// Text Library  - 2007

begintextlibrary;

1 = "This is a lizard pen. Several large, fierce reptiles are being stored in here, waiting to be converted into meals.";
2 = "Suddenly, the portcullis just to the east slams shut!";
3 = "Pulling the lever makes the entry portcullis rattle open noisily.";
4 = "The entry portcullis slams shut.";
5 = "When you step through the doorway, a cloud of smoke appears above a platform by the south wall. Moments later, an infernal appears. It looks like someone was justifiably paranoid about protecting his or her room.";
6 = "Very odd. You saw some docks at the south side of the fort. You aimed your boat for them. Yet, somehow, you ended up rowing here. It would seem that this fort has magical protection to keep unwelcome people from landing at the docks. ";
7 = "You climb the ladder, only to find that the trapdoor at the top has been barred shut. You won't be able to ascend this way.";
8 = "This is a statue of a gaunt, severe looking man. A plaque at the base reads _Emperor Hawthorne - May he rest powerfully._";
9 = "This is a statue of a middle aged man wearing the robes of an archmage. He is short and powerfully built, and his expression is one of supreme confidence. A plaque at the base reads _Garzahd._";
10 = "This is a statue of a young, smiling woman. She looks almost touchingly innocent. The plaque at the base reads _Empress Prazac - Long may she reign._";
11 = "An ominous clicking sound rises from the tile you just stepped on. The wall to the south slides smoothly into the floor.";
12 = "From here, you have a commanding view of the Central Sea, to the south. The smooth waters reflect the cave ceiling perfectly in the green, mossy light.";
13 = "The ceiling of this room has been enchanted, causing it to give off a constant green glow. Torches on the walls provide heat, and shallow pools of water provide moisture. This is a rough greenhouse, used to grow small amounts of a few surface crops. Alas, it isn't working. The plants are sickly and pitiful.";
14 = "This window looks down upon a large courtyard, used for training. You watch as a band of soldiers run across it, shouting an alarm and searching for you.";
15 = "The runes on the floor of this corridor suddenly glow with a fierce light and throw you back! The force they project is both irresistible and quite painful.";
16 = "You pull the lever to the other position. Nothing happens.";
17 = "You pull the lever. Nothing happens.";
18 = "There's something strange about the stairway to the north. A thin mist hangs above the steps, and the stone seems to be slightly insubstantial.";
19 = "This cave contains the bodies of several Empire soldiers, all frozen solid. The ice and corrosive secretions of the slimes have destroyed much of their equipment. These scouts must have found this cave, started to explore it, and been surprised by the deadly ooze.";
20 = "The bizarre serpentine beast falls. Within moments, its corpse consumes itself in a cloud of flame! You jump back and watch as the body reduces itself until nothing is left but a pile of ashes and a cloud of greasy smoke.";
21 = "At last, you wipe the smile off Limoncelli's face. You note that his corpse even falls to the ground quickly. Garzahd will need to find a new commander for this fort.";
22 = "The moment your foot touches this square of black marble, you feel disoriented. A moment later, you are somewhere else, your muscles weak and your brain full of fog.";
23 = "";
24 = "You step through a small, concealed door in the corner of this stone structure. Inside, you find a narrow corridor. This building is shaped like a cube. The walls to either side stretch far above you and are lost in the shadows.";
25 = "This building (at least, you think it's a building) is very strange. It's nothing but a basalt cube, perfectly smooth, eighty feet long on each side. No entrances are visible.";
26 = "You pull the lever, but nothing happens.";
27 = "You step through the door and see small, comfortable living quarters. There is a row of single beds, a cooking pot, and a wooden table and chairs. The crown symbol of the Empire is prominently displayed.";
28 = "This room contains a prime example of vahnatai magic. In the middle of the room, you see a pedestal with a large crystal on it. Flashes of light constantly emerge from the cloudy depths of the stone, and you think that you hear whispering. Some vahnatai have supplied the Empire with this equipment.";
29 = "The crystal has several long cracks in it. The flaws in the stone unfocus the magic. What was previously a powerful communication device is now just a pretty rock.";
30 = "You hear a grinding sound behind you. You look to the north and see a wall sliding away. Quickfire pours out, roaring across the corridor towards you!";
31 = "The temperature suddenly changes from cold to hot. A steamy draft blows from the north. You see an enormous shaft, extending far above and far below you. A narrow ledge circles the wall of the shaft in the clockwise direction.";
32 = "At the west end of this cavern, you see where the blood stains came from. You find the remains of a force of Empire troops, who made the unfortunate decision to explore these tunnels and paid a bloody price.";
33 = "";
34 = "A few feet inside the stone spire, you see a red stone door. This structure is clearly ancient, and vahnatai designs (which you can't decipher) are engraved in the door.";
35 = "To the west, you see an enormous granite spire. It juts out of the cave wall fifty feet below you and then extends out into the shaft. The spire is a full eighty feet high. A narrow stone bridge extends across the pit towards a small opening in its side.";
36 = "You can't understand the runes. They're too elaborate and archaic.";
37 = "You understand the runes. They are the result of many centuries of the magical work by the lich, and are very instructive indeed. You now know the spell Ravage Spirit.";
38 = "";
39 = "This room is full of scrolls of history, both of the Empire and of the many civilizations crushed by it. There are also a number of biographies and autobiographies, all of very obscure people.";
40 = "";
41 = "You are in a dark, icy cavern. A trail of frozen droplets of blood leads away to the west. The scorch marks on the ground haven't been covered with frost and lichen yet. Someone has entered this place recently, and there was a fight.";
42 = "The lich howls in pain and fury and dissolves away. Its shriek hangs in the air long after the ancient creature is gone.";
43 = "The writing on the stone is still there, but its power is gone.";
44 = "When you try to open the gate, it delivers a nasty shock. An invisible force throws you back.";
45 = "You walk past the statues unmolested.";
46 = "When you approach the gate, it slowly slides open.";
47 = "This remote cavern contains a campsite, currently unoccupied, with a firepit in the middle. This cavern was no doubt left as a refuge for passing soldiers or raiders. You aren't sure who has been hiding and caching supplies here until you see the crude sun symbol carved into the north wall.";
48 = "";
49 = "This is the final resting place of many of the Empire soldiers who descended into your land. They fell in the war with Avernum and were interred here. They will never see the sun again. You hope that you don't share their fate.";
50 = "The rich, heavy musk of burning incense wafts out of this room. It is very comfortable, with piled pillows and thick rugs, all of them recently brought down from the surface. Alas, these valuable items are too bulky for you to carry.";
51 = "With a swift, confident blow, you end the creature's suffering. Even after death, its flesh bubbles and shivers. You back away, horrified.";
52 = "The moment you cut the creature's bonds, it lurches upward and tries to escape. As soon as it moves, however, its flesh buckles and heaves, seemingly trying to tear itself off its body. It dies before it even reaches the door.";
53 = "The marble table is still there, waiting for its next victim.";
54 = "You've taken the only phoenix egg this machine has ever produced. Perhaps it is capable of making another, but you have no idea how to operate it.";
55 = "This room is dominated by a massive arrangement of machinery, belching flames and sulfurous smoke. Some of the parts glow with faint magic. It's clearly powerful and dangerous. You wonder what the stuff is for.";
56 = "This is a block of black marble. Several logs were used to roll it into this room and no doubt will be used to roll it out again. The stone is surrounded by glowing runes, which seem to be infusing it with magical energy.";
57 = "The altar is cracked. The runes are still glowing, but the altar seems to be absorbing no more energy.";
58 = "You find a spell book on one of the shelves. However, it's written in a somewhat obscure magical dialect. You can't make sense of it.";
59 = "You find a spell book on one of the shelves, and read it eagerly. It describe the motions to cast a simple, but powerful spell. You now know the spell 'Flight.'";
60 = "The pedestals in this room are covered with ancient tablets, all brought down from the surface. They contain the writings of many ancient cultures, all lost to history. They're all too worn and obscure to be of any use to you.";
61 = "This is the icebox for the fort's kitchen. It is unnaturally cold inside.";
62 = "The tunnel ends in a section of brick wall. You know there must be some way in here. You approach the wall at the end of this tunnel and give it a good push. It slides open in front of you. You are hit by a wave of stench from the caves ahead. You now have access to the fortress.";
63 = "The wall remains open.";
64 = "Your spell disrupts the delicate web of magical power surrounding the altar. Unfortunately, the uncontrolled energy shoots around the room, breaking the altar, searing the walls, and blasting you.";
65 = "";
66 = "This bookshelf is filled with the stacks of blank forms, notes, and supplies that are inevitably found at any Empire office or outpost. Nothing you need to deal with.";
67 = "This storeroom is filled with empty sacks and open crates and barrels. Many bear the crown symbol of the Empire. Supplies here are running a bit thin.";
68 = "The shelves contain notebooks, filled with Renee's notes on magic, monsters, the flora and fauna of Avernum, and other subjects. However, it all seems to be written in some sort of code of her making. Not even Arcane Lore would help you decipher it.";
69 = "Most of the worn books on these sparsely filled shelves are fiction. There are also a few scrolls of notes on the war. Small observations, mainly. Nothing of any military value. You notice many of the scrolls have scimitars drawn in the corners.";
70 = "A plaque at the base of this rough statue reads: _Empress Prazac - Long may she reign!_";
71 = "You step into the inner tower of this remote fortress. When you step through the doorway, it's as if you've passed through an invisible barrier. Behind you, it is bone-chillingly cold. Ahead, it's merely freezing.";
72 = "You've pretty much cleaned out the pot, and the stew is growing back at a very slow pace. There won't be any more food for you here for a while.";
73 = "Someone was imprisoned in this cell some time ago and left to die. The body wears only rags. There's no sign of who it was in life.";
74 = "There is a steel gate in the east wall. It glows fiery red when you get close to it. You step back to avoid the heat. You see that there is an ivory keyhole in the center of the gate. Sadly, you don't have the key.";
75 = "There is a steel gate in the east wall. It glows fiery red when you get close to it. You step back to avoid the heat. You see that there is an ivory keyhole in the center of the gate. You insert your key and turn it. The gate cools down and slides open.";
76 = "";
77 = "These pedestals are filled with maps. Lots of maps. Hundreds of them, all very intricate and ordered by some bizarre labeling system. Without reading a guide or catalog, you won't be able to tell what any of them are.";
78 = "This thick tome is one of the catalogs for these archives. It contains hundreds of entries, each describing one work in the library and where it can be found. You browse the book, but you don't find anything interesting in this particular section.";
79 = "This is one of the catalogs for the archives. You look through the entries and find something interesting: _Type - Map, Contents - Teleportation Augmenter and Path Thereto, Location - L1 (27,12), shelf 3, scroll 18._ You take note of this.";
80 = "This is one of the catalogs for the archives. You look through the entries and find something interesting: _Type - Ritual, Contents - Teleportation Augmenter Access Ritual, Location - L2 (26,42), shelf 1, scroll 35._ You take note of this.";
81 = "You pull the lever, and the portcullis comes down.";
82 = "You pull the lever, and the portcullis opens.";
83 = "This dusty room is filled with old Empire records. Every free wall is covered with shelves of tightly bound forms, records, and ledgers. Each pile details one year of the economic workings of the Empire. Fascinating to them, worthless to you.";
84 = "Inspecting this bookshelf, you find it's somewhat loose. You pull it, and it swings away from the wall.";
85 = "You step over the edge, hoping to float down. Instead, you plummet to the ground below. Ouch.";
86 = "You step over the edge. Instead of a sharp drop followed by a loud splat, you float gently to the ground below. What a relief!";
87 = "The scrolls in this room describe rituals and instructions, physical and magical, from procedures to clean walls to directions for cooking to methods for disarming traps. However, there is no order to them, and it could take months to find and decipher one useful to you.";
88 = "When you enter this small chamber, you hear a click from the west wall.";
89 = "The book is describing some sort of spell. However, you can't figure out what it's saying. Depressing.";
90 = "The book is still at the same page. You browse it, but don't learn anything new.";
91 = "When you swallow the water, it makes you tingle. You feel very strange. Your muscles start to feel sore and stretched. You simultaneously feel energized and sluggish.";
92 = "When you swallow the water, it makes you tingle. You feel very strange. Your muscles start to feel sore and stretched. However, you don't feel energized this time, just tired. Then the stomach cramps start.";
93 = "This room is filled with scientific and alchemical texts, describing the paths of the stars, the workings of the ocean, and the secrets of mathematics. Some of the books are very old and are probably discredited. Interesting stuff, but not useful to you.";
94 = "There is a brief, intense flash of light, surrounding you and everything around you. The air in this passage, already frigid, grows even colder for a moment. You hear stone grinding on stone in the distance. Then, as rapidly as it happened, everything returns to normal.";
95 = "The lizards in this pen aren't the normal variety. They show signs of a strong magical influence, which has made them larger and strong. They probably aren't being kept merely for food.";
96 = "The whispering you heard outside is definitely louder in here. You would swear that you can hear a tiny voice in the back of your head. It's saying _Help me. Help me,_ over and over again.";
97 = "In the center of the room, you see a large blue crystal. The whispering you constantly hear is loud now, and harsher as well. This may be one of the stolen Crystal Souls.";
98 = "You can faintly see bootprints on the ground here, heading both north and south. They are faint, but you can tell that a number of soldiers have been circling around this corner of the fort.";
99 = "These papers are covered with rituals and instructions, physical and magical, for passing warded gateways in Avernum. It seems like they could be enormously valuable, but they are all in code. Without some sort of index, you won't be able to learn anything.";