text: > look at your surroundings
  The Old Well (Reed Lockwood)
  The trees here gather, black with wet; glimmering fingers hung with ragged matter, huddling beneath a cold and gently weeping sky. Beneath your feet, the damp red felt of rotting leaves slopes down toward a still, murky puddle. Nearby is a well, capped off with crumbling cement. A broken-down section of brick wall waits for raindrops to fall along its spine, and an old, half-dead oak straddles an angular boulder studded with quartz. A path through the forest leads south.
  
  You can see a wooden sigil here.
  
  A ghostly trolley stop sign reads Green Line -- The Woods.
  
  > look at well
  An old well cap made of crumbling cement emerges from the forest floor here. Two wrought-iron handles, pitted with rust, emerge from the top. A padlock, also rusted, holds it closed.
  
  > examine the padlock
  It's rusted tight, but still solid.
  
  > check your inventory
  You are carrying:
  some mildewed leather gloves
  a golden eyepiece (smelling faintly of mildew) (being worn)
  a plastic bubble (open but empty)
  a mysterious silver box
  a suitcase (open but empty)
  a spray bottle that used to contain fungicide
  a hefty, rust-streaked iron key
  a rusty flathead screwdriver
  a pair of garden shears (smelling faintly of mildew)
  a gallon jug of white vinegar
  a key from an urn
  a copper urn (closed)
  a bronze urn (closed)
  Tolerating An Asinine God
  a black business card
  a trophy for a dog race
  a half-full styrofoam coffee cup (smelling faintly of mildew)
  a glass shard
  a giant milkweed leaf (being worn as a mask)
  an antique locket (closed)
  a backpack features guide
  The Modern Girl's Divination Handbook -- Volume Three
  the diary of Phyllis Cragne
  a postcard of Big Ben
  a Jansport backpack (being worn and open)
  a hidden pocket (open but empty)
  a key pocket (closed)
  a book pocket (open but empty)
  a side pocket (closed)
  a trash pocket (open but empty)
  a trolley pass (being worn)
  a familiar gold wristwatch
  a glass jar containing an insect
  a pull-string doll
  a waterproof flashlight
  a dead battery
  The Dollmaker's Journal
  a repaired page
  a moldy, waterlogged journal
  Twin Hearts Between the Planes
  a trolley schedule
  Peter's jacket
  a grimy rock (smelling faintly of mildew)
  a long hooked pole
  a soggy tome
  a book list
  an employee ID card (smelling faintly of mildew)
  a shard of shattered carapace (smelling faintly of mildew)
  some yellowed newspapers
  a rusty piece of metal
  loose bricks
  a pamphlet of home listings (smelling faintly of mildew)
  a hovering spark (haunting you)
  
  > Close tp
  You close the trash pocket.
  
  > put the suitcase in the tp
  You unzip the trash pocket, deposit the suitcase, then zip the trash pocket back up again.
  
  > put the bubble in the tp
  You unzip the trash pocket, deposit the plastic bubble, then zip the trash pocket back up again.
  
  > put the silver box in the tp
  You unzip the trash pocket, deposit the mysterious silver box, then zip the trash pocket back up again.
  
  > put the peter's jacket in the tp
  You unzip the trash pocket, deposit Peter's jacket, then zip the trash pocket back up again.
  
  > put the dead battery in the tp
  You unzip the trash pocket, deposit the dead battery, then zip the trash pocket back up again.
  
  > look at the brick wall
  Your vision zooms in on the crumbling bricks to reveal a howling maze of rust-red crevices, between which swoop screeching black eagles. The red rock is perforated by innumerable cavities in which dwell scurrying insects.
  
  You can see the wooden arch, the marigold arch, the violet arch and the pink arch here.
  
  > examine the root
  Peering at the twisted root, your vision distorts, distorts again. Suddenly you see as a forest of gray fungus over rich, piled soil. Strange little bipeds clamber among the stalks, pale with bulbous heads.
  
  You can see the wooden arch, the marigold arch, the teal arch and the mint green arch here.
  
  > look at the puddle
  Kneeling to examine the puddle, you witness a violent sea, plumed with frothing foam. Below the surface, the shadows of sea-life, cresting and rolling their smooth gray bodies.
  
  You can see the wooden arch, the teal arch, the violet arch and the sky blue arch here.
  
  > Inventory
  You are carrying:
  some mildewed leather gloves
  a golden eyepiece (smelling faintly of mildew) (being worn)
  a spray bottle that used to contain fungicide
  a hefty, rust-streaked iron key
  a rusty flathead screwdriver
  a pair of garden shears (smelling faintly of mildew)
  a gallon jug of white vinegar
  a key from an urn
  a copper urn (closed)
  a bronze urn (closed)
  Tolerating An Asinine God
  a black business card
  a trophy for a dog race
  a half-full styrofoam coffee cup (smelling faintly of mildew)
  a glass shard
  a giant milkweed leaf (being worn as a mask)
  an antique locket (closed)
  a backpack features guide
  The Modern Girl's Divination Handbook -- Volume Three
  the diary of Phyllis Cragne
  a postcard of Big Ben (smelling faintly of mildew)
  a Jansport backpack (being worn and open)
  a hidden pocket (open but empty)
  a key pocket (closed)
  a book pocket (open but empty)
  a side pocket (closed)
  a trash pocket (closed)
  a trolley pass (being worn)
  a familiar gold wristwatch
  a glass jar containing an insect
  a pull-string doll
  a waterproof flashlight
  The Dollmaker's Journal
  a repaired page (smelling faintly of mildew)
  a moldy, waterlogged journal
  Twin Hearts Between the Planes
  a trolley schedule (smelling faintly of mildew)
  a grimy rock (smelling faintly of mildew)
  a long hooked pole
  a soggy tome
  a book list
  an employee ID card (smelling faintly of mildew)
  a shard of shattered carapace (smelling faintly of mildew)
  some yellowed newspapers
  a rusty piece of metal
  loose bricks
  a pamphlet of home listings (smelling faintly of mildew)
  a hovering spark (haunting you)
  
  > examine moldy
  It's heavily damaged by the elements. You can make out the letters "-AGNE" on the front cover.
  
  > read it
  You riffle through the pages; only short passages are still legible:
  
  "... circular golden prosthesis seems to have chosen Mabel ... doctor said he can't remove it without harming the child ..."
  
  "... Mabel spends long hours examining stumps and rocks in the woods ... and I are most concerned. Mabel's stories of fairies and HIDDEN LANDS seem more than childish fancy"
  
  (There's a long section of the book here which is ruined and entirely illegible, although you can make out diagrams and the faded, troubling outlines of strange shapes)
  
  "... constructed the sigil out of sculpted and varnished wood after many ... Mabel instructs me on where it should be placed ... spirits she is in communication with have constructed various devices at her command ... creatures I have dubbed microphids ... "
  
  "... Clara still doesn't believe; threatened to get Pastor Crowell involved ... able to dodge him so far ... quit my position at ..."
  
  "... very concerned but there is no body ... up to seven successful SUMMONINGS that have remained docile ... we will never know, and quite frankly these studies are more important than that ... Each creature must process through three ARCHES, through three HABITATS and stages of development before finally maturing through the ARCH and SIGIL ... special GLUE created by that one created via the sequence ->FOREST->(illegible)->CLIFFS ..."
  
  "... at Clara's insistence I have written to the University ... fake name ... one we have dubbed Moppy is friendly enough and a loyal companion to Mabel ..."
  
  "... siphoning off the rest of the inheritance ... haven't seen her in a while ... sent an officer of the law to fetch Mabel, but Moppy took care of him ..."
  
  (another long damaged section)
  
  "... only Tall Pete is left ... lay Mabel in a grave beside Moppy ... TERRIBLE LIZARD-BIRD was raised up from the OCEAN - is still out there somewhere ..."
  
  "... now I wear the PROSTHESIS; now I can see
  everything. ... breached the walls of perception ... I am PRODDING the EGG MACHINE on the QUARTZ OUTCROPPING ... dozens of them GATHER to PROTECT me from the LIZARD BIRD ... PULLED the ROOF clear off my SHELTER ..."
  
  And that's it. There's no more. Well, you suppose you didn't actually expect the author to keep writing right up until the point of his death, but you're a little disappointed.
  
  > examine the quartz
  Leaning in close to the patch of quartz, your vision swirls. Visions of a strange, microscopic world appear: A shallow pool of aquamarine fluid sits within a vast white desert woven with lavender capillaries, a soft network of exotic flora. Beside the crater, a chrome-plated, cylindrical machine protrudes from the ground.
  
  You can see the wooden arch, the mint green arch, the pink arch and the sky blue arch here.
  
  > look at the machine
  A chrome plated cylinder, studded with rivets. A chute extends from one side, toward the aquamarine pool. It is located in the languid plain.
  
  > examine the SIGIL
  A circular wooden frame is embedded in the ground here, organic arcs of wood carved with strange symbols. Though surrounded by rot, it is entirely intact despite its apparent age.
  
  > examine the aquamarine
  The calm pool of aquamarine fluid is in the languid plain.
  
  You see nothing special about the calm pool of aquamarine fluid.
  
  > examine the wooden arch
  A wooden archway carved with eldritch symbols. It is located in the roiling ocean.
  
  > look at the mint green
  The mint green arch connects the languid plain to the blessed forest.
  
  A mint green arch.
  
  (You can see all arches discovered so far by typing "x
  arches".)
  
  > examine the arches
  Arches found so far:
  
  wooden arch ----> wooden sigil
  mint green arch: languid plain <---> blessed forest
  pink arch: languid plain <---> howling labyrinth
  sky blue arch: languid plain <---> roiling ocean
  teal arch: roiling ocean <---> blessed forest
  violet arch: roiling ocean <---> howling labyrinth
  marigold arch: howling labyrinth <---> blessed forest
  
  > turn it on
  You can't manipulate something that small with your bare hands. Try prodding it with the laser on your eyepiece.
  
  > Prod machine
  The chrome-plated machine shivers and lurches, and an egg trundles down its chute and splashes into the aquamarine pool below. The shell breaks apart, the pieces rapidly dissolving, leaving behind only a small, translucent blob.
  
  ("p" can be used as an abbreviation for "prod")
  
  > examine the blob
  A nascent, translucent blob of flesh rolls and shivers on the surface of the aquamarine pool. It is located in the languid plain.
  
  > Prod blob
  The tiny blob shrivels up and dies in the heat of the beam.
  
  ("p" can be used as an abbreviation for "prod")
  
  > Prod machine
  The chrome-plated machine shivers and lurches, and an egg trundles down its chute and splashes into the aquamarine pool below. The shell breaks apart, the pieces rapidly dissolving, leaving behind only a small, translucent blob.
  
  > Prod mint green
  The tiny blob wriggles up onto dry land and passes beneath the mint green arch. It disappears from the languid plain.
  The tiny blob emerges in the blessed forest and transforms into a small quadruped.
  
  > look at quadruped
  A half-formed thing with four trunk-like legs, browsing at the fungal nodes with soft probing lips. It is located in the blessed forest.
  
  > Prod teal
  The creature saunters through the teal arch. It disappears from the blessed forest.
  The small quadruped emerges in the roiling ocean and transforms into a bumpy whale.
  
  > look at the whale
  How this whale is covered with pleasing round bumps; it dives to fetch the boneless lurkers of the deep. It is located in the roiling ocean.
  
  > Prod violet
  The whale dives to the violet arch. It disappears from the roiling ocean.
  The bumpy whale emerges in the howling labyrinth and transforms into a armored climber.
  
  > examine the climber
  A large, armored creature, somewhat reminiscent of giant armadillo climbs among the rocks, licking the insects from the crevices. It has beautiful eyes. It is located in the howling labyrinth.
  
  > Prod wooden
  (the wooden sigil)
  The air above the sigil crackles with energy.
  
  A great, armor-plated monster trundles forth from the sigil and off into the forest with hardly a backwards glance.
  
  (For future reference, you can use the command "birth" to lay
  another egg; "forest", "plain", "cliffs", and "ocean" to switch the creature between microcosms you've discovered; and "summon" to summon a mature creature into the sigil.)
  
  > look at the coffee
  The swirls in your cup form a single cherry. Botanical images mean that while there is much left to accomplish in the present situation, your immediate environment sustains you, and you have everything that you need.
  
  A faint smell of mildew emanates from it.
  
  > Birth
  The chrome-plated machine shivers and lurches, and an egg trundles down its chute and splashes into the aquamarine pool below. The shell breaks apart, the pieces rapidly dissolving, leaving behind only a small, translucent blob.
  
  > Forest
  The tiny blob wriggles up onto dry land and passes beneath the mint green arch. It disappears from the languid plain.
  The tiny blob emerges in the blessed forest and transforms into a small quadruped.
  
  > Plains
  The creature saunters through the mint green arch. It disappears from the blessed forest.
  The small quadruped emerges in the languid plain and transforms into a glassy horse.
  
  > Cliffs
  This horse gallops gaily toward the pink arch. It disappears from the languid plain.
  The glassy horse emerges in the howling labyrinth and transforms into a slime ape.
  
  > Summon
  The air above the sigil crackles with energy.
  
  The cycloptic ape extends its arms over the edge of the sigil, heaving itself into your pathetic material world, dripping gobs of sticky slime across the forest floor. It leaps atop the clearing and onto the well cap. It turns and catches you in its monocular gaze. An understanding passes between you. Maybe even - love? It turns again, bolting into the bushes.
  
  "W-Wait," you say, but the moment has passed.
  
  Only the creature's sticky goo is left behind on the well.
  
  > examine well
  An old well cap made of crumbling cement emerges from the forest floor here. Two wrought-iron handles, pitted with rust, emerge from the top. A padlock, also rusted, holds it closed. The entire thing is covered in sticky goo.
  
  > open well
  You place your hands on the handles and give them a good, solid pull. No good.
  
  When you try to remove them, however, they do not budge. With growing alarm, you struggle to free your grasp from the well's handles, but it is no use. In the process, your shoe also gets stuck, and then your elbow.
  
  You scream for help, but no one answers. Soon, night will fall.
  
  > Cliffs
  The tiny blob wriggles up onto dry land and passes beneath the pink arch. It disappears from the languid plain.
  The tiny blob emerges in the howling labyrinth and transforms into a wriggling worm.
  
  > Plains
  The little worm squirms its way into the pink arch. It disappears from the howling labyrinth.
  The wriggling worm emerges in the languid plain and transforms into a somnambulant snake.
  
  > OCEAN
  The creature inches its way lazily toward the sky blue arch. It disappears from the languid plain.
  The somnambulant snake emerges in the roiling ocean and transforms into a gulping eel.
  
  > Prod eel
  The gulping eel shrivels up and dies in the heat of the beam.
  
  > Summon
  The air above the sigil crackles with energy.
  
  A freakish, big-mouthed black eel erupts from the sigil. It swallows you whole before falling to the ground and perishing. Unfortunately, you're unable to escape from its belly.
  
  > OCEAN
  The tiny blob wriggles up onto dry land and passes beneath the sky blue arch. It disappears from the languid plain.
  The tiny blob emerges in the roiling ocean and transforms into a slightly more robust blob.
  
  > Plain
  The blob sinks beneath the surface of the waves, presumably to find the sky blue arch. It disappears from the roiling ocean.
  The slightly more robust blob emerges in the languid plain and transforms into a undulating slug.
  
  > OCEAN
  The slug inches toward the sky blue arch. It disappears from the languid plain.
  The undulating slug emerges in the roiling ocean and transforms into a all-consuming blob.
  
  > Prod blob
  The all-consuming blob shrivels up and dies in the heat of the beam.
  
  > OCEAN
  This horse gallops gaily toward the sky blue arch. It disappears from the languid plain.
  The glassy horse emerges in the roiling ocean and transforms into a hungry seal.
  
  > Summon
  The air above the sigil crackles with energy.
  
  The absurd and frightening seal appears before you; it moves frighteningly fast, even on land. It pins you down and clenches its enormous human teeth against your skull.
  
  > Prod seal
  The hungry seal shrivels up and dies in the heat of the beam.
  
  > Plains
  The monster is already there!
  
  > Cliffs
  The blob sinks beneath the surface of the waves, presumably to find the violet arch. It disappears from the roiling ocean.
  The slightly more robust blob emerges in the howling labyrinth and transforms into a gas-belching sphere.
  
  > OCEAN
  The creature descends toward the violet arch. It disappears from the howling labyrinth.
  The gas-belching sphere emerges in the roiling ocean and transforms into a floating strangler.
  
  > examine the strangler
  An abominable polyp of flesh floats above the sea, pulling up fish with its hook-studded tendrils. It is located in the roiling ocean.
  
  > Summon
  The air above the sigil crackles with energy.
  
  The misshapen polyp appears before you, lashing out with its tendrils. You are caught fast in an instant, thousands of tiny hooks digging into your flesh. It yanks you up, up, until you can see all of Backwater, Vermont and its surrounding territories. Sadly, the view is spoiled by the burning venom coursing through your veins.
  
  > Prod monster
  The floating strangler shrivels up and dies in the heat of the beam.
  
  > Forest
  The blob sinks beneath the surface of the waves, presumably to find the teal arch. It disappears from the roiling ocean.
  The slightly more robust blob emerges in the blessed forest and transforms into a swarm of burrowing insects.
  
  > OCEAN
  The swarm coalesces upon the teal arch. It disappears from the blessed forest.
  The swarm of burrowing insects emerges in the roiling ocean and transforms into a school of ravenous shrimp.
  
  > Cliffs
  The creature saunters through the marigold arch. It disappears from the blessed forest.
  The small quadruped emerges in the howling labyrinth and transforms into a winged scavenger.
  
  > OCEAN
  The creature flaps toward the violet arch. It disappears from the howling labyrinth.
  The winged scavenger emerges in the roiling ocean and transforms into a fearsome pteranodon.
  
  > Summon
  The air above the sigil crackles with energy.
  
  A fearsome pteranodon emerges from the sigil. For half a moment, you are both completely still, it regarding you with a fierce intensity, you too panicked to move.
  
  With an abrupt flurry of its colossal wings it comes directly at you, seizing you in its talon. It carries you high, and you are already bleeding out.
  
  > read BOOK
  Which do you mean, Tolerating An Asinine God, The Modern Girl's Divination Handbook -- Volume Three, the diary of Phyllis Cragne, the postcard of Big Ben (smelling faintly of mildew), The Dollmaker's Journal, the moldy, waterlogged journal, Twin Hearts Between the Planes or the soggy tome?
  
  > read moldy
  You riffle through the pages; only short passages are still legible:
  
  "... circular golden prosthesis seems to have chosen Mabel ... doctor said he can't remove it without harming the child ..."
  
  "... Mabel spends long hours examining stumps and rocks in the woods ... and I are most concerned. Mabel's stories of fairies and HIDDEN LANDS seem more than childish fancy"
  
  (There's a long section of the book here which is ruined and entirely illegible, although you can make out diagrams and the faded, troubling outlines of strange shapes)
  
  "... constructed the sigil out of sculpted and varnished wood after many ... Mabel instructs me on where it should be placed ... spirits she is in communication with have constructed various devices at her command ... creatures I have dubbed microphids ... "
  
  "... Clara still doesn't believe; threatened to get Pastor Crowell involved ... able to dodge him so far ... quit my position at ..."
  
  "... very concerned but there is no body ... up to seven successful SUMMONINGS that have remained docile ... we will never know, and quite frankly these studies are more important than that ... Each creature must process through three ARCHES, through three HABITATS and stages of development before finally maturing through the ARCH and SIGIL ... special GLUE created by that one created via the sequence ->FOREST->(illegible)->CLIFFS ..."
  
  "... at Clara's insistence I have written to the University ... fake name ... one we have dubbed Moppy is friendly enough and a loyal companion to Mabel ..."
  
  "... siphoning off the rest of the inheritance ... haven't seen her in a while ... sent an officer of the law to fetch Mabel, but Moppy took care of him ..."
  
  (another long damaged section)
  
  "... only Tall Pete is left ... lay Mabel in a grave beside Moppy ... TERRIBLE LIZARD-BIRD was raised up from the OCEAN - is still out there somewhere ..."
  
  "... now I wear the PROSTHESIS; now I can see
  everything. ... breached the walls of perception ... I am PRODDING the EGG MACHINE on the QUARTZ OUTCROPPING ... dozens of them GATHER to PROTECT me from the LIZARD BIRD ... PULLED the ROOF clear off my SHELTER ..."
  
  And that's it. There's no more. Well, you suppose you didn't actually expect the author to keep writing right up until the point of his death, but you're a little disappointed.
  
  > Birth
  The cylinder buzzes, and a tinny recording plays:
  
  "Only one microphid in the nursery constellation at a time, please."
  
  > examine the monster
  It shrieks above the sea, borne on great and leathery wings. It seizes great fish with grasping claws, lifting them from the water. It is located in the roiling ocean.
  
  > Cliffs
  The cylinder buzzes, and a tinny recording plays:
  
  "This microphid is now mature, and will no longer change habitats."
  
  > Forest
  This horse gallops gaily toward the mint green arch. It disappears from the languid plain.
  The glassy horse emerges in the blessed forest and transforms into a polyphonic ungulate.
  
  > look at the monster
  A hoofed mammal stands among the fungus, emitting dissonant tones from the many holes in its body. The smaller creatures worship it with a cult-like fervor. It is located in the blessed forest.
  
  > Summon
  The air above the sigil crackles with energy.
  
  The ungulate struts forth from the sigil, piping its dissonant tune.
  
  > look at the ungulate
  A hooved mammal stands here, emitting dissonent tones from the many holes in its body.
  
  > Forest
  The little worm squirms its way into the marigold arch. It disappears from the howling labyrinth.
  The wriggling worm emerges in the blessed forest and transforms into a drill-headed worm.
  
  > OCEAN
  The creature emerges from the loam, headed toward the teal arch. It disappears from the blessed forest.
  The drill-headed worm emerges in the roiling ocean and transforms into a bloody nematode.
  
  > look at the nematode
  At first, you see nothing but a sick whale, rolling over in the water. A long, crimson thread emerges from its flesh, polluting the sea with its foul emanations. It is located in the roiling ocean.
  
  > Summon
  The air above the sigil crackles with energy.
  
  A horrid red nematode squirms forth from the sigil, shedding blankets of mucus. Before you can react, it burrows into your flesh, is gone. Your innards writhe and ache, and a strange feeling comes over you: You can no longer consciously control your own movements! Then why, why, why do you continue to move?
  
  > Prod nematode
  The bloody nematode shrivels up and dies in the heat of the beam.