Kinds, traits, and settings

The lines between the create header and the first blank line compose the entity. Each comma-separated term is either a kind noun or a trait, distinguished by the article: a room and a supporter are kind nouns (bundles of traits), while bare words like scenery, wearable, switchable, and light-source are individual traits.

create the workbench
  a supporter, scenery
  holds 3
  in the Root Cellar

  A scarred oak workbench.

A kind noun takes no settings of its own. What a container or supporter can hold is its own line, holds <n>, a whole number of things; without the line it is unbounded. A container that shows what is inside it even when closed is transparent:

create the specimen jar
  a container, openable, transparent
  holds 2
  in the Hold

  A squat glass jar with a screw lid.

transparent belongs to containers only, and holds to containers and supporters; on anything else each is an error that names the kind it found. The old with max items N, with max weight N and with capacity N settings are errors whose message shows the holds line.

A thing that is eaten or drunk in more than one go says so with servings <n>, a whole number of bites or sips; without the line it has one:

create the loaf
  a thing, edible
  servings 3
  in the Root Cellar

  A round loaf of bread.

servings belongs to a thing that is edible or drinkable; on anything else it is an error that says so.

with attaches settings to a trait adjective. The last token of each setting is its value and the words before it are the key; several settings join with and. When a keyed value is an entity name, the article marks where the name starts (feedable with food the handful of feed, where the keyword names an authored trait's data field). The built-in capability adjectives take their entity directly after with and use no keyword: lockable with the staff keycard (ratchet R3, 2026-07-18: the old key/tool keywords are load errors with fix-its).

Two trait adjectives carry a contract along with their data: cuttable and diggable. Each takes an optional implement named directly after with (cuttable with the rusty knife) that the player must be holding; with no implement named, any attempt reaches the entity. What the cut or dig actually does is never platform policy: a cuttable entity must carry exactly one implementation, an on the player cutting clause, its own or from a composed trait. The story fails to load with none, or with two. The same rule binds diggable to on the player digging, and flammable to on the player burning (flammable with the disposal torch names what it takes to light it; a thing that is not flammable prints "isn't something you can burn").

A fourth adjective makes a dial out of states. settable on a thing whose states are reversible lets the player set, turn or adjust it to any of them: set selector to titan writes the same state change the selector to titan would, so while the selector is titan, select on and the verb all read one value. A value that is not one of the states answers with the list ("The guidance selector goes to ceres, titan, or kepler"). settable without a states, reversible: line is an error that names the line.

create the guidance selector
  a thing, scenery, settable
  in the Cockpit
  aka selector, dial
  states, reversible: ceres, titan, kepler

  A three-position selector under the viewport.

  on the player setting to kepler
    refuse selector-kepler-last
  end on

  after the player setting
    phrase selector-clicks
  end after

create the straw bale
  aka bale, twine
  a thing, cuttable with the rusty knife
  in the Potting Shed
  states: bound, loose

  A bale of straw, bound tight with orange twine.

  on the player cutting
    change the straw bale to loose
    phrase twine-cut
  end on

A price is a setting too. costs 3 credits lets the player buy, purchase or pay for the thing: the price comes off the buyer's own credits counter and the thing moves to them. Short of the price, the player "can't afford" it and nothing changes; a thing with no price "isn't for sale". The word after the number names a counter that some playable character must carry (counter credits starts 5), so each character the player becomes spends from a purse of its own. on the player buying and after the player buying work as on any action.

create the courier
  a person, playable
  counter credits starts 5

create the ration bar
  a thing, costs 3 credits
  in the canteen kiosk

  after the player buying
    phrase kiosk-vends
  end after

A thing can be fixed to another. attached to the sorting machine names what holds it: taking it refuses ("The route placard is fixed to the sorting machine.") and it stays where it is. Add detachable and the player can pull it free, after which it can be taken; without it, pulling "won't budge". while the placard is attached reads whether it is still held. The player can make the same bond in play: tie twine to machine attaches the held thing, and untie twine frees it.

create the route placard
  a thing, attached to the sorting machine, detachable
  in the Sorting Room

A light can be lit and put out. A plain light-source gives light; starts unlit begins it dark, and the player lights it with light lantern and puts it out with put out, blow out or extinguish. light-source with the flint striker means lighting it takes that tool in hand. A switchable light is switched on and off instead, and light torch does just that. A switchable container can need power: powered by the power cell (or several things joined with and) means it runs only while every one of them is inside it, so taking the cell out of a lit lamp leaves the switch on and the room dark. while the lamp is lit reads whether it is giving light right now.

create the blackout lantern
  a thing, light-source with the flint striker, starts unlit

create the work lamp
  a container, light-source, switchable, powered by the power cell

A person can see in the dark: night-vision lets them examine and take things in a dark room, and see the room itself when they look or arrive, while everyone else there sees nothing.

A thing can break. breakable lets attacking break it, and it stays where it was, broken. Add fragile and it also breaks when dropped on the floor or thrown; dropped into a container or onto a supporter it is safe. while the jar is broken reads it, and starts broken begins it that way. Because the platform keeps this state, a thing does not declare states: whole, broken of its own; Chord reports that and names breakable. To react to the break, whatever caused it, write after the player breaking in the thing's block (see on and after).

create the sample jar
  a container, transparent, breakable, fragile
  in the Sorting Room

  after the player breaking
    phrase jar-spills
  end after

A trait can be conditional: while puts it under the control of a condition, live at play time.

create the Root Cellar
  a room, dark while the oil lantern is not lit
  aka cellar

  Earthen walls swallow what little light there is.

The blank line matters: composition lines come before the first blank line in the block, and prose comes after it. That rule is what keeps a description that happens to start with a trait-like word from being read as composition.