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It is the medieval times and you, $name, are a glorious wizard!
However, the competition among magic people in this town is tough. You are to do your best to become the best!
On this particular day, you're sitting in a small cafe, sipping a cappuccino you spiced up with some magic stirring cinnamon sticks. While you are scoping out for some nice-looking mages, a dark raven with orange eyes lands on your table.
<img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/campusmedia/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/22163657/tumblr_mbapca5Wt21r00543o4_r7_250.gif" width="300" height="200" alt="Raven swooping in with letter on its leg">
You pluck a rolled letter from the bird's leg, eyeing its sharp beak as you do so. You open the letter and find out the King himself is summoning you to the castle! Does he think you've turned to dark magic? Or is someone setting you up for something? Or maybe he has known all about your past (as well as the large prevelance of magic-people in his territoy) and wishes to use your powers for the aid of the kingdom?
-[[Accept the summons, don't want to disobey the king!]]
-[[Ignore the summons, could be a trap!]]You decide on visiting the old folk's home, as your friend persisted on telling you how awesome the old people were.
After a leisurely walk through Towne Centre, you arrive at the senior center and sign up a 2-hour-long volunteer slot.
//What kind of place is this?// You think upon looking around the large, open room. //Why does it smell so gross and yet oddly overly clean? Whatevs, as long as I get my NHSW hours I'll be good.//
After about ten games of Chinese checkers with a hilarious old hag with a lazy eye, you notice an even older geezer just sitting in the corner. It's not that he's old that you notice him--but rather that he won't stop staring at you. You know you're good-looking, but don't old people at least have SOME manners? You stand up and make your way to him. Upon walking up to the man, his only eye, as the other one is permanently shut, begins to glow and move around crazily! You step back in surprise as he chants: "YOUR IGNORANCE WILL BE THE END OF THE KINGDOM!"
The old dude is crazy! And you're getting the attention of the staff quickly. Do you stay and find out more about this prophecy of sorts or do you flee before you bring any more attention to yourself?
-[[Stay! This could be important!]]
-[[Peace out, psycho!]] Though every instinct is telling you to flee, you stay in place, watching the old man's glowing blue eye suspiciously. The staff has come over to investigate the disturbance, but they are the least of your worries. Just as the old man shuts his only eye and cracks a smile, three knights of the royal guard have burst into the building! You hurry and earnestly try to get the old man to spill the beans by shaking his shoulder, but it's to no avail. He just laughs heartily and whispers, "Farewell, $name!"
The guards charge over to you and grab your arms roughly. Before you can think to protest, the beefier one says "You consciously refused the King's summons, an unlawful act in itself. Because of your carelessness, a dragon is heading to our kingdom with threat of major destruct-"
The guard's accusations are cut short by <div class="dead">//an ear piercing screech and low rumbling that grows in your very core...//</div>With a flourish of your extremely fashionable wizard cloak, you escape out of the old folk's home safely. Feeling extremely bored and smelling of applesauce, you decide to go to practice some new spells you've been learning. You make your to a little courtyard only accessible by a maze of alleyways and some minor climbing of trash bins. You squeeze through one last bring wall and happily turn towards the courtyward. But your happiness is short lived--as someone is in the courtyard already!
"I am the mighty Bartholomew!" says a rather short man with bright green har and a tall staff. "A warlock born out of your very nightmares! Prepare to duel!"
While you aren't too keen if this man is legitly powerful, he does have green hair, which in your times (where hair color is a social class ranking system-yours is a bluish black 'cause you're in the Awesome Class) symbolizes extreme master and power. You could accept this warlock's challenge--hey maybe he just dyed his hair to look intimidating! You could mock him for it! Or, you could accept his challenge except be quiet and mysterious, maybe he'll be the intimidated one! You could also flee--nothing wrong with that! No one else can bear witness to your embarrassment.
-[[Accept and Ridicule!]]
-[[Accept the Challenge, Peacefully!]]
-[[Flee!]] You accept Bartholomew's challenge, and decide he needs to learn a lesson of his own. The two of you start circling one another, keepin a good ten feet between you. You break out every taunt and jibe you can imagine, including: "powerless mortal," "wilted mushroom," "scallywag," and "Barf-o-meow," whilst prancing around the very same way he is and flapping your cloak ostetatiously. Bartholomew squints at you but merely scoffs.
While you are on a rant about neon-green haired salamanders, Bartholomew strikes! You were so caught up in your act you aren't prepared to counter him! Firecrackers flare up around your feet, making you jump up and down in a ridiculous dance. Bartholomew cackles and raises his great staff and aims it at your chest. You feel white-hot burning all over your body as BArtholomew strikes you with lightning!
<div class="dead">//You die instantly.//</div>
You humbly accept Bartholomew's challenge, knowing no other option would end in your benefit. The warlock begins walking in circles, keeping a good ten feet in between the two of you. At first, he just stares at you, and you at his neon green hair. Then, he makes a quick movement with his left hand that you recognize to be a spell! A small fireball is shot from his staff and straight at you. Instintively, you cast a simple shield, deflecting the attack. You then for the ground inside the circle you're making to crack and expand.
Bartholomew looks unamused.
The warlock raises his staff, both hands outstetched over his head. In an instant, a lightning bolt strikes down in between you two, shattering the center of the circle completely. The pavement crumbles away and a pit begins to form. Inside comes fire and pure evil. As Bartholomew gawks at his creation, you shoot a firebolt at his feet. This does the trick and sends te ground beneath his feet disintegrating into the pit, carrying him along with it.
The warlock is just able to catch hold of the edge before he falls to his doom. His expression is genuinely scared-a rare emotion for such fabled warlocks, who are said to only feel greed and selfishness. Maybe you could save him and then you'll both be even, or maybe you could just off with him and get rid of the problem once and for all!
-[[Kill him!]]
-[[Save him!]]
You try to run away from this crazy "warlock," but the brick wall is so tight you have to slow down to get through it. You're halfway through when you feel white hot burning all over your body as Bartholomew strikes you with lightning!
//You die instantly.//You reach out in a faux gesture of assistance. Bartholomew quickly takes hold of your extended hand. You pull him up enough so that he can get off the wall a little, and then you let go! He begins to fall and you watch him greedily, happy that problem is solved.
BUT WAIT!
The warlock screams an enchantment and suddenly the ground under you breaks away and you fall into the pit with him!
<div class="dead">//What awaits you is a fate worse than death...//</div>You reach out and grab Bartholomew's hand and help him up. With lots of effort and you yourself nearly faling in, you save Bartholomew! In his relief, he clasps you in a tight hug. After a few awkward seconds, the warlock lets go and gives you a big grin.
"Thank you so much! No more hard feelings?"
You accept the truce, not wishing to come any closer to death any time soon. Bartholomew then reaches inside the folds of his cloak and pulls out a magnificent, gleaming sword!
"Please, take this. It is specially crafted to defeat any living creature. But be careful, it has a way of setting the balance equal."
You make your way back home, exhausted yet pleased. Once home, you see the King's raven waiting for you on your porch! This message must be important! Do you finally accept the King's call?
-[[Yes!|Accept the summons, don't want to disobey the king!]]
-[[No!]]
<<set $hassword to true>>You decide on playing with some adorable rescues--what an easy way to get volunteer hours! You make your way to the shelter and find it in no time. Once inside and after explining your purpose, the owners are more than welcome to help you out!
"Thank you very much for visiting our shelter today, $name!" says the nice red-haired lady behind the counter, Beatrice, leads you down a long hallway.
The entire way is lined with cages, and various dogs hop up and down and bark excitedly as you pass. Finally, Beatrice turns at the very end of the hallway and ushers you into a room. As soon as your step inside the door behind you slams shut! You jump and turn around, confused. Turns out this organization has something against wizards! Before you turn back to face the room, you hear a cruel growl behind you.
You quickly think: I can either blast the horrible hound with a fireball, or I can talk to it, maybe it is nice if you are...
-[[Fireball!]]
-[[Nice Doggy!]]
You spin around and cast a fireball...
It hits the demon dog just as it is mid-pounce! The force of the spell throws the dog backward. There's a resounding thud as it hits a table and falls to the floor.
For a few seconds, it lies perfectly still. Right when you think it's possibly dead, however, you hear soft whimpering.
-[[Apologize and help the dog.]]
-[[Finish him!]]
-[[Get out of there!]]You slowly turn around, hoping the do will take kindly to you, but the demon dog has pounced on you and bitten your neck! You struggle and try to defend yourself, but you are losing too much blood too fast.
<div class="dead">//And then, you die.//</div>You bluntly ignore the King's summons by walking away from the raven without so much as an adieu.
Now, you remember you need some volunteer hours ''NSHSW'', or the National Secret Honor Society of Wizadry. You recollect a friend highly recommending a senior learning center near the town center was worth visiting. However, you also recall passing a new puppy shelter on your way to training the other day.
Where shall you go?
-[[Puppy shelter!]]
-[[Old Folks Home!]] You fold up the note and put on your cloak. The raven caws once and then flies away. You make your way apprehensively to the tall castle that looks over the kingdom. You always thought it was more for show than carrying out actual business.
Is it just you, or are townspeople giving you the weary eye? This land has always been accepting of magical people, so could they be judging your (magnificently flowing) cloak, or perhaps you have something in your teeth? You spend a few minutes running your tongue over your front teeth, just to be sure. This only attracts more stares.
At last, after ignoring glares and avoiding side-street venders, you arrive at the castle gates. A guard asks you what your purpose here is, and you hold up the letter the raven gave you earlier. The guard appears somewhat taken aback, but still opens the gates and assigns you an escort to lead you in.
The guard assigned to you doesn't even wait for you to step up to him when turns on his heel and begins walking up the long, tree-lined path to the castle doors.
At this point, you are still unsure what the nature of this meeting is. You need to put your best foot forward in order to minimize any ill-effects that may arise from this meeting with the king.
That said, would you like to [[Make small talk with the guard]] or [[Walk in silence]]?Finishing your day with a heavy sigh, you close your shutters and head off to bed.
Just as you begin to fall asleep, an ear piercing screech reverberates through the kingdom and <div class="dead">//a low rumbling grows in your very core.//<</div>
"So, to what title shall I call thee?" You ask in your most impressive tones.
The guard stays silent, not even a pause in his step.
This'll take a little work.
"Very well," you say, "I'll go first. I'm known around the kingdom as $name, unless you are in a high enough position to know my real name?"
The guard lets out a prolonged sigh but stays silent.
"Then again, only those close to the king would know such information, I don't suppose someone enlisted as a Chaperone would be buddy-buddy with the king-"
"Shut your mouth," the guard says. What catches you off guard [author's note://pun intended//] is that he finishes off the sentence with none other than your true name! You've kept this secret well enough to know that very few people could possibly know the name.
You can't help but grin.
-[["You really must be important, then!"]]
-[["Oh, then again, anyone could know my name."]]
-[[Walk on in silence]]You follow the guard without a word to break the silence.
The bright stone castle looms closer with every step, and soon enough, you and the guard arrive at the gigantic entrance.
"Stay right where you are until I invite you in," the guard commands.
He enters the doors, which surprisingly don't creak at all when tugged open. You get a glimpse of about a half dozen people and burning torches before the door closes.
But wait, the door doesn't fully close. Shall you risk a peek, or do what you were told?
-[[Wait outside]]
-[[Peek in through the crack]]"You really must be important, then!" You say with false admiration.
"You got that right, and don't you forget it." The guard says curtly, his shoulders visibly squaring.
You speed up a bit to be shoulder-to-shoulder with the guard.
"Do you get to serve the king himself?"
The guard nods firmly, caught in his own self-pride: "I do, I'm his left hand man!"
"So why are you out here leading common people like me inside?"
"//Because//," he says with emphasis, "the king won't let just anyone escort important subjects, or whatever purpose you will serve, straight to him!"
"So, if you don't mind my asking, who //are// you?"
"I am Leland Barrington, knight-in-training. And don't let that title fool you, I am very much renowned."
"Oh don't worry, I fully believe you!"
You catch a flicker of a smile on Leland's face before you turn you gaze in front of you. The bright stone castle looms closer with every step, and soon enough, you and the guard arrive at the gigantic entrance.
[[Wait outside]]
[[Peek in through the crack]]
[[Open the door to get a good look]]
<<set $guardfriend to true>> "Oh, then again, anyone could look up my name."
The guard scoffs, "we didn't summon you to be a jester. I would recommend you watch your mouth, especially when we are on the King's personal land."
"But I do not jest! I am merely saying you probably aren't very high up in the castle hierchy, are you?" you put yourself parallel with the guard. "Do you even possess your own name?"
"Of course I do, wizard scum! I'm beginning to think of recommending a replacement in our court jester, so you better put an end to this behavior!"
Before you can retort, you arrive at the gigantic wooden entrance to the castle.
"Now wait here, and DON'T MOVE."
The guard glares at you one final time before entering through the doors, which surprisingly don't creak at all when tugged open. You get a glimpse of about a half dozen people and burning torches before the door closes.
But wait, the door doesn't fully close! Shall you do what you're told, risk a peek, or get a better look?
-[[Wait outside]]
-[[Peek in through the crack]]
-[[Open the door to get a good look]]
<<set $guardmad to true>>You think it best to follow orders and stop bothering the guard.
The bright stone castle looms closer with every step, and soon enough, you and the guard arrive at the gigantic entrance.
"Stay right where you are until I invite you in," the guard commands.
He enters the doors, which surprisingly don't creak at all when tugged open. You get a glimpse of about a half dozen people and burning torches before the door closes.
But wait, the door doesn't fully close. Shall you risk a peek, or do what you were told?
-[[Wait outside]]
-[[Peek in through the crack]]You approach the dog, sorry for shooting first and thinking later. You kneel down next to the dog and stretch your hand out when the demon dog has pounced on you and bitten your neck! You struggle and try to defend yourself, but you are losing too much blood too fast.
<div class="dead">//And then, you die.//</div>You recharge your spell, getting closer to the dog to make sure it goes through. Before you know it, however, the demon dog has pounced on you and bitten your neck! You struggle and try to defend yourself, but you are losing too much blood too fast.
<div class="dead">//And then, you die.//</div>You bolt out of the room, breaking down the door with a strong bashing spell. You escape out of the shelter through an emergency exit and run a couple blocks straight until you feel you're safe.
//That was close,// you think.
Now, you could retreat to your favorite hideaway to practice spells and relieve some of the tension you have build inside you. You also remember the letter folded up in your pocket and realize you could also answer the king's summons after all.
-[[Practice spells]]
-[[Answer king's summons]]
You decide to go to practice some new spells you've been learning. You make your to a little courtyard only accessible by a maze of alleyways and some minor climbing of trash bins. You squeeze through one last bring wall and happily turn towards the courtyward. But your happiness is short lived--as someone is in the courtyard already!
"I am the mighty Bartholomew!" says a rather short man with bright green har and a tall staff. "A warlock born out of your very nightmares! Prepare to duel!"
While you aren't too keen if this man is legitly powerful, he does have green hair, which in your times (where hair color is a social class ranking system-yours is a bluish black 'cause you're in the Awesome Class) symbolizes extreme master and power. You could accept this warlock's challenge--hey maybe he just dyed his hair to look intimidating! You could mock him for it! Or, you could accept his challenge except be quiet and mysterious, maybe he'll be the intimidated one! You could also flee--nothing wrong with that! No one else can bear witness to your embarrassment.
-[[Accept and Ridicule!]]
-[[Accept the Challenge, Peacefully!]]
-[[Flee!]] You make your way apprehensively to the tall castle that looks over the kingdom. You always thought it was more for show than carrying out actual business.
Is it just you, or are townspeople giving you the weary eye? This land has always been accepting of magical people, so could they be judging your (magnificently flowing) cloak, or perhaps you have something in your teeth? You spend a few minutes running your tongue over your front teeth, just to be sure. This only attracts more stares.
At last, after ignoring glares and avoiding side-street venders, you arrive at the castle gates. A guard asks you what your purpose here is, and you hold up the letter the raven gave you earlier. The guard appears somewhat taken aback, but still opens the gates and assigns you an escort to lead you in.
The guard assigned to you waits for you to step up to him and then turns on his heel to walk up the long straight path to the castle doors.
At this point, you are still unsure what the nature of this meeting is. You need to put your best foot forward in order to minimize any ill-effects that may arise from this meeting with the king.
That said, would you like to [[Make small talk with the guard]] or [[Walk in silence]]?You stay in your spot, not daring to move. Muffled voices travel through the sliver of space left from the door not being fully shut. A closer voice you guess is the guard sounds shocked, but then a booming yet distant voice replies. Silence falls for a some many seconds, though the door doesn't open. You shift your weight between your feet, growing impatient.
Just before you feel inclined to peek in, the door whips open and the guard beckons you in.
<<if $guardmad eq true>>
"I'm surprised you stayed put," the guard grumbles, gesturing you inside.
<<elseif $guardfriend eq true>>
"Come on, $name, it's time you met the king!"
<<else>> "Right this way."
<</if>>
[[continue|the king]]Muffled voices travel through the sliver of space left from the door not being fully shut. You tiptoe closer and squint through the crack.
Even from the sliver you can tell that the room is enormous. The sun pours light in from tall windows and the gaps are filled with torchlight.
The guard who lead you is standing a few feet from the door, facing away from you. A booming voice announces an order and a couple gasps follow. The guard visibly nods and whips around back towards the door.
You scurry back to where you guess you had been standing and regain normal posture just as the door whips open.
<<if $guardmad eq true>>
The guard gives you a sharp glare look before saying, "You best put on your best act, don't want to anger the king." The guard then pushes you into the room.
<<elseif $guardfriend eq true>>
Leland raises an eyebrow and says, "I encourage you put on your best behavior."
He then ushers you into the extravagent castle.
<<else>>
The guard gives you a weary look before saying, "Please listen to orders, or things won't turn out so well for you in the end."
He then ushers you into the extravagent castle.
<</if>>
[[continue|the king]]
You silently scurry over to the door. Tugging gently on the handle, you open it enough to pop your head inside. A half a dozen people stand scattered throughout an airy chamber. Light pours in through the tall windows on either side, illuminating the throne itself. The guard stands a few feet away with his back to you.
A booming voice was just finishing giving an order: "--join in the quest, if needed."
The guard was visibly shaken, "But, your majesty--"
"Enough! Send him in!"
You jump back from the door just as the guard begins to turn around. You gather yourself just as the door opens once more.
<<if $guardmad eq true>>
"Where you just listening?!"
You start to defend yourself but come up blank.
"Get in here!"
The guard grabs your arm and [[drags you inside.|the king]]
<<elseif $guardfriend eq true>>
"You better watch yourself, $name. You make a habbit of snooping and your head will be rolling. Follow me."
You sigh in relief and [[follow Leland into the castle.|the king]]
<<else>>
"Did I just see you at that door?"
You stay silent and shake your head, hoping it's convincing.
The guard sighs, "Quit snooping and get in here."
[[You walk inside.|the king]]
<</if>>
<<set $name to "Reginold the Bold">>
''Welcome!''
Before we get started, I would like to ask you to enter your medieval wizard name below!
//(Note: The catchier the better!)//
<<textbox "$name" $name>> \
<<button "Confirm">>
<<set $name to $name.trim()>>
<<if $name is "">>
<<replace "#name-error">>Please enter a name!<</replace>>
<<else>>
<<goto "Begin!">>
<</if>>
<</button>>
<div class="ps">//P.S. Don't forget, you can save your progress!//</div>
<<set $hassword to false>>
<<set $guardfriend to false>>
<<set $guardmad to false>>
You walk into the throne room and your jaw drops by how wondrous the throne room is. Grand, intricately sculted columns line the hall. The immaculate floor gleams from the sun spilling in through the towering windows. As you finally step up to the king, you kneel down with your eyes downturned, respectfully.
"Hello there, $name. I assume you know who I am, but introductions are still necessary."
The king pauses to clear his throat.
"I am King Vesuvius, ruler of the Magic Lands. Please rise."
You stand back up somewhat awkwardly and the king continues.
"I have brought you here because this city is in danger. You may not believe me, but there is in fact a dragon that has begun to awaken from his multiple-century long slumber. Our top dragonologists have ruled that this particular beast is unruly and will certainly spell mass destruction for everything in its path, and that includes my kingdom."
The king pauses to look around the room. You avert your eyes when he looks at you.
"Now, I have already deployed the court warlock to stop tragedy before it has a chance to occur, but he has recently stopped sending back communication and I am afraid his journey was cut short.
I did some research and found that you were the top of your class at the Academy and are training well beyond your studies for practical use. From your specialties in dealing with Magical Creatures and Putting Out Almost Any Type of Fire, I am sending you to terminate this dragon."
You are dumbfounded and not quite sure what is going on. You look around the room, but all eyes are either closed in prayer or staring at the floor.
"This is no choice of yours to make, I'm afraid, but should you succeed you will gain glory and fame. Not to mention, the whole kingdom doesn't fall due to a loose, destructive dragon.
"Since I am not an expert in your craft, I am allowing you to choose your own assistant on this journey. These three are your candidates."
The king gestures to three drastically different sidekicks.
One is [[the guard|guard quest]] who lead you here; he is looking particularly disenchanted for being slotted into the companion options.
The middle person is an [[older man|old guy quest]] with sickly colored skin and strange cane that holds an orange orb on its top.
The last person is a [[beautiful woman|lady quest]], dressed as a mage to-the-T with a pointy hat and winged eyeliner.
<<if $guardmad eq true>>"I choose the guard," you state loudly. The guard's glare intensifies as he steps forward.
"It would be my pleasure to aid you in your quest," he says through gritted teeth.
"Take this map of the mountain," the kind belows, "where we believe the dragon's lair resides."
A servant walks quickly over to you and shakily hands you a rolled up piece of paper. You thank her and she bows away nervously.
"Now, go forth, and protect our kingdom!"
<<elseif $guardfriend eq true>>"I choose the guard," you state loudly. Leland Barrington steps forward, his face contorted with mixed feeling.
"It would be my pleasure to assist you in your journey."
"Take this map of the mountain," the kind belows, "where we believe the dragon's lair resides."
A servant walks quickly over to you and shakily hands you a rolled up piece of paper. You thank her and she bows away nervously.
"Now, go forth, and protect our kingdom!"
<<else>>"I choose the guard," you state. The guard frowns but steps forward nonetheless.
"It would be my pleasure to help you."
"Take this map of the mountain," the kind belows, "where we believe the dragon's lair resides."
A servant walks quickly over to you and shakily hands you a rolled up piece of paper. You thank her and she bows away nervously.
"Now, go forth, and protect our kingdom!"
<</if>>
You walk with the guard back out the way you came, and immediately turn down a path that leads to the side of the castle, away from the town. The pair of you walk in silence as you make your way to the outskirts of the castle. You are allowed to pass through a gate in the surrounding wall, and then you are officially on the quest.
What separates you and the mountain is a long expanse of land. To your right, a field is coated in dusty-green grass and shows no sign of obstacles. Then again, the grass is particularly tall and may house some surprises.
To the right, a forest absorbs the sunlight, and you can only see a few feet between the trees. What possible creatures lurk in there?
"Which way shall we go?" you ask your companion.
<<if $guardfriend eq true>> "I can protect you, no matter where we go, so the option is yours my friend."
<<elseif $guardmad eq true>> "Just hurry up and pick."
<<else>> "I must assist you either way, so the option is yours."
<</if>>
-[[Go to field|Field guard]]
-[[Go to forest|Forest guard]]"I choose, uh, you!" You proclaim, pointing to the old man.
"Delmon Willard, at your service!" says the man in a shaky voice.
"Take this map of the mountain," says the king in a booming voice, "where we believe the dragon's lair resides."
A servant walks quickly over to you and shakily hands you a rolled up piece of paper. You thank her and she bows away nervously.
"Now, go forth, and protect our kingdom!"
You walk with the old man back out the way you came, and immediately turn down a path that leads to the side of the castle, away from the town. The pair of you walk in silence as you make your way to the outskirts of the castle. You are allowed to pass through a gate in the surrounding wall, and then you are officially on the quest.
What separates you and the mountain is a long expanse of land. To your right, a field is coated in dusty-green grass and shows no sign of obstacles. Then again, the grass is particularly tall and may house some surprises. To your left is a forest that absorbs the sunlight, and you can only see a few feet between the trees. What possible creatures lurk in there?
"Which way shall we go?" you ask your companion.
"I've been through those woods, piece of cake. That field may look nice, but looks can be deceiving."
-[[Go to field |Field]]
-[[Go to forest |Forest]]
"I choose the mage," you proclaim.
The woman grins and steps forward, "Thank you! Can't wait to start this quest!"
The king clears his throat and you look back toward him.
"There you are, you have chosen your companion. Now, you must go as swiftly as possible to save our kingdom!"
You head off with the mage at once, exiting the way you came.
"May I ask your name?" you say politely.
"Petunia Harrington. And yours?"
You feel slightly agitated that she doesn't know your name. "I am $name, pleasure to be of acquaintance.
The king clears his throat and continues in a booming voice: "Take this map of the mountain, where we believe the dragon's lair resides."
A servant walks quickly over to you and shakily hands you a rolled up piece of paper. You thank her and she bows away nervously.
"Now, go forth, and protect our kingdom!"
You walk with the woman back out the way you came, and immediately turn down a path that leads to the side of the castle, away from the town. The pair of you walk in silence as you make your way to the outskirts of the castle. You are allowed to pass through a gate in the surrounding wall, and then you are officially on the quest.
What separates you and the mountain is a long expanse of land. To your right, a field is coated in dusty-green grass and shows no sign of obstacles. Then again, the grass is particularly tall and may house some surprises. To your left is a forest that absorbs the sunlight, and you can only see a few feet between the trees. What possible creatures lurk in there?
"Which way shall we go?" you ask your companion.
"Let's get the adventure going! I would think the fastest route is through the field, and we want to get to that dragon before it's too late, right?!"
-[[Got to field|Field mage]]
-[[Go to forest|Forest mage]]
"This way is faster and less foreboding. Let's go."
You start off into the field, Delmon grumbling and following behind you.
The highest strands stand up to your elbows, giving you and unsettling feeling of not knowing where your foot may land.
The old man squats down so low that you have to remain close to him so you don't lose sight of your only companion.
"Why are you crouching so?" you ask impatiently.
The old man squints his eyes and surveys the surroundings in his immediate viscinity. "I do not trust this field."
You sigh and follow his lead, knowing you can do nothing else.
The mountain where your destination lies looms in the distance, beckoning you closer. You trudge through the field, keeping an eye out for movement in the tall grass.
After what feels like hours of silent progression, you are so focused in the area immediately around you, that you lose sight of Delmon! You call out for him and hear nothing. //That old fart, where has he gone off to?//
You are rummaging around the area where you think you saw him last when you hear multiple muffled //bangs//! Conjuring up a hearing spell, you quickly follow the noise until you find Delmon where he's trapped in a hole! The grass had perfectly hidden the large gap in the field.
You see the old man struggling against an unseen force, so you reach your hands out in front of you and consentrate. Delmon rises up and gasps for breath as something long untangles itself from his mouth. He is almost out of the hole when his progress is halted.
"Something's latched onto me!" he shouts while sending zapping sparks into the hole, trying to free his leg.
Peering in, you cannot see far enough to make out what's wrong, but you can definitely tell it's not just a rogue vine.
With the little time you have, you can only think to either [[shoot a firebolt into the hole]] or [[continue using magic to pull him out of there]]?
You step into the bounds of the forest. The air is significantly colder inside. There is a constant breeze that is a little too steady and puts you on edge. You progress through the underbrush in the direction that you recall lies the dragon's lair. Every now and then you hear some odd scuttling noises behind you, but every time you look back, Delmon just nods you on encouragingly.
You carry on, noticing how every step you take seems to echo and bounce off the trees around you. It feels like hours slip by in the dark forest. Around you, strange chirping noises pop up around you and heavy footsteps skirt you, allude to a menacing creature just out of sight.
All of a sudden, a loud ''BANG'' goes off to your right. A bright flash blinds you as Delmon pushes you out of the way. When you're able to see again, you notice Delmon raising his cane and chanting in the Arcane language. A //''zap''// echoes through the forest, causing all life within it to freeze. Even you cannot so much as move your eyes. After a second pause, there are dozens of thumping noises hitting the ground all around you.
Before you can question what just happened, Delmon hobbles over to a tree and picks up a small blue creature that lies frozen behind it.
"Is that a--" you begin.
"Yep, it's an Impish Bungle," Delmon says, plucking a few strands of hair from the creature's head and setting it back down.
"What did you do to them?"
"Oh, I stunned all of them within a mile of us, and I took this bit of hair because it can make hundreds of really superb cups of tea."
You grin and follow Delmon further into the woods. Every now and then the old man picks up something from the forest floor that you wouldn't have seen if your life depended on it. One object is a perfectly square, purple rock. Delmon hands this to you carefully, telling you to tuck it away in a safe place. You put it in the small, upper pocket of your cloak.
You proceed slowly, finding neat trinkets every now and then and nearly forgetting you're supposed to be on a quest. As you remember this fact, the air ahead grows lighter. This pushes Delmon to speed up walking when you abruptly walk out [[into open air.]]"Okay, I'll follow your lead," you say, allowing Petunia to go ahead of you. She runs excitedly into the field with her arms spread wide. //What, does she think she's a bird?// you wonder. You sigh and continue on anyway.
The highest strands of grass stand up to your elbows, giving you and unsettling feeling of not knowing where your foot may land. The mountain where your destination lies looms in the distance, beckoning you closer.
You plow through the grass, insisting to Petunia that she slow down and wait for you, but she ignores you.
You trudge through the field carefully, keeping an eye out for movement in the tall grass. You are so focused in the area immediately around you, that you lose sight of Petunia! You call out for her and hear nothing. //That blasted woman, why did I choose her to come with me on this quest?//
You are rummaging around the area where you think you saw her last when you hear a muffled scream. Conjuring up a hearing spell, you quickly follow the noise until you find Petunia where she's fallen into a hole! The grass had perfectly hidden the large gap in the field and she must've fallen in while prancing around the field.
"Hermmeouaheer!" the woman screams. You assume she's asking you to help her out, and you reach your hands out in front of you and consentrate. Through the grass, you make out a couple flailing limbs breaking through to the surface. Petunia gasps for breath as something long untangles itself from her neck. She is almost out of the hole when her progress up and out stops.
"Something's got my leg!" she shouts wildly.
Peering in, you cannot see far enough to make out what's wrong, but you can tell it's not just a rogue vine.
With the little time you have, you can only think to either [[send a firebolt into the hole]] or [[continue using magic to pull her out of there]]?
You step into the bounds of the forest. The air is significantly colder inside. There is a constant breeze that is a little too steady and puts you on edge. You progress through the underbrush in the direction that you recall lies the dragon's lair. Every now and then you hear some odd scuttling noises behind you, but every time you look back, Petunia just ushers you along impatiently.
"The faster we get through this dumb forest, the faster we can get this quest over with."
You carry on, noticing how every step you take seems to echo and bounce off the trees around you. It feels like hours slip by in the dark forest. Around you, strange chirping noises pop up around you and heavy footsteps skirt you, allude to a menacing creature just out of sight.
All of a sudden, a loud ''BANG'' goes off to your right. A bright flash blinds you as you grab Petunia's arm and break off running in the opposite direction. You use your magic to clear a path, as the entire forest floor is covered with vines and thorny bushes and branches.
"I could use a little help!" You shout to Petunia.
"What am I supposed to do?" She responds, hysterically.
"Use your magic too!"
She scoffs, "I don't have magic!"
You shoot a wild glance over your shoulder at the woman.
"This outfit is just what's in style right now!"
You begin to retort but a second blast bursts to your left. For a split second you see a small blue creature flying giddily through the trees. Jumping away gets you clear of the falling debris, but Petunia yelps. You whip around and see her tangled in a mess of thorns. Trying to not use all of your inner magic, you attempt to tug her out of the mess. She complains loudly about her favorite skirt being ruined, but you drag her onward anyway.
"These are Impish Bungles! Once they lock on to a target they gather their entire extended family and continue to attack!"
Petunia doesn't seem to care about specifics
The sprint through the woods stretches on as the explosions grow more persistent. They don't, however, come close to actually hitting you. You begin to question this fact when the air ahead grows lighter. This pushes you to run faster and faster and then you find yourself [[thrown into the open air.]]<<if $guardfriend eq true>>
You set off into the grass. The highest strands stand up to your elbows, giving you and unsettling feeling of not knowing where your foot may land.
Leland keeps just ahead of you, checking the ground firmly for anything harmful. Every now and then you see the grass a few feet to either side of you rustle. You walk a little faster while still trying to be careful.
Leland stops suddenly and holds his arm out in front of you.
"What's the matter?" you whisper.
"There's a huge hole in the ground right here, we need to skirt it for I do not know how deep it's pit lies."
You silently agree with the guard and follow him as he tiptoes around the hole. You peer inside in hopes of seeing something to allude to what the danger is, but the grass expertly covers the hole. Once on the other side, you look up to the mountain that looms in front of you.
"Let us hurry, I don't have a good feeling about what lies within those rocks," Leland says, proceeding onward. [[You follow after him.]]
<<elseif $guardmad eq true>>
You set off into the grass. The highest strands stand up to your elbows, giving you and unsettling feeling of not knowing where your foot may land.
The guard wonders a good ways in front of you, checking the ground carefully. Every now and then you see the grass a few feet to either side of you rustle. You walk a little faster while still trying to be careful.
The guard stops suddenly and holds his fist up to signal you to stop. You wait, motionless and holding your breath. The guard turns to the left and starts walking as if around an unseen barrier. You frown but follow after him, careful to step in the same places as him.
Once you feel you've made a semi-circle, you ask, "So what was that about?"
"There was a deep pit just there," the guard grunts and says no more.
You look up to the mountain while you draw out the map the king gave you.
"We're almost there," you say, walking forward.
"Thank the lord," the guard says.
As the pair of you walk onward, the rustlings in the corner of your eye grow more frequent, so that you can definitely see movement in the grass.
"I think it would be best to quicken the pace," you whisper to the guard.
"And risk falling into a hole like the one we just passed?" the guard asks, shaking his head.
You speed up a little anyways, just enough to ease your worries by a degree.
Suddenly, a strange buzzing comes from behind you. You frown and turn around and see a black cloud of insects swarming right for you.
"What now?" the guard spits. You can only point behind him and start walking backward.
The guard turns around slowly and quickly sees the swarm getting closer and closer. The buzzing continually grows louder.
"Come on! I can use my magic to get us out of here faster!" You stretch out your hand for the guard to take it.
"No way!" he says. "If you could use your powers to get us out of here we would've been to the mountain and back by now!"
"I'm sorry I didn't think of it but I know a spell that can helps us avoid the giant holes!"
The guard firmly shakes his head and simply crouches into the grass. You sigh and turn back toward the mountain, whispering Arcane words to allow you to glide.
You feel yourself lift up into the air as the buzzing grows to a roar. With a swift hand motion, you shoot forward, flying just over the grass. AS you near the mountain, you dare a look back. The swarm is consentrated over one particular bit of grass, and you can only assume that you are now [[on your own.]]
<<else>>
You set off into the grass. The highest strands stand up to your elbows, giving you and unsettling feeling of not knowing where your foot may land.
The guard keeps just ahead of you, checking the ground studiously. Every now and then you see the grass a few feet to either side of you rustle. You walk a little faster while still trying to be careful.
Leland stops suddenly and holds his arm out in front of you.
The guard stops suddenly and holds his fist up to signal you to stop. You wait, motionless and holding your breath. The guard turns to the left and starts walking as if around an unseen barrier. You frown but follow after him, careful to step in the same places as him.
Once you feel you've made a semi-circle, you ask, "So what was that about?"
"There was a deep pit just there," the guard grunts and says no more.
You look up to the mountain while you draw out the map the king gave you.
"We're almost there," you say, walking forward.
"Thank the lord," the guard says.
As the pair of you walk onward, the rustlings in the corner of your eye grow more frequent, so that you can definitely see movement in the grass.
"I think it would be best to quicken the pace," you whisper to the guard.
"And risk falling into a hole like the one we just passed?" the guard asks, shaking his head.
You speed up a little anyways, just enough to ease your worries by a degree.
Suddenly, a strange buzzing comes from behind you. You frown and turn around and see a black cloud of insects swarming right for you.
"What now?" the guard spits. You can only point behind him and start walking backward.
The guard turns around slowly and quickly sees the swarm getting closer and closer. The buzzing continually grows louder.
"Come on! I can use my magic to get us out of here faster!" You stretch out your hand for the guard to take it.
"No way!" he says. "If you could use your powers to get us out of here we would've been to the mountain and back by now!"
"I'm sorry I didn't think of it but I know a spell that can helps us avoid the giant holes!"
The guard firmly shakes his head and simply crouches into the grass. You sigh and turn back toward the mountain, whispering Arcane words to allow you to glide.
You feel yourself lift up into the air as the buzzing grows to a roar. With a swift hand motion, you shoot forward, flying just over the grass. AS you near the mountain, you dare a look back. The swarm is consentrated over one particular bit of grass, and you can only assume that you are now [[on your own.]]
<</if>><<if $guardfriend eq true>>
You step into the bounds of the forest. The air is significantly colder inside. There is a constant breeze that is a little too steady and puts you on edge. You progress through the underbrush in the direction that you recall lies the dragon's lair. Every now and then you hear some odd scuttling noises behind you, but every time you look back, Leland just nods to urge you to continue.
You carry on, noticing how every step you take seems to echo and bounce off the trees around you. It feels like hours slip by in the dark forest. Around you, strange chirping noises pop up around you and heavy footsteps skirt you, allude to a menacing creature just out of sight.
All of a sudden, a loud **BANG** goes off to your right. A bright flash blinds you as Leland grabs your arm and breaks off running in the opposite direction. You use your magic to clear a path for you and your companion, as the entire forest floor is covered with vines and thorny bushes and branches.
A second blast bursts to your left. Jumping away gets you clear of the falling debris, and for a split second you see a small blue creature flying giddily through the trees.
"These are Impish Bungles!" You yell up to Leland. "Once they lock on to a target they gather their entire extended family and continue to attack!"
"Then let's get them before they get us!" Leland draws his sword, ready to swing.
The sprint through the woods stretches on as the explosions grow more persistent. Another blue creature flies in front of Leland, blowing raspberries.
"Those buggers are too fast!" He shouts after a failed slash of the sword.
"Aim more ahead of them than you think you have to! I'll protect us!" You respond, conjuring up a shield around you to protect the pair of you from flying debris. You can only hold the shield and clear the path at once, so you hope you aren't needed for something else.
An Impish Bungle flies too close to Leland, and he successfully knocks it out of the air. It's fat belly bounces off the ground and sends it deeper into the forest. This goes on for some time: Leland hitting the monsters out of the air and you making sure the way forward is clear and safe. As the blasts die down, the air ahead grows lighter. This pushes you to run faster and faster and then you find Leland and yourself [[leaping through the air.]]
<<elseif $guardmad eq true>>
You step into the bounds of the forest. The air is significantly colder inside. There is a constant breeze that is a little too steady and puts you on edge. You progress through the underbrush in the direction that you recall lies the dragon's lair. Every now and then you hear some odd scuttling noises behind you, but every time you look back the guard just frowns at you and urges you to continue moving.
You carry on, noticing how every step you take seems to echo and bounce off the trees around you. It feels like hours slip by in the dark forest. Around you, strange chirping noises pop up around you and heavy footsteps skirt you, allude to a menacing creature just out of sight.
All of a sudden, a loud **BANG** goes off to your right. A bright flash blinds you as the guard jumps out of the way and breaks off running in the opposite direction. You pause for a second, disoriented, and then follow after the guard. You use your magic to clear a path for you and your companion, as the entire forest floor is covered with vines and thorny bushes and branches, though he seemed to be doing fine without it.
A second blast bursts to your left. Jumping away gets you clear of the falling debris, and for a split second you see a small blue creature flying giddily through the trees.
"These are Impish Bungles!" You yell up to the guard. "Once they lock on to a target they gather their entire extended family and continue to attack!"
The guard grunts and draws his sword, ready to swing.
The sprint through the woods stretches on as the explosions grow more persistent. Another blue creature flies in front of the guard, blowing raspberries.
The guard, after a failed slash of the sword, yells angrily after the Bungle.
"Aim more ahead of them than you think you have to!" You respond, conjuring up a shield around you to block flying debris. You can only hold the shield and clear the path at once, so you hope your magic isn't needed for something else.
An Impish Bungle flies too close to the guard, and he successfully knocks it out of the air. It's fat belly bounces off the ground and sends it deeper into the forest. This goes on for some time: the guard hitting the monsters out of the air and you making sure the way forward is clear and safe. As the blasts die down, the air ahead grows lighter. This pushes you to run faster and faster and then you find yourself [[falling out into open air.]]
<<else>>
You step into the bounds of the forest. The air is significantly colder inside. There is a constant breeze that is a little too steady and puts you on edge. You progress through the underbrush in the direction that you recall lies the dragon's lair. Every now and then you hear some odd scuttling noises behind you, but every time you look back the guard just urges you to continue moving.
You carry on, noticing how every step you take seems to echo and bounce off the trees around you. It feels like hours slip by in the dark forest. Around you, strange chirping noises pop up around you and heavy footsteps skirt you, allude to a menacing creature just out of sight.
All of a sudden, a loud **BANG** goes off to your right. A bright flash blinds you as the guard pushes you out of the way and breaks off running in the opposite direction. You use your magic to clear a path, as the entire forest floor is covered with vines and thorny bushes and branches.
A second blast bursts to your left. Jumping away gets you clear of the falling debris, and for a split second you see a small blue creature flying giddily through the trees.
"These are Impish Bungles!" You yell up to the guard. "Once they lock on to a target they gather their entire extended family and continue to attack!"
"Then let's kill them all!" Leland draws his sword, ready to swing.
The sprint through the woods stretches on as the explosions grow more persistent. Another blue creature flies in front of the guard, blowing raspberries.
"Those buggers are too fast!" He shouts after a failed slash of the sword.
"Aim more ahead of them than you think you have to!" You respond, conjuring up a shield around you to protect the pair of you from flying debris. You can only hold the shield and clear the path at once, so you hope you aren't needed for something else.
An Impish Bungle flies too close to the guard, and he successfully knocks it out of the air. It's fat belly bounces off the ground and sends it deeper into the forest. This goes on for some time: the guard hitting the monsters out of the air and you making sure the way forward is clear and safe. As the blasts die down, the air ahead grows lighter. This pushes you to run faster and faster and then you find yourself [[diving into open air.]]
<</if>>You land hard on hard-packed dirt, and Petunia lands hard on your back.
"You hear that?" Petunia whispers, smiling.
"Just the sound...of me...tring to catch...my breath," you say with tremendous effort.
"Exactly."
You listen closely and realize that the continuous blasting has suddenly ceased after you escaped the forest.
"And look!" Petunia says, pointing behind you. You turn around and see the small mountain in front of you.
"The dragon's lair is there, right?" Petunia asks, walking on ahead.
You sigh, both thankful to be out of the terrible forest and weary of what's to come. You trudge up the mountain side, following the map the King had given you before you started this quest.
"Just around this corner," you say after some minutes of silent progression. The silence is actually a little too eerie for your liking.
You and Petunia walk around a tall wall of rock and immediately see a huge cave opening. The way it is angled downward into the mountain seems to make it invisible to anyone looking up at the mountain from below. Petunia gives you a nervous glance. Before you can give her any words of encouragement, a reverberating rumble comes from deep within the gave.
"Wh-what's that?" the woman asks.
"It's probably nothing," you say, taking a daring step down into the cave.
The rumble comes again, this time rising to a roar. You gulp and look back at Petunia, who is frozen in place.
"Have you any inclination to go first?" you ask, smiling apprehensively. Petunia doesn't move at all, so you turn back around. Reluctantly, you proceed ahead slowly, [[going over your strongest spells in your head.]] /*this is for guardfriend*/
You land heavily on the ground. Leland assists you up and the pair of you look around.
"Isn't this exactly where we need to be?" Leland asks.
You bring out the map the king gave you and check. "Yep! It sure is, and it looks like we just need to go to the left and up."
Leland claps your back and heads on up the mountainside. You sigh, both thankful to be out of the terrible forest and weary of what's to come. You can't help but wonder why the tormet from the Bungles stopped as soon as you escapeed the mountain, but you trudge up the mountain side anyway, keeping the map out for reference.
"Just around this corner," you say after some minutes of silent progression. The silence is actually a little too eerie for your liking.
You and Leland walk around a tall wall of rock and immediately see a huge cave opening. The way it is angled downward into the mountain seems to make it invisible to anyone looking up at the mountain from below. Leland gives you a nervous glance. Before you can give him any words of encouragement, a reverberating rumble comes from deep within the gave.
"Well, if that's not foreboding," the guard says.
"It's probably nothing," you say, taking a daring step down into the cave.
The rumble comes again, this time rising to a roar. You gulp and look back at Leland, who is visibly supressing nervousness.
"Have you any inclination to go first?" you ask, smiling apprehensively. Leland nods softly and passes ahead of you, into the cave. [[You follow.]]/*this is for guardmad*/
You land heavily on the ground. The guard yanks you onto your feet and the pair of you look around.
"Where now?" your companion asks.
You bring out the map the king gave you and check. "It looks like we just need to go to the left and up."
The guard heads on up the mountainside. You sigh, both thankful to be out of the terrible forest and weary of what's to come. You can't help but wonder why the tormet from the Bungles stopped as soon as you escapeed the mountain, but you trudge up the mountain side anyway, keeping the map out for reference.
"Just around this corner," you say after some minutes of silent progression. The silence is actually a little too eerie for your liking.
You walk around a tall wall of rock and immediately see a huge cave opening. The way it is angled downward into the mountain seems to make it invisible to anyone looking up at the mountain from below. Leland remains stoic. Before you can give any last words of encouragement, a reverberating rumble comes from deep within the gave.
"Well, if that's not foreboding," the guard grumbles.
"It's probably nothing," you say, taking a daring step down into the cave.
The rumble comes again, this time rising to a roar. You gulp and look back at the guard, who remains outwardly calm.
"Have you any inclination to go first?" you ask, smiling apprehensively. The guard pushes passed you, into the cave. [[You follow.]]You fall down into brightness, landing heavily on a hard-packed dirt ground. Groaning and sitting up, you see Delmon hover down from the ledge to your level.
"You gotta be careful, there," he says. "When things change like that you need to be cautious."
He helps you to your feet and you see the small mountain in front of you. You then pull out the map the king gave you.
"So," you begin, comparing the map to the land in front of you, "the lair should be off to the left over there."
"Onward!" Delmon says, raising his cane in the air. The orb catches the sun and streaks of light shine in all directions. Before you know it, you're suddenly high up the mountain.
"Whoa! Can you teach me some of your skills after we complete this quest?"
"Sure I can!" Delmon says, enthusiastically hobbling around a tall stone wall. You follow the old man happily. When you round the corner and immediately see a huge cave opening. The way it is angled downward into the mountain seems to make it invisible to anyone looking up at the mountain from below.
A deep rumbling comes up from within the cave and you glance nervously at Delmon.
"Nothing to be scared of," He whispers. "But let's proceed rather quickly."
You reluctantly follow the old man down into the mountain.
The sunlight slowly filters through the cave less and less, leaving only a small orb of light emanating from Delmon's cane. The light is a soft orange and strangely soothing. Despite your surroundings becoming cold and damp and dark, you feel safe with your companion.
The only unsettling thing is the growing rumble within the cave. Every turn around rocky corners comes with the louder, continous booming noise.
"Delmon, have you any idea what that noise is?" you ask apprehensively.
"I believe it is the dragon snoring," the old man replies without a second hesitation.
"Sounds more like purring to me," you say, trying to lighten the mood while eyeing sharp stalactites hanging precariously over you.
"Whatever a dragon's sleep sounds like, it's better than it being awake. However, the energy in this place is stirring, so I feel we may need to hurry."
Only a few minutes after Delmon says this, the cave ahead makes a sharp turn and suddenly opens up to three times its original size. Delmon covers the light on his cane with his hand as the pair of you peek around a corner.
Lying only a hundred feet away is a colossal mass of iridescent scales. The beast breathes in and you can see its ribcage swell up to the height of an old pine tree. As the scales contract, light flickers throughout the cave from small tufts of fire escaping from what you assume are the creature's nostrils.
Delmon pulls you back around the corner to converse in hushed voices.
"What a beautiful beast, too bad we have to end its life." Delmon sounds genuinely distraught, and you can't help but empathize.
"Well, do we //have// to kill it?" You ask hopelessly.
"I'm afraid so, king's orders. Now, we can't waste any more time. Do you have a specific plan in mind on how to kill the dragon?"
You open your mouth to respond, but then realize you have no clue how to go about this. You know the dragon breathes fire, but would [[a firebolt]], fired from both you and Delmon, do some damage? You've also heard that a dragon's underbelly is particularly soft and [[easy to pierce.]] Lastly, you could try to [[talk to it]], as the beasts have been known to communicate with humans. The sunlight slowly filters through the cave less and less, leaving only a small orb of light emanating from Delmon's cane. The light is a soft orange and strangely soothing. Despite your surroundings becoming cold and damp and dark, you feel safe with your companion.
The only unsettling thing is the growing rumble within the cave. Every turn around rocky corners comes with the louder, continous booming noise.
"Delmon, have you any idea what that noise is?" you ask apprehensively.
"I believe it is the dragon snoring," the old man replies without a second of hesitation.
"Sounds more like purring to me," you say, trying to lighten the mood while eyeing sharp stalactites hanging precariously over you.
"Whatever a dragon's sleep sounds like, it's better than it being awake. However, the energy in this place is stirring, so I feel we may need to hurry."
Only a few minutes after Delmon says this, the cave ahead makes a sharp turn and suddenly opens up to three times its original size. Delmon covers the light on his cane with his hand as the pair of you peek around a corner.
Lying only a hundred feet away is a colossal mass of iridescent scales. The beast breathes in and you can see its ribcage swell up to the height of an old pine tree. As the scales contract, light flickers throughout the cave from small tufts of fire escaping what you assume are the creature's nostrils.
Delmon pulls you back around the corner to converse in hushed voices.
"What a beautiful beast, too bad we have to end its life." Delmon sounds genuinely distraught, and you can't help but empathize.
"Well, do we //have// to kill it?" You ask hopelessly.
"I'm afraid so, king's orders. Now, we can't waste any more time. Do you have a specific plan in mind on how to kill the dragon?"
You open your mouth to respond, but then realize you have no clue how to go about this. You know the dragon breathes fire, but would [[a firebolt]], fired from both you and Delmon, do some damage? You've also heard that a dragon's underbelly is particularly soft and [[easy to pierce.]] Lastly, you could try to [[talk to it]], as the beasts have been known to communicate with humans. "Together, if we put our powers together, we can kill the beast!"
Delmon nods determinedly. The two of you step out into the open and focus on the dragon. Both pair of hands begin to glow warmly, and a whirring noise fills the air. The dragon begins to stir just as you look over to Delmon, who nods encouragingly again.
//BAM!// The two of you let out the collective blast and the flaming ball slams into the dragon.
The beast staggers sideways, but quickly jumps awake and looks over at the pair of you, [[unharmed.]]"I think I know its weakspot," you confide to Delmon.
"It's underbelly?" he guesses.
"Specifically his armpits."
Delmon frowns. "That is going to be challenging."
"Okay, I distract it and you fire," you tell Delmon. He looks baffled by these instructions.
"While I may be powerful, boy, my aim is not as good as it used to be. I will weaken and distract him while you take the shot."
Though you don't like using the old man, you agree to his plan since it makes more sense.
Delmon slides out into the open, rubbing his hands together. Sparks jump out from between his fingers. You position yourself close to the dragon, trying not to focus on its enormous physique.
<<if $hassword eq true>>
A heavy presence in your cloak weighs you down suddenly. You reach in and suddenly feel the sword that Bartholomew had given you! Drawing out the sword, you can't help but notice how well the handle fits in your hand. How had you forgotten about this?
Gripping the sword in both hands, you look over to Delmon and nod. He returns the nod and the shoots electric blue rays at the dragon.
Its whole body siezes up in the shock, but its legs stay close to its side. //He'll need to get moving more,// you think.
And so the dragon does. He staggers upward, stretching his neck out and lifting his head toward the ceiling in a mighty roar that nearly knocks you off your feet. But, you see your opportunity. His front right leg is extended just enough for you to run over and dive the magic sword into his hide.
The blade cuts easily through the scales, piercing the dragon with a life-draining wound. The dragon wails and roars, and you and Delmon drop back behind the stone wall. The pair of you peer around, watching the dragon stumble drunkenly as his like essence seeps out of him.
He lands in a heap on the ground, shaking the whole cave with his weight.
Once the dust settles, there is absolutely no more movement to be seen.
"We did it!" you shout.
Delmon gives a tired smile and the two of you make your way out of the cave, feeling dazed yet accomplished.
[[The End.]]
<<else>>
you look over the Delmon and nod. He returns the nod and the shoots electric blue rays at the dragon.
Its whole body siezes up in the shock, but its legs stay close to its side. //He'll need to get moving,// you think.
And so the dragon does. He staggers upward, stretching his neck out and lifting his head toward the ceiling in a mighty roar that nearly knocks you off your feet. But, you see your opportunity. His front right leg is extended just enough fo your to shoot your own blast right under his arm. The dragon wails and roars, and you cover your ears to preserve your hearing.
You and Delmon back away to hide behind the stone wall where you came in, peering around the edge to witness what happens next.
The yellow eyes of the dragon flicker, adding to the strobe lighting in the cave. Then, the dragon stumbles and loses his balance, falling with a //BOOM// onto the stone floor. The entire mountain seems to quiver, but the rumbling soon sumbsides. Smoke curls out of the dragon's nose, but there is no other movement.
"We did it!" You shout. Delmon gives you a tired smile in return.
Weary but fulfilled, you and Delmon exit back out of the mountain.
As you reach the mouth of the cave, you hear a steady grumbling rise up within the cave...
[[THE END.]]
<</if>>"How about we try to communicate with it?"
Delmon looks at you with wild eyes. "Are you insane?"
"Hey, maybe we can work out a deal to let it live, like how we'd like it to anyways."
Delmon looks disgruntled but agrees, letting you go ahead of him. You walk around the stone edge and out into the open. Stepping up closer to the dragon, you get a better feel for how massive it is. A single leg stretches out towards you, and one claw alone is as long as you are tall.
You take a deep breath, and shout. "Dragon! Awaken! I am here to let you live!"
The breathing stutters and the creature stirs. Even the small rustling of its folded up wings reverberates around the cave making loud shuffling noises.
//''WHO DARES AWAKEN ME?''//
A shiver shocks through every one of your muscles, chilling your bones. You look back to Delmon, who remains hidden, ready to assist. He gives you an encouraging nod.
"I, $name, have come here to free you from a fate I simply could not let you face."
The dragon's striking head swings around to face you. Double layered eyelids open to reveal shining yellow eyes. The pupils adjust as they settle on your form.
//''$name?''// Resounds the deep tones. You notice that the dragon's mouth does not move, but rather the voice is just...//there//.
//''What a haughty name for a puny mortal! Who are you to speak of MY fate? And how could YOU save me from fate itself?''//
You muster every nerve in your body to continue replying: "The king has ordered me to kill you--"
//''KING? KILL ME?''// The dragon stomps its feet, rotating and stretching in place. The movement sends wind swirling around you, causing you to steady yourself as to not fall over.
"Yes, but I wanted to help you--"
''RROOAARRRR''
The dragon rears backward, spitting fire into the cave roof. Distintegrated rock rains down, and you cover your face with your arm. After this passes, you dare to look up.
The dragon is breathing in deeply, preparing to blast you with fire! You try to think of a protection spell but your mind is frozen.
Then, Delmon runs out in front of you and you are [[blinded by the light of ten suns.]]"Stay still!" you shout to Petunia, who is tugging wildly at her leg. She moves her arms away just as you blast a firebolt into the hole where you assume whatever is holding onto her leg lies.
There is an ear-piercing screech and Petunia's leg is freed. In the effort, your hold on her lets go and she falls. You are just able to rush under her and half-catch her and half-let her fall on top of you.
The pair of you scramble away from the pit, breathing heavily.
"ohmygoshthankyousomuch," Petunia says, all at once. "I thought I was a gonner there!"
"No worries," you reply, sighing heavily. "How about you stick close to me from now on?"
Petunia nods earnestly and the pair of you get back up, proceeding much more cautiously toward the mountain.
The rest of the way is mostly uneventful. However, every now and then small, skittering creatures crawl over your feet. Each time this happens, Petunia shrieks and grabs your arm. You continue marching on.
"The dragon's lair is there, right?" Petunia asks, pointing to the mountain as you approach its base a while later.
You sigh, both thankful to be out of the terrible field and weary of what's to come. You trudge up the mountain side, following the map the King had given you before you started this quest.
"Just around this corner," you say after some minutes of silent progression. The silence is actually a little too eerie for your liking.
You and Petunia walk around a tall wall of rock and immediately see a huge cave opening. The way it is angled downward into the mountain seems to make it invisible to anyone looking up at the mountain from below. Petunia gives you a nervous glance. Before you can give her any words of encouragement, a reverberating rumble comes from deep within the gave.
"Wh-what's that?" the woman asks.
"It's probably nothing," you say, taking a daring step down into the cave.
The rumble comes again, this time rising to a roar. You gulp and look back at Petunia, who is frozen in place.
"Have you any inclination to go first?" you ask, smiling apprehensively. Petunia doesn't move at all, so you turn back around. Reluctantly, you proceed ahead slowly, [[going over your strongest spells in your head.]] You focus harder on yanking Petunia out, but whatever is holding onto her fights back. Then, she is suddenly yanked inward as the creature comes across newfound strength. There's a terrible gulping sound and you know that there is no getting Petunia back.
Then, the ground underneath your feet slides away, forcing you to fall into the pit. You can't conjure up a spell to escape in time.
<div class="dead">Your life ends in one quick gulp.</div>"Delmon, no!" You yell, unable to see.
You open your eyes and see where the old man had stood is now a steaming hole in the stone floor.
//''HOW CUTE, he tried to protect you!''//
You look up and see the dragon creeping closer to you. His head stays in place as his body shifts around.
You are enveloped in searing fire, feeling more pain than you ever though possible. <div class="dead">//Your soul quickly depletes in strength and you die.//</div>You land heavily on the ground. The guard helps you up and the pair of you look around.
"Is this where we need to be?" your companion asks.
You bring out the map the king gave you and check. "Yep! It sure is, and it looks like we just need to go to the left and up."
The guard heads on up the mountainside and you sigh, both thankful to be out of the terrible forest and weary of what's to come. You can't help but wonder why the tormet from the Bungles stopped as soon as you escapeed the mountain, but you trudge up the mountain side anyway, keeping the map out for reference.
"Just around this corner," you say after some minutes of silent progression. The silence is actually a little too eerie for your liking.
You and the guard walk around a tall wall of rock and immediately see a huge cave opening. The way it is angled downward into the mountain seems to make it invisible to anyone looking up at the mountain from below. Leland gives you a nervous glance. Before you can give him any words of encouragement, a reverberating rumble comes from deep within the gave.
"Well, if that's not foreboding," the guard says quietly.
"It's probably nothing," you say, taking a daring step down into the cave.
The rumble comes again, this time rising to a roar. You gulp and look back at the guard, who is visibly supressing nervousness.
"Have you any inclination to go first?" you ask, smiling apprehensively. The guard nods and passes ahead of you, into the cave. [[You follow.]]//''WHO DARES DSITURB MY SLUMBER?!''//
The dragon rears up and spits fire into the ceiling of the cave. Disintegrated stone tumbles down, pelting you and Delmon.
The dragon stomps down, glowing yellow eyes piercing into your being. His head stays in place as his body shifts around. He breathes in deeply, charging up his attack. You and Delmon are frozen in place, knowing there's nothing you can do.
In an instant, you are enveloped in searing fire, feeling more pain than you ever though possible. <div class="dead">//Your soul quickly depletes in strength and you die.//</div>The sunlight slowly filters through the cave less and less, leaving only just enough residual light to see. Your surroundings become cold and damp and dark. Even more unsettling is the growing rumble within the cave. Every turn around rocky corners comes with the louder, continous booming noise.
"Have you any idea what that noise is?" you ask apprehensively.
"Sounds like snoring," the woman replies quietly.
"Sounds more like purring to me," you say, trying to lighten the mood while eyeing sharp stalactites hanging precariously over you.
"Whatever a dragon's sleep sounds like, it's better than it being awake. We still need to hurry."
Only a few minutes after Petunia says this, the cave ahead makes a sharp turn and suddenly opens up to three times its original size. The pair of you peek around a corner.
Lying only a hundred feet away is a colossal mass of iridescent scales. The beast breathes in and you can see its ribcage swell up to the height of an old pine tree. As the scales contract, light flickers throughout the cave from small tufts of fire escaping what you assume are the creature's nostrils.
You pull Petunia back around the corner to talk.
"Now," you begin, "I know this sounds crazy, but I'm going to need you to distract him while I deliver the final blow."
Petunia looks as if you just asked her to leap into the dragon's mouth and juggle potatos. "You want me to what?"
"Not want, need. I can kill this beast quickly if we can just get a good shot at his armpit."
"//Armpit?//"
"Yes, pay attention. I just need you to get the dragon up or at least stretched out, can you do that?"
Petunia shakes her head but says, "I guess I have no other choice." She sighs and slips out into the open as you rub your hands together.
<<if $hassword eq true>>
Then, a heavy presence in your cloak weighs you down suddenly. You reach in and suddenly feel the sword that Bartholomew had given you! Drawing out the sword, you can't help but notice how well the handle fits in your hand. How had you forgotten about this, let alone not lost it or even felt it in your possession?
Gripping the sword in both hands, you look over to Petunia and nod. She pouts but takes in a deep breath.
"HEY HANDSOME FELLOW, TIME TO WAKE UP!"
The dragon's breathing immediately changes. Its legs shift as its head lifts up and locks onto Petunia.
//Just need to move a little more, then I can have the perfect shot,// you think.
//''WHO DARES AWAKEN MY SLUMBER''//
Your every muscle fiber quakes and your bones chill. You look over to Petunia, who is now completely drained of all color. She looks over to you and you can only nod encouragingly.
"I-I am Petunia, daughter of--"
//''PUNY MORTAL!''// the dragon interrrupts. //''Why would I care about your origin at all?''//
The dragon shifts around to crawl closer to Petunia. His leg extends out and you see your opportunity! Having learned your fair share from other adventurers, you dare not scream and make yourself known too soon. Instead, you use your magic to give yourself silent footsteps as you charge over to the beast.
His keen yellow eye flicks over in your direction. Just as he breathes in deeply, charging up what you assume to be a blast of fire breath, you drive your sword into his hide!
The blade cuts easily through the scales, piercing the dragon with a life-draining wound. The dragon wails and roars, and you and Petunia drop back behind the stone wall. The pair of you peer around, watching the dragon stumble drunkenly as his like essence seeps out of him. He lands in a heap on the ground, shaking the whole cave with his weight.
You look over to Petunia and grin widely, though she looks ready to faint. You steady her by grasping her arm and look back to the dragon. There is absolutely no movement to be seen.
"We did it!" you shout.
Petunia gives a tired cheer and the two of you make your way out of the cave, feeling dazed yet accomplished.
<<else>>
You draw all of the magic in your body to your hands, thinking hard on the electic spell you believe should stop this dragon's heart. You then look over to Petunia and nod. She pouts but takes in a deep breath.
"HEY HANDSOME FELLOW, TIME TO WAKE UP!"
The dragon's breathing immediately changes. Its legs shift as its head lifts up and locks onto Petunia.
//Just need to move a little more, then I can have the perfect shot,// you think.
//''WHO DARES AWAKEN MY SLUMBER''//
Your every muscle fiber quakes and your bones chill. You look over to Petunia, who is now completely drained of all color. She looks over to you and you can only nod encouragingly.
"I-I am Petunia, daughter of--"
//''PUNY MORTAL!''// the dragon interrrupts. //''Why would I care about your origin at all?''//
Your spell has charged as far as it can go, and you aim for the weakspot in the dragon's underbelly. The dragon then shifts around to crawl closer to Petunia. His leg extends out and you see your opportunity! Having learned your fair share from other adventurers, you dare not scream and make yourself known too soon.
With a magnificent lightning bolt, electricity surges through the dragon. Stray shocks light up the cave in a gorgeous array. Petunia runs over and hides behind you. The dragon wails and roars. You back away to hide behind the stone wall where you came in, you and your companion both peering around the edge to witness what happens next.
The yellow eyes of the dragon flicker, adding to the strobe lighting in the cave. Then, the dragon stumbles and loses his balance, falling with a //BOOM// onto the stone floor.
You look over to Petunia and grin widely, though she looks ready to faint. You steady her by grasping her arm and look back to the dragon. Smoke curls out of his nose, but there is no other movement.
//We did it!//
Weary but fulfilled, you and Petunia exit back out of the mountain.
As you reach the mouth of the cave, you hear a steady grumbling rise up within the cave...
<</if>>
[[THE END.]]
The sunlight slowly filters through the cave less and less, leaving only a small amount of residual light bouncing around the cave. Your surroundings are cold and damp and dark and an unsettling rumble grows within the cave. Every turn around rocky corners comes with the louder, continous booming noise. Periodically, the noise is spotted with an actual roar.
You glance over to the guard nervously, but it is too dark to make out his expression.
Only a few minutes later, the cave ahead makes a sharp turn and around it you make out bright light. The noise is now thunderous, as if a giant were throwing a tempertantrum. The thumping grows, and too late you realize that a colossal mass of iridescent scales is rounding the corner!
The dragon stomps towards you, glowing yellow eyes piercing into your being. His head stays in place as his body shifts around. He breathes in deeply, charging up his attack. You and the guard are frozen in place, knowing there's nothing you can do.
In an instant, you are enveloped in searing fire, feeling more pain than you ever though possible. <div class="dead">//Your soul quickly depletes in strength and you die.//</div>''Congratulations!'' You beat the game!
While there are numerous outcomes to this game, but this is by far one of the best ones (and there are two ways to get here). That doesn't mean finding all the endings isn't rewarding, however.
Thank you for sticking around and I hope you enjoyed it!The sunlight slowly filters through the cave less and less, leaving only just enough residual light to see. Your surroundings become cold and damp and dark. Even more unsettling is the growing rumble within the cave. Every turn around rocky corners comes with the louder, continous booming noise.
You eye the sharp stalactites hanging precariously over you, a feeling in your gut telling you they could fall on your head at any moment.
The cave ahead makes a sharp turn and suddenly opens up to three times its original size. You peek around a corner and barely hold back a gasp.
Lying only a hundred feet away is a colossal mass of iridescent scales. The beast breathes in and you can see its ribcage swell up to the height of an old pine tree. As the scales contract, light flickers throughout the cave from small tufts of fire escaping what you assume are the creature's nostrils.
You know that the only way to kill this thing is to get a good shot at his armpit. You rub your hands together, feeling your magic charging.
<<if $hassword eq true>>
Then, a heavy presence in your cloak weighs you down suddenly. You reach in and suddenly feel the sword that Bartholomew had given you! Drawing out the sword, you can't help but notice how well the handle fits in your hand. How had you forgotten about this, let alone not lost it or even felt it in your possession?
Gripping the sword in both hands, you look up the the dragon and take a deep breath: "TIME TO WAKE UP, DRAGON!"
The dragon's breathing immediately changes with a snort. Its legs shift as its striking head swings around to face you. Double layered eyelids open to reveal shining yellow eyes.
//''WHO DARES AWAKEN MY SLUMBER''//
Your every muscle fiber quakes and your bones chill.
"I, $name, have come here to free you from a fate I simply could not let you face."
The dragon's pupils seem to adjust as they settle on your form.
//''$name?''// Resounds the deep tones. You notice that the dragon's mouth does not move, but rather the voice is just...//there//.
//''What a haughty name for a puny mortal! Who are you to speak of MY fate? And how could YOU save me from fate itself?''//
You muster every nerve in your body to continue replying: "The king has ordered me to kill you--"
//''KING? KILL ME?''// The dragon stomps its feet, rotating and stretching in place. The movement sends wind swirling around you, causing you to steady yourself as to not fall over.
"Yes, but I wanted to help you--"
''RROOAARRRR''
The dragon rears backward, spitting fire into the cave roof. Distintegrated rock rains down, and you cover your face with your arm. After this passes, you dare to look up.
The dragon is positioned perfectly so that his leg extends out and you see your opportunity!
Just as the dragon breathes in deeply, charging up what you assume to be a blast of fire breath, you drive your sword into his hide!
The blade cuts easily through the scales, piercing the dragon with a life-draining wound. The dragon wails and roars, and you drop back behind the stone wall. You peer around, watching the dragon stumble drunkenly as his like essence seeps out of him. He lands in a heap on the ground, shaking the whole cave with his weight.
You grin widely, in awe at what you have just done. The cave settles and there is absolutely no movement to be seen from the beast.
You can't help but sigh happily. The effect of what just happened still hasn't hit you yet.
You make your way out of the cave, feeling dazed yet accomplished.
[[THE END.]]
<<else>>
You draw all of the magic in your body to your hands, thinking hard on the electic spell you believe should stop this dragon's heart.
takes in a deep breath.
"TIME TO WAKE UP, DRAGON!"
The dragon's breathing immediately changes. Its legs shift as its body slowly wakes up.
//Just need to move a little more, then I can have the perfect shot,// you think.
//''WHO DARES AWAKEN MY SLUMBER''//
Your every muscle fiber quakes and your bones chill.
"I, $name, have come here to free you from a fate I simply could not let you face."
The dragon's striking head swings around to face you. Double layered eyelids open to reveal shining yellow eyes. The pupils adjust as they settle on your form.
//''$name?''// Resounds the deep tones. You notice that the dragon's mouth does not move, but rather the voice is just...//there//.
//''What a haughty name for a puny mortal! Who are you to speak of MY fate? And how could YOU save me from fate itself?''//
You muster every nerve in your body to continue replying: "The king has ordered me to kill you--"
//''KING? KILL ME?''// The dragon stomps its feet, rotating and stretching in place. The movement sends wind swirling around you, causing you to steady yourself as to not fall over.
"Yes, but I wanted to help you--"
''RROOAARRRR''
The dragon rears backward, spitting fire into the cave roof. Distintegrated rock rains down, and you cover your face with your arm. After this passes, you dare to look up.
The dragon is breathing in deeply, preparing to blast you with fire! You try to think of a protection spell but your mind is frozen.
Your spell has charged as far as it can go, and you can either [[aim for the weak-spot in the dragon's underbelly]] or [[get out of there!]]
<</if>>
''Congratulations!''
You beat the game!
Thank you for sticking around, and I hope you enjoyed my first interactive fiction game!
Remember, there are many different endings to this game, though most of them are abrupt and maybe even comical. Try to find them all!
(//Hint: If you didn't already, go find the sword!//)You and Leland trudge up the mountain side, following the map the King had given you before you started this quest.
"Just around this corner," you say after some minutes of silent progression. The silence is actually a little too eerie for your liking.
You and Leland walk around a tall wall of rock and immediately see a huge cave opening. The way it is angled downward into the mountain seems to make it invisible to anyone looking up from below. Leland gives you a questioning glance. Before you can give him any words of encouragement, a reverberating rumble comes from deep within the gave.
Leland takes a daring step down into the cave, leaving you standing in the entrance, frozen.
The rumble comes again, this time rising to a roar. You gulp. Leland turns around to you and asks, "Have you any wish to go first?"
You smile apprehensively as Leland turns around and continues on into the cave. Reluctantly, you proceed ahead slowly, [[recalling the incantations to your strongest spells.]]The sunlight slowly filters through the cave less and less, leaving only just enough residual light to see. Your surroundings become cold and damp and dark. Even more unsettling is the growing rumble within the cave. Every turn around rocky corners comes with the louder, continous booming noise.
"Have you any idea what that noise is?" you ask apprehensively.
"Sounds like snoring," the guard replies quietly.
"Sounds more like purring to me," you say, trying to lighten the mood while eyeing sharp stalactites hanging precariously over you.
"Whatever a dragon's sleep sounds like, it's better than it being awake. We need to hasten our pace."
Only a few minutes after Leland says this, the cave ahead makes a sharp turn and suddenly opens up to three times its original size. The pair of you peek around a corner.
Lying only a hundred feet away is a colossal mass of iridescent scales. The beast breathes in and you can see its ribcage swell up to the height of an old pine tree. As the scales contract, light flickers throughout the cave from small tufts of fire escaping what you assume are the creature's nostrils.
Leland pulls you back around the corner to talk.
"Have you any particular plan?"
"Now," you begin, "I know this sounds crazy, but I'm going to need you to distract him while I deliver the final blow."
Leland nods determindly, "Whatever you need to kill that thing."
"Thank you. I can kill this beast quickly if we can just get a good shot as his armpit."
"//Armpit?//"
"Yes, pay attention. I just need you to get the dragon up or at least stretched out, can you do that?"
Leland nods, "I can do anything to ensure you kill that beast." He slips out into the open as you rub your hands together.
<<if $hassword eq true>>
Then, a heavy presence in your cloak weighs you down suddenly. You reach in and suddenly feel the sword that Bartholomew had given you! Drawing out the sword, you can't help but notice how well the handle fits in your hand. How had you forgotten about this, let alone not lost it or even felt it in your possession?
Gripping the sword in both hands, you look over to Leland and nod. He takes a deep breath and gets in a secure stance.
"DRAGON! ARISE!"
The dragon's breathing immediately changes with a snort. Its legs shift as its head lifts up and locks onto Leland.
//Just need to move a little more, then I can have the perfect shot,// you think.
//''WHO DARES AWAKEN MY SLUMBER''//
Your every muscle fiber quakes and your bones chill. You look over to Leland, who your can tell is shaken but trying to hold his composure. He looks over to you and you can only nod encouragingly.
"I am Leland Barrington, knight-in-training--"
//''PUNY MORTAL!''// the dragon interrrupts. //''Not even a full knight! What are you, a weak human, to me, an almighty dragon?''//
The dragon shifts around to crawl closer to Leland. His leg extends out and you see your opportunity! Having learned your fair share from other adventurers, you dare not scream and make yourself known too soon. Instead, you use your magic to give yourself silent footsteps as you charge over to the beast.
The dragon's keen yellow eye flicks over in your direction. Just as he breathes in deeply, charging up what you assume to be a blast of fire breath, you drive your sword into his hide!
The blade cuts easily through the scales, piercing the dragon with a life-draining wound. The dragon wails and roars, and you and Leland fly back behind the stone wall. The pair of you peer around, watching the dragon stumble drunkenly as his like essence seeps out of him. He lands in a heap on the ground, shaking the whole cave with his weight.
You look over to Leland and grin widely, and he returns the relieved smile. You look back to the dragon. There is absolutely no movement to be seen.
"We did it!" you shout.
Leland gives a hearty cheer and the two of you make your way out of the cave, feeling dazed yet accomplished.
[[The End.]]
<<else>>
You draw all of the magic in your body to your hands, thinking hard on the electic spell you believe should stop this dragon's heart. You then look over to Leland and nod. He takes a deep breath and gets in a secure stance.
"DRAGON! ARISE!"
The dragon's breathing immediately changes with a snort. Its legs shift as its head lifts up and locks onto Leland.
//Just need to move a little more, then I can have the perfect shot,// you think.
//''WHO DARES AWAKEN MY SLUMBER''//
Your every muscle fiber quakes and your bones chill. You look over to Leland, who your can tell is shaken but trying to hold his composure. He looks over to you and you can only nod encouragingly.
"I am Leland Barrington, knight-in-training--"
//''PUNY MORTAL!''// the dragon interrrupts. //''Not even a full knight! What are you, a weak human, to me, an almighty dragon?''//
Your spell has charged as far as it can go, and you aim for the weakspot in the dragon's underbelly. The dragon then shifts around to crawl closer to Leland. His leg extends out and you see your opportunity! Having learned your fair share from other adventurers, you dare not scream and make yourself known too soon. Instead, you use your magic to give yourself silent footsteps as you charge over to the beast.
The dragon's keen yellow eye flicks over in your direction. He breathes in deeply, charging up what you assume to be a blast of fire breath.
Conjuring up a magnificent lightning bolt, you send electricity surging through the dragon's body. Stray shocks light up the cave in a gorgeous array. Leland sprints over to where you stand and the pair of you gaze at the monster. The dragon wails and roars. You back away to shield yourself behind the stone wall where you came in, you and your companion both peering around the edge to witness what happens next.
The yellow eyes of the dragon flicker, adding to the strobe lighting in the cave. Then, the dragon stumbles and loses his balance, falling with a //BOOM// onto the stone floor.
You look over to Leland and grin widely and he returns the relieved smile. You look back to the dragon: smoke curls out of his nose, but there is no other movement.
"We did it!" you shout as Leland cheers.
Weary but fulfilled, you and Leland exit back out of the mountain.
As you reach the mouth of the cave, you hear a steady grumbling rise up within the cave...
<</if>>
[[THE END.]]
With a magnificent lightning bolt, electricity surges through the dragon. Stray shocks light up the cave in a gorgeous array.
But the lightning bolt you shot has bounced off of the dragon's scales! HE seemed to know what you were going to do and moved at the last second.
The dragon takes a deep breath and in an instant, you are enveloped in searing fire, feeling more pain than you ever though possible.
<div class="dead">//Your soul quickly depletes in strength and you die.//</div>
You turn to bolt out of there, but it is too late!
The dragon roars behind you and in an instant, you are enveloped in searing fire, feeling more pain than you ever though possible.
<div class="dead">//Your soul quickly depletes in strength and you die.//</div>"Stay still!" you shout to Delmon, who sees what you are trying to do and goes stiff as a board. You blast a firebolt into the hole where you assume whatever is holding onto his leg lies.
There is an ear-piercing screech and Delmon's leg is freed. In the effort, your hold on him lets go and he falls. You are just able to rush under him and try to catch him, but he catches himself with a cushioning spell.
The pair of you scramble away from the pit, breathing heavily.
"Thank you very much," Delmon says, bowing. "I simply could not get out of that pickle."
"No worries," you reply jovially.
The pair of you get back up, proceeding much more cautiously toward the mountain.
The rest of the way is mostly uneventful. However, every now and then small, skittering creatures crawl over your feet. Each time this happens, Delmon zaps the little animal in the but, shooting it off into the grass. You can't help but laugh.
"The dragon's lair is ahead," Delmon remarks a while later, pointing to the mountain as you approach its base.
You sigh, both thankful to be out of the terrible field and weary of what's to come. You trudge up the mountain side, following the map the king had given you before you started this quest.
"Just around this corner," you say after some minutes of silent progression. The silence is actually a little too eerie for your liking.
You and Delmon walk around a tall wall of rock and immediately see a huge cave opening. The way it is angled downward into the mountain seems to make it invisible to anyone looking up at the mountain from below. Delmon gives you a reassuring glance. Before you can give any last words of encouragement, mostly for your own sanity, a reverberating rumble comes from deep within the gave.
"Can you guess what that is?" Delmon asks, a little more upbeat than you would've thought.
"It's probably nothing," you say sarcastically, taking a daring step down into the cave.
The rumble comes again, this time rising to a roar. You gulp and look back at Delmon, who continues walking as if nothing happened.
"Nothing to be scared of," He whispers. "But let's proceed rather quickly."
You follow him [[into the gaping mouth of the cave.]]
You focus harder on pulling Delmon out, but whatever is holding onto him fights back. Then, he is suddenly yanked inward as the creature comes across newfound strength. There's a terrible gulping sound and you think there may be no getting Delmon back.
Then, the ground underneath your feet slides away, forcing you to fall into the pit. You can't conjure up a spell to escape in time.
<div class="dead">Your life ends in one quick gulp.</div>