Lisa Shea Article

DuneMUSH
The Teahouse

I have a great love for feudal Japan and also of the world of Frank Herbert's DUNE. When I played in the DuneMUSH on line role playing world, one of my characters was Wensicia Corrino. I created a Japanese teahouse for my home in the House Corrino. This page will let you see how you could interact with objects in the world of DuneMUSH. You would give commands such as "look at teapot" or "go east" and the DuneMUSH system would reveal to you what happened. Sit back, take a deep breath, and pretend for a moment that you have joined the world of Dune as a high level dignitary of an important household.

Let us assume you are a guest at the House Corrino and you wander out behind the house, into the gardens. You head past a large fountain and see a stone path leading into a distant part of the gardens. You stroll down the quiet stone path, around a few bends in the flowers and trees and find this wood-beam teahouse, set apart from all else. You look at the teahouse:

To the east, a sizeable waterfall cascades down a series of rounded boulders to form a small lake, with an island in its center. To one side of the island is a small teak tea house, which can be reached by crossing on stepping stones.

If it was nighttime, you would have an additional observation:

In the moonlight, the teak house appears to almost be floating in the water, the white shoji screens shining palely amidst the assymetrical panels. A few of the screens are propped open, and you can glimpse the iron kettle hanging inside.

You choose to walk across the stones to enter the teahouse. When you do:

You slip your shoes off by the door, and duck your head as you enter the teahouse.

Now choose what you would like to do inside the teahouse. Most rooms in DuneMUSH would react to all 5 senses as well as perform special actions if coded to do so.

Thank you SO much to Scott who helped me fix it so it works in both IE and FireFox!!

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look listen smell taste look at flowers look at shoji look at tatami look at kettle look at tray look at parchment (1) look at parchment (2) look at parchment (3) look at parchment (4) look at parchment (5) look at parchment (6) look at parchment (7) look at gong ring at gong mix the tea measure the tea hand the cups

The light streaming in through the shoji screens gives the teahouse an especially beautiful glow. The tatami mats are soft beneath your bare feet, and a few pillows are piled by the door for sitting. The center of the tea house is depressed, and a small fire burns there, heating the iron kettle which hangs from a hook in the ceiling. To one side is a small niche, holding a parchment, a small arrangement of flowers, and a lacquered tray with four cups. Beneath the niche is a drawer with various tea implements. A small gong hangs by the door. You hear the soft tinkle of the chimes hanging on an outside roof corner, as the breeze blows gently past them. The tea house smells faintly of ginger and incense; a breeze wafts through the partially-open shoji screens and brings with it a hint of orchid. You take a taste of the tea from one of the containers. It is fresh and a bit bitter. The casual arrangement of freshly-picked flowers is full of blues, violets, whites, and golds. A few taller orchids are complimented by long grasses and smaller lilies. The blue and white vase which holds the flowers is of the finest porcelain, and completes the setting. The shoji screens are made of a thin yet sturdy white cotton paper, pulled between a wooden frame to form a translucent panel. They are soft to the touch, and give the outside light a gentle glow. Looking closer, you can see the white is veined with gold streaks, and in a few places, across the paper stalks a delicate golden lion. The tatami mats are filled with fresh woven straw, and are around 3' by 5'. The mats are laid end to end to form a carpet for the room, the edges of each bound in black cloth. They are soft underfoot and extremely comfortable to sit on. At the center of each mat is a small imprint of a lion's sillohuete within a circle. A medium sized iron kettle hangs from a finely wrought hook, just over a small fire which burns in a pit at the room's center. The kettle is a matte black, with a removable lid and a rough textured exterior. The kettle is humming softly now; the water within must be just about ready. A black laquered tray holds four small tea cups, each with its own blue silk napkin, and a teapot. The tray, pot and cups are engraved with a golden lion, moving against the field of black langorously. Thin bamboos form a backdrop. You glance inside the smooth white interiors of the cups, and notice that one holds a brushed "W", while the other contains an "A". The parchment hanging in the niche is both an elegant work of art and an evocative haiku. Floating weeds, As blow the winds of the floating world - Drifting and Drifting -Issa The parchment hanging in the niche is both an elegant work of art and an evocative haiku. The plum tree keeps its heart in tranquility - See the green leaves! -Issa The parchment hanging in the niche is both an elegant work of art and an evocative haiku. Birds build, not knowing the tree they chose is the one to be felled! -Issa The parchment hanging in the niche is both an elegant work of art and an evocative haiku. When shall we meet? I am for the far mists Where sea fires play. -Issa The parchment hanging in the niche is both an elegant work of art and an evocative haiku. The plum tree blossoms; The nightingale sings, But I am alone. -Issa The parchment hanging in the niche is both an elegant work of art and an evocative haiku. Feet for a pillow And our arms intertwined - The tenderness of deer! -Issa The parchment hanging in the niche is both an elegant work of art and an evocative haiku. The bright moon - And a little boat comes drifting Drifting down the tide. -Issa The gong is about 6 inches in diameter, with a small wooden mallet resting by its side. The center of the gong is intricately painted with a small mon representing the Corrino household. You may ring the gong if you wish. You ring the small gong by the door. The soft sound echoes through the teahouse for a moment, then all is silent again. (after 10 seconds) The fusuma door to the teahouse slides open silently, and an elderly Japanese man wearing a deep blue kimono enters. He removes his shoes by the door and smiles at you affably. "Konnichiwa. So you want some tea, do you? Well, I'll see what I can do." He seats himself in front of the kettle and looks inside. "Tiny bubbles, just in time. The first boiling has begun." He bows to you, then reaches over to place the tray and tea utensils near him. He motions for you to mix the tea. The Japanese man takes back the tea once you've mixed it, and nods with pleasure. "Good job, youngster," he says, smiling. He adds a small amount of salt to the water, and watches it boil softly for a moment. "It's almost at the second boiling." He sits in silence for a while, and you feel the peace and serenity of the tea house weave its way into your very being. "Ah, see those jewel-like bubbles around the edge? That's the sign." He reaches for a bamboo ladle and scoops out some water, letting it pour into a small blue bowl. He then puts down the ladle and takes a bamboo stick, which he vigorously stirs the kettle water with. He smiles and hands you a small measure, carved into the likeness of a turtle floating on its back. He motions for you to measure the tea. You carefully measure out the portion of tea and place it into the center of the kettle. The elderly man nods to himself, putting the tea implements back in their places and rocking bac k to again wait. You follow his lead and soon a soft breeze blowing past the chimes outside is the only sound. After a while, the tea begins to gently foam. The Japanese man takes the bowl with the excess water and adds it back to the kettle. "See that, on the top of the water? That foam is the "flower" of the tea." He removes the kettle from the flame and places it on a small iron trivet next to the fire pit. "Here, hand me the tea cups, if you would." You decide you should hand the cups to him. You give the cups to the elderly gentleman, who carefully pours the tea into each one. He distributes the cups, waiting a moment before sipping at his. A broad smile comes over his face. "Sometimes you realize why you are here, young one. The tea reminds you." He replaces the tea utensils, then stands with his tea. "If you do not mind, I will go finish my tea by the pond. You enjoy yourself in here." He places the kettle back onto the hook over the fire and adds another pitcherful of water to it. "Always leave some for whoever's to come," he says, smiling. He then turns and leaves as silently as he came.

When you leave the teahouse, you are told:

You slip on your shoes and take the stepping stones back to the fountain.

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