// Text Library  - 

begintextlibrary;

1 = "You find a few ancient foundations, some scattered stones, and a smattering of broken green tile. This is the ruin of an ancient vahnatai village. You guess that it was abandoned several centuries ago. You aren't immediately sure why.";
2 = "There is a ruin to the north. It's an enormous stone wall, stretching from east to west. Cavequakes have opened two gaps in it. There was once a road running up to the wall, but little remains of it now.";
3 = "You emerge from the rapids into a wide, placid lake. The helpful glowing fungus on the ceiling is sparser here. There are huge clots of pale algae floating everywhere. They're hard to see, but you can always smell them.";
4 = "Once, there were several farms here. They've been abandoned and left to be overgrown with lichen for years. You don't even bother to search the ruins. Looters have probably been through here dozens of times.";
5 = "You are at the base of a high mound of rock. The huge hill dominates the eastern end of the Eastern Gallery. From the top, you would have a panoramic view of the lands to the west. The ruins of a fort are at the top.";
6 = "";
7 = "";
8 = "To the north, you see that a band of nephilim or nepharim (or both) have burrowed a fort out of the living rock of the cave wall. A large band of guards keeps a careful watch in front.";
9 = "This cavern is the home to a few small, irritable lizards. When you get close, they scurry out of the rocks, hoping for a meal.";
10 = "Searching in the back of the cavern, you find a variety of statues, surrounded by a variety of goods. What you salvage will be valuable for barter, probably even worth a few hundred gold!";
11 = "You help bandage the wounded survivors. They thank you for your help, then start double-timing it back to Fort Duvno.";
12 = "";
13 = "You run away. The Avernite soldiers won't last long. Unfortunate, but not your problem.";
14 = "You walk down this hidden passage. The walls are covered with glittering crystals. It's a beautiful sight. Then you round a corner and walk right into a band of Empire soldiers.";
15 = "The farther you go, the more crystals there are and the more beautiful they become. Before long, however, the beauty is marred by the appearance of more enemy troops, walking from the west. As soon as they see you, they attack.";
16 = "The crystals hum and vibrate when you enter, filling you with waves of exhilarating energy. The beneficial effect isn't as strong as it was before, but it's still very pleasant. You leave healed and refreshed.";
17 = "This patch of debris and abandoned possessions has been heavily picked over. You find nothing of value.";
18 = "You approach a pile of possessions abandoned by refugees from Cotra during their flight. As you do so, a motley group of brigands and looters approaches from the other direction. Unfortunately, they're prepared to defend their rights to this pile of garbage.";
19 = "Joyously, you succumb to evil. Soon, all of Avernum will knuckle under to your vicious rule. None of that wussy Ultima moral stuff here. Well done!";
20 = "Interesting. There are a bunch of statues here, out in the middle of nowhere. They depict lizards, dragons, and other reptilian creatures. There's no visible sign of the tribe which created them.";
21 = "";
22 = "While you help yourself to their equipment, its owners slip out of hiding and rapidly approach. They're humans, but not wearing armor of either army. They move with surprising stealth and speed.";
23 = "They talk with you a little, but not much. They make it clear that they're a poor tribe, trying to only keep as uninvolved in the battles of outsiders as possible. You leave, before you waste more of your time.";
24 = "The malnourished and depleted clan draws its pitiful weapons and prepares its last defense.";
25 = "You find several weapons and suits of armor, all pitted and rendered worthless by the acid in the slime that covers everything. You also find several large, slithering creatures...";
26 = "The sentry tower here has been burned and abandoned. Bones and broken weapons are scattered all over the cave floor for hundreds of feet in every direction. This area has seen at least one major skirmish between Avernite and Empire soldiers, probably more.";
27 = "";
28 = "";
29 = "You find clear signs that a lot of people recently camped in this passage. They were here recently, probably around a month ago. There were quite a few of them, but they did a good job of leaving no signs of who they were.";
30 = "The cave to the north is even fouler and smellier than the one behind you. There's little alive besides thick clots of mold and algae, and a few hulking shapes moving slowly around in the distance.";
31 = "Your movement is increasingly hindered by broad, shallow pools of filthy, slime-filled water. This cave smells as rank as any you've encountered in Avernum. You feel itchy.";
32 = "";
33 = "You look at the paper, but its writing shimmers and blurs faster than the scrolls in the bag did. It's very disorienting. Lightheaded, you let go of the scroll, which falls back into the bag.";
34 = "It's a dispatch from some garrison somewhere to some other garrison. It says that the new access word for the _Auxiliary Caches_ is _Skulls._ When you finish reading it, you suddenly feel strangely compelled to replace the scroll in the bag.";
35 = "You find a small tribe of sliths, living in an abandoned, mostly ruined stone shack. This band has reverted to barbarism. They speak in grunts and hisses, rather than actual words. They also hungrily attack humans on sight.";
36 = "";
37 = "You grab some rations and several quivers of arrows, only to find them crumbling in your hands. Soon, they're nothing but powder. You try again with a shield. It rusts into dust. The Empire traps its supplies. You leave before you trigger a fatal trap.";
38 = "You reach for a sword, and notice, too late, a thin layer of brown dust on it. At a touch, it billows into the air, causing you to choke and gag. Eyes streaming, you flee from the cave.";
39 = "Everyone is cheered by your attack; the sliths, because they have aid, and the Empire, because they get to try to kill more Avernites. The young and infirm sliths flee to safety, and the battle is joined...";
40 = "The Empire flees, routed, and the sliths begin packing up to leave for safer caves. They promise to spread the word of your kindness and courage to other slith villages, saying maybe they could assist Avernum as you have aided them.";
41 = "Caitlin greets you and listens to your account of cache hunting. _Well done!_ she says. She gets a pouch for you. It contains several small jewels. _We haven't been having much luck finding other caches. Any more aid you can give will be a great help!_";
42 = "You return to the Scimitar camp. Caitlin and her warriors greet and trade news and food with you. Neither you nor they have had any more luck finding supply caches. After a talk and a rest, you depart.";
43 = "";
44 = "You move away cautiously. You try not to listen, but you still hear the screams. But not for long.";
45 = "Most of these people are armed, so you feel justified in suspecting a trap. Seasoned warrior that you are, this pitiful rabble didn't have a chance. You even find a few coins on their bodies!";
46 = "You reach the end of this narrow, marshy passage and turn back, only to find that you've been trapped. Several huge plant creatures, five feet wide and eight feet tall, lurch hungrily towards you. They're slow, but they're big. They block your retreat.";
47 = "From here, you have a great view of the Central Sea, dimly illuminated by the glowing fungus above. Far to the east, you can barely make out an island, dominated by a huge fortress. The glow of the lights lining its walls is barely visible through the mist.";
48 = "You return to the amphitheater. All the Empire's pets are dead. Without maintenance, the crude walls are already beginning to crumble. There is little reason to remain.";
49 = "";
50 = "The drake makes an effort to teach you, but you soon find that you have exhausted the creature's magical knowledge. The drake doesn't want to refund your money, but it is too weak to prevent it.";
51 = "These are the ruins of a slith village. The huts were torn to the ground, the totems were smashed, the breeding pools were shattered, and everyone was taken away. This atrocity must have been perpetrated by the Empire. You wonder where everyone was taken.";
52 = "You approach the gate, preparing to talk your way through. However, as soon as the enemy gets a good look at you, they sound the alarm. Soon several dozen soldiers are moving to attack you. You flee, dodging (and often failing to dodge) arrows as you run.";
53 = "You move gingerly among the mounds of jagged rocks that fill this cave. Suddenly, several undead creatures shamble out of a narrow crack in the nearby cave wall. They were well concealed, waiting to ambush and devour a passing patrol. Even their simple undead brains are able to recognize you as delicious.";
54 = "There is a huge Empire guardpost to the west. Concealed by the rocks, you watch it for a while. There are several dozen soldiers in plain sight. No doubt, there are many more in the stone halls beyond. Even your strength will be inadequate to blast through there.";
55 = "You use magic and herbs to try to heal the drake. However, you know precious little about drake biology, and you're starting to get frostbitten just by being near it. Eventually, you are forced to apologize and leave.";
56 = "";
57 = "To the north, you see the beginnings of an Empire fortification. Tunnels have been burrowed into the living rock, and walls are being built. It is still relatively unguarded.";
58 = "You step into the cave and immediately see movement. You quickly back out, but several pale, fanged humanoids follow you. As you leave their lair, one of these hungry horrors mutters a spell. The piles of rotting vegetation you passed to get here come to life.";
59 = "Drakes are generally sinister and malevolent to your kind. You easily finish off the creature and search its lair. However, other creatures have already taken advantage of the beast's helplessness. Its treasure had been stolen out from under it.";
60 = "The drake patiently instructs you in obscure magical arcana. It is fascinating and instructive. After only a little bit of listening, you start to see how your spells could be cast more effectively.";
61 = "The vampire crypt is still abandoned (fortunately) and thoroughly looted. You leave.";
62 = "You try to approach this huge fortress by boat, only to find that the water around its dock has been filled with long, sharp boulders. Attempting this approach will no doubt result in a capsized craft and subsequent drowning. You will have to land on a different side of the island.";
63 = "You see a major Empire checkpoint ahead. Even adventurers with your skills and powers have to think twice before taking on a thousand of the Empire's shock troops. You back carefully away.";
64 = "You stumble into an Empire patrol.";
65 = "You descend into the pit. The bottom is a jumble of human skeletons. They were blasted with fire - you can't tell how long they've been here. As you start poking around for treasure, unfortunately, you find that some of the skeletons are hostile.";
66 = "You pluck the skeletons' rubies from their skulls. You now have a lot more money.";
67 = "Letters suddenly appear in a tracery of flame on the smooth surface of the door. They spell a simple, grim word: _Password?_";
68 = "You take a few guesses, but none of them are correct. The writing disappears.";
69 = "You decide to take a guess. You say, _Skulls._ It was the correct answer. You feel like luck has been on your side.";
70 = "Fortunately, you learned what the password is from a scroll on a dead courier. You say, _Skulls._";
71 = "As you walk away from the relative security of Erika's Tower, you look around nervously. You are deep in Empire lands. Without stealth and great care, you will be hunted down. You can't fight the entire Empire army at once.";