Pearl Cottage: Mystery of Memory

[if atticUnlocked] The ladder to the attic is pulled down, ready for you. > [[Into Attic]] > {back link, label: 'Go back'} [else] For the first time in a long time, you see the ladder to the attic pulled down. \ Did you pull it down? Was it already like this? The door to allow entry into the attic is locked. > [[Unlock Attic]] > {back link, label: 'Go back'}

atticUnlocked: true -- The keys in your hand jangle. (Were they in your pocket before?)\ You unlock the way [[into the attic->Into Attic]].\ But maybe you [[aren't ready->Upstairs]] to face what's there...

[if revealPrompts] `<Attic: Your forgotten childhood and adolescence>` [continue] You are inside the attic. It is your first time in here (or have you been here recently?).\ You wonder what you'll find in here. The energy inside you seems to have settled into your bones. \ Something about being in this space seems to feel... right. Do you see anything worth examining? > [[Cane]] [if itemsAttic >0] > [[Blanket]] [if itemsAttic >1] > [[Leash]] [if itemsAttic >2] > [[Toys]] [if itemsAttic >3] > [[Jewellery]] [if secretAtticUnlocked] > [[Secret Attic Room]]

itemsAttic: 1 -- [if revealPrompts] `<Item (Card): [10♦️] Cane, stick.>`\ `<Colours (1d6): [4] Dull colours.>`\ `<Condition (1d6): [6] Used but well cared for.>`\ `<Imagery (2d6): [2,6] Guile, FOX, Curiosity.>`\ `<Topic (2d6): [6,4] Shame, DIRT, blackmail.>` [continue] You hold the **{reveal link: "cane", text: "cane, made of dark mahogany but its shine long gone, feels weighty and formiddable"}** in your hands. And you {reveal link: "remember", text: "remember being a young child. In the endless fields behind your home, you played in the dirt. A curious fox watched you in the cover of the tall grasses."}\ You often found new places {reveal link: "to play", text: "to play--and when your mother found you, she was always crying. She would drag you into the living room, not noticing your fox friend"}. \ Oh. {reveal link: "This cane is so familiar", text: "With this very cane, she smacked you repeatedly, telling you to stay indoors. Through the window, you could see the fox watching with sad eyes. It slunk away before your mother noticed."}. > [[Look around->Into Attic]] > [[Look elsewhere->Upstairs]]

itemsAttic: 2 -- [if revealPrompts] `<Item (Card): [4♦️] Blanket, coverlet, quilt.>`\ `<Colours (1d6): [2] Dark colours.>`\ `<Condition (1d6): [1] Impeccable, untouched.>`\ `<Imagery (2d6): [5,3] Dream, MIRAGE, Temptation.>`\ `<Topic (2d6): [1,1] Destiny, SUN, Power.>` [continue] You pick up the {reveal link: "**blanket**", text: "dark blue blanket, with clouds stitched into the trim"}. You are {reveal link: "a toddler again", text: "two (or three?) years old, and you pull the blanket towards you for warmth, and power courses through you, and it feels like safety, like your mother's arms enfolded around you, everything hazy and dreamlike at the corners of your eyes"}.\ This was your mother's {reveal link: "favourite blanket", text: "favourite blanket--when you were sick, she would wrap it around you. But at any other time, she would hide it away from you, saying you weren't ready. Whatever that meant"}. \ It's been a long time since you've seen this. > [[Look around->Into Attic]] > [[Look elsewhere->Upstairs]]

itemsAttic: 3 -- [if revealPrompts] `<Item (Card): [9♦️] Belt, leash.>`/ `<Colours (1d6): [2] Dark.>`/ `<Condition (1d6): [1] Impeccable, untouched.>`/ `<Imagery (2d6): [4,2] Tradition, CAGE, Enmeshment.>`/ `<Topic (2d6): [3,4] Confusion, FOG, Lie.>` [continue] You pick up the leash. You remember being 10. /You were going to get a puppy. No, there _was_ a puppy. It had a ribbon around its neck. This was its leash when you took it for walks. One day the puppy was gone. Your parents told you there never was a puppy. But here is its leash... > [[Look around->Into Attic]] > [[Look elsewhere->Upstairs]]

itemsAttic: 4 -- [if revealPrompts] `<Item (Card): [2♦️] Box with toys and puppets.>`/ `<Colours (1d6): [4] Bright.>`/ `<Condition (1d6): [6] Mended, patched.>`/ `<Imagery (2d6): [5,6] Unity, KNOT, Pact.>`/ `<Topic (2d6): [1,2] Influence, COIN, Success.>` [continue] You look at the {reveal link: "puppets", text: "puppets, each one featuring varyingly intricate knots"}. \ You remember playing with these all the time. Your mother would tell you stories about how the puppets grew strong and successful because they used magic.\ Your father would help tell these stories too. These magic wielders who thwarted evil.\ When did they stop telling stories? You can't remember anymore. > [[Look around->Into Attic]] > [[Look elsewhere->Upstairs]]

itemsAttic: 5 -- [if revealPrompts] `<Item (Card): [3♦️] Jewellery, bijouterie.>` `<Colours (1d6): [3] Light.>`/ `<Condition (1d6): [1] Impeccable, untouched.>`/ `<Imagery (2d6): [1,1] Destiny, SUN, Power.>` `<Topic (2d6): [4,6] Wisdom, SNAKE, Danger.>` [continue] You remember this {reveal link: "necklace", text: "necklace, a string of pearls with a golden sun hanging from the middle"}. You remember that your mother was always wearing {reveal link: "this", text:"this. It sat high on her throat like a choker"}. \ > [[Relive the memory->Jewellery Memory]] > [[Look around->Into Attic]] > [[Look elsewhere->Upstairs]]

One day she invited you into the bedroom she shared with your father and let you wear it. She called it fancy dress up, and that was exciting. \ She put it around your neck. Back then, the moment the sun pendant kissed your skin, you felt an overwhelming sense of danger, like you had spotted a coiled snake poised to attack. \ Your mother kissed you on the top of your head. "Oh my flower, I felt that way when I first started wearing it too. But when you learn-- when I teach you-- things will be different." \ You begged her to take it off, and she did.\ You never saw the necklace again until today. [if vialDrank] > [[Wear Necklace->Wear Necklace Good]] [else] > [[Wear Necklace->Wear Necklace Bad]] > [[Look around->Into Attic]] > [[Look elsewhere->Upstairs]] [if secretAtticUnlocked] > [[Secret Attic Room]]

health: health+2 -- Your throat clears. It's easier to breathe. You feel power coursing through you. \ You feel _good_. Is this why your mother loved this necklace so?\ You spot a {link to: "Unlock Secret Attic Room", label:"faint outline"} on the far wall. Was it always there?

health: health-1 -- Something is wrong. The neclace burns your skin, and you feel the same visceral fear from your childhood. \ Images of menacing darkness and the sounds of bloodthirsty laughter pervade your mind. \ You don't understand--why would your mother love this necklace so much? `<Health: {health}>` [if health <1] {embed passage: "Game Over Bad"} [else] > [[Look around->Into Attic]] > [[Look elsewhere->Upstairs]]

secretAtticUnlocked: true -- [if revealPrompts] `<Imagery (2d6): [1,3] Insight, RAVEN, Bloodshed.>` [continue] As you rub on the right edge of the outline, an inscription emerges. The **Raven** opens its bloodied beak to speak: _bukod sa sarili, karunungan nang mahika lamang ay sapat_. [after 1 second] The wall hinges forward with a creak. > [[Go Inside->Secret Attic Room]] > [[Look around->Into Attic]] > [[Look elsewhere->Upstairs]]

[if revealPrompts] `<Is it dark [1d6]: [4] Yes but...>` {embed passage: "Secret Room Meaning"} [continue] What do you notice? > [[Satchel]] [if itemsSecret1 >0] > [[Notes]]

itemsSecret1: 1 -- [if revealPrompts] `<Item (Card): [5♣️] Satchel, cofret, case.>` `<Colours (1d6): [2] Dark.>`/ `<Condition (1d6): [3] Dismantled, broken.>`/ `<Imagery (2d6): [6,1] Growth, SEED, Cause.>` `<Topic (2d6): [4, 3] Fear, WHISPER, Secret.>` [continue] There are glowing seeds that draw your attention. They are scatter around a {reveal link: "satchel", text: "beat up and ripped leather satchel"}./ This is your father's old satchel. What does this mean...? > [[Hunting Satchel]] > [[An Accident]]

You look at the satchel closely. It is definitely your father's. \ There it is--embroidered into its side is a flower. \ Why is it ripped like this? Why is it _here_? {back link, label: "What now?"}

When your parents died, you were all living somewhere else. Somewhere far from here. \ You never saw their bodies after... it happened. But your {avaunt} brought you back here. Back home.\ You don't think your father had his satchel at the time... Your mother never went hunting with him. [after 2 second] Were their deaths an accident after all...? \ {back link, label: "What now?"}

itemsSecret1: 2 -- [if revealPrompts] `<Item (Card): [3♣️] Jewellery, bijouterie.>` `<Colours (1d6): [3] Light.>`/ `<Condition (1d6): [1] Impeccable, untouched.>`/ `<Imagery (2d6): [1,1] Destiny, SUN, Power.>` `<Topic (2d6): [4,6] Wisdom, SNAKE, Danger.>` [continue]

[if basementUnlocked] The door leading to the basement is ajar, and you can see the stairs before you. > [[Into Basement]] > {back link, label: 'Go back'} [else] The door to the basement is painted white with a yellow sun painted in the centre, its rays extending to the edges of the door. > [[Unlock Basement]] > {back link, label: 'Go back'}

basementUnlocked: true -- You thumb through the keys in your hand. You try one at a time until you feel the telltale click of a door unlocking.\ You have unlocked the [[basement door->Into Basement]].\ But maybe you [[aren't ready->Ground floor]] to face what's there...

[if revealPrompts] `<Basement: What your family was hiding from you>` [continue] You are in the basement. You cannot tell the time of day or the passage of time down here. You feel disconnected from the world.\ You wonder what you'll find. The energy inside you pulses erratically, like it wants you to _notice_ something. Do you see anything worth examining? > [[Vials]] [if itemsBasement >0] > [[Axe]] [if itemsBasement >1] > [[Candles]] [if itemsBasement >2] > [[Map]] [if itemsBasement >3] > [[Boxes]]

itemsBasement: 1 vialsChecked: vialsChecked+1 -- [if revealPrompts] `<Item (Card): [6♠️] Vials with liquid.>`\ `<Colours (1d6): [6] Warm.>`\ `<Condition (1d6): [6] Used but well cared for.>`\ `<Imagery (2d6): [1,5] Obstruction, TRAP, Betrayal.>`\ `<Topic (2d6): [2,2] Knowledge, EYE, Chase.>` [continue] [unless vialsChecked >1] A red fox [[darts->Fox Basement]] past you. [continue] There are [[vials of liquid->Vials Revealed]] on the desk shoved into the corner. [continue] > [[Drink Vial]] > [[Look around->Into Basement]] > [[Look elsewhere->Ground floor]]

vialsKnown: true -- The red fox has dislodged some books onto the desk, and you see a leather journal among them. > [[Look at book->Check Basement Book]] > {back link, label: "Turn back"}

vialsKnown: true -- You leaf through the pages of the journal. It looks like magical research, and it has something to do with these vials. \ You think that maybe this was partly written by your family? You can see their distinct penmanship in the latter pages, while the earlier entries have unfamiliar scrawls--some fancy, some childlike and one using an unknown script. > [[Look at vials->Vials Revealed]] > [[Go back->Into Basement]]

You look at the {reveal link: "**vials of liquid**", text: "vials of liquid, red and orange in shade, wondering what these are for"}. [if vialsKnown] You realise that these liquids represent years of work. They were chasing after an answer, maybe it's one you need to follow too. [else] You wonder what the vials mean. You feel like maybe you're missing something. [continue] > [[Drink Vial]] > [[Go back->Into Basement]] > [[Go upstairs->Ground floor]]

health: health-1 vialDrank: true -- You eye the vial and decide to drink it. You feel a sharp pain in your stomach. (Does your vision sharpen?)\ `<Health: {health}>` [if health <1] {embed passage: "Game Over Bad"} [else] > [[Drink Vial]] > [[Go back->Into Basement]] > [[Go upstairs->Ground floor]]

itemsBasement: 2 health: health-1 -- [if revealPrompts] `<Item (Card): [2♠️] Axe, hatchet, mattock.>` `<Colours (1d6): [5] Cool.>`/ `<Condition (1d6): [5] Rugged, shabby.>`/ `<Imagery (2d6): [1,5] Obstruction, TRAP, Betrayal.>` `<Topic (2d6): [1,3] Insight, RAVEN, Bloodshed.>` [if axeSeen] You look at the axe but don't touch it. You wonder why there would be a trap in your childhood home... > [[Go back->Into Basement]] > [[Go upstairs->Ground floor]] [else] There is an {reveal link: "axe", text: "axe, dull and rusty"}. > [[Grab Axe]] > [[Go back->Into Basement]] > [[Go upstairs->Ground floor]]

axeSeen: true health: health -1 -- When you go to pick up the axe, a burning pain shoots through your hand. \ You yelp and let it go. \ [after 1 second] The pain subsides. \ You check your hand, and there's no physical mark.\ But the pain was _real_. `<health: {health}>` [if health <1] {embed passage: "Game Over Bad"} [else] > [[Go back->Into Basement]] > [[Go upstairs->Ground floor]]

You push the door open and pause at the entryway. \ It feels different, somehow. \ You feel a thrum of energy pulse through you. > [[Step away->Outside the Door]] > [[Upstairs]] > [[Ground floor]]

The front door has shut without your notice. When you try the doorknob, it is hot to the touch. Too hot, even. Your head pounds when you think about leaving. \ But if you step away from the door, your head clears. Although it is still hard to breathe. > [[Upstairs]] > [[Ground floor]]

You feel the thrum of energy pulse through you, like the ticking of a clock. \ It is hard to breathe. \ Maybe if you explore...? > [[Try to leave->Locked Door]] > [[Upstairs]] > [[Basement]]

The energy feels almost insistent. It seems to flow through you. \ How long have you been standing here, short of breath? > [[Attic]] > [[Study]] > [[Ground floor]]

[if revealPrompts] `<House Appearance: 1d6[4] small, pretty, cosy>` `<Weather: 2d6 [6,4] heat>` [continue] You're {reveal link: 'standing', text: 'standing there--the sun hot on your skin, almost scorching--'} in front of an **unassuming cottage**. It looks inviting. \ \ Yet you feel a sense of *foreboding*, gazing upon it. > [[Look around->Outside House Around]] > [[Approach the house->Outside the Door]]

[if revealPrompts] `<House Location: 2d6[6,2] steppe>` [continue] You look around. \ Brown grass is all around you. The dead fields seem to stretch endlessly. \ There is no end in sight. \ You are all alone. > {back link, label: 'Turn back'}

You step up to the door. The {reveal link: "door knocker", text: 'door knocker, shaped like the sun,'} is high on the door frame. > [[Knock on the door->Knock nothing happens]] [if houseUnlocked] > [[Open the door->Inside Door]] [else] > [[Open the door->Outside Keys]] > [[Step away->Outside House Start]]

You knock on the door. [after 1 second] Nothing happens. Of course not. *Everyone* is gone. [continue] > {back link, label: 'What now?'}

The door is [[locked->Outside Unlock Door]]. > {back link, label: 'What now?'}

avaunt: 'aunt' houseUnlocked: true -- You fish out the keys jangling in your pocket. You rifle through each one, trying them in turn. \ You've lived here for most of your life, but you've never held these keys in your hands before. These keys with inlaid pearls at the head.\ While your parents lived, you were carefully herded from room to room, never out of sight of a grown-up. \ Later, when it was just you and... your... *{avaunt}*--rooms were locked.\ Well. You're on your own, and you can open any door.\ \ On third try, you hear a soft click. \ The door is unlocked. What now? > [[Examine your surroundings->Outside House Start]] > [[Open the door->Inside Door]]

name: 'Treasure' itemsAttic: 0 itemsStudy: 0 itemsBasement: 0 itemsSecret1: 0 itemsSecret2: 0 itemsSecret3: 0 health: 4 houseUnlocked: false atticUnlocked: false studyUnlocked: false basementUnlocked: false secretAtticUnlocked: false secretBasementUnlocked: false secretStudyUnlocked: false revealPrompts: true vialsChecked: 0 vialsKnown: false -- Your name is... {name}. [note] Add prompt for name [after 2 second] Your memory is fuzzy. But... you know you are home. [after 4 second] You know that much. You are standing [[outside->Outside House Start]].

You pass out and never wake up again. [unless secretAtticUnlocked && secretStudyUnlocked && secretBasementUnlocked] Now you will never know all the secrets the house had in store for you. [if secretAtticUnlocked] At least you remember your past... [if secretStudyUnlocked] Well, you found out about your {avaunt} before you passed. That is something... [if secretBasementUnlocked] Was this the curse catching up to you or your own foolishness? [continue] Game Over. {restart link, label: "Try again?"}

`<Secret Room: How and Why Your Family Died>`

[if studyUnlocked] The door to the study is slightly ajar, inviting you in. If your {avaunt} were still alive... well, this door would be locked. > [[Into Study]] > {back link, label: 'Go back'} [else] You look at the door for a long time. Can you really just unlock it, just like that? > [[Unlock Study]] > {back link, label: 'Go back'}

atticUnlocked: true -- The keys in your hand jangle. (Were they in your pocket before?)\ You unlock the way [[into the study->Into Study]].\ But maybe you [[aren't ready->Upstairs]] to face what's there...

[if revealPrompts] `<Study: Who your {avaunt} was>` [continue] You are nervous being inside this room. Even when it was just you and your parents living here, you were never allowed in here. \ When it was just you and your {avaunt}, you thought nobody went in here at all. But clearly this space was used often... Do you see anything worth examining? > [[Insect Collection]] [if itemsAttic >0] > [[Mortar and Pestle]] [if itemsAttic >1] > [[Skull]] [if itemsAttic >2] > [[Locket]] [if itemsAttic >3] > [[Tapestry]]

itemsStudy: 1 -- [if revealPrompts] `<Item (Card): [9♥️] Collection of insects.>` `<Colours (1d6): [2] Warm.>` `<Condition (1d6): [1] Rugged, shabby.>` `<Imagery (2d6): [6,6] Wits, RAT, Dishonesty.>` `<Topic (2d6): [2,2] Knowledge, EYE, Chase.>` [continue] There are butterflies and moths in shades of orange, brown, and yellow. They are everywhere, pinned to the walls and to the desk. None move. All unnaturally still. \ On the desk, there is a {reveal link: "note", text: "note asking if they can share something with you--to please respond"}. > [[Look around->Into Study]] > [[Look elsewhere->Upstairs]]

itemsStudy: 2 -- [if revealPrompts] `<Item (Card): [4♥️] Mortar and pestle.>` `<Colours (1d6): [5] Cool.>` `<Condition (1d6): [3] Dismantled and broken.>` `<Imagery (2d6): [5, 4] Independence, CAT, Premonition.>` `<Topic (2d6): [5, 2] Covertness, POISON, Corruption.>` [continue] On the desk, you notice a mortar and pestle. Strange, you didn't notice this earlier. (Or did you?) [if mortarSeen] You carefully avoid the poisonous powder spilled on the desk and floor. [continue] > [[Examine Mortar and Pestle]] > [[Look around->Into Study]] > [[Look elsewhere->Upstairs]]

The mortar and pestle are made of white marble, and both are cool to the touch. They are cracked and damaged now. You don't think you could use them to prepare anything anymore. \ [unless mortarSeen] There's {link to: "Mortar Powder", label: "powder"} inside. [else] There's powder all over. You avoid touching it. [continue] > [[Look around->Into Study]] > [[Look elsewhere->Upstairs]]

mortarSeen: true mortarHurt: random.d4 -- You bend over to take a closer look and feel a shiver go down your spine. For a long moment, you can sense nothing. \ [after 1 second] You lose your balance and knock something over. [if mortarHurt <4] {embed passage: "Mortar Hurt"} [continue] When your vision clears, you see the powder has gotten on a couple butterflies and all over the floor. \ The butterflies have dissolved where the powder touched it. The wooden floor has angry burnt spots. \ Poison? Why? > [[Look around->Into Study]] > [[Look elsewhere->Upstairs]]

health: health-1 You wince, as your vision clears. Some powder got on you... \ `<Health: {health}>` [if health <1] {embed passage: "Game Over Bad"} [else] You also see the powder has gotten on a couple butterflies and all over the floor. \ The butterflies have dissolved where the powder touched it. The wooden floor has angry burnt spots. \ Poison? Why? > [[Look around->Into Study]] > [[Look elsewhere->Upstairs]]

itemsStudy: 3 -- [if revealPrompts] `<Item (Card): [9♥️] .>` `<Colours (1d6): [] .>` `<Condition (1d6): [] .>` `<Imagery (2d6): [] .>` `<Topic (2d6): [] .>` [continue] There are butterflies and moths in shades of orange, brown, and yellow. They are everywhere, pinned to the walls and to the desk. None move. All unnaturally still. \ On the desk, there is a {reveal link: "note", text: "note asking if they can share something with you--to please respond"}. > [[Look around->Into Study]] > [[Look elsewhere->Upstairs]]

itemsStudy: 4 -- [if revealPrompts] `<Item (Card): [9♥️] .>` `<Colours (1d6): [] .>` `<Condition (1d6): [] .>` `<Imagery (2d6): [] .>` `<Topic (2d6): [] .>` [continue] There are butterflies and moths in shades of orange, brown, and yellow. They are everywhere, pinned to the walls and to the desk. None move. All unnaturally still. \ On the desk, there is a {reveal link: "note", text: "note asking if they can share something with you--to please respond"}. > [[Look around->Into Study]] > [[Look elsewhere->Upstairs]]

itemsStudy: 5 -- [if revealPrompts] `<Item (Card): [9♥️] .>` `<Colours (1d6): [] .>` `<Condition (1d6): [] .>` `<Imagery (2d6): [] .>` `<Topic (2d6): [] .>` [continue] There are butterflies and moths in shades of orange, brown, and yellow. They are everywhere, pinned to the walls and to the desk. None move. All unnaturally still. \ On the desk, there is a {reveal link: "note", text: "note asking if they can share something with you--to please respond"}. > [[Look around->Into Study]] > [[Look elsewhere->Upstairs]]