You decide that since you are awake already you may as well get in some physical excercise before the work day starts.\n\nYou decide to:\n\n[[Go for a run|Cardio]]\n\n[[Train your muscles lifting heavy objects around the house|Weights]]\n\n[[Practice martial some passing monks taught you|Martial]]
<<if $Strength gte 3>>As the boar charges you quickly muster all of the energy you have in your large arms and grab it by its tusks, digging your heels into the ground behind you, you bring the beast to a stop.\n\nSomething akin to confusion flashes in the beasts eyes. \n\nIt is clearly not used to being overpowered. \n\nIt shakes your hands free and doubles back getting ready for another charge. \n\nThis gives you enough time to plan for your next move.\n\n[[Attempt to take on the boar with your knife|BoarOH]]\n\n[[Rely on your strength to overpower and takedown the beast|BoarS]]\n\n[[Shout for Wylliam to throw you his bow and have some target practice|BoarB]]\n\n[[Quickly try and fashion a quick trap|BoarT]]\n\n[[To hell with it, just hope you'll get lucky|BoarL1]]\n\n<<else>>As you attempt to catch the boar’s vicious charge it easily overpowers you and it's tusk catches you in the leg shearing through the skin but luckily going no deeper.\n\nThe wound could have been much worse, you try to convince yourself, as your trouser leg soon becomes discoloured with blood. \n\nYou can still move but its not pleasant. \n\nThe boar doubles back getting ready for another charge.\n\nThis gives you enough time to plan for your next move.\n\n[[Attempt to take on the boar with your knife|BoarOH]]\n\n[[Rely on your strength to overpower and takedown the beast|BoarS]]\n\n[[Shout for Wylliam to throw you his bow and have some target practice|BoarB]]\n\n[[Quickly try and fashion a quick trap|BoarT]]\n\n[[To hell with it, just hope you'll get lucky|BoarL1]]\n<<endif>>\n\n
Generally in all the stats apart from Alignment, more is better.\n\nStrength: How physically imposing your character is. Useful for choices including brute force, the use of certain weapons and when mixed with speech allows for intimdation options.\n\nEndurance: How durable your character is. Useful for choices including endurance, increasing how much damage one can take and the amount of items one can carry. \n\nCharisma: How charismatic your characer is. Useful for many speech options, interactions and bartering.\n\nIntellect: How intelligent your character is. Useful for understanding things that lesser intelligent characters would be stumped by, how fast you can analyse situations and many other mysterious uses.\n\nLuck: How lucky your character is. Useful indirectly in many situations, for example how much damage you can dole out in a critical hit or reducing otherwise fatal wounds that one recieves.\n \nMental Health: How prepared you are for the many horrors that exsist in the world. Losing mental health will result in one suffering from multiple psycological disorders that will impact on future choices.\n\nDexterity : How agile you are. Useful for ranged weaponry, dodging enemy attacks and reaching areas other characters would not be able to.\n\nAlignment: How good or evil your character is. Ones choices lead to different alignments which open up other choices that a less evil or good character would not have. \n\nCombat Skills:\n\nOne-handed weapons: How good one is at using One-handed weapons like swords, daggers and maces. \n\nRanged weapons: How good one is at using Ranged weapons like boys, crossbows and slings.\n\nTwo-handed weapons: How good one is at using Two-handed weapons like bastard swords, great-axes and scythes.\n\nUnarmed: How good one is at hand-to-hand combat.\n\nNon-Combat Skills:\n\nSneak: How good one is at being undetected.\n\nTraps: How good one is at laying and disarming traps.\n\nEngineering: How good one is at using and constructing machinery.\n\nSpeech: How good one is at talking themselves out of or inded into situations.\n\nLockpick:: How good one is at picking locks.\n\nFirst-aid: How good one is applying and making ointments and salves as well as fighting off disease and infection.\n\n\n[[Return to choice|Half-Elf]]
As the water in the barrel settles you look at your reflection.\n\nYou are a:\n\n[[Human|Human]]\n\n[[Half-Orc|Half-Orc]]\n\n[[Half-Elf|Half-Elf]]\n\n[[Dwarf|Dwarf]]\n\n[[Halfling|Halfling]]\n\n
Julian lists the basics.\n\n"Not much, I think just having some sort of bedding, some basic food and a water canteen will be enough. I may see if some of the towns’ crafters have anything they want me to take to St. Malox to sell." \n\n"'Well obviously bring the basics like some money, some food and a lot of water, if it all goes to shit don’t worry I’ll bring along my knife and a bow so we should be able to hunt if we go through the forest but going through the flatlands it’s unlikely we’ll run into anything apart from some shrubbery." elaborates Wylliam.\n\n[[Talk about something else|previous()]]
<<set $Mental_Health -= 5>>You dream of the journey back home, of your blurred vision and questionable balance which results in you falling over.\n\nAs you fall your vision focuses towards the sky.\n\nYou notice the light of dawn particularly darken in a single spot atop the rampart. The darkness surrounds a solitary figure.\n\nThis is the last you see as you feel your body ripped to shreds and you consciousness fades. \n\nAlthough it doesn’t.\n\nYou can’t feel your body.\n\nYou can’t feel anything. \n\nBut your mind is still there somewhere in the darkness.\n\n[[The next morning|hungovermorning]]\n
"Hmm, well judging by that smouldering fire, the devoured remains of the boar and empty kegs, seems like the fine gentlemen had a night of celebration."\n\n"I think they’re still recovering, listen carefully you can make out at least a few different simian snores."\n\nIndeed, when you strain your ears you can hear some snores coming from the nearby tents. \n\nSeems like they had themselves a little party to celebrate murdering and emulating the foresters, capturing you and not even having to drag the boar they were hunting back to their camp. \n\nThis is when you also notice some gentle footsteps coming in your direction.\n\n[[Try and look behind|Bandit6]]\n
Generally in all the stats apart from Alignment, more is better.\n\nStrength: How physically imposing your character is. Useful for choices including brute force, the use of certain weapons and when mixed with speech allows for intimdation options.\n\nEndurance: How durable your character is. Useful for choices including endurance, increasing how much damage one can take and the amount of items one can carry. \n\nCharisma: How charismatic your characer is. Useful for many speech options, interactions and bartering.\n\nIntellect: How intelligent your character is. Useful for understanding things that lesser intelligent characters would be stumped by, how fast you can analyse situations and many other mysterious uses.\n\nLuck: How lucky your character is. Useful indirectly in many situations, for example how much damage you can dole out in a critical hit or reducing otherwise fatal wounds that one recieves.\n \nMental Health: How prepared you are for the many horrors that exsist in the world. Losing mental health will result in one suffering from multiple psycological disorders that will impact on future choices.\n\nDexterity : How agile you are. Useful for ranged weaponry, dodging enemy attacks and reaching areas other characters would not be able to.\n\nAlignment: How good or evil your character is. Ones choices lead to different alignments which open up other choices that a less evil or good character would not have. \n\nCombat Skills:\n\nOne-handed weapons: How good one is at using One-handed weapons like swords, daggers and maces. \n\nRanged weapons: How good one is at using Ranged weapons like boys, crossbows and slings.\n\nTwo-handed weapons: How good one is at using Two-handed weapons like bastard swords, great-axes and scythes.\n\nUnarmed: How good one is at hand-to-hand combat.\n\nNon-Combat Skills:\n\nSneak: How good one is at being undetected.\n\nTraps: How good one is at laying and disarming traps.\n\nEngineering: How good one is at using and constructing machinery.\n\nSpeech: How good one is at talking themselves out of or inded into situations.\n\nLockpick:: How good one is at picking locks.\n\nFirst-aid: How good one is applying and making ointments and salves as well as fighting off disease and infection.\n\n\n[[Return to choice|Half-Orc]]
<<if $Mental_Health gte 50>>"He’s surprisingly perceptive that Halfling, I’m guessing he heard the bandits and snuck away before they confronted us. He’ll be back. Knowing him he’ll have prepared a special 'I told you so' for us deciding to go through the forest."\n\nYou smirk, knowing this to be true. \n\nThe situation, however, is undeniably grave.\n\nYou are trapped by eight massive bandits, skilled enough to kill the protectors of the forest and savage enough to keep their victims on display.\n\nYou know Julian will not abandon you but you worry about the risk he is going to take to help you.\n\nWaiting for Julian is all well and good, but why have you not seen or heard your captors? \n\n[["Wylliam, where are the bastards that did this to us?"|Bandit5]]\n\n<<else>>"He’s surprisingly perceptive that Halfling, I’m guessing he heard the bandits and snuck away before they confronted us. He’ll be back. Knowing him he’ll have prepared a special 'I told you so' for us deciding to go through the forest."\n\nYou don’t know how Wylliam can still be joking in this situation. \n\nYou’re trapped by eight massive bandits, skilled enough to kill the protectors of the forest and savage enough to keep their victims on display. \n\nYou hope Julian will not abandon you but you worry about the risk he is going to take to help you and the possible efficacy of this against the odds. \n\nWaiting for Julian is all well and good, but why have you not seen or heard your captors?\n\n[["Wylliam, where are the bastards that did this to us?"|Bandit5]]\n\n<<endif>>\n \n\n
"Haha yeah that sounds about right Dray, well alright let me start, one night much like this, in a forest much like this…"\n \n"Julian, really? You never were much of a storyteller were you haha? I’ll tell you guys one that my dad used to, it scared the shit out of me when I was younger:\n\nJohn Capegrass was once the Warden of this great forest.\n\nHe lived in a large cottage in the forest where he used to supervise all of the foresters and rangers to make sure us peasants followed the king’s forest law.\n\nUnlike some, he was actually a fair warden who instead of hanging those who broke the law offered them temporary roles to give them a legal chance of obtaining the means to survive. \n\nHis loving family frequently journeyed from the capital to spend time with their husband and father.\n\nAfter decades of being known as the ‘Warden with the Warm Heart’ one bastard decided his heart was not warm enough and when the Warden was not looking smacked him in the head with a shovel.\n\nThe Warden, however, survived and after some months recovered but since that event he never returned to his prior self. \n\nWhenever his family visited he grew more distant and more agitated."\n\n[[Continue|Capegrass2]]\n
You open your eyes.\n\nA sharp pain shoots around the inside of your skull accompanying this action.\n\nYou have read enough books to know that just by regaining consciousness from a blow like that you are luckier than most would have been. \n\nFocusing your vision you realise you are hanging upside down.\n\nYou look to your right\n\nWylliam is hanging similarly next to you and despite him not moving, you can see him gently breathing. \n\nThank the gods he’s still okay. \n\n[[Look Ahead|Bandit22]]\n
You open your eyes.\n\nA sharp pain shoots around the inside of your skull accompanying this action.\n\nYou have read enough books to know that just by regaining consciousness from a blow like that you are luckier than most would have been. \n\nFocusing your vision you realise you are hanging upside down.\n\nYou look to your right.\n\nWylliam is hanging similarly next to you and despite him not moving, you can see him gently breathing. \n\nThank the gods he’s still okay. \n\nYou look ahead.\n\nYou can make out that you are roughly in the middle of the camp.\n\n[[Look Left|Bandit23]]
You open your eyes.\n\nA sharp pain shoots around the inside of your skull accompanying this action.\n\nYou have read enough books to know that just by regaining consciousness from a blow like that you are luckier than most would have been. \n\nFocusing your vision you realise you are hanging upside down.\n\nYou look to your right.\n<<set $Mental_Health -= 5>>Wylliam is hanging similarly next to you and despite him not moving, you can see him gently breathing. \n\nThank the gods he’s still okay. \n\nYou look ahead.\n\nYou can make out that you are roughly in the middle of the camp.\n\nYou look to your left.\n\nTwo further individuals are strung up nearby, it would seem they have been less lucky as the deep cuts on their throats have already darkened and dried.\n\nThese must be some of the actual foresters.\n\nThe first human corpses you have ever seen make you disgusted and noxious but you know if you don’t act first you’ll join them. \n\n[[Try and wake Wylliam|Bandit3]]\n
<<if $Class_Halfling eq 1>>Clasping on to your friends, the wind spins you around at unbearable speed.\n\nConstantly you are battered with hail, mud and your own supplies that are all trapped in the vortex.\n\nThe sound is ear-piercing and every second you have to fight the urge to clasp your hands over your ears for fear of losing your friends in this hell storm. \n\nForcing your eyes open for a few seconds you see the vast walls of smooth cloud constantly being illuminated by flashes of radiant lightning and miniature vortexes slithering apart and aggregating throughout the gigantic structure. \n\nYou look to your friends. \n\nYou feel Julian's pain. Being both Halfings you can’t hope to maintain the endurance needed to hold on to each other for much longer. Especially whilst ignoring the vicious beating with each piece of debris posing twice the threat due to your size. \n\nThis is when you notice Wylliam, he’s let go of you with one arm and reaches for his dagger. \n\n[[What are you doing you blasted fool!|Tornado3]]\n\n<<else>>Clasping on to your friends, the wind spins you around at unbearable speed.\n\nConstantly you are battered with hail, mud and your own supplies that are all trapped in the vortex.\n\nThe sound is ear-piercing and every second you have to fight the urge to clasp your hands over your ears for fear of losing your friends in this hell storm. \n\nForcing your eyes open for a few seconds you see the vast walls of smooth cloud constantly being illuminated by flashes of radiant lightning and miniature vortexes slithering apart and aggregating throughout the gigantic structure. \n\nYou look to your friends. \n\nAs a Halfling Julian can’t hope to maintain the endurance needed to hold on to you and ignore the vicious beating with each piece of debris posing twice the threat. \n\nThis is when you notice Wylliam, he’s let go of you with one arm and reaches for his dagger. \n\n\n[[What are you doing you blasted fool!|Tornado3]]\n<<endif>>\n
Julian begins.\n\n"Yeah not bad Dray, the elders have been riding me silly though I’ve been having to do all these stupid little jobs around the town and haven’t got a single bit of rest in weeks. This journey is going to suck but I can’t wait to get to the capital, get some well-earned rest."\n\n"What about you Wylliam? " you ask.\n\n"Good brother good, I’ve just been working with my father and the other half the time I’ve been almost living here in the tavern. \n\nI love the village and the people but it’s not big enough for me you know? \n\nThat’s why I can’t wait till we get to St. Malox, finally meet some new people maybe a lady or two and hopefully lay in some groundwork with some business owners there to see if I can move and work there before I go mad here."\n\n[[Talk about something else|previous()]]
You wash the sweat off from the hard day's work and change into your only other clean pair of clothing. \n\nTomorrow is the beginning of your adventure, your first time outside the village. \n\nTour best friends Wylliam and Julian and yourself are planning to journey to Kargoth’s capital the magnificent city of St. Malox. \n\nAfter changing you can’t contain your excitement and rush to the tavern to go over the final details. \n\n[[Time to relax!|pub]]
<<if $One_handed_weapons gte 30>>The boar faces you once again and begins its relentless attack.\n\nAlthough you’ve never had to face a wild boar before you’ve had plenty experience butchering pigs and other livestock.\n\nYou draw your knife.\n\nAs the boar gets close you side step to avoid its deadly tusks and swiftly manage to slit its throat. \n\nThe boar slows down a few paces after and collapses.\n\n[[Phew|Forest7]]\n\n<<else>>The boar faces you once again and begins its relentless attack.\n\nYou draw your knife.\n\nYou start doubting your ability as you've never really had any experience. \n\nPerhaps its best to reconsider your action. \n[[Reconsider|previous()]]\n<<endif>>\n
You’ve seen enough pain for a life-time.\n\nAlmost.\n\nYou quickly walk over to the group.\n\nYou pick out the little prick cheering the loudest and swinging the hardest.\n\nYou tap him on his shoulder.\n\nAs he turns around you land a heavy slap.\n\nHe crumples to the ground, begins to cry and then runs away.\n\nHis little friends join him.\n\n“Harsh, but damn I wish I could have done that. ” jokes Julian.\n\nThe dog lies shivering on the ground.\n\n[[Walk over to the dog|Dogname]]\n\n
You express your gratitude to the old man.\n\nJulian chimes in:\n\n“Honestly thank you sir, limping through the village people treated us like we were already ghosts” \n\n“Yes… as you may have learned from your travel here people around these parts are not too trusting. They were most likely worried you were going to trick and rob them, however, I knew medicine well enough to see your wounds were all too real. ” explains Graham.\n\nHe pauses for a moment and you can see some conflict flash across his face.\n\n“I hope you don’t feel cheated by me asking but as you are going to St. Malox could you possibly do me favour in return for your treatment?”\n\n[[“Of course, for all we know you saved our lives, what is it that you need?"|Hamlet5]]\n\n[[You sigh “Really old man? You’re going to try and extort favours from us?”|Hamlet55]]\n
“Believe me I wouldn’t ask normally, I don’t believe in any payment apart from gratitude for something as essential as saving a fellow man’s life. \n\nMy son, however, disappeared in St. Malox a few weeks back and I haven’t heard from him in a while. \n\nHe used to write almost every day and I can’t leave this village for then they’ll be no one to treat these people or travellers like you…\n\nHis name is John Haws, last I heard he was staying in the large tavern in the main square.’’\n\nJulian quickly assures the man that it is the least you can do in return for the treatment and you get ready to leave for the cities gates.\n\n[[To St.Malox!|Hamlet6]]\n
You call out and get the attention of the group, you establish your friendly nature and soon the two groups meet.\n\nLuckily the group are in fact, traders travelling from St. Malox to Maple Grove and further. \n\nThere are two traders dressed in simple robes and two guards equipped with leather armour and nasty looking hatchets. \n \nAs one of the traders moves to greet you and shake your hand the second stumbles into him, obnoxiously blocks his path and sizes you up. \n\n<<if $Class_Half_Orc eq 1>>"Hahaha look at this hideous mug, what are you some sort o' reptile or something?"\n\n<<elseif $Small eq 1>>"Hahaha look at this guy, isn't it past your bed time little boy?"\n\n<<else>> "What the fuck you looking at?" \n<<endif>>\n\n[[This isn't going to end well|Flatlands80]]\n
You’ve seen enough pain for a life-time.\n\nYou run over to the group and start shouting.\n\nJust looking at your bloodied and torn clothes the children are terrified and begin to disperse into various directions.\n\n“Ha, I guess there are some benefits to looking like the undead.” jokes Julian.\n\nThe dog lies shivering on the ground.\n\nWhat bastards, I bet they’re the kind of people that grow up to be the cut-throat bandits of Kargoth, you think to yourself. \n\n[[Walk over to the dog|Dogname]]\n
Philip Chernov
You carry on walking through the village.\n\nTo hell with it, if everyone avoids you here it’s only another hour or two till you reach the steadily growing walls of St. Malox. \n\n“Guess not every village is as accommodating to cripples as Maple Grove, eh Dray?” sighs Julian.\n\nYou shuffle along the main road past a little girl playing in the street.\n\nAs she looks up at your ghoulish appearance she scuttles backwards screaming.\n\nDamn, didn’t think we looked that bad you snicker to yourself.\n \nAn old man rushes out the most archaic house wielding his staff.\n\nHe notices the sad sight that is the remains of your party and quickly rushes to your side giving you his staff to help prop yourself up.\n\n“Come, come, I’ll have a look over your wounds in my house. My name is Graham.’’\n\n[[May as well, what’s the worst that can happen|Hamlet3]]\n
<<if $Forest gte 1>>The old man sits you down in his house. \n\nThe smell of various herbs lingers in the air.\n\nAs the kind man looks over your various bruises, cuts and begins to unbandage the wound you tell him your story.\n\nHow you left Maple Grove, how you fought the boar, how you were tricked and captured and how you escape.\n\nWithout Wylliam… \n\nJust before melancholy sets in the man slathers your open wound with some sort of ointment.\n\nThe burning pain masks any impending sadness but soon decreases into a pleasant numbness. \n\n“Sorry, I should have warned you about the pain but hearing your story it seemed like you wouldn’t really mind’’ apologises Graham.\n\nHe continues “I’m very sorry to hear about your friend, nobody deserves that. I did, however, manage to clean and properly bandage your wound.The ointment should already be numbing the pain too.”\n\n[[Thank the old man|Hamlet4]]\n\n<<elseif $Dislocated gte 1>>The old man sits you down in his house. \n\nThe smell of various herbs lingers in the air.\n\nAs the kind man looks over your various bruises and cuts you tell him your story.\n\nHow you left Maple Grove, how you encountered the drunken trader, how the ferocious demonic wind sucked you in and how Wylliam sacrificed himself to save you.\n\nJust before melancholy sets in the man jolts your shoulder back into place.\n\nThe immediate pain subdues the impending sadness for now. \n\n“Sorry, I should have warned you about the pain but hearing your story it seemed like you wouldn’t really mind’’ apologises Graham.\n\nHe continues “I’m very sorry to hear about your friend, nobody deserves that. I did, however, manage to pop your shoulder back into place and you should be able to use it like normal soon. “\n\n"As for you" he looks at Julian "apart from your teeth and more than probable concussion you should make a full recovery on your own.\n"\n[[Thank the old man|Hamlet4]]\n\n<<else>>The old man sits you down in his house. \n\nThe smell of various herbs lingers in the air.\n\nAs the kind man looks over your various bruises and cuts you tell him your story.\n\nHow you left Maple Grove, how you encountered the drunken trader, how the ferocious demonic wind sucked you in and how Wylliam sacrificed himself to save you.\n\nJust before melancholy sets in the old man begins to talk.\n\n“I’m very sorry to hear about your friend, nobody deserves that.’’\n\n“As for you" he looks at Julian " apart from your teeth and more than probable concussion you should make a full recovery on your own”\n\n[[Thank the old man|Hamlet4]]\n<<endif>>\n
Julian glares at you.\n\n“Draygun, what the fuck the man just saved your life!” \n\nThe old man hangs his head. \n\n“Believe me I wouldn’t ask normally, I don’t believe in any payment apart from gratitude for something as essential as saving a fellow man’s life.\n\nMy son, however, disappeared in St. Malox a few weeks back and I haven’t heard from him in a while. \n\nHe used to write almost every day and I can’t leave this village for then they’ll be no one to treat these people or travellers like you…\n\nHis name is John Haws, last I heard he was staying in the large tavern in the main square.’’\n\nJulian quickly assures the man that it is the least you can do in return for the treatment and you get ready to leave for the cities gates.\n\n[[To St.Malox!|Hamlet6]]\n
You decide to go outside and see which other members of your village are awake.\n\nYou are pleasantly suprised to see several acquintances already awake and starting to go about their daily routine.\n\nYou see Wylliam stretching outside the Marshall's house which is next door to yours. \n\nYou greet your brother and strike up a conversation with him and a few of the younger nearby villagers about everything and nothing inparticular. \n\n[[Time to work!|Work]]
As you wait around the fire eventually the travelling light comes closer and reveals a traders caravan.\n\nThe group are in fact traders travelling from St. Malox to Maple Grove and further. \n\nThere are two traders dressed in simple robes and two guards equipped with leather armour and nasty looking hatchets. \n\nAs one of the traders moves to greet you and shake your hand the second stumbles into him, obnoxiously blocks his path and sizes you up. \n\n<<if $Class_Half_Orc eq 1>>"Hahaha look at this hideous mug, what are you some sort o' reptile or something?"\n\n<<elseif $Small eq 1>>"Hahaha look at this guy, isn't it past your bed time little boy?"\n\n<<else>> "What the fuck you looking at?" \n<<endif>>\n\n[[This isn't going to end well|Flatlands80]]\n\n\n
Your two friends walk through the door and get themselves a drink before sitting down at the table.\n\n"Hey Dray" Julian says as he sits down next to you.\n\nWylliam, on the other hand, greets you with a swift punch to the arm.\n\nYou decide what you want the group to talk about: \n\n[["Hey guys, tell me about St. Malox again"|St.Malox]]\n\n[[" How you guys doing?"|Howudoing]]\n\n[[" Wait St. Malox is pretty far away isn’t it how are we going to get there?"|Prettyfar]]\n\n[["What supplies are you guys bringing along?"|Supplies]]\n\n[["Ah screw the formalities, lets drink!"|dream2]]
As you step out into the open you hear a clamour from one of the distant tents.\n\nWylliam bursts through the tent with his map in his hands and one of the captors swinging wildly behind him.\n\nJulian comes out of the tent close to you and shortly joins your side.\n\nJulian and you move to help your friend but the bandits begin to emerge from the tents in-between Wylliam and you.\n\nHalf a dozen angry and armed men are now standing in your way, almost entirely blocking Wylliam from your view. \n\nYou know you can’t fight them but without the map you have no chance of surviving even if you do escape…\n\nShuffling to your side you try and make out if you can see Wylliam.\n\nFinally you catch a glimpse, the bandit is unconscious on the floor and Wylliam is standing having drawn the bandits bow in your direction. \n\n[["Wait Wylliam what are you doing!?|Bandit10]]\n
You conclude that your best way of defusing the situation is to appeal to the more reasonable trader. Whilst doing this you don't notice and aren't prepared for the drunkard getting ready to swing at you.\n\nLuckily for you his stupor hindered his ability to land a proper punch but still his fist connects with your jaw and sends you to the floor. \n\nWylliam leaps over you before you've even hit the floor and swiftly knocks the drunkard out with a solid uppercut. \n\nShowing similar reactions to Wylliam, before the trader even hits the floor the guards have unsheathed their axes and begun to advance. Clearly they were weary of him as well but their job is to protect the bugger and they could not afford to miss a pay day.\n\nThe reasonable trader quickly orders them to relax.\n\n[[Phew|Flatlands9]]\n\n
Generally in all the stats apart from Alignment, more is better.\n\nStrength: How physically imposing your character is. Useful for choices including brute force, the use of certain weapons and when mixed with speech allows for intimdation options.\n\nEndurance: How durable your character is. Useful for choices including endurance, increasing how much damage one can take and the amount of items one can carry. \n\nCharisma: How charismatic your characer is. Useful for many speech options, interactions and bartering.\n\nIntellect: How intelligent your character is. Useful for understanding things that lesser intelligent characters would be stumped by, how fast you can analyse situations and many other mysterious uses.\n\nLuck: How lucky your character is. Useful indirectly in many situations, for example how much damage you can dole out in a critical hit or reducing otherwise fatal wounds that one recieves.\n \nMental Health: How prepared you are for the many horrors that exsist in the world. Losing mental health will result in one suffering from multiple psycological disorders that will impact on future choices.\n\nDexterity : How agile you are. Useful for ranged weaponry, dodging enemy attacks and reaching areas other characters would not be able to.\n\nAlignment: How good or evil your character is. Ones choices lead to different alignments which open up other choices that a less evil or good character would not have. \n\nCombat Skills:\n\nOne-handed weapons: How good one is at using One-handed weapons like swords, daggers and maces. \n\nRanged weapons: How good one is at using Ranged weapons like boys, crossbows and slings.\n\nTwo-handed weapons: How good one is at using Two-handed weapons like bastard swords, great-axes and scythes.\n\nUnarmed: How good one is at hand-to-hand combat.\n\nNon-Combat Skills:\n\nSneak: How good one is at being undetected.\n\nTraps: How good one is at laying and disarming traps.\n\nEngineering: How good one is at using and constructing machinery.\n\nSpeech: How good one is at talking themselves out of or inded into situations.\n\nLockpick:: How good one is at picking locks.\n\nFirst-aid: How good one is applying and making ointments and salves as well as fighting off disease and infection.\n\n\n[[Return to choice|Human]]
Even your best friends won't follow you into this one and stand behind awe struck at your change.\n\nYou sneak around to try and ambush the other group.\n\nTurns out they were simply traders with two guards. \n\nWhich have clearly been better trained than you. \n\nAs soon as you could see who was who the guards already noticed , assessed and had begun to move to get rid of the threat lurking in the shadows. \n\nNamely, you. \n\nBefore you realise your folly about attacking four people with a tiny knife the guards' hatchets come crashing down.\n\nOne gets lodged firmly in your shoulder causing excruciating pain and for you to fall to your knees.\n\nThe second shatters your skull cleaving your head in half.\n\nIn your last few seconds you hear a voice.\n\n'' Fool, clearly you aren't the person needed for this task''\n\n[[It doesn't take long for you to die.|Flatlands]]
The whisper soon fades and exhausted from the day you swiftly fall asleep.\n\nYou dream of your child hood and being slowly accepted into the village, meeting Wylliam and Julian and the actions that made you the man you are today.\n\nYou dream about St. Malox and the beginning of your life once you make it through those gates.\n\nThe dream job. The beautiful girl. \n\nBut the walls in front of you don’t belong to the capital.\n \nYou look at the imposing castle. \n\nIts walls, made of the blackest stone, seem to swallow the golden light of dawn…\n\nYou've planned and prepared your men, your kingdom and yourself for the feat that lies ahead. Peace and tranquility is merely one brutal conflict away.\n\n[[Not this again...|Flatlands55]]
<<if $First_Aid gte 30>>\nYou feel a throbbing pain throughout your body. \n\nEverything feels … well exactly how you’d imagine after such a pummelling.\n\nIn fact you barely notice you have a dislocated shoulder.\n\nYou begin to open your eyes.\n\nIt’s not a pretty sight, the ground where you landed is covered in blood and debris from the vortex. \n\nJulian is still attached to your arm and lying next to you.\n\nDespite his clothes being in tatters and him being covered in bruises and blood he appears to be breathing.\n\n[[Finally a break.|Flatlandsend25]]\n<<else>>You feel a throbbing pain throughout your body. \n\nEverything feels … well exactly how you’d imagine after such a pummelling.\n\nIn fact you barely notice the massive pain in your shoulder.\n\nYou begin to open your eyes.\n\nIt’s not a pretty sight, the ground where you landed is covered in blood and debris from the vortex. \n\nJulian is still attached to your arm and lying next to you.\n\nDespite his clothes being in tatters and him being covered in bruises and blood he appears to be breathing.\n\n[[Finally a break.|Flatlandsend2]]\n<<endif>>
<<if $Dexterity gte 3>>You barely have any time to move as the boar charges you. \n\nIf you were any other man you would have most likely been gored by the beast but due to your immense dexterity you somersault over its deadly charge. \n\nSomething akin to confusion flashes in the beasts eyes as you land neatly behind it.\n\nThe beast stops its charge and turns around, clearly getting ready for another one.\n\nAt least this gives you time to decide on your next move.\n\n[[Attempt to take on the boar with your knife|BoarOH]]\n\n[[Rely on your strength to overpower and takedown the beast|BoarS]]\n\n[[Shout for Wylliam to throw you his bow and have some target practice|BoarB]]\n\n[[Quickly try and fashion a quick trap|BoarT]]\n\n[[To hell with it, just hope you'll get lucky|BoarL1]]\n<<else>>As you attempt to dodge the boar’s vicious charge its tusk catches you in the leg shearing through the skin but luckily going no deeper.\n\nThe wound could have been much worse, you try to convince yourself, as your trouser leg soon becomes discoloured with blood. \n\nYou can still move but its not pleasant.\n\nThe boar doubles back getting ready for another charge.\n\nThis gives you enough time to plan for your next move.\n\n[[Attempt to take on the boar with your knife|BoarOH]]\n\n[[Rely on your strength to overpower and takedown the beast|BoarS]]\n\n[[Shout for Wylliam to throw you his bow and have some target practice|BoarB]]\n\n[[Quickly try and fashion a quick trap|BoarT]]\n\n[[To hell with it, just hope you'll get lucky|BoarL1]]\n<<endif>>\n\n
Every night you have the same nightmare.\n\nEvery day quickly turns into the same because as Wylliam predicted you run out of food and water quickly after avoiding the other group.\n\nThe parties moral and pace plumemts due to starvation and dehydration. \n\nJulians fast metabolism means he is the first to fall after just four days.\n\nWylliam has used up vast amounts of energy going out of the path's way to find water in hope of saving you.\n\nThis was ultimately useless, he is the next to die. \n\nAlone in the world you crash down to the floor next to him.\nWith not enough energy to get to St. Malox or back home you accept your fate.\n\nYou hear a faint voice.\n\n"Alas, it seems you would have never been ready either way."\n\n[[Your journey is over before it even began|Flatlands]]
Silver coins: <<print $Silver_coins>>\n\nStrength: <<print $Strength>>\nEndurance: <<print $Endurance>> \nCharisma: <<print $Charisma>>\nIntellect: <<print $Intellect>>\nLuck: <<print $Luck>>\nDexterity: <<print $Dexterity>>\n\nMental Health: <<print $Mental_Health>>\nAlignment: <<print $Alignment>>\n\nOne-handed weapons:<<print $One_handed_weapons>>\nTwo-handed weapons:<<print $Two_handed_weapons>>\nBow: <<print $Bow>>\nUnarmed: <<print $Unarmed>>\nSneak: <<print $Sneak>>\nTraps: <<print $Traps>>\nEngineering: <<print $Engineering>>\nSpeech: <<print $Speech>>\nLockpick: <<print $Lockpick>>\nFirst Aid: <<print $First_Aid>> \n\n[[Back|previous()]]
"Well actually… my dad was one of the foresters working under Warden Capegrass.\n\nHe loved working with the Warden, being able to maintain justice in the forest and get rid of the bandits but still also being able to make sure that those who broke the forest law still had a chance to remain alive. \n\nObviously as soon as the news about what happened with the Warden spread, the King reduced the amount of people working in the forest.\n\nHe did not understand that the Warden losing his mind was an individual experience and blamed it on the forest.\n\nMy father was one of those relieved from duty in the forest, and since then he settled down in Maple Grove. \n\nHe told me a huge amount about survival, the forest and gave me this map after our tenth journey out. \n\nI’m sorry he never took you out with us Dray, but I was a few years older and I guess he just thought that the forest was just too dangerous a place to look after both of us on his own." Wylliam explains. \n\n"It’s alright, Im just glad I know some more about him." You reply.\n\n[[Talk about something else|previous()]]\n\n\n
<<if $Intellect gte 3>>\nYou know that you can’t fashion any sort of defence nor hide on this land. Additionally chances are as you’ve seen their light they would have seen yours. \n\n[[Lets just wait and let them come closer|Flatlands7waitout]]\n\n[[Its most likely traders and we'll starve otherwise lets call out for their help.|Flatlands 7 Call out]]\n\n<<else>>You know that you can’t fashion any sort of defence nor hide on this land. Additionally chances are as you’ve seen their light they would have seen yours. \n\n[[Snuff out the fire|Snufffire]] \n\n[[Lets just wait and let them come closer|Flatlands7waitout]]\n\n<<endif>>\n\n
You are a Half-Orc.\n\nHalf-Orcs are the offspring of Humans and Orcs.\nThus they have the characteristics of both races displaying exceptional strength and endurance but much more intact intelligence than their fully Orc counterparts.\n\nHalf-Orcs are, however, shunned largely by both communities and as such have a hard time settling down prefering a nomadic lifestyle further bolstering their survivability in a cruel world. \n\nAttributes:\nStrength: 4\nEndurance: 4\nCharisma: 1 \nIntellect: 1\nLuck: 2\nMental Health: 65\nDexterity : 3\nAllignment: -2\n\nCombat Skills:\nOne-handed weapons: 30\nRanged weapons: 25\nTwo-handed weapons: 35\nUnarmed: 30\n\nNon-Combat Skills:\nSneak: 20 \nTraps: 25\nEngineering: 30\nSpeech: 10\nLockpick: 15\nFirst-aid : 30\n\n[[What do these numbers mean?|Stathelphalforc]]\n[[Return to choice|Racechoice]]\n[[I am a Half-Orc|Confirmed Race Half-Orc]]
The trader steps forward and examines if his friend is still breathing.\n\nContent with his check he says:\n\n"If this were any other occasion I’d have these two fine gentleman cause quite the grievous bodily harm, however, the idiot has been demolishing our supply of wine and they seem to rather be fond of you now. \n\nThe fool even went so far as compromising our safety purely because he fancied lighting a torch so as not to be ‘so bored of the bloody dark’.\n\nThanks to you I can get as decent a rest as he seems to be having now. Good luck on your travels"\n \n"Hold on a moment could we possibly get some of your provisions, we won’t make it to the city otherwise. We have the money." Wylliam quickly capitalises on this opportunity.\n\nThe trader acquiesces. \n\n[[With your bags full you say goodbye to the trader and go back to getting ready to sleep.|Flatlands10]]\n
You can’t possibly hope to sneak out with a heavy bag of food.\n\nThus you decide perhaps you can trick the bastard.\n\nYou quietly clear your throat and try to conjure your gruffest voice.\n\n"Yeah it’s me you mug, I’m just on me way to the bog. Ain’t nothin’ exciting go back to sleep".\n\nSeemingly content with your reply the rousing bandit mumbles something and dives right back into slumber. \n\nYou quickly make your way out of the tent. \n\nHopefully Julian or Wylliam has found the map and you can get on your way.\n\nLifting the flap you step out into the camp.\n\n[[Continue|Bandit9]]\n
You decide to attempt to carefully sneak across the tent using years of practice finesse and skill. \n\nUnfortunately for you, you don’t have this skill or finesse or are just plain unlucky because you quickly trip over an over turned stool and come crashing down.\n\nThe bandit snaps to attention and your eyes lock.\n\nAs you scramble to your feet and out the door he begins to bellow to his companions as he himself is having difficulties standing up from below the table. \n\nAs you break through the entrance you can hear gradual commotion from the other tents.\n\n[[Shit...|Bandit91]]\n
Using years of practiced finesse and skill you carefully sneak across the tent and past the danger without so much as making a sound. \n\nWell that’s one out of eight avoided.\n\nAt least you have enough food for a few days.\n\nHopefully Julian or Wylliam has found the map and you can get on your way.\n\nLifting the flap you step out into the camp.\n\n[[Continue|Bandit9]]\n\n
You are a Half-Elf.\n\nHalf-Elves are the offspring of Humans and Elves.\n\nThus they have the characteristics of both races displaying exceptional grace and intelligence. \n\nDue to their gentle nature and stunning physical appearance half-elves are naturally charismatic and usually have no problems assimilating to new locations and people.\n\nAttributes:\nStrength: 1\nEndurance: 2\nCharisma: 4\nIntellect: 4\nLuck: 2\nMental Health: 40\nDexterity : 4\nAllignment: 0\n\nCombat Skills:\nOne-handed weapons: 30\nRanged weapons: 30\nTwo-handed weapons: 15\nUnarmed: 30\n\nNon-Combat Skills:\nSneak: 30\nTraps: 25\nEngineering: 15\nSpeech: 30\nLockpick: 30\nFirst-aid : 20\n\n[[What do these numbers mean?|Stathelphalfelf]]\n[[Return to choice|Racechoice]]\n[[I am a Half-Elf|Confirmed Race Half-Elf]]
The leather bond was seriously damaged during the tragedy so you have no trouble untying the remains to free yourself.\n \nYou manage to snap your shoulder back into place and survey Julian for any serious damage before shaking him awake.\n \nJulian begins to stir. As soon as consciousness begins to return you can see by the grimace on his face before his eyes even open he fared worse than you.\n\n[[You explain to him what happened after he passed out and Wylliams loss.|Flatlandsend3]]\n
Wylliam is the precise representation of a human, average in height, build and intellect but with an impeccable charisma and sense of empathy making everyone his friend. \n\nHe's also incredibly adept at almost every skill he's ever attempted. \n\nEffectively being your brother, the two of you grew up side by side, however, you quickly became bored of being eclipsed by his charimsa in every encounter you had with him by your side. \n\nDespite this you can’t help but love the fool and are glad you grew up with him.\n\n<<if $Small eq 1>>Julian is a bit of an enigma. \n\nHe is a Halfling who stumbled into the village almost dead from an arrow deeply implanted in his back as a child of just a few years older than you.\n\nIt was clear to you even from an early age that the black and gold arrow protruding from his back was not normal.\n\nIt had impossible bends and kinks that would be seriously detrimental to a normal arrows flight path.\n\nHe was brought up under close supervision of the elders and yet somehow didn’t grow up to be a pompous bastard.\n\nFrom an early age you became friends with Julian purely because of your similar height. \n\nThroughout the years Julian has firmly established his mischievous yet amicable nature.\n\n<<else>>Julian is a bit of an enigma. \n\nHe is a Halfling who stumbled into the village almost dead from an arrow deeply implanted in his back as a child of just a few years older than you.\n\nIt was clear to you even from an early age that the black and gold arrow protruding from his back was not normal.\n\nIt had impossible bends and kinks that would be seriously detrimental to a normal arrows flight path.\n\nHe was brought up under close supervision of the elders and yet somehow didn’t grow up to be a pompous bastard. \n\nFrom an early age you became friends due to the fact you were the only people without century old roots in Maple Grove.\n\nThroughout the years Julian has firmly established his mischievous yet amicable nature.\n<<endif>>\n\n\n[[Ah here they come|hereweare]]
As you fall your vision focuses towards the sky.\n\nYou notice the light of dawn particularly darken in a single spot atop the rampart. \n\nThe darkness surrounds a solitary figure.\n\nThis is the last you see as you feel your body ripped to shreds and you consciousness fades.\n\n[[Is this the end?|Intro]]\n
<<silently>.\n<<set $Alignment = $Alignment -2>>\n<<set $Intellect = $Intellect -1>>\n<<set $One_handed_weapons = $One_handed_weapons +5>>\n<<set $Two_handed_weapons = $Two_handed_weapons +5>>\n<<endsilently>>Before you can utter any words the ground around you begins to shake and break way with whole battalions starting to fall, their screams echo and fade as they disappear into the abyss.\n\nYou curse this twist of fate, magic has been dead for centuries could some unknown advanced machinery have caused this?\n\n[[ The ground below your own feet begins to give way and you fall|Death4]]
<<silently>>\n<<set $Alignment = $Alignment +2>>\n<<set $Intellect = $Intellect +1>>\n<<endsilently>>Before you can utter any words the ground around you begins to shake and break way with whole battalions starting to fall, their screams echo and fade as they disappear into the abyss.\n\nYou curse this twist of fate, magic has been dead for centuries could some unknown advanced machinery have caused this?\n\n[[ The ground below your own feet begins to give way and you fall|Death4]]
<<silently>>\n<<set $Engineering = $Engineering +5>>\n<<set $Intellect = $Intellect +1>>\n<<endsilently>>Before you can utter any words the ground around you begins to shake and break way with whole battalions starting to fall, their screams echo and fade as they disappear into the abyss.\n\nYou curse this twist of fate, magic has been dead for centuries could some unknown advanced machinery have caused this?\n\n[[ The ground below your own feet begins to give way and you fall|Death4]]
Several more days pass. \n\nWith the good fortune and replenished provisions the group’s moral and drive has returned to its starting point. \n\nThe scenery hasn’t changed since the first day and a bitter wind seems to have begun blowing from every direction. \n\nThe inescapable sun somewhat counteracts the wind, however, none of this matters any more as you are all simply enjoying a journey with your best friends and the end is figuratively in sight. \n\nThat is until Wylliam stops and points at the horizon. Faintly, in the distance, you can make out what appears to be a large structure. \n\n"That must be St. Malox!" Julian exclaims in excitement "Looks like at worst it’s only a day or two away now!"\n \nRadiating with joy your groups doubles its speed.\n\n[[We’re almost there!|Flatlands12]]\n\n\n
You fall asleep anticipating the inevitable nightmare.\n\nIt doesn’t come.\n\nNo castle, no king, no magic.\n\nJust a floating consciousness surrounding by nothingness. \n\nYou panic, you’ve heard of people awaking from dreams and being unable to move and blaming it on everything from demons to succubae sitting on their chests. \n\nAt least those lucky bastards could see, you appear to be trapped in your head devoid of any imagery, or sound. \n\nA sense of dread overcomes you as you sense the presence of someone else deep in your subconscious. \n\n"C’mon Dray, wake up!" Julian shakes you awake.\n\n"We need to get a move on, we got lucky with the trader I doubt we will again so we better get there before we run out of food!"\n\n[[Urgh okay okay|Flatlands11]]\n
Another day passes. \n\nSt. Malox is now clearly visible on the horizon.\n\nWithin a day you’ll have ended your journey and begin a new one with countless possibilities. \n\nYou’ll be the furthest you’ve ever been from your village and comfort zone but at least you’ll have your closest friends by your side. \n\nWylliam will always be there to protect you and talk his way out of trouble. \n\nJulian will always keep your spirits up and being handy with a lock-pick is always handy if you do get into trouble. \n\nThe heavy rain that started a few hours ago doesn’t bother you.\n\nThe painful hail that came with the rain doesn’t bother you. \n\nThe whooshing air reaching a gradual roaring crescendo behind you does. \n\n[[Turn around...|TORNADO]]\n
The trader steps forward and examines if his friend is still breathing. \n\nContent with his check he says:\n\n"If this were any other occasion I’d have these two fine gentleman cause quite the grievous bodily harm, however, the idiot has been demolishing our supply of wine since the morning and been a nuisance ever since. Then he even went so far as compromising our safety purely because he fancied lighting a torch so as not to be ‘so bored of the bloody dark'. \n\nThanks to you I can get as decent a rest as he seems to be having now. Good luck on your travels."\n\n" Hold on a moment could we possibly get some of your provisions, we won’t make it to the city otherwise. We have the money." Wylliam quickly capitalises on this opportunity.\n\nThe trader acquiesces. \n\n[[With your bags full you say goodbye to the trader and go back to getting ready to sleep.|Flatlands10]]\n
<<silently>>\n<<set $Charisma += 1>>\n<<set $Mental_Health += 5>>\n<<set $Speech += 5>>\n<<set $Tavern += 1>>\n<<endsilently>>You head to the tavern and greet Lucero the Innkeeper when you get there. \n\nThe tavern itself is one of the oldest buildings in the village and despite the quaint charm you can see the years bear heavily on the mighty wooden beams above your head. \n\nThe layout is tiered to avoid too large a number of drunkards misinterpreting each other’s conversations and shoddy paintings and rather pathetic hunting trophies line the walls. \n\nYou work behind the bar in the tavern serving beer to the customers and attempting to break up the occasional squabble.\n\nOnly locals really frequent the tavern so altercations are rarely a problem. \n\nIt’s not the best paying job but heading home with 6 silver coins and having talked to half the village leaves you feeling fulfilled. \n\n[[Home sweet home|Home before Pub2]]
You decide to search out some equipment as you know you won’t survive the journey out of the forest unless you have a map of some sort. \n\nWylliam tells you to split up so as not to pool together the sounds of movement and reduce the risk of disturbing any of your captors. \n\nYou sneak to the nearest tent as Wylliam and Julian go to those adjacent to it.\n \nLifting the entrance flap the putrid smell overwhelms you, making you vomit. \n\nLuckily for you you’ve stumbled upon their latrine where it seems they don’t even bother aiming for the hole in the ground.\n\n[[Urgh, disgusting.|Bandit8]] \n\n
"Did you miss me lads?" Julian whispers as he creeps up to you and Wylliam.\n\n"Sorry for the wait, those guys had a hell of a party, they only just passed out around dawn and all I could do was sit around until then" he explains as he begins to untie you.\n\nHe unties your hands and cuts the rope holding you, you tumble to the ground. \n\nTogether you untie Wylliam and with a joint effort help him down to the ground. \n\nWith both of you now free you rub at the sore areas that were bound whilst planning your next move.\n\n[["We need to find our equipment and get out of here!"|Bandit7]]\n\n[["We need to flee now!"|Bandit71]]\n\n[["Let's kill the shits!"|Bandit72]]\n
Once again at the mercy of your subconscious you anticipate the inevitable nightmare.\n\nIt doesn’t come.\n\nNo castle, no king, no magic.\n\nJust a floating consciousness surrounding by nothingness. \n\nYou panic, you’ve heard of people awaking from dreams and being unable to move and blaming it on everything from demons to succubae sitting on their chests. \n\nAt least those lucky bastards could see, you appear to be trapped in your head devoid of any imagery, or sound. \n\nA sense of dread overcomes you as you sense the presence of someone else deep in your subconscious.\n\n[[What the hell?|Bandit2]]\n
You wake up agitated but quickly the nightmare is forgotten compared to the crippling headache obtained from last night’s drinking. \n\nYou’re not sure whether it’s more the nightmare or the hangover but you’re covered in sweat and get up swiftly to wash. \n\nYou refresh yourself with the water in the barrel but it’s doubtful you’ll be at your best for a while. \n\nYou cook some rabbit and try to force it down over the nausea. \n\nYou’ll need at least something in you to keep you going today.\n\nAfter getting dressed and packing some supplies you head outside and see Julian and Wylliam ready to set out.\n\n"Right so Dray I want to go through the flatlands and Wylliam wants to go through the forest it’s up to you to decide."\n\n[[I’ve decided to go through the Forest.|Forest]]\n\n[[I’ve decided to go through the Flatlands.|Flatlands]]\n
You call out to Wylliam in gradually increasing amplitudes careful not to draw attention from the ‘foresters’.\n\nHe eventually stirs.\n\n"Urgh, yeah, yeah I hear you Dray."\n\nWylliam opens his eyes and begins to look around, grimacing seeing the unfortunate fellows behind you.\n\n"So this is fun, eh?"\n\nYou are both strung up by your ankles with your arms tied behind your back. \n\nAfter properly regaining his consciousness Wylliam attempts to sway back and forth in some attempt to break free but to no avail.\n\n[["Hey what do you think happened to Julian"|Bandit4]]\n\n
You open your eyes.\n\nA sharp pain shoots around the inside of your skull accompanying this action.\n\nYou have read enough books to know that just by regaining consciousness from a blow like that you are luckier than most would have been. \n\nFocusing your vision you realise you are hanging upside down.\n\n[[Look Right|Bandit21]]\n
The path that everyone takes between Maple Grove and St. Malox is well worn into the ground and proves easy to follow. \n\nConversion and jokes flow freely between your friends and you, however, this does little to deter the tedium experienced from walking for hours in a straight line with little to no difference in the scenery. \n\nOccasionally you see a small shrub or rock breaking up the barren land but after some time even these begin to seem identical, as if you were walking around in a circle. \n\n[[Well this isn't quite what I expected from an epic journey|FL3]]
A week has now passed since you embarked on your journey.\n\nEvery night you dream of the same thing, a proud king and his army decimated by what can only be described as real and malign magic. \n\nTricksters have passed through the village from time to time with their illusions and sleight of hand but not even the elders ever witnessed or heard of actual magic. \n\nEvery night you feel the boundary between the king and yourself fade his emotions, thoughts and pain intertwining with yours. \n\nYou shudder at what this could possibly mean. \n\nYour group is huddled around a camp fire to aid against the bitter winds that seem to blow from every direction. \n\nThe face of each member is distinctly more haggard than before but due to the close bonds between each of you moral is relatively intact. \n\n"We may have a serious issue soon lads…" Wylliam sighs as he bites into his evening meal.\n\n"After we’re done eating this we’ll only have enough water left for a few days and I’d say we’re only half way to the city. I don’t know about you but I haven’t exactly seen anything edible around."\n\n[[I’m sure we’ll make it somehow, we’re going on a journey to the capital not some lost ancient city.|Flatlands6]]\n
<<if $Sneak gte 30 and $Speech gte 35>>Quickly retreating you move on to the next tent, the largest in the camp.\n\nWith the large makeshift table and intermittently scattered stools around it, it would appear this is where they eat. \n\nYou manage to find a bag and stuff it full of scraps of bread and left over boar.\n\nThis is when you hear some movement from under the table. \n\n"OI Eric is that you there you fat troll?" the voice mumbles from below.\n\nPeering under the table you see one bandit did not manage to make it to bed after the nights festivities. \n\nHe’s still half-asleep but dangerously close to fully awakening.\n\nYou stand frozen for a second but soon realise you have to get past the slowly animating bandit\n\n[[Attempt to sneak past the bandit|Bandit81]]\n\n[[Ah hell, he’s dumb, semi-asleep and most likely still drunk I’ll pretend I’m one of them|Bandit82]]\n\n<<elseif $Sneak gte 30>>Quickly retreating you move on to the next tent, the largest in the camp.\n\nWith the large makeshift table and intermittently scattered stools around it, it would appear this is where they eat. \n\nYou manage to find a bag and stuff it full of scraps of bread and left over boar.\n\nThis is when you hear some movement from under the table. \n\n"OI Eric is that you there you fat troll?" the voice mumbles from below.\n\nPeering under the table you see one bandit did not manage to make it to bed after the nights festivities. \n\nHe’s still half-asleep but dangerously close to fully awakening.\n\nYou stand frozen for a second but soon realise you have to get past the slowly animating bandit\n\n[[Attempt to sneak past the bandit|Bandit81]]\n<<elseif $Speech gte 35>>Quickly retreating you move on to the next tent, the largest in the camp.\n\nWith the large makeshift table and intermittently scattered stools around it, it would appear this is where they eat. \n\nYou manage to find a bag and stuff it full of scraps of bread and left over boar.\n\nThis is when you hear some movement from under the table. \n\n"OI Eric is that you there you fat troll?" the voice mumbles from below.\n\nPeering under the table you see one bandit did not manage to make it to bed after the nights festivities. \n\nHe’s still half-asleep but dangerously close to fully awakening.\n\nYou stand frozen for a second but soon realise you have to get past the slowly animating bandit\n\n[[Attempt to sneak past the bandit|Bandit83]]\n\n[[Ah hell, he’s dumb, semi-asleep and most likely still drunk I’ll pretend I’m one of them|Bandit82]]\n\n<<else>>Quickly retreating you move on to the next tent, the largest in the camp.\n\nWith the large makeshift table and intermittently scattered stools around it, it would appear this is where they eat. \n\nYou manage to find a bag and stuff it full of scraps of bread and left over boar.\n\nThis is when you hear some movement from under the table. \n\n"OI Eric is that you there you fat troll?" the voice mumbles from below.\n\nPeering under the table you see one bandit did not manage to make it to bed after the nights festivities. \n\nHe’s still half-asleep but dangerously close to fully awakening.\n\nYou stand frozen for a second but soon realise you have to get past the slowly animating bandit\n\n[[Attempt to sneak past the bandit|Bandit83]]\n<<endif>>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<<if $Intellect gte 3>>\nWhilst your group is sat around the fire discussing what each member will do first once they get to the city you begin to hear additional quiet voices. \n\nYou can’t make out what they are saying but you can tell there is a hint of anger in them.\n \nYou try to ignore them hoping that these will fade like the ones you heard a week ago and carry on telling Julian about the amazing job you’ll land in the city and how you’ll be kind enough to employ him to lead your wagon. \n\nAfter some time has passed the voices seem to be getting closer.\n\n"Don’t worry Draygun, you aren’t going crazy I can hear it too, look behind Julian there’s a light coming towards us from the distance" Wylliam whispers in your ear. "What should we do?"\n\nYou know that you can’t fashion any sort of defence nor hide on this land. Additionally chances are as you’ve seen their light they would have seen yours. \n\n[[Lets just wait and let them come closer|Flatlands7waitout]]\n\n[[Lets ambush them!|Flatlands7Fight1]]\n\n[[Its most likely traders and we'll likely die of dehydration otherwise, lets call out for their help.|Flatlands 7 Call out]]\n<<else>>Whilst your group is sat around the fire discussing what each member will do first once they get to the city you begin to hear additional quiet voices.\n\nYou can’t make out what they are saying but you can tell there is a hint of anger in them. \n\nYou dismiss these and carry on telling Julian about the amazing job you’ll land in the city and how you’ll be kind enough to employ him to lead your wagon. \n\nAfter some time has passed the voices seem to be getting closer.\n\nYou notice a light spring to life from the direction of the voices, and decide now is the time to mention something.\n\n"Erm lads look there’s someone coming towards us." You say whilst directing Wylliams and Julians attention to the voices and light.\n\nYou know that you can’t fashion any sort of defence nor hide on this land. Additionally chances are as you’ve seen their light they would have seen yours. \n\n[[Snuff out the fire|Snufffire]] \n\n[[Lets just wait and let them come closer|Flatlands7waitout]]\n\n[[Lets ambush them!|Flatlands7Fight1]]\n<<endif>>\n
You leave a stunned Wylliam and Julian and make for the tent that the snores are coming from.\n\nYou draw your knife and look forward to having some quick revenge.\n\nYou lift the flap to the tent and see four of the pricks lying in slumber.\n\nMaking for the first one you plung your knife deep into his chest.\n\nHe wakes before he succumbs and utters a dying howl.\n\nThe other three jump to alertness and see you.\n\nAs you try and decide who to attack next a knife is buried deep in your gut.\n\nThe pain is excruciating and you quickly faint.\n\n[[Continue|BanditDD]]\n\n\n\n
<<if $Sleep1 eq 1>>You awake to the sound of the village bell ringing thrice, the singal of the start of the working day.\n<<else>> You hear the village bell ring thrice, the signal of the start of the working day and quickly finish what you were doing.\n<<endif>>\n\nYou put on your work clothes and get ready for work at:\n\n[[The fields harvesting wheat|Field]]\n\n[[The tavern doing odd jobs for the innkeeper|Tavern]]\n\n[[The apothecary helping the alchemist sell and prepare good|Apothecary]]\n\n[[The forge, smelting and forging metal|Forge]]\n\n
--Let the player undo moves? (on / off)\n--In Sugarcane, this enables the browser's back button.\n--In Jonah, this lets the player click links in previous\n--passages.\n\nUndo: off\n\n--Let the player use bookmarks? (on / off)\n--This enables the Bookmark links in Jonah and Sugarcane\n--(If the player can't undo, bookmarks are always disabled.)\n\nBookmark: on\n\n--Obfuscate the story's HTML source to prevent possible\n--spoilers? (swap / off)\n\nObfuscate: off\n\n--String of letter pairs to use for swap-style obfuscation\n\nObfuscateKey: mqogztpkewjydxcrbilvsnuahf\n\n--Include the jQuery script library? (on / off)\n--Individual scripts may force this on by\n--containing the text 'requires jQuery'.\n\njQuery: off\n\n--Include the Modernizr script library? (on / off)\n--Individual scripts/stylesheets may force this on by\n--containing the text 'requires Modernizr'.\n\nModernizr: off\n
[[Attributes and Skills|Stats]]
<<set $Flatlands += 1>>Wylliam reluctantly agrees with Julian and you and the party sets off to the flatlands.\n\nAfter the first few hours of your journey you are already well on your way with the village just barely visible in the distance.\n\nShit! You realise because of your hangover you've forgotten to bring along a proper weapon apart from your knife.\n\nIn front of you the terrain opens up with the ground remaining flat and barren far beyond the horizon with barely any distinguishable features visible. \n\n"Ah okay I may have not fully thought this through, this may get a tad tiring" admits Julian "Well at least we’ll be safe"\n\nWylliam notices Julian’s concern but to maintain the group’s motivation quickly advances forward. You and Julian follow his lead and enter the Flatlands. \n\n[[Let the journey begin!|Flatlands2]]
You can see that the drunken trader is gearing up for a fight and you don’t fancy getting punched or delivering the punch and then getting hacked to pieces by the guards. \nYou remember a handy piece of information you learnt in the tavern one night. \n\n''Lads, you look like you’re from the guild right?''\n \nOne of the guards nods.\n\n''Then if you remember in the Mercenaries Charter it permits the use of non-lethal force to temporarily disable an employer if said employer is an altered state whereby he irrationally endangers his or the employees life or the mission. Legally this action will not permit the guilty employer to void payment.''\n\nAfter some hesitation the guards check their ledger, smile and swiftly choke out the drunken trader before gently loading him up onto the caravan. \n\n[[I knew that'd come in handy one day|Flatlands95]]
<<if $Unarmed gte 25 and $Speech gte 30>>Its clear from the mans breath, half opened eyes and far from immaculate pronunciation he is well and truly drunk.\n\n[[Remain silent to see how the situation unfolds|Flatlands81]]\n\n[[You notice the subtle body movements indicating this drunk mess is going to throw a left hook, looks like you'll have to do something about that|Flatlands82]]\n\n[[Perhaps you can appeal to the guards to help you?|Flatlands83]]\n\n[[Appeal to the other trader to move his partner|Flatlands84]]\n<<elseif $Speech gte 30>>Its clear from the mans breath, half opened eyes and far from immaculate pronunciation he is well and truly drunk.\n\n[[Remain silent to see how the situation unfolds|Flatlands81]]\n\n\n[[Perhaps you can appeal to the guards to help you?|Flatlands83]]\n\n[[Appeal to the other trader to move his partner|Flatlands84]]\n<<elseif $Unarmed gte 30>>Its clear from the mans breath, half opened eyes and far from immaculate pronunciation he is well and truly drunk.\n\n[[Remain silent to see how the situation unfolds|Flatlands81]]\n\n[[You notice the subtle body movements indicating this drunk mess is going to throw a left hook, looks like you'll have to do something about that|Flatlands82]]\n\n[[Appeal to the other trader to move his partner|Flatlands84]]\n<<else>>Its clear from the mans breath, half opened eyes and far from immaculate pronunciation he is well and truly drunk.\n\n[[Remain silent to see how the situation unfolds|Flatlands81]]\n\n[[Appeal to the other trader to move his partner|Flatlands84]]\n<<endif>>\n\n\n\n
As you remain silent waiting for the situation to unfold you don't notice and weren't prepared for the drunkard getting ready to swing at you.\n\nLuckily for you his stupor hindered his ability to land a proper punch but still his fist connects with your jaw and sends you to the floor. \n\nWylliam leaps over you before you've even hit the floor and swiftly knocks the drunkard out with a solid uppercut. \n\nShowing similar reactions to Wylliam, before the trader even hits the floor the guards have unsheathed their axes and begun to advance. Clearly they were weary of him as well but their job is to protect the bugger and they could not afford to miss a pay day.\n\nThe reasonable trader quickly orders them to relax.\n\n[[Phew|Flatlands9]]\n\n\n\n
<<if $Mental_Health gte 50>>\n<<set $Mental_Health += 5>>Somehow you open your eyes and see yourself from above cowering in the corner of a dark room devoid of any features. \n\nA frail crack appears on one of the walls with light beginning to peep out.\n\nAs you observe from above, the cracks begin splintering across the entire wall until the light illuminates the room. \n\nThe projection of you in the room monitors this carefully. \n\nThe wall of light lurches forward suddenly until its less than a foot away from the terrified projection.\n\nSlowly a featureless hand and arm creep out towards the trapped projection.\n\nYou feel a sense of defiance and pride and the projection stands up and somehow wills the wall back and the cracks shut. \n\nWait I can feel ? \n\n[[Wake up|Escape7]]\n\n<<else>>\n<<set $Mental_Health -= 5>>Somehow you open your eyes and see yourself from above cowering in the corner of a dark room devoid of any features. \n\nA frail crack appears on one of the walls with light beginning to peep out.\n\nAs you observe from above, the cracks begin splintering across the entire wall until the light illuminates the room. \n\nThe projection of you in the room monitors this carefully. \n\nThe wall of light lurches forward suddenly until its less than a foot away from the terrified projection.\n\nSlowly a featureless hand and arm creep out towards the trapped projection.\n\nAfter everything you’ve been through you feel tired and defeated so its not suprising that the projection doesn’t move.\n\nThe hand reaches out and grabs the projection's head. \n\nInstantly you feel an intense freezing sensation in your own head. \n\nWait I can feel? \n\n[[Wake up|Escape7]]\n<<endif>>\n
You arrive at the tavern and greet Lucero the Innkeeper.\n \nYou get a pitcher of beer and settle down at the nearest table.\n \nThe tavern itself is one of the oldest buildings in the village and despite the quaint charm you can see the years bear heavily on the mighty wooden beams above your head. \n\nThe layout is tiered to avoid too large a number of drunkards misinterpreting each other’s conversations and shoddy paintings and rather pathetic hunting trophies line the walls.\n \nWylliam and Julian should arrive shortly. \n\n[[Why are your best friends always late...|jandl]]
<<silently>>\n<<set $Strength += 1>>\n<<set $Two_handed_weapons += 5>>\n<<endsilently>>You flex in the mirror and feel distinctly weak.\n\nSeems like your many nights in the tavern with Wylliam haven't been doing your body any favours. \n\nYou go outside and struggle to complete some strenuous sets of log lifts.\n\nYour muscles feel like they will rip at any moment but you strangely actually enjoy the feeling. \n\nKeep this up and you'll rival Sir Rayleigh any day now, you joke to yourself.\n\n[[Time to work!|Work]]\n
Suddenly you hear a piercing cry and a wave of boiling pitch cascades from the top of the ramparts.\n\nThe battering ram and the men using it are quickly engulfed and the surrounding troops quickly meet a similar gruesome death. \n\nYour men are disillusioned seeing their kinsmen and half of your offensive force so easily decimated. \n\nYou realise that the fate of the rest of the men depends on your next words: \n\n[["Men all is not lost, avenge your kinsmen and show these fools what we are made of!"|Death1]]\n\n[["Retreat men, save your lives so that one day we will avenge the fallen!"|Death2]]\n\n[["Bring out the catapult and return fire!"|Death3]]\n\n\n
Draygun and the Presence: Chapter One.
Suddenly you hear a piercing cry and a wave of boiling pitch cascades from the top of the ramparts.\n\nThe men searching the walls are quickly engulfed and the surrounding troops quickly meet a similar gruesome death. \n\nYour men are disillusioned seeing their kinsmen and half of your offensive force so easily decimated. \n\nYou realise that the fate of the rest of the men depends on your next words:\n\n[["Men all is not lost, avenge your kinsmen and show these fools what we are made of!"|Death1]]\n\n[["Retreat men, save your lives so that one day we will avenge the fallen!"|Death2]]\n\n[["Bring out the catapult and return fire!"|Death3]]\n\n
The End.\n\nCongratulations!\n\nYou've finished Draygun and the Presence: Chapter One.\n\nIf you want to report an error or any suggestions/feedback feel free to email
[email protected].\n\nThank you for playing!\n\n\n\n
<<if $Traps gte 35>>The boar faces you once again and readies its relentless attack.\n\nYou begin to think back about what you've been told about trapping animals. \n\nYou know its ludicrous to assume you can build a trap for such a large beast even if your friends do buy you some time.\n\nRemembering that boars are easily spooked by anything unnatural to them anyway you scan the environment for something you can use.\n\nYou spot a tree on the cusp of falling due to rot at its base.\n\nYou lead the boar behind you and spin round to the back of the tree and push.\n\nYour effort does little but combined with the mighty impact from the beast the tree begins to fall pinning the unsuspecting animal before it can move.\n\nYou put the animal out of its pain. \n\n[[Phew|Forest7]]\n\n<<else>>The boar faces you once again and readies its relentless attack.\n\nYou begin to think back about what you've been told about trapping animals.\n\nYou curse as you realise you won't have enough time to put this into fruition.\n\nPerhaps it'll be best to reconsider your plan of aciton? \n\n[[Reconsider|previous()]]\n<<endif>>
<<if $Bow gte 30>>" Draygun! Don’t let what he’s doing amount to nothing! We have to go, NOW !" Julian urges. \n\n"Here, I found his bow, use it if any of them get too close!"\n\nCatching the bow you can’t help but look back and see Wylliam being overwhelmed and battered by the savage bastards. \n\nFour of them have broken off and make towards you.\n\nYou see one of them notch an arrow and draw.\n\nYou quickly draw the bow and shoot. \n\nYou’re a good shot but the fear has your whole body trembling.\n\nStill the arrow drills into the bandit’s hand making him shriek in pain and drop the bow. \n\nJulian is tugging on your shirt pleading you to run, as you reluctantly begin to turn you see the largest of the bandits driving his cestus covered fist into Wylliam’s jaw with a sickening crack and Wylliam slump to the ground.\n\nYou stifle back tears and vow to come back for him.\n\n[[Run with Julian|Escape1]]\n<<else>>"Draygun! Don’t let what he’s doing amount to nothing! We have to go, NOW !" Julian urges.\n\n"Here, I found his bow, use it if any of them get too close!"\n\nCatching the bow you can’t help but look back and see Wylliam being overwhelmed and battered by the savage bastards. \n\nFour of them have broken off and make towards you.\n\nYou see one of them notch an arrow and draw.\n\nYou quickly try to draw the bow and shoot.\n\nThe fear and your trembling hands get to you, the bow resonates with a pathetic twang and the arrow barely manages a few feet in the air before sticking into the ground. \n\nJulian is tugging on your shirt pleading you to run, as you reluctantly begin to turn you see the largest of the bandits driving his cestus covered fist into Wylliam’s jaw with a sickening crack and Wylliam slump to the ground.\n\nYou stifle back tears and vow to come back for him.\n\n[[Run with Julian|Escape1]]\n\n<<endif>>\n\n\n\n
With a sad smile he releases the arrow.\n\nIt shoots well clear of the bandits and before you have time to fear for your life sticks neatly into the ground by your feet. \n\nWhilst you are still processing what just happened Julian runs to the arrow plucking it from the ground.\n\nWylliam pierced the map onto the arrow.\n\nHe knows neither you nor he has any chance of getting through all the bandits.\n\nHe knows this map is the only chance any of you have to get out alive.\n\nHe knows doing this means he has to stay behind.\n\n"RUN YOU IDIOT!" he roars as he charges the remaining bandits to buy you some time.\n\n[["I can't just leave you..."|Bandit11]]\n
Generally in all the stats apart from Alignment, more is better.\n\nStrength: How physically imposing your character is. Useful for choices including brute force, the use of certain weapons and when mixed with speech allows for intimdation options.\n\nEndurance: How durable your character is. Useful for choices including endurance, increasing how much damage one can take and the amount of items one can carry. \n\nCharisma: How charismatic your characer is. Useful for many speech options, interactions and bartering.\n\nIntellect: How intelligent your character is. Useful for understanding things that lesser intelligent characters would be stumped by, how fast you can analyse situations and many other mysterious uses.\n\nLuck: How lucky your character is. Useful indirectly in many situations, for example how much damage you can dole out in a critical hit or reducing otherwise fatal wounds that one recieves.\n \nMental Health: How prepared you are for the many horrors that exsist in the world. Losing mental health will result in one suffering from multiple psycological disorders that will impact on future choices.\n\nDexterity : How agile you are. Useful for ranged weaponry, dodging enemy attacks and reaching areas other characters would not be able to.\n\nAlignment: How good or evil your character is. Ones choices lead to different alignments which open up other choices that a less evil or good character would not have. \n\nCombat Skills:\n\nOne-handed weapons: How good one is at using One-handed weapons like swords, daggers and maces. \n\nRanged weapons: How good one is at using Ranged weapons like boys, crossbows and slings.\n\nTwo-handed weapons: How good one is at using Two-handed weapons like bastard swords, great-axes and scythes.\n\nUnarmed: How good one is at hand-to-hand combat.\n\nNon-Combat Skills:\n\nSneak: How good one is at being undetected.\n\nTraps: How good one is at laying and disarming traps.\n\nEngineering: How good one is at using and constructing machinery.\n\nSpeech: How good one is at talking themselves out of or inded into situations.\n\nLockpick:: How good one is at picking locks.\n\nFirst-aid: How good one is applying and making ointments and salves as well as fighting off disease and infection.\n\n\n[[Return to choice|Dwarf]]
As the day wanes you set up camp for the first time on your journey. \n\nSetting up camp, however, may be too grandiose a term for the three bed rolls situated around the small fire. \n\nWylliam, Julian and you sit around the fire cooking a rabbit Wylliam managed to catch shortly after leaving the village. \n\nTo aid in telling the passage of time you specifically left on a new lunar cycle. \n\nUnfortunately this currently meant that the moon was barely visible in the sky and apart from the flickering light of the fire dancing with the shadows of your friends the vast terrain was pitch black. \n\nAs the party is about to fall asleep you swear you can hear a faint voice emanating from outside the camp.\n \n[["Erm Wylliam Julian can you hear that?"|Flatlands35Ermguys]]\n\n[[Ignore it its probably nothing.|Flatlands4anddream]] \n\n
"Okay boys, we're running out of supplies like Wylliam said. I reckon if we sneak away from the fire they'll be drawn to it and we can ambush them. They won't know what hit them and then we can steal all their stuff"\n\nWylliam and Julian seem stunned.\n\n"Erm Dray are you okay? Of course we're not doing that man the whole reason we came out here was to avoid bandits, we're not going to become them" says Julian.\n\n"Yeah little brother, thats really weird how could you even think that. I'm not doing that sorry we've got a few more options how about you have another go?" answers a concerned Wylliam.\n\n[[Screw you guys I'll do what I want|Flatlands7DEATH]]\n\n[[Uh yeah sorry, I guess this tedium is getting to me, let me have another think|Flatlands655]]
<<if $Mental_Health gte 50>>\n<<set $Mental_Health += 5>>Somehow you open your eyes and see yourself from above cowering in the corner of a dark room devoid of any features. \n\nA frail crack appears on one of the walls with light beginning to peep out.\n\nAs you observe from above, the cracks begin splintering across the entire wall until the light illuminates the room. \n\nThe projection of you in the room monitors this carefully. \n\nThe wall of light lurches forward suddenly until its less than a foot away from the terrified projection.\n\nSlowly a featureless hand and arm creep out towards the trapped projection.\n\nYou feel a sense of defiance and pride and the projection stands up and somehow wills the wall back and the cracks shut. \n\nWait I can feel ? \n\n[[Wake up|Flatlandsend]]\n\n<<else>>\n<<set $Mental_Health -= 5>>Somehow you open your eyes and see yourself from above cowering in the corner of a dark room devoid of any features. \n\nA frail crack appears on one of the walls with light beginning to peep out.\n\nAs you observe from above, the cracks begin splintering across the entire wall until the light illuminates the room. \n\nThe projection of you in the room monitors this carefully. \n\nThe wall of light lurches forward suddenly until its less than a foot away from the terrified projection.\n\nSlowly a featureless hand and arm creep out towards the trapped projection.\n\nAfter everything you’ve been through you feel tired and defeated so its not suprising that the projection doesn’t move.\n\nThe hand reaches out and grabs the projection's head. \n\nInstantly you feel an intense freezing sensation in your own head. \n\nWait I can feel? \n\n[[Wake up|Flatlandsend]]\n<<endif>>\n
<<set $Mental_Health -= 10>>You were so close.\n\nThe city was in sight… and now Wylliam is gone.\n\nYou’ve seen the lightning and booming thunder before during your time in the village but never this ferocious vortex.\n\nWas this the same magic as you’ve seen in your nightmares? \n\nYour luck so far makes you severely doubt that Julian is still alive. \n\nCan you even be sure that you are?\n\n[[Am I?|Tornado5]]\n
Despite being hurtled around at inhumane speeds he has managed to unsheathe his dagger and begins to cut his leather jacket.\n \nThe debris has already begun to form massive lacerations and bruises on his skin and yet he maintains composure and begins to wrap the strips of leather around your arm forming a firm connection between you and Julian. \n\nHe tightens the bond just in time as Julian passes out from either pain or exhaustion.\n\nNow you only need to focus on holding on to Wylliam.\n\nDue to the blinding lashings of light you don’t see the large shadow approaching through the cloud rapidly in your direction. \n\nWylliam does.\n\nWith a bloodied smile he kicks Julian and you away in the split second before a large rock smashes into his ribs and carries him out of sight. \n\nYou try and bellow for Wylliam but a rapid pelting of rocks and hail knocks you unconscious. \n\n[[Continue|Tornado4]]\n
<<silently>>\n<<set $Endurance += 1>>\n<<endsilently>>The sun hasn't risen yet and a cool breeze blows through your window. \n\nYou decide this would be the perfect time to go for a run.\n\nYou change and run outside into the fields greeting the villagers that are slowly emerging from their houses.\n\nAfter several laps of the field you tire and decide to get home to wash before work starts. \n\nAtleast, you can feel some progress and aren't getting as tired as you used to.\n\n[[Time to work!|Work]]
The whisper soon fades and exhausted from the day you swiftly fall asleep.\n\nYou dream of your child hood and being slowly accepted into the village, meeting Wylliam and Julian and the actions that made you the man you are today.\n\nYou dream about St. Malox and the beginning of your life once you make it through those gates.\n\nThe dream job. The beautiful girl. \n\nBut the walls in front of you don’t belong to the capital.\n \nYou look at the imposing castle. \n\nIts walls, made of the blackest stone, seem to swallow the golden light of dawn…\n\nYou've planned and prepared your men, your kingdom and yourself for the feat that lies ahead. Peace and tranquility is merely one brutal conflict away.\n\n[[Not this again...|Flatlands5]]\n
<<silently>>\n<<set $Class_Dwarf += 1>>\n<<set $Small += 1>>\n<<set $Strength += 1>> \n<<set $Endurance += 3>> \n<<set $Charisma -= 1>>\n<<set $Luck -= 1>>\n<<set $Dexterity -= 1>>\n<<set $Mental_Health += 20>>\n<<set $One_handed_weapons += 5>>\n<<set $Two_handed_weapons += 5>>\n<<set $Bow -= 10>> \n<<set $Unarmed += 10>>\n<<set $Sneak -= 10>> \n<<set $Traps -= 5>> \n<<set $Engineering += 10>>\n<<set $Speech -= 5>>\n<<set $Lockpick += 30>>\n<<set $First_Aid += 30>> \n<<endsilently>>As you dry your face you realise it is still too early to go to work.\n\nYou decide to:\n\n[[Read a book|Bookchoice]]\n\n[[Do some excercise|Excercise]]\n\n[[See who else is awake in your village|Socialise]]\n\n[[Decide to go back to bed|Sleep]]
Suddenly you hear a piercing cry and a wave of boiling pitch cascades from the top of the ramparts.\n\nThe ladders and the men using it are quickly engulfed and the surrounding troops quickly meet a similar gruesome death. \n\nYour men are disillusioned seeing their kinsmen and half of your offensive force so easily decimated. \n\nYou realise that the fate of the rest of the men depends on your next words:\n\n[["Men all is not lost, avenge your kinsmen and show these fools what we are made of!"|Death1]]\n\n[["Retreat men, save your lives so that one day we will avenge the fallen!"|Death2]]\n\n[["Bring out the catapult and return fire!"|Death3]]\n\n
<<silently>>\n<<set $Class_Half_Orc += 1>>\n<<set $Strength += 2>> \n<<set $Endurance += 2>> \n<<set $Charisma -= 1>>\n<<set $Intellect -= 1>>\n<<set $Dexterity = 2>>\n<<set $Mental_Health += 15>>\n<<set $Alignment -= 2>> \n<<set $One_handed_weapons += 5>>\n<<set $Two_handed_weapons += 5>>\n<<set $Unarmed += 5>>\n<<set $Sneak -= 10>> \n<<set $Engineering += 5>>\n<<set $Speech -= 15>>\n<<set $Lockpick -= 10>>\n<<set $First_Aid += 5>> \n<<endsilently>>As you dry your face you realise it is still too early to go to work.\n\nYou decide to:\n\n[[Read a book|Bookchoice]]\n\n[[Do some excercise|Excercise]]\n\n[[See who else is awake in your village|Socialise]]\n\n[[Decide to go back to bed|Sleep]]
<<silently>>\n<<set $Silver_coins = 10>> \n<<set $Health = 100>>\n<<set $Strength = 2>> \n<<set $Endurance = 2>> \n<<set $Charisma = 2>>\n<<set $Intellect = 2>>\n<<set $Luck = 2>>\n<<set $Dexterity = 2>>\n<<set $Mental_Health = 50>>\n<<set $Alignment = 0>> \n<<set $One_handed_weapons = 25>>\n<<set $Two_handed_weapons = 25>>\n<<set $Bow = 25>> \n<<set $Unarmed =25>>\n<<set $Magic = 0>> \n<<set $Sneak = 25>> \n<<set $Traps = 25>> \n<<set $Engineering = 25>>\n<<set $Speech = 25>>\n<<set $Non_combat_magic = 0>>\n<<set $Lockpick = 25>>\n<<set $First_Aid = 25>> \n<<set $Class_Human = 0>>\n<<set $Class_Half_Orc = 0>>\n<<set $Class_Half_Elf = 0>>\n<<set $Class_Dwarf = 0>>\n<<set $Class_Halfling = 0>>\n<<set $Small = 0>>\n<<set $Sleep1 = 0>>\n<<set $Flatlands = 0>>\n<<set $Forest = 0>>\n<<set $Forge = 0>>\n<<set $Field = 0>>\n<<set $Apothecary = 0>>\n<<set $Tavern = 0>>\n<<set $Dislocated = 0>>\n<<set $SShot = 1>>\n<<endsilently>>You look at the imposing castle in front of you. It's walls, made of the blackest stone, seem to swallow the golden light of dawn. You've planned and prepared your men, your kingdom and yourself for the feat that lies ahead. Peace and tranquility is merely one brutal conflict away. \n\nYou snap out of your thoughts, notcing the elite vanguard of your army approaching the walls, you contemplate which way would be the most effective in getting inside:\n\n[[Order your men to use the battering ram to break the through the gate|BatteringRam]]\n\n[[Order your men to put up the ladders and scale the walls|Ladder]]\n\n[[Order your men to find any hidden entrances|Hidden]]\n\n\n
<<set $Forest += 1>>Julian reluctantly agrees with Wylliam and you and the party sets off through the flatlands. \n\nAfter the first few hours of your journey you are already well on your way with the village just barely visible in the distance.\n\nShit! You realise because of your hangover you've forgotten to bring along a proper weapon apart from your knife.\n\nIn front of you the vast trees of the forest begin to dominate the sky line. The thick branches make it impossible to make out anything past the first row of trees.\n\n"Well I guess we’re lucky we have you Wylliam, there’s no way in hell I’d be able to navigate through all those trees, let’s hope you know what you’re doing!" Julian says with apprehension.\n\nWylliam notices Julian’s concern and so quickly takes out a heavy leather map.\n\n" Don’t worry Julian, my father made this and I’ve been along most of this route a few times. If we just follow the road we should get through the forest and to St. Malox in just a few days, let’s get going"\n\nJulian and you follow Wylliam’s lead and enter the forest.\n \n[[Let the journey begin!|Forest2]] \n
Still you run for what feels like hours before you come to a stop, completely devoid of energy.\n\nJulian pants beside you, clearly he’s as exhausted as you are.\n\nAs you both drink some water, Julian looks over the map.\n\n"Right, well by the looks of this, we finally managed to get lucky. We should be able to get back on the trail and to the city within a day. I know you want to go back and help Wylliam but there’s just nothing we can do. They’ll be watching him and this time I doubt they’ll be passed out."\n\nAt this point Julian stops and concern springs to his face.\n\n"Erm, Dray are you okay, you seem really pale?"\n\n[[Hmm,what? No I'm fine|Escape5]]\n
You’re about to reply when you feel something drip down your back.\n\nYou brush it off with your hand.\n \nJulian is startled when you bring your hand back down.\n\nYou look and see your fingers are now covered in crimson.\n\nYou reach again and this time your fingers meet a wooden shaft.\n\nAn arrow, semi-slowed by the bag with provisions, has perforated your shoulder.\n\nAs the realisation of this wound dawns in your mind and your flight or fight response dies down the pain begins.\n\nAn intense, burning sensation splintering out from the wound like the cracks in broken glass. \n\nThe pain soon grows too intense and you double over in agony.\n \n"Shit, shit, shit" you hear Julian mutter continuously as he tried to tend to the wound.\n\nHis words grow fainter and fainter and the world slowly drains to become monochromatic outlines as you lose consciousness.\n\n[[Continue|Escape6]]\n
<<if $Strength gte 5>>The boar faces you once again and readies its relentless attack.\n\nYou’ve never had experience fighting a wild boar but with your immense strength you’ve been able to overwhelm all the livestock in the village including the bulls. \n\nYou aren’t worried about a boar. \n\nAs it charges, you stand your ground.\n\nThe boar gets closer.\n\nBefore it gores you, you grab the beast’s tusks.\n\nWith a heavy jolt you snap it’s neck and the boar slumps to the ground. \n\n[[Phew|Forest7]]\n\n<<else>>The boar faces you once again and readies its relentless attack.\n\nYou stand your ground but soon feel your legs begin to shake.\n\nIf you aren't confident in your strength perhaps it would be best to reconsider your action.\n\n\n[[Reconsider|previous()]]\n<<endif>>\n\n
<<set $SShot += 1>>You open your eyes.\n\nThe first thing you notice is the intensity of the sun.\n\nWait how is this much getting through the trees?\n\nAs your eyes adjust you see you are outside the forest.\n\nSt. Malox is now visible in the close distance.\n\nCloser yet is a small village.\n\nJulian is sitting by yourside out of breath.\n\nSomehow the tenacious fellow managed to drag you all the way here. \n\n[["Hey Julian, thanks for the lift"|Escape8]]\n\n\n
<<silently>>\n<<set $Class_Human += 1>>\n<<endsilently>>\n\nAs you dry your face you realise it is still too early to go to work.\n\nYou decide to:\n\n[[Read a book|Bookchoice]]\n\n[[Do some excercise|Excercise]]\n\n[[See who else is awake in your village|Socialise]]\n\n[[Decide to go back to bed|Sleep]]
<<if $Traps gte 30>> Straining your eyes you make out why Julian has slowed.\n\nA hundred yards ahead you see a log horizontally suspended high above in the treeline. \n\nIt’s a trap! Julian must be trying to see what triggers it.\n\nHe catches up to you and begins to point towards the trap but you nod in acknowledgement. \n\n"Heh, should have known you’d spot it. We need to be careful but I think I should be able to trigger it so that it hits or at least blocks the pricks from following us."\n\nYou close the distance to the trap until Julian signals he sees the trigger, as you jump over the fine wire strung low across the forest floor he waits a few seconds before triggering the trap and catching up with you. \n\n[[Let's hope this works|Escape3]]\n\n<<else>>You look ahead to see why Julian has slowed but see nothing out of the ordinary.\n\nJulian catches up to you and points towards the top of the trees.\n\n"Look, about a hundred yards or so there’s a log trap up in the trees. We need to be careful but I think I I should be able to trigger it so that it hits or at least blocks the pricks from following us."\n\nYou close the distance to the trap until Julian signals he sees the trigger, as you jump over the fine wire strung low across the forest floor he waits a few seconds before triggering the trap and catching up with you. \n\n\n[[Let's hope this works|Escape3]]\n<<endif>>\n
The humongous log comes swinging down causing an audible strain on the trees supporting it. \n\nYou can’t imagine the amount of willpower and strength that must have been used to hoist it up.\n\nThe trap passes above you and your Halfling companion has no issues with running through underneath the mighty swing. \n\nNo more looking back. \n\nYou found your chance to escape you’re not going to mess this up.\n\nStill running you eagerly listen. \n\nAn unanticipated smile forms as you hear the panicked shouting from the bandits and the sound of at least one body being flung in the opposite direction as the log comes to a thundering stop. \n\n[[You did it, by the time they go around the trap you’ll have disappeared too deep into the forest to follow.|Escape4]]
<<if $Bow gte 35>>The boar faces you once again and readies its relentless attack.\n \nAlthought you’ve never had to face a wild boar before you’ve had some experience hunting deer and other animals. \n\nAs such, you shout for Wylliam to throw you his bow.\n\nAs the boar charges one of your arrows is already deep in its hide. \n\nThis alone is not enough.\n\nYou release another arrow, which embeds close to the previous one. \n\nThe boar begins to slow.\n\nYou manage to release one final arrow just in time.\n\nThis one pierces the thick skull making the beast slide to a still near your feet.\n\n[[Phew|Forest7]]\n\n<<else>> The boar faces you once again and readies its relentless attack.\n \nAlthought you’ve never had to face a wild boar before you’ve had some experience hunting deer and other animals. \n\nYou are about to call for Wylliam's bow but your nerves get the better of you and you think you shuold perhaps reconsider your plan.\n[[Reconsider|previous()]]\n<<endif>>\n\n\n
<<set $Engineering = $Engineering + 5>>The vanguard begin to move the ladders against the wall.\n\nScores of them surround the wall and the rest of your troops march into postion nearby and for a brief moment you even feel sorry for the overwhelming force the defenders are soon to meet.\n\nThis is quickly replaced with worry slowly creeping into your mind, the diversion tactic you put into play by attacking from another front should have worked but not this well. \n\nYou give the order and your men start to scale the walls. \n\n[[Continue|Oil2]]
"Dray you're awake!" Julian exclaims with joy.\n\nYou notice the pain is still there. \n\nIt's horrible, numbing all other sensation.\n\nYet you are still alive.\n\nYou realise you are lying on your back so Julian must have somehow managed to remove the arrow.\n\n"I managed to do some bandaging but I'm not too good, plus I doubt the wound is the most hygenic seeing as I've been dragging you along the ground for the past half a day." he says noticing your confused face.\n\n[[Thank him and try to get up|Escape9]]\n\n
Julian helps you to your feet.\n\nYou're weak but at least you can still move.\n\nThe village is definitely close as you think you can even smell the smoke floating from the chimneys.\n\nWylliam!\n\nYou remember the horrid last blow he suffered and instinctly turn around to the forest.\n\nA wall of verdant green stretches into the sky, almost identical to the wall you saw on your first entry into the forest.\n\nThere is simply no chance you can find the camp again, and even less of defeating the pissed off bandits.\n\nJulian notices your lamentation.\n\n"Come on Dray, we can't do anything right now. Let's get to the village, get your wound seen to, finally make it to St.Malox and then sort something out. We'll see Wylliam again, I promise"\n\n[[You help the exhausted Julian and after a while you both limp to the smoke rising out the chimneys of the nearby village|Hamlet]]\n\n
<<silently>>\n<<set $Bow = $Bow +5>>\n<<set $First_Aid = $First_Aid +5>>\n<<set $Traps = $Traps +5>>\n<<endsilently>>Picking up your copy of How to Survive in the Wilderness you quickly get pulled into the interesting practicalities the book describes.\n\nYou further bolster your knowledge of how to hunt and trap wild game as well as how to treat basic wounds one may acquire in the wilderness.\n\n[[Continue|Work]]
<<silently>>\n<<set $One_handed_weapons = $One_handed_weapons +5>>\n<<set $Two_handed_weapons = $Two_handed_weapons +5>>\n<<endsilently>>You pick up Sir Rayleigh and his conquest and are quickly engrossed in the vivid descriptions of the legendary hero and his achievements.\n\nThe narrative is accompanied by suggestions on how to improve one's form whilst handling both one-handed and two-handed weapons.\n\n[[Continue|Work]]
<<silently>>\n<<set $Sneak = $Sneak +5>>\n<<set $Lockpick = $Lockpick +5>>\n<<endsilently>>You pick up your copy of Into the Shadows are are quickly engrossed by the exploits of Silvia Fox, the first female member of the notorious Thieves Guild. \n\nYou feel that just by reading about her feats of lockpicking and sneaking into unsuspecting noblemens abodes your own skills improve.\n\n[[Continue|Work]]
<<silently>>\n<<set $Engineering = $Engineering + 5>>\n<<set $Traps = $Traps +5>>\n<<endsilently>>\n<<if $Class_Dwarf eq 1>>\sYou pick up your copy of Dwarven Engineering in Action and are quickly engrossed in the detailed and complex diagrams depicting the most awe-inspiring machinery you have ever seen.\nYour people definitely knew what they were doing! \n<<else>> You pick up your copy of Dwarven Engineering in Action and are quickly engrossed in the detailed and complex diagrams depicting the most awe-inspiring machinery you have ever seen.\n<<endif>>\nThrough meticulous study of the details and explanations in the book about how this machinery works you feel you understand engineering better, now if only you weren't too poor to afford the plethora of materials needed.\n\n[[Continue|Work]]
You've studied these movements for hours on end.\n\nHe's shifted his stance and put most of his weight on the back foot.\n\nHe's squared his shoulders and lowered his head. \n\nHe's drunk so you can't imagine he'd try any technical fighting.\n\nYou're right. \n\nHe moves his entire body in one wild swing.\n\nThe punch throws him off-balance and you quickly move behind him.\n\nYou slide your right arm around the front of his neck and grab his left shoulder. \n\nYou snake your left arm behind his neck and grab your right shoulder. \n\nPushing his head forward with yours and adding some pressure from your arms, the drunkard is soon asleep.\n\nBefore the trader even hits the floor the guards have unsheathed their axes and begun to advance. Clearly they were weary of him as well but their job is to protect the bugger and they can't afford to miss a pay day.\n\nThe reasonable trader quickly orders them to relax.\n\n[[Phew, I'm good but not that good.|Flatlands9]]\n\n
<<print $dog_name>> stands up and despite being weak barks excitadly and stares at you.\n\nYou get the feeling that he's not going to leave your side.\n\nYou ruffle his mangy fur and move towards the vast gates of St. Malox.\n\n"Er, really Draygun? I'm glad we stopped those dumb kids but you're really just gonna take this mutt along with us?" Julian whispers.\n\n"I'm not taking him anywhere he's following us. Besides look at the poor dog, let's at least get through the gate and get him some food."\n\nJulian sighs but follows you and <<print $dog_name>>\n\nLooks like you've finally made it to the end of your journey.\n\n[[Step forward to the large wrought-iron gates|StMalox2]]
You decide to read a book.\n\nLooking at your shody wooden shelf you pick out your favourite book:\n\n[[How to survive in the wilderness|Book1]]\n\n[[ Sir Rayleigh and his conquest|Book2]]\n\n[[Into the shadows|Book3]]\n\n[[Dwarven engineering in action|Book4]]
<<if $Intellect gte 4>>As you break through the last set of trees before the glade, you are transiently blinded by the sudden burst of sunlight.\n\nAfter a few seconds of adjustment, you are finally able to open your eyes.\n\nAs predicted, the sight in front of you is not one of a forester’s camp.\n\nThe shoddy leather tents scattered around the glade do not exactly seem to be regulation.\n\nNor do the dozens of peculiar totems covered in what you can recognise as various animal and even human remains.\n\nAs if this was not enough to confirm your suspicion a further four ‘foresters’ emerge from the tents. \n\nHuge men, some missing ears, one missing a nose, all of which are covered in shoddy tattoos made even worse by the several grotesque scars burrowing through the majority of these.\n\n"Erm Draygun, I think we may be more trouble than we originally thought" says Wylliam.\n\nBefore you can tell your brother just how right he is one of the men behind smashes you in the back of the head and you fall to the floor unconscious.\n\n[[...|Bandit1]]\n<<else>>As you break through the last set of trees before the glade, you are transiently blinded by the sudden burst of sunlight.\n\nAfter a few seconds of adjustment, you are finally able to open your eyes.\n\nThe sight in front of you is not one of a forester’s camp.\n\nThe shoddy leather tents scattered around the glade do not exactly seem to be regulation.\n\nNor do the dozens of peculiar totems covered in what you can only hope are solely animal remains.\n\nAs if this was not enough to confirm your suspicion a further four ‘foresters’ emerge from the tents. \n\nHuge men, some missing ears, one missing a nose, all of which are covered in shoddy tattoos made even worse by the several grotesque scars burrowing through the majority of these.\n\n"Erm Draygun, I think we may be more trouble than we originally thought" says Wylliam.\n\nBefore you can tell your brother just how right he is one of the men behind smashes you in the back of the head and you fall to the floor unconscious.\n\n[[...|Bandit1]]\n<<endif>>
<<if $Intellect gte 3>>Whilst your group is sat around the fire discussing what each member will do first once they get to the city you begin to hear additional quiet voices. \n\nYou can’t make out what they are saying but you can tell there is a hint of anger in them. \n\nYou try to ignore them hoping that these will fade like the ones you heard a week ago and carry on telling Julian about the amazing job you’ll land in the city and how you’ll be kind enough to employ him to lead your wagon. \n\nAfter some time has passed the voices seem to be getting closer.\n\n"Don’t worry Draygun, you aren’t going crazy I can hear it too, look behind Julian there’s a light coming towards us from the distance." Wylliam whispers in your ear. "What should we do?"\n\nYou know that you can’t fashion any sort of defence nor hide on this land.\n\nAdditionally chances are as you’ve seen their light they would have seen yours. \n\n[[Lets just wait and let them come closer|Flatlands7waitout]]\n\n[[Lets ambush them!|Flatlands7Fight1]]\n\n[[Its most likely traders and we'll die of dehydration otherwise, lets call out for their help.|Flatlands 7 Call out]]\n\n<<else>>Whilst your group is sat around the fire discussing what each member will do first once they get to the city you begin to hear additional quiet voices. \n\nYou can’t make out what they are saying but you can tell there is a hint of anger in them. \n\nYou dismiss these and carry on telling Julian about the amazing job you’ll land in the city and how you’ll be kind enough to employ him to lead your wagon. \n\nAfter some time has passed the voices seem to be getting closer.\n\nYou notice a light spring to life from the direction of the voices, and decide now is the time to mention something.\n\n"Erm lads look there’s someone coming towards us." You say whilst directing Wylliams and Julians attention to the voices and light.\n\nYou know that you can’t fashion any sort of defence nor hide on this land. \n\nAdditionally chances are as you’ve seen their light they would have seen yours. \n\n[[Snuff out the fire|Snufffire]] \n\n[[Lets just wait and let them come closer|Flatlands7waitout]]\n\n[[Lets ambush them!|Flatlands7Fight1]]\n<<endif>>
"What the hell Dray? Let’s find your equipment and get out of here. We’re alive and I’d really not rather put ourselves under any superfluous risk." says a concerned Julian.\n\n"Yeah… I get where you coming from, some revenge would be nice but I doubt you’ll ever be able to forgive yourself for killing 8 men in their sleep, plus imagine what they’ll do to you if they wake up and see you looming over one of their comrades with a knife in your hand." adds Wylliam.\n\nHe gestures at the corpses next to you.\n\n"You’ll be lucky if you end up like them." \n\n[[Well yeah maybe I should reconsider|previous()]]\n\n[[Screw you guys, you're being cowards|BanditD]]\n\n
<<silently>>\n<<set $Class_Half_Elf += 1>>\n<<set $Strength -= 1>> \n<<set $Charisma += 2>>\n<<set $Intellect += 2>>\n<<set $Dexterity += 2>>\n<<set $Mental_Health -= 10>>\n<<set $One_handed_weapons += 5>>\n<<set $Two_handed_weapons -= 10>>\n<<set $Bow += 5>> \n<<set $Unarmed += 5>>\n<<set $Sneak += 5>> \n<<set $Engineering -= 10>>\n<<set $Speech += 5>>\n<<set $Lockpick += 5>>\n<<set $First_Aid -= 5>> \n<<endsilently>>As you dry your face you realise it is still too early to go to work.\n\nYou decide to:\n\n[[Read a book|Bookchoice]]\n\n[[Do some excercise|Excercise]]\n\n[[See who else is awake in your village|Socialise]]\n\n[[Decide to go back to bed|Sleep]]
What appear to be vast columns of rotating air have begun to descend from the black clouds and reach the ground swiftly tearing it up and adding an external layer of dust and dry mud. \n\nThe roaring columns and deafening thunder leave you transfixed.\nVaguely you make out some inaudible shouts from Wylliam as he grabs you and urges you to run.\n\nYou snap out of it and ditching all of your supplies your friends and you begin to run for your life.\n\nIt is futile.\n\nLooking back you can see your discarded provisions quickly devoured by the violent vortex. \n\nSoon you are too.\n\n[[Grab onto Wylliam and Julian|TORNADO2]]
As you come to your senses you realise how hungry and thirsty you are.\n\nJudging by the rumble of Julian’s stomach he’s in the same boat.\n\n"Let’s go Julian; we’ll have time to think this through when we’re in St. Malox. If we don’t get a move on now we may not even make it. "\n\n[[You help Julian take his first few steps and after a while you both limp to the smoke rising out the chimneys of the nearby hamlet.|Hamlet]]\n\n
<<if $Mental_Health gte 40>>\n<<set $Mental_Health += 5>>After explaining the rest of what happened both of you remain silent and begin to survey your surroundings.\n\nSt. Malox is now clearly visible, most likely within a day’s distance and only a few hours away there seems to be a small hamlet but no trace of Wylliam. \n\nOf course he’s not here you think to yourself but if he managed to pull off those acrobatics during the worst of it theres no way he’s dead. \n\n"So he’s really gone? No it can’t be, I bet we’ll get to the town and he’ll be there with a beer in one hand a girl in the other."\n \nYou doubt Julians optimistic account but accept his bet. Julian’s right Wylliams tougher than both of you put together, if you survived so did he. \n\n[[Well it pays to be be positive.|Flatlandsend4]]\n<<else>>\n<<set $Mental_Health -= 5>>After explaining the rest of what happened both of you remain silent and begin to survey your surroundings.\n\nSt. Malox is now clearly visible, most likely within a day’s distance and only a few hours away there seems to be a small hamlet but no trace of Wylliam. \n\nOf course he’s not here you think to yourself the winds flung him far away from you before you even lost consciousness...\n\n"So he’s really gone? No it can’t be, I bet we’ll get to the town and he’ll be there with a beer in one hand a girl in the other."\n \nYou’d love to believe Julian but you’re almost certain Wylliam is dead, the image of his beaten body before he even took that massive hit is seared into your mind.\n\nSadly there’s no way someone could have survived that.\n\n[[How can someone not be negative in this situation|Flatlandsend4]]\n<<endif>>\n
<<set $Dislocated += 1>>The leather bond was seriously damaged during the tragedy so you have no trouble untying the remains to free yourself.\n \nYou sit up with your arm passively hanging from the shoulder, it doesn't seem to be broken but you have no control over it, and shake Julian awake. \n\nJulian begins to stir. \n\nAs soon as consciousness begins to return you can see by the grimace on his face before his eyes even open he fared worse than you. \n\n"Fuck Dray, did that actually happen?" he manages to blurt out before having to spit out some blood and possibly teeth. \n\nYou help him up and although wobbly at least both of you can walk.\n\n"Erm where’s Wylliam?" Julian mumbles, quickly realising the most likely answer. \n\n[[You explain to him what happened after he passed out and Wylliams loss.|Flatlandsend3]]\n
It is too late for being stealthy now, you shout out to your friends to flee. \n\nYou see Julian emerge first with some supplies and shortly join your side. \n\nWylliam bursts out of one of the further tents with his map in his hands and one of the captors swinging wildly behind him.\n\nJulian and you move to help your friend but the bandits begin to emerge from the tents in-between Wylliam and you.\n\nHalf a dozen angry and armed men are now standing in your way, almost entirely blocking Wylliam from your view. \n\nYou know you can’t fight them but without the map you have no chance of surviving even if you do escape…\n\nShuffling to your side you try and make out if you can see Wylliam.\n\nFinally you catch a glimpse, the bandit is unconscious on the floor and Wylliam is standing having drawn the bandits bow in your direction. \n\n[["Wait Wylliam what are you doing!?|Bandit10]]
<<silently>>\n<<set $Dexterity += 1>>\n<<set $Unarmed +=5>>\n<<endsilently>>Work will give you all the excercise you need you decide and take out the scrolls you bought from travelling monks. \n\nInside are detailed drawings of various forms of martial arts that you continue to practice.\n\nYou feel your movements getting more fluid and each strike is getting stronger, although you'll soon need to reinforce your walls if you continue at this pace!\n\n[[Time for work!|Work]]\n
You wake up in a cold sweat on your makeshift bed.\n\nThe vivid dream startled you, it felt like more than that.\n\nYou get out off bed and wash your face in the barrel in the corner of your room. \n\nYour house is plain, built by your very hand but atleast it is your home. \n\nBefore building this house you never had a place to call your own as your parents died when you were young and the village elders never disclosed how. \n\nThe Marshals took you in as their own and since then you quickly felt like you have always been a member of their family.\n\nGrowing up side-by-side with their son Wylliam you soon became as close as blood brothers.\n\n[[Continue|Racechoice]]\n\n\n
You wash the sweat off from the hard day's work and change into your only other clean pair of clothing. \n\nTomorrow is the beginning of your adventure, your first time outside the village. \n\nYour best friends Wylliam and Julian and yourself are planning to journey to Kargoth’s capital the magnificent city of St. Malox. \n\nAfter changing you can’t contain your excitement and rush to the tavern to go over the final details. \n\n[[Time to relax!|Pubiftavern]]
<<if $Strength gte 4>>Well of course that makes sense these ‘brave’ men spend most of their life skulking through these forests.\n\nWhat doesn’t make sense is the large dark blotch in the middle of it.\n\nIt seems to have spread from a solitary incision in the middle of it. \n\nNo animal would have made such clean a cut, this was man-made. \n\nShit, something tells you that these aren’t foresters. \nStill you can’t do anything about them now.\n\nAfter several hours of a steady pace and a few unwarranted prods from the weakling behind you can see the trees thinning, leading into a glade. \n\n[[Continue|Forest10]]\n\n<<else>>Well of course that makes sense these ‘brave’ men spend most of their life skulking through these forests.\n\nWhat doesn’t make sense is the large dark blotch in the middle of it.\n\nIt seems to have spread from a solitary incision in the middle of it. \n\nNo animal would have made such clean a cut, this was man-made. \n\nShit, something tells you that these aren’t foresters. \n\nStill you can’t do anything about them now.\n\nAfter several hours, stumbles and angry prods from the forester behind you can see the trees thinning, leading into a glade. \n\n\n[[Continue|Forest10]]\n\n<<endif>>
The boar faces you once again and begins its relentless attack.\n\nYou've been lucky enough in life and hope that once again fate will intervene. \n\nAs the boar charges you pray that this encounter will end in one of your reknowned feats of fortune.\n\nThis, however, is not one of those.\n\nHaving not been interrupted the boar charges directly for you.\n\nWylliam has released several arrows into the hide of the beast but yet it still maintains enough vigour to gore you into a slow death. \n\n''Urgh, maybe if I had another chance it would have worked you think to yourself" \n\n[[Well...that was...dumb|Forest5]]\n
Julian and you run as fast as you can in no particular direction.\n\nYou need to lose the bandits following you before you can study the map.\n\nAs you rush through the forest trees whip you with their branches and wildlife scatters from you.\n\nEvery so often an arrow is let loose at you with most striking the bark off nearby trees. \n\nEqually as often you try and let loose your counter but you are predominately focused on running rather than whether your arrows meet their targets.\n\nJulian strangely lowers his pace, could he be tiring? \n\nHe seems to have noticed something.\n\n[[Try and find what it is|Escape2]]\n
<<if $Intellect gte 3>>You quickly begin to trample the fire and it quickly dies down.\n\nThe other group seems to pause for a while but then carry on.\n\nLuckily enough it seems they did not notice your fire and moved on.\n\nAlthough analyzing the situation futher it seems more likey they did notice and then took an intentional detour to avoid rather suspicious behaviour\n<<else>> You quickly begin to trample the fire and it quickly dies down.\n\nThe other group seems to pause for a while but then carry on.\n\nLuckily enough it seems they did not notice your fire and moved on.\n<<endif>>\n\n\n[[Phew, let's sleep and carry on|DEATH]]
<<set $Engineering = $Engineering +5>>Your army separates as the large mechanical battering ram slowly appraoches the gate.\n\nAlmost as large as the gate itself the battering ram is moved into position by a platoon of men with the others marching into position nearby, ready for conquest.\n\nWorry slowly creeps into your mind, the diversion tactic you put into play by attacking from another front should have worked but not this well. \n\nYou give the order and your men start to build momentum in the siege engine. \n\n[[Continue|Oil1]]
You are a Halfling.\n\nHalflings are a joyous race resembling miniature humans. \n\nThey are dextrous and charismatic race with quick reflexes. \n\nTheir cheerful nature means they are less likely to be phased by negative situations than other races. \n\nDue to their small size and dexterity they are a lucky race excelling in rather devious skills such as sneaking and lockpicking.\n\nHalflings much like dwarves often suffer from jokes about their stature when amongst other cultures, however, are usually welcome everywhere.\n\nAttributes:\nStrength: 1\nEndurance: 1\nCharisma: 3\nIntellect: 2\nLuck: 4\nMental Health: 50\nDexterity : 3\nAllignment: 0\n\nCombat Skills:\nOne-handed weapons: 30\nRanged weapons: 30\nTwo-handed weapons: 10\nUnarmed: 15\n\nNon-Combat Skills:\nSneak: 35 \nTraps: 30\nEngineering: 20\nSpeech: 30\nLockpick: 30\nFirst-aid : 15\n\n[[What do these numbers mean?|Stathelphalfling]]\n[[Return to choice|Racechoice]]\n[[I am a Halfling|Confirmed Race Halfling]]
"No I can't hear anything Dray" - Julian\n\n"Nah neither can I brother, it must be the wind, relax we have alot of work to do tomorrow" - Wylliam.\n\nYou don't know whether to be relieved or even more concerned. On the one hand if they can't hear it it musn't be an issue and like Wylliam said you're probably just mishearing the wind.\n\nOn the other hand what if it is something though? Oh well, nothing can be done about it now and if you're losing your mind this early in the journey that can't be good you chuckle to yourself. \n\n[[Try to ignore it and fall asleep.|FL45]]
<<silently>>\n<<set $Endurance += 1>>\n<<set $Mental_Health -= 5>>\n<<set $Field += 1>>\n<<endsilently>>Its harvest time you grab your scythe and head to the fields. \n\nYou let the Harvest Elder know you have arrived and start harvesting the grain.\n\nThe sun is beating down on you, you work up a sweat and your muscles ache but after a long day you feel satisfied with the work and get paid a measly 3 silver coins for your efforts. \n\nYou know the work is responsible for making you durable and yet you can’t help but feel demoralized for the tiny amount of compensation you receive every day for such back-breaking work.\n\nOh well, you put the coins in your pocket and head home.\n\n[[Home sweet home|Home before Pub]]
"Erm well I’m pretty sure the standard way the traders usually use is across the flatlands. It’s annoyingly long and plain but you know we’ll get there in a few weeks times" explains Julian\n\n"Or we could always cut through the forest." Wylliam adds -"My father taught me a way that will halve the journey time and even if we do run out of provisions it’ll be much easier to resupply from streams or animals in the forest."\n\n"But wait haven’t bandits been reported there in the last few months?" argues a concerned Julian.\n\n"Well yeah but bandits have been reported everywhere we just need to be careful, plus the village has gotten news from the foresters that they've handled the bandit threat." replies Wylliam\n\n[[Talk about something else|previous()]]
<<if $Forest gte 1>>After a few hours of pained walking you reach the outskirts of the village.\n\nThere aren’t many villagers around but the ones you do see actively avoid Julian and you.\n\nFair enough, you think to yourself, who would want anything to do with two shambling, bruised and bloodied strangers.\n\nThe village itself consists of maybe two dozen small dwellings.\n\nEven though not that much time has passed, their familiar design elicits painful nostalgia.\n\nLife wasn’t bad back home, and yet you just had to go on this forsaken adventure. \n\nNow your brother is gone and here you are with a clumsily bandaged hole in your shoulder.\n\n[[This isn’t how it should have turned out|Hamlet2]]\n\n<<elseif $Dislocated gte 1>>After a few hours of pained walking you reach the outskirts of the village.\n\nThere aren’t many villagers around but the ones you do see actively avoid Julian and you.\n\nFair enough, you think to yourself, who would want anything to do with two shambling, bruised and bloodied strangers.\n\nThe village itself consists of maybe two dozen small dwellings.\n\nEven though not that much time has passed, their familiar design elicits painful nostalgia.\n\nLife wasn’t bad back home, and yet you just had to go on this forsaken adventure. \n\nNow your brother is gone and here you are with dislocated shoulder.\n\n[[This isn’t how it should have turned out|Hamlet2]]\n\n<<else>>After a few hours of pained walking you reach the outskirts of the village.\n\nThere aren’t many villagers around but the ones you do see actively avoid Julian and you.\n\nFair enough, you think to yourself, who would want anything to do with two shambling, bruised and bloodied strangers.\n\nThe village itself consists of maybe two dozen small dwellings.\n\nEven though not that much time has passed, their familiar design elicits painful nostalgia.\n\nLife wasn’t bad back home, and yet you just had to go on this forsaken adventure. \n\nNow your brother is gone.\n\n[[This isn’t how it should have turned out|Hamlet2]]\n<<endif>>\n
<<silently>>\n<<set $Strength += 1>>\n<<set $Endurance += 1>>\n<<set $Forge += 1>>\n<<endsilently>>You head to the smithy and greet Havel the town blacksmith.\n\nThe overwhelming heat hits you instantly. \n\nAfter the years working here you quickly get used to it and start helping Havel heating and shaping the metal to produce the best steel weapons this side of Kargoth. \n\nWorking here has made you durable and strong although you aren’t particularly thankful for this when you barely have the energy to get home after you finish with just 5 silver coins in your pocket. \n\n[[Home sweet home|Home before Pub]] \n
<<set $Sneak = $Sneak +5>>You have heard of the many hidden passageways in this fortress.\n\nFinding one of these into the interior would be monumentally better than wasting time and resources in scaling or breaking the gate.\n\nYour vanguard approach the walls with the rest of your army marching into position nearby.\n\nYou have the element of suprise on your side and you feel further utilising this would be the best course of action.\n\nWorry, however, slowly creeps into your mind, the diversion tactic you put into play by attacking from another front should have worked but not this well. \n\nYou give the order for your men to search for the known hidden entrance.\n\n[[Continue|Oil3]]\n\n
A week has now passed since you embarked on your journey.\n\nEvery night you dream of the same thing, a proud king and his army decimated by what can only be described as real and malign magic. \n\nTricksters have passed through the village from time to time with their illusions and sleight of hand but not even the elders ever witnessed or heard of actual magic. \n\nEvery night you feel the boundary between the king and yourself fade his emotions, thoughts and pain intertwining with yours. \n\nYou shudder at what this could possibly mean. \n\nYour group is huddled around a camp fire to aid against the bitter winds that seem to blow from every direction. The face of each member is distinctly more haggard than before but due to the close bonds between each of you moral is relatively intact. \n\n"We may have a serious issue soon lads…" Wylliam sighs as he bites into his evening meal.\n\n"After we’re done eating this we’ll only have enough water left for a few days and I’d say we’re only half way to the city. I don’t know about you but I haven’t exactly seen anything drinkable around." \n\n[[I'm sure we’ll make it somehow, we’re going on a journey to the capital not some lost ancient city.|Flatlands65]]
The boar faces you once again and begins its relentless attack.\n\nYou've been lucky enough in life and hope that once again fate will intervene. \n\nAs the boar charges it somehow digs its hoof into a hole in the ground losing all balance and spectacularly somersaulting over itself. \n\nAs it comes to an end next to you, you realise during these acrobatics it was perforated by a sharp branch, how fortunate!\n\n[[Phew|Forest7]]
For weeks the bandits keep you just alive enough to continue their vengence.\n\nYou endure beatings, burnings and starvation amongst a range of other exotic tortures. \n\nYou remain strung up as before.\n\nNo friends are coming to save you now though.\n\nOne night, whether he was drunk or just tired of you a bandit cuts your bond and you fall to the ground. \n\nAs you look to see why, you see him bringing down his hammer with all his might. \n\nThe blow shatters your skull sending splatters of bone and brain over the ground.\n\nIn the last moment before death you hear a voice. \n\n"Fool, clearly you aren't the person needed for this task"\n\n[[The end|Bandit6]]\n\n
The boar faces you once again and begins its relentless attack.\n\nYou've been lucky enough in life and hope that once again fate will intervene. \n\nIt is stupid you know but somehow you just feel it is all going to be okay.\n\n<<if $Luck gte 4>>[[Let's see what happens|BoarL3]]\n\n<<else>>[[Let’s see what happens|either("BoarL2","BoarL3","BoarL4")]].\n\n<<endif>>\n
You arrive back at the tavern and greet Lucero again, who leads you to your usual table and gives you a pitcher of beer, as an employee of the establishment you enjoy a 50 % discount.\n\nLooking out to the rest of the tavern you're glad you have the night off today as the tavern is especially full and rowdy.\nWylliam and Julian should arrive shortly.\n\n[[Why are your best friends always late...|jandl]]\n\n
"The last letter Capegrass sent to the estate of the King reported in detail how crime was reduced in the forest, and how his ‘family’ evoked less and less emotion or familiarity and more and more suspicion.\n\nAfter sometime, no one had heard anything from the Warden or his family, who reportedly had never made it back to their manor. \n\nDue to the Warden’s high position the King sent out half a dozen of his personal guard to investigate.\n\nWhen they arrived the entire cottage was engulfed in thick dark smoke.\n\nCapegrass was standing outside.\n\nLaughing.\n\nAs the kings guard forced him to his knees he coherently explained how those inside the house were not his family, how his family were long dead. \n\nThese imposters, he said, had been abusing him in the past few months by pretending they were his family.\n\nThe story goes that he remained adamant about this that those that he trapped inside the house and burned alive were, in fact, imposters rather than his wife and two children.\n\nThe house Capegrass pendant found on all of the corpses proved otherwise."\n\n[[Woah okay well nothing is going to top that lets move on quickly!|Forest3]]\n
The boar faces you once again and begins its relentless attack.\n\nYou've been lucky enough in life and hope that once again fate will intervene. \n\nAs the boar charges you pray that this encounter will end in one of your reknowned feats of fortune.\n\nThis, however, is not one of those.\n\nHaving not been interrupted the boar charges directly for you.\n\nWylliam has released several arrows into the hide of the beast but yet it still maintains enough vigour to gore you into a slow death. \n\n''Urgh, maybe if I had another chance it would have worked you think to yourself" \n\n[[Well...that was...dumb...|Forest5]]\n
"Well I’m sure Julian can tell you the more general history, but from what I’ve been told nothing has really changed here apart from in the past couple of centuries.\n\nThe forest has always been a horrible burden for travellers trying to get to the capital from the east but at the same time it’s provided life in the sense of timber and game for nearby villagers.\n\nThat is of course until the past hundred years where the king has decided to claim the forest for himself.\n\nUnless we have permission from the king or his estate we can’t cut down the trees or even hunt the game to survive, all because the nobles want to hunt it for fun. \n\nApparently hanging is an appropriate consequence of survival" \n\n"Yeah because entertainment for rich folk is clearly more important than life for us poor folk." Julian adds.\n\nFollowing this you sit in silence for a while contemplating the injustice. \n\n[[Talk about something else|previous()]]\n
Leaving Graham’s house you leave the village and head towards the city.\n\nThe gargantuan scale of the walls begins to dawn on you as you get closer.\n\nThe castle from your nightmares is dwarfed in comparison.\n\nFeelings of childlike awe and very adult grief rage inside you now that you are so close to the end.\n\nThe sounds of nearby jeering and squealing snap you out of your head.\n\nJust before the bridge leading to the city gates a group of children are cruelly taunting and hitting a stray dog with sticks.\n\nThe animal cowers and squeals out in pain, it is too weak to defend it self. \n\n[[Scare the kids away|Hamlet7]]\n\n[[Find and knock the ringleader on his ass|Hamlet8]]\n\n
You are a Human. \n\nHumans are the most numerous race in the world.\n\nTheir influence and culture is seen everywhere \nand as such they are welcome in most places and despite being very average in all their skills their potential is limitless.\n\nAttributes:\nStrength: 2\nEndurance: 2\nCharisma: 2 \nIntellect: 2\nLuck: 2\nMental Health: 50\nDexterity : 2\nAllignment: 0\n\nCombat Skills:\nOne-handed weapons: 25\nRanged weapons: 25\nTwo-handed weapons: 25\nUnarmed: 25 \n\nNon-Combat Skills:\nSneak: 25 \nTraps: 25\nEngineering: 25\nSpeech: 25\nLockpick: 25\nFirst-aid : 25\n\n[[What do these numbers mean?|Stathelphuman]]\n[[Return to choice|Racechoice]]\n[[I am a human|ConfirmedRaceHuman]]
"Look at that we have a smart one." \n\nThe man then looks at his companions and whispers to the nearest one.\n\nHe nods.\n\n"Tell you what, you’re clearly a bit more capable than the majority of the vagabonds we catch. You can either be useful and drag this beast to our camp or you can follow us to the gallows.Your choice." \n\n"Doesn’t look like we have a choice Dray, let’s do it. Oi Julian lets…" Wylliam stops.\n\nConfused you look around and understand why. \n \nJulian isn’t there. \n\n[[Hmm what?|Forest9]]\n
<<if $Strength gte 4 and $Intellect gte 4>>Before you have time to comprehend what happened one of the foresters pushes you forward and you begin the march to their camp.\n\nWylliam and you grab the boar’s forelegs and begin to drag the huge beast behind the foresters.\n\nTwo of them are walking in front of you whilst the other two follow close behind you with their swords drawn. \n\nDragging the boar is easy work but the journey is long.\n \nWhilst trying to maintain your pace you lose focus and end up staring at the forester’s cloak.\n\nThis is when you notice just how tattered and frayed it is. \n\n[[Continue|Forest95]]\n\n<<elseif $Intellect gte 4>>Before you have time to comprehend what happened one of the foresters pushes you forward and you begin the march to their camp.\n\nWylliam and you grab the boar’s forelegs and begin to drag the huge beast behind the foresters.\n\nTwo of them are walking in front of you whilst the other two follow close behind you with their swords drawn. \n\nDragging the boar is quickly sapping your strength.\n \nWhilst trying to maintain your pace you lose focus and end up staring at the forester’s cloak.\n\nThis is when you notice just how tattered and frayed it is. \n\n[[Continue|Forest95]]\n\n<<elseif $Strength gte 4>>Before you have time to comprehend what happened one of the foresters pushes you forward and you begin the march to their camp.\n\nWylliam and you grab the boar’s forelegs and begin to drag the huge beast behind the foresters.\n\nTwo of them are walking in front of you whilst the other two follow close behind you with their swords drawn. \n\nDragging the boar is easy work but the journey is long.\n \nAfter several hours of a steady pace and a few unwarranted prods from the weakling behind you can see the trees thinning, leading into a glade. \n\n[[Continue|Forest10]]\n<<else>>>Before you have time to comprehend what happened one of the foresters pushes you forward and you begin the march to their camp.\n\nWylliam and you grab the boar’s forelegs and begin to drag the huge beast behind the foresters.\n\nTwo of them are walking in front of you whilst the other two follow close behind you with their swords drawn. \n\nDragging the boar is quickly sapping your strength.\n \nAfter several hours, stumbles and angry prods from the forester behind you can see the trees thinning, leading into a glade. \n\n[[Continue|Forest10]]\n<<endif>>\n\n\n\n
<<if $Intellect gte 3>>Despite all these shenanigans you still realise that the faint rustling in the distant bushes is coming from something far larger than a rogue squirrel or deer.\n\nAs the huge wild boar bursts through the bushes you are already standing far away from its path behind a thick oak.\n\nThe beast seems to be getting ready for another charge.\n\nAt least you have more time to think about your next action.\n\n[[Attempt to take on the boar with your knife|BoarOH]]\n\n[[Rely on your strength to overpower and takedown the beast|BoarS]]\n\n[[Shout for Wylliam to throw you his bow and have some target practice|BoarB]]\n\n[[Quickly try and fashion a quick trap|BoarT]]\n\n[[To hell with it, just hope you'll get lucky|BoarL1]] \n\n<<else>>It is this false sense of security perhaps that makes you fail to perceive what the rustling in the bushes means.\n\nA huge wild boar erupts from the thicket, with its thick ivory white tusks already splotched with crimson from prior conquests.\n \n\n[[Attempt and use brute strength against the beast|Boars]]\n\n[[Attempt and use your dexterity to jump out of the beasts charge|Board]]\n\n<<endif>>\n\n
"Well, well, what do we have here?" \n\nYou look around to see where the voice is coming from. \n\nWhat little sunlight breaks through the thick foliage reveals the distinct glint of four arrow heads sticking out in-between the trees. \n\nStraining your eyes you spot the individuals who have the arrows strung in your direction.\n \nTheir long green cloaks and hoods make them perfectly camouflaged with the shadows in-between the trees.\n\n"Looks like some peasants have decided that the King’s forest law doesn’t apply to them!" one of the men chimes.\n\n"Now hold up, if we didn’t do anything the boar would have killed us, it was savage!" objects Julian.\n\n"Boo hoo, there’s no fucking exceptions. I can see you aren’t exactly nobles. You know what happens to those who break the law right, especially when it comes to the King’s game?"\n\n[[Yeah…They get hung on the outskirts of the forest…|Forest8]]
You dream of your child hood and being slowly accepted into the village, meeting Wylliam and Julian and the actions that made you the man you are today.\n\nYou dream about St. Malox and the beginning of your life once you make it through those gates.\n\nThe dream job. The beautiful girl. \n\nBut the walls in front of you don’t belong to the capital.\n \nYou look at the imposing castle. \n\nIts walls, made of the blackest stone, seem to swallow the golden light of dawn…\n\nYou've planned and prepared your men, your kingdom and yourself for the feat that lies ahead. Peace and tranquility is merely one brutal conflict away.\n\n[[Not this again...|Forest5]]
Four days have now passed since you embarked on your journey.\n\nEvery night you dream of the same thing, a proud king and his army decimated by what can only be described as real and malign magic. \n\nTricksters have passed through the village from time to time with their illusions and sleight of hand but not even the elders ever witnessed or heard of actual magic. \n\nEvery night you feel the boundary between the king and yourself fade his emotions, thoughts and pain intertwining with yours. \n\nYou shudder at what this could possibly mean. \n\nYou carry on your journey, with the path proving as pleasant and swift as Wylliam described.\n\nThe trees are as large and thick as ever.\n\nIn this area nature seems to be intent on overtaking itself with luscious grass cushioning each tree trunk and determined lichen growing on each and every tree. \n\nYou talk and joke with your best friends throughout, not having a care in the world.\n\n[[Continue|Forest6]]\n
As you walk past the first few trees it seems like you entered a new world.\n\nThe titanic pines and broad oaks mask the majority of your view.\n\nSunshine peeks through the trees where it can, offering enough light to see the path.\n\nAs Wylliam’s father’s map shows, there is a distinct brown well-worn path in the midst of overwhelming unaltered green.\n \nAs your friends and you walk through the forest, despite the monolithic trees, you feel a sense of tranquillity. \n\nThe soft singing of the birds and the gentle rustling of trees and bushes makes you realise just how much life and beauty there is outside of civilization. \n\n[[Continue through the forest|Forest3]]\n
After the first day of passing through the forest your party decides to set up camp for the night.\n\nCamp may be too grandiose a term for the three sleeping rolls you set up around the small fire.\n\nYou cook the evening meal over the fire and share it with your friends. Julian takes out a bottle of whiskey from his bag and shares it with you and Wylliam. \n\n"Well I have to say Wylliam, I’m glad we went through the forest, sure the trees are a bit samey but it’s so amazingly relaxing!" \n\n"Yeah I know right, I used to love going through here with my father. You just feel so detached from everything, time stands still and you can just enjoy who you are, all the pressure to be someone or do something just gets lost amongst the leaves" \n\n[[What else do you know about the forest Wylliam?|FHistory]]\n\n[[Well we're around a campfire, we've all had some drinks, I guess its time for the horror stories now?|Capegrass]]\n\n[[Tell me some more about your father Wylliam, I don't remember much of him, how come he knew this forest so well?|WDad]]\n\n[[Well I'm exhausted boys, time for sleep|Forest4]]\n
Just as Julian is about to speak Wylliam quickly interjects.\n\n"Right, before Julian tells you about all the in-depth history about every building and person of note I’ll give you a quick summary so you don’t have to waste half your life. \n\nSt. Malox first became the capital of Kargoth 300 years ago. \n\nIt’s been around for almost a millennia but obviously not much remains in the city dating back from then apart from parts of the keep. \n\nIt’s the centre of pretty much all activity in Kargoth and has all the best and worst things that humanity can offer. \n\nSo if we’re careful and don’t act idiotically we can enjoy all the entertainment and opportunity the city has to offer whilst avoiding all the unpleasant stabbings."\n\n[[Talk about something else|previous()]]\n\n\n
<div class="center"><div id="create"> Kneeling down to comfort the dog you get the urge to name the poor creature, what will you call him?\n\n<br><br>\n\n<<textbox "$dog_name" "" "StMalox">> <<button "OK" "StMalox">><</button>>\n\n<br><br>\n\n</div></div>
You are a dwarf.\n\nDwarves are a hardy folk with a rich culture. Traditionally dwarves make up what they lack in stature in their strength and mental and physical durability. \n\nEven the most unskilled of which excell in metalwork and engineering. \n\nTheir skills in combat are equally of note with most preferring close-combat whilst weilding their trusty axe. \n\nDwarves much like halflings often suffer from jokes about their stature when amongst other races, however, are usually welcome everywhere.\n\nAttributes:\nStrength: 3\nEndurance: 5\nCharisma: 1\nIntellect: 2\nLuck: 1\nMental Health: 70\nDexterity : 1\nAllignment: 0\n\nCombat Skills:\nOne-handed weapons: 30\nRanged weapons: 15\nTwo-handed weapons: 30\nUnarmed: 35\n\nNon-Combat Skills:\nSneak: 15 \nTraps: 20\nEngineering: 35\nSpeech: 20\nLockpick: 30\nFirst-aid : 30\n\n[[What do these numbers mean?|Stathelpdwarf]]\n[[Return to choice|Racechoice]]\n[[I am a Dwarf|Confirmed Race Dwarf]]
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Generally in all the stats apart from Alignment, more is better.\n\nStrength: How physically imposing your character is. Useful for choices including brute force, the use of certain weapons and when mixed with speech allows for intimdation options.\n\nEndurance: How durable your character is. Useful for choices including endurance, increasing how much damage one can take and the amount of items one can carry. \n\nCharisma: How charismatic your characer is. Useful for many speech options, interactions and bartering.\n\nIntellect: How intelligent your character is. Useful for understanding things that lesser intelligent characters would be stumped by, how fast you can analyse situations and many other mysterious uses.\n\nLuck: How lucky your character is. Useful indirectly in many situations, for example how much damage you can dole out in a critical hit or reducing otherwise fatal wounds that one recieves.\n \nMental Health: How prepared you are for the many horrors that exsist in the world. Losing mental health will result in one suffering from multiple psycological disorders that will impact on future choices.\n\nDexterity : How agile you are. Useful for ranged weaponry, dodging enemy attacks and reaching areas other characters would not be able to.\n\nAlignment: How good or evil your character is. Ones choices lead to different alignments which open up other choices that a less evil or good character would not have. \n\nCombat Skills:\n\nOne-handed weapons: How good one is at using One-handed weapons like swords, daggers and maces. \n\nRanged weapons: How good one is at using Ranged weapons like boys, crossbows and slings.\n\nTwo-handed weapons: How good one is at using Two-handed weapons like bastard swords, great-axes and scythes.\n\nUnarmed: How good one is at hand-to-hand combat.\n\nNon-Combat Skills:\n\nSneak: How good one is at being undetected.\n\nTraps: How good one is at laying and disarming traps.\n\nEngineering: How good one is at using and constructing machinery.\n\nSpeech: How good one is at talking themselves out of or inded into situations.\n\nLockpick:: How good one is at picking locks.\n\nFirst-aid: How good one is applying and making ointments and salves as well as fighting off disease and infection.\n\n\n[[Return to choice|Halfling]]
<<silently>>\n<<set $Class_Halfling += 1>>\n<<set $Small += 1>>\n<<set $Strength -= 1>> \n<<set $Endurance -= 1>> \n<<set $Charisma += 2>>\n<<set $Luck += 2>>\n<<set $Dexterity += 1>>\n<<set $Alignment -= 1>> \n<<set $One_handed_weapons += 5>>\n<<set $Two_handed_weapons -= 15>>\n<<set $Bow += 5>> \n<<set $Unarmed -= 10>>\n<<set $Sneak += 10>> \n<<set $Traps += 5>> \n<<set $Engineering -= 20>>\n<<set $Speech += 5>>\n<<set $Lockpick += 10>>\n<<set $First_Aid -= 10>> \n<<endsilently>>As you dry your face you realise it is still too early to go to work.\n\nYou decide to:\n\n[[Read a book|Bookchoice]]\n\n[[Do some excercise|Excercise]]\n\n[[See who else is awake in your village|Socialise]]\n\n[[Decide to go back to bed|Sleep]]
You stretch and yawn.\n\nPeople were never meant to wake up this early! You think to yourself and crawl back into bed promptly falling back into a deep sleep.\n<<silently>>\n<<set $Sleep1 += 1>>\n<<endsilently>>\n\n[[Time to work!|Work]]
Wylliam shakes his head and says:\n\n"I agree brother but first we need to get some of our stuff back, or at least steal some of theirs if we find some first. It’ll be insulting if we survive this and then die of exposure. Besides, without my fathers map we’ll be stuck in this forest for weeks." \n\nJulian nods in agreement. \n\n[[Fair enough let's find our stuff|Bandit7]]
<<silently>>\n<<set $Intellect += 1>>\n<<set $First_Aid += 5>>\n<<set $Apothecary += 1>>\n<<endsilently>>You head to the Apothecary and greet Kanner the town’s alchemist.\n\nIt is a small building but inside large shelves stocked to the brim with ingredients, herbs and ointments dominate the shop with a small area in the back of the building where Kanner works on his creations.\n\nThroughout the day you sell these ointments and herbs to villagers in need and on occasion help Kanner mix new concoctions. \n\nYou feel satisfied with the challenge and head home with 10 silver coins.\n\n[[Home sweet home|Home before Pub]]