Blue Lacuna — 237 of 467

Chapter - Overhang

The printed name of Overhang is "Open Grotto". The prose name of Overhang is "the grotto on the secret island". The description of Overhang is "[overhangdesc].".

To say overhangdesc:

say "The side of the smaller island has eroded away here to make a long cave, open to the air all along the outer wall[dot]";

if lumpy moss-covered mound is on-stage, say "A lumpy moss-covered [o]mound[x] rests near the dropoff to the sea, green toes poking out over the edge[dot]";

if mound of abandoned sculptures is on-stage, say "The [o]mound[x] of abandoned sculptures rests near the dropoff to the sea, kissed in grime and the moist salt spray[dot]";

say "[exits]".

The exits text of Overhang is "The long cave continues [bw of Mossy Ledge][if dir][south] [end if][dr]around[x] the island's curve, or opposite shrinks to a narrow scramble [bw of Prison][up]. [if puzzle mode]Some rough-hewn stairs lead [bw of Echo Chamber][down] towards the ocean[else]There seems to be no way down to the ocean[end if][etovh2]". To say etovh2: say ", which the rope bridge [dr]crosses[x] [bw of Seal Beach][if dir]to the [southwest][else]over[end if]". Understand "around" as south when location is Overhang. Understand "crosses" as southwest when location is Overhang.

Instead of going down in Overhang when story mode, say "You don't see any way down to the ocean from here.".

The lumpy moss-covered mound is a setpiece in Overhang. Understand "moss/mossy/moss/covered" as moss-covered mound. The description is "Covered in a blanket of damp green moss, the mound is very irregular in shape, as if grown over a pile of differently sized stones with odd protrusions and curves.[paragraph break]Poking out from the edge of the moss at the base of the pile, something [o]crystalline[x] glints greenly and catches your eye.". Instead of pulling or taking or pushing the moss-covered mound: say "You pull away the moss and find more abandoned sculptures, sifting through them in wonder and sadness.[paragraph break]There are hundreds of them, carved from stone, crystal, wood, and bone. There are rough-hewn faces, fantastic animals half-formed, abandoned crude shapes perhaps the beginnings of mountains or clouds. There is a wooden violin, its neck rich with achingly intricate detail but its body an unsmoothed block; a breathtaking quartz tornado, stunning in its outline but the details of its facets not quite right; an old woman's smiling face emerging from a block of something like granite, every wrinkle and line etched with care, but unable somehow to free more than the left side of her face from the stone. None of them are finished. Many are cracked or shattered, or bear scars where furious blows with knife or chisel mar their artistry.[paragraph break]Finally, you step back, leaving the pile of sculptures where it rests, and can't shake a vaguely horrified feeling, as if you've just found a mass grave."; move mound of abandoned sculptures to Overhang; remove lumpy moss-covered mound from play.

The mound of abandoned sculptures is a setpiece. Understand "sculpture" as mound of abandoned sculptures. The description is "The pile of sculptures, balanced just shy of the dropoff to the ocean, seems sad and ghostly in the misty air.". Instead of pushing mound of abandoned sculptures: say "You push against the side of the mound with your shoulders, spreading out your arms, and it collapses with a chorus of groans and tinkles and scrapes, each piece plummeting in spins and whorls to the surf below and disappearing. You keep pushing until every one has fallen off the edge, and only chalky ghosts of sawdust and crushed stone remain."; remove mound of abandoned sculptures from play; remove songbird sculpture from play.

The songbird sculpture is a prop in Overhang. Understand "crystalline/bird" as songbird sculpture. The description is "You pull a piece of the moss away to get a better look. Underneath is part of a blue crystal sculpture of a songbird in flight-- but unfinished, the wings still crudely shapen, one roughly broken off. The rest is buried under the moss." Instead of taking the songbird sculpture, say "[if lumpy moss-covered mound is on-stage]The moss is in the way[else]It seems to belong here, somehow[end if]." Instead of pulling the songbird sculpture, try taking the songbird sculpture.

Report going from Overhang to Prison: say "Ducking your head, you clamber up the quickly tilting floor and around a tight curve to squeeze through a crack into a small chamber near the top of the island.". Report going from Overhang to Mossy Ledge: say "You follow the open grotto around the curve of the tiny island till you reach its ending on the side facing the open sea.". Report going from Overhang to Echo Chamber: say "You take a steep path near where the bridge connects, picking your way down to a cave nearer to sea level, which you slip cautiously inside."