The Last Court

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/crystalball.png" alt="CrystalBall">]''Case: The Elusive Iconoclast'' She has spread discontent across Serault. She has drawn a fire-eyed mob to your gates. She has fermented heresy and rebellion. She must answer for her crimes... but with the minimum of further unrest. What is to be done with the Elusive Iconoclast? <img src="images/scholarshipmini.png" alt="ScholarshipMini"> [[Visit the Iconoclast in her cell]] You can hear what she has to say for herself; but if it becomes known that you visited her in her cell, her cause will grow stronger. //Investigate deeper before taking a decision.// <img src="images/scholarshipmini.png" alt="ScholarshipMini"> [[Investigate her Chantry connections]] She didn't learn her theology from haystacks and carthorses. //Investigate deeper before taking a decision.// <img src="images/rulershipmini.png" alt="RulershipMini"> [[Have her put to death]] While she lives, her revolution will prosper. But executing her is risky. Andraste has long inspired an Orlesian affection for martyrs. //Better end this the simple way.//

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/guildmistress.png" alt="Guildmistress">]''An opportunity'' "It'll be difficult to deliver in time," the Guildmistress muses. "But look at what she'll pay. I didn't know numbers went that high." More importantly, this commission could generate more. Fads drive the high families of Val Royeaux like a sheepdog does a flock. When the glassworkers learn about the work, they grumble. "Can't be done," some insist. "Not without working us to the bone. Not that that'll stop them." <img src="images/rulershipmini.png" alt="RulershipMini"> [[Limit the glassworkers' freedoms]] It's the only way to complete the job on time. [[Turn down the commission]] The glassworkers are already worked to the bone. [[Deliver a lesser work]] There will be other commissions. Perhaps you can keep the client on the hook; reel her in another time.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/peasant.png" alt="Peasant">]''Expert assistance'' You call for your court physician: a short, pinch-faced man you employed for his steely nerves, not his bedside manner. "The disease causes a burning fever, loosens the bowels, and - in the worst cases - kills," the physician tells you. "The well's to blame. Can you smell that? Like brine mixed with rotting fruit. Some foulness of the earth has tainted the water." <img src="images/scholarshipmini.png" alt="ScholarshipMini"> [[Search the Applewoods for curative herbs|Search the Applewoods for curative herbs 1]] Somewhere in the woods lies the key to cleansing the well. <img src="images/rulershipmini.png" alt="RulershipMini"> [[Order the digging of a new well|Order the digging of a new well 1]] Close enough to the village to be convenient, far enough to avoid the corrupted source. [[Disperse the villagers among neighbouring manors|Disperse the villagers among neighbouring manors 1]] You can find them homes where their labour is needed, but it will mean splitting up families and friendships.\ \ (set: $plague to "true")

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/male2.png" alt="VisitingScholar">]''Quite the achievement'' The University of Orlais is infamously liberal. Exactly how 'unorthodox' do you have to be to get thrown out of it? The scholar needs a home. He is undoubtedly brilliant - adept in matters of the physick and philosophy, an expert on the movements of the stars - but his political opinions are naive at best, inflammatory at worst. [[Become his patron]] His learning will be a boon to Serault. <img src="images/rulershipmini.png" alt="RulershipMini"> [[Turn him away, as your nobles advise]] Ensure he is escorted across the borders so he doesn't have a chance to foment his revolution. <img src="images/scholarshipmini.png" alt="ScholarshipMini"> [[Allow him to stay for just a few days]] He may have word of Val Royeaux and the places he has passed through.\ \ (set: $gentleman to "true")

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/chest.png" alt="Chest">]''The words of a rival'' He wears a dove mask, blushed with carnelian. You restrain a groan. His master's lands share a border with Serault. You are not enemies, exactly, but you certainly aren't friends. The herald clears his throat. "Allow me to tell you of my master's recent visit to the imperial court, where he was welcomed as a prince and showered with the most lavish of benefactions..." his voice drones like bees in the hive. The Dowager's smile is impeccable, but immobile as a portrait. Is that a flicker of apology in her eyes? Your rival's herald drones about their visit to the imperial court, a tedious string of boasts and gossip. And here's a gift, just to rub it in! A chest of bright silks and sweet perfumes. The exchange of gifts is a delicate matter of etiquette. How will you reciprocate? [[Give a richer gift in exchange]] Let it never be said that Serault cannot pay her debts. <img src="images/scholarshipmini.png" alt="ScholarshipMini"> [[Accept his gift and return only a polite letter]] With the right words you might be able to keep the gift and preserve Serault's dignity. <img src="images/cunningmini.png" alt="CunningMini"> [[Match his gift and ply the herald with wine]] He must have heard a great deal at court. Perhaps some of it will be of use...

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/peasant.png" alt="Peasant">]''Hard choices'' He huffs. "Of course the peasants are complaining! It's the privilege of those who serve to whine about those who rule. If they were able to grasp the decisions we need to make, they'd have been born in a castle, not in a pig-pen! Come. I'll take you there and you can see for yourself." It's a day's ride to the domain of his vassal-knight. The Baron grumbles the whole way. As the western sky begins to turn the colour of roses, you enter a tiny, pocket fief of overgrown hedgerows and fields as thin as the peasants who work them. The manor has fallen on hard times. The folk working its fields are gaunt, ill, and without hope. Their lord is not wealthy - his keep is drafty, his meat lean. But he and his family have food on their tables and warm clothes on their backs. Unlike his serfs. Ragged wool hangs from them. Some bear the livid red welts of barrow-sickness. Yet still they labour under the hard sun, to fulfill their obligations come harvest-time. [[Demand better treatment for the peasants]] A lord must care for those in his charge, even if it means tightening his belt. [[They must accept their lot]] Their lord needs to be hale and provisioned, in case his people are threatened and require decisive leadership. [[Give them your meal]] You can't help with tomorrow, but at least they'll have full bellies today. And perhaps they have information they will share.\ \ (set: $manor to "true")

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/headman.png" alt="Headman">]''Troublesome guests'' The Wayward Bard speaks. "I've had dealings with their captain before. Fereldan by birth, but no nation would claim him now. Pleasant enough, for a treacherous freebooter who'd gut you if he thought you'd swallowed a purse. He'll have sniffed out our brewing civil war." "If you like, I could arrange an introduction. Best not to ignore them, though. There's a lot of them, they're trained soldiers, and they're used to taking whatever they bloody well want." There's nearly a hundred of them, crossing Serault in search of war: wolf-like soldiers clad in mismatched armour and carrying well-kept, well-used weapons. Their eyes are hard, their hands are calloused from sword-work, and their supplies are running low... <img src="images/cunningmini.png" alt="CunningMini"> [[Pay them to be on their way]] It's how these things work. Better to pay in coin than in plundered villages and crow-haunted fields. <img src="images/derringdomini.png" alt="DerringDoMini"> [[Drive them off with a show of force]] It's risky. They are not strangers to battle. [[Dine with their leader]] And tolerate their company for a while longer.\ \ (set: $blackdogs to "true")

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/bluewings.png" alt="BlueWings">]''All the rage'' A new dance, the //tourdion//, has seized Val Royeaux like the falling sickness. Some of the younger scions of Serault have succumbed, and are asking you to hold a ball. "Maker knows I'm not one for fads or frolics, and I fail to see how hopping about in tight hose can do a thing for Serault's dignity. But youth is a gift, and a brief one. Let them enjoy it," says the Acerbic Dowager. You had intended to hold a tourney, but apparently they're out of fashion at the imperial court. A quandary. Around your hall fresh faces hang on your answer. <img src="images/derringdomini.png" alt="DerringDoMini"> [[Hold the tourney anyway|Hold the tourney anyway 2]] A pox on fashion. A good old-fashioned tourney gets the blood pumping. You might even win! <img src="images/rulershipmini.png" alt="RulershipMini"> [[Hold a ball and dance the //tourdion//|Hold a ball and dance the tourdion 2]] Alright. Let's see what all the fuss is about. [[Do neither|Do neither 2]] Spare the Marquisate's coffers.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/attention.png" alt="CrowEyes">]''Augury'' "Euphidia has a lot to say on the subject of orniscopy, of course, but much of it is contradictory. Petrine is largely useless on the matter, but she does reference a flight of sparrows forming the pattern of a sunburst during the second Exalted March upon the Imperium, which makes me wonder if..." For three days they have circled the south tower, croaking at dawn and dusk. The cook's boy swears one of them carries a serpent in its claws, but he has always struggled with an excess of imagination. <img src="images/scholarshipmini.png" alt="ScholarshipMini"> [[Call for soothsayers to read the signs|Call for soothsayers to read the signs 1]] Can they show you the future? <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity"> [[Ignore the portents|Ignore the portents 1]] You'll not live your life at the behest of stars and chicken entrails. <img src="images/woodswisemini.png" alt="WoodswiseMini"> [[Decipher their meaning yourself|Decipher their meaning yourself 1]] You have a way with such things.\ \ (set: $crows to "true")

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/councillor.png" alt="Councillor">]''There's probably a point, somewhere'' “And so many of them! Aren't we lucky? I'm sure absolutely none of them are spies. Or revolutionaries. Or maleficars. Anyway, it's certainly grown much more interesting around here. Many of the charming creatures haven't even heard my best stories yet. It's like having my very own buffet." Your court seems filled with them. Listless sons and daughters of local nobility. Rambling scholars, puffed with wind. Visitors from other provinces who drink your wines, eat your bread and give back nothing but unwanted opinion. <img src="images/rulershipmini.png" alt="RulershipMini"> [[Dismiss them]] The ones who have proven themselves useful can stay. The rest can find someone else to leech off, and damn the laws of hospitality! <img src="images/cunningmini.png" alt="CunningMini"> [[Tolerate them]] Moths will flutter about a candle flame. It is their nature.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/graffiti2.png" alt="Graffiti">]''Hidden in plain sight'' He has always sought to preserve even the most mundane facets of Seraultine life. Perhaps, for once, it's paid off. "It was just a way to pass the time, initially. But patterns began to appear. Alas, codes and ciphers are not my area of expertise, and my other research beckons. I've recently acquired a fragmentary copy of Mortosia's //Final Journey//, and translating it is going to be damnably tricky..." He hands over a comprehensive set of sketches and logs, detailing graffiti from across Serault. At best the graffiti is garish. At worst it's seditious. Who is responsible? <img src="images/rulershipmini.png" alt="RulershipMini"> [[Scrub Serault clean]] She will be pristine again. <img src="images/scholarshipmini.png" alt="ScholarshipMini"> [[Try to crack the code]] You're sure revolutionaries are using the graffiti to transmit messages under the very noses of your watch.\ \ (set: $vandals to "true")

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/wearybailiff2.png" alt="Seneschal">]''Retirement'' "But I //am// unsuited to the hasty world of governance. I intend to retire to my modest estate, where I will be responsible for nothing more important than a pond full of ducks." "Good day, (if: $gender is "female")[Lady $name](else:)[Lord $name]. I leave Serault in your hands." Whom among the Chateau's most notable courtiers shall you summon to take the Seneschal's place at your side? <img src="images/dowager.png" alt="Dowager" height="65" width="50"> [[Invite the Acerbic Dowager|Invite the Dowager to become your counsellor]] She is accustomed to rule. Her counsel will be direct and decisive. <img src="images/abbessalt.png" alt="AbbessAlt" height="65" width="50"> [[Invite the Elegant Abbess|Fake Abbess Invite 1]] The Abbey of the Bans is a good distance away, but her business, and her family, often bring her to town. <img src="images/baron.png" alt="Baron" height="65" width="50"> [[Invite the Cheery Baron|Fake Baron Invite 1]] He'll never admit that he came at your call, but he will come. <img src="images/knight.png" alt="Knight" height="65" width="50"> [[Invite the Kindly Knight]] Of them all, he is the most biddable. <img src="images/guildmistress.png" alt="Guildmistress" height="65" width="50"> [[Invite the Smiling Guildmistress|Invite the Guildmistress to become your adviser]] You could use a smile with a knife hidden behind...

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight">]''Accusations'' The Baron says "My western villagers blame the woods-folk. They swap children for sickly changelings, it's said, and boil up storms in a copper kettle when the moon is black. I'd call it peasant superstition, but last week a farmer brought a calf to my hall. The thing was born with two heads - one of them endlessly sleeping, the other mad as your great-grandfather, Maker spare his damned soul." Untrained mages, the Chantry says, are a danger. A beacon for the demons that slink and hunger behind the Veil. <img src="images/scholarshipmini.png" alt="ScholarshipMini"> [[Investigate the accusations and drive off the culprits]] The Shame's appetite for forbidden magic was his end, and almost Serault's. (if: $morrigan is "purged" or $maleficar is "beaten")[//You will have to take this seriously; your realm has been infiltrated by apostates before.//]\ (else:)[~~//Your realm has been infiltrated by apostates before.//~~] <img src="images/cunningmini.png" alt="CunningMini"> [[Ignore the allegations]] Nine times out of ten, accusations like this are motivated by jealousy. Why raise your own hand to your enemy when the Chantry's is clad in mail, and holds a sword?

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/messenger.png" alt="Messenger">]\ ''"...where he was received with the graces due a prince!"'' Draped in flamboyant livery, the herald casts a pitying glance around your hall before embarking on a comprehensive account of their time at court. As he drones on about the feasts, favours, and compliments lavished upon his master, you consider how Serault could benefit from this. The herald wears a dove mask, blushed with carnelian. You restrain a groan. His master's lands share a border with Serault. You are not enemies, exactly, but you certainly aren't friends. And here's a gift, just to rub it in! A chest of bright silks and sweet perfumes. The exchange of gifts is a delicate matter of etiquette. How will you reciprocate? [[Give a richer gift in exchange|Give a richer gift in exchange 2]] Let it never be said that Serault cannot pay her debts. <img src="images/scholarshipmini.png" alt="ScholarshipMini"> [[Accept his gift and return only a polite letter|Accept his gift and return only a polite letter 2]] With the right words you might be able to keep the gift and preserve Serault's dignity. <img src="images/cunningmini.png" alt="CunningMini"> [[Match his gift and ply the herald with wine|Match his gift and ply the herald with wine 2]] He must have heard a great deal at court. Perhaps some of it will be of use...\ \ (set: $boastfulherald to "true")

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Rumours">]''The butt of the joke'' The oldest of them - lanky and straw-haired, with dirt-gray fingers - speaks. "We meant nothing by it, your Highness-" "Your //GRACE//!" the Baron bellows. The peasant flinches. "Your Grace, I mean! We just said that it was looking like a good harvest, and that... that you'd be happy as a puppy when you received your next tithe. And... and then I did this:" He puts his hand behind him, next to his tailbone, and wags it enthusiastically back and forth. It's an old story: that the Shame's descendants are marked by abomination. Your mother, it was commonly held, had a forked tongue. Apparently, you have a tail. What will you do? [[Laugh]] Everyone's pride needs puncturing from time to time. Even yours. <img src="images/rulershipmini.png" alt="RulershipMini"> [[Have the peasant punished]] Too lenient and you'll seem weak. Too harsh and you'll seem a monster.\ \ (set: $jokers to "true")

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/rumour.png" alt="BlackScroll">]''Mourning'' Adopting a convincing air of grief, you scour your memory. Oh yes! You were distantly related: cousins of cousins, perhaps? You met once. Maybe. At a wedding. The herald's next words catch your attention: "It leaves the delicate matter of the will. The deceased has requested that you - bound as you were by a close, consanguineal bond - administer it." A wealthy man has passed away, and the disposal of his estate and chattels falls to you. His inheritors gather, like dogs at the butcher's door. <img src="images/cunningmini.png" alt="CunningMini"> [[Claim a tithe of the legacy for Serault]] Your seneschal tells you of an ancient right of lordship, rarely invoked in recent times... <img src="images/scholarshipmini.png" alt="ScholarshipMini"> [[Scrupulously follow the will]] Try to ensure the inheritors are satisfied.\ \ (set: $inheritance to "true")

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/wearybailiff2.png" alt="Seneschal">]''Unfortunately, he's just getting started'' "I've given the best years of my life to this family..." These were his best years? Poor fellow. "During which I advised to the best of my ability..." Oh, dear. "Never applying my position to my own personal gain..." Except where it allowed access to your wine cellar. "Instead, I have toiled without rest or ease..." You had to poke him awake during court just yesterday. "...and therefore I see no alternative but to resign as your counsellor immediately. I shall trouble you no more, your Grace!" Finally. He departs in an offended swirl of stately robes, returning a few moments later to collect his hat. You pretend not to notice as he shuffles out again. Whom among the Chateau's most notable courtiers shall you summon to take the Seneschal's place at your side? <img src="images/dowager.png" alt="Dowager" height="65" width="50"> [[Invite the Acerbic Dowager|Invite the Dowager to become your counsellor]] She is accustomed to rule. Her counsel will be direct and decisive. <img src="images/abbessalt.png" alt="AbbessAlt" height="65" width="50"> [[Invite the Elegant Abbess|Fake Abbess Invite 1]] The Abbey of the Bans is a good distance away, but her business, and her family, often bring her to town. <img src="images/baron.png" alt="Baron" height="65" width="50"> [[Invite the Cheery Baron|Fake Baron Invite 1]] He'll never admit that he came at your call, but he will come. <img src="images/knight.png" alt="Knight" height="65" width="50"> [[Invite the Kindly Knight]] Of them all, he is the most biddable. <img src="images/guildmistress.png" alt="Guildmistress" height="65" width="50"> [[Invite the Smiling Guildmistress|Invite the Guildmistress to become your adviser]] You could use a smile with a knife hidden behind...

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/outlaws.png" alt="Outlaws">]''Rivalries'' Serault's bandit-clans are riven by feuds. The Black Knot hate the Shuttered Lamp, who have warred on the Blasted Oak since Serault was young. The Dead Rose and the Corpse-Dancers have been locked in a spiral of betrayal and betrothal for a decade. It seems impossible they could put their differences aside, but if they did... "They're no fellows of mine. I never swore their bloody oaths, and if they stop murdering each other it's bad news for both of us. Someone should teach the nasty scroats a lesson." The Dashing Outlaw looks at you, meaningfully. "By which I mean someone with soldiers and shiny armour and a great big sword. And not, for example, an improbably pretty outlaw with a negotiable attitude to legality. And an excellent hat." The outlaws are massing west of the river. It's said they meet in the Greenvault: a clearing where the ash trees soar as tall as temple-pillars. A sacred place, where the bulk of their quarrels are set aside and the remainder are settled through ancient, bloody contests. <img src="images/derringdomini.png" alt="DerringDoMini"> [[Lead a force to harry them]] The forest is their home. The bandit-clans are honed by generations of strife and subterfuge. They'll be hard to find, harder to catch, and harder yet to kill. <img src="images/cunningmini.png" alt="CunningMini"> [[Place agents at the council]] Pitched battle on their chosen ground? Too risky. But you can at least recruit agents among them to learn what's decided at the council.\ \ (set: $outlawcouncils to "true")

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/agitator.png" alt="Agitator">]''Is nowhere safe?'' The Acerbic Dowager's ladies-in-waiting tremble behind her, their eyes red from tears. Before she approached you, the Dowager satisfied herself that they weren't responsible. A hasty investigation reveals that hers are not the only valuables to have gone missing. <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity"> [[Tell your chevalier-commander to track them down]] Your guards are eager to restore their honour. Will they remember to conduct themselves appropriately? <img src="images/derringdomini.png" alt="DerringDoMini"> [[Pursue them yourself]] This will take a sharp mind and a delicate hand.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/magic.png" alt="Magic">]''Maleficarum'' She promises to send one of her men to guide you to the cave. Before she leaves, she hesitates. "Is it true they can make you think whatever they want? How can we know our thoughts are our own?" You don't have an answer to that. She takes her leave, and you call for your horse. The cave reeks of old meat and fear. Animals scream in cages. A spiral of runes daub the floor, the colour of rust. <img src="images/cunningmini.png" alt="CunningMini"> [[Seal the cave and cover up the existence of Maleficarum]] Serault does not need a reputation for blood magic. Not now. <img src="images/derringdomini.png" alt="DerringDoMini"> [[Hunt down the maleficar]] Blood magic summons demons, distorts flesh, enslaves minds. It //cannot// take root in Serault.\ \ (set: $maleficarum to "true")

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/riverside.png" alt="Riverside">]''The Glassblowers' Anger'' The glassworkers are a temperamental lot. Valued, privileged, but far too valuable to allow from their cushioned cage. They know they are the source of Serault's fortunes. Sometimes that gives them ideas. The ovens are cold. The chimneys are still. Crossed glass swords hang over the glassworks' gates: a sign that the guild have downed tools. Their complaints, as ever, are numerous. <img src="images/cunningmini.png" alt="CunningMini"> [[Make an example of someone]] One of the more outspoken, but less skilled, members of the guild. <img src="images/rulershipmini.png" alt="RulershipMini"> [[Grant leniency]] Hear their complaints. Bow to the least objectionable. Smile while you do it. [[Delay a decision]] Grant the Guildmistress and the ringleaders an audience, but promise them nothing.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/mask.png" alt="Mask">]''The prodigal's return'' It's heavy and cold against your skin. You can barely see through its sapphire eyes, and you daren't turn your head for fear of shattering the glass antlers. But it feels as though you've just found your true face. (if: $divinefavour is > 9)[ [[Little more than an hour goes by|The Fortune of Serault]] The fine jewels of your family's mask allows you to see the world in shapes and colours you hadn't thought possible before. You can see the Divine rise from your High Seat, the light of torches dancing around the vivid glass of your throne...]\ (else:)[ [[The feast winds down|The Feast is Ending]] The fine jewels of your family's mask allows you to see the world in shapes and colours you hadn't thought possible before. You've worked hard so far, but at last tiredness overcomes you.] (You have won back the glass-antlered <img src="images/mask.png" alt="Mask" height="26" width="20"> Mask of Serault!) (set: $seraultmask to "true")(You have acquired <img src="images/conciliation.png" alt="ConciliationCup" height="26" width="20"> a new asset!) (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/bag.png" alt="Bag">]''Undone'' A shimmer of blazing colour sprays across the floor. The crowd gasps. Someone cries out in anguish. You order the shards collected, and declare that they will be used to elevate the least fortunate. The Dowager looks like she's about to faint. (if: $abbesslover is "true")[The Elegant Abbess offers a knowing smile.](else:)[The Wayward Bard whistles, wonderingly.] And you're pretty sure the Cheery Baron would be trying to strangle you if you were closer. Let them hate you, or think you're mad. You've just given birth to a legend. And legends spread. They inspire. (if: $divinefavour is > 9)[ [[Little more than an hour goes by|The Fortune of Serault]] The Divine, rather than offended, compliments your boldness - or, as she calls it later, remarkable sense of charity. This wouldn't end up being the last surprise of the night, however...]\ (else:)[ [[The feast winds down|The Feast is Ending]] The Divine, rather than offended, compliments your boldness - or, as she calls it later, remarkable sense of charity. You've worked hard so far, but at last tiredness overcomes you.] (You've destroyed the Mask of Serault <img src="images/mask.png" alt="Mask" height="26" width="20"> in order to benefit the poor; your name is now whispered to become one of the Anointed...) (set: $seraultmask to "destroyed")(You have acquired <img src="images/conciliation.png" alt="ConciliationCup" height="26" width="20"> a new asset!) (set: $freedom to $freedom + 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/seeker.png" alt="Seeker">]''A Cowled Visitor'' Her bow is cursory. White armour gleams under her cloak. "You are expecting an esteemed guest," she says. "If you like, I will tell you a secret that your guest would not want revealed." You ask what she asks in exchange. "Only to see it used," she says. Her smile sits uncomfortably on her stern face. Her fingers toy with the pendant at her throat: a sunburst with an eye at its heart - the symbol of the Seekers of Truth. Few even know of the Seekers' existence. They were the Chantry's spies and enforcers; silk to the Templars' steel. But if the Wayward Bard's sources are correct, the Seekers have recently split from the Chantry... (if: $templarcarver is "welcomed")[an information confirmed by Ser Carver Hawke himself, when you hosted the Templar at the chateau.] [[Accept]] You will need every advantage you can bring to bear. [[Turn her away|Turn her away 2]] You are many things, but never a pawn. (set: $tangledweb to "unsolved")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/path.png" alt="Path">]''A Fork on the Road'' It will take a while to assemble the men required to hunt the threats that haunt your lands. While preparations are afoot you wonder what your next step should be. (if: $twilight is > 40 and $revolution is > 40)[Murmurs of the Elusive Iconoclast's revolutionary activity grow louder every day, while strange things prowl the Applewoods. With the Divine coming you can't afford to be picky about whose help you seek. You mutter as much during a day in court, and it seems someone heard you. <img src="images/woodswisemini.png" alt="WoodsWiseMini"> [[Attend the rites of the Masked Andraste]] //'The forest is stirring. Join us in the grove beyond the thundered oak, three nights hence. The Masked Andraste will quench its hunger'//, the note reads in a relaxed, cursive script. (if: $abbesslover is "true")[//It looks oddly familiar...//]\ (else:)[~~//It looks oddly familiar...//~~] <img src="images/derringdomini.png" alt="DerringDoMini"> [[Put down a rebellion]] "The leaders of the revolution meet when the moon in dark," your source whispers. "In a glade before a statue of the Masked Andraste." (if: $codecracked is "true")[//As you had cracked the graffiti code used by the revolutionaries, your men know exactly whom to strike.//]\ (else:)[~~//As you had cracked the graffiti code used by the revolutionaries, your men know exactly whom to strike.//~~] <img src="images/door.png" alt="Door"> [[You had enough of pitchforks and wood-spirits; stay in the chateau|Fire the Accomplice or Bodyguard]] A quiet evening. A call of challenge from a watchman on the wall. The lap of the river upon the castle's stone feet.]\ (else-if: $twilight is > 40)[Murmurs of the Elusive Iconoclast's revolutionary activity grow louder every day, while strange things prowl the Applewoods. With the Divine coming you can't afford to be picky about whose help you seek. You mutter as much during a day in court, and it seems someone heard you. <img src="images/woodswisemini.png" alt="WoodsWiseMini"> [[Attend the rites of the Masked Andraste]] //'The forest is stirring. Join us in the grove beyond the thundered oak, three nights hence. The Masked Andraste will quench its hunger'//, the note reads in a relaxed, cursive script. (if: $abbesslover is "true")[//It looks oddly familiar...//]\ (else:)[~~//It looks oddly familiar...//~~] ~~Put down a rebellion "The leaders of the revolution meet when the moon in dark," your source whispers.~~ <img src="images/door.png" alt="Door"> [[You have no time for old superstitions; stay in the chateau|Fire the Accomplice or Bodyguard]] A quiet evening. A call of challenge from a watchman on the wall. The lap of the river upon the castle's stone feet.]\ (else-if: $revolution is > 40)[Murmurs of the Elusive Iconoclast's revolutionary activity grow louder every day, while strange things prowl the Applewoods. With the Divine coming you can't afford to be picky about whose help you seek. You mutter as much during a day in court, and it seems someone heard you. <img src="images/derringdomini.png" alt="DerringDoMini"> [[Put down a rebellion]] "The leaders of the revolution meet when the moon in dark," your source whispers. "In a glade before a statue of the Masked Andraste." (if: $codecracked is "true")[//As you had cracked the graffiti code used by the revolutionaries, your men know exactly whom to strike.//]\ (else:)[~~//As you had cracked the graffiti code used by the revolutionaries, your men know exactly whom to strike.//~~] ~~Attend the rites of the Masked Andraste //'The forest is stirring'//, the note reads in a relaxed, cursive script.~~ <img src="images/door.png" alt="Door"> [[What if it's a trap? Better to stay in the chateau|Fire the Accomplice or Bodyguard]] A quiet evening. A call of challenge from a watchman on the wall. The lap of the river upon the castle's stone feet.]\ (else:)[~~Attend the rites of the Masked Andraste //'The forest is stirring'//, the note reads in a relaxed, cursive script.~~ ~~Put down a rebellion "The leaders of the revolution meet when the moon in dark," your source whispers.~~ <img src="images/door.png" alt="Door"> [[A day later, you stand on the courtyard|Fire the Accomplice or Bodyguard]] A quiet evening. A call of challenge from a watchman on the wall. The lap of the river upon the castle's stone feet.]

<img src="images/greenwoodsheader.png" alt="Applewoods"> ''A glimpse'' You march on for what seems like hours. Hard to tell, in the Deepwoods - the leaves are so enclosed together, very little light reaches you. Yet you can see the trail of destruction in front of you. The (if: $wyvern is "true")[wyvern must be big; these beasts are often the grandest prize an Orlesian noble can hunt. You even heard of a nobleman who raised one as a pet, and came to mount it during hunts of lesser quarry.](else:)[bereskarn has left some of its rotten fur along the way; of all creatures susceptible to the corruption of the Taint, few are so horribly disfigured as the unlucky bears that come into contact with it.] A scout far ahead sounds a horn, twice. He saw it! (if: $unwelcome is "true")[ [[You command the group to press forward|Unwelcome 2]] Fifty men and half as many horses, entering the very depths of the Applewoods.]\ (else:)[ [[You command the group to press forward|The Clearing]] Fifty men and half as many horses, entering the very depths of the Applewoods.]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/forest2.png" alt="Forest2">]''A Hunter's Trail'' It's little more than a line of worn grass, snaking through the trees. You're not the first one to track a quarry through this part of the wood. <img src="images/derringdomini.png" alt="DerringDoMini"> [[Follow the trail]] You'll cover better ground. <img src="images/woodswisemini.png" alt="WoodsWiseMini"> [[Leave the trail. Cut through the trees]] Wise beasts learn to avoid the trails. You'd do better taking the route less-travelled. <img src="images/woodswisemini.png" alt="WoodsWiseMini"> [[Gather herbs]] What might you find? //Look around for rare herbs before taking a decision.// (set: $woodswise to $woodswise + 1)(Your Woods-wise <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

<img src="images/greenwoodsheader.png" alt="Applewoods"> ''A Petition from a Village Headsman'' //Begin an ongoing tale of rivalry, obligation and woods-magic.// The Despairing Headman turns his frayed, floppy hat over and over in his hands. "Alabair and Elose, my (if: $gender is "female")[lady](else:)[lord]. Brother and sister. Both twenty. Theirs is a troubled family. We did what we could for them, but that bad seed was planted deep and long ago. With our duties and tithes there was only so much we could do..." [[Tell him to get on with it]] Or you'll be here all day. [[Hear him out, however long it takes]] He may not be noble, but he deserves respect. And details can be important.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/divinesmile.png" alt="Smile">]''A Plea for Sanctuary'' A woman kneels before your court. She has short, sandy hair, catlike eyes and a jaunty, impertinent air. "I find myself on the unfortunate end of Lord Ezoire's displeasure." Ezoire: lord of a lofty mountain domain. Long on pride, short on patience. You ask the woman what she did. "I made a joke, (if: $gender is "female")[Lady $name](else:)[Lord $name]. It involved a goat, two buckets of goose-fat, His Lordship's noble father, and a trebuchet." You've heard that joke. You think you've //told// that joke. "I beg sanctuary, your Grace, in a place where laughter is no crime." [[Turn her away]] This is none of Serault's business. [[Grant her sanctuary]] Times are dark enough without banning merriment. [[Have her escorted back to Ezoire]] Its lord may be pompous, but he would bleed dry in Ezoire's defence.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/forest3.png" alt="Forest3">]''A Sinister Discovery'' A peasant, picking mushrooms at the edges of the Tirashan forest, stumbled across an old claw amidst the roots. It is black as sin, as long as your forearm, sharp as winter sunlight, and engraved with unidentifiable runes. [[Mount it in your hall]] It looks magnificent. Something to catch the Divine's eye. [[Order the claw buried where it was found]] All manner of things slumber in the Tirashan forest. It's best to let them be.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/rumour.png" alt="BlackScroll">](if: $spider is > 2)[''A trail of deceit'' The springs are long and gentle in Serault, but tonight is cold. You settle by the fire in your chambers, order a cup of spiced wine, and stare into the flames as you muse on recent events. (if: $flamesfreedom is "free")[You recall reports that the Elusive Iconoclast is back doing what she does best - inspiring rebellion - but you are far more concerned about threats far greater than peasant riots.] A pattern is emerging. There is more to your recent troubles than bad luck. <img src="images/cunningmini.png" alt="CunningMini"> [[Who is the nine-fingered woman?]] And what is her goal? (if: $counsellor is "lordship")[//Your counsellor, the Marquis of Alyons, has taught you much in the art of subtlety.//]\ (else:)[~~//Your counsellor has taught you much in the art of subterfuge.//~~] <img src="images/door.png" alt="Door"> [[You've had enough of chasing shadows|Tangled Web Skipped]] The Divine is due to arrive very soon. Strengthen yourself. //Turn your focus elsewhere.//]\ (else:)[''Reflection'' The springs are long and gentle in Serault, but tonight is cold. You settle by the fire in your chambers, order a cup of spiced wine, and stare into the flames as you muse on recent events. Countless questions swirl in your head. (if: $flamesfreedom is "free")[You recall reports that the Elusive Iconoclast is back doing what she does best - inspiring rebellion - and can't help but wonder if you will manage to hold your realm together for long.] [[Have you done enough?|Tangled Web Skipped]] Can you save Serault?] (You have freed the Elusive Iconoclast <img src="images/iconoclast.png" alt="Iconoclast" height="26" width="20"> and allowed her to spread the fires of revolution.)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/bereskarn.png" alt="Bereskarn">]''A Terror from the Woods'' Reports arrive of a village destroyed in a savage attack. Some blame wild elves. Some blame a dragon. The only eyewitness tells a different tale: "It was a bereskarn, your Grace! Tall as a horse! Thorned and baying!" [[Promise to end the bereskarn's rampage]] It was a bear once, until the Blight took it and made it into a mountain of rotting flesh, iron claws and bone spines. [[Thank the peasant, but say nothing else]] A bereskarn is //huge// trouble. You would need to assemble a monumental hunting party to track and hunt it down. Is it worth the effort? (set: $bereskarnrumour to "true")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/attention.png" alt="Attention">]''The knife was meant for you'' Your Bard took the blade in his shoulder. He leans on you heavily. "I'll live. It's not deep." His face is grey. Your physician hurries forward, but the Bard flaps him away. "Back, I say. Back! I look rakish with scars." Your would-be killer struggles, but your guards have him fast. In the Great Game, assassination attempts are a mark of prestige. You feel invigorated. Nothing gets the blood pumping - one way or the other - like a good attempted murder. Your assailant struggles in your guards' iron grip. A rival's catspaw? A rabid revolutionary? A stray lunatic? He hasn't said. [[Administer swift justice]] There should be a trial, really, but better safe than sorry. Better //you're// safe, anyway. Not your would-be assassin. They get to be sorry. Very briefly. <img src="images/cunningmini.png" alt="CunningMini"> [[Interrogate the failed assassin]] Who does he work for?

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/boar.png" alt="Boar">]''Be warned'' You are on the trail of a prickly boar. Tracking it should be easy. Killing it, less so. [[You ride towards the woods]] You are entering the Greenwood, the pleasant outer reaches of the forest.\ \ (set: $quarry to "boar")

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry">]''The Maker provides'' Mud stains the hem of her robe. She gnaws on an apple as she walks, spitting the pips into the trees. You greet her and ask if her travels have been kind. Clearing her throat, she sings: //"I shall not be left to wander the drifting roads of the Fade, For there is no darkness, nor death either, in the Maker's Light."// Oh. She's a Chanter. What will you ask of the Chanter? <img src="images/scholarshipmini.png" alt="ScholarshipMini"> [[Ask if she's seen signs of your quarry]] ...and hope you can understand her answer. Chanters only speak in verses from the Chant of Light. <img src="images/woodswisemini.png" alt="WoodsWiseMini"> [[Ask for her blessing]] It can't hurt. [[Be on your way]] You've no time for piety.\ \ (set: $chanter to "true")

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry">]''The Chanter'' Mud stains the hem of her robe. She gnaws on an apple as she walks, spitting the pips into the trees. You greet her and ask if her travels have been kind. Clearing her throat, she sings: //"I shall not be left to wander the drifting roads of the Fade, For there is no darkness, nor death either, in the Maker's Light."// Oh. She's a Chanter. What will you ask of the Chanter? <img src="images/scholarshipmini.png" alt="ScholarshipMini"> [[Ask if she's seen signs of your quarry|Ask if she's seen signs of your quarry 2]] ... and hope you can understand her answer. Chanters only speak in verses from the Chant of Light. <img src="images/woodswisemini.png" alt="WoodsWiseMini"> [[Ask for her blessing|Ask for her blessing 2]] It can't hurt. [[Be on your way|Be on your way 2]] You've no time for piety.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/forest2.png" alt="Forest2">]''The aftermath'' Fires still lick at the blackened ruin of the farmstead. The mud in the yard is grey with ash and churned by footprints. Some flee westward. Others, light and slender, circle the ruin. One of your guards pulls an arrowhead from the smoking wood. "Elfshot!" He hisses. The homesteads along the hissing fringes of the Tirashan were unprepared for the attack. You listen to the refugees' tales of a narrow moon that spread long tree-shadows, of the lithe figures that slipped between them, of arrows that sped from the night, sudden as death. "The knife-ears drove us from our home!" one peasant cries. "We heard them, laughing from the dark!" <img src="images/derringdomini.png" alt="DerringDoMini"> [[Increase patrols along the edge of the Tirashan]] The fields and orchards belong to you. The elves need to keep to their woods. <img src="images/scholarshipmini.png" alt="ScholarshipMini"> [[Revive the old, harsh laws of the western forest]] The Dalish rarely launch an attack like this without cause. Perhaps some of your folk strayed too close to one of their camps.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/judge.png" alt="Judge">]''Accusations'' They drag a bald, whiskered man in ragged clothes through the streets. A thief, by the sounds of it. They say he stole food from the almshouses behind the new chantry, silverware from the boatwright's guild, and purses from anyone who tarried in Ramble Street. It sounds like he's being blamed for every theft in the last year. "Hang the thief!" someone cries. The mob roars like a lion. Someone produces a rope and begins to tie a noose. Their victim - mauled by a sea of hands - pleads for mercy. <img src="images/cunningmini.png" alt="CunningMini"> [[Let the mob have their way]] Denied their prize, they could turn on you. But if you give them what they want perhaps they'll be sated for a while. <img src="images/derringdomini.png" alt="DerringDoMini"> [[Charge in and save the accused]] You are Serault's justice, not the mob! <img src="images/rulershipmini.png" alt="RulershipMini"> [[Appeal for calm]] Convince the mob to hand the accused over to your justice. (if: $errantsiblings is "rescued")[//Folk still talk about how you rescued the Errant Siblings from the woods, and gave them a proper judgement. They will trust you.//]\ (else:)[~~//Folk still talk about how you rescued the Errant Siblings from the woods.//~~]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/guildmistress.png" alt="Guildmistress">]''A confrontation amongst the chimneys'' "It was a woman, your Grace. Black hair. Cloaked. An //apostate//. When the guards cornered her she turned into a giant spider, bit one of them and fled over the walls! The guards put two arrows into her as she fled." "We don't know what she was doing, but we found traces of silver near the oven she'd been working at. Silver means mirrors. Oh, and she dropped this, your Grace." She hands over a knotted staff - the one that belonged to the Empress' 'occult adviser'. There are no more eerie incidents at the glassworks. The Scornful Sorceress has learned the price of defying you. What's more, her staff looks splendid on your wall. //You have driven away the so-called Ghost of the Glassworks. The 'ghost' was none other than the Empress' occult adviser...// [[A week goes by in a flash|Go Hunting 1]] It's hunting day. (set: $twilight to $twilight - 10)(Your Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10!) (set: $morriganstaff to "true")(You have acquired <img src="images/conciliation.png" alt="ConciliationCup" height="26" width="20"> a new asset!) (set: $morrigan to "purged")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) \ (set: $trophies to $trophies + 1)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/feast3.png" alt="Feast3">]''The roasts turn'' Their skin crackles as fat drips onto the flames. Cooks come forward with pearl-handed knives to carve steaks from the haunches. (if: $knightfeast is "true")[ [[The Weary Baillif calls you in hushed tones|The Horned Knight Approaches]] "Your Grace," he murmurs, "He is here. The abomination from the woods! I don't know how he made it past the guards... he wants to speak to you."]\ (else:)[ [[The Divine desires to hear another petitioner|Grant a Petition 3]] "Let us see what the good people of Serault have to say to the Chantry. It's past time we heard their voices," she says. You, of course, abide.] (set: $divinefavour to $divinefavour + 2)(Your Divine's Favour <img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 2!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/feast2.png" alt="Feast2">]''A cheer from the multitude'' Guests rush forward to fill their cups from the splashing sheet of wine. When the Divine expresses her fondness for Celestine black, you feign happy surprise. The information was worth every coin you paid for it. (if: $knightfeast is "true")[ [[The Weary Baillif calls you in hushed tones|The Horned Knight Approaches]] "Your Grace," he murmurs, "He is here. The abomination from the woods! I don't know how he made it past the guards... he wants to speak to you."]\ (else:)[ [[The Divine desires to hear another petitioner|Grant a Petition 3]] "Let us see what the good people of Serault have to say to the Chantry. It's past time we heard their voices," she says. You, of course, abide.] (set: $divinefavour to $divinefavour + 3)(Your Divine's Favour <img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 3!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/feast3.png" alt="Feast3">]''A hundred fluttering wings'' As your blade parts the crust a torrent of doves bursts forth - ten, twenty, fifty! White wings fill the air, and the gold rings set around their legs wink where they pass. You tell the Divine that the birds are a symbol of your hope for her peace talks, and the guests erupt in cheers. Servants open the windows of the hall so that the doves can find their way free. Fresh Serault air blows away some of the heat of the hall. The more canny children chase the birds while they can, plucking the rings from their feet. (if: $knightfeast is "true")[ [[The Weary Baillif calls you in hushed tones|The Horned Knight Approaches]] "Your Grace," he murmurs, "He is here. The abomination from the woods! I don't know how he made it past the guards... he wants to speak to you."]\ (else:)[ [[The Divine desires to hear another petitioner|Grant a Petition 3]] "Let us see what the good people of Serault have to say to the Chantry. It's past time we heard their voices," she says. You, of course, abide.] (set: $divinefavour to $divinefavour + 3)(Your Divine's Favour <img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 3!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/halla.png" alt="Hind">]''Go softly'' You are on the trail of a swift hind. Their meat is rich and red, but they're skittish. It will take a soft tread and a steady hand on the bowstring to bring one down. [[You ride towards the woods]] You are entering the Greenwood, the pleasant outer reaches of the forest.\ \ (set: $quarry to "hind")

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/chest.png" alt="Chest">]''Dusty boots and a rattling cart'' He wears a broad-rimmed hat to keep the sun from his neck, and pulls a handcart burdened with his wares. When he recognises your livery, he bows. You should think so, too. He has travelled from one end of Serault to the other, and knows the Applewoods well. What will you ask of the peddler? <img src="images/woodswisemini.png" alt="WoodsWiseMini"> [[Ask what he knows of the wood]] Perhaps you'll learn something to aid your hunt. <img src="images/rulershipmini.png" alt="RulershipMini"> [[Ask about the latest news]] You may learn something about your domain.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/male2.png" alt="VisitingScholar">]''Dangerous thoughts'' He tells you his tale. He was low-born. First he studied with lay-brothers at the Chantry, then with a disgraced - but cheap - scholar in Val Royeaux. When his master ran out of things to teach him, he recommended the boy to the University. Had he been accepted he would have been the youngest student in memory. They turned him away. Was it his low birth? His unorthodox theories on the world's order? And how can this best serve Serault? [[Become his patron|Become his patron 2]] His learning will be a boon to Serault. <img src="images/rulershipmini.png" alt="RulershipMini"> [[Turn him away, as your nobles advise|Turn him away, as your nobles advise 2]] Ensure he is escorted across the borders so he doesn't have a chance to foment his revolution. <img src="images/scholarshipmini.png" alt="ScholarshipMini"> [[Allow him to stay for just a few days|Allow him to stay for just a few days 2]] He may have word of Val Royeaux and the places he has passed through.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/riverpirates.png" alt="RiverPirates">]''Wolves of the river'' The Guildmistress throws up her hands. "No ash, no glass! It's as simple as that. Something has to be done about these pirates." Serault's recent prosperity has attracted predators. Pirates have begun to prey on vessels travelling up the river. Several of the lost ships carried soda ash, which the glassmakers need to practice their craft. The Smiling Guildmistress appeals for your intervention, as does the Dashing Outlaw. You ask the Outlaw what her interest is. "Well, it's your river," she says. "Just thought you'd be interested." You point out it's your forest, too, and that doesn't stop her swanning about like she owns it. She laughs. "All right. Let's say I don't need the competition. And I don't like getting my feet wet." <img src="images/rulershipmini.png" alt="RulershipMini"> [[Tighten the policing of the river]] Search boats. Require legitimate travellers buy writs of passage. Chase down vessels that can't prove their business. Pay for all of it with increased tolls. <img src="images/cunningmini.png" alt="CunningMini"> [[Hire mercenaries and lay a trap for the river-pirates]] A few fat merchant-barges, their holds stuffed with armed men of cruel intention and ill-temper... (if: $mercs is "good")[//The Black Dogs call themselves an honourable 'free company', but they will do whatever dirty service you'll pay them to do.//]\ (else:)[~~//They will do whatever dirty service you'll pay them to do.//~~] [[Wait them out]] There's little you can do. The pirates vanish at the first sign of danger. //You will be able to take a decision on the river-pirates later.//

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/storm.png" alt="Storm">]''The Storm'' (if: (random: 1,2) is > 1)[It brewed over the Tirashan, as black as ravens and threaded with lightning. Even then you could feel the murmur of its thunder in your teeth. As the evening wanes it unfurls eastwards, buffeting Serault throughout a long, howling night. It leaves devastation behind.](else:)[Grey sheets of rain hide both banks of the river from your sight. The chateau is all that remains in a world of pouring water. A clap of thunder shakes stones from the Tilted Tower. The dogs howl. The storm blusters through the night, departing reluctantly with the dawn. It leaves devastation behind.] What's the most important matter to address once it's passed? <img src="images/coinsmini.png" alt="Prosperity"> [[Restore Serault's roads]] They are its lifeblood. <img src="images/rulershipmini.png" alt="RulershipMini"> [[Tend to Serault's people]] Crops were flattened, fields flooded, homes torn up by the wind or burned down by lightning. The common folk can make repairs, but only if you reduce their duties.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/attention.png" alt="CrowEyes">]''Inconsiderate guests'' Their dawn councils croak you awake. Their waste stains the tower walls. What do the damn things want? For three days they have circled the south tower, croaking at dawn and dusk. The cook's boy swears one of them carries a serpent in its claws, but he has always struggled with an excess of imagination. <img src="images/scholarshipmini.png" alt="ScholarshipMini"> [[Call for soothsayers to read the signs]] Can they show you the future? <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity"> [[Ignore the portents]] You'll not live your life at the behest of stars and chicken entrails. <img src="images/woodswisemini.png" alt="WoodsWiseMini"> [[Decipher their meaning yourself]] You have a way with such things.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/tracks.png" alt="Tracks">]''A twig snaps under your foot'' You stop, as still as the great rock that holds the chateau above the river. You're sure the (if: $quarry is "hind")[hind](else:)[boar] is close. Did it hear? Have you scared it away? <img src="images/cunningmini.png" alt="CunningMini"> [[Creep closer]] Soften your breathing. Step lightly. [[Wait it out...]] ... for as long as it takes to be sure your quarry has relaxed its guard.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/forest3.png" alt="Forest3">]''Out of your hands'' Neither of the siblings are seen again. The forest has swallowed them. A fortnight later, the Despairing Headman shamefacedly recounts a local tale of a charcoal burner who, roaming further than usual, heard a tree weeping in Alabair’s voice. "Undoubtedly superstition," he says. "The folk who make their living in the woods are prone to unhelpful romanticism." That night, you climb the Tower of Lights and look west. The black ocean of trees seethes under a fretful night-wind. Serault’s woods have always been wild. The Veil was thin there even before the Shame frayed it with his sorceries. Now nightmares breed like maggots in meat. The moon walks the paths like a sickness. The Chateau is a lighthouse beside the primordial deep... [[Dawn, at last, comes|Prepare for the Divine 2]] The sun warms the river. Frogs croak in the mud along the bank. (You have dismissed the Case of the Errant Siblings <img src="images/forest4.png" alt="Forest4" height="26" width="20">. A power will come a-calling...) (set: $errantsiblings to "abandoned")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) (set: $peril to $peril - 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/seeker.png" alt="Seeker">]''Breaking some eggs'' She draws close. "Justinia's election was divisive. In the first days of her reign she had to secure her position, and that meant removing her enemies..." She tells you of three Grand Clerics who opposed Justinia's election. Then she tells you how they were disgraced, or disappeared, or became sudden, fervent supporters of Justinia. "Blackmail and intimidation. Poor qualifications for so holy an office, don't you think?" The Seeker leaves. There is much you can use... The next week, your (if: $keptseneschal is "true")[Seneschal](else:)[Weary Baillif] arrives with urgent news. "Your Grace! We just got word from the border sentinels. She is here!" [[So it begins|Epilogue: The Arrival of the Divine]] <img src="images/wind.png" alt="Wind" height="26" width="20"> A brusque wind cleans the sky of clouds, and the setting sun gleams red on the fragments in the Tower of Lights. //The Divine has arrived.// (set: $seekersecret to "true")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/ring2.png" alt="ShameRing">]''Old secrets'' Inside is a bundle of the Shame’s writings. Mold has eaten away at the scratchy, impatient letters, but parts remain whole. In one passage, he recounts a meeting with Grey Wardens: //‘...if it were directed toward something achievable, their commitment to self-destruction would be monstrous. But in the pursuit of their doomed cause, it is romantic. They are the heroes of my childhood stories. A line of grey in the dark; fighting, failing, dying. I could not deny their request.’// In the next, he recounts a journey along roads under the earth. //‘...emerged somewhere in the Vimmark Mountains. The Wardens are stuffed with more secrets than I dreamed. Their company does not disappoint.’// (if: $wardencarver is "welcomed")[You recall the words of Carver Hawke, brother to the Champion of Kirkwall... 'vital work'. Is this what he had alluded to?] In the last section, he describes a ritual. He occludes the details, but can’t resist tantalising the reader: //‘...bonds had weakened almost to breaking. Only blood could renew them. Fortunately, my blood is old and heady. The Wardens will find it a costly draft. Their prisoner is unique. An impossibility. The things he has seen! They refuse to speak of him, but they cannot perform this working themselves. They need me. And I will have answers.’// (if: $feasthour is < 2)[ (if: (history:) does not contain "Drink clear water from a chipped glass goblet")[ [[Drink clear water from a chipped glass goblet]] A man dressed in hunter's green fills your cup from a silver carafe.]\ (else:)[~~Drink clear water from a chipped glass goblet A man dressed in hunter's green fills your cup from a silver carafe~~] (if: (history:) does not contain "Listen to the tales the dryads tell")[ [[Listen to the tales the dryads tell]] They are steeped in the wood's secrets.]\ (else:)[~~Listen to the tales the dryads tell They are steeped in the wood's secrets.~~] (if: (history:) does not contain "Greet the Horned Knight's Lady")[ [[Greet the Horned Knight's Lady]] She is a dryad, brown and wrinkled as a walnut.]\ (else:)[~~Greet the Horned Knight's Lady She is a dryad, brown and wrinkled as a walnut.~~] (if: (history:) does not contain "Give the Horned Knight a gift")[ [[Give the Horned Knight a gift]] A mirror chased with silver roses and twinkling thorns.]\ (else:)[~~Give the Horned Knight a gift A mirror chased with silver roses and twinkling thorns.~~]]\ (else:)[ [[The Horned Knight has a request|The Boon]] Dusk is forgotten. The night is deep. Wisp-lights flit through the tree's branches.] (set: $scholarship to $scholarship + 3)(Your Scholarship <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 3!) (set: $corypheus to "true")(You have acquired <img src="images/conciliation.png" alt="ConciliationCup" height="26" width="20"> a new asset!) \ (set: $feasthour to $feasthour + 1)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/messenger.png" alt="Messenger">](if: (random: -10,10) + $scholarship is > 35)['''O most giving of neighbours...''' Your flattery is generous and precise. The herald swells with pride on his master's behalf, warmed by your words. A page of vellum, a bottle of ink, and a seal's worth of wax. Not a bad trade for a chest full of luxuries. (set: $prosperity to $prosperity + 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) ]\ (else:)[''A bird in the hand'' Politeness prevents him from saying anything, but the herald's low opinion of Serault is confirmed. Undoubtedly there will be gossip about this among you neighbours, but today Serault needs silver more than respect. (set: $dignity to $dignity - 10)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10...) ] (if: $morrigan is "welcomed")[ [[Four days later you chance upon the Scornful Sorceress|Morrigan Strikes Again]] She is, as usual, alone with her thoughts.]\ (else:)[ [[An uneventful week comes and goes|Chapter 4: Omens]] <img src="images/wind.png" alt="Wind" height="26" width="20"> A bitter wind blows from the North. You must be imagining the tang of Blights. //You have four months until the Divine arrives.//] (set: $scholarship to $scholarship + 1)(Your Scholarship <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $theherald to "true")(You have acquired <img src="images/conciliation.png" alt="ConciliationCup" height="26" width="20"> a new asset!) (set: $heraldboast to "letter")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/messenger.png" alt="Messenger">](if: (random: -10,10) + $scholarship is > 25)['''O most giving of neighbours...''' Your flattery is generous and precise. The herald swells with pride on his master's behalf, warmed by your words. A page of vellum, a bottle of ink, and a seal's worth of wax. Not a bad trade for a chest full of luxuries. (set: $prosperity to $prosperity + 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) ]\ (else:)[''A bird in the hand'' Politeness prevents him from saying anything, but the herald's low opinion of Serault is confirmed. Undoubtedly there will be gossip about this among you neighbours, but today Serault needs silver more than respect. (set: $dignity to $dignity - 10)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10...) ] [[The following day, you deal with more affairs of the court|The Knight Requests an Audience]] A lady-in-waiting sings in the corridor a song of Andraste, and the Maker's love for her. (set: $scholarship to $scholarship + 1)(Your Scholarship <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $theherald to "true")(You have acquired <img src="images/conciliation.png" alt="ConciliationCup" height="26" width="20"> a new asset!) (set: $heraldboast to "letter")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/hunter.png" alt="SilentHunter">]\ ''Discoveries'' Deep in the Applewoods, the oaks are scratched with lurid bandit-sign. A spring flows, red as copper, from the cleft of a bald hill. You climb it. The summit is pocked with lightning-scars. Wolves howl in council away among the trees. A yearning sound, like a prayer. The Silent Hunter cocks his head: a critic listening to an orchestra. You follow suit, and find much of use in the darkened woods. [[Days pass as you work at court and outside it|Chapter 1: The Herald]] <img src="images/wind.png" alt="Wind" height="26" width="20"> The wind rises. The Chateau's pennants crack like whips. //You have seven months until the Divine arrives.// (set: $elfroot to $elfroot + 1)(You now have $elfroot <img src="images/elfroot.png" alt="Elfroot" height="26" width="20"> Elfroot.) (set: $dignity to $dignity - 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/viands.png" alt="Viands">]''From far and wide'' The guild's reach extends across Orlais and beyond, to Amaranthine, Orzammar and Kirkwall. Flamboyant foreign merchants begin to arrive at the chateau, carrying Fereldan whisky, fiery spices and boxes of dried Deep Roads mushrooms. The Divine is accustomed to the very best. [[You break your fast amidst the sounds of the morning|The Bard wants a Quiet Word]] A crash from the kitchens, followed by curses and laughter. (set: $prosperity to $prosperity + 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/viands.png" alt="Viands">]''From far and wide'' The guild's reach extends across Orlais and beyond, to Amaranthine, Orzammar and Kirkwall. Flamboyant foreign merchants begin to arrive at the chateau, carrying Fereldan whisky, fiery spices and boxes of dried Deep Roads mushrooms. The Divine is accustomed to the very best. [[You request counsel from an ally, and order the windows closed for the day|Send For 2]] Smoke from the glassworks. The chemical sting of their tinctures. (set: $prosperity to $prosperity + 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/judge.png" alt="Judgement">]''A simple moral'' Your blade bites. Blood spatters your face. You wipe it off as the guards drag the corpse away. No-one dares speak. The eyes watching you are wide with fear. Good. Let the word spread: your enemies are going to need better assassins. [[You order the corpse removed from your sight|Pick a Bodyguard]] You think briefly of the puppeteer behind him, either a rival lord or one of the revolutionaries with strange designs on your land. It matters not; they failed. Now, you must deal with the aftermath. (set: $peril to $peril - 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $freedom to $freedom - 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/dowager.png" alt="Dowager">]''A spoonful of sugar'' She has just enough strength left - and just enough sense - to take the antidote. The next day, her breathing eases. The one after, the stippling on her skin fades. The day after that, she manages - to everyone's alarm - to smile. "$name," she whispers. "$name... I require a posset. Immediately." //You have cured the Dowager of her poison!// (if: $health is < 60)[ [[ You need to rest!|You need to rest! 4]] Recent events have enacted their price on you.]\ (else:)[<img src="images/crystalball.png" alt="CrystalBall" height="52" width="40"> [[Rainy days come, bringing dark clouds|Case: The Dowager's Decline]] You feel recovered enough to start your investigation. Who poisoned the Acerbic Dowager with the lethal //Havard's Grief//, and why?] (You have cured the Dowager <img src="images/dowager.png" alt="Dowager" height="26" width="20"> of her poison!) (set: $dowagercure to "true")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/lostchild.png" alt="LostChild">](if: (random: -10,10) + $rulership is > 45)[''The bitter with the sweet'' Moved, the Divine declares she will conduct a ceremony in the market square the next day. She will listen to the troubles of Serault's poor, bless them, and distribute alms. She calls upon your guests to make donations to be given out at the ceremony. They come forward in their finery, pulling rings from their fingers and mantles from their backs. Some give willingly. Others grind their teeth. The Divine is pleased. "You have shown me Serault's troubles as well as its triumphs. Honesty is a rare thing in this age. I thank you for it." (set: $divinefavour to $divinefavour + 1)(Your Divine's Favour <img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) ]\ (else:)[''Charity begins at home'' Moved by the child's story, the Divine promises to hold a ceremony for the poor in the market square the next morning. She calls upon the feast's guests, bedecked in their finery, to donate gold, silver and furs that can be given as alms. They come forward, pulling rings from their fingers and mantles from their backs. Some give willingly while others grind their teeth, but no-one wants to seem ungenerous. Afterwards, the Divine turns to you. "Too long has it fallen to the Chantry to care for those who cannot care for themselves. We do not have a monopoly on charity, (if: $gender is "female")[dear](else:)[ser]," she says. (set: $divinefavour to $divinefavour - 1)(Your Divine's Favour <img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 1...) ] //You have petitioned the Divine. You have two petitions remaining.// [[The Feast continues|Display the glory of Serault]] The Great Hall is packed. You had to lease more tables from the guild across the river. (set: $rulership to $rulership + 1)(Your Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $dignity to $dignity - 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $freedom to $freedom + 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) \ (set: $childpetition to "true")

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/lostchild.png" alt="LostChild">](if: (random: -10,10) + $rulership is > 45)[''The bitter with the sweet'' Moved, the Divine declares she will conduct a ceremony in the market square the next day. She will listen to the troubles of Serault's poor, bless them, and distribute alms. She calls upon your guests to make donations to be given out at the ceremony. They come forward in their finery, pulling rings from their fingers and mantles from their backs. Some give willingly. Others grind their teeth. The Divine is pleased. "You have shown me Serault's troubles as well as its triumphs. Honesty is a rare thing in this age. I thank you for it." (set: $divinefavour to $divinefavour + 1)(Your Divine's Favour <img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) ]\ (else:)[''Charity begins at home'' Moved by the child's story, the Divine promises to hold a ceremony for the poor in the market square the next morning. She calls upon the feast's guests, bedecked in their finery, to donate gold, silver and furs that can be given as alms. They come forward, pulling rings from their fingers and mantles from their backs. Some give willingly while others grind their teeth, but no-one wants to seem ungenerous. Afterwards, the Divine turns to you. "Too long has it fallen to the Chantry to care for those who cannot care for themselves. We do not have a monopoly on charity, (if: $gender is "female")[dear](else:)[ser]," she says. (set: $divinefavour to $divinefavour - 1)(Your Divine's Favour <img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 1...) ] //You have petitioned the Divine. You have one petition remaining.// (if: $lordship is not "banished" and is not "arrested")[ [[Another petitioner presents himself before the Divine|His Dour Lordship's Case]] You know him well. Or at least you thought so.]\ (else:)[ [[During this night's feast, the Divine asks you a question|His Dour Lordship's Absence]] She doesn't seem pleased.] (set: $rulership to $rulership + 1)(Your Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $dignity to $dignity - 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $freedom to $freedom + 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) \ (set: $childpetition to "true")

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/lostchild.png" alt="LostChild">](if: (random: -10,10) + $rulership is > 45)[''The bitter with the sweet'' Moved, the Divine declares she will conduct a ceremony in the market square the next day. She will listen to the troubles of Serault's poor, bless them, and distribute alms. She calls upon your guests to make donations to be given out at the ceremony. They come forward in their finery, pulling rings from their fingers and mantles from their backs. Some give willingly. Others grind their teeth. The Divine is pleased. "You have shown me Serault's troubles as well as its triumphs. Honesty is a rare thing in this age. I thank you for it." (set: $divinefavour to $divinefavour + 1)(Your Divine's Favour <img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) ]\ (else:)[''Charity begins at home'' Moved by the child's story, the Divine promises to hold a ceremony for the poor in the market square the next morning. She calls upon the feast's guests, bedecked in their finery, to donate gold, silver and furs that can be given as alms. They come forward, pulling rings from their fingers and mantles from their backs. Some give willingly while others grind their teeth, but no-one wants to seem ungenerous. Afterwards, the Divine turns to you. "Too long has it fallen to the Chantry to care for those who cannot care for themselves. We do not have a monopoly on charity, (if: $gender is "female")[dear](else:)[ser]," she says. (set: $divinefavour to $divinefavour - 1)(Your Divine's Favour <img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 1...) ] //You have brought three petitions before the Divine and may trouble her with no more.// [[The Feast goes on|Playing the Great Game]] It is hard to gauge how satisfied the Divine is with your reception. She eats and drinks well enough, even giggles at times. How could you influence her further? (set: $rulership to $rulership + 1)(Your Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $dignity to $dignity - 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $freedom to $freedom + 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/ring2.png" alt="ShameRing">]''Serault!'' A glass goblet dangling nonchalantly from your fingers, you admit your crime. The Divine's cheeks flush red. "You don't even deny it?" she demands. You dash your glass on the mosaic floor. Sharp fragments dance across the tiles. Red wine soaks the hem of the Divine's robe. You deny //nothing//! The chantry is Serault's chantry. You //are// Serault! No lock will bar you, nor censure turn you from your path! And if the Maker is offended, let him lift his holy buttocks from his golden throne and strike you down. You throw your arms wide. There is no bolt of lightning. The moonlight is still soft at the windows. The hall-fires dance as warmly as ever. "Perhaps He's busy," you sneer, and turn your back. Templars reach for their swords. Your chevaliers draw their own, forming a bristle wall before you. The Divine reins her warriors in. "You are twice as proud as your great-grandfather, $name de Serault!" She points a damning finger at you. "And it is Serault that will bear your burden! Her stain will stand for another three generations!" You call for more wine. Serault needs passion, courage and inspiration. Honour is a game that others play. The Divine's party leave in an uproar, riding out into the night rather than share your roof. (if: $lordship is not "banished" and is not "arrested")[You think you spot His Dour Lordship somewhere, his mouth agape.] In the corner of your amazed hall, the Wayward Bard picks out the tune of //the Seat of the Stag//. The next day dawns. You watch her procession leave your lands from the top of the Tower of Lights. You feel no fear, and no regret. The Divine has a mage rebellion in her hands, and soon a civil war to contend with... whatever storm does come, you - and Serault - will be ready. //Serault's Shame is not lifted, but your name is carved into legend.// [[The Sun in its glory traverses the sky|Final Game Over]] <img src="images/wind.png" alt="Wind" height="26" width="20"> Look upon it warily. //The game ends.// (set: $seraulthonour to "shamed")\ (set: $chantryunsealed to "defied")\ (if: $anchoress is "arrested")[(set: $anchoress to "notgiven")]\ (set: $bardsong to "true")\ (set: $divinefavour to - 100)\ (if: $dignity is > 100)[(set: $dignity to 100)]\ (if: $dignity is < 0)[(set: $dignity to 0)]\ (if: $prosperity is > 100)[(set: $prosperity to 100)]\ (if: $prosperity is < 0)[(set: $prosperity to 0)]\ (if: $freedom is > 100)[(set: $freedom to 100)]\ (if: $freedom is < 0)[(set: $freedom to 0)]\ (if: $twilight is > 100)[(set: $twilight to 100)]\ (if: $twilight is < 0)[(set: $twilight to 0)]\ (if: $peril is > 100)[(set: $peril to 100)]\ (if: $peril is < 0)[(set: $peril to 0)]\ (if: $revolution is > 100)[(set: $revolution to 100)]\ (if: $revolution is < 0)[(set: $revolution to 0)]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/bluewings.png" alt="BlueWings">]\ ''Tourney or //tourdion//'' Pink with nerves, she blurts: "I know your Grace plans to hold a tournament soon, but... would it not be better to hold a //dance//?" Other youths of the court hover nearby, pretending - very badly - that they aren't listening. Finding her courage, she speaks in a rush. "A new dance has taken Val Royeaux by storm. They call it the //tourdion//. The Empress' own dance-master invented it, and everyone is doing it! Would... would it not reflect well on Serault if the Empress' fascinations were ours, too?" You had intended to hold a tourney, but apparently they're out of fashion at the imperial court. A quandary. Around your hall fresh faces hang on your answer. <img src="images/derringdomini.png" alt="DerringDoMini"> [[Hold the tourney anyway]] A pox on fashion. A good old-fashioned tourney gets the blood pumping. You might even win! <img src="images/rulershipmini.png" alt="RulershipMini"> [[Hold a ball and dance the //tourdion//|Hold a ball and dance the tourdion]] Alright. Let's see what all the fuss is about. [[Do neither]] Spare the Marquisate's coffers.\ \ (set: $latestfad to "true")

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/hornedhelm.png" alt="HornedKnight">]''Guess who’s coming to dinner?'' The fauns and dryads cheer your name. "$name! $name! $name!" The Horned Knight bows his head, while his dryad queen hoots with laughter, shaking her head and clapping her stiff hands. “Then I will see you at the Feast of the Divine,” the Horned Knight says. “And I will bring the Most Holy a gift.” The Heartwood Feast is ended. A moon-blue wisp leads you to the edge of the woods, where you can see the warm lights of Serault Town glowing at the river’s edge. (if: (history:) contains "Have him driven out of the hall")[You wouldn't have predicted this turn of events back when you had your men drive him out of your Great Hall, months ago. He is part of Serault, like it or not, and you've learned to accept that side of hers.] [[A week passes, and with it a scent of spring|The Freehold]] The wind dies, leaving the sun to push hotly on the cobbled streets and courtyards. The chateau's four cats stretch out on the roof-tiles. (set: $knightfeast to "true")(You have invited the Horned Knight <img src="images/hornedhelm.png" alt="HornedKnight" height="26" width="20"> to the Feast of the Divine.) (set: $knightoath to "given")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) (set: $dignity to $dignity + 10)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 10!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/male2.png" alt="VisitingScholar">](if: (random: -10,10) + $scholarship is > 25)[''The temptation of comfort'' Wine, food, company: the more you ply him with, the more he lets slip. His revolutionary ideals are forgotten for the time being. He enjoys your hospitality, and you make the most of his indiscretion. (set: $freedom to $freedom + 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) ) ]\ (else:)[''Under your nose'' He is grateful for your hospitality but secretly preaches revolution among your household. By the time he leaves, some of your servants sport a rebellious look, while others are inappropriately bold in their speech. (set: $revolution to $revolution + 5)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) ] [[You rest well after a long day at court|Pick a Counselor 1]] A riot of barks from the kennels; the butcher is delivering meat. (set: $scholarship to $scholarship + 1)(Your Scholarship <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $wanderingscholar to "hosted")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/male2.png" alt="VisitingScholar">](if: (random: -10,10) + $scholarship is > 45)[''The temptation of comfort'' Wine, food, company: the more you ply him with, the more he lets slip. His revolutionary ideals are forgotten for the time being. He enjoys your hospitality, and you make the most of his indiscretion. (set: $freedom to $freedom + 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) ]\ (else:)[''Under your nose'' He is grateful for your hospitality but secretly preaches revolution among your household. By the time he leaves, some of your servants sport a rebellious look, while others are inappropriately bold in their speech. (set: $revolution to $revolution + 5)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) ] [[A new day dawns|Flames of Freedom]] You linger in bed for a moment. Then you rise. (set: $scholarship to $scholarship + 1)(Your Scholarship <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $wanderingscholar to "hosted")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/outlaw.png" alt="Outlaw">](if: (random: -10,10) + $woodswise is > 45)[''Shriven'' The Outlaw makes her confession before the gathering. It is by turns scandalous, entertaining, sad and sincere. Despite herself, the Divine is amused. "Of all the Maker's virtues, mercy is the one too quickly sacrificed in service of another. You are forgiven, and I trust your (if: $gender is "female")[Marquise](else:)[Marquis] will spare you the noose. Now justify our faith: live a better life." The Dashing Outlaw promises that she will. Does she mean it? You wonder if even she knows. (set: $divinefavour to $divinefavour + 1)(Your Divine's Favour <img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) ]\ (else:)[''Uncertainty'' She makes her confession before the gathering, by turns scandalous, entertaining, sad and sincere. The Divine speaks. "Words come easily to you. But so do misdeeds." She considers the Outlaw. "You may have your forgiveness. This world needs a little more trust. I hope you deserve it." The Outlaw bows and leaves the hall, free. Her hands are trembling. The Divine regards you. "Your hospitality is broad, (if: $gender is "female")[Marquise $name](else:)[Marquis $name], to welcome rogues, thieves and outlaws to your table." She does not sound pleased. (set: $divinefavour to $divinefavour - 1)(Your Divine's Favour <img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 1...) ] //You have petitioned the Divine. You have two petitions remaining.// [[The Feast continues|Display the glory of Serault]] The Great Hall is packed. You had to lease more tables from the guild across the river. (set: $woodswise to $woodswise + 1)(Your Woods-wise <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $outlawpardon to "true")(You have acquired <img src="images/conciliation.png" alt="ConciliationCup" height="26" width="20"> a new asset!) (set: $peril to $peril - 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) (set: $dignity to $dignity - 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...)\ (set: $outlawpetition to "true")

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/outlaw.png" alt="Outlaw">](if: (random: -10,10) + $woodswise is > 45)[''Shriven'' The Outlaw makes her confession before the gathering. It is by turns scandalous, entertaining, sad and sincere. Despite herself, the Divine is amused. "Of all the Maker's virtues, mercy is the one too quickly sacrificed in service of another. You are forgiven, and I trust your (if: $gender is "female")[Marquise](else:)[Marquis] will spare you the noose. Now justify our faith: live a better life." The Dashing Outlaw promises that she will. Does she mean it? You wonder if even she knows. (set: $divinefavour to $divinefavour + 1)(Your Divine's Favour <img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) ]\ (else:)[''Uncertainty'' She makes her confession before the gathering, by turns scandalous, entertaining, sad and sincere. The Divine speaks. "Words come easily to you. But so do misdeeds." She considers the Outlaw. "You may have your forgiveness. This world needs a little more trust. I hope you deserve it." The Outlaw bows and leaves the hall, free. Her hands are trembling. The Divine regards you. "Your hospitality is broad, (if: $gender is "female")[Marquise $name](else:)[Marquis $name], to welcome rogues, thieves and outlaws to your table." She does not sound pleased. (set: $divinefavour to $divinefavour - 1)(Your Divine's Favour <img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 1...) ] //You have petitioned the Divine. You have one petition remaining.// (if: $lordship is not "banished" and is not "arrested")[ [[Another petitioner presents himself before the Divine|His Dour Lordship's Case]] You know him well. Or at least you thought so.]\ (else:)[ [[During this night's feast, the Divine asks you a question|His Dour Lordship's Absence]] She doesn't seem pleased.] (set: $woodswise to $woodswise + 1)(Your Woods-wise <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $outlawpardon to "true")(You have acquired <img src="images/conciliation.png" alt="ConciliationCup" height="26" width="20"> a new asset!) (set: $peril to $peril - 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) (set: $dignity to $dignity - 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...)\ (set: $outlawpetition to "true")

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/outlaw.png" alt="Outlaw">](if: (random: -10,10) + $woodswise is > 45)[''Shriven'' The Outlaw makes her confession before the gathering. It is by turns scandalous, entertaining, sad and sincere. Despite herself, the Divine is amused. "Of all the Maker's virtues, mercy is the one too quickly sacrificed in service of another. You are forgiven, and I trust your (if: $gender is "female")[Marquise](else:)[Marquis] will spare you the noose. Now justify our faith: live a better life." The Dashing Outlaw promises that she will. Does she mean it? You wonder if even she knows. (set: $divinefavour to $divinefavour + 1)(Your Divine's Favour <img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) ]\ (else:)[''Uncertainty'' She makes her confession before the gathering, by turns scandalous, entertaining, sad and sincere. The Divine speaks. "Words come easily to you. But so do misdeeds." She considers the Outlaw. "You may have your forgiveness. This world needs a little more trust. I hope you deserve it." The Outlaw bows and leaves the hall, free. Her hands are trembling. The Divine regards you. "Your hospitality is broad, (if: $gender is "female")[Marquise $name](else:)[Marquis $name], to welcome rogues, thieves and outlaws to your table." She does not sound pleased. (set: $divinefavour to $divinefavour - 1)(Your Divine's Favour <img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 1...) ] //You have brought three petitions before the Divine and may trouble her with no more.// [[The Feast goes on|Playing the Great Game]] It is hard to gauge how satisfied the Divine is with your reception. She eats and drinks well enough, even giggles at times. How could you influence her further? (set: $woodswise to $woodswise + 1)(Your Woods-wise <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $outlawpardon to "true")(You have acquired <img src="images/conciliation.png" alt="ConciliationCup" height="26" width="20"> a new asset!) (set: $peril to $peril - 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) (set: $dignity to $dignity - 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/purveyor.png" alt="Purveyor">](if: (random: -10,10) + $derringdo is > 45)[''Revolution'' The Purveyor hands her the box of tea. "It is a challenging blend, Most Holy, bitter at first but with an incomparable aftertaste. Its true name is not to be spoken, but translates as the Fires of Change. If I may make a recommendation: it is best drunk quickly. Left to spoil, it can cause indigestion. A severe form." The Divine suppresses a smile. "The Chantry is no stranger to change, my friend, nor to fires. Nor, it happens, to veiled messages. The world is unfair, I know. But the Chantry will not rest until it is the one the Maker intended. I ask only for your patience." (set: $divinefavour to $divinefavour + 1)(Your Divine's Favour <img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) ]\ (else:)[''Sedition'' "It is a challenging blend, Most Holy, bitter at first but with an incomparable aftertaste. Its true name is not to be spoken, but translates as the Fires of Change. A recommendation: it is best drunk quickly. Left to spoil, it can cause indigestion. A severe form." The Divine is not amused. "The Chantry is familiar with change and fires both, dwarf. What we do not tolerate is threats. We know the world is unfair. I know of no way to repair it but one injustice at a time, starting with the worst. Perhaps if you cared for the rights of others as much as for your own we would have something to discuss." (set: $divinefavour to $divinefavour - 1)(Your Divine's Favour <img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 1...) ] //You have petitioned the Divine. You have two petitions remaining.// [[The Feast continues|Display the glory of Serault]] The Great Hall is packed. You had to lease more tables from the guild across the river. (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 1)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $silverpoison to "true")(You have acquired <img src="images/conciliation.png" alt="ConciliationCup" height="26" width="20"> a new asset!) (set: $freedom to $freedom + 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $revolution to $revolution + 5)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) \ (set: $purveyorpetition to "true")

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/purveyor.png" alt="Purveyor">](if: (random: -10,10) + $derringdo is > 45)[''Revolution'' The Purveyor hands her the box of tea. "It is a challenging blend, Most Holy, bitter at first but with an incomparable aftertaste. Its true name is not to be spoken, but translates as the Fires of Change. If I may make a recommendation: it is best drunk quickly. Left to spoil, it can cause indigestion. A severe form." The Divine suppresses a smile. "The Chantry is no stranger to change, my friend, nor to fires. Nor, it happens, to veiled messages. The world is unfair, I know. But the Chantry will not rest until it is the one the Maker intended. I ask only for your patience." (set: $divinefavour to $divinefavour + 1)(Your Divine's Favour <img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) ]\ (else:)[''Sedition'' "It is a challenging blend, Most Holy, bitter at first but with an incomparable aftertaste. Its true name is not to be spoken, but translates as the Fires of Change. A recommendation: it is best drunk quickly. Left to spoil, it can cause indigestion. A severe form." The Divine is not amused. "The Chantry is familiar with change and fires both, dwarf. What we do not tolerate is threats. We know the world is unfair. I know of no way to repair it but one injustice at a time, starting with the worst. Perhaps if you cared for the rights of others as much as for your own we would have something to discuss." (set: $divinefavour to $divinefavour - 1)(Your Divine's Favour <img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 1...) ] //You have petitioned the Divine. You have one petition remaining.// (if: $lordship is not "banished" and is not "arrested")[ [[Another petitioner presents himself before the Divine|His Dour Lordship's Case]] You know him well. Or at least you thought so.]\ (else:)[ [[During this night's feast, the Divine asks you a question|His Dour Lordship's Absence]] She doesn't seem pleased.] (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 1)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $silverpoison to "true")(You have acquired <img src="images/conciliation.png" alt="ConciliationCup" height="26" width="20"> a new asset!) (set: $freedom to $freedom + 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $revolution to $revolution + 5)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) \ (set: $purveyorpetition to "true")

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/purveyor.png" alt="Purveyor">](if: (random: -10,10) + $derringdo is > 45)[''Revolution'' The Purveyor hands her the box of tea. "It is a challenging blend, Most Holy, bitter at first but with an incomparable aftertaste. Its true name is not to be spoken, but translates as the Fires of Change. If I may make a recommendation: it is best drunk quickly. Left to spoil, it can cause indigestion. A severe form." The Divine suppresses a smile. "The Chantry is no stranger to change, my friend, nor to fires. Nor, it happens, to veiled messages. The world is unfair, I know. But the Chantry will not rest until it is the one the Maker intended. I ask only for your patience." (set: $divinefavour to $divinefavour + 1)(Your Divine's Favour <img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) ]\ (else:)[''Sedition'' "It is a challenging blend, Most Holy, bitter at first but with an incomparable aftertaste. Its true name is not to be spoken, but translates as the Fires of Change. A recommendation: it is best drunk quickly. Left to spoil, it can cause indigestion. A severe form." The Divine is not amused. "The Chantry is familiar with change and fires both, dwarf. What we do not tolerate is threats. We know the world is unfair. I know of no way to repair it but one injustice at a time, starting with the worst. Perhaps if you cared for the rights of others as much as for your own we would have something to discuss." (set: $divinefavour to $divinefavour - 1)(Your Divine's Favour <img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 1...) ] //You have brought three petitions before the Divine and may trouble her with no more.// [[The Feast goes on|Playing the Great Game]] It is hard to gauge how satisfied the Divine is with your reception. She eats and drinks well enough, even giggles at times. How could you influence her further? (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 1)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $silverpoison to "true")(You have acquired <img src="images/conciliation.png" alt="ConciliationCup" height="26" width="20"> a new asset!) (set: $freedom to $freedom + 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $revolution to $revolution + 5)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/forest4.png" alt="Forest4">]''Alone'' You can hear your companions calling you for you, but their voices seem to come from all directions, and from none. Perhaps the Deepwoods are playing tricks on you. (if: $unwelcome is "true")[Perhaps the Horned Knight himself is hounding your steps.] You rush into the direction of what seems a voice, finding nothing but somber trees. You are alone on the borders of the Tirashan forest, the very edge of the known world. [[Press on regardless |Press on regardless 2]] There is nothing to fear. (if: (history:) contains "You feel weak")[Surely this time you are better prepared to brave the woods on your own...](else:)[You are the lord of these lands; you won't grow afeared of it.] [[Look for the rest of your party]] You cannot hope to find a (if: $wyvern is "true")[wyvern](else:)[bereskarn] on your own. Or worse, a (if: $wyvern is "true")[wyvern](else:)[bereskarn] may find you on your own... (set: $timeleft to $timeleft - 1)(You've got $timeleft hours <img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="26" width="20"> of daylight remaining.)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/bereskarn.png" alt="Bereskarn">]''Ambushed'' You curse your way through a tangle of brambles. Then suddenly the forest’s leaves, hanging low and close, shudder violently, then burst apart as the bereskarn thunders through. Its jaws gape. Its spines flare. The beast must have heard you coming, and decided //it// should be hunting //you//. [[Your party scatters]] The beast flails about it, smashing people and trees alike.\ \ (set: $ambushed to "true")

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/bereskarn.png" alt="Bereskarn">]''Ambushed'' You curse your way through a tangle of brambles. The forest’s leaves, hanging low and close, shudder violently, then burst apart as the bereskarn thunders through. Its jaws gape. Its spines flare. The beast must have heard you coming, and decided //it// should be hunting //you//. <img src="images/derringdomini.png" alt="DerringDoMini"> [[Fight it off]] You’re the hunter, not the prey. [[Go back to gather your companions]] It would be madness to fight the beast alone. (set: $ambushed to "true")

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/wyvern.png" alt="Wyvern">]''Ambushed'' The wyvern appears out of nowhere, just an arm's throw away. It turns, its crest flared. Its teeth are sharp as knives and slick with venom. <img src="images/derringdomini.png" alt="DerringDoMini"> [[Slay it alone]] You'll only get one shot at this... [[Go back to gather your companions]] It would be madness to fight the beast alone.\ \ (set: $ambushed to "true")

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/bard.png" alt="Bard">]''The curtain falls'' (if: $bardenvoy is "true")[The Bard seems to have mostly recovered from his long foray into the woods. "Suffice to say I have had quite enough of the wilds for the time being, your Grace," he says, a playful smile dancing around his lips. As you chatter and converse of forests and woods-magic you notice that his usual talkative self turns more and more taciturn, so unlike him. Something he saw in the Deepwoods scared him profoundly, mayhaps? He stops for a moment. [["I wondered if- LOOK OUT!"|A blade in the dark]] It happens in an instant. A servant, face painted with the stag of Serault, lunges for you with a knife. There is a splash of blood. Your guards surge forward.]\ (else:)[The Bard seems to have had quite the progress on his epic, //the Seat of the Stag//. "Suffice to say, I think we shall end up with quite the masterpiece, your Grace," he says, a playful smile dancing around his lips. As you chatter and converse of long-forgotten Exalted Marches you notice that his usual talkative self turns more and more taciturn, so unlike him. The Bard might be a consummate actor, but he is never one for playing coy. He stops for a moment. [["I wondered if- LOOK OUT!"|A blade in the dark]] It happens in an instant. A servant, face painted with the stag of Serault, lunges for you with a knife. There is a splash of blood. Your guards surge forward.]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/rumour.png" alt="BlackScroll">] ''An Invitation'' The invitation is written on a roll of bark. The Horned Knight invites you to a feast at his Heartwood Court. He promises entertainment, hospitality, and a chance for you each to learn something about the other. You note the seal: the Serault stag, reversed, on a blood-red field, weeping sky-blue tears. [[Assemble a party and attend the Feast]] You are curious. [[Refuse to attend]] Curse his mummery. You'll not treat him like a lord.\ \ (set: $unwelcome to "false")

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/forest4.png" alt="Forest4">]''You can hear the Bard!'' He's nearby, singing a solemn ballad of the Second Blight - something he only ever does when he's sober. Unfortunately, between you and him stretches a labyrinth of razor-thorned brambles thick as a keep's walls. Each thorn glistens with a gelatinous, amber resin. <img src="images/woodswisemini.png" alt="WoodsWiseMini"> [[Find a path to him]] Every maze has a way through. (if: $hounds is "present")[//Your hounds bay at the unsettling sounds of the woods; they will catch the Bard's scent.//]\ (else:)[~~//Your hounds bay at the unsettling sounds of the woods.//~~] [[Hack your way through the bramble-maze]] It'll hurt, but you can make it.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/outlaws.png" alt="Outlaws">]''Arrows from the trees'' The Dashing Outlaw's shameless band of malcontents aren't the only ones prowling the forest. Outcast, inbred bandit-clans claim the furthest vales, and lone outlaws devil the roads. Dark times attract lawless men. The close forests provide them with refuge, and the roads with victims. Travellers have been accosted. Merchants robbed. Priests beaten. It must be stopped. [[Finance more and better-equipped patrols]] The roads are under your protection. <img src="images/derringdomini.png" alt="DerringDoMini"> [[Ride against them yourself]] You know where they hide. You take up your sword. (if: $thievesgang is "true" or $greenvault is "true")[//You have successfully caught bandits like these before. That experience will come in handy...//]\ (else:)[~~//You have successfully caught bandits like these before. That experience will come in handy...//~~] <img src="images/woodswisemini.png" alt="WoodsWiseMini"> [[Do nothing, yet]] You have other concerns. Perhaps more attacks will allow you to pinpoint the bandits' sanctuaries. //You will be able to decide on a response later.// (if: (random: -10,10) + $woodswise is > 35)[<img src="images/outlaw.png" alt="Outlaw" height="65" width="50"> [[Ask the Dashing Outlaw to police the woods]] Set one pack of wolves upon another.]\ (else:)[~~Ask the Dashing Outlaw to police the woods Set one pack of wolves upon another.~~]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/headman.png" alt="Headman">]''The bastard's army'' "We challenged them, but they were too many. They laughed! They have horse, foot, pike and archers, and a swarming throng of camp followers as rowdy as a Rivaini circus!" "Their captain is Orlesian, from his accent, but his shield was painted black to conceal his crest." A bastard, then, who turned to sword-work when he realised he'd never inherit. There's nearly a hundred of them, crossing Serault in search of war: wolf-like soldiers clad in mismatched armour and carrying well-kept, well-used weapons. Their eyes are hard, their hands are calloused from sword-work, and their supplies are running low... <img src="images/cunningmini.png" alt="CunningMini"> [[Pay them to be on their way|Pay them to be on their way 2]] It's how these things work. Better to pay in coin than in plundered villages and crow-haunted fields. <img src="images/derringdomini.png" alt="DerringDoMini"> [[Drive them off with a show of force|Drive them off with a show of force 2]] It's risky. They are not strangers to battle. [[Dine with their leader|Dine with their leader 2]] And tolerate their company for a while longer.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/morrigan.png" alt="Morrigan">]''The Sorceress' Departure'' The Scornful Sorceress is leaving. "My work is complete. Thank you, your Grace, for your consideration and your hospitality. I am certain Orlais is grateful." Servants carry something tall, flat and wrapped in layer upon layer of silk to her carriage. "Is there some way I can thank you for your loyal service to the Empress?" she asks, trying to divert your attention. [[Ask for information]] She must have heard something at court you can use in negotiations with the Divine. [[Ask if there's anything she can do about Serault's more unnatural problems]] Set a thief to catch a thief. Set a Witch to catch a curse. [[Ask what's under the silks]] She said she owed you. This is your price.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/halla.png" alt="Hind">](if: (random: -10,10) + $derringdo is > 35)[''Second time lucky'' Your shot thuds home. The beast brays, staggers, and falls. You inspect the carcass. The hind was in its prime, and your cooks will be glad of its venison as they prepare for the feast. You sling your prize across your horse and leave the shade of the woods for the hedgerowed fields and dusty lanes of Serault. [[Return to the Chateau]] Atop its riverside bluff, the Castle of a Thousand Windows is visible from miles away. Sharp turrets jab at the sky. (set: $hindtrophy to "true")(You have acquired <img src="images/conciliation.png" alt="ConciliationCup" height="26" width="20"> a new asset!) (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 1)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) \ (set: $trophies to $trophies + 1)\ (set: $alone to "false")]\ (else:)[''Quick as the wind'' Your arrow flies, and draws the thinnest trickle of blood from the hind. Your companions fire a volley of their own, to little avail. The animal rushes beyond your grasp, a mad dash its final hope. In the minutes that follow you can no longer see its reddish fur. Your prey has eluded you, and you must return home empty-handed. [[Return to Chateau Serault]] Your companions are glum and silent. (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 1)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) \ (set: $alone to "false")]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/councillor.png" alt="Councillor">](if: (random: -10,10) + $rulership is > 45 or $errantsiblings is "rescued")[''Reason prevails'' Miraculously, your call for calm finds sympathisers among the crowd. Not everyone, it seems, enjoys homespun justice. While the mob argues, your guards pull the accused from its grasp. You choose the two most vocal members of the crowd to accompany you to your court so you can hear the facts of the matter. (set: $freedom to $freedom + 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) ]\ (else:)[''A foregone conclusion'' Your speech is eloquent, but the mob is deaf to your appeals. Reason is as alien to them as mercy, just now. Before your guards can reach their victim, someone ends the matter with a knife. The culprit disappears in the crowd. (set: $peril to $peril + 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) ] [[A new day dawns|Flames of Freedom]] You linger in bed for a moment. Then you rise. (set: $rulership to $rulership + 1)(Your Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $lynching to "calm")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/riverside.png" alt="Riverside">](if: (random: -10,10) + $rulership is > 35)[''Cat and mouse'' For once the glassblowers are happy to have guards patrolling their corridors. Your soldiers don't catch anyone, but they do find signs of coming and going, often though high, small windows. They nail each one shut.]\ (else:)[''Whispers among glass'' The glassworkers grumble. They think it's a trick. That you're tightening their chains. Your soldiers find nothing more suspicious than a stray cat, which they adopt as a sort of mascot. (set: $revolution to $revolution + 5)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) ] [[Two nights later, the truth comes out|A confrontation amongst the chimneys]] There was a fracas at the glassworks last night. Your guards encountered an intruder. The Smiling Guildmistress tells you the tale... (set: $rulership to $rulership + 1)(Your Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/councillor.png" alt="Councillor">](if: (random: -10,10) + $scholarship is > 45)[''A full and frank exchange'' You counter his points one by one, speaking with eloquence and humor. Beside your calmness, his anger looks unreasonable. The crowd begins to turn your way. However they complain, however dark their present circumstances, they are proud sons and daughters of Serault. You remind them what that means. (set: $revolution to $revolution - 5)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) ]\ (else:)[''Rabble-rousing'' There's no reasoning with him. He plays to the crowd, mischaracterising your position and mocking your refined speech. By engaging with him, you've given him legitimacy. The crowd's mood turns against you. (set: $revolution to $revolution + 5)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) ] [[A new day dawns|Flames of Freedom]] You linger in bed for a moment. Then you rise. (set: $scholarship to $scholarship + 1)(Your Scholarship <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $debate to "discussion")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Rumours">]''Scandalous rumours'' "The old Marquise - this one's mother - was very friendly with the Cheery Baron. //Very// friendly. They hunted together often, just the two of them. Sometimes he'd spear the boar, and sometimes he'd spear //her//!" Silence falls across the crowd. The peasant's companions stare at him. They can't believe what he just said. Nor can he. His face turns the colour of ash. What will you do? [[Laugh|Laugh 2]] Everyone's pride needs puncturing from time to time. Even yours. <img src="images/rulershipmini.png" alt="RulershipMini"> [[Have the peasant punished|Have the peasant punished 2]] Too lenient and you'll seem weak. Too harsh and you'll seem a monster.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/morrigan.png" alt="Morrigan">](if: (random: -10,10) + $rulership is > 35)[''Legacy'' You ask if she has children of her own. She does not answer. You ask about her parents, instead. She chuckles. "My mother is Flemeth, the Witch of the Wilds. Aye, I know a thing or two about having a notorious ancestor, your Grace." You trade tales of your predecessors and their long shadows. Sometimes a burden, sometimes a boon.]\ (else:)[''A courtier's child yells at another'' She looks at you with a half-grin, but her eyes are hard. She gestures at the children. "This is not a childhood I recognise," she says. "The games my mother encouraged were less innocent. She spent most of her time trying to make me into something that would please her." At the mention of her mother, the last of her smile fades. She says no more, but sits and broods. (set: $dignity to $dignity - 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) ] [[A week goes by in a flash|Go Hunting 1]] It's hunting day. (set: $rulership to $rulership + 1)(Your Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/morrigan.png" alt="Morrigan">](if: (random: -10,10) + $rulership is > 35)[''Masked grace'' She laughs. "Because I do not play games, your Grace, be they Great or otherwise." She shares several outrageous tales regarding the masked courtiers at the Empress' palace. "People find it easier to intrigue behind a mask. It is weakness. I commit my crimes barefaced." (set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) ]\ (else:)[''A flash in her eyes'' "My mask?" She leans close, whispers, "This //is// the mask, your Grace. I thought I should wear something pretty." ] The memory of her laughter lingers on the following day, as you happen upon the Scornful Sorceress once again. <img src="images/scholarshipmini.png" alt="ScholarshipMini"> [[You find her in the library, idly examining a history of your family]] She points at the charred stain where the Shame's name has been seared from your family tree. "Tell me about him." (set: $rulership to $rulership + 1)(Your Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/morrigan.png" alt="Morrigan">](if: (random: -10,10) + $cunning is > 35)[''Shadows of war'' "The Empress likes to surround herself with exceptional people. She has //impeccable// taste in advisers, naturally. She and Grand Duke Gaspard have been at each other's throats all year. They refuse to call it a war, but there has been no shortage of casualties. On both sides." (set: $scholarship to $scholarship + 1)(Your Scholarship <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) ]\ (else:)[''She's not half as drunk as she seems'' "Tell me, (if: $gender is "female")[Lady $name](else:)[Lord $name]. When the Grand Duke makes his move - and perhaps he already has - who will you stand with? Gaspard or Celene? On second thought don't tell me. You never know who is listening, and today's answer could be tomorrow's treason." (set: $dignity to $dignity - 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...)] The memory of her voice lingers on the following day, as you happen upon the Scornful Sorceress once again. <img src="images/scholarshipmini.png" alt="ScholarshipMini"> [[You find her in the library, idly examining a history of your family]] She points at the charred stain where the Shame's name has been seared from your family tree. "Tell me about him." (set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/forest2.png" alt="Forest2">](if: (random: -10,10) + $rulership is > 45)[''Lore of the villages, lore of the forest'' The peddler is well-informed. You hear a number of fresh-minted rumours concerning events in your realm, and some handy woods-lore besides. (set: $woodswise to $woodswise + 1)(Your Woods-wise <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) ]\ (else:)[''Spreading fires'' He shuffles his feet and talks in riddles. He's trying to avoid talking directly about the unrest he has witnessed in Serault. (set: $revolution to $revolution + 5)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) (set: $timeleft to $timeleft - 1)(You've got $timeleft hours <img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="26" width="20"> of daylight remaining.)] [[An hour later, you hear... singing?]] No time to waste. It will be night soon. (set: $rulership to $rulership + 1)(Your Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $freedom to $freedom + 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!)

(if: $dignity is > $twilight)[(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/baron.png" alt="Baron">]''The Baron's battle'' The Cheery Baron hasn't warred in years, but he has forgotten none of his skill, cunning or fire. The Undaunted Chevalier crashes to the dusty ground, his horse rolling over him. The Baron pulls his helmet off and presents you with the vanquished knight's sword and shield. "Child's play. At Belvoir I fought six of him, and still had time to harry the vanguard, storm the Castle of Leaves and dine in the ruins," he boasts. Your court cheer his bravado, but you note his labored breathing and how he favours his left leg. He's not as young as he was. (set: $chevalier to "true")(You have acquired <img src="images/conciliation.png" alt="ConciliationCup" height="26" width="20"> a new asset!) (set: $dignity to $dignity + 10)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 10!) \ (set: $trophies to $trophies + 1)]\ (else:)[(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/bodyguard2.png" alt="Bodyguard2">]''Defeat'' A landless chevalier of the Dowager's recommendation rides out. "His family served with dignity before the woods took my beautiful Pastulaire," she tells you. His armour is a shade too big for him. His sword is notched. You had to lend him a horse. His foe makes short work of him. A final blow splits the lad's gorget, loosing a gout of scarlet blood. The Undaunted Chevalier does not even deign to collect his sword and shield as victory would permit. He departs in search of a better contest. Your physician does what he can for Serault's fallen champion, but he doesn't last the night. (set: $dignity to $dignity - 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) ] [[The new moon turns crescent|Serault is Bewitched!]] The peons say this is the Biting Wind that Masked Andraste keeps leashed like a dog. It’s not. But it is a little chilly.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry">](if: (random: -10,10) + $woodswise is > 35)[''Andraste 7:12'' Laying a hand on your head, she sings: //"Those who oppose thee Shall know the wrath of heaven. Field and forest shall burn, The seas shall rise and devour them."// Well, that sounds positive. You bid the sister a good day, and are on your way. Soon after, you find signs of your quarry. Perhaps the Maker really does provide. (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $chanterblessing to "true")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) ]\ (else:)[''Trials 1:14'' She rests her hand on your heart and sings: //"Draw your last breath, my friends, Cross the Veil and the Fade and all the stars in the sky. Rest at the Maker's right hand, And be Forgiven."// Is that good? It doesn't sound good. (set: $twilight to $twilight + 5)(Your Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) (set: $timeleft to $timeleft - 1)(You've got $timeleft hours <img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="26" width="20"> of daylight remaining.)] [[The quarry must be close!]] No time to waste. (set: $woodswise to $woodswise + 1)(Your Woods-wise <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry">](if: (random: -10,10) + $woodswise is > 45)[''Andraste 7:12'' Laying a hand on your head, she sings: //"Those who oppose thee Shall know the wrath of heaven. Field and forest shall burn, The seas shall rise and devour them."// Well, that sounds positive. You bid the sister a good day, and are on your way. Soon after, you find signs of your quarry. Perhaps the Maker really does provide. (set: $twilight to $twilight - 5)(Your Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) (set: $chanterblessing to "true")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) ]\ (else:)[''Trials 1:14'' She rests her hand on your heart and sings: //"Draw your last breath, my friends, Cross the Veil and the Fade and all the stars in the sky. Rest at the Maker's right hand, And be Forgiven."// Is that good? It doesn't sound good. (set: $twilight to $twilight + 5)(Your Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) (set: $timeleft to $timeleft - 1)(You've got $timeleft hours <img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="26" width="20"> of daylight remaining.)] [[An hour later, you hear... singing?]] No time to waste. It will be night soon.. (set: $woodswise to $woodswise + 1)(Your Woods-wise <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/knight.png" alt="Knight">]\ (if: $freedom is > $revolution)[''Clarity'' The evening deepens. The library is studded with candles. With the Kindly Knight's aid, you winnow a labyrinthine tangle of inheritance law into a simple precedent. One that avaricious client-lords can't subvert to line their pockets. (set: $scholarship to $scholarship + 1)(Your Scholarship <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) ]\ (else:)[''Clemency'' A robin perches nosily outside the library window as you scour tomes of solemn case-law. Some of Serault's laws are old and cruel: a whipping for wearing colours above your station? A day in the stocks for eating out on Disciple Hessarian's birthday? The Knight assembles contradictory precedents, and you strike the decrepit laws from the page.] <img src="images/abbessalt.png" alt="AbbessAlt" height="65" width="50"> [[Later, you see a familiar face coming along the gardens|The Elegant Abbess]] The Abbess is a member of the des Guenoles family and is the sister of the Muttering Banker. She forsook the life of nobility to join the Chantry. <img src="images/bardalt.png" alt="BardAlt" height="65" width="50"> [[As you take your leave, you hear a Bard's melody|The Wayward Bard]] So, he's back in town after all. (set: $freedom to $freedom + 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/morrigan.png" alt="Morrigan">]''Shadows of war'' She reveals that the Empress and the Divine are engaged in secret negotiations regarding the mages' Circles and Orlais' elves. "Each of them needs the other's house in order to pursue their own agenda. A red-haired bard is their go-between. A woman of modest intelligence but extravagant shoes." Information is power; you need as much as you can gather to face the trials ahead. You bid your guest farewell, and watch as she rides east. Towards all sorts of trouble, you think to yourself. [[Days come and go; Serault awakes outside|A Petition from a Village Headsman]] Two ladies-in-waiting pass beneath your window, whispering shocking things about one of your chevaliers. (set: $morrigan to "leliana")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) (The Scornful Sorceress <img src="images/morrigan.png" alt="Morrigan" height="26" width="20"> shared a secret of the imperial court.) (set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $rulership to $rulership + 1)(Your Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/bard.png" alt="Bard">]''Tall tales'' Days later, as the Wayward Bard returns from his prolonged stay, he talks your ear off with stories about his time as the Horned Knight's hostage. "Sweet-bosomed Andraste, it's good to be back! As employers go, the Horned Knight is kind enough - although mad as a badger - but I'm too old for sleeping on greensward and drinking spring water. You! Fetch me a mattress. No, three mattresses!" //"And some sodding wine!"// (if: $bardlover is "missing")[ [[Kiss him]] You've missed him. [[Greet him frostily]] You haven't forgotten his dalliance with the peasant girl. The one with the ringlets. //You will not take the Bard back as your lover.//]\ (else:)[ [[Welcome him home]] What did the Horned Knight want with him?] (if: $knightfury is < 2)[(You are in the Horned Knight's debt. The Lord of the Forest <img src="images/hornedhelm.png" alt="HornedKnight" height="26" width="20"> remains courteous for now.)](else:)[(You are in the Horned Knight's debt. The Lord of the Forest <img src="images/hornedhelm.png" alt="HornedKnight" height="26" width="20"> retreats beneath the woods.)] (set: $unwelcome to "false")(set: $unwelcome to "false")(Your presence will be tolerated in the woods <img src="images/forest4.png" alt="Forest4" height="26" width="20"> once more.) (set: $debt to "true")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) \ (set: $missingbard to "rescued")\ (if: $bardlover is "missing")[(set: $bardlover to "true")]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/morrigan.png" alt="Morrigan">](if: $freedom is > $revolution)[''Half-truths'' She smiles at your enquiries. "These are the Empress' secrets, not mine. All I can say is this: I am trying to mend something, and Serault is the perfect place to do it. Both for its mastery of glass, and for its //discretion//," she pointedly stresses the last word.]\ (else:)[''Imperial secrets'' She has little to say. "I am poor company this evening. The ovens were hot, glass is an intolerably wilful substance, and the glassworks are an unhappy place. I imagine they are what a Circle feels like. Gifted people, trapped in a cage." She snorts. (set: $revolution to $revolution + 5)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) ] [[A week goes by in a flash|Go Hunting 1]] It's hunting day. (set: $freedom to $freedom + 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/morrigan.png" alt="Morrigan">](if: (random: -10,10) + $scholarship is > 35)[''A light in the dark'' The blue flame blazes, then dims to a cool ember. "Magic thrives on use. A mage who fears her magic cannot master it. When the demons come calling, she will not have the strength to deny them. The Circles are a cage made from fear. I cannot decide who is more stupid: the ones who built the cage, or the ones who allow themselves to be put in it."]\ (else:)[''Your heart jumps'' The light snuffs out. The corridor is dark as pitch. "Magic?" her voice says from the dark, and you can hear her grin. "I don't know what you mean." She has no problem finding her way in the dark, leaving you to your thoughts. For some reason, you couldn't sleep well that night. (set: $twilight to $twilight + 5)(Your Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) ] [[A week goes by in a flash|Go Hunting 1]] It's hunting day. (set: $scholarship to $scholarship + 1)(Your Scholarship <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/chest.png" alt="Chest">]''The gift'' "That's what my father brought me when he found me after ma died. He said he regretted nothing as much as he regretted abandoning me. His other children were sweet-natured, he said, but a disappointment. Too comfortable, he said. Too content." She snorts. "A doll! Can you think of a more stupid present for a ten year-old girl who lives in the woods and has to feed and clothe herself?" You ask why she kept it. She gives you a sharp look. (if: (history:) does not contain "Ask her about the Sunburst Brooch")[ [[Ask her about the Sunburst Brooch]] It's old, red gold.]\ (else:)[~~Ask her about the Sunburst Brooch It's old, red gold.~~] (if: (history:) does not contain "Ask her about the Torn Book")[ [[Ask her about the Torn Book]] Its pages are filled with impatient, scribbled writing. You glimpse an underlined phrase: "'A Mage must be a poet, a philosopher, and a butcher..."]\ (else:)[~~Ask her about the Torn Book Its pages are filled with impatient, scribbled writing. You glimpse an underlined phrase: "'A Mage must be a poet, a philosopher, and a butcher..."~~] (if: (history:) does not contain "Ask her about the broken Staff")[ [[Ask her about the broken Staff]] The head is a circle of unbroken glass, stained and leaded with the Serault stag.]\ (else:)[~~Ask her about the broken Staff The head is a circle of unbroken glass, stained and leaded with the Serault stag.~~] <img src="images/door.png" alt="Door"> [[That's all for now|Talk to the Anchoress]] Return to the Anchoress' Dell. //You asked enough questions.// (if: (history:) does not contain "Ask her about the Doll")[(set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) ]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry">]''The heirloom'' "Belonged to my mother. It was the one thing she kept from before the sisterhood. She was born a knight's girl, I think. "She brought me up all by herself, out here in the woods. Her once-sisters helped out a bit. Left meat out for us after feast days. Gave us clothes too ragged for fine Chantry shoulders. That sort of thing. "She got sick. I was ten. Some things no herb can prevail against. Nor spells, neither. Said that to my father, once. That's when he tore up my book. He said I was no de Serault if I thought like that. "Anyway. Before she died, she wrote to him. Told him all about me. He sought me out." (if: (history:) does not contain "Ask her about the Doll")[ [[Ask her about the Doll]] It's dressed like an Antivan pirate. The waistcoat is real silk. The boots have little brass buckles. The stitching is gold thread.]\ (else:)[~~Ask her about the Doll It's dressed like an Antivan pirate. The waistcoat is real silk. The boots have little brass buckles. The stitching is gold thread.~~] (if: (history:) does not contain "Ask her about the Torn Book")[ [[Ask her about the Torn Book]] Its pages are filled with impatient, scribbled writing. You glimpse an underlined phrase: "'A Mage must be a poet, a philosopher, and a butcher..."]\ (else:)[~~Ask her about the Torn Book Its pages are filled with impatient, scribbled writing. You glimpse an underlined phrase: "'A Mage must be a poet, a philosopher, and a butcher..."~~] (if: (history:) does not contain "Ask her about the broken Staff")[ [[Ask her about the broken Staff]] The head is a circle of unbroken glass, stained and leaded with the Serault stag.]\ (else:)[~~Ask her about the broken Staff The head is a circle of unbroken glass, stained and leaded with the Serault stag.~~] <img src="images/door.png" alt="Door"> [[That's all for now|Talk to the Anchoress]] Return to the Anchoress' Dell. //You asked enough questions.// (if: (history:) does not contain "Ask her about the Sunburst Brooch")[(set: $rulership to $rulership + 1)(Your Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) ]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/ring2.png" alt="ShameRing">]''Art and science'' "Father was proper pleased when he realised I was a mage. Did a jig, he did. That's the spellbook he gave me." "I was a disappointment. Don't read so well. And he was better at doing than teaching, my father. When he lost his patience, he'd ask if I was Tranquil. But the things he taught me... to hold fire by the throat. To catch lightning and spit it back at the clouds. To see behind the world..." You look at the inscription on the first page. //'To my beloved daughter. The world is yours.'// (if: (history:) does not contain "Ask her about the Sunburst Brooch")[ [[Ask her about the Sunburst Brooch]] It's old, red gold.]\ (else:)[~~Ask her about the Sunburst Brooch It's old, red gold.~~] (if: (history:) does not contain "Ask her about the Doll")[ [[Ask her about the Doll]] It's dressed like an Antivan pirate. The waistcoat is real silk. The boots have little brass buckles. The stitching is gold thread.]\ (else:)[~~Ask her about the Doll It's dressed like an Antivan pirate. The waistcoat is real silk. The boots have little brass buckles. The stitching is gold thread.~~] (if: (history:) does not contain "Ask her about the broken Staff")[ [[Ask her about the broken Staff]] The head is a circle of unbroken glass, stained and leaded with the Serault stag.]\ (else:)[~~Ask her about the broken Staff The head is a circle of unbroken glass, stained and leaded with the Serault stag.~~] <img src="images/door.png" alt="Door"> [[That's all for now|Talk to the Anchoress]] Return to the Anchoress' Dell. //You asked enough questions.// (if: (history:) does not contain "Ask her about the Torn Book")[(set: $scholarship to $scholarship + 1)(Your Scholarship <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) ]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/magic.png" alt="Magic">]''Now my charms are all o'erthrown'' "That was his staff. He came to see me, soon before the end. He wasn't alone in his head. I could see that. He'd always been proud - and rightly so! - but he'd laid his pride out for the demon like a feast before a king." "He knew they were coming: the Seekers and their Templars. But he said he'd never run in his life and didn't know how to start." "He gave me his staff. He didn't say sorry, though. Not for anything. I was proud of him for that. A few days after he left, the staff fell over. Broke clean into three bits. And that's how I knew he weren't coming back." (if: (history:) does not contain "Ask her about the Sunburst Brooch")[ [[Ask her about the Sunburst Brooch]] It's old, red gold.]\ (else:)[~~Ask her about the Sunburst Brooch It's old, red gold.~~] (if: (history:) does not contain "Ask her about the Doll")[ [[Ask her about the Doll]] It's dressed like an Antivan pirate. The waistcoat is real silk. The boots have little brass buckles. The stitching is gold thread.]\ (else:)[~~Ask her about the Doll It's dressed like an Antivan pirate. The waistcoat is real silk. The boots have little brass buckles. The stitching is gold thread.~~] (if: (history:) does not contain "Ask her about the Torn Book")[ [[Ask her about the Torn Book]] Its pages are filled with impatient, scribbled writing. You glimpse an underlined phrase: "'A Mage must be a poet, a philosopher, and a butcher..."]\ (else:)[~~Ask her about the Torn Book Its pages are filled with impatient, scribbled writing. You glimpse an underlined phrase: "'A Mage must be a poet, a philosopher, and a butcher..."~~] <img src="images/door.png" alt="Door"> [[That's all for now|Talk to the Anchoress]] Return to the Anchoress' Dell. //You asked enough questions.// (if: (history:) does not contain "Ask her about the broken Staff")[(set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 1)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) ]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/guildmistress.png" alt="Guildmistress">]\ (if: $prosperity is > $peril)[''Bounty'' Her smile is confident, like a cat full of cream. She counts six intriguing facts off her fingers. Together, they point to something larger. Something you can use. (set: $prosperity to $prosperity + 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) ]\ (else:)[''Nothing but wind'' She talks at length about supply and demand, and the guild's faceted politics. It's an attempt to hide the fact that she doesn't have much of interest to tell you. The longer you have to listen to her soft, purring voice, the more annoying it becomes.] [[You reflect over the dangers to your lands|Serault is Imperiled!]] A grey wind drones in the fireplace. A slow rain drones on the windows. Your advisers drone in your hall. (set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/crystalball.png" alt="CrystalBall">]''Bargains'' "The Applewoods provide. And when they don't, the abbey does. I ain't the only indiscretion the sisters have to cover up. The Masked Andraste isn't as keen on chastity as her moon-faced sister. The right spells and potions make a round belly flat again. Or, if the girl would rather, they can ease the pain when the child comes. And out here we're far enough in the woods that no-one will hear all the hullabaloo." "In return the sisters bring me clothes when they remember. Or sweet honey from those beehives of theirs. Or wine, sometimes." She smacks her lips. (if: (history:) does not contain "Ask her who she is")[ [[Ask her who she is]] How long has she been hiding here?]\ (else:)[ (if: (history:) does not contain "Ask her about the Sunburst Brooch")[ [[Ask her about the Sunburst Brooch]] It's old, red gold.]\ (else:)[~~Ask her about the Sunburst Brooch It's old, red gold.~~] (if: (history:) does not contain "Ask her about the Doll")[ [[Ask her about the Doll]] It's dressed like an Antivan pirate. The waistcoat is real silk. The boots have little brass buckles. The stitching is gold thread.]\ (else:)[~~Ask her about the Doll It's dressed like an Antivan pirate. The waistcoat is real silk. The boots have little brass buckles. The stitching is gold thread.~~] (if: (history:) does not contain "Ask her about the Torn Book")[ [[Ask her about the Torn Book]] Its pages are filled with impatient, scribbled writing. You glimpse an underlined phrase: "'A Mage must be a poet, a philosopher, and a butcher..."]\ (else:)[~~Ask her about the Torn Book Its pages are filled with impatient, scribbled writing. You glimpse an underlined phrase: "'A Mage must be a poet, a philosopher, and a butcher..."~~] (if: (history:) does not contain "Ask her about the broken Staff")[ [[Ask her about the broken Staff]] The head is a circle of unbroken glass, stained and leaded with the Serault stag.]\ (else:)[~~Ask her about the broken Staff The head is a circle of unbroken glass, stained and leaded with the Serault stag.~~] <img src="images/door.png" alt="Door"> [[That's all for now|Talk to the Anchoress]] Return to the Anchoress' Dell. //You asked enough questions.//] (if: (history:) does not contain "Ask her how she lives")[(set: $woodswise to $woodswise + 1)(Your Woods-wise <img src="images/plant.png" alt="WoodsWise" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) ]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/divine.png" alt="Divine">]''The Divine's progress'' The Divine agrees to take a circuitous route through Serault on her return to Val Royeaux. She will deliver ceremonies at roadside shrines and in forgotten villages. Life is hard at the egde of the world. The Divine's progress will be a salve to spirits that need it most. (if: $divinefavour is > 7)[ [[She hasn't finished|The Mask]] The High Seat of Serault is no Sunburst Throne, but she looks positively comfortable in your chair.]\ (else:)[ [[The feast winds down|The Feast is Ending]] You are tired of smiling, conversing and flattering. Was it worth it?] (You have won back the Keys <img src="images/chantrydoor.png" alt="SealedChantry" height="26" width="20"> to the Sealed Chantry!) (set: $chantrykeys to "true")(You have acquired <img src="images/conciliation.png" alt="ConciliationCup" height="26" width="20"> a new asset!) (set: $freedom to $freedom + 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/guildmistress.png" alt="Guildmistress">]''The lesson'' "The first rule, your Grace, is never let them know what you're thinking. You wear your mask," she indicates your masked face, "and I wear mine..." With her fingers, she tweaks the corners of her mouth up into her customary smile. A shrewd ruler, your recall, also needs allies in less... //official// positions. Thankfully, you have the right idea of just whom you ought to seek. <img src="images/outlaw.png" alt="Outlaw" height="65" width="50"> [[You remember why she's known as the Dashing Outlaw...|The Dashing Outlaw]] She won't be easy to win over, will she? <img src="images/purveyor.png" alt="Purveyor" height="65" width="50"> [[You think of a certain dwarf|The Purveyor of Teas]] The Purveyor of Teas is an associate of bards, smugglers, and revolutionaries, yet he rejects that he maintains such connections. The dwarf was exiled in the past from Orzammar. (set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/outlaw.png" alt="Outlaw">]''Midnight lessons'' She teaches you to lie boldly, and to deceive with the truth. She shows you hidden trails through the trees, and how to hear the wood's whispered messages. She peppers her lessons with a lively spinkle of hearsay. (if: $bodyguard is "outlaw" or $accomplice is "outlaw")[You have been working together for some time now; behind her roguish indifference, you can tell, lies an ally of ironclad loyalty.] [[The following day an envoy comes to Serault|The Divine's Letter]] He bears the sunburst symbol of the Chantry on his livery. (set: $woodswise to $woodswise + 1)(Your Woods-wise <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/serault.png" alt="SeraultArms">]''Family history'' "I'm the Shame's shame. His get. Seduced one of the abbey's sisters, didn't he? Tut, tut. Couldn't have that secret getting out. Not to his pretty lily-wife and her lord father of Alyons. It would have meant disgrace at best; war more likely. "So he left me in the woods for the wolves and the wind. I didn't die, though. Too stupid. It was two days before my mother found me. She ran away from the Abbey of the Bans and raised me here in the woods. Like a fairytale it was. Moss for our pillow. Weaving blankets from grass. Dew to drink every morning. You know: from buttercups." She cackles. "You like that story? Or do you like your stories as real and nasty as gout? All shitting in ditches and strangling squirrels for scraps, our ribs pushing at our skin in the bitter winter?" "He regretted doing it later. Said so, anyway. Except when he was saying he wished he'd done the job proper - usually when I couldn't follow his lessons, or when I beat him at Archon." "So let's see. You must be his great-grandchild. That'd make me your... great aunt?" She laughs, as if it's the funniest thing in the world. "Sorry I missed all your birthdays, precious. I was rotting in the woods." (if: (history:) does not contain "Ask her how she lives")[ [[Ask her how she lives]] Where did she gets her clothes? Her meat? The hoe and shears for her garden?]\ (else:)[ (if: (history:) does not contain "Ask her about the Sunburst Brooch")[ [[Ask her about the Sunburst Brooch]] It's old, red gold.]\ (else:)[~~Ask her about the Sunburst Brooch It's old, red gold.~~] (if: (history:) does not contain "Ask her about the Doll")[ [[Ask her about the Doll]] It's dressed like an Antivan pirate. The waistcoat is real silk. The boots have little brass buckles. The stitching is gold thread.]\ (else:)[~~Ask her about the Doll It's dressed like an Antivan pirate. The waistcoat is real silk. The boots have little brass buckles. The stitching is gold thread.~~] (if: (history:) does not contain "Ask her about the Torn Book")[ [[Ask her about the Torn Book]] Its pages are filled with impatient, scribbled writing. You glimpse an underlined phrase: "'A Mage must be a poet, a philosopher, and a butcher..."]\ (else:)[~~Ask her about the Torn Book Its pages are filled with impatient, scribbled writing. You glimpse an underlined phrase: "'A Mage must be a poet, a philosopher, and a butcher..."~~] (if: (history:) does not contain "Ask her about the broken Staff")[ [[Ask her about the broken Staff]] The head is a circle of unbroken glass, stained and leaded with the Serault stag.]\ (else:)[~~Ask her about the broken Staff The head is a circle of unbroken glass, stained and leaded with the Serault stag.~~] <img src="images/door.png" alt="Door"> [[That's all for now|Talk to the Anchoress]] Return to the Anchoress' Dell. //You asked enough questions.//] (if: (history:) does not contain "Ask her who she is")[(set: $scholarship to $scholarship + 1)(Your Scholarship <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) ]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/purveyor.png" alt="Purveyor">](if: $freedom > $revolution)[''Just the facts'' You sip his steaming tea and listen, picking truth from flim-flam. Sometimes, he sprinkles his chatter with hints to his past. He claims to be a simple merchant, outcast from his home, but he knows too much about treasons, stratagems and toxins for that to be the whole truth. (set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) ]\ (else:)[''Ulterior motives'' He pulls back his sleeves, pours you both tea, and gossips flamboyantly. The secrets pour out so quickly it's hard to catch them all, but you know that half must be false. A cloud of smoke, to mask the activities of revolutionary friends? Or is he only trying to impress you?] <img src="images/hunter.png" alt="SilentHunter" height="65" width="50"> [[You turn your attention to the local head hunter|The Silent Hunter]] He's a loyal subject. But he can be hard to find. You'll need to organise a search. <img src="images/pigfarmer.png" alt="PigFarmer" height="65" width="50"> [[You decide to visit the market in Serault Town|The Well-Read Pig-Farmer]] As you approach the Bridge of Masks, outside the Chateau you run into the strangest peasant you've ever met. She nods at you, grass and mud on her worn boots. (set: $revolution to $revolution + 5)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) (set: $freedom to $freedom + 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/bard.png" alt="Bard">]\ (if: $dignity is > $twilight)[''Perfectionism'' You feed him some little-known Seraultine folklore, and he scrabbles for a quill "Yes, yes, that's good!" When you ask if the ballad is almost finished, he grumbles "a work of art is never completed, only hurried out the door to satisfy an impatient patron!" and stamps off. (set: $freedom to $freedom + 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) ]\ (else:)[''A moving target'' You describe an incident of picaresque historical color that should be good for a verse or two. "That's good stuff," he says. "I can use that." You ask when he will finish the ballad. He gives you a level stare. "When will I //finish// it? When will I finish the comprehensive story of Serault and her spirit? When will I finish that?" Yes. "I don't know. Things keep happening."] <img src="images/baron.png" alt="Baron" height="65" width="50"> [[In the morning, you find an old acquaintance in the Great Hall|The Cheery Baron]] He's smiling as if he had just eaten an impudent peasant. That's possible, actually. There are stories. <img src="images/guildmistress.png" alt="Guildmistress" height="65" width="50"> [[In the early morning you summon the Guildmistress once again|The Smiling Guildmistress]] The Smiling Guildmistress is the head of the Glassworks. Although she acts as an effective bridge between the Guild and the larger world, the isolating conditions imposed on the glass workers often lead them into conflict with the Guildmistress. (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/purveyor.png" alt="Purveyor">](if: $freedom is > $revolution)[''False modesty'' "I will offer such advice as I can to those few who will listen," he sighs, "but as a modest tea-seller of meager gifts and paltry influence, I'm not sure what difference I could possibly make." Within the week revolutionary activity has dimmed all across Serault. Fraud. (set: $revolution to $revolution - 10)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10!) ]\ (else:)[''The youth of today'' He agrees, but pleads helplessness: what difference could the pleas of a humble tea-seller make? Despite his protests, after a week revolutionary activity has indeed declined. However, outlawry and crime rise. The Purveyor tugs irritably at his beard. "Forbidden the excitement of vigorous political discourse, it seems that certain youths revert to general lawlessness." There's a hard gleam in his eye. Some people had better watch what they drink in the near future. (set: $peril to $peril + 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) (set: $revolution to $revolution - 5)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) ] [[Two days later you turn your focus to statescraft|Gather Resources 2]] You take your place atop the High Seat. [[A guard warns you of a visitor at the outskirts of Serault|The Undaunted Chevalier]] Courtiers flock to the battlements to spy on the new arrival.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/lordship.png" alt="Lordship">]''He stares at you as if you were mad'' “Why? //Why?// We’re neighbours. If you’re strong, I’m weak. If I want more land, I have to take yours. This is the Grand Game, child. Play or drown.” [[Imprison him]] This is no game. [[Warn him. Demand compensation]] The Divine would notice his absence. You got nothing as evidence but the word of a nine-fingered bard... [[Banish him. Let him buy your silence]] Despite his bluster, a scandal like this would hurt him. Playing the Game is one thing. Getting caught is another. (set: $rulership to $rulership + 1)(Your Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $health to $health - 5)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry">](if: (random: -10,10) + $scholarship is > 35)[''Threnodies 5'' Her voice is sweet. //"Here, I decree Opposition in all things: For earth, sky For winter, summer For darkness, Light."// You smile, thank her and turn around. Back along the path in the opposite direction, you find the tracks that you missed, and follow them. (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) ]\ (else:)[''Andraste, 1:11'' Her voice is emotionless: //"Its gates forever shut. Heaven has been filled with silence."// That's a "no", is it? She has more to say, but it makes even less sense. You take your leave. (set: $health to $health - 5)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $timeleft to $timeleft - 1)(You've got $timeleft hours <img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="26" width="20"> of daylight remaining.)] [[The quarry must be close!]] No time to waste. (set: $scholarship to $scholarship + 1)(Your Scholarship <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry">](if: (random: -10,10) + $scholarship is > 45)[''Threnodies 5'' Her voice is sweet. //"Here, I decree Opposition in all things: For earth, sky For winter, summer For darkness, Light."// You smile, thank her and turn around. Back along the path in the opposite direction, you find the tracks that you missed, and follow them. (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) ]\ (else:)[''Andraste, 1:11'' //"Its gates forever shut. Heaven has been filled with silence."// That's a "no", is it? She has more to say, but it makes even less sense. You take your leave. (set: $twilight to $twilight + 5)(Your Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) (set: $timeleft to $timeleft - 1)(You've got $timeleft hours <img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="26" width="20"> of daylight remaining.)] [[An hour later, you hear... singing?]] No time to waste. It will be night soon. (set: $scholarship to $scholarship + 1)(Your Scholarship <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/morrigan.png" alt="Morrigan">]''An expert'' "I think I can manage a small detour," she tells you. She rides west towards the forest, her staff in hand. For the next week, strange reports reach you from the woodland villages. Of fires burning deep in the forest, and streams suddenly freezing despite the sun. There are sightings of improbable beasts: a laughing wolf, a pensive bear, a spider the size of a carthorse. The forest falls quiet. For a time, Serault seems almost normal. [[Days come and go; Serault awakes outside|A Petition from a Village Headsman]] Two ladies-in-waiting pass beneath your window, whispering shocking things about one of your chevaliers. (set: $morrigan to "departed")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) (The Scornful Sorceress <img src="images/morrigan.png" alt="Morrigan" height="26" width="20"> battled the sylvan powers of the Applewoods for you.) (set: $woodswise to $woodswise + 1)(Your Woods-wise <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (if: $twilight is < 50)[(set: $twilight to 0)(Your Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> has decreased to 0!)]\ (else:)[(set: $twilight to $twilight - 50)(Your Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 50!) ]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/abbess.png" alt="Abbess">]\ (if: (random: -10,10) + $cunning is > 25)[''The secrets of the confessional'' The Abbess accompanies you on a walk along the battlements, above the reach of prying ears. When one of Serault's elite wishes to discuss the state of their soul, they go to the Abbess. She is too discreet to reveal their secrets, of course, but she alludes carefully to a number of delicate situations you hadn't known about. (set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) ]\ (else:)['' Eyes on the ground'' The Abbey's priests travel across Serault wherever they are needed. They hear the plights of pauper and baron; merchant, miller and thief. The Abbess passes on the choicest pieces of information, or at least the ones she chooses to share.] <img src="images/baron.png" alt="Baron" height="65" width="50"> [[In the morning, you find an old acquaintance in the Great Hall|The Cheery Baron]] He's smiling as if he had just eaten an impudent peasant. That's possible, actually. There are stories. <img src="images/guildmistress.png" alt="Guildmistress" height="65" width="50"> [[In the early morning you summon the Guildmistress once again|The Smiling Guildmistress]] The Smiling Guildmistress is the head of the Glassworks. Although she acts as an effective bridge between the Guild and the larger world, the isolating conditions imposed on the glass workers often lead them into conflict with the Guildmistress. (set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/outlaw.png" alt="Outlaw">]''Breathing space'' She scowls. "If it was anyone else asking, I'd tell them to go diddle a bereskarn. But I know you must have your reasons. All right. It'll be lean times in the Deepwoods. My people won't be happy, but I can hold them at bay for a while. Do what you must." (if: $bodyguard is "outlaw" or $accomplice is "outlaw")[You are glad you chose to count on her support; her men do retreat beneath the forests, and more traders come along on the roads.] [[The following day an envoy comes to Serault|The Divine's Letter]] He bears the sunburst symbol of the Chantry on his livery. (set: $peril to $peril - 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) (set: $prosperity to $prosperity + 10)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 10!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/outlaw.png" alt="Outlaw">]''Mutual interests'' "Bad for business", you point out, and the Dashing Outlaw sees your point. Her merry, deranged band hound the other outlaws through the trees, making grisly examples of the ones they catch. Soon the roads are trod by dusty travellers again, and Serault thrives from their news and commerce. No-one's sure how you did it, and you make the most of the air of mystery while it lasts. [[In the days to follow you decide to call for help from unusual places|Pick an Accomplice]] Uncertain times present opportunities to the bold... (set: $peril to $peril - 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) (set: $prosperity to $prosperity + 10)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 10!) (set: $twilight to $twilight + 5)(Your Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) (set: $seraultpatrols to "outlaw")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/outlaw.png" alt="Outlaw">]''Her eyes flash'' "Wasn't me. It would have been, if I'd got there first. Three gold-dipped merchants of Val Royeaux, soft and stuffed as palace cushions?" She spits. "A gift, and not even Satinalia! And that business with the mock hunt? The serfs would have made songs of that." "But your geese were plucked the minute they set foot over the border. Someone knew they were coming, and by which road." (if: (history:) does not contain "Compile an account of the bandits")[ [[Compile an account of the bandits]] You have assembled descriptions from the merchants and others waylaid in the woods lately.]\ (else:)[~~Compile an account of the bandits You have assembled descriptions from the merchants and others waylaid in the woods lately.~~] (if: (history:) contains "Compile an account of the bandits")[ <img src="images/door.png" alt="Door"> [[Corner the robbers]] Finally, your investigation has uncovered the location of their lair. //You know enough to proceed with the investigation.//]\ (else-if: (random: -10,10) + $woodswise is > 35)[ <img src="images/door.png" alt="Door"> [[Corner the robbers]] Finally, your investigation has uncovered the location of their lair... and word of a nine-fingered redhead leading them. //You know enough to proceed with the investigation.//]\ (else:)[~~Corner the robbers Finally, your investigation has uncovered the location of their lair.~~] (set: $peril to $peril + 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/divine.png" alt="Divine">]''Celebration'' The Divine is happy to do so. Your courtiers rejoice, setting about the business of getting profoundly and horizontally drunk. A consecration conducted by the Divine herself? Your chantry will be the envy of the West. (if: $divinefavour is > 7)[ [[She hasn't finished|The Mask]] The High Seat of Serault is no Sunburst Throne, but she looks positively comfortable in your chair.]\ (else:)[ [[The feast winds down|The Feast is Ending]] You are tired of smiling, conversing and flattering. Was it worth it?] (You have won back the Keys <img src="images/chantrydoor.png" alt="SealedChantry" height="26" width="20"> to the Sealed Chantry!) (set: $chantrykeys to "true")(You have acquired <img src="images/conciliation.png" alt="ConciliationCup" height="26" width="20"> a new asset!) (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/dowager.png" alt="Dowager">]''"I hear the heat there is intolerable..."'' In fact, she bears the discomfort very loudly. The chateau breathes a unanimous sigh of relief when her carriage trundles through the gates and out of earshot. Her sojourn is brief, though. She returns with your vassal's renewed fealty and a number of minutely-scrutinised observations about their fief. [[You reflect over the dangers to your lands|Serault is Imperiled!]] A grey wind drones in the fireplace. A slow rain drones on the windows. Your advisers drone in your hall. (set: $rulership to $rulership + 1)(Your Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/abbess.png" alt="Abbess">]''A kind offer'' "Some poor lunatic, no doubt," the Abbess sighs. "It is easy to mistake madness for visitations. You have so many troubles; let me help you with this one. Though her sedition is secular, her heresy is not. Should you capture her, let her be the Chantry's problem. With care, prayer and seclusion she may even repent her errors." There's something she's not saying. [[The sun reaches its peak|The Missing Bard]] A guard tells you of a peasant with an unusual story. She is waiting in the courtyard. (set: $twilight to $twilight + 5)(Your Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/hornedhelm.png" alt="HornedKnight">]''Diplomacy'' The Horned Knight is pleased that you came to him. "In this way, diplomacy is done," he says. "This time, I compromise my wishes in favour of yours. Next time, you compromise yours for mine." The road spears the wood. Soon, carts laden with barley move along it in one direction, and wagons carrying glass in the other. They are joined by merchants and pilgrims, messengers and entertainers. The abbey thrives, and Serault prospers. (if: $abbesslover is "true")[As for the Abbess, she kisses you passionately when you give her the news, her gratefulness a beacon of warmth in a very cold night.] [[Days pass; you take your place atop the High Seat|The Dashing Outlaw Strikes Again]] A Baker's Breeze, early in the morning. Upon it, the scent of bread rising in ovens. (set: $debt to "true")(You are in the Horned Knight's debt. A new chapter opens <img src="images/halla.png" alt="Halla" height="26" width="20"> in the story of the Lord of the Forest.) (set: $unwelcome to "false")(Your presence will be tolerated in the woods <img src="images/forest4.png" alt="Forest4" height="26" width="20"> once more.) (set: $abbessroad to "allowed")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) (set: $prosperity to $prosperity + 10)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 10!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/knight.png" alt="Knight">]''A gentle reproach'' "Hm? Oh, yes. Charming young lady. Golden hair - but cropped, of course. Eyes brown as fresh-tilled earth. Like my poor Acerie. She's wilful, yes, but she's young. You remember what that's like. Better than I do, at least." "And she does have a point, doesn't she, eh? Comes on a bit strong, but the common folk... well, things change, don't they." "Where is she? I couldn't say. She comes, she goes. If she doesn't want to be found, she can bow her head, put mud on her face, and vanish among the serfs. If we paid more heed to them, perhaps we'd be able to tell them apart, hm?" [[The sun reaches its peak|The Missing Bard]] A guard tells you of a peasant with an unusual story. She is waiting in the courtyard. (set: $dignity to $dignity - 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/purveyor.png" alt="Purveyor">]''A nuanced opinion'' "Ah. //Her//. She is undoubtedly charismatic, but not, I think, wise. Were I subject to revolutionary sympathies," his mouth twists as if he'd tasted something bitter, "I would be in two minds about her." "On one hand, I might consider her the leader the revolution has waited for. Someone able to elevate and inspire. On the other, I think she is pushing too hard too fast, and that her misbehaviour will lead to a retaliation of such savagery that it would scour the advances of the last decade from the face of Serault." He sniffs. "Fortunately, as a bullish conservative, I need not trouble myself." [[The sun reaches its peak|The Missing Bard]] A guard tells you of a peasant with an unusual story. She is waiting in the courtyard. (set: $freedom to $freedom - 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/bard.png" alt="Bard">]''You describe the nine-fingered woman and her escapades'' “Bard,” he says, immediately. “Poisoning? Alibis? Scapegoats? An intriguing but not disfiguring scar? Bard, bard, bard, //bard//." “We’re expensive pets; we insist on a gilded cage. So my first piece of advice is, look to your fellow nobles, $name. And my second piece of advice: I bet you her disguise of last resort would be something ecclesiastical. No-one wants to punch a sister of the Chantry. But, more than that,” - you recognise the signs of him warming to his theme - “I think we’re all faithful at heart. We bards. We believe in something greater than ourselves. Perhaps it’s the Maker. But perhaps - ” You bid him goodbye and leave before his philosophising really gets going. [[Close the noose]] You've burned her hiding places, peeled away her aliases, and hounded her trail. She won't escape this time. (set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (You are unravelling <img src="images/clues.png" alt="Clues" height="26" width="20"> a Tangled Web.)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/bard.png" alt="Bard">]''A delighted chuckle'' "The Chantry! I never thought it of you, my love. Very well. Tonight..." Together, you navigate the moonlit corridors. You stand watch while he hums a bawdy Fereldan ditty and fiddles with the lock. The first takes him only minutes. He grins with pleasure. The second is more of a challenge. He stops humming, and begins a commentary on the lock's internals. Twenty minutes, and it's open. He keeps up the commentary for the third: but his cheeriness curdles, his speech slows, and eventually he falls into sullen silence, tinkering with its internals. A shadow moves across the window: you drift a little way down the corridor to investigate. Just a hunting owl, you hope. A sudden crash! You wheel, and find the Bard juggling the lock in one hand and a hammer in the other. He shrugs. "It wasn't playing fair. So I didn't either." A tremor! A susurration rises from the chateau cellars. The vestibule vibrates. With a sharp crack, the stained-glass Andraste scene opposite the door fractures neatly across the middle. The tremor subsides. All is quiet again. The Bard's eyes are wide. "$name, I think I'm going to bed now," he says eventually. The lock-plate will hide the evidence of your tampering, and the latch will hold it shut. But you may enter at your leisure. [[Enter the Chantry]] At night might be more politic... but after all, you don't know what might be in there. Post the guards elsewhere, don a hooded cloak and enter in the afternoon when the chateau is drowsing. (You've opened the door <img src="images/chantrydoor.png" alt="ChantryDoor" height="26" width="20"> of the Sealed Chantry.) (set: $chantryunsealed to "true")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/councillor.png" alt="Councillor">](if: (random: -10,10) + $woodswise is > 45)[''A tale'' He is sharp-eyed, and caught a glimpse of your quarry not long ago. Better still, he tells you about certain hidden paths you can take to try and catch it.]\ (else-if: (random: -10,10) + $woodswise is > 35)[''A sighting'' He is sharp-eyed, and caught a glimpse of your quarry not long ago. He gives careful directions. (set: $dignity to $dignity - 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...)]\ (else:)[''A waste of time'' He dithers and pontificates. He's eager to please, but knows nothing. (set: $dignity to $dignity - 10)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10...) (set: $timeleft to $timeleft - 1)(You've got $timeleft hours <img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="26" width="20"> of daylight remaining.)] [[An hour later, you hear... singing?]] No time to waste. It will be night soon. (set: $woodswise to $woodswise + 1)(Your Woods-wise <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/bard.png" alt="Bard">]\ (if: (random: -10,10) + $cunning is > 25)[''Loose lips'' He returns, sloshing with information and a cheeky Amaranthine red. "Good people, the Seraultines," he says, rosy-cheeked. "//Candid//." You let him get away with it. You can use this. (set: $freedom to $freedom + 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) ]\ (else:)[''A quiet folk'' He returns with a scowl as bitter as the dregs in his bottle. "People are tight-lipped in your Serault. They're afraid to talk out of turn." He was able to uncover a few scraps of valuable information, though. It's something.] <img src="images/baron.png" alt="Baron" height="65" width="50"> [[In the morning, you find an old acquaintance in the Great Hall|The Cheery Baron]] He's smiling as if he had just eaten an impudent peasant. That's possible, actually. There are stories. <img src="images/guildmistress.png" alt="Guildmistress" height="65" width="50"> [[In the early morning you summon the Guildmistress once again|The Smiling Guildmistress]] The Smiling Guildmistress is the head of the Glassworks. Although she acts as an effective bridge between the Guild and the larger world, the isolating conditions imposed on the glass workers often lead them into conflict with the Guildmistress. (set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/morrigan.png" alt="Morrigan">]''North and South'' She sighs. "Oh, you are one of //those//. I bet if you were given a wish you would wish for three more wishes, would you not? Very well, come on, come on." She leads you to her carriage, where she loosens the ties on her mysterious cargo and flips back the silks. It is a mirror, clear as diamond. "The elves call it an Eluvian: a seeing glass." You feel an impression of yawning depth, as if you were standing at the edge of a chasm. You lean forward. Her hand catches your elbow. "No. Do not look." Why? What would you see? The Scornful Sorceress frowns. "Well, yourself for a start. And take it from the rest of us, that is no easy thing to look at. Beyond that, who knows? Glass has two sides, your Grace, and there are stranger directions than 'North' and 'South'." Why does the Empress want it? The Sorceress flicks the sheet back over the glass. "You have your answer, (if: $gender is "female")[Lady $name](else:)[Lord $name] de Serault. It will have to do for now. You have been gracious and intriguing. I do hope your curiosity does not land you in trouble." She bids you farewell, and rides east. Towards all sorts of trouble, you think to yourself. [[Days come and go; Serault awakes outside|A Petition from a Village Headsman]] Two ladies-in-waiting pass beneath your window, whispering shocking things about one of your chevaliers. (set: $morrigan to "eluvian")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) (The Scornful Sorceress <img src="images/morrigan.png" alt="Morrigan" height="26" width="20"> showed you the Eluvian she had been repairing in the glassworks.) (set: $scholarship to $scholarship + 1)(Your Scholarship <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 1)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $health to $health - 5)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...)

<img src="images/applewoods.png" alt="ApplewoodsBig"> ''A late start'' Your attendants hide their nervousness beneath their fine clothes and finer manners as they assemble at the gate. You set off for the woods in the glimmering twilight. [[Wisps guide you through the Greenwood|The Heartwood Feast]] The sky is clear, and the moon shines bright. The Horned Knight visited your castle the day you met; time to see what //his// court looks like.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/knight.png" alt="Knight">]''So far so good?'' Despite the outrage among your courtiers, Serault does not immediately collapse into anarchy and cannibalism. The taxes from the freehold are still light. There is a spate of runaway serfs making their way to the freehold in the hopes of being granted shelter and freedom. But so far, no disasters. Serault's eastern neighbours have a new subject to mock her with, of course: '... so poor she can't even afford proper nobility, and has resorted to dressing peasants in cloth-of-gold, instead.' (if: $heartwood is not "true")[ [[A week passes|The Sealed Chantry]] You take a tour of the chateau. You see the Tilted, Heron, West and Foal's Towers, circling the Tower of Lights. Here your will is absolute... with one exception.]\ (else:)[<img src="images/baron.png" alt="Baron" height="65" width="50"> [[The following week brings news|The Martyr]] You sit on your High Seat, the sunlight playing around with its many-coloured hues. You have emptied the Great Hall; you have a special guest.] (You dealt with the Kindly Knight's Freehold <img src="images/fire.png" alt="Fire" height="26" width="20">. A new challenge awaits you.) (set: $freehold to "allowed")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) (set: $prosperity to $prosperity - 10)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10...) (set: $freedom to $freedom + 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/baron.png" alt="Baron">]\ ''Indulgence'' The meat is rich and red, fresh from the forest. The wine sears your throat. His musicians are the finest in Serault. The Baron toasts your presence and contribution. His laughter shakes the glass-eyed hunting trophies that crowd his walls: hind and hare, wolf, boar, bear. He brandishes a dripping haunch like a truncheon. His beard glistens with fat. Tonight, he has ordered his servants dressed as lords of Tevinter. They serve you in cumbersome, flaring robes of black and silver, their faces painted white. A shrewd ruler, your recall, also needs allies in less... //official// positions. Thankfully, you have the right idea of just whom you ought to seek. <img src="images/outlaw.png" alt="Outlaw" height="65" width="50"> [[You remember why she's known as the Dashing Outlaw...|The Dashing Outlaw]] She won't be easy to win over, will she? <img src="images/purveyor.png" alt="Purveyor" height="65" width="50"> [[You think of a certain dwarf|The Purveyor of Teas]] The Purveyor of Teas is an associate of bards, smugglers, and revolutionaries, yet he rejects that he maintains such connections. The dwarf was exiled in the past from Orzammar. (set: $dignity to $dignity + 10)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 10!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight">](if: (random: -10,10) + $woodswise is > 45 or $abbesslover is "true")[''The Mysteries'' On the third night you don your antlered mask and ride into the woods. The disciples of the Masked Andraste await you, clad in Chantry habits and black masks of charred wood. Their idol is an ancient wooden statue hung in the boughs of a slumping oak. Perhaps the face beneath its mask is that of Andraste. Perhaps it is best not to look too closely. Their leader approaches you. She is masked like the others, but you recognise the calm smile and (if: $abbesslover is "true")[wine-scented lips that press against yours.](else:)[gentle fingers that press to your lips.] "There are no names here," the Elegant Abbess whispers. "No faces. Only old ways, and a bargain kept." The moon is dark, the firelight coy. You witness the rites in flickering glimpses. The stag, trussed to a pole. The arrowhead, bronze and bright. The priestess' mouth, red in the night. When the ceremony is done, the leaves of the forest sigh like a lover and are still. The disciples bow to you and depart. In the days that follow Serault becomes a cornucopia of woodland bounty. Sweet fruit, nuts and game flow to your hall. (if: $abbesslover is "true")[When you see the Abbess again the following day, neither of you utter a word on what transpired the night before. She acts as if nothing had happened. She dismisses your servants, kisses you, then leaves for her abbey.] (set: $prosperity to $prosperity + 15)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 15!) (set: $maskedandraste to "true")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) ]\ (else:)[''You don your antlered mask...'' You ride into the woods as they writhe and groan under a booming western wind. The trees are alive with night-shadows. In a grove, figures wrapped in chantry robes await you. Their eyes are afraid behind their black masks. Their leader - somehow familiar - is already deep in desperate prayer beneath the limbs of an ancient oak. A wooden icon hangs amidst the leaves above her. It has foxfur hair and a mask that hides all its face save for a mocking smile. The wind rages. A tree topples. Wood splinters. There is a loud braying, and the sound of fleeing hooves. "The offering!" the disciples cry. More trees begin to lean, dangerously. The ceremony is abandoned, the disciples fleeing the forest's spite. (set: $twilight to $twilight - 5)(Your Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) ] [[A day later, you stand on the courtyard|Fire the Accomplice or Bodyguard]] A quiet evening. A call of challenge from a watchman on the wall. The lap of the river upon the castle's stone feet. (set: $woodswise to $woodswise + 1)(Your Woods-wise <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/ring2.png" alt="ShameRing">]''Best forgotten'' You watch as she gathers her measly belongings. "Out of sight, out of mind:" she mutters, "our family motto." She considers the items on the shelf at the back of the cave; she hasn't room to take them all. In the end she chooses the brooch and the doll, then shoulders her pack. You watch as she clambers unsteadily from the dell. She pauses at the crest to catch her breath. Looks left, right. Which way? She snorts. "One's as good as the other when you've nowhere to go." She goes left, doddering into the looming woods. When she's gone you dig up the herb garden and clear out the cave. The book and staff you burn. By the time you're done, it's as if she'd never been here. (if: $keptcounsellor is "true" or $keptseneschal is "true")[ [[Your sleep is troubled tonight|You Dream of the Shame]] A bloodthirsty (if: $wyvern is "true")[wyvern](else:)[bereskarn] rampages through the chateau's corridors. Serault Town, set aflame by an army of soldiers with candlelights bloodied on their foreheads. (if: $bardbreakup is "true")[A man cries, alone in his quarters, whispering your name.](else-if: $abbessbreakup is "true")[A woman cries, alone in her quarters, whispering your name.](else:)[An old woman cries, alone, a sunburst brooch held to her heart.] And then...]\ (else:)[ [[A week rushes by|Fire a Counsellor 2]] A coy breeze carries the sounds and smells of the market. Spice. Lies. Laughter. The play of coin.] (You have banished <img src="images/rosemage.png" alt="rosemage" height="26" width="20"> the Anchoress.) (set: $anchoress to "banished")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) (set: $twilight to $twilight - 15)(Your Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 15!) (set: $freedom to $freedom - 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/lordship.png" alt="Lordship">]''The game is the game, it is said'' You demand an exorbitant sum of silver - part now and the rest to be paid as a regular tribute - and that grey palfrey he’s so fond of. He makes no complaint. This is the price of losing. Your chevaliers escort him to the border with Alyons to guard against last-minute mischief. When he’s safely away some of them ride on, spreading word of his humiliation. When it reaches the imperial court, Serault’s star rises. It’s been a long time since she played the Game so well. The next week, your (if: $keptseneschal is "true")[Seneschal](else:)[Weary Baillif] arrives with urgent news. "Your Grace! We just got word from the border sentinels. She is here!" [[So it begins|Epilogue: The Arrival of the Divine]] <img src="images/wind.png" alt="Wind" height="26" width="20"> A brusque wind cleans the sky of clouds, and the setting sun gleams red on the fragments in the Tower of Lights. //The Divine has arrived.// (You have dealt with the Nine-Fingered Agitator's master <img src="images/lordship.png" alt="Lordship" height="26" width="20">. You have untangled the Spider's web!) (set: $lordship to "banished")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) (set: $bagroyals to "true")(You have acquired <img src="images/conciliation.png" alt="ConciliationCup" height="26" width="20"> a new asset!) (set: $peril to $peril - 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) (set: $revolution to $revolution - 5)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) (set: $prosperity to $prosperity + 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (if: $counsellor is "lordship")[(set: $counsellor to "traitor")(His Dour Lordship <img src="images/lordship.png" alt="Lordship" height="26" width="20"> is no longer your counsellor.)]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry">]''Trials 1:10'' The sister bows and steps aside as you hurry by. As you round the bend in the path, she begins to sing: //"Though all before me is shadow, Yet shall the Maker be my guide."// [[The quarry must be close!]] No time to waste. (set: $freedom to $freedom + 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry">]''Trials 1:10'' The sister bows and steps aside as you hurry by. As you round the bend in the path, she begins to sing. //"Though all before me is shadow, Yet shall the Maker be my guide."// [[An hour later, you hear... singing?]] No time to waste. It will be night soon. (set: $freedom to $freedom + 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/male2.png" alt="VisitingScholar">]''A valuable addition'' You set him to training your scribes and assisting your Weary Bailiff with the accounts. When someone at your court grows ill, he treats them. When asked to advise, he does so frankly and with eloquence, if not restraint. He has peculiar theories about the stars' influence on our mood. Rumours grow that he is a member of the Wandering College, an affiliation of scholars prone to radicalism. But for now, he's more use than trouble. [[You rest well after a long day at court|Pick a Counselor 1]] A riot of barks from the kennels; the butcher is delivering meat. (set: $prosperity to $prosperity + 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $revolution to $revolution + 5)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) (set: $wanderingscholar to "true")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/male2.png" alt="VisitingScholar">]''A valuable addition'' You set him to training your scribes and assisting your Weary Bailiff with the accounts. When someone at your court grows ill, he treats them. When asked to advise, he does so frankly and with eloquence, if not restraint. He has peculiar theories about the stars' influence on our mood. Rumours grow that he is a member of the Wandering College, an affiliation of scholars prone to radicalism. But for now, he's more use than trouble. [[A new day dawns|Flames of Freedom]] You linger in bed for a moment. Then you rise. (set: $prosperity to $prosperity + 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $revolution to $revolution + 5)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) (set: $wanderingscholar to "true")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry">]''A last-minute reprieve'' In an eloquent and sincere response, you implore the Divine to grant you more time. Serault's troubles are a product of recent misfortunes, you assure her, and will be resolved before she arrives. When her reply reaches you it is cautious. //'We will reserve judgement a while, yet,'// it says. You are so close... [[You return to your chambers|A Tangled Web]] A madman prophecies doom at the Chateau gate. Your guards move him firmly along. (set: $peril to $peril - 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) (set: $twilight to $twilight - 5)(Your Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) (set: $revolution to $revolution - 5)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) (set: $prosperity to $prosperity + 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $freedom to $freedom + 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) \ (set: $divinefavour to $divinefavour - 1)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/viands.png" alt="Viands">]''The castle seethes with last minute preparations'' No Divine has set foot in Serault for generations. You have only a few days to win the Divine's favour and restore the honour of Serault. //The goal of the Feast is to gain as much Divine's Favour <img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="26" width="20"> as possible in order to re-establish Serault's honour. Increase the Divine's Favour to 5 to restore the honour of Serault; raising it further may lead to greater rewards. You can see your Divine's Favour below your Health. // <img src="images/specialmini.png" alt="SpecialMini"> [[You receive her on the Bridge of Masks]] The most powerful person in all Thedas. On her call, kings are made or unmade, and armies move to raze walls and cities. You make a last adjustment to the mask on your face.\ \ (if: (history:) does not contain "Close the noose")[(set: $lordship to "feast")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) ]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/knight.png" alt="Knight">]'''Behemoth''' //'We, the common folk, are of one body. We are a beast that bears all the world on its back. We need only to shrug, and we could shake creation to its roots...'// You close the book. The Kindly Knight looks apologetic. "There is much of merit in certain progressive tracts. But this... it calls for a Great Uprising. Bloodshed is no answer. I cannot bring myself to destroy a book, so I submit it to your judgement." [[Burn it]] In the wrong hands it could spark further revolution. <img src="images/purveyor.png" alt="Purveyor" height="65" width="50"> [[Give it to the Purveyor of Teas]] You hear he has friends among the revolutionaries. He can ensure it will go where it can most help their cause.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/chantrydoor.png" alt="ChantryDoor">](if: (random: -10,10) + $derringdo is > 45 or $morrigan is "eluvian" or $chanterblessing is "true")[''Something clinging'' You descend, candle in hand, a leather sack filled with spare candles, and your second-best sword sheathed at your belt. Just in case. You wish you'd paid more attention to the stories of adventurers that the Wayward Bard so loves. They would know what to bring. A hound? A donkey? Climber's boots? But you never really paid attention. Grubbing about in the earth after gold is not a fit pursuit for a de Serault. The dark ahead of you is thick, and the floor uncertain. You return to scavenge a broom from the Chantry: strip it of its bristles, so you have a long wooden pole to test the moss ahead of you. You doubt any "adventurers" ever thought of that. Down, and down and down. The stone around you grows damp. You must be under the river. A way into the Applewoods from under the chateau? Your mother would have turned blue with rage. Did the Shame pay the stone-masons off? Murder them? Or was the whole thing dug by demons? Again and again you struggle to retain your footing on the moss underfoot. You kick and skid... and drop the candle. Another! You fumble with flint and steel... and the dark comes rushing in, pressing at your eyelids, prying at your mouth and nose. You gasp in shock: you master yourself. It is only the night underground. Nothing more. You fumble the flint and drop it. Silence around you. The distant drip of water... and the dark, roaring in like a noiseless storm, wrapping you like a nest of constricting snakes. You light the candle at last, and the dark retreats... only a little way. But far enough. There's something here, some force in the tunnel, that would bar your passing. But you are of the blood of Serault, of the blood of the Shame for that matter, and you will pass. You raise the candle and stride into the darkness. You realise afterwards that you must have been nearly at the exit, though it seems a very long time before the steps rise before you, grey with daylight. You rise, and emerge, gasping, through a stone archway into an open forest glade. Leaves rustle. A magpie chatters. The sun is warm as the touch of a hand. [[You carefully approach the sunlit glade|The Shrine in the Applewoods]] The Chantry passage exits through a little rocky knob in the forest, like a miniature version of the crag where the Abbey of the Bans sits. The landscape looks like it might be near the Abbey, in fact, but 'near' in the Applewoods is deceptive. (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 1)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) ]\ (else:)[''Damp stones and darkness'' You descend, candle in hand, a leather sack filled with spare candles, and your second-best sword sheathed at your belt. Just in case. Down, and down and down. The stone around you grows damp. You must be under the river. A way into the Applewoods from under the chateau? Your mother would have turned blue with rage. Did the Shame pay the stone-masons off? Murder them? Or was the whole thing dug by demons? You nearly lose your footing twice on the moss. The third time you do, and go down with a painful bump. The candle skids away into darkness. Another! You fumble with flint and steel... and the dark comes rushing in, pressing at your eyelids, prying at your mouth nose. You gasp in shock: you master yourself. It is only the night underground. Nothing more. You fumble the flint and drop it. Silence around you. The distant drip of water... and the dark, roaring in like a noiseless storm, wrapping you like a nest of constricting snakes. You light the candle at last, and the dark retreats... but only a little way. You are shaking. What happened there? A ghost? A fear-spell? You've never been afraid of the dark. But whatever the Shame left to guard his passage, it's defeated you today. You return to the surface, smeared with moss and mud. No-one dares question you as you pass them on the way to your chambers. (set: $health to $health - 10)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10...) (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 1)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) [[Return to the Chateau|Return to the Chateau 2]] It's time to leave.]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/forest3.png" alt="Forest3">]''You bid the Anchoress farewell'' Scramble up the side of the ravine. Make your way through the woods to the shrine of Masked Andraste. Down into darkness. [[Up the dusty stairs|The Shame's shame]] You are back in the Sealed Chantry.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/pigfarmer.png" alt="PigFarmer">]''Succulent and bursting...'' ... from the pride of the Pig-Farmer's brood. (if: $knightfeast is "true")[ [[The Weary Baillif calls you in hushed tones|The Horned Knight Approaches]] "Your Grace," he murmurs, "He is here. The abomination from the woods! I don't know how he made it past the guards... he wants to speak to you."]\ (else:)[ [[The Divine desires to hear another petitioner|Grant a Petition 3]] "Let us see what the good people of Serault have to say to the Chantry. It's past time we heard their voices," she says. You, of course, abide.] (set: $divinefavour to $divinefavour + 1)(Your Divine's Favour <img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(if: (random: 1,3) is 1)[(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/abbess.png" alt="Abbess">]''Blown in on the Wind'' One evening, as you stand in the Chateau's courtyard talking to some of your courtiers, your eyes cross those of a familiar face: (if: $counsellor is "abbess")[the Elegant Abbess, who has taken to her role as your foremost counsellor with remarkable skill.](else:)[the Elegant Abbess, who commands Serault Abbey and its extensive vineyards.] She dips into a fluid curtsy, giving you a secret smile. Beside her stands a black-haired young man. His face is drawn with pain. "(if: $gender is "female")[Lady $name](else:)[Lord $name]. This man arrived, wounded, at the abbey. Upon his recovery he made a bold claim as to his identity. I thought it best to bring him here." The man bows, stiffly. "Carver Hawke, your Grace. Brother to a rather more famous Hawke: the Champion of Kirkwall, who - among their //countless// achievements - has turned our name into a sign that reads 'come and get me' to half the killers in Thedas." How will you answer? [["Greetings, Templar"|Templar Carver]] His cloak is faded with travel, but you can just make out the Chantry sunburst worked onto the shoulder. You've heard he joined the order at Kirkwall, just before the carnage. [["Greetings, Warden"|Warden Carver]] He wears the grey cloak and grim look of all Grey Wardens. [["You've been tricked, Abbess. Carver Hawke died at Lothering"|Fake Carver]] This man is an imposter, no doubt intending to trick Serault out of wealth or secrets. [["You're a liar, sir. Carver Hawke died in the Deep Roads"|Fake Carver]] The Taint took him. His own sibling had to kill him, you've heard. Better that than darkspawn.\ \ (set: $hawkehost to "abbess")]\ (else-if: (random: 1,3) is 2)[(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/dowager.png" alt="Dowager">]''Blown in on the Wind'' One evening, as you stand in the Chateau's courtyard talking to some of your courtiers, your eyes cross those of a familiar face: (if: $counsellor is "dowager")[the Acerbic Dowager, who has taken well to her role as your most trusted counsellor](else:)[the Acerbic Dowager, one of your vassals]. After she lost her husband and lands to rebellion your mother gave her a place under your roof. She is blunt, but intricately connected to the noble houses of Orlais. One evening, she presents a young, dark-haired man in road-worn clothes. "(if: $gender is "female")[Lady $name](else:)[Lord $name], I would like to introduce the son of a dear correspondent of mine. He has travelled far, and has further to go. I hope, for my sake, you'll grant him a night's hospitality. This is Carver Hawke, brother to the - let's say 'infamous', shall we? - the 'infamous' Hawke of Kirkwall." You note the flicker of irritation on the man's face as he bows. [["Greetings, Templar"|Templar Carver]] Mail bulks the frame beneath his cloak. A sunburst brooch winks at his collar. He joined the order at Kirkwall, you've heard, just before the war began. [["Greetings, Warden"|Warden Carver]] His cloak is grey. His sword is notched. His eyes are hard, like winter soil. What is it about Grey Wardens? Even the merriest of them are melancholy. [["Dowager, step back. That's not Carver Hawke"|Fake Carver]] Carver Hawke died at Lothering. This is an imposter. Probably a confidence trickster; possibly a spy. [["No, Dowager, it's not. Carver Hawke died in the Deep Roads"|Fake Carver]] He contracted the Taint, and his own sibling had to slay him. The trickster who stole his name should have done more research.\ \ (set: $hawkehost to "dowager")]\ (else:)[(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/bard.png" alt="Bard">]''Blown in on the Wind'' One evening, as you stand in the Chateau's courtyard talking to some of your courtiers, your eyes cross those of a familiar face. The Wayward Bard comes and goes as he pleases, but he's the only bard you've got. And he does bring you the most delightful secrets... Today, he is moderately sober. "Present for you," he chirps, his arm around the shoulders of an uncertain, black-haired young man. "Found him in a tavern. If he's who he says he is, he might be useful. And if he isn't... well, he might be even more useful." He grins. His companion bows. "Carver Hawke, (if: $gender is "female")[Lady $name](else:)[Lord $name]. Brother to the other Hawke. You know the one. Champion of Kirkwall. Slayer of Qunari. Pain in my Arse. At your service." How will you answer? [["Greetings, Templar"|Templar Carver]] His tabard is marked with road-dust and wine-stains, but you can still make out the Chantry sunburst. [["Greetings, Warden"|Warden Carver]] A shabby grey cloak. His sword-hilt, worn with use. That distance behind the eyes that all Grey Wardens get after their Joining. [["Call yourself a Bard? Carver Hawke died at Lothering"|Fake Carver]] You paid close attention to the events at Kirkwall. [["You're no such thing. Carver died in the Deep Roads"|Fake Carver 2]] He contracted the Taint. It was death or a darkspawn.\ \ (set: $hawkehost to "bard")]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/boar.png" alt="Boar">](if: $timeleft is < 4)[''A shrouded menace'' It is dark. You can hear the boar snort in anger, but you cannot see it. Your companions ride ahead, poking at rosebushes with their spears. Soon the only sound that you can detect is that of your impatient courtiers, cursing the approach of the evening. The boar is a smart one. It has fled, and it is well beyond your grasp by now. [[The sun sets|You sound your horn]] Your men raise torches, but it's of little use. //The hunt ends.//]\ (else:)[''You have cornered the boar!'' It turns, snorts. Piggy eyes gleam with fury. It lowers its tusks. It charges! <img src="images/derringdomini.png" alt="DerringDoMini"> [[Set your spear]] Its hide is thick, its tusks sharp. Its hooves hammer on the forest floor. (if: $alone is not "true")[ <img src="images/woodswisemini.png" alt="WoodsWiseMini"> [[Have your companions surround it]] Keep it distracted. If it can't focus, it can't charge.]\ (else:)[~~Have your companions surround it Keep it distracted. If it can't focus, it can't charge.~~]]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/wearybailiff2.png" alt="Seneschal">]\ ''The Plainspoken Seneschal'' "Firstly, (if: $gender is "female")[Lady $name](else:)[Lord $name], last night's winds blew over an apple tree in the courtyard. It smashed half the windows in the Great Hall. Glass everywhere." "Secondly, we've a visitor. From Val Royeaux." He gives you a meaningful look. Visitors from the Heartlands are rare this far west. "She says she'll only speak to you. Actually, she said 'I don't deal with peons, peon. Fetch me someone important before I lose my patience.' I'd have thrown her in the dungeons, but frankly she scared the crap out of me." //The Seneschal is of modest use, but you will be able to recruit more capable companions soon. Check your Chronicle to see your current advisers.// [[Let's see what the road has brought|Prologue: An Unexpected Visitor]] This woman has travelled a long way to get here. (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 1)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (You lack a bodyguard <img src="images/bodyguard2.png" alt="Bodyguard2" height="26" width="20">. You should look for a suitable candidate...) (You are without an accomplice <img src="images/accomplice.png" alt="Accomplice" height="26" width="20">, who can say and do things your public advisers cannot...) (You are without a lover <img src="images/passion.png" alt="Passion" height="26" width="20">...)\ (set: $counsellor to "plainspoken")

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/tracks.png" alt="Tracks">]''Eager for the chase'' They lick your hands, their breath hot on your fingers. Their handlers curse as the dogs pull at the leads. [[Choose your quarry]] Your party crosses the Green Bridge. The forests lie ahead. (set: $woodswise to $woodswise + 1)(Your Woods-wise <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) \ (set: $hounds to "present")

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/tracks.png" alt="Tracks">]''A pack of hounds'' You look at them, their eagerness already recovered after that last (if: $quarry is "hind")[hind](else:)[boar] hunt, months ago. They are sleek Serault hounds, with brown fur and red ears. (if: $unwelcome is "true")[ [[You ride towards the woods|Unwelcome]] You are entering the Greenwood, the pleasant outer reaches of the forest.]\ (else:)[ [[You ride towards the woods|Footsteps on the Path]] You are entering the Greenwood, the pleasant outer reaches of the forest.] (if: (random: -10,10) + $woodswise is > 45)[(set: $timeleft to 8)](else:)[(set: $timeleft to 6)](You've got $timeleft hours <img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="26" width="20"> of daylight remaining.)\ (set: $hounds to "present")

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/fire.png" alt="Fire">]''Consumed'' The revolutionaries use fire as a symbol of their cause. Fire purges, illuminates, and spreads. It is holy: Andraste was burned. The clergy wear sunbursts. But fire does not discriminate. It devours the book page by page, leaving nothing but ash. (if: $counsellor is "abbess" or "baron" or "plainspoken" or "hesitant")[ [[Morning comes|Keep the Counselor]] The uprising caught you by surprise. Visitors to the court whisper. 'This would never have happened in Alyons or Val Foret', you heard one say.]\ (else:)[ [[Morning comes|Fire a Counselor 1]] The uprising caught you by surprise. Visitors to the court whisper. 'This would never have happened in Alyons or Val Foret', you heard one say.] (set: $revolution to $revolution - 5)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) (set: $freedom to $freedom - 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/knight.png" alt="Knight">](if: (random: -10,10) + $rulership is > 35)[''Innocent pastimes'' You spend some time in his study, amidst lofty piles of dusty books and mouldering scrolls. His obsession is death, and what comes after. He devours ghost stories like the Wayward Bard does whisky. "Just an old man's folly," he avers, when you enquire as to his interest. You bring him a work containing passages he has not seen before. For a moment the years fall from him. He is as gleeful as a student again, wallowing amidst his books and maps. (set: $scholarship to $scholarship + 1)(Your Scholarship <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) ]\ (else:)[''Obsessions'' He receives your gifts graciously, promising they will be the pride of his collection. But the next time you visit, you see he had copies of them already. He grows increasingly distracted. When you ask how his studies progress he looks glum, and mutters about having to consult "a source closer to the matter". ] [[Two days later you turn your focus to statescraft|Gather Resources 2]] You take your place atop the High Seat. [[A guard warns you of a visitor at the outskirts of Serault|The Undaunted Chevalier]] Courtiers flock to the battlements to spy on the new arrival. (set: $rulership to $rulership + 1)(Your Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/chantrydoor.png" alt="ChantryDoor">](if: (random: -10,10) + $cunning is > 45 or $fullcourt is "true")[''The door gapes'' You slip along corridors whitened by moonlight. Stained-glass ancestors observe you sorrowfully. You settle to work at the lock with oil and a selection of tools. Slow progress! By the end of the first night you have barely defeated the first lock. This one is relatively simple, but its stiffness almost defeats you. On the second night, you bring a page from a Tevene book on the topic. It has useful diagrams, although they're hard to make out in the moonlight. An hour passes. Another. You grit your teeth and finally the lock clicks open. The third night! Your attendants have noticed you yawning during the days. This is undignified: they must not know the truth. You fiddle with the lock, but its complexities defeat you. The first was strong, the second subtle, but this one looks like dwarf-work. Eventually, in a fit of temper, you bash it with a hammer! The sound echoes away into the soft-shadowed night. The lock drops into your hand... A tremor! A susurration rises from the chateau cellars. The vestibule vibrates. With a sharp crack, the stained-glass Andraste scene opposite the door fractures neatly across the middle. The tremor subsides. All is quiet again. The lock-plate will hide the evidence of your tampering, and the latch will hold it shut. But you may enter at your leisure. [[Enter the Chantry]] At night might be more politic... but after all, you don't know what might be in there. Post the guards elsewhere, don a hooded cloak and enter in the afternoon when the chateau is drowsing. (You've opened the door <img src="images/chantrydoor.png" alt="ChantryDoor" height="26" width="20"> of the Sealed Chantry.) (set: $chantryunsealed to "true")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) (set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) ]\ (else:)[''No luck'' You slip along corridors whitened by moonlight. Bats rustle in the ceiling. You settle to work at the lock with oil and a selection of tools: you struggle and curse, but the lock defeats you easily. If only you had a locksmith you could trust. Or a thief. Or a bard... (if: (history:) does not contain "Order your household guard to break down the door")[<img src="images/rulershipmini.png" alt="RulershipMini"> [[Order your household guard to break down the door]] You can swear your chevalier-commander to silence. Perhaps. (if: $battle is > 4)[//You have personally fought in Serault's defence $battle times in the last few months. Your soldiers respect you.//]\ (else:)[~~//Your soldiers respect you.//~~]]\ (else:)[~~Order your household guard to break down the door You can swear your chevalier-commander to silence. Perhaps.~~] (if: $bardlover is "true" )[ <img src="images/bardalt.png" alt="BardAlt" height="65" width="50"> [[Ask the Wayward Bard to assist you]] He lies with you. Perhaps he even loves you. Can you trust him?]\ (else:)[~~Ask the Wayward Bard to assist you Can you trust him?~~] <img src="images/door.png" alt="Door"> [[This is folly]] What got into your head? //Leave the Sealed Chantry behind.// (set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $twilight to $twilight + 5)(Your Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...)]

(align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[<img src="images/commission.png" alt="Commission">]\ (align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[''THE CHRONICLE'']\ (align:"=><=")[[YOUR ASSETS]]\ //What's in the treasury? And by 'treasury' you mean 'locked chest under your bed'.// (align:"=><=")[[YOUR EVENTS]]\ //What hidden information have you unearthed?// (align:"=><=")[''YOUR COUNSELLOR'']\ (align:"=><=")[<img src="images/councillor.png" alt="Councillor" height="65" width="50">]\ //A Counsellor stands at your left hand, to arm you with advice and armour you with warnings. // (if: $counsellor is "plainspoken")[<img src="images/wearybailiff2.png" alt="Seneschal" height="65" width="50"> * The Plainspoken Seneschal: //"Your Grace needn't trouble yourself with details. Let's get this settled. It's almost lunch time, and my belly grumbles like a low-born dwarf."//]\ (else-if: $counsellor is "hesitant")[<img src="images/wearybailiff2.png" alt="Seneschal" height="65" width="50"> * The Hesitant Seneschal: //"The matter is a complex one, your Grace. Haste is the enemy of prudence. Let us consider the context..."//]\ (else-if: $counsellor is "dowager")[<img src="images/dowager.png" alt="Dowager" height="65" width="50"> * The Acerbic Dowager: //"What does your Grace require?"//]\ (else-if: $counsellor is "baron")[<img src="images/baron.png" alt="Baron" height="65" width="50"> * The Cheery Baron: //"You have your mother's impeccable taste! You deserve to be on top of the pile, (if: $gender is "female")[Marquise](else:)[Marquis], and I intend to put you there."//]\ (else-if: $counsellor is "knight")[<img src="images/knight.png" alt="Knight" height="65" width="50"> * The Kindly Knight: //"Is there anything I can do? I'm not bothering you, am I?"//]\ (else-if: $counsellor is "guildmistress")[<img src="images/guildmistress.png" alt="Guildmistress" height="65" width="50"> * The Smiling Guildmistress: //"Your Grace is the most indulgent of patrons."//]\ (else-if: $counsellor is "abbess")[<img src="images/abbessalt.png" alt="AbbessAlt" height="65" width="50"> * The Elegant Abbess: //"We care for Serault's soul as well as her body."//]\ (else-if: $counsellor is "lordship")[<img src="images/lordship.png" alt="Lordship" height="65" width="50"> * His Dour Lordship: //"Bleak times, your Grace. Bleak times."//]\ (else-if: $counsellor is "fired")[<img src="images/emptyframe.png" alt="Empty" height="65" width="50"> * Unadvised: //You don't have a counsellor. With the Divine's arrival it became a needless distraction.//]\ (else-if: $counsellor is "traitor")[<img src="images/emptyframe.png" alt="Empty" height="65" width="50"> * Unadvised: //You don't have a counsellor. The man you picked for the position turned out to be a treacherous spider.//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/emptyframe.png" alt="Empty" height="65" width="50"> * Unadvised: //You have not picked a counsellor. Perhaps it won't take very long to find one...//] (align:"=><=")[''YOUR ACCOMPLICE'']\ (align:"=><=")[<img src="images/accomplice.png" alt="Accomplice" height="65" width="50">]\ //One does not publicly acknowledge an Accomplice. They assist you in secret, in the Grand Game or otherwise.// (if: $accomplice is "outlaw")[<img src="images/outlaw.png" alt="Outlaw" height="65" width="50"> * The Dashing Outlaw: //"You turn a blind eye once in a while, and I'll lend you my Eyes and my Teeth."//]\ (else-if: $accomplice is "teamaster")[<img src="images/purveyor.png" alt="Purveyor" height="65" width="50"> * The Purveyor of Teas: //"We shared a nameless tea, you and I. One that was drunk in Tevinter of old. We are bound."//]\ (else-if: $accomplice is "pigfarmer")[<img src="images/pigfarmer.png" alt="PigFarmer" height="65" width="50"> * The Well-Read Pig Farmer: //"In matters like this, I look to Genitivi's writings first. Not that he's any bloody use, but he's reliably an indicator of the worst possible thing to do."//]\ (else-if: $accomplice is "fired")[<img src="images/emptyframe.png" alt="Empty" height="65" width="50"> * Exposed: //You have no accomplice. They have been useful, but the Divine wouldn't approve.//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/emptyframe.png" alt="Empty" height="65" width="50"> * Exposed: //You lack an accomplice, who can act in the shadows. Perhaps you can find a candidate in Serault's less respectable corners.//] (align:"=><=")[''YOUR BODYGUARD'']\ (align:"=><=")[<img src="images/bodyguard2.png" alt="Bodyguard2" height="65" width="50">]\ //Keep your Bodyguard close. They may offer more than protection. But protection, definitely.// (if: $bodyguard is "hunter")[<img src="images/hunter.png" alt="SilentHunter" height="65" width="50"> * The Silent Hunter: //"..."//]\ (else-if: $bodyguard is "fired")[<img src="images/emptyframe.png" alt="Empty" height="65" width="50"> * Unprotected: //You have no bodyguard. Why would you? Half a dozen armour-clad guards hovering around you day and night are enough.//]\ (else-if: $bodyguard is "outlaw")[<img src="images/outlaw.png" alt="Outlaw" height="65" width="50"> * The Dashing Outlaw: //"Don't worry. I'll be watching."//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/emptyframe.png" alt="Empty" height="65" width="50"> * Unprotected: //You have no bodyguard. Perhaps you can find someone suitable.//] (align:"=><=")[''YOUR LOVER'']\ (align:"=><=")[<img src="images/passion.png" alt="Kiss" height="65" width="50">]\ //A Lover offers comfort and the satisfaction of desire; perhaps they can assist you in other ways, too.// (if: $bardlover is "true")[<img src="images/bardalt.png" alt="BardAlt" height="65" width="50"> * The Wayward Bard: //Hasty liaisons by candlelight. Laughter. Sighs. The hot thrill of scandal.//]\ (else-if: $bardlover is "missing")[<img src="images/bardalt.png" alt="BardAlt" height="65" width="50"> * The Wayward Bard: //The Horned Knight has taken your beloved Bard!//]\ (else-if: $abbesslover is "true")[<img src="images/abbessalt.png" alt="AbbessAlt" height="65" width="50"> * The Elegant Abbess: //Her smile is as bright as the morning. Her laughter is light as birdsong. Her tastes, of course, are expensive.//]\ (else-if: $nolove is "true")[<img src="images/emptyframe.png" alt="Empty" height="65" width="50"> * Unloved: //You have not taken a lover. You can think of better ways to get a headache.//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/emptyframe.png" alt="Empty" height="65" width="50"> * Unloved: //You have not taken a lover. Perhaps you can find someone worthy of your attention.//]

(align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[<img src="images/Orlais Map Small.png" alt="OrlaisMap">]\ (align:"=><=")[''THE CODEX'']\ * [[On the State of the Realm]] * [[On the Marquisate of Serault]] * [[On the lands of Thedas]] * [[On the Chantry]] * [[On swordsmen, mages, and stranger things]] * [[On events both recent and ancient]] //To return to the game (or any previous page), click the arrow on the top left of the screen.//

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight">](if: (random: -10,10) + $scholarship is > 35)[''Forewarned. Forearmed'' Finding a decent soothsayer takes time and effort. You reject charlatans, lunatics, spies. The few augurs who have some genuine skill are made welcome and set to work. Eventually, they provide you with a list of portents to avoid. Some are clear but inconvenient: a yellow moon, the fourth day of every month, a fork in the path when the wind is westerly. Others are bizarre: fire with a heart of ice, the broken sun, a man with green fingernails. (set: $peril to $peril - 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) (set: $prosperity to $prosperity - 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $soothsayers to "true")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) ]\ (else:)[''Hustlers and hoaxes'' The soothsayers offer plenty of opinions, but little sense. According to some, everything from pans to ponies should be avoided. According to others, those same things are signs of your high destiny. Not one of them has the true sight. What you can gather, though, is that the forest is a-stir, and troubled times are coming. (set: $peril to $peril + 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) (set: $soothsayers to "bad")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) ] [[You barely notice the next days pass by|The Sorceress' Departure]] A horn sounds. Boots tramp. The changing of the wall-guard. (set: $scholarship to $scholarship + 1)(Your Scholarship <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/magic.png" alt="Magic">](if: (random: -10,10) + $scholarship is > 25)[''Forewarned. Forearmed.'' Finding a decent soothsayer takes time and effort. You reject charlatans, lunatics, spies. The few augurs who have some genuine skill are made welcome and set to work. Eventually, they provide you with a list of portents to avoid. Some are clear but inconvenient: a yellow moon, the fourth day of every month, a fork in the path when the wind is westerly. Others are bizarre: fire with a heart of ice, the broken sun, a man with green fingernails. (set: $peril to $peril - 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) (set: $prosperity to $prosperity - 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $soothsayers to "true")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)]\ (else:)[''Hustlers and hoaxes'' The soothsayers offer plenty of opinions, but little sense. According to some, everything from pans to ponies should be avoided. According to others, those same things are signs of your high destiny. Not one of them has the true sight. What you can gather, though, is that the forest is a-stir, and troubled times are coming. (set: $peril to $peril + 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) (set: $soothsayers to "bad")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)] [[You rest well after a long day at court|Pick a Counselor 1]] A riot of barks from the kennels; the butcher is delivering meat. (set: $scholarship to $scholarship + 1)(Your Scholarship <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/elfroot.png" alt="Elfroot">]''Refreshed'' Elfroot works best when carefully prepared, but even raw it has virtue. Your limbs tremble with sudden vigor. Colours sharpen. [[Back to work|Chapter 3: Road and River]] <img src="images/wind.png" alt="Wind" height="26" width="20"> A South wind. The faint, throat-catching sulphur-scent of those bitter lakes. //You have five months until the Divine arrives.// (set: $woodswise to $woodswise + 1)(Your Woods-wise <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $health to 90)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has increased to 90!) (set: $elfroot to $elfroot - 1)(You've lost 1 <img src="images/elfroot.png" alt="Elfroot" height="26" width="20"> Elfroot.)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/elfroot.png" alt="Elfroot">]''Refreshed'' Elfroot works best when carefully prepared, but even raw it has virtue. Your limbs tremble with sudden vigor. Colours sharpen. [[In the days to follow you decide to call for help from unusual places|Pick an Accomplice]] Uncertain times present opportunities to the bold... (set: $woodswise to $woodswise + 1)(Your Woods-wise <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $health to 90)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has increased to 90!) (set: $elfroot to $elfroot - 1)(You've lost 1 <img src="images/elfroot.png" alt="Elfroot" height="26" width="20"> Elfroot.)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/bard.png" alt="Bard">](if: $freedom is > $revolution)[''A pleasant evening'' "I'm made for better than this, you know. And so are you! Serault should be at the heart of the Game, like she used to be. You ought to stand at the Empress' shoulder. And me? I should be bathing in a tub of warm Fereldan whiskey while the prettiest maidens of Val Royeaux whisper filthy, filthy suggestions in my ear". "Instead I'm here, with you, drinking this. I don't even know what this is. No, don't throw it away! Great Maker, your Grace, if it doesn't fight back you drink it. I'll not abide waste."]\ (else:)[''Some explaining to do'' "Well. That must have been a good evening, because I'm up here, and my trousers are down there. Don't worry. I'm sure your clothes will turn up soon." "What are we doing in the chantry, anyway? There's nothing to drink, here. I say. Is that the Abbess arriving? Ah. And the choir." (set: $dignity to $dignity - 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) ] [[The next day, a visitor arrives at court|A Sinister Discovery]] The whicker of horses from the stables. The stableboy's soft voice, soothing them. The sound of his brush on their flanks. (set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/crystalball.png" alt="CrystalBall">]''Case: The Dashing Outlaw Strikes Again'' A trio of merchants from Val Royeaux were ridiculed and robbed in the Applewoods. Their account suggests the Dashing Outlaw was to blame... <img src="images/woodswisemini.png" alt="WoodsWiseMini"> [[Ask the Dashing Outlaw what she knows of the robbery]] She might even tell you the truth. <img src="images/cunningmini.png" alt="CunningMini"> [[Compile an account of the bandits]] You have assembled descriptions from the merchants and others waylaid in the woods lately. <img src="images/door.png" alt="Door"> [[Dismiss their story, but protect the roads|Cave Skipped]] She might be greedy, even wild, but the Outlaw has never failed you before. See to the roads. //Turn your focus elsewhere.//

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/male3.png" alt="MissingMerchant">]\ ''Case: The Missing Merchant'' You track the merchant down to an ill-reputed house on Candles Street, where he has been indulging his fondness for contracted affection, strong wine and certain herbs from the depths of the Applewoods. Your guards drag him before you. He makes a hoarse apology. "I may have over-indulged, your Grace. You know what they say: 'There is no guilt in Serault'." You demand to know what he means. "Only that no-one cares what happens here," he stammers. "A man - or woman! - can indulge their vices in Serault without worrying that word of them will get back home." [[Send the fool away]] You've got the tints. That's what matters. [[Seize his cargo]] No guilt, eh? Then so be it!

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/crystalball.png" alt="CrystalBall">]''Case: The Uprising'' The glassworkers' occupation of the Bridge of Masks is ended, but the question of who led them remains. Some say it was the Elusive Iconoclast, prophet of the revolution. Others that it was a glassworker with a grudge against the Smiling Guildmistress - an ex-lover. You'll need to investigate the truth, and when you have enough evidence decide what punishment - if any - is to be levied against the glassworkers. <img src="images/cunningmini.png" alt="CunningMini"> [[Investigate more in depth]] Some of them must have known who the ringleader was. <img src="images/derringdomini.png" alt="DerringDoMini"> [[Give the Cheery Baron the names and locations of revolutionary sympathisers]] He will know what to do... <img src="images/door.png" alt="Door"> [[Focus on keeping the glassworkers under control|Uprising Skipped]] Serault has always had her share of agitators. Your efforts should be directed towards preventing this tragedy from happening again. //Turn your focus elsewhere.// (set: $uprisingbeaten to "true")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/crystalball.png" alt="CrystalBall">]''Case: The Dowager's Decline'' The Acerbic Dowager's poisoning cannot go unanswered. If the perpetrator can reach //her//, is anyone safe? <img src="images/cunningmini.png" alt="CunningMini"> [[Who had access to the Dowager's person?]] And has anyone on her staff behaved suspiciously? <img src="images/scholarshipmini.png" alt="ScholarshipMini"> [[Trace the poison]] Someone made it. Someone sold it. <img src="images/door.png" alt="Door"> [[Employ safeguards against future attempts|Poisoning Skipped]] Whoever did this is long gone. Think ahead. //Turn your focus elsewhere.//

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/hawke.png" alt="Hawke">]''Serault fears no-one. Not even Templars...'' You condemn Carver for the Templars' renunciation of the Chantry and banish him before your court. Your courtiers applaud. Templars are not loved, here. Many remember what the order did to your ancestor. He might have been abomination, but he was still Serault. He deserved better. [[You brush him from your thoughts as morning comes|Prepare for the Divine 1]] Airs from the river. It is high and swift today, carrying the scent of leaves and nodding barley. (set: $templarcarver to "refused")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 1)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/judge.png" alt="Judgement">](if: (random: -10,10) + $rulership is > 35)[''Home truths'' They don't get far. You round them up and conduct an impromptu trial in a dappled grove, where you pass firm but measured judgement. The youths swear oaths never to poach again. In gratitude, they tell you what seen and heard while roving the woods. Things reach the rough ears of a peasant that are never allowed near the delicate ears of a lord. (set: $revolution to $revolution - 5)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) (set: $peril to $peril - 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) ]\ (else-if: (random: -10,10) + $rulership is > 25)[''Forest justice'' They don't get far. You round them up and conduct an impromptu trial in a dappled grove, where you pass firm but measured judgement. The youths swear oaths never to poach again. (set: $peril to $peril - 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) ]\ (else:)[''The letter of the law'' The law is clear. Poaching is to be punished, and hunger is no defence. Your judgement is harsh. When word of it spreads, your people pray for deliverance. (set: $peril to $peril - 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) (set: $timeleft to $timeleft - 1)(You've got $timeleft hours <img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="26" width="20"> of daylight remaining.)] [[The quarry must be close!]] No time to waste. (set: $rulership to $rulership + 1)(Your Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $freedom to $freedom - 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/judge.png" alt="Judgement">](if: (random: -10,10) + $rulership is > 45 or $lynching is "true")[''Home truths'' They don't get far. You round them up and conduct an impromptu trial in a dappled grove, where you pass firm but measured judgement. The youths swear oaths never to poach again. In gratitude, they tell you what seen and heard while roving the woods. Things reach the rough ears of a peasant that are never allowed near the delicate ears of a lord.]\ (else-if: (random: -10,10) + $rulership is > 35)[''Forest justice'' They don't get far. You round them up and conduct an impromptu trial in a dappled grove, where you pass firm but measured judgement. The youths swear oaths never to poach again. (set: $freedom to $freedom - 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) ]\ (else:)[''The letter of the law'' The law is clear. Poaching is to be punished, and hunger is no defence. Your judgement is harsh. When word of it spreads, your people pray for deliverance. (set: $freedom to $freedom - 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $timeleft to $timeleft - 1)(You've got $timeleft hours <img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="26" width="20"> of daylight remaining.)] [[An hour later, you hear... singing?]] No time to waste. It will be night soon. (set: $rulership to $rulership + 1)(Your Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/bodyguard.png" alt="Bodyguard">]''A firm hand'' A firm hand will dissuade them from future trouble. You forbid them from congregating in groups of more than three and curtail their visits into the town. Messages in and out of the guild are read carefully. Though their ringleader has disappeared, you have managed to assemble a description of her: a fair-skinned woman with red hair and only nine fingers. You circulate it among your agents - you're certain she'll make another appearance. //The matter of the Uprising is settled. You have heard rumours of a Nine-Fingered Agitator.// (if: $counsellor is "abbess" or "baron" or "plainspoken" or "hesitant")[ [[Morning comes|Keep the Counselor]] The uprising caught you by surprise. Visitors to the court whisper. 'This would never have happened in Alyons or Val Foret', you heard one say.]\ (else:)[ [[Morning comes|Fire a Counselor 1]] The uprising caught you by surprise. Visitors to the court whisper. 'This would never have happened in Alyons or Val Foret', you heard one say.] (set: $spider to $spider + 1)(The matter of the Uprising <img src="images/bodyguard.png" alt="Bodyguard" height="26" width="20"> is settled. You have heard rumours of a Nine-Fingered Agitator...) (set: $agitator to "true")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) (set: $revolution to $revolution + 5)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) (set: $freedom to $freedom - 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $dignity to $dignity + 10)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 10!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril">](if: (random: -10,10) + $derringdo is > 35)[''A haughty spirit'' A daughter of the Corpse-Dancer clan won the right to be the bandits' champion in a bloody series of midnight contests. She awaits you on a craggy isle at the widest point of the river, where the banks are more than a bowshot distant. On that isle, the first Marquis of Serault carved his domain and title from the wild-eyed folk who once ruled it. Your swords meet atop the bluff. Countless eyes watch from the west bank and the east. The battle is brief. Her ferocity is deep, her sword-work strong, but her feet are less sure than yours. As she falls, so does the spirit of the bandit-clans, who slink - humbled - back to their hovels. You reclaim her bent sword from the stones below, and mount it in your hall. (set: $banditduel to "victory")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) (set: $banditsword to "true")(You have acquired <img src="images/conciliation.png" alt="ConciliationCup" height="26" width="20"> a new asset!) (set: $peril to $peril - 10)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10!)\ (set: $trophies to $trophies + 1)]\ (else:)[''The fall'' You fight the Black Knot's champion atop a rocky isle in the river. He carries a pair of moon-edged axes and a coat of scars. He greets you with a howl like a wolf. He's good, but worse, he's lucky. You parry his blows, but the crag crumbles under your feet. You lose your balance. His blade nicks your cheek, and you fall. A patch of gorse saves you, but when your soldiers row across to the isle they find you half-broken. The bandits' victory-howl shakes the wood, and the wild music of their celebrations keeps the whole of Serault awake for a week. (set: $banditduel to "defeat")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) (set: $health to $health - 15)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 15...) (set: $peril to $peril - 10)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10!) (set: $dignity to $dignity - 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) ] (if: $health is < 60)[ <img src="images/specialmini.png" alt="SpecialMini"> [[ You need to rest!|You need to rest! 2]] Wildling trickery got the better of you.]\ (else:)[ [[In the days to follow you decide to call for help from unusual places|Pick an Accomplice]] Uncertain times present opportunities to the bold...] (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 1)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $battle to $battle + 1)(You've sought battle <img src="images/bodyguard2.png" alt="Bodyguard2" height="26" width="20"> in Serault's defence!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/1.png" alt="Chapter1">]''Chapter 1: The Herald'' //"Serault is not blessed in her neighbours. They are pompous, venal, dull or mephitic. Except for one, who is all four."// - the Shame of Serault It's rare for a herald to arrive in Serault - most business goes east to the Heartlands. But, against the odds, here one is, proudly sporting his master's livery. What is his business? [["Sad news, your Grace..." the herald exclaims]] "Your beloved relative -" and here he says an entirely unfamiliar name, "- has passed away. Please! Master your grief! Their end was peaceful. Mostly peaceful." [["My master recently visited the Empress' court..." he begins]] Grant him an audience and listen to his boasts. [[After speaking to him, a maiden of your court begs a moment of your time]] She has been talking with the herald. (save-game:"Autosave", "$saveAuto")(Your progress <img src="images/wind.png" alt="Wind" height="26" width="20"> has been saved!) (if: $health is > 100)[(set: $health to 100)]\ (else-if: $health is > 95)[(set: $health to 100)]\ (else-if: $health is < 0)[(set: $health to 5)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has increased to 5!) ]\ (else:)[(set: $health to $health + 5)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) ]\ (if: $dignity is > 100)[(set: $dignity to 100)]\ (if: $dignity is < 0)[(set: $dignity to 0)]\ (if: $prosperity is > 100)[(set: $prosperity to 100)]\ (if: $prosperity is < 0)[(set: $prosperity to 0)]\ (if: $freedom is > 100)[(set: $freedom to 100)]\ (if: $freedom is < 0)[(set: $freedom to 0)]\ (if: $twilight is > 100)[(set: $twilight to 100)]\ (if: $twilight is < 0)[(set: $twilight to 0)]\ (if: $peril is > 100)[(set: $peril to 100)]\ (if: $peril is < 0)[(set: $peril to 0)]\ (if: $revolution is > 100)[(set: $revolution to 100)]\ (if: $revolution is < 0)[(set: $revolution to 0)]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/2.png" alt="Chapter2">]''Chapter 2: Glass'' //"I would rather have been born a glassblower. Unburdened by responsibility or freedom. Prized like a peacock. My days lost in hypnotic intricacies of rainbowed glass."// - the Shame of Serault Glass is the foundation of Serault's wealth. Members of its Glassworkers' Guild are privileged prisoners: valued, well-treated, and watched like jewels on velvet. Their Smiling Guildmistress has brought an important matter before you. Which is it? [["A commission! A sizeable commission!"]] A noble of Val Royeaux, her name festooned with titles, wants a precisely-detailed set of stained glass windows. And she wants them soon. [["Thievery at the glassworks!"|Thieves 1]] The Guildmistress arrived in haste. Her face is unwashed, still smudged with furnace-soot. Her fingers fidget angrily at her glass sword. [["Your Grace, bad news. Crossed glass swords hang over the glassworks' gates"]] You sigh. The glassworkers have rebelled and are refusing to work. Again. (if: $riverpirates is not "true")[ [[A shortage of soda ash]] "Our suppliers won't brave the river for fear of pirates. There are more black flags than white ones on the river, these days."]\ (else:)[~~A shortage of soda ash "There are more black flags than white ones on the river, these days."~~] (save-game:"Autosave", "$saveAuto")(Your progress <img src="images/wind.png" alt="Wind" height="26" width="20"> has been saved!) (if: $health is > 100)[(set: $health to 100)]\ (else-if: $health is > 95)[(set: $health to 100)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has increased to 100!) ]\ (else-if: $health is < 0)[(set: $health to 5)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has increased to 5!) ]\ (else:)[(set: $health to $health + 5)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) ]\ (if: $dignity is > 100)[(set: $dignity to 100)]\ (if: $dignity is < 0)[(set: $dignity to 0)]\ (if: $prosperity is > 100)[(set: $prosperity to 100)]\ (if: $prosperity is < 0)[(set: $prosperity to 0)]\ (if: $freedom is > 100)[(set: $freedom to 100)]\ (if: $freedom is < 0)[(set: $freedom to 0)]\ (if: $twilight is > 100)[(set: $twilight to 100)]\ (if: $twilight is < 0)[(set: $twilight to 0)]\ (if: $peril is > 100)[(set: $peril to 100)]\ (if: $peril is < 0)[(set: $peril to 0)]\ (if: $revolution is > 100)[(set: $revolution to 100)]\ (if: $revolution is < 0)[(set: $revolution to 0)]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/3.png" alt="Chapter3">]''Chapter 3: Road and River'' //“It took two days to return from Pastulaire, for the road reeled like a drunkard. I thought of replacing it with a wide, straight route like those that score the Imperium: raised above the rains and flagstoned in white like a chantry altar. But I'd not trade those two days for all the gilt in Val Royeaux. The dappled sunlight. The cheery songs of peasants in the field. Barley, rippling like a sea of gold.”// - the Shame of Serault Travellers on Serault's sun-baked roads and white rivers are scarce, and must be protected. Which matter is most urgent? <img src="images/woodswisemini.png" alt="WoodsWiseMini"> [[An upsurge in banditry]] Half the cases your court heard this week were of travellers accosted on the roads. They want compensation. They want justice. [[The merchant bows before your court]] "I have travelled all the way from Val Chevin, your Grace. Through Montfort and Ghislain, then across the Nahashin Marshes. Which, incidentally, I cannot commend." [[Your Weary Bailiff returns to the castle beaten, bleeding and empty-handed]] Two guards carry him on a pallet. He tries to stand when you approach. "Forgive me, (if: $gender is "female")[Lady $name](else:)[Lord $name]. They took the tax-coffers." (if: $blackdogs is not "true")[ [[An urgent report from your border guard|An urgent report from your border guard]] "Your Grace! A company of mercenaries has entered Serault!"]\ (else:)[~~An urgent report from your border guard "Your Grace! A company of mercenaries has entered Serault!"~~] (if: $peril is > 40)[ <img src="images/derringdomini.png" alt="DerringDoMini"> [[Challenge a bandit-champion to a duel]] The outlaw-clans are treacherous, crafty and cruel, but most of all they are //proud//.]\ (else:)[~~Challenge a bandit-champion to a duel The outlaw-clans are treacherous, crafty and cruel.~~] (save-game:"Autosave", "$saveAuto")(Your progress <img src="images/wind.png" alt="Wind" height="26" width="20"> has been saved!) (set: $alone to "false")\ (set: $hounds to "gone")\ (if: $health is > 100)[(set: $health to 100)]\ (else-if: $health is > 95)[(set: $health to 100)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has increased to 100!) ]\ (else-if: $health is < 0)[(set: $health to 5)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has increased to 5!) ]\ (else:)[(set: $health to $health + 5)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) ]\ (if: $dignity is > 100)[(set: $dignity to 100)]\ (if: $dignity is < 0)[(set: $dignity to 0)]\ (if: $prosperity is > 100)[(set: $prosperity to 100)]\ (if: $prosperity is < 0)[(set: $prosperity to 0)]\ (if: $freedom is > 100)[(set: $freedom to 100)]\ (if: $freedom is < 0)[(set: $freedom to 0)]\ (if: $twilight is > 100)[(set: $twilight to 100)]\ (if: $twilight is < 0)[(set: $twilight to 0)]\ (if: $peril is > 100)[(set: $peril to 100)]\ (if: $peril is < 0)[(set: $peril to 0)]\ (if: $revolution is > 100)[(set: $revolution to 100)]\ (if: $revolution is < 0)[(set: $revolution to 0)]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/4.png" alt="Chapter4">]''Chapter 4: Omens'' //“Serault's soil is loamed with sorcery. Hedge mages bloom here, and they are roses, not weeds - I'll not uproot them on the Chantry's say-so.”// - the Shame of Serault Which omen attracts your attention? [[A sudden storm]] An hour ago the sky was sapphire-blue, and the sun hard and hot as baked bronze. Now, black clouds boil overhead, impaling Serault Town on silver spits of lightning. (if: $whispers is not "true")[ [[Whispers in the woods]] You feel it the next time you go hunting. An uneasiness in the woods. Swallowing silence, broken by stirring leaves, though the wind is dead as a gallows-corpse.]\ (else:)[~~Whispers in the woods You feel it the next time you go hunting. An uneasiness in the woods.~~] (if: $maleficarum is not "true")[ [[Maleficarum!]] Your Weary Bailiff waits until you've cleared the hall before bringing the peasant forward. His brown eyes are round with fear.]\ (else:)[~~Maleficarum! Your Weary Bailiff waits until you've cleared the hall before bringing the peasant forward.~~] (if: $crows is not "true")[ [[A visitation of ravens]] They arrived one at a time, each hour bringing another black-winged visitor. Now, a rustling host roosts on the battlements of the Heron Tower, just above your window.]\ (else:)[~~A visitation of ravens They arrived one at a time, each hour bringing another black-winged visitor.~~] (save-game:"Autosave", "$saveAuto")(Your progress <img src="images/wind.png" alt="Wind" height="26" width="20"> has been saved!) (if: $health is > 100)[(set: $health to 100)]\ (else-if: $health is > 95)[(set: $health to 100)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has increased to 100!) ]\ (else-if: $health is < 0)[(set: $health to 5)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has increased to 5!) ]\ (else:)[(set: $health to $health + 5)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) ]\ (if: $dignity is > 100)[(set: $dignity to 100)]\ (if: $dignity is < 0)[(set: $dignity to 0)]\ (if: $prosperity is > 100)[(set: $prosperity to 100)]\ (if: $prosperity is < 0)[(set: $prosperity to 0)]\ (if: $freedom is > 100)[(set: $freedom to 100)]\ (if: $freedom is < 0)[(set: $freedom to 0)]\ (if: $twilight is > 100)[(set: $twilight to 100)]\ (if: $twilight is < 0)[(set: $twilight to 0)]\ (if: $peril is > 100)[(set: $peril to 100)]\ (if: $peril is < 0)[(set: $peril to 0)]\ (if: $revolution is > 100)[(set: $revolution to 100)]\ (if: $revolution is < 0)[(set: $revolution to 0)]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/5.png" alt="Chapter5">]''Chapter 5: The Fields'' //"I am determined, some day, to lift the peasantry from their unfortunate state. Just as soon as I've solved the problem of who will clean the privy."// - the Shame of Serault Serault's peasants live their life under the sun, wind and rain. Porridge and bread at mealtimes. Watered beer to stave off the summer heat. Muddy feet and bare brown hands. Choose one of these events to address. [[A coil of smoke rises over the trees]] There are homesteads in that direction, sprinkled among the emerald fringes of the Tirashan forest. (if: $plague is not "true")[ [[You pass through a plague-village]] One door in three is daubed with a yellow circle.]\ (else:)[~~You pass through a plague-village One door in three is daubed with a yellow circle.~~] (if: $manor is not "true")[ [[You travel across a manor fallen on hard times]] Wasting serfs stare at you from the stone-pocked fields.]\ (else:)[~~You travel across a manor fallen on hard times Wasting serfs stare at you from the stone-pocked fields.~~] (if: $jokers is not "true")[ [[As you cross the market someone jokes about your parentage]] He thought you'd ridden from earshot. He was wrong.]\ (else:)[~~As you cross the market someone jokes about your parentage He thought you'd ridden from earshot. He was wrong.~~] (save-game:"Autosave", "$saveAuto")(Your progress <img src="images/wind.png" alt="Wind" height="26" width="20"> has been saved!) (if: $health is > 100)[(set: $health to 100)]\ (else-if: $health is > 95)[(set: $health to 100)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has increased to 100!) ]\ (else-if: $health is < 0)[(set: $health to 5)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has increased to 5!) ]\ (else:)[(set: $health to $health + 5)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) ]\ (if: $dignity is > 100)[(set: $dignity to 100)]\ (if: $dignity is < 0)[(set: $dignity to 0)]\ (if: $prosperity is > 100)[(set: $prosperity to 100)]\ (if: $prosperity is < 0)[(set: $prosperity to 0)]\ (if: $freedom is > 100)[(set: $freedom to 100)]\ (if: $freedom is < 0)[(set: $freedom to 0)]\ (if: $twilight is > 100)[(set: $twilight to 100)]\ (if: $twilight is < 0)[(set: $twilight to 0)]\ (if: $peril is > 100)[(set: $peril to 100)]\ (if: $peril is < 0)[(set: $peril to 0)]\ (if: $revolution is > 100)[(set: $revolution to 100)]\ (if: $revolution is < 0)[(set: $revolution to 0)]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/6.png" alt="Chapter6">]''Chapter 6: Enlightenment'' //"I permit no more than one copy of any book in my library. Thus, by committing a book to the flames, I ensure that its knowledge will not survive me. I may have to murder other readers, of course, but sin is a small price for mystery."// - the Shame of Serault Since its Shame, Serault has become a refuge for the unloved, the unstable, the unwary. With odd folk come odd ideas. Radical thought is common across Serault, from her parlors to her pig-pens. [[A commotion in the plaza]] A mob is gathering. Clenched fists. Narrowed eyes. "Justice!" They scream. "Justice!" (if: $vandals is not "true")[ [[Graffiti covers the walls of every house on the plaza]] Your town looks as painted as a waning courtesan.]\ (else:)[~~Graffiti covers the walls of every house on the plaza Your town looks as painted as a waning courtesan.~~] (if: $gentleman is not "true")[ [[A rootless scholar begs your patronage]] His face is pale. His cloak is sodden. A dozen other houses have turned him away.]\ (else:)[~~A rootless scholar begs your patronage His face is pale. His cloak is sodden. A dozen other houses have turned him away.~~] [[Returning to the castle, you see a crowd gathering in the plaza]] A young man - his voice passionate, his gestures wild - addresses them from the top of a cart. (save-game:"Autosave", "$saveAuto")(Your progress <img src="images/wind.png" alt="Wind" height="26" width="20"> has been saved!) (if: $health is > 100)[(set: $health to 100)]\ (else-if: $health is > 95)[(set: $health to 100)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has increased to 100!) ]\ (else-if: $health is < 0)[(set: $health to 5)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has increased to 5!) ]\ (else:)[(set: $health to $health + 5)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) ]\ (if: $dignity is > 100)[(set: $dignity to 100)]\ (if: $dignity is < 0)[(set: $dignity to 0)]\ (if: $prosperity is > 100)[(set: $prosperity to 100)]\ (if: $prosperity is < 0)[(set: $prosperity to 0)]\ (if: $freedom is > 100)[(set: $freedom to 100)]\ (if: $freedom is < 0)[(set: $freedom to 0)]\ (if: $twilight is > 100)[(set: $twilight to 100)]\ (if: $twilight is < 0)[(set: $twilight to 0)]\ (if: $peril is > 100)[(set: $peril to 100)]\ (if: $peril is < 0)[(set: $peril to 0)]\ (if: $revolution is > 100)[(set: $revolution to 100)]\ (if: $revolution is < 0)[(set: $revolution to 0)]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/7.png" alt="Chapter7">]''Chapter 7: A Tangled Web'' //"Serault is busy with portents, today. She has always attracted the uncommon and the unnatural. Things creep into the Applewoods from the sibilant depths of the Tirashan, and the moonlit Mysteries of the Masked Andraste are still practiced here. And there's me, of course..."// - the Shame of Serault A Blighted horror mauls its way through the Seraultine countryside. The Dowager lies in bed, dying by poison, and only the death of a wyvern can bring the antidote she needs. Time marches on, your realm stands in disarray, and the Divine will arrive in a matter of weeks. Your men are assembled - close to a hundred, divided in two groups, each with a dangerous foe to track down. What will your group hunt? <img src="images/wyvern.png" alt="Wyvern" height="65" width="50"> [[A wyvern|Hunting a wyvern]] You need its venom to cure the Acerbic Dowager of her poison. You will lead its retrieval personally. //You are hunting a venomous wyvern.// <img src="images/bereskarn.png" alt="Bereskarn" height="65" width="50"> [[The bereskarn plaguing the forest villages|Hunting a bereskarn]] It has troubled your people for the last time. You will make sure of it. //You are hunting a fearsome bereskarn.// (save-game:"Autosave", "$saveAuto")(Your progress <img src="images/wind.png" alt="Wind" height="26" width="20"> has been saved!) (if: $health is > 100)[(set: $health to 100)]\ (else-if: $health is > 95)[(set: $health to 100)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has increased to 100!) ]\ (else-if: $health is < 0)[(set: $health to 5)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has increased to 5!) ]\ (else:)[(set: $health to $health + 5)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) ]\ (if: $dignity is > 100)[(set: $dignity to 100)]\ (if: $dignity is < 0)[(set: $dignity to 0)]\ (if: $prosperity is > 100)[(set: $prosperity to 100)]\ (if: $prosperity is < 0)[(set: $prosperity to 0)]\ (if: $freedom is > 100)[(set: $freedom to 100)]\ (if: $freedom is < 0)[(set: $freedom to 0)]\ (if: $twilight is > 100)[(set: $twilight to 100)]\ (if: $twilight is < 0)[(set: $twilight to 0)]\ (if: $peril is > 100)[(set: $peril to 100)]\ (if: $peril is < 0)[(set: $peril to 0)]\ (if: $revolution is > 100)[(set: $revolution to 100)]\ (if: $revolution is < 0)[(set: $revolution to 0)]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/judge.png" alt="Judge">](if: (random: -10,10) + $derringdo is > 45)[''Right'' With your soldiers forming a tight wedge at your back, you drive into the crowd. You seize the mob's victim and declare that justice will be served in your court, not on the cobblestones. Mollified, the lynchers fall back. (set: $lynching to "true")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) ]\ (else:)[''Justice'' You force your way forward at the head of your guard. You draw blades. The mob answers with cudgels. A blow numbs your arm. Another spills blood into your eyes. Heedless, you push forward. It's too late. Someone decides that if a public death is impossible, a swift one will do. You find the mob's victim with a knife between their ribs. Blood spreads across the cobbles. The crowd flees. You order your soldiers to retrieve the body. They carry it respectfully to the nearby chantry. You couldn't prevent a tragedy, but at least you can ensure a proper cremation. (set: $revolution to $revolution + 5)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) (set: $lynching to "calm")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) ] [[A new day dawns|Flames of Freedom]] You linger in bed for a moment. Then you rise. (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 1)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/passion.png" alt="Kiss">]''Whims'' You consider the events of the last few weeks. The debacles with the Horned Knight have taken a personal toll on you; both the matter of the Abbess' Road and that of the poached Bard, alongside the other dangers that creep upon Serault, make you question some of your recent choices... Outside your window, you hear the sounds of the castle. (if: $nolove is not "true")[(if: $abbesslover is "true")[<img src="images/abbessalt.png" alt="AbbessAlt" height="65" width="50"> [[Break up with the Elegant Abbess|The Abbess' Anger]] The Abbess' veiled ambition with that road of hers nearly cost you dearly. //You will abandon your current lover, and forsake all romance for now.// (if: $missingbard is not "shared")[ <img src="images/bardalt.png" alt="BardAlt" height="65" width="50"> [[Send for the Wayward Bard|Bard Cucks Abbess]] He has given you much attention lately... //You will abandon your current lover, and take on a new one.//]\ (else:)[~~Send for the Wayward Bard He has given you much attention lately...~~] <img src="images/door.png" alt="Door"> [[Move on]] You may have your disappointments, but if nothing else, you trust your heart made the right call. //You will keep your current lover.//]\ (else-if: $bardlover is "true")[<img src="images/bardalt.png" alt="BardAlt" height="65" width="50"> [[Break up with the Wayward Bard|The Bard's Rejection]] The Bard, you recall, was "riding in the woods" with that peasant girl before his kidnapping... //You will abandon your current lover, and forsake all romance for now.// <img src="images/abbessalt.png" alt="AbbessAlt" height="65" width="50"> [[Send for the Elegant Abbess|Abbess Cucks Bard]] You can't help but notice the way she looks at you. //You will abandon your current lover, and take on a new one.// <img src="images/door.png" alt="Door"> [[Move on]] You may have your disappointments, but if nothing else, you trust your heart made the right call. //You will keep your current lover.//]]\ (else:)[ <img src="images/bardalt.png" alt="BardAlt" height="65" width="50"> [[Wake up with the Wayward Bard in your bed|Bard Cucks Abbess]] Was it your intention? A happy accident? Does it matter? He's experienced, confident and canny, both in politics and the bedchamber. //You will start a romance with the Wayward Bard.// <img src="images/abbessalt.png" alt="AbbessAlt" height="65" width="50"> [[Confess your affection for the Elegant Abbess|Abbess Cucks Bard]] You've been spending much time in each other's company, lately. There is a new fondness in her eyes. //You will start a romance with the Elegant Abbess.// [[Move on]] You may have your disappointments, but if nothing else, you trust your heart made the right call. //You discard the thoughts of romance completely.//]

<img src="images/greenwoodsheader.png" alt="Applewoods"> (if: (random: -10,10) + $woodswise is > 45)[''Wise to their tricks'' There: tracks at the water's edge. Your quarry crossed, emerging downstream in an attempt to throw off pursuit. The tracks are not so old, still slowly filling with oozing water. [[Then, at long last, you do it]] You have found the beast. (set: $woodswise to $woodswise + 1)(Your Woods-wise <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 1)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) ]\ (else-if: (random: -10,10) + $woodswise is > 35)[''Wise to their tricks'' There: tracks at the water's edge. Your quarry crossed, emerging downstream in an attempt to throw off pursuit. [[Then, at long last, you do it]] You have found the beast. (set: $woodswise to $woodswise + 1)(Your Woods-wise <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) ]\ (else:)[''The forest for the trees'' Try as you might, you can't find your quarry's tracks among those of the swine, hares and wild dogs that use the stream as a watering hole. (if: $bereskarn is "true")[ [[Your group is lost|Ambushed]] The woods feel silent. Dead.]\ (else:)[ [[You look back|Alone 2]] You went on too fast and too eagerly into the depths of the woods... you have lost your group. (set: $alone to "true")(You are alone <img src="images/lostchild.png" alt="LostChild" height="26" width="20">.) (set: $woodswise to $woodswise + 1)(Your Woods-wise <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $twilight to $twilight + 5)(Your Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...)]]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/tracks.png" alt="Tracks">]''The folk of the woods'' The Applewoods throng with game. Deer and boar are common, but sometimes word reaches your court of more challenging prey... What will you hunt? [[A hind, swift and nimble]] A Bard you know, prone to poetry, calls them 'maidens of the wood'. [[A boar, clumsy but fierce]] They root through the Applewoods. Their tusks make good trophies. (if: $woodswise is > 35)[(set: $timeleft to 10)](else:)[(set: $timeleft to 8)](You've got $timeleft hours <img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="26" width="20"> of daylight remaining.)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/accomplice.png" alt="Accomplice">]''Kindred spirits'' How alike you are! How closely your interests align! You clink your goblets together and drink to newfound friendship. (if: $chantryunsealed is "true")[ [[Things seemed to be going rather well|The Chantry, Unsealed]] Until, of course, disaster struck.]\ (else-if: $divinefavour is > 3)[ [[Later on, some good news|The Keys]] Justinia, fifth of her name, wishes to speak.]\ (else:)[ [[The feast winds down|The Feast is Ending]] You are tired of smiling, conversing and flattering. Was it worth it?] (set: $divinefavour to $divinefavour + 2)(Your Divine's Favour <img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 2!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/dowager.png" alt="Dowager">]''Conspiracy'' The Dowager has influence with the families of Western Orlais. Though you have had your differences with her, her loyalty is absolute. As far as she is concerned, you //are// Serault. Her loss would be a blow to your rule. It can't be a coincidence that it happened in the days before the Divine's arrival. A greater design is at work, here. Someone wants you weak. Your agents continue to hunt down the poisoner. She has gone to ground, but she can't stay hidden forever... //The Dowager's life has been saved. You have heard rumours of a Nine-Fingered Agitator.// [[You look upon your lands from the Foal's Tower|Serault is in Revolt]] Two boats try to squeeze under the Bridge of Masks at the same time. The sound of their hulls scraping sets teeth on edge across the whole town. (if: $agitator is not "true")[(set: $agitator to "true")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) ]\ (set: $spider to $spider + 1)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/coin1.png" alt="Coin1">](if: (random: -10,10) + $cunning is > 25)[''"Was he not Serault's most faithful son?"'' At first, the family are horrified, but when you explain that their ancestor's legacy will live on in a renewed, glorious Serault, their feathers are smoothed. You sweeten the point by making them valued courtiers, welcome in your councils, where their thin, tentative voices are often heard advocating the path of least resistance. (set: $prosperity to $prosperity + 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $will to "smart")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)]\ (else:)[''For the greater good'' The dead man's family are incensed. One of them, a jowly man with prematurely thin hair, calls you a brigand before your whole court. They threaten to appeal to the Empress. That night, a gray horse and bitter rider take the moonlit road to Val Royeaux, bearing tales of your avarice. (set: $dignity to $dignity - 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $will to "selfish")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)] [[The following day, you deal with more affairs of the court|The Knight Requests an Audience]] A lady-in-waiting sings in the corridor a song of Andraste, and the Maker's love for her. (set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $tithe to "true")(You have acquired <img src="images/conciliation.png" alt="ConciliationCup" height="26" width="20"> a new asset!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/coin1.png" alt="Coin1">](if: (random: -10,10) + $cunning is > 35)[''"Was he not Serault's most faithful son?"'' At first, the family are horrified, but when you explain that their ancestor's legacy will live on in a renewed, glorious Serault, their feathers are smoothed. You sweeten the point by making them valued courtiers, welcome in your councils, where their thin, tentative voices are often heard advocating the path of least resistance. (set: $prosperity to $prosperity + 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $will to "smart")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)]\ (else:)[''For the greater good'' The dead man's family are incensed. One of them, a jowly man with prematurely thin hair, calls you a brigand before your whole court. They threaten to appeal to the Empress. That night, a gray horse and bitter rider take the moonlit road to Val Royeaux, bearing tales of your avarice. (set: $dignity to $dignity - 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $will to "selfish")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)] (if: $morrigan is "welcomed")[ [[Four days later you chance upon the Scornful Sorceress|Morrigan Strikes Again]] She is, as usual, alone with her thoughts.]\ (else:)[ [[An uneventful week comes and goes|Chapter 4: Omens]] <img src="images/wind.png" alt="Wind" height="26" width="20"> A bitter wind blows from the North. You must be imagining the tang of Blights. //You have four months until the Divine arrives.//] (set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $tithe to "true")(You have acquired <img src="images/conciliation.png" alt="ConciliationCup" height="26" width="20"> a new asset!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/divine.png" alt="Divine">]''Fine company'' Tonight you yield the High Seat of Serault to the Divine, taking instead a humble chair at her side. The Most Holy Justinia - fifth of her name, exalted servant of the Maker - is young, fair and gracious. She thanks you for your hospitality, compliments the clean airs of Serault over the cloying alley-and-pomade odors of Val Royeaux, and blesses the gathering. (if: $keptlowborn is "true")[The Divine's entourage casts a quick glance at some of your guests from lower birth; you can tell they do not approve.] It is time for the feast to begin. //Some of your actions may provide greater or lower amounts of Divine's Favour <img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="26" width="20"> and others may even reduce it further. Choose wisely...// [[The dishes are served|Grant a Petition 1]] You didn't spare whatever you could get from the Marquisate's coffers. Not for this. Dozens of servants enter, bringing plates of food and drink aplenty. (if: $keptlowborn is "true")[(set: $dignity to $dignity - 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...)]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/house2.png" alt="House2">]''Trapped'' Your information puts her just a stone’s throw from the Chateau, disguised as a Chanter in the town’s chantry. You have your soldiers surround the building, then lead a squad inside during the service. The priestess is incensed, but your quarry knows better than to run. “I’m relieved, really,” she says, pulling her hood back. Her red hair spills free. “If I had to sing the Canticle of bloody Threnodies one more time I’d have stabbed the preceptress.” An elderly sister turns pale. The nine-fingered woman approaches you. “Give me a hot meal, a fast horse, and a head start, and I’ll give you what you want…” She leans forward and whispers a name in your ear. [[Let the bard go|The Spider in the Web]] Forget the meal, give her the horse - her confession might have just saved Serault. You have a spider to catch. [[Arrest the bard|The Spider in the Web 2]] You never agreed to the deal. Send the Agitator to the dungeons. Now you must deal with your true enemy... (You know who is at the centre of the web of troubles <img src="images/accomplice.png" alt="Accomplice" height="26" width="20"> plaguing Serault.)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/outlaw.png" alt="Outlaw">]''A case of mistaken identity?'' The leader of the bandits was a woman: copper-haired, dimpled, with a finger missing from her left hand. The Dashing Outlaw, meanwhile, is lean and raven-haired. The woman was Orlesian, but her men spoke with foreign accents. (if: (history:) does not contain "Ask the Dashing Outlaw what she knows of the robbery")[ [[Ask the Dashing Outlaw what she knows of the robbery]] She might even tell you the truth.]\ (else:)[~~Ask the Dashing Outlaw what she knows of the robbery She might even tell you the truth.~~] (if: (random: -10,10) + $cunning is > 35 or (history:) contains "Ask the Dashing Outlaw what she knows of the robbery")[ <img src="images/door.png" alt="Door"> [[Corner the robbers]] Finally, your investigation has uncovered the location of their lair. //You know enough to proceed with the investigation.//]\ (else:)[~~Corner the robbers Finally, your investigation has uncovered the location of their lair.~~] (set: $prosperity to $prosperity - 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/dowager.png" alt="Dowager">]''A lack of gratitude'' The girl spits at you. "Let your cronies throw their rotten eggs. There's a lot more of us than there are of you! When the smallfolk hear the Iconoclast's words, we will shrug our shoulders and cast you from our backs!" The boy tugs at her arm. "Stop it, Merovyl! This is mercy!" Your guards take them away. The Dowager waits until they are gone before she speaks. "Idiocy. If you indulge this sedition you will lose Serault. Perhaps you do not care for her as I do. You have been raised to rule. Trained to make decisions that are difficult, unpopular and correct. Peasants have been raised to turn fields and birth calves. They don't expect you to rummage around a cow's rear; you shouldn't expect them to know the difference between justice and fairness." [[Late that night you reflect alone]] Who is this Elusive Iconoclast? (if: $agitator is "true")[Could she be linked to the Nine-Fingered Agitator who has spread unrest in your realm recently?] You decide to investigate. (You have resolved the Dowager's case <img src="images/fire.png" alt="Fire" height="26" width="20">. A new challenge awaits you.) (set: $dowagerfury to "light")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) (set: $freedom to $freedom + 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $revolution to $revolution + 5)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/abbess.png" alt="Abbess">]''The union of chantry and state'' You share a goblet of wine atop the Foal's Tower. Serault is spread beneath you - the sharp-roofed town at your feet, the patchwork fields beyond, in the distance the long shadow of the forest. Your conversation turns from business to more personal matters, then falters. More goes unsaid than said. You don't remember what impulse moved you forward, but she came eagerly into your arms. Her lips found yours. The night was warm, the stars bright, and the chantry's bell was ringing. [[The next day comes|The Lord of the Wood]] A serving girl is on her way to the kitchens, balancing a tray of snails on her head. She sings a song of old Serault: the Stag and the Rose. (set: $abbesslover to "true")(The Abbess <img src="images/abbessalt.png" alt="AbbessAlt" height="26" width="20"> is never far from your thoughts.) (set: $scholarship to $scholarship + 1)(Your Scholarship <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/knight.png" alt="Knight">]\ (if: (random: -10,10) + $scholarship is > 25)[''A history lesson'' You meet him in your solar, where a scurrying page brings wine and a bowl of nuts fresh from the Applewoods. The Knight sets upon them with the nutcracker. Satisfying cracks and sprays of shell accompany his lecture. His knowledge is fathomless, but old. Still, it's a rare mistake that hasn't been made before. Serault's fields are furrowed with old feuds, lost promises, and political compromise. Those who do not learn from the lessons of the past... (set: $scholarship to $scholarship + 1)(Your Scholarship <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) ]\ (else:)[''A morass of facts and figures'' The Knight accompanies you on a walk through the chateau. Through chromatic columns of light that lean from its windows. Past hurrying servants who bow as you pass. You slow your usual brisk pace to accommodate his limp. He expounds at length, but not a thing he says pertains to the current century. There are some general lessons to be learned, you suppose, but little that's directly relevant.] <img src="images/abbessalt.png" alt="AbbessAlt" height="65" width="50"> [[Later, you see a familiar face coming along the gardens|The Elegant Abbess]] The Abbess is a member of the des Guenoles family and is the sister of the Muttering Banker. She forsook the life of nobility to join the Chantry. <img src="images/bardalt.png" alt="BardAlt" height="65" width="50"> [[As you take your leave, you hear a Bard's melody|The Wayward Bard]] So, he's back in town after all. (set: $scholarship to $scholarship + 1)(Your Scholarship <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/chest.png" alt="Chest">](if: (random: -10,10) + $rulership is > 35)[''A bargain'' As your servants struggle to carry the contents of her wagon into the chateau, the merchant counts her coin and commends your realm's "charming people", "rustic hospitality" and "arboreal dignity". As long as she's effusive when she tells the other merchants in her guild about Serault's markets... (set: $prosperity to $prosperity + 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $merchantoffer to "good")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)]\ (else:)[''A bargain'' She remains maddeningly vague on her plans to return, citing as excuses the distance, the civil war, her handsome, patient husband in Arlesans and her other handsome, patient husband in Jader. "I miss them so, poor things. It's hard enough keeping each secret from the other, without spending half the year trekking to the arse-end of Orlais." She does, however, fill your ears with information she has gleaned on her extensive travels. (set: $merchantoffer to "bad")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)] [[In the days to follow you decide to call for help from unusual places|Pick an Accomplice]] Uncertain times present opportunities to the bold... (set: $rulership to $rulership + 1)(Your Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/hunter.png" alt="SilentHunter">]''The bargain'' You find him at the woods' edge, fletching arrows atop a moss-wrapped strone. You cast your prize at his feet. He studies it, nods, and lifts it, beckoning you to follow him into the trees. He leads you to a glade sprinkled with crocuses. A dark pool lies there. Behind it stands a statue of the Masked Andraste, her paint fresh and bright. Without a second look, he hurls your trophy into the water. It sinks quickly. The hunter bows his head in silent prayer. [[Two days later you turn your focus to statescraft|Gather Resources 2]] You take your place atop the High Seat. [[A guard warns you of a visitor at the outskirts of Serault|The Undaunted Chevalier]] Courtiers flock to the battlements to spy on the new arrival. (set: $woodswise to $woodswise + 1)(Your Woods-wise <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $elfroot to $elfroot + 1)(You now have $elfroot <img src="images/elfroot.png" alt="Elfroot" height="26" width="20"> Elfroot.)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/fire.png" alt="Fire">](if: (random: -10,10) + $rulership is > 45 or $freehold is "allowed")[''Peddling patience'' You reassure the gathered crowd that their Iconoclast is safe. You promise them justice, but tell them it won't be tonight. Placated for now, they make their way in a ragged train to the town chantry to pray. (set: $peril to $peril - 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) (set: $revolution to $revolution - 5)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!)]\ (else:)[''Sound and fury'' You haven't even time to speak before they start screaming for the Iconoclast. Some of them start to throw balls of something that thud against the walls, sticking there: balls of dung, mixed with glass shards from the waste pits. You retreat from the walls. (set: $peril to $peril + 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) (set: $dignity to $dignity - 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) ] <img src="images/crystalball.png" alt="CrystalBall" height="52" width="40"> [[Enough is enough| Case: The Elusive Iconoclast]] Time to deal with this Iconoclast, once and for all. (set: $rulership to $rulership + 1)(Your Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/forest3.png" alt="Forest3">]''Too late for justice'' The woods hiss with rain as you crouch beneath a hunched oak, waiting for your scouts to return. When they do, they approach with more haste than caution. "Someone got here first, (if: $gender is "female")[Lady $name](else:)[Lord $name]. Their lookout is dead, his throat cut. The cave is a corpse-yard." You'd better see this for yourself... [[You've found the bandits' lair...]] By the Maker, what is that //smell//?

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity">]''Serault's pride'' The merchants, who had expected to get nothing, are startled by your generosity. They swear to speak far and wide of Serault's honour, and hope you are successful in bringing the Dashing Outlaw to justice. They practically trample each other to share what they know about the lands they passed through, and the current progress of the civil war. <img src="images/crystalball.png" alt="CrystalBall" height="52" width="40"> [[As court ends, you begin your investigation|Case: The Dashing Outlaw Strikes Again]] She couldn't have been so brazen. Could she? (set: $dignity to $dignity + 10)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 10!) (set: $prosperity to $prosperity - 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/serault.png" alt="SeraultArms">]\ (align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[=''CREDITS''\ ''BioWare'' //For creating the world of Thedas, its people and stories.// ''Failbetter Games'' //For creating the original game, a unique perspective on a world we love.// ''Enriador'' //For creating this adaptation, so that more may know the tale of Serault.// ''Ammocharis Booboopiggies / Jill Branston Dan Coleman Felassan KnightDawn Shellepink / Lavalampelfchild & the unnamed heroes who stood with them'' //For saving Serault from the abyss, preserving much of its content before the original became lost forever.// ''The volunteers at Wikia/Fandom'' //For spreading the lore of Serault across its pages.// ''carverrhawkee'' //For helping with the coding and giving truly invaluable feedback.// ''Bresha'' //For helping rescue several precious pieces of the lost original.// ''Ghil Dirthalen'' ''Shadie's Gameplay'' //For recording their adventures in the Marquisate of Serault.//

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/forest2.png" alt="Forest2">](if: (random: -10,10) + $cunning is > 35)[''Silent as a shadow'' You listen closely. There are no sounds of flight or panic. The (if: $quarry is "hind")[hind](else:)[boar] must have decided there was nothing to fear. Cautiously, you move on.]\ (else:)[''Detached'' Did it hear your breath? The result of your cloak? Did it catch your scent on the forest's rustling breeze? //Something// alerted it. You hear the (if: $quarry is "boar")[boar](else:)[hind] crash away through the undergrowth. It's got a lead on you, now. (set: $health to $health - 5)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $timeleft to $timeleft - 1)(You've got $timeleft hours <img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="26" width="20"> of daylight remaining.)] (if: $quarry is "boar")[ [[The sun moves closer to the west as you finally find the boar|Boar tracks]] (if: $hounds is "present")[The hounds wail in excitement. Your companions ready their spears; yours is already in hand.](else:)[You could have used the hounds now, to bait and corner your prey. Your companions ready their spears; yours is already in hand.]]\ (else:)[As the sun moves closer to the horizon, you are in luck! A reward for your boldness: fresh tracks cross the path. Your quarry! You glimpse the rust-red of its fur as it grazes on a spray of long grass. It lifts its head. Its ears twitch. You have to act now. <img src="images/derringdomini.png" alt="DerringDoMini"> [[Nock an arrow. Aim]] It's a tricky shot through undergrowth.] (set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/wearybailiff2.png" alt="Seneschal">]\ ''The Hesitant Seneschal'' "Last night's storm shattered several windows in the Great Hall. I'm led to understand that repairs will not be straightforward." "More urgently, a visitor has arrived from Val Royeaux. She said she would deal only with you. When I pressed regarding her business, she asked if I would like to be turned inside out, and said that if so she would be happy to oblige. I suspect her of..." he lowers his voice, "... magery. I counsel you to deal with her carefully. The future of Serault could be at stake." //The Seneschal is of modest use, but you will be able to recruit more capable companions soon. Check your Chronicle to see your current advisers.// [[Let's see what the road has brought|Prologue: An Unexpected Visitor]] This woman has travelled a long way to get here. (set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (You lack a bodyguard <img src="images/bodyguard2.png" alt="Bodyguard2" height="26" width="20">. You should look for a suitable candidate...) (You are without an accomplice <img src="images/accomplice.png" alt="Accomplice" height="26" width="20">, who can say and do things your public advisers cannot...) (You are without a lover <img src="images/passion.png" alt="Passion" height="26" width="20">...)\ (set: $counsellor to "hesitant")

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/forest4.png" alt="Forest4">]''Woodswrath'' The trail winds like an angry snake. It takes some time before the boughs above withdraw enough to let the sun push through. [[Eventually your group spots a clearing|The Clearing]] The tracks lead right to it. (set: $twilight to $twilight + 5)(Your Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) (set: $health to $health - 15)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 15...) (set: $timeleft to $timeleft - 1)(You've got $timeleft hours <img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="26" width="20"> of daylight remaining.)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/rosemage.png" alt="RoseMage">]''Decide the Anchoress' fate'' What will you do with her? The child of the Shame - an apostate - harbored in Serault's woods... [[Imprison her]] She will be your gift to the Divine; proof of Serault's penitence. [[Banish her]] And hide the evidence that she was ever here... [[Invite her to live at the Chateau]] Whatever else she is, she's family.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/attention.png" alt="CrowEyes">](if: (random: -10,10) + $woodswise is > 35)[''Pieces of the world'' In the sullen croaking of the crows, you hear much that is hidden. Truths that have been buried. Secret alliances. Hatreds, whispered alone and in the dark. (set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) ]\ (else:)[''Dark times ahead'' However you read them, the signs say the same thing: dark days are ahead. No-one is safe. Your sleep is disturbed by oppressive dreams. You wake each morning to the crows croaking at your window. (set: $peril to $peril + 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) (set: $prosperity to $prosperity - 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) ] [[You barely notice the next days pass by|The Sorceress' Departure]] A horn sounds. Boots tramp. The changing of the wall-guard. (set: $woodswise to $woodswise + 1)(Your Woods-wise <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $health to $health - 5)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $soothsayers to "self")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/scroll.png" alt="ScrollWhite">](if: (random: -10,10) + $woodswise is > 25)[''Pieces of the world'' In the sullen croaking of the crows, you hear much that is hidden. Truths that have been buried. Secret alliances. Hatreds, whispered alone and in the dark. (set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) ]\ (else:)[''Dark times ahead'' However you read them, the signs say the same thing: dark days are ahead. No-one is safe. Your sleep is disturbed by oppressive dreams. You wake each morning to the crows croaking at your window. (set: $peril to $peril + 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) (set: $prosperity to $prosperity - 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) ] [[You rest well after a long day at court|Pick a Counselor 1]] A riot of barks from the kennels; the butcher is delivering meat. (set: $woodswise to $woodswise + 1)(Your Woods-wise <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $health to $health - 5)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $soothsayers to "self")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/hornedhelm.png" alt="HornedKnight">]''A collapse in relations'' There is an uproar in the Heartwood Court. The fauns weep and the dryads rail. The Horned Knight stands still as an oak, allowing the clamor to rise. When it is a cacophony, he speaks. “Leave, $name. You have met our generosity with greed and our open hand with a closed fist. Pride was always the folly and Shame of Serault, and it runs as deep as ever. Begone. There will be no friendship between us until you learn humility.” You are ejected from the court and left to make your own way through the woods, which moan under a dark, angry wind. [[A week passes, and with it a scent of spring|The Freehold]] The wind dies, leaving the sun to push hotly on the cobbled streets and courtyards. The chateau's four cats stretch out on the roof-tiles. (set: $unwelcome to "true")(You are no longer welcome <img src="images/forest4.png" alt="Forest4" height="26" width="20"> in the woods.) (set: $twilight to $twilight - 5)(Your Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) (set: $dignity to $dignity - 15)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 15...) \ (set: $knightfury to 1)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/hornedhelm.png" alt="HornedKnight">]''A long way to go'' The fauns and dryads mutter, but the Horned Knight silences them. “No. The (if: $gender is "female")[Marquise](else:)[Marquis] is our guest, and under no obligation to me. Serault’s wound is deep. It cannot be healed in a single night.” He bows to you. “Perhaps, one day, we will be able to understand each other. In the meantime, I trust you will give my regards to the Divine and represent Serault to the best of your ability.” The feast ends on a muted note. Wisps lead you home. It seems to you that they take you a long and difficult way. Dawn is breaking and the sky is thinning with blue by the time you leave the forest. [[A week passes, and with it a scent of spring|The Freehold]] The wind dies, leaving the sun to push hotly on the cobbled streets and courtyards. The chateau's four cats stretch out on the roof-tiles. (set: $twilight to $twilight - 5)(Your Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) (set: $dignity to $dignity - 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/pigfarmer.png" alt="PigFarmer">]''Study by candlelight'' You work into the night, pouring over yellow pages with the Pig-Farmer at your shoulder. The symptoms match nothing in Olianna's //Physick//, nor in Polyosteres' //Calamities of the Flesh//. You turn to darker causes. After all, Thedas is replete with poisons. The Dowager is too lucid to be suffering from a derivative of Deathroot, too coordinated to have taken //Adder's Kiss//, and too alive for it to be the //Quiet Death//. Ah. Here - in Colostro's //Naturea// of all places: //'the venom of the wyvern is most potent and gives rise to a family of poisons developed in Antiva. They are recognised by a crimson speckling of the skin. Properly prepared, the venom is its own antidote.'// Good news: you know what's responsible. Bad news: you're going to have to catch a wyvern. And there's still the matter of who did this to her, and why. [[The Dowager is dying|A Fork on the Road]] There is little time to waste. You order the mustering of the greatest hunting party seen in a generation. (set: $scholarship to $scholarship + 1)(Your Scholarship <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/rosemage.png" alt="RoseMage">]''Deferred'' It would be wise to decide what to do with her before the Divine arrives, though. The Anchoress picks her nose, thoroughly. She notices you looking at her. "What's going on in that head of yours?" she demands. Her finger is still lodged in her nose. [[That's all for now|Bid farewell to the Anchoress]] She shrugs and returns to her herbs.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time">]''An impasse'' You feed them steaming partridge and an deceptively spicy red. As you dine, they detail their woes. At length. You learn a great deal about glass, trade, and the goings-on on the far bank of the river. You shake your head sympathetically. If only there was more you could do, you say. You understand, you do, but times are hard. The meal mollifies them, but they leave unsatisfied. A fraction of the glassworkers return to work. Most refuse. (if: $morrigan is "welcomed")[ [[A week goes by; you run into the Scornful Sorceress...|The Scornful Sorceress]] The apostate's presence fills your head with questions.]\ (else:)[ [[Unfortunately, that wouldn't be the end of the troubles at the glassworks|The Ghost of the Glassworks]] Solve a problem, two others come up in its place.] (set: $prosperity to $prosperity - 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $guildcharter to "bad")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/guildmistress.png" alt="Guildmistress">]''A time of strife'' You send the Guildmistress to negotiate. She moderates the client's expectations, and though they are disappointed you think you'll hear from them again. The Guildmistress returns with news from the capital, and rumours of the latest movements in the civil war. (if: $morrigan is "welcomed")[ [[A week goes by; you run into the Scornful Sorceress...|The Scornful Sorceress]] The apostate's presence fills your head with questions.]\ (else:)[ [[That wouldn't be the end of the troubles at the glassworks|The Ghost of the Glassworks]] Solve a problem, two others come up in its place.] (set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $extramirrors to "bad")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/wearybailiff1.png" alt="Bailiff">]''From each according to his means'' The lord of the manor bites his tongue and bows at your instruction. Your Weary Bailiff takes stock and distributes an even half of the lord's wardrobe and pantry among the peasants. The lord's family looks even more threadbare now. Their appearance will not ennoble your court. But there are folk in their fields who, without your intervention, would not have seen the far side of winter. [[Over the coming weeks you turn your mind to more mundane matters|Gather Resources 1]] The Tilted Tower whistles tunelessly, the wind caught in its cracked windows. (set: $dignity to $dignity - 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $freedom to $freedom + 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $manorhunger to "serf")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/wearybailiff1.png" alt="Bailiff">]''From each according to his means'' The lord of the manor bites his tongue and bows at your instruction. Your Weary Bailiff takes stock and distributes an even half of the lord's wardrobe and pantry among the peasants. The lord's family looks even more threadbare now. Their appearance will not ennoble your court. But there are folk in their fields who, without your intervention, would not have seen the far side of winter. [[A week comes and goes|Pick a Lover]] You sit alone in your chambers, a glass of Nevarran red in your hand. (set: $dignity to $dignity - 10)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10...) (set: $freedom to $freedom + 10)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 10!) (set: $manorhunger to "serf")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/outlaw.png" alt="Outlaw">]''Your separate ways'' “So be it,” her message reads. “Rest assured that the next time you hear something go bump in the night, it's nothing to do with me. It really is one of your enemies coming to kill you. Sleep well.” [[It's the changing of the seasons|Chapter 7: A Tangled Web]] <img src="images/wind.png" alt="Wind" height="26" width="20"> A star-wind, high and swift, pushes silver clouds to and fro beneath the moon. //You have one month until the Divine arrives.// (set: $dignity to $dignity + 10)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 10!) (set: $peril to $peril + 10)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 10...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/hornedhelm.png" alt="HornedKnight">](if: $debt is "true")[''Dark times'' The hunter falls to his knees, praising your mercy. The Horned Knight shakes his head. "Serault's Shame has poisoned her root to leaf. She is a land without honour. Keep your child-killer, then, Lord of the Road and the Fields. Perhaps //I// will hold some hunts of my own." He departs. That night, the forest darkens. Its trails close. Travellers begin to disappear. Hunters suffer unlikely - and painful - accidents. A black host of crows roost in its eaves. (set: $peril to $peril + 10)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 10...)]\ (else:)[''A difficult relationship'' The Horned Knight shakes his head. "I had hoped for courtesy, one lord to another. But I see that Serault's pride runs as deep as her Shame. I will show courtesy, then. Keep your child-killer. I will mourn my son. But I consider you in my debt." He departs for the woods, while the hunter praises your grace and your mercy.] [[Five days later, you are standing in your courtyard|Good Neighbours]] The raging sound of trumpets soar all across Serault. (if: $debt is "true")[(set: $knightfury to $knightfury + 1)(You have tested the Horned Knight's patience. A new chapter opens <img src="images/halla.png" alt="Halla" height="26" width="20"> in the story of the Lord of the Forest.)](else:)[(set: $debt to "true")(You are in the Horned Knight's debt. A new chapter opens <img src="images/halla.png" alt="Halla" height="26" width="20"> in the story of the Lord of the Forest.)] (set: $knightson to "denied")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) (set: $freedom to $freedom + 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/lion.png" alt="Lion">]\ ''The pride of the Marquisate'' With the spoils from border skirmishes, you've furnished the chateau and held tournaments for the entertainment of your vassals. When wandering philosophers sow sedition, you deal with them harshly. (if: $gender is "female")[The bards call you the Glass Rose of Serault: deadly, beautiful, adored, dreaded.](else:)[The bards call you the Glass Hammer of Serault: deadly, handsome, adored, dreaded.] [[Many challenges lie before you|Yet many challenges lie before you]] You pass by the Whistling Gallery on your way downwards. (set: $prosperity to $prosperity + 20)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 20!) (set: $dignity to $dignity + 50)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 50!) (set: $freedom to $freedom + 20)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 20!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/dowager.png" alt="Dowager">]''An educational evening'' She chose the other guests carefully. The food is good, the wine strong, and the mood is one of companionable honesty. You learn many things you'd never have heard by other means. [[You reflect over the dangers to your lands|Serault is Imperiled!]] A grey wind drones in the fireplace. A slow rain drones on the windows. Your advisers drone in your hall. (set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/headman.png" alt="Headman">]''Dining with a demon'' He's charming, with his waxed moustache and neat beard, and tells scurrilous tales of his adventures between cups of your good wine. You are not fooled. He will smile as prettily as when he's besieging the chateau, or burning villages to extort tribute. But your courtesy reins him in, a little, and he's fiercely well-informed about current events. [[You turn your attention to Serault's greatest treasure|Chapter 2: Glass]] <img src="images/wind.png" alt="Wind" height="26" width="20"> An East wind. The warm bright rumours of Val Royeaux. Scent and spices, candle-wax and vanilla. //You have six months until the Divine arrives.// (set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $prosperity to $prosperity - 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $peril to $peril + 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) (set: $mercs to "good")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/headman.png" alt="Headman">]''Dining with a demon'' He's charming, with his waxed moustache and neat beard, and tells scurrilous tales of his adventures between cups of your good wine. You are not fooled. He will smile as prettily as when he's besieging the chateau, or burning villages to extort tribute. But your courtesy reins him in, a little, and he's fiercely well-informed about current events. [[In the days to follow you decide to call for help from unusual places|Pick an Accomplice]] Uncertain times present opportunities to the bold... (set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $prosperity to $prosperity - 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $peril to $peril + 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) (set: $mercs to "good")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/lordship.png" alt="Lordship">](if: (random: -10,10) + $cunning is > 35)[''A sympathetic ear'' Alyons is better-regarded than Serault, and His Dour Lordship has his finger on the nation's pulse. His advice is brusque, deft, and frequently favours Alyons. As you listen, you unstitch the parts that will help you from those that will help him. (set: $rulership to $rulership + 1)(Your Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) ]\ (else:)[''The Rose and the Stag'' He recounts tales of the Grand Game in his sober, sour tones, lingering on the dismal fates of those who were outplayed. Some of the stories are contemporary and peppered with secrets. But the information is dangerous. It's too good not to use, but doing so will win you no friends. (set: $peril to $peril + 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) ] [[A fortnight passes by|The Uprising]] You wake up to distant screams. From your bedroom window you see smoke rising across the river. (set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/guildmistress.png" alt="Guildmistress">]\ ''Black and white'' Together you scour the heaving ledgers. Among the stern columns you find unpaid accounts, forgotten commissions, and expressions of interest it would be wise to pursue. Small gains, but not insignificant. [[You reflect over the dangers to your lands|Serault is Imperiled!]] A grey wind drones in the fireplace. A slow rain drones on the windows. Your advisers drone in your hall. (set: $prosperity to $prosperity + 15)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 15!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/lordship.png" alt="Lordship">]''His Dour Lordship's Rejection'' "I understand I have been replaced in your confidence," His Dour Lordship says. His moustache droops. "So be it." [[You turn your attention to other matters]] The Lord of Alyons inclines his head. (set: $counsellor to "fired")(His Dour Lordship <img src="images/lordship.png" alt="Lordship" height="26" width="20"> is no longer your counsellor.)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/baron.png" alt="Baron">]''The Baron's Rejection'' The Cheery Baron barges into your court. He isn't looking very cheery, today. "What exactly do you think you're playing at?" He bellows. [[Tell him calmly that his counsel is no longer required]] Your courtiers are watching. <img src="images/derringdomini.png" alt="DerringDoMini"> [[Remind him who owes whom fealty here]] You soar to your feet, your fury as great as his. (if: $battle is > 4)[//You have battled more times in the last 5 months than he has in the last 10 years. Who does the think he is?//]\ (else:)[~~//Who does the think he is?//~~] (set: $counsellor to "fired")(The Cheery Baron <img src="images/baron.png" alt="Baron" height="26" width="20"> is no longer your counsellor.)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/abbess.png" alt="Abbess">]''The Abbess' Departure'' You call her to your chambers. <img src="images/coinsmini.png" alt="Prosperity"> [[Explain that hard days call for hard counsel]] Her mercy is not what Serault needs, just now. (if: $abbesslover is "true")[//You've spent a long time together. She'll understand.//]\ (else:)[~~//You've spent a long time together.//~~] (set: $counsellor to "fired")(The Elegant Abbess <img src="images/abbessalt.png" alt="AbbessAlt" height="26" width="20"> is no longer your counsellor.)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/pigfarmer.png" alt="PigFarmer">]''Humble surroundings'' She receives you in her hut, a considerable amount of valuable books spread all over the otherwise simple abode. She was apparently in the middle of reading. “Can I interest your Grace in a pig? Or this copy of Gerrault's ‘//Excogitations//’?” [[Explain her services are no longer necessary]] Erudite. Exhaustive. Only occasionally unintelligible. Her intelligence has served you well so far, but this pact hasn't done much good to your reputation at court. (set: $accomplice to "fired")(The Pig-Farmer <img src="images/pigfarmer.png" alt="PigFarmer" height="26" width="20"> is no longer your accomplice.)

<img src="images/header01.png" alt="Chateau"> (if: (random: -10,10) + $rulership is > 25)[''Satisfaction'' One by one you call the unwanted before you, and make clear that it's time for them to move on. Your guards ensure they leave quickly and without fuss. Their faces - oh, their faces. The memory will warm you when the snows fall. For a time, the Chateau is peaceful again, and her coffers begin to fill. (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) ]\ (else:)['''Enough!''' The final straw is a dinner, at which the raucous babble is so inane you might as well be buying fish in the market-place. In a rage you banish the hangers-on from your court. It eases the pressure on Serault's coffers, but the exiled wastrels carry word of your outburst across Orlais. (set: $dignity to $dignity - 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) ] [[You turn your attention to Serault's greatest treasure|Chapter 2: Glass]] <img src="images/wind.png" alt="Wind" height="26" width="20"> An East wind. The warm bright rumours of Val Royeaux. Scent and spices, candle-wax and vanilla. //You have six months until the Divine arrives.// (set: $rulership to $rulership + 1)(Your Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $prosperity to $prosperity + 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $fullcourt to "bad")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/judge.png" alt="Judgement">]''Exodus'' They aren't happy, but prefer dispersal to starvation. In ones and twos, amidst tearful goodbyes, they are scattered throughout Serault to manors in need of strong backs and skilled hands. [[A week comes and goes|Pick a Lover]] You sit alone in your chambers, a glass of Nevarran red in your hand. (set: $prosperity to $prosperity + 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $freedom to $freedom - 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $plaguevillage to "exodus")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/judge.png" alt="Judgement">]''Exodus'' They aren't happy, but prefer dispersal to starvation. In ones and twos, amidst tearful goodbyes, they are scattered throughout Serault to manors in need of strong backs and skilled hands. [[You rest well after a long day at court|Pick a Counselor 1]] A riot of barks from the kennels; the butcher is delivering meat. (set: $prosperity to $prosperity + 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $freedom to $freedom - 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $plaguevillage to "exodus")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/serault.png" alt="SeraultArms">]''Display the glory of Serault'' Can you impress the Divine with symbols of the Marquisate's dangers and glory? <img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="52" width="40"> [[Drape warm furs on every seat]] Soft and enfolding. (if: $trophies is > 2)[ <img src="images/chantry2.png" alt="Chantry2" height="52" width="80"> [[The walls bristle with hunting trophies]] Testimony to the wealth and peril of Serault's forests. //You've placed $trophies of your recent trophies in the Hall of Glories, inspiring awe from your guests.//]\ (else:)[~~The walls bristle with hunting trophies Testimony to the wealth and peril of Serault's forests.~~] (if: $finery is "true")[ <img src="images/chantry2.png" alt="Chantry2" height="52" width="80"> [[Give the Divine a splendid mantle of furs|Give the Divine a splended mantle of furs]] It gleams like pearl under the lamplight. //The expensive Antivan clothes you bought a few months ago have had their use.//]\ (else-if: $bagroyals is "true")[ <img src="images/chantry2.png" alt="Chantry2" height="52" width="80"> [[Give the Divine a splendid mantle of furs|Give the Divine a splended mantle of furs]] It gleams like pearl under the lamplight. //His Dour Lordship paid not just for his freedom, but also for this most wondrous gift.//]\ (else:)[~~Give the Divine a splended mantle of furs It gleams like pearl under the lamplight.~~] (if: $wyverntrophy is "true")[ <img src="images/chantry3.png" alt="Chantry3" height="52" width="120"> [[The doors burst open and a wyvern slithers into the hall]] It is a pretence, of course - a troupe of mummers hidden inside the beast's skin. But your guests shriek in delight.]\ (else:)[~~The doors burst open and a wyvern slithers into the hall It is a pretence, of course.~~] (if: $bereskarntrophy is "true")[ <img src="images/chantry3.png" alt="Chantry3" height="52" width="120"> [[Trim your armor with fur and stud it with Bereskarn spikes]] It's unwieldy, but guarantees you're never lost in the crowd. Unless the crowd wants a scar to remember you by.]\ (else:)[~~Trim your armor with fur and stud it with Bereskarn spikes It's unwieldy, but guarantees you're never lost in the crowd.~~]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/wyvern.png" alt="Wyvern">](if: (random: -10,10) + $cunning is > 45)[''A language it can understand'' You hiss at the beast and flick your sword at its yellow eyes. When it turns to keep the circling hunters in sight, you dart forward and give it another sword-kiss. Three times you strike, enraging it until it claws the ground and charges you. You raise your sword in a feeble defence... and your companions fall on it like wolves. The beast goes down under butchers' blows. Its wings twitch, then come to a slow rest like a sheet flung over a bed. You claim the honour of severing the creature's head, complete with its precious venom sacs. [[You rush back to the chateau|The Antidote]] Time is of essence. (set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $wyverntrophy to "true")(You have acquired <img src="images/conciliation.png" alt="ConciliationCup" height="26" width="20"> a new asset!) \ (set: $trophies to $trophies + 1)]\ (else:)[''The worst jobs'' You lunge forward to distract the wyvern from your fellows. Quick as a serpent, it lashes at you and sends you sprawling into a bramble. Your sword falls from your hand. As you scrabble to get it back, the wyvern throws itself among your companions, snapping, lashing, driving them into the woods. Your hand closes on the familiar hilt of your sword. The creature turns its attention back to you... [[Slay it alone]] Death approaches. (set: $alone to "true")(You are alone <img src="images/lostchild.png" alt="LostChild" height="26" width="20">.) (set: $health to $health - 15)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 15...) (set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) ]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/coin1.png" alt="Coin1">]''Prudence'' No dance and no tourney will make for a dull week. But you could always pass the hours by counting all the coins you saved. [[The following day, you deal with more affairs of the court|The Knight Requests an Audience]] A lady-in-waiting sings in the corridor a song of Andraste, and the Maker's love for her. (set: $prosperity to $prosperity + 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $dignity to $dignity - 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $tourneydance to "neither")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

''Prudence'' No dance and no tourney will make for a dull week. But you could always pass the hours by counting all the coins you saved. (if: $morrigan is "welcomed")[ [[Four days later you chance upon the Scornful Sorceress|Morrigan Strikes Again]] She is, as usual, alone with her thoughts.]\ (else:)[ [[An uneventful week comes and goes|Chapter 4: Omens]] <img src="images/wind.png" alt="Wind" height="26" width="20"> A bitter wind blows from the North. You must be imagining the tang of Blights. //You have four months until the Divine arrives.//] (set: $prosperity to $prosperity + 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $dignity to $dignity - 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $tourneydance to "neither")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time">]''Bad roads'' More reports of ambushes. More complaining merchants. More grumbling in the taverns. The decline in trade is painful, but you are beginning to form a picture of the bandits' habits. [[Finance more and better-equipped patrols]] The roads are under your protection. [[Ride against them yourself]] You know where they hide. You take up your sword. (if: $thievesgang is "true" or $greenvault is "true")[//You have successfully caught bandits like these before. That experience will come in handy...//]\ (else:)[~~//You have successfully caught bandits like these before. That experience will come in handy...//~~] (if: (random: -10,10) + $woodswise is > 35)[ <img src="images/outlaw.png" alt="Outlaw" height="65" width="50"> [[Ask the Dashing Outlaw to police the woods]] Set one pack of wolves upon another.]\ (else:)[~~Ask the Dashing Outlaw to police the woods Set one pack of wolves upon another.~~] (set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $prosperity to $prosperity - 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/halla.png" alt="Dignity">]''Comfort'' By dawn they'll be crusted with food stains and candlewax, but for now the guests can sink into the thick furs, warm and pampered. [[A few minutes later, you allow another petitioner to approach|Grant a Petition 2]] You aren't used to this humble wooden seat. The Divine claps and laughs at the amusements you planned for her; you begrudingly recognise she does look regal on your High Seat. (set: $divinefavour to $divinefavour + 1)(Your Divine's Favour <img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/magic.png" alt="Magic">]''Invigorated'' The water seethes on your tongue like the pool under a waterfall. It tastes sharp, like ice and mineral from its long travels through the depths of the earth. Your skin shivers. Your fingers burn. Your wounds close and your strength rises. (if: $feasthour is < 2)[ (if: (history:) does not contain "Listen to the tales the dryads tell")[ [[Listen to the tales the dryads tell]] They are steeped in the wood's secrets.]\ (else:)[~~Listen to the tales the dryads tell They are steeped in the wood's secrets.~~] (if: (history:) does not contain "Greet the Horned Knight's Lady")[ [[Greet the Horned Knight's Lady]] She is a dryad, brown and wrinkled as a walnut.]\ (else:)[~~Greet the Horned Knight's Lady She is a dryad, brown and wrinkled as a walnut.~~] (if: (history:) does not contain "Give the Horned Knight a gift")[ [[Give the Horned Knight a gift]] A mirror chased with silver roses and twinkling thorns.]\ (else:)[~~Give the Horned Knight a gift A mirror chased with silver roses and twinkling thorns.~~] (if: $debt is not "true" and (history:) does not contain "Accept a gift from the Horned Knight")[ [[Accept a gift from the Horned Knight]] A box of sandalwood with the initials of the Shame burned into the lid.]\ (else:)[~~Accept a gift from the Horned Knight A box of sandalwood with the initials of the Shame burned into the lid.~~]]\ (else:)[ [[The Horned Knight has a request|The Boon]] Dusk is forgotten. The night is deep. Wisp-lights flit through the tree's branches.] (if: $health is > 100)[(set: $health to 100)]\ (else-if: $health is > 85)[(set: $health to 100)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has increased to 100!) ]\ (else-if: $health is < 0)[(set: $health to 15)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has increased to 15!) ]\ (else:)[(set: $health to $health + 15)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 15!) ]\ (set: $feasthour to $feasthour + 1)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril">]''A morsel'' The criminals think this is their chance at freedom, and run willingly into the trees. The forest accepts them with a glad hiss of leaves. They'll trouble Serault no more. [[You barely notice the next days pass by|The Sorceress' Departure]] A horn sounds. Boots tramp. The changing of the wall-guard. (set: $twilight to $twilight + 5)(Your Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) (set: $peril to $peril - 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) (set: $savedbandits to "fedwoods")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/riverside2.png" alt="Riverside2">](if: (random: -10,10) + $derringdo is > 35 or $lordship is "goodguest")[''Victory'' Once the first gate falls, it's all over. Your riders(if: $lordship is "goodguest")[, aided by His Dour Lordship's men,] spill onto the bridge, driving the glassworkers before them. Some of the dissidents leap into the river to escape. Most surrender. Arrests are made, and the stocks are full, that night. There is no sign, though, of their ringleader. Someone was responsible for this. The glassworkers held the bridge in good order, and their morale was strong. This warrants investigation. (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) ]\ (else:)[''Attrition'' For three days there is fighting at the eastern gate of the bridge. The glassworkers execute an orderly defence, scuppering the boats moored under its arches, stripping them down for wood, and using them to heat pots of boiling water to pour on the attackers. You call in additional troops from patrols elsewhere in Serault, and with sortie after sortie you wear the glassworkers down. On the fourth day their will abruptly collapses. Your guard pushes through their frayed defence to take the bridge. They find it turned into a hospital, with injured defenders stretched across every yard. Their ringleader, it seems, abandoned them in the small hours and escaped via the river. This warrants investigation. (set: $peril to $peril + 10)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 10...) ] <img src="images/crystalball.png" alt="CrystalBall" height="52" width="40"> [[You endeavour to control your anger|Case: The Uprising]] You didn't see this coming. Not like this. (set: $battle to $battle + 1)(You've sought battle <img src="images/bodyguard2.png" alt="Bodyguard2" height="26" width="20"> in Serault's defence!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/headman.png" alt="Headman">](if: (random: -10,10) + $derringdo is > 25)[''Good riddance'' You gather the host of Seraultine chivalry: her chevaliers and nobility clad in polished armour, their shields blazing with lions and wyverns, stags, dragons and bears. Your soldiers march behind in ordered lines, spears bristling like a thorned forest. You lead your force to a hilltop overlooking the free company's tents and pointedly make camp. The next day the mercenaries pack up and leave. Their outriders keep a careful watch on you, and you follow at a respectful distance - never out of sight, but not so close as to provoke engagement. You follow them all the way to the border, and remain until they are out of sight. They're someone else's problem, now. (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $peril to $peril - 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) (set: $health to $health - 5)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $battle to $battle + 1)(You've sought battle <img src="images/bodyguard2.png" alt="Bodyguard2" height="26" width="20"> in Serault's defence!)]\ (else:)[''Bodies in the water'' With all haste, you assemble such soldiers and chevaliers as you can muster and march on the mercenaries' position. On the wallowing banks of the Valle River, swollen by rain over the hills, you fight a short, soggy skirmish in which neither side can claim victory. The free company withdraws, but not far. They linger in Serault's hinterlands, poised to cause more trouble. (set: $mercs to "bad")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) (set: $peril to $peril + 10)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 10...) (set: $health to $health - 10)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10...) (set: $battle to $battle + 1)(You've sought battle <img src="images/bodyguard2.png" alt="Bodyguard2" height="26" width="20"> in Serault's defence!) ] [[You turn your attention to Serault's greatest treasure|Chapter 2: Glass]] <img src="images/wind.png" alt="Wind" height="26" width="20"> An East wind. The warm bright rumours of Val Royeaux. Scent and spices, candle-wax and vanilla. //You have six months until the Divine arrives.// (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 1)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/headman.png" alt="Headman">](if: (random: -10,10) + $derringdo is > 35)[''Good riddance'' You gather the host of Seraultine chivalry: her chevaliers and nobility clad in polished armour, their shields blazing with lions and wyverns, stags, dragons and bears. Your soldiers march behind in ordered lines, spears bristling like a thorned forest. You lead your force to a hilltop overlooking the free company's tents and pointedly make camp. The next day the mercenaries pack up and leave. Their outriders keep a careful watch on you, and you follow at a respectful distance - never out of sight, but not so close as to provoke engagement. You follow them all the way to the border, and remain until they are out of sight. They're someone else's problem, now. (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $peril to $peril - 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) (set: $health to $health - 5)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $battle to $battle + 1)(You've sought battle <img src="images/bodyguard2.png" alt="Bodyguard2" height="26" width="20"> in Serault's defence!)]\ (else:)[''Bodies in the water'' With all haste, you assemble such soldiers and chevaliers as you can muster and march on the mercenaries' position. On the wallowing banks of the Valle River, swollen by rain over the hills, you fight a short, soggy skirmish in which neither side can claim victory. The free company withdraws, but not far. They linger in Serault's hinterlands, poised to cause more trouble. (set: $mercs to "bad")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) (set: $peril to $peril + 10)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 10...) (set: $health to $health - 10)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10...) (set: $battle to $battle + 1)(You've sought battle <img src="images/bodyguard2.png" alt="Bodyguard2" height="26" width="20"> in Serault's defence!) ] [[In the days to follow you decide to call for help from unusual places|Pick an Accomplice]] Uncertain times present opportunities to the bold... (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 1)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/outlaw.png" alt="Outlaw">]''A bargain'' "We've an understanding, you and I. I'd rather see you on the High Seat of Serault than that sibling of yours. I'll speak to my Eyes and my Teeth," she says. "There will always be someone watching you, day or night. And if a blade is needed, one won't be far." She grins. "Sleep well, (if: $gender is "female")[Lady $name](else:)[Lord $name]." Tonight, you dream of blood-stained stags in the woods. Saulting between moonlit trees. [[Chanting songs of death|Chapter 5: The Fields]] <img src="images/wind.png" alt="Wind" height="26" width="20"> A West wind. Lush green hints of the Tirashan, that widen the eye and catch at the heart. //You have three months until the Divine arrives.// (set: $bodyguard to "outlaw")(The Outlaw <img src="images/outlaw.png" alt="Outlaw" height="26" width="20"> slips into the shadows. "Don't worry," she says. "I'll be watching.") (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 2)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 2!) (set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/hunter.png" alt="SilentHunter">]\ ''A broken promise'' He thinks about your offer for a long time, staring at his calloused, steady hands. Eventually, he stands, and bows. "When I left Val Royeaux I swore I would no longer be someone else's Shadow. But I will be yours, and Serault's." So he //does// speak. Tonight, you dream of blood-stained stags in the woods. Saulting between moonlit trees. [[Chanting songs of death|Chapter 5: The Fields]] <img src="images/wind.png" alt="Wind" height="26" width="20"> A West wind. Lush green hints of the Tirashan, that widen the eye and catch at the heart. //You have three months until the Divine arrives.// (set: $bodyguard to "hunter")(The Hunter <img src="images/hunter.png" alt="Hunter" height="26" width="20"> takes his silent place at your shoulder, his eyes alert for peril.) (set: $woodswise to $woodswise + 2)(Your Woods-wise <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 2!) (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 1)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/purveyor.png" alt="Purveyor">]''An unseen hand'' A rival takes mysteriously ill. How tragic. A notorious bandit gang are found dead in their camp. You do hope it wasn't something in that spring they drank from. [[Two days later you turn your focus to statescraft|Gather Resources 2]] You take your place atop the High Seat. [[A guard warns you of a visitor at the outskirts of Serault|The Undaunted Chevalier]] Courtiers flock to the battlements to spy on the new arrival. (set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $peril to $peril - 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) (set: $silverpoison to "true")(You have acquired <img src="images/conciliation.png" alt="ConciliationCup" height="26" width="20"> a new asset!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/pigfarmer.png" alt="PigFarmer">]\ ''Back in black'' She listens to your offer. "I won't lie: I've missed politics. The knife-edge of it. The sharp play of power, like the sun shining on the wave-caps..." She wipes mud from her hand onto her skirts. "Very well. Let me tell you how we did things in the Magisterium." Her grin is tight as a gallows-noose. [[It's another day in court|The Baron Waits Impatiently]] Petitioners line up to hear your justice, plead your help, or both. Some matters are trivial; others, not so much. (set: $accomplice to "pigfarmer")(The Pig-Farmer <img src="images/pigfarmer.png" alt="PigFarmer" height="26" width="20"> looks forward to advising you.) (set: $rulership to $rulership + 2)(Your Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 2!) (set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/judge.png" alt="Judgement">](if: (random: -10,10) + $rulership is > 25)[''The unblinking watch'' Your captain's face is still smudged with soot. "We should restrict the sales of candles and lamp-oil, (if: $gender is "female")[Lady $name](else:)[Lord $name]," she advises. "And form a dedicated fire-watch, membership mandatory to all citizens..." You politely temper her more draconian counsel and enshrine what remains in law. Serault can sleep more safely. (set: $peril to $peril - 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) ]\ (else:)[''Necessary measures'' On the advice of your lightly-smoked captain, and over the objections of your citizens, you ration candles and lamp-oil. Your watch enforces a town-wide blackout after the hour of midnight. Serault has fewer fires, but her nights are darker. (set: $freedom to $freedom - 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) ] [[You turn your attention to Serault's greatest treasure|Chapter 2: Glass]] <img src="images/wind.png" alt="Wind" height="26" width="20"> An East wind. The warm bright rumours of Val Royeaux. Scent and spices, candle-wax and vanilla. //You have six months until the Divine arrives.// (set: $rulership to $rulership + 1)(Your Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $peril to $peril - 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) (set: $rebornserault to "laws")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/councillor.png" alt="Councillor">](if: (random: -10,10) + $rulership is > 45 or $behemoth is "true")[''Unanswered'' How will crops grow, when the fields are clogged with the ash of the old world? When the books are burned, how will justice be done? When the walls are pulled down, what will keep our enemies at bay? You counter his points with questions he is unequipped to answer. The mood of the crowd begins to turn. You ask innocently if the Elusive Iconoclast is here - perhaps you could discuss these complicated matters with her, instead? He is incensed. "You are beneath her!" He cries. "She is Andraste reborn!" Too far. The crowd condemn his heresy, and drive him from the hay-cart with flung handfuls of street soil. (set: $revolution to $revolution - 5)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) (set: $beggar to "heretic")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) ]\ (else:)[''Chaos'' You could be Andraste herself and it wouldn't matter. The beggar's words are the ones the crowd wants to hear. They shout you down. You watch them turn from crafters and peddlers, buyers and sellers, parents and children, into a howling mob. Your chevalier-commander hurries you back to the chateau and orders the gates closed behind you. Later, fires burn in Serault Town. They make the night as hot as the day and fling a sullen amber glow up to the stooping clouds. There is violence in the streets. Looting. The next day a guilty silence settles over the town. Most keep to their homes. But a symbol has been daubed on half the buildings: the candle flame of the Elusive Iconoclast. (set: $revolution to $revolution + 5)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) (set: $peril to $peril + 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) (set: $beggar to "revolt")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) ] The next day, you are overseeing repairs to the Green Bridge when you hear a servant call for you. <img src="images/scholarshipmini.png" alt="ScholarshipMini"> [["Your Grace, hurry! It's the Dowager!"|The Dowager's Decline]] The servant clearly ran all the way from the Hall of Glories to find you. You race up the Foal's Tower. (You dealt with an inciting beggar <img src="images/fire.png" alt="Fire" height="26" width="20">. A new challenge awaits you.) (set: $rulership to $rulership + 1)(Your Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/pigfarmer.png" alt="PigFarmer">](if: (random: -10,10) + $scholarship is > 35)[''Cut and thrust'' Her latest tract (complete with muddy fingerprints) reaches you late in the evening. Its research is, as always, exemplary, but her conclusions regarding the ethical underpinnings of Tevinter's economy are outrageous. You've a busy day tomorrow. You should rest. But you can't leave error like this unchallenged. To the library! (set: $freedom to $freedom + 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) ]\ (else:)[''An old tome'' Dense, inseparable uncials cram the book. The ink fades. Mould speckles the flimsy pages. Your grandfather's untidy, scathing annotations intrude on the text. But buried somewhere beneath it all is a fact that will refute the Pig-Farmer's latest speculation. You move the candle as close as you dare, and read on.] [[You reflect over the dangers to your lands|Serault is Imperiled!]] A grey wind drones in the fireplace. A slow rain drones on the windows. Your advisers drone in your hall. (set: $scholarship to $scholarship + 1)(Your Scholarship <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/chantrydoor.png" alt="ChantryDoor">]''Clean stone and autumn sunlight'' The Sealed Chantry is more chapel than cathedral, but it's the size of most barns: a gorgeous space of white marble, pillars inlaid with malachite. Andraste stands in pride of place, three times the height of a man, watching you with compassion in her stony eyes. In her left hand, she carries a bow. Perhaps you expected dust, desolation, spiders' webs. But the room is well kept and softly lit. The floor is clean, the pews are clear of debris. A shaft of light from the glass of the roof-lantern illuminates the statue... and wax candles stand unlit. Who has been here? How did they pass the locked door? No footprints on the well-swept floor. The door to the robing chambers is more than locked - it's wedged in place by decades of rust. No clue to who has been here. Doves coo in the chateau cots, two floors up: all else is silence. You prowl that soft and polished space. What else is there of interest? No journals, no mysterious stains. Andraste's face is bare, but the bow is the symbol of the heterodox cult of Masked Andraste. In the cabinet beside the statue, you find a substantial collection of priestly regalia. Very substantial indeed. [[Sell the regalia]] On the one hand, it is certainly sacrilege and it might invite all kinds of curses. And you'll need to make certain the secret never gets out. On the other hand, you have a Divine to entertain, and that costs money. There would be a certain irony to subsidising the feast thus... this will raise your wealth, but at who knows what price? <img src="images/scholarshipmini.png" alt="ScholarshipMini"> [[Search the Chantry]] Someone has been in here. How did they get in? Are they watching you now? (if: $wardencarver is "welcomed")[//Something here makes you remember Warden Hawke, and the stories he had told of the Shame.//]\ (else:)[~~//Something here makes you remember Warden Hawke.//~~] (You've entered <img src="images/chantrydoor.png" alt="ChantryDoor" height="26" width="20"> the Sealed Chantry.)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/sun.png" alt="Sun">]''Epilogue: The Arrival of the Divine'' Thirty sweet voices lift in song. Mirror-clear; delicate as saffron. The sound of the Divine's personal attendants, hand-picked from the Chantry's finest choristers. She has arrived! From your window you watch her procession snake through the streets of Serault Town. At its head rides the Divine, reaching down into the crowd to bestow blessings on the poor, the stricken, and the lame. Behind her comes the coiling body of advisers, bodyguards and hangers-on. Tight-lipped Templars and blinking scholars. Liveried emissaries. Solemn sisters and stiff-backed Revered Mothers. An august company, their steeds caparisoned in deep crimson and blazing gold! There is no red for the ones that come next. No gold. Their smocks are brown from the road-dust. They have no horses, but lead plodding donkeys. They are the serpent's tail: a winding train of baggage and servants that stretches out beyond the town walls. [[Begin the feast]] It is time to face the judgement of the Divine. (save-game:"Autosave", "$saveAuto")(Your progress <img src="images/wind.png" alt="Wind" height="26" width="20"> has been saved!) (set: $divinefavour to $divinefavour - 1)\ (if: $health is > 100)[(set: $health to 100)]\ (if: $health is < 0)[(set: $health to 0)]\ (if: $dignity is > 100)[(set: $dignity to 100)]\ (if: $dignity is < 0)[(set: $dignity to 0)]\ (if: $prosperity is > 100)[(set: $prosperity to 100)]\ (if: $prosperity is < 0)[(set: $prosperity to 0)]\ (if: $freedom is > 100)[(set: $freedom to 100)]\ (if: $freedom is < 0)[(set: $freedom to 0)]\ (if: $twilight is > 100)[(set: $twilight to 100)]\ (if: $twilight is < 0)[(set: $twilight to 0)]\ (if: $peril is > 100)[(set: $peril to 100)]\ (if: $peril is < 0)[(set: $peril to 0)]\ (if: $revolution is > 100)[(set: $revolution to 100)]\ (if: $revolution is < 0)[(set: $revolution to 0)]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/path.png" alt="Path">]''Tracks on the ground'' Someone approaches along the trail. Who could it be? [[Poachers!]] You've caught them red-handed with a brace of rabbits. [[A chantry sister]] She has been abroad in Serault on the Maker's work, but now she is returning to the abbey. <img src="images/woodswisemini.png" alt="WoodsWiseMini"> [[No-one at all|No one at all...]] A cloud's grey shadow falls on the path. A handful of loose, brittle leaves dance in a mocking wind. There is nothing else. Are you sure you heard something?

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/pigfarmer.png" alt="PigFarmer">]''The Pig-Farmer's Rejection'' She pauses for a minute, opens her mouth as if to say something, but instead merely nods at you. "I understand perfectly, your Grace. Back home there were times when I grew tired of these games of power; so often, the Game gets tired of us. No hard feelings." She goes back to her reading, a book on the mage-lords of her homeland, neither of you adding anything further. [[It's the changing of the seasons|Chapter 7: A Tangled Web]] <img src="images/wind.png" alt="Wind" height="26" width="20"> A star-wind, high and swift, pushes silver clouds to and fro beneath the moon. //You have one month until the Divine arrives.// (set: $freedom to $freedom - 10)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10...) (set: $dignity to $dignity + 10)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 10!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/abbess.png" alt="Abbess">](if: $prosperity is > $peril or $abbesslover is "true")[''With grace'' She accepts the tidings with poise. "These are dark days, your Grace. I am glad to have served, and I have been too long from my Abbey. I will miss our discussions, though. I will even miss our arguments." She takes her leave, (if: $abbesslover is "true")[kissing you on her way out, ]her robes whispering about her feet.]\ (else:)[''Dark times'' Her eyebrows arch above her slender mask when you tell her about your new counselor. "I'm sure your Grace is wise," she says, politely. "A shame, though. I had thought we complemented each other." Standing, she bows. "I will return to my abbey. I have served you as best I could, your Grace. Now it's time I resumed the Maker's work." Perhaps your warning of grim times unsettled her. The Abbey is more secluded in the coming days, and sends fewer goods to market. (set: $prosperity to $prosperity - 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) ] [[Your sleep is troubled tonight|You Dream of the Shame]] A bloodthirsty (if: $wyvern is "true")[wyvern](else:)[bereskarn] rampages through the chateau's corridors. Serault Town, set aflame by an army of soldiers with candlelights bloodied on their foreheads. (if: $bardbreakup is "true")[A man cries, alone in his quarters, whispering your name.](else-if: $abbessbreakup is "true")[A woman cries, alone in her quarters, whispering your name.](else:)[An old woman cries, alone, a sunburst brooch held to her heart.] And then... (set: $twilight to $twilight - 10)(Your Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/abbess.png" alt="Abbess">]''A waft of summer scent'' Here she is. "Like Andraste herself!" murmurs a stunned footman. He catches the Bailiff's glance and falls silent. <img src="images/coinsmini.png" alt="Prosperity"> [[Try to extend a formal invitation to the Elegant Abbess|Fake Abbess Invite 2]] Her influence, connections and family wealth could come in handy.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/abbess.png" alt="Abbess">](if: $prosperity is > $peril)[''A new adviser'' She seems surprised at the offer, and there is sadness in her smile. "I will miss my beautiful abbey, and the sweet chanting of my novices. But of course I will serve. We will be shepherds, and Serault our lamb. We shall see her to sunlit pastures. We shall stone the wolves who threaten her." [[You sleep soundly tonight|A Meeting with the Outlaw]] When you awake, however, you are startled by something on your bed. (set: $scholarship to $scholarship + 2)(Your Scholarship <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 2!) (set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $counsellor to "abbess")(The Abbess <img src="images/abbessalt.png" alt="AbbessAlt" height="26" width="20"> takes her place at your side.) ]\ (else:)[''Not the right time'' You arrange a private supper of fresh fruits and sharp, white wine. The Abbess joins you, but she keeps the conversation to matters of business and trivia, deflecting your attempts to deepen it. The right moment never appears. When she departs, she leaves you with the scent of roses and the memory of her delicate fingers on your cheek. //You need more experience before you can earn the Abbess's favour.// <img src="images/dowager.png" alt="Dowager" height="65" width="50"> [[Invite the Acerbic Dowager|Invite the Dowager to become your counsellor]] She is accustomed to rule. Her counsel will be direct and decisive. (if: $triedbaron is not "true")[ <img src="images/baron.png" alt="Baron" height="65" width="50"> [[Invite the Cheery Baron|Fake Baron Invite 1]] He'll never admit that he came at your call, but he will come.]\ (else:)[~~Invite the Cheery Baron He'll never admit that he came at your call, but he will come.~~] <img src="images/knight.png" alt="Knight" height="65" width="50"> [[Invite the Kindly Knight]] Few in Serault are as well-read as he. <img src="images/guildmistress.png" alt="Guildmistress" height="65" width="50"> [[Invite the Smiling Guildmistress|Invite the Guildmistress to become your adviser]] You could use a smile with a knife hidden behind... (set: $health to $health - 5)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...)\ (set: $triedabbess to "true")]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/baron.png" alt="Baron">]''The stamp of booted feet'' "Ah, (if: $gender is "female")[Marquise](else:)[Marquis]!... I was on my way down to see you when I ran into your messenger. Hope you're not busy." <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity"> [[Try to extend a formal invitation to the Cheery Baron|Fake Baron Invite 2]] He's always liked you, but that doesn't mean he makes things easy on you.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/baron.png" alt="Baron">](if: $dignity is > $twilight)[''A true ally'' "Marvellous idea! Bloody marvellous! You and me, we can make Serault everything she was meant to be. Strong. Independent. Proud." His thick finger stabs the table with each word. "When I look at you, I see a bit of me looking back. Only a bit, mind. There's a lot more of me than there is of you. But don't worry, we'll fatten you up," he laughs. "Life's a swift flight through a narrow room, $name de Serault, and outside the night is cold. Eat. Hunt. Live. Love. That room's only as warm as you make it." [[You sleep soundly tonight|A Meeting with the Outlaw]] When you awake, however, you are startled by something on your bed. (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 2)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 2!) (set: $woodswise to $woodswise + 1)(Your Woods-wise <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $counsellor to "baron")(The Baron <img src="images/baron.png" alt="Baron" height="26" width="20"> comes to stand at your shoulder.) ]\ (else:)[''Frank counsel'' "Look, the Maker knows I held your mother in high regard, and you're pleasant enough. But you're too soft. I can't help you until you harden up. Serault's no maiden; she's a beast. You master her or she eats you whole and shits your bones." //You need more experience before you can earn the Baron's favour.// <img src="images/dowager.png" alt="Dowager" height="65" width="50"> [[Invite the Acerbic Dowager|Invite the Dowager to become your counsellor]] She is accustomed to rule. Her counsel will be direct and decisive. (if: $triedabbess is not "true")[ <img src="images/abbessalt.png" alt="AbbessAlt" height="65" width="50"> [[Invite the Elegant Abbess|Fake Abbess Invite 1]] The Abbey of the Bans is a good distance away, but her business, and her family, often bring her to town.]\ (else:)[~~Invite the Elegant Abbess The Abbey of the Bans is a good distance away, but her business, and her family, often bring her to town.~~] <img src="images/knight.png" alt="Knight" height="65" width="50"> [[Invite the Kindly Knight]] Few in Serault are as well-read as he. <img src="images/guildmistress.png" alt="Guildmistress" height="65" width="50"> [[Invite the Smiling Guildmistress|Invite the Guildmistress to become your adviser]] You could use a smile with a knife hidden behind... (set: $freedom to $freedom - 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...)\ (set: $triedbaron to "true")]

(if: $hawkehost is "abbess")[(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/abbess.png" alt="Abbess">]''The trickster'' You paid close attention to Hawke's escapades in Kirkwall. Change comes like an angry wind, and those who watched Kirkwall could see which way it would blow. When the Mage-Templar War began, it did not come as a surprise. The Abbess steps neatly away as your guards close in. 'Carver' panics. "(if: $gender is "female")[Lady $name](else:)[Lord $name], wait! I can be of use!" He cries.]\ (if: $hawkehost is "dowager")[(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/dowager.png" alt="Dowager">]''Well-informed'' You paid close attention to Hawke's escapades in Kirkwall. Change comes like an angry wind, and those who watched Kirkwall could see which way it would blow. When the Mage-Templar War began, it did not come as a surprise. The Dowager is shocked. 'Carver' panics as your guards surround him. "(if: $gender is "female")[Lady $name](else:)[Lord $name], wait! I can be of use!" He cries.]\ (else:)[(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/bard.png" alt="Bard">]''Sources of your own'' Your Bard blinks. "Did he? You're very well informed. You haven't been hiring better spies than me, have you? I shall be offended." His hand on 'Carver's' shoulder produces a knife. He presses it to the imposter's throat. "Well then, what we have here is a confidence trickster who's scammed his way across half the estates in Orlais. Do you think he's picked up anything useful on his travels?"] A troublesome visitor has made their way to Serault. How will you answer? [[Free the imposter]] He can go - just as soon as he shares whatever secrets he wheedled from the rest of Orlais. [[Imprison the imposter]] He can rot in the dungeon. A taste of Serault's justice.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/bard.png" alt="Bard">]''Sources of your own'' Your Bard scratches his head. "You know, I do recall hearing something to that effect. Oh, well." He gestures to the guards, who seize the struggling imposter. "Well, we may not have a Hawke, but we do have a confidence man who's wormed his way across Orlais. If I were you, I'd squeeze him until all his nasty little secrets come out." A troublesome visitor has made their way to Serault. How will you answer? [[Free the imposter]] He can go - just as soon as he shares whatever secrets he wheedled from the rest of Orlais. [[Imprison the imposter]] He can rot in the dungeon. A taste of Serault's justice.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/bodyguard2.png" alt="Bodyguard2">](if: (random: -10,10) + $derringdo is > 35)[''For Serault!'' The chevalier is quick, skilled and fierce. His sword is cruelly sharp. His armour is wrought by the finest smiths of Val Royeaux. His form is excellent. But you are Serault. Your first blow splits his shield and numbs his guard. Your second sends his sword spinning to the side. Your third knocks him from his horse. The town's population, cramped onto the walls, explodes in celebration. You claim your foe's sword and shield as trophies. They will look splendid on your wall. (set: $chevalier to "yourself")(You have acquired <img src="images/conciliation.png" alt="ConciliationCup" height="26" width="20"> a new asset!) (set: $dignity to $dignity + 10)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 10!) (set: $health to $health - 5)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) \ (set: $trophies to $trophies + 1)]\ (else:)[''Lessons learned'' He's good. For an hour you exchange blow for blow. His stance is never less than perfect; his form is impeccable. Ultimately, a swift flurry of strikes drags your guard wide, then rains crashing blows on your helm. Before he can drive a blow through your armour, you yield. He claims your sword and shield as victory permits, but returns them to you. "You fought better than any other I've faced," he says. His voice is coarse. What does he look like under that closed helm? "Perhaps I will return one day." (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $health to $health - 15)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 15...) ] [[The new moon turns crescent|Serault is Bewitched!]] The peons say this is the Biting Wind that Masked Andraste keeps leashed like a dog. It’s not. But it is a little chilly. (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 1)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $battle to $battle + 1)(You've sought battle <img src="images/bodyguard2.png" alt="Bodyguard2" height="26" width="20"> in Serault's defence!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/bereskarn.png" alt="Bereskarn">](if: (random: -10,10) + $derringdo is > 45)[''A brief clash'' You are ready, your spear set. The beast charges full onto it, impaling itself in its frenzy. Its claws tear gouts of mossy soil from the forest floor. Its lifeblood pumps onto your boots. Its jaws clash, but you grit your teeth, tighten your grip and keep them at bay. When they fall still you draw a knife and claim the head and spines as trophies. [[Your men can't believe what you just did|The Other Hunt]] You ride home, covered in mud, bear-blood and glory. The party shouts your name through most of the way home. This will inspire a few new songs about you. (set: $bereskarntrophy to "true")(You have acquired <img src="images/conciliation.png" alt="ConciliationCup" height="26" width="20"> a new asset!) (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 1)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $dignity to $dignity + 10)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 10!)\ (set: $trophies to $trophies + 1)]\ (else:)[''Defeat, for now'' Your spear darts. Its claws rake. You stagger. It lumbers forwards and you are forced to flee, seeking somewhere safe to bind your wounds. [[Go back to gather your companions]] It //really// was madness to fight the beast alone. (set: $health to $health - 15)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 15...) (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 1)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $timeleft to $timeleft - 1)(You've got $timeleft hours <img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="26" width="20"> of daylight remaining.)]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/serault.png" alt="SeraultArms">]\ (align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[(if: $trueending is "true")[''CONGRATULATIONS, YOU HAVE COMPLETED //THE LAST COURT//!''](else:)[''THANK YOU FOR PLAYING //THE LAST COURT//!''] ''We hope you enjoyed your time in Serault.'' ''Your accomplishments have been saved in the Chronicle. If you would like to replay //The Last Court//, you can create a new character, begin again, and try making different choices.'']\ (align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[=''CREDITS'' ''BioWare'' //For creating the world of Thedas, its people and stories.// ''Failbetter Games'' //For creating the original game, a unique perspective on a world we love.// ''Enriador'' //For creating this adaptation, so that more may know the tale of Serault.// ''Ammocharis Booboopiggies / Jill Branston Dan Coleman Felassan KnightDawn Shellepink / Lavalampelfchild & the unnamed heroes who stood with them'' //For saving Serault from the abyss, preserving much of its content before the original became lost forever.// ''The volunteers at Wikia/Fandom'' //For spreading the lore of Serault across its pages.// ''carverrhawkee'' //For helping with the coding and giving truly invaluable feedback.// ''Bresha'' //For helping rescue several precious pieces of the lost original.// ''Ghil Dirthalen'' ''Shadie's Gameplay'' //For recording their adventures in the Marquisate of Serault.// (align:"=><=")[(link: "Start a New Game")[(load-game: "NewGame")]]\ (align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[//This will reset your Chronicle, but your saved games will still be available.//]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/bodyguard2.png" alt="Bodyguard2">]''Order is restored'' Your soldiers coo like children over their bright new helmets and blue-steeled swords. When their feet drum along Serault's highways, the bandits make themselves scarce. [[In the days to follow you decide to call for help from unusual places|Pick an Accomplice]] Uncertain times present opportunities to the bold... (set: $peril to $peril - 10)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10!) (set: $prosperity to $prosperity - 10)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10...) (set: $seraultpatrols to "true")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(if: (random: -10,10) + $woodswise is > 45 or $hounds is "present")[(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/bard.png" alt="Bard">]''Reunited'' You make your swift, sure way through the maze, leaving signs behind you for a hasty exit. Left at a fork, right where the path intersects another, and on through a tight arbour. The bramble-maze opens up. In the clearing beyond, the Wayward Bard is urinating against a tree. He blinks at you. "Thank the Maker! I was starting to give up hope. They're not far, but they rely overmuch on this maze of theirs. Now get me out of here!" You drag him back to your horse. Lilting cries go up from the woods behind you. [[Your party saddles up|Your Bard is Restored to you]] The wails behind you grow ever louder. (set: $woodswise to $woodswise + 1)(Your Woods-wise <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $health to $health - 10)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10...)]\ (else:)[(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/forest4.png" alt="Forest4">]''Impenetrable'' The tangles of the maze lead you further and further from the sound of his voice, before disgorging you in an unfamiliar area of the woods. You'll have to try again. [[To the task, then|Hack your way through the bramble-maze]] You leave your horses behind with the rest of your retinue. You grab your sword, steel shining on the dying light of the setting sun. (set: $woodswise to $woodswise + 1)(Your Woods-wise <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $health to $health - 15)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 15...) (set: $timeleft to $timeleft - 1)(You've got $timeleft hours <img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="26" width="20"> of daylight remaining.)]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/boar.png" alt="Boar">](if: (random: -10,10) + $woodswise is > 35)[''To the heart'' It manages a final lunge, but your spear finds its mark. With a last shudder, the boar dies. You drag its carcass to your steed. It will look splendid mounted in the chateau's hall. (if: $health is < 60)[ <img src="images/specialmini.png" alt="SpecialMini"> [[You need to rest!]] That boar gave you a few new scars.]\ (else:)[ [[Return to the Chateau]] Atop its riverside bluff, the Castle of a Thousand Windows is visible from miles away. Sharp turrets jab at the sky.] (set: $woodswise to $woodswise + 1)(Your Woods-wise <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $boartrophy to "true")(You have acquired <img src="images/conciliation.png" alt="ConciliationCup" height="26" width="20"> a new asset!) (if: $alone is "true")[(set: $alone to "false")(You have rejoined <img src="images/lostchild.png" alt="LostChild" height="26" width="20"> your party.)]\ (set: $trophies to $trophies + 1)]\ (else-if: (random: -10,10) + $woodswise is > 25)[''Mutual destruction'' Your spear sinks into the boar's flank, and snaps. In its death-frenzy the boar gores you until the last of its strength fades. (if: $alone is not "true")[Your companions drag it off and sling the carcass over a horse before helping you back to the chateau.](else:)[With the last of your strength you drag its carcass to your steed. You sound your horn; it's not long before your companions find you, covered in blood - most of it your own.] (set: $health to $health - 15)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 15...) (if: $health is < 60)[ <img src="images/specialmini.png" alt="SpecialMini"> [[You need to rest!]] That boar gave you a few new scars.]\ (else:)[ [[Return to the Chateau]] Atop its riverside bluff, the Castle of a Thousand Windows is visible from miles away. Sharp turrets jab at the sky.] (set: $woodswise to $woodswise + 1)(Your Woods-wise <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $boartrophy to "true")(You have acquired <img src="images/conciliation.png" alt="ConciliationCup" height="26" width="20"> a new asset!) (if: $alone is "true")[(set: $alone to "false")(You have rejoined <img src="images/lostchild.png" alt="LostChild" height="26" width="20"> your party.)]\ (set: $trophies to $trophies + 1)]\ (else:)[''The forest's rage'' Your spear sinks into the boar's flank, and snaps. In its frenzy the boar gores you, then dashes through the brushes beyond your view. (if: $alone is not "true")[Your companions fret over your wounds, and quickly mount you back on your steed in spite of your complaints.](else:)[With the last of your strength you sound your horn; it's not long before your companions find you, covered in blood - most of it your own.] Your prey has eluded you, and you must return home empty-handed. [[Return to Chateau Serault]] Your companions are glum and silent.]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/exclamation.png" alt="Exclamation">]''In the Iconoclast's wake'' (if: $flamesfreedom is not "killed" and is not "secluded")[Your court is in shock at your brazen decision; the Cheery Baron positively thinks you are half-mad, while the Acerbic Dowager's own opinion of your sanity becomes known, clear as glass. The low-born of Serault Town cheer their Iconoclast, some claiming her deliverance from your dungeons as proof of divine will. You wonder if your counsellor, (if: $counsellor is "lordship")[His Dour Lordship of Alyons](else-if: $counsellor is "abbess")[the Elegant Abbess](else:)[the Cheery Baron], will be help or hindrance in these delicate times... Will you dismiss (if: $counsellor is "lordship")[His Dour Lordship](else-if: $counsellor is "abbess")[the Elegant Abbess](else:)[the Cheery Baron] as your counsellor, and abolish the position?]\ (else:)[The Divine should be here in a matter of days. To that effect you have had the support of your counsellor, (if: $counsellor is "lordship")[His Dour Lordship of Alyons](else-if: $counsellor is "abbess")[the Elegant Abbess](else:)[the Cheery Baron]... however, your counsellor's failure in anticipating the recent siege of the chateau by the Elusive Iconoclast's supporters bothers you - and your court - greatly. The visiting lords and ladies that came for the Feast aren't impressed either, and already whisper that (if: $counsellor is "lordship")[His Lordship](else-if: $counsellor is "abbess")[the Abbess](else:)[the Baron] is the true power behind the High Seat; you, merely an amiable puppet. What if their words find the Divine's ear? Will you dismiss (if: $counsellor is "lordship")[His Dour Lordship](else-if: $counsellor is "abbess")[the Elegant Abbess](else:)[the Cheery Baron] as your counsellor, and abolish the position?] (if: $counsellor is "lordship")[<img src="images/lordship.png" alt="Lordship" height="65" width="50"> [[Dismiss His Dour Lordship as your counsellor]] He has served well, but can he be trusted?]\ (else-if: $counsellor is "abbess")[<img src="images/abbessalt.png" alt="AbbessAlt" height="65" width="50"> [[Dismiss the Elegant Abbess]] The Chantry's influence over your rule is already about to get much greater.]\ (else:)[<img src="images/baron.png" alt="Baron" height="65" width="50"> [[Dismiss the Cheery Baron]] His pride will be hurt, but he became unnecessary.] [[Keep your counsellor]] If you cannot trust your right hand, whom can you trust? Keep their office. (if: $flamesfreedom is not "killed" and is not "secluded")[(set: $revolution to 100)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has increased to 100...)]\ (else:)[(set: $health to $health - 5)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) ]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/exclamation.png" alt="Exclamation">]''Pointing fingers'' You should have seen the Uprising coming. You failed in this, but so has your counsellor, (if: $counsellor is "dowager")[the Acerbic Dowager. She has been terribly distraught by the recent events, given her own family history with rebellious commoners. It is a shock, then, that she couldn't have seen this coming. You might need someone new at the helm, someone whom you can firmly trust to help put the House of Glass in order for the coming of the Divine. Will you dismiss the Acerbic Dowager as your counsellor, and replace her with someone else? <img src="images/dowager.png" alt="Dowager" height="65" width="50"> [[Send for the Dowager|The Dowager's Departure]] She is here. Is she ill? She looks so. [[Keep the Dowager as your counsellor|Keep the Counselor]] No matter what else, her loyalty to the High Seat is absolutely beyond question.](else-if: $counsellor is "guildmistress")[the Smiling Guildmistress. As both your counsellor and head of the guild, there is no scenario where a glassworker revolt happens and she isn't responsible to some degree. You might need someone new at the helm, someone whom you can firmly trust to help put the House of Glass in order for the coming of the Divine. Will you dismiss the Smiling Guildmistress as your counsellor, and replace her with someone else? <img src="images/guildmistress.png" alt="Guildmistress" height="65" width="50"> [[Send for the Guildmistress|The Guildmistress' Rejection]] She arrives. She is smiling. "I'm happy to serve, (if: $gender is "female")[Lady $name](else:)[Lord $name]." [[Keep the Guildmistress as your counsellor|Keep the Counselor]] The guild has been notoriously prone to problems for years; better having a closer connection to its leadership than to send her away.](else:)[the Kindly Knight. Your court has long whispered that he fancies himself as some kind of benevolent protector of the low-born, often deciding matters on their behalf - to the livid anger of your noble vassals. Mayhaps a heavier hand is warranted. You might need someone new at the helm, someone whom you can firmly trust to help put the House of Glass in order for the coming of the Divine. Will you dismiss the Kindly Knight as your counsellor, and replace him with someone else? <img src="images/knight.png" alt="Knight" height="65" width="50"> [[Send for the Knight|The Knight's Rejection]] He arrives, both hands holding a heavy pile of scrolls and books. [[Keep the Knight as your counsellor|Keep the Counselor]] If the fires of revolution are to burn in Serault, having someone friendly with the common folk at your side might come in handy... eventually.]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/exclamation.png" alt="Exclamation">]''Friends in low places'' The poisoning of the Dowager disturbs you. She is a valued member of the court; while she certainly has made enemies of her own throughout the years, this could have been another assassination attempt aimed at you. You have enlisted the informal services of some unusual types; you wonder if such help is truly warranted. As the Dowager's malady proves, no-one is ever completely safe. Most importantly: the Divine certainly won't take kindly to the unorthodox company you keep. The Shame himself was known to consort with the strangest people... (if: $accomplice is "outlaw" and $bodyguard is "outlaw")[Do you wish to dismiss the Dashing Outlaw from your service as both accomplice and bodyguard? <img src="images/outlaw.png" alt="Outlaw" height="65" width="50"> [[Dismiss the Dashing Outlaw|The Dashing Outlaw's Departure]] You leave the chateau with discretion, head covered by a hood. [[Keep her as both accomplice and bodyguard|Keep them]] The Divine will scoff, but doesn't the Chant of Light say that salvation may come from unexpected places?]\ (else:)[Do you wish to dismiss someone from your service? (if: $accomplice is "teamaster")[<img src="images/purveyor.png" alt="Purveyor" height="65" width="50"> [[Dismiss the Purveyor of Teas|The Purveyor's Rejection]] It's unfortunate. His singular talents are hard to come by outside of revolutionary cells, adder-nests, and the Empress' picnics.]\ (else-if: $accomplice is "outlaw")[<img src="images/outlaw.png" alt="Outlaw" height="65" width="50"> [[Dismiss the Dashing Outlaw|The Dashing Outlaw's Departure]] You leave the chateau with discretion, head covered by a hood.]\ (else:)[<img src="images/pigfarmer.png" alt="PigFarmer" height="65" width="50"> [[Dismiss the Well-Read Pig-Farmer|Dismiss the Well-Read Pig Farmer]] Taking advice from a swine-herder did little to help your reputation.] (if: $bodyguard is "outlaw")[<img src="images/outlaw.png" alt="Outlaw" height="65" width="50"> [[Dismiss the Dashing Outlaw|Forsaking the Outlaw's Protection]] You pick up a pen and a scroll.]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hunter.png" alt="SilentHunter" height="65" width="50"> [[Fire the Silent Hunter|Sneaky Hunter]] Blade and bow are poor defence against most dangers - poison included.] [[Keep them at your side|Keep them]] The Divine might scoff at their presence, but doesn't the Chant of Light say that salvation may come from unexpected places?]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/fire.png" alt="Fire">]''Flames of Freedom'' //Begin an ongoing tale of strife and revolution.// Your scribe reads your letters aloud while you break your fast on warm bread, a ripe, blue-veined cheese and a fierce black tea flavoured with juniper. There are a smattering of reports regarding the conflict between the Empress and the Grand Duke. A minor lord's request to attend the Feast of the Divine. More haystacks burned in the south... There have been several incidents of arson recently. You hear tell of an Elusive Iconoclast provoking the serfs to violence. Your (if: $keptseneschal is "true")[Seneschal](else:)[Weary Bailiff] enters. The Acerbic Dowager requests an urgent audience, he tells you. "She is in a state of some distress, your Grace." [[Meet the Dowager in the Great Hall]] What now?

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/dowager.png" alt="Dowager">]\ (if: $dignity is > $twilight)[''Natural philosophy'' She strokes and coos over your gift. "Do you know why I like animals so much? They understand their place. Feed a falcon and it will hunt for you. Pet a cat and it will purr." "But a peasant will eat what he is given then take his master's food from the plate. He will return kindness with rebellion. It is a consequence of circumstance and breeding. But they are what they are." (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!)]\ (else:)[''The Dowager's sorrow'' "Thank you, my dear. The company of furred and feathered things is a solace to my loneliness. I miss my husband so. He was too good a man for this world." "He cared deeply for the small folk and their improvement. He even granted them voice in his counsel. But they are not equipped for it, poor things. Wilfulness flourished. Fields went untended. Order collapsed. And the meadows of our beloved Pastulaire were devoured by the forest."] <img src="images/abbessalt.png" alt="AbbessAlt" height="65" width="50"> [[Later, you see a familiar face coming along the gardens|The Elegant Abbess]] The Abbess is a member of the des Guenoles family and is the sister of the Muttering Banker. She forsook the life of nobility to join the Chantry. <img src="images/bardalt.png" alt="BardAlt" height="65" width="50"> [[As you take your leave, you hear a Bard's melody|The Wayward Bard]] So, he's back in town after all. (set: $rulership to $rulership + 1)(Your Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/forest4.png" alt="Forest4">]''Ill omens'' The old folk of the Marquisate are fond of saying that once the Deepwoods have you, they're loathe to let you go. Perhaps it's not wholly folly. [[Eventually your group spots a clearing|The Clearing]] The tracks lead right to it. (set: $twilight to $twilight + 10)(Your Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 10...) (set: $health to $health - 10)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10...) (set: $timeleft to $timeleft - 1)(You've got $timeleft hours <img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="26" width="20"> of daylight remaining.)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/forest4.png" alt="Forest4">]''Forgotten by the sun'' (if: (random: -10,10) + $woodswise is > 35)[Long shadows stretch beneath the boughs. Oily leaves murmur. Few dare the Deepwoods. Perhaps your quarry was counting on that.](else:)[Long shadows stretch beneath the bows. Dark leaves whisper. Few dare the Deepwoods. Perhaps your quarry was counting on that.] <img src="images/derringdomini.png" alt="DerringDoMini"> [[Hack through in pursuit of your quarry]] The direct route is the quickest. (if: (history:) does not contain "Send in beaters")[<img src="images/rulershipmini.png" alt="RulershipMini"> [[Send in beaters]] Perhaps they can scare something out.]\ (else:)[~~Send in beaters Perhaps they can scare something out.~~] [[Turn back...|Turn back]] ... and look for another way around. //Return to gentler surroundings.//

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/tracks.png" alt="Tracks">](if: (random: -10,10) + $derringdo is > 45)[''In the footsteps of those who have gone before'' The trail is recent, leading you towards rich hunting-grounds. (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) ]\ (else:)[''Fruitless'' The trail is perhaps too well-used. The creatures of the wood have learned to keep to less-travelled reaches. (set: $timeleft to $timeleft - 1)(You've got $timeleft hours <img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="26" width="20"> of daylight remaining.)] [[One of your scouts see it|A Glimpse]] A path of trees, torn apart by something heavy. A horrid smell. Tracks on the mud... (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 1)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

<img src="images/applewoods.png" alt="ApplewoodsBig"> ''Tracks on the ground'' The sun approaches the horizon. Someone comes along the trail. Who could it be? [[A peddler]] Perhaps he knows something useful. (if: $poachers is not "true")[[[Poachers!|Poachers! 2]] You've caught them red-handed with a brace of rabbits.]\ (else:)[~~Poachers! You've caught them red-handed.~~] (if: $chanter is not "true")[[[A chantry sister|A chantry sister 2]] She has been abroad in Serault on the Maker's work, but now she is returning to the abbey.]\ (else:)[~~A chantry sister She has been abroad in Serault on the Maker's work.~~]

<img src="images/greenwoodsheader.png" alt="Applewoods"> (if: (random: -10,10) + $derringdo is > 45 and $baronadvice is "true")[''Across the stream'' You splash through, picking up the trail on the other side. Your boots squelch as you continue the chase. [[Then, at long last, you do it]] You have found the beast. (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 1)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $woodswise to $woodswise + 1)(Your Woods-wise <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)]\ (else-if: (random: -10,10) + $derringdo is > 45)[''No delay'' You wade through, easily picking up the trail amidst the thistles on the other side. It's recent. You're gaining ground on your quarry. [[Then, at long last, you do it]] You have found the beast. (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 1)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)]\ (else-if: (random: -10,10) + $derringdo is > 35)[''Drenched'' The stream is deeper than it looks. A loose stone shifts underfoot, plunging you into the icy waters. When you pull yourself out, you have to search up and down the bank before you can find the trail again, weighed down by your lank, sodden clothes. [[Worse still, you got separated from your companions|Alone 2]] You are alone in the heart of the Deepwoods. (set: $alone to "true")(You are alone <img src="images/lostchild.png" alt="LostChild" height="26" width="20">.) (set: $health to $health - 10)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10...) (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 1)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $timeleft to $timeleft - 1)(You've got $timeleft hours <img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="26" width="20"> of daylight remaining.)]\ (else:)[''Hidden depths'' The stream is deeper and faster than it looks. A feisty undercurrent pulls you off-balance. When you pull yourself spluttering onto the far bank you can find no sign of the trail. You search for hours before picking it up again, shivering the whole time. [[Worse still, you got separated from your companions|Alone 2]] You are alone in the heart of the Deepwoods. (set: $alone to "true")(You are alone <img src="images/lostchild.png" alt="LostChild" height="26" width="20">.) (set: $health to $health - 15)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 15...) (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 1)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $timeleft to $timeleft - 1)(You've got $timeleft hours <img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="26" width="20"> of daylight remaining.)]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/outlaw.png" alt="Outlaw">]''Forsaking the Dashing Outlaw's Protection'' You write a message to the Dashing Outlaw. Your messenger deposits it in the hollow oak at the Alyons crossroads. Two days later, he collects the reply. <img src="images/cunningmini.png" alt="CunningMini"> [[Thank her for her service, but ask her to recall her Eyes and her Teeth]] You'll arrange alternate protection. [[Demand she remove her Eyes and Teeth from your proximity]] Her protection is no longer required. If they linger, you'll have them incarcerated. (set: $bodyguard to "fired")(The Dashing Outlaw <img src="images/outlaw.png" alt="Outlaw" height="26" width="20"> is no longer your bodyguard.)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/commission.png" alt="Commission">]''A new way'' The Divine smiles. "You have a just and generous heart. I will ensure they are treated well, and that their horizons are broadened. We place too many constraints on our most gifted souls, don't you think? They should be celebrated, not incarcerated. Think of the world we could build together, if only we let them." Something tells you she isn't talking solely about the glassworkers. [[The feast winds down|The Feast is Ending]] You are tired of smiling, conversing and flattering. Was it worth it? (You have won a commission <img src="images/commission.png" alt="Commission" height="26" width="20"> to secure the future of Serault!) (set: $divinecommission to "true")(You have acquired <img src="images/conciliation.png" alt="ConciliationCup" height="26" width="20"> a new asset!) (set: $freedom to $freedom + 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $prosperity to $prosperity + 15)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 15!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/clues.png" alt="Clue">]''The coin of the realm'' He gives up his secrets easily, desperate to win your mercy. A priestess' indiscretion. The hidden truth behind a merchant's success. The name of a noble family concealing their son's apostasy. [[You ban the trickster from your realm under threat of death|Prepare for the Divine 1]] Airs from the river. It is high and swift today, carrying the scent of leaves and nodding barley. (set: $fakecarver to "freed")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) (set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $dignity to $dignity - 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom">]\ ''Tireless work'' When the Cheery Baron levied taxes three times in one year, you summoned him to account for himself. They say you walk hooded among the populace, seeking injustice and protecting the common folk. You don't. But they say you do. In the inns and market-places, they wonder if you might be the one to bring change to Serault. [[Many challenges lie before you|Yet many challenges lie before you]] You pass by the Whistling Gallery on your way downwards. (set: $prosperity to $prosperity + 20)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 20!) (set: $dignity to $dignity + 20)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 20!) (set: $freedom to $freedom + 50)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 50!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/feast2.png" alt="Feast2">]''The pile teeters...'' ... on a bed of steamed beans, with cubes of pickled ox-tongue. The guests call for more. Piece by piece, the mountain shrinks to a hill, then a mole-hill, then a waste. (if: $knightfeast is "true")[ [[The Weary Baillif calls you in hushed tones|The Horned Knight Approaches]] "Your Grace," he murmurs, "He is here. The abomination from the woods! I don't know how he made it past the guards... he wants to speak to you."]\ (else:)[[[The Divine desires to hear another petitioner|Grant a Petition 3]] "Let us see what the good people of Serault have to say to the Chantry. It's past time we heard their voices," she says. You, of course, abide.] (set: $divinefavour to $divinefavour + 2)(Your Divine's Favour <img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 2!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril">]''Game Over'' You are alone in your chambers. Your hands tremble as you read the letter out loud. //'We understand that Serault has neither the coffers nor the character to host the Divine, who is unwilling to burden so humble a province with the demands of her presence...'// Curses. //You have allowed your realm's Peril to rise too high. The Divine cancels her visit to Serault!// [[So be it|So be it Peril]] Serault is no place for a Divine, anyway. //This will end the game.// (if: $prosperity is > 30 or (history:) contains "Intro: The Casual Marquis")[ [[Beg the Divine's patience for a little while longer]] She will understand your reasons. She must. //This will improve your Attributes and reduce your Threats slightly at the cost of her Favour, allowing you to continue playing.//]\ (else:)[~~Beg the Divine's patience for a little while longer She will understand your reasons. She must.~~]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution">]''Game Over'' You are alone in your chambers. Your hands tremble as you read the letter out loud. //'We have heard terrible things about the condition of Serault's peasantry. The Divine Justinia cannot in good conscience dignify so cruel a domain with her presence...'// Curses. //You have allowed your realm's Revolution to rise too high. The Divine cancels her visit to Serault!// [[So be it|So be it Revolution]] Serault will be forgotten again. She is used to it. //This will end the game.// (if: $freedom is > 30 or (history:) contains "Intro: The Casual Marquis")[ [[Beg the Divine's patience for a little while longer]] She will understand your reasons. She must. //This will improve your Attributes and reduce your Threats slightly at the cost of her Favour, allowing you to continue playing.//]\ (else:)[~~Beg the Divine's patience for a little while longer She will understand your reasons. She must.~~]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight">]''Game Over'' You are alone in your chambers. Your hands tremble as you read the letter out loud. //'We have heard that no-one is content in Serault; that her duties are onerous, and that all her people - be they pauper or prince - are yoked to the whim of her (if: $gender is "female")[Marquise](else:)[Marquis]...'// Curses. //You have allowed your realm's Twilight to rise too high. The Divine cancels her visit to Serault!// [[So be it|So be it Twilight]] Serault does not need the Divine. She has you. //This will end the game.// (if: $dignity is > 30 or (history:) contains "Intro: The Casual Marquis")[ [[Beg the Divine's patience for a little while longer]] She will understand your reasons. She must. //This will improve your Attributes and reduce your Threats slightly at the cost of her Favour, allowing you to continue playing.//]\ (else:)[~~Beg the Divine's patience for a little while longer She will understand your reasons. She must.~~]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/chateau.png" alt="TowerLights">]''Gather Resources'' (if: $simplewindows is "true")[Serault's base variety of glass fills the windows of your Great Hall. Though not as glorious as it once was, you take satisfaction in how little these replacements ended up costing your coffers. Sunlight bathes the whole hall.](else:)[Serault's finest glass fills the windows of your Great Hall: blue as the sea in summer, green as a lizard's scales, red as the roses that climb the abbey's walls. Their light spills across the floor like a rain of jewels.] Within it, courtiers murmur, advisers debate, and Serault's folk - from splendid barons to the most ragged of beggars - assemble to hear your justice. //Exercise your power. Impose taxes, stamp your authority on your realm, and summon the people you want to talk to.// <img src="images/rulershipmini.png" alt="RulershipMini"> [[Sit in Judgement]] Deal with the small, vital matters that keep your realm functioning. <img src="images/scholarshipmini.png" alt="ScholarshipMini"> [[Raise funds from your realm]] Taxation is a delicate art. <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Health" height="52" width="40"> [[Restore your health]] You send for the physicians.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/chateau.png" alt="TowerLights">]''Gather Resources'' (if: $simplewindows is "true")[Serault's base variety of glass fills the windows of your Great Hall. Though not as glorious as it once was, you take satisfaction in how little these replacements ended up costing your coffers. Sunlight bathes the whole hall.](else:)[Serault's finest glass fills the windows of your Great Hall: blue as the sea in summer, green as a lizard's scales, red as the roses that climb the abbey's walls. Their light spills across the floor like a rain of jewels.] Within it, courtiers murmur, advisers debate, and Serault's folk - from splendid barons to the most ragged of beggars - assemble to hear your justice. //Exercise your power. Impose taxes, stamp your authority on your realm, and summon the people you want to talk to.// <img src="images/rulershipmini.png" alt="RulershipMini"> [[Sit in Judgement|Sit in Judgement 2]] Deal with the small, vital matters that keep your realm functioning. <img src="images/scholarshipmini.png" alt="ScholarshipMini"> [[Raise funds from your realm|Raise funds from your realm 2]] Taxation is a delicate art. <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Health" height="52" width="40"> [[Restore your health|Restore your health 2]] You send for the physicians.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/chateau.png" alt="TowerLights">]''Gather Resources'' (if: $simplewindows is "true")[Serault's common variety of glass fills the windows of your Great Hall. Though not as glorious as it once was, you take satisfaction in how little these replacements ended up costing your coffers. Sunlight bathes the whole hall.](else:)[Serault's finest glass fills the windows of your Great Hall: blue as the sea in summer, green as a lizard's scales, red as the roses that climb the abbey's walls. Theirs light spills across the floor like a rain of jewels.] Within it, courtiers murmur, advisers debate, and Serault's folk - from splendid barons to the most ragged of beggars - assemble to hear your justice. //Exercise your power. Impose taxes, stamp your authority on your realm, and see that you are healthy enough to tackle the challenges ahead.// <img src="images/rulershipmini.png" alt="RulershipMini"> [[Sit in Judgement|Sit in Judgement 3]] Deal with the small, vital matters that keep your realm functioning. <img src="images/scholarshipmini.png" alt="ScholarshipMini"> [[Raise funds from your realm|Raise funds from your realm 3]] Taxation is a delicate art. <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Health" height="52" width="40"> [[Restore your health|Restore your health 3]] You send for the physicians.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/elfroot.png" alt="Elfroot">](if: (random: -10,10) + $woodswise is > 45)[''Canavaris'' You find a sprig of Elfroot, and pluck a handful of its broad, triangular leaves. They are much sought-after by healers. (set: $elfroot to $elfroot + 1)(You now have $elfroot <img src="images/elfroot.png" alt="Elfroot" height="26" width="20"> Elfroot.) ]\ (else:)[''Pretty is as pretty does'' Other than their beauty, the forest's flowers are without virtue. (set: $timeleft to $timeleft - 1)(You've got $timeleft hours <img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="26" width="20"> of daylight remaining.)] You turn your attention to the winding trails ahead. <img src="images/derringdomini.png" alt="DerringDoMini"> [[Follow the trail]] You'll cover better ground. <img src="images/woodswisemini.png" alt="WoodsWiseMini"> [[Leave the trail. Cut through the trees]] Wise beasts learn to avoid the trails. You'd do better taking the route less-travelled. (set: $woodswise to $woodswise + 1)(Your Woods-wise <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/guildmistress.png" alt="Guildmistress">](if: (random: -10,10) + $cunning is > 45)[''Crafty'' "Our gift to you, Most Holy, is nothing less than the very heart of the faith," says the Guildmistress, as she unwraps a Chantry sunburst backed in silver, its coiling flames a filigree of gold. The disc at its centre is a mirror, the glass clear as mountain air and bright as a sunlit lake. She holds it up so the Divine can see her own face in the Chantry's symbol. The Divine laughs, marveling at its artistry. "Serault fosters wit in its craftsmen as well as skill," she proclaims. When word of her fondness for the gift reaches fashion-obsessed Val Royeaux, Serault can expect many more commissions. (set: $divinefavour to $divinefavour + 1)(Your Divine's Favour <img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) ]\ (else:)[''Flattery'' "Most Holy, we give you the very heart of the faith," the Guildmistress says, revealing a shining Chantry sunburst - silver-backed - with coiling flames of filigreed gold. Its centre is a mirror, the glass clear as mountain air. She holds it up, showing the Divine her own face among the golden flames. The Divine compliments its artistry. When word of her admiration reaches fashion-obsessed Val Royeaux, Serault can expect commissions for more sunburst-mirrors. Later, you notice her run her fingers across the glass. She sighs. "It is a pretty thing," she says, "but it occurs to me that while I am given mirrors and hairbrushes, my predecessors were given books. Canticles, bestiaries, treaties. They were deemed old and wise; I, young and vain. It is hard, sometimes, to be shown how others see you." (set: $divinefavour to $divinefavour - 1)(Your Divine's Favour <img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 1...) ] //You have petitioned the Divine. You have two petitions remaining.// [[The Feast continues|Display the glory of Serault]] The Great Hall is packed. You had to lease more tables from the guild across the river. (set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $prosperity to $prosperity + 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $dignity to $dignity - 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) \ (set: $guildmistresspetition to "true")

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/guildmistress.png" alt="Guildmistress">](if: (random: -10,10) + $cunning is > 45)[''Crafty'' "Our gift to you, Most Holy, is nothing less than the very heart of the faith," says the Guildmistress, as she unwraps a Chantry sunburst backed in silver, its coiling flames a filigree of gold. The disc at its centre is a mirror, the glass clear as mountain air and bright as a sunlit lake. She holds it up so the Divine can see her own face in the Chantry's symbol. The Divine laughs, marveling at its artistry. "Serault fosters wit in its craftsmen as well as skill," she proclaims. When word of her fondness for the gift reaches fashion-obsessed Val Royeaux, Serault can expect many more commissions. (set: $divinefavour to $divinefavour + 1)(Your Divine's Favour <img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) ]\ (else:)[''Flattery'' "Most Holy, we give you the very heart of the faith," the Guildmistress says, revealing a shining Chantry sunburst - silver-backed - with coiling flames of filigreed gold. Its centre is a mirror, the glass clear as mountain air. She holds it up, showing the Divine her own face among the golden flames. The Divine compliments its artistry. When word of her admiration reaches fashion-obsessed Val Royeaux, Serault can expect commissions for more sunburst-mirrors. Later, you notice her run her fingers across the glass. She sighs. "It is a pretty thing," she says, "but it occurs to me that while I am given mirrors and hairbrushes, my predecessors were given books. Canticles, bestiaries, treaties. They were deemed old and wise; I, young and vain. It is hard, sometimes, to be shown how others see you." (set: $divinefavour to $divinefavour - 1)(Your Divine's Favour <img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 1...) ] //You have petitioned the Divine. You have one petition remaining.// (if: $lordship is not "banished" and is not "arrested")[ [[Another petitioner presents himself before the Divine|His Dour Lordship's Case]] You know him well. Or at least you thought so.]\ (else:)[ [[During this night's feast, the Divine asks you a question|His Dour Lordship's Absence]] She doesn't seem pleased.] (set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $prosperity to $prosperity + 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $dignity to $dignity - 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) \ (set: $guildmistresspetition to "true")

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/guildmistress.png" alt="Guildmistress">](if: (random: -10,10) + $cunning is > 45)[''Crafty'' "Our gift to you, Most Holy, is nothing less than the very heart of the faith," says the Guildmistress, as she unwraps a Chantry sunburst backed in silver, its coiling flames a filigree of gold. The disc at its centre is a mirror, the glass clear as mountain air and bright as a sunlit lake. She holds it up so the Divine can see her own face in the Chantry's symbol. The Divine laughs, marveling at its artistry. "Serault fosters wit in its craftsmen as well as skill," she proclaims. When word of her fondness for the gift reaches fashion-obsessed Val Royeaux, Serault can expect many more commissions. (set: $divinefavour to $divinefavour + 1)(Your Divine's Favour <img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) ]\ (else:)[''Flattery'' "Most Holy, we give you the very heart of the faith," the Guildmistress says, revealing a shining Chantry sunburst - silver-backed - with coiling flames of filigreed gold. Its centre is a mirror, the glass clear as mountain air. She holds it up, showing the Divine her own face among the golden flames. The Divine compliments its artistry. When word of her admiration reaches fashion-obsessed Val Royeaux, Serault can expect commissions for more sunburst-mirrors. Later, you notice her run her fingers across the glass. She sighs. "It is a pretty thing," she says, "but it occurs to me that while I am given mirrors and hairbrushes, my predecessors were given books. Canticles, bestiaries, treaties. They were deemed old and wise; I, young and vain. It is hard, sometimes, to be shown how others see you." (set: $divinefavour to $divinefavour - 1)(Your Divine's Favour <img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 1...) ] //You have brought three petitions before the Divine and may trouble her with no more.// [[The Feast goes on|Playing the Great Game]] It is hard to gauge how satisfied the Divine is with your reception. She eats and drinks well enough, even giggles at times. How could you influence her further? (set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $prosperity to $prosperity + 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $dignity to $dignity - 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/forest1.png" alt="Forest1">]''Awake before dawn'' Your party is hoarse and bleary-eyed as you ride out, the fields still tucked under their blanket of morning mist. The woods beckon, blue with the last of the night's shadows. (if: $unwelcome is "true")[ [[You ride towards the woods|Unwelcome]] You are entering the Greenwood, the pleasant outer reaches of the forest.]\ (else:)[ [[You ride towards the woods|Footsteps on the Path]] You are entering the Greenwood, the pleasant outer reaches of the forest.] (if: (random: -10,10) + $woodswise is > 45)[(set: $timeleft to 10)](else:)[(set: $timeleft to 8)](You've got $timeleft hours <img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="26" width="20"> of daylight remaining.)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/forest1.png" alt="Forest1">]''Awake before dawn'' Your party is hoarse and bleary-eyed as you ride out, the fields still tucked under their blanket of morning mist. The woods beckon, blue with the last of the night's shadows. [[To the Deepwoods|The Applewoods]] There, on the border of the Tirashan, you shall find your prey. (if: (random: -10,10) + $woodswise is > 45)[(set: $timeleft to 12)](else:)[(set: $timeleft to 10)](You've got $timeleft hours <img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="26" width="20"> of daylight remaining.)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/serault.png" alt="SeraultArms">]''The heart of Serault'' Driving the fluttering physicians from your bedside, you limp down the winding stairs with the aid of a cane. Your advisers do their best, but the stag's blood doesn't run in their veins. You take the High Seat - pale, pained, but present. [[Back to work|Chapter 3: Road and River]] <img src="images/wind.png" alt="Wind" height="26" width="20"> A South wind. The faint, throat-catching sulphur-scent of those bitter lakes. //You have five months until the Divine arrives.// (set: $rulership to $rulership + 1)(Your Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $health to 60)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has increased to 60!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/serault.png" alt="SeraultArms">]''The heart of Serault'' Driving the fluttering physicians from your bedside, you limp down the winding stairs with the aid of a cane. Your advisers do their best, but the stag's blood doesn't run in their veins. You take the High Seat - pale, pained, but present. [[In the days to follow you decide to call for help from unusual places|Pick an Accomplice]] Uncertain times present opportunities to the bold... (set: $rulership to $rulership + 1)(Your Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $health to 60)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has increased to 60!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/feast3.png" alt="Feast3">]''Gasps from the feasters'' The gilt is yoke, flour, an eastern spice and a costly handful of real gold leaf for an authentic lustre. (if: $knightfeast is "true")[ [[The Weary Baillif calls you in hushed tones|The Horned Knight Approaches]] "Your Grace," he murmurs, "He is here. The abomination from the woods! I don't know how he made it past the guards... he wants to speak to you."]\ (else:)[ [[The Divine desires to hear another petitioner|Grant a Petition 3]] "Let us see what the good people of Serault have to say to the Chantry. It's past time we heard their voices," she says. You, of course, abide.] (set: $divinefavour to $divinefavour + 3)(Your Divine's Favour <img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 3!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/guildmistress.png" alt="Guildmistress">]''Escalation'' Masterfully wrought bowls, goblets, window-panes and a magnificent peacock of green and gold, all carefully wrapped for their journey. The Smiling Guildmistress winces to see it given away. "Hundreds of royals of work," you hear her murmur, pained. The smug herald, though, is confounded by your generosity. Perhaps his master will be less quick to boast in future. (if: $morrigan is "welcomed")[ [[Four days later you chance upon the Scornful Sorceress|Morrigan Strikes Again]] She is, as usual, alone with her thoughts.]\ (else:)[ [[An uneventful week comes and goes|Chapter 4: Omens]] <img src="images/wind.png" alt="Wind" height="26" width="20"> A bitter wind blows from the North. You must be imagining the tang of Blights. //You have four months until the Divine arrives.//] (set: $prosperity to $prosperity - 10)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10...) (set: $dignity to $dignity + 10)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 10!) (set: $heraldboast to "pushback")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/guildmistress.png" alt="Guildmistress">]''Escalation'' Masterfully wrought bowls, goblets, window-panes and a magnificent peacock of green and gold, all carefully wrapped for their journey. The Smiling Guildmistress winces to see it given away. "Hundreds of royals of work," you hear her murmur, pained. The smug herald, though, is confounded by your generosity. Perhaps his master will be less quick to boast in future. [[The following day, you deal with more affairs of the court|The Knight Requests an Audience]] A lady-in-waiting sings in the corridor a song of Andraste, and the Maker's love for her. (set: $prosperity to $prosperity - 10)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10...) (set: $dignity to $dignity + 10)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 10!) (set: $heraldboast to "pushback")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/purveyor.png" alt="Purveyor">]''The right hands'' The Purveyor lifts a bushy brow. "A remarkable find! Most copies fed pyres across Thedas." "My life is comfortable, and I have no sympathy for revolution. But perhaps this I will keep this by my bed to read by night. No doubt its turgid, worthy nonsense will help me find sleep." His hands tremble. He closes the cover as reverently as a Chanter closing a copy of the Canticles. (if: $counsellor is "abbess" or "baron" or "plainspoken" or "hesitant")[ [[Morning comes|Keep the Counselor]] The uprising caught you by surprise. Visitors to the court whisper. 'This would never have happened in Alyons or Val Foret', you heard one say.]\ (else:)[ [[Morning comes|Fire a Counselor 1]] The uprising caught you by surprise. Visitors to the court whisper. 'This would never have happened in Alyons or Val Foret', you heard one say.] (set: $revolution to $revolution + 5)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) (set: $freedom to $freedom + 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $behemoth to "true")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/baron.png" alt="Baron">]''When the Baron comes a-calling'' "Fetch my sword!" he barks at a servant. "Saddle my horse! We're going to remind a few people who rules in Serault, and who serves!" While the Baron does his thing, you need to act as well. (if: (history:) does not contain "Investigate more in depth")[ [[Investigate more in depth]] Some of them must have known who the ringleader was.]\ (else:)[~~Investigate more in depth Some of them must have known who the ringleader was.~~] (if: (history:) contains "Investigate more in depth")[<img src="images/door.png" alt="Door"> [[Investigate the merchant of soda ash|Investigate the merchant of soda ash]] Soda ash is vital to the glassworking trade - it is the best flux they use to draw forth the impurities. That name, one unknown even to the Smiling Guildmistress, disturbs you. Who is she? //You know enough to proceed with the investigation.//]\ (else-if: (random: -10,10) + $derringdo is > 35)[<img src="images/door.png" alt="Door"> [[Investigate the merchants of soda ash|Investigate the merchant of soda ash]] Soda ash is vital to the glassworking trade - it is the best flux they use to draw forth the impurities. But the name of an alleged former glassworker comes up, one unknown even to the Smiling Guildmistress. Who is she? //You know enough to proceed with the investigation.//]\ (else:)[~~Investigate the merchant of soda ash Who is she?~~] (set: $freedom to $freedom - 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/halla.png" alt="Dignity">]''A princely gift'' There is a murmur of approval from the assembly. The Divine's gasps, softly. "I have never seen the like," she tells you. "Not among Rivaini silks, nor Seheron cotton." [[A few minutes later, you allow another petitioner to approach|Grant a Petition 2]] You aren't used to this humble wooden seat. The Divine claps and laughs at the amusements you planned for her; you begrudingly recognise she does look regal on your High Seat. (set: $divinefavour to $divinefavour + 2)(Your Divine's Favour <img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 2!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/hornedhelm.png" alt="HornedKnight">]''Reflection'' He accepts the gift solemnly, examining his reflection at length. “Your ancestor once said that ‘a mirror has two sides; a river has two sides. But don’t jump to conclusions.’” He looks up at you. “I have only one side, $name de Serault. I am his regret, and nothing else. The Shame conjured me, bound me, then forsook me. I believe he was trying to solve the problem with his conscience.” The fauns look up from their feasting. They are not used to self-reflection from their lord. The wind drops. The Horned Knight’s eyes glow with the half-colours of the Fade. The moment passes. “The truth is a harsh gift, (if: $gender is "female")[Marquise](else:)[Marquis]. But one without price.” (if: $feasthour is < 2)[ (if: (history:) does not contain "Drink clear water from a chipped glass goblet")[ [[Drink clear water from a chipped glass goblet]] A man dressed in hunter's green fills your cup from a silver carafe.]\ (else:)[~~Drink clear water from a chipped glass goblet A man dressed in hunter's green fills your cup from a silver carafe~~] (if: (history:) does not contain "Listen to the tales the dryads tell")[ [[Listen to the tales the dryads tell]] They are steeped in the wood's secrets.]\ (else:)[~~Listen to the tales the dryads tell They are steeped in the wood's secrets.~~] (if: (history:) does not contain "Greet the Horned Knight's Lady")[ [[Greet the Horned Knight's Lady]] She is a dryad, brown and wrinkled as a walnut.]\ (else:)[~~Greet the Horned Knight's Lady She is a dryad, brown and wrinkled as a walnut.~~] (if: $debt is not "true" and (history:) does not contain "Accept a gift from the Horned Knight")[ [[Accept a gift from the Horned Knight]] A box of sandalwood with the initials of the Shame burned into the lid.]\ (else:)[~~Accept a gift from the Horned Knight A box of sandalwood with the initials of the Shame burned into the lid.~~]]\ (else:)[ [[The Horned Knight has a request|The Boon]] Dusk is forgotten. The night is deep. Wisp-lights flit through the tree's branches.] (set: $cunning to $cunning + 3)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 3!) \ (set: $feasthour to $feasthour + 1)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/forest2.png" alt="Forest2">]''Patience'' Your nervous messenger rides towards the woods. You can hear nearby courtiers whisper about your decision in hushed tones. [[He returns three days later|The Horned Knight's Answer]] And not very keen to repeat the journey again, by the way he looks at you. (set: $twilight to $twilight - 5)(Your Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) (set: $prosperity to $prosperity - 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/tracks.png" alt="Tracks">](if: (random: -10,10) + $derringdo is > 35)[''Cry havoc'' The hounds bay! They lead you on a long, breathless chase between the looming trees, steadily devouring your quarry's lead. You make good ground before the scent falters and they slow. You leash them swiftly. It wouldn't do to let them scatter. ]\ (else:)[''Let slip'' The hounds lead you on a baying chase along bluebelled trails. You push through draping vines, spring over reaching roots! Your quarry's lead narrows. You make good ground before the Applewoods play one of their tricks, clogging your path with gorse. The dogs are somewhere on the far side. Their baying fades into the distance. They'll find their way back to the Chateau eventually, but the rest of the hunt will have to continue without them. (set: $timeleft to $timeleft - 1)(You've got $timeleft hours <img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="26" width="20"> of daylight remaining.)\ (set: $hounds to "gone")] [[Eventually your party finds tracks on the ground]] They belong to a different animal, however. (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 1)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom">]''Mice and eagles'' Your stomach growls as you watch them eat, but missing a meal won't kill you. They tell you their humble tales and share news of the places nearby. Sometimes, the mouse sees things the eagle does not. [[Over the coming weeks you turn your mind to more mundane matters|Gather Resources 1]] The Tilted Tower whistles tunelessly, the wind caught in its cracked windows. (set: $freedom to $freedom + 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $health to $health - 10)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10...) (set: $manorhunger to "true")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom">]''Mice and eagles'' Your stomach growls as you watch them eat, but missing a meal won't kill you. They tell you their humble tales and share news of the places nearby. Sometimes, the mouse sees things the eagle does not. [[A week comes and goes|Pick a Lover]] You sit alone in your chambers, a glass of Nevarran red in your hand. (set: $freedom to $freedom + 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $health to $health - 15)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 15...) (set: $manorhunger to "true")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/tracks.png" alt="Tracks">]''Go Hunting'' The hounds whine when you enter the kennels, pressing wet noses against your fingers. Your companions mount snorting steeds in the courtyard. The bearers shoulder your equipment. What preparations will you make for the hunt? [[Bring the hounds]] The hounds may help you track your quarry. [[Take extra provisions]] If you lost Health, these may help you regain it. <img src="images/baron.png" alt="Baron" height="65" width="50"> [[Seek the Baron's advice]] He's terrorised the denizens of the Applewoods for decades.

<img src="images/chateaubig.png" alt="ChateauBig"> ''Dappled with gemmy light'' You descend the steep spiral staircase, through shafts of topaz and ruby light from the stained glass in the windows. This Tower was built to be the heart of the Shame's heliograph network - a web of towers communicating by mirror-flash. Another grand scheme that came to nothing. [[Many fallen towers dot these lands, bearing his broken mirrors|Before you begin]] The ring of sword on shield and the rattle of mail resound from the courtyard. Your chevaliers are practising their war-play. (if: (history:) contains "Look west, to the Tirashan Forest" and "Look east, to Serault Town" and "Look down, at the Chateau below")[(set: $scholarship to $scholarship + 1)(Your Scholarship <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)](else:)[(set: $rulership to $rulership + 1)(Your Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/forest4.png" alt="Forest4">]''The better part of valor'' You back carefully away. The (if: $wyvern is "true")[wyvern](else:)[bereskarn] watches you, (if: $wyvern is "true")[unblinking](else:)[unleashing a mighty roar that makes the forest leaves tremble]. When you're out of its sight you break and race in search of your party. They come to your call, and you lead them back on the (if: $wyvern is "true")[wyvern](else:)[bereskarn]'s trail. (if: $wyvern is "true")[ [[You rally your men to you|Then, at long last, you do it]] Your heart pumps, a primal rage in it. You are $name de Serault; you won't let a scaly monstrosity get the best of you!]\ (else:)[ [[You don't even say anything; you just roar|Then, at long last, you do it]] Your men, hardy folk of Serault one and all, roar back. This forest shall known its true master.] (set: $alone to "false")(You have rejoined <img src="images/lostchild.png" alt="LostChild" height="26" width="20"> your party.)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/baron.png" alt="Baron">]\ (if: (random: -10,10) + $woodswise is > 25)[''Replete'' The hunting's good. A fleet doe. An outraged boar. Two pheasants, stupid and fat. The Baron is in an effusive mood as you make your weary way back to his hall. (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) ]\ (else:)[''Poor sport'' The deer in his woods are understandably canny. You catch nothing more than a glimpse of rustling bracken. The Baron is surly, but you pry what you can from his grumbles. (set: $health to $health - 5)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) ] A shrewd ruler, your recall, also needs allies in less... //official// positions. Thankfully, you have the right idea of just whom you ought to seek. <img src="images/outlaw.png" alt="Outlaw" height="65" width="50"> [[You remember why she's known as the Dashing Outlaw...|The Dashing Outlaw]] She won't be easy to win over, will she? <img src="images/purveyor.png" alt="Purveyor" height="65" width="50"> [[You think of a certain dwarf|The Purveyor of Teas]] The Purveyor of Teas is an associate of bards, smugglers, and revolutionaries, yet he rejects that he maintains such connections. The dwarf was exiled in the past from Orzammar. (set: $woodswise to $woodswise + 1)(Your Woods-wise <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

<img src="images/greenwoodsheader.png" alt="Applewoods"> ''Dark waters'' After what seems like an eternity later, you spot a stream. Its width is normally no larger than a particularly nasty basilisk, but a recent flood had gorged it to the strength of a small river, running rapidly. <img src="images/derringdomini.png" alt="DerringDoMini"> [[Ford the stream]] Your quarry must be beyond. The water is swift, but does not look deep. <img src="images/woodswisemini.png" alt="WoodsWiseMini"> [[Check the banks for tracks]] Perhaps your quarry paused to drink. (set: $timeleft to $timeleft - 1)(You've got $timeleft hours <img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="26" width="20"> of daylight remaining.)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/lordship.png" alt="Lordship">]''Good Neighbours'' //Begin an ongoing tale of the past and politics, and add a new character to your court.// Pennants flutter from the Heron, West and Tilted Towers. Your guards' armours gleam. Inside, servants teeter on ladders to pluck the last cobwebs from the corners of the Great Hall, and polish each of the thousand windows(if: $simplewindows is "true")[, simple as they are after the incident with the fallen tree some months ago.](else:)[ of many-hued glass.] Amidst a blast of trumpets, His Dour Lordship of Alyons rides through the gates at the head of his retinue. He rules a neighbouring province, and has arrived early for the Feast of the Divine. Dismounting, he kisses you drily on both cheeks. A narrow man, with drooping lips and a leaden sigh. [[Welcome him to Serault]] Despite your families' troubled past. [[Welcome him... coldly]] Your families fought on opposite sides of more than one civil war. Not to mention the border skirmishes.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/graffiti2.png" alt="Graffiti">]''This will not do'' Graffiti blooms across Serault like primrose in the evening. You can find it in dismal alleys, on the high sides of granaries, even - intolerably - on the bright castle walls. The simplest, most common, symbol is a daubed candle-flame. The more complex are revolutionary slogans or unflattering caricatures of your noble self. At best the graffiti is garish. At worst it's seditious. Who is responsible? <img src="images/rulershipmini.png" alt="RulershipMini"> [[Scrub Serault clean|Scrub Serault clean 2]] She will be pristine again. <img src="images/scholarshipmini.png" alt="ScholarshipMini"> [[Try to crack the code|Try to crack the code 2]] You're sure revolutionaries are using the graffiti to transmit messages under the very noses of your watch.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/scroll.png" alt="WhiteScroll">]''Grant a Petition'' The most precious thing at the feast is the Divine's company. Everyone wants a moment of it, to beg a favour, ask for a blessing or enjoy her attention. As host, you can choose whom to admit to the Divine's presence. //You have two petitions remaining.// (if: $childpetition is not "true")[ <img src="images/rulershipmini.png" alt="RulershipMini"> [[Admit a starving child|Admit a Starving Child 2]] To highlight the plight of Serault's poor.]\ (else:)[~~Admit a starving child To highlight the plight of Serault's poor.~~] (if: $dowagerpetition is not "true")[ <img src="images/scholarshipmini.png" alt="ScholarshipMini"> [[Grant an audience to the Acerbic Dowager|Grant an audience to the Acerbic Dowager 2]] She wants nothing more than a blessing, and to regale the Divine with tales of her lost Pastulaire.]\ (else:)[~~Grant an audience to the Acerbic Dowager She wants nothing more than a blessing.~~] (if: $outlawpetition is not "true")[ <img src="images/woodswisemini.png" alt="WoodsWiseMini"> [[Allow the Dashing Outlaw to speak|Allow the Dashing Outlaw to speak 2]] She has braved your guards to beg the Divine for absolution.]\ (else:)[~~Allow the Dashing Outlaw to speak She has braved your guards to beg the Divine for absolution.~~] (if: $guildmistresspetition is not "true")[ <img src="images/cunningmini.png" alt="CunningMini"> [[Gesture for the Smiling Guildmistress to come forward|Gesture for the Smiling Guildmistress to come forward 2]] Her glassblowers have prepared a gift for the Divine.]\ (else:)[~~Gesture for the Smiling Guildmistress to come forward Her glassblowers have prepared a gift for the Divine.~~] (if: $purveyorpetition is not "true")[ <img src="images/derringdomini.png" alt="DerringDoMini"> [[Allow the Purveyor of Teas to approach with his lacquered box|Allow the Purveyor of Teas to approach with his lacquered box 2]] Inlaid on the top of the box is the red flame - a sign used by revolutionaries. There's just tea in there. Surely?]\ (else:)[~~Allow the Purveyor of Teas to approach with his lacquered box Inlaid on the top of the box is the red flame - a sign used by revolutionaries.~~]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/scroll.png" alt="WhiteScroll">]''Grant a Petition'' The most precious thing at the feast is the Divine's company. Everyone wants a moment of it, to beg a favour, ask for a blessing or enjoy her attention. As host, you can choose whom to admit to the Divine's presence. //You have one petition remaining.// (if: $childpetition is not "true")[ <img src="images/rulershipmini.png" alt="RulershipMini"> [[Admit a starving child|Admit a Starving Child 3]] To highlight the plight of Serault's poor.]\ (else:)[~~Admit a starving child To highlight the plight of Serault's poor.~~] (if: $dowagerpetition is not "true")[ <img src="images/scholarshipmini.png" alt="ScholarshipMini"> [[Grant an audience to the Acerbic Dowager|Grant an audience to the Acerbic Dowager 3]] She wants nothing more than a blessing, and to regale the Divine with tales of her lost Pastulaire.]\ (else:)[~~Grant an audience to the Acerbic Dowager She wants nothing more than a blessing.~~] (if: $outlawpetition is not "true")[ <img src="images/woodswisemini.png" alt="WoodsWiseMini"> [[Allow the Dashing Outlaw to speak|Allow the Dashing Outlaw to speak 3]] She has braved your guards to beg the Divine for absolution.]\ (else:)[~~Allow the Dashing Outlaw to speak She has braved your guards to beg the Divine for absolution.~~] (if: $guildmistresspetition is not "true")[ <img src="images/cunningmini.png" alt="CunningMini"> [[Gesture for the Smiling Guildmistress to come forward|Gesture for the Smiling Guildmistress to come forward 3]] Her glassblowers have prepared a gift for the Divine.]\ (else:)[~~Gesture for the Smiling Guildmistress to come forward Her glassblowers have prepared a gift for the Divine.~~] (if: $purveyorpetition is not "true")[ <img src="images/derringdomini.png" alt="DerringDoMini"> [[Allow the Purveyor of Teas to approach with his lacquered box|Allow the Purveyor of Teas to approach with his lacquered box 3]] Inlaid on the top of the box is the red flame - a sign used by revolutionaries. There's just tea in there. Surely?]\ (else:)[~~Allow the Purveyor of Teas to approach with his lacquered box Inlaid on the top of the box is the red flame - a sign used by revolutionaries.~~]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/dowager.png" alt="Dowager">](if: (random: -10,10) + $scholarship is > 45)[''Memories'' The Dowager speaks mournfully of Pastulaire's cooing dovecotes and honey-brimming hives, long lost to the forest. "It was pity that drowned her," she says. "Too much sympathy and not enough rule. Her peasants succumbed to folly and idleness. Her fields went untilled. Her boundaries untended. An acre of unloved ground is all it takes for a seed of the wild wood to take root..." The Divine touches her face, kindly. "We are all part of the Maker's plan: those who work, those who rule, and those who pray. When one fails, all fail." (set: $divinefavour to $divinefavour + 1)(Your Divine's Favour <img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) ]\ (else:)[''At length'' The Dowager speaks mournfully of Pastulaire's cooing dovecotes and honey-brimming hives, long lost to the forest. "It was pity that drowned her," she says. "Too much sympathy and not enough rule. Her peasants were allowed to succumb to folly and idleness. Her fields went untilled. Her boundaries untended. An acre of unloved ground is all it takes for a seed of the wild wood to take root..." The Divine listens kindly, but the Dowager drones on and on. You can see her patience is wearing thin. (set: $divinefavour to $divinefavour - 1)(Your Divine's Favour <img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 1...) ] //You have petitioned the Divine. You have two petitions remaining.// [[The Feast continues|Display the glory of Serault]] The Great Hall is packed. You had to lease more tables from the guild across the river. (set: $scholarship to $scholarship + 1)(Your Scholarship <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $freedom to $freedom - 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) \ (set: $dowagerpetition to "true")

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/dowager.png" alt="Dowager">](if: (random: -10,10) + $scholarship is > 45)[''Memories'' The Dowager speaks mournfully of Pastulaire's cooing dovecotes and honey-brimming hives, long lost to the forest. "It was pity that drowned her," she says. "Too much sympathy and not enough rule. Her peasants succumbed to folly and idleness. Her fields went untilled. Her boundaries untended. An acre of unloved ground is all it takes for a seed of the wild wood to take root..." The Divine touches her face, kindly. "We are all part of the Maker's plan: those who work, those who rule, and those who pray. When one fails, all fail." (set: $divinefavour to $divinefavour + 1)(Your Divine's Favour <img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) ]\ (else:)[''At length'' The Dowager speaks mournfully of Pastulaire's cooing dovecotes and honey-brimming hives, long lost to the forest. "It was pity that drowned her," she says. "Too much sympathy and not enough rule. Her peasants were allowed to succumb to folly and idleness. Her fields went untilled. Her boundaries untended. An acre of unloved ground is all it takes for a seed of the wild wood to take root..." The Divine listens kindly, but the Dowager drones on and on. You can see her patience is wearing thin. (set: $divinefavour to $divinefavour - 1)(Your Divine's Favour <img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 1...) ] //You have petitioned the Divine. You have one petition remaining.// (if: $lordship is not "banished" and is not "arrested")[ [[Another petitioner presents himself before the Divine|His Dour Lordship's Case]] You know him well. Or at least you thought so.]\ (else:)[ [[During this night's feast, the Divine asks you a question|His Dour Lordship's Absence]] She doesn't seem pleased.] (set: $scholarship to $scholarship + 1)(Your Scholarship <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $freedom to $freedom - 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) \ (set: $dowagerpetition to "true")

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/dowager.png" alt="Dowager">](if: (random: -10,10) + $scholarship is > 45)[''Memories'' The Dowager speaks mournfully of Pastulaire's cooing dovecotes and honey-brimming hives, long lost to the forest. "It was pity that drowned her," she says. "Too much sympathy and not enough rule. Her peasants succumbed to folly and idleness. Her fields went untilled. Her boundaries untended. An acre of unloved ground is all it takes for a seed of the wild wood to take root..." The Divine touches her face, kindly. "We are all part of the Maker's plan: those who work, those who rule, and those who pray. When one fails, all fail." (set: $divinefavour to $divinefavour + 1)(Your Divine's Favour <img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) ]\ (else:)[''At length'' The Dowager speaks mournfully of Pastulaire's cooing dovecotes and honey-brimming hives, long lost to the forest. "It was pity that drowned her," she says. "Too much sympathy and not enough rule. Her peasants were allowed to succumb to folly and idleness. Her fields went untilled. Her boundaries untended. An acre of unloved ground is all it takes for a seed of the wild wood to take root..." The Divine listens kindly, but the Dowager drones on and on. You can see her patience is wearing thin. (set: $divinefavour to $divinefavour - 2)(Your Divine's Favour <img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 2...) ] //You have brought three petitions before the Divine and may trouble her with no more.// [[The Feast goes on|Playing the Great Game]] It is hard to gauge how satisfied the Divine is with your reception. She eats and drinks well enough, even giggles at times. How could you influence her further? (set: $scholarship to $scholarship + 1)(Your Scholarship <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $freedom to $freedom - 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/forest2.png" alt="Forest2">](if: (random: -10,10) + $rulership is > 35 or $morrigan is "departed" or $savedbandits is "true")[''The Woodswar'' The 'Woodswar', they call it. It is fought with axe, pick and brand against root and bough, midge-cloud, beast and woods-wisp. The road inches ever forward, transfixing the wood. Ultimately it stretches like a chalk-white spear all the way to Claose. The trees, cut back a bowshot from the road, can only glower. The woods grow sullen after that. Their shadows deepen. (set: $abbessroad to "forced")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) (set: $prosperity to $prosperity + 10)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 10!) ]\ (else:)[''Defeat'' Though the war against the wood is fought with resolve and ingenuity, fortune favours the bigger army - and the trees are without number. More and more of the workers desert or disappear. There are more injured soldiers than healthy ones. The road's progress slows, halts and reverses. Soon it is just cobbles scattered among the tree-roots and a tale told by the survivors. //'The Abbess' Folly'//, they call it. (set: $abbessroad to "stopped")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) (set: $dignity to $dignity - 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) ] [[Days pass; you take your place atop the High Seat|The Dashing Outlaw Strikes Again]] A Baker's Breeze, early in the morning. Upon it, the scent of bread rising in ovens. (set: $knightfury to $knightfury + 1)(You have tested the Horned Knight's patience. A new chapter opens <img src="images/halla.png" alt="Halla" height="26" width="20"> in the story of the Lord of the Forest.) (set: $unwelcome to "true")(You are not welcome <img src="images/forest4.png" alt="Forest4" height="26" width="20"> in the woods.) (set: $rulership to $rulership + 1)(Your Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $twilight to $twilight + 5)(Your Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) \

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/divinesmile.png" alt="Smile">]''Journey's end'' She closes her eyes in relief. "I have walked a long way, (if: $gender is "female")[Lady $name](else:)[Lord $name], receiving neither sympathy nor succour. I had heard that Serault was a home for the unwanted. I invested the last of my hope in it. Thank you, your Grace. I will try to keep my tongue in check." You tell her not to bother. Ezoire's pride is a puffed bladder: a thin membrane around nothing but wind. Serault's pride is like its forests: root-deep, thick-skinned, hard-won from the world's edge. It will take more than a few prickling words to puncture it. [[A fortnight passes by|The Uprising]] You wake up to distant screams. From your bedroom window you see smoke rising across the river. (set: $dignity to $dignity - 10)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10...) (set: $freedom to $freedom + 10)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 10!) (set: $mockinglady to "true")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/hawke.png" alt="Hawke">]''Indiscretion'' Your servants bring smoked venison, steaming on long green beans and piled with sweet cranberries. Carver eats like a wolf. A rich wine loosens his tongue, and between gulps he tells you about the schism between the Templars and the Chantry. When he leaves the next morning he is tight-lipped, fidgeting with the reins of his horse. He knows he said more than he should. [[The Champion's brother departs the next day|Prepare for the Divine 1]] Airs from the river. It is high and swift today, carrying the scent of leaves and nodding barley. (set: $templarcarver to "welcomed")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) (set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $prosperity to $prosperity - 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/hornedhelm.png" alt="HornedKnight">] ''A beautiful friendship?'' The Horned Knight bows to you. "Serault's Shame is not forgotten, but nor is her honour. I will warn my courtiers to be more cautious, and I hope there will always be such understanding between our realms." He takes his leave, dragging the hunter - still begging for mercy - after him. In the days that follow, the forest is a kinder place. Travellers find the trails easier. Fallen wood for the fire is abundant. Small game is plentiful, although deer grow more scarce. [[Five days later, you are standing in your courtyard|Good Neighbours]] A chilling wind blows from the west, bringing dark, croaking ravens. (if: $debt is "true")[(set: $debt to "false")(You are no longer in the Horned Knight's debt. A new chapter opens <img src="images/halla.png" alt="Halla" height="26" width="20"> in the story of the Lord of the Forest.)]\ (else:)[(You have met the Horned Knight. A new chapter opens <img src="images/halla.png" alt="Halla" height="26" width="20"> in the story of the Lord of the Forest.)] (set: $knightson to "revenge")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) (set: $twilight to $twilight - 5)(Your Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) (set: $prosperity to $prosperity + 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $dignity to $dignity - 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $freedom to $freedom - 10)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/abbess.png" alt="Abbess">]\ ''A radiant smile'' "If you hear your name being whispered tonight, (if: $gender is "female")[Lady $name](else:)[Lord $name], it has been carried to you on my prayers. Thank you. Now tell me, how do you think my fair abbey could best put your gift to use? A red orchard of apples? A mill and a pond of leaping fish? A field of golden corn?" She kisses your cheek. Her lips are soft as a butterfly, as warm as spiced wine. <img src="images/baron.png" alt="Baron" height="65" width="50"> [[In the morning, you find an old acquaintance in the Great Hall|The Cheery Baron]] He's smiling as if he had just eaten an impudent peasant. That's possible, actually. There are stories. <img src="images/guildmistress.png" alt="Guildmistress" height="65" width="50"> [[In the early morning you summon the Guildmistress once again|The Smiling Guildmistress]] The Smiling Guildmistress is the head of the Glassworks. Although she acts as an effective bridge between the Guild and the larger world, the isolating conditions imposed on the glass workers often lead them into conflict with the Guildmistress. (set: $rulership to $rulership + 1)(Your Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $dignity to $dignity + 10)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 10!) (set: $prosperity to $prosperity - 10)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/guildmistress.png" alt="Guildmistress">](if: (random: -10,10) + $rulership is > 35)[''Diplomacy'' The Guildmistress' smile never falters, even as you negotiate her away from her initial audacious position. She raises the issue of freedom of movement, but you will not bend. Glassworkers are too valuable to risk their theft or escape. Other matters are more tolerable, though. You promise them more windows in the glassworks, and to provide game from your hunting preserves for a meal a week. You allow them to recruit more apprentices. The concessions will cost time and coin, but the guild return to work and no-one is //too// unhappy.]\ (else:)[''Generosity'' The Smiling Guildmistress apologises extravagantly as she joins you in the council chamber. She blames radical elements in the guild for the disruptions, but that doesn't keep her from negotiating as savagely as a wolf with the scent of blood. After you settle, the guild return to work. You can't help but feel you've given away too much. The nobles ask if apron-clad labourers rule Serault, now. (set: $dignity to $dignity - 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) ] (if: $morrigan is "welcomed")[ [[A week goes by; you run into the Scornful Sorceress...|The Scornful Sorceress]] The apostate's presence fills your head with questions.]\ (else:)[ [[Unfortunately, that wouldn't be the end of the troubles at the glassworks|The Ghost of the Glassworks]] Solve a problem, two others come up in its place.] (set: $rulership to $rulership + 1)(Your Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $freedom to $freedom + 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $prosperity to $prosperity - 10)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10...) (set: $guildcharter to "true")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/purveyor.png" alt="Purveyor">]\ ''Selective justice'' His tangle of seditious, ill-behaved contacts makes the Purveyor useful. Some can be pardoned, some quietly released. The dwarf is ecstatic. "I have just the tea for so providential an occasion", he fusses. "Fiery, insistent, and with an undertone of juniper. It is also a sovereign remedy for hair loss. Not that I'm suggesting anything regarding your own ennobled follicles. Like a thicket, they are. No. A //mane//." <img src="images/hunter.png" alt="SilentHunter" height="65" width="50"> [[You turn your attention to the local head hunter|The Silent Hunter]] He's a loyal subject. But he can be hard to find. You'll need to organise a search. <img src="images/pigfarmer.png" alt="PigFarmer" height="65" width="50"> [[You decide to visit the market in Serault Town|The Well-Read Pig-Farmer]] As you approach the Bridge of Masks, outside the Chateau you run into the strangest peasant you've ever met. She nods at you, grass and mud on her worn boots. (set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $revolution to $revolution + 5)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) (set: $freedom to $freedom + 10)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 10!) (set: $peril to $peril + 10)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 10...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/morrigan.png" alt="Morrigan">]\ ''A new friend'' The Sorceress smiles. "It is a delight to deal with someone //reasonable// at last. You would not believe the fools I have had to endure at court. The laws of courtesy are so inconvenient: do not set fire to this chevalier, do not encase that baroness in a block of ice... How are we supposed to get through the day?" "Serault is more to my tastes. Rugged. Confident. Stark. Intriguing. Perhaps you will show me more of its virtues, your Grace." You explain that, to those who live here, Serault is a 'she', not an 'it'. The Sorceress grins. "I like her more and more." //You will encounter the Scornful Sorceress again.// [[The apostate leaves the Great Hall|Prologue: Broken Glass]] She's given a wide berth. (set: $morrigan to "welcomed")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) (set: $freedom to $freedom + 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $dignity to $dignity - 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (The Scornful Sorceress <img src="images/morrigan.png" alt="Morrigan" height="26" width="20"> is staying at the Chateau.)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/bard.png" alt="Bard">]''Broken'' He's so keen to tell you about his abduction that at first he doesn't notice your mood. "You know what the so-called 'Lord of the Forest' had me doing? Penning a ballad called '//The Shame of Serault//'. He's obsessed with it. Both the event and the man. Thinks of nothing else." He moves forward to kiss you. Your glare stops him dead. "Ah. Yes. Of course. Rather buggered that up, didn't I?" He starts to apologise, thinks better of it. "Thank you for rescuing me, your Grace. My service, as ever, is yours." He makes a sheepish exit, with a last, regretful look over his shoulder. (if: $health is < 60 and (history:) does not contain "Ask for the Bard back")[ [[ You need to rest!|You need to rest! 3]] Recent events have enacted their price on you.]\ (else:)[ [[A week comes and goes|Cheating Chance]] The air is calm. The sounds of Serault: carts in the streets, the blacksmiths at work, the laughter of children. ] (Your Bard <img src="images/bardalt.png" alt="BardAlt" height="26" width="20"> is restored to you. A new chapter opens <img src="images/halla.png" alt="Halla" height="26" width="20"> in the story of the Lord of the Forest.) (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $twilight to $twilight - 5)(Your Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/hornedhelm.png" alt="HornedKnight">]''Courtesies'' She wears a grey-green moss coat about her shoulders and a crown of woven twigs. “Welcome, $name,” she says, taking your hands in her brittle fingers. “You are not what I imagined.” She studies you closely. “Forgive my husband’s eccentricity. He is, by his nature, single-minded. He is a creation of the Shame, while your roots - and mine - go deeper and wider. It is my hope that the two of you will learn something from one another.” (if: $feasthour is < 2)[ (if: (history:) does not contain "Drink clear water from a chipped glass goblet")[ [[Drink clear water from a chipped glass goblet]] A man dressed in hunter's green fills your cup from a silver carafe.]\ (else:)[~~Drink clear water from a chipped glass goblet A man dressed in hunter's green fills your cup from a silver carafe~~] (if: (history:) does not contain "Listen to the tales the dryads tell")[ [[Listen to the tales the dryads tell]] They are steeped in the wood's secrets.]\ (else:)[~~Listen to the tales the dryads tell They are steeped in the wood's secrets.~~] (if: (history:) does not contain "Give the Horned Knight a gift")[ [[Give the Horned Knight a gift]] A mirror chased with silver roses and twinkling thorns.]\ (else:)[~~Give the Horned Knight a gift A mirror chased with silver roses and twinkling thorns.~~] (if: $debt is not "true" and (history:) does not contain "Accept a gift from the Horned Knight")[ [[Accept a gift from the Horned Knight]] A box of sandalwood with the initials of the Shame burned into the lid.]\ (else:)[~~Accept a gift from the Horned Knight A box of sandalwood with the initials of the Shame burned into the lid.~~]]\ (else:)[ [[The Horned Knight has a request|The Boon]] Dusk is forgotten. The night is deep. Wisp-lights flit through the tree's branches.] (set: $rulership to $rulership + 3)(Your Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 3!) \ (set: $feasthour to $feasthour + 1)

<img src="images/greenwoodsheader.png" alt="Applewoods"> (if: (random: -10,10) + $derringdo is > 35)[''Parting the veil'' You emerge from the undergrowth with sweat on your back and notches in your blade, picking up your quarry's trail on the other side. (set: $twilight to $twilight - 5)(Your Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) (set: $health to $health - 5)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...)]\ (else:)[''Waging war'' The forest fights back. It sends thickets and brambles against you. Hidden branches turn your blade. The air, hot under the thick leaf-blanket, presses down on you. It saps your strength. An hour later, you pick up the trail beyond the thick underbrush. (set: $health to $health - 10)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10...) (set: $timeleft to $timeleft - 1)(You've got $timeleft hours <img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="26" width="20"> of daylight remaining.)] [[It leads to a glade]] You are in the heart of the Deepwoods... (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 1)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/bard.png" alt="Bard">]''Red with blood'' Your blade is notched. Your cloak is rags. Your skin is traced with lacerations and writhes from the thorns' poison. When the Wayward Bard sees you, he stumbles back, alarmed, as if you were some apparition of the woods. Then he recognises you. "Thank the Maker! I was starting to give up hope. They're not far, but they rely overmuch on this maze of theirs. Now get me out of here!" You drag him back to your horse. Lilting, inhuman cries go up from the woods behind you. [[Your party saddles up|Your Bard is Restored to you]] The wails behind you grow ever louder. You spur your horse. (set: $health to $health - 15)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 15...) (set: $timeleft to $timeleft - 1)(You've got $timeleft hours <img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="26" width="20"> of daylight remaining.)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/divine.png" alt="Divine">]''Tying up loose ends'' One of your chevaliers drags her from the dungeon. Her eyes - Serault eyes - flash hatred at you over her gag. The Templars take her into custody. "For the general safety - and, no doubt, her own peace of mind - she will be taken and made Tranquil," the Divine decrees. "You should not have broken the seals, $name de Serault, but perhaps in this instance you had no choice." The Anchoress is removed from the hall, ragged and weak. You have averted disaster. For the rest of the evening you feel the Divine's eyes on you, trying to take your measure. (set: $divinefavour to $divinefavour + 5)(Your Divine's Favour <img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (if: $divinefavour is > 0)[ [[Later on, some good news|The Keys]] The matter of the Sealed Chantry is to be settled, once and for all.]\ (else:)[ [[The feast winds down|The Feast is Ending]] You are tired of smiling, conversing and flattering. Was it worth it?] (set: $chantryunsealed to "betrayed")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) (set: $freedom to $freedom - 15)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 15...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/divinesmile.png" alt="Smile">]''A lesson'' As your guards take her arms, you remind the woman that Ezoire is her rightful lord. He would spend his life in his land's defence. He must, every day, make judgements that balance the interests of one part of his people against the other - decisions that will win him no friends. Mockery is easy; ruling is hard. [[A fortnight passes by|The Uprising]] You wake up to distant screams. From your bedroom window you see smoke rising across the river. (set: $dignity to $dignity + 10)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 10!) (set: $freedom to $freedom - 10)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/baron.png" alt="Baron">]''Counsel'' "Take my advice," says the Baron. "Hang her quick and hang her high. Put this revolution nonsense to bed." "He's right," the Iconoclast says as she's led away. 'You'll have to kill me to silence me. Our liberation requires your destruction, and I'll never stop until the world is just!" She is beloved by much of the peasantry, and many of the glassworkers. You will need to think it through before you take a final decision. [[The following days and nights are all but calm|The Dispossessed]] You care for your people, but your patience has its limits. (You have a new case: the trial <img src="images/iconoclast.png" alt="Iconoclast" height="26" width="20"> of the Elusive Iconoclast.) (set: $revolution to $revolution + 5)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/iconoclast.png" alt="Iconoclast">](if: (random: -10,10) + $rulership is > 45)[''The knot is tight, the rope strong, the drop swift and final'' The Iconoclast dies on a sodden, blustery morning. The clouds weep over the rooftops of Serault Town, grey as a funeral shroud. The weather and the early hour keep the crowds away. She stumbles as she climbed the steps. The gallows steal your certainty before they steal your life. The days afterwards are crucial. It wasn't hard to convince the nobility to your course. You pack the streets with the additional soldiers they loaned you. For days before and after, you encourage respected figures to speak out against the Iconoclast's less popular crimes, like her heresy. The feared uprising never comes. Serault's revolutionaries have no shortage of people who think they should lead, but not one with the Iconoclast's charisma. The revolution splinters into squabbling cells. Her candleflame sigil continues to appear in alleyways, though, drawn by angry youths when the wine flows. (set: $revolution to $revolution - 10)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10!) ]\ (else:)[''The end of the beginning'' The Iconoclast goes to the gallows singing the Chant of Light until the noose takes the song, and breath, from her throat. Hundreds gathered on this misty morning to watch her. But they barely murmur as she dies. They cause no trouble, and the additional soldiers you drafted in stand unneeded. When the Iconoclast is dead, the crowd turn and make their silent ways home, exchanging glances. Their eyes are hard. The revolution only gains pace. Its members are more canny, now. A core of dedicated rebels provides direction and coordination. They speak the Iconoclast's name like one of the Anointed - as if she were the Maker's own hand. (set: $revolution to $revolution + 15)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 15...) ] (if: $anchoress is "met")[ <img src="images/chantrydoor.png" alt="ChantryDoor" height="65" width="50"> [[Return to the Anchoress' Dell]] Slip through the Chantry and visit the odd old woman again. You have unfinished business with her...]\ (else-if: $keptcounsellor is "true" or $keptseneschal is "true")[ [[Tonight is a night of nightmares|You Dream of the Shame]] A bloodthirsty (if: $wyvern is "true")[wyvern](else:)[bereskarn] rampages through the chateau's corridors. Serault Town, set aflame by an army of soldiers with candlelights bloodied on their foreheads. (if: $bardbreakup is "true")[A man cries, alone in his quarters, whispering your name.](else-if: $abbessbreakup is "true")[A woman cries, alone in her quarters, whispering your name.](else:)[An old woman cries, alone, a sunburst brooch held to her heart.] And then...]\ (else:)[ [[A week rushes by|Fire a Counsellor 2]] A coy breeze carries the sounds and smells of the market. Spice. Lies. Laughter. The play of coin.] (You had the Elusive Iconoclast <img src="images/iconoclast.png" alt="Iconoclast" height="26" width="20"> put to death.) (set: $flamesfreedom to "killed")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) (set: $rulership to $rulership + 1)(Your Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/hornedhelm.png" alt="HornedKnight">] ''Fire and steel'' Your guards advance, spears raised! The Horned Knight retreats, lowering his head like a stag at bay, looking from left to right. Your Weary Bailiff raises a flaming torch. "I won't forget this," the Knight growls. He retreats out of the hall, his dignity barely intact, and is gone into the night. [[Five days later, you are standing in your courtyard|Good Neighbours]] A hard wind blows from the east, carrying fat, gloating raindrops. (set: $unwelcome to "true")(You are not welcome <img src="images/forest4.png" alt="Forest4" height="26" width="20"> in the woods.) (set: $knightfury to $knightfury + 3)(You have tested the Horned Knight's patience. A new chapter opens <img src="images/halla.png" alt="Halla" height="26" width="20"> in the story of the Lord of the Forest.) (set: $knightson to "denied")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) (set: $twilight to $twilight - 10)(Your Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10!) (set: $peril to $peril + 15)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 15...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/judge.png" alt="Judgement">](if: (random: -10,10) + $rulership is > 35)[''The way of things'' The serf accepts his sentence glumly, and his friends offer no complaint. Such is their lot. They know another noble might have enacted a far harsher sentence. The natural order is restored. (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!)]\ (else:)[''A fine line'' Did you perhaps go too far? Not far enough? The serf accepts his punishment, but his friends exchange dark, resentful looks. Either they don't trust you have their best interests at heart, or they're not afraid enough. Both are trouble. (set: $revolution to $revolution + 5)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...)] [[Over the coming weeks you turn your mind to less mundane matters|Gather Resources 1]] The Tilted Tower whistles tunelessly, the wind caught in its cracked windows. (set: $rulership to $rulership + 1)(Your Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $freedom to $freedom - 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $baronbastard to "true")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/judge.png" alt="Judgement">](if: (random: -10,10) + $rulership is > 35)[''The way of things'' The serf accepts his sentence glumly, and his friends offer no complaint. Such is their lot. They know another noble might have enacted a far harsher sentence. The natural order is restored. (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!)]\ (else:)[''A fine line'' Did you perhaps go too far? Not far enough? The serf accepts his punishment, but his friends exchange dark, resentful looks. Either they don't trust you have their best interests at heart, or they're not afraid enough. Both are trouble. (set: $revolution to $revolution + 5)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) ] [[A week comes and goes|Pick a Lover]] You sit alone in your chambers, a glass of Nevarran red in your hand. (set: $rulership to $rulership + 1)(Your Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $freedom to $freedom - 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $baronbastard to "true")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/wyvern.png" alt="Wyvern">](if: (random: -10,10) + $derringdo is > 45)[''Victory'' They call to the beast, darting forward then back. The wyvern whirls to keep them in view. You spring past the lashing tail and onto its back. It bucks. You grip its crest. Reversing your sword, you drive the point between the scales of its back. Blood gushes out, steaming like water from a hot spring. You cling on as the wyvern's death throes try to hurl you to your death. Your men have to prise you free from the corpse. To release your tension you cut the beast's head - and venom sacs - from its neck. [[You rush back to the chateau|The Antidote]] Time is of essence. (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $wyverntrophy to "true")(You have acquired <img src="images/conciliation.png" alt="ConciliationCup" height="26" width="20"> a new asset!) (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 1)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $trophies to $trophies + 1)]\ (else:)[''Lord of the forest'' The wyvern holds its ground, emerald eyes watching first one hunter, then another. Shrieking, it springs. One of your companions is pinned to the ground. The others scatter into the trees. The wyvern's teeth snap. A scream, rising as the poison works. The beast lifts its head. Its eyes fix on yours. You are alone. [[Slay it alone]] Death approaches. (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 1)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $alone to "true")(You are alone <img src="images/lostchild.png" alt="LostChild" height="26" width="20">.)]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/boar.png" alt="Boar">](if: (random: -10,10) + $woodswise is > 35)[''Overwhelmed'' Your cries confuse the beast. It turns this way and that, and every time it does, one of you darts forward with a spear-thrust. Eventually, the beast stumbles. It falls. Your final thrust is quick and clean. Its head will look splendid on the wall of your hall. [[Return to the Chateau]] Atop its riverside bluff, the Castle of a Thousand Windows is visible from miles away. Sharp turrets jab at the sky. (set: $woodswise to $woodswise + 1)(Your Woods-wise <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 1)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $trophies to $trophies + 1)(set: $boartrophy to "true")(You have acquired <img src="images/conciliation.png" alt="ConciliationCup" height="26" width="20"> a new asset!) ]\ (else:)[''Escaped!'' In its rage, the boar cannot feel your spear-thrusts. It charges one then another of your companions, driving them back. In the end it breaks from your circle, its bristled flank slamming into you as it thunders past. [[You bark an order; your party regroups after the boar|Finish the beast]] It's bleeding heavier than any of you. (Your quarry is wounded <img src="images/trap.png" alt="Trap" height="26" width="20">! If you can catch it again, you can end the hunt.) (set: $health to $health - 15)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 15...) (set: $woodswise to $woodswise + 1)(Your Woods-wise <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/forest2.png" alt="Forest2">]''Youthful high spirits?'' He tells you about Alabair and Elose's past. Their family history. All of it. In detail. The sun moves perceptibly behind the window. "They've absconded, (if: $gender is "female")[lady](else:)[lord]. But first they robbed their neighbours and waylaid a peddler they met on the road. They crowned him with a stone, and whether they meant it or not, he's dead. We need your justice, my (if: $gender is "female")[lady](else:)[lord]." <img src="images/crystalball.png" alt="CrystalBall" height="52" width="40"> [[You take a deep breath|You take a deep breath]] The wind eddies in corners, making dancing columns of dust. It comes from nowhere, goes nowhere. A Fade-wind, the Dowager calls it. (set: $freedom to $freedom + 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $dignity to $dignity - 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (Errant Siblings <img src="images/judge.png" alt="Judgement" height="26" width="20"> have caused trouble that requires your judgement.)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/tracks.png" alt="Tracks">](if: (random: -10,10) + $woodswise > 35)[''The oldest trick'' After a thorough search you find the trail upstream, cross, and continue the chase. The dogs tug excitedly at their leads.]\ (else-if: $woodswise > 25)[''Over-enthusiasm'' They find a scent, but it's the wrong one. The dogs slip their bonds and race off after a meager hare. Your calls and whistles do no good. The dogs are lost. Your kenneler will round them up, but for now you have no choice but press on without them. (set: $timeleft to $timeleft - 1)(You've got $timeleft hours <img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="26" width="20"> of daylight remaining.)\ (set: $hounds to "gone")]\ (else:)[''Drenched'' The stream is deeper than it looks. A loose stone shifts underfoot, plunging you into the icy waters. When you pull yourself out, you have to search up and down the bank before you can find the trail again, weighed down by your lank, sodden clothes. (set: $peril to $peril + 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) (set: $health to $health - 5)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $timeleft to $timeleft - 1)(You've got $timeleft hours <img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="26" width="20"> of daylight remaining.)] [[In time, you spot what seems like an old shack]] Lost in the woods. (set: $woodswise to $woodswise + 1)(Your Woods-wise <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/trap.png" alt="Trap">](if: (random: -10,10) + $cunning is > 35 or $mercs is "good")[''Hook, line, sinker'' Your ruse is a success. Your mercenaries board and take three vessels before word about the ploy escapes and the remaining pirates row downriver to find less inventive prey. River-trade swells, and the glassworkers' chimneys belch to life again. (set: $prosperity to $prosperity + 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $peril to $peril - 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) (set: $rivertroubles to "true")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)]\ (else:)[''Fruitless'' Do the pirates have an agent in your troops? Or friends among the mercenaries? Someone, somewhere is talking and your trapped boats sail the length of the river unmolested. Worse, not all the mercenaries return home when their employment ends. Some linger, joining outlaw bands in the woods. At least the rivers are safe while your ships make their journey. (set: $peril to $peril + 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) (set: $rivertroubles to "bad")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)] (if: $morrigan is "welcomed")[ [[A week goes by; you run into the Scornful Sorceress...|The Scornful Sorceress]] The apostate's presence fills your head with questions.]\ (else:)[ [[Unfortunately, that wouldn't be the last issue to involve glass|The Ghost of the Glassworks]] Solve a problem, two others come up in its place.] (set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/trap.png" alt="Trap">](if: (random: -10,10) + $cunning is > 25 or $mercs is "true")[''Hook, line, sinker'' Your ruse is a success. Your mercenaries board and take three vessels before word about the ploy escapes and the remaining pirates row downriver to find less inventive prey. River-trade swells, and the glassworkers' chimneys belch to life again. (set: $prosperity to $prosperity + 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $peril to $peril - 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) (set: $rivertroubles to "true")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)]\ (else:)[''Fruitless'' Do the pirates have an agent in your troops? Or friends among the mercenaries? Someone, somewhere is talking and your trapped boats sail the length of the river unmolested. Worse, not all the mercenaries return home when their employment ends. Some linger, joining outlaw bands in the woods. At least the rivers are safe while your ships make their journey. (set: $peril to $peril + 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) (set: $rivertroubles to "bad")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)] [[A thankfully peaceful week passes by|Blown in on the Wind]] Two servants bicker over the duties of a third, their voices drifting through the window of your hall. (set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/lordship.png" alt="Lordship">]''His Dour Lordship'' He spends much of his time in the Whistling Gallery, looking at the dusty pictures, or the library, buried in books. They give him no joy. But then, nothing does. <img src="images/cunningmini.png" alt="CunningMini"> [[Discuss current events in Orlais over a glass of wine]] You'll need to be wary. He is wily, and reveals only that which will advantage him. [[Show him the abandoned wings of the chateau]] Mountains of mouldering scrolls and paintings hidden under cotton sheets stiff with spiderwebs.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/divine.png" alt="Divine">]''His Dour Lordship's Absence'' The Divine wishes to know why His Dour Lordship is absent from the Feast. "The Marquis of Alyons has always been good to the Chantry, and he had written me that he was to arrive in Serault for this occasion. Would you know where he is?" Tread carefully, now. The Divine has Templars and Seekers all over the chateau. They might have heard something. <img src="images/woodswisemini.png" alt="WoodswiseMini"> [[Lie and tell her you do not know]] As far as you know, he left on his own accord a few days ago, to hunt game in the depths of the Applewoods. Mayhaps he will return in time to enjoy the Feast? (if: $tourdionmaster is "true")[//All those endless hours of training how to dance the //tourdion// are about to pay off.//]\ (else:)[~~//All those endless hours of training how to dance the //tourdion// are about to pay off.//~~] <img src="images/rulershipmini.png" alt="RulershipMini"> [[Tell her the truth]] His absence is not //your// fault. He was the one conspiring against a Maker-fearing servant of the Chantry, you tell her. (if: $manorhunger is "true" or $plaguevillage is "true")[//Like an Anointed of Ages past, you have personally seen to your subjects in times of need; she'll see you act for the good of the land.//]\ (else:)[~~//Like an Anointed of Ages past, you have personally seen to your subjects in times of need; she'll see you act for the good of the land.//~~]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/lordship.png" alt="Lordship">]''His Dour Lordship's Case'' His Dour Lordship kneels before the Divine. "Most Holy. Two score years ago my father granted the Lands Between the Rivers to the Chantry. In her wisdom, the Chantry leased them to Serault. It is my case that they should be restored to Alyons. Serault is a hotbed of heresy and immorality, undeserving of the Chantry's largesse." The Divine looks to you. "How do you answer, (if: $gender is "female")[Lady $name](else:)[Lord $name]?" <img src="images/cunningmini.png" alt="CunningMini"> [[Mock him]] His claims won't be considered if people have no regard for the man making them. (if: $heraldsecret is "true")[//You recall what that boastful herald told you all those months ago. Moon-bathing, of all things? This will be easy.//]\ (else:)[~~//You recall what that boastful herald told you all those months ago. Moon-bathing, of all things? This will be easy.//~~] <img src="images/scholarshipmini.png" alt="ScholarshipMini"> [[Refute his case]] With reference to precedence and the original ink-stained grant. (if: $rebornserault is "true" or $storm is "true")[//When fire and water came threatening the lands under your ward, haven't you taken proper care of them?//]\ (else:)[~~//When fire and water came threatening the lands under your ward, haven't you taken proper care of them?//~~]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/meeting.png" alt="Meeting">](if: (random: -10,10) + $rulership is > 25)[''It's got a good beat'' Fine lords and ladies form lines facing one another, and the lively music begins. It is a difficult dance to master. The arms are held stiffly at the sides, and the steps consist mostly of straight-legged hopping. It's not the most elegant of pastimes, but the younger guests are thrilled to be so contemporary. (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $tourdionmaster to "true")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) ]\ (else:)['''Are you sure this is right?''' The music is quick, the steps complex. //Keep your arms stiffly at your sides//, you are told. //Straighten your legs. That's it. Now hop.// Hop? You endure, rather than excel, at it. Only the younger guests take the whole thing seriously, and soon the dance descends into a chaotic tangle of laughing lords and giggling ladies. (set: $tourdionmaster to "bad")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)] [[The following day, you deal with more affairs of the court|The Knight Requests an Audience]] A lady-in-waiting sings in the corridor a song of Andraste, and the Maker's love for her. (set: $rulership to $rulership + 1)(Your Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $prosperity to $prosperity - 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/meeting.png" alt="Meeting">](if: (random: -10,10) + $rulership is > 35)[''It's got a good beat'' Fine lords and ladies form lines facing one another, and the lively music begins. It is a difficult dance to master. The arms are held stiffly at the sides, and the steps consist mostly of straight-legged hopping. It's not the most elegant of pastimes, but the younger guests are thrilled to be so contemporary. (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $tourdionmaster to "true")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) ]\ (else:)['''Are you sure this is right?''' The music is quick, the steps complex. //Keep your arms stiffly at your sides//, you are told. //Straighten your legs. That's it. Now hop.// Hop? You endure, rather than excel, at it. Only the younger guests take the whole thing seriously, and soon the dance descends into a chaotic tangle of laughing lords and giggling ladies. (set: $prosperity to $prosperity - 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $tourdionmaster to "bad")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)] (if: $morrigan is "welcomed")[ [[Four days later you chance upon the Scornful Sorceress|Morrigan Strikes Again]] She is, as usual, alone with her thoughts.]\ (else:)[ [[An uneventful week comes and goes|Chapter 4: Omens]] <img src="images/wind.png" alt="Wind" height="26" width="20"> A bitter wind blows from the North. You must be imagining the tang of Blights. //You have four months until the Divine arrives.//] (set: $rulership to $rulership + 1)(Your Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/bluewings.png" alt="BlueWings">](if: (random: -10,10) + $derringdo is > 25)[''A grand day out'' The tourney is a sound success. The smell of horses, sweat and oiled steel. The spray of mud from hooves. The cheers and lamentations of the crowd. The ring of blade on mail. And who doesn't like seeing knights knock one another into the dirt? Your performance in the lists and the melee wins you a wager with the Cheery Baron. The look on his face when he hands you his purse is worth every bruise. (set: $health to $health - 10)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10...) (set: $prosperity to $prosperity + 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $tourneywin to "true")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) ]\ (else:)[''Playing at war'' Who cares what they think in Val Royeaux? A tourney never did anyone any harm! Except for the casualties. You earn bruises in the melee, a spill in the jousting, and a bull in the archery. Glorious! You lose as much coin as you win, but the experience is worth it. The tournament attracts young hopefuls from across Orlais, particularly the impoverished class of landless knight looking to turn sword-work to silver. Scandalous and indecent, they do little for Serault's safety, or her reputation. (set: $health to $health - 10)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10...) (set: $peril to $peril + 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) (set: $tourneywin to "bad")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)] [[The following day, you deal with more affairs of the court|The Knight Requests an Audience]] A lady-in-waiting sings in the corridor a song of Andraste, and the Maker's love for her. (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 1)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/bluewings.png" alt="BlueWings">](if: (random: -10,10) + $derringdo is > 35)[''A grand day out'' The tourney is a sound success. The smell of horses, sweat and oiled steel. The spray of mud from hooves. The cheers and lamentations of the crowd. The ring of blade on mail. And who doesn't like seeing knights knock one another into the dirt? Your performance in the lists and the melee wins you a wager with the Cheery Baron. The look on his face when he hands you his purse is worth every bruise. (set: $health to $health - 10)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10...) (set: $prosperity to $prosperity + 10)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 10!) (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $tourneywin to "true")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) ]\ (else:)[''Playing at war'' Who cares what they think in Val Royeaux? A tourney never did anyone any harm! Except for the casualties. You earn bruises in the melee, a spill in the jousting, and a bull in the archery. Glorious! You lose as much coin as you win, but the experience is worth it. The tournament attracts young hopefuls from across Orlais, particularly the impoverished class of landless knight looking to turn sword-work to silver. Scandalous and indecent, they do little for Serault's safety, or her reputation. (set: $health to $health - 15)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 15...) (set: $peril to $peril + 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) (set: $tourneywin to "bad")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)] (if: $morrigan is "welcomed")[ [[Four days later you chance upon the Scornful Sorceress|Morrigan Strikes Again]] She is, as usual, alone with her thoughts.]\ (else:)[ [[An uneventful week comes and goes|Chapter 4: Omens]] <img src="images/wind.png" alt="Wind" height="26" width="20"> A bitter wind blows from the North. You must be imagining the tang of Blights. //You have four months until the Divine arrives.//] (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 1)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/messenger.png" alt="Messenger">]''Hot on the Trail!'' You're gaining on your quarry, and have a chance to capitalise on your advantage. How far will you push your luck? [[Pace yourself]] Slow and steady. There's no need to take risks. (if: $health is > 50)[ [[Push yourself]] Ignore the complaints of your muscles. Press on.]\ (else:)[~~Push yourself Ignore the complaints of your muscles.~~] (if: (random: -10,10) + $derringdo is > 35)[ [[Push yourself even harder|Abandon subtlety]] You race through the woods, abandoning stealth for speed.]\ (else:)[ [[Push yourself even harder|The Quarry Has Gone to Ground]] You race through the woods, abandoning stealth for speed.]

(align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[<img src="images/exclamation.png" alt="Exclamation">]\ (align:"=><=")[''TUTORIAL'']\ ''Premise'' In //The Last Court//, you are the ruler of Serault: an eccentric fiefdom at the farthest ends of Orlais. As the Marquis or Marquise you’ll guide your realm through the most crucial period in its history. Will its ancient Shame be forgiven? Or will Serault fall into obscurity? This is a game of lordship. You’ll manage the affairs of your court. You’ll choose a counsellor, a bodyguard, an accomplice and a lover. You’ll balance the concerns of your subjects. Will Serault be renowned for its dignity or its freedom? What is the greatest threat: outlaws, revolutionaries, or the the nameless ancient things that slither in its deep woods? There are stories to explore and secrets to unravel. ________________________________________________________________ ''Key Tips'' ''Tip:'' You can save your game in five different slots, selectable below your character portrait; an autosave function is included at the start of every chapter. ''Tip:'' To load a save, click the option that shows a saved game instead of "Empty". Remember, anything that wipes out the browser's cookies or cache will delete your saves! ''Tip:'' You can always rewind back to the previous page by clicking on the arrow on the top left corner. You can also forward yourself to your most recent choice by clicking on a second arrow, which appears whenever you rewind. ''Tip:'' To start a New Game, scroll down to the bottom of this Tutorial and click on the highlighted option. This option will completely clear your current progress. Your manually saved games, however, will be preserved. ''Tip:'' Be careful with 'savescumming'! Skill Checks are not re-rolled when rewinding back and forth. Remember, save your game often! ''Tip:'' The Codex might provide essential context if you aren't familiar with the lore of Dragon Age. Try reading a passage every once in a while. ''Tip:'' Sometimes it is possible to advance past a passage <img src="images/door.png" alt="Door" height="26" width="20"> and ignore other courses of action, skipping past their rewards and dangers. ________________________________________________________________ ''General Tips'' ''Tip:'' You can check the meaning of your stats and other interesting lore in the Codex, located above your character portrait. ''Tip:'' During Skill Checks, while your skills are always taken into consideration, a 20-sided die is rolled alongside them. The die will dynamically either add or reduce up to 10 points to the Skill Check; there is a ~5% chance that the die may not roll at all, as if it got thrown off the table! ''Tip:'' Skill Checks are measured against a threshold that varies according to story progression and context. In the early game, the threshold to succeed at the event is usually 25; from Chapter 2 it rises to 35; from Chapter 6 it goes to 45 and stays there until the end of the game. ''Tip:'' Attribute Checks, Threat Checks and Health Checks (collectively known as Special Checks) are fully static. This means there is never any luck involved with them. ''Tip:'' Attribute Checks are usually checked against a mirroring Threat - so Dignity is put against Twilight, Prosperity against Peril and Freedom against Revolution. If your Attribute is higher than the corresponding Threat, you will succeed. Threat Checks and Health Checks are rarer, and are usually set against a given number (normally 40 and 70, respectively). ''Tip:'' On the odd chance that Attributes, Threats or Health have a negative value, they are automatically raised to 0 (zero) at the start of every chapter. If any of them are above 100 (one hundred), they are automatically set to 100 (one hundred) at the start of every chapter. ''Tip:'' Even if you fail a Skill Check, you will still gain some experience. For example, if you have a choice that involves fighting a character or tricking him, fighting might be a Derring-Do check. If you win, you will gain further boosts - in Skills, Health or Attributes, or even lose some Threat. If you fail the Derring-Do check, you may gain penalties to Health or Attributes, or even gain Threat, but you will always gain a boost in your Derring-Do just from trying! ''Tip:'' Therefore, you must do a balancing act. If your (if: $gender is "female")[Marquise](else:)[Marquis] is a mostly Cunning ruler who is poor in Derring-Do, you will have greater chances at succeeding at a choice involving trickery (and thus, probably, Cunning) to reap its rewards... ''Tip:'' ... however, by picking the option to fight, even though you are likely to fail you will still gain a boost to the Skill used (e.g. Derring-Do), increasing the chances of succeeding at future, harder, more meaningful Derring-Do challenges. If you are fighting for your life against a wild beast, you may wish you had trained (and raised) your Derring-Do by trying that fight earlier on! ''Tip:'' In some cases, Skill Checks can be entirely bypassed depending on your previous choices, events and assets - even if your stats aren't high enough, you will always succeed on these occasions. ''Tip:'' Special Checks normally involve one of your Attributes matched against its corresponding Threat. For example, if you see a Special Check involving Freedom, it might be comparing your Freedom stat to your levels of Revolution. In a few cases, only the Attribute is checked (e.g. in such an event, only your levels of Freedom would be counted). ________________________________________________________________ ''Endgame Tips'' ''Tip:'' If your Threats rise too high, you may be taken to the Game Over screen. You may get one final chance at redemption if, depending on your situation: your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> isn't Pitiable or Despicable, your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> isn't Desperate or Shattered, or your <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> Freedom isn't Wretched or Oppressed. ''Tip:'' In other words: try to keep your Threats below 60 and your Attributes above 30 whenever possible! ''Tip:'' Getting a Game Over is not too bad - each version of a Game Over has its own unique ending, and may be satisfactory on its own. You can also rewind back as many times as required if you want to improve your stats in a different way. Furthermore, Casual Mode allows you to completely avoid it independently of your stats! (if: (history:) contains "Epilogue: The Arrival of the Divine")[''Tip:'' You start the Epilogue with negative Divine's Favour, representing Serault's long-standing infamy. You will be able to offset that through events, most of which involve Skill Checks, Health Checks and Special Checks.]\ (else:)[''Tip:'' Oh wait, this is a special tip. A //secret// tip. Keep playing the game to check this one...] (if: (history:) contains "Epilogue: The Arrival of the Divine")[''Tip:'' You need 5 Divine's Favour to restore the honour of Serault. With 6, 8, or 10 Divine's Favour you will get progressively better rewards, so try to get as much Favour as possible!]\ (else:)[''Tip:'' Oh wait, this is a special tip. A //secret// tip. Keep playing the game to check this one...] ________________________________________________________________ ''Intro Tips'' ''Tip:'' You make choices by selecting one of the highlighted lines. ''Tip:'' You can check the state of your affairs, acquired items and events seen in the Chronicle, located below your Health. ''Tip:'' Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> is used to influence your ending, and very rarely to pass Health Checks <img src="images/deck01.png" alt="Special" height="26" width="20"> throughout the game; a small amount is recovered at the start of every chapter. You can see your Health below your character name. ''Tip:'' There are five Skills: Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20">, Scholarship <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20">, Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20">, Woods-wise <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="26" width="20">, and Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20">. They are frequently used to pass Skill Checks throughout the game, with the hidden help or hindrance of a 20-sided die. You can see your Skills below your character portrait. ''Tip:'' You can see your starting skills below your portrait. They will improve slowly with use, or you can ask other characters to train you. Skills can reach a maximum of 100. ''Tip:'' There are three Attributes: Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20">, Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20">, and Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20">. They are used to influence your ending, and rarely to pass Special Checks throughout the game. You can see your Attributes below your Skills. ''Tip:'' There are three Threats: Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20">, Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20">, and Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20">. They are used to influence your ending, and very rarely to pass Special Checks throughout the game. You can see your Threats below your Attributes. ''Tip:'' Some choices involve Skill Checks with dice rolls; others, Special Checks where luck plays no part. However, many choices involve nothing but your own intuition, and may lead to equally great rewards. (if: (history:) contains "Epilogue: The Arrival of the Divine")[''Tip:'' The goal of the Feast of the Divine is to gain as much Divine's Favour <img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="26" width="20"> as possible in order to re-establish Serault's honour. You can see your Divine's Favour below your Health.]\ (else:)[''Tip:'' Oh wait, this is a special tip. A //secret// tip. Keep playing the game to check this one...] (if: (history:) contains "Epilogue: The Arrival of the Divine")[''Tip:'' You will have multiple opportunities to win (or lose) the Divine's Favour <img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="26" width="20"> throughout the Feast; your previous actions may have already caused an impression upon the Divine...]\ (else:)[''Tip:'' Oh wait, this is a special tip. A //secret// tip. Keep playing the game to check this one...] (if: (history:) contains "Epilogue: The Arrival of the Divine")[''Tip:'' Some of your actions may provide greater or lower amounts of Divine's Favour <img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="26" width="20"> and others may even reduce it further. Choose wisely...]\ (else:)[''Tip:'' Oh wait, this is a special tip. A //secret// tip. Keep playing the game to check this one...] (align:"=><=")[(link: "Start a New Game")[(load-game: "NewGame")]]\ (align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[//This will reset your Chronicle, but your saved games will still be available.//]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/greenwoods.png" alt="Greenwoods">](if: (random: -10,10) + $derringdo is > 25)[''To the edge of the Tirashan'' You hound the maleficar across Serault, slaying the horrors they send against you. Given no choice, your quarry turns and plunges into the patient vastness of the Tirashan, where silence wells between trees as old as the world. Let's see how long they last in there. (set: $twilight to $twilight - 5)(Your Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) \ (set: $maleficar to "beaten")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) ]\ (else:)[''Eluded'' The maleficar confounds their trail with sorceries. They plant false confessions in innocent minds. They strew misshapen horrors along your path like diseased fruit. When you eventually lose the trail, you can see the relief in the harrowed faces of your soldiers. Your quarry has eluded you, and Serault will know further terrors. (set: $twilight to $twilight + 5)(Your Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) (set: $maleficar to "around")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) ] [[A thankfully peaceful week passes by|Blown in on the Wind]] Two servants bicker over the duties of a third, their voices drifting through the window of your hall. (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 1)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $battle to $battle + 1)(You've sought battle <img src="images/bodyguard2.png" alt="Bodyguard2" height="26" width="20"> in Serault's defence!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/greenwoods.png" alt="Greenwoods">](if: (random: -10,10) + $derringdo is > 35)[''To the edge of the Tirashan'' You hound the maleficar across Serault, slaying the horrors they send against you. Given no choice, your quarry turns and plunges into the patient vastness of the Tirashan, where silence wells between trees as old as the world. Let's see how long they last in there. (set: $twilight to $twilight - 5)(Your Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) (set: $maleficar to "beaten")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) ]\ (else:)[''Eluded'' The maleficar confounds their trail with sorceries. They plant false confessions in innocent minds. They strew misshapen horrors along your path like diseased fruit. When you eventually lose the trail, you can see the relief in the harrowed faces of your soldiers. Your quarry has eluded you, and Serault will know further terrors. (set: $twilight to $twilight + 5)(Your Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) (set: $maleficar to "around")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) ] [[You barely notice the next days pass by|The Sorceress' Departure]] A horn sounds. Boots tramp. The changing of the wall-guard. (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 1)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $battle to $battle + 1)(You've sought battle <img src="images/bodyguard2.png" alt="Bodyguard2" height="26" width="20"> in Serault's defence!)

<img src="images/applewoods.png" alt="ApplewoodsBig"> (if: (random: -10,10) + $woodswise is > 35 or $outlawagents is "true")[''No hiding place'' They think the woods protect them. They are wrong. You follow their trails through the trees, coming upon the outlaws while they sleep. You and your men strike quickly, and the bandits are overcome without a single injury on your side. Your deed is the talk of Serault, and with every telling the number of bandits involved grows and the number of your men falls until it was just you, standing alone against a hundred. They call you the Woods-Ghost now. (set: $peril to $peril - 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) (set: $elfroot to $elfroot + 1)(You now have $elfroot <img src="images/elfroot.png" alt="Elfroot" height="26" width="20"> Elfroot.) (set: $woodsghost to "true")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) ]\ (else:)[''Frustration'' You search for three days, but the forest has locked its secrets away. You return to Serault castle empty-handed, bedraggled and bitter. The tales of your failure are repeated in the taverns, where you are the butt of many a joke. (set: $dignity to $dignity - 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $prosperity to $prosperity - 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $woodsghost to "bad")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)] [[In the days to follow you decide to call for help from unusual places|Pick an Accomplice]] Uncertain times present opportunities to the bold... (set: $woodswise to $woodswise + 1)(Your Woods-wise <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $battle to $battle + 1)(You've sought battle <img src="images/bodyguard2.png" alt="Bodyguard2" height="26" width="20"> in Serault's defence!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/lordship.png" alt="Lordship">]''Blighted monster'' The beast keeps to the hoary depths of the wood until its rage drives it out to trample, mangle and maul. You will need to enter the Deepwoods to find it. You divide your men in two groups; one, under the guidance of His Dour Lordship and the experienced Cheery Baron, will track and bait one of the elusive wyverns of the Applewoods to seek out the remedy for the Dowager's poisoning. The other, under your personal leadership, will go after the bereskarn hounding the outlying villages near the forest border. What preparations will you make for the hunt? [[Take extra provisions|Take extra provisions 3]] If you lost Health, these may help you regain it. [[Get an early start|Get an early start 2]] This will give you enought time to scout the wild terrain ahead. (if: $baronadvice is not "true")[ <img src="images/baron.png" alt="Baron" height="65" width="50"> [[Seek the Baron's advice|Seek the Baron's advice 2]] He's terrorised the denizens of the Applewoods for decades.]\ (else:)[~~Seek the Baron's advice He's terrorised the denizens of the Applewoods for decades.~~]\ \ (set: $bereskarn to "true")

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/baron.png" alt="Baron">]''A dangerous prey'' Catching the beast will be the least of your troubles. Many is the wyvern-hunter who has died screaming under the effects of their poison. You divide your men in two groups; one, under the guidance of the experienced Cheery Baron and His Dour Lordship, will go after the bereskarn hounding the outlying villages near the forest border. The other, under your personal leadership, will track and bait one of the elusive wyverns of the Applewoods to seek out the remedy for the Dowager's poisoning. What preparations will you make for the hunt? [[Take extra provisions|Take extra provisions 3]] If you lost Health, these may help you regain it. [[Get an early start|Get an early start 2]] This will give you enought time to scout the wild terrain ahead. (if: $baronadvice is not "true")[ <img src="images/baron.png" alt="Baron" height="65" width="50"> [[Seek the Baron's advice|Seek the Baron's advice 2]] He's terrorised the denizens of the Applewoods for decades.]\ (else:)[~~Seek the Baron's advice He's terrorised the denizens of the Applewoods for decades.~~]\ \ (set: $wyvern to "true")

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/magic.png" alt="Magic">]''Questions'' You do wonder if you had been too impulsive, too afraid of what the Divine could say if she heard you played host to an apostate - imperial seal or not. What did she want from the glassworks? If she does have the Empress' favour, will she seek further reprimand over Serault? And what was that about a giant spider? You put these troublesome questions to rest. The Waybard Bard has invited you for a match of Wicked Grace. The Elegant Abbess has also come to visit you, and who better than a member of the Chantry to deal with the matter of strange omens? [[Tell the Elegant Abbess of the strangeness that troubles Serault|Tell her of the strangeness that troubles Serault]] The unfelt wind that stirs the leaves. Tales of maleficarum. The secrets that hide in the heart of the wood. <img src="images/freedommini.png" alt="Freedom"> [[Carouse with the Wayward Bard]] Fine food. Finer wine. Soft silks and gold thread. The attention of bright young things. These he cannot resist. [[You won't let yourself be troubled by wild tales|A Sinister Discovery]] You have a land to rule, and a petitioner to deal with. (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/purveyor.png" alt="Purveyor">]''Behind the smiles'' The Purveyor does not ask twice, and he next time you see him he is as effusive as ever. Perhaps it is a coincidence when your soldiers complain that Serault's revolutionaries seem uncannily well-informed. [[It's the changing of the seasons|Chapter 7: A Tangled Web]] <img src="images/wind.png" alt="Wind" height="26" width="20"> A star-wind, high and swift, pushes silver clouds to and fro beneath the moon. //You have one month until the Divine arrives.// (set: $revolution to $revolution + 10)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 10...) (set: $dignity to $dignity + 10)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 10!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Rumours">](if: (random: -10,10) + $cunning is > 35)[''A waste of time'' An investigation would only grant credence to whisperers and gossip-mongers. You make clear that there will be no further accusations without evidence to support them. Starved of your attention, the rumours of apostasy give way to excitement about the Divine's arrival. Will she bless the sick? What will you serve at the feast? Will Serault's shame finally be lifted? (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) ]\ (else:)[''Darker truths'' Despite your admonition the rumours persist. Now there are tales of sibilant voices whispering on the rooftops at night, and blue lights burning in the wood. A young man goes missing. A garland of skulls is found hanging from a miller's gate. The miller goes mad. Some say it's not the work of a single apostate, but a whole coven. (set: $twilight to $twilight + 5)(Your Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) ] [[Over the coming weeks you turn your mind to more mundane matters|Gather Resources 1]] The Tilted Tower whistles tunelessly, the wind caught in its cracked windows. (set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/attention.png" alt="CrowEyes">](if: $dignity is > $twilight)[''Disbelief'' The cook forecasts disaster. The stablemaster predicts a death. You ignore them. Despite their doomsaying, the next week is prosperous and warm. Let fools have their omens. You make your own luck. (set: $prosperity to $prosperity + 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) ]\ (else:)[''Gloomy days'' The crows don't care if you believe them or not. Misery is abroad, and slouches towards Serault. It will be here soon. (set: $peril to $peril + 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) (set: $twilight to $twilight + 5)(Your Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) ] [[You barely notice the next days pass by|The Sorceress' Departure]] A horn sounds. Boots tramp. The changing of the wall-guard. (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $soothsayers to "ignored")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/attention.png" alt="CrowEyes">](if: $dignity is > $twilight)[''Disbelief'' The cook forecasts disaster. The stablemaster predicts a death. You ignore them. Despite their doomsaying, the next week is prosperous and warm. Let fools have their omens. You make your own luck. (set: $prosperity to $prosperity + 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) ]\ (else:)[''Gloomy days'' The crows don't care if you believe them or not. Misery is abroad, and slouches towards Serault. It will be here soon. (set: $peril to $peril + 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) (set: $twilight to $twilight + 5)(Your Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) ] [[You rest well after a long day at court|Pick a Counselor 1]] A riot of barks from the kennels; the butcher is delivering meat. (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $soothsayers to "ignored")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/house.png" alt="Shack">](if: (random: -10,10) + $derringdo is > 35)[''Undeterred'' Unwilling to grant your prey even a moment's respite, you push on. Suspicious eyes peer at you from the shack's one dark window, but their owner does not trouble you.]\ (else:)[''Astray'' You press on, irritated by the huts you glimpse through the trees. Your quarry is likely to avoid populated places. If it passed this way, it wouldn't have lingered. (set: $health to $health - 10)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10...) (set: $timeleft to $timeleft - 1)(You've got $timeleft hours <img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="26" width="20"> of daylight remaining.)] (if: $quarry is "boar")[ [[The sun moves closer to the west as you finally find the boar|Boar tracks]] (if: $hounds is "present")[The hounds wail in excitement. Your companions ready their spears; yours is already in hand.](else:)[You could have used the hounds now, to bait and corner your prey. Your companions ready their spears; yours is already in hand.]]\ (else:)[As the sun moves closer to the horizon, you are in luck! A reward for your patience: fresh tracks cross the path. Your quarry! After what seems like an eternity, you spot the rust-red of its fur as it grazes on a spray of long grass. It lifts its head. Its ears twitch. You have to act now. <img src="images/derringdomini.png" alt="DerringDoMini"> [[Nock an arrow. Aim]] It's a tricky shot through undergrowth.] (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 1)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/lock.png" alt="Lock">]''A change of scenery'' After all, is it so different? She's just exchanging one prison for another. Stone walls will replace the dell's leafy slopes; iron bars its ring of trees. Her confinement has only become a little more severe. You half expect her to resist with sorcery, but her spells are more suited to taming beasts and closing wounds than battle. She curses you as the cell door closes. "That's the Serault way, isn't it? To lock up their unwanted offshoots! How many other secrets do you have under lock and key, your Grace? Should I be expectin' company?" You leave her to rant. The walls don't care. (if: $keptcounsellor is "true" or $keptseneschal is "true")[ [[Your sleep is troubled tonight|You Dream of the Shame]] A bloodthirsty (if: $wyvern is "true")[wyvern](else:)[bereskarn] rampages through the chateau's corridors. Serault Town, set aflame by an army of soldiers with candlelights bloodied on their foreheads. (if: $bardbreakup is "true")[A man cries, alone in his quarters, whispering your name.](else-if: $abbessbreakup is "true")[A woman cries, alone in her quarters, whispering your name.](else:)[An old woman cries, alone, a sunburst brooch held to her heart.] And then...]\ (else:)[ [[A week rushes by|Fire a Counsellor 2]] A coy breeze carries the sounds and smells of the market. Spice. Lies. Laughter. The play of coin.] (You have imprisoned <img src="images/lock.png" alt="Lock" height="26" width="20"> the Anchoress.) (set: $anchoress to "arrested")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) (set: $twilight to $twilight - 15)(Your Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 15!) (set: $freedom to $freedom - 10)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10...) (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/lordship.png" alt="Lordship">]''Breaking the rules'' “You can’t! I am a Marquis of Orlais! This is not how the game is played! You take pawns, not kings!” Your chevaliers drag him away. In the days after his imprisonment, a half-dozen problems melt like spring snow. How many schemes was he involved in? With increasing desperation, he tries to buy his freedom with scandalous truths he’s unearthed on half the families of Orlais. Perhaps the Empress will demand his release. Perhaps something unfortunate will happen to him in the cells. But for now, he can rot down there, so other schemers will learn something from his fate. The next week, your (if: $keptseneschal is "true")[Seneschal](else:)[Weary Baillif] arrives with urgent news. "Your Grace! We just got word from the border sentinels. She is here!" [[So it begins|Epilogue: The Arrival of the Divine]] <img src="images/wind.png" alt="Wind" height="26" width="20"> A brusque wind cleans the sky of clouds, and the setting sun gleams red on the fragments in the Tower of Lights. //The Divine has arrived.// (You have dealt with the Nine-Fingered Agitator's master <img src="images/lordship.png" alt="Lordship" height="26" width="20">. You have untangled the Spider's web!) (set: $lordship to "arrested")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) (set: $peril to $peril - 15)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 15!) (set: $revolution to $revolution - 15)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 15!) (set: $dignity to $dignity - 10)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10...) (if: $counsellor is "lordship")[(set: $counsellor to "traitor")(His Dour Lordship <img src="images/lordship.png" alt="Lordship" height="26" width="20"> is no longer your counsellor.)]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/lock.png" alt="Lock">]''A warm welcome'' 'Carver' begs for mercy. You have none. Your guards drag him down to the cells under the Tilted Tower, where the stone walls creak and the rats scurry. Let him try his tricks on them. Serault is spared his schemes, and the lords and ladies of her high houses praise your judgement. [[You brush the impostor away from your thoughts|Prepare for the Divine 1]] Airs from the river. It is high and swift today, carrying the scent of leaves and nodding barley. (set: $fakecarver to "arrested")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) (set: $prosperity to $prosperity + 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $peril to $peril - 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/house.png" alt="Shack">]''A Tumbledown Shack'' Over the centuries the forest's edge ebbs and flows. Sometimes it rolls over homes and villages, stranding them amidst the trees. Though most of the residents leave rather than remain adrift in the great green wood, some remain. Those who do are secretive, clinging to customs older than the rule of law. <img src="images/woodswisemini.png" alt="WoodsWiseMini"> [[Speak with the inhabitants]] What have they heard? <img src="images/derringdomini.png" alt="DerringDoMini"> [[Ignore the shack]] Continue the chase.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/forest3.png" alt="Forest3">](if: (random: -10,10) + $derringdo is > 35)[''The Forgotten Ones'' Your soldiers clash with elven archers at the forest's edge. The elves are cold-eyed, with tattoos of brilliant crimson. They extract a red price from your warriors before fleeing into the deeps. For a time, the border is untroubled. "I've fought the Dalish before," mutters a scarred sergeant. "I've heard them call on their gods in battle. Elgar'nan for vengeance. Fen'Harel when they think all is lost. But these ones called out to no gods I've ever heard of before. They weren't calling out for aid; they were offering us up. Like pigs on a platter." (set: $peril to $peril - 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) ]\ (else:)[''Forest ghosts'' Your soldiers have little luck rooting out the elves. The Tirashan is miserly with its secrets. Finally one patrol, daring deeper paths, is shot at by an elven hunter. They give chase, pursuing her into the deeps, and are never seen again. Days later, their broken swords are found in a pile at the forest's edge. Your bard spins a fanciful tale of doomed heroism around the event and sets it to an old Serault folk-tune. //The Fated Few// catches on, and bards sing of the hopeless valor of your soldiers in half the courts in Orlais. (set: $peril to $peril + 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) ] [[A week comes and goes|Pick a Lover]] You sit alone in your chambers, a glass of Nevarran red in your hand. (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 1)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $elves to "battle")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/meeting.png" alt="Meeting">](if: (random: -10,10) + $derringdo is > 45 or $debate is "true")[''Closing in'' The deeper you dig, the more lies you unearth. She has deceived merchants, criminals, revolutionaries, and nobles. Everyone that knows her does so by a different name. She’s never behind the doors your soldiers break down, or lurking in the hideouts you bring to light. But each one is another bolt-hole closed to her. You’re getting close. [[Close the noose]] You've burned her hiding places, peeled away her aliases, and hounded her trail. She won't escape this time. (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 1)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (You are unravelling <img src="images/clues.png" alt="Clues" height="26" width="20"> a Tangled Web.)]\ (else:)[''Grasping the wind'' The deeper you dig, the more lies you unearth. She has deceived merchants, criminals, revolutionaries, and nobles. Everyone that knows her does so by a different name. Everyone that you ask points to a different location. Every location is a dead end. The Agitator is probably long gone. Her reasons and goals shall remain shrouded in mystery. You, however, still have work to do. [[Time marches on|A Cowled Visitor]] (if: $abbesslover is "true")["You have a visitor, my love," the Elegant Abbess tells you one morning in a quiet tone. It's hard to read her, beneath those robes and mask. Is she sweating?](if: $bardlover is "true")["Dear, there is someone waiting to see you." The Wayward Bard is not easily disturbed, but you can tell this visitor got him concerned. He looks at you. "She is waiting in the Great Hall."](else:)[A woman has arrived at the chateau looking for a private audience, you are told. Your Weary Baillif looks nervous. Who is she?] (set: $agitator to "vanished")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 1)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) ]

(if: (random: -10,10) + $cunning is > 35)[(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/fire.png" alt="Fire">]''One loose thread'' The slogans pour from his lips. The nobility are blood-drinkers, draining the common Orlesian dry. A reckoning is coming. The old world will burn, from sky to root, and a new one will rise from the ashes. The revolutionaries are careful to isolate their cells. He knows little beyond the names of his immediate compatriots. Still, to unravel a tapestry begin by picking at a single thread. [[You wave the would-be assassin away|Pick a Bodyguard]] He won't be a threat in the dungeons beneath Chateau Serault. Now you must deal with the aftermath. (set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $revolution to $revolution + 5)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) (set: $assassin to "revolutionary")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) ]\ (else-if: (random: -10,10) + $cunning is > 25)[(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/coin1.png" alt="Coin1">]''Follow the money'' Sensibly, he doesn't know any names. He was hired by an intermediary for an intermediary, and was wise enough not to ask questions. But he was to be paid in royals, not crowns. That's not the currency of revolutionaries. Royals fill baronial and ducal purses. This was one of your rivals, then, hoping to put an end to the House of Glass. [[You wave the would-be assassin away|Pick a Bodyguard]] He won't be a threat in the dungeons beneath Chateau Serault. Now you must deal with the aftermath. (set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $peril to $peril + 10)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 10...) (set: $assassin to "hiredblade")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) ]\ (else:)[(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/fire.png" alt="Fire">]''Promises'' He's happy to talk. It's practically impossible to stop him. "We are the Maker's elect! Send me to Him, demon! Andraste herself will kiss these hands that tried to kill you, and welcome me into His Eternal Republic where every soul is equal!" He goes on like that for some time. You pick hints about his compatriots and their methods from the rant. One thing gives you pause: his suggestion that he wasn't alone. "I am only one of many, // your Grace//. Your death has been written in fire. Ten stand ready to take my place, and ten more for each of //them//!" [[You wave the would-be assassin away|Pick a Bodyguard]] He won't be a threat in the dungeons beneath Chateau Serault. Now you must deal with the aftermath. (set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $revolution to $revolution + 10)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 10...) (set: $assassin to "revolutionary")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) ]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/chateau.png" alt="TowerLights">]\ ''Atop the Tower of Lights'' The wind tugs at your hair. Even at this height, it carries the smokes of Serault Town – the distant reek of the glassblowers' workshops. You come here to remind yourself who you are, and what this sweet land is to you. //Use the Tower of Lights to learn about your realm, and its borders.// (if: (history:) does not contain "Look west, to the Tirashan Forest")[ [[Look west, to the Tirashan Forest]] Across the river, a rugged rush of deep, deep green.]\ (else:)[~~Look west, to the Tirashan Forest Across the river, a rugged rush of deep, deep green.~~] (if: (history:) does not contain "Look east, to Serault Town")[ [[Look east, to Serault Town]] A thriving river port. The heart of your realm's wealth, such as it is. If only it were better managed.]\ (else:)[~~Look east, to Serault Town A thriving river port. The heart of your realm's wealth.~~] (if: (history:) does not contain "Look down, at the Chateau below")[ [[Look down, at the Chateau below]] The Tower of Lights is the highest point in the Chateau. The seat of your family’s power lies directly beneath you now.]\ (else:)[~~Look down, at the Chateau below The Tower of Lights is the highest point in the Chateau.~~] <img src="images/door.png" alt="Door"> [[Go back down]] Enough looking, enough dreaming. To work. //Leave the tower when you're ready to continue.//

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/prologue.png" alt="Prologue">]''Prologue: The Edge of the World'' Stepping into your mother's position wasn't easy. She was loved by noble and serf alike, a Marquise many don't think you are able to emulate, let alone surpass. The High Seat of Serault is yours now - a magnificent throne of stained glass, and a testament to your house's lost grandeur... [[You are the head of House de Serault|Intro: The Shame's Legacy]] Yet you live under a long shadow. (save-game:"Autosave", "$saveAuto")(Your progress <img src="images/wind.png" alt="Wind" height="26" width="20"> has been saved!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/serault.png" alt="Serault Stag">]''You are the Marquis of Serault!'' Serault lies at the ends of Orlais, on the far west of the civilised world. A realm of deep forests, stubborn people, and customs that border on heresy. Once, she was a feared player of the Great Game. But that was before her Shame. Now she is a pariah-state, a refuge for the unwanted, the misunderstood, and the unlikely. [[You are her ruler|Intro: Character Creation]] But who are you?\ \ (set: $divinefavour to $divinefavour + 5)\ (set: $rulership to $rulership + 5)\ (set: $scholarship to $scholarship + 5)\ (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 5)\ (set: $woodswise to $woodswise + 5)\ (set: $cunning to $cunning + 5)\ (set: $prosperity to $prosperity + 10)\ (set: $dignity to $dignity + 10)\ (set: $freedom to $freedom + 10)\ (set: $peril to $peril - 10)\ (set: $twilight to $twilight - 10)\ (set: $revolution to $revolution - 10)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/serault.png" alt="SeraultArms">]''You are the Marquis of Serault!'' Serault lies at the ends of Orlais, on the far west of the civilised world. A realm of deep forests, stubborn people, and customs that border on heresy. Once, she was a feared player of the Great Game. But that was before her Shame. Now she is a pariah-state, a refuge for the unwanted, the misunderstood, and the unlikely. [[You are her ruler|Intro: Character Creation]] But who are you?

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/serault.png" alt="Serault Stag">]''You are the Marquis of Serault!'' Serault lies at the ends of Orlais, on the far west of the civilised world. A realm of deep forests, stubborn people, and customs that border on heresy. Once, she was a feared player of the Great Game. But that was before her Shame. Now she is a pariah-state, a refuge for the unwanted, the misunderstood, and the unlikely. [[You are her ruler|Intro: Character Creation]] But who are you?\ \ (set: $divinefavour to $divinefavour - 5)\ (set: $rulership to $rulership - 5)\ (set: $scholarship to $scholarship - 5)\ (set: $derringdo to $derringdo - 5)\ (set: $woodswise to $woodswise - 5)\ (set: $cunning to $cunning - 5)\ (set: $prosperity to $prosperity - 10)\ (set: $dignity to $dignity - 10)\ (set: $freedom to $freedom - 10)\ (set: $peril to $peril + 10)\ (set: $twilight to $twilight + 10)\ (set: $revolution to $revolution + 10)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/ring2.png" alt="ShameRing">]\ ''The Shame of Serault'' Your great-grandfather - brilliant, murderous, generous, romantic, ruthless. Mage, apostate, abomination. He brought disgrace on the Marquisate of Serault. Even his name is forgotten: they call him the Shame. For three generations your ancestors dared not show their faces in Val Royeaux. The glass-antlered Mask of Serault, your family's most prized possession, has been held far away in the Grand Cathedral, where the Divine herself holds it until your family is deemed fully worthy of redemption. //Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> is used to influence your ending, and very rarely to pass Health Checks throughout the game; a small amount is recovered at the start of every chapter. You can see your Health below your character name.// [[You reflect from atop the Tower of Lights|Intro: Atop the Tower of Lights]] It has the best view in the whole Marquisate.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/iconoclast.png" alt="Iconoclast">]''A change of heart'' True enough, she was an initiate in the Chantry and trained at Serault Abbey. You hear from current and former nuns of the Abbey. They speak of her dedication, her piety; her unruliness, her wilfulness, her flirtations with heresy. She will say little about her education. "The Chantry has lost its way," she says. "You have seduced it with gold and comforts. It props you up when it should burn you down. Therefore, those it has abandoned must do the burning themselves. I have foreseen it. The sky, aflame. On your ashes we will build a second Golden City, and the Maker will descend to dwell among the meek." (if: (history:) does not contain "Visit the Iconoclast in her cell")[ [[Visit the Iconoclast in her cell]] You can hear what she has to say for herself: but if it becomes known that you visited her in her cell, her cause will grow stronger. //Investigate deeper before taking a decision.//]\ (else:)[~~Visit the Iconoclast in her cell You can hear what she has to say for herself.~~] <img src="images/rulershipmini.png" alt="RulershipMini"> [[Have her put to death]] While she lives, her revolution will prosper. But executing her is risky. Andraste has long inspired an Orlesian affection for martyrs. //Better end this the simple way.// (if: (history:) contains "Ask the Elegant Abbess about the Elusive Iconoclast")[ [[Send her into retreat at the Abbey]] She'll be well-cared for, but secluded. Perhaps, in time, she will change her ways.]\ (else:)[~~Send her into retreat at the Abbey Perhaps, in time, she will change her ways.~~] (if: (random: -10,10) + $scholarship is > 45 or $silverpoison is "true")[ [[Poison her in her cell]] What if she died of a sickness? Oh, of course they'd suspect you. But if her body showed the signs of disease - you might even convince them that it was the Maker's judgement. It would be a despicable act. But Serault must be preserved. You could purchase the herbs and visit her in her cell. It's safest. (if: $silverpoison is "true")[//The Purveyor of Teas had once gifted you a vial of poison. It's even more efficient than herbs...//]\ (else:)[~~//The Purveyor of Teas had once gifted you a vial of poison.//~~]]\ (else:)[~~Poison her in her cell What if she died of a sickness?~~] (if: $anchoress is "met" and (history:) contains "Visit the Iconoclast in her cell")[ <img src="images/chantrydoor.png" alt="ChantryDoor" height="65" width="50"> [[Let the Iconoclast go free|Return to the Anchoress' Dell]] Her crimes cannot be denied; yet, looking upon her, you wonder if you wouldn't have done the same, were you of lower birth. Against your best judgement you let her walk back into the arms of the mob. You go visit the odd old woman again, as you also have unfinished business with her...]\ (else-if: $keptcounsellor or $keptseneschal is "true" and (history:) contains "Visit the Iconoclast in her cell")[ [[Let the Iconoclast go free|You Dream of the Shame]] Her crimes cannot be denied; yet, looking upon her, you wonder if you wouldn't have done the same, were you of lower birth. Against your best judgement you let her walk back into the arms of the mob. Despite the cheers of her followers, your sleep tonight was almost calm. Until...]\ (else-if: (history:) contains "Visit the Iconoclast in her cell")[ [[Let the Iconoclast go free|Fire a Counsellor 2]] Her crimes cannot be denied; yet, looking upon her, you wonder if you wouldn't have done the same, were you of lower birth. Against your best judgement you let her walk back into the arms of the mob. The next days go by...]\ (else:)[~~Let the Iconoclast go free Her crimes cannot be denied; yet, looking upon her...~~] (set: $revolution to $revolution + 5)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/guildmistress.png" alt="Guildmistress">]''A trail of breadcrumbs'' Finally you find one of the guild - embittered by their ringleader's decision - who is willing to talk. The instigator was a soda ash factor who made frequent visits to the guild. She claimed to have been a glassworker herself at one time, who fled the factory and now wanted to give others the same chance. The Smiling Guildmistress, though, can find no records of such a person, and notes that the merchant had made her first appearance recently... (if: (history:) does not contain "Give the Cheery Baron the names and locations of revolutionary sympathisers")[ [[Give the Cheery Baron the names and locations of revolutionary sympathisers]] He will know what to do...]\ (else:)[~~Give the Cheery Baron the names and locations of revolutionary sympathisers He will know what to do...~~] (if: (random: -10,10) + $cunning is > 35 or (history:) contains "Give the Cheery Baron the names and locations of revolutionary sympathisers")[<img src="images/door.png" alt="Door"> [[Investigate the merchant of soda ash]] Soda ash is vital to the glassworking trade - it is the best flux they use to draw forth the impurities. But this is not a name you know. Who is she? //You know enough to proceed with the investigation.//]\ (else:)[~~Investigate the merchant of soda ash Who is she?~~] (set: $peril to $peril + 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/clues.png" alt="Clues">]''The game is afoot'' A good ruler cultivates sources of information regarding every part of their realm. Whatever has happened to this merchant, you will find him. [[Send the guard across the Bridge of Masks|Case: The Missing Merchant]] If he is in town, he will be found.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/peasant.png" alt="Peasant">](if: (random: -10,10) + $scholarship is > 35 or $morrigan is "purged" or $maleficar is "beaten")[''Secrets pour from blood like a vein'' Tongues loosen under your interrogation. You unravel the knot of lies. There is no apostasy here. Only gullibility, suspicion and spite. (set: $twilight to $twilight - 5)(Your Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) ]\ (else:)[''The forest for the trees'' They stand before you and they lie. From fear, from malice, because they think it's the truth - lie layered on lie layered on lie. The witnesses are as bad as the suspects. You condemn a few to the cells. Perhaps it will improve their memory. In the morning you leave in disgust. If there are any apostates here, they are hidden in the tangle of accusations. Pins in the haystack. (set: $freedom to $freedom - 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) ] [[Over the coming weeks you turn your mind to more mundane matters|Gather Resources 1]] The Tilted Tower whistles tunelessly, the wind caught in its cracked windows. (set: $scholarship to $scholarship + 1)(Your Scholarship <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/clues.png" alt="Clues">]''The plot thickens'' Whoever she is, she's not what she claimed. In the course of investigating her activities you come across half a dozen different names that she used. She would meet soda ash merchants on the river outside the town and buy their wares from them at a rate ruinously higher than she was selling it for. Whoever she might have been, someone else was financing her activities. The trail is cold. Though the instigator of the uprising eludes you, you still have to decide what to do about the glassworkers. [[Censure the glassworkers]] It is one thing to desire a better lot in life; it is quite another to openly take arms and revolt against your betters. [[Pardon the glassworkers]] You might have lost people and resources thanks to their defiance, but pressing them on even further may only fan the flames.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/lordship.png" alt="Lordship">]''A skirl of pipes'' He's brought an escort large enough to satisfy his pride, but small enough not to seem like an open threat. The Marquisate of Alyons, the black rose its emblem, is well-known for its vast, sucessful vineyards. Your own lands might be somewhat larger and wealthier, but His Dour Lordship has been personally invited to half the courts of Orlais, including that of the Empress. His word carries the influence you lack; with him at your side, the Divine is sure to be impressed. [[Try to extend a formal invitation to His Dour Lordship]] Too long, your families have been at odds. It is time for your domains to stand together.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/morrigan.png" alt="Morrigan">](if: (random: -10,10) + $woodswise is > 35)[''The Greenwood beckons'' She leans down in her saddle as a low branch crosses the trail. "This reminds me of home," she murmurs, looking into the green, delving spaces between the trees. She shakes her head, suddenly angry. "How is it possible I am nostalgic for the Korcari Wilds, of all places? The heart is a treacherous thing, (if: $gender is "female")[Lady $name](else:)[Lord $name]. Never trust it." She tells you of her homeland, the beasts that dwell there, and the things that are worse than beasts. (set: $elfroot to $elfroot + 1)(You now have $elfroot <img src="images/elfroot.png" alt="Elfroot" height="26" width="20"> Elfroot.)]\ (else:)[''The Witch of the Wilds'' "I grew up somewhere like this," she tells you, looking thoughtfully at the knotted trees and narrow shafts of sunlight. "Somewhere wild and remote. Not remote enough, sometimes. I remember once, a band of Templars came hunting for my mother and I. They thought that they would put an end to the Witches of the Wilds." She smiles, grimly, and tells you what happened to them. It's not a pretty memory. (set: $health to $health - 5)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) ] The memory of her laughter lingers on the following day, as you happen upon the Scornful Sorceress once again. <img src="images/scholarshipmini.png" alt="ScholarshipMini"> [[You find her in the library, idly examining a history of your family]] She points at the charred stain where the Shame's name has been seared from your family tree. "Tell me about him." (set: $woodswise to $woodswise + 1)(Your Woods-wise <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

<img src="images/chateaubig.png" alt="ChateauBig"> ''Serault blood'' She gapes as you lead her through the chateau. The bright tapestries; the shining glass. The first time she steps on a carpet, she jumps as if it bit her. Then she grins, and cackles. "Can't have the floors naked, eh? What would the neighbours think? The scandal!" She settles into a room in the Heron Tower. Modest but airy, with views of the forest. "Don't know how anyone's supposed to sleep on something this soft," she sniffs, as she bounces experimentally on the edge of the bed, "but I should like to give it a try." A handmaid brings her new clothes - elegant gowns fit for a Serault - but she prefers her robes. You at least have new ones made. You can't have her ragged. For the most part she avoids your court. The lords and ladies know she's a relative, but no details. They treat her appalling manners as eccentricity. She prefers to spend her days at the plaza, anyway, where she can eat bitter apples from a string bag and watch Serault bustle. Some evenings she eats with you, chewing toothlessly at the hard-boiled eggs to which she has developed a consuming addiction. Afterwards, drowsy from the wine, she drifts off before the fire. A servant drapes a blanket over her. She never thanks you. Perhaps she thinks she's finally getting what she was owed. But - apart from the eggs - her demands are slight. You call on her one day. There's no answer from her room, but the door is unlocked. You look inside. The gowns you gave her hang on the wall like tapestries. The bed is bare, because she's pulled the blankets off and made a nest from them under the open window. You can take the Anchoress out of the dell, but you can't take the dell out of the Anchoress. (if: $keptcounsellor is "true" or $keptseneschal is "true")[ [[Your sleep is troubled tonight|You Dream of the Shame]] A bloodthirsty (if: $wyvern is "true")[wyvern](else:)[bereskarn] rampages through the chateau's corridors. Serault Town, set aflame by an army of soldiers with candlelights bloodied on their foreheads. (if: $bardbreakup is "true")[A man cries, alone in his quarters, whispering your name.](else-if: $abbessbreakup is "true")[A woman cries, alone in her quarters, whispering your name.](else:)[An old woman cries, alone, a sunburst brooch held to her heart.] And then...]\ (else:)[ [[A week rushes by|Fire a Counsellor 2]] A coy breeze carries the sounds and smells of the market. Spice. Lies. Laughter. The play of coin.] (You have welcomed <img src="images/serault.png" alt="SeraultArms" height="26" width="20"> the Anchoress.) (set: $anchoress to "welcomed")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) (set: $twilight to $twilight + 5)(Your Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) (set: $freedom to $freedom + 15)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 15!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/baron.png" alt="Baron">]''A true ally'' (if: $triedbaron is "true")[When you had offered him the job before, he didn't think you were hardened enough. Now, it seems, you've changed his mind.] "Marvellous idea! Bloody marvellous! You and me, we can make Serault everything she was meant to be. Strong. Independent. Proud." His thick finger stabs the table with each word. "When I look at you, I see a bit of me looking back. Only a bit, mind. There's a lot more of me than there is of you. But don't worry, we'll fatten you up," he laughs. "Life's a swift flight through a narrow room, $name de Serault, and outside the night is cold. Eat. Hunt. Live. Love. That room's only as warm as you make it." [[A couple of rainy weeks come and go; you have a visitor|The Abbess' Road]] It's someone you know well. She asks to meet in private, in the pause between the open sessions of the court. (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 2)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 2!) (set: $woodswise to $woodswise + 1)(Your Woods-wise <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $counsellor to "baron")(The Baron <img src="images/baron.png" alt="Baron" height="26" width="20"> comes to stand at your shoulder.)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/dowager.png" alt="Dowager">]\ ''A new adviser'' "It would be an honour," she gives you a congratulatory smile, as if you'd finally come to your senses. "These are turbulent times, but together we can undo some of the damage of recent years." [[You sleep soundly tonight|A Meeting with the Outlaw]] When you awake, however, you are startled by something on your bed. (set: $rulership to $rulership + 2)(Your Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 2!) (set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $counsellor to "dowager")(The Dowager's smile <img src="images/dowager.png" alt="Dowager" height="26" width="20"> is triumphant as she moves to stand beside your High Seat.)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/abbess.png" alt="Abbess">]''A new adviser'' She seems surprised at the offer, and there is sadness in her smile. (if: $triedabbess is "true")[When you had offered her the job before, she didn't think you were wise enough. Now, it seems, you've changed her mind.] "I will miss my beautiful abbey, and the sweet chanting of my novices. But of course I will serve. We will be shepherds, and Serault our lamb. We shall see her to sunlit pastures. We shall stone the wolves who threaten her." (if: $abbesslover is "true")[When she kisses you, it feels as if the embrace of winter had melted away.] [[A couple of rainy weeks come and go|The Abbess' Road]] Your newly-minted counsellor arrives to see you. (set: $scholarship to $scholarship + 2)(Your Scholarship <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 2!) (set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $counsellor to "abbess")(The Abbess <img src="images/abbessalt.png" alt="AbbessAlt" height="26" width="20"> takes her place at your side.)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/guildmistress.png" alt="Guildmistress">]\ ''Up in the world'' She bows. "I would be happy to serve, your Grace. We will make Serault //gleam//." She's survived the pit of serpents that is the guild hierarchy for years. She's ready for something more. [[You sleep soundly tonight|A Meeting with the Outlaw]] When you awake, however, you are startled by something on your bed. (set: $cunning to $cunning + 2)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 2!) (set: $rulership to $rulership + 1)(Your Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $counsellor to "guildmistress")(The Guildmistress <img src="images/guildmistress.png" alt="Guildmistress" height="26" width="20"> grins like a cat in the sun, and takes her place at your side.)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/knight.png" alt="Knight">]\ ''Mild and blinking eyes'' "Why, I'd be honoured, of course! I will endeavour to provide wise counsel. Times may change, but some wisdom is timeless, eh?" His grey head wags with delight. [[You sleep soundly tonight|A Meeting with the Outlaw]] When you awake, however, you are startled by something on your bed. (set: $scholarship to $scholarship + 2)(Your Scholarship <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 2!) (set: $rulership to $rulership + 1)(Your Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $counsellor to "knight")(The Knight <img src="images/knight.png" alt="Knight" height="26" width="20"> takes his place at your side.)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/forest1.png" alt="Forest1">]''A Glade'' The grass is soft, and bedded with springy moss. Bright wildflowers glow around the glade's edge. The air is calm. <img src="images/rulershipmini.png" alt="RulershipMini"> [[Rouse your party to press on]] They are weary, and want only to rest for a while. (if: $battle is > 1)[//You have personally led many of these men to hard victories before. They will hear you.//]\ (else:)[~~//You have personally led many of these men to hard victories before.//~~] <img src="images/derringdomini.png" alt="DerringDoMini"> [[Press on alone]] There's no time to rest. If your companions can't keep up, you'll go on without them. [[Tarry]] Linger in the glade and recover your strength. //You will recover some Health.//\ \ (set: $deepwoods to "true")

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/outlaw.png" alt="Outlaw">]''Judging the Errant Siblings'' The Errant Siblings planned to join the Dashing Outlaw's band, buying her favour with silver stolen from their victims. But the Outlaw, furious at the harm they had done to her reputation, rejected them. Instead, she gave them to some inhuman power that dwells in the woods. <img src="images/bardalt.png" alt="BardAlt" height="65" width="50"> [[Send an emissary into the woods to retrieve them]] The Wayward Bard volunteers. "Wayward youth? Dark pacts? I smell a ballad. Something catchy that you can drink to." <img src="images/door.png" alt="Door"> [[Abandon them to their fate|Abandon the matter]] Whatever became of them, they probably deserved it.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/serault.png" alt="SeraultArms">](if: $counsellor is "abbess" or "baron" or "plainspoken" or "hesitant")[''Aftermath'' You entrust your counsellor, (if: $counsellor is "abbess")[the Elegant Abbess](else-if: $counsellor is "plainspoken")[the Plainspoken Seneschal](else-if: $counsellor is "hesitant")[the Hesitant Seneschal](else:)[the Cheery Baron], with the task of setting the remaining glassworkers back to their vital work - and making sure they are well-watched. [[A couple of rainy weeks come and go; you have a visitor|The Abbess' Road]] It's someone you know well. She asks to meet in private, in the pause between the open sessions of the court. (if: $counsellor is "abbess")[(set: $scholarship to $scholarship + 1)(Your Scholarship <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)]\ (else-if: $counsellor is "plainspoken")[(set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 1)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)]\ (else-if: $counsellor is "hesitant")[(set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)]\ (else:)[(set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 1)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $woodswise to $woodswise + 1)(Your Woods-wise <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) ]]\ (else:)[''A loyal hand'' Your counsellor should do for now. If nothing else, may the lords and ladies of Serault know that you are not one to change opinions as the wind changes direction. [[A couple of rainy weeks come and go; you have a visitor|The Abbess' Road]] It's someone you know well. She asks to meet in private, in the pause between the open sessions of the court. (if: $counsellor is "dowager")[(set: $rulership to $rulership + 1)(Your Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $scholarship to $scholarship + 1)(Your Scholarship <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)]\ (else-if: $counsellor is "guildmistress")[(set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $rulership to $rulership + 1)(Your Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)]\ (else:)[(set: $scholarship to $scholarship + 1)(Your Scholarship <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $woodswise to $woodswise + 1)(Your Woods-wise <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) ]\ (set: $keptcounsellor to "true")]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/accomplice.png" alt="Accomplice">]''Where loyalty is born'' The help you hired might not make a great impression upon your visitors once the Divine's entourage arrives, but so is the way of things: you will not throw aside loyal support, even on her holy whim. [[It's the changing of the seasons|Chapter 7: A Tangled Web]] <img src="images/wind.png" alt="Wind" height="26" width="20"> A star-wind, high and swift, pushes silver clouds to and fro beneath the moon. //You have one month until the Divine arrives.// (if: $accomplice is "outlaw" and $bodyguard is "outlaw")[(set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $woodswise to $woodswise + 1)(Your Woods-wise <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) ]\ (else-if: $accomplice is "outlaw" and $bodyguard is "hunter")[(set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 1)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $woodswise to $woodswise + 1)(Your Woods-wise <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)]\ (else-if: $accomplice is "teamaster" and $bodyguard is "outlaw")[(set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 1)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) ]\ (else-if: $accomplice is "teamaster" and $bodyguard is "hunter")[(set: $rulership to $rulership + 1)(Your Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $woodswise to $woodswise + 1)(Your Woods-wise <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) ]\ (else-if: $accomplice is "pigfarmer" and $bodyguard is "outlaw")[(set: $rulership to $rulership + 1)(Your Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 1)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) ]\ (else:)[(set: $scholarship to $scholarship + 1)(Your Scholarship <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $woodswise to $woodswise + 1)(Your Woods-wise <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)]\ (set: $keptlowborn to "true")

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/tracks.png" alt="Tracks">]''On the trail'' They keep unerringly to the scent, steering you back to the trail when you might have gone astray. [[Eventually your party finds tracks on the ground]] They belong to a different animal, however. (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $timeleft to $timeleft - 1)(You've got $timeleft hours <img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="26" width="20"> of daylight remaining.)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/serault.png" alt="SeraultArms">]''Reasons of state'' Serault's problems cannot be placed entirely over your counsellor's shoulders - or, for that matter, your own. Even if the position is far from necessary now, with the Divine's visit ever closer, it is convenient to have someone else sort out the less relevant matters of state. Besides, in spite of all that has happened, you //have// grown to trust their judgement. [[Your sleep is troubled tonight|You Dream of the Shame]] A bloodthirsty (if: $wyvern is "true")[wyvern](else:)[bereskarn] rampages through the chateau's corridors. Serault Town, set aflame by an army of soldiers with candlelights bloodied on their foreheads. (if: $bardbreakup is "true")[A man cries, alone in his quarters, whispering your name.](else-if: $abbessbreakup is "true")[A woman cries, alone in her quarters, whispering your name.](else:)[An old woman cries, alone, a sunburst brooch held to her heart.] And then... (if: $counsellor is "lordship")[(set: $rulership to $rulership + 1)(Your Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)]\ (else-if: $counsellor is "abbess")[(set: $scholarship to $scholarship + 1)(Your Scholarship <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) ]\ (else:)[(set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 1)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)]\ (set: $keptcounsellor to "true")

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/bard.png" alt="Bard">]''Warm welcome'' He returns your welcome, his careful hands cradling your face. "Sweeter than an Amaranthine red," he declares afterwards. "Good job I wasn't alone in the woods when the Knight took me, eh?" He says, with the grace to look sheepish. "I'm glad my... travelling companion was able to get word to you. You know what the so-called 'Lord of the Forest' had me doing? Penning a ballad called '//The Shame of Serault//'. He's obsessed with it. Both the event and the man. Thinks of nothing else." (if: $health is < 60 and (history:) does not contain "Ask for the Bard back")[ <img src="images/specialmini.png" alt="SpecialMini"> [[ You need to rest!|You need to rest! 3]] Recent events have enacted their price on you.]\ (else:)[ [[A week comes and goes|Cheating Chance]] The air is calm. The sounds of Serault: carts in the streets, the blacksmiths at work, the laughter of children. ] (Your Bard <img src="images/bardalt.png" alt="BardAlt" height="26" width="20"> is restored to you. A new chapter opens <img src="images/halla.png" alt="Halla" height="26" width="20"> in the story of the Lord of the Forest.) (set: $dignity to $dignity - 10)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10...) (set: $twilight to $twilight - 10)(Your Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/divine.png" alt="Divine">]''Welcoming the Divine'' "Most Holy, it's an honour," you say. Your head down, you don't see her face. She shows you her hand, a big jewel on the top of her ring. You kiss it, and in doing so she asks, "Rise, (if: $gender is "female")[Marquise](else:)[Marquis]." Her voice is gentle, like that of a patient grandmother. "(if: $gender is "female")[Lady $name](else:)[Lord $name] de Serault. I have heard much of you, your family, and the way you rule your lands. I already see there is some truth to the stories, and it isn't nearly as grim as what I had heard." (if: $health is < 70)[Her Holiness does look worringly at your paled face; it is said the Shame's sorceries enacted a great price upon his health. You're certain many wonder whether you have inherited his magic.] A host of Templars is behind her; you think you spot a Seeker or two among them. The last time Serault hosted so many of the Chantry's enforcers, they were hunting down a Marquis of Serault... a hunt that ended with his slaughter. (if: $keptcounsellor is "true")[For the moment the Divine seems to pay greater attention to your advisers than to yourself. After that messy affair with the Elusive Iconoclast, some wonder who truly rules Serault - it's up to you to show them otherwise.](else:)[It's time to set your plans in motion.] [[You invite them to the Chateau's Great Hall]] They pass through the Hall of Glories on the way. You hear, satisfied, some of her retinue audibly gasp at the glass on the chateau's windows, casting many-hued lights on the walls. (if: $health is < 70 and $keptcounsellor is "true")[(set: $divinefavour to $divinefavour - 1)(Your Divine's Favour <img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 1...) (set: $freedom to $freedom - 10)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10...)]\ (else-if: $health is < 70)[(set: $divinefavour to $divinefavour + 1)(Your Divine's Favour <img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $freedom to $freedom - 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...)]\ (else-if: $keptcounsellor is "true")[(set: $divinefavour to $divinefavour + 1)(Your Divine's Favour <img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $freedom to $freedom - 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...)]\ (else:)[(set: $divinefavour to $divinefavour + 2)(Your Divine's Favour <img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 2!) (set: $freedom to $freedom - 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...)] (set: $dignity to $dignity - 10)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/divine.png" alt="Divine">]''Welcoming the Divine'' "Most Holy, it's an honour," you say. Your head down, you don't see her face. She shows you her hand, a big jewel on the top of her ring. You kiss it, and in doing so she asks, "rise, (if: $gender is "female")[Marquise](else:)[Marquis]." Her voice is calm and controlled, like that of an experienced governess. "(if: $gender is "female")[Lady $name](else:)[Lord $name] de Serault. I have heard much of you, your family, and the way you rule your lands. I already see there is some truth to the stories." (if: $health is < 70)[Her Holiness does look worringly at your paled face; it is said the Shame's sorceries enacted a great price upon his health. You're certain many wonder whether you have inherited his magic.] A host of Templars is behind her; you think you spot a Seeker or two among them. The last time Serault hosted so many of the Chantry's enforcers, they were hunting down a Marquis of Serault... a hunt that ended with his slaughter. (if: $keptcounsellor is "true")[For the moment the Divine seems to pay greater attention to your advisers than to yourself. After that messy affair with the Elusive Iconoclast, some wonder who truly rules Serault - it's up to you to show them otherwise.](else:)[It's time to set your plans in motion.] [[You invite them to the Chateau's Great Hall]] They pass through the Hall of Glories on the way. You hear, satisfied, some of her retinue audibly gasp at the glass on the chateau's windows, casting many-hued lights on the walls. (if: $health is < 70 and $keptcounsellor is "true")[(set: $divinefavour to $divinefavour - 1)(Your Divine's Favour <img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 1...) (set: $freedom to $freedom - 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...)]\ (else-if: $health is < 70)[(set: $freedom to $freedom - 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...)]\ (else-if: $keptcounsellor is "true")[(set: $freedom to $freedom - 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...)]\ (else:)[(set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!)]

(if: $dignity is < $twilight)[(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/lion.png" alt="Dignity">]''Serault is Humbled!'' Apparently, Serault's dishonour is causing her concern: //'We trust you can provide assurances regarding Serault's eminence and testify to the lineage of her lords, ladies, chevaliers, and barons...'// "Rumours and lies", you mutter just a bit loudly. A servant girl carrying water rushes past in a hurry; she probably heard you.]\ (else:)[(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight">]''The shadows of Serault'' Her Perfection is clear in her closing words: she will have little patience for reports of magery or witchcraft during her visit. Mayhaps you did have a mage or two around your domain in days past, but how did that information come to reach the Divine's ears, distant as she is in Val Royeaux?] //Beware: as the time for her visit approaches, if your Dignity is below 30 and your Twilight is above 60, the Divine might abandon her visit to Serault!// [[You burn the Divine's letter at the closest brazier you can find|Chapter 6: Enlightenment]] <img src="images/wind.png" alt="Wind" height="26" width="20"> The wind dips. The evening is sleepy. For a moment, the only sound in Serault Town is the lonely ringing of a smith’s hammer. //You have two months until the Divine arrives.//\ \ (if: $twilight is > $dignity)[(set: $divinefavour to $divinefavour - 1)]

(if: $freedom is < $revolution )[(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom">]''Serault is Shackled!'' The Divine is concerned about Serault's lack of freedom. The Chantry often sides with the wealthy and the powerful and those who are both, but Her Eminence Justinia V is famed for her care for the lower folk. //'We are troubled by tales of the pitiful state of Serault's peasantry. We have heard that they are treated little better than beasts...'// Things aren't //that// bad. Right?]\ (else:)[(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution">]''The troublemakers of Serault'' The Divine reveals her concern regarding the brewing civil war between the supporters of Empress Celene and Grand Duke Gaspard, the latter formely considered the heir to Emperor Judicael's throne, and those who seek to gain advantage from the chaos. She seems to believe - by whose suggestion you do not know - that Serault may be playing host to revolutionaries of a dangerous sort.] //Beware: as the time for her visit approaches, if your Freedom is below 30 and your Revolution is above 60, the Divine might abandon her visit to Serault!// <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity"> [[The letter is almost over|Lack of Dignity]] Stableboys and guards now have to dodge you on their way to work, absorted as you are. You think you spy the Cheery Baron on the corner of your eye, but he's smart enough not to interrupt you.\ \ (if: $revolution is > $freedom)[(set: $divinefavour to $divinefavour - 1)]

(if: $prosperity is < $peril)[(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity">]''Serault is Paupered!'' The Divine seems greatly concerned about Serault's lack of prosperity. Hosting the most powerful person in Thedas comes with costs that, she fears, you might end up unable to deal with. //'Her Perfection is unwilling to visit Serault if doing so would reduce this once-fine domain to penury...'// How considerate of her.]\ (else:)[(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril">]''The dangers of Serault'' The Divine seems greatly concerned about the state of Serault's roads and rivers, and the bandits that "prowl around every bush". You do not know how or why, but someone must be spreading rumours about Serault's dangers - and perhaps exaggerating it by a notch or two. In your reply, you'll try your best to dispel such lies.] //Beware: as the time for her visit approaches, if your Prosperity is below 30 and your Peril is above 60, the Divine might abandon her visit to Serault!// <img src="images/freedommini.png" alt="Freedom"> [[You gulp as you keep reading the letter|Lack of Freedom]] A courtier approaches, wanting a word. "Not now," you say brusquely.\ \ (if: $peril is > $prosperity)[(set: $divinefavour to $divinefavour - 1)]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/fire.png" alt="Fire">]''Champion of the people'' You have heard her name before. (if: $spider is > 1)[Whispers pointed to the glassworkers' Uprising of months past as being her work, though it was later revealed to be responsibility of another woman, with nine fingers. This might be a very different kind of rabble-rouser...](else:)[Whispers had pointed to the glassworkers' Uprising of months past as possibly being her work. Could it really be her now, peddling rebellion? You ought to investigate.] Whom shall you call to ask about this new threat to Serault? <img src="images/knight.png" alt="Knight" height="65" width="50"> [[Ask the Kindly Knight about the Elusive Iconoclast]] She has been sighted on his lands. <img src="images/purveyor.png" alt="Purveyor" height="65" width="50"> [[Ask the Purveyor of Teas about the Elusive Iconoclast]] It's said he has revolutionary connections. <img src="images/abbessalt.png" alt="AbbessAlt" height="65" width="50"> [[Ask the Elegant Abbess about the Elusive Iconoclast]] There is a religious dimension to the Iconoclast's revolution.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom">]''Comedy, not tragedy'' Your laugh breaks the tense air. The joker and his friends join in, a desperate edge to their laughter. A narrow escape. Relieved, they share their secrets: things people are normally too frightened to voice. The story of the joke spreads. Your reputation as a (if: $gender is "female")[Marquise](else:)[Marquis] of the people grows. [[Over the coming weeks you turn your mind to less mundane matters|Gather Resources 1]] The Tilted Tower whistles tunelessly, the wind caught in its cracked windows. (set: $dignity to $dignity - 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $freedom to $freedom + 10)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 10!) (set: $baronbastard to "laugh")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom">]''Comedy, not tragedy'' Your laugh breaks the tense air. The joker and his friends join in, a desperate edge to their laughter. A narrow escape. Relieved, they share their secrets: things people are normally too frightened to voice. The story of the joke spreads. Your reputation as a (if: $gender is "female")[Marquise](else:)[Marquis] of the people grows. [[A week comes and goes|Pick a Lover]] You sit alone in your chambers, a glass of Nevarran red in your hand. (set: $dignity to $dignity - 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $freedom to $freedom + 10)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 10!) (set: $baronbastard to "laugh")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/forest3.png" alt="Forest3">](if: (random: -10,10) + $derringdo is > 25)[''The Battle of the Greenvault'' Forgotten trails lead your band into the heart of the bandit's council, where the chiefs of the Red Song and the Shuttered Lamp wrestle among the scattered leaves, sharp knives glinting as they dispute primacy. Your soldiers fall, baying, on the unprepared bandits. It's over in minutes. (set: $peril to $peril - 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) (set: $health to $health - 10)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10...) ]\ (else:)[''Watchers in the wood'' The Black Knot have put watchers in the trees, their hands and faces painted with mulch. As your soldiers creep below the bandits hoot like maddened owls, alerting their comrades. The council breaks, the bandits flee, your men pursue, and the day devolves into a string of brutal running battles between the trees. A number of your troops don't return, and Serault's coffers creak under the strain of replacing them and compensating their families. At least the bandit-clans will be wary for a while. (set: $peril to $peril - 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) (set: $prosperity to $prosperity - 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $health to $health - 15)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 15...) ] [[A more peaceful week passes by|Blown in on the Wind]] Two servants bicker over the duties of a third, their voices drifting through the window of your hall. (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 1)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $battle to $battle + 1)(You've sought battle <img src="images/bodyguard2.png" alt="Bodyguard2" height="26" width="20"> in Serault's defence!) \ (set: $greenvault to "true")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/forest3.png" alt="Forest3">](if: (random: -10,10) + $derringdo is > 35 or $rivertroubles is "true")[''The Battle of the Greenvault'' Forgotten trails lead your band into the heart of the bandit's council, where the chiefs of the Red Song and the Shuttered Lamp wrestle among the scattered leaves, sharp knives glinting as they dispute primacy. Your soldiers fall, baying, on the unprepared bandits. It's over in minutes. (set: $peril to $peril - 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) (set: $health to $health - 10)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10...) ]\ (else:)[''Watchers in the wood'' The Black Knot have put watchers in the trees, their hands and faces painted with mulch. As your soldiers creep below the bandits hoot like maddened owls, alerting their comrades. The council breaks, the bandits flee, your men pursue, and the day devolves into a string of brutal running battles between the trees. A number of your troops don't return, and Serault's coffers creak under the strain of replacing them and compensating their families. At least the bandit-clans will be wary for a while. (set: $peril to $peril - 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) (set: $prosperity to $prosperity - 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $health to $health - 15)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 15...) ] [[Over the coming weeks you turn your mind to less mundane matters|Gather Resources 1]] The Tilted Tower whistles tunelessly, the wind caught in its cracked windows. (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 1)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $battle to $battle + 1)(You've sought battle <img src="images/bodyguard2.png" alt="Bodyguard2" height="26" width="20"> in Serault's defence!) \ (set: $greenvault to "true")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/fire.png" alt="Fire">](if: (random: -10,10) + $derringdo is > 45 or $tourneywin is "true")[''The thunder of hooves'' The crowd scatters before you, fleeing into alleyways and courtyards. It would be folly to pursue them further. Until the matter of the Iconoclast is settled, they'll continue to congeal outside your walls, but at least you'll have some peace tonight. (set: $peril to $peril - 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) ]\ (else:)[''A sea of flesh'' The moment the gate opens, the crowd surges forward. Your riders haven't got their momentum yet; it's like trying to ford the river in flood season. The charge turns into a quarterless battle for the gate, and by midnight the cobbles are red. You manage to drive them back outside and get the gate closed. Only when your captain calls for a healer do you realise you were hurt in the fighting. (set: $health to $health - 10)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10...) ] <img src="images/crystalball.png" alt="CrystalBall" height="52" width="40"> [[Enough is enough| Case: The Elusive Iconoclast]] Time to deal with this Iconoclast, once and for all. (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 1)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $battle to $battle + 1)(You've sought battle <img src="images/bodyguard2.png" alt="Bodyguard2" height="26" width="20"> in Serault's defence!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/bereskarn.png" alt="Bereskarn">](if: (random: -10,10) + $derringdo is > 45)[''Victory'' The beast's strength slowly fades as you cling onto its neck, putting your knife to crimson work. It tries to hurl you off, to crush you against trees, but your grip does not break. The bereskarn's strength fails first. It crashes to the earth and breathes its last. You claim its head and spines as trophies. [[Your men cheer|The Other Hunt]] You ride home, covered in mud, bear-blood, and glory. The party shouts your name through most of the way home. (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) ]\ (else:)[''More blood shed'' You close on the wounded beast. Employing your knife means getting in range of its razored spines, and you are gouged and limping by the time you slide your blade into its heart. It struck a hard bargain, this bereskarn, but its head and spines are yours, now. (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $health to $health - 15)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 15...) ] [[Your men cheer|The Other Hunt]] You ride home, covered in mud, glory, and your own blood. The party shouts your name through most of the way home. (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 1)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $bereskarntrophy to "true")(You have acquired <img src="images/conciliation.png" alt="ConciliationCup" height="26" width="20"> a new asset!)\ (set: $trophies to $trophies + 1)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/clues.png" alt="Clues">]''Free thought'' Rumour travels quickly in Serault, and even her serfs are scholars. Schools of learning thrive here that languish in other parts of Thedas. You send out agents to learn about the Divine. Her friends, her foes, her past, her troubles. They return with dangerous smiles and even more dangerous secrets. [[You break your fast amidst the sounds of the morning|The Bard wants a Quiet Word]] A crash from the kitchens, followed by curses and laughter. (set: $scholarship to $scholarship + 1)(Your Scholarship <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/clues.png" alt="Clues">]''Free thought'' Rumour travels quickly in Serault, and even her serfs are scholars. Schools of learning thrive there that languish in other parts of Thedas. You send out agents to learn about the Divine. Her friends, her foes, her past, her troubles. They return with dangerous smiles and even more dangerous secrets. [[You request counsel from an ally, and order the windows closed for the day|Send For 2]] Smoke from the glassworks. The chemical sting of their tinctures. (set: $scholarship to $scholarship + 1)(Your Scholarship <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/path.png" alt="Path">]''A bad road'' The siblings were not subtle. They spoke about their plans before they worked up the courage to go through with them. Chafing under the yoke of servitude, they meant to flee into the Applewoods and join the Dashing Outlaw’s band. The money from their robberies was intended as a tribute to win the outlaws’ approval. [[Learn of their reception]] Did their plans come to fruition? <img src="images/door.png" alt="Door"> [[Abandon the matter]] Whatever they did, they're gone now. Declare the matter closed. (if: (random: -10,10) + $woodswise is > 35)[ <img src="images/crystalball.png" alt="CrystalBall" height="52" width="40"> [[Solve the case]] You have a good idea what happened to the Errant Siblings. But what will you do about it? //You know enough to solve the case at once.//]\ (else:)[~~Solve the case You have a good idea what happened to the Errant Siblings.~~]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/outlaw.png" alt="Outlaw">]''A poor welcome'' Information from the woods is hard to come by, but you have your ways. It seems the Dashing Outlaw wasn’t pleased with the tribute the siblings brought her. The common folk know the Outlaw as a robber of the rich but a friend to the poor, a reputation she protects fiercely. Exactly what the Dashing Outlaw does with those who displease her is the subject of grisly night-time tales. The most disturbing say that she has made a pact with something that dwells in the wood, and offers it victims. In return it hides her camps from her enemies... [[Solve the case]] You have a good idea what happened to the Errant Siblings. But what will you do about it? <img src="images/door.png" alt="Door"> [[Abandon the matter]] Whatever they did, they're gone now. Declare the matter closed. (set: $twilight to $twilight + 5)(Your Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/forest2.png" alt="Forest2">](if: (random: -10,10) + $woodswise is > 45)[''On the right track'' You've barely left the trail when you find tracks in the mud. Fresh tracks. (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 1)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) ]\ (else-if: (random: -10,10) + $woodswise is > 35)[''On the right track'' You search the forest until you find broken grass and trampled leaves. Something has passed this way recently.]\ (else:)[''Fruitless'' You wade through the undergrowth, looking for any sign of your quarry. But the forest hoards its secrets like a miser his silver. There are no signs of them. (set: $timeleft to $timeleft - 1)(You've got $timeleft hours <img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="26" width="20"> of daylight remaining.)] [[One of your scouts see it|A Glimpse]] A path of trees, torn apart by something heavy. A horrid smell. The sun of Orlais traces its path across the sky... (set: $woodswise to $woodswise + 1)(Your Woods-wise <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/forest3.png" alt="Forest3">]''Punished enough'' Let this so-called 'Lord of the Forest' keep the little criminals. He won't have your oath. That night, you climb the Tilted Tower and look west - where the black ocean of trees seethes under a fretful night-wind. Serault's woods have always been wild. The Veil was thin there even before the Shame gnawed at it with his sorceries. It seems they hold more secrets than you knew. [[The Wayward Bard crosses your path|An Assault on your Person]] Airs from the river. It is low today, and reeks of oozing mud and flopping eels. (A new chapter opens <img src="images/halla.png" alt="Halla" height="26" width="20"> in the story of the Lord of the Forest.) (set: $errantsiblings to "abandoned")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) (set: $peril to $peril - 10)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/forest3.png" alt="Forest3">]''Alone'' Your companions have been left behind. You are alone in the solemn woods. <img src="images/derringdomini.png" alt="DerringDoMini"> [[Press on regardless]] There is nothing to fear. <img src="images/woodswisemini.png" alt="WoodsWiseMini"> [[What is that light in the trees?]] Is someone there? Is it one of your companions? (set: $alone to "true")(You are alone <img src="images/lostchild.png" alt="LostChild" height="26" width="20">.)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/bard.png" alt="Bard">]''Responsibilities'' (if: $bardlover is "missing")[(set: $bardlover to "false")The Wayward Bard is sweet, charming, and an welcome presence at your court. However, when matters of state are in jeopardy you must not allow yourself to let feelings get in the way of proper governance. You shall not further indebt yourself to this Horned Knight on account of a lover - no matter how handsome he is.]\ (else:)[The Wayward Bard is a welcome presence at your court. However, at the end of the day he is just a bard; you won't brave the dark of the Applewoods or indebt yourself any further to a wood-spirit on account of a wandering musician.] The Wayward Bard does return, eventually. His usual merry self gives way a more taciturn figure; it's clear that his service to the Lord of the Forest isn't easy to endure. Whatever it is, he won't tell you - he now spends most of his days singing in the taverns and pleasure houses of Serault Town, only occasionally visiting Chateau Serault itself, before returning to the woods for weeks at a time. [[A week comes and goes|Cheating Chance]] The air is calm. The sounds of Serault: carts in the streets, the blacksmiths at work, the laughter of children. (if: $knightfury is < 2)[(You are no longer in the Horned Knight's debt. A new chapter opens <img src="images/halla.png" alt="Halla" height="26" width="20"> in the story of the Lord of the Forest.)](else:)[(You are no longer in the Horned Knight's debt. The Lord of the Forest <img src="images/hornedhelm.png" alt="HornedKnight" height="26" width="20"> retreats beneath the woods.)] (set: $unwelcome to "false")(set: $unwelcome to "false")(Your presence will be tolerated in the woods <img src="images/forest4.png" alt="Forest4" height="26" width="20"> once more.) (set: $missingbard to "shared")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) (set: $dignity to $dignity - 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $twilight to $twilight + 5)(Your Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) \ (set: $debt to "false")

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/hornedhelm.png" alt="HornedKnight">]''A truth too ugly to hide'' Three knocks at the door of the hall. The Templars are on their feet immediately. The door swings back, and there is the Knight, and there is his 'gift'. All this you see in a moment's blaze of torchlight: his 'gift' is one of his living gardens, in this case a lost priestess of the Chantry. The flowers in her auburn hair grow out through her skull, and when she turns her face to the light, smiling vacantly, you see she has dandelions in place of her eyes. Uproar! Bodyguards unsheathe their swords and hustle the Divine through the back of the hall. Other bodyguards rush the Knight. Bellowing with rage, he parries their blows with his mailed arm, pushes the 'gift' into their path, and is gone. The Feast is in utter chaos. Nobles rise from their seats and call for their entourage. Servants hide under tables. The Bard tries to strike up a tune, twice, but eventually shrugs and settles in the corner with a cask of wine to watch the fun. (if: $lordship is not "banished" and is not "arrested")[His Dour Lordship is seen running away, shrieking in terror like a child.] You do not see the Divine again. She will not sleep under your roof; she takes rooms in Serault Town, across the Bridge of Masks. A Templar brings you a curt message in the morning. She indicates that you may expect a visit from her Seekers, and commands you to co-operate fully in their investigation. She does not mention Serault's Shame. That could have gone better. On the other hand... you've done something they'll make songs about. The Knight at the Feast. The Marquis who Dared. The Divine who Fled. If your intention was to follow in the steps of your infamous great-grandfather... you've made a good start. //Serault's Shame is not lifted, but you kept your oath to the Horned Knight.// The following day you briefly watch her entourage leave Serault Town from the top of the Tower of Lights. This land has survived over a century like this. It can survive many more. For now, at least, you have each other. And together you shall thrive your own way. Your eyes turn west. [[The Applewoods are dappled with shadow|Final Game Over]] <img src="images/wind.png" alt="Wind" height="26" width="20"> And filled with succulent midnights. Come closer. //The game ends.// (set: $seraulthonour to "horned")\ (set: $divinefavour to - 100)\ (set: $knightoath to "allowed")\ (set: $knightfury to 0)\ (set: $unwelcome to "false")\ (set: $debt to "false")\ (if: $dignity is > 100)[(set: $dignity to 100)]\ (if: $dignity is < 0)[(set: $dignity to 0)]\ (if: $prosperity is > 100)[(set: $prosperity to 100)]\ (if: $prosperity is < 0)[(set: $prosperity to 0)]\ (if: $freedom is > 100)[(set: $freedom to 100)]\ (if: $freedom is < 0)[(set: $freedom to 0)]\ (if: $twilight is > 100)[(set: $twilight to 100)]\ (if: $twilight is < 0)[(set: $twilight to 0)]\ (if: $peril is > 100)[(set: $peril to 100)]\ (if: $peril is < 0)[(set: $peril to 0)]\ (if: $revolution is > 100)[(set: $revolution to 100)]\ (if: $revolution is < 0)[(set: $revolution to 0)]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/riverside2.png" alt="Riverside2">]''Only words'' The crowd swells. Voices rise, some in agreement, some in argument. Around them, the market's business goes on. The debate continues until sunset, when people begin to make their way home. Another day in Serault Town. [[A new day dawns|Flames of Freedom]] You linger in bed for a moment. Then you rise. (set: $freedom to $freedom + 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $revolution to $revolution + 5)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) (set: $debate to "true")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/bodyguard.png" alt="Bodyguard">](if: (random: -10,10) + $cunning is > 45)[''The mob finishes their work'' Hanging is no job for amateurs. The victim thrashes at the end of the creaking rope for long minutes as the mob's fervor dims. When the kicking is done, and the body swings slowly in the afternoon breeze, the crowd begins to trickle away. Some are satisfied, some are sickened. Either way, their appetites have faded. You order your men to cut the corpse down. (set: $revolution to $revolution - 5)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) ]\ (else:)[''Into their own hands'' The noose fits snugly around the victim's neck, and the crowd hoists. The wretch's struggles make the rope turn, and swinging him slowly and ridiculously around as he chokes. When he falls still the rope unwinds, spinning the corpse lazily back the other way. The crowd breaks up, muttering. Some of them say hanging was too kind a punishment. Others are glad it's over. When you return to your court, your nobles demand an explanation. "The right of High Justice rests in the conscientious hands of the (if: $gender is "female")[Marquise](else:)[Marquis], not the sweating, meaty fingers of the mob!" (set: $dignity to $dignity - 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) ] [[A new day dawns|Flames of Freedom]] You linger in bed for a moment. Then you rise. (set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $lynching to "mob")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/dowager.png" alt="Dowager">]''Judgement'' The girl, Merovyl, suffers her imprisonment without complaint, nourished by her prayers and resentment. The boy, though, begs for leniency after three days. "Merovyl didn't used to be like that!" He's on his knees before your High Seat. "There was a woman. She said Andraste herself was a rebel. All kinds of things. Merovyl couldn't stop talking about it." The Dowager purses her lips. A dozen baths have restored her countenance. "Dangerous. Sometimes, because the stars are merry and mad, the king gives issue to an idiot, or a pig-herder to a prophet. Good counsel may temper a prince's folly, but nothing in the world can restrain a sty-born firebrand from error, excess and bloodshed." "Be on your guard for this Elusive Iconoclast. When she reveals herself, destroy her." [[Late that night you reflect alone]] Who is this Elusive Iconoclast? (if: $agitator is "true")[Could she be linked to the Nine-Fingered Agitator who has spread unrest in your realm recently?] You decide to investigate. (You have resolved the Dowager's case <img src="images/fire.png" alt="Fire" height="26" width="20">. A new challenge awaits you.) (set: $dowagerfury to "harsh")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) (set: $freedom to $freedom - 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $revolution to $revolution - 5)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/lostchild.png" alt="LostChild">](if: (random: -10,10) + $derringdo is > 25)[''A trail'' The poachers vanish into the woods, unable to believe their luck. It looks like the rabbits weren't enough for them: they were following your quarry. You find a set of clear tracks in the mud where they were standing. You're closing in. (set: $revolution to $revolution - 5)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) ]\ (else:)[''No good deed'' The poachers were amateurs. Their noise scared your quarry to ground, and it takes hours to pick up the trail. You just hope your leniency won't embolden others to poach in your woods. (set: $timeleft to $timeleft - 1)(You've got $timeleft hours <img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="26" width="20"> of daylight remaining.)] [[The quarry must be close!]] No time to waste. (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 1)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $peril to $peril + 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/lostchild.png" alt="LostChild">](if: (random: -10,10) + $derringdo is > 45)[''A trail'' The poachers vanish into the woods, unable to believe their luck. It looks like the rabbits weren't enough for them: they were following your quarry. You find a set of clear tracks in the mud where they were standing. You're closing in.]\ (else:)[''No good deed'' The poachers were amateurs. Their noise scared your quarry to ground, and it takes hours to pick up the trail. You just hope your leniency won't embolden others to poach in your woods. (set: $peril to $peril + 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) (set: $timeleft to $timeleft - 1)(You've got $timeleft hours <img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="26" width="20"> of daylight remaining.)] [[An hour later, you hear... singing?]] No time to waste. It will be night soon. (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 1)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/divine.png" alt="Divine">](if: (random: -10,10) + $woodswise is > 45 or $tourdionmaster is "true")[ ''The Divine nods slowly'' "It's a strange absence. But I have long heard many strange things happen in Serault," she says with a knowing smile. "Let's not have his absence spoil the feast, shall we?" You concur. (if: $tourdionmaster is "true")[While the Divine muses over your words, you invite the Dowager to a dance; if nothing else, the imperial court will certainly hear how Serault hasn't lost her sense of style.](else:)["More wine for Her Holiness," you gesture at a servant.] ]\ (else:)[ ''The Divine scoffs'' "$name, dear child, do not lie to my face again. Or if you do, please have the decency to at least be good at it." Some of the closest guests heard that; you feel blood pumping to your head in embarassment. The Divine turns her head towards the feast. She whispers, "I know why the Marquis isn't here. It's irrelevant now, but I approve of your decision... if not of your attempt at deceit." Lying to the Divine's face? That could have gone //a lot// worse. (set: $divinefavour to $divinefavour - 1)(Your Divine's Favour <img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 1...) (set: $dignity to $dignity - 10)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10...) ] [[After a moment, you clap your hands|The Next Course]] You try to dispel the tension by calling for the next stage of the feast. (set: $woodswise to $woodswise + 1)(Your Woods-wise <img src="images/plant.png" alt="WoodsWise" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror">](if: (random: -10,10) + $rulership is > 35)[''A reputation for excellence'' Day and night the glassworks smoke. A pall settles over the west bank where the oven-fires glow. Two endless strings of flat-bottomed boats arrive at the quay, carrying soda ash from down stream and quartz pebbles from up it. You complete the commission in time. The client is ecstatic. For a time, Serault glass becomes the talk of the capital. More commissions arrive, and the glassworkers have little rest. (set: $prosperity to $prosperity + 10)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 10!) (set: $extramirrors to "true")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) ]\ (else:)[''Payment in glass'' They work in shifts, sleeping beside the glass-ovens to minimise wasted time. (if: $freedom is > $revolution)[Petitions for leniency arrive at your hall from the glassworkers. It's not the appeals that concern you, but the whisperings.](else:)[Petitions for leniency reach your hall. You ignore them. It's not the petitions that concern you; it's the muttering.] Some of the guild are beginning to question not only the current conditions, but the traditional ones. As hard as they toil, they cannot complete the commission in time. The client pays you every ounce of silver he promised, but does not return for more. (set: $revolution to $revolution + 5)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) (set: $extramirrors to "bad")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) ] (if: $morrigan is "welcomed")[ [[A week goes by; you run into the Scornful Sorceress...|The Scornful Sorceress]] The apostate's presence fills your head with questions.]\ (else:)[ [[That wouldn't be the end of the troubles at the glassworks|The Ghost of the Glassworks]] Solve a problem, two others come up in its place.] (set: $rulership to $rulership + 1)(Your Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $freedom to $freedom - 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/pigfarmer.png" alt="PigFarmer">]\ ''The Imperium'' She describes the cruel, twisting paths of Tevinter rule. She recounts nightmarish tales of forbidden magics, and the scant techniques that can counter them. Her knowledge is unquestionably first-hand. Is that yearning in her voice, or dread? [[Days pass as you work at court and outside it|Chapter 1: The Herald]] <img src="images/wind.png" alt="Wind" height="26" width="20"> The wind rises. The Chateau's pennants crack like whips. //You have seven months until the Divine arrives.// (set: $scholarship to $scholarship + 1)(Your Scholarship <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $peril to $peril + 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/dowager.png" alt="Dowager">]\ (if: (random: -10,10) + $scholarship is > 25)[''"Don't make Reville's mistakes. Caution is wise. Fear is poison"'' You debate the wisdom and - more commonly - the follies of Orlais' rulers, and how they pertain to the current situation in Serault. The Dowager is frank. The cider's flush peeps rosily through the powder she uses to pale her cheeks. As the evening winds on, she frees the hard bun of her hair. It's long and grey, reaching past her waist. She spurns your invitation to remove her mask, though. "These aren't the Korcari Wilds," she reproaches. (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!)]\ (else:)[''"Drakon's faith was pragmatic, not revelatory..."'' You argue long into the evening. Should Etienne I have ended the Exalted March against the Qunari when he did? Was Florian's appointment of his own cousin Meghren as King of Ferelden motivated by his head or his heart? Did Emperor Reville suffer from a deficiency of restraint, or an excess of prudence?] <img src="images/abbessalt.png" alt="AbbessAlt" height="65" width="50"> [[Later, you see a familiar face coming along the gardens|The Elegant Abbess]] The Abbess is a member of the des Guenoles family and is the sister of the Muttering Banker. She forsook the life of nobility to join the Chantry. <img src="images/bardalt.png" alt="BardAlt" height="65" width="50"> [[As you take your leave, you hear a Bard's melody|The Wayward Bard]] So, he's back in town after all. (set: $scholarship to $scholarship + 1)(Your Scholarship <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/forest4.png" alt="Forest4">]''Legends'' You hear them tell of the places where elfroot grows in heart-leafed clumps. Of the best places to ford the river. Of the perils that keep to the heart of the wood, and the ones that dare venture into the sun. Of the Green Chapel in the Deepwoods, where wolves go to pray. (if: $feasthour is < 2)[ (if: (history:) does not contain "Drink clear water from a chipped glass goblet")[ [[Drink clear water from a chipped glass goblet]] A man dressed in hunter's green fills your cup from a silver carafe.]\ (else:)[~~Drink clear water from a chipped glass goblet A man dressed in hunter's green fills your cup from a silver carafe~~] (if: (history:) does not contain "Greet the Horned Knight's Lady")[ [[Greet the Horned Knight's Lady]] She is a dryad, brown and wrinkled as a walnut.]\ (else:)[~~Greet the Horned Knight's Lady She is a dryad, brown and wrinkled as a walnut.~~] (if: (history:) does not contain "Give the Horned Knight a gift")[ [[Give the Horned Knight a gift]] A mirror chased with silver roses and twinkling thorns.]\ (else:)[~~Give the Horned Knight a gift A mirror chased with silver roses and twinkling thorns.~~] (if: $debt is not "true" and (history:) does not contain "Accept a gift from the Horned Knight")[ [[Accept a gift from the Horned Knight]] A box of sandalwood with the initials of the Shame burned into the lid.]\ (else:)[~~Accept a gift from the Horned Knight A box of sandalwood with the initials of the Shame burned into the lid.~~]]\ (else:)[ [[The Horned Knight has a request|The Boon]] Dusk is forgotten. The night is deep. Wisp-lights flit through the tree's branches.] (set: $woodswise to $woodswise + 3)(Your Woods-wise <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 3!) \ (set: $feasthour to $feasthour + 1)

(if: (random: -10,10) + $woodswise is > 35)[(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/baron.png" alt="Baron">]''Glorious victory'' It's no mabari, but the dog comes from the Cheery Baron's own kennels. It's loyal, clever, and a more than a little bloodthirsty. That night, the glassworks bear witness to a frenzied running battle. The yowls! The barks! The hisses, yelps, snarls! The hound's victory is a narrow one, but in the end it chases the irate cat out through a high window. To the victor go fat sausages, and a great rubbing of the belly.]\ (else:)[(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/bard.png" alt="Bard">]''You're going to need a bigger dog'' The next morning, the glassblowers find the dog cowering amongst the ash in an unused oven. It takes an hour and a plate of Serault's best sausages to tempt the poor creature out. At court, the Wayward Bard suggests training your hounds against something less fearsome, like a sheep. Or perhaps a kitten. You ignore the sniggers. That was no normal cat. (set: $dignity to $dignity - 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) ] [[Two nights later, the truth comes out|A confrontation amongst the chimneys]] There was a fracas at the glassworks last night. Your guards encountered an intruder. The Smiling Guildmistress tells you the tale... (set: $woodswise to $woodswise + 1)(Your Woods-wise <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

<img src="images/header01.png" alt="Chateau"> ''The Thousand-Windowed Castle!'' (if: (random: 1,2) is 1)[Your ancestors liked to exaggerate. There are three hundred and twenty-seven windows in the castle, and only half of those are glazed, now. Glass has always been the wealth of your family. //"Payment in Glass"// is the Serault motto; the mirrored stag, your emblem. A remote place, but strong. The Chateau stands on an island in mid-river. The Bridge of Masks is the only way east to Serault Town; the Green Bridge is the only way west, to the forest.](else:)[There’s nothing else in Orlais like the Chateau Serault! There’s enough fine glass in the castle to buy a Marcher city outright, if those barbarians understood glass. They’d probably try to eat it. //“Payment in Glass”// is the Serault motto; the mirrored stag, your emblem. It’s a strong place, too. The Chateau stands on an island in mid-river. The Bridge of Masks is the only way east to Serault Town; the Green Bridge is the only way west, to the forest.] [[You continue to survey your domain|Intro: Atop the Tower of Lights]] You haven't ruled long, but you do know this: Serault is yours.

<img src="images/header01.png" alt="Chateau"> ''Gold stone, red roofs'' (if: (random: 1,2) is 1)[Serault Town: as far west as an Orlesian can go and still be in civilisation. If you can call it civilisation. You love this place, but you know too well that it's not what it was before the Shame. This is the edge of the world. Beyond Serault Town is the Last River, and beyond the river, villagers, charcoal-burners, the wilderness.](else:)[Serault Town: as far west as an Orlesian can go and still be in civilisation. A quarrelsome nest of disrespectful craftsmen, but it’s yours. This is the edge of the world. Beyond Serault Town is the Last River, and beyond the river, villages, charcoal-burners, the wilderness.] [[You continue to survey your domain|Intro: Atop the Tower of Lights]] It's nestled between rivers, hills and forests.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/forest3.png" alt="Forest3">]''Strength in numbers'' You search, calling out to them. It is a long time before you hear an answer other than the creak of boughs, the hiss of leaves, or the rattling laughter of carrion-birds. But at last, a human voice echoes through the trees. Then more voices, giving cries of relief. You have found your companions. These are the good news. [[The bad news?|Then, at long last, you do it]] You have also found the (if: $wyvern is "true")[wyvern](else:)[bereskarn]. It is here.

<img src="images/greenwoodsheader.png" alt="Applewoods"> ''The Applewoods'' (if: (random: 1,2) is 1)[Seraultines call the near regions of the Tirashan the Applewoods. The apples have interesting properties: astringent, intoxicating. It's a dangerous place, but beautiful. You need to cross the river to find the rarer herbs. Oh, and you'll need to go hunting, too, to find meat worthy of a Divine's entourage.](else:)[Seraultines call the near regions of the Tirashan the Applewoods. The apples are dangerously potent, the woods are crawling with dryads, but the hunting. Ah, the hunting! Later, you will be able to hunt in the forests to earn resources.] [[You continue to survey your domain|Intro: Atop the Tower of Lights]] The Applewoods consist of gentle Greenwood, and the darker, farther Deepwoods.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/riverside.png" alt="Riverside">](if: (random: -10,10) + $cunning is > 35)[''An example'' The glassworker is young. She had talent and promise. That's important. It says that no-one is safe should they shirk their duty. Your soldiers pull her from her guild and escort her to the town gates, where she is proclaimed an outlaw. As a final gesture they take her one possession - her glass sword - and smash it. Its shards sparkle on the cobbles, green as cats-eyes. The glassworkers' resistance crumbles. Within the day, the sound of bellows can be heard and smokes coughs again from the chimneys. (set: $prosperity to $prosperity + 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) ]\ (else:)[''Dimmed'' A sandy-haired youth chants slogans from the walls. You have your soldiers seize him, proclaim him an outcast, and drive him from the town. The resistance continues. You have deal with two more apprentices in the same way before the guild breaks. They return to work, but sluggishly. Their spirit is dented, but so is their pride, and their glass lacks its previous luster.] (if: $morrigan is "welcomed")[ [[A week goes by; you run into the Scornful Sorceress...|The Scornful Sorceress]] The apostate's presence fills your head with questions.]\ (else:)[ [[Unfortunately, that wouldn't be the end of the troubles at the glassworks|The Ghost of the Glassworks]] Solve a problem, two others come up in its place.] (set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $prosperity to $prosperity + 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $freedom to $freedom - 10)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10...) (set: $guildcharter to "bad")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/magic.png" alt="Magic">]''"That'll do"'' She's partial to sugar cane and bitter black wine, fur-trimmed cloaks and doeskin shoes. Her cave fills with the acrid, soapy scent of the herbs she's burning. She chants sing-song nonsense. (if: $elfroot is > 0)[Her elfroot broth is not merely delicious, but you feel like it restored not just your body, but your very soul.](else:)[Under the stinging poultice, your wounds begin to close.] [[Decide her fate]] She is the Shame's own daughter; your great aunt. Is she a risk, or a responsibility? (set: $twilight to $twilight + 5)(Your Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) (set: $prosperity to $prosperity - 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (if: $elfroot is > 0)[(set: $health to 100)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has increased to 100!) (set: $elfroot to $elfroot - 1)(You've lost 1 <img src="images/elfroot.png" alt="Elfroot" height="26" width="20"> Elfroot.)]\ (else-if: $health is > 85)[(set: $health to 100)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has increased to 100!) ]\ (else-if: $health is < 0)[(set: $health to 15)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has increased to 15!) ]\ (else:)[(set: $health to $health + 15)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 15!) ]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/magic.png" alt="Magic">]''Signs of sorcery'' The peasant is cagey about his reasons for being so deep in the woods. That marks him as poacher, but his discovery outweighs his crime. "A cave, your Grace: reeking with blood and filled with all manner of deviltry!" You call for your horse. The cave reeks of old meat and fear. Animals scream in cages. A spiral of runes daub the floor, the colour of rust. <img src="images/cunningmini.png" alt="CunningMini"> [[Seal the cave and cover up the existence of Maleficarum|Seal the cave and cover up the existence of Maleficarum 2]] Serault does not need a reputation for blood magic. Not now. <img src="images/derringdomini.png" alt="DerringDoMini"> [[Hunt down the maleficar|Hunt down the maleficar 2]] Blood magic summons demons, distorts flesh, enslaves minds. It //cannot// take root in Serault.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/clues.png" alt="Clues">](if: (random: -10,10) + $cunning is > 35)[''"I shouldn't tell you this, but..."'' You had thought the herald couldn't get any more verbose, but two bottles of best Seraultine white and his tongue runs away with him. Real and suspected trysts, unlikely pregnancies, peculiar uses for butter and oysters, and his own master's rumoured enthusiasm for moon-bathing... (set: $heraldsecret to "true")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) ]\ (else:)[''Dull as dishwaster'' The herald is a dull, close-mouthed fellow, such a clod that no-one wanted to speak to him. He speaks only of the parties he wasn't invited to, and of a Grand Duke's improbable collection of forks. (set: $dignity to $dignity - 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $heraldsecret to "bad")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)] (if: $morrigan is "welcomed")[ [[Four days later you chance upon the Scornful Sorceress|Morrigan Strikes Again]] She is, as usual, alone with her thoughts.]\ (else:)[ [[An uneventful week comes and goes|Chapter 4: Omens]] <img src="images/wind.png" alt="Wind" height="26" width="20"> A bitter wind blows from the North. You must be imagining the tang of Blights. //You have four months until the Divine arrives.//] (set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/clues.png" alt="Clues">](if: (random: -10,10) + $cunning is > 25)[''"I shouldn't tell you this, but..."'' You had thought the herald couldn't get any more verbose, but two bottles of best Seraultine white and his tongue runs away with him. Real and suspected trysts, unlikely pregnancies, peculiar uses for butter and oysters, and his own master's rumoured enthusiasm for moon-bathing... (set: $heraldsecret to "true")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) ]\ (else:)[''Dull as dishwaster'' The herald is a dull, close-mouthed fellow, such a clod that no-one wanted to speak to him. He speaks only of the parties he wasn't invited to, and of a Grand Duke's improbable collection of forks. (set: $dignity to $dignity - 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $heraldsecret to "bad")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) ] [[The following day, you deal with more affairs of the court|The Knight Requests an Audience]] A lady-in-waiting sings in the corridor a song of Andraste, and the Maker's love for her. (set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/rosemage.png" alt="RoseMage">]''Long lost'' Her face is a web of weatherworn wrinkles. Her mouth, mostly empty of teeth, chews on one of the tart apples of the woods. She brushes strings of grey hair from her eyes. You've seen those eyes before. On the paintings your grandfather took off the walls in the Whistling Gallery and stacked in the attic. On the icon of Hessarian you just passed in the Sealed Chantry. In the mirror every morning. She spits an apple pip into the grass. "Hn. You found me, then. Thought for sure if it was going to happen, it'd have happened years ago. Come to put an end to the Shame's last mistake, have you?" She wanders into a shallow cave, brushing aside the ferny fronds that drape across its mouth. [[Talk to the Anchoress]] You have questions. You follow her into the cave... <img src="images/door.png" alt="Door"> [[Return to the Chateau|Return to the Chateau 2]] Whatever this is, it is probably bad. It's time to leave. And //never// return.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/dowager.png" alt="Dowager">]''The start of a long day'' She is flustered, and in a state of uncharacteristic disarray. Her guards drag two peasants behind her... [[You take a better look at her|The Dowager's Fury]] //Oh//. That explains it. (The Dowager <img src="images/dowager.png" alt="Dowager" height="26" width="20"> has an urgent matter to bring before your court.)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/lordship.png" alt="Lordship">](if: (random: -10,10) + $cunning is > 45 or $heraldsecret is "true")[''The straight man'' With his solemn face and plodding speech, His Dour Lordship is an easy target for mockery. Laughter fills the hall. Redness fills his usually colourless cheeks. The Divine is too gracious to join in the mirth, but there is a lightness to her voice as she thanks His Lordship's ancestors for their generosity, but tells him the Lands Between the Rivers are happy in Serault for now. (set: $lordship to "failure")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)]\ (else:)[''Not a subject for levity'' Some of the guests laugh at your needling of His Dour Lordship, but the Divine is not amused. "I have heard troubling tales of discontent and heresy in Serault," she says. "For the time being the Chantry will reclaim the Lands Between the Rivers until such time as the rumours can be put to rest." It's not the response His Dour Lordship wanted, but he takes a cold comfort in having cost Serault something. (set: $divinefavour to $divinefavour - 1)(Your Divine's Favour <img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 1...) (set: $prosperity to $prosperity - 10)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10...) (set: $lordship to "successful")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)] [[After a moment, you clap your hands|The Next Course]] You try to dispel the tension by calling for the next stage of the feast. (set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (if: $counsellor is "lordship")[(set: $counsellor to "traitor")(His Dour Lordship <img src="images/lordship.png" alt="Lordship" height="26" width="20"> is no longer your counsellor.)]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/accomplice.png" alt="Accomplice">]''Acceptable targets'' You test the waters with a disappointed expression when a certain name comes up. Then you risk a private joke at the expense of a political opponent before graduating to scornful condemnation of whose who defy her. The Divine is never less than gracious regarding her adversaries, but cannot suppress her smile. (if: $chantryunsealed is "true")[ [[Things seemed to be going rather well|The Chantry, Unsealed]] Until, of course, disaster struck.]\ (else-if: $divinefavour is > 2)[ [[Later on, some good news|The Keys]] Justinia, fifth of her name, wishes to speak.]\ (else:)[ [[The feast winds down|The Feast is Ending]] You are tired of smiling, conversing and flattering. Was it worth it?] (set: $divinefavour to $divinefavour + 2)(Your Divine's Favour <img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 2!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/morrigan.png" alt="Morrigan">]''The Occult Adviser'' You already held court today, and your counsellor already took care of most of the Marquisate's correspondence. You can't help but approach her. <img src="images/rulershipmini.png" alt="RulershipMini"> [[Ask about her mask]] Why doesn't she wear one? <img src="images/woodswisemini.png" alt="WoodsWiseMini"> [[Invite her to go riding with you]] The Applewoods are charming today; speckled with sunlight and livened with birdsong. <img src="images/cunningmini.png" alt="CunningMini"> [[Ask about the Empress]] Her wine glass is empty. Her cheeks are flushed. Will she let something slip?

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/forest2.png" alt="Forest2">]''Origins'' Stories swarm to the claw like beetles. The servants call it 'the dragon's toe'. The Kindly Knight suggests it could date to the Second Blight, and wonders if it's the talon of an archdemon. The Cheery Baron claims he once chased a wild wyvern with claws as large. But he's drunk, and pretends everything was bigger, better or brighter in his youth. Meanwhile, an inquisitive wind stirs in the woods. The leaves whisper. [[You hear Serault awake outside|A Petition from a Village Headsman]] A stink climbs the Foal's Tower. You order the privies sluiced. (set: $twilight to $twilight + 5)(Your Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) (set: $claw to "true")(You have acquired <img src="images/conciliation.png" alt="ConciliationCup" height="26" width="20"> a new asset!) \ (set: $trophies to $trophies + 1)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/messenger.png" alt="Messenger">]''Looking ahead'' The days pass slowly; winter never grasps Serault firmly, held as it is by the warm currents of the Western Approach. News arrive slowly; tidings of boiling tensions between supporters of the Empress and the Grand Duke, of skirmishes in the countryside between roving groups of Templars and mages, of a lone Grey Warden journeying west to lands no man has ever treaded upon. [[The days that come grow warm|A Terror from the Woods]] You spend much of your time working on your people's behalf, and preparing for the coming of the Divine.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight">](if: (random: -10,10) + $woodswise is > 35)[''Sprites and bogles and old wives' tales'' You muster your courage and press on. Shadows clog the trees on either side. A shrill bird calls, wordlessly. But it will take more than forest phantasms to deter you. (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) ]\ (else-if: (random: -10,10) + $woodswise is > 25)[''Phantasms'' A cloud slides overhead, and a grey pall descends on the Applewoods. Did something move, away between the trees? Distracted as you are by the forest's games, you can find no trace of your quarry. (set: $timeleft to $timeleft - 1)(You've got $timeleft hours <img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="26" width="20"> of daylight remaining.)]\ (else:)[''Woods-trickery'' A wind rises, stirring the whole forest. Something screams three times before you recognise it as one of the long-beaked, blue-breasted birds that cling to the treetops. Distracted as you are by the forest's games, you can find no trace of your quarry. (set: $health to $health - 5)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $timeleft to $timeleft - 1)(You've got $timeleft hours <img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="26" width="20"> of daylight remaining.)] [[Your party marches on through the thick green of the forest|The quarry must be close!]] No time to waste. (set: $woodswise to $woodswise + 1)(Your Woods-wise <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/fire.png" alt="Fire">]''Another time'' The Bard steps back. "My business can wait. It's less important than being on fire." Your horse awaits you in the courtyard. The fire reduced a row of houses to a smoking black skeleton. Your city watch - and a fortuitous rain - have wrestled it under control. Fire is an old foe. The town's houses are wooden and tightly-packed. They lean close across the narrow streets. Many blame cinders from the glasswork's chimneys, but at least as often it's the fault of a careless candle, a fallen lamp, or a poorly-tended hearth. <img src="images/rulershipmini.png" alt="RulershipMini"> [[Enact laws to improve safety]] Your watch-captain has a long list of suggestions. <img src="images/coinsmini.png" alt="Prosperity"> [[Rebuild the ruins]] It won't be cheap.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/halla.png" alt="Hind">](if: $timeleft is < 4)[''A shot in the dark'' Your bow sings, but your aim is betrayed by the encroaching darkness. Nightfall is close, and your arrow fails to find its target. Some of your companions try to charge after the beast, but the light of their torches does not bring enough light. The hind jumps away, beyond your reach. [[The sun sets|You sound your horn]] Your men raise torches, but it's of little use. //The hunt ends.//]\ (else-if: (random: -10,10) + $derringdo is > 35)[''Your aim is true'' Your bow sings, and the arrow hums neatly between two ribs to find the hind's heart. The beast snorts once, rears, and falls. You inspect the carcass. The beast was in its prime. Your cooks will be glad of the venison as they prepare for the feast. You sling your prize across your horse and leave the shade of the woods for the hedgerowed fields and dusty lanes of Serault. [[Return to the Chateau]] Atop its riverside bluff, the Castle of a Thousand Windows is visible from miles away. Sharp turrets jab at the sky. (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 1)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $hindtrophy to "true")(You have acquired <img src="images/conciliation.png" alt="ConciliationCup" height="26" width="20"> a new asset!) \ (set: $trophies to $trophies + 1)\ (set: $alone to "false")]\ (else:)[''Winged'' Could the hind have heard your arrow slide from the quiver? Even so far away? Startling, it darts away, and your arrow only finds its flank. It stumbles into the trees, favouring its other legs, and you give chase. If you can catch it again before the light fades you can put an end to this. <img src="images/derringdomini.png" alt="DerringDoMini"> [[Another shot]] It's already wounded. It's weak and slow. (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 1)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (Your quarry is wounded <img src="images/trap.png" alt="Trap" height="26" width="20">! If you can catch it again, you can end the hunt.)]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/scroll.png" alt="WhiteScroll">]''Nothing needs be said'' For effect, you have them penned on vellum - names on the left; sins on the right. The Divine slips the list into her robes with a sharp-edged smile. (if: $chantryunsealed is "true")[ [[Things seemed to be going rather well|The Chantry, Unsealed]] Until, of course, disaster struck.]\ (else-if: $divinefavour is > 3)[ [[Later on, some good news|The Keys]] Justinia, fifth of her name, wishes to speak.]\ (else:)[ [[The feast winds down|The Feast is Ending]] You are tired of smiling, conversing and flattering. Was it worth it?] (set: $divinefavour to $divinefavour + 2)(Your Divine's Favour <img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 2!)

(align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[<img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry">]''Andraste: Bride of the Maker'' There was once a tiny fishing village on the Waking Sea that was set upon by the Tevinter Imperium, which enslaved the villagers to be sold in the markets of Minrathous, leaving behind only the old and the infirm. One of the captives was the child Andraste. She was raised in slavery in a foreign land. She escaped, then made the long and treacherous journey back to her homeland alone. She rose from nothing to be the wife of an Alamarri warlord. Each day she sang to the gods, asking them to help her people who remained slaves in Tevinter. The false gods of the mountains and the winds did not answer her, but the true god did. The Maker spoke. He showed her all the works of His hands: the Fade, the world, and all the creatures therein. He showed her how men had forgotten Him, lavishing devotion upon mute idols and demons, and how He had left them to their fate. But her voice had reached Him, and so captivated Him that He offered her a place at His side, that she might rule all of creation. But Andraste would not forsake her people. She begged the Maker to return, to save His children from the cruelty of the Imperium. Reluctantly, the Maker agreed to give man another chance. Andraste went back to her husband, Maferath, and told him all that the Maker had revealed to her. Together, they rallied the Alamarri and marched forth against the mage-lords of the Imperium, and the Maker was with them. The Maker's sword was creation itself: fire and flood, famine and earthquake. Everywhere they went, Andraste sang to the people of the Maker, and they heard her. The ranks of Andraste's followers grew until they were a vast tide washing over the Imperium. And when Maferath saw that the people loved Andraste and not him, a worm grew within his heart, gnawing upon it. At last, the armies of Andraste and Maferath stood before the very gates of Minrathous, but Andraste was not with them. For Maferath had schemed in secret to hand Andraste over to the Tevinter. For this, the Archon would give Maferath all the lands to the south of the Waking Sea. And so, before all the armies of the Alamarri and of Tevinter, Andraste was tied to a stake and burned while her earthly husband turned his armies aside and did nothing, for his heart had been devoured. But as he watched the pyre, the Archon softened. He took pity on Andraste, and drew his sword, and granted her the mercy of a quick death. The Maker wept for His Beloved, cursed Maferath, cursed mankind for their betrayal, and turned once again from creation, taking only Andraste with him. And Our Lady sits still at his side, where she still urges Him to take pity on His children. —From //The Sermons of Justinia II//

(align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[<img src="images/bluewings.png" alt="BlueWings">]''Grey Wardens'' The First Blight had already raged for ninety years. The world was in chaos. A god had risen, twisted and corrupted. The remaining gods of Tevinter were silent, withdrawn. What writing we have recovered from those times is filled with despair, for everyone believed, from the greatest archons to the lowliest slaves, that the world was coming to an end. At Weisshaupt fortress in the desolate Anderfels, a meeting transpired. Soldiers of the Imperium, seasoned veterans who had known nothing their entire lifetimes except hopeless war, came together. When they left Weisshaupt, they had renounced their oaths to the Imperium. They were soldiers no longer: they were the Grey Wardens. The Wardens began an aggressive campaign against the Blight, striking back against the darkspawn, reclaiming lands given up for lost. The Blight was far from over, but their victories brought notice, and soon they received aid from every nation in Thedas. They grew in number as well as reputation. Finally, in the year 992 of the Tevinter Imperium, upon the Silent Plains, they met the archdemon Dumat in battle. A third of all the armies of northern Thedas were lost to the fighting, but Dumat fell and the darkspawn fled back underground. Even that was not the end. The Imperium once revered seven gods: Dumat, Zazikel, Toth, Andoral, Razikale, Lusacan, and Urthemiel. Four have risen as archdemons. The Grey Wardens have kept watch through the ages, well aware that peace is fleeting, and that their war continues until the last of the dragon-gods is gone. —From //Ferelden: Folklore and History//, by Sister Petrine, Chantry scholar

(align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[<img src="images/magic.png" alt="Magic">]''Abomination'' "We arrived in the dead of night. We had been tracking the maleficar for days, and finally had him cornered... or so we thought. As we approached, a home on the edge of the town exploded, sending splinters of wood and fist-sized chunks of rocks into our ranks. We had but moments to regroup before fire rained from the sky, the sounds of destruction wrapped in a hideous laughter from the center of the village. There, perched atop the spire of the village chantry, stood the mage. But he was human no longer. We shouted prayers to the Maker and deflected what magic we could, but as we fought, the creature fought harder. I saw my comrades fall, burned by the flaming sky or crushed by debris. The monstrous creature, looking as if a demon were wearing a man like a twisted suit of skin, spotted me and grinned. We had forced it to this, I realised; the mage had made this pact, given himself over to the demon to survive our assault." —Transcribed from a tale told by a former Templar in Cumberland, 8:84 Blessed

(align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[<img src="images/bluewings.png" alt="BlueWings">]''Chevaliers'' I remember, as a child, watching a column of chevaliers parade down a wide avenue in Val Royeaux. Dashing knights on armoured steeds, pennants snapping in the breeze. I have never forgotten. Most of the Orlesian aristocracy has ties to the chevaliers. Joining the knighthood and dedicating one's life to the empire is a tried and true method to improve one's social standing. It is the obvious choice for landless nobles and noble children not in line to inherit. The knighthood welcomes both men and women, although it is rare for a woman to choose the harsh life of a chevalier over the gentle bliss of marriage and children or the peace of the Chantry. Those who do are following in the footsteps of the first woman knight, Aveline, but we hope that not all meet as ghastly an end as she did. Sadly, some members of the order abuse their power to commit atrocities that will not be recounted here. All decent Orlesians know them to be no true knights. One day, they shall answer to the Maker Himself. —From //Orlais: A Modern History//, by Revered Mother Laeticia

(align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[<img src="images/trophy.png" alt="Trophy">]''On darkspawn'' Those who had sought to claim Heaven by violence destroyed it. What was Golden and pure turned black. Those who had once been mage-lords, The brightest of their age, Were no longer men, but monsters. —//Threnodies 12:1//. Sin was the midwife that ushered the darkspawn into this world. The magisters fell from the Golden City, and their fate encompassed all our world's. For they were not alone. No-one knows where the darkspawn come from. A dark mockery of men, in the darkest places they thrive, growing in numbers as a plague of locusts will. In raids, they will often take captives, dragging their victims alive into the Deep Roads, but most evidence suggests that these are eaten. Like spiders, it seems darkspawn prefer their food still breathing. Perhaps they are simply spawned by the darkness. Certainly, we know that evil has no trouble perpetuating itself. The last Blight was in the Age of Towers, striking once again at the heart of Tevinter, spreading south into Orlais and east into the Free Marches. The plagues spread as far as Ferelden, but the withering and twisting of the land stopped well beyond our borders. Here, darkspawn have never been more than the stuff of legends. In the northern lands, however, particularly Tevinter and the Anderfels, they say darkspawn haunt the hinterlands, preying on outlying farmers and isolated villages, a constant threat. —From //Ferelden: Folklore and History//, by Sister Petrine, Chantry scholar

(align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[<img src="images/lion.png" alt="Lion">]\ (align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[''EVENTS, RECENT AND ANCIENT'']\ * [[On the Dales]] * [[On the Fourth Blight]] * [[On the Qunari Wars]] * [[On the Fifth Blight]] * [[On the Champion of Kirkwall]] * [[On the Mage-Templar War]] * [[On the War of the Lions]]

(align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[<img src="images/magic.png" alt="Magic">]''Maleficarum'' It has been asked, "What are maleficarum? How shall we know them?" I have been as troubled by this question as you. You have come to me for the wisdom of the Maker, but none have seen the Maker's heart save Beloved Andraste. And so I have done as all mortals must, and looked to the words of His prophet for answers. And there, I found respite from a troubled mind. For she has said to us, "Magic exists to serve man, and never to rule over him." Therefore, I say to you, they who work magic which dominates the minds and hearts of others, they have transgressed the Makers law. Also, Our Lady said to us, "Those who bring harm without provocation to the least of His children are hated and accursed by the Maker." And so it is made clear to me, as it should be to us all: that magic which fuels itself by harming others, by the letting of blood, is hated by the Maker. Those mages who honour the Maker and keep His laws we welcome as our brothers and sisters. Those who reject the laws of the Maker and the words of His prophet are apostate. They shall be cast out, and given no place among us. —From //The Sermons of Justinia I//

(align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[<img src="images/orlais.png" alt="Orlais">]\ (align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[''SWORDSMEN, MAGES, AND STRANGER THINGS'']\ * [[On chevaliers]] * [[On bards]] * [[On the Circles of Magi]] * [[On maleficarum]] * [[On abominations]] * [[On darkspawn]] * [[On Grey Wardens]]

(align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[<img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry">]\ (align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[''THE CHANTRY'']\ * [[On the Maker]] * [[On Andraste, Bride of the Maker]] * [[On the Founding of the Chantry]] * [[On the Chantry Hierarchy]] * [[On the Imperial Chantry]] * [[On the Templar Order]] * [[On the Seekers of Truth]]

(align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[<img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry">]''The Chantry Hierarchy'' The Divine is the titular head of the Chantry, although since the schism split the Imperial Chantry into its own faction there are now in fact two Divines at any one time. One Divine, informally called the White Divine, is a woman housed in the Grand Cathedral in Val Royeaux. The other, known as the Black Divine, is a man housed in the Argent Spire in Minrathous. Neither Divine recognizes the existence of the other, and the informal names are considered sacrilegious. No matter the gender, a Divine is addressed as "Most Holy" or "Your Perfection." Beneath the rank of Divine is the grand cleric. Each grand cleric presides over numerous chantries and represents the highest religious authority for their region. They travel to Val Royeaux when the College of Clerics convenes, but otherwise remain where they are assigned. All grand clerics are addressed as "Your Grace." Beneath the grand cleric is the mother (or, in the Imperial Chantry, the father). If a mother is in charge of a particular chantry, "revered" is appended to her title. These are the priests responsible for administering to the spiritual well-being of their flock. A mother or revered mother is addressed as "Your Reverence." Brothers and sisters form the rank and file of the Chantry and consist of three main groups: affirmed, initiates, and clerics. Affirmed are the lay-brethren of the Chantry, those regular folk who have turned to the Chantry for succor. Often they are people who have led a difficult or irreligious life and have chosen to go into seclusion, or even orphans and similar unfortunates who were raised into the Chantry life. The affirmed take care of the Chantry and are in turn afforded a life of quiet contemplation, no questions asked. Only those folk who take vows become initiates. These are men and women in training, whether in academic knowledge or the martial skills of a warrior. All initiates receive an academic education, although only those who seek to become Templars learn how to fight in addition. Clerics are the true academics of the Chantry, those men and women who have dedicated themselves to the pursuit of knowledge. They are often found in Chantry archives, sages presiding over libraries of books and arcane knowledge. The most senior of these clerics, placed in charge of such archives, are given the title "elder," although such a rank is still beneath that of mother. All other brothers and sisters are addressed simply by noting their title before their name, such as "Brother Genitivi." —From a guide for ambassadors from Rivain

(align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[<img src="images/magic.png" alt="Magic">]''The Circle of Magi'' The Circle of Magi was established centuries ago to protect us, and to protect those without magic from the things we might do. No man in his right mind would disagree that these are noble goals. I refuse to believe that the Chantry intended the injustice and oppression we suffered in the intervening years. Segregation of mages from non-mages within Templar-guarded compounds was the best - possibly the only - option available. We have recently had to face the stark reality that the system failed us. The Circle of Magi in Ferelden's Kinloch Hold was one of the most liberally run, and even there we saw sedition and dissent, resulting in a failed revolt that nearly destroyed the entire tower. Perhaps stringency could work where leniency failed? I would present Kirkwall's Gallows as evidence against such thinking. Knight-Commander Meredith's vice-grip on the Circle in her care backfired, leaving us where we are now. If the Circles, no matter how they are managed, do not - perhaps cannot - function as intended, what is next? There are no easy answers. The events of recent years have forced me to reexamine my views on freedom. As Aequitarians, we have always advocated self-control and cooperation with the Chantry, but this approach may no longer serve. I must consider that our Libertarian brothers and sisters had the right of it all along. Look at the strife and chaos that now consumes our world. Fighting for independence, for a better system, may not improve our situation. But it cannot make it any worse. —Letter from Senior Enchanter Vormann Quine of Cumberland to a colleague, dated 9:39 Dragon

(align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[<img src="images/bag.png" alt="Bag">]''The Deep Roads'' There isn't a dwarf alive who remembers the Deep Roads as they once were. They were the network of tunnels that joined the thaigs together. To be honest, it isn't even right to give them such a simple term as "tunnels": they are works of art, with centuries of planning demonstrated in the geometry of their walls, with the statues of the Paragons that watch over travellers, with the flow of lava that keeps the Deep Roads lit and warm. The cloudgazers up on the surface talk of the Imperial Highway built by the magisters of old, a raised walkway that crossed thousands of miles, something that could only have been built by magic. Perhaps it is comparable to the Deep Roads, although we dwarves didn't need magic. I suppose it doesn't matter any more. The darkspawn rule the Deep Roads now. When Orzammar sealed off the entrances to the Deep Roads, abandoning everything that lay out there, we handed over the kingdom-that-was to those black bastards forever. To think that there are genlocks crawling over Bownammar now, tearing down our statues and defiling our greatest works! Corruption covers everything we built out there. Every dwarf who goes out and comes back says that it gets worse with each passing year, the foulness spread a little further. And the cloudgazers think the darkspawn are gone just because they aren't spilling out onto the surface? Huh. One day, when Orzammar is gone for good, they'll find out differently. Those darkspawn won't have anywhere else to go but up, and they'll do it. The surface folk will have themselves a Blight that will never end. —Transcript of a conversation with a member of the dwarven Mining Caste, 8:90 Blessed

(align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[<img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry">]''The Exalted March of the Dales'' Many forget that when Holy Andraste called out to the oppressed peoples to rise up, it was the elves who answered her first. The humblest slaves of the Imperium became her vanguard, and when victory came, they were rewarded accordingly: they were given a land in what is now the south of Orlais, called the Dales. A great exodus of elves undertook the journey to their new home, crossing ocean, desert, and mountain. Their city, the first elven city since the fabled Arlathan, was called Halamshiral. A new era had begun for the elves. But the old era wasn't through with them. In their forest city, the elves turned again to worship their silent, ancient gods. They became increasingly isolationist, posting Emerald Knights who guarded their borders with jealousy, rebuking all efforts at trade or civilized discourse. Dark rumours spread in the lands that bordered the Dales, whispers of humans captured and sacrificed to elven gods. And then came an attack by the elves on the defenceless village of Red Crossing. The Chantry replied with the Exalted March of the Dales, and the era of the elven kingdom came to an end. Halamshiral was utterly destroyed, the elves driven out, scattered, left to survive on goodwill alone. —From //Ferelden: Folklore and History//, by Sister Petrine, Chantry scholar

(align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[<img src="images/trophy.png" alt="Trophy">]''A Study of the Fifth Blight'' While some of my contemporaries dispute whether the Fifth Blight was a true Blight or merely a large darkspawn resurgence, historians agree that it began in the swamps of the Korcari Wilds on the southeastern border of Ferelden in the year 9:30 Dragon. King Cailan Theirin was swift in responding to the threat, gathering the royal army, every Grey Warden in his country, and sending a call for aid to the Ferelden nobility. The assembled armies laid a trap in the ruins of Ostagar, hoping to crush the force before it reached civilization. But they failed. Darkspawn overran the defenders of Ostagar and decimated the king and his army. They continued their advance into Ferelden unopposed. Only two Grey Wardens managed to escape the slaughter. And somehow, they came into possession of ancient treaties, which compelled the races of men to join arms against the massing horde. The Archdemon clashed with the allied forces at the city of Denerim and was eventually slain, but at terrible cost. Much of the city lay in ruin. The Fifth Blight ended before most of Thedas knew it had begun. But it left a terrible wound on Ferelden. The losses suffered at Ostagar and Denerim greatly compromised the security of the kingdom. Southern Ferelden from the Korcari Wilds to the edge of the Bannorn are, to this day, a wasteland. It's uncertain how far the ripples from this event shall travel, or what waves it has already stirred. —From //A Study of the Fifth Blight//, by Sister Petrine, Chantry scholar

(align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[<img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry">]''The Llomerryn Accords'' Fifty years. That's how long it took the Imperium to drive out the Qunari occupation. But the rest of Northern Thedas was not so lucky. Both Divines, white and black, declared Exalted Marches and for the only time since the Schism of the Chantry, they worked together. A century-long siege resulted, with the giant Qunari entrenched in Antiva and Rivain, and all of Thedas throwing armies against them. The war drained the resources of every nation in Thedas, leaving most on the brink of collapse. For the giants, it did not appear to be the damage to their armada or the loss of their soldiers, but the terrible toll upon the Rivaini population that prompted their retreat. When the Third New Exalted March had all but massacred the people of Kont-aar without even chipping the Qunari occupying force, the giants finally withdrew. The treaty that put an official end to the Qunari Wars was signed on the politically neutral island of Llomerryn off the southern coast of Rivain. 150 years after the assault on the mainland began, the Qunari left our shores. They received the northern archipelago in exchange for cessation of hostilities against all the nations on the accord. Only Tevinter refused to sign, and so the war continues to rage in the Imperium to the present day. It's worth noting, however, that the Kingdom of Rivain immediately violated the treaty. Twice. Once, when the humans of northern Rivain—nearly all practitioners of the Qun and therefore by definition, "Qunari"—refused to leave their homes and go in exile to the islands. And again, when the Rivain Chantry and nationalist forces, unable to convert its people back to the worship of the Maker, tried a purge by the sword, slaughtering countless unarmed people and burying them in mass graves. It's a fortunate mystery that the leaders in Kont-aar did not alert their allies in the Northern Passage, or we'd still be fighting the giants now. —From //The Exalted Marches: An Examination of Chantry Warfare//, by Sister Petrine, Chantry scholar

(align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[<img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry">]''The Founding of the Chantry'' Kordillus Drakon, king of the city-state of Orlais, was a man of uncommon ambition. In the year -15 Ancient, the young king began construction of a great temple dedicated to the Maker, and declared that by its completion he would not only have united the warring city-states of the south, he would have brought Andrastian belief to the world. In -3 Ancient, the temple was completed. There, in its heart, Drakon knelt before the eternal flame of Andraste and was crowned ruler of the Empire of Orlais. His first act as Emperor: to declare the Chantry as the established Andrastian religion of the Empire. It took three years and several hundred votes before Olessa of Montsimmard was elected to lead the new Chantry. Upon her coronation as Divine, she took the name Justinia, in honour of the disciple who recorded Andraste's songs. In that moment, the ancient era ended and the Divine Age began. —From //Ferelden: Folklore and History// by Sister Petrine, Chantry scholar

(align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[<img src="images/trophy.png" alt="Trophy">]''The Fourth Blight'' As to your question regarding why a lion is considered the symbol of Orlais, particularly when the lion is a creature native only to eastern Thedas, the answer is quite simple. It adorns the crest of the Valmonts, the family that has ruled the empire since the end of the Exalted Age, and in truth it is the Valmonts which have come to represent Orlais. Before them, the Orlesian symbol was that of the descendants of Kordillus Drakon: a dragon. As to why the lion adorns their crest? That dates back to the time of Lambert Valmont, a young captain of Orlais who distinguished himself at the Battle of Ayesleigh, that great and infamous battle that ended the Fourth Blight. It is said that young Valmont disregarded orders during the battle, taking his forces to relieve the beleaguered Antivans and saving them from absolute destruction. Though his superiors were at first chagrined, chalking up the captain's actions to an infatuation with a certain Antivan camp follower (this, incidentally, has never been confirmed), it later came to light that the Antivan force had been led by King Azar Adalberto Campana himself. In the political realignment following the Blight's end, Antiva was an important ally to Orlais - and Lambert Valmont was an Antivan hero. He was given the hand of one of King Azar's daughters in marriage and elevated to noble rank, with a valiant lion to adorn his newly created heraldry. The Orlesian emperor was forced to respond in kind, granting Valmont a marquisate. Imagine, if you will, the hero returning to Val Royeaux from the Blight, sporting a wife with royal blood and the honours of two nations. This is why jealous nobles called him the Swaggering Lion, a nickname he embraced. It was Lambert Valmont's son, Alphonse, who later led the civil war against the usurper, Xavier Drakon. He killed Xavier in single combat, giving rise to the great Orlesian legend of the Lion Slaying the Dragon, putting an end to the Drakon dynasty as he assumed the throne... and changing the Orlesian symbol forever. —From a letter by Brother Genitivi to Prince Cailan Theirin, 9:20 Dragon

(align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[<img src="images/riverpirates.png" alt="RiverPirates">]''The Free Marches'' The Free Marches are not a kingdom, nor even a nation in the most basic sense. People from that region dislike even being lumped together as "Marchers." Rather, they are a collection of independent city-states united only when it suits them; in this respect, they resemble the Bannorn before the arrival of King Calenhad. Because of this, the Free Marches have no capital, and what passes for a central government exists only sporadically, a sort of Landsmeet that convenes only during times of crisis. I arrived in time for the Grand Tourney while it was on in Tantervale - a remarkable sight indeed. I saw Avvar hillsmen test their mettle against Orlesian Chevaliers, riders from the Anderfels buying Nevarran cavalry horses, Antivan craftsmen selling their wares to Tevinter mages. All of Thedas was on display.// —From //In Pursuit of Knowledge: The Travels of a Chantry Scholar//, by Brother Genitivi

(align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[<img src="images/tracks.png" alt="Tracks">]''History of Ferelden: Orlesian Rule'' The occupation was a dark blot on Ferelden's history. Our people, who from time immemorial valued their freedom over all else, were forced to bow to Orlesian rule. The Empire declared our elves property and sold them like cattle. Chevaliers routinely plundered freeholds of coin, food, and even women and children, and excused it as "taxation." And for 70 years no Landsmeets were held, for the Imperial throne had declared our ancient laws a form of treason. King Brandel was one of those who escaped. He tried to organize the other fugitive lords to retake their land, but Brandel was neither clever nor persuasive, and the nobles preferred to take their chances alone. Ferelden might still be little more than a territory of the Empire were it not for the fact that his daughter had all the charisma that her royal father lacked. The Rebel Queen's rule began with a midnight attack on the imperial armoury at Lothering. It was swift and successful, and with their pilfered arms the rebels began a campaign against the Orlesians in earnest. But the turning point of the war came when a young freeholder joined the queen's army. The lad, Loghain Mac Tir, possessed a remarkable talent for strategy, and quickly became the favourite adviser of young Prince Maric. The queen finally died at the hands of Orlesian sympathizers anxious to curry favour with their painted masters, and Maric took her place as the leader of the rebellion. Loghain became Maric's right hand. Maric and Loghain led the rebels in a new campaign against their Orlesian oppressors, culminating in the battle of River Dane, where the last Chevaliers in Denerim were crushed. With the capital once more in the hands of Fereldans, the battle to free our people was finally over. But the battle to rebuild what had been lost had only just begun. —From //Ferelden: Folklore and History//, by Sister Petrine, Chantry scholar

(align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[<img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight">]''The Kingdom of Nevarra'' The fourth time I attempted to cross the border into Nevarra from Orlais and was turned back by chevaliers, I decided to take the more roundabout path: a ship back to Ferelden, and then another to Nevarra. The outcome was more than worth the trouble. The whole country is filled with artistry, from the statues of heroes that litter the streets in even the meanest villages to the glittering golden College of Magi in Cumberland. Perhaps nowhere is more astonishing than the vast necropolis outside Nevarra City. Unlike most other followers of Andraste, the Nevarrans do not burn their dead. Instead, they carefully preserve the bodies and seal them in elaborate tombs. Some of the wealthiest Nevarrans begin construction of their own tombs while quite young, and these become incredible palaces, complete with gardens, bathhouses, and ballrooms, utterly silent, kept only for the dead. —From //In Pursuit of Knowledge: The Travels of a Chantry Scholar//, by Brother Genitivi

(align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[<img src="images/lion.png" alt="Lion">]''The Orlesian Civil War'' When Grand Duke Gaspard attacked Empress Celene of Orlais in an attempt to claim the throne, we assumed business across the country would suffer greatly. To counter propaganda suggesting she was overly tolerant of the elves, Celene was drawn to crush an elven uprising in Halamshiral, and Gaspard's attack there destroyed her forces and cut her off from Val Royeaux. She escaped back to the Orlesian capital (with a hundred mad stories explaining how), at which point we started closing down the family shops, expecting Gaspard's army to carve a bloody path through the Heartlands and up north toward cities loyal to Celene. Instead, the humans have been downright reasonable. We made a killing on furs and silver in Val Royeaux as Gaspard's hold on southern Orlais cut off incoming trade goods from Ferelden. The nobles in Montfort and Val Chevin also bought up violets as though their touch killed darkspawn; apparently, Celene declared that wearing purple flowers was a way for humans to show their loyalty to her. In Ferelden, half of the cities would be on fire; but in Orlais, the nobles make jokes, and the merchants just keep peddling their wares while Gaspard and Celene's armies clash in the Dales. The only people really suffering are the peasants, but then, that's true enough anywhere. Send extra guards on the next shipment, but save the lyrium for Ferelden. The family's doing good business here as it is. —From a letter from Dernal Harrick, dwarven merchant, to his family in Ostwick

(align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[<img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry">]''The Conclave'' It has been a year of little more than chaos. Yes, the mages voted to dissolve the Circle of Magi - but I will point out: this vote came only after increased restrictions were placed on them following the unfortunate events in Kirkwall. What other choice did they have? Yes, the Templar Order abandoned their duties and elected to pursue the mages to bring them back in line - but after a thousand years in which their sole role was the mages' keepers, what else could one expect? They envisioned the war over quickly; a single battle that would see the mages' resolve crumble, after which they would meekly return to confinement. That did not happen. This conflict could drag on forever, with advantage on neither side. Both Templars and mages see this, and thus they have agreed to come to the Conclave. This is our chance. Words need to be said which have not been said; a compromise must be reached because there is no other choice. I believe this with all my heart. I am not without fault in all this; perhaps I pushed too hard for reform, or not hard enough. The Maker has seen fit to give me another chance; I will not squander it. The Temple of Sacred Ashes is where together we will make history, and with luck we will be remembered kindly for it. —From the journals of Divine Justinia V, 9:41 Dragon

(align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[<img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry">]''The Maker'' There was no word For heaven or for earth, for sea or sky. All that existed was silence. Then the Voice of the Maker rang out, The first Word, And His Word became all that might be: Dream and idea, hope and fear, Endless possibilities. And from it made his firstborn. And he said to them: In My image I forge you, To you I give dominion Over all that exists. By your will May all things be done. Then in the center of heaven He called forth A city with towers of gold, streets with music for cobblestones, And banners which flew without wind. There, He dwelled, waiting To see the wonders His children would create. The children of the Maker gathered Before his golden throne And sang hymns of praise unending. But their songs Were the songs of the cobblestones. They shone with the golden light Reflected from the Maker's throne. They held forth the banners That flew on their own. And the Voice of the Maker shook the Fade Saying: In My image I have wrought My firstborn. You have been given dominion Over all that exists. By your will All things are done. Yet you do nothing. The realm I have given you Is formless, ever-changing. And He knew he had wrought amiss. So the Maker turned from his firstborn And took from the Fade A measure of its living flesh And placed it apart from the Spirits, and spoke to it, saying: Here, I decree Opposition in all things: For earth, sky For winter, summer For darkness, Light. By My Will alone is Balance sundered And the world given new life. And no longer was it formless, ever-changing, But held fast, immutable, With Words for heaven and for earth, sea and sky. At last did the Maker From the living world Make men. Immutable, as the substance of the earth, With souls made of dream and idea, hope and fear, Endless possibilities. Then the Maker said: To you, my second-born, I grant this gift: In your heart shall burn An unquenchable flame All-consuming, and never satisfied. From the Fade I crafted you, And to the Fade you shall return Each night in dreams That you may always remember me. And then the Maker sealed the gates Of the Golden City And there, He dwelled, waiting To see the wonders His children would create. —//Threnodies 5:1-8//

(align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[<img src="images/serault.png" alt="SeraultArms">]\ (align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[''THE MARQUISATE OF SERAULT'']\ //"Glass so clear and worth the price, as kicks of light catch color twice."// Such is the literary whimsy Seraultine Glass inspires, with beauty all but the sunless see. Perhaps be less quick to recklessly rhyme. On the quality, have no doubt, though some claim the multicolored echo bizarre or imagined. Like the challenge of grace notes and the discerning ear, the educated eye finds ever more to appreciate. But be mindful whom you approach when seeking deals in the Marquisate of Serault. As far west as one can still call civilized, it attracts exactly the type you would expect: those who fail better than most - agitators of various intent seeking remote sanctuary. A gathering that creates a nexus of stories. The one who dismisses de Serault tricksiness out of hand misses plenty. Care, rivals, for they are as skilled in the Game as their glassworks, though they have been considered outcast since the great Shame of Serault. Mind their welcome as you would a smiling cardsharp, or risk attending your last court. And remember the promise and threat of //"PAYMENT IN GLASS."// —From //On the Glassworks of the Marquisate of Serault//, collected by Philliam, a Bard!

(align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[<img src="images/mask.png" alt="Mask">]''The Orlesian Empire'' There are many lords and ladies in Val Royeaux. And I mean this literally. Once, the system of noble titles in Orlais was labyrinthine: there were barons and baronnes and baronets and sur-barons and a horde of others, each with its own origins and its own nuances of comparison. The Orlesian aristocracy is ancient and much given to competition. All the nobility play the Grand Game, as it is known, whether they wish to or not. It is a game of reputation and patronage, where moves are made with rumours and scandal is the chief weapon. No gentle game, this. More blood has been drawn as a result of the Grand Game than any war the Orlesians have fought. Of this, I am assured by almost every gentleman here. As far as titles went, everything changed with the coming of Emperor Drakon, who established the Orlesian Empire as it exists now, and who created the Chantry. There is no more venerated figure in Orlais; in Val Royeaux, the statue of Drakon stands as tall as the statue of Andraste. Drakon determined that the Grand Game was tearing Orlais apart, so he abolished all titles besides his own, and lord, and lady. I am told, with some twittering amusement, that this action did not end the Grand Game as Drakon had intended. Now the lords and ladies collected unofficial titles rather than official ones, such as "the exalted patron of Tassus Klay" or "uncle to the champion of Tremmes." It is a headache to remember such titles, and one winces to think of the poor doormen at the balls who must rattle them off as each guest enters the room. The aristocracy is different from Ferelden in other ways, as well. The Orlesians' right to rule stems directly from the Maker. There exists neither the concept of rule by merit nor the slightest notion of rebellion. If one is not noble, one aspires to be - or at the least aspires to be in the good graces of a noble, and is ever watching for a way to enter the patronage of those better placed in the Grand Game. And then there are the masks. And the cosmetics: I have not seen so much paint since the kennels at Highever. But that is another story. —From //Beyond the Frostbacks//, by Bann Teoric of West Hill, 9:20 Dragon

(align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[<img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry">]''The Seekers of Truth'' Ser Whitmore, When I mentioned powers greater than the Templars, I didn't mean the Chantry. Sure they command the Templars, but that was not always so - the Inquisition once hunted heretics and cultists as well as mages, and their reign of terror ended only with the inception of the Circle of Magi. They became the Templar Order, for good or ill the watchers of the mages and the martial arm of the Chantry. It was a mutually beneficial arrangement, but few know that the Chantry created yet another order to watch over the Templars: the Seekers of Truth. I know little of them myself, but I can say the following things with certainty: they serve the Divine and they are feared. When a Seeker steps from the shadows, Templars run for cover - because why would he come unless the Templars somehow failed in their duties? Seekers are extremely effective investigating abuses within the Circle and hunting particularly evasive apostates. It's said they are immune to a blood mage's mind control and possess the ability to read minds or erase memories, but this is likely exaggeration. So we return to my original dilemma. Who watches powers greater than that of the Templars? One assumes it's the Divine, but how much could She know about their activities when their very existence is a mystery to most? —A letter from an unknown priest, found in the Grand Cathedral archives, 8:80 Blessed

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/deck01.png" alt="GoldSun">]\ (align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[''STATE OF THE REALM'']\ ''Key Stats'' <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Heart" height="65" width="50"> Health: //How far can you push yourself?// (if: (history:) contains "Epilogue: The Arrival of the Divine")[<img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="65" width="50"> Divine's Favour: //Can you win the Divine over?// ]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> You don't have access to this stat just yet.] ''Skills'' <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="65" width="50"> Rulership: //Judgement, generalship and charisma.// <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="65" width="50"> Scholarship: //Learning, magical theory and your skills as a physician.// <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="65" width="50"> Derring-Do: //Skill at arms, athleticism and endurance.// <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="65" width="50"> Woods-wise: //Tracking, herb-lore and beast-lore.// <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="65" width="50"> Cunning: //Subterfuge, detecting deceit and sleight of hand. // ''Attributes'' <img src="images/lion.png" alt="Dignity" height="65" width="50"> Dignity: //Honour, pride, order.// <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="65" width="50"> Prosperity: //How wealthy is your realm?// <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="65" width="50"> Freedom: //Liberty and tolerance.// ''Threats'' <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="65" width="50"> Twilight: //The uncanny, the nocturnal, the ill-omened, the magical.// <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="65" width="50"> Peril: //Pirates and rebels... but also opportunities for glory.// <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="65" width="50"> Revolution: //How bold have they become?//

(align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[<img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry">]''Templars'' Often portrayed as stoic and grim, the Order of Templars was created as the martial arm of the Chantry. Armed with the ability to dispel and resist magic in addition to their formidable combat talents, the Templars are uniquely qualified to act as both a foil for apostates - mages who refuse to submit to the authority of the Circle - and a first line of defence against the dark powers of blood mages and abominations. While mages often resent the Templars as symbols of the Chantry's control over magic, the people of Thedas see them as saviours and holy warriors, champions of all that is good, armed with piety enough to protect the world from the ravages of foul magic. In reality, the Chantry's militant arm looks first for skilled warriors with unshakable faith in the Maker, with a flawless moral center as a secondary concern. Templars must carry out their duty with an emotional distance, and the Order of Templars prefers soldiers with religious fervor and absolute loyalty over paragons of virtue who might question orders when it comes time to make difficult choices. The Templars' power derives from the substance lyrium, a mineral believed to be the raw element of creation. While mages use lyrium in their arcane spells and rituals, Templars ingest the primordial mineral to enhance their abilities to resist and dispel magic. Lyrium use is regulated by the Chantry, but some Templars suffer from lyrium addiction, the effects of which include paranoia, obsession, and dementia. Templars knowingly submit themselves to this "treatment" in the service of the Order and the Maker. It is this sense of ruthless piety that most frightens mages when they draw the Templars' attention: When the Templars are sent to eliminate a possible blood mage, there is no reasoning with them, and if the Templars are prepared, the mage's magic is all but useless. Driven by their faith, the Templars are one of the most feared and respected forces in Thedas. —From //Patterns Within Form// by Halden, First Enchanter of Starkhaven, 8:80 Blessed

(align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[<img src="images/magic.png" alt="Magic">]''The Tevinter Imperium'' For good or ill, the Imperium has put its stamp on Thedas forever. The old Imperial Highway is still in use across most of Thedas. The ruins of Tevinter fortresses and centers of magical study still litter our landscape, long after the glory of the Imperium dimmed. But the influence of that ancient empire goes deeper than this. Without Tevinter, there would have been no Blights, no Andraste, no Chantry. Every aspect of our world would be altered. The might and majesty of the Imperium may have faded, but it still makes its presence known, even in the most distant corners of Thedas. Every child has been brought up on stories of Tevinter as it is now: a decadent nation, ruled by the archon and his court of magisters - great, and no doubt corrupt, mage-lords. Their Chantry a mockery of our own, their Black Divine a man chosen from the ranks of the Minrathous Circle of Magi. The Maker's most hallowed law, "Magic exists to serve man, and never to rule over him," perverted. Mages in the Imperium say their most sacred duty is to serve man, and they serve best by wielding political power. And the worst, that which Blessed Andraste must weep to see: all of it is built on a foundation of slavery. While most nations forbid the buying and selling of slaves within their own borders, nearly everyone ships her people to the Imperium for sale, skirting the prohibitions against such atrocities, and feeding the Imperium's endless hunger for bodies: to fight the Qunari, to work the mines and quarries, to build the palaces of the magisters, to sweep the crumbling streets and turn the middens and serve at the whim of their mage overseers. —From //Black City, Black Divine: A Study of the Tevinter Imperium//, by Sister Petrine, Chantry scholar

(align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[<img src="images/scroll.png" alt="Scroll">]\ (align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[''THE LANDS OF THEDAS'']\ * [[On the Orlesian Empire]] * [[On the Tevinter Imperium]] * [[On the Kingdom of Ferelden]] * [[On the Kingdom of Nevarra]] * [[On the Free Marches]] * [[On the Kingdom of Orzammar]] * [[On the Deep Roads]]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution">]''Locked and barred'' Riders in red tabards blockade the road from Serault, while archers with keen eyes, sharp arrows and quick fingers comb the woods to either side. (if: $knightfury is > 1)[ [[A week passes, and with it a scent of spring|The Freehold]] The wind dies, leaving the sun to push hotly on the cobbled streets and courtyards. The chateau's four cats stretch out on the roof-tiles.]\ (else:)[ [[Two days later, a message arrives|An Invitation]] It's not what you were expecting.] (set: $revolution to $revolution + 15)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 15...) (set: $dignity to $dignity - 15)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 15...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/guildmistress.png" alt="Guildmistress">]''Pragmatism'' "I will arrange for more... straightforward replacements immediately, (if: $gender is "female")[Lady $name](else:)[Lord $name]," the Smiling Guildmistress promises. Over the next few days, your servants clear away the broken glass and fit the clear, blank panes delivered from the glassworks. The new windows don't bathe your hall in a thousand colours as the old ones did, but they keep the wind and the rain out. The normal business of your court can resume. And just in time! That evening, your (if: $counsellor is "plainspoken")[Plainspoken Seneschal](else:)[Hesitant Seneschal] bursts into you chambers as you dine. "Your Grace! News!" [[A letter arrived, the bursting sun of the Chantry shining on its seal|Prologue: A Miraculous Opportunity]] Your hands tremble for a minute, but you don't think anyone noticed. (set: $rulership to $rulership + 1)(Your Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $dignity to $dignity - 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $simplewindows to "true")(You have acquired <img src="images/conciliation.png" alt="ConciliationCup" height="26" width="20"> a new asset!) (Your Seneschal <img src="images/wearybailiff2.png" alt="Seneschal" height="26" width="20"> records your decision.)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/forest4.png" alt="Forest4">]''Back to whence it came'' The claw is consigned to the loamy earth. Soon, questing roots crawl over it, locking it away against the centuries. The forest returns to its sleep and its long, green dreams. [[You hear Serault awake outside|A Petition from a Village Headsman]] A stink climbs the Foal's Tower. You order the privies sluiced. (set: $dignity to $dignity + 10)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 10!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Rumours">](if: (random: -10,10) + $rulership is > 35)[''A saviour'' You oversee the work yourself. Under your direction the new well plunges deep, straight, and swift into the earth. The villagers act as though the Empress herself were staying with them. They feed you as well as they can, and share all they know of their corner of your realm. (set: $freedom to $freedom + 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!)]\ (else:)[''Slow going'' The ground is hard with stones. The new well slinks slowly through the unkind earth. It is weeks before the village has its water. Your efforts are appreciated, though. You learn much about a part of Serault you've had little cause to visit before, and the villagers speak highly of your character. (set: $prosperity to $prosperity - 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) ] [[A week comes and goes|Pick a Lover]] You sit alone in your chambers, a glass of Nevarran red in your hand. (set: $rulership to $rulership + 1)(Your Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $plaguevillage to "true")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Rumours">](if: (random: -10,10) + $rulership is > 25)[''A saviour'' You oversee the work yourself. Under your direction the new well plunges deep, straight, and swift into the earth. The villagers act as though the Empress herself were staying with them. They feed you as well as they can, and share all they know of their corner of your realm. (set: $prosperity to $prosperity + 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) ]\ (else:)[''Slow going'' The ground is hard with stones. The new well slinks slowly through the unkind earth. It is weeks before the village has its water. Your efforts are appreciated, though. You learn much about a part of Serault you've had little cause to visit before, and the villagers speak highly of your character.] [[You rest well after a long day at court|Pick a Counselor 1]] A riot of barks from the kennels; the butcher is delivering meat. (set: $rulership to $rulership + 1)(Your Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $revolution to $revolution - 5)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) (set: $plaguevillage to "true")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/chantrydoor.png" alt="ChantryDoor">](if: (random: -10,10) + $rulership is > 45 or $battle is > 4)[''Iron discipline'' The chevalier-commander is horrified, but she does her best to hide the horror. "As you command, (if: $gender is "female")[Lady $name](else:)[Lord $name]," she says. She hand-picks two guards - one mute, one her own adopted son - to guard the entry to the Chantry Wing: she borrows tools from the chateau's smith. The door is heavy oak and gold-plated steel, but the lock, though triply-complex, will succumb to a hammer and a chisel with time. She muffles the chisel and sets to work. You watch warily. A half-hour passes. The commander's face is grey with fear. One lock fails: another. When the third fails, the door swings a half-inch open... a tremor! A susurration rises from the chateau cellars. The vestibule vibrates. With a sharp crack, the stained-glass Andraste scene opposite the door fractures neatly across the middle. The tremor subsides. All is quiet again. The lock-plate will hide the evidence of your tampering, and the latch will hold it shut. The chevalier-commander leaves without a word or backwards glance. You may enter at your leisure. [[Enter the Chantry]] At night might be more politic... but after all, you don't know what might be in there. Post the guards elsewhere, don a hooded cloak and enter in the afternoon when the chateau is drowsing. (You've opened the door <img src="images/chantrydoor.png" alt="ChantryDoor" height="26" width="20"> of the Sealed Chantry.) (set: $chantryunsealed to "true")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) ]\ (else:)[''Tight-lipped refusal'' The chevalier-commander stands her ground. "Please, my (if: $gender is "female")[Lady](else:)[Lord]," she says. "This would be a crime against the Maker. Do not dishonour yourself so. I would die in your defence. I would die rather do this thing." She is pale and trembling, but firm. (if: (history:) does not contain "Bypass the triple lock")[ <img src="images/cunningmini.png" alt="CunningMini"> [[Bypass the triple lock]] A glassblower left some promising tools here last month. Creep down at the darkest hour of night. Don't get caught. That would be embarrassing. (if: $fullcourt is "true")[//You knew that hosting so many courtiers would pay off one day. One of them has taught you the basics of lockpicking...//]\ (else:)[~~//You knew that hosting so many courtiers would pay off one day.//~~]]\ (else:)[~~Bypass the triple lock A glassblower left some promising tools here last month. Creep down at the darkest hour of night. Don't get caught. That would be embarrassing.~~] (if: $bardlover is "true" )[ <img src="images/bardalt.png" alt="BardAlt" height="65" width="50"> [[Ask the Wayward Bard to assist you]] He lies with you. Perhaps he even loves you. Can you trust him?]\ (else:)[~~Ask the Wayward Bard to assist you Can you trust him?~~] <img src="images/door.png" alt="Door"> [[This is folly]] What got into your head? //Leave the Sealed Chantry behind.//] (set: $rulership to $rulership + 1)(Your Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $dignity to $dignity - 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...)

<img src="images/greenwoodsheader.png" alt="Applewoods"> ''Prudence'' The forest demands a toll from the unwary. You're better served by caution. In time, you spot a stream. It tumbles along a steep gully and curves across your path. Its sound is gentle in the stern silence of the woods. [[Leave your companions behind]] They're slowing you down. <img src="images/woodswisemini.png" alt="WoodsWiseMini"> [[Follow the stream into the Deepwoods]] Upstream the trees are old and stooped. They lean closely together. Their leaves whisper. //You will enter the Deepwoods, where the challenges and rewards are both greater.// (if: $hounds is "present")[ [[Help the hounds find the scent again]] They stop at the water's edge, milling about in frustration.]\ (else:)[~~Help the hounds find the scent again They stop at the water's edge.~~] (set: $timeleft to $timeleft - 1)(You've got $timeleft hours <img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="26" width="20"> of daylight remaining.)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/accomplice.png" alt="Accomplice">]''A gentle hand'' If they continue to chafe under their duties, you will see more outbreaks, not less. There are no repercussions for the glassworkers. Better that the affair is forgotten. Though their ringleader has disappeared, you have assembled a description of her: a fair-skinned woman with red hair and only nine fingers. You circulate it among your agents - you're certain she'll make another appearance. (if: $counsellor is "abbess" or "baron" or "plainspoken" or "hesitant")[ [[Morning comes|Keep the Counselor]] The uprising caught you by surprise. Visitors to the court whisper. 'This would never have happened in Alyons or Val Foret', you heard one say.]\ (else:)[ [[Morning comes|Fire a Counselor 1]] The uprising caught you by surprise. Visitors to the court whisper. 'This would never have happened in Alyons or Val Foret', you heard one say.] (set: $spider to $spider + 1)(The matter of the Uprising <img src="images/bodyguard.png" alt="Bodyguard" height="26" width="20"> is settled. You have heard rumours of a Nine-Fingered Agitator...) (set: $agitator to "true")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) (set: $revolution to $revolution - 5)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) (set: $freedom to $freedom + 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $dignity to $dignity - 10)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/feast2.png" alt="Feast2">]''A local specialty'' The pastry is light. The meat is heavy and rich. The cheese has a kick like the goat it came from. You hadn't expected them to be to the Divine's taste, but she devours one and calls for another. (if: $knightfeast is "true")[ [[The Weary Baillif calls you in hushed tones|The Horned Knight Approaches]] "Your Grace," he murmurs, "He is here. The abomination from the woods! I don't know how he made it past the guards... he wants to speak to you."]\ (else:)[[[The Divine desires to hear another petitioner|Grant a Petition 3]] "Let us see what the good people of Serault have to say to the Chantry. It's past time we heard their voices," she says. You, of course, abide.] (set: $divinefavour to $divinefavour + 2)(Your Divine's Favour <img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 2!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/headman.png" alt="Headman">](if: (random: -10,10) + $cunning is > 25)[''Good riddance'' You deliver sacks of loaves, carts of tart apples and - crucially - twenty casks of wine to the mercenaries at a hamlet on the edge of the Marquisate. They hurry to accept the tribute and then continue along the pale road and out of your troubles. When the dust of their passing settles, all Serault breathes a sigh of relief. (set: $peril to $peril - 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) (set: $mercs to "good")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) ]\ (else:)['''A country fat with welcome!''' Your gift's only whet the company's appetite. If you paid once, they reason, you'll pay again. They make themselves at home, commandeering villages, harassing your peasants, and plundering storehouses. (set: $prosperity to $prosperity - 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $peril to $peril + 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) (set: $mercs to "bad")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) ] [[You turn your attention to Serault's greatest treasure|Chapter 2: Glass]] <img src="images/wind.png" alt="Wind" height="26" width="20"> An East wind. The warm bright rumours of Val Royeaux. Scent and spices, candle-wax and vanilla. //You have six months until the Divine arrives.// (set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $prosperity to $prosperity - 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/headman.png" alt="Headman">](if: (random: -10,10) + $cunning is > 35)[''Good riddance'' You deliver sacks of loaves, carts of tart apples and - crucially - twenty casks of wine to the mercenaries at a hamlet on the edge of the Marquisate. They hurry to accept the tribute and then continue along the pale road and out of your troubles. When the dust of their passing settles, all Serault breathes a sigh of relief. (set: $peril to $peril - 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) (set: $mercs to "good")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) ]\ (else:)['''A country fat with welcome!''' Your gift's only whet the company's appetite. If you paid once, they reason, you'll pay again. They make themselves at home, commandeering villages, harassing your peasants, and plundering storehouses. (set: $prosperity to $prosperity - 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $peril to $peril + 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) (set: $mercs to "bad")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) ] [[In the days to follow you decide to call for help from unusual places|Pick an Accomplice]] Uncertain times present opportunities to the bold... (set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $prosperity to $prosperity - 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/fire.png" alt="Fire">]''Fires'' There are laws in Serault. The Shame is not to be discussed. As the beggar is pulled down, angry shouts go up. The crowd swells like the sea in a storm. Your guards draw their swords, a narrow line of Serault green-and-silver against the pressing tide. Your chevalier-commander spurs her horse forward. The sea turns. Parts. You follow her between the crush of faces, twisted as the gargoyles perching on the chantry, and up to the chateau. That night fires burn in Serault Town, making the night as hot as the day and flinging a sullen amber glow up to the stooping clouds. There is violence in the streets, and looting. The next day a guilty silence has settled over the town. Most keep to their homes. But a symbol has been daubed on half the buildings in the town: the candle-flame sign of the Elusive Iconoclast. The next day, you are overseeing repairs to the Bridge of Masks when you hear a servant call for you. <img src="images/scholarshipmini.png" alt="ScholarshipMini"> [["Your Grace, hurry! It's the Dowager!"|The Dowager's Decline]] The servant clearly ran all the way from the Hall of Glories to find you. You race up the Foal's Tower. (You dealt with an inciting beggar <img src="images/fire.png" alt="Fire" height="26" width="20">. A new challenge awaits you.) (set: $beggar to "revolt")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $revolution to $revolution + 5)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) (set: $peril to $peril + 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril">]\ ''Men like wolves'' It's essential that you keep the river open. The soda ash that comes up from the south is the flux that clears the glass - and Serault's prosperity rests on her tradition for glass-making. River-pirates have grown strong, and the outlaws of the forests match them. The monsters of the twilight and the enemy within can wait. [[It's time to meet your seneschal|Prologue: Your Seneschal]] He mostly keeps to himself, keeping the castle grounds in good order. (set: $peril to $peril + 50)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 50...) (set: $twilight to $twilight + 20)(Your Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 20...) (set: $revolution to $revolution + 20)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 20...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/bodyguard2.png" alt="Bodyguard2">]''An Assault on your Person'' This could have gone a //lot// worse. While you have known most of your guard and household servants for years, you have just witnessed how easily either can be infiltrated by hired killers or their helpers. A (if: $gender is "female")[noblewoman](else:)[nobleman] in your position, this is clear now, may require additional, effective, //unexpected// safeguards. But what kind of protection do you need the most? <img src="images/hunter.png" alt="SilentHunter" height="65" width="50"> [[Send for the Silent Hunter|Send for the Silent Hunter 1]] A stern, silent presence at your shoulder. <img src="images/outlaw.png" alt="Outlaw" height="65" width="50"> [[Send for the Dashing Outlaw]] A band of murderous cut-throats at your disposal. Whatever will you do with them?

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/serault.png" alt="SeraultArms">]''Whispers in your ear'' You cannot rule alone. While the court serves at the discretion of its (if: $gender is "female")[Marquise](else:)[Marquis], it might be of value to have a formal adviser of greater resolve and intelligence than your (if: $counsellor is "plainspoken")[Plainspoken Seneschal](else:)[Hesitant Seneschal]. He has served your house for many years, but it is clear he lacks the precise balance of confidence and subtlety required to help you further. A counsellor must not only care for Serault, but also be able to deal with many of the threats that hound her - threats which you cannot defeat alone, divided as your attention is by the challenges of rulership. (if: $counsellor is "plainspoken")[<img src="images/wearybailiff2.png" alt="Seneschal" height="65" width="50"> [[You send for the Plainspoken Seneschal|The Seneschal's Offence]]]\ (else:)[<img src="images/wearybailiff2.png" alt="Seneschal" height="65" width="50"> [[You send for the Hesitant Seneschal|The Seneschal's Release]]] More efficient management is warranted in these trying times. (if: $counsellor is "plainspoken")[ [[Keep the Plainspoken Seneschal as your counsellor|A Meeting with the Outlaw]]]\ (else:)[ [[Keep the Hesitant Seneschal as your counsellor|A Meeting with the Outlaw]]] He does his best, Maker bless him. //Move on and keep the Seneschal as your counsellor.//

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/lover.png" alt="Heart">]''Matters of the heart'' You never married. You never had to; Serault's infamy as a bastion of heresy and apostasy made arranged marriages with your neighbours unfeasible. It's not like you need to sire a heir yourself either - you have no shortage of not-so distant relatives in line to take the High Seat once you depart for the Maker's side, some of whom you may not even detest. In spite of all that, tonight, you can't shake off the feeling that you are very much //alone//. Whom would you like to invite for company tonight? <img src="images/abbessalt.png" alt="AbbessAlt" height="65" width="50"> [[Send for the Elegant Abbess|Send for the Elegant Abbess 1]] Chantry business had her in town tonight. <img src="images/bardalt.png" alt="BardAlt" height="65" width="50"> [[Send for the Wayward Bard|Send for the Wayward Bard 1]] He had better not be drunk. (set: $flamesfreedom to "true")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/mask.png" alt="Mask">]''In the High Seat's shadow'' A ruler cannot always fight nobly; so often the Great Game requires a stab in the back, an ambush in the dark, a drop of poison into someone's tea, or even just sheer knowledge of how to avoid all that. Whom among the Marquisate's more humble denizens shall you summon to help you with matters better solved with utmost discretion? <img src="images/outlaw.png" alt="Outlaw" height="65" width="50"> [[Recruit the Dashing Outlaw as your accomplice|Recruit her as your accomplice]] It will be useful to have agents on both sides of the law. <img src="images/purveyor.png" alt="Purveyor" height="65" width="50"> [[Recruit the Purveyor of Teas as your accomplice|Recruit him as your accomplice]] Is he late again? Issue a warrant for his arrest. That'll get his attention. <img src="images/pigfarmer.png" alt="PigFarmer" height="65" width="50"> [[Recruit the Well-Read Pig-Farmer as your accomplice|Employ the Pig-Farmer as your secret adviser]] No-one can know.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/knight.png" alt="Knight">](if: (random: -10,10) + $scholarship is > 35)[''Practise makes perfect'' After reconstructing another chapter, the two of you go down to the courtyard to practice. The Knight's joints creak. His back is bent. But the pursuit of knowledge restores his vigor, and his muscles remember his days of sword-work even if his head does not. Together you practise 'the falcon's gyre' and 'the falling oak' until the form comes naturally. (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 1)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) ]\ (else:)['''The play of the sword''' Badenflus was a poet as well as a swordswoman. Deciphering the manuscript is a painstaking process of extrapolation from her charming, but florid, similes. 'Show them the sun,' means pushing your opponent's guard back and up. And 'turn like the serpent' means counter-clockwise, but does it refer to your wrist or your waist? When 'closing the gate', how close should you set your feet? Progress is slow, but fruitful. Badenflus killed better than she rhymed. (set: $health to $health - 5)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...)] [[Two days later you turn your focus to statescraft|Gather Resources 2]] You take your place atop the High Seat. [[A guard warns you of a visitor at the outskirts of Serault|The Undaunted Chevalier]] Courtiers flock to the battlements to spy on the new arrival. (set: $scholarship to $scholarship + 1)(Your Scholarship <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/mask.png" alt="Mask">](if: (random: -10,10) + $cunning is > 25)[''Bound in blood'' Afterwards, your spy tells you of the peace that was forged between the Corpse-Dancers and the Dead Rose, and how the clans agreed truces to carve Serault up like a roast hog. Pacts between the outlaw-clans promise no good, but at least you know where their attention will fall. You dispatch extra soldiers to guard the key thoroughfares. (set: $peril to $peril + 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) (set: $prosperity to $prosperity + 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $outlawagents to "true")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) ]\ (else:)[''Witness'' You recruit two agents, one and a half of whom return. The second was identified, tied between two horses, and pulled apart. Your first agent could only retrieve the slower horse. Dull-eyed, he tells you a little of what he witnessed: a new marriage between the Chief of the Blasted Oak and a son of the Shuttered Lamp. The Dead Rose's chief losing a throttling contest with the Corpse-Dancers, and with it the plunder rights to the southern forest road. There's more he knows, but his comrade's fate has shaken him. He'll say no more. (set: $peril to $peril + 10)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 10...) (set: $outlawagents to "bad")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)] [[A more peaceful week passes by|Blown in on the Wind]] Two servants bicker over the duties of a third, their voices drifting through the window of your hall. (set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/mask.png" alt="Mask">](if: (random: -10,10) + $cunning is >35 or $woodsghost is "true")[''Bound in blood'' Afterwards, your spy tells you of the peace that was forged between the Corpse-Dancers and the Dead Rose, and how the clans agreed truces to carve Serault up like a roast hog. Pacts between the outlaw-clans promise no good, but at least you know where their attention will fall. You dispatch extra soldiers to guard the key thoroughfares. (set: $peril to $peril + 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) (set: $prosperity to $prosperity + 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $outlawagents to "true")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) ]\ (else:)[''Witness'' You recruit two agents, one and a half of whom return. The second was identified, tied between two horses, and pulled apart. Your first agent could only retrieve the slower horse. Dull-eyed, he tells you a little of what he witnessed: a new marriage between the Chief of the Blasted Oak and a son of the Shuttered Lamp. The Dead Rose's chief losing a throttling contest with the Corpse-Dancers, and with it the plunder rights to the southern forest road. There's more he knows, but his comrade's fate has shaken him. He'll say no more. (set: $peril to $peril + 10)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 10...) (set: $outlawagents to "bad")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)] [[Over the coming weeks you turn your mind to less mundane matters|Gather Resources 1]] The Tilted Tower whistles tunelessly, the wind caught in its cracked windows. (set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/pigfarmer.png" alt="PigFarmer">]\ (if: (random: -10,10) + $cunning is > 25)['' Standstill'' After two hours, neither of your magisters can reach the throne at the centre of the board. A stalemate. Not an uncommon result between two experienced players. The Pig-Farmer congratulates you on an invigorating game. "Gerrault says,// 'A ruler can employ scholars to teach them, soldiers to fight for them and bards to intrigue for them. But no-one can think for them.'// He's right. Some have tried, but it never ends well." Is she speaking from experience? (set: $rulership to $rulership + 1)(Your Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) ]\ (else:)['' Found wanting'' She smiles apologetically, destroys your defence and sets her Magister on the throne in the centre of the board. Once your opponent has an Archon, the game is all but lost. You resign. Where did a pig-farmer learn that fiendish gambit - using the slave-sacrifice to open the way for her Black Divine? She's polite, of course. Deferent. But clearly she was hoping for sterner opposition. (set: $dignity to $dignity - 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) ] [[Days pass as you work at court and outside it|Chapter 1: The Herald]] <img src="images/wind.png" alt="Wind" height="26" width="20"> The wind rises. The Chateau's pennants crack like whips. //You have seven months until the Divine arrives.// (set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $health to $health - 5)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/mask.png" alt="Mask">]''Playing the Great Game'' Favour isn't always given willingly. Sometimes you have to pry it loose, like a mussel from its shell. <img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="52" width="40"> [[Win her attendants' regard]] Treat them with courtesy and they will speak well of you to their mistress. (if: $extramirrors is "true")[ <img src="images/chantry2.png" alt="Chantry2" height="52" width="80"> [[Choose your words carefully]] There are things the Divine wants to hear, and things that she doesn't. Fortunately, you know the difference. //The commissions from the Heartlands bring not just money, but also information.//]\ (else:)[~~Choose your words carefully There are things the Divine wants to hear, and things that she doesn't.~~] (if: $fakecarver is "freed")[ <img src="images/chantry2.png" alt="Chantry2" height="52" width="80"> [[Offer the Divine information useful to her cause]] Her foes' fears. The follies of her friends. Secrets to sway those undecided. //The imposter calling himself 'Carver Hawke' had known much about the imperial court. Put it to good use.//]\ (else-if: $lordship is "arrested")[ <img src="images/chantry2.png" alt="Chantry2" height="52" width="80"> [[Offer the Divine information useful to her cause]] Her foes' fears. The follies of her friends. Secrets to sway those undecided. //His Dour Lordship has little to do in the dark depths of your dungeons... except recount everything he knows about the notables of Val Royeaux.//]\ (else:)[~~Offer the Divine information useful to her cause Her foes' fears. The follies of her friends.~~] (if: $seekersecret is "true")[ <img src="images/chantry2.png" alt="Chantry2" height="52" width="80"> [[Mock the Divine's detractors]] The enemy of her enemy... //That rogue Seeker had a lot to say. You can use her information to your own ends.//]\ (else:)[~~Mock the Divine's detractors The enemy of her enemy...~~] (if: $morrigan is "leliana")[ <img src="images/chantry3.png" alt="Chantry3" height="52" width="120"> [[Sway her advisers with gifts]] But which gifts? More importantly, which advisers? //The Scornful Sorceress mentioned a few of them, including a red-haired bard...//]\ (else:)[~~Sway her advisers with gifts But which gifts?~~] (if: $marjolaine is "true")[ <img src="images/chantry3.png" alt="Chantry3" height="52" width="120"> [[Use the Divine's past to blackmail her]] She was Dorothea before she was Justinia. Justinia might be the Most Holy, but Dorothea was as flawed as any mortal... //Blackmailing the Divine? The Shame would approve.//]\ (else:)[~~Use the Divine's past to blackmail her She was Dorothea before she was Justinia...~~]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/lostchild.png" alt="LostChild">]''Red handed'' You come across a trio of ragged, forest-savvy youths. They're quarrelling over their catch, and don't see you until you're almost upon them. When they recognise you, their eyes widen with panic. Cursing, they drop their brace of captured rabbits and scatter into the trees. What will you do with the poachers? <img src="images/derringdomini.png" alt="DerringDoMini"> [[Let them go]] You've got more important quarry today. <img src="images/rulershipmini.png" alt="RulershipMini"> [[Catch them and pass judgement]] If crime goes unpunished, it multiplies.\ (set: $poachers to "true")

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/lostchild.png" alt="LostChild">]''Poachers!'' You come across a trio of ragged, forest-savvy youths. They're quarrelling over their catch, and don't see you until you're almost upon them. When they recognise you, their eyes widen with panic. Cursing, they run for the cover of the trees. What will you do with the poachers? <img src="images/derringdomini.png" alt="DerringDoMini"> [[Let them go|Let them go 2]] You've got more important quarry today. <img src="images/rulershipmini.png" alt="RulershipMini"> [[Catch them and pass judgement|Catch them and pass judgement 2]] If crime goes unpunished, it multiplies. (if: $lynching is "true")[//You remember the man whose life you had saved from a brutal lynching just moments ago. You have grown experienced in matters of justice.//]\ (else:)[~~//You have grown experienced in matters of justice.//~~]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/iconoclast.png" alt="Iconoclast">]''The innocence of wine'' The herb you use has no name in either Orlesian or Tevene. In wine it has no taste. You prepare it yourself. Afterwards, you fling the gloves you wore on to a gardener's fire in the open air. You conceal the wine-flask beneath your coat. The Iconoclast is praying when you enter the cell. She shows no surprise when you pour her a cup of wine. "He told me that the (if: $gender is "female")[Marquise](else:)[Marquis] would be my cup-bearer," she says. "But I did not imagine it would be thus." She meets your eyes as she drinks; then she casts the cup away, stretches herself on the straw pallet, and turns her face to the wall. Three days later she is dead, her body splotched with sores. They whisper in the taverns that she had the deceiving-pox, the prince-in-green that some call syphilis. If the surgeons of Serault know better, they hold their tongues. The Iconoclast's followers live on, but they are robbed of the bright climax they hoped for. Their fervor fades. That night you dream of a woman in the heart of a fire, burning, weeping. A tall man watches and smiles. His face is the face of the Shame of Serault. //You had the Elusive Iconoclast put to death.// (if: $anchoress is "met")[ <img src="images/chantrydoor.png" alt="ChantryDoor" height="65" width="50"> [[Return to the Anchoress' Dell]] Slip through the Chantry and visit the odd old woman again. You have unfinished business with her...]\ (else-if: $keptcounsellor is "true" or $keptseneschal is "true")[ [[The light of the flames recede before him|You Dream of the Shame]] He is shrouded by darkness. You muster the courage to look more closely...]\ (else:)[ [[A week rushes by|Fire a Counsellor 2]] A coy breeze carries the sounds and smells of the market. Spice. Lies. Laughter. The play of coin.] (set: $revolution to $revolution - 15)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 15!) (set: $dignity to $dignity - 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $flamesfreedom to "killed")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry">]''The Initial Preparations'' (if: (history:) contains "The way of the whisper")[Things are going well. Already, you've unearthed a delicious knot of secrets to coerce the Divine. But there is still much to do... You needn't limit yourself to intrigue, either. Hospitality and splendour are equally effective, and a combined approach might be best. //You will need a good amount of Dignity, Prosperity and Freedom to achieve a good ending.//]\ (else-if: (history:) contains "The way of the heart")[Things are going well. Already, you've accumulated evidence of Serault's glory. But there is still much to do... You needn't limit yourself to splendour, either. Intrigue and hospitality are equally effective, and a combined approach might be best. //You will need a good amount of Dignity, Prosperity and Freedom to achieve a good ending.//]\ (else:)[Things are going well. Already, you've accrued the beginnings of a splendid feast. But there is still much to do... You needn't limit yourself to hospitality, either. Intrigue and splendour are equally effective, and a combined approach might be best. //You will need a good amount of Dignity, Prosperity and Freedom to achieve a good ending.//] (if: (history:) does not contain "Summon the Muttering Banker")[<img src="images/banker.png" alt="Banker" height="65" width="50"> [[Summon the Muttering Banker]] He fidgets before you, digging custard-stains from his collar with an unclipped nail. //You will have the option to dismiss his help and try something else.//]\ (else:)[~~Summon the Muttering Banker He fidgets before you.~~] [[Acquire luxuries to impress the Divine]] The toil of the peasantry has filled your coffers. Secure a line of credit with a merchant's guild. [[Learn information to aid your dealings with the Divine]] Serault is rife with rumour and blessed with keen minds. [[Uncover evidence of Serault's glory to impress the Divine]] Serault's blood is as old and as red as Val Royeaux's.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry">]''Prepare for the Divine'' The Divine will arrive all too soon. You must make ready. (if: (history:) does not contain "Summon the Muttering Banker 2")[<img src="images/banker.png" alt="Banker" height="65" width="50"> [[Summon the Muttering Banker|Summon the Muttering Banker 2]] He fidgets before you, digging custard-stains from his collar with an unclipped nail. //You will have the option to dismiss his help and try something else.//]\ (else:)[~~Summon the Muttering Banker He fidgets before you.~~] [[Acquire luxuries to impress the Divine|Acquire luxuries to impress the Divine 2]] The toil of the peasantry has filled your coffers. Secure a line of credit with a merchant's guild. [[Learn information to aid your dealings with the Divine|Learn information to aid your dealings with the Divine 2]] Serault is rife with rumour and blessed with keen minds. [[Uncover evidence of Serault's glory to impress the Divine|Uncover evidence of Serault's glory to impress the Divine 2]] Serault's blood is as old and as red as Val Royeaux's.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/forest2.png" alt="Forest2">](if: (random: -10,10) + $derringdo is > 35)[''No time for delay'' Ignoring their objections, you leave your companions behind and press on alone into the woods. You're making progress, and you're certain.]\ (else:)[''Needs must'' Your muscles burn with fatigue, and your companions call on you to rest a while. You ignore them both, leaving the sleepy glade reluctantly behind to pursue your quarry. (set: $health to $health - 10)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10...) ] [[Leave your companions behind]] They're slowing you down. (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 1)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $alone to "true")(You are alone <img src="images/lostchild.png" alt="LostChild" height="26" width="20">.)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/forest3.png" alt="Forest3">](if: (random: -10,10) + $derringdo is > 35)[''Undaunted'' You're not afraid of a few trees. You've walked these forests since you were a child, and know them well. (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 1)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) ]\ (else:)[''Daunted'' The woods are cruel to lone travellers. The going is difficult, and your spirits low. You stumble through treacherous gullies and clawing brambles. (set: $health to $health - 10)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10...) (set: $timeleft to $timeleft - 1)(You've got $timeleft hours <img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="26" width="20"> of daylight remaining.)] (if: $health is < 70)[ [[You feel weak]] You don't think you know where you quarry is anymore...]\ (else-if: $quarry is "boar")[ [[The sun moves closer to the west as you finally find the boar|Boar tracks]] It has been a while since you felt so vulnerable. It's you, the beast, and the vastness of the Applewoods all around you.]\ (else:)[After what seems like hours, a reward for your boldness: fresh tracks cross the path. Your quarry! You glimpse the rust-red of its fur as it grazes on a spray of long grass. It lifts its head. Its ears twitch. You have to act now. <img src="images/derringdomini.png" alt="DerringDoMini"> [[Nock an arrow. Aim]] It's a tricky shot through undergrowth.] (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 1)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/forest4.png" alt="Forest4">](if: (random: -10,10) + $woodswise is > 45)[''Undaunted'' You're not afraid of a few trees. Not even those, ancient and cruel, upon which no other mortal has laid eyes before. (set: $twilight to $twilight - 10)(Your Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10!) ]\ (else:)[''Daunted'' The woods are cruel to lone travellers. The going is difficult, and your spirits low. You stumble through treacherous gullies and clawing brambles. The woods whisper. (set: $health to $health - 10)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10...) ] (if: $bereskarn is "true")[ [[You spot another clearing|Ambushed 2]] The leaves look disturbed. It could be your party, wild elves, or worse.] (else:)[ [[You spot another clearing|Ambushed 3]] The leaves look disturbed. It could be your party, wild elves, or worse.]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/banker.png" alt="Banker">]''Reluctance'' The Banker grumbles. "Anyone can //spend// coin. The art's in making it." But he obeys, and soon a consignment of silks, mahogany and precious stones arrives at the chateau gate. A few more like this and the place will shine. [[You break your fast amidst the sounds of the morning|The Bard wants a Quiet Word]] A crash from the kitchens, followed by curses and laughter. (set: $freedom to $freedom + 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $prosperity to $prosperity - 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/banker.png" alt="Banker">]''Reluctance'' The Banker grumbles. "Anyone can //spend// coin. The art's in making it." But he obeys, and soon a consignment of silks, mahogany and precious stones arrives at the chateau gate. A few more like this and the place will shine. [[You request counsel from an ally, and order the windows closed for the day|Send For 2]] Smoke from the glassworks. The chemical sting of their tinctures. (set: $freedom to $freedom + 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $prosperity to $prosperity - 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/writ.png" alt="Writ">]\ ''A Miraculous Opportunity'' The message is from the Divine Justinia herself: fifth of her name, exalted servant of the Maker, supreme ruler of the Chantry. She is travelling to a peace summit, and her great Progress will bring her to Serault. //'We are eager to see,'// the letter reads, //'whether Serault has redeemed her ancient Shame.'// This is your chance to restore your realm's fortunes. You will hold the greatest feast in a hundred years: you //must// win the Divine's favour. Serault won't have a chance like this again. Which approach do you prefer? //You can focus on one family tradition for Serault.// [[The way of the hand]] The sight of your ancestors' antlered mask, dotted with rubies and sapphires, was the envy of all Orlais. The unique grandeur of Seraultine glass filled the Empire with respect for your house, making it welcome in every ball, feast, or court. [[The way of the heart]] Your lineage is ancient; your family has held these lands since the days of the Drakon emperors. More than one de Serault went away on Exalted Marches against the Imperium; one even helped liberate Kirkwall from the Qunari. [[The way of the whisper]] "Payment in glass," you murmur to yourself. Before the Chantry outlawed the practice in the Storm Age, those condemned to death in Serault had pieces of her greatest gift shoved down their throats, a slow and lacerating death from within.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/morrigan.png" alt="Morrigan">]\ ''An Unexpected Visitor'' Strokes of early sunlight push through the empty windows of your Great Hall and sparkle on the carpet of glass fragments that crunches underfoot. A woman waits for you. She wears road-stained travelling clothes and bears a staff of knotted wood. She makes no attempt to conceal her magery. She bows. "Greetings, (if: $gender is "female")[Lady $name](else:)[Lord $name]." She places a letter into your hands and says, "I trust this will establish an understanding between us." It reads //'The bearer of this letter acts for the good of Orlais. She is to be granted any aid she requires. She is subject to no justice but my own.'// Beneath shines the gold seal of the Empress. The woman speaks. Her accent is Fereldan. "I request access to your glassworks, your Grace, on a matter of importance to the state. I'm told they are the very best," She smiles, expectantly. [[Grant your permission to use the glassworks]] And offer her your hospitality; she can stay at the chateau. [[Send her away, the Empress' seal be damned!]] It will take more than a pretty seal to stamp the Empress' will on you. The sorceress is not welcome. Serault has been troubled enough by apostates.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/guildmistress.png" alt="Guildmistress">]\ ''Broken Glass'' You turn your attention to the broken windows of the hall. You can't conduct the Marquisate's business until the repairs are made. You summon the mistress of the Glassworkers' Guild. "We can make repairs, your Grace," she tells you, "but not without certain rare tints that were to be delivered this week. Unfortunately, the merchant transporting them appears to have gone missing..." //Some choices involve Skill Checks with dice rolls; others, Special Checks where luck plays no part. However, many choices involve nothing but your own intuition, and may lead to equally great rewards.// <img src="images/crystalball.png" alt="CrystalBall" height="52" width="40"> [[Investigate the Case of the Missing Merchant]] You want your hall restored just as it was. No, better! <img src="images/door.png" alt="Door"> [[Order replacements in plain glass]] You're too busy to trouble yourself with a delayed merchant. Undoubtedly he's drunk at a roadside inn, somewhere.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/serault.png" alt="SeraultArms">]\ ''The Court of Serault'' The de Serault family is far too scattered to count on; you need a proper group of advisers if you wish for the House of Glass to be thriving when Divine Justinia V comes for her visit - and, you expect, judgement. You spend the next few days talking to some of the most prominent members of your court. Perhaps some of them would welcome closer ties to the High Seat? <img src="images/dowager.png" alt="Dowager" height="65" width="50"> [[The Dowager catches your eye|The Acerbic Dowager]] The Acerbic Dowager is influential and outspoken. She also has a keen intellect. You catch her in the middle of a conversation with another courtier. <img src="images/knight.png" alt="Knight" height="65" width="50"> [[You run into the Knight|The Kindly Knight]] The Kindly Knight is an elderly knight who has lived in Serault for many years and knows its history, laws and customs better than anyone. He is the uncle of the Wayward Bard.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/meeting.png" alt="Meeting">]''Before you begin...'' You're a young ruler. But you've been here long enough to set your stamp on the Marquisate. What have you accomplished in your time so far? //There are three Attributes: Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20">, Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20">, and Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20">. They are used to influence your ending, and rarely to pass Special Checks throughout the game. You can see your Attributes below your Skills.// //You can choose one starting advantage for Serault. Be careful! If any of them fall too low by the end of the game, the realm will suffer.// <img src="images/lion.png" alt="Dignity" height="65" width="50"> [[Dignity]] Pride, honour, order. High Dignity makes Serault better respected by your neighbours, and keeps your nobles happy. <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="65" width="50"> [[Prosperity]] Wealth and stability. High Prosperity may be less glamorous, but it's a means to an end. <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="65" width="50"> [[Freedom]] Liberty and tolerance. High Freedom means your peasants and townsfolk are better-treated, and serve more from love, less from fear.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/wearybailiff2.png" alt="Seneschal">]\ ''Your Seneschal'' The Seneschal meets you at the bottom of the tower stairs. "I'm sorry to disturb your Grace, but two matters require your urgent attention..." What sort of counsellor is he? [[Bold, but not subtle]] "...And I won't lie: one of them's bad but the other's bad //and// sarcastic." [[Cunning, but over-cautious]] "...one of them is a most delicate matter. I enjoin your Grace to tread carefully."

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/bereskarn.png" alt="Bereskarn">]''A great grey ghost'' You wonder how it ended up in your woods, but all manner of monsters and miracles find their way to Serault. It only matters that it's your problem to deal with. [[The following day comes|That Which is Not to be Spoken of]] You head to the town chantry. Alas, the one in Chateau Serault has been sealed for decades. Ever since the Shame. (set: $freedom to $freedom + 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity">]\ ''Much that glitters'' You could have hunted, you could have warred, you could have walked incognito among the peasants, you could have read up on your political philosophy. Instead, you built a foundation of gold on which a new Serault will rise. Good times are ahead. [[Many challenges lie before you|Yet many challenges lie before you]] You pass by the Whistling Gallery on your way downwards. (set: $prosperity to $prosperity + 50)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 50!) (set: $dignity to $dignity + 20)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 20!) (set: $freedom to $freedom + 20)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 20!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/councillor.png" alt="Councillor">](if: (random: -10,10) + $cunning is > 45 or $mockinglady is "true")[''Impenetrable'' Your story is as impregnable as chevalier's armour. The Divine's interrogation slides off it like a peasant's ploughshare. Satisfied, she bids the feast continue. The air fills again with merriment. Over goblets of wine the two of you mourn the world's perfidy. What fiend would try to turn the shepherd against the lamb? Is nothing sacred? (set: $divinefavour to $divinefavour - 1)(Your Divine's Favour <img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 1...) (if: $divinefavour is > 6)[ [[Later on, some good news|The Keys]] The matter of the Sealed Chantry is to be settled, once and for all.]\ (else:)[ [[The feast winds down|The Feast is Ending]] You are tired of smiling, conversing and flattering. Was it worth it?]]\ (else:)[''Exposed'' The Divine dismisses your marshalled excuses with a chop of her hand. "Is this how Serault keeps her trust, (if: $gender is "female")[Marquise](else:)[Marquis] $name?" she demands. With difficulty (and a great many considerations, gifts and concessions) (if: $counsellor is not "traitor" and $counsellor is not "fired")[your counsellor](else:)[the Elegant Abbess] convinces the Divine's party to stay. But the Most Holy is not pleased. She is not pleased at all. (set: $divinefavour to $divinefavour - 5)(Your Divine's Favour <img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (if: $divinefavour is > 10)[ [[Later on, some good news|The Keys]] The matter of the Sealed Chantry is to be settled, once and for all.]\ (else:)[ [[The feast winds down|The Feast is Ending]] You are tired of smiling, conversing and flattering. Was it worth it?]] (set: $chantryunsealed to "lied")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) (set: $dignity to $dignity - 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $freedom to $freedom - 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $prosperity to $prosperity - 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Coins" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) \ (if: $anchoress is "arrested")[(set: $anchoress to "notgiven")]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Rumours">](if: (random: -10,10) + $scholarship is > 35)[''Shared wealth'' Some of her ceramics, fabrics and spices are unheard-of this far from the Heartlands. Now they adorn the tables, shoulders and dinners of honest Serault folk. (set: $freedom to $freedom + 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $merchantoffer to "good")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)]\ (else:)[''Upwardly mobile'' Normally, the few Antivan fabrics that reach Serault, are snapped up by the gentry. Now, fortunate peasants wear bright Seleny blue or sumptuous purple mantles from the dye-vats of Tresivo. A few of them begin to get ideas about their station... (set: $freedom to $freedom + 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $revolution to $revolution + 5)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) (set: $merchantoffer to "bad")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)] [[In the days to follow you decide to call for help from unusual places|Pick an Accomplice]] Uncertain times present opportunities to the bold... (set: $scholarship to $scholarship + 1)(Your Scholarship <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/bag.png" alt="Bag">]''Proper attire'' The merchant coos and marvels as you try them on. "Dare I say it? I must! You look more regal than the Empress herself! Forgive me, your distant Imperial Radiance! I am a slave to the truth!" She may be overdoing it, but you do look splendid. [[In the days to follow you decide to call for help from unusual places|Pick an Accomplice]] Uncertain times present opportunities to the bold... (set: $prosperity to $prosperity - 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $finery to "true")(You have acquired <img src="images/conciliation.png" alt="ConciliationCup" height="26" width="20"> a new asset!) (set: $merchantoffer to "true")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/banker.png" alt="Banker">]''Foreign delights'' He scratches his beard, dislodging a crumb. "Spoilage will be a concern. Need to worry about both sourcing and transport. Marcorias can help there, but he favours Antivan andris over Orlesian royals. Have to talk to the Dwarven Merchants' Guild about an exchange..." He wonders off, forgetting to bow. Soon, a consignment of spices arrive fresh from the East. The Banker may be crude, but he makes coins sing as sweetly as a bard's lute. [[You break your fast amidst the sounds of the morning|The Bard wants a Quiet Word]] A crash from the kitchens, followed by curses and laughter. (set: $freedom to $freedom + 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/banker.png" alt="Banker">]''Foreign delights'' He scratches his beard, dislodging a crumb. "Spoilage will be a concern. Need to worry about both sourcing and transport. Marcorias can help there, but he favours Antivan andris over Orlesian royals. Have to talk to the Dwarven Merchants' Guild about an exchange..." He wonders off, forgetting to bow. Soon, a consignment of spices arrive fresh from the East. The Banker may be crude, but he makes coins sing as sweetly as a bard's lute. [[You request counsel from an ally, and order the windows closed for the day|Send For 2]] Smoke from the glassworks. The chemical sting of their tinctures. (set: $freedom to $freedom + 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/peasant.png" alt="Peasant">](if: (random: -10,10) + $derringdo is > 35)[''From the horse's mouth'' You corner the thieves in one of the leaning, close-packed houses near the Bridge of Masks. They surrender as soon as your soldiers beat down the door. The gang's leader, narrow and scarred, has already sold some of the treasures. He tries to placate you with information. Secrets pour from his lips like honey from a spoon. He hopes it will win him mercy. (set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $prosperity to $prosperity + 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $thievesgang to "true")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)]\ (else:)[''You must have been only hours behind them'' When you enter the stable your informant identified you find nothing but trampled hay, signs of habitation, and three missing horses. Was that a snigger from your guards? They didn't like you taking over the investigation, and don't mind seeing you taken down a peg. Still, it hasn't been a waste. The thieves might still be at large, but you learned many things while combing Serault's underworld. Things you would never have learned in your high, bright hall. (set: $dignity to $dignity - 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $thievesgang to "bad")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)] (if: $morrigan is "welcomed")[ [[Four days later you chance upon the Scornful Sorceress|Morrigan Strikes Again]] She is, as usual, alone with her thoughts.]\ (else:)[ [[An uneventful week comes and goes|Chapter 4: Omens]] <img src="images/wind.png" alt="Wind" height="26" width="20"> A bitter wind blows from the North. You must be imagining the tang of Blights. //You have four months until the Divine arrives.//] (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 1)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $peril to $peril - 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!)

<img src="images/greenwoodsheader.png" alt="Applewoods"> ''Tireless pursuit'' No time to stop now. You pay no heed to the fire that rages in your lungs, or the ache in your limbs. All that matters is catching your quarry. [[Follow the stream into the Deepwoods]] You are entering the Deepwoods, the darker, less-travelled depths of the forest. (if: $hounds is "present")[ <img src="images/woodswisemini.png" alt="WoodsWiseMini"> [[Help the hounds find the scent again]] They stop at the water's edge, milling about in frustration.]\ (else:)[~~Help the hounds find the scent again They stop at the water's edge, milling about in frustration.~~] (set: $health to $health - 5)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 1)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/fire.png" alt="Fire">](if: (random: -10,10) + $derringdo is > 45 or $codecracked is "true")[''Raids'' The moon is a razor-thin crescent. In a barn in a nameless hamlet, men and women gather. Their faces are hidden behind animal masks - pigs, cows, horses. A sound outside makes them pause in their plotting. Then the barn door bursts inwards as your soldiers - clad in dark cloaks - pour in. They are not gentle in their arrests. All across Serault, the scene is repeated. In a carefully-orchestrated series of raids you strike at every pocket of revolution you could identify. Your cells heave with firebrands and malcontents. Their testimony, and the seditious materials your men seized, point to a wider movement. One with allies in unexpected places. (set: $revolution to $revolution - 10)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10!) (set: $peril to $peril - 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) ]\ (else:)[''Butcher's Night'' The peasants are on the verge of open revolt. If the revolution is not quashed, Serault will burn. You lead the raid yourself, concealing men in the woods to await their meeting. As night falls cloaked figures hurry through the woods. They wear masks in a mockery of the nobility - not of lions or stags or dragons, but of base farm animals. So many of them! And armed not just with pitchforks and cudgels, but with axes, spears, even a sword or two. You overhear their plan to raid a nearby manor. You urge your men to attack. The battle is protracted and bloody. Animal-faces loom from the dark - goats and horses, pigs and geese. You cut them down. When it is over, there is no sign of the leaders of the movement. Do they even exist? Your mail is caked with blood. Much of it is your own. (set: $revolution to $revolution - 5)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) (set: $peril to $peril - 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) (set: $health to $health - 15)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 15...) ] [[A day later, you stand on the courtyard|Fire the Accomplice or Bodyguard]] A quiet evening. A call of challenge from a watchman on the wall. The lap of the river upon the castle's stone feet. (set: $battle to $battle + 1)(You've sought battle <img src="images/bodyguard2.png" alt="Bodyguard2" height="26" width="20"> in Serault's defence!) (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 1)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/riverside.png" alt="Riverside">](if: (random: -10,10) + $scholarship is > 35)[''Smoke and mirrors'' "I heard something. When I went to investigate I found a mirror in an empty room. I looked into it, but I did not look back. Do you see? I didn't look back!" His colleagues tell you there are many mirrors in the guild in various stages of completion, but that all of them have the good grace to reflect the person who looks into them.]\ (else:)[''A troubled mind'' You can get no sense out of him. "Through the window - a black city in a verdigris sky! And the things in there - they looked back! They're still looking! They're looking at me now!" (set: $twilight to $twilight + 5)(Your Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) ] [[Two nights later, the truth comes out|A confrontation amongst the chimneys]] There was a fracas at the glassworks last night. Your guards encountered an intruder. The Smiling Guildmistress tells you the tale... (set: $scholarship to $scholarship + 1)(Your Scholarship <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/coin2.png" alt="Coin2">](if: (random: -10,10) + $scholarship is > 35)[''A disturbing enthusiasm'' Your Weary Bailiff becomes animated as he explains his plan. "You can't impose any more taxes at this time of year, but you can take a loan - no, guarantee a loan - no, both -" The details are unfathomable, but you follow enough to understand. You can raise cash quickly, and the realm won't suffer unduly. (set: $prosperity to $prosperity + 10)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 10!) ]\ (else:)[''Excuses'' Too many taxes... too many bandits... too much rain... too little rain... delays to the flux shipments... corrupt officials in Orlais... honest officials in Tevinter... so many difficulties. You raise coin, but the realm bleeds. Its people grumble. (set: $prosperity to $prosperity + 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $revolution to $revolution + 5)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) ] [[To aid your rule, you send for an adviser|Summon a subject]] Beware. The worthies of your realm don't enjoy being dragged here at your convenience, and your power has limits. (set: $scholarship to $scholarship + 1)(Your Scholarship <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/coin2.png" alt="Coin2">](if: (random: -10,10) + $scholarship is > 35)[''A disturbing enthusiasm'' Your Weary Bailiff becomes animated as he explains his plan. "You can't impose any more taxes at this time of year, but you can take a loan - no, guarantee a loan - no, both -" The details are unfathomable, but you follow enough to understand. You can raise cash quickly, and the realm won't suffer unduly. (set: $prosperity to $prosperity + 10)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 10!) ]\ (else:)[''Excuses'' Too many taxes... too many bandits... too much rain... too little rain... delays to the flux shipments... corrupt officials in Orlais... honest officials in Tevinter... so many difficulties. You raise coin, but the realm bleeds. Its people grumble. (set: $prosperity to $prosperity + 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $revolution to $revolution + 5)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) ] [[The new moon turns crescent|Serault is Bewitched!]] The peons say this is the Biting Wind that Masked Andraste keeps leashed like a dog. It’s not. But it is a little chilly. (set: $scholarship to $scholarship + 1)(Your Scholarship <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/coin2.png" alt="Coin2">](if: (random: -10,10) + $scholarship is > 45)[''A disturbing enthusiasm'' Your Weary Bailiff becomes animated as he explains his plan. You can't impose any more taxes at this time of year, but you can take a loan - no, guarantee a loan - no, both -" The details are unfathomable, but you follow enough to understand. You can raise cash quickly, and the realm won't suffer unduly. (set: $prosperity to $prosperity + 15)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 15!) ]\ (else:)[''Excuses'' Too many taxes... too many bandits... too much rain... too little rain... delays to the flux shipments... corrupt officials in Orlais... honest officials in Tevinter... so many difficulties. You raise coin, but the realm bleeds. Its people grumble. (set: $prosperity to $prosperity + 10)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 10!) (set: $revolution to $revolution + 5)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) ] [[You look upon your lands from the Foal's Tower|Serault is in Revolt]] Two boats try to squeeze under the Bridge of Masks at the same time. The sound of their hulls scraping sets teeth on edge across the whole town. (set: $scholarship to $scholarship + 1)(Your Scholarship <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/bereskarn.png" alt="Bereskarn">](if: (random: -10,10) + $derringdo is > 45)[''A brief clash'' You are ready, your spear set. The beast charges full onto it, impaling itself in its frenzy. Its claws tear gouts of mossy soil from the forest floor. Its lifeblood pumps onto your boots. Its jaws clash, but you grit your teeth, tighten your grip and keep them at bay. When they fall still you draw a knife and claim the head and spines as trophies. [[Your men cheer|The Other Hunt]] You ride home, covered in mud, bear-blood, and glory. The party shouts your name through most of the way home. (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 1)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $dignity to $dignity + 10)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 10!) (set: $bereskarntrophy to "true")(You have acquired <img src="images/conciliation.png" alt="ConciliationCup" height="26" width="20"> a new asset!)\ (set: $trophies to $trophies + 1)]\ (else:)[''Trading blows'' Your spear takes it in the side. Its claws rake red pain across your arm. Each injured, you withdraw into the trees to nurse your wounds. You hear it lumbering away. Once you've staunched the bleeding, you pull out your knife and renew the hunt. [[Your quarry is wounded!|Leap on its back]] If you can catch it again, you can end the hunt. (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 1)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $health to $health - 15)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 15...) ]

(if: $prosperity is > $peril)[(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/house2.png" alt="House2">]''From the ashes'' New dwellings rise on the charred graves of the old. Taller, less crooked, with wider windows and polished shingles. You instruct the masons to apply a final wash of white lime. The houses gleam. Their residents are overwhelmed, inviting you into their homes to share their joy, their rude hospitality, and their stories. (set: $freedom to $freedom + 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) ]\ (else:)[(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/wearybailiff1.png" alt="WearyBailiff">]''"But your Grace-!"'' You overrule the pleas of your Weary Baillif and order the houses replaced at the state's expense. He insists they be rebuilt simply - "Serault's funds are already committed, your Grace! The Divine's visit may pauper us yet!" - but any roof is better than none. The residents thank you with gifts of yellow river-flowers and whispers about suspicious comings and goings in the streets at night... (set: $revolution to $revolution + 5)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) ] [[You turn your attention to Serault's greatest treasure|Chapter 2: Glass]] <img src="images/wind.png" alt="Wind" height="26" width="20"> An East wind. The warm bright rumours of Val Royeaux. Scent and spices, candle-wax and vanilla. //You have six months until the Divine arrives.// (set: $rulership to $rulership + 1)(Your Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $prosperity to $prosperity - 10)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10...) (set: $rebornserault to "true")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/outlaw.png" alt="Outlaw">]\ ''Mutual interests'' You meet, hooded, at a crossroads while the woods whisper under a dark wind and the moon pours silver across the leaves. There, you agree terms. Her smile hides a dogged bargainer, hardly the careless idealist of the ballads. But your patience is as long, and when dawn comes you've a gang of celebrated bandits at your service. [[It's another day in court|The Baron Waits Impatiently]] Petitioners line up to hear your justice, plead your help, or both. Some matters are trivial; others, not so much. (set: $accomplice to "outlaw")(Will the Outlaw <img src="images/outlaw.png" alt="Outlaw" height="26" width="20"> keep her bargain?) (set: $woodswise to $woodswise + 2)(Your Woods-wise <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 2!) (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 1)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/purveyor.png" alt="Purveyor">]\ ''A pact'' "Ah, my (if: $gender is "female")[Lady](else:)[Lord]! I was already on my way to see you when this peculiar legal confusion ensued. I'm sure you can resolve the matter?" You mention the Marquisate's need for a source on the other side of things, a voice of the people in the (if: $gender is "female")[Marquise's ears](else:)[Marquis' ears]. He strokes the prongs of his beard, then shows you into a back room. Taking out a black clay pot and two plain pewter cups, he brews and pours you both an oily blue tea, swimming with leaves. It smells like damp, wormy earth. "Drink," he says. Where is his usual loquacity? He sips, grimacing. When both cups are empty, your throat burning from the caustic tea, he shakes your hand. "To business." [[It's another day in court|The Baron Waits Impatiently]] Petitioners line up to hear your justice, plead your help, or both. Some matters are trivial; others, not so much. (set: $accomplice to "teamaster")(You have made a pact with the Purveyor of Teas <img src="images/purveyor.png" alt="Purveyor" height="26" width="20">...) (set: $cunning to $cunning + 2)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 2!) (set: $woodswise to $woodswise + 1)(Your Woods-wise <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/hornedhelm.png" alt="HornedKnight">]''Enemies'' That night, a wind blows over the forest and the leaves whisper. The next day, another bark-letter arrives. It bears seven words: ‘//You are not welcome in the wood//.’ True enough, the forest turns against you. It encroaches on fields. It devours travellers. Game turns on its hunters with a mad light in its eye. //The Horned Knight is no longer interested in civil relations.// [[A week passes, and with it a scent of spring|The Freehold]] The wind dies, leaving the sun to push hotly on the cobbled streets and courtyards. The chateau's four cats stretch out on the roof-tiles. (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 1)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $twilight to $twilight - 10)(Your Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10!) (set: $dignity to $dignity + 10)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 10!) (set: $peril to $peril + 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) (set: $prosperity to $prosperity - 10)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10...) (set: $unwelcome to "true")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) \ (set: $knightfury to 3)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/lordship.png" alt="Lordship">](if: (random: -10,10) + $scholarship is > 45 or $rebornserault is "true" or $storm is "true")[''Signed and sealed'' Your case is cast-iron. Even if the Divine were so inclined, there's no legal justification for stripping the Lands from Serault. Indeed, she is displeased with His Dour Lordship for hijacking the feast with local quarrels. She praises Serault for the care it has taken of the Land Between the Rivers, and suggests His Lordship concentrate on setting his own domain in order. He sits, his expression progressing from dour to petulant. (set: $lordship to "failure")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)]\ (else:)[''Easy come, easy go'' The Divine is not convinced by your case. "What the Chantry grants in her mercy, she may remove in her justice", she tells you. "The Chantry will reclaim the Lands Between the Rivers and govern it until such time as a fit recipient can be decided." It's not the response His Dour Lordship wanted, but he takes a cold comfort in having cost Serault something. (set: $divinefavour to $divinefavour - 1)(Your Divine's Favour <img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 1...) (set: $prosperity to $prosperity - 10)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10...) (set: $lordship to "successful")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) ] [[After a moment, you clap your hands|The Next Course]] You try to dispel the tension by calling for the next stage of the feast. (set: $scholarship to $scholarship + 1)(Your Scholarship <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (if: $counsellor is "lordship")[(set: $counsellor to "traitor")(His Dour Lordship <img src="images/lordship.png" alt="Lordship" height="26" width="20"> is no longer your counsellor.)]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/knight.png" alt="Knight">](if: (random: -10,10) + $scholarship is > 35)[''Back to the books'' "I never //did// finish //The Golden City and the Black//, your Grace. It will be good to resume my studies." He excuses himself. (set: $freedom to $freedom - 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) ]\ (else:)[''Loyalty'' "I had hoped to discuss something with you, your Grace: Atario's treatise on common rights and the dignity of toil. Perhaps... perhaps another time. When you're less busy." (set: $freedom to $freedom - 10)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10...) ] You need fresh blood, a new perspective, an experienced hand. Whom among the most notorious members of your court shall you invite to become your new counsellor? <img src="images/abbessalt.png" alt="AbbessAlt" height="65" width="50"> [[Invite the Elegant Abbess to become your counsellor]] She brings with her the Chantry's wisdom. And, importantly, its authority. <img src="images/baron.png" alt="Baron" height="65" width="50"> [[Invite the Cheery Baron to become your counsellor]] He's a firm hand, and his soldiers will be useful - wily hunters and grim veterans every one. <img src="images/lordship.png" alt="Lordship" height="65" width="50"> [[Invite His Dour Lordship to become your counsellor]] His Lordship is careful of his dignity. Don't summon him idly. (The Kindly Knight <img src="images/knight.png" alt="Knight" height="26" width="20"> is no longer your counsellor.) (set: $scholarship to $scholarship + 1)(Your Scholarship <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/baron.png" alt="Baron">](if: (random: -10,10) + $derringdo is > 45 or $battle is > 4)[''Cowed'' Your rage makes him step backwards. He raises his hands, chuckling. "I recognise that temper. It belonged to your mother. My apologies, your Grace. Serault is, of course, yours to govern." (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) ]\ (else:)[''Loyalty'' His neck turns red as pig-blood below his mask. "You'll always have my loyalty, your Grace," he says. "You can count on me to speak out against every enemy of Serault, whether they are rivals, rebels, or a naive (if: $gender is "female")[girl](else:)[boy] who's in over their head." He turns on his heel. (set: $dignity to $dignity - 10)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10...) ] [[Your sleep is troubled tonight|You Dream of the Shame]] A bloodthirsty (if: $wyvern is "true")[wyvern](else:)[bereskarn] rampages through the chateau's corridors. Serault Town, set aflame by an army of soldiers with candlelights bloodied on their foreheads. (if: $bardbreakup is "true")[A man cries, alone in his quarters, whispering your name.](else-if: $abbessbreakup is "true")[A woman cries, alone in her quarters, whispering your name.](else:)[An old woman cries, alone, a sunburst brooch held to her heart.] And then... (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 1)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry">](if: (random: -10,10) + $scholarship is > 45 or $templarcarver is "welcomed")[''Trials 1:16'' You prostate yourself before the Divine, confess your crime and beg her forgiveness. She rises to her feet. Her red and gold robes blaze like a pyre. Her voice whip-sharp, she recites a pointed verse from the Threnodies: //"O Creator, see me kneel: For I walk only where You would bid me Stand only in places You have blessed!"// You vow to accept whatever punishment she metes, and recite a meek verse from the Trials: //"Draw your last breath, my friends, Cross the Veil and the Fade and all the stars in the sky. Rest at the Maker's right hand, And be Forgiven."// The Divine considers. She lifts you to your feet. "At least there's enough good in you to know you've done wrong. That's more than your ancestor ever admitted. Pride is the mother of folly. Humility is its end. And forgiveness - much as I hate to admit it - is pious. I will withhold my judgement. For now." The Divine is displeased, and it will be harder to win her favour. But at least you have a chance... (set: $divinefavour to $divinefavour - 1)(Your Divine's Favour <img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 1...) (if: $divinefavour is > 6)[ [[Later on, some good news|The Keys]] The matter of the Sealed Chantry is to be settled, once and for all.]\ (else:)[ [[The feast winds down|The Feast is Ending]] You are tired of smiling, conversing and flattering. Was it worth it?]]\ (else:)[''Condemned'' You recite a poignant verse from the Canticle of Maferath, in which he repents his betrayal of Andraste. The Divine is not impressed. Perhaps choosing one of the Dissonant Verses was a mistake. (set: $divinefavour to $divinefavour - 5)(Your Divine's Favour <img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (if: $divinefavour is > 10)[ [[Later on, some good news|The Keys]] The matter of the Sealed Chantry is to be settled, once and for all.]\ (else:)[ [[The feast winds down|The Feast is Ending]] You are tired of smiling, conversing and flattering. Was it worth it?]] (set: $chantryunsealed to "begged")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) (set: $dignity to $dignity - 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $freedom to $freedom - 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $prosperity to $prosperity - 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Coins" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) \ (if: $anchoress is "arrested")[(set: $anchoress to "notgiven")]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/forest3.png" alt="Forest3">]''The trade'' The Errant Siblings arrive meekly at the gates of Chateau Serault a few days later. Their voices have been returned, but their eyes - once brown - are now a verdant green, the color of grass after storms and sun. Your guards take them to the donjon, to await a more mortal justice than they faced in the woods. It would not be long before the Horned Knight called in your debt... [[The Wayward Bard crosses your path|An Assault on your Person]] Airs from the river. It is low today, and reeks of oozing mud and flopping eels. (set: $debt to "true")(You are in the Horned Knight's debt. A new chapter opens <img src="images/halla.png" alt="Halla" height="26" width="20"> in the story of the Lord of the Forest.) (set: $errantsiblings to "rescued")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) (set: $twilight to $twilight + 5)(Your Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/abbess.png" alt="Abbess">]''Viands'' The Abbess has several choice barrels delivered to your cellars. A southern wine, black as pitch. A rich red to accompany venison. And a yellow wine of her own vintage, regarding which she is charmingly modest. The topic warms her, and she shares several rumours that have found their way to her lately. [[The next day comes|The Lord of the Wood]] A serving girl is on her way to the kitchens, balancing a tray of snails on her head. She sings a song of old Serault: //the Stag and the Rose//. (set: $prosperity to $prosperity + 10)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 10!) (set: $revolution to $revolution - 5)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!)\ (set: $nolove to "true")

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/purveyor.png" alt="Purveyor">]''For the good of the Marquisate'' Remembering the bandits' black lips, you have the vittles tested before consigning them to the chateau's cellars. Only a single barrel of wine - one that was open in the middle of the cave - was poisoned. "//Havard's Grief//," the Purveyor of Teas tells you. "An unsubtle toxin, but reliable. Very popular in the Grand Game. Or so I am told.'' The merchants take some solace in hearing that their robbers met an unpleasant end, but return empty-handed to Val Royeaux. They will not be back. The woman who led the bandits has disappeared, but your agents continue the search. Sooner or later, she will make a mistake. [[The following day an envoy comes to Serault|The Divine's Letter]] He bears the sunburst symbol of the Chantry on his livery. (Despite the attempt to frame her, the Dashing Outlaw <img src="images/outlaw.png" alt="Outlaw" height="26" width="20"> was innocent in this. You have heard rumours of a Nine-Fingered Agitator...) (set: $outlawblame to "true")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) (set: $merchantgoods to "true")(You have acquired <img src="images/conciliation.png" alt="ConciliationCup" height="26" width="20"> a new asset!) (set: $prosperity to $prosperity + 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $dignity to $dignity - 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) \ (set: $agitator to "true")\ (set: $spider to $spider + 1)

(align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[<img src="images/lover.png" alt="Heart">]''Days of rest'' Serault needs a healthy (if: $gender is "female")[Marquise](else:)[Marquis], not one who'll crumple at the first breath of wind. You follow your physicians' advice scrupulously. You drink every concoction - each more vile than the last - and make solid progress through Petrine's heaving opus //The Weight of Empire//. When you return to Serault's High Seat, your advisers greet you like Andraste returned. You have been missed. [[Back to work|Chapter 3: Road and River]] <img src="images/wind.png" alt="Wind" height="26" width="20"> A South wind. The faint, throat-catching sulphur-scent of those bitter lakes. //You have five months until the Divine arrives.// (set: $scholarship to $scholarship + 1)(Your Scholarship <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $health to 100)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has increased to 100!) (set: $prosperity to $prosperity - 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $dignity to $dignity - 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $freedom to $freedom - 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $peril to $peril + 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) (set: $twilight to $twilight + 5)(Your Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) (set: $revolution to $revolution + 5)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...)

(align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[<img src="images/lover.png" alt="Heart">]''Days of rest'' Serault needs a healthy (if: $gender is "female")[Marquise](else:)[Marquis], not one who'll crumple at the first breath of wind. You follow your physicians' advice scrupulously. You drink every concoction - each more vile than the last - and make solid progress through Petrine's heaving opus //The Weight of Empire//. When you return to Serault's High Seat, your advisers greet you like Andraste returned. You have been missed. [[In the days to follow you decide to call for help from unusual places|Pick an Accomplice]] Uncertain times present opportunities to the bold... (set: $scholarship to $scholarship + 1)(Your Scholarship <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $health to 100)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has increased to 100!) (set: $prosperity to $prosperity - 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $dignity to $dignity - 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $freedom to $freedom - 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $peril to $peril + 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) (set: $twilight to $twilight + 5)(Your Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) (set: $revolution to $revolution + 5)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/forest3.png" alt="Forest3">]''Nightfall'' You rest amidst the roots of a slouching oak. Eventually, you are strong enough to return home. [[Return to Chateau Serault]] You sound your horn a few times along the way. Eventually your fellow companions find you; they look even worse for wear than you are, desperate as they were searching for their (if: $gender is "female")[Marquise](else:)[Marquis]. (The day <img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="26" width="20"> is over.) (set: $alone to "false")(You have rejoined <img src="images/lostchild.png" alt="LostChild" height="26" width="20"> your party.) (if: $health is > 100)[(set: $health to 100)]\ (else-if: $health is > 90)[(set: $health to 100)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has increased to 100!) ]\ (else-if: $health is < 0)[(set: $health to 10)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has increased to 10!) ]\ (else:)[(set: $health to $health + 10)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 10!) ]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/storm.png" alt="Storm">](if: $prosperity is > $peril)[''As good as new'' Your agents work swiftly. They repair bridges, lift fallen trees, and build causeways over ground swallowed by bursting marshes. Soon Serault is open again. Merchants and messengers travel her paths, bringing vital supplies and treasured news.]\ (else:)[''The sky's fury'' You have to conscript peasants to complete the labour, and that means repairs to their own homes and fields go unfinished. They are not pleased. Gradually, though, the roads open. A trickle of news and supplies begins to flow in. (set: $freedom to $freedom - 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) ] [[You barely notice the next days pass by|The Sorceress' Departure]] A horn sounds. Boots tramp. The changing of the wall-guard. (set: $prosperity to $prosperity + 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $revolution to $revolution + 5)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) (set: $storm to "true")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[<img src="images/lover.png" alt="Heart">]''Recovery'' They fuss and feud, prescribing a succession of improbable remedies. At least a few of them work, though. [[To aid your rule, you send for an adviser|Summon a subject]] Beware. The worthies of your realm don't enjoy being dragged here at your convenience, and your power has limits. (if: $health is > 100)[(set: $health to 100)]\ (else-if: $health is > 90)[(set: $health to 100)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has increased to 100!) ]\ (else-if: $health is < 0)[(set: $health to 10)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has increased to 10!) ]\ (else:)[(set: $health to $health + 10)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 10!) ]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/lover.png" alt="Heart">]''Recovery'' They fuss and feud, prescribing a succession of improbable remedies. At least a few of them work, though. [[The new moon turns crescent|Serault is Bewitched!]] The peons say this is the Biting Wind that Masked Andraste keeps leashed like a dog. It’s not. But it is a little chilly. (if: $health is > 100)[(set: $health to 100)]\ (else-if: $health is > 90)[(set: $health to 100)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has increased to 100!) ]\ (else-if: $health is < 0)[(set: $health to 10)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has increased to 10!) ]\ (else:)[(set: $health to $health + 10)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 10!) ]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/lover.png" alt="Heart">]''Recovery'' They fuss and feud, prescribing a succession of improbable remedies. At least a few of them work, though. [[You look upon your lands from the Foal's Tower|Serault is in Revolt]] Two boats try to squeeze under the Bridge of Masks at the same time. The sound of their hulls scraping sets teeth on edge across the whole town. (if: $health is > 100)[(set: $health to 100)]\ (else-if: $health is > 85)[(set: $health to 100)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has increased to 100!) ]\ (else-if: $health is < 0)[(set: $health to 15)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has increased to 15!) ]\ (else:)[(set: $health to $health + 15)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 15!) ]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/purveyor.png" alt="Purveyor">]''Sanctified'' The merchants are dumbstruck. One of them declares his intent to buy the Chantry and declare you Anointed, so that your kindness will be rewarded forever by a place at the Maker's right hand. They are as lavish with their praise when they return to Val Royeaux, and other members of their guild begin calling at Serault on their trade circuits. The only thing you keep is the open barrel of wine that stood in the middle of the cave. You have the Purveyor of Teas test it. "//Havard's Grief//," the Purveyor tells you. "An unsubtle toxin, but reliable. Very popular in the Grand Game. Or so I am told." The woman who led the bandits has disappeared, but your agents continue the search. Sooner or later, she will make a mistake. [[The following day an envoy comes to Serault|The Divine's Letter]] He bears the sunburst symbol of the Chantry on his livery. (Despite the attempt to frame her, the Dashing Outlaw <img src="images/outlaw.png" alt="Outlaw" height="26" width="20"> was innocent in this. You have heard rumours of a Nine-Fingered Agitator...) (set: $outlawblame to "true")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) \ (set: $agitator to "true")\ (set: $spider to $spider + 1)

<img src="images/chateaubig.png" alt="ChateauBig"> ''A cold welcome'' You return to an empty, moonlit courtyard. The chateau sleeps, save for the bleary stablemaster who takes your horse. He asks no questions, unwilling to risk your anger. Perhaps you'll have better luck another day. [[You lick your wounds|Chapter 3: Road and River]] <img src="images/wind.png" alt="Wind" height="26" width="20"> A South wind. The faint, throat-catching sulphur-scent of those bitter lakes. //You have five months until the Divine arrives.//

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/chantrydoor.png" alt="ChantryDoor">]''Back through the dark'' (if: $flamesfreedom is not "killed" and is not "secluded")[Your court is in shock at your brazen decision; the Cheery Baron positively thinks you are half-mad, while the Acerbic Dowager's own opinion of your sanity becomes known, clear as glass. The low-born of Serault Town cheer their Iconoclast, some claiming her deliverance from your dungeons as proof of divine will. You ignore them all, and head back into the Chateau Serault's chantry. ]It's familiar territory now; but never quite safe territory. You emerge with relief into the sunlight. Follow the stream; slip down into the dell with caution. (if: $elfroot is > 0)[ [[Ask her to make a broth of elfroot|Make use of her healing arts]] Since you got some of the herb the elves call canavaris, you bet she could do something truly refreshing with it. //You may decide her fate after you try some of her skills.//]\ (else:)[ [[Make use of her healing arts]] What her herbs can't fix, her spells can. She'll want recompense for her services, though. //You may decide her fate after you try some of her skills.//] <img src="images/door.png" alt="Door"> [[Decide her fate]] She is the Shame's daughter; your own great aunt. Is she a risk, or a responsibility? (if: $flamesfreedom is not "killed" and is not "secluded")[(set: $revolution to 100)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has increased to 100...)]\ (else:)[(set: $health to $health - 5)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) ]

<img src="images/chateaubig.png" alt="ChateauBig"> ''Home again'' Will the Divine be pleased with the fruits of your hunt? Will she be pleased //enough//, accustomed as she is to the splendours of Val Royeaux? You can only hope so. [[The court cheers when they see the captured bounty of your domain|Chapter 3: Road and River]] <img src="images/wind.png" alt="Wind" height="26" width="20"> A South wind. The faint, throat-catching sulphur-scent of those bitter lakes. //You have five months until the Divine arrives.// (if: $timeleft is > 6)[(set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) ]\ (else:)[(set: $health to $health - 5)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) ]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/chantrydoor.png" alt="ChantryDoor">](if: (history:) contains "Enter the Chantry")[''Dark secrets'' The day marches on; if you are discovered it would be a huge blow to your reputation, and it will be hard to deny your breaking of the Chantry's interdiction. You must forsake the secrets that lie here, or else you risk inviting a Templar's blade upon your neck. You go back to your chambers; (if: $bodyguard is "hunter")[the Silent Hunter is just outside your door when you return to your room. He does not ask. He does not comment. He merely watches in silence.](else-if: $bodyguard is "outlaw")[The two thugs - or, rather, Teeth - the Dashing Outlaw sent you tonight are intimidating fellows, but know better than to question your night escapades.](else:)[The few guards that spot you do not trouble themselves asking what you are doing walking around alone at this time of the night. They just bow their heads as you pass them by.] <img src="images/baron.png" alt="Baron" height="65" width="50"> [[The following day brings news|The Martyr]] You sit on your High Seat, the sunlight playing around with its many-coloured hues. You have emptied the Great Hall; you have a special guest.]\ (else:)[''The Chantry, Sealed'' Better safe than terribly, miserably, irrevocably sorry. (if: $bardlover is "true")[You spend the rest of the day enjoying the pleasant company of the Wayward Bard, even as your thoughts return to the chantry in the heart of your realm.](else-if: $abbesslover is "true")[You spend the rest of the day enjoying the pleasant company of the Elegant Abbess, even as your thoughts return to the chantry in the heart of your realm.] <img src="images/baron.png" alt="Baron" height="65" width="50"> [[The following day brings news|The Martyr]] You sit on your High Seat, the sunlight playing around with its many-coloured hues. You have emptied the Great Hall; you have a special guest.]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/bard.png" alt="Bard">]''Tall tales'' As you ride for home beneath a purple twilight, he talks your ear off with stories about his time as the Horned Knight's hostage. "Sweet-bosomed Andraste, it's good to be back! As employers go, the Horned Knight is kind enough - although mad as a badger - but I'm too old for sleeping on greensward and drinking spring water. You! Fetch me a mattress. No, three mattresses!" //"And some sodding wine!"// (if: $bardlover is "true")[ [[Kiss him]] You've missed him. [[Greet him frostily]] You haven't forgotten his dalliance with the peasant girl. The one with the ringlets.]\ (else:)[ [[Welcome him home]] What did the Horned Knight want with him?] (set: $missingbard to "rescued")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/councillor.png" alt="Councillor">]''Dangerous words'' A crowd is gathering to listen to a man preach revolution in the plaza. He laments the lot of the peasantry, whose toil puts fine clothes on noble backs. He mocks the idea that some are born to rule. "Is a king born more wise than a pig-farmer? Does a lone baron make better judgements than a council of commoners in open debate?" In support of his case he recounts scurrilous tales concerning the follies of Serault's high families. Some of them are true, but that doesn't make them less dangerous. Many citizens pause in their business to listen. What will you do? [[Let him talk]] He has a right to speak. <img src="images/rulershipmini.png" alt="RulershipMini"> [[Silence him]] Sedition catches like fire. Douse it quickly. Make an example of him. <img src="images/scholarshipmini.png" alt="ScholarshipMini"> [[Argue against him]] Yes, nobles are better-suited to rule. They are raised from birth to do so. Could a priestess repair a mill? Could a miller lead an army? What would happen if we each forsook our place?

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/forest3.png" alt="Forest3">](if: (random: -10,10) + $scholarship is > 35)[''Lessons learned'' You learn a great deal from the new cases brought before your court. You hear of unsanctioned tree-felling, of widespread poaching, of heathen rites conducted when the moon is blind. You punish the crimes appropriately, and people learn to avoid the Tirashan. (set: $peril to $peril - 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) ]\ (else:)[''Too familiar with the forest'' Hunters, delving into deep, ancient glades. Ambitious villages clearing centuries-old trees for pasture. A growing community of trappers and charcoal burners reaching further and further across Serault's border and into the untouched precincts of the Tirashan. You dispense harsh punishment. People need to learn that the Tirashan is a sleeping beast, and enough gnat-bites will rouse it. (set: $freedom to $freedom - 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) ] [[A week comes and goes|Pick a Lover]] You sit alone in your chambers, a glass of Nevarran red in your hand. (set: $scholarship to $scholarship + 1)(Your Scholarship <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $peril to $peril - 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) (set: $elves to "avoidance")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution">]''Sedition in Serault'' Serault is a long way from Val Royeaux. The customs of the Empire are weak here. Pagan traditions, seditious heresies, banished demagogues - they flourish out here on the edge of the world. Perhaps you can turn that to your advantage, but the Divine won't be pleased by disorder. [[It's time to meet your seneschal|Prologue: Your Seneschal]] He mostly keeps to himself, keeping the castle grounds in good order. (set: $peril to $peril + 20)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 20...) (set: $twilight to $twilight + 20)(Your Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 20...) (set: $revolution to $revolution + 50)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 50...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/outlaws.png" alt="Outlaws">](if: (random: -10,10) + $derringdo is > 35 or $thievesgang is "true" or $greenvault is "true")[''If you want something done'' You and your soldiers close around the bandits' camp like a noose. The battle is swift, bloody and yours. Afterwards, your sword drips red. An arrow juts from your mail. A badge of honour! An arrow slipped between the links of your mail - a shallow wound, but it hurts like a Blight. Still, the coin is paid. Your soldiers shout your name. The outlaws, dead and captured, will trouble Serault's highways no more. (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) ]\ (else:)[''Injured in the fray'' The outlaws are hardened and desperate. They died hard. Victory is yours, but several of your soldiers are injured, and you among them. An arrow slipped between the links of your mail - a shallow wound, but it hurts like a Blight. Still, the coin is paid. The roads will be safer again.] [[In the days to follow you decide to call for help from unusual places|Pick an Accomplice]] Uncertain times present opportunities to the bold... (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 1)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $health to $health - 10)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10...) (set: $peril to $peril - 10)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10!) (set: $battle to $battle + 1)(You've sought battle <img src="images/bodyguard2.png" alt="Bodyguard2" height="26" width="20"> in Serault's defence!) (set: $seraultpatrols to "battle")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/riverpirates.png" alt="RiverPirates">]''A frank exchange'' Serault's recent prosperity has attracted predators. Pirates have begun to prey on vessels travelling up the river. Several of the lost ships carried soda ash, which the glassmakers need to practice their craft. The Smiling Guildmistress appeals for your intervention, as does the Dashing Outlaw. You ask the Outlaw what her interest is. "Well, it's your river," she says. "Just thought you'd be interested." You point out it's your forest, too, and that doesn't stop her swanning about like she owns it. She laughs. "All right. Let's say I don't need the competition. And I don't like getting my feet wet." <img src="images/rulershipmini.png" alt="RulershipMini"> [[Tighten the policing of the river|Tighten the policing of the river 1]] Search boats. Require legitimate travellers buy writs of passage. Chase down vessels that can't prove their business. Pay for all of it with increased tolls. <img src="images/cunningmini.png" alt="CunningMini"> [[Hire mercenaries and lay a trap for the river-pirates|Hire mercenaries and lay a trap for the river-pirates 1]] A few fat merchant-barges, their holds stuffed with armed men of cruel intention and ill-temper... [[Wait them out|Wait them out 1]] There's little you can do. The pirates vanish at the first sign of danger. //You will be able to take a decision on the river-pirates later.// \ (set: $riverpirates to "true")

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/forest2.png" alt="Forest2">](if: (random: -10,10) + $rulership is > 35 or $battle is > 1)[''Gentlemen now a-bed'' You needle their pride with a few gentle barbs. Do they need a little rest? Would they like you to bring them pillows and tuck them in as well? Perhaps you should sing them a lullaby. They scramble - red-faced - to their feet, ready to resume the hunt. (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) ]\ (else:)[''Reluctance'' They drag themselves up and plod glumly after you, obedient but uninspired. (set: $dignity to $dignity - 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $timeleft to $timeleft - 1)(You've got $timeleft hours <img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="26" width="20"> of daylight remaining.)] (if: $quarry is "boar")[ [[The sun moves closer to the west as you finally find the boar|Boar tracks]] (if: $hounds is "present")[The hounds wail in excitement. Your companions ready their spears; yours is already in hand.](else:)[You could have used the hounds now, to bait and corner your prey. Your companions ready their spears; yours is already in hand.]]\ (else:)[As the sun moves closer to the horizon, you are in luck! A reward for your patience: fresh tracks cross the path. Your quarry! You glimpse the rust-red of its fur as it grazes on a spray of long grass. It lifts its head. Its ears twitch. You have to act now. <img src="images/derringdomini.png" alt="DerringDoMini"> [[Nock an arrow. Aim]] It's a tricky shot through undergrowth.] (set: $rulership to $rulership + 1)(Your Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Rumours">](if: (random: -10,10) + $rulership is > 35)[''The region groans under your displeasure'' You levy fines, withhold alms and forbid the chantry to conduct services in the area. A week later, three men are left at the local manor's gates, trussed like a First Day chicken. Beside them are your coffers, holding most of the taxes that were taken. Your justice is swift and final.]\ (else:)[''Remorseless'' You squeeze the nearby villages in a vice of fines, curfews and public humiliations. They protest their ignorance, but you do not relax your grip. After a week the village headman hand over three ill-favoured men to you, and justice is seen to be done. The lost silver is never recovered. In the wake of the hangings, people mutter darkly about your wrath. But the wise ones do it quietly. (set: $revolution to $revolution + 5)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...)] [[In the days to follow you decide to call for help from unusual places|Pick an Accomplice]] Uncertain times present opportunities to the bold... (set: $peril to $peril - 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) (set: $rulership to $rulership + 1)(Your Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $taxesgalore to "bad")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/house2.png" alt="House2">](if: (random: -10,10) + $rulership is > 25)[''Whitewash'' Lime wash is the key. You order stocks kept at watch-houses, and when graffiti is found the watch sends for a bucket and pays an urchin a penny to do the work. Soon Serault's children, always eager for coins to spend on sticky jellies from the market, are hunting the graffiti out for you. (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $revolution to $revolution - 5)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) ]\ (else:)[''The price of perfection'' As the sun sets on Serault the night watch comb the streets, their buckets of lime wash dripping winding, white-dot trails through the town. A wine-stained boatman loitering in the plaza is searched for paint and brushes, then escorted to the cells when his protests grow rowdy. When dawn comes, Serault sparkles pale and cold as frost. Its people awake to streets so clean it's like they've never been lived in. (set: $freedom to $freedom + 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $revolution to $revolution + 5)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) ] [[You rest well after a long day at court|Pick a Counselor 1]] A riot of barks from the kennels; the butcher is delivering meat. (set: $rulership to $rulership + 1)(Your Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $graffiti to "cleaned")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/house2.png" alt="House2">](if: (random: -10,10) + $rulership is > 45)[''Whitewash'' Lime wash is the key. You order stocks kept at watch-houses, and when graffiti is found the watch sends for a bucket and pays an urchin a penny to do the work. Soon Serault's children, always eager for coins to spend on sticky jellies from the market, are hunting the graffiti out for you. (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $revolution to $revolution - 5)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) ]\ (else:)[''The price of perfection'' As the sun sets on Serault the night watch comb the streets, their buckets of lime wash dripping winding, white-dot trails through the town. A wine-stained boatman loitering in the plaza is searched for paint and brushes, then escorted to the cells when his protests grow rowdy. When dawn comes, Serault sparkles pale and cold as frost. Its people awake to streets so clean it's like they've never been lived in. (set: $freedom to $freedom - 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $revolution to $revolution - 5)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) ] [[A new day dawns|Flames of Freedom]] You linger in bed for a moment. Then you rise. (set: $rulership to $rulership + 1)(Your Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $graffiti to "cleaned")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/judge.png" alt="Judgement">](if: (random: -10,10) + $scholarship is > 25)[''The letter of the law'' You execute the will precisely, down to the last colon. The dead man's inheritors - a somber family given to impenetrable and consuming hobbies - thank you for your diligence and invite you to dine with them. Their manor is draughty. Their chef believes in boiling food into submission. But the company is perceptive and frank. (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) ]\ (else:)[''Old resentments'' The dead man liked his daughter more than his son, his son more than his step-daughter, and his horse more than the lot of them. Digging through the familial strife turns up surprising secrets, but to end the matter you have to top up several bequeathments from your own coffers. (set: $prosperity to $prosperity - 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) ] [[The following day, you deal with more affairs of the court|The Knight Requests an Audience]] A lady-in-waiting sings in the corridor a song of Andraste, and the Maker's love for her. (set: $scholarship to $scholarship + 1)(Your Scholarship <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $will to "selfless")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/judge.png" alt="Judgement">](if: (random: -10,10) + $scholarship is > 35)[''The letter of the law'' You execute the will precisely, down to the last colon. The dead man's inheritors - a somber family given to impenetrable and consuming hobbies - thank you for your diligence and invite you to dine with them. Their manor is draughty. Their chef believes in boiling food into submission. But the company is perceptive and frank. (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) ]\ (else:)[''Old resentments'' The dead man liked his daughter more than his son, his son more than his step-daughter, and his horse more than the lot of them. Digging through the familial strife turns up surprising secrets, but to end the matter you have to top up several bequeathments from your own coffers. (set: $prosperity to $prosperity - 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) ] (if: $morrigan is "welcomed")[ [[Four days later you chance upon the Scornful Sorceress|Morrigan Strikes Again]] She is, as usual, alone with her thoughts.]\ (else:)[ [[An uneventful week comes and goes|Chapter 4: Omens]] <img src="images/wind.png" alt="Wind" height="26" width="20"> A bitter wind blows from the North. You must be imagining the tang of Blights. //You have four months until the Divine arrives.//] (set: $scholarship to $scholarship + 1)(Your Scholarship <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $will to "selfless")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/magic.png" alt="Magic">](if: (random: -10,10) + $cunning is > 25)[''A shroud of silence'' Your soldiers put the cave's contents to the sword and the torch. They tear down the entrance with picks and pulleys. A generous application of silver coins fogs memories. Within the week, it is as if the cave had never been found. (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $maleficar to "locked")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) ]\ (else:)[''Leaks'' You order the cave's contents destroyed and the entrance bricked up. You buy silence from the one who discovered it. But if a maleficar is abroad in Serault, who can you trust? Even the thoughts of your closest advisers may not be their own... (set: $twilight to $twilight + 5)(Your Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) (set: $maleficar to "around")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) ] [[A thankfully peaceful week passes by|Blown in on the Wind]] Two servants bicker over the duties of a third, their voices drifting through the window of your hall. (set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/magic.png" alt="Magic">](if: (random: -10,10) + $cunning is > 35)[''A shroud of silence'' Your soldiers put the cave's contents to the sword and the torch. They tear down the entrance with picks and pulleys. A generous application of silver coins fogs memories. Within the week, it is as if the cave had never been found. (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $maleficar to "locked")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) ]\ (else:)[''Leaks'' You order the cave's contents destroyed and the entrance bricked up. You buy silence from the one who discovered it. But if a maleficar is abroad in Serault, who can you trust? Even the thoughts of your closest advisers may not be their own... (set: $twilight to $twilight + 5)(Your Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) (set: $maleficar to "around")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) ] [[You barely notice the next days pass by|The Sorceress' Departure]] A horn sounds. Boots tramp. The changing of the wall-guard. (set: $woodswise to $woodswise + 1)(Your Woods-wise <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

<img src="images/applewoods.png" alt="ApplewoodsBig"> (if: (random: -10,10) + $woodswise is > 35)[''Even death may die'' You find it in the Deepwoods: a flare of red in the arboreal gloom. Deathroot is most easily a poison, but with the correct preparation it could cleanse the pollution from the well. It's fleshy pods look like bloated fingertips. You pick them with a gloved hand. Within the week, the well-water is clear and fresh again. The villagers shower you with flowers and gifts, promising to bring you the finest fruits of their harvest. (set: $prosperity to $prosperity + 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $plaguevillage to "true")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) ]\ (else:)[''Deserted'' You search the woods for days, but find no cure. You cast enough elfroot down the well to raise the dead, but the well still reeks of old meat and maggots. The villagers seek other homes. Some join family elsewhere in Serault, or even beyond. Some have nowhere to go. Soon the village becomes another of the empty habitations that dot the countryside. Ivy swallows its crumbling walls. The wind whistles through its cold chimneys. (set: $prosperity to $prosperity - 10)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10...) (set: $plaguevillage to "bad")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) ] [[A week comes and goes|Pick a Lover]] You sit alone in your chambers, a glass of Nevarran red in your hand. (set: $woodswise to $woodswise + 1)(Your Woods-wise <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $elfroot to $elfroot + 1)(You now have $elfroot <img src="images/elfroot.png" alt="Elfroot" height="26" width="20"> Elfroot.)

<img src="images/greenwoodsheader.png" alt="Applewoods"> (if: (random: -10,10) + $scholarship is > 25)[''Even death may die'' You find it in the Deepwoods: a flare of red in the arboreal gloom. Deathroot is most easily a poison, but with the correct preparation it could cleanse the pollution from the well. It's fleshy pods look like bloated fingertips. You pick them with a gloved hand. Within the week, the well-water is clear and fresh again. The villagers shower you with flowers and gifts, promising to bring you the finest fruits of their harvest. (set: $prosperity to $prosperity + 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $plaguevillage to "true")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) ]\ (else:)[''Deserted'' You search the woods for days, but find no cure. You cast enough elfroot down the well to raise the dead, but the well still reeks of old meat and maggots. The villagers seek other homes. Some join family elsewhere in Serault, or even beyond. Some have nowhere to go. Soon the village becomes another of the empty habitations that dot the countryside. Ivy swallows its crumbling walls. The wind whistles through its cold chimneys. (set: $prosperity to $prosperity - 10)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10...) (set: $plaguevillage to "bad")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) ] [[You rest well after a long day at court|Pick a Counselor 1]] A riot of barks from the kennels; the butcher is delivering meat. (set: $scholarship to $scholarship + 1)(Your Scholarship <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $elfroot to $elfroot + 1)(You now have $elfroot <img src="images/elfroot.png" alt="Elfroot" height="26" width="20"> Elfroot.)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/chantrydoor.png" alt="ChantryDoor">](if: (random: -10,10) + $scholarship is > 45 or $wardencarver is "welcomed")[''Clues out of history'' You exhaust your search and sit on the steps before the statue to ponder... behind the statue, a retable bears the inevitable panel-series showing the prophethood martyrdom of Andraste. Your brow furrows. There, where the Archons condemn her. The foremost, who must be Archon Hessarian - his face is turned towards the viewer, not towards Andraste. He's smiling. That's unusual. You look closer. The face is familiar. It could almost be your own, or your mother's... the Shame? Did he have Hessarian, who condemned Andraste, painted in his own likeness? It would be dancing with blasphemy, and it would be utterly in character. But does it mean something more? You reach forward and push the panel. It recedes: and with a sound like tearing silk, the statue swings ponderously to one side. Steps lead down. Unlike the chantry, they're thick with dust - but a single line of footsteps has disturbed them. <img src="images/derringdomini.png" alt="DerringDoMini"> [[Beneath Andraste's feet]] A passage leads into darkness. There are candles near at hand. There is a mystery that needs uncovering. On the other hand, there is no way you can take anyone else down there with you. And you may be (if: $gender is "female")[master](else:)[lord] of Serault, but you're no adventurer. Is it wise to go down? (if: $morrigan is "eluvian")[//The Scornful Sorceress spoke true. There are, indeed, stranger directions than 'North' or 'South'...//]\ (else-if: $chanterblessing is "true")[//You recall the Chanter who blessed you in the Applewoods. If the Maker is on your side, perhaps you can pull this off...//]\ (else:)[~~//You recall the blessing you got in the Applewoods.//~~] <img src="images/door.png" alt="Door"> [[Return to the Chateau|Return to the Chateau 2]] It's time to leave. (You've found the hidden passage <img src="images/chantrydoor.png" alt="ChantryDoor" height="26" width="20"> behind Andraste's statue.)]\ (else:)[''A smiling prophet'' Andraste watches you: from the pillar-carvings, from the frescoes, from the towering statue. Her serene smile begins to look a little smug as you look under the benches, behind the altar, tap flagstones, peer inside vases... nothing. Could they have entered by magic? Would anyone dare try that in the Shame's own chantry? (set: $twilight to $twilight + 5)(Your Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) [[Return to the Chateau|Return to the Chateau 2]] It's time to leave. ] (set: $scholarship to $scholarship + 1)(Your Scholarship <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/bard.png" alt="Bard">]''An unlikely collaboration'' The Banker grumbles. "My sister won't like it. Not at all." The Wayward Bard puts an easy arm around his shoulder. "What the Abbess doesn't know won't hurt her, eh?" "I... I wouldn't know where to begin-" "You let me worry about that. You just make sure there's plenty of cash on-hand. The people we'll deal with like it in well-used coins of unremarkable denominations. Their vices are costly, but more easily bought with silver than gold if you understand me..." He leads the Banker away. A few days later, the Bard sidles up to you with a contented grin and a story that - if true - would ruin someone's day. [[You break your fast amidst the sounds of the morning|The Bard wants a Quiet Word]] A crash from the kitchens, followed by curses and laughter. (set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/bard.png" alt="Bard">]''An unlikely collaboration'' The Banker grumbles. "My sister won't like it. Not at all." The Wayward Bard puts an easy arm around his shoulder. "What the Abbess doesn't know won't hurt her, eh?" "I... I wouldn't know where to begin-" "You let me worry about that. You just make sure there's plenty of cash on-hand. The people we'll deal with like it in well-used coins of unremarkable denominations. Their vices are costly, but more easily bought with silver than gold if you understand me..." He leads the Banker away. A few days later, the Bard sidles up to you with a contented grin and a story that - if true - would ruin someone's day. [[You request counsel from an ally, and order the windows closed for the day|Send For 2]] Smoke from the glassworks. The chemical sting of their tinctures. (set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/guildmistress.png" alt="Guildmistress">]''Winning friend'' Relaxing some of the guild's burdens will be costly, but popular. To close the deal, you deliver a few well-considered gifts to the more malleable of the masters. The Guildmistress's position is shored up, for the time being at least. Her smile is broader than ever. A shrewd ruler, your recall, also needs allies in less... //official// positions. Thankfully, you have the right idea of just whom you ought to seek. <img src="images/outlaw.png" alt="Outlaw" height="65" width="50"> [[You remember why she's known as the Dashing Outlaw...|The Dashing Outlaw]] She won't be easy to win over, will she? <img src="images/purveyor.png" alt="Purveyor" height="65" width="50"> [[You think of a certain dwarf|The Purveyor of Teas]] The Purveyor of Teas is an associate of bards, smugglers, and revolutionaries, yet he rejects that he maintains such connections. The dwarf was exiled in the past from Orzammar. (set: $rulership to $rulership + 1)(Your Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $freedom to $freedom + 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $prosperity to $prosperity - 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/purveyor.png" alt="Purveyor">](if: (random: -10,10) + $cunning is > 45)[''The pact'' "I understand, your Grace, of course. But we drank the Bitter Tea together, and that which it joins cannot easily be separated. I will be here, when you change your mind."]\ (else:)[''The pact'' He nods. "As you wish. But I should warn you, (if: $gender is "female")[Lady $name](else:)[Lord $name]: we have shared the Bitter Tea, which is brewed by blind, midnight crones from the ashes of the strangled dead. They dig them from a Nevarran tomb-city, and burn them with a blue flame. You may find we are bound together, however much we might wish it were not so." (set: $revolution to $revolution + 5)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) ] [[It's the changing of the seasons|Chapter 7: A Tangled Web]] <img src="images/wind.png" alt="Wind" height="26" width="20"> A star-wind, high and swift, pushes silver clouds to and fro beneath the moon. //You have one month until the Divine arrives.// (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/abbess.png" alt="Abbess">]''Solace'' She tends to your wounds with herbs, baths and unguents. She tends to your spirit with tenderness, humor and passion. You spend a few days secluded in her company. She leaves you with a wistful kiss and several books from her personal library. Most are works of long-dead poets, but the last is the private journal of an empress of Tevinter, minutely detailing not only her rule but also her extraordinarily licentious affairs. In it, you read she often found refuge for her escapades within the discretion of a chantry. Don a habit, and the Archon's wife becomes a sister of the cloth. Seen by many, unnoticed by most. You close the book, an idea burning in your mind. [[Close the noose]] You've burned her hiding places, peeled away her aliases, and hounded her trail. She won't escape this time. (set: $scholarship to $scholarship + 1)(Your Scholarship <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (You are unravelling <img src="images/clues.png" alt="Clues" height="26" width="20"> a Tangled Web.)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/baron.png" alt="Baron">]''Years of experience'' "It doesn't matter where your quarry is - it matters where they'll be. Where they'll hide. What'll make them break cover. When they'll run and where they'll run to - because that's where you want your arrow to be." You remark neither of your current prey are known to run away from a would-be predator. "Well, there is that," he admits, "but I reckon with our numbers that even those creatures may think twice about running into us!" [[To the Deepwoods|The Applewoods]] There, on the border of the Tirashan, you shall find your prey. (if: (random: -10,10) + $woodswise is > 45)[(set: $timeleft to 10)](else:)[(set: $timeleft to 8)](You've got $timeleft hours <img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="26" width="20"> of daylight remaining.) (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 1)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)\ (set: $baronadvice to "true")

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/male3.png" alt="MissingMerchant">]\ ''No-one cares what happens here'' The merchant complains, until it's clear that you could have his head as well as his cargo. Suddenly silent, he shuffles away. Your new windows paint the hall in a thousand vital colours. The stag of Serault rears on the left, while on the right a blazing Andraste stands, masked in accordance with a local custom. They look magnificent. The next day is market day. The streets course with visitors. Peddlers rub shoulders with priests. Chevaliers ride past ragged vagabonds. Merchants bedeck their stalls with bright cloth. In your hall, your (if: $counsellor is "plainspoken")[Plainspoken Seneschal](else:)[Hesitant Seneschal] approaches with urgent news... [[A letter arrived|Prologue: A Miraculous Opportunity]] The bursting sun of the Chantry shining on its seal. (set: $freedom to $freedom - 10)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10...) (set: $prosperity to $prosperity + 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $merchantcargo to "true")(You have acquired <img src="images/conciliation.png" alt="ConciliationCup" height="26" width="20"> a new asset!) (The missing merchant <img src="images/male3.png" alt="MissingMerchant" height="26" width="20"> is found.) (Your Seneschal <img src="images/wearybailiff2.png" alt="Seneschal" height="26" width="20"> records your decision.)\ (set: $simplewindows to "false")

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/coin1.png" alt="Coin1">]''A goldsmith of discretion'' Your father was justifiably terrified of your mother. But he had his mistresses. Once, in his cups, he mentioned the name of the goldsmith he visited, to buy jewellery for them: a man of absolute discretion. You visit Serault Town in the guise of a travelling merchant, with a single mute masked guard and a mule laden with chalices and candlesticks. The Discreet Goldsmith's eyes widen as the gold spills across his table. "Maker!," he whispers. "Don't tell me where this came from." The gold vanishes into his furnace. You receive a hefty stack of coin in return. You tread very carefully on your way back to the Chateau. The following day, you sneak back inside the Sealed Chantry. <img src="images/scholarshipmini.png" alt="ScholarshipMini"> [[Search the Chantry]] Someone has been in here. How did they get in? Are they watching you now? (if: $wardencarver is "true")[//Something here makes you remember Warden Hawke, and the stories he had told of the Shame.//]\ (else:)[~~//Something here makes you remember Warden Hawke, and the stories he had told of the Shame.//~~] <img src="images/door.png" alt="Door"> [[Get out before you are discovered|Return to the Chateau 2]] It's time to leave. You've already profited enough from this little detour. (set: $prosperity to $prosperity + 15)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 15!) (set: $dignity to $dignity - 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/writ.png" alt="Writ">]''Whom will you send for?'' You find yourself in need of advice; to that end, you can request the presence of loyal subjects. They will attend as swiftly as they are able. //'The (if: $gender is "female")[Marquise](else:)[Marquis] of Serault extends greetings and felicitations, and looks forward to your attendance at the earliest possible opportunity...'// <img src="images/knight.png" alt="Knight" height="65" width="50"> [[Send for the Kindly Knight]] Few in Serault are as well-read as he. <img src="images/purveyor.png" alt="Purveyor" height="65" width="50"> [[Send for the Purveyor of Teas]] He thinks you want to collect on a bet you made while playing Wicked Grace a few nights back. "I must discharge my debt. Will you accept... tea? No? Curses." <img src="images/hunter.png" alt="SilentHunter" height="65" width="50"> [[Send for the Silent Hunter]] When he isn't hunting, he's usually praying in the woods.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/pigfarmer.png" alt="PigFarmer">](if: (random: -10,10) + $cunning is > 35)[''The voice of experience'' Her scribbled analysis arrives on the back of a page of Genetivi's //In Pursuit of Knowledge//. It smells faintly of pig, but the dedications are incisive, bold and devoid of mercy.]\ (else:)[''Uncovered'' Your messenger returns swiftly. The Pig-Farmer's analysis is incisive. but your messenger was not as discreet as he should have been. You can hear the whispers: "The (if: $gender is "female")[Marquise](else:)[Marquis] looks for wisdom among swine." (set: $dignity to $dignity - 15)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 15...) ] [[You reflect over the dangers to your lands|Serault is Imperiled!]] A grey wind drones in the fireplace. A slow rain drones on the windows. Your advisers drone in your hall. (set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $rulership to $rulership + 1)(Your Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/bard.png" alt="Bard">]''Bard's tale'' He takes a company of guards and heads for the forest, promising to return with as much of the Errant Siblings as he can. [[It might take him a few days to scour the Deepwoods|Prepare for the Divine 2]] The sun warms the river. Frogs croak in the mud along the bank. (You have sent the Wayward Bard <img src="images/bardalt.png" alt="BardAlt" height="26" width="20"> to discover the fate of the Errant Siblings.) (set: $bardenvoy to "true")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/dowager.png" alt="Dowager">]''An approaching menace'' You hear the distant tapping of her cane... The Dowager arrives at your chambers, an inquisitive brow raised at you. Her servants follow closely behind; she dismisses them with a whirl of her wrist. (if: $counsellor is "dowager")[Her position as counsellor has given her a great amount of prestige, being responsible for details of rulership that are too minor for you to personally deal with.] [[Take wine with the Dowager]] She's canny, critical, and has a surfeit of spare time. No human failing escapes her notice. [[Dine with the Dowager]] As Serault grows in sophistication, she has settled at the centre of a web of social engagements and privileged connections. [[Ask the Dowager to visit a recalcitrant vassal]] She sniffs. "I do not travel well. But if you deem it important, I will bear the discomfort in silence."

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/outlaw.png" alt="Outlaw">]''You meet in the empty market square'' (if: $accomplice is "outlaw")[You already have the services of the spies she calls Eyes, and the bowmen she calls Teeth. Surely she won't mind lending them to you for purposes of closer protection? [[Employ her to ensure your safety]] An alliance of mutual interest.]\ (else:)[She //is// dangerous, but surprisingly honest for an outlaw. Her informants are known as Eyes, her brigands as Teeth, and they are almost as respected and feared by the people of Serault as your own chevaliers. [[Employ her to ensure your safety]] No-one knows the size of her band, and she has agents and sympathisers all across Serault.] <img src="images/hunter.png" alt="SilentHunter" height="65" width="50"> [[Send for the Silent Hunter instead|Send for the Silent Hunter 1]] On second thought, perhaps trusting your personal safety to thugs and highwaymen might not be the most enlightened idea you ever had.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/abbess.png" alt="Abbess">]''The Elegant Abbess'' She enters your quarters alone; she had already dismissed her companions for the night. Although it is late for a sister of the cloth, in your presence she seems very much at ease. [[Request wines from the Abbey]] The Abbess keeps a small vineyard, and trades its product for other, more exotic, wines from across Orlais. //She's a valuable ally to have, and you want to keep things simple.// <img src="images/passion.png" alt="Kiss" height="52" width="40"> [[Confess your affection for the Elegant Abbess]] You've been spending much time in each other's company, lately. There is a new fondness in her eyes. //You will start a romance with the Elegant Abbess.//

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/knight.png" alt="Knight">]''The Knight's wisdom'' "Oh, hello, my (if: $gender is "female")[Lady](else:)[Lord]. How may I be of assistance?" He seems distracted when you find him, surrounded by candles and books. His library is far from massive, but the Knight treasures each of these books like the children he never had. (if: $counsellor is "knight")[He reminds you of your grandfather, son of the Shame, who was Marquis before your lady mother. The two of you have had plenty of troubles to square off against, but despite it all both his company and counsel are comforting.] <img src="images/scholarshipmini.png" alt="ScholarshipMini"> [[Piece together a chapter of the Badenflus manuscript]] The Knight has a partial copy in his library. It is the most regarded of martial manuscripts, and the least comprehensible. <img src="images/rulershipmini.png" alt="RulershipMini"> [[Buy old lore to help the Kindly Knight's studies]] In his dotage he has turned his home into a library. His appetite for books is insatiable. [[Spend time with him in his library]] And see what you can discover.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/purveyor.png" alt="Purveyor">]''Wreathed in oleaginous smiles'' It is almost impressive that he managed to get exiled from Orzammar. The dwarves, you hear, are constantly pressed for men in their fight against the monsters of the Deep Roads. He sits in front of you, serving tea with the care and precision befitting of a true master, recounting the rumours from across the Marquisate his spies had found, working on your lordly behalf. He can assist in matters of contraband, information-gathering, and when you need something fatal slipped into someone’s tea. Shall you set him on troublesome borderlords and criminals, or on the revolutionaries that sneak around your realm? [[Employ his services to remove threats to Serault]] He places a tiny vial of silver liquid before you. "Just say where you would like it to go, your Grace." <img src="images/freedommini.png" alt="Freedom"> [[Ask him to intervene with the revolutionaries]] Perhaps he can convince them to dampen their fervor for a while.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/purveyor.png" alt="Purveyor">]''The poisoning'' "//Havard's Grief//," the dwarf tells you after his examination. "It already has its fingers around her throat. I can create an antidote, but I'll need a particular ingredient." You ask what. "A wyvern," he tells you. "//Havard's Grief// is derived from their venom. Bring me the head of one recently dead, and I'll do what I can to save your Dowager." There are a handful of wyverns left in the Applewoods, although it will be a difficult hunt. And there's still the pressing matter of who did this to her. [[The Dowager is dying|A Fork on the Road]] There is little time to waste. You order the mustering of the greatest hunting party seen in a generation. (set: $prosperity to $prosperity - 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/hunter.png" alt="SilentHunter">]''The Hunter's presence'' He is given to appear when you least expect, often startling sentinel and courtier alike. When he is present, it is almost as if he blended with the furniture, silent as he always is. You are also increasingly sure he doesn't actually sleep. [[Convince him of your prowess]] He has eyes the colour of rainwater. They are not easy to impress. [[Send him to silence and terrorize your enemies]] When your Shadow falls upon them, your enemies will tremble.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/hunter.png" alt="SilentHunter">]''He's in the hall before anyone announces him'' "...?" He bends the knee before you, awaiting your command. [[Employ the Silent Hunter as your bodyguard|Employ him as your bodyguard]] His eyes are sharp. And you can be sure he won't distract you with chatter. <img src="images/outlaw.png" alt="Outlaw" height="65" width="50"> [[Send for the Dashing Outlaw instead|Send for the Dashing Outlaw]] On second thought, what do you even know about him anyway? There is something queer about him; you recall the rumours of strange rituals in the dark of the Applewoods...

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/guildmistress.png" alt="Guildmistress">]''A smile, a bow, a green glass sword'' "Your Grace." She is prompt. Her perfume doesn't quite mask the acrid smell of the glass-ovens. Her sleeves are stained from the smoke. Her glass sword, a mark of rank within the guild, plays with the light cast from the outside. (if: $counsellor is "guildmistress")[As your counsellor, she spends most of her time dealing with the minutiae of governance that you can't bother yourself with.] <img src="images/coinsmini.png" alt="Prosperity"> [[Ask her advice]] (if: (history:) contains "Order replacements in plain glass")[As a glassworker she can't leave Serault Town. But she can write letters. To clients, suppliers, other guilds...]\ (else:)[The guild is an isolated pocket of Serault, but she knows everything that goes on within earshot of its walls. And no merchant leaves it without being interrogated by her over dinner.] [[Discuss opportunities for profit]] The rest of Orlais might ridicule Serault, but they still want her glass.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/bard.png" alt="Bard">]''He's probably not drunk'' Or only a little drunk. He looks too cheerful for your liking. <img src="images/cunningmini.png" alt="CunningMini"> [[Send him to steal secrets]] He's mostly retired, but for you he'll revisit old, bad habits. //He's a valuable ally to have, and you want to keep things simple.// <img src="images/passion.png" alt="Kiss" height="52" width="40"> [[Wake up with the Wayward Bard in your bed]] Was it your intention? A happy accident? Does it matter? He's experienced, confident and canny, both in politics and the bedchamber. //You will start a romance with the Wayward Bard.//

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/pigfarmer.png" alt="PigFarmer">]''A stream of Tevene curses, hastily stifled'' She's tripped on the steps down into the Hall. She must have been thinking about something else again. When she isn't tending to the mud-ridden swine that makes up her livelihood, she is reading deeply into the works of Brother Harlon Ascari and his treatises on the Orlesian Empire. (if: $accomplice is "pigfarmer")[When night comes, she does her job as your informal accomplice and collects precise, ever-useful information from the low-born in Serault Town and surrounding farms.] <img src="images/scholarshipmini.png" alt="ScholarshipMini"> [[Engage in a vigorous debate of letters]] Nothing hones the muscles like sword-play. Nothing sharpens the mind like argument. <img src="images/cunningmini.png" alt="CunningMini"> [[Send a messenger to ask her opinion on the matters before you]] Someone discreet.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/morrigan.png" alt="Morrigan">]\ ''Unwelcome'' The Sorceress' eyes narrow. Your guards step close, hands on their swords. She notes their number, their discipline, their loyalty. She bows. "Have it your way. When I see the Empress I will be sure to mention Serault's fathomless hospitality." She withdraws, her staff grinding on the broken glass as she goes. You suspect this isn't over... [[The Scornful Sorceress is seen leaving Serault hours later|Prologue: Broken Glass]] What would an agent of the Empress want with Serault anyway? (set: $freedom to $freedom - 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (You sent the Scornful Sorceress <img src="images/morrigan.png" alt="Morrigan" height="26" width="20"> away.)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/abbess.png" alt="Abbess">]''Back to the beginning'' The Elegant Abbess waits, masked, in the courtyard. "We'll cloister her in the Rose Tower," she tells you, leading the way, "where she will spend her days in isolated prayer." The chambers are modest but comfortable, with an adjoining walled garden planted with neat, alternating lines of rosemary and basil. A heavy, pepper-haired woman is waiting there, clad in silver armour decorated with diving hawks. Her smile is lazy, but her eyes are sharp. "The chevalier Joleise will guard her night and day," the abbess explains. "It is my fervent hope that one day we can cure this poor child of the visions that have allowed her no rest." For the first time, the Iconoclast speaks. "You can't cure revelation, //mother//." "Enough, Aulienne," the Abbess says, "Enough, now." Without her, the revolution goes from sear to simmer. The dissidents wait to see if she will return to lead them. But the chevalier Joleise sleeps little and lightly, and the Iconoclast is not seen again beyond the abbey walls. (if: $anchoress is "met")[ <img src="images/chantrydoor.png" alt="ChantryDoor" height="65" width="50"> [[Return to the Anchoress' Dell]] Slip through the Chantry and visit the odd old woman again. You have unfinished business with her...]\ (else-if: $keptcounsellor is "true" or $keptseneschal is "true")[ [[Tonight is a night of nightmares|You Dream of the Shame]] A bloodthirsty (if: $wyvern is "true")[wyvern](else:)[bereskarn] rampages through the chateau's corridors. Serault Town, set aflame by an army of soldiers with candlelights bloodied on their foreheads. (if: $bardbreakup is "true")[A man cries, alone in his quarters, whispering your name.](else-if: $abbessbreakup is "true")[A woman cries, alone in her quarters, whispering your name.](else:)[An old woman cries, alone, a sunburst brooch held to her heart.] And then...]\ (else:)[ [[A week rushes by|Fire a Counsellor 2]] A coy breeze carries the sounds and smells of the market. Spice. Lies. Laughter. The play of coin.] (You had the Elusive Iconoclast <img src="images/iconoclast.png" alt="Iconoclast" height="26" width="20"> confined to the Abbey of the Bans.) (set: $flamesfreedom to "secluded")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) (set: $revolution to $revolution - 10)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10!) (set: $freedom to $freedom - 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/hunter.png" alt="SilentHunter">]\ (if: (random: -10,10) + $woodswise is > 25)[''Whispers from the woods'' His report takes the form of gnomic messages scratched into fragments of bark with a knife-point. When you can decipher them, they are uncannily useful. //'The woods-widow saw pigs meet with the hounds, and geese belabour the bulls. The Black Knot gather where the leaves are grey. Beware of crows.'// (set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $hunterinfo to "good")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) ]\ (else:)[''From dreams'' You receive a handful of bark strips, each engraved with an obtuse message. The first contains an apology: //'The woods sleep. They have little to say.'// The others are practically impenetrable. //'The mother has eyes of fire; the daughter, a heart of it. The Red Song dance with the Dead Rose. The Horned Knight crosses the old boundaries.'// (set: $twilight to $twilight + 5)(Your Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) (set: $hunterinfo to "bad")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) ] [[Days pass as you work at court and outside it|Chapter 1: The Herald]] <img src="images/wind.png" alt="Wind" height="26" width="20"> The wind rises. The Chateau's pennants crack like whips. //You have seven months until the Divine arrives.// (set: $woodswise to $woodswise + 1)(Your Woods-wise <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $peril to $peril + 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/hunter.png" alt="SilentHunter">]''Visitation'' The Hunter has forgotten none of his old skills. He moves like a ghost, strikes like a viper, disappears like the moon behind a cloud. When your enemies are in company, they learn to whisper your name. When they are alone, they cast frightened glances to the shadows. It doesn't help. When your Shadow visits, they give up their secrets, their loyalty, or their life. [[Two days later you turn your focus to statescraft|Gather Resources 2]] You take your place atop the High Seat. [[A guard warns you of a visitor at the outskirts of Serault|The Undaunted Chevalier]] Courtiers flock to the battlements to spy on the new arrival. (set: $peril to $peril - 10)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/bard.png" alt="Bard">](if: (random: -10,10) + $cunning is > 35 or (history:) contains "Carouse with the Wayward Bard")[''The bards of Orlais'' He tours several noble houses of Serault and her neighbours, playing his mandolin, singing songs and wringing them dry of secrets. The documents he presents you with upon his return would be set afire if they knew what was written on them. "A close call or two along the way," he admits, "but there's life in the old dog yet." He winks. (set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) ]\ (else:)[''Repercussions'' He returns earlier than you expected. 'Came across this,' he tells you, handing over a hastily-scribbled document. "Thought you'd want to see it right away." The information is good, but he's uncharacteristically solemn. He refuses to talk about what happened, and you suspect he had a narrow escape. There may be repercussions if his victims deduce who is responsible. The Bard's not as young as he used to be. Is he losing his touch?] [[The next day comes|The Lord of the Wood]] A serving girl is on her way to the kitchens, balancing a tray of snails on her head. She sings a song of old Serault: the Stag and the Rose. (set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)\ (set: $nolove to "true")

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/forest1.png" alt="Forest1">](if: (random: -10,10) + $rulership is > 35)[''Revealed'' Your party spreads out into the undergrowth, whacking thickets and bellowing fearsomely. In the distance, you hear something fleeing the noise. Your quarry? One of your beaters found a herb most curious. You recognise it: elfroot, known for its healing properties. (set: $elfroot to $elfroot + 1)(You now have $elfroot <img src="images/elfroot.png" alt="Elfroot" height="26" width="20"> Elfroot.) (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!)] \ (else-if: (random: -10,10) + $rulership is > 25)[''A green labyrinth'' Your party spreads through the woods in an attempt to scare your quarry into the open. But the forest plays its tricks. It bends voices so they sound like they're coming from the wrong direction. It nudges people off-course with sudden gullies and impassable thickets. It takes hours to gather everyone back together, and in the meantime there has been no sign of your quarry. (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $timeleft to $timeleft - 1)(You've got $timeleft hours <img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="26" width="20"> of daylight remaining.)]\ (else:)[''No response'' As loud as they shout, and as fiercely as they beat at the undergrowth, there is nothing there to scare from hiding. (set: $timeleft to $timeleft - 1)(You've got $timeleft hours <img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="26" width="20"> of daylight remaining.)] [[Eventually, your party spots a glade|It leads to a glade]] A rare glimpse of sunlight ahead. <img src="images/derringdomini.png" alt="DerringDoMini"> [[Hack through in pursuit of your quarry]] The direct route is the quickest. [[Make your way towards the forest's edge|Follow the stream into the Deepwoods]] You are weary of the creeping malice of the wood's heart. Find a trail that leads back to the Greenwood. (set: $rulership to $rulership + 1)(Your Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/male3.png" alt="MissingMerchant">]\ ''Restored'' You wave the merchant away. He leaves with the petrified expression of a man who has just realised what he said, and to whom. Your new windows paint the hall a thousand vibrant colours. The stag of Serault rears on the left; on the right a blazing Andraste stands, masked according to a local custom. They look magnificent. The next day is market day. The streets course with visitors. Peddlers rub shoulders with priests. Chevaliers ride past ragged vagabonds. Merchants bedeck their stalls with bright cloth. In your hall, your (if: $counsellor is "plainspoken")[Plainspoken Seneschal](else:)[Hesitant Seneschal] approaches with urgent news... [[A letter arrived|Prologue: A Miraculous Opportunity]] The bursting sun of the Chantry shining on its seal. (set: $freedom to $freedom + 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $prosperity to $prosperity - 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $simplewindows to "false")(You have acquired <img src="images/conciliation.png" alt="ConciliationCup" height="26" width="20"> a new asset!) (The missing merchant <img src="images/male3.png" alt="MissingMerchant" height="26" width="20"> is found.) (Your Seneschal <img src="images/wearybailiff2.png" alt="Seneschal" height="26" width="20"> records your decision.)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/male4.png" alt="Male4">](if: (random: -10,10) + $rulership is > 35)[''Glum faces and empty pockets'' Honestly, they expected nothing else. One of them makes a final, half-hearted effort to convince you of the indignities they suffered. "I would show you my bramble-scars," he says, "but they are on a private part of my person, and I wouldn't want to frighten your Grace. My family has always been prodigiously endowed." Merchants. Always overselling the merchandise. (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) ]\ (else:)[''Bad news spreads'' Displeased, the merchants send word back to their beloved Val Royeaux, to warn other merchants about the perils and provincialism of Serault. Perhaps if you could get to the bottom of the matter, you could repair some of the damage. (set: $prosperity to $prosperity - 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) ] <img src="images/crystalball.png" alt="CrystalBall" height="52" width="40"> [[As court ends, you begin your investigation|Case: The Dashing Outlaw Strikes Again]] She couldn't have been so brazen. Could she? (set: $rulership to $rulership + 1)(Your Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight">]''Serault is Bewitched!'' Does the wind from the west shiver with a wild music? What sloping shapes drag themselves through the woods? The moon rides bright above the silver-backed clouds, stirring lunacy in even the most prudent. Which problem affects Serault the most? [[Superstition rules the common folk]] They bedeck themselves with talismans and retreat into old, abandoned customs. [[Word spreads of the plague of omens besetting Serault]] Two-headed calves, children with mismatched eyes, the sun weeping fiery blood. [[The fields lie empty]] Instead, their workers perform ancient rites before stones carved with images older than Orlais. [[The woods are unfamiliar now]] Forgotten things creep from leafy caves. Once-trodden trails twist like angry snakes.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution">]''Serault is in Revolt!'' Your domain is riven by plots, treason and insolence. Which problem affects Serault the most? [[Your nobles restrict the rights of the peasantry]] They hope to keep the pot from bubbling over... [[One of your neighbours closes their border]] They fear the plague of revolution will spread. [[The peasants are absent from the field]] Instead, they gather in cellars to forment sedition. [[Serault no longer hears you]] When you speak, she does not listen.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution">]''Deaf and blind'' Your nobles worry too much about their own authority to heed yours, while the peasants bob and flatter as much as ever, but spit on your footsteps as soon as you're out of sight. You are not used to being ignored. That's something that's only meant to happen to other people. (if: $knightfury is > 1)[ [[A week passes, and with it a scent of spring|The Freehold]] The wind dies, leaving the sun to push hotly on the cobbled streets and courtyards. The chateau's four cats stretch out on the roof-tiles.]\ (else:)[ [[Two days later, a message arrives|An Invitation]] It's not what you were expecting.] (set: $revolution to $revolution + 15)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 15...) (set: $health to $health - 15)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 15...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/guildmistress.png" alt="Guildmistress">]''The dawn of a new age'' When you tell the Smiling Guildmistress, she almost kisses you. "This changes everything," she says, "Serault glass will be the envy of the world, seen by every pilgrim who makes the journey to Val Royeaux!" Perhaps Serault's time in the hinterlands is coming to an end... [[The feast winds down|The Feast is Ending]] You are tired of smiling, conversing and flattering. Was it worth it? (You have won a commission <img src="images/commission.png" alt="Commission" height="26" width="20"> to secure the future of Serault!) (set: $divinecommission to "true")(You have acquired <img src="images/conciliation.png" alt="ConciliationCup" height="26" width="20"> a new asset!) (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $prosperity to $prosperity + 15)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 15!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/boar.png" alt="Boar">](if: (random: -10,10) + $derringdo is > 35)[''To the heart'' The boar spits itself on your spear, squealing as it dies. The ash crossbar keeps its death-throes at bay. You drag its carcass to your steed. It will look splendid mounted in the chateau's hall. [[Return to the Chateau]] Atop its riverside bluff, the Castle of a Thousand Windows is visible from miles away. Sharp turrets jab at the sky. (set: $woodswise to $woodswise + 1)(Your Woods-wise <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 1)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $boartrophy to "true")(You have acquired <img src="images/conciliation.png" alt="ConciliationCup" height="26" width="20"> a new asset!) (if: $alone is "true")[(set: $alone to "false")(You have rejoined <img src="images/lostchild.png" alt="LostChild" height="26" width="20"> your party.)]\ (set: $trophies to $trophies + 1)]\ (else:)[''Gored'' Your spear thrusts - too high! The boar crashes into you, goring with its yellow tusks. It leaves you sprawled and bleeding against an oak, before trying to make its escape. <img src="images/woodswisemini.png" alt="WoodsWiseMini"> [[Finish the beast]] Its blood stains the tree-roots. Its strength fades. But it won't die without a fight. You approach it warily. (Your quarry is wounded <img src="images/trap.png" alt="Trap" height="26" width="20">! If you can catch it again, you can end the hunt.) (set: $health to $health - 15)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 15...) (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 1)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) ]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/rumour.png" alt="BlackScroll">]''The legacy'' She places the will, sealed with blue wax, into your hands. "With each passing year I have fewer friends left in the world." A wealthy man has passed away, and the disposal of his estate and chattels falls to you. His inheritors gather, like dogs at the butcher's door. <img src="images/cunningmini.png" alt="CunningMini"> [[Claim a tithe of the legacy for Serault|Claim a tithe of the legacy for Serault 2]] Your counsellor tells you of an ancient right of lordship, rarely invoked in recent times... <img src="images/scholarshipmini.png" alt="ScholarshipMini"> [[Scrupulously follow the will|Scrupulously follow the will 2]] Try to ensure the inheritors are satisfied.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/forest4.png" alt="Forest4">]''Leaving the sun behind'' The trail is just a faint mark stretching through the trees. The leaves thicken overhead. The temperature rises. Blue flies buzz hungrily around you. Gloom gathers. [[One of your scouts has heard something|Footsteps on the Path]] A voice, in the heart of the wood. (set: $health to $health - 15)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 15...) (set: $timeleft to $timeleft - 1)(You've got $timeleft hours <img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="26" width="20"> of daylight remaining.)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/lordship.png" alt="Lordship">]''Family secrets'' In a gallery piled with artefacts dating to the Shame's reign, His Dour Lordship finds a portrait: a severe woman with cold silver gleaming at her throat. She would be beautiful, were she smiling. The Marquis stares. "This is my grandmother. Chauvette. They called her the Lily of Alyons. She married your Shame." There is an uncomfortable moment. "An Ortienz," he notes, pointing at the artist's signature. "He may have been a vagabond and a strangler, but the bastard knew paint. Your ancestor gained a rare talent when he granted him sanctuary." [[A fortnight passes by|The Uprising]] You wake up to distant screams. From your bedroom window you see smoke rising across the river. (set: $scholarship to $scholarship + 1)(Your Scholarship <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $dignity to $dignity - 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $peril to $peril + 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) (set: $lordship to "goodguest")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/bodyguard.png" alt="Bodyguard">](if: (random: -10,10) + $rulership is > 45)[''Restoring the peace'' You order him arrested. If nothing else, he's disrupting the business of the market. He shouts and raves as he's led away, but your guards are discreet. The crowd has forgotten him... or if not, they know better than to talk about it. (set: $freedom to $freedom + 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) ]\ (else:)[''Dangerous seeds'' Your guards drag him - still raving - away. The crowd watch. They do not intervene, but you see rebellious fires bloom in their eyes. They have begun to ask themselves a troubling question: 'Who's next?' (set: $freedom to $freedom - 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) ] [[A new day dawns|Flames of Freedom]] You linger in bed for a moment. Then you rise. (set: $rulership to $rulership + 1)(Your Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $debate to "silenced")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/judge.png" alt="Judge">](if: (random: -10,10) + $rulership is > 35)['' Your wisdom is praised'' Serf, peasant, priest and lady lay their cases before you. You listen, consider, judge. Around your hall heads nod, and thoughtful hands stroke thoughtful beards. "That was just," they say. (set: $freedom to $freedom + 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) ]\ (else:)[''Your people are troubled'' None of them dare question your rulings openly, but you hear the whispers scuttle around the edges of your hall. Are you a fool, they wonder? An optimist? A tyrant? Has the madness that afflicted the Shame finally taken you? (set: $dignity to $dignity - 10)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10...) (set: $prosperity to $prosperity + 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) ] [[To aid your rule, you send for an adviser|Summon a subject]] Beware. The worthies of your realm don't enjoy being dragged here at your convenience, and your power has limits. (set: $rulership to $rulership + 1)(Your Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/judge.png" alt="Judge">](if: (random: -10,10) + $rulership is > 35)['' Your wisdom is praised'' Serf, peasant, priest and lady lay their cases before you. You listen, consider, judge. Around your hall heads nod, and thoughtful hands stroke thoughtful beards. "That was just," they say. (set: $freedom to $freedom + 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) ]\ (else:)[''Your people are troubled'' None of them dare question your rulings openly, but you hear the whispers scuttle around the edges of your hall. Are you a fool, they wonder? An optimist? A tyrant? Has the madness that afflicted the Shame finally taken you? (set: $dignity to $dignity - 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) ] [[The new moon turns crescent|Serault is Bewitched!]] The peons say this is the Biting Wind that Masked Andraste keeps leashed like a dog. It’s not. But it is a little chilly. (set: $rulership to $rulership + 1)(Your Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/judge.png" alt="Judge">](if: (random: -10,10) + $rulership is > 45)['' Your wisdom is praised'' Serf, peasant, priest and lady lay their cases before you. You listen, consider, judge. Around your hall heads nod, and thoughtful hands stroke thoughtful beards. "That was just," they say. (set: $freedom to $freedom + 15)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 15!) ]\ (else:)[''Your people are troubled'' None of them dare question your rulings openly, but you hear the whispers scuttle around the edges of your hall. Are you a fool, they wonder? An optimist? A tyrant? Has the madness that afflicted the Shame finally taken you? (set: $dignity to $dignity - 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $prosperity to $prosperity + 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $freedom to $freedom + 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) ] [[You look upon your lands from the Foal's Tower|Serault is in Revolt]] Two boats try to squeeze under the Bridge of Masks at the same time. The sound of their hulls scraping sets teeth on edge across the whole town. (set: $rulership to $rulership + 1)(Your Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/wyvern.png" alt="Wyvern">](if: (random: -10,10) + $derringdo is > 45)[''All it takes'' It lunges, its teeth snapping on nothing as you roll under its extended neck. Your sword hacks. Scales split. Flesh parts. Blood spills. The beast dies loudly and slowly as you scramble from under its thrashing bulk. When it's still, you sever the head, making sure the venom sacs are intact. [[You rush back to the chateau|The Antidote]] Time is of essence. (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 1)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $dignity to $dignity + 10)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 10!) (set: $wyverntrophy to "true")(You have acquired <img src="images/conciliation.png" alt="ConciliationCup" height="26" width="20"> a new asset!) \ (set: $trophies to $trophies + 1)]\ (else:)[''Trading blows'' It's so fast. The head lashes out, jaws gaping. Your sword is slow as syrup. You feel the pain of its teeth dig into your arm, and then the coursing cold of its poison. Your senses flee before the pain... The tardy arrival of your companions scares the beast away. They carry you back to the chateau. Only your vigour saves you from the wyvern's venom. You failed in hunting down the wyvern, but it wasn't all for nothing. Your physicians put enough Nahashin leeches on you to suck much of its venom out of your body; the leeches die quickly, but a small amount of the leeched poison can be preserved. [[You rush back to the chateau|The Antidote]] Time is of essence. (The day <img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="26" width="20"> is over.) (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 1)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $health to $health - 15)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 15...) ]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/hunter.png" alt="SilentHunter">]''He waits in silence'' "...?" He was never very well-liked by your courtiers - in a realm where gossip is a currency of influence, men like the Silent Hunter aren't very well-regarded. [[He looks straight at you|The Hunter's Departure]] You can hear the never-ending whispering of your courtiers, like a fly buzzing behind your ears. Better be done with this already. (set: $bodyguard to "fired")(The Silent Hunter <img src="images/hunter.png" alt="SilentHunter" height="26" width="20"> is no longer your bodyguard.)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/wind.png" alt="Wind">]''Free'' Dusk fills your window with the colours of blood and of roses. The shadows deepen in your chambers. You tear the letter in half and give it to the candle-fire. What could a Divine do here, anyway? Serault is no place for pomp, privilege, or opulence. Her gold is the people who work her fields - cold and hard and bright. If her nobles live in draughty halls and sharpen their swords each evening, it is because Serault doesn't need primping courtiers - it needs wolves, ready to defend their pack. Serault will endure, unloved by all except her people. Here, beyond the care of Val Royeaux, you are free to live as you choose. [[A swallow dips past your window|Final Game Over]] <img src="images/wind.png" alt="Wind" height="26" width="20"> Struggling against a blustery wind. //The game ends.// (set: $seraulthonour to "shamed")\ (if: $dignity is > 100)[(set: $dignity to 100)]\ (if: $dignity is < 0)[(set: $dignity to 0)]\ (if: $prosperity is > 100)[(set: $prosperity to 100)]\ (if: $prosperity is < 0)[(set: $prosperity to 0)]\ (if: $freedom is > 100)[(set: $freedom to 100)]\ (if: $freedom is < 0)[(set: $freedom to 0)]\ (if: $twilight is > 100)[(set: $twilight to 100)]\ (if: $twilight is < 0)[(set: $twilight to 0)]\ (if: $peril is > 100)[(set: $peril to 100)]\ (if: $peril is < 0)[(set: $peril to 0)]\ (if: $revolution is > 100)[(set: $revolution to 100)]\ (if: $revolution is < 0)[(set: $revolution to 0)]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/wind.png" alt="Wind">]''Pride'' Twilight creeps across Serault. You cast the letter into the fire where it provides a brief flare of light before abandoning the corners of your chamber once more to the night-shadows. Serault is a hard land. Her people are lean and bitter. Her woods are ravenous. Life is bought from them one day at a time; not with gold, but with toil. It is not a place a Divine - accustomed to the peacocked palaces of Val Royeaux - could understand. Let Serault be forgotten, then, and you with her. She will endure as she always has, unwanted at the edge of the world. You are proud of her, even if nobody else is. [[Herons clatter loudly between the Heron Tower and the river|Final Game Over]] <img src="images/wind.png" alt="Wind" height="26" width="20"> White feathers drift like snow. //The game ends.// (set: $seraulthonour to "shamed")\ (if: $dignity is > 100)[(set: $dignity to 100)]\ (if: $dignity is < 0)[(set: $dignity to 0)]\ (if: $prosperity is > 100)[(set: $prosperity to 100)]\ (if: $prosperity is < 0)[(set: $prosperity to 0)]\ (if: $freedom is > 100)[(set: $freedom to 100)]\ (if: $freedom is < 0)[(set: $freedom to 0)]\ (if: $twilight is > 100)[(set: $twilight to 100)]\ (if: $twilight is < 0)[(set: $twilight to 0)]\ (if: $peril is > 100)[(set: $peril to 100)]\ (if: $peril is < 0)[(set: $peril to 0)]\ (if: $revolution is > 100)[(set: $revolution to 100)]\ (if: $revolution is < 0)[(set: $revolution to 0)]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/wind.png" alt="Wind">]''Alone'' A north wind whistles in the chimney, carrying a chill into your chambers. You turn to the window and listen to the sounds of Serault Town: quarrels in the plaza, haggling in the market, songs from the river-barges, the thunder of the glassworks' bellows. Serault shouldn't work. She is an accident of history, unwanted by her country and forgotten by everyone else. Her nobles are just a crest away from being warlords. Her people are a meal away from savagery. All she has is you. Her keystone. Making it work one day at a time. What could the Divine have done to change that? And would you have wanted her to? [[The town chantry resounds with the Chant of Light|Final Game Over]] <img src="images/wind.png" alt="Wind" height="26" width="20"> Can the Maker hear it, from His far-off throne? //The game ends.// (set: $seraulthonour to "shamed")\ (if: $dignity is > 100)[(set: $dignity to 100)]\ (if: $dignity is < 0)[(set: $dignity to 0)]\ (if: $prosperity is > 100)[(set: $prosperity to 100)]\ (if: $prosperity is < 0)[(set: $prosperity to 0)]\ (if: $freedom is > 100)[(set: $freedom to 100)]\ (if: $freedom is < 0)[(set: $freedom to 0)]\ (if: $twilight is > 100)[(set: $twilight to 100)]\ (if: $twilight is < 0)[(set: $twilight to 0)]\ (if: $peril is > 100)[(set: $peril to 100)]\ (if: $peril is < 0)[(set: $peril to 0)]\ (if: $revolution is > 100)[(set: $revolution to 100)]\ (if: $revolution is < 0)[(set: $revolution to 0)]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/forest2.png" alt="Forest2">]''The decision'' You assemble the information you have gathered... [[There are dark powers in the forests near Serault...|Judge the Errant Siblings]] Your court stands to hear your conclusions. <img src="images/door.png" alt="Door"> [[... powers that may be best left alone|Abandon the matter]] Lest their shadow fall upon river and road. Better to drop the matter entirely.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/outlaw.png" alt="Outlaw">](if: (random: -10,10) + $cunning is > 45)[''An amicable parting'' "I couldn't last," she says. "We're too different. You've got your chateau, I've got my woods. You hide behind a mask; I'm so pretty I don't need one. Still, I've known worse partnerships. They usually end in stabbing. This -" she gestures to the two of you, talking, "- is novel."]\ (else:)[''An acrimonious parting'' "You can't trick a trickster. We're too alike, (if: $gender is "female")[Lady $name](else:)[Lord $name]. I've come to the end of my use. Perhaps another day - or week, or month - I'd have done the same to you." She saunters off the bridge. You can tell she's scheming already. (set: $peril to $peril + 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) ] [[It's the changing of the seasons|Chapter 7: A Tangled Web]] <img src="images/wind.png" alt="Wind" height="26" width="20"> A star-wind, high and swift, pushes silver clouds to and fro beneath the moon. //You have one month until the Divine arrives.// (set: $peril to $peril + 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/house.png" alt="Shack">](if: (random: -10,10) + $woodswise is > 35)[''Woodslore'' The hermit who lives in the hovel knows countless secrets of the Applewoods: their gloomy dells, their wriggling paths. He's proud to share them, along with a cob of grainy black bread and a plate of gnarled vegetables. He cackles as he eats, spraying you with crumbs.]\ (else-if: (random: -10,10) + $woodswise is > 25)[''Surprisingly well informed'' A crone huddles in the leaning hut, tugging a ragged cloak tight against the drafts that whistle through the numberless cracks in the walls. In a dull voice she tells you a trickle of titbits about the wood, and a torrent of gossip from every corner of Serault. (set: $timeleft to $timeleft - 1)(You've got $timeleft hours <img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="26" width="20"> of daylight remaining.)]\ (else:)[''Secrets'' The straggle-haired, pale-eyed couple who live there regard you with frightened eyes. Are they husband and wife? Brother and sister? They do not speak. Are they mute? You leave them to their lonely secrets. The woods exact a toll from those who linger too long under the leaves. (set: $health to $health - 10)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10...) (set: $timeleft to $timeleft - 1)(You've got $timeleft hours <img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="26" width="20"> of daylight remaining.)] (if: $quarry is "boar")[ [[The sun moves closer to the west as you finally find the boar|Boar tracks]] (if: $hounds is "present")[The hounds wail in excitement. Your companions ready their spears; yours is already in hand.](else:)[You could have used the hounds now, to bait and corner your prey. Your companions ready their spears; yours is already in hand.]]\ (else:)[As the sun moves closer to the horizon, you are in luck! A reward for your patience: fresh tracks cross the path. Your quarry! After what seems like an eternity, you spot the rust-red of its fur as it grazes on a spray of long grass. It lifts its head. Its ears twitch. You have to act now. <img src="images/derringdomini.png" alt="DerringDoMini"> [[Nock an arrow. Aim]] It's a tricky shot through undergrowth.] (set: $scholarship to $scholarship + 1)(Your Scholarship <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/knight.png" alt="Knight">]''Another world'' Sunlight slants through his paned window. The primrose outside brushes its petals imploringly against the glass. You lose yourself amidst crackling, yellow scrolls and books with pages so thin you can see your fingers through them. For a time, you leave Serault to take care of her own affairs. The one he reads most - the ones with the folded corners and replaced spines - are works about the afterlife. You study the passages he has marked. Is he looking for a way to speak with the dead? [[Two days later you turn your focus to statescraft|Gather Resources 2]] You take your place atop the High Seat. [[A guard warns you of a visitor at the outskirts of Serault|The Undaunted Chevalier]] Courtiers flock to the battlements to spy on the new arrival. (set: $scholarship to $scholarship + 1)(Your Scholarship <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $revolution to $revolution - 5)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity">]''Grumblings'' The populace feel the burden of the new tax. Porridge is thinner. There is more water in the wine. Meat is more gristle, less fat. But no-one suffers too onerously, and the increased patrols restore some safety to the roads. [[In the days to follow you decide to call for help from unusual places|Pick an Accomplice]] Uncertain times present opportunities to the bold... (set: $peril to $peril - 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) (set: $freedom to $freedom - 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $taxesgalore to "true")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/forest2.png" alt="Forest2">]''Silence'' Without his disgraceful tales and wine-thick laugh, Serault is too stuffy and too quiet. You summon your companions to the kennels and prepare the hunt... [[Bring the hounds|Bring the hounds 2]] The hounds may help you track your quarry. [[Get an early start]] This will give you extra time to complete the hunt. [[Take extra provisions|Take extra provisions 2]] If you lost Health, these may help you regain it.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/divine.png" alt="Divine">]''Welcoming the Divine'' "Most Holy, it's an honour," you say. She raises a very visible eyebrow at your posture; her eyes darting across your face, taking your measure. She shows you her hand, a big jewel on the top of her ring. You kiss it, and in doing so you slightly bow. Her voice is stern, like that of an ill-tempered grandmother. "(if: $gender is "female")[Lady $name](else:)[Lord $name] de Serault. I have heard much of you, your family, and the way you rule your lands. Unfortunately," she adds, "I already see there is some truth to the stories." (if: $health is < 70)[Her Holiness does look worringly at your paled face; it is said the Shame's sorceries enacted a great price upon his health. You're certain many wonder whether you have inherited his magic.] A host of Templars is behind her; you think you spot a Seeker or two among them. The last time Serault hosted so many of the Chantry's enforcers, they were hunting down a Marquis of Serault... a hunt that ended with his slaughter. (if: $keptcounsellor is "true")[For the moment the Divine seems to pay greater attention to your advisers than to yourself. After that messy affair with the Elusive Iconoclast, some wonder who truly rules Serault - it's up to you to show them otherwise.](else:)[It's time to set your plans in motion.] [[You invite them to the Chateau's Great Hall]] They pass through the Hall of Glories on the way. You hear, satisfied, some of her retinue audibly gasp at the glass on the chateau's windows, casting many-hued lights on the walls. (if: $health is < 70 and $keptcounsellor is "true")[(set: $divinefavour to $divinefavour - 3)(Your Divine's Favour <img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 3...)]\ (else-if: $health is < 70)[(set: $divinefavour to $divinefavour - 2)(Your Divine's Favour <img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 2...)]\ (else-if: $keptcounsellor is "true")[(set: $divinefavour to $divinefavour - 2)(Your Divine's Favour <img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 2...)]\ (else:)[(set: $divinefavour to $divinefavour - 1)(Your Divine's Favour <img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 1...)] (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 1)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $freedom to $freedom + 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!)

(align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[''IT IS THE FORTIETH YEAR OF THE DRAGON AGE'']\ (align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[//''Serault: the farthest edge of Orlais. Serault: where the glass comes from. Serault: your inheritance, your domain, your duty.''//]\ //You make choices by selecting one of the highlighted lines.// [[Start a Normal game|Intro: The Marquis]] You are your mother's heir. She prepared you for this. //This is the recommended way to play the game.// [[Start a Casual game|Intro: The Casual Marquis]] A chosen few are born with the blessing of the Maker. //This is for those who lack the patience for failure.// [[Start a Nightmare game|Intro: The Nightmare Marquis]] The Veil is thin here; demons lurk on the other side... //This is for those who wish to challenge themselves.// [[Browse the Codex|CODEX]] Your father's gift. A light, against the darkness ahead. //Know the lore of the world of Thedas.// [[Read the Tutorial|How to play]] Check out essential tips to survive the Great Game. //One of these might end up saving your life.// [[See the Credits|Credits]] The House of Glass wasn't built in a day. //Those who contributed to this project.//\ \ (save-game:"NewGame", "$saveNewGame")\ (set: $name to "Marquis")\ (set: $health to 100)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/forest4.png" alt="Forest4">]''Dense undergrowth'' Tangling vines and clawing branches. Roots that slither underfoot like serpents and knotted leaves above that keep the sun at bay. Your companions curse their luck. They fall to silence when one of your scouts return, eyes wide. [["I heard a voice, your Grace! Whoever that is must be close!"|Footsteps on the Path]] You brought no bow for this hunt, only spear and sword. Your party creeps on closer to the trail... (set: $twilight to $twilight + 10)(Your Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 10...) (set: $health to $health - 5)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $timeleft to $timeleft - 1)(You've got $timeleft hours <img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="26" width="20"> of daylight remaining.)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/writ.png" alt="Writ">]''The Marquisate's call'' As master of Serault, you may summon any subject of your choice for counsel, reprimand, or even just pleasant conversation at your whim. But whom shall you call? //'The (if: $gender is "female")[Marquise](else:)[Marquis] of Serault extends greetings and felicitations, and looks forward to your attendance at the earliest possible opportunity...'// <img src="images/dowager.png" alt="Dowager" height="65" width="50"> [[Send for the Acerbic Dowager]] She has rooms in the Chateau Serault, and need only descend the stairs. But she often pleads indisposition. <img src="images/guildmistress.png" alt="Guildmistress" height="65" width="50"> [[Send for the Smiling Guildmistress]] The guild is just across the river. <img src="images/pigfarmer.png" alt="PigFarmer" height="65" width="50"> [[Send for the Well-Read Pig-Farmer|Send for the Well-Read Pig Farmer]] Most pig farmers would rush to attend you. She's a little less eager to please.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/banker.png" alt="Banker">]''Uncouth, but gifted'' With an approximate bow, he asks "How may I serve?" There is a long, difficult pause. "Your Grace," he remembers. He shuffles closer. He won't meet your eyes. He's counting under his breath. Staying calm, or evaluating the worth of your possessions? The Banker is a graceless, preoccupied, foodstained financial prodigy; the heir to the des Guenoles estate, and brother of the Abbess. He can help you acquire supplies to win over the Divine. [[Purchase vittles and wine to please the Divine]] The Banker's web of mercantile connections can source provisions from across Thedas. [[Secure secrets to aid negotiations with the Divine]] Nothing greases the wheels of diplomacy like a secret someone want hidden. [[Procure luxuries to impress the Divine]] The chateau has seen better days. The tapestries are threadbare. The silverware is dull. The furnishings are scuffed. It will not do. <img src="images/door.png" alt="Door"> [[Dismiss him|Prepare for the Divine 1]] Actually, you don't need him after all. //You peruse your other options.//

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/banker.png" alt="Banker">]''Uncouth, but gifted'' With an approximate bow, he asks "How may I serve?" There is a long, difficult pause. "(if: $gender is "female")[Lady $name](else:)[Lord $name]," he remembers. He shuffles closer. He won't meet your eyes. He's counting under his breath. Staying calm, or evaluating the worth of your possessions? The Banker is a graceless, preoccupied, foodstained financial prodigy; the heir to the des Guenoles estate, and brother of the Abbess. He can help you acquire supplies to win over the Divine. [[Purchase vittles and wine to please the Divine|Purchase vittles and wine to please the Divine 2]] The Banker's web of mercantile connections can source provisions from across Thedas. [[Procure luxuries to impress the Divine|Procure luxuries to impress the Divine 2]] The chateau has seen better days. The tapestries are threadbare. The silverware is dull. The furnishings are scuffed. It will not do. (if: $bardenvoy is not "true")[ [[Secure secrets to aid negotiations with the Divine|Secure secrets to aid negotiations with the Divine 2]] Nothing greases the wheels of diplomacy like a secret someone want hidden.]\ (else:)[~~Secure secrets to aid negotiations with the Divine Nothing greases the wheels of diplomacy like a secret someone want hidden.~~] <img src="images/door.png" alt="Door"> [[Dismiss him|Prepare for the Divine 2]] Actually, you don't need him after all. //You peruse your other options.//

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight">]''Witchcraft'' A woven charm tied with black feathers spins in a window. Voices chant in a shadowed clearing. In a dripping cave beneath the earth, hot blood spills over apostate hands. (if: $bardenvoy is "true")[ [[Night falls|The Wayward Bard's Return]] You have a visitor. He returned a bit more pale than usual.]\ (else:)[ [[The Wayward Bard crosses your path|An Assault on your Person]] Airs from the river. It is low today, and reeks of oozing mud and flopping eels.] (set: $peril to $peril + 15)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 15...) (set: $twilight to $twilight + 15)(Your Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 15...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/coin2.png" alt="Coin2">]''Greasing the wheels'' This one is fond of wine, that one of broad-minded company. Another is sincerely pious, which stumps you until you make a generous donation to the chantry where she trained. Soon a segment of the Divine's key counsel are your fervent admirers. Is that your name you hear them whispering in her ear? (if: $chantryunsealed is "true")[ [[Things seemed to be going rather well|The Chantry, Unsealed]] Until, of course, disaster struck.]\ (else-if: $divinefavour is > 3)[ [[Later on, some good news|The Keys]] Justinia, fifth of her name, wishes to speak.]\ (else:)[ [[The feast winds down|The Feast is Ending]] You are tired of smiling, conversing and flattering. Was it worth it?] (set: $divinefavour to $divinefavour + 3)(Your Divine's Favour <img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 3!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/feast.png" alt="Feast">]''Well-stocked'' Your packs bulge with dark bread, feisty cheese, watered beer, and wine from the sun-brushed south. [[Choose your quarry]] Your party crosses the Green Bridge. The forests lie ahead. (if: $health is > 100)[(set: $health to 100)]\ (else-if: $health is > 90)[(set: $health to 100)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has increased to 100!) ]\ (else-if: $health is < 0)[(set: $health to 10)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has increased to 10!) ]\ (else:)[(set: $health to $health + 10)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 10!) ]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/feast.png" alt="Feast">]''Provisions'' Your cooks prepared generously for the hunt, packing bags of sharp wine, soft bread, and softer cheese. (if: $unwelcome is "true")[ [[You ride towards the woods|Unwelcome]] You are entering the Greenwood, the pleasant outer reaches of the forest.]\ (else:)[ [[You ride towards the woods|Footsteps on the Path]] You are entering the Greenwood, the pleasant outer reaches of the forest.] (if: (random: -10,10) + $woodswise is > 45)[(set: $timeleft to 8)](else:)[(set: $timeleft to 6)](You've got $timeleft hours <img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="26" width="20"> of daylight remaining.) (if: $health is > 90)[(set: $health to 100)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has increased to 100!) ]\ (else:)[(set: $health to $health + 10)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 10!) ]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/feast2.png" alt="Feast2">] ''Your hunting party is well-stocked'' Your packs bulge with honey loaf, roasted prawns, absinthe and white wine from the Heartlands to the east. [[To the Deepwoods|The Applewoods]] There, on the border of the Tirashan, you shall find your prey. (if: (random: -10,10) + $woodswise is > 45)[(set: $timeleft to 10)](else:)[(set: $timeleft to 8)](You've got $timeleft hours <img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="26" width="20"> of daylight remaining.) (if: $health is > 100)[(set: $health to 100)]\ (else-if: $health is > 90)[(set: $health to 100)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has increased to 100!) ]\ (else-if: $health is < 0)[(set: $health to 10)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has increased to 10!) ]\ (else:)[(set: $health to $health + 10)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 10!) ]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/greenwoods.png" alt="Greenwoods">]''Busy, busy'' You keep to your court. You've little time to worry about the feuds between the forest and its tenants. Eventually, the west wind dies. The forest quiets. Business returns to normal. [[You barely notice the next days pass by|The Sorceress' Departure]] A horn sounds. Boots tramp. The changing of the wall-guard. (set: $rulership to $peril + 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) (set: $twilight to $twilight - 5)(Your Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) (set: $savedbandits to "ignored")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/dowager.png" alt="Dowager">]''Strict counsel'' You spend an hour absorbing her minutely-detailed opinion on the state of Serault. Even after you've sifted out her more vigorous opinions, much remains of use. "Of course," she says, "if this was the old Serault - the Serault of my youth - I could be of more help to you. But I've a limited understanding of the affairs of prostitutes and pig-farmers." [[You reflect over the dangers to your lands|Serault is Imperiled!]] A grey wind drones in the fireplace. A slow rain drones on the windows. Your advisers drone in your hall. (set: $dignity to $dignity + 10)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 10!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/rosemage.png" alt="RoseMage">]''Conversing with the Anchoress'' At the back of the cave, above a bed of fresh leaves and old rags, a shelf has been cut into the wall. A rushlight illuminates its contents: a doll dressed as an Antivan pirate, a torn book, a sunburst brooch, and the pieces of a broken staff. "Well?" the Anchoress asks. (if: (history:) contains "Ask her how she lives" and "Ask her who she is")[ <img src="images/door.png" alt="Door"> [[Defer your decision]] You must deal with her eventually; you can't allow an apostate to roam around without any vigilance whatsoever. There's time, yet. //Leave the Anchoress' Dell and return to Chateau Serault.//]\ (else:)[The Anchoress is starved of news. Bring her word from Serault and she'll answer your questions. [[Ask her who she is]] How long has she been hiding here? [[Ask her how she lives]] Where did she gets her clothes? Her meat? The hoe and shears for her garden?] (set: $anchoress to "met")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight">]''Dreams'' The thick fragrance of the flowers tugs you into a dream-laden sleep. You see a living chapel inhabited by wolves and a silver cup filled with the blood of the earth. You awake refreshed, but in a fey mood. (if: $quarry is "boar")[ [[The sun moves closer to the west as you finally find the boar|Boar tracks]] (if: $hounds is "present")[The hounds wail in excitement. Your companions ready their spears; yours is already in hand.](else:)[You could have used the hounds now, to bait and corner your prey. Your companions ready their spears; yours is already in hand.]]\ (else:)[As the sun moves closer to the horizon, you are in luck! A reward for your patience: fresh tracks cross the path. Your quarry! You glimpse the rust-red of its fur as it grazes on a spray of long grass. It lifts its head. Its ears twitch. You have to act now. <img src="images/derringdomini.png" alt="DerringDoMini"> [[Nock an arrow. Aim]] It's a tricky shot through undergrowth.] (if: $health is > 100)[(set: $health to 100)]\ (else-if: $health is > 95)[(set: $health to 100)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has increased to 100!) ]\ (else-if: $health is < 0)[(set: $health to 5)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has increased to 5!) ]\ (else:)[(set: $health to $health + 5)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) ] (set: $twilight to $twilight + 5)(Your Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) (set: $timeleft to $timeleft - 1)(You've got $timeleft hours <img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="26" width="20"> of daylight remaining.)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/knight.png" alt="Knight">]''In proper order'' You send an detachment of guards and chevaliers to ensure all goes smoothly. The Elusive Iconoclast is, of course, nowhere to be found. Under your Bailiff's fussy eye, the manor is restored: noble, freeman and bondsman all in their proper place. And paying their proper damn taxes. The fledgling freehold is wiped away almost as soon as it began. It lives only in whispered stories told around humble fires - a brief, bright week when the world was turned upside down. Your nobles praise you, but in the Kindly Knight's manor they use your name like a curse. (if: $counsellor is "knight")[The Knight himself begs forgiveness for his error in judgement, and swears on his wife's soul that he hadn't intended to weaken your rule. Of the Iconoclast, he knows little; while he approved of her plans for the freehold, they never dealt directly with one another.] (if: $heartwood is not "true")[ [[A week passes|The Sealed Chantry]] You take a tour of the chateau. You see the Tilted, Heron, West and Foal's Towers, circling the Tower of Lights. Here your will is absolute... with one exception.]\ (else:)[<img src="images/baron.png" alt="Baron" height="65" width="50"> [[The following week brings news|The Martyr]] You sit on your High Seat, the sunlight playing around with its many-coloured hues. You have emptied the Great Hall; you have a special guest.] (You dealt with the Kindly Knight's Freehold <img src="images/fire.png" alt="Fire" height="26" width="20">. A new challenge awaits you.) (set: $freehold to "forbidden")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $prosperity to $prosperity + 10)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 10!) (set: $revolution to $revolution + 5)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/abbess.png" alt="Abbess">]''Intercession'' Her lips curl into a smile. She adjusts her mask. "Be at ease, your Grace. The Maker provided us with tools to overcome any labor. I will offer a chant to Andraste. She will not suffer this malevolence to endure." She summons her sisters. As they take their leave, they are deep in whispers. Within a few days, the portents abate. Serault feels ordinary again. Or as ordinary as things get, here at the edge of the world. [[The next day, a visitor arrives at court|A Sinister Discovery]] The whicker of horses from the stables. The stableboy's soft voice, soothing them. The sound of his brush on their flanks. (if: $twilight is < 30)[(set: $twilight to 0)(Your Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> has decreased to 0!)] (else:)[(set: $twilight to $twilight - 30)(Your Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 30!) ]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/divine.png" alt="Divine">](if: (random: -10,10) + $rulership is > 45 or $manorhunger is "true" or $plaguevillage is "true")[ ''She asks for more wine'' She seems sympathetic. "Dark times are these, which we live in. Where the children of the Maker hound each other over plains and woods, where brothers and cousins sharpen swords against their own family, where a righteous ruler cannot trust their neighbour." She looks at you and says, "I pray you took the right decision, $name de Serault, and that you had the light of the Maker in your heart." You concur. "More wine for Her Holiness," you gesture at a servant. ]\ (else:)[ ''Her gaze is sharp'' "I didn't come all this way to meddle into petty disputes, or border wars," she censures, "but wouldn't it have been more enlightened of you to have forgiven your neighbour? Isn't he a cousin of yours? Family, distant as it may be?" She looks around, gazing at the mummers and jesters you had hired to entertain her large entourage. "You disappoint me, (if: $gender is "female")[Marquise](else:)[Marquis]. For one seeking mercy, you weren't very merciful yourself." (set: $divinefavour to $divinefavour - 1)(Your Divine's Favour <img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 1...) (set: $dignity to $dignity - 10)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10...) ] [[After a moment, you clap your hands|The Next Course]] You try to dispel the tension by calling for the next stage of the feast.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/outlaw.png" alt="Outlaw">]''Your separate ways'' She gives a mocking bow. "Of course, your Grace. It's for the best - I think we'll make better enemies than we did friends." [[It's the changing of the seasons|Chapter 7: A Tangled Web]] <img src="images/wind.png" alt="Wind" height="26" width="20"> A star-wind, high and swift, pushes silver clouds to and fro beneath the moon. //You have one month until the Divine arrives.// (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $peril to $peril + 10)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 10...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/guildmistress.png" alt="Guildmistress">](if: (random: -10,10) + $rulership is > 35)[''The fundamentals'' You tell her that Serault is built on a foundation of glass. Should it crack, the realm falls. She returns to the guild quivering with importance, and sets about ensuring her authority. (set: $freedom to $freedom - 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) ]\ (else:)[''A glimpse of the sky'' She bows stiffly. Despite her high status and privilege she is still a glassworker, and as much a thrall as the guild's latest apprentice. She cannot leave the town, or marry without your permission. As your counsellor she flew free. Now she returns to her cage. (set: $freedom to $freedom - 10)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10...) ] You need fresh blood, a new perspective, an experienced hand. Whom among the most notorious members of your court shall you invite to become your new counsellor? <img src="images/abbessalt.png" alt="AbbessAlt" height="65" width="50"> [[Invite the Elegant Abbess to become your counsellor]] She brings with her the Chantry's wisdom. And, importantly, its authority. <img src="images/baron.png" alt="Baron" height="65" width="50"> [[Invite the Cheery Baron to become your counsellor]] He's a firm hand, and his soldiers will be useful - wily hunters and grim veterans every one. <img src="images/lordship.png" alt="Lordship" height="65" width="50"> [[Invite His Dour Lordship to become your counsellor]] His Lordship is careful of his dignity. Don't summon him idly. (The Smiling Guildmistress <img src="images/guildmistress.png" alt="Guildmistress" height="26" width="20"> is no longer your counsellor.) (set: $rulership to $rulership + 1)(Your Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/baron.png" alt="Baron">]''Dissatisfaction'' "You mark my words, (if: $gender is "female")[Lady $name](else:)[Lord $name]: without a firm hand, Serault will wallow in rebellion and indignity! You need me. I pray to Andraste you realise it before it's too late." [[Your sleep is troubled tonight|You Dream of the Shame]] A bloodthirsty (if: $wyvern is "true")[wyvern](else:)[bereskarn] rampages through the chateau's corridors. Serault Town, set aflame by an army of soldiers with candlelights bloodied on their foreheads. (if: $bardbreakup is "true")[A man cries, alone in his quarters, whispering your name.](else-if: $abbessbreakup is "true")[A woman cries, alone in her quarters, whispering your name.](else:)[An old woman cries, alone, a sunburst brooch held to her heart.] And then... (set: $dignity to $dignity - 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $freedom to $freedom + 10)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 10!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/forest2.png" alt="Forest2">]''Youthful high spirits?'' "They've absconded, my (if: $gender is "female")[lady](else:)[lord]. But first they robbed their neighbours and waylaid a peddler they met on the road. They crowned him with a stone, and whether they meant it or not, he's dead. We need your justice, my (if: $gender is "female")[lady](else:)[lord]." <img src="images/crystalball.png" alt="CrystalBall" height="52" width="40"> [[You take a deep breath|You take a deep breath]] The wind eddies in corners, making dancing columns of dust. It comes from nowhere, goes nowhere. A Fade-wind, the Dowager calls it. (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $freedom to $freedom - 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (Errant Siblings <img src="images/judge.png" alt="Judgement" height="26" width="20"> have caused trouble that requires your judgement.)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/abbess.png" alt="Abbess">]''The words unspoken'' The Abbess quite understands. Before you can finish she lays her cool fingers on yours. "Forget I asked." After a moment, she laughs, lightly. "Perhaps I should have appealed to the other lord of Serault, instead." Immediately, she is regretful. "I'm sorry. That was insensitive. I didn't mean to put you in this position. It must be difficult. Your ancestors ruled without question, but here you are, forced to share rulership with a lord of... of sticks and leaves." She sighs. "Such strange, sad times." [[Days pass; you take your place atop the High Seat|The Dashing Outlaw Strikes Again]] A Baker's Breeze, early in the morning. Upon it, the scent of bread rising in ovens. (if: $debt is "true")[(set: $debt to "false")(You are no longer in the Horned Knight's debt. A new chapter opens <img src="images/halla.png" alt="Halla" height="26" width="20"> in the story of the Lord of the Forest.)]\ (else:)[(A new chapter opens <img src="images/halla.png" alt="Halla" height="26" width="20"> in the story of the Lord of the Forest.)] (set: $unwelcome to "false")(Your presence will be tolerated in the woods <img src="images/forest4.png" alt="Forest4" height="26" width="20"> once more.) (set: $abbessroad to "stopped")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) (set: $dignity to $dignity - 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) \ (set: $knightfury to $knightfury - 1)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/chest.png" alt="Chest">](if: $dignity is > $twilight)[''The law's long arm'' Three days later, your guard apprehend the thieves in a ramshackle riverbank tavern. The culprits were squabbling over getting their haul out of Serault, and forgot to keep their voices low. Their trial is swift, your justice firm. That should dissuade other criminals from similar foolishness. (set: $thievesgang to "true")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)]\ (else:)[''A step too far'' Your commander beams, flinging back the lid of the chest. Gold, glass and silver gleam inside. Some of it is yours; some of it isn't. Their pursuit of the thieves was not subtle. You've already received complaints about their methods. (set: $freedom to $freedom - 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $thievesgang to "bad")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)] (if: $morrigan is "welcomed")[ [[Four days later you chance upon the Scornful Sorceress|Morrigan Strikes Again]] She is, as usual, alone with her thoughts.]\ (else:)[ [[An uneventful week comes and goes|Chapter 4: Omens]] <img src="images/wind.png" alt="Wind" height="26" width="20"> A bitter wind blows from the North. You must be imagining the tang of Blights. //You have four months until the Divine arrives.//] (set: $prosperity to $prosperity + 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/hawke.png" alt="Hawke">]''A favour'' (if: $hawkehost is "abbess")[He bows, deeply. "I'm just passing through, (if: $gender is "female")[Lady $name](else:)[Lord $name]. I assure you I've no intention of involving you in my problems. I just want something to eat, a night's sleep, and no trouble. I'm even prepared - through gritted teeth - to answer questions about my sibling."]\ (else-if: $hawkehost is "dowager")[He bows, deeply. "I'm just passing through, (if: $gender is "female")[Lady $name](else:)[Lord $name]. I assure you I've no intention of involving you in the troubles of Circle and Chantry. I just want something to eat, a night's sleep, and no trouble. I'm even prepared - through gritted teeth - to answer questions about my sibling."]\ (else:)[He bows, deeply. "I'm just passing through, (if: $gender is "female")[Lady $name](else:)[Lord $name]. I assure you I've no intention of involving you in the troubles of Circle and Chantry. I just want something to eat, a night's sleep, and no trouble. I'm even prepared - through gritted teeth - to answer questions about my sibling."] [[Will you make him welcome...|An Unofficial Meeting]] ... or turn him away?

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/riverside.png" alt="Riverside">](if: (random: -10,10) + $cunning is > 35 or $guildcharter is "true")[''Hunger speaks louder than principles'' First, you blockade the river. Next, you send men into the town to buy food and wine. As night falls, you hold a feast in the square before the bridge. All citizens are invited. Musicians play, wine flows, and the smell of roasting meat drifts over the river. The glassworkers, hungry after a long day's insubordination, feel their resolve wither. Any who leave the bridge are welcomed and fed in full view of the bridge gates. Soon there are too few dissidents left on the bridge to hold it, and your men march on and secure it. The identity of the rebels' leader remains a mystery. One worth of investigation. (set: $revolution to $revolution - 5)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) ]\ (else:)[''Besieged'' You extent amnesty to any dissident that leaves the bridge and hold a feast in the adjacent square to help tempt them out. They stand firm. Not one glassworker leaves. Their occupation lasts a full week, by which time it becomes clear that they had stored provisions on the bridge in advance. This was no spontaneous uprising. It was planned. In the end you have no choice but to send your soldiers in. The glassworkers break and the bridge is retaken, but there is no sign of the mastermind behind the affair. Further investigation is called for. (set: $dignity to $dignity - 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) ] <img src="images/crystalball.png" alt="CrystalBall" height="52" width="40"> [[You endeavour to control your anger|Case: The Uprising]] You didn't see this coming. Not like this.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/storm.png" alt="Storm">](if: (random: -10,10) + $rulership is > 35)[''The aftermath'' The days that follow the storm are bright and brittle, as if the rains had scrubbed Serault raw. You lower taxation and ease the labour owed on your estates and forests. Able to focus on their own holdings, the serfs salvage crops, mend their houses, and reunite scattered herds.]\ (else:)[''Getting your own house in order'' Released from their duties and tithes, the serfs and peasants focus on restoring their holdings. Your generosity is praised in the muggy days after the storm, but the sad state of Serault's roads make her a lonely province, cut off from wider Orlais. (set: $prosperity to $prosperity - 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) ] [[You barely notice the next days pass by|The Sorceress' Departure]] A horn sounds. Boots tramp. The changing of the wall-guard. (set: $rulership to $rulership + 1)(Your Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $revolution to $revolution - 5)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) (set: $freedom to $freedom + 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $storm to "people")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/outlaw.png" alt="Outlaw">](if: (random: -10,10) + $cunning is > 45)[''Privacy'' “It's probably for the best,” comes her reply. “It was uncomfortable, having to read detailed reports of all your secrets. I was particularly surprised to learn of your birthmark. And in such a hard-to-reach location, too.”]\ (else:)[''Plans and schemes'' She sends a message back. “Of course, I'll withdraw them, (if: $gender is "female")[Lady $name](else:)[Lord $name]. I've just thought of a //much// better use for them.” That bodes well. (set: $peril to $peril + 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) ] [[It's the changing of the seasons|Chapter 7: A Tangled Web]] <img src="images/wind.png" alt="Wind" height="26" width="20"> A star-wind, high and swift, pushes silver clouds to and fro beneath the moon. //You have one month until the Divine arrives.// (set: $revolution to $revolution + 5)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) (set: $dignity to $dignity + 10)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 10!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/bereskarn.png" alt="Bereskarn">]''A mountain of muscle and fury'' The Fifth Blight ended years ago, without ever going much further from the borders of Ferelden. How could a blighted bear appear in your lands? The Veil is thin in Serault, but still, that's the most terrible luck. [[The following day comes|That Which is Not to be Spoken of]] You head to the town chantry. Alas, the one in Chateau Serault has been sealed for decades. Ever since the Shame. (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/councillor.png" alt="Councillor">]''That Which is Not to be Spoken of'' You emerge from the solemn cool of the town’s chantry into a morning as hot and heavy as a baker’s oven. A one-armed beggar stands on a haycart in the square, preaching to the poor who had gathered to beg for alms. "The Maker made us all alike!" he cries. "But the highborn build castles so they can stand above us! Pride is the worst of sins. It turned the Golden City black." He points at you. "We have all suffered under Serault’s Shame - brought about by the ancestor of our own (if: $gender is "female")[Marquise](else:)[Marquis]! But the Iconoclast has come! She will free us from our bonds, and we will make the world anew!" [[Perhaps he would be less inclined to lecture without a tongue]] One does not speak of the Shame in public. <img src="images/rulershipmini.png" alt="RulershipMini"> [[Engage him in debate]] He has passion, but not subtlety. (if: $behemoth is "true")[//As you had offered the 'Behemoth' book to the revolutionaries, many in the crowd are willing to believe in your good intentions.//]\ (else:)[~~//Many in the crowd are willing to believe in your good intentions.//~~]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/bard.png" alt="Bard">]''Hidden passions'' You keep your liaisons secret, of course. Candlelit meetings. Fingers tangling briefly in the corridors. The doors to your chambers creaking softly open when the guards change their watch. Stifled giggles as a servant passes. His smile, silver in the moonlight, and the secrets he whispers before the morning. "We should do that again, sometime." (if: $nolove is not "true")[ <img src="images/abbessalt.png" alt="AbbessAlt" height="65" width="50"> [[The Abbess arrives at Chateau Serault a couple of days later|The Abbess' Anger]] She goes straight to your quarters.]\ (else:)[ [[You rise early to the sound of rain|Move on]] You don your cloak, and venture outside.] (set: $bardlover to "true")(The Bard <img src="images/bardalt.png" alt="BardAlt" height="26" width="20"> winks at you, fondly.) \ (set: $abbesslover to "false")\ (set: $nolove to "false")

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/abbess.png" alt="Abbess">]''The Abbess' Anger'' The Abbess can handle anything with poise, except - you discover - being (if: (history:) contains "Bard Cucks Abbess")[replaced](else:)[discarded]. Servants pause outside your chambers, shocked at the sound of her raised voice. When she flings her glass against the wall, they scurry away. She storms from the chateau, and the staff pretend not to notice the tears that her mask is too slim to conceal. [[She rides immediately for her abbey|The Abbess' Anger 3]] She does not look back. (set: $abbesslover to "false")(The Abbess <img src="images/abbessalt.png" alt="AbbessAlt" height="26" width="20"> is no longer your lover.)\ (if: $bardlover is not "true")[(set: $nolove to "true")]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/abbess.png" alt="Abbess">]''Behind the smiles'' The next time you see her, it is as if your relationship never happened. She smiles, she is courteous, she is kind. But you feel the coldness behind her manner, sharp as the morning when fall first turns towards winter. [[Enough drama for the day|Move on]] You are the (if: $gender is "female")[Marquise](else:)[Marquis], after all. Back to the High Seat; you got work to do.\ (set: $abbessbreakup to "true")

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/abbess.png" alt="Abbess">]''The Abbess' Road'' The Elegant Abbess greets you with a warm smile. She smooths a wrinkle from her robe. Her most recent project is a road through the wood, linking Serault - via her abbey - to the fertile valleys of Claose. "Claose is golden with barley," she tells you. "The road would benefit all of Serault. But since this Horned Knight made his appearance, we have made no progress. Each morning we find the foundations we laid the day before have been uprooted. Tools and materials vanish into thin air. My workers are beset by unlikely accidents." "I implore you, (if: $gender is "female")[Marquise](else:)[Marquis]: intervene." <img src="images/rulershipmini.png" alt="RulershipMini"> [[Grant her additional soldiers and labourers]] This is a war. Let us wage it as one. (if: $morrigan is "departed")[//The Scornful Sorceress had greatly weakened the woods' strength before she left for the imperial capital.//]\ (else-if: $savedbandits is "true")[//Saving those criminals from being devoured by the whispering woods has deprived the Horned Knight of precious resources...//]\ (else:)[~~//The Horned Knight has been deprived of precious resources...//~~] (if: $debt is "true")[ [[Tell the Abbess she will have to find another route for her road]] You are already in the Horned Knight's debt. He will never agree to the road willingly.]\ (else:)[ [[Tell the Abbess she will have to find another route for her road]] You do not wish to anger the Horned Knight, nor put yourself in his debt. (if: $knightfury is < 3)[ [[Ask the Horned Knight's permission to build the road]] No doubt he will expect a favour in return.]\ (else:)[~~Ask the Horned Knight's permission to build the road No doubt he will expect a favour in return.~~]]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/dowager.png" alt="Dowager">]\ ''The Acerbic Dowager'' "Peons," she remarks, "are experts largely in the matters of mud. I will seek their counsel when I require assistance with mud. Or " - and something ignites in her eyes - "in the matter of arson and murder." The Dowager's husband was a vassal of Serault... until he permitted his peasants too many liberties. Her home is a ruined haunt of outlaws now. Your mother gave her sanctuary in the Chateau. <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity"> [[Flatter her with gifts]] She has a soft spot for animals. A swift merlin or soft-furred marten might improve her disposition. <img src="images/scholarshipmini.png" alt="ScholarshipMini"> [[Listen to her tales of long-dead Emperors]] Three cups of Serault cider loosens her tongue. She was quite the scholar before she married, collecting letters, journals, and edicts written by Orlais' emperors and empresses.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/purveyor.png" alt="Purveyor">]''The Antidote'' You turn the highest chamber in the Heron Tower over to the Purveyor of Teas and his equipment. The corridor outside fogs with acrid fumes. All night he labours, emerging in the morning with a single spoonful of paste, white as a bone. (if: $wyvern is "true")[Of the other hunting party, you hear grim news. Many of the men fell before the mighty bereskarn; the Baron and His Lordship only barely escaped with their lives. The beast was driven deeper into the Tirashan. It's small consolation, but it won't trouble your lands anytime soon.] [[Administer the antidote to the Dowager]] She has little time left. (set: $bereskarnrumour to "solved")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) (if: $timeleft is > 5)[(set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) ]\ (else:)[(set: $health to $health - 5)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...)]\ (set: $alone to "false")

<img src="images/applewoods.png" alt="ApplewoodsBig"> ''The Applewoods'' You have long visited these woods; to hunt, to study, or to pretend that you were doing either. Never have they felt so intimidating before. Your small host divides into two groups; one headed towards the areas hit by the marauding bereskarn, the other going after the wyvern-infested hills near the Tirashan. [[Delve deeper into the woods|A Hunter's Trail]] You have heard of an old trail nearby that leads into the Deepwoods...

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/bard.png" alt="Bard">]''The Bard wants a Quiet Word'' The Wayward Bard lingers at the back of the court, gossiping with your courtiers and making snide jokes about plaintiff and defendant alike. Once the day's business is done, though, he appears at your side. "A moment of your time, (if: $gender is "female")[Lady $name](else:)[Lord $name]." He tugs conspiratorially at his moustache. Which matter deserves your attention? [["I just wanted to say..."]] "...what a //remarkable// group of people your courtiers are. Genuinely fascinating! Why, I spoke yesterday to a scholar who is an expert in ducks! Imagine! And the young lord Gouillard can tell you the tailor of every gown the Empress has worn for the last two years." [["Heard of a mercenary company called the Black Dogs?"]] "Well, you're about to. They're heading to Serault." [[No sooner has he started speaking than a watchman bursts in]] "Your Grace!" the watchman cries. "There are fires at the docks!"

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/abbess.png" alt="Abbess">]''The union of chantry and state'' You share a goblet of wine atop the Foal's Tower. Serault is spread beneath you - the sharp-roofed town at your feet, the patchwork fields beyond, in the distance the long shadow of the forest. Your conversation turns from business to more personal matters, then falters. More goes unsaid than said. You don't remember what impulse moved you forward, but she came eagerly into your arms. Her lips found yours. The night was warm, the stars bright, and the chantry's bell was ringing. (if: $nolove is not "true")[ <img src="images/bardalt.png" alt="BardAlt" height="65" width="50"> [[You run into the Bard the next morning|The Bard's Rejection]] Word travels fast in Chateau Serault. Better you tell him directly; as the (if: $gender is "female")[Marquise](else:)[Marquis], he knows you can do as you please.]\ (else:)[ [[You rise early, the Abbess still sleeping at your side|Move on]] You don your cloak, and venture outside.] (set: $abbesslover to "true")(The Abbess <img src="images/abbessalt.png" alt="AbbessAlt" height="26" width="20"> is never far from your thoughts.) \ (set: $bardlover to "false")\ (set: $nolove to "false")

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/bard.png" alt="Bard">]''The Bard's Rejection'' When he hears (if: (history:) contains "Abbess Cucks Bard")[of your new lover](else:)[you no longer desire him], the Bard gasps, theatrically. "Damn you, $name de Serault. I had thought my scoundrel's heart would never love again, until you - undeniable, impossible you! - found your way in. And now? Forsaken!" He shakes a fist at the ceiling. "Hear me, you Old Gods! Henceforth, I forswear all love and affection! Perhaps I'll join the Grey Wardens. Oo! Or I could become your nemesis. I look glorious in black." [[He winks at you and takes his leave|The Bard's Rejection 3]] "Exit, stage left, to the sound of thunder!" (set: $bardlover to "false")(You have parted from the Bard <img src="images/bardalt.png" alt="BardAlt" height="26" width="20">.)\ (if: $abbesslover is not "true")[(set: $nolove to "true")]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/bard.png" alt="Bard">]''Behind the smiles'' He pauses in the door. Should you ever need my 'services' again, your Grace," his eyebrows wiggle like a pair of lewd caterpillars, "you need only ask." The next time you see him he's at the heart of a group of young courtiers. He's laughing, a glass in each hand. There are more glasses on the table beside him, a cluster of them, each one drained. [[Enough drama for the day|Move on]] You are the (if: $gender is "female")[Marquise](else:)[Marquis], after all. Back to the High Seat; you got work to do.\ (set: $bardbreakup to "true")

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/baron.png" alt="Baron">]''The Baron Waits Impatiently'' He isn't good at waiting. He folds his arms over his ample belly, huffing until it's his turn to speak. Then he stamps forward and addresses you in a voice that silences the hall. His mask is a smiling porcelain youth. They say it was cast from his own face in his prime. Which of his concerns will you address? [["My lands are plagued by rumours of apostasy"]] "Bandits and beasts I can deal with, but sorcery?" he grimaces. "I thought given your family history-" here he winks, heavily, "-you'd be better informed to deal with it." Subtle. [["On my way here I overheard these curs impugn your honour"]] He shoves three peasants to their knees before you. "Go on! Tell your joke again. Lets see if the (if: $gender is "female")[Marquise](else:)[Marquis] finds it funny." The peasants quail. [["Am I to be summoned at the griping of a handful of lazy peasants?"]] He's irate, but you've heard troubling reports of the conditions on one of his vassal's estates. (if: $outlawcouncils is not "true")[ [["The bandit-chiefs have called a council"|"The bandit-chiefs have called a council" 2]] "If the bickering devils forget they hate each other, Serault's roads will run red."]\ (else:)[~~"The bandit-chiefs have called a council" "If the bickering devils forget they hate each other, Serault's roads will run red."~~]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/hornedhelm.png" alt="HornedKnight">]''The Boon'' "$name de Serault, you have graced us. We each rule half a land. But perhaps, through our friendship and understanding, Serault can be made whole again. To that end, I ask a boon." "You have sheltered under our roof. You have enjoyed our hospitality. You have dined at our table. Will you return the honour? Will you invite me to feast with you at Chateau Serault?" All eyes turn to you, awaiting your response. //Will you invite the Horned Knight to the Feast of the Divine?// [[Agree]] It is only courteous. (if: $debt is "true")[ [[Decline firmly]] Even though you are in his debt.]\ (else:)[ [[Decline politely]] The Horned Knight's ways are not your ways. It would be dangerous.]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/chantrydoor.png" alt="ChantryDoor">]''The Chantry, Unsealed'' A Templar enters the hall; a grey-whiskered veteran whose limp does not slow him. Where has he been? He bows before the Divine, low enough to expose his bald plate. "Most Holy, I have investigated the seals on Serault's Chantry. They have been tampered with. The Chantry has been opened!" The Divine is furious. [[Admit it]] You tire of this. //This will ruin your chance to restore Serault's honour, but at least it'll be something people will remember...// <img src="images/cunningmini.png" alt="CunningMini"> [[Protest your innocence]] What would be the most believable? Thieves? A rival's trick intended to discredit you? The truth, prettily dressed? (if: $mockinglady is "true")[//You have picked up a thing or two about misleading your opponents from the lady of Ezoire that came seeking refuge at your court.//]\ (else:)[~~//You have picked up a thing or two about misleading your opponents.//~~] <img src="images/scholarshipmini.png" alt="ScholarshipMini"> [[Repent]] Throw yourself on the Divine's mercy. Invoke a scriptural case for forgiveness. (if: $templarcarver is "welcomed")[//Just a few months ago you hosted a Templar under your hearth. You remember a certain canticle you had discussed...//]\ (else:)[~~//Just a few months ago you hosted a Templar under your hearth.//~~] (if: $anchoress is "arrested")[ [[Hand over the imprisoned Anchoress]] You explain you had to enter the Chantry in pursuit of a dangerous apostate. No less than the Shame's own daughter...]\ (else:)[~~Hand over the prisoner You explain why you had to enter the Chantry...~~]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/baron.png" alt="Baron">]\ ''The Cheery Baron'' This ferocious old monster fought by your mother's side against outlaw-clans and the elves of the Applewoods. They were close. There were rumours. <img src="images/woodswisemini.png" alt="WoodsWiseMini"> [[Go hunting with the Baron]] People mistake his cheer for ignorance. They're wrong: nothing happens in his fief without him knowing, and he has a keen nose for intrigue. [[Attend one of his feasts]] He doesn't respect anyone who doesn't have appetites the rival of his own.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/forest1.png" alt="Forest1">]''The Clearing'' (if: $wyvern is "true")[The smell is unbearable. The clearing itself is empty except for what seems to be a cave of some sort. You have never seen a wyvern before; at least, not outside of books on family sigils. The scout who had sounded the horn is there, hands shaking in spite of his efforts to hide it from you. "I saw it, your Grace! The drakeling had just left that cave, probably went out for a meal!"]\ (else:)[The smell is unbearable. You have never seen a bereskarn up close before; at least, not outside of books on the Fourth Blight. The clearing itself is empty except for what seems to be a cave of some sort. The scout who had sounded the horn is there, hands shaking in spite of his efforts to hide it from you. "I saw it, your Grace! The monster had just left that cave, probably went out for a meal!"] [[Go towards a nearby stream]] If you aren't fast enough, you will lose its trail. It could have stopped to drink on the stream. (if: $bereskarn is "true")[ [[Go towards the hilly side of the woods|Ambushed]] Plenty of caves, plenty of potential meals. The bereskarn might have gone there.]\ (else:)[~~Go towards the hilly side of the woods Plenty of caves, plenty of potential meals.~~]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/courtier.png" alt="Courtier">]\ ''The heir to Serault'' As heir to the Marquisate, what was your upbringing like? //There are five Skills: Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20">, Scholarship <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20">, Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20">, Woods-wise <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="26" width="20">, and Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20">. They are frequently used to pass Skill Checks throughout the game, with the hidden help or hindrance of a 20-sided die. You can see your Skills below your character portrait.// <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="65" width="50"> [[You are the Envoy]] Taught the Great Game since the cradle. You care not for the wilds, but for the responsibility of guiding your lessers. Power suits you. <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="65" width="50"> [[You are the Scholar]] You divide your time between the Great Hall and the library’s hush. This is your chance to free Serault from the shackles of tradition. Seize it. (if: $gender is "female")[ <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="65" width="50"> [[You are the Huntress]] Raised to rule. Trained in bow, sword and steed. Fearless.](else:)[ <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="65" width="50"> [[You are the Hunter|You are the Huntress]] Raised to rule. Trained in bow, sword and steed. Fearless.] <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="65" width="50"> [[You are the Alchemist]] Master of nature and matter. Used to both fighting and reading. You've learned that death may come in many forms. <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="65" width="50"> [[You are the Initiate]] Expert in both lore and intrigue. Shrewd. You learned a good deal from the many brothers and sisters who raised you. (set: $char to "courtier")

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/outlaw.png" alt="Outlaw">]\ ''The Dashing Outlaw'' Her laugh rings through the woodlands. She's a hero to the peasantry, despite taking rather more from the rich than she gives to the poor. The Outlaw is elusive, but a message delivered into the right hands will find its way to her... <img src="images/woodswisemini.png" alt="WoodsWiseMini"> [[Unravel her artifice]] How does she vanish into thin air? How can she be in two places at once? How can she rob, waylay and murder, and still be beloved? [[Turn a blind eye to her crimes]] Serault has many dangers. At least you can talk to this one.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/outlaw.png" alt="Outlaw">](if: $prosperity is > $peril)[''The dark side of Serault'' She sends back a detailed account of recent skullduggery. You know who's been lurking in the Applewoods, which villages are lying to you about how much tax they owe, and which nobles are dallying with peasants in quiet glades. (set: $peril to $peril - 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) (set: $revolution to $revolution - 5)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) ]\ (else:)[''Frustration'' "I can't work like this!" she complains. "There are patrols in the woods. Fires in the watchposts! My men can hardly breathe." She tells you what little she's learned.] [[Ask her to train you]] She knows the woods well, and has an enviable talent for trickery. [[Ask the Dashing Outlaw to lay low for a while]] You've become - if not friends - something that could be mistaken for them at a distance. (set: $peril to $peril - 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) (set: $dignity to $dignity - 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/outlawreturns.png" alt="OutlawReturns">]''The Dashing Outlaw Strikes Again'' A trio of Val Royeaux merchants wearing newly-bought, poorly-fitting clothing address your court. They say they were waylaid by the Dashing Outlaw and her band. The Outlaw not only took their merchandise, their purses, and their fine clothes of silk, but also their dignity: she held a mock hunt, chasing them naked through the woods. They demand recompense for their loss, or they will advise the other members of their guild to avoid Serault. [[Cover their losses with your own silver]] And swear to investigate. <img src="images/rulershipmini.png" alt="RulershipMini"> [[Send them away empty-handed]] But promise to investigate the crime. <img src="images/door.png" alt="Door"> [[Dismiss their story, but protect the roads|Cave Skipped]] She might be greedy, even wild, but the Outlaw has never failed you before. See to the roads, and dismiss these peddlers. //Turn your focus elsewhere.//

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/outlaw.png" alt="Outlaw">]''The Dashing Outlaw's Departure'' "So," the Dashing Outlaw says, when you meet on the Green Bridge. "Now I've done your dirty work you want to wash your hands of me." [[Tell her to get out of your sight]] And to keep your past arrangement a secret. <img src="images/cunningmini.png" alt="CunningMini"> [[Soothe her ruffled pride]] Who knows? You might have a use for her in the future. (set: $accomplice to "fired")(The Dashing Outlaw <img src="images/outlaw.png" alt="Outlaw" height="26" width="20"> is no longer your accomplice.)\ (if: $bodyguard is "outlaw")[(set: $bodyguard to "fired")]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/riverside2.png" alt="Riverside2">]''The Dispossessed'' Outside the Chateau Serault a growing mob raise candles against the night and demand the Iconoclast's release. When the nights are warm, their disposition turns from surly to hostile. Tonight, it is very warm. <img src="images/derringdomini.png" alt="DerringDoMini"> [[Lead a sortie]] A quick charge, some bumped heads. Truncheons, not blades. (if: $tourneywin is "true")[//You had plenty of practice charging at chevaliers and knights errant in the Grand Tourney. This should be easy.//]\ (else:)[~~//You had plenty of practice charging at chevaliers and knights errant.//~~] <img src="images/rulershipmini.png" alt="RulershipMini"> [[Convince them to disperse for the night]] Words, not swords. (if: $freehold is "allowed")[//You hold the writ of the Kindly Knight's Freehold on your hands; surely they realise you are on their side?//]\ (else:)[~~//You hold the writ of the Freehold on your hands.//~~]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/ring1.png" alt="MarquisRing">]''Beginnings'' "...Serault’s Shame will be stricken from the record. Her honour is restored. In truth, I doubt it could ever truly be taken from her." That night you sleep a just, deep sleep, untroubled by dreams. You are woken by doves cooing at your window. The sun is rising. The sky is the colour of rose-gold. (if: $abbesslover is "true")[The Elegant Abbess looks beautiful, still asleep on your bed.](if: $bardlover is "true")[The Wayward Bard looks handsome, still asleep on your bed.] It takes the Divine’s party most of the day to leave for the peace talks. Bleary Templars drill in the courtyard to clear their wine-fogged heads. Advisors haggle and intrigue, jockeying for a position at the head of the procession. Servants cram belongings into bags, pile the bags onto mules, and coax the mules - solemn and whickering - into the column. (if: $lordship is not "banished" and is not "arrested")[His Dour Lordship is also preparing to leave, nodding slightly as he passes by you. "Well played," is all he says.] It is afternoon before the cavalcade passes through the town gate. You stand atop the Tower of Lights and watch them pour, slow as treacle, along the eastern road. The Divine will carry word of Serault’s absolution to all of Orlais. A westerly wind stirs. A new wind, bearing an early hint of summer: soft honeysuckle, dry grass, boastful thunder. (if: $bardlover is "true")[The Bard calls from below. "My love.](else-if: $abbesslover is "true")[The Abbess calls from below. "My love.](else:)[Your Bailiff calls from below. "Your Grace?] You are needed in the Great Hall. An emissary from Claose has been murdered on the road. He carried a silver box, sealed with lead. It had been forced open. Inside were the remains of a letter. Burnt." //Thanks to your efforts, Serault is free of her Shame! You have won!// [[Duty calls|Final Game Over]] <img src="images/wind.png" alt="Wind" height="26" width="20"> You turn to the stairs. Serault awaits you. //The game ends.// (if: $divinecommission is "true")[(Congratulations! <img src="images/exclamation.png" alt="Exclamation" height="26" width="20"> You have achieved a most satisfactory ending.)]\ (set: $seraulthonour to "true")\ (set: $trueending to "true")\ (if: $rulership is > 100)[(set: $rulership to 100)]\ (if: $scholarship is > 100)[(set: $scholarship to 100)]\ (if: $derringdo is > 100)[(set: $derringdo to 100)]\ (if: $woodswise is > 100)[(set: $woodswise to 100)]\ (if: $cunning is > 100)[(set: $cunning to 100)]\ (if: $dignity is > 100)[(set: $dignity to 100)]\ (if: $dignity is < 0)[(set: $dignity to 0)]\ (if: $prosperity is > 100)[(set: $prosperity to 100)]\ (if: $prosperity is < 0)[(set: $prosperity to 0)]\ (if: $freedom is > 100)[(set: $freedom to 100)]\ (if: $freedom is < 0)[(set: $freedom to 0)]\ (if: $twilight is > 100)[(set: $twilight to 100)]\ (if: $twilight is < 0)[(set: $twilight to 0)]\ (if: $peril is > 100)[(set: $peril to 100)]\ (if: $peril is < 0)[(set: $peril to 0)]\ (if: $revolution is > 100)[(set: $revolution to 100)]\ (if: $revolution is < 0)[(set: $revolution to 0)]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/writ.png" alt="Writ">]''The Divine's Letter'' It's the First Day of the new year, the forty-first of the current Age. Late in the evening a letter arrives bearing the Divine's seal. Her messenger does not wait for a reply; he mounts his horse and rides away, kicking off dust into the air. You quickly open the letter right there in the courtyard, eyes darting through her words. One thing you can quickly fathom: Her Holiness is not happy. <img src="images/coinsmini.png" alt="Prosperity"> [[You read through the letter|Lack of Prosperity]] What is so important, to bring it all the way from Val Royeaux?

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/dowager.png" alt="Dowager">]''The Dowager Steps Forward'' The Acerbic Dowager waits to address your court. She wears a wide-eyed owl-mask, its feathers wrought from bright silver. She does not fidget. She does not yawn. Though she is no longer young, her back is as straight as ever, and her voice as sharp. (if: $thieves is not "true")[ [["Thieves!"]] "They've taken jewellery from my armoire! They were in my chambers!" You'd better investigate.]\ (else:)[~~"Thieves!" "They've taken jewellery from my armoire! They were in my chambers!"~~] (if: $boastfulherald is not "true")[ [["Allow me to introduce an emissary from a dear friend..."]] The herald bows until his voluminous sleeves brush the mosaic floor.]\ (else:)[~~"Allow me to introduce an emissary from a dear friend..." The herald bows until his voluminous sleeves brush the mosaic floor.~~] (if: $inheritance is not "true")[ [[She is grey with grief, and wears a mourning-mask]] "An old friend has passed away. I have been asked to oversee the execution of their will, but I find the matter impossibly distressing. I hope you will discharge the duty on my behalf."]\ (else:)[~~She is grey with grief, and wears a mourning-mask "An old friend has passed away."~~] (if: $latestfad is not "true")[ [["I have been asked to broach a matter with you..."]] "Some of the young gentlemen and ladies of the court hope that you will hold a ball. Apparently a new dance is all the rage in Val Royeaux: the //poisson//, or something."]\ (else:)[~~"I have been asked to broach a matter with you..." Apparently a new dance is all the rage in Val Royeaux.~~]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/dowager.png" alt="Dowager">]''The Dowager's Decline'' Her breath scrapes from her throat. Her skin is stippled with tiny red dots. When she coughs, you notice dark blood on her handkerchief. "Don't fuss!" she rasps at anyone who tries to help. Her illness is unheard-of; despite constantly complaining about her frailty, the Dowager hasn't had anything worse than a cold in years. <img src="images/purveyor.png" alt="Purveyor" height="65" width="50"> [[Send for the Purveyor of Teas|Send for the Purveyor of Teas 2]] His fee is steep, but he is an expert in matters of sudden, inexplicable illness... (if: (random: -10,10) + $scholarship is > 45 or $wanderingscholar is "true")[ <img src="images/pigfarmer.png" alt="PigFarmer" height="65" width="50"> [[Deduce the cause yourself]] With the aid of the Well-Read Pig-Farmer's library, you may be able to discover the cause. (if: $wanderingscholar is "true")[//You have had long conversations with the Visiting Scholar. Enough to learn a thing or two about the weapons of the Great Game.//]\ (else:)[~~//You have had long conversations with the Visiting Scholar.//~~]]\ (else:)[~~Deduce the cause yourself You may be able to discover the cause.~~] (The Dowager <img src="images/dowager.png" alt="Dowager" height="26" width="20"> is gravelly ill.) (set: $dowagercure to "pending")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) \ (set: $tangledweb to "true")

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/dowager.png" alt="Dowager">]''The Dowager's Departure'' When she hears of her replacement, the Dowager primly adjusts her mask. Her lips are thin and pale. Her offence is clear. "No doubt you have found someone who shares your follies," she says. "Excuse me, your Grace. I must visit the chantry to pray for Serault." She stalks from your hall towards the town chantry; the one in Chateau Serault has long been locked tight... You need fresh blood, a new perspective, an experienced hand. Whom among the most notorious members of your court shall you invite to become your new counsellor? <img src="images/abbessalt.png" alt="AbbessAlt" height="65" width="50"> [[Invite the Elegant Abbess to become your counsellor]] She brings with her the Chantry's wisdom. And, importantly, its authority. <img src="images/baron.png" alt="Baron" height="65" width="50"> [[Invite the Cheery Baron to become your counsellor]] He's a firm hand, and his soldiers will be useful - wily hunters and grim veterans every one. <img src="images/lordship.png" alt="Lordship" height="65" width="50"> [[Invite His Dour Lordship to become your counsellor]] His Lordship is careful of his dignity. Don't summon him idly. (The Acerbic Dowager <img src="images/dowager.png" alt="Dowager" height="26" width="20"> is no longer your counsellor.) (set: $dignity to $dignity - 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/dowager.png" alt="Dowager">]''The Dowager's Fury'' The Acerbic Dowager's face is moon-white. Her hands shake. Her hair - normally tight as a steel cap - is unruly. Something brown and malodorous clogs one side of it. She points at the peasant boy and girl in her servants' meaty hands. "These //chattels// accosted me as I returned from my prayers! They threw filth at my carriage! Some of it came through the window... and..." her voice breaks, her eyes shining with tears. "I bring them to you for judgement," she hisses through grinding teeth. "If I do it it myself I will forget they are little more than children!" The serfs are terrified, both at the Dowager's ire and the splendour of your hall. They are not yet twenty years. Their hands are damningly stained. [[What do the peasants have to say for themselves?]] The boy is dumbstruck. The girl, though, can barely contain herself. [[What would the Dowager advise?]] She has composed herself, somewhat.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/abbess.png" alt="Abbess">]\ ''The Elegant Abbess'' A comely Chanter always walks at her left hand, and a watchful shield-maiden in a green hauberk at her right. But no-one looks at them. Everyone looks at the Abbess. She rules the secluded Abbey of the Bans, where unorthodox Serault traditions coalesce with Andrastian worship. The Grand Cathedral would not approve, but it is very far away. <img src="images/cunningmini.png" alt="CunningMini"> [[Ask the Abbess about events in Serault]] Sin and salvation: the great secrets. [[Grant land to the Abbey]] The Abbey of the Bans, with it’s white walls and rose-gardens, is always first in her heart.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/emissary.png" alt="Emissary">]\ ''The heir to Serault'' As heir to the Marquisate, what was your upbringing like? //There are five Skills: Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20">, Scholarship <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20">, Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20">, Woods-wise <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="26" width="20">, and Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20">. They are frequently used to pass Skill Checks throughout the game, with the hidden help or hindrance of a 20-sided die. You can see your Skills below your character portrait.// <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="65" width="50"> [[You are the Envoy]] Taught the Great Game since the cradle. You care not for the wilds, but for the responsibility of guiding your lessers. Power suits you. <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="65" width="50"> [[You are the Scholar]] You divide your time between the Great Hall and the library’s hush. This is your chance to free Serault from the shackles of tradition. Seize it. (if: $gender is "female")[ <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="65" width="50"> [[You are the Huntress]] Raised to rule. Trained in bow, sword and steed. Fearless.](else:)[ <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="65" width="50"> [[You are the Hunter|You are the Huntress]] Raised to rule. Trained in bow, sword and steed. Fearless.] <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="65" width="50"> [[You are the Alchemist]] Master of nature and matter. Used to both fighting and reading. You've learned that death may come in many forms. <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="65" width="50"> [[You are the Initiate]] Expert in both lore and intrigue. Shrewd. You learned a good deal from the many brothers and sisters who raised you. (set: $char to "emissary")

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/divine.png" alt="Divine">]''The Feast is Ending'' The hour is late. The guests are weary. Children doze in their chairs. The minstrels pluck half-heartedly at their lyres. Somber Templars murmur in hushed tones, casting judging glances at you. (if: $dignity is > $twilight)[Your vassals raise one final toast to your hospitality, showing their unwavering loyalty to their (if: $gender is "female")[Marquise](else:)[Marquis].](if: $freedom is > $revolution)[ A courtier says that hundreds of the common folk of Serault Town are assembled at the market square, praying together for your success.](if: $prosperity is > $peril)[ These last few nights definitively //were// costly in more ways than one, but your Marquisate is as wealthy as it is infamous. Whatever happens, you know Serault will be able to face the storm.] [[The Feast's business is done]] As you rise to go to your quarters, your eyes seek those of the Divine. (if: $dignity is > $twilight or $freedom is > $revolution and $prosperity is > $peril)[(set: $divinefavour to $divinefavour + 1)(Your Divine's Favour <img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)]\ (else:)[(set: $divinefavour to $divinefavour - 1)(Your Divine's Favour <img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 1...)]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/divine.png" alt="Divine">]''The Fortune of Serault'' The Divine leans close. "I had heard of Serault's fabled glasswork, but the tales do it no justice. It makes the glass in the Grand Cathedral look positively //plain//. Obviously, this cannot stand." "I'm offering you a commission, to replace every window in the Grand Cathedral. I understand there are nearly two thousand of them, and some of them are very large. They would need to be magnificent, of course. These are dark days for the Chantry, and people need something to remind them of its beauty. Tell me," she asks, with a smile, "do you think your glassworkers are up to it?" [[Set the glassworkers to work]] This could cement Serault's fortune and reputation, but the guild will need careful direction. [[Free the finest glassmakers and send them with the Divine]] It is time the guild's practices became less draconian, and this is the perfect opportunity.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/wearybailiff1.png" alt="Bailiff">]''The Freehold'' Your Weary Bailiff returns from the Kindly Knight's manor damp with sweat from his frantic ride. "The Elusive Iconoclast was at his court! At her advice he has declared the manor a freehold, wherein no person is held in bondage to any other. A council of peasants advises him! They sit in judgement over cases criminal and civil. Every man calls every other 'Lord' in jest, and the women 'Lady' or 'Dame'! They have paid only a part of the taxes they owe, saying that the full amount was too burdensome." "They have set these laws down in a writ, and ask for your seal to be set to it, confirming them in perpetuity!" He passes the document at you. It is written in a skilled hand. It uses words like 'liberty', 'equality' and 'mandate.' At the bottom, a seal bearing a candle-flame - the sign of the Iconoclast. <img src="images/knight.png" alt="Knight" height="65" width="50"> [[Ask the Kindly Knight about the Freehold]] What does he think he's doing? //You will be able to take a decision then.// [[Tear up the writ]] The Kindly Knight's indulgence has gone too far. Demand he return his lands to their proper governance. Oh, and you'll have those missing taxes, too. [[Attach your seal to the writ]] The Knight and the Iconoclast deserve a chance to make the freehold work.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/riverside.png" alt="Riverside">]''The Ghost of the Glassworks'' Something mysterious is happening at the glassworks. The guild complains of sounds in the halls after dark, ovens still warm in the morning, and a sliding shadow watching from the corners. <img src="images/woodswisemini.png" alt="WoodsWiseMini"> [[Loan them one of your hounds]] Now they are complaining about an insouciant cat. "It is a demon-cat, your Grace! Fearless! It watches us work with yellow eyes. Perhaps it is a spy?" Do the other Marquises have to deal with this sort of thing? <img src="images/rulershipmini.png" alt="RulershipMini"> [[Appoint a night-patrol to the glassworks]] Tools have gone missing. Someone - or something - has been using the ovens at night. <img src="images/scholarshipmini.png" alt="ScholarshipMini"> [[Question a hysterical glassworker]] The man wears thick glass lenses on his thick red nose. Behind them, his eyes are round and bloodshot.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/guildmistress.png" alt="Guildmistress">]''The Guildmistress' Rejection'' Her smile is brittle when she hears about your need for a new counsellor. "Have I advised poorly? Have I offended your Grace in some way?" <img src="images/rulershipmini.png" alt="RulershipMini"> [[Tell her you need a strong hand at the guild]] The glassblowers are troublesome. They need close leadership.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/hornedhelm.png" alt="HornedKnight">]''The Heartwood Feast'' The Horned Knight has made his hall in one of the Shame's abandoned holdings; a round tower, jagged as a chipped tooth, its floors all collapsed in on one another. A great tree grows within it, spreading a canopy of burgundy leaves where the roof once was. Inside, the grass sparkles with shards from the old heliograph mirror that once stood atop the tower. Blankets of moss have been laid over the fallen masonry that serves as the tables where the Heartwood Court holds its feast. Silent men and women serve ivy-haired dryads and stag-headed fauns. The servants move dreamily. Their eyes are grown over with moss, and flowers bloom from their skin. //You have a finite amount of time at the feast. How will you spend it?// [[Drink clear water from a chipped glass goblet]] A man dressed in hunter's green fills your cup from a silver carafe. [[Listen to the tales the dryads tell]] They are steeped in the wood's secrets. [[Greet the Horned Knight's Lady]] She is a dryad, brown and wrinkled as a walnut. [[Give the Horned Knight a gift]] A mirror chased with silver roses and twinkling thorns. (if: $debt is not "true")[ [[Accept a gift from the Horned Knight]] A box of sandalwood with the initials of the Shame burned into the lid.]\ (else:)[~~Accept a gift from the Horned Knight A box of sandalwood with the initials of the Shame burned into the lid.~~] (set: $heartwood to "true")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/hornedhelm.png" alt="HornedKnight">]''The Horned Knight Approaches'' You promised to permit the Horned Knight to bring a gift to the Divine. Will you keep your promise? //An unwise decision here may destroy everything you have worked for. Are you sure you want to do this?// <img src="images/woodswisemini.png" alt="WoodsWiseMini"> [[Yes. But you insisted that he present the gift to you first, before the feast]] This way, you can decide whether to relay it to the Divine. (if: $knightfury is < 1)[//You have always treated him fairly. Surely you deserve his trust?//]\ (else:)[~~//You have always treated him fairly. Surely you deserve his trust?//~~] [[Let him present his gift]] This is unlikely to go well. It'll be an evening to remember, but you'll be lucky if the Divine doesn't set her Templars on you.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/hornedhelm.png" alt="HornedKnight">] ''The Horned Knight's Answer'' Your uncomfortable herald relays the Horned Knight's response. "The Lord of the Forest regrets that //his// Bard is engaged in creating a work of utmost importance to Serault, and cannot be released into your service. (if: $debt is "true")[Furthermore, he reminds you that you owe him a debt.] However, as a token of his regard for his fellow (if: $gender is "female")[Marquise](else:)[Marquis], he will allow the Bard to make occasional visits to Serault Town as his responsibilities permit." His message delivered, the herald waits awkwardly, manifestly regretting his choice of career. [[Stage a rescue]] You'll have to track him in the woods, and free him while he's lightly guarded. //This will send you into the woods on a hunt for the Bard.// (if: $debt is "true")[ [[Let him keep the Bard]] This will settle any score between you. //The Bard won't like this.//]\ (else:)[ [[Ask for the Bard back]] The Horned Knight will no doubt want a favour in return. //You are ready to pay his price.//]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/hunter.png" alt="SilentHunter">]''The Hunter's Departure'' When you dismiss him, he doesn't say a word. He simply bows and leaves. [[Watch him go]] When he was there, you hardly noticed him. Now he's gone you feel his absence. Perhaps that's the way of shadows. (set: $peril to $peril + 10)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 10...) (set: $dignity to $dignity + 10)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 10!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/justiciar.png" alt="Justiciar">]\ ''The heir to Serault'' As heir to the Marquisate, what was your upbringing like? //There are five Skills: Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20">, Scholarship <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20">, Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20">, Woods-wise <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="26" width="20">, and Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20">. They are frequently used to pass Skill Checks throughout the game, with the hidden help or hindrance of a 20-sided die. You can see your Skills below your character portrait.// <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="65" width="50"> [[You are the Envoy]] Taught the Great Game since the cradle. You care not for the wilds, but for the responsibility of guiding your lessers. Power suits you. <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="65" width="50"> [[You are the Scholar]] You divide your time between the Great Hall and the library’s hush. This is your chance to free Serault from the shackles of tradition. Seize it. (if: $gender is "female")[ <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="65" width="50"> [[You are the Huntress]] Raised to rule. Trained in bow, sword and steed. Fearless.](else:)[ <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="65" width="50"> [[You are the Hunter|You are the Huntress]] Raised to rule. Trained in bow, sword and steed. Fearless.] <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="65" width="50"> [[You are the Alchemist]] Master of nature and matter. Used to both fighting and reading. You've learned that death may come in many forms. <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="65" width="50"> [[You are the Initiate]] Expert in both lore and intrigue. Shrewd. You learned a good deal from the many brothers and sisters who raised you. (set: $char to "justiciar")

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/chantrydoor.png" alt="ChantryDoor">]''The Keys'' The Divine stands. "Serault has made us very welcome. She is a proud land, with good earth and good people, and she has suffered for too long." She takes out a ring of three bronze keys and holds it high. "A gift, for her kindness. Her ancient Chantry will be reconsecrated, to resound once more with the Chant of Light!" [[Ask the Divine to consecrate the Chantry]] It will become a symbol of your family's redemption. [[Ask her to bless Serault's poorer regions]] They will know their (if: $gender is "female")[Marquise](else:)[Marquis] thinks often of them.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/knight.png" alt="Knight">]\ ''The Kindly Knight'' "Hello! Sweet Andraste, it's good to see you again. I swear you're taller every time." The Knight is smiling, but nervously. A pious man; a donor to the Abbey of the Banns; a loyal vassal, though his peers mutter that he's too gentle with the peasantry. He hasn't been the same since the death of his wife. <img src="images/scholarshipmini.png" alt="ScholarshipMini"> [[Consult the Knight's expertise]] The Kindly Knight knows Serault's past better than anyone: ancient murders, lingering oaths, the disasters at the Green Bridge and the Bridge of Masks, even the enigmatic miracles of Masked Andraste. <img src="images/freedommini.png" alt="Freedom"> [[Ask for his help interpreting Serault's ancient laws]] Serault's legal system is a thicket of local custom, Marquisal precedent, and imperial decree. The Knight's scholarship will untangle it, His lenience will blunt its thorns.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/knight.png" alt="Knight">]''The Knight Requests an Audience'' The Kindly Knight reads as he waits, and when his turn comes the steward has to call his name three times before he notices. He shuffles forward with a creaking bow. Which of his concerns will you address? [["I have observed strange behaviour in Serault's skies"|"I have observed strange behavior in Serault's skies"]] "Last week, a flock of crows formed the shape of a dragon as they flew overhead. What do you suppose it could mean?" [["A plague assails my lands"]] "I do what I can for those who contract it, but it spreads like fire. I implore you: help me." [["Allow me to introduce a remarkable young gentlemen..."]] "He has travelled all the way from Val Royeaux. A scholar. A brilliant one! Alas, the University considers his theorems too... unorthodox. He seeks a home. I have no doubt he will illuminate any court wise enough to patron him." [["I've conducted a brief study of the graffiti that's sprung up across the Marquisate..."]] "I think they're messages," he says. "Coded messages." (if: (history:) contains "Send her away, the Empress' seal be damned!")[(set: $morrigan to "around")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/knight.png" alt="Knight">]''The Knight's Rejection'' As he realises he's been replaced, the Kindly Knight slumps, as if the years have finally caught up with him. "I serve - or not - at your Grace's pleasure, of course," he says. He manages a fragile bow. [[Turn your attention to other matters]] You've no time for an old man's foolishness. <img src="images/scholarshipmini.png" alt="ScholarshipMini"> [[Remind him of the time he'll have for his books, now]] They were his first love.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/hornedhelm.png" alt="HornedKnight">] ''The Lord of the Wood Comes a-Calling'' It is twilight, and a crescent moon smiles above the chateau's Tilted Tower when the Horned Knight strides into your hall. He is clad in armour of forest green, with an ivy cloak that hisses along the flagstones. He carries a deer slung over one shoulder. An arrow is buried in its flank. The gauntlet of his other hand is clamped on the shoulder of a bedraggled hunter, whose eyes are round with terror. "I seek justice," the Horned Knight says, his voice heavy. "Though I am Lord of the Forest, you are Lord of the Road and Field, and this man is yours. He slew my son. Grant me his life, and he will serve in my Heartwood Court until I deem his debt has been repaid." "A deer!" The hunter stammers. "I killed a deer!" "Just so," the Knight says. [[Grant his request]] (if: $debt is "true")[But say it removes the debt you owe him.]\ (else:)[But say you do not take this decision lightly.] [[Deny his request]] (if: $debt is "true")[Even though you owe him a debt.]\ (else:)[You owe him nothing.] [[Have him driven out of the hall]] Serault is the edge of civilisation, but it's still civilisation. You can't have wood-spirits prancing into your hall and expecting to be treated like human beings.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/iconoclast.png" alt="Iconoclast">]''The Martyr'' "Brought you a present," booms the Cheery Baron. Behind him, his men drag a woman in a Chantry habit. "Caught her peddling her anarchy near one of my hunting lodges. 'Elusive' she might be, but she can't outrun a good horse." The Elusive Iconoclast is shackled hand and foot. Her skin is mottled with bruises. Her eyes are grey. [[Have her kept under guard until you can decide what to do with her]] Her crimes can't be denied: inciting the peasantry to acts of violence, defaming your name, heresy...

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/mask.png" alt="Mask">]''The Mask'' The Divine waves an attendant forward. He carries a long, closed box. "When Serault was censured for the crime of apostasy," the Divine says, "her new Lord, your grandfather, entrusted her ancestral mask into my predecessor's hands for safekeeping, until such time as the crime could be redressed." She opens the box. The torchlight burns like stars on the bright gold, winking gems, and green tines of the lost glass-antlered Mask of Serault. "It is my delight to return it to its home," the Divine says, placing the mask in your hands. The hall falls quiet, all eyes on you as you take the mask and... [[... don it|... Don it]] You'll be the first to wear it in over a century. [[... smash it on the flagstones|... Smash it on the flagstones]] Its jewels and gold inlay will feed all Serault's poor for years.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/hornedhelm.png" alt="HornedKnight">]''The Missing Bard'' The peasant girl is round and pretty, with golden ringlets and freckles on her arms. She keeps her eyes on the floor. "It's your Bard, your Grace. We were... ah... riding in the woods," you note the burrs in her hair; her grass-stained skirt. "But we were interrupted by a Horned Knight! He wore armour all of green and rode a stag, and he was accompanied by maidens with skin the colour of birch-bark and hair of leaves - each pretty as a willow." "The Knight said your Bard was to go with him, for there was a song he needed written. When your Bard tried to delay, the Knight said 'when you are on the road or in the fields, you belong to the (if: $gender is "female")[Marquise](else:)[Marquis], but here in the forest you belong to me.' He took your Bard away. You'll save him, won't you, your Grace?" [[Stage a rescue]] You'll have to track him in the woods, and free him while he's lightly guarded. //This will send you into the woods on a hunt for the Bard.// (if: $knightfury is < 3)[ [[Give the Horned Knight gifts]] And ask for your Bard back. //You may still be able to stage a rescue later.//]\ (else:)[~~Give the Horned Knight gifts And ask for your Bard back.~~] (if: $bardlover is "true")[(set: $bardlover to "missing")(The Horned Knight has taken your beloved Bard <img src="images/bardalt.png" alt="BardAlt" height="26" width="20">!]\ (else:)[(The Wayward Bard <img src="images/bardalt.png" alt="BardAlt" height="26" width="20"> has been poached by the Horned Knight!)] (set: $missingbard to "true")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/viands.png" alt="Viands">]''The Next Course'' You signal. Servants carry in the next course. What have you prepared to impress the Divine? <img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="52" width="40"> [[Black pudding and a medley of sausages]] Twelve different kinds, popping and sizzling in a skillet as wide as a man is tall. (if: $taxesgalore is "true")[ <img src="images/chantry2.png" alt="Chantry2" height="52" width="80"> [[Pasties of venison with curls of goat's cheese]] The fruits of your forests and herds. //Raising taxes from brigand-sheltering peasants as a punitive measure has worked out.//]\ (else-if: $merchantgoods is "true" or $merchantcargo is "true")[ <img src="images/chantry2.png" alt="Chantry2" height="52" width="80"> [[Pasties of venison with curls of goat's cheese]] The fruits of your forests and herds. //The cargo you seized from that pesky merchant will also serve magnificently here.//]\ (else:)[~~Pasties of venison with curls of goat's cheese The fruits of your forests and herds.~~] (if: $seraultpatrols is "true")[ <img src="images/chantry2.png" alt="Chantry2" height="52" width="80"> [[A dozen carcasses skewered on a spit]] Turned by ten chevaliers, sweating in armour polished as bright as the moon. //The new armour you bought for your men months ago still shine as new.//]\ (else-if: $tithe is "true")[ <img src="images/chantry2.png" alt="Chantry2" height="52" width="80"> [[A dozen carcasses skewered on a spit]] Turned by ten chevaliers, sweating in armour polished as bright as the moon. //You can use the tithe taken off a deceased vassal's inheritance to give an extra shine to your men's gear.//]\ (else:)[~~A dozen carcasses skewered on a spit Turned by ten chevaliers, sweating in armour polished as bright as the moon.~~] (if: $abbessroad is "forced" or $abbessroad is "allowed")[ <img src="images/chantry2.png" alt="Chantry2" height="52" width="80"> [[Galantines of veal in the shape of Chantry sunbursts]] A mountain of them, so heavy it makes the table groan. //The Abbess' Road brings plenty from the valleys of Claose.//]\ (else:)[~~Galantines of veal in the shape of Chantry sunbursts A mountain of them, so heavy it makes the table groan.~~] (if: $prosperity is > 60 and $dignity is > 60)[ <img src="images/chantry3.png" alt="Chantry3" height="52" width="120"> [[A fountain of black Celestine wine]] You traded a fortune in meat and furs for the wine, and another in good gold for skilled hands to make the fountain. //The Prosperity and Dignity of your realm allow for this.//]\ (else:)[~~A fountain of black Celestine wine You traded a fortune in meat and furs for the wine.~~] (if: $freedom is > 60 and $prosperity is > 60)[ <img src="images/chantry3.png" alt="Chantry3" height="52" width="120"> [[Gilded swans in a gravy of river-herring]] The birds are a brilliant gold. The gravy is white as apple blossom. //The Prosperity and Freedom of your realm allow for this.//]\ (else:)[~~Gilded swans in a gravy of river-herring The birds are a brilliant gold.~~] (if: $dignity is > 60 and $freedom is > 60)[ <img src="images/chantry3.png" alt="Chantry3" height="52" width="120"> [[A great glazed pie that stirs and rustles]] You stand, and your cook hands you a sword... //The Dignity and Freedom of your realm allow for this.//]\ (else:)[~~A great glazed pie that stirs and rustles You stand, and your cook hands you a sword...~~]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/lordship.png" alt="Lordship">]''The other hunt'' You meet the other hunting party at the Green Bridge which links the Applewoods to Chateau Serault; the Cheery Baron has gone on ahead with the wyvern's butchered carcass to see its venomous glands removed by the court physician, the hunt a success. His Dour Lordship curtly informs you that casualties were minimal. (if: $counsellor is "lordship")[Taking a look at the dead bereskarn being dragged by your men, he adds, "I see Serault does not lack for wild beasts of the deadly sort. Congratulations on your victory today, my fellow (if: $gender is "female")[Marquise](else:)[Marquis]. We have defeated two threats of considerable dimension in a single, swift blow."] You thank him, noticing he and the men you sent with him look far worse for wear than he cared to admit. There is little time to waste, now. [[You rush back to the chateau|The Antidote]] Time is of essence.\ \ (set: $alone to "false")

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/pilgrim.png" alt="Pilgrim">]\ ''The heir to Serault'' As heir to the Marquisate, what was your upbringing like? //There are five Skills: Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20">, Scholarship <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20">, Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20">, Woods-wise <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="26" width="20">, and Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20">. They are frequently used to pass Skill Checks throughout the game, with the hidden help or hindrance of a 20-sided die. You can see your Skills below your character portrait.// <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="65" width="50"> [[You are the Envoy]] Taught the Great Game since the cradle. You care not for the wilds, but for the responsibility of guiding your lessers. Power suits you. <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="65" width="50"> [[You are the Scholar]] You divide your time between the Great Hall and the library’s hush. This is your chance to free Serault from the shackles of tradition. Seize it. (if: $gender is "female")[ <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="65" width="50"> [[You are the Huntress]] Raised to rule. Trained in bow, sword and steed. Fearless.](else:)[ <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="65" width="50"> [[You are the Hunter|You are the Huntress]] Raised to rule. Trained in bow, sword and steed. Fearless.] <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="65" width="50"> [[You are the Alchemist]] Master of nature and matter. Used to both fighting and reading. You've learned that death may come in many forms. <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="65" width="50"> [[You are the Initiate]] Expert in both lore and intrigue. Shrewd. You learned a good deal from the many brothers and sisters who raised you. (set: $char to "pilgrim")

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/purveyor.png" alt="Purveyor">]\ ''The Purveyor of Teas'' "An //exalted// visitor! I am so pleased. So very, very pleased. Be seated here in this field-chair. No, no, this one. The other has been occupied by persons of low birth. Will you honour me by taking a little tea?" It's easy to see why his people exiled him from their homes below. But he has a certain rascally charm. <img src="images/freedommini.png" alt="Freedom"> [[Ask him about current events in Serault]] He hears everything. Well, everything illegal. [[Grant pardons for his associates]] "Some of my friends have been unwise in their choice of company," he says. "But must youthful follies blight their fortunes?"

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/purveyor.png" alt="Purveyor">]''The Purveyor's Rejection'' When he discovers he has been dismissed, the Purveyor requests an audience. [[Ignore it]] Other matters demand your attention. <img src="images/cunningmini.png" alt="CunningMini"> [[See him in private]] Convey that Serault simply needs talents other than his for the time being. (set: $accomplice to "fired")(The Purveyor of Teas <img src="images/purveyor.png" alt="Purveyor" height="26" width="20"> is no longer your accomplice.)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/tracks.png" alt="Tracks">]''The quarry has gone to ground'' You're certain it's near, but has found some gorge or hollowed trunk to hide in. Because you are noisy, you may have warned the (if: $quarry is "hind")[hind](else:)[boar] of your approach. <img src="images/cunningmini.png" alt="CunningMini"> [[Search the woods|Creep closer]] Check every cranny. Every thicket. [[Wait it out...]] ... for as long as it takes to be sure your quarry has relaxed its guard. (set: $timeleft to $timeleft - 1)(You've got $timeleft hours <img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="26" width="20"> of daylight remaining.)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/schemer.png" alt="Schemer">]''The heir to Serault'' As heir to the Marquisate, what was your upbringing like? //There are five Skills: Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20">, Scholarship <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20">, Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20">, Woods-wise <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="26" width="20">, and Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20">. They are frequently used to pass Skill Checks throughout the game, with the hidden help or hindrance of a 20-sided die. You can see your Skills below your character portrait.// <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="65" width="50"> [[You are the Envoy]] Taught the Great Game since the cradle. You care not for the wilds, but for the responsibility of guiding your lessers. Power suits you. <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="65" width="50"> [[You are the Scholar]] You divide your time between the Great Hall and the library’s hush. This is your chance to free Serault from the shackles of tradition. Seize it. (if: $gender is "female")[ <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="65" width="50"> [[You are the Huntress]] Raised to rule. Trained in bow, sword and steed. Fearless.](else:)[ <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="65" width="50"> [[You are the Hunter|You are the Huntress]] Raised to rule. Trained in bow, sword and steed. Fearless.] <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="65" width="50"> [[You are the Alchemist]] Master of nature and matter. Used to both fighting and reading. You've learned that death may come in many forms. <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="65" width="50"> [[You are the Initiate]] Expert in both lore and intrigue. Shrewd. You learned a good deal from the many brothers and sisters who raised you. (set: $char to "schemer")

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/morrigan.png" alt="Morrigan">]''The Scornful Sorceress'' The Empress' 'occult adviser' is rarely seen about the chateau. She spends most of her time conducting her mysterious research at the glassworker's guild, but occasionally your paths cross. <img src="images/rulershipmini.png" alt="RulershipMini"> [[Ask about her family]] She sits in the courtyard, watching the courtiers' children play at Wardens and Darkspawn. <img src="images/freedommini.png" alt="Freedom"> [[Ask her about her work]] Dinner is served in the Great Hall. She sits alone at the far end of a table, her eyes dark with shadows. She coughs, the hoarse way the glassworkers do after a day at the ovens. <img src="images/scholarshipmini.png" alt="ScholarshipMini"> [[Ask her about magic]] You meet her in the corridor late one night, returning to her room after her day's work. Her staff glows with a clear blue flame, picking out every drifting mote of dust.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/chantrydoor.png" alt="ChantryDoor">]''The Sealed Chantry'' The Chateau's chantry, sealed these three generations as punishment for the Shame's excesses. The Divine may choose to unseal it, if she's very impressed. Or you could enter now... if you can. If you dare. //This is unwise and may have lasting repercussions.// <img src="images/cunningmini.png" alt="CunningMini"> [[Bypass the triple lock]] A glassblower left some promising tools here last month. Creep down at the darkest hour of night. Don't get caught. That would be embarrassing. (if: $fullcourt is "true")[//You knew that hosting so many courtiers would pay off one day. One of them has taught you the basics of lockpicking...//]\ (else:)[~~//You knew that hosting so many courtiers would pay off one day.//~~] <img src="images/rulershipmini.png" alt="RulershipMini"> [[Order your household guard to break down the door]] You can swear your chevalier-commander to silence. Perhaps. (if: $battle is > 4)[//You have personally fought in Serault's defence $battle times in the last few months. Your soldiers respect you.//]\ (else:)[~~//Your soldiers respect you.//~~] <img src="images/door.png" alt="Door"> [[This is folly]] What got into your head? //Leave the Sealed Chantry behind.//

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/wearybailiff2.png" alt="Seneschal">]''The Seneschal's Offence'' When he realises he's to be replaced, the Plainspoken Seneschal huffs and sputters like a landed puffer fish. [["So be it! If my advice isn't wanted I shall keep it to myself!"]] That would be marvellous. (You do not have a counsellor <img src="images/councillor.png" alt="Councillor" height="26" width="20">. Perhaps you could recruit one from the visitors to your court?) (set: $prosperity to $prosperity - 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $dignity to $dignity - 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/wearybailiff2.png" alt="Seneschal">]''The Seneschal's Release'' When he realises he's to be replaced, the Hesitant Seneschal sags with relief. [["It was a pleasure to serve, your Grace"]] He is not wholly convincing. (You do not have a counsellor <img src="images/councillor.png" alt="Councillor" height="26" width="20">. Perhaps you could recruit one from the visitors to your court?) (set: $dignity to $dignity - 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $freedom to $freedom - 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/chantrydoor.png" alt="ChantryDoor">]''The Shame's shame'' When you return to the chateau, you are immersed in thoughts. This woman, this Anchoress, a secret bastard of the Shame of Serault hiding under your family's nose all these years. Almost impossible to believe. Yet there she was. You have bidden her farewell, but you know you can't ignore this. You will have to return, eventually. <img src="images/baron.png" alt="Baron" height="65" width="50"> [[The following day brings news|The Martyr]] You sit on your High Seat, the sunlight playing around with its many-coloured hues. You have emptied the Great Hall; you have a special guest.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/forest2.png" alt="Forest2">]''A mysterious shrine'' Immediately in front of the exits, a standing stone has been carved into a crude likeness of Andraste. It must be Andraste: it has the rayed crown, the outspread hands. But a bow is carved on her back, and her face is hidden. This is Masked Andraste, the huntress-aspect worshipped only in Serault, whose cult is neither entirely permitted nor entirely forbidden. Someone has garlanded the statue with aster and cuckoo-flowers. They're fading now: it must be a few days old. <img src="images/woodswisemini.png" alt="WoodsWiseMini"> [[Who has been here?]] Where did they go? (if: $elves is "battle")[//This couldn't be the work of the strange elves whom you had fought against, surely. You recall what you learned from their tactics.//]\ (else:)[~~//This couldn't be the work of the strange elves whom you had fought against, surely.//~~]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/hunter.png" alt="SilentHunter">]\ ''The Silent Hunter'' They say he killed a bear with a single arrow to the eye. They say he was the Empress' lover, once, in Val Royeaux. They say he was conceived on a night sacred to the Masked Andraste, and that he was born with strength, speed and cunning, but no voice. What does //he// say? Nothing at all. [[Accompany him on a midnight hunt]] You hear tell of forgotten spans of the woods. Of twilit riverbanks untrod by mortal feet, and rings of tall blue stones that were not raised by human hands... <img src="images/woodswisemini.png" alt="WoodsWiseMini"> [[Send him into the woods to gather information]] You don't know who his sources are, or even if they're human. But he finds things no-one else can.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/guildmistress.png" alt="Guildmistress">]\ ''The Smiling Guildmistress'' She hasn't touched a crucible or worked the bellows in years. Managing the glassworkers' guild and its brilliant, fragile personalities takes up her time, now. Her glass sword rests awkwardly at her hip, the hilt spinning fractures of light across the floor. [[Secure the Guildmistress' position with gifts and concessions]] The master glassworkers are whiskered, irritable, and proud as only artists can be. Every one of them thinks he could run the guild better than she does... [[Ask her to teach you a thing or two]] She's survived as head of the guild longer than any previous incumbent. What was her secret?

<img src="images/header01.png" alt="ChateauSmall"> ''In the Witch's wake'' Your thoughts meander as you rest in bed, high in the Heron Tower, eating blood-red grapes imported from the Marcher city of Ostwick. You think of the mysterious sorceress that came to Serault, bringing the seal - and, thus, authority - of Empress Celene, first of her name. (if: $morrigan is "welcomed")[ [[And just as you think of that most curious of guests...]] You see her through your room's window: she is in the courtyard.]\ (else:)[ [[You did good in sending her away|I did good in sending her away]] Serault is no place for mages. It has been Shamed enough.]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/lordship.png" alt="Lordship">]''The Spider in the Web'' His Dour Lordship looks up from his books when you enter with your guards. He tuts. //Of course// this is the outcome. “I will, of course, deny any accusations. I’m an old hand at the Game, $name de Serault, and I doubt you’ve the influence to carry a decision against me. Not Shamed as you are.” [[Ask him why]] You’ll hear it from his own mouth. //You can take a final decision then.// [[Imprison him]] This is no game. [[Warn him. Demand compensation]] The Divine would notice his absence. You got nothing as evidence but the word of a nine-fingered bard... [[Banish him. Let him buy your silence]] Despite his bluster, a scandal like this would hurt him. Playing the Game is one thing. Getting caught is another. (set: $agitator to "freed")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) (set: $dignity to $dignity - 10)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10...) (set: $freedom to $freedom + 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) \ (set: $tangledweb to "solved")

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/lordship.png" alt="Lordship">]''The Spider in the Web'' His Dour Lordship looks up from his books when you enter with your guards. He tuts. //Of course// this is the outcome. “I will, of course, deny any accusations. I’m an old hand at the Game, $name de Serault, and I doubt you’ve the influence to carry a decision against me. Not Shamed as you are.” [[Ask him why]] You’ll hear it from his own mouth. //You can take a final decision then.// [[Imprison him]] This is no game. [[Warn him. Demand compensation]] The Divine would notice his absence. You got nothing as evidence but the word of a nine-fingered bard... [[Banish him. Let him buy your silence]] Despite his bluster, a scandal like this would hurt him. Playing the Game is one thing. Getting caught is another. (set: $agitator to "arrested")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $freedom to $freedom - 10)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10...)\ (set: $tangledweb to "solved")

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/swordsman.png" alt="Swordsman">]\ ''The heir to Serault'' As heir to the Marquisate, what was your upbringing like? //There are five Skills: Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20">, Scholarship <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20">, Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20">, Woods-wise <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="26" width="20">, and Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20">. They are frequently used to pass Skill Checks throughout the game, with the hidden help or hindrance of a 20-sided die. You can see your Skills below your character portrait.// <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="65" width="50"> [[You are the Envoy]] Taught the Great Game since the cradle. You care not for the wilds, but for the responsibility of guiding your lessers. Power suits you. <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="65" width="50"> [[You are the Scholar]] You divide your time between the Great Hall and the library’s hush. This is your chance to free Serault from the shackles of tradition. Seize it. (if: $gender is "female")[ <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="65" width="50"> [[You are the Huntress]] Raised to rule. Trained in bow, sword and steed. Fearless.](else:)[ <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="65" width="50"> [[You are the Hunter|You are the Huntress]] Raised to rule. Trained in bow, sword and steed. Fearless.] <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="65" width="50"> [[You are the Alchemist]] Master of nature and matter. Used to both fighting and reading. You've learned that death may come in many forms. <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="65" width="50"> [[You are the Initiate]] Expert in both lore and intrigue. Shrewd. You learned a good deal from the many brothers and sisters who raised you. (set: $char to "swordsman")

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/bodyguard2.png" alt="Headman">]''The Undaunted Chevalier'' He stands at the town gates, challenging the finest of Serault's chivalry to a duel. His steed - restless bay - paws at the road. His armour is red and black. A rose emblazons his shield. His dragonbone sword flares in the setting sun. <img src="images/derringdomini.png" alt="DerringDoMini"> [[Fight him yourself]] Are you not the finest Serault has to offer? <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity"> [[Ask for a volunteer to fight him]] Serault has chevaliers of her own. [[Wait until he goes away]] You've more important things to worry about.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/fire.png" alt="Fires">]''The Uprising'' Serault Town is in uproar. The glassworkers have revolted, broken out of the guild and occupied the Bridge of Masks that spans the river. They deny anyone passage until their demands are met: freedom, privileges, and the election of a person of their choosing to the rank of guildmaster. The Smiling Guildmistress is, for once, not smiling. Meanwhile, the town's business grinds to a halt. Many are stuck on the wrong side of the river, unable to return to their homes or places of work. Some want you to take the bridge by force, others to accede to the glassworkers' demands. Speculation is rife. Some say the glassworkers are led by an Elusive Iconoclast. <img src="images/cunningmini.png" alt="CunningMini"> [[Tempt them from the bridge]] This can be solved without bloodshed. (if: $guildcharter is "true")[//As the author of a new charter of privileges for the glassworkers, you understand precisely what is needed to convince them.//]\ (else:)[~~//You understand precisely what is needed to convince them.//~~] <img src="images/derringdomini.png" alt="DerringDoMini"> [[Drive them from the bridge]] It won't be easy - they hold the gates at either end - but you've had enough of this nonsense. (if: $lordship is "goodguest")[//The Marquis of Alyons has brought chevaliers of his own. He has placed them at your disposal.//]\ (else:)[~~//The Marquis of Alyons has brought chevaliers of his own.//~~] (set: $prosperity to $prosperity - 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/bard.png" alt="Bard">]\ ''The Wayward Bard'' He's playing that song again, the one about the Glass Thief. He'd better leave out the verse about your mother. The Bard is of noble blood, just about; he's a nephew of the Kindly Knight. He comes and goes, but he can never stay away from Serault. <img src="images/cunningmini.png" alt="CunningMini"> [[Ask what he's heard about recent events]] He might not be quite the player of the Game he was, but he keeps his ear to the ground. <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity"> [[Ask him to compose a new verse glorifying Serault]] //The Seat of the Stag// is his great, unfinished work. A hundred-odd stanzas of patriotic rhyme. Sometimes he sings the latest version at feasts, rewriting verses as he goes.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/bard.png" alt="Bard">]''The Wayward Bard's Return'' The Bard drinks a deep draught of your good wine to gather his wits. "The woods, it turns out, have their own court: a hall where the trees walk and the stones speak. Beasts congregate there like courtiers. I saw a wolf and a deer drinking water side-by-side from a silver bowl." "A green knight rules there. He calls himself the 'Lord of the Forest', and you the 'Lord of Road and Field'. Got horns growing from his helm. He's the one the Dashing Outlaw gave our Errant Siblings to. Uses them as cupbearers. They pour water for the beasts from golden jugs. He's done something to them. There was moss over their eyes and tongues. They don't speak any more." "The Horned Knight was courteous enough. He says he's happy to release the siblings to you if, in return, you'll grant him a favour one day." He takes another drink. "Can't help but feel we've got rather more than we bargained for." [[Leave them to their fate]] Trafficking with spirits is a matter for fools or mages. [[Request their return]] Who - or whatever - this Horned Knight is, the siblings are //your// vassals, and must face //your// justice.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/pigfarmer.png" alt="PigFarmer">]\ ''The Well-Read Pig-Farmer'' "//Na via lerno victoria//, as they say in Tevinter. Of course there haven't been many victories lately, but if you read Issiker's account of the Valarian Engagements, there are some really intricate strategies - sorry, did you want to buy a pig?" She married well for a pig-farmer. She gets around. Her accent is Tevinter. What an interesting woman. <img src="images/cunningmini.png" alt="CunningMini"> [[Play a game of Archon with the Well-Read Pig-Farmer]] She admires wit even more than erudition, especially in a ruler. But a (if: $gender is "female")[Marquise](else:)[Marquis], visiting a pig-farmer? It'll do your reputation no good at court. [[Listen to her tales of Tevinter]] She speaks of the grim facades of Minrathous' palaces, and the sorcerous intrigues that worm behind them...

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/orlais.png" alt="Orlais">]''Disappointment'' Despite your weariness, you find little sleep. Your dreams are all of how things might have gone differently. It takes the Divine's party most of the next day to make ready for their departure. The atmosphere is taut. Grim, sharp-eyed Templars cluster in the courtyard. Servants pack in silence, packing backs, loading wagons. The Divine's advisers whisper to one another, eager to be gone. (if: $lordship is not "banished" and is not "arrested")[His Dour Lordship is seen among them; when your eyes cross, he contorts his dull face in a way that could be seen as a hideous smile.] You don't bid the Divine farewell. Instead, you watch from atop the Tower of Lights as her procession pours from the city gates and along the eastern road. There is no chanting this time, no song. Serault's shame persists. She will remain on the edge of things: misunderstood, unwanted, forgotten. An easterly wind stirs, a tang of early summer: dry grass, hot steel, dust. A voice calls from below. Your (if: $bardlover is "true")[Wayward Bard. "My love.](else-if: $abbesslover is "true")[Elegant Abbess. "My love.](else-if: $keptseneschal is "true")[Seneschal. "Your Grace?](else:)[Bailiff. "Your Grace?] You are needed. The Cheery Baron is sorely ill. The physicians say he over-indulged last night, that he may not live. He says there is something he has to tell you. Something about your mother..." //Serault remains Shamed as she was, proud and alone at the edge of the world.// [[You turn back|Final Game Over]] <img src="images/wind.png" alt="Wind" height="26" width="20"> You and Serault are bound together. One and the same. She will need you, in the days to come. //The game ends.// (set: $seraulthonour to "failure")\ (if: $rulership is > 100)[(set: $rulership to 100)]\ (if: $scholarship is > 100)[(set: $scholarship to 100)]\ (if: $derringdo is > 100)[(set: $derringdo to 100)]\ (if: $woodswise is > 100)[(set: $woodswise to 100)]\ (if: $cunning is > 100)[(set: $cunning to 100)]\ (if: $dignity is > 100)[(set: $dignity to 100)]\ (if: $dignity is < 0)[(set: $dignity to 0)]\ (if: $prosperity is > 100)[(set: $prosperity to 100)]\ (if: $prosperity is < 0)[(set: $prosperity to 0)]\ (if: $freedom is > 100)[(set: $freedom to 100)]\ (if: $freedom is < 0)[(set: $freedom to 0)]\ (if: $twilight is > 100)[(set: $twilight to 100)]\ (if: $twilight is < 0)[(set: $twilight to 0)]\ (if: $peril is > 100)[(set: $peril to 100)]\ (if: $peril is < 0)[(set: $peril to 0)]\ (if: $revolution is > 100)[(set: $revolution to 100)]\ (if: $revolution is < 0)[(set: $revolution to 0)]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril">]''Lawless'' Beyond the village, soft feet pad along an empty road. Moonlight gleams on wicked blades. [[A fortnight passes|The Dowager Steps Forward]] The wind changes direction, blowing from the cluster of tanneries on the far bank. You order the windows closed. (set: $freedom to $freedom - 15)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 15...) (set: $peril to $peril + 15)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 15...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/wyvern.png" alt="Wyvern">]''From king to fool'' A man within the head makes the fanged jaws snap. He roars through a funnel that makes his voice blare. The 'wyvern' chases a jester around, over, and occasionally under the tables while the feasters roar with laughter. Even in death and in jest, the wyvern retains some of its majesty. Firelight runs like a river otter over its glistening scales. Its claws are still sharp as daggers. Children are terrified of it, and your dogs whine and slink away. [[A few minutes later, you allow another petitioner to approach|Grant a Petition 2]] You aren't used to this humble wooden seat. The Divine claps and laughs at the amusements you planned for her; you begrudingly recognise she does look regal on your High Seat. (set: $divinefavour to $divinefavour + 3)(Your Divine's Favour <img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 3!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight">]''Invocations'' The songs are wordless, the sacrifices willing. The stones are cold. Above, the wind moans like a lover. Meanwhile, crows fill the fields, gorging on seeds from the untended furrows. (if: $bardenvoy is "true")[ [[Night falls|The Wayward Bard's Return]] You have a visitor. He returned a bit more pale than usual.]\ (else:)[ [[The Wayward Bard crosses your path|An Assault on your Person]] Airs from the river. It is low today, and reeks of oozing mud and flopping eels.] (set: $freedom to $freedom - 15)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 15...) (set: $twilight to $twilight + 15)(Your Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 15...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril">]''Penury'' The peasants' gruel is little more than water. Your own table is lean. Only the bandits dine well, today. [[A fortnight passes|The Dowager Steps Forward]] The wind changes direction, blowing from the cluster of tanneries on the far bank. You order the windows closed. (set: $prosperity to $prosperity - 15)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 15...) (set: $peril to $peril + 15)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 15...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/bag.png" alt="Bag">]''Patter'' She has travelled a long way. Her horses are weary, her guards are dusty from the road, and her brightly-covered caravan is piled high. Silver loops gleam in her ears as she beckons you forward to show her wares. (if: $prosperity is > $dignity)[Two spotty-faced apprentices bring forth samples: fiercely-painted ceramics and bright fabric from the eastern ports. "Your Grace must have the first choice of these improbable luxuries. It is your unquestioned right! See, are they not splendid? Wonders like this adorn the finest parlors in Val Royeaux." "I must confess: the journey was not easy. I do not know when - or if! - I will return. Who knows when Serault will see such marvels again?](else:)[Two spotty-faced apprentices bring forth samples of her wares: fiercely-painted ceramics and bright fabric from the eastern ports. "I wanted to bring these impeccable luxuries - which adorn the finest parlors in Val Royeaux - directly to you, your Grace, so that you might take the first choice of them, as is your unquestionable right." "But I must confess that the journey was not easy. Many dangers barred our path. I do not know when, or if, I will return. Who knows when Serault will see such marvels again?"] <img src="images/rulershipmini.png" alt="RulershipMini"> [[Convince her to include Serault on her regular trading route]] Buy up her stock, and convince her to return. [[Purchase some finery]] "These silks are from Antiva! Touch them to your cheek. See? Soft as autumn moonlight!" <img src="images/scholarshipmini.png" alt="ScholarshipMini"> [[Provide a map of Serault]] Including the locations and times of the markets. Let her goods find homes among your people.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution">]''Elsewhere'' Corn rots on the stalk. Herds disperse across hillsides scored with crumbling walls. When your officials go forth on your business, silence and suspicious stares confront them. (if: $knightfury is > 1)[ [[A week passes, and with it a scent of spring|The Freehold]] The wind dies, leaving the sun to push hotly on the cobbled streets and courtyards. The chateau's four cats stretch out on the roof-tiles.]\ (else:)[ [[Two days later, a message arrives|An Invitation]] It's not what you were expecting.] (set: $revolution to $revolution + 15)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 15...) (set: $prosperity to $prosperity - 15)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 15...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/forest2.png" alt="Forest2">]''You find marks on the ground'' The sun moves through the sky. You dismount from your horse, and crouch to check the hoofprints in front of you. (if: $quarry is "hind")[ <img src="images/derringdomini.png" alt="DerringDoMini"> [[These are hind tracks|Hot on the Trail!]] She fleets through the woods.]\ (else:)[ <img src="images/derringdomini.png" alt="DerringDoMini"> [[These are boar tracks!|Hot on the Trail!]] It's a big one.]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/trophy.png" alt="Trophy">]''Fruits of the chase'' Stag and doe, boar, hare, wolf and bear. There is no land in Orlais with hunting like Serault. You make sure to show it. (if: $claw is "true")[The strange "dragon's toe" found in the forest has captured the attention - and imagination - of the Divine's entourage. One among them, a veteran of the Fifth Blight in Ferelden, swears it looks identical to that of the archdemon that laid siege upon its capital city of Denerim.](else-if: $boartrophy is "true")[The head of the savage boar you took down looks positively majestic on your wall; you regale her entourage with tales of your hunt.](else:)[The stuffed hind you hunted down has taken the centre stage, a mighty symbol of Serault itself; you regale her entourage with tales of your hunt.] [[A few minutes later, you allow another petitioner to approach|Grant a Petition 2]] You aren't used to this humble wooden seat. The Divine claps and laughs at the amusements you planned for her; you begrudingly recognise she does look regal on your High Seat. (set: $divinefavour to $divinefavour + 2)(Your Divine's Favour <img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 2!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/conciliation.png" alt="ConciliationCup">]\ ''The saviour of Serault!'' The family's mask might have been taken away, and few lords would host you, but all know you are the final refuge to the West, the last home of civilisation. That is your shield, and your sword. [[You govern with newfound purpose|Prologue: The Court of Serault]] You will impress the Divine with Serault's lavish hospitality. (set: $prosperity to $prosperity + 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/lion.png" alt="Lion">]\ ''The saviour of Serault!'' Your family's contributions to the Orlesian Chantry and the free peoples of Thedas have been forgotten by many, but not here. It's preserved in your chronicles, your tapestries, your blood. [[You govern with newfound purpose|Prologue: The Court of Serault]] Serault's pride and her glory will win the Divine's favour. (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/clues.png" alt="Clues">]\ ''The saviour of Serault!'' Some whisper the House of Glass still discharges its payments in such manner, in secret defiance of the Chantry. The frontier has made Serault live by her own rules; so it was, so it shall be. [[You govern with newfound purpose|Prologue: The Court of Serault]] You will learn the Divine's secrets. She will favour Serault whether she wants to or not. (set: $freedom to $freedom + 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight">]''Changed'' The next time you go a-hunting, you are a stranger in your own land. When did the roots begin to knot so tightly? Why do the boughs dip almost to the ground. What are these new flowers, with the petals red as heart-blood and leaves like crooked fingers? (if: $bardenvoy is "true")[ [[Night falls|The Wayward Bard's Return]] You have a visitor. He returned a bit more pale than usual.]\ (else:)[ [[The Wayward Bard crosses your path|An Assault on your Person]] Airs from the river. It is low today, and reeks of oozing mud and flopping eels.] (set: $twilight to $twilight + 15)(Your Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 15...) (set: $health to $health - 15)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 15...)

(if: $wyvern is "true")[(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/wyvern.png" alt="Wyvern">]''The Wyvern is massive'' It turns, its crest flared. Its teeth are sharp as knives and slick with venom. (if: $ambushed is not "true")[//You have found your quarry!//](else:)[//The wyvern shrieks!//] <img src="images/derringdomini.png" alt="DerringDoMini"> [[Have your companions distract it]] While you strike. <img src="images/cunningmini.png" alt="CunningMini"> [[Distract it yourself]] While your companions finish it.]\ (else:)[(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/bereskarn.png" alt="Bereskarn">]''The Bereskarn is so close you can smell it'' Leaves shake from the trees. Two trees lean apart as the bereskarn pushes its hulking shoulders between them. Its spines shred the undergrowth. It roars: the sound of thunder, if thunder were mad. (if: $ambushed is not "true")[//You have found your quarry!//](else:)[//The bereskarn is mad with fury!//] <img src="images/derringdomini.png" alt="DerringDoMini"> [[Ready your spear]] It will be a difficult fight. <img src="images/derringdomini.png" alt="DerringDoMini"> [[Leap on its back]] This ends now.]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/peasant.png" alt="Peasant">]''Power and responsibility'' Yes, they suffer that the Marquisate may thrive. But when red War comes to Serault, the nobles will bleed. Without your sword and spear, these scrawny villeins would be prey to elf or beast or bandit. Eat well, drink deep. [[Over the coming weeks you turn your mind to more mundane matters|Gather Resources 1]] The Tilted Tower whistles tunelessly, the wind caught in its cracked windows. (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $freedom to $freedom - 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $manorhunger to "lord")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/peasant.png" alt="Peasant">]''Power and responsibility'' Yes, they suffer that the Marquisate may thrive. But when red War comes to Serault, the nobles will bleed. Without your sword and spear, these scrawny villeins would be prey to elf or beast or bandit. Eat well, drink deep. [[A week comes and goes|Pick a Lover]] You sit alone in your chambers, a glass of Nevarran red in your hand. (set: $dignity to $dignity + 10)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 10!) (set: $freedom to $freedom - 10)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10...) (set: $manorhunger to "lord")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/chantrydoor.png" alt="ChantryDoor">]''Second thoughts'' The Divine will be here in just a couple of weeks; should her Templars find out you messed with the seal... You leave the locked door alone. No reason to waste time on night escapades on account of nothing but sating your curiosity. [[Return to the Chateau|Return to the Chateau 2]] It's time to leave. (set: $chantryunsealed to "false")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/riverpirates.png" alt="RiverPirates">](if: (random: -10,10) + $rulership is > 35)[''Blood in the water'' Your guard-vessels see several successful engagements with the pirates, who melt away as suddenly as they appeared. That will teach wolves to think they can prey on lions. The new laws mean the river is less-travelled than of old, but safer. (set: $peril to $peril - 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) (set: $rivertroubles to "true")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)]\ (else:)[''Cat and mouse'' Whenever the river pirates see your new guard-ships on the water, they flee to hidden inlets and marshlands, creeping out again only when your swan-prowed vessels have passed. You'd rather have had a comprehensive engagement and broken their power, but the situation is at least improved while your ships are on the water. (set: $peril to $peril + 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) (set: $rivertroubles to "bad")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)] (if: $morrigan is "welcomed")[ [[A week goes by; you run into the Scornful Sorceress...|The Scornful Sorceress]] The apostate's presence fills your head with questions.]\ (else:)[ [[Unfortunately, that wouldn't be the last issue to involve glass|The Ghost of the Glassworks]] Solve a problem, two others come up in its place.] (set: $rulership to $rulership + 1)(Your Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $prosperity to $prosperity + 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/riverside.png" alt="Riverside">](if: (random: -10,10) + $rulership is > 25)[''Blood in the water'' Your guard-vessels see several successful engagements with the pirates, who melt away as suddenly as they appeared. That will teach wolves to think they can prey on lions. The new laws mean the river is less-travelled than of old, but safer. (set: $peril to $peril - 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) (set: $rivertroubles to "true")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)]\ (else:)[''Cat and mouse'' Whenever the river pirates see your new guard-ships on the water, they flee to hidden inlets and marshlands, creeping out again only when your swan-prowed vessels have passed. You'd rather have had a comprehensive engagement and broken their power, but the situation is at least improved while your ships are on the water. (set: $peril to $peril + 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) (set: $rivertroubles to "bad")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)] [[A thankfully peaceful week passes by|Blown in on the Wind]] Two servants bicker over the duties of a third, their voices drifting through the window of your hall. (set: $rulership to $rulership + 1)(Your Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $prosperity to $prosperity + 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!)

<img src="images/header01.png" alt="Chateau"> (if: (random: -10,10) + $cunning is > 25)[''A necessary irritation'' Yes, they're annoying. Occasionally, it would please you to stab one of them. But their presence reflects Serault's prestige, and they are infrequently useful. With little to do but gossip and intrigue, they can be a fount of information. (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) ]\ (else:)[''An unavoidable expense'' They clog the corners of your hall. They chatter and squabble and whisper. They drain Serault's pockets, and your patience. At least their gossip is occasionally useful.] [[You turn your attention to Serault's greatest treasure|Chapter 2: Glass]] <img src="images/wind.png" alt="Wind" height="26" width="20"> An East wind. The warm bright rumours of Val Royeaux. Scent and spices, candle-wax and vanilla. //You have six months until the Divine arrives.// (set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $prosperity to $prosperity - 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $fullcourt to "true")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/purveyor.png" alt="Purveyor">]''A confession'' The trail leads to the Purveyor of Teas, but before you can confront him, he comes to you. "I sold the poison," he admits. "I was assured it was destined far from Serault, and had no idea it would be used against so sweet and mild a lady. The one who bought it claimed to be a disciple of the Elusive Iconoclast. Subsequent inquiries reveal this to be... lacking in truth. I am a foolish old dwarf." "I can tell you she had copper hair. And she wore gloves - a sensible precaution when purchasing poison - but I noticed her middle finger did not flex as it should. I would surmise that the finger was missing. I do watch my customers' hands very carefully during transactions." (if: (history:) does not contain "Who had access to the Dowager's person?")[ [[Who had access to the Dowager's person?]] And has anyone on her staff behaved suspiciously?]\ (else:)[~~Who had access to the Dowager's person? And has anyone on her staff behaved suspiciously?~~] (if: (history:) contains "Who had access to the Dowager's person?")[ <img src="images/door.png" alt="Door"> [[Circulate the poisoner's description]] She won't get away with this. Set your agents on her trail. //You know enough to proceed with the investigation.//]\ (else-if: (random: -10,10) + $scholarship is > 45)[ <img src="images/door.png" alt="Door"> [[Circulate the poisoner's description]] She won't get away with this. Set your agents on her trail. //You know enough to proceed with the investigation.//]\ (else:)[~~Circulate the poisoner's description She won't get away with this. Set your agents on her trail.~~] (set: $peril to $peril + 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/bereskarn.png" alt="Bereskarn">]''Legends'' The tale has grown in the telling. Now the bereskarn has become a king of its kind. Apparently, you faced it unarmed before killing it with one of its own severed spikes. It makes a good story. [[A few minutes later, you allow another petitioner to approach|Grant a Petition 2]] You aren't used to this humble wooden seat. The Divine claps and laughs at the amusements you planned for her; you begrudingly recognise she does look regal on your High Seat. (set: $divinefavour to $divinefavour + 3)(Your Divine's Favour <img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 3!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/lock.png" alt="Lock">](if: (random: -10,10) + $scholarship is > 25)[''Cracked'' Midnight is a memory. Night's blackest hours fill your window. Only a thumb's width remains to your candle, flickering nervous light across the papers on your desk. But you've done it. The graffiti daubed on the belly of the Bridge of Masks refers, obliquely, to a verse in the Chant of Light. The verse contains a number, and the number is a key to unlock the messages hidden in slogans painted around the glassworks. It won't last long - once the revolutionaries change the verse they're using, you'll have to start again - but for now their communications are laid bare. (set: $revolution to $revolution - 10)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10!) (set: $health to $health - 5)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $codecracked to "true")(You have acquired <img src="images/conciliation.png" alt="ConciliationCup" height="26" width="20"> a new asset!) ]\ (else:)[''Not enough hours in the day'' Pages of notes carpet your desk and spill onto the floor around your chair. The evening erodes into night. You light a candle and work until it burns down. You send for another. Soon you don't need it. The night sky pales in your window. A smug cockerel crows. The castle is stirring, and duty calls. Dawn has defeated you. (set: $health to $health - 10)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10...) ] [[You rest well after a long day at court|Pick a Counselor 1]] A riot of barks from the kennels; the butcher is delivering meat. (set: $scholarship to $scholarship + 1)(Your Scholarship <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $graffiti to "code")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/lock.png" alt="Lock">](if: (random: -10,10) + $scholarship is > 45)[''Cracked'' Midnight is a memory. Night's blackest hours fill your window. Only a thumb's width remains to your candle, flickering nervous light across the papers on your desk. But you've done it. The graffiti daubed on the belly of the Bridge of Masks refers, obliquely, to a verse in the Chant of Light. The verse contains a number, and the number is a key to unlock the messages hidden in slogans painted around the glassworks. It won't last long - once the revolutionaries change the verse they're using, you'll have to start again - but for now their communications are laid bare. (set: $revolution to $revolution - 10)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10!) (set: $health to $health - 5)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $codecracked to "true")(You have acquired <img src="images/conciliation.png" alt="ConciliationCup" height="26" width="20"> a new asset!) ]\ (else:)[''Not enough hours in the day'' Pages of notes carpet your desk and spill onto the floor around your chair. The evening erodes into night. You light a candle and work until it burns down. You send for another. Soon you don't need it. The night sky pales in your window. A smug cockerel crows. The castle is stirring, and duty calls. Dawn has defeated you. (set: $health to $health - 10)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10...)] [[A new day dawns|Flames of Freedom]] You linger in bed for a moment. Then you rise. (set: $scholarship to $scholarship + 1)(Your Scholarship <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $graffiti to "code")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/lordship.png" alt="Lordship">]''Burying the hatchet'' "The struggle between the Grand Duke and the Empress will tear Orlais apart," he predicts, with his usual cheer. "When order collapses, who can we trust if not our neighbours? I would be happy to advise you, $name de Serault. And may our enemies tremble at the thought of us." [[A couple of rainy weeks come and go; you have a visitor|The Abbess' Road]] It's someone you know well. She asks to meet in private, in the pause between the open sessions of the court. (set: $rulership to $rulership + 2)(Your Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 2!) (set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $counsellor to "lordship")(His Lordship <img src="images/lordship.png" alt="Lordship" height="26" width="20"> takes his glum place at your side.)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/outlaw.png" alt="Outlaw">]\ ''Dirty business'' When one of her band is caught they are sentenced to no more than a few days in the stocks. A coffer of taxes never reaches your castle; you write them off. Merchants and nobles complain of bandits wearing her colours waylaying them in the woods. You promise to investigate, then drop the matter. One day, someone shoots an arrow through the privy window. The words 'I OWE YOU,' are cut into the shaft. You'd have accepted a letter. <img src="images/hunter.png" alt="SilentHunter" height="65" width="50"> [[You turn your attention to the local head hunter|The Silent Hunter]] He's a loyal subject. But he can be hard to find. You'll need to organise a search. <img src="images/pigfarmer.png" alt="PigFarmer" height="65" width="50"> [[You decide to visit the market in Serault Town|The Well-Read Pig-Farmer]] As you approach the Bridge of Masks, outside the Chateau you run into the strangest peasant you've ever met. She nods at you, grass and mud on her worn boots. (set: $woodswise to $woodswise + 1)(Your Woods-wise <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 1)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $freedom to $freedom + 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $revolution to $revolution - 5)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) (set: $prosperity to $prosperity - 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $dignity to $dignity - 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $peril to $peril + 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/forest2.png" alt="Forest2">]''A concealed path'' You curse the time lost, but eventually you find your way around the tangles and press on. [[Your party finds its way back to the Greenwood]] //Leave the Deepwoods and enter the Greenwoods, where there is less risk and less reward.// (set: $timeleft to $timeleft - 1)(You've got $timeleft hours <img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="26" width="20"> of daylight remaining.)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/riverside.png" alt="Riverside">]''A rare sight'' It hurts to pass up good silver, but there will be other clients. The glassworks stand quiet. The forges are cold. For the first time in weeks, the chimney-smoke over the West bank and the folk who live there glimpse blue sky. Glassworkers wander, at ease, in the streets. Some of them are even smiling. (if: $morrigan is "welcomed")[ [[A week goes by; you run into the Scornful Sorceress...|The Scornful Sorceress]] The apostate's presence fills your head with questions.]\ (else:)[ [[That wouldn't be the end of the troubles at the glassworks|The Ghost of the Glassworks]] Solve a problem, two others come up in its place.] (set: $freedom to $freedom + 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $revolution to $revolution - 5)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) (set: $prosperity to $prosperity - 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $extramirrors to "bad")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/divinesmile.png" alt="Smile">]''Homeless'' "So be it. My journey continues," she gives an insouciant smile, but it wavers. By the time she leaves your hall, it's gone. [[A fortnight passes by|The Uprising]] You wake up to distant screams. From your bedroom window you see smoke rising across the river. (set: $freedom to $freedom - 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $dignity to $dignity + 10)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 10!) (set: $revolution to $revolution + 5)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/seeker.png" alt="Seeker">]''Spite'' "I should have known. In her weakness, Justinia will abandon the world to abomination. And Serault is no stranger to that, is it? You are still governed by your Shame." "Justinia will not protect you, (if: $gender is "female")[Lady $name](else:)[Lord $name]. After all, what is the Chantry without its swords? Think on it." She leaves. Your (if: $keptcounsellor is "true" or $keptseneschal is "true")[counsellor commends](else:)[advisers commend] your choice. "Whatever divisions split the Chantry, Serault is best left out of them." The next week, your (if: $keptseneschal is "true")[Seneschal](else:)[Weary Baillif] arrives with urgent news. "Your Grace! We just got word from the border sentinels. She is here!" [[So it begins|Epilogue: The Arrival of the Divine]] <img src="images/wind.png" alt="Wind" height="26" width="20"> A brusque wind cleans the sky of clouds, and the setting sun gleams red on the fragments in the Tower of Lights. //The Divine has arrived.// (set: $dignity to $dignity + 10)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 10!) (set: $twilight to $twilight - 10)(Your Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10!) (set: $seekersecret to "refused")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/hawke.png" alt="Hawke">]''Troubles for another day'' The world is just emerging from the Fifth Blight. There won't be another for decades, perhaps centuries. "Come back then," you tell Carver. He bows, his face impassive. He's used to it. Your courtiers commend your judgement. Serault has her own problems. And with the Divine due, the last thing the realm needs is to be dragged into one of the Wardens' injurious follies. [[You brush him from your thoughts as morning comes|Prepare for the Divine 1]] Airs from the river. It is high and swift today, carrying the scent of leaves and nodding barley. (set: $wardencarver to "refused")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) (set: $rulership to $rulership + 1)(Your Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/male2.png" alt="VisitingScholar">](if: (random: -10,10) + $rulership is > 25)[''Unwelcome'' If he's not welcome in Val Royeaux, why should he be welcome in Serault? Your guards accompany the scholar to the border with Alyons and see him across it. Serault's noble families commend your judgement. (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) ]\ (else:)[''The flames rise'' Somehow, he gives your guards the slip before they reach the border. Did he have friends helping him? Are the revolutionaries more organised than you had realised? (set: $revolution to $revolution + 5)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) ] [[You rest well after a long day at court|Pick a Counselor 1]] A riot of barks from the kennels; the butcher is delivering meat. (set: $rulership to $rulership + 1)(Your Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $wanderingscholar to "refused")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/male2.png" alt="VisitingScholar">](if: (random: -10,10) + $rulership is > 45)[''Unwelcome'' If he's not welcome in Val Royeaux, why should he be welcome in Serault? Your guards accompany the scholar to the border with Alyons and see him across it. Serault's noble families commend your judgement. (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) ]\ (else:)[''The flames rise'' Somehow, he gives your guards the slip before they reach the border. Did he have friends helping him? Are the revolutionaries more organised than you had realised? (set: $revolution to $revolution + 5)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) ] [[A new day dawns|Flames of Freedom]] You linger in bed for a moment. Then you rise. (set: $rulership to $rulership + 1)(Your Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $wanderingscholar to "refused")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/knight.png" alt="Knight">]''Lost'' He walks stiffly from your presence. Outside the door he hesitates, uncertain which way to go. You need fresh blood, a new perspective, an experienced hand. Whom among the most notorious members of your court shall you invite to become your new counsellor? <img src="images/abbessalt.png" alt="AbbessAlt" height="65" width="50"> [[Invite the Elegant Abbess to become your counsellor]] She brings with her the Chantry's wisdom. And, importantly, its authority. <img src="images/baron.png" alt="Baron" height="65" width="50"> [[Invite the Cheery Baron to become your counsellor]] He's a firm hand, and his soldiers will be useful - wily hunters and grim veterans every one. <img src="images/lordship.png" alt="Lordship" height="65" width="50"> [[Invite His Dour Lordship to become your counsellor]] His Lordship is careful of his dignity. Don't summon him idly. (The Kindly Knight <img src="images/knight.png" alt="Knight" height="26" width="20"> is no longer your counsellor.) (set: $freedom to $freedom - 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight">]\ ''There is a darkness on the land'' Memories are long in Serault. The Shame left the Veil thin. The powers he raised sleep only lightly. And even before the Shame, the Tirashan to the west was a place of primordial appetites. It'll keep you busy. With luck it'll keep the peasants and bandits busy, too. [[It's time to meet your seneschal|Prologue: Your Seneschal]] He mostly keeps to himself, keeping the castle grounds in good order. (set: $peril to $peril + 20)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 20...) (set: $twilight to $twilight + 50)(Your Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 50...) (set: $revolution to $revolution + 20)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 20...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/trophy.png" alt="Trophy">]''Out of the past'' Your nobles search their cupboards and chronicles for past glories. They impoverish themselves buying bright new armour and restoring their family crests. Soon your hall blazons with heraldry: bears, stags, wolves and wyverns leap, crouch and roar upon green fields crossed with red, or blue fields chevroned with silver, or gold ones marshalled with black. [[You break your fast amidst the sounds of the morning|The Bard wants a Quiet Word]] A crash from the kitchens, followed by curses and laughter. (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/trophy.png" alt="Trophy">]''Out of the past'' Your nobles search their cupboards and chronicles for past glories. They impoverish themselves buying bright new armour and restoring their family crests. Soon your hall blazons with heraldry: bears, stags, wolves and wyverns leap, crouch and roar upon green fields crossed with red, or blue fields chevroned with silver, or gold ones marshalled with black. [[You request counsel from an ally, and order the windows closed for the day|Send For 2]] Smoke from the glassworks. The chemical sting of their tinctures. (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/outlaw.png" alt="Outlaw">]\ (if: (random: -10,10) + $woodswise is > 25)['' How does she do it?'' The common folk think she's a mage. But a mage doesn't maintain alibis and lookalikes, fresh horses stabled in secret locations, and informants in every roadside inn the length of the Marquisate. As you unravel her secrets, you pick up a few things yourself... (set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) ]\ (else:)[''Writing history'' The Outlaw wasn't born well enough to own a bard, but she makes good use of minstrels and troubadours. The lesser part of what she does is banditry. The better part is showmanship; it's better to write the stories about you than to leave someone else to do it.] <img src="images/hunter.png" alt="SilentHunter" height="65" width="50"> [[You turn your attention to the local head hunter|The Silent Hunter]] He's a loyal subject. But he can be hard to find. You'll need to organise a search. <img src="images/pigfarmer.png" alt="PigFarmer" height="65" width="50"> [[You decide to visit the market in Serault Town|The Well-Read Pig-Farmer]] As you approach the Bridge of Masks, outside the Chateau you run into the strangest peasant you've ever met. She nods at you, grass and mud on her worn boots. (set: $woodswise to $woodswise + 1)(Your Woods-wise <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/hornedhelm.png" alt="HornedKnight">]''Unwelcome'' Black ravens fly overhead. The hostility of the Horned Knight has turned the woods against you. [[Shoo a swarm of insects from your baggage]] Their legs are long and fragile, and their wings hum in the still air. [[Struggle through the thick undergrowth]] The branches are as tangled as the knots of a deranged sailor.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/hornedhelm.png" alt="HornedKnight">] ''Unwelcome'' Your progress is slow. The hostility of the Horned Knight has turned the woods against you. [[Curse the brambles that tear at your skin]] Their thorns are as sharp as the nails of a woods-witch. They adorn you with a filigree of scars. [[Flinch at the sudden chatter of crows]] They gather on the branches overhead, making a racket that will rouse the whole wood.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/divine.png" alt="Divine">]''Ghosts'' You've lost count of the strings pulled, the favours called in, the secrets sold. And all for this: a single name. You drop it into conversation, and watch the Divine's smile freeze. She isn't pleased, but she's no stranger to the game. You've earned her attention. Whoever this 'Marjolaine' was, you'd like to thank her. (if: $chantryunsealed is "true")[ [[Things seemed to be going rather well|The Chantry, Unsealed]] Until, of course, disaster struck.]\ (else-if: $divinefavour is > 2)[ [[Later on, some good news|The Keys]] Justinia, fifth of her name, wishes to speak.]\ (else:)[ [[The feast winds down|The Feast is Ending]] You are tired of smiling, conversing and flattering. Was it worth it?] (set: $divinefavour to $divinefavour + 3)(Your Divine's Favour <img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 3!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/iconoclast.png" alt="Iconoclast">]''No quarter'' She bears her imprisonment with grace, suffering deprivation without complaint and eating little. "My prayer sustains me," she says. She admits to any crime of treason, rabble-rousing or heresy laid at her feet, and is certain you will put her to death. "How can you not? You have usurped the Maker's creation. He made us both of the same matter, but you wear a crown and I a yoke. The world hasn't room for us both. For me to be content, you must be destroyed; and for you to be safe, I must be dead." (if: (history:) does not contain "Investigate her Chantry connections")[ [[Investigate her Chantry connections]] She didn't learn her theology from haystacks and carthorses. //Investigate deeper before taking a decision.//]\ (else:)[~~Investigate her Chantry connections She didn't learn her theology from haystacks and carthorses.~~] <img src="images/rulershipmini.png" alt="RulershipMini"> [[Have her put to death]] While she lives, her revolution will prosper. But executing her is risky. Andraste has long inspired an Orlesian affection for martyrs. //Better end this the simple way.// (if: (history:) contains "Ask the Elegant Abbess about the Elusive Iconoclast" and "Investigate her Chantry connections")[ [[Send her into retreat at the Abbey]] She'll be well-cared for, but secluded. Perhaps, in time, she will change her ways.]\ (else:)[~~Send her into retreat at the Abbey Perhaps, in time, she will change her ways.~~] (if: (random: -10,10) + $scholarship is > 45 or $silverpoison is "true")[ [[Poison her in her cell]] What if she died of a sickness? Oh, of course they'd suspect you. But if her body showed the signs of disease - you might even convince them that it was the Maker's judgement. It would be a despicable act. But Serault must be preserved. You could purchase the herbs and visit her in her cell. It's safest. (if: $silverpoison is "true")[//The Purveyor of Teas had once gifted you a vial of poison. It's even more efficient than herbs...//]\ (else:)[~~//The Purveyor of Teas had once gifted you a vial of poison.//~~]]\ (else:)[~~Poison her in her cell What if she died of a sickness?~~] (if: $anchoress is "met")[ [[Let the Iconoclast go free|Return to the Anchoress' Dell]] Her crimes cannot be denied; yet, looking upon her, you wonder if you wouldn't have done the same, were you of lower birth. Against your best judgement you let her walk back into the arms of the mob. You go visit the odd old woman again, as you also have unfinished business with her...]\ (else-if: $keptcounsellor is "true" or $keptseneschal is "true")[ [[Let the Iconoclast go free|You Dream of the Shame]] Her crimes cannot be denied; yet, looking upon her, you wonder if you wouldn't have done the same, were you of lower birth. Against your best judgement you let her walk back into the arms of the mob. Despite the cheers of her followers, your sleep tonight was almost calm. Until...]\ (else:)[ [[Let the Iconoclast go free|Fire a Counsellor 2]] Her crimes cannot be denied; yet, looking upon her, you wonder if you wouldn't have done the same, were you of lower birth. Against your best judgement you let her walk back into the arms of the mob. The next days go by...] (set: $revolution to $revolution + 5)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time">]''Patience'' Time passes. Your muscles ache as you crouch, unmoving, in the undergrowth. Your quarry moves on. Silently, you rise. (if: $quarry is "boar")[ [[The sun moves closer to the west as you finally find the boar|Boar tracks]] (if: $hounds is "present")[The hounds wail in excitement. Your companions ready their spears; yours is already in hand.](else:)[You could have used the hounds now, to bait and corner your prey. Your companions ready their spears; yours is already in hand.]]\ (else:)[As the sun moves closer to the horizon, you are in luck! A reward for your patience: fresh tracks cross the path. Your quarry! You glimpse the rust-red of its fur as it grazes on a spray of long grass. It lifts its head. Its ears twitch. You have to act now. <img src="images/derringdomini.png" alt="DerringDoMini"> [[Nock an arrow. Aim]] It's a tricky shot through undergrowth.] (set: $health to $health - 5)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $woodswise to $woodswise + 1)(Your Woods-wise <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $timeleft to $timeleft - 1)(You've got $timeleft hours <img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="26" width="20"> of daylight remaining.)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time">]''The long game'' Serault labours under the depredations of the pirates as you study every new report of their movements, their habits and their targets. Gradually, a pattern begins to emerge. <img src="images/rulershipmini.png" alt="RulershipMini"> [[Tighten the policing of the river]] Search boats. Require legitimate travellers buy writs of passage. Chase down vessels that can't prove their business. Pay for all of it with increased tolls. <img src="images/cunningmini.png" alt="CunningMini"> [[Hire mercenaries and lay a trap for the river-pirates]] A few fat merchant-barges, their holds stuffed with armed men of cruel intention and ill-temper... (if: $mercs is "true")[//The Black Dogs call themselves an honourable 'free company', but they will do whatever dirty service you'll pay them to do.//]\ (else:)[~~//They will do whatever dirty service you'll pay them to do.//~~] (set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $prosperity to $prosperity - 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time">]''The long game'' Serault labours under the depredations of the pirates as you study every new report of their movements, their habits and their targets. Gradually, a pattern begins to emerge. <img src="images/rulershipmini.png" alt="RulershipMini"> [[Tighten the policing of the river|Tighten the policing of the river 1]] Search boats. Require legitimate travellers buy writs of passage. Chase down vessels that can't prove their business. Pay for all of it with increased tolls. <img src="images/cunningmini.png" alt="CunningMini"> [[Hire mercenaries and lay a trap for the river-pirates|Hire mercenaries and lay a trap for the river-pirates 1]] A few fat merchant-barges, their holds stuffed with armed men of cruel intention and ill-temper... (set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $prosperity to $prosperity - 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/bodyguard2.png" alt="Bodyguard2">]''Disappointment'' Every morning for three days the chevalier re-issues his challenge. The gate-guard grumble. Travellers take note that no-one stands for Serault. After the third day, he calls out, "There is no honour in Serault, and Orlais will hear it!" He departs. Finally: a bit of peace and quiet. [[The new moon turns crescent|Serault is Bewitched!]] The peons say this is the Biting Wind that Masked Andraste keeps leashed like a dog. It’s not. But it is a little chilly. (set: $dignity to $dignity - 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $peril to $peril - 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/bard.png" alt="Bard">]''Hidden passions'' You keep your liaisons secret, of course. Candlelit meetings. Fingers tangling briefly in the corridors. The doors to your chambers creaking softly open when the guards change their watch. Stifled giggles as a servant passes. His smile, silver in the moonlight, and the secrets he whispers before the morning. "We should do that again, sometime." [[The next day comes|The Lord of the Wood]] A serving girl is on her way to the kitchens, balancing a tray of snails on her head. She sings a song of old Serault: the Stag and the Rose. (set: $bardlover to "true")(The Bard <img src="images/bardalt.png" alt="BardAlt" height="26" width="20"> winks at you, fondly.) (set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/hawke.png" alt="Hawke">]''The traveller'' "An honour, (if: $gender is "female")[Lady $name](else:)[Lord $name]," he says. "Don't worry, I'm not here recruiting. I've business elsewhere, but I could do with a roof over my head and a warm meal for once. I can pay for my board with news of the places I've passed through, or - reluctantly - with tales about the antics of my sibling, who has more fame than I do, though less sense." [[Will you make him welcome...|An Unofficial Meeting]] ... or turn him away?

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/outlaws.png" alt="Outlaws">](if: (random: -10,10) + $woodswise is > 35)[''Off the menu'' The outlaws' encampment is well-hidden, but you track them down. Accepting your temporary amnesty, they follow you from the woods. The trees rustle in resentment. There will be no feast for the forest today. (set: $twilight to $twilight - 5)(Your Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) (set: $savedbandits to "true")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) ]\ (else:)[''An aperitif'' You arrive too late. The camp of the outlaws you were tracking is empty. A fire still burns low, a spitted brace of rabbits black above it. You find a discarded axe, half-sharpened. Here is a cup of mead, barely sipped. The forest has taken them. Hopefully its hunger will ease, now. (set: $savedbandits to "fedwoods")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) ] [[You barely notice the next days pass by|The Sorceress' Departure]] A horn sounds. Boots tramp. The changing of the wall-guard. (set: $woodswise to $woodswise + 1)(Your Woods-wise <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $peril to $peril + 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) (set: $twilight to $twilight - 5)(Your Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/lordship.png" alt="Lordship">]''Begrudged, but binding'' You let him know he won't leave the Chateau alive, should another word of his involvement in Serault's problems come to your ear. You also demand a bag fat with Orlesian royals, as way of apology. His Dour Lordship cautiously nods at your stern conditions. "My work here is done, in any case. The Divine will see Serault for what she //really// is. A house of broken glass." You shall not satisfy him with an answer, or a wrathful reaction. You leave him, and the library, behind. This insect will not catch you in his trap. The next week, your (if: $keptseneschal is "true")[Seneschal](else:)[Weary Baillif] arrives with urgent news. "Your Grace! We just got word from the border sentinels. She is here!" [[So it begins|Epilogue: The Arrival of the Divine]] <img src="images/wind.png" alt="Wind" height="26" width="20"> A brusque wind cleans the sky of clouds, and the setting sun gleams red on the fragments in the Tower of Lights. //The Divine has arrived.// (You have dealt with the Nine-Fingered Agitator's master <img src="images/lordship.png" alt="Lordship" height="26" width="20">. You have untangled the Spider's web!) (set: $lordship to "warned")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) (set: $bagroyals to "true")(You have acquired <img src="images/conciliation.png" alt="ConciliationCup" height="26" width="20"> a new asset!) (set: $peril to $peril - 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) (set: $revolution to $revolution - 5)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) (set: $prosperity to $prosperity + 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (if: $counsellor is "lordship")[(set: $counsellor to "traitor")(His Dour Lordship <img src="images/lordship.png" alt="Lordship" height="26" width="20"> is no longer your counsellor.)]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/hunter.png" alt="SilentHunter">]''Behind the smiles'' He returns to his cottage in the woods, his twilight hunts, and the patient statue of the Masked Andraste in the bluebelled glade. If she has missed him, she gives no sign. [[It's the changing of the seasons|Chapter 7: A Tangled Web]] <img src="images/wind.png" alt="Wind" height="26" width="20"> A star-wind, high and swift, pushes silver clouds to and fro beneath the moon. //You have one month until the Divine arrives.//

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/hawke.png" alt="Hawke">]''Unfamiliar luxury'' You dine on fat partridge, simmering in a pot with sweet onions and pale beans. Then a plate of round cakes, peppered with poppyseed and laced with honey. Your cook has baked Serault antlers into their crusts. Carver isn't used to such kindness. "Serault has always been a friend to the Wardens," he says, nursing his steaming cup of spiced wine. "Your ancestor," he touches his nose, rather than say the name, "did important work for us. Vital work." Interesting. [[The Champion's brother departs the next day|Prepare for the Divine 1]] Airs from the river. It is high and swift today, carrying the scent of leaves and nodding barley. (set: $wardencarver to "welcomed")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) (set: $scholarship to $scholarship + 1)(Your Scholarship <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $dignity to $dignity - 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/bard.png" alt="Bard">]''Back to form'' "Ask your questions quickly, (if: $gender is "female")[Lady $name](else:)[Lord $name]. I've been sober for days and I'm starting to remember things. Unless I drink an elephantine quantity of your very worst wines I might regain the capacity to feel guilt." "You know what the so-called 'Lord of the Forest' had me doing? Penning a ballad called '//The Shame of Serault//'. He's obsessed with it. Both the event and the man. Thinks of nothing else." (if: $health is < 60 and (history:) does not contain "Ask for the Bard back")[ [[ You need to rest!|You need to rest! 3]] Recent events have enacted their price on you.]\ (else:)[ [[A week comes and goes|Cheating Chance]] The air is calm. The sounds of Serault: carts in the streets, the blacksmiths at work, the laughter of children. ] (Your Bard <img src="images/bardalt.png" alt="BardAlt" height="26" width="20"> is restored to you. A new chapter opens <img src="images/halla.png" alt="Halla" height="26" width="20"> in the story of the Lord of the Forest.) (set: $twilight to $twilight - 5)(Your Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/lordship.png" alt="Lordship">]''The gift'' He nods, curtly. "The eyes of Orlais are on our little corner of it, and the best place for neighbours to stand is side-by-side." He claps his hands, and servants begin unpacking his baggage train. "A gift, from Alyons to Serault: supplies for the feast. Red onions and sweet peppers, fiery on the tongue. Wine - the Alyons black was shocking this year, so I brought a few casks of the '38. Such field mushrooms, wild fennel and cloves as we could manage from our meagre harvest. Ah, and a chest of Antivan olives, steeped in vinegar and stuffed with capers. I've a savage hunger for them; one of my innumerable failings. I had hoped to bring a consignment of black peppercorns from Dairsmuid, too, but the ship sank. All hands lost, along with every scrap of cargo. Typical." You see that your guest's entourage is accomodated. [[Later that day you find yourself sitting in judgement|A Plea for Sanctuary]] The Marquis of Alyons can find his own diversions; you leave him be. You prepare for another day at court, as another visitor has arrived. <img src="images/lordship.png" alt="Lordship" height="65" width="50"> [[A couple of days later, you run into His Dour Lordship|His Dour Lordship]] He seems to be alone most of the time. Many of his companions chose to stay further away, in the inns of Serault Town. (set: $prosperity to $prosperity + 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $lordship to "guest")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/lordship.png" alt="Lordship">]''The gift'' He notices your thinly-veiled hostility, but pretends otherwise. "The eyes of Orlais are on our little corner of it, and the best place for neighbours to stand is side-by-side." He claps his hands, and servants begin unpacking his baggage train. "A gift, from Alyons to Serault: supplies for the feast. Pumpkin breads and Par Vollen bananas, fiery on the tongue. Wine - the Alyons red was shocking this year, so I brought a few casks of the '39. Such honey carrots, wild pickles and stuffed cabbages as we could manage from our meagre harvest. Ah, and a chest of Nevarran rarebit, steeped in ale and stuffed with mustard. I've a savage hunger for them; one of my innumerable failings. I had hoped to bring a consignment of Llomerryn red sauce from Rivain, too, but the ship sank. All hands lost, along with every scrap of cargo. Typical." //Maker's breath//. It has been five minutes and you already can't stand him. [[Later that day you find yourself sitting in judgement|A Plea for Sanctuary]] The Marquis of Alyons can find his own diversions; you leave him be. You prepare for another day at court, as another visitor has arrived. <img src="images/lordship.png" alt="Lordship" height="65" width="50"> [[A couple of days later, you run into His Dour Lordship|His Dour Lordship]] He seems to be alone most of the time. Many of his companions chose to stay further away, in the inns of Serault Town. (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $lordship to "guest")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/lostchild.png" alt="LostChild">]''Kindling'' She climbs to her feet. "Can't Her Ladyship handle a little shit? Well shit's how highborn have treated me for seventeen years! 'The Maker made us all the same,' but you highborn tell us your blood's better than ours. Well, I say shit sticks to you the same as it does to me." You ask who's been putting these thoughts in her head. "You'll never find her. She's smoke on the wind. Her words will spread like fire across Orlais and burn the old ways down. We'll build the Golden City anew on their ashes." [[Let the serfs wear iron in the dungeons]] Chains will suit them. The dignity of Serault must be preserved. //This is a harsh sentence.// [[Condemn the serfs to a brief spell in the stocks and a modest tithe]] That should be sufficient. Nothing more serious was damaged than the Dowager's dignity. //This is a mild sentence.// (set: $freedom to $freedom + 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/forest4.png" alt="Forest4">](if: (random: -10,10) + $woodswise is > 35)[''Wisps'' Glowing witch-lights flicker between the branches, hoping to lure you into a gulping bog or sudden gorge. You're not so foolish. (set: $twilight to $twilight - 5)(Your Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) ]\ (else:)[''Only a traveller'' He is as lost as you. He carries a brass lamp to ward against the forest gloom, and asks for directions. After exchanging courtesies, you go your separate ways. You concentrate on making headway through the dense undergrowth. Your lungs labor. Thorns rake your skin. (set: $health to $health - 10)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10...) (set: $timeleft to $timeleft - 1)(You've got $timeleft hours <img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="26" width="20"> of daylight remaining.)] (if: $health is < 70)[ [[You feel weak]] You don't think you know where you quarry is anymore...]\ (else-if: $quarry is "boar")[ [[The sun moves closer to the west as you finally find the boar|Boar tracks]] It has been a while since you felt so vulnerable. It's you, the beast, and the vastness of the Applewoods all around you.]\ (else:)[After what seems like hours, a reward for your boldness: fresh tracks cross the path. Your quarry! You glimpse the rust-red of its fur as it grazes on a spray of long grass. It lifts its head. Its ears twitch. You have to act now. <img src="images/derringdomini.png" alt="DerringDoMini"> [[Nock an arrow. Aim]] It's a tricky shot through undergrowth.] (set: $woodswise to $woodswise + 1)(Your Woods-wise <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/dowager.png" alt="Dowager">]''Gardening'' She turns a cold gaze on the serfs, speaking so they can hear. "If it were up to me I would find whatever part of them this rot has set in, and prune it root and stem. Fingers. Tongue. Heart..." "Mark my words: the only way to keep this evil from spreading is to cut it out. But their fate is yours. I am no longer young, and my soul does not need the stain." [[Let the serfs wear iron in the dungeons]] Chains will suit them. The dignity of Serault must be preserved. //This is a harsh sentence.// [[Condemn the serfs to a brief spell in the stocks and a modest tithe]] That should be sufficient. Nothing more serious was damaged than the Dowager's dignity. //This is a mild sentence.// (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/forest2.png" alt="Forest2">]''A wind from another world'' When the boughs whisper, the woods are hungry. At times like this people go missing on its trails. Wisps burn in the gloom under the leaves. Sing-song voices echo between the boles. It's not spoken of openly, but every Seraultine knows that old, forgotten things dwell in the woods. From time to time they must be treated with, or driven back. [[Drive criminals into the Deepwoods]] Let the forest have them. It will be a fit punishment. <img src="images/woodswisemini.png" alt="WoodsWiseMini"> [[Warn even the lawless folk]] No-one deserves what waits in the woods. You'll need to seek them out, despite being the very person they're hiding from. [[Take no part]] You have no place between the heathen things of the wood and lawless men. They are welcome to each other.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/trap.png" alt="Trap">]''The lady in waiting'' A new lady in waiting had quickly become the Dowager's favourite. As soon as the Dowager's malady struck, the girl disappeared. One of the Dowager's servants brings you her letter of introduction. It claims descent from a minor, but recognisable, family of southern Orlais. The sentiment is impeccable, the lineage is authentic, and the seal is fake. "Pretty thing," the servant says. "Green eyes. Red hair. Demure. She was funny about her gloves. Never took them off." (if: (history:) does not contain "Trace the poison")[ [[Trace the poison]] Someone made it. Someone sold it.]\ (else:)[~~Trace the poison Someone made it. Someone sold it.~~] (if: (history:) contains "Trace the poison")[ <img src="images/door.png" alt="Door"> [[Circulate the poisoner's description]] She won't get away with this. Set your agents on her trail. //You know enough to proceed with the investigation.//]\ (else-if: (random: -10,10) + $cunning is > 45)[ <img src="images/door.png" alt="Door"> [[Circulate the poisoner's description]] She won't get away with this. Set your agents on her trail. //You know enough to proceed with the investigation.//]\ (else:)[~~Circulate the poisoner's description She won't get away with this. Set your agents on her trail.~~] (set: $dignity to $dignity - 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/forest1.png" alt="Forest1">](if: (random: -10,10) + $woodswise is > 45 or $elves is "battle")[''A path of flowers'' There are no tracks in the thick grass. You cast about uselessly. The sun is hot. That might be a distant stream... You recall your herbary. Your visitor garlanded the statue with cuckoo-flowers - and cuckoo-flowers grow best at the water's edge! Now you push through the undergrowth in that direction, towards the sound of running water. Small beasts flee your passage. Here's the stream... and here, in the mud at its verge, fresh footprints. Sandalled feet. You follow them. You are close. You keep your hand close to your sword-hilt. These are the Applewoods. Abruptly the ground slopes under you. You grab at a bush: branches tear off in your hand! You half-slide, half-fall, down a scree-strewn slope... [[You stumble upon a bush]] It softened your fall somewhat. You look around; this is a dell. (You are in a secret place <img src="images/forest3.png" alt="Forest3" height="26" width="20">. You've passed beneath the Last River and found a shrine to Masked Andraste <img src="images/path.png" alt="Path" height="26" width="20"> in the Applewoods.)]\ (else:)[''No trace'' Birdsong. Undergrowth rustling with life. The sun beats down; you rest in the shade of a wild apple-tree, and cautiously nibble at its fruit. Too much can be intoxicating. No sign of tracks, no sign of visitors. Distantly, across the river, the sound of Chantry bells. In all likelihood your absence has been noticed by now. You should return, before the Weary Bailiff worries and orders a search. [[Return to the Chateau|Return to the Chateau 2]] It's time to leave.] (set: $woodswise to $woodswise + 1)(Your Woods-wise <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(if: (random: -10,10) + $cunning is > 45 or $counsellor is "lordship")[(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/coin1.png" alt="Coin1">]''Digging deeper'' Is she acting alone? At whose command? Perhaps it's time to devote your attention to finding out. The glassworkers' revolt. The attempted framing of the Dashing Outlaw. The poisoning of the Acerbic Dowager. Perhaps even the Elusive Iconoclast herself had received the Agitator's support. [[You consider your next action]] You mustn't fail. The Divine will arrive any day now. (You are unravelling <img src="images/clues.png" alt="Clues" height="26" width="20"> a Tangled Web.) (set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) ]\ (else:)[(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/coin2.png" alt="Coin2">]''Doubts'' You search, you brood, you bark angry orders at your chevaliers. But nothing comes up. It's as if the mysterious Agitator had vanished in a swirl of magic. There is no point in doubting yourself any further now. The moon is bright. You drink your cup of wine, then go to bed. Your dreams are pleasantly untroubled. [[Time marches on|A Cowled Visitor]] (if: $abbesslover is "true")["You have a visitor, my love," the Elegant Abbess tells you one morning in a quiet tone. It's hard to read her, beneath those robes and mask. Is she sweating?](if: $bardlover is "true")["Dear, there is someone waiting to see you." The Wayward Bard is not easily disturbed, but you can tell this visitor got him concerned. He looks at you. "She is waiting in the Great Hall."](else:)[A woman has arrived at the chateau looking for a private audience, you are told. Your Weary Baillif looks nervous. Who is she?] (set: $agitator to "vanished")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) (set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) ]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/rumour.png" alt="BlackScroll">]''You favour them with your time'' Some enjoy your conversation, others the scandalous morsels of gossip you let slip. Most just like being listened to. Before long you overhear them praising you to the Divine. (if: $chantryunsealed is "true")[ [[Things seemed to be going rather well|The Chantry, Unsealed]] Until, of course, disaster struck.]\ (else-if: $divinefavour is > 4)[ [[Later on, some good news|The Keys]] Justinia, fifth of her name, wishes to speak.]\ (else:)[ [[The feast winds down|The Feast is Ending]] You are tired of smiling, conversing and flattering. Was it worth it?] (set: $divinefavour to $divinefavour + 1)(Your Divine's Favour <img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril">]''Given to the wolves'' "Serault has fallen", whisper her neighbours. "Only robbers and murderers live there, now." [[A fortnight passes|The Dowager Steps Forward]] The wind changes direction, blowing from the cluster of tanneries on the far bank. You order the windows closed. (set: $dignity to $dignity - 15)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 15...) (set: $peril to $peril + 15)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 15...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight">]''Night-tales'' What do they say in neighbouring provinces? That Serault's children are born with mismatched eyes and spells on their lips. That her calves grow two heads, and eating them awakes a hunger that can only be sated by the blood of your own family. That as the sun sets each day, it weeps tears of fire, for fear it won't rise again. (if: $bardenvoy is "true")[ [[Night falls|The Wayward Bard's Return]] You have a visitor. He returned a bit more pale than usual.]\ (else:)[ [[The Wayward Bard crosses your path|An Assault on your Person]] Airs from the river. It is low today, and reeks of oozing mud and flopping eels.] (set: $dignity to $dignity - 15)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 15...) (set: $twilight to $twilight + 15)(Your Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 15...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/conciliation.png" alt="ConciliationCup">]\ (align:"=><=")[''YOUR ASSETS'']\ ''Grand Assets'' (if: $divinecommission is "true")[<img src="images/commission.png" alt="Commission" height="65" width="50"> * A Ludicrously Lucrative Commission: //The Divine has commissioned Serault to craft new stained glass for every window in the Grand Cathedral. Untold amounts of wealth shall flow to the Thousand-Windowed Castle...//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This asset hasn't found its way to your treasury.] (if: $seraultmask is "true")[<img src="images/mask.png" alt="Mask" height="65" width="50"> * The Glass-Antlered Mask of Serault: //It weeps with rubies. It is the dignity of your house, restored at last.// ]\ (else-if: $seraultmask is "destroyed")[<img src="images/bag.png" alt="Bag" height="65" width="50"> * A Thousand Fragments of Ruby and Glass: //They will feed all Serault's poor for years to come.// ]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This asset hasn't found its way to your treasury.] (if: $chantrykeys is "true")[<img src="images/lock.png" alt="Lock" height="65" width="50"> * The Chantry Keys: //The Keys to the Sealed Chantry. A shining beacon in the West.//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This asset hasn't found its way to your treasury.] ''Personal Assets'' (if: $elfroot is > 0)[<img src="images/elfroot.png" alt="Elfroot" height="65" width="50"> * Elfroot: //The common name for the healing herb canavaris; you have a total of $elfroot with you.// ]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This asset hasn't found its way to your treasury.] (if: $bagroyals is "true")[<img src="images/coin2.png" alt="Coin2" height="65" width="50"> * Bag of Royals: //Sometimes, a situation demands honest Orlesian gold.//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This asset hasn't found its way to your treasury.] (if: $finery is "true")[<img src="images/coin1.png" alt="Coin1" height="65" width="50"> * Antivan Vests: //Exotic and expensive, these fine pieces of clothing fit you well - and fill the court with envy.//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This asset hasn't found its way to your treasury.] (if: $silverpoison is "true")[<img src="images/bag.png" alt="Bag" height="65" width="50"> * A Tiny Pouch of Eye-Watering Latterfluss Tea: //A gift from the Purveyor of Teas. The rumours of it being brewed with lyrium are certainly false. As long as you limit yourself to a single cup per week, it's very unlikely to kill you.//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This asset hasn't found its way to your treasury.] (if: $corypheus is "true")[<img src="images/ring2.png" alt="ShameRing" height="65" width="50"> * The Shame's Journal: //This journal vaguely describes a job the Shame of Serault had done for the Grey Wardens in the Vimmark Mountains, involving blood magic and a strange prisoner.//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This asset hasn't found its way to your treasury.] ''Hunting Assets'' (if: $trophies is > 1)[<img src="images/tracks.png" alt="Tracks" height="65" width="50"> * Trophy Collection: //You have found $trophies unique trophies so far.//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This asset hasn't found its way to your treasury.] (if: $hindtrophy is "true")[<img src="images/halla.png" alt="Dignity" height="65" width="50"> * A Stuffed Hind: //Your prize, after hours of hunting beneath the shadows of the Applewoods.// ]\ (else-if: $boartrophy is "true")[<img src="images/boar.png" alt="Boar" height="65" width="50"> * A Boar's Head: //The boar fought. The boar fell. You were its doom.// ]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This asset hasn't found its way to your treasury.] (if: $claw is "true")[<img src="images/trophy.png" alt="Trophy" height="65" width="50"> * The Dragon's Toe: //Could this be an archdemon's claw?// ]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This asset hasn't found its way to your treasury.] (if: $morriganstaff is "true")[<img src="images/magic.png" alt="Magic" height="65" width="50"> * A Sorceress' Staff: //The Empress' apostate paid a heavy price for her insistence.// ]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This asset hasn't found its way to your treasury.] (if: $banditsword is "true")[<img src="images/outlaws.png" alt="Outlaws" height="65" width="50"> * A Bandit-Champion's Sword: //The daughter of the Corpse-Dancer clan fought well, but she was no match your skill.// ]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This asset hasn't found its way to your treasury.] (if: $chevalier is "true")[<img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="65" width="50"> * A Chevalier's Arms: //He fought well, but lost to Serault's champion. His sword and shield look splendid, shining in the Hall of Glories.//]\ (else-if: $chevalier is "yourself")[<img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="65" width="50"> * A Chevalier's Arms: //He fought well, but lost to your skill and sagacity. His sword and shield look splendid, shining in the Hall of Glories.//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This asset hasn't found its way to your treasury.] (if: $bereskarntrophy is "true")[<img src="images/bereskarn.png" alt="Bereskarn" height="65" width="50"> * A Bereskarn's Hide: //The Terror of the Tirashan fought a hard battle, but it was vanquished after much blood was shed. Its spiked ferocity inspires awe.//]\ (else-if: $wyverntrophy is "true")[<img src="images/wyvern.png" alt="Wyvern" height="65" width="50"> * A Wyvern's Carcass: //Distant cousins to dragons, wyverns can be as deadly to the unwary as their flying brethren. This one almost killed you, but was vanquished by your bravery.//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This asset hasn't found its way to your treasury.] ''Other Assets'' (if: $simplewindows is "true")[<img src="images/chateau.png" alt="TowerLights" height="65" width="50"> * New Windows: //The Great Hall's new windows might look simple, but Serault's wealth comes from selling glass - not using it.//]\ (else-if: $simplewindows is "false")[<img src="images/chateau.png" alt="TowerLights" height="65" width="50"> * A Thousand Windows: //The Great Hall's new windows are a splendour of colours, casting the sun's rays as shining rainbows.//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This asset hasn't found its way to your treasury.] (if: $outlawpardon is "true")[<img src="images/commission.png" alt="Commission" height="65" width="50"> * The Dashing Outlaw's Pardon: //Marked with the Divine's own seal.//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This asset hasn't found its way to your treasury.] (if: $theherald is "true")[<img src="images/chest.png" alt="Chest" height="65" width="50"> * A Neighbour's Gift: //A chest of bright silks and sweet perfumes.//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This asset hasn't found its way to your treasury.] (if: $merchantcargo is "true")[<img src="images/male3.png" alt="Male3" height="65" width="50"> * The Missing Merchant's Cargo: //It is said that in Serault, one may do as they please...//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This asset hasn't found its way to your treasury.] (if: $codecracked is "true")[<img src="images/clues.png" alt="Clues" height="65" width="50"> * The Revolution's Code: //After much time and effort, you have managed to crack open the graffiti code used by the revolutionaries that plague your isolated realm.//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This asset hasn't found its way to your treasury.] (if: $tithe is "true")[<img src="images/coin1.png" alt="Coin1" height="65" width="50"> * A Vassal's Tithe: //He was Serault's most faithful son, the Marquisate's treasury his firstborn heir.//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This asset hasn't found its way to your treasury.] (if: $merchantgoods is "true")[<img src="images/male4.png" alt="Male4" height="65" width="50"> * The Merchants' Stolen Goods: //They were robbed by bandits pretending to belong to the Dashing Outlaw's group. You made the effort to recover them; now, they are yours.//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This asset hasn't found its way to your treasury.]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror">]\ (align:"=><=")[''YOUR EVENTS'']\ ''Key Events'' (if: $seraulthonour is "true")[<img src="images/serault.png" alt="SeraultArms" height="65" width="50"> * Serault's Honour: //The stain on Serault's reputation has been removed!//]\ (else-if: $seraulthonour is "failure")[<img src="images/serault.png" alt="SeraultArms" height="65" width="50"> * Serault's Honour: //The stain on Serault's reputation remains...//]\ (else-if: $seraulthonour is "shamed")[<img src="images/serault.png" alt="SeraultArms" height="65" width="50"> * The Shame's Heir: //Infamy suits you. You have been declared the Second Shame of Serault; for now, however, both the court and the people of the Marquisate stand by your side.//]\ (else-if: $seraulthonour is "horned")[<img src="images/serault.png" alt="SeraultArms" height="65" width="50"> * The (if: $gender is "female")[Marquise](else:)[Marquis] and the Knight: //You have come to an understanding with the Horned Knight. There is a darkness coming, and it's his aid you will need - not the Divine's.//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/wind.png" alt="Wind" height="65" width="50"> * The Way of Things: //What will the day bring?//] (if: $gender is "male")[<img src="images/ring1.png" alt="MarquisRing" height="65" width="50"> * Addressed as a Lord: //How do they speak to you?//]\ (else-if: $gender is "female")[<img src="images/ring1.png" alt="MarquisRing" height="65" width="50"> * Addressed as a Lady: //How do they speak to you?//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/orlais.png" alt="Orlais" height="65" width="50"> * A Stranger: //A past yet to be revealed.//] (if: (history:) contains "You are the Huntress")[<img src="images/orlais.png" alt="Orlais" height="65" width="50"> * The (if: $gender is "female")[Huntress](else:)[Hunter]: //You grew up under the hardened care of loyal chevaliers, guardsmen and hunting retainers, with few being able to match your talent for archery and sword-play.//]\ (else-if: (history:) contains "You are the Scholar")[<img src="images/orlais.png" alt="Orlais" height="65" width="50"> * The Scholar: //You were trained and instructed by several of the brilliant minds seeking refuge - and, often, radical change - in Serault.//]\ (else-if: (history:) contains "You are the Alchemist")[<img src="images/orlais.png" alt="Orlais" height="65" width="50"> * The Alchemist: //You were the ward of an old herbalist, who taught you everything he knew - including how malady and medicine are frequently two sides of the same coin.//]\ (else-if: (history:) contains "You are the Envoy")[<img src="images/orlais.png" alt="Orlais" height="65" width="50"> * The Envoy: //You were raised by diplomats and courtiers, frequently visiting the court of your vassals to represent your mother's interests - and if needed, push them on her behalf.//]\ (else-if: (history:) contains "You are the Initiate")[<img src="images/orlais.png" alt="Orlais" height="65" width="50"> * The Initiate: //You were put under the care of the Chantry, raised as a (if: $gender is "female")[sister](else:)[brother] of the cloth before eventually claiming your birthright.//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This event hasn't happened to you.] (if: $shamelegacy is "fool")[<img src="images/ring2.png" alt="ShameRing" height="65" width="50"> * The Shame's Legacy: //His egotistical drive led Serault to the edge of doom, and got himself butchered like a mad dog. You may live under his shadow, but one day you shall rebuild everything he brought down.//]\ (else-if: $shamelegacy is "visionary")[<img src="images/ring2.png" alt="ShameRing" height="65" width="50"> * The Shame's Legacy: //You shall repair the old towers spread across the Marquisate. The Tower of Lights shall shine; a hundred mirrors linking all of Serault, a wonder unseen anywhere else in the world.//]\ (else-if: $shamelegacy is "man")[<img src="images/ring2.png" alt="ShameRing" height="65" width="50"> * The Shame's Legacy: //You are not very different from him, are you? You have fought, loved, acted on both impulse and on what you understand as reason. Everyone makes mistakes... it is up to you to learn from them.//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This event hasn't happened to you.] (if: $battle is 1)[<img src="images/bodyguard2.png" alt="Bodyguard2" height="65" width="50"> * Defender of Serault: //You have personally sought battle against opponents of Serault, taking horse and blade to defend your land.//]\ (else-if: $battle is > 1)[<img src="images/bodyguard2.png" alt="Bodyguard2" height="65" width="50"> * Defender of Serault: //You have personally sought battle against opponents of Serault on $battle occasions, taking horse and blade to defend your land.//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This event hasn't happened to you.] ''Special Guests'' (if: $morrigan is "welcomed")[<img src="images/morrigan.png" alt="Morrigan" height="65" width="50"> * The Scornful Sorceress: //The Empress' 'occult adviser' is performing secretive research in the glassworks.//]\ (else-if: $morrigan is "around")[<img src="images/riverside.png" alt="Riverside" height="65" width="50"> * The Ghost of the Glassworks: //There are rumours of strange events at the glassworks...//]\ (else-if: $morrigan is "purged")[<img src="images/morrigan.png" alt="Morrigan" height="65" width="50"> * The Ghost of the Glassworks: //You have purged the Empress' 'occult adviser' from Serault.//]\ (else-if: $morrigan is "departed")[<img src="images/morrigan.png" alt="Morrigan" height="65" width="50"> * The Scornful Sorceress: //The Empress' 'occult adviser' has returned to the imperial capital of Val Royeaux, cleansing much of the darkness in the Applewoods on her way back.//]\ (else-if: $morrigan is "eluvian")[<img src="images/morrigan.png" alt="Morrigan" height="65" width="50"> * The Scornful Sorceress: //The Empress' 'occult adviser' has returned to the imperial court; she revealed an Eluvian she had restored using Serault's unique mastery of glass.//]\ (else-if: $morrigan is "leliana")[<img src="images/morrigan.png" alt="Morrigan" height="65" width="50"> * The Scornful Sorceress: //The Empress' 'occult adviser' has returned to Val Royeaux. She revealed that a bard, one 'Leliana', is among the Divine's greatest assets...//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This event hasn't happened to you.] (if: $lordship is "guest")[<img src="images/lordship.png" alt="Lordship" height="65" width="50"> * Good Neighbours: //His Dour Lordship, Marquis of neighbouring Alyons, has arrived for the Feast.//]\ (else-if: $lordship is "goodguest")[<img src="images/lordship.png" alt="Lordship" height="65" width="50"> * Good Neighbours: //You and His Dour Lordship might have more in common than the blood you share.//]\ (else-if: $lordship is "feast")[<img src="images/lordship.png" alt="Lordship" height="65" width="50"> * Good Neighbours: //His Dour Lordship watches your every move. He seems eager to get the Divine's attention.//]\ (else-if: $lordship is "successful")[<img src="images/lordship.png" alt="Lordship" height="65" width="50"> * Good Neighbours: //His Lordship attempted to tarnish Serault's reputation before the Divine, and may soon add the Lands Between the Rivers to his own domain...//]\ (else-if: $lordship is "failure")[<img src="images/lordship.png" alt="Lordship" height="65" width="50"> * Good Neighbours: //His Lordship attempted to tarnish Serault's reputation before the Divine, but failed. The Lands Between the Rivers shall remain yours!//]\ (else-if: $lordship is "warned")[<img src="images/lordship.png" alt="Lordship" height="65" width="50"> * Good Neighbours: //You uncovered His Dour Lordship's schemes.//]\ (else-if: $lordship is "arrested")[<img src="images/lordship.png" alt="Lordship" height="65" width="50"> * Good Neighbours: //His Dour Lordship rots in your dungeons.//]\ (else-if: $lordship is "banished")[<img src="images/lordship.png" alt="Lordship" height="65" width="50"> * Good Neighbours: //His Dour Lordship is cast out of Serault, missing the Feast of the Divine.//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This event hasn't happened to you.] (if: $templarcarver is "welcomed")[<img src="images/hawke.png" alt="Hawke" height="65" width="50"> * The Champion's Brother: //You welcomed the Templar, Carver Hawke. He had interesting things to say about the Templars who broke away from the Chantry, and the Seekers who lead them.//]\ (else-if: $templarcarver is "refused")[<img src="images/hawke.png" alt="Hawke" height="65" width="50"> * The Champion's Brother: //You spurned the Templar, Carver Hawke. The Order is not welcome in Serault...//]\ (else-if: $wardencarver is "welcomed")[<img src="images/hawke.png" alt="Hawke" height="65" width="50"> * The Champion's Brother: //You welcomed the Grey Warden, Carver Hawke. He revealed that his grey-cloaked brethren had once enlisted the help of the Shame himself...//]\ (else-if: $wardencarver is "refused")[<img src="images/hawke.png" alt="Hawke" height="65" width="50"> * The Champion's Brother: //You spurned the Grey Warden, Carver Hawke. Trouble always follows a Warden...//]\ (else-if: $fakecarver is "freed")[<img src="images/mask.png" alt="Mask" height="65" width="50"> * The Imposter: //You freed the imposter claiming to be Carver Hawke, brother to the Champion. His secrets are now yours.//]\ (else-if: $fakecarver is "arrested")[<img src="images/mask.png" alt="Mask" height="65" width="50"> * The Imposter: //You arrested the imposter claiming to be Carver Hawke, brother to the Champion. He shall trouble the realm no more.//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This event hasn't happened to you.] (if: $anchoress is "met")[<img src="images/rosemage.png" alt="RoseMage" height="65" width="50"> * The Anchoress: //She is the Shame's daughter, your own great-aunt.//]\ (else-if: $anchoress is "banished")[<img src="images/rosemage.png" alt="RoseMage" height="65" width="50"> * The Anchoress' Fate: //The Anchoress left Serault and all trace of her existence was removed. Where shall she wander to now...//]\ (else-if: $anchoress is "arrested")[<img src="images/rosemage.png" alt="RoseMage" height="65" width="50"> * The Anchoress' Fate: //The Anchoress was imprisoned to be handed over to Divine Justinia V. Her fate, the queer Templar cerimony they call Tranquility...//]\ (else-if: $anchoress is "notgiven")[<img src="images/rosemage.png" alt="RoseMage" height="65" width="50"> * The Anchoress' Fate: //The Anchoress was imprisoned to be handed over to the Chantry, but you changed your mind. She can stay in your dungeons for now...//]\ (else-if: $anchoress is "welcomed")[<img src="images/rosemage.png" alt="RoseMage" height="65" width="50"> * The Anchoress' Fate: //The Anchoress was brought to the Chateau to live with her kin. Your great-aunt might be half-wild and half-crazy, but hers is the blood of Serault, as warm and crimson as your own.//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This event hasn't happened to you.] (if: $chantryunsealed is "true")[<img src="images/chantrydoor.png" alt="ChantryDoor" height="65" width="50"> * The Sealed Chantry: //You've opened the door of the Sealed Chantry...//]\ (else-if: $chantryunsealed is "false")[<img src="images/chantrydoor.png" alt="ChantryDoor" height="65" width="50"> * The Sealed Chantry: //You left the Sealed Chantry silenced in rusty chains, its mysteries beyond your grasp.//]\ (else-if: $chantryunsealed is "defied")[<img src="images/chantrydoor.png" alt="ChantryDoor" height="65" width="50"> * The Sealed Chantry: //You broke into the Sealed Chantry and defied the Divine when confronted.//]\ (else-if: $chantryunsealed is "lied")[<img src="images/chantrydoor.png" alt="ChantryDoor" height="65" width="50"> * The Sealed Chantry: //You broke into the Sealed Chantry and lied to the Divine when confronted.//]\ (else-if: $chantryunsealed is "begged")[<img src="images/chantrydoor.png" alt="ChantryDoor" height="65" width="50"> * The Sealed Chantry: //You broke into the Sealed Chantry and begged the Divine's forgiveness.//]\ (else-if: $chantryunsealed is "betrayed")[<img src="images/chantrydoor.png" alt="ChantryDoor" height="65" width="50"> * The Sealed Chantry: //You broke into the Sealed Chantry and gave the Anchoress to the Divine.//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This event hasn't happened to you.] (if: $hunterinfo is "good")[<img src="images/hunter.png" alt="Hunter" height="65" width="50"> * The Hunter's Information: //'The woods-widow saw pigs meet with the hounds, and geese belabour the bulls. The Black Knot gather where the leaves are grey. Beware of crows.'//]\ (else-if: $hunterinfo is "bad")[<img src="images/hunter.png" alt="Hunter" height="65" width="50"> * The Hunter's Information: //'The mother has eyes of fire; the daughter, a heart of it. The Red Song dance with the Dead Rose. The Horned Knight crosses the old boundaries.'//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This event hasn't happened to you.] (if: $assassin is "revolutionary")[<img src="images/agitator.png" alt="Agitator" height="65" width="50"> * The Assassin: //You have survived an assassination attempt by a revolutionary. They seem hell-bent on bringing radical change to Serault...//]\ (else-if: $assassin is "killed")[<img src="images/agitator.png" alt="Agitator" height="65" width="50"> * The Assassin: //You have survived an assassination attempt by unknown forces. Your response was swift; one does not threaten the House of Glass without suffering the consequences...//]\ (else-if: $assassin is "hiredblade")[<img src="images/agitator.png" alt="Agitator" height="65" width="50"> * The Assassin: //You have survived an assassination attempt by a rival house. They sought to destroy Serault from the very top...//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This event hasn't happened to you.] (if: $mockinglady is "true")[<img src="images/divinesmile.png" alt="DivineSmile" height="65" width="50"> * The Mocking Lady: //She insulted the lord of Ezoire, and had to leave his lands. In Serault, she has found a home with thicker skin.//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This event hasn't happened to you.] (if: $seekersecret is "true")[<img src="images/seeker.png" alt="Seeker" height="65" width="50"> * The Seeker's Secrets: //A rogue Seeker of Truth came to Serault in advance of the Divine's arrival, offering the most delicious secrets.//]\ (else-if: $seekersecret is "refused")[<img src="images/seeker.png" alt="Seeker" height="65" width="50"> * The Seeker's Secrets: //A rogue Seeker of Truth came to Serault in advance of the Divine's arrival, leaving in the wake of a stern warning.//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This event hasn't happened to you.] (if: $maskedandraste is "true")[<img src="images/abbessalt.png" alt="AbbessAlt" height="65" width="50"> * The Rites of Masked Andraste: //You have paid your respects to the Masked Andraste under the shadow of a moonless night.//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This event hasn't happened to you.] (if: $bereskarnrumour is "true")[<img src="images/bereskarn.png" alt="Bereskarn" height="65" width="50"> * Rumours of a Bereskarn: //You have heard of a bereskarn terrorizing the forest villages.//]\ (else-if: $bereskarnrumour is "solved")[<img src="images/bereskarn.png" alt="Bereskarn" height="65" width="50"> * The Bereskarn's Rampage: //It took a savage hunt in the Deepwoods, but the Blighted beast is gone for good.//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This event hasn't happened to you.] (if: $chanterblessing is "true")[<img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="65" width="50"> * A Chanter's Blessing: //A lonely Chanter blessed you amidst the leaves of the Greenwood. Perhaps the Maker Himself is on your side now?//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This event hasn't happened to you.] (if: $bardenvoy is "true")[<img src="images/bardalt.png" alt="BardAlt" height="65" width="50"> * The Bard's Mission: //You sent the Wayward Bard on a special mission. His task? Finding a pair of murderers in the depths of the Applewoods...//]\ (else-if: $bardenvoy is "done")[<img src="images/bardalt.png" alt="BardAlt" height="65" width="50"> * The Bard's Mission: //His song-worthy mission into the Applewoods was complete, but he still found the chance to save your life right after. Show-off.//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This event hasn't happened to you.] (if: $missingbard is "rescued")[<img src="images/bardalt.png" alt="BardAlt" height="65" width="50"> * The Missing Bard: //You reclaimed your Bard and restored him to your court.//]\ (else-if: $missingbard is "true")[<img src="images/bardalt.png" alt="BardAlt" height="65" width="50"> * The Missing Bard: //The Wayward Bard has been poached by the Horned Knight!//]\ (else-if: $missingbard is "shared")[<img src="images/bardalt.png" alt="BardAlt" height="65" width="50"> * The Missing Bard: //You're sharing the Bard with the Horned Knight.//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This event hasn't happened to you.] (if: $bardsong is "true")[<img src="images/halla.png" alt="Dignity" height="65" width="50"> * The Seat of the Stag: //By the Maker, he actually finished it.//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This event hasn't happened to you.] (if: $marjolaine is "true")[<img src="images/divine.png" alt="Divine" height="65" width="50"> * The Divine's Past: //Her Perfection, Justinia V, wasn't always so perfect. You have learned of a name from her past that could be useful...//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This event hasn't happened to you.] ''Lord of the Wood'' (if: $unwelcome is "true")[<img src="images/forest4.png" alt="Forest4" height="65" width="50"> * Unwelcome: //The woods are not safe for you...//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This event hasn't happened to you.] (if: $debt is "true")[<img src="images/hornedhelm.png" alt="HornedKnight" height="65" width="50"> * In the Horned Knight's Debt: //The Horned Knight who calls himself Lord of the Forest considers you in his debt.//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This event hasn't happened to you.] (if: $knightfury is 1)[<img src="images/hornedhelm.png" alt="HornedKnight" height="65" width="50"> * The Horned Knight's Patience: //You have tested the Horned Knight's patience. For now, the Lord of the Forest sees you as a possible threat.//]\ (else-if: $knightfury is > 1)[<img src="images/hornedhelm.png" alt="HornedKnight" height="65" width="50"> * The Horned Knight's Patience: //You have tested the Horned Knight's patience on $knightfury occasions. For now, the Lord of the Forest sees you as an enemy.//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This event hasn't happened to you.] (if: $errantsiblings is "rescued")[<img src="images/hornedhelm.png" alt="HornedKnight" height="65" width="50"> * The Errant Siblings: //You retrieved them and enacted Serault's justice.//]\ (else-if: $errantsiblings is "abandoned")[<img src="images/hornedhelm.png" alt="HornedKnight" height="65" width="50"> * The Errant Siblings: //They killed a peddler and were lost to the forest.//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This event hasn't happened to you.] (if: $knightson is "revenge")[<img src="images/hornedhelm.png" alt="HornedKnight" height="65" width="50"> * The Horned Knight's Son: //You granted him vengeance upon the poacher who slew his deer-son.//]\ (else-if: $knightson is "denied")[<img src="images/hornedhelm.png" alt="HornedKnight" height="65" width="50"> * The Horned Knight's Son: //You denied the Horned Knight's vengeance over his slain deer-son and spared the poacher.//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This event hasn't happened to you.] (if: $abbessroad is "forced")[<img src="images/hornedhelm.png" alt="HornedKnight" height="65" width="50"> * The Abbess' Road: //When the Abbess tried to build a road through the forest, the Horned Knight opposed her. He lost the Woodswar to your forces.//]\ (else-if: $abbessroad is "stopped")[<img src="images/hornedhelm.png" alt="HornedKnight" height="65" width="50"> * The Abbess' Road: //The road was unfinished. Roots and moss claim its forgotten stones.//]\ (else-if: $abbessroad is "allowed")[<img src="images/hornedhelm.png" alt="HornedKnight" height="65" width="50"> * The Abbess' Road: //The road is a success. It was only built thanks to the Horned Knight's cooperation.//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This event hasn't happened to you.] (if: $heartwood is "true")[<img src="images/hornedhelm.png" alt="HornedKnight" height="65" width="50"> * The Heartwood Feast: //You accepted the Horned Knight's invitation, becoming an honoured guest at his strange court.//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This event hasn't happened to you.] (if: $knightoath is "given")[<img src="images/hornedhelm.png" alt="HornedKnight" height="65" width="50"> * The Horned Knight's Gift: //You promised to let him give the Divine a gift. Shall you keep your oath?//]\ (else-if: $knightoath is "allowed")[<img src="images/hornedhelm.png" alt="HornedKnight" height="65" width="50"> * The Horned Knight's Gift: //You kept your oath and allowed him to present his gift to the Divine. That earned you infamy to match the Shame himself.//]\ (else-if: $knightoath is "brokenbadly")[<img src="images/hornedhelm.png" alt="HornedKnight" height="65" width="50"> * The Horned Knight's Gift: //You broke your oath and kept his gift from the Divine. He was not pleased.//]\ (else-if: $knightoath is "brokenwell")[<img src="images/hornedhelm.png" alt="HornedKnight" height="65" width="50"> * The Horned Knight's Gift: //You broke your oath and kept his gift from the Divine. Thankfully, he never found out.//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This event hasn't happened to you.] ''Rumours of Revolution'' (if: $flamesfreedom is "true")[<img src="images/fire.png" alt="Fire" height="65" width="50"> * Flames of Freedom: //An Elusive Iconoclast has been preaching revolution in Serault...//]\ (else-if: $flamesfreedom is "killed")[<img src="images/iconoclast.png" alt="Iconoclast" height="65" width="50"> * Flames of Freedom: //The Elusive Iconoclast has been dealt with; her hanged body swings to the touch of the wind...//]\ (else-if: $flamesfreedom is "murdered")[<img src="images/iconoclast.png" alt="Iconoclast" height="65" width="50"> * Flames of Freedom: //The Elusive Iconoclast has been dealt with; the poison did its job, slaying her reputation and the woman both.//]\ (else-if: $flamesfreedom is "secluded")[<img src="images/iconoclast.png" alt="Iconoclast" height="65" width="50"> * Flames of Freedom: //The Elusive Iconoclast has been cloistered in the Rose Tower of the Abbey of the Bans; the only story she will recite now is that of the Chant of Light.//]\ (else-if: $flamesfreedom is "free")[<img src="images/iconoclast.png" alt="Iconoclast" height="65" width="50"> * Flames of Freedom: //The Elusive Iconoclast has been set free; in spite of your mercy, she fiercely toils to topple your rule and bring about the revolution she craves so much.//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This event hasn't happened to you.] (if: $dowagerfury is "harsh")[<img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Rumours" height="65" width="50"> * The Dowager's Fury: //The Dowager brought some peasants who pelted her with dung before you for judgement; you imposed a harsh sentence.//]\ (else-if: $dowagerfury is "light")[<img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Rumours" height="65" width="50"> * The Dowager's Fury: //You imposed a light sentence upon the troublemakers who pelted the Dowager with dung; it's hard to set justice and fairness apart...//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This event hasn't happened to you.] (if: $beggar is "revolt")[<img src="images/peasant.png" alt="Peasant" height="65" width="50"> * The Beggar: //He was covered in filth and mud, but to the mob his words were as golden as the Maker's throne. Serault withers to defiance; you can't afford to lose her further.//]\ (else-if: $beggar is "heretic")[<img src="images/peasant.png" alt="Peasant" height="65" width="50"> * The Beggar: //He was just hitting his stride, but you managed to stop him from spreading any further blasphemies upon your people. You are certain the Iconoclast was in the crowd all along, watching from afar...//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This event hasn't happened to you.] (if: $freehold is "allowed")[<img src="images/knight.png" alt="Knight" height="65" width="50"> * The Freehold: //You have allowed the Kindly Knight's Freehold to continue with your blessing; many peasants flock to it. It's said revolution has at last started in Serault, guided by your gentle hand.//]\ (else-if: $freehold is "forbidden")[<img src="images/knight.png" alt="Knight" height="65" width="50"> * The Freehold: //You have ended the Kindly Knight's Freehold, demanding the proper payment of taxes due the Marquisate while also forcing the low-born back to the fields... where they actually belong.//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This event hasn't happened to you.] (if: $behemoth is "true")[<img src="images/purveyor.png" alt="Purveyor" height="65" width="50"> * Behemoth: //You have given the Purveyor of Teas a scandalous book that may earn you a few friends on the lower side of society.//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This event hasn't happened to you.] ''The Spider's Web'' (if: $uprisingbeaten is "true")[<img src="images/riverside.png" alt="Riverside" height="65" width="50"> * The Uprising: //You have defused a dangerous Uprising at the Glassworkers' Guild.//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This event hasn't happened to you.] (if: $outlawblame is "true")[<img src="images/outlawreturns.png" alt="OutlawReturns" height="65" width="50"> * The Outlaw's Innocence: //In one instance, at least, her hands are clean.//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This event hasn't happened to you.] (if: $dowagercure is "pending")[<img src="images/dowager.png" alt="Dowager" height="65" width="50"> * The Dowager's Illness: //A sudden, stubborn malady.//]\ (else-if: $dowagercure is "true")[<img src="images/dowager.png" alt="Dowager" height="65" width="50"> * The Dowager's Gratitude: //You saved the Acerbic Dowager from a poisoning attempt.//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This event hasn't happened to you.] (if: $agitator is "true")[<img src="images/storm.png" alt="Storm" height="65" width="50"> * A Nine-Fingered Agitator: //Who is she? And why is she causing trouble in Serault?//]\ (else-if: $agitator is "vanished")[<img src="images/storm.png" alt="Storm" height="65" width="50"> * A Nine-Fingered Agitator: //She has incited havoc in your lands, but now her trail is cold. Matters little, for the troublemaker failed to break your rule.//]\ (else-if: $agitator is "arrested")[<img src="images/lock.png" alt="Lock" height="65" width="50"> * A Nine-Fingered Agitator: //She was a bard in the employ of His Dour Lordship, hired to execute his plans across your lands. Now she rots in your dungeons, unable to spend her ill-gotten coin.//]\ (else-if: $agitator is "freed")[<img src="images/storm.png" alt="Storm" height="65" width="50"> * A Nine-Fingered Agitator: //She was a bard in the employ of His Dour Lordship, hired to execute his plans across your lands. She revealed her master's plans to you in exchange for her freedom.//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This event hasn't happened to you.] (if: $tangledweb is "true")[<img src="images/clues.png" alt="Clues" height="65" width="50"> * A Tangled Web: //Perhaps something unites many of Serault’s recent troubles...//]\ (else-if: $tangledweb is "unsolved")[<img src="images/clues.png" alt="Clues" height="65" width="50"> * A Tangled Web: //In the Great Game, survival is as important as chasing the truth. There are greater threats ahead.//]\ (else-if: $tangledweb is "solved")[<img src="images/clues.png" alt="Clues" height="65" width="50"> * A Tangled Web: //You have untangled the Spider's web, ending his threat to Serault's redemption.//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This event hasn't happened to you.] ''Happenstances'' (if: $tourneywin is "true")[<img src="images/bluewings.png" alt="BlueWings" height="65" width="50"> * The Grand Tourney: //You have fought in a grand melee, winning both glory and money from your bets.//]\ (else-if: $tourneywin is "bad")[<img src="images/bluewings.png" alt="BlueWings" height="65" width="50"> * The Grand Tourney: //You have fought in a grand melee; it wasn't perfect, but you had your fill of fun.//]\ (else-if: $tourdionmaster is "true")[<img src="images/bluewings.png" alt="BlueWings" height="65" width="50"> * Dancing Lessons: //You have learnt the //tourdion//, the latest fad in the imperial capital. Maker's breath, you're actually quite good at it.//]\ (else-if: $tourdionmaster is "bad")[<img src="images/bluewings.png" alt="BlueWings" height="65" width="50"> * Dancing Lessons: //You have learnt the //tourdion//... or rather, you tried. Really hard. And you think you sprained an ankle...//]\ (else-if: $tourneydance is "neither")[<img src="images/bluewings.png" alt="BlueWings" height="65" width="50"> * A Quiet Week: //No tourney, no //tourdion//. What about some nice peace and quiet for once? Maker knows you need it.//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This event hasn't happened to you.] (if: $heraldsecret is "true")[<img src="images/messenger.png" alt="Messenger" height="65" width="50"> * The Herald's Secrets: //If even half of what he said is true, it seems the neighbouring Marquisate of Alyons is as hot a cauldron of scandal as Serault itself...//]\ (else-if: $heraldsecret is "bad")[<img src="images/messenger.png" alt="Messenger" height="65" width="50"> * The Herald's Nonsense: //Even if half of what he said is true, it seems you have found the dullest man to ever draw breath.//]\ (else-if: $heraldboast is "letter")[<img src="images/messenger.png" alt="Messenger" height="65" width="50"> * The Neighbour's Boast: //Jewels and silk for paper and ink. You wish all your neighbours were this generous.//]\ (else-if: $heraldboast is "pushback")[<img src="images/messenger.png" alt="Messenger" height="65" width="50"> * The Neighbour's Boast: //He will think twice before trying to goad you into humility again. 'Payment in glass' is the way of Serault, and what you tell his flabbergasted envoy.//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This event hasn't happened to you.] (if: $will is "selfless")[<img src="images/chest.png" alt="Chest" height="65" width="50"> * The Will: //You barely knew the man, but you tried to make sure his last will was followed up to its intended ends.//]\ (else-if: $will is "selfish")[<img src="images/chest.png" alt="Chest" height="65" width="50"> * * The Will: //You were, mayhaps, a tad too greedy. The imperial court briefly mutters about Serault's lack of grace.//]\ (else-if: $will is "smart")[<img src="images/chest.png" alt="Chest" height="65" width="50"> * * The Will: //You have managed to follow the man's last will, woo his family as loyal advisers, and enrich the Marquisate. All in a day's work.//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This event hasn't happened to you.] (if: $soothsayers is "true")[<img src="images/attention.png" alt="Crows" height="65" width="50"> * The Soothsayers' Warning: //Their words don't really make sense. You are supposed to avoid 'fire with a heart of ice, the broken sun, a man with green fingernails.' What is that supposed to mean?//]\ (else-if: $soothsayers is "bad")[<img src="images/attention.png" alt="Crows" height="65" width="50"> * False Omens: //Across Serault's inns you can find plenty of people of remarkable skills; unfortunately, you also come across a great bunch of charlatans.//]\ (else-if: $soothsayers is "ignored")[<img src="images/attention.png" alt="Crows" height="65" width="50"> * The Wheeling Crows: //You have more to do than to pay attention to superstitions. Still, at times you can't shake off the feeling there is something strange in the air...//]\ (else-if: $soothsayers is "self")[<img src="images/attention.png" alt="Crows" height="65" width="50"> * Ill Omens: //The signs aren't clear in much, but they are clear in this: there is a darkness coming. Is Serault ready to face it?//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This event hasn't happened to you.] (if: $woodsghost is "true")[<img src="images/path.png" alt="Path" height="65" width="50"> * The Woods-Ghost: //Your name is often spoke of in awe by the men and women who recount your adventures hunting bandits in the woods.//]\ (else-if: $woodsghost is "bad")[<img src="images/path.png" alt="Path" height="65" width="50"> * Out of the Woods: //You and your men searched far and wide, but those bandits evaded you. The Applewoods remain shrouded in danger.//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This event hasn't happened to you.] (if: $graffiti is "cleaned")[<img src="images/graffiti2.png" alt="Graffiti2" height="65" width="50"> * The Graffiti Code: //The streets and alleyways of Serault look much cleaner, to the chagrin of the troublemakers stalking your realm.//]\ (else-if: $graffiti is "code")[<img src="images/graffiti2.png" alt="Graffiti2" height="65" width="50"> * The Graffiti Code: //You spent a great deal of time investigating the secret codes sprayed upon the backalleys of Serault Town.//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This event hasn't happened to you.] (if: $lynching is "true")[<img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="65" width="50"> * The Lynching: //You saved a thief from being brutally lynched by a ravenous mob; turns out he truly was guilty, and so you ordered him hanged. Justice can be a fastidious mistress...//]\ (else-if: $lynching is "mob")[<img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="65" width="50"> * The Lynching: //You wouldn't throw yourself between a delinquent and a raging mob. He was probably guilty anyway... surely?//]\ (else-if: $lynching is "calm")[<img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="65" width="50"> * The Lynching: //You dared to speak against a lynching happening in the middle of Serault Town.//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This event hasn't happened to you.] (if: $wanderingscholar is "true")[<img src="images/male2.png" alt="Male2" height="65" width="50"> * The Visiting Scholar: //He might be an innate troublemaker, but his excellence with numbers helps your treasury grow. Just mind him around the serfs.//]\ (else-if: $wanderingscholar is "hosted")[<img src="images/male2.png" alt="Male2" height="65" width="50"> * The Visiting Scholar: //He stayed around Chateau Serault for a short time, and soon went on his way. What did he talk so much to your servants about, you wonder...//]\ (else-if: $wanderingscholar is "refused")[<img src="images/male2.png" alt="Male2" height="65" width="50"> * The Visiting Scholar: //A member of the cabal of radicals known as the Wandering College, he is brilliant, educated, and skilled. He is, therefore, too dangerous a man to have around.//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This event hasn't happened to you.] (if: $outlawagents is "true")[<img src="images/outlaws.png" alt="Outlaws" height="65" width="50"> * Honour Among Thieves: //Your men have infiltrated the Corpse-Dancers and the Dead Rose; you are one step ahead of the outlaw clans.//]\ (else-if: $outlawagents is "bad")[<img src="images/outlaws.png" alt="Outlaws" height="65" width="50"> * The Clans Gather: //Corpse-Dancers. Blasted Oak. Dead Rose. Shuttered Lamp. Red Song. The outlaw clans of the woods amass their combined strength; what could have led them to seek such unity?//]\ (else-if: $greenvault is "true")[<img src="images/outlaws.png" alt="Outlaws" height="65" width="50"> * The Battle of the Greenvault: //Like many of your ancestors, you have led chevaliers against the fierce outlaw clans of the vales; thanks to your bravery, Serault is given precious reprieve.//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This event hasn't happened to you.] (if: $savedbandits is "true")[<img src="images/forest3.png" alt="Forest3" height="65" width="50"> * The Awaken Woods: //Against your best judgement, you have saved many petty highwaymen from being taken by the rising darkness of the Applewoods.//]\ (else-if: $savedbandits is "ignored")[<img src="images/forest3.png" alt="Forest3" height="65" width="50"> * The Awaken Woods: //A dark wind stirs the leaves of the forests. Its biting cold reaches you, high atop the West Tower. You step back into the castle.//]\ (else-if: $savedbandits is "fedwoods")[<img src="images/forest3.png" alt="Forest3" height="65" width="50"> * The Awaken Woods: //There are fewer cases of banditry along the roads. But some travellers say they hear strange voices in the woods, weeping and baying in inhuman tongues.//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This event hasn't happened to you.] (if: $mercs is "bad")[<img src="images/headman.png" alt="Headman" height="65" width="50"> * The Black Dogs: //The free company wanders between the borders of Serault and Alyons, extorting tribute from the outlying villages while waiting their next contract.//]\ (else-if: $mercs is "good")[<img src="images/headman.png" alt="Headman" height="65" width="50"> * The Black Dogs: //The free company wanders along Serault's borders, enjoying her hospitality. An army of hardened killers might be quite useful...//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This event hasn't happened to you.] (if: $banditduel is "victory")[<img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="65" width="50"> * The Bandit-Champion: //You challenged a bandit-champion of the Corpse-Dancer clan to a duel, beating her on the same island where the first Marquis of Serault began his rule.//]\ (else-if: $banditduel is "defeat")[<img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="65" width="50"> * The Bandit-Champion: //You challenged a bandit-champion of the Black Knot clan to a duel, but lost after a stroke of bad luck.//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This event hasn't happened to you.] (if: $maleficar is "locked")[<img src="images/magic.png" alt="Magic" height="65" width="50"> * The Maleficar: //The soldiers of Serault have sealed his cave, burning everything inside. A journal reveals the apostate, one 'Levyn', managed to rescue a lover from Templar hands; they must be far away by now...//]\ (else-if: $maleficar is "around")[<img src="images/magic.png" alt="Magic" height="65" width="50"> * The Maleficar: //A dangerous blood mage has managed to evade your men. The reports that come from the hinterlands come late and confusing; some say the deranged mage is looking for a 'Lily'...//]\ (else-if: $maleficar is "beaten")[<img src="images/magic.png" alt="Magic" height="65" width="50"> * The Maleficar: //The rogue mage probably escaped from the Circle at Montsimmard, or the White Spire in Val Royeaux. He will soon come to regret it, for in the depths of the Tirashan there is no refuge. Only darkness.//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This event hasn't happened to you.] (if: $elves is "battle")[<img src="images/forest2.png" alt="Forest2" height="65" width="50"> * Sylvan Elves: //Your forces have clashed with the wild elves on the border of the Tirashan, forcing them deeper into the woods. They seem to worship bloodthirsty gods, strange to even the Dalish...//]\ (else-if: $elves is "avoidance")[<img src="images/forest2.png" alt="Forest2" height="65" width="50"> * Sylvan Elves: //You have ordered your people to stay clear of certain areas close to the woods, avoiding further conflict with the wild elves that roam the fringes of your domain.//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This event hasn't happened to you.] (if: $fullcourt is "true")[<img src="images/chateau.png" alt="TowerLights" height="65" width="50"> * The Courtiers of Chateau Serault: //They are many. And true, they are costly. But they are useful in unexpected ways...//]\ (else-if: $fullcourt is "true")[<img src="images/chateau.png" alt="TowerLights" height="65" width="50"> * The Courtiers of Chateau Serault: //They are many. And cost you a fortune. You send a good bunch of them back to their holdfasts, keeps, barns... wait, was that lad even a knight?//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This event hasn't happened to you.] (if: $manorhunger is "true")[<img src="images/house.png" alt="Shack" height="65" width="50"> * The Manor: //You have visited a poverty-stricken manor, giving away some of your own food for the well-being of its serfs.//]\ (else-if: $manorhunger is "lord")[<img src="images/house.png" alt="Shack" height="65" width="50"> * The Manor: //You have visited a poverty-stricken manor, making sure its lord was provisioned enough to guard the land.//]\ (else-if: $manorhunger is "serf")[<img src="images/house.png" alt="Shack" height="65" width="50"> * The Manor: //You have visited a poverty-stricken manor, ordering your vassal to fulfill his duty to the serfs who toil in his name.//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This event hasn't happened to you.] (if: $thievesgang is "true")[<img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="65" width="50"> * Petty Thieves: //They dared steal from Serault, right under your Marquisal nose. Some time spent in the stocks will do them much good.//]\ (else-if: $thievesgang is "bad")[<img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="65" width="50"> * Petty Thieves: //They dared steal from Serault, right under your Marquisal nose. The loot must be long-gone by now...//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This event hasn't happened to you.] (if: $baronbastard is "true")[<img src="images/baron.png" alt="Baron" height="65" width="50"> * The Baron and the Marquise: //He was your mother's closest friend. Could they have been something more?//]\ (else-if: $baronbastard is "laugh")[<img src="images/baron.png" alt="Baron" height="65" width="50"> * The Baron's Bastard //You've heard the rumours. They weigh heavy. But a de Serault you are, and a de Serault you will remain.//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This event hasn't happened to you.] (if: $plaguevillage is "true")[<img src="images/elfroot.png" alt="Elfroot" height="65" width="50"> * The Plague Village: //You have helped a village recover from a devastating plague, gaining the admiration of its denizens.//]\ (else-if: $plaguevillage is "exodus")[<img src="images/elfroot.png" alt="Elfroot" height="65" width="50"> * The Plague Village: //You have spread the villagers of a plague-stricken settlement across the Marquisate. They will find solace in their new homes, in time.//]\ (else-if: $plaguevillage is "bad")[<img src="images/elfroot.png" alt="Elfroot" height="65" width="50"> * The Plague Village: //In spite of your best efforts, the village is now deserted. Only the dead and the dying remain, yet another scar on Serault's body.//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This event hasn't happened to you.] (if: $storm is "true")[<img src="images/storm.png" alt="Storm" height="65" width="50"> * The Great Storm: //Thanks to your efforts, the roads of Serault managed to recover from one of the worst storms in recent memory. Wealth flows through them once more.//]\ (else-if: $storm is "people")[<img src="images/storm.png" alt="Storm" height="65" width="50"> * Of Rain and Thunder: //You have helped your people recover from the havoc imposed by a most terrible storm, and they help your land in turn. In time, the land thrives once again.//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This event hasn't happened to you.] (if: $taxesgalore is "true")[<img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="65" width="50"> * New Taxes: //The price of defiance is sometimes just that. A price.//]\ (else-if: $taxesgalore is "bad")[<img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="65" width="50"> * New Taxes: //Your taxes impoverish the region, teaching the small-folk to fear the wrath of the one who stands upon the High Seat of Serault.//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This event hasn't happened to you.] (if: $rivertroubles is "true")[<img src="images/riverpirates.png" alt="RiverPirates" height="65" width="50"> * The Marquisal Fleet: //Rivers connect much of Serault to the rest of Orlais. Thanks to your steady hand, these vital waterways have been kept mostly free from pirates and brigands.//]\ (else-if: $rivertroubles is "bad")[<img src="images/riverpirates.png" alt="RiverPirates" height="65" width="50"> * Cat and Mouse: //Rivers connect much of Serault to the rest of Orlais. Your ships float across these key waterways, ever-seeking the pirates prowling around the land.//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This event hasn't happened to you.] (if: $debate is "true")[<img src="images/councillor.png" alt="Councillor" height="65" width="50"> * A Hotbed of Ideas: //It is said that no-where else in Orlais is one able to speak their mind more freely than in Serault.//]\ (else-if: $debate is "silenced")[<img src="images/councillor.png" alt="Councillor" height="65" width="50"> * A Hotbed of Ideas: //Serault has always attracted thinkers of the most dangerous sort...//]\ (else-if: $debate is "discussion")[<img src="images/councillor.png" alt="Councillor" height="65" width="50"> * A Hotbed of Ideas: //Sometimes a word is enough to tame the strange ideas of an unwieldy crowd... or turn it against you.//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This event hasn't happened to you.] (if: $merchantoffer is "good")[<img src="images/bag.png" alt="Bag" height="65" width="50"> * A Bargain: //A travelling merchant has spread the word about Serault's bounty, and her hunger for luxury. Your realm is back on some key trade circuits, it seems.//]\ (else-if: $merchantoffer is "bad")[<img src="images/bag.png" alt="Bag" height="65" width="50"> * A Bargain: //A travelling merchant has visited Serault and sold her wares to lord and serf alike. While her wares remain, it's clear the journey was a harrowing affair: you never see her again.//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This event hasn't happened to you.] (if: $guildcharter is "true")[<img src="images/scroll.png" alt="WhiteScroll" height="65" width="50"> * A New Charter: //After tense negotiations, you solved a strike at the Glassworkers' Guild. They've won numerous new privileges, perhaps enough to calm them down.//]\ (else-if: $guildcharter is "bad")[<img src="images/scroll.png" alt="WhiteScroll" height="65" width="50"> * A Strike: //Problems are always arising at the Glassworkers' Guild, as hot as the glass they shape. The most recent one has grown cold, but you are sure they will bother you again.//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This event hasn't happened to you.] (if: $seraultpatrols is "true")[<img src="images/trap.png" alt="Trap" height="65" width="50"> * Patrols of Serault: //Outfitted with armour gleaming under the sun of Orlais and beaming almost as brightly with pride, your men wouldn't look out of place at a Val Royeaux parade.//]\ (else-if: $seraultpatrols is "battle")[<img src="images/trap.png" alt="Trap" height="65" width="50"> * Patrols of Serault: //Your chevaliers may grumble, but when you order them to march, they march. Under your personal lead, you fight bravely against the scum hounding Serault's roads.//]\ (else-if: $seraultpatrols is "outlaw")[<img src="images/outlaw.png" alt="Outlaw" height="65" width="50"> * Eyes and Teeth: //The Dashing Outlaw has helped you exterminate many of the bandits plaguing your roads. The irony is almost palpable...//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This event hasn't happened to you.] (if: $rebornserault is "true")[<img src="images/house2.png" alt="House2" height="65" width="50"> * The New Quarter: //The fires had consumed much, but under your benevolent hand a New Quarter has arisen in Serault Town.//]\ (else-if: $rebornserault is "laws")[<img src="images/house2.png" alt="House2" height="65" width="50"> * Fire Laws: The townspeople may grumble, but the new laws have given them much-needed safety against the dangers of smoke and flame.]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This event hasn't happened to you.] (if: $extramirrors is "true")[<img src="images/commission.png" alt="Commission" height="65" width="50"> * A Trade Opportunity: //The glassworkers complain, but you do not relent. More and more commissions arrive from the Heartlands, spreading Seraultine glass over castles, chantries, palaces...//]\ (else-if: $extramirrors is "bad")[<img src="images/commission.png" alt="Commission" height="65" width="50"> * A Trade Opportunity: //It's a slow year for commissions; maybe it is the war for the throne, or the one between Circle and Chantry. Whatever the case, your glassworkers enjoy their rest.//]\ (else:)[<img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="65" width="50"> This event hasn't happened to you.]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/hornedhelm.png" alt="HornedKnight">](if: (random: -10,10) + $woodswise is > 45 or $knightfury is < 1)[''A wise decision'' The Horned Knight's 'gift' is one of his living gardens, in this case a lost priestess of the Chantry. The flowers in her auburn hair had grown out through her skull, and when she turns her face to you, smiling vacantly, you see she has dandelions in place of her eyes. Ah... no. You convince him that you will present his gift to the Divine later, after the feast. He seems satisfied, departing in a swirl of leaves. You quietly surrender the 'gift' to the Abbess. With luck, she'll know how to purify the thing. (set: $twilight to $twilight - 10)(Your Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10!)\ (set: $knightoath to "brokenwell")]\ (else:)[''Harsh words'' The Horned Knight's 'gift' is one of his living gardens, in this case a lost priestess of the Chantry. The flowers in her auburn hair had grown out through her skull, and when she turns her face to you, smiling vacantly, you see she has dandelions in place of her eyes. Ah... no. You tell the Knight you would present it in private to the Divine, later; but he thinks you intend to keep it for yourself. He rages and stamps, but you hold firm. This creature is going nowhere near the Divine. "I will remember this," the Horned Knight swears. "Expect no kindness from the woods, (if: $gender is "female")[Lady $name](else:)[Lord $name]!" Then he departed in a swirl of leaves. (set: $knightfury to $knightfury + 1)(You are in the Horned Knight's debt. The Lord of the Forest <img src="images/hornedhelm.png" alt="HornedKnight" height="26" width="20"> retreats beneath the woods.) (set: $knightoath to "brokenbadly")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) (set: $unwelcome to "true")(You are no longer welcome <img src="images/forest4.png" alt="Forest4" height="26" width="20"> in the woods.) (set: $peril to $peril + 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...)\ (set: $debt to "true")] [[The Divine desires to hear another petitioner|Grant a Petition 3]] You, of course, abide. You also tell the Baillif to dismiss whoever was in charge of guarding the Green Bridge... (set: $woodswise to $woodswise + 1)(Your Woods-wise <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $dignity to $dignity - 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/bereskarn.png" alt="Bereskarn">]\ ''Twilight, Peril, and Revolution'' Serault is beset by dangers within and without. You will struggle against the uncanny Twilight dangers of the Applewoods and of renegade mages; the mundane Peril of river-pirates and border bandits; and the ever-present risk of Revolution. Which is most significant? //There are three Threats: Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20">, Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20">, and Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20">. They are used to influence your ending, and very rarely to pass Special Checks throughout the game. You can see your Threats below your Attributes.// //Choose your realm's greatest weakness. Be careful! If any of them rise too high by the end of the game, the realm will suffer.// <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="65" width="50"> [[Twilight]] Be wary of bad things. <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="65" width="50"> [[Peril]] Be wary of bad people. <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="65" width="50"> [[Revolution]] Be wary of your subjects.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/shame.png" alt="Shame">]''The Shame'' His eyes are dark. His beard and moustache are precisely trimmed. His hands are burned to the bone. You stand together atop the Tower of Lights, but the Tower as it never was: scraping the sky, mantled in light, flicking bright messages to the furthest corners of Serault. There, lesser heliographs blink in answer, gleaming like buttons on the horizon. "I was so close," he says. His voice is rich and bitter as Southern wine. Something crawls under his skin, up across cheekbone and into the socket behind his eye. You see a scuttle of legs behind his pupil. [["You were a fool," you answer|You were a fool, you answer]] "Your desires exceeded your reach, so you became an abomination. You destroyed us." [["You were a visionary," you tell him|You were a visionary, you tell him]] "Your crime wasn't trying; it was failing." [["You were a man," you answer|You were a man, you answer]] "And, like anyone, a mix of fineness and folly." (if: $flamesfreedom is not "killed" and is not "secluded")[(set: $revolution to 100)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has increased to 100...)]\ (else:)[(set: $health to $health - 5)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) ]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/plant.png" alt="WoodsWise">]\ ''You are the Alchemist'' (if: $gender is "female")[The Alchemist prefers the peace of the forest over towns and courts. Both deadly and knowledgeable, still much is hidden to her untrained eyes.]\ (else:)[The Alchemist prefers the peace of the forest over towns and courts. Both deadly and knowledgeable, still much is hidden to his untrained eyes.] //You can see your starting skills below your portrait. They will improve slowly with use, or you can ask other characters to train you. Skills can reach a maximum of 100.// [[You succeeded your late mother|Prologue: The Edge of the World]] (if: $gender is "female")[The Marquise is dead. Long live the Marquise.]\ (else:)[The Marquise is dead. Long live the Marquis.] (set: $rulership to $rulership + 20)(Your Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 20!) (set: $scholarship to $scholarship + 30)(Your Scholarship <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 30!) (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 30)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 30!) (set: $woodswise to $woodswise + 50)(Your Woods-wise <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 50!) (set: $cunning to $cunning + 20)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 20!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership">]\ ''You are the Envoy'' (if: $gender is "female")[The Envoy excels at governance. She is experienced in the Great Game, and oblivious to what exists beyond court.]\ (else:)[The Envoy excels at governance. He is experienced in the Great Game, and oblivious to what exists beyond court.] //You can see your starting skills below your portrait. They will improve slowly with use, or you can ask other characters to train you. Skills can reach a maximum of 100.// [[You succeeded your late mother|Prologue: The Edge of the World]] (if: $gender is "female")[The Marquise is dead. Long live the Marquise.]\ (else:)[The Marquise is dead. Long live the Marquis.] (set: $rulership to $rulership + 50)(Your Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 50!) (set: $scholarship to $scholarship + 20)(Your Scholarship <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 20!) (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 30)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 30!) (set: $woodswise to $woodswise + 20)(Your Woods-wise <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 20!) (set: $cunning to $cunning + 30)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 30!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo">]\ (if: $gender is "female")[''You are the Huntress'']\ (else:)[''You are the Hunter''] (if: $gender is "female")[The Huntress is valiant, charismatic, and skilled in the hunt. She cares little for books or schemes.]\ (else:)[The Hunter is valiant, charismatic, and skilled in the hunt. He cares little for books or schemes.] //You can see your starting skills below your portrait. They will improve slowly with use, or you can ask other characters to train you. Skills can reach a maximum of 100.// [[You succeeded your late mother|Prologue: The Edge of the World]] (if: $gender is "female")[The Marquise is dead. Long live the Marquise.]\ (else:)[The Marquise is dead. Long live the Marquis.] (set: $rulership to $rulership + 30)(Your Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 30!) (set: $scholarship to $scholarship + 20)(Your Scholarship <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 20!) (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 50)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 50!) (set: $woodswise to $woodswise + 30)(Your Woods-wise <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 30!) (set: $cunning to $cunning + 20)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 20!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning">]\ ''You are the Initiate'' (if: $gender is "female")[The Initiate grew up used to the bickering and intrigue of the cloister. She knows how to pick up secrets and herbs both, but won't help in a fight.]\ (else:)[The Initiate grew up used to the bickering and intrigue of the cloister. He knows how to pick up secrets and herbs both, but won't help in a fight.] //You can see your starting skills below your portrait. They will improve slowly with use, or you can ask other characters to train you. Skills can reach a maximum of 100.// [[You succeeded your late mother|Prologue: The Edge of the World]] (if: $gender is "female")[The Marquise is dead. Long live the Marquise.]\ (else:)[The Marquise is dead. Long live the Marquis.] (set: $rulership to $rulership + 20)(Your Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 20!) (set: $scholarship to $scholarship + 30)(Your Scholarship <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 30!) (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 20)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 20!) (set: $woodswise to $woodswise + 30)(Your Woods-wise <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 30!) (set: $cunning to $cunning + 50)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 50!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship">]\ ''You are the Scholar'' (if: $gender is "female")[The Scholar is a little better at rulership. She is also learned, cunning, and has spent thirty years avoiding fencing lessons and hunting.]\ (else:)[The Scholar is a little better at rulership. He is also learned, cunning, and has spent thirty years avoiding fencing lessons and hunting.] //You can see your starting skills below your portrait. They will improve slowly with use, or you can ask other characters to train you. Skills can reach a maximum of 100.// [[You succeeded your late mother|Prologue: The Edge of the World]] (if: $gender is "female")[The Marquise is dead. Long live the Marquise.]\ (else:)[The Marquise is dead. Long live the Marquis.] (set: $rulership to $rulership + 30)(Your Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 30!) (set: $scholarship to $scholarship + 50)(Your Scholarship <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 50!) (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 20)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 20!) (set: $woodswise to $woodswise + 20)(Your Woods-wise <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 20!) (set: $cunning to $cunning + 30)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 30!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/crystalball.png" alt="CrystalBall">]''Case: The Spider's Web'' You are convinced that a guiding hand is behind much of Serault's recent strife. In each case a woman with red hair and nine fingers was at the root of the trouble. (if: $bardlover is "true")[ <img src="images/bardalt.png" alt="BardAlt" height="65" width="50"> [[Ask the Wayward Bard for his professional opinion]] He's no stranger to subterfuge. When you find him, he winks. "Fancy doing something disgraceful?"]\ (else-if: $abbesslover is "true")[ <img src="images/abbessalt.png" alt="AbbessAlt" height="65" width="50"> [[Seek solace and advice with the Abbess]] There are many demands upon her, but she always has time for you. When she arrives, she smiles. "I've been missing you, $name..."]\ (else:)[~~Seek your lover's help They might know something you don't.~~] <img src="images/derringdomini.png" alt="DerringDoMini"> [[Intensify the search]] Leave no hiding place. (if: $debate is "true")[//You are known to let the common folk speak their mind. They'll tell you what they know.//]\ (else:)[~~//You are known to let the common folk speak their mind. They'll tell you what they know.//~~] <img src="images/door.png" alt="Door"> [[You've had enough of chasing shadows|Tangled Web Skipped]] The Divine is due to arrive very soon. Strengthen yourself. //Turn your focus elsewhere.// (You are unravelling <img src="images/clues.png" alt="Clues" height="26" width="20"> a Tangled Web.)

<img src="images/greenwoodsheader.png" alt="Applewoods"> ''Your wounds overcome you'' You have pushed yourself too far. Weariness overcomes you. You sink to the mossy forest floor. [[Rest until you regain some strength]] Your hunt is over. [[You sound your horn]] After what seems an eternity later, your hunting companions find you. They are worried, and look almost as bad as you do.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/morrigan.png" alt="Morrigan">](if: (random: -10,10) + $scholarship is > 35)[''Blood of the stag'' You tell her stories you heard from your mother. The Scornful Sorceress listens intently as the candles burn down, chuckling at the Shame's audacity. "I had heard of the Shame of Serault, of course, but I had no idea he was so //entertaining//. It must be nerve wracking to have that blood flowing in your veins." Her eyes are sharp. "To wonder if, one day, your ambition will turn out to be madness..." (set: $scholarship to $scholarship + 1)(Your Scholarship <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) ]\ (else:)[''Not an easy tale to tell'' She listens carefully as the fire burns low and the shadows grow long. When you tell her of the Shame's fate - abomination, persecution, execution - she shakes her head. "Power is a difficult steed to ride. Not everyone can stay in the saddle." She studies you closely. Is she wondering if you're like him? Tainted with madness? (set: $health to $health - 5)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...)] You suddenly feel a shiver. You tighten your cloak over your shoulders. [[An uneventful week comes and goes|Chapter 4: Omens]] <img src="images/wind.png" alt="Wind" height="26" width="20"> A bitter wind blows from the North. You must be imagining the tang of Blights. //You have four months until the Divine arrives.//

<img src="images/header01.png" alt="Chateau"> ''All is Ready'' Fires blaze in the Great Hall. The tables heave with guests. Every soul with a drop of noble blood in the whole of the Marquisate is here, as well as those commoners who are acknowledged to be indispensable, every lord and priest whose lands lie within riding distance of your borders, and the Divine's vast, gossiping, ravenous entourage. The servants can barely squeeze between them to fill goblets. The final guests arrive. The doors close. The noise sinks from a roar to a clamor. [[Clap your hands]] Greet your guests and signal for the feast to begin. (if: $dignity is > $twilight and $freedom is > $revolution and $prosperity is > $peril)[(set: $divinefavour to $divinefavour + 3)(Your Divine's Favour <img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 3!) ]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/lover.png" alt="Heart">]''Your wounds are too severe!'' Overcome by your injuries, your physicians have confined you to your bed. Through your window, high in the Heron Tower, you can hear Serault bustling on without you. <img src="images/lovermini.png" alt="Lover"> [[Rest until you are fully recovered]] Serault will survive a while without you. Perhaps you can catch up on some reading... <img src="images/lovermini.png" alt="Lover"> [[Get out of bed as soon as you're able to stand]] Serault needs her (if: $gender is "female")[Marquise](else:)[Marquis]! (if: $elfroot is > 0)[ <img src="images/elfroot.png" alt="Elfroot" height="52" width="40"> [[Call for the local herbalist. They'll know what you need]] Chew on some Elfroot.]\ (else:)[~~Call for the local herbalist. They'll know what you need Chew on some Elfroot.~~] (if: $timeleft is > 5)[(set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) ]\ (else:)[(set: $health to $health - 5)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/lover.png" alt="Heart">]''Your wounds are too severe!'' Overcome by your injuries, your physicians have confined you to your bed. Through your window, high in the Heron Tower, you can hear Serault bustling on without you. <img src="images/lovermini.png" alt="Lover"> [[Rest until you are fully recovered|Rest until you are fully recovered 2]] Serault will survive a while without you. Perhaps you can catch up on some reading... <img src="images/lovermini.png" alt="Lover"> [[Get out of bed as soon as you're able to stand|Get out of bed as soon as you're able to stand 2]] Serault needs her (if: $gender is "female")[Marquise](else:)[Marquis]! (if: $elfroot is > 0)[ <img src="images/elfroot.png" alt="Elfroot" height="52" width="40"> [[Call for the local herbalist. They'll know what you need|Call for the local herbalist. They'll know what you need 2]] Chew on some Elfroot.]\ (else:)[~~Call for the local herbalist. They'll know what you need Chew on some Elfroot.~~]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/peasant.png" alt="Peasant">]''The village is quiet. The air is foul.'' Your companions cover their mouths and noses with the hem of their cloaks. Those villagers who aren't sick have locked themselves inside in the hope the disease can't find its way past a simple board of wood. You call for your court physician: a short, pinch-faced man you employed for his steely nerves, not his bedside manner. "The disease causes a burning fever, loosens the bowels, and - in the worst cases - kills," the physician tells you. "The well's to blame. Can you smell that? Like brine mixed with rotting fruit. Some foulness of the earth has tainted the water." <img src="images/woodswisemini.png" alt="WoodsWiseMini"> [[Search the Applewoods for curative herbs]] Somewhere in the woods lies the key to cleansing the well. <img src="images/rulershipmini.png" alt="RulershipMini"> [[Order the digging of a new well]] Close enough to the village to be convenient, far enough to avoid the corrupted source. [[Disperse the villagers among neighbouring manors]] You can find them homes where their labour is needed, but it will mean splitting up families and friendships.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/divine.png" alt="Divine">]''Fifth of Her Name'' Divine Justinia V leaves her carriage and walks to you. She isn't anywhere as old as most people think when they imagine a Divine; she moves graciously, and with the unfailling determination of only those very used to unquestionable power. She stands in front of you. You are supposed to kneel. Your entire court is already crouching down to pay their respects. //You will have multiple opportunities to win (or lose) the Divine's Favour <img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="26" width="20"> throughout the Feast; your previous actions may have already caused an impression upon the Divine...// [[Kneel on one knee]] She is your mother, your master, your lord. But as (if: $gender is "female")[Marquise](else:)[Marquis] of Orlais, you may allow yourself some pride. [[Kneel on both knees]] Like a penitent, a sinner. Isn't the whole point of this costly feast, and the long list of troubles from the last months, to gain Serault her forgiveness? [[Stand]] And smile.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/outlaw.png" alt="Outlaw">]''A Meeting with the Outlaw'' (if: $counsellor is "plainspoken" or "hesitant")[The next morning brings a strange surprise.] //'We need to meet'//, says the note on your pillow. The Dashing Outlaw has sympathisers even among your household, it seems. You wait until dark and meet her in the plaza, where she lounges against a wall, a wide hat low over her face. Which of her tidings is most important? [["The woods wake," she tells you|Whispering Woods 1]] "And they're hungry." [["We found something in the woods. A cave. And inside..."]] She shudders. "We think it's blood magic. And that means it stops being my problem and starts being yours." [["The bandit-clans are gathering. They've called a council"]] The clans are an old problem, too dug into Serault's most isolated vales to uproot. But most of the time they're too distracted by their own feuds to be more than an annoyance. [["I saw a black sail on the river two nights ago. Pirates"|River-Pirates 1]] "Newly arrived, I'd say, and eager for plunder."\ \ (if: $counsellor is "plainspoken" or "hesitant")[(set: $keptseneschal to "true")]

<img src="images/applewoods.png" alt="ApplewoodsBig"> ''You ride towards the woods'' The forests that cover Serault are criss-crossed with hidden and abandoned trails. The gentler, safer fringes are called the Greenwood. Go further in and you'll find the darker, tangled Deepwoods, where sunlight fears to fall. And beyond those lies the Tirashan itself. No-one goes there. (if: $hounds is "present")[The hounds tug at their leashes, frantic to give chase. Their noses press to the ground, sniffing out the scent of your quarry. [[Keep them close. Follow their lead]] They will keep you on the trail. <img src="images/derringdomini.png" alt="DerringDoMini"> [[Give them their head]] Let them off their leashes to chase down your quarry.]\ (else:)[ [[Eventually your party finds tracks on the ground]] These aren't animal tracks...]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril">]''Worn'' Your sword-arm is weary. Your armour is notched. Your blade's edge is dulled by use. Your steed can barely stand. And yet word arrives of a village aflame. Sleepless, exhausted, you ride out again. [[A fortnight passes|The Dowager Steps Forward]] The wind changes direction, blowing from the cluster of tanneries on the far bank. You order the windows closed. (set: $health to $health - 15)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 15...) (set: $peril to $peril + 15)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 15...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/forest3.png" alt="Forest3">]''The day is ended'' Twilight wraps the forest in a rustling patchwork of shadow. It's too dark to make out signs of passage, now. Your prey has eluded you, and you must return home empty-handed. [[Return to Chateau Serault]] Your companions are glum and silent. (The day <img src="images/hoursremaining.png" alt="Time" height="26" width="20"> is over.) (if: $alone is "true")[(set: $alone to "false")(You have rejoined <img src="images/lostchild.png" alt="LostChild" height="26" width="20"> your party.)]\ (else:)[(set: $woodswise to $woodswise + 1)(Your Woods-wise <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!)]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/forest4.png" alt="Forest4">]''The Anchoress'' A steep-sided dell, shaded by yew trees. It's dim here, and quiet. The sun barely touches the bottom. A stream plashes over the near rim, down a moss-lined runnel past your feet. The far side is marked with deeper shadows: cave mouths. The rock beside each is carved with arrows, running deer, and the stark mask of Andraste's huntress-aspect. Someone has dug a fire-put before the closest cave-mouth. Aromatic smoke still drifts from its embers. [[Meet the Anchoress]] An old woman in a ragged Chantry robe kneels in the mud. She's plucking leaves from the herbs that grow in a neat-rowed garden.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/crystalball.png" alt="CrystalBall">]''Case: The Errant Siblings'' Alabair and Elose, two errant youths, stole from their neighbours, killed an itinerant tinker, and fled. The siblings must be found, and made to pay for their crimes. <img src="images/woodswisemini.png" alt="WoodsWiseMini"> [[Learn of their plans]] Perhaps their neighbours and relatives know where Alabair and Elose were going. [[Abandon the matter]] Whatever they did, they're gone now. Declare the matter closed.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/house.png" alt="Shack">]''Skin and bone'' The manor has fallen on hard times. The folk working its fields are gaunt, ill, and without hope. Their lord is not wealthy - his keep is drafty, his meat lean. But he and his family have food on their tables and warm clothes on their backs. Unlike his serfs. Ragged wool hangs from them. Some bear the livid red welts of barrow-sickness. Yet still they labour under the hard sun, to fulfill their obligations come harvest-time. [[Demand better treatment for the peasants|Demand better treatment for the peasants 2]] A lord must care for those in his charge, even if it means tightening his belt. [[They must accept their lots|They must accept their lot 2]] Their lord needs to be hale and provisioned, in case his people are threatened and require decisive leadership. [[Give them your meal|Give them your meal 2]] You can't help with tomorrow, but at least they'll have full bellies today. And perhaps they have information they will share.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/lordship.png" alt="Lordship">]''Lost'' "Undoubtedly your new advisers will give you lighter counsel. I trust you will find it more palatable." He departs, to take a tour of the town. [[Your sleep is troubled tonight|You Dream of the Shame]] A bloodthirsty (if: $wyvern is "true")[wyvern](else:)[bereskarn] rampages through the chateau's corridors. Serault Town, set aflame by an army of soldiers with candlelights bloodied on their foreheads. (if: $bardbreakup is "true")[A man cries, alone in his quarters, whispering your name.](else-if: $abbessbreakup is "true")[A woman cries, alone in her quarters, whispering your name.](else:)[An old woman cries, alone, a sunburst brooch held to her heart.] And then... (set: $peril to $peril - 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) (set: $revolution to $revolution - 5)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) (set: $twilight to $twilight - 5)(Your Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/ring2.png" alt="ShameRing">]''His black-bone fingers pull at the skin of his face'' The Tower topples in a thunderous rain of stone and glass, burying you both. You drag yourself from the ruin, left - again - to pick up his pieces. In the morning you recommit yourself to the day-to-day nurture of Serault's fortunes. You ensure the wheels of her governance turn correctly and judge even the most trivial cases with a newfound gravity. Your efforts are noticed. Dozens of small gifts flow from serf, freeman, priest, knight and baron. They all add up. (if: $twilight is > 65 and $twilight is >= $revolution and is >= $peril)[ <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity"> [[A herald brings a letter|Game Over Twilight]] It comes from the Divine. Her Progress across Orlais must have reached the river-lords of the Nahashin Marshes by now.]\ (else-if: $revolution is > 65 and $revolution is >= $twilight and is >= $peril)[ <img src="images/freedommini.png" alt="Freedom"> [[A herald brings a letter|Game Over Revolution]] It comes from the Divine. Her Progress across Orlais must have reached the river-lords of the Nahashin Marshes by now.]\ (else-if: $peril is > 65 and $peril is >= $revolution and is >= $twilight)[ <img src="images/coinsmini.png" alt="Prosperity"> [[A herald brings a letter|Game Over Peril]] It comes from the Divine. Her Progress across Orlais must have reached the river-lords of the Nahashin Marshes by now.]\ (else:)[ [[You return to your chambers|A Tangled Web]] A madman prophesies doom at the Chateau gate. Your guards move him firmly along.] (You have come to terms with the legacy <img src="images/ring2.png" alt="ShameRing" height="26" width="20"> of the Shame of Serault. You resent the Shame...) (set: $shamelegacy to "fool")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) (set: $prosperity to $prosperity + 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $freedom to $freedom + 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $peril to $peril - 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) (set: $twilight to $twilight - 5)(Your Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) (set: $revolution to $revolution - 5)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) \ (if: $flamesfreedom is not "killed" and is not "secluded")[(set: $flamesfreedom to "free")]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/ring2.png" alt="ShameRing">]''Looking deeper'' His face twists in anguish. "Not that!" He snarls. "There is no more terrible a judgement than 'ordinary'!" Looking closer, you see the grey streaks in his beard. The blemish on his forehead from a childhood accident. The way his bone fingers fidget on his cuffs when he's nervous. You awake with the realisation that everyone is imperfect, whether the world calls them hero, monster... or Divine. Even the Maker's elect is human, and flawed. You order the (if: $missingbard is not "shared")[Wayward Bard](else:)[Purveyor of Teas] to discover what he can about the Most Holy Justinia, fifth of her name. Perhaps there's something you can use. (if: $twilight is > 60 and $twilight is >= $revolution and is >= $peril)[ <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity"> [[A herald brings a letter|Game Over Twilight]] It comes from the Divine. Her Progress across Orlais must have reached the river-lords of the Nahashin Marshes by now.]\ (else-if: $revolution is > 60 and $revolution is >= $twilight and is >= $peril)[ <img src="images/freedommini.png" alt="Freedom"> [[A herald brings a letter|Game Over Revolution]] It comes from the Divine. Her Progress across Orlais must have reached the river-lords of the Nahashin Marshes by now.]\ (else-if: $peril is > 60 and $peril is >= $revolution and is >= $twilight)[ <img src="images/coinsmini.png" alt="Prosperity"> [[A herald brings a letter|Game Over Peril]] It comes from the Divine. Her Progress across Orlais must have reached the river-lords of the Nahashin Marshes by now.]\ (else:)[ [[You return to your chambers|A Tangled Web]] A madman prophesies doom at the Chateau gate. Your guards move him firmly along.] (You have come to terms with the legacy <img src="images/ring2.png" alt="ShameRing" height="26" width="20"> of the Shame of Serault. Your feelings towards the Shame are ambiguous...) (set: $marjolaine to "true")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) \ (set: $shamelegacy to "man") \ (if: $flamesfreedom is not "killed" and is not "secluded")[(set: $flamesfreedom to "free")]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/ring2.png" alt="ShameRing">]''He weeps tears of silver'' "Then finish it," he says, gripping your hand in the fire-blackened bones of his own. "Make Serault all she was meant to be." You awake, the moon blazing in your window. (if: $bardlover is "true")[The Bard is still asleep next to you. ](else-if: $abbesslover is "true")[The Abbess is still asleep next to you. ]In a fever you reach for a pen and ink, and draw while the dream is fresh in your mind. In the morning you hand the Smiling Guildmistress of the Glassworkers a pile of sketches showing the glass in the Tower of Lights as you saw them in your dream. She blinks, surprised at their precision. "We'll start immediately," she says. (if: $twilight is > 60 and $twilight is >= $revolution and is >= $peril)[ <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity"> [[A herald brings a letter|Game Over Twilight]] It comes from the Divine. Her Progress across Orlais must have reached the river-lords of the Nahashin Marshes by now.]\ (else-if: $revolution is > 60 and $revolution is >= $twilight and is >= $peril)[ <img src="images/freedommini.png" alt="Freedom"> [[A herald brings a letter|Game Over Revolution]] It comes from the Divine. Her Progress across Orlais must have reached the river-lords of the Nahashin Marshes by now.]\ (else-if: $peril is > 60 and $peril is >= $revolution and is >= $twilight)[ <img src="images/coinsmini.png" alt="Prosperity"> [[A herald brings a letter|Game Over Peril]] It comes from the Divine. Her Progress across Orlais must have reached the river-lords of the Nahashin Marshes by now.]\ (else:)[ [[You return to your chambers|A Tangled Web]] A madman prophesies doom at the Chateau gate. Your guards move him firmly along.] (You have come to terms with the legacy <img src="images/ring2.png" alt="ShameRing" height="26" width="20"> of the Shame of Serault. You are sympathetic to the Shame...) (set: $shamelegacy to "visionary")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) (set: $rulership to $rulership + 1)(Your Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $scholarship to $scholarship + 1)(Your Scholarship <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 1)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $woodswise to $woodswise + 1)(Your Woods-wise <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) \ (if: $flamesfreedom is not "killed" and is not "secluded")[(set: $flamesfreedom to "free")]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/outlawreturns.png" alt="OutlawReturns">]''The Cave'' The cave stinks of death. A dozen bodies slump against the walls. Flies crawl over their pallid skin. Their lips and fingernails are black. Poison. Judging by their coarse wools, coarse furs and coarser hair, they were Fereldan: refugees from the Fifth Blight, no doubt, turned to banditry. Of their leader, the woman with the missing finger, there is no sign. At the back of the cave you find most of the goods stolen from the merchants. Many of the chests have not even been opened. What will you do with them? [[Requisition the goods]] The merchants don't really expect them back. You can put them to good use. [[Return the goods to the merchants]] They could be the first trickle in a river of gold flowing from Val Royeaux.

<img src="images/chateaubig.png" alt="ChateauBig"> ''Your rescue was a success!'' You put spurs to your horse! The Bard's arms are tight around you as you race from the woods. The trees thin, then part. Ahead are patchwork fields and dozing villages. A mill wheel turns against the sky. And there in the distance: Chateau Serault, tall on its river-crag... [[Return to the castle]] When he's sure the woods are behind you, the Bard slumps in relief. (if: $knightfury is > 0)[(You have tested the Horned Knight's patience <img src="images/hornedhelm.png" alt="HornedKnight" height="26" width="20"> a final time.)](else:)[(You have tested the Horned Knight's patience. A new chapter opens <img src="images/halla.png" alt="Halla" height="26" width="20"> in the story of the Lord of the Forest.)] (if: $timeleft is > 4)[(set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) ]\ (else:)[(set: $health to $health - 5)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) ] (if: $bardlover is "missing")[(set: $bardlover to "true")(You have rescued <img src="images/bardalt.png" alt="BardAlt" height="26" width="20"> your lover!)]\ (set: $knightfury to $knightfury + 1)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/wearybailiff1.png" alt="Bailiff">]''Neither law nor decency'' He will recover. "This head's hard as old Serault oak," he sighs, rapping it. "A shame, really. I could do with a few days in bed." If lawless folk are bold enough to attack your own bailiff, who's next? A noble? Yourself? The Divine? Bandits have attacked your Weary Bailiff and stolen your taxes. The woods hide many secrets. Today, they hide the guilty. The culprits have gone to ground. <img src="images/rulershipmini.png" alt="RulershipMini"> [[Sanction the local villages until the bandits are handed over]] Someone knows who did this. [[Spread tax increases across the Marquisate]] That will recover the lost revenue with a minimum of pain. Spend the income on additional security. <img src="images/woodswisemini.png" alt="WoodsWiseMini"> [[Hunt down the perpetrators yourself]] Their woodland refuge will be well-hidden... (if: $outlawagents is "true")[//... your agents amidst the outlaw clans, however, know exactly where they are.//]\ (else:)[~~//... but your agents know exactly where they are.//~~]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril">]''Serault is Imperiled!'' Lawlessness reigns. Outlaws, thieves, and worse beset the land and call themselves its kings. As (if: $gender is "female")[Marquise](else:)[Marquis] of Serault, you can do much - but you can't do everything. You send your soldiers from village to hamlet, from forest to Serault Town itself, but you know these lands attract scoundrels of all sorts and there is never enough strength to face them all. Which problem affects Serault the most? [[The common folk huddle in their homes]] They fear for their lives. [[Word of Serault's lawlessness spreads]] What sort of ruler cannot enforce their own law? [[The flow of taxes becomes a trickle]] The peasants have little to pay their taxes with, and what they do pay doesn't always reach your castle. [[You ride out in person, night after night]] Though you do what you can to keep the roads safe, the exertion takes its toll.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution">]''A firm hand'' The Cheery Baron has simple advice. "Prevent commoners from gathering in groups of three or more. Restrict traffic on the roads. Confiscate books, so secret messages and propaganda can't circulate. And impose a curfew. Why do they need to be out after dark, anyway?" (if: $knightfury is > 1)[ [[A week passes, and with it a scent of spring|The Freehold]] The wind dies, leaving the sun to push hotly on the cobbled streets and courtyards. The chateau's four cats stretch out on the roof-tiles.]\ (else:)[ [[Two days later, a message arrives|An Invitation]] It's not what you were expecting.] (set: $revolution to $revolution + 15)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 15...) (set: $freedom to $freedom - 15)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 15...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/house.png" alt="Shack">]''Dappled sunlight and the distant scent of meadows'' The trail carries you swiftly to lighter woodland, and you leave the tight-woven branches of the Deepwoods - and their writhing, foot-catching roots - gladly behind. [[In time, you spot what seems like an old shack]] Lost in the woods.

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/bereskarn.png" alt="Bereskarn">]''All that’s left'' Most of your companions flee before its might. Those who don’t are crushed. When the bereskarn finally moves on, you stand alone in its ruinous wake. <img src="images/derringdomini.png" alt="DerringDoMini"> [[Fight it off]] You’re the hunter, not the prey. [[Go back to gather your companions]] It would be madness to fight the beast alone. (set: $alone to "true")(You are alone <img src="images/lostchild.png" alt="LostChild" height="26" width="20">.)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/outlaws.png" alt="Bandit">]''Familial pride'' Serault's bandit-clans are riven by feuds. The Black Knot hate the Shuttered Lamp, who have warred on the Blasted Oak since Serault was young. The Dead Rose and the Corpse-Dancers have been locked in a spiral of betrayal and betrothal for a decade. It seems impossible they could put their differences aside, but if they did... "We should harry them before they have a chance to unite," counsels the Baron. "Like your mother and I did back in the Bright Summer! Time to make some songs of your own, (if: $gender is "female")[Lady $name!"](else:)[Lord $name!"] <img src="images/derringdomini.png" alt="DerringDoMini"> [[Lead a force to harry them|Lead a force to harry them 2]] The forest is their home. The bandit-clans are honed by generations of strife and subterfuge. They'll be hard to find, harder to catch, and harder yet to kill. (if: $rivertroubles is "true")[//Your men have gained plenty of experience fighting the river-brigands, making this an easier fight.//]\ (else:)[~~//Your men have gained plenty of experience fighting the river-brigands.//~~] <img src="images/cunningmini.png" alt="CunningMini"> [[Place agents at the council|Place agents at the council 2]] Pitched battle on their chosen ground? Too risky. But you can at least recruit agents among them to learn what's decided at the council. (if: $woodsghost is "true")[//They don't call you the 'Woods-Ghost' for nothing. You know just whom to pick for this task.//]\ (else:)[~~//You know just whom to pick for this task.//~~]

(align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[<img src="images/The Last Court LOGO.png" alt="THE LAST COURT LOGO">]

________________________________________________________________ (align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[=$name de Serault <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> Health: (if: $health is > 90)[//Hale// ($health)]\ (else-if: $health is > 70)[//Hearty// ($health)]\ (else-if: $health is > 50)[//Weary// ($health)]\ (else-if: $health is > 30)[//Exhausted// ($health)]\ (else-if: $health is > 10)[//Injured// ($health)]\ (else:)[//Broken// ($health)]\ (if: (history:) contains "Epilogue: The Arrival of the Divine")[<img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry" height="26" width="20"> Divine's Favour: $divinefavour]\ [[CHRONICLE]] | [[CODEX]] | [[TUTORIAL|How to play]] (if: $char is "emissary")[<img src="images/emissary.png" alt="Emissary">]\ (else-if: $char is "justiciar")[<img src="images/justiciar.png" alt="Justiciar">]\ (else-if: $char is "courtier")[<img src="images/courtier.png" alt="Courtier">]\ (else-if: $char is "schemer")[<img src="images/schemer.png" alt="Schemer">]\ (else-if: $char is "swordsman")[<img src="images/swordsman.png" alt="Swordsman">]\ (else-if: $char is "pilgrim")[<img src="images/pilgrim.png" alt="Pilgrim">]\ (else:)[<img src="images/orlais.png" alt="Orlais">]\ (link-repeat:"Save Game")[(show:?save)] (link-repeat:"Load Game")[(show:?load)] |save)[<div class="modal"> <div class="modal-content"> <span class="close"> {(link-repeat:"&times")[(hide:?save)[]]} </span> (link:"Slot A",(button:))[(link:"Click here to save your game")[(save-game:"Slot A", "$saveSlotA")]] (link:"Slot B",(button:))[(link:"Click here to save your game")[(save-game:"Slot B", "$saveSlotB")]] (link:"Slot C",(button:))[(link:"Click here to save your game")[(save-game:"Slot C", "$saveSlotC")]] (link:"Slot D",(button:))[(link:"Click here to save your game")[(save-game:"Slot D", "$saveSlotD")]] (link:"Slot E",(button:))[(link:"Click here to save your game")[(save-game:"Slot E", "$saveSlotE")]] </div> </div>] |load)[<div class="modal"> <div class="modal-content"> <span class="close"> {(link-repeat:"&times")[(hide:?load)[]]} </span> (if:(saved-games:) contains "Autosave")[$saveAuto . . . (link: "Load Autosave")[(load-game: "Autosave")]](else:)[EMPTY] (if:(saved-games:) contains "Slot A")[$saveSlotA . . . (link: "Load Slot A")[(load-game: "Slot A")]](else:)[EMPTY] (if:(saved-games:) contains "Slot B")[$saveSlotB . . . (link: "Load Slot B")[(load-game: "Slot B")]](else:)[EMPTY] (if:(saved-games:) contains "Slot C")[$saveSlotC . . . (link: "Load Slot C")[(load-game: "Slot C")]](else:)[EMPTY] (if:(saved-games:) contains "Slot D")[$saveSlotD . . . (link: "Load Slot D")[(load-game: "Slot D")]](else:)[EMPTY] (if:(saved-games:) contains "Slot E")[$saveSlotE . . . (link: "Load Slot E")[(load-game: "Slot E")]](else:)[EMPTY]\ </div> </div>]\ ''SKILLS'' <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> Rulership: ($rulership) <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20"> Scholarship: ($scholarship) <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="Derring-Do" height="26" width="20"> Derring-Do: ($derringdo) <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woods-wise" height="26" width="20"> Woods-wise: ($woodswise) <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> Cunning: ($cunning) ''ATTRIBUTES'' <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> Dignity: (if: $dignity is > 90)[//Shining// ($dignity)]\ (else-if: $dignity is > 75)[//Magnificent// ($dignity)]\ (else-if: $dignity is > 60)[//Admirable// ($dignity)]\ (else-if: $dignity is > 45)[//Modest// ($dignity)]\ (else-if: $dignity is > 30)[//Humble// ($dignity)]\ (else-if: $dignity is > 15)[//Pitiable// ($dignity)]\ (else:)[//Despicable// ($dignity)] <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> Prosperity: (if: $prosperity is > 90)[//Lavish// ($prosperity)]\ (else-if: $prosperity is > 75)[//Wealthy// ($prosperity)]\ (else-if: $prosperity is > 60)[//Affluent// ($prosperity)]\ (else-if: $prosperity is > 45)[//Comfortable// ($prosperity)]\ (else-if: $prosperity is > 30)[//Straitened// ($prosperity)]\ (else-if: $prosperity is > 15)[//Desperate// ($prosperity)]\ (else:)[//Shattered// ($prosperity)] <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> Freedom: (if: $freedom is > 90)[//Generously Governed// ($freedom)]\ (else-if: $freedom is > 75)[//Liberally Governed// ($freedom)]\ (else-if: $freedom is > 60)[//Benevolently Governed// ($freedom)]\ (else-if: $freedom is > 45)[//Justly Governed// ($freedom)]\ (else-if: $freedom is > 30)[//Sternly Governed// ($freedom)]\ (else-if: $freedom is > 15)[//Wretched// ($freedom)]\ (else:)[//Oppressed// ($freedom)] ''THREATS'' <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> Twilight: (if: $twilight is > 80)[//The Moon is pale with horror// ($twilight)]\ (else-if: $twilight is > 60)[//Midnight looms// ($twilight)]\ (else-if: $twilight is > 40)[//The Stars hide their light// ($twilight)]\ (else-if: $twilight is > 20)[//Shadows lengthen// ($twilight)]\ (else-if: $twilight is > 10)[//The Dawn is close// ($twilight)]\ (else:)[//The Sun is ascendant// ($twilight)] <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> Peril: (if: $peril is > 80)[//Armies on the march// ($peril)]\ (else-if: $peril is > 60)[//Brigands run rampant// ($peril)]\ (else-if: $peril is > 40)[//The people cry out for your protection// ($peril)]\ (else-if: $peril is > 20)[//The wilds are hostile// ($peril)]\ (else-if: $peril is > 10)[//Strangers are mistrusted// ($peril)]\ (else:)[//Peaceful roads// ($peril)] <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> Revolution: (if: $revolution is > 80)[//The roar of the mob// ($revolution)]\ (else-if: $revolution is > 60)[//Shouts in the streets// ($revolution)]\ (else-if: $revolution is > 40)[//Muttering in the moonlight// ($revolution)]\ (else-if: $revolution is > 20)[//Murmurs in the market-place// ($revolution)]\ (else-if: $revolution is > 10)[//Whispers by the well// ($revolution)]\ (else:)[//No signs of sedition// ($revolution)] (enchant: ?Link, (color: red) )

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/ring1.png" alt="MarquisRing">]''Bloodline'' Your lineage is old, and commands respect. When a vassal bends the knee before you, do they address you as "my Lady" or as "my Lord"? [[You are addressed as a Lady|Female]] Like your mother, who loved Serault with all her heart. [[You are addressed as a Lord|Male]] Like your grandfather... and his father before him. (set: $name to (v6m-print: (prompt: "Choose an Orlesian noble name. In a moment, you'll choose your gender, your nature and your goals, and learn more about Serault.", "Marquis")))

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/halla.png" alt="Hind">]''Lord $name de Serault'' As you were first laid before your mother, a tiny thing wrapped in silk and birthblood, she and your father dubbed you $name de Serault, a name you carry with pride. You live in a masked empire, where players of the Great Game often hide their true faces in false ones, of varied designs. What is //your// mask? //The choices before you are purely cosmetic, deciding your character portrait.// <img src="images/swordsman.png" alt="Swordsman" height="65" width="50"> [[A mask of hardy iron|The Swordsman]] Your mother's sword is always with you. <img src="images/pilgrim.png" alt="Pilgrim" height="65" width="50"> [[A mask of honest oakwood|The Pilgrim]] You are well-travelled, knowledgeable of the world. <img src="images/schemer.png" alt="Schemer" height="65" width="50"> [[A mask of red steel|The Schemer]] You are quite used to the dangers of power. <img src="images/courtier.png" alt="Courtier" height="65" width="50"> [[A mask of solid gold|The Courtier]] You are keen on the latest trends at the imperial court. <img src="images/justiciar.png" alt="Justiciar" height="65" width="50"> [[A mask of porcelain, fragile but pure|The Justiciar]] You wear your masks better than anyone. <img src="images/emissary.png" alt="Emissary" height="65" width="50"> [[A mask of moon-like silver|The Emissary]] Your splendour is the talk of song. (set: $gender to "male")(People address you as "my Lord" <img src="images/ring1.png" alt="Ring1" height="26" width="20"> or "your Grace".)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/halla.png" alt="Hind">]''Lady $name de Serault'' As you were first laid before your mother, a tiny thing wrapped in silk and birthblood, she and your father dubbed you $name de Serault, a name you carry with pride. You live in a masked empire, where players of the Great Game often hide their true faces in false ones, of varied designs. What is //your// mask? //The choices before you are purely cosmetic, deciding your character portrait.// <img src="images/swordsman.png" alt="Swordsman" height="65" width="50"> [[A mask of hardy iron|The Swordsman]] Your mother's sword is always with you. <img src="images/pilgrim.png" alt="Pilgrim" height="65" width="50"> [[A mask of honest oakwood|The Pilgrim]] You are well-travelled, knowledgeable of the world. <img src="images/schemer.png" alt="Schemer" height="65" width="50"> [[A mask of red steel|The Schemer]] You are quite used to the dangers of power. <img src="images/courtier.png" alt="Courtier" height="65" width="50"> [[A mask of solid gold|The Courtier]] You are keen on the latest trends at the imperial court. <img src="images/justiciar.png" alt="Justiciar" height="65" width="50"> [[A mask of porcelain, fragile but pure|The Justiciar]] You wear your masks better than anyone. <img src="images/emissary.png" alt="Emissary" height="65" width="50"> [[A mask of moon-like silver|The Emissary]] Your splendour is the talk of song. (set: $gender to "female")(People address you as "my Lady" <img src="images/ring1.png" alt="Ring1" height="26" width="20"> or "your Grace".)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/agitator.png" alt="Agitator">]''What of the walls, the gates, the guards?'' "The walls are high, but the rooftops of the surrounding houses are higher. The gates are busy with shipments. And the guards worry more about keeping glassworkers in than thieves out," she says, tartly. Thieves have stolen glittering works of glass and silver that were under your protection. The crime must be answered. <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity"> [[Tell your chevalier-commander to track them down|Tell your chevalier-commander to track them down 1]] Your guards are eager to restore their honour. Will they remember to conduct themselves appropriately? <img src="images/derringdomini.png" alt="DerringDoMini"> [[Pursue them yourself|Pursue them yourself 1]] This will take a sharp mind and a delicate hand.\ \ (set: $thieves to "true")

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/chest.png" alt="Chest">](if: $dignity is > $twilight)[''The law's long arm'' Three days later, your guard apprehend the thieves in a ramshackle riverbank tavern. The culprits were squabbling over getting their haul out of Serault, and forgot to keep their voices low. Their trial is swift, your justice firm. That should dissuade other criminals from similar foolishness. (set: $thievesgang to "true")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) ]\ (else:)[''A step too far'' Your commander beams, flinging back the lid of the chest. Gold, glass and silver gleam inside. Some of it is yours; some of it isn't. Their pursuit of the thieves was not subtle. You've already received complaints about their methods. (set: $freedom to $freedom - 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $thievesgang to "bad")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)] (if: $morrigan is "welcomed")[ [[A week goes by; you run into the Scornful Sorceress...|The Scornful Sorceress]] The apostate's presence fills your head with questions.]\ (else:)[ [[Unfortunately, that wouldn't be the last issue to involve glass|The Ghost of the Glassworks]] Solve a problem, two others come up in its place.] (set: $prosperity to $prosperity + 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/peasant.png" alt="Peasant">](if: (random: -10,10) + $derringdo is > 35)[''From the horse's mouth'' You corner the thieves in one of the leaning, close-packed houses near the Bridge of Masks. They surrender as soon as your soldiers beat down the door. The gang's leader, narrow and scarred, has already sold some of the treasures. He tries to placate you with information. Secrets pour from his lips like honey from a spoon. He hopes it will win him mercy. (set: $cunning to $cunning + 1)(Your Cunning <img src="images/cunning.png" alt="Cunning" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $prosperity to $prosperity + 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $thievesgang to "true")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)]\ (else:)[''You must have been only hours behind them'' When you enter the stable your informant identified you find nothing but trampled hay, signs of habitation, and three missing horses. Was that a snigger from your guards? They didn't like you taking over the investigation, and don't mind seeing you taken down a peg. Still, it hasn't been a waste. The thieves might still be at large, but you learned many things while combing Serault's underworld. Things you would never have learned in your high, bright hall. (set: $dignity to $dignity - 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $thievesgang to "bad")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)] (if: $morrigan is "welcomed")[ [[A week goes by; you run into the Scornful Sorceress...|The Scornful Sorceress]] The apostate's presence fills your head with questions.]\ (else:)[ [[Unfortunately, that wouldn't be the last issue to involve glass|The Ghost of the Glassworks]] Solve a problem, two others come up in its place.] (set: $derringdo to $derringdo + 1)(Your Derring-Do <img src="images/derringdo.png" alt="DerringDo" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $peril to $peril - 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/judge.png" alt="Judge">] ''Eyes ahead'' This isn't the first time the glassworkers decided to push for more freedoms, though few remember an attempt so brazen. Whoever led them to this has failed terribly. (if: $bardlover is "true")[The mood is somber as you listen to the Bard play the tunes of //the Seat of the Stag//; when your eyes cross, he winks at you. His presence comforts you, and alleviates some of your anger.](else-if: $abbesslover is "true")[The mood is somber as you hear the Elegant Abbess lead her sisters in prayer for Serault, and the misguided souls who call her home. When she's finished and passes you by, you briefly touch hands, her masked gaze reassuring you that all will be fine.] You have to decide what to do about the glassworkers. [[Censure the glassworkers|Censure the glassworkers 2]] The Divine is coming; the eyes of Orlais are on you, and they must not detect weakness. [[Pardon the glassworkers|Pardon the glassworkers 2]] Doesn't the Chantry say the Maker loves the meek above all others?

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/outlawreturns.png" alt="OutlawReturns">]''Smoke and mirrors'' The Outlaw's band might be the largest around these parts, but it is far from the only one. Besides, you don't really have time to waste with waylaid merchants - whether their misfortune is truthful or not, you have a grand feast to be ready for... and that involves doubling patrols on the roads to the east. <img src="images/coinsmini.png" alt="Prosperity"> [[Send a messenger to ask the Outlaw for information|The Dashing Outlaw 2]] If the roads aren't safe, she may be of help... hopefully she is in a good mood. (Despite the accusations against her, you chose to believe in the Dashing Outlaw's <img src="images/outlaw.png" alt="Outlaw" height="26" width="20"> innocence.) (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $freedom to $freedom + 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $peril to $peril - 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) (set: $prosperity to $prosperity - 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/clues.png" alt="Clues">]''Possibilities'' With the Divine coming soon, you must work on preventing another poisoning, not chasing shadows. Imagine if Her Holiness finds herself suffering from a similar malady, after being hosted under your roof... your shame would eclipse even that of your great-grandfather. You order the hiring of a dozen foodtasters. Many in your household volunteer for the duty; it means giving away access to some of your more exclusive storages of wine, but so be it. (if: $bardlover is "true")[When you next invite the Wayward Bard to your chambers, you drink with some relief in your chest.](else-if: $abbesslover is "true")[When you next invite the Elegant Abbess to your chambers, you drink with some relief in your chest.] [[Things calm down the following day|Gather Resources 3]] You admire the paintings in the Whistling Gallery for a moment or two. Then you head back to court; time to work. (set: $dignity to $dignity + 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $freedom to $freedom + 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5!) (set: $peril to $peril - 10)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 10!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/clues.png" alt="Clues">]''Doubts'' These last seven months haven't been easy. You have been presented with an opportunity neither your mother nor your grandfather had, the chance to be the (if: $gender is "female")[Marquise](else:)[Marquis] who rescued Serault from her prison, her dishonour, her Shame. But will you make good on this? You have but one shot. There is no point in doubting yourself any further now. The moon is bright. You drink your cup of wine, then go to bed. Your dreams are pleasantly untroubled. [[Time marches on|A Cowled Visitor]] (if: $abbesslover is "true")["You have a visitor, my love," the Elegant Abbess tells you one morning in a quiet tone. It's hard to read her, beneath those robes and mask. Is she sweating?](if: $bardlover is "true")["Dear, there is someone waiting to see you." The Wayward Bard is not easily disturbed, but you can tell this visitor got him concerned. He looks at you. "She is waiting in the Great Hall."](else:)[A woman has arrived at the chateau looking for a private audience, you are told. Your Weary Baillif looks nervous. Who is she?] (set: $agitator to "vanished")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) (if: $health is > 100)[(set: $health to 100)]\ (else-if: $health is > 90)[(set: $health to 100)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has increased to 100!) ]\ (else-if: $health is < 0)[(set: $health to 10)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has increased to 10!) ]\ (else:)[(set: $health to $health + 10)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 10!) ]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/divine.png" alt="Divine">]''The Divine's judgement'' She sits on your throne of stained glass. She looks pensive, lost in her thoughts. Then she rises as well, passing by you on the way to the room you had separated for her on the Foal's Tower. (if: $divinefavour is > 4)[ [[The Divine is pleased]] She kisses your cheeks like a sister. "I have issued the decree, $name de Serault..."]\ (else:)[ [[The atmosphere is strained]] The Divine retires to her quarters for the night. Her farewell is courteous, not warm.]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/forest2.png" alt="Forest2">]''Woods-wisdom'' The folk who live in the forest - the charcoal-burners, the woodcutters, the bandit-clans, the Dashing Outlaw's people - are ruled by their old superstitions. But they know the woods like no-one else. When they speak, it's wise to listen. "Keep to the path," the wisdom says. "And don't listen to the cries in the woods, whoever they sound like." [[Drive criminals into the Deepwoods|Drive criminals into the Deepwoods 1]] Let the forest have them. It will be a fit punishment. <img src="images/woodswisemini.png" alt="WoodsWiseMini"> [[Warn even the lawless folk|Warn even the lawless folk 1]] No-one deserves what waits in the woods. You'll need to seek them out, despite being the very person they're hiding from. [[Take no part|Take no part 1]] You have no place between the heathen things of the wood and lawless men. They are welcome to each other.\ \ (set: $whispers to "true")

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/outlaws.png" alt="Outlaws">](if: (random: -10,10) + $woodswise is > 25)[''Off the menu'' The outlaws' encampment is well-hidden, but you track them down. Accepting your temporary amnesty, they follow you from the woods. The trees rustle in resentment. There will be no feast for the forest today. (set: $twilight to $twilight - 5)(Your Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) (set: $savedbandits to "true")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!) ]\ (else:)[''An aperitif'' You arrive too late. The camp of the outlaws you were tracking is empty. A fire still burns low, a spitted brace of rabbits black above it. You find a discarded axe, half-sharpened. Here is a cup of mead, barely sipped. The forest has taken them. Hopefully its hunger will ease, now. (set: $savedbandits to "fedwoods")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)] [[A thankfully peaceful week passes by|Blown in on the Wind]] Two servants bicker over the duties of a third, their voices drifting through the window of your hall. (set: $woodswise to $woodswise + 1)(Your Woods-wise <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $peril to $peril + 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) (set: $twilight to $twilight - 5)(Your Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/greenwoods.png" alt="Greenwoods">]''Busy, busy'' You keep to your court. You've little time to worry about the feuds between the forest and its tenants. Eventually, the west wind dies. The forest quiets. Business returns to normal. [[A thankfully peaceful week passes by|Blown in on the Wind]] Two servants bicker over the duties of a third, their voices drifting through the window of your hall. (set: $rulership to $peril + 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) (set: $twilight to $twilight - 5)(Your Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) (set: $savedbandits to "ignored")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril">]''A morsel'' The criminals think this is their chance at freedom, and run willingly into the trees. The forest accepts them with a glad hiss of leaves. They'll trouble Serault no more. [[A thankfully peaceful week passes by|Blown in on the Wind]] Two servants bicker over the duties of a third, their voices drifting through the window of your hall. (set: $twilight to $twilight + 5)(Your Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) (set: $peril to $peril - 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5!) (set: $savedbandits to "fedwoods")(Your Chronicle <img src="images/mirror.png" alt="Mirror" height="26" width="20"> has a new event!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/knight.png" alt="Knight">]''He blinks'' "It is an... experiment, your Grace. The smallfolk deserve a chance, do they not? To prove themselves?" His moustache quivers, nervously. "The Iconoclast may be... over-enthusiastic, but she has a point. How can people thrive when we think the worst of them?" [[Tear up the writ]] The Kindly Knight's indulgence has gone too far. Demand he return his lands to their proper governance. Oh, and you'll have those missing taxes, too. [[Attach your seal to the writ]] The Knight and the Iconoclast deserve a chance to make the freehold work. (set: $scholarship to $scholarship + 1)(Your Scholarship <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $revolution to $revolution + 5)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/hawke.png" alt="Hawke">]''An Unofficial Meeting'' A troublesome visitor has made his way to Serault. What will you do with your visitor? (if: (history:) contains "Templar Carver")[ [[Grant him hospitality]] Who would know more about the Chantry's recent troubles than a Templar? [[Cast him out]] Now the Templars have abandoned the Chantry, what authority do they have? Brutes with swords.]\ (else:)[ [[Welcome him]] The Maker knows his order receives little gratitude. "A Warden never brought good news," it's said. [[Turn him away]] Wardens always want something. Recruits. Arms. A dangerous, sinister service they'll never explain.]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/lover.png" alt="Heart">]''Your wounds are too severe!'' Overcome by your injuries, your physicians have confined you to your bed. Through your window, high in the Heron Tower, you can hear Serault bustling on without you. <img src="images/lovermini.png" alt="Lover"> [[Rest until you are fully recovered|Rest until you are fully recovered 3]] Serault will survive a while without you. Perhaps you can catch up on some reading... <img src="images/lovermini.png" alt="Lover"> [[Get out of bed as soon as you're able to stand|Get out of bed as soon as you're able to stand 3]] Serault needs her (if: $gender is "female")[Marquise](else:)[Marquis]! (if: $elfroot is > 0)[ <img src="images/elfroot.png" alt="Elfroot" height="52" width="40"> [[Call for the local herbalist. They'll know what you need|Call for the local herbalist. They'll know what you need 3]] Chew on some Elfroot.]\ (else:)[~~Call for the local herbalist. They'll know what you need Chew on some Elfroot.~~]

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/serault.png" alt="SeraultArms">]''The heart of Serault'' Driving the fluttering physicians from your bedside, you limp down the winding stairs with the aid of a cane. Your advisers do their best, but the stag's blood doesn't run in their veins. You take the High Seat - pale, pained, but present. [[A week comes and goes|Cheating Chance]] The air is calm. The sounds of Serault: carts in the streets, the blacksmiths at work, the laughter of children. (set: $rulership to $rulership + 1)(Your Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $health to 60)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has increased to 60!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/elfroot.png" alt="Elfroot">]''Refreshed'' Elfroot works best when carefully prepared, but even raw it has virtue. Your limbs tremble with sudden vigor. Colours sharpen. [[A week comes and goes|Cheating Chance]] The air is calm. The sounds of Serault: carts in the streets, the blacksmiths at work, the laughter of children. (set: $woodswise to $woodswise + 1)(Your Woods-wise <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $health to 90)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has increased to 90!) (set: $elfroot to $elfroot - 1)(You've lost 1 <img src="images/elfroot.png" alt="Elfroot" height="26" width="20"> Elfroot.)

(align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[<img src="images/lover.png" alt="Heart">]''Days of rest'' Serault needs a healthy (if: $gender is "female")[Marquise](else:)[Marquis], not one who'll crumple at the first breath of wind. You follow your physicians' advice scrupulously. You drink every concoction - each more vile than the last - and make solid progress through Petrine's heaving opus //The Weight of Empire//. When you return to Serault's High Seat, your advisers greet you like Andraste returned. You have been missed. [[A week comes and goes|Cheating Chance]] The air is calm. The sounds of Serault: carts in the streets, the blacksmiths at work, the laughter of children. (set: $scholarship to $scholarship + 1)(Your Scholarship <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $health to 100)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has increased to 100!) (set: $prosperity to $prosperity - 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $dignity to $dignity - 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $freedom to $freedom - 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $peril to $peril + 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) (set: $twilight to $twilight + 5)(Your Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) (set: $revolution to $revolution + 5)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/lover.png" alt="Heart">]''Your wounds are too severe!'' Overcome by your injuries, your physicians have confined you to your bed. Through your window, high in the Heron Tower, you can hear Serault bustling on without you. <img src="images/lovermini.png" alt="Lover"> [[Rest until you are fully recovered|Rest until you are fully recovered 4]] Serault will survive a while without you. Perhaps you can catch up on some reading... <img src="images/lovermini.png" alt="Lover"> [[Get out of bed as soon as you're able to stand|Get out of bed as soon as you're able to stand 4]] Serault needs her (if: $gender is "female")[Marquise](else:)[Marquis]! (if: $elfroot is > 0)[ <img src="images/elfroot.png" alt="Elfroot" height="52" width="40"> [[Call for the local herbalist. They'll know what you need|Call for the local herbalist. They'll know what you need 4]] Chew on some Elfroot.]\ (else:)[~~Call for the local herbalist. They'll know what you need Chew on some Elfroot.~~]

(align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[<img src="images/lover.png" alt="Heart">]''Days of rest'' Serault needs a healthy (if: $gender is "female")[Marquise](else:)[Marquis], not one who'll crumple at the first breath of wind. You follow your physicians' advice scrupulously. You drink every concoction - each more vile than the last - and make solid progress through Petrine's heaving opus //The Weight of Empire//. When you return to Serault's High Seat, your advisers greet you like Andraste returned. You have been missed. <img src="images/crystalball.png" alt="CrystalBall" height="52" width="40"> [[Rainy days come, bringing dark clouds|Case: The Dowager's Decline]] You feel recovered enough to start your investigation. Who poisoned the Acerbic Dowager with the lethal //Havard's Grief//, and why? (set: $scholarship to $scholarship + 1)(Your Scholarship <img src="images/scholarship.png" alt="Scholarship" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $health to 100)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has increased to 100!) (set: $prosperity to $prosperity - 5)(Your Prosperity <img src="images/coins.png" alt="Prosperity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $dignity to $dignity - 5)(Your Dignity <img src="images/lionmini.png" alt="Dignity" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $freedom to $freedom - 5)(Your Freedom <img src="images/freedom.png" alt="Freedom" height="26" width="20"> has decreased by 5...) (set: $peril to $peril + 5)(Your Peril <img src="images/peril.png" alt="Peril" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) (set: $twilight to $twilight + 5)(Your Twilight <img src="images/crescentmoon.png" alt="Twilight" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...) (set: $revolution to $revolution + 5)(Your Revolution <img src="images/rumours.png" alt="Revolution" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 5...)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/serault.png" alt="SeraultArms">]''The heart of Serault'' Driving the fluttering physicians from your bedside, you limp down the winding stairs with the aid of a cane. Your advisers do their best, but the stag's blood doesn't run in their veins. You take the High Seat - pale, pained, but present. <img src="images/crystalball.png" alt="CrystalBall" height="52" width="40"> [[Rainy days come, bringing dark clouds|Case: The Dowager's Decline]] You feel recovered enough to start your investigation. Who poisoned the Acerbic Dowager with the lethal //Havard's Grief//, and why? (set: $rulership to $rulership + 1)(Your Rulership <img src="images/rulership.png" alt="Rulership" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $health to 60)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has increased to 60!)

(align:"=><=")[<img src="images/elfroot.png" alt="Elfroot">]''Refreshed'' Elfroot works best when carefully prepared, but even raw it has virtue. Your limbs tremble with sudden vigor. Colours sharpen. <img src="images/crystalball.png" alt="CrystalBall" height="52" width="40"> [[Rainy days come, bringing dark clouds|Case: The Dowager's Decline]] You feel recovered enough to start your investigation. Who poisoned the Acerbic Dowager with the lethal //Havard's Grief//, and why? (set: $woodswise to $woodswise + 1)(Your Woods-wise <img src="images/plant.png" alt="Woodswise" height="26" width="20"> has increased by 1!) (set: $health to 90)(Your Health <img src="images/lover.png" alt="Lover" height="26" width="20"> has increased to 90!) (set: $elfroot to $elfroot - 1)(You've lost 1 <img src="images/elfroot.png" alt="Elfroot" height="26" width="20"> Elfroot.)

(align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[<img src="images/chest.png" alt="Chest">]''Life in Orzammar'' The dwarves of Orzammar are quite unlike those found in most human cities. Although Orzammar derives its vast wealth from trade with human kingdoms, all dwarves who come to the surface to trade are stripped of their position in society. Dwarven merchants are so ubiquitous in human cities that many people labor under the impression that all dwarves are merchants, or that their whole race worships coin and trade. But these surface dwarves are atypical creatures, the ones willing to give up all ties to their kin and sacrifice their rank in order to conduct business. Below ground, the dwarves are a people obsessed with honor--their own, and that of their family. Most nobles incorporate chainmail even into formal gowns, because slights and insults often turn deadly. They are a people who revere excellence and strive to achieve it in all things. Even members of the Servant Caste have been elevated to Paragons, usually posthumously, in recognition of remarkable service. —From //In Pursuit of Knowledge: The Travels of a Chantry Scholar//, by Brother Genitivi

(align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[<img src="images/chantry.png" alt="Chantry">]''The Imperial Chantry'' There are those who would tell you that the Chantry is the same everywhere as it is here, that the Divine in Val Royeaux reigns supreme in the eyes of the Maker and that this fact is unquestioned throughout Thedas. Do not believe it. The Maker's second commandment, "Magic must serve man, not rule over him," never held the same meaning within the ancient Tevinter Imperium as it did elsewhere. The Chantry there interpreted the rule as meaning that mages should never control the minds of other men, and that otherwise their magic should benefit the rulers of men as much as possible. When the clerics of Tevinter altered the Chant of Light to reflect this interpretation of the commandment, the Divine in Val Royeaux ordered the clerics to revert to the original Chant. They refused, claiming corruption within Val Royeaux, an argument that grew until, in 4:87 Towers, the Chantry in Tevinter elected its own "legitimate and uncorrupted" Divine Valhail - who was not only male, but also happened to be one of the most prominent members of the Tevinter Circle of the Magi. This "Black Divine" was reviled outside Tevinter, his existence an offense to the Chantry in Val Royeaux. After four Exalted Marches to dislodge these "rebels," all that the Chantry in Val Royeaux accomplished was to cement the separation. While most aspects of the Imperial Chantry's teachings are the same, prohibitions against magic have been weakened, and male priests have become more prevalent. The Circle of the Magi today rules Tevinter directly, ever since the Archon Nomaran was elected in 7:34 Storm directly from the ranks of the enchanters, to great applause from the public. He dispensed with the old rules forbidding mages from taking part in politics, and within a century, the true rulers within the various imperial houses - the mages - took their places openly within the government. The Imperial Divine is now always drawn from the ranks of the first enchanters and operates as Divine and Grand Enchanter both. This is utter heresy to any member of the Chantry outside of Tevinter, a return to the days of the magisters, which brought the Blights down upon us. But it exists, and even though we have left the Tevinter Imperium to the mercies of the dread Qunari, still they have endured. Further confrontation between the Black Divine and our so-called "White Divine" is inevitable. —From //Edicts of the Black Divine//, by Father David of Qarinus, 8:11 Blessed

(align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[<img src="images/mask.png" alt="Mask">]''The Perils of Bard Life'' As a bard, you are welcome anywhere in Orlais. Doors are opened to you with generous smiles, their wearers confident that no one would falsely pretend to such a title for fear of retribution. Your slightest request is immediately seen to. Your services are expensive and yet actively sought, and those who cannot afford them beg only to not have your displeasure turn their way. One day, however, you will awaken. You will realize the smiles are false, and behind them lies revenge. At the first moment of weakness, your brother and sister bards will be unleashed upon you like a pack of hounds, and you will realize they are not your brothers and sisters at all. For all your fancy intrigue, you have spent your life creating nothing of worth. You have been swallowed by the web of your own deceits, and the Game of which you believed yourself master? It moves on without you, uncaring. —From a letter signed "Sister Nightingale"

(align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[<img src="images/hawke.png" alt="Hawke">]''The Champion of Kirkwall'' I've heard the name "Hawke" on several lips this week. Many of us blame the Champion for the events in Kirkwall, which sparked a war and hurled all Thedas into chaos. But can we truly fault Hawke for what they did? Here was a poor refugee from Ferelden who came to the Free Marches fleeing the Blight. Imagine how it must have been for Hawke when they rose to prominence for their role in ending the Qunari threat of 9:34. From refugee to Champion of Kirkwall. Hawke's position gave them power and influence. Nothing could touch them. The destruction of Kirkwall's chantry awoke all to the realization that some mages would go to any lengths to achieve freedom. So here we stand, on the eve of the Divine Conclave, hoping this end before we are all dead. But ask yourselves: why look for Hawke? What good would the Champion's presence be? Their part in this is done. —Knight-Commander Marteu of Montsimmard, speaking to Templars attending the Divine Conclave