ClubFloyd Transcript:
Whom The Telling Changed by Aaron A. Reed
As played on ifMUD on March 16, 2014 (First Play-Through)

The idea behind ClubFloyd is that each week at a pre-arranged time, a group of people meet online to cooperatively play a game of interactive fiction.

Below is a transcript of ClubFloyd's first play-through of Whom The Telling Changed written by Aaron A. Reed. [Note: ClubFloyd's second play-through happened a week later, and that transcript can be found here.] It was released in 2005. You can learn more about the game, including how to download it, by visiting IFDB.


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 this game, 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



katie-paquette says, "Hi, clubfloyd I'm back."
Jacqueline says, "Hi. I think we have 15 minutes still. And I think we'll have to have a discussion about what to play today. Is there a game you'd like to suggest to the group?"
katie-paquette says, "Okay But my braillenote apex says it's 10:45 A.M. which is 11:45 A.M. eastern. I thought we started at 11:30 eastern."
dddddd arrives, full of neither funk nor fun. Tigrita asks, "have we played Whom The Telling Changed?"
Jacqueline says, "No, we start at noon Eastern."
Jacqueline says (to Tigrita), "No, we haven't, actually."
Tigrita asks, "i started that but only got a few turns in, how about it?"
Jacqueline says (to Tigrita), "I think it's an excellent recommendation. We'll see how many others haven't played it, but given that you and I have not, that's somewhat promising."
Tigrita says, "note from someone who's played a few turns- it might be nice to stop and discuss the first few choices"
maga says, "hunh, that's on my wishlist also"
Jacqueline says, "So we would need a driver, that's fine."
Jacqueline asks (of maga), "OMG. Does this mean you might actually JOIN us?"
maga arrives, full of neither funk nor fun. Jacqueline falls over.
Tigrita arrives, full of neither funk nor fun. maga says, "I'm going to need more tea"
Tigrita asks, "who wants to drive?"
Jacqueline says, "I can. We still have a couple of minutes until ClubFloyd time, though."
Jacqueline says, "(Top of the hour.)"
Jacqueline hollers, "This morning ClubFloyd, having played all the playable Xyzzy stuff, is going to play For Whom the Telling Changed, by Sir Aaron A. Reed."
Jearl arrives, ready to play with the toys.
DavidW arrives, ready to play with the toys.
Jacqueline says, "Hellooooo, everyone." Jacqueline says, "Hellooooo, everyone."
Tigrita exclaims, "hellooooo, jacq!"
DavidW wipes sleep from eyes.
Jacqueline asks, "So, a few of us want to play For Whom the Telling Changed, so that's what's happening. David & Jearl, have you two played it?"
Jearl says, "ahoy"
katie-paquette arrives, full of fun, but no funk. Jearl says, "I don't think so"
Zach arrives, full of fun, but no funk. Zach says, "Hey boys and girls"
DavidW says, "I remember the first bit of it. I don't remember if I finished it or not. Probably I did with a poor ending."
Jacqueline says, "Okay. So, I will drive. If you have suggestions for what I commands I should type, we'll discuss them on the channel first."
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "load sleepmask forwhomthetellingchanged"
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd |          "He found the knowledge at the heart of the
Floyd | universe;
Floyd |          Returned, and cut his story into stone..."
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd |                   -- The Epic Of Gilgamesh
Jacqueline pushes the green 'space' button.
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd |            W H O M   T H E   T E L L I N G   C H A N G E D
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd |                            By Aaron A. Reed
Floyd |
Floyd |                               Release 2
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd |                      (Press any key to continue)
Jacqueline says, "Oh, it's called Whom the Telling Changed, not For Whom. Oops."
Jacqueline pushes the green 'space' button.
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | Would you like instructions?>
Jacqueline asks, "Do we want instructions?"
DavidW says, "you might want, yes"
Jacqueline asks, "Tigrita, do you remember if it's special stuff or just standard IF stuff?"
Tigrita says, "there's a bit about emphasized words"
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "y"
Floyd | Would you like instructions?>
Floyd | > Y
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | I am your eyes and hands within the story. Direct me with commands
Floyd | such as EXAMINE THE BAG, GO OUTSIDE, LISTEN, or FIGHT HIM. Single word
Floyd | shorthand like FIGHT or BAG will often suffice. Some single words will
Floyd | be highlighted to bring them to your attention. Type them to
Floyd | shape the story to your will; some of the possible choices will be
Floyd | seen in the header bar above. Time only advances when you give a
Floyd | command or type LISTEN, which it is sometimes wise to do.
Floyd |
Floyd | Other useful commands include REPEAT, to remember what was recently
Floyd | said; STORY to see the choices you have made; INVENTORY to see what
Floyd | you are holding; WAIT to let the time pass; UNDO to take back your
Floyd | last turn; and GREET, MOCK, PRAISE, TALK TO or ASK ABOUT to interact
Floyd | with characters.
Floyd |
Floyd | More information about this story is available by typing ABOUT.
Floyd |
Floyd | Press any key to continue.
DavidW says, "The game is supposed to be accessible to new players of IF, since it was an installation piece, iirc."
Jacqueline says, "Okay, yeah, we needed to read that."
Jacqueline pushes the green 'space' button.
Floyd | Press any key to continue.
Floyd |
Floyd | 'Whom The Telling Changed' makes use of emphasized words to
Floyd | indicate useful options to pursue. Typing one of these words helps to
Floyd | advance the story in the direction you desire. Please choose a style
Floyd | of emphasis which displays clearly on your interpreter:
Floyd |
Floyd | 1) The emphasized words appear in this fashion.
Floyd | 2) The emphasized words appear in this fashion.
Floyd | 3) The EMPHASIZED words appear in THIS fashion.
Floyd | 4) The emphasized words appear in this fashion.
Floyd | 5) Emphasis off.
Floyd |
Floyd | Select a number>
Jacqueline asks, "So, 3, right?"
DavidW says, "yes, I think so."
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "3"
Floyd | Select a number>
Floyd |
Floyd | Style SET. You may change this setting using the STYLE command.
Floyd |
Floyd | Note that you are not limited to typing emphasized words to interact
Floyd | with the story. Other actions may be open to you at any time.
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | Press any key to begin.
Jacqueline pushes the green 'space' button.
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | The people have always gathered on moonless nights to hear the
Floyd | telling, since the time of your ancestors' ancestors. The heat of the
Floyd | fire and the glow in the storyteller's eyes make the past present, and
Floyd | the path to the future clear. Tonight the stars are bright, but the
Floyd | minds of your people are troubled. May the words of the telling guide
Floyd | your way.
Floyd |
Floyd | -----------
Floyd |
Floyd | The walls of your tent glow yellow in the lamplight, your simple
Floyd | possessions casting flickering shadows on the wall. A straw bed; some
Floyd | skins of water, oil, and wine; a small, guttering lamp--it is simple,
Floyd | but it is enough.
Floyd |
Floyd | The symbol of your occupation hangs from the central support of the
Floyd | tent.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Tigrita asks, "take symbol?"
maga says, "x symbol"
Jacqueline says, "Yeah, I'm thinking examine."
DavidW asks, "ah, but which is your symbol?"
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "x symbol"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > X SYMBOL
Floyd |
Floyd | Which do you mean, the medicine bag or the copper dagger?
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga exclaims (at DW), "quick, to the men's toilets!"
Jacqueline says, "hm"
Jacqueline says (to maga), "heh"
Jacqueline says, "Well, I'm inclined to say medicine bag."
Tigrita says, "that works"
Jearl says, "sure"
maga says, "stabby stabby"
Jacqueline says (to maga), "Sorry. We will heal the stab wounds, not create them."
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "medicine bag"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > MEDICINE BAG
Floyd |
Floyd | A small leather medicine pouch hangs from a long strap, bulging with
Floyd | curative herbs.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline asks, "Take it?"
maga says, "sure"
Jacqueline asks, "Or do people want me to examine the dagger, too?"
Tigrita says, "why not check it out"
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "x dagger"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > X DAGGER
Floyd |
Floyd | This copper dagger is as long as your forearm, with a round pommel and
Floyd | hardened leather grip.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says, "Dang"
Jacqueline says, "Not THAT'S a dagger."
Jacqueline says, "er, Now."
Jacqueline says, "Darn it."
Jacqueline says, "Yeah, I want to take the medicine bag."
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "take bag"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > TAKE BAG
Floyd |
Floyd | The leather strap feels cool and familiar in your hands as you take
Floyd | your medicine bag down from its place.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga says, "aww, but I wanna be Chalcolithic Dundee"
Jacqueline says, "hee"
Jacqueline says, "I wonder what happens if we take both."
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "take dagger"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > TAKE DAGGER
Floyd |
Floyd | You carefully take your lover's weapon down from the wall and study it
Floyd | thoughtfully for a moment.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says, "Ah."
two-star arrives, full of fun and funk. Jacqueline says, "Nice."
Jacqueline says, "You all had me under the impression that we needed a driver, and I guess maybe for that we did."
Jacqueline says, "I was going to just examine the other stuff in the tent next."
maga says, "also X ME, I"
Jacqueline says, "Oh, yeah. And those."
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "x me"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > X ME
Floyd |
Floyd | You are a healer, nothing more. These have always been your people,
Floyd | and you have always been theirs.
Floyd |
Floyd | You are carrying your lover's copper dagger, your medicine bag and the
Floyd | storyteller's feathered circlet.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "x circlet"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > X CIRCLET
Floyd |
Floyd | Countless weeks were spent collecting the delicate feathers and
Floyd | weaving them together to make this circlet. It is light as air in your
Floyd | hands, and seems to glow in the lamplight.
Floyd |
Floyd | Lowered voices speak softly from somewhere outside your tent.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Tigrita says, "there are a few more choices but i don't think they're quite as important"
Jearl says, "huh, why do we have that"
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "listen"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > LISTEN
Floyd |
Floyd | The lamp crackles softly as it burns. Somewhere distant is the sound
Floyd | of muffled voices.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "x bed"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > X BED
Floyd |
Floyd | A simple bed of furs and straw.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
katie-paquette asks, "Examine me? or inventory?"
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "x lamp"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > X LAMP
Floyd |
Floyd | This small oil lamp is made from cured hide and a reed wick. You made
Floyd | many of these from the sheepskins you traded the merchants for last
Floyd | moon. The small flame glows brightly, leaving dancing black streaks in
Floyd | your eyes if you look straight at it.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says (to katie), "Those are good commands, yes. Are you on a reader, or your braillenote? You seem to be lagging a bit."
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "take water and wine"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > TAKE WATER AND WINE
Floyd |
Floyd | [You can't use multiple objects with that verb in this game.]
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "take all"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > TAKE ALL
Floyd |
Floyd | [You can't use multiple objects with that verb in this game.]
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Roger arrives, full of neither funk nor fun. Jacqueline says, "No, of course you probably can't use all with take in this game."
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "take water"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > TAKE WATER
Floyd |
Floyd | Water for your hands, oil for your lamp, wine for your thirst. You
Floyd | need none of them now, but knowing they are there brings comfort.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says, "Oh. Okay."
Jacqueline asks, "So, go outside to better hear the voices?"
Jearl says, "yeah"
Zach says, "But, but, dirty hands..."
maga says, "sure, out"
Allen arrives, full of fun, but no funk.
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "out"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > OUT
Floyd |
Floyd | You step outside into the warm night air.
Floyd |
Floyd | It has been night for many hours, but the air is still warm, and the
Floyd | stars are a million brilliant fires above you. Nearby are the vague
Floyd | outlines of your neighbors' tents, but on this moonless night only the
Floyd | distant glow of the fire pit seems truly alive.
Floyd |
Floyd | In the darkness a few feet away, Sihan and Saiph talk quietly in
Floyd | strained tones.
Floyd |
Floyd | As you approach, your enemy grows silent. Your love turns to you with
Floyd | a look of relief and reaches out a hand.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga says, "so let's examine everyone"
Tigrita says (to x), "saiph"
Tigrita says (to floyd), "x saiph"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > X SAIPH
Floyd |
Floyd | Saiph has his father's tall strength and the bearing of a leader. His
Floyd | grace and bold demeanor draw others to him, though few know of his
Floyd | quiet and gentle side underneath.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline asks, "Oh, we don't need a driver now, you don't think, Tigrita?"
DavidW says, "oh, we do. This is another choice, like bag and dagger."
Roger says, "Ha, a FEW FEET away? I hope it's in an absurdly-loud stage whisper too"
Tigrita says (to floyd), "x sihan"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > X SIHAN
Floyd |
Floyd | Sihan is beautiful; you have always thought so, as have many others.
Floyd | Her long black hair seems to swallow up her face in the dark of night.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jearl says, "kinda want to go right to MOCK ENEMY, though I'm sure it's too early for that"
katie-paquette exclaims, "Geesh you all are fast!"
Tigrita says, "being inclined towards gentlemen, i vote to take saiph's hand"
Jacqueline says (to katie), "We're actually going pretty slowly today. A screen reader could probably keep up with it, if you have one."
Fido arrives, full of funk, but no fun.
Olly arrives, full of neither funk nor fun. Jacqueline says, "I'm fine with Saiph."
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "take saiph's hand"
Floyd ]    enemy
Floyd |
Floyd | > TAKE SAIPH'S HAND
Floyd |
Floyd | You clasp Saiph's strong hand and turn to Sihan with a frown.
Floyd |
Floyd | "What business have you here?" you ask her coldly.
Floyd |
Floyd | Sihan tosses her hair and fixes her sharp gaze on you. "I came to see
Floyd | if Saiph is truly a man of action and not only of words," she says
Floyd | levelly. "But I see that, like you, he is counted among the cowards
Floyd | and the weaklings. I have no more to say." She turns and vanishes into
Floyd | the darkness without a sound.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga says, "oh he's a man of action all right"
Tigrita says (to floyd), "talk to saiph"
Floyd ]    night  telling  newcomers  enemy
Floyd |
Floyd | > TALK TO SAIPH
Floyd |
Floyd | "I care for you more than you know," you say, kissing Saiph on the
Floyd | cheek.
Floyd |
Floyd | Saiph frowns. "Her heart clamors for war with these NEWCOMERS," your
Floyd | lover says, "and was upset to find I do not share her views. We shall
Floyd | see if your ENEMY has better luck at the TELLING." He looks up to the
Floyd | stars, and adds, "It is a good NIGHT for it."
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says, "Well, I'm glad we didn't choose Sihan. She's a meanie."
Tigrita says, "ok, now we can type emphasized words to talk about those, i think"
Jearl says, "hmm, that 'enemy' thing looked like a tag, like we can change people's attitudes in the game"
maga says (to Jacqueline), "almost certainly she became a meanie because we didn't go out with her"
Jacqueline says, "Well, yes."
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "newcomers"
Floyd ]    night  telling  fires  enemy
Floyd |
Floyd | > NEWCOMERS
Floyd |
Floyd | "Have you heard the news?" he asks. "Young Ada found traces of a camp
Floyd | less than an hour's walk from here, and more than half a day from
Floyd | their FIRES in the valley. SIHAN and her friends are already
Floyd | sharpening their spears and preparing for war," he says darkly.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jearl says, "oh, never mind, it's a topics list"
Zach says, "Aww, they're just newbies"
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "enemy"
Floyd ]    night  telling  fires
Floyd |
Floyd | > ENEMY
Floyd |
Floyd | "Sihan has been asking all the warriors to support her plan to attack
Floyd | the newcomers," your love says. "She is convinced they are planning to
Floyd | murder us all in our beds at any moment. She is so sure of herself;
Floyd | how nice it must be to have such conviction in one's own superiority."
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "telling"
maga says (to Floyd), "telling"
Floyd ]    night  fires
Floyd |
Floyd | > TELLING
Floyd |
Floyd | "It is almost time," your love says seriously. "I wonder, what story
Floyd | will we hear tonight? The people are buzzing about the newcomers;
Floyd | perhaps the teller's story will be about them."
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Floyd ]    night  fires
Floyd |
Floyd | > TELLING
Floyd |
Floyd | The time is not right to speak about that.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says, "I realize we may not need a driver right now, but if we all start typing it may go way too fast."
Tigrita says (to floyd), "fires"
Floyd ]    night
Floyd |
Floyd | > FIRES
Floyd |
Floyd | "The moon has waxed and grown small again since they arrived," Saiph
Floyd | murmurs, holding you tightly. "Why don't they come to us? Why do they
Floyd | hide when we send our emissaries? They must know the unrest they're
Floyd | causing in us."
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "night"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > NIGHT
Floyd |
Floyd | Saiph points up at the night sky. "See how bright the stars are," he
Floyd | says, "as if the gods themselves gather round our fire to hear the
Floyd | teller's story."
Floyd |
Floyd | Saiph glances towards the fire pit and takes his dagger from you,
Floyd | sliding it into its familiar place at his waist. "Let us join the
Floyd | gathering and hear the story," your love says lightly, and turns to
Floyd | the FIRE at the center of the village.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "sihan"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > SIHAN
Floyd |
Floyd | The time is not right to speak about that.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Zach says, "Hey, Olly"
Olly says, "Hi."
maga asks, "look?"
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "l"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > L
Floyd |
Floyd | It has been night for many hours, but the air is still warm, and the
Floyd | stars are a million brilliant fires above you. Nearby are the vague
Floyd | outlines of your neighbors' tents, but on this moonless night only the
Floyd | distant glow of the fire pit seems truly alive.
Floyd |
Floyd | Your beloved gazes up at the stars.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline asks, "So, head in to the fire?"
Zach says, "Yeah"
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "fire"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > FIRE
Floyd |
Floyd | You walk to the firepit with Saiph, and friends and neighbors greet
Floyd | you with a nod or quiet word.
Floyd |
Floyd | Always the fire pit is the center of the village, and always the
Floyd | people gather there. Faint smells of tonight's great feast still
Floyd | linger, but the fire now smolders low, only a shadow of its roaring
Floyd | fierceness at sunset.
Floyd |
Floyd | Isi and Nabu stand near the fire, along with a growing crowd. Saiph
Floyd | stands near your side.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "x isi" maga says, "okay, who're this lot"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > X ISI
Floyd |
Floyd | Isi's long black hair is white now, and her soft skin is loose and
Floyd | wrinkled, but her eyes have grown sharper with each passing year. Your
Floyd | father's sister sees more than most; the truth behind deceit and the
Floyd | sadness behind smiles. Her eyes sparkle as they meet yours, and she
Floyd | gives you a tiny nod.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
katie-paquette says, "I'm on my braillenote. I'm sorry if I am going slower than you all, but I promise I'll catch up."
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "x nabu"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > X NABU
Floyd |
Floyd | Your father's brother Nabu has never been good with a spear, but there
Floyd | is a warrior somewhere inside him that the wise respect more than the
Floyd | strongest man in the village. He is short and stern; quiet, but clever
Floyd | and collected. He is old, now, but his spirit is as strong as ever.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says, "So, our aunt and our uncle."
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "x crowd"
Floyd ]    storyteller
Floyd |
Floyd | > X CROWD
Floyd |
Floyd | They have always been your people since you were a child, and each of
Floyd | their faces are known to you. Some are friends, some are relatives,
Floyd | some you know little and some you know better than you might wish. But
Floyd | they are all your people.
Floyd |
Floyd | Saiph places a hand on your shoulder. "Go on, my love," he says
Floyd | softly. "Give the circlet of office to the STORYTELLER. It is time."
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga says, "dammit, now I'll have The Mighty Boosh earwormed all day"
pollux arrives, full of fun, but no funk. Jacqueline says (to maga), "Congratulations. I hate you now."
Roger says, "Ohho; that's an interesting twist."
Tigrita says (to floyd), "storyteller"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > STORYTELLER
Floyd |
Floyd | "The storyteller awaits," Saiph says. "The telling cannot begin until
Floyd | the teller's circlet has been gifted."
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Olly, perhaps fortunately, isn't familiar with The Mighty Boosh.
Roger says, "If it does in fact imply that you got adopted while young at some point."
Jacqueline says, "So, I wonder if we could just wear the circlet ourselves."
DavidW asks, "I suppose the storyteller could be any of the four? Or ourselves?"
Tigrita exclaims, "try it!"
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "wear circlet"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > WEAR CIRCLET
Floyd |
Floyd | No; you are not the storyteller.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says, "Anti-climax."
Jacqueline says, "Sad trombone."
Roger says, "You can't handle the story. I deride your story-telling abilities."
Jacqueline cries.
maga says, "whom the telling burned"
Jacqueline says, "I say we give it to our Aunt who knows the sadness behind smiles."
Jacqueline says (to maga), "haha"
DavidW says, "coo coo kachew"
Olly says, "I agree."
Jacqueline says (to DavidW), "Congratulations. Now I hate you, too."
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "give circlet to isi"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > GIVE CIRCLET TO ISI
Floyd |
Floyd | You approach your aunt Isi and hand the circlet to the white-haired
Floyd | old woman. She takes it delicately, eyeing the craftsmanship, and then
Floyd | looks up at you and smiles warmly. Carefully, she lifts it up to her
Floyd | old head--and now before you is no longer your father's sister, but
Floyd | the storyteller... a role she has taken every new moon for many years.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline asks, "listen?"
Tigrita says, "sure"
Jacqueline says, "This game is quite serene. I wonder if here in a second newcomers with spears are going to burst onto the scene."
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "listen"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > LISTEN
Floyd |
Floyd | A bat circles above the fire for a moment, then swoops away.
Floyd |
Floyd | Sihan approaches the far side of the fire and greets some friends
Floyd | warmly.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga says (to Jacq), "if you choose the dagger it turns into Stab Mute: The Stabbening"
Zach says, "When it does, it'll be calmly narrated by our aunt."
Jacqueline says (to Zach), "Probably."
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "talk to sihan"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > TALK TO SIHAN
Floyd |
Floyd | "Sihan," you call across the fire. "Can we not hear the story as
Floyd | friends?"
Floyd |
Floyd | Sihan snorts. "That is unlikely," she says, "unless you have come to
Floyd | your senses and accepted the need for defense." Sihan turns away with
Floyd | contempt and laughs with her friends, but you catch a guarded glance
Floyd | thrown your way a moment later.
Floyd |
Floyd | Saiph kisses your cheek. "May the story bring you what you seek," he
Floyd | whispers, then slips into the crowd. Your beloved has always liked to
Floyd | hear the stories by himself.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline exclaims, "Beloved!"
Zach sobs
Jacqueline says, "Meh"
Olly asks, "What's the name of this game?"
Jacqueline says, "Whom the Telling Changed."
Zach looks for cuties in the crowd
Jacqueline says, "So, now the enemies will come and we'll be separated from our love and things will end less than ideally."
Jacqueline says, "That is my prediction."
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "listen"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > LISTEN
Floyd |
Floyd | A bat circles above the fire for a moment, then swoops away.
Floyd |
Floyd | The murmurings of the people die away as the storyteller rises to her
Floyd | feet and raises two bony hands.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "listen"
Floyd ]    yes  no
Floyd |
Floyd | > LISTEN
Floyd |
Floyd | It is strangely quiet around the fire.
Floyd |
Floyd | The storyteller shouts, "In this time of darkness the people gather
Floyd | for the telling. Will the people hear?"
Floyd |
Floyd | >
DavidW asks (of Jacqueline), "So the strangers are enemies already?"
Jacqueline says, "YES"
Jacqueline says, "Oh, wait. No."
Jacqueline says, "Well, maybe."
Jacqueline asks, "I guess we say 'yes'?"
maga says, "the game will detect #clubfloyd chatter and respond to your word-choices if you don't watch out"
DavidW says, "I think Batman and I will race to the men''s room now."
Jacqueline says (to maga), "Nah, I think this was written before Aaron was bit by the radioactive spider of interactive fictioness."
Tigrita says (to floyd), "y"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > Y
Floyd |
Floyd | You call out your response along with many others.
Floyd |
Floyd | The crowd cries out with one voice, "The people are ready." The teller
Floyd | bows humbly, accepting the people's blessing, then straightens with
Floyd | the hint of a smile.
Floyd |
Floyd | "Tonight," she says, "we shall hear an old, old story, from days long
Floyd | ago when great cities and mighty kings ruled this land. May you find
Floyd | in the story that which you seek."
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "listen"
Floyd ]    uruk  wall  temple  tablet  gilgamesh
Floyd |
Floyd | > LISTEN
Floyd |
Floyd | A bat circles above the fire for a moment, then swoops away.
Floyd |
Floyd | The storyteller lifts her hands in invocation. "Our story begins," she
Floyd | says quietly, "in the far-off city of URUK. Uruk of the broad streets,
Floyd | Uruk of the mighty WALLS. Can you see them, gleaming in the desert
Floyd | heat?"
Floyd |
Floyd | The teller gestures into the night, and in your mind the walls come
Floyd | alive, shimmering in the desert air.
Floyd |
Floyd | "Come," she continues, "cross the ancient threshold, walk the streets
Floyd | and orchards and markets. Walk the streets and climb the great stone
Floyd | steps to the TEMPLE. Climb the steps and find the box of burnished
Floyd | copper. Find the box and undo the lock and draw out the great TABLET
Floyd | of deep blue stone. Draw out the tablet and read of Uruk's king,
Floyd | Uruk's pride, Uruk's greatest hero. Hear of the trials of GILGAMESH."
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Tigrita says (to floyd), "gilgamest"
Floyd ]    uruk  wall  temple  tablet  gilgamesh
Floyd |
Floyd | > GILGAMEST
Floyd |
Floyd | [Things to try:  LOOK | LOOK AT | GO | TALK TO | GREET | ATTACK | TAKE
Floyd | | TOUCH | HEAL | LISTEN | PRAISE | MOCK | STORY | UNDO | or an
Floyd | EMPHASIZED word. For more detailed instructions, type INFO]
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga says, "hey, lady, one command at a time"
Jacqueline says, "Golly."
Jacqueline says, "So, the things in the story come to life in our imagination and we can do those things, I guess."
Olly steals the plant of immortality.
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "look at temple"
Floyd ]    uruk  wall  temple  tablet  gilgamesh
Floyd |
Floyd | > LOOK AT TEMPLE
Floyd |
Floyd | [I'm not sure what you are referring to.]
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says, "Or not"
maga says (to Floyd), "temple"
Floyd ]    uruk  wall  tablet  gilgamesh
Floyd |
Floyd | > TEMPLE
Floyd |
Floyd | "The great temple of Inanna: what did it look like?" you say.
Floyd |
Floyd | "Mighty and tall and grand and proud," the teller replies, "so fine
Floyd | that Inanna herself dwelt there instead of in her heavenly palace.
Floyd | Inanna, goddess of warfare, goddess of lust, dwelt often in URUK
Floyd | herself."
Floyd |
Floyd | Sihan's eyes stare deeply at you. You return her stare and for a
Floyd | moment a flicker of some vanishing emotion touches her face.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Roger exclaims, "Okay someone yell out an occupation! Okay I heard 'gatherer'!"
Jacqueline says, "Why did that-- oh, because Tigrita mistyped Gilgamesh."
Tigrita says, "i like a dictionary"
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "temple"
Floyd ]    uruk  wall  tablet  inspire  question
Floyd |
Floyd | > TEMPLE
Floyd |
Floyd | It is no longer the right time to make that part of the story.
Floyd |
Floyd | Sihan smiles broadly. "Ah, good!" she says, "a story of my ancestor
Floyd | Gilgamesh. There, there was a true hero to INSPIRE the people in
Floyd | troubled times."
Floyd |
Floyd | Some in the crowd murmur in excitement, but older faces look as if
Floyd | they QUESTION Sihan's claim of lineage.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Tigrita says (to floyd), "question"
Floyd ]    aruru  adad  shamash  man
Floyd |
Floyd | > QUESTION
Floyd |
Floyd | You snort and raise your voice. "So it is Gilgamesh you descend from
Floyd | now, is it Sihan?" you say derisively. "Last moon it was Sargon of
Floyd | Akkad, was it not?"
Floyd |
Floyd | A few near you snicker as Sihan flushes furiously, then she turns away
Floyd | from you with cold disdain.
Floyd |
Floyd | The teller continues. "MIGHTY was Gilgamesh, a lord among lords.
Floyd | Mighty is he who both leads the way and guards the rear. Mighty is he
Floyd | who both crashes like a wave and shelters the weak. Gilgamesh was
Floyd | tall, strong, bearded, a roaring bull among his people. ARURU, mother
Floyd | of the Earth, gave him his form, and ADAD the Storm gave him courage,
Floyd | and SHAMASH the Sun gave him beauty--but," the teller's piercing eyes
Floyd | fixate on the crowd, "he was still a MAN, nonetheless."
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "aruru"
Floyd ]    adad  shamash  man
Floyd |
Floyd | > ARURU
Floyd |
Floyd | "I would hear more of Aruru," you say.
Floyd |
Floyd | "Lady Aruru," the teller sighs, "Lady of the Gods, Lady of the
Floyd | Foothills, Mother of the Earth, made Gilgamesh as she made the first
Floyd | man long eons ago. She formed an image of Gilgamesh in her mind, took
Floyd | up her clay, and kneaded it, shaped it into Gilgamesh's form. More
Floyd | MIGHTY she made him than a normal man: taller, broader, and stronger."
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "adad"
Floyd ]    uruk  adad  shamash
Floyd |
Floyd | > ADAD
Floyd |
Floyd | Sihan is speaking before you can react.
Floyd |
Floyd | "How awesome to have such divinity in one's creation," Sihan says.
Floyd | "The people of Uruk were blessed indeed to have such a king to lead
Floyd | them."
Floyd |
Floyd | "And they knew it," says the teller with a twinkle in her eye, "even
Floyd | if they sometimes wished for a leader who provoked awe less
Floyd | frequently."
Floyd |
Floyd | A current of energy runs through a few in the crowd, who mutter
Floyd | affirmation with somber faces. Saiph scowls darkly across the flames.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga asks, "try again?"
Jacqueline asks, "So, the words in italics in the status bar... are the things we can ask at this time?"
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "adad"
Floyd ]    uruk  dead  companion  trouble
Floyd |
Floyd | > ADAD
Floyd |
Floyd | "Adad, god of storms, blessed mighty Gilgamesh?" you ask.
Floyd |
Floyd | "He breathed lightning into the body of Gilgamesh," the teller says
Floyd | powerfully, "Adad of the tempest and the rain. He gave Gilgamesh the
Floyd | spark of courage and the fire of charisma."
Floyd |
Floyd | The telling continues. "With his friend and companion ENKIDU," the
Floyd | storyteller says, "Gilgamesh ruled URUK with a young and prideful
Floyd | heart. But he saw the DEAD and dying in the streets of Uruk, and his
Floyd | mind was TROUBLED."
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Zach had sung the body electric. Unfortunately, your power bill reflects that.
Zach has disconnected. maga says, "enkidu"
Roger says, "I wonder if a different storyteller just tells you to shut the hell up"
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "enkidu"
Floyd ]    uruk  dead  made  challenge  united  trouble
Floyd |
Floyd | > ENKIDU
Floyd |
Floyd | "Let us hear more of Gilgamesh's friend Enkidu," you say.
Floyd |
Floyd | "Enkidu the wild man, MADE by the gods to tame unruly Gilgamesh," says
Floyd | the teller, a smile lighting her face. "He lived with the animals in
Floyd | the wild lands till he came to URUK to CHALLENGE Gilgamesh. But their
Floyd | battle UNITED them, and instead of enemies they became closer than
Floyd | friends. Inseparable were Gilgamesh and Enkidu; together they faced
Floyd | all foes and fought all battles."
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jearl says, "so, we need to wrestle Sihan"
Jearl says, "make ready the ritual jello pit"
Jacqueline says, "hee"
Jacqueline says, "Yeah, anyone can type at this point, I think."
Zach arrives, full of funk, but no fun.
maga says (to Floyd), "united"
Floyd ]    uruk  dead  challenge  united  trouble
Floyd |
Floyd | > UNITED
Floyd |
Floyd | Your mouth is already open to respond when Sihan's voice rises above
Floyd | the circle.
Floyd |
Floyd | "Mighty Enkidu was also made by the gods?" Sihan's voice calls from
Floyd | across the circle.
Floyd |
Floyd | "By Aruru," the storyteller says sagely, "By Aruru the Earth mother.
Floyd | The people of Uruk beseeched her to soothe wild Gilgamesh, who day
Floyd | after day came to the young men's homes, fighting and sparring in
Floyd | search of an equal, and night after night came to the young women's
Floyd | beds. The people of Uruk called on Aruru for help, and Enkidu was
Floyd | pinched from Aruru's clay and cast into the wilderness, as strong and
Floyd | mighty as Gilgamesh himself."
Floyd |
Floyd | "How wise the gods are," Sihan says, "to send such magnificent heroes
Floyd | to protect their people."
Floyd |
Floyd | Low muttering comes from across the circle; it seems this has struck a
Floyd | chord with a few.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga says (to Floyd), "united"
Floyd ]    shamash  humbaba  cedar  restless  whisper
Floyd |
Floyd | > UNITED
Floyd |
Floyd | "It was battle that united Enkidu and Gilgamesh in friendship, was it
Floyd | not?" you say musingly.
Floyd |
Floyd | "It is often the way," the teller says, "that two foes may only find
Floyd | kinship through the bitterest battles. But perhaps," she adds humbly,
Floyd | "this is only the way in stories."
Floyd |
Floyd | The storyteller continues. "One night," she says, "as Gilgamesh knelt
Floyd | in prayer, SHAMASH, god of the sun, came down to whisper in his ear.
Floyd | Shamash WHISPERED to Gilgamesh of a far off place called the Cedar
Floyd | Forest, where dwelt the demon HUMBABA. Shamash whispered that he who
Floyd | could defeat Humbaba would gain fame greater than any man. He who
Floyd | could chop down the tallest CEDAR and defeat Humbaba the guardian
Floyd | would gain everlasting fame. He would burn in the minds of men
Floyd | forever. He would never be forgotten. And the heart of Gilgamesh
Floyd | became RESTLESS."
Floyd |
Floyd | >
katie-paquette says, "I have a dictionary on my braillenote."
DavidW says, "I wish the lover and enemy names were distinctive instead of so similar. I can't remember properly which is which."
Jacqueline says, "Sihan is the meanie."
DavidW says, "Only because we chose the other S person."
Jacqueline says, "Right. I'm just telling you which one is not our lover."
maga says (to Floyd), "whispered"
Floyd ]    shamash  humbaba  cedar  restless
Floyd |
Floyd | > WHISPERED
Floyd |
Floyd | "Storyteller," you call out, "did you say that SHAMASH, god of the
Floyd | sun, whispered these words to Gilgamesh?"
Floyd |
Floyd | "I did." says the teller.
Floyd |
Floyd | "And why would so mighty a god whisper such a thing?" you ask, turning
Floyd | to the people. "Was he afraid another god would hear? Did Shamash
Floyd | really have the glory of Gilgamesh in mind, or did he hope to use
Floyd | Uruk's king for purposes of his own?"
Floyd |
Floyd | A wave of muttering sweeps over the crowd, but no one comes forward to
Floyd | answer your question.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
DavidW says, "If we'd picked she-S instead of he-S as our lover, then whats-her-name would be nice and his-whoever-he-is would be the meanie."
Emily . o O ( billy jean? )
maga says (to Floyd), "restless"
Floyd ]    shamash  humbaba  cedar  restless
Floyd |
Floyd | > RESTLESS
Floyd |
Floyd | Before you can speak, Sihan steps forward.
Floyd |
Floyd | "You said King Gilgamesh was restless when he heard Shamash's call,"
Floyd | Sihan says loudly. "And of course he was! What king would not seize a
Floyd | chance for glory, to prove his strength and power? A leader is trebled
Floyd | in stature when admired by the people."
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says (to DW), "Yes, yes, I know."
Jacqueline says, "I was just reminding you of the name of who we did not pick, that's all."
Jacqueline says (to Emily), "Billy Jean is not my lover."
Jacqueline says, "She's just a girl who claims that I am the one."
DavidW says, "I still find it extremely hard to remember."
maga says (to Floyd), "cedar"
Floyd ]    shamash  humbaba  restless
Floyd |
Floyd | > CEDAR
Floyd |
Floyd | "What magic was there in the Cedar Forest that made it special?" you
Floyd | ask.
Floyd |
Floyd | "Uruk was a land like ours," the teller answers, "where the tree is
Floyd | scarce and the wood is poor. Cedarwood is strong, and beautiful, and
Floyd | pleasant to see and smell, and in those days was valued as gold. In
Floyd | the Cedar Forest far, far away, the cedar trees are so thick you could
Floyd | not see a man a hundred paces away; and so tall you could not see the
Floyd | sky."
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Zach says (to DW), "Time for sticky notes!"
Tigrita says, "bye guys"
Tigrita mhm and as the years go by/mhm I'll facebook you and sigh/mhm this is goodnight and not goodbye
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "restless"
Floyd ]    shamash  humbaba  restless  never
Floyd |
Floyd | > RESTLESS
Floyd |
Floyd | Doubtless the heart of Gilgamesh stirred at a chance for glory; but
Floyd | was this Humbaba a VALID opponent?
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "humbaba"
Floyd ]    shamash  enkidu  guard  defeat
Floyd |
Floyd | > HUMBABA
Floyd |
Floyd | "Humbaba the demon?" you ask. "Why was he so feared?"
Floyd |
Floyd | "Humbaba the awful, he of many stories," the teller says. "His breath
Floyd | is a firestorm; his voice is the floodwaters; his jaws are death
Floyd | itself. Horrible to look at is the demon Humbaba, and the few who saw
Floyd | him and survived could not describe his face."
Floyd |
Floyd | The story moves on. "The heart of Gilgamesh burned with the words of
Floyd | SHAMASH," says the teller. "Gilgamesh sought out his friend Enkidu and
Floyd | said to him: 'You came from the wild. My friend, you came from the
Floyd | wild and you know the secret paths of animals. Do you know the way to
Floyd | the Cedar Forest?'
Floyd |
Floyd | "Enkidu SIGHED and his heart grew heavy," says the teller, and then
Floyd | seems to become young and strong as the gruff guise of Enkidu comes
Floyd | over her. "'Yes, I know the way to the Cedar Forest, but it is long
Floyd | and lonely. And what awaits you at its end but the demon Humbaba? The
Floyd | lord of all gods, mighty Enlil, has set him there to GUARD the Cedar
Floyd | Forest. What man or god could DEFEAT him, my brother?'"
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga asks, "hmm, does that suggest that we can refute her interpretations by repeating them?"
Jacqueline says (to maga), "Try"
maga says (to Floyd), "valid"
Floyd ]    shamash  guard  defeat
Floyd |
Floyd | > VALID
Floyd |
Floyd | The time is not right to weave that into the story.
Floyd |
Floyd | "Subtle is the art of the storyteller," Sihan says with a smile. "Do
Floyd | you see why Gilgamesh is the leader and Enkidu only a follower? He
Floyd | hesitates in the face of danger; when courage is called for, he backs
Floyd | away. It is Gilgamesh whose bravery will be remembered and loved."
Floyd |
Floyd | People murmur in agreement and nod. The storyteller's eyes sparkle in
Floyd | the firelight, inscrutable.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga says (to Floyd), "sighed"
Floyd ]    guard  defeat
Floyd |
Floyd | > SIGHED
Floyd |
Floyd | The story has moved on; there are other things to say.
Floyd |
Floyd | "Shamash himself came down from the realm of the gods to tell
Floyd | Gilgamesh of this?" asks a weatherbeaten farmer. "Why don't I have
Floyd | such luck?" A few of his neighbors chuckle.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga says (to Floyd), "defeat"
Floyd ]    guard  defeat  hopeless  triumph
Floyd |
Floyd | > DEFEAT
Floyd |
Floyd | If Enkidu wonders whether even a god could triumph, then the fight
Floyd | must be truly HOPELESS--but surely, if any mortal could ever have
Floyd | TRIUMPHED at such a task, it was Gilgamesh?
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga says (to Floyd), "triumphed"
Floyd ]    brave  weak  gilgamesh  enkidu
Floyd |
Floyd | > TRIUMPHED
Floyd |
Floyd | "What better task for Gilgamesh to take on?" you wonder aloud. "If he
Floyd | succeeds, his people will love him and follow him all the more; and if
Floyd | he fails, his name will live on in death as one who showed no fear."
Floyd |
Floyd | "As it has," the teller says, "though which of those outcomes found
Floyd | Gilgamesh has not yet been told."
Floyd |
Floyd | The telling continues. "GILGAMESH looked at Enkidu with disapproving
Floyd | eyes," continues the teller, who then seems to grow tall and strong.
Floyd | "Is this the brave Enkidu I know?" she asks in the voice of the king.
Floyd | "Is this Enkidu who fought with the wild beasts and once challenged
Floyd | King Gilgamesh himself? Have you traded COURAGE for COWARDICE? Our
Floyd | days are few, and chances for glory far between. Do you not wish to
Floyd | burn forever in the minds of men?"
Floyd |
Floyd | The teller becomes Enkidu again, and seems to consider the words of
Floyd | Gilgamesh. "'You have set your mind, I see. You will make this QUEST
Floyd | no matter what your friend ENKIDU counsels. Since that is your road, I
Floyd | will go with you. I will guide you on the hidden paths; I will find
Floyd | for you the hidden water; I will help you on your quest for glory.
Floyd | Enkidu will go with you.'"
Floyd |
Floyd | >
inky arrives, full of neither funk nor fun. Olly says, "inkydu"
Jacqueline says (to inkydu), "Hello."
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "courage"
Floyd ]    gilgamesh  enkidu
Floyd |
Floyd | > COURAGE
Floyd |
Floyd | "I would say rather that Enkidu was strong, not cowardly," you say,
Floyd | "to stand against such a man as Gilgamesh. What courage to raise his
Floyd | voice against so mighty and stalwart a man."
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga says, "beast-man of Rainier"
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "enkidu"
Floyd ]    gilgamesh  enkidu  weak  friend
Floyd |
Floyd | > ENKIDU
Floyd |
Floyd | You consider Enkidu's response for a moment. Some might call him WEAK
Floyd | for giving in so easily to Gilgamesh... but others would call him a
Floyd | true FRIEND for standing by even though he did not agree.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga says (to Floyd), "friend"
Floyd ]    gilgamesh
Floyd |
Floyd | > FRIEND
Floyd |
Floyd | "Such is true loyalty," you say, "to stand by a friend and companion
Floyd | no matter what your own thoughts are."
Floyd |
Floyd | "But truer still," calls Saiph unexpectedly, "is the friend who stays
Floyd | true to his own beliefs." Your lover smiles mischievously and fades
Floyd | back into the crowd.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga says (to Floyd), "gilgamesh"
Floyd ]    gilgamesh  right  people
Floyd |
Floyd | > GILGAMESH
Floyd |
Floyd | Is Gilgamesh RIGHT to set off on this quest for personal glory? Should
Floyd | he rather stay and help the PEOPLE of Uruk?
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "find Saiph"
Floyd ]    gilgamesh  right  people
Floyd |
Floyd | > FIND SAIPH
Floyd |
Floyd | He is not nearby.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "people"
Floyd ]    weapons  sacrifice  silence
Floyd |
Floyd | > PEOPLE
Floyd |
Floyd | "A strange king is Gilgamesh," you say loudly. "He is troubled by the
Floyd | sight of his people, sick and dying, so he leaves them to go on a long
Floyd | quest to distant lands. Would a better king not have stayed behind to
Floyd | help them?"
Floyd |
Floyd | "What help could he have given them?" asks Sihan. "Gilgamesh was not a
Floyd | healer, but a fighter; a warrior. He could best help his people by
Floyd | inspiring them; though I do not expect you to understand." She gives
Floyd | you a tiny, humorless smile.
Floyd |
Floyd | The story continues. "Gilgamesh rejoiced," the teller says, "and
Floyd | summoned the blacksmiths to forge mighty WEAPONS for the companions.
Floyd | He summoned the blacksmiths and summoned the servants to prepare food
Floyd | and supplies. He summoned the servants and summoned the priestesses to
Floyd | make generous SACRIFICES, to ask the gods for good fortune."
Floyd |
Floyd | "When all was ready, Gilgamesh and Enkidu passed through the seven
Floyd | gates of Uruk and set off into the desert. The people watched them
Floyd | go," she says softly, "the people of Uruk in SILENCE watched them go."
Floyd |
Floyd | >
katie-paquette says, "I think I'm going to switch to my computer now."
Jacqueline says (to katie-pa), "Okay."
maga says (to Floyd), "silence"
Floyd ]    weapons  sacrifice  solemn  protest
Floyd |
Floyd | > SILENCE
Floyd |
Floyd | Sihan is speaking before you can react.
Floyd |
Floyd | "How SOLEMN the folk of Uruk must have been," says Sihan, "to
Floyd | recognize the seriousness of such a moment, and not PROTEST like
Floyd | fearful children."
Floyd |
Floyd | Voices mutter in agreement; for a fair number, this point has touched
Floyd | home.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "protest"
Floyd ]    weapons  sacrifice
Floyd |
Floyd | > PROTEST
Floyd |
Floyd | "And why should they not protest?" you respond. "Gilgamesh and Enkidu
Floyd | are leaving on a long and dangerous road, and the people of Uruk have
Floyd | little to gain from their leader's self-centered quest."
Floyd |
Floyd | A voice somewhere behind you calls, "It is true!" and a few nod their
Floyd | heads in agreement.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
katie-paquette asks, "can we save and I'll be in my room in a minute?"
Roger says, "She turned me into a newt"
Olly asks (of Roger), "Huh?"
Jacqueline says (to katie-paq), "How long will you be? We could wait for five minutes."
DavidW says (to looks), "at Roger, who clearly isn't a newt."
Jearl says, "sure, let's save"
Roger says, "Oh just the rabblerowsing crowd reminds me of the Monty Python scene"
Jacqueline says, "Saving is not a bad idea, sure."
Jacqueline clears the save counter.
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "SAVE"
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "cf1"
Floyd | >
Floyd | > SAVE
Floyd | %% Enter a save filename to write:
Floyd ]    weapons  sacrifice
Floyd | Ok.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says, "I could use a short break."
Jacqueline asks, "Can we take five?"
Olly nods.
Jearl says, "yup"
DavidW says, "Twould give me chance to get coffee."
katie-paquette says, "Disconnecting now with braillenote. See you all in a sec."
katie-paquette goes home.
Emily arrives, full of fun and funk. Jacqueline says, "So, I know it is more than five minutes now, but I'd like to give Katie a chance to log back in."
Jearl says, "yeah, no problem"
Jacqueline says, "If she's not here at quarter after, though, we'll recommence."
katie-paquette arrives, ready to play with the toys. Jacqueline says, "Welcome back, Katie."
maga asks, "ready to go?"
Jacqueline says, "Yeah."
Jacqueline says, "I'm not sure I get how we're steering the story."
katie-paquette says, "I'm back."
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "rememb"
Floyd ]    weapons  sacrifice
Floyd |
Floyd | > REMEMB
Floyd |
Floyd | [Things to try:  LOOK | LOOK AT | GO | TALK TO | GREET | ATTACK | TAKE
Floyd | | TOUCH | HEAL | LISTEN | PRAISE | MOCK | STORY | UNDO | or an
Floyd | EMPHASIZED word. For more detailed instructions, type INFO]
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga says (to Floyd), "story"
Floyd ]    weapons  sacrifice
Floyd |
Floyd | > STORY
Floyd |
Floyd | This is a story about a healer in the village who was in love with a
Floyd | strong warrior man, Saiph. On the night of the telling, when the
Floyd | healer's aunt Isi became the teller, their enemy Sihan tried her best
Floyd | to turn the people towards needless war with the outsiders. The healer
Floyd | spoke against this reckless path, but the people heard the words of
Floyd | Sihan more clearly.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline asks, "Not remember... what's the recap verb?"
Jearl says, "can we do STORY? kinda want to see how that works"
Jearl says, "timing"
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "ingo"
Floyd ]    weapons  sacrifice
Floyd |
Floyd | > INGO
Floyd |
Floyd | [Things to try:  LOOK | LOOK AT | GO | TALK TO | GREET | ATTACK | TAKE
Floyd | | TOUCH | HEAL | LISTEN | PRAISE | MOCK | STORY | UNDO | or an
Floyd | EMPHASIZED word. For more detailed instructions, type INFO]
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "info"
Floyd ]    weapons  sacrifice
Floyd |
Floyd | > INFO
Floyd |
Floyd | [I am your eyes and hands within the story. Direct me with commands
Floyd | such as EXAMINE THE BAG, GO OUTSIDE, LISTEN, or FIGHT HIM. Single word
Floyd | shorthand like FIGHT or BAG will often suffice. Some single words will
Floyd | be HIGHLIGHTED to bring them to your attention. Type them to shape the
Floyd | story to your will; some of the possible choices will be seen in the
Floyd | header bar above. Time only advances when you give a command or type
Floyd | LISTEN, which it is sometimes wise to do.
Floyd |
Floyd | Other useful commands include REPEAT, to remember what was recently
Floyd | said; STORY to see the choices you have made; INVENTORY to see what
Floyd | you are holding; WAIT to let the time pass; UNDO to take back your
Floyd | last turn; and GREET, MOCK, PRAISE, TALK TO or ASK ABOUT to interact
Floyd | with characters.
Floyd |
Floyd | More information about this story is available by typing ABOUT.]
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says, "Repeat was what I was thinking of. Not sure if it's the same as story."
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "repeat"
Floyd ]    weapons  sacrifice
Floyd |
Floyd | > REPEAT
Floyd |
Floyd | The story continues. "Gilgamesh rejoiced," the teller says, "and
Floyd | summoned the blacksmiths to forge mighty WEAPONS for the companions.
Floyd | He summoned the blacksmiths and summoned the servants to prepare food
Floyd | and supplies. He summoned the servants and summoned the priestesses to
Floyd | make generous SACRIFICES, to ask the gods for good fortune."
Floyd |
Floyd | "When all was ready, Gilgamesh and Enkidu passed through the seven
Floyd | gates of Uruk and set off into the desert. The people watched them
Floyd | go," she says softly, "the people of Uruk in silence watched them go."
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says (to Olly), "Yeah, I saw your mischannel and agree that if feels like we're losing."
Jearl asks, "sacrifice?"
maga says (to Floyd), "sacrifices"
Floyd ]    mountain  bones  enkidu
Floyd |
Floyd | > SACRIFICES
Floyd |
Floyd | "What were the sacrifices Gilgamesh made to the gods?" you ask.
Floyd |
Floyd | "They were many," the teller responds, "and befitting of such a strong
Floyd | king; three fattened oxen and twelve fattened sheep; four golden bowls
Floyd | of honey and five silver bowls of butter. The incense was lit and the
Floyd | prayers were sung; the priestesses sang the prayers while the stars
Floyd | turned above."
Floyd |
Floyd | "Hot were the sands of the desert," continues the teller, "hot were
Floyd | the sands and hard was the way. Many BONES of less fortunate
Floyd | travellers marked their journey. But ENKIDU knew the secret paths of
Floyd | the animals and the secret hiding places of water, and the land fell
Floyd | behind them swiftly."
Floyd |
Floyd | "The first MOUNTAIN range they crossed in a day; the first desert and
Floyd | mountain range they crossed in a single day. On the next day they
Floyd | crossed the second desert and the second mountain range; on the next
Floyd | they crossed the third desert and the third mountain range. On the
Floyd | third night they lay down to sleep, utterly exhausted from their
Floyd | journey."
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jearl says, "(I'd just tell floyd but I feel like enough people are typing & I don't wan tto step on them"
Olly says, "Well, and the story summary just told us that right now the story is about us losing."
Jacqueline says, "Yeah"
Jacqueline asks, "Bones?"
maga says, "sure"
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "bones"
Floyd ]    mountain  bones  enkidu
Floyd |
Floyd | > BONES
Floyd |
Floyd | Your mouth is already open to respond when Sihan's voice rises above
Floyd | the circle.
Floyd |
Floyd | "True heroes were Gilgamesh and Enkidu," Sihan says. "They did not
Floyd | stop to pity the dead travellers who did not have the strength to
Floyd | cross the desert. They knew that the weak should not be pitied, for
Floyd | pity saps the strength of strong and weak alike."
Floyd |
Floyd | A young warrior near Sihan places a hand on her shoulder for a moment.
Floyd | Saiph scowls darkly across the flames.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "bones"
Floyd ]    mountain  enkidu
Floyd |
Floyd | > BONES
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | [** Programming error: bones (object number 157) has a property
Floyd | player_asks, but it is longer than 2 bytes so you cannot use "." to
Floyd | read **]
Floyd | "Did the companions not stop to perform burial rites on the bones of
Floyd | those who had died in the desert?" you ask.
Floyd |
Floyd | "Why should they?" says Sihan. "Those who failed the journey were
Floyd | weak, and their fate was decided accordingly. We should not pity the
Floyd | weak."
Floyd | [** Programming error: bones (object number 157) has a property
Floyd | player_asks, but it is longer than 2 bytes so you cannot use "." to
Floyd | read **]
Floyd |
Floyd | [** Programming error: bones (object number 157) has a property
Floyd | player_asks, but it is longer than 2 bytes so you cannot use "." to
Floyd | read **]
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | A gust of wind ripples through the grass.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says, "GAH"
maga says, "yie"
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "mountain"
Floyd ]    god  fell
Floyd |
Floyd | > MOUNTAIN
Floyd |
Floyd | "Was the crossing of the mountains difficult?" you ask.
Floyd |
Floyd | "For the likes of us, perhaps;" says the teller, "certainly for an old
Floyd | bones like me. Great and long the desert ranges ran, with no water or
Floyd | shelter or game on their cruel slopes. But Gilgamesh and Enkidu strode
Floyd | over their slopes without slowing down, though the sweat coursed down
Floyd | their bodies like rain."
Floyd |
Floyd | The teller continues. "In the darkest hour of night Gilgamesh woke
Floyd | with a start and clutched his chest. 'Who walks there?' he gasped.
Floyd | 'Why does my flesh tingle? Has a GOD touched me?' Enkidu heard and
Floyd | awoke, saying, 'Have you dreamt, Gilgamesh? Tell me your DREAM and I
Floyd | will unravel its meaning.'
Floyd |
Floyd | 'I dreamt we walked in a gorge beneath a mighty mountain, you and I,'
Floyd | said Gilgamesh. 'We were like flies beneath its massive bulk. Then,
Floyd | with a rumble, the mountain COLLAPSED on top of us. What is its
Floyd | meaning, my friend?'"
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga says (to Floyd), "dream"
Floyd ]    god  shamash  enlil  fell
Floyd |
Floyd | > DREAM
Floyd |
Floyd | Dreams are sent by the gods. Was this dream sent by SHAMASH, to
Floyd | presage the fall of Humbaba? Or, perhaps, by ENLIL, warning of the
Floyd | consequences of destroying his guardian?
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga says (to Floyd), "enlil"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > ENLIL
Floyd |
Floyd | "A dark dream," you say, "for the heroes to have on their journey.
Floyd | Clearly it was sent by Enlil, to warn of the doom the companions will
Floyd | face if they destroy his servant Humbaba."
Floyd |
Floyd | "Your reasoning is sound," says the teller with a bow, "but the
Floyd | interpretation does not match the one Enkidu gave to Gilgamesh. 'The
Floyd | mountain is the demon Humbaba,' he said. 'Shamash has sent us this
Floyd | dream to show that we will defeat the demon, and his fall will shake
Floyd | the earth.' And Gilgamesh heard his words, and was at peace."
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "god"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > GOD
Floyd |
Floyd | It is no longer the right time to make that part of the story.
Floyd |
Floyd | "Dreams of portent are frightening," says a young mother, pulling her
Floyd | wrap tighter around her. "I do not like the gods to enter my head in
Floyd | the night."
Floyd |
Floyd | "Wise you are to be cautious," says the teller with a nod. "The ways
Floyd | of the gods are strange and obscure to men, their dealings laced with
Floyd | complexities we cannot understand."
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline asks, "Is the story over?"
Jacqueline says, "There is nothing in the status line."
Jearl says, "could mock or praise someone to move the turn count"
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "dreams"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > DREAMS
Floyd |
Floyd | [Things to try:  LOOK | LOOK AT | GO | TALK TO | GREET | ATTACK | TAKE
Floyd | | TOUCH | HEAL | LISTEN | PRAISE | MOCK | STORY | UNDO | or an
Floyd | EMPHASIZED word. For more detailed instructions, type INFO]
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says, "Oh, mock, yeah."
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "moch"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > MOCH
Floyd |
Floyd | [Things to try:  LOOK | LOOK AT | GO | TALK TO | GREET | ATTACK | TAKE
Floyd | | TOUCH | HEAL | LISTEN | PRAISE | MOCK | STORY | UNDO | or an
Floyd | EMPHASIZED word. For more detailed instructions, type INFO]
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says, "er"
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "mock"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > MOCK
Floyd |
Floyd | He is not nearby.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says, "..."
Olly says (to Floyd), "praise"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > PRAISE
Floyd |
Floyd | He is not nearby.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jearl asks, "??"
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "mock sihan"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > MOCK SIHAN
Floyd |
Floyd | She is not nearby.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Olly says (to Floyd), "praise isa" Jearl says, "welp"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Allen says (to Floyd), "mock me"
Floyd | > PRAISE ISA
Floyd |
Floyd | [I'm not sure what you are referring to.]
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "listen"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > MOCK ME
Floyd |
Floyd | You can't see "me" (yourself) at the moment.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Floyd ]    purpose  spear  twist
Floyd |
Floyd | > LISTEN
Floyd |
Floyd | The stars begin to fade as clouds swallow up their light.
Floyd |
Floyd | As the teller speaks more of the journey across the desert, a strong
Floyd | hand presses on your shoulder. You turn to see Sihan's angry face only
Floyd | inches from yours.
Floyd |
Floyd | "The power of the story should not be meddled with," she says in a
Floyd | barely audible undertone, the breath from her words hot on your face.
Floyd | "Why do you seek to TWIST and subvert its meaning to your own PURPOSE?
Floyd | Are you afraid of the SPEAR?"
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline exclaims, "A CHALLENGER APPEARS!"
Jacqueline asks, "Mock her?"
maga says, "I hear YOUR MOM's not afraid of the spear, IYKWIM"
Jacqueline says (to maga), "That's a different game entirely."
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "mock her"
Floyd ]    purpose  spear  twist
Floyd |
Floyd | > MOCK HER
Floyd |
Floyd | You can't see "her" (Sihan) at the moment.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Allen says, "what was this by the way? I was only paying half-attention, but it seems pretty ambitious"
Jacqueline says, "hrm"
Jacqueline says (to Allen), "It's an Aaron Reed game."
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "twist"
Floyd ]    purpose  spear  last
Floyd |
Floyd | > TWIST
Floyd |
Floyd | "It is you who twists the story," you whisper back. "Why are you so
Floyd | anxious to bring our people to war?"
Floyd |
Floyd | "You think war is what I want?" she says quietly. "No. I want our
Floyd | people to remember the feel of the SPEAR in their hands. I want our
Floyd | children to learn to defend themselves. For these times of peace we
Floyd | have lived in cannot LAST, and there may be no time left for us to
Floyd | remember it."
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga says (to Allen), "Whom the Telling Changed, an early Aaron Reed"
Allen says, "thanks. I'll look it up when I have some free time."
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "last"
Floyd ]    purpose  spear  blind  outspoken
Floyd |
Floyd | > LAST
Floyd |
Floyd | "Why can't it last?" you ask. "Why can we not make peace with the
Floyd | outsiders?"
Floyd |
Floyd | Sihan looks at you in disgust. "You are as foolish as you are
Floyd | OUTSPOKEN," she says. "How many stories of peace does the teller know,
Floyd | and how many of war? How many kingdoms, great or small, have lived
Floyd | forever in peace? This is a world of war, and those who do not see
Floyd | that are truly BLIND."
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "blind"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > BLIND
Floyd |
Floyd | "No," you say fiercely, "the truly blind are those who decide the
Floyd | answer to a question before they have ever heard it."
Floyd |
Floyd | Sihan looks away in disgust. "I see I waste my words," she mutters,
Floyd | "on a coward and a fool. I have no more to say." She turns and melts
Floyd | back into the crowd.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says, "I... am looking forward to our next playing of this."
Jacqueline says, "I felt like we were taking a decent approach, but that we haven't done well enough."
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "listen"
Floyd ]    forest  fear  quiet
Floyd |
Floyd | > LISTEN
Floyd |
Floyd | The stars begin to fade as clouds swallow up their light.
Floyd |
Floyd | You turn your attention back to the teller. "On the seventh day," she
Floyd | is saying, "the companions crossed the seventh desert and the seventh
Floyd | mountain range, and came at last to the edge of the Cedar FOREST."
Floyd |
Floyd | "The cedars were green, and the forest cool after the barren heat of
Floyd | the desert, and it smelled inside of wood and soil. But QUIET it was
Floyd | under the boughs of the trees; quiet, with a lingering whisper of
Floyd | FEAR."
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga says (to Floyd), "quiet"
Floyd ]    forest  fear
Floyd |
Floyd | > QUIET
Floyd |
Floyd | "But is this not normal for a forest? I have never heard of noisy
Floyd | trees," you say with a smile.
Floyd |
Floyd | "This forest was too quiet: quiet as a temple, quiet as a tomb," the
Floyd | teller chants, "no creature stirred within the Cedar Forest; not hare
Floyd | nor hawk nor rat nor owl. No beetles crawled on dampened leaves; no
Floyd | crickets chirped. Even the wind seemed to lose its voice as it entered
Floyd | the cool wood."
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "forest"
Floyd ]    fear
Floyd |
Floyd | > FOREST
Floyd |
Floyd | "What did this mighty forest look like?" you say.
Floyd |
Floyd | "Tall were the trees," says the teller, "tall and broad were the trees
Floyd | of the cedar forest, their wide arms grasping each other high above.
Floyd | The Cedar Mountain sloped up, up, up, and the trees were a pale green
Floyd | blanket wrapping it tight.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "fear"
Floyd ]    fear  unknown  dreadful
Floyd |
Floyd | > FEAR
Floyd |
Floyd | Fear, you wonder, of the UNKNOWN? Or the DREADFUL fear of a terrible
Floyd | evil?
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "unknown"
Floyd ]    agree  disgree
Floyd |
Floyd | > UNKNOWN
Floyd |
Floyd | Your mouth is already open to respond when Sihan's voice rises above
Floyd | the circle.
Floyd |
Floyd | "This fear is portentious," Sihan says. "Fear is a warning; a
Floyd | harbinger of terrible things and dangerous times. It is the gods
Floyd | themselves warning us of doom." Sihan looks at you challengingly from
Floyd | across the fire. "Do you agree?" she asks in a bold tone.
Floyd |
Floyd | Whispers of assent float across the fire; some nod visibly at these
Floyd | words. Almost no one is looking towards you now.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga says (to Floyd), "fear"
Floyd ]    faces  not  freezing
Floyd |
Floyd | > FEAR
Floyd |
Floyd | The story has moved on; there are other things to say.
Floyd |
Floyd | The teller speaks slowly, lingering over each word. "Enkidu and
Floyd | Gilgamesh stepped into the cedars with care, but," she says, picking
Floyd | up speed, "the demon Humbaba, Humbaba, Humbaba heard the rustle of
Floyd | every leaf in the forest."
Floyd |
Floyd | The teller leaps up and spreads her arms wide, and the people shrink
Floyd | back in fear. "A wind blew through the trees," the teller says
Floyd | quickly, "and a FREEZING terror seized the companions. Nightmare FACES
Floyd | leered behind gnarled branches: blood-smeared faces, faces of rabid
Floyd | lions, faces with hideous tusks, always changing, always horrible. But
Floyd | the demon did NOT appear before them."
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says, "WE are outspoken? WE? Sihan, that is the pot calling the kettle black."
maga asks, "maybe that was a Y/N? should we undo?"
Jacqueline asks, "Which?"
Jacqueline says, "Oh, yeah."
maga says, "she asked a question"
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "undo"
Floyd ]    agree  disgree
Floyd |
Floyd | > UNDO
Floyd |
Floyd | Around the Fire Pit
Floyd | [Previous turn undone.]
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says, "I'm going to go back two."
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "undo"
Floyd ]    fear  unknown  dreadful
Floyd |
Floyd | > UNDO
Floyd |
Floyd | Around the Fire Pit
Floyd | [Previous turn undone.]
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "fear"
Floyd ]    agree  disgree
Floyd |
Floyd | > FEAR
Floyd |
Floyd | Before you can speak, Sihan steps forward.
Floyd |
Floyd | "This fear is portentious," Sihan says. "Fear is a warning; a
Floyd | harbinger of terrible things and dangerous times. It is the gods
Floyd | themselves warning us of doom." Sihan looks at you challengingly from
Floyd | across the fire. "Do you agree?" she asks in a bold tone.
Floyd |
Floyd | A shepherd nods his head, and holds his wife closer. Sihan smiles at
Floyd | the center of the people's attention.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga says (to Floyd), "y"
Floyd ]    faces  not  freezing
Floyd |
Floyd | > Y
Floyd |
Floyd | "It is true," you say, "our fear can be a valuable measure of coming
Floyd | terror, if we learn how to read it." Sihan nods and smiles.
Floyd |
Floyd | The teller speaks slowly, lingering over each word. "Enkidu and
Floyd | Gilgamesh stepped into the cedars with care, but," she says, picking
Floyd | up speed, "the demon Humbaba, Humbaba, Humbaba heard the rustle of
Floyd | every leaf in the forest."
Floyd |
Floyd | The teller leaps up and spreads her arms wide, and the people shrink
Floyd | back in fear. "A wind blew through the trees," the teller says
Floyd | quickly, "and a FREEZING terror seized the companions. Nightmare FACES
Floyd | leered behind gnarled branches: blood-smeared faces, faces of rabid
Floyd | lions, faces with hideous tusks, always changing, always horrible. But
Floyd | the demon did NOT appear before them."
Floyd |
Floyd | >
DavidW says, "It seems to be that 'undo' isn't really a help in this sort of game."
DavidW says, "er seems to ME"
Jacqueline says, "Well, we had ignored a question that was asked, that's all."
Olly asks, "We agree?"
Jacqueline says, "I think we should have said no, though."
maga says, "seemed to me we could have agreed in a turn-around way, but it didn't turn out that way"
maga says, "so sure, go back"
Jacqueline says, "Enh, we said it now."
Jacqueline says, "Let's just go."
maga says (to Floyd), "faces"
Floyd ]    faces  thieves  more  not  freezing
Floyd |
Floyd | > FACES
Floyd |
Floyd | Shifting faces can be the mark of THIEVES; but perhaps there is MORE
Floyd | to them.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga says (to Floyd), "more"
Floyd ]    not  freezing
Floyd |
Floyd | > MORE
Floyd |
Floyd | "The faces--whose were they?" you ask.
Floyd |
Floyd | "The terrors of Humbaba; the seven terrors of the demon," says the
Floyd | teller. "Guarding their master they should have been; but they flocked
Floyd | to the companions, leering and snarling at them with a thousand devil
Floyd | faces. Enkidu's heart raced in his chest, as it had not done since he
Floyd | ran with the animals."
Floyd |
Floyd | The stars begin to fade as clouds swallow up their light.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
katie-paquette says (to Jacqueline), "The screen reader is doing worse than the braillenote. At least it's keeping up with you."
Jacqueline says, "Well, that part is good, that it's keeping up."
maga says (to Floyd), "listen"
Floyd ]    not  freezing
Floyd |
Floyd | > LISTEN
Floyd |
Floyd | The wind is picking up now, catching the teller's hair and making it
Floyd | dance with each gust.
Floyd |
Floyd | Sihan raises her voice above the crowd. "Truly Humbaba was hideous!"
Floyd | she shouts. "These changing faces that precede him are like those of
Floyd | all liars and thieves who mask their true self."
Floyd |
Floyd | "Only too true," nods a gaunt woman from the crowd. "Evil is often
Floyd | couched in deception and lies."
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "not"
Floyd ]    not  fear  scare  freezing
Floyd |
Floyd | > NOT
Floyd |
Floyd | Curious, that. Did the demon not appear because he was a COWARD,
Floyd | trembling before the approach of the mighty heroes? Or did he perhaps
Floyd | hope to SCARE off the companions and avoid a fight?
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline asks, "SCARE?"
DavidW says, "I like it when unnamed people in the crowd have something to say."
Olly is borne away by a squadron of flying toads.
Fido heads back home.
Fido has disconnected. maga says, "it would certainly seem that way, Socrates"
Jacqueline says, "heh"
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "scare"
Floyd ]    together  fell
Floyd |
Floyd | > SCARE
Floyd |
Floyd | "Perhaps he thought to save himself the trouble of fighting," you say
Floyd | with an amused tone, "by scaring off the intruders. Wise is the one
Floyd | who avoids unnecessary conflict."
Floyd |
Floyd | The story goes on. "With a cry, Enkidu FELL to his knees," says the
Floyd | teller, mimicking the action. "'I cannot go on, friend Gilgamesh! You
Floyd | must leave me and go on alone. I must return to Uruk in shame, for I
Floyd | cannot withstand the terrors of Humbaba!'"
Floyd |
Floyd | "Gilgamesh pulled Enkidu to his feet. 'Courage, friend,' he said. 'Two
Floyd | may prevail where one would fall. TOGETHER, we are stronger than any
Floyd | single man. Touch my heart and you will not fear death.' And Enkidu
Floyd | placed his hand on Gilgamesh's chest, and he felt no fear. Together
Floyd | they journeyed deeper into the forest."
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline exclaims, "How come nobody applauded our 'wise is the one who avoids unnecessar conflicts'?!"
Jacqueline asks, "People, can I get a witness?"
DavidW says, "suggest try TOGETHER"
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "together"
Floyd ]    fell
Floyd |
Floyd | > TOGETHER
Floyd |
Floyd | "So true are the words of Gilgamesh," you say. "Two together are
Floyd | stronger than two divided. Such a simple thing to say, but how many
Floyd | can remember it?"
Floyd |
Floyd | Whispers of assent float across the fire; a fair number nod visibly at
Floyd | these words. Saiph gives you a quiet smile from across the fire.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
DavidW says, "there. They liked that one."
Jacqueline says, "Yeah. Nicely done."
Jacqueline says, "We got a smile from our lurve."
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "fell"
Floyd ]    brave
Floyd |
Floyd | > FELL
Floyd |
Floyd | Your mouth is already open to respond when Sihan's voice rises above
Floyd | the circle.
Floyd |
Floyd | Sihan lets out a contemptuous snort. "So a few shadows in the dark is
Floyd | all it takes to subdue this Enkidu?" Sihan asks. "I would have
Floyd | expected more from one of Uruk's greatest heroes."
Floyd |
Floyd | "You would expect the entire village to walk off a cliff if it would
Floyd | make them seem more honorable," Saiph says hotly, but the mood of the
Floyd | crowd is clearly against him.
Floyd |
Floyd | "Be quiet and let the story continue," shouts a voice from the back of
Floyd | the circle.
Floyd |
Floyd | The stars begin to fade as clouds swallow up their light.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says, "This is not going well."
maga says (to Floyd), "brave"
Floyd ]    breath  screech  first
Floyd |
Floyd | > BRAVE
Floyd |
Floyd | "Even the bravest of heroes feel fear at times," you say gently. "Even
Floyd | the surest of feet sometimes question their way."
Floyd |
Floyd | "Soon before them rose up a mighty cedar," continues the storyteller,
Floyd | "so tall its top seemed to touch the sky. 'Surely, this must be the
Floyd | tallest cedar in the forest,' Gilgamesh cried, and unsheathed his axe.
Floyd | But his FIRST blow had scarcely fallen when Humbaba screamed with
Floyd | rage. The leaves rustled and the ground shook, and in an instant
Floyd | Humbaba the terrible had come."
Floyd |
Floyd | "His face shimmered and whirled with a thousand forms," says the
Floyd | teller, eyes wide as if the demon stands before him, "a thousand
Floyd | nightmare faces whirled and shimmered down at them. Humbaba's BREATH
Floyd | scorched their faces; his SCREECHES cut their ears."
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga says (to Floyd), "breath"
Floyd ]    breath  screech  hides  terror  striking
Floyd |
Floyd | > BREATH
Floyd |
Floyd | Before you can speak, Sihan steps forward.
Floyd |
Floyd | "On the very first blow of Gilgamesh the demon came?" Sihan asks.
Floyd |
Floyd | "That is so," nods the teller, "the sound of the splitting tree had
Floyd | not yet died when the ground began to shake with Humbaba's rage."
Floyd |
Floyd | "He is cunning," Sihan says, "this demon. He HIDES behind shadows and
Floyd | TERROR, waiting for his victims to grow complacent before STRIKING."
Floyd |
Floyd | Low muttering comes from across the circle; it seems this has struck a
Floyd | chord with some. Almost no one is looking towards you now.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "take our toys and go back to our tent"
Floyd ]    breath  screech  hides  terror  striking
Floyd |
Floyd | > TAKE OUR TOYS AND GO BACK TO OUR TENT
Floyd |
Floyd | [I'm not sure what you are referring to.]
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline harumphs.
maga says (to Floyd), "hides"
Floyd ]    breath  screech  terror  striking
Floyd |
Floyd | > HIDES
Floyd |
Floyd | "Hides?" you ask aloud. "It was no secret that Humbaba dwelt within
Floyd | the Cedar Forest. It was no secret to Gilgamesh that he was its
Floyd | guardian. Gilgamesh and Enkidu knew well the consequences if they
Floyd | entered there."
Floyd |
Floyd | "It also was no secret that this creature was a demon, a monster,"
Floyd | says a young father with a clenched jaw, as many in the crowd mutter
Floyd | their assent. "If you imply this beast was somehow wronged, you speak
Floyd | your words into a lonely void."
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Limax arrives, full of neither funk nor fun. Limax asks, "What did folks choose to play?"
maga says (to Floyd), "striking"
Floyd ]    friend  gilgamesh
Floyd |
Floyd | > STRIKING
Floyd |
Floyd | "And Gilgamesh and Enkidu's response will be swift," you say. "They
Floyd | will cut down this wicked demon before he may spread his terror to the
Floyd | world."
Floyd |
Floyd | The crowd voices their approval loudly.
Floyd |
Floyd | The story goes on. "GILGAMESH trembled and fell to his knees. 'I
Floyd | cannot face him!' he cried to Enkidu, 'My blood has turned to ice. You
Floyd | must go on and fight him without me!'
Floyd |
Floyd | Enkidu pulled Gilgamesh to his feet. 'Courage, FRIEND,' he said. 'The
Floyd | well-twined rope is stronger than a single strand. Together, we are
Floyd | stronger than any single man. Touch my heart and you will not fear
Floyd | death.' And Gilgamesh placed his hand on Enkidu's chest, and he felt
Floyd | no fear. Together they drew their weapons and faced the demon
Floyd | Humbaba."
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says, "Whom The Telling Changed."
maga says, "oops"
Jacqueline asks (of maga), "Are you just going to roll with the crowd now?"
maga says, "apparently Sihan has convinced me"
maga says, "she has very nice hair okay"
Jacqueline says, "haha"
Limax says, "Hee he"
Limax says, "e"
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "praise"
Floyd ]    friend  gilgamesh
Floyd |
Floyd | > PRAISE
Floyd |
Floyd | [You can only do that to a human being.]
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says, "Oh, ah."
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "friend"
Floyd ]    gilgamesh
Floyd |
Floyd | > FRIEND
Floyd |
Floyd | "The true friend is always there to help," you say. "What would
Floyd | Gilgamesh have done without Enkidu?"
Floyd |
Floyd | "Spent less time talking and more fighting!" says a young man, whose
Floyd | friends all laugh uproariously.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "mock"
Floyd ]    gilgamesh
Floyd |
Floyd | > MOCK
Floyd |
Floyd | [You can only do that to a human being.]
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga says, "sure, laugh it up, chuckles"
Jacqueline says, "I WANT TO MOCK THAT GUY WHO MOCKED US"
maga says (to Floyd), "mock crowd"
Floyd ]    gilgamesh
Floyd |
Floyd | > MOCK CROWD
Floyd |
Floyd | He is not nearby.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says, "He's not a human being, I guess."
maga says (to Floyd), "mock young man"
Floyd ]    gilgamesh
Floyd |
Floyd | > MOCK YOUNG MAN
Floyd |
Floyd | [I'm not sure what you are referring to.]
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga says (to Floyd), "mock sihan"
Floyd ]    gilgamesh
Floyd |
Floyd | > MOCK SIHAN
Floyd |
Floyd | She is not nearby.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga says (to Floyd), "mock me"
Floyd ]    gilgamesh
Floyd |
Floyd | > MOCK ME
Floyd |
Floyd | You can't see "me" (yourself) at the moment.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "info"
Floyd ]    gilgamesh
Floyd |
Floyd | > INFO
Floyd |
Floyd | [I am your eyes and hands within the story. Direct me with commands
Floyd | such as EXAMINE THE BAG, GO OUTSIDE, LISTEN, or FIGHT HIM. Single word
Floyd | shorthand like FIGHT or BAG will often suffice. Some single words will
Floyd | be HIGHLIGHTED to bring them to your attention. Type them to shape the
Floyd | story to your will; some of the possible choices will be seen in the
Floyd | header bar above. Time only advances when you give a command or type
Floyd | LISTEN, which it is sometimes wise to do.
Floyd |
Floyd | Other useful commands include REPEAT, to remember what was recently
Floyd | said; STORY to see the choices you have made; INVENTORY to see what
Floyd | you are holding; WAIT to let the time pass; UNDO to take back your
Floyd | last turn; and GREET, MOCK, PRAISE, TALK TO or ASK ABOUT to interact
Floyd | with characters.
Floyd |
Floyd | More information about this story is available by typing ABOUT.]
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "listen"
Floyd ]    gilgamesh
Floyd |
Floyd | > LISTEN
Floyd |
Floyd | The people huddle together as a hot, damp wind catches their clothes.
Floyd |
Floyd | The crowd shuffles impatiently. "Let the story move on," calls
Floyd | someone, "let the heroes overcome their fear and destroy this demon."
Floyd | Many nod in agreement; Sihan looks at you with a smug, victorious
Floyd | smile.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga says (to Floyd), "repeat"
Floyd ]    gilgamesh
Floyd |
Floyd | > REPEAT
Floyd |
Floyd | The story goes on. "GILGAMESH trembled and fell to his knees. 'I
Floyd | cannot face him!' he cried to Enkidu, 'My blood has turned to ice. You
Floyd | must go on and fight him without me!'
Floyd |
Floyd | Enkidu pulled Gilgamesh to his feet. 'Courage, friend,' he said. 'The
Floyd | well-twined rope is stronger than a single strand. Together, we are
Floyd | stronger than any single man. Touch my heart and you will not fear
Floyd | death.' And Gilgamesh placed his hand on Enkidu's chest, and he felt
Floyd | no fear. Together they drew their weapons and faced the demon
Floyd | Humbaba."
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga says (to Floyd), "gilgamesh"
Floyd ]    screech  humbaba  defeat  lightning
Floyd |
Floyd | > GILGAMESH
Floyd |
Floyd | "Ahh," you say, a great smile breaking over your face despite
Floyd | yourself. "And now it is your mighty Gilgamesh who falls to his knees
Floyd | in fear. Will you mock him too, as you did Enkidu?"
Floyd |
Floyd | Sihan stares back at your with narrowed eyes. "Do not make light of
Floyd | the story," she says quietly.
Floyd |
Floyd | The story continues. "Humbaba laughed, and the mountains shook," the
Floyd | teller says, then draws herself up and cries out in a great, booming
Floyd | voice: "'What fools are these? What fools are these who dare challenge
Floyd | the demon Humbaba? I will crush your bodies and leave your corpses
Floyd | bloody and mangled on the ground. You will never see your homes again
Floyd | and your women and children will mourn an empty grave.' And with a
Floyd | roar like the splitting of the heavens, Humbaba charged."
Floyd |
Floyd | "Enkidu stabbed with spear; Gilgamesh slashed with sword; Humbaba
Floyd | ripped with claws. Trees crashed to earth; the ground was torn
Floyd | asunder; lightning and thunder split the skies over the forest.
Floyd | Gilgamesh and Enkidu fought like no men ever fought before; but still
Floyd | the demon Humbaba drove them back, and the companions came ever closer
Floyd | to defeat."
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Limax asks, "Interesting... single word commands.. reminds me of ... hm... Aisle?"
Jacqueline says, "No. It's really nothing like aisle."
Limax says, "There was an IF game that I played hwer eyou had to pick out keywords out of he narrative and just use those"
maga says, "Blue Lacuna also used the keyword interface"
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "humbaba"
Floyd ]    screech  defeat  lightning
Floyd |
Floyd | > HUMBABA
Floyd |
Floyd | Your mouth is already open to respond when Sihan's voice rises above
Floyd | the circle.
Floyd |
Floyd | "Awesome must it have been, to see such a fight," Sihan says.
Floyd |
Floyd | "You would not have wanted to be too close!" warns the teller,
Floyd | bringing a nervous laugh from the audience. "The clouds turned to a
Floyd | poisonous shroud; the very mountains were split by the fury of
Floyd | Humbaba's rage. It was all the companions could do to stay alive."
Floyd |
Floyd | Sihan speaks under her breath with a friend across the circle.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Limax says, "It wasn't Blue Lacuna... most likely older"
Lucea asks, "the space under the window?"
maga says (to Floyd), "lightning"
Floyd ]    behind  shamash
Floyd |
Floyd | > LIGHTNING
Floyd |
Floyd | You open your mouth to speak but a middle-aged widow turns with a look
Floyd | of annoyance. "You speak too much." she says frostily, "Be quiet and
Floyd | let the rest of us hear how the story ends!"
Floyd |
Floyd | She turns eagerly back to the teller, as several nearby people hide
Floyd | their smiles, but the teller's face is hard. "Those who speak too
Floyd | little have no voice in the story," she says, eyeing the old woman
Floyd | critically. "Which fate is worse?"
Floyd |
Floyd | The teller continues. "Gilgamesh cried to the sky, 'Shamash, my lord!
Floyd | Help your servant Gilgamesh in his hour of need!' And SHAMASH heard
Floyd | Gilgamesh's cry, and sent all the mighty WINDS of the world to rail
Floyd | against Humbaba: The Winds of the North and the South and the West and
Floyd | the East and the Rainstorm and the Snowstorm and the Icestorm and the
Floyd | Sandstorm; the Screaming Winds and the Piercing Winds and the Cruel
Floyd | Winds and the Devil Winds and the Winds of Simurru. Thirteen winds
Floyd | Shamash sent against Humbaba, and not even he could stand against them
Floyd | all. Enkidu threw a net over Humbaba and Gilgamesh seized him from
Floyd | BEHIND."
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga says, "daaaaang"
Jacqueline says, "ouch"
maga says, "we suck so hard that the tribe gagged us"
Limax says (to Lucea), "That's it"
Jacqueline says, "Whom the Telling Changed into a Toad"
Emily says, "ha ha"
maga says (to Floyd), "winds"
Floyd ]    behind  fairness  shamash  assistanc
Floyd |
Floyd | > WINDS
Floyd |
Floyd | The mighty ASSISTANCE of Shamash is timely; but is it also a bit
Floyd | UNFAIR?
Floyd |
Floyd | >
DavidW says, "It's clever to use a god vs another god, though."
Jearl says, "crowd's not gonna like UNFAIR at this point"
Jacqueline says, "Also, hooray for a Jules Verne sentence construction (the bit about winds)"
Lucea arrives, full of funk, but no fun. Jacqueline says (to Jearl), "Let's do it."
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "unfair"
Floyd ]    fairness
Floyd |
Floyd | > UNFAIR
Floyd |
Floyd | Your mouth is already open to respond when Sihan's voice rises above
Floyd | the circle.
Floyd |
Floyd | "How awesome an ally," Sihan marvels, "how great an honor the
Floyd | companions of our story received! Could their quest be any more
Floyd | justified than with the divine blessing, the divine assistance of
Floyd | Shamash, lord of the skies?"
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jearl says, "bah"
says (to Floyd), "kill Sihan"
Jacqueline says, "We totally should have taken the dagger."
Jacqueline says, "Next time, the dagger."
Limax says, "Dang... I need more coffee... I was trying to figure out why Floyd didn't respond to Jacqueline"
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "fairness"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > FAIRNESS
Floyd |
Floyd | "So that is how the mighty heroes end their adventure," you say
Floyd | bitterly, "sneaking behind an enemy held down by a god. How brave the
Floyd | companions were."
Floyd |
Floyd | The crowd mutters angrily. "Hold your tongue," says an older woman,
Floyd | wagging a finger in your face. "I will not hear you slander good
Floyd | Gilgamesh and brave Enkidu any longer."
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "mock"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > MOCK
Floyd |
Floyd | The story has moved on; there are other things to say.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga says, "Whom the Trolling Changed"
Jacqueline says, "I am completely failing to mock anyone."
Jacqueline says (to maga), "heh"
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "kill me now"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > KILL ME NOW
Floyd |
Floyd | You can't see "me" (yourself) at the moment.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "listen"
Floyd ]    pity  could  humbaba  trees  servant  evil  mercy
Floyd | monster
Floyd |
Floyd | > LISTEN
Floyd |
Floyd | A gust of wind makes the ashes of the fire hiss.
Floyd |
Floyd | The teller continues. "HUMBABA saw the way things were and cried out
Floyd | in fear. Humbaba the demon CRIED out, 'Do not kill me, mighty heroes!
Floyd | If you let me live I will be your slave, your eternal SERVANT. I will
Floyd | let you cut down all the TREES you want; I will cut them for you. I
Floyd | COULD have attacked you when first you set foot in my forest, but I
Floyd | showed you MERCY. Now return the favor and spare my life.'
Floyd |
Floyd | "Gilgamesh heard Humbaba's words and took PITY on the monster. He
Floyd | lowered his sword. But Enkidu cried out: 'Do not listen to him! Show
Floyd | no mercy to this cunning foe, this EVIL creature. If you let him live
Floyd | he would attack us the moment our backs were turned.'"
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says, "Well, we *could* beat a dead horse and say 'pity'"
Limax asks, "So... anything that's capicalized?"
Jacqueline says, "but I think we are beyond hope now"
Jacqueline asks (of Limax), "Why don't you @recap the game?"
Limax says (to Jacqueline), "Too much. work. :P"
Limax says, "(I will do tha)"
maga says (to Floyd), "pity"
Floyd ]    could  humbaba  trees  servant  evil  mercy  monster
Floyd |
Floyd | > PITY
Floyd |
Floyd | "Curious," you say, "that mighty Gilgamesh, so strong and proud, would
Floyd | take pity on the creature in this way."
Floyd |
Floyd | "He has been through a great battle," says Sihan, "and the great
Floyd | windstorm has doubtless muddled his wits."
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga says (to Floyd), "trees"
Floyd ]    could  humbaba  servant  evil  mercy  monster
Floyd |
Floyd | > TREES
Floyd |
Floyd | "Humbaba offered the trees of the Cedar Forest to Gilgamesh and
Floyd | Enkidu?" you ask.
Floyd |
Floyd | "Yes," breathes the storyteller. "Humbaba the demon even offered to
Floyd | carry the timber back to Uruk."
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga says (to Floyd), "mercy"
Floyd ]    could  humbaba  servant  mercy  monster
Floyd |
Floyd | > MERCY
Floyd |
Floyd | Sihan is speaking before you can react.
Floyd |
Floyd | "My people," says Sihan, "is the evil of this demon Humbaba not clear?
Floyd | Hideous he is, with changing faces; he strikes fear into the hearts of
Floyd | all men; he threatens Gilgamesh. He must be destroyed."
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga says (to Floyd), "evil"
Floyd ]    humbaba  defending  enkidu  gods
Floyd |
Floyd | > EVIL
Floyd |
Floyd | The time is not right to weave that into the story.
Floyd |
Floyd | The storyteller continues. "Humbaba the demon called out in fear,
Floyd | 'Please, mighty heroes, do not slay HUMBABA! I was set by Enlil,
Floyd | father of the GODS, to GUARD over the forest. If you slay me he will
Floyd | be angry and his judgment severe.'
Floyd |
Floyd | "Gilgamesh heard the demon and again took pity on him, lowering his
Floyd | sword, but ENKIDU cried out, 'Gilgamesh, do not listen to his words;
Floyd | close your ears! Kill the demon before you become confused. Kill him
Floyd | now before he can tell the gods anything. Kill him now and claim your
Floyd | fame!'"
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline sighs.
Jacqueline asks, "What now?"
Jearl says, "blergh"
maga says (to Floyd), "humbaba"
Floyd ]    humbaba  weakness  wise  defending  enkidu  gods
Floyd |
Floyd | > HUMBABA
Floyd |
Floyd | Perhaps it was a sign of WEAKNESS for the demon to plead for his life.
Floyd | Or was the creature WISE not to fight to the death?
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "wise"
Floyd ]    defending  enkidu  gods
Floyd |
Floyd | > WISE
Floyd |
Floyd | "Humbaba was wise not to fight to the death," you say. "Continuing
Floyd | malice in the face of total destruction is foolishness."
Floyd |
Floyd | At these words, some nod somberly. Parents hold their children
Floyd | tighter. Saiph gives you a quiet smile from across the fire.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
DavidW asks, "I think it's counterproductive to *always* disagree with the enemy. Otherwise, where will any basis for cooperation come from?"
maga says (to Floyd), "gods"
Floyd ]    defending  enkidu
Floyd |
Floyd | > GODS
Floyd |
Floyd | "Humbaba's words should not be dismissed," you say. "Will not Enlil be
Floyd | angered if his servant is destroyed? These brave heroes should not be
Floyd | pawns of the gods; they should make their own fate, and not interfere
Floyd | with the realm of the divine."
Floyd |
Floyd | A voice somewhere behind you calls, "It is true!" and a few nod their
Floyd | heads in agreement.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says (to DW), "I will disagree just to be contrary. Okay, just kidding. I do agree with you, but there haven't been many places to do that where it wouldn't have been a lie."
maga says (to Floyd), "z"
Floyd ]    defending
Floyd |
Floyd | > Z
Floyd |
Floyd | In a sudden flash of lightning the whole valley is illuminated around
Floyd | you; then you are plunged back into darkness.
Floyd |
Floyd | "Enkidu has had a change of heart," Sihan says. "When once he opposed
Floyd | Gilgamesh in the quest to slay Humbaba, he now is more set on this
Floyd | mission than even Gilgamesh."
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga says (to Floyd), "defending"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > DEFENDING
Floyd |
Floyd | "Humbaba did not threaten the people of Uruk," you reply. "He only
Floyd | guarded the Cedar Forest many leagues away. It was Gilgamesh and
Floyd | Enkidu who came to Humbaba's home and attacked him. It was Humbaba who
Floyd | had the right of defense."
Floyd |
Floyd | The teller continues. "Gilgamesh looked into Enkidu's eyes," says the
Floyd | teller's powerful voice, "Gilgamesh, the King, looked into the eyes of
Floyd | his friend Enkidu and made his decision. He knew..."
Floyd |
Floyd | A gasp rises from the far side of the circle. Out of the darkness
Floyd | three dozen strangers appear, bearing long spears and faces painted
Floyd | with dark blue lines. It is the newcomers, the invaders in your
Floyd | valley, and as they approach your fire, the rain begins to fall.
Floyd |
Floyd | Amongst them one stands out: tall, with sharp features and a thick
Floyd | leather vest. You guess at once that he is their leader.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline exclaims, "Now it comes to it!"
Jearl asks, "greet?"
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "greet"
Floyd ]    dark  half  gift  spear
Floyd |
Floyd | > GREET
Floyd |
Floyd | "Welcome to our village," you say to the leader. "We did not expect
Floyd | visitors in the midst of our telling. What can we do for you?"
Floyd |
Floyd | The warrior leader steps out of the DARKNESS and bares his teeth. "You
Floyd | will give us HALF your sheep," he says in a strange, harsh accent,
Floyd | "and half your grain. You will GIFT us these things or we will take
Floyd | them, now." The men behind him grip their SPEARS tightly.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says, "Oh, okay. Now I side with Sihan."
maga says, "hey, maybe they just have a *very* strong tradition of potlatch"
Jacqueline says, "I'm guessing that had we prevailed in the telling, they'd be peaceful, but hopefully we'll see that next game."
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "listen"
Floyd ]    dark  gift  spear
Floyd |
Floyd | > LISTEN
Floyd |
Floyd | The fire smokes and hisses as rain falls on it.
Floyd |
Floyd | "Half?" a bold youth says mockingly, stepping forward in anger.
Floyd | "Beggars should not be so greedy. Why should we give you anything at
Floyd | all? We are strong, and do not fear your threats."
Floyd |
Floyd | The warrior leader's face darkens and he grips his SPEAR tightly. "My
Floyd | people are also strong," he says coldly. "I ask you one last time.
Floyd | Either give us what we want; half your sheep and grain; or we shall
Floyd | RAZE your village to the ground."
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Lucea says, "it got worse"
Jacqueline says, "It did."
maga says (to Floyd), "spear"
Floyd ]    dark  gift  spear  even  force
Floyd |
Floyd | > SPEAR
Floyd |
Floyd | The enemy looks to be about an EVEN match--but perhaps they will
Floyd | respond to a show of FORCE.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga says (to Floyd), "even"
Floyd ]    dark  gift  spear  force  shepherd
Floyd |
Floyd | > EVEN
Floyd |
Floyd | "Your spears are of fine make," you say, "not so different from ours.
Floyd | I think if our peoples were to fight, it would be a very close
Floyd | battle."
Floyd |
Floyd | The warrior leader's face stays fierce, but you see in his eyes he has
Floyd | thought the same. "We would not take this path," he says with heavy
Floyd | tones, "were there any other way. But the spear is the only way we
Floyd | have in this strange land where our SHEPHERDS cannot catch sheep."
Floyd |
Floyd | Lightning flashes across the bodies of the enemy warriors, who stand
Floyd | for an instant in brightest light before thunder and DARKNESS settle
Floyd | over them once again.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Lucea says (to floyd), "shepherd"
Floyd ]    dark  gift  spear  force  offers  fools
Floyd |
Floyd | > SHEPHERD
Floyd |
Floyd | "The skill to catch these sheep can be taught," you say. "We will
Floyd | teach you. Come in peace, and we will teach you to catch the sheep and
Floyd | share our grain with you."
Floyd |
Floyd | A twisted smile crosses the leader's face. "We have heard such OFFERS
Floyd | before," he says, a bitter edge shaping his voice, "to come unarmed
Floyd | and helpless to the homes of enemies with sharpened SPEARS and cruel
Floyd | daggers. Do you think us FOOLS?"
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Lucea says, "so far, no razing"
maga says (to Floyd), "fools"
Floyd ]    dark  gift  spear  force  offers  fools  foolish  despair
Floyd |
Floyd | > FOOLS
Floyd |
Floyd | Are they truly FOOLISH? Or are they merely shaped by DESPAIR?
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga says (to Floyd), "despair"
Floyd ]    dark  gift  spear  force  offers  fools  foolish  despair
Floyd |
Floyd | > DESPAIR
Floyd |
Floyd | "You are not fools," you say softly, "only people like us who do not
Floyd | wish to see their children starve."
Floyd |
Floyd | "You are brave," he says after a time, looking away for a moment and
Floyd | licking his lips. He focuses on your people. "And clear-headed," he
Floyd | adds. "Perhaps... perhaps there are things we can learn from you."
Floyd |
Floyd | He steps forward and your people raise their weapons, but you hold up
Floyd | your arms and stand before them. The warrior leader places his spear
Floyd | on the ground. As he straightens, a wave of sighs moves through the
Floyd | circle, a release of tension in both strangers and neighbors.
Floyd |
Floyd | The leader of the warriors looks upon you with stoic pride. "I am
Floyd | Arkab," he says, "and these are my people."
Floyd |
Floyd |  [Press any key to continue]
maga pushes the green 'space' button.
Floyd |
maga pushes the green 'space' button.
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | The fire has almost died and the people have scattered, leaving a
Floyd | tangible emptiness behind. Even the rain has stopped its drizzle.
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jearl says, "now ambush them!"
Jacqueline exclaims, "Jearl!"
katie-paquette gets bored and wanders off to the Toyshop.
katie-paquette arrives, ready to play with the toys. Jearl says, "with...hugs"
maga pushes the green 'space' button.
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Floyd |
Floyd | [Nothing entered.]
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says, "haha"
Jacqueline says, "yay"
DavidW asks, "Why do I feel we'll never hear the end of the storyteller's story?"
maga says (to Floyd), "l"
Floyd ]    arkab  enemy
Floyd |
Floyd | > L
Floyd |
Floyd | The fire has almost died and the people have scattered, leaving a
Floyd | tangible emptiness behind. Even the rain has stopped its drizzle.
Floyd |
Floyd | Saiph finds you and gives you a strong embrace. "I am glad there was
Floyd | no war," your love says, "though I was ready to fight if I had to.
Floyd | ARKAB has promised to return tomorrow, bearing gifts instead of
Floyd | spears."
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says, "yay gifts"
maga says (to Floyd), "arkab"
Floyd ]    wounded
Floyd |
katie-paquette says, "Sorry my computer accidentally shut off."
Floyd | > ARKAB
Floyd |
Floyd | "He seems a man of his word?" you ask.
Floyd |
Floyd | "It is too early to tell," says Saiph cautiously, "but I have a good
Floyd | feeling about him."
Floyd |
Floyd | Saiph places a firm hand on your shoulder. "There is sad news," he
Floyd | says. "The storyteller is DYING. The shock must have done something to
Floyd | her heart. There is little we can do now, but she asked to speak with
Floyd | you. You should hurry," he adds quietly, pointing towards the
Floyd | storyteller's TENT near the edge of the village, "for there is not
Floyd | much time left to her."
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says, "I have no idea how we were allowed to have that conversation without Sihan butting in."
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "tent"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > TENT
Floyd |
Floyd | You pull aside the flap of the teller's tent and step inside.
Floyd |
Floyd | A lamp burns low, its nearly-spent wick barely lighting up the
Floyd | storyteller's small tent. Nothing adorns the walls or brightens up the
Floyd | floor; all that is here is a small straw mat, on which the teller
Floyd | lies, breathing shallowly.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga says (to Floyd), "x teller"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > X TELLER
Floyd |
Floyd | The teller lies on a simple straw mat, as if merely resting, but it is
Floyd | clear at once she is very sick. Her face is waxy white; breathing
Floyd | rasps in a sweat-covered throat; grimaces of pain fight for control of
Floyd | the wrinkled face.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "kiss her"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > KISS HER
Floyd |
Floyd | You can't see "her" (Sihan) at the moment.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "kiss teller"
Floyd ]    yes  no
Floyd |
Floyd | > KISS TELLER
Floyd |
Floyd | Now is not the time for that.
Floyd |
Floyd | The teller smiles at your arrival, and beckons you closer with a weak
Floyd | hand. You kneel by the old straw mat and grasp the cold fingers
Floyd | tightly.
Floyd |
Floyd | "Curious," she mutters, "the way fate moves, sometimes weaving a
Floyd | fantastic tale, and othertimes getting the timing all wrong. I would
Floyd | not have had my end be upstaged, were I telling this final chapter."
Floyd | She smiles, then grimaces in pain.
Floyd |
Floyd | The teller seems to look through your eyes to something hidden at the
Floyd | core of your being, and weigh it with great care. "The people did not
Floyd | hear the end of the story," she says presently. "For good or ill a
Floyd | great decision was made tonight, before the story was complete. Would
Floyd | you know how it ends?"
Floyd |
Floyd | >
katie-paquette says, "My computer was acting funny."
maga says (to Floyd), "y"
Floyd ]    yes
Floyd |
Floyd | > Y
Floyd |
Floyd | "Yes," you say, "I would hear the end of the story."
Floyd |
Floyd | The teller smiles and closes her eyes. "Gilgamesh faced a choice," she
Floyd | says quietly. "Whether to take pity on Humbaba and spare his life, or
Floyd | kill him, as his friend Enkidu counseled. Gilgamesh looked into
Floyd | Enkidu's eyes, and made his choice. He reached into the demon's throat
Floyd | and pulled out his insides, pulled them out of the demon's body by his
Floyd | tongue. Enkidu chopped off Humbaba's head, and the ground shook, and
Floyd | the forest trembled, and the soil ran with blood. And then it rained,
Floyd | it rained, it rained..."
Floyd |
Floyd | The storyteller trails off, eyes unfocused, as if lost in another
Floyd | world. After a long moment, she comes back and looks at you. "Perhaps
Floyd | this seems to you a strange story to tell at such a time?" she asks.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "n"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > N
Floyd |
Floyd | The teller wants to spend her last moments with you; you cannot refuse
Floyd | such an offer.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "listen"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > LISTEN
Floyd |
Floyd | Wind tugs gently at the tent flaps, then subsides.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga says, "oops"
maga says (to Floyd), "y"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > Y
Floyd |
Floyd | You smile, your affinity lighting up your face.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says, "That wasn't an oops."
Jearl says, "I think we were supposed to say y"
maga says (to Floyd), "x lamp"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > X LAMP
Floyd |
Floyd | That is not nearby.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says, "I was telling her that it didn't seem strange for her to tell us this in her last moments."
maga says (to Floyd), "l"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > L
Floyd |
Floyd | A lamp burns low, its nearly-spent wick barely lighting up the
Floyd | storyteller's small tent. Nothing adorns the walls or brightens up the
Floyd | floor; all that is here is a small straw mat, on which the teller
Floyd | lies, breathing shallowly.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
DavidW says (to Floyd), "yes"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > YES
Floyd |
Floyd | You smile, your affinity lighting up your face.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga says (to Floyd), "talk to teller"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > TALK TO TELLER
Floyd |
Floyd | She is not nearby.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga says, "nrgh"
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "l"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > L
Floyd |
Floyd | A lamp burns low, its nearly-spent wick barely lighting up the
Floyd | storyteller's small tent. Nothing adorns the walls or brightens up the
Floyd | floor; all that is here is a small straw mat, on which the teller
Floyd | lies, breathing shallowly.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga says (to Floyd), "z"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > Z
Floyd |
Floyd | The lamp sputters quietly, sending flickering shadows across the tent
Floyd | wall.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "heal"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > HEAL
Floyd |
Floyd | You examine the teller quickly and see it is as Saiph has said. Her
Floyd | breath is shallow and skin is pale, but the eyes tell you most clearly
Floyd | how short her time is.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
DavidW asks, "Did something get fouled by that initial 'n'?"
Jearl asks, "can we repeat, or story?"
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "story"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > STORY
Floyd |
Floyd | This is a story about a healer in the village who was in love with a
Floyd | strong warrior man, Saiph. On the night of the telling, when the
Floyd | healer's aunt Isi became the teller, their enemy Sihan tried her best
Floyd | to turn the people towards needless war with the outsiders. The healer
Floyd | spoke against this reckless path, but the people heard the words of
Floyd | Sihan more clearly.
Floyd |
Floyd | Words flew between these two firebrands, but their rancor was too
Floyd | bitter and curdled to heal. The arrival out of the blackest night of
Floyd | the strange newcomers shook the crowd, so sure peace was the way. The
Floyd | healer who brokered a fragile peace, and agreed to share their
Floyd | resources with the curious strangers to their land.
Floyd |
Floyd | And the teller lay dying, struck down from shock or chance with a
Floyd | weakened heart, and in her final moments called the healer to her
Floyd | side.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says, "I guess we can undo back to the point of entering the tent."
DavidW says, "try repeat"
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "repeat"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > REPEAT
Floyd |
Floyd | A lamp burns low, its nearly-spent wick barely lighting up the
Floyd | storyteller's small tent. Nothing adorns the walls or brightens up the
Floyd | floor; all that is here is a small straw mat, on which the teller
Floyd | lies, breathing shallowly.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga says (to Floyd), "out"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > OUT
Floyd |
Floyd | The teller wants to spend her last moments with you; you cannot refuse
Floyd | such an offer.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "undo"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > UNDO
Floyd |
Floyd | The Storyteller's Tent
Floyd | [Previous turn undone.]
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "undo"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > UNDO
Floyd |
Floyd | The Storyteller's Tent
Floyd | [Previous turn undone.]
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "undo"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > UNDO
Floyd |
Floyd | The Storyteller's Tent
Floyd | [Previous turn undone.]
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "undo"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > UNDO
Floyd |
Floyd | The Storyteller's Tent
Floyd | [Previous turn undone.]
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "undo"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > UNDO
Floyd |
Floyd | The Storyteller's Tent
Floyd | [Previous turn undone.]
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "undo"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > UNDO
Floyd |
Floyd | The Storyteller's Tent
Floyd | [Previous turn undone.]
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "undo"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > UNDO
Floyd |
Floyd | The Storyteller's Tent
Floyd | [Previous turn undone.]
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "undo"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > UNDO
Floyd |
Floyd | The Storyteller's Tent
Floyd | [Previous turn undone.]
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "undo"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > UNDO
Floyd |
Floyd | The Storyteller's Tent
Floyd | [Previous turn undone.]
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "undo"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > UNDO
Floyd |
Floyd | The Storyteller's Tent
Floyd | [Previous turn undone.]
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "undo"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > UNDO
Floyd |
Floyd | The Storyteller's Tent
Floyd | [Previous turn undone.]
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "undo"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > UNDO
Floyd |
Floyd | The Storyteller's Tent
Floyd | [Previous turn undone.]
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "undo"
Floyd ]    yes
Floyd |
Floyd | > UNDO
Floyd |
Floyd | The Storyteller's Tent
Floyd | [Previous turn undone.]
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "undo"
Floyd ]    yes  no
Floyd |
Floyd | > UNDO
Floyd |
Floyd | The Storyteller's Tent
Floyd | [Previous turn undone.]
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "undo"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > UNDO
Floyd |
Floyd | The Storyteller's Tent
Floyd | [Previous turn undone.]
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "undo"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > UNDO
Floyd |
Floyd | The Storyteller's Tent
Floyd | [Previous turn undone.]
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "undo"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > UNDO
Floyd |
Floyd | The Storyteller's Tent
Floyd | [Previous turn undone.]
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "undo"
Floyd ]    wounded
Floyd |
Floyd | > UNDO
Floyd |
Floyd | Around the Fire Pit
Floyd | [Previous turn undone.]
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says, "There we go."
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "tent"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > TENT
Floyd |
Floyd | You pull aside the flap of the teller's tent and step inside.
Floyd |
Floyd | A lamp burns low, its nearly-spent wick barely lighting up the
Floyd | storyteller's small tent. Nothing adorns the walls or brightens up the
Floyd | floor; all that is here is a small straw mat, on which the teller
Floyd | lies, breathing shallowly.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "heal"
Floyd ]    yes  no
Floyd |
Floyd | > HEAL
Floyd |
Floyd | You examine the teller quickly and see it is as Saiph has said. Her
Floyd | breath is shallow and skin is pale, but the eyes tell you most clearly
Floyd | how short her time is.
Floyd |
Floyd | The teller smiles at your arrival, and beckons you closer with a weak
Floyd | hand. You kneel by the old straw mat and grasp the cold fingers
Floyd | tightly.
Floyd |
Floyd | "Curious," she mutters, "the way fate moves, sometimes weaving a
Floyd | fantastic tale, and othertimes getting the timing all wrong. I would
Floyd | not have had my end be upstaged, were I telling this final chapter."
Floyd | She smiles, then grimaces in pain.
Floyd |
Floyd | The teller seems to look through your eyes to something hidden at the
Floyd | core of your being, and weigh it with great care. "The people did not
Floyd | hear the end of the story," she says presently. "For good or ill a
Floyd | great decision was made tonight, before the story was complete. Would
Floyd | you know how it ends?"
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "yes"
Floyd ]    yes
Floyd |
Floyd | > YES
Floyd |
Floyd | "Yes," you say, "I would hear the end of the story."
Floyd |
Floyd | The teller smiles and closes her eyes. "Gilgamesh faced a choice," she
Floyd | says quietly. "Whether to take pity on Humbaba and spare his life, or
Floyd | kill him, as his friend Enkidu counseled. Gilgamesh looked into
Floyd | Enkidu's eyes, and made his choice. He reached into the demon's throat
Floyd | and pulled out his insides, pulled them out of the demon's body by his
Floyd | tongue. Enkidu chopped off Humbaba's head, and the ground shook, and
Floyd | the forest trembled, and the soil ran with blood. And then it rained,
Floyd | it rained, it rained..."
Floyd |
Floyd | The storyteller trails off, eyes unfocused, as if lost in another
Floyd | world. After a long moment, she comes back and looks at you. "Perhaps
Floyd | this seems to you a strange story to tell at such a time?" she asks.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "yes"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > YES
Floyd |
Floyd | A smile. "There is a secret that all storytellers know," the teller
Floyd | says, and I will tell it to you now." She beckons you close, and says
Floyd | each word distinctly. "No story is true, until the listener has heard
Floyd | it. A story is no more true than a doll is a man. To a child, a doll
Floyd | can seem to be filled with life and wishes and dreams; but this is not
Floyd | because of the doll. It is because of the child."
Floyd |
Floyd | The teller coughs, but the cough turns to long, gasping chokes.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "comfort her"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > COMFORT HER
Floyd |
Floyd | [Things to try:  LOOK | LOOK AT | GO | TALK TO | GREET | ATTACK | TAKE
Floyd | | TOUCH | HEAL | LISTEN | PRAISE | MOCK | STORY | UNDO | or an
Floyd | EMPHASIZED word. For more detailed instructions, type INFO]
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "talk to teller"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > TALK TO TELLER
Floyd |
Floyd | She is not nearby.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "touch"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > TOUCH
Floyd |
Floyd | (the herbs)
Floyd | You feel nothing unexpected.
Floyd |
Floyd | The teller's eyes sparkle. "The power of the teller is to share the
Floyd | story with the people," she says, "but the power of the listener is to
Floyd | make the story true, or untrue. Only a teller who understands where
Floyd | the true power lies becomes a master; only a teller who knows not to
Floyd | hoard this power can bring change to this world."
Floyd |
Floyd | The storyteller coughs again, very, very weakly. There will be but a
Floyd | few more breaths, now, before the end.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "listen"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > LISTEN
Floyd |
Floyd | Wind tugs gently at the tent flaps, then subsides.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
maga says (to Floyd), "praise storyteller"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > PRAISE STORYTELLER
Floyd |
Floyd | She is not nearby.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "x her"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > X HER
Floyd |
Floyd | You can't see "her" (Sihan) at the moment.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "x teller"
Floyd ]
Floyd |
Floyd | > X TELLER
Floyd |
Floyd | She is not nearby.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline asks, "What is her actual name, again?"
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "l"
Floyd ]    yes  no
Floyd |
Floyd | > L
Floyd |
Floyd | A lamp burns low, its nearly-spent wick barely lighting up the
Floyd | storyteller's small tent. Nothing adorns the walls or brightens up the
Floyd | floor; all that is here is a small straw mat, on which the teller
Floyd | lies, breathing shallowly.
Floyd |
Floyd | "I have one last gift for you," she says, her voice fading but still
Floyd | beautiful, "a choice you must make. You must make your decision not
Floyd | out of consideration for me, nor for Saiph, nor for any but yourself,
Floyd | for it is you who will walk the path this choice lays out, and you
Floyd | alone. There is no shame in refusing, for the ways to the path are
Floyd | many, and another will find it in time. But I think, perhaps, it is
Floyd | well-suited for you."
Floyd |
Floyd | The storyteller grips your hand tight, and summons up one final
Floyd | reserve of strength, holding your gaze with eyes that begin now to
Floyd | fade. "The teller must gather the people each time the moon dies," she
Floyd | says. "The teller must tell the stories to the people so the young
Floyd | will learn and the old not forget. The teller must teach the people
Floyd | who they are, and how to shape who they will be. Will you do these
Floyd | things? Will you become the storyteller?"
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says, "Oh, another choice."
maga says, "well, maybe we'll suck at it less than we do at arguing"
Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "yes"
Floyd ]    yes  no
Floyd |
Floyd | > YES
Floyd |
Floyd | The teller sighs, and sinks back into her pillow, and your father's
Floyd | sister Isi lies before you once again. Peace slowly fills her
Floyd | pain-wracked face, and she mutters something as the old eyes close.
Floyd | You bend closer to hear.
Floyd |
Floyd | "You will tell the stories well, my child," Isi says in a voice softer
Floyd | than grass in the wind, "You will tell them well."
Floyd |
Floyd | The voice falls silent, then, and there is much darkness before the
Floyd | next story begins.
Floyd |
Floyd |  [Press any key to continue]
Jacqueline says, "I am sort of surprised we were chosen, given how badly people reacted to us."
maga pushes the green 'space' button.
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | This is a story about a healer in the village who was in love with a
Floyd | strong warrior man, Saiph. On the night of the telling, when the
Floyd | healer's aunt Isi became the teller, their enemy Sihan tried her best
Floyd | to turn the people towards needless war with the outsiders. The healer
Floyd | spoke against this reckless path, but the people heard the words of
Floyd | Sihan more clearly.
Floyd |
Floyd | Words flew between these two firebrands, but their rancor was too
Floyd | bitter and curdled to heal. The arrival out of the blackest night of
Floyd | the strange newcomers shook the crowd, so sure peace was the way. The
Floyd | healer who brokered a fragile peace, and agreed to share their
Floyd | resources with the curious strangers to their land.
Floyd |
Floyd | And the teller lay dying, struck down from shock or chance with a
Floyd | weakened heart, and in her final moments called the healer to her
Floyd | side. She told the healer how the story ended, and whom the telling
Floyd | changed. A teller died and a teller was born, and the story will
Floyd | always guide the way.
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd |     *** This telling has ended ***
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game, read the AFTERWORD,
Floyd | or QUIT?
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says, "So, that was not a terrible ending at all."
Jacqueline says, "I feel like we somehow pulled that one out of the fire."
DavidW says, "yes, you did well"
Jearl says (to Floyd), "afterword"
Floyd | >
Floyd | > AFTERWORD
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | Thank you for interacting with "Whom The Telling Changed." If you
Floyd | haven't already, try playing again and pursuing a different path.
Floyd | There are many ways to experience this story, and many perspectives
Floyd | you may encounter: what you assumed to be right and wrong, good and
Floyd | evil with one play-through may not be as simple as you thought. Your
Floyd | very first action sets your course, but there are many ways to alter
Floyd | it as both stories progress, some surprising.
Floyd |
Floyd | The storyteller's tale is part of the Epic of Gilgamesh, the oldest
Floyd | story recorded by human history, originating in Sumeria more than
Floyd | 4,000 years ago. The specific words used by the teller are my own, a
Floyd | mishmash of various versions of the Humbaba story from Sumer, Babylon,
Floyd | and Akkadia. The quest of the Cedar Forest is only a small part of the
Floyd | full epic, which is well worth reading or re-reading.
Floyd |
Floyd | The setting of my frame story is not meant to be any more specific
Floyd | than somewhere in the Fertile Crescent, thousands of years ago, but to
Floyd | fill in the details of atmosphere and setting I am indebted to Karen
Floyd | Rhea Nemet-Nejat's book "Daily Life in Ancient Mesopotamia." The
Floyd | various translations of the Gilgamesh epic were also very useful:
Floyd | specifically, those of Mitchell, Ferry, and Gardner/Maier, all of
Floyd | which are beautiful and readable versions of the work.
Floyd |
Floyd | Thanks also to my beta testers James Cunningham, Michael Fransioli,
Floyd | and Henrik 'Drix' Jensen, to storyteller Beth Horner, and to the
Floyd | friends who helped me wrestle the very nebulous concept for this piece
Floyd | towards its final implementation.
Floyd |
Floyd | Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game, read the AFTERWORD,
Floyd | or QUIT?
Floyd | >
Jacqueline says, "No pun intended (re: out of the fire)"
Limax walks slowly out of the room and into the sunset. maga asks, "or possibly it steers you towards victory regardless?"
DavidW says, "no, I don't think victory is assured."
Jacqueline says, "I was thinking that, but that doesn't seem like Aaron."
Jacqueline says, "He seems like the sort that would kill Bambi *and* her mother just because the establishment never would."
Jacqueline says, "Not out of malice for Bambi, just for conventional approach."
maga says (to Jacq), "also the sort to gender-switch Bambi"
Jacqueline asks, "So, one more time? Or do we want to just replay this next week?"
Jacqueline smiles at maga.
Jacqueline says, "I am kind of inclined to just call it a day and replay this next week."
Jearl says, "works for me"
Roger disappears through an invisible gap in the MUD. You think you may have heard the sounds of chatting before the gap closed again. Jacqueline says, "Maybe I'll invite Aaron and share this transcript with him."
DavidW asks, "So, next week, we can be Stabby Macpherson?"
Jacqueline exclaims (at DavidW), "Yes!"
Jacqueline says, "And like Sihan, if we want to."
Jacqueline says, "Anyway, see you all next week."
DavidW says, "good game"
DavidW says, "til next week"




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