Stiffy Makane: Apocolocyntosis — 205 of 235

Book Four - "Villa"

Part One - "Ground Floor"

Villa Entrance is north of Field Near Cave. It is north of Little Pond. The description is "The doorway to the villa opens to your east. Hills and a grove of trees rise to the south, and fields stretch to the north and west." Instead of going north in Villa Entrance, say "You stroll for a little while in the fields near the villa, and arrive again at the door." Instead of going west in Villa Entrance, try going north. Instead of going inside in Villa Entrance, try going east.

Villa Doorway is a door. It is scenery. It is east of Villa Entrance and west of Villa Atrium. The description is "A heavy wooden double door with an imposing bar; it looks strong enough to repel a pitchfork-wielding horde, but it is currently held open by pegs lowered into sockets." Understand "door", "wooden", "wood", "double", "bar", "pegs", "peg", "socket", "sockets", and "imposing" as Villa Doorway. Villa Doorway can be openable. It is openable. It is open. Instead of closing Villa Doorway, say "That's really Vergil's choice to make, not yours."

Villa Atrium is a room. The printed name is "Atrium". The description is "The atrium of Vergil's villa is charming in its rustic simplicity. The center of the room is filled by an impluvium; the exit is to the west, and the house continues to the east. Private rooms line the north and south walls." Instead of going north in Villa Atrium, say "Those rooms are Vergil's to admit you to, or not, as he chooses. Attempting to enter would be presumptuous." Instead of going south in Villa Atrium, try going north. Instead of going outside in Villa Atrium, try going west.

Instead of swimming in the villa atrium, try swimming around in the villa_impluvium. Instead of drinking in the villa atrium, try drinking the villa_impluvium.

The villa_impluvium is scenery in Villa Atrium. Understand "impluvium" and "cistern" as the villa_impluvium. The printed name is "impluvium". The villa_impluvium can be enterable. It is enterable. The villa_impluvium can be drinkable. It is drinkable. The description is "The impluvium functions as a cistern, catching rainwater and holding it for the house." Understand "impluvium", "cistern" and "water" as the villa_impluvium. Instead of drinking the villa_impluvium, say "The water tastes all right, but not as good as the water in the impluvium in your house." Instead of tasting the villa_impluvium, try drinking the villa_impluvium. Instead of sucking the villa_impluvium, try drinking the villa_impluvium. Instead of touching the villa_impluvium, try swimming around in the villa_impluvium. Instead of smelling the villa_impluvium, say "The water smells ever so slightly of algae. For some reason, when it's not the Makane impluvium, that's faintly disgusting." Instead of entering the villa_impluvium, try swimming around in the villa_impluvium. Instead of swimming around in the villa_impluvium, say "Only an extremely ill-bred guest would go swimming in his host's impluvium." Instead of searching the villa_impluvium, say "The impluvium is partially full of water."

Villa Peristyle is a room. It is east of Villa Atrium. The printed name is "Peristyle". The description is "The peristyle continues the theme of rustic simplicity. As it is a sunny day, the dining table has been set here. The kitchen is to the south, and the atrium to the west. A small garden contains fragrant herbs and flowers. More bedrooms line the north wall, and the triclinium is east." Instead of going north in Villa Peristyle, say "Those rooms are Vergil's to admit you to, or not, as he chooses. Attempting to enter would be presumptuous." Instead of going east in Villa Peristyle, say "There's no need to go into the triclinium, since the table is set here in the peristyle."

The dining table is a supporter in Villa Peristyle. It is fixed in place. The description is "The dining table is made of rough-hewn wood, square and sturdy." Understand "wood", "wooden", "rough-hewn", "rough", "hewn", "square", and "sturdy" as the dining table.

The herb garden is scenery in Villa Peristyle. The description is "The garden brims with fragrant herbs and flowers. You can identify rosemary, oregano, thyme, and basil among the herbs, and roses, crocus, and crysanthemums among the flowers. There are many more, but botany was never your strong suit." Understand "herbs", "flowers", "flower", "rosemary", "oregano", "thyme", "basil", "marjoram", "crocus", "crysanthemum", "rose", "roses", "crysanthemums", "crocuses", and "croci" as the herb garden. Instead of taking the herb garden, say "It'd be rude to destroy the garden. You'd better settle for smelling it." Instead of smelling the garden, say "The herb garden produces a lovely blend of scents." Instead of tasting the herb garden, say "You are not a goat, to wander in and start devouring the herb garden."

The scenery_villa_cubiculum is a backdrop. It is ambiguously plural. It is in Villa Atrium and Villa Peristyle. The printed name is "cubicula". Understand "cubiculum", "cubicula", "bedroom", and "bedrooms" as the scenery_villa_cubiculum. The description is "The bedrooms (or so you assume their function to be) are shut." The scenery_villa_cubiculum can be openable. It is openable. Instead of opening the scenery_villa_cubiculum, try going north. The scenery_villa_cubiculum can be enterable. It is enterable. Instead of entering the scenery_villa_cubiculum, try going north.

The scenery_villa_triclinium is scenery in Villa Peristyle. The printed name is "triclinium". Understand "dining room", "dark", "unused", and "triclinium" as the scenery_villa_triclinium. The description is "The triclinium is dark and unused; since it is a fine day, the mid-day meal will be served outside."

Kitchen is a room. It is south of Villa Peristyle. The description is "This is a spacious and well-appointed rustic kitchen. Countertops[emdash]some wooden, some marble[emdash] ring the perimeter. An arched brick oven dominates the south wall. Bronze and iron pots and pans hang from ceiling hooks. In the southeastern corner, a staircase descends to the east into a cellar." Instead of smelling in the kitchen, try smelling the oven. Instead of going down in the Kitchen, try going east.

The countertop is a supporter in the kitchen. It is ambiguously plural. Understand "counter", "counters", "marble", "smooth", "cool", "wood", "wooden", "stone", "white", "blond", "blonde", "perimeter", and "ring" as the countertop. It is scenery. It is enterable. The description is "Counters wrap around the kitchen, some white marble, some blonde wood[if nothing is on the countertop].[otherwise]. On a counter you can see [a list of things on the countertop]." Instead of doing anything other than touching, examining, entering, or searching with the countertop, say "That's not really something you can do with the countertop." Instead of touching the countertop, say "Smooth and cool." Instead of entering the countertop, say "You were raised better than to go clambering around on other people's kitchen counters."

The duck_call is a thing on the countertop. The printed name is "duck call". Understand "duck", "call", "brass", "reed", "tube", "small", "brass-and-reed", and "lure" as the duck_call. The description is "The duck call is a small brass-and-reed tube, into which one blows. It emits a mournful quacking sound that, presumably, attracts ducks." Does the player mean doing something with the duck_call: it is unlikely.

Before blowing the duck_call:

say "The duck call emits a small, dolorous quack." ;

stop the action.

Before blowing the duck_call when the location is in mantua_outdoors and the location of the duck is Limbo:

say "Almost immediately, with an answering doleful quack, an emaciated duck plummets out of the sky, to come to a barely controlled landing at your feet. It cocks its head at you[if moonmilk is warned_about] and says 'Howdy,'[otherwise] and quacks,[end if] and shuffles tiredly towards your feet.";

move the duck to the location;

stop the action.

The cookware is scenery in the kitchen. Understand "bronze", "iron", "metal", "pot", "pots", "pan", "pans", "hook", "hooks", and "ceiling" as the cookware. The description is "To your untrained eye, anyway, this looks like a pretty complete selection of containers for cooking meals." Instead of doing anything other than examining with the cookware, say "Vergil and his staff would probably prefer it if you left the cookware alone. Anyway, you're not a chef, and as far as you've ever been concerned, meals were something someone else prepared."

The oven is scenery in the kitchen. Understand "brick", "arch", "arched", "big", "large", "dominating", "fat", "cooked", "garlic", "warm", "hot", "heat", "heated", "fire", "flame", "baking", "roasting", "cheery", "glow", "orange", "red", and "bricks" as the oven. Instead of doing anything other than touching, smelling, examining, searching, or entering with the oven, say "The possibilities for interaction with the oven are, shall we say, minimal." The description is "This is a large oven, constructed of red brick, suitable for baking or roasting. An orange glow comes from within, and it radiates heat." Instead of searching the oven, say "All you can see in there is a cheery orange glow." Instead of smelling the oven, say "The oven gives off an aroma of cooked fat and garlic. The smell makes your mouth water." Instead of touching the oven, say "The oven is uncomfortably warm to the touch." The oven can be enterable. It is enterable. Instead of entering the oven, say "Hansel, you aren't." Instead of going south in the kitchen, try entering the oven.

The dead_duck is a chef-fetch-quest-item. Understand "dead", "duck", "carcass", "corpse", "Anas", and "meat" as the dead_duck. The printed name is "dead duck". The description is "Well, as far as you can tell from the beak, anyway, Anas died with a smile on her face. And it must be said, her corpse does look delicious." It is edible. Instead of eating the dead_duck, say "Allow the chef to work his magic on it first."