Sugarcane

A hideous, reptilian creature with the lower body of a serpent and upper body of a scaled woman, hair a tangle of writhing snakes, slithers out from behind a statue.<<if $shield eq 0>> Your eyes meet her horrific gaze. Suddenly, you become stone! Another statue for her collection. THE END [[Restart|Start][state.restart()]]<<else>> You hold up your polished shield. To your surprise, the creature sees its reflection and turns to stone! Laying on a stone pillar is a shining sword.<<set $sword=1>> [[Leave|Passage8]]<<endif>>

You stand at the entrance to the maze. Blank stone walls strech as far as you can see to the east and to the south.\n\nWhich way do you go?\n\n[[Go South|Passage5]] [[Go East|Passage2]]

You <<$move>> for a time, trying to keep track of your direction. You come to a circular area with two marble statues. One is of a man holding a shield and the other is of snake-haired serpent-woman. You can see the entrance to the maze to the west. [[Go South|Passage6]] [[Go East|Passage3]] [[Go West|Passage1]]

You <<$move>> and <<$move>>, trying your best to pay attention to each detail, statue and archway you pass. You pause beside a small water fountain in the center of the path. Exotic, colorful birds play and bathe in it. [[Go North|DeadEnd]] [[Go South|Passage7]] [[Go East|DeadEnd]] [[Go West|Passage2]]<<set $escape = passage()>>

The minotaur! The giant beast turns your way and belows. He blocks the path, ready to charge at you! [[Fight the Minotaur|Passage9]] [[Run back North|Passage1]]<<set $move="run">>

<<if $key eq 0>><<if $action6 eq 0>><<set $action6="visited">>Through twists and turns you <<$move>>, climbing stairs and passing beneath arching thresholds. After a time, you come to a large circular fountain with a statue of a beautiful woman pouring out an urn at its center. It looks deep. [[Examine the Fountain|Passage6][$action6=1]] [[Leave to the north|Passage2]]<<elseif $action6 eq 1>><<if $rod eq 0>>You peer into the fountain and see a glimmering object beneath the crystal clear water. You can't quite tell what it is or reach it from the edge, though. <<if $burn eq 0>>You'll have to enter the fountain to get it.<<endif>> You take a look around and don't see or hear anything. <<if $burn eq 0>>[[Step Carefully into the Fountain|Passage6][$action6=2]] <<endif>>[[Leave to the north|Passage2][$action6="visited"]]<<else>>You peer into the fountain and see a glimmering object beneath the crystal clear water. You can't quite tell what it is or reach it from the edge, though. However, you can fish it out with the bronze rod you took from the statue. You take a look around and don't see or hear anything, so you set to fishing the object out of the fountain. With some work, you manage to hook the object and lift it out. It's a gold medalion of a snake-haired woman. There are three sets of marks along its edge: II-II-III . . . What could they mean? [[Leave to the north|Passage2][$action6="visited"; $key=1]]<<endif>><<elseif $action6 eq "visited">>You stand at a large circular fountain with a statue of a beautiful woman pouring out an urn in its center. [[Examine the Fountain|Passage6][$action6=1]] [[Leave to the north|Passage2][$action6="visited"]]\s\n<<elseif $action6 eq 2>>You dip your toe in the sparkling water. Ouch! It's acid! No way you're climbing in there.<<set $burn=1>> You look around and see nothing else to do. The only passage is back to the north. [[Leave to the north|Passage2][$action6="visited"]]<<endif>><<else>>You stand at a large circular fountain with a statue of a beautiful woman pouring out an urn in its center. [[Leave to the north|Passage2]]<<endif>>

You continue to <<$move>> between the endless rows of high stone walls. You come to a lush garden full of trees and flowers. Pools of radient water glimmer in the sunshine above. If it weren't for the horrible minotaur stalking the maze, this would be a beautiful, relaxing place. [[Go North|Passage3]] <<if $shield eq 0>>[[Go South|Passage11]] <<endif>>[[Go East|Passage8]] [[Go West|DeadEnd]]<<set $escape=passage()>>

<<if $action8 eq 0>>Beneath a large stone arch you <<$move>>, entering into an expansive garden of statues. Carefully, you make your way through them, wary they might conceal danger. Somehow, the statues seem to be alive and watching you. You could swear you caught one turning its head to follow you as you passed by. Maybe it's your imagination. One of the marble statues has a long bronze rod cradled in one arm. The statue is of a fisherman and the bronze rod ends in a hook. [[Take the Hooked Rod|Passage8][$rod=1; $action8=1]] [[Go North|DeadEnd][$action8="visited"]] [[Go South|Passage12][$action8="visited"]] [[Go West|Passage7][$action8="visited"]]<<elseif $action8 eq 1>>Meeting the fisherman statue's gaze, you reach up and slide the hooked rod from the crook of his arm, half expecting the statue to suddenly come alive. It doesn't.\n\n[[Go North|DeadEnd][$action8="visited"]] [[Go South|Passage12][$action8="visited"]] [[Go West|Passage7][$action8="visited"]]<<elseif $action8 eq "visited">>After a long <<$move>> through several passages, you stand in the garden of statues. You look up at the fisherman statue, who glares down at you with eyes of marble.\n \n[[Go North|DeadEnd][$action8="visited"]] [[Go South|Passage12][$action8="visited"]] [[Go West|Passage7][$action8="visited"]] <<if $rod eq 0>>[[Take the Hooked Rod|Passage8][$rod=1; $action8=1]]<<endif>><<endif>>

<<if $sword eq 0>>You try to fight the massive, hulking minotaur, but are no match. He gores you with his horns, then tares you limb from limb. THE END [[Restart|Start][state.restart()]]<<else>>You swing your sword and cut the monster's head off. You scoop up your prize by one horn and continue working your way through the labyrinth. Soon, you find the exit! YOU WIN! [[Restart|Start][state.restart()]]<<endif>>

!The Minotaur's Maze\n!!By Richard Sharpe\nFor the [[Flash (Interactive) Fiction Challenge|http://twinery.org/forum/index.php/topic,1531.0.html]] <<set $move="walk">> <<Passage1>>

<<if turns() gt 30>>Suddenly, the minotaur appears! Roaring, it picks you up and tears you to shreds! THE END [[Restart|Start][state.restart()]]<<else>><<if $leverPuzzle eq 0>>Before you is a large stone door with three bronze levers set in a pillar near the threshold. On the pillar is a grotesque symbol of a snake-haired woman's scowling face. Set the levers: First Lever: [[First Position|Passage11][$lever1=1,$leverPuzzle=1]], [[Second Position|Passage11][$lever1=2,$leverPuzzle=1]], [[Third Position|Passage11][$lever1=3,$leverPuzzle=1]]. Second Lever: [[First Position|Passage11][$lever2=1,$leverPuzzle=1]], [[Second Position|Passage11][$lever2=2,$leverPuzzle=1]], [[Third Position|Passage11][$lever2=3,$leverPuzzle=1]]. Third Lever: [[First Position|Passage11][$lever3=1,$leverPuzzle=1]], [[Second Position|Passage11][$lever3=2,$leverPuzzle=1]], [[Third Position|Passage11][$lever3=3,$leverPuzzle=1]]. [[Push Symbol|Open]] [[Leave|Passage7]]<<else>>You set the levers to <<$lever1>>, <<$lever2>>, <<$lever3>>.<<set $leverPuzzle=0>> <<Passage11>><<endif>><<endif>>

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The Minotaur's Maze

<<if $lever1 eq 2 and $lever2 eq 2 and $lever3 eq 3>>The stone door rumbles open. Inside, you find a mirror-polished bronze shield!<<set $shield=1>><<else>>After some clanking and grinding, the levers reset.<<set $lever1=1,$lever2=1,$lever3=1>><<endif>> <<if $shield eq 0>>[[Retry|Passage11]] <<endif>>[[Leave|Passage7]]

<<if turns() gt 30 and $sword eq 0>>Suddenly, the minotaur appears and tears you to shreds! THE END [[Restart|Start][state.restart()]]<<else>>You <<$move>> from one bewildering passage to the next, down stairs and up, over bridges and across large, open courtyards and fragrant gardens. However, you eventually find yourself back where you began. [[Continue|$escape]]<<set $lostCounter=0>><<endif>>