// Text Library  - 

begintextlibrary;

1 = "Most of the tomes are highly obscure and esoteric. Looking at them isn't doing much good. However, one of them contains a recipe, which you eagerly copy down. It is the recipe for Graymold Salve!";
2 = "You look at the statue carefully and notice it isn't attached to the floor. You give it a light push, and it smoothly swings out of your way.";
3 = "You move the pot out of the way and see what's behind it. When you shift it forward, you hear a clicking noise. Then, smoothly, silently, a block of stone rises from the floor of the fountain to the surface, forming a bridge.";
4 = "This is Patrick's desk. Feeling nosy, you search through it. It has paper, pens, empty folders, and all of the other things you'd expect. Nothing interesting, though.";
5 = "You search Patrick's desk for the button he told you about. You easily find it and press it. Sure enough, a section of the wall slides out of the way.";
6 = "You search the desk, but you don't find anything interesting besides the button.";
7 = "You search Patrick's desk for the button he told you about. You easily find it and press it. Nothing happens.";
8 = "You enter a small garden, full of healthy, delicious mushrooms. There is a closed gate in the far wall. There are several stone tile squares set in the floor, each etched with a rune. When you enter, the westernmost rune shimmers slightly.";
9 = "You browse through one of these forgotten, dusty books. It's an unfinished novel about life in Avernum, written on lichen paper. It's about a dock-worker. One thing you notice: it mentions him getting rid of barrels by shoving them into a river.";
10 = "You immediately note that Fort Remote has no guards looking east. All of their limited resources are devoted to watching for ambushes from the west.";
11 = "This dusty chamber is crammed with dusty books deemed by the librarians to be less useful or interesting. Books are scarce and valuable in Avernum. It seems a shame to see them treated this way.";
12 = "";
13 = "This is the solemn, beautiful conference room of Patrick's Tower. It has recently been redone in the vahnatai style, although the tiles and furniture are only rough imitations of the style. The crystals aren't fully infused with power, for example.";
14 = "You try to open this door, but your hand is stopped by a perfectly smooth, invisible magical barrier. One of the guards chuckles and says, _People with Magi Clearance only. Please withdraw._";
15 = "You feel a brief chill as you pass through a thin, invisible magical barrier. One of the guards says _You were just checked. You have Magi Clearance, so you can enter._";
16 = "";
17 = "You find a paper on magical items, by someone named Rita, of the Cskany Clan. It describes a new magical script recently developed in Patrick's Tower. It can only be read by one who owns a rare item called a Deciphering Lens. ";
18 = "These shelves contain the library's exceptionally valuable tomes, kept on polished, sparsely populated shelves. Unfortunately, the tomes don't seem to contain the practical knowledge you crave. Their topics are very esoteric.";
19 = "";
20 = "This chest is no longer as interesting now that it has been relieved of its contents.";
21 = "You blank out briefly. When you return to reality, you have moved.";
22 = "There is only one soldier in this infirmary. He's sitting in the back, horribly wounded.";
23 = "Pots of boiling oil are kept here at all times. In case of an attack, they can easily be poured into the entry passage.";
24 = "This dresser is completely empty. You look around. It doesn't look like anyone's stayed in this room for a while.";
25 = "You look behind the dresser and find the message you were told about, written in a slightly obscure magical dialect. Unfortunately, you're not magically savvy enough to understand it. ";
26 = "You find, among the empty journals and works of fiction piled on this pedestal, a sheaf of Leith's notes from his travels. One of them mentions: _The Wand of Carrunos, used during the hunt to make the prey more powerful. Hunters often need a challenge!_";
27 = "You find a lot of books and notes on stealth and espionage, written by someone named Leith. You notice that one thing has been circled. _Burning a paper does not make it forever unreadable. I think I know how to elicit words from such a damaged surface._";
28 = "You find Leith's notes on his observations. He's spent some time trying to find a spy in Blosk and hasn't had any luck. He does mention, however, that he suspects an attack on the storehouses in Almaria is imminent and that they should be searched.";
29 = "You pull the lever. The central portcullis in the passage below opens.";
30 = "You pull the lever, and the portcullis below closes again.";
31 = "";
32 = "A small shrine has been placed at the base of this wall. It is surrounded by many small, modest offerings, both in memory of soldiers and friends lost and in supplication for a safe future.";
33 = "In this cramped, concealed back room, you find a small cell. There is a rank smell, and the floor is covered with claw marks on the walls. For whatever reason, a monster is being stored here.";
34 = "You kneel before the crystal and rest for an hour. Its energy slowly flows into you. When you leave, you feel energized.";
35 = "A long, crude barricade has been erected to either side of this fort, in case a flanking attack comes in over the water. Small openings have been placed in the barrier with deadfalls suspended near them, so that they can be closed quickly in an attack.";
36 = "The delicate crystal is shattered easily by a single blow of your weapon. This, of course, takes the energy that was being emitted slowly by the crystal and lets it out quickly instead.";
37 = "This chilly chamber is where the bodies of Avernite soldiers are kept before being taken to be buried. Their weapons have been laid reverently at their feet, and pieces of fabric embroidered with the sun symbol of Avernum have been placed on their faces.";
38 = "This stone dome is full of pools, each teeming with small fish. The sliths have constructed a hatchery here, so that they can always have a supply of their favorite varieties.";
39 = "For a species with so little experience creating stone buildings, the sliths have done a good job here. This solid stone structure contains as good a forge as you've seen in Avernum. It takes great skill and good equipment to create one of the powerful slithzerikai two-tined spears.";
40 = "";
41 = "This low-ceilinged dome contains this village's greatest treasure: the pools in which the slith eggs hatch and in which the slith children grow until they gain the ability to breathe out of water. When you enter, dozens of tiny sliths watch you with fascination. And maybe hunger.";
42 = "These slender bridges lead to an island out on the lake. Out at the top of the hill, you see a shrine.";
43 = "From here, you see that a huge statue of a slith is the centerpiece of the shrine. Between you and it are three pools.";
44 = "You drink some of the water. It's cool and refreshing.";
45 = "You gently skim your fingers over the surface of the water. Nothing happens.";
46 = "You offer a brief homage to the god of the sliths. After a short time, you start to feel very uncomfortable, as if you don't belong here. You back away.";
47 = "You offer a brief homage to the god of the sliths. As you pray, you begin to feel energized. A little at first, then more and more. You feel touched by divine gratitude for the respect you have paid. Then you back away, feeling rejuvenated.";
48 = "The hidden passage ends in a dark, dingy little room. It is also smelly.";
49 = "Suddenly, there is a popping noise and the smell of ozone. Holes appear in the force barriers!";
50 = "One of the sections of the north wall starts to move.";
51 = "This shop is full of dust and cobwebs. Its owner abandoned it. Nothing of value was left behind.";
52 = "This is the Temple of the Crossed Swords, the largest temple in Avernum. For years, warriors have journeyed here to pray for safety and honor in battle. With the coming of the Empire war, the shrine has been bombarded with visitors.";
53 = "The floor in front of the altar is covered with broken weapons, shields, tunics, and other trophies taken from slain foes. There are also scrolls, each naming a friend lost to battle. This temple is very popular among the many warriors of the front.";
54 = "There is a narrow tunnel coming off of Dharmon's stinking refuse pit. It leads to a small door.";
55 = "This cave contains a stable, where the many merchants that visit Dharmon leave their wagons and the lizards that pull them. There is only one wagon and a pair of lizards here. The constant fighting has been scaring the merchants away.";
56 = "This is the Dharmon Arms, the largest and most luxurious inn in Avernum. (Which, granted, doesn't mean much.) Most of the people here are soldiers and envoys from The Castle. Civilians and merchants have been heading east as fast as they can.";
57 = "A guard steps in your way. He grumbles, _You need Magi Clearance to get through this gate._";
58 = "A guard checks to make sure you have Magi Clearance. Then he opens the gate so you can pass.";
59 = "The door to the north disappears!";
60 = "You never thought it could feel this good.";
61 = "You reach for the ring, but it contorts and grows in front of your eyes! It rolls off the pedestal to the ground and rises up again as a snake!";
62 = "When you reach for the ring, the ruby cracks! In moments, the pedestal is completely obscured by a cloud of flame!";
63 = "The door to the north reappears.";
64 = "You find the frozen bodies of two soldiers and a goblin, all recently killed. Well, most of the bodies. The way they've been treated (and the pieces that are missing) suggest that you should think twice before eating any meat you find in this place.";
65 = "A moment ago, there wasn't a solid stone wall blocking the passage ahead. There is one now.";
66 = "A moment ago, there was a wall in front of you. There isn't one there now.";
67 = "The moment you take a step towards the altar with hostile intent, lightning bolts fly out of it! You are thrown onto your back. The aroma of cooking flesh (yours) fills the air.";
68 = "You abase yourselves before the sinister altar, hoping some of its power will enter you. It does. You are filled with magical energy. However, you also feel drained and absent-minded.";
69 = "The crystal is still cracked. The smell of smoke hangs lightly in the air.";
70 = "The altar was powerful, but it was no match for your holy strength. It shudders for a minute. Then it breaks right down the middle. Insubstantial red spirits rise from the rubble and flit away, terrified.";
71 = "You gingerly lift the lid of the box. A cloud of red mist emerges from it. The gas wafts over to the stone platforms and then solidifies! It's very interesting to watch, until the now-solid creatures start to cast a spell.";
72 = "The stone bridge you are standing on vibrates slightly. You are terrified for a moment, afraid that the stone is about to disappear out from under your feet. Then the shaking stops, and the bridge is now longer.";
73 = "This room is filled with magical paraphernalia, some human, some vahnatai, all delicate and complicated. The stuff is arranged about the room haphazardly. Your eye detects no order in its placement. You wonder if the rakshasi have had contact with the vahnatai.";
74 = "The rakshasi have hidden several items in a chest in this room. They must have valued them very highly.";
75 = "You find scrolls of rakshasi magical writings. Damned if you can make any sense of them.";
76 = "You find scrolls of rakshasi magical writings. Most of them are very alien to you, but one scroll contains the beginnings of the translation of a human spell, complete with a description of the original. You now know the spell Major Cleansing.";
77 = "The air ahead is heavy with the pungent smoke of exotic herbs. This room is richly decorated with soft rugs and pillows, stolen from passing caravans. They are around low, burning braziers. There are no shortage of goblets, pipes, and other objects of leisure.";
78 = "The cabinet is filled with all manner of prepared and preserved meats. They would look delectable, but you have some unpleasant guesses about the eating habits of the rakshasi. You leave them be.";
79 = "This cave is intensely cold. You see piles of hunting trophies, not all of them taken from simple beasts. The hunters of these tunnels have been attacking passing caravans, killing sliths, nephilim, and humans alike. It is a grisly sight.";
80 = "You open the concealed door, and a blast of heat hits you square in the face. The long, low room to the north is filled with hot coals!";
81 = "You reach the exit of the rakshasi's lair, only to find a band of their pets waiting to avenge their masters!";
82 = "Among the books on the shelf, you find a map and notes describing the fortress Kothtar. It is at the southwest corner of the tunnels to the west. The maps note several Empire guardposts between here and there.";
83 = "One of the folders on these shelves catches your eye. It describes the fortress Angierach, which is to the west and then north. It is a place filled with evil magic. Little else is known about it.";
84 = "It is customary for Avernum forts to have a small shrine. This one, as usual, shows signs of frequent visitation. A bowl of fresh mushrooms has been placed in front of it as an offering. The ankh on the altar is of crude granite. It looks very ugly and out of place.";
85 = "There is a plaque here. It reads _In memory of the bold defenders of the last Fort Remote, who died fighting evil. They will always be remembered._";
86 = "There is a painting on the wall here. It depicts the surface world, or, at least, the surface world as the painter remembered it. You don't remember the surface as being that sunny or having quite so many bunnies.";
87 = "You press the button, and the wall to the south slides out of the way.";
88 = "You press the button behind the painting again, but nothing happens.";
89 = "The wall to the north slides out of the way.";
90 = "You flip through this book. It's a business ledger for a local merchant. There's no useful information inside it.";
91 = "You have heard tales of the rakshasi, the secretive, cultish nephilim who give their lives to the mastery of dark magic. Now that you have faced them, you see that tales of their deadly skill are not exaggerated.";
92 = "You return to the altar. The bronze ankh is still there, brightly reflecting the grim light. You get a warm feeling just being in its presence. After a few moments, you feel happy and recharged.";
93 = "When you pass, some spores fly off of the plants around you. You feel very fuzzy headed.";
94 = "When you pass, some spores fly off of the plants around you. You feel very woozy.";
95 = "When you pass, some spores fly off of the plants around you. You feel very weak.";
96 = "When you pass, some spores fly off of the plants around you. You feel very confused, so much so, that you barely notice that all of the plants around you have started to move.";
97 = "This massive gate is closed and locked, and the keyhole is surrounded by runes. You try all of your keys, but none of them work. You try to recall if the message you found in Thompson's home in Blosk said anything about where the key might be.";
98 = "This massive gate is closed and locked, and the keyhole is surrounded by runes. You try your keys, and find that the key you found in the ruins west of Formello unlocks the door!";
99 = "You find a paper on magical items, by someone named Rita, of the Cskany Clan. It mentions that the Tower of Magi once held a powerful magic item called the onyx scepter. Now it is lost. It is believed that it was given to the dragon Sulfras.";