Fathom Pond — 1 of 1

"Fathom Pond" by Shield Does Pixels

The story genre is "Fantasy".

The story creation year is 2025.

The story headline is "Made for Ludum Dare 57".

The story description is "A wayfaring teenager finds themselves wrapped up in a quest to get their glasses back."

Release along with an interpreter.

Release along with cover art ("A pond on a sunny day.").

Release along with an introductory postcard.

Release along with the source text.

Release along with a solution.

Use scoring. The maximum score is 100.

Use the serial comma.

Rule for printing the banner text when the score is less than 5: do nothing.

When play begins:

now the right hand status line is "Score: [score]/[maximum score]".

Xyzzying is an action applying to nothing. Understand "xyzzy" as xyzzying.

Carry out xyzzying:

say "Very funny."

Talking to is an action applying to one visible thing. Understand "talk to [someone]" or converse with [someone] as talking to.

Carry out talking to:

say "[The noun] doesn't reply."

Understand "ask [someone] about [something]" as interrogating it about. interrogating it about is an action applying to two visible things.

Understand the commands "show" and "display" and "present" as something new.

Understand "show [something] to [someone]" or "display [something] to [someone]" or "present [something] to [someone]" as interrogating it about (with nouns reversed). Understand "show [someone] [something]" as interrogating it about.

Carry out interrogating someone about something:

say "[The noun] doesn't reply."

Taking it with is an action applying to two visible things. Understand "get [something] with [something]" and "take [something] with [something]" as taking it with. Understand "get [something] with [something]" and "take [something] with [something]" as taking it with (with nouns reversed).

Carry out taking it with:

try taking the noun.

A thing has some text called printing. The printing of a thing is usually "blank".

Understand the command "read" as something new. Understand "read [something]" as reading. Reading is an action applying to one thing, requiring light.

Check reading:

if the printing of the noun is "blank", say "Nothing is written on [the noun]." instead.

Carry out reading:

say "[printing of the noun][line break]". Report reading: do nothing.

Sorcering is an action applying to nothing. Understand "xhq" as sorcering.

Carry out sorcering:

do nothing.

Understand the command "attach" as something new.

Adhering it to is an action applying to two carried things. Understand "glue [something] to [something]", "attach [something] to [something]", "stick [something] to [something]", and "adhere [something] to [something]" as adhering it to.

Carry out adhering it to:

say "That doesn't seem particularly useful."

Luring it with is an action applying to two visible things. Understand "lure [something] with [something]", "bait [something] with [something]", "lure [something] using [something]", and "lure [something] using [something]" as luring it with.

Carry out luring it with:

say "[The noun] could not possibly be interested."

Inputting it in is an action applying to one number and one visible thing. Understand "input [number] into [something]" and "input [number] in [something]" and "input [number] into [something]" and "type [number] into [something]" and "type [number] in [something]" as inputting it in.

Carry out inputting it in:

say "There's nowhere to input a number on [the second noun]."

Part 1 - The Surface

When play begins:

say "It's a peaceful day in the woods. You've been hiking most of the day, and the sun is just beginning to get noticeably lower, a welcome relief for your eyes. Your wandering has eventually led you to a small stream on the edge of the woods, which you know eventually leads to Fathom Pond, an extremely popular local landmark. You've never been there yourself, and you're excited to check it out! You take a short breather at the source of the stream before continuing on your journey."

The stream is a backdrop. It is in the upstream, the rapids, and the mouth. Instead of taking the stream, say "The water is so cold it stings your hands and splatters back to the ground." Instead of examining the stream in the upstream, say "A small babbling stream, so clear you can see the clay worn away beneath it." Instead of examining the stream in the rapids, say "Slightly further downstream, the water roars and boils as it continues down the hillside." Instead of examining the stream in the mouth, say "A happy medium of intensity, the water rushes past just slow enough to remain crystal-clear."

The pond is a backdrop. It is in the outpond and the inpond. Instead of taking the pond, say "You only succeed in getting your pockets very wet." Instead of examining the pond in the outpond, say "The deep blue of the pond, along with the reflection of the midday sun, mean you can't quite see the bottom." Instead of examining the pond in the inpond, say "It's particularly difficult to have an opinion on the appearance of the pond when you're in the middle of it."

The feather is nowhere. The printed name of the feather is "turkey feather". The description of the feather is "A seemingly uninteresting turkey's feather, brown with streaks of white. Despite its uselessness, you feel compelled to hold onto it." Instead of dropping the feather, say "You feel compelled to keep the feather."

The upstream is a room. The printed name of the upstream is "Source of the Stream". The description of the upstream is "In the middle of sparsely shaded woods, a small stream trickles from beneath an unsuspecting pile of rocks. Moss covers most visible surfaces, and a stiff breeze can be felt in the air. Swathes of thorny vines cover the cliffs in most directions, but the stream continues further south." Instead of going nowhere from the upstream, say "You immediately poke yourself on a thorn and go back to the trail."

The rapids is a room. The rapids is south of the upstream. The printed name of the rapids is "Churning Rapids". The description of the rapids is "A slightly narrower trail cuts alongside the now-overwhelming rapids. Moss is replaced by jagged rocks, which the water breaks over in dramatic fashion. The trail and stream both take a sharp turn to the southeast, while the calmer waters are back north." Instead of going nowhere from the rapids, say "You see poison ivy forming an impenetrable wall and immediately turn around."

The mouth is a room. The mouth is southeast of the rapids. The printed name of the mouth is "Mouth of the Stream". The description of the mouth is "The hill finally flattens out here, letting the water return to a less breakneck pace. Even the sparse edges of the forest are behind you now, giving way to a vast meadow. The knee-high grass is mixed with wildflowers and denser shrubs, which slow your movement a bit. The stream's resevoir, a large pond, is to your east, while the rapids are back to the northwest." Instead of going nowhere from the mouth, say "The rest of the meadow is on the other side of the stream that's too wide to cross." Before going east from the mouth for the first time: say "As you move towards the pond, a turkey you didn't see in your peripheral dramatically flaps in front of your path. It sheds a few feathers as it flies away, and you pick one up."; now the player has the feather.

The outpond is a room. The outpond is east of the mouth. The printed name of the outpond is "Fathom Pond". The description of the outpond is "The stream finally reaches its final destination, a large pond on the border between the forest and vast meadow. A few small algae blooms sit on the surface, encouraged to grow by the beating sun. It's a truly beautiful day outside. Back west is the stream, but meadow finally opens up all around you in the other directions."

Instead of going nowhere from the outpond:

increase score by 5;

say "As you move to explore the meadow, you trip on a rock hidden by the tall grass, and feel your glasses fly off your face. You try to track where they're going, and...[line break][line break][line break]* *[line break] * \ SPLASH / *[line break]Before you can even think, you dive in the freezing water after them.[paragraph break][banner text]";

now the player is in the inpond.

The inpond is a room. The printed name of the inpond is "Middle of Fathom Pond". The description of the inpond is "The water is truly glacial, and it's hard to think about much else. You just need to get your glasses." Instead of going nowhere from the inpond, say "Your glasses are in the pond. The only option is down."

Part 2 - Fathom Pond

Table of Eel Topics

topic reply

"pond" "'Been living here for 5 or 6 years, and I love it! Shrimp populations are nice and stable, which is all that matters to me.'"

"glasses" "'Glasses? I think I saw something like that floating by earlier. Kept goin['] down quite a ways. Not totally sure what sorta stuff is that deep.'"

Table of Eel Items

item reply

feather "'Hmm, never seen nothin['] like this before. I reckon there[']ll be someone deeper down who[']ll be interested in takin['] a look.'"

fishhook "'Yeowch! Keep that thing away from me!'"

key "'Have you found anything you can use that on yet?'"

tome "'What is that witchcraft?'"

lantern "'Keep that light outta my eyes, will ya?'"

In the den is a man called Eel. Eel is scenery. The description of Eel is "A completely unremarkable eel, aside from the fact that it speaks perfect English."

Instead of talking to Eel for the first time, say "Surely you can't talk to an eel.[line break][line break]...Right?"

Instead of talking to Eel for the second time, say "You tentatively say hello to Eel, who immediately responds with a polite but unenthusiastic 'Hello.'"

Instead of talking to Eel, say "'Look, it's nice you're here and all but just ask me about something specific.'"

Instead of asking Eel about a topic listed in the Table of Eel Topics, say "[reply entry][paragraph break]".

Instead of interrogating Eel about an item listed in the Table of Eel Items, say "[reply entry][paragraph break]".

Instead of interrogating Eel about the ring:

say "'You seriously found this ring? It[']s an old family heirloom I thought was gonna be lost forever! Thanks for bringin['] it back to me. I don[']t have much to offer ya, but maybe this key will come in handy at some point?'";

now the ring is nowhere;

now the player has the small key.

Instead of luring Eel with anything, say "'I know very well what you[']re doing and I won[']t fall for it.'"

Every turn when the player can see Eel, say "Eel [one of]swims around[or]makes a figure-eight[or]does a backflip[or]squirms through a hole in the sand[or]eats a passing shrimp[as decreasingly likely outcomes]."

The surface is a room. The surface is below the inpond. The printed name of the surface is "Beneath the Surface". The description of the surface is "The water doesn't feel particularly warmer, but you've started to get used to it. Underwater, beams of sun break through the surface, casting rays of light just a little deeper than you were expecting. You see a burrow of some kind to the north, or you could go even deeper." Instead of going nowhere from the surface, say "Your vision is just murky enough to knock into the sandy walls of the pond." The burrow is scenery in the surface. The description of the burrow is "A hole in the sand and silt, presumably an animal's den of some sort." Instead of taking the burrow, say "Your hands would be really muddy if you weren't literally underwater."

The den is a room. The den is north of the surface. The printed name of the den is "Eel Burrow". The description of the den is "The burrow is just big enough to fit you horizontally, surrounded by dense sand on all sides. A knowledgeable-looking eel swims aimlessly around the back of the burrow. The heart of the pond is back to the south."

The upper depths is a room. The upper depths is below the surface. The printed name of the upper depths is "Twilight Depths". The description of the upper depths is "Silt swirls through the deep blue water, accentuated by the rapidly fading sunlight. The occasional fish swims by, mostly dull grey loaches and tadpoles feeding on the microfauna. Just a bit lower you can finally see a muddy seafloor, dotted with seaweed. Two different tunnels split off from the main pond, to the west and south."

The fishhook is in the pond bottom. "An oversized fishhook lays half-buried by sand." The printed name of the fishhook is "oversized fishhook". Understand "oversized fishhook", "oversized hook", and "hook" as the fishhook. The description of the fishhook is "An almost comically long fishhook, capable of snagging things from even the tightest spaces."

The pond bottom is a room. The pond bottom is below the upper depths. The printed name of the pond bottom is "Bottom of Fathom Pond". The description of the pond bottom is "You've finally reached the bottom of the pond. The silt swirls even more intensely down here, being stirred up by all manner of fish. Despite looking very carefully through the tangled mass of seaweed, you're somehow still unable to locate your glasses."

The seadoor is a door. The seadoor is scenery. The seadoor is east of the pond bottom. The seadoor is lockable and locked. Instead of opening the seadoor, do nothing. Instead of closing the seadoor, do nothing.

Every turn when the player is in the pond bottom and the player is wearing the pendant and the seadoor is closed:

now the seadoor is open;

say "With the pendant around your neck, you feel something shift in the water. A portion of the sand and silt begins to sink into the ground, revealing a brand new room to the east."

The descent is a room. The descent is east of the seadoor. The printed name of the descent is "The Descent". The description of the descent is "A room just barely big enough to fit a human. The pond bottom is to your west. Below you, you see an impossibly long hole reaching into pure darkness." Instead of going down from the descent while the player does not have the lantern, say "You're going to need a light source if you want to go any deeper."

Chapter 1 - Light in the Darkness

A thing called the lantern is in the source. "Golden light pours out of an intricate lantern floating in the water at eye level." The lantern is lit. The printed name of the lantern is "eternal lantern". Understand "intricate lantern" and "eternal lantern" as the lantern. The description of the lantern is "An intricate lantern, turning the water around you bright as daylight. There's no discernible mechanism by which the light is generated." Instead of dropping the lantern, say "Getting rid of your only light source seems like a truly terrible idea."

Last report taking the lantern for the first time: increase score by 10.

The small key is nowhere. The small key unlocks the second door. The description of the small key is "A small key, with specks of rust beginning to form on its surface."

The ring is in the south tunnel. "You see a small hole in the wall, too small to reach into, containing a rusted ring glinting in the mysterious light." The ring is wearable. The printed name of the ring is "rusted ring". Understand "rusted ring" as the ring. Instead of taking the ring while the ring is not handled, say "You can't quite reach far enough to grab it." The description of the ring is "A ring covered in rust. It appears to have some sort of serpentine creature etched into its circumference."

Instead of taking the ring with the fishhook:

say "Taken.";

now the player has the ring.

The south tunnel is a room. The south tunnel is south of the upper depths. The printed name of the south tunnel is "Southern Tunnel". The description of the south tunnel is "A muddy tunnel burrowed into the side of the pond. Fish seem largely uninterested in the area, but all manner of aquatic plants cover the bottom section. [if the lantern is in the source]Oddly, light seems to be pouring into the tunnel from a room to the southeast.[end if] The main pond is back to your north."

The ruins is a room. The ruins is southeast of the south tunnel. The printed name of the ruins is "Ruined Temple". The description of the ruins is "A truly cavernous room stretches impossibly far around you. Brilliant white stone pillars flank the far reaches of the cavern, and the crumbling overhead supports indicate an inconceivably ancient origin. You notice it's the only place so far you've seen no sign of life. Several humanoid stone statues, each onyx black with brilliant gemstones for eyes, stand in front of each pillar. A single statue stands out, being made of the same bright white stone of the pillars. [if the gate is in the ruins]Beyond a metallic gate on the far north wall, a brilliant light source bathes the temple ruins in a rather inviting golden glow.[end if][if the lantern is in the source and the gate is not in the ruins]A brilliant light source to the north bathes the temple ruins in a rather inviting golden glow.[end if][if the lantern is not in the source]Another room sits to the north.[end if] The silt-filled tunnel is back to your northwest."

The statue is scenery in the ruins. The printed name of the statue is "white statue". Understand "white statue" as the statue. Instead of taking the statue, say "The statue is so hilariously large you wonder why you even considered picking it up." The description of the statue is "A large statue just like the ones in the rest of the room, but in brilliant white. [if the gate is in the ruins]It appears to be facing the gate, unlike the rest of the statues which look towards the center of the temple.[otherwise]Turning it seems to have opened the large gate.[end if]".

Instead of turning the statue while the gate is in the ruins:

now the gate is nowhere;

say "You put all of your effort into turning the white statue to face the center of the temple. As the stone scrapes against the sandy floor, you begin to hear something: the gate on the far wall is beginning to retract! Behind the gate, a second door suddenly makes itself visible.".

Instead of turning the statue while the gate is nowhere, say "With the gate retracted, the white statue doesn't budge."

The gate is scenery in the ruins. The printed name of the gate is "metal gate". The description of the gate is "A large metal gate enclosing a glowing light source. It's unclear how the gate is operated, but it does appear to be openable." Instead of opening the gate, say "You're not sure how to operate the gate."

The second door is a door. The second door is scenery. The second door is lockable and locked. The printed name of the second door is "door". The description of the second door is "A grated metal door with a small keyhole." The second door is north of the ruins and south of the source. Instead of opening the second door while the gate is in the ruins, say "The door is inaccessible while the gate is closed." Instead of unlocking the second door with anything while the gate is in the ruins, say "The door is inaccessible while the gate is closed."

After unlocking the second door with the key:

now the key is nowhere;

say "As you unlock the door, the key snaps in two, becoming useless.".

The source is a room. The printed name of the source is "Statue Room". The description of the source is "A room on the north end of the ruined temple, containing the last and largest of the statues. Other than the statue, there's nothing much special about the area."

Chapter 2 - Door to the Depths

The pendant is nowhere. The printed name of the pendant is "onyx pendant". Understand "onyx pendant" as the pendant. The pendant is wearable. The description of the pendant is "A pendant that appeared after making an offering at the library's hidden altar. Its onyx stone feels comforting somehow."

The tsymbol is in the west tunnel. The tsymbol is scenery. Understand "shells" and "symbol" as the tsymbol. The description of the tsymbol is "A collection of white seashells forming a strange shape. The symbol appears to be a circle with a vertical line passing through it." Instead of taking the tsymbol, say "Moving the shells seems like a bad idea."

The lsymbol is in the library. The lsymbol is scenery. Understand "shells" and "symbol" as the lsymbol. The description of the lsymbol is "A collection of blue seashells forming a strange shape. The symbol appears to be an equilateral triangle facing to the northeast." Instead of taking the lsymbol, say "Moving the shells seems like a bad idea."

The osymbol is in the offering. The osymbol is scenery. Understand "shells" and "symbol" as the osymbol. The description of the osymbol is "A collection of pink seashells forming a strange shape. The symbol appears to be a square with wavy edges." Instead of taking the osymbol, say "Moving the shells seems like a bad idea."

A thing called the tome is in the library. "A single glowing tome lays to one side, somehow unaffected by the aquatic environment." The printed name of the tome is "Fathomed Codex". Understand "codex" and "fathomed codex" as the tome. The description of the tome is "A mysterious book emanating a pale blue light. Its cover is in a language you don't recognize. Despite being underwater, it feels like a perfectly normal book."

The printing of the tome is "[bold type]THE FATHOMED CODEX[line break]Part 1: Colors[roman type][line break]White: The first fresh snow of the season.[line break]Red: The crimson leaves of late autumn.[line break]Green: The bounty of the summer harvest.[line break]Blue: The sadness of late winter.[line break]Pink: The newly blooming flowers.[paragraph break][bold type]Part 2: Symbols[roman type][line break]E: The largest number.[line break]H: The cube that wobbles.[line break]J: The spiral through eternity.[line break]Q: The broom blocking the sun.[line break]T: The wrath of Zeus.[line break]X: The inclined wedge."

The west tunnel is a room. The west tunnel is west of the upper depths. The printed name of the west tunnel is "Western Tunnel". The description of the west tunnel is "A particularly narrow sandy tunnel with algae growing along the walls. Shells imprinted on the floor make a symbol you feel like you should be able to understand. The tunnel continues north, and east is the main pond."

The library is a room. The library is north of the west tunnel. The printed name of the library is "Sunken Library". The description of the library is "You can tell this room was once a properly impressive library, with its impractically tall ceilings and shelf upon shelf of books. Now, however, it's beyond repair. Shelves have collapsed to the ground, rotted by the constant exposure to water, and the remains of the books are simply mush bound in shriveled leather. All manner of sea life seem to be living in the caves formed by the massless rot. The tunnel entrance is back to the south, and a strange stone archway leads further west. Another collection of shells is collected on the side of a bookshelf."

The altar is a supporter in the offering. The altar is scenery. The printed name of the altar is "stone altar". The description of the altar is "A small stone altar, with a slight indent in the center to place an offering into."

The offering is a room. The offering is west of the library. The printed name of the offering is "Mysterious Altar". The description of the offering is "The library gives way to a room made entirely of stone bricks, with a protruding altar at its center. The occasional minnow swims by, but it's otherwise entirely silent. Another collection of shells adorns one of the bricks. A plaque on the back wall simply says: 'Make an offering. Say the magic word.' The library is to your east."

Instead of sorcering in the offering while the feather is on the altar:

increase the score by 10;

now the feather is nowhere;

now the pendant is on the altar;

say "The feather vanishes in a puff of smoke as mysterious blue symbols swirl all around you. Everything goes dark for a moment, and when you open your eyes, a strange pendant with a jet-black stone has appeared on the altar.".

Part 3 - Deep Sea

The padlock is in the sea bottom. The padlock is fixed in place. The padlock is undescribed. The padlock can be open. The padlock is closed. The printed name of the padlock is "[if the padlock is open]opened padlock[otherwise]padlock[end if]". The description of the padlock is "[if the padlock is open]An opened padlock. The combination [']973['] is stuck in it.[otherwise]A padlock holding a strange grate shut. It looks like you could input a 3-digit code into it.[end if]".

Instead of taking the padlock while the padlock is closed, say "The padlock is firmly attached to the grate."

Instead of inputting a number in the padlock:

say "You input the code, but the padlock stays firmly shut.".

Instead of inputting 973 in the padlock while the score is less than 60:

say "The code seems right, but the padlock doesn't seem to open anyway. Maybe you haven't earned it yet?".

Instead of inputting 973 in the padlock:

now the padlock is open;

now the padlock is portable;

now the padlock is described;

say "The padlock opens with a satisfying [']click!['][line break]".

The deep is a room. The deep is below the descent. The printed name of the deep is "Midnight Depths". The description of the deep is "Below the false floor of the pond, the sun has been completely blocked out. The light is entirely provided by your lantern, which bathes the inky water in a dim yellow haze, even its immense power struggling to overcome the dark. Swarms of creatures unlike anything you've ever seen swim in bioluminescent schools, mimicking a starry night in the water. There are additional tunnels to the north, south, and east. There's also even more water below you."

Last report going to the deep for the first time: increase score by 5.

The sea bottom is a room. The sea bottom is below the deep. The printed name of the sea bottom is "Bottom of the Sea". The description of the sea bottom is "All manner of vibrantly colored invertebrates squirm along the rocky seafloor, the subtle glow of the lantern illuminating the handful of plants that have managed to stake their claim at this depth. You still don't see your glasses. [if the padlock is closed]A padlock is holding a strange grate shut, though you only see black below it.[otherwise]The grate sits open, inviting you to go down.[end if]".

Instead of going down from the sea bottom while the padlock is closed, say "The padlocked grate blocks your path."

Chapter 1 - Just out of Reach

The glue is in the lair. "A glob of snail mucus is smeared over one of the walls." The indefinite article of the glue is "some". The printed name of the glue is "snail mucus". Understand "mucus" and "snail mucus" as the glue. The description of the glue is "A small clump of snail mucus. It's exceedingly sticky."

The can is in the deep. "An unlabeled tin can floats through the water." Understand "tin can" as the can. The can is an opaque container. The can is openable and closed. The printed name of the can is "tin can". The description of the can is "An unlabeled tin can with a pull tab."

Instead of closing the can, say "This isn't the kind of can you can just close again."

The crab is in the can. The indefinite article of the crab is "some". Understand "meat", "crab meat", and "loose crab meat" as the crab. The printed name of the crab is "loose crab meat". The description of the crab is "Loose crab meat from a can that's only dubiously from a real crab. You can tell if you were above water it would reek."

The spinehook is nowhere. Understand "hook" and "long hook" as the spinehook. The description of the spinehook is "An oversized fishhook glued to the end of an 8-foot oarfish spine. Gnarly, but effective."

A thing called the fishhint is in the lair. The fishhint is scenery. Understand "orb", "glowing orb", "red orb", "glowing red orb", and "red glowing orb" as the fishhint. The printed name of the fishhint is "red clue orb". The description of the fishhint is "A glowing red orb. It has a 3 etched into its surface."

Instead of taking the fishhint while the anglerfish is in the lair, say "The anglerfish won't let you past."

Instead of taking the fishhint with anything while the anglerfish is in the lair, say "The anglerfish won't let you past."

Instead of taking the fishhint, say "It's too far to reach."

Instead of taking the fishhint with the fishhook, say "You try to grab the orb with the fishhook, but it's still just a little too far."

Instead of taking the fishhint with the spinehook:

increase the score by 10;

now the player has the fishhint;

say "Taken.".

The spine is in the graveyard. "One skeleton in particular stands out among the carnage, a rather large fish whose spine has all but separated from the rest of the bones." The printed name of the spine is "oarfish spine". Understand "oarfish spine", "oarfish", "fish", and "skeleton" as the spine. The description of the spine is "A roughly 8-foot spine of an oarfish. It's pretty grisly, but luckily it's dark enough you can barely tell what it actually is."

Adhering the spine to the fishhook is hookmaking. Adhering the fishhook to the spine is hookmaking.

Instead of hookmaking while the player has the glue:

now the glue is nowhere;

now the spine is nowhere;

now the fishhook is nowhere;

now the player has the spinehook;

say "You glue the hook to the end of the spine to make a spinehook, perfect for grabbing things super far away.".

Instead of hookmaking while the player does not have the glue:

say "You try to put the hook on the spine, but they just fall apart without anything to stick to.".

The anglerfish is in the lair. The anglerfish is scenery. The description of the anglerfish is "A large brown anglerfish. Despite it appearing to be asleep, you get the feeling it knows you're here." Understand "fish" as the anglerfish.

Every turn when the player can see the anglerfish, say "You can sense the anglerfish watching you."

Instead of luring the anglerfish with the crab:

now the crab is nowhere;

now the anglerfish is nowhere;

say "Upon smelling the crab, the anglerfish bolts awake. As soon as it has gained its bearings, it rushes over to eat the crab and immediately swims away to a different part of the sea. You see a small red orb at the far end of the burrow it was guarding.".

The graveyard is a room. The graveyard is north of the deep. The printed name of the graveyard is "The Graveyard". The description of the graveyard is "Skeletons of fish and other unidentifiable sea creatures litter the ground. This is where death ends up, collecting the waste of every once-living creature in this ocean. A handful of particularly small fish swim around and nibble at the little remaining flesh, but most other things know to keep a wide berth. You can see a faint light from a room further north, or the depths are back to the south."

The lair is a room. The lair is north of the graveyard. The printed name of the lair is "Anglerfish's Lair". The description of the lair is "The room opens up slightly, into an environment with decidedly fewer skeletons. Here, seaweed has once again taken over, its shadows forming a mesmerizing pattern on the cavern walls. On the far side of the room, [if the anglerfish is in the lair]an anglerfish appears to be sleeping in front of a very deep hole.[otherwise if the fishhint is in the lair]a strange red orb lays at the very furthest end of a deep burrow.[otherwise]the anglerfish's burrow sits empty.[end if]"

Chapter 2 - Running in Circles

A thing called the mazehint is in the labyrinth. "A small orb, glowing with green light is nestled among the undergrowth." Understand "orb", "glowing orb", "green orb", "glowing green orb", and "green glowing orb" as the mazehint. The printed name of the mazehint is "green clue orb". The description of the mazehint is "A glowing green orb. It has a 7 etched into its surface."

Instead of taking the mazehint:

increase the score by 10;

now the player has the mazehint;

say "Taken.".

A mazeroom is a kind of room. The printed name of a mazeroom is "Labyrinth Corridor".

A mazeroom has some text called instructions. The instructions of a mazeroom is usually "blank". The description of a mazeroom is "A disorienting section of the labyrinth with doorways in all directions. An inscription on one of the walls reads '[instructions]'".

Instead of going nowhere from a mazeroom:

move the player to the entrance, without printing a room description;

say "[line break][bold type]Labyrinth Exterior[roman type][line break]The walls shift and warp as you end up back at the beginning.".

The entrance is a room. The entrance is east of the deep. The printed name of the entrance is "Labyrinth Exterior". The description of the entrance is "Nearly pitch black even with your lantern, the room is completely overgrown by all manner of unsettling vegetation. The maze opens to the north, but beyond the entrance the walls shimmer and wobble, at once present and fleeting. The depths are back to the west."

r1 is a mazeroom. r1 is north of the entrance. The instructions of the r1 is "Exit to thE EaSt."

r2 is a mazeroom. r2 is east of r1. The instructions of r2 is "go ExtrEmEly South."

r3 is a mazeroom. r3 is east of r2. The instructions of r3 is "nosy gnomes know how to nitpick."

r4 is a mazeroom. r4 is north of r3. The instructions of r4 is "swig your water when its snowing."

r5 is a mazeroom. r5 is west of r4. The instructions of r5 is "estimating smore sizes is tedious work."

r6 is a mazeroom. r6 is south of r5. The instructions of r6 is "snail songs remind me of nighttime."

The labyrinth is a room. The labyrinth is north of r6. The printed name of the labyrinth is "Labyrinth Exit". The description of the labyrinth is "You made your way through the wobbly corridors to find a dingy room on the other end. It seems it hasn't been entered in quite some time, judging by the nearly ceiling-height seaweed."

Chapter 3 - One after the Other

The box4 is an opaque container. box4 is in the box. box4 is scenery. box4 is lockable and locked. The printed name of box4 is "copper box". The description of box4 is "A small, intricately detailed box made of copper.". Understand "box" and "copper box" as box4.

Instead of taking box4 while the player does not have box4:

now the player has box4;

say "Taken.".

After unlocking box4 with something:

now box4 is nowhere;

now key4 is nowhere;

now the player has box3;

say "Turning the key shatters both the box and the key, and leaves you with the silver box contained within.".

The box3 is an opaque container. box3 is in box4. box3 is lockable and locked. The printed name of box3 is "silver box". The description of box3 is "A small, intricately detailed box made of silver.". Understand "box" and "silver box" as box3.

After unlocking box3 with something:

now box3 is nowhere;

now key3 is nowhere;

now the player has box2;

say "Turning the key shatters both the box and the key, and leaves you with the gold box contained within.".

The box2 is an opaque container. box2 is in box3. box2 is lockable and locked. The printed name of box2 is "gold box". The description of box2 is "A small, intricately detailed box made of gold.". Understand "box" and "gold box" as box2.

After unlocking box2 with something:

now box2 is nowhere;

now key2 is nowhere;

now the player has box1;

say "Turning the key shatters both the box and the key, and leaves you with the crystal box contained within.".

The box1 is a transparent container. box1 is in box2. box1 is lockable and locked. The printed name of box1 is "crystal box". The description of box1 is "A small, intricately detailed box made of clear crystal.". Understand "box" and "crystal box" as box1.

After unlocking box1 with something:

now box1 is nowhere;

now key1 is nowhere;

now the player has the boxhint;

increase the score by 10;

say "Turning the key shatters both the box and the key, and leaves you with the pink orb contained within.".

A thing called the boxhint is in box1. "A small orb, glowing with pink light." Understand "orb", "glowing orb", "pink orb", "glowing pink orb", and "pink glowing orb" as the boxhint. The printed name of the boxhint is "pink clue orb". The description of the boxhint is "A glowing pink orb. It has a 9 etched into its surface."

A keyobj is a kind of thing.

The key3 is in the keys. key3 is a keyobj. key3 unlocks box3. The printed name of key3 is "dull key". The description of key3 is "A small dull grey key.". Understand "key" and "dull key" and "grey key" and "gray key" as key3.

The key4 is in the keys. key4 is a keyobj. key4 unlocks box4. The printed name of key4 is "tarnished key". The description of key4 is "A small key, covered in a flaky green layer with bits of orange sneaking through.". Understand "key" and "tarnished key" as key4.

The key2 is in the keys. key2 is a keyobj. key2 unlocks box2. The printed name of key2 is "gold key". The description of key2 is "A small gold key. Despite all its time underwater, it still has an undeniable luster.". Understand "key" and "gold key" and "golden key" as key2.

The key1 is in the keys. key1 is a keyobj. key1 unlocks box1. The printed name of key1 is "transparent key". The description of key1 is "A small transparent key.". Understand "key" and "transparent key" as key1.

The keys is a room. The keys is south of the deep. The printed name of the keys is "Key Heap". The description of the keys is "A true mountain of assorted keys fills every inch of the room, preventing any plants or fish from making their home in the area. The glow of your lantern reflecting off the keys makes a brilliant pattern on the walls. The depths are to your north, and there's another tunnel to the west.[if the list of keyobjs in the keys is not empty][paragraph break]There are several more interesting keys hanging from the ceiling: [the list of keyobjs in the keys].[end if]".

The box is a room. The box is west of the keys. The printed name of the box is "Muddy Alcove". The description of the box is "A pitch-black and claustrophobic room devoid of life. There seem to be few good reasons to stick around. The key heap is to the east.[if box4 is in the box][paragraph break]A copper box is nestled into the mud in the corner."

Part 4 - Abyss

The sucker is in the approach. "A detached sucker from the kraken floats around in the water." Understand "kraken sucker" as the sucker. The printed name of the sucker is "kraken sucker". The description of the sucker is "A sucker from a kraken. It's on the larger side of useful, but could probably still stick stuff together.".

The rfrag is in the north eye. The rfrag is undescribed. The rfrag is fixed in place. Understand "right key fragment" and "right fragment" and "fragment" as the rfrag. The printed name of the rfrag is "right key fragment". The description of the rfrag is "The right half of a key made of an unknown material. It's covered in kraken viscera." Instead of taking the rfrag while the rfrag has not been handled, say "The fragment is too far to reach."

Instead of taking the rfrag with the spinehook:

now the player has the rfrag;

now the rfrag is portable;

say "The hook reaches into the cavern and pulls out the key fragment, alongside a pile of kraken viscera."

The lfrag is in the south eye. The lfrag is undescribed. The lfrag is fixed in place. Understand "left key fragment" and "left fragment" and "fragment" as the lfrag. The printed name of the lfrag is "left key fragment". The description of the lfrag is "The left half of a key made of an unknown material. It's covered in kraken viscera." Instead of taking the lfrag while the lfrag has not been handled, say "The fragment is too far to reach."

Instead of taking the lfrag with the spinehook:

now the player has the lfrag;

now the lfrag is portable;

say "The hook reaches into the cavern and pulls out the key fragment, alongside a pile of kraken viscera."

Adhering the lfrag to the rfrag is keymaking. Adhering the rfrag to the lfrag is keymaking.

Instead of keymaking while the player does not have the sucker:

say "The two halves of the key just fall apart without anything connecting them.".

Instead of keymaking while the player has the sucker:

now the lfrag is nowhere;

now the rfrag is nowhere;

now the sucker is nowhere;

now the player has the heartkey;

say "The sucker perfectly attaches both halves of the key, which immediately starts beating like a heart.".

The kdoor is a door. The kdoor is east of the interior and west of the ink. The kdoor is locked. The kdoor is scenery. The printed name of the kdoor is "kraken door". Understand "kraken's door" and "kraken door" and "door" as the kdoor. The description of the kdoor is "A pulsing grey door made of the same material as the rest of the kraken. Somehow, it looks like there's a keyhole."

Something called the heartkey is nowhere. The printed name of the heartkey is "kraken's key". Understand "kraken key" and "kraken's key" and "heart key" and "key" as the heartkey. The description of the heartkey is "A key that beats like a heart, covered in kraken viscera." The heartkey unlocks the kdoor.

Last report unlocking the kdoor with the heartkey: increase the score by 10.

The abyss is a room. The abyss is below the sea bottom. The printed name of the abyss is "Abyss". The description of the abyss is "Pure, inky darkness. You would feel alone if it weren't for the sound of breathing to the east."

Last report going to the abyss for the first time: increase score by 5.

The approach is a room. The approach is east of the abyss. The printed name of the approach is "Kraken Approach". The description of the approach is "Your entire field of view is taken up by a truly gargantuan squid, probably 30 feet tall, sleeping on the seafloor. Further east, its beak lays open, forming a perfectly human-sized ramp. Back to the west, the abyss lingers." Instead of going nowhere from the approach, say "The kraken is so impossibly large that it blocks any other path."

The kraken is in the approach. The kraken is scenery. Understand "squid", "giant squid", "colossal squid", and "gargantuan squid" as the kraken. The description of the kraken is "A bright red squid asleep on the seafloor. It towers over you, even a tentacle rising well above your head."

The interior is a room. The interior is east of the approach. The printed name of the interior is "Kraken Interior". The description of the interior is "You try not to think too hard about how you're literally inside a kraken. The grey flesh quivers and pulses all around you, strong enough that you occasionally lose your footing. You can leave the kraken to the west, or there are two identical-looking... 'rooms' to the north and south. There's also a strange-looking door further east[if the kdoor is open], ajar[end if]."

The north eye is a room. The north eye is north of the interior. The printed name of the north eye is "Behind the Right Eye". The description of the north eye is "A slightly smaller but still cavernous room inside the kraken. Through a slightly translucent membrane, you can see the kraken's eye darting around hurriedly. [if the rfrag has not been handled]A quivering cavity beside the eye looks like it contains the right fragment of a key.[otherwise]There's a quivering cavity beside the eye, empty.[end if] The main hall is back south."

The south eye is a room. The south eye is south of the interior. The printed name of the south eye is "Behind the Left Eye". The description of the south eye is "A pulsing cavern behind the left eye of the kraken. You can see its eye drifting through a thin membrane. [if the lfrag has not been handled]A quivering cavity beside the eye looks like it contains the left fragment of a key.[otherwise]There's a quivering cavity beside the eye, empty.[end if] The main hall is back north."

The ink is a room.

Instead of going east from the interior for the first time:

increase the score by 25;

say "As you walk through the door, a heartbeat trips you. You tumble to the ground, and feel yourself hit something gelatinous. It's a second too late before you realize it was the kraken's ink sac. Pitch black ink pours into the kraken's interior, blotting out even the modest light your lantern was still providing. You squirm in the darkness for several minutes, before feeling some rocks above you. As you reach for them, you feel something newly unfamiliar: air. You pull yourself up, and find yourself somewhere familiar:[line break]";

now the player is in the downstream.

The glasses are in the downstream. The glasses are undescribed. The description of the glasses is "Your glasses."

After taking the glasses for the first time, end the story saying "It feels good to see again.".

The downstream is a room. The printed name of the downstream is "Source of the Stream". The description of the downstream is "In the middle of sparsely shaded woods, a small stream trickles from beneath an unsuspecting pile of rocks. Moss covers most visible surfaces, and a stiff breeze can be felt in the air. Swathes of thorny vines cover the cliffs in all directions, blocking the trail.[paragraph break]Sitting right on the edge of the stream, you can see your glasses." Instead of going nowhere from the downstream, say "You immediately poke yourself on a thorn and go back to the trail."