DES311 Project

Browser lacks capabilities required to play.

Upgrade or switch to another browser.

Loading…

<<set $BeanRep = 0>> <<set $ArthurRep = 0>> <<set $ArthurHint = 0>> <<set $BeanHint = 0>> <<set $HasPhotograph = false>> You have travelled to the small seaside town of Portobello, in order to visit your Granny Mae. The town has recently been hit by a terrible storm, the townsfolk may need your help getting back on their feet! You find yourself outside of the town's small cafe, along the waterfront. [[Look Around]] [[Go Inside the Cafe]]

<img src="Pictures/BG_cafe.jpg"/> The inside of the small cafe is cozy and comfortable. The counter is being manned by a burly, bearded man with a welcoming smile. You quickly spot your Granny Mae sitting at a table and go to join her. After speaking with Granny Mae, she introduces you to two of her aquantances: Bean and Arthur. Bean is a hermit, who lives in a cave on the Community Beach. He is standoffish, and a little rude. But he and Granny seem to be close. He is short and rotund, sporting a great, unkept beard and wild hair, both a dirty grey. Arthur is a fisher, and very friendly. He and Granny seem to be on good terms, although they are overly polite to each other. He and Bean are very cold towards each other. Arthur is tall and sturdy, his face lined by years of sun, salt, and a ready smile. He wears a bright yellow woolen cap. Both of them need your help, in different ways. [[Help Arthur]] [[Help Bean]]

You are standing outside the cafe, which sits on a small road running the length of the town's dock. Facing the sea, to your left there are a number of houses, above which looms a lighthouse. Closer by, there is a boat seemingly wrecked on the docks. Probably tossed there by the storm. To your right is the path back to Granny's house. [[Go Inside the Cafe]]

Arthur smiles sadly when you ask him if he needs any help. After he finishes his hot chocolate, he leads you outside. "That there is my boat, //The Albatross//... Or at least what's left of her." He points at the wreck of a boat, cast upon the docks. "That recent storm really did a number on her. I have to take stock of the damage, you can help with that." [[Assess the Damage to Arthur's Boat]]

You speak to Bean, and ask him if he needs any help. He seems suprised at your offer, but says he could use your assistance. He leads you out of the cafe and down along the docks, around the high hill on which stands the lighthouse. On the other side of the hill is a large beach, kept for the community's use. Set into the base of the hill, looking out at the beach, is a small cave. The entrance of this cave has been covered by a wooden framework, draped with sailcloth. This is Bean's home. He tells you that his good friend, Toast The Crab, has gone missing after the big storm, and that you can help find Toast. [[Search for Toast]]

You and Bean search the beach, combing through tidal pools, looking under rocks, turning over driftwood, and poking through piles of rubbish and litter (this particularly seems to upset Bean, who grumbles whenever litter is encountered). After a considerable amount of time, you find a small crab hiding inside a hollow log. You call Bean over, who excitedly rushes over. He holds out his hand, and the crab crawls up his arm to rest on Bean's shoulder. Bean gives you a short, reluctant "Thanks," before scuttling away to his cave. <<set $BeanRep += 1>> [[Return to the Cafe]]

Back in the Cafe, you sit and have a cup of tea with your Granny Mae. <<if $BeanRep lt 1>> [[Help Bean]] <<elseif $BeanRep is 1>> [[Ask Bean if he needs more help|Return to Bean]] <<elseif $BeanRep is 2>> [[A Note?]] <</if>> <<if $ArthurRep lt 1>> [[Help Arthur]] <<elseif $HasPhotograph is true>> [[Talk to Arthur]] <<elseif $ArthurRep gte 1>> [[Ask Arthur if he needs more help|Return to Arthur]] <</if>>

Bean is sitting and chatting with your Granny Mae, while Toast the Crab picks at a small chunk of bread. Bean falls quiet when you approach, but after a nudge from Granny Mae he coughs. "Yes, well... thank you for your help." [[Return to the Cafe]] [[Speak with Granny]]

You and Arthur ask for help from Charles, the burly owner of the cafe, in moving //The Albatross//. Bean, overhearing your conversation, angrily approaches Arthur. "You want to move your wreck of a boat onto //my// beach? You must've left your brain at sea." <<if $BeanRep gte 1>> You intergect, saying that technically the beach belongs to the community, and that its only temporary. Bean grumbles, but acquiesces. [[Go to Move Arthur's Boat]] <<else>> You attempt to intergect, but Bean ignores you and storms off to a corner table. Maybe if you did a favour for him first, he would be more amicable. [[Help Bean]] <</if>>

You and Arthur approach the wrecked fishing trawler. From first glance, she looks to be in rough shape. The two of you climb onto the pitched deck, but quickly have to disembark as the structure groans and complains under your weight. It's impossible to see the damage under the hull, seeing as it is partially submerged. Arthur shakes his head sadly. "Suppose we'll have to beach her somewhere. Maybe we can drag her over to the beach, just round the hill? There's not room here on the docks." You and Arthur return to the cafe to recruit help moving the boat. <<set $ArthurRep += 1>> [[Return to the Cafe]]

You, Arthur, Charles, and a few others that you were able to round up head out to the docks. Using a series of pulleys along the docks, a considerable amount of rope, and a lot of effort, you manage to shift the boat over onto the sand of the community beach. Finally out of the water, it's clear to see //The Albatross// is in rough shape. Bean silently observed the operation. Once the task was complete, he vanished into his cave. Arthur, meanwhile, thanks you heartily for your help. "There's no way I could've done that without help, thank you kindly. With her beached, I can really get in there to see about repairs. You're welcome to come with, if you're still wanting to help." [[Assess the Beached Boat]]

You and Arthur carefully climb your way onto the slanted deck of //The Albatross//. The fishing trawler is in a poor state, clearly having taken heavy damage from the storm. As you climb into the cabin, you hear Arthur mumbling to himself. [[Listen to Arthur's Mumbling]] [[Look Around the Cabin]]

Arthur, still out on the deck, is muttering to himself. "Swear I tied her down... How could she have gotten loose? Rotten luck, always rotten luck... Thought it was only further from home, must've followed me back..." <<set $ArthurHint += 1>> [[Look Around the Cabin]]

The cabin is a fairly standard affair. There is a table against the far wall, tossed there by the storm. Papers, maps, books, and pictures are strewn about the room. A small hammock has been torn from its hangings, and huddles limply in a corner of the room. You poke through the various papers on the floor. Most of them appear to be nautical charts: maps of ocean currents and hazards, the locations where different types of fish can be found throughout the year, tidal charts, and the like. However, among the maps and diagrams, you find a weathered photograph in a cracked frame. You see four teenagers, three boys and a girl. One of the men is tall, tanned, and wears a familiar yellow cap. One man is short and slightly portly, and the other is of average height and build. You are able to recognise the woman as your Granny Mae, although in the photograph she is younger than you are now. It must've been taken long before you, or even your parents, were born. While you were examining the picture, Arthur entres the cabin behind you. He sees the picture you are holding. "Ah.. aye, that's from a long time ago now. Keep it, your Granny might be able to tell you some about it. Come on, let's see how the hull held up." He seemed... sad, and returns to the deck. <<set $HasPhotograph = true>> <<if $ArthurHint is 0>> [[Listen to Arthur's Mumbling]] <</if>> [[Head down to the Hold]]

You and Arthur proceed down into the boat's storage hold, where the damage to the hull is clear to see. Arthur lets out a small, pained gasp. "Ah... I'm not sure if I can bring her back from this..." The port side of the hull, presumably the one that had been facing the dock when the storm hit, was nearly completely caved in. The great beam that ran the length of the floor, from stern to aft, was clearly cracked in multiple places. The floor, walls, and ceiling groan with every movement you or Arthur make. "We'd best be out of here, 'fore we do any more damage." [[Return to the Deck]]

You and Arthur return to the deck. "'Twas good of you to help me. I'll take it from here, see if there's aught I can do to get her sea-worthy again." You leave him, pacing the deck of his beached boat. <<set $ArthurRep += 1>> On your way back to town, you pass by Bean's cave to see him watching from the entrance. "I hope it wasn't too badly damaged. The sooner that eyesore is off my beach, the better." [[Return to the Cafe|The Cafe]]

Returning to the warmth of the Cafe, you settle into a chair next to your Granny Mae. Taking the photograph you found in the cabin of //The Albatross//, you show it to Granny. She adjusts her spectacles and peers at the picture. She smiles, a little whistfully. "Where did you say you found this, pumpkin? Yes, that's me there. Gosh, I look so young. Well, I suppose I was. On my right there is your grandfather, Bert. Here, this is Arthur. You could always recognise him by that yellow hat, he's had it for so long! And then.. yes. That next to Arthur is Bean." She pauses for a moment. "The four of us.. were close. But it's a long story, and not just mine to tell." <<set $ArthurHint += 1>> <<set $BeanHint += 1>> While you two were talking, Arthur came in and sat at the counter. You can hear him talking to Charles. "Aye, don't think there's any salvaging her. With the amount I'd spend getting her seaworthy again, I could buy two new boats. Not rightly sure what to do with her just now." [[Talk to Arthur]]

Approaching Arthur at the cafe, he continues. "Ah, here's my assistant! You may've heard, but I think //The Albatross// is done for." He forces a smile. "I'm... not too sure what to do with her, for now. She'll have to stay on the beach for a time, until-" Arthur is cut off by a gruff cough from behind you. [[Turn Around]]

Bean has come up to you and Arthur, and is staring at Arthur beligerantly. With Arthur sitting at the cafe's bar, they are almost eye to eye. "What do you mean, leave it there? The agreement was that you could park your boat, or what's left of it, on my beach to look it over for damage. Not that you could just dump it there!" <<if $BeanRep gte 2>> [[Tell Bean that it won't be long, just until Arthur is able to find a safe way to dispose of the boat|Convince Bean]] <<elseif $BeanRep lt 2>> [[Tell Bean that the Beach doesn't belong to him, and that he needs to learn to share|Unsuccessfully Convince Bean]] <</if>>

You sit down with Granny and Bean. After a moment, Bean mutters an apology and excuses himself from the table. Bean is an enygma. Maybe if you got to know him better, you'd have a chance to learn something interesting? [[Return to the Cafe]] [[Ask Granny About Bean]]

"Oh, you want to know more about Bean? Well... His story isn't mine to tell. But..." She leans in, conspiratorially. "I can tell you he has a terrible sweet tooth. And that, secretly, he is very lonely." She settles back into her chair, smiling slightly. "You could buy something from the cafe, but I think a handmade treat would mean more. I have plenty of ingredients and recipes back at my house, if you really want to get on Bean's good side, why don't we bake him some cookies? There's a specific recipe I remember him enjoying" <<set $BeanHint += 1>> [[Go to Granny's House]]

Leaving the cafe, you and Granny head towards her house. You turn right along the docks, and walk to the outskirts of town. Granny's house comes into sight, a small cottage accompanied by herb and vegetable gardens. Entering through the low door, you are faced with a warm, cozy sitting room. <<if $BeanHint gte 1>> [[Bake Bean some Cookies]] <</if>>

Granny Mae pulls a hefty recipe book from her shelf. The old book is heavily annotated and dogeared, with notes sticking out from all sides. The recipe itself is fairly simple, and doesn't take you long to make. You haven't baked with your Granny in years, and she clearly appreciates you being in the kitchen with her again. She whistles and hums to herself while you mix the batter, spoon it onto baking sheets, and carefully transfer the baked cookies to cooling racks. While the cookies cool, you share a cup of tea with Granny. [[Take the Cookies to Bean]] [[Eat one of the less presentable cookies]]

Bean listens to your argument, and nods grumpily. "I suppose, it has to be disposed of carefully. I'd hate for it to end up polluting the tide-pools or sometehing of that sort. Fine, he can keep it there for now. But I'm not happy about it!" Bean shuffles away, and Arthur thanks you for your help. "He's always been a grumpy old fart. Well, thanks for ye help. I'll think about what to do with //The Albatross// soon, I just... need some time. It's just like when I lost //The Zephyr//..." [[The Zephyr?]]

Bean harrumphs loudly. "The beach may belong to the community, but I live there! I won't stand for that heap of rubbish polluting the environment and cluttering up my front lawn." Bean scuttles away angrily, and Arthur shakes his head sadly. "Well, that could've gone worse. Maybe talk to your Granny Mae, she might have ideas?" [[Return to the Cafe]]

"Oh, aye. //The Zephyr// was my old boat, before //The Albatross//. I lost her, a while back. I... she wrecked, by the Old Lighthouse, out North of town. She's probably still there, or at least what's left of her." [["How did the crash happen?"]]

You and Granny place the cookies into a tin. "There! I'm sure he'll enjoy these, he always did like my baking. It was nice to cook with you again. We haven't baked together since you were just a child!" The two of decide to deliver the cookies to Bean at his cave. You walk down the path to town, past the cafe, around the hill with the lighthouse, and arrive on the community beach. Set into the base of the hill is Bean's cave, and you can see the light from a fire glimmering on the sand. There is a wooden framework set up around the entrance, draped in sailcloth. [[Knock]]

Some of the cookies are crumblier, or fell apart when you were taking them off the baking sheets. You take a nibble, to check their quality of course. The cookie is delicious. [[Take the Cookies to Bean]]

You knock on a wooden post, and a grumpy voice calls from inside. "Who is it? I'm trying to have my dinner..." Bean comes into view, proceeded by his shadow and his grumbling. "Ah, its you, and.. oh, Mae." He seems to soften slightly when he sees your Granny. "Alright, what is this about?" [[Give him the cookies]]

You hold out the tin of cookies to Bean, whose eyebrows raise in suprise. "For me? Well... thank you, I suppose." He takes the offered tin, and opens the lid. "Oh my... I haven't had these in years..." He takes a cookie from the tin, sniffs it, then takes a small bite. He seems to forget you are here for a moment, before coming back to himself. "These are.. very good. I appreciate it." Without another word, he scuttles back into his cave. Granny chuckles softly as you return to town. "Bean never was very good at expressing himself, but trust me, he was very pleased." <<set $BeanRep += 1>> [[Return to the Cafe]]

He pauses for a moment, before answering. "Ah, I suppose I can tell you. I was coming back from a long trip, longer than I'd usually like. I guess I must've dozed off at the wheel, and was tossed up on the rocks. This a long time ago now, back when I must've been about your age. But I've never been back over by the Old Lighthouse, I'd bet you some of //The Zephyr// is still out there." He falls silent, lost in thought. "As soon as I got another boat, //The Albatross//, I went back to sea. Didn't spend much time on land after that, matter of fact. Maybe weren't the best idea, but what's done is done." He fishes in his pocket for a moment, before pulling out a photograph. It shows a rocky shore, and an old lighthouse overseeing the wreck of a fishing boat. He hands you the photograph. [[Ask Granny about Arthur's Crash]]

Arthur falls silent then, so you return to Granny at her table. You pass the photograph of the wreck of //The Zephyr// to her. She adjusts her glasses and peers at the picture. "Ah, Arthur's first boat... So, he told you about his accident, did he? Yes, that was when we were about your age, I'd expect. That accident changed him, somehow." [["Changed him?"]]

Charles, the owner of the cafe, stops by your table to refill your and Granny Mae's tea. "Glad I caught you, Bean left this for you! Wouldn't say what for." He hands you a small note and continues on to the next table. [[Read the Note]]

Unfolding the small piece of paper, you see a message written in cramped, neat handwriting. "There is a matter of importance I would like to discuss with you, tonight. Meet me outside my cave, just before sundown. - Bean" [[Ask Granny About the Note]] [[Wait till Dusk|Bean's Beach]]

You pass the note to Granny Mae, who peers through her glasses at the small text. "Hmm... Well, I'm sure it must be important! Bean doesn't tend to confide in just anyone, I would say this is a good sign. I'd go if I were you, Heaven knows he could use a friend. Dusk is a bit aways now, we just have time to finish our tea." [[Wait till Dusk|Bean's Beach]]

Just as the sun touches the sea, you leave the cafe. You turn left outside the door, and head south down the dock. Following the path around the hill ontop of which stands the lighthouse, you arrive at Bean's secluded beach. He appears to be waiting for you. Two logs are set up on the sand outside his cave, and Bean is sitting on one, fiddling with his walking stick. Toast the crab perches on the log by Bean's leg, and perks up as you approach. [[Join Bean]]

You approach Bean. "Ah, you came! I am glad you did. I think you will enjoy this, it is a wonderful sight. Here, pull up a log." [["What do you mean?"]] [[Sit Down next to Bean]]

"Shhh, just wait and see. Trust me, it will be worth it." He refuses to explain further. [[Sit Down next to Bean]]

You sit on the second log, and face the sea along with Bean. The two of you watch as the sun sets, passing behind the rim of the horizon and setting the waves on fire. Just as the last light leaves the sky, the sea begins to brighten. At first it seems some trick of the light, a reflection or refraction, but the light is different. The light is a cold blue, and seemingly made of millions of tiny stars, moving and dancing in the waves. "Isn't it beautiful? Bioluminescent plankton. They aren't common this far north, but occasionally, if the season is particularly warm, like this one..." [[Watch the Show]]

You and Bean sit in silence for a bit, watching the glowing plankton dance within and beneath the waves. Finally, he breaks the silence. "I... Realise I am a tad standoffish. I admit that is partially by design, I prefer to be left alone. But... It is nice to remember what it is like to have companionship. Of course I have Toast, but.." He pauses for a moment to feed Toast a piece of dried seaweed. "I do sometimes miss being a part of it all, of being involved in.." He waves his hand vagually at town. [[''What did you do, before you were a hermit?"]] [[Wait for him to continue]]

He watches the sea for a moment. "I haven't been a hermit very long, you know. And before, I was a lawyer. A very good one, or very bad one depending on how you view things. I worked for a large company, I worked there for many years. I helped them to do things, to get away with things..." He rummages behind him for a moment, before pulling out a small photograph. He hesitates, then hands it to you. [[Look at the photograph]]

He watches the sea for a moment. "I used to be a lawyer, you know. A very good one, or very bad one depending on how you view things. I worked for a large company, I worked there for many years. I helped them to do things, to get away with things..." He rummages behind him for a moment, before pulling out a small photograph. He hesitates, then hands it to you. [[Look at the photograph]]

The photograph shows four people, roughly your age. On the far left is a short, portly young man. Next to him stands another man, of average height and build. Next is a young woman, who you recognise as your Granny Mae. On the far right is a tall, sturdy man in a familiar yellow cap. Bean points a finger at the short man. "That's me, just before I left for university. That next to me is Bert, your grandfather. That of course if your Granny Mae, and next to her is Arthur." There is a slight bitterness in his voice when he mentions Arthur. "We were good friends, as children. When we grew older, things changed. Such is life, I suppose, but it is still a sour pill to swallow." He leans back on his log with a sigh. [["What happened?"]] [["What is with you and Arthur?"]]

He shrugs. "We grew up. Arthur sailed away, Mae and Bert settled down, and I... moved to the Big City to study law." He takes the photograph back for a moment, and stares at it with whistfulness. "We were very close, we four." He hands the photograph back to you. [["Is that all?"]]

He sighs. "We grew up. Arthur sailed away, Mae and Bert settled down, and I... moved to the Big City to study law." He takes the photograph back for a moment, and stares at it with whistfulness. "We were very close, we four." He hands the photograph back to you. [["Is that all?"]]

He frowns. "Well, Mae and Arthur... but that's not my story to tell. Arthur and I were never quite as close as the rest. I suppose he was always somewhat jealous of me." He waves a hand at his cave. "I suppose it is hard to see now, but my family was very wealthy. We have ties to the founder of the town, in fact! Arthur's family was, to put it bluntly, not very well off. He had many siblings, and had to begin work at a young age. I was my parent's only child." He looks sad for a moment, before for the first time smiling at you with genuine happiness. "Thank you, for coming here, for listening to an old man." He seems more at ease here, under the stars. It's hard to imagine him in a suit, working in an office in the Big City. [[Sit with Bean for a while]] [[Return]]

You, Bean, and Toast sit in companionable silence for a time. Eventually, soft rumbling snores eminate from Bean, and you decide it's time to head home. Leaving Bean under the warm stars, you return home to your own bed. [[Morning]]

Brushing the sand from your trousers, you stand. "Ah, time to head home is it? Thank you again, this was... suprisingly pleasent." Leaving Bean under the warm stars, you return home to your own bed. [[Morning]]

This is the end of the demo! [[Restart|Arrival]]

She nods, sadly. "Yes, I suppose he couldn't forgive himself for it. Or he felt he had something to prove, I'm not sure. He doesn't like to talk about it. After the crash, he spent all his time at sea. That's why we stopped seeing each other, you know." [["What??"]]

She chuckles. "Oh yes, didn't you know? Arthur and I were sweethearts, before I fell in love with your Grandpa Bert. After he lost //The Zephyr//, we decided to part ways..." She frowns. "Well, less we decided and more he chose the sea. But that's old history." She shakes her head, and smiles again. "Ah, but if he told you about his first boat, maybe there's hope for him!" [["You think I can help him?|A Plan]] [["Do you think we should visit the wreck?"|A Plan]]

She nods. "Yes, I do think that visiting //The Zephyr// might help him. At the very least, you two can make sure it's not still cluttering up the beach. Why don't you go ask him?" [[Ask Arthur about Visiting the Wreck]]

You return to Arthur, and relay the plan. "You want me to go back? To //The Zephyr//? I don't know what you're expecting to find there.. It's just ship's bones and rotten wood, by now. But if you think it's a good idea... We'll head out in the morning. Go get some rest." You return to your bed, and sleep through the night. [[Morning]]