chaos-museum

"Ah. A reasonable reaction to have," says the Chaos Demon.\n\n[[Continue|finish4]]

<<set $thirsty to true>>You're at the entrance to the Chaos Gallery.\n\nIt's an imposing two-story structure, built with an eye to the gothic. Flanking the entrance are two eager-looking grotesque statues. The door is propped open.\n\n[[Enter.|lobby]]\n

<<set $current = state.history[0].passage.title>>[[Feel an emotion.|emote][$return = $current]]\n\n[[Have an opinion.|opinion][$return = $current]]\n\n[[Leave.|$back]]\n

<<set $talkedToTeen to true>><<set $talks += 1>>"What do you think?" you ask the boy.\n\nHe shrugs. "I dunno. It's boring. I could probably paint this better."\n\n[["Okay."|room6]]\n\n[[Give him your opinion.|opinion][$customResponse = '"Whatever."'; $return = "room6"]]

You sit down at the monitors. The man continues staring intently. On the screen is a looping video of several people waving semaphore flags. There does not appear to be any pattern to their movements.\n\nThere is a plaque on the wall above you: "Communication. By Trep Peort."\n\n<<if not $talkedToMan>>[[Talk to the man.|askManVideo]]\n\n<<endif>><<set $back to "room5">><<display pieceFooter>>

You approach the painting. It covers most of the wall it's on. The subject is a rendering of a pastoral scene in unusual colors. The brushwork is intricate for such a large piece.\n\nThe plaque underneath reads: "My Home. By Met Poal."\n\n<<set $back to "room4-2">><<display pieceFooter>>

<<set $paid to true>>You dig in your pocket for a five- and one-dollar bill and deliver them into the indicated slot. The old lady nods at you and you enter the museum.\n\n[[Continue.|room1]]

The Chaos Gallery

You wake up in a strange room, made entirely from roughly-hewn and inexpertly-placed stone. It's gloomy, lit only by guttering torches that burn with a blue flame. The entire space is empty save for a raised dais at one end.\n\nAs you squint around, you notice a humanoid figure standing on the dais. Its form is indistinct and seems to shift and warp as the light plays across its face and body.\n\nIt glides towards you slowly.\n\n[[Continue.|finish3]]

You pick yourself up off the floor.\n\nIt stops a short distance from you. An orange light flashes within it as it speaks. "I am the Chaos Demon," it says. "What do you think of my realm?"\n\n[["Well..."|opinion2]]

"I have brought you here because you experienced my creation on earth, the Chaos Gallery, and I thought you would like to hear how you did. Let me just check the records..." The demon is suddenly holding some papers. It proceeds to leaf through them casually.\n\n[[Be judged.|finish6]]

<<if $emotionsFelt >= 8>>"You had an excessive number of emotions in the gallery. Some emotions are good but that was far beyond what's healthy."<<elseif $opinionsHad >= 4>>"You had more or less exactly the right number of emotions in the gallery."<<else>>"You had far too few emotions in the gallery. I wasn't expecting you to be a cold, unfeeling machine."<<endif>>\n\n<<if $opinionsHad >= 9>>"It seems you had lots of opinions on the artwork there. Good job. I very much like an opinionated person."<<elseif $opinionsHad >= 5>>"You had quite a few opinions on the artwork, but I feel like you could have done a bit better. I like opinionated people."<<elseif $opinionsHad >= 2>>"You barely had any opinions about the artwork at all. Maybe in the future, try thinking about things harder."<<else>>"You didn't have any opinions about the artwork at all! Were you even trying?"<<endif>>\n\n<<if $talks >= 3>>"I'm glad you took the time to converse with everyone in the gallery."<<elseif $talks >= 1>>"You talked with some people in the gallery, but not everyone. Were they not your type?"<<else>>"You didn't talk to anyone in the gallery! Not good enough for you?"<<endif>>\n\n[["Are you finished?"|finish7]]

body[data-tags~=chaos] {\n\tcolor: black;\n\tbackground-color: #CEF2F6;\n}\n\nbody:not([data-tags*=chaos]) {\n\tcolor: black;\n\tbackground-color: white;\n}

The Chaos Demon nods. "Yes. Thank you for your time, and for visiting the Chaos Gallery."\n\nIt vanishes, leaving you alone in the stone room.\n\nThere are no exits.\n\nWhat emotion do you feel?\n\n[[Joy.|okay2]]\n\n[[Sadness.|okay2]]\n\n[[Hope.|okay2]]\n\n[[Despair.|okay2]]\n\n[[Anger.|okay2]]\n\n[[Calmness.|okay2]]\n\n[[I don't feel anything.|okay2]]

It's shut tight, sorry.\n\n[[Back.|room4]]

<<if $customResponse != "">><<print $customResponse>><<set $customResponse to "">><<else>>Okay.<<endif>>\n\n[[Continue.|$return]]

You approach the large statue. It's a piece of marble carved into an intricate, curving, abstract shape. It's smoothly polished and has no corners or edges.\n\nThe plaque on the base reads: "Ideas. By Lemmi Boergh."\n\n<<set $back to "room7">><<display pieceFooter>>

You approach the statue. The woman does not react as you do so. The piece is of a man kneeling by a stream. The man is carved from granite, and the stream is made of clear plastic. There's a small sign on it that says "Do not touch."\n\nThe plaque on the base reads: "Nature. By Yuon Mwerk."\n\n<<if not $talkedToWoman>>[[Talk to the woman.|askWomanStatue]]\n\n<<endif>><<set $back to "room2">><<display pieceFooter>>

You turn and examine the projection. It seems to be some kind of virtual lava lamp. Abstract blobs of color coalesce, writhe, and then fragment.\n\nEvery minute or so these words briefly appear in white along the bottom: "The Endless Dance. By Charmo Yavob."\n\n<<set $back to "room3">><<display pieceFooter>>

<<if $thirsty>><<set $thirsty to false>>Cool and refreshing.<<else>>You're not really thirsty any more.<<endif>>\n\n[[Continue.|room3]]

This room has an enormous painting covering one wall. Thankfully there is no one else here.\n\n[[Examine the painting.|painting4-2]]\n\n[[Leave.|room6]]

<<if $cameFromRoom4>><<set $cameFromRoom4 to false>>The door opens into a narrow, plain hallway, that turns a couple times before emerging back into the exhibit. You probably would never have noticed this passage if you hadn't just gone through it.\n\n<<endif>>This room's floor is slightly lower than the adjadent room. There's a short staircase leading up to it, and a large staircase leading to the second floor. There is a long, skinny painting running along the wall. A teenaged boy is looking at it.\n\n[[Examine the painting.|painting5]]\n\n[[Go up the short staircase.|room3]]\n\n[[Go up to the second floor.|room7]]\n\n<<if $foundRoom4>>[[Go back through the hidden hallway.|room4-2]]<<endif>>

<<set $talkedToMan to true>><<set $talks += 1>>"What do you think?" you ask the man.\n\nHe looks at you. "I think it's really interesting. The artist took an established mode of communication and stripped it of all its meaning. How about you? What do you think?"\n\n[["Hm..."|opinion][$customResponse = "He strokes his beard and then goes back to staring at the monitor."; $return = "room5"]]

<<set $foundRoom4 to true>>You enter this room and the door swings shut and locks behind you. You panic for a moment before noticing there's another door in the opposite wall.\n\nThis room has an enormous painting covering one wall. Thankfully there is no one else here.\n\n[[Examine the painting.|painting4]]\n\n[[Examine the door you came from.|tryDoor]]\n\n[[Enter the new door.|room6][$cameFromRoom4 = true]]

<<if not $beenOnSecondFloor>><<set $beenOnSecondFloor to true>><<set $thirsty to true>>The air on the second floor is warmer and drier. It makes you thirsty.\n\n<<endif>>This room has a series of monitors lining one wall. There is a tattooed man dressed in black seated at one of them. The exhibit continues down the hall, or you could go down the stairs.\n\n[[Examine the monitors.|video1]]\n\n[[Go down the hall.|room7]]\n\n[[Go down the staircase.|room2]]\n

<<set $foundRoom2 to true>>This room has a statue in the center of it, and a collection of 4 small paintings on the wall. There is a woman in a suit contemplating the statue here. There's a door and a staircase leading away from this room. Off in the corner there's another door labeled "Employees Only" <<if $foundRoom4>>that's locked.<<else>>that looks ajar.<<endif>>\n\n[[Examine the statue.|statue1]]\n\n[[Examine the paintings.|painting3]]\n\n[[Enter the door.|room1]]\n\n[[Go up the staircase.|room5]]\n\n<<if not $foundRoom4>>[[Try the employee door.|room4]]<<endif>>

This room has a video being projected on one wall. A sleek metal water fountain juts out from the opposite wall. There is no one else in this part of the exhibit. There's a hallway and a short staircase leading away from this room.\n\n[[View the projection.|video2]]\n\n[[Take a drink.|drink]]\n\n[[Go down the staircase.|room6]]\n\n[[Enter the hallway.|room1]]

<<if not $paid and not $shownPaidMessage>><<set $shownPaidMessage to true>>\nYou ignore the lady and walk into the museum. You notice her shaking her head as you pass.\n\n<<endif>>This room has a large painting and a small painting. There is no one else in this part of the exhibit. There's a door and a hallway leading away from this room.\n\n[[Examine the large painting.|painting1]]\n\n[[Examine the small painting.|painting2]]\n\n[[Enter the door.|room2]]\n\n[[Enter the hallway.|room3]]\n\n[[Exit back to the lobby.|finish1]]

You turn and leave the exhibit. You pass through the lobby and exit into the street.\n\nA bolt of lightning arcs from the cloudless sky and strikes you dead.\n\n[[Okay.|finish2]]

You enter a wide room with a high vaulted ceiling. A busy pattern tiles the floor, broken only by a black carpet leading straight to the lobby's desk. Past the desk there's a sign pointing visitors through a set of double-doors, labeled "Today's Exhibit: Chaos."\n\nAn old lady sits at the desk. As you approach she taps a sign saying "Suggested Donation: $6."\n\n[[Pay.|pay]]\n\n[[Ignore her and enter the exhibit.|room1]]\n

As you walk up to the painting, the kid glances at you. The painting is on a piece of hanging cloth, and it depicts a character making a journey through a dangerous forest. The adventure appears to start on the left and continue for the length of the piece.\n\nThe plaque underneath reads: "Hunter and Hunted. By Met Poal."\n\n<<if not $talkedToTeen>>[[Talk to the boy.|askBoyPainting]]\n\n<<endif>><<set $back to "room6">><<display pieceFooter>>

You approach the large painting. It's an abstract piece that makes heavy use of red tones.\n\nThe plaque underneath reads: "Untitled #2. By Frek Markle."\n\n<<set $back to "room1">><<display pieceFooter>>

You approach the paintings. Each of the four is of a cherry tree in spring, autumn, winter, and one where the tree is on fire.\n\nThe plaque underneath reads: "Seasons. By Lodie Sworem."\n\n<<set $back to "room2">><<display pieceFooter>>

You approach the small painting. It's a portrait of a rat terrier. The dog is smelling the grass.\n\nThe plaque underneath reads: "Mario. By Frek Markle."\n\n<<set $back to "room1">><<display pieceFooter>>

You approach the small statue. It's a piece of wood carved into a bust. Half of the bust is of a woman. The other half is of a tiger. They join imperfectly.\n\nThe plaque on the base reads: "Two-Face. By Joem Perog."\n\n<<set $back to "room7">><<display pieceFooter>>

<<set $talkedToWoman to true>><<set $talks += 1>>"What do you think?" you ask the woman.\n\nShe glances at you before responding. "I'm not sure. The stream has a lot of motion to it, which I like a lot. The man is kinda... boring, though. What about you?"\n\n[["Hm..."|opinion][$customResponse = "She nods."; $return = "room2"]]

<<if $paid>>"Thank you for your donation upon entering the gallery. I use those funds to maintain and expand the collection. Granted, now that you have been slain I will be appropriating the contents of your wallet, but I appreciate the thought."<<else>>"I find it somewhat distressing that you did not choose to donate upon entering the gallery. Granted, now that you have been slain I will be appropriating the contents of your wallet, but I wish you had helped of your own volition."<<endif>>\n\n<<if $thirsty>>"You should remember to drink lots of water. It's free to enjoy from the fountain, you know."<<else>>"I'm glad you took the time to enjoy some of our complementary water from the fountain."<<endif>>\n\n<<if $foundRoom4>>The Chaos Demon stops for a second and shakes its head. "You entered the employees-only room. That was off-limits for a reason. I expected better of you."<<elseif $foundRoom2>>"I noticed that you considered entering the employees-only room, but I admire your restraint in not doing so."<<else>>"You never visited the room with the statue and the four paintings. I'm disappointed. That's a good one."<<endif>>\n\n[[Continue being judged.|finish5]]

<<if not $beenOnSecondFloor>><<set $beenOnSecondFloor to true>><<set $thirsty to true>>The air on the second floor is warmer and drier. It makes you thirsty.\n\n<<endif>>This room has a large statue and a small statue against the wall. There is no one else around. The exhibit continues up the hall, or you could go down the stairs.\n\n[[Examine the large statue.|statue2]]\n\n[[Examine the small statue.|statue3]]\n\n[[Go up the hall.|room5]]\n\n[[Go down the staircase.|room6]]\n

Okay.\n\n[[Credits.|credits]]

Bret Sepulveda

By Bret Sepulveda\n@kittysaysmoo\n\nThank you for playing!