Paper Magic

Yaaaawn…Morning already? Sunlight pours through the paper walls of your family’s little cabin. The cot creaks beneath you as you get up. You look around; the house is empty. Everyone else must be outside already. They let you sleep in! You inhale deeply, hoping you’ll smell something good from the window. But there’s no yummy cooking smells floating around. Sigh. It’s been like that for a while now. Your stomach rumbles loudly. If only you’d gotten your powers by now. Maybe then you’d be able to help out more around the village. Well, no time like the present, right? You get dressed in a hurry and reach for your backpack. It’s already got a few things in it, like your magic paper. Just in case. You open the paper door, sliding it aside. There’s mom and dad, dressed in patched cotton clothes, working at a little fire. Two folded paper creatures hover near them like little spirits, casting magic spells around. “Happy birthday!” Luke shouts from the rooftop, tossing a bunch of harmless clamshells down at you. “Made you flinch,” he laughs, then hops down and pats you on the back. “What do you think, eh? Think today will be the day?” “Maybe you’ll get your powers today!” Little Sophie exclaims nearby, and tosses a bunch of colorful papers up into the air. “Big bro already got his, right? What’s your spirit guide again?” “Intuition,” Luke smirks proudly, and points to an orange origami fox hovering around your mom and dad. “Maybe you’ll get Love or Friendship!” He teases, ruffling your hair. “I want mine to be Friendship,” Sophie pouts. “Well,” dad laughs nearby, “It’s up to if that spirit chooses you. I wasn’t expecting to get Wisdom, that’s for sure,” he adds, looking up at a white origami wolf by his shoulder. “I thought I’d get Peace or Faith,” mom agrees, turning to a grey origami dove. “Instead I got Freedom. The guardians are weird that way.” “I bet you get yours today,” Luke whispers, nudging you playfully. “Just keep your magic paper with you! I’ve got a good feeling.” [[Well, time to get to work.|The Beast Attacks!]]

CRASH! There’s screams in the nearby forest, and all heads turn. Nearby villagers scatter in a panic as an enormous bear comes roaring through the village. With fur as black as ink, it stands over ten feet tall and roars, its eyes glowing red. It fires off a fierce roar, sending shadowy waves from its mouth that destroy whatever they hit. “Oh boy!” Luke cringes. “We’ve got another one, pops!” Mom and dad both tense up, all business. “Wisdom! Freedom!” Dad shouts. Both the origami wolf and dove snap to attention. You pull Sophie behind you as the giant bear draws terrifyingly close. Now you can see flickers of light in its fur; it looks like it’s made of stars. It glares at your family and roars angrily, firing off more of those dark waves. You jump to the side, and Sophie screams as the wave just misses you both, blasting through your paper house! “Stay down!” Luke shouts at you both, then snaps his fingers. “Let’s go, Intuition!” “Careful,” the little paper fox hisses. “I’ve got a bad feeling about this one!” You watch from the ground as Luke, your mom, and your dad start casting spells at the giant bear, all channeling through their little paper-guardians. The bear roars back in anger, and you wish you could help! Then, you remember the magic paper you kept in your bag. Maybe, this time, if you try hard enough… The bear roars again, making the whole ground shake. You hug Sophie close to protect her with one arm, and with the other reach into your bag. “Come on, just this once!” You can’t see what you’re reaching for, but after a moment, your fingers grasp a sheet of shiny magic paper! What color is it? [[Red Paper|The Red Crane, Bravery!]] [[Green Paper|The Green Deer, Confidence!]] [[Blue Paper|The Blue Turtle, Endurance!]]

“Come on!” The paper starts to glow a bright red. You shout the magic words, and the paper floats in the air, folding itself. After a moment, it takes shape – it looks like a crane! “Wow!” Sophie gasps, staring up at it in amazement. “Which spirit is THAT one?!” The paper crane flaps its bright wings, flashing like crimson glass as grooves like feathers form along the edges. Raising its head with determined grace, it says, “Call me Bravery!” The bear roars furiously nearby, and Bravery rushes it without fear, cawing loudly. Like a crimson bullet in the air, it flies around the bear in frantic circles, making the beast dizzy, and it growls angrily, shaking its head. Bravery’s whole body lights up a bright gold in the sunlight, shining light on the shadowy bear that makes it roar and cringe back. With a furious grunt, it slashes at Bravery with one enormous paw, cutting its wing off! “Oh, no!” Bravery’s golden light fades…but wait! Black ash flows off its injured wing, and soon, the two pieces stick back together, melding back into one sheet of paper. “Nice try, you beast!” Bravery shouts. “See how you like THIS!” Flames burst from the sparks of light on its wings, creating tongues of fire that lunge at the beast. The bear roars as the flames lick holes in its shadowy body, like punctures of light in a deadly void. The bear stumbles back, growling angrily, but as Bravery hovers there, sunlight and fire shining off its wings, the other paper-guardians rush it again, blasting it with their own spells, until it grudgingly lowers its head and retreats. [[But wait! What about the villagers?|Red Crane Success!]]

“Come on!” The paper starts to glow a bright green. You shout the magic words, and the paper floats in the air, folding itself. After a moment, it takes shape – it looks like a deer! “Wow!” Sophie gasps, staring up at it in amazement. “Which spirit is THAT one?!” The paper deer rears back and lashes its hooves at the air, glinting in the light like a green emerald. It stomps around as if it were on the ground and shouts, “My name is Confidence!” Confidence rears back, tossing its paper horns around, and rushes down the hill like a gazelle towards the giant bear. Without a second's hesitation, it stamps the earth right at the bear’s side, and suddenly, enormous green vines start growing up from the earth, wrapping around the furious bear. The bear roars and slashes at the vines with its claws, but before it can break itself loose, Confidence stamps its tiny paper hooves along the ground, making the earth split and crack, shooting up and caving in like a crazy quicksand. The bear glares at the tiny creature, so powerful for its size, but just as it goes in for another dark roar, Confidence rushes it head-on and rams it with its horns! The bear recoils as if it’d been charged by a bull, and for a second, you see a flash of emerald on Confidence’s horns – did it turn them to stone? The bear stumbles back, growling angrily, but as Confidence stands there, stomping the ground and shaking its horns, the other paper-guardians rush it again, blasting it with their own spells, until it grudgingly lowers its head and retreats. [[But wait! What about the villagers?|Green Deer Success!]]

“Come on!” The paper starts to glow a bright blue. You shout the magic words, and the paper floats in the air, folding itself. After a moment, it takes shape – it looks like a turtle! “Wow!” Sophie gasps, staring up at it in amazement. “Which spirit is THAT one?!” The paper turtle spins around in the air, the sun reflecting off its shield like blue metal as it puffs into shape. With a hum in its voice, it says, “I am Endurance.” Another roar comes from the angry bear, and Endurance flies in front of you both! Turning its back to the bear, the light shines off its shell, creating a glowing barrier of ice between you and the dark waves. You can hear them slamming into the ice, sending warping snap sounds all around you. “Don’t worry,” it hums next to your ear. “My shell will never break.” Then, it flies around the shield and vanishes. “Wait!” You raise your hand to stop it, but it’s already flown around the shield. Whispering for your sister to stay put, you rush around the shield, anxious to see what happens. “So, you came here to cause trouble, did you?” Endurance asks, hovering inches from the great bear’s face. The bear roars and snaps its jaws at Endurance, trying to bite it, but Endurance swerves out of the way, just in time. “Very well then,” it sighs. “If you really want to do it the hard way…” A thick mist flows around the two creatures, and the bear looks around frantically, trying to find the paper turtle. Then, a blue flash in the fog! Glints of light become drops of liquid on Endurance’s glittering shell, and soon, bullets of water are flying at the bear like thousands of angry bees. The bear roars and pulls back its head, groaning, then lunges at Endurance, only to slam into another shield of ice. The bear stumbles back, growling angrily, but as Endurance stands there, gliding with a certain smugness in front of its face, the other paper-guardians rush it again, blasting it with their own spells, until it grudgingly lowers its head and retreats. [[But wait! What about the villagers?|Blue Turtle Success!]]

“We’re saved!” Villagers are cheering now. A bunch of people come rushing up the hill, some shouting with relief, others laughing. “That’s our Paper-Hackers!” Someone cheers, pointing at your family. “You did it!” Luke cheers, giving you a big hug. “I knew you’d get it today! That was wicked!” “That was so cool!” Sophie exclaims. “You’ve got your Paper Guardian now!” Bravery flaps its wings and soars swiftly back to you, eagerly flying in happy loops around your head. Even though its face is made of paper, it still somehow looks like it’s smiling. Mom and dad walk over to you and smile. “Bravery, huh?” dad whispers. “That’s one powerful spirit.” “I can’t wait till I get mine!” Sophie adds cheerfully. “It suits you,” Luke grins. “Of course it does,” mom laughs. “Paper Guardians come from your heart. They embody your strengths.” Staring at the little paper turtle, you can’t help but smile. As it glides lightly alongside you, its fins carrying it like a real turtle, you feel a sense of pride in it. Your powers have awakened, and now you’ve met your partner spirit! It’s easy to stare at, with its shining green paper like an emerald in the sun. After a while, though, dad nudges you. “Now that you’ve gotten your powers,” he laughs, “You feel like using them to help me fix the house?” [[Oh no, the house! |Red Busted House]]

That’s right, you grimace, and turn towards the house. There’s a giant hole in it now. Torn strips of colored paper flap loosely in the wind. “Don’t worry,” mom shrugs. “It’s just as easy to fix.” She quickly goes to work with her little paper dove, Freedom, and the torn fibers quickly begin to knit themselves back together. “Agh, that bear made a real mess…” Dad looks around at the other villagers’ houses below the hill. Many have been reduced to nothing but sticks and shredded paper. “I’m going to have to stay and help fix this mess. Can you go foraging for me today?” He gives you a concerned look. “It’s been a while since any of us had a decent meal here.” Like you needed to be reminded of that, with your empty stomach. With those monsters out and about, it’s been hard to get food lately. “Oh, and…” Dad gives you a serious look. “Watch out for monsters. You never know when that bear might come back.” “Don’t worry,” Bravery chirps next to you. “We’ll beat anything that attacks us! So, partner! Where should we go first?” [[Head for the shoreline|Red Shore]] [[Check out the nearby forest|Red Forest]] [[Start scaling the mountainside|Red Mountain]]

Not too far from the village is a warm, peaceful ocean, with a soft, white, sandy shoreline. It’s a great place for parties, even if it does get bad storms sometimes. You have fond memories of playing here with your friends while growing up. And now you have a new friend, right on your shoulder. “Alrighty then!” Bravery flaps alongside your face playfully. “At long last, I’ve finally got a new partner! I can’t remember the last time I had a magic paper body.” Only then do you realize you don’t know much about what Bravery really is. “You’ve been with other people before?” “Egh, just a few. Most don’t have the spine for me! I’m only drawn to brave people. It’s an attractive feature,” it adds playfully. You look at Bravery. “What?” It asks. “You think you’re not brave or something? Give yourself a little more credit! I never would’ve come here if you weren’t my type!” It’s a crazy thought. Bravery is already saying these things about you? Even though you just met, and you took forever to get your powers… After a moment, though, you shake your head. You’re here to find food. So, better start looking! Where should you start? [[Search along the shore|Red Shore Food]] [[Fish in the ocean|Red Ocean]] [[Actually, why don’t we try the forest?|Red Forest]] [[I take it back. Let’s try the mountains!|Red Mountain]]

Tall pine trees rustle around in the cool breeze, drifting down the side of the nearby mountain. The breeze blows west towards the ocean, and everything here is cool. There’s a light mist on the ground as you walk around, leaving dewdrops in your wake, and foggy wisps with every step. Everything is quiet… You look around nervously. The forest is like a maze, and it can be very easy to get lost. Still, there are plenty of places to get food here…which also tends to attract monsters… “Hey buddy, what you so tense for?” Bravery chirps next to your ear. “You’ve got me now, remember? I’m a Paper Guardian. I’ll protect you,” it adds with a playful flip. “That’s what I’m here for.” Of course, you smile. You’ve got your new friend with you! What’s there to worry about? “Still, don’t be stupid, okay?” Bravery adds playfully. “Best to be careful still. All sorts of nasty things around here.” Good point. But you’re here to find food, and your stomach isn’t about to be ignored. So! What should you look for first? [[Let’s find some berries!|Red Forest 2]] [[Let’s go hunting!|Red Valley]]

Jagged cliffs run a powerful set of shadows across the mountainside. You’re panting for breath as you step carefully along the steep crags; the air is thinner here. You and Bravery both look carefully at every angle as you walk. Monsters like the bear that attacked your village can be found here. It’s best to be super-careful. Bravery flaps alongside you much more tensely than before. It’s not swimming or doing little twirls as it goes; instead, it flies carefully through the air, just as you have to step carefully to avoid tripping on rocks. Still, as you turn around to gaze at the land below, the view is breathtaking. The local forest stretches for miles like an emerald mosaic, and the ocean glitters to the far east, shining a crystal-blue in the sunlight. “I forgot how beautiful it is up here,” Bravery seems to smile. “We’d best get moving though. These mountains are super dangerous once the sun sets.” “Wait.” You stop walking. “How do you know that?” “Before I became your Paper Guardian,” Bravery replies soberly, “I was one of this island’s Spirit Guardians. I’m the Spirit of Bravery. I’m not the only one, of course. There’s lots of us, especially around the mountain.” It turns to look at the dark shadow on the western side of the mountain. “Good and bad...” You fall silent for a long time, looking to the east. After a moment, you look back at Bravery. Its metallic paper body is shining like a faceted jewel in the sun. Its wings in particular seems to gleam like scarlet sunlight at the edges. Even though it’s so tiny, it’s still so powerful-looking… “Why did you choose me?” Bravery looks at you slowly. “Because you’re brave like me.” That’s all? You want to ask more, but Bravery glides up the mountainside suddenly. “Don’t think about it so much! We’ve got work to do! Besides,” it adds playfully, flapping its paper wings, “I might as well have said it’s because I like red.” Point taken. Well, it’s time to start hunting. You draw several sheets of magic paper from your bag and, with a magic spell, transform them into a paper bow, arrows, and a dagger that cuts as if it were made of metal. One can’t be too careful up here; shadowy monsters could be absolutely anywhere. With that in mind…which way first? [[Let’s try the eastern side first.|Red Mountain East]] [[I’m feeling brave. Let’s try the west side!|Red Mountain West]] [[I changed my mind. Let’s try the beach!|Red Ocean]] [[On second thought, why don’t we try the forest?|Red Forest]]

You decide to search the shoreline for crabs. There should be plenty in the rocky areas. Just keep an eye out for anything dangerous. “I’ll watch for monsters!” Bravery chirps at your shoulder. As you creep around a particularly large boulder, you catch movement out of the corner of your eye. There, behind the boulder, are dozens and dozens of crabs! But how should you go about catching them? Duh, paper magic! You take a piece of magic paper out from your backpack. You whisper a spell and say, “Bravery!” Bravery’s body glows a fiery red, and your magic paper starts to stretch and pull into a gigantic paper net. You run around the corner and scoop up the crabs! “Wow,” Bravery tweets, flying little loops in the air. “You’re already really good at this! What should we do now?” Just then, you glance over the horizon and notice something you never saw before. Far off in the distance, you can just barely make out something…it looks like an island! You’ve never been there before…but then again, maybe you should go back. Weather can be unpredictable on the ocean. But then again, maybe there’s treasure on that island. Or maybe [[Yes! Check out the Island!|Red Ocean]] [[Nah, go back to the village|Red Strike!]]

Time to use your new paper magic. You reach into your backpack and pull out a piece of magic paper. “Bravery!” In a few moments, you have a giant paper boat, and lay it on the water. It’s magic paper, so it doesn’t get wet. You sit down in it. Perfect! Now that you’re on the water, seems like it’d be a good time to go fishing. Another sheet of magic paper soon turns into a paper net, and you let it down into the water, waiting for the fish to come. “Ugh. I hate water,” Bravery groans, hovering carefully inside the rims of the boat. “The ocean is so unpredictable here too.” Your eyes aren’t on Bravery as it says this, though. Rather, they’re on an island you spotted far out on the ocean. You’ve never been to that island before…but that’s because you know storms can get pretty scary out here. Still, wouldn’t it be great if you found treasure there? You could sell it to the traders and feed your whole village for months! Your net suddenly sags, and you have to grab it to keep it from going over the edge. Pulling hard, up comes a paper net stretched near to bursting with fish! You’ve got a good haul. Smoked salmon for dinner tonight! But then again, that island…it’s practically calling your name now… [[Yes! Check out the Island!|Red Island]] [[Nah, go back to the village|Red Strike!]] [[Why not try the Forest next?|Red Forest]] [[How about the Mountain?|Red Mountain]]

The sand makes a soft shifting sound as you drag your net behind you, making your way back to the village. With the trees rising around you, you shuffle along the gravelly path back home. The sun is still high in the sky; it’s been a good catch! You know your family will be impressed to see you bring back a catch so soon. “Good first day, I’d say!” Bravery chirps loudly. “There’ll be plenty to eat for everyone!” Suddenly, without warning, a loud, howling shadow leaps in front of you. What the heck?! What is it? The shadow takes form – it looks like a wolf! …A very big wolf, the size of a horse, at least! It gives an awful, screeching, howling sound, and bares its inky-black fangs at you furiously. “Cunning! The heck you think you’re doing here?!” Bravery snaps vehemently. Bright tongues of fire erupt around its glistening scarlet body, illuminating it like a paper firework. “Get outta here, you good-for-nothing mutt!” “Cunning? What is Cunning?” You demand, staring at the fox. “One of the spirits around these parts,” Bravery hisses back. “A bad one!” The shadowy wolf lunges for your nets, yanking at them, trying to pull them from your grip. “Back off, you!” Bravery hisses, exhaling a powerful flame at the beast. The wolf leaps back, yipping loudly in fear, then raises its head and howls loudly. Seconds later, you can hear more howls coming from the trees nearby. Shadows come rushing out – you can make out at least five more shadowy heads! “Agh, these blasted mutts never travel alone!” Bravery roars furiously. “Come on, partner! Leave the nets and run!” You don’t want to, but you run anyway! Behind you, you can see a cluster of at least six wolves, tearing open the nets with the food you’d just caught. Horrible beasts! “Why didn’t you fight them?!” You demand to Bravery angrily. “You took out that bear at the village-!” “I had help then,” Bravery muttered quietly. “And I wasn’t outnumbered six to one.” “I thought you were supposed to be brave!” You shout back furiously. “Your name is Bravery!” “I’m brave, not stupid,” Bravery chirps back indignantly. “Was a fight that bad worth risking your life, partner? We can get more fish any day. My job is to keep you safe!” The little bird’s words shock you into silence. Bravery indignantly turns around and glides ahead of you. “Come on,” it sighs. “We need to make up for the food we lost. Where should we go next?” [[Let’s try the forest instead.|Red Forest]] [[Maybe the mountains?|Red Mountain]]

You just can’t resist your own curiosity. Only then does Bravery realize you’re not steering towards the shore. “Wait, we’re not going back yet?” It groans. “Oh, fine. Maybe we’ll find something cool.” The waves are choppy and rough as you pull up onto the gravelly beach. Pine trees are rattling in a growing wind. You look around, excited and also nervous. It’s your first time coming here. You want to explore more. But then you look north. There seem to be some clouds gathering on the horizon. Maybe you should head back before anything hits. “Oh, look!” Bravery exclaims suddenly, gliding to a patch of rocks nearby. “Now I see why you wanted to come here!” You see it too. Something glinting in the rocks. It looks like a gem. Or maybe a big pearl. Whatever it is, it sure is shiny. “Ouch! I can’t reach it,” Bravery groans, accidentally smacking its wings against the rock when it leans in too close. It looks back toward you and says, “Come on, come take a look! You’re not scared, are ya?” Hesitantly you step over. The wind is getting colder now. But you can see into the rocks now. There’s a large crack in one of the rocks, and you can see down inside it. There’s definitely something down there. You stick your hand carefully inside. But the groove’s so narrow. You can’t reach it either. “Hey, uh, there’s a storm rolling in there,” Bravery chirps nervously, looking towards the sky. “Maybe we should leave before this gets dicey.” [[Go for it!|Red Storm]] [[No, we should turn back! |Red Storm 2]]

“Bravery! Try superheating it!” “Mm-hmm!” Bravery chirps, and with a determined cry, it fires off a crimson flame that heats the slate-grey stone to a furious red. Cracks start to appear. Waves of intense heat drift off the stone, distorting the suddenly-humid air. You look northward. Those clouds are getting close…! “Come on, come on!” Bravery grunts, the crack spreading with violent swiftness. With a ferocious roar, it gives an ear-splitting crack, tumbling down. You jump out of the way just in time to avoid getting crushed by a boulder. The wind howls around you, and you feel the first few drops hit your face. You stand up quickly. Where’s the treasure? After a moment, Bravery comes flapping towards you, carrying a cluster of beautiful silvery pearls in its paper beak. “Check it out!” It giggles happily, bringing the pearls to you. “Man, you were right in coming here. We could feed the village for months if we sell these!” “That’s great, Bravery, let’s go!” You run for your boat. The shore’s not that far off; if you’re lucky, you can beat the storm back! Carrying the pearls in your bag, you set off with Bravery soaring at your shoulder. Halfway across…the waves are so choppy that you can feel the boat rise and fall like a rollercoaster. The skies are dark. More than a few drops are hitting you now. “We can make it!” Bravery chirps. “We’re almost there!” An ear-splitting crack rips the sky with a bolt of lightning. You nearly fall out of the boat in shock; that was close! Raindrops pelt you now, and soon there are small puddles in the bottom of your boat. Good thing it’s made of magic paper! The waves rock you even harder, and then, a sudden gust throws an extra-large wave at you. Your boat capsizes, and you’re tossed into the ocean! The next few minutes are a blur. You can’t tell up from down. Everything is swirling. It feels like you’re caught in a riptide. Something is pulling you down. You see small flashes of red from time to time, but mostly, everything is dark…A little flash of color in the darkness of the water, but you barely notice…just a little flash of red in an inky blue abyss… Game Over Want to try again? [[Go back to the start|The Beast Attacks!]] [[Back to the Shore|Red Shore]] [[Try out the Forest instead|Red Forest]] [[Try out the Mountain instead|Red Mountain]]

That storm’s drawing close! “Let’s get out of here!” “Aw, come on!” Bravery chirps indignantly. “It’s right freaking there!” An ear-splitting crack rips the sky with a bolt of lightning. Bravery gasps and turns around sharply. The wind suddenly intensifies, rattling the pine trees and nearly blowing your Paper Guardian right into your face. Bravery tumbles for a second, then catches itself in mid-twirl and shakes off the shock awkwardly. “On second thought…” It turns and looks at you sheepishly. “To the boat!” Within moments, the two of you are back on the water. The first few drops hit your face, but the fierce wind drives you across the waters extra-fast. You can still make it! The waves are choppy, rocking your boat like a dizzying rollercoaster. Halfway across…two-thirds…almost there-! Raindrops pelt you now, and soon there are small puddles in the bottom of your boat. Good thing it’s made of magic paper! The waves rock you even harder, and then, a sudden gust throws an extra-large wave at you. Your whole boat is lifted up on the side of a slanting wave – everything is tipping! “NO!” Bravery’s entire body explodes into crimson light, and powerful waves of wind twirl around it, pushing the boat back upright. As the wave pushes from the side, though, the boat starts spinning angrily, trying to tip itself over. The next few minutes are a blur. You can’t tell up from down. Everything is swirling. Your boat is just spinning wildly around. Raindrops pelting, lightning flashing, trying to scoop the water out of the boat before it fills up – it’s absolute chaos! Finally, after what feels like an eternity, the wind lessens, and the rain stops. The sky is still dark and ugly, but as you lift your head, you’re definitely still alive. Wait! Where is Bravery? You look down. Oh, there it is. Your little Paper Guardian is groaning loudly, draped like a dead rat over your shoulder. “Ugh… What happened?…” Good question. You look around. Actually, a better question might be... “Where are we?” Bravery lifts its head weakly. All you can see are waves. Waves, as far as the eye can see. No land anywhere. Where the heck is this? “I think,” Bravery chirps, “We got blown off course.” Great. A boat full of fish and treasure, and there’s no way to get it back if you’re lost! “We’ve gotta find our way back!” “I can fly ahead, if you want,” Bravery offers, lifting itself. Definitely not. “I don’t need you getting lost too, buddy.” “Guess we’ll just hafta drift until we find our way back then,” Bravery sighs. “Well…better make us some paper oars, mate. We’re gonna need ‘em.” Game Over Want to try again? [[Go back to the start|The Beast Attacks!]] [[Back to the Shore|Red Shore]] [[Try out the Forest instead|Red Forest]] [[Try out the Mountain instead|Red Mountain]]

There’s plenty of berry bushes deeper in the forest, but it’s a matter of getting to them safely. You wander along for a while with Bravery by your shoulder. It suddenly strikes you that you don’t know very much about it, or what it is. “So, what exactly are you, anyway?” Bravery looks at you, gliding through the air next to your ear. “You mean, aside from the obvious? Well, I’m the Spirit of Bravery.” “You’re a spirit?” “Yep! I lived on this island before any of you humans ever came here. I help all the creatures here become braver. It’s what I do.” It glides next to you, its red wings shining in the light that filters through the trees. “You’re the first person I’ve been drawn to in forever, though. That means your heart is already super brave.” It’s a shocking thought. Your mind wanders as you walk on, wondering over what your little Paper Guardian really is – and you walk into a bush. Whoops! You almost topple over, and your face plants into a bunch of leaves. You look up- oh! There’s the berries! Pluck, pluck, pluck, pluck…you nod proudly as your bag is stuffed full of blackberries. It may not be a feast, but it’s certainly a good start. There are some more bushes further into the forest, but you can’t remember which way. Maybe if you’re lucky, you’ll find some wild game…but which way was it? [[Let’s try going left!|Red Monster!]] [[Let’s try going right!|Red Valley]]

The further you travel into the forest, you finally reach a valley at the base of the local mountain. Here the trees are thinner, and there’s more of a clearing. The mountain stands regal and rocky to the east. It’s time to hunt. You draw a piece of magic paper from your bag and hold it up. “Bravery!” Bravery glows a bright red, and the paper begins to fold and stretch itself into a very impressive paper bow, with a strand of red light for the string. You draw several more sheets of paper, and these quickly light up a bright ruby-red, forming arrows. “Good, very good!” Bravery nods approvingly, eyeing your new weapons up and down. “You’re a natural at this! Who need weapons when you’ve got paper magic?” Crack! You heard something move in the clearing, and you quickly shift behind a tree. There’s a large buck, several meters away, looking around quietly, its ears flicking to and fro as it listens for danger. Perfect! You draw your bow and aim very carefully. The paper is surprisingly taut and firm; it feels more like wood than paper. But wait…would a paper arrow be strong enough to kill? “Don’t doubt the magic,” Bravery whispers next to you. “Paper spells get power from your heart!” Right. Of course. You take a deep breath…make sure your arrow is aimed just right… Twang! The glowing string snaps like a real string as the arrow soars toward the stag. A perfect strike! The stag immediately falls, and you run to it. It’s lying on its side in the grass, the paper arrow sticking out of its side. It doesn’t move. You can tell it’s already dead. “Not bad.” You nod approvingly. “I bet it didn’t feel a thing.” “Man, you’re a natural hunter. I’m impressed,” Bravery chirps quietly, and you draw a paper net around the stag to better bundle it for the long journey back. Then, Bravery looks over to the mountainside nearby. “Oh, look at that!” You turn and look. There’s a cliff side that’s not far from where you are, and Bravery is eyeing it rather intently. “I can see something shiny up there…” You squint. There is something shiny up there, now that you look at it…you look at the deer. This should be enough meat for the village, at least for the day. But then you just can’t help but think, maybe there’s a treasure up there! Your curiosity is piqued. But the villagers need food…what should you do? [[Maybe just a peek…|Red Cliff]] [[Nah, let’s go back.|Red Lost!]]

You’re pretty sure there were more berry bushes this way… “Oh, partner! I’ve found them!” Bravery chirps happily, and glides over to a bush covered in blackberries. These are surrounded by thick thorns, though. How to get around them? Time for some paper-magic! You reach into your backpack and whip out a sheet of magic paper. “Bravery!” Little Bravery glows a bright red, and the paper quickly folds itself into a knife. You quickly cut your way through the thorny vines around the berries. Score! The thorns kept away other animals, so these bushes have way more berries than before. Then your stomach growls. Right, you still need to eat something! Surely there’ll be enough if you take some now. Pluck, pluck, pluck, pluck…Crack! What was that noise? You look to your left…shoot! There, in the clearing, wanders a shadowy wolf, like the bear from before. It’s sniffing around, prowling – did it see you? You crouch down nervously. How’d you not see it sooner? “Great! A Spirit of Cunning!” Bravery hisses angrily next to your ear. “Stupid Cunning spirits, so hard to sense-!” He darts back and forth with surprising speed through the air. “Where are the others? Those punks never travel alone!” Yikes! Even though you saw Bravery beat down that bear before, three against one is no fair fight… You pluck a few more berries quietly, trying to decide what to do. The wolf is even closer now. Wisps of inky darkness drift off its body… It’s sniffing as it goes. Sniff-sniff. Sniff… Its ears lay flat as it looks in your direction. A low growl rumbles from its throat… Shoot! [[RUN!!!|Red Retreat!]] [[We’re tough! Let’s fight!|Red Monster 2]]

“Let’s get out of here!” “You’re kidding, right?!” Bravery retorts angrily. You start running, and soon Bravery is racing alongside you. “The heck are you doing?!” It demands, practically screeching. “I had the jump on them!” Gasp, pant! Gasp, pant! Wolves are howling behind you. You can hear them crashing through the bushes, turning into ghostly wisps to weave through the foliage like snakes. You’re pulling aside branches and scraping yourself on thorns as you run. Then, suddenly, flash! Like inky hummingbirds, the three wolves outspeed you and lunge in front of you, stopping you in your tracks! The wolves howl with wild glee as they draw close. You’re cornered! Totally cornered! Then, Bravery bolts like red lightning past your shoulder! “Come on, you ugly beasts! COME ON!” Bravery charges from wolf to wolf, zipping between them like a wild fireball, striking one and then another. The wolves all howl angrily, their inky bodies burning from your Paper Guardian’s fierce light. But they soon knit their shadowy selves back together, and draw back towards you again, snarling angrily. “What’s the matter with you?!” Bravery demands sharply, flying just over your head. “Buck up and quit being a pansy! I can’t fight at full power if you’re so afraid!” You catch a glint out of the corner of your eye – one of the wolves looks like it’s grinning. With a sudden roar, it leaps at Bravery and catches the little crane right between its teeth. Your Paper Guardian screams! “BRAVERY!” The wolf casually spits out your Paper Guardian and gives a low, guttural laugh from deep within its throat. As the three draw closer, you see little Bravery out of the corner of your eye, struggling to knit its tattered paper body back together… The first wolf’s snout is inches from your body. There’s no way it’ll heal itself in time… The last thing you see is the cunning wolf’s fangs lunging at your face. Game Over Want to try again? [[Go back to the start|The Beast Attacks!]] [[Try out the Ocean instead|Red Shore]] [[Try out the Forest again|Red Forest]] [[Try out the Mountain instead|Red Mountain]]

There’s no way it doesn’t know you’re here! “Bravery!” The beast raises its head and howls loudly, and within moments, the once-bright clearing is smothered in smoke-like darkness. Everything is dark, and soon, there are more howls reverberating around you. Shadows are everywhere! “Bravery!” You shout. “Fight back!” Bravery soars in front of you, like a red star streaking past your shoulder, and with a determined cry, it illuminates the darkness with a blinding, crimson flash. You have to cover your eyes; it’s almost like the sun itself had shattered into blazing shards before your eyes! The wolves howl furiously, and you can finally see one of them. Two of them. Three of them! “I’ll protect you,” Bravery snaps, the light gleaming fiercely off its shell. “Come on!” What choice do you have?! “Alright, Bravery! Get them good!” The wolves howl and lunge at you, but Bravery leaps between you and them. There’s a violent flash of crimson light, and the shadow-wolves all charge headfirst into a wall of fire. They all leap back, yipping and howling in pain, their shadowy bodies singed like burning paper. Your Paper Guardian is like a hummingbird in the air! Bravery streaks back and forth, directly fighting the three wolves. Each tries to lunge at the tiny crane, and Bravery lights up like a sheet of folded fire, ramming into the wolves like a blazing star. One wolf whimpers, then howls furiously back, firing pitch-black darkness at Bravery that sends its tumbling – but it catches itself! Then, with a furious cry, Bravery’s entire body bursts with a powerful light, shining like pure sunlight in the entire clearing. The wolves howl painfully as their dark aura is instantly burned away, and the three race to escape, howling their dismay as they all retreat at once. “Awesome!” You can’t help but shout. Bravery is incredibly strong! The light fades around the tiny Paper Guardian, and Bravery spreads its wings like an elegant bow, cooing, “Thank you! You’re a great crowd. But you know, it’s only because you’re so brave that I can be so strong. My power comes from your heart, after all.” You’re practically beaming with satisfaction as Bravery says this. With that, you gather your berries and look at them. Still not enough for a village…maybe you should find some meat too? [[Let’s try that clearing nearby!|Red Valley]] [[How about we head to the ocean next?|Red Ocean]] [[Let’s try the mountains out!|Red Mountain]] [[Nah, let's head back already!|Red Lost!]]

“Let’s head back,” you sigh, shrugging off your curiosity. The villagers are more important. And you’re still starving. So, carefully slinging your kill over your shoulder, you start walking. And walking. And walking. And walking… Before you know it, the Sun is setting, and as you look around, everything feels off. What is wrong with this picture? That bush looks familiar. That tree definitely looks familiar. Didn’t you mark it before? No, wait. That’s a claw mark from a wolf…gulp! “Where are we?” Bravery asks, and you cringe. You were hoping it knew. After a moment, you groan and mutter, “We’re lost.” “Thus sucks,” Bravery mutters under its breath. “I never liked coming here. Even as a spirit, I always got lost around this place…” “You got lost as a SPIRIT? How-” “It’s hard to explain to a mortal!” Bravery grumbles back. “I think this place is just cursed or something…” You look around and wipe the sweat from your brow, sighing. Nothing to do but keep walking. “We can’t be here once the sun sets. We’ve gotta find our way out of here, and fast.” “Well, we’d better keep moving then,” Bravery sighs, and glides up next to your shoulder as you continue on. “Don’t worry,” it whispers calmly. “We’ll make it out of here safely. As long as you believe in me, I can protect you from anything.” Well, you sigh to yourself, at least Bravery is sure about that. Game Over Want to try again? [[Go back to the start|The Beast Attacks!]] [[Try out the Ocean instead|Red Shore]] [[Try out the Forest again|Red Forest]] [[Try out the Mountain instead|Red Mountain]]

“That’s an impressive cliff.” You look up at the cliff overhead. It’s quite the sight, for sure. A giant, rocky crag, hanging who-knows-how-far above you. “How do we get up there?” “I only see one way up,” Bravery chirps, and gestures to several grooves in the rock face – perfect for climbing up. “I don’t think this is a good idea, though,” it adds quietly. “I know this mountain. There could be a rockslide any moment…” You start to wonder if you should even bother or not. There could be nothing up there. And as long as you’ve got that deer, you’ve got what you need. Still, you’re a pretty good climber, you tell yourself. Slinging your arrow into your bag, you clamp your hand into one rocky groove, and then another. It feels steady… With that reassurance, you start climbing. Bravery glides carefully above you, watching the rocks nervously. You pause to look down. It looks like you’re only ten feet up. Still, it already feels dizzyingly high. You shake off the height and keep climbing. Twenty feet…thirty feet…fourty? The wind is making you nervous, but you’re getting close. Still, your current perch feels precarious at best…you reach for another “Careful!” Bravery gasps. “That one’s not-!” The rock sharply gives under your hand with a crumbling crack, and your entire balance is thrown with the shock. Your other hand slips away from the crag it was so firmly planted in…you tumble back and fall headfirst to the ground below. “NO!” Bravery wails. As you fall, you can feel the wind rushing fiercely around you, and you gasp – the ground isn’t speeding towards you anymore! There’s a powerful vortex blurring around you, slowing your fall…once you’re a few feet off the ground, the vortex suddenly breaks, and you strike the ground lightly, feet first. Seconds later, Bravery plummets down from the air into your hands. “You idiot!” Bravery almost sobs, nuzzling its paper beak against your face. “Don’t you ever do that again!” The poor thing is shaking in your hands. You really scared your Paper Guardian. That was a stupid risk to take. Maybe it’d be best to just try someplace else… [[I bet the ocean would be safer…|Red Shore]] [[Let’s just try the mountains…|Red Mountain]]

The air is thin and cool as you stick to the sunny side of the mountain first. Maybe if you’re lucky, those shadowy creatures won’t venture too far into the lit areas… But, then again, the bear did attack your village in broad daylight… “Keep your eyes peeled,” Bravery hisses coldly. “Evil spirits could show up at any time. And I ain’t exactly on the best terms with them.” You stop fast as a large elk comes into view, just around the side of a craggy chasm. The creature is huge; it’d be a pain to carry back, but there’s enough meat on there for a village… A glint of hope flashes in your eye as your stomach growls loudly. You draw your bow with the silence of a trained hunter; the paper arrow slides like a real wood arrow across your bow, but it hardly makes a sound at all. Hello, dinner! Suddenly, the elk’s head snaps up, and it gallops around the corner, disappearing from sight. Dang it! Did it smell you? You’re just about to leap around the corner and follow it when you hear a very loud roar… “Oh, great.” Bravery head snaps up suddenly. “That sounded like Vengeance!” You don’t know what Vengeance is, but it sure sounds like one scary beast! Sure enough, an inky shadow lashes around the mountainside and ripples into form, until you’re staring at an enormous shadowy lion, pitch-black as the night against an otherwise blue sky. The elk’s neck is closed tight in its massive jaws. The great mountain-lion then drops its kill and roars loudly, sending powerful tremors through the entire mountain. Bravery suddenly hisses in your ear, “I knew it! It’s Vengeance!” It’s a terrifying creature. But dang it if you didn’t see that elk first! You have a Paper Guardian now… You have a sudden flashback to when Bravery fought against that giant bear in the village. Maybe you’d both stand a chance against it! [[Yeah, what are we waiting for?!|Red Mountain Attack!]] [[No way! Let’s get out of here!|Red Mountain Retreat!]]

Every tiny sound catches your ear sharply as you creep through the dark side of the mountain. There’s more likely to be monsters on this side, but also more game… You keep an arrow in one hand, bow in the other. Everything feels so much more eerie on this side… “This is where all the bad spirits are,” Bravery hisses angrily. “The evil ones that make people wanna do bad things. I hope we find that bear that attacked your village. I’ll give him what he deserves this time!” “Uh, let’s not,” you mutter under your breath, all your senses on high alert. “I’m pretty sure that thing’s the strongest beast on this whole island. Isn’t it?” A sound like crackling flames catches your ear, and you look up in shock as an enormous spirit goes soaring by, shaped like a giant hawk, white light trailing off its body as if it were made of sunlight itself. “That’s Resolve!” Bravery gasps, suddenly excited. “Resolve! It’s me, Bravery!” The great hawk doesn’t hear Bravery and continues soaring by, vanishing to another side of the mountain. “Aww,” Bravery groans. “She didn’t notice me, I guess…” You look around in frustration, still watching for prey of any kind; there doesn’t seem to be anything here. You lower your bow. What now? “Well, well, well.” Bravery glides over to a gap in the craggy cliffside. “What do we have here?” You creep over to glance into the cave’s entrance. It’s pitch-black, and you can barely see what’s down there. The whole thing makes your skin crawl. “I’m certain there’s something down there,” Bravery mutters. “There’s a dark aura all around it. You know,” it adds quietly, “If we found any monsters around here… We could slay them, and protect your whole village.” Assuming there’s something really, really bad down there, of course… [[No way, man! Let’s go back to the east side!|Red Mountain East]] [[I don’t like this…why don’t we try the forest?|Red Forest]] [[This is way too creepy. Let’s try the ocean instead.|Red Ocean]] [[I'm feeling brave. Let's go.|Red Cave]]

“Bravery!” You hiss under your breath, and the little red crane perches, rigid, on your shoulder. You draw your bow and arrow yet again, casting a spell on the arrowtip so it glows a furious red. “That elk is ours!” “Hold on there, kid!” Bravery snaps. “You let that arrow fly, you better know what you’re doing!” “What, you took on that giant bear at the village, and you’re afraid of this thing?” You whisper back, carefully aiming your arrow at the beast’s chest. “I had your family’s Guardians helping me!” Bravery cries back. “Vengeance is super malevolent! If you attack him, he won’t stop chasing you until one of you is dead! You willing to take that risk for one elk?!” Your arrow quivers in its place. Even your Paper Guardian thinks this is a bad idea. Fear starts to creep into your heart… If you hesitate any longer, you might not be able to shoot at all! What should you do? [[Do it!|Red Mountain Rockslide]] [[No way! Let’s get out of here!|Red Mountain Retreat!]]

On second thought, even Bravery doesn’t think this is a good idea! You pull back your arrow and sheath it quickly. Maybe if you start running, you’ll make it away safely! In your nervous flight, rocks clatter loudly around your feet, and the beast immediately notices you. It roars for all the world to hear, and within moments, you can hear it charging after you like a black shadow of death! “RUN!” Bravery screams. “Run and hide!” Its body glows with a powerful red fire as it suddenly charges back into the lion. Red light strikes shadowy darkness, and the beast roars with pain, its head snapping to the side from the force of the blow. You keep on running! You charge around the side of the mountain, and behind you, Bravery’s body blazes with a powerful light like the sun. The beast Vengeance shrieks and roars from the painful glow, and tries to lash out at Bravery, who exhales a powerful wave of fire, repelling it. Vengeance looks up at Bravery and snarls fiercely, “BRAVERY…WHEN DID YOU GET A PAPER BODY?” “I’m a Guardian again,” Bravery declares boldly. “Which means I am stronger than YOU!” The light shines violently, and the lion growls, cringing angrily back. “FINE,” it roars bitterly. “HAVE IT YOUR WAY…BUT I WON’T BE SO KIND WHEN I SEE YOU AGAIN!” With that, the great lion vanishes like a wisp of smoke around the mountainside, and Bravery sighs with clear relief, its light dimming as it glides around to find you. “Man, you’re powerful,” you gasp, panting from your hard run as Bravery joins you around a rock wall. “Only because you have a brave heart,” Bravery pants in reply. Then it pauses and looks around. “Oh my.” Bravery looks around nervously. “Decided to try hiding in the shadows, did ya?” Well… [[What better place to hide?|Red Mountain West]]

Your arrow flies forward, almost without your volition. It speeds towards the great lion like a turquoise-colored meteor and strikes it – BAM! Right through the shoulder! The arrow explodes like a red nuke, and the lion roars a furious howl of pain as its shadowy body is ripped apart by the blast. “YES!” You cheer, and rush for that dead elk. Then, you leap back as the shadowy form starts to knit itself back together… The lion Vengeance reappears and roars with enough rage to shake the entire mountain! “Great. Now we have to fight it!” Bravery groans. Of course it wouldn’t be that easy. Arrow after arrow flies as you aim at the beast, and it roars with each fiery blast, finally weaving around to sideswipe you like a gust of black wind. You tumble hard and start rolling down the side of the mountain, barely catching yourself before you roll off a cliff. The Lion of Vengeance snarls towards you, roaring its rage all the while. You struggle to your feet, cornered. The creature’s steps are slow and deliberate. Soon it stands on a cliff just above you. It raises its head and roars furiously, the longest, loudest roar yet. Your ears feel like they’ll burst! Then, its cries are suddenly cut off – something red slams into its face! “COME AT ME, YOU!” Bravery screeches, lashing around and around Vengeance like a blazing bummingbird. The next few minutes are utter chaos, but you definitely remember seeing blurs of red and black. Explosions of magic. Rocks tumbling wildly down the trembling mountainside. It’s all a traumatic blur in your memory now. Everything roared and shook and cracked and screamed, and finally, the great beast Vengeance roared a horrific sound, its shadowy body exploding into a ball of fire. “YEAH!” Bravery cries triumphantly. “Back to the void for you, Vengeance!” The shadowy lion writhes and howls as Bravery’s flames slowly devour its body, leaving nothing but black ash on the rocky mountainside. After that, little Bravery collapses into your hands, gasping for breath. “You big idiot,” it groans, exhausted. “If I didn’t hate Vengeance so much…I’d be so mad at you.” It then lifts its head and seems to smile. “Thanks for that, though. I’ve always wanted to get rid of that awful thing. Thanks for giving me the power to do it.” You nod slowly, more than a little shaken, wondering what you should do next. You look around, wondering where the elk is…there it is. You can see it, partially covered by some rocks. You earned that bloody elk, alright. But you haven’t seen the other side of the mountain yet, either… [[Let’s try the west side next…|Red Mountain West]] [[Let’s head back to the village.|Red Big Haul!]] [[Let’s head east to the forest.|Red Forest]] [[The ocean is a peaceful place…|Red Shore]]

“We got what we needed. Let’s head back.” You make it back to the village, dragging a full bag and a full net behind you. The sun is going down, and all the paper-houses are bathed in golden light. You can’t help but smile. Mom and dad have been hard at work. The village looks as good as new, like the bear-monster was never there. That’s a good thing about paper houses; they’re just as easy to make as they are to fix. “Surprise!” Luke jumps down from a nearby roof and pounces you, nearly knocking you over. “Heh, great job!” He laughs, picking up your net. “Man, look at this thing! There’s enough for the whole village!” “You really did it!” Sophie cheers, and runs out to hug you around your waist. “I knew you could! You got your powers and got food for everyone!” A bunch of the villagers are coming out now. They all start clamoring around you, excited. It’s been such a long time since anyone had a proper meal. Some of them are cheering. Here comes mom and dad in the crowd! “Excellent job!” Mom smiles, and she and dad both reach for your nets. “You’ve figured out your powers so quickly! You carry the family name well.” “You brought back a great haul here,” dad nods approvingly, then turns to the villagers. “There’s more than enough here for everyone,” he announces with a proud smile. “Tonight, we feast!” As the people cheer around you, little Bravery eyes you from your shoulder. “A great first day, eh, partner?” It grins. “I knew there was a strong spirit on this island somewhere!” A smile teases at the corners of your mouth. You got your powers and helped your whole village, all in the same day! And now that you’ve got your Paper Guardian at last, things are gonna get a lot more interesting now. What will tomorrow bring? You can’t help but wonder about all the infinite possibilities as you follow your happy family off into the sunset. The End Excellent job! You’ve discovered one of this game’s many endings. But there’s many more you can still find! Maybe you could try one of the other areas with Bravery. Or perhaps you’d like to start from the beginning? [[Check out the forest with Bravery!|Red Forest]] [[Let's see the ocean again!|Red Shore]] [[See the mountains with Bravery!|Red Mountain]] [[Start over from the beginning!|The Beast Attacks!]]

You reach into your bag and pull out a sheet of magic paper. “Bravery,” you whisper. “Let’s check it out.” “That’s more like it,” Bravery chirps with a fierce whisper. “I like your spunk, kid!” Drawing your paper weapons, you take your first careful steps into the cave. Your Paper Guardian lights up like a ball of sunlight as you walk. Now you can see the cave is filled with sharp, rocky crags, going down and down into the belly of the earth. You find yourself making some very odd contortions as you squeeze around giant stalagmites and step down large ledges, like a set of stairs made for giants. Everything feels cold, creepy, and uneven. “Step easy there,” Bravery chuckles to you. “Let’s not have you breaking your neck on any rocks now.” A low rumbling sound echoes through the cave, and you stop dead in your tracks. Did the echo come from above or below? You couldn’t tell. You reel around sharply, dagger raised; there’s nothing at the mouth of the cave. Oh, no. You turn back around slowly as the growl grows louder. This time, you can see something down below. Two pinpricks of light. Two bright, glowing red eyes… IT’S THAT BEAR! [[RUN!!!|Red Cave Retreat!]] [[We can take it!|Red Cave Showdown!]]

“RUN!!!” “What the heck?!” Bravery snaps angrily. You turn and run for the mouth of the cave, screaming nearly every curse word you know! You scramble upward, frantically rushing for the mouth of the cave, when an inky darkness rushes over the cave entrance, blackening it. You’re trapped! You turn around. The beast is growling angrily now. It opens its mouth and roars at you, enraged that you’ve interrupted its slumber. “I knew this place felt wrong!” Bravery cries. “It’s Corruption!” Nothing to do now but fight your way out! “BRAVERY!” Bravery’s paper body trembles with effort as it tries to summon a glowing aura. Sparks of red light flash around it, flickering, not consistent. Then, the bear roars furiously and smacks Bravery aside with its paw. Bravery screams and flies through the air, striking into your shoulder with surprising force. With sudden anger, it reels around and snaps, “You IDIOT!” “What?!” You demand indignantly. “What did I do?” “You should’ve told me you were afraid!” Bravery snaps back. “We don’t stand a chance against this spirit now!” Without warning, the bear raises its head and stands on its back legs, towering over you like a giant of nightmares. “YOU SHOULD NOT HAVE COME HERE, CHILD,” it laughs in a cold, gravelly voice. “IF ONLY YOU’D JUST WALKED AWAY…” Bravery flies protectively in front of you. “I’ll protect you,” the little Paper Guardian groans. “I’ll protect you as long as I can…you idiot…” The beast lunges suddenly at you, and as you’re engulfed by furious waves of darkness, all light vanishes… Game Over Want to try again? [[Go back to the start|The Beast Attacks!]] [[Try out the Ocean instead|Red Shore]] [[Try out the Forest instead|Red Forest]] [[Back to the Mountain |Red Mountain]]

“It’s that bear!” “I knew it!” Bravery groans. “I knew I sensed a vile spirit! It’s Corruption!” “BRAVERY,” the bear growls in a guttural voice. “BACK TO TRY AND FIGHT ME AGAIN, ARE YOU?” “You bet!” Bravery snaps. “And this time, Corruption, I’m sending you back to the pit you came from!” “WE’LL SEE ABOUT THAT,” Corruption laughs, its gravelly chuckles rumbling through the whole cave. “IF YOUR HUMAN PARTNER THERE CAN HANDLE IT, THAT IS.” This is your chance, you realize. This is your chance to prove yourself to the whole village! If you slay this beast, you’ll be a hero forever! “We can take it!” You shout. “Time to avenge our village! BRAVERY!” Your Paper Guardian’s body blazes with a ruby-red fire, cutting the darkness sharply. “I can feel your resolve,” it gasps. “It’s giving me strength!” With that, it suddenly fires an intense blaee from its shell, turning the entire cave into a raging inferno. The bear roars and retreats from the flames, then snarls and roars so loud that the entire cave becomes pitch-black once again. Everything is dark, and all you can see is a little red light, firing like a shooting-star at the shadow-bear! Bravery lashes at the bear over and over with its glowing wings, searing through the outer wisps of its shadowy body. It then charges high into the air, and with a furious cry, illuminates the whole cave, its body blazing with golden sunlight. Without warning, the bear roars its rage and brings an enormous paw down through the fog, crushing your Paper Guardian under its massive claws. Bravery screams! “NO!” As the bear lifts its paw, Bravery stumbles weakly around, its paper body badly squished as it tries to reform itself. Then, the bear turns its cold, fierce eyes towards you. An inky darkness begins to flow from its mouth like flames as it opens its jaws and speaks in a cruel, gravelly voice… “YOUR VILLAGE WILL PAY FOR THIS INTRUSION.” [[You have to help Bravery!|Save Bravery!]]

The bear roars as you fling your paper dagger into its snout, rearing back and howling in pain. You follow up with a barrage of fury-filled arrows that explode on contact! Corruption roars in pain, then fires a wave of darkness at you that knocks you to the ground. Slam! You drop your bow and arrows, and your bag goes flying to the side! “HAHAHA! FOOLISH HUMAN,” Corruption growls, pinning you down under one enormous paw. “YOU SHOULD’VE JUST RUN AWAY…” You frantically reach for your bag, your weapons, anything, but as soon as your fingers touch the fabric, Corruption starts crushing you under its paw! You try not to scream, but soon stop reaching for your bag and start trying to get the foul beast off of you! In the corner nearby, a crumpled Bravery looks over at you with a sense of resignation. “I promised I’d save you,” it whispers. With that, it flaps its wings, rising slowly into the air. The great bear suddenly turns around to glare at it. “STILL ALIVE, ARE YOU?” It hisses spitefully. “I’m a Paper Guardian!” Bravery chokes back defiantly. “We never die!” “MAYBE NOT,” the bear agrees, then turns back to you, grinning cruelly. “BUT HUMANS CAN!” As it starts trying to crush you again, Bravery lowers its head and begins to glow with the light of the sun. “WRETCHED BIRD!” The bear suddenly roars, reeling around to face it. “PUT OUT THAT HORRIBLE LIGHT!” Without warning, Bravery’s paper body explodes into flames! It screams furiously, flaring its wings until the flames spread into the shape of a phoenix. Paper burns away as the spirit within is revealed. The vivid red body begins to turn an ashy black. “AND A STUPID GUARDIAN YOU ARE!” Corruption roars. “WILL YOU KILL YOURSELF TO SAVE A HUMAN?!” “Just doing my job,” Bravery chirps quietly back. It gives you a look like a smile…then, the little red crane explodes like wildfire, and a rippling sound catches your ear – your bag is shaking! Suddenly, countless sheets of magic paper come soaring out, transforming into a thousand paper cranes that blaze their way around the great bear! Corruption roars and howls in pain, trying to fire dark waves at the birds, but there’s just too many of them. Within moments, its shadowy body is consumed by the fires of a thousand cranes, and with one final, agonized cry, the dark bear explodes into shadowy shards that fade away into the air. You stand up very slowly. The cave isn’t so oppressively dark anymore. Now you can see clearly… There’s something glittering in the back of the enormous cave. A giant ruby. So that’s what the bear was protecting. Then you look down. There’s not a shard of the bear left. Just scraps of burnt paper everywhere. And a little red, half-crumpled, half-scorched paper crane. [[“BRAVERY!!!”|Red Treasure!]]

You make it back to the village, somehow. You carry the giant ruby in one hand…the burnt body of Bravery in your other. The bear monster is gone. It’ll never attack the village again. But Bravery is gone too. All that’s left is a little paper husk. As you enter the village, you look around in a halfhearted daze. Mom and dad have been hard at work. The village looks as good as new, like the bear-monster was never there. That’s the good thing about paper houses… They’re just as easy to make as they are to fix… “Surprise!” Luke jumps down from a nearby roof and pounces you, nearly knocking you over. “Hey,” he asks incredulously, looking around you. “Where’s the grub? Did you get any – WOW!” “What is it, bro?” Sophie asks, and runs out to see you. As soon as she sees the ruby in your hands, she gasps, “Oh, wow! You found TREASURE?!” A bunch of the villagers are coming out now. They all start clamoring around you, curious to what you found. “Those greedy traders will be sure to feed us now!” They exclaim joyfully. Here comes mom and dad in the crowd… “That’s the biggest ruby I’ve ever seen,” dad nods approvingly, then turns to the villagers. “Tonight, the traders are feeding us,” he announces with a proud smile. “There should be more than enough here for everything else too. Let us know what you need, and we’ll work together!” As the people cheer around you, talking about how awesome you are, you just want to go back to your house. You want to be alone. Everyone is happy except you. “Wait a minute?” Mom notices your distressed state. “Wait…where’s Bravery?” You look down miserably. ………………………………………………………… Back at the house, you think about how the villagers reacted. Little Bravery, gone on its first day with you. Corruption is dead, destroyed by the tiny crane. Little Bravery. The little hero. Gone from your life. After carefully placing the ashy crane on your desk, you go to snatch a red sheet of magic paper from Luke’s stash and get to folding. You struggle to make another paper crane…fighting back tears the whole time. By the time you finish, you curse yourself for not washing your hands first. Ashy fingerprints from the first crane are all over the beautiful red paper. Great! Just great! You turn away in a fit, holding back a wave of painful emotions. It doesn’t even look like Bravery did, with those ugly marks all over it! Ashy marks begin to glow behind you, and you feel a rush of energy that makes you turn around. Golden light like sunlight flows in from the window, and the little crane erupts in a crimson blaze of power. It flaps its wings sharply, sending ripples through each wing that pinch feather-like marks into the paper. “Haha, about time!” Bravery laughs, and flies a wild arc around the room, cheering joyfully the entire time. “Guess who’s back, punks!” “Wait!” You stammer, taken completely aback. “How- how-! How even?!” “Told you, didn’t I?” Bravery shrugs with its wings. “Paper Guardians don’t die! I just needed a new body!” It starts laughing loudly, and part of you wants to cry, get mad, and laugh with it, all at the same time. A smile teases at the corners of your mouth, and tears at your eyes. Little Bravery is back! “Phew!” Bravery glides over to settle down on your shoulder. “I’d say that was a good first day! Wouldn’t you? You’re definitely as exciting as I thought you’d be. Well, partner, here’s to the rest of our lives!” “Yeah!” The End Congratulations! You’ve discovered the true ending to this game! You’re a true Paper-Hacker! But there’s many more you can still find! Maybe you could try one of the other areas with Bravery. Or perhaps you’d like to start from the beginning? [[Check out the forest with Bravery!|Red Forest]] [[Explore the ocean with Bravery!|Red Shore]] [[Try the mountains again with Bravery!|Red Mountain]] [[Start over from the beginning!|The Beast Attacks!]]

“We’re saved!” Villagers are cheering now. A bunch of people come rushing up the hill, some shouting with relief, others laughing. “That’s our Paper-Hackers!” Someone cheers, pointing at your family. “You did it!” Luke cheers, giving you a big hug. “I knew you’d get it today! That was wicked!” “That was so cool!” Sophie exclaims. “You’ve got your Paper Guardian now!” Endurance glides lightly through the air back to you, swimming around your head like it’s riding an ocean wave. Even though its face is made of paper, it still somehow looks like it’s smiling. Mom and dad walk over to you and smile. “Endurance, huh?” dad whispers. “That’s a tough spirit.” “I can’t wait till I get mine!” Sophie adds cheerfully. “Endurance, eh? It suits you,” Luke grins. “Of course it does,” mom laughs. “Paper Guardians come from your heart. They embody your strengths.” Staring at the little paper turtle, you can’t help but smile. As it glides lightly alongside you, its fins carrying it like a real turtle, you feel a sense of pride in it. Your powers have awakened, and now you’ve met your partner spirit! It’s easy to stare at, with its blue shell shining like an icy shield in the sun. After a while, though, dad nudges you. “Now that you’ve gotten your powers,” he laughs, “You feel like using them to help me fix the house?” [[Oh no, the house! |Blue Busted House]]

That’s right, you grimace, and turn towards the house. There’s a giant hole in it now. Torn strips of colored paper flap loosely in the wind. “Don’t worry,” mom shrugs. “It’s just as easy to fix.” She quickly goes to work with her little paper dove, Freedom, and the torn fibers quickly begin to knit themselves back together. “Agh, that bear made a real mess…” Dad looks around at the other villagers’ houses below the hill. Many have been reduced to nothing but sticks and shredded paper. “I’m going to have to stay and help fix this mess. Can you go foraging for me today?” He gives you a concerned look. “It’s been a while since any of us had a decent meal here.” Like you needed to be reminded of that, with your empty stomach. With those monsters out and about, it’s been hard to get food lately. “Oh, and…” Dad gives you a serious look. “Watch out for monsters. You never know when that bear might come back.” “Don’t worry,” Endurance whispers by your ear. “I’ll protect you. Where should we look first?” [[Head for the shoreline|Blue Shore]] [[Check out the nearby forest|Blue Forest]] [[Start scaling the mountainside|Blue Mountain]]

Not too far from the village is a warm, peaceful ocean, with a soft, white, sandy shoreline. It’s a great place for parties, even if it does get bad storms sometimes. You have fond memories of playing here with your friends while growing up. And now you have a new friend, right on your shoulder. “Well, then.” Endurance glides alongside your ear playfully. “How fun to finally be united with a partner again! It’s been centuries since I got to be someone’s Guardian. I can’t remember the last time I had a magic paper body.” Only then do you realize you don’t know much about what Endurance really is. “You’ve been with other people before?” “Only a few. Most don’t have the willpower for me. I’m only drawn to tough spirits... I think you have a lot of potential to help your village.” You look at Endurance. “What’s with that look?” It asks. “Do you doubt me? Have a little more faith in yourself, you. I can’t remember the last time I felt such a strong tug from a Paper Magic spell…” It’s a crazy thought. Endurance believes that much in you? Even though you just met, and you took forever to get your powers… After a moment, though, you shake your head. You’re here to find food. So, better start looking! Where should you start? [[Search along the shore|Blue Shore Food]] [[Fish in the ocean|Blue Ocean]] [[Actually, why don’t we try the forest?|Blue Forest]] [[I take it back. Let’s try the mountains!|Blue Mountain]]

Tall pine trees rustle around in the cool breeze, drifting down the side of the nearby mountain. The breeze blows west towards the ocean, and everything here is cool. There’s a light mist on the ground as you walk around, leaving dewdrops in your wake, and foggy wisps with every step. Everything is quiet… You look around nervously. The forest is like a maze, and it can be very easy to get lost. Still, there are plenty of places to get food here…which also tends to attract monsters… “Why so tense?” Endurance whispers playfully next to your ear. “You’ve got me now, remember? I’m a Paper Guardian. I’ll protect you. And,” it adds with a playful flip, “My shell will never break.” Of course, you smile. You’ve got your new friend with you! What’s there to worry about? “Still, stay alert,” Endurance adds playfully. “You never know what we might run into. Best to be careful, you know?” Good point. But you’re here to find food, and your stomach isn’t about to be ignored. So! What should you look for first? [[Let’s find some berries!|Blue Forest 2]] [[Let’s go hunting!|Blue Valley]]

Jagged cliffs run a powerful set of shadows across the mountainside. You’re panting for breath as you step carefully along the steep crags; the air is thinner here. You and Endurance both look carefully at every angle as you walk. Monsters like the bear that attacked your village can be found here. It’s best to be super-careful. Endurance hovers alongside you much more tensely than before. It’s not swimming or doing little twirls as it goes; instead, it flies carefully through the air, just as you have to step carefully to avoid tripping on rocks. Still, as you turn around to gaze at the land below, the view is breathtaking. The local forest stretches for miles like an emerald mosaic, and the ocean glitters to the far east, shining a crystal-blue in the sunlight. “What a beautiful sight,” Endurance seems to smile. “But let’s not stay long. These mountains becomes very dangerous after dark.” “Wait.” You stop walking. “How do you know that?” “Before I became your Paper Guardian,” Endurance replies soberly, “I was one of this island’s Spirit Guardians. I’m the Spirit of Endurance. There are many other spirits like me. I can sense them around the mountain…” It turns to look at the dark shadow on the western side of the mountain. “Only some of them are friendly.” You fall silent for a long time, looking to the east. After a moment, you look back at Endurance. Its metallic paper body is shining like a faceted jewel in the sun. Its shell in particular seems to gleam like cut ice at the edges. Even though it’s so tiny, it’s still so powerful-looking… “Why did you choose me?” Endurance looks at you slowly. “Because you have a strong heart.” What does that even mean? You want to ask more, but Endurance glides up the mountainside suddenly. “Don’t think about it so much! We have more than enough to worry about here. Besides,” it adds playfully, flapping its paper fins, “I might as well have said it’s because I like blue.” Point taken. Well, it’s time to start hunting. You draw several sheets of magic paper from your bag and, with a magic spell, transform them into a paper bow, arrows, and a dagger that cuts as if it were made of metal. One can’t be too careful up here; shadowy monsters could be absolutely anywhere. With that in mind…which way first? [[Let’s try the eastern side first.|Blue Mountain East]] [[I’m feeling brave. Let’s try the west side!|Blue Mountain West]] [[I changed my mind. Let’s try the beach!|Blue Ocean]] [[On second thought, why don’t we try the forest?|Blue Forest]]

You decide to search the shoreline for crabs. There should be plenty in the rocky areas. Just keep an eye out for anything dangerous. “Be careful now,” Endurance says soothingly. As you creep around a particularly large boulder, you catch movement out of the corner of your eye. There, behind the boulder, are dozens and dozens of crabs! But how should you go about catching them? Duh, paper magic! You take a piece of magic paper out from your backpack. You whisper a spell and say, “Endurance!” Endurance’s body glows a bright blue, and your magic paper starts to stretch and pull into a gigantic paper net. You run around the corner and scoop up the crabs! “Excellent,” Endurance nods approvingly. “You’re mastering your powers quickly! Shall we head back, then?” Just then, you glance over the horizon and notice something you never saw before. Far off in the distance, you can just barely make out something…it looks like an island! You’ve never been there before…but then again, maybe you should go back. Weather can be unpredictable on the ocean. But then again, maybe there’s treasure on that island. What to do… [[Yes! Check out the Island!|Blue Ocean]] [[Nah, go back to the village|Blue Big Haul!]]

Time to use your new paper magic. You reach into your backpack and pull out a piece of magic paper. “Endurance!” In a few moments, you have a giant paper boat, and lay it on the water. It’s magic paper, so it doesn’t get wet. You sit down in it. Perfect! Now that you’re on the water, seems like it’d be a good time to go fishing. Another sheet of magic paper soon turns into a paper net, and you let it down into the water, waiting for the fish to come. “Let’s not stay out here too long,” Endurance whispers by your ear, gliding casually by your side. “The ocean is an unpredictable place.” Your eyes aren’t on Endurance as it says this, though. Rather, they’re on an island you spotted far out on the ocean. You’ve never been to that island before…but that’s because you know storms can get pretty scary out here. Still, wouldn’t it be great if you found treasure there? You could sell it to the traders and feed your whole village for months! Your net suddenly sags, and you have to grab it to keep it from going over the edge. Pulling hard, up comes a paper net stretched near to bursting with fish! You’ve got a good haul. Smoked salmon for dinner tonight! But then again, that island…it’s practically calling your name now… [[Yes! Check out the Island!|Blue Island]] [[Nah, go back to the village|Blue Big Haul!]] [[Why not try the Forest next?|Blue Forest]] [[How about the Mountain?|Blue Mountain]]

“We got what we needed. Let’s head back.” You make it back to the village, dragging a full bag and a full net behind you. The sun is going down, and all the paper-houses are bathed in golden light. You can’t help but smile. Mom and dad have been hard at work. The village looks as good as new, like the bear-monster was never there. That’s a good thing about paper houses; they’re just as easy to make as they are to fix. “Surprise!” Luke jumps down from a nearby roof and pounces you, nearly knocking you over. “Heh, great job!” He laughs, picking up your net. “Man, look at this haul! There’s enough for the whole village!” “You really did it!” Sophie cheers, and runs out to hug you around your waist. “I knew you could! You got your powers and got food for everyone!” A bunch of the villagers are coming out now. They all start clamoring around you, excited. It’s been such a long time since anyone had a proper meal. Some of them are cheering. Here comes mom and dad in the crowd! “Excellent job!” Mom smiles, and she and dad both reach for your nets. “You’ve figured out your powers so quickly! You carry the family name well.” “You brought back a great haul here,” dad nods approvingly, then turns to the villagers. “There’s more than enough here for everyone,” he announces with a proud smile. “Tonight, we feast!” As the people cheer around you, little Endurance eyes you from your shoulder. “I’d say that’s a good first day, wouldn’t you?” It grins. “I knew I’d sensed something special in you, partner.” A smile teases at the corners of your mouth. You got your powers and helped your whole village, all in the same day! And now that you’ve got your Paper Guardian at last, things are gonna get a lot more interesting now. What will tomorrow bring? You can’t help but wonder about all the infinite possibilities as you follow your happy family off into the sunset. The End Excellent job! You’ve discovered one of this game’s many endings. But there’s many more you can still find! Maybe you could try one of the other areas with Endurance. Or perhaps you’d like to start from the beginning? [[Check out the forest with Endurance!|Blue Forest]] [[Let's see the ocean again!|Blue Shore]] [[See the mountains with Endurance!|Blue Mountain]] [[Start over from the beginning!|The Beast Attacks!]]

You just can’t resist your own curiosity. Only then does Endurance realize you’re not steering towards the shore. “Oh? You want to go see that island, do you?” It asks cheerfully, its calm gaze focused on the island now as well. The waves are choppy and rough as you pull up onto the gravelly beach. Pine trees are rattling in a growing wind. You look around, excited and also nervous. It’s your first time coming here. You want to explore more. But then you look north. There seem to be some clouds gathering on the horizon. Maybe you should head back before anything hits. “Hey, look!” Endurance exclaims suddenly, gliding to a patch of rocks nearby. “I saw something shining over here.” You see it too. Something glinting in the rocks. It looks like a gem. Or maybe a big pearl. Whatever it is, it sure is shiny. “I can’t reach it,” Endurance sighs, its shell getting stuck as it cranes its neck into the rock. It looks back toward you and says, “Well? Don’t you want to see what it is?” Hesitantly you step over. The wind is getting colder now. But you can see into the rocks now. There’s a large crack in one of the rocks, and you can see down inside it. There’s definitely something down there. You stick your hand carefully inside. But the groove’s so narrow. You can’t reach it either. “I don’t like that storm,” Endurance mutters nervously, looking towards the sky. “Perhaps we should head back…” [[Go for it!|Blue Storm]] [[No, we should turn back! |Blue Storm 2]]

“I’ve got an idea. Try freezing it!” Endurance nods calmly and fires a beam of icy white magic from its mouth, creating crystals of ice that glisten on the otherwise slate-grey stone. Cracks start to appear. Waves of frosty air drift off the stone in the suddenly-humid air. You look northward. Those clouds are getting close. “Just a little more,” Endurance grunts, the crack spreading with violent swiftness. With a ferocious roar, it gives an ear-splitting crack, tumbling down. You jump out of the way just in time to avoid getting crushed by a boulder. The wind howls around you, and you feel the first few drops hit your face. You stand up quickly. Where’s the treasure? After a moment, Endurance comes gliding towards you, carrying a cluster of beautiful silvery pearls in its snapping mouth. “How beautiful!” It chuckles, bringing the pearls to you. “Well, we’ve got what you wanted, so let’s get back, quickly!” Within moments, the two of you are back on the water. The first few drops hit your face, but the fierce wind drives you across the waters extra-fast. You can still make it! The waves are choppy, rocking your boat like a dizzying rollercoaster. Halfway across…come on…hurry up-! Raindrops pelt you now, and soon there are small puddles in the bottom of your boat. Good thing it’s made of magic paper! The waves rock you even harder, and then, a sudden gust throws an extra-large wave at you. Your boat capsizes, and you’re tossed into the ocean! The next few minutes are a blur. You can’t tell up from down. Everything is swirling. It feels like you’re caught in a riptide. Something is pulling you down. You see small flashes of blue from time to time, but mostly, everything is dark…A little flash of color in the darkness of the water, but you barely notice…just a little flash of blue in an inky blue abyss… Splash! A powerful current pulls you back to the surface, spluttering up on the shore. You made it! Little Endurance hovers just above you, shaking off saltwater, the waves carefully pulling you to the shore as its body glows a furious blue. You look towards the ocean, gasping for breath. Your boat has vanished beneath the waves…and it suddenly hits you that all your food was in that boat. Dang it! “Thank goodness, you’re alright!” Endurance sighs with deep relief. “I was worried I’d lost you already…” You feel water dripping down your back, and realize you still have your bag on your shoulders. With a gasp, you shake out the water inside – did it make it? It did! Yes! There’s your set of beautiful pearls, buried underneath a bunch of soaked magic paper. “Ah?!” Endurance gasps. “You still have it-!” With a smile, you can’t help but look over the ocean. The waves are wild and choppy, but as you feel the smooth pearls between your fingers, you nod and say, “Totally worth it.” [[We made it… Let’s head back.|Blue Treasure!]]

That storm’s drawing close! “Let’s get out of here!” An ear-splitting crack rips the sky with a bolt of lightning. Endurance gasps and turns around sharply. The wind suddenly intensifies, rattling the pine trees and nearly blowing your Paper Guardian right into your face. Endurance tumbles for a second, then catches itself in mid-twirl and shakes off the shock awkwardly. “I agree with you,” it mutters. “To the boat!” Within moments, the two of you are back on the water. The first few drops hit your face, but the fierce wind drives you across the waters extra-fast. You can still make it! The waves are choppy, rocking your boat like a dizzying rollercoaster. Halfway across…two-thirds…almost there-! Raindrops pelt you now, and soon there are small puddles in the bottom of your boat. Good thing it’s made of magic paper! The waves rock you even harder, and then, a sudden gust throws an extra-large wave at you. Your boat capsizes, and you’re tossed into the ocean! The next few minutes are a blur. You can’t tell up from down. Everything is swirling. It feels like you’re caught in a riptide. Something is pulling you down. You see small flashes of blue from time to time, but mostly, everything is dark… Splash! A powerful current pulls you back to the surface, spluttering up on the shore. You made it! Little Endurance hovers just above you, shaking off saltwater, the waves carefully pulling you to the shore as its body glows a furious blue. You look towards the ocean, gasping for breath. Your boat has vanished beneath the waves…and it suddenly hits you that all your food was in that boat. Dang it! “That was too close,” Endurance groans, nuzzling its little paper snout against your face. “I thought I’d lost you…” “Well, we lost our catch,” you sigh. It was dangerous to push your luck like that. But at least you lived to fight another day. With the storm on the ocean, though, maybe it’d be better to look for food somewhere else. [[The local forest should be sheltered from the storm.|Blue Forest]] [[The mountains would dry you off pretty quick.|Blue Mountain]]

You make it back to the village. It’s been an incredible journey, and your bag is full of the treasures you found. Even though you don’t have much food, this will surely give the villagers the hope they need. The sun is going down, and all the paper-houses are bathed in golden light. You can’t help but smile. Mom and dad have been hard at work. The village looks as good as new, like the bear-monster was never there. That’s a good thing about paper houses; they’re just as easy to make as they are to fix. “Surprise!” Luke jumps down from a nearby roof and pounces you, nearly knocking you over. “Hey,” he asks incredulously, looking around you. “Where’s the grub? Did you stuff your catch in your bag or something?” You give him a sly smirk. “I found something even better.” You reach into your bag and pull out the glittering string of pearls you found before. Luke’s eyes get very big. “WOW!” “What is it, bro?” Sophie asks, and runs out to see you. As soon as she sees the pearls in your hands, she gasps, “Oh, wow! You found TREASURE?!” A bunch of the villagers are coming out now. They all start clamoring around you, curious to what you found. “Those greedy traders will be sure to feed us now!” They exclaim joyfully. Here comes mom and dad in the crowd! “Incredible!” Mom smiles, and she and dad both admire the pearls you found. “You’ve figured out your powers so quickly! You carry the family name well.” “That’s some of the biggest pearls I’ve ever seen,” dad nods approvingly, then turns to the villagers. “Tonight, the traders are feeding us,” he announces with a proud smile. “There should be more than enough here for everything else too. Let us know what you need, and we’ll work together!” As the people cheer around you, little Endurance eyes you from your shoulder. “I’d say that’s a good first day, wouldn’t you?” It grins. “I knew I’d sensed something special in you, partner.” A smile teases at the corners of your mouth. You got your powers and helped your whole village, all in the same day! And now that you’ve got your Paper Guardian at last, things are gonna get a lot more interesting now. What will tomorrow bring? You can’t help but wonder about all the infinite possibilities as you follow your happy family off into the sunset. The End Excellent job! You’ve discovered one of this game’s many endings. But there’s many more you can still find! Maybe you could try one of the other areas with Endurance. Or perhaps you’d like to start from the beginning? [[Check out the forest with Endurance!|Blue Forest]] [[Let's see the ocean again!|Blue Shore]] [[See the mountains with Endurance!|Blue Mountain]] [[Start over from the beginning!|The Beast Attacks!]]

There’s plenty of berry bushes deeper in the forest, but it’s a matter of getting to them safely. You wander along for a while with Endurance by your shoulder. It suddenly strikes you that you don’t know very much about it, or what it is. “So, what exactly are you, anyway?” Endurance looks at you, gliding through the air next to your ear. “You mean, other than a Paper Guardian? Well, I’m also the Spirit of Endurance.” “You’re a spirit?” “Normally, yes. I’ve lived on this island for centuries, helping its inhabitants strengthen their hearts.” It glides next to you, its blue shell shining in the light that filters through the trees. “And I chose you because you’re very similar to me. I felt it in your magic.” It’s a shocking thought. Your mind wanders as you walk on, wondering over what your little Paper Guardian really is – and you walk into a bush. Whoops! You almost topple over, and your face plants into a bunch of leaves. You look up- oh! There’s the berries! Pluck, pluck, pluck, pluck…you nod proudly as your bag is stuffed full of blackberries. It may not be a feast, but it’s certainly a good start. There are some more bushes further into the forest, but you can’t remember which way. Maybe if you’re lucky, you’ll find some wild game…but which way was it? [[Let’s try going left!|Blue Monster!]] [[Let’s try going right!|Blue Valley]]

The further you travel into the forest, you finally reach a valley at the base of the local mountain. Here the trees are thinner, and there’s more of a clearing. The mountain stands regal and rocky to the east. It’s time to hunt. You draw a piece of magic paper from your bag and hold it up. “Endurance!” Endurance glows a bright blue, and the paper begins to fold and stretch itself into a very impressive paper bow, with a strand of blue light for the string. You draw several more sheets of paper, and these quickly light up a bright sapphire-blue, forming arrows. “Excellent work!” Endurance nods approvingly, eyeing your new weapons up and down. “You sure mastered your powers fast. You’ll never need anything again as long as you have magic paper!” Crack! You heard something move in the clearing, and you quickly shift behind a tree. There’s a large buck, several meters away, looking around quietly, its ears flicking to and fro as it listens for danger. Perfect! You draw your bow and aim very carefully. The paper is surprisingly taut and firm; it feels more like wood than paper. But wait…would a paper arrow be strong enough to kill? “Don’t doubt in yourself,” Endurance whispers next to you. “If you don’t believe, then the magic won’t work.” Right. Of course. You take a deep breath…make sure your arrow is aimed just right… Twang! The glowing string snaps like a real string as the arrow soars toward the stag. A perfect strike! The stag immediately falls, and you run to it. It’s lying on its side in the grass, the paper arrow sticking out of its side. It doesn’t move. You can tell it’s already dead. “Not bad.” You nod approvingly. “I bet it didn’t feel a thing.” “Your aim is impressive,” Endurance agrees quietly, and you draw a paper net around the stag to better bundle it for the long journey back. Then, Endurance looks over to the mountainside nearby. “How interesting!” You turn and look. There’s a cliff side that’s not far from where you are, and Endurance is eyeing it rather intently. “Something is glittering up there…” You squint. There is something shiny up there, now that you look at it…you look at the deer. This should be enough meat for the village, at least for the day. But then you just can’t help but think, maybe there’s a treasure up there! Your curiosity is piqued. But the villagers need food…what should you do? [[Maybe just a peek…|Blue Cliff]] [[Nah, let’s go back.|Blue Lost!]]

You’re pretty sure there were more berry bushes this way… “Oh? What’s that I see?” Endurance chuckles, and glides over to a bush covered in blackberries. These are surrounded by thick thorns, though. How to get around them? Time for some paper-magic! You reach into your backpack and whip out a sheet of magic paper. “Endurance!” Little Endurance glows a bright blue, and the paper quickly folds itself into a knife. You quickly cut your way through the thorny vines around the berries. Score! The thorns kept away other animals, so these bushes have way more berries than before. Then your stomach growls. Right, you still need to eat something! Surely there’ll be enough if you take some now. Pluck, pluck, pluck, pluck…Crack! What was that noise? You look to your left…shoot! There, in the clearing, wanders a shadowy wolf, like the bear from before. It’s sniffing around, prowling – did it see you? You crouch down nervously. How’d you not see it sooner? “That’s a Spirit of Cunning!” Endurance whispers tensely next to your shoulder. “No wonder I didn’t sense him-!” He darts back and forth with surprising speed through the air. “Where are the others? Spirits of Cunning rarely travel alone!” Yikes! Even though you saw Endurance beat down that bear before, three against one is no fair fight… You pluck a few more berries quietly, trying to decide what to do. The wolf is even closer now. Wisps of inky darkness drift off its body… It’s sniffing as it goes. Sniff-sniff. Sniff… Its ears lay flat as it looks in your direction. A low growl rumbles from its throat… Shoot! [[RUN!!!|Blue Retreat!]] [[We’re tough! Let’s fight!|Blue Monster 2]]

You start running, and soon Endurance is racing alongside you. Gasp, pant! Gasp, pant! Wolves are howling behind you. You can hear them crashing through the bushes, turning into ghostly wisps to weave through the foliage like snakes. You’re pulling aside branches and scraping yourself on thorns as you run. Then, suddenly, SNAG! Something catches hold of your clothing, and you stop fast, yanking frantically at some very long thorns! The wolves howl with wild glee. You can hear them racing towards you, one, two, three, materializing from the shadows. The thorns are stuck fast in your clothing. You try to unhook yourself, but it feels like you’re only getting snagged even more. Everything grows darker as the beasts approach… “Oh, no you DON’T!” Endurance lunges between you and the beasts, and with a furious cry, a tremendous wave of fog surges through the clearing, hiding the path and stopping all three wolves! They howl and look around angrily, and you tear yourself free from the thorns, ripping open your bag and tearing up your jacket. You run for your life! Endurance follows you, throwing up one extra ice wall behind you, just to be sure. Gasp, pant. Gasp, pant. “Are we safe?” You look around. You can’t hear the wolves anywhere, or see them. “Yes,” Endurance pants alongside you. “We got away.” “Wait, how are you out of breath?” You give it an odd look. “You’re made of paper!” “I’m linked to you,” Endurance keeps panting. “When you’re tired, I’m tired.” Suddenly, you realize you don’t know where you are. “Endurance?” You look around nervously. “I don’t recognize this area…” Endurance looks around slowly. “You’re right. Neither do I…” You both look at each other anxiously. The forest is like a maze. You could be lost out here for days…maybe even forever… “Don’t worry,” Endurance says soothingly next to you. “We’ll find out way out…eventually.” It doesn’t sound so confident to you. Game Over Want to try again? [[Go back to the start|The Beast Attacks!]] [[Try out the Ocean instead|Blue Shore]] [[Try out the Forest again|Blue Forest]] [[Try out the Mountain instead|Blue Mountain]]

There’s no way it doesn’t know you’re here! “Endurance!” The beast raises its head and howls loudly, and within moments, the once-bright clearing is smothered in smoke-like darkness. Everything is dark, and soon, there are more howls reverberating around you. Shadows are everywhere! “Endurance!” You shout. “I need you, buddy!” Endurance soars in front of you, like a blue star streaking past your shoulder, and with a determined cry, it illuminates the darkness with a blinding sapphire flash. You have to cover your eyes; it’s almost like a thousand sapphires are channeling the light around everywhere! The wolves howl furiously, and you can finally see one of them. Two of them. Three of them! “I’ll protect you,” Endurance snaps, the light gleaming fiercely off its shell. “Come on!” What choice do you have?! “Alright, Endurance! Get them good!” The wolves howl and lunge at you, but Endurance leaps between you and them. There’s a violent flash of white light, and the shadow-wolves all slam into a powerful wall of ice. “Stay safe!” Endurance cries, and darts back out to fight them. Your Paper Guardian is like a hummingbird in the air! Endurance streaks back and forth, directly fighting two of the three wolves. The third tries to sneak around your ice wall, and Endurance lights up like glittering stone, ramming into it like an icy bullet. The creature whimpers, then howls furiously back, firing pitch-black darkness at Endurance that sends its tumbling – but it catches itself! It then gives off a powerful light, drops pooling on its shiny shell, and drops of water fly like bullets through the air to lash at the two wolves, who writhe and howl furiously. “Awesome!” You can’t help but shout. At this rate, Endurance will take care of those beasts for sure! Then, Endurance screams, and shatters through the ice wall. It crashes into your body with surprising force, knocking you down to the ground. An inky darkness pools over the side of the ice wall like black snakes, knitting back together to form three very large, angry wolves. “There’s too many of them,” Endurance gasps breathlessly. [[“We need to run!”|Blue Retreat!]]

“That’s an impressive cliff.” You look up at the cliff overhead. It’s quite the sight, for sure. A giant, rocky crag, hanging who-knows-how-far above you. “How do we get up there?” “I only see one way up,” Endurance sighs, and gestures to several grooves in the rock face – perfect for climbing up. “Except I wouldn’t,” it adds grimly. “The mountainside is prone to rockslides…” You start to wonder if you should even bother or not. There could be nothing up there. And as long as you’ve got that deer, you’ve got what you need. Still, you’re a pretty good climber, you tell yourself. Slinging your arrow into your bag, you clamp your hand into one rocky groove, and then another. It feels steady… With that reassurance, you start climbing. Endurance glides carefully above you, watching the rocks nervously. You pause to look down. It looks like you’re only ten feet up. Still, it already feels dizzyingly high. You shake off the height and keep climbing. Twenty feet…thirty feet…fourty? The wind is making you nervous, but you’re getting close. Still, your current perch feels precarious at best…you reach for another rock… “Careful!” Endurance gasps. “That one’s not-!” The rock sharply gives under your hand with a crumbling crack, and your entire balance is thrown with the shock. Your other hand slips away from the crag it was so firmly planted in…you tumble back and fall headfirst to the ground below. “NO!” Endurance wails. As you fall, you can feel water droplets flying around you, trying to catch you, but it’s no use. You were too high up. All they do is make you wet, so that the rushing wind feels even colder. As the ground rushes towards you, your last thought is so ironic, it almost makes you laugh… It’s a shame your Paper Guardian can’t fly. Game Over Want to try again? [[Go back to the start|The Beast Attacks!]] [[Try out the Ocean instead|Blue Shore]] [[Try out the Forest again|Blue Forest]] [[Try out the Mountain instead|Blue Mountain]]

“Let’s head back,” you sigh, shrugging off your curiosity. The villagers are more important. And you’re still starving. So, carefully slinging your kill over your shoulder, you start walking. And walking. And walking. And walking… Before you know it, the Sun is setting, and as you look around, everything feels off. What is wrong with this picture? That bush looks familiar. That tree definitely looks familiar. Didn’t you mark it before? No, wait. That’s a claw mark from a wolf…gulp! “Where are we?” Endurance asks, and you cringe. You were hoping it knew. After a moment, you groan and mutter, “We’re lost.” “Confound this awful forest,” Endurance mutters under its breath. “I never liked coming here. Even as a spirit, I often got turned around…” “You got lost as a SPIRIT? How-” “It’s hard to explain to a mortal!” Endurance grumbles back. “The whole forest just has this…presence…” You look around and wipe the sweat from your brow, sighing. Nothing to do but keep walking. “We can’t be here once the sun sets. We’ve gotta find our way out of here, and fast.” “Well then, we’d better keep moving,” Endurance sighs, and glides up next to your shoulder as you continue on. “Don’t worry,” it whispers calmly. “Even when things go poorly, sometimes the best thing to do is just keep on fighting. We’ll make it out of here eventually.” Well, you sigh to yourself, at least Endurance is sure about that. Game Over Want to try again? [[Go back to the start|The Beast Attacks!]] [[Try out the Ocean instead|Blue Shore]] [[Try out the Forest again|Blue Forest]] [[Try out the Mountain instead|Blue Mountain]]

The air is thin and cool as you stick to the sunny side of the mountain first. Maybe if you’re lucky, those shadowy creatures won’t venture too far into the lit areas… But, then again, the bear did attack your village in broad daylight… You stop fast as a large elk comes into view, just around the side of a craggy chasm. The creature is huge; it’d be a pain to carry back, but there’s enough meat on there for a village… A glint of hope flashes in your eye as your stomach growls loudly. You draw your bow with the silence of a trained hunter; the paper arrow slides like a real wood arrow across your bow, but it hardly makes a sound at all. Hello, dinner! Suddenly, the elk’s head snaps up, and it gallops around the corner, disappearing from sight. Dang it! Did it smell you? You’re just about to leap around the corner and follow it when you hear a very loud roar… “Uh-oh.” Endurance head snaps up suddenly. “That sounded like Vengeance!” You don’t know what Vengeance is, but it sure sounds like one scary beast! Sure enough, an inky shadow lashes around the mountainside and ripples into form, until you’re staring at an enormous shadowy lion, pitch-black as the night against an otherwise blue sky. The elk’s neck is closed tight in its massive jaws. The great mountain-lion then drops its kill and roars loudly, sending powerful tremors through the entire mountain. Endurance suddenly hisses in your ear, “It IS Vengeance!” It’s a terrifying creature. But dang it if you didn’t see that elk first! You have a Paper Guardian now… You have a sudden flashback to when Endurance fought against that giant bear in the village. Maybe you’d both stand a chance against it! [[Yeah, what are we waiting for?!|Blue Mountain Attack!]] [[No way! Let’s get out of here!|Blue Mountain Retreat!]]

Every tiny sound catches your ear sharply as you creep to the dark side of the mountain. There’s more likely to be monsters on this side, but also more game… You keep an arrow in one hand, bow in the other. Everything feels so much more eerie on this side… “This isn’t wise,” Endurance groans quietly. “The dark side is where most of the bad spirits are. You’d better know what you’re doing…” “Be tough, Endurance,” you mutter under your breath, though you’re just as alert. “You’re all about toughness, remember?” A sound like rushing ocean waves catches your ear, and you look up in shock as an enormous spirit goes soaring by, shaped like a giant sea serpent, white light trailing off its body as if it were made of sunlight itself. “That’s Longevity!” Endurance gasps, suddenly excited. “Longevity! It’s me, Endurance!” The great sea serpent doesn’t hear Endurance and continues soaring by, vanishing to another side of the mountain. “Ohh,” Endurance groans. “He must not have recognized me…” You look around in frustration, still watching for prey of any kind; there doesn’t seem to be anything here. You lower your bow. What now? “Oh, look at that,” Endurance says, and flips over to a gap in the craggy cliffside. “There’s a cave here.” You creep over to glance into the cave entrance. It’s pitch-black, and you can barely see what’s down there. The whole thing makes your skin crawl. “You’d better not be thinking about going in,” Endurance mutters. “I just thought you’d want to see it. Anything could be lurking down there…” Aww, now that piques your curiosity… [[No way, man! Let’s go back to the east side!|Blue Mountain East]] [[I don’t like this…why don’t we try the forest?|Blue Forest]] [[This is way too creepy. Let’s try the ocean instead.|Blue Ocean]] [[I'm feeling brave. Let's go.|Blue Cave]]

“Endurance!” You hiss under your breath, and the little blue turtle slides anxiously onto your shoulder. You draw your bow and arrow yet again, casting a spell on the arrowtip so it glows a furious blue. “That elk is ours!” “Don’t be foolish!” Endurance snaps. “If Vengeance sees you, it will hunt you until you’re dead!” “What, you took on that giant bear at the village, and you’re afraid of this thing?” You whisper back, carefully aiming your arrow at the beast’s chest. “I had your family’s Guardians helping me!” Endurance cries back. “It’s complete foolishness to fight such a beast when you don’t have to!” Your arrow quivers in its place. Even your Paper Guardian is afraid. Fear starts to creep into your heart… If you hesitate any longer, you might not be able to shoot at all! What should you do? [[Do it!|Blue Mountain Rockslide]] [[No way! Let’s get out of here!|Blue Mountain Retreat!]]

On second thought, even Endurance doesn’t think this is a good idea! You pull back your arrow and sheath it quickly. Maybe if you start running, you’ll make it away safely! In your nervous flight, rocks clatter loudly around your feet, and the beast immediately notices you. It roars for all the world to hear, and within moments, you can hear it charging after you like a black shadow of death! “RUN!” Endurance screams, and its shell glows with a powerful blue fire as it suddenly charges back into the lion. Blue light strikes shadowy darkness, and the beast roars with pain, its head snapping to the side from the force of the blow. You keep on running! Rocks and trees and bushes fly past you as you race down the hillside. As you frantically rush down the hill, something catches your foot, and you trip and tumble sharply, rolling painfully down the mountainside. Ouch! You desperately try to catch yourself, but nothing stops your descent – nothing, that is, until you hit a tree. BAM! You lay there for a minute, groaning, covered with cuts and scrapes, and know you probably broke something. After a moment, you shakily stand back up, only to see the lion descending just meters away from you. Shoot! You back up against the tree, realizing there’s no way you’ll outrun it now. As it draws close, you see a flash of blue in its mouth… The lion Vengeance gives a dark, ominous snarl, almost like a chuckle, then spits your Paper Guardian casually out of its mouth. “ENDURANCE!” Endurance’s paper body looks like shredded blue metal. “Come on…” it gasps, struggling to your side as it tries to reassemble itself. “We have to…get out of here…” The last thing you see is Vengeance’s enormous fangs, lunging at your face. Game Over Want to try again? [[Go back to the start|The Beast Attacks!]] [[Try out the Ocean instead|Blue Shore]] [[Try out the Forest instead|Blue Forest]] [[Back to the Mountain |Blue Mountain]]

Your arrow flies forward, almost without your volition. It speeds towards the great lion like a turquoise-colored meteor and strikes it – BAM! Right through the shoulder! The arrow explodes like a blue nuke, and the lion roars a furious howl of pain as its shadowy body is ripped apart by the blast. “YES!” You cheer, and rush for that dead elk. Then, you leap back as the shadowy form starts to knit itself back together… The lion Vengeance reappears and roars with enough rage to shake the entire mountain! “You idiot!” Endurance groans. Of course it wouldn’t be that easy. Arrow after arrow flies as you aim at the beast, and it roars with each sapphire blast, finally weaving around to sideswipe you like a gust of black wind. You tumble hard and start rolling down the side of the mountain, barely catching yourself before you roll off a cliff. The Lion of Vengeance snarls towards you, roaring its rage all the while. You struggle to your feet, cornered. The creature’s steps are slow and deliberate. Soon it stands on a cliff just above you. It raises its head and roars furiously, the longest, loudest roar yet. Your ears feel like they’ll burst! Through the ringing in your ears, you barely make out another sound…rocks? The lion turns to look up the cliff in surprise. A violent shower of rocks and boulders is now raining down. The lion looks at the rockslide, then turns to you. You catch something in its inky face…something like a malevolent smirk. Then, it vanishes around the side of the mountain like a gust of black wind. Too bad it couldn’t do something about those rocks. The next few minutes are utter chaos, but you briefly remembered a streak of blue light flying in front of you, spreading a glowing shield of blue light over your whole body. Everything roared and shook and cracked and screamed as the rockslides pounded down and around the shield. Several terrifying minutes pass…then all is quiet again. Is it over? Little Endurance collapses into your hands, gasping for breath. “You fool,” it groans. “You utter fool. Don’t you ever do that again.” Your poor Paper Guardian looks wiped. You really pushed your luck that time. And that beast will be sure to kill you if it sees you again. You’d better get out of here fast! [[Let’s try the ocean…|Blue Shore]] [[Let’s head east to the forest.|Blue Forest]]

You reach into your bag and pull out a sheet of magic paper. “Endurance,” you whisper. “Let’s check it out.” “You can’t be serious,” Endurance mutters to itself. “Dark spirits LOVE caves like this!” Within seconds, you’ve folded a paper torch, and strike a flint to light it. Paper magic is amazing. You raise your paper torch carefully; now you can see the cave is filled with sharp, rocky crags, going down and down into the belly of the earth. You find yourself making some very odd contortions as you squeeze around giant stalagmites and step down large ledges, like a set of stairs made for giants. Everything feels cold, creepy, and uneven. “I don’t like this,” Endurance whispers to you. “I don’t like this at all…” “Shh!” You keep on going. “Just a little further and then we can turn back-” A low rumbling sound echoes through the cave, and you stop dead in your tracks. Did the echo come from above or below? You couldn’t tell. You reel around sharply, torch raised; there’s nothing at the mouth of the cave. Oh, no. You turn back around slowly as the growl grows louder. This time, you can see something down below. Two pinpricks of light. Two bright, glowing red eyes… IT’S THAT BEAR! [[RUN!!!|Blue Cave Retreat!]] [[We can take it!|Blue Cave Showdown!]]

“RUN!!!” You turn and run for the mouth of the cave, screaming nearly every curse word you know! You scramble upward, frantically rushing for the mouth of the cave, when an inky darkness rushes over the cave entrance, blackening it. You’re trapped! You turn around. The beast is growling angrily now. It opens its mouth and roars at you, enraged that you’ve interrupted its slumber. “I knew this place felt wrong!” Endurance cries. “It’s Corruption!” Nothing to do now but fight your way out! “ENDURANCE!” Endurance trembles with fear as it tries to summon a glowing aura. Sparks of blue light flash around it, flickering, not consistent. Then, the bear roars furiously and smacks Endurance aside with its paw. Endurance screams and flies through the air, striking into your shoulder with surprising force. With sudden anger, it reels around and snaps, “You FOOL!” “What?!” You demand indignantly. “What did I do?” “I tried to warn you!” Endurance snaps back. “We don’t stand a chance against this spirit!” Without warning, the bear raises its head and stands on its back legs, towering over you like a giant of nightmares. “YOU SHOULD NOT HAVE COME HERE, CHILD,” it laughs in a cold, gravelly voice. “IF ONLY YOU’D JUST WALKED AWAY…” Now even Endurance is afraid, trembling back against your shoulder. “I’ll protect you,” the little Paper Guardian groans. “I’ll protect you as long as I can…you idiot…” The beast lunges suddenly at you, and as you’re engulfed by furious waves of darkness, you drop your torch… Game Over Want to try again? [[Go back to the start|The Beast Attacks!]] [[Try out the Ocean instead|Blue Shore]] [[Try out the Forest instead|Blue Forest]] [[Back to the Mountain |Blue Mountain]]

“It’s that bear!” “I knew it!” Endurance groans. “I knew I sensed a vile spirit! It’s Corruption!” This is your chance, you realize. This is your chance to prove yourself to the whole village! If you slay this beast, you’ll be a hero forever! “We can take it!” You shout. “Time to avenge our village! ENDURANCE!” Your Paper Guardian’s body blazes with a sapphire blaze, cutting the darkness sharply. Endurance’s anxiety suddenly disappears. “I can feel your resolve,” it gasps. “It’s giving me strength!” With that, it suddenly fires a bright blue light from its shell, turning into drops that speed at the bear like millions of hydroblades. It roars and retreats a few paces, then snarls and roars so loud that the entire cave becomes pitch-black once again. Everything is dark, and all you can see is a little blue light, firing like a shooting-star at the shadow-bear! Endurance lashes at the bear over and over with its glowing fins, ripping through the outer wisps of its shadowy body, and then charges towards the ground, shedding thick layers of fog to conceal itself. Without warning, the bear brings an enormous paw down through the fog, crushing your Paper Guardian under its massive claws. Endurance screams! “NO!” As the bear lifts its paw, Endurance stumbles weakly around, its paper body badly squished as it tries to reform itself. Then, the bear turns its cold, fierce eyes towards you. An inky darkness begins to flow from its mouth like flames as it opens its jaws and speaks in a cruel, gravelly voice… “YOUR VILLAGE WILL PAY FOR THIS INTRUSION.” The beast lunges suddenly at you, and as you’re engulfed by furious waves of darkness, you drop your torch… Game Over Want to try again? [[Go back to the start|The Beast Attacks!]] [[Try out the Ocean instead|Blue Shore]] [[Try out the Forest instead|Blue Forest]] [[Back to the Mountain |Blue Mountain]]

“We’re saved!” Villagers are cheering now. A bunch of people come rushing up the hill, some shouting with relief, others laughing. “That’s our Paper-Hackers!” Someone cheers, pointing at your family. “You did it!” Luke cheers, giving you a big hug. “I knew you’d get it today! That was wicked!” “That was so cool!” Sophie exclaims. “You’ve got your Paper Guardian now!” Confidence prances back over to you, skipping lightly through the air. Even though its face is made of paper, it still somehow looks like it’s smiling. Mom and dad walk over to you and smile. “Confidence, huh?” dad whispers. “That’s a strong spirit.” “I can’t wait till I get mine!” Sophie adds cheerfully. “It suits you,” Luke grins. “Of course it does,” mom laughs. “Paper Guardians come from your heart. They embody your strengths.” Staring at the little paper deer, you can’t help but smile. As it shifts, its joints flexing carefully yet confidently, you feel a sense of pride in it. Your powers have awakened, and now you’ve met your partner spirit! It’s easy to stare at, with its green paper shining like an emerald in the sun. After a while, though, dad nudges you. “Now that you’ve gotten your powers,” he laughs, “You feel like using them to help me fix the house?” [[Oh no, the house!|Green Busted House]]

The house! That’s right, you grimace, and turn towards the house. There’s a giant hole in it now. Torn strips of colored paper flap loosely in the wind. “Don’t worry,” mom shrugs. “It’s just as easy to fix.” She quickly goes to work with her little paper dove, Freedom, and the torn fibers quickly begin to knit themselves back together. “Agh, that bear made a real mess…” Dad looks around at the other villagers’ houses below the hill. Many have been reduced to nothing but sticks and shredded paper. “I’m going to have to stay and help fix this mess. Can you go foraging for me today?” He gives you a concerned look. “It’s been a while since any of us had a decent meal here.” Like you needed to be reminded of that, with your empty stomach. With those monsters out and about, it’s been hard to get food lately. “Oh, and…” Dad gives you a serious look. “Watch out for monsters. You never know when that bear might come back.” “Don’t worry,” Confidence whispers by your ear. “We’ll find something for sure! So, where should we look first?” [[Head for the shoreline|Green Shore]] [[Check out the nearby forest|Green Forest]] [[Start scaling the mountainside|Green Mountain]]

Not too far from the village is a warm, peaceful ocean, with a soft, white, sandy shoreline. It’s a great place for parties, even if it does get bad storms sometimes. You have fond memories of playing here with your friends while growing up. And now you have a new friend, right on your shoulder. “So!” Confidence prances alongside your ear playfully. “You’re my new partner, huh? It’s been forever since I got to be someone’s Guardian. I can’t remember the last time I had a magic paper body.” Only then do you realize you don’t know much about what Confidence really is. “You’ve been with other people before?” “Only a few. Most aren’t confident enough for me, heh. You must be special. I bet you’re gonna help the whole village get out of this funk it’s in. Hey! I’ve got an idea!” You look at Confidence. “What if we found treasure?” It asks. “What do you think? There’s those traders who come to town. If we found a treasure together, we could get enough money to feed the whole village!” It’s a crazy thought. But who knows? Maybe there would be some treasure around here… But, you’re here to find food. So, better start looking! Where should you start? [[Search along the shore|Green Shore Food]] [[Fish in the ocean|Green Ocean]] [[Actually, why don’t we try the forest?|Green Forest]] [[I take it back. Let’s try the mountains!|Green Mountain]]

Tall pine trees rustle around in the cool breeze, drifting down the side of the nearby mountain. The breeze blows west towards the ocean, and everything here is cool. There’s a light mist on the ground as you walk around, leaving dewdrops in your wake, and foggy wisps with every step. Everything is quiet… You look around nervously. The forest is like a maze, and it can be very easy to get lost. Still, there are plenty of places to get food here…which also tends to attract monsters… “Relax!” Confidence whispers playfully next to your ear. “You’ve got me now, remember? I’m a Paper Guardian! I won’t let you down. And,” it adds with a playful prance, “I never get lost.” Of course, you smile. You’ve got your new friend with you! What’s there to worry about? “Keep your eyes peeled,” Confidence adds playfully. “We might find something good to eat… Or even a buried treasure! Can you imagine? How awesome would that be?” It is an exciting thought. But you’re here to find food, and your stomach isn’t about to be ignored. So! What should you look for first? [[Let’s find some berries!|Green Forest 2]] [[Let’s go hunting!|Green Valley]]

Jagged cliffs run a powerful set of shadows across the mountainside. You’re panting for breath as you step carefully along the steep crags; the air is thinner here. You and Confidence both look carefully at every angle as you walk. Monsters like the bear that attacked your village can be found here. It’s best to be super-careful. Confidence strides alongside you much more tensely than before. It’s not prancing or skipping around now; instead, it steps carefully through the air, just as you have to step carefully to avoid tripping on rocks. Still, as you turn around to gaze at the land below, the view is breathtaking. The local forest stretches for miles like an emerald mosaic, and the ocean glitters to the far east, shining a crystal-blue in the sunlight. “Beautiful,” Confidence seems to smile. “We’d best not stay too long, though. I know how dangerous this place is at night.” “Wait.” You stop walking. “How do you know that?” “Before I joined you,” Confidence replies soberly, “I was a spirit that roamed this island. I’m the Spirit of Confidence. There’s lots of others like me, though. I can sense them around the mountain…” It turns to look at the dark shadow on the western side of the mountain. “Good ones and bad ones…” You fall silent for a long time, looking to the east. After a moment, you look back at Confidence. Its metallic paper body is shining like a faceted jewel in the sun. Those horns in particular seem to gleam like daggers at the points. Even though it’s so tiny, it’s still so powerful-looking… “Why did you choose me?” Confidence looks at you slowly. “Because you match me.” That’s all it says. You want to ask more, but Confidence laughs and prances up the mountainside suddenly. “Enough of the seriousness, mate! We’re supposed to be having fun together! Besides,” it adds playfully, showing off its paper hooves, “I might as well have said it’s because I like green.” Point taken. Well, it’s time to start hunting. You draw several sheets of magic paper from your bag and, with a magic spell, transform them into a paper bow, arrows, and a dagger that cuts as if it were made of metal. One can’t be too careful up here; shadowy monsters could be absolutely anywhere. With that in mind…which way first? [[Let’s try the eastern side first.|Green Mountain East]] [[I’m feeling brave. Let’s try the west side!|Green Mountain West]] [[I changed my mind. Let’s try the beach!|Green Ocean]] [[On second thought, why don’t we try the forest?|Green Forest]]

You decide to search the shoreline for crabs. There should be plenty in the rocky areas. Just keep an eye out for anything dangerous. “I’ll stand guard,” Confidence says boldly. As you creep around a particularly large boulder, you catch movement out of the corner of your eye. There, behind the boulder, are dozens and dozens of crabs! But how should you go about catching them? Duh, paper magic! You take a piece of magic paper out from your backpack. You whisper a spell and say, “Confidence!” Confidence’s body glows a bright green, and your magic paper starts to stretch and pull into a gigantic paper net. You run around the corner and scoop up the crabs! “Alright!” Confidence cheers, prancing around through the air. “We’ve got a good haul! You think we should take it back yet?” Just then, you glance over the horizon and notice something you never saw before. Far off in the distance, you can just barely make out something…it looks like an island! You’ve never been there before…but then again, maybe you should go back. Weather can be unpredictable on the ocean. But then again, maybe there’s treasure on that island! What should you do? [[Yes! Check out the Island!|Green Ocean]] [[Nah, go back to the village|Green Big Haul!]]

Time to use your new paper magic! You reach into your backpack and pull out a piece of magic paper. “Confidence!” In a few moments, you have a giant paper boat, and lay it on the water. It’s magic paper, so it doesn’t get wet. You sit down in it. Perfect! Now that you’re in the water, seems like it’d be a good time to go fishing. Another sheet of magic paper soon turns into a paper net, and you let it down into the water, waiting for the fish to come. “Hey!” Confidence gasps suddenly, galloping to the edge of the boat. “Did you see that island over there?” You did see it, but you were thinking more about getting something for your empty stomach. You’ve never been to that island before…but that’s because you know storms can get pretty scary out on the ocean. Still, Confidence’s words echo in your mind from earlier: “We could find treasure and feed the whole village!” Your net suddenly sags, and you have to grab it to keep it from going over the edge. Pulling hard, up comes a paper net stretched near to bursting with fish! You’ve got a good haul. Smoked salmon for dinner tonight! But then again, that island…it’s practically calling your name now… [[Yes! Check out the Island!|Green Island]] [[Nah, go back to the village|Green Big Haul!]] [[Why not try the Forest next?|Green Forest]] [[How about the Mountain?|Green Mountain]]

“We got what we needed. Let’s head back!” You make it back to the village, dragging a full bag and a full net behind you. The sun is going down, and all the paper-houses are bathed in golden light. You can’t help but smile. Mom and dad have been hard at work. The village looks as good as new, like the bear-monster was never there. That’s a good thing about paper houses; they’re just as easy to make as they are to fix. “Surprise!” Luke jumps down from a nearby roof and pounces you, nearly knocking you over. “Heh, great job!” He laughs, picking up your net. “Man, look at this haul! There’s enough for the whole village!” “You really did it!” Sophie cheers, and runs out to hug you around your waist. “I knew you could! You got your powers and got food for everyone!” A bunch of the villagers are coming out now. They all start clamoring around you, excited. It’s been such a long time since anyone had a proper meal. Some of them are cheering. Here comes mom and dad in the crowd! “Excellent job!” Mom smiles, and she and dad both reach for your nets. “You’ve figured out your powers so quickly! You carry the family name well.” “You brought back a great haul here,” dad nods approvingly, then turns to the villagers. “There’s more than enough here for everyone,” he announces with a proud smile. “Tonight, we feast!” As the people cheer around you, little Confidence eyes you from your shoulder. “Not a bad first day, partner,” it grins. “You’ve got a lot of spunk, kid! I knew you’d be a great choice for my partner.” A smile teases at the corners of your mouth. You got your powers and helped your whole village, all in the same day! And now that you’ve got your Paper Guardian at last, things are gonna get a lot more interesting now. What will tomorrow bring? You can’t help but wonder about all the infinite possibilities as you follow your happy family off into the sunset. The End Excellent job! You’ve discovered one of this game’s many endings. But there’s many more you can still find! Maybe you could try one of the other areas with Confidence. Or perhaps you’d like to start from the beginning? [[Check out the forest with Confidence!|Green Forest]] [[Let's see the ocean again!|Green Shore]] [[See the mountains with Confidence!|Green Mountain]] [[Start over from the beginning!|The Beast Attacks!]]

You just can’t resist your own curiosity. Especially not with Confidence pleading to go and look in the background. “Treasure! Treasure!” It chants cheerfully over and over, prancing around in the bottom of the boat. The waves are choppy and rough as you pull up onto the gravelly beach. Pine trees are rattling in a growing wind. You look around, excited and also nervous. It’s your first time coming here. You want to explore more. But then you look north. There seem to be some clouds gathering on the horizon. Maybe you should head back before anything hits. “Look!” Confidence exclaims suddenly, pointing to a bunch of rocks nearby. “I see something shining over there!” You see it too. Something glinting in the rocks. It looks like a gem. Or maybe a big pearl. Whatever it is, it sure is shiny. “That’s gotta be a treasure!” Confidence cheers, prancing towards the rock. It looks back toward you and says, “Come on! We can get it! At least take a look at it!” Hesitantly you step over. The wind is getting colder now. But you can see into the rocks now. There’s a large crack in one of the rocks, and you can see down inside it. There’s definitely something down there. You stick your hand carefully inside. But the groove’s too narrow. You can’t reach it. “I can break it out,” Confidence suggests, its horns glowing bright green. “Just give me a few minutes!” [[Go for it!|Green Storm]] [[No, we should turn back! |Green Storm 2]]

Better make this quick. “Go for it, Confidence!” Confidence gives a little cheer and starts ramming the rocks from all directions, prancing around and striking it over and over. Cracks start to appear. The groove starts to spread with each perfectly-aimed blow. You look northward. Those clouds are getting close. “Hurry!” “I’ve almost got it!” Confidence grunts, then strikes the massive rock three more times. With a ferocious roar, it gives an ear-splitting crack, tumbling down. You jump out of the way just in time to avoid getting crushed by a boulder. The wind howls around you, and you feel the first few drops hit your face. You stand up quickly. Where’s the treasure? After a moment, Confidence comes galloping towards you, carrying a cluster of beautiful silvery pearls in its horns. “This is awesome!” It cheers, bringing the pearls to you. “Now the village will be rich! We can get everything we need from the traders!” “That’s great, Confidence, let’s go!” You run for your boat. The shore’s not that far off; if you’re lucky, you can beat the storm back! Carrying the pearls in your bag, you set off with Confidence prancing at your shoulder. Halfway across…the waves are so choppy that you can feel the boat rise and fall like a rollercoaster. The skies are dark. More than a few drops are hitting you now. “We can make it!” Confidence insists. “We’re almost there!” An ear-splitting crack rips the sky with a bolt of lightning. You nearly fall out of the boat in shock; that was close! Raindrops pelt you now, and soon there are small puddles in the bottom of your boat. Good thing it’s made of magic paper! The waves rock you even harder, and then, a sudden gust throws an extra-large wave at you. Your boat capsizes, and you’re tossed into the ocean! The next few minutes are a blur. You can’t tell up from down. Everything is swirling. It feels like you’re caught in a riptide. Something is pulling you down. You see small flashes of green from time to time, but mostly, everything is dark…A little flash of color in the darkness of the water, but you barely notice…just a little flash of green in an inky blue abyss… Game Over Want to try again? [[Go back to the start|The Beast Attacks!]] [[Back to the Shore|Green Shore]] [[Try out the Forest instead|Green Forest]] [[Try out the Mountain instead|Green Mountain]]

That storm’s drawing close! “I think we should leave, Confidence!” “Aww, come on!” Confidence groans back. “It’s right there! I can get it!” An ear-splitting crack rips the sky with a bolt of lightning. Confidence gasps and turns around sharply. The wind suddenly intensifies, rattling the pine trees and nearly blowing your Paper Guardian right into your face. Confidence tumbles for a second, then catches itself in mid-twirl and shakes off the shock awkwardly. It looks at you a little sheepishly. “I may be confident, but I’m not stupid,” it mutters. “To the boat!” Within moments, the two of you are back on the water. The first few drops hit your face, but the fierce wind drives you across the waters extra-fast. You can still make it! The waves are choppy, rocking your boat like a dizzying rollercoaster. Halfway across…two-thirds…almost there-! Raindrops pelt you now, and soon there are small puddles in the bottom of your boat. Good thing it’s made of magic paper! The waves rock you even harder, and then, a sudden gust throws an extra-large wave at you. Your boat capsizes, and you’re tossed into the ocean! The next few minutes are a blur. You can’t tell up from down. Everything is swirling. It feels like you’re caught in a riptide. Something is pulling you down. You see small flashes of green from time to time, but mostly, everything is dark… Splash! Your feet touch the sand below, and you kick to the surface, spluttering up on the shore. You made it! Little Confidence flies to your side, shaking off saltwater, and you look towards the ocean, gasping for breath. Your boat has vanished beneath the waves. You still have your bag on your shoulders, but as you dump out the water from it, it suddenly hits you that all your food was in that boat. Dang it! “That was too close,” Confidence groans, nuzzling its little paper muzzle against your face. “And now we lost our big haul, too!” “Better than drowning,” you sigh. It was dangerous to push your luck like that. But at least you lived to fight another day. With the storm on the ocean, though, maybe it’d be better to look for food somewhere else. [[The local forest should be sheltered from the storm.|Green Forest]] [[The mountains would dry you off pretty quick.|Green Mountain]]

There’s plenty of berry bushes deeper in the forest, but it’s a matter of getting to them safely. You wander along for a while with Confidence by your shoulder. It suddenly strikes you that you don’t know very much about it, or what it is. “So, what exactly are you, anyway?” Confidence looks at you, prancing through the air next to your ear. “You mean what I am? Well, I’m the Spirit of Confidence!” “You’re a spirit?” “Normally, yeah. I hover all around the place, helping people make their hearts stronger.” It prances next to you, its green body shining in the light that filters through the trees. “And you drew me to you because you’re similar to me.” It’s a shocking thought. Your mind wanders as you walk on, wondering over what your little Paper Guardian really is – and you walk into a bush. Whoops! You almost topple over, and your face plants into a bunch of leaves. You look up- oh! There’s the berries! Pluck, pluck, pluck, pluck…you nod proudly as your bag is stuffed full of blackberries. It may not be a feast, but it’s certainly a good start. There are some more bushes further into the forest, but you can’t remember which way. Maybe if you’re lucky, you’ll find some wild game…but which way was it? [[Let’s try going left!|Green Monster!]] [[Let’s try going right!|Green Valley]]

The further you travel into the forest, you finally reach a valley at the base of the local mountain. Here the trees are thinner, and there’s more of a clearing. The mountain stands regal and rocky to the east. It’s time to hunt. You draw a piece of magic paper from your bag and hold it up. “Confidence!” Confidence glows a bright green, and the paper begins to fold and stretch itself into a very impressive paper bow, with a strand of green light for the string. You draw several more sheets of paper, and these quickly light up a bright emerald-green, forming arrows. “Awesome!” Confidence nods approvingly, prancing playfully through the air. “Who needs weapons when you got paper magic! You sure mastered your powers fast.” Crack! You heard something move in the clearing, and you quickly shift behind a tree. There’s a large buck, several meters away, looking around quietly, its ears flicking to and fro as it listens for danger. “Aww, why’d it have to be a deer?” Confidence groans. You draw your bow and aim very carefully. The paper is surprisingly taut and firm; it feels more like wood than paper. But wait…would a paper arrow be strong enough to kill? “Don’t doubt your powers,” Confidence whispers next to you. “It’s your belief in yourself that makes the magic work.” Right. Of course. You take a deep breath…make sure your arrow is aimed just right… Twang! The glowing string snaps like a real string as the arrow soars toward the stag. A perfect strike! The stag immediately falls, and you run to it. It’s lying on its side in the grass, the paper arrow sticking out of its side. It doesn’t move. You can tell it’s already dead. “Not bad.” You nod approvingly. “I bet it didn’t even feel it.” “Man, you’re quite the dead-eye,” Confidence agrees quietly, and you draw a paper net around the stag to better bundle it for the long journey back. Then, Confidence looks over to the mountainside nearby. “Hey, look at that!” You turn and look. There’s a cliff side that’s not far from where you are, and Confidence has its eye set right on it. “I see something up there! Something sparkly!” You squint. There is something glittery up there, now that you look at it…you look at the deer. This should be enough meat for the village, at least for the day. But Confidence’s voice echoes in your mind from earlier: “Maybe we’ll find treasure!” Your curiosity is piqued. But the villagers need food…what should you do? [[Maybe just a peek…|Green Cliff]] [[Nah, let’s go back.|Green Big Haul!]]

You’re pretty sure there were more berry bushes this way… “Oh, look! There they are!” Confidence cheers, and glides over to a bush covered in blackberries. These are surrounded by thick thorns, though. How to get around them? Time for some paper-magic! You reach into your backpack and whip out a sheet of magic paper. “Confidence!” Little Confidence glows a bright green, and the paper quickly folds itself into a knife. You quickly cut your way through the thorny vines around the berries. Score! The thorns kept away other animals, so these bushes have way more berries than before. Then your stomach growls. Right, you still need to eat something! Surely there’ll be enough if you take some now. Pluck, pluck, pluck, pluck…Crack! What was that noise? You look to your left…shoot! There, in the clearing, wanders a shadowy wolf, like the bear from before. It’s sniffing around, prowling – did it see you? You crouch down nervously. How’d you not see it sooner? “Confidence!” You hiss angrily. “You were supposed to be keeping watch!” Confidence plucks a large blackberry from his paper beak. “Huh? What now?” He looks up at the shadowy wolf. “Yikes!” He flies behind your shoulder, his shiny paper head darting around frantically. “Where are the others? Those things rarely travel alone!” What the heck? You saw Confidence beat down that giant bear earlier. Wouldn’t he be able to handle a wolf too? Then again, if there are more than one… You pluck a few more berries quietly, trying to decide what to do. The wolf is even closer now. Wisps of inky darkness drift off its body… It’s sniffing as it goes. Sniff-sniff. Sniff… Its ears lay flat as it looks in your direction. A low growl rumbles from its throat… Shoot! [[RUN!!!| Green Retreat!]] [[We’re tough! Let’s fight!|Green Monster 2]]

There’s no way it doesn’t know you’re here! “Confidence!” The beast raises its head and howls loudly, and within moments, the once-bright clearing is smothered in smoke-like darkness. Everything is dark, and soon, there are more howls reverberating around you. Shadows are everywhere! “Confidence!” You shout. “I need you, buddy!” Confidence soars in front of you, like a green star streaking past your shoulder, and with a determined cry, it illuminates the darkness with a blinding emerald flash. You have to cover your eyes; it’s almost like a thousand emeralds are channeling the light around everywhere! The wolves howl furiously, and you can finally see one of them. Two of them. Three of them! “We can take them!” Confidence snaps, stomping his hooves through the air. “Come on!” Bad idea!!! “No! Let’s get out of here!” You start running, and soon Confidence is racing alongside you. Gasp, pant! Gasp, pant! The wolves are howling behind you. You can hear them crashing through the bushes, turning into ghostly wisps to weave through the foliage like snakes. You’re pulling aside branches and scraping yourself on thorns as you run. Then, suddenly, SNAG! Something catches hold of your clothing, and you stop fast, yanking frantically at some very long thorns! The wolves howl with wild glee. You can hear them racing towards you, materializing from the shadows. The thorns are stuck fast in your clothing. You try to unhook yourself, but it feels like you’re only getting snagged even more. Everything grows darker as the beasts approach… “BACK OFF!” Confidence lunges between you and the beasts, and with a furious cry, it stomps the ground with its paper hooves, and a tremendous wave of enormous vines springs from the earth, tearing up the ground and ensnaring all three wolves! They howl and writhe angrily, and you tear yourself free from the thorns, ripping open your bag and tearing up your jacket. You run for your life! Confidence follows you, throwing up one extra rock wall behind you just to be sure. Gasp, pant. Gasp, pant. “Are we safe?” You look around. You can’t hear the wolves anywhere, or see them. “We’re safe,” Confidence pants alongside you. “Wait, how are you out of breath?” You give it an odd look. “You’re made of paper!” “Yeah, but I used a lot of magic,” Confidence keeps panting. “Oh, no! Your bag!” You lift up your bag to find a giant hole in it. There’s only a small handful of berries left now; all the rest must’ve fallen out while you were running. Good thing you still have your magic paper, at least. Now you can try again somewhere else…you still need food, after all. Where to next? [[Forget this! Let’s try the ocean.|Green Shore]] [[This sucks! Let’s try the mountain instead.|Green Mountain]]

There’s no way it doesn’t know you’re here! “Confidence!” The beast raises its head and howls loudly, and within moments, the once-bright clearing is smothered in smoke-like darkness. Everything is dark, and soon, there are more howls reverberating around you. Shadows are everywhere! “Confidence!” You shout. “I need you, buddy!” Confidence soars in front of you, like a green star streaking past your shoulder, and with a determined cry, it illuminates the darkness with a blinding emerald flash. You have to cover your eyes; it’s almost like a thousand emeralds are channeling the light around everywhere! The wolves howl furiously, and you can finally see one of them. Two of them. Three of them! “We can take them!” Confidence snaps, stomping its hooves through the air. “Come on!” What choice do you have?! “Alright, Confidence! Get them good!” The wolves howl and lunge at you, but Confidence leaps in front of them and stomps the ground, firing up an earthy barrier around you, protecting you in a powerful ring of stones. “Stay safe!” It shouts. Your Paper Guardian is like a hummingbird in the air! Confidence streaks back and forth, directly fighting two of the three wolves. You see its horns light up and become like glittering stone, and it rams one angry wolf’s face so hard that its open jaws snap shut. The creature whimpers, then howls furiously back, firing pitch-black darkness at Confidence that sends its tumbling – but it catches itself! It then gives off a powerful light, lashing its paper hooves at the air, and enormous vines lunge from the earth to ensnare the two wolves, who writhe and howl furiously. “Excellent!” You can’t help but shout. At this rate, Confidence will take care of those beasts for sure! Then, you hear something behind you. Something like a low growl. A wave of icy cold breath hisses past your ear. You turn around. An inky darkness pools over the side of the rock wall like black snakes, knitting back together to form one very large, angry wolf. That’s right, you realize, your back pressed tight against the wall. There were THREE wolves… Game Over Want to try again? [[Go back to the start|The Beast Attacks!]] [[Try out the Shore|Green Shore]] [[Back to the Forest|Green Forest]] [[Try out the Mountain instead|Green Mountain]]

“That’s an impressive cliff.” You look up at the cliff overhead. It’s quite the sight, for sure. A giant, rocky crag, hanging who-knows-how-far above you. “How do we get up there?” Despite its paper face, Confidence seems to grin. It prances over to the base of the cliff, its body glowing a bright green, and stomps its hooves on the ground. Bright, thick green vines erupt from the ground at the base of it, twining all the way up the rock surface to the top. Little Confidence then prances playfully next to you, skipping along the vines as if running up them to the top. Leaves stick out at you and tickle you as you climb. You try not to laugh and push them aside as you go, higher and higher and higher. By the time you get to the top, you’re panting heavily from how hard it was. Looking over the side, you almost feel dizzy. How high up IS this thing, anyway? “Looklooklook! There it is! There it is!” Confidence is skipping around in the air joyfully around a cluster of rocks. Jammed between the rocks are several large veins of gold, running through the solid stone, exposed by wear and time. They’re grouped together in clumps, so if you could just break them out…but, you look up nervously. This side of the mountain is prone to earthquakes. The stone can be very unstable here…should you risk it? [[No way! Let’s head back!|]] [[Let’s break it out!|Green Cliff 2]]

“Let’s break it out!” “I’m way ahead of ya,” Confidence chants joyfully. Its horns glow a bright, vivid green, the light gathering around the folded points like glittering green crystals. He then starts ramming into the side of the stone, eagerly chanting, “Treasure! Treasure!” “Not so hard!” You gasp. “What if you start a rockslide?!” Too late. The stone gives a sudden, earsplitting crack, and you watch as the fissure starts to spread like an angry glacier giving way. It channels far overhead, and you feel the cliff side shaking as dozens of rocks and boulders tumble down the mountainside. The gold breaks loose, and you reach for it to grab it, slinging it into your bag as fast as you can. “Confidence!” Confidence looks up suddenly, gasps, then springs right over your head, glowing a furious emerald green. It gives a determined cry and kicks the side of the cliff like a bucking bronco, and suddenly, a rocky ledge shoots out over your head, creating a wall above you both. Then, Confidence rushes to either side, kicking the ground so that strong rock walls fire up around you, forming a shield on all sides to support the rocky roof. You pull into the farthest corner of the tiny cavern, hugging your bag to your chest as the rocks roar down around you. The sound is deafening. Everything feels shaky, and you wonder if that roof overhead won’t cave on top of you too. But as you look up, you can see the rocks bouncing and skidding along past you. After several minutes or hours, who knows, the tumult finally stops, and all is quiet again. You peek out of the cavern nervously. There are no more rocks coming down the hill. The rest rolled harmlessly down below…except you can’t see that deer you killed now. It must’ve been buried under the rubble. “Aww, too bad,” Confidence sighs. Then, perking its head up, it glides inside your bag and nudges the fist-sized gold clump with its muzzle. “At least we got this! Now we can just buy the food from the traders!” [[We made it… Let’s head back.|Green Treasure!]]

You make it back to the village. It’s been an incredible journey, and your bag is full of the treasures you found. Even though you don’t have much food, this will surely give the villagers the hope they need. The sun is going down, and all the paper-houses are bathed in golden light. You can’t help but smile. Mom and dad have been hard at work. The village looks as good as new, like the bear-monster was never there. That’s a good thing about paper houses; they’re just as easy to make as they are to fix. “Surprise!” Luke jumps down from a nearby roof and pounces you, nearly knocking you over. “Hey,” he asks incredulously, looking around you. “Where’s the grub? Did you stuff your catch in your bag or something?” You give him a sly smirk. “I found something even better.” You reach into your bag and pull out the glittering clumps of gold you found before. Luke’s eyes get very big. “WOW!” “What is it, bro?” Sophie asks, and runs out to see you. As soon as she sees the gold in your hands, she gasps, “Oh, wow! You found TREASURE?!” A bunch of the villagers are coming out now. They all start clamoring around you, curious to what you found. “Those greedy traders will be sure to feed us now!” They exclaim joyfully. Here comes mom and dad in the crowd! “Incredible!” Mom smiles, and she and dad both admire the gold you found. “You’ve figured out your powers so quickly! You carry the family name well.” “That’s some of the purest gold I’ve ever seen,” dad nods approvingly, then turns to the villagers. “Tonight, the traders are feeding us,” he announces with a proud smile. “There should be more than enough here for everything else too. Let us know what you need, and we’ll work together!” As the people cheer around you, little Confidence eyes you from your shoulder. “Not a bad first day, partner,” it grins. “You’ve got a lot of spunk, kid! I knew you’d be a great choice for my partner.” A smile teases at the corners of your mouth. You got your powers and helped your whole village, all in the same day! And now that you’ve got your Paper Guardian at last, things are gonna get a lot more interesting now. What will tomorrow bring? You can’t help but wonder about all the infinite possibilities as you follow your happy family off into the sunset. The End Excellent job! You’ve discovered one of this game’s many endings. But there’s many more you can still find! Maybe you could try one of the other areas with Confidence. Or perhaps you’d like to start from the beginning? [[Check out the forest with Confidence!|Green Forest]] [[Let's see the ocean again!|Green Shore]] [[See the mountains with Confidence!|Green Mountain]] [[Start over from the beginning!|The Beast Attacks!]]

The air is thin and cool as you stick to the sunny side of the mountain first. Maybe if you’re lucky, those shadowy creatures won’t venture too far into the lit areas… But, then again, the bear did attack your village in broad daylight… You stop fast as a large elk comes into view, just around the side of a craggy chasm. The creature is huge; it’d be a pain to carry back, but there’s enough meat on there for a village… A glint of hope flashes in your eye as your stomach growls loudly. You draw your bow with the silence of a trained hunter; the paper arrow slides like a real wood arrow across your bow, but it hardly makes a sound at all. Hello, dinner! Suddenly, the elk’s head snaps up, and it gallops around the corner, disappearing from sight. Dang it! Did it smell you? You’re just about to leap around the corner and follow it when you hear a very loud roar… “Oh, no!” Confidence’s head snaps up suddenly. “Is that Vengeance? I think that’s Vengeance!” You don’t know what Vengeance is, but it sure sounds like one scary beast! Sure enough, an inky shadow lashes around the mountainside and ripples into form, until you’re staring at an enormous shadowy lion, pitch-black as the night against an otherwise blue sky. The elk’s neck is closed tight in its massive jaws. The great mountain-lion then drops its kill and roars loudly, sending powerful tremors through the entire mountain. Confidence suddenly leaps behind your shoulder, squeaking, “That’s DEFINITELY Vengeance!” It’s a terrifying creature. But dang it if you didn’t see that elk first! You have a Paper Guardian now… You have a sudden flashback to when Confidence fought against that giant bear in the village. Maybe you’d both stand a chance against it! [[Yeah, what are we waiting for?!|Green Mountain Attack!]] [[No way! Let’s get out of here!|Green Mountain Retreat!]]

Every tiny sound catches your ear sharply as you creep to the dark side of the mountain. There’s more likely to be monsters on this side, but also more game… You keep an arrow in one hand, bow in the other. Everything feels so much more eerie on this side… “I don’t like this place,” Confidence groans quietly. “I can feel bad spirits around here. I hope we don’t meet any strong ones…” “Be tough, Confidence,” you mutter under your breath, though you’re just as alert. “You’re all about toughness, remember?” The sound of hooves striking stone catches your ear, and you look up in shock as an enormous spirit goes leaping by, shaped like a giant ram, white light trailing off its body as if it were made of sunlight itself. “Hey, that’s Faith!” Confidence gasps, suddenly excited. “Hey, Faith! It’s me, Confidence!” The great ram doesn’t hear Confidence and continues skipping by, vanishing to another side of the mountain. “Aww,” Confidence groans. “She didn’t hear me…” You look around in frustration, still watching for prey of any kind; there doesn’t seem to be anything here. You lower your bow. What now? “Hey, check it out,” Confidence says, and skips over to a gap in the craggy cliffside. “It’s a cave!” You creep over to glance into the cave entrance. It’s pitch-black, and you can barely see what’s down there. The whole thing makes your skin crawl. “I’ll be honest, I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” Confidence mutters. “But hey, maybe we’ll find buried treasure. That’d be awesome!” …If you’re up for going down that tunnel, that is… [[No way, man! Let’s go back to the east side!|Green Mountain East]] [[I don’t like this…why don’t we try the forest?|Green Forest]] [[This is way too creepy. Let’s try the ocean instead.|Green Ocean]] [[I'm feeling brave. Let's go.|Green Cave]]

“Confidence!” You hiss under your breath, and the little green deer creeps, trembling, onto your shoulder. You draw your bow and arrow yet again, casting a spell on the arrowtip so it glows a furious green. “That elk is ours!” “Whoa, don’t!” Confidence gasps. “This is Vengeance we’re talking about! If he sees you-!” “What, you took on that giant bear at the village, and you’re afraid of this thing?” You whisper back, carefully aiming your arrow at the beast’s chest. “I had your family’s Guardians helping me!” Confidence stammers back. “It’s not safe to fight such a powerful beast alone!” Your arrow quivers in its place. Even your Paper Guardian is afraid. Fear starts to creep into your heart… If you hesitate any longer, you might not be able to shoot at all! What should you do? [[Do it!|Green Mountain Rockslide]] [[No way! Let’s get out of here!|Green Mountain Retreat!]]

On second thought, even Confidence doesn’t seem so confident right now! You pull back your arrow and sheath it quickly. Maybe if you start running, you’ll make it away safely! In your nervous flight, rocks clatter loudly around your feet, and the beast immediately notices you. It roars for all the world to hear, and within moments, you can hear it charging after you like a black shadow of death! “RUN!” Confidence screams, and its horns glow with a powerful green fire as it suddenly charges back into the lion. Green paper horns strike shadowy darkness, and the beast roars with pain, its head snapping to the side from the force of the blow. You keep on running! Rocks and trees and bushes fly past you as you race down the hillside. As you frantically rush down the hill, something catches your foot, and you trip and tumble sharply, rolling painfully down the mountainside. Ouch! You desperately try to catch yourself, but nothing stops your descent – nothing, that is, until you hit a tree. BAM! You lay there for a minute, groaning, covered with cuts and scrapes and certain that something must be broken. After a moment, you shakily stand back up, only to see the lion descending just meters away from you. Shoot! You back up against the tree, realizing there’s no way you’ll outrun it now. As it draws close, you see a flash of green in its mouth… The lion Vengeance gives a dark, ominous snarl, almost like a chuckle, then spits your Paper Guardian casually out of its mouth. “CONFIDENCE!” Confidence’s paper body looks like shredded green metal. “Come on…” it gasps, struggling to your side as it tries to reassemble itself. “We have to…get out of here…” The last thing you see is Vengeance’s enormous fangs, lunging at your face. Game Over Want to try again? [[Go back to the start|The Beast Attacks!]] [[Try out the Ocean instead|Green Shore]] [[Try out the Forest instead|Green Forest]] [[Back to the Mountain |Green Mountain]]

Your arrow flies forward, almost without your volition. It speeds towards the great lion like a jade-colored meteor and strikes it – BAM! Right through the shoulder! The arrow explodes like a green nuke, and the lion roars a furious howl of pain as its shadowy body is ripped apart by the blast. “YES!” You cheer, and rush around the side of the crag for that dead elk. Then, you leap back with a gasp as the shadowy form starts to knit itself back together… The lion Vengeance reappears and roars with enough rage to shake the entire mountain! “Ohh, you’ve done it now, you!” Confidence groans. Of course it wouldn’t be that easy. Arrow after arrow flies as you aim at the beast, and it roars with each emerald blast, finally weaving around your shots to sideswipe you like a gust of black wind. You tumble hard on uneven ground and start rolling down the side of the mountain. You can hear Confidence frantically calling your name, and then, in a cloud of dust and rocks, three large vines explode from the mountainside, catching you just before you roll off a cliff. “Thanks, Confidence,” You sigh with relief. Then, another furious roar echoes down towards you. Good feelings gone! The Lion of Vengeance snarls towards you, roaring its rage all the while. You struggle to pull yourself loose of the vines and regain your footing. The creature’s steps are slow and deliberate. Soon it stands on a cliff just above you. It raises its head and roars furiously, the longest, loudest roar yet. Your ears feel like they’ll burst! The sound alone makes you dizzy as you finally grope your way to a steady footing. Through the ringing in your ears, you barely make out another sound…rocks? The lion turns to look up the cliff in surprise. The sheer force of its roars, magic or not, have shaken the loose foundations of the upper mountain levels. A violent shower of rocks and boulders is now raining down towards both of you. The lion looks at the rockslide, then turns to you. You catch something in its inky face…something like a malevolent smirk. Then, it vanishes around the side of the mountain like a gust of black wind, leaving you alone at last. Too bad it couldn’t do something about those rocks. Game Over Want to try again? [[Go back to the start|The Beast Attacks!]] [[Try out the Ocean instead|Green Shore]] [[Try out the Forest instead|Green Forest]] [[Back to the Mountain|Green Mountain]]

You reach into your bag and pull out a sheet of magic paper. “Confidence,” you whisper. “Let’s check it out.” “Man, you’re brave,” Confidence mutters to itself. “Who knows what we might find down there…” Within seconds, you’ve folded a paper torch, and strike a flint to light it. Paper magic is amazing. You raise your paper torch carefully; now you can see the cave is filled with sharp, rocky crags, going down and down into the belly of the earth. You find yourself making some very odd contortions as you squeeze around giant stalagmites and step down large ledges, like a set of stairs made for giants. Everything feels cold, creepy, and uneven. “I don’t like this,” Confidence whispers to you. “I don’t like this at all…” “Shh!” You keep on going. “Just a little further and then we can turn back-” A low rumbling sound echoes through the cave, and you stop dead in your tracks. Did the echo come from above or below? You couldn’t tell. You reel around sharply, torch raised; there’s nothing at the mouth of the cave. Oh, no. You turn back around slowly as the growl grows louder. This time, you can see something down below. Two pinpricks of light. Two bright, glowing red eyes… IT’S THAT BEAR! [[RUN!!!|Green Cave Retreat!]] [[We can take it!|Green Cave Showdown!]]

“RUN!!!” You turn and run for the mouth of the cave, screaming nearly every curse word you know! You scramble upward, frantically rushing for the mouth of the cave, when an inky darkness rushes over the cave entrance, blackening it. You’re trapped! You turn around. The beast is growling angrily now. It opens its mouth and roars at you, enraged that you’ve interrupted its slumber. “I knew I sensed something bad!” Confidence cries. “It’s Corruption!” Nothing to do now but fight your way out! “CONFIDENCE!” Confidence trembles with fear as it tries to summon a glowing aura. Sparks of green light flash around it, flickering, not consistent. Then, the bear roars furiously and smacks Confidence aside with its paw. Confidence screams and flies through the air, striking into your shoulder with surprising force. With sudden anger, it reels around and snaps at you, “Come on, you idiot!” “What?!” You demand indignantly. “What did I do?” “You’re afraid!” Confidence snaps back. “You can’t be afraid! I can’t use my full power like this!” Without warning, the bear raises its head and stands on its back legs, towering over you like a giant of nightmares. “YOU SHOULD NOT HAVE COME HERE, CHILD,” it laughs in a cold, gravelly voice. “IF ONLY YOU’D JUST WALKED AWAY…” Now even Confidence is afraid, trembling back against your shoulder. “That’s it,” the little Paper Guardian groans. “If you’re not confident, I can’t help you. See you on the other side, kiddo…” The beast lunges suddenly at you, and as you’re engulfed by furious waves of darkness, you drop your torch… Game Over Want to try again? [[Go back to the start|The Beast Attacks!]] [[Try out the Ocean instead|Green Shore]] [[Try out the Forest instead|Green Forest]] [[Back to the Mountain |Green Mountain]]

“It’s that bear!” “I knew it!” Confidence whimpers. “I knew I sensed something bad! It’s Corruption!” This is your chance, you realize. This is your chance to prove yourself to the whole village! If you slay this beast, you’ll be a hero forever! “We can take it!” You shout. “Time to avenge our village! CONFIDENCE!” Your Paper Guardian’s body blazes with an emerald fire, cutting the darkness sharply. Confidence’s anxiety suddenly disappears. “I can feel your resolve,” it gasps. “It’s giving me strength!” With that, it suddenly stomps the ground, channeling a tremor that fires fierce, jagged stalagmites through the floor to stab at the bear. It roars and retreats a few paces, then snarls and roars so loud that the entire cave becomes pitch-black once again. Everything is dark, and all you can see is a little green light, firing like a shooting-star at the shadow-bear! Confidence jabs at the bear over and over with its glowing horns, ripping through the outer wisps of its shadowy body, and then charges towards the ground, going in to plant some vines. Without warning, the bear brings an enormous paw down on Confidence, crushing your Paper Guardian under its massive claws. Confidence screams! “NO!” As the bear lifts its paw, Confidence stumbles weakly around, its paper body badly squished as it tries to reform itself. Then, the bear turns its cold, fierce eyes towards you. An inky darkness begins to flow from its mouth like flames as it opens its jaws and speaks in a cruel, gravelly voice… “YOUR VILLAGE WILL PAY FOR THIS INTRUSION.” The beast lunges suddenly at you, and as you’re engulfed by furious waves of darkness, you drop your torch… Game Over Want to try again? [[Go back to the start|The Beast Attacks!]] [[Try out the Ocean instead|Green Shore]] [[Try out the Forest instead|Green Forest]] [[Back to the Mountain |Green Mountain]]