Calliborough Keep

<img src="Assets2/susnset.jpg"> <audio autoplay>\ <source src="Assets2/horse-galloping.wav"></audio> The sky fills with an eerie orange as the sun begins to set. You would've ridden to Calliborough Keep sooner, but the necessary preparations are needed for this situation. Your holy book hangs at your side and your symbol beats against your chest with the galloping of your horse. Your master, Priest and Holy Knight, Sir Rainsforth, has been inside the keep long enough. Wandrmere needs to be protected from the magic that plagues this land and you can't dispel them quickly enough. //You need Sir Rainsforth back.// You approach the ragged gates of Calliborough Keep. Its worn walls make it look beautifully eerie as the sun finally sets, the night sky filling with stars. You light your lantern and get off your horse. You look down at your bag. [[You take out the note from Sir Rainsforth.]] [[You enter the keep.]] (set: $keep to false) (set: $magic1 to false) (set: $clues1 to false) (set: $ending1 to false)

You step through the doorway. The floor creaks, sending a chill up your spine. You hear a click from behind. You turn to look behind you. The door has closed without you even pushing it. You try to open it, but it's locked. You turn back to the looming darkness. //No way but forward now.// Step after step, you traverse through the hallway. Every step feels like a minute as you look around. You can't see the walls or ceiling, only the stone beneath your feet. Only the sound of your footsteps echo through the hall. You finally approach a door. You check it and find it unlocked. As you push open the door, light fills your eyes. You're blinded but push forth to get out of the darkness. [[With a click from behind, your eyes finally see the room for what it is.->Main Room]] (set: $storage1 to false) (set: $servants1 to false)

The note is written cleanly but becomes harder to read near the end. *Dear Apprentice, I shall set forth to Calliborough Keep within the hour. I expect you to perform my duties while I am away. I have found Calliborough Keep to be where all the magic sieging our beloved town to be coming from. As such, I shall need to dispel all magic within it. This task will require me to be gone for a few days. If I do not return after five days, do not enter the keep. Send a note to the high priest that I have not returned from my task and require help. This task is too dangerous for you to involve yourself with. Stay within Wandermere and keep the town safe. Sincerely, Sir Rainsforth* [[You place the note back in your bag and head into the keep.->You enter the keep.]]

<audio autoplay>\ <source src="Assets2/door-opening.wav"></audio> {(if: $keep is false)[The door creaks as you push it open. The musty smell of the keep enters your nose, nearly making you sneeze. You hold your light up, illuminating the room.] }\ The keep seems... normal. A layer of dust covers everything and the torches went out years ago. Everything is at rest, nothing to make it seem like something sinister is at work. The brickwork, while weathered, looks fine and the rugs have moth holes. Nothing is out of place. //As if no one ever entered in the first place.// [[Examine the large door.->Large Door]] (if: $clues1 is false)[ [[Search the room for clues.->Search area]]] (if: $magic1 is false)[ [[Check the room for magic.->Check Objects]]]

In the back of the room, there stands a large, wooden door. Since it's slightly ajar, you peak in. Nothing seems good about the hallway it leads to. It's nothing but darkness and the light given off of your lantern seems to disappear quickly into the hallway, like the fog of the morning mixed with the darkness of a new moon. You worry that something will happen if you continue through this door. [[Go back.->You enter the keep.]] [[You steel yourself and go forward.->Enter Hallway]] (set: $keep to true)

You study the room. As you look closer at the bricks, you notice something in the bricks. Although it's faint, you can see symbols carved in them. Like someone took the finest quill and made the barest of marks into the stone. You place your hand over the stone and recite a dispel chant Sir Rainsforth taught you ages ago. The symbol disappears and as you remove your hand, dust covers it. Your handprint is left on the stone. Seems as though this curse simply kept dust against the stone. You look at the rest of the symbols. They don't seem to be worth your time. [[You go back to the middle of the room.->You enter the keep.]] (set: $keep to true) (set: $magic1 to true)

You search the room for anything relating to Sir Rainsforth. You'd think that there would be at footprints, but you can't even find that. So, you start to look under things. As you pull back a rug, there's a piece of parchment underneath it. It looks blank till you flip it over, where it's none other than Sir Rainsforth's penmanship. *Nothing here seems right. Even though there is dust everywhere, I am not leaving any footprints. I know the dust is real, as I feel it every time I take a breath, but if I cannot disturb it, how is it real? Something is here, but I do not know what.* [[You go back to the middle of the room.->You enter the keep.]] (set: $keep to true) (set: $clues1 to true)

The first thing you notice is that the room is completely lit. Every torch and candle is burning brightly and there's not a spec of dust in the air. All the decor is well-kept and the furniture looks brand new. You check the door behind you, only to find it locked. Of course it is. //Whatever magic has made its home here, it doesn't wish to be found. Nor does it wish for anything to leave.// You look around the room for anything. There are three doors you can go into. (if: $storage1 is false)[ [[Check the closest room on the left.->Storage Room Look]]] [[Check the farthest room on the left.->Study Room Look]] (if: $servants1 is false)[ [[Check the only room on the right.->Servants quarters look]]]

<audio autoplay>\ <source src="Assets2/door-opening.wav"></audio> You open the door. Inside is a decently sized storage room. Boxes and barrels are stacked neatly, each label facing out and easy to read. Most of the labels are for construction supplies, but there are a few other for things like cloth, powdered dye, and more craft-related supplies. You can't see everything within the room, as no candles or torches are lit within. [[Enter and search the storage room.->Storage room search]] [[Go back to the main room.->Main Room]]

You enter the study. You take only a few steps inside when the door slams behind you, locking loudly. You glance around, trying to find another way out. A laugh echoes through the room as it fills with an odd mist. It assaults your senses, making you cough as it gathers the behind the desk. "Well, this is certainly most welcome. A new face so soon? I thought I may have to wait who knows how many moons until a new peasant stumbled into my keep," says a voice. As your coughing stops, you look towards the mist. It turns into a more human shape, although no colors are present besides white and gray. It's an older man, a rather intricate hat upon his head, decorated with feathers and unholy symbols. His robes are equally so, with no feathers but seemingly layers upon layers of cloth, all decorated with various symbols. "Oh, another priest? This is even more interesting. Do you also need a place to stay? The other one seemed to take that offer wholeheartedly." [["Who are you to give out these rooms? This keep has been abandoned for years."->Who villain]] [["Other priest? Do you mean Sir Rainsforth? What did you do to him!"->Where master]]

<img src="Assets2/study.jpg"> <audio autoplay>\ <source src="Assets2/door-opening.wav"></audio> You open the door. An innate feeling of dread washes over you the second you do so. Nothing about this room feels right. The only thing that seems normal is the decor itself. It looks to be a simple study. A desk is in the middle of the room, along with a tall chair. A rug lays upon the floor and the walls are lined with bookshelves and detailed tapestries. Nothing looks wrong, but everything feels wrong. //Just like the hallway...// [[Enter and search study.->Enter study]] [[Go back to the main room.->Main Room]]

<audio autoplay>\ <source src="Assets2/door-opening.wav"></audio> You open the door. Inside seems to be a small area for the servants that once worked here. Hooks, dustpans, brooms, and many other cleaning items lay within. The moon's light illuminates the room, casting an eerie glow that makes even the brooms seem dangerous. The window's crosshatch pattern makes even room feel like a prison. //It feels simple... yet sinister.// [[Enter servant's area.->Search room servants]] [[Go back to the main room.->Main Room]]

You step inside the room. As you do, you feel uneasy. While it's similar to the hallway you were once in, it's on a much smaller scale. You begin to check the objects in the room. You overturn every object you can find. Hanging on a hook is an apron with something making a bump in one of the pockets. You reach in the pocket, pulling out an odd statue. It looks like a hand-made wooden statue of some type of holy person. You can't tell which, as the face is unfinished and the robes are unfinished. The hair makes you question if the owner of the statue ever poked themselves from holding this statue. As you study it, you feel the uneasy feeling becoming stronger. You look at the statue's base and see.. something. It looks like a scribble of some type of symbol, but something is blocking it. [[Try to remove the curse on the statue.->Object curse removal bad]] [[Go back to the main room.->Main Room]]

"Who am I? Well, I'm Sire Lyndon, priest," he says smugly. "Everyone should know who I am." You look at him in confusion. "What? Do you not know who I am? Of course, how should a child like you know anything besides what everyone else teaches you? You are only an adult once you learn to need no one else but yourself!" [["This place is filled with magic, Lyndon, especially in here with you. What do you plan to do to this great land with your unholy magic?"->what villain plan]] [["What did you do with the other priest? The only other priest in the area is Sir Rainsforth, my master, and he came here."->what do with master]]

"What such a fiery thing. Are you two related? Hmm... wait." Lydon and the mist float toward you, surrounding you. You cough as you breathe some of it in. "Ah, not related, but certainly close! I have always found that all priests needing to wear their town's holy symbol to be quite odd. It certainly makes it easier to find the right priest for your needs, but it also has the problem of making it easy to find the right target." The mist comes to a stop in front of you as your coughing subsides. "Now, Sir Rainsforth is his name? Well, I could tell you, but I would like to see you find out what happened to him. After all, even I cannot keep track of him and he is in my keep!" [[You unsheathe your blessed dagger and swing.->Attack villian]] [["Considering the magic I can feel within this room, you must not be very powerful if you cannot even track a single man."->insult villain]]

"Firey and a sharp tongue! I can appreciate a priest who can put away the 'I banish thee' chant and properly talk to others. Your master could certainly learn that from you." Lyndon chuckles, the mist moving with his mirth. "Now, priest, I will give you a little hint because you amuse me. Everything is filled with magic or has a cursed placed upon it. I would suggest not doing what Sir Rainsforth did and remove every single one. He tired himself out quite quickly! Save your energy for other things." You feel the air shift for a moment. You look around in response. "Such as running." The mist dissipates with Lyndon's chuckles echoing in the room. [[You look back at the door.->Big thing]]

As you swing, Lyndon's mist becomes a simple cloud rather than the detailed one from before. The white mist turns a deep pink as his voice echoes through the room once more. "Did you truly think that you could harm a could of mist with a little dagger? I am insulted, priest. You are worse than your master. He may remove my symbols, but he has never even dared to try and attack me." The room shakes, sending you to the floor. "Watch your back, priest. For there is a good chance that something will destroy you when you least expect it. After all, I am the one who controls this keep." The mist dissipates and the room stops shaking. You get to your feet, the room feeling even more dangerous than before. [[You turn to the locked door.->Big thing]]

"Oh, that priest was your master? Oh, what joy! I have had both a master and their apprentice in this keep. This will be great fun!" His joy is offputting, to say the least. No good person would act like this. Then again, is this mist even an actual person or just something conjured up by something even more powerful? "Speaking of which, I have prior duties regarding that priest. Sorry to leave you so soon, but running this keep takes too much of my time, especially when it comes to my guests." The mist begins to dissipate, making you cough again. "Well, more like permanent residents at this point." His voice echoes as he disappears, leaving you alone within the study. [[You turn to leave the room.->Big thing]]

"What is my plan?" he says. "What is my plan?" His laugh echoes through the room once more. With him being there, his movements make it worse. As if he's simply a ghost mocking the living. "Why should I tell my plan to such a lowly priest? The people only listen to your sermons and blessings, never anything you have to say about anyone else. Well, unless it deals with how blessed or cursed one is, and I am beyond that." The room began to twist and turn. You close your eyes, becoming nauseous. "Ah, with such a weak body, I do not think you will last even an hour within this keep," he says, his laugh fading into echoes. You open your eyes to see that he is gone. [[You look around the room once more.->Big thing]]

You step inside the room, your lantern illuminating the darkness within. You pass by more supply boxes and barrels. The labels become less about construction and more about crafts. Parchment, quills, ink, chalk... Everything seems to delve into some type of craftwork. You notice a note on a barrel. As you pick it up, you feel that the parchment is older than you thought as it nearly crumbles in your grasp. The ink is faded, and it may be difficult for even you to read. [[Read note.->Read storage note]] [[Go back to the main room.->Main Room]]

You hold the lantern closer to the parchment, careful not to get the fragile parchment too close to the heat. It's still quite hard to read. but you can make out the first two paragraphs. *Dear Sire Sutherland, At your request, I have made a shipment to Calliborough Keep. Your supplies should be arriving within the month. I wish you luck on your endeavors but be warned, I have heard about rampant magic in the area. I do not know what has pulled you towards the keep, but I cannot help but find interest in what you are doing. Restoring such an important symbol to Wandermere will certainly get your name to be recorded, but beyond that, I do not know what you have planned. I know you...* The note becomes unreadable after that. You place the note back down on the barrel and hear footsteps from behind. You turn to see nothing but the room. You go to take a step, only to feel a chill go down your back. You turn to see a ghost, its arm swinging down at you. [[Dodge the swing.->Way 1]] [[Hold out your holy symbol.->Way 2]] (set: $storage1 to true)

<img src="Assets2/ghost.jpg"> As you look behind you, the door is completely gone. There is no sign it even existed in the first place. You turn back to the misty man from before, only to find him gone. The room has expanded, becoming a long hallway of books. You are not alone, though. Misty balls begin to form the upper half of skeletons. Their hollow sockets come to light and look at you. Their bones clack together as they float closer. [[You run down the hallway.->Choice 1]] [[You take out your dagger. ->Choice 2]] [[You say a blessing to ward off the spirits.->Choice 3]]

Nothing about this room is like the keep was before your fall. The light is dim, anything a few feet away from the light is thrown into darkness. Even the couch you fell upon seems to be odd, with no other furniture within sight. You take out your lantern to remedy this problem, but it too seems to fall short of its duty. //Another curse upon this keep, then.// As you search the room, two doors are sitting next to each other. (if: $sideroute1 is false)[ [[Enter the door on the left.->Side route 1]]] [[Enter the door on the right.->Main route 1]]

(set: $enemy to (either: "Hellhound", "Suit of enchanted armor", "Ghost"))\ You encounter a $enemy. (if: $enemy is "Hellhound")[(either: "The hound's foul stench fills your nostrils with the scent of sulfur and death. It's glowing red eyes locked on you.","A Hellhound's foul odor of sulfur and death emanates from behind you.") [[Hold out your holy symbol.->Hellhound symbol]] [[Fight with your blessed dagger.->Hellhound knife]] (if: $sideroute4 is true)[ [[You run away from the enemy.]]]]\ (if: $enemy is "Suit of enchanted armor") [(either: "The unearthly clank of metal echos off the walls as a suit of armor comes to life and moves towards you.","The room fills with the smell of burned flesh. A red haze rolls across the room like a thick fog into a suit of armor. The armor steps off its mount with a hollow clank.") [[Hold out your holy symbol.->Suit symbol]] [[Fight with your blessed dagger.->Suit knife]] (if: $sideroute4 is true)[ [[You run away from the enemy.]]]]\ (if: $enemy is "Ghost") [(either: "A ghostly child plays up ahead. As you approach, they stop and their head turns to face you. Their hollow eyes fixated in an unsettling stare.","A tall slender man stalks toward you. His ghostly image is hard for you to focus on, but his otherworldly presence weighs on you more with every step.") [[Hold out your holy symbol.->Ghost symbol]] [[Fight with your blessed dagger.->Ghost knife]] (if: $sideroute4 is true)[ [[You run away from the enemy.]]]]

<audio autoplay>\ <source src="Assets2/door-opening.wav"></audio>\ You enter a short hallway. Instead of flames, it is lit by the moon. Beams of moonlight stream in from the windows, the eerieness becoming beautiful. You look out the window, trying to find some sort of escape. The window reveals nothing. Moonlight streams in, but you can't seem to look outside. The beauty of the moonlight fades, becoming another odd part of this cursed keep. You continue through the hallway and enter the wooden door at the end. [[You feel as though this may be the most peaceful room in the keep.->Main room 2]] (set: $sideroute3 to false) (set: $sideroute4 to false) (set: $sideroute1 to true) (set: $ending1 to false)

This room is much larger than the last one. It seems more like a proper entrance, with a large chandelier hanging in the middle, each candle lit aflame. There is a stairway in the back, a balcony overlooking the entire room. You walk down the rug in the middle of the room, looking for doors. You find quite a few and even spot one up the stairway. The door at the top of the stairs is quite grand, being covered golden swirls. Two other doors are on the main floor, one beside the stairs and the other off to the side. (if: $magiccheck1 is false)[ [[Check room for magic.->Magic check 1]]] [[Enter the door on the left.->Intersection 1]] (if: $sideroute5 is false)[ [[Enter the door near the stairs.->Side route 5]]] [[Enter the door on the second floor.->Puzzle room]]

<audio autoplay>\ <source src="Assets2/door-opening.wav"></audio>\ You enter the door and look into another hallway. This one isn't off or odd. It's the most normal looking hallway you've seen so far. You walk through the hallway, taking in the well-made paintings lining the walls. You come to the end of the hallway, only to find two doors. (if: $sideroute3 is false)[ [[Go through the door on the left.->Side route 3]]] (if: $sideroute4 is false)[ [[Go through the door on the right.->Side route 4]]] [[Go back to the main room.->Main room 2]]

<audio autoplay>\ <source src="Assets2/door-opening.wav"></audio>\ You enter the door on the left. Inside is what looks to be a woodcutting room. There are pieces of logs everywhere and many incomplete works. From what looks to be table legs to small statues, wood litters the place. [[Inspect the room.->Inspect 2]] [[Go back to the intersection.->Intersection 1]]

<audio autoplay>\ <source src="Assets2/door-opening.wav"></audio>\ You open the door next to the stairs. As you peer in, it looks to be a delivery room. Parcels and letters scatter the room. Nothing seems to have a sender or address, though. You open a couple of letters to check them, only to find that each one is blank. You open a parcel as well, only to find nothing but air. Everything here seems to be empty. [[Check for magic.->Magic check 2]] [[Leave room.->Main room 2]]

<audio autoplay>\ <source src="Assets2/door-opening.wav"></audio>\ You open the door on the right. It leads to a simple room. It's empty with no clue as to what it could be used for. The only thing that stands out is the large, single window at the other end of the room. It's large enough to where a person can stand on comfortably in the frame. [[Check for magic.->Trap 2]] [[Inspect room.->Trap 2]]

(align: "=><=")[Calliborough Keep] (align: "=><=")[Made by:] (align: "=><=")[Madeline Endlein] (align: "=><=")[ [[References->Credits]]] (align: "=><=")[ [[Start Game->Beginning of Story]] ]

<audio autoplay>\ <source src="Assets2/door-opening.wav"></audio>\ You enter the room. It seems simple enough, with bookshelves on each side and a door in the back. As you look through the books, Lyndon's mist appears in the middle of the room. Of course this couldn't be easy. "It is good to see you again, priest. I do not have time to talk, but I do have time to tell you something. You are currently in a trap and you must find your way out. Now, ta ta!" he says, the mist slipping into the cracks of the stonework. The doors disappear and the bookshelves crumble into ashes. The books appear to be fine, but symbols appear on both the books and the walls, leaving not a single brick unmarked. Two books stick out to you, as you know their symbols. One symbol is the symbol of passage, which is said to give passage to all those who need it. The other symbol is that of the symbol of blessing, which is the key element to dispel curses and other such things. Nothing about this room is right, so you need to choose carefully. [[Grab the book with the symbol of passage.->Puzzle route 1]] [[Grab the book with the symbol of blessing.->Puzzle route 4]] (if: $puzzleroute5 is true)[ [[Being careful to not disturb the room, you pull out some of the blocks where Sir Rainsforth said.->Puzzle route 5]]]

You unveil a small passage and climb down, not caring about the blocks left behind. The passageway is musty and you have to crouch to fit, but you manage to get your way out of the room. When you get to the end of the passage, something wooden blocks the way. You push against the object, which is thankfully light and manage to move it aside. You pull yourself out of the passage to find the object was a wooden bookshelf. As you go to put it back, Lyndon's mist appears in front of you. "Well, that is just rude. I made a nice little trap and you just avoid it? You are just a guest here, so I expected some decency," he says. "It is better than what that priest tried to do before you. He tried to remove all the symbols in the room! He managed to get some but thankfully I was able to stop him beforehand." [["If Sir Rainsforth can remove your symbols, then so can I!"->Lead up]]

(set: $counter to 15) You have (css: "color: red; font-size: 250%")[|amount>[$counter]] seconds left! (live: 1s)[\ (set: $counter to it - 1)\ (if: $counter is 0)[(go-to:"Game over 1")]\ (replace: ?amount)[$counter]\ ]\ You grab the book with the symbol of passage. The walls glow as you pick up the book, the rest of the books disappearing into ashes. The walls start to move as well, the stone scraping against the floor. [[Place the book against the walls.->Random bit 1]] [[Open the book and recite what's inside.->Puzzle route 1 2]] (if: $puzzleroute3 is true)[ [[You hold out the statue and say the inscription on the bottom.->Puzzle route 3]]]

As you say the inscription, the walls glow once more and stop their movement. The symbols upon the bricks seem to fade and burn off, leaving the room to feel normal. Well, as normal as you can get in this cursed keep. You look down at the statue, only for it to be slammed out of your hand. You look back up to find a quite angry Lyndon mist. "I hate people like you. I set up a great trap and yet you have to not only stop it but also destroy the entire thing! Do you know how hard it was to draw a symbol on each brick? No, you would not!" Lyndon continues to rant to you. Behind him, a door appears upon the wall once more. [[Listen to him.]] [[Ignore him and go to the door.]]

You start to recite the words within the book. Although you don't know every word, you at least know how they should be pronounced. With every word, something begins to glow on the other side of the room. When you read the final passage, the door reappears on the other end of the room. The walls start to move faster. You run for your life, pushing open the door on the other end just as the walls reach your shoulders. You slam the door behind you, taking a breath as you look around the new room. Lyndon's mist appears in front of you, making you jump a bit. "Good job! Now, I think you should get going. You have much more to explore in this place. And I cannot wait to meet you in person," he says. [["I am going to get out of this place and get Sir Rainsforth back and you cannot stop me."->Lead up]]

"Well, you can certainly try. Sir Rainsforth is having a bit of an... off day," Lyndon says. "He thought he could remove a symbol from a large training room not too far from here. And, well, to say that it backfired horrifically would be an understatement." He cackles. [[You throw a punch at the mist.->Angered route]] [["If something happened to Sir Rainsforth that I cannot fix, when I find you, your head shall be placed upon a spike."->Fiery route]] [["I do not have time for this, you pathetic man. The only thing I can thank you for is telling me where Sir Rainsforth is, for when I retrieve him, we shall both be your undoing."->Caring route]] (set: $sideroute6 to false) (set: $inspect3 to false) (set: $magiccheck4 to false) (set: $Rainsheal to true) (set: $RainsLyndon to false)

With the small break, you look around the room you are in. It's another small room, but enough for you to catch your breath. There are a couple of wooden benches and broken swords and shields litter the area near the walls. It looks like the entrance to the training room Lyndon was talking about. There are two doors in the room. A large door stands at the other end, nearly taking up the entire wall. A small door is off to the side, many broken weapons littering the area around it. (if: $sideroute6 is false)[ [[Enter small door.->Side route 6]]] [[Enter large door.->Fight set up]]

<audio autoplay>\ <source src="Assets2/beast-roar.wav"></audio>\ You enter into what looks to be a large training room. Dirt covers the floor alongside blood, chewed shields, and broken swords. A large, humanoid beast stands in the center of the room. You can hear its heavy breaths echoing throughout the room. The large door creaks as it closes, catching the beast's attention. It turns toward you, a single eye in its socket. Its hair is ragged and ungroomed while its arms and legs are bulky, forcing the beast to be on all fours. The armor across its body is misshapen and makeshift. Other pieces of armor litter the ground around it. On its chest plate lays a familiar symbol. Your town's symbol. The beast lets out a deep roar and charges at you. [[You dodge out of the way.->Sir Rainsforth fight]] [[You try to go back through the door.->Game over 2]]

{(if: $entrace1 is false)[You enter the small door.]}\ The inside is what looks to be a small armory for the training room. Wooden swords and bows with dulled arrows litter the floor and walls. At the other end of the room is another door. (if: $inspect3 is false)[ [[Inspect the room.->Inspect 3]]] (if: $magiccheck4 is false)[ [[Check for magic.->Magic check4]]] [[Enter the other door.->Way 14]] [[Go back to the small room.->Main room 3]]

The beast rams the door, causing a small cave-in of stone in front of the door. The thing yells in pain as something drops off of it. A glimmering sword slides across the floor. It's Sir Rainsforth's sword. You look around the room, trying to find the body of your master while the beast stumbles about. You don't see any bodies and all the blood within the room is old. You look back to the beast with an ache in your heart. //Lyndon did say something about Sir Rainsforth and his removal of a symbol backfiring.// [[You grab the sword.->Fight route 3 1]] [[You pull out your holy symbol.->Fight route 1 1]]

You pull out your holy book and flip through it quickly. As Sir Rainsforth prepares for another charge, you find a page on reversing a warding symbol. You prepare to write a symbol as he charges you. [[Continue writing symbol.->oof path]] [[Dodge again.->Safty]]

You look down at your symbol and then back to the beast. Rainsforth has always tried to help others What should No man deserves to be cursed in such a horrific body. The beast shakes its head, no longer stumbling from the hit. As it looks to you, there is no doubt. You can see Sir Rainsforth's determination in his eye and you return with your own. //You must help him, no matter what.// [[You hold out your symbol and recite a blessing.->Fight route 1 2]] [[You pull out your holy book, flipping to a section on a peaceful rest symbol.->Fight route 1 3]] (if: $Rainsheal is false)[ [[You take out the note and double-check what it said, preparing for something that could reverse Sir Rainsforth.->Fight route 2 1]]]

You grab the sword and hold it as well as you can. You may not know about how to properly hold it, but you've seen Sir Rainsforth use it enough time to at least understand how to use it. You look from the sword to the beast that is Sir Rainsforth. [[You attack Sir Rainsforth.->Rains death]] [[You hold the sword close a recite a blessing instead.->Fight route 1 2]] (if: $Rainsheal is false)[ [[You take out the note and double-check what it said, preparing for something that could reverse Sir Rainsforth.->Fight route 2 1]]]

As you recite the blessing, the cursed Sir Rainsforth becomes enraged. He roars, charging at you. As he approaches you, he slows down to a walk. When he is upon you he looks down at you with his single eye. Not willing to break the blessing, you continue to recite it. Sir Rainsforth sits in front of you, entranced by the blessing. As you finish the blessing, a shimmering light covers Sir Rainsforth. He shrinks in size and seems to change back into his normal self. Just before he does, he changes back to the monster he was before. You tried but failed. You look up at him and he looks saddened. You feel a tear in the corner of your eye but Rainsforth speaks. Well, he tries to but can't. He gently pats your head. You may have not fixed his body, but you fixed his mind. He points to a door on the other end of the room. You look at him and nod. You wave goodbye and he does as well, laying down on the floor. [[You continue through the door. You may not have completely saved your master but at least you know that he's safe.->Fight wind down]]

As you walk into the new room, Lyndon's mist appears once more. "Thanks for taking care of Sir Rainsforth. He has been such a pain in my back. I do not know how many times I have had to come out of my room to deal with the fool," he says. "Speaking of fools, will you face me? I have already told you that I am quite powerful. I could use a new beast, though, considering what you did to Rainsforth." His mist disappears once again. You must be close to Lyndon's quarters now. You see another door at the end of the room and go through it. [[Time to finish this.->Begin Act Three]]

<audio autoplay>\ <source src="Assets2/door-opening.wav"></audio>\ You enter the door. You're inside grand room, filled to the brim with gemstones and the like. Right in the middle stands Lyndon in all his glory. It seems like he was closer than expected. His colorful attire certainly didn't come through in his misty form. "So, you are a fool. Walking straight into my own room," he says. [[You say nothing.->Ignoring Lyndon]] [["You call me a fool when I have nowhere else to go. Men who set up strawmen and burn them down are nothing of worth."->Rude to Lyndon]]

"How rude of you. I am nothing of worth? You are nothing but an apprentice priest. Meanwhile, I have turned this entire keep into my own. Your words are meaningless in the face of such grandeur." [["My words have helped many. All your words have done is hurt others. No god will take you after all this."->Lydon reacts negativly]] [["This keep is your own, yet why can you not control beasts caused by your own curses?"->Lyndon reacts possitivly]]

"Interesting. Most would attack me the moment they saw me. You are smarter than them, it seems. Quite nice, as I do like to talk," he says. He approaches you, a grin spread across his face. "So, will you let me talk? How about we talk about what will happen to your precious town? It will be overtaken by my curses and no one, not even a priest, will be able to dispel them." He gets close to your face. "Not even a head priest would be able to dispel it. Not him, not you, and not even your little Sir Rainsforth." [[You throw a punch.->Giving into Lyndon's pestering]] [[You stay quiet.->Continually ignoring Lyndon]]

"As if I care what some god thinks! I am beyond a god! I shall remain longer than any gods because I am just a man, and a man like me shall never disappear. Meanwhile, a lowly priest like you will never reach the godhood I have!" [["I have done more as a priest than you as a blasted cursed man."->Lyndon leaves with a hint of the curse]]

He frowns. "You are no fun. Not another word? I wanted to talk, not be the only one talking. Although, that is to be expected. You are a priest and priests are meant to listen to their people. So, I would say you did a good job," he says. "You know, you should be worried, priest. Not about me, but rather this keep we reside in." [["Why? All this keep has is symbols and each one can be removed with time."->Lydon leaves with a warning]]

He dodges your punch. He has a maniacal grin on his face as he steps away. "My my. Did I hit a sore spot? I am not surprised considering you did just go against him. You should channel that anger, though. It is unbecoming of a priest to be so wrathful." He laughs. "If you would like to fight, though, I am happy to oblige. It's not like it would matter much, though. This keep is not going anywhere, even if I die." [["How? You are the one who made this keep what it is!"->Lydon leaves with a warning]]

"You are quite a smart priest. I love pointing out inaccuracies and you seem to share that same love. You would make a wonderful apprentice," he says. You glare at him. "You will not join me though. Am I right?" [[You nod your head.->Lyndon leaves with a hint of the curse]]

"Because I have created a magnificent symbol that protects this keep. One night, I created it in a fit of madness and creativity. Not even I know how to remove it without causing harm to myself," he says. He turns to you and snaps his fingers. A portal appears in front of both of you. "That does not matter, though. I shall defeat you and once you are gone, your blood shall make great ink for some new symbols I have come up with." He steps through the portal and disappears. [[You follow after him.->Begin Lyndon fight]]

Before you can even take more than two steps outside the portal, Lyndon swings a flail at you. You manage to duck in time. "Pity. I thought that would have hit you. Now, let's fight," he says, stepping back. His flail swings side to side as he watches your movements. You unsheathe your dagger and face Lyndon. "A dagger and a flail? While it is no swordfight, I feel as though this battle will truly be interesting." [[You charge at Lyndon.]] [[You hold your holy symbol out.]] [[You wait till Lyndon attacks.]]

<audio autoplay>\ <source src="Assets2/door-opening.wav"></audio>\ You enter a room with nothing but the door you stepped through and a humongous symbol on the wall. The symbol itself is made as though it was a piece of art, with not a single line having a fault. The symbol has every other symbol in the world upon its other ring. The inner ring depicts a tree covering the fires of the underworld, multiple demons sieging the tree. [[You look into your book for answers.->PLayer doesn't know what to do]] (if: $ending1 is true)[ [[You take out Lyndon's note, seeing what the symbol is made of.->PLayer knows what to do]]]

As you read Lyndon's note, you think of what can remove a blood symbol as large as this. You cannot simply draw over it without there being problems with how the symbol will react. Upon thinking, you realize that some holy water mixed with Lyndon's blood could remove this symbol since it's tied to him. [[You search for some of Lyndon's blood.->Player removes curse from keep]]

You look at your book, but nothing seems to tell you about this symbol. You search the room, trying to find anything about this symbol, but nothing comes up. This symbol that somehow keeps the entire keep in this cursed state is nothing that you've seen before. As you say a sort of blessing, the symbol glows. You stop and the glow fades. //Glowing symbols are never good.// [[Continue to find some way to remove the symbol.->Player can't remove curse]]

You decide to take a risk. This symbol needs to be destroyed for everything to become better once again. No matter what happens, you need to get this done. You take out your holy book and start drawing over the symbol. It glows brighter than ever before but you ignore it a keep pushing through. You don't know what to do to create a counter symbol for this one, as it is beyond your knowledge. So, you do what was the first thing you were taught. Write the symbol upside down. And so, you complete the counter symbol. The red from the other symbol glows to a blinding degree. [[It feels as though you are being ripped apart.->Ending 2]]

You aquire some of Lyndon's blood from his body. You take take some of your water and bless it, mixing it with Lyndon's blood. You're no alchemist, but this will have to do. You take the mixture and dip your finger in it, tracing the large symbol. It glows brightly but doesn't seem to do anything. As you complete the symbol, it begins to dissolve into liquid, pooling on the ground beneath you. As the symbol goes away, you feel lighter all of a sudden. You check for magic and find that there is none in the area. [[You head back to town, the keep finally free.->Ending 1]]

You try everything you can think of without setting off the symbols. From quiet blessings to trying to draw other symbols, anytime you think you're getting somewhere, the symbol on wall glows and you have to stop. You can leave now, but what about the keep? [[You leave the keep, glad that you were able to leave with your life.->Ending 3]] [[You continue to try and remove the symbol.->Player tries to remove curse and fails]] [[You decide to take a risk and write a counter symbol to remove it.->Player removes curse but doesn't do it correctly]]

As a last-ditch effort, you decide to try and remove the symbol from the wall by destroying it. With your dagger, you start to dig at the symbol's edges. All you need to do is create enough of a gap and the symbol will be rendered useless. It glows once more but you continue to dig at the symbol. Once you create about an inch of a gap in the symbol, the symbol glows brightly for a moment before fizzling out. The symbol itself then seems to sink into the wall. [[You feel the magic disperse from the keep, but only for a moment.->Ending 4]]

As you arrive back to town, it already feels better. Citizens are milling about, smiles upon their faces. Over time, Calliborough Keep is taken care of by Wandermere. It becomes a new church for the town, allowing travelers to stay inside when they are weary. You are apart of the efforts of rebuilding it and are revered for removing the horrible curse upon it. You have gone down in history while Lyndon is lost to the sands of time. (align: "=><=")[The End] (align: "=><=")[ [[Start Over->Beginning of Story]]]

The magic feeling comes back, but this time, it nearly suffocates you. You leave the keep, as its magic is no longer concentrated on the location. As you step outside into the forest, you realize where the magic is coming from. It is all around you. You hop back on your horse and ride into town. The feeling never eases up. The cursed magic has spread beyond the keep and goes on for who knows how long. All you can do now is hope that enough priests can come to dispel the curse. For you must try to protect the town you love from the horrid things that you have caused. (align: "=><=")[The End] (align: "=><=")[ [[Start Over->Beginning of Story]]]

You leave the keep in defeat. The curse may have not consumed you, but it will still hurt Wandermere for however long it stays. All you can do now is send word to the head priest and hope for the best. (align: "=><=")[The End] (align: "=><=")[ [[Start Over->Beginning of Story]]]

The curse dispels from the keep and the town rejoices at your accomplishment. No longer will they have to fear the night or have guards patrol the day. They are free from the curse of Calliborough. You, on the other hand, are not as lucky. The counter symbol worked, but not without a cost. It reversed what the original symbol was doing. It gave power to the one who created it and protected only one person, but with the counter symbol, it instead took the life of the creator to protect everyone else. Even as you felt your life slip from your body, you knew that life would truly be better not only in Wandermere but across the land. (align: "=><=")[The End] (align: "=><=")[ [[Start Over->Beginning of Story]]]

"No matter, all I will say is this. No matter what happens to me, this curse will continue to spread. The whole world could burn and this keep would still be cursed. Now, let's fight." With a snap of his fingers, he is gone and a portal appears in the middle of the room. [[You take a breath and step through.->Begin Lyndon fight]]

(set: $counter to 10) You have (css: "color: red; font-size: 250%")[|amount>[$counter]] seconds left! (live: 1s)[\ (set: $counter to it - 1)\ (if: $counter is 0)[(go-to: "Next Passage")]\ (replace: ?amount)[$counter]\ ]\ You place the book against the walls but nothing happens. The walls draw even closer. [[Recite what's in the book.->Puzzle route 1 2]]

The room itself doesn't seem to have any magic in it, besides the magic keeping you here. There aren't any symbols you can see, but you do feel two magical pulses in your area. One feels small, possibly just another symbol on an object. The other is much worse. //As if multiple warlocks are all casting a ritual at the same time.// [[And the pulse is coming from upstairs.->Main room 2]] (set: $magiccheck1 to true)

Your punch passes right through Lyndon's mist. He looks unamused. "Did... did you really think that would work? I am currently in a mist-like form, priest. I cannot be harmed like this." He sighs. "Alright, if you think this will help you in the future, then fine, fight all your battles. I do not know how that will help when you go against Sir Rainsforth up ahead, but fine, do what you need to," he says. Lyndon's mist leaves the room quickly, leaving you no time to question him. [[For now, you just have to find out what he meant by going up against your master.->Main room 3]]

"Ah, yes, more fire from you. It is amazing just how much brimstone can be within a priest. I suspect that will help you when you get to the training grounds up ahead. Now, do not worry, you will no be fighting me. Even I know I am too much of a match for you," he says, laughing. You reach for your blessed dagger. "Now, no need for the dagger. If fact, you will probably need it in your fight, so you may want to save it. As I said, Sir Rainsforth is in the training room up ahead and he may need saving. From what though, I will not tell. It would ruin the surprise!" With a wave, the mist is gone. [[You take hold of your dagger. If Sir Rainsforth needs your help, then you will make sure he gets it.->Main room 3]]

"Goodness, I have never seen a priest as passionate as yourself. It seems nothing will stop you when you want something," he says. "It looks as if Sir Rainsforth picked the perfect apprentice, then. You two fit quite well together. I just hope for your sake that you learn from your master's mistakes, otherwise, I may have to clean up after you as well." You glare at Lyndon's misty form. He laughs. "Glare all you wish, priest. Now, I must take my leave. Sir Rainsforth would not be pleased by my presence. I do not know about you though, priest. Maybe he will know who you are, even in his state." The mist leaves the room, Lyndon's voice being taken with it. [[You set forth to find and help Sir Rainsforth, no matter what has happened to him.->Main room 3]]

You try to open the door but it's too late as the beast is upon you in seconds. You duck just in time as the beast hits the wall and misses you. You breathe a sigh of relief as the beast stumbles away, but that relief doesn't last long. The walls and rooks around the door come down, burying you in a pile of rubble. You cannot breathe and life slowly drains out of you as you suffocate. (align: "=><=")[Game Over] (align: "=><=")[ [[Start Over->Beginning of Story]]]

You memorize the symbol and take out a piece of chalk. You have to help Sir Rainsforth but right now, you have to deal with Lyndon first. As you start to draw the symbol, Rainsforth charges. You dodge out of the way again and he runs into another wall. He roars in pain, holding his head. Speaking a quick apology, you rush to create the symbol. Once it's done, you whistle. The cursed Rainsforth turns to you, pain is his eye. He charges again, this time right onto the symbol. In a flash of light, he topples over. You hold your breath till he lets out a loud snore. You look around the room and notice a door at the other end. [[As you leave, you promise the sleeping beast that you shall cure him of his curse.->Fight wind down]]

Pollard, G. (2006). Orange sunset [digital image]. Christchurch, New Zealand. Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/nzgabriel/333531031/. telezon. (2016). Horse_ galloping.wav [audio podcast]. Retrieved from https://freesound.org/people/telezon/sounds/368583/. giddster. (2016). Door, front, opening [audio podcast]. Retrieved from https://freesound.org/people/giddster/sounds/336661/. Cunningham, A. (2012). The solicitor’s office [digital image]. Stanley, England. Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/cessna152towser/8060264961. TheDigitalArtist. (2018). Dark image of a hooded skeleton [digital image]. Retrieved from https://pixabay.com/photos/grim-reaper-horror-death-spooky-3058165/ vykroft. (2018). Beast deep groan [audio podcast]. Retrieved from https://freesound.org/people/vykroft/sounds/435149/. [[Main Menu->Intro to Game]]

You run through the hallway, the skeletons following behind. The hallway slowly plunges you into darkness. You take out your lantern, lighting the hallway devoid of anything but stone. The light in your lantern begins to dim as you continue to run. The moment it goes out, you feel the ground from underneath disappear. You fall into the depths of who knows where. You fall for what feels like hours when you land on something soft, nearly knocking the breath out of you. [[You take a moment to compose yourself and look around where you ended up.->Begin Act Two]] (set: $sideroute1 to false) (set: $puzzleroute3 to false) (set: $puzzleroute5 to false) (set: $sideroute5 to false) (set: $magiccheck1 to false) (set: $intersection1 to false) (set: $sideroute4 to true)

You take out your dagger and ready yourself for a fight. As one of the ghosts come towards you, you take a swing. It passes harmlessly through the spirit, although it seems to have stopped in for the moment. The second ghost comes towards you, swinging its skeletal hand. [[Dodge out of the way and run.->Choice 1]] [[Take another swing.->Gameover]]

You quickly say a blessing, backing away from the floating skeletons. Once you finish, they stop in their tracks. You move away from them, heading towards the deeper part of the room. Their heads follow you as you walk, their bones creaking as they pivot in place. You turn your back to them and continue on your way. As you make your way through the hallway, the clanking of bones reaches your ear. With a glance behind you, you see the skeletons are moving once more. [[You pick up your pace.->Choice 1]]

You swing your dagger at the second skeleton, having the same thing happen to the ghost. A third skeleton comes up from behind you, grasping your clothes. There's an unsettling chill that spreads throughout your body. You freeze in place as the skeletons you swung at start to move once more. They encircle you, their ethereal bodies clouding your vision. The cold slowly takes over your body and causes you to go unconscious. (align: "=><=")[Game Over] (align: "=><=")[ [[Start Over->Beginning of Story]]]

You move quickly, closing the gap between the two of you. He pulls his flail back, obviously ready for you. [[Move to the side.]] [[Ram into him.]]

Lyndon laughs as the symbol, walking up and swatting it out of your hand with his flail. "Why did you think that would work? I am completely human and you will just have to fight me like one," he says, running at you. [[Dodge him.]] [[Hold your attack till he gets close.->You wait till Lyndon attacks.]]

The hound paces around you as you hold out your symbol. While you may not be attacking it, it doesn't seem to want to attack you. The two of you are at a standstill, waiting for the other to attack in some way. [[You being to say a blessing.->Side route pass1]] [[You take out your dagger and lunge at the beast.->Side route fail1]]

You take out your blessed dagger. The Hellhound pounces, leaping at you with an open mouth, its teeth sharp and pointed. You slash wide, trying to hit the foul beast. You hit its eye, sending the beast tumbling to the ground. It stumbles back up, pawing at the injury. It stands still, head held low, yet you can feel its piercing gaze upon you. [[Say a blessing at the beast.->Side route pass1]] [[Slash at the beast once more.->Side route fail1]]

You book it back to the previous room, the door slamming behind you as the enemy reaches out to you. As it closes, a symbol ignites upon the door. The enemy on the other side bangs upon it, unable to break the door. Whatever is on the other side, you can't go back through now. (if: $sideroute1 is false)[ [[You look back to the room and gather your wits.->Begin Act Two]]] (set: $sideroute1 to true)

The suit stops for a moment but then continues its track towards you. The symbol doesn't seem to affect an inanimate being such as this. [[Pull out your holy book and make a symbol to trap it in.->Side route pass2]] [[Say a blessing to stop it from coming near you.->Side route fail2]]

The dagger dinks off off the suit's metal exterior. The armor reaches out to grab you, but its slow movements make it easy to dodge the metal hand. For every step it takes, you take a step away from it. [[Pull out your holy book and make a symbol to trap it in.->Side route pass2]] [[Pull out your holy symbol and say a blessing.->Side route fail2]]

You hold out your symbol in front of you. The ghost seems to be entranced by it, coming close to the symbol and reaching out to it but never touching it. It's haunting gaze fixed to the symbol, rather than yourself. [[Take out your dagger and swing.->Side route fail3]] [[Say a prayer for the ghost.->Side route pass3]]

You brandish your dagger at the ghost. It takes a step back, observing you and the object within your hand. All of a sudden, it lunges at you, knocking your dagger out of your hand. The ghost chases you, the dagger left lying upon the floor. [[Take out your book and say a prayer for the ghost.->Side route pass3]] [[Reach for your knife.->Side route fail3]]

The ghost screeches and swings at you. You go tumbling to the ground, your holy items scattering around the area. The ghost pins you to the ground, keeping you from reaching for your dagger. Its screech fills your ears once more. Its horrific noises bounce around in your head. You can feel something being pulled from you, but you don't know what it is. As you fill it rip and tear, you realize that your soul is being taken. With a final rip and scream, you fall into an endless sleep. (align: "=><=")[Game Over] (align: "=><=")[ [[Start Over->Beginning of Story]]]

The ghost halts its movements. It stands straight up as it begins to glow. It looks up toward the ceiling as it begins to float up, disappearing into the wall. As you look on, the ghost speaks for a moment. "Thank you..." You feel lighter knowing that you've at least helped one soul within the confines of this cursed place. (if: $sideroute1 is false)[ [[You say another prayer for the ghost and continue on.->Side route note]]]\ (if: $sideroute4 is false)[ [[You say another prayer for the ghost and continue on.->Lyndon note]]]

You take out your book, keeping your distance from such a slow-moving enemy. You start to draw the entrapment symbol, keeping the armor from getting too close to you or ruining the delicate chalk you're drawing with. As you finish the symbol, you lead the suit into it. The moment its whole armored body is within the circle, it stands still, as if it were a statue once more. As walk past the armor and it doesn't reach out to you. (if: $sideroute1 is false)[ [[You continue on with your journey.->Side route note]]]\ (if: $sideroute4 is false)[ [[You continue on with your journey.->Lyndon note]]]

The suit stalls for a moment before it suddenly starts to run at you compared to the stunted walk from before. This takes you by surprise, getting caught in the armor's grasp. It pulls you in close, squeezing the breath out of you. You try to reach for anything to protect yourself, but you cannot move your arms at all. Slowly, you lose consciousness. (align: "=><=")[Game Over] (align: "=><=")[ [[Start Over->Beginning of Story]]]

You hold out your holy symbol and say a blessing for the beast. The beast's eyes go wide and it launches itself at you. As you finish your blessing, the beast shines brightly. Just as the shining hellhound reaches you, dust and sulfur fall to the ground. (if: $sideroute1 is false)[ [[You dust yourself off and continue on.->Side route note]]]\ (if: $sideroute4 is false)[ [[You dust yourself off and continue on.->Lyndon note]]]

The beast drops its act and lunges at you as you try and slash at it. It takes ahold of your arm, which starts to burn as if it's on fire. You scream in pain as the fire feels as though it engulfs you. You fall unconscious to the pain, the Hellhound's eyes being the last thing you see. (align: "=><=")[Game Over] (align: "=><=")[ [[Start Over->Beginning of Story]]]

At the end of the hallway, there sits a chest with a note placed atop. You handle the note with care, as it seems old. It looks as though the note was written in haste, but you can make out some of the sloppy handwriting. *Sire Sutherland, What were you thinking? All those missing people will be sought after by their kingdoms and you have left a trail that leads straight to here! I cannot stand by and watch you continue your work. By the time you will find this, I will be gone. I warn you, Lyndon. If you continue on this path, you shall not be remembered in the way you wish.* You cannot make out the name that signed the paper. You then open the chest, only to find nothing but an entire family of spiders, to which you promptly shut the chest and walk back through the hallway. [[With the note in mind, you continue forward.->Begin Act Two]] (set: $sideroute1 to true)

As the walls close in, you pray to your god in a final attempt to get out of this room. No answer comes as the walls squeeze you. Your vision fades as you take your final breath. (align: "=><=")[Game Over] (align: "=><=")[ [[Start Over->Beginning of Story]]]

(set: $counter to 10) You have (css: "color: red; font-size: 250%")[|amount>[$counter]] seconds left! (live: 1s)[\ (set: $counter to it - 1)\ (if: $counter is 0)[(go-to: "Next Passage")]\ (replace: ?amount)[$counter]\ ]\ As you grab the the book of blessing, the walls glow and every other book turns to ash. The walls begin to close in on you in no time at all. (if: $puzzleroute3 is true)[ [[You hold out the statue and say the inscription on the bottom.->Puzzle route 3]]] (if: $puzzleroute3 is false)[You try to look through your holy book to set everything up, but there is no time. The walls become too close to complete your symbol. Maybe you could've found something from one of the previous rooms, but now it's too late. [[You accept that you shall die in this room.->Game over 1]]]

"And do you know just how many symbols I have to keep track of? I have entire books worth detailing how many were in each room and what they were! And now, I have to do it all over again for this trap!" he says, finishing with a huff. Who knew mist would get winded? "Now, will you be continuing this trend of removing symbols?" [["If I have to just to defeat you, then I will."->Lead up]]

Just as you reach the door, Lyndon's mist comes right in front of you. "I am not done talking, priest. Gods, you are an awful priest if you will not listen to even someone such as myself," he says. "Wait, are you just going to go and muck up even more of my symbols?" His anger fades into crazed giggles. [["If that is what sets you off, then I will certainly be removing more of your precious symbols."->Lead up]]

As you check for magic, you feel a pulse come from the mirror-faced god's statue. You approach it, looking into the statue's mirror. The mirror was not made right it seems, as it doesn't reflect a clear image. Instead, it is blurry and nothing can be made out except colors. You start to inspect the statue when a light breeze goes across the back of your neck. You turn to see a blurry reflection of yourself holding its own statue. Everything is blurry except the mirror of the statue, which is as clear as a sunny day. You reach towards the image and it copies your movements. [[Say a blessing.->Way 11]] [[Swing your dagger.->Way 12]] [[Approach your blurry copy.->Way 13]] (set: $blessingsay9 to false) (set: $swingdagger9 to false)

You look closer at the objects. Many of the larger objects are left unfinished, while most of the smaller objects are near completion. Most of the things near completion are small statues. Each one is unique with some depicting animals or plants, while others depict various gods and monsters. The only complete one is a statue of the mirror-faced god. A cloaked figure holds a mirror in front of their face, instead of the back though, there sits a part where a piece of mirror is placed within. [[Check the statue for magic.->Magic check3]] [[Go back to the intersection.->Intersection 1]]

(set: $counter to 20) You have (css: "color: red; font-size: 250%")[|amount>[$counter]] seconds left! (live: 1s)[\ (set: $counter to it - 1)\ (if: $counter is 0)[(go-to:"Game over fall")]\ (replace: ?amount)[$counter]\ ]\ As you enter the room to check it, the door slams behind you. One by one, stones begin to fall into what seems to be an endless void. [[Jump to the window.->Pass trap 2]] [[Say a blessing for a soft fall.->Pass trap 2-1]] [[Jump from stone to stone.->Fail trap 2]]

You jump to the window before all the stones could fall. You watch as the entire floor disappears into the void. You wait for the stones to return, but they do not. With the only way available being down, you take out some rope and tie it to the frame of the window. As you make your way down, you hear something within the abyss. [[You land in a dark room, a presences nearby.->Side route 1]]

As you say your blessing, the stones fall from beneath you. Thankfully, you float down as if you were a bird landing upon a delicate branch. You watch as other stones fall by you, disappearing into the air. It looks as though the floor was an illusion. [[You land and dust yourself off, only to feel a presence nearby.->Side route 1]]

You jump from stone to stone, trying to avoid falling into the void. As you stand upon the final stone, it drops beneath you and sends you into the endless abyss, never to return. (align: "=><=")[Game Over] (align: "=><=")[ [[Start Over->Beginning of Story]]]

The stone falls from beneath you, sending you tumbling down into darkness. As you approach the ground, you cover your eyes. The blackness of death surrounds you. (align: "=><=")[Game Over] (align: "=><=")[ [[Start Over->Beginning of Story]]]

As you continue from your little battle, you find a door. As you open it, you notice that it was the room you were in before. Although, instead of it being empty, it's instead decorated like a bedroom. You explore the room and find a note placed upon a bedside table. The note looks relatively new. *The keep is coming along nicely. Although I no longer have anyone to help me complete this project of mine, it is nearly completed. All I need to do is complete the final symbol. I'm glad that it came to me in a dream, otherwise, I don't think I would've been able to keep this keep as my own. How many more people do I need to complete it, though? From my guess, at least five more people.* [[You pocket the note and exit the room, only to find yourself back in the intersection.->Intersection 1]] (set: $sideroute4 to true) (set: $ending1 to true)

You inspect the room a bit closer. As you being to check around the swords, you see a little note tucked between a couple of swords that are knocked over. You pull out the note and look at the handwriting. It's written in a haste but you can tell its Sir Rainsforth's writing. *I feel as though this Lyndon fellow is going to trick me into doing something soon. He has an extreme dislike for me when I tried to remove his symbols, so it's reasonable to assume that he will try something. I won't give up, though. I made a promise to free this keep of its curse and even if I have destroy symbol after symbol, I will.* [[You place the note down and decide to focus on something else within the room.->Side route 6]] (set: $inspect3 to true) (set: $entrace1 to true)

You send out a pulse to check for magic. Nothing seems to respond within the room. Two rooms away though, something rather large comes up. You have no clue whether it's a symbol or something much worse. [[You decide to focus on something else.->Side route 6]] (set: $magiccheck4 to true) (set: $entrace1 to true)

On a chest sits a note. *How much does it take to stop this priest? So far, he's destroyed so many of my precious symbols that I have to go back and actually double-check to make sure everything is in working order. It really cuts into my scheming time, so I have to do something. A warding symbol would be good, but he'd just dispel it like the others. Maybe something to spice it up? Hmm... I should look into some of those transformation curses. It's been a while since I've had to do one.* [[You pocket the note and head back to the room with some unsettling knowledge of what may have happened to Sir Rainsforth.->Main room 3]] (set: $sideroute6 to true) (set: $entrace1 to true) (set: $Rainsheal to false)

Rainsforth knocks you to the side easy, your body almost flying through the air. With your mind in a daze, you slowly get up. As you shake your head to clear it, you see Rainsforth charging at you once again. [[Dodge him.->Safty]] [[Try to write the symbol.->Death again]]

You dodge him once more and again he rams into another wall. It seems as though this transformation has lessened his intelligence. With the precious time you have, you create a symbol to hopefully reverse the warding curse attached to him. As you finish the symbol, you yell to catch his attention. Within moments, Rainsforth charges at you and straight into the symbol. He immediately stops and begins to glow, shrinking down in size. [[As the glow fades, Sir Rainsforth lays upon the ground.->Rainsforth is cured]]

You try to write the symbol in haste, but your dazed state makes it impossible to do so. Just as you give up on trying to write the symbol, Rainsforth hits you hard and actually sends to flying into the air. When you hit the ground, the world fades to black as you lose consciousness. (align: "=><=")[Game Over] (align: "=><=")[ [[Start Over->Beginning of Story]]]

You approach Sir Rainsforth with haste. You drop down next to him, checking to see if he's breathing. With a sigh of relief, he is. All that armor truly makes it hard to see if he is. Sir Rainsforth groans and twists his body around. You stand back up to give him room and soon enough, he was standing as well. He looks at you and gives a warm smile. "This is certainly a great surprise! To be saved by my apprentice, oh I couldn't be happier! Well, maybe if we were not trapped in this cursed keep, then I would be happier," he says, strain in his voice. He starts to tip over and you go to catch him. He puts out his arm to stop you and simply sits upon the floor. "Do not worry about me. I shall be fine with time. You, on the other hand, need to stop Lyndon. There is something at work here and I cannot say what it is exactly. I will see what it is but, in the meantime, I need you to keep Lyndon busy," he says. "Now, go get that cursed man." [[You nod and head out of the room, turning back to Rainsforth one more time to see a smile on his face.->Fight wind down]] (set: $RainsLyndon to true)

When Sir Rainsforth charges at you once more, you look to the sword and then back at him. You raise the sword above your head and wait till the perfect moment. As he gets close, you close your eyes and swing. A heart-aching screech reaches your ears as you feel something pull on the sword. When you open your eyes once more, the sword nearly blinds you. There seems to be something on the blade but it quickly dissolves into ash. You look behind you, only to find the beast laying still, its body slowly dissolving into ash. You drop the sword and run to Sir Rainsforth. The beast lets out no noise as it dissolves completely. Tears prick in the corner of your eyes but you quickly wipe them away. //Sir Rainsforth would understand. No living being deserves such a fate.// [[You say a prayer and leave the room behind, not wishing to look upon the fate of your master.->Fight wind down]]

You move to the side, only for him to wrap his flail around your leg. He pulls on your leg, sending you to the ground. "Flails have a long reach but I do not think that priests are taught what weapons are. I am surprised you even have a dagger," he says, looming over you. [[Take a swing at him.]] [[Pull him down with his flail.]]

As you ram your full body into Lyndon, his flail still hits you, smacking your back as hard a falling boulder. The both of you fall the floor, your back aching too much to stand. Lyndon stands up and dusts himself off. In your pain-filled daze, he flips you over onto your back and places his foot upon your chest, increasing the pain. "I forgot to mention but I placed a symbol on my flail. Can you guess which one? I will give you a hint, it starts with a 'p' and ends in 'ain,'" he says, laughing. [[You grab the leg on your chest and say a blessing of strength.->You grab his leg and say a blessing of strength.]] (if: $RainsLyndon is true)[ [[Through the pain, you send a prayer for help.->You say a prayer for someone to help you.]]]

You try to dodge, but with Lyndon already so close, he easy grabs you. "You cannot get away from me, priest." [[Break out of his grab.]] [[Elbow him in the gut.]]

Lyndon smiles and charges at you with his flail. As he gets close, you hold your dagger back, prepared to sink it into him at a moment's notice. [[Aim at his gut.]] [[Aim at his head.]]

As you take a swing, Lyndon grabs your fist and begins to twist it painfully. "You should not do things like that, especially when you are so obviously the weaker party," he says, placing his foot on your chest. "This fight was fun but I wish it could have been longer." [[With your remaining hand, you grab his leg and say a blessing of strength.->You grab his leg and say a blessing of strength.]] (if: $RainsLyndon is true)[ [[You say a prayer for someone to help you.]]]

As you pull, he lets go of the flail's handle. It flies at your head, hitting you hard. You grunt in pain, holding your forehead as you feel pressure on your chest. You look to see Lyndon looming over you, a large grin upon his face. "Now, let us finish this. I need some more blood for my symbols and it looks like I have a new donor." [[You grab his leg and say a blessing of strength.]] (if: $RainsLyndon is true)[ [[You say a prayer for someone to help you.]]]

You hold your dagger close, waiting for Lyndon to get close enough. Sadly, that never comes. Lyndon swings his flail well before he gets into range. It grazes your shoulder and sends to you the ground in pain. Lyndon struts up to you and place a foot upon your chest. "Good choice going for my stomach. Too bad a flail beats a dagger any day." [[You grab the leg on your chest and say a blessing of strength.->You grab his leg and say a blessing of strength.]] (if: $RainsLyndon is true)[ [[Through the pain, you send a prayer for help.->You say a prayer for someone to help you.]]]

You swing for his head, but he easily ducks below the swing and grabs your arm. In one fluid motion, he throws you onto the ground. Laying on your back, he twists your arm at an uncomfortable angle and puts his foot on your chest, creating even more pain. "Not the best choice to aim for when it comes to daggers. The stomach is a much better place," he says. [[You grab the leg on your chest and say a blessing of strength.->You grab his leg and say a blessing of strength.]] (if: $RainsLyndon is true)[ [[You say a prayer for someone to help you.]]]

As you finish your blessing, Lyndon's eyes go wide. You smile and throw him off of you with ease, his flail now with you. While he gets his barrings, you take his flail in one hand and your dagger in the other. He looks at you and smiles. "Now, this is a fight I want!" [[You charge and swing at him.]] [[You say a blessing for victory and stand your ground.]]

As you finish your prayer, you hear the sound of metal clanking on stone. Lyndon turns his head to the sound, only for a blur of gray to knock into him and push him off you. "Come on now, apprentice. I have my second wind and I plan to use it well," says Sir Rainsforth, holding out his hand to you. [[You take it and stand beside Rainsforth.]]

Lyndon dodges each swing you make, the flail throwing off your normal light swings. "Try and hit me, little priest! I do not think you can!" Finding the flail useless, you throw it at him and it hits him in the chest, sending him down to the ground. He writhes around in agony as you approach, placing a foot upon his chest as he did to you. He looks up at you, the grin long gone from his face. "So, what do you plan to do now, priest?" [[Stab him with the dagger.->Kill Lyndon]] [[Say a chant of entrapment.->Spare Lyndon]]

Lyndon laughs as you say your blessing. "Another blessing? I do not think the gods will be willing to give you more of them," he says. He then runs at you, fist pulled back. As he draws near, you hold up the flail to block the attack. He hits the flail, immediately drawing back in pain as he holds his hand. You approach him and push him to the ground with ease. You pull back and place your foot on top of his chest. "So, what now, priest?" [[Stab him with the dagger.->Kill Lyndon]] [[Say a chant of entrapment.->Spare Lyndon]]

You stab the dagger into Lyndon's heart. Instead of blood, his body begins to dissolve into dust. He looks at you with a grin. "Thanks, priest. Now it's time for me to go elsewhere," he says before dissolving completely. With his body gone, your dagger hits the floor with a light tink. You pick it up, wiping it off on your clothes. You now look around the room and see where you are. All that is within the room is a door. [[You go through the door.->Final push]]

As you speak the chant of entrapment, Lyndon begins to freak out. "What are you doing? Stop that! Just kill instead! That's what you wanted, right? To kill me? Then just do it!" You finish the entrapment chant, silencing Lyndon and keeping him still. He freaks out and begins to struggle. He easily wears out and soon passes out. You now look around the room and see where you are. All that is within the room is a door. [[You go through the door.->Final push]]

You try to break out of his grab but it's no use. Lyndon chuckles as you struggle. "Would you like to know why I use a flail? It is because there is so much more space for symbols. Cause you guess which ones I put on it?" He barely touches you with the flail and you immediately feel like you're on fire with pain. As you squirm in pain, he drops you to the ground, placing his foot on your chest. "So, what is your plan now, little priest? You cannot think you will win this." [[You blink through the pain and grab his leg, saying a blessing of strength.->You grab his leg and say a blessing of strength.]] (if: $RainsLyndon is true)[ [[Through the pain, you send a prayer for help.->You say a prayer for someone to help you.]]]

"Oof!" Lyndon lets you go, but within the next moment, he tackles you to the ground. You struggle to get up and when hits you with the flail, you all but stop moving. Your body is in debilitating pain. Lyndon stands up, flipping you over like a turtle onto its back. He leans down close with a devilish smile. [[You blink through the pain and grab his leg, saying a blessing of strength.->You grab his leg and say a blessing of strength.]] (if: $RainsLyndon is true)[ [[Through the pain, you send a prayer for help.->You say a prayer for someone to help you.]]]

Lyndon looks at your group, his grin disappearing into a snarl. "How in all the land did you lose your curse? It was supposed to last forever!" he says. "Do not underestimate a priest, you pathetic man," says Rainsforth. Lyndon yells and charges you two. Rainsforth takes out his sword and slams the handle's end into Lyndon as he gets closes. He tumbles to the ground from Rainsforth's might and you capitalize on it, taking out your dagger and standing above him like he once did to you. [[Stab him with the dagger.->Kill Lyndon2]] [[Say a chant of entrapment.->Spare Lyndon2]]

You stab the dagger into Lyndon's heart. Instead of blood, his body begins to dissolve into dust. He looks at you with a grin. "Thanks, priest. Now it's time for me to go elsewhere," he says before dissolving completely. With his body gone, your dagger hits the floor with a light tink. You pick it up, wiping it off on your clothes. "That cannot be good," says Rainsforth. "I will stay here to check the ashes, but be careful. Who knows what is through that door there." You now look around the room and find the door he is speaking of. Nothing about it seems special, but you promise to be careful. [[You go through the door.->Final push]]

As you speak the chant of entrapment, Lyndon begins to freak out. "What are you doing? Stop that! Just kill instead! That's what you wanted, right? To kill me? Then just do it!" You finish the entrapment chant, silencing Lyndon and keeping him still. He freaks out and begins to struggle. He easily wears out and soon passes out. "Well done," says Rainsforth. "I shall keep an eye on him. You go check out the door over there." You now look around the room and find the door he is speaking of. Nothing about it seems special. [[You go through the door.->Final push]]

You place your hand over the statue's base and say the chant you used before. It doesn't seem to work, so you instead say a passage from your holy book, allowing you to remove more powerful magic. The uneasy feeling stays, but the symbol becomes clear. The symbol is seven circles, each one inside one another. In the small space in the middle is the moon covering half the sun. A normal protection symbol for night and day, all except for one thing. Half of two different faces are carved into the sun and moon, both with a malicious look in their eyes and a wicked smile. You have never seen a symbol like this, but you do know one thing about it. //A protection symbol must always be plain. Anything else and it brings in threats.// A laugh echoes through the room. [[Drop the statue and run.->Main Room]] [[Destroy the statue.]] (set: $servants1 to true)

You haul the statue back and throw it at the wall. The poorly made statue breaks easily, the pieces scattering about the room. Everything except the symbol. It clanks to the ground, tumbling across it till the symbol lands facing you. The laugh echoes once more, louder this time. The symbol's faces begin to glow as the room shakes. Shadowy hands start to flow from the brickwork around the symbol and come towards you. [[You book it out of the room.->Main Room]]

You manage to duck just in time, the swing barely missing your head. The ghost's mouth opens, but nothing comes out. You back up as it tries to reach out to you, only to see that the ghost stays where it is, floating by the barrel. The ghost itself doesn't seem to have a face, only a mouth. Its hair is in pieces, as if it taken straight from the grave. Its clothes don't fair any better, with most pieces hanging off of its think body. [[Get out of that room.->Main Room]] [[Say a blessing for the ghost.->Way 3]] [[Take your symbol and put it into the ghost.->Way 4]]

The ghost's swing stops as it nears your head. Its hand is right next to you, not making a move. You take in the ghastly look of the ghost, with its hair nearly gone, along with its clothes, and a face devoid of everything except a mouth. The ghost does nothing as you continue to hold out your symbol. [[Slowly back out of the room.->Main Room]] [[Say a blessing for the ghost.->Way 3]] [[Place your symbol against the ghost.->Way 4]]

You place your hands together and begin to say a simple blessing for those beyond life. The ghost starts to pull back, its hand falling to its side. As you continue the blessing, the ghost starts to sink down into the ground. Its hair begins to grow and its clothes patch themselves up. Once its body was mostly in the ground, its face begins to come back. Eyes fading back into their sockets and the nose comes back into place. Once you finish the blessing, the ghost is nearly gone through the floor. It looks at you. "Thank you," its voice echoes through the room as it disappears. The chill is now gone. [[You turn and head back to the main room.->Main Room]]

The ghost lets out a horrific wail as you place your symbol into its translucent body. It begins to fail about as it wails louder. You take a step back as it moves about, seemingly not caring about you. Mist seeps in through the brickwork from below, slowly covering the ghost's figure. As the mist approaches the ghost's head, it reaches out to you. The mist covers the rest of the ghost and then quickly goes back down between the cracks, the ghost now gone. [[You carefully leave the room and go back to the main room.->Main Room]]

As you check for magic, you feel something in the corner of the room. While it does feel magical, the magic itself feels familiar. Nothing like Lyndon's magic, but rather something soothing and comfortable. When you take a step towards the pull, you feel something else. This magic you feel isn't like what you felt before. It feels as though every malicious thought in human existence has been concentrated into this very room. [[Turn towards the new magic you feel.->Way 5]] [[Keep going towards the soothing magic.->Way 6]] (set: $sideroute5 to true)

As you turn towards the new presence, your eyes lock onto... something. The beast you look at never keeps its form for even a second, with eyes blinking away and then coming back somewhere else on the body. Tentacles come and disappear just as quickly. The thing doesn't even have a coherent pattern with colors swirling across its form. The thing growls from somewhere. It moves slowly towards you, its body slopping against the ground. [[Turn and run.->Main room 2]] [[You take out your dagger.->Way 7]]

You ignore the new pull and continue towards the soothing magic you felt from before. Every step you take to it makes the malicious magic seem to disappear. When you reach where it pulls you, the magic is gone completely. You find a blank note in the corner. You mutter a revealing chant and words start to appear one by one on the note. The writing upon it is none other than Sir Rainsforth. No one else you know has such neat, yet flowery, handwriting. *To anyone who reads this, be warned of the room up ahead. It is nothing but a trap. I was able to find a passage within the floor of the room but I put the blocks back before Lyndon could find out. That man has eyes everywhere, I swear upon my sword. I will act as if I never found that route, but to anyone who comes here, please take that route. I feel as though it may have been there for when Lyndon was creating that cursed room, so it must be safe to traverse through.* [[Go back to the main room.->Main room 2]] (set: $sideroute5 to true) (set: $puzzleroute5 to true)

As you take out your dagger the beast roars. It quickly moves toward you as its tentacles come from its side to reach you. You swing your dagger, slicing the tentacles off with ease. The beast roars in pain and slowly moves back. You see that its form is solid where you sliced off the tentacles. [[Leave the beast be.->Way 8]] [[Stab the being even more.->Way 9]]

You watch as the beast begins to ooze into the cracks of the floor. It glares as you watch it continue to go back from where it came from. As the last eye pops into a crack, you turn back to what you were doing before and walk back to the pull of the soothing magic. You find a blank note in the corner. You mutter a revealing chant and words start to appear one by one on the note. The writing upon it is none other than Sir Rainsforth. No one else you know has such neat, yet flowery, handwriting. *To anyone who reads this, be warned of the room up ahead. It is nothing but a trap. I was able to find a passage within the floor of the room but I put the blocks back before Lyndon could find out. That man has eyes everywhere, I swear upon my sword. I will act as if I never found that route, but to anyone who comes here, please take that route. I feel as though it may have been there for when Lyndon was creating that cursed room, so it must be safe to traverse through.* [[Go back to the main room.->Main room 2]] (set: $sideroute5 to true) (set: $puzzleroute5 to true)

You follow the beast's retreat, swinging your dagger to cut it even more. Every slash you make cuts off another piece of the beast. With every cut, the beast roars in pain. As you cut down the beast, it begins to disintegrate into ash. Its eyes stop forming as the rest of the beast becomes ash. Even the magic it once held is gone. You put away your dagger and go back to the corner. You find a blank note in the corner. You mutter a revealing chant and words start to appear one by one on the note. The writing upon it is none other than Sir Rainsforth. No one else you know has such neat, yet flowery, handwriting. *To anyone who reads this, be warned of the room up ahead. It is nothing but a trap. I was able to find a passage within the floor of the room but I put the blocks back before Lyndon could find out. That man has eyes everywhere, I swear upon my sword. I will act as if I never found that route, but to anyone who comes here, please take that route. I feel as though it may have been there for when Lyndon was creating that cursed room, so it must be safe to traverse through.* [[Go back to the main room.->Main room 2]] (set: $sideroute5 to true) (set: $puzzleroute5 to true)

You carefully take out the mirror of your statue and place it within the figure's. As it does the same, both mirrors seem to click into place. You watch as the blurry figure disappears from the room, leaving you alone once more. In the corner of your eye, you see something glowing from the bottom of the statue. You turn the statue upside down and see a symbol glowing. You see a symbol of destruction and dispelling within one another. Along the ridge of the statue, a message begins to form. *For those who fight the cursed, for those who seek the holy route, and for those who will never fall to evil, this mirror will destroy what is used to harm the land and those who live within.* Whatever this statue is meant to do, you know it will save you from Lyndon's tricks. [[You head back to the intersection.->Intersection 1]] [[You head back to the main room.->Main room 2]] (set: $sideroute3 to true) (set: $puzzleroute3 to true)

You grab your symbol and say a blessing to banish the copy. It follows your movements but doesn't say a thing. The blessing doesn't seem to work, the blurry copy still standing there. (if: $swingdagger9 is false)[ [[Swing your dagger.->Way 12]]] [[Approach the figure.->Way 13]] (set: $blessingsay9 to true)

You take out your dagger and swing at the figure. It swings at you with its own blurry dagger. The two of you faze through each other but you both end up with a cut where the daggers fazed through. Blood drips from the cut which stings as you grasp it. You glare at the figure and it does the same at you, even though it has no proper eyes. [[Approach the figure.->Way 13]] (if: $blessingsay9 is false)[ [[Say a blessing.->Way 11]]] (set: $swingdagger9 to true)

You approach the figure and it follows your movements. The two of you get quite close. You look at the blurry figure's statue and notice that the mirror looks loose. You look at your own and see that yours is loose as well. [[You remove your mirror and switch it with the figure's.->Way 10]]

You enter through the other door. On the other side is a much smaller room. This one is filled with small chests, each one stacked on top of one another. Once you enter, the door slams behind you and you hear a loud clunk. You hear the scampering of something above you. You look up to see glowing yellow eyes and a black body. It growls as it slowly lowers itself in front of you. //How are you supposed to deal with a large, black cat with two heads and eight legs?// [[Swing at the thing.]] [[Hold out a piece of your rations.]]

You take out your dagger and swing at the weird being. It hisses at you and lunges. You duck as it slams into the door and scrambles back up to the ceiling. It looks at you upside down, waiting for your next move. [[Throw your dagger at it.]] [[Try to banish it.]]

You take out a piece of your rations that includes some dried meat. You hold it out to the beast, who sniffs at what you're holding. It carefully takes that piece out of your hand and starts to awkwardly chew on it. It drops the piece out of its mouth a couple times but catches it and chew on it some more till it finishes eating the dried meat. The being looks at you fondly, coming down from the wall and rubbing against you. The door behind you makes a clicking noise as the being receives more of your dried meat. [[You decide to check what it was guarding.->Lyndon clue 2]]

You throw your dagger at the being. The being dodges the dagger and it lodges into the ceiling. The beast looks at you and lunges at you once more. With nothing to protect yourself with, the beast scratches and bites without mercy. You begin to lose consciousness as the beast roars in your face. (align: "=><=")[Game Over] (align: "=><=")[ [[Start Over->Beginning of Story]]]

You being to say a chant to banish this being. It watches from above, not knowing what is going on. As you continue a portal below its feet appears. It looks at the portal as streams of light engulf its paws. It struggles to get out of the light's grasp as it pulls the being into the portal. As the portal closes, the thing let's out one last growl. Once the portal vanishes, you take a breath. //There are too many things here trying to maul me.// [[You look at the chests it was guarding.->Lyndon clue 2]]