<|startoftext|>Welcome and thanks for playing Cryptode! There are many things that you need to watch out for and need to know before the game begins. Time - Life - Other - These three things control how the game is played. If you waste time during the game, and your time counter reaches 0, you will lose the game. Life is like health, if it reaches 0, you will lose the game. Many other things control the flow of the game, such as # of bullets, luck score, and more, keep these things in mind while you are playing the game. > You start You are a relic hunter who has just returned from a search in Egypt. You have brought back with you a few items, including a book. You are reading the book, feeling pretty bored, when you come to a page entitled, "Cryptode" It says, 'A square of three dimensions is locketh before thee, Unlock it and thee shall be rich, One mistake and thee shan't live again' You know the Cryptode is a lost object that needs to be opened by a code. You have decided to try to crack the code. BUT FIRST, you need to see someone.<|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>INTRODUCTION: This game is stupid, unrealistic, and not time specific at all. There will be weird references to things that haven't happened yet, misplaced musical cues, and a bunch of other lazy mistakes. Hopefully it will be fun, though. Try to do the stupid stuff, as it's usually funnier. Dying doesn't matter much and please don't take this too seriously. Good luck! Also, you'll come across items which represent proficiencies that will enable you to overcome certain obstacles you'll face in the story or alternatively cooler ways to solve problems. Click them once, and you'll take them. You don't need to use an item, it'll just unlock alternative choices throughout the plot. If you like music, we have also developed a few minute-long tracks to further induce the trance-like state that the '90s should provide for you. download them here. You'll know you've unlocked a song when some text at the top of a node tells you. Or, feel free to just play the songs whenever you feel if it helps you get immersed. Like This if Time Travel is Real and I'm in the '90s Again The calming glow of your computer screen splays a dim light across a complete collection of Nicktoon posters. You’ve liked your last 90s Remembrance page for the night, and close Facebook before settling back for another viewing of Jerry McGuire. You’re 46 years old, your parents are dead, and Tony just got married. You reopen Facebook, idly spitting some tobacco into your Catdog Licensed Cup, and navigate to Tony’s page. Wow, looks like he just got another award for some bullshit science achievement. You’re sure mom and dad would be proud of him, just like they always were. Rocco jumps on your lap, purring excitedly, as she can sense some hot fire about to be spat on your idiot brother’s face. > You download them here <|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>The land of Salira is in desperate need of a light in these dark times. A group of dark wizards called The Black Hand rule over the land without mercy. They are the very essence of evil. The Black Hand seized power by murdering the nation's entire council and executing the Grand Master Juno in public before the capital city of Ceilondra, for all the people to see. Only one group are brave enough to attempt to overthrow The Black Hand from their ill gotten leadership. They call themselves the Rising Sun. Although they had wizards, they were still not powerful enough to challenge a high member of The Black Hand. Yet one day, from atop a high mountain, one of the last true seers amplified his voice for the world to hear. That is where your story began. "A Hero has been born!" He called, "One who will Herald Light and prosperity into this land and vanquish the evil Black Hand!" The Black Hand had the seer executed and had an "ambassador" (just another agent from their thug army) go to every town, village and city to convince the people that the man was crazy. Still, the people believed the seer and The Rising Sun gained momentum enough to recruit more wizards and men. They built a strong hold that was named "Hero's Rise". On the Day of the Prophet, your people's winter solstice, was when your first story truly started... (Time will have very little factor but when I use it, it shall be measured in Days/Months/Years, since the day of the prophet) > You what world is this? This world is called Malfosia and is full of magic and amazing creatures. The history will come first. In the beginning, there were simple tribes of all races moving from one place to another. Then, elves came from across the sea, pursued by an alliance of evil creatures called The Crimson Wave. They brought fear to the dwarves, humans and other creatures, though they did not mean to. Through the fear, (as it came commonly known) all creatures began developing into groups according to their race. With all developing cultures, friction grew amongst the races. Through skillful manipulation of the elves, a whisper here, a hand here, the races united into a great alliance ruled by the great council. That was when the elves revealed themselves. They said this was all foretold in the books of prophecy and asked to join the The Alliance Of All (as it came to be known). Centuries of prosperity and peace followed, except for the occasional tyrant trying to build an empire that failed. Then the wave came. After hundreds of years, they had nearly forgotten why they were building the great armada. As a prophecy said, "A young orc with his head full of steam and heart full of hate shall find the ancient text, and they shall sail." And sail they did, after the young orc announced his findings and becoming a general. Their attack was swift and brutal. They colonized the northern reaches where no creature ventured lightly. After fifty years of fighting, the alliance broke and the council fell. That was when The Black Hand revealed itself. They pushed the city into submission and forced most of the evils behind The Wall as it came to be known. Now they rule Salria, which was once a mix of all races. The Black Hand named the whole land Salria, but the words of the prophets were scribed on every stone. All waited for the hero to come, waited for you... > Back to the story Age 10 You had a fairly uneventful life so far, in a small farming community. Then one day, after school, a group of Black Hand families moved to the village and renamed it Blacksend. The Black Hand Kids bullied you in school and the teachers were too afraid of their families to do anything to stop them. They teased you because you worked for you place in the world. Soon they progressed from childish taunts to physical violence. One day when they insulted your mother, you became too angry to control yourself, even though there were five of them and only one of you. You punched one in the face, kicked another in the groin and knocked another out before they had time to react. The others geared up for the fight. One boy called Pollux swung a wild roundhouse punch at your head. Ducking under, you saw a opening. What do you do? > You punch pollux in the stomach "Oof!" While you were punching Pollux, you got elbowed in the back by Teirnus, then beaten to the ground and left as the teacher rang the bell to signify the end of the day. The days that follow are filled with worry and your parents constantly yelling, "What were you thinking? They're Black Hands!" and "They're coming for you! What will we do when they come?" Four moons later they came for you. With your throat slit and your body beaten, they hang a sign on you which reads, "He fought against The Black Hands! See what happens?" Now the Lands will never be free!<|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>Age 10 You had a fairly uneventful life so far, in a small farming community. Then one day, after school, a group of Black Hand families moved to the village and renamed it Blacksend. The Black Hand Kids bullied you in school and the teachers were too afraid of their families to do anything to stop them. They teased you because you worked for you place in the world. Soon they progressed from childish taunts to physical violence. One day when they insulted your mother, you became too angry to control yourself, even though there were five of them and only one of you. You punched one in the face, kicked another in the groin and knocked another out before they had time to react. The others geared up for the fight. One boy called Pollux swung a wild roundhouse punch at your head. Ducking under, you saw a opening. What do you do? > You kick Teirnus in the chest Good choice! Turns out Teirnus was going for a cowardly attack on your back. Once you take Teirnus out, he collapses on the floor, struggling to breath. Looking around you, you realized that Pollux was left as your only opponent left. You circled each other warily before you finally lunged at him with a feint. Pollux bought it and as he went to catch your foot, he got a crushing left hook. Finally, he was on the ground, wailing in agony. Oh no, what have you done? "This isn't the end Raven! You will regret this!" Pollux shouted after you. It was forbidden in Salira to attack a Black Hand! Realizing what you had done, you ran home and packed your bags as quickly as you could. Your father was still working in the fields at the time, but your mom was home baking and heard you rushing inside. "What's wrong love? Why are you packing all your things?" She asked. "I... I knocked out five Black Hand children!" You admitted to her, cringing with guilt while your mother stared at you in shock. "What?" She asked with wide eyes, horrified at your thoughtless actions. "Don't you realize what you've done? You ruined this family!" "I know mother!" You told her in shame. "That is why I'm leaving this family forever. I am going to The Rising Sun." Your mother was painfully cold towards your departure. "Fine! Go! But no one knows where they are boy!" After that, you stormed out of the house, only stopping to say goodbye to your father who surprised you by giving you a steel dagger, much better than your old bronze one. Eventually, you reached the forest of Thul. You could live of the land easy here and you wouldn't be a danger to your family any more. You took a moment to review your pack. Your trusty bow, clothes, food and money and the dagger your father gave you. There are two paths leading into the forest. Which should you take, the left or the right? > You left path Age 16 Life in the forest has been easy since you left home. You hunted deer and rabbit among other wild game, but mostly you were the one that was hunted. Luckily, because your skills and knowledge of the forest, you easily evaded all the Black Hand patrols. Anything the forest didn't provide, you traded for in the nearby town of Thull. One day in town you were checking the bounties of the land. Yep, you were still there with a reward of 50 gold coins. You overheard two guards watching a member of their order beating a young girl. "Yeah, you hear? New kid graduated from the city, killin' left, right and center." The first guard said. "What's 'is name? He arrived here yesterday, plannin' on leading a manhunt in the Thul forest for some kid who beat the shit out of him." Responded the second. "What? When? Why?" You blurted out. "Tomorrow. An' kid, fuck off before you end up like her." The guard told you, gesturing to the kid in the middle of the square, probably 16 like you. You couldn't control your temper and yelled back to the guard. "Shove it, shit head!' Shoving him back to his friend. "You're dead fucker!" Drawing his sword, his friend followed him with an evil grin. Good thing you brought your dagger and bow. You quickly brought your bow around and drew an arrow. You shot the first guard and the guard who was beating on the girl instantly charged you. The dead guard's buddy was closer, but you were better with your bow than dagger, so you could shoot the drunk guard or stab the one closest to you. > You shoot the charging guard As you fire an arrow through the eye of the charging guard, the kid who was being beaten groaned out to you, trying to get up and draw a small dagger she was carrying. "Behind you!" As fast as you could, you spun around, swinging your dagger as you turned. Unfortunately, you were too late. With a sword in your chest, you lost all feeling in your hand and dropped your dagger. You died watching the guard gloat over you.<|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>Age 16 Life in the forest has been easy since you left home. You hunted deer and rabbit among other wild game, but mostly you were the one that was hunted. Luckily, because your skills and knowledge of the forest, you easily evaded all the Black Hand patrols. Anything the forest didn't provide, you traded for in the nearby town of Thull. One day in town you were checking the bounties of the land. Yep, you were still there with a reward of 50 gold coins. You overheard two guards watching a member of their order beating a young girl. "Yeah, you hear? New kid graduated from the city, killin' left, right and center." The first guard said. "What's 'is name? He arrived here yesterday, plannin' on leading a manhunt in the Thul forest for some kid who beat the shit out of him." Responded the second. "What? When? Why?" You blurted out. "Tomorrow. An' kid, fuck off before you end up like her." The guard told you, gesturing to the kid in the middle of the square, probably 16 like you. You couldn't control your temper and yelled back to the guard. "Shove it, shit head!' Shoving him back to his friend. "You're dead fucker!" Drawing his sword, his friend followed him with an evil grin. Good thing you brought your dagger and bow. You quickly brought your bow around and drew an arrow. You shot the first guard and the guard who was beating on the girl instantly charged you. The dead guard's buddy was closer, but you were better with your bow than dagger, so you could shoot the drunk guard or stab the one closest to you. > You stab the close guard Dropping your bow, you turned around and drew your dagger. You saw the guard wielding his sword over his head, poised to stab your chest. You moved faster than you thought possible and swept your dagger across his chest, stabbing him in the stomach. His bowels emptied onto the street and his most recent meal spilled out from the hole you made. Half-digested chicken and bread spilled into a pile of shit, along with a geyser of beer. Wow, that was disgusting. Turning around from the gruesome site, you once again noticed the other guard. He had a look of surprise on his face, it took you a few seconds to figure out why since your attention was on the sword in his hand. After a moment, you spotted the point of a dagger poking out of where the guard's heart was. The point withdrew and standing behind him was a bruised and battered girl of your age. You stoo to grab your bow. She knelt down with you. "Thank you, my name is Sparrow." She spoke as she grabbed the dead solider's sword and sword belt. "Here I am called Hunter, but my name is Raven." You told her, grabbing a sword and moving your dagger to your left side so you could sheath the sword on your right. Both of you spoke about yourselves as you two grabbed the solider's purses. You heard a faint yell to the east and touching Sparrow's arm, you snuck to a building and checked the road. You saw a face you hoped to never see again. Pollux and Teirnus were at the lead of their old gang and a group of soldiers. Both of their faces were red with rage as they were shooting fireballs in the air. You knew enough about magic to know they were extremely angry, just to waste energy intimidating you. "Time to go Sparrow." You told your new friend. "A group of soldiers with five Black Hands who hate me is not a good combo." "Where to my feathered friend?" She asked you with a friendly smile. "My house is not easy to find, plus my griffin friend's nest is near it." You told her. She whistled, "You can talk to animals?" Now is not the time for chit chat. There are three other roads out of the square. Two of them lead out of town but only one leads to safety. Which way will you go? > You north As always, north leads to safety. You two get to your house with no trouble and have a discussion with your griffin friend. It turned out Sparrow's life was much like yours, only more unfortunate. A Black Hand kid raped her along with his buddies and she managed to kill one of them when they turned around. She had a small amount of magical ability like you and both of you were self-taught and knew defensive magic. Surprisingly, she could talk to animals. "I saw that like my young friend here, you have had a tough life and are ready to fight for others." Solon spoke to both of your minds. "Yes, Elder we need to find a way to get to Hero's Rise and get out of the way of Pollux's wrath." Sparrow responded. "Please my friend, just as I helped you as an injured fledging, I need your help to get out of a deathly situation." You begged. "I will help, but I cannot get that far. I can tell you to seek out the wizard Mallark. He helped my mother and can get you proper training. I can sense you both have great potential. Now climb on my back." You make your escape, flying over the forest you saw a great many of your magical friends fleeing into the ground near Solon's nest. It wasn't until you passed the forest boundaries that you saw the reason. Pollux had a whole platoon searching for you. Looking up, he saw you on Solon's back and glared as you flew away, Sparrow's arms wrapped around your waist... * * * * * * * * * Pollux's story He never forgot the boy who humiliated him and used the rage to rise in the ranks of Black Hand to a senior apprentice. He had a large pool of energy for his magic. When he heard his enemy was spotted in the city of Thul he begged his master to rally his old gang to go after the man. "You fools! You let him get away!" He screamed at the cowering captain. "He was spotted heading to the Thul's griffin nest." A soldier spoke up with a visible shudder. "Go after him before I burn you all to a crisp!" Pollux yelled again. When he got to the edge of the forest, the troops were making little head way. It was then that a soldier spotted you in the air. "Griffin!" He yelled, throwing himself to the ground. Casting a small spell, Pollux zoomed into the figures on the griffin's back. "Raven." He breathed with contempt. He would return to the city in defeat and have to stay and study for months until he was at least an entry level mage or entry level necromancer. He burned the captain to pure carbon. > You go into the Rising Sun Solon flew through the night, into the rising sun. He glided down into a clearing. "I will stay nearby. By now the men will have destroyed my home. This is as good a roosting place as any." "I will find some food all of us." You spoke as you strung your bow. "I'll get a small fire going, and a salad." Sparrow spoke, getting out some flint and steel. Going deep into the forest you got a large rabbit in your bag and a basket of mushrooms. Heading back to your campsite, you heard rustling on your left and right. "Who's there? Come out or I will shoot!" You called with an arrow in the string of your bow. Ten warriors came out on all sides but their insignia was different than the Black Hand's fist, it was a sun breaking over the horizon. A wizard stepped out from behind a tree. She called out, "Lay down your weapons!" Putting your arrow in your quiver, you started out of the circle towards your camp. The group pointed spears and swords at you, axes poised to strike. "Follow me, I will prove I am not a spy or a simpleton." You call as you slide under a man's spear and continued walking. The mage waved the men and women forward, going in the lead with a ball of fire in her hand, just in case. "Oh!" Sparrow exclaimed as you walked into camp with your rabbit and mushrooms, throwing it into a frying pan and frying it quickly. "Raven, you know you should tell me before you bring friends over." Solon teased gently into the minds of everyone. "A griffin? You truly want to join then, and it is an honor Solon, Great Counselor Mallark told us of you." The female mage bowed and gestured to her soldiers. "Return to Hero's Rise all of you. Tell them I think I found the one, they will know." Being born on the day of the prophet, you knew nothing of the old prophecy, mostly because it was not spoke of in your village due to the many staunch Black Hand supporters. "Please join us... Miss?" Sparrow questioned as she pulled out a plate and cup. "My name is Molly, apprentice fifth rank. My father is Mallark." She spoke, spreading out a bedroll. After a long discussion and Molly repeating the words of the prophet, she inquired about your birthday. You told her how it was the winter solstice. You and Sparrow went with Molly to the top of a hill a few miles away and saw a massive hidden city with Solon in a large griffins nest, already made in a tree by a massive castle. "Hero's Rise." You breathed. You and Sparrow were safe for now, but you were soon to set a series of events in motion that would change the fate of this world.<|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>Dropping your bow, you turned around and drew your dagger. You saw the guard wielding his sword over his head, poised to stab your chest. You moved faster than you thought possible and swept your dagger across his chest, stabbing him in the stomach. His bowels emptied onto the street and his most recent meal spilled out from the hole you made. Half-digested chicken and bread spilled into a pile of shit, along with a geyser of beer. Wow, that was disgusting. Turning around from the gruesome site, you once again noticed the other guard. He had a look of surprise on his face, it took you a few seconds to figure out why since your attention was on the sword in his hand. After a moment, you spotted the point of a dagger poking out of where the guard's heart was. The point withdrew and standing behind him was a bruised and battered girl of your age. You stoo to grab your bow. She knelt down with you. "Thank you, my name is Sparrow." She spoke as she grabbed the dead solider's sword and sword belt. "Here I am called Hunter, but my name is Raven." You told her, grabbing a sword and moving your dagger to your left side so you could sheath the sword on your right. Both of you spoke about yourselves as you two grabbed the solider's purses. You heard a faint yell to the east and touching Sparrow's arm, you snuck to a building and checked the road. You saw a face you hoped to never see again. Pollux and Teirnus were at the lead of their old gang and a group of soldiers. Both of their faces were red with rage as they were shooting fireballs in the air. You knew enough about magic to know they were extremely angry, just to waste energy intimidating you. "Time to go Sparrow." You told your new friend. "A group of soldiers with five Black Hands who hate me is not a good combo." "Where to my feathered friend?" She asked you with a friendly smile. "My house is not easy to find, plus my griffin friend's nest is near it." You told her. She whistled, "You can talk to animals?" Now is not the time for chit chat. There are three other roads out of the square. Two of them lead out of town but only one leads to safety. Which way will you go? > You west You got chased and ran into a dead end. You made a wonderful tarred body after a long last stand. You ran out of arrows, then Sparrow's sword broke. After that, you were stabbed and killed while Sparrow was sold into slavery. You Died<|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>Dropping your bow, you turned around and drew your dagger. You saw the guard wielding his sword over his head, poised to stab your chest. You moved faster than you thought possible and swept your dagger across his chest, stabbing him in the stomach. His bowels emptied onto the street and his most recent meal spilled out from the hole you made. Half-digested chicken and bread spilled into a pile of shit, along with a geyser of beer. Wow, that was disgusting. Turning around from the gruesome site, you once again noticed the other guard. He had a look of surprise on his face, it took you a few seconds to figure out why since your attention was on the sword in his hand. After a moment, you spotted the point of a dagger poking out of where the guard's heart was. The point withdrew and standing behind him was a bruised and battered girl of your age. You stoo to grab your bow. She knelt down with you. "Thank you, my name is Sparrow." She spoke as she grabbed the dead solider's sword and sword belt. "Here I am called Hunter, but my name is Raven." You told her, grabbing a sword and moving your dagger to your left side so you could sheath the sword on your right. Both of you spoke about yourselves as you two grabbed the solider's purses. You heard a faint yell to the east and touching Sparrow's arm, you snuck to a building and checked the road. You saw a face you hoped to never see again. Pollux and Teirnus were at the lead of their old gang and a group of soldiers. Both of their faces were red with rage as they were shooting fireballs in the air. You knew enough about magic to know they were extremely angry, just to waste energy intimidating you. "Time to go Sparrow." You told your new friend. "A group of soldiers with five Black Hands who hate me is not a good combo." "Where to my feathered friend?" She asked you with a friendly smile. "My house is not easy to find, plus my griffin friend's nest is near it." You told her. She whistled, "You can talk to animals?" Now is not the time for chit chat. There are three other roads out of the square. Two of them lead out of town but only one leads to safety. Which way will you go? > You south You went south and got as far as the city gates... "Raven, ahead of us!!" You heard Sparrow cry, "Around through the side streets!" A whole platoon of soldiers were marching and broke into groups. They went down the alleys searching for you. After a long time of running, you two were finally caught and with great pleasure, Pollux tortured and killed you after he could no longer hear your screams. <|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>Good choice! Turns out Teirnus was going for a cowardly attack on your back. Once you take Teirnus out, he collapses on the floor, struggling to breath. Looking around you, you realized that Pollux was left as your only opponent left. You circled each other warily before you finally lunged at him with a feint. Pollux bought it and as he went to catch your foot, he got a crushing left hook. Finally, he was on the ground, wailing in agony. Oh no, what have you done? "This isn't the end Raven! You will regret this!" Pollux shouted after you. It was forbidden in Salira to attack a Black Hand! Realizing what you had done, you ran home and packed your bags as quickly as you could. Your father was still working in the fields at the time, but your mom was home baking and heard you rushing inside. "What's wrong love? Why are you packing all your things?" She asked. "I... I knocked out five Black Hand children!" You admitted to her, cringing with guilt while your mother stared at you in shock. "What?" She asked with wide eyes, horrified at your thoughtless actions. "Don't you realize what you've done? You ruined this family!" "I know mother!" You told her in shame. "That is why I'm leaving this family forever. I am going to The Rising Sun." Your mother was painfully cold towards your departure. "Fine! Go! But no one knows where they are boy!" After that, you stormed out of the house, only stopping to say goodbye to your father who surprised you by giving you a steel dagger, much better than your old bronze one. Eventually, you reached the forest of Thul. You could live of the land easy here and you wouldn't be a danger to your family any more. You took a moment to review your pack. Your trusty bow, clothes, food and money and the dagger your father gave you. There are two paths leading into the forest. Which should you take, the left or the right? > You right path Going down the right path, you reached a village named Thull where you lived on the street for a year. It was there that you met a new blacksmith who was moving into the village. He saw your unfortunate situation and then he saw the dagger that your father made. "Did you make this?" He asked. "No Sir, my father made it, but I made most of everything else." You told him. "Well, well, I never met an honest beggar before. Still, I know talent when I see it, you will become my apprentice alongside my daughter Felcia, if you wish." You accepted and grew up making amazing weapons and armor. Eventually you became the owner of Raven's Weapons and Designs. You married the kind man's daughter and lived a long, happy life. Unfortunately, you never reached your full potential. You always wondered what could have been, but if it make you feel better, you one day heard that Pollux and his crony's got killed by a griffin in Thul forest while searching for you.<|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>You look down at your cold, pale hands. "Some life" you say to yourself in a morose tone. Here you are, sitting in a cold alleyway in the streets of Tristitia, Antedilluvia, thinking about your life. You don't know how you can bear to spend your time constantly stealing food and sleeping on the streets, but life is life, and some, like you, are not as fortunate as others. > You leave You wander stealthily through the streets of the poor village you live in. There is never much to do here. Everyday is the same. The homeless cannot buy food because they have no money due to unemployment, and the merchants and shopkeepers cannot hire because nobody can afford products. Here in Tristitia, everyone is stuck in a cycle of poverty. > You travel You walk as far away from your homeland as you possibly can. After a while, you reach a land bridge that leads to the other side of the world. It is said that on the other side, life is different. People don't live in poverty or misery, but in prosperity and freedom. You know virtually nothing about this side of the world other than the dubious rumors of the better living standards and the out of the ordinary people. Unknowing, unprepared, and quite frightened, you decide to cross it. <|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>You're an orphan. You don't know anything about your parents. You have never even met them before the hand of fate swept them away from you. All you know is that they died on October the 10th, the day the monstrous creature struck your village. You remember growing up in an orphanage. Neither the adults nor the children there cared for you. Everyone avoided you for some reason. Even then, you felt like there is something you can do to change their opinion, until today. For today is the day that they've unanimously decided to kick you out. You stumble into the street as the door shuts behind you. The thunder in the sky cackles as though they are laughing at you. The rain pours down your body as you lurch around the street, trying to find a shelter somewhere where you can stay. At least you found a dumpster in an secluded alleyway, and you grab the head of the dumpster, before flipping it up and climbing in. How do you want to spend your childhood? - You can choose to spend your childhood on the streets. If you choose this path, you will gain immense charm. Charm is useful for many things, such as bartering for lower prices inside stores, and in general getting along with people. There are also techniques that will require charm to use, and other techniques that rely on charm; such as that the more charm you have, the more your damage your technique will do. - You can choose to spend your childhood in the woods, training on your physical attributes. If you choose this path, you will gain immense strength and dexterity. Strength and dexterity determines how much damage you do to your opponents. While strength reflects how much health you have, and the maximum amount of damage you can dish out, dexterity determines the minimum. - You can choose to spend your childhood in the library, reading away your days. If you choose this path, you will gain immense intelligence. Intelligence determines how many chakra you have, and how much damage your chakra base attacks will do. You will need this for almost every techniques you come across. You will lose the game if your chakra hits zero. - You can choose to spend your childhood hiding from people in the daylight, and coming back out at night time to do various night activities, such as stealing, and spying on people. If you choose this path, you will gain immense stealth. Stealth is required for certain missions you will do, such as that you won't be able to do certain missions until your stealth is are the required level. There are also techniques that will require stealth to use, and other techniques that rely on stealth; such as that the more stealth you have, the more your damage your technique will do. > You on the streets You have no parents. No one to take care of you. The orphanage that you were suppose to live in, you were kicked out. You didn't even know why. What were you suppose to do? Go crawl inside a hole, and die quietly? No. You were stronger than that. You wouldn't have given up, and you didn't give up. You found an abandoned apartment, and you made it your home, as well as you can. Then you spent the rest of your time on the streets, scavenging what you can find. Running errands in the red district. Bartering with anyone who would trade with you. Even though most people are still wary of you, there are some that are willing to befriend you, mostly those in the red light district. As it is, you gained a lot of charm points in your childhood. Charm + 31 Strength + 11 Dexterity + 20 Intelligence + 16 Stealth + 17<|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>Dawn You wake from your cot in the barracks as your fellow soldiers begin making noise. The typical grumbling and swearing of an early rise. Looking out one of the small slits in barracks walls, you can see the sun rising in the clear, blue sky of the frontier. You yawn, stretching and begin to run through a quick list of what you have to do, and what you have time to do- Shit. Not much time to do anything as the bugle sounds. > You wakey, Wakey, it's Day Breaky! You quickly stumble out of bed, pulling on your white shirt clumsily as you go, and grabbing a pair of brown boots. You sit up in bed, watching as your fellows are going through a similar routine. You pull the boots on, and then open up the chest underneath your bed. With a grunt, you pull out your standard issue breastplate. You stand up and begin strapping the breast plate on. It only covers the front of your chest. Which is silly. If I was in charge of making the bloody armor, I'd make it so that we have protection on both sides. But alas, the fate of a frontier soldier! You chuckle to yourself and buckle on your belt. Hanging from the left side of the belt is your standard broadsword. On the right side are a few pouches, not really useful for this patrol, but you suppose they may have a use someday. You also pull on your helmet. http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20101203135116/mountandblade/images/4/4c/Footman%27s_Helmet.jpg With one last fond look at your bed, you head out of the barracks and into the light. Blinking off the last vestiges of sleep, you look around the courtyard. You can see your sergeant preparing your squad for patrol... > You http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20101203135116/mountandblade/images/4/4c/Footman%27s_Helmet.jpg <|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>You couldn't see or speak, but you could still listen. There was the sound of a light switch being clicked, and all around you the room brightened. Through you dark blindfold, you can make out a few figures in the room. Behind the blindfold, they all resembled dark blobs to you, impossible to distinguish from one another. Were these friends or were these enemies? What reasons did they have for detaining you? You would have asked, but the duct tape over your mouth prevented you from making any more than a confused 'hmm'. Noticing that you've come to, the dark blobs moved closer to you. "I don't think we should do this. What if she doesn't come back?" A male whispered, his voice shaking with nerves. "Yeah, I don't think this is a good idea." "Don't you want to know?" "We can't afford to lose anymore time. He'll get impatient and then come and do it himself. You know how much worse that would be, right?" "I just...I just-" "I will do it," a cool voice cut in, silencing everyone else in the room. A gentle hand touched your forehead, tilting it back slightly. "I am sorry, sweetheart." That was the last thing you heard. A blade was dragged across your throat, the exquisite pain of it made you scream into your gag. Thankfully, you didn't have to feel it for long. Warm liquid poured down your neck and darkness swallowed you whole. > You awakening You were comfortable, that was the first thing you noticed. You weren't inside, for you could feel gentle breeze stirring your hair, and a harmless little ant crawling past your hand to get to its nest. This place was warm, inviting, and so you felt safe enough to open your eyes. You appeared to be in the middle of a beautiful meadow. Wild flowers specked the field of green and birds chirped cheerfully atop tall trees. To your direct left, there was a gate with a white dove sitting on top. To your right, there was the same gate, only this one had a raven sitting on top. There were three people nearby, clustered in a little group of their own. One was a young man with dark eyes. Noticing that you are awake, he smiled to you and waved. There was an old man. He too, had dark eyes. You couldn't help but noticing how much he looked like the young man beside him, only about fifty years older. The third one in the meadow was a little girl. She was, however, the most hideous little thing you ever laid your eyes upon. She had only one eye, eerily green and her mouth held no teeth. She tilted her head at you, and held out a three fingered hand - an invitation for you to go to her. It would be foolish to go through any of the gates without asking a little about them. Why don't you choose one of the three people you see and have a chat with them?<|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>Blackness. Your mind is cloudy and hazy. Pain. You feel pain. Flashes of sound burst in the distance. You slowly feel awareness coming back, the world leaking back into coherent form. You are in so much pain. Around you you hear familiar sounds: Screaming, the butchery of men, the agony of rape, buildings burning, children screaming, and the cheers of the victors. "Where am I?" You think to yourself. Slowly you move your fingers, then your toes. A soft moan issues from somewhere around you. You realize it is you and you begin to make your stiff body begin to move again. First one arm, then your leg, then you slowly lift up and look around. You think hard to remove the fuzziness of the recent events from the corners of your mind and concentrate on survival. "I've got a concussion." You conclude. Finally, you peer through the dense smoke and realize that you are in a crater, the bodies of men, horses, and weapons of war surround you. The acrid smell of burning flesh mixed with the tinny smell of blood, the pain in your head, and the entrails of the man you ran beside all make you vomit. Strangely, you feel just a little bit better and your head is starting to clear, "I'm Sebastian, a mercenary, I chose to defend the city of Essitrea against the Turric . I don't think we won... I think I'd better get the hell out of here!" Looking around you a sturdy broadsword sticks out from a body of a Turric soldier, you recognize the blade as yours. You stagger over to the soldier and with effort pull the blade free from the man's corpse. Now armed, you know you've got to get out but amidst the rubble and the ruffians running amok, the sounds of battle in the air, and the thudding of artillery, every step could be your last. You decide quickly that you can either run building to building a fast method of travel but with heavy odds of discovery; try to enter the sewers, an obviously unsanitary means to travel but with less likelihood of discovery, or you can try to hole up in the nearest building and wait for the action to die down. > You run For It! You grab your blade tightly and look around quickly before dashing over the lip of the crater and towards the blasted wall nearest your left side. Nearby an explosion spurts up chunks of earth and stone as well as the arm of a corpse, high into the air. You watch in horror as the appendage plops onto the sidewalk. From your left, three Turric warriors rush and assault an injured merchant, stabbing him repeatedly with their wickedly barbed scimitars before looting the man's corpse. To your right you see another building about twenty feet across some exposed ground. Do you: > You attack the Turric Warriors? You attack the warriors with the advantage of surprise. Crawling low, you creep until you are at the edge of the wall you were hiding behind then you suddenly sprint with your broadsword lifted in both hands. As you descend upon the Turric Warriors, you swing the sword in an arc that splits the first Turric Swordsman's left arm from his body. You spin and use the heavy blade's momentum to make a second cut from the shoulder blade up through the man's neck decapitating him instantly. As the first warrior falls, blood arcing into the sky, the two others reel in shock. You take advantage of this momentary lapse of reason and bring a low slice towards the second man's knee. The blade connects and the limb is taken clean off. Following the blade's momentum, you raise it up and steer it into the man's chest. The third warrior has now gathered his wits and attacks viciously trying to slice you with his barbed scimitar. You back away from the first strike, block the second, and duck the third. His blows are coming faster than the broad-blade can react. Do you: Parry and look for an opening with the butt of your sword to stun the enemy or block with the sword and pull a dagger with your other hand and plunge it into his neck? > You parry and Stun the Enemy! You conserve your energy and block his blows. Knowing the wild style of the Turric swordsman, you easily parry several wild blows. As he failed to strike he becomes more and more frustrated and you lure him into a wide swing and while he is pulling back, you step in his reach and break his nose with the handle of your sword. The stunning blow makes him stumble backwards and you press the advantage kicking him backwards and then turning your sword and driving it through his stomach! He squirms like a worm for several long seconds before you twist your blade and finish the job. Though you conserved your energy by blocking, you attracted the attention of a few more warriors. They come streaming out of a building to your right and you count at least five men, two with crossbows aimed in your direction. Do you: Run away or turn to face the group and take them head on using throwing knives to whittle them down before resorting to your sword? > You run Away! Feeling like discretion is the better part of valor, you turn tail and run away as fast as you can. You are lithe and Agile and in light armor and the heavier, more armored men can't keep up. However, one of the crossbowmen draws a bead on you and fires. The bolt slams into your left shoulder and you scream in pain before skirting around a clump of rubble and ducking under some fallen timbers. The warriors curse as they try to track you but they walk past your position and disappear into the smoky ruins. You are injured and the bolt projects out of your left shoulder. You try to hold back tears as you reach with your good arm and gingerly touch the shaft. It's buried deep and you'll need a healer to remove it. You grimace and pull your first aid kit out of your belt. You find a few bandages and make yourself a sling and place your left arm in it. You are alive but now you are crippled. Without both arms your swordplay will be much diminished and you realize that your ability to defend yourself has been compromised. You will now have to use stealth until you can find an ally or escape altogether. Desperate, you must move on, losing consciousness in this state could be life-ending. Do you: > You wait for Nightfall to Continue? Resting back, you decide to wait until nightfall to continue trying to escape. You hope that your stealth will be aided by the darkness. The problem is finding a decent place to rest. Carefully, you creep towards a building that looks promising. It is three stories tall but also damaged and missing most of the roof. You think that it is the least likely place around the enemy will look but you admit it's a gamble and a possible deathtrap if you get cornered by enemy forces with no where to run. Making sure no one is watching, you scurry from the rubble to an alley and with another quick look around, you duck through a hole in the wall and make it into the first floor. A quick search reveals nothing good. A family has been butchered, the man stabbed repeatedly, his wife raped and her throat cut, the oldest boy, perhaps ten in age, was stapled to the wall with crossbow bolts and still hangs there, his life's blood pooled and congealed at his feet, and the youngest daughter, about six? Well if there is a hell, who ever hurt her will burn there forever. You curse the gods at their apathy and resolve to never give up, never surrender, even if death is the only alternative! Better to jump from a building or cut one's own throat than to be raped and killed like a cowering dog. A noise takes you out of your revelry, you need to hide somewhere and fast! Rushing towards the staircase do you... > You run Upstairs! You skate up the stairs taking three at a time and find a door at the top of the stairs. You pull out your lockpicks and begin to jimmy the door. Within seconds you hear the lock 'click' and you slide inside closing the door behind you. You hear a creak and some sniffling sounds somewhere in the room. It's very dark, all of the windows are shuttered, and you negotiate the room by sound and touch rather than lighting a lamp and giving yourself away. Following behind your sword, you investigate the dark room and try to track the noise before someone or something gets the drop on you. When the sound is made again, you rush to the wall ripping off a tapestry and see a that it hides a small doorway. You open it in a flash, sword back to provide a fatal stab. To your surprise a young girl, perhaps sixteen years in age is in hiding. You look at her frightened face, streaked with tears and the knowledge that none of her family made it through whatever happened downstairs. She screams at the sudden discovery and scrambles as far back in the hidden compartment as she can go. You curse your luck and say, "Be quiet girl! I'm not here to hurt you! Pray you haven't woken the neighborhood!" You quickly move away from the whimpering girl and check the windows. Sure enough two Turric Swordsmen and a Wardog are on the prowl. The dog starts to bark and drag the two soldiers towards the house. "Shit!" You hiss and move back to the secret compartment. Pulling up the tapestry you tell the girl, "No matter what you do, no matter what you hear, do not leave this compartment for the next few hours unless you hear me say 'Defender'." You slide a dagger her way and say, "And no matter what, don't let them take you alive, if this place is discovered, if this flap is opened and they try to take you, slice your throat, plunge this into your chest but don't let them take you out of here. No matter what!" You close the hidden door, drop the tapestry, close and lock the door to the first floor, and hide behind a desk. When those bastards come through they're going to pay dearly. The sound of heavy boots tromping up the stairs follow a barking dog. They try the lock, try it again, and then start trying to bash the door in. The door survives four solid charges before the door rips off of the hinges and the men and beast rush in swords drawn. > You kill the Dog First You realize that the hound is going to be a noisy, dangerous problem and so you resolve to end that issue first. As soon as the trio of enemies rush into the room you pop up from behind the desk and throw three throwing knives at the beast. The first knife goes wide and lands knee level in the wooden wall, but the second catches in the jaw bursting it's teeth and jutting through it's muzzle, and the third smashes in the flanks sticking through it's hind quarter. The beast yelps pitiably and staggers backwards incapacitated. The beast howls and you leap over the table drawing both of your short blades. In close quarter fighting, your short swords and stabbing style will be a good match against the barbed scimitars the Turrics favor which require wide fast swings. The first Turric swings high and you duck and deflect the first blade while reversing your spin and cutting the soldier's leg off at the knee. The second swings towards your midriff but you tumble and his swing lodges in his already injured partner's ribs. You crouch and then spring low stabbing the second soldier's foot and slicing his sword arm off at the wrist. The second soldier screams and tries to stagger backwards but his foot is pinned to the floor. Rising you pull the blade free and jut the short blade up into his stomach pushing under his ribs until the blade pierces his heart and blood runs down his armor like a burst dike. As he falls back, you turn to the hound. You hate to kill such a noble beast but it was now time to end it's pain. A quick reversal of your swords sets up a downward thrust that pierces it's brain and severs it's spine. The hound collapses with a quiver. You wipe your swords on a soldier's sleeve and place them again on your back. You then collect your throwing knives and search the soldiers for anything they carry you can use. You ignore their damaged armor, barbed scimitars, and top-heavy daggers and instead collect their coin pouches. Thirty Silvers later, you check the windows. You are relived to see that there is no further action in the streets. Do you: > You go into the Basement? You hurry downwards, using the stairs to enter the basement. At the bottom of the stairs is a cellar door. It opens easily into a pitch black room. You back up and decide to light your lantern. Now with a fresh light source, and broad sword in your other hand you begin to explore the room. The basement is dark and eerie, filled with boxes and other items of storage, small terra cotta statues, paintings and furniture with tarps over them, extra sets of candles, piles of clothes, and other errata fill the shelves, cabinets, and wall spaces. You figure that if you were to hide here, you'd probably be able to get the jump on any who entered here but you'd be trapped if there were multiple opponents. You reason you could probably take two swordsmen without difficulty but a larger group would be problematic. Do you: > You search the Basement You decide to search the basement. You comb through the boxes, look through the shelves, and rifle through the cabinets looking for something that could help you with your escape from the city. As you are searching, you hear some noises coming from above. Quickly you duck and blow out your lantern. You can now light your lantern 2 More times. Tense moments pass but the sounds cease. after ten minutes you feel safe enough to try looking again. After about a half of an hour you have accumulated everything that might be of interest to you. It isn't much but these people were obviously merchants, not warriors and as such didn't store any warrior items. You find: Lantern Oil: Useful for lighting your lantern 3 extra times. > You crash here. You're tired, you've had a long afternoon and you have found somewhere to crash. You hope that this place is safe enough but in a city under siege, no where is truly safe. You find a little corner amongst the clutter and nestle in as best as you can. You place your broadsword to your side within easy reach and thank the gods you have your modified light chainmail. It's very comfortable to sleep in, especially compared to most armors. Covering yourself with a blanket you slip easily into the demesne of sleep. TEST YOUR LUCK: Pick a number between 1 and 3. > You 1 You sleep fitfully, your dreams filled with nightmares that involve you being caught by the Turric, held down, and cut into pieces and fed to wardogs with fiery eyes. Several times you jump awake and look about yourself hoping you haven't been discovered and sit for several minutes straining your ears for phantom noises but eventually give up the search and head right back into another nightmare. You aren't discovered but you really don't feel rested when you awake. Frustrated when you awake, you grumpily gather your few belongings and head back out into the city. It is now NIGHT. > You nIGHT: Creeping in the Darkness You wait until nightfall and begin to make your journey flitting from alley to alleyway and make good progress though you occasionally have to see nightmares, at one intersection you see Turric soldiers by a scaffold where then men and women; soldiers and civilians both, are being hanged. You cringe as the men slap the horses underneath the victims and the prisoners are left to dangle helplessly in the air struggling as their weight begins to choke them to death. It takes over three minutes before the last of the men stops twitching, leaving the bodies swinging in the air. You move on helpless to alter the events of the sacking of the city. Stepping from an alleyway you later see hundreds of Turric soldiers leading hundreds more prisoners down a broad street towards whatever grim fate awaits them. You turn back and enter a building through a window moving across the floor and exiting out the other side. Most of the buildings have by now been ransacked. You exit out of the other end and creep into the next street. You immediately flatten against the wall as you see a Turric Deathwarden steering a group of hellhounds down the street. The flaming hounds are barking and growling but don't catch your scent. Taking a deep breath, you wait for the Deathwarden to pass and sprint for the next street. Finally, after over two hours have passed, you arrive at a massive barricade. The barricade is manned by a holdout group of Essitrean soldiers each holding crossbows. There have to be dozens of them all on watch. The bodies of hundreds of Turric soldiers lie scattered in the streets around the barricade though it's obvious the Essitreans are wounded and exhausted. > You join them You pull your contract and slowly move towards the Essitreans making sure that you hold the contract high so that the tired and trigger happy soldiers don't mistake you for the enemy. As you enter into their line of sight, you hear the guards call out, "Halt and identify yourself or you'll be shot on sight!" You enter into the torchlight and call out, I'm Sebastian, a mercenary serving under the Essitrean flag, here is my lawful contract. I wish to join you." The men aren't much moved but a voice calls through the barricade, "Sebastian? By the Gods you're still alive? Boys, let her in, she's a friendly." You jog across the street looking both ways for any enemy snipers or troops and enter a small gate and go beyond the barricades. The gate is closed quickly behind you. The situation behind the barricades is worse than you would have imagined, with dozens of troops injured or dead, scorch marks from enemy mages, and decapitated undead minions lying like wheat after the harvest. A soldier approaches you and offers you a handclasp. You recognize him as Captain Krayler, a stern but effective commander whose forces numbered a full company, scarcely three platoons exist now and you see that by daylight only two dozen men will still be clinging to life. His face is grim and streaked with blood and dirt. he says, "What is the situation in the city beyond." You reply, "The city is lost, the Turric are killing and rounding up anyone they find and Deathwardens, Vanguards, and Deathmagi wander the streets at will.Those who aren't killed or turned into the Walking Dead are being turned into slaves. I'm sorry Commander." He nods and said, "I was expecting as much. The tide of refugees has thinned and you've been the first person we haven't had to fight in three hours. This is a tragedy, we watch the death of my beautiful home and the birth of another Turric Enclave. Such a blasphemy to the gods should have never been seen." You nod. He says, " I know you are tired and hungry, let me offer you some scant supplies and then we'll talk further." You are led to a chow table, mostly chunks of bread and a few sips of water from a canteen before he leads you to a chair. You have a seat and instantly the weight of the night descends upon your weary bones. The captain brings you a tightly wrapped scroll and says, "Bast, you've always been a reputable mercenary, I need someone I can trust with an important mission. I need you to take this scroll and this boy. He is the heir to Essitrea's throne. Though his home has been lost he can keep the noble lineage flowing and can rally any escapees under the Essitrean Banner so that one day we can take this place back. I need you to take him with you to the gates. Can you do this for me?" You ponder your options: > You take the Boy and Scroll You nod, this was a grave task. "I will be proud to serve the throne, Sir. I will take the young lord and deliver him safely to his men outside the gate." The Commander nods and points to one of his men, and from a tent they bring forward a richly dressed but dirty faced little boy of about ten Summers old. Blood stains the front of his clothes but he appears uninjured. He wields a short sword uncertainly and there is both fear and stout resolution in his eyes. The boy looks you up and down, "I am to go with this lady?" You look to the captain who says, "Yes, Milord, Sebastian is an experienced and wise warrior and your best hope from henceforth, follow her, do what she says, and rebuild our city. Remember those who died for it." The Lordling nods and says, "I am honored to make your acquaintance Sebastian. Take my horse Arbalest he is a true steed meant for a warrior. The white pony is my own mount Bayerus." The Commander smiled and said, "Well that's that. We'll hold the wall, we are the last hope for anyone to try and escape this blasted place. I wish you luck Sebastian." You salute and turn to head for the gates. You begin the last part of the journey even as you hear behind you, "Ready men, here they come!!!" The sound of battle rings out behind you as you gallop for the Only gate left in the city still controlled by Essitrean forces. The last that you see of the captains forces is the zombies overwhelming the barricades. Less than fifteen minutes later you arrive at the gates with the Lordling. Men snap to salute as you and the Lord Ride out of the city into the countryside. You know not where the future lies but you realize that you have found the only candle of hope in the darkness that falls over the city of Essitrea.<|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>You pull your contract and slowly move towards the Essitreans making sure that you hold the contract high so that the tired and trigger happy soldiers don't mistake you for the enemy. As you enter into their line of sight, you hear the guards call out, "Halt and identify yourself or you'll be shot on sight!" You enter into the torchlight and call out, I'm Sebastian, a mercenary serving under the Essitrean flag, here is my lawful contract. I wish to join you." The men aren't much moved but a voice calls through the barricade, "Sebastian? By the Gods you're still alive? Boys, let her in, she's a friendly." You jog across the street looking both ways for any enemy snipers or troops and enter a small gate and go beyond the barricades. The gate is closed quickly behind you. The situation behind the barricades is worse than you would have imagined, with dozens of troops injured or dead, scorch marks from enemy mages, and decapitated undead minions lying like wheat after the harvest. A soldier approaches you and offers you a handclasp. You recognize him as Captain Krayler, a stern but effective commander whose forces numbered a full company, scarcely three platoons exist now and you see that by daylight only two dozen men will still be clinging to life. His face is grim and streaked with blood and dirt. he says, "What is the situation in the city beyond." You reply, "The city is lost, the Turric are killing and rounding up anyone they find and Deathwardens, Vanguards, and Deathmagi wander the streets at will.Those who aren't killed or turned into the Walking Dead are being turned into slaves. I'm sorry Commander." He nods and said, "I was expecting as much. The tide of refugees has thinned and you've been the first person we haven't had to fight in three hours. This is a tragedy, we watch the death of my beautiful home and the birth of another Turric Enclave. Such a blasphemy to the gods should have never been seen." You nod. He says, " I know you are tired and hungry, let me offer you some scant supplies and then we'll talk further." You are led to a chow table, mostly chunks of bread and a few sips of water from a canteen before he leads you to a chair. You have a seat and instantly the weight of the night descends upon your weary bones. The captain brings you a tightly wrapped scroll and says, "Bast, you've always been a reputable mercenary, I need someone I can trust with an important mission. I need you to take this scroll and this boy. He is the heir to Essitrea's throne. Though his home has been lost he can keep the noble lineage flowing and can rally any escapees under the Essitrean Banner so that one day we can take this place back. I need you to take him with you to the gates. Can you do this for me?" You ponder your options: > You refuse and Go it yourself You decide to refuse the offer and exit the barricade choosing to make it on your own. > You head to another part of the city. You decide to head to another part of the city and are flitting from building to building when you see a massive attack by Turric troops to your left. To your right an explosion rocks the streets and ahead, you see a Deathmagus and his Vanguard accompanied by a horde of undead. You are spotted by the Deathmagus down the streets and you turn to run, there are just too many of them. At first you try to retreat and go back to the barricades but another explosion collapses the buildings around you. You are now faced with running into mass combat, into the necromancer or down the alley where an explosion just occurred. You run down the alleyway and lose sight of the Deathmagus and the battle but run into a mass of Turric reinforcements. You are trapped. You retreat and are now surrounded by the three forces. You resign yourself to a death by the sword. Choosing the least dangerous option, you run into the mass combat. The chaos of arrows, swordfighting, and bodies moving en mass make the situation deadly. You duck, twist, and dodge through the massive melee. Unfortunately, you are struck by an random arrow and then tripped by the boot of a running soldier who is quickly killed by a crossbow bolt. You try to rise but watch as a roiling ball of flame explodes incinerating those around you. Another explosion takes a building out and it collapses showering stone and mortar over the street. You are caught be a falling piece of rubble the size of a horse and it lands on your leg. You try to free it but another explosion demolishes the next building and it collapses and sprays more stone upon you. You are killed by a falling brick that turns your head into a read smear. YOU HAVE FAILED!!! > A Horrible Awakening Blackness. Your mind is cloudy and hazy. Pain. You feel pain. Flashes of sound burst in the distance. You slowly feel awareness coming back, the world leaking back into coherent form. You are in so much pain. Around you you hear familiar sounds: Screaming, the butchery of men, the agony of rape, buildings burning, children screaming, and the cheers of the victors. "Where am I?" You think to yourself. Slowly you move your fingers, then your toes. A soft moan issues from somewhere around you. You realize it is you and you begin to make your stiff body begin to move again. First one arm, then your leg, then you slowly lift up and look around. You think hard to remove the fuzziness of the recent events from the corners of your mind and concentrate on survival. "I've got a concussion." You conclude. Finally, you peer through the dense smoke and realize that you are in a crater, the bodies of men, horses, and weapons of war surround you. The acrid smell of burning flesh mixed with the tinny smell of blood, the pain in your head, and the entrails of the man you ran beside all make you vomit. Strangely, you feel just a little bit better and your head is starting to clear, "I'm Sebastian, a mercenary, I chose to defend the city of Essitrea against the Turric . I don't think we won... I think I'd better get the hell out of here!" Looking around you a sturdy broadsword sticks out from a body of a Turric soldier, you recognize the blade as yours. You stagger over to the soldier and with effort pull the blade free from the man's corpse. Now armed, you know you've got to get out but amidst the rubble and the ruffians running amok, the sounds of battle in the air, and the thudding of artillery, every step could be your last. You decide quickly that you can either run building to building a fast method of travel but with heavy odds of discovery; try to enter the sewers, an obviously unsanitary means to travel but with less likelihood of discovery, or you can try to hole up in the nearest building and wait for the action to die down.<|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>You decide to refuse the offer and exit the barricade choosing to make it on your own. > You move on You decide to pass them by, there has to be another way through the city without the aid of the Essitreans and the inevitable conflict they will attract. You head down a corridor and see flames rising ahead, to the left you see a massive army of Turric soldiers fighting with another smaller group of Essitreans. The carnage is horrid and you opt not to go that way. To your right you see an old stable. Perhaps within you can find a horse. > You head towards the Fire The flames ahead of you fly many feet into the air and you try to find a way past the street but there are no obvious exits. Disheartened you retreat back to the previous intersection.<|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>You decide to pass them by, there has to be another way through the city without the aid of the Essitreans and the inevitable conflict they will attract. You head down a corridor and see flames rising ahead, to the left you see a massive army of Turric soldiers fighting with another smaller group of Essitreans. The carnage is horrid and you opt not to go that way. To your right you see an old stable. Perhaps within you can find a horse. > You check out the Stable You opt to check out the stable but there are no horses inside. As you are searching, you see the fighting from the left street starting to pour into yours. The mass combat is punctuated by explosions, the sound of steel on steel or flesh, and the screams of the injured or dying. You quickly decide to abandon the search and head back to the intersection before you are overwhelmed. <|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>You decide to pass them by, there has to be another way through the city without the aid of the Essitreans and the inevitable conflict they will attract. You head down a corridor and see flames rising ahead, to the left you see a massive army of Turric soldiers fighting with another smaller group of Essitreans. The carnage is horrid and you opt not to go that way. To your right you see an old stable. Perhaps within you can find a horse. > You go Backwards You arrive at the massive barricade. The barricade is manned by a holdout group of Essitrean soldiers each holding crossbows. There have to be dozens of them all on watch. The bodies of hundreds of Turric soldiers lie scattered in the streets around the barricade though it's obvious the Essitreans are wounded and exhausted. <|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>You're tired, you've had a long afternoon and you have found somewhere to crash. You hope that this place is safe enough but in a city under siege, no where is truly safe. You find a little corner amongst the clutter and nestle in as best as you can. You place your broadsword to your side within easy reach and thank the gods you have your modified light chainmail. It's very comfortable to sleep in, especially compared to most armors. Covering yourself with a blanket you slip easily into the demesne of sleep. TEST YOUR LUCK: Pick a number between 1 and 3. > You 2 You fall into a deep and dreamless sleep. As luck would have it, you are not bothered by anything or anyone during your stay and you feel quite at peace with yourself. Your mother always said you were a strong one before she died. She never knew how many times you would have to test that theory. You wake up refreshed and ready to go. It is now NIGHT.<|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>You're tired, you've had a long afternoon and you have found somewhere to crash. You hope that this place is safe enough but in a city under siege, no where is truly safe. You find a little corner amongst the clutter and nestle in as best as you can. You place your broadsword to your side within easy reach and thank the gods you have your modified light chainmail. It's very comfortable to sleep in, especially compared to most armors. Covering yourself with a blanket you slip easily into the demesne of sleep. TEST YOUR LUCK: Pick a number between 1 and 3. > You 3 Your sleep is suddenly interrupted by the sound of the door being kicked in by heavy booted feet. In the entrance are five undead warriors, two heavily armored Turric Vanguards and a Turric Deathmagus, a necromancer by any other name. You rise to your feet pulling your broadsword and charging. Deathmagus takes no prisoners. This is going to be a fight to the death. You swing a heavy blow and decapitate the lead zombie as the others charge forward. You've fought the occasional zombie in the past and you know from experience that you have to decapitate them to bring them down. As the first zombie falls, you face a thicket of swinging blades, what zombies lack in speed and accuracy, they make up in fearlessness and tenacity. You need to fight without getting cornered or overwhelmed. You duck to the left and then run to the right, making the zombies slowly try to follow you. You pick a zombie at the edge and cut at his knees while parrying two blades aimed at your midsection. The zombies legs are undercut and you duck and blade and stab upwards into a zombie's gut. They keep onrushing but you roll to the side of a blow and parry a second before leaping on a table. A downward chop takes another zombie downward and you backflip off the table landing on your feet. Taking a mirror, you toss it into the face of a nearing zombie and slip to the left before arcing right and using your sword to decapitate the next. Several seconds later, you pant as the last zombie falls. The Deathmagus claps his bony pale hands slowly, "Very good little Silver one, you are most impressive. I've decided to give you one last challenge, if you can over come it I'll let you live." He turns to one of the fully armored vanguards and points at you. The Vanguard silently obeys stepping forward with his barbed Falchion at the ready. The other Vanguard stands by his master and together they watch the duel. You know from experience that Vanguards are heavily armored juggernauts with undead endurance and massive two handed falchions with rasping barbs attached. Do you: > You use your Broadsword and Short Swords to inflict heavy damage? The Vanguard was a heavy warrior with a massive slow sword so you decide to try your luck with your heavy sword relying on your natural quickness to keep one step ahead of him. As he nears you you double-hand the broadsword and smash it as hard as you can against his side. The blade bangs loudly against him and you see a dent appear in the armor but he moves as if it were a feather duster. He swipes at your head but you duck and spin away. You finish the spin with a heavy blow to his knee and you see with some satisfaction as the armor dents in and his knee buckles. The Vanguard barely even registers the blow and chops at you with an overhand blow that meets the stone floor and shatters it. You roll backwards and throw two blades that ricochet off the armor and stick in the ceiling. He keeps moving forward unperturbed by the blades and you charge towards him willing him to commit for a swing. When he does, you leap to the side and again bash his knee. The metal dents a little more and his knee visibly weakens. You roll away and place your broadsword between yourself and his blade. His hand glows black and he begins to drag you towards him with some form of dark magic. You put your sword in front of you and duck another slash as you use his magic to impale himself with your sword. He staggers backwards and you block a sideways slash meant for your wait with your broadsword. The power knocks it flying across the room lodging into the wall. You kick off of the Vanguard and run backwards as the knight continually steps forward thinking to yourself, "That was cheating..." Pulling your twin short swords, you leap and twist so your blades smack deep into his shoulders. The Vanguard staggers and steps back and you tumble off of his body and duck to the left. You hear his stomps as you run for your broadblade. You reach it and pull it out of the wall just as the Vanguard reaches you. You have to release the sword in order to keep your arm. After his miss, you again grab the blade and rush around him to his backside raining your broadblade high into the air and stabbing it downward into his wounded knee. Your blade bites deep into the knee and sinks into the stone floor pinning him. Pulling your swords from his shoulders, you jump into his back making him fall forward and then roll over him pulling your twin blades with you. You then watch as he starts to pull himself up. This is when you strike with both blades at his neck repeatedly, the sparks of your work lighting up the room as your steel pounds against the Ulum metal of the Turric Mages. Finally, the metal gives way and you plant both swords into his neck and pull outward. The metal shell and flesh peels outwards and you take your dagger and plant it deep into his spine wrenching it back and forth until the warrior drops coldly into the dust. Backing away you watch as his body, armor, flesh, and weapon melt and turn to dust. Breathing heavily, you turn towards the door where the Deathmagus nods his approval and turns to the exit. A second later, the place is quiet and empty. Despite yourself you fall into a deep, deep sleep...<|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>Your sleep is suddenly interrupted by the sound of the door being kicked in by heavy booted feet. In the entrance are five undead warriors, two heavily armored Turric Vanguards and a Turric Deathmagus, a necromancer by any other name. You rise to your feet pulling your broadsword and charging. Deathmagus takes no prisoners. This is going to be a fight to the death. You swing a heavy blow and decapitate the lead zombie as the others charge forward. You've fought the occasional zombie in the past and you know from experience that you have to decapitate them to bring them down. As the first zombie falls, you face a thicket of swinging blades, what zombies lack in speed and accuracy, they make up in fearlessness and tenacity. You need to fight without getting cornered or overwhelmed. You duck to the left and then run to the right, making the zombies slowly try to follow you. You pick a zombie at the edge and cut at his knees while parrying two blades aimed at your midsection. The zombies legs are undercut and you duck and blade and stab upwards into a zombie's gut. They keep onrushing but you roll to the side of a blow and parry a second before leaping on a table. A downward chop takes another zombie downward and you backflip off the table landing on your feet. Taking a mirror, you toss it into the face of a nearing zombie and slip to the left before arcing right and using your sword to decapitate the next. Several seconds later, you pant as the last zombie falls. The Deathmagus claps his bony pale hands slowly, "Very good little Silver one, you are most impressive. I've decided to give you one last challenge, if you can over come it I'll let you live." He turns to one of the fully armored vanguards and points at you. The Vanguard silently obeys stepping forward with his barbed Falchion at the ready. The other Vanguard stands by his master and together they watch the duel. You know from experience that Vanguards are heavily armored juggernauts with undead endurance and massive two handed falchions with rasping barbs attached. Do you: > You stay at range and use throwing blades and daggers. You begin the duel with two throwing knives as you try to stay at range. The blades hit square but ricochet off the heavy armor. You growl as you duck under his heavy blade and cartwheel out of his range. Having more space, you throw two more knives, one bounces off and sticks in the ceiling and the other lodges under his armor. The Vanguard pulls the blade out and throws it to the ground and you pull a dagger with two more knives. Since the Vanguard seems to be taking his time, steadily moving forward, you carefully aim the next two throws. The first slides into an eyehole of the armor and for the first time you get his attention. The blade spews brackish blood that leaks from under his helm and dribbles down his chin. He pulls the blade from his eye and grasps the Falchion with both hands, the old leather crackles under his grip. "Great..." you think as you dodge a powerful but slow swipe that smashes the cabinet you ducked behind. You pull back and throw the second blade trying to lodge it through his plates under his arm. It connects with the armor and bangs off into the floor. Pulling your daggers you duck under a sweeping cross-swipe and punch the dagger into his breastplate. The dagger rings in your hand without doing any apparent damage. He kicks but misses as you flit to the side and stab him in the neck. The blade slides into his neck but it doesn't slow him even a bit. He backhands you and you barely escape a full on hit but feel your jaw instantly bruise and you see stars as you fall backwards into the debris around you. He is upon you instantly but you dodge his reversed blade and watch the heavy blade pierce the stone itself. You roll to your feet and try to kick out his feet but your leg meets with an unmovable object and you back away limping. He closes in on you as you switch to your throwing knives which clink off his armor. You can't believe it when he raises his hand and you feel dark energy course through you. "That wasn't fair..." is the last thought you think as he plants his falchion deep into your stomach and rips downward splitting your body from stomach to crotch. The last thing you see is his dead eye peering at you as you bleed out. YOU HAVE FAILED.<|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>You realize that the hound is going to be a noisy, dangerous problem and so you resolve to end that issue first. As soon as the trio of enemies rush into the room you pop up from behind the desk and throw three throwing knives at the beast. The first knife goes wide and lands knee level in the wooden wall, but the second catches in the jaw bursting it's teeth and jutting through it's muzzle, and the third smashes in the flanks sticking through it's hind quarter. The beast yelps pitiably and staggers backwards incapacitated. The beast howls and you leap over the table drawing both of your short blades. In close quarter fighting, your short swords and stabbing style will be a good match against the barbed scimitars the Turrics favor which require wide fast swings. The first Turric swings high and you duck and deflect the first blade while reversing your spin and cutting the soldier's leg off at the knee. The second swings towards your midriff but you tumble and his swing lodges in his already injured partner's ribs. You crouch and then spring low stabbing the second soldier's foot and slicing his sword arm off at the wrist. The second soldier screams and tries to stagger backwards but his foot is pinned to the floor. Rising you pull the blade free and jut the short blade up into his stomach pushing under his ribs until the blade pierces his heart and blood runs down his armor like a burst dike. As he falls back, you turn to the hound. You hate to kill such a noble beast but it was now time to end it's pain. A quick reversal of your swords sets up a downward thrust that pierces it's brain and severs it's spine. The hound collapses with a quiver. You wipe your swords on a soldier's sleeve and place them again on your back. You then collect your throwing knives and search the soldiers for anything they carry you can use. You ignore their damaged armor, barbed scimitars, and top-heavy daggers and instead collect their coin pouches. Thirty Silvers later, you check the windows. You are relived to see that there is no further action in the streets. Do you: > You help the girl out of the hiding place? You dislike the thought of dragging around a non-combatant but you could at least take care of her until she can be handed off to someone else. By herself she'd either starve to death or get caught and become a victim to the Turrics. With you she had a slim chance to live, it wasn't much but it was something. You dislike the thought of dragging around a non-combatant but you could at least take care of her until she can be handed off to someone else. By herself she'd either starve to death or get caught and become a victim to the Turrics. With you she had a slim chance to live, it wasn't much but it was something. Going downstairs, you say 'Defender' as you pull back the tapestry but there is no answer. You say 'Defender' again but there is still no response. Dreading what you'll find, you open the little door to find the girl, her body lifeless with your dagger stuck in her chest. You curse her weakness even as the pragmatic side of you tells you your own survival rate just increased. At least she'll be with her family you suppose. With a heavy heart you retrieve your knife and close the trapdoor.<|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>You skate up the stairs taking three at a time and find a door at the top of the stairs. You pull out your lockpicks and begin to jimmy the door. Within seconds you hear the lock 'click' and you slide inside closing the door behind you. You hear a creak and some sniffling sounds somewhere in the room. It's very dark, all of the windows are shuttered, and you negotiate the room by sound and touch rather than lighting a lamp and giving yourself away. Following behind your sword, you investigate the dark room and try to track the noise before someone or something gets the drop on you. When the sound is made again, you rush to the wall ripping off a tapestry and see a that it hides a small doorway. You open it in a flash, sword back to provide a fatal stab. To your surprise a young girl, perhaps sixteen years in age is in hiding. You look at her frightened face, streaked with tears and the knowledge that none of her family made it through whatever happened downstairs. She screams at the sudden discovery and scrambles as far back in the hidden compartment as she can go. You curse your luck and say, "Be quiet girl! I'm not here to hurt you! Pray you haven't woken the neighborhood!" You quickly move away from the whimpering girl and check the windows. Sure enough two Turric Swordsmen and a Wardog are on the prowl. The dog starts to bark and drag the two soldiers towards the house. "Shit!" You hiss and move back to the secret compartment. Pulling up the tapestry you tell the girl, "No matter what you do, no matter what you hear, do not leave this compartment for the next few hours unless you hear me say 'Defender'." You slide a dagger her way and say, "And no matter what, don't let them take you alive, if this place is discovered, if this flap is opened and they try to take you, slice your throat, plunge this into your chest but don't let them take you out of here. No matter what!" You close the hidden door, drop the tapestry, close and lock the door to the first floor, and hide behind a desk. When those bastards come through they're going to pay dearly. The sound of heavy boots tromping up the stairs follow a barking dog. They try the lock, try it again, and then start trying to bash the door in. The door survives four solid charges before the door rips off of the hinges and the men and beast rush in swords drawn. > You kill the men, then the dog. You decide that men with swords beat out a hound so you ready your ambush by hiding behind a desk and wait for them to rush in. They do as you predict and you pop up from behind the desk and toss three throwing knives, two at the leader, one at the man following him. The first bounces off the lead man's armor. The second catches him in the neck and he goes down grasping at his throat. The third narrowly misses the following soldier by inches. You draw your short swords which are a good matchup against the wide swinging barbed scimitars the Turric use, at least in confined spaces. Then you leap over the desk ready to take the second soldier out. He charges as you rush to meet him. His swing is wild and you parry it ducking into a tumble and swing low cutting his foot off at the ankle. As you roll into a crouch you are hit from the side by the wardog which barrels into you knocking you off balance. It bites for your throat but you sacrifice your arm instead losing your left hand sword in the process. The short sword rings off of the wooden floor and skitters several feet away as you use your other sword to stab the dog in the ribs. Even as you stab the dog and it yelps, the other soldier levels a boot at your head and kicks you so hard you see sparkles and blackness for a second. The dog rends a massive rip in your bracer and blood spurts from the open wound into it's mouth. You stab it again and it collapses. The second warrior raises his Barbed Scimitar as you struggle to get the dog's dead weight off of your own body. You scream as the blade comes down cutting deep into your skull. Death is instantaneous. YOU HAVE FAILED!!!<|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>You conserve your energy and block his blows. Knowing the wild style of the Turric swordsman, you easily parry several wild blows. As he failed to strike he becomes more and more frustrated and you lure him into a wide swing and while he is pulling back, you step in his reach and break his nose with the handle of your sword. The stunning blow makes him stumble backwards and you press the advantage kicking him backwards and then turning your sword and driving it through his stomach! He squirms like a worm for several long seconds before you twist your blade and finish the job. Though you conserved your energy by blocking, you attracted the attention of a few more warriors. They come streaming out of a building to your right and you count at least five men, two with crossbows aimed in your direction. Do you: Run away or turn to face the group and take them head on using throwing knives to whittle them down before resorting to your sword? > You kill Em All! You whirl quickly around pulling three throwing knives and letting them free at the charging warriors. Two of the three blades 'thunk!' into the Turric Swordsmen. One plunks deep in a man's chest and he staggers sideways before falling. The other knife slams into a warrior's arm causing him to howl in pain. With four of the men left from the initial assault, you realize you are in a bind. You level your sword at the two melee warriors and try to stay out of the sight of the two crossbowmen. A bolt 'thrums' by your ear. Another 'thuds' into a pillar to your left. You circle for position as one warrior heads towards your left side and the injured warrior with a knife sticking out of his arm circles to your right. The crossbowmen are reloading and another attack is imminent. What do you do? > You feint Right and Attack the Warrior to the left. Quickly, you move right and fake the warrior to your weak side, then cross the blade over and thrust it deep into the warrior on your left. The sword punctures the armor of the warrior and slides thickly into his belly where you feel the steel edge nestle in his spinal column and break through his back. The man instantly collapses like a stack of bricks taking your sword with it. Rolling with the momentum, you duck under the whistling blade of the other warrior and tumble through bolts fired by the crossbowmen several meters distant. Before you even roll fully out of your crouch you pull two daggers and let them fly into the swordsman giving chase. One bashes into his face piercing his skull and the other strikes his leg. He falls lifeless like a bull shot in mid charge. The crossbowmen, once trying to pick shots are now hurriedly trying to reload. you turn to them and pull short swords and charge them. They fumble their crossbows as you near them. Two vicious strikes later and you stand triumphant over five Turric corpses. Catching your breath, you grab your weapons and check the bodies for loot. Seeing that your masters aren't probably going to be keeping you on the payroll, you may as well scrounge a little coin to prevent this from being a total loss. Three bags full of silver coins jingle in your hand and you put them in your pockets and turn to go. You can either try to keep moving by skipping from building to building or you can choose to head into the dark alleyways across the street that heads to the ghettoes of Essitrea.<|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>You whirl quickly around pulling three throwing knives and letting them free at the charging warriors. Two of the three blades 'thunk!' into the Turric Swordsmen. One plunks deep in a man's chest and he staggers sideways before falling. The other knife slams into a warrior's arm causing him to howl in pain. With four of the men left from the initial assault, you realize you are in a bind. You level your sword at the two melee warriors and try to stay out of the sight of the two crossbowmen. A bolt 'thrums' by your ear. Another 'thuds' into a pillar to your left. You circle for position as one warrior heads towards your left side and the injured warrior with a knife sticking out of his arm circles to your right. The crossbowmen are reloading and another attack is imminent. What do you do? > You throw more daggers at the crossbowmen. You are surrounded both by swordsmen and crossbowmen. Sensing that you might be plucked off from range you duck under the slash of the warrior to your left and pull your throwing blades. Two blades fly free and both strike the crossbowmen, the man on the left is hit in the chest and the one on the right feels a blade hit his shoulder. Even as they fall, you bring your broadblade up to parry the attacks from the man on the right. The barbed scimitar collides with the flat of your blade and sparks glide from the conflicting metals. Then you feel a sharp pain from behind as you see the point of a scimitar pierce through your chest. You feel as if your whole body is being electrocuted and you watch with hazing vision as your sword falls limply from your grasp. The blade twists inside you and your knees give out and you fall to your knees. The left side swordsman measures you up and swings his blade. The sensation of your head rolling on the ground is eerie as you watch your body fall. Then, slowly, the world turns black. YOU HAVE FAILED!!!<|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>You whirl quickly around pulling three throwing knives and letting them free at the charging warriors. Two of the three blades 'thunk!' into the Turric Swordsmen. One plunks deep in a man's chest and he staggers sideways before falling. The other knife slams into a warrior's arm causing him to howl in pain. With four of the men left from the initial assault, you realize you are in a bind. You level your sword at the two melee warriors and try to stay out of the sight of the two crossbowmen. A bolt 'thrums' by your ear. Another 'thuds' into a pillar to your left. You circle for position as one warrior heads towards your left side and the injured warrior with a knife sticking out of his arm circles to your right. The crossbowmen are reloading and another attack is imminent. What do you do? > You feint Left and Attack the Warrior to your right. You quickly feint left and then pull your heavy blade to the right with a vicious backhand arc that decapitates your opponent. The right-side swordsman's body twists in a ghoulish pirouette before stepping once to the left and falling. His head lies some ten feet into the distance. You have however left your side exposed and you feel the results of a brutish slice into your side. You scream in agony and frustration before reversing your sword and thrusting it backwards. This catches the left-side swordsman directly in his stomach and you thrust it through his body before giving the blade a nasty twist. You feel the warrior slide off of the steel and grunt in satisfaction. However, this is cut short by a bolt which smashes into your shoulder. You scream and reflexively draw a dagger which you hurtle across the field into the throat of the crossbowman who just shot you. However, his ally has been taking careful aim and looses another bolt which slams into your stomach. Blood courses down your armor as you collapse to the ground, your feet no longer able to carry you. You grip your sword and try to rise as the men reload speaking their guttural language. They walk cautiously up to you as you grip a dagger secretly and act just a little bit more wounded than you are. The first man approaches and pulls a knife, "You've got pretty skin bitch," he growls and grabs your face, pulling your chin up to his. "Too bad I've gotta cut you up, you might have been a good ride." Growling, you plunge your dagger into his crotch and twist. He screams, gripping his groin and falls to the side rolling in pain. The other crossbowman steps back in suprise then his look hardens, "You've got teeth, Siak was always a fool. I'm not." Raising his crossbow he levels it at your head and pulls the trigger. The bolt jolts your head back as you fall lifeless into the street surrounded by a pile of corpses. YOU HAVE FAILED!!!<|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>You whirl quickly around pulling three throwing knives and letting them free at the charging warriors. Two of the three blades 'thunk!' into the Turric Swordsmen. One plunks deep in a man's chest and he staggers sideways before falling. The other knife slams into a warrior's arm causing him to howl in pain. With four of the men left from the initial assault, you realize you are in a bind. You level your sword at the two melee warriors and try to stay out of the sight of the two crossbowmen. A bolt 'thrums' by your ear. Another 'thuds' into a pillar to your left. You circle for position as one warrior heads towards your left side and the injured warrior with a knife sticking out of his arm circles to your right. The crossbowmen are reloading and another attack is imminent. What do you do? > You surrender. Surrounded by the warriors and realizing that you will probably not survive this fight, you drop your sword and raise your hands. The warriors grin and, under the careful watch of the crossbowmen, the swordsmen circle, one to the front and one behind. Suddenly, your hair is gripped and you are pulled to your knees. A knife is applied to your neck and the men begin to grin. "Take her weapons Siak, the kitten still has claws." You feel your body being searched, the knives being stripped and tossed, your belts being removed, and then the men fall on you. You scream and try to fight them but there are just too many of them. You finally burst into tears as you realize your impending fate. Two hold you arms as the others pry your legs open and the others pull off your pants. You scream for help knowing none will be coming. Before they kill you, you hear Siak say, "I wish all our girls were this easy..." YOU HAVE FAILED!!!<|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>You attack the warriors with the advantage of surprise. Crawling low, you creep until you are at the edge of the wall you were hiding behind then you suddenly sprint with your broadsword lifted in both hands. As you descend upon the Turric Warriors, you swing the sword in an arc that splits the first Turric Swordsman's left arm from his body. You spin and use the heavy blade's momentum to make a second cut from the shoulder blade up through the man's neck decapitating him instantly. As the first warrior falls, blood arcing into the sky, the two others reel in shock. You take advantage of this momentary lapse of reason and bring a low slice towards the second man's knee. The blade connects and the limb is taken clean off. Following the blade's momentum, you raise it up and steer it into the man's chest. The third warrior has now gathered his wits and attacks viciously trying to slice you with his barbed scimitar. You back away from the first strike, block the second, and duck the third. His blows are coming faster than the broad-blade can react. Do you: Parry and look for an opening with the butt of your sword to stun the enemy or block with the sword and pull a dagger with your other hand and plunge it into his neck? > You pull the Dagger and go for the Kill! Parrying his first attack, you slip a dagger from your belt and plunge it deep into his neck. The man stops and falls backwards, his body shivering and eyes glazing as he tries to pull the treacherous weapon free. His struggles soon cease and he lies in a glistening pool of his own blood. Do you: > You scram before anyone else sees you? Deciding that it is smarter to pick your battles rather than have them pick you, you decide to leave the corpse alone and head for the nearest cover. Sure enough several men, three swordsmen and two crossbowmen curiously round a corner of a destroyed building and begin to investigate the area. You are skilled but you'd rather not risk being put to the test against such ruthless men. You shiver when you consider what they do to women they take captive. Crouching, you duck out of sight and move quietly out of their range. A few tense moments later you are in a less damaged part of the city. You look around and you see two likely routes of escape, the sewers and the twisting alleyways that run through the slums. Going through the main thoroughfares would be suicide so you decide to risk them. Normally both the alleys and the sewers are dangerous because of brigands, disease, and wild animals but for now, they might make for safe havens in the otherwise fallen city. Which do you choose? <|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>Parrying his first attack, you slip a dagger from your belt and plunge it deep into his neck. The man stops and falls backwards, his body shivering and eyes glazing as he tries to pull the treacherous weapon free. His struggles soon cease and he lies in a glistening pool of his own blood. Do you: > You search the Body. You check the body of the fallen soldier and find a map. The map shows the city as it once was before the attack. You look around and try to get your bearings and spy a tower that is currently in flames. Orienting yourself, you see that the enemy has well marked battle plans and you can see troop movements marked in red as well as defending troop locations marked in blue. Perhaps you can make it to a defensive point where other troops might be, or you might just want to try to use back alleys to avoid all troops altogether. You could also ignore the map and head for the sewers. MAP: Essitrea Battle Plans > You head for a Defensive Point You move quickly and silently through the alleys, side streets, and main streets of the falling city. Several times you have to draw swords and fight enemy troops, run away from other Turric groups, or even loose undead creatures wandering the city, however, you find a place to hole up before you make the final push towards safety. You decide to wait until nightfall before moving onwards.<|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>You grab your blade tightly and look around quickly before dashing over the lip of the crater and towards the blasted wall nearest your left side. Nearby an explosion spurts up chunks of earth and stone as well as the arm of a corpse, high into the air. You watch in horror as the appendage plops onto the sidewalk. From your left, three Turric warriors rush and assault an injured merchant, stabbing him repeatedly with their wickedly barbed scimitars before looting the man's corpse. To your right you see another building about twenty feet across some exposed ground. Do you: > You run for the Next Building? You run for the next building, everything looks safe. No one passes by and the streets are filled with corpses. Perhaps the vanguard has passed by. Taking a breath, you peek out and sense no one. Slowly you rise and take some tentative steps towards the next building. Though you cross a twenty foot expanse, you safely make it to the next stop. Peeking around the corner, you see a pitiable sight, a small blonde boy is crying over the corpses of his parents in the rubble strewn debris that was once his building. The piercing scream of an incoming flaming boulder smashes into the cobblestones vaporizing everything in your vision and knocking you back. As you rise, you hear yet another burst far to the rear. After regaining your feet, you start after where the boy was. There is nothing left but a smoking crater surrounded by a ring of flames. Despite your normal stoic nature, tears threaten to slide down your cheek. Gripping your blade, you force yourself to trudge onwards. Three streets upward, you notice a firefight going on. Three Essitrean troops are hunkered behind a wall. Each has a crossbow and a fourth soldier lies dead with a bolt sticking out of his neck. You run in a crouch towards their position and fall to a knee beside the sergeant, "What's the situation Sergeant?" You ask. He turns and almost goes for his sword as he doesn't recognize you but he says, "Mercenary?" You nod and he grunts, "Figured you all had fled by now, hell if this wasn't my home I'd have fled long ago. Suppose I'll be dying within these old walls soon enough." A crossbow bolt smacking against the wall brings him back to the fight. "Well, we're trying to reach a defensive position North of here but the bloody Turrics got us cut off. Out of a platoon sized element, only we remain and we're cut off from Main Group. If you can fire a crossbow, your help would be welcome. Hell, even if you can't you can at least take potshots at the bastards." You nod taking up the Arbalest, a crossbow you are very skilled with and load the bolt. "Where are they located?" You ask. He darws a quick picture in the dirt with a bolt and says, "We're here, their behind that berm over there. I'm pretty sure there's a sniper a little to the west. Bad thing is, though we can't see him, he can sure as hell see us and he's a crack shot. Took out Ivey with one clean shot, got Spiner just over there." He points to a Essitrean corpse about fifteen feet away, a bolt planted in his back. Those idiots behind the berm are lousy but they've got us pinned with suppressive fire, can't raise my head without fear of taking bolts, the sniper though, he's the real challenge. We take him out and we can flank. Without him dead, we're stuck in a stalemate." Add ARBALEST (Crossbow) to your Inventory. You think over the options: > You say "Cover me, I'll take the Sniper." You agree to stay but you have to figure out where the sniper is before you can take him out. "Hey Soldier, let me borrow that shield for a second." You grab his small metal shield and quickly raise it above the small wall you are all hunkered behind. Sure enough, the distraction brings a small hail of bolts from your front where the Turric Soldiers are entrenched, but they miss. However, from your right side a bolt slams the shield knocking it out of your hands and sends it rolling about ten feet to your left before the shield flops over. "Okay soldiers, I know where the sniper is. I'm going to be heading to that little brick wall by the rubble pile, when I say go, I want you to fire your crossbows at the Turric Bastards until I'm set." The men nod, they lock and load their crossbows and scrunch up preparing to fire. You count to three and then begin a full-out sprint towards the brick wall in a low crouch. Meanwhile the Essitreans fire all they have at the Turric soldiers who keep their heads don until the flurry is over. They then return fire on the Essitreans and you wheel to the right towards the wall. You realize that the next five feet will be critical. Test your luck: > You if your name starts with B, E, F, J, P, or Y... You duck, dodge, and sprint and are scant seconds to making a dive for home when you take a bolt directly in the ribs. Crashing Uncontrollably into the bricks you injure yourself pretty badly but you skitter up behind the wall and lean against it. You now have a 2 ENDURANCE (out of 3) if your ENDURANCE lowers to 0 you are Dead. Breathing with difficulty, you crouch and load your crossbow, you're going to get that Son-of-a-bitch if it's the last thing that you do. After saying a quick prayer, you turn out from the wall and scan the buildings in the direction of the shot, just as quickly you turn back in too the safety of the wall. A millisecond later a bolt smashes into the rubble you were just perched on. You scoot over mentally aiming at the tall tower window on your upper right side. Then you skirt over to the small hole in the wall and aim. Inside you see movement in the wall and you draw a bead. Inhale. Exhale... Fire! The bolt soars through the air and you hear a slight gasping sound before a man topples out of the window and falls four stories to the cobblestones below. The soldiers cheer and you send them a quick thumbs up. Now to deal with the Turric Soldiers. You move along the wall to flank the Turric Crossbowmen being careful not to make noise or alert them to your position. Finally, you can go no further and you peek your head out to see where they are and how many. You notice five men, each loading their crossbows. Deciding to make it four, you fire at the most exposed soldier and duck back behind your wall. A scream rewards your efforts and shouts from the Turric soldiers show that they now have a sniper to deal with. You reload your Arbalest and ready yourself for another shot. Turn, aim, fire, and duck. A scream follows that action and you slide back down the wall to communicate with the sergeant. He is busy instructing his men to take careful aim but you catch his eye and motion for him to send another soldier across to your position. You slide back to your sniper's post and between you and the soldiers, lay down covering fire as one of the privates rushes to the wall you are hiding behind. You've now got the enemy flanked. He looks at you with the bolt sticking out of your ribs and exhales but you motion for him to move to the corner. He takes a quick look and sees a Turric Medic tending for their two wounded men while two men provide fire at the Soldiers you left. You nod and roll over aiming at the Medic and taking him out with a bolt that shatters his skull. The soldier with you runs to the side to another wall to the rear of the beleagured Turric warriors and The sergeant and his soldier keep up firing from the front. Seconds later, you and your soldier pick off the last two Turric Crossbowmen. You wave your hand back and forth indicating a cease fire and you all rise from the rubble strewn battleground. The Sergeant and his men rush to congratulate you, "I don't know what we'd have done without your timely intervention. I'm Sergeant Reynall and these soldiers are Corvis and Leake. I'm guessing your that merc girl they call 'Silver'. I'd heard you were amazing but obviously the legends do you no justice." He looks at the bolt in your side and cringes, "Looks like you took one for the team, unfortunately our medic is lying over there with a bolt in him so I'll just bandage it up and keep it as sterile as possible. We're heading over to a defensive position where we think some friendly troops are stationed, your welcome to come along for the ride if you'd like. Four is a hell of a lot better than one I'd say." > You say "Thanks for letting me tag along..." You and the troops move quickly and silently through the alleys, side streets, and main streets of the falling city. Several times you have to draw swords and fight enemy troops, run away from other Turric groups, or even loose undead creatures wandering the city, however, you all find a place to hole up before you make the final push towards safety. You decide to wait until nightfall before moving onwards.<|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>You duck, dodge, and sprint and are scant seconds to making a dive for home when you take a bolt directly in the ribs. Crashing Uncontrollably into the bricks you injure yourself pretty badly but you skitter up behind the wall and lean against it. You now have a 2 ENDURANCE (out of 3) if your ENDURANCE lowers to 0 you are Dead. Breathing with difficulty, you crouch and load your crossbow, you're going to get that Son-of-a-bitch if it's the last thing that you do. After saying a quick prayer, you turn out from the wall and scan the buildings in the direction of the shot, just as quickly you turn back in too the safety of the wall. A millisecond later a bolt smashes into the rubble you were just perched on. You scoot over mentally aiming at the tall tower window on your upper right side. Then you skirt over to the small hole in the wall and aim. Inside you see movement in the wall and you draw a bead. Inhale. Exhale... Fire! The bolt soars through the air and you hear a slight gasping sound before a man topples out of the window and falls four stories to the cobblestones below. The soldiers cheer and you send them a quick thumbs up. Now to deal with the Turric Soldiers. You move along the wall to flank the Turric Crossbowmen being careful not to make noise or alert them to your position. Finally, you can go no further and you peek your head out to see where they are and how many. You notice five men, each loading their crossbows. Deciding to make it four, you fire at the most exposed soldier and duck back behind your wall. A scream rewards your efforts and shouts from the Turric soldiers show that they now have a sniper to deal with. You reload your Arbalest and ready yourself for another shot. Turn, aim, fire, and duck. A scream follows that action and you slide back down the wall to communicate with the sergeant. He is busy instructing his men to take careful aim but you catch his eye and motion for him to send another soldier across to your position. You slide back to your sniper's post and between you and the soldiers, lay down covering fire as one of the privates rushes to the wall you are hiding behind. You've now got the enemy flanked. He looks at you with the bolt sticking out of your ribs and exhales but you motion for him to move to the corner. He takes a quick look and sees a Turric Medic tending for their two wounded men while two men provide fire at the Soldiers you left. You nod and roll over aiming at the Medic and taking him out with a bolt that shatters his skull. The soldier with you runs to the side to another wall to the rear of the beleagured Turric warriors and The sergeant and his soldier keep up firing from the front. Seconds later, you and your soldier pick off the last two Turric Crossbowmen. You wave your hand back and forth indicating a cease fire and you all rise from the rubble strewn battleground. The Sergeant and his men rush to congratulate you, "I don't know what we'd have done without your timely intervention. I'm Sergeant Reynall and these soldiers are Corvis and Leake. I'm guessing your that merc girl they call 'Silver'. I'd heard you were amazing but obviously the legends do you no justice." He looks at the bolt in your side and cringes, "Looks like you took one for the team, unfortunately our medic is lying over there with a bolt in him so I'll just bandage it up and keep it as sterile as possible. We're heading over to a defensive position where we think some friendly troops are stationed, your welcome to come along for the ride if you'd like. Four is a hell of a lot better than one I'd say." > You say "Sorry, I work alone..." You head out, leaving the men to their own fate. Such was the life of a mercenary, why get attached to lost causes? You duck into an alley to avoid a patrol and then head left throwing your hood over your distinctive silver hair. Ducking to the right you enter a series of alleyways. <|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>You agree to stay but you have to figure out where the sniper is before you can take him out. "Hey Soldier, let me borrow that shield for a second." You grab his small metal shield and quickly raise it above the small wall you are all hunkered behind. Sure enough, the distraction brings a small hail of bolts from your front where the Turric Soldiers are entrenched, but they miss. However, from your right side a bolt slams the shield knocking it out of your hands and sends it rolling about ten feet to your left before the shield flops over. "Okay soldiers, I know where the sniper is. I'm going to be heading to that little brick wall by the rubble pile, when I say go, I want you to fire your crossbows at the Turric Bastards until I'm set." The men nod, they lock and load their crossbows and scrunch up preparing to fire. You count to three and then begin a full-out sprint towards the brick wall in a low crouch. Meanwhile the Essitreans fire all they have at the Turric soldiers who keep their heads don until the flurry is over. They then return fire on the Essitreans and you wheel to the right towards the wall. You realize that the next five feet will be critical. Test your luck: > You if your name starts with any other letter of the alphabet... You duck, dodge, and sprint and then make a graceful rolling tumble into the rubble. Coming up from your roll, you crouch and load your crossbow, you're going to get that Sniper if it's the last thing that you do. After saying a quick prayer, you turn out from the wall and scan the buildings in the direction of the shot, just as quickly you turn back in to the safety of the wall. A millisecond later a bolt smashes into the rubble you were just perched on. You scoot over mentally aiming at the tall tower window on your upper right side. Then you skirt over to the small hole in the wall and aim. Inside you see movement in the wall and you draw a bead. Inhale. Exhale... Fire! The bolt soars through the air and you hear a slight gasping sound before a man topples out of the window and falls four stories to the cobblestones below. The soldiers cheer and you send them a quick thumbs up. Now to deal with the Turric Soldiers. You move along the wall to flank the Turric Crossbowmen being careful not to make noise or alert them to your position. Finally, you can go no further and you peek your head out to see where they are and how many. You notice five men, each loading their crossbows. Deciding to make it four, you fire at the most exposed soldier and duck back behind your wall. A scream rewards your efforts and shouts from the Turric soldiers show that they now have a sniper to deal with. You reload your Arbalest and ready yourself for another shot. Turn, aim, fire, and duck. A scream follows that action and you slide back down the wall to communicate with the sergeant. He is busy instructing his men to take careful aim but you catch his eye and motion for him to send another soldier across to your position. You slide back to your sniper's post and between you and the soldiers, lay down covering fire as one of the privates rushes to the wall you are hiding behind. You've now got the enemy flanked. He looks at you with admiration and awe but you motion for him to move to the corner and keep his wits about him. He takes a quick look and sees a Turric Medic tending for their two wounded men while two men provide fire at the Soldiers you left. You nod and roll over aiming at the Medic and taking him out with a bolt that shatters his skull. The soldier with you runs to the side to another wall to the rear of the beleagured Turric warriors and The sergeant and his soldier keep up firing from the front. Seconds later, you and your soldier pick off the last two Turric Crossbowmen. You wave your hand back and forth indicating a cease fire and you all rise from the rubble strewn battleground. The Sergeant and his men rush to congratulate you, "I don't know what we'd have done without your timely intervention. I'm Sergeant Reynall and these soldiers are Corvis and Leake. I'm guessing your that merc girl they call 'Silver'. I'd heard you were amazing but obviously the legends do you no justice!" He looks at you and says, "We're heading over to a defensive position where we think some friendly troops are stationed, your welcome to come along for the ride if you'd like. Four is a hell of a lot better than one I'd say." <|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>You run for the next building, everything looks safe. No one passes by and the streets are filled with corpses. Perhaps the vanguard has passed by. Taking a breath, you peek out and sense no one. Slowly you rise and take some tentative steps towards the next building. Though you cross a twenty foot expanse, you safely make it to the next stop. Peeking around the corner, you see a pitiable sight, a small blonde boy is crying over the corpses of his parents in the rubble strewn debris that was once his building. The piercing scream of an incoming flaming boulder smashes into the cobblestones vaporizing everything in your vision and knocking you back. As you rise, you hear yet another burst far to the rear. After regaining your feet, you start after where the boy was. There is nothing left but a smoking crater surrounded by a ring of flames. Despite your normal stoic nature, tears threaten to slide down your cheek. Gripping your blade, you force yourself to trudge onwards. Three streets upward, you notice a firefight going on. Three Essitrean troops are hunkered behind a wall. Each has a crossbow and a fourth soldier lies dead with a bolt sticking out of his neck. You run in a crouch towards their position and fall to a knee beside the sergeant, "What's the situation Sergeant?" You ask. He turns and almost goes for his sword as he doesn't recognize you but he says, "Mercenary?" You nod and he grunts, "Figured you all had fled by now, hell if this wasn't my home I'd have fled long ago. Suppose I'll be dying within these old walls soon enough." A crossbow bolt smacking against the wall brings him back to the fight. "Well, we're trying to reach a defensive position North of here but the bloody Turrics got us cut off. Out of a platoon sized element, only we remain and we're cut off from Main Group. If you can fire a crossbow, your help would be welcome. Hell, even if you can't you can at least take potshots at the bastards." You nod taking up the Arbalest, a crossbow you are very skilled with and load the bolt. "Where are they located?" You ask. He darws a quick picture in the dirt with a bolt and says, "We're here, their behind that berm over there. I'm pretty sure there's a sniper a little to the west. Bad thing is, though we can't see him, he can sure as hell see us and he's a crack shot. Took out Ivey with one clean shot, got Spiner just over there." He points to a Essitrean corpse about fifteen feet away, a bolt planted in his back. Those idiots behind the berm are lousy but they've got us pinned with suppressive fire, can't raise my head without fear of taking bolts, the sniper though, he's the real challenge. We take him out and we can flank. Without him dead, we're stuck in a stalemate." Add ARBALEST (Crossbow) to your Inventory. You think over the options: > You say "Good luck guys. You're on your own!" You owe these soldiers no allegiance, you don't live in this city, and dying for a pointless cause in a nameless street doesn't seem very appealing. You say, "If i were you, I'd retreat cause that's what I'm doing. No point in dying now, this war is lost." You feel a slight twinge of guilt at the faces of the men who look as if you'd taken the little bit of hope you'd given them and dashed it. However, the Sergeant turns to his men and says, "Don't worry about her men, she's a mercenary, she'd sell her mother if the coin was right. We're heroes fighting for our mothers, our families, and our city!" The men buck up and begin to rally sending bolts back towards the enemy as you leave them in the distance. Several streets away and you'd almost forgotten them. To each his own. As you cross a dirty alleyway you see an old woman wandering around the streets asking if anyone had seen her boy tears form rivers in her dusty face. You haven't so you move on. You were hired to fight, not to save the world, to cure the sick, or to save the innocent. It was just too much. You wonder to yourself as you pass the banged out ruins of a massive church, "Where is this god these people prayed to? Why don't they ask him? I'm just one person and I can barely care for myself..." The bitter scenes of man's cruelest depravities pass your sight, dogs chewing on the corpses of a baby in a dead woman's arms, a scavenger stealing bread from a stall while the rats chew on the proprietor, and charred bodies still smoking from the artillery strikes. Somehow you sneak past a troop of Turric soldiers carrying the spoils of their ill-earned gains, golden rings, jeweled necklaces, and young girls, most already battered and beaten, headed to the slave squares and whorehouses the Turrics are so fond of. Nothing you can do, you're just one girl, at least you're not one of them. Sneaking into a doorway you are getting tired, your legs are weakening, and your vision is washed with sweat and exhaustion. You need to find refuge.<|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>You run for the next building, everything looks safe. No one passes by and the streets are filled with corpses. Perhaps the vanguard has passed by. Taking a breath, you peek out and sense no one. Slowly you rise and take some tentative steps towards the next building. Though you cross a twenty foot expanse, you safely make it to the next stop. Peeking around the corner, you see a pitiable sight, a small blonde boy is crying over the corpses of his parents in the rubble strewn debris that was once his building. The piercing scream of an incoming flaming boulder smashes into the cobblestones vaporizing everything in your vision and knocking you back. As you rise, you hear yet another burst far to the rear. After regaining your feet, you start after where the boy was. There is nothing left but a smoking crater surrounded by a ring of flames. Despite your normal stoic nature, tears threaten to slide down your cheek. Gripping your blade, you force yourself to trudge onwards. Three streets upward, you notice a firefight going on. Three Essitrean troops are hunkered behind a wall. Each has a crossbow and a fourth soldier lies dead with a bolt sticking out of his neck. You run in a crouch towards their position and fall to a knee beside the sergeant, "What's the situation Sergeant?" You ask. He turns and almost goes for his sword as he doesn't recognize you but he says, "Mercenary?" You nod and he grunts, "Figured you all had fled by now, hell if this wasn't my home I'd have fled long ago. Suppose I'll be dying within these old walls soon enough." A crossbow bolt smacking against the wall brings him back to the fight. "Well, we're trying to reach a defensive position North of here but the bloody Turrics got us cut off. Out of a platoon sized element, only we remain and we're cut off from Main Group. If you can fire a crossbow, your help would be welcome. Hell, even if you can't you can at least take potshots at the bastards." You nod taking up the Arbalest, a crossbow you are very skilled with and load the bolt. "Where are they located?" You ask. He darws a quick picture in the dirt with a bolt and says, "We're here, their behind that berm over there. I'm pretty sure there's a sniper a little to the west. Bad thing is, though we can't see him, he can sure as hell see us and he's a crack shot. Took out Ivey with one clean shot, got Spiner just over there." He points to a Essitrean corpse about fifteen feet away, a bolt planted in his back. Those idiots behind the berm are lousy but they've got us pinned with suppressive fire, can't raise my head without fear of taking bolts, the sniper though, he's the real challenge. We take him out and we can flank. Without him dead, we're stuck in a stalemate." Add ARBALEST (Crossbow) to your Inventory. You think over the options: > You say "Charge the Berm, they can't kill us all!" You charge the berm and watch as two of your men fall from the crossbows of the opposing soldiers. You are next to fall with a sniper bolt in your neck. As you watch the rest of the men fall you curse your stupidity and choke as blood fills your windpipe and you slowly choke to death facedown in a growing pool of blood. YOU HAVE FAILED!!!<|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>You grab your blade tightly and look around quickly before dashing over the lip of the crater and towards the blasted wall nearest your left side. Nearby an explosion spurts up chunks of earth and stone as well as the arm of a corpse, high into the air. You watch in horror as the appendage plops onto the sidewalk. From your left, three Turric warriors rush and assault an injured merchant, stabbing him repeatedly with their wickedly barbed scimitars before looting the man's corpse. To your right you see another building about twenty feet across some exposed ground. Do you: > You wait for the Men to Move On? The merchant is already dead so why waste your life fighting for him? Also running away will probably attract their attention so you hide and wait for the men to pass. After about three minutes, you see the men move on, one brags about the men he's killed as they turn a corner. As you are just about to leave, another five Turric soldiers appear from around the corner. You are glad you didn't charge the first three or you might have been fighting eight men by now. You've got the drop on the five men but it seems like it could be really risky. You can also try to sneak away or continue to wait. You take a small breath and exhale as you make your next decision. You creep towards the edge of the wall ready to make your move.<|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>Sebastian spent weeks evading the forces of the Turric invaders. Finally, she was able to rescue Lord Essetria and bring him safely to the City of Celika. There she was rewarded handsomely for her efforts and there was talk of making her a Knight of the Realm. At first she wanted to refuse but realized that her position would be helpful in the future. Newly knighted, Lady Sebastian was given barding for her mount Arbalest and given five days of rest. On the fifth day she is polishing her weapons and armor when a loud knock heralds a visitor. > You lady Sebastian - Statistics You are a Mercenary named Sebastian who awakens in a city overrun by the enemy. Your allies have been defeated, the city has cumbled, and the enemy is sacking and looting, raping and pillaging all who they encounter. You must escape the city alive. After a harrowing escape dodging enemies and trekking through the begeiged city, you encountered a group of patriots who entrusted you with the care of Aelius Essitrea, last Lord of Essitrea, now you are fleeing the enemy whilst trying to find those who can care and raise the last of Essitrea's proud noble line. Using only your wits and your swordhand, can you emerge unscathed? NAME: Sebastian AGE: 25 GENDER: Female OCCUPATION: Mercenary VITALS: HEIGHT: 5'10" WEIGHT: 135 Lbs. HAIR: Silver EYES: Silver NATIONALITY: Zanitarian HANDEDNESS: Right ABILITIES (Out of 5): MUSCLE: 4 AGILITY: 5 ENDURANCE: 3 EDUCATION: 4 WITS: 4 PIETY: 0 BEAUTY: 5 TRAITS: Strong:​ Sebastian is strong and can out muscle normal men and most women in games of strength. She can lift heavy objects, swing heavy swords, and wear heavy armor if she prefers. Dancer's Grace: Sebastian is graceful and is often capable of ducking and dodging attacks. In addition, she is adept at tasks needing sure footing (climbing, balancing, and sneaking) and manual dexterity (picking locks, theft, and throwing). Stalwart: Sebastian can take a hit and keep moving. She has the heart of a warrior and can absorb damage that would kill a normal man. She is resistant to disease and poison and shrugs off most illnesses. Fluency: Sebastian is able to speak, read, and write Lazarian, Bandglan, and Zanitarian. She has had prior schooling and can do complex mathematics, quote philosophy, and converse on educated topics without being lost. Quick Witted: ​Sebastian is quick on her feet, able to multi-task, figure out puzzles, and solver thorny issues with speed and alacrity. Atheist: Sebastian no longer believes in the gods of her childhood though occasionally she questions her own disbelief. Dazzling: Sebastian stands apart from the crowd and is well-known for her beauty. FIGHTING STYLE: Steel Crucifix: Sebastian likes to attack with her heavy broadsword trying to get a kill or two before switching to lighter, faster weapons, usually daggers or her short swords. Often she throws knives in the middle of combat to create space, stop charges, or fend of missile attacks. Due to her light armor, she prefers stealth and trickery to straight up brawling. NOTES: Mobile Scrapper: Sebastian fights best when she has room for mobility, launches the initial attack, and faces opponents at a short distance. Lockpicking: Sebastian can open normal doors and simple locks with a set of lockpicks she carries hidden on her body. > You open the Door Sebastian rises and opens the door, to her surprise it is none other than Lord Essitria himself. He asks, "May I enter Dame Sebastian?" Sebastian smiles wanly and steps aside. It was bad for business to insult a Lord. He walks in. His boyish looks and demeanor are also infused with the knowledge that he was now expected to lead and act like a man years older than himself. He'd grown somewhat since his city fell. He now felt the burden of rulership. "I.. I never got to thank you for all that you did, rescuing me from danger, those weeks on the road, the... men that you killed. The sacrifices you made to get me here..." Sebastian says, "None of that is necessary milord," He shakes his head, "No it is. It is. In times of conflict we must remember who our allies are and our enemies. Those we can trust and those who betray our faith. You have earned my trust and gratitude." "Thank you milord..." Sebastian replies waiting for the lord to get to the point. "I have something to ask of you. A task I can only trust to you." He says in a rush. "Are there no others? You must have men here at your command. Milord." "Men yes, those I trust? I'm not so sure. I received a note this morning by raven that says 'trust none, seek the Ring. Send your sword, betray no worry.' I think that the note is saying that I have to act though all is right but that there are spies and assassins about. There is a ring that is proof against poison it is called the Hemlock Band. I'd like you to retrieve it for me. Could you do this?" Sebastian replies, "Of course my lord, where is it located?" "Well, it has to be made. There is a smith that makes such items and he is close. You'd need to travel to Helmsworth and get the ring forged. Then return it to me. I will provide the sum and the directions but you must leave and not be followed. When it is made bring it here and I shall reward thee." "It seems simple enough. What is the catch?" "Well, if anyone wishes to stop you there is that. You cannot let anyone know why you are leaving and what for..." "Of course." "... and the creature that can forge it likes to make such requests difficult. It is said he is an Ogre Mage who challenges those who seek his help and eats those that fail him." Dame Sebastian gins grimly, "... and of course there is that. It seems pretty typical." "So you'll do it?" ""For you Lord? Yes, I'll fetch my gear and be off in the morning." > You sebastian's Gear WEAPONS CARRIED: Broadsword (1): This is a wide heavy sword known for it's sturdiness. It is slow to maneuver but does plenty of damage when attacking both armored and unarmored foes. She wears her broadsword on a sheath on her left hip. Short Swords (2): Her fallback melee weapons, trades damage for speed. She likes to use stabbing attacks to pierce her foes and circular parries to defend against multiple attacks. Effective against light and heavy armor. She carries her short swords in an 'X' across her back. Daggers (2): Heavier than throwing knives, these fighting blades are for in close work against foes who fight at speeds faster than her broadsword. Not effective against heavy armor but dangerous when used against lightly armored opponents. She has two daggers tucked backwards in her Armguards. Throwing Knives (10): Sebastian is accurate over short distances with throwing knives usually throwing two or three at one or more opponents. The more opponents she faces the less accurate she is. She carries ten hidden around her body. Ineffective against medium or heavy armor. Sebastian has two throwing knives tucked in her sleeves, two hidden in her boots, and six attached to quick-release holsters on her belt three near her belt buckle, and three in the small of her back. Warfans (2): Her exotic weapons, she uses metal war fans to deflect attacks, make trick throws (Curving throws, ricochets, and slicing). In addition, she can make gashing cuts against lightly armored opponents that are difficult to heal. She usually uses them if she is smuggling weaponry into places where none are allowed or when she is using her dance skills professionally. Her fans are carried in a sheath on her right hip. OPTIONAL: Crossbow: Though she doesn't usually carry a crossbow, she is quite deadly as a sniper. ARMOR: Stealthmail: Sebastian wears padded chainmail made to be light weight and fit under her clothes. She sacrifices protection for mobility, stealth, and unobtrusiveness. WARHORSE: Arbalest: Arbalest is a sturdy and very intelligent warhorse who has been Dame Sebastian's boon companion for approximately five years. He is well trained for war and has been trained to answer her whistle, kneel, dance, leap, and return to a spot of Sebastian's choice. KNIGHT'S GEAR: Dame of Essetria: Sebastian was knighted by the young Lord of Essetria and serves him as a knight. She carries a Kite Shield with her Lord's emblem (A Blue Dancing Courser on a white field), a White Tabard (dress) with the Blue Courser emblem, and a Silver Helm with a large blue plume. Despite being a knight, Sebastian rarely wears these items for more than ceremony. SEAL OF ESSETRIA: Seal of Nobility: Producing this coin-like silver emblem with the blue courser (a horse) attached is proof that she is a servant of the Lord of Essetria and allows her privileges as a Dame. It has her name and description onthe back so that others cannot as easily use it. > You leaving the Gates Sebastian wakes hours before the dawn and goes to the stables to visit Arbalest, her trusty Steed. The warhorse neighs as his Mistress approaches. Sebastian nuzzles Arbalest and gives him and apple for his enjoyment. As the Horse munches on the fruit, Sebastian begins to place the saddle blanket, saddle, reins, and harness, A second apple and she has placed the Chain Barding on him. She leads the horse out of the stables and swings up before heading to the gates. She is stopped at the gate by the guards who wish to know why she is leaving the city at so early an hour to which she casually replies: > You lord's Business Sebastian brings out the Seal of Essetria and says, "Lord's business, please let me pass." The gate guards bow and open the gate. "I apologize milady. You may pass." <|endoftext|> <|startoftext|> Paper-Mache By Jster02 > You start The pain is the first thing you notice. It feels as though someone's poured an entire vat of hot coffee over your entire body. Somehow, you get the sense that you've been asleep a lot longer than normal. You open your eyes to find yourself laying in a patch of grass, staring up at a clear, starry sky, interrupted by the branches of nearby trees. You don't move for a moment. How did you get outside? You don't remember going to sleep out here... as a matter of fact, you don't remember going to sleep at all. Or anything else, as a matter of fact. The pain is fading fast, so you sit up and take a look around, pulse racing. The shadowy forms of trees surround you, the sounds of the night bombarding your senses. It occurs to you that you're hyperventilating. Is this what it feels like to have a heart attack? No this is a panic attack of some kind. Instinctively, you find yourself focusing on a single blade of grass in the field. With shaking hands, you pluck it from the dirt and study it, taking note of its shape, the feel of it in your hand, the nearly indistinguishable pattern of little veins running through it. Mindfulness. That's supposed to help with Panic attacks. Somehow, you remember that. But you can't remember where you learned it. Slowly but surely, your breathing normalizes. You wipe the snot from your nose and the tears from your eyes as your body stops convulsing. For the first time since you woke up, you notice the cool night breeze. You're going to be fine. If you just keep your wits, you'll find a way out of this eventually. You take a quick inventory of everything you can remember. Random bits of knowledge surface in your head, facts about whales, mathematical formulas, the steps to changing a tire. But no memories of the people, or events, or books that taught you those things. As you contemplate these things, you notice a few items laying in the grass around you. Namely, a small backpack and an odd metal disk, with a glowing screen on one side. You pick up the disk first and examine it. "Insufficient power," flashes across its face over and over in red. Something about it tugs at something in your memory, but you can't quite put your finger on what. Confused, you slip it into your pocket and turn to the bag. You unzip it to find a lighter, a knife, a sleeping bag, a pillow, and... a whole mountain of Cheez-Its and Mountain Dew? Just what kind of person are you? Still, it's better than nothing, so you slip it over your shoulders. As you try (and fail), to take your bearings from the waning crescent moon, (not that it really matters, it's not like you know where you came from), you become aware of a strange noise in the distance. You stop and listen. Is that yelling? Wait, yelling is a human noise, right? So, where there's yelling, there's humans. Before you can even finish processing that thought, your feet are carrying you towards the source of the noise. You didn't know you could run this fast on pavement, much less over the uneven turf of the forest, but then, maybe you're a famous football player or something and just don't remember it. The yelling grows louder as you draw nearer. A dim light shines in the distance, growing brighter. You slow down a little, these shouts don't sound like happy ones. "Stop struggling or it'll only hurt more!" a gravelly voice says. "Help! Stop! Let me go!" An extremely high pitched voice this time. You've slowed to a tip-toe now. Whatever this is, you're not sure you want to be a part of it. Still you creep closer until you can just make out the figures involved between the trees. They look small from here, no bigger than children, but then, it's a little hard to tell from this distance. It looks like they might be wearing some kind of cloaks, green ones, if your eyes don't deceive you. "Gag her before she draws someone to us!" Says the gravel tongued shadow to two others holding down a third, "Get her in the bag and tie it tight. The last thing we need is another escape." Your palms are soaked with sweat. You should do something, anything, to help, but whoever these people are, they certainly don't sound like the kind of folks you'd like to mess with... > You creep closer and attack You drop into a crouch and creep closer, stopping behind trees whenever you can. Now that you're closer, you can make out more details, and boy are these people weird. They're even shorter up close, they'd probably only come up to your waist. But that's the least strange thing about them. They're skin resembles Paper-Mache, all folded over itself. And then there's the ears, so long and pointy. Almost as big as they are, and yet still they point straight up. Forget whatever you thought about only humans yelling. You must've forgotten that too, because these things are no humans. The two biggest creatures hold down a smaller one, (perhaps that one is only a child), while the one that appears to be the leader stands and watches. Like you thought, all but the one on the ground are clad in green cloaks, reaching nearly to their feet, with a strange symbol of something like a broken goblet embroidered on their backs in brown. They've nearly got the child into a big sack now, but she (he? It?) still hasn't given up. "Please!" She cries, "I just wanna go home! Let me go home!" "We're giving you a new home." Says the leader, "A better home! Don't you want to help make your old home better?" "No! I want my papa!" Just watching this makes you nauseous. This has got to be stopped, there's no way you can sit by and let it happen. Before you've even so much as thought of a plan, you're on your feet, charging the creatures with... > The knife! You flick your knife open and tense for battle. It feels so small in your hand, so weak. If only you had a gun, or a hatchet at least. Still, it's better than using your fists. Before you have the chance lose your nerve, you charge one of the creatures holding down the... other creature. (You're really not sure what to call any of these things, you've never seen anything quite like them before). You slam into it, knocking it to the ground before it has a chance to react. It's eyes go wide as you plunge the knife into it's stomach, (or what appears to be it's stomach). It penetrates easier than you expected, the knife. Feels a little too easy. But before you have time to fully contemplate the moral ambiguity of your actions, you see, out of the corner of your eye, the other creature charging you with some kind of sharpened stick. You act faster than you ever thought you could, rolling to the side, just as it brings it's stick down in a stabbing motion. The stick buries itself into the chest of the first creature, (the one with the knife still stuck in it's chest). If it wasn't dead before, it certainly is now. The creature with the stick stares at it's fallen friend, stunned. You should strike now, while it's distracted, but all you can do is stare at the dead creature. You did that. Even though it's not exactly a human, something about the whole thing just feels wrong. Slowly, the surviving creature turns towards you. "Why would you do that?" He asks, "That was my friend!" "You were attacking that... other creature!" You say. Even as you say it, the words feel hollow. "He... had it coming!" "You have no idea what you've gotten yourself involved in!" He says, "You're messing with things you shouldn't you crazy monster!" With that, the creature charges you once more, wrenching it's weapon from the chest of its dead friend. Perhaps you should let him strike you down. Maybe you're the monster here. But then, what about that other creature? The one he was tormenting? What does that make him? No, you were just acting as any good person should when they see someone in danger. Just as the creature reaches you, instinct takes over and you slam your fist into it's head. These creatures don't just look like Paper-Mache, they tear like it too. As soon as your hand makes contact, his face crumples inward and he staggers back, falling to the ground, dead. You stare at your hand, stunned. Either you've got some sort of hidden superpowers, or these creatures are weaker than most. That doesn't seem normal. Even with your broken memory, you can be pretty sure of that. As the adrenaline wears off, you remember that there were three creatures involved. Two doing the heavy lifting and one giving orders. You take a quick look around you, but see nothing. It must've run off somewhere; the only other living thing left in the area is the creature you came to save in the first place. > You check on the fallen creature The creature lays in the dirt, staring at you. It trembles as you approach, inching away on its back. "Who are you?" It asks with trembling voice, "What do you want? I want my papa!" "I'm not going to hurt you," You say, trying to sound as soothing as you can, "I'm here to help." "You're... not gonna hurt me like those other guys?" "No, I was saving you. That's why I hurt them." "Oh... Okay..." You stare at each other wordlessly for a few moments, unsure of what to say. Finally, you extend your hand to help the creature up. It stares for a second at your arm, and asks, "What are you doing?" "I'm helping you up." "How does holding your hand out help me up?" "You grab it and... oh, never mind. Do you know how to get home?" (Does this thing even have a home)? "I think so..." "Alright, can you walk?" The creature struggles to its feet. "Yes." Another moment of silence. "I'm Pila," the creature says, "...thanks." "You're welcome. Come on, let me walk you home." "Okay." You set off down the path, Pila leading the way. For a few minutes you travel in silence. The hooting of owls and the howl of the wind are your only company as you trudge through the trees. Finally, you can't help but break the silence. "What are you exactly?" Pila looks at you, her ears twitch slightly. "I already told you, I'm Pila." "No, I mean, what are you. As in, what species are you?" "What's a species?" You struggle to come up with an explanation. "It means, what kind of creature are you? I don't know how else to explain it." "I'm confused." "Well... I'm a human." You point to yourself, then look around for something else to name. You spot an owl sitting on a branch, "And that's an owl," You point at the creature, "But what are you? I've never seen anything like you before." "I still don't understand... human? Is that what you said your name was?" It's no use trying to get anything out of her. You sigh, and say, "Never mind, it's not important." "Okay!" She says As you're talking, you come to the side of a hill, with little stairs carved into the side for you to climb down. Lights twinkle a little ways below; must be some kind of village. Pila points at the lights. "That's where I live. It's also where my mama and my papa live. And all of my friends. Let's go!" With that, she dashes down the stairs. They're the perfect size for her little feet, (if a little big). As for you though, you may as well be going downhill on gravel. You nearly slip at least three times as you descend, but in the end you make it to the bottom unscathed. "We're almost there now," Pila says, running up the path. You follow as quick as you can, it wouldn't do to lose her again. If that happened you might as well have never saved her at all. As you jog along the path, you pass a strange plant, just taller than you are. It grows on a thin, blue stalk, straight up, until it droops over at the top, opening into a strange, orange bulb. The bulb glows in the dawn, lighting the whole path beneath your feet. Just a few moments later, you pass by another on the opposite side of the path. The entire trail leading up to the village is lined with these plants, lighting the way like streetlights on an old city road. > You pila's house It soon becomes apparent that you are closer to the village than you thought. Is it just you, or are those buildings smaller than they seemed from afar? You come to the edge of the village to find that the smallest of the houses are about your height. Everything is half the size it should be, from the road through town to the stones that pave it. Stranger still, it all has the same Paper-Mache quality as Pila's skin. You follow the little creature through a twisting maze of streets, just a tad bit too small for you. You begin to see other creatures like Pila milling about. Most stare at you, terrified, a few even run the other way, screaming. But every time that happens, Pila shouts after them, "It's okay, he's nice! He saved me from bad people!" After about five minutes of walking, a high pitched whistle cuts through the air. You try to ignore it, but it persists. "What is that?" You ask. "Oh that?" Pila stops and turns, "That's the alarm. People sound it whenever there's an emergency. Then the watchmen come and help whoever sounded it. My papa is the leader of all of the watchmen." She beams with pride. "Shouldn't we be worried." "No, this happens a few times every day. My papa will take care of it, whatever it is." "Well, alright." You walk for a few minutes more, then the alarm stops, leaving you in complete silence. "See?" Pila says, "Everything's going to be-" A voice from behind interrupts her, "What in the name of the water-pit are you?" You and Pila turn in unison to see a whole squadron of creatures, all pointing little wooden spears your way. But before you can do or say anything, Pila runs straight up to them. "Papa!" She cries, flinging her little arms around the one who appears to be their leader. "Pila?" He says, "What are you doing with this... thing? Did it hurt you?" He turns his gaze on you. "What were you doing with my Daughter, you monster?" "No, Papa! You don't understand! This is human, he saved me from a bunch of really mean people. They tried to put me in a big bag, but then he came out of the forest and beat them up!" Pila's father is quiet for a minute. Then, he turns to the creatures behind him and says, "You can relax. Looks like we won't be needing spears." He turns back to you, and takes a few steps in your direction. "I apologize... human, is it? It's just that no one's ever seen anything like you before. So it was only natural the alarm was sounded. They all thought you were some kind of monster!" "I thought the same when I first saw creatures like you." You say, "If you don't mind me asking, what exactly are you? I've never seen anything quite like you either. At least, I don't think I have." "You stand in a village full of Oalkwardners." The Creature says, "I am Merk, head of the Watchmen of Arrorn. I help to protect this place from any sort of outside invaders or natural disasters. That's why I came when I heard you had arrived. By the way, thank you so much for rescuing my daughter. If you ever need anything at all, just come find me and I'll do my best to make it happen." He stops and thinks for a moment. "Are you planning on staying here a while?" "Actually," You say, "I have no idea how I got here in the first place. So, I guess I'm kinda stuck till I figure out how to get back home." "That's strange indeed," Merk says, "Come with me, if you need, you may stay with me and my family while you're here. You did save Pila, after all. It's the least we can do." "I guess I have nowhere else to go," You say. "Yay!" Pila says, "It'll be like when we have all the family over for a feast!" And once again, you set off through the streets. As you walk, you explain to Merk how you woke up in the forest with no memory and found Pila in trouble. "What were you doing out there, Pila?" Merk asks, "Why on earth did your mother let you go out so late? And why on earth did you take this long to come back? From what Human said, it doesn't sound like you were too far from town." Merk frowns, "In fact, you'd better come up with a pretty good explanation as to why you were out so late, or else you're in hot water!" "It's not my fault!" Pila says, "I went out to play hide-and-seek in the woods with my friends. The sun was going down, but we knew it would still be light outside for a little bit, so we thought it would be okay. But I really wanted to win. I never win at hide-and-seek, so I needed a plan to make sure they'd never find me. So I went really far away on the road. But then it started to get dark, and I got scared. And then, the ground started shaking, and I got really scared. So I ran away into the trees. But then I got lost, so I was really really scared. It took me a long time to find my way back to the road, and then when I was walking back, the mean guys came and tried to put me in a bag!" "You said the ground started shaking?" Merk asks, "But I didn't feel anything here. I was on the night-watch, so I know." "But it's true, Papa!" Pila says, "There was a really bright light in the sky too! It was like lightning, but it stayed there for a looooooong time." "Don't make up stories, Pila." Merk sounds a little irritated now, "When we get home, you're going to have to do some chores." "But Papa-" "Let's not do this in front of our guest, alright?" Pila sighs, "Yes Papa..." "Good girl. Oh look, we're here." The streets are a bit wider here, and the houses a bit bigger. They're all spaced apart, each one with a good five-or-so acres of space. You've stopped in front of a beautiful yellow one, that looks like it might be two stories high, (though it's hard to tell what with the strange sizes of everything). "We have the best house in the village!" Pila beams, "That's because Papa has the best job. I wanna do it when I grow up too, so I can have this same house." Merk laughs. "I'm glad you think this house is the best. You've never told me that before. Come on, lets go inside." You follow Merk to the front door, where it becomes apparent that you might have a problem. "I'm... not sure I can fit," you say, staring at the door. It comes up only to your chest and looks just a little too narrow for you to fit through. "I don't want to mess up your house." Merk thinks for a moment, wringing his hands. "That really is a shame. We might have to figure out somewhere else for you to stay, I'm sorry." It's then that you remember, you've got camping supplies in your backpack "I can just sleep outside," You say, "I've got a sleeping bag and a pillow, I'll just lay it out in your yard somewhere, if that's alright. Pila's face brightens, "Papa, can we eat outside with Human too?" "I guess we may as well, so long as it stays nice outside," Merk says, "Now you'd better go get some sleep. I'm not sure how you can be this chipper after staying up all night like that. Besides, you'll need your rest if you ever want to get done with the massive list of chores you're gonna get once I figure out just how much trouble you're in." Pila sighs, and starts towards the door. "Yes papa..." You spend the rest of the day on Merk's property, not daring to re-enter the village for fear that someone might see you and sound the alarm. ("Just until we get the word around that you're not a threat," Merk says). For a while you talk with Merk, trying to figure out where exactly you are. Eventually, Merk pulls out a map of the area, and you find that you don't recognize any of the landscape. (Though, you can't quite remember any other landscapes either). You just can't make heads or tails of the situation. Once evening rolls around, Merk's wife, (who you quickly learn is named Fila), brings you dinner in a bowl, much too small for you to properly hold. It's filled with some kind of goop that smells like burning rubber, and doesn't taste much better. But you don't say anything, and just choke it down best you can. You know you can eat some of the Cheez-Its from your bag after everyone else goes to bed. After an hour-or-so more of small talk, everyone decides to hit the sack. As the Oalkwardners head inside, you spread out your sleeping bag and lay down, staring up at the stars. The moment your head touches the pillow, all the energy you spent today hits you at once. You're asleep within minutes...<|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>The world is dark, and cold. Your eyes see nothing, your ears hear no sound. Your heart no longer beats and you can't move a muscle. Congratulations, you are dead. But not for long. You hazily recall your last moments... Walking through the nightclub you see an ocean of flesh moving rhythmically to the blasting music. You see the women wearing skirts so short that you wonder how it's legal. Two people however catch your interest the most. A woman of about 20 something is sitting at the bar staring off into the distance. She is wearing a purple dress that ends at her upper thighs. Her alabaster skin looks smoother than porcelain. Her fine blonde hair is like a river of gold. You are immediately attracted to her but as you make your way through the crowd you spot another beauty. At about midway to the woman in the purple dress you spot another one at the opposite end of the bar. This one is wearing a low cut top (that is quite tight fitting) and a miniskirt, she radiates sexiness. She is also quite pale and has fiery red hair and catches you staring at her. She gives a small smile and then looks away. The old divining rod is no help here so who's it gonna be? > The girl at the bar "Hi," You say followed by whatever cheesy pickup line that comes to mind. Surprisingly it works and you get her attention. Her emerald eyes seem full of life and she looks hungrily at you, almost licking her lips for you. Obviously a good sign. After about an hour of conversing you learn that she lives nearby and she invites you back to her place. And you thought today would suck (All puns intended). You leave the club and follow her back to her place. Turns out she lives in a pretty tidy and sparse apartment down the road from the club. She leaves you on her couch to go "slip into something more comfy" and goes into what looks like her bedroom. Feeling like you just won the lottery you begin to check out her apartment, it's pretty empty except for a desk with some papers on it and a bookcase. The desk looks like it has newspaper clippings on it and the bookcase has some strange looking books on it. Feeling a little paranoid what do you do? > You search the bookcase After looking through the titles of the book you find that they are all on vampire myths and legends. However there is one that catches your eye out of all of them, it is labeled as "Diary of a vampire" and it intrigues you. Looking through the diary you find that it mentions a nightclub and a gullible guy with cheesy pickup lines trying to get into the owner's panties. The owner of the diary then goes into detail of how they want to dismember the guy after they drain them. You are horrified to find all of the similarities and find that you only have two choices you can either confront "Sarah" as she signs at the bottom of the diary or you can run for your life. Which do you choose?<|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>Day Zero. You wake up, it seems like a normal day. A little too normal.... > You go To Work You put your clothes on and head to work. Regardless of the abnomal normality of this day, the bills need to be paid. You walk down the street to your local 7/11 ,head to the back room and put on your work clothes. > You time to Work You spend the rest of the day working, your 9-5 job goes by as normal as ever. At little too normal.... > You well works done, let's go home You change back to your normal clothing and walk back home. There's not much to do so you make some food, play some games, masterbate and fall to sleep. Everything was just too normal though... > You day One Suppose it makes sense nothing unusual happens until the first day. After all, if anything happened the day before then that would have been considered the first day, now wouldn't it have. Before you wake up, let's reflect on who you are so you don't die to some random incident due to some crazy issue you had that you should have known you had all along since you are you. Anyways.... Name: James Age: 23 Sex: Yes Please Male Occupation: Clerk at 7/11 (Full time) Intelligence: Average Strength: Average Stamina: Low Weapon Experience: You can swing a melee weapon, then again anyone can do that.....that's it Relationships: You got a best friend who lives next store (Bob) and your family (Mom/Dad/younger Sister) lives across town, that's it. Don't you get lonely? Driving: You can drive fine, but sadly you cannot afford a car right now. Special Traits : None, you are an average bastard > You guess it's time to wake up You wake up at 8am, take a shower, throw on some clothes and turn on the local news. Everything seems to go just like it did yesterday, and the news is pretty much the same. Except all the normal murder stories are replaced by animal attacks and riots. The news doesn't say anything specific, no mention of zombies or anything, but the potential is still there... > You go to work anyways You decide to head to work anyways, you need money if you're going to finally buy a car and you have bills to pay. Nothing unusual happens on the way to work, nor for the first 3 hours. However at noon the news starts to say some interesting things. It's saying that the attacks and riots this morning are actually due to a new virus. They instruct everyone to return to their homes and wait until further instructions. No one arrives for the next hour, and finally your boss calls and tells you to go home. You change and proceed to head home, but then something different happens. > You well it's about damn time You exit the employee room, and find a customer standing just inside of the entrance to the store. He seems pretty out of it. You tell him the store is closed and he turns to you. His clothing is covered in blood, and his eyes seem completely black. He starts to stumble towards you. You continue to yell at him, angry that he is ignoring you. Finally, when he's just out of arm's reach, you realize hes probably been infected with that virus you heard about on the news. You hate to admit it, but he's probably a zombie. (Well no shit Sherlock) So, what's the plan? > You wrestle Him You um...decide the best course of action is to wrestle a zombie. Perhaps "average intelligence" was a bit too generous... Regardless, you slip behind the zombie and put him in a chokehold. You lean back, fall to the floor, and wrap your legs around him. Now usually this is the part where the person would slowly lose consciousness, and you would then let go and kick them a few times for good measure. Sadly this person is a zombie and can't lose consciousness. As such, his continous struggle eventually gets him out of your iron grip, and he bites your arm. We could go further into the story, but you can guess what your ending is now. [Death]<|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>You exit the employee room, and find a customer standing just inside of the entrance to the store. He seems pretty out of it. You tell him the store is closed and he turns to you. His clothing is covered in blood, and his eyes seem completely black. He starts to stumble towards you. You continue to yell at him, angry that he is ignoring you. Finally, when he's just out of arm's reach, you realize hes probably been infected with that virus you heard about on the news. You hate to admit it, but he's probably a zombie. (Well no shit Sherlock) So, what's the plan? > You avoid him and exit the store You avoid the man and exit the store. He looks pretty dangerous what with being covered in blood and all. You lock up behind you, effectively trapping the man inside. You don't care though, whoever works next can deal with him. You walk home and throw on the news to see exactly what this new virus is. > The News The news says that the new virus causes people to become hyper agressive, and that it is passed by the transfer of bodily fluids. They advise again that everyone stay indoors and wait for further instructions. Further in the day a video is shown on the news, the nature of the video makes it appear as if the news itself was not the one showing it. The video shows a man and one of the "infected", he says that they are like zombies from movies and such. The two are outside, it appears to be a parking lot but you can't tell what the building is and there are no cars. He says there is no cure and that everyone should put their "Zombie Survival Plan" into full effect. He then shoots the newly dubbed zombie in the head, and instructs that the only way to kill them is to damage the brain, however destroying their legs can render them pretty harmless as well. He continues and says that they are slow, and you can outrun them, however they never get tired. Pretty detailed for the first day of the infection. By now it's pretty late, you've been watching the news so intently that you've lost track of time, you go to sleep and decide that tommorow you'll put your Zombie Survival Plan into full effect! > You day Two You wake up to day two of the infection. Only now do you realize that you don't actually have a zombie plan. Well no worries. The infection is still in its early stages, and it should be at least a few days until all hell breaks loose. Until then you can probably walk the streets with no worries. Probably... So, what's the plan? > You go next door to your buddy Bob's You decide to go see your buddy Bob. You exit your house, lock it, and walk next door. You knock on the door and he answers. "Hey James, wanna get high...." Bob says, answering the door and showing you some weed. > You fuck Yea! You nod your head and enter. The next few hours go by quickly. Well, at least you think they do.... > You hours Later Hours later you remember why you came to Bob's house in the first place. "Hey...hey Bob" *cough* "Sup?" "You know there's like, zombies out right now. Right?" "Shit....shit really?" "Yea" "Fuck man. I thou-" Bob's comment is interupted by a knock on the door, a slow heavy pound. > You idiots can't knock right You go to the door and look through the peephole. Bob comes up behind you and tries to look through, but you push him back. Outside there's a girl, Bob's girlfriend if you're not mistaken. Sadly his girlfriend is in bad condition, in fact shes missing an arm. Clearly she's a zombie, which begs the question... Should you open the door? > Yes You open the door....really? You honestly thought that opening the door for the one-armed chick who is clearly a zombie fell into the "good idea" category? Well you did it anyways. The girl's knocking arm misses the door and instead hits you in the chest. It doesn't hurt, but she grabs onto your shirt and lunges forward at your neck. You attempt to fight her off, and are somewhat successful. Although you keep her face away from your neck, you both fall down to the floor, her landing on top of you. Using all your strength you push her off of you and towards the door. She ends up in a sitting position at the base of your feet. This entire time Bob is just staring at the two of you. Finally he does something. "Dude, that's Claire right!" Actually it's Casey, but this isn't the time to correct him and lecture him on how he should at least know the name of the girl he's dating. You attempt to crawl away from her but unfortunately she grabs your foot and takes a large bite into your ankle. You kick her in the face with your good foot and manage to get her outside the door, the quickly lean forward and shut the door. But you've been bit, so your story ends here. Also you eat Bob, but that bastard kind of deserved it for not helping you anyways. [Death]<|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>You go to the door and look through the peephole. Bob comes up behind you and tries to look through, but you push him back. Outside there's a girl, Bob's girlfriend if you're not mistaken. Sadly his girlfriend is in bad condition, in fact shes missing an arm. Clearly she's a zombie, which begs the question... Should you open the door? > You course Not You turn away from the door. There's no way in hell you're opening it and letting her inside. "Who's that?" Bob says. "Errr....wrong number" "Oh..." Bob walks away, apparently believing that the person knocking at the door had the wrong number. You throw on the TV and watch the news for the next few hours, forgetting all about the reason you came over to begin with.... Hours later you remember though (good thing right?). > You time for "The talk" Hours later you tell Bob that zombies have risen, and go into a detailed description of your day. "Woah...sounds rough." "Yeah, well least I'm alive. So what's your zombie plan?" Bob stands up from the couch and walks to his room. He comes back and throws a piece of paper at you. He actually had a zombie plan... You read it and it's not the most detailed, but it's better than your plan....of nothing.... You decide that in may be in your best interest to stay with him. Then again the guy can be very unpredictable, and when his weed runs out he'll probably get pretty pissed. But then again, he has a shotgun and you have no weapons at your place. Though trusting this guy with a shotgun makes you feel a bit uncomfortable. > You stay with Bob You decide Bob's plan is better than yours, and depending on what you've done you may not even have the supplies needed to survive on your own. A week passes and things happen. The military comes by in a caravan and tries to pick people up, but the two of you decide to stay inside (you were also scared they would find the weed). After picking people up the miltary attempts to control the situation, but they fail quite badly. People and zombies alike attack, but Bob's house holds out, at least for the first two months. The weed ran out after the first month, naturally Bob was pretty upset at first, but he dealt with it without going apeshit on you. > You phase 2 Interlude Well, this is a bit awkward.... Let's just say due to some constraints in the system and whatnaught you have to come here before Phase 2 can begin. Suppose a congratulations is in order, then again you only beat the first of three sections. Not to mention unless you were a dumbass (or having fun) you shouldn't have died at all. Common sense was all that was required to survive. Good luck in the next section, it requires slightly more thinking. Also there was one actual ending in phase 1, see if you can get it later. Here's something to help you on your journey.<|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>You decide to go see your buddy Bob. You exit your house, lock it, and walk next door. You knock on the door and he answers. "Hey James, wanna get high...." Bob says, answering the door and showing you some weed. > You drugs are bad mkay... You shake your head. "It's not optional", Bob says in an angry tone. "Kay...."<|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>You wake up to day two of the infection. Only now do you realize that you don't actually have a zombie plan. Well no worries. The infection is still in its early stages, and it should be at least a few days until all hell breaks loose. Until then you can probably walk the streets with no worries. Probably... So, what's the plan? > You go get supplies You decide to get supplies. Sadly you do not have a car, so your place for supplies is the local grocery store, a good 15 minute walk. You walk there with no issues, however everyone seems to have the same idea you do, and are all stocking up on supplies. You enter the store and see complete chaos. Well, what now? > You go back home You go back home, since you'd prefer not to die just to get some food. You return with no issues and decide on your next course of actions. > You go to you parent's house You decide to be a momma's boy and head to your parent's house. I mean, who else would know better how to survive zombies than your parents, right? It's a long walk, and since you won't be carrying anything (or returning for that matter) you ride your bike there. The journey takes an hour and along the way you notice various people taking part in riots, causing violence and eating each other. Though you hope those last ones were actually zombies. You hope... > You get to your parent's house and.... You arrive and put your bike in the garage. Everyone should be home what with the news telling everyone to be at home and all. You enter through the front door and are greeted by you parents. You explain the situation as you know it and they explain that the military is coming, soon. They say within a week they will be here and then they will take everyone to a "safe location". Until then your family will wait it out in their home. They have enough food for a week easily, and your dad has already started boarding up the house. They insist you stay with them, but since you're a big boy they don't plan to keep you here by force. It sounds like a good deal, wait a bit then be rescued by the miltary. There might be some sort of catch, but for now you don't know what it is. > You stay with your family You decide your best bet is to stay with your family. You doubt that the military will be as bad as they are in the movies during these times, so you're sure they can help you. Well, kinda sure... Regardless of if they can or cannot help, you and your father board up the rest of the house and your family waits out the week. Mant games of scrabble are played. Sadly you suck at scrabble, which makes this week one of your least favourite weeks ever (the zombies made it pretty bad too). Then the military finally arrives. > You well it's about damn time The military arrives a week after the start of the outbreak. True to their word, they begin calling out to people in the middle of the street to come outdoors and be picked up. Any nearby zombies stand no chance, as the military caravan consists of armoured vehicles which can handle the small amount nearby easily. You family opens the front door for the first time in a week and runs to the caravan. You kick the scrabble board for good measure before following them outside. You approach one of the transport vehicles (the one you family ran to before you) and are greated by a soldier. "Greetings", the soldier says as you approach, "what brings you out here?". > You [Moan like a zombie] You make various noises to try and mimic a zombie. Now why the hell would you do that? The soldier, in all of his 30 minutes of experience with zombies, has no idea that you are in fact, not one. As a result, he instinctively shoots you. No worries though, he has been trained properly and gives you a clean shot between the eyes. You don't even have time to scream. [Death]<|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>The military arrives a week after the start of the outbreak. True to their word, they begin calling out to people in the middle of the street to come outdoors and be picked up. Any nearby zombies stand no chance, as the military caravan consists of armoured vehicles which can handle the small amount nearby easily. You family opens the front door for the first time in a week and runs to the caravan. You kick the scrabble board for good measure before following them outside. You approach one of the transport vehicles (the one you family ran to before you) and are greated by a soldier. "Greetings", the soldier says as you approach, "what brings you out here?". > You say "I want to come" "I want to come." "Well fair enough, come on in!" the soldier replies, motioning for you to come in. You hop in and ride out into the sunset, just like some old western movie... > You epilogue - Family Ha! Like you'd actually get a real epilogue. You choose the fastest way out of the city. You and your family make it to the shelter and are protected by the military. You get news a little later that Bob was killed, cause of death was zombies. You live the rest of your life in the shelter. Sure the food is crap, the military is full of assholes, and there's not much to do, but hey you're alive right? Stats You got the First Epilogue available in the game. You survived Phase One. You got the Mediocre Ending. You got the achievement : Family Man<|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>The military arrives a week after the start of the outbreak. True to their word, they begin calling out to people in the middle of the street to come outdoors and be picked up. Any nearby zombies stand no chance, as the military caravan consists of armoured vehicles which can handle the small amount nearby easily. You family opens the front door for the first time in a week and runs to the caravan. You kick the scrabble board for good measure before following them outside. You approach one of the transport vehicles (the one you family ran to before you) and are greated by a soldier. "Greetings", the soldier says as you approach, "what brings you out here?". > You say "I want to pillage and rape this town " "I want to pillage and rape this town", you reply. "You do eh...." The soldier says, looking you up and down. "Well see, I can't let you do that, so, uh...." The soldier thinks about what to do in this situation and decides that it's best to shoot you in the leg. You scream out in pain and hear your family protest, but the soldier ignores them and the vehicle drives away. You manage to crawl to the sidewalk but the pain of the shot is too much and you faint due to blood lose. Shortly after, a crowd of zombies stumble by. I'm sure you can guess what they plan to do with you.... [Death]<|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>You arrive and put your bike in the garage. Everyone should be home what with the news telling everyone to be at home and all. You enter through the front door and are greeted by you parents. You explain the situation as you know it and they explain that the military is coming, soon. They say within a week they will be here and then they will take everyone to a "safe location". Until then your family will wait it out in their home. They have enough food for a week easily, and your dad has already started boarding up the house. They insist you stay with them, but since you're a big boy they don't plan to keep you here by force. It sounds like a good deal, wait a bit then be rescued by the miltary. There might be some sort of catch, but for now you don't know what it is. > You go back to your place You decide you're better off not trusting the miltary to this, you ponder on the idea of convincing your parent's and sister to not trust them but decide their best chance is to. After all a zombie world is no place for a family.... You say what may be your last goodbyes to your family and head back to your house, it takes a while but once again you beat all odds and return unharmed (though you're pretty damn tired by now). Too tired to try and get supplies you decide to just walk next door to Bob's house and see what his plan is. > You see what Bob's plan is You go next door to Bob's house. He answers the door, clearly high. Not bothering to ask him anything in this state, you enter and close the door behind you. He stares at you the whole time with a blank look on his face, but says nothing. Moments later you hear knocking on the door. A slow, heavy knock.<|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>You decide to get supplies. Sadly you do not have a car, so your place for supplies is the local grocery store, a good 15 minute walk. You walk there with no issues, however everyone seems to have the same idea you do, and are all stocking up on supplies. You enter the store and see complete chaos. Well, what now? > You go to where most people are - those are the supplies you want You decide to go where everyone else is, because following the crowd is sometimes a good thing. Right? You try and get a shopping cart through the crowd but give up, there's far too many people. You instead reach out and grab as much food as you can in your arms. However this is where your plan of following the crowd fails you. You see, some not-so-friendly people with guns had the same idea. They also seem to not be big fans of large crowds, and so they shoot in the air and into the crowd a few times. Most people are uninjured and run away, as gang of men have made their point. Sadly you are not in the group that survived, because you were shot in the leg. Now of course, a shot in the leg isn't fatal, but it did cause you to fall to the ground. Then what was your cause of death you ask? The large crowd of people who trampled you to escape was. Hey, at least you weren't eaten. [Death]<|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>You decide to get supplies. Sadly you do not have a car, so your place for supplies is the local grocery store, a good 15 minute walk. You walk there with no issues, however everyone seems to have the same idea you do, and are all stocking up on supplies. You enter the store and see complete chaos. Well, what now? > You go to where no one is, it's safer that way You decide to avoid the large crowd of people and go to the less populated areas. The pickings are slim, but you manage to get your buggy at least half full with food. You should be able to survive at least a few months with this much. You hear a few gunshots from a couple of isles over, followed by a mass of people running out of the store. You take this as your cue to leave, and quickly run out of the store pushing your buggy of food. You get out fine, and your journey home is uneventful. You hope you don't run into those who made the gunfire later. Well now you're home, you got food, next step is to.... > You barracade and wait it out You decide to barracade your house and wait things out. You grab various tools and pieces of wood, then board up all your windows and doors. The next two months pass by and many things happen. Many, many things.... > You well what happened? A week after the events of the first day of the infection various things happened. Panic happened, riots happened. Real ones, not the initial ones which were actually just zombies causing havoc. Martial Law is put into effect, though it only lastws a few weeks before the military was over-run. Fighting the zombies head on was a bad idea but the military didn't learn this fast enough. They came by with caravans originally and picked up anyone who was willing to come with them. Then they created blockades and such to try and contain the problem. But eventually they were over-run. Your home is attacked a few times, but nothing major. A few gun fights happened just outside as well, but you survive. You've lost a bit of weight, but you're alive and well...ish. Two months have passed and for the past week it's been very quiet outside. No zombies, no people, nothing. Good thing too, because you're out of food and need to do leave the house now. Oh and congratulations, you survived Phase 1 of the zombies.<|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>You exit the employee room, and find a customer standing just inside of the entrance to the store. He seems pretty out of it. You tell him the store is closed and he turns to you. His clothing is covered in blood, and his eyes seem completely black. He starts to stumble towards you. You continue to yell at him, angry that he is ignoring you. Finally, when he's just out of arm's reach, you realize hes probably been infected with that virus you heard about on the news. You hate to admit it, but he's probably a zombie. (Well no shit Sherlock) So, what's the plan? > You try and reason with him You continue to yell at the man, determined to get through to him. When he finally reaches you he grabs ahold of you and gives you a heartfelt hug. It seems you finally got through to him. Wait...no....no that's not a hug! The man grabs a hold of you and proceeds to bite your neck, ripping out the flesh from it. You fall to the floor and bleed out. Good thing you bleed out quickly, being eaten alive sure is painful. [Death]<|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>You wake up at 8am, take a shower, throw on some clothes and turn on the local news. Everything seems to go just like it did yesterday, and the news is pretty much the same. Except all the normal murder stories are replaced by animal attacks and riots. The news doesn't say anything specific, no mention of zombies or anything, but the potential is still there... > You call in sick and see how everything progresses You call in sick, you don't feel like being involved in any riots or being murdered. Nothing new appears until noon, when they announce that the cause of all of this violence is a new virus, and that everyone should stay indoors until further notice. Good thing you didn't go to work. <|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>You have just run your sword through the last of the 6 bandits when you hear a cry for help. You jog over to a large chest. Upon opening it, you find a beautiful girl locked in with a rather large amount of gold. "You must be Amelia" you say, as you boldly lift her from the chest. "I am!" she replies breathlessly, "You must have gotten my hidden message! Thank you for rescuing me. The way you challenged all the bandits to a sword fight at the same time was so very heroic!" You lean closer.... You wake up and take in your surroundings, holding a tiny hope that one of your dreams had been reality and not just fantasy. But all you see is your one room hut, mostly empty and worn down. "Last night it was a dream about escaping from an amazing tower of riddles ruled by an evil magician and today it's a hero rescuing princesses... I must be losing it." You get out of bed, get dressed and take stock. One bed, a desk with your open pack and a chair by the cooking fire are all the furniture in the room. You slowly re-fill your pack with your cloths and hunting gear. The fire went out during the night leaving the room dank and chilled so, realizing you had no reason left to hang around, you stuff your sleeping sheet into you pack, sling it over your shoulders and head to the door. Looking out you see the dirt streets and hastily built shacks of the work camp you've been living in the past few months. Do you: > You head off to talk to the foreman You quickly walk through the camp towards the mine, looking in the empty shacks as you pass. Now that the mine is running and producing silver, all the temporary staff brought in to dig out the initial tunnels have been laid off. You were one of the last to go as you were one of the most experienced but tomorrow the shacks would all be torn down and only the huddle of nicer buildings would remain to house the permanent miners and those needed to support them. You arrive at the entrance to the mine and see the Foreman sending the last of his men inside. He calls you over. "Well, you've done a good job for us but I can't keep you on our books any longer. The mine's bringing up silver and they've sent down some official to assess our operation. Sadly, that means he will be checking our payroll so there wont be any room for us to hire out side jobs for a few months." You knew the job was only temporary so you tell him that it's alright and thank him for keeping you on after most others had been laid off. He hands you a small purse with your pay. You start to head off when he calls after you. "I heard a rumor that another mine might be opening a few days walk north of here... Can't say if its true or not but there may be a few months worth of work up there if it is." You wave your thanks and head out of the camp towards the road. It takes just over an hour to reach it so as you walk you think back on your recent dreams. In the tower of riddles you hadn't been much of a traditional sword swinging hero but you had shown great wits and intelligence to escape. In this morning's dream you had been a bold adventurer able to take on 6 ruthless bandits at the same time without breaking a sweat. Comparing it to your own life so far, you think its no wonder you're having escapist dreams. Your name is "Glor". Your mother once told you that traditionally, babies are named after the first thing a father says when a child is born. (This often causes no end of contrived first exclamations from new fathers) Your own father, upon hearing it was a boy, had strode into the room and started saying "Glory be!" (Obviously thinking Glory was a good manly name) Unfortunately, when he saw what a birthing room was like a few seconds after the deed he only managed, "Glorrr..." Most couples iron over the small details like this and name the child what the parent 'meant' to say, but your mother had a wicked sense of humor so Glor stuck fast. You grew up in a small section of the city called the "Old Quarter" near the docks and factories. Your family could only be described as the working poor, the people who do all the dirty and less desirable jobs that keep a city running. Your father worked hard and brought in enough money to keep you all fed, but 4 years after you were born, your mother passed away while giving birth to a stillborn child. Your father still worked but as a broken man and you were mostly brought up by friends and their families around the area. Once you hit your teens, you took any small jobs you could get. Cleaning, hauling, and off-loading ships - no job was too humble or dirty. You spent the rest of your time hanging round the docks and warehouses chatting to sailors about other cities and lands. Not that yours is a sob story. Many had it much worse than you in those days. Lack of jobs sent more and more people into the Old Quarter and many families didn't survive their first years there. You had good friends and old family ties that took care of you when you needed, so it wasn't all bad. Once you were old enough you joined a mining expedition and set off into the hills to make your fortune. Well, to dig holes while other people made their fortunes even bigger, but, it was a wage and a start. You had stayed up North since then, taking mine and farm jobs wherever you could. You claimed you were saving your coin and preparing to head back to the city but the years passed and you stayed, doing manual labor in mines. This latest job had brought you the closest you'd been to the city in years, even if it was still days of hard travel away. Your thoughts are interrupted as you reach the road. You take a good look around but see no-one in either direction. To the North, the road roughly follows the line of the hills; to the south, it disappears onto the plains, where it turns slowly east towards the city. You feel an urge to turn south and see the city again. There's certainly been more mining expeditions sent out recently, so maybe things have improved there. The money you just got paid for the months at the mine would keep you going for at least half a year if you're careful. On the other hand, if there is a new mine starting North, a few more well paid months away from the city won't change your situation for the worse. You think to yourself one more mine job without a break between would get enough for a years living when you got back. Should you make you way back South to the city or try your luck in the mine to the North? > You head North. You turn Northward up the road thinking that the rumors of a new mine are too good an opportunity to pass up, and hey, even if it's false you don't mind spending an extra week or two on the road. You pull out some of your dried meat and start eating as you walk, thinking you should probably set some traps and snares when you make camp that night to stock up some fresh meat. You spend an uneventful day walking North and see no other travellers. An hour or so before dusk you start looking for a place to camp. You can camp on the roadside, head into the trees to the east for cover while you sleep or walk an hour or so to the foothills west and hope for a spring or cave. > You it would be good to find a cave to sleep in, head West You walk for an hour west and reach the larger hill. After some searching you find a game trail that leads to a cave and just have time to build a small fire before night sets in. You didn't find a stream but you're sure you'll come across one tomorrow. You quickly lay a few snares just out of the reach of the firelight then retreat into the cave for the night. <|endoftext|> <|startoftext|> Get ready for your wonderful adventure. There are many possible endings. The story is LONG, but there are many different ways to die if you do the wrong thing and your adventure will be very short. SO go ahead and start your adventure.. > You start your adventure You clench and grit your teeth. This time,you promise myself. This time, you won’t scream. And yet, you cannot cover your ears when a deafening scream escapes your lips, followed by another and another after that. Your back stings but nothing and no one will soothe it. It burns, but he won’t stop, and the people around you just sadly shake their head at you in disappointment while the children all look away and hide behind their mom’s robe. He lashes out again and you feel not one but two wounds burst open. Something warm, sticky, and nasty covers your back. Blood.You hear whispers around you: “Disgusting!” “What a shame.” You want to cry, but don't want to give the man beating you the satisfaction.<|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>Welcome to the Insanity Complex. We hope you enjoy your stay (or not...). (Remember to save your game frequently.) Shall we begin? > You yes! Let's begin! The sun shining through the small window above you wakes you up. You are lying on the soft bed in what appears to be a small room. You sit up suddenly, shocked by what you see around you. You don't remember how you got here or ever being in this place before. How did you get here? Next to your bed is a chest of drawers on the left and some shelves on the right. Maybe these could give you a clue. > You have a closer look at the shelves. You check the shelves. They are bolted to the wall. You see three pairs of clothing on the top shelf. These are made up of a shirt and a pair of trousers. One pair is purple, one is pink and one is blue. You know these aren't your clothes. You look at yourself. You are wearing what appears to be pyjamas. What do you do next? > You put on the purple clothes. Right, that's better. Even though it's not your clothing it feels fresher than those pyjamas. You have a look at the bottom shelf. There is a bottle. You read it. Quitiapine 400mg MISS TINA OWENS Take one twice daily. Right. Now at least you can remember your name. Quitiapine? That's an antipsychotic! Your heart begins to race. You decide not to take it before you figure out what's going on. You put it in your pocket. <|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>The sun shining through the small window above you wakes you up. You are lying on the soft bed in what appears to be a small room. You sit up suddenly, shocked by what you see around you. You don't remember how you got here or ever being in this place before. How did you get here? Next to your bed is a chest of drawers on the left and some shelves on the right. Maybe these could give you a clue. > You have a closer look at the chest of drawers. Next to your bed is a chest of drawers on the left and some shelves on the right. Maybe these could give you a clue. > You check the chest of drawers You have a look a the chest of drawers. It seems old and rickety. It is shoddily bolted to the wall and the floor. Why is everything bolted down? > You open the drawers. All the drawers are empty except the bottom one. It contains a notebook and pencil. You take them.<|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>Sat on the cold, stone floor of the Blood Temple, you stare at the marbles in front of you. Three marbles, three lives. All must be sacrificed for you to continue living. One marble, lilac in colour, reminds you of flowers that bloom in early spring. Another is a deep turquoise, resemblent of the sea and its wonders. The last is ruby red, beautiful but fierce. > You lilac Marble You stare into the lilac-coloured marble. You are transported into another’s life. ‘Come on, hurry up!’ you cry, seeing through the eyes of a little girl, dressed in an old lilac dress. You have no control over your actions or words. As you run through the centre of a small hamlet, some other children follow behind you. A red-faced, chubby boy dressed in some tattered blue clothing starts to fall behind. ‘Wait for me, Vyrpa!’ he shouts. You just laugh, shouting back, ‘maybe you should hurry up, slowpoke!’ So the boy just carries on running. Early the next day, the same boy knocks on your door. You run straight past him, calling, ‘catch me if you can, slowpoke!’ The boy sighed, and runs after you. He never catches up with you, but you wait for him by some trees. The boy looks somewhat upset, which makes you feel bad, too. ‘Sorry for being mean, Pim,’ you say to him. Pim hugs you. ‘Don’t be sorry, Vyrpa. I am a slowpoke. I’ll never be as fast as you!’ You laugh. ‘Maybe not – after all, I am the fastest in the world!’ You strike a pose, making Pim laugh. But then your expression turns deadly serious. ’Don’t think bad things about yourself. You’re wonderful. Keep on running, and one day, you’ll be the fastest person ever!’ > Another Life You snap out of your vision. The lilac-coloured marble rolls away from you. You catch it before it escapes; you may need it later. > You turquoise Marble You stare into the turquoise-coloured marble. You are transported into another’s life. You, seeing through the eyes of a beautiful young woman, stand on the edge of a cliff. ‘Jump, you’ll be happy then,’ speaks a voice from the deepest, darkest corners of your mind. You have no control over your actions or speech. Your turquoise eyes glimmer in the light of the setting sun. All you ever wanted was peace. But fear takes over and your body begins to shake. ‘Just do it!’ snaps the voice. ‘You’ll never be happy if you don’t!’ ‘But… there are so many people who love me,’ you reply, quivering. ‘Love you? They don’t love you, they never did!’ the voice taunts. You stare at the rocks below – is this really what you want? You feel useless, as if possessed, as you edge closer towards the steep drop into the ocean. A man appears behind you. He shouts for you to stop. You spin around, your face cast in an unnatural shadow. ‘Please, Derra!’ the man pleads. ‘Don’t do this! I love you, I..’ ‘SHUT UP!’ you interrupt. ‘You don’t love me! You just want me to be miserable, you want me to suffer.’ You stare longingly at the rocks below. ‘An instant death,’ you mutter. ‘You want to keep it from me…’ Tears are streaming down both faces. > The Last Life You snap out of your vision. The turquoise-coloured marble rolls away from you. You catch it before it escapes; you may need it later.<|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>You wake up. In the middle of nowhere. Your head hurts and your feet are asleepl. Your name is...you can't remember. You wonder how you got here. It seems like you're in a tower. A dimly lit tower without any windows. This doesn't look good. You walk around. Maybe if you explore a bit, you'd be able to find out what you are doing here. > You walking... You step on a crumpled piece of paper. Have a look at it before you leave. (You will drop this on the next page.)<|endoftext|> <|startoftext|> You; "I've always thought of myself as one of the fortunate ones. Always had friends, top of my class, y'know. Until 3 weeks ago. I started getting these headaches. All The Time... I was scared, so I went to the doctors. They told me it was a tumor. And I had to have it taken out. Fast. So here I am. At the hospital, in this bed, in this room. They say I should be asleep soon. I don't feel sleepy. What if the anesthetic isn't working!? Oh wait............................... > You continue Opening my eyes, I see a bright white light. And I see my mum, next to me. She's holding my hand. You; "Did it work?" Nothing. You; "Mum?" Nothing. You; "MUM! MUM! MUM?" I'm so scared, it this it? Am I dead? Is this what being dead is? I'm going to see everything!? Oh, God help me!!! You; "Mum? Mum?!" What's that? I hear...footsteps... ???; "Shut up already!" You; "Who are you? What have you DONE to me?!" ???; "Calm down already!" She muttered something under her breath that sounded something like "by Odin...". Turning to see her, I could tell that she was roughly my age, with pale blonde curls and extremely bright blue eyes. She appeared to be in HD, compared to the room around me, which was pale and blurry. I then noticed she seemed to be on the other side of a window. But there was no window there... ???; "Look, just trust me, she isn't going to hear you. So just give up already, your noise is annoying me." You; "Who the hell are you?!" ???: "Name's Valkyrie, kid. But just call me Val. Someone's a long way from Kansas, huh?" You; "Very funny. " Val; "Are you gonna get up, or what?" You; "Huh?" Val; "Look down." Looking down, I saw myself, lying asleep on the bed next to mum. I looked back up. Then down again. I was separated from my body! I jumped out of the bed, and clambered through the window, to where Valkyrie stood. You; "Am I..." Val; "Dead? No, but you will be if you don't hurry." What the hell did she mean? > You ... I stared at her blankly. Val; "Don't you wanna know what you gotta do?" You; "Sure, whatever" Val; "Jeez, could you sound LESS phazed by all this?" You; "Not if I tried." > You ... Val; "Haha" She giggled girlishly. "I like you, kid. All you gotta do is find the door!" I looked around. The hospital room had completely vanished. All I saw was white. There was no door. You; "Easier said than done! How long do I have?!" Val; "Didn't you ever read "Cinderella"? You have til midnight! So...six hours from now!" I began saying "How did you know that without a watch?", but Val grabbed my arm and dragged me forward. On the horizon, I saw the faint shadow of a large castle. Val; "There. That's where you'll find it. Follow me" > You attack Val I pounced, aiming straight for her head. My fist passed straight through her, like she was a hologram or something. Then she faded away, leaving behind four mocking words; "You're on your own" I never saw her again. I never found the door. I never escaped. And so I remain. Wandering. Lost for all eternity... There was only the light. > The End So now that you finished Valhalla, how would you rate it? Note that the author will not see your individual rating; you will have a chance to leave a personal comment once you select a rating. 1 - stay away. far, far away 2 - good ... for you to poop on 3 - choose your own boredom 4 - slightly more fun than homework 5 - not the best, certainly not the worst 6 - it's worth every cent 7 - even better than Reeses' Cups® 8 - it will bring you enlightenment If you really don't feel like leaving a rating, you can always click here to continue to the comments screen. Not sure what to rate? Check out the tips for Rating And Leaving Comments.<|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>You remember a blood-red desert, a black sky dotted with stars, three full moons glowing above, and a silver palace nestled among the crimson dunes. The palace was a like a blossoming metallic flower with towers curving from its bell. In the tallest tower lived you and your wife, royal couple of a quiet kingdom. You remember your reflection in a full-length mirror: a tall, thin young man with dark brown skin, black hair and beautiful dark eyes staring from a delicately framed face, a crown of silver laurels on your brow. Your wife you recall as equally tall and dark and beautiful. Prince and Princess of this dream kingdom, you both were draped in shimmering silver robes. Few people visited you in your chambers, other than servants bringing trays of food and drink, and your Minister of State who would come to you with questions of statecraft. Then, silence. Darkness. Only your wife’s mind could reach you through this infinite black silence. The two of you drifted together in this void. Eventually, after an immeasurable time, you feel heat and with it cold. You feel vibration. Soon you can focus with your minds till the heat takes on shapes and the vibration sound. With more time you can focus the heat and cold into light and darkness, first as blurry images, and then as the sight of one color blind. At last, color emerges. You and your princess look about you. There are many others here, but they are still and lifeless. You look at your wife. She has the grinning face of a boy, carved of rosewood and with big blue painted eyes and a carved swirl of yellow painted hair. She (now he) wears a dark blue top and white slacks and black shoes. On the princess’s hands are white cotton gloves. Looking at you, your princess explains that you are a girl with a rosewood mask of a face, wide green-painted eyes, and long hair (not carved like your companion’s, but hanging darkly down your shoulders like real hair). You wear a similar outfit. Where are we? You ask the princess. The princess looks around at the vast plain peopled with seemingly-dead beings with forms like yours. I, I don’t know. But the space we are in is gigantic. Look how high the ceiling is. And your wife was right. A crystal fixture glowed from a blue ceiling many stories above your heads. Who are our companions? You send a greeting from your mind to the nearest figure, a round-faced boy with a wide-opened mouth. No reply. He just sits there and continues staring into the void you’d come from. It is not much later that the two of you discover that you do have a living companion. A giant. He is a stout elderly man with heavy jowls and graying dark-brown hair combed back from a receding hairline. Horn-rimmed glasses perch on his large nose. He shuffles into the vast room you and your princess live in and talks to the two of you and smiles. Terrified of his immense size, the two of you remain as inanimate as your companions on the white wooden plain you now call home. His words are of some strange language and it is many, many days before you and the princess can figure out what he is saying. He calls himself Uncle Shrevnetz and he always dotes on the two of you and confesses that both of you are his favorite dolls. The word “doll” is at first alien to you, but the meaning eventually became obvious: a toy figurine. He calls you Mary Beth Brown and your wife Wilky William. Not recalling your real names, you and your wife agree to adopt these monikers until the two of you can discover your birth names. How did we become like this? Asks Wilky William one day when Uncle Shrevnetz is not about. I wish I knew, you reply. But I suppose I should stopping thinking of you as a “she” and you should stop thinking of me as a “he”. Sitting cross-legged before you Wilky William clasps gloved hands together and nods. Agreed. If we should find someone else we can communicate with we wouldn't wish to cause them confusion. So from that day on, you are a girl and your princess, Wilky William, is a boy. Uncle Shrevnetz apparently runs a store that sells dollhouses which he makes in his spare time. You and Wilky William live with the other dolls in a backroom of the store. But Uncle Shrevnetz is so proud of his doll collection that he sometimes gives tours to both adults and children. Occasionally, and overly-enthusiastic boy or girl will reach out to touch a doll, but Uncle Shrevnetz grabs their hand and says, “Now, now. These dolls are so pretty because little paws don’t mess with them,” and that ends that. He spends his lunch break sitting with his two favorite dolls and reading to both of you from children’s books. Now and again he will stick himself with a needle. “I’m a diabetic,” he explains. “These syringes contain insulin which keeps me from getting sick.” Sometimes he returns to his work from his break and leaves a book behind. It is Wilky William who suggests the two of you go over these books and try to learn to read the writing of this world. Over a period of months, the two of you begin to make the connections with the words Uncle Shrevnetz says, the colorful pictures on the pages, and the simple words in the text. It is a slow process, but you and Wilky William begin to glean a basic written vocabulary as well as an understanding of numbers. One day, Uncle Shrevnetz comes in with a special visitor. This guest is an elderly black man with a bald head, bushy gray sideburns, and wire-rimmed spectacles. He is heavy-set and has to heave himself about with a gnarly wooden walking stick. “And these,” says Uncle Shrevetz, “are my pride and joy. This is Mary Beth Brown and this is her boyfriend, Wilky William. Guys, this is Doctor Andre Gregory Rozier.” “Please,” says the other man. “I just go by ’Greg’. Oh, but you were right about them being prize specimens, Joe.” Doctor Rozier pears at you and Wilky Willam intently. “The rosewood they are carved from is very rare indeed. There’s only one small wood deep in the forests of Bavaria where this tree grows. Yes, I’ve only seen a few other instances of dolls and puppets made from this.” Uncle Shrevnetz smiles. “Like I said, they’re my pride and joy. No other dolls like this I’ve ever seen.” Doctor Rozier looks at Uncle Shrevnetz with a serious expression. “I really would like to add them to my own collection if it’s possible.” Uncle Shrevnetz’s smile melts into a frown. “No, Greg, I don’t think I could bear to part with my little friends here.” Doctor Rozier reaches a hand into his tweed jacket and pulls out a booklet of long strips of paper. “I’d be willing to pay you a handsome price for these.” “Put your checkbook away, Greg. I won’t part with them.” Uncle Shrevnetz takes a deep breath and grins. “But what kind of a host would I be if I didn't’t offer you a cup of my finest tea. If you’ll come with me.” “Gladly, but may I look at these dolls just a few minutes more?” “Oh, certainly. I’ll heat up the kettle.” Uncle Shrevnetz leaves the room and Doctor Rozier stoops down and smiles at you and Wilky. “Can you understand what I’m saying? Don’t be afraid to nod your heads if you can. I’m not telepathic like you, but I can detect your minds. Don’t worry; I won’t hurt you. I’m just an old Louisiana Hoodoo. You know what that is? I’m a root doctor. I deal with charms and spells. And the spirit realm. I can help you. So I’ll ask again. Can you understand me?” Nervously, you and Wilky nod your heads. Doctor Rozier’s grin widens. He reaches back into his jacket and pulls out a square piece of cardboard and lays it at your feet. You notice there was print on its surface. “This is my card. It has my name and address and phone number. Oh, can you read? I know some of you haven’t learned our alphabet.” You nod again. “Good. Here.” He picks up the card and writes something on its empty backside and then replaces it at your feet. “This is someone like you who lives closer to your town then I do. He’s a ventriloquist dummy. He and his human associate live in McNelly Falls, which is about twenty miles north of here. He remembers much of the old world your kind came from. Yes. You two are not originally from this world. In fact, the both of you hail from another universe entirely. Oh, but I shouldn't keep Joe waiting.” He bows to you and Wilky and exits the room. Wilky examins the card. What should we do? > You escape Uncle Shrevnetz's Shop You and Wilky William agree that it’s best to leave Uncle Shrevnetz so you can learn more about where both of you came from. Wilky suggests that the two of you should take the compass Uncle Shrevnetz has shown you at times. He always told us it only points North. We need to go North anyway, so it will help us not to get lost, he says. You know Uncle Shrevnetz sleeps in a backroom adjacent to the doll room, so you figure he must keep the compass in there. One day, when Uncle Shrevnetz is up front tending the store, you and Wilky drop down off of your shelf and make your way to the door of the doll room. It stands ajar and you and Wilky push it just a crack more to let yourselves out. The door creeks on its hinges and both of you freeze up. Wilky peers around the edge of the door and looks back at you. I don’t think he heard that, he says. Following Wilky you creep across the floorboards of the hall till you arrive at Uncle Shrevnetz’s bedroom. Its door stands open and you and Wilky let out a mental sigh. The bedroom is immaculate. Under an open window is a bed draped in a dark blue bedspread and resting on a wooden frame. Next to the bed is a small table with a lamp covered with a red and yellow glass shade. Stacked in front of the lamp are several hardback books. Wilky looks to you and splays hands in resignation. I don’t see it, he says. Maybe we’re too far down to see the compass. Let’s climb up onto the bed and then we can work our away across and then jump onto that table and take a closer look, you suggest. Wilky agrees with your suggestion and the two of you head to one of the oak legs of the bed frame and shimmy up till both of you are atop the bed. From there it is an easy sprint to the table. You both search and Wilky exclaims when he finds the compass nestled between the stacked books and the lamp. Since Wilky is already carrying Doctor Rozier’s card under his shirt, you grab the compass. You both return to the bed and look up at the window. Wilky scratches his head and looks to you. Do you think we can jump up to the windowsill from here? he asks. I think we’re light enough. Plus, the bed seems pretty springy. Wilky tests your observation and starts hoping up and down. The bed springs squeak loudly as he gets higher and higher off of the mattress. Finally, he is able to bound up to the windowsill. He turns and leans down, waving you to join him. You quickly repeat Wilky’s hopping till you finally are able to leap onto the windowsill. The two of you hug in celebration. Wilky peers over the window ledge. There’s a cluster of bushes right below the window. He turns to you. I guess we should go now, he admits in a sad mental tone. I will miss the old man, you admit. “What is going on here?” You both turn in terror to spy Uncle Shrevnetz standing in the doorway. His jaw falls open as he realizes that his two most favorite dolls are alive. We have to go. Now! demands Wilky. He hops out the window and you hear the bushes rustling as he lands. You look to Uncle Shreventz, who seems paralyzed in a state of shock (or is it fear?). You raise a gloved hand and wave goodby to him and then leap from the window. On your way down through the bushes, you lose the compass and you and Wilky are forced to search for a few minutes before you find it again. Once it's recovered,you slide it under your shirt where it bulges and almost makes you look pregnant. Wilky chides you about that, but then you ask him to pull out the card. The two of you examine it. The ventriloquist dummy's town is supposed to be a lot closer then Henson's Bay, the city where Doctor Rozier currently resides. For beings of your diminutive height, both places seem impossibly long from here. Yet the two of you never need to sleep, although both of you seem to have more energy in the daylight then you do at night. I'm curious to see the dummy, says Wilky. Remember what Uncle Shrevnetz said about dummies? He said they're a kind of hand puppet made of wood. Yes, you admit. That would be interesting. I wonder if the wood is the reason we inhabit these bodies. Doctor Rozier said we're carved from a special wood only found in some place in...in... Bavaria, says Wilky. That's in Germany. Uncle Shrevnetz said his ancestors came from there. Maybe Doctor Rozier could tell us more about how we came to be like this. > You would you like to seek out the Dummy? You and Wilky William agree it would be a good first move to look for the ventriloquist dummy Doctor Rozier mentioned to you. Where do we start, then? you ask Wilky. We head North, of course, he replies. That seems simple enough. Wilky pulls the compass out from under his shirt and looks at it's face. The arrow is pointing behind you so the two of you start walking in that direction. There is a sidewalk to the left of you, but you are afraid of being spotted by the big people so the two of you stay off of it and are sure to scurry into any bushes or tall clumps of grass whenever you spot a human. The going is long but the two of you don't tire physically...although you are beginning to feel a vast weariness settling across your mind. Eventually, you and Wilky reach a corner of the sidewalk. There are cars whizzing by where it ends. There is another part of it that begins in a different direction at the corner ("East" informs Wilky). The two of you turn the corner to continue down the sidewalk when you come across an odd-looking human standing at what appears to be a phone...Pay-phone! you remember from one of the picture books Uncle Shrevnetz once showed you. The human is a young man with Spiky red hair going down his shaved scalp like the crest of a bird. He is wearing a black jacket with metal spikes and a pair of black jeans. At your level are his feet, which are decked out in torn-up-looking red cloth shoes with dirty rubber soles. Next to his feet is a denim bag with circular metal pins that have colorful names printed on them. He appears to be talking on the pay-phone and he doesn't seem to notice the two of you. You and Wilky listen in on his phone conversation: "Look, Ruiz, I'm telling you...We'll be there by tomorrow at the latest. The mechanic says there's a small part in the van carburetor that needs replacing and then he can send us on our merry little way. "What's that? Why? If we're not at your studio, why you gonna charge us? Come on, man...we gotta pay for a spare part and labor from this fix-it shop. We'll still pay you for your studio time. But we're not gonna be there today. "What? ...Okay, look we'll try and be in McNelly Falls by tonight. Good enough? Fine." He slams the phone into the receiver and sighs. Wilky looks to you. He's heading for McNelly Falls! he exclaims in your mind. Yes, but he looks strange. Maybe we should try to cross this street and keep walking North.<|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>Now, child, I suppose you'd be wanting to hear the story of the old Butter Bear. That's always been your favorite, hasn't it? Of course it is, and your mother's favorite, and your brother's too. It's everyone's favorite. Let's see if I can remember how it starts, now. On a crisp October morning little Charlotte sat swinging on her swing. She went up and she went down, and every time she fell through the air her pigtails streamed out behind her. "Whee," she shouted, "whee!" The leaves on the trees were all gold and crimson, and they shimmered in the morning sun. Soon little Charlotte grew bored of just swinging and shouting "whee," and so she decided to sing a little song. You know the song, I'm sure you do. It's a nonsense song, but Charlotte loved it. It goes like this. Look at all the funny fiddle floppers on the floor! And look at how the biffle bonks his nose against the door! Running very quickly comes the cuddly Butter Bear, Look at how he waddles with the butter in his hair! And Charlotte went on singing this little song over and over, and swinging and swinging, and the October breeze kept on rushing against her face. And then, in the distance, she heard another voice join in the singing with her. It was a deep voice, a bubbly voice, a voice that squeaked around the edges. It was such a happy voice that Charlotte stopped swinging and started looking around for whoever was singing. It was a few minutes before she saw him come bounding towards her. And do you know who he was? It was the Butter Bear himself, all brown and fat and wobbly with the butter in his hair! When he finally got to her he stopped, and, taking off his spectacles, peered into Charlotte's face. "I believe you were singing about me?" he asked in that burbling voice. Charlotte looked into his small dark eyes, and she said > You say "Yes I was, Mr. Bear!" A great big smile broke over his face, and the Bear stuck out his tongue and panted like a dog. Charlotte laughed, and the Butter Bear laughed too. "What's your name?" he asked. She answered, and soon they were chatting away like old friends about how pretty the autumn leaves were and how they'd both love a slice of apple pie right now. "Or a piece of warm bread," the Bear added. "I always have some butter!" And he wiped a little form his hairy head with one hairy finger, and stuck it right in his mouth! "Deee-licious!" he burbled. Charlotte was shocked. "But that's poor manners, Mr. Bear. Mother says we mustn't put our fingers in our mouths or lick the plates. And no running around the house like a monkey." "But I'm not a monkey, and neither are you," he answered, and laughed again. He pulled the spectacles off once more and polished them against the shaggy brown fur of his chest. "I can never get them clean. Suppose we walk to the stream? There's a friend of mine down there who might be able to help." He blinked those big dark eyes at the little girl.<|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>A letter arrives in your mailbox and informs you that your Grandfather in dying. He would like to see you before he dies. You pack your things at once and get a good night sleep before the trip. The next day, you are in your pick up truck and heading to your grandfather's house for the first time in many years. The last time you were there, you were only 6 years old. You would play hide and seek in his huge mansion and remember getting lost every time. You were never really close to him but...you can't help but think that he is leaving you something big. > You floor it!!! Vrrrrrrrrooooomm.... You are navigating and driving at the same time when you come to a fork in the road. "That's funny." you think. "The map shows no fork in the road here. One road is dirt and seems to lead into a desert area...a wooden sign reads "Goblin Valley 30 miles." The other road is paved and seems to go on for miles and miles. A sign is posted that says "Interstate 666 junction 100 miles." You find Goblin Valley on the map but it is'nt anywhere near where you need to go and you can't even find Interstate 666. Well, you need to choose one...<|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>The dead branches outside the large window rustle softy in the wind, whispering softly in the pallid light.. Pale snowflakes dance their ghastly dance before they fade away on the frozen ground. Shadows move silently over the floor as the full moon travels through the heavens. A grandfather clock calls nearly inaudible from the hallway, announcing the ghost hour with a faint 'DONG'. The ancient house around you creaks and crunches as if it's stirring in some deep sleep. Your mind barely registers your surroundings as you are sitting inside your comfortable chair. The library is almost completely engulfed by shadows, safe for the dying embers in the hearth next to you. Reading some dusty tome about knowledge which most people have already forgotten, you often forget that the house around you even exists. However, tonight you can't keep your eyes open. Nearly nodding, nearly napping you try to continue reading, but you notice you've already read the same line seven times over. With a sigh, you decide to give in and rest your eyes for a little while. Images from long forgotten times unfold themselves in front of your mind's eye. A garden in spring time. The morning sun shimmers on the surface of a blue lake. Two swans glide side by side near the water's edge. Pebbles crunch as a beautiful woman runs towards you. Wearing a plain white dress, with a skin like... TAP TAP TAP You are roughly awaken by a sudden tapping at your door. Desperately you try to cling on to your memories, but they fade away like shadows before the sun. With one foot still in Morpheus' realm you wonder if the noise was merely part of your dream. With a curt shrug you decide to return to your book, when suddenly... RAP RAP RAP Fear begins to wrap it's shadowy fingers around your heart. 'Tis just some visitor', you mutter to yourself, 'only this, and nothing more'. With a mind still firmly in sweet dream's grasp, but tempted by curiosity, and fear, you decide to... > You open the door. With your hands and legs trembling you lift yourself from your chair. Slowly shuffling trough the cold shadows you feel a chill tingling at your spine. Feeling more and more unsettled you notice the rhythmic swaying of your purple curtains. Against your better judgement this image thrills you, fills you with fantastic terrors, the likes you've never felt before. To still the beating of your heart you stand near the door, repeating to yourself: 'Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door. Some late visitor at my door. But why would a visitor come knocking at my chamber door, in stead of the front... No, do not dwell upon these thoughts. Tis some visitor, and nothing more.' With your trembling hand extended you reach for the gleaming brass knob. As your hand envelops the cold metal you stand frozen in place, neither capable of opening the door, nor relinquishing you grip. While all of your instincts are raging within you, you open the door. The creaking of the rusty hinges pierces your ears and torments your mind. It takes hours before the door is finally open and the darkness of the hallway comes pouring into the library. Shadows and dust whirl around each other, moved by the smallest wind created by opening the door. You gaze at this play when you realize the hallway is empty. Shadows and dust, and nothing more. <|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>I really encourage you to play the first game, or you may be completely lost. If not, here's a quick recap. The main character (you) starts as a ten year old boy in school being picked on by a group of kids belonging to a notorious and powerful organisation known as The Black Hands. You beat the crap out of them and, if you completed the first game to it's true ending, you spent six years living in the forest. One day while you were in town trading, you befriended a feisty young girl named Sparrow. You killed a group of guards who attacked you and ran into your nemesis, Pollux, one of the kids you beat up all those years ago. You and Sparrow team up and go to your friend (a griffin) to take you to the legendary resistance group known as The Rising Sun. This is where we left off. Enjoy the rest of your journey... And do try not to get killed. > The actual beginning You and Sparrow stopped in awe at the site of the incredible city, hidden and unspoiled by the Black Hand for all these years. You both rushed to catch up to Molly who continued walking and talking as she went along. When you get to here you listen, feeling a bit guilty for not staying in pace with her. "We call it Last Hope. Anyone who comes here has their mind examined by us before they're allowed to stay." "What about currency?" Sparrow asked. "Surely this whole place can't be self sufficient. It's huge!" Molly smiled and flipped an unfamiliar coin to a stall vendor on the outskirts of the city before taking three crisp apples from his stall. "No, we use Black Hand coins, and of course we make our own. They're worth a lot more on the black market. We call them Brozen." You and your companions were nearing the center market place when you saw a bustle of people. Dwarves, elves almost all the major races that were in the Alliance were represented. Going this way and that, guards wearing the Rising Sun insignia were posted here and there, along with some following men dressed in rags who were picking garbage off the ground. You gestured to the ragged men and asked, "Who are they? Not even beggars would take a job like that." "Prisoners." Molly replied with a scowl. "Men who were sent to infiltrate our stronghold and weaken our movement. They build the buildings and walls, along with keeping our city clean." She then threw her apple core to the ground as if to spite them. You were nearing the rise at this point and saw the low wall surrounding the whole thing. "Who goes there?" A burly dwarf guard called from behind the gate. "No one is supposed to go in, the council is meeting." "Shut up and go raise the gate you great lummox! Can't you see it's Molly?" A male elf yelled at the dwarf from the wall above. He then shouted to you and Sparrow, "Sorry about Halvaxe. He's savage in battle and loyal as a dog but wouldn't notice if a dragon landed right in front of him." "I can still hear you, you cocky fuckin' Mazon! And you couldn't stab a troll if it was sittin'' in front of you, takin' a nap!" Halvaxe yelled back, his voice muffled by the tower's walls. "You two never change." Molly chided, walking under the gate. She then turned to you to say, "Those two argue like dogs over a bone but are great friends really, and nearly invincible together in battle." <|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>You awaken on the cold, stone floor with a shiver running through your body and a pounding earache from sleeping on the side of your head. You do not know how much longer you can survive in this place. No one has brought you any food or water for days. Either you've been abandoned to die or something's happened to the guards to keep them from feeding you. Either way you are well and truly buggered. With what little strength you have, you pick yourself up and look around your cell. There seems to be no way of escape. The window is barred and even if it wasn’t, your cell is at the very top of a huge, medieval tower, so climbing out would be suicide. The door is far too heavy to break down and you don’t have anything you could use to pick the lock. There is nothing in the room save for yourself, a dirty pile of straw in the corner and a bucket for… Well, let’s not discuss the bucket. Suddenly though, as your eyes scan the dungeon, you notice something you never saw before. One of the stones on the wall of your cell seems to have something etched into it. As you lean closer you can just about make out two words. “Press me.” > You press the stone You press the engraved stone and a secret door in the stone wall gradually slides to one side and reveals a hidden passage way. Congratulations, you’ve escaped your cell! That wasn’t too difficult was it? As you follow the empty passage way, you seem to be circling the dungeon and walking deeper and deeper into pitch darkness. Eventually you see a light at the end of the passage and find yourself in a room dimly lit by torches that hang from the wall. The room is small with only a spinning wheel and an old rocking chair to decorate it, both of which are coated in cob webs. There is a door on the other side of the room. Having nowhere else to go, you head towards the door when suddenly you hear the creaking of the rocking chair behind you. For a brief moment you hold your breath and try to reassure yourself that it’s just the breeze rocking the chair, but there is no breeze in the room. Eventually you force yourself to turn around and see the ghostly figure of an old woman sitting in the chair. Before you can run or scream, the old lady speaks up in a gentle yet eerie voice. “No need to be afraid of me child.” She tells you as she slowly rocks in her chair, stroking a small, ghostly cat on her lap. “You’ve nothing to fear from poor old Nana. I’m just here, pondering the old riddle to myself. Are you good at riddles child? I do hope so. They’re the only way to get out of this tower you see, ever since the old master went mad and cursed the place. Oh and that reminds me, I’m supposed to ask you the riddle aren’t I? Now let’s see if I can remember. What does man love more than life, Fear more than death and mortal strife, What the poor have and the rich require, And what contented men desire, What the miser spends and the spendthrift saves, And all men carry to their graves?” > You answer "Love" The ghost lets out a sad and disappointed sigh. “I’m afraid not dearie.” She tells you as the rocking of her chair gradually comes to a halt. “I am sorry child. At least you tried.” Suddenly a trap door opens up beneath you and you fall screaming into a pit of fire. Personally you find this punishment a tad eccentric just for failing to answer a riddle correctly, but that's just you. Better luck next time.<|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>The trip down from the highlands was surprisingly nice. Spring is in the air for sure. The birds are churping and the ice is melting from the mountains feeding streams of gloriously clear water. Braak sips a hand full out of one of these streams. The frigid water reminds him of winter, but the sun peeking through the clouds warms his memories of summer. He quickly prays to the druid gods that he will see the coming summer and not be killed be the Romans on sight. He walks further up the road, through the forest to an opening: green fields as far as the eye can see. Up ahead is the gate into the city. The guards don't stop everyone going in and out, but it's best to have a story in case they do. Braak's appearance is one of a basic Pictish peasant. What's the best cover story to go with that? 1) You're visting your brother. 2) You're making business connections with local merchants. 3) You're there to save Princess Aallura. 4) None of their business. > You visit Brother As Braak approaches the gate, his hands begin to sweat depite the cool breeze blowing through the meadows. Standing sentry are two Roman guards. Both of them are adorned with beautiful metallic legionary gear. Neither of them seem really concerned with another unwashed barbarian. You say "Hail Caesar" as you pass, and they repeat the same. And then you walk smoothly into the city. > You on to the Square You stand at the main square of Vespasium. The town is quite impressive for a barbarian like yourself, but it could never match the glory and splendor of Rome. To the east is the Market District. Merchants of all sorts peddle their meager products to an unrefined population. Directly in front of you is Big Boar's Tavern, a local drink and eatery. In some ways it's sanctuary from the Romans since they never go in there. In the very center of the town is the Roman stronghold, the citadel where they might be holding the princess. To the West is the Slum district. The Slum district: you'll never find a greater collection of all the scum in the city! Where to? > You market District Ahh, the Market District! The smells of fresh roasted lamb, the music coming from the alleyways played by street side musicians: Braak loves it. The random sounds of the market are a soothing sound to city folks and curious to country people like Braak. From an eyeshot distance, Braak can see a gentleman selling what appears to be chairs. Around the corner is a merchant with shelves of weeds around her; that must be the herbalist. At the end of the street is Redwar's weapons. Closer to you is a display for Roman trinkets. The streetside musicians are near the tricket stand. Somewhere away from the displays toward the back is the open fire where the lamb is cooked. So where to first? > You chairman "Are you tired of sitting on the ground? Doesn't it hurt the backside? Well, here's a new great invention (new to those that don't know it): a chair. What is it made of? Solid oak from the forests of north Briton. No my friend, you can't get anything more worth while with your money than this. Don't you want to impress the maidens? Look how stylish you can be with a chair to eat dinner on. Are they comfortable? Oh you bet! It's better than sitting on a rock!" The man goes on and on. Sales is definitely a tough job but so is rescue. On that thought Braak slides away trying not to get the man's attention.<|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>Ahh, the Market District! The smells of fresh roasted lamb, the music coming from the alleyways played by street side musicians: Braak loves it. The random sounds of the market are a soothing sound to city folks and curious to country people like Braak. From an eyeshot distance, Braak can see a gentleman selling what appears to be chairs. Around the corner is a merchant with shelves of weeds around her; that must be the herbalist. At the end of the street is Redwar's weapons. Closer to you is a display for Roman trinkets. The streetside musicians are near the tricket stand. Somewhere away from the displays toward the back is the open fire where the lamb is cooked. So where to first? > You herbalist You walk up to the stand and see a cute young maiden mixing a small bowl of weeds and roots together. There is also a caldron over a fire cooking or boiling something. There is an assortment of leafy green plants of all kinds on her shelves, along with flowers, roots, and pretty much anything organic. She looks up and asks, "May I help you?" What do you say? 1) "Thank you. I was just looking around." 2) "Tell me more about herbs." 3) "Can I take you out sometime?" 4) "I was just leaving" > You looking around. "Thank you. I was just looking around." You say kindly. She chirps back, "Ok. Well. Let me know if you need anything."<|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>You walk up to the stand and see a cute young maiden mixing a small bowl of weeds and roots together. There is also a caldron over a fire cooking or boiling something. There is an assortment of leafy green plants of all kinds on her shelves, along with flowers, roots, and pretty much anything organic. She looks up and asks, "May I help you?" What do you say? 1) "Thank you. I was just looking around." 2) "Tell me more about herbs." 3) "Can I take you out sometime?" 4) "I was just leaving" > You herbs? "Tell me more about herbs." You say kindly. A glimmer appears in her eye as if you have excited her, "Oh, herbs are wonderful. They do great and wonderful things to help mankind's health. They are part of the earth, many spirits of the earth combined together. I been an herbalist since I was a little girl. The druids trained me, you know." "Can herbs be used to harm people?" Braak questions. "Oh yes," she pause, "but I don't like making those kind of herbs. I like helping, not hurting."<|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>You walk up to the stand and see a cute young maiden mixing a small bowl of weeds and roots together. There is also a caldron over a fire cooking or boiling something. There is an assortment of leafy green plants of all kinds on her shelves, along with flowers, roots, and pretty much anything organic. She looks up and asks, "May I help you?" What do you say? 1) "Thank you. I was just looking around." 2) "Tell me more about herbs." 3) "Can I take you out sometime?" 4) "I was just leaving" > You date with herbalist You boldly ask the girl, "Can I take you out sometime?" She blushes then giggles, "I am a druid priestess. I can't really just go out with a man." "I am heart broken, but I understand," you reply saddened but not defeated. Braak begins to walk away. "Don't leave yet! I am truly flattered by your advances. So much so that I have something for you." She hands you a miniture green bottle. "This is a potion that allows you to consume large amounts of alcohol without passing out. I give this to you because the winds tell me that you are on a noble quest and might need it. Conceal it so that you might have it in time of need." Braak listens to her instructions and calmly walks away.<|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>Ahh, the Market District! The smells of fresh roasted lamb, the music coming from the alleyways played by street side musicians: Braak loves it. The random sounds of the market are a soothing sound to city folks and curious to country people like Braak. From an eyeshot distance, Braak can see a gentleman selling what appears to be chairs. Around the corner is a merchant with shelves of weeds around her; that must be the herbalist. At the end of the street is Redwar's weapons. Closer to you is a display for Roman trinkets. The streetside musicians are near the tricket stand. Somewhere away from the displays toward the back is the open fire where the lamb is cooked. So where to first? > You redwar's Weapons You walk up to the stand to examine the various weapons. But before you get close, a burly red-haired man approaches you. "Ho there! My name is Redwar; I am the proprietor of this house of weapons. How may I serve you?" "I am just looking at your fine weapons, Sir." "Yes, they are fine. Well, tell me if you see anything that pokes your eyes." He lets out a gusty laugh, and you let one out too to keep from offending the man with a hundred swords. Very little is in your price range, and even less of the stuff would you like to carry around. Remember, you are on a mission of stealth not strength. Even armed with this stuff, you could not take on 5 Romans much less the whole garrison! > You continue to Look at Weapons Braak continues looking through the weapons: swords, maces, spears, bronze helmets, armors, and hmmm daggers. That's one weapon you could use, a dagger. Braak picks out a fine one and asks the Redwar the price. Redwar's price is beyond your means.<|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>Ahh, the Market District! The smells of fresh roasted lamb, the music coming from the alleyways played by street side musicians: Braak loves it. The random sounds of the market are a soothing sound to city folks and curious to country people like Braak. From an eyeshot distance, Braak can see a gentleman selling what appears to be chairs. Around the corner is a merchant with shelves of weeds around her; that must be the herbalist. At the end of the street is Redwar's weapons. Closer to you is a display for Roman trinkets. The streetside musicians are near the tricket stand. Somewhere away from the displays toward the back is the open fire where the lamb is cooked. So where to first? > You roman Trinkets Braak approaches the display and the man says, "Hail Caesar! May he live forever. Can I interest you in fine Roman wares brought all the way from over the seas?" Braak is taken by the friendly, up front demeanor of the merchant. Merchants from Briton usually aren't like that. Oh, well, he must be super anxious to sell something. "Oh, well, err, I am just looking." The man cuts in, "If your humble servant Cicero can be of any service to one so great as you, let me know." You nod approving his statements. What do you do next? > You look at Trinkets Looking through the trinkets, there are wonderous things among the piles. To Romans this stuff would probably be considered junk, but to uncivilized savages this stuff is a door to another world. One that they will never know. There is a ebony statue of a strange creature that has the word "elephant" written in Latin. There is a bronze lamp with the words "rub me" on them. Numerous vases and urns inhabit the area, bunching everything together. There is a medallion with a sun figure on it too, along with jewerly of stones all sorts. Nice but not too nice. The Caesar's wife would scoff at that the wares are not sexy enough for her taste. What do you look at?<|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>Braak approaches the display and the man says, "Hail Caesar! May he live forever. Can I interest you in fine Roman wares brought all the way from over the seas?" Braak is taken by the friendly, up front demeanor of the merchant. Merchants from Briton usually aren't like that. Oh, well, he must be super anxious to sell something. "Oh, well, err, I am just looking." The man cuts in, "If your humble servant Cicero can be of any service to one so great as you, let me know." You nod approving his statements. What do you do next? > You ask Cicero about Rumors "Can you tell me of any recent rumors about the town?" Braak asks Cicero. Cicero answers, "A good Roman would never gossip in the streets! It's simply not virtuous."<|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>Ahh, the Market District! The smells of fresh roasted lamb, the music coming from the alleyways played by street side musicians: Braak loves it. The random sounds of the market are a soothing sound to city folks and curious to country people like Braak. From an eyeshot distance, Braak can see a gentleman selling what appears to be chairs. Around the corner is a merchant with shelves of weeds around her; that must be the herbalist. At the end of the street is Redwar's weapons. Closer to you is a display for Roman trinkets. The streetside musicians are near the tricket stand. Somewhere away from the displays toward the back is the open fire where the lamb is cooked. So where to first? > You musicians The Musicians play an olde style celtic tune, "Sweet Bonny Boudicca". The music flows from the open end of the flutes, and the rhythm moves with every string that vibrates out the song. Their song is played beautifully with the skill of the greatest musicians in Britain. The tune itself chronicles the Boudicca's great rebellion against the Romans. How brave was the Iceni queen even in the shadow of her husband's death! Braak claps and cheers loudly when they finish.<|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>Ahh, the Market District! The smells of fresh roasted lamb, the music coming from the alleyways played by street side musicians: Braak loves it. The random sounds of the market are a soothing sound to city folks and curious to country people like Braak. From an eyeshot distance, Braak can see a gentleman selling what appears to be chairs. Around the corner is a merchant with shelves of weeds around her; that must be the herbalist. At the end of the street is Redwar's weapons. Closer to you is a display for Roman trinkets. The streetside musicians are near the tricket stand. Somewhere away from the displays toward the back is the open fire where the lamb is cooked. So where to first? > You lamb!!!! Through the streets of the market, Braak walks following the sweet scent of roasting meat to a market area by one of the city walls. There on a couple open fires where a hefty gentleman is roasting whole animals on skews, rotating them every so often to avoid burning them. You approach his stand in order to look at the fine choice cuts that are done. Looking over the platter, you settle on a big roasted leg and pay the man for it. MMMMMmmmm! Sure is good!<|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>You stand at the main square of Vespasium. The town is quite impressive for a barbarian like yourself, but it could never match the glory and splendor of Rome. To the east is the Market District. Merchants of all sorts peddle their meager products to an unrefined population. Directly in front of you is Big Boar's Tavern, a local drink and eatery. In some ways it's sanctuary from the Romans since they never go in there. In the very center of the town is the Roman stronghold, the citadel where they might be holding the princess. To the West is the Slum district. The Slum district: you'll never find a greater collection of all the scum in the city! Where to? > You tavern You enter the Big Boar Tavern, the swinging little drink and eatery. All kinds of creatures have infiltrated this fine establishment. There are a group of farmers sitting at a table talking about the upcoming growing season. Numerous women of loose virtue walk around soliciting their fleshy propositions. To the right are some stairs that lead up to the second floor. Toward middle is the bar with many shady characters sitting there being served tall glasses of dark ale. > You talk to Farmers You walk up to the farmers and begin to listen to their conversation, "So I said to Uter, what's sheep doing in your bed? And he said..." They ignore Braak's presence so you decide to move on.<|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>You enter the Big Boar Tavern, the swinging little drink and eatery. All kinds of creatures have infiltrated this fine establishment. There are a group of farmers sitting at a table talking about the upcoming growing season. Numerous women of loose virtue walk around soliciting their fleshy propositions. To the right are some stairs that lead up to the second floor. Toward middle is the bar with many shady characters sitting there being served tall glasses of dark ale. > You solicit a prostitute You look around swiveling your head to find the best looking whore in the place. Unfortunately, the best looking one is taken so you take the third best looking one in the place saying, "Wench, I am exhasted after long, hard trip. I could use some company upstairs while I rest." The one you had chosen was quite striking with blue eyes, a pale white face, long red hair. She's short with a big rear end, exactly what Braak likes. Always gracious while speaking, she says, "Oh, handsome warrior, I am so excited that I get the pleasure of your company." She leans in close as if to kiss Braak, but instead she whispers a price into his ear. You agree to that price and go upstairs. > You upstairs with her She lays you down on the bed and gives you a little wine to relax. Braak sips the wine and begins to get sleepy. She kisses you lightly on the lips then raises up slightly. She lets out a whistle, and Romans come out of the closet! You think to resist, but the wine has already taken you. The last thing you can think of is cursing the damn prostitute! > You continue... Braak awakes slightly dazzled with a pounding headache. Those Romans definitely don't fool around. It's dark as Hell in this prison cell but not quite as warm. The thick stone walls are covered with moss and dripping of water. The constant dripping could kill a man if the Romans weren't so thorough in hastening a man's trip to the next world. Across from you is an elderly man, chained to the wall just like you. Do you talk to the old man? Or wait to see what happens? (By the way, it's strange, but you didn't lose an items in your inventory. If you had items in your inventory....) > You talk to Old Man Braak motions to the old man to see if he is in fact alive. His eyes blink, but he does not respond verbally to your motion. So you begin to speak, "Old man, what are you in for?" He doesn't answer. You continue, "I pray that the Romans don't find out the true nature of my being here." He still doesn't respond. Do you keep talking and hope that he responds or just shut your mouth and wait? > You continue to talk to the old man You start to tell the old man some more details, hoping that he will break his silence, but it's all in vain. The guard has come to take you. The guard says, "That old bugger won't respond! He's been in here forever. Completely broken to Roman will, he is. And so will you be soon. Get up!" You get up and follow the guard out of the cell and up the stairs. > You interrogation you and the soldier enter the room. The General sits at the desk and stares on expectantly. Flavius is an impressive man: broad shoulders, a bronzed tan with dark hair on his head and face. He wears his XIIth Legion breastplate along with a bearskin pull over. This is definitely not a man you want to cross. The lead soldier begins to speak, "Hail Caesar, glory to him and the General. This peasant is here for your interrogation, General." The General calmly speaks, "Why have you come here to Vespasium?" You stand there silently. The soldier turns to Braak and slaps him, saying, "Speak you dog!" "Hail Caesar, General. My name is Braak; I am a Briton in the service of the Pictish King to the north whose daughter you hold captive." You say it forthcomingly, knowing that torture could get the truth out of you but with more pain. The general seems unsurprised and maybe unconcerned by your revelation. "Well, young Briton, you have gotten yourself in trouble in this town. We don't care much for those that disturb the peace, particularly ones that work for foreign kingdoms. I'm still debating whether to throw you into the dungeon or just execute you. It just depends on whether you are of use to me or not. So, do you wish to say something?" > You nothing to Say You inform the General that you have nothing to say. He nods and tells the guard to send you back to the dungeon. Across from the crazy old man, you sit. Eventually Flavius will decide your fate. Until that day, you will sit in this dungeon and rot. Execution or life in prison, it doesn't matter. You quest is over.<|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>you and the soldier enter the room. The General sits at the desk and stares on expectantly. Flavius is an impressive man: broad shoulders, a bronzed tan with dark hair on his head and face. He wears his XIIth Legion breastplate along with a bearskin pull over. This is definitely not a man you want to cross. The lead soldier begins to speak, "Hail Caesar, glory to him and the General. This peasant is here for your interrogation, General." The General calmly speaks, "Why have you come here to Vespasium?" You stand there silently. The soldier turns to Braak and slaps him, saying, "Speak you dog!" "Hail Caesar, General. My name is Braak; I am a Briton in the service of the Pictish King to the north whose daughter you hold captive." You say it forthcomingly, knowing that torture could get the truth out of you but with more pain. The general seems unsurprised and maybe unconcerned by your revelation. "Well, young Briton, you have gotten yourself in trouble in this town. We don't care much for those that disturb the peace, particularly ones that work for foreign kingdoms. I'm still debating whether to throw you into the dungeon or just execute you. It just depends on whether you are of use to me or not. So, do you wish to say something?" > You challenge Him to Drinking Contest Thinking that you have nothing to say to the General, you almost answer, but then you realize this might be a chance for you to outwit the General by getting him so drunk he can't think. So you ask the General about Roman wine, "General, I understand that you are a connoisseur of fine wine. My father is a brewer, and I have been around ale all my life. I just wanted to hear some of your wisdom on the matter." That was some serious lying, Braak. I hope the General doesn't paper cut you to death. The guard motions you to shut up. But the General waves off the guard. Apparently, Braak's shot in the dark really struck a chord with the General. "Ah, yes, I love my wine very much. In fact, some insolent Britons robbed a shipment from me not a week ago. I am still angry over it! Those foolish peasants! They can't possibly enjoy my labels from Latium and Gaul like I could. They just don't have my sophistication. I'm mad now! Soldier! pour us drinks!" > You drinking with the General The soldier lifts up an urn and pours you each a goblet of wine. You point to a statue of Caesar Claudius to make conversation with the General. Braak says, "So General, tell me about that Caesar." The General and the soldier look away to stare at the stone bust. Flavius answers, "That my lowly peasant is Caesar Claudius. He is the one that finally lead a successful invasion of your isle. He claimed Britannia for Rome!" The General continues to drink and talk about Roman emperors. Everytime his glass is filled so is yours. > You continue... Braak takes one last sip then leans back. The chair falls hard to the stone floor. General Flavius stands up and laughs heartily. So does the other soldier. You idiot!!! How could you think to outwit the general? There are two rules: never get in a land war in Asia and never try to outwit a Roman with a drinking contest! Next time bring some Iocane Powder!<|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>Braak motions to the old man to see if he is in fact alive. His eyes blink, but he does not respond verbally to your motion. So you begin to speak, "Old man, what are you in for?" He doesn't answer. You continue, "I pray that the Romans don't find out the true nature of my being here." He still doesn't respond. Do you keep talking and hope that he responds or just shut your mouth and wait? > You wait... You wait for about half an hour. Then a guard comes to the door. "Get up, you Briton scum! The General wants to see you." The guard pulls you up and motions you to follow him.<|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>You enter the Big Boar Tavern, the swinging little drink and eatery. All kinds of creatures have infiltrated this fine establishment. There are a group of farmers sitting at a table talking about the upcoming growing season. Numerous women of loose virtue walk around soliciting their fleshy propositions. To the right are some stairs that lead up to the second floor. Toward middle is the bar with many shady characters sitting there being served tall glasses of dark ale. > You walk Up the Stairs You walk to the top of the stairs. There is a door directly to your right, one on the left, and one at the end of the hall. Do you want go in a door? Or go back down stairs? > You tavern -- End of the Hall You listen closely at the door. No sounds. You think about entering then you hear a slight shuffling of feet. Do you wish to proceed? > Yes You calmly walk in the door oblivious to anything that might happen. All of a sudden, Braak is jumped by Roman Soldiers waiting in the room. Instinctly, Braak fights back! The Romans unsheathe their swords as Braak kicks and fights to get away. Braak's resistence is intense, but the Romans crash upon him with a great fury stabbing him continuously with their short legionaire swords. You lay on the floor of this tavern room; blood squirting from every part of your body. You have failed your mission, but at the same time, your debt to the Pictish king is cancelled. Dead men pay no debts except those to the keeper of the underworld.<|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>You walk to the top of the stairs. There is a door directly to your right, one on the left, and one at the end of the hall. Do you want go in a door? Or go back down stairs? > You tavern -- Left Door You listen closely at the door. You hear the rocking and beating of a bed post against the wall. You also hear screams and moans from a woman inside. Braak decides to keep this game at the current age rating by not entering the room.<|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>You walk to the top of the stairs. There is a door directly to your right, one on the left, and one at the end of the hall. Do you want go in a door? Or go back down stairs? > You tavern -- Right Door You listen at the door. No distinguishable noise is coming from within. Do you proceed? > Yes You walk into the room expecting a sudden ambush, but none comes. The room has a simplistic bedroom appearance to it. Nothing special about it. By the nightstand is a note. You pick it up and read it: Yorick, We have really screwed up this time. That wine shipment we robbed should have never been taken. I didn't realize who's wine it was! I didn't mean to bring down the entire organization because of our screw up. I need you to help me make it right. Perhaps we could cut a deal with the leader? Oh, I know it will only mean our heads if he finds out. We must remedy the problem. I'll be hanging out at the usually place. Come find me! ---Dopus "Hmm, I am not sure what all this means, but it might be important." Braak says as he puts the letter in his belt. As you leave the room, you see a jester looking figure come up the stairs. He ignores you and goes into the room you just left. Whew! That was close.<|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>You enter the Big Boar Tavern, the swinging little drink and eatery. All kinds of creatures have infiltrated this fine establishment. There are a group of farmers sitting at a table talking about the upcoming growing season. Numerous women of loose virtue walk around soliciting their fleshy propositions. To the right are some stairs that lead up to the second floor. Toward middle is the bar with many shady characters sitting there being served tall glasses of dark ale. > You bar You walk up to the bar and the bartender looks on expectantly. The bear-like man with a thick beard and an eye patch asks you in a tough tone, "What do you want?" 1) Ask him about local occurences and rumors 2) Tell him that you are there to rescue the princess 3) Ask him for an Ale > You rumors "I've just gotten into town; can you tell me about what's going on here," you ask firmly. Suddenly the barkeep's tough demeaner loosens up a little. "Ah, you want to hear some good rumors! Well, what interests you: there's a Pictish Princess in the tower, a nest of dragon eggs found outside the city, there's Skinny Jon's tale, and a rumor that General Flavius is up in arms about a robbery. > You princess in Tower "There's a Pictish princess in General Flavius's citadel. I think she was taken in the last Roman raid north. What they are holding her hostage for, I don't know. What I do know is that it would take a pretty good price to get her out. Also, the Roman leadership is being very secretive about the whole thing as if they fear that a rescue party is coming."<|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>"I've just gotten into town; can you tell me about what's going on here," you ask firmly. Suddenly the barkeep's tough demeaner loosens up a little. "Ah, you want to hear some good rumors! Well, what interests you: there's a Pictish Princess in the tower, a nest of dragon eggs found outside the city, there's Skinny Jon's tale, and a rumor that General Flavius is up in arms about a robbery. > You dragon Eggs "There are people in town that are talking about a whole nest of dragon eggs. Pah! I ne'er seen a dragon in my life. Eggs don't just magically appear from no where; some kind of creature has to poop them out. Nonetheless, I think it's that trickster Gnomer that lives in the Slum. That practical joker---always doing stuff to cause trouble."<|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>"I've just gotten into town; can you tell me about what's going on here," you ask firmly. Suddenly the barkeep's tough demeaner loosens up a little. "Ah, you want to hear some good rumors! Well, what interests you: there's a Pictish Princess in the tower, a nest of dragon eggs found outside the city, there's Skinny Jon's tale, and a rumor that General Flavius is up in arms about a robbery. > You skinny Jon's tale "Skinny Jon is a wily young man that can drink himself out of any tight situation. They call him Skinny Jon because even thou' he is skinny, he can drink his weight in alcohol." Braak raises his eyebrow in skepticism. But the bartender automatically retorts, "I promise lad! I would tell you no lie! One time this bar was raided by Romans. Tons of people ran, but Skinny Jon stayed put in his chair---defiant as can be. Well, the Roman centurion leading the raid approached Skinny Jon to arrest him, and Jon immediately starting mixing words with the officer. Jon challenged the whole detail to a drinking contest. Romans, who think they are so superior in everything, at first refused, but he began to heckle them. So all the Roman soldiers sat down, and I poured them drinks. Then I poured Jon one too. One by one, round after round, the soldiers fell to the ground. When only the officer and Jon were left. Jon offered to let the officer bow out with honor, but he refused. The next drink, however, made the decision for him. Jon dusted himself off and walked home."<|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>"I've just gotten into town; can you tell me about what's going on here," you ask firmly. Suddenly the barkeep's tough demeaner loosens up a little. "Ah, you want to hear some good rumors! Well, what interests you: there's a Pictish Princess in the tower, a nest of dragon eggs found outside the city, there's Skinny Jon's tale, and a rumor that General Flavius is up in arms about a robbery. > You robbery "General Flavius, the defacto ruler of Vespasium, was recently robbed. He is so hopping mad that I am surprised that he didn't just round up a couple of celts and beat them up for fun. Right now he is secluded to his Citadel pouting, no doubt." You cut in to ask, "What exactly was stolen?" The barkeep's eyes roll left then he says, "I think that a cart of wine bottles from the general's vineyard south of Rome. Romans are real particular about their alcohol. At least the ruling class ones are. Not often do they get the luxuries of Rome in Brittania---and even more so, this far north."<|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>You walk up to the bar and the bartender looks on expectantly. The bear-like man with a thick beard and an eye patch asks you in a tough tone, "What do you want?" 1) Ask him about local occurences and rumors 2) Tell him that you are there to rescue the princess 3) Ask him for an Ale > You ale "Here's our tallest, darkest glass of fine lager. Can I help you with something else or will that be ale?" The bartender lets out a gusty laugh, and you laugh along not wanting to offend him. You drink it. It's bitter tasting but a fine welcome in such a hostile town.<|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>You stand at the main square of Vespasium. The town is quite impressive for a barbarian like yourself, but it could never match the glory and splendor of Rome. To the east is the Market District. Merchants of all sorts peddle their meager products to an unrefined population. Directly in front of you is Big Boar's Tavern, a local drink and eatery. In some ways it's sanctuary from the Romans since they never go in there. In the very center of the town is the Roman stronghold, the citadel where they might be holding the princess. To the West is the Slum district. The Slum district: you'll never find a greater collection of all the scum in the city! Where to? > The Citadel Like a beacon of oppression, the Citadel sits on a slight hill. The outer walls are constructed of wood, but the inside keep is made of solid granite from the highlands of Wales. The building is impressive, but it's only about three stories high. In other parts of Brittania, there are bigger fortresses than this. Directly in front of you is the gate to the keep. It's guarded by three or four men with great big spears. If you discussed a plan with someone earlier, then you can review and execute the plan. If you don't have a plan, you can just approach the gate. If none of these ideas strike you, you can just leave. > You approach the Gate Walking with confidence and bounce in your step, you approach the gate. The guards look at you for a minute and ask, "In the name of Caesar, what's your business here?" Tell him: 1) You wish to speak to General Flavius 2) You wish to enter the Citadel 3) You were just leaving... > You speak to General You tell them that you wish to speak to General Flavius. "Oh, really peasant?" With a hint of sarcasm, the soldier seems to want to entertain Braak's conversation. "What, in Caesar's name, will you talk with him about?" Tell him: 1) Oh, nothing. I was just leaving. 2) A universal healthcare plan. 3) A certain robbery.<|endoftext|> <|startoftext|>You are Raven of Riverwood village, a small community of woodcutters on the edge of Serpentfang Forest. The edge of the forest is a relatively safe place – at least compared to the deeper parts of the forest’s old growth. Lots of dangerous monsters lurk in there, especially giant spiders. Interestingly enough, there aren’t any snakes. Some folks say the name of the forest isn’t a reference to snakes at all, but rather to a giant dragon that ravaged the lands hundreds of years ago. Legend has it that the dragon was eventually slain by a great hero, but that its treasure was never found. Every so often, wandering adventurers pass through the area and enter the old growth looking for that treasure, but none have ever returned. Almost always, they first stop to visit the hobbled old mage Kragan Firehand at his tower on Dagger Hill, before heading into the forest to their doom. Kragan Firehand has to be at least two hundred years old. He doesn’t visit the village anymore, but receives visitors and councils the village elders in times of trouble. Due to his age, he is unable to offer any direct protection of the village, but does sell weapons, armor, and potions to the populace as needed. His tall stone tower is right on the edge of the forest’s old growth, but his magics keep him quite secure within. > You continue Your Health: 40; You are Raven, a fourteen year old Your Stats Body: Weak; Brains: Weak; Charm: Weak Your Skills Melee: Weak (Your skill at close-quarter combat, including offense and defense (body)) Target: Weak (Your skill at ranged combat with bows and the like (brains)) Climb: Weak (Your ability to make challenging climbs (body)) Parley: Weak (Your ability to make friends, bluff, and barter (charm)) Spot: Weak (Your ability to notice and search for things (brains)) Stealth: Weak (Your ability to avoid being seen and heard (brains)) Stat Points: 6 / Skill Points: 12 > You are a BOY Your Health: 43; You are Raven, a fourteen year old BOY Your Stats Body: Below Average; Brains: Weak; Charm: Weak Your Skills Melee: Weak+ (Your skill at close-quarter combat, including offense and defense (body)) Target: Weak (Your skill at ranged combat with bows and the like (brains)) Climb: Weak+ (Your ability to make challenging climbs (body)) Parley: Weak (Your ability to make friends, bluff, and barter (charm)) Spot: Weak (Your ability to notice and search for things (brains)) Stealth: Weak (Your ability to avoid being seen and heard (brains)) Stat Points: 6 / Skill Points: 12 > You increase BODY Your Health: 46; You are Raven, a fourteen year old BOY Your Stats Body: Average; Brains: Weak; Charm: Weak Your Skills Melee: Below Average (Your skill at close-quarter combat, including offense and defense (body)) Target: Weak (Your skill at ranged combat with bows and the like (brains)) Climb: Below Average (Your ability to make challenging climbs (body)) Parley: Weak (Your ability to make friends, bluff, and barter (charm)) Spot: Weak (Your ability to notice and search for things (brains)) Stealth: Weak (Your ability to avoid being seen and heard (brains)) Stat Points: 5 / Skill Points: 12 > You increase BODY Your Health: 49; You are Raven, a fourteen year old BOY Your Stats Body: Excellent; Brains: Weak; Charm: Weak Your Skills Melee: Below Average+ (Your skill at close-quarter combat, including offense and defense (body)) Target: Weak (Your skill at ranged combat with bows and the like (brains)) Climb: Below Average+ (Your ability to make challenging climbs (body)) Parley: Weak (Your ability to make friends, bluff, and barter (charm)) Spot: Weak (Your ability to notice and search for things (brains)) Stealth: Weak (Your ability to avoid being seen and heard (brains)) Stat Points: 4 / Skill Points: 12 > You increase BODY Your Health: 52; You are Raven, a fourteen year old BOY Your Stats Body: Superior; Brains: Weak; Charm: Weak Your Skills Melee: Average (Your skill at close-quarter combat, including offense and defense (body)) Target: Weak (Your skill at ranged combat with bows and the like (brains)) Climb: Average (Your ability to make challenging climbs (body)) Parley: Weak (Your ability to make friends, bluff, and barter (charm)) Spot: Weak (Your ability to notice and search for things (brains)) Stealth: Weak (Your ability to avoid being seen and heard (brains)) Stat Points: 3 / Skill Points: 12 > You increase BRAINS Your Health: 52; You are Raven, a fourteen year old BOY Your Stats Body: Superior; Brains: Below Average; Charm: Weak Your Skills Melee: Average (Your skill at close-quarter combat, including offense and defense (body)) Target: Weak+ (Your skill at ranged combat with bows and the like (brains)) Climb: Average (Your ability to make challenging climbs (body)) Parley: Weak (Your ability to make friends, bluff, and barter (charm)) Spot: Weak+ (Your ability to notice and search for things (brains)) Stealth: Weak+ (Your ability to avoid being seen and heard (brains)) Stat Points: 2 / Skill Points: 12 > You increase BRAINS Your Health: 52; You are Raven, a fourteen year old BOY Your Stats Body: Superior; Brains: Average; Charm: Weak Your Skills Melee: Average (Your skill at close-quarter combat, including offense and defense (body)) Target: Below Average (Your skill at ranged combat with bows and the like (brains)) Climb: Average (Your ability to make challenging climbs (body)) Parley: Weak (Your ability to make friends, bluff, and barter (charm)) Spot: Below Average (Your ability to notice and search for things (brains)) Stealth: Below Average (Your ability to avoid being seen and heard (brains)) Stat Points: 1 / Skill Points: 12 > You increase BRAINS Your Health: 52; You are Raven, a fourteen year old BOY Your Stats Body: Superior; Brains: Excellent; Charm: Weak Your Skills Melee: Average (Your skill at close-quarter combat, including offense and defense (body)) Target: Below Average+ (Your skill at ranged combat with bows and the like (brains)) Climb: Average (Your ability to make challenging climbs (body)) Parley: Weak (Your ability to make friends, bluff, and barter (charm)) Spot: Below Average+ (Your ability to notice and search for things (brains)) Stealth: Below Average+ (Your ability to avoid being seen and heard (brains)) Stat Points: 0 / Skill Points: 12 > Up Melee Your Health: 52; You are Raven, a fourteen year old BOY Your Stats Body: Superior; Brains: Excellent; Charm: Weak Your Skills Melee: Average+ (Your skill at close-quarter combat, including offense and defense (body)) Target: Below Average+ (Your skill at ranged combat with bows and the like (brains)) Climb: Average (Your ability to make challenging climbs (body)) Parley: Weak (Your ability to make friends, bluff, and barter (charm)) Spot: Below Average+ (Your ability to notice and search for things (brains)) Stealth: Below Average+ (Your ability to avoid being seen and heard (brains)) Stat Points: 0 / Skill Points: 11 > Up Melee Your Health: 52; You are Raven, a fourteen year old BOY Your Stats Body: Superior; Brains: Excellent; Charm: Weak Your Skills Melee: Excellent (Your skill at close-quarter combat, including offense and defense (body)) Target: Below Average+ (Your skill at ranged combat with bows and the like (brains)) Climb: Average (Your ability to make challenging climbs (body)) Parley: Weak (Your ability to make friends, bluff, and barter (charm)) Spot: Below Average+ (Your ability to notice and search for things (brains)) Stealth: Below Average+ (Your ability to avoid being seen and heard (brains)) Stat Points: 0 / Skill Points: 10 > Up Melee Your Health: 52; You are Raven, a fourteen year old BOY Your Stats Body: Superior; Brains: Excellent; Charm: Weak Your Skills Melee: Excellent+ (Your skill at close-quarter combat, including offense and defense (body)) Target: Below Average+ (Your skill at ranged combat with bows and the like (brains)) Climb: Average (Your ability to make challenging climbs (body)) Parley: Weak (Your ability to make friends, bluff, and barter (charm)) Spot: Below Average+ (Your ability to notice and search for things (brains)) Stealth: Below Average+ (Your ability to avoid being seen and heard (brains)) Stat Points: 0 / Skill Points: 9 > Up Melee Your Health: 52; You are Raven, a fourteen year old BOY Your Stats Body: Superior; Brains: Excellent; Charm: Weak Your Skills Melee: Superior (Your skill at close-quarter combat, including offense and defense (body)) Target: Below Average+ (Your skill at ranged combat with bows and the like (brains)) Climb: Average (Your ability to make challenging climbs (body)) Parley: Weak (Your ability to make friends, bluff, and barter (charm)) Spot: Below Average+ (Your ability to notice and search for things (brains)) Stealth: Below Average+ (Your ability to avoid being seen and heard (brains)) Stat Points: 0 / Skill Points: 8 > Up Target Your Health: 52; You are Raven, a fourteen year old BOY Your Stats Body: Superior; Brains: Excellent; Charm: Weak Your Skills Melee: Superior (Your skill at close-quarter combat, including offense and defense (body)) Target: Average (Your skill at ranged combat with bows and the like (brains)) Climb: Average (Your ability to make challenging climbs (body)) Parley: Weak (Your ability to make friends, bluff, and barter (charm)) Spot: Below Average+ (Your ability to notice and search for things (brains)) Stealth: Below Average+ (Your ability to avoid being seen and heard (brains)) Stat Points: 0 / Skill Points: 7 > Up Target Your Health: 52; You are Raven, a fourteen year old BOY Your Stats Body: Superior; Brains: Excellent; Charm: Weak Your Skills Melee: Superior (Your skill at close-quarter combat, including offense and defense (body)) Target: Average+ (Your skill at ranged combat with bows and the like (brains)) Climb: Average (Your ability to make challenging climbs (body)) Parley: Weak (Your ability to make friends, bluff, and barter (charm)) Spot: Below Average+ (Your ability to notice and search for things (brains)) Stealth: Below Average+ (Your ability to avoid being seen and heard (brains)) Stat Points: 0 / Skill Points: 6 > Up Target Your Health: 52; You are Raven, a fourteen year old BOY Your Stats Body: Superior; Brains: Excellent; Charm: Weak Your Skills Melee: Superior (Your skill at close-quarter combat, including offense and defense (body)) Target: Excellent (Your skill at ranged combat with bows and the like (brains)) Climb: Average (Your ability to make challenging climbs (body)) Parley: Weak (Your ability to make friends, bluff, and barter (charm)) Spot: Below Average+ (Your ability to notice and search for things (brains)) Stealth: Below Average+ (Your ability to avoid being seen and heard (brains)) Stat Points: 0 / Skill Points: 5 > Up Target Your Health: 52; You are Raven, a fourteen year old BOY Your Stats Body: Superior; Brains: Excellent; Charm: Weak Your Skills Melee: Superior (Your skill at close-quarter combat, including offense and defense (body)) Target: Excellent+ (Your skill at ranged combat with bows and the like (brains)) Climb: Average (Your ability to make challenging climbs (body)) Parley: Weak (Your ability to make friends, bluff, and barter (charm)) Spot: Below Average+ (Your ability to notice and search for things (brains)) Stealth: Below Average+ (Your ability to avoid being seen and heard (brains)) Stat Points: 0 / Skill Points: 4 > Up Target Your Health: 52; You are Raven, a fourteen year old BOY Your Stats Body: Superior; Brains: Excellent; Charm: Weak Your Skills Melee: Superior (Your skill at close-quarter combat, including offense and defense (body)) Target: Superior (Your skill at ranged combat with bows and the like (brains)) Climb: Average (Your ability to make challenging climbs (body)) Parley: Weak (Your ability to make friends, bluff, and barter (charm)) Spot: Below Average+ (Your ability to notice and search for things (brains)) Stealth: Below Average+ (Your ability to avoid being seen and heard (brains)) Stat Points: 0 / Skill Points: 3 > Up Climb Your Health: 52; You are Raven, a fourteen year old BOY Your Stats Body: Superior; Brains: Excellent; Charm: Weak Your Skills Melee: Superior (Your skill at close-quarter combat, including offense and defense (body)) Target: Superior (Your skill at ranged combat with bows and the like (brains)) Climb: Average+ (Your ability to make challenging climbs (body)) Parley: Weak (Your ability to make friends, bluff, and barter (charm)) Spot: Below Average+ (Your ability to notice and search for things (brains)) Stealth: Below Average+ (Your ability to avoid being seen and heard (brains)) Stat Points: 0 / Skill Points: 2 > Up Climb Your Health: 52; You are Raven, a fourteen year old BOY Your Stats Body: Superior; Brains: Excellent; Charm: Weak Your Skills Melee: Superior (Your skill at close-quarter combat, including offense and defense (body)) Target: Superior (Your skill at ranged combat with bows and the like (brains)) Climb: Excellent (Your ability to make challenging climbs (body)) Parley: Weak (Your ability to make friends, bluff, and barter (charm)) Spot: Below Average+ (Your ability to notice and search for things (brains)) Stealth: Below Average+ (Your ability to avoid being seen and heard (brains)) Stat Points: 0 / Skill Points: 1 > Up Climb Your Health: 52; You are Raven, a fourteen year old BOY Your Stats Body: Superior; Brains: Excellent; Charm: Weak Your Skills Melee: Superior (Your skill at close-quarter combat, including offense and defense (body)) Target: Superior (Your skill at ranged combat with bows and the like (brains)) Climb: Excellent+ (Your ability to make challenging climbs (body)) Parley: Weak (Your ability to make friends, bluff, and barter (charm)) Spot: Below Average+ (Your ability to notice and search for things (brains)) Stealth: Below Average+ (Your ability to avoid being seen and heard (brains)) Stat Points: 0 / Skill Points: 0<|endoftext|>