C:\GAMES\IMPRO\SOH>soh (N)ew game, or (C)ontinue? C Game restored. >VERSION = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = SPIRITS OF HOPE An Improtext Adventure Lead Programmer: Brian Stricklin Additional Programming: Kerry "Ked" Stump Version 1.6 - Cycle and Sigils = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = West Residences You are wandering among the darkened streets and houses of the residential district. The residences seem to be circling the hill on which the upper class mansions reside. Lord Despise's pagoda looms over all to the east. The residences continue to the southeast and northeast. >NE North Residences On the northern side of the street stands a building made out of gray stone, unlike the wooden constructs surrounding you. Etched above the doors is a sign declaring it to be the 'WAYPOINT PUBLIC WORKS'. The residences continue to the southwest and to the east. On the porch of the building, a very large guard sleeps in a rickety chair. >E Northeast Residences >LOOK FOR BALL The ball is resting behind the basket, where it tumbled after your last clumsy shot. >GET BALL You pick up the ball and give it a few experimental dribbles. Given its rough construction, it returns to your hand with surprisingly little effort. >THROW BALL AT BASKET The ball bounces off the backboard towards the basket, but rims out. You know, with twenty years more practice, you might be able to turn pro! >GET BALL You get the ball once more. >SE You think about walking off with the ball, but decide that stealing some child's toy would be beneath your dignity. As you move off towards Market Square, you lob the ball back towards the basket. Much to your surprise, fruit baskets don't make the nifty "swoosh" sound you associate with a perfect shot - rather, the ball bounces off the side of the basket and the whole apparatus makes a hideous rattling noise. [You have gained 1 point!] You're not the only one who hears this. From the east comes the distant call, "Hey! Check out that noise!" You hurry off towards the market, where there appears to be some activity not associated with guards. Market Square Here, at the intersection of Maltain Avenue and Crabtree Lane, you find a large bazaar of sorts taking place. Despite the late hour there is still lots of activity, though the focus appears to have shifted from frenzied acquisition of goods to quieter, yet just as frenzied restocking of goods. The various booths and stalls are well out of the way of possible carriage traffic, which is a good thing, since a steady stream of horse-drawn cargo is flowing into the square, apparently from the gate a couple of blocks to the east. There seems to be a tavern to the east, Maltain leads from the southeast to the northwest, and Crabtree runs northeast to southwest. > INVENTORY You are carrying: a silver pendant (worn) a piece of chalk a gold amulet (wrapped around the wrist) arrows a blanket pocky >LOOK AT BOOTHS Now that the crowd is gone, you can make out the individual booths and stalls without much difficulty. While they are crammed together as tightly as possible, you discover that there appears to be some amount of organization. On the north side of the square a number of large humanoids, some of whom wear the generic Waypoint guard uniform, are tending mostly military wares: weapons, uniforms, a smattering of armor, and a couple of items that look like primitively elaborate timepieces. To the south lies everything edible. This is the busiest side of the square at the moment, as their stock is perishable and needs must have a higher sellthrough rate. The west is filled with general goods - clothes and ropes and farming implements and many items you can't identify. > DIAGNOSE You are in good health, and feel totally awake. You aren't at all hungry. You aren't at all thirsty. >LOOK AT TIMEPIECES You aren't close enough to make out any detail. They're about the size of a horse's head, and you think you see more than the usual number of hands on each face. >N As much as you'd like to admire the fine military hardware, walking up to the city guards is something you can't quite find the courage to do. >S You wade through the backed-up carts in front of the stalls. It appears that the young male... beings unloading the carts are losing the battle. Produce is arriving much faster than it's being unloaded. You hear the measured paces of a guard troop marching into the square from the northwest. A thin, green, wrinkled man looks up as you make your way past him. "Hey, boy! Want to make some money?" >THAT WOULD BE GREAT "Huh?" The green guy looks confused. >YES He points you at a cart full of what appear to be blue tomatoes. "All the stalls with the teal circle emblems get a basket of these. If you get them squared away before my next lorry shows up, you'll get an extra shilling. And if I get any complaints, you don't get anything at all!" [You have gained 1 point!] >LOOK AT BLUE TOMATOES The first native foodstuffs you've gotten a close look at in this place, they are exactly like the tomatoes you're familiar with... except they're blue. You're not sure if you could stand to eat one. Good thing you're not hungry. "What are you waiting for," asks the green man. "Get to work!" You note a column of guards heading across the square towards you. >SAVE Game saved. >SE You run away from the guards, leaving the old green guy shouting behind you. You hear calls of, "There he is! After him!" Trimble and Maltain The guards are pursuing you. >S Trimble and Oakleaf The guards are catching up to you. >E Oakleaf and Maple Stunned by the beauty of the well-lit street to the south, you slow to take in some detail. Oakleaf Road intersects with the north end of Maple Boulevard here. Maple is a wide street with a swath of well- tended grass dividing its two lanes. You can see stately government buildings in the block to the south, and bright, regular rows of lights turning this small piece of night into day. Unfortunately, that's all you have time to notice before a guard catches up with you and brains you with one deft swipe of his sword. *** You have died. *** Quit, Restore, or Undo? RESTORE Game restored. >UNLOAD TOMATOES You pick up a basket of tomatoes and make your way through the stalls. Behind you, you hear the wrinkled green man's thin voice. "I don't think there's been anyone like that around here. I noticed someone running north on Crabtree a few minutes ago, though." You leave the basket at a stand marked with a teal circle, and return to the cart in time to see the guard detachment march northeast out of the square. [You have gained 1 point!] "Did you know that Lord Despise's thugs are after you?" >YES "You must be the one who confronted him earlier. I hope you are more powerful than you appear. Despise has ruled here for far, far too long, and no one who has challenged him has lived, save poor Suzume... if you call that living." He casts his eyes downward at the thought. "If you need to run, I won't hold you to helping out here." >UNLOAD TOMATOES In spite of the danger, you unload the rest of the tomatoes. It takes a bit of hunting to track down the last few stalls with the proper logo, and the next lorry shows up before you finish. It feels like the entire task took about forty-five minutes. "Many thanks for helping. My driver can take care of the rest." The green man roots through his purse and hands you two small silver- colored coins, and four smaller bronze-colored coins. He leans forward and whispers, "If you need refuge from Despise, make your way to Arridyl's farm - my farm. It's a few miles south of the city. I would take you with me, but I have no way to sneak you through the gate." [You have gained 2 points!] >ASK ARRIDYL FOR TIME He looks puzzled. "It's nighttime." >ASK ARRIDYL ABOUT DESPISE "He's an evil old sorcerer - surely you could tell that. He's ruled Waypoint ever since he defeated the old Council in a magical duel, and this town has become a sad, sorry place." >ASK ARRIDYL ABOUT MAGIC Arridyl's already-wrinkled brow creases even more. "Why would _you_ need to ask me about magic? Now excuse me, I need to negotiate some sales." He walks off towards a particularly well-appointed booth. >LOOK AT COINS You examine the coins. The two silver-colored coins are stamped on one side with a crude profile of Lord Despise and on the other side with a rough map of Waypoint. You guess that these are the coins called shillings, since "1 S" is engraved twice on each side. The smaller, bronze-colored coins are stamped on only one side with an even more basic map of the city. The edges of these coins are ridged. All of them look beaten up - lots of dings and scratches. You have no idea what these coins are called, but you'd bet all of them that they are worth less than the shillings. >LOOK AT MAP There's not much you can glean from the maps stamped on the coins - you recognize the basic configuration of the major streets on the north end of town, and you guess that you've seen about half the territory depicted. >SE Trimble and Maltain You are at the intersection of Trimble Way and Maltain Avenue. The crowds of earlier have mostly gone home, though a steady procession of hand and horse-drawn traffic is pouring in from the north on Trimble. Some of the cargo heads up Maltain to the market, but more goes south towards the many commercial establishments on Oakleaf. Most of the buildings here are residential, and not of much interest to you. Trimble Way extends to the south and northeast of here, and Maltain heads off northwest. >S Trimble and Oakleaf You are standing on the south end of Trimble Way, where it intersects with Oakleaf Road. Oakleaf seems to be a main thoroughfare - there is heavy commercial traffic heading east and west despite the late hour, and the cobblestones here are particularly worn down by wheels and hooves. The sidewalk vendors have largely gone home, and the shops lining the street are either closed up or restocking. Trimble leads off north, and Oakleaf runs from the east to the west. >W Oakleaf Road The main thoroughfare of Waypoint City, Oakleaf Road, runs east and west. It's wide and its cobblestones are worn. Some amount of traffic flows both ways, but little stops here. On the south side of Oakleaf is a bar, looking more high class than the Haunted Keg further to the northeast of Waypoint. The sign above the door proclaims the bar to be The Grape and Melon. A tall blue man with white hair and antennae stands next to the door, looking suspiciously at everyone. You hear loud shouting from the second floor of the establishment. It must be some wild party up there! The buildings to the north are residential and completely uninteresting. >W Oakleaf and Ferngrove >W Oakleaf Fiveways >SW Laurel Avenue Laurel trees are planted at regular intervals along both sides of the street. Beyond the trees lies wide-open green space, apparently a park of some sort. You see paths and benches and even a swingset in the distance. The parkland is walled off from the rest of the city by tall, immaculately trimmed shrubbery. Laurel Avenue continues southwest towards a number of large buildings. >SW Laurel Roundabout Laurel comes to an end here in a graceful loop. A half-dozen large mansions are spaced evenly around the outside of the roundabout. These are the largest European-style residences that you've seen in Waypoint, and they are opulent in both scale and exterior decoration. The south- most mansion is totally dark and looks as though it has not been kept up as well as the other five. All are separated from the street by tall, wrought iron fences. In the middle of the roundabout is a small plaza featuring life-sized gray stone statues of six human figures, four men and two women. You assume they are human... though given the variety of skin coloration in this town and the monochrome nature of the statues it's impossible to know for sure. >S The gate to this mansion is old and rusted, but still locked. You can not pass. >NE Laurel Avenue >NE Oakleaf Fiveways You hear a troop of guards marching north of here. >W Oakleaf West The north side of the street is dominated by a massive stone structure. It makes you think of a cathedral without towers. A small sign next to the front doors is marked, "Sanctuary of the Fifth Freedom" in small block letters. The building is currently unlit. To the south is a flat brick courtyard. Oakleaf Road continues to the east and west. >N The Sanctuary door is closed and locked. >KNOCK ON DOOR There is no response. >S Argent Plaza This plaza is paved with bricks rather than the more common cobblestone. Polished metal benches circle a fountain. Rising above the water is a metal statue of a short man who appears human except for the gills on either side of his head. Low planters hold numerous small plants - you guess that were it daytime, the array of flowers would be breathtaking. Argent Plaza appears designed to funnel people to a massive, important- looking building on its west side. Smaller structures wall off the south and east, though these seem to be relatively nondescript commercial offices. >W Waypoint Goldenroad Bank Large stone letters announce this building's name and purpose to anyone that approaches it. You notice a few guards in gilded uniforms patrolling the building's perimeter. You are apparently too unthreatening to merit any serious attention from them. A sign on the locked and barred door announces the bank's hours. >READ SIGN It says, "We are happy to provide for every citizen's banking needs from 10 AM to 4 PM, save for a reasonable lunch hour." >E Argent Plaza >N Oakleaf West You hear numerous male voices discussing something east of here at the Fiveways. >W Oakleaf West End This is the far west end of Oakleaf. Livery stables and general-goods shops line the street. A few cargo wagons roll into town from the gate to the west, but it appears that most commercial traffic uses the gate on the other side of Waypoint. The Waypoint Goldenroad bank has an entrance on this street as well, just to the south of you. You see a leather purse on the ground. >LOOK AT PURSE A basic brown leather tote of elegant design - something either a man or a woman could carry with pride, at least before it had been run over by several teams of horses. Still, it looks mostly intact: it just needs a good cleaning. You see a monogram emblossed on one corner. >LOOK AT MONOGRAM It's small; you'll have get much closer. >GET PURSE You pick up the purse and brush off the encrusted grime. >LOOK AT MONOGRAM You make out the letters "kBn". >LOOK INSIDE PURSE Someone else apparently got to it before you - the purse is empty. >INVENTORY You are carrying: a silver pendant (worn) a piece of chalk a gold amulet (wrapped around the wrist) arrows a blanket pocky 2 shillings 4 small bronze-colored coins a brown leather purse >W Oakleaf Gate The gate on Oakleaf Street is perhaps half the size of the one on the east side of Waypoint. There is barely enough room for two horse-drawn wagons to pass through side-by-side. The wooden gates are perhaps a couple of inches thinner than at the east gate, but these are bound with iron bands. Guards with gray uniforms briefly check all traffic passing through, and you note that outgoing carts and pedestrians are getting much more scrutiny than those coming in. West through the gate is a paved road heading off into the distance. To the east is Oakleaf Street, one of Waypoint's largest thoroughfares. One of the guards looks up from talking to a rabbit-eared child and sees you. His eyes narrow, and he reaches back to tap a short, reptilian guard in a nicer-looking uniform on the shoulder. >E! There's no need to shout. Oakleaf West End You hear shouts from the gate behind you. You are getting really sick running into the local constabulary. >E Oakleaf West The guards are pursuing you. A large, purple-furred creature wearing monk's robes gestures silently to you from the sanctuary to the north. >N Fifth Freedom Sanctuary As you duck into the building, the monk swings the door shut behind you and drops a gigantic iron bar across it. Ten seconds later you hear a pack of guards run past the sanctuary. Whew! [You have gained 1 point!] The inside of the sanctuary is even more reminiscent of a church than the outside. You are standing in a short foyer that opens up to the north into a gigantic indoor amphitheater. You see some human-looking statuary at the far end, but can not make out any details. Corridors extend east and west to the residents' living quarters. The monk turns to face you, and cries, "I knew it! I knew you would come! It had been so long..." It (you're not willing to guess the gender of this being quite yet) emits a squealing giggle that does little to reassure you of its sanity, then claps its hands over its mouth and looks around worriedly. "Oopsie, we mustn't wake the others! I'm sorry, I should have been tending the door when you knocked the first time, but I was so hungry." Its tone becomes serious for a moment: "It's been a long night, the longest one since... well, it isn't a good sign. But you're here now, so everything will be all right! Except... you won't tell on me will you? Please?" >YES The monk takes a moment to parse that, then asks, "Is that, 'yes, I will tell' or 'yes, I will not tell'?" >I WILL NOT TELL "Great! You're such a wonderful friend, and won't the others be soooo happy to see you tomorrow at breakfast! Follow me, and I'll show you to your room." It strides off into a dimly lit corridor to the west. >N Sanctuary Amphitheater You walk into the sanctuary amphitheater. This huge, circular room has only one visible entrance (you just came through it). Large stone steps lead down to a stage at the bottom of the room. Larger-than-life stone statues of human-looking beings are spaced evenly around the outside wall. The stage, the bottom few rows of steps/seating, and the statues are spotlessly clean... but everything else is dusty and in disrepair. Behind you, you hear the monk call softly, "Hey! Where'd you go!" >LOOK AT STATUES There are probably three dozen statues in total. They are all about ten feet tall, and carved from stone. All the figures appear to be normal humans, and about two-thirds of them are male. As you scan the faces, you are startled to realize that you recognize several. One is Suzume, one is Despise, one is the boy whose picture you found in the laboratory, and you think that several are larger copies of the statues at the south end of Laurel Avenue. [You have gained 2 points!] The monk comes up from behind and grabs you by the arm. It drags you back into the foyer than down the west hall. You try to wiggle free, but the creature is probably more than twice your weight and your struggles are in vain. "I'm the only one who is allowed to roam the building tonight, so you have to stay in your room until morning!" He maneuvers you into a room, and shuts the door. Room This is a basic monk's cell. The room is clean, both of dirt and of ornamentation. A medium-sized wardrobe rests against one of the blank stone walls. Two rough cots stand in the middle of the floor. One is occupied by a sleeping four-armed female with short-cropped red hair. A small oil lamp lights the room. You hear a key turn in the door to the north. >N You bounce off the sturdy door. >OPEN DOOR The door is locked. >POUND ON DOOR After a couple of seconds, you hear footsteps coming towards the door. The lock clicks and the door opens an inch. You see the big purple thing raise a finger to its face as it says, "ssshhhhh!" The door closes, and is immediately locked again. >YELL After a couple of seconds, you hear footsteps coming towards the door. The lock clicks and the door opens an inch. You see the big purple thing raise a finger to its face as it says, "ssshhhhh!" The door closes, and is immediately locked again. The woman on the cot stirs for a moment, notices you, and says, "Don't bother. That idiot Parr never lets us out before dawn." She closes her eyes, and immediately dozes off again. >HINT It looks like you might be here for a while. >LOOK AT EMPTY COT It's a cot. Not terribly comfortable-looking, but probably better than the floor. >LAY ON EMPTY COT You lie down. >FALL ASLEEP Everyone knows that you can't force yourself to fall asleep. >WAIT ...time passes. You notice that the room seems a little chilly. The cot is definitely uncomfortable. >DIAGNOSE You are in good health, and feel totally awake. You aren't at all hungry. You aren't at all thirsty. >USE BLANKET You cover yourself with the blanket. >WAIT ...time passes. You actually start to feel snug and comfortable on the cot. >DIAGNOSE You are in good health, and feel totally awake. You aren't at all hungry. You aren't at all thirsty. >WAIT ...time passes. And you start awake to the sound of loud shouting outside your door. Apparently you dozed off, though you don't remember any dreams and you feel totally alert despite having just awoke. The blanket falls to the floor as you stand up. [You have gained 1 point!] The four-armed woman is already on her feet, and turns to look at you as you rise. Her eyes go wide as she sees you clearly for the first time, and a look of panicked confusion crosses her face for an instant before being replaced by a worried smile. She is about to say something when BOOM! the door shakes as something heavy is battered against it. You hear an unfamiliar voice in the hallway squawk, "The town will revolt when they hear of this outrage!" >SAVE Game saved. >DRAW PENDANT FIGURE ON WALL WITH CHALK You draw the three circles and the line bisecting them on the wall opposite the door. The woman looks at you funny. BOOM! The door shakes as something heavy is battered against it. >LOOK AT DRAWING The drawing is chalk on a stone wall. It's not doing anything, though you somehow feel... connected to it. >CONCENTRATE ON DRAWING You focus your attention on the chalk symbol, and feel something pass from you to it. BOOM! The door shakes as something heavy is battered against it. You notice that it sounds like the hinges are weakening. >WAIT ...time passes. The symbol begins to glow, though not as brightly as the last time you tried this. The woman notices the glow, and flattens herself against the wall opposite the drawing. BOOM! The door shakes as something heavy is battered against it. >WAIT ...time passes. The symbol flashes brightly for an instant, then disappears. A few stones in the wall crumble into pebbles, but the wall still stands, and there are no holes large enough to fit through. BOOM! The door shakes as something heavy is battered against it. It doesn't look like it's going to last much longer. >SCREAM OBSCENITIES AT THE WALL Even if you were allowed to try that, it wouldn't help. >WAIT ...time passes. BOOM! The door flies into the room, just missing you. Three city guards charge into the room, swords drawn. "This is the end of the road, boy," crows the smallest one. They move to surround you, but the woman lunges for one of the guards with a cry of "No! Not like this!" The guard she tackles quickly takes a beating (four hands can do a lot of fighting), but another moves to get behind her. The other guard stands ready at the door, preventing any flight. As the woman's opponent drops to the floor in an unconscious heap, the second guard plunges his sword into her back. Time seems to slow to a crawl as the point of the blade emerges from her torso, and her face contorts in agony for a moment before going totally slack. As the guard levers the sword out of his victim, the room quickly fills with a glowing, blue fog that flows from the gaping wound. The fog has a sharp, bitter scent to it, but you still feel an almost irresistible urge to breathe it in. The guard, seemingly oblivious to the strange change in atmosphere, finally gets his sword free, and turns back to you with bloodlust in his eyes. >BREATHE FOG Of course you breathe in the fog. A moment passes in which you wonder if anything is going to happen, but then it hits with a rush of power. You feel a tightness in your chest underneath where the pendant rests on your skin, and the wrist on which the amulet is wrapped goes numb. The both guards shout in surprise as your hands begin to glow as brightly as the sun, but the one already moving towards you is enough of a professional to swing at you with his blade. As the sword cuts for your throat, the whole room flashes white, and dissolves before your eyes. *** MORE *** The world comes back into focus, but strangely, you don't. The human boy from the laboratory pictures walks into view from a sewer tunnel. He is much smaller than you had pictured him to be, perhaps ten years old at the most. The amulet you wear on your wrist is clasped around his neck. He yanks open the door to the alchemy lab and chokes as a wave of smothering gas emerges. He slams the door shut, then ponders the situation for a moment. You hear him mumble a few words. Square symbols, one on each palm, each containing a single rune, blaze with light, then a larger square flares on the floor in front of him. When the light disappears, a gas mask lies on the floor where the square had been. He puts it on, and discovers that it is sized for an adult head. You hear muffled cursing as he struggles to strap it on tight enough. Once he's satisfied, he opens the lab door again and marches straight in. The portal in the ceiling is wide open, and he studies it for a moment, as if he is gauging angles for some absurd leap. Once more he mumbles, and the room is lit by the squares on his hands and the floor. This time, a thin, tall ladder appears. He looks at in obvious mistrust, but shrugs and proceeds to climb up it. Your vision fades as he disappears into the room above. *** MORE *** Dismal Field You come to once more in this dim, colorless field - except for the cheery purple light emanating from your pendant... and from your hands. [You have gained 4 points!] >LOOK AT HANDS You turn your hands over and discover a glowing purple circle on each palm. These are just plain circles - no rune accessories like Despise appears to have, not that you really have any clue what difference that makes. >LOOK AT PENDANT The entire pendant glows with a faint purple light, but the symbol - the three circles in a row bisected by a single line - blaze with laser-like intensity. >LOOK AT AMULET The amulet is unchanged. >LOOK You find yourself in the middle of a cold, tree-lined field. The grasses here are clearly wild, rising almost to your waist in some spots, and ripple in a chill breeze. The scenery is illuminated by the moon above, its pale light draining all the color from the landscape. You note that the moon is somewhat lower than when you first arrived here. There is no evidence that you were ever here before - the grasses quickly bend back into shape, as if rejecting your presence. A faint path leads off to the southeast. >SCORE You have gained 43 points out of a possible 2000. This earns you the rank of: Unenlightened Neophyte >SAVE Game saved >QUIT C:\GAMES\IMPRO\SOH\>_ *** Author's note: Yeah, the rails show something awful. I never did play many real text- adventure games. The closest thing I ever really got into was Space Quest... and in truth, my writing here probably smacks more of console RPG's than traditional adventure. I mostly just explored, and I pushed the story ahead maybe a little too far, and I didn't get any good mechanical puzzles in. Still, I had a lot of fun. Outlining was pretty easy, and filling in the blanks just flowed. I'm a little awkward writing pure description, but having the previous episode texts to build off of helped a lot. If I have one solid regret about this episode, it's that I expanded the cast without even trying to reuse characters. It's a big town, though, and bringing Hash or others back so quickly felt like a cop-out. I explained on the ML about my parser philosophy. To summarize, SoH is like playing an RPG with/against an AI... which takes us a little further away from the pure adventure game feel. I tried not to stretch it too far, but on the other hand, I didn't restrain my self to purely programmed responses and interactions, particularly on the larger scale. One technical note: the points count was off by one. (The first episode undercounted by one.) The total has been corrected beginning with this episode. Thanks to Brian - Impro needed a good experiment, and he served one up. To Scott - I love you, I love you, you got us out of that awful prison and let me roam free. And to 2F, who indirectly got me focussed on this ep just in the nick of time. Kerry "Ked" Stump kerryms@yahoo.com September 23, 2000 *** "These aren't the tomatoes you're looking for."