Incarnate

Ah, the day you never knew would be your last... You can hear your heartbeat slow, slow.. slow... until it's barely beating at all. //It's [[unfair->Angry]],// you think. You never had the time on Earth you wished you had. //Not all of it, at least.// You didn't live a full life--you're dying you're dying you're... [[done->Content]]. What comes from life after death? Is this it? Bright white light envelops you, one last rush of [[warmth->Happy]], like the rays of the sun, envelop your soon cold, dead body.

You can't quite place why, but a wave of happiness rushes over you unlike any joy you've experienced before. If God is really out there, he'll guide you to a better place, won't he? //He will,// you think. And if he isn't out there, maybe you can find it yourself? After all, the end? Well, it's only the [[beginning->Start]].

Something calmly moves throughout your body. You can't place the feeling... It's not good. It's not bad. You feel content. With all panic forgotton, you embrace the sunshine, the angels and devils singing as you approach the gates of judgement; you embrace the end. Oh, the end... what a concept. The last chapter closed, no story left to be told... Or is there? Because, well, the end is really just a new [[beginning->Start]], is it not?

The warmth in your chest burns hotter--''hotter!'' It's a flame, igniting your heart with a fury you never knew existed in all your life. //Who will come for me?// you think. //God? The Grim Reaper? The Devil himself?// You don't care. You'd fight them all if you could. You'd fight them without hesitation. Without a //doubt// in your mind. You will fight for your life. But this isn't your end, oh no. This is only the [[beginning->Start]].

The white light dims to black almost as if you were asleep; then it hits you. There are no angels. There are no devils. The warmth is still there. So is the light. It never left. Your ears start to pick up footsteps in the distance. A [[voice->Voice]].

"Well that file //did// warn me about your stubborness, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised... At least there's plenty of other meatsacks around this pla-I mean.." they chuckle, "it's no big deal, I'll find someone else that's interested. I'd recommend touring the city and checking out any job listings you find. Or you could be homeless, thats fine too. Wish you luck in life!" Zeta gives you the fakest smile they can muster, turns, and with a delicate flutter of their fingers, leaves. You'll happily check out those listings if it means avoiding a battlefield. ''END''

What was it they said, the West Tower? Yes, you think that's it. You wander over in that direction and drop your heavy armor to take a break. Immediately, a large tower comes into view off in the distance. You meander, looking around at the rest of the town until you see the training dummies in a fenced off area below the tower. At one such dummy is a woman with shining black scales across her body and horns atop her head. You spot Zeta leaning over the fence, watching and ridiculing the woman as she throws knives at the dummy's vitals. Zeta hears you as you walk closer and turns, waving you over. "Hurry up and get all that stuff on we've got work to do!" they shout.[[over->Cont.]]

Over the next week you spend your time wisely on the training grounds. Your mentors teach you to block, parry, all the fun stuff, really. And you know what? You're pretty good at it too. Despite picking up your sword a week ago, you feel like you've been holding one all your life. On the eve of your seventh day, the last night before the raid, a question crosses your mind. You turn to ask Zeta, but they're not around. They must have left when you weren't looking. Mina sees your confusion and speaks up. "They got bored, no surprise there. What's up?" [["What even is this artifact for?"->artifact]]

You ''hate'' training. You hate it so much! You hate the sweat, the blood, the heavy armor and the sword blistering your hand--you hate it all, god dammit! But you keep going. You make it known that you hate it, hoping your mentors will take pity on you, but their amusement in your torture seems to be the one thing they can agree on. //Assholes.// On the eve of your seventh day, the last night before the raid, sometime in between the sweat and suffering, a question crosses your mind. You turn to ask Zeta, but they're not around. They must have left when you weren't looking. Mina sees your confusion and speaks up. "They got bored, no surprise there. What's up?" [["What even is this artifact for?"->artifact]]

You're too tired to do this. You're too tired to learn, to work, to complain, to do well, anything, really. In fact, you've been so done with the whole "raid" thing that your mentors gave you harder drills to see you make any sort of progress. On the eve of your seventh day, the last night before the raid, you groan, lifting your fatigued arms, ready to lazily cut across a dummy in the chest, when a question crosses your mind. You turn to ask Zeta, but they're not around. They must have left when you weren't looking. Mina sees your confusion and speaks up. "They got bored, no surprise there. What's up?" [["What even is this artifact for?"->artifact]]

The next morning you feel groggy and a little more disoriented than usual, but you recall the strange visions in your dreams with impeccable detail. You replay the scenes as you dress yourself for the day. You quickly make your way to the tower's dining hall where Zeta, Mina, and the tatted out dwarf from the Inn sit waiting for you, sipping on coffee and chatting amongst themselves. "You're late, $name," Mina scoffs, "this is Griff, he's the extra muscle we'll need when we head for the artifact." Just like last time, Griff raises his pint in greeting before taking a swig. "Good to see ya again, friend. Glad to see ya didn't get lost out there in the city. Hope the shoppin' went okay." [[The Plan->Plan]] [[Old Lady->Old crone]] [[Fox Boy->Furry]]

You see Mina slide a few coins Zeta's way. "Told you $name would pick it! Knew you had it in you!" Zeta cheers victoriously and pockets the coin, standing up to lead you all [[out.->Out]]

You watch as Mina and Zeta stare into each others eyes, not saying a word about your choice. Slowly, a smile creeps to Mina's face and Zeta looks away, groaning. They grab a small pouch of coin from their pocket and throw it across the table. "You //would// want to cause a cave in..." they say. "Don't act too sad. Let's go find that tunnel." Mina smirks and walks out the door, leaving the rest of you to [[trail behind->tunnel!!]] her.

"Not a single idea? No preference at all?" Zeta asks. You shake your head. "Call it a draw?" Zeta turns to Mina and they shake hands in agreement. What was that all about? "Well, I don't want to risk that tunnel collapsing on us, [[let's charge.->Out]] Griff and Mina nod in agreement. You still don't care.

The fight commences, the archers successfully draw out stony, humanoid creatures, some the size of dwarves and others the size of giants. One by one they file out of the ruin and begin attacking the Melee soldiers, including yourself. A small golem runs your way, and punches your knee, sending you to the ground immediately. It goes for another swing but you catch Mina behind it as she slips a dagger through the nape of its neck, where room was allowed for the gollum to move. It stops in that instance and as she takes her knife from out of its neck, it falls to the ground. The two of you keep close to each other, whacking whatever comes your way until they fall to the ground. You fight hard until you catch an opening in the ruin, it looks like they aren't sending more golems through. You and Mina shout for Zeta and Griff, searching for wherever they are, and it doesn't take long to [[find them.->find them]]

You hear rocks start to fall and your eyes go wide. "Run!" Griff prompts, shoving you toward the front of the pack, him, Zeta, and Mina following suit. The tunnel collapses, bigger and bigger rubble crashing to the ground, but you all outrun it. Well, all but Mina. You hear her gasp and hit the ground. //"Zeta!"// She shouts. Her last words before the tunnel crushed her. The three of you make it into the ruins just before you meet the same fate, all gasping to catch your breath. Zeta's face is moved with a complex sorrow. It seems there's more to the expression, but you can't place what. "She tripped... I should have helped her." they say. "We'll miss her, but I'm glad ya didn't. You're the only one who knows how to use this thing." "Right, I guess I am. We should go find it... but which room was it again?" Looks like it's up to you: [[Left->left w griff]] [[Right->artifaaaaaact]] [[Middle->ow mid w griff]]

You enter the wrong room. There's nothing but old skeletons and rubble in here. [[Right->go right]] [[Middle->go mid]]

You enter the wrong room. There's nothing but old skeletons and rubble in here. [[Middle->mid w griff]] [[Right->artifaaaaaact]]

Hey, first time's the charm! You get into the room on the right and with a blast of magic, Zeta sends the golem in the room flying, crumbling to the ground when it hits the opposite wall. You see them smile. "Finally, I wasn't sure I'd see this again..." They stay back and admire the shiny purple ring as you climb the stairs up to retrieve it. Just before you take the last step up you hear flesh pierced behind you and a gasp. You turn to see a dagger in both Zeta's hand and Mina's back. They kick her to the ground as she gasps, coughing blood. "Oops, did I do that? My bad," they smirt, taking a step in your direction. "You should really give me that if you don't want to end up like her and Griff, yeah?" They hold a hand out, awaiting the artifact. [[Give them the ring->give artifact (hurt)]] [[Help Mina->help mina]]

You stumble into the room on the right and with a blast of magic, Zeta sends the golem in the room flying, crumbling to the ground when it hits the opposite wall. You see them smile. "Finally, I wasn't sure I'd see this again..." They stay back and admire the shiny purple ring as you climb the stairs up to retrieve it. Just before you take the last step up you hear flesh pierced behind you and a gasp. You turn to see a dagger in both Zeta's hand and Griff's back. They kick him to the ground as he gasps, coughing blood. "Oops, did I do that? My bad," they smirk, taking a step in your direction. "You should really give me that if you don't want to end up like him and Mina, yeah?" They hold a hand out, awaiting the artifact. [[Give them the artifact->Cant beat em, join em]] [[Help Griff->Help Griff]]

You pick up the artifact, thinking about your next move very carefully. You decide your best solution is to give Zeta the artifact, at least for now, it is. "Good, sensible, I knew there was good reason I kept you around. And maybe you'll be worth my time in the future, too. Because with this, I can enslave minds. Just for fun! If I want to play god, to choose if my toys play nice or fight tooth and nail for my entertainment, I can. Doesn't that sound fun? Come, I know you like what you hear, $name." You look back at Griff, he's lost too much blood to be of use to you now, even if he still lived. You turn back to Zeta, who's put the ring on their finger and a hand on its pedestal in front of them. They begin mumbling something, you're not quite sure what it is, but you know it must be something bad. [[Place your hand on theirs and prove your loyalty->Playing God END]] [[Use this opening to attack->Attack END]]

You draw your sword and approach Zeta, ready to end it. They let you get close. Too close. Then, before you can swing, they tap your nose with their finger and you go flying against the wall. You definitely feel a few more ribs crack. "Now what was the point of that? I know you've seen that trick plenty of times." As you lift yourself back up you notice Griff readying his war hammer. And by no surprise, they fling him toward the wall too. It's much harder this time, but you lift yourself back up and walk forward, one step at a time. Zeta yawns, bored. "You done yet-" It appears Zeta underestimates you. What a silly mistake You charge forward once more, only to get slammed to the wall, but Griff accounted for it. Using you as a distraction, he tossed his hammer, pinning them to the ground with its weight. You both rush forward before Zeta can react and you plunge your sword into their chest. They don't say anything as the life leaves their eyes, the ring still gripped tightly in their [[hand.->Griff End 1]]

(set: $name to (prompt: "Sooo, what's your name?", "Name", "Don't care", "Confirm")) "That's it? That's your name? You're not on Earth anymore, you know can think of something better if you want, right?! Whatever, it's fine. Let's go $name, we've got a big job to do!" [["A Job?"->Explain!]] [["Yeah, okay."->Well that was easy]] [["Absolutely not."->Say no]]

"I //thought// Mina said the rookie would be awake in half an hour! //Well,// Mina: There is a BIG DIFFERENCE between thirty minutes, and ''//THREE HOURS!!//''" "Oh, maybe I should just go in and wake them myself..." Their voice went higher as they conversed with themself, mimicking who you assume this Mina person was. "But Zeta, //remember// to be patient. You don't want to disrupt their memories and make them forget who they are--again! We can't have that!" "If thirty minutes worth of memories takes three hours to get through time and space then they obviously weren't the important ones." The stranger huffs, contemplates, maybe? Are they talking about you? "Should I go in? I think I'm gonna go in." You hear the footsteps get closer to you, they //must// have been talking about you. Will you: [[Open your eyes->Hey, you're finally awake!]] or [[Stay put->Shakey Shake]]

You feel your body, every breath, every limb, just like normal. You start to stir, moving from your back to your side, opening your eyes. Taking a moment to reorient yourself, you observe yourself, your surroundings, the wooden door seperating you from the stranger outside. You take it all in. You walk toward a mirror, taking in every identical feature from your life. //Where am I? What am I wearing??// Despite being very much alive, you were dressed in fancy garments, although they didn't quite suit you. Someone must have picked them for you; someone who wanted to bury you looking your [[best->KNOCK KNOCK BITCH]].

There's a loud knock on the door. It's the most aggressive knock you'd ever heard in your life. "''HEY!'' You up in there?!" You ignore them; you value your beauty sleep. When you don't answer, the doorknob jiggles, locked. The banging continues, louder, harsher-- //CRASH!// But you don't care. //Beauty. Sleep.// You feel two hands grip your shoulders. They're shaking you as hard as they can manage. "Hey, wake up!!!! I don't have all day!" [[Wake up->Good Job]] [[Attempt to ignore them->Hell no]]

Suddenly, there's a knock on the door. The most aggressive knock you'd ever heard in your life. "''HEY!'' You up in there?!" You jump, thoughts disrupted. //Well that was rude...// When you don't answer, the doorknob jiggles, locked. The banging continues. You speed over to the door and open it wide, face to face--or well, face to boot with the tan Elf responsible for all the ruckus. They blink, frozen in place, then gently put their foot on the ground. "Oh... hey. You're finally awake! And here I thought I'd have to bust down that door of yours! Zeta Hollowmoth at your service!" Zeta offers a loose but polite bow. They rise, holding their hands behind their back, looking at you [[expectantly->Name]].

You relent, opening your eyes with a loud groan. As your eyes adjust to the light you see the tan elf responsible for your rude wake up call and behind them, your door lying flat on the ground. "About damn time!" They take their hands off you, noticing you staring behind them. "Ignore that. Team Incarnate will fix it up, it's not that important. I'm Zeta Hollowmoth, by the way! Glad to meet ya!" [["What's Team Incarnate?"->Team Incarnate]] [[Tell them your name->Name]]

//Uh oh, stop right there...// You grab their wrists and begin shoving them off you, but they have a firm grip. You're fighting with their strength but eventually they tire out and you shove them off your lethargic body. You roll back over, slipping them the middle finger and pulling the warm sheets back over your body. "I do ''not'' need this today." With a gust of wind the window shutters force open and the sheets fly somewhere across the room. You feel the strangers hands again on your arm as they pull you off the bed, knocking the wind out of you. You groan. The tan Elf hovers the pointy heel of their boot just above your chest. "Now then, I'm Zeta. Are you going to tell me your name or shall I throw you around the room some more? [[I'm up, you win!->Name]] [[Say bet->BET]]

"They're the team responsible for sending you here and taking care of you, obviously. You didn't //really// think you walked your ass from Earth to Maidensborough, did you?" "Well--" you start. They cut you off. "You were //dead!// You can't do //anything// when you're dead! That's the whole point of being well, dead!" "Does everyone come here when they die?" you ask. "Oh no, we'd be so overpopulated! You Earthborns //really// like having kids, and that's not to mention every other world that sends souls our way. We're just one of the many worlds you can pass to after you die." You stay silent but Zeta looks at you [[expectantly->Name]]...

Zeta looks at you with a fury you thought impossible until now. With a burst of magic, they raise you to your feet. ''"I"'' They slam you against the left wall. ''"GIVE"'' You're thrown to the right. ''"UP!"'' Up and out, that is. Out the window and alllllll the way down to the ground. Well this life didn't last you very long... did it? ''END''

"Yes, we're organizing a raid on an ancient, well protected ruin that holds an artifact inside it. After a little look at your file we've determined you're just the newly deceased person we need for the job! I need a little muscle on my team and with enough battle training, I think you might just manage!" Zeta's finely maniacured hand reaches out from underneath their cloak, "Sooo... you in or what?" [["Why the hell not?"->Well that was easy]] [[Absolutely not.->Say no]]

"Really, that's it? You're in? Just like that?" They look up at you and smile, giggling with excitement, "I don't think that's ever happened before..." they mumble. "Well come on $name! Why don't I show you around!" [[Let Zeta show you around->Tour Please!]] [["No thanks, I can show myself around."->I am a tour guide]]

"Good, let's go!" Zeta takes a few steps forward and stops, turning to face you. "And [[keep up->Catch Them!]], okay? We've got a lot of ground to cover so if I lose you, it's not my fault. Got it?" You open your mouth to reply but you hear their heels clicking down the stairs before you get the chance.

"Oh you're funny to think you had a choice. If you're gonna charge into a fight you're gonna need gear or it'll only go ass up from there." Their face twists and their demeanor turns mischevious, fingers gently pressed together. "Come of your own //free will// or I'll have to leash you. And as entertaining as that would be I do //not// have the patience for it today." There was a hint of something else in Zeta's voice, a whisper of complexity you weren't sure how to explain, but it left your mind feeling funny. And again, their demeanor changed. With an innocent smile they turned, rushing out the bedroom door. You don't particularly //want// to [[catch up->Catch Them!]] to them, but you feel compelled to go along and indulge them anyway.

You hustle out of the room and down the stairs noticing that Zeta is out the exit and making their way down the street, black cloak flowing behind them. "Don't worry, their tours are always this. They're just lookin' to see what you're capable of." You look to your left, a dwarf with a scruffy, black beard and a sleeve of tattoos raises his pint in the air and drinks. "Market's first. They always start with the markets." [[Thank him->Thanks sir]] [[Nod and leave->Nods]]

"Griff. That's the name. See ya around, kid." You rush out of the building and immediately notice a road of stalls not far off. Heading in that direction you spot a few shoppers glancing at items, all adorned with black, hooded cloaks. You try looking around to find Zeta, but struggle to remember what they look like. Despite a lack of detail, you notice that one of the cloaked figures is rather short, another is eying a necklace with a fat, pale hand, and the last has a tail poking out the bottom. Who do you approach? [[Short figure->ding ding ding!]] [[Pale figure->smh]] [[Furry... figure?->Really?]]

"Hey, a thank you would be nice!" Honestly? You don't really care. You rush out of the building and immediately notice a road of stalls not far off. Heading in that direction you spot a few shoppers glancing at items, all adorned with black, hooded cloaks. You try looking around to find Zeta, but struggle to remember what they look like. Despite a lack of detail, you notice that one of the cloaked figures is rather short, another is eying a necklace with a fat, pale hand, and the last has a tail poking out the bottom. Who do you approach? [[Short figure->ding ding ding!]] [[Pale figure->smh]] [[Furry... figure?->Really?]]

Yes, you know you've got the right one, this is Zeta. You tap the figure's shoulder and they turn on their feet. "Attentive! That's good, that's good. Always keep your head on a swivel. Speaking of swivel," Zeta drops a sack of coin in your hand, "stay alert and go find a shop. We need medicine for the trip and sturdy armor. If we split up we can get this done faster and we'll meet at the training grounds up by the big, fancy watch tower to the west, okay?" What'll it be? [[Visit the Apothecary->drugs!]] [[Visit the Armorer's ->metal]]

You walk up to the figure eying the necklace and place your hand on their shoulder. //''WHAM!''// While surprisingly in character, this old woman that just knocked you to the ground with her bag is //definitely// not Zeta. Zeta, in fact, stands above you, laughing their ass off. "Wow she really got you, huh?! Serves you right for mistaking me for some old crone--" //''WHACK!''// The "old crone" was still standing there. You watch from the ground as Zeta too, fends off your assailant, though is far more successful than you were. When they finally shoo the old lady off they extend a hand and pull you up off the ground. "You know...you suck //ass// at paying attention to details! Now, if you can make it up to me by finding your way to the Apothecary or Armorer's, I'll find my way to the other and we'll meet at the training grounds up by the big, fancy watch tower to the west. Can you handle that?" Zeta drops a pouch of coin in your hand and sends you off. [[Visit the Apothecary->drugs!]] [[Visit the Armorer's->metal]]

You don't recall Zeta ever having a tail, but man, you want to touch it. You want to touch it ''bad.'' You walk up to the cloaked figure, keeping your eye on the fluffy, swaying tail. ''So soft...'' You reach down to give it a pet and-- //"Seriously??"// Zeta huffs from behind you. "Sorry Fentis." The figure, a fox man, turns around and dismisses their apology with a frown. They walk away before you get a chance to stick your grubby hands on their fur. "As sneaky as I am, I'm no fox. And //you// suck ass at paying attention to details! Now, if you can make it up to me by finding your way to the Apothecary or Armorer's, I'll find my way to the other and we'll meet at the training grounds up by the big, fancy watch tower to the west. Can you handle that?" Zeta drops a pouch of coin in your hand and sends you off. [[Visit the Apothecary->drugs!]] [[Visit the Armorer's->metal]]

Armor is heavy, you'll take the medicine instead. You wander a bit, looking at the signs for anything that might be worth your while. It takes a while but you stumble upon a sign picturing a bee with a wizard hat and a potion bottle next to it. "The Bees Knee's Potion Shop," as it's called. You step in... it's pretty empty, actually. You don't even see a shopkeep around. You approach the counter and still, nobody around. Nobody until a little girl, about 10 years old pops her head up from below the counter with a wide smile. "Hey there stranger, I'm Trixie!! What can I get you?!" You scream like a little bitch. That's a lot of enthusiasm she has there. [["Where are your parents?"->parents]]

If the armor is for you, then you'll go get it. Better make sure it fits, anyhow. You walk into a building with a helmet on the sign. It's a good guess, because you've made it! "Hey, you look fancy, don't you? You going to a funeral or did you just have one?" The human woman at the counter chuckles, continuing her train of thought before you can answer. "I get it, you left Earth too, didn't you? Doesn't look like Team Incarnate did much for you though. Ugh, those guys infuriate me! Think they can just reinstate our lives without our consent and then kick us to the curb before you get the chance to say 'hey, who's Team Incarnate anyway?!'" The chatty shopkeep leans forward, "They're the ones who moved you from Earth to Maidensborough when you died, in case you didn't know... but that's neither here nor there I guess ya need gear, don't you? But I can't give you anything without--" This time, you stop ''her'' by dropping the pouch of coin on the counter. "You know, I think that'll work. Just a sec!" She eyes your figure and just like that, she starts rummaging through the room, picking out gear and bringing it back up to the counter. She takes the coin and shoves the heavy gear your way. "Thank you for your patronage!" It takes you a minute to balace the armor on top of one another but eventually you get it and head for the door praying none of it comes crashing down. [[Meet Zeta->Train!]]

Trixie's face drops. "Uh, they're.. not here! Nope, nope nope. They're still, um, yeah they're still at home! But Team Incarnate will bring them here soon, just like they brought me and you and everyone else!" Oh... Oh no... "But I'm suuuuuper good at my job!" She pulls out a large price book, "I got all my listings right here, so what'll it be?" You tell her you need health potions and give her your sack of coins. You watch as she dumps it on the counter and counts them out one by one. "Aaaaaand fifty! That'll get you three!" She closes the book in front of her but you could have sworn you saw "10 each" in the listing. "One, two, and three!" She glides the coins back into the pouch like she'd done it a thousand times before and smiles. "Bye bye now!!" Tired, you take the potions without much of a fight. [[Meet Zeta->West Tower]]

You put your gear on and walk over, feeling better now that the weight is evenly distributed across your body. Your arms are defintely going to hurt tomorrow. "Look at you, so strong!" they laugh, "hope Bianca didn't talk your ear off in there, she's got quite the habit-" Zeta cuts themself off and their tone shifts, as does their attention. "What, you call that the heart?! That's the shoulder, Mina." The woman throwing blades, Mina, scowls and throws one right below Zeta's armpit. Zeta pauses, wiggling the knife out of the fence behind them. "Still not the heart..." "Next time it will be you little--" Zeta cuts her off. "This is Mina, she's an expert at sneaking and stabbing. She'll help me train you up before you join us on the battlefield." "Expert rogue will do, next time. You're such an earful..." Mina groans, turning her attention toward you. "But yes, I think you and I will be spending a lot of time together." "$name" you say. "A pleasure, $name, let's get to work." [[Work hard->Work hard!]] [[Complain->Complain]] [[Slack off->Bare minimum]]

You walk over and put on the armor that was set aside for you, feeling the weight distributed across your body. "So how as Trixie, did she scare you?" they laugh, "She does that. I'm always amazed how such a little thing can be so capable-" their tone shifts in an instant, her attention focused again on the training dummy and the knives pressed inside. "What, you call that the heart? That's the shoulder, Mina." The woman throwing blades, Mina, scowls and throws one right below Zeta's armpit. Zeta pauses, wiggling the knife out of the fence behind them. "Still not the heart..." "Next time it will be you little--" Zeta cuts her off. "This is Mina, she's an expert at sneaking and stabbing. She'll help me train you up before you join us on the battlefield." "Expert rogue will do, next time. You're such an earful..." Mina groans, turning her attention toward you. "But yes, I think you and I will be spending a lot of time together." "$name" you say. "A pleasure, $name, let's get to work." [[Work hard->Work hard!]] [[Complain->Complain]] [[Slack off->Bare minimum]]

"They didn't tell you that? And it took you a whole week to ask?? What are we going to do with you..." Mina sets her knives down by the dummy and walks over to the fence, leaning against it for a break. "Zeta's been researching it for a while now, says it's called the 'Force Ring' or something like that. They found it out in the ruins but soon after, it activated some old defense system and they haven't been able to get in since. Our city has been safe thus far, but wildlife are getting more aggressive, and we can't figure out why. With this 'Force Ring' Zeta thinks we can channel a barrier around the city if we amplify its power." You listen close, thinking back to the wildlife Mina and Zeta had gone out with you to kill. Everything from the squirrels to the wolves were aggressive past the treeline; it was kill or be killed. "Does that answer your question?" she asks. [[Yes->Group Up]] [["I have more questions"->More questions]]

"Oh right, well, I've got a few ideas, but I want our new friend here to choose. I just get the feeling you'll do a good job of it," Zeta said. That's about the nicest thing they've ever said to you. "We can charge with the masses and dwindle their numbers before we go in, that way it'll be easier to get out, or, I found a tunnel before the safety protocal triggered that will lead us in. There probably won't be as much on guard in there, but when I examined it it wasn't very stable. It could cave in on intself at any moment. So Hero, what do you think?" You think their chipper attitude is a little offputting, but you don't comment. You think carefully before making your choice. [["Let's charge."->Charge!]] [["Use the tunnel."->Sneak around]] [["I really don't care."->Meh, idc]]

"Hah, old lady?! You mean Mrs. Bogden? Yeah, she don't like to be touched too much. Once tried to claw my eye out for bumping into her on accident. Said 'scuse me and everything but she wasn't havin' none of it." "Thank you, Griff.." "You're welcome, Mina." "So, Zeta," she starts, "How about [[that plan?->Plan]]"

"Oh you mean Fentis? Believe it or not, he came from Earth too. Pretty powerful guy, but he used his knowledge of magic 'round here to turn himself into a furry. Bit weird, but he's nice at least." "Thank you, Griff.." "You're welcome, Mina." "So, Zeta," she starts, "How about [[that plan?->Plan]]"

You feel like you walked for hours but the ruins were just a few miles outside the city. When you get there a militia made of adventurers and soldiers alike are breaking off, awaiting instruction. "Wait here," Zeta says, heading off to the front of the group. They raise their hand high and and you hear a rumble of thunder from above as the wind around you begins to flow. "Attention everyone! As planned, we start with the archers to draw out the guardians of this ruin, and when we've whittled them down, me and my team will go in. If we want to protect our home, we need that artifact. Do not disengage, clear?" The crowd murmers and nods. "Then I believe you know what to do! Archers, fire!!" Another rumble of thunder and arrows go flying as Zeta slips back into the crowd and toward your group. "Not much longer now, ready your [[weapons.->rip Griff, gotta go!]]"

You spend an hour meandering in the woods, looking for anything remotely similar to a tunnel, though the scenery consists of trees, trees, and look! More trees! "Here, through this cave. Not much further!" Zeta leads you through a damp, dark cave. You go in deep, following a slippery staircase down into the tunnel. You slip and fall down the last few steps, the path illuminating ahead of you when you reach the bottom. "Good job, kid." Griff pats you on the back and lifts you to your feet. "Let's keep goin' we got alotta ground to cover." You and Griff take the front point and make small talk as you watch the torches ahead of you illuminate with a perfectly controlled flame. In the background you hear Zeta and Mina arguing quietly, though it comes as no surprise. What //does// come as a surprise, is Mina's sudden shout. "Oh you are ''infuriating!'' and the rumbling that followed shortly after. "Shhh! I told you this place was unstable!" Zeta whisper yells, dragging Mina further forward, though the rumbling doesn't stop the [[further->EZPZ, lets explore!]] you walk.

Standing solemn above Griffs corpse is Zeta, blood staining on their clothes. They look up at the golems surrounding them and raise their hands, lifting several of them off the ground at once. Zeta crushes them together, then throws them across the battlefield. It's likely the action crushed a person or two, but the grounds impact destroyed the golems easily. Zeta slowly walks over Griffs corpse, toward you and Mina with a frown. [["What happened?"->explain zeta]] [["There's an opening, let's go inside."->go inside]]

"You saw how many of them there were, we got swarmed before we even realized. He took the brunt of the hits and collapsed..." You're not sure if it's sorrow on their face or something more complex, but you do know one thing for sure: "There's an opening at the entrance, we have to go." Zeta's eyes widen, "right, let's go!" You leave what's left of Griff behind as you head into the [[ruins.->go inside]]

You, Mina, and Zeta dodge each swing and the flying debris from the golems, running through the ruin's corridors. "Now, which room was it..." Zeta wonders aloud. Guess you'd better lend them a hand. Which door do you check? [[Middle->wrong way]] [[Right->Griff dead find artifact]] [[Left->wrong room]]

You run straight ahead until you slam into a giant golem. It picks you up throws you across the room and you crack a few ribs. It hurts. Zeta and Mina react quickly, throwing knives and spells its way. You struggle, but get back up while its distracted and help finish it off. That wasn't the right way... [[Left->Left (hurt)]] [[Right->Finally!]]

You again, enter the wrong room. There's nothing but old skeletons and rubble in here. [[Right->Finally!]]

You stumble into the room on the right and with a blast of magic, Zeta sends the golem in the room flying, crumbling to the ground when it hits the opposite wall. You see them smile. "Finally, I wasn't sure I'd see this again..." They stay back and admire the shiny purple ring as you climb the stairs up to retrieve it. Just before you take the last step up you hear flesh pierced behind you and a gasp. You turn to see a dagger in both Zeta's hand and Mina's back. They kick her to the ground as she gasps, coughing blood. "Oops, did I do that? My bad," they smirk, taking a step in your direction. "You should really give me that if you don't want to end up like her and Griff, yeah?" They hold a hand out, awaiting the artifact. [[Give it to them->give artifact (hurt)]] [[Help Mina->help mina]]

You pick up the artifact, thinking about your next move very carefully. You decide your best solution is to give Zeta the artifact, at least for now, it is. "Good, sensible, I knew there was good reason I kept you around. And maybe you'll be worth my time in the future, too. Because with this, I can enslave minds. Just for fun! If I want to play god, to choose if my toys play nice or fight tooth and nail for my entertainment, I can. Doesn't that sound fun? Come, I know you like what you hear, $name." You look back at Mina, she's lost too much blood to be of use to you now, even if she was still alive. You turn back to Zeta, who's put the ring on their finger and a hand on its pedestal in front of them. They begin mumbling something, you're not quite sure what it is, but you know it must be something bad. [[Place your hand on theirs and prove your loyalty->Playing God END]] [[Use this opening to attack->Attack END]]

You reach toward the artifact but fake them out, hopping down from the stairs instead. You rush toward Mina to help her up, noticing a health potion falls from your pocket. You give it to her and lift her off the floor. She's still not in great condition, but it's good enough for a fight. "I knew there was a reason I hated you!" Mina cried. "Oh please, I highly doubt a dagger is the only reason for that. But it doesn't matter, I don't need trust or friendship with this... Once I have a proper amplifier I'll have that whole city under my finger. Who needs a magic barrier when you have meat shields, after all?" [["Why?"->wha? wha?]] [[Attack them->attack (hurt)]]

"Why? Because I can. Because it's fun. Because I want to play god, to choose if my toys play nice or fight tooth and nail for my entertainment. Do I need more of a reason than that?" [[Draw your sword->attack (hurt)]]

You draw your sword and approach Zeta, ready to end it. They let you get close. Too close. Then, before you can swing, they tap your nose with their finger and you go flying against the wall. You definitely feel a few more ribs crack. "Now what was the point of that? I know you've seen that trick plenty of times." You lift yourself back up, approaching them once again. And by no surprise, they fling you back toward the wall. It's much harder this time, but you lift yourself back up and walk forward, one step at a time. Zeta yawns, bored. "You done yet-" It appears Zeta forgot about Mina. What a silly mistake. They look down, seeing a blade piercing their chest from behind. "How's that for the heart?" Mina asks. Before they answer, she removes the blade and plunge it a few more times into their back. She wouldn't take any chances. "Not bad... You're too swift for me... I guess--" They slink to the ground, life leaving their eyes, ring still gripped tightly in their [[hand.->Mina END 1]]

Their grip is tight, even as their breath slows, but you and Mina manage to pry the ring from their hand with enough force. "We should get this back to town, somewhere safe. And thanks for saving me with that potion of yours. I appreciate it." You nod and walk out of the room, Mina trailing behind you. She stops briefly, kicking Zeta over in one last act of hatred. --- When you get back to town Mina takes you back to the building your journey began, the Team Incarnate Revival Building. Mina takes the ring from you and shows you to a room in back with a warded safe. The guard at the door dispells the ward with a wave of their hand and Mina unlocks it, hiding the code from your view. She places the ring inside with a bracelet and a wand. You raise a curious eyebrow. "That ring was so well guarded because of the power it posessed, the ability to control minds. We've seen a few others like it before, and those like Zeta who go mad at the thought of using it. This vault should keep it safe and sound. For now, at least. She shuts the safe, the wards fall back in place. "That being said... You've done a good thing for Maidensborough. Welcome to Team Incarnate, $name." ''END''

You get into the room on the right and with a blast of magic, Zeta sends the golem in the room flying, crumbling to the ground when it hits the opposite wall. You see them smile. "Finally, I wasn't sure I'd see this again..." They stay back and admire the shiny purple ring as you climb the stairs up to retrieve it. Just before you take the last step up you hear flesh pierced behind you and a gasp. You turn to see a dagger in Zeta's hand and Mina's back. They kick her to the ground as she gasps, coughing blood. "Oops, did I do that? My bad," they smirk, taking a step in your direction. "You should really give me that if you don't want to end up like her and Griff, yeah?" They hold a hand out, awaiting the artifact. [[Give them the ring->give artifact (hurt)]] [[Help Mina->help mina]]

You place your hand on Zeta's and feel the thrumming of the ring. You aren't sure what you're doing, but you focus enough of your energy into--whatever-- until a flash of light blinds you and you let go. You hear Zeta chuckle. "Much faster than I thought it'd be, thanks to you. Let's go back to town and see what kind of fun we can have..." --- You leave the ruins and see a scene of frozen combatants made of flesh and stone both. They await your instruction. Zeta waves the ring in front of one's face and they slowly move to a resting position, still awaiting a command. [["Dance"->dance]] [["Go home"->Home]]

You raise your sword while theyre distracted, but they feel your blade slice the air as you do so. They stop you with a blast to the wall and turn to face you. "I give you a chance to play //god// and you //REFUSE??// Oh, how entitled!" They lift you back off the ground and drop you on the other side of the room. You groan, getting up to your feet, but they were waiting for that. You find a bloody dagger launched at your head and you don't put up much of a fight, falling to the ground immediately. You shouldn't have tried to fight them solo... ''END''

Without hesitation, you see them bust into the robot and //man// are they feeling themselves. What a fun little power. "Come, there's one last thing on my to do list." You leave the dancer there to enjoy their robot as Zeta takes you back to the [[city.->city END]]

The person turns and sprints off toward the city like nothing had ever been as important as returning home in this very moment. what a neat little power. "Come, there's one last thing on my to do list." You leave the dancer there to enjoy their robot as Zeta takes you back to the [[city.->city END]]

You and Zeta leave the still battlefield and go back to town, entering the building this whole adventure began: The Team Incarnate Revival Building. Zeta takes you in a hidden back room where a guard stands frozen. Zeta waves their hand in front of their face. "Wards," they say. Further in the room is a safe with wards slowly deactivating. Zeta walks forward and looks at the code box, thinking about a combination. They try a few different things, finally opening the safe up wide. Inside is a wand and a bracelet, which they immediately grab. "Artifacts from two other ruins, and there are more out there. With all of them, this town won't be the only thing in my reach. I'll control the whole world." They smile at you. It's the most mad, twisted, yet genuine smile you've seen from them. It's horrifying. "Thanks for your help, $name. Glad to have you by my side." ''END''

You run straight ahead until you slam into a giant golem. It picks you up throws you across the room and you crack a few ribs. It hurts. Zeta and Griff react quickly, smashing it with a warhammer and spells. You struggle, but get back up while its distracted and help finish it off. That wasn't the right way... [[Left->go left]] [[Right->artifaaaaaact]]

You again, enter the wrong room. There's nothing but old skeletons and rubble in here. [[Go Right->artifaaaaaact]]

You reach toward the artifact but fake them out, hopping down from the stairs instead. You rush toward Griff to help him up, noticing a health potion falls from your pocket. You give it to him and lift him off the floor. He's still not in great condition, but it's good enough for a fight. "You know, I always liked you, firecracker. Shame it's gotta end this way, huh?" Aw, how sweet. Don't tell me you pity me because we're 'friends.' Who knew you were so sentimental, old man! Once I have a proper amplifier I'll have that whole city under my finger, I won't //need// friends. Oh, but I'll keep my promise, a barrier for the city, I'm not that shallow. It just won't be a magic barrier... who needs one when you have meat shields anyway?" [[Why?->but why?]] [[Attack->attack!!]]

Griff sighs, closing Zeta's eyes while you do your best to pry the ring from their tight grip. "Sorry, bastard. See you in the next life." Your eyes gravitate toward Griff as he stares at the dead elf before you. "Wonder what went wrong with em, how they cracked.. Incarnate'll miss em." [["We should bury them"->funeral]] [["Um, Griff..."->city]]

"That's sweet, kid. I think I know just the place." Griff picks up his hammer and straps it to his back, bending down to pick up Zeta. He nods you out of the room with them and together, you take them back to the collapsed tunnel. "Here, now they can fight with Mina for a long time to come. You know, I think she liked them more than she was willing to admit. They weren't so bad when you got to know em better." He smiles, resting them on the ground, digging at the rubble to cover them up. ''"You old bastard!"'' You hear Mina shouting from beneath the rubble; guess she wasn't crushed after all. ''"Never let me hear you say that again, you hear me?! Now get me //out of here!"//'' You and Griff exchange a look of shock; he laughs. "We're comin' we're comin'!" It takes a while, but you manage to pull Mina out of the the rubble alright, though she's badly ingured and broke one of the horns on her head, her fire hasn't drained from her spirit. "They tripped me while you two ran up ahead... at least tell me you got the ring?" Griff nods. "C'mon girl, we'll tell ya the story as we head back to the [[city.->cityyy]]

"Huh? Oh, we should head back, shouldn't we? Sorry, kid, just gimme a moment, will ya? I'll meet ya outside." You nod and walk out of the ruin, the fight outside drawing to a close. You help take out the last few golems until you see Griff step outside of the ruins. "Lets go, kid. I wanna show you somethin', okay?" You nod, following the uneasy dwarf back to the place your adventure began: The Team Incarnate Revival Building. Griff stops by the counter for sorrowful yet celebratory pint of shitty ale and downs it faster than you could say "sorrowful yet celebratory pint." He slams it on the counter and motions you past the counter, toward a hidden room in back, both locked and [[guarded.->guarded]]

Griff seems more chipper with Mina draped across his shoulder, but he didn't seem ready to recount to her the story. You did most of the talking on the way back to town, Mina piping up with profain comments when she felt it was right to do so. You finish recounting the days events right when you reach the place your story began: The Team Incarnate Revival Building. Griff carefully rests Mina on a chair and calls for a round of drinks and some healing supplies from the front counter. It all comes quick enough and you both help patch Mina up as best as you can. "Well, despite all Zeta did, thanks for burying them. I don't think I would have escaped on my own if you hadn't come back down." Mina takes a swig of her ale, spitting it in your face when Griff wraps a bandage over a tender spot on her stomach. "OW!" Griff just chuckles. "There, just about finished. We'll get you checked into a healers soon, but I thought we should show $name the vault first." "I agree, let's [[lock->lock]] that ring up before it causes more trouble." Mina takes her time rising from her chair and she still needs Griffs help walking, but she seems in higher spirits at least.

The guard nods and lets you both inside where you see a safe covered in wards. The guard deactivates them and Griff inputs a code, opening it up. He shows you a gold bracelet and a black wand, though he pulls them away from you when you attempt to touch them. "No touchin', the guard don't like that very much, do ya bud?" You see the guard shake their head. Got it, no touchy. "This ain't the first time someone's dug up an artifact like this, just the first one from inside the organization to try and use it." Griff puts the items back in the safe, locking it up tight. "Now protocal says I gotta put that one in there with the rest, but we don't know the extent of its power yet. I want you to take real good careful of that ring. Never let it outta your sight, you hear?" You nod. "Well, this is all a bit informal, but, we could use a guy like you to take over for Mina and Zeta. So, welcome to Team Incarnate." ''END''

They lead you into the back of the building near a guard and a hidden room, locked up tight. When the guard sees you all approach they unlock the door, making a warded safe visible inside. The guard disables the wards and Mina inputs a pin, opening the safe. Inside you see a gold bracelet and a dark wand the sight of which makes you shiver you're not sure why. "The ring, please." You give Mina the ring, as she requests, and she places it inside the safe. "We're not sure yet, but we think all these artifacts could be connected to something bigger. In the past people have dug these up and tried to use them, but this is the first time it's been a mole within our walls." Mina starts. "We're sure there's more of em out there somewhere, they just needta be dug up. It was good to have your help with this one, kid. Think you might wanna help us again?" Griff asked. You shrug. "I'll take that as a sure..." he chuckles. "Well then. Let me be the first to welcome you to Team Incarnate, $name." ''END''

What would you like to ask? [["How do you know the ring will create a barrier?"->Barrier]] [["Why are the animals so aggressive?"->animals]] [["Why don't you two get along?"->frenemies]] [["No more questions"->Goodnight]]

Mina ponders the question for a moment. You see a sharp fang poke out of her mouth. It's kind of cute, but you don't think she'd appreciate you pointing it out. You recall Zeta saying that dragon-kin like her were an angry sort. "Well, Zeta has been with Team Incarnate since even before I was recruited, and I was born on this world, unlike most people around here. They can be a bit of a wild card, but Incarnate trusts their judgement, and from what information they could gather before the ruins unleashed a horde of golems, that's what they think the ring is capable of." [[Ask something else->More questions]] [[That's all->Goodnight]]

"I've lived in Maidensborough my whole life. The wilderness has always been aggressive, but only when you got too close for their comfort. Now, some animals are slipping into town. I'm not sure what's made them so brave, but it happened just after Zeta and I explored a cave near a town just north of here. It was a ruin, like this one. And what we found in there had a strange aura. A strong one." Mina paused, choosing her next words carefully. "I can't explain it, but I think that artifact might be involved, somehow." [["What was the artifact?"->what was it]] [[Ask something else->More questions]] [[No more questions->Goodnight]]

"Huh?" Her eyes widen. Mina wasn't expecting that question. "I don't know, they just can't take anything seriously. They've //never// been able to take anything seriously. But they weren't always this bad. They've always been sarcastic, to an extent, but they used to be so calm; quiet. And they used to care more about their peers, but something in them changed. They seem too eager to throw us all into danger. For an artifact that could better Maidensborough, I guess I can understand, but it doesn't entirely feel right to me." Mina huffs and pulls a dagger from her pocket, spinning it around in her fingers. The longer she focuses on it, the more she cools off from her little rant. "Anything else you'd like to pry about or shall I count myself lucky and run while I can?" [[Ask something else->More questions]] [[No more questions->Goodnight]]

Mina opens her mouth to speak, but she closes it and shakes her head. "I can't tell you that. In fact, I probably shouldn't have told you about //any// of that. I'm sorry." It seems like she wants to tell you, but her better judgement won't allow her to. [[Ask something else->More questions]] [[No more questions->Goodnight]]

"Good to hear. Lets call it a day, huh? The raid is tomorrow!" You aren't complaining about an early nights rest, but you do wonder how tomorrow will go. You and Mina part ways, and you head to your quarters to get some rest. You pull off your boots and change into a set of clothes far less sweaty, realizing just how tired you really are. As soon as your head hits the pillow, you drift to sleep, at the mercy of your [[dreams.->dream]]

As you open your eyes, the world seems foggy; hazed by incomplete imagery. You're in the place you first woke up: the Team Incarnate Revival Building. You grab the brass handle of the large oak door in front of you, but your hand pushes right through it. You press your hand against the door itself and again, your hand slips right through it. You step back, examining your hands and body, but nothing seems out of place...until you look at your feet. You can't quite describe it, but they aren't on the ground. You feel as if you're on stable ground, but your feet are clearly floating above you--as if you're weightless. You're in a dream, or so you think. But everything seems too real; too [[vivid.->vivid]]

You start with your hands, and then your whole body, pushing yourself through the oak door; a spector in the world around you. You walk down the stairs, into the central tavern of the building, where people of all shapes and sizes are laughing and working in groups. Nobody seems to notice you...but you notice someone right away. A dragonkin with pitch black horns on her head, short, raven hair, and peachy skin: Mina. And to her left, you see another familiar face. A taller person with tanish-brown skin and wavy hair framing their face: Zeta. What was strange was that neither of them were slinging insults at one another. They were quiet, examining something in Zeta's [[hand.->hand]]

"You found that?" Mina asks. Zeta nods and you step closer to get a look at what they're holding, but they close their hand around the object before you get the chance. "I can feel power thrumming through it, but I can't quite pin the energy surrounding it," they reply. "What do you mean?" "Well, all magic has intention behind it. The intention set by whoever is using it, or in this case, whoever made this thing. It's energy is comfortable, but it's strong--chaotic maybe?" Mina tilts her head, confusion painted across her face. "So, what the hell does that mean?" "It //means// I'd like to study it more. It's the strangest thing I've ever come across!" "If you don't know what you're dealing with, then I'd say we should lock it up." "I think you're just afraid of what you don't understand." They retort, "if I go back to that ruin I can learn more about it!" Mina rolls her eyes. "That won't be my decision. Just tell me before you do something stupid." "Me, stupid?" Zeta laughs. [["I would never!"->never]]

Mina walks off and the rest of the world seems to blur as you focus on Zeta. Around you, it twists and turns, painting a brand new scene, the sarcastic researcher at its center. When the scene clears up you find yourself underground, surrounded by small mounds of rubble, with a sculpted rock at the top of each one that looked almost like a face. Zeta stands at the center of the ruin, dust kicking up around them. You hear soft whispers around them, speaking in tongues you don't understand. The only word you seem to recognize is //more.// "And where are the rest?" Zeta asks. The voices whisper back as you step closer, through the dusty fog before you. The closer you step, the thicker it feels. Your breath feels heavy as you inhale it, but you aren't suffocating. Neither is Zeta. "Well that's not far at all. I guess I'd better get going. That ring won't find itself!" Zeta turns, and the whispers fall silent, as does the heavy dust flating around them. The imagery around you starts to fade into darkness as your body stirs awake. The last thing you're able to make out is a familiar, mischevious grin on Zeta's face, as an indistinguishable object glows in their hand. [[//Wake up//->Group Up]]

What was it they said, the West Tower? Yes, you think that's it. You wander over in that direction and a large tower comes into view off in the distance. You meander, looking around at the rest of the town until you see the training dummies in a fenced off area below the tower. At one such dummy is a woman with shining black scales across her body and horns atop her head. You spot Zeta leaning over the fence, watching and ridiculing the woman as she throws knives at the dummy's vitals. Zeta hears you as you walk closer and turns, waving you [[over->continue]]. "Hurry up and get over here, we've got work to do!" they shout.