Blue Lacuna — 155 of 467

Chapter - Lower Beach

The prose name of Lower Beach is "the shore". The printed name of Lower Beach is "[if tidein]Wading In the Lagoon[else]Lower Beach".

The description of Lower Beach is "[if tideout][lowerbeachdesc].[else][description of Ocean Waters]". To say lowerbeachdesc:

if raining, say "The soft drumming of rain on wet sand fills your ears with a basso thrum. Curtains of rainwater wash down the saturated beach, the line between sea and land turned into one between salt water and fresh";

otherwise say "The tide breaks at your feet, sending warm runners of foam [if low tide]to kiss the wet sand by your feet[otherwise]splashing around your ankles[end if]";

say ". The sand is smooth and damp, sprinkled with a profusion of shells, small stones, and clumps of seaweed. [paragraph break]A huge and beautiful [o]sculpture[x] of a manta ray, carved from some clear crystal, sits on a track running into the waves.[paragraph break][exits]".

LowerBeach-stuff is stuff in Lower Beach. Understand "curtain/curtains/runner/runners/foam" as LowerBeach-stuff when location is Lower Beach.

The exits text of Lower Beach is "You can [if tideout]hike back up[else]wade towards[end if] the beach in one of several directions: [if dir][northeast] [end if]towards the rocky [dr]rise[x], [if dir][east] [end if]towards the log [dr]cabin[x], or [etlb2]". To say etlb2: say "[if dir][southeast] [end if]towards the [dr]beach[x] near the path. You could also wade [if tidein]farther [end if]out into the ocean [dr]waters[x][if dir] to the [west]". Understand "rise" as northeast when location is Lower Beach. Understand "cabin" as east when location is Lower Beach. Understand "beach" as southeast when location is Lower Beach. Understand "waters" as west when location is Lower Beach.

The manta sculpture is a setpiece in Lower Beach. The description is "The sculpture is stunningly beautiful, capturing every curve of the graceful manta creature's flattened form. The clear crystal shimmers in the [light-source], and peering closer you can see that the sculpture is actually hollow. A [o]hatchway[x] on the top provides access to the interior.". Instead of opening or entering the manta sculpture, try going inside. Understand "crystal" as manta sculpture.

Instead of doing anything to the manta sculpture when tidein: say "It's submerged by water right now; you can't access it.".

The hatchway is part of the manta sculpture. The description is "A round wheel on top opens the hatchway, which looks airtight.". Understand "wheel" as hatchway. Instead of opening or turning or entering the hatchway, try going inside.

Report going from Lower Beach to Beachfront: say "You [if tidein]emerge from the shallow water and [end if]hike up the drying beach[if a random chance of 1 in 3 succeeds][time-of-day-bit],[end if] leaving the soft crash of the surf far behind." Report going from Beachfront to Lower Beach: say "You walk down towards the breakers on dampening sand[if a random chance of 1 in 2 succeeds][time-of-day-bit][end if].".

Report going from Lower Beach to Inside-Manta: say "You turn a wooden wheel on the hatchway, pull it open with a wet sucking noise, and clamber inside. The interior is just tall enough that you can sit up without bumping your head. As you sit, however, the hatchway clangs shut behind you, releasing a hidden catch; and the manta sculpture glides forward down the track, cuts through the breaking waves effortlessly, and descends into a beautiful undersea paradise.".

Check going north in Lower Beach: say "The rocks in that direction are too sharp to clamber ashore." instead. Check sleeping in Lower Beach: say "Not here. When the tide comes back in, you'd be washed away.[sleepsuggest]" instead.