Compendium III

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<<script>> var passages = document.getElementById("passages"); passages.scrollTop = 0; <</script>> <<if tags().includes("title")>> <<else>><div id = header><span>$chapter</span><span><span class = headertext> $location</span></span></div> <</if>>

<<link "Go Back">><<run Engine.backward()>><</link>>

<<set $language to " ">> <<set $chapter to " ">> <<set $location to " ">> <<set $poem1 to " ">> <<set $poem2 to " ">> <<set $poem3 to " ">>

<<run UIBar.hide().stow();>> <style> h1 {margin-top:20vh; font-size: 3em; letter-spacing:0.25em;} .passage>p {text-indent: 0em;} button, select { text-align:center; font-size: 1em; height: 3.75em; width: 10.5em; font-family: var(--alt-font); } #ui-dialog-body { background-color: var(--background-color); color: var(--font-color); border: var(--background-color); } #passages{ border-right: 0px solid var(--accent); border-left: 0px solid var(--accent); border-bottom: none; } #footer{display:none;} #ui-bar{display:none;} </style><center><h1><span class = fade>Compendium III</span></h1><span class = fade><hr></span></center> <<cont append>><center><center><table> <tr> <td style="width:25%"><<button [[Embark|location]]>><<set $chapter to "Compendium III">><<set $location to "Upon Tides of Conflict">><<set $poem1 to "e">><<set $poem2 to "e">><<set $poem3 to "e">><<run UIBar.show();>><</button>> <<if Save.autosave.ok() and Save.autosave.has()>><<button "Return">><<script>>Save.autosave.load()<</script>><</button>><</if>></td> <td style="width:25%"><<button "Configure">><<run UI.settings()>><</button>></td> <td style="width:25%"><<button [[Warnings|cw]]>><<set $location to " ">><<run UIBar.show();>><</button>></td> </tr> </table></center> <</cont>>

<i>Compendium III</i> contains content warnings for the following: <ul> <li>mentions of suicide, suicidal ideation</li> <li>hanging</li> <li>mentions of war and martial violence</li> <li>depictions of self-inflicted injuries, blood, gore</li> <li>religious themes</li> </ul> <hr> <span class = truecenter><center>[[Return to Menu|menu]]</center></span>

<p></p> <<run UIBar.show();>> <div id = 'locations'><div><img id="locationimage1"> <<linkreplace "The Gallows">>[[The End|gallows][$location to "The Imperial Rose Gardens"]]<</linkreplace>></div> <div><img id="locationimage2"> <<linkreplace "The Grave">>[[The End|forest][$location to "The Eastern wilds"]]<</linkreplace>></div> <div><img id="locationimage3"> <<linkreplace "The War-March">>[[The End|bridge][$location to "Tserya Tenevstroy"]]<</linkreplace>></div> <div><img id="locationimage4"> <<linkreplace "The Altar">>[[The End|abyss][$location to "A Shrine Beneath The Earth"]]<</linkreplace>></div> <div><img id="locationimage5"> <<linkreplace "The End">><<linkreplace "An End">>[[The End|empire][$location to "The Imperial Margin"]]<</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>></div> </div>

<p>Six nooses creak, sway in early spring breeze, dangling prizes blue-blooded, blanching further as sun turns flesh watery. <p>A seventh noose will be <<linkappend "yours.">> <p>A matter of inevitability--your Empire twitches, claws at its throat, kicks, struggles, screams hoarse curses. Asphyxiates, not having fallen long enough to be decapitated <<linkappend "entirely.">> <p>Failed decapitation leaves you regent. You walked beneath <span class = cycle><<cycle "_cycle" autoselect>> <<option "mother's">> <<option "father's">> <<option "brother's">> <<option "sister's">> <</cycle>></span> neatly hung finery, collected too-large crown to match too-long tunic, robe, cloak collecting mud as you departed your mother's <<linkreplace "gallows.">><<linkreplace "gardens.">> gardens. <p>Like the remnants of your Empire, they survived winter. Corpses feed flowers. Mother's roses will be crimson this year. <hr> <span class = truecenter><center>[[End.|END]]</center></span> </p><</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>><</linkappend>><</linkappend>>

<p>Sweat waters fresh-dug earth with salt, every fall of the shovel or blister growing on palm not pain enough. The ground is frozen. Cold enough to preserve the body beneath clean white sheet. <p>She rests. You tire. <<linkappend "Keep digging.">> <p>Your fault, <<linkreplace "hunter.">><<linkreplace "gravedigger.">>hunter-no-more.<</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>> Not keen-eyed enough. <<linkappend "Keep digging.">> <p>Not enough; you have no words for her. Just the <span class = cycle><<cycle "_cycle" autoselect>> <<option "sweat of your brow">> <<option "tears you shed">> <</cycle>></span> salting the earth. No <span class = cycle><<cycle "_cycle" autoselect>> <<option "apology.">> <<option "lamentation.">> <<option "soft words.">> <<option "warmth in night.">> <<option "promised future.">> <</cycle>></span> Nothing. <<linkappend "Keep digging.">> <p><<linkappend "Keep digging.">> <p>You have built her a fine bed for slumber. Come spring, wildflowers will grow from your failure. <hr> <span class = truecenter><center>[[End.|END]]</center></span> </p><</linkappend>><</linkappend>><</linkappend>><</linkappend>>

<p>Few songs fall like Northern war-march; boots drum against stone spanning melting seas, conversation a second melody murmured beneath a thousand <<linkreplace "voices.">>voices made one. <p><span class = cycle><<cycle "_cycle" autoselect>> <<option "<q><span class = northtext>Matr!</span></q>">> <<option "<q>Mother!</q>">> <</cycle>></span> comes voice bright as midsummer sun. Faceless chorus gives lamentation, farewell to hearth and citadel. <p>First Sword turns, visored helm raised. Southern countenance beneath Northern silver, shroud for shimmering tears. Her Lord-Harbinger awaits her return, as does her long-forgotten South. <span class = cycle><<cycle "_cycle" autoselect>> <<option "<q><span class = northtext>Coj bytsem ilya, Respatha-malin mnea?</span></q>">> <<option "<q>What is it, my little Sword?</q>">> <</cycle>></span> <p><span class = cycle><<cycle "_cycle" autoselect>> <<option "<q>Te'arma,</q>">> <<option "<q><span class = northtext>Byte deservar vis kalid,</span></q>">> <<option "<q>I love you,</q>">> <</cycle>></span> her dove smiles, too young for war. <p>Sharp, gleaming steel song echoes from fjord and armor. Had she heart, she would beg her dove <<linkreplace "return.">>return. <p><span class = cycle><<cycle "_cycle" autoselect>> <<option "<q>Te'arma.</q>">> <<option "<q><span class = northtext>Byte deservar vis kalid.</span></q>">> <<option "<q>I love you.</q>">> <</cycle>></span> <hr> <span class = truecenter><center><<linkreplace "<span class = northtext>Termyjyn</span>">>[[End.|END]]<</linkreplace>></center></span> </p><</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>>

<p>Serpentine blade slips from slick, swollen flesh marked faithfully, yields blood-seed, sanguine deluge distilling one slow drop at a time for germination, blossoming upon altar.</p> <p>“My Lord,” you <<linkreplace "gasp.">>gasp, desperate, zealous hands smeared with the ecstasy of open vein. <p>Upon shuddering iridescence oil-slick, taut brilliance <<linkreplace "exhales.">>exhales, shifts watery, blotting light upon your skin, lends it new form. Red fingers holy in perseverance clasp knife to bare breast. <p>Voice three-in-one drips from slack jaw, trembles upon ears unhearing, your labored breaths the only <<linkreplace "sound.">>sound. <p>“We hunger,” it <<linkreplace "echoes.">>echoes. <p>“I cannot feed you," you <<linkreplace "breathe.">>breathe. “Faith alone is not enough." <hr> <span class = truecenter><center>[[End.|END]]</center></span> <</linkreplace>></p><</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>>

<p>Death weaves strange webs inescapable, plays strange games with eternity. Faith promises threefold life; the before eternal, the being finite, the after eternal. Mortal things hunger for eternity, hunger bleeding when given substance, name. <p>Such hunger we named <<linkappend "Empire.">> <p>It weeps, crawling across the land, rotting where it stagnates. Fresh flesh for outpost-kept margin grows brittle in winter, buds further intrusions in spring. <p>It slavers for the <<linkappend "North.">> Waits for weakness, melting ice.<</linkappend>> <p>It consumes the <<linkappend "South.">> Burns glade and field and gods alike.<</linkappend>> <p>It has wretched <<linkappend "heart.">> It is mortal. It will <<linkappend "die.">> <p><span class = cycle><<cycle "_cycle" once>> <<option "Everything">> <<option "We">> <</cycle>></span> will die with it. <hr> <span class = truecenter><center>[[End.|END]]</center></span> </p><</linkappend>><</linkappend>><</linkappend>>

<<nobr>>>><<run UIBar.hide().stow();>> <style> h1 {margin-top:20vh; font-size: 3em; letter-spacing:0.25em;} .passage>p {text-indent: 0em;} button, select { text-align:center; font-size: 1em; height: 3.75em; width: 10.5em; font-family: var(--alt-font); } #ui-dialog-body { background-color: var(--background-color); color: var(--font-color); border: var(--background-color); } #passages{ border-right: 0px solid var(--accent); border-left: 0px solid var(--accent); border-bottom: none; } #footer{display:none;} #header {display:none;} #ui-bar{display:none;} </style><center><h1><span class = fade><span class = truecenter>End</span></span></h1><span class = fade><hr></span></center><<cont append>> <center><span class = truecenter><<button [[Again.|menu]]>><</button>></span></center> <</cont>> <</nobr>>