#AREA
Bitter Pools~
Phule~
~

0 0
4
#ROOMS

#42000
Before the Bitter Pools~
From this vantage you can see for quite some distance to the northeast. 

Stagnant pools of black water and murky, lifeless land, seem to stretch

out to envelop you.  The only passage in the direction of the desolate

wasteland, to the north is across a narrow ledge between two hissing,

acrid pools.  Another pool, smelling of sulfur, lies to the south, beyond

which is a small road.

~
vantage point

nomob

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~
~
act_tochar( #climb, ch );

act_notchar( #rclimb, ch );

continue;

~
E
half~
You are already halfway up the cliff.

~
E
rclimb~
$n starts the long climb back up the cliff.

~
E
climb~
You start the long climb back up the cliff.

~
!
3 0 4
-1
S

#42001
Between the Bitter Pools~
You are standing on a narrow, precarious ledge between two foul, black

pools.  To the south a ledge rises over a cliff towards the wall of what

appears to be a city, while to the north the ledge crosses the pools and

enters a vast wasteland.  A strange oily black weed seems to grow inside

the pools, somehow drawing life from the lifeless waters.

~
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weed black murk root~
This oily black weed grows attached to the sides of the seemingly

bottomless pools.  It smells foul and is probably strongly alkaline.

~
E
black pools water~
The pools hiss and sit stagnantly, devoid of life other than a strange

oily root growing from the sides of the pools.  The pools appear

bottomless and deadly to any who dare enter their waters.

~
A
pick get grab reach take~
black weed root murk~
act_tochar( #reach, ch );

act_notchar( #rreach, ch );

i = 4d2+2;

dam_message( ch,  i, "the alkaline burns and" );

inflict( ch, ch, i, "being dissolved in an alkaline pool" );

if( rflag( status0, room ) ) {

  act_tochar( #root, ch );

  obj_to_char( oload( 1097 ), ch );

  remove_rflag( status0, room );

  end;

  }

if( rflag( status1, room ) ) {

  act_tochar( #root, ch );

  remove_rflag( status1, room );

  obj_to_char( oload( 1097 ), ch );

  end;

  }

if( rflag( status2, room ) ) {

  remove_rflag( status2, room );

  act_tochar( #root, ch );

  obj_to_char( oload( 1097 ), ch );

  end;

  }

act_tochar( #no, ch );

~
E
no~
You can't manage to reach any of the roots.

~
E
root~
You manage to grab hold of and pick out one of the strange murkroots.

~
E
rreach~
$n reaches into the hissing, alkaline waters in an attempt to grab

something.

~
E
reach~
You reach into the hissing, alkaline waters, trying to grab one of the

black plants.

~
!
0 0 0
A
drink sip taste~
pool pools waters~
act_tochar( #taste, ch );

act_notchar( #rtaste, ch );

poison( ch );

~
E
rtaste~
~
E
taste~
@b@RYou taste the foul-looking waters of the pool, and are instantly

stricken with poison!!

~
!
0 0 0
-1
S

#42002
The Southern Edge of a Dead Land~
Sinkholes and spongy marsh lie before you, crisscrossed with a network of

jagged stone ledges rising above the soft ground.  The spidery walkways

which seem most reliable head to the north, east, and west, and to the

south a wider rock ledge leads toward a foul-smelling pool.

~
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E
ledges walkways~
The ledges are the only solid footing in the marsh, and who knows how

deep the murk is if one were to fall from the safety of the ledges.

~
E
s south foul-smelling pool~
You cannot see much of the pool from here.

~
-1
S

#42003
A Narrow Ledge Amidst a Marsh~
The spidery north-south ledge branches off to the east, while to the west

another black, foul pool hides behind yet more marsh and fog.  The rock

of the ledge here crumbles and decays as the very life of the rock is

drained by its lifeless surroundings.

~
[Merior] no mobs around here?

lots of murk beasts, few greater wisps

[Merior] life of rock? didnt know rock was alive...

[Phule] is to emphasize the lifelessness of the surrounding

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#42004
A Narrow Ledge Above a Sinkhole~
This crumbling rock ledge zigzags its way from east to west, surrounded

to the north and south by a murky grey marsh.  A thin, dank fog lurks in

the air, stifling any wind that might find its way this far through the

stagnant air of the Barrens.

~
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#42005
A Narrow Ledge Above a Sinkhole~
The crumbling ledge rises here and curves out over a large sinkhole.  The

carcass of a rotting beast of some sort floats in it, creating an awful

stench.  The fog is thick here, making vision difficult, but it appears

the ledge continues safely to the south and east.

~
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sinkhole~
The sinkhole is a deep section of the marsh.  Who knows what lurks

beneath, or how many adventurers lie as corpses in itd murky depths.

~
E
carcass~
The carcass is bloated and rotted.

~
-1
S

#42006
A Narrow Ledge Beside a Walled City~
The ledge comes to an abrupt end here in sight of the walls of a large

city.  A tall tower rises from the high crest of the wall, ending in a

desolate, crumbling roof in great disrepair.  To the north and south the

deep, foul marshes stretch, an impassable barrier.  The only exit is

along the rock ledge to the west.

~
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E
walls city~
The walls loom high, their heavy sandstone construction making you wonder

what lies across the endless marshes to threaten them.

~
E
tall tower crest crumbling roof~
The tower seems much older than the walls on which it stands.

~
-1
S

#42007
A Narrow Ledge Amidst a Marsh~
The ledge comes to an unexpected end, sloping downward beneath the murk. 

The featureless terrain of the marsh surrounds you, droning on and on

into the horizon to the north, while to the southeast the walls of a city

can barely be seen through the dank fog.  The ledge rises to the west.

~
[Merior] terrain drones?

[Phule] means it repeats boringly, endlessly

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#42008
A Narrow Ledge Amidst a Marsh~
The ledge branches off to the west from its main north-south route,

framing a large, shallow, muddy, dead lake to the northwest.  A sinkhole

burps its foul stench just off the east edge of the ledge, nearly making

you gag.

~
[Merior] extra for lake, sinkhole?

added

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large shallow muddy dead lake nw northwest~
The lake is a large pool of murky marsh.  Nothing is visible beneath its

grey surface.

~
E
sinkhole e east~
The sinkhole belches the occasional bubble of gas from beneath the marsh. 

It smells quite foul.

~
-1
S

#42009
A Narrow Ledge Amidst a Marsh~
The ledge branches out to the east from its main north-south route, away

from a large, shallow, muddy, dead lake to the west.  The ledge appears

to curve to the west if followed to the north, but through the stagnant,

everpresent fog it is hard to discern.  Out floating in the northern edge

of a sinkhole to the southeast is the carcass of an unfortunate bird who

found its way over the Barrens.

~
[Merior] floating in the edge?

[Phule] the northern edge of a sinkhole

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sinkhole carcass~
The carcass is bloated and rotted.

~
E
large shallow muddy dead lake w west~
The lake is a large pool of murky marsh.  Nothing is visible beneath its

grey surface.

~
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#42010
A Narrow Ledge Around a Lifeless Lake~
This ledge appears stable and in better condition than the crumbling ones

which dominate the marsh, but its narrow width makes it treacherous

enough.  To the north, a large, dead lake filled with mud looms, its

surface showing not even the slightest ripple or wave.  The ledge follows

the lake to the east and west.

~
[Merior] the to the north sentence needs some work no waves in mud, etc...

[Phule] fixed... i think

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lake n north~
The lake is a large pool of murky marsh.  Nothing is visible beneath its

grey surface.

~
E
ledge~
The ledge is hard, not unlike rock, as the earth is packed very solidly.

~
-1
S

#42011
A Narrow Ledge Amidst a Marsh~
This east-west ledge is solid, in contrast to the spongy marsh to the

north and south.  But, like the marsh and seemingly everything in it, the

rock is grey and lifeless.  The stench of a sinkhole to the southwest

reaches your nostrils from here, and an odd sound comes from somewhere to

the southeast.

~
[Merior] action to listen?

[Phule] added

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A
listen~
~
act_tochar( #tyou, ch );

~
E
tyou~
You hear a low moaning, but that is all you can tell from this distance.

~
!
0 0 0
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S

#42012
A Narrow Ledge Amidst a Marsh~
You are standing on a crumbling rock ledge whose spidery length slopes

down to the south and slightly up to the west.  It appears that there

once was an extension of the ledge to the east, but only scattered

remnants remain.  An odd, hollow sound comes from the south, out of place

in the stagnant air of the murk.

~
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A
listen~
~
act_tochar( "The low moaning could be the sound of the wind...", ch );

~
!
0 0 0
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#42013
Above a Vertical Cavern~
A loud, hollow sound issues from a strange vertical cavern which tunnels

down into the rock ledge at your feet.  The ledge disappears to the

south, coming to a crumbling, ruined end, but appears passable to the

north.  Surrounding you is the ever present stillness that is the Barrens.

~
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d down vertical cavern~
There are no handholds, no way down.

~
A
listen~
~
act_tochar( "It is the sound of a large column of air rushing across the

cavern's top, much like blowing air across a bottle.", ch ); 

~
!
0 0 0
-1
S

#42014
A Narrow Ledge Around a Lifeless Lake~
You are standing on a curving narrow rock ledge which winds its way south

and west around the bend of a large, shallow, muddy, dead lake to the

southwest.  The ledge appears to branch to the south, but it is hard to

discern through the everpresent, stagnant fog.  A long-dead, rotting fish

floats immobile in the still lake.  It could take perhaps years for the

fish to ever reach the shore.

~
[Merior] why years to reach the shore? you mean the fish or you?

the fish, made it more clear

[Merior] floats immobile

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large shallow muddy dead lake sw southwest~
The lake is a large pool of murky marsh.  Nothing is visible beneath its

grey surface.

~
E
long-dead rotting rish~
The fish has been picked clean by something, leaving only its hideously

bloated head and fins.

~
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#42015
A Narrow Ledge Around a Lifeless Lake~
The ledge here is crumbling and crackling, but appears stable enough for

passage.  To the south a large, shallow, muddy, dead lake floats

stagnantly below an immobile, foul fog.  The only color you see from this

east-west ledge is grey.

~
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D3
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~
0 -1 42016 10 10 5
E
lake s south~
The lake is a large pool of murky marsh.  Nothing is visible beneath its

grey surface.

~
-1
S

#42016
Near a Damp Tunnel~
The ledge widens some to the west, aapproaching a large opening into the

rock.  While there are no man-made supports, the natural rock provides

excellent footholds and handholds if a descent is desired.  To the south

and east the ledge creeps away from the tunnel, framing the lifeless lake

to the southeast.

~
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lake se southeast~
The lake is a large pool of murky marsh.  Nothing is visible beneath its

grey surface.

~
E
w west opening~
You can't see much from here aside from the fact that there is indeed an

opening heading down into the rock to the west.

~
-1
S

#42017
A Narrow Ledge Around a Lifeless Lake~
The ledge follows a generally north-south path amidst zig-zagging patches

where the surrounding rock has succumbed to the marsh's dead clutches. 

To the east a large lifeless lake looms, as dead and grey as the murk

around it.

~
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E
lake e east~
The lake is a large pool of murky marsh.  Nothing is visible beneath its

grey surface.

~
-1
S

#42018
A Narrow Ledge Around a Lifeless Lake~
The ledge cradles a large lifeless lake to the northeast, bending around

its still waters.  To the west, a rising marsh prevents passage and in

the distance you can see the Old Barrens Road cutting its brown path

through the sea of grey.  Still farther to the west, the blue skies which

overhang the ocean glow teasingly in the midst of the dead sky above.

~
[Merior] what ocean?

'the' ocean?

[Merior] is sky above always dead? when was it alive?

[Phule] hrm. is in histories.

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335020032 11 9 0
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0 -1 42010 10 10 5
E
lake ne northeast~
The lake is a large pool of murky marsh.  Nothing is visible beneath its

grey surface.

~
876 8 1509949540 3 0
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#42021
Entrance to a Damp Tunnel~
The tunnel enters the marshy rock to the east, disappearing into the

darkness beyond.  Nature has provided secure footing and easy climbing to

the marshes above via several holes in the west wall.  Underground, the

air is more stagnant still than the marsh aboveground.

~
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holes~
The holes could make great footholds, although some are large enough to

perhaps warrant a search.

~
A
search~
holes~
act_tochar( "You search the holes, but come up only with muck.", ch );

~
!
0 0 0
-1
S

#42022
A Damp Tunnel Beneath the Marsh~
This east-west cavern is fairly damp and a shade cooler than aboveground,

but the stillness of the air is acutely felt.  The "rock" appears to

actually be the sponge-like material of the marshes themselves, and a few

spots appear to be glowing, although not enough to see by.

~
[Merior] extra for spots?

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D3
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0 -1 42021 10 10 5
E
spots glowing~
The glowing spots seem to be in actually pulsating, but the source cannot

be discerned from here.

~
876 8 1509949540 3 0
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#42023
A Damp Tunnel Beneath the Marsh~
A small mud-filled crawlspace enters the cave wall to the south, while

the main tunnel leads east and west.  The air to the east feels a little

cooler, but no there is no relief from the staleness in the air despite

the refreshing dampness of the cave.

~
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D3
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0 -1 42022 10 10 5
A
~
~
act_tochar( #crawl, ch );

continue;

~
E
crawl~
You bend down and crawl into the muddy space.

~
!
3 0 4
A
~
~
act_tochar( #stand, ch );

~
E
stand~
You stand back up and stretch.  Ahhhhh.....

~
!
1 0 4
-1
S

#42024
A Damp Tunnel Beneath the Marsh~
A tunnel to the west and a tunnel to the south form a corner here around

a pillar of mud to the southwest.  Although it is marginally cooler in

the deep recess of the cave, the air is still stiflingly stagnant.

~
[Merior] how many beasts reset here?

[Phule] several, but all wander

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0 -1 42023 10 10 5
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pillar mud sw southwest~
The dark mud is semisolid.

~
876 8 1509949540 3 0
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#42025
A Damp Tunnel Beneath the Marsh~
The tunnel branches into three directions at this point in a jumble.  A

shallow crawlspace leads west into a very muddy room, while to the

south the tunnel conversely opens up quite drastically to the sound of a

loud roar.  A more average-sized tunnel leads north into the stagnant air

which followed you underground.

~
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~
0 -1 42026 10 10 5
D3
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0 -1 42027 10 10 5
A
~
~
act_tochar( #crawl, ch );

continue;

~
E
crawl~
You bend down and crawl into the muddy space.

~
!
3 0 8
A
~
~
act_tochar( #stand, ch );

~
E
stand~
You stand back up and stretch.  Ahhhh.....

~
!
1 0 8
-1
S

#42026
A Damp Tunnel Beneath the Marsh~
You stand above what appears to be a cavern of great, rushing wind, which

produces a loud, hollow roar.  The tunnel's only viable exit is to the

north.

~
[Merior] a cavern of wind?

yes

[Merior] is it possible to go down?

[Phule] no

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335020036 11 9 0
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~
0 -1 42025 10 10 5
A
~
~
act_tochar( #death, ch );

~
E
death~
Such a fall would mean certain death.  You choose not to jump.

~
!
3 0 32
-1
S

#42027
A Damp Tunnel Beneath the Marsh~
This tight, mud-filled enclosure does not allow for much movement.  Tiny

arm-width holes extend in myriad directions, but the only ones passable

for exploration are to the north and east.

~
[Merior] extra for holes?

added

~
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D1
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~
0 -1 42025 10 10 5
E
holes~
The small holes appear naturally formed, perhaps as pockets of air

bubbled up and out of the mud.

~
A
~
~
act_tochar( #crawl, ch );

continue;

~
E
crawl~
You crawl through the mud.

~
!
3 0 3
A
search~
holes~
act_tochar( "You come away with only muck on your hands.", ch );

~
!
0 0 0
-1
S

#42029
Greater Will-o-wisp's home.~
This is where the GWW's are created, and from here they wander about the

pools area.  The exits are one-way, so players cannot get here.

~
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#42030
Above a Damp Tunnel~
A damp opening leads down into a murky tunnel.  The lifeless grey barrens

stretch out to the north, across impassable swamps and endless bog. 

Slightly more solid footing leads east, away from the opening.

~
~
335020032 11 9 0
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~
~
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D5
~
~
0 -1 42021 10 10 5
E
damp opening d down tunnel~
The dark opening leads down into the murky darkness.

~
-1
S

#0