GPT2 Transformer CYOA

Double-click this passage to edit it.

Tilted Sands An interactive story written with Transformer <img src="https://birdrobot.neocities.org/twine/desert6.jpeg"> <img src="https://birdrobot.neocities.org/twine/desert7.jpeg">Who cares about some strange, weird tunnels? If the goal is to find a place where there's a snake and a bunch of rocks, then maybe that would be a good place to start. But you don't like the idea of being stuck in a place for a long time, because you know that you will have to leave eventually. That's just how the world works. <center>...</center> The night sky has been completely ruined by the sun at this point. Morning has arrived, and there is nothing you can do about it. You are completely exhausted, and your heart feels like a piece of paper that is about to be thrown away. All around you, the towering rocks are just sitting there, useless, like some kind of monument to a failed world. It makes you wonder why you ever came here at all, especially now that the sky is full of so much dust and ash and heat. The cool night is long gone, and the world looks like some kind of gigantic furnace with a bunch of things burning all over it. You wonder if, between the sunrise and now, the stars have been replaced by some strange monster that will destroy everything. But you still have plenty of time left before the sun is going to burn you to a crisp. You keep walking and walking until finally you come upon something that is not as boring as the other things you have seen. Before you lies a [[huge crater]], the size of a mountain.

You could take one of these rocks with you and use it to build a raft, but you're a little bit nervous about getting it wet. NOTES: offer the ring to the stone hands = a proposal, leading to an ending where you marry them; maybe tacked on to the general ending of this route where you follow the map with the stone hands ! most remaining endings converge on the tower marked on the map, even if the map is not part of the route ! NO SNAKE, HAVE ARMS: no stone hands = unable to successfully navigate without the stone hands, get turned into a frog? with stone hands = successfully navigate, other things happen + ring = various proposal options + snakewater at 2 = unable to reach the tower, get turned into a snake + snakewater at 1 = partial snake transformation? WITH SNAKE, NO ARMS: [[Everything is in balance.]] no room, no wizard option, no stone hands snake finds a way out of the cave, live happily ever after with the snake, come to accept loss of arms HAVE SNAKE, HAVE ARMS: [[You smile and pat the snake's side as if it were your favorite friend on the road.]] snake finds a way out of the cave, live happily ever after with the snake... + snakewater at 2 = ...as a snake + snakewater at 1 = ...as a snake-human monster + snakewater at 0 = ...as a human OTHER: [[Explore.]] (no snake, have arms, immersed in snake bath, lost in snake bath, does not connect to cliff tower ending, player must have snakewater +2 to be on this path... connect back to regular snake path?) [[dig a tunnel]] (stupid joke ending) [[tunnel on the right]] (longer route than digging, but not as long as the snake stuff) (scrap this one maybe? this stupid fucking story is getting way too long. or make it shorter.) --- You start walking down the second path, and notice that there seems to be an odd stinking smell coming from somewhere ahead. It doesn't smell like something you shouldn't be smelling, but it's not just any old smell either. You've never smelled such weird things in a location like this before. What kind of thing makes this smell? Before long, your question is answered as you come across a giant lizard that's apparently just trying to be the least disgusting thing on this path and failing miserably. The lizard spots looks up and spots you... but it does not seem to be afraid of you, nor is it attacking you. It just stares you down with its massive eye sockets, which are filled to the brim with sharp green eyes that would make a grizzly bear blush. The lizard raises an eyebrow, which lizards don't normally have - for obvious reasons - but this one does. "Go away!" he roars. "This path is closed!" This smelly bastard is blocking your way, but you can't turn back now! The lizard shakes his head in annoyance and emits the saddest and most grating noise a creature can generate when frustrated. "I don't care about your tricks," he whines. "And I don't want to be friends with you. I have other problems to deal with." "Like what?" you ask. "You haven't noticed the terrible stink of my skin?" he replies. You have definitely noticed, but you weren't sure whether it was intentional or merely accidental. Suddenly, you have an idea. You boldly walk up to the smelly lizard and say, "Hey lizard, do you have a special sauce?" The lizard simply nods back, seemingly confused that you are inquiring into something so obvious. "It is my special sauce that makes me so successful at being smelly and weird all the time," he says sadly. "I understand the smell that you're having," you say reassuringly, "and I'm a pretty good wizard, so I may be able to help you." After a short pause, the lizard starts to explain in more detail about his special sauce and the reason why he's unable to get rid of it. It seems that he is stuck with it until he completes a particular task. The task is not particularly difficult, but is rather boring and involves doing things that are pointless and stupid, so he keeps coming up with excuses to not do it. All he must do is make a potion of super slime, which requires three ingredients: a strand of human hair , an egg, and a slime stone. "And it has to be stirred exactly a hundred and six times," he says. The lizard sighs and says, "It's not very hard to find them. I actually already have the egg and the slime stone - I found them at the bottom of a river a couple weeks ago, but fishing them out was so painfully dull that I just had to stop in the road and take a nap, and I've been here ever since." "So now all you need is a strand of hair?" you ask. The lizard nods slowly, looking as though he has a headache. You tell the lizard that you are a hair-ball collector, and that you have collected countless strands of hair at an abandoned hair-ball factory, and since you also grow your own hair you are very pleased to spread the wealth and share the bounty that you hold. The lizard is obviously impressed with your ability to get so much hair , and when he realizes what you're offering, his big green eyes begin to water his big green eyes begin to water like a pair of thirsty frogs in a soft spring rain. "Thank you," he says as he reaches down to pluck a single strand of hair from your head. You rub your head and ask the lizard what needs to be done next to make the potion. You're not really sure how potion-making works - you majored in spell crafting back when you were in magic college a couple hours ago. Still, though, you're pretty sure you're still more advanced than a lizard with no experience at all. The lizard explains that you'll need to mix the slime stone and the egg together with a special spoon that the lizard invented to make a perfect potion without accidentally poisoning yourself when mixing the ingredients. Then you need to pour the mixture into a large glass bowl and use your fingers to pick up the strand of hair and put it in the bowl. Then you have to wait for the ingredients to crystallize so that the magic can work before you start to stir the potion. "And remember," says the lizard, "you have to stir it exactly one hundred and six times. If you don't, then it won't work." You smile and look at the lizard like he's just shown you a cool piece of jewelry or some fancy new outfit. He hasn't, but you look at him as if he has, because of all the stupid things you have had to do on this adventure so far, this is the most boring of them all. And you're so tired of doings things that are stupid in an exciting way. It might be nice to spend some time working on this thing that is stupid in a boring way. You feel like your exhausted body is just a bunch of metal shavings in a blender, and you're trying desperately not to let the noise startle anyone. You narrow your eyes at the lizard, because you hate to do things that are dumb, especially when you know full well that you aren't good at them. Plus, you could be doing something you'd consider "cool" instead. But you really don't have a choice here. If you want to continue down this path, you'll have to make a dumb potion for this smelly lizard. The lizard looks at you quizzically, like he's about to make an odd facial expression or something. You take the hint and just wordlessly nod your head with a look of exasperation and annoyance on your face, like you just hate what your life has become and you want to throw the whole thing into the nearest dumpster. Then you carefully roll your eyes in a way that makes it clear that you 're a complete asshole. You're not sure if the lizard notices any of this though. The first thing the lizard said you have to do is mix the slime stone and the egg with the special spoon he gave you, so you toss them both into a bowl and look around for the spoon... where'd you put that again? You search for the spoon by looking under a bunch of loose dirt and rocks until you find it. That wasn't so hard. Now there 's nothing standing between you and the potable potion your lizard friend is so anxious to pour over his stinking body. You mix the slime stone and the egg in the bowl until they are totally combined, making a very creamy and slippery mess. You pour the contents into a second bowl and carefully pick up the strand of hair and use your teeth as a comb to gently clean away any dirt before you add it to the bowl. Wait for it to crystallize. ... You've almost reached the finish line now, only a few steps left until the ultimate showdown between the lizard's stink and this potion's powerful anti- bacterial properties. As you wait for the ingredients to crystallize, you think about the strange circumstances in which you were born. Your father was the most disgusting man the local village ever had to offer and your mother was an affront to God himself, and they were married because the church figured it would at least be an interesting way to demonstrate to God that the human race didn 't deserve salvation. On the day you were born, all of the townspeople gathered around to boo and heckle your birth. But it was pouring rain, and there was an eruption of volcanic ash from the volcano near your home, and the weather was so awful that some of them went home early and instead just prayed that you would go straight to hell someday. Suddenly there's a cracking sound. You check the bowl of ingredients and see that it has crystallized. Time to stir... how many times was it?

Tilted Sands An interactive story written with Transformer <img src="https://birdrobot.neocities.org/twine/abstract3.jpeg"> <img src="https://birdrobot.neocities.org/twine/abstract4.jpeg">(if: $scooped is "no")[The dancing blue stars appear as the brightest objects within the cloud, and they form a blue ring around the center of the cloud. As the cloud contracts, the stars expand outward, until the ring of stars is so large that it almost touches the edge of the cloud. This is where the light comes from, and it is very powerful and impressive, but it is also a lot of fun to watch. Light from the stars plays against the dark exposed rock of the crater, creating a spectacular effect that will leave you in awe of the beauty of the world, but not so impressed that you want to stay and look at it longer. Try to [[scoop up some of the dust cloud]]. Go back to the [[huge crater]]. [[Start]] over from the beginning.] (else-if: $scooped is "yes")[The glowing, blue light is so bright and energetic that it causes the walls of the cloud to ripple in all directions . The energy is too much for the cloud to contain, and the light explodes into an avalanche of blue fire, and the whole world is lit up with a [[brilliant flood of light and energy]].]

Tilted Sands An interactive story written with Transformer <img src="https://birdrobot.neocities.org/twine/abstract4.jpeg"> <img src="https://birdrobot.neocities.org/twine/abstract5.jpeg">As the clouds continue to shake and ripple, you realize that the only thing you can do is wait for the strange storm to pass. It's like you're waiting for a wave to sweep over you, or a tornado to devour you, and it's all your fault that you were born into a world where this kind of thing happens. You press your hands against your chest in an effort to hold onto the warm sensation of being alive. The feeling is so overwhelming that you nearly cry, and you begin to remember what it feels like to have a heart, and you wonder if this is what it's supposed to feel like. You remember the last time you had ever felt this way. You remember it because you have a terrible feeling that maybe you've been crying for a long time. Maybe it's time you started to feel happy again. When you close your eyes, it feels as though [[everything is going to be okay]], even though you're crying.

Tilted Sands An interactive story written with Transformer <img src="https://birdrobot.neocities.org/twine/abstract2.jpeg"> <img src="https://birdrobot.neocities.org/twine/abstract4.jpeg">Suddenly, the cloud moves aside and you see an incredible sky, a deep blue sky filled with thousands of stars, a sky that's been waiting for the right moment to reveal itself, blanketing the entire world in a blue haze of brilliance. The stars have all begun to rise, a perfect cascade of light that is the ultimate display of all that is good and beautiful and worth living for. Your heart is filled with a sense of joy that is unlike anything you have ever experienced. The world has become alive again. It doesn't matter that you've been crying all this time, it doesn't matter that you're scared and alone and don't know what to do anymore, because you know you can find meaning and comfort in this life, in this moment of burning brightness under the stars. (set:$ending1 to "yes")... <center>Ending 1 out of ##. [[Start]] over and play again?</center>

Tilted Sands An interactive story written with Transformer <img src="https://birdrobot.neocities.org/twine/snake3.jpeg"> <img src="https://birdrobot.neocities.org/twine/cave2.jpeg">You don't like how big the snake is, or how strong its jaws are , or how much of a problem it is. Maybe you don't even care if it likes you or your snake hand shakes or the kind of stuff that you're wearing today. You turn and run away from the snake, back the way you came. You run and you run, but you don't want to run too fast, because you don't want to hurt your back. (if: $sleeves is "no")[Eventually you are on your hands and knees in the hot desert, snakeless. The snake didn't even bother to chase you down. You feel sorry for it because it wasn't able to hold your hand for the shake, or even appreciate that the very large muscles in your arms were being flexed specifically for its sake. Now you are alone in the desert again, and your only companion is some sand. You spend a long time standing there and thinking about snakes and how they don't even respect a sweet hand shake. Your biceps are the best-tasting AND best-looking muscles in your whole body, so why can't snakes just appreciate that? The thought that somehow you couldn't impress a snake with your best muscles makes you sick to your stomach. But your biceps are so fucking good that you know that the problem was with the snake and not your arms. [[Keep being mad about it.]] [[Start<-Start over.]] ](else-if: $sleeves is "yes")[One question haunts your mind: what if your arms aren't as large and your biceps aren't as strong as you thought they were? How far do you have to run before you get tired of trying so hard to shake away the snake's disdain? A few miles? Another day? A week? Even when you have run for so long that you are aching for breath, so long that you have given up but you know that you can never admit it to yourself, there is still one thought that lingers, that gnaws at the very core of your being: your arms aren't so large that they can hold a snake's attention, and it is all downhill from here for your biceps. Your biceps are nothing compared to that snake and for now there's nothing you can do to change that. So you stop running and stand there, arms outstretched like some kind of pathetic cowboy, gazing upward at what is obviously the sky, and wonder why God would allow snakes to be so large and so strong in a world where everything else seems so frail in comparison. As your arms reach up, you begin to relax, and the world begins to lose some of its sharp edges as you get used to having arms that cannot impress a giant snake. Maybe having arms that don't dominate your shoulders is just one of life's many lessons in tolerance for failure. Maybe it's okay to admit when your arms are just mediocre at best and perhaps, just maybe there are better arms out there. For now, it is a day-to-day struggle to let go of the old "big arms are good for you" myth and become a more balanced person. But now you know that you are more than your arms; you are something far more complex, and far more special in the grand scheme of things than those arms in your shoulders. (set:$ending4 to "yes") <center>Ending 4 out of ##. [[Start]] over and play again?</center>]

Tilted Sands An interactive story written with Transformer <img src="https://birdrobot.neocities.org/twine/snake3.jpeg"> <img src="https://birdrobot.neocities.org/twine/cave2.jpeg">You power-walk up to the snake's head and get into a position that will allow you to easily grab it with your feet, while avoiding its attacks. There's no one right way to do this, and you 'll have to experiment with various techniques and strategies. It's kind of awkward now that you have your feet firmly on either side of the snake's head, and you are also not really sure what to do next, but at least you're moving around. As you're doing this, the snake is beginning to grow increasingly uncomfortable, because this new strategy that you're trying out is pretty overwhelming and confusing for it. It now has to adjust the way it responds to whatever you're trying to do. The snake thrashes around trying to shake your feet off of its head. Snakes will only tolerate you hitting them with your toes for so long before they get pissed off and start to thrash around. You're thrown from the snake and your feet slide all around the ground like tarantulas in the rain. Finally, they hit the rock wall, along with your ankles and calves and the rest of your body. The snake is on you in an instant, and your toes are crushed in its jaws like ants in a box full of nails. In other words, you've got a bad case of toe injuries. You're out a lot of toes at this point, and you're really not comfortable with the direction the snake is going with this. It doesn't take long for the snake to eat the rest of your legs off and replace them with little bits of its own shed skin. That's pretty sad, but at least you're comfortable with the way you're handling the situation. The snake finally decides that you're no longer a threat, and the next thing you know, you're curled up in a ball on the soft, warm sand. You realize that your legs are a lot more fragile than you thought, and the memory of the snake eating them reminds you that there's no point in getting all worked up about it. You lie back and think about the experience and how it made you feel. It made you realize that you shouldn't be so critical of snakes, because sometimes they are just trying to help you out by giving you sweet new legs that are so shiny and soft they will literally make you forget about getting your old ones ripped off. These legs make your old ones look like crap. Anyway, you're pretty happy with the way things turned out, despite being unable to regain your old arms. At least you got rid of those stupid, ugly legs and now you can be proud of your new, beautiful, scaly legs. (set:$ending2 to "yes") <center>Ending 2 out of ##. [[Start]] over and play again?</center>

Tilted Sands An interactive story written with Transformer <img src="https://birdrobot.neocities.org/twine/towel.jpeg"> <img src="https://birdrobot.neocities.org/twine/caveext2.jpeg">You're shocked by what you find. It's a big, beautiful, colorful towel. You grab it with both hands and pull it over your head. The texture is soft and smooth, like a shark. The smell of the towel is intoxicating and you feel like a winner. You go back to the area where the [[small cave opening]] is, now a towel and a can of soda richer. (set:$towel to "yes")

Wait... what? What were you just thinking about? Something about the safety of your mouth? How can you possibly think that this kind of stuff is important? That's stupid. You're not even close to safe. You've never been safe before, and you're not going to start now. Your mouth has the capacity to swallow anything, anything that is placed in it and you are just going to let that happen. [[You will swallow everything you think is going to hurt you, and that includes this snake.]]

You try a variety of moves (like biting back, kicking its teeth with your slippery feet, doing some arm pull ups, etc…) but the snake's mouth is just too much and you are too embarrassed about being eaten to try anything else. What an awful experience, but this is a very cool way of seeing snakes from the inside. (set:$gameover5 to "yes") <center>GAME OVER. [[Use your own body as a lure for the snake.<-Go back to last checkpoint.]] [[Start<-Go back to the beginning.]]

Tilted Sands An interactive story written with Transformer <img src="https://birdrobot.neocities.org/twine/desert3.jpeg"> <img src="https://birdrobot.neocities.org/twine/desert4.jpeg">Snakes are a fucking joke. You can use your good arms to demonstrate how beautiful a bicep is to behold, but that won't even scratch the surface of it. And this also is very hard because even though snakes recognize symmetry, they don't know how to look at the shape of the whole bicep, from shoulder and elbow down, in order to comprehend it properly. Snake eyes are stupid and they cannot see the whole bicep at once! That's why they often make terrible choices. You're so focused on hating snakes, that you don't notice the fact that you have developed a serious case of sand-sneeze fever, which is an extremely common thing to happen when you are very angry and neglect to not breathe in a bunch of sand that is being blown around. Snake rage can cause you to feel all sorts of emotions, like: anger, fear, and the urge to fight a bunch of snakes. Unfortunately, snake rage also causes you to make extremely stupid choices like not seeking any medical help for sand-sneeze fever, which is easily treated with a simple cough and sniff procedure at a hospital. But you are just too tired from all that rage to do anything about it. (set:$gameover2 to "yes") <center>GAME OVER. [[Use your own body as a lure for the snake.<-Go back to last checkpoint.]] [[Start<-Go back to the beginning.]]]

The water seems to be more or less fine, and you are finding it hard to resist the urge to jump in and join the party. Soon, your gross clothing is in a pile next to the water, and you are about to become even grosser as you swim around in a rancid pool of salt water in a cave full of snakes. You can't quite put your finger on why the water feels so good, but it probably has something to do with the high temperature and the high density of snake skin. And hey, at least now you have a new favorite activity to do when you find yourself in a snake-infested cave. You wash your body with the water until you are as clean as possible. Still, the bathing snakes do not so much as glance over at you, though you're not sure whether it's because they are trying to avoid the awkwardness of your naked body or because they simply don't notice that you are actually there. For a moment, you're tempted to just swim around and explore the cave, but that would definitely put you in serious danger if you got lost or stumbled into the wrong snake... (set:$snakewater to "2") [[Explore.]] [[Get out.]]

Double-click this passage to edit it.

(if:$snakewater is "2")[That's a stupid idea, of course. You know better than to explore the cave while naked and you're not going to be too happy if some snake bites you before you can put your clothes back on. You look around for the snake you came in with, but you aren't sure where that snake has gone, or if it's still there. In any case, the most important thing is to get out of the cave as soon as possible. The snake is probably fine on its own and it may even be happy that you're not bothering it. You pull yourself out of the water and clamber to your feet. As you stand there, dripping wet, you can't help but notice that you've just had a very nice bath. But as you go to retrieve your clothes, you realize that they're gone! How did this happen? Is this just some kind of weird prank the snakes pulled on you? Can snakes really be so sneaky? How are snakes that big able to do that without you noticing? You consider what to do next, but you already know the answer: you just have to get the hell out of the cave as soon as possible, with or without clothes. What else can you do? (if: $towel is "yes")[Wait... the towel! It's still sitting right there near the water. You had completely forgotten you were a winner of any kind, but you remember now that you won that towel! You're so glad you won the towel. You can use it to cover up your shame! But will you? [[Wear the towel.]] [[Do not wear the towel.]]] (else-if:$towel is "no")[It's time to make your way out of this weird cave. [[You start walking toward what is probably the exit, feeling a slight sense of dread for reasons you're not entirely sure of.]]]] (if:$snakewater = "1")[You look around for the snake you came in with, but you aren't sure where that snake has gone, or if it's still there. In any case, the most important thing is to get out of the cave as soon as possible. The snake is probably fine on its own and it may even be happy that you're not bothering it. [[You start walking toward what is probably the exit, feeling a slight sense of dread for reasons you're not entirely sure of.]]]

You think that if you manage to punch it enough times, it will get bored and decide to go somewhere else instead. So you start punching the snake as hard as you can , while yelling things like "I am going to make a scene now" and "Why can't you just be nice to me?" until suddenly the snake just starts doing whatever it is snakes do when they are bored. But the snake doesn't leave. Instead, it wraps its tail around your ankle in a flash and before you know what's happening, you find yourself dangling upside down about two meters off the ground. It looks at you with those big yellow eyes and the way it looks at you is as if it's saying "Hey, chill out man, you're going to be okay, just stop being such a dick to me!" Maybe this snake isn't your enemy. It's then that you realize you know this snake! It's the snake that wanted to take you to a warm bath in the first place. You have a strange feeling that the snake wants to protect you from something, maybe because you are not quite as smart as it thought you were. Or perhaps it just wants to be kind of annoying by following you around for a while. Either way, it's probably pretty cool that it has decided that you are its friend. [[You smile and pat the snake's side as if it were your favorite friend on the road.]]

You pretend that you are just too stupid to have figured out what snakes look and sound like, and that all you know is some weird, weird stuff. And of course, you are really good at pretending to be really, really stupid. Carefully, quietly, you sneak out from behind a rock and start poking yourself in the eyes with your fingers. That will help you stay awake and alert, with the added benefit of making your eyes less able to focus on things, including snakes. Once your pupils and corneas are fully relaxed, you stealthily move past the snake. You think maybe you're a hero and deserve a nice reward, but first things first. You've successfully escaped the snake bath and now need to find your way back to safety. [[Keep going.]](set:$wizardry to "null")(set:$snakebath to "yes")(set:$arms to "yes")

Before you know it, you hit something and it sends you tumbling to the ground. You scramble to your feet and immediately realize that you have to get to an area of the cave where there are no more snakes, because the something that you ran into just now could very well be a snake. And it is. You stare at the snake before you and you feel your guts begin to churn and your blood begin to boil in your veins and your hands start to tremble and you realize that you're about to make an awful lot of stupid choices. The snake watches you cautiously. [[Start punching the snake while screaming like a maniac for some reason.]] [[Pretend you don't know the difference between a snake and a rock and just keep moving past it.]]

You pick up the towel and wrap it around your horrible ass while you try to forget all about this whole snake bath thing. Now it's time to make your way out of this weird cave. [[You start walking toward what is probably the exit, feeling a slight sense of dread for reasons you're not entirely sure of.]]

What shame could you possibly have? You're not afraid to admit that you have no shame left, and you're also not even particularly worried about the fate of the towel. And why would you even want to wear a towel at all in the first place? It's like having your butt in a bag of sugar and hoping that no one notices when the ants come around. Now it's time to make your way out of this weird cave. [[You start walking toward what is probably the exit, feeling a slight sense of dread for reasons you're not entirely sure of.]]

Tilted Sands An interactive story written with Transformer <img src="https://birdrobot.neocities.org/twine/box.jpeg"> <img src="https://birdrobot.neocities.org/twine/cave8.jpeg">There's no way you'll regret opening this box. You're definitely not falling for any trickery here. (set:$openedbox to "yes") You lift the lid and peer inside to find three objects: a small silver bell, a gold ring, and a tattered old map. The silver bell is inscribed with glowing runes and symbols that appear to correspond somehow with similarly marked locations on the map. It's obviously a magical object, but you can't tell what exactly it does. The map has many of the same symbols that are engraved on the bell. Next, you pick up the gold ring. It's quite shiny, but not as shiny as the bell, and it doesn't glow. It's not a magical item, but it's still a nice ring and it certainly looks cool. Which of the three items will you examine closer? Or would you prefer to [[Keep going.<-look around the room some more before messing with anything important]]? [[The bell.]] [[The ring.]] [[The map.]]

Tilted Sands An interactive story written with Transformer <img src="https://birdrobot.neocities.org/twine/cave7.jpeg"> <img src="https://birdrobot.neocities.org/twine/cave8.jpeg">(if:$wizardry is "null" or "rejected")[You pick up the map and examine it. It is a map that shows the route to a tower that appears to be atop a cliff overlooking an immense lake. There are several different paths that lead to it, each of which is marked with a different symbol, though you don't recognize any of them. You do recognize some of the landmarks, though, and so you can tell that it's actually a map of the surrounding area.](if:$wizardry is "accepted")[You pick up the map and examine it. It is a map that shows the route to a tower that appears to be atop a cliff overlooking an immense lake. There are several different paths that lead to it, each of which is marked with a different rune. Thanks to your intensive wizard training, you can sort of understand some of them, and realize they are some sort of guide for travelers looking for a safe path to the tower, but you can't quite grasp the particulars. But you also recognize some of the landmarks, and you can tell that it's actually a map of the surrounding area.](if:$rangbellleave is "yes")[This seems like somewhere you should probably check out. If there's a tower on top of a cliff with an enormous lake below it, well, that could be a pretty big deal. There might be treasure in it! Or if not... maybe a portal to another dimension where it DOES have treasure! ...Or maybe a bunch of ancient monsters with giant swords that can turn you into a frog! It doesn't matter to you either way though, because you don't actually care if you get turned into a frog. Maybe it would be nice if you got to live in a world of frogs instead, with all the fun of being a slimy little amphibian that's too stupid to understand the deeper meanings of things, or why the world is full of monsters with giant swords. Now you kind of care because now you're in the mood to try new things like that.](if:$stonehands is "yes")[The area that the stone hands were most frantically tapping is the tower on the cliff. The stone hands hover anxiously by your shoulder as you examine the map. You think it's probably safe to assume that the tower is where some kind of ancient secret has been hidden away, or perhaps a treasure trove of treasure! After all, there must be some reason why the stone hands seem so intent on showing you the location of the tower on the map. This seems like somewhere you should probably check out. If there's a tower on top of a cliff with an enormous lake below it, well, that could be a pretty big deal.] (if:$rangbellleave is "yes" or $stonehands is "yes")[You consider whether you want to take another look at [[The ring.<-the ring]] or if you want to [[just get going]]...](else-if:$rangbellleave is "no" or $stonehands is "no")[Which will you look at next? [[The bell.]] [[The ring.]]]

Tilted Sands An interactive story written with Transformer <img src="https://birdrobot.neocities.org/twine/cave7.jpeg"> <img src="https://birdrobot.neocities.org/twine/cave8.jpeg">(if:$stonehands is "yes")[You glance over at the stone hands and give them a reassuring thumbs up. They seem pretty excited about going over to explore the tower, and they clack against each other in anticipation as they float away over to the far wall. They rest against the stone wall for a moment, then suddenly there's an explosion of light and sounds from the wall as it collapses to reveal an incredible view of the sunset in full bloom. It's a shortcut out of this labyrinth of caverns and snake pit tunnels! You let out a happy cheer and give the stone hands a huge hug. [[Then, together, you and the stone hands head off down the road towards the tower.]]](if:$stonehands is "no")[There's only one exit right now... (if:$wizardry is "accepted")[But you're about to make a bad decision, so in a moment there will be two. You use your cool wizard powers to cast a spell called "Nasty Scramble", which causes the wall to start crumbling in an orderly fashion. There's a lot of wall to get through, though, so you keep on casting Nasty Scramble as you slowly work your way out of the caverns. [[Eventually you arrive outside after scramble-blasting an impressive hole in the side of the mesa.]]](else-if:$wizardry is "null")[Maybe there's something in this room that can help you with that? [[Look at something else.->Keep going.]]] (else-if:$wizardry is "rejected")[Maybe you could use magic to find a way out if you were a wizard, but you're not. You already said no to wizardry a few minutes ago, and you're not going to pretend that you didn't. You're not going back on your word. Not today, and probably not ever. You gave yourself your word that you would never follow through with any idea that might lead to becoming a wizard, and if you can't trust yourself then who can you trust? Certainly not a wizard. Wizards are all just a bunch of losers and scumbags who don't give a damn about the promises they make. That's why you have to be strong enough to reject the power they wield. (set:$gameover6 to "yes") <center>GAME OVER. (set:$wizardry to "null") [[Keep going.<-Go back to last checkpoint.]] [[Start<-Go back to the beginning.]] </center>]]

Double-click this passage to edit it.

<center>[[Start]]</center> (set:$ending1 to "no", $ending2 to "no", $ending3 to "no", $ending4 to "no",$ending5 to "no", $ending6 to "no", $ending7 to "no", $ending8 to "no",$ending9 to "no", $ending10 to "no") (set:$gameover1 to "no",$gameover2 to "no",$gameover3 to "no",$gameover4 to "no",$gameover5 to "no",$gameover6 to "no",$gameover7 to "no",$gameover8 to "no",$gameover9 to "no")

[[first path]]

Tilted Sands An interactive story written with Transformer <img src="https://birdrobot.neocities.org/twine/desert1.jpeg"> <img src="https://birdrobot.neocities.org/twine/desert2.jpeg">The sun is high in the sky now , and it seems like an excellent time to try something new. You look down at the map, then back up at the paths before you. The runes labeling each path on the map are gone, but you can still make out the outlines of some of them by the magical residue left behind. The [[first path]] is the longest route to the tower, and the most convoluted. But it's also the only path that takes you through a strange and twisted forest that mysteriously grows in the middle of the desert in the shadow of a ruined volcano. That could be dangerous , but it could also be pretty cool. The runes marking it have faded so much that they're almost entirely unreadable. All you can understand of what remains is "forest", which doesn't help much. The [[second path]] is shorter, and the rune markings are much more legible. According to the map, it's full of strange creatures and puzzles to solve. This path is probably a bit safer, unless you are really bad at solving puzzles or have a strong aversion to being surrounded by strange monsters. The [[third path]] is marked with a series of runes that read "Beware of", but the rest of the warning has completely faded away. Still, it looks to be the shortest and easiest route. There is absolutely nothing unusual about it as far as you can tell, despite the map's description indicating otherwise. Then again, the runes are very, very faded... maybe you misread them. Plus half of them are completely illegible, so for all you know maybe it actually says "beware of the other paths, not this one" or something like that.

[[snake journey 2]] [[snake journey 3]]

[[snake journey 4]]

[[snake tower adventures 1]]

Double-click this passage to edit it.

##duo adventure route only

##can get if arms=no regardless of whether the snake is there or not

##snake route only

/// game over fail state if not with stone hands

Tilted Sands An interactive story written with Transformer <img src="https://birdrobot.neocities.org/twine/desert3.jpeg"> <img src="https://birdrobot.neocities.org/twine/desert4.jpeg">You're feeling especially lazy after blasting a tunnel out of the cave, so you decide to take the third path. That "beware" rune probably isn't that important. Besides, you're pretty much fearless. You're not afraid of anything in particular, except maybe a giant glowing yellow dragon. But you're sure that's irrelevant right now. Dragons are not all that common, especially not in the desert in the middle of nowhere. Anyway, nothing else in the world will scare you, so you're ready to travel forward on this path. It's not long before you reach a very interesting and spacious area with a number of very strange monsters. One of them seems to be guarding a treasure that's hidden right there on the ground under a huge pile of rocks. The guard monster's mouth looks like something a madman might make up while having fun with a bottle of whisky, but otherwise looks a lot like a lizard. A couple of other weird creatures are wandering around the area and making fun of each other, and several more are sitting on the ground, holding hands and giggling at one another. They look like a bunch of weirdo hippie freaks, except with more teeth and worse attitude problems. [[Suddenly, the guard moves and you spot something in the treasure pile behind him.]]

Tilted Sands An interactive story written with Transformer <img src="https://birdrobot.neocities.org/twine/desert3.jpeg"> <img src="https://birdrobot.neocities.org/twine/desert4.jpeg">It looks like some kind of shiny, golden thing, and you can sense powerful arcane magic flowing all around it. Your gut twitches and your mouth opens like a big dumb asshole when the guard looks right at you and starts to scream in some incomprehensible language. And just like that, things go to shit. As soon as the guard screams, something big and scary appears behind you and starts punching the crap out of you as fast as possible. You turn to see who's doing that, and you're filled with abject horror as you realize that your attacker is a huge, glowing, yellow dragon! What are the odds? You could probably work that out, but you don't have a calculator. You start doing the mental math, and it quickly dawns on you just how lucky you are to be getting beaten up by a dragon. The odds were actually surprisingly low, but if there's an opportunity for you to get punched in the face repeatedly, then by God you're going to find it. Unfortunately, while you're figuring that out, the dragon just keeps punching you harder and harder, as if it can sense the mental math that you're doing and knows you're a nerd. After the punching is over, it casts some strange spell that turns your bones into little rubber balls so that your bones bounce around against each other when you try to move, and it's just impossible to walk without falling over or being hit by your own bones. Then the dragon lets you go because it's so tired of having to punch you, and the guard seems to be satisfied with this punishment. But for the rest of your life, the dragon periodically shows up to punch you and laugh at your miserable existence, and you're left wondering if you really deserve to have so many rubber balls in your bones. (set:$ending4 to "yes") ENDING 4 OUT OF 10. [[Start]] over?

Tilted Sands An interactive story written with Transformer <img src="https://birdrobot.neocities.org/twine/desert5.jpeg"> <img src="https://birdrobot.neocities.org/twine/desert6.jpeg">You tell the lizard that you are a hair-ball collector, and that you have collected countless strands of hair at an abandoned hair-ball factory, and since you also grow your own hair you are very pleased to spread the wealth and share the bounty that you hold. The lizard is obviously impressed with your ability to get so much hair , and when he realizes what you're offering, his big green eyes begin to water his big green eyes begin to water like a pair of thirsty frogs in a soft spring rain. "Thank you," he says as he reaches down to pluck a single strand of hair from your head. You rub your head and ask the lizard what needs to be done next to make the potion. You're not really sure how potion-making works - you majored in spell crafting back when you were in magic college a couple hours ago. Still, though, you're pretty sure you're still more advanced than a lizard with no experience at all. The lizard explains that you'll need to mix the slime stone and the egg together with a special spoon that the lizard invented to make a perfect potion without accidentally poisoning yourself when mixing the ingredients. Then you need to pour the mixture into a large glass bowl and use your fingers to pick up the strand of hair and put it in the bowl. Then you have to wait for the ingredients to crystallize so that the magic can work before you start to stir the potion. "And remember," says the lizard, "once all the ingredients are mixed together, you have to stir it exactly one hundred and six times. If you don't, then it won't work." [[Happily agree to make the potion, and don't feel too worried about ruining your life or anything.]] [[Begrudgingly agree to make the potion, and make sure the lizard knows that you intend to be kind of a jerk about this.]]

Tilted Sands An interactive story written with Transformer <img src="https://birdrobot.neocities.org/twine/desert5.jpeg"> <img src="https://birdrobot.neocities.org/twine/desert6.jpeg">(if: $arms is "yes")[The next thing you know, you're lying on your back and looking up at the lizard, who is staring straight at you with an expression that says, "you are so fucking stupid." Slowly, you try to sit up and check yourself for injuries or anything else that might affect your ability to move, only to find that your arms are completely encased in slime stone. "You kind of deserve that," the lizard says as your arms slowly begin to crack from the weight of the hardened slime.](if: $arms is "no")[It's really kind of impressive how badly you failed the very first step of mixing gunk. The lizard did warn you to use the special spoon to avoid accidentally poisoning yourself, and yet here you are, poisoned as hell and trying not to be completely embarrassed by this fact. Plus, the potion is ruined. The lizard won't be happy about this. He might throw his tail around in fury and start beating you up, or more likely he'll just look at you with disgust, like he had already known that you'd ruin his potion and he still gave you a chance anyway, and you've just destroyed him entirely and screwed everything up with your pathetic stick stunt. You imagine the expression he'll have on his face, his gross mouth gaping open so wide that the rest of his face is almost on the opposite side of his head, those stupid, gnarled eyes filled with despair and sparkling like little firehoses as he laments his own terrible, reeking special sauce that he knows he will never be rid of. Or something. Jesus fucking Christ, how many more reptiles are you going to disappoint today?] It's time to face the consequences of your actions, [[so you quickly stand up and run from the area as fast as you can.]]

/// NOTES: general potion failure state. snakewater variable check goes here; if 1 or 0 then go to castle, if 2 then snake transformation ending.

It's time to face the consequences of your actions, [[so you quickly stand up and run from the area as fast as you can.]]

///SNAKE WATER VARIABLE CHECK/// The potion is so successful and complete that even the lizard won't be able to find a reason to whine about it. You pour the potion in a flask and add some ice cubes for garnish and a small pinch of dried basil for fragrance, then you take the flask to the lizard. He puts the flask in his mouth and starts slowly chewing it. As soon as the lizard is done , you say , " I've fixed all of your problems ." "Thank you," says the lizard. "How can I ever repay you?" The lizard has now become completely cured of any lingering special sauce stink and is no longer going around the countryside crying about his woes. He is quite happy to give you a ride to the tower and also offers to take you out to a nice dinner. [[Accept the ride to the tower, but politely decline the dinner.]] [[Accept the ride to the tower, but rudely decline the dinner.]] [[Accept both offers.]]

It's time to face the consequences of your actions, [[so you quickly stand up and run from the area as fast as you can.]]

... You've almost reached the finish line now, only a few steps left until the ultimate showdown between the lizard's stink and this potion's powerful anti-bacterial properties. As you wait for the ingredients to crystallize, you think about the strange circumstances in which you were born. Your father was the most disgusting man the local village had to offer and your mother was an affront to God himself, and they were married because the church figured it would be the most interesting way to demonstrate to God that the human race didn't deserve salvation. On the day you were born, all of the townspeople gathered around to boo and heckle your birth. But it was pouring rain, and there was an eruption of volcanic ash from the volcano near your home, and the weather was so awful that some of them went home early and instead just prayed that you would go straight to hell someday. Suddenly there's a cracking sound. You check the bowl of ingredients and see that it has crystallized. Time to stir... how many times was it? [[105 times]] [[106 times]] [[107 times]]

You smile at the lizard and say, "A ride to the tower sounds great, thank you. But I'll have to refuse your dinner invitation right now, because... I don't know how to eat. Not since that fateful day in my past. So please forgive my rudeness ." The lizard nods and says , " I understand. Maybe we can do something else, like go out hunting together, or perhaps we could go play a game of chess..." You give the lizard an amiable yet non-committal shrug, then climb up onto his back so he can carry you to the tower. He spends the trip telling you all about his favorite movie, and what he thinks about the current trends in anime. Eventually you just decide to take a nap. [[Arrive at the tower.]]

"Ew," you say , annoyed that he 's trying to seduce you like an old -fashioned gentleman. " Not a chance! Not for me! I refuse to be seduced by some lizard !" The lizard looks embarrassed and says, "Oh , it 's okay... I understand... I was just thinking that maybe I could be your dinner partner ..." "Not even if you were the best lizard in the world !" You shout loudly in his face and make yourself as much of a nuisance as possible . "Which you're not! Why are you trying to flirt like some sort of creep?! You 're a lukewarm piece of chicken and I 'm the one who 's gonna be cooking you in the fire, so don 't even try to flirt with me !" He turns to leave, and you remember you still need a ride to the tower, so you run after him. "You can still take me to the tower, though," you explain while climbing up onto his back. He nods solemnly, "Of course. Consider it my thanks for solving my problems ." The trip to the tower is uneventful , if rather awkward. [[Arrive at the tower.]]

You smile and say, "Of course. I think you're an amazingly charming creature." He blinks his eyes and says, "Thanks." You 're really excited to have found the perfect lizard. It will be great to hang out with him again now that his special sauce stink is gone and he's a little less pathetic overall. He takes you to his favorite restaurant and orders a large bowl of soup for you both to share. The soup is surprisingly thick and has an odd , bitter aftertaste to it that makes you a little bit sad, but it's the sort of soup sadness that feels somehow very familiar and comforting. Like a warm , fuzzy blanket you forgot about and then found wadded up under your bed and put on even though it's dusty and smells like the back of a garbage truck. It's not the worst soup you've ever had. As you sit there quietly drinking your soup, suddenly he says , "Why are you so nice to me?" You pause to think. [["Because you're really handsome?"]] [["Because I've always been a bit of a masochist."]] [["Because I think you might be the most interesting lizard in the world."]]

Double-click this passage to edit it.

He stares at you for a moment. "Is that a question or a statement?" he asks, slightly confused. "Yeah," you reply. "So anyway, this soup is supposed to be like a kind of stew, right? What's the difference between stew and soup, anyway?" "Stew is what happens when soup is overcooked," he explains. "If soup is overcooked, it loses its soupiness and becomes too thick." He spends the rest of the date telling you all about the nuances of soup and you realize how, deep down inside, you really hate this and want to leave for the tower already. After the date, you and the lizard start on your [[journey to the tower.->Arrive at the tower.]]

The lizard begins to laugh. His laugh reminds you of a sad pterodactyl you heard on TV one time. You can't tell if this is just how a lizard deals with receiving a sly insult, or if he doesn't know what "masochist" means and is attempting a clever rhetorical move to cover it up. You try not to think about how bad the date is going, and instead concentrate solely on the fact that you just ate a bowl of soup. You never imagined you'd end up eating a bowl of soup at a restaurant like this. After the date, you and the lizard start on your [[journey to the tower.->Arrive at the tower.]]

After the date, you and the lizard start on your [[journey to the tower.->Arrive at the tower.]]