ClubFloyd Transcript: Nevermore by Nate Cull
As played on ifMUD on September 2, 2007

ClubFloyd was founded on September 2, 2007. The idea behind it is that each week at a pre-arranged time, a group of people meet online to cooperatively play a game of interactive fiction.

This is the transcript of the first game that we ever played, entitled Nevermore by Nate Cull. Nevermore was originally released as part of the 2000 IF Competition, where it took seventh place. It was also a finalist for Best Setting, Best Puzzles, and Best Individual PC at the 2000 Xyzzy Awards.

Nevermore is a game based (very) loosely on Edgar Allen Poe's poem The Raven. You can learn more about the game, including how to download it, by visiting Baf's Guide to the IF Archive.

WARNING! Below you will find a transcript of people playing this game, and it goes without saying that the transcript is full of spoilers. So, if you've never played it, and think you might like to at some point, I do not recommend reading any further. Instead, you might want to return to the interactive fiction page.


ToyShop & Floyditorium
#ClubFloyd Discussion
 
Jacqueline says, "Well, I guess it's time for ClubFloyd."
 
Toyshop and Floyditorium
Bulging toychests make this achild's (or child-at-heart's) dream. Play all day, play all night. A small booth has been erected and is staffed by a friendly robot. The sign over it says, "INFOKOM GAMEZ 5 cents". A small notice on the door reads, "PLEASE RETURN TOYS TO THIS ROOM WHEN YOU'RE DONE WITH THEM."
You can see: green button, banana machine, faucets, toy catalogue, a crystal ball, cuddly walrus, clicker, you're the birthday boy or girl, cloak, GPL DONUTS machine, psych rule, rot13 for tf, Pun Police Whistle, tic-tac-toe, bugs with inkytry, an enchanted wobblefiend, mime decoder 2, thermometer, monkey guru, yellow button, waldo whisper object, rubble, checkers board, Werewolf rules, bunny burger, grape, specimen jar, signaling device, person finder, miniature ifMUD, Mike Tyson, IF Programmer Barbie, a zorkmid, IF FLOYD'S DOWN, TELL JOTA -- OR ELSE HE WON'T KNOW, pulsating orb, Gak, Autohugger, Photocopier, basketball, midterm monster, orange door, frobozz magic dispenser, fun shiny toy, madlibs, werewolf poetry, orange, soda reading 'Don't drink me!', jukebox, Gene Ray, FREE DONUTS machine, storyharp, no bananas, blue Battleship board, public Battleship viewer, long-stemmed red rose, red Battleship board, jellybean, wad of bills, rubber chicken with a pully in the middle, cork nut, cork nut, cork nut, dfan's quest, the 'completely and unremarkable' cube, a pair of dice
Players: Waldo, Floyd
Visible Exits: northeast (to the Lounge)
 
maga arrives, full of neither funk nor fun.
Storme arrives, full of neither funk nor fun.
Otto arrives, full of funk, but no fun.
Gunther arrives, full of neither funk nor fun.
maga asks, "did we decide on Nevermore?"
inky says, "yes"
inky arrives, full of neither funk nor fun.
Jacqueline says, "We did."
Rob says, "it was posted to the bb and everything"
Gunther | You whisper "HELLO!!!" to Floyd.
Gunther | Floyd whispers, "Hi!"
Rob says, "oh, it's 3 already"
Rob arrives, full of neither funk nor fun.
Bishop asks, "Hmm, why not?"
Bishop arrives, full of fun and funk.
Jacqueline asks, "How should we do this? Should we keep the banter to #clubfloyd so it's easier to sort out in the transcript?"
Rob says, "don't forget to perrysimm it"
Brad arrives, full of fun and funk.
Gunther says, "probably"
Taleslinger arrives, full of funk, but no fun.
* maga has added PerrySimm to the channel.
BrenBarn arrives, full of fun, but no funk.
Bishop says, "Man, I'd forgotten how much crap there is in the toyshop."
inky says, "well, everything will be prefixed by Floyd | anyway"
Jacqueline says, "Okay, so let's all @joinc ClubFloyd"
Rob says, "especially since I can't stay and want to read the transcript"
Jacqueline says, "We'll keep the commentary to the channel, and the game play here."
* Taleslinger has joined the channel.
Jacqueline says, "Because I'll be doing a transcript to post later."
* Brad has joined the channel.
Jacqueline says, "Okay, here we go...."
* Storme has joined the channel.
* Otto has joined the channel.
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | NEVERMORE
Floyd | An Interactive Gothic
Floyd | by Nate Cull, 2000. Type ABOUT for instructions.
Floyd | Release 10 / Serial number 000928 / Inform v6.21 Library 6/10
Floyd |
Floyd | Study (on the velvet couch)
Floyd | Stone walls, wreathed in shadows and velvet curtains, rise into the
Floyd | gloom overhead. The old oak writing desk -- once your father's, now
Floyd | your own -- is wedged beneath the window lattice, with a velvet couch
Floyd | before it. A low fire smoulders in its ancient hearth. To the
Floyd | southeast, a bust of Pallas sits atop an arch with darkness beyond.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga says (to floyd), "about"
Floyd | NEVERMORE is a work of Interactive Fiction by Nate Cull
Floyd | (culln@xtra.co.nz), written for the 2000 IF Competition, and based very
Floyd | loosely on the poem "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe. All box quotes are
Floyd | from the www.eserver.org text of the poem. Everything else is original,
Floyd | bears no relation to any known literary work or historical fact, and is
Floyd | quite probably indicative of some deep unresolved psychological trauma
Floyd | in the author's childhood.
Floyd |
Floyd | For help at any time, type HINT. To see if the game is still winnable,
Floyd | type WINNABLE.
Floyd |
Floyd | Thanks to: the ifMUD gang at http://ifmud.port4000.com for support with
Floyd | Inform coding lore and a constant supply of monkey jokes; Admiral Jota
Floyd | and the Emily who is not called Emily, for help with Latin; and various
Floyd | betatesters including Peter Berman, Doug Jones and Nick Montfort. Also,
Floyd | to L. Ross Raszewski for his wonderful Hints.h hint library.
Floyd |
Floyd | You are granted unconditional right to freely copy and distribute this
Floyd | game, in any form, as long as it remains unaltered. This includes the
Floyd | right to commercial redistribution. If you obtained this game on a
Floyd | CD-ROM, or as part of any other commercial distribution, you should be
Floyd | aware that you do not owe the author or any other entity anything for
Floyd | playing or copying it.
Floyd |
Floyd | The latest version of this game, including any bug-fixes or
Floyd | enhancements made since the Competition, can be found online, in the
Floyd | Interactive Fiction archive at ftp://ftp.gmd.de/if-archive. Along with
Floyd | every other piece of free IF known to humanity - but that's another
Floyd | adventure, and you'll probably need a guide, as the gmd.de archive is
Floyd | BIG and has lots of dark windy tunnels. Many a nostalgic websurfer has
Floyd | gone in and never been seen again. We try to warn them, but...
Floyd |
Floyd | If you have difficulty finding the latest version, or you would simply
Floyd | like to talk to a human about this game, post a message on the Usenet
Floyd | newsgroup rec.games.int-fiction, or failing that, feel free to email
Floyd | the author.
Floyd |
Floyd | Dedicated to: Alex. Want corknut! Awwk!
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says, "So, we enter commands by saying things to Floyd."
Jacqueline | ..Floyd x me
Jacqueline says, "Or whatever."
Rob says, "hm, comp 2000. what an eventful comp that was"
Taleslinger says, "Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary, over many a quaint and curios volume of forgotten lore"
inky says, "ha ha alex"
BrenBarn has had his fill of playing for now, and goes back to the Lounge.
inky says (to Floyd), "x desk"
Floyd | A relic from Byzantine days, perhaps. It was the first piece of
Floyd | furniture you touched as a child, and the oldest you have seen in all
Floyd | your travels. Simply a slab of polished oak, with four curiously carved
Floyd | legs, and nothing more. On the desk are a paper sachet, an oil-lamp and
Floyd | Concerning Immortality.
Floyd |
Floyd | You hear the tapping sound again.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga says (to floyd), "i"
Floyd | You are carrying:
Floyd | a gold ring (being worn)
Floyd |
Floyd | A staccato rap echoes through the room.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Otto says (to Floyd), "listen"
Floyd | It is hard to pinpoint the sound; it seems to shift as you listen.
Floyd |
Floyd | A quiet knocking reverberates through the walls.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Bishop says (to floyd), "x sachet"
Floyd | A thin paper envelope, of the kind in which exotic substances are
Floyd | stored. The sachet is closed.
Floyd |
Floyd | There is silence for a moment; then the soft rapping returns.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga says (to floyd), "open sachet"
Floyd | You open the paper sachet, revealing coca powder.
Floyd |
Floyd | The gentle tapping sounds again.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Bishop asks, "'Exotic substances', eh?"
Jacqueline says, "Heh"
Brad says (to floyd), "x immortality"
Floyd | "Some Thoughts Concerning Immortality and The Means Thereof", by
Floyd | Ambrosius of Cyrene (a copy, not the original, as the pages of this
Floyd | slim volume date no earlier than the fifteenth century). A most
Floyd | difficult book, but you have returned to its pages many times; surely,
Floyd | the key to the whole process must be here, if only you could read its
Floyd | meaning.
Floyd |
Floyd | A staccato rap echoes through the room.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga says, "damn tootin'"
Taleslinger says, "I now that poem by hear, but the games has some differences, right="
inky says, "this game is all about the illegal substances"
inky says (to Taleslinger), "yeah, it's at best "loosely inspired" by the poem"
Rob . o O ( look behind couch. look under couch. search couch. )
maga says (to floyd), "x coca"
Floyd | A white powder consisting of an extract of the South American coca
Floyd | leaf, which an acquaintance in Mexico has found a new process of
Floyd | refining.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Bishop says (to floyd), "Snort coke"
Floyd | [snort -> short]
Floyd | I only understood you as far as wanting to short.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
inky says (to Rob), "noooo"
Bishop says, "How disappointing."
Jacqueline says, "ha"
maga says (to floyd), "sniff coca"
Floyd | You inhale a quantity of coca powder.
Floyd |
Floyd | A sense of raw alertness rushes through your nerves, setting them all
Floyd | on edge.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Rob says (to floyd), "x me"
Floyd | You look like a gentleman of ease, but that is not how you feel.
Floyd |
Floyd | A staccato rap echoes through the room.
Floyd |
Floyd | The coca rush fades, but the sense of alertness remains.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Bishop says, "Bah,g uess-the-verb."
Rob asks, "inventory?"
inky says, "I hope we didn't use it all up"
inky says, "we're carrying a gold ring"
Taleslinger says (to floyd), "open window"
Floyd | You swing wide the shutters, letting the cold night air gust into the
Floyd | room.
Floyd |
Floyd | A staccato rap echoes through the room.
Floyd |
Floyd | The curtains move softly, caressed by the breeze.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Gunther says (to floyd), "shoot rapper"
Floyd | [shoot -> short]
Floyd | I only understood you as far as wanting to short.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says (to Gunther), "har"
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "x curtains"
Floyd | Purple silken curtains hang down each side of the window, and extend
Floyd | around the room to soften the harsh stonework. A cold draft from the
Floyd | window is billowing the curtains outward into the room, leaving a
Floyd | slight gap between them and the wall.
Floyd |
Floyd | A staccato rap echoes through the room.
Floyd |
Floyd | The curtains move softly, caressed by the breeze.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga says (to floyd), "x lamp"
Floyd | An oil-lamp of copper and glass, warm to the touch and old as time.
Floyd | Like the desk it is a family heirloom, predating perhaps even the tower
Floyd | itself. It burns with a soft, subtle light, casting strange shadows in
Floyd | all directions.
Floyd |
Floyd | An icy gust from the window sends the curtains reeling.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
inky says (to Floyd), "look in gap"
Floyd | You find nothing of interest.
Floyd |
Floyd | The gentle tapping sounds again.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Bishop says (to floyd), "close window"
Floyd | You pull the shutters closed, sealing out the cold night air.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
inky says (to Floyd), "look behind curtains"
Floyd | The curtains are flush against the stone walls, concealing whatever
Floyd | might be there.
Floyd |
Floyd | There is silence for a moment; then the soft rapping returns.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga says (to floyd), "take lamp"
Floyd | Taken.
Floyd |
Floyd | The gentle tapping sounds again.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Taleslinger says, "Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter..."
inky says (to Floyd), "open window. look behind curtains"
Floyd | You swing wide the shutters, letting the cold night air gust into the
Floyd | room.
Floyd |
Floyd | The gentle tapping sounds again.
Floyd |
Floyd | The curtains move softly, caressed by the breeze.
Floyd | There seems to be a substantial gap between the curtains and the stone
Floyd | wall, into which with a little effort you could insinuate yourself.
Floyd |
Floyd | There is silence for a moment; then the soft rapping returns.
Floyd |
Floyd | The curtains move softly, caressed by the breeze.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Gunther says (to floyd), "open door"
Floyd | The archway is open, and will remain so.
Floyd |
Floyd | A quiet knocking reverberates through the walls.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Taleslinger says (to floyd), "listen"
Floyd | It is hard to pinpoint the sound; it seems to shift as you listen.
Floyd |
Floyd | The curtains move softly, caressed by the breeze.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Otto says (to floyd), "touch curtains"
Rob says, "and mama in her kerchief and I in my cap"
Floyd | You feel nothing unexpected.
Floyd |
Floyd | A staccato rap echoes through the room.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
inky says, "ok, I dunno what now"
Jacqueline says (to floyd), "enter gap"
Floyd | You step cautiously behind the curtains...
Floyd |
Floyd | Behind the Curtains
Floyd | Here behind the curtains, you have discovered a tiny alcove of
Floyd | stonework, hidden from the rest of your study. The purple silk billows
Floyd | out around you, dim firelight casting strange disturbing shadows onto
Floyd | the ancient masonry. Old memories rise, of hiding here as a child while
Floyd | your father worked at his books. Those days are long gone, but
Floyd | something urges you to stay and watch the play of light and colour.
Floyd |
Floyd | A quiet knocking reverberates through the walls.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Bishop says (to Taleslinger), "I'm operating under the assumption we don't actually _want_ that squawky bastard in our study."
inky says, "oh, I didn't realize it was a big opening"
maga says (to floyd), "stand"
Floyd |
Floyd | Study
Floyd | Stone walls, wreathed in shadows and velvet curtains, rise into the
Floyd | gloom overhead. The old oak writing desk -- once your father's, now
Floyd | your own -- is wedged beneath the window lattice, with a velvet couch
Floyd | before it. A low fire smoulders in its ancient hearth. To the
Floyd | southeast, a bust of Pallas sits atop an arch with darkness beyond.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga says (to floyd), "x fire"
Floyd | The fire has burned low in the great stone hearth, and is now little
Floyd | more than a softly glowing bed of embers, radiating amber light and a
Floyd | comfortable warmth.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga says (to floyd), "x pallas"
Floyd | The eyes of Pallas, Greek goddess of Wisdom, stare back at you from
Floyd | white unblinking marble, under locks of pale sculpted hair. She of all
Floyd | the Classical pantheon was your patron; though now after the horror
Floyd | your studies have wrought, it is hard to look her in the face.
Floyd |
Floyd | There is silence for a moment; then the soft rapping returns.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Rob says (to alex), "touch couch"
Taleslinger says, "Huh, didn't think of that."
Rob says, "oops floyd"
Jacqueline says (to Rob), "Wrong bot."
Rob says, "sigh"
Rob says, "it's velvet!"
inky says (to Floyd), "x eyes"
Floyd | You can't see any such thing.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Otto says (to Floyd), "touch pallas"
Floyd | The goddess' sculpted hair grates slightly, as if loose.
Floyd |
Floyd | A quiet knocking reverberates through the walls.
Floyd |
Floyd | The curtains move softly, caressed by the breeze.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
inky says (to Floyd), "x face"
Floyd | You can't see any such thing.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Taleslinger says (to floyd), "take pallas"
Floyd | That's hardly portable.
Floyd |
Floyd | The gentle tapping sounds again.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Rob says (to floyd), "touch couch"
Floyd | You feel nothing unexpected.
Floyd |
Floyd | There is silence for a moment; then the soft rapping returns.
Floyd |
Otto says (to Floyd), "kiss pallas"
Floyd | >
Floyd | You can only do that to something animate.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Brad says (to floyd), "get hair"
Floyd | That's hardly portable.
Floyd |
Floyd | An icy gust from the window sends the curtains reeling.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga says (to floyd), "move hair"
Floyd | You tip back the goddess' sculpted hair, revealing a hollow space
Floyd | inside the bust, inside which you can see a peyote button, an opium
Floyd | pipe and opium resin.
Floyd |
Floyd | A staccato rap echoes through the room.
Floyd |
Floyd | An icy gust from the window sends the curtains reeling.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Rob says, "dude"
Jacqueline says (to maga), "WHA"
Bishop says, "Whoa WTF."
Rob says, "leave it to maga to find the stash"
Jacqueline says, "You're right - this *is* all about drugs."
Jacqueline says (to Rob), "ha"
Otto says, "not very moral ..."
Taleslinger asks, "What is a peyote button?"
maga says, "I've actually played this before"
Gunther says, "it's all drugs"
inky says, "peyote is a native american hallucinogen"
Rob says, "boo"
maga says (to Taleslinger), "hallucinogenic cactus"
inky says (to Floyd), "x peyote"
Floyd | A small round button of dried peyote cactus, obtained from a South
Floyd | American shaman.
Floyd |
Floyd | The gentle tapping sounds again.
Floyd |
Floyd | An icy gust from the window sends the curtains reeling.
Floyd |
Floyd | A dull, dark weariness drifts over you.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Rob says, "push button"
Gunther says (to floyd), "orgy all"
Floyd | That's not a verb I recognise.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Taleslinger says (to jacq), "i would start to wonder about your husbands hobbies..."
Rob says, "into head"
inky says, "this is pushing maga's buttons"
Jacqueline says (to Gunther), "Ha"
maga says (to floyd), "take all from pallas"
Floyd | peyote button: Removed.
Floyd | opium pipe: Removed.
Floyd | opium resin: Removed.
Floyd |
Floyd | There is silence for a moment; then the soft rapping returns.
Floyd |
Floyd | The curtains move softly, caressed by the breeze.
Floyd |
Floyd | A dull, dark weariness drifts over you.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Otto says (to Floyd), "eat peyote"
Floyd | You chew a little of the bitter cactus slowly. Most of the button
Floyd | remains intact.
Floyd |
Floyd | There is silence for a moment; then the soft rapping returns.
Floyd |
Floyd | An odd, visionary feeling stabs at your eyelids.
Floyd |
Floyd | A dull, dark weariness drifts over you.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Bishop asks, "So where's the crystal meth at?"
inky says, "what we need now are some doritos"
Jacqueline says (to Bishop), "We need to buy some Claritin first."
Taleslinger says, "Maybe the dealer is rapping, wanting to collect."
maga says (to floyd), "open window"
Floyd | That's already open.
Floyd |
Floyd | Your surroundings shift weirdly; a vision forms itself before your
Floyd | eyes.
Floyd |
Floyd | The room is much larger; or you are much younger. Your father sits at
Floyd | the writing desk, poring over obscure books. His hair is grey, his face
Floyd | lined with care. The purple curtains, vast and shadowy, billow above
Floyd | you in a draft from the window; the gap between them and the floor
Floyd | seems cavernous. You toddle toward the gap. Somewhere, a raven caws...
Floyd |
Floyd | The visionary sense fades, and normal sight returns.
Floyd |
Floyd | A dull, dark weariness drifts over you.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says, "Maybe there is no rapper. Maybe we're just paranoid."
Otto says (to floyd), "fill pipe with opium"
Floyd | I only understood you as far as wanting to fill the opium pipe.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Gunther says (to Otto), "don't use up all the drugs at once"
inky says, "looks like we should get into the gap"
inky says, "while under the influence of some drug"
Otto says (to floyd), "fill pipe with resine"
Floyd | [resine -> resin]
Floyd | I only understood you as far as wanting to fill the opium pipe.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Bishop says (to floyd), "Put resin in pipe"
Floyd | You put opium resin into the opium pipe.
Floyd |
Floyd | A dull, dark weariness drifts over you.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
inky says, "you probably just smoke the opium"
maga says (to floyd), "x curtains"
Floyd | Purple silken curtains hang down each side of the window, and extend
Floyd | around the room to soften the harsh stonework. A cold draft from the
Floyd | window is billowing the curtains outward into the room, leaving a
Floyd | slight gap between them and the wall.
Floyd |
Floyd | There is silence for a moment; then the soft rapping returns.
Floyd |
Floyd | An icy gust from the window sends the curtains reeling.
Floyd |
Floyd | A dull, dark weariness drifts over you.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Otto says (to floyd), "put resin in pipe"
Floyd | You need to be holding opium resin before you can put it into something
Floyd | else.
Floyd |
Floyd | A staccato rap echoes through the room.
Floyd |
Floyd | The sense of awful weariness grows stronger and heavier every moment.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga says (to floyd), "enter gap"
Floyd | You step cautiously behind the curtains...
Floyd |
Floyd | Behind the Curtains
Floyd | Here behind the curtains, you have discovered a tiny alcove of
Floyd | stonework, hidden from the rest of your study. The purple silk billows
Floyd | out around you, dim firelight casting strange disturbing shadows onto
Floyd | the ancient masonry. Old memories rise, of hiding here as a child while
Floyd | your father worked at his books. Those days are long gone, but
Floyd | something urges you to stay and watch the play of light and colour.
Floyd |
Floyd | The sense of awful weariness grows stronger and heavier every moment.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Otto says (to floyd), "get resin"
Floyd | You remove the opium resin from the pipe.
Floyd |
Floyd | The gentle tapping sounds again.
Floyd |
Floyd | The sense of dreadful weariness has nearly overpowered you. You must
Floyd | revive yourself, urgently.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
inky asks, "is there any coca left?"
inky says, "before we collapse"
maga says (to floyd), "sniff coca"
Bishop says (to floyd), "sniff coca"
Floyd | You can't see any such thing.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Floyd | You can't see any such thing.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Otto says, "ah it was allready in"
Taleslinger says (to floyd), "sniff coca"
Floyd | You can't see any such thing.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Bishop says, "Aw, crap."
Jacqueline says (to Otto), "I think Bishop put the resin in the pipe already."
maga says, "I think it's still on the desk"
inky says, "er, or was it coco? I have no idea"
maga says (to floyd), "out"
Floyd |
Floyd | Study
Floyd | Stone walls, wreathed in shadows and velvet curtains, rise into the
Floyd | gloom overhead. The old oak writing desk -- once your father's, now
Floyd | your own -- is wedged beneath the window lattice, with a velvet couch
Floyd | before it. A low fire smoulders in its ancient hearth. To the
Floyd | southeast, a bust of Pallas sits atop an arch with darkness beyond.
Floyd |
Floyd | A staccato rap echoes through the room.
Floyd |
Floyd | A bone-deep weariness seizes you, and you are unable to take another
Floyd | step. Your eyes close, you slump against the stone, and darkness
Floyd | overwhelms your mind.
Floyd |
Floyd | Slowly, the dream begins to darken. There are screams, echoes,
Floyd | footsteps running down nameless corridors. Your feet are cold on
Floyd | haunted stone, forever following Lenore's distant echo, forever
Floyd | pursued...
Floyd |
Floyd | The dream fades to reality. A confusion of images; a precipice,
Floyd | falling... and then your head strikes stone, and reality ends.
Floyd |
Floyd | It is a dangerous place, this tower, to dream alone.
Floyd |
Floyd | *** You have died ***
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game or QUIT?
Floyd | >
Bishop says, "This is jsut like Lurking Horror, only with a different kind of coke."
Jacqueline says (to maga), "Okay, where are there more drugs. Sniff 'em out boy."
inky says, "whoops"
Jacqueline says, "ACK - Dead!"
inky says (to Bishop), "ha ha ha"
inky says (to Jacqueline), "also ha ha ha"
Taleslinger says, "Let's try another game."
maga says, "that'll teach you not to pay proper attention to your habit"
inky says, "we can't give up that easily!"
Floyd | [load -> lead]
Floyd | Please give one of the answers above.
Floyd | >
Floyd |
Jacqueline says, "No, we must restart."
maga says (to floyd), "restart"
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | NEVERMORE
Floyd | An Interactive Gothic
Floyd | by Nate Cull, 2000. Type ABOUT for instructions.
Floyd | Release 10 / Serial number 000928 / Inform v6.21 Library 6/10
Floyd |
Floyd | Study (on the velvet couch)
Floyd | Stone walls, wreathed in shadows and velvet curtains, rise into the
Floyd | gloom overhead. The old oak writing desk -- once your father's, now
Floyd | your own -- is wedged beneath the window lattice, with a velvet couch
Floyd | before it. A low fire smoulders in its ancient hearth. To the
Floyd | southeast, a bust of Pallas sits atop an arch with darkness beyond.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Otto says, "we can continue on this one. It's well written"
Brad asks, "Is it possible to save with Floyd?"
inky says, "yeah"
maga says (to Floyd), "stand"
Floyd | You get off the velvet couch.
Floyd |
Floyd | Study
Floyd | Stone walls, wreathed in shadows and velvet curtains, rise into the
Floyd | gloom overhead. The old oak writing desk -- once your father's, now
Floyd | your own -- is wedged beneath the window lattice, with a velvet couch
Floyd | before it. A low fire smoulders in its ancient hearth. To the
Floyd | southeast, a bust of Pallas sits atop an arch with darkness beyond.
Floyd |
Floyd | You hear the tapping sound again.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Taleslinger says (to floyd), "x couch"
Floyd | A velvet-inlaid couch -- what the Italians call a loveseat -- from the
Floyd | early Renaissance period, a souvenir of your travels in Rome. You
Floyd | bought it to please Lenore, and it was a wise choice.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga says, "as a reminder, you can abbreviate ..Floyd to just f"
inky says (to Floyd), "x ring"
Floyd | A simple gold band, inscribed with the one word, "Lenore".
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says, "Sorry, I think we did this earlier, but I can't remember..."
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "x me"
Floyd | You look like a gentleman of ease, but that is not how you feel.
Floyd |
Floyd | There is silence for a moment; then the soft rapping returns.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says, "Oh right."
maga says (to Floyd), "x desk"
Floyd | A relic from Byzantine days, perhaps. It was the first piece of
Floyd | furniture you touched as a child, and the oldest you have seen in all
Floyd | your travels. Simply a slab of polished oak, with four curiously carved
Floyd | legs, and nothing more. On the desk are a paper sachet, an oil-lamp and
Floyd | Concerning Immortality.
Floyd |
Floyd | There is silence for a moment; then the soft rapping returns.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Bishop asks, "'Loveseat' is Italian?"
Brad says (to floyd), "read immortality"
Floyd | You hunt feverishly through the pages of Concerning Immortality, and
Floyd | discover:
Floyd |
Floyd | "If Man were to eat that golden Apple of true Life, would he not live
Floyd | Forever in exile from his Bliss? Thus was it truly said, a Flaming
Floyd | Sword bars the path back to the Garden."
Floyd |
Floyd | A quiet knocking reverberates through the walls.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Gunther says, "for next time we may want a single speaker if games are limited by number of turns like this"
Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "xyzzy"
Floyd | The name of old, lost magic briefly echoes, then is gone.
Floyd |
Floyd | The gentle tapping sounds again.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says, "Hm, good poing."
maga says, "probably a good idea"
inky says (to Bishop), "well, sede di amore"
Jacqueline says, "We could decide here, and have one spokesperson."
maga says (to Floyd), "take all from desk"
Floyd | paper sachet: Removed.
Floyd | oil-lamp: Removed.
Floyd | Concerning Immortality: Removed.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
inky says, "(also, it's conceivable that some of the time limit was caused by us ingesting weird drugs)"
Taleslinger says, "I think the drugs ease the pain. I've also played this before."
Jacqueline says, "Nice, elegant Xyzzy response."
Brad asks, "What would happen in real life if you took coke, peyote, and opium all in a row like that?"
Gunther says, "I think you need to do drugs all the time"
Taleslinger says, "Fear and Loathing."
Jacqueline says (to Brad), "I think you might die."
Otto exclaims, "I think you end like in this game !"
maga says, "would depend mostly on how much"
Jacqueline says, "Heh - we went from feverish typing to all being afraid to enter commands."
Taleslinger says, "There is no drug content in the poem, btw."
Jacqueline asks, "What's our plan of attack?"
Taleslinger exclaims, "Kill the bird!"
Brad says, "Go sw."
olethros arrives, full of neither funk nor fun.
Brad says, "Or se, whichever it was."
maga says, "well, let's get the full stash for a start"
Taleslinger says (to floyd), "say Lenore"
Floyd | (to yourself)
Floyd | There is no reply.
Floyd |
Floyd | There is silence for a moment; then the soft rapping returns.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says (to Taleslinger), "No, but there's Poe, who was assumed to be a bit of a user."
maga says (to floyd), "move hair. take all from pallas"
Floyd | You tip back the goddess' sculpted hair, revealing a hollow space
Floyd | inside the bust, inside which you can see a peyote button, an opium
Floyd | pipe and opium resin.
Floyd |
Floyd | The gentle tapping sounds again.
Floyd | peyote button: Removed.
Floyd | opium pipe: Removed.
Floyd | opium resin: Removed.
Floyd |
Floyd | A dull, dark weariness drifts over you.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
inky says, "and then go into the alcove thing and take some drugs, and see what happens"
Otto asks, "so who is the speaker ?"
Alex says (to Otto), "Awwwk! Word on the street is that the speaker is operated by the Edifice Towers buzzer."
olethros says, "woah drugs"
Jacqueline says, "Let's let maga speak."
maga asks, "okay. suggestions?"
Jacqueline says, "Since he's on it already."
Jacqueline says (to olethros), "That's what we said."
Taleslinger says, "I'm pretty sure you have to sniff coca to fight the depression."
olethros says, "there is no coca"
Jacqueline asks (of maga), "Do we have all the drugs?"
olethros says, "peyote will be a nice trip"
Taleslinger says, "The stuff on the table."
Brad says (to olethros), "It's in the envelope."
inky asks, "have we looked at the concerning immortality thing?"
Otto asks, "are there more rooms to explore, except this gap ?"
inky says, "maybe that is what we're supposed to work on"
olethros asks, "oh, how do I recap?"
Brad says (to Otto), "Once."
maga says (to floyd), "open sachet"
Floyd | You open the paper sachet, revealing coca powder.
Floyd |
Floyd | There is silence for a moment; then the soft rapping returns.
Floyd |
Floyd | A dull, dark weariness drifts over you.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
inky says (to olethros), "I think you can .floyd recap 10"
Taleslinger says, "This conversation could be taken from a DEA bug."
Bishop says, "I would expect there to be some hashish somewhere, as long as we're going with period 'exotic substances'."
Jacqueline says, "Gosh, I post this transcript to my web site and the Fed bots will be searching my site. Excellent, given my line of work. heh"
olethros asks, "what is the rapping?"
olethros asks, "> LISTEN ?"
maga says, "we did that last time; we couldn't place it"
olethros says, "(or does it refer to songs)"
Taleslinger says, "maybe taking something in RL might help? :-)"
Taleslinger says, "Maybe there is a place we haven't figured out yet. Where the tapping#s come from."
Floyd |
Floyd | Study
Floyd | Stone walls, wreathed in shadows and velvet curtains, rise into the
Floyd | gloom overhead. The old oak writing desk -- once your father's, now
Floyd | your own -- is wedged beneath the window lattice, with a velvet couch
Floyd | before it. A low fire smoulders in its ancient hearth. To the
Floyd | southeast, a bust of Pallas sits atop an arch with darkness beyond.
Floyd |
Floyd | There is silence for a moment; then the soft rapping returns.
Floyd |
Floyd | A dull, dark weariness drifts over you.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Otto says, "I'm eating pepper right know, but it doesn't help"
Jacqueline asks, "Is the rapping even real, or in our head?"
Brad says (to Taleslinger), "That's why I said >se"
olethros asks, "have we examined the couch?"
Jacqueline says (to Otto), "haha"
maga says (to floyd), "se"
Floyd |
Floyd | Hallway
Floyd | Stone columns, either side of the northwest arch to your study, brace
Floyd | the ceiling, whose upper reaches are lost in darkness that your lamp
Floyd | cannot pierce. The hallway winds deeper into the tower to the
Floyd | northeast; but a faint wisp of draft seeps in from the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | A dull, dark weariness drifts over you.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline asks, "Or searched the couch?"
olethros says (to floyd), "I"
Floyd | You are carrying:
Floyd | opium resin
Floyd | an opium pipe
Floyd | a peyote button
Floyd | Concerning Immortality
Floyd | an oil-lamp (providing light)
Floyd | a paper sachet (which is open)
Floyd | coca powder
Floyd | a gold ring (being worn)
Floyd |
Floyd | A dull, dark weariness drifts over you.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline asks, "Wow, there's really some lovely detail here. What awards did this win at the time?"
Jacqueline goes to look it up.
Floyd | "Some Thoughts Concerning Immortality and The Means Thereof", by
Floyd | Ambrosius of Cyrene (a copy, not the original, as the pages of this
Floyd | slim volume date no earlier than the fifteenth century). A most
Floyd | difficult book, but you have returned to its pages many times; surely,
Floyd | the key to the whole process must be here, if only you could read its
Floyd | meaning.
Floyd |
Floyd | A dull, dark weariness drifts over you.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga says, "XYZZY finalist, Best PC/Puzzles/Setting"
inky says, "hmm"
Taleslinger says, "Impressive."
inky says, "I guess we need the right drugs to understand the book"
Floyd | A simple gold band, inscribed with the one word, "Lenore".
Floyd |
Floyd | A quiet knocking reverberates through the walls.
Floyd |
Floyd | The sense of awful weariness grows stronger and heavier every moment.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Bishop says, "But it placed kinda eh in the comp, as I recall."
Taleslinger says (to floyd), "sniff coca"
Floyd | You inhale a quantity of coca powder.
Floyd |
Floyd | The gentle tapping sounds again.
Floyd |
Floyd | A sense of raw alertness rushes through your nerves, setting them all
Floyd | on edge.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says, "Seventh place in the comp that year - must have been a good crop of games."
Brad says, "2000, right? It was a good year."
olethros says, "that's great, let's go south"
Jacqueline asks, "There aren't drugs in the ring, are there? Search ring, maybe?"
maga says (to Floyd), "south"
Floyd |
Floyd | Portico
Floyd | The great iron gate to the south, black as time, stands here to seal
Floyd | the tower's entrance. A dark corridor, worn by countless centuries of
Floyd | forgotten feet, leads back north into the cryptic maze which you -- and
Floyd | in those brief, happy, vanished days, Lenore -- once called a home.
Floyd |
Floyd | There is a sudden scratching and scrabbling beyond the iron gate, as of
Floyd | some creature seeking admittance. Then the sound is gone as quickly as
Floyd | it came.
Floyd |
Floyd | The coca rush fades, but the sense of alertness remains.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
olethros says (to floyd), "x ceiling"
Floyd | You see nothing special about the ceiling.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
olethros says, "indeed, poe-esque. I remember having completed this."
Gunther says (to olethros), "maga's the speaker"
olethros says, "ok"
Jacqueline says (to olethros), "We were all giving commands at first, but it turns out this is a timed game and we died."
maga says, "only since there's time-limit death"
Jacqueline says, "So now we've appointed someone."
olethros says, "sorry missed the first few minutes"
Jacqueline says, "No worries!"
Jacqueline asks, "Open the gate?"
olethros says, "ok, open gate"
(from Taleslinger) maga says (to floyd), "wait till i die"
maga says (to Floyd), "open gate"
Floyd | You unbolt the great iron gate and swing it slowly open, revealing the
Floyd | night outside.
Floyd |
Floyd | The gentle tapping sounds again.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
olethros says, "this must be the raven"
maga says, "hunh"
Jacqueline asks, "Hm. Should we go through the gate?"
Brad says, "Guess it wasn't tappingo on the gate."
olethros says, "the window, man"
olethros says, "pallas, window, etc"
Taleslinger says (to olethros), "Nope."
Jacqueline says (to olethros), "Oddly enough, we opened the window and it wasn't there."
olethros says, "but it;s tradition!"
Jacqueline says, "Nor did it come in and perch, and sit, and nothing more."
Taleslinger says, "I cried already. It's a loose adaption. Like a Marvel movie."
Jacqueline says, "As in the poem... this is based rather loosely on the poem at best, it would seem."
maga asks, "so - the window, or through the door?"
Jacqueline says (to T), "ha"
olethros says, "let's get out and some fresh air"
Brad says, "door"
Jacqueline says, "Yeah, let's exit the gate."
maga says (to Floyd), "s"
Floyd |
Floyd | Stairs in the Cliff
Floyd | Here at the tower's brink, a sheer staircase carved into the living
Floyd | rock falls down the cliff into blackness. Behind you, to the north,
Floyd | stands the great iron gate. The tower rises above you, shapeless and
Floyd | gaunt; the night is bleak, windy, with all moon and stars fled, leaving
Floyd | only the unfathomable emptiness of the distant plain, invisible far
Floyd | below.
Floyd |
Floyd | A small bright object glitters halfway down the cliff, well out of
Floyd | reach.
Floyd |
Floyd | Out of the silence comes a quiet sense of motion, as if some creature
Floyd | were circling further around the tower, searching for a more subtle
Floyd | approach. The lamp gutters erratically for a moment. The sound
Floyd | retreats; perhaps it was simply your fevered imagination.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Taleslinger asks, "down?"
Brad says, "It needs subtlety, heh."
olethros asks, "is there a tower?"
Jacqueline says, "Yeah, I'm for moving toward the bright object."
olethros says, "let's climbit"
Jacqueline says (to olethros), "In this game there is. heh"
maga says (to Floyd), "down"
Floyd | Even with a lamp, you would not chance these stairs in the darkness.
Floyd | The merest slip would send you plummeting.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Taleslinger asks, "Can I gag a channel?"
Jacqueline asks, "But we're going to die anyway, so who cares, Floyd?"
inky says, "I guess you need the right drug"
inky says, "try @mute #channel"
Jacqueline says (to T), "You can @mute Cha - right"
Otto asks, "isn't it possible to get a kind of rope ?"
maga says (to Floyd), "x object"
Floyd | Is it -- it must be the key that you threw away last night, swearing
Floyd | never to touch those things again, after Lenore -- oh, why did you
Floyd | throw it away?
Floyd |
Floyd | >
olethros asks, "up ?"
Jacqueline says, "You can also do what I've done: >@MUTE * then >@MUTE CLUBFLOYD which will mute everything, then unmute this channel."
Jacqueline asks (of Otto), "Have we seen a rope? Or have you played this before?"
Taleslinger asks, "Don'T I have to unmute all the othes by hand then?"
Jacqueline says, "No, @mutec * again will unmute them."
inky says, "muting only lasts until you log out, anyway"
Jacqueline says, "or that"
Otto says, "no I haven't played this one before. So far only the curtains could match a possible rope"
maga says, "and muting expires after a while, or on your next logout"
Taleslinger says, "I see. Okay, back ti game."
olethros says, "we could go up"
olethros says, "there are stairs afterall"
Jacqueline asks, "Did we try to take the curtains?"
maga says, "I think they lead down"
Taleslinger says, "I don't think so."
olethros says, "not from the desc"
Brad asks, "Maybe open the window and leave the study briefly?"
Jacqueline says, "Yeah, the stairs lead down and we're too big a wuss to go down them."
Jacqueline says, "Maybe we need to get high and lose our inhibitions."
inky says, "drugs! drugs will make us brave!"
inky asks, "but which drugs?"
maga says (to Jacq), "and our footing"
Jacqueline says (to inky), "Exactly."
Jacqueline says (to maga), "Ah, well, probably, yes."
Otto asks, "as someone suggested, maybe with some drug... but is the key on the way down ?"
olethros asks, "the key is down below?"
inky asks, "can we examine the drugs and get a better idea of what they do? or do we just have to try them?"
Jacqueline says (to Olethros), "Yeah, the shiny thing appears to be the key."
Taleslinger says, "I defintetely think we'll need to drug ourselves."
olethros says, "I think we should just try everything sequentially"
Jacqueline says (to inky), "Hm - good idea. Let's examine las drugas."
maga says (to Floyd), "x opium"
Floyd | Which do you mean, opium resin or the opium pipe?
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga says (to Floyd), "resin"
Floyd | A black wad of opium resin for smoking, prepared to a closely-guarded
Floyd | Tong formula for maximum potency and speed.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga says (to Floyd), "x coca"
Floyd | A white powder consisting of an extract of the South American coca
Floyd | leaf, which an acquaintance in Mexico has found a new process of
Floyd | refining.
Floyd |
Floyd | Lightning forks the sky overhead, followed immediately by clamouring
Floyd | thunder.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga says (to Floyd), "x peyote"
Floyd | A small round button of dried peyote cactus, obtained from a South
Floyd | American shaman.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Otto says, "so probabluy not the first one"
olethros says, "the book"
inky says, "hmm"
olethros says, "just look up the drugs on the book, I think"
inky says, "well, coca makes us alert, right? we could try that"
olethros says, "alert to DANGER"
Brad says, "The opium is the only one we haven't tried yet."
Otto says, "and the others don't have any more clues"
maga says (to inky), "we took some quite recently"
inky says, "I assume opium makes us relaxed and peyote makes us hallucinate"
Jacqueline asks, "Opium will dull us, right?"
maga says, "opium is also a hallucinogen of sorts"
inky says, "is it dangerous to take the coca too close together? I think the initial rush only lasts a turn or two"
Taleslinger says, "Well, Holmes takes it to dull himself."
Gunther says, "and who wouldn't, given Mrs. Moneypenny or whatever"
Jacqueline says, "ha"
inky says, "ha ha"
Rob has had his fill of playing for now, and goes back to the Lounge.
olethros says, "yay"
</Rob> Find release from your cares. have a good time.
Jacqueline says, "Well, the worst thing that happens is we die and start over and refine our technique yet again. Let's go for the coke."
olethros asks, "what can we look up in the book?"
maga asks, "okay. who's for the book, who's for the charlie?"
Brad says, "I think you just >read and it gives you a passage at random."
Jacqueline asks, "What's 'the charlie,' some drug slang, maga?"
inky says, "when we tried reading the book before we couldn't understand it, I thought"
inky says, "but I guess there is no harm in trying it first"
maga says, "Brit-English for cocaine, I guess"
Jacqueline says (to inky), "I think we need to expand our mind to understand the book."
olethros says, "not without the right drug, maybe.. hm"
olethros asks, "is the raven our drug dealer?"
inky says (to Jacqueline), "he uses the slang to keep law-enforcement officials from being able to understand him"
Jacqueline says, "heh"
Gunther says, "charlie == 'victor charlie' == VC == vietcong"
Bishop says, "I think 'charlie' isn't British-specific, but it's kinda outmoded."
Jacqueline says (to Gunther), "Oh, that makes perfect sense. I'm surprised one would have to explain it."
Jacqueline asks, "Anyway, what are we doing?"
Taleslinger says, "I should think they now the slang, they're cool undercover cops like Miami Vice. Which makes them stand out, in Alaska, come to think of it-"
Floyd | You try to read, but the strange words blear and swirl in the
Floyd | lamplight. Perhaps in your study you will be able to make more sense of
Floyd | them.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says, "Nice touch."
Jacqueline says, "Annoying, but nice."
Bishop says, "NUDGE"
maga says, "(that was 'read book', by the way)"
inky says, "ok, let's just try some coca then"
Jacqueline says, "Woo drugs."
maga says (to Floyd), "sniff coca"
Floyd | You inhale a quantity of coca powder.
Floyd |
Floyd | A sense of raw alertness rushes through your nerves, setting them all
Floyd | on edge.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says, "Run down the stairs really fast now."
maga asks, "and try the staircase again?"
inky says, "yeah"
maga says (to Floyd), "d"
Floyd | Even with a lamp, you would not chance these stairs in the darkness.
Floyd | The merest slip would send you plummeting.
Floyd |
Floyd | The coca rush fades, but the sense of alertness remains.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
inky says, "dangit"
Jacqueline says, "Boo"
olethros says, "ah you must read it in the study"
Taleslinger says, "smoke something"
Jacqueline says, ">JUMP INTO DARKNESS"
maga says, "we may be coked up, but we're not *crazy*"
Otto asks, "can't we undo ?"
Jacqueline says, "Ooh - undo."
maga says (to Floyd), "jump"
Floyd | The cold night beckons seductively, but you resist. There is work you
Floyd | must be about.
Floyd |
Floyd | Lightning forks the sky overhead, followed immediately by clamouring
Floyd | thunder.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Bishop says (to Otto), "Yeah, but the PC doesn't know that."
Jacqueline says, "But it would take multiple undo, I think."
Jacqueline says, "Yay response to jump."
inky says, "hmm"
Jacqueline says, "hmm indeed."
inky says, "I guess we could try the opium to relax ourselves about the climb down instead"
Taleslinger says, "Yes, nice touch."
Taleslinger says, "M"
Taleslinger exclaims, "Yay Opium!"
inky says, "or, right, maybe we should just try to find a rope or something"
Jacqueline says, "Maybe start over, get everything and try to take the curtains in the study like Otto suggested."
Otto says, "i think with more drug, the player will die.."
Jacqueline says, "Then come back here."
maga says (to inky), "professional mountain climbers never use ropes when they have opium available"
Jacqueline says, "Also, did you try >SEARCH RING. I'm just curious if there are drugs in it."
maga says (to Floyd), "search ring"
Floyd | You find nothing of interest.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says (to maga), "Har"
Jacqueline says (to maga), "Okay, thanks for trying that."
Bishop asks, "It's a plain band, isn't it? Where would you stash drugs in that?"
Jacqueline says (to Bishop), "Hm. You have a point."
maga says, "I'm going to assume that we need to concentrate on another area for now"
Jacqueline says, "Just trying to eliminate things."
Otto says, "maybe some leaves of cannabis"
Jacqueline says, "Well, we can walk back to the study and waste a bunch of moves, or just start over, which is my suggestion."
Otto says, "(in the band)"
Brad says, "It said the bird was looking for a more subtle way in. I still want to try opening the window and leaving the room for a sec."
maga says (to Otto), "you'd need a whole lot of rings for that to be much use"
maga says (to Floyd), "n"
Floyd |
Floyd | Portico
Floyd | The great iron gate to the south, black as time, stands here to seal
Floyd | the tower's entrance. A dark corridor, worn by countless centuries of
Floyd | forgotten feet, leads back north into the cryptic maze which you -- and
Floyd | in those brief, happy, vanished days, Lenore -- once called a home.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says (to Brad), "Or hiding behind the curtain."
maga says (to Floyd), "n"
Floyd | You pause. The wind is cold, and a storm is brewing. It would not be
Floyd | prudent to leave the gate ajar, on such a night as this.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga says, "hunh"
Jacqueline asks, "Like the gate will keep the weather out?"
Bishop says, "Have we taken the opium in any play session yet? I think it might help."
Otto says, "close the gate then"
maga says (to Floyd), "close gate"
Floyd | You pull the great iron gate to and bolt it carefully.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says, "We did the first time, I think."
Brad says, "Nope."
maga says, "no, I thought that was peyote"
Jacqueline says, "(Take the opium, I thought. Did we not?)"
Jacqueline says, "Oh."
Brad says, "We died after getting it in the pipe."
Jacqueline says, "Oh, that's right, we did."
maga says (to Floyd), "n"
Floyd |
Floyd | Hallway
Floyd | Stone columns, either side of the northwest arch to your study, brace
Floyd | the ceiling, whose upper reaches are lost in darkness that your lamp
Floyd | cannot pierce. The hallway winds deeper into the tower to the
Floyd | northeast; but a faint wisp of draft seeps in from the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga says (to Floyd), "nw"
Floyd |
Floyd | Study
Floyd | Stone walls, wreathed in shadows and velvet curtains, rise into the
Floyd | gloom overhead. The old oak writing desk -- once your father's, now
Floyd | your own -- is wedged beneath the window lattice, with a velvet couch
Floyd | before it. A low fire smoulders in its ancient hearth. To the
Floyd | southeast, a bust of Pallas sits atop an arch with darkness beyond.
Floyd |
Floyd | The room is still for a moment, and then the gentle rapping continues.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says, "Let's try opening the window and hiding."
Jacqueline says, "The gap has got to be mentioned for a reason."
maga asks, "open the window? chase the dragon?"
Brad says, "Open the window."
Jacqueline says (to maga), "You and your euphemisms."
maga says (to Floyd), "open window"
Floyd | You swing wide the shutters, letting the cold night air gust into the
Floyd | room.
Floyd |
Floyd | In a sudden flurry of wings, a night-black raven flits through the
Floyd | lattice and into the room. It circles silently, fixing you with a
Floyd | baleful stare, then folds its wings and roosts on the bust of Pallas,
Floyd | above the archway. Her marble hair moves with a slight 'chink' as it
Floyd | lands.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says, "Yeah, open the window."
Jacqueline says, "Timing"
maga says, "oHO"
Jacqueline says, "OhO"
Brad says, "OHo"
Gunther says, "meh, seen it"
Bishop says, "Hooray, I guess (I thoguht we didn't actually _like_ the raven)."
maga says, "mmm, Poe barbershop"
Jacqueline says, "I think we have covered all the ways to capitalize oho now."
Jacqueline says (to maga), "heh"
Jacqueline says, "x bird"
maga says (to Floyd), "x raven"
Floyd | A bird of night-black plumage, stern and lordly in its bearing, the
Floyd | raven returns your stare with an unwinking eye, and gives no hint of
Floyd | what it might signify.
Floyd |
Floyd | The raven preens its feathers.
Floyd |
Floyd | An icy gust from the window sends the curtains reeling.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Bishop says, "Althoguh I guess the raven would've shown us where the drugs are at, so he must be our friend."
Jacqueline says, "ha"
Jacqueline asks, "Should we close the window and trap it in here?"
inky has had his fill of playing for now, and goes back to the Lounge.
</inky> We looked out over the cove and watched the bad guys explode.
Gunther says, "well, 'raven' is slang for psylocibe mexicana"
Jacqueline says, "That might not be necessary."
Jacqueline says (to Gunther), "ah"
Brad exclaims, "Dinnertime for me. Bye!"
Brad goes home.
</Brad> Brad has disconnected from ifMUD.
Jacqueline says, "er, ha"
Bishop asks (of Gunther), ""Huh, really?"
Gunther says, "no"
Gunther says, "well, maybe"
maga says (to Gunther), ""we're not snorting any corvids"
Jacqueline cackles.
Bishop says, "One never knows."
Gunther says, "exactly"
maga says (to Floyd), "ask raven about lenore"
Floyd | There is no reply.
Floyd |
Floyd | The raven watches you silently from the bust of Pallas.
Floyd |
Floyd | The curtains billow gently in the draft.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga says, "-1 point"
Jacqueline says, "aw"
olethros asks, "why is the raven here now? just because we opened the gate?"
Jacqueline says, "True."
Jacqueline says (to Olethros), "I'm not sure."
maga says, "because we went round to the gate, then came back and opened the window"
maga says, "it is a sneaky beaky"
olethros says, "maybe there's a timer"
olethros says, "(or the gate trigger)"
Jacqueline asks, "So what do we do with the bird?"
olethros says, "ok, so, talk to the bird"
olethros says, "ask bird for key"
maga says (to Floyd), "talk to bird"
Floyd | [talk -> walk]
Floyd | You can't see any such thing.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga says, "guh"
Jacqueline asks, "Ask bird about key?"
maga says (to Floyd), "give peyote to raven"
Floyd | The raven doesn't seem interested.
Floyd |
Floyd | The raven shifts slightly on the bust of Pallas, with a soft 'chink'.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says (to maga), ">TALK TO CHARACTER isn't necessarily standard."
olethros says, "the bust of pallas is not amused"
maga says, "opportunity for comedy gold: missed"
Gunther says, "was about to suggest that"
Jacqueline says (to maga&gunther), ""heh"
Otto asks, "so who will have the chance to search the bust of the goddess ?"
olethros says, "its gifts have already been tasted"
Gunther says, ">put peyote in ravenChow(TM)"
Jacqueline says (to Otto), "I think we already did that."
Otto says, "ah sorry, I thought it was in the hair"
Taleslinger says, "say "Surely, what it utters, it it#s only stock and store. caught by som unhappy masters""
olethros asks, "so maybe ask the bird about key?"
Jacqueline says, "Too bad we can't save games or we could try >KILL RAVEN"
maga says (to Floyd), "ask raven about key"
Floyd | There is no reply.
Floyd |
Floyd | The raven caws. "Nevermore!"
Floyd |
Floyd | The curtains move softly, caressed by the breeze.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Gunther asks, "no UNDO?"
maga says, "I'm pretty sure you can save"
Jacqueline says, "Oh, true - there is that."
olethros says, "ok, walk south"
Jacqueline says, "Oh, try killing the bird first!"
olethros says, "maybe the raven will follow"
Jacqueline says (to olethros), "Hm, good point."
olethros says, "> OVERDOSE BIRD"
maga says (to Floyd), "s"
Floyd | Cold stone blocks your way.
Floyd |
Floyd | The raven eyes you balefully.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga says, "oops"
maga says (to Floyd), "se"
Floyd |
Floyd | Hallway
Floyd | Stone columns, either side of the northwest arch to your study, brace
Floyd | the ceiling, whose upper reaches are lost in darkness that your lamp
Floyd | cannot pierce. The hallway winds deeper into the tower to the
Floyd | northeast; but a faint wisp of draft seeps in from the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | The raven flutters after you.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
olethros says, "man, adventurers on drug"
Jacqueline says, "woot!"
Jacqueline says, "Bird is following!"
maga says, "we have a pet"
Jacqueline says, "Maybe he'll get us the key."
Gunther says, ">raven, attack lenore"
Jacqueline says, "Let's go to the gate."
maga says, ">give eyeball to raven"
maga says (to Floyd), "s"
Floyd |
Floyd | Portico
Floyd | The great iron gate to the south, black as time, stands here to seal
Floyd | the tower's entrance. A dark corridor, worn by countless centuries of
Floyd | forgotten feet, leads back north into the cryptic maze which you -- and
Floyd | in those brief, happy, vanished days, Lenore -- once called a home.
Floyd |
Floyd | The raven flutters after you.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Taleslinger says, "try going outside, i seem to have a faint recollection he's fetching the key - not sure, though"
Jacqueline says (to maga), "That's the wrong game/story."
maga says (to Floyd), "open gate"
Floyd | You unbolt the great iron gate and swing it slowly open, revealing the
Floyd | night outside.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Gunther says, "or is it"
maga says (to Floyd), "s"
Floyd |
Floyd | Stairs in the Cliff
Floyd | Here at the tower's brink, a sheer staircase carved into the living
Floyd | rock falls down the cliff into blackness. Behind you, to the north,
Floyd | stands the great iron gate. The tower rises above you, shapeless and
Floyd | gaunt; the night is bleak, windy, with all moon and stars fled, leaving
Floyd | only the unfathomable emptiness of the distant plain, invisible far
Floyd | below.
Floyd |
Floyd | A small bright object glitters halfway down the cliff, well out of
Floyd | reach.
Floyd |
Floyd | The raven flutters after you.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
olethros asks, "> point ?"
Jacqueline says, "Oh, it's that kind of a gate - I misread earlier."
Gunther asks, "point at object?"
Jacqueline says, "I guess it *would* keep out the weather."
maga says (to Floyd), "point at object"
Floyd | That's not a verb I recognise.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
olethros says, "> cannabis is the gate to hard drugs"
Taleslinger asks, "at key?"
Gunther asks, "raven, get object?"
Jacqueline says (to olethros), "Heh."
maga says (to olethros), ""no, Athene is the gate to hard drugs"
Taleslinger asks, "raven, down?"
Jacqueline says, "Try what Gunther said."
maga says (to Floyd), "raven, get object"
Floyd | The raven has better things to do.
Floyd |
Floyd | The raven flutters into the air, circling the rock stairs, then dives
Floyd | for the tiny glittering object. It rises, circles, and with a
Floyd | self-satisfied flurry returns to your side, dropping a small silver key
Floyd | at your feet.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Gunther says, "ha ha"
Taleslinger asks, "heh?"
Gunther says, "better things"
Alex says (to Taleslinger), ""Awwwk! Word on the street is that heh is funny."
Jacqueline says, "Yay, Raven of self-direction."
olethros says, "hehehe"
Jacqueline says, ">X KEY"
maga says (to Floyd), "get key"
Floyd | Taken.
Floyd |
Floyd | Lightning forks the sky overhead, followed immediately by clamouring
Floyd | thunder.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
olethros says, "no time to waste!"
Otto exclaims, "clever raven !"
Taleslinger says, "we all dream of NPC solving our puzzles for us. hope it'd work in real life"
olethros says, "> COOK BIRD"
maga asks, "what is this the key to, again?"
Gunther says, "I want it to reply to ">PET RAVEN" with "Yes, it is.""
maga says (to Floyd), "x key"
Floyd | It is the small silver key to your laboratory, that you threw away last
Floyd | night in a fit of terror and now has been recovered by the raven.
Floyd | Perhaps that grim bird is an omen of good, after all. Perhaps you now
Floyd | have a chance to reverse the disaster you caused.
Floyd |
Floyd | The raven preens its feathers.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Taleslinger says, "flip bird to raven"
olethros asks, "what disaster?"
Jacqueline says, "ah."
maga says, "GOOD raven! Have some coca."
Jacqueline says (to Olethros), "Something we did last night in a drug-induced rage, no doubt."
Jacqueline asks, "So where's our lab?"
Gunther says, "beyond the locked whatsit"
Taleslinger says, "ravem show lab"
olethros asks, "tower?"
Gunther says, "also beyond the ice palace"
Taleslinger says, "raven, show lab"
maga says (to Jacq), "I think it's 'grief at girlfriend's death' rather than 'drug-induced rage'"
Gunther says, ">raven, win game"
Jacqueline says (to Taleslinger), "I think, despite his good work, you are expecting too much out of our pet raven."
Floyd |
Floyd | Portico
Floyd | The great iron gate to the south, black as time, stands here to seal
Floyd | the tower's entrance. A dark corridor, worn by countless centuries of
Floyd | forgotten feet, leads back north into the cryptic maze which you -- and
Floyd | in those brief, happy, vanished days, Lenore -- once called a home.
Floyd |
Floyd | The raven flutters after you.
Floyd |
Floyd | A dull, dark weariness drifts over you.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says (to maga), "I think it's both."
Taleslinger asks, "MAybe we overdosed Lenore?"
maga says, "oops, whispered 'north'"
maga says, "many games of werewolf make me default to wf"
Jacqueline nods.
Taleslinger says, "dull dark message again. sniff some coca."
maga says (to Floyd), "sniff coca"
Jacqueline says, "Yeah, we need an upper."
Floyd | You inhale a quantity of coca powder.
Floyd |
Floyd | The raven caws. "Nevermore!"
Floyd |
Floyd | A sense of raw alertness rushes through your nerves, setting them all
Floyd | on edge.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Gunther says, ">put coca in iv then put iv needle in arm"
maga says (to Floyd), "n"
Floyd | You pause. The wind is cold, and a storm is brewing. It would not be
Floyd | prudent to leave the gate ajar, on such a night as this.
Floyd |
Floyd | The raven preens its feathers.
Floyd |
Floyd | The coca rush fades, but the sense of alertness remains.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Taleslinger says, "put coca in cooler -> drink coca cooler"
maga says (to Floyd), "close gate"
Floyd | You pull the great iron gate to and bolt it carefully.
Floyd |
Floyd | The raven screeches discordantly.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline asks (of maga), "Were you born in a barn?"
maga says (to Floyd), "n"
Floyd |
Floyd | Hallway
Floyd | Stone columns, either side of the northwest arch to your study, brace
Floyd | the ceiling, whose upper reaches are lost in darkness that your lamp
Floyd | cannot pierce. The hallway winds deeper into the tower to the
Floyd | northeast; but a faint wisp of draft seeps in from the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | The raven flutters after you.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
olethros says, "barns have doors"
maga says (to Floyd), "ne"
Floyd |
Floyd | Gallery
Floyd | The dust of ages -- and of your family for so many generations --
Floyd | clings to crooked stone walls, here in this gallery that twists from
Floyd | southwest to east as it winds through the tower and ends at a stout
Floyd | wooden door. Wider archways open to the north and southeast.
Floyd |
Floyd | A portrait of Lenore, radiant on your wedding day, adorns the wall.
Floyd |
Floyd | The raven flutters after you, and perches on the portrait.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Otto says, "I read on baf's guide the game has some hints systems"
Jacqueline says, ">X LENORE"
Taleslinger says, "raven, hint"
maga says (to Floyd), "x portrait"
Floyd | It is Lenore as she was and as you always wish to remember her -- and
Floyd | though memory is cruel, it is all that now remains of the most joyous
Floyd | time in your life. The portrait was painted by a master in Venice on
Floyd | finest canvas, and it is worth a princely sum, though you care little
Floyd | for its value in gold.
Floyd |
Floyd | Tears flow unbidden from your eyes, at the sight of what -- if tonight
Floyd | you fail -- you have lost forever.
Floyd |
Floyd | The raven screeches discordantly.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Gunther says, ">zombify lenore"
maga says, "WOE"
Jacqueline says, "Maybe we can go to the lab and bring her back to life. Poe's The Raven meets Shelly's Frankenstein."
maga exclaims, ""and they called me mad. MAD!!"
Taleslinger says, "Lenore is a detergent in Germany, for what it's worth."
Jacqueline says, "heehee"
Jacqueline says, "So, let's find that lab."
Jacqueline says, "Hurry, before we run out of drugs."
olethros says, "#tasteless maiden soap"
Taleslinger says, "go cold turkey"
olethros says, "the bird can bring us more"
maga says (to Floyd), "verbose"
Floyd | NEVERMORE is now in its "verbose" mode, which always gives long
Floyd | descriptions of locations (even if you've been there before).
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says (to Taleslinger), "You can't go that direction."
Jacqueline says, ">GO N"
Taleslinger says, "yep, try north."
maga says (to Floyd), "n"
Floyd |
Floyd | Library
Floyd | The stacks of obscure volumes tower to the vaulted ceiling. Your father
Floyd | had eclectic tastes in literature, and you have extended his collection
Floyd | with your own research. Many of these manuscripts are originals, costly
Floyd | in both getting and reading. A dark archway to the south leads back out
Floyd | to the gallery.
Floyd |
Floyd | The raven swoops into the room, and perches on the stacks.
Floyd |
Floyd | Your tears continue to flow.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Gunther says, ">stop crying you pussy"
Jacqueline says, "YAY"
olethros says, "he cries because of what he had to pay for all these books"
olethros says, "now he can't afford a proper revolving castle door"
Taleslinger asks, "Hey, don't we nee tears for the elixir of life? Christminster meets poe?"
maga says, ">X RAINY SOUL MIASMA"
olethros says, "(mm raven flap)"
Jacqueline asks, "Hm. X BOOKS?"
Taleslinger says, "read ornithology"
maga says (to Floyd), "x books"
Floyd | The stacks of books fill the spaces all around you. Your eye is drawn
Floyd | chiefly to Ex Sanguine Vita, Adams' Pharmacopia, Inhumanities,
Floyd | Principia Caelestium Mysteriorum and Arts of the Chaldean Magi.
Floyd |
Floyd | The raven screeches discordantly.
Floyd |
Floyd | Your tears run dry, but the grief remains.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Taleslinger asks, "take all?"
Jacqueline asks, "Snrk - we're drawn to phramacopia. Who could have guessed?"
olethros says, "I need some sleep, sadly."
Jacqueline says, "Let's read 'em."
Jacqueline says, "Night, olethros - I'll post a transcript later."
olethros says, "(ran out of caffeine, too)"
maga says, "Adam's Pharmacopia consists of zero entries, and a flyleaf that says DRINKING KILLS"
olethros says, "ciao"
olethros says (to maga), ""haahaha"
olethros has disconnected.
olethros goes home.
maga says (to Floyd), "x pharmacopia"
Floyd | "Pharmacopia", a recent monogram by the Reverend Doctor Charles
Floyd | Fitzworth Adams of Oxford, is a brief scholarly investigation of the
Floyd | reputed properties of certain notable herbal and chemical substances,
Floyd | and their association with religious rituals. It is useful mainly as a
Floyd | general guide to the field; you have found practical experience to be a
Floyd | more enlightening path of research.
Floyd |
Floyd | The raven screeches discordantly.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga says (to Floyd), "look up peyote in pharmacopia"
Floyd | You discover nothing of interest in Adams' Pharmacopia.
Floyd |
Floyd | The raven caws. "Nevermore!"
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga exclaims, ""feh!"
Jacqueline | you have found practical experience to be a more enlightening path of research
Jacqueline says, "heh"
Gunther says, "eh, check the other books"
maga says (to Floyd), "read pharmacopia"
Floyd | You try to read, but the strange words blear and swirl in the
Floyd | lamplight. Perhaps in your study you will be able to make more sense of
Floyd | them.
Floyd |
Floyd | The raven preens its feathers.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga says (to Floyd), "take books"
Floyd | There are far too many books to remove them all. You should select a
Floyd | volume by name.
Floyd |
Floyd | The raven stares down from the stacks.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Gunther asks, "get all?"
Taleslinger asks, "Throw book at raven?"
maga says (to Floyd), "take all from shelves"
Floyd | Ex Sanguine Vita: Removed.
Floyd | Adams' Pharmacopia: Removed.
Floyd | Inhumanities: Removed.
Floyd | Principia Caelestium Mysteriorum: Removed.
Floyd | Arts of the Chaldean Magi: Removed.
Floyd |
Floyd | The raven pecks at a dusty volume.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Gunther says, "perhaps it can be tricked"
Gunther says, "excellent"
Jacqueline asks, "So I guess we're too high to read anything?"
Gunther says, "no, the light is too low"
Jacqueline says, "ah"
maga says, "it's too shadowy and spooky"
Jacqueline asks, "Take them to the study?"
Gunther says, "also, there is too much woe to us"
Taleslinger says, "Or maybe we have to carry all books to the study, to ...well...study them."
maga says, "this game teaches you that a lot of drugs will not bring you happiness"
Jacqueline says, "And that's... one to grow on."
Gunther says, "just drugs and illegal medical experimetns"
maga says (to Floyd), "s"
Floyd |
Floyd | Gallery
Floyd | The dust of ages -- and of your family for so many generations --
Floyd | clings to crooked stone walls, here in this gallery that twists from
Floyd | southwest to east as it winds through the tower and ends at a stout
Floyd | wooden door. Wider archways open to the north and southeast.
Floyd |
Floyd | A portrait of Lenore, radiant on your wedding day, adorns the wall.
Floyd |
Floyd | The raven flutters after you, and perches on the portrait.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Gunther says, "the latter while on the former"
maga asks, "explore some more, or return to the study to read books?"
Taleslinger asks, "e?"
Taleslinger says, "Not the drug, the direction."
Jacqueline says, "Hm. Books."
Jacqueline says, "Then esploring."
maga says, ">TAKE E. DANCE TO GOTHIC TECHNO"
Jacqueline says, "ha"
maga says (to Floyd), "e"
Floyd | The wooden door is closed, and bars your way.
Floyd |
Floyd | The raven caws. "Nevermore!"
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga says (to Floyd), "open door"
Floyd | It seems to be locked.
Floyd |
Floyd | The raven preens its feathers.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga says (to Floyd), "unlock door with key"
Floyd | You unlock the wooden door.
Floyd |
Floyd | The raven shifts its grip on the portrait.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says, "ooh - key - hooray"
maga says (to Floyd), "e"
Floyd | The wooden door is closed, and bars your way.
Floyd |
Floyd | The raven eyes you balefully.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga says (to Floyd), "open door"
Floyd | You open the wooden door.
Floyd |
Floyd | The raven screeches discordantly.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga says (to Floyd), "e"
Floyd |
Floyd | Laboratory
Floyd | The place of your secret labor and craft, where even Lenore did not
Floyd | lightly enter -- oh, if only she had not! -- and no other friends have
Floyd | ever been invited. The room is small, though not cramped, for all the
Floyd | elements and reagents are precisely in their places on the low wooden
Floyd | table. A space extends a little beyond, to the southeast, and there the
Floyd | darkness is complete. The wooden door is to the west.
Floyd |
Floyd | The raven swoops into the room, perching on the table.
Floyd |
Floyd | A dull, dark weariness drifts over you.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga says, "oop - time for our medication"
maga says (to Floyd), "sniff coca"
Jacqueline says, "uh-oh. Yeah."
Floyd | You inhale a quantity of coca powder.
Floyd |
Floyd | The raven caws. "Nevermore!"
Floyd |
Floyd | A sense of raw alertness rushes through your nerves, setting them all
Floyd | on edge.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline asks, "Do we have enough drugs to finish the game?"
maga says, "I think we have infinite coca"
Taleslinger says, "x table"
Jacqueline says, "We live in a magical fantasy land."
maga says, "this given, we should just set up a drugs empire and get us as many Lenores as we want"
maga asks, "suggestions?"
Taleslinger says, "x table"
Gunther says, "read all the books"
maga says (to Floyd), "x table"
Floyd | The wooden table is simple, hewn from a single slab of living oak,
Floyd | representing the unity of all things and the constant striving for
Floyd | growth and knowledge in the craft. It is also old, an artifact from a
Floyd | certain French metaphysical society whose roots, some scholars believe,
Floyd | go back to Solomon the Wise.
Floyd |
Floyd | On the table are a skull mortar, a glass retort, a cask of aqua vitae,
Floyd | a bottle of aqua regis, a flask of quicksilver, a vial of brimstone, a
Floyd | porcelain platter and a lightning cage.
Floyd |
Floyd | The raven preens its feathers.
Floyd |
Floyd | A faint tingling runs down your spine.
Floyd |
Floyd | The coca rush fades, but the sense of alertness remains.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Otto says, "let's explore the SE"
Gunther says, "then follow the recipe"
Taleslinger asks (of gunther), ""recipe?"
Otto asks, "is he an alchemist then ?"
Gunther says, "surely there is one"
maga says, "possibly in the books we've got"
Taleslinger says, "Hm...back to study, read books."
Gunther says, "like I said, 'read all the books'"
Jacqueline says, "Well, we might be able to read here."
Jacqueline says, "We could try, at least."
maga says (to Floyd), "read pharmacopia"
Floyd | You try to read, but the strange words blear and swirl in the
Floyd | lamplight. Perhaps in your study you will be able to make more sense of
Floyd | them.
Floyd |
Floyd | The raven leers at you from the table.
Floyd |
Floyd | The lightning-cage sparks faintly for a moment. A storm must be
Floyd | gathering outside; but either it is too distant, or the lightning-trap
Floyd | is too ineffectual, to capture more than a ghost of its power.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says, "Okay."
maga says, "nyet"
Jacqueline says, "Guess we go back to the study for a few minutes."
Gunther says, "also we must fix the lightning trap"
maga says (to Floyd), "w"
Floyd |
Floyd | Gallery
Floyd | The dust of ages -- and of your family for so many generations --
Floyd | clings to crooked stone walls, here in this gallery that twists from
Floyd | southwest to east as it winds through the tower and ends at a stout
Floyd | wooden door. Wider archways open to the north and southeast.
Floyd |
Floyd | A portrait of Lenore, radiant on your wedding day, adorns the wall.
Floyd |
Floyd | The raven flutters after you, and perches on the portrait.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga says (to Floyd), "sw"
Floyd |
Floyd | Hallway
Floyd | Stone columns, either side of the northwest arch to your study, brace
Floyd | the ceiling, whose upper reaches are lost in darkness that your lamp
Floyd | cannot pierce. The hallway winds deeper into the tower to the
Floyd | northeast; but a faint wisp of draft seeps in from the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | The raven flutters after you.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga says (to Floyd), "nw"
Floyd |
Floyd | Study
Floyd | Stone walls, wreathed in shadows and velvet curtains, rise into the
Floyd | gloom overhead. The old oak writing desk -- once your father's, now
Floyd | your own -- is wedged beneath the window lattice, with a velvet couch
Floyd | before it. A low fire smoulders in its ancient hearth. To the
Floyd | southeast, a bust of Pallas sits atop an arch with darkness beyond.
Floyd |
Floyd | The raven follows you through the archway, and roosts on the bust of
Floyd | Pallas.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga says (to Floyd), "i"
Jacqueline says, "Man, I wish Nate would write some more great games."
Floyd | You are carrying:
Floyd | Arts of the Chaldean Magi
Floyd | Principia Caelestium Mysteriorum
Floyd | Inhumanities
Floyd | Adams' Pharmacopia
Floyd | Ex Sanguine Vita
Floyd | a silver key
Floyd | opium resin
Floyd | an opium pipe
Floyd | a peyote button
Floyd | Concerning Immortality
Floyd | an oil-lamp (providing light)
Floyd | a paper sachet (which is open)
Floyd | coca powder
Floyd | a gold ring (being worn)
Floyd |
Floyd | The raven watches you silently from the bust of Pallas.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga asks, "where to start?"
Gunther says, "he's on now but I think he's unaware this is being played"
Jacqueline says, "Phramacopia."
Taleslinger asks, "What else has he written?"
Jacqueline asks (of Gunther), ""oh?"
Taleslinger says, "Inhumanities."
Jacqueline pages Nate.
maga says (to Floyd), "read inhumanities"
Floyd | You hunt feverishly through the pages of Inhumanities, and discover:
Floyd |
Floyd | "The Death of the Messenger: this is how it came to be. The Bright
Floyd | Messenger did travel to the Temple in search of Living Water, but he
Floyd | found neither King nor Queen. When the Weight of the World did press
Floyd | upon him sorely, and after three days and nights he fell into the Pit.
Floyd | This is the Death of the Messenger."
Floyd |
Floyd | The raven screeches discordantly.
Floyd |
Floyd | The curtains billow gently in the draft.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Gunther says, "I paged him too. Better @addtoc him, that should get his attention :)"
* Jacqueline has added Nate to the channel.
maga says, "well, *that*'s clear"
maga says, "maybe if we read it when high it will make sense"
Jacqueline asks, "Hm. You mean 'waste' the peyote on it?"
Gunther says, "or you could read the others"
Jacqueline says, "I'm with Gunther."
maga says (to Jacq), "well, I dunno about you, but I don't think there's going to be a party happening here any time soon"
maga says (to Floyd), "read arts"
Floyd | You hunt feverishly through the pages of Arts of the Chaldean Magi, and
Floyd | discover:
Floyd |
Floyd | "Concerning Signs, Seals and Sigils: let the Scholar of these Arts be
Floyd | Warned most Sorely that he Obey all the Law as Instructed, with no
Floyd | Shade of Turning nor Repentance. For the Spirit be Strong, and the
Floyd | Flesh Weak. This is the Greatest Error in the Art."
Floyd |
Floyd | The raven preens its feathers.
Floyd |
Floyd | The curtains move softly, caressed by the breeze.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says (to maga), "Well, the peyote supply is limited, and may have a purpose."
Jacqueline says, "Puzzle-wise. Later."
maga says, "or, in other words, 'if a puzzle's solution isn't quite right, it won't work'"
maga says (to Floyd), "read principia"
Floyd | You hunt feverishly through the pages of Principia Caelestium
Floyd | Mysteriorum, and discover:
Floyd |
Floyd | "Water of the King; most rare, most deadly. Tears, and Grief, and Ruin
Floyd | of Great Houses are its part. Yet may it Move the Highest to
Floyd | Compassion."
Floyd |
Floyd | The raven eyes you balefully.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Gunther says, "and here we go"
Taleslinger says, "My guess is you really have to catch the tears."
maga says, "seems likely"
maga says (to Floyd), "read pharmacopia"
Floyd | You hunt feverishly through the pages of Adams' Pharmacopia, and
Floyd | discover:
Floyd |
Floyd | "The properties of the cola nut are as yet unknown, although some
Floyd | personal research in the South Seas suggests that when combined with
Floyd | coca leaf and the juice of the sugar cane, it may make for a potent and
Floyd | greatly addictive tonic, whose use could rival alcohol in the future.
Floyd | This, however, is merely the author's speculation and has no basis in
Floyd | scientific prediction."
Floyd |
Floyd | The raven screeches discordantly.
Floyd |
Floyd | An icy gust from the window sends the curtains reeling.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga exclaims, ""Coke Is It!"
Jacqueline says, "heh"
Jacqueline says, "That's a pretty nice touch there, Nate."
maga says (to Floyd), "read pharmacopia"
Floyd | You hunt feverishly through the pages of Adams' Pharmacopia, and
Floyd | discover:
Floyd |
Floyd | "The leaves of the hasheesh or hemp, when dried and smoked, may produce
Floyd | a sensation of relaxation and general suggestibility. In combination
Floyd | with certain rhythmical musical ceremonies such as the drumming rituals
Floyd | of Africa or the dances of Jamaica, these leaves have been long
Floyd | associated with the sprit world."
Floyd |
Floyd | The raven watches you silently from the bust of Pallas.
Floyd |
Floyd | An icy gust from the window sends the curtains reeling.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga says, "hm. so I guess we have to work through each book to find all the entries"
Jacqueline says, "One would assume that they eventually cycle. Or are random."
Jacqueline says, "Keep reading, methinks."
maga says (to Floyd), "read pharmacopia"
Floyd | You hunt feverishly through the pages of Adams' Pharmacopia, and
Floyd | discover:
Floyd |
Floyd | "Peyote, a cactus found on the American continent, when dried in
Floyd | "button" form has remarkable properties of provoking visionary states
Floyd | of mind and has been used extensively by native shamans in magical
Floyd | rituals, where it is said to provide great wisdom and insight. It does
Floyd | not induce sleep, however, which makes its use all the more
Floyd | controversial."
Floyd |
Floyd | The raven caws. "Nevermore!"
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga says (to Floyd), "g"
Floyd | You hunt feverishly through the pages of Adams' Pharmacopia, and
Floyd | discover:
Floyd |
Floyd | "The leaf of the coca plant is a mild stimulant and is most effective
Floyd | when prepared as a herbal tonic for the refreshment of body and mind
Floyd | during times of great fatigue. However, excessive use without pause for
Floyd | recuperation of stamina may cause mental or bodily collapse."
Floyd |
Floyd | The raven eyes you balefully.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says, ">G"
maga says (to Floyd), "g"
Floyd | You hunt feverishly through the pages of Adams' Pharmacopia, and
Floyd | discover:
Floyd |
Floyd | "Opium is beneficial generally as an hypnotic and sedative; it induces
Floyd | a state of sleepfulness and promotes vivid and imaginative dreams. It
Floyd | has few side effects beyond the occasional tendency toward
Floyd | hallucinations and sleepwalking, though care should be taken not to
Floyd | prescribe it for long periods. In times of extreme stress and panic it
Floyd | can be an essential restorative to calm the mind."
Floyd |
Floyd | The raven caws. "Nevermore!"
Floyd |
Floyd | The curtains billow gently in the draft.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Gunther says, ">kill self"
maga says (to Floyd), "g"
Floyd | You hunt feverishly through the pages of Adams' Pharmacopia, and
Floyd | discover:
Floyd |
Floyd | "The leaf of the coca plant is a mild stimulant and is most effective
Floyd | when prepared as a herbal tonic for the refreshment of body and mind
Floyd | during times of great fatigue. However, excessive use without pause for
Floyd | recuperation of stamina may cause mental or bodily collapse."
Floyd |
Floyd | The raven eyes you balefully.
Floyd |
Floyd | The curtains move softly, caressed by the breeze.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline asks (of Gunther), ""How would you like to kill yourself?"
(from Jacqueline) Gunther says, ">OD"
Jacqueline asks, "Okay, so it's random?"
maga says, "so it would appear"
Otto says, "it seems so"
Gunther says, "surely there are 490 more books"
Jacqueline asks, "And we've hit all the entries for drugs to which we have access?"
maga says (to Floyd), "read vita"
Floyd | You hunt feverishly through the pages of Ex Sanguine Vita, and
Floyd | discover:
Floyd |
Floyd | "That "the Life is in the Blood" is no idle saying; it is the
Floyd | Foundation of all that the Art seeks to work on Earth, under the
Floyd | Heavens."
Floyd |
Floyd | The raven preens its feathers.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga says (to Floyd), "g"
Floyd | You hunt feverishly through the pages of Ex Sanguine Vita, and
Floyd | discover:
Floyd |
Floyd | "Blood of the Sacrifice, being a most Efficacious Remedy for the
Floyd | Restitution of things Lost and the means of their Return; it is
Floyd | Substance of Absence, Substance of Presence, Water of the Heart, and
Floyd | the Beloved Ash, all upon Desire."
Floyd |
Floyd | (This entire paragraph has been heavily underlined.)
Floyd |
Floyd | The raven preens its feathers.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga says, "hello puzzle"
maga says (to Floyd), "g"
Floyd | You hunt feverishly through the pages of Ex Sanguine Vita, and
Floyd | discover:
Floyd |
Floyd | "The Elements of the Earth, that is, of the Life, are not to be mixed
Floyd | with those of Heaven; they are to remain Apart, in a Vessel called and
Floyd | chosen for themselves. That is their place and portion."
Floyd |
Floyd | The raven caws. "Nevermore!"
Floyd |
Floyd | An icy gust from the window sends the curtains reeling.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Otto asks, "can we search SE ?"
maga says, "we're back in the study"
maga asks, "you mean in the lab? or outside it?"
Otto says, "in the lab. But maybe I missed something"
maga asks, "do we want to exhaust the books first, or take a break from all this reading?"
Jacqueline says, "From Baf's Guide:"
Jacqueline | The puzzles are mostly good, despite some game design sins--there's repetitive death, for one thing, and a bunch of guidebooks whose "consult" routines are randomized.
Jacqueline says, "Also, though I don't think we're at that point yet:"
Jacqueline | Has a hint menu.
Jacqueline says, "And there is a walkthrough at the archive as well, but, like I said, I don't think we're there yet."
maga says, "hm. does Floyd do menus? let's see"
maga says (to Floyd), "help"
Floyd | [Warning: It is recognized that the temptation for help may at times be
Floyd | so exceedingly strong that you might fetch hints prematurely.
Floyd | Therefore, you may at any time during the story type HINTS OFF, and
Floyd | this will disallow the seeking out of help for the present session of
Floyd | the story. If you still want a hint now, indicate HINT.]
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says, "Yeah, I'm not sure."
maga says (to Floyd), "hint"
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | Nevermore Hints
Floyd | N = next subject P = previous
Floyd | RETURN = read subject Q = resume game
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | > Beginnings
Floyd | Study
Floyd | Hall
Floyd | Drugs
Floyd | Books
Floyd | Raven
Floyd | Lightning
Floyd | Blood and Tears
Floyd | Laboratory
Floyd | Ritual
Floyd | Endgame
Floyd |
maga says, "the answer is, yes he does but it's a huge pain in the arse"
Gunther says, "oh dear"
Gunther asks, "someone look them up offline?"
maga says (to Floyd), "q"
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | Study
Floyd | Stone walls, wreathed in shadows and velvet curtains, rise into the
Floyd | gloom overhead. The old oak writing desk -- once your father's, now
Floyd | your own -- is wedged beneath the window lattice, with a velvet couch
Floyd | before it. A low fire smoulders in its ancient hearth. To the
Floyd | southeast, a bust of Pallas sits atop an arch with darkness beyond.
Floyd |
Floyd | A night-black raven perches silently on the bust of Pallas.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga says, "I should have a copy somewhere"
Otto exclaims, "I have to go sleeping now. It was nice indeed. Bye !"
Otto goes home.
</Otto> Otto has disconnected from ifMUD.
maga says, "night Otto"
maga asks, "okay. what do we want to look up?"
Gunther says, "how to win!"
maga says, "Beginnings, Study, Hall, Drugs, Books, Raven, Lightning, Blood and Tears, Laboratory, Ritual, Endgame"
Gunther says, "in this order starting with lightning :)"
* trikiw has joined the channel.
Jacqueline says, "Maga's computer hung. He's rebooting."
Jacqueline says, "One sec."
maga is kicking back in whatever afterlife Chaotic Good people get, probably sipping single-malt Scotch and smoking cigars rolled from poorly-worded legal documents.
</maga> We all know you're soft 'cause we've all seen you dancing. We all know you're hard 'cause we've all seen you drinking (from noon until noon again).
<maga> Seriously man Carolus Linnaeus would classify this as shitty
Taleslinger says, ">raven, reboot maga"
Jacqueline says, "There we go."
maga arrives, full of funk, but no fun.
Taleslinger asks, "Can you randomize your olounge?"
Gunther says, "next time we should play a graphical adventure"
Jacqueline says, "You can't randomize your ToyShop entry, that's done for you, but yes, you can randomize your olounge. It's tricky, though. We can talk about it later."
maga says, "three options:"
Jacqueline says (to Gunther), "That would be tricky."
Jacqueline asks (of maga), "What are they?"
maga asks, "What's with the lightning cage? How do I get to the roof? What's with the lightning rod?"
maga says, "none of these seem immediately relevant"
maga asks, "hello? anyone still playing?"
Gunther says, "not really"
Taleslinger says, "I have it! I solved the game! Sadly, I have to go to sleep now, so I leave you to it. Night, everyone."
Taleslinger has an ohomemsg. You just read it.
</Taleslinger> Taleslinger slinks off to a place where tales linger.
maga says, "in that case I guess we'll save for later"
Gunther says, "I'm not sure that is necessary"
Jacqueline says, "Well, we are going on two hours."
Jacqueline says, "I'm still up for playing."
Jacqueline says, "I doubt we're going to continue this next week. We'll want to play something new so that different people can participate."
Jacqueline asks (of Gunther), ""You still up for this, or are you done?"
Gunther says, "I'm unconvinced that I want to continue"
Jacqueline says, "ah"
Jacqueline says, "Well, in that case, we can save."
Jacqueline asks, "Is there a way to access the save file this time next week?"
Jacqueline asks, "Or should we just abandon?"
Jacqueline asks, "And do something new next week?"
Gunther says, "abandon"
maga says, "seems like it's best to abandon, pick something a little shorter next week"
Jacqueline says, "mmkay. I'm fine with that."
Jacqueline says, "This has been a good enough intro that I'd play on my own."
Gunther says, "next week, something with no time limits or death"
Jacqueline says, "ha"
Jacqueline says, "Okay, Firetower it is~!"
Gunther says, "-> no speaker -> more participation"
Jacqueline says, "(Kidding)"
Jacqueline says (to Gunther), "True."
Jacqueline says, "Okay, then."
maga says (to Floyd), "quit"
Floyd | Are you sure you want to quit?
Jacqueline says (to floyd), "yes"
Floyd asks, "That game over already? It was just getting good. Wanna play another?"
Jacqueline says, "Thanks, guys."
Gunther says (to floyd), "no"
Floyd says (to Gunther), "Floyd doesn't know that trick."
 
 



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