*page_break What is your first name, Champion? *label name *fake_choice #Talion *set name "Talion" #Ismaldo *set name "Ismaldo" #Karion *set name "Karion" #Annalise *set name "Annalise" #Frode *set name "Frode" #None of those are my name *input_text name *set name "${name}" ${name}, what do you identify as? *fake_choice #Male *set sex "male" *set he "he" *set son "son" *set master "Master" *set his "his" *set man "man" *set him "him" *set boy "boy" *goto chapterone #Female *set sex "female" *set he "she" *set his "her" *set master "Lady" *set son "daughter" *set him "her" *set boy "girl" *set man "woman" *goto chapterone #I don't identify as either of those. *set sex "Non-binary" *set he "they" *set son "child" *set man "adult" *set master "" *set his "theirs" *set him "them" *set boy "child" *goto chapterone *page_break *label chapterone [b]Chapter 1[/b] *page_break [i]You are flying over the world. You see continents shatter and shift to entirely new locations. Waves roll over the lands, leaving behind fresh vegetation and life. You watch as a torrential downpour of fire scorches the world, turning everything to ash. The process repeats, over and over into infinity... Until finally, the waves come, but are not followed by fire. *page_break Life creeps out from the cracks in the ground, wary of danger. But no inferno comes. One continent is left whole, surrounded by islands of varying shapes and sizes. You watch as something retreats into the mouth of a cave. Its midnight black form swirls over the landscape like smoke. It isn't quite physical, but it does have a presence. Everything it touches withers away. You hear laughter reverberate in your mind, endless and inviting...[/i] *page_break You wake up in a cold sweat. [i]Woah,[/i] you think to yourself, [i]That was some dream.[/i] With a deep yawn, you stretch your arms out to the side. Scratching your back, you swing your legs out of your spartan bed and stand. You notice a glint of light coming from the chest by the door. Walking over, you see a beautifully crafted mirror. *choice #Pick up the mirror and examine yourself. You pick up the mirror and pause as you contemplate your reflection. The first thing you notice is your hair... *choice #Brown Your hair is the color of swirling melted chocolate... *set Hair "Brown" *goto eyes #Golden Your hair is golden like your father's. *set Hair "Golden" *goto eyes #Red Your hair seems to dance with flames. *set Hair "Red" *goto eyes #Silver You stand out from most people, silver hair, especially to be born with it, is extremely rare. *set Hair "Silver" *goto eyes #Black Your hair is as black as midnight. *set Hair "Black" *goto eyes *label eyes *page_break You then notice the color of your eyes. *choice #Piercing blue *set Eyes "Blue" *goto day #Warm hazel *set eyes "Hazel" *goto day #Shimmering green *set eyes "Green" *goto day #Vibrant golden *set eyes "Golden" *goto day #Metallic silver *set eyes "Silver" *goto day #Pearly white *set eyes "White" *goto day *label day *page_break You set the mirror down, content with what you see. As you open the door, you feel a slight tremor in the air. Goosebumps cover your arms as a chill runs up your spine. Then it passes. Weird... "Are you alright ${name}?" You turn to see who addressed you and find Garth, one of the village guards. Garth is an older man, his wispy white hair and heavy paunch failing to give him any sense of respectability. Although he may be lacking in the physical department, Garth is known throughout the village for his courage and wisdom. *fake_choice #"Yes, yes, I just had a chill..." Garth watches you for a moment, his smile replaced by a quizzical look. He mutters, "The winds are off today ${boy}. Be wary..." #"I felt an odd sensation..." "Hmm... you felt it too? Be careful today ${name}," Garth says as he stares off into the distance. #"Yes. Thank you." Garth smiles at you and says, "I know you felt it. Be cautious today." As he begins to turn away, he suddenly stops and then looks at you again, saying, "Oh! I just remembered, happy early birthday! You'll be 18, that's big news! I think I speak for the whole village when I say how proud of you I am for coming so far under our humble tutelage. May Fis prosper forever!" Pumping his fist in the air and nodding his head in salute, Garth turns and waddles away. That was... strange. But Garth is Garth, and without him your training wouldn't have progressed nearly as far as it has. Shrugging, you turn towards the village square. *fake_choice #Smile and wave to everyone that you pass. It has never hurt to be kind. What bad could it do? #Walk stoicly. You'll be an adult tomorrow. Perhpas it is wise to look mature. Maybe not. You do notice a few funny glances your way. As you walk towards the village center, pondering what to do today, you see six men in bright orange robes walking down the street. Chanting and waving their arms towards the sky, they seem to attract everyone's attention. "Filthy Angels...!" someone besides you spits. You turn and see a farmer glaring daggers at the priests. "May Alatala strike them down in his glory!" the farmer says with vehemence. *fake_choice #Give the farmer a sympathetic nod. The farmer notices your gesture and visibly calms down. "${name}, was it? Thanks for understanding. I just... ah you know what I mean. I don't like cults. *fake_choice #"So it is a cult?" The farmer looks surprised. "I'm surprised you haven't noticed. Cult rituals, ignorance of tradition, even their outfits. Something just ain't right... I won't take up any more of your time. You have a good one." With that the farmer walks away, seemingly placated. #"Aren't they just another religion?" The farmer shakes his gravely shakes his head. "Oh no... there's something real funny about this group. Too many weird things going on. I'm not one to gossip though. Be wary of them... for your own sake." With that the farmer hurries away. #Give the farmer a cold look. You narrow your eyes at the farmer. Such anger is uncalled for. Noticing your look, the farmer angrily storms off. *label agenda *if counter = 0 Well, you still have the whole day ahead of you! What would you like to do? *if counter = 1 The sun is slowly making its way up from beyond the horizon. What else do you want to do today? *if counter = 2 The morning is well under way now. The people of Fis are now beginning to work, whether that be farming or trading or some other job. What will you do with the rest of your day? *if counter = 3 The sun sits high in the sky. It's prime planting season; warm, but not blistering. A cool breeze travels through the air. What do you want to do next? *if counter = 4 The sun slowly begins to set, throwing beautiful splashes of color across the sky. *choice *hide_reuse #Go to the library and catch up on your history *set counter + 1 *goto library *hide_reuse #See if you can sneak into the tavern *set counter + 1 *goto tavern *hide_reuse #Go to the training yard *set counter + 1 *goto trainingyard *hide_reuse #Go to the annual debate *set counter + 1 *goto debate *if (counter = 4) #Go looking for your friend, Virginia *set counter + 1 *goto meadow *if (counter = 5) #You're all done for today You're exhausted. You walk home well after dark, knowing your father will be upset. As you walk up the hill, slowly your eyes grow heavier and heavier. You drudge over to a gnarled tree trunk and sit down beside it. Maybe you'll just take a short rest... you'll only close your eyes for a few sec... *goto lastday *label library You walk to the village library. It is a small, dilapidated building, that no one has ever bothered to maintain, aside from the librarian, Lady Strome, of course. As you walk into the library, you hear voices coming from the back. Walking towards the sound, you pause behind a bookshelf and come across the elderly Lady Strome animatedly talking to a group of very young children. Noticing your arrival, Lady Strome exclaims, "Ah, young ${master} ${name}. What a pleasant surprise! I am giving the children a lesson about our history, would you care to join us?" *choice #"I'd love to!" "Wonderful! I've only just begun, so listen closely... Over ten thousand years ago, a powerful wizard named Alatala was shipwrecked here. He wasn't quite man or beast...he was something else altogether. He was in search of The Great Well, the supposed origin of all magic!" At this, the children begin talking excitedly amongst each other. One brave child stands and declares: "My mom says magic isn't real, that it's really all just tricks." He then folds his arms over his well-worn smock and kicks his bare feet against the wooden floor. *line_break "Oh no, magic is very real," Lady Strome corrects. "You see, as the years passed, Alatala grew lonely. Conjuring the powers of life and death, Alatala began to make new and exotic creatures. From his magic, dragons and fairies and all other manner of creatures were born, but he could never figure out how to design a creature that could truly think for itself. Then, he had an idea." "First, he took wet mud and molded it into the shape he wanted. Next, he conjured a ball of pure white fire and placed it into the center of the mud, giving the creature powerful emotions. He then took water from the clearest stream and poured it into the head, giving the creature ideas and thoughts, forming curiosity. Finally, Alatala breathed into the creature's mouth, giving it life. That was the first human." *page_break "As time passed and more humans were created, Alatala found himself growing weaker. He realized that each human carried within them a piece of his life force. Some had more than others and could manifest Alatala's power in strange magical ways. For nine millennia our land was at peace. But then everything changed." "About one thousand years ago, something ancient awoke. Something primitive. Vengeful. This entity began to whisper in the minds of men, making them greedy and wicked. One man became so corrupted, he was entirely possessed by the entity. He became the first Nightbrother." *page_break "To curb his growing influence, Alatala transported himself into the spiritual realm so he could live and guide humanity forever. As his tools in the temporal world, The Order of Steel was formed. These gallant knights swore to eradicate the evil from the land, starting The First Calamity." "There have been eight Great Calamities to date, each more terrible than the first. The last one saw The Order of Steel nearly exterminated. They have not been heard from in years, leaving many to think they have died out." "Our land never did have a name, but with the onset of widespread warfare and feudalism, this continent became known as The Realm of Steel," Lady Strome finishes with a sad shake of her head. By this point, two of the children are asleep and the rest look completely lost. "Is there anything else you'd like to know?" Lady Strome says warmly. *set intelligence %+ 10 *label questions *choice #"Can you tell me more about magic?" Lady Strome beams at your question and one of the children wakes up after hearing the word "magic". Lady Strome's smile grows as she begins to speak: "Magic is... wonderful. Powerful. Ancient. Dangerous. Nobody truly knows how magic works, though it is said that it comes from your soul. There are many, many different kinds of magic, but there are six common magics that are most referenced in the stories: Healing, Vigor, Maelstrom, Necromancy, Hellstorm, and Fury. *label magictalk "Which one would you like to hear about?" *choice #Healing "Ah, the art of Healing. Only the pure of heart can effectively use this magic. It is said that the most powerful of wizards could regrow limbs and repair broken minds, but I have never personally seen it done." *goto magictalk #Vigor "Vigor is a wonderful skill to acquire. Most of the time, wizards who mastered Vigor were leaders, as Vigor grants both you and those around you enhanced abilities. This would include having more energy, gaining strength and speed, and improvement in one's mental faculties. Although not one of the flashier powers, it is still most certainly a formidable force." *goto magictalk #Maelstrom "When a wizard uses Maelstrom, it is a wonder to behold. Maelstrom is the channeling of nature to create a force more powerful than any human creation. Most often this occurs on a smaller scale, such as conjuring a lightning storm or tornado. Legends say masters of this power could create vortexes that combined several elements, such as an electrified tsunami or a fiery tornado." *goto magictalk #Necromancy "Necromancy... the most reviled of the dark magics. Necromancy allows a wizard to bring the dead back... but not to life. The risen dead have no feelings, no thoughts, or human qualities. They follow their master until they are sent to the grave a second time. You can never truly kill an undead warrior; only killing the necromancer will end the risen dead's curse." *goto magictalk #Fury "Fury is one of the three dark magics. When used, one loses all control over their emotions and becomes blinded by rage. Stories tell of warlocks who used this power to defeat dozens of men or perform incredible feats of strength in combat. Though it is said that using Fury draws upon your life force." *goto magictalk #Hellstorm "Hellstorm is the last of the three dark magics. It grants the user power over the denizens of destruction. Pure energy that stems from hate forms into terrible beings that carry with them death and suffering. To be touched by a Hellstorm is to know eternal agony..." *goto magictalk #"I'm all done talking about magic." Lady Strome nods her head, saying, "I understand. Anything else?" *goto questions *hide_reuse #"Does the Order of Steel still exist?" At this Lady Strome pauses, lips pursed in thought. She takes a moment of consideration before saying, "I... think that they still exist. Are they great in number? No. But valiant people like your father are still alive and good still prevails in the hearts of men. That can only lead me to believe that the Nightbrother has not entirely won yet." "Anything else?" *goto questions *hide_reuse #"You make it sound as if Alatala is God, but isn't that heresy?" Lady Strome's face clouds over as she says, "I believe Alatala is God... but those who share my beliefs are dwindling in number. That new... church... I'm sorry, I can barely stand to talk about them. The Angels of the Divine, as they call themselves, believe Alatala never existed, that the Calamities are merely folktales and that their true God..." At this Lady Strome spits on the ground. "Their God does not allow magic to exist. They are fools. They believe the Nightbrother is simply another tyrant. May they die swiftly when the Nightbrother comes again." Lady Strome's face is red now. The children sitting closest to her start to back away. Noticing this, her face softens as she coos, "I'm sorry little ones. This is a grown-up topic. We should speak of happier things." *goto questions #"I should go..." "Ah okay. It was a pleasure seeing you again ${name}. Please come visit again when you have the time," Lady Strome says with a grandmotherly smile. *goto agenda #"Maybe some other time..." With a grandmotherly smile, Lady Strome whispers conspiratorially, "I just received a one of a kind book from a friend who lives very far away. I haven't read it quite yet, but supposedly you make choices that impact the story you read! There are over twenty different endings! Isn't that exciting? Please come back to visit and I'll share it with you!" With a small wave and a word of thanks, you leave the library. *goto agenda *label debate Every year, Fis holds a competition where the brightest in your village congregate to argue over various topics. Who knows, it might be fun? *page_break You walk towards the village square and see a small crowd gathered around a podium. Just before the crowd, an elderly gentleman sits at a table, paper and pen laid out before him. The man smiles as you approach, "Hello young one. Say... you wouldn't happen to be a fan of the debate would you?" You nod your head in affirmation and his smile grows larger, "How would you like to be a judge? It won't take long, only an hour at the most. It would be most interesting to have one of the youth judge the philosophical debate. Will you do it?" *choice #"Of course!" Somehow, the man manages to make his smile even larger, "Wonderful! Please have a seat on one of the chairs on the stage; the debate will begin momentarily." *set slasvenalive true You walk up onto the stage and see seven chairs arranged in a line. A mix of men and women, young and old, fill the other seats. You sit down in the last chair on the left, next to a younger man of perhaps twenty odd years. His short brown hair accentuates his sharp looks and wiry frame. He is not skinny, but rather lithe. His brown eyes appraise you. The young man turns to look at you, satisfaction on his face. "Very good, Jasper was able to recruit a village ${boy}... this should be fun. My name is Slavsen, pleasure to meet you. And your name is...?" *fake_choice #"My name is ${name}." Slasven's eyebrows raise a little at this. "So you're the one everyone makes the fuss about? I've heard good things, and... less wonderful things, about you, ${boy}," his face then tightens as he says, "Let's see how competent you are on the debate panel." Before you have the chance to respond, a horn sounds, signaling the start of the debate. *goto debateaction *label debateaction *page_break You watch as Jasper walks onto the stage. He winks at you before turning to the crowd and saying, "Welcome everyone to the 8th Annual Fis Debate! The reward this year will be... bragging rights!" At this, most of the crowd laughs good-naturedly, though you see several others frown. Another man walks over to Jasper and hands him a pail. "I will now randomly select the first question!" Raising his hand and twidling his gnarled fingers, Jasper reaches into the pail and pulls out a slip of paper. "The first question is... *choice #Is there a God?" *goto god *label god *page_break The crowd cheers. This will undoubtedly be a spirited debate. You watch in surprise as one of the orange-robed priests take the stage. He is a middle-aged man, head shaved, and even with his robes you see huge muscles bulging. On the other side of the stage, one of the town's most respected merchants takes his place. Jasper throws his hands in the air and yells, "Begin!" The merchant begins to speak, but the priest gruffly cuts him off, "Quiet. This is a simple matter. People of Fis, look around you. Look at the person standing next to you. Look at the sky in its infinite glory. Look down at the multitude of creatures that inhabit our world. I ask you: how can this beauty, this complexity, this perfection... how can it exist without a God? You would have me believe this was random? That 'science' is responsible? I say nay. You ask for proof? Open your eyes." The priest lowers his head, perhaps in prayer. *page_break The merchant scowls, "Priest... you know little. You preach of a loving God, one that would see all mankind return to Him. Bullcrap. Utter bullcrap. Besides the infinite number of glaring errors in your faith, let's examine one: is God good, or all-powerful? You say God is both these things. But, if God was all good, why do abominations such as the Nightbrother roam our world? Would he not smite them down? I claim that God does not exist. Perhaps some powerful force does, but it is certainly not all-powerful, and it is certainly not all good. There. Is. NO. God!" The merchant spits out these final words. *page_break Jasper begins to speak again, laughing, "Woah there! Such animosity, it's only round one! Anyways, it is time for the judges to ask questions. Since this is the first question, the youngest will start. In this case, that would be... oh, yes! The young ${name} has joined us today! !${he} will lead the questioning." The crowd begins to cheer again. Out of the corner of your eye, you see Slasven watching you expectantly... *goto godquestions *label godquestions *page_break *choice #Ask the priest something *choice *hide_reuse #"If God created our universe, where did God come from?" The priest begins to speak, then stops. Hesitantly, he says, "Ah... well, God is all-powerful. He did not need an universe in order to exist." You see Slasven nod his head at you. *set Slasven + 10 *goto godquestions *hide_reuse #"We have proof of science. Where is your proof of God?" "You mean, aside from what I just told you? Well, science. How could our world, governed by convoluted and very precise mathematics come to exist without a God? You say science contradicts God, I say it compliments him on what a fine job He did." You see Slasven rub his chin, pondering something. *set Slasven + 5 *goto godquestions *hide_reuse #"Why won't God get rid of the Nightbrother?" The priest ponders for a moment before saying, "I know what you are getting at. Yes, God is both all-powerful and all-good. He just wishes to test us." *goto godquestions #Return to possible questions. *goto godquestions #Ask the merchant something *choice *hide_reuse #"If there was no God, then how did our world come to exist?" The merchant's face goes blank. "I... uhhh... science. Yes, science made it happen." You see Slasven smile a little. *set Slasven + 10 *goto godquestions *hide_reuse #"If there was no God, then where did magic come from? The merchant's face turns red and he starts laughing. "Magic?! You believe in that crap? I forget, you're just a child. Do you have anything intelligent to say?" You see Slasven frown at you. *set Slasven - 20 *goto godquestions *hide_reuse #"If there is no God, where did our sense of right and wrong come from?" The merchant smirks. "Well, we have a little thing called brains in our head. Our brain has chemicals that make us feel happy or sad. Are you still following? When we kill another human, our mind sees that as bad. No God, just science." *goto godquestions #Return to possible questions. *goto godquestions #You are ready to vote. *goto vote *label vote *page_break The crowd is silent, seemingly lost in thought. Jasper steps up, saying, "Wow. What a fantastic debate! Now the judges will vote. Please write, priest or merchant." A stick of charcoal and a slip of paper are passed to you. You write... *choice #Pretend to write something, but leave the paper blank You place the slip of paper into the pail. A group of men begins to count. Confusion immediately breaks out. Muttering and wild gesticulations cause the crowd to shift uneasily. Jasper turns to the crowd and says, "Well, it appears we have a tie! We are going to have a revote." *goto voteb #Priest You place your vote into the pail. After all the votes are collected and recorded, Jasper stands, saying, "The votes are in! By a score of five to two.... the priest wins!" About half the crowd cheers, the other half storm off. One woman in the back yells, "Alatala is the only God!" The crowd goes silent, glaring at her. Head held high, she strides away. Jasper walks towards you and under his breath says, "I'd be careful today. The merchants might not be as friendly towards you as of right now." Nodding in agreement, you leave. *goto agenda #Merchant You place your vote into the pail. After all the votes are collected and recorded, Jasper stands, saying, "The votes are in! By a score of five to two.... the merchant wins!" About half the crowd cheers, the other half storm off. One woman in the back yells, "Alatala is the only God!" The crowd goes silent, glaring at her. Head held high, she strides away. Jasper walks towards you and under his breath says, "I'd be careful today. The priests might not be as friendly towards you as of right now." Nodding in agreement, you leave. *goto agenda *label voteb Again writing materials are passed out. You write... *choice #Pretend to write something, but leave the paper blank You place the slip of paper into the pail. The group of men start to read the votes, then throw their arms up in anger. Jasper hurries over and sharp words are exchanged. Jasper, a little red in the face, again addresses the crowd, saying, "Once again, the result is a tie. Three pieces of paper were found without votes. This marks the end of the debate." Then he angrily storms off stage. Confused, you stand. Slasven smiles at you. "How odd. Not an undesirable outcome, on the contrary, quite amusing. But odd. I hope to speak with you again, ${name}. His eyes bore into yours, a hidden playfulness shining out. Then with a flourish he exits the stage. *goto agenda #Priest You place your vote into the pail. After all the votes are collected and recorded, Jasper stands, saying, "The votes are in! By a score of four to three.... the priest wins!" About half the crowd cheers, the other half storm off. One woman in the back yells, "Alatala is the only God!" The crowd goes silent, glaring at her. Head held high, she strides away. Jasper walks towards you and under his breath says, "I'd be careful today. The merchants might not be as friendly towards you as of right now." Nodding in agreement, you leave. *goto agenda #Merchant You place your vote into the pail. After all the votes are collected and recorded, Jasper stands, saying, "The votes are in! By a score of four to three.... the merchant wins!" About half the crowd cheers, the other half storm off. One woman in the back yells, "Alatala is the only God!" The crowd goes silent, glaring at her. Head held high, she strides away. Jasper walks towards you and under his breath says, "I'd be careful today. The priests might not be as friendly towards you as of right now." Nodding in agreement, you leave. *goto agenda *label trainingyard You can't go wrong with more training! As you walk into the training yard, you see several different people who might be willing to help you. Who do you approach? *choice #The village garrison leader At the sight of your approach, the garrison leader yells, "At ease, men! ${name}, it's good to see you again. I heard tomorrow is your eighteenth birthday! Are you ready to be a ${man}?" When you hesitate, the man laughs. "That's quite alright. Let me show you the finer points of being a leader..." [i]You spend several hours practicing yelling at people.[/i] *set Leadership %+ 10 *goto agenda #A renowned fighter The warrior turns towards you, muscles bulging and sweat dripping from every part of him. "$!{name} want to get strong? Hah! Okay. I help you." [i]You spend the next several hours doing push-ups, burpees, and squats. *set Strength %+ 10 *goto agenda #A man standing in the shadows The man watches you as you walk over. Under closer inspection, you see he has pale yellow eyes, with a curved mustache spanning the entirety of his face. "You come to the training yard, a place of brutes and leaders, yet you approach me... curious. It would be my pleasure to help you $!{name}." [i]You spend the next several hours doing brain teasers and math problems. You hope this helped.[/i] *set Intelligence %+10 *goto agenda *label meadow You take off running towards the meadow, you know you'll find Virginia there. *set virginiaalive true As you reach the crest of a nearby hill, a faint melody reaches your ears. You move in the direction of the singing and see Virginia laughing and dancing through the meadow as she flows with her melody. She's already eighteen, and she loves to remind you of her superiority stemming from the fact she's a few weeks older than you. Her pale skin contrasts with her long black hair, giving her an otherworldly look. You don't know how she stays as happy as she does; your father told you that both her parents died during a raid on their villages shortly before your birth. Your father took Virginia in, raising her as his own. She's become like a sister to you. As you watch Virginia twirl through the newly bloomed flowers, she notices you and beckons for you to join her. "${name}! I knew you'd come. You always find me!" she says with a giggle. "Hey, I found a cool new spot! Wanna see?" *choice #"Yeah, let's go!" *set Virginia %+ 10 "Follow me!" Virginia takes off running and you struggle to keep up with her; she has always been the faster runner. After several minutes, you arrive at your destination. You're on the edge of the Sliver Woods. As you catch your breath, Virginia walks up to you and grabs your hand. "Come on slowpoke, it's just inside the forest!" *fake_choice #"Virginia... this might be a bad idea..." "Why? It's close, and besides, you're here in case anything scary comes!" she says as she tries to pull you into the forest. "I don't know... what if there are bandits?" you say, shaking just a little bit. "${name}, really, we're fine, come on." Reluctantly, you let Virginia lead you into the forest. A couple minutes later, Virginia suddenly speaks up. "Ok, now close your eyes. I see you peeking! Keep them closed..." You fumble your way forward, gripping Virginia's hand tightly. As you move forward, you feel a cool breeze across your face. Then you hear Virginia say, "Ok, stand right here. Don't peek! I'll be right back." *page_break You try to stand as still as possible; you don't want to trip on anything. Suddenly something pushes you from behind and you fall forward face first! You eyes fly open and you see a pool of water rushing up to meet you. Trying to change your body's angle, you manage to turn a face plant into a belly flop. The freezing mountain water hits you like a jolt of electricity. As you swim to the surface you see a small figure jump off the overhang you were just on. "Cannonball!" Virginia yells as she leaps into the water. "Virginia!" you exclaim, "What was that?!" Your cheeks are red, from anger and embarrassment. Virginia smiles mischievously and sends a wave of water into your face. Of course you have to retaliate. You spend the next hour playing in the water. *page_break After splashing around for several hours, you and Virginia stretch out on the grass next to the mountain spring. You look over at Virginia; her eyes are closed, hiding their hazel color. A small grin creases her lips. You smile as you say, #"I'm always up for an adventure!" *set leadership %+ 2 Virginia smiles at you. "There's the ${name} I know! A couple minutes later, Virginia suddenly speaks up. "Ok, now close your eyes. I see you peeking! Keep them closed..." You fumble your way forward, gripping Virginia's hand tightly. As you move forward, you feel a cool breeze across your face. Then you hear Virginia say, "Ok, stand right here. Don't peek! I'll be right back." *page_break You try to stand as still as possible; you don't want to trip on anything. Suddenly something pushes you from behind and you fall forward face first! Your eyes fly open and you see a pool of water rushing up to meet you. Trying to change your body's angle, you manage to turn a face plant into a belly flop. The freezing mountain water hits you like a jolt of electricity. As you swim to the surface you see a small figure jump off the overhang you were just on. "Cannonball!" Virginia yells as she leaps into the water. "Virginia!" you exclaim, "What was that?!" Your cheeks are red, from anger and embarrassment. Virginia smiles mischievously and sends a wave of water into your face. Of course you have to retaliate. You spend the next hour playing in the water. *page_break After splashing around for several hours, you and Virginia stretch out on the grass next to the mountain spring. You look over at Virginia; her eyes are closed, hiding their hazel color. A small grin creases her lips. You smile as you say, *choice #"I love the way you smile like that." Virginia's eyes pop open and her cheeks turn scarlet as she says, "Oh, I... uhh, thank you?" She quickly looks away before saying, "So... you're almost eighteen. You're going to be a ${man}. What are you going to do with your life?" *set Virginia + 10 *goto goals #"What's on your mind?" She lazily rolls her head towards you, a crooked smile greeting you, "I'm just happy..." "Oh? What about?" Her pale cheeks turn a soft rosy color as she stammers, "Oh, just you know... I get to hang out with you and... yeah you know." She sits up and turns away, hiding the blush that is rapidly spreading across her face, "Anyways, you're going to be eighteen tomorrow! You'll be a ${man}... What are you going to do with your life?" *set Virginia + 10 *goto goals #"I can't believe I'm almost eighteen..." *set Virginia + 10 Virginia laughs, "Oh yes, you'll be a real ${man}. What are you going to do with your life?" *goto goals *label goals *fake_choice #"I want to be a great knight." Virginia nods her head thoughtfully, "Yes, I think you'd make a wonderful knight... Slay evil, protect the innocent, save the damsel in distress..." At this Virginia coyly smiles at you. Then she laughs and lays her head back down onto the grass. #"I just want to be happy." You see Virginia's brow crease before she says, "No dreams of glory? Riches? Titles? I'm... I'm surprised." She lays her head back down, but you catch a glimpse of a smile lighting up her face. *set Virginia + 5 #"I want to find true love." A small frown appears on Virginia's face before she says, "Oh. I... yes, it's important to find the person you love. One day, right?" She smiles sadly and then lays her head down on the grass. #"I want to learn magic. Virginia blankly stares at you. Then her eyes widen, "Wait. You're serious?! Hahaha! Magic doesn't exist! Oh well ${name}, you're not an adult till tomorrow right?" Chuckling, Virginia lays her head back down on the grass. #"I want to rule The Realm of Steel!" Virginia gives you a curious look before questioning, "You? Unify the realm? You do realize that has never been achieved since the time of Alatala? Good luck I guess." Virginia furrows her eyebrows before laying her head back onto the grass. *label bandits *page_break The two of you tarry a little longer before you say, "It's getting late, we should probably get back." Virginia nods and you both stand up and begin your journey home. *page_break As you are lazily meandering through the forest, you hear a twig snap. Instantly, your senses are on alert. You look around you, but the dense trees make visibility almost zero. Then you hear Virginia cry out and as you turn to help her you see a heavy wooden cudgel slam into your face. *page_break "${name}! ${name}! Wake up kid we gotta move!" Clutching your forehead, you slowly open your eyes, but the light sends flashes of pain shooting through you and you hurriedly close them. A coppery taste fills your mouth. "Hey, you alright? One of the hunter's children saw the bandits attack you and take Virginia. I brought some men with me to help." The voice makes your ears ring, shooting shots of agony through your skull. The pain in your head subsides for a moment, and you see it is Garth who has found you. Around him are seventeen men, none of whom look prepared for battle. Nearly all of them are carrying simply pitchforks or shovels, not weapons of war. "G-Garth?" you stammer. Garth smiles, saying, "Yeah, it's me. Come on, the bandits still have Virginia. I brought you a sword. Now let's go!" [i](Acquire rusty sword)[/i] *set rustedsword true *set weaponname "rusty sword" The sword is a little rusty but seems like it can get the job done. *page_break As you follow Garth through the forest, terrible thoughts start to run through your mind. Your fear slowly builds as you travel. *fake_choice #What if they killed her? #What if we can't find them? #What if they're doing something far worse to her? The thought makes your stomach churn. *page_break After walking for a short time, you hear laughter up ahead. As you reach the top of another hill and look over, you see the bandit camp. Virginia is sitting next to a tree, tied there with several lengths of rope, blindfolded, and gagged. There are about fifteen of the bandits, and although they aren't very well armed or armored, they look intimidating. Most are shirtless and carry large wooden cudgels, like the one they brained you with. But one man stands out. Dressed all in dark purple, the man carries two large sabers at his waist. His face is stuck in a perpetual sneer, like everything around him is beneath his notice. You and your companions watch as one of the other bandits accidentally flicks just a spot of mud on him. Faster than the natural eye can see, the man's sword is out and slicing through the air. The other bandit stands motionless for a moment, before his head drops to the ground. The saber-wielding man then spits on the body and walks away. Garth motions you over and begins to whisper to your group of seventeen, "Ok everyone, time for a plan. $!{name}, I think it's fitting that the day before your final test you lead us into combat. Let's see if our teachings have actually paid off, eh?" *label choice_bandits *choice #"Hmm...I think we should charge them. We have greater numbers." "Alright ${name}, let's hope the past eighteen years haven't been for naught. You guys ready?" You look around and see many of the men gripping their pitchforks with white knuckles, eyes wide at the thought of their possible demise. To your left is a young boy, not much older than you. You see a wet line running down the inside of his brown worker's trousers. Once all the men seem to be as ready as they can be, Garth raises his spear and yells, "CHARGE!" You let loose your own war cry and rush into the enemy camp. Immediately a bandit swings a cudgel at you, but you roll away. You find yourself and the bandit are a ways away from the main battle. The bandit flashes a toothy smile at you and lunges, cudgel aimed for your head. *choice #Try to stall for time You have no hope of beating the larger man. You feint and dodge this way and that way, doing everything in your power to avoid being made into a pulpy mess. Finally, you see one of your allies, the boy who soiled himself, break off from the main group and rush to help you. You and the boy press the offensive, his pitchfork keeping the man at bay and your sword keeping him on his toes. As you push the man backwards, the bandit trips over another body and falls heavily on his back. You jump over the body and raise your sword to finish him... and then you see the terror in the bandit's eyes and you freeze. The bandit's expression shifts to confusion, and then he comes to a vicious realization. You can't kill him. The bandit sweeps your legs out from under you and you fall onto the ground, banging your head. Dazed, you look up in confusion as the bandit raises his club, but as he strikes down at you, you see the farmer boy bound in front of you. The cudgel hits his head with a meaty smack, and the boy is dead before he hits the ground. From the corner of your eye, you see Garth raise an arm towards you and mutter something, then collapse to the ground. Instantly, your vision blurs. A faint red taints the world around you. Then you feel a presence take control of you. "AHHH!" you bellow as you strike upwards with your sword. The blade misses the entirety of the bandit's body, but the tip of the sword catches the bandit's chin and splits it in two. The man clutches both hands to his mutilated face and sinks to the ground. The red tint fades, and your emotions revert to normal. You turn around and notice the battle is all but over. The only person still left fighting is the violet robed bandit leader, and he has three pitchforks sticking out of him. You watch as he slowly bleeds out, then topple over as death finally takes him. His body twitches one more time, then everything is silent. *goto battleaftermath #Press your own attack The bandit is surprised by the ferocity and speed of your blows, and he barely manages to fend off your attacks. Yes, you are unskilled and young, but anger is a powerful tool. As you slowly push the man back, you grow more confident. Your swings became wider, less precise. Your power increases, but your accuracy drops to almost nothing. As you batter the bandit backwards, you then notice a glint in the bandit's eyes. Faster than you could possibly react to, the bandit effortlessly catches your hand and twists, causing you to drop the sword. The bandit then picks up and admires your sword. "I been needing a new ones of this. Thanks!" the bandit says in his heavily accented voice. You watch in horror as he approaches you, sword pulled back over his shoulder. Just as he goes to cleave you in two, you see Garth wave an outstretched arm at you and the bandits attack swerves to the side. "Huh?" the bandit mumbles in disbelief. Seeing your opportunity, you exert all your force and kick the man in the groin. The bandits eyes glaze over in pain as his hands dart to his nether regions. Dropping the sword hilt first, he then falls to his knees, directly into the upturned blade. Shock plasters his face as the blade pierces his stomach. Then the bandit looks up at you and says, "Beginner's luck, eh? Sharp sword you got there... pity its... not... mine." Then he slumps to the ground, dead. . You turn around and notice the battle is all but over. The only person still left fighting is the violet robed bandit leader, and he has three pitchforks sticking out of him. You watch as he slowly bleeds out, then topple over as death finally takes him. His body twitches one more time, then everything is silent. *goto battleaftermath #Attack the bandit leader Your courage surprises you as you and three other farmers attack the leader. As you sprint at the man, he smiles and unsheathes both sabers. Then he become a force of nature. His blades strike as lightning, quick and devastating. Whatever metal his swords are made of, it is exponentially stronger than the farmers' pitchforks or even your own sword. You and your companions' weapons become chipped and dull, but the bandit leader's saber remain pristine. It takes all of your limited skill simply to avoid or block his attacks. You prayer that the other farmers and Garth have almost won their battle, because you know you cannot win yours. You and the three farmers make a valiant stand, holding the bandit leader at bay. That is, until one of the farmer's pitchforks snaps. The bandit leader lets loose a maniacal laugh as he launches himself towards the defenseless farmer, cutting him down. Turning his attention to the two remaining farmers, the bandit leader twirls and redirects one farmer's thrusted pitchfork into the chest of the other. Crying out, the farmer whose pitchfork is now lodged in his companion yanks on his weapon with all his strength, but the pitchfork does not budge. The bandit leader laughs again and disembowels the man in one fluid strike, his next removing the farmer's head. Then it is you and the bandit. "Help!" you cry out. You see Garth look over and flick his wrist in your direction before collapsing to the ground. When the bandit leader next attempts to step towards you, his feet are glued to the ground!Seizing the opportunity, you dash around the man and slash at his unprotected Achilles Heels. The bandit leader bellows in pain as he collapses, his cut tendons no longer able to support his weight. You then finish him off with a sword thrust to his face. *goto battleaftermath #"What if we had someone act as a diversion..." Garth looks at you, puzzled, then slowly a mischievous grin spreads across his face. "Why, that might be the best idea I've heard all day! And I know just the guy to do it..." *page_break A few moments later... "Garth. I don't like this plan." Garth made you remove your armor and weapons and strip down to your undergarments. Garth laughs as he says, "Well go along, go make a fool of yourself!" Shame threatening to overcome you, you inch your way around the bandit encampment until the bandits are in between you and your allies. *choice #Run out and start screaming like a lunatic "AAYIIEEEE" you sprint into the middle of the camp and start going berserk. Soup pot? Kicked. Weapons rack? Kicked. Bandit leader? Kicked. Wait. Bandit leader?! You freeze mid stride, turning to look at the imposing man that you just kicked in the shin. No emotion registers on his face, he just slowly draws his swords. Behind him, you see Garth and the farmers sneaking up behind him, but they need a little bit more time. Then again, you also need to survive... *choice #Beg for mercy Seeing no other option, you fall on your knees and begin to blubber, "Please please please sir don't kill me. I can be useful look I can carry stuff and cook and do whatever you want and..." "SILENCE!" the bandit leader roars in your face. His voice drops menacingly low, "Slaves should learn to be quiet. Go clean up the weapons. And ${boy}? One wrong move and I'll have your ARCK!" The man is cutoff as two pitchforks are driven through his chest. The bandit leader's eyes grow wide in terror, then glass over as he falls. Everything is silent for a moment. Then the camp devolves into mayhem. Leaderless, the remaining bandits try to flee, but your allies cut them down. One brave bandit aims an arrow at you and releases. You see your life flash before your eyes as the arrow flies towards you. In the corner of your eye you see Garth make a subtle hand motion, and the arrow crumples. Stunned, you look at Garth but he is already fighting elsewhere. The bandits are quickly killed. *goto battleaftermath #Run You turn to try and escape, but a boot catches you in the stomach and you fall to the ground. The bandit leader looks down at you, unmerciful, and you hear Garth yell as the silver blade flashes towards you... *page_break *set death + 1 *if (death = 1) But wait... *page_break This is not how the story goes... *page_break "${name}... ${name}... This is not how your story ends. You must unite this realm. I give you the gift of life and strength... do not squander it." *set Leadership + 5 *set Strength + 5 *set Intelligence + 5 *set Wisdom + 5 *goto choice_bandits *if (death = 2) *goto_scene death #Saunter out of the bushes and tell a joke You put on your most courageous face and walk out into the clearing. The bandits don't notice you until you are practically right behind them. "Ahem." Your voice startles the bandit closest to you, causing him to drop his spear. The other bandits quickly rush to encircle you. "Now that I have your attention... I have a question for you. When does Sir Lancelot go to bed?" The bandits stare at you, confused. Only the bandit leader smiles. Your voice cracks a little as you say, "Knight time!" No one laughs. Mind racing, you try another one, "Uhhh... what do you call a jouster that was just released from prison? A free lancer!" The bandit leader is not smiling anymore. Behind him, you see Garth and the farmers quickly approaching. You think it is time for your final joke... "What do you call a bunch of idiot bandits?" At this, more than one snarls and draws their weapon. "Dead." You see one bandit in the back mutter, "I don't get it..." right as Garth's sword removes his head from his body. Chaos ensues. Caught by surprise, the bandits are overmatched. Your band of farmers quickly annihilates the bandits, but as you turn to check on Virginia, you see the bandit leader leap at you, swords arcing in a murderous path. Out of the corner of your eye, you see Garth's eyes go wide and he waves his hand. The bandit is thrown to the side, some invisible force knocking the wind from him. The farmers quickly surround him and finish him off. *goto battleaftermath *label battleaftermath *page_break Exhausted, you amble over to Virginia and cut her free of her bonds. Her wrists and face are raw from the restraints, but she doesn't seem to care. Tears roll down her face as she hugs you, "Thank you ${name}, thank you. I... I thought I was never going to see you again..." You console her, saying, "It's ok, I will always come for you. Always." Pulling back from the embrace and wiping the tears from her face, Virginia smiles while nodding, then starts walking towards the other men in your group. You see Garth approaching you, looking haggard and dirty, but unharmed. You open your mouth to speak but Garth holds up a hand. "${name}. Listen very closely to me. Whatever you think you saw, it DID NOT happen. I merely grew too tired and fainted. Nothing more. Do you understand me?" His eyes blaze with an inner fire, revealing a strength you have never seen before in the old, flabby man. Not knowing what to say, you nod your head. Garth nods back, then pulls out two black sheathes. "${name}, I want you to have these. They were the bandit leader's, and they're made from the finest steel from the foundries at Lightenstein. I know they are too big for you to use now, but you'll grow." You reach out to take them, but waver, knowing that the blood of your allies and most likely countless innocents before stain these blades. As if sensing your apprehension, Garth lowers his voice and says, "I do not fault you. These sabers have seen and committed much evil. But you can change that. Use them as a force for good, redeem them." Reaching out once more, you take the sabers and tie them around your waist. Their weight seems more than physical, almost as if they carry an emotional burden as well. Shuddering, you and your companions begin the trek back to Fis. [i](acquire Dual Sabers) [/i] *set rustedsword false *set dualsabers true *set weaponname "dual sabers" *goto agenda *label tavern *set gundaralive true What's the harm in getting into a little mischief? You set off towards the tavern, visions of exciting bar fights filling your mind. Finally, you see the tavern. As you approach the door, you see an overweight man tossed through the door, landing unceremoniously on his rump. "And stay out you filthy swindler!" A chorus of cheers erupts from the building. Another voice yells, "Beat it Gundar!" The Knight's Ale might not be the most reputable part of your village, but it sure is the most exciting! You look down at the disgraced man before you. As he unsteadily rises, you appraise him. The man is very overweight, to the point where his flabby tummy is sticking out below his overcoat. Dressed in a large kilt and a green overcoat, he sticks out like a sore thumb among the drab people of Fis. His cheeks are as rosy as his hair, a sharp contrast to the pale pallor of the rest of his body. Dusting off his kilt, the man finally notices you. "Ye need somethin' kid? I'm a little busy here." *choice #"No, I'm sorry sir. I was just leaving." "Good. Now off with ye before ye get a smack on ya bum." Feeling a little intimidated, you walk away. *set Gundar 40 *goto agenda #"You're busy? I can tell. I take it the introduction of your bottom to the ground was a pleasant one?" You say this while trying as hard as you can to keep a straight face. The man's face flushes an even deeper shade of red, and he starts shaking. You slowly back away, fearing that this time you maybe went too far. Then the man bursts into laughter. *line_break "Oi now that's clever coming from a runt like ye. Whatsa name kiddo?" he says while still chuckling. "${name}." "${name}? Why thats a name from mi own motherland. I'm Gundar, a trader by trade. Don't let those guys in there tell ye nuthin' 'bout me, I'm a straight shooter!" Gundar says with a chortle, "I hope we meet again sometime, but I best be leaving now. I do believe ye village friends don't like me much. Have a good un'!" With that, Gundar walks away. You walk away, that is enough tavern excitement for now. *set Gundar 50 *goto agenda *label lastday *page_break Sometime that night, you are awoken when strong arms lovingly wrap around you. "Shhh, child. Go back to sleep. Dad's got you. Shhh..." you hear a familiar voice whisper. "Shhh..." *page_break [i] The Battle of the Last Stand[/i] It is your 16th birthday. As you run through the small village of Fis, joyous memories swim through your mind. You can't wait to see what Father got you! Every year you have begged for your own sword. You are 18 now, isn't that when children become grown-ups? *label cityintersection As you run through the streets, you come to an intersection. For a moment you forget how to get home! Which way do you go? *choice *disable_reuse #Left As you sprint around the corner, you run straight into a dead end! *goto cityintersection *disable_reuse #Right As you are sprinting to your right, your joy comes screeching to a halt as you see a procession of ragged, bloody men walk towards you. Tattered standards lazily wave as the procession groans to a halt. The look in their eyes... something is broken inside them. I wonder what happened? Whatever the case, the sight is too much for you, and you turn and run back to the intersection. *goto cityintersection #Straight As you race forward, a cavalry trooper saunters out in front of you and you run smack dab into the side of his horse! After taking a moment to get your bearings, you look up and see it is none other than Lord Valor! Battle-scarred armor lines his body, weathered from years of combat. His helmet hangs at his side, its characteristic blue nine-tailed plume hanging down. A massive broadsword is strapped to his waist, the polished steel glinting in the afternoon sun. Your eyes are drawn to his gloves, and Lord Valor's signature crest pinned to one of them. A mighty eagle, wings outstretched, adorns his pin. All who see that mark know that it carries the weight of Valor's approval. Eyes shining with exuberance look down at you, and the man you thought was legend begins to speak, saying, "Hello young one, what might your name be?" *fake_choice #"Umm....I... It's..." "That's quite alright child. Here, I want you to have this..." he says while tugging at the pin on his glove. "Here ${boy}, I want you to have this. Take it and find courage." "But... but sir!" you stammer as you watch Lord Valor place his crest into your hands. [i](Acquire Valor's Crest)[/i] *set ValorsCrest true *set Leadership %+ 12 #"I am $!{name}! And you better remember it, you'll hear it a lot more!" "Ah, a bold one aren't you? Be careful not to let your pride ruin you," Lord Valor says with a small, knowing smile. #"Lord Valor, I am ${name}. I am pleased to meet you, sir." *set Intelligence %+ 5 *set Wisdom %+ 5 "So polite for one so young! I will remember you ${name}. I hope when you have grown a few more years you will join my army. The Heavens know we need more adults with ideas than children with brawn...," Lord Valor proclaims with a shake of his head. As Lord Valor opens his mouth to speak again, he turns as a bugle horn sounds in the distance. A man dressed in polished blue armor sprints to Lord Valor, yelling, "Lord! The Gathering has begun. Your presence is requested by the Council!" With a heavy sigh, Lord Valor smiles down at you, "Duty calls. I hope to see you again one day. And someone write down ${his} name!" With a flourish he turns his steed towards the outskirts of town and canters away. You are left standing in the middle of the intersection, disbelief rooting you to the ground. Why would the mythic Lord Valor, Supreme Commander of the Armies Of Light, be at your tiny village? Even though it's well-known for its wheat production, Fis is still barely a speck on most maps! "Was that Lord Valor?!" a voice comes from your left. You shake your head, throwing off the last vestiges of your stupor. You look to the side and see Virginia staring dumb-founded at you. "${name}! Where have you been? I've been looking everywhere for you! Your dad sent me to get you," she says as she playfully smiles. "We have to go tell your Dad!" Virginia exclaims as she turns and runs. With a grin starting to spread across your face, you chase after her. *page_break You're huffing and puffing by the time you arrive at your home. You see the door open and close as Virginia rushes in. You catch your breath, stopping to examine your house. It's built less like a home and more like a fortress; stone walkways, battlements lining the roof, a tower rising into the sky, it even has a drawbridge, though you have never seen it closed. Your father was never officially made lord over Fis, but after he and his squad of fellow knights single-handedly repelled a band of raiders, the villagers begged him to stay, going so far as to build the fortress you now see before you. He humbly accepted, vowing to retire from his life of adventuring in favor of protecting the inhabitants of Fis. *set eltarielalive true *set gwinnalive true As you approach the drawbridge, you see two of your father's oldest friends, Gwinn and Eltariel. Gwinn is an athletic woman of about six feet, her tan skin draws a sharp comparison with her silver hair, this combined with her pointed cheekbones and lithe figure distracts most men, and women, from the hardness in her eyes. She has a modified crossbow slung across her back, the sleek, modern design allowing her to load and fire up to three bolts before reloading. At her waist hung a pair of curved daggers. Eltariel is a mountain of a man, standing at just below seven feet. His unkempt beard, bulging muscles, and massive warhammer seem to portray a wild beast of a man, but anyone who has spoken with him knows him to be a well-spoken scholar at heart, gentle and polite. *page_break Normally the two would be deep in conversation or sparring, but the two friends stand rigidly at either side of the bridge, eyes staring straight ahead. *fake_choice #"Hey guys! How's it going?" #"Umm... you guys alright? You seem... off?" #Stare at them Neither makes any move to acknowledge you. With a shrug of your shoulders, you walk over the bridge and into your home. As you enter your home. You see the that the windows have all been covered, and candles light a walkway to your right. As you look around, you see two eyes staring at you from the darkness. *fake_choice #Lunge forward. You bring your fist forward, but stop a moment later. #Take a step back. Bringing your fists up, you warily eye the shadowy figure. Upon closer inspection, you see it is only Virginia, clad in a black robe. Her eyes sparkle in the dim lights as she holds up one finger to her lips to quiet you. Her other hand gestures for you to leave your weapons, which you do. She then points in the direction of the candles. Confused, you walk forward. Cautiously, you follow the candlelight through your home until the candles suddenly stop at an unmarked wall, with a single stone missing. (This is your first puzzle. If you absolutely cannot solve it, there will be an option to bypass it. Be warned, if you fail to complete the puzzle, a heavy penalty will be levied against you. However, if you do complete it, you will receive a nice little stats boost!) *set counter 0 *page_break *label wallpuzzle Littered on the floor are perhaps 40 or 50 rocks, each with a variation of numbers on them, but always only four digits. A small metallic plaque sits on the ground, and you stoop over to read it. In looping cursive, it reads, [i]A puzzle am I, do you dare try? There is a code you must create, finish the sequence 112358_ _ _ _"[/i] You wonder what the code is... maybe this is a test? How will you solve it? *choice #You already see a rock that should fit in the space in the wall That... did not work. Maybe you aren't as perceptive as you thought? Maybe another choice would be better. *goto wallpuzzle #Break the wall. A puzzle?! You don't have time for this! You pick up one of the larger rocks and begin bashing the wall. After several minutes, you hear a crack, then the wall collapses on you! Ouch. *set Wisdom %- 8 *set Strength %+ 3 *goto success #I think I know the password. *input_number password 0000 9999 *if password = 1321 [i]Click.[/i] It worked! The stone wall opens to reveal a dank stairwell leading deep into the earth. Torches line the walls, throwing an eerie, orange light over your surroundings. *set Wisdom %+ 15 *set Intelligence %+ 5 *goto success *else Nothing happened. Maybe I picked the wrong numbers? *goto wallpuzzle *label success You begin to walk down the seemingly endless stairs. *page_break After walking down what must have been thousands of stairs, the stairs abruptly stop. A long tunnel lays before you. You see a very dim light at the end, but the tunnel is not lit in any way. Your eighteen year old mind recoils at what might be lurking in the darkness, but you steel yourself and begin moving forward. *line_break Shuffling along the tunnel, you keep one hand pressed to the wall and one hand in front of you. The wall is dry, the cold earth flaking off at the touch of your hand. The air is freezing and stale. Your hand then runs across something smooth and painfully cold. A piercing screech fills the hallway. A hand suddenly reaches out from somewhere and latches onto you. You feel all emotion sucked out of your body and your senses shut off. Your mind is numb. As you topple to the ground, your last thought is of running through the fields of Fis with Virginia. *page_break [i]The blank expanse of nothingness seeps into your pores.[/i] *page_break ... *page_break [i]Your mind reforms and fragments a million times every second. Thought evades you. Everything is... blank.[/i] *page_break ... *page_break [i]Just give up. Why play the game? You won't... no, you CAN'T win.[/i] *page_break ... *page_break "${name}..." a quiet voice calls to you from the darkness. You fight to regain consciousness, but fail and drift back into oblivion. *page_break "CHAMPION! HEAR ME. AWAKE AND GO FORTH!" a voice booms from all around you. A blast of warmth, not so hot to be unbearable, more like sitting in front of a hot fire on a snowy day, washes over you. Your mind slowly returns to its fully aware state. "Agh!" you scream in pain as your senses return to you, letting you feel the excruciating pain in your hand. You clutch your hand to your chest and pray to whatever god will hear you to take away the pain. After several minutes, the pain slowly subsides. Then it is gone. *label hallofeternities Do you continue down the hallway towards the light, or retreat back to the stairs? *fake_choice #I must be strong. You continue towards the light. #I... I can't do this. I'm leaving. "NO!" A voice penetrates your mind. It persists until you turn back towards the distant light. *goto hallofeternities You continue to walk towards the light, but stay well away from the walls. *page_break Some time later, you finally reach the light. It turns out to be a a large, circular room. There are rows of stone seats arranged in a semi-circle around the room, with each chair filled by a man or woman, each adorned with full knightly armor and weaponry. Directly in front of you, five tall-backed oak chairs are lined up in front of you. Both outer sides of the line are filled by an ancient man on one side and an ancient woman on the other side. On the chairs directly next to them sit a young, bearded man and a beautiful woman. All four wear flowing, navy blue robes with intricate red patterns swirling on them. The final chair in the middle is occupied by none other than your father, Torbjorn Trustbearer. Standing at 6'3 and well-built, your father makes for an imposing figure. His dark silver armor seems to suck you in, the swirling smoke design created to distract enemies in combat. His blond hair is shaved into an intricate, complex pattern that makes his head look like jagged shards of glass. His long beard is neatly braided into a single strand that runs nearly halfway down his chest. His piercing blue eyes reflect the deep affection he feels for you, but as you walk into the room, they quickly flash with worry. "My ${son}! What happened?!" he cries out in despair. "I'm fine father. Really. I am," you try to say as strongly as you can. Suddenly, the ancient man from the line of chairs gasps and covers his mouth with his hands. Your hurt hand begins to tingle, and you finally look at it. Your eyes shoot open as you see the mark of a phoenix seared into your hand. The assembled knights and priests begin to mutter, but a sharp look from your father quiets them. Your father begins to solemnly speak, "${name}, my ${son}, there is much I need to tell you abo..." A thundering boom echoes through the room. Dust and small pebbles fall from the ceiling. Another cascading rumble causes an ear-splitting crack to appear in the ceiling. The assembled personages begin to scramble from their seats, tripping over each other in their haste to leave. Your father locks eyes with you and you see the fear in them "${name}..." You dash towards the tunnel. Then the ceiling caves in. *page_break Coughing, you stumble to your feet. Dust swirls in the air, only a faint light breaches the air. You hear a groan below you and look down. Horrified, you see your father pinned underneath a mound of boulders. "My ${son}, listen to me," your father weakly says. *choice #Scramble to save your father. "${name}, have I taught you nothing? Be strong. Now listen," your father says with a strength he should not possess. *goto endoftorbjorn #Take your father's hand. "Oh ${name}, I had so much to teach and show you..." your father says quietly. "Listen to me closely..." *goto endoftorbjorn #Stare in disbelief. "${name}, come here. Yes, I am dying. Come listen," your father says stoically. *goto endoftorbjorn *page_break *label endoftorbjorn "My time is short, don't interrupt... Your mother and I, we are not from here. We come from a land far, far away. A land of peace and abundance. But shortly after you were born, a fortune teller came to our small village and begged to see you. Indulging him, we allowed him into our home. As he read your palm, he told us that one day you would bear The Mark of the Phoenix and you would unify all the lands. Then suddenly he cried out and pulled a knife from his robes. As he slashed down at you, your mother jumped in front of you and the knife took her in the heart. By that time I had pulled out my sword and I killed the man." *fake_choice #"So... mom was killed for protecting me?" Torbjorn's eyes grow wet. "${name}, I should have been the one to die that night. But I was not paying close enough attention. Your mother is dead because of my idiocy..." *fake_choice #Try to comfort him You put your hand on his shoulder. Reaching up to pat it, your father leaves a bloody handprint on the back of your hand. He closes his eyes, a tear falling. #Let him speak You sit there silently, waiting for your father to continue. Eventually he struggles to take a deep breath before continuing. #"Why did that man try to kill me?" Torbjorn eyes gloss over. "I... I cannot say. I have suspicions, but I do not know." He retches as blood fills his mouth. "Along with Gwinn and Eltariel, we sailed across the ocean and brought you here to protect you." Your father pauses, spits out a large amount of blood, then continues, saying, "I formed the Order of Steel, which you saw tonight. We devoted ourselves to protecting and training you. Tonight you would have learned all we did and become one of us. But no longer... ${name}, I feel death's hand around my heart. I love you ${son}. Until we meet again..." With a final breath, your father's chest stops rising. With a shaky hand, you reach down and close his eyes. Then you begin to cry. *page_break The booming continues. Eventually, you stand. Looking one more time at your father's broken body, you begin to make the trek back to the stairs. As you reach the bottom of the stairs, you see Gwinn running down the stairs. "${name}! Where is your father?!" she yells at you. Tears begin to well up in your eyes. Gwinn's face falls as she says, "Oh. I... I'm so sorry. But... we need to leave. Now. Is anyone else left?" You slowly shake your head no. Gwinn curses under her breath. Pulling out one of her knives and handing it to you, she says, "Time to go. Grieve later." As you race up the stairs, you hear screams and awful sounds coming from up above. When you reach the top of the stairs, your stomach heaves in revulsion as you see piles of bodies at the top of the stairs. You see Virginia crying in the corner, a small, bloody rabbit clutched to her chest. Eltariel walks into the room, a vision of horror. He is soaked in blood, his armor sheared and cracked in almost every place. Cuts crisscross every bit of his exposed skin, but his eyes are full of energy. Then you see a man clad in orange robes stealthily sneak up behind Eltariel. *label assassin *choice #Yell "Watch out!" *set Leadership %+ 5 *goto yell #Say a quick prayer and throw the knife Gwinn gave you. *set Strength %+ 3 *set Intelligence %+ 3 *goto throw #Rush across the room and engage the enemy with your knife. *set Strength %+ 5 *goto duel *label yell In one quick motion Eltariel switched his grip and launches his war hammer behind him. The warhammer catches the man on his shoulder and throws him halfway across the room. You watch Eltariel stride over to the man and with one mighty heave toss him straight through the stone wall and out into the moat. *goto watchbattle *label throw Sending a quick prayer to whoever watches over people who are about to do dumb things, you awkwardly throw your knife at the assassin. It would've been a great shot, if you weren't eighteenth years old and untrained with throwing knives. You hopelessly watch the knife drop several feet short of the assassin, who grins and leaps at Eltariel. Just before his blade strikes, a knife comes streaking by you, so close it nicks your ear. Gwinn's knife flies end over end until it buries itself in the assassin's stomach. With a startled shout, Eltariel picks up the man and throws him through the stone wall and out into the moat. *goto watchbattle *label duel Shouting your fiercest war cry, you brandish your knife and charge the assassin. Momentarily stunned by your attack, the assassin falters and catches his foot on a loose stone. In the corner of your eye you see Gwinn rush to protect Virginia. Eltariel finally notices the assassin and with a cry of surprise he steps backward, tripping over a brick and falling hard. It is just you and the assassin. The assassin smiles, then quickly rushes you, knife pointed for your heart. *choice #Try to deflect his blade with your own *if (strength > 8) You barely redirect the blow. Lucky Eltariel is back on his feet and he backhands the assassin so hard he flies across the room and smashes through the stone wall, crashing into the moat outside. *set Strength %+ 5 *goto watchbattle *else The assassin's blade pierces through your feeble defenses, and then your heart. You hear Virginia scream as everything fades to black... *page_break *set death + 1 *if (death = 1) But wait... *page_break This is not how the story goes... *page_break "${name}... ${name}... This is not how your story ends. You must unite this realm. I give you the gift of life and strength... do not squander it." *set Leadership + 5 *set Strength + 5 *set Intelligence + 5 *set Wisdom + 5 *goto assassin *if (death = 2) *goto_scene death #Try to counter and attack *if (Wisdom > 8) or (Strength > 10) You notice the angle the assassin's blade is coming in at and you barely deflect the blow. However, you accidentally cut the assassin's thumb off, and screaming, he drops the blade. You attack, driving your knife into his gut. Eltariel rushes over and picks the man up, throwing him through the stone wall and out into the moat. *set Strength %+ 5 *set wisdom %+ 5 *goto watchbattle *else Try as you might, you simply aren't skilled enough to hold off the assassin. His blade cuts a large gash through your chest, then he plunges the blade into your shoulder. You fall to the ground, pain racing though your body. As your vision fades, you hear Gwinn cry out, "No!" Then your pain fades away... *page_break *set death + 1 *if (death = 1) But wait... *page_break This is not how the story goes... *page_break "${name}... ${name}... This is not how your story ends. You must unite this realm. I give you the gift of life and strength... do not squander it." *set Leadership + 5 *set Strength + 5 *set Intelligence + 5 *set Wisdom + 5 *goto assassin *if (death = 2) *goto_scene death #On second thought, run! You race away from the assassin, hopping a pile of books which the assassin promptly trips over. Eltariel rushes over and punches the man in the back of the head, then picks him up and throws him through the stone wall, out into the moat. *goto watchbattle *label watchbattle You rush over to where you had earlier left your weapons, and you hurriedly strap them on. Then you walk over to where the wall once stood. Now that there is a giant hole in your home, you can see out into Fis. You recoil in shock at what you see. Masses of black, the combined armies of all the lords of The Realm of Steel are here to crush Lord Valor and his men in one grand battle. Your heart skips a beat as you spot Lord Valor at the head of a cavalry charge. As he leads the fabled Righteous Anger cavalry, you watch as the enemy lowers thousands of spears. Undaunted, Lord Valor charges into certain death. Thousands of horses and men are killed instantly. Those who are lucky enough to make it to the actual spear wall are now trapped, and axe-bearers come out from behind the spearwall to execute any unfortunate cavalry still alive. You watch as several axemen surround Lord Valor and start to attack. Even if he could defeat them, he is still surrounded by hundreds of thousands of troops, with perhaps only ten thousand of his own left. You look over at Gwinn and see a single tear streak down her face. As you begin to turn away, something catches your eye. You turn back around and squint your eyes. Yes! Lord Valor still lives! With mighty swings of his broadsword, Lord Valor shears metal and men alike. You watch as a single surviving member of Righteous Anger slowly stands next to Lord Valor, and with spear in hand, they fight back to back, the lone spot of resistance as the remainder of Lord Valor's surrendering army is massacred. "We have to do something..." mutters Eltariel. "What can we do? Now is our best chance to escape into the forest," Gwinn retorts. "You're a coward Gwinn." "And you're an idiot you oaf!" *choice #Agree with Eltariel "We can't leave Lord Valor. We have to try to save him," you plead. *goto savior #Agree with Gwinn "All I want to do is help... but there is nothing we can do... we should leave while we still can," you resignedly say. Your party watches solemnly as Lord Valor grows increasingly exhausted. Finally, the sole remaining member of Righteous Anger screams, his spear dropping to the ground along with both his arms. Lord Valor cries out in anguish and begins his attack anew. But one man can only last so long. After several more minutes of bitter fighting, you see a palanquin approach. The fighting abruptly stops. A figure rises from the palanquin and ceremoniously walks towards Lord Valor. You are too far to make out details, but you can tell the person is female and wears violet robes. You watch as Lord Valor and the woman speak to each other, then in a burst of speed Lord Valor swings his broadsword at the woman's head. The sword stops millimeters from her neck. Horrified, you watch the woman slowly lift both her hands into the air, lifting Lord Valor into the air with some unseen power. Lord Valor continues to rise until he is over 50 feet in the air. Then with a sudden crack a bolt of lightning arcs down from the sky, electrifying Lord Valor. "NO!" Startled, you turn and see Gwinn crying, tears streaming down her face. Her scream carries across the valley, and as one, every head in the invading army looks at you. *page_break A cold fear grips your heart. Turning towards your companions, you shout, "We need to go now!" Across the valley, a blood-curdling war cry sounds from the army as they turn and race towards you. Grabbing Virginia's arm, you begin to race towards the mountains. *goto escape *label escape *page_break Your legs burn as you race up the side of the mountain. Towing Virginia along, you swat branches out of your face as you race towards the snowy peaks. Eltariel and Gwinn run beside you, panting hard. Behind you, you hear your assailants grow louder and louder as they gain ground on you. You push onward. Up ahead, you see a bridge spanning a wide chasm. Thick, tarred ropes span the length of the bridge, separating crossers from the abyss that lies beneath. Thinking quickly, you yell to your companions,"I'll go cut the ropes, you guys hold them off!" You sprint across the bridge, stumbling as it begins to sway. You pull out your sabers and begin sawing at the ropes. Glancing to the side, you watch as Gwinn and Eltariel hold back the invaders, who are forced to attack in pairs. You watch as one breaks through their defense, but Virginia quickly steps forward and stabs her knife into the man's chest, who begins to topple over the side. Noticing too late that the knife is stuck, Virginia screams as she is pulled over the ropes. Terror fills your body as Virginia plummets to her death. But then she stops. Then the attacking troops fall back to the other side of the chasm. Bewildered, you look up and see the woman has arrived. *page_break The woman is the most beautiful person you have ever seen. Her violet robes contrast with the scarlet lipstick she wears. As she raises her arms, her sleeves fall to her shoulders, revealing tan skin and toned arms. She is perfect in every way, except for one thing. *page_break Where her eyes are supposed to be, empty sockets stare out, black, web-like tendrils spreading across her face. *page_break Terrified, you drop your swords and scramble to pick them up. The woman levitates Virginia until she is hovering directly in front of her. The woman begins to speak, her melodic, joyful voice incongruous with the evil you feel radiating from her, "Hmm... such a pretty thing. I truly am sorry for what I must do." Gwinn and Eltariel scramble towards you and stand next to you, weapons poised. Gwinn mutters to you, "I... I think that might be the Nightbrother." The woman sharply turns towards your group, laughing. "What? Are you surprised I'm not a man? Nightbrother is... a title more than anything. I assure you though, I carry within me all of Quexol's power." At the word Quexol, you feel something deep inside you shudder. Something is wrong... very, very wrong. *page_break The Nightbrother begins to speak again, "I've been watching you for some time now, ${name}. Are you ready to show me who you truly are?" As she finishes saying this, she flicks her wrist and Virginia's head wrenches with a crack. Then she falls limp to the ground. *page_break *set Virginia 0 Something breaks inside you. It feels... like a dam has been shattered. You feel six forces pulling on your subconscious, but you can't tell what each force is. Trusting your instinct, you latch onto the force you feel most attracted to. It is... *set InTuneWithSpirit true *choice #a soft warmth, like sunlight on a summer day. You feel your scrapes fade away. Extending one arm, you feel energy course through your body and you direct it towards Virginia. Her body mends itself as she sits up, groaning. Drained, you fall against Eltariel, who props you up. The Nightbrother smirks, and then she begins to speak saying, "How very interesting. ${name}, until we meet again. Ah, one more thing. I hate being called Nightbrother, you may call me...Ciarda. Oh, and boys? Kill the girl." Hooting, the enemy horde falls upon Virginia. Too exhausted to do more, you croak, "Stop..." as you watch Gwinn cut the ropes. Throwing you over his shoulder, Eltariel takes off running further into the mountains. You can't see Virginia, but you know she is gone... *set Healing 25 *achieve healing *goto_scene chaptertworealistic #a powerful heat, like a roaring bonfire. You feel your muscles strengthen and your mind clears. *set Vigor 25 You feel energy course through your veins, burning away exhaustion. Your senses heighten; you can see the individual beads of sweat running down Gwinn's face, hear the song of a bird miles away, and smell the stench of sweaty men and women from across the chasm. The sheer mass of sensory input makes you stagger, and you see Gwinn and Eltariel stumble as well. They both look at you, mouths agape. You feel... amazing. Then as quickly as it came, it leaves. You collapse to the ground. The Nightbrother smiles, then says, "How.. delightfully boring. A born leader, no? We shall see... yes, we shall see..." Turning to her men, she orders, "Time to leave boys! Oh, and bring the girl's body." As she begins to leave, she calls back over her shoulder, "I forgot to tell you my name! I'm Ciarda, see you around ${name}!" Then she saunters away. *achieve vigor You can barely stay awake. As you struggle to get to your feet, your hands slip out from under you, causing your face to hit the ground. You hear Eltariel rush over. "It's alright kid... we're going to be fine. I'll carry you." He says the words, but you can tell his heart is not in them. Gently, he picks you up and slings you over his shoulder. Then your group begins to somberly trek deeper into the mountains. *goto_scene chaptertworealistic #a combination of several familiar feelings. An ocean breeze, the smell of a pine forest, the heat on your skin from a campfire. A ball of energy coalesces near you. Energy surrounds you, little sparks shooting every which way. Concentrating, you impose your will on the energy, willing it to form. Clods of dirt and rock mix with drops of water to create a swirling vortex. A flash of inspiration touches your mind. Mentally conjuring the picture of fire, a small flame bursts in the center of the vortex. It quickly grows until there is a man-sized sphere of destructive energy in front of you. Then you extend your hand. *set Maelstrom 25 *achieve maelstrom The ball shoots across the chasm, enveloping the first men it comes into contact with. Screams pierce the air as your creation tears the enemy soldiers apart, shredding flesh and steel. Your eyes are drawn to the Nightbrother, who watches passively. Smirking, she twirls her finger and your maelstrom disappears, and along with it, your energy. You fall to your knees, barely able to keep yourself from passing out. Laughing, the Nightbrother says, "Ah, poor kid. All tuckered out. That's alright, I've had my fun for today. Lord Valor is dead, the Order of Steel is gone... it has been quite a wonderful day. I best leave now. Bye! Oh and one more thing, call me Ciarda. Nightbrother is so... outdated." Turning on her heel, Ciarda stalks away. You watch as one of the enemy collects Virginia's broken body, but you are too tired to do anything about it. You black out as you see Eltariel lean over you. *goto_scene chaptertworealistic #a bitter cold, like the touch of a corpse. Something rumbles at your feet. The cold envelopes you. You sense a presence under the ground. Mentally coaxing it out, you see the dirt around you begin to shift. A mighty paw burts through the ground, tendrils of sinew holding it together. Long deceased humans and animals of all shapes and sizes rise from the ground, assembling into lines. Then from directly in front of you, a bear emerges from the ground. Jaw askew, it roars a terrifying, guttural sound. With a single thought, your undead legion rushes onto the bridge. The attackers scream as your monstrosities attack. The Nightbrother's eyes widen, then a smile creeps onto her face. With a nod of her head, the bridge's supports are torn free, launching your army into the abyss. *achieve necromancy Still smiling, the Nightbrother says, "Now that is a trick I haven't seen pulled off in quite some time. Very nicely done. Well, I have other places to be. Oh, I'm Ciarda by the way. Nightbrother is so stuffy..." Her voice trails off as she turns and stalks away. That's when the exhaustion hits. Your mind goes blank, and you pass out. *set Necromancy 25 *goto_scene chaptertworealistic #a painful liquid coursing through your veins. Your vision grows red, and your other emotions fades. Anger. Hatred. Fear. FURY. You are consumed by the fury growing within you. Your muscles swell and you feel strength course through your veins. KILL. That one thought drives you forward. You step onto the bridge. *achieve fury The invaders stare at you in shock. Then they smile. Rushing you, they try to attack you in pairs. Their attacks are nothing to you. You bat them away like flies, sending men hurtling over both sides of the bridge. Their screams are drowned out by the coursing river of hate in your mind. Five. Twenty. Fifty. More and more men charge you. You feel unstoppable! Suddenly, your power vanishes. You crumple onto the bridge, dangerously close to the edge. "${name}!" you hear someone yell. Two meaty hands grab you and throw you over their shoulder. Vision blurred, you can barely make out the Nightbrother watching you with a smile. As you begin to pass out, you read the Nightbrother's lips, "Call me Ciarda. I will be watching." Then your world fades to black. *set Fury 25 *goto_scene chaptertworealistic #a dark entity that beckons to you. You feel the dark denizen reach out to you and take hold of your spirit. Feeling the entity reside inside you, you beckon it to come out. Stretching forth your hand, you compel the spirit to attack. Liquid shadows flow from your palm, condensing into a monstrous creature. The spirit takes the form of a two-headed wolf, teeth longer than a man's hand. The spirit roars as it leaps the chasm in one bound. It falls upon the enemy troops, tearing and slashing any who draw near. *achieve hell Eyes wide with excitement, the Nightbrother claps with joy. Holding out a hand, a blast of pure white emanates from her, scalding your spirit. It screeches, and dissipates. You feel it once again find harbor within you. The Nightbrother laughs, saying "Oh how delightful! This will be so very fun in the future! Oh, and do call me Ciarda, Nightbrother is so informal. I'll be off then. See you around ${name}!" Perplexed, you watch as Virginia's body is loaded onto the palanquin and the enemy army retreats. Suddenly overcome with exhaustion, you collapse. Eltariel immediately picks you up and throws you over his shoulder. Turning to Gwinn, he says, "Why didn't they attack? They could have annihilated us..." Gwinn still has tears running down her face as she says, "I don't know... I just... I don't know." Somberly, your group trudges farther into the mountains... *set Hellstorm 25 *goto_scene chaptertworealistic *label savior You watch as Gwinn closes her eyes, thinking. When she opens them, her eyes are wet as she says, "${name}, what you are suggesting could very well get us all captured or... or killed. Believe when I say that the last thing I want to do is run, but what other choice do we have?" Eltariel shakes his head, then he quietly says, "Gwinn... the ${boy} is right, and you know it. Our hopes of bringing light to this world die with Lord Valor. We must try." Silence overtakes your group. Finally, Virginia speaks up, "I'm going to go help Lord Valor. I am not a good fighter... I'll probably just get in the way. But I will NOT let Valor die alone. Come with me, or don't. But I am going." At this Eltariel reaches out a hand and places it on her shoulder, "I am with you." Gwinn raises her head, a steely resolve in her eyes. "I am with you." Your three friends look at you, waiting for you to speak. A presence whispers in your mind, saying, [i]"Give them courage..."[/i] Startled, the words form in your mind as you begin to speak, "I know that what we are about to do is going to most likely get us killed. I don't want to die. I'm only eighteen... But I know that we go forward today not for a victory of might, but for a vindication of right. If we are to perish, let us journey into the void with honor. To glorious victory, or honorable death!" *set leadership %+ 15 Cheering, you see your allies stand a little taller and grip their weapons a little tighter. Their fear is gone, replaced by resolve. Your own will strengthened, you draw your ${weaponname} and watch it glint under the light of the noon sun. Nodding to your allies, you begin to charge towards the battlefield. *label valoorbattle *page_break Your small band races down the hill, bellowing your various war cries. "Fight to Valor!" you yell. The enemies in front of you turn, looks of surprise splayed across their faces. To your left, you see Eltariel unsling his warhammer, and in one fluid motion dispatch three soldiers, their broken bodies thrown out of the way. On your right, Virginia and Gwinn leap and dance around their foes, Gwinn's curved knives slashing at unprotected calves and faces. Turning your attention to the front, your eyes grow wide as you see a hulking beast of a man stride towards you. Easily seven feet tall, his midnight black armor matches his scraggly beard, both of which are splattered with bright red blood. Reaching behind himself, the man unslings his weapon of choice: the feared bardiche. The four foot tall blade was coated with a red sheen, denoting its earlier usage. The man smiles, and with a guttural voice says, "They send a ${boy} to fight me? Me? Krok, the Champion of The pits of Xeran? Hah! I will give you one opportunity to surrender. Your death will be quick. Or we can fight, but you will still die. Choose." The man's eyes flare with anger and anticipation, willing you to make a choice. *label krok *choice #Attack with everything you have Yelling, you throw yourself at Krok, all regard for tactics discarded. You wildly swing your ${weaponname} over and over, hoping to catch Krok off guard. Krok gives ground as your flurry of attacks threatens to break through his defenses. For all its offensive prowess, the bardiche is a terrible defensive weapon. With one final exertion of your strength, you swing downwards. Miscalculating your attack's angle, Krok fails to block your attack. Your blade severs Krok's left hand from his arm, blood spurting out. Screaming, Krok clumsily tries to throw his bardiche at you, but you easily duck under the blade. Defenseless, Krok's screams end as you slash his throat. Looking around you, you notice the rest of your group is very close to you and Lord Valor is mere meters away. "To Valor!" you yell. *goto valordeath #Fight defensively You steady your feet, preparing for Krok's attack. Smirking, Krok swings his bardiche in a wide sweep. Leaping backwards, the attack skims past your face. Krok continues to laugh as he bears down upon you. [i]Block left. Step back. Block right. Step back. [i/] Your mind races as you try to find any weakness in Krok's relentless attack. Despairing when you find none, you are pushed farther and farther back. Krok brings in his bardiche from the left, and you step back but over extend your step and stumble. Seeing your weakness, Krok stops his attack and delivers a powerful front kick to your sternum. A large crack punctuates the air as you go flying. You bounce across the dirt, your cracked ribs on fire. Eyes merciless, Krok moves to stand over you, bardiche raised high. Somehow, your sword is still in your hand, giving you one last opportunity... *choice #Strike at Krok's groin Mustering every bit of strength you possess, you thrust your sword upwards. [i] Clang.[i/] Your sword tip shatters against Krok's nether region, the metal shards raining down on you. Krok's eyes widen, then he begins to shake with laughter. "You forget! I am a pit fighter! I know every dirty trick in the book, rats like you always go for the groin. Foolish." With a sneer, Krok raises his bardiche. Closing your eyes, you hear the blade whistle as it flashes towards you. A flash of pain, then darkness. *set death + 1 *if (death = 1) But wait... *page_break This is not how the story goes... *page_break "${name}... ${name}... This is not how your story ends. You must unite this realm. I give you the gift of life and strength... do not squander it." *set Leadership + 5 *set Strength + 5 *set Intelligence + 5 *set Wisdom + 5 *goto krok *if (death = 2) *goto_scene death #Slash at Krok's calves Crying out, you whip your blade behind Krok's legs and cut at his unprotected calves. "ARGH!" Krok screams in pain as he falls to the ground. Scrambling away, you quickly stand, but a flash of pain sends you to your knees. Krok reaches for his bardiche, which has fallen a few feet to his side. Just as he is about to grab it, you see a war hammer smash down on Krok's hand. Krok's ensuing screams are cut off as Eltariel brings his hammer down on Krok's head. Taking your hand, Eltariel lifts you up. You see Gwinn and Virginia on either side of you, protecting Eltariel and you as you try to recover. Urgency in his voice, Eltariel says, "${name}, are you hurt?" You shake your head in denial. "Then let's go!" Your band continues to fight towards Valor, who somehow still stands. *set strength %+ 10 *goto valordeath *label valordeath *page_break You finally break through the enemy lines and enter into the large circle around Lord Valor. Your enemies stop attacking momentarily to watch what will happen. Stumbling into the circle, you look down in dismay and see the Righteous Anger soldier at your feet, his lower half missing. Looking up, you see Lord Valor turn towards you, swinging his mighty sword, but his blade stops mere inches from your neck when recognition light up his face. "It's you, the ${boy} from the village... why did you come for me? No, it doesn't matter, thank you." Tears well in his eyes as he realizes the risk you have put yourself at for him. Not sure what to say, you simply nod your head. Lord Valor wipes his eyes, then looks at your group and says, "You are either the bravest or stupidest men and women I have ever met. Regardless, from the depths of my soul, thank you. Let us see if we can escape, no?" Noticing your reunion is over, the enemy ranks throw themselves at you once more. *page_break Thousands of enemies fall before your band. Lord Valor never seems to tire. After several minutes of fighting, while you grow tired, Lord Valor's attacks only seem strike faster and harder. Scores of enemies rush forward to try and claim the glory that would come with dispatching the realm's greatest hero, but none can break through. Out of the corner of your eye, you watch as Eltariel crushes two or three men at a time. Gwinn fights like a whirlwind, her knives cutting through flesh and steel. Virginia stands in the center, striking down any foe who breaks through to your undefended backs. *page_break But it can only last so long... *page_break Almost twenty minutes of non-stop fighting pass before the waves of enemies stop attacking. Your muscles ache, your side flares in pain, and your mouth is parched. Slowly, you and your allies lower your weapons as you notice the ranks of men are no longer attacking, simply silently watching. The call of a bugle breaks the silence. Straight ahead of you, the rows of enemies part as a palanquin is carried through. As the footmen lower the palanquin, you watch as a beautiful woman steps out. The woman is the most beautiful person you have ever seen. Her violet robes contrast with the scarlet lipstick she wears. As she raises her arms, her sleeves fall to her shoulders, revealing tan skin and toned arms. She is perfect in every way, except for one thing. Where her eyes are supposed to be, empty sockets stare out, black, web-like tendrils spreading across her face. Terrified, you drop your swords and scramble to pick them up. The woman begins to speak, her melodic, joyful voice incongruous with the evil you feel radiating from her, "Lord Valor? I've waited so long to meet... wait. Is that ${name}?! Hah! How fortunate. Now I can accomplish two tasks in the same day!" Gwinn, Lord Valor, and Eltariel scramble towards you and stand next to you, weapons poised. Gwinn mutters to you, "I... I think that might be the Nightbrother." The woman sharply turns towards your group, laughing. "What? Are you surprised I'm not a man? Nightbrother is... a title more than anything. I assure you though, I carry within me all of Quexol's power." At the word Quexol, you feel something deep inside you shudder. Something is wrong... very, very wrong. *page_break Chuckling to herself, the woman gestures with her hand and the earth begins to pile up around Lord Valor. Trying to slash away the quickly growing dirt, Lord Valor yells, "What sorcery is this witch? Release me coward!" The Nightbrother seems to ponder this for a moment, then she smiles, shrugs her shoulders, then continues to make the pile grow. Horrified, you rush over to Lord Valor and try to help dig him out. The dirt is now up to his chin, rendering him immobile. Coughing as the dirt begins to cover his mouth, Lord Valor quickly says, "Do not stop fighting! Don't let the good in this world d...ack!" The dirt funnels into Lord Valor's mouth and nose, and you retch as you watch the dirt force itself into Lord Valor's veins, turning him a sickly shade of brown. Lord Valor shudders, then grows still. *page_break The Nightbrother lowers her hand as she assumes a pouty expression on her face. "Not enough for you to Crack? Hmmm... let's try this." Holding out her hand, an obsidian sword materializes. Closing her hand around it, she outstretches her other hand in your direction. You wait, but nothing happens. Then you jump as you hear a scream behind you. Turning, you see Virginia hurtling through the air. "NO!" you scream as you realize what is about to happen. The Nightbrother holds her sword parallel to the ground as Virginia impales herself on it. As the Nightbrother lets go of the sword, it disappears. Virginia stands for a moment, then crumples to the ground. Tears flow from your eyes as you race towards Virginia's body. You sink to your knees and cradle her head, still untainted from the horrors of the day. Her eyes flutter as she mouths, "$!{name}..." Then she falls limp in your arms. *page_break Something breaks inside you. It feels... like a dam has been shattered. You feel six forces pulling on your subconscious, but you can't tell what each force is. *set Virginia 0 Trusting your instinct, you latch onto the force you feel most attracted to. It is... *set InTuneWithSpirit true *choice #a soft warmth, like sunlight on a summer day. You feel your scrapes fade away. Extending one arm, you feel energy course through your body and you direct it towards Virginia. Her body mends itself as she sits up, groaning. Drained, you slump to the ground. *achieve healing The Nightbrother smirks, and then she begins to speak saying, "How very interesting. ${name}, until we meet again. Ah, one more thing. I hate being called Nightbrother, you may call me...Ciarda. Oh, and boys? Kill the girl. But... capture these three." Hooting, the enemy horde falls upon Virginia. Too exhausted to do more, you croak, "Stop..." as you watch the horde snatch up Virginia and throw her out of your sight. Eltariel rushes over to you and drags you back to the center of the circle. You can't see Virginia, but you know she is gone... *set Healing 25 *goto_scene chaptertworealistic #a powerful heat, like a roaring bonfire. You feel your muscles strengthen and your mind clears. *set Vigor 25 *achieve vigor You feel energy course through your veins, burning away exhaustion. Your senses heighten; you can see the individual beads of sweat running down a soldier's face, hear the song of a bird miles away, and smell the stench of sweaty men and women back in Fis. The sheer mass of sensory input makes you stagger, and you see Gwinn and Eltariel stumble as well. They both look at you, mouths agape. You feel... amazing. Then as quickly as it came, it leaves. You collapse to the ground. The Nightbrother smiles, then says, "How... delightfully boring. A born leader, no? We shall see... yes, we shall see..." Turning to her men, she orders, "Time to leave boys! Oh, and bring the girl's body. And... yeah, capture those three and bring them too." As she begins to leave, she calls back over her shoulder, "I forgot to tell you my name! I'm Ciarda, see you around ${name}!" Then she saunters away. You can barely stay awake. As you struggle to get to your feet, your hands slip out from under you, causing your face to hit the ground. You hear Eltariel rush over. "It's alright kid... we're going to be fine." He says the words, but you can tell his heart is not in them. Gently, he picks you up and slings you over his shoulder. *goto_scene chaptertworealistic #a combination of several familiar feelings. An ocean breeze, the smell of a pine forest, the heat on your skin from a campfire. A ball of energy coalesces near you. Energy surrounds you, little sparks shooting every which way. Concentrating, you impose your will on the energy, willing it to form. Clods of dirt and rock mix with drops of water to create a swirling vortex. A flash of inspiration touches your mind. Mentally conjuring the picture of fire, a small flame bursts in the center of the vortex. It quickly grows until there is a man-sized sphere of destructive energy in front of you. Then you extend your hand. *achieve maelstrom *set Maelstrom 25 The ball shoots towards your enemies, enveloping the first men it comes into contact with. Screams pierce the air as your creation tears the enemy soldiers apart, shredding flesh and steel. Your eyes are drawn to the Nightbrother, who watches passively. Smirking, she twirls her finger and your maelstrom disappears, and along with it, your energy. You fall to your knees, barely able to keep yourself from passing out. Laughing, the Nightbrother says, "Ah, poor kid. All tuckered out. That's alright, I've had my fun for today. Lord Valor is dead, the Order of Steel is gone... it has been quite a wonderful day. I best leave now. Bye! Oh and one more thing, call me Ciarda. Nightbrother is so... outdated. Capture those three, boys." Turning on her heel, Ciarda stalks away. You watch as one of the enemy collects Virginia's broken body, but you are too tired to do anything about it. *goto_scene chaptertworealistic #a bitter cold, like the touch of a corpse. Something rumbles at your feet. The cold envelopes you. You sense a presence under the ground. Mentally coaxing it out, you see the dirt around you begin to shift. A mighty paw bursts through the ground, tendrils of sinew holding it together. Long deceased humans and animals of all shapes and sizes rise from the ground, assembling into lines. Then from directly in front of you, a bear emerges from the ground. Jaw askew, it roars a terrifying, guttural sound. With a single thought, your undead legion rushes forward. The attackers scream as your monstrosities attack. The Nightbrother's eyes widen, then a smile creeps onto her face. With a nod of her head, your creation's fade to dust. *achieve necromancy Still smiling, the Nightbrother says, "Now that is a trick I haven't seen pulled off in quite some time. Very nicely done. Well, I have other places to be. Oh, I'm Ciarda by the way. Nightbrother is so stuffy... Oh, and boys? Capture these three, collect the girl's body." Her voice trails off as she turns and stalks away. That's when the exhaustion hits. You fall to the ground. *set Necromancy 25 *goto_scene chaptertworealistic #a painful liquid coursing through your veins. Your vision grows red, and your other emotions fades. Anger. Hatred. Fear. FURY. You are consumed by the fury growing within you. Your muscles swell and you feel strength course through your veins. KILL. That one thought drives you forward. You stand and beckon the enemy to attack. *achieve fury The invaders stare at you in shock. Then they smile. Rushing you, they try to attack you in pairs. Their attacks are nothing to you. You bat them away like flies, ending them one by one. Their screams are drowned out by the coursing river of hate in your mind. Five. Twenty. Fifty. More and more men charge you. You feel unstoppable! Suddenly, your power vanishes. You to the ground. "${name}!" you hear someone yell. Vision blurred, you can barely make out the Nightbrother watching you with a smile. As you begin to pass out, you read the Nightbrother's lips, "Call me Ciarda. I will be watching." As she stalks away, you feel your hate simmer just beneath the surface. *set Fury 25 *goto_scene chaptertworealistic #a dark entity that beckons to you. You feel the dark denizen reach out to you and take hold of your spirit. Feeling the entity reside inside you, you beckon it to come out. Stretching forth your hand, you compel the spirit to attack. Liquid shadows flow from your palm, condensing into a monstrous creature. The spirit takes the form of a two-headed wolf, teeth longer than a man's hand. The spirit roars as it leaps forwards. It falls upon the enemy troops, tearing and slashing any who draw near. *achieve hell Eyes wide with excitement, the Nightbrother claps with joy. Holding out a hand, a blast of pure white emanates from her, scalding your spirit. It screeches, and dissipates. You feel it once again find harbor within you. The Nightbrother laughs, saying "Oh how delightful! This will be so very fun in the future! Oh, and do call me Ciarda, Nightbrother is so informal. I'll be off then. See you around ${name}!Oh, and boys? Capture these three." Perplexed, you watch as Virginia's body is loaded onto the palanquin. Suddenly overcome with exhaustion, you collapse. *set Hellstorm 25 *goto_scene chaptertworealistic