Blue Lacuna — 245 of 467

Chapter - Water Cave

The prose name of Water Cave is "the underwater cave". The description of Water Cave is "[watercavedesc].". To say watercavedesc: say "The tunnel sides are smooth and regular, though the top vanishes into a gloomy labyrinth of jumbled boulders and false ceilings. [exits]". The exits text of Water Cave is "Any one of the dark routes [up] above could be worth exploring, though the [dr]glow[x] from the tunnel mouth[if dir] [east][end if] is more appealing". Understand "glow" as east when location is Water Cave.

Instead of sleeping in Water Cave, say "Good one.[sleepsuggest]". Instead of vague swimming in Water Cave, try going up.

Breath count is a number that varies. Breath count is 4. Every turn when location is not Water Cave and breath count is not 4: now breath count is 4.

Every turn when location is Water Cave:

if breath count is 4, say "You let a small clump of spent air bubbles out from your mouth, which rise into the blackness above.";

if breath count is 3, say "Already you feel a faint urge to breathe. You focus on moving calmly and efficiently.";

if breath count is 2, say "The urge to breathe is growing stronger. You won't have much longer before you'll have to retreat.";

decrement breath count by 1.

Every turn when location is Water Cave and breath count is 0:

say "Your air is almost gone; your lungs flex involuntarily. Kicking powerfully, you swim back down the tunnel, up the steep bend and out into the tidepool, breaking the surface and gasping air gratefully.";

move the player to Top of Ravine.

Instead of going up from Water Cave for the first time, say "You swim up one promising slope only to dead end at a cluster of mossy rocks. Awkwardly, you push yourself back down to the open space below.". Instead of going up from Water Cave for the second time, say "You swim around a protruding boulder to try again, but a smooth ceiling of rock again frustrates you and you return below.".

Report going from Water Cave to Top of Cave:

if Top of Cave is unvisited, say "[if breath count < 2]In desperation, y[otherwise]Y[end if]ou swim into a small opening near the back of the cave and thrill to see the silvery underside of a surface! Kicking powerfully, you break the surface and climb gratefully onto a slick boulder.";

otherwise say "You find again the small opening near the back of the cave, swim up to the surface, and climb up out of the water.".

Report going from Water Cave to Top of Ravine: say "You kick back through the tunnel, up the steep bend and out into the tidepool, where you break the surface and climb out into the chilly air again.";