The Gorreven Papers — 18 of 23

Section 17 - The Barracks

The Barracks is east of the Dingy Hallway. "You're standing in what looks like the guards['] barracks. It smells even more strongly of beer and sweat. The long room continues east and west, with open doorways at either end. To the north is an opening to a courtyard. [if the power is switched off]The place is in an uproar. Guards are scrambling to their feet, grabbing their guns and shouting. Best to keep your head low[otherwise]Several guards are sleeping on their cots. You're gratified to see that their cots are not much more luxurious than the one you had in your cell. Periodically a guard enters or leaves. The light is low; in one corner you can hear a couple of guards gambling[end if]."

Whittler is an ordinary guard in the Barracks.

Rule for writing a paragraph about Whittler when Whittler is alive:

if the power is switched off:

say "A guard near you is staring vigilantly around in the darkness, fingering his weapon.";

now Whittler is mentioned;

otherwise if Whittler is alarmed:

say "The guard stares at you open-mouthed from the edge of the cot. HIs whittling drops to the floor. He stands up. [run paragraph on]";

otherwise if Whittler is ignorant:

say "The guard sits on the edge of his cot, idly whittling something.";

otherwise:

say "The guard pauses from his whittling to glance at you. Your disguise appears to have [discernment] him."

Every turn when the player is in the Barracks and Whittler is dead:

say "Killing the guard seems to have been an unwise move. 'What happened?' shouts someone. 'There's the murderer!' yells another voice. 'Kill him!' screams a guard, and his advice is taken enthusiastically by his compatriots. Within seconds you are perforated by a dozen different bullet wounds. The last sounds you hear are the continued firing of angry guns.";

end the story finally.

[Because there are other guards in his area, and Whittler is occupied, he gradually forgets about the disguise when the player is not around. This is important to the game, too, because Whittler is at a crossroads, and otherwise the player has a hard time exploring this level.]

Every turn when the player cannot see Whittler and Whittler is not ignorant and a random chance of one in two succeeds:

now Whittler is the discernment before the discernment of Whittler.