#content classes: (set_)m_none m_gourd m_magpie m_squid sword_none sword_0 sword_1 sword_2 words_none words_0 words_1 words_2 (0 is set iff 2 is set on the other location) oldest_m oldest_f older_m older_f one_none one_forest one_river both_forest_t both_forest_f (bool) both_river_t both_river_f (bool) sandbox: sandbox.monster = 'gourd' / 'magpie' / 'squid' sandbox.rival = 'battle' / 'quest' / 'lore' sandbox.older = 'm' / 'f' sandbox.oldest = 'm' / 'f' sandbox.oneforest = undef / 'help' / 'ignore' sandbox.oneriver = undef / 'help' / 'ignore' sandbox.twoforest = undef / 'help' / 'ignore' sandbox.tworiver = undef / 'help' / 'ignore' sandbox.gotsword = true sandbox.gotspear = true sandbox.gotprotect = true sandbox.gotvalor = true ids: chapter_two two_forest two_forest_help (sandbox.twoforest = 'help') chapter_one one_forest (mutate two_forest?) one_forest_help (leads to words_0/sword_2) one_forest_ignore (words_0/sword_1, sword transfer) one_river (will get sword_1, sword transfer) .. two_forest_ignore (sandbox.twoforest = 'ignore') chapter_one one_forest (mutate two_forest?) one_forest_insult (words_0/sword_1, sword award) one_forest_ignore (words_0/sword_1, sword award) one_river (will get sword_1, sword award) .. two_river (sandbox.twoforest = undef) (either): chapter_one one_forest (mutate two_forest?) one_forest_help (leads to sword_1, transfer) one_forest_ignore (leads to sword_1, award) ------------------------------------ You stagger up to its lair. Your voice doesn't quaver -- well, much -- as you shout out the words you were taught. Your hands don't tremble (hardly at all) as you ready your new weapon. One, two! Dive and roll! Jump! *Attack!* ...That wasn't so hard, was it? You defeated the monster, and it's not even bedtime yet. ** Haul the creature's body back to feed the starving city ** Plunder the hoard of treasure to restore your family's fortune ** Rescue the captive chained to the rocks below You spend the rest of the day laboriously chopping the carnivorous squash into buttery, barrel-sized wedges. As the sun sinks into the west, you load them onto your cart and turn towards home -- weary and sticky with gourd-juice, but triumphant. You fling yourself into the giant magpie's nest, and come up laden with glittering necklaces, shining ropes of jewels, and the occasional highly polished armoire. (It was a really *big* giant magpie.) You'll need a yard-sale the size of your entire manor to sell this lot, but it was worth it. You scurry down to the tide-line, leaving the squid-monster sprawled among the dunes. Really, nothing should *ever* have that many *tentacles*. You unchain the prisoner, who is duly grateful; but you are more excited by the prospect of the anatomical paper you're going to write when you both get home. ** That can't be all -- ---- (beginning) ** Your older brother set out before you. ** Your older sister set out before you. ---- [beginning] ** S/he marched blithely into the forest. ** S/he traipsed carelessly along the river. Your older brother did not know where the ###monster squash lived, so he marched blithely into the forest. He didn't find the fiend's pumpkin patch. Instead, he came across a madman, dressed in rags and wearing a black mortarboard hat piled high with ice cream. The madman was crouched over a pile of rocks, busily banging them together and whispering to himself. Your brother frowned and tried to sidle around the madman, but he would have none of that. "Here!" he shouted, jumping up. "You must help me! Wave this!" Your brother found himself holding a battered fan of banana leaves. ** He sneered and marched away into the forest. ** He waved the fan over the pile of rocks, feeling like an idiot. ---- Feeling foolish, ###he waved the fan. A great burst of fire flared up. When the smoke cleared, ###he was holding the handle of an enormous set of bellows, which was attached to an enormous forge beside an enormous anvil. An even more enormous blacksmith was hammering away at a red-hot sword there. Pausing to wipe ice cream from his brow, the blacksmith thundered "Almost got it! One more pull!" Your ###brother hauled away, sparks flew, and in moments the sword was finished. "Take this," said the blacksmith. ###He did, and swung it about wildly. Surely, ###he thought, ###he'd defeat that ###squash in an instant! Take that! Oops. "Hm," the blacksmith observed. "The balance isn't very good for you, is it? Do you have a younger brother or sister?" ** "As it happens, yes." "Well, pass the sword along, with my blessings." [edit final chapter to show sword] ** You met ###him in the forest, and ###he presented the newly-made sword to you. [to bottom] ** That can't be all -- ---- "Don't be ridiculous," ###he said. "Everyone knows that it's helpless old women in the forest that turn out to be disguised fairies. Not madmen with ice cream on their hats." And with that, ###he continued on into the forest. ** Unfortunately, as it turns out, a fan of banana leaves is quite useless when trying to fight a ###giant squash. ... You follow your ###brother's trail into the forest. You soon discover the madman, still banging wildly on his rocks. "Here!" he shouts. "You must help me! Wave... er..." He roots around in the underbrush and hands you an old twig. ** You do your best to wave the twig at the pile of rocks. A great burst of fire flares up. When the smoke clears, you are holding the handle of an enormous set of bellows, which is attached to an enormous forge beside an enormous anvil. An even more enormous blacksmith is hammering away at a red-hot sword there. Pausing to wipe ice cream from his brow, the blacksmith thunders "Almost got it! One more pull!" You haul away, sparks fly, and in moments the sword is finished. "Take this," said the blacksmith. You try a few lunges, and marvel at the sword's perfect balance. [edit final chapter to show sword] ** And so at last you came to the lair of the ###giant squash. [to bottom] ** That can't be all -- ---------------------- ###He didn't find the fiend's ###pumpkin patch. Instead, ###he discovered a frail old woman on a pebbly curve of riverbank. She was standing with her hands on her hips, a frown on her face, and her legs ###caught knee-deep### in a pool of peanut butter. "Well?" she asked snippily. "A little help for a frail old woman?" Your ###brother looked puzzled. "How did you—" "Never mind!" snapped the old woman. "Mistakes were made! Plans have gone awry. Contingencies failed to be foreseen. The situation has been reviewed and the malefactors," she glares about, "have been punished. Be a dear, though, would you, and give me a hand?" ** ###He snickered and contined on ###his way. ** ###He started gathering branches to help the woman. ---- Your ###brother gathered dead branches to brace across the peanut butter pool. In a few minutes, and with a most astonishing sucking sound, the woman had pulled herself free. "There go a couple of good walking shoes I won't see again," she muttered, glaring irately at the pool. It burbled back in evident satisfaction. "I don't suppose you—" "No, no, I have a ###gourd-monster to find," ###he said hastily. "Really? They never bother me. Do you know the words for 'em?" Your ###brother did not, and listened attentively as the old woman pronounced them. "Just shout 'em out — should give the old critter a nasty turn. Then get in quick with the sword. You do have a sword, don't you?" ** "As it happens, no." "Horromph. Maybe you should pass those words along to someone who does, then." ** You met ###him in the forest, and ###he taught the words of protection to you. ---- "I wouldn't want to spoil your fun," ###he replied. "Besides, chunky peanut butter? Revolting." "Shame on you, young ###man," said the woman. "Well then, I won't spoil your fun either. What was it, a giant ###gourd?" "Yes — wait. How did you know that?" But the old woman refused to say another word. ** Sadly, no amount of peanut butter can appease an angry ###gourd. ---------------------- The Emperor had three children, and the Emperor was me. ("Mooommm!") (Because I'm in charge, kiddo. That's what Emperor means.) All three children were wise, but a great rivalry grew between them. The oldest child was foolish and the younger ones were wise... The older two children were foolish and the youngest one was wise... ** My children waged mighty battles against each other to decide who would inherit the throne. ** My children roamed the Empire, seeking heroic quests to win my favor. ** My children studied hidden lore, searching for ancient secrets to overthrow me. (repeat choice) But their battles laid waste to the fields and ruined the crops. Nothing would grow except for a single eerie, horrible squash-monster. But their battles exhausted the Imperial troops, and the National Bank was left unguarded. One day the learned that a great bird-beast had carried away all of the Empire's treasure. But their battles exhausted the Imperial guards, and the roads were left unprotected. One day a terrifying squid-monster crept up on a caravan and kidnapped the Ambassador from Bearville. One day they learned that a horrible squash-monster was roaming the fields, scaring off all the farmers and ruining the crops. Instantly they all raced off to destroy it. One day they learned that a great bird-beast had stolen away the Imperial treasury. Instantly they all raced off to retrieve it. One day they learned that the Imperial Bear had been kidnapped by a terrifying squid-monster. Instantly they all raced off to find it. But one of them — never mind who — delved too deep in a book, and awoke an ancient terror. A horrible squash-monster rampaged through the fields, ruining the crops. But in all their studying, they forgot to do the Imperial paperwork. All of the Empire's money got lost in the cracks in the sofa. Before anybody could collect it, a giant bird-beast had picked it up and run away. But their studies led to great magical battles, which lit up the night sky and ruined everybody's sleep. One day an exhausted Bear Lord, unable to hibernate, wandered down to the beach and got kidnapped by a squid. ** This is where we started! [to bottom] But, in the end, your victory only won you— ** —I know. Bedtime. ---------------------- Things I could tweak (or break): If ch1 rescues the witch, ch2 really has to acknowledge that she fell back into it.