(set: $treasures to 0)
<em>Part 1</em>
Emmy runs past you down the forest trail dappled with sunlight, her little yellow boots stumbling on a root reaching across the path.
"C'monc'monc'monc'mon!" your sister calls, turning back towards you. "We're gonna miss the swans!"
"The swans only come out in the morning, numbnuts!" you call after her.
A crestfallen look flashes over her face, but immediately she brightens and says, "Then we'll see the ducks!"
"The Pond doesn't have any ducks!" You look over your shoulder as you walk. "Right?"
Your babysitter, Eleanor, looks up from her phone. "Now that I think about it, I don't think I ever <em>have</em> seen a duck in Bluebelle Pond."
"<em>SEE?</em>" you scream, but Em has already disappeared around a curve, lost in the yellows and oranges of the mid-autumn park.
"[[Brothers Bench]] should be just ahead," Eleanor murmurs.
<audio src="https://callistrogue.github.io/sound/forest.wav" autoplay>
You round a few more meanders in the path before reaching the edge of Bluebelle Pond. It's on the smaller side, choked with lily pads and reeds. Sure enough, there are no waterfowl to be found, only Emmy kneeling over the back of a bench, staring into the water. She turns to you and loudly whispers, "Winston! Frogs!!!!!!"
Eleanor claps, and stuffs her phone into her pocket. "Alright, you little ragamuffins, gather round, gather round!" She pulls a piece of lined paper from the same pocket with a flourish as Emmy excitedly clambers down from the bench. "Scav-ving! Scav-ving! Scav-ving!" she begins to chant, and you join in.
Eleanor clears her throat, and you fall immediately into reverent silence. Eleanor announces to the trees: "Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, I would like to welcome you to this week's Pertwyn Park Royal Scav Hunt! Allow us to delineate today's objectives."
"Jec-tives! Jec-tives! Jec-tives!"
She clears her throat again, a little more sternly, holding the lined paper out like a scroll. "Today, the queen requires:
A [[heart-shaped rock]]!
A [[piece of birchbark]]!
Four [[acorns]]!
And a [[wishing stone]]!"
<audio src="https://callistrogue.github.io/sound/forest.wav" autoplay>"Why heart-shaped?" Emmy asks.
"Because the queen commands it. Now off with you!" Eleanor waves you away, and pulls out her phone.
You look around, grinning, but Emmy's already disappeared down the slope [[to the creek]]. You can see two other paths, one [[to the meadow]] and the other [[to the ruins]].
<audio src="https://callistrogue.github.io/sound/forest.wav" autoplay>"Why four?" You look up at Eleanor.
She appears affronted. "You <em>dare</em> question the queen? They are necessary, and that is all you need know. Now off with you!" She waves you away and pulls out her phone.
You look around, grinning, but Emmy's already disappeared down the slope [[to the creek]]. You can see two other paths, one [[to the meadow]] and the other [[to the ruins]].
<audio src="https://callistrogue.github.io/sound/forest.wav" autoplay>"What's a wishing stone?" You look up at Eleanor.
"You don't know what a wishing stone is?" She opens her mouth in mock shock. "We used to collect those like money when I was your age. They're those stones with rings around them. Y'know, split, like a sandwich."
"So... are they in the creek?"
She gives an exaggerated shrug. "Iunno. You'll just have to look, won't you?" And with that, she plops down onto Brothers Bench and pulls out her phone.
You look around, grinning, but Emmy's already disappeared down the slope [[to the creek]]. You can see two other paths, one [[to the meadow]] and the other [[to the ruins]].
<audio src="https://callistrogue.github.io/sound/forest.wav" autoplay>Emmy's already knee-deep by the time you stumble down the slope to the edge of the gently bubbling water. She's staring intently down into the creek, shifting rocks with her polka-dot boots. You wade in, without regard for your poor knit socks. "Find anything?"
"Naw..." She keeps sifting.
"Any fish?"
She bends over and pulls out a dripping stone, closely inspecting its greyish surface. "..........nnnaw....."
She's clearly occupied, so you decide to do some solo searching. The creek gets narrower [[to the left]] and wider [[to the right]].
<audio src="https://callistrogue.github.io/sound/creek.wav" autoplay>You sprint down the path to the meadow, passing alder and ash, cherry and chinkapin trees. The trail is worn down and grassless, and after a minute of running, exits the denser wood into a broad, open clearing filled with [[swaying yellow grasses]].
<audio src="https://callistrogue.github.io/sound/forest.wav" autoplay>
You rush down to your favorite place in Pertwyn. The old brick mill rests at the bottom of a small valley with a ramshackle shed leaning against it, like a kindly grandmother and her pet dog sitting next to a stream (a tributary of the one in which your sister is probably mucking about right now).
Only half the waterwheel remains, and it doesn't even reach the water anymore. You can see a stripe of bricks near the top of the building still has the ghost of blue paint. The door to the mill has a padlock and an obnoxious red sign screaming "NO [[TRESPASSING]]".
<audio src="https://callistrogue.github.io/sound/forest.wav" autoplay>You smirk a little. This one will be easy.
You look around, but Emmy's already disappeared down the slope [[to the creek]]. You can see two other paths, one [[to the meadow]] and the other [[to the ruins]].
<audio src="https://callistrogue.github.io/sound/forest.wav" autoplay>As you splash your way upstream, the banks start to rise up on either side of the creek, like mini cliffs of clay, with roots from underbrush and forest tubers sticking out like thin arms drooping to scoop water.
The stream flows against your calves gently, and some small wispish fish dart away with each clumsy step. The stones are iridescent, blue and brown and every kind of grey, with the occasional rich red piece of brick poking out, probably washed down from the ruins or something.
None of the stones you pick up have full stripes, but you find a couple that look like malformed hearts... if you squint.
After a while the creek starts to get real deep -- up to your thighs. [[Turning back]] sounds like a swell idea.
(set: $treasures to $treasures + 1)
<audio src="https://callistrogue.github.io/sound/creek.wav" autoplay>Downstream a bit, the water only reaches to your ankles. Small boulders poke their noses out of the current, and would make good stepping stones if your feet weren't already sopping wet.
After a few minutes of carefully stepping your way through the slippery rocks, the mud of the creekbed tapers away, revealing a concrete bed. You round a bend, and find yourself face to face with a tunnel, wide and low, running beneath one of the roads that runs through Pertwyn Park.
You can see, as you approach, that the tunnel is longer and darker than you expect, but the creek continues bright and sunny on [[the other side]].
<audio src="https://callistrogue.github.io/sound/creek.wav" autoplay>Emmy's gone by the time you get back to the slope that leads [[back to the bench]]. Ahead of you, you can see the creek gets shallower [[downstream->to the right]].
<audio src="https://callistrogue.github.io/sound/creek.wav" autoplay>Eleanor's lounging on the bench, tapping away. She glances up as you approach. "Have you something to show Her Majesty?"
[["Just passing through, ma'am."]]
[["Lookit!!!"]]
<audio src="https://callistrogue.github.io/sound/forest.wav" autoplay>Trudging through the grass, you can hear the whirring and chitter of crickets, and a few leap out of reach as you disturb their hiding spots.
You easily find four acorns at the base of the first oak you reach, and are ready to turn back when you hear your sister's voice call your name from [[across the field]].
<audio src="https://callistrogue.github.io/sound/meadow.wav" autoplay>
As you crunch through the sedges and push past swaths of tall grass, the hum from hundreds of insects envelops you. You scan the ground, fluffy grasses brushing your cheeks, but you find only dead reeds and leaping crickets. Small clouds scud across the sky, occasionally casting huge, cool shadows, like spectral whales. The wind ruffles your hair fondly.
Somehow, you end up back at the trail [[to the bench]].
<audio src="https://callistrogue.github.io/sound/meadow.wav" autoplay>"Then be on your way."
You turn away from the [[bench]] towards the paths [[to the meadow]], [[the ruins->to the ruins]], and [[the creek->to the creek]].
<audio src="https://callistrogue.github.io/sound/forest.wav" autoplay>
(if: $treasures < 4)["Very nice," Eleanor says as she inspects your finds, "but I'm afraid that's not enough if you hope to win this week's Fable. [[Back to the wilds->"Just passing through, ma'am."]] with you!"]
(if: $treasures is 0)["Oh come on, I'm sure you can find something. You've just gotta [[look harder->"Just passing through, ma'am."]]."]
(if: $treasures is 4)["Ah! So you've found them all." Eleanor clicks off her phone. "Go find your sister -- it is time for [[a Fable]]."]
<audio src="https://callistrogue.github.io/sound/forest.wav" autoplay>If you look closely, you can see a lichen-covered plaque bearing the words "In Dedication to Joseph and Henry Urquhart."
[[Whoever they are.->"Just passing through, ma'am."]]
<audio src="https://callistrogue.github.io/sound/forest.wav" autoplay>You take a deep breath and a few steps into the tunnel. Though the creek flows through the center, the edges are dry, which you take advantage of. The walls have some scrawlings that you blush to read (but read nonetheless) and in some areas you must move to avoid green and brown shattered glass.
Even though [[the exit]] doesn't seem far away, the midpoint of the tunnel is very dark, and you can barely see that [[another, circular tunnel]] runs perpendicular to this one.
<audio src="https://callistrogue.github.io/sound/tunnel.wav" autoplay>The stream is barely a trickle on this side, more rocks than water. Still, you see, glimmering by your feet, a triangular grey stone with a bright white stripe, which you slip [[into your pocket->Turning back]].
(set: $treasures to $treasures + 1)
<audio src="https://callistrogue.github.io/sound/creek.wav" autoplay>You peer into its depths. The darkness is almost pitch, but for a second, you almost see... green? Like a spark... or like one of the fish in the stream... glowing...
...
[[You run back the way you came.]]
<audio src="https://callistrogue.github.io/sound/spooky.wav" autoplay>Eleanor's lounging on the bench, tapping away. She glances up as you approach. "Have you something to show Her Majesty?"
[["Just passing through, ma'am."]]
[["Lookit!!!"]]
<audio src="https://callistrogue.github.io/sound/forest.wav" autoplay>Emmy's gone by the time you get back to the slope that leads [[back to the bench]]. Ahead of you, you can see the creek gets narrower [[upstream->to the left]].
<audio src="https://callistrogue.github.io/sound/creek.wav" autoplay>You race after Emmy, but she disappears before you're even halfway across the field. You walk the rest of the way.
Eleanor's lounging on the bench, tapping away. She glances up as you approach. "Have you something to show Her Majesty?"
[["Just passing through, ma'am."]]
[["Lookit!!!"]]
<audio src="https://callistrogue.github.io/sound/meadow.wav" autoplay>You run around back, and start weeding around in the undergrowth. You soon find it -- a hole in the wall, [[just big enough]] for your boney frame.
<audio src="https://callistrogue.github.io/sound/forest.wav" autoplay>It's getting to be a tight squeeze; you might have to take out a few more bricks soon.
Light floods through an enormous gap in the dilapidated ceiling of the old mill, illuminating dust motes as they gently drift through the air like will-o-the-wisps. [[Creaky floorboards]] and [[a set of rickety stairs]] compete for your attention.
<audio src="https://callistrogue.github.io/sound/forest.wav" autoplay>Gingerly, you poke and prod with the toe of your sneaker, your footsteps like a chorus of dying cats. Some of the boards sag under your feet, but still begrudgingly hold your weight. After several steps, you reach one that sounds like a particularly pained feline.
You kneel, and pull the board from [[the floor]].
<audio src="https://callistrogue.github.io/sound/forest.wav" autoplay>You've tried climbing those stairs more times than you'd like to admit, and the last time you did, the fifth step gave out from under you, blessing you with a bruise that lasted weeks.
You're not in a hurry to [[try that again->just big enough]].
<audio src="https://callistrogue.github.io/sound/forest.wav" autoplay>Underneath, you find your best stash. Four king-sized 3 Muskateers bars, a periwinkle ribbon, a delicate rodent's skull, a ratty copy of <em>Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix</em>, and, best of all, the maps you've drawn of the park, your neighborhood, the school, and the square -- all carefully transcribed onto scrolls of thin birchbark.
[[These should do nicely->to the bench]].
(set: $treasures to $treasures + 1)
<audio src="https://callistrogue.github.io/sound/forest.wav" autoplay>You turn and see her sprinting through the grass, strands whipping at her face. She arrives out of breath, with a smashed grasshopper plastered to one of her polka-dot boots. She shoves a pebble into your face and pants, "Do (hahh) you think (huhh) this (huhhhahh) looks like a heart?"
"You ran all the way here for that?" You laugh and snatch the stone from her hands. "Looks more like a fish heart, if you ask me."
But Emmy's already spotted the acorns, and is stuffing a handful into her pocket. "Okaycoolthanks!!" She grabs back the stone and starts sprinting [[back to the bench->back to the bench(meadow)]] before you can get another word in.
(set: $treasures to $treasures + 1)
<audio src="https://callistrogue.github.io/sound/meadow.wav" autoplay>The breeze sends ripples across like waves, directing your eye towards a distant grove of [[oak trees]], but part of you just wants to [[wander]].
<audio src="https://callistrogue.github.io/sound/meadow.wav" autoplay><em>Part 2</em>
Late afternoon has just begun to give way to evening by the time Winston returns with Emmy, her boots crusted with soil.
You clear your throat. "Winston, present the Offerings."
He digs into his grass-stained pockets and pulls out his treasures, laying them out on Brothers Bench in a tidy array. "Since I found them all first, I get to choose the ending, right?"
"The queen might take your request into consideration."
He squints and looks at the trees for a second, thinking, then turns to you. "Beheading!"
You nod solemnly. "Very well." Some marks on the birchbark catch your eye, and you drop your queen's voice. "Wait, Winston, are these your maps?"
"Yeah!" He grins a gap-toothed smile.
"Uh..." ...Ok, sure, you can make this work.
You cough and resume. "Once...
You pick up the heart-shaped stone. "...[[there was a young prince]]."
You pick up the wishing stone. "...[[there was a land of uncertainty]]."
You pick up one of the birchbark maps. "...[[there was an enchanted well]]."
<audio src="https://callistrogue.github.io/sound/forest.wav" autoplay>[work in progress]"She was an ancient sorceress, and she lived deep in a bog -- the most treacherous, grimy bog a land could bear.
She lived in a small house on stilts, and every once in a while, villagers from a nearby hamlet would travel to her tiny hut...
...[[seeking cures and spells for their ailments]]."
...[[to punish her for her dark practices]]."[work in progress]Every time the villagers endured a terrible winter or yielded a skimpy crop, rumors abounded that the hag was to blame. Warriors and knights went to great lengths to try to destroy her, but none succeeded.
Indeed, it seemed no one could harm her...
...[[and a watery fate befell all those who dared try]]."
...[[until a certain minstrel stepped foot in her marsh]]."
She conjured safeguards in the form of swamp-flames, mystical fires that would bewitch travelers, leading them to quicksand or geysers, and from the spirits of the fallen the hag would craft more and more flames to do her bidding.
[work in progress]The minstrel charmed the swamp-flames with the tones of his lute, and they led him directly to the house of the sorceress. He knocked thrice on her rotting door, but when no answer came, "He lived in a kingdom far from here, in a castle within a city beside a deep river. He was the eldest of five sons borne by the Queens, who ruled justly over the land.
"One day, as the Prince and his younger brother, the second-oldest, were hunting a stag in the nearby forest, they paused to rest in a clearing. As he dismounted his horse, the younger said to the elder, 'Brother, I know our mothers rule well. But they are growing old, and will soon be washed away by the waters of death. Once they are gone, you will be King, but I fear that you will not have anyone to rule by your side. You cannot be a fit King without a suitable consort -- you must find someone to marry!' The Prince agreed, and wondered about how best to go about acquiring ..."
You pick up the birchbark map. "...a [[wife]]."
You pick up the four acorns. "...a [[husband]]."
You pick up the wishing stone. "...a [[spouse]]."
<audio src="https://callistrogue.github.io/sound/forest.wav" autoplay>"They lived on the streets of an enormous city, struggling just to survive. They begged for scraps in the city squares, stole from merchants in the marketplace, and gambled in alleys to try and earn enough money to get off the streets.
"One day, they saw a royal messanger post an announcement in a major thoroughfare proclaiming a competition sponsored by the royal family to celebrate an upcoming holy day. The winner, the announcement declared, would receive a thousand gold pieces.
"The four urchins agreed that this would be the perfect opportunity..."
You pick up the heart-shaped stone. "...[[to win their way to freedom]]."
You pick up a birchbark map. "...[[to perform the ultimate heist]]."
You pick up the wishing stone. "...[[to get what they needed without notice]].""The Prince decided that he would travel the land, searching for a spouse. That night, he packed a satchel, said goodbye to his mothers and brothers, and set out on his horse.
"He rode across fields, over mountains, and through deserts. At every city, town, ans hamlet, he searched for a maiden to wed, but found no brides to his liking.
"After two long years, the Prince still could find no woman to love, and he finally gave up.
You pick up the wishing stone. "[[He decided to head home]]."
You pick up the four acorns. "[[But still he wandered]]."
<audio src="https://callistrogue.github.io/sound/forest.wav" autoplay>"That night, the Prince spoke to the Queens, and the next day, they sent a letter to each of the four smaller surrounding kingdoms, announcing a competition to win the hand of their eldest son.
"Within a fortnight, four princes arrived to compete. At the opening feast, the first prince attempted to impress by a great show of skill, shooting an arrow through a pig's eye from a hundred yards away. The second prince performed a feat of strength, lifting an entire feast table with one hand. The third prince told the fortune of one of the Queens with a deck of cards, and the fourth, with no apparent skills, presented a chest of gold and opals to the Prince.
"The next day..."
You pick up the wishing stone. "...[[the four entered the forest]]."
You pick up a birchbark map. "...[[the arena was prepared]]."
<audio src="https://callistrogue.github.io/sound/forest.wav" autoplay>"Despondent, he traveled back across plains, over mountains, and through deserts. As he was nearing home, he passed through the very forest in which he and his brother had been hunting the stag two years earlier.
"As the Prince passed between the trees, he imagined his brothers' surprise and his mothers' disappointment that he had not managed to secure a royal companion, not even one from a peasant village. It was then that he heard a voice ringing through the wood, and, intrigued, he decided to follow the sound. He rode faster through the trees, and soon burst into a clearing.
"There, on the bank of a creek, was a naiad, singing as she washed her hair. He instantly fell madly in love with her, and slowly approached.
"She looked up from the creek, appearing not at all surprised to find him there. She stopped singing and began to speak. 'Mortals who wish to win my heart must first fetch me a pearl from Chimerical Cavern.' She raised a languorous arm, pointing to the edge of the clearing, where the Prince could see the stream flow into the entrance to a grotto."
You pick up the four acorns. "[[At once, he ran into the cave]]."
<audio src="https://callistrogue.github.io/sound/forest.wav" autoplay>"He knew he could not go back home empty-handed, or he would be a disgrace to the royal family, to the entire kingdom. He resigned himself to a life of vagrancy, wandering from town to town, farther and farther from his homeland, telling his story to any who would hear it."
You pick up the wishing stone. "[[Eventually, he became a monk]]."
<audio src="https://callistrogue.github.io/sound/forest.wav" autoplay>"The deeper he went into the cave, the darker it became, until he could barely see the walls of the cavern, and could hear only the babbling of the creek.
"He was just beginning to wonder where the pearls could be when he heard something crunch under his footsteps, and he was just beginning to realize that it was a bone when four other naiads emerged from the darkness, wielding sharp stone swords. Swiftly, they decapitated him.
"[[Thus ends the fable]]."
<audio src="https://callistrogue.github.io/sound/forest.wav" autoplay>"Awesome!" Winston cries. "That was the coolest thing ever!!! At first I thought it was gonna be boring!!! But then it wasn't!!!!!!"
"The queen appreciates your kind words." You bow graciously.
Emmy shrugs her tiny shoulders. "It was okay."
"You're just mad 'cause you didn't get to choose the ending!" Winston is running around the bench, which you suddently realize you can barely see.
"Oh geez, guys, it's getting dark. We should head back." You begin to gather up the objects.
Emmy struggles to her feet. "But I didn't see any swans! Or ducks!"
"We'll come earlier next time, then you can see the swans." You hand the maps back to Winston, and the stones and acorns to Emmy. "But we've gotta go have dinner now, or your parents are gonna get mad at me."
"Mac-n-cheese?!" Winston gasps.
You bend to re-tie his trailing shoelaces. "Oh, you know it."
"Can we hear another story when we get home?" Emmy asks.
"Sure thing, sweet pea."
"Mac-n-cheese! Mac-n-cheese!" Winston and Emmy begin to chant as the three of you begin to walk back up the path out of Pertwyn Park. You chuckle.
<em>Thank you for playing!</em>
<audio src="https://callistrogue.github.io/sound/forest.wav" autoplay>"Far, far from here, and many eons ago, there was a continent that could not decide what it was. Mountains sprang up in the center of great plains, marshes intruded on and engulfed forests, and deserts and tundra constantly swept over each other. The entire land was in a continuous state of flux, and no animals could live in such turmoil, let alone humans.
"This churning land remained unresolved for thousands of years, constantly changing, until..."
You pick up the wishing stone. "...[[there was a great impact]]."
You pick up the four acorns. "...[[there was a great heat]]."
You pick up the heart-shaped stone. "...[[there was a great flood]]."
<audio src="https://callistrogue.github.io/sound/forest.wav" autoplay>"The well stood in the middle of a field, in a land far from this one. Every day, a girl would come to the well, lean over the edge, toss in a small pebble, and make a wish under her breath. Her mother was sick, and often she would wish for her to be well once again. These wishes never seemed to come true, but it made her feel good to do something, just the same."
You pick up a birchbark map. "[[One day, however, the girl leaned too far over the edge of the well]]."
You pick up the heart-shaped stone. "[[One day, as she made her wish, she heard a voice]]."
<audio src="https://callistrogue.github.io/sound/forest.wav" autoplay>"He denounced romance completely, and lived out the rest of his life in an abbey, devoting his life to the pantheon of a different kingdom. After many decades, he died, not unhappy, but not content.
"[[Thus ends the fable->restart]]."
<audio src="https://callistrogue.github.io/sound/forest.wav" autoplay>"Whaaaaaat?!" Winston graons. "That was the most boring thing I've ever heard! And where was the beheading?!" Emmy is plucking blades of grass, paying no attention.
You shuffle your feet, and look up at the luminous early-evening sky. "Well, I guess we have time for one more. Once..."
You pick up the heart-shaped stone. "...[[there was a young prince]]."
You pick up the wishing stone. "...[[there was a land of uncertainty]]."
You pick up one of the birchbark maps. "...[[there was an enchanted well]]."
<audio src="https://callistrogue.github.io/sound/forest.wav" autoplay>"The Prince knew he could not go to his mothers for advice, for they would insist he find a royal from another kingdom to wed, and he knew he could never find love that way.
"Instead, he began sneaking into the city, disguised as commoner. He wandered around, meeting merchants, workers, prostitutes, and other common folk. He returned again and again to a tavern on the east side of town, one of the most popular in the city. He spoke to all sorts of people there, but he spoke most of all to the barkeep, an individual of such beauty and compassion that he could not help but fall in love with them. The barkeep felt the same way, and they became furtive consorts."
You pick up the four acorns. "[[For four years, they met in secret]]."
You pick up the birchbark map. "[[A few weeks later, the Prince asked his mothers for their blessing]]."
<audio src="https://callistrogue.github.io/sound/forest.wav" autoplay>"That day, a stone as large as a mountain fell from the sky. It hit the land so hard all the trees and plants were destroyed, and for a moment the stone, the snow, the sand, everything stopped moving. The entire continent was in shock."
You pick up the four acorns. "[[It wasn't long before it began to change again]]."
You pick up the heart-shaped stone. "[[Soon, cracks began to appear in the surface of the huge stone]]."
<audio src="https://callistrogue.github.io/sound/forest.wav" autoplay>"That day, the land's four volcanoes, one in the north, one in the south, one in the east, and one in the west, decided enough was enough, and erupted with all their might, spewing lava into the air as high as they could. They ejected so much that they emptied the earth beneath the continent, causing it to collapse in like a bowl, which was then filled by the lava and water from the ocean.
"When it cooled, it was nothing but an enormous stone in the middle of the ocean."
You pick up the heart-shaped stone. "[[Thus it remained]]."
You pick up the wishing stone. "[[Then the rain began]]."
<audio src="https://callistrogue.github.io/sound/forest.wav" autoplay>"That day, the clouds decided that enough was enough, and let out an enormous deluge upon the land. The forests, plains, deserts -- all were drowned beneath the torrential waves of rain."
You pick up the wishing stone. "[[But even that did not stop the constant movement]]."
You pick up the four acorns. "[[All that were left were four tiny isles]]."
<audio src="https://callistrogue.github.io/sound/forest.wav" autoplay>"But this time was different. After the marshes re-formed and the mountains re-grew, they stayed where they were. The plains, desert, and tundra respected each other, and each had space to exist. And around the stone, trees began to grow. Like all other trees, they were small at first, but they grew quickly, and didn't stop. Soon they were higher than any other tree on earth, higher than the mountains, as high as the sky. Then they broke through the sky, reaching further and further into the beyond."
You pick up the heart-shaped stone. "[[Many say this land still exists.]]"
<audio src="https://callistrogue.github.io/sound/forest.wav" autoplay>"They grew larger and deeper, until one day, after the land had returned to its rapidly changing state, the stone broke open. From it emerged a tall being, almost human-like, with skin like water. It stepped out of the stone shell onto the earth, and began to drag its feet across the terrain. The movement of the creature soothed the land, and everything began to slow down, until, like an ordinary place, it was still."
You pick up the four acorns. "[[The creature never stopped walking]]."
<audio src="https://callistrogue.github.io/sound/forest.wav" autoplay>"You can travel there, and climb the trees like a ladder to heaven, away from this earth and all its horrors.
"[[Thus ends the fable->restart]]."
<audio src="https://callistrogue.github.io/sound/forest.wav" autoplay>"It continually drags its body across the land, keeping the landscape placated with its movement. Someday, if you so desired, you could travel to that land, and find that creature, and touch its skin."
"[[Thus ends the fable->restart]]."
<audio src="https://callistrogue.github.io/sound/forest.wav" autoplay>"Even after becoming one with the ocean, the land continued to heave and change below the waves. The water above was churned to froth, and enormous tsunamis were sent barrelling across the sea to smash into the shores of the other continents."
You pick up the heart-shaped stone. "[[Some say it never calmed]]."
<audio src="https://callistrogue.github.io/sound/forest.wav" autoplay>"Only the tallest mountain peaks were spared, like stony noses peeking above the water. Soon enough, they became indistiguishable from all the other islands scattered across the seas."
You pick up the wishing stone. "[[Some may question the worth of such a tale]]."
<audio src="https://callistrogue.github.io/sound/forest.wav" autoplay>"Certain fishermen still believe that at the heart of the ocean is a submerged land, constantly changing, the source of the sea's fickle temper. Perhaps, someday, someone, maybe you, will swim to the heart of the ocean, and determine the truth.
"[[Thus ends the fable->restart]]."
<audio src="https://callistrogue.github.io/sound/forest.wav" autoplay>"But to know of the origins of the earth is to respect her, and the power she is capable of.
"[[Thus ends the fable->restart]]."
<audio src="https://callistrogue.github.io/sound/forest.wav" autoplay>"In the morning, in a pavilion erected at the edge of wood, one of the Queens explained the task to the four contenders: they had until sundown to return to the pavilion with the golden-furred fox, which had been released into the forest the previous night. At the sound of a horn, the four raced into the woods.
"The Prince, Queens, and an audience of lords and viziers waited in the pavilion, enjoying olives and red wine as the sun moved across the sky. In late afternoon, some disturbance in the forest sent a flock of blackbirds to flight.
"But it wasn't until the sun had almost disappeared below the horizon that the remaining contenders emerged.
"The first prince limped out from the woods, bow snapped, his clothes torn to ribbons. He could no longer speak, but would only stare with wide eyes at any who approached him.
"The second prince's skin was covered in scars that had not been there in the morning, scars that appeared completely healed, as though they had been inflicted weeks ago.
"The third prince was completely unharmed, and held the golden fox on his shoulders, its neck neatly snapped.
You pick up the birchbark map. "[[The fourth prince did not return]]."
<audio src="https://callistrogue.github.io/sound/forest.wav" autoplay>"Each contender was equipped with armor and their weapon of choice, and in the arena, they fought for the heart of the Prince.
"The entire battle lasted only an hour, the first prince dodging the lumbering club swings of the second, the third throwing daggers at the fleeing fourth. Within a surprisingly short time, though few hits had been landed all around, the first three princes dropped dead of exhaustion. Thus, the fourth contender was chosen to marry the Prince.
You pick up the wishing stone. "[[However...]]."
<audio src="https://callistrogue.github.io/sound/forest.wav" autoplay>"The Prince and the Foxcatcher were soon wed, and when the time came for them to take up the thrones, they ruled well. And although the two, in time, became very close, the Foxcatcher would never tell the Prince what happened that day in the forest.
"[[Thus ends the fable->restart]]."
<audio src="https://callistrogue.github.io/sound/forest.wav" autoplay>"When the three princes' bodies were examined, poison was discovered in their blood. The fourth prince immediately came under suspicion, and when a vial was found in his room, the crime was confirmed.
"Such an egregious breach of propriety in a ceremony between kingdoms could not go unpunished. Within a day of the discovery, the guilty prince was executed by decapitation, an act that would lead to a war of unimaginable scale. But that is another story.
"[[Thus ends the fable]]."
<audio src="https://callistrogue.github.io/sound/forest.wav" autoplay>"The four of them entered into the competition, full of confidence, and before too long, the day arrived.
The entire city gathered in the central square, where an enormous obstacle course had been erected. All the contenders (who, aside from the urchins, seemed to be composed entirely of knights and warriors) lined up at the starting line. A horn was blown, and the race began."
You pick up the birchbark map. "
You pick up the wishing stone. "Double-click this passage to edit it.Double-click this passage to edit it."She fell far into the depths of the well, and landed not in water, but on soft moss. She stood, and realized she was in a cavern, with several stone pathways leading off into darkness. In the distance, voices echoed.
You pick up the heart-shaped stone. "[[She called out for help]]."
You pick up the four acorns. "[[She set off running]]."
<audio src="https://callistrogue.github.io/sound/forest.wav" autoplay>"It came from deep within the well. It said to her, "Do not be afraid. I am the spirit of this well. I can cure your mother, but it will be difficult. When the time comes, whatever I ask, you must do, or the cure will not work."
"The girl agreed.
"'Good,' said the well. 'Tonight, when the moon is full, bring your mother to me.'
"The girl did so, helping her mother limp through the field to the well, where she lay down next to it, coughing.
"'Good,' said the well."
You pick up a birchbark map. "'[[Now go to the forest and bring me the head of a wolf]].'"
You pick up the four acorns. "'[[Now go the village cemetary, and bring me the bones of four children]].'"
<audio src="https://callistrogue.github.io/sound/forest.wav" autoplay>"The girl did so. She searched the floor of the woods for pawprints and tracked down a pack of wolves as they relaxed in their den.
"With her desperation to save her mother turned to dangerous courage, she attempted an ambush on the beasts..."
You pick up the four acorns. "...[[but any woodsman will tell you this is folly]]."
<audio src="https://callistrogue.github.io/sound/forest.wav" autoplay>"The girl went, and found the graves of four brothers who had died of the purple pox only a few years earlier. Without a second thought, she exhumed their remains, and brought them to the well in four bags.
"'Good,' spoke the well. 'Now grind them up to a fine powder.'
"The girl did so, finding a loose stone to wield.
"'Good,' spoke the well. 'Now draw a bucket of water from my depths.'
"The girl did so, pulling the pink-tinged water up with a bucket.
"'Good,' spoke the well. 'Now mix them together into a thick poultice.'
"The girl did so, using the bucket to stir the two into a paste.
"'Good,' spoke the well."
You pick up the birchbark map. "'[[Now place a dab of the mixture on her eyes and tongue]].'"
<audio src="https://callistrogue.github.io/sound/forest.wav" autoplay>"At first, they were horrified. Their son, in love with a commoner? They could not allow the marriage.
"But when they saw how despondant he was at their disapproval, the Queens made a proposal. If their son could not marry another royal, then he should at least have a knight as his consort. If this barkeep were to gain his hand in marriage, they would have to go through the training and tests to become a knight."
You pick up the four acorns. "[[For four years, the barkeep trained]]."
<audio src="https://callistrogue.github.io/sound/forest.wav" autoplay>"They kept their romance from the world, the Prince sneaking out of the castle at night to meet the barkeep at their home. But the two grew restless, and the barkeep found a new job within the castle as a royal cook in order to be closer to their love. For a while, the pair were happy to keep their secret life to the shadows of the castle."
You pick up the birchbark map. "[[But the Prince knew that, if they were to be wed, the Queens would have to know eventually]]."
<audio src="https://callistrogue.github.io/sound/forest.wav" autoplay>"They honed their skills in archery, swordsmanship, equestrianism, and a thousand other fields. At times, as a lowborn individual, they felt out of place in the court, and were scorned by other knights-in-training. But they met with the Prince every night, and every night the Prince swore that as soon as they passed the test of knighthood, the two of them would be wed. Thus, the former barkeep remained determined, practicing and studying late into the night.
"When the day finally came to undergo the tests, they had studied and trained so hard that they easily passed each successive trial, even, in the final trial of combat, accidentally beheading two of the other knights-in-training with their newfound strength.
"And so, the Prince fulfilled his promise, and as soon as the ceremony for knighthood ended, the marriage ceremony began, and the two were wed. For many decades, they reigned marvelously and magnanimously.
"[[Thus ends the fable]]."
<audio src="https://callistrogue.github.io/sound/forest.wav" autoplay>"But the risk was too great. If the Queens did not approve, they could sentence execution, and the Prince could not bear the thought.
"And so, four years to the day since their meeting, the two stole away from the castle. They packed food and clothing, and the Prince some expensive cloaks and trinkets to sell, and left to begin a new life, where they could be happy together.
"[[Thus ends the fable->restart]]."
<audio src="https://callistrogue.github.io/sound/forest.wav" autoplay>The girl did so. Her mother cried out as her eyes burned, and coughed as she swallowed the bonepaste.
"'Good,' spoke the well. 'Bring her home and let her rest for seven days. When she rises, she will no longer be ill.'
"The girl thanked the well, and picked up the limp body of her mother.
"'However... before you go...' spoke the well. 'You must pour the remaining mixture into me. If not, the cure will fail.'
"The girl did so. As she poured the bucket's contents into the darkness, she did not hear it hit the water.
"The girl brought her mother home, and as the voice said, she rose on her seventh day of rest, fully restored. The girl returned to the well to thank it, but nothing responded. She continued to visit the well once a year, even into her old age, but it never spoke to her again."
"[[Thus ends the fable->restart]]."
<audio src="https://callistrogue.github.io/sound/forest.wav" autoplay>"An enormous blank stone, stranded in the heart of the ocean, with only barnacles encrusting its edges.
You pick up the wishing stone. "[[Some say it is still out there]]."
<audio src="https://callistrogue.github.io/sound/forest.wav" autoplay>"It pounded upon the rock in a never-ending torrent, grinding the stone down to sand, until it disappeared beneath the waves and became one with the ocean floor. It is there that the land remains, beneath the waves, scattered across this world. No doubt, you have tread upon it at some point, as you walked the length of a beach."
You pick up the heart-shaped stone. "[[Some may question the worth of such a tale]]."
<audio src="https://callistrogue.github.io/sound/forest.wav" autoplay>"A great, steady constant in an ever-shifting world."
"[[Thus ends the fable->restart]]."
<audio src="https://callistrogue.github.io/sound/forest.wav" autoplay>The wolves ripped her into four parts and ate each one, saving her severed head for last.
"[[Thus ends the fable]]."
<audio src="https://callistrogue.github.io/sound/forest.wav" autoplay>"She sprinted in the opposite direction of the voices as fast as she could, fear fueling her feet. She took turned randomly in the dark labyrinth, feeling her way along the walls. The sounds of voices constantly followed her, forcing her onward, never stopping."
You pick up the heart-shaped stone. "[[So if you are ever drawing water from a well]]..."
<audio src="https://callistrogue.github.io/sound/forest.wav" autoplay>"Her voice rang out into the caverns, echoing down every corridor. The voices she heard in the distance grew louder and louder, seemed closer and closer, until..."
You pick up the four acorns. "[[The goblins finally reached her chamber]]."
<audio src="https://callistrogue.github.io/sound/forest.wav" autoplay>"If you had been at the mouth of well when they arrived, you would only have only heard a short scream, and the thud of her head hitting the stoney cavern floor.
"[[Thus ends the fable]]."
<audio src="https://callistrogue.github.io/sound/forest.wav" autoplay>"And you hear the sound of footsteps rising from the depths, know that it is the girl who fell, forever running, forever searching for safety from the unknown.
"[[Thus ends the fable->restart]]."
<audio src="https://callistrogue.github.io/sound/forest.wav" autoplay>