The Enigma of the Old Manor House — 22 of 28

Volume III - The Notebook and Lantern

Part Possessions

A notebook is in the Entrance. It is not proper-named. The indefinite article is "your".

A lantern is a device in the Entrance. It is not proper-named. The indefinite article is "your".

Definition: a thing is personal rather than impersonal if it is the notebook or it is the lantern.

Definition: a thing is unhandled if it is not handled.

Rule for writing a paragraph about an unhandled personal thing:

say "Your possessions lie scattered all over the floor, where they fell during your daring entrance. You see [a list of personal things in the location] amid the dust."

The description of the lantern is "A rugged little plastic thing, exactly the sort of thing you'd want on an adventure or an investigation. It can actually be a flashlight [i]or[/i] a lantern, and it even has a little laser pointer attached, in case you want to point something out in the middle of a case. You've seen enough horror movies where something attacks from just outside the beam of the character's flashlight, so you've got it in lantern mode for tonight."

Before burning the lantern: try switching on the lantern instead.

A little laser pointer is part of the lantern. The description of the laser pointer is "For...pointing at ghosts, you suppose. Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it."

Instead of pushing or touching or switching on or waving or burning or rubbing the laser pointer:

say "You shine the red beam around for a little bit.";

if the tame ghost is in the location:

say " There's a sudden flurry of air as the ghost chases the laser. You play with it for a minute, making it run around and around the room, until it gets tired and settles down next to you.";

now the ghost is friendly.

Instead of putting the tarp on the tame ghost: say "You drop the tarp over the disturbance in the air, which dashes around, batting at it playfully. It rolls around and claws at the cloth for a few minutes until it gets tired and settles down next to you.";

now the ghost is friendly.

Instead of putting the tarp on the wary ghost:

move the tarp to the location;

say "You try to aim at where you heard the sound, and launch the tarp at it with a wide, desperate throw. It tangles and wraps around [i]something[/i] in the air, which flails around wildly! You hold your breath, waiting to see what happens next. The tarp goes still...[p]And from under it you hear a quiet, definite 'mrow?'. The tarp unfolds as something invisible emerges from underneath it.";

now the ghost is tame.

Before throwing the tarp at the ghost: try putting the tarp on the ghost instead.

Before dropping the tarp in the presence of the ghost: say "(on the ground)[command clarification break]".

After switching on or switching off the lantern when the breaker panel is not switched on:

say "You push the switch, and the lantern clicks [if the lantern is switched on]on[else]off[end if].";

try looking.

The description of the notebook is "A thin, spiral-bound notebook, the sort of thing that's perfect for taking notes in during an investigation, or an adventure. You've already sketched in a map and a plan, amid the pages of old geometry notes.[p][i][bracket]You can examine the map and plan separately; they'll be updated automatically as you explore.[close bracket][/i]".

Some pages of old geometry notes are part of the notebook. The description is "Not relevant to the haunting. Hopefully."

Understand "journal" or "note" or "book" or "thin" as the notebook.