Akkoteaque
Anthony Casteel
birds cover art female protagonist fishing IntroComp Introcomp 2013 island lighthouse teenage protagonist
It is a wet, disgusting day in the middle of April. You are just about sick of the rain. You're just about sick of everything. They keep telling you, when you turn sixteen you can do what you like and live where you like. But you aren't sixteen, and until then you've got to do what they say. 'They' are a procession of incompetent adults, colloquially called 'social workers,' culminating in the buffoon that has brought you here. Mr. Henrico. Apparently, he is the idiotic little man who tracked down your grandmother. The same grandmother who never visited you, or sent you anything, or even spoke to you. And he's decided you're going to go live with her on some horrible little island. You are so excited. You have just spent the last four hours listening to him talk, and it doesn't look like he's done.
%
It is a wet, disgusting day in the middle of April. You are just about sick of the rain. You're just about sick of everything. They keep telling you, when you turn sixteen you can do what you like and live where you like. But you aren't sixteen, and until then you've got to do what they say. "They" are a procession of incompetent adults, colloquially called "social workers," culminating in the buffoon that has brought you here. Mr. Henrico.

Apparently, he is the idiotic little man who tracked down your grandmother. The same grandmother who never visited you, or sent you anything, or even spoke to you. And he's decided you're going to go live with her on some horrible little island. You are so excited. You have just spent the last four hours listening to him talk, and it doesn't look like he's done.

Press any key...
About yourself
Starting from the bottom, with your feet, which are too big; your legs are too skinny, your knees are too knobby, your belly is too round, your chest is too flat, your face is too ordinary and your hair is too brown. Your mother calls this the "awkward stage," but your problem isn't that you're awkward. It's just that you're ugly.

A constant patter of rain falls about you.
You examine sign
This sign bears the word "Akkoteaque" in large red letters (on a yellow background), and beneath it, in a much more reasonable font, "Come see the world-famous lighthouse!"

A constant patter of rain falls about you.
Inventory
You are carrying:
a letter
a picture
a skirt (being worn)
a shirt (being worn)
a pocket watch (closed)

A constant patter of rain falls about you.
You read the letter
Dear Margret, the letter says, which is not your name; I am very much looking forward to your visit. I have prepared a room in the inn for you. I was so excited to learn that my little boy had run off and had a child, I only wish that harlot he married hadn't waited thirteen years to tell me. You're going to love it on Akkoteaque Island. There are so few interesting people to get in the way of honest work. Signed, Grandma Catherine.

A constant patter of rain falls about you.
You look at the picture
This is a photograph of two people standing in front of a lighthouse. We're just going to assume it's the lighthouse on Akkoteaque. It's an old fashioned sort of lighthouse, very tall and narrow and striped in alternating bands of red and white. The picture was taken on a bright sunny day, so it's a picture of the lighthouse not being terribly useful.

The two people are your parents, about fifteen years younger than you remember them.

There's something written on the back of it, too. At least, it's probably writing. It looks like:

┌─┬┐  ┌──┐  ┌┴─┐
├─┬┘  ├┬┬┤  ├┬─┤
├──┐  └─┬┘  └┬┴┤
└─┬┐

A constant patter of rain falls about you.
You look at the skirt
Your skirt is striped red and white and is of a respectable length.

A constant patter of rain falls about you.
You look at the shirt
"Hi-yah!" your shirt says. It has a picture of a kung-foo kangaroo on it.

A constant patter of rain falls about you.
Examine pocket watch
This worn pocket watch used to be shining brass. Now it's mostly tarnish. It is engraved with the image of an owl on one side and your father's initials on the reverse. The watch is closed, so you can't read it.

A constant patter of rain falls about you.

The angry pelican squawks, and then chucks a half eaten
fish head onto the boardwalk. Out with the fish comes an
old beeper.
You take the beeper
Taken.

This is a nasty old beeper. Nobody uses these things anymore, but somehow, it still works. It has a little LCD display which reads "TRY TAKING THE MACKEREL".

A constant patter of rain falls about you.
You open the watch
You open the pocket watch, revealing a tiny picture.

A constant patter of rain falls about you.
You examine the picture
(the picture)
This is a photograph of two people standing in front of a lighthouse. We're just going to assume it's the lighthouse on Akkoteaque. It's an old fashioned sort of lighthouse, very tall and narrow and striped in alternating bands of red and white. The picture was taken on a bright sunny day, so it's a picture of the lighthouse not being terribly useful.

The two people are your parents, about fifteen years younger than you remember them.

There's something written on the back of it, too. At least, it's probably writing. It looks like:

┌─┬┐  ┌──┐  ┌┴─┐
├─┬┘  ├┬┬┤  ├┬─┤
├──┐  └─┬┘  └┬┴┤
└─┬┐

A constant patter of rain falls about you.
You look at the tiny picture
It's a wallet-sized picture of you. It's a couple of years old so it's not really a good representation of you anymore. For example, in the picture you appear rather happy.

A constant patter of rain falls about you.
You take the fish
(the fish head)
Taken.

nearly puked on you.

A constant patter of rain falls about you.
You examine the pelican
You're pretty sure birds can scowl. You're looking at one doing it right now.

A constant patter of rain falls about you.
You look at Henrico
Before you stands a short, balding, civil servant. Mr. Henrico has been your case worker for the last several months. He once told you to think of him as a father figure. You have disliked him ever since. He's not particularly pleasant, but he's good at paperwork and that's probably the most important characteristic of social workers.

A constant patter of rain falls about you.
You describe your surroundings
This simple wooden pier juts into the sea. Pylons, evenly spaced, provide perches for cawing gulls. Coils of rope lie about
here and there, and the occasional discarded fishing pole
sways in the breeze. On the horizon there is a smudge that might be the island. Or a wave. It's hard to tell. You can't imagine
how this could be any more boring. Or dreadful. Oh, and it has begun to rain.

The angry pelican swivels its head back and forth, peering at
you from many angles.

The hooded man stands here in a black rain coat with the hood concealing his face.

Mr. Henrico stands here looking very droll and boring.

You can also see a garish sign and a ferry here.

A constant patter of rain falls about you.
You look at the hooded man
his face. He's giving off some sort of vibe. You aren't sure which kind, but it's not the kind that makes you want to go and hug him. It's probably best to leave him alone.

A constant patter of rain falls about you.
You look at the ferry
savers hanging on the sides. The inflatable kind, not the hard
candy. It's painted in very patriotic colors complete with little stars.

man.

A constant patter of rain falls about you.
You look at salty
[That's not something you can see now, or I misunderstood
you.]
You look at the sea man
The salty sea man is too far away to get a good look.

A constant patter of rain falls about you.
You examine the fishing pole
Someone just left these fishing poles lying around. One of them looks to be in pretty good shape.

A constant patter of rain falls about you.
You take the fishing pole
Taken.

This is a basic fishing pole. You can cast it anywhere you
find a body of water. When a fish bites, reel it in. You
could try different hooks, just tie them on. There are also different kinds of bait. Try baiting the hook with something.
There is rusty hook on the end of the line.

A constant patter of rain falls about you.
You look at the hook
[Which do you mean, the 1) hook or the 2) rusty
hook?]
You look around
This simple wooden pier juts into the sea. Pylons, evenly spaced, provide perches for cawing gulls. Coils of rope lie about
here and there.On the horizon there is a smudge that might be the island. Or a wave. It's hard to tell. You can't imagine how
this could be any more boring. Or dreadful. Oh, and it has begun to rain.

The angry pelican swivels its head back and forth, peering at
you from many angles.

The hooded man stands here in a black rain coat with the hood concealing his face.

Mr. Henrico stands here looking very droll and boring.

You can also see a garish sign and a ferry here.

A constant patter of rain falls about you.
You look at the rope
There are a few coils of rope tossed about the pier. One looks interesting... No, never mind. It's just a coil of rope.

In the coil of rope is a mackerel.

A constant patter of rain falls about you.
You examine the Island
That smudge on the horizon might be the island. The tall thing sticking out of it, with the spinning light on the top, might be the lighthouse. It might also not be, but you have to admit that,
at this point, it probably is.

A constant patter of rain falls about you.
You examine the coil of the rope
It's just a coil of rope.

In the coil of rope is a mackerel.

A constant patter of rain falls about you.
You examine the mackerel
This fish is long and slender with striking black bands. Its silvery scales flash in the sun. It's about a foot long.

A constant patter of rain falls about you.
You examine the beeper
This is a nasty old beeper. Nobody uses these things anymore, but somehow, it still works. It has a little LCD display which reads "TRY TAKING THE MACKEREL".

A constant patter of rain falls about you.
You take the mackerel
Taken.

A constant patter of rain falls about you.
Smell mackerel
You smell nothing unexpected.

A constant patter of rain falls about you.
You look at the pole
This is a basic fishing pole. You can cast it anywhere you
find a body of water. When a fish bites, reel it in. You
could try different hooks, just tie them on. There are also different kinds of bait. Try baiting the hook with something.
There is rusty hook on the end of the line.

A constant patter of rain falls about you.
Cast pole
[I can't understand your entire command: the first part might be
an action I know, but I didn't expect the word "pole" next.]
Cast
You don't think you'll catch much without some bait, but it's worth a try. You cast your fishing line into the sea.

A constant patter of rain falls about you.

You are fishing. Wait for something to bite!
You wait
Something tugs on your line! Reel it in!

A constant patter of rain falls about you.
Reel
You reel in some line. The fish is really putting up a fight! Keep reeling it in!

A constant patter of rain falls about you.
Keep going
You caught a tomcod!

This fish is fat and covered in dark mottling. It's sort of like a little pathetic version of a cod. It's about a foot long.

A constant patter of rain falls about you.
You look at the tomcod
This fish is fat and covered in dark mottling. It's sort of like a little pathetic version of a cod. It's about a foot long.

A constant patter of rain falls about you.
You ask the hooded man for the rain coat
[Characters will only respond if asked about things or people you encounter in the world.

A constant patter of rain falls about you.
You examine the rusty hook
This is your basic rusted old fishing hook. It's good for catching the boring sorts of fish.

A constant patter of rain falls about you.
You check your inventory
You are carrying:
a tomcod
a coil of rope
a mackerel
a fishing pole (with the rusty hook)
a fish head
an old beeper
a letter
a picture
a skirt (being worn)
a shirt (being worn)
a pocket watch (open)
a tiny picture

A constant patter of rain falls about you.
You ask Henrico about the island
"I've heard it's a very nice island," Mr. Henrico says. "I think you will like it there. Your grandmother will take good care of you."

A constant patter of rain falls about you.

(You could ask Mr. Henrico about your mother,
your father, the accident or your
grandmother.)
1
The hook is too far away to get a good look.

A constant patter of rain falls about you.
No
[Characters will only respond if asked about things or people you encounter in the world.

A constant patter of rain falls about you.
You ask Henrico about the grandmother
Mr. Henrico rubs his chin. "She seemed nice enough on the phone. You shouldn't worry about it. I'm sure the things your mother used to tell you about her were exaggeration."

A constant patter of rain falls about you.

(You could ask Mr. Henrico about your mother,
your father or the accident.)
You ask Henrico about your mother
"I never met her, you know," Mr. Henrico says. "I know she told you some terrible things about your grandmother, but you really shouldn't let them scare you. She's your last living relative and she's kindly offered to take you on. Isn't this fantastic?"

A constant patter of rain falls about you.

(You could ask Mr. Henrico about your father or the
accident.)
You ask Henrico about the father
"You know I know you're still carrying around that watch. What have I told you about moving on? You'll never be able to as long as you cling to things like that."

A constant patter of rain falls about you.

(You could ask Mr. Henrico about the accident.)
You ask Henrico about the accident
"It's best not to dwell on these things," Mr. Henrico says. "I expect you know as much as I do already anyway. Car accident and all that. Very tragic. But lets not dwell. It won't bring your parents back."

A constant patter of rain falls about you.

You have nothing specific in mind to discuss with Mr. Henrico
right now.
(You've previously asked Mr. Henrico about
Akkoteaque, your mother, your father, the
accident and your grandmother.)
You ask Henrico about the lighthouse
"Don't like lighthouses," Mr. Henrico says. "Too tall, and too bright."

A constant patter of rain falls about you.

You have nothing specific in mind to discuss with Mr. Henrico
right now.
(You've previously asked Mr. Henrico about
Akkoteaque, your mother, your father, the
accident and your grandmother.)
You ask Henrico about Henrico
"Never really thought I was cut out for this sort of thing," Mr. Henrico muses, as if he hadn't actually heard you ask anything. "Going to call this one a rousing success, though."

A constant patter of rain falls about you.

You have nothing specific in mind to discuss with Mr. Henrico
right now.
(You've previously asked Mr. Henrico about
Akkoteaque, your mother, your father, the
accident and your grandmother.)
You look at the ferry
savers hanging on the sides. The inflatable kind, not the hard
candy. It's painted in very patriotic colors complete with little stars.

man.

A constant patter of rain falls about you.
You get on the boat
The angry pelican won't move out of the way. It's standing
right in the perfect spot to stop you and it's doing so in a very angry way. Your mother always tells you how angry you get when you're hungry. Maybe you should feed the fish to the pelican.

A constant patter of rain falls about you.
You give mackerel to the pelican
The bird snatches the fish from your hand and almost takes some fingers too. Still looks just as angry, but at least it moves out of the way.

A constant patter of rain falls about you.
You get on the boat
The coil of rope is far too heavy to carry around.

A constant patter of rain falls about you.
Look around
This simple wooden pier juts into the sea. Pylons, evenly spaced, provide perches for cawing gulls. On the horizon there is a smudge that might be the island. Or a wave. It's hard to tell. You
can't imagine how this could be any more boring. Or dreadful. Oh, and it has begun to rain.

The angry pelican swivels its head back and forth, peering at
you from many angles.

The hooded man stands here in a black rain coat with the hood concealing his face.

Mr. Henrico stands here looking very droll and boring.

You can also see a garish sign and a ferry here.

A constant patter of rain falls about you.
You examine the Island
That smudge on the horizon might be the island. The tall thing sticking out of it, with the spinning light on the top, might be the lighthouse. It might also not be, but you have to admit that,
at this point, it probably is.

A constant patter of rain falls about you.
Go east
You can't go that way.

A constant patter of rain falls about you.
Inventory
You are carrying:
a tomcod
a coil of rope
a fishing pole (with the rusty hook)
a fish head
an old beeper
a letter
a picture
a skirt (being worn)
a shirt (being worn)
a pocket watch (open)
a tiny picture

A constant patter of rain falls about you.
You drop the rope
Dropped.

A constant patter of rain falls about you.
You get on the boat
You get into the ferry.

The somber woman hides herself under her wide sun hat. Every
time you look at her, she's just then turning away.

The salty sea man mills about, doing something to his boat.
You can't tell what, but it seems to involve pushing dirt about with a rag.

As the ferry powers up to pull away from the dock, the angry
pelican hops from the boardwalk to the ferry. Apparently, the
bird is too lazy to fly to the island itself.

"First time on the island, isn't it?" the salty sea man asks.
"Well, I hope you like it. It's not a terribly big island and hardly anyone visits anymore. Yep, because the only way there is a ride in my ferry!"

The salty sea man asks, "So lass, you got any questions
before we get there? Now's your chance to ask."

You could ask the salty sea man about himself,
Akkoteaque, the treasure, the ferry, the
the angry pelican or the hook.

A constant patter of rain falls about you.
You ask the sea man about himself
"Who, me?" the salty sea man asks. "I'm Captain Spider. I
drive the ferry back and forth. It's really boring and I hate it. Only do it cause of that treasure."

A constant patter of rain falls about you.

(You could ask Captain Spider about Akkoteaque, the
treasure, the ferry, the the angry pelican
or the hook.)
You examine the sea man
years of use. He wears a long beard on a deeply lined face.
Your overall impression of Captain Spider is one of
shabbiness. It is possible that the newest thing he wears is the brass fishing hook he has used as a button to hold his shirt
closed.

A constant patter of rain falls about you.
You ask Spider about the treasure
"Yep, treasure. Buried right here on this island too. I know it's here because I found an ancient key. I know it's somewhere above
that cave on the beach.. ah, I've said too much already!"

A constant patter of rain falls about you.

(You could ask Captain Spider about Akkoteaque, the
ferry, the the angry pelican or the hook.)
You ask him about the the hook
[Which do you mean, the 1) rusty hook or the 2)
hook?]
2
"Hook?" Captain Spider asks. "What hook? This? Why, this
isn't even mine."

the buttons instead. He gives the hook to you.

A constant patter of rain falls about you.

(You could ask Captain Spider about Akkoteaque, the
ferry or the the angry pelican.)
You ask the Captain about the pelican
Captain Spider says, "That damn bird? Laziest thing I ever
saw. We all call her Shoo. As in... shoo."

A constant patter of rain falls about you.

The wind picks up and suddenly, rather than a moderate chop, waves smash against the ferry from all sides. Lightning flashes from the sky and rain pours from the heaven in torrents between the rolling thunder.

"Going to be a bit of chop," Captain Spider says. Your
stomach does not like this news at all.

(You could ask Captain Spider about Akkoteaque or
the ferry.)
You look at the pelican
You're pretty sure birds can scowl. You're looking at one doing it right now.
Half a fish hangs from the pelican's beak. Normally, this situation would make a pelican pretty happy. Not this pelican.

Rain and wind lash out of the sky.
You ask him about a the personal floatation device i could wear
[Characters will only respond if asked about things or people you encounter in the world.

Rain and wind lash out of the sky.
You examine the fish
[Which do you mean, the 1) tomcod or the 2) fish
head?]
You examine the ferry
savers hanging on the sides. The inflatable kind, not the hard
candy. It's painted in very patriotic colors complete with little stars.

In the ferry are Shoo, a somber woman and
Captain Spider.

Rain and wind lash out of the sky.

A bolt of lightning stabs out of the sky and strikes the lighthouse. For a moment, while the bolt is etched across your vision, nothing happens, then the sound comes rolling over the boat and makes everything shake. Behind the thunder comes another sound, an electrical popping, and the lighthouse seems to glow at the base. At it's top, the light vanishes.

Your stomach has had it with the waves. You rush to the railing as your lunch rushes up your throat, and then you don't do much of interest besides puke your guts out for the rest of the trip.

Press any key..
You get the pelican
Press any key...
Press any key...## On a small pier
This little wooden dock has definitely seen better days, but still seems to be going strong. It juts into the sea from the base of a cliff. Many seagulls wheel about in the sky above.

Captain Spider stands at the controls of the ferry.

You can also see a ferry and a gas can here.

You can only go east from here.

"You all right lass?" Captain Spider asks. "Had a touch of
sea sickness, you did. We're here, anyway. Best damn island this side of Delmarva."
You look at the gas can
You see nothing unexpected about the gas can.

The gas can contains gasoline.
You take it
Taken.
You examine the seagulls
Many gulls circle overhead hoping you might drop some scrap for them. One of them keeps returning to a narrow cleft in the face of
the cliff.
You look at the cleft
There is a narrow cleft in the cliff just wide enough for a gull to scamper through. It looks like one of them as built a nest in
there. It's not very high.
You look at the nest
The nest is too far away to get a good look.
You climb the cliff
[That can't be climbed in that way. Sometimes a direction like
"up" or "down" works instead.]
You ask Captain about the seagulls
the gulls.

(You could ask Captain Spider about Akkoteaque or
the ferry.)
You ask Captain about Akkoteaque
"Island has always just been in the way," Captain Spider
says. "Nothing but a bunch of rocks and cliffs. They go straight up, all the way down, so when a ship hits it they don't hang around, no way. Lighthouse is kind of important."

(You could ask Captain Spider about the ferry.)
You examine the lighthouse
The lighthouse is painted in alternating bands of red and white. At the top, there is a metal walkway.
You ask Captain about the ferry
Captain Spider says, "This here is my ship. Ain't much of a
ship, no, but she my ship."

Spider right now.
(You've previously asked Captain Spider about
himself, Akkoteaque, the treasure, the
ferry, Shoo and the hook.)
You examine the life saver
[That's not something you can see now, or I misunderstood
you.]
You examine the ferry
savers hanging on the sides. The inflatable kind, not the hard
candy. It's painted in very patriotic colors complete with little stars.

In the ferry is Shoo.
You examine the life savers
The life savers is too far away to get a good look.
East
A narrow stair climbs through a seam in the rocks from the jetty to the top of the island cliffs. The steps are carved from the rock itself. Vines covered in tiny white flowers hide the rough
rock walls.

east
west (to On a small pier)
West
This little wooden dock has definitely seen better days, but still seems to be going strong. It juts into the sea from the base of a cliff. Many seagulls wheel about in the sky above.

Captain Spider mills about, doing something to his boat. You
can't tell what, but it seems to involve pushing dirt about with a rag.

You can also see a ferry here.

You can only go east (to Climbing a narrow stair) from here.
You check your inventory
You are carrying:
a gas can
a hook charm
a tomcod
a fishing pole (with the rusty hook)
a fish head
an old beeper
a letter
a picture
a skirt (being worn)
a shirt (being worn)
a pocket watch (open)
a tiny picture
You examine the hook charm
A small brass fishing hook.
You take rusty hook
Taken.
Inventory
You are carrying:
a rusty hook
a gas can
a hook charm
a tomcod
a fishing pole (with no hook at all)
a fish head
an old beeper
a letter
a picture
a skirt (being worn)
a shirt (being worn)
a pocket watch (open)
a tiny picture
You tie hook charm to pole
You tie the hook charm to the end of your fishing line.
Cast
You don't think you'll catch much without some bait, but it's worth a try. You cast your fishing line into the sea.

You are fishing. Wait for something to bite!
Wait
Something tugs on your line! Reel it in!
Reel
You caught some sea-weed! You, uh, throw it back..
East
A narrow stair climbs through a seam in the rocks from the jetty to the top of the island cliffs. The steps are carved from the rock itself. Vines covered in tiny white flowers hide the rough
rock walls.

east
west (to On a small pier)
You examine the vines
Vines are thick upon the rock walls. Thousands of tiny pink and white flowers cover the vines everywhere.
You climb vines
The vines pull away from the rock walls too easily. You'd never be able to climb up them.
You pull the vines
You give the vines an experimental tug. They aren't anchored all that strongly.
You eat the fish
[Which do you mean, the 1) tomcod or the 2) fish
head?]
1
You had sushi once. It was disgusting. You've since learned that raw fish is technically sashimi, not sushi. It's still disgusting.
You eat the vines
[You can't consume the vines, or that's not the way
to do so.]
Rub vines
[Rubbing the vines would have no effect in these
circumstances.]
You search vines
Vines are thick upon the rock walls. Thousands of tiny pink and white flowers cover the vines everywhere.
You look at take the flowers
[That's not something you can see now, or I misunderstood
you.]
Go east
This is where the paths crossing the island meet. There's not much here besides some grass and some assorted shrubbery.

The somber woman hides herself under her wide sun hat. Every
time you look at her, she's just then turning away.

There is a raft of ducks here. They seem preoccupied with
their own internal politics and haven't any attention to spare for you.

here.

south
east
west (to Climbing a narrow stair)

Shoo barrels into you and knocks you flat on your back. You
drop everything you're holding.
Shoo stands on your chest and peers at you over its immense
beak.
You look at Shoo
This bird is standing on your chest and staring at you. It has tiny, glaring little eyes that you make you want to hit it right in the face.
You say shoo shoo
[Whom do you want to say that to?]
You say shoo to Shoo
That's it, you're going to hit that bird!
You hit Shoo
You give the pelican a very satisfying smack. Shoo squawks
and flops off of you. Then something else catches Shoo's eye.
She snatches the pocket watch, swallows it, and vanishes into
the sky.

Thanks for playing the beginning of Akkoteaque! There's lots more to do on the island. I agonized for a while, but eventually decided I'd rather cut the game short then let players loose on a largely unfinished island. Here's what you can expect from the finished game...

-Explore the lighthouse, the Lighthouse Inn, and the rest of the island.. including a spooky graveyard!
-Be terrorized by a crazed pelican!
-Meet lots of interesting characters, like Alabaster, the plaster salesman and amateur paranormal investigator!
-Dig up a buried treasure!
-Find out why your grandmother is so horrible!
-Catch fish!
-Solve lots of puzzles!
-Find dozens of ciphered messages and probably never manage to decode them!

I hope you enjoyed Akkoteaque. I'm always looking for more testers.

I'm going to let you back into the world now. Why don't you try fishing? The fish head makes excellent bait.
Go west
A narrow stair climbs through a seam in the rocks from the jetty to the top of the island cliffs. The steps are carved from the rock itself. Vines covered in tiny white flowers hide the rough
rock walls.

east (to At a crossing of paths)
west (to On a small pier)
You go to the south
This shack is built right onto the side of the cliff, physics be damned. It's rather damp, likely due to it being suspended over the sea, but otherwise it's quite nice. There are some nautical themed posters on the walls and a little window that looks
out over the sea.

You can see a ladder, a bed and a rusty
table (on which are a sinker and an ancient
key) here.

You can only go north (to Climbing a narrow stair) from here.
You examine the posters
Several posters decorate the walls. There is one showing some kind of tall ship, another that appears to be a random assortment of lighthouses, and another that is clearly a map of
this very island.
You examine the map
This poster appears to be a map of the island. The lighthouse is marked prominently on it. Attached to the lighthouse is the inn. To the west is the jetty where you landed on the island. To the south is a little chapel, and to the east, a little beach. Someone has drawn a little arrow pointing north on the beach.
You look at the window
The window looks out over the sea. Gentle waves roll by far below.
You climb the ladder
You clamber up the ladder.
Look around
In a haphazard shack on the edge of a cliff (on the
ladder)
This shack is built right onto the side of the cliff, physics be damned. It's rather damp, likely due to it being suspended over the sea, but otherwise it's quite nice. There are some nautical themed posters on the walls and a little window that looks
out over the sea.

You can see a bed and a rusty table (on which are a
sinker and an ancient key) here.

You can only go north (to Climbing a narrow stair) from here.
You climb ladder
[You're already on the ladder.]
You examine the bed
A basic and neatly-made bed. The bed spread is striped white and blue. Very nautical.
You examine the rusty table
This cast iron table has intricate filigrees and is spotted all over in rust.

key.
You look at the sinker
This hook has a big weight on it so it goes straight to the bottom.
Go downwards
You get off the ladder.

This shack is built right onto the side of the cliff, physics be damned. It's rather damp, likely due to it being suspended over the sea, but otherwise it's quite nice. There are some nautical themed posters on the walls and a little window that looks
out over the sea.

You can see a ladder, a bed and a rusty
table (on which are a sinker and an ancient
key) here.

You can only go north (to Climbing a narrow stair) from here.
Go north
A narrow stair climbs through a seam in the rocks from the jetty to the top of the island cliffs. The steps are carved from the rock itself. Vines covered in tiny white flowers hide the rough
rock walls.

south (to In a haphazard shack on the edge of a cliff)
east (to At a crossing of paths)
west (to On a small pier)
Go east
This is where the paths crossing the island meet. There's not much here besides some grass and some assorted shrubbery.

The somber woman hides herself under her wide sun hat. Every
time you look at her, she's just then turning away.

There is a raft of ducks here. They seem preoccupied with
their own internal politics and haven't any attention to spare for you.

You can also see an old beeper, a gas can, a
fishing pole (with the hook charm), a
picture, a letter, a tomcod, a fish
head, a rusty hook, a sign post and a
tourist board here.

south
east
west (to Climbing a narrow stair)
You go north
Sorry, the rest of the island isn't ready yet. You could try fishing.
Go east
Sorry, the rest of the island isn't ready yet. Captain
Spideris just to the west.
Go south
Sorry, the rest of the island isn't ready yet. Why don't you talk to the somber woman?
You talk to the woman
You say hello to the somber woman.

(You could ask the somber woman about herself, the
lighthouse, the hook charm, the bracelet or
the fire hydrant charm.)
You examine the woman
This woman wears a wide sun hat, a nondescript pale dress,
and a very grim expression. Her nose combines with the set of
her mouth in a very unfortunate way. It's not hard to imagine that her hat is pointy, and her cheeks warty. She's wearing a silver
bracelet.
You look at sun hat
It is the sort of hat a tourist thinks they have to wear in the sun just because it has "sun" in the name. Actually the hat would function perfectly well at its intended purpose; that is, hiding the somber woman's bad hair day; even under overcast skies.
You ask the woman about herself
"Who, me? I'm Elizabeth, if it's that important to you."

(You could ask Elizabeth about the lighthouse, the
hook charm, the bracelet or the fire hydrant
charm.)
Examine bracelet
A silver charm bracelet of braided cord. There aren't any charms on it.
You ask the woman about Lighthouse
"Gerald loves lighthouses. Sometimes I wonder if he loves
them more than he loves me."

(You could ask Elizabeth about the hook charm, the
bracelet, the fire hydrant charm or
Gerald.)
You ask the woman about Gerald
"He does love his lighthouses.. that's why were here,"
Elizabeth says.

(You could ask Elizabeth about the hook charm, the
bracelet or the fire hydrant charm.)
You ask the woman about the bracelet
"It's a charm bracelet. But it's a poor one, and not very charming. I've lost all the charms."

Elizabeth sighs.

(You could ask Elizabeth about the hook charm, the
fire hydrant charm or charms.)
You ask the woman about Lighthouse
"Gerald loves lighthouses. Sometimes I wonder if he loves
them more than he loves me."

(You could ask Elizabeth about the hook charm, the
fire hydrant charm or charms.)
You ask Elizabeth about the charms
There were quite a few of them, but I've lost them all. It looks like you've got all but six of them."

(You could ask Elizabeth about the hook charm, the
pelican charm, the fire hydrant charm, the
thimble charm, the slipper charm or the
lighthouse charm.)
You ask Elizabeth about Lighthouse
(the lighthouse charm)
Elizabeth doesn't have anything specific to say about the
lighthouse charm.

(You could ask Elizabeth about the hook charm, the
pelican charm, the fire hydrant charm, the
thimble charm or the slipper charm.)
You ask woman about the fire hydrant charm
"That one was stolen by a sea gull. I was feeding it, and it swept down, and took the charm right off my wrist!"

(You could ask Elizabeth about the hook charm, the
pelican charm, the thimble charm or the slipper
charm.)
You ask Elizabeth about the thimble
"Oh, I know where that one is," Elizabeth says. "It's in our
room at the inn."

(You could ask Elizabeth about the hook charm, the
pelican charm or the slipper charm.)
You ask Elizabeth about the pelican
[Which do you mean, the 1) pelican charm or 2)
Shoo?]
You ask the woman about the hook charm
"The ferry captain had it? I must have dropped it before I even got to the island."

(You could ask Elizabeth about the pelican charm or
the slipper charm.)
You take the hook charm
Taken.
You show the hook charm to the woman
"That's one of my lost charms! The hook charm!"
Elizabeth exclaims. "Where did you find it? You're obviously
doing a better job with them than I was. You should have the entire thing, then."

Elizabeth removes the bracelet and hands it to you.
You put the charm on the bracelet
You put the hook charm on the bracelet.
Wear bracelet
You put on the bracelet.
You ask the woman about the charms
"Oh! You've found my hook charm. There were quite a few of
them, but I've lost them all. It looks like you've got all but five of them."

(You could ask Elizabeth about the pelican charm or
the slipper charm.)
You ask the woman about the slipper charm
"That was the very last one I had. I last saw it in that garden behind the inn."

(You could ask Elizabeth about the pelican charm.)
You ask the woman about the pelican charm
"It was eaten by a pelican. Yes, I know."

right now.
(You've previously asked Elizabeth about herself,
the lighthouse, the hook charm, the pelican
charm, the bracelet, the fire hydrant charm,
the thimble charm, the slipper charm, the
lighthouse charm, Gerald and charms.)
You examine the beeper
This is a nasty old beeper. Nobody uses these things anymore, but somehow, it still works. It has a little LCD display which reads "TRY GOING NORTH".
Go west
A narrow stair climbs through a seam in the rocks from the jetty to the top of the island cliffs. The steps are carved from the rock itself. Vines covered in tiny white flowers hide the rough
rock walls.

south (to In a haphazard shack on the edge of a cliff)
east (to At a crossing of paths)
west (to On a small pier)
You ask the captin about the charms
charms.

Spider right now.
(You've previously asked Captain Spider about
himself, Akkoteaque, the treasure, the
ferry, Shoo and the hook.)
You ask the captin about the key
"That opens the treasure. I think, anyway. I found it in the caves under the inn."

Spider right now.
(You've previously asked Captain Spider about
himself, Akkoteaque, the treasure, the
ferry, Shoo and the hook.)
You ask the captin for the key
[Characters will only respond if asked about things or people you encounter in the world.
You take the bed
That is far too heavy for you.
You take the key and the sinker
ancient key: Taken.
sinker: Taken.
You drop the ladder
You lean the ladder against the face of the cliff.
You climb the ladder
You clamber up the ladder.
Look around
On a small pier (on the ladder)
This little wooden dock has definitely seen better days, but still seems to be going strong. It juts into the sea from the base of a cliff. Many seagulls wheel about in the sky above.

Captain Spider mills about, doing something to his boat. You
can't tell what, but it seems to involve pushing dirt about with a rag.

You can also see a ferry here.

You can only go east (to Climbing a narrow stair) from here.
You look at the cleft
There is a narrow cleft in the cliff just wide enough for a gull to scamper through. It looks like one of them as built a nest in
there. It's not very high.
You examine the nest
It seems to be an ordinary sort of bird nest. Ordinarily dirty.

In the nest is a fire hydrant charm.
You take the fire hydrant charm
Taken.

A small gold fire hydrant.
You go downward
You get off the ladder.

This little wooden dock has definitely seen better days, but still seems to be going strong. It juts into the sea from the base of a cliff. Many seagulls wheel about in the sky above.

Captain Spider mills about, doing something to his boat. You
can't tell what, but it seems to involve pushing dirt about with a rag.

You can also see a ladder and a ferry here.

You can only go east (to Climbing a narrow stair) from here.
You put the fire hydrant charm on the bracelet
You put the fire hydrant charm on the bracelet.
You take the ladder
Taken.
You go south
This shack is built right onto the side of the cliff, physics be damned. It's rather damp, likely due to it being suspended over the sea, but otherwise it's quite nice. There are some nautical themed posters on the walls and a little window that looks
out over the sea.

You can see a bed and a rusty table here.

You can only go north (to Climbing a narrow stair) from here.
You drop the ladder
Dropped.
You go to the east
This is where the paths crossing the island meet. There's not much here besides some grass and some assorted shrubbery.

Elizabeth hides herself under her wide sun hat. Every time
you look at her, she's just then turning away.

There is a raft of ducks here. They seem preoccupied with
their own internal politics and haven't any attention to spare for you.

You can also see an old beeper, a gas can, a
fishing pole (with no hook at all), a picture, a
letter, a tomcod, a fish head, a rusty
hook, a sign post and a tourist board here.

south
east
west (to Climbing a narrow stair)
You show the fire hydrant charm to the woman
(first taking the fire hydrant charm)
"That's wonderful. Let me see the bracelet again if you manage to find all of them."
Bait
[What do you want to bait?]
Inventory
You are carrying:
a fire hydrant charm
a sinker
an ancient key
a bracelet (being worn)
a hook charm
a skirt (being worn)
a shirt (being worn)
You take all
old beeper: Taken.
gas can: Taken.
fishing pole (with no hook at all): Taken.
picture: Taken.
letter: Taken.
tomcod: Taken.
rusty hook: Taken.
You examine the board
A rectangular sign covered in information about the island. It is all incredibly boring. For example, the lighthouse was built in 1867. Why would anyone care about that?
You look at the raft of the ducks
A small group of ducks. There appears to be a leader duck,
and several subordinate ducks. There's an entire duck hierarchy involved here. Beyond their rigid social structure, they are ordinary looking ducks. Sort of brownish, webbed feet, other things associated with ducks.
You look at the leader
The leader of the ducks is not the largest duck. Or the smartest. Or the most attractive. The leader is the duck most willing to peck other ducks right in the face.
You take the leader
That seems to be a part of the raft of ducks.
You take the ducks
The ducks scamper out of your reach.
You take the pole
[You already have that.]
You ask the ducks about the pole
(the fishing pole (with no hook at all))
"Quack!" quack the ducks in chorus. "Quack quack quack!" the leader quacks, trying not to be quacked over.

ducks right now.
You tie the sinker to the pole
You tie the sinker to the end of your fishing line.
Bait pole with fish head
You bait the sinker with a bit of fish head.
Cast
You cast your fishing line into the sea.

You are fishing. Wait for something to bite!
Wait
Something tugs on your line! Reel it in!
You examine the pole
This is a basic fishing pole. You can cast it anywhere you
find a body of water. When a fish bites, reel it in. You
could try different hooks, just tie them on. There are also different kinds of bait. Try baiting the hook with something.
You've cast your fishing line into the sea.
Reel
You reel in some line. The fish is really putting up a fight! Keep reeling it in!
Reel
You caught a bluefish!

This fish is green on the back and silver on the belly. It has a stout body, a forked tail, and stripes like a tiger, except in blue. It's about a foot and a half long.
You look at the pole
This is a basic fishing pole. You can cast it anywhere you
find a body of water. When a fish bites, reel it in. You
could try different hooks, just tie them on. There are also different kinds of bait. Try baiting the hook with something.
There is sinker on the end of the line, baited with a bit of
fish head.
You listen
You hear the cawing of seagulls.
Inventory
You are carrying:
a bluefish
a rusty hook
a tomcod
a letter
a picture
a fishing pole (with the sinker and a bit of fish
head)
a gas can
an old beeper
a fish head
a fire hydrant charm
an ancient key
a bracelet (being worn)
a hook charm
a skirt (being worn)
a shirt (being worn)
Bait pole with fish head
You bait the hook charm with a bit of fish head.
You check your inventory
You are carrying:
a sinker
a bluefish
a rusty hook
a tomcod
a letter
a picture
a fishing pole (with the hook charm and a bit of
fish head)
a gas can
an old beeper
a fish head
a fire hydrant charm
an ancient key
a bracelet (being worn)
a skirt (being worn)
a shirt (being worn)
You examine the pole
This is a basic fishing pole. You can cast it anywhere you
find a body of water. When a fish bites, reel it in. You
could try different hooks, just tie them on. There are also different kinds of bait. Try baiting the hook with something.
There is hook charm on the end of the line, baited with a bit
of fish head.
Wait
Time passes.

You are fishing. Wait for something to bite!
You get on the ferry
You get into the ferry.
You look around
On a small pier (in the ferry)
This little wooden dock has definitely seen better days, but still seems to be going strong. It juts into the sea from the base of a cliff. Many seagulls wheel about in the sky above.

Captain Spider mills about, doing something to his boat. You
can't tell what, but it seems to involve pushing dirt about with a rag.

You can only go east (to Climbing a narrow stair) from here.
You go east
You'll have to get out of the ferry first.
Go outside
You get out of the ferry.

This little wooden dock has definitely seen better days, but still seems to be going strong. It juts into the sea from the base of a cliff. Many seagulls wheel about in the sky above.

Captain Spider mills about, doing something to his boat. You
can't tell what, but it seems to involve pushing dirt about with a rag.

You can also see a ferry here.

You can only go east (to Climbing a narrow stair) from here.
Go east
This is where the paths crossing the island meet. There's not much here besides some grass and some assorted shrubbery.

Elizabeth hides herself under her wide sun hat. Every time
you look at her, she's just then turning away.

There is a raft of ducks here. They seem preoccupied with
their own internal politics and haven't any attention to spare for you.

here.

south
east
west (to Climbing a narrow stair)
You ask the ducks about Shoo
A lone quack emits from one of the lesser ducks. The leader glares about but can't seem to tell who did it.

ducks right now.
You examine the tourist board
A rectangular sign covered in information about the island. It is all incredibly boring. For example, the lighthouse was built in 1867. Why would anyone care about that?
You examine the sign post
To the north is the inn and lighthouse. To the south is the chapel. The ferry is to the west, and the beach is to the east.
You climb the sign post
[That can't be climbed in that way. Sometimes a direction like
"up" or "down" works instead.]
You go south
This shack is built right onto the side of the cliff, physics be damned. It's rather damp, likely due to it being suspended over the sea, but otherwise it's quite nice. There are some nautical themed posters on the walls and a little window that looks
out over the sea.

You can see a ladder, a bed and a rusty
table here.

You can only go north (to Climbing a narrow stair) from here.
Look around
Climbing a narrow stair (on the ladder)
A narrow stair climbs through a seam in the rocks from the jetty to the top of the island cliffs. The steps are carved from the rock itself. Vines covered in tiny white flowers hide the rough
rock walls.

south (to In a haphazard shack on the edge of a cliff)
east (to At a crossing of paths)
west (to On a small pier)
You pull the vines
You give the vines an experimental tug. They aren't anchored all that strongly.
You go to the east
(first getting off the ladder)

This is where the paths crossing the island meet. There's not much here besides some grass and some assorted shrubbery.

Elizabeth hides herself under her wide sun hat. Every time
you look at her, she's just then turning away.

There is a raft of ducks here. They seem preoccupied with
their own internal politics and haven't any attention to spare for you.

here.

south
east
west (to Climbing a narrow stair)
Go west
A narrow stair climbs through a seam in the rocks from the jetty to the top of the island cliffs. The steps are carved from the rock itself. Vines covered in tiny white flowers hide the rough
rock walls.

You can see a ladder here.

south (to In a haphazard shack on the edge of a cliff)
east (to At a crossing of paths)
west (to On a small pier)
Look around
At a crossing of paths (on the ladder)
This is where the paths crossing the island meet. There's not much here besides some grass and some assorted shrubbery.

Elizabeth hides herself under her wide sun hat. Every time
you look at her, she's just then turning away.

There is a raft of ducks here. They seem preoccupied with
their own internal politics and haven't any attention to spare for you.

here.

south
east
west (to Climbing a narrow stair)
You get off the ladder
You get off the ladder.

This is where the paths crossing the island meet. There's not much here besides some grass and some assorted shrubbery.

Elizabeth hides herself under her wide sun hat. Every time
you look at her, she's just then turning away.

There is a raft of ducks here. They seem preoccupied with
their own internal politics and haven't any attention to spare for you.

You can also see a ladder, a sign post and a
tourist board here.

south
east
west (to Climbing a narrow stair)
Go south
Sorry, the rest of the island isn't ready yet. There's something you could find on the pier.