Scroll Thief — 73 of 138

Daniel M. Stelzer

Release 2

Section B - The Entrance to the Library

The Library is a region.

The Entrance to the Library is a room in the Library. "It was surprisingly easy to get in here[--]you saw nobody on your way over, and the outer doors recognized your student ring. The hardest part was not talking yourself out of it. So many things could go wrong. What if there is an alarm? What if someone is still in the Library? What if someone comes in and finds you?[p]No. You have come this far. Only the inner door to the north [if the enormous door is open]wa[else]i[end if]s keeping you away from the magic you seek[if the enormous door is open], and now you have dealt with that obstacle[end if]. You aren't going to turn back now."

["You are standing before the enormous door to the Library of the Guild of Enchanters. You have been in there before, but only during the day, and thus have never had a chance to get your hands on the powerful spells within."]

The player is in the Entrance to the Library.

Definition: the campus is suggested for exploration: no.

The campus is south of the Entrance to the Library.

Instead of going to the Campus:

say "Yes, probably best to forget this plan. It was doomed to fail.";

record "Fleeing without so much as a frotz spell of your own" as an ending;

end the story saying "You have missed the point entirely". [This is a nod to Curses, which ends this way if you give up on the first turn.]

Instead of an actor throwing something at to the campus: if the player can see the actor, say "[A noun] flying out through the doors might arouse suspicion."

Instead of an actor throwing something at from the Antechamber to the Entrance: if the player can see the actor, say "[A noun] flying out through the doors of the library might arouse suspicion."

Instead of going north from the Entrance when Act 1 is happening and the enormous door is open and there is an other portable thing in the Entrance: say "You shouldn't leave [the list of other portable things in the Entrance] out here where someone might stumble across [them]."

In the bag is a spell scroll called a badly-written scroll. The inscribed spell of the badly-written scroll is rezrov. Understand "badly" or "written" or "copied" as the badly-written scroll.

The description of the badly-written scroll is "In typical fashion, the activation word for the spell is written across the top of the page[--][i]rezrov[/i][--]followed by a brief description of what it does[--][i]open even locked or enchanted objects[/i]. Then the detailed instructions for casting the spell using the [b]Presence[/b] in the parchment. It was copied for you by one of the higher-ranking apprentices, who charged you a fortune and doesn't seem to have been very good at calligraphy. But if it can open the doors for you, it will have been worth it."

The enormous door is a door. It is closed and locked. It is scenery. The enormous door is north from the Entrance and south from the Library Antechamber. Understand "inner" or "to the library" as the enormous door.

The description of the enormous door is "The door [if closed]to the library itself is closed and barred, with thick metal chains across it. There doesn't even seem to be a keyhole. Clearly the Guild is taking no chances with security[otherwise]hangs open, the bar raised and the chains shattered[end if]."

Should the game choose entering the enormous door: it is a good choice.

Instead of going inside in the Entrance: try going north.

Instead of going outside in the Entrance: try going south.

Instead of unbolting the locked enormous door:

say "Judging from the number of locks and chains, that will be impossible without magic."

Instead of putting the ring on the enormous door:

follow the ring on door rule.

Before showing the ring to the enormous door:

follow the ring on door rule instead.

Before giving the ring to the enormous door:

follow the ring on door rule instead.

Instead of pointing the ring at the enormous door:

follow the ring on door rule.

Instead of waving the ring when the location is the Entrance:

follow the ring on door rule.

Before throwing the ring at the enormous door:

follow the ring on door rule instead.

This is the ring on door rule:

say "Good thought, but the inner door isn't connected to the main lock system. Not even a professor's ring would open it.".

Effect of casting rezrov at the closed enormous door:

say "You stutter slightly in the pronunciation[--]this is the most complicated spell you have yet cast! But the scroll was consumed, so the [b]Presence[/b] has had its effect. There is a slight shudder, and you can see the chains on the door loosen infinitesimally.[p]Suddenly, the bar flies back with a loud THUMP and the lock clicks open. The door swings wide with an enormous CLANG.[p]Well, so much for stealth. But you can't panic yet. Not yet. The Guild might assume it was a false alarm. Just get in, get the spells, get out.";

now the enormous door is open;

now the enormous door is unlocked;

award points for "casting your first real spell".

Instead of an actor closing the open enormous door:

take full time;

say "The door doesn't budge[--]it only responds to magic."

Inverse effect of casting rezrov at the enormous door:

say "The spell shifts the door slightly, but your spell fails to get it back to the way it was. There must be some password or additional spell to reset the lock."

Instead of going outside from the antechamber: try going south.

Test plot-entrance with "n / x door / i / rezrov door / x door / n" holding the badly-written scroll in the library entrance.

A solid brick wall is fixed in place. "A solid brick wall stretches from floor to ceiling, completely blocking off the door to the south[first time]. Well, that certainly wasn't here before..[/br][only]." The description of the solid brick wall is "It seems very strong, probably constructed with magic."

Effect of casting vezza at the Entrance: say "A figure looks at the wall, then walks away, back into the library."

Empowered effect of casting vezza at the Entrance: say "The wall is collapsing in a shower of brick dust, but for what purpose, you cannot tell."

Inverse effect of casting vezza at the Entrance when the solid brick wall is on-stage: say "Two security officers arrive, dimly seen through what is now a solid wall. 'Is this building supposed to be closed off too?' one asks her companion. 'Yes, all the ones on this side of the quad, until we figure out what happened, those were the instructions,' the other replies, pulling out a scroll. As the long and elaborate incantation proceeds, the wall slowly begins to build itself in front of them..."

To close off the entrance:

move the solid brick wall to the Entrance;

change the south exit of the Entrance to nothing;

now the description of the Entrance is "It's strange, thinking about the tension you felt planning this whole heist...it seems like an aeon since you first opened the door to get in here."

Escape-puzzle is a puzzling scene with puzzle description "finding a way to get out of the library". Escape-puzzle begins when the solid brick wall is seen. Escape-puzzle ends when the Splendid Cavern is visited.

When escape-puzzle begins: say "Hm. This complicates your escape somewhat."