Curious Medallion
The facets of this interlocking, gilded device churn intricately. Strange symbols on a wheel, waterbrushed with gold leaf.
[[Turn the Medallion]] [[Left]]
[[Right]]
[[Two Left]]
[[Two Right]][[The symbols glimmer faintly for a moment. |They fade to a dull stone hue. ]]A small gout of ruby flame erups from the object's center.
[[Ouch. | Turn the Medallion]] "Two left". A voice on the wind. Rustling like petals.
[[Anger]]
[[Solitude]]The sound of a cacophonous symbol clanging together rings out from the device. It sounds like liquid thunder.
[[Turn the Medallion]] I dont think it liked that very much.
[[Turn the Medallion]] [[Left]]
[[Right]]
[[Two Left]]
[[Two Right]]Like drinking saltwater. The device turns to heavy stone in your hands, bleeding saline. Layers of bronze furiously resetting before emerging again.
[[Turn the Medallion.]] Either a hungry flame in a dark cave or a well-kept candle. Solitude can teach us, or break us with its [[yearning.|Nostalgia]]
A gilded shimmer glows gold, bright.
[[Peer|A symbol]][[Left]]
[[Right]]
[[Two Left]]
[[Two Right]]
[[Sit quietly for a moment.|Solitude]]The soft smell of peach blossoms. Smooth, cold stones of glassy sheen in your hands. Pale green, like seaglass.
[[Break away from the memory.|Solitude]]A curved, waterbrushed cross bordered in on top and sides in sweeping lines. They break at the edges. Two diagonal dashes at the top, downward facing on either side. Blot at the middle of the two. A word rises in your throat.
[["Blossom"|The symbol fades.]]
[["Village"|A memory]]
[["Mercy"|The symbol fades.]]
[["Snake"|The symbol fades.]]
[["Grave"|The symbol fades.]]The symbol fades.
[[Try a different word.|A symbol]]A serene village. Mountains at the edge of woods. Air warm and florid. The medallion begins to turn with a series of small clicks. Bronze glows once more.
[[Turn again.]][[Left|Unfortunate.]]
[[Right|Balance]]
[[Two Left|Unfortunate.]]
[[Two Right|Balanced]][[Unfortunate.|Turn the Medallion]] Balance.
It must exist in all things.
[[Turn again.]] A counterbalance to the first turn. The medallion hums in approval.
[[Harmonize with the note|A second symbol]]A curved, vicious X. Two waterbrushed blots of dark ink. Upper right, lower left. Piercing black.
You must choose your words more carefully this time.
[["Blood"|Unfortunate.]]
[["Loss"|Accepted.]]
[["Combat"|Accepted.]]
[["Pain"|Unfortunate.]]
[["Grief"|Accepted.]]
[["Fear"|Unfortunate.]]The medallion hums with a soft memory. It shares the feelings of the spoken word. One click softly to the right.
[[Turn Left]]
[[Turn Right|Balance.]]A third symbol. As you peer at it, you are lost in a [[memory.|Cold Light]]
An X waterbrushed, widely curved to one side. The wide mouth opens to eat two inky, dashed blots.
Speak the word carefully.
[["Tools"|Uh oh.]]
[["Consume"|Uh oh.]]
[["Travel"|The Medallion spins slowly.]]
[["Humming"|Uh oh.]]
[["Haunch"|Uh oh.]]
[["Rabbit"|Uh oh.]]
[["Running"|The Medallion spins slowly.]]
[["Far"|The Medallion spins slowly.]]A mild bolt of lightning fizzles and zaps the tips of your fingers.
Ouch.
Balance.
[[Turn left once|Turn Left]]
[[Turn left twice|Uh oh.]]
Uh oh.
The medallion spins wildly, resetting itself. You must try again.
[[Turn the Medallion]] Crunching, cold white under your feet. The wind howls. Rocks encircling like a maw. Breath barely drawing in throat.
Must tredge on.
[[Return to the task at hand.|Turn Left]]Facets of gold interlocking with smooth jade underneath, revealing as it turns.
[[A symbol appears.]]
<audio src="music/平湖秋月 - 古筝 Guzheng: Autumn Moon over the Calm Lake.mp3" autoplay>A wide line shoots down the left. It is brushed with another, perpendicular line piercing through at three quarters of its height. Two blots on either side of the second line, like a sign of division.
You [[close your eyes]].
Speak the word of the sign. Careful, now. Steady.
[["Feeling"|Uh oh.]]
[["Bones"|Uh oh.]]
[["Yarrow"|Uh oh.]]
[["Past"|Uh oh.]]
[["Loss"|A soft click]]
[["Despair"|Uh oh.]]
[["Wandering"|Uh oh.]]
[["Grave"|A soft click]]
[["Spirit"|A soft click]]
[["Far"|Uh oh.]]A dark hollow. Golden green to dust.
[[Breathe out, return.|A symbol appears.]]A soft click. The medallion hums with a fragile melody, running red into your hands. String instruments hum sadly in beautiful meldoy, reminding you of far mountains.
Draw the sign of the mountain with the red.
One swipe left, one swipe right.
[[Lines even|Balanced lines.]]
[[Lines odd|Uh oh.]][[Draw smoothly with tranquil intention]]
[[Draw quickly with steady assurance]]The medallion turns slowly, an image transposed across its surface. A range of snowy mountains, pawprints within wreathed with red. The peaks climb higher and higher. Your mouth forms the word.
"Kun Lai."
[[The medallion stops spinning.|Curious Medallion]]The medallion opens, spinning wildly. Spinning faster and faster. Within it, you see an image.
A large red and gold door. Carvings hostile, made long ago. The image of stone and gold in your mind. Your mouth forms the word.
"Mogu."
[[The medallio stops spinning.|Curious Medallion]]