Year: 67, Spring
It's been 67 years since your grandfather, the Great Chief, brought your people to these pastures in the highlands and founded a settlement.
Your father, the last chief, has recently passed away and now the clan looks to you to guide them and keep them safe.
Grow food and herd cattle to keep the people healthy and strong. Trade with neighbours. Seek vengence on those that feud with you.
[[Continue->Home]]
A story by Andre Odendaal "Fengol" with help from:
Wiehahn Diederichs "SleepingSafari"
Edward "The_Sired_Ward"
(set: $season to "Winter")
(set: $turn to 0)
(set: $visitedElders to false)
(set: $food to 200)
(set: $cattle to 10)
(set: $people to 30)
(set: $warriors to 5)
(set: $stories to (array: "nothinghappened", "story2", "story3"))
(set: $springStories to (array: "nothinghappened", "springpromise"))
(set: $summerStories to (array: "nothinghappened"))
(set: $autumnStories to (array: "nothinghappened", "blackgate"))
(set: $winterStories to (array: "nothinghappened", "wolfpack", "protectionstones"))
{
(if: $visitedElders is false)[
(if: $season is "Winter")[
(set: $season to "Spring")
(set: $turn to it + 1)
]
(else-if: $season is "Spring")[
(set: $season to "Summer")
]
(else-if: $season is "Summer")[
(set: $season to "Autumn")
]
(else-if: $season is "Autumn")[
(set: $season to "Winter")
(set: $food to it + (floor: $people * 4.1))
]
(set: $food to it - ($people + (floor: $warriors * 1.5)))
]
(else:)[
(set: $visitedElders to false)
]
Year: (print: 66 + $turn), $season
}
Food: $food
Cattle: $cattle
Population: $people
Warriors: $warriors
(display: "SeasonInfo")
{
(if: $turn > 15)[
Your grey hair blows in the wind as your look out from an outcrop over the settlement you have guided for so many years. You are very old and that night the spectre of death comes to take you away.
|restart>[Restart]
(click: ?restart)[(reload:)]
]
(else:)[
(display: "StoryPicker")
]
}
Year: (print: 66 + $turn), $season
{
(set: $visitedElders to true)
(set: $elderspeak to false)
}
(if: $story1part > 0 and $story1part < 3)[
The elders say it's wiser to have warriors watching out for dangerous animals than risk losing cattle.
(set: $elderspeak to true)
]
(if: $story4part > 0 and $story4part < 2)[
A union between a mortal and a fairy can sometimes produce offspring of unnatural beauty.
(set: $elderspeak to true)
]
(if: $elderspeak is false)[
The elders have nothing to say at this time.
]
[[Continue->Home]]
Year: (print: 66 + $turn), $season
(if: $story1part is 0)[
Before going to bed one night you hear the distant howl of wolves.
(set: $story1part to 1)
[[Next Season->Home]]
]
(else-if: $story1part is 1)[
One night you awaken to the howl of wolves.
They are close to the homestead and cause the cattle to bray nervously.
[Set watchmen to look after the cattle (-3 Population, +3 Warriors)]<watch|
[Go back to sleep]<sleep|
(set: $story1part to 2)
(click: ?watch)[
(set: $story1_watch to true)
(set: $people to it - 3)
(set: $warriors to it + 3)
(goto: "Home")
]
(click: ?sleep)[
(set: $story1_watch to false)
(goto: "Home")
]
]
(else-if: $story1part is 2)[
On another night you hear the wolves howl again.
{
(if: $story1_watch is true)[
Because you set a watch, the men were able to chase off the wolves although a few men did sustain some injuries
(set: $warriors to it - 1)
]
(else:)[
The wolves broken into the cattle pen and killed some prized beasts.
(set: $cattle to it - 3)
]
}
(set: $story1part to 3)
(set: $winterStories to $winterStories - (array: "wolfpack"))
[[Next Season->Home]]
]
Year: (print: 66 + $turn), $season
{
(set: $whichWay to (random:1, 2))
(if: $whichWay is 1)[(display: "RaidingDefense")]
(else: )[(display: "RaidingAttack")]
}
Year: (print: 66 + $turn), $season
(if: $story3part is 0)[
At night the sky is alive with strange glows of green and blue. The elders say it's the light from the halls of the gods where they feast and is a blessing.
(set: $story3part to 1)
[[Next Season->Home]]
]
(else-if: $story3part is 1)[
One afternoon the ground begins to shake uncontrollably. The cattle broke down their enclosure and stampeded in panic. It took all day and night to round them back up. Giants are walking around our settlement.
(set: $story3part to 2)
[[Next Season->Home]]
]
(else-if: $story3part is 2)[
Something interesting did happen!
(set: $story3part to 3)
[[Next Season->Home]]
]
(else-if: $story3part is 3)[
Something interesting did happen!
(set: $story3part to 4)
[[Next Season->Home]]
]
(else-if: $story3part is 4)[
Something interesting did happen!
(set: $stories to $stories - (array: "story3"))
[[Next Season->Home]]
]
Year: (print: 66 + $turn), $season
(if: $story4part is 0)[
A young man did a foolish thing and proposed to a spring-time fairy. The next day he walked into the cornfield and disappeared.
(set: $story4part to 1)
[[Next Season->Home]]
]
(else-if: $story4part is 1)[
One morning a farmer found a baby with fair hair and bright blue eyes in the cornfield.
[Keep the baby, it's a blessing]<keep|
[Leave the baby, it's a fae child]<leave|
{
(set: $springStories to $springStories - (array: "springpromise"))
(set: $story4part to 1)
(click: ?keep)[
(set: $people to it + 1)
(goto: "Home")
]
(click: ?leave)[
(goto: "Home")
]
}
]
Year: (print: 66 + $turn), $season
Nothing of interest happened.
[[Next Season->Home]]
{
(set: $raiders to (random:1, 10))
(set: $diff to ($warriors + (random:1, 5)) / ($raiders + (random:1, 5)))
(if: $diff > 0)[(set: $raidSuccessful to true)]
(else: )[(set: $raidSuccesful to false)]
}Raiders from another clan appear on the horizon, your warriors run out to engage them.
There are $raiders raiders to your $warriors warriors.
{
(set: $outText to "")
(if: $raidSuccessful)[
(set: $random to (random:1, 6))
Unfortunately the raiders managed to get past your warriors and stole some cattle.
(set: $outText to "(-" + (text:$random) + " cattle)")
(set: $cattle to it + $random)
]
(else: )[
Your warriors successfully fended of the raiders and they retreat.
]
}
[[Next Season $outText->Home]]
{
(set: $defenders to (random:1, 10))
(set: $diff to (($defenders + (random:1, 5)) / $warriors + (random:1, 5)))
(if: $diff > 0)[(set: $raidSuccessful to true)]
(else: )[(set: $raidSuccesful to false)]
}You lead your warriors on a raid of a rival's cattle.
There are $defenders defenders to your $warriors warriors.
{
(set: $outText to "")
(set: $random to (random:1, 6))
(if: $raidSuccessful)[
You successfully manage to steal $random cattle.
(set: $outText to "(+" + (text:$random) + " cattle)")
(set: $cattle to it + $random)
]
(else: )[
Your warriors were pushed back and return home empty handed.
]
}
[[Next Season $outText->Home]]
[[Speak to the elders->Help]]
{
(if: $season is "Spring" and $springStories.length > 1)[
(set: $story to (either: ...$springStories))
(if: $story is "nothinghappened")[
[[Continue->NothingHappened]]
]
(if: $story is "springpromise")[
[[Continue->SpringPromise]]
]
]
(else-if: $season is "Summer" and $summerStories.length > 1)[
(set: $story to (either: ...$summerStories))
(if: $story is "nothinghappened")[
[[Continue->NothingHappened]]
]
]
(else-if: $season is "Autumn" and $autumnStories.length > 1)[
(set: $story to (either: ...$autumnStories))
(if: $story is "nothinghappened")[
[[Reap Harvest->NothingHappened]]
]
(if: $story is "blackgate")[
[[Reap Harvest->BlackGate]]
]
]
(else-if: $season is "Winter" and $winterStories.length > 1)[
(set: $story to (either: ...$winterStories))
(if: $story is "nothinghappened")[
[[Continue->NothingHappened]]
]
(if: $story is "wolfpack")[
[[Continue->WolfPack]]
]
(if: $story is "protectionstones")[
[[Continue->ProtectionStones]]
]
]
(else:)[
(if: $stories.length > 0)[
(set: $story to (either: ...$stories))
(if: $story is "nothinghappened")[
[[Continue->NothingHappened]]
]
(if: $story is "story2")[
[[Continue->Raiding]]
]
(else-if: $story is "story3")[
[[Continue->NaturalOccurances]]
]
]
(else:)[
There are no more stories
|restart>[Restart]
(click: ?restart)[(reload:)]
]
]
}
{
(if: $season is "Autumn")[
It is harvest time and the farmers will bring in (print: (floor: $people * 4.1)) food at the end of the season.
]
}
Year: (print: 66 + $turn), $season
(if: $story6part is 0)[
One of your clan members is out hunting. He stumbles upon a large, ominous structure nestled between some nearby hills.
Its walls are a deep black, like the soot of a scorched tree. Beyond the iron gate that protects its entrance, there is only a formless void of pitch black darkness.
The building's architecture is strange and unfamiliar, its facade adorned with bizarre markings. A chill runs down the hunter's spine. He could swear he has passed here a hundred times before but has never laid eyes upon this disturbing edifice.
[[The hunter decides to take a closer look->BlackGate_Die]]
[[The hunter summons one of the elders->BlackGate_Warn]]
(set: $story6part to 1)
(set: $autumnStories to $autumnStories - (array: "blackgate"))
]
Year: (print: 66 + $turn), $season
Even though fear has seeped deep into the hunter's bones, a burning curiosity grips his reason. He must get closer.
He creeps towards the building in a low crouch, much like a predator approaches his prey. He acknowledges the foolishness of sneaking up on a building. But he can't seem to shake this feeling, a primal hunch if you will, that the building is alive.
He is a mere stone's throw away when a sudden weightlessness washes over his body and he is violently pulled towards the opening black gate. The last thing he hears, before being swallowed by the darkness, is a symphony of distorted screams.
(set: $population to it - 1)
[[The hunter is dead (-1 Population)->Home]]
Year: (print: 66 + $turn), $season
A sudden fear bubbles inside the hunter and he instinctively sprints back towards the village. With such strange tidings, the Elders must be consulted at once.
It takes a few hours (and healthy dose of mead) to calm down the hunter before he is able to speak coherently. With a drunken slur upon his tongue, he conveys the sighting of the sinister structure to one of the Elders.
A shivering cold envelopes the Elder, a spiritual sign of dark events to come.
[[He immediately sets out to study the mysterious building.->BlackGate_Enchant]]
Year: (print: 66 + $turn), $season
Upon his arrival he recognizes its strange markings at once. It is the language of Amrak, keeper of the underworld.
It reads: "From this gate I, Amrak, God of Chaos, send forth the Undead. The time has come for the Breathless to take the world from the breathing."
The Elder makes his way back to the village, casting a series of spells and incantations to cover his tracks from the coming evil. It will not stop them but will certainly slow their advance.
Upon his return, he wastes no time and enchants the warriors' weapons with magical runes. No ordinary blade will strike down the agents of Chaos.
[[Next Season->Home]]
Year: (print: 66 + $turn), $season
(if: $story7part is 0)[
One of your sheep herders, Hurg Cottonbeard, found one of the sheep to be missing. He immediately grabbed his pitchfork and his lantern, kissed his wife and kids and navigated his way through the thick evening mists that clouded the Highlands. He pointed his pitchfork at each bramble and branch that took the shape of a prowling predator and kept a firm grip on his flickering lantern. Making his way across a narrow piece of ground between the moss covered cliffs and the black, murky stream, he came across the sheep. He ran towards it and embraced it, for he was relieved it was unharmed. He looked up and found before him - and the sheep - a row of great shadows within the grey mist. He dropped his lantern as he jumped up and pointed his trembling pitchfork at the grim shapes. The wall of mist parted and unveiled marvellous stones. He slowly picked up his lantern and cautiously investigated the circle of towering stones and found them remarkably smooth to the touch. He stood gazing at the stones and scratched his beard in thought.
The next day he came to you with word of his curious findings and urged you to use these great stones as protection. “Walls of impenetrable rock” he kept saying.
[[Take the herder’s advice and build a new wall from the stones->ProtectionStones_Follow]]
[[Dismiss the idea and leave the stones->Home]]
(set: $story7part to 1)
(set: $winterStories to $winterStories - (array: "proectionstones"))
]
You rallied a group of your strongest men and horses – and a few women with beards - and equipped them with thick ropes and sturdy wagons. You sent the lot to the stones and they spent the entire day excavating them, loading them onto the wagons, transporting them to the town and drinking a lot of ale. Eventually the sun set on the Highlands and the fatigued men, women and horses slept snugly and cosily. Not even the deep rumbling could wake them…
The next morning presented you with a fenceless town. The stones were gone - and so were a lot of your cattle. The stones left deep slopes in the ground as they returned to where they were found and the rumbling scared off your cattle, some of which were found and safely returned and some which got mauled down by hungry wolves.
[[Next Season->Home]]