Joan of Arc's Sauver la France

By: HH [[begin your jouney->start]] [[sources->bibliography]]

SCORE: $score (set: $score to 0) You are Joan of Arc, as a young peasant girl at the age of thirteen. Your childhood is not easy as your family is living in poverty. Your father, Jacques d'Arc is a tenant farmer who is very hardworking, and he is almost never at home. Your mother is a stay-at-home mom and every day, you take lessons from her because your family cannot afford to send you and your siblings to school. Despite the condition your family is in, you are still contented and have a positive demeanor. At this time, you are still young and innocent and you are unaware of the grave state your country, France is in right now. At this time, your country is locked in a bitter battle with England (known as the Hundred Year's War). Then one night, you begin to hear voices from several saints. "Dearest Joan," they whisper into your ear, "Your country is in great danger." You hope these hallucinations would disappear over time, but to your dismay, they occur almost every single night. Soon, you find out that God has sent you on a mission to save France. You are to enable Charles VII's coronation and drive away the English. Two years later, when you tell your parents the news, they think you have been driven insane. In addition to that, they seem careless about the war between the French and the English. "You foolish fille," says your father. "Ma chérie..." your mother begins, "You want to battle strong English men? You want to make our poor disinherited majesty, king? That is a very dangerous thing to do for such a young girl like you. Why do you speak of such things? Wait until you are an adulte. Then you can do whatever you please." You nod obediently and march off to your room to think about it. What should you do? Should you wait until you are stronger and older to take on the mission? Or should you do it now? These thoughts flood your mind as you lie on top of your straw bed. [[You take action->take action]] [[You decide to wait until you are older and stronger->wait for your sixteenth birthday until you take action]]

A+E Networks. "Joan of Arc." History.com. Last modified 2009. Accessed January 19, 2017. http://www.history.com/topics/saint-joan-of-arc. Knight, Judson. Middle Ages Reference Library. Edited by Judy Galens. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale, 2001. Lanhers, Malcolm Yvonne. "Saint Joan of Arc." Britannica.com. Last modified February 1, 2016. Accessed January 19, 2017. https://www.britannica.com/ biography/Saint-Joan-of-Arc. Mishra, Patit Paban. "Joan of Arc." Ancient and Medieval History. Last modified 2016. Accessed January 19, 2016. http://online.infobase.com/HRC/Search/ Details/215340?q=joan%20of%20arc.

SCORE: $score (set: $score += 5) You sneak out of your house at dawn and start your mission. Feeling a bit nervous, you unlock the old wooden gate in your front yard and carefully tiptoe away. You then break into a mad dash once you are about 10 meters away from your house. Across the small fields you run, and past the old pasture where your father keeps the livestock. Then thoughts begin to flood your mind. Where should you go? How do you get there? All the sudden, you hear the voice of St. Margaret, one of your saints. "Ma chérie, you must go to the nearest stronghold that is loyal to the Dauphin," she informs you. "But...but how do I find it?" you wonder aloud. "Don't fret, dear Joan, we shall guide you there." Lead by your saints, you find yourself wondering towards a small village. As you enter it, you notice a band of intimidating-looking armed men. Is this an enemy village? Is this a trap? [[Avoid the supposed "trap"->don't trust your saints]] [[You trust your saints despite their misleadingness->trust your saints]]

SCORE: $score (set: $score += 5) Upon entering the village, you question the men. "Are you allies of the Dauphin?" you ask. "Yes we are, little fille," one of the men responds, "Why do you come here?" Another man scowls at him. "Just let her pass," he grumbles, "She's just a little peasant fille. She's not going to raid the village or anything!" You thank them and they part for you to enter. You notice that a few blocks from the village, there is a stronghold. The stronghold of Vaucouleurs. The one you were seeking. Once you approach the stronghold, you are halted by the captain of the garrison, Robert de Baudricourt. He is a brunette, middle aged man with a short beard. His thick brows furrow as he scrutinizes you. "What is your name and for what reason are you here for?" he barks with a scowl. "I am Jeanne d'Arc and I am here to help the Dauphin," you answer. To your dismay, the captain burst out laughing. He laughs until his eyes are brimming with tears. You find out that he is going to be hard to persuade. What should you say? [["Monsieur, please, may I join the Dauphin?->you patiently persuade him]] [[""Monsieur, let me join the Dauphin. If you don't France will be taken over by those crasseux English"->You know he is hard to persuade]]

SCORE: $score (set: $score -= 5) You turn away from the scowling men and spot a outline of a luxurious stronghold. Perhaps it is the stronghold your saints were talking about. You begin walking towards it as your saints beg you to reconsider your decision. "I know it's the right way!" you whisper to them. Upon entering the castle, you are halted by several men. "What are you doing here, you little dirty paysanne?" asks one of the men. "I am here to help the Dauphin, monsieur," you say firmly, but respectfully. The other men laugh. "Well there's nothing for you to do here since we are Burgundians, fille." You then realize that you have made a critical mistake.[ The man chuckles and shakes his head and says, "Fortunately for you, we will not be killing you today since I am in a good mood. I shall make you our servant, what do you think?" Before you can answer, the men seize you and carry you off like a sack of potatoes. "Get to work!" one of them barks. You are now a servant of the Burgundians. (if: $score is > 5)[way to go!] (if: $score is < 5)[nice try!]

SCORE: $score (set: $score -= 5) Time passes by really quickly. On the day of your sixteenth birthday, you are lying on the grass in your front yard peering up at the heavens, thinking what the her saints have said to her last night. "Ma chérie Joan," they had patiently said, "It is about time you take action and be France's héros." For your birthday party, your parents invite their good friend, Beaufort, whose family had sided with the English. "Why side with the English, Monsieur?" you ask him with curiosity. Beaufort laughs. "The English are good people, chère. And my grand-mère, grandmother, is a full-blooded English. If we become part of England, France would be in good hands, don't you think? Good King Henry knows how to keep his people happy and well-off." He babbles on about how good the English are and how the French should respect them. You learn that the English are not as bad as you thought they were. What should you do? Side with the English or stay with the French? [[you take action->take action]] [[side with the English->if you can't defeat them, join them]]

SCORE: $score (set: $score += 5) The captain shakes his head. "Do you really think a little peasant fille like you can do such a thing?" he asks incredulously. "Yes," you say firmly. The captain groans. "You are waisting my time, so scat!" [[it seems like you are getting nowhere with this guy so you decide to sneak in. This is for the sake of France, right?->barge in]] [[come back another day->you are persistent]]

SCORE: $score (set: $score -= 5) The captain glares at you, with a steely look in his eyes. "Excuse me?" You look down, trying to avoid eye contact. "Look at me!" he demanded. And you do. "Now, little fille," he began, "Do you really think a little fifteen year old-" "Sixteen, monsieur," you interrupt him. "Whatever!" he snarled. "But the point is, do you really think a sixteen year old fille like you can defeat the English and save France?" "Yes," you respond promptly, "I am determined." The captain shakes his head. [[you patiently persuade him->you patiently persuade him]] [[You barge in->barge in]]

SCORE: $score (set: $score += 5) You decide to come back tomorrow. As you are leaving, a group of the town's residents approach you. "Madame, we saw your brave encounter with the captain. You are a very courageous fille," one of them states kindly. "merci," you say smiling. "Would you like any help, madame?" they ask. "Yes please," you answer politely, "Do you mind helping me persuade Captain de Baudricourt to let me join our majesty?" "Of course, Madame! When would you like us to do that?" "Tomorrow, as soon as possible, please." The next day, you lead the group towards the captain's hut. "What now, little fille?" the captain groans. "Monsieur, this young brave fille would like to join the Dauphin," says a voice from the crowd. "So once again, I ask. May I please join the Dauphin?" you stand there, face to face with the captain. For a moment, the captain looses his words. He frowns at you and then, to everyone's surprise, smiles. "Very well, little one. You may go," he says loud enough for everyone to hear. Everyone cheers and praises you as you leave. "merci beaucoup," you say, turning around to thank them. A few days later, you arrive at the Dauphin's castle. [[you enter the castle->you enter the castle]]

SCORE: $score (set: $score -= 5) You grudgingly thank him and make a pretense of leaving. Then when he isn't looking, you sneak into the town and into a large crowd of residents and steal some cloths and throw on a disguise. Unseen by the guards, you dash into a small opening in the stronghold. Grinning about the clever hoax you pulled off, you sprint down a hallway. Suddenly, you hear footsteps behind you and a man's voice yells, "halte!" [[you run->flee]] [[You stand there and put your arms up in surrender->surrender]]

SCORE: $score (set: $score -= 5) Before you can ran any farther, the men catch up to you and one of them stabs you with a sword. You die. (if: $score is > 5)[way to go!] (if: $score is < 5)[nice try!]

SCORE: $score (set: $score += 5) "Little fille," Captain de Baudricourt says, glaring at you in discuss. The captain and his men have surrounded you. "I shall send you home. I have no time to deal with annoying little peasant filles," the captain sighs. Then he orders his men to seize you. But instead of taking you home, they dump you at the edge of the town. [[You sneak to the dauphin's palace, disguised as one of his followers->you are persistent]]

SCORE: $score "I am here to win you your crown, monsieur" you respond respectfully. Charles scowls at you incredulously. "Win me my crown?" he raises his eyebrows. "Yes, I am going to escort you to your coronation," you promise. "Escort me to my coronation?" he repeats, "Bah! How can a peasant fille possibly do that?" Before you can answer, he speaks again. "Well actually first of all, how did you get pass the guards?" he queries. "They just let me pass," you answer frankly. "They let you pass?" he spat, looking flustered, "Why the heck did I hire those sale gosses? Ok, never mind. How can a little fille possibly do any harm? Or much less, win me my crown back?" Ignoring his remarks you firmly state, "I have been sent on a mission to save France by God." Charles's eyes widen. "Excuse me, little fille?" "I have been sent on a mission to save France by God," you repeat. Suddenly, Charles seemed interested. "Would you like to discuss this in private?" "Yes please, monsieur," you say, finally relieved that he has granted you an audience. "I will be right back," he tells his family. Then he orders his servants to clean up his spot where he was sitting. When you and Charles arrive in an empty room, you tell him about your mission and how you wish to battle at Orleans. He consents, though he still seems suspicious of you. [[The battle->coronation decisions]]

SCORE: $score "Monsieur, I would like to battle Paris," you say to Charles, "I heard that the city is swarming with Burgundians, so we really need to win it back!" Charles seemed unsure whether to consider your decision or not, but at last, he reluctantly agreed. "That would be fine. I will provide you with an army and weapons," he told you. "merci." [[the battle->the battle]]

SCORE: $score (set: $score += 5) "No, you shall be crowned as soon as possible!" you declare. Before Charles can respond, one of his advisors interject. "The girl is right. If we postpone the coronation, the English will have more time to regroup." Charles shakes his head stubbornly. "It is too dangerous." "I know!" you say, "But it's better if we do it now than later." "Fine, we shall head to Reims today," Charles grumbles. Later, with some help from your friend, Duc d'Alençon, who is also a lieutenant general of the French armies, you clear the English from a few cities in order to make the journey safer. Then you, Charles, and the royal army fight your way to Reims. But eventually, the struggle ends and Charles's coronation is finally enabled. "You are our king, monsieur," you say to Charles after the ceremony. You kneel before him. Charles smiles, readjusting his crown. "And you, little fille, are my servant." "Excuse me? Not even a merci? Come on, man, show some appreciation!" [[battle at Paris->ask Charles VII for permission to battle Paris]] [[Confront the English at Compiegne->go to Compiegne]]

SCORE: $score (set: $score -= 5) "As you say so, monsieur," you say. A few days later, you and Charles decide to travel to Reims for his coronation. It was a peaceful journey until suddenly, you are ambushed by the English and their allies. "Well, well! Looks like the Charlie boy and his little girl are heading out somewhere!" the duke of Burgundy taunts. The Dauphin stops his horse. "Philip, you are an idiot!" he nearly yells. The duke only laughs. "Gentlemen, prepare for battle!" Charles orders his troops. They salute him and get their weapons ready. Philip the Good shakes his head. "You know that it is not going to stop us, you embécile. Try me, coward! I dare you. And don't even try to get your men to fight for you!" Charles jumps off his horse. "Bring it on, Phil! I'll even get off my horse!" The duke also gets off his horse, his sword ready. "Hand me my sword," Charles orders you, and you do. In no time, the two royal men are in a dual. The enemies cheer for the duke while you and the Dauphin's followers cheer for Charles. Suddenly, Philip stabs Charles in his throat. Everyone turns away as blood gushes out. "Ha!" the duke gibes, "Now you shall never be king!" Charles groans and stumbles. He dies. You have failed your mission. (if: $score is > 5)[way to go!] (if: $score is < 5)[you suck!]

The English finally surrender and a peace treaty is signed. Peace finally between the two countries. You live happily ever after. (if: $score is > 5)[Way to go!] (if: $score is < 5)[nice try!]

SCORE: $score (set: $score -= 5) "We must retreat," one of your men warns you. "No. We mustn't give up, monsieur." "Almost a third of our men have been wounded or killed. An the Burgundians have way more men than we do." Ignoring his advice, you wave him away. Suddenly, you notice a few Burgundians heading toward you. You raise your spear and throw it. The spear pierces one of the men's chest and he is thrown off his horse. Another man jumps down from his horse to help his comrade. "You are the petty Charles's maid, huh?" a voice behind you sneers. You turn around to see an armed young man with a sword ready. Without warning, he stabs you in the back and you die.

SCORE: $score (set: $score += 5) You call for retreat and end the battle. Your arms are sore from all the fighting and your face is bruised. Exhausted, you and the army go back to the Dauphin's castle. There, the Dauphin glares at you accusingly. "We cannot afford to loose another batter, Madame," he says sternly. "Yes, monsieur," you say obediently. The king grumbles. "Next time you loose a battle, you are to go back to your filthy little village and your filthy farmer parents." "Yes, monsieur." "Now go! Go and join my custodians!" he orders. "I am doing my best to help you and yet you treat me like an esclave? Huh!" you mutter under your breath. [[next->coronation]]

SCORE: $score After one attempt to enter Compiegne, you decide to go back. There, you are unhorsed and captured in the attempted of chasing away the Burgundians. Charles, that fool, hasn't made any attempts to save you. "Get ready for your trial, little fille," the duke of Burgundy says, grinning with glee. You have about 70 charges against you, including witchcraft, heresy, and dressing inappropriately. "Swear to God that you will be honest and tell the truth," they order you. [[be honest->tell the truth]] [[telling the truth would be traitorous to the Dauphin and God->lie]]

SCORE: $score (set: $score += 5) "You are to answer each and every question truthfully," the judges command you. "Yes, monsieur," you say. "First of all, tell us about your visions. What do they ask of you?" "God has sent me on a mission to save France," you answer truthfully. Everyone looks at each other. "Did you do everything the visions told you to do?" "Yes, monsieur." The trial continues for days, until you are finally sent home. [[you are free->be a good girl]]

SCORE: $score (set: $score -= 5) "You are to answer every question truthfully," the judges say. "No," you answer firmly. "Swear to God that you will tell the truth!" they demand. You agree, but you decide not to obey them any further. "First of all, we order you to take off the men's attire. It is improper for a jeune femme to dress like that." "No." "Disobey one more time, Madame, and you shall be punished," a judge barks. "First of all, what did your visions tell you to do?" "To not answer any of your questions," you answer disdainfully. "That's it!" they yell. With that said, you are imprisoned and chained to a wall. [[Disobey your enemies to prove that you have the right to do whatever you want and risk your life doing something right->disobey]] [[be obedient because you don't want to risk getting into more trouble->be a good girl]]

"We are done with you, you dirty little fille. Come on, follow me!" the executioner demanded. He and the other men seize you, and you mutter a short prayer. "Dear Lord, please at least let me die a heroine. Please, let the world know about the good deeds of La Pucelle d'Orléans. Amen." A pyre was lit on fire and a crowd of commoners gather to witness your suffering. you die a heroine (if: $score is > 5)[way to go!] (if: $score is < 5)[nice try!]

You are sent back home to your parents. "Where have you been, my child?" your mother cries as she embraces you. "We were worried for you," your father says sternly, "Where did you go?" "I wanted to save France," you reply. Your parents look at you incredulously. "Oh, stop that nonsense!" your mother chides, "Where did you really go?" "I went to the great Dauphin's castle and then escorted him to Reims so that he could be crowned." "That was what we heard from the herald," your father tells you, "If all of that is true, then..." "Stop it, Jacques!" your mother scolds him, "At least our child is home safe!" (if: $score is > 5)[way to go!] (if: $score is < 5)[nice try!]

SCORE: $score (set: $score -= 5) From the conversation with Beaufort, you learn that the English have a more powerful military than the French so the best thing to do is to sit back and relax. The success of the English is in the hands of Henry VI. The mission to save France forgotten, you and your family continue living blissfully on the family farm, undisturbed by the English. 6 months later, the town herald announces that the English have conquered most of France already. The dauphin Charles and his family have been forced to live amongst the commoners and their castle has been taken over by the Duke of Burgundy, an ally of the English. You have failed your mission to save France. (if: $score is > 5)[Nice job!] (if: $score is < 5)[nice try!]

SCORE: $score Unsure where to go, you ask a guard for directions and permission to speak to Charles VII. "He is in his throne room," the guard tells you, "Unless it is a matter of urgency, you are not permitted to talk to the Dauphin." "It is," you say. "Very well then, carry on. Go to the right and keep walking until you see the throne room." You thank him and stride over to the throne room where Charles is having lunch with his family. About a couple of hundreds of guests were also present. You walk up to him, not believing that you are about to meet the Dauphin for the first time. "Excuse me, monsieur," you say. Charles doesn't hear you at first as he seems to be enjoying his meal. Then his little son prods him with a chicken leg. Chicken! Your eyes widen as you take notice of the luxurious food. You rarely get to have meat as your family is unnable to afford it. Suddenly, Charles turns and glares at his young son. "What was that for, my son?" he demands, "Didn't your maman and I tell you not to play with your food?" "I'm sorry, papa, but there is a strange girl standing behind you," the little boy complains. Charles turns around and squints as you as if you did something inaproppriate. The young man had dark brown, well-groomed hair and dark brown eyes that are filled with suspicion. "How did a dirty paysanne girl get here?" he says sternly. [[ask Charles VII for permission to battle Orleans->ask Charles VII for permission to battle Orleans]] [[ask Charles VII for permission to battle Paris->ask Charles VII for permission to battle Paris]]

SCORE: $score With Charles's permission, you lead the French army to Orleans. You and your assistant, La Hire, a French general are sent to Orleans with some battle gear and other supplies. "We are to wait until some reinforcements can be brought in," La Hire informs you. "Alright," you reply. For several days, you and the general wait for reinforcements. Impatiently, you think to yourself, they are way too slow! The English will take over our country! Suddenly, you decide to arm yourself and take action. You and the general continuously attack the English until they retreat. Back in the Dauphin's palace, you are congratulated by Charles and his supporters. "Well done, my fille," Charles tells you. You smile and nod. Suddenly, you realize that Charles will have to make haste to his coronation. You clear your throat. "Monsieur. You must go to Reims right now to be crowned." Charles frowns. "Right now? But it is dangerous. The English or their allies will do anything they can to stop me! My advisors and I have agreed to postpone it for later. What do you think?" [[you take a risk and escort Charles VII to his coronation right away->escort Charles]] [[Save the coronation for later->postpone the coronation]]

SCORE: $score Charles supplies you with you with some troops, weapons, and armor, as promised. The very next day, you lead the army to Paris and prepare for the battle. "Surrender, ya'll! Surrender to the king of France!" you scream at the top of your lungs. The Burgundians stir and your army seems tensed. "Attack, now!" Charles orders and the army advances. The enemies also surge forward, their weapons ready. Soon, swords were clashing, battle axes were butchering, and spears were hurled. You sit on top of your mounted war horse with your weapons ready. You hurl your spear, and it pierces a Burgundian's chest. You laugh as he falls off his horse and tumbles on to the ground, wounded. After hours of bloodshed, the French army is in danger of loosing. [[continue the battle->you know that there is still a chance of winning so you continue the battle]] [[retreat->retreat]]

SCORE: $score Charles is crowned king so he is allowed to do whatever he pleases. And that includes ordering you around, to your disappointment. "I want you to go to confront an English threat at Compiegne, fille. Don't you dare disappoint me this time." You nod, though you are uncertain for the first time that the French are able to defeat the English. [[go to Compiegne->defend Compiegne]] [[suggest a peace treaty->go to Compiegne]]