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Examining something (requires light) (past tense examined)

The act of looking closely at something. Note that the noun could be either a direction or a thing, which is why the Standard Rules include the 'examine directions rule' to deal with directions: it simply says 'You see nothing unexpected in that direction.' and stops the action. (If you would like to handle directions differently, list another rule instead of this one in the carry out examining rules.)

For arcane reasons to do with the Inform 6 library underlying what Inform does, these rules test to see 'if the noun goes undescribed by source text' (rather than more simply testing whether the description property of the noun is blank). If so, we search (i.e., look inside) a container, and show the status (switched on or off) of a device, but otherwise give up with a bland response. For traditional reasons, we also show the status of a device as a second paragraph even after any description property has been printed: this is done by the examine described devices rule.

Typed commands leading to this action

    "look at [something]"
    "examine [something]"
    "read [something]"

Rules controlling this action

    before    doing something in The Captain's Office   
    before    examining a determinable   
    before    examining a detailer   
    instead    examining the far-off path in The Ruined Chapel   
    instead    examining the far-off path in By the Waterfall   
    instead    examining the brown jug for the first time   
    instead    examining the heap of refuse for the first time   
    instead    examining the bomb   
    instead    examining the golden hair   
    instead    examining the Blood Poster   
    instead    examining the Zeal Poster   
    instead    examining the Excitement Poster   
    instead    examining the Circle Poster   
    instead    examining the Deadly Combat Poster   
    instead    examining the prisoner   
    instead    examining the prison walls   
    instead    examining the thick iron door   
    instead    examining the filthy straw   
    instead    examining Orlando Furioso   
    instead    examining the stale water   
    instead    examining the good white wine   
    instead    examining the head   
    instead    examining the fists   
    instead    examining the guard's sword   
    instead    examining the strange contraption   
    instead    examining the huge blade   
    instead    examining the guards' table   
    instead    examining Alex   
    instead    examining the Captain's key   
    instead    examining the leaves   
    instead    examining the forest trees   
    instead    examining the rotting plants   
    instead    examining the small insects   
    instead    examining the stagnant water   
    instead    examining the swamp vegetation   
    instead    examining the fort   
    instead    examining the pine tree   
    instead    examining the pool of water   
    instead    examining the mud   
    instead    examining the tracks   
    instead    examining the ruined building between the trees   
    instead    examining the ruined temple   
    instead    examining the temple_roof   
    instead    examining the moss-covered chest   
    instead    examining the moss   
    instead    examining the mosaic   
    instead    examining the walls_temple   
    instead    examining the stones_temple   
    instead    examining the shafts of sunlight   
    instead    examining the drops of water   
    instead    examining the streaming sunlight   
    instead    examining the waterfal_wall   
    instead    examining the spray   
    instead    examining the waterfal_water   
    instead    examining the waterfall   
    instead    examining the faded painting   
    instead    examining the behind_the_waterfall   
    instead    examining the smaller path   
    instead    examining the larger path   
    instead    examining the lonely oak tree   
    instead    examining the wasps' nest   
    instead    examining the ending path   
    instead    examining the pool of black water   
    instead    examining the wooden palisade   
    instead    examining the wooden doors   
    instead    examining the palisade   
    instead    examining the excrement   
    instead    examining the wrecked furniture   
    instead    examining the primitive tools   
    instead    examining the heap of refuse   
    instead    examining the flask of acid   
    instead    examining the entrance   
    instead    examining the player   
    instead    examining a killed tarrasque   
    instead    examining a Groth Idol   
    instead    examining an Elda Idol   
    instead    examining a Duncan Idol   
    instead    examining a Shliss Idol   
    instead    examining a wild boar   
    instead    examining a doberman   
    instead    examining a pit-bull   
    instead    examining a terrier   
    instead    examining a bouvier   
    instead    examining a German shepherd   
    instead    examining a Rhodesian Ridgeback   
    instead    examining a dog   
    instead    examining a snake   
    instead    examining a mud crab   
    instead    examining a water serpent   
    instead    examining a giant mud crab   
    instead    examining a troll   
    instead    examining a young troll   
    instead    examining a straw being   
    instead    examining a tarrasque   
    instead    examining a stick of guarding   
    instead    examining healing herbs   
    instead    examining a fire grenade   
    instead    examining a stick of illumination   
    carry out    examining the Captain's chair   
    carry out    examining the Captain's desk   
    carry out    examine undescribed containers rule
    carry out    examine undescribed devices rule
    carry out    examine undescribed things rule
    carry out    new examine directions rule [E1]
    carry out    standard examining rule
    carry out    examine described devices rule
    carry out    new examine directions rule [E1]
    report        someone trying examining   [E1]
    report        an actor examining  report other people examining rule