Damnatio Memoriae — 14 of 34

Chapter 4 - Breaking

Understand "attack [something] with [something preferably held]" as attacking it with.

Attacking it with is an action applying to one thing and one carried thing.

Check attacking it with:

if the second noun is the lamp, try burning the noun instead;

if the second noun is a paper, say "[The second noun] is a very ineffective bludgeon." instead;

if the second noun is a book, say "[The second noun] is not yet weighty enough to be any use in that sense." instead;

Carry out attacking it with:

try attacking the noun.

Understand "rip [something]" or "rip up [something]" or "rip [something] up" as attacking.

Understand the commands "tear" or "shred" as "rip".

Instead of attacking a paper:

say "You rip [the noun] to shreds.";

destroy the noun.

Instead of attacking something fragile:

say "You smash [the noun].";

destroy the noun.

A thing has some text called shattering description. The shattering description of a thing is usually "shatters under an invisible blow, and the link dies with it".

Understand the commands "kill" and "attack" and "murder" and "destroy" as something new. Understand "kill [someone]" as killing. Understand "kill [something]" as killing. Understand the commands "murder" and "destroy" and "attack" as "kill".

Killing is an action applying to one thing. Instead of killing a thing which is not a person, try attacking the noun. Carry out killing: say ""

Instead of attacking the player when Clemens protects the player:

say "You hit yourself. It does hurt, but you suspect Clemens gets the brunt of it."

Instead of attacking the player:

if the player affects Clemens:

say "You punch yourself in the thigh, which is not a very edifying process. If Clemens feels anything, you receive no sign of it.";

otherwise:

say "You hit yourself, which does hurt, but accomplishes no useful purpose. Killing yourself, now, that would require a bit more focus."

Instead of killing the player:

if Clemens protects the player:

say "You make some attempts to slit your wrists, but the blood just flows and flows." instead;

if the player affects Clemens:

say "You attack yourself; it is Clemens who dies.";

destroy Clemens;

otherwise:

say "Seeing no honorable and unembarrassing way out of your predicament, you open your veins, and are soon free from earthly cares.";

end the story saying "You have died".

Instead of attacking something sturdy:

say "[The noun] is not so easily destroyed."

Instead of attacking something fragile which affects something important (called the slave):

if the slave is sturdy and the slave protects the noun:

say "[The noun] resists smashing, thanks to its link with [the slave]." instead;

if the slave affects the noun:

say "[The noun] shatters.";

destroy the noun;

if the slave is visible:

say line break;

if the slave is visible:

say "[The slave] [shattering description of the slave].";

destroy the slave;

if the noun is ruined:

say line break.