring. They fix you with a "We parse: weep, arse" gaze. You cut their "we cuss" down to size, so they're now giving examples of how they cuss. The grin churls shake their heads at you: "Bah! Sturdy?!" >bastard ye A voice in your head encourages you: "Seem, or see, more!" You've got SOMETHING right, here. >bastard e You show you're sturdy and then some, with just the right tone of exasperation. They pretend not to be impressed, but they don't have a comeback. [Your score just went up by a bonus point!] [Your score just went up by a point!] >l Brew Swears If you thought Hype Lane was bad, this is even worse. The crude orc wait here for what to do or where to go next. Some grin churls parade around here, bragging about how they ruin boring people's fun with their dynamic ways and pointing out that it's easy to be nice if you're boring. They fix you with a "We parse: weep, arse" gaze. You cut their "we cuss" down to size, so they're now giving examples of how they cuss. The grin churls launch "Weird! Ick!'s at enmies real and imagined. >we're dicks [NOTE: found an apostrophe and removed it. You never need to use apostrophes in commands. Why Pout will eliminate apostrophes without nagging you in the future.] You mock the grin churls back, giving at least as good as you get, noting there's always a hole in these sorts of attacks. [Your score just went up by a bonus point!] [Your score just went up by a point!] >l Brew Swears If you thought Hype Lane was bad, this is even worse. The crude orc wait here for what to do or where to go next. Some grin churls parade around here, bragging about how they ruin boring people's fun with their dynamic ways and pointing out that it's easy to be nice if you're boring. They fix you with a "We parse: weep, arse" gaze. You cut their "we cuss" down to size, so they're now giving examples of how they cuss. The grin churls laugh and say "Hush it." >huh shit You reject the grin churls' "urbane" attempts at shutting you up. They're a bit surprised at you. The grin churls, out of insults, give up on you, claiming you got boring. But you know better. [Your score just went up by a bonus point!] [Your score just went up by a point!] >l Brew Swears If you thought Hype Lane was bad, this is even worse. The crude orc wait here for what to do or where to go next. Some grin churls parade around here, bragging about how they ruin boring people's fun with their dynamic ways and pointing out that it's easy to be nice if you're boring. They fix you with a "We parse: weep, arse" gaze. You cut their "we cuss" down to size, so they're now giving examples of how they cuss. The grin churls mock you, or maybe boost themselves, with "Heh, class!" >heckle ass You give back at least as good as you got, showing you don't need to use the big cuss words to get a point in as well. The grin churls, out of insults, give up on you, claiming you got boring. But you know better. >l Brew Swears If you thought Hype Lane was bad, this is even worse. The crude orc wait here for what to do or where to go next. Some grin churls parade around here, bragging about how they ruin boring people's fun with their dynamic ways and pointing out that it's easy to be nice if you're boring. They fix you with a "We parse: weep, arse" gaze. You cut their "we cuss" down to size, so they're now giving examples of how they cuss. The grin churls take cheap shots and say "Life occurs." >out As you lead the crude orc out, BRUISE-WARES crumbles behind you. High Plain Things have opened up a bit now, with the naff haze lifted. You feel less policed, too, and you found a path EAST. You got rid of the gross tar blocking your way NORTH. There's also a way DOWN that opened up once you found passages in all cardinal directions. The new troll, the rogue (old) and the gnome (old) waits here for what to do or where to go next. The shore trail you discovered leads SOUTH. A keep, iller, rises to the WEST, and you figured how to enter it. The crude orc follows you. >e Low Bend The low bend (former lobe end) now bends from west to north, where you see water, too much to cross on foot. Well, nobody's probably going to give you transport north for free. Maybe you can summon or find someone who will. Your four companions follow you. >w High Plain Things have opened up a bit now, with the naff haze lifted. You feel less policed, too, and you found a path EAST. You got rid of the gross tar blocking your way NORTH. There's also a way DOWN that opened up once you found passages in all cardinal directions. The shore trail you discovered leads SOUTH. A keep, iller, rises to the WEST, and you figured how to enter it. Your four companions follow you. >w Keep (Iller) This keep has seen better days, but there seems to be a lot in its ruins. You can go back EAST. You also sense something fearsome from a passage south. A row (gold) shines in this otherwise forbidding keep. There's a bunch of manic herb here. You don't know a lot about it, other than that some is really poisonous and some is okay. There's so much, perhaps it's hiding something. That seedy sign stands off to the side here. It's no longer scary, but you don't wish to bother with it, any more. Your four companions follow you. >mana curb You do not have any magic points, so you don't need them refreshed. But you must be close! >manna curb Perhaps there is a lot of good stuff beneath the manic herb, but you don't have the specialized knowledge to figure it out. (useful command again saved to THINK for later reference.) >l Keep (Iller) This keep has seen better days, but there seems to be a lot in its ruins. You can go back EAST. You also sense something fearsome from a passage south. The crude orc, the new troll, the rogue (old) and the gnome (old) waits here for what to do or where to go next. A row (gold) shines in this otherwise forbidding keep. There's a bunch of manic herb here. You don't know a lot about it, other than that some is really poisonous and some is okay. There's so much, perhaps it's hiding something. That seedy sign stands off to the side here. It's no longer scary, but you don't wish to bother with it, any more. >e High Plain Things have opened up a bit now, with the naff haze lifted. You feel less policed, too, and you found a path EAST. You got rid of the gross tar blocking your way NORTH. There's also a way DOWN that opened up once you found passages in all cardinal directions. The shore trail you discovered leads SOUTH. A keep, iller, rises to the WEST, and you figured how to enter it. Your four companions follow you. >d Worm-Eaten This place seems very run-down. But it feels homey and inspires camaraderie in an odd way. Someone comes out from the depths. They introduce themselves as the gone traitor, someone who cozied up to the bad guys and ditched their friends, then ditched the bad guys. And only recently they ran away, but how can they ask for forgiveness? Surely it just doesn't happen like this? Just one small change and you have a new identity? Rubbish! Your four companions follow you. >were meetin You sense you don't have the gang together! You may still be a way away. (useful command again saved to THINK for later reference.) >think You try and think of stuff you tried, but the time wasn't quite right. You may be able to find a LOW DOOR in Wolf Rock once you have a companion or companions that are small enough to dig a bit better. You may be able to participate in a BAY SALE if you've found the right location and now you have money. You may be able to find a MANNA CURB beneath the manna curb in Keep (Iller) once you have someone with knowledge of wildlife and wildflowers. WERE MEETIN is something you tried before it was perfectly ready. I should write in more details later. You will want to WIPE OUT the cause of your problems once you have them in your crosshairs. >l Worm-Eaten This place seems very run-down. But it feels homey and inspires camaraderie in an odd way. The crude orc, the new troll, the rogue (old) and the gnome (old) waits here for what to do or where to go next. The gone traitor continues to mope about here, looking for someone who can help convince them they're not so awful. >gaunt raider After some discussion, you work out a plan to make the gone trader reframe what they did. Whoever they were, the evil powers, they rejected them instead of doubling down. Perhaps there is a way to get back at them. They know things you never could hope to. [Your score just went up by a point!] >t raider You chat with the gaunt raider a bit, learning more about the history of the area you're exploring and why you're here. It fills in some blanks in your memory. The gaunt raider discusses regret for their past actions, as well as some possibilities for how to use it to boost yourself to do the right thing, or when to just drop it without being drowned by guilt. Well, that's more useful information worth remembering. >t orc You chat with the crude orc a bit, learning more about the history of the area you're exploring and why you're here. It fills in some blanks in your memory. The crude orc doesn't have any strategy, per se. It's still young and naive. But it asks the sort of questions you forgot you had. Perhaps others youths have these questions, too, or they would, with -- well, whatever force that kidnapped you -- not pressing on them so much. Well, that's more useful information worth remembering. >l Worm-Eaten This place seems very run-down. But it feels homey and inspires camaraderie in an odd way. The gaunt raider, the crude orc, the new troll, the rogue (old) and the gnome (old) waits here for what to do or where to go next. >u High Plain Things have opened up a bit now, with the naff haze lifted. You feel less policed, too, and you found a path EAST. You got rid of the gross tar blocking your way NORTH. There's also a way DOWN that opened up once you found passages in all cardinal directions. The shore trail you discovered leads SOUTH. A keep, iller, rises to the WEST, and you figured how to enter it. Your five companions follow you. >w Keep (Iller) This keep has seen better days, but there seems to be a lot in its ruins. You can go back EAST. You also sense something fearsome from a passage south. A row (gold) shines in this otherwise forbidding keep. There's a bunch of manic herb here. You don't know a lot about it, other than that some is really poisonous and some is okay. There's so much, perhaps it's hiding something. That seedy sign stands off to the side here. It's no longer scary, but you don't wish to bother with it, any more. Your five companions follow you. >manna curb Perhaps there is a lot of good stuff beneath the manic herb, but you don't have the specialized knowledge to figure it out. Hmph. That still doesn't quite work! You'll figure out the how and when and where, though. >e High Plain Things have opened up a bit now, with the naff haze lifted. You feel less policed, too, and you found a path EAST. You got rid of the gross tar blocking your way NORTH. There's also a way DOWN that opened up once you found passages in all cardinal directions. The shore trail you discovered leads SOUTH. A keep, iller, rises to the WEST, and you figured how to enter it. Your five companions follow you. >e Low Bend The low bend (former lobe end) now bends from west to north, where you see water, too much to cross on foot. Well, nobody's probably going to give you transport north for free. Maybe you can summon or find someone who will. Your five companions follow you. >think You try and think of stuff you tried, but the time wasn't quite right. You may be able to find a LOW DOOR in Wolf Rock once you have a companion or companions that are small enough to dig a bit better. You may be able to participate in a BAY SALE if you've found the right location and now you have money. You may be able to find a MANNA CURB beneath the manna curb in Keep (Iller) once you have someone with knowledge of wildlife and wildflowers. WERE MEETIN is something you tried before it was perfectly ready. I should write in more details later. You will want to WIPE OUT the cause of your problems once you have them in your crosshairs. >bay sale You have money, and you are ready for a sale, and you get it. Unfortunately, though you were expecting a nice big ship, you get something a little humbler, namely a We-Craft Weak Raft. It seems sturdy enough, though, and it does have a sail. You christen it with the base ale, and the bottle fragments shatter and float away in the water. This transaction reduces your wealth from three quid to one quid. [Your score just went up by a point!] >l Low Bend The low bend (former lobe end) now bends from west to north, where you see water, too much to cross on foot. The We-Craft Weak Raft from the bay sale floats here, ready to take you north across the water and back, as many times as needed. The gaunt raider, the crude orc, the new troll, the rogue (old) and the gnome (old) waits here for what to do or where to go next. >n You and your five companions make it across the water without incident. Storm Isle On this storm isle, it's always rainy. It'd be nice to have some shelter inside. The We-Craft Weak Raft from the bay sale floats here, ready to take you south across the water and back, as many times as needed. Your five companions follow you. >store mile The storms let up. It's not such a big isle after all, but it does turn out to hold a whole lot of stores and vending areas. In particular, a stall labeled MY STALL, and a shelf labeled MEN SHELF. [Your score just went up by a point!] >mensch elf You knock about the MEN shelf a bit, unable to find anything. It's really a collection of shelves that you disassemble and reassemble. Eventually, you're about to give up, and it all collapses, taking a chunk of wall with it. Our pops a mensch elf, quite grateful you helped them escape. [Your score just went up by a point!] >*lol nice Comment noted. If you wanted this as a command, get rid of the starting character. >mice tall You look into the stall and shrug your shoulders. Then the gnome (old) steps in and notes they hear something. Chittering noises! The gnome chitters back. It takes a lot of negotiating, but you find where the mice are stuck. You and the gnome thud through and out come some mice, tall. They're tall for mice, though they really only come up above your knee. [Your score just went up by a point!] >t elf You chat with the mensch elf a bit, learning more about the history of the area you're exploring and why you're here. It fills in some blanks in your memory. The mensch elf discusses ways to identify people or situations that just need a bit of help, and how to do so without making them feel hopeless or in need of help, or that they got themselves in this position in the first place. Well, that's more useful information worth remembering. >t mice You chat with the mice (tall) a bit, learning more about the history of the area you're exploring and why you're here. It fills in some blanks in your memory. You're surprised how easy it is to understand them and how easily they understand you. They discuss how much bigger opponents can be brought down by, not just arrogance facing many small opponents, but by dexterity and quick maneuvers. Oh, also a lot about the evil in the land killing or corrupting or mutating animals. So presumably finding or destroying it will put a stop to the very worst bits. Well, that's more useful information worth remembering. >l Store Mile Well, you're in a sort of shopping mall now. You can see a passage leading north. The mice (tall), the mensch elf, the gaunt raider, the crude orc, the new troll, the rogue (old) and the gnome (old) waits here for what to do or where to go next. The We-Craft Weak Raft from the bay sale floats here, ready to take you south across the water and back, as many times as needed. >n Trees Mall This is a withered, run-down former mall that had the ceiling blow off. It's walled with pictures of large, but fake, trees. You can only go back SOUTH. Your seven companions follow you. >tree small Amidst all the fake trees, an actual organic small tree grows. You're a bit disappointed, but you realize you maybe shouldn't have expected much with so little letter-shuffling. Maybe if you want a bigger tree, you'll need to do something else. [Your score just went up by a point!] >l Trees Mall This is a withered, run-down former mall that had the ceiling blow off. It's walled with pictures of large, but fake, trees. You can only go back SOUTH. A tree (small) grows here, or tries to, at least. It deserves to be bigger. The gaunt raider, the crude orc, the mensch elf, the mice (tall), the new troll, the rogue (old) and the gnome (old) waits here for what to do or where to go next. >i There's that occasional voice ringing in your head asking "Why pout?" But besides that ... You are carrying: a knife (right) a plan tracker (empty of ideas) a war pawn You still have one quid left from helping the sick squid. You have a name, too, now, you remember: Mike Orr. >think You try and think of stuff you tried, but the time wasn't quite right. You may be able to find a LOW DOOR in Wolf Rock now you have a companion or companions that are small enough to dig a bit better. You may be able to find a MANNA CURB beneath the manna curb in Keep (Iller) now you have someone with knowledge of wildlife and wildflowers. WERE MEETIN is something you tried before it was perfectly ready. I should write in more details later. You will want to WIPE OUT the cause of your problems once you have them in your crosshairs. >l Trees Mall This is a withered, run-down former mall that had the ceiling blow off. It's walled with pictures of large, but fake, trees. You can only go back SOUTH. A tree (small) grows here, or tries to, at least. It deserves to be bigger. The gaunt raider, the crude orc, the mensch elf, the mice (tall), the new troll, the rogue (old) and the gnome (old) waits here for what to do or where to go next. >s Store Mile Well, you're in a sort of shopping mall now. You can see a passage leading north. The We-Craft Weak Raft from the bay sale floats here, ready to take you south across the water and back, as many times as needed. Your seven companions follow you. >s You and your seven companions make it across the water without incident. Low Bend The low bend (former lobe end) now bends from west to north, where you see water, too much to cross on foot. The We-Craft Weak Raft from the bay sale floats here, ready to take you north across the water and back, as many times as needed. Your seven companions follow you. >w High Plain Things have opened up a bit now, with the naff haze lifted. You feel less policed, too, and you found a path EAST. You got rid of the gross tar blocking your way NORTH. There's also a way DOWN that opened up once you found passages in all cardinal directions. The shore trail you discovered leads SOUTH. A keep, iller, rises to the WEST, and you figured how to enter it. Your seven companions follow you. >n Wolf Rock A big rock in the shape of a wolf looms impressively, blocking all passages except back SOUTH. You can also go DOWN into the hideout you found. There's a huge pile of lode ore here, too, and perhaps there's something in it. Your seven companions follow you. >low door The lode and the ore are tough to shift around for someone as big as yourself. But the tall mice manage to get into those small niches you can't. They locate a low door, then, point to where you can remove the ore to create a passage. You'll have to duck a bit to get in, but you can now go INSIDE. Hooray! [Your score just went up by a point!] >in We Loan This area feels replete with the sort of double-talk all salesmen use. You can almost hear all the dropped and excess apostrophes. It will be tough to hang with all the way through, but if you do, maybe you'll get something out of it. You can only go back OUT here. You don't really trust the whole "financial services" vibe here. Maybe there's a double meaning to deduce. Your seven companions follow you. >wheel own This is a seedy financial services provider, not a seedy used car dealer. Still, you must be on the right track. >well own Yes. There's a definite shady side. You mumble to yourself, and then your mumbles get louder, and it attracts ... some merchant. They begin babbling about deals they have, fake-friendly, about how you can buy low. [Your score just went up by a point!] >l We'll Own This area feels replete with the sort of double-talk all salesmen use. You can almost hear all the dropped and excess apostrophes. It will be tough to hang with all the way through, but if you do, maybe you'll get something out of it. You can only go back OUT here. Some merchant babbles on, all up in your personal space, suggesting you buy low. The gaunt raider, the crude orc, the mensch elf, the mice (tall), the new troll, the rogue (old) and the gnome (old) waits here for what to do or where to go next. >summer chant You think up a summer chant you mumble under your breath. The merchant finds it a bit weird you like THAT as a way to keep positive. It doesn't seem like that sort of thing helps the economy. Their cheeriness slips slightly, with impressively-balanced potshots at people more and less successful than they are. [Your score just went up by a point!] >l We'll Own This area feels replete with the sort of double-talk all salesmen use. You can almost hear all the dropped and excess apostrophes. It will be tough to hang with all the way through, but if you do, maybe you'll get something out of it. You can only go back OUT here. Some merchant babbles on, all up in your personal space, suggesting you buy low. The gaunt raider, the crude orc, the mensch elf, the mice (tall), the new troll, the rogue (old) and the gnome (old) waits here for what to do or where to go next. >bile owe You don't owe the oaf liar anything, and they don't owe you a flier, even if they might be wasting your time. How to call attention to a flier, though? >oaf liar That thought/action/observation/request brings up nothing. Why Pout has a limited set of verbs, and the main thing is to guess a two-word phrase. To see what verbs are used, try VERBS. >l We'll Own This area feels replete with the sort of double-talk all salesmen use. You can almost hear all the dropped and excess apostrophes. It will be tough to hang with all the way through, but if you do, maybe you'll get something out of it. You can only go back OUT here. Some merchant babbles on, all up in your personal space, suggesting you buy low. The gaunt raider, the crude orc, the mensch elf, the mice (tall), the new troll, the rogue (old) and the gnome (old) waits here for what to do or where to go next. >bye lo That thought/action/observation/request brings up nothing. Why Pout has a limited set of verbs, and the main thing is to guess a two-word phrase. To see what verbs are used, try VERBS. >bile owe You don't owe the oaf liar anything, and they don't owe you a flier, even if they might be wasting your time. How to call attention to a flier, though? >oh flier A voice in your head encourages you: "Seem, or see, more!" You've got SOMETHING right, here. >oaf flier That thought/action/observation/request brings up nothing. Why Pout has a limited set of verbs, and the main thing is to guess a two-word phrase. To see what verbs are used, try VERBS. >o flier Sorry, that can't be corrected. >bile oh The mere suggestion that the merchant's aggression may be annoying seems to set them off. No, no, it's people like YOU who are the problem. Without dynamic positivity like theirs, you're totally screwed! You're just jealous you don't have it! You freeze up, confused by all this, and the merchant takes this as a sign of arrogant disrespect. You are not the first person to reject their positivity! They run into clueless crumb-bums all day! They storm off, presumably to find another crumb-bum to abuse for not having their brand of positivity. Oh, hey, you can maybe enjoy some solitude now! [Your score just went up by a point!] >l We'll Own It's nice and silent here, and maybe there's a specific way to enjoy that. You can only go back OUT here. The gaunt raider, the crude orc, the mensch elf, the mice (tall), the new troll, the rogue (old) and the gnome (old) waits here for what to do or where to go next. >we lone A voice in your head encourages you: "Seem, or see, more!" You've got SOMETHING right, here. >well lone A voice in your head encourages you: "Seem, or see, more!" You've got SOMETHING right, here. >wee lone Hmm. That really, really SOUNDED like it should work, but it didn't. >whee lone You enjoy your solitude, but ... wait. You lose track of time, and an oaf liar slips in just to babble at you. [Your score just went up by a point!] >oh flier You act distracted just right. The oaf liar tries to get your attention. Just ignoring them wouldn't work, but paying attention to a flier ... well, they take the hint that you aren't a high-rolling customer. They try to wheedle more money out of you, but of course, that's all you have. So you trade your final quid for the flier. The oaf liar thanks you for not totally wasting their time. They seem to snicker as they depart. This transaction reduces your wealth from one quid to zero quid. Well, easy come, easy go. You're pretty sure you've visited everywhere and found everyone who might need money. [Your score just went up by a point!] >i There's that occasional voice ringing in your head asking "Why pout?" But besides that ... You are carrying: a flier a knife (right) a plan tracker (empty of ideas) a war pawn You have a name, too, now, you remember: Mike Orr. >l Whee! 'Lone! You've managed to navigate negotiations and wind up with ... a shiny new flier! What more could you ask for? You can only go back OUT here. The gaunt raider, the crude orc, the mensch elf, the mice (tall), the new troll, the rogue (old) and the gnome (old) waits here for what to do or where to go next. >out Wolf Rock A big rock in the shape of a wolf looms impressively, blocking all passages except back SOUTH. You can also go DOWN into the hideout you found. There's a huge pile of lode ore here, too, and you found a low door in it that leads INSIDE. Your seven companions follow you. >s High Plain Things have opened up a bit now, with the naff haze lifted. You feel less policed, too, and you found a path EAST. You got rid of the gross tar blocking your way NORTH. There's also a way DOWN that opened up once you found passages in all cardinal directions. The shore trail you discovered leads SOUTH. A keep, iller, rises to the WEST, and you figured how to enter it. Your seven companions follow you. >w Keep (Iller) This keep has seen better days, but there seems to be a lot in its ruins. You can go back EAST. You also sense something fearsome from a passage south. A row (gold) shines in this otherwise forbidding keep. There's a bunch of manic herb here. You don't know a lot about it, other than that some is really poisonous and some is okay. There's so much, perhaps it's hiding something. That seedy sign stands off to the side here. It's no longer scary, but you don't wish to bother with it, any more. Your seven companions follow you. >manna curb You suspect there is manna beneath the manic herb, but you have no clue how to find it. Thankfully, the mensch elf steps up. You wind up with a lot of manna, whatever that is! [Your score just went up by a point!] >l Keep (Iller) This keep has seen better days, but there seems to be a lot in its ruins. You can go back EAST. You also sense something fearsome from a passage south. The gaunt raider, the crude orc, the mensch elf, the mice (tall), the new troll, the rogue (old) and the gnome (old) waits here for what to do or where to go next. A row (gold) shines in this otherwise forbidding keep. There's a bunch of manic herb here the mensch elf sifted through. That seedy sign stands off to the side here. It's no longer scary, but you don't wish to bother with it, any more. >i There's that occasional voice ringing in your head asking "Why pout?" But besides that ... You are carrying: some manna a flier a knife (right) a plan tracker (empty of ideas) a war pawn You have a name, too, now, you remember: Mike Orr. >l Keep (Iller) This keep has seen better days, but there seems to be a lot in its ruins. You can go back EAST. You also sense something fearsome from a passage south. The gaunt raider, the crude orc, the mensch elf, the mice (tall), the new troll, the rogue (old) and the gnome (old) waits here for what to do or where to go next. A row (gold) shines in this otherwise forbidding keep. There's a bunch of manic herb here the mensch elf sifted through. That seedy sign stands off to the side here. It's no longer scary, but you don't wish to bother with it, any more. >s You don't need or want to go back there. >e High Plain Things have opened up a bit now, with the naff haze lifted. You feel less policed, too, and you found a path EAST. You got rid of the gross tar blocking your way NORTH. There's also a way DOWN that opened up once you found passages in all cardinal directions. The shore trail you discovered leads SOUTH. A keep, iller, rises to the WEST, and you figured how to enter it. Your seven companions follow you. >s Known Ocean It looks like there is an ocean, or some large body of water, and maybe some islands in the distance. They are too far to swim to. You can go back north to where you started. A formerly (thanks to you) sick squid trundles about in the water here. Your seven companions follow you. >n High Plain Things have opened up a bit now, with the naff haze lifted. You feel less policed, too, and you found a path EAST. You got rid of the gross tar blocking your way NORTH. There's also a way DOWN that opened up once you found passages in all cardinal directions. The shore trail you discovered leads SOUTH. A keep, iller, rises to the WEST, and you figured how to enter it. Your seven companions follow you. >d Worm-Eaten This place seems very run-down. But it feels homey and inspires camaraderie in an odd way. Your seven companions follow you. >were meetin You sense you don't have the gang together! But you must be very, very close. Hmph. That still doesn't quite work! You'll figure out the how and when and where, though. >u High Plain Things have opened up a bit now, with the naff haze lifted. You feel less policed, too, and you found a path EAST. You got rid of the gross tar blocking your way NORTH. There's also a way DOWN that opened up once you found passages in all cardinal directions. The shore trail you discovered leads SOUTH. A keep, iller, rises to the WEST, and you figured how to enter it. Your seven companions follow you. >s Known Ocean It looks like there is an ocean, or some large body of water, and maybe some islands in the distance. They are too far to swim to. You can go back north to where you started. A formerly (thanks to you) sick squid trundles about in the water here. Your seven companions follow you. >i There's that occasional voice ringing in your head asking "Why pout?" But besides that ... You are carrying: some manna a flier a knife (right) a plan tracker (empty of ideas) a war pawn You have a name, too, now, you remember: Mike Orr. >l Known Ocean It looks like there is an ocean, or some large body of water, and maybe some islands in the distance. They are too far to swim to. You can go back north to where you started. The gaunt raider, the crude orc, the mensch elf, the mice (tall), the new troll, the rogue (old) and the gnome (old) waits here for what to do or where to go next. A formerly (thanks to you) sick squid trundles about in the water here. >n High Plain Things have opened up a bit now, with the naff haze lifted. You feel less policed, too, and you found a path EAST. You got rid of the gross tar blocking your way NORTH. There's also a way DOWN that opened up once you found passages in all cardinal directions. The shore trail you discovered leads SOUTH. A keep, iller, rises to the WEST, and you figured how to enter it. Your seven companions follow you. >s Known Ocean It looks like there is an ocean, or some large body of water, and maybe some islands in the distance. They are too far to swim to. You can go back north to where you started. A formerly (thanks to you) sick squid trundles about in the water here. Your seven companions follow you. >i There's that occasional voice ringing in your head asking "Why pout?" But besides that ... You are carrying: some manna a flier a knife (right) a plan tracker (empty of ideas) a war pawn You have a name, too, now, you remember: Mike Orr. >x flier The flier advertises places to go: a wharf isle, a thief isle, and a grove isle, each of which may hold odd treasures. It contains pretty clear directions, too. The only thing it lacks is where the directions start from. You haven't found a way to get to any of the islands yet. >war file The squid gives you and only you a ride a few miles across the ocean. You realize you could reach the wharf isle for a war file. When you get there, you're a bit disappointed by what you see. There's a bit too much emphasis on magic and the implements thereof, all of which are at a much too hefty price for you. So equipment is out. Still, there's some ideas worth tracking. Yet you can't be the only person disappointed here... Wand Wharf You rode the squid here, and there are all sorts of magical symbols here. It's a bit intimidating for someone like you who is clueless about magic. Maybe it's intimidating and depressing for someone else. There was more than enough room on the squid for all your companions, too. [Your score just went up by a point!] >l Wand Wharf You rode the squid here, and there are all sorts of magical symbols here. It's a bit intimidating for someone like you who is clueless about magic. Maybe it's intimidating and depressing for someone else. The gaunt raider, the crude orc, the mensch elf, the mice (tall), the new troll, the rogue (old) and the gnome (old) waits here for what to do or where to go next. >wan dwarf You look around and uncover a wan dwarf who wasn't good enough to be a full fighter but rejected for magic training. You explain your situation. They're all in! There's not much left to do here, so you ride the squid back. Wow! You've got quite a group here. You can't imagine needing a bigger one. Known Ocean It looks like there is an ocean, or some large body of water, and maybe some islands in the distance. They are too far to swim to. You can go back north to where you started. A formerly (thanks to you) sick squid trundles about in the water here. [Your score just went up by a point!] >x flier The flier advertises places to go: a wharf isle, a thief isle, and a grove isle, each of which may hold odd treasures. It contains pretty clear directions, too. The only thing it lacks is where the directions start from. You now know to start here. So far you've only found Wharf Isle. Your eight companions follow you. >thee file Hmm. That really, really SOUNDED like it should work, but it didn't. >grow vial In the grove isle, you find a grow vial, which you take. [Your score just went up by a point!] >l Known Ocean It looks like there is an ocean, or some large body of water, and maybe some islands in the distance. They are too far to swim to. You can go back north to where you started. The gaunt raider, the crude orc, the wan dwarf, the mensch elf, the mice (tall), the new troll, the rogue (old) and the gnome (old) waits here for what to do or where to go next. A formerly (thanks to you) sick squid trundles about in the water here. >read flier The flier advertises places to go: a wharf isle, a thief isle, and a grove isle, each of which may hold odd treasures. It contains pretty clear directions, too. The only thing it lacks is where the directions start from. You now know to start here. You still need to find Thief Isle. >the fila A voice in your head encourages you: "Seem, or see, more!" You've got SOMETHING right, here. >the file You know there is THE FILE, but which file is THE FILE? The thief isle has probably stolen a lot! You need information from your companions. (useful command again saved to THINK for later reference.) >t rogue You chat with the rogue (old) a bit, recapping more about the history of the area you're exploring and why you're here. It fills in some blanks in your memory. The rogue (old) discusses ways to sneak around so vastly overpowered opponents can't blow you away, and you also learn not to feel guilty or shifty about being good at sneaking around, around much more unsavory entities than yourself. That was a nice refresher, though wan dwarf seems to want to cut in a bit for their turn some time. [NOTE: if you want to see whom you haven't talked to yet, T by itself will do the trick. If there's only one companion you haven't talked to, you will talk to them] >t dwarf You chat with the wan dwarf a bit, learning more about the history of the area you're exploring and why you're here. It fills in some blanks in your memory. The dwarf provides an impressively nuanced view on how to balance magic skill with physical skill and fighting savvy. But the dwarf also notes how to be a good expert in specific areas if need be, as well as how to get experts and generalists to work together. However, the dwarf also expresses worry that this talk is all great in theory but hard in practice. Well, that's more useful information worth remembering. That was a lot of talking. After all that time alone, you're not used to it. You develop a talk-ache. >t That's ambiguous--more than one friend you can chat with. >l Known Ocean It looks like there is an ocean, or some large body of water, and maybe some islands in the distance. They are too far to swim to. You can go back north to where you started. The gaunt raider, the crude orc, the wan dwarf, the mensch elf, the mice (tall), the new troll, the rogue (old) and the gnome (old) waits here for what to do or where to go next. A formerly (thanks to you) sick squid trundles about in the water here. >the file You have a clue what isle to look through. The thief isle. You get The File. You've visited all the locations in the flier. You crumple it up as if to throw it in a trash bin. The squid makes a gesture as if it wishes to gobble the flier. You're worried it might choke on the flier, as it did for the quid, but then -- well, the water washes the paper brochure down. Odd, but hooray for clearer inventory. [Your score just went up by a point!] >l Known Ocean It looks like there is an ocean, or some large body of water, and maybe some islands in the distance. They are too far to swim to. You can go back north to where you started. The gaunt raider, the crude orc, the wan dwarf, the mensch elf, the mice (tall), the new troll, the rogue (old) and the gnome (old) waits here for what to do or where to go next. A formerly (thanks to you) sick squid trundles about in the water here. >n High Plain Things have opened up a bit now, with the naff haze lifted. You feel less policed, too, and you found a path EAST. You got rid of the gross tar blocking your way NORTH. There's also a way DOWN that opened up once you found passages in all cardinal directions. The shore trail you discovered leads SOUTH. A keep, iller, rises to the WEST, and you figured how to enter it. Your eight companions follow you. >e Low Bend The low bend (former lobe end) now bends from west to north, where you see water, too much to cross on foot. The We-Craft Weak Raft from the bay sale floats here, ready to take you north across the water and back, as many times as needed. Your eight companions follow you. >n You and your eight companions make it across the water without incident. Store Mile Well, you're in a sort of shopping mall now. You can see a passage leading north. The We-Craft Weak Raft from the bay sale floats here, ready to take you south across the water and back, as many times as needed. Your eight companions follow you. >n Trees Mall This is a withered, run-down former mall that had the ceiling blow off. It's walled with pictures of large, but fake, trees. You can only go back SOUTH. A tree (small) grows here, or tries to, at least. It deserves to be bigger. But wait! You can use the grow vial! It makes the tree (small) into a tree (tall)! Then it dissolves once empty. Your eight companions follow you. >s Store Mile Well, you're in a sort of shopping mall now. You can see a passage leading north. The We-Craft Weak Raft from the bay sale floats here, ready to take you south across the water and back, as many times as needed. Your eight companions follow you. >s You and your eight companions make it across the water without incident. Low Bend The low bend (former lobe end) now bends from west to north, where you see water, too much to cross on foot. The We-Craft Weak Raft from the bay sale floats here, ready to take you north across the water and back, as many times as needed. Your eight companions follow you. >s The bend only curves west to north. >d The bend only curves west to north. >w High Plain Things have opened up a bit now, with the naff haze lifted. You feel less policed, too, and you found a path EAST. You got rid of the gross tar blocking your way NORTH. There's also a way DOWN that opened up once you found passages in all cardinal directions. The shore trail you discovered leads SOUTH. A keep, iller, rises to the WEST, and you figured how to enter it. Your eight companions follow you. >d Worm-Eaten This place seems very run-down. But it feels homey and inspires camaraderie in an odd way. Your eight companions follow you. >were meetin You meet with the friends you've made over your adventure. You all have one goal in mind. And yet you don't have a rallying cry. Perhaps it can come from within you. [Your score just went up by a point!] >x me You are Mike Orr. You know that now. Kind of pedestrian, you always thought. But you hoped it might have some greater meaning. >my cor A voice in your head encourages you: "Seem, or see, more!" You've got SOMETHING right, here. >my core You always want to strengthen your own core, but you have a feeling you're looking too inward, here. Though you must be close. >my corp A voice in your head encourages you: "Seem, or see, more!" You've got SOMETHING right, here. >my corps They are your corps, and yet, there's something to share with them. Something to do together, first. (useful command again saved to THINK for later reference.) >my corpse A voice in your head encourages you: "Seem, or see, more!" You've got SOMETHING right, here. >my chore A voice in your head encourages you: "Seem, or see, more!" You've got SOMETHING right, here. >u High Plain Things have opened up a bit now, with the naff haze lifted. You feel less policed, too, and you found a path EAST. You got rid of the gross tar blocking your way NORTH. There's also a way DOWN that opened up once you found passages in all cardinal directions. The shore trail you discovered leads SOUTH. A keep, iller, rises to the WEST, and you figured how to enter it. Your eight companions follow you. >e Low Bend The low bend (former lobe end) now bends from west to north, where you see water, too much to cross on foot. The We-Craft Weak Raft from the bay sale floats here, ready to take you north across the water and back, as many times as needed. Your eight companions follow you. >n You and your eight companions make it across the water without incident. Store Mile Well, you're in a sort of shopping mall now. You can see a passage leading north. The We-Craft Weak Raft from the bay sale floats here, ready to take you south across the water and back, as many times as needed. Your eight companions follow you. >n Trees Mall This is a withered, run-down former mall that had the ceiling blow off. It's walled with pictures of large, but fake, trees. You can only go back SOUTH. A tree (tall) has grown here, thanks to you. It feels very welcoming. Your eight companions follow you. >treat all You don't have something to treat your companions with! (useful command again saved to THINK for later reference.) >t dwarf That talk ache is a bit of a nuisance. You've probably got the information you need from your friends. >tall cake All this preparing food means you don't talk a bit, and as a bonus, your talk-ache is gone. But now where to eat the cake? [Your score just went up by a point!] >treat all Well, that felt good. You trade more ideas while chatting. You think you have about everything figured out, now. [Your score just went up by a point!] >l Trees Mall This is a withered, run-down former mall that had the ceiling blow off. It's walled with pictures of large, but fake, trees. You can only go back SOUTH. The gaunt raider, the crude orc, the wan dwarf, the mensch elf, the mice (tall), the new troll, the rogue (old) and the gnome (old) waits here for what to do or where to go next. A tree (tall) has grown here, thanks to you. It feels very welcoming. >s Store Mile Well, you're in a sort of shopping mall now. You can see a passage leading north. The We-Craft Weak Raft from the bay sale floats here, ready to take you south across the water and back, as many times as needed. Your eight companions follow you. >s You and your eight companions make it across the water without incident. Low Bend The low bend (former lobe end) now bends from west to north, where you see water, too much to cross on foot. The We-Craft Weak Raft from the bay sale floats here, ready to take you north across the water and back, as many times as needed. Your eight companions follow you. >s The bend only curves west to north. >w High Plain Things have opened up a bit now, with the naff haze lifted. You feel less policed, too, and you found a path EAST. You got rid of the gross tar blocking your way NORTH. There's also a way DOWN that opened up once you found passages in all cardinal directions. The shore trail you discovered leads SOUTH. A keep, iller, rises to the WEST, and you figured how to enter it. Your eight companions follow you. >d We're Meetin'! Having had your meeting here, there's not much else to do. You feel like your companions are just about ready to go. But you still need to say something, something that can only come uniquely inside of you, to establish what a great team you are. Your eight companions follow you. >x me You are Mike Orr. You know that now. Kind of pedestrian, you always thought. But you hoped it might have some greater meaning. >i There's that occasional voice ringing in your head asking "Why pout?" But besides that ... You are carrying: a knife (right) a plan tracker (full of ideas) a war pawn You have a name, too, now, you remember: Mike Orr. >my corps Your pep talk brings everyone together. They are ready for ... well, whatever is next. This feels like the right place. You clear out a passage below. You swear a solemn pact that everyone will defend everyone else, regardless of what happens. [Your score just went up by a point!] >l We're Meetin'! Having had your meeting here, there's not much else to do. The gaunt raider, the crude orc, the wan dwarf, the mensch elf, the mice (tall), the new troll, the rogue (old) and the gnome (old) waits here for what to do or where to go next. >l We're Meetin'! Having had your meeting here, there's not much else to do. The gaunt raider, the crude orc, the wan dwarf, the mensch elf, the mice (tall), the new troll, the rogue (old) and the gnome (old) waits here for what to do or where to go next. >n No tricky passages here, just up back to safer ground or down to your fate. >u High Plain Things have opened up a bit now, with the naff haze lifted. You feel less policed, too, and you found a path EAST. You got rid of the gross tar blocking your way NORTH. There's also a way DOWN that opened up once you found passages in all cardinal directions. The shore trail you discovered leads SOUTH. A keep, iller, rises to the WEST, and you figured how to enter it. Your eight companions follow you. >e Low Bend The low bend (former lobe end) now bends from west to north, where you see water, too much to cross on foot. The We-Craft Weak Raft from the bay sale floats here, ready to take you north across the water and back, as many times as needed. Your eight companions follow you. >w High Plain Things have opened up a bit now, with the naff haze lifted. You feel less policed, too, and you found a path EAST. You got rid of the gross tar blocking your way NORTH. There's also a way DOWN that opened up once you found passages in all cardinal directions. The shore trail you discovered leads SOUTH. A keep, iller, rises to the WEST, and you figured how to enter it. Your eight companions follow you. >s Known Ocean It looks like there is an ocean, or some large body of water, and maybe some islands in the distance. They are too far to swim to. You can go back north to where you started. A formerly (thanks to you) sick squid trundles about in the water here. Your eight companions follow you. >n High Plain Things have opened up a bit now, with the naff haze lifted. You feel less policed, too, and you found a path EAST. You got rid of the gross tar blocking your way NORTH. There's also a way DOWN that opened up once you found passages in all cardinal directions. The shore trail you discovered leads SOUTH. A keep, iller, rises to the WEST, and you figured how to enter it. Your eight companions follow you. >n Wolf Rock A big rock in the shape of a wolf looms impressively, blocking all passages except back SOUTH. You can also go DOWN into the hideout you found. There's a huge pile of lode ore here, too, and you found a low door in it that leads INSIDE. Your eight companions follow you. >s High Plain Things have opened up a bit now, with the naff haze lifted. You feel less policed, too, and you found a path EAST. You got rid of the gross tar blocking your way NORTH. There's also a way DOWN that opened up once you found passages in all cardinal directions. The shore trail you discovered leads SOUTH. A keep, iller, rises to the WEST, and you figured how to enter it. Your eight companions follow you. >w Keep (Iller) This keep has seen better days, but there seems to be a lot in its ruins. You can go back EAST. You also sense something fearsome from a passage south. A row (gold) shines in this otherwise forbidding keep. There's a bunch of manic herb here the mensch elf sifted through. That seedy sign stands off to the side here. It's no longer scary, but you don't wish to bother with it, any more. Your eight companions follow you. >s You don't need or want to go back there. >e High Plain Things have opened up a bit now, with the naff haze lifted. You feel less policed, too, and you found a path EAST. You got rid of the gross tar blocking your way NORTH. There's also a way DOWN that opened up once you found passages in all cardinal directions. The shore trail you discovered leads SOUTH. A keep, iller, rises to the WEST, and you figured how to enter it. Your eight companions follow you. >d We're Meetin'! Having had your meeting here, there's not much else to do. Your eight companions follow you. >d Doom Ending The gaunt raider wasn't joking around when they said they came from some place awful! You just hope your companions can help you enough here. A sea skull gloats evilly, with its back turned to you. Everyone whispers some variation of "We're stuck! Worst, UCK!" to each other. But surely there must be a way through. Your eight companions follow you. >* no indication I should go down! needed wthru Comment noted. If you wanted this as a command, get rid of the starting character. >u Unsurprisingly, all the action is here. >undo Doom Ending [Previous turn undone.] >undo Doom Ending [Previous turn undone.] >undo We're Meetin'! [Previous turn undone.] >l We're Meetin'! Having had your meeting here, there's not much else to do. The gaunt raider, the crude orc, the wan dwarf, the mensch elf, the mice (tall), the new troll, the rogue (old) and the gnome (old) waits here for what to do or where to go next. >exits That thought/action/observation/request brings up nothing. Why Pout has a limited set of verbs, and the main thing is to guess a two-word phrase. To see what verbs are used, try VERBS. > l We're Meetin'! Having had your meeting here, there's not much else to do. The gaunt raider, the crude orc, the wan dwarf, the mensch elf, the mice (tall), the new troll, the rogue (old) and the gnome (old) waits here for what to do or where to go next. >u High Plain Things have opened up a bit now, with the naff haze lifted. You feel less policed, too, and you found a path EAST. You got rid of the gross tar blocking your way NORTH. There's also a way DOWN that opened up once you found passages in all cardinal directions. The shore trail you discovered leads SOUTH. A keep, iller, rises to the WEST, and you figured how to enter it. Your eight companions follow you. >d We're Meetin'! Having had your meeting here, there's not much else to do. Your eight companions follow you. >d Doom Ending The gaunt raider wasn't joking around when they said they came from some place awful! You just hope your companions can help you enough here. A sea skull gloats evilly, with its back turned to you. Everyone whispers some variation of "We're stuck! Worst, UCK!" to each other. But surely there must be a way through. Your eight companions follow you. >sees cull A voice in your head encourages you: "Seem, or see, more!" You've got SOMETHING right, here. >seas cull A voice in your head encourages you: "Seem, or see, more!" You've got SOMETHING right, here. >cease cull You'll probably have to alert the sea skull to your presence at some time. You try to sound authoritative when you do so. And ... well, you get its attention. "DONE, OH?!?! DUH, NO!" it roars. It begins pouring out rivers of blood at you and your companions. But fortunately, you have so many, that by the time it gets to you, it is not so bad. Yet it's still depressing. You think back to advice you got at the beginning ... how it seemed slightly off. What to do? [Your score just went up by a point!] >wipeout That thought/action/observation/request brings up nothing. Why Pout has a limited set of verbs, and the main thing is to guess a two-word phrase. To see what verbs are used, try VERBS. >wipe out Well that does it! It's a big long fight, but you all prevail! Things are a bit of a mess, though. You feel something odd come between you and your companions now you're done. They wonder why they need to do any more. You could call the whole zeitgeist a why-division. [Your score just went up by a point!] >wide evision A voice in your head encourages you: "Seem, or see, more!" You've got SOMETHING right, here. >wide vision You try to declare a wide vision, but sadly you trip yourself up a bit. Wide vision? Why division? You get tripped up on spelling and pronunciation details, and you just can't fight through them. Perhaps if you'd fought through more setbacks, you might be able to, but you can't, right now. (useful command again saved to THINK for later reference.) >think You try and think of stuff you tried, but the time wasn't quite right. Sadly, you didn't quite experience enough to spread your wide vision. >l Doom Ending Well, it turns out the doom ending was for the sea skull, not for you. But you're still a bit frustrated. How do you go forward from here? Why-division has settled in among your companions. Everyone's done what they can. Why should they do more? They've saved their skin, and a lot of others', too, and they'll be safe for a while! The gaunt raider, the crude orc, the wan dwarf, the mensch elf, the mice (tall), the new troll, the rogue (old) and the gnome (old) waits here for what to do or where to go next. >wide evasion A voice in your head encourages you: "Seem, or see, more!" You've got SOMETHING right, here. >wide ee A voice in your head encourages you: "Seem, or see, more!" You've got SOMETHING right, here. >wide vision You are unable to express your wide vision. You'll have to settle for just repairing things pretty well. Hmph. That still doesn't quite work! You'll figure out the how and when and where, though. >l Doom Ending Well, it turns out the doom ending was for the sea skull, not for you. But you're still a bit frustrated. How do you go forward from here? Why-division has settled in among your companions. Everyone's done what they can. Why should they do more? They've saved their skin, and a lot of others', too, and they'll be safe for a while! The gaunt raider, the crude orc, the wan dwarf, the mensch elf, the mice (tall), the new troll, the rogue (old) and the gnome (old) waits here for what to do or where to go next. >do mending Yes. It's time to get healing. Your companions don't have as much time or energy to help as you hoped they would, but they do enough. Everyone feels better for their part in defeating the sea skull. And yet you worry it, or something like it, may be back sooner rather than later, and your companions have gone their separate ways for good. Still, you should be pleased with yourself. [Your score just went up by a point!] *** Gray day?! Grade A! *** Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game, QUIT or UNDO the last command? >