C:\GAMES\IMPRO\SOH> soh (N)ew game, or (C)ontinue? C Dismal Field 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. In the light of the sun, the field, although not cheerful by any means, somehow does not seem as forbidding as it had in the moonlight. Colors appear, their brightness accentuated by the long night. Here and there, small flowers peek out from under the grass. A faint path leads off to the southeast. There is a tombstone here. >VERSION = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = SPIRITS OF HOPE An Improtext Adventure Lead Programmer: Brian Stricklin Module Programmer: Lirazel Version 1.98 - Enlightenment = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = >DIAGNOSE You are a little tired. You are somewhat hungry. You are somewhat thirsty. You vaguely feel Aoi's presence in Waypoint. >INVENTORY a silver pendant (worn) servant's clothing, damp (worn) pocky a brown leather purse, soaked (jingles a little when shaken) a tattered map, soaked a potion recipe a tension bar ( bloody ) a metal cup a black-painted keyring and key a small pouch ( empty ) a lantern ( almost out of fuel ) Rojanosh's Hope a piece of chalk Despise's tag >SE Hilltop Vista Standing atop this wide hillock, you're treated to an impressive view of the surrounding terrain. To the north you can see the field where you woke up, and to the east and south there seems to be a large, foreboding forest. To the west, however, is a huge walled city, of a type you've never seen another example of; its buildings vary in design, being mostly of a Victorian style but with a few Japanese-style structures as well. A wide river sits next to the city, intersecting it briefly on the town's northern side then splitting off to the west and northeast. The nearby path leads back to the field to the northwest, and continues on toward the city to the southwest. >S Forest Edge You are traveling on a path near the edge of the Spirit's Forest. To the north you can see the forest end as the path continues to the bottom of a large hilltop. The path also branches off deeper into the forest towards the east and northeast. >S Plain Forest Path You are traveling on a path near the edge of the Spirits Forest. The path leads ahead to the north and back to the south. It also seems to branch off to the northeast. >S Forested Path You are near the edge of the Spirits Forest on a path that leads ahead to the north and back to the south. >S Grue Tunnel Entrance You have entered a large path with a large hole to the east leading down to a tunnel below. Situated all around the entrance to the tunnel are large boulders. Trees restrict movement on the path and the only wait out besides the tunnel is to the southeast and north. >E You jump down into the Grue's tunnel Grue's Tunnel You are in a part of the tunnel that is still filled with some light. The tunnel is small, claustrophobic environment with barely enough room for you to stand and about 3 feet wide. The walls are splattered with Silka's blood. The tunnel continues off into darkness to the west. Above you is a hole which leads to the surface and is the source of the light. *MORE* Silka's blood is dark and sticky now. Flies are buzzing about, and a very unpleasant smell is making itself evident. This will not be a healthy place to stay for some time, though it's probably OK to pass through, if you have a strong stomach. >W Rough Tunnel This rough, natural looking tunnel heads in an east-west direction. >W Pond Chamber This small cave contains a small pond of water fed by a waterfall on the northern wall. The sound of the falling water fills the room, and the air is damp and moist. There are exits on the three other sides of the cavern. >LOOK AT POND You notice that, despite the constant influx of water, the pond has evidently been the same size for some time. There must be a way for the water to flow... >TOUCH WATER Placing the lamp on the floor of the cave beside you, you squat down and dip your hand in the water. It is cool, but not cold. Presumably, it flows near Hell's Lake before arriving here. The water pulls against your hand, indicating that there is a current in this water. It seems to pull towards the south From this angle, you can see that the southern edge of the pool is undercut. The way the light is reflecting back from the surface of the water tells you there is some space, but you can't tell how far under the cave the pool extends--or just how much space may exist between the water and the cave floor >RINSE CUP You take the metal cup, and rinse it carefully in the pond. A thin stream of grayish particles are dislodged. You can see them whirling out from the cup, and being drawn to the south, under the lip of the pool edge. [You have gained 1 point!] >TASTE WATER I don't understand taste. >HELP: WATER Some things you can do with WATER: ..DIVE IN ..DRINK ..JUMP IN POUR ..SIP ..SPLASH ..SPRAY ..SWIM IN ..WADE IN [You have lost 5 points!] >SIP WATER You raise the cup to your lips and take a small sip of the water. The water has a slightly metallic taste, but it isn't too bad. It doesn't do anything to make you feel less thirsty, though. >LOOK AT WATERFALL This is a wide, but not deep stream of water, falling from the top of the cavern (perhaps seven meters above your head) down the north wall and into the pool at your feet. There is a mist of spray and bubbles where the waterfall meets the surface of the pool. If you could stand directly in front of the waterfall, you would be able to extend your arm and touch the rock wall at its back. That is, assuming you could walk on water. >PICK UP LAMP You pick up the lamp and stand up. The lamp flickers slightly. You don't have much fuel left. >N You can't do that--there's a waterfall and a rock wall in the way. >NW You move around the pool until you are as close to the waterfall as you can get without losing your footing and falling in. >INVENTORY a silver pendant (worn) servant's clothing, damp (worn) pocky a brown leather purse, soaked (jingles a little when shaken) a tattered map, soaked a potion recipe a tension bar ( bloody ) a metal cup a black-painted keyring and key a small pouch ( empty ) a lantern ( almost out of fuel ) Rojanosh's Hope a piece of chalk Despise's tag >DROP POUCH Pouch dropped. >GET POUCH You bend and pick up the pouch. The lamp flickers slightly. You don't have much fuel left. >DROP POUCH IN POOL You drop the pouch in the pool. >WATCH POUCH You hold the lamp over your head and watch the small dark spot that is the little pouch. At first, it bobs about on the top of the water, but then it gets caught in the stream from the waterfall and is pulled beneath the surface. You can still see it, dimly. It is thrust downward by the force of the falling water, and then begins to drift back up and to the south. You walk around the edge of the pool to watch it's progress, and see it nearly reach the surface again before it disappears beneath the southern lip of the pool. The lamp flickers and dims slightly. You don't have much fuel left. [You have gained 3 points!] >PUT DOWN LAMP You put down the lamp at the edge of the pool. The lamp flickers and dims slightly. You don't have much fuel left. >SAVE Game saved. The lamp flickers and dims slightly. You don't have much fuel left. >DIVE INTO POOL You dive into the pool from the southern end, and find yourself dragged feet-first under the southern lip of the pool. Unfortunately, you hit your head hard against the edge of the pool, lose consciousness, and sink, unresisting, beneath the surface. ***You have died.*** Quit, restore, or undo? >RESTORE Pond Chamber This small cave contains a small pond of water fed by a waterfall on the northern wall. The sound of the falling water fills the room, and the air is damp and moist. There are exits on the three other sides of the cavern. There is a dim and flickering lamp here, on the ground near the southern edge of the pool. >NW You move around the pool until you are as close to the waterfall as you can get without losing your footing and falling in. >DIVE INTO POOL You dive into the pool right next to the waterfall. The force of the water pushes you well below the surface, and the current begins to drag you to the south as you rise. Above you, you can see a yellow glow from the lamp on the southern edge of the pool. You steer for it as best you can. The yellow glow flickers and becomes dimmer. >S As you rise to the surface, you feel yourself being pulled relentlessly towards the south. There is a band of darkness just beyond the yellow glow. As you pass beneath it, your head breaks the surface. *MORE* Underground River You are immersed in an underground river whose current runs roughly north to south. Behind you, a dim yellow glow is reflected back from the surface of the water, showing you that the ceiling of the cavern above you is only about twenty centimeters above your head. The river is about 4 meters wide, which accounts, perhaps, for the swift current. The air is very moist, but fresh. [You have gained 10 points!] >N You can't swim against this current. >E With great difficulty, you manage to move to the eastern side of the tunnel through which the river is flowing. The walls are slippery with algae, and you cannot get a hand-hold. You are being drawn relentlessly to the south. You can no longer see any light from the lamp at the edge of the pond, but whether this is because the lamp has gone out or because you have moved too far away is impossible to say. The struggle across the current is very wearying. You are also suddenly aware that you are very hungry. >S You are carried through the darkness, helpless in the grip of the current. You can hear a rushing noise ahead of you. Not like a waterfall--more like many rocky streams, all at once. >S The current seems to be slowing slightly, and you occasionally feel rocks--or, rather, lumps which you assume to be rocks, beneath your feet. A dim glow seems to be rising through the water at various points, but you are moving too fast to see what these are. The rushing noise is louder. >S River Cavern The current has slowed quite a bit, and the river seems to have become more shallow. You are now half-walking, half stumbling, along the rocky, slippery riverbed, with the water level just below your shoulders. The water still propels you forward, but it is now easier to resist it. The dim glow you noticed is now more intense. It seems to rise from the deeper pools that lie beneath the rocks to either side of the main stream of the river. *MORE* By its light, you can see that you are now in a much larger cavern. You can't see the roof--it's too high above your head. The glowing whateveritis seems to be clustered towards the sides of the cavern. On the cavern floor, the main stream of the river flows strongly, but the current towards the eastern and western shores is far less, as the water trickles among many stones. The sound this makes almost seems like a song, sung at different speeds by many voices, but all in the same key. >E With some difficulty, you move out of the main stream of the river, towards the eastern shore of the cavern. A large rock is ahead of you; The glow from the water around it is so intense as to almost seem alight. >DIAGNOSE You are quite hungry. You are quite thirsty. You are quite tired. >LOOK AT POCKY You look at the pocky you are carrying. Surprisingly, it is still quite dry. Pocky! Small, stick-like pieces of candy. This particular box of pocky is strawberry and coconut flavored. Yum. The box has been opened. There is quite a lot of pocky left inside. >EAT POCKY You somehow can't make yourself eat the pocky, and you suspect it would do you no good if you tried. >LOOK AT ROCK This is a large rock, much smoothed and worn by the water. A streamlet from the river flows around its base from the north, and a small pool lies on its southern side. There is an intense, greenish glow coming from the pool. >LOOK AT POOL You gaze into the pool, and almost forget everything--Suzume, Despise, Rojanosh, even your own predicament--in your delight. A forest of tiny, waving fronds greets your eyes, each branchlet and tendril outlined with a tiny band of green fire. Tiny, ruby- colored fish dart in and out, and down on the sandy bottom you can see a small white crawfish. It's a tiny but perfect world down there. >TAKE ALGAE Are you sure you want to do that? >SAVE GAME Game saved. >TAKE ALGAE You reach down into the water and, as gently as you can, try and pick up one of the algae plants. You succeed in ripping away what looks like three branches, but when you bring them into the air, their light instantly dies away, leaving you with a handful of dreary-looking slime. >DROP ALGAE You aren't holding any algae. >DROP SLIME You drop the slime back into the pool. Instantly, the branches take on their proper color, and light begins to play along them. >INVENTORY a silver pendant (worn) servant's clothing, soaked (worn) pocky (surprisingly dry) a brown leather purse, soaked (jingles a little when shaken) a tattered map, soaked a potion recipe, soaked a tension bar a metal cup a black-painted keyring and key Rojanosh's Hope a piece of chalk, damp Despise's tag It's a miracle--everything has survived your plunge, more or less intact! >FILL CUP WITH WATER You stoop to the pool again, and fill the cup with water. >GET ALGAE You pick up the algae floating loosely in the pool. Their light instantly dies away, leaving you with a handful of dreary-looking slime. >PUT SLIME IN CUP You put the slime in the cup. Instantly, the branches of algae take on their proper color, and light begins to play along them. Water, displaced by the algae, splashes out of the cup. Because there is so much algae in the cup, the light it gives off is quite bright--almost as intense as a lamp. [You have gained 5 points!] >S You stumble along the rocky eastern shore of the underground river, heading south, using the light from the cup in your hand as well as the glowing pools around you to pick your way. About you, the sound of the water flowing around the rocks in the cavern almost seems like a song, sung at different speeds by many voices, but all in the same key. The main stream of the river seems to be curving toward the west. >W You follow the bend in the river as it curves towards the west. About you, the sound of the water flowing around the rocks in the cavern almost seems like a song, sung at different speeds by many voices, but all in the same key. >W You stumble along the rocky southern shore of the underground river, heading west, using the light from the cup in your hand as well as the glowing pools around you to pick your way. About you, the sound of the water flowing around the rocks in the cavern almost seems like a song, sung at different speeds by many voices, but all in the same key. The cavern appears to be narrowing. The central stream is getting faster and deeper, and the glowing pools are further and further apart. This algae seemingly needs fairly still water to flourish. As you walk, you begin to feel a growing sense of energy and satisfaction! At first you are confused, and then you realize-- Suzume must be feeding Aoi. It gives you a warm feeling to realize she is doing this. For a Spirit of Chaos, she seems surprisingly well organized. [You have gained 1 point!] >DIAGNOSE You are not at all hungry. You are not at all thirsty. You are not tired. You vaguely sense Aoi ahead of you in Waypoint. She seems quite a bit closer than she was before. >W Man-Made Cavern You move along the southern shore of the underground river, heading west, using the light from the cup in your hand to pick your way. The cavern continues to narrow. The central stream is getting faster and deeper, and the glowing pools are nearly gone. The singing sound has died away, leaving only the rushing of the water. Surprisingly, however, you are moving much more easily. At first, you put this down to your renewed energy, but then you realize that not only are there fewer rocks, but the ground beneath your feet is quite smooth. *MORE* You lower the cup you are holding, so that the light from the algae within illuminates the area around your feet. You find that you are standing on what is clearly a man-made--well, intelligent- being-made--stone pier or wharf. The river, which is deep and narrow and swift again, flows just below the edge of this stonework. Lifting the cup high, you look across the river to the northern bank. A similar stonework can be seen, and you can look beyond it to see a flight of steps leading upwards, and a carved arch. There seems to be a place to tie up a boat, as well. Unfortunately, you are on the south side of the river, and no such facilities exist here. >LOOK AT ARCH The light isn't good enough for you to see very much of the carving on the arch. However, you make out the four figures--two men, a woman, and a boy--you saw earlier in the carved cavern, right at the top. They seem to be joined together in a complicated dance, each with arms crossed over and passing either over or under to hold the hands of the figures at either side. Above them, a finely carved and polished starburst sparkles faintly. [You have gained 2 points!] >DIVE IN RIVER Are you sure you want to do that? >SAVE GAME Game saved. >DIVE IN RIVER You put the cup of algae you are holding down on the edge of the stone pier, and dive into the river. Unfortunately, as you struggle to cross the stream, you find that the current is too strong for you once more. You are swept past the landing on the north side, and into darkness. It isn't long before you hear the sound of another waterfall ahead of you, but you have no way to prepare for it. Just before you reach the waterfall, you are slammed against a low barrier or bar, which knocks you unconscious. You sink beneath the water. ***You have died*** Quit, restore, or undo? >RESTORE Man-Made Cavern You are standing the southern shore of the underground river, using the light from the cup in your hand to see where you are. The cavern continues to narrow. You are standing on what is clearly a man-made--well, intelligent-being-made--stone pier or wharf. The river, which is deep and narrow and swift again, flows just below the edge of this stonework. Across the river on the northern bank is a similar stonework, a flight of steps leading upwards, and a carved arch. There seems to be a place to tie up a boat, as well. >W You are moving westward on the southern bank of an underground river, using the light from the cup in your hand to find your way. You are walking on a stone pier, clearly made with tools and hands. The river flows deep and fast, and across it you can see a similar stonework. The algae in the cup in your hand are now the only source of light. >W Underground Ruins Your way is blocked by a heap of rubble. The ruins of some vast structure lie all the way across the river. The river doesn't seem to be impeded at all, however, moving under the pile of rubble without hindrance. >LOOK AT RUBBLE This is an enormous heap of broken stones and old iron-work. Ornately-carved fragments are leaning against slabs of rusted metal like giant gates, and huge gears seem to have been flung about like so many saw-toothed frisbees. Further progress to the west seems completely blocked. There seem to be words carved on the chunk of rock closest to you. >LOOK AT ROCK This is a huge chunk of rock, twice as tall as you are. The rock lies directly on the stone pier, blocking your path west. An inscription on the rock is partly obliterated, but you can make out the letters: 00D NTROL M NO. 4 [You have gained 1 point!] >CLIMB RUBBLE You search about for a place where you can climb the rubble and perhaps cross the river, but you can't find one that you can navigate holding a cup of water and algae (now your only source of light). >LOOK AT RIVER The river, which is fast and deep, continues to flow west, almost as if the rubble from the dam were not there. >GET 1 PIECE ALGAE Looking into the cup you hold, you grasp one bit of the light- giving algae and pull it out of the water. A branch of algae is pulled up with it. Its light instantly dies away, leaving you with a strand of dreary-looking slime. >DROP SLIME IN RIVER You drop the slime into the river, and it instantly is transformed into green, glowing algae. You watch as it gets sucked under the dam. At the last second, you note that the algae begins to twist and spin, almost as though it were caught in a whirlpool. You are not sure what else you may have seen--it all went by so fast. The algae in the cup have been reduced by 1/3. There is less light coming from the cup. >GET 1 PIECE ALGAE Looking into the cup you hold, you grasp one bit of the light- giving algae and pull it out of the water. A branch of algae is pulled up with it. Its light instantly dies away, leaving you with a strand of dreary-looking slime. >PUT SLIME IN RIVER You slowly let the slime pass through your fingers into the river. As soon as it touches the water it springs back to glowing life. By its light, you can see that a hole or chute, twisting to the left, is drawing off some of the water. Most of the water seems to be heading due west, and over a considerable drop--you can hear the roar of another waterfall, seemingly right beyond the ruins of the old dam. There seems to be an iron bar wedged across the narrow hole or chute. You carefully dangle the slime/algae streamer over that hole. Just as you release it, it becomes wrapped around the iron bar and hangs there like a pennant in a stiff wind. As you watch, small bits of the algae streamer begin to be torn away. The light from the algae in your cup is now quite dim. >POUR OUT CUP INTO RIVER You pour the algae and all the water in your small metal cup into the river. Once again, the algae gets caught up in the "side" current formed by the chute. There is now almost no light in the cavern--the only source is the rapidly-disintegrating strand of algae draped across the entrance to the small hole or chute. Or is it? Now that you aren't concentrating on the green and glowing algae, you notice that a very dim glow seems to be coming up through the water from below. >KEEP CUP You tuck the cup snugly into the tunic you are wearing. >JUMP IN RIVER You gingerly jump into the river near the remaining base of the dam. The current sucks you downward, and the stream turns you towards the south. You manage to hook a foot on the iron bar that is jammed across the smaller opening, and this lets you ease yourself into the chute without being dragged through by the current. Eventually, however, you must let go. A short drop, and you are standing *in* a waterfall. You stumble forward, and you find you are in a: Dead End You are traveling through the sewers underneath Waypoint City. This particular branch is a dead end. A cascade of water (surprisingly, not the typical sewer sludge) tumbles down the north wall, flowing away toward the south. [You have gained 5 points!] >INVENTORY a silver pendant (worn) servant's clothing, soaked (worn) pocky (surprisingly dry) a brown leather purse, soaked (jingles a little when shaken) a tattered map, soaked a potion recipe, soaked a tension bar a metal cup a black-painted keyring and key Rojanosh's Hope a piece of chalk, damp Despise's tag DIAGNOSE You are not at all hungry. You are not at all thirsty. You are not tired. You are sharply aware of the presence of Aoi, nearer than you previously thought. >SCORE >SCORE You have gained 229 points out of a possible 2000. This earns you the rank of: Hopeful Spectre. >SAVE GAME Game saved. >QUIT C:\GAMES\IMPRO\SOH>_ ********************************** Author's Notes: Many thanks to NinjaDebugger and Sharyna for pre-reading. Please note the number of traditional touches in this otherwise uneventful dungeon splash.