Zion

The Trial of Spirit is almost done, you can feel it. For the past hour or so, the darkness has been absolute. You do not know if you are in a cave, or in a tunnel, or if you've slipped up in your warding and been claimed by [[the void.]] You anchor yourself by touching [[the vessel]] on your side. It is still there. And so are you. You focus in on the path ahead. One misstep could spell your end. [[turn left]] [[turn right]] [[go straight.]]

you take a step to the left. The darkness remains absolute. [[go left->ll]] [[go right->lr]] [[walk forward->lc]]

you take a step to the right. The darkness remains absolute. [[go left->rl]] [[go right->rr]] [[go straight->rc]]

you take a step forward. The darkness remains absolute. [[go left->cl]] [[go right->cr]] [[go straight->cc]]

You go left again. [[go left->lll]] [[go right->llr]] [[go straight->llc]]

you go right. [[go left->lrl]] [[go right->lrr]] [[go straight->lrc]]

you go straight. [[go left->lcl]] [[go right->lcr]] [[go straight->lcc]]

You take the next step and suddenly you spot a glimmer of light ahead of you. [[walk toward the light]] [[run toward the light]]

you go left. [[go left->rll]] [[go right->rlr]] [[go straight->rlc]]

you go right again. [[go left->rrl]] [[go right->rrr]] [[go straight->rrc]]

You go straight. [[go left->rcl]] [[go right->rcr]] [[go straight->rcc]]

You take the next step and suddenly you spot a glimmer of light ahead of you. [[walk toward the light]] [[run toward the light]]

you go left [[go left->cll]] [[go right->clr]] [[go straight->clc]]

you go right. [[go left->crl]] [[go right->crr]] [[go straight->crc]]

you go straight again. [[go left->ccl]] [[go right->ccr]] [[go straight->ccc]]

You take the next step and suddenly you spot a glimmer of light ahead of you. [[walk toward the light]] [[run toward the light]]

You take a breath, and move forward with the same purposeful caution that you practiced in the months leading up to the Trials. Each step lands definitively on the floor of the cavern. Voidslipping at this juncture would be disastrous. Old ghosts never dare touch someone who moves with purpose. [[exit the caverns]]

You feel the void behind you, and run toward the light with the same loping gait that you learned when you were a child. As you approach the light, you feel the pull of the old world flinch and recede. Old ghosts, fearful and hollow. [[exit the caverns]]

the blackness beyond the blackness, where the ghosts of the previous world whisper and tremble. [[continue->A thin, snaking tunnel]]

It is an oblong clay container that hangs from a long leather cord. It is stopped up with cork, and when you touch it you feel safe. [[continue->A thin, snaking tunnel]]

You step out into the open air, squinting in the cold sunlight. You are standing on a [[black, rocky path]] that winds over around the corner and out of sight. Out before you rises the vaulting cliffs and canyons of [[The Living Divide.]] below you is a winding, emerald brook and a smattering of red-barked evergreen trees. [[continue down the path]]

Relics of the old world, these crumbling roads cover the face of the earth, snaking from destination to destination with no real begining and no real end. Your people avoid them except in the case of ritual. When it comes to day to day life, the old world is best left forgotten. [[continue->exit the caverns]]

The path snakes along the side of the huge red rock, down into the base of the canyon. The water of the brook is a cloudy green, rich with silt and minerals. A deer stares at you balefully from the edge of the trees. You give it a polite bow. The wildlife of the Divide are said to be manifestations of Old World ghosts. Best to show respect and keep distance. [[follow the brook]]

Located a week's journey from the hunting grounds, the Living Divide is 200 miles of high cliffs, deep canyons, and red mud. The wise men of your people think that it was held sacred by the Old World. It is beautiful and dangerous, calm and wild. [[continue->exit the caverns]]

You step into the cool green water and follow the brook west. The riverbed is rocky, but your bare feet have calloused and hardened so that you may as well be wearing shoes. The brook slowly shrinks in size as you walk, eventually giving way to a wide, rocky sandbar. In the middle of the sandbar is a pile of boulders arranged like an altar. The middle boulder has a hollow carved in it, marking the end of the Trial of Spirit. [[approach the altar]]

You step towards the altar and bring the vessel at your side slowly up above your head. //the body changes but the spirit remains// //the mind forgets but the spirit remembers// //the heart is fickle but the spirit is true// You don't need to speak the words for them to be heard. They reverberate off the cliffs and trees and canyon walls, echoing into the sky and the void and the world in between. [[make an offering]]

You twist the cork out of the vessel, and pour a little bit of its contents into the dimpled boulder. It collects at the bottom of the hollow, calm, quiet, and anticlimactic. You watch it for a second, then take a breath and move to recork the vessel. The cork touches the clay and- (set:$trialnumber to 1) [[approach the cattle]]

It is 40 years since the war ended and the southwest is filthy with cattle, broken free from the bonds of the ranches and gone wild all over the plains and deserts. You are crouched in the tall grass, spear in hand. A hundred yards or so away is Joshua, your hunting partner. You can not see him, but you know that he is waiting for your signal to begin the chase in earnest. Between the two of you is a herd of maybe 50 feral cattle. (set:$huntingamount to 0) [[sneak closer to the cattle]] [[signal to Joshua]]

you move silently through the tall grass, spear held close to your body. Soon, you are right next to a fat, lazy cow. You could probably kill it right here and now, but you might lose the rest of the herd. [[Go for it]] [[signal to Joshua]]

You let out a low, quiet birdcall, careful not to disturb the cows. A second later, you hear the same call from Joshua. 3 2 1 (set:$signalJoshua to true) [[charge the herd]]

You heave the spear at point blank range, sending it straight through the beast's neck. It lets out a suprised gurgle, spear stuck in its windpipe, and collapses. The herd freezes in shock, and then runs. "Shit!" You hear Joshua yell, before he emerges from his spot in the grass and charges in after the herd. (set:$huntingamount to it + 1) (set:$signalJoshua to false) [[recover your meat]] [[charge the herd]]

{(if:$huntingamount is 0)[You failed to kill any of the herd. You will go hungry, and maybe your people will too. You think it unfair that one creature must suffer for another to thrive.](else-if:$huntingamount is 1)[You set to cleaning the animal. You understand that you need to kill to survive, but that doesn't mean you have to feel very good about it.](else-if:$huntingamount is 2)[You set to cleaning the two animals that you were able to fell. You understand that you need to kill to survive, but you don't feel very good about it.](else-if:$huntingamount is 3)[You set to cleaning the three animals that you were able to fell. You understand that you need to kill to survive, but you don't feel very good about it.](else-if:$huntingamount is 4)[You set to cleaning the four animals that you were able to fell. You wish you were quick enough to kill more.]} (set:$recoveryourmeat to true) (if:$callouttoJoshua is true)[ [[Return to the wagon.]]] (else:)[ [[call out to Joshua.]]]

(if:$signalJoshua is true)[You charge forward, stabbing the nearest cow in the next. It falls to the ground and you leave it to bleed out.] (else:)[You pull your spear for the cow's neck and charge off after the herd.] Joshua has pulled ahead of you. You both love this part, a frantic rush to kill as quickly as possible until you have enough to fill the wagon. You see an elderly bull, weighed down by its horns, begin to tire. [[Kill the old bull]] [[go for stronger prey]]

You land a well-aimed jab directly into the old creature's eye. It falls to the ground, and you barely lose momentum. (set:$huntingamount to it + 1) [[continue->hunt1]]

You leave the old animal be. The meat would have been stringy, and likely diseased. [[continue->hunt1]]

Your spear enters the neck and exits before the muscles can tense up around it. The mother cow dies choking on her own blood, and you keep running. (set:$huntingamount to it + 1) [[continue->hunt2]]

You think it might be bad luck to kill a mother cow. You let the lumbering beast go. [[continue->hunt2]]

You throw your weapon with all your strength. The animal collapses, spear sprouting from its side. It dies over the course of a minute, its screams fading into pants fading into nothing. (set:$huntingamount to it + 1) (set:$recoveryourmeat to false) (set:$callouttoJoshua to false) [[call out to Joshua.]] [[recover your meat]]

You slow down to a jog as you realize that the rest of the herd has successfully outrun you. [[call out to Joshua.]] [[recover your meat]]

You are closing in on a pregnant cow. It has more meat in it then any of the other cattle, but killing it would mean less for the future. [[Kill the cow.]] [[leave it be]]

The herd is begining to outrun you. A spears throw away is a young bull, its horns barely more than stubs. [[kill the bull]] [[let the herd go]]

"How many did you get?" You cry out. Joshua's head pops out of the tall grass when he hears you. "Three! You?" (set:$callouttoJoshua to true) {(if:$huntingamount is 0)[ [["I didn't get any."]]](else-if:$huntingamount is 1)[ [["Just one."]]](else-if:$huntingamount is 2)[ [["Two."]]](else-if:$huntingamount is 3)[ [["Three."]]](else-if:$huntingamount is 4)[ [["Four!"]]]}

"Shit, Rachel." [["It's fine."->"I'm sorry."]] [["I'm sorry."]]

Joshua grins. "Damn. Off day?" [["Joshua, I don't have off days."]] [["Maybe. Maybe I don't have the stomach for hunting."]]

He winks. "I beat ya." [["Shut up."]] [["Scoreboard, Josh. I beat you every week for the last month"]]

Joshua rolls his eyes and smiles. "You can't help one-upping me, can you?" [["You make it so easy."]] [["Don't beat yourself up over it."]]

Joshua gives a mock grimace. "I'll beat you one of these days." [["Keep dreaming."]] [["I suppose I could give you some pointers."]]

"Here. Take one of mine." Joshua points his spear down in the direction you came. [["Thank you."]] [["I can't."]]

Joshua nods. "Don't mention it." He goes back to his work, and you head off to find the downed cow. (set:$huntingamount to it + 1) [[recover your meat]]

"Come on. Don't do this to yourself." [["...Okay. thanks"->"Thank you."]] [["I already did this to myself, Joshua."]]

The next few hours see you and Joshua hauling meat and pelts from the carcasses to the wagon. It is tiring work, and soon the two of your are covered in blood and out of breath. You throw the last rolled-up skin into the wagon bed and turn to Joshua. He takes a deep breath, and lets it out with a tired grin. "You should cover yourself in cow viscera more often," he says. "You're really pulling it off." [["Well now, Joshua. Are you flirting with me?"]] [[(wink) "I know."]]

His warm laugh travels across the prairie and for a second you forget your people and your hunt and the struggle of living. $recoveryourmeat[ [[Return to the wagon.]] ] (else:)[ [[recover your meat]] ]

Joshua shrugs. "Someone's gotta do it." $recoveryourmeat[ [[Return to the wagon.]] ] (else:)[ [[recover your meat]] ]

He sighs. "Okay." $recoveryourmeat[ [[Return to the wagon.]] ] (else:)[ [[recover your meat]] ]

He chuckles and your spirits rise, just a little. $recoveryourmeat[ [[Return to the wagon.]] ] (else:)[ [[recover your meat]] ]

He chuckles, and you can't help but smile yourself. "Fair. Well, thank you for holding back today," Joshua gives you a deep, overexaggerated bow. You laugh. $recoveryourmeat[ [[Return to the wagon.]] ] (else:)[ [[recover your meat]] ]

He chuckles. "Stay cocky, Rachel. You'll never see me coming." You smile. $recoveryourmeat[ [[Return to the wagon.]] ] (else:)[ [[recover your meat]] ]

He chuckles. "How gracious of you, O Mighty Queen of the hunt." You smile. $recoveryourmeat[ [[Return to the wagon.]] ] (else:)[ [[recover your meat]] ]

He chuckles. "Stay cocky, Rachel. I'm coming for you." You both laugh. $recoveryourmeat[ [[Return to the wagon.]] ] (else:)[ [[recover your meat]] ]

He smirks. "Thank you for your kindness, O Queen of the hunt," he gives you a huge, exaggerated bow and you laugh. $recoveryourmeat[ [[Return to the wagon.]] ] (else:)[ [[recover your meat]] ]

"Maybe I am." His smile widens. You chuckle, wink, and then wordlessly hop on the wagon, grabbing the reigns. It is a 2 day journey back to the village, and the two of you are happy. [[fade]]

Joshua's smile widens, and it doesn't fully leave until you make it back to the village 2 days later. [[fade]]

You come back to yourself, sitting on your ass on the sandbar. For a moment, you do not know where you are, when you are, who you are. [[Take a breath.]]

You remember to breath, at least. The rest comes back to you peice by peice. Your name is Kan. It has been 500 years since the war. You are in the Living Divide. [[Reach for your spear.]]

What are you doing? You are not a hunter, not a warrior. You have no spear. [[grab your vessel]]

The vessel is warm to the touch. You look inside, and the ash within looks excited somehow. You remember that you are in the middle of the Trial of Sages. If you complete the trials, you will be accepted as a shaman of your people. If not, you and your name will be stricken. [[stand up]]

This is your first time in the Living Divide, but you memorized its trails and canyons during your preparation. From the sandbar, you can hike to the Trial of Body to the east and the Trial of Mind to the west. [[Go to the Trial of Body]] [[Go to the Trial of Mind]]

At least, you think it was a vision. You've never experienced one before, but you always thought they would be less... immersive. Maybe it was an Old World ghost, entering your body while the Trial of Spirit left you vulnerable. But that also couldn't be it. Rachel and Joshua seemed to be of your people. Besides, Old World ghosts couldn't produce a memory that vivid. Maybe this is the true Trial of Sages. You will wait and see if the vision returns [[Continue on to the other trials]]

You head out east toward the Trial of the Body. The air smells like fresh-fallen rain in dirt, even though it hasn't rained in at least a week. You wonder if the Living Divide was carved out before the war, 500 years ago. You had heard that before its fall, the Old World had tools that could reshape the land and shatter mountains, and you can't imagine a place this imposing and majestic coming about naturally. (set:$bodytrial to true) [[Continue to the Trial of Body]]

You set off walking west toward the Trial of the Mind. The air is clean and cold in your lungs, making you wish you had dressed warmer. The Divide is unlike anywhere you've ever been before. It seems static, frozen in time or seperate from it. You feel as safe as you do in the heart of your village, but also somehow skittish and excited. (set:$mindtrial to true) [[continue to the Trial of Mind]]

You spend the next couple hours walking through the Divide. The old paths make the trek easy. They wrap around the ridges and cliffs in ways that make the going seem level without compromising the natural verticality. The path ends in the hollow between a small green pond and a large brown rock. [[examine your surroundings.]]

You get to your feet, and are surprised by a low rumble that seems to be coming from the sky. [[look up]]

High above you is what must be a huge bird. It leaves a trail of cloud behind it as it moves across the sky, and it roars, quiet but persistent, as if it were consumed with an unending rage. You watch it as it makes its way west, eventually disappearing behind a ridge. The noise continues for some time before fading away into nothing. Probably just another old ghost. Not worth dwelling on. [[Continue on to the other trials]] [[Consider the vision]]

The pond is colored a deeper emerald than any other water you've ever seen. It is also perfectly reflective- No matter how hard you peer, you can see nothing in its depths but the trees and rocks and sky. The rock has a hollow gouged into it, and it hangs over the pond like an umbrella. The path goes into the hollow, and you hug the wall so as not to slip. Water drips down the rock and into the pond. You cannot see the source, and you do not care to. The drops make small ripples in the perfect mirror and then are assimilated into its surface. [[Begin the Trial of Mind]]

You take a deep breath, hold it for a moment, then close your eyes and release it. There is stone above and behind and below you and there is water ahead and sky on the horizon and You have no idea how to do the Trial of Mind. [[Panic]] [[Try to remember]]

No. No. Do not panic. Panic is the heart's weakness. This is a test of the mind. Put it away and calm yourself. [[calm->Try to remember]]

You scramble to organize your thoughts. Deep breath. Then another. You go back through your memories. Ceremonial feasts. Going fishing with your mother. [[Tracking herds through the rocky northlands.]] [[Training to be a Sage.]]

Stop that. You never did that. Put it out of your mind. [[continue->Try to remember]]

You remember your training. There were the chants you had to memorize. There were the poultices you had to learn to make. There were the rituals you had to study and the magics you had to learn. You do not remember a thing about preparing for the trials. [[Panic for real]] [[Focus your thoughts]]

Stop that. You are momentarily forgetful, but you are not a fool. Calm yourself. [[Calm->Focus your thoughts]]

You take another breath, and reset. You cannot remember anything. [[continue->mind1]]

You must remember something. You remember words. You remember concepts. You think you remember your name, it is something starting with an 'K' or maybe an 'R.' You are supposed to be doing something here. (set:$trialofthemind to 0) [[dive into the water]] [[climb the rock]] [[dig in the mud]]

You stare at the reflective pool, trying in vain to make out anything beneath the surface. Of course, there is nothing there. You sigh. [[This is a dumb idea.->give up]] [[jump]]

Water continues to drip down the rock. Some droplets fall immediately from the top of the hollow, while others manage to hang on all the way down to the base of the rock. All in all, it gives the impression that the rock is weeping softly. There are enough cracks and crags in the rock that you find holds for your hands and feet fairly easily. The stone is wet, but as long as you avoid the larger trickles of water it should be easy to avoid slipping. [[Find the next handhold]]

You squat down into the silty, reddish mud that fills the space between the pond and the rock. You begin to dig. It feels silly. After digging a few inches, you hit solid rock. [[Dig around]] [[give up]]

You widen the hole you made. As you scrape across the rock beneath, your fingers touch on a crack. Maybe you haven't reached bedrock after all. [[leverage the crack]]

That was a waste of time. [[climb the rock]] [[dive into the water]] [[dig in the mud]]

You jab your fingers underneath the rock and pull. It comes up with a satisfying sucking noise. You heft it up into your lap. It is unnaturally round, like a wheel or a grindstone. [[Wash it off in the pond]]

You dip the rock in the pond and rub the dirt off. The water around the rock briefly muddies but quickly returns to the same reflective green. [[examine the rock]]

You study the rock in your hands, and suddenly it is gone. You blink, and look around for it, but it is not there. There is only you, and a shallow hole dug in the mud. you realize with a jolt that you remember why you are here. This is the Trial of the Mind. Of course. (set:$trialofthemind to $trialofthemind + 1) [[continue->mind2]]

(if:$trialofthemind is 3)[You have recovered all the pieces of your memory. [[continue->trialofmindend]]] (else:)[There are still parts of your memory left to find. [[dive into the water]] [[climb the rock]] [[dig in the mud]] ]

Then you bend your knees and launch yourself out over the water, before landing in it with a splash. It is colder than you expected. Your breath is nearly punched from your lungs, but you manage to control yourself. It also seems much deeper than it should be. Your eyes are squeezed shut, but you can feel yourself still floating slowly downward even several moments after hitting the water. [[open your eyes]]

You allow your eyes to crack open, preparing for the cold sting of the water, but it does not come. It does not look like your are under water. You feel the water around you, wet and clean and cold, and you can see yourself gently floating, but your eyes tell you that you are floating in air, down through a rocky hole into the earth. [[Look down->lookdownwater]]

the pond seems to be bottomless. The rocky walls go down forever, showing no signs of tapering. [[look up->lookupwater]]

You look up, expecting to see the surface of the water and maybe the hollow rock above it. You see nothing but the rocky walls of the pond going up into infinity You do not know how to get out. [[try to breath.]]

You have been holding your breath, but in truth you have no idea if the atmosphere you are in is water or air. You open your mouth and give a small, experimental gasp- And you are back on the shore of the pond. It is still just as green and mirror-like as ever. You remember your name is Kan. You wonder why you thought it started with an R. (set:$trialofthemind to $trialofthemind + 1) [[continue->mind2]]

You dig the tips of your fingers into a protrusion a foot or two above you. [[Find the next foothold]]

You move the corresponding leg up, feeling around the side of the rock for purchase. You find it, and hesitantly put your weight onto it. [[find the next handhold->handhold2]]

There is a thick crag in reach of your other hand, and you hold on to it easily [[find the next foothold->foothold2]]

Again you feel around for footing, carefully, slowly- Your other foot slips. You dig your fingers in as all your weight suddenly shifts to your upper body, but it is not enough. You prepare to fall back into the mud, instinctively squeezing your eyes shut, and- You do not fall. [[open your eyes->open your eyes Rock]]

You open your eyes and you are at the top of the hollow, hanging down over the pools by the tips of your fingers. You realize that you are not supporting yourself. Your fingers are stuck to the rock, blending in with the dripping water. For a moment you feel the water flowing off the rock and through your body in to your muscles and lungs and bones and finally dripping down out of your feet. The next moment you are back on the ground, and you remember your life and your training, as if it had never left you. (set:$trialofthemind to $trialofthemind + 1) [[continue->mind2]]

Back in the mud, reunited with your memories, you notice a small, carved indent in the rock. You have completed the Trial of the Mind. [[perform the ceremony]]

Once again you kneel before the rock, hold out the vessel, and slowly raise it above your head. //The body withers, but the mind remains sharp// //The heart is impulsive, but the mind is patient.// //the spirit is rigid, but the mind is flexible// Again the words in your mind echo around the Living Divide and the void and the whole of the world before settling in to the vessel of ash that you hold in your hands (set:$trialnumber to $trialnumber + 1) [[offer up some ash]]

You uncork the vessel and pour a small bit of ash into the indent in the rock. It settles into the bottom of the hole, slow and ethereal in the reflected light of the pond. You re-cork the vessel and- (if:$trialnumber is 2)[ [[Go out for some air]]] (if:$trialnumber is 3)[ [[Wait for Isaac]]]

The ceremony has been completed and the party is now in full swing, filling up the meeting house with light and noise. Your new husband laughs with your father as your aunts and uncles dance and the Sages that oversaw the proceedings play a chaste, joyful tune from the stage. You stand on the steps to the meeting house, feeling like a statue in a storm. If you were younger, you might be smoking some tobacco right now, stolen from your father. But now you are married, and the tobacco stores have long since dried up. Another pre-war relic, lost to future generations. In the center of town, the bonfire still smoulders. In its dim light, you can see another straggler sitting alone in the darkness. [[approach the bonfire.]]

The dying embers play in Joshua's eyes as he sits motionless on one of the long benches arranged around the fire pit. He doesn't notice you until you take a seat down next to him. "You shouldn't be out here," he says, face full of worry. [["I know."]]

"I'm serious." He turns to you. "If the Sages find out that we talked tonight, thats both our lives ruined." [["Are you gonna tell them?"->iknow2]] [["I know."->iknow2]]

"They're right there, Rachel!" Joshua points at the meeting house. "If they notice you're gone-" [["Wow, Joshua. Didn't take you for the cowardly type."]] [["Can't we just talk? Please?"]]

Joshua is taken aback. "I- why are you being like this?" [["Like what?"]] [["I'm sorry. That was out of line."]]

Joshua sighs and cranes his head to look around. When he is satisfied that no one is watching, he turns back to you. "Fine. What do you want to talk about?" [["Stop acting like that."]] [["I don't want to get married."]]

"Like we're on a hunt! You're being weird and competitive and flirty and you can't do that now! There are rules!" [["Fuck the rules, Joshua! Can't we just have fun for one more night?"]] [["Being flirty, am I?"]]

Joshua opens his mouth, but no words come out. [["Can't we just talk? Please?"]]

He is quiet, and for a moment he looks older and more tired than you've ever seen him. "No," he says, and then he stands up and walks away from the fire pit. [[follow him]] [[go back to the party]]

You move closer to Joshua and cock your head to one side, coyly toying with a strand of your hair. He hestitates, accidentally letting his eyes give your body a once-over. "Rachel. You //just// got married." [[Come on. All those times on our hunting trips... what's one more?]] [[kiss him->kisshim2]]

You spring up and stride after him, cutting him off before he can exit the center of the village. "What, Rachel?" [[Kiss him]] [[let him go]]

You sit by the firepit as the last glowing ember fades to nothing. That's it then. Time for married life. You get to your feet. You should go back to the meeting house before your absense becomes suspect. Inside is friends, food, and family; outside is a cold bench and dead fire. The choice should be clear. (if:$mindtrial is true)[ [[fade->fademind]]] (if:$bodytrial is true)[ [[fade->fadebody]]]

You grab him by his collar and press your lips hard against his. He doesn't kiss you back and he doesn't pull away. You end the kiss, and he leaves without a word. (if:$mindtrial is true)[ [[fade->fademind]]] (if:$bodytrial is true)[ [[fade->fadebody]]]

You look at him, trying and failing to think of something to say. He meets your gaze, swallows, and then he is gone. (if:$mindtrial is true)[ [[fade->fademind]]] (if:$bodytrial is true)[ [[fade->fadebody]]]

You put a hand on his arm and press your lips softly against his. At first he does nothing, but then he kisses you back, placing a gentle hand on your waist. And then he pulls away, clears his throat, and gives you a look like you just forced him to kill his own father. And then he leaves. And you are alone. (if:$mindtrial is true)[ [[fade->fademind]]] (if:$bodytrial is true)[ [[fade->fadebody]]]

"We shouldn't have been doing it then, and we definitely shouldn't be doing it now." He stands, gazes into the fire, and then walks away. [[follow him]] [[go back to the party]]

Joshua's brow furrows in frustration. "Acting like what?" [["Like we're committing a crime right now!"]] [["Like you don't want to be talking to me!"->"I'm sorry. I know. Can't you just- Act like we're not?"]]

"A little late for that, huh?" He puffs air out of his nose in a half-hearted attempt at a chuckle. [["I didn't have a choice, Joshua."]]

"We are committing a crime, Rachel!" Joshua looks more old and tired than you've ever seen him. [["I'm sorry. I know. Can't you just- Act like we're not?"]] [["Then why are you still here?"]]

Joshua rubs his eyes with both hands. "Fine. I'm sorry. What did you want to say?" [["I don't want to get married."]]

He looks at you for a long moment, then sighs. He stands up, turns, and walks away from the fire pit. [[follow him]] [[go back to the party]]

"I know. I'm sorry." [["I wish I could still go out hunting."]] [["I wish I was with you."]]

"I know. I wish you could too." [[cuddle up to him.]]

Joshua closes his eyes and drags his palm across his face. He looks tired. "We can't talk like that any more." [[cuddle up to him.]] [["Why not? Can't we just have one more night?"->"Fuck the rules, Joshua! Can't we just have fun for one more night?"]]

You let your head fall to rest on his shoulder. At first he tenses against your touch, but then he relaxes and puts his arms around your shoulder and you sit there in silence, wishing the moment could last forever. It does not last forever. The bonfire finally dies, and you must return to the party before the Sages begin to suspect your absense. (if:$mindtrial is true)[ [[fade->fademind]]] (if:$bodytrial is true)[ [[fade->fadebody]]]

You return to yourself, again buffetted by disorientation. You take a breath, than another, and look up at the reddish peaks and blue sky as you return to yourself piece by piece. [[Your name is Kan]] [[Your name is Rachel]]

Or is it? The name Rachel seems just as familiar, just as suiting. You spend a full minute trying to parse the two, but clarity does not come. [[ignore it for now.]]

Or is it? The name Kan seems just as familiar, just as suiting. You spend a full minute trying to parse the two, but clarity does not come. [[ignore it for now.]]

This name issue can be sorted out once the trials have been completed. Perhaps this is a blessing. If you can't recall your name, then it may be better hidden from the Ghosts that stalk the living Divide. (set:$mindcomplete to true) (set:$mindtrial to false) (if:$bodycomplete is true)[ [[Return to the riverbank2]] ] (else:)[ [[Return to the riverbank.->Return to the riverbank]] ]

You retrace your steps through the scenic Divide, and find yourself back at the sandbar where you completed the Trial of the Spirit. (if:$mindcomplete is true)[ [[Go to the Trial of Body]] ] (if:$bodycomplete is true)[ [[Go to the Trial of Mind]] ]

A few hours later, you reach a grove of pine trees and small, gnarled cacti. They are situated on a ridge, overlooking one of the deep, verdant canyons that give the Living Divide its name. Across the canyon from you are 3 sharp, rocky peaks, bundled tight together, austere and beautiful. They remind you of the Elder Sages, back in the village. In front of the grove is the stump of a pine tree, and buried in that stump is a long-handled stone hatchet. [[Approach the hatchet]]

The flint head is bound to the wooden handle with some old leather straps. It seems to have been stuck in the stump recently, but besides the animals and the ghosts there is no one in the Divide who could have done it. Is this all the Trial of the Body is? To fell a tree? [[pick up the hatchet]]

You yank the hatchet out of the stump. It is heavier than you expected. [[Swing the hatchet at a tree.]]

While you do not find your strength to be a point of pride, you never thought that it was lacking. The hatchet barely made a mark on the tree's bark. [[Test the edge]] [[Swing harder]]

You heft the hatchet and graze the blade with your thumb. Ow. It's definitely sharp enough. [[Swing harder]]

You wind up, and bring the axe into the tree with all of your might. Except you don't. Your muscle give out halfway through the swing and the hatchet clatters uselessly against the tree's roots [[pick it back up]]

You bend down, and your legs buckle. You collapse on the ground, back painfully pressed against one of the stumpy cactus bushes that spot the floor of the clearing You can not move. [[Scan your body]] [[panic->panicbody]]

You move your focus from your toes to your head, slowly, calmly. It takes about a minute. Well, you can breath and blink. That's a plus, you guess. [[blow on the tree]] [[meditate]]

$mindcomplete[Stop trying to do this. You KNOW it won't end well.] (else:)[No. This is not what you were trained to do.] [[Scan your body]]

You send a puff of air in the direction of the tree. Nothing happens. [[meditate]]

Finding nothing else to do, you close your eyes and begin calibrating your breathing in the traditional Vitality Form. Your Sage training included a multitude of meditation forms, and right now you need to combat whatever lethargy has taken a hold of you. [[continue->meditate2]]

You repeat for 3 breath cycles, and suddenly you are crouching on the top of one of the sharp peaks across the canyon from the pine grove. You can see your prone body below. You look dead. [[climb down]] [[jump off]]

You gingerly turn to climb of the spire of rock, but the spire turns with you. You realize that you are not atop the peak, you are the peak. An entire body made of weathered red rock stretches beneath you. [[take a step]]

You bend your legs and launch yourself off the peak. There is a screech, and a slam, and you find that the peak has moved with you. You realize that you are not atop the peak, you are the peak. An entire body made of weathered red rock stretches beneath you. [[take a step]]

The sound of rock tearing itself apart fills your ears as you seperate one stoney leg from the rest of the monolith. It suddenly strikes you that this is not the normal way of the world. the Vitality form does not induce hallucinations, so this is either real or the product of some old world ghost. [[try to return to your body]] [[try to chop down the tree]]

You realize you no longer feel a connection to the comatose scrap of flesh before you. It is small and weak, and you are mighty. Why would you go back to that thing? [[Crush the weak thing]]

You bring your massive stone hand down to the offending pine tree and give it a firm whack with one rocky finger. Your hand shatters. Chunks of it crush your human body, filling the grove with chaos but leaving the tree untouched. [[shit]]

You bring your hand down on your body, popping it like a berry. That was a mistake. You can feel your body being crushed. You can feel every bone break and every organ burst, the skin and muscle ground into red pulp. You have never felt such pain. [[scream]]

You can feel your body being crushed. It is an itch at first, but it grows and soon you can feel every bone break and every organ burst, the skin and muscle ground into red pulp. You have never felt such pain. [[scream]]

Your stoney mouth tears itself open and yells, a low, inhuman grinding that echoes throughout the Divide, startling animals and exciting ghosts. You have no breath, so it goes on forever, echoing out across the whole world. [[continue->nomorerocks]]

You open your eyes. You are back in your flesh body, which aches but is otherwise intact. It can also move now, and you get to your feet. The stone spire is has not moved from its perch above the canyon. Whether the vision was part of the trials or a trick played on you by the ghosts of the divide, you do not know. [[grab the hatchet]]

You turn to where the hatchet was, and find that the pine that you had meant to cut down has been neatly felled. Into its stump has been carved another small, hollow identation. [[perform the ritual]]

You raise the vessel above your head and kneel before the stump. //The heart is weak but the body is strong// //the spirit is passive, but the body acts// //the mind plans and the body does// The words form in your mind and flow over the landscape, changing the world ever so slightly into one in which you are a sage. You pour a bit of ash out of your vessel and into the stump. (set:$trialnumber to $trialnumber + 1) [[recork the vessel]]

You place the stopper back into the vessel and- (if:$trialnumber is 2)[ [[Go out for some air]]] (if:$trialnumber is 3)[ [[Wait for Isaac]]]

You have put Lem and Sara to bed, and you are tired. You have not left the house all day, and you feel more spent than you ever did after a long hunt. Isaac is not home though, and if you are not home to greet him the Sages will have yet another shred of evidence to hold against you. They have been suspect of your conduct for a few years now, and you do not need an official summons to complicate your life further. You sit down at the kitchen table and try to make yourself look presentable for your husband. [[continue->uhohisaac]]

You must have fallen asleep, because the next thing that happens is Isaac is in your face, red with anger. "//Whose hat, Rachel?//" As the adrenaline forces your consciousness into working order, you notice that he is pointing at a worn leather hunter's hat hanging from a hook. Shit. [["Is it not yours?"]] [["It's mine."]]

"No, it's not mine!" You can almost physically see Isaac holding back his profanity. He snatches the hat off the hook at points it at you accusingly. "This is Joshua's, isn't it?" [["No!"]] [["..."]]

"Don't lie to me. You never wore a hat even when you were a hunter." He takes a shaky breath and closes his eyes. "Is this Joshua's?" [["No!"]] [["..."]]

"Do NOT lie to me!" He glares at you. This is what you've been dreading. [["Yes. It was."]]

"Are you going to deny it?" He glares at you. This is what you've been dreading. [["Yes. It was."]]

The anger seems to drain from his face, and for a second you have a sliver of hope. [["I'm sorry."->imsorryisaac]]

His jaw clenches. [["Please, don't tell the sages. Don't make Lem and Sara grow up without a mother."]]

He shakes his head. "You have done that yourself." [["We never did anything! He's just a friend! Can't I have a friend?"]]

Isaac turns and leaves the house without another word. This is it, then. Isaac will be killed for sure. You might survive, but the Sages will make sure that you are never happy again. You look toward the children's bedroom. You love them both, but you were not made to be a mother. Perhaps they will be better without you. (if:$mindtrial is true)[ [[fade->fademind]]] (if:$bodytrial is true)[ [[fade->fadebody]]]

And again you are lying on a bed of cactus. You get to your feet, shaking and vulnerable. You feel like you've just recovered from a long fever. You should get moving. The sooner you finish the trials, the sooner you can see Joshua again. [[Joshua?]]

You don't know where that name came from, but thinking about it makes you feel a deep, scarring sadness. [[remember him]]

You think back to everyone in the village, everyone you've ever known, and you can't seem to find a Joshua. But still, the name is there in your head, and you don't think you can get it out. (set:$bodycomplete to true) (set:$bodytrial to false) (if:$mindcomplete is true)[ [[Return to the riverbank2]] ] (else:)[ [[Return to the riverbank.->Return to the riverbank]] ]

The only trial left for you to face is the Trial of Heart. A stranger's name bounces around your head and you can't remember your own name, but you know that you must now head due south [[go south]]

You take a step and you are sitting with Joshua, you have been married for 3 years but you still miss the hunter's life. The kids are in bed and Isaac is out at the meeting house and you think that maybe, just maybe, you can keep your friendship with Joshua a secret. [[continue south]]

You blink away the vision and find yourself a considerable ways down the path. A small alarm in your mind is set off, but largely you are calm. The Sages do not value those who panic. [[continue south->south2]]

Another step and they break down your door, men and unmarried women and stern, inscrutable sages with hoods over their faces. They are silent as they lift you and strip you, not a bloodthirsty mob but a community with a duty. Once you are naked they bring you outside, and the last thing you see before the door closes is Lem and Sara emerging curious from their room. [[onward]]

This vision fades and you are again closer to the final Trial. You feel at peace. There is only the Divide and the destination. [[almost there]]

They put you and Joshua in opposite cells, but you are bound and gagged and all you can do is look at each other You are not allowed to sleep. You are being whipped and when you are not being whipped you are being read scripture by a chorus of sages. [[Trial of Heart]]

The path fades away and you are on a flat rocky platform at the edge of the divide. Small trees and cactuses shoot up from the occasional crack but the area is otherwise barren. Beyond the platform is a cliff and beyond the cliff is miles of flat plains. [[search for the trial]]

There is nothing here to interact with. You search, you pry, you meditate, and discover nothing. The sky stretches out in front of you, cloudless and perfectly blue. A single bird lazily circles a few miles away, too far away to discern it's species. You find yourself sitting on the edge of the cliff, legs dangling out into open air, hand absent-mindedly on your vessel. You miss home. You miss a lot of things. [[wait]]

You allow yourself to drift off, and then you are back in the basement dungeon, looking at the thin, dying thing that was once your friend. the ritual of penance was hard on you. Your scalp is a pattern of criss-crossing scars and burns, and you are blind in your left eye. If you were allowed to see your children, they would not recognize you "Rachel?" Joshua's voice is thin and hoarse. He can barely raise his head to look at you. [["Hello, Joshua."]] [[say nothing]]

"How are you... What are you..." You are struck by the image of an old bull, spear in its gut, eyes begging for death. [["I repented."]] [["I'm here. Don't worry."]]

He coughs up a splatter of blood, and then puts his head down. This isn't Joshua. You know him, and he does not look like this. He seems to have forgotten that you are there. He stares at nothing, his breathing ragged, his eyes bloodshot. You do not know why you came here. If the Sages find out, you will be punished. You turn to go. "Don't go." you stop in your tracks. [[say nothing->saynothing2]] [["Hello, Joshua."]]

Joshua coughs, splattering blood and spittle on the ground by his head. "What did they... are you okay?" He takes a long, weezing breath. "Why are you here?" He will be dead soon. The sages did not lie. [["Don't worry about me. Are you okay?"]] [["Shh. I'm gonna get you out of here."]]

He exhales in what must be a chuckle. "Don't I look it?" He raises his hand in a 'ta da!' motion. You open your mouth to speak but he holds up a finger as he catches his breath. "I need you to kill me." [["I can't."->icant2]] [["I won't."->icant2]]

"No." He coughs again. "Don't. I won't make it." You open your mouth to speak but he holds up a finger as he catches his breath. "I need you to kill me." [["I can't."->icant2]] [["I won't."->icant2]]

"Please. You can do it quick." There are tears in his eyes. "Please." [[do it]] [[walk away]]

You reach through the bars of the cell and do what must be done. The Sages will know it was you. You will not survive the day. Good. (set:$joshuamurder to true) [[leave the basement]]

Joshua can speak no more. He stares at you with big, sad eyes, pleading for an end. You cannot give it to him. Repenting was a mistake. The two of you were not the ones marred by sin. (set:$joshuaspared to true) [[leave the basement]]

"Don't leave me here." Joshua lets out a noise somewhere between a cough and a sob, and another trickle of blood colors the floor by his face. [[say nothing->saynothing3]] [["If I take you with me, they'll kill us both."]]

"Don't make me stay here." he sucks in a breath. "I need you..." He is hit by a fit of coughing. This time, a tooth clatters out of his mouth. "I need you to kill me." [["I can't."->icant2]] [["I won't."->icant2]] [[say nothing->saynothing4]]

"No," he sucks in a breath. "I need you..." He is hit by a fit of coughing. This time, a tooth clatters out of his mouth. "I need you to kill me." [["I can't."->icant2]] [["I won't."->icant2]]

"Please. You can do it quick." There are tears in his eyes. "Please." [[do it]] [[walk away]]

The sages are waiting for you outside. You were seen entering the basement. Of course you were. It doesn't matter. You've already repented. Isaac's family status guarentees that you will be cremated as an Ancestor. [[surrender yourself]] [[go down fighting]]

You get to your knees. The sages grab you, bind you, and lead you to the gallows. Villagers gather to watch the Rite of Execution. You see Isaac in the back of the crowd, stormy eyed and cold. Let them have their show. You're playing the long game now. [[fade->fadeheart]]

You catch one of the sages by surprise with a left hook. Your muscles are atrophied, and your body is broken, but you are still a better fighter than every robed bastard in the village. You will die here. These snivelling fucks will be forced to kill you. You won't give them the satisfaction of a ritual execution. [[fade->fadeheart]]

You blink and you are back in the Divide. The transition is quick this time. The past and the present are only a blink away. You realize that you are no longer confused about your identity. Your name is Kan. You are training to be a Sage. The war was 500 years ago, and your traditions have kept your people happy and healthy while the profligate Old World collapsed and withered into ghosts and ruin. So that must have been the Trial of Heart. And now your journey is complete. [[Complete the trials]]

You stand up and turn away from the edge of the cliff, unscrewing your vessel to bless the remains of the ashes. You stop. Rachel stands before you. She looks how she did the last time you saw her, scalp burned and face scarred. [["Hello."]] [[bless the ashes]]

She lets out a hoarse chuckle. "Hello, yourself." [["What do you want?"]] [["You're dead."]]

You cannot pour the ashes. Rachel will not let you. Or you will not let yourself. Rachel sees your panic and smiles. [["Hello."]] [["You're dead."]]

"Not for long, hopefully." She shrugs. [["what?"]]

"You, it looks like." She smiles at you with a warmth that doesn't reach her eyes. [["what?"]]

Rachel rolls her eyes. "Don't play dumb. You know my life. You know what I want." [["Humor me."]] [["Is this another test?"]]

Rachel sighs. "Fine." "I'm going to kill the Sages. I'm going to choke the life out of them, and then I'm going to burn down their buildings and temples, I'm going to chase the common people from our village and then I'm going to kill anyone who tries to come back. "And I'm going to use your body to do it." [["My body?"]] [["Our village?"]]

"Is this a- Fuck, it's all ghosts and tests with you, isn't it? I don't know what I expected." [["Just tell me what you want."->"Humor me."]]

"Yes. I'm sure you've felt it by now. You're more me than you." She steps closer. "What you're experiencing now is the final stage of the process. When this conversation ends, I get your body." [["When does the conversation end?"]]

"Come on. That should have been clear. It hasn't been that long." [["It looks so different in your time."]]

Rachel shrugs, irritated. "Different stench, same rot." [["What did you mean 'my body?'"->"My body?"]]

Rachel shrugs. "Whenever you want it to. I'm not in a rush." she points at the sky. "See?" A lone hawk is frozen in the air. Time is fragile in the Divide. There may be no way out of this But you remember your name. You remember where you are from. You remember your training. A Sage does not cow before a ghost. [[(spirit)"Revenge is a poison on the soul"]] [[(body)"How can you hope to defeat an entire village? I am strong, but I am not that strong."]] [[(mind)"I can steel myself from your influence. I have trained against the magics of the Old World."]] [[(heart)"Would Joshua want you to do this? Would your children?"]]

She laughs out loud. "Is it? Is that what the Sages teach?" She stares at you with rage and joy in equal measure dancing in her eyes. "What about flogging? What about torture? How does that effect the soul? Does it enrich the spirit to dangle freedom in front of its nose before forcing it into a union with a person that doesn't care about it? Am I better for my pain?" [[(body)"How can you hope to defeat an entire village? I am strong, but I am not that strong."]] [[(mind)"I can steel myself from your influence. I have trained against the magics of the Old World."]] [[(heart)"Would Joshua want you to do this? Would your children?"]]

She shrugs. "Maybe you're right. Maybe I can't erase the Sages from existance." "But I can scar them. A burning house and a barricaded door can do a lot of damage." [[(spirit)"Revenge is a poison on the soul"]] [[(mind)"I can steel myself from your influence. I have trained against the magics of the Old World."]] [[(heart)"Would Joshua want you to do this? Would your children?"]]

She gives you a pitying smile. "No, you can't. If you could, we wouldn't be talking right now." You open your mouth, but she continues. "You think you can sense the old world ghosts, that you can feel the void, but I have been there. They are not mysterious. They are not creatures of mischief. They are people, hurt and angry. Your superstitions do not strengthen you, they blind you." [[(spirit)"Revenge is a poison on the soul"]] [[(body)"How can you hope to defeat an entire village? I am strong, but I am not that strong."]] [[(heart)"Would Joshua want you to do this? Would your children?"]]

Rage flares in her eyes. "Would they-? Did Joshua want to be tortured? Did my children ask to grow up without a mother? They are dead. And I am the result." [["Rachel, I'm sorry for what happened to you."]] [["You know I'm right."]]

The fire in her eyes calms a little bit. "Apologies will get you nowhere," she says. [["I didn't say it to get me somewhere. I said it because I'm sorry."]]

Suddenly, her face is inches from yours. You stumble back and trip on a rock, sprawling back onto the ground. "You don't deserve the time I've given you." Rachel's voice drips with poison, and you don't have time to speak before leans over and grabs you by the face. [[Fade->fadefinal2]]

She sighs. She does not respond for a long time. The two of you stand there, in silence, the wind and sky frozen in time. "I'm not a person." [["What?"]]

"I'm not." A tear falls down her cheek. "I used to be. I used to care about people. Think about things." [["The void can do horrible things."]] [["I can't imagine how your penance must have felt."->"The void can do horrible things."]]

"It wasn't that. It wasn't the void, or the torture. It started when I realized I'd never hunt again. It was messy. It was painful. But when I did it, I was alive." [["The past is dead, Rachel. The only thing keeping you here is you."]] [["Lets finish this, then. Together."]]

She reaches out to you, tentitavely, and places a hand on your vessel. "I'm ready." [[Finish the Trial of Heart]]

She whipes away another tear. "You would give yourself up willingly? Why?" [["You were right. The Sages haven't changed. Not really, not enough to forgive what they've done."]] [["Like you said. I feel alive now, out in the world. I don't want that to be taken from me."->"You were right. The Sages haven't changed. Not really, not enough to forgive what they've done."]]

She smiles at you, peace and rage stirring within her in equal measure. "Then come." [[fade->fadefinal]]

And then you are alone on the stone platform. You are Kan, once of the Sages, and you are also Rachel the heretic. The duality no longer gnaws at you, though. You feel more yourself than you ever have. You take a pinch of ash from the vessel and place it on your tongue. The rest, you toss to the side. It no longer has a purpose to serve. You begin the long trek home. There are crimes unpunished, and you will have your due. [[END]]

ZION George Murray

You pour the remaining ash into the air. Then the wind starts back up, and you are alone. By law, you are a sage now. But you do not feel any different. You do not know if you are ready to return to the Sages. You are not sure if you trust them anymore. [[Return home]] [[Stay]]

Answers will not come to you if you wait. You are strong, and you are centered, and the Sages will have no choice but the listen to you. You begin the long journey home with a strength of purpose you had not thought possible. [[END]]

Matters of your village will wait for now. Maybe forever. The Divide will take care of you for as long as you need. You feel centered for the first time in your life, and you won't give that up just yet. [[END]]

You stand up and brush yourself off. The sage Kan is gone, the last echo of them fading as you assume control of their body. You realize you are crying. The sage was not evil, not like the rest, but their words hurt just the same. The tears keep coming, and you make no effort to stop them. You cry for Joshua, and for your children, and for Kan. You stand on the edge of the cliff and sob until you can't anymore. When you return home, there will be blood and pain and death. The men who told you that it is better to hurt than to feel nothing at all will choke on their words. [[END]]

You retrace your steps through the scenic Divide, and find yourself back at the sandbar where you completed the Trial of the Spirit. [[go to the Trial of Heart]]