Damnatio Memoriae — 9 of 34

Book 4 - Checking Validity

Chapter 1 - The Link Check Rules

Before labor:

if text produced by the link check rules is "":

stop the action;

otherwise:

if unlinking, continue the action;

if reverse linking the noun to something which is affected by the noun:

clear connections to the noun;

clear connections to the second noun;

say "(building on the existing connection)[line break]";

continue the action;

if the noun affects something or something affects the noun:

say "(first unlinking [the noun])[line break]";

clear connections to the noun;

if the second noun affects something or something affects the second noun:

say "(first unlinking [the second noun])[line break]";

clear connections to the second noun.

The link check rules are a rulebook producing text.

A link check rule:

if reverse linking:

if the noun is a person and the second noun is not a person, make no decision;

if the second noun is a person and the noun is not a person, make no decision;

if the noun resembles the second noun or the second noun resembles the noun, rule succeeds with result "The inherent likeness of the two comes to your aid.".

A link check rule:

if the noun is the second noun:

say "There's no point linking something to itself.";

rule fails.

A link check rule:

if the noun is a person or the second noun is a person:

if the noun is a person and the second noun is a person, rule succeeds with result "You have always been good at people...";

if noun is not a person, say "This would work better if [the noun] were a person.";

otherwise say "This would work better if [the second noun] were a person.";

rule fails.

A link check rule:

if the noun is inscribed and the second noun is inscribed:

rule succeeds with result "The similarity of content makes this one easy...".

A link check rule:

if the noun is a container and the second noun is a container:

rule succeeds with result "Both are container-shaped, which makes this simple.";

if the noun is a supporter and the second noun is a supporter:

rule succeeds with result "Both are supporters, which makes this easy.";

if the noun is a paper and the second noun is a paper:

rule succeeds with result "Both are papyrus, which simplifies matters.";

if the noun is a book and the second noun is a book, rule succeeds with result "The linking of books is so familiar to you as to be second nature.".

The last link check rule:

say "[The noun] is insufficiently similar to [the second noun] for the two to be linked.";

rule fails.