There was once a prosperous kingdom known as Nodollus.
The King was known to be peaceful with a fair and kind King. This all changed when one day a sorcerer named Kreios arrived from a far off land, looking to speak with the King. The King accepted Kreios with open arms and asked what brought him to the kingdom. Kreios explained that he came on account of an offer he would like to make with the kingdom.Kreios went on to say that he himself bore the extremely powerful magic the likes of which no man has ever seen, and that he would be willing to share his gift with the kingdom IF they let him take power. He promised that no harm would ever befall the kingdom under his rule, all the king had to do was hand the crown to him. The King, initially thinking this to be some kind of jest, laughed at Kreios. When Kreios continued to watch him seriously, the King realized Kreios meant what he said. The King turned back to Kreios and denied the deal. With that Kreios simply got up and left saying that the king had [[sealed his own fate]].
For as prosperous as The King was, they lacked a strong, prepared military due to their peaceful nature and lack of outside threats. This meant they were unprepared when Kreios returned with an army to back him up. The battle was relatively quick and ended in the death of the king and Kreios rising to the throne. The kingdom's citizens suffered under Kreios rule but they were unable to rebel due to the power Kreios wielded and the new restrictions he placed upon the citizens in order to control them. One day, one of Kreios' oracles came to him with a prophecy. The oracle foretold of a hero being born on the 9th night of the summer moon who would be capable of wielding the power necessary to usurp Kreios and that this hero, once matured, would kill Kreios; take the throne and restore [[balance to the kingdom.]]A tally was made of all the families of children predicted to be born during the 9th, and once night fell Kreios’ soldiers began going door to door kidnapping and executing any children born that night. Further out in the kingdom lay the Servants home where he and his wife welcomed their child into the world. They named their child Ovtsa. Ovtsa’s father knew the soldiers would arrive at some point so he had arranged plans to allow his wife and child to escape and live with an old couple who lived on the outskirts of the kingdom. [[He helped his wife prepare for the journey and bid them farewell.]]By the time the soldiers arrived Ovtsa’s father put up a fight refusing to let them into the house, by the time the soldiers had made it in, Ovtsa’s father was hidden upstairs. He had set traps in advance to slow the soldiers down and trap them while he prepared the final send off. Once he heard the soldiers get caught, Ovtsa’s father set the house ablaze from the inside, destroying any evidence of where his wife and child could be, and killing both the soldiers and himself in the process. [[While Kreios was enraged to hear about such an act of rebellion he assumed that the wife and child had died in the fire along with the father.]]
Time passed and Ovtsa grew up on the outskirts of the kingdom with his mother and adopted grandparents. Ovtsa’s mother had latched onto the idea of Ovtsa being the prophecy child and spent a lot of Ovtsa’s childhood attempting to prepare them for their ‘great destiny’. Ovtsa on the other hand was overwhelmed by the thought that they alone were supposed to wield some kind of powerful magic, overthrow Kreios and restore balance to the kingdom. Throughout their childhood Ovtsa’s mother stressed that Ovtsa must stay on the path of their fate and ignore any distractions. Once Ovtsa was 18 they were deemed mature and thus old enough to begin their quest. Their mother had arranged for them to meet with some prophet who would help guide them on the first portion of their journey. In this first portion Ovtsa met a magical talking fox who joined them on their [[quest]].
You stand at the edge of a pine forest, wind whistling through the trees, rucksack over your shoulder. You’ve been on this quest for a little while now and the more you think about it the more unsure you are of it all. Your silence seems to finally get to your companion as she glances at you and speaks up,
Fox: Oy, Ovtsa! You alright sweetheart?
Her voice somewhat startles you and you respond,
Ovtsa: Oh yeah, sorry about that I was just thinking. [[Let's get going]].
The two of you press on through the pine forest, needles crunching under foot. The forest around you sounds unnaturally silent otherwise. It begins to get on your nerves but from what you can tell the fox doesn't seem bothered.
Finally after seemingly forever of just walking in uncomfortable silence, you and the fox finally reach the merchants shop? Home? You’re not quite sure. The building looks like a home but is packed to the brim like an eclectic overflowing antique shop, its contents spilling out into piles on the porch and lawn. You walk closer to the porch and call inside. A strange gangly old man with long beard pokes his head out,
Merchant: AH! You must be Ovtsa! Come in come in, I’ve been expecting you!
[[Enter Merchant’s Home]]
The house is just as eclectic and packed on the inside as it is the outside.
Merchant: You're here for the relic map, correct?
Ovtsa: Uh- Yeah,,,
Merchant: Great! It’s around here somewhere so feel free to take a look. It's in a bright red leather case that has a firebird inscribed on the metal clasp, you can't miss it!
You turn to the fox
Ovtsa: Do you want to split up to look for it?
Fox: That sounds like a good idea considering how much we’re gonna have to look through, I’ll race ya to see who can find it first!
With that the fox turns and bounds away deeper into the house's interior, turning right and disappearing into a room. You are left on your own to [[Investigate]]
You go to the left side of the house and are met with three rooms:
[[Room A]]
[[Room B]]
[[Room C]]
Room A is filled with an absurd amount of collectable novelty mugs of all shapes and sizes. You are genuinely baffled by the sheer amount of mugs there are in this room, like seriously who needs this many??????
After looking around a bit you find a particular pile dedicated to a figure known as Glorbo. You don’t know who or what that is but find nothing else of interest. You leave to [[Investigate]] the other rooms
You’re immediately hit with a strange, almost eclectic feeling as soon as you enter Room B. It’s like all your nerves are suddenly on edge, like you can feel something in this room. The deeper you go into the room the more this feeling grows.
You make your way to the back corner, the air feels as if it’s vibrating. Around you there are Items stacked on top of each other. You can feel something calling to you but you don't know where it is. Where do you look?
[[At the end table in the corner, bearing a small chest.]]
[[At the stack of books that looks as if it’s going to topple over at any moment]]
[[At what appears to be an old dining room table completely covered in antiquities and trinkets]]
(Both the stack of books and the old dining room table lead to this text: The humming grows dimmer. Whatever it is isn’t here. You choose to [Investigate] one of the other areas instead.Room C seems to have no specific theme much like the rest of the house. After sorting through a bit you find some worn old books that look interesting and what looks to be solidified antique medicine in an apothecary bottle. Neither things are of use to you right now so you put them back and leave to [[Investigate]] the other rooms.As You approach the Chest the humming feeling grows stronger and you realize that there is something off about the chest itself. On closer inspection you realize the chest itself seems to be violently trembling. You step closer and see that the back corner of the chest somehow seems to be defying the laws of nature and looks to be somehow partially merged with the wall of the house. The longer you stare at it you can see the chest seemingly flickering in and out of existence for nanoseconds as a time
You don't know what force compels you, but you can’t seem to stop yourself from [[Reaching out]].
The humming grows dimmer. Whatever it is isn’t here. You choose to Investigate one of the other areas instead in [[Room B]].
The humming grows dimmer. Whatever it is isn’t here. You choose to Investigate one of the other areas instead in [[Room B]].
You open your eyes to find yourself in a strange, almost dream-like realm. The space around you is difficult to even quantify. From what you can decipher, the space around you appears to be some sort of dimly lit temple-like structure that almost reminds you of a cave. Looking at one spot too long makes your head ache and you get the feeling that wherever this is, you’re not supposed to be here. Given your circumstances you see no other option but to [[move forward, deeper into the temple]].
After wandering down a hallway for a bit you enter another chamber. In the center of the chamber is what looks to be a reflecting pool. The pool is filled with some sort of shimmery, opalescent liquid which appears to be constantly swirling despite the pool's calm [[surface]].As you draw closer the liquid in the pools seems to change. The swirling quality seems to conjure forth an image the closer you get and by the time you reach the edge of the pool, you see a map of your own life.
As you gaze upon the map you see yourself grown up and begin the quest you’re on now. With that you watch your own fate unfold in front of you and you’re not thrilled with the result to say the least. You see yourself continue down the route you’ve been directed to take not with a sense of joy and accomplishment but with one of fatigue and burden. You see yourself befriend another Satyr, only to see him sacrifice himself later on, his death allowing you to land a killing blow on the Tyrant Kreios. After Kreios’s death you see yourself essentially forced to take the throne. Your fated self spends the rest of his days exhausted and constantly stressed trying to fix a broken kingdom. You learn you won’t ever live a life for yourself. Seeing all this [[leaves you feeling empty]].
You’re so caught up in processing seeing your entire existence layed out in front of you that you fail to notice that another entity has entered the room. You’re startled when you suddenly hear a booming voice directed at you say,
[[Narrator: YOU’RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE HERE]]
.
You look up to see an entity made up of a violently swirling cloud of dust. Within the dust you can just barely make out the shifting figure of some humanoid creature wielding a staff. Staring at it too long just makes your head throb and you get the sudden instinctual feeling that you’re bearing witness to something no mortal was ever meant to see. The Entity speaks to you again,
Narrator: YOU ARE TO LEAVE THIS PLACE AND NEVER RETURN, FORGET WHAT YOU HAVE SEEN HERE AND REMAIN ON YOUR PATH DESIGNATED OR THERE WILL BE CONSEQUENCES.
With that it hits its staff against the ground and [[the world goes dark once more]]You wake up on the floor of the room you were last in breathing heavily with the residual feelings of panic. You look at and see that the chest has stopped moving and the humming sensation in the room has disappeared. You sit up and as you do, you hear the fox call for you from the other room.
Fox: Come hither, honey! The map is here!
You pull yourself back up on shaky legs and call back,
Ovsta: Be right there!
Before exiting the room, the memories of what you just witnessed still [[swirling in your mind.]]
You walk back into the main room to find The Merchant and the fox leaning over a table looking at an intricate map. The Merchant beckons you over to the table and begins to explain features on the map.
Merchant: Currently you two are here—
He gestures to a small house in a forest on the map.
Merchant: In order to complete your quest you must continue on this road. It will take you all the way to the castle of Kreios. Along the road you will find the home of a friend of mine named Pyro. Here-
He points at a small hut close to the road located in a forest.
Merchant: Tell Pyro who you are and he will help
Merchant: Tell Pyro who you are and he will help you in gaining the relic you need in order to defeat Kreios.
You nod and soon enough you and the fox are back on the road now [[heading towards Pyro’s home]].
You end up traveling for another day or so. During this time you mull over what happened back at the Merchant's place and begin questioning your own purpose. From what the pool showed you appear to be locked into this narrow path towards a life you could never see yourself finding happiness in and that’s terrifying. You wish you could just ditch everything and run away to a new life, but at the same time you couldn't bear to let your home continue to suffer under Kreios’s rule. You need a way out, you just don’t know what that way out could be.
Your spiraling thoughts get interrupted by your stomach rumbling, you sigh and the fox turns towards you.
Fox: Hungry? We can stop and rest for a bit, we still should have some rations left to eat.
You agree to take a break and the two of you sit in the grass near the road. You pull out the map and realize that the two of you aren’t far from a town. You go to pull out something to eat and also find that you and the Fox are very low on food. You point this out to the fox and suggest the two of you pass through the town since it's not too far out of the way and you can get more food there. The fox agrees and after resting for a short while you both begin walking again now in the direction of [[the town]].
The town you arrive at is small and bustling, the locals seem quite friendly and welcome you with open arms. You notice a few damaged buildings being repaired but don't think much of it at the time. Since you arrived fairly early in the day you spend the afternoon and evening looking around the town, getting supplies and chatting with the locals. The day gets later and you and the fox agree to spend the night and head out in the morning, you just need to [[find an inn to stay at]].During a conversation with one of the townsfolk you ask where you can find the town's inn and explain that you and the fox plan to spend the night. The mood of the conversation suddenly changes and the citizen you’re talking to suddenly begins asking you to please just leave now, and that it’s a bad idea to stay in town overnight.
You are very confused by this and ask why. The citizen then goes on to explain that a beast has been ransacking their town every night for the past few months and is known to attack and eat anyone unlucky enough to encounter it. You ask if anyone has tried to do anything about the beast. The citizen replies that The townspeople have been powerless to stop the beast in their fear, but one of the townsfolk named Kosa, has been trying to find people willing to [[help him in stopping the beast]].
The fox gives you a questioning look and you ask the citizen where you can find this Kosa person. The citizen directs you to what remains of what was once the town's inn. The building is partially collapsed in on itself, like something big had tried to dig into it. The damage reminds you of a coyote digging into a rabbit's warren and [[you question what kind of beast is capable of inflicting such damage]].Inside the ruined Inn you find a goat satyr with short brown fur and straight, curved back horns talking with what looks like the town's construction crew. Upon noticing your entrance the satyr waves you over and introduces himself as Kosa. You introduce yourself and the fox and begin explaining who you are and why you’re in town; as well as your willingness to help him stop the beast. Kosa seems enthused by this and [[invites you to sit down and offers you and the fox some food and drink while you chat.]]
You quickly learn that Kosa is very charismatic and kind in a very genuine way. He reminds you of the kind of brave heroes you always hear about in stories. The kind who put their all into doing what's right for the sake of others without expecting anything in return. You respect him for that and wish you could be that kind of hero and not the kind that is currently having an existential crisis.
The fox leaves for a few minutes to do something and you and Kosa chat more about your pasts and who you are. While talking you learn that you and Kosa share a birthday. Shocked by this you ask how that's possible and Kosa explains that he was born at dusk just before the cut off of night. You say that he seems more worthy of being the chosen one compared to you. Kosa just laughs taking your comment as a joke, but the idea makes [[you start to think]].The fox soon returns and the conversation shifts to what the plan is regarding the beast. Kosa explains that he thinks the best way to deal with the beast once and for all is by: leading the beast into the mill house since it’s the strongest building in town, trapping the beast in there and then killing the beast by dropping pallets of grain and other heavy objects on it from above. You agree that the plan sounds good and the three of you continue to work out the details of the plan. In the end you decide that the fox, being the swiftist, will be the one to lead the beast to the mill house while you and Kosa wait in the rafters. Once the beast is in the mill house the door will be secured and you and Kosa will begin your attack on the beast.
After everything is discussed and you all finish setting up, dusk falls and you all get into your positions [[waiting for the beast]].
You and Kosa wait up in the rafter for what feels like forever until you both hear the sounds of running as the fox and the beast rapidly approach. You ready yourselves as the fox bursts in and quickly hides the beast not far behind. The moment the beast enters the fox pulls a rope which shuts and bars the door trapping the beast in with you. The beast itself resembles a giant black dog with unnaturally large pale eyes. It circles around below you trying to find [[some way of escape]].You and Kosa quickly move to start dropping the pallets of grain on the beast when the beast notices the both of you. It begins jumping up towards the rafters, snapping at you. Suddenly you feel the beam beneath you shake as the beast makes contact with it, trying to knock you and Kosa off. Just as you're trying to steady yourself the beast slams into the beam again and you feel yourself lose your balance.
Do you:
[[Reach out to try and steady yourself on the pallet?]]
[[Drop down and cling to the beam?]]
You feel yourself completely lose your balance as you reach for the pallet. Kosa reaches for you but is unable to grab you in time to prevent you from falling out of the rafters and down towards the beast. Time feels like it’s passing in slow motion as you watch the beast turn towards your falling form ready to catch you out of the air. You then see a sudden blur of red as the fox lunges at the beast and [[bites down onto its leg]].Dropping down and clinging to the beam allows you to stabilize yourself a bit. Kosa asks if you're ok and you nod. Down below the fox begins biting at the beast's ankles, distracting it and keeping it occupied enough to prevent it jumping at you and Kosa again.
The fox manages to keep the beast in roughly one spot allowing you and Kosa the opportunity to attack. You both shove the grain loaded pallet over the edge of the beam where it falls and hits the beast square on the head. The beast falls to the ground and [[goes limp]].
The beast swings around to snap at the fox allowing you to land on the beast preventing what would have been a deadly fall. You quickly slide down and try to draw the beast's attention away from the fox. The beast turns towards; you look up and make eye contact with Kosa. Kosa, seeing what you’re doing, nods and readies himself to shove the pallet out of the rafters. You begin shouting and slowly walking in a wide circle drawing the beast into the perfect position for Kosa to hit it. Once in position the [[beast readies itself to lunge at you]].
Ovtsa: NOW! Just as the beast is about to pounce, Kosa shoves the pallet ladened with grain bags out of the rafters. The Pallet and its contents hits the Beast square in the head and the beast [[goes limp]]. After ensuring the beast is truly dead, you all regroup on the ground and celebrate. You return to the town with the good news and the people of the town are overjoyed to hear of your success. Some begin saying that the victory was to your credit being you’re the chosen one, but you immediately refute this by pointing out how much Kosa and the fox contributed, [[crediting the victory more to them]]. A small celebration is held with food over the beast's death. You and the fox talk with Kosa and ask if he would be interested in joining your quest. Kosa agrees and the three of you arrange to [[leave town in the morning]].In the morning while getting ready you are suddenly hit with a familiar feeling. That sensation of the air humming you felt at the merchant's house.
Do you-
[[Investigate it]]
Or
Ignore it and [[return to getting ready]]
Your curiosity gets the better of you and you begin searching for the cause of the [[disturbance]].You finish getting ready and meet up with [[Kosa and the Fox]]. You end up finding the source to be a small brush laying on an end table. It exhibits the same qualities as the chest before it seeming partially fused with the table it lays on as it shakes violently.
Do you
[[Reach out to touch it]]
Or
Ignore it and [[return to getting ready]]
[[Something in you can’t let this anomaly go so you decide to reach out and touch it]].Upon contact it feels as if your hand becomes engulfed in static[[...]]The world around you becomes engulfed in an eternal black void and you feel as though [[you’re falling]]. You struggle and try to do anything to break away from the void around you but nothing is of use. You realize you are trapped. [[You are filled with Dread.]]Void Ending Unlocked! Return to [[beginning]]? or [[Credits]] The three of you continue your travels to Pyro’s residence. Along the way you chat with the fox about something you’ve been thinking about.
Ovtsa: So after talking with Kosa and thinking about everything more after what happened last night, I really think Kosa might actually be the prophesied person and not me.
The Fox: Sweetie, that's ridiculous! I know you may be feeling overwhelmed with everything but I promise you’ll see that you’re the right person for the job after we visit Pyro and get the relic!
You sigh and just agree with the fox for now. You feel you’re gonna need to do something bigger if you’re to really convince the Fox you’re [[not the chosen one]].
You all finally arrive at a small cottage nestled in a dark wood. Upon knocking on the door you’re greeted by an orange cat wearing a dark cloak covered in moss. The cat introduces himself as Pyro, and asks who you all are and the [[meaning for your visit]]. You explain the quest that you’re on and how the merchant sent you to find him. Pyro seems interested and herds you all inside. Once inside Pyro explains that you need to [[complete a series of tasks in order to gain access to the relic]]. Pyro then goes on to explain that your first task will be the slaying of a large reptilian beast living in a cave not far from here. Once deceased they are to cut out its heart and return back so Pyro can give them their next task. [[Your group agrees and sets out to complete the first task]]. Finding the cave isn’t hard. The front of it is littered with the bones of the Beast's prey. You and Kosa find weapons amidst these bones and arm yourselves. Kosa with an ax and yourself with a sword. With that [[you descend into the cave]].Hiding behind some boulders you spot the beast. It's a huge crocodile-like creature with an armored back and a powerful tail. It's occupied at the moment so you and Kosa decide the best way to approach this fight is to flank it on either side and try to land a killing blow on its softer neck or underbelly before it notices your presence.
[[With that the two of you split up, circling around the beast.]]
As you creep along an idea pops into your head; If you fail to complete these tasks and make Kosa seem much more competent than you, surely the fox will have to believe he’s the actual chosen one. As you get into position you notice some stray bones on the ground. After Kosa gets settled on the other side he makes eye contact with you from across the cave. You nod and shift into a fighting stance. As you do you intentionally step on the small bones which [[make a loud crunching sound]]. Suddenly the beast's head snaps up and there's a beat of silence as you and Kosa lock eyes, before the beast's head whips around towards your direction, [[spotting you immediately]].The beast suddenly lunges in your direction. You scream and dive for cover behind the boulders scrambling to get out of the way of its teeth. Kosa leaps into action sprinting forward while the beast is distracted trying to catch you. Kosa darts under the beast and swings his ax at the beast's jugular. The ax lands and the beast begins bleeding out. As the beast struggles and collapses [[Kosa runs over to you to check if you’re ok]].You verify your own wellbeing and once the beast dies the two of you set to work [[retrieving its heart]].After all that work the three of you return to Pyros home with your prize. Pyro seems delighted and after giving you three the chance to rest for a bit, gives you [[your next task]].Pyro Hands you a piece of paper with ingredients written on it. Pyro gives you three instructions to go to the nearby marketplace and retrieve the items on the list. The task sounds easy enough so [[you all set off once more]]. Once at the marketplace you all decide to split up in order to cover more ground with retrieving ingredients. You set off in one direction while Kosa and the fox set off in the other. As you’re walking through the marketplace you begin to feel that humming sensation again. Do you
[[Focus on your current task and ignore it]]
Or
[[Try and find the source of the anomaly]]
You choose to ignore the humming and focus on [[retrieving the ingredients you were tasked with]].
After looking around a bit you find the source of the humming to be coming from a tipped over barrel in a quiet corner of the marketplace. Upon looking in you see what looks like a pile of coins flickering and shaking as if their place in reality isn’t stable.
Do you
[[Reach out and touch the coins]]
Or
[[Focus on your current task and ignore it]]
After a lot of haggling you gather all the things of your portion of the list and walk over to where Kosa and the Fox are gathering their items. As you approach you find them laughing with each other. Once they notice your presence they go on to explain how Kosa nearly got scammed by one of the shopkeepers and the fox had to be the one to haggle for the ingredients. You laugh at that and [[soon the three of you are making your way back to Pyro’s home]]. Kreios became worried about the idea of another being capable of overthrowing him. Thus Kreios planned to execute any children born on the 9th night of the summer moon in order to prevent this prophecy hero from ever being born. A servant working in the castle overheard the prophecy and the plans to execute any children born the 9th night and became worried realizing that the date fell extremely close to when his wife was predicted to have [[their child]]. Your curiosity gets the better of you and [[you reach out a hand to touch the strange coins]].
You feel [[warmth]].Your world goes white upon contact and when you regain your vision you find yourself lying on your back in a [[golden field]].For a moment you are confused but as you look up at the magenta sky you see two moons and realize you’re no longer in the world you once were. The thought of it is a bit overwhelming but more than anything you feel a rushing wave of relief. You laugh to yourself, [[you’re free]].Bright World ending unlocked! Return to [[beginning]]? or [[Credits]] Pyro is delighted at your return with the ingredients and tells you to sit and wait while he prepares the item you’ll need for the next task. After some waiting Pyro returns with a [[fresh loaf of bread]] Pyro explains that the loaf is the key to completing your next task and retrieving the grand relic. Pyro points to an old mining system further down the road on your map and explains that the relic is located deep within the mine. In regards to the loaf of bread, Pyro just states that you’ll know when you need it [[and sends you on your way]]. The walk is a bit tiring but soon enough you find yourself at the [[abandoned mine]].
You enter carefully, warily eyeing its partially collapsed state but continue deeper in. You soon find yourself encountering 3 different passage ways:
Passage 1 looks stable but unremarkable, you can feel a cool breeze coming from it.
Passage 2 is partially collapsed but you could still squeeze through
Passage 3 looks similar to passage 1 but has warm air coming from it
Which Passage will you choose to enter? [[1]] [[2]] [[3]]
Passage 1 leads to an open area that looks to have once been an active part of the mine. Above you there is a vent shaft which appears to be the source of the cool air. The Passage dead ends and leads to nothing. [[you leave to choose another passage]]The three of you squeeze into passage 2. You walk for a little bit before finding the passage completely caved in on itself. Disappointed [[you leave to choose another passage]]
As you all enter passage 3 the warmth grows greater. After walking a bit you find yourselves in a large open room with a massive door on the other end. As you all step into the room you notice movement from up above as a large dragon climbs down from its perch and [[puts itself between you and the door]].Passage 1 looks stable but unremarkable, you can feel a cool breeze coming from it.
Passage 2 is partially collapsed but you could still squeeze through
Passage 3 looks similar to passage 1 but has warm air coming from it
Which Passage will you choose to enter? [[1]] [[2]] [[3]]
Suddenly the dragon speaks,
Dragon: I am the guardian of this place, who are you and what do you want?
You explain who you all are and the quest you are on. The dragon looks intrigued and speaks again,
Dragon: If what you say is true, you should have the key you need to pass me. Do you?
You pull out the loaf of bread and step forward offering it to the dragon. The dragon takes the bread and inspects it thoroughly before eating it. With that the dragon nods at you and steps aside [[unlocking the door in the process]].
You all move to the door and push it open. Inside you find an ornately engraved glaive resting on a pedestal in the center of the chamber. You all stare in awe at it feeling the [[arcane power the weapon wields rolling off it in waves]].Fox: Go on now honey,
You look back as the fox encourages you to go forward and claim the relic. You turn to Kosa and ask him to accompany you. Kosa agrees and the two of you approach the pedestal. You help eachother up onto the pedestal and stand on either side of the glaive. You steady yourselves each taking a deep breath before [[grabbing the handle at the same time]].
You hadn't even noticed the humming emanating from the object until you made contact and now the room is silent. Kosa looks at you excitedly and fully passes the glaive to you. The two of you get down from the pedestal and [[the fox runs over to greet you]].
Looking at the map you find yourselves nearing the end of your journey. You decide to exit the mine and rest for the night before making your way to the castle for the final battle in the morning. Above ground you make camp and settle in for the night. Once Kosa drifts off to sleep you turn to the fox and begin to speak,
Ovtsa: You know I’ve really been thinking about it and I do genuinely think that Kosa is the one the prophecy was talking about instead of me. I mean, you saw what happened during the first task, I nearly got myself killed! Kosa had to save me! I just don’t think I'm really cut out to be the one to fix everything.
Fox: While I understand what you mean, you were the one born the night the prophecy dictated. That means it must be you.
Ovtsa: But when I was talking with Kosa earlier he told me that he was born that night too and just barely escaped execution! It could very well be him!
Fox: Hmmm well we’ll see tomorrow. One of you will complete this prophecy regardless, then we can all finally live in peace.
Ovtsa: I guess.
With that you excuse yourself to sleep. You end up laying more or less laying with your thoughts for a while instead. Mulling over how you can possibly escape the fate that awaits you in a few hours. After a while you get an idea and [[you’re finally able to drift off to sleep]].
You get up early the next morning and set off once more. As you walk you begin working out the details of how to escape your own fate. If you’re somehow able to fake your own death during the fight with Kreios you should be free to escape. You would be able to start a new life and the kingdom would be left in the capable hands of Kosa. [[No one would get hurt!]]
Finally after walking for hours you see the castle. Oddly enough there appears to be no one around. You feel on edge by the lack of guards, Kosa and the fox seem to share that sentiment. You all draw closer and are met with no resistance. You stop for a moment and turn to Kosa.
Ovtsa: You’re a better fighter than me, so I want you to be the one wielding this.
[[You offer Kosa the Relic.]]
Kosa looks surprised by your offer and looks like he's about to reject the relic when you speak again.
Ovtsa: Please- I just have a gut feeling it’ll be better in your hands.
Kosa looks thoughtful for a moment before accepting the glaive from you. With that the three of you enter the castle and [[begin your ascent up to the throne room]].
Upon reaching the top of the castle you are met with a massive throne room. Lounging in the throne on the opposite end you see Kreios. Kreios acknowledges your presence and slowly gets off of his throne. He’s wearing a dark billowing cloak with a wolf pelt around the collar, he bears a carved ram skull mask that obscures his face. As his hooved feet hit the ground you can feel the waves of power rolling off of him.
Kreios straightens his posture as he faces you and speaks in a mocking tone,
Kreios: Well if it isn’t the little prophecy child my guards failed to cull, [[and his little friends~]]
Kreios: [[Let's just get this over with.]] With that Kreios summons a staff out of seemingly nowhere and slams it on the ground sending a shock wave of magical energy in your direction. You all dive out of the way as the fight begins. Wielding the sword you acquired from the first task you try to circle around Kreios who is [[focused on attacking Kosa]] Kosa while determined he is still unsure of wielding the relic and you can tell. Kreios moves in to attack Kosa and you take the opportunity to barrel into Kreios. Kreios is startled by your attack and that gives Kosa the opportunity to try and use the relic.
Kosa slams the relic on the ground and a shockwave of magical energy is expelled from it, shaking the castle. You realize that relic seems to be rejecting Kosa as its wielder when it expels another burst of energy which rocks the castle more [[causing cracks to run up the walls and along the ceiling.]]
Kreios begins approaching Kosa again, preparing another attack as Kosa scrambles to gain control of the relic. You watch as the ceiling begins to crack and crumble and realize that part of the ceiling is soon going to collapse on Kosa if you don’t act fast.
Do you
[[Attack Kreios and shout for Kosa to move out of the way?]]
Or
[[Shove Kosa out of the way yourself?]]
You make up your mind and slam into Kreios, holding your sword against his throat and shouting for Kosa to run. Kosa realizes the state of the ceiling and dives out of the way as it [[begins to collapse]].You run forward and shove Kosa away yourself. As you do Kreios unleashes another attack which damages the castle more. Chunks of the castle start falling away as you and Kosa start to get up. As you’re trying to stand you notice a flickering rift has formed between you, Kosa and Kreios. It looks different from the other anomalies and seems to grow as Kosa [[prepares to use the glaive again.]] Kreios thrashes and hits you with another wave of magical energy that sends you flying into the wall near Kosa. You’re definitely hurt and Kosa moves to check on you. You see Kreios approaching and grab onto Kosa, [[willing the relic to just finish it]].
Suddenly there is a flash of white light as the relic responds to you and you feel the castle start to collapse. In the chaos you’re separated from Kosa and the fox and end up [[outside the room]] Listening in you hear Kosa and the fox celebrate the Kreios’s death. Their celebration turns to confusion and panic as they realize they can’t find you. With that you realize you succeeded in faking your own death and begin to make your way down the ruins of the castle. You have your whole life for yourself now. [[You just need to figure out what to do with it.]]Good Ending unlocked! Return to [[beginning]]? or [[Credits]]Now back on your feet you look over and see Kosa slam the end of the glaive into the ground. An explosion of arcane power is produced. You watch as the power of the explosion weaves around you, [[enveloping the rest of the room and its inhabitants in its power]]You realize in this moment you have two options:
[[Simply stay where you are and watch the rest unfold.]]
Or
[[Make a break for the now yawning rift in reality and hope for the best.]]
[[You grab the relic and run faster than you have ever run before in your life.]] As the light fades and the dust settles you realize you were the only one to survive the explosion. You’re hit with a wave of grief both losing the fox and Kosa and the realization that [[you’re right where fate intended you to be.]]Time moves strangely after that. Locals come to investigate the explosion and find only you in the rubble. They realize you were the prophecy child and suddenly you’re made the new ruler of the kingdom.
A new castle is built and you spend your days fixing a broken kingdom because there is nothing else left for you to do. The kingdom prospers under your rule, yet [[you feel empty.]]
Bad Ending unlocked! Return to [[beginning]]? or [[Credits]]
You collide with the rift and suddenly find yourself back in the strange realm from before. You know Kosa and the fox died in that explosion. There's no way they didn't. You need to make their deaths worth it, [[somehow]].Suddenly you’re greeted with the presence of the entity before. It appears enraged, the dust it’s made of swirling like a tornado. The entity berates you for your choices and you quickly realize that it intends to send you back to your world. The world where you will be alone and forced to live out a life of misery. [[You can't go back, there's nothing left for you.]]Your grip tightens on the glaive as you make up your mind. You slam the glaive on the ground sending out a shockwave of energy, catching the entity off guard. The entity retaliates and soon you’re caught in the blur of battle, fighting an entity you can’t even seem to comprehend. You don’t know how long you’ve been fighting for, but you unleash one last blow and suddenly [[the world goes white.]]
You are met with the excruciating burning pain you have ever felt. Your entire body feels as though it’s been ripped apart and reformed into something new. At some point you black out. When you come to, [[you realize you are no longer yourself.]]Your body is now made of the same swirling dust as the entity before and you realize that by killing whatever that thing was you’ve been forced to take its place. You wander for a bit, aimless in what to do, or even what to think about it all. Your glaive from before has morphed into the staff the previous entity wielded and you notice markings carved into it dictating the steps of your own intended fate. How ironic. Somehow you find yourself at the pool from before, the place that started this whole mess. As you look in you are no longer greeted with your own destiny but [[instead you see…]]
Yourself. Or atleast the person you used to be, standing at the edge of the forest with the fox preparing to travel to the merchant's home. You watch as this new version of yourself walks through the forest with the fox and [[you realize something,]]
Your fate is bound to be completed in one way or another regardless of your own will and there is NOTHING you can do about it. That realization hits you suddenly and in that moment you make a choice. You will try your best to save this version of yourself from the fate you now have to live. While they may despise the fate given to them, [[it’s better than the hell you find yourself in now.]] Ascension Ending unlocked! Return to [[beginning]]? or [[Credits]]
↶↷There was once a prosperous kingdom known as Nodollus.
The King was known to be peaceful with a fair and kind King. This all changed when one day a sorcerer named Kreios arrived from a far off land, looking to speak with the King. The King accepted Kreios with open arms and asked what brought him to the kingdom. Kreios explained that he came on account of an offer he would like to make with the kingdom.Kreios went on to say that he himself bore the extremely powerful magic the likes of which no man has ever seen, and that he would be willing to share his gift with the kingdom IF they let him take power. He promised that no harm would ever befall the kingdom under his rule, all the king had to do was hand the crown to him. The King, initially thinking this to be some kind of jest, laughed at Kreios. When Kreios continued to watch him seriously, the King realized Kreios meant what he said. The King turned back to Kreios and denied the deal. With that Kreios simply got up and left saying that the king had sealed his own fate.