text: [Themes: Fantasy, archaeology, travel, boat]
  
  > Look around
  It is a single piece of ivory, huge enough to span from one side of the boulevard to the other and no man lives who knows whence so vast a piece could have come. Passing through the arch, one finds the entire underside covered in countless, detailed carvings; mostly statues and visages that seem to reach out from the ivory or stare at you as you pass through. To the north, beyond the ivory arch, the buidlings give way to some sort of open town square.
  
  Your minder, Venkath Mock, is here with a grim countenance.
  
  You can also see Warpeye (the cat) here.
  
  Venkath looks at your traveling clothes.
  
  > Go north
  This town square is hardly a square and more of an askew hexagon. Its dimensions are difficult to tell as the surrounding buildings crowd each other for space. Avenues lead off in almost every direction.
  The southern boulevard leads under a gigantic ivory arch with an underside covered in countless carvings. The way west is blocked by a spiked gate. Beyond it is the courtyard of the inn known as The Vulgar Unicorn. Even in your village, the far away Euyesus, you've heard a few tales of the tavern's rowdiness.
  
  As it's midday, the square is alive with a crowd of people either coming and going or doing business with merchants selling various commodities from tented booths
  
  Venkath Mock arrives from the south.
  
  Warpeye (the cat) arrives from the south.
  
  Venkath looks around and then rubs his eyes.
  
  > examine the gate
  This is a strong, iron gate with spikes at the summit, standing about ten feet tall. It would be difficult and dangerous to climb and downright impossible to squeeze through the bars. The gate is currently closed.
  
  Venkath looks around with a peeved expression.
  
  > open gate
  You open the spiked gate.
  
  > Go west
  Nestled within the buildings of Badushizd, this stony courtyard serves the patrons of The Vulgar Unicorn as a place to enjoy if the tavern gets too noisy. A dry fountain sits as a centerpiece, surrounded by four stone benches with areas of trimmed grass in between. An open spiked gate leads out of this courtyard to the east and a shadowy break in the wall to the northwest leads to some sort of dark alley between the buildings. The door into the tavern is to the west.
  
  On the dry fountain are a periwinkle sadiki bird and a lavender sadiki bird.
  
  Venkath Mock arrives from the east.
  
  Warpeye (the cat) arrives from the east.
  
  The lavender sadiki bird looks at you and says, "You're just some weedy, ill-nurtured apple-john!".
  
  > look at the fountain
  (the dry fountain)
  The dry fountain has a wide, circular basin at ground level. The thick sides of the basin are knee-high, made of brick, and provide seating like a bench. In the center of the bottom basin, a stone sculpture rises at least ten feet. It is an abstract thing, sculpted to resemble waves, or something that flows at least. Water probably emerged from the top, flowed down the wavy channels of the sculpture before landing in the basin below. Now, only dust remains.
  
  On the dry fountain are a periwinkle sadiki bird and a lavender sadiki bird.
  
  > examine the lavender
  Sadiki birds, named for the faraway continent upon which they were first discovered, come in a variety of colors and have an impressive ability of mimicry. Unfortunately, sadiki birds have a penchant to only squawk curse words and insults at anyone unfortunate enough to be nearby. This particular sadiki bird has lavender colored feathers.
  
  Venkath looks around and then rubs his eyes.
  
  The periwinkle sadiki bird looks at you and says, "I smell some sort of impertinent, hell-hated barnacle!".
  
  The lavender sadiki bird looks at Venkath Mock and says, "You're just some gorbellied, common-kissing dewberry!".
  
  > look at the inn
  This door appears to be very old but very thick and strong.
  
  Venkath looks at your leather haversack.
  
  The periwinkle sadiki bird looks at you and says, "You're just some droning, clay-brained giglet!".
  
  > Go west
  (first opening the inn door)
  
  Bright and shadowy, all at once, this tavern common room is covered in countless burning candles of various shapes, sizes, and colors. This perpetual candlelight has been happening for so long, the floor is covered in dry candle wax, stamped into a dust that has become one with the floor. The wooden walls and ceiling are completely covered in soot and the patrons through the many decades have taken it upon themselves to scrawl graffiti in it with their fingers and knives.
  
  Across from the front door to the east is a large, curved bar, covered in candles and spirits. In between the front door and the bar are a couple of tables and a few scattered chairs, upon which various patrons lounge, drinking and smoking, filling the room with a smoky aroma of tobacco and herbs. A wooden staircase leads up.
  
  Behind the curved bar, a young woman with dreadlocks attends to patrons.
  
  Someone breaks out in a hacking cough.
  
  Venkath Mock arrives from the east.
  
  Warpeye (the cat) arrives from the east.
  
  > look at the graffiti
  The layers of words, sentences, remarks, ponderings, and symbols go back many decades. Some are crude opinions scribbled in the soot with a naked finger, others are intricate scrawls made with a knife or other sharp implement. It seems that the fashion is to express one's political leanings or affiliations which makes sense in a landscape of city-states hanging in an ever-changing web of alliances and hostilities.
  
  Venkath fidgets with his travel pack.
  
  > examine the woman
  (Paevana the alewife)
  Black, dreadlocks awkwardly hang over a furrowed, friendly face. Big, round amber eyes look thoughtfully around the tavern they've watched over for so long. Paevana isn't greatly busy this evening, but still steadily works the bar; pouring drinks, clearing glasses, lighting candles, and talking to the various patrons.
  
  > talk to the woman
  (Paevana the alewife)
  As you approach a little closer, you notice there is a concealed staircase behind the bar leading down to a cellar.
  
  You say hello to Paevana the alewife.
  
  (You could ask Paevana the alewife about Paevana the alewife, the Vulgar Unicorn, Deviah Favash or the room to rent.)
  
  > ascend
  This is the upstairs hall of The Vulgar Unicorn. From below, the sounds of the tavern common room rises up the wooden staircase. Bedroom doors are set east and west and a lavatory door is to the south. The soot graffiti continues on this floor, as does the smoky aroma of tobacco.
  
  Venkath Mock comes up from below.
  
  Warpeye (the cat) comes up from below.
  
  > ask Venkath about Warpeye
  There is no reply.
  
  Venkath looks at your leather haversack.
  
  > examine the graffiti
  The layers of words, sentences, remarks, ponderings, and symbols go back many decades. Some are crude opinions scribbled in the soot with a naked finger, others are intricate scrawls made with a knife or other sharp implement. It seems that the fashion is to express one's political leanings or affiliations which makes sense in a landscape of city-states hanging in an ever-changing web of alliances and hostilities.
  
  > look at the door
  Which do you mean, the second bedroom door, the first bedroom door or the lavatory door?
  
  > examine the key
  Which do you mean, the first inn key, the cabin key or the old key?
  
  > look at the first door
  This is a basic, wooden door.
  
  > enter it
  (first opening the first bedroom door)
  It seems to be locked.
  
  Venkath adjusts his scabbard and belt.
  
  > unlock it
  What do you want to unlock the first bedroom door with?
  
  > First key
  You unlock the first bedroom door.
  
  > enter the first door
  (first opening the first bedroom door)
  
  Surprisingly cozy, this bedroom contains a large, comfy bed covered by an intricately-sewn quilt. A thick but short curtain covers a small window in the east wall. Completing the guest room is a stuffed sofa with a worn floral, but darkly colored cover. The only exit is the door to the west.
  
  Venkath Mock arrives from the west.
  
  Warpeye (the cat) arrives from the west.
  
  > go to the west
  This is the upstairs hall of The Vulgar Unicorn. From below, the sounds of the tavern common room rises up the wooden staircase. Bedroom doors are set east and west and a lavatory door is to the south. The soot graffiti continues on this floor, as does the smoky aroma of tobacco.
  
  Venkath Mock arrives from the east.
  
  Warpeye (the cat) arrives from the east.
  
  > close the first door
  You close the first bedroom door.
  
  > lock it with the first key
  You lock the first bedroom door.
  
  > knock on the second door
  You try the door after a quick knock but it remains locked.
  
  "I feel something's wrong." Venkath Mock tells you as he examines the door, most likely thinking of bashing it down.
  
  "No, wait." You tell him, not wanting to cause damage or a scene if it can be helped, "Let me look for another way in. You wait here."
  
  "Fine. Be swift."
  
  > go south
  (first opening the lavatory door)
  
  This strange room is some sort of lavatory, but not like any that you've seen back in Euyesus. There's a commode made of polished wood with a small handle nearby. There's also a porcelain sink, but the commode has numerous pipes extending from it and clinging to the wall before disappearing into it and the sink includes a faucet which is a brass spigot also attached to a network of pipes. Finally, there is an old mirror on another wall, affixed between more pipes. The only exit is the door to the north.
  
  > examine the mirror
  This mirror is very clean but a couple of the corners look a little battered, as if this mirror has been moved around more than a few times. It is attached to the wall but the pipes covers a little of the mirror's edge.
  
  > move the mirror
  It is fixed in place.
  
  > search mirror
  You see yourself reflected back at you.
  
  > look at the pipes
  You have no idea how such plumbing works; your home village still relies on outhouse technology. From behind the polished wood commode and porcelain sink, pipes extend and crawl along the walls before disappearing into them. Near the commode, a small handle is attached to a pipe and above the sink, there's a brass spigot, also on a pipe.
  
  > go to the north
  This is the upstairs hall of The Vulgar Unicorn. From below, the sounds of the tavern common room rises up the wooden staircase. Bedroom doors are set east and west and a lavatory door is to the south. The soot graffiti continues on this floor, as does the smoky aroma of tobacco.
  
  Your minder, Venkath Mock, is here with a grim countenance.
  
  You can also see Warpeye (the cat) here.