Blue Lacuna — 179 of 467

Chapter - Cliffside

Cliffside is a room. "Breathing heavily, you pause for a moment at a relatively stable foothold, hands clenched tightly [if mountain-spring is pristine and pressure of the related pipe of the pyramid pressure gauge >= 5]on water-slick rock [end if]and muscles quavering. [exits].". The prose name of Cliffside is "the side of the mountain cliff". The exits text of Cliffside is "The ground is a long way [d]down[x] and the crack continues [d]up[x]".

Check sleeping in Cliffside: say "Good one.[sleepsuggest]" instead.

cliff-climb-try is a number that varies. cliff-climb-try is 0.

First Instead of going up when location is Cliffside and mountain-spring is pristine and pressure of the related pipe of the pyramid pressure gauge >= 5:

if current episode is Word Day:

say "It's probably a better idea to explore a little more before you go climbing dangerous things." instead;

if the psyche of Progue is emotional or the psyche of Progue is fugue or the psyche of Progue is resolved or Tsunami Sequence is happening:

say "Perhaps you once could have tried, but by now your body has grown so used to this crack being unclimbable that you can't work up the nerve to do it." instead;

if an episode is playing:

say "You try to pick your way farther up, but the hot water coursing down the crack scalds your arms. A fingerhold slips and you hug the side of the mountain in cold panic. You can't work up the nerve for now to try to get any higher." instead;

increment cliff-climb-try by 1;

if cliff-climb-try is 1, say "You try to pick your way farther up, but the water coursing down becomes more intense, the stone underneath slicker. You are all too conscious of the distance to the ground, far, far below your feet. Finally, when one hand slips on a slimy hold, you are forced to descend to your previous stopping point, nervous and shaky.";

if cliff-climb-try is 2:

say "Carefully, you start up the water-soaked crack again, once again trusting to moss handholds and slicker and slicker footholds. This time, you seem to find them easier. You are just starting to gain some confidence and get a good rhythm going when suddenly, your foot slips off a mossy niche, your wet hands claw at slickness and you fall...";

begin Tending-to-Wounded-Player.

After going to Ledge: now cliff-climb-try is 0; continue the action. [So we can always come back and try without dying.]

Report going up from Cliffside: say "The climbing gets even tougher. There's one spot where you're desperate for a handhold, and have to make a great reach that makes your muscles groan. But a few body lengths later, thankfully, you reach the top of the crack, and climb gratefully up onto a broad green lawn.".

Report going from Cliffside to Ledge: say "[if Ledge is unvisited]You lower yourself carefully down the cliff, grateful the crack remains so constant. Finally, with relief, you get to a small ledge, and stand up gratefully, rubbing your aching arms[otherwise]You climb back down the crack towards the safety of the ledge below[end if].".

Report going from Lawn to Cliffside: say "[if Cliffside is unvisited]Nervously, you peer over the edge. It's a long way down. As long as the crack continues, you'll have good hand and footholds, but it will be risky.[paragraph break][end if]You lower yourself carefully into the crack, keeping an eye out for holds, and begin descending the face of the mountain.".