Blue Lacuna — 238 of 467

Chapter - Prison

The prose name of Prison is "the prison". The description of Prison is "[prisondesc].". To say prisondesc:

say "This round cave is open to the sky at the ceiling. The ground is covered with crumbled rock and rubble[dot]";

say "Against one wall of the chamber is a crude [o]cage[x] constructed of bamboo bars and a simple wooden door. [if night and moonup]The wall opposite is alight with a long glowing [o]scrawl[x] of writing[else]On the top of the wall opposite is a [o]scrawl[x] of writing, with a huge empty space underneath[end if][dot]";

say "[exits]".

The exits text of Prison is "A [dr]crack[x] leads [bw of Overhang][if dir][west] and [end if]down to the grotto, or you could stoop [bw of Mossy Ledge]into [one of]a[or]the[stopping] narrow [dr]tunnel[x][if dir] to the [east][end if]". Understand "crack" as west when location is Prison. Understand "tunnel" as east when location is Prison.

Report going from Prison to Overhang: say "You squeeze through the crack and then step carefully down a broken passage to the open grotto below.". Report going from Prison to Mossy Ledge: say "You duck awkwardly through the entrance, but it quickly opens up to a narrow path running down and around the outside of the island. You follow it carefully around until you reach the grotto again.".

The bamboo cage is an enterable transparent undescribed container in Prison. It is fixed in place. The description is "The bamboo runs into holes chiseled in the floor and wall, making the bars bow outward slightly and then curve back in to form the cell's ceiling. Some stone manacles and some dirty straw are all you can see inside[if the psyche of Progue is at least uncertainty].[paragraph break]The door to the cage is open, swinging loosely in the still air[end if].". Understand "door" as the bamboo cage. Instead of closing or opening bamboo cage, say "The door swings loosely, without a latch or any way to keep it shut.".

Some stone manacles are a prop in the bamboo cage. The description is "Crude and heavy.". Instead of taking stone manacles, say "They are attached to the wall. Curiously, however, you note that were your hands put in them, it would be perfectly possible to take them out again.". Check entering manacles: say "You slip your hands inside the manacles, but feel nothing unexpected, so you easily remove them again." instead. Understand "put hand/hands in/into [manacles]" as entering when location is Prison.

Some dirty straw is a prop in the bamboo cage.

Report entering the bamboo cage: say "You open the door and step inside. Something about it seems odd, but you can't put your finger on it." instead. Report exiting when player was enclosed by the bamboo cage: say "You step through the door again. As you do so, you notice that it has no lock." instead.

The prison scrawl is a story-based scrawl in Prison. The standard message is "Everything I am is taken from me but". The secret message is " my soul, and it lies broken and bleeding on the verge of verges. It is here, in this cage.

Angry. It wants to hurt me. I do not want it to live, but I cannot kill it. It is all I have left.

I will come here to tend it, mayhaps once a year or so. Bring it food and water. Talk to it, laugh with it, cry with it.

Make sure it is not getting too well.

It will stay here, a prisoner, so it will not ask me to feel remorse, so it will not ask me to make decisions, so it will not ask me to remember those I have lost, so it will not judge, belittle, hate, hurt, harm me. It will stay here alone, with the rest of my failings.

Because if it escapes, it will try to kill me. And I don't want death to come at its hands.".