The Bus
"Welcome. How can I help you?"
[["I'm not sure."]]
[["I'm here to get measured, for a suit?"]]
[["This is a Robbery! Give me all the money!"->Angry Tailor]]
[[Leave->Bus Stop.]]"Well, feel free to have a browse around!" says the Tailor, face already buried back in the book.
[[Look around the Tailor's Shop]]
[[Leave->Bus Stop.]]The street is wet, the cobblestones have a sheen about them that makes you worry about walking. The rain might be light this afternoon, but something in the sky threatens.
You are standing in front of a large door of burnished wood. Through the six panes of glass you can make out a cozy looking shop behind it.
Across the street is a similar door, this one rendered in a lighter shade, almost white.
[[Go inside the shop.->Tannegram's Tailors]]
[[Cross the Street.]]
[[Walk Downhill.]]
[[Walk Uphill]]
You walk to the edge of the pavement.
[[Look Left]]
[[Look Right]]
[[Cross the Street->Bus Attack]]
You make your way down the street passing numerous doors. Most seem to lead to small shops, private residences and the occasional cafe. Everything seems cozy, the doorways inviting.
After walking for a few minutes you notice that the land is begining a gentle downward slope. The tangy scent of old fish, salt water and the faint hint of a sea breeze promises adventure further down the hill.
[[Continue Down->The Quay]]
[[Return to the Bus Stop.->Bus Stop.]]The street has reached a junction with another, this one running along the beach. To your right and just a few yards offset from the street a long Quay runs out into the water.
The drizzle of rain continues to patter against your back.
[[Walk back up the hill.->Walk Downhill.]]
[[Walk out to the end of the Quay.->Quay's End.]]
You're at the end of the Quay. For a moment you let yourself imagine that you could have walked along the Quay all the way to a Pirate's Island...
Silly Notion.
[[Contemplate Existance]]
[[Walk Back->The Quay]]
[[Return to the Bus Stop->Bus Stop.]]
You wish you had a rock to throw across the calm water, perhaps it would skip along. What's the point of all of this? This town is probably beautiful, but most of it is obscured in fog. Even the colour of the ocean's water is all wrong. Something about it makes you feel ill.
No- not ill precisely, just weary. As if you'd rather just give up, and give in...
[[Jump in the Water.->Death.]]
[[Walk back.->The Quay]](set: $slowT to (transition:"dissolve") + (transition-time: 7s) )(set: $transCounter to 0)
\|b1)[(transition: "dissolve")[There is a feeling like falling, but you don't move. ]]
|b2)[(transition: "dissolve")[And yet, it's almost like- no, it's unlike anything. ]]
|b3)[(transition: "dissolve")[You have died.]]
|b4)[(transition: "dissolve")[(if:$bus is < 4)[[[...->Oh.]]](else-if: $bus is 4)[[[This is getting old...->Purgatory]]](else-if: $bus is 5)[[[Okay, okay, where's the bus?.->Get on the Bus 2.]]](else-if:$bus is > 5)[[[What's the point of all of this?->Ending]]]]
]
{(live: 1s)[(if: $transCounter is 1)
[(show: ?b1)(set: $transCounter to it + 1)]
(else-if: $transCounter is 3)[(show: ?b2)(set: $transCounter to it + 1)]
(else-if: $transCounter is 6)[(show: ?b3)(set: $transCounter to it + 1)]
(else-if: $transCounter is 9)[(show: ?b4)(set: $transCounter to it + 1)]
(else:)[(set: $transCounter to it + 1)]
(else-if: $transCounter is 11)[(stop:)]
]
}
"Indeed." A voice seems to say, coming from nowhere in particular.
$slowT[[So what happens now?->Purgatory]]
(set: $bus to it + 1)
"What bus?" you ask yourself just as you realize you're staring at one that has just pulled up. You climb aboard, but before you can pay the driver waves you back toward the seats.
"I've got a schedule to keep!" she mumbles, as she tosses the bus into gear and begins driving.
After what seems like a very long time, and yet, somehow not long at all, she pulls the bus up and opens the door.
"Here's your stop," she says, "best not keep the others waiting."
[[Get off the bus.->Bus Stop.]]The tailor's face melts, flows. Her fingers extend into claws. She transforms into somethi-
(set: $slowT to (transition:"dissolve") + (transition-time: 7s) )
$slowT[[Wait... what?->Death.]]
The land slopes gently downward into the fog, you can just make out the end of the street where it meets another. Beyond that might be the ocean, or just a field for playing games. No traffic is coming from this direction.
[[Cross the Street->Bus Attack]]
[[Look Right->Look Right]]
[[Walk down the hill->Walk Downhill.]]
(set: $slowT to (transition:"dissolve") + (transition-time: 7s) ) (set: $transCounter to 0)\
|b1)[(transition: "dissolve")[There is no response. You are nowhere, a place inbetween. You cannot see anything, and yet- You cannot //not// see anything either. Curious... ]]
|b2)[(transition: "dissolve")[Something is Coming...]]
|b3)[(transition: "dissolve")
[$slowT [[Wait.->Purgatory 2]]
[[Try to Run.->Purgatory 3]] ]
(if: $bus is 4)[[[Just wait for the bus, it should show up sometime...->Get on the Bus 2.]]]]
{
(live: 1s)
[
(if: $transCounter is 1)
[(show: ?b1)(set: $transCounter to it + 1)]
(else-if: $transCounter is 4)[(show: ?b2)(set: $transCounter to it + 1)]
(else-if: $transCounter is 7)[(show: ?b3)(set: $transCounter to it + 1)]
(else:)[(set: $transCounter to it + 1)]
(else-if: $transCounter is 11)[(stop:)]
]
}A sound is drawing closer to... to what? You try to look down at your hand. There is no hand, perhaps it is just too dark to see your hand. If it is too dark then where is the light coming from?
[[Try to run.->Purgatory 3]]
[[Wait. ->Purgatory 4]]
You take off running. Less running and more moving. Are you moving? What is this feeling, are you covering distance. At once you feel as though you are moving at blinding speed and standing still. The sound is almost upon you. It sounds like a bus.
[[What bus?->Get on the Bus.]]
The sound has almost arrived. It sounds like a bus?
[[A bus?->Get on the Bus.]]The land slopes gently upward, disappearing into the mist that swirls further up the hill. A bus just like the one you rode in on is barreling down the street toward you.
[[Jump in front of the bus.->Bus Impact]]
[[Step back from the edge of the pavement.->Bus Stop.]]
[[Head up the hill, taking care to stay on the pavement.->Walk Uphill]]
[[Look Left]] Out of nowhere a bus just like the one you rode into town comes barreling toward you. The driver slams on the breaks, but it is too late. Time slows to a crawl.
<p>
<p>
You see the bus driver's face.
[[I wish I had more time.->Bus Impact]]
The bus slams into you, sending you flying. There is a feeling of weightless and then...
[[And then...->Death.]]The tailor's shop is a cozy little place. Various examples of her work adorn the walls and shelves. Bolts of cloth in every colour you can imagine are racked up along the righthand wall behind the counter. A massive antique sewing machine sits at the far end of the counter.
The tailor is perched upon a stool reading a small, battered paperback book. The cover has been ripped off.
[[Leave->Bus Stop.]]
[["It looks like you sell clothing here, could I get measured for a suit?"->"I'm here to get measured, for a suit?"]]
[["Only the worst people in the world rip the covers off of books. How, //very// dare you?"->Angry Tailor]]
{(set: $bus to 1)}
You are riding on a bus. Although you cannot quite put your finger on it, something about the bus feels... Old. The seats are covered in what feels like real leather, the loops hanging from the ceiling are also leather. Every bit of visible metal in the bus is copper polished to a glowing sheen.
Even the driver looks a bit strange. Wearing a crisp uniform with a matching cap. You look down at your own clothes, feeling a bit shabby.
The bus pulls to a stop and the Driver motions toward you and then the door. This... must be... your stop?
[[Get off the bus.->Bus Stop.]]
"Ahh, yes!" the diminuative tailor puts down the tattered paperback she's been reading and walks around the counter. She is already holding a measuring tape. She leads you toward a small box in front of a set of mirrors. She points at the box, "Stand on this please."
[["No thank you."->Annoyed Tailor]]
[[Climb on the box.]]
[[Leave. ->Bus Stop.]]
"Look," she says, flustered, "I'm just trying to help you. Please, get on the box!"
"Sorry." [[Climb on the box.]]
"No thank you. I'm leaving." [[Leave->Bus Stop.]]
"You're not in charge of me!" [[Fold arms.->Angry Tailor]]
You climb onto the box and regard your face in the mirrors. The tailor happily bustles around measuring you and jotting the information into a small spiral notebook she pulls from the pocket of her waistcoat.
When she finishes she sighs with obvious pleasure and points toward a chair. "Have a seat dear. I'll fetch us some tea and you can pick out fabrics.
"Thank you." [[Sit Down. ->Seated with the Tailor]]
"No." [[Annoyed Tailor 2]]
[[Leave->Bus Stop.]]
"Look," she says, flustered, "I'm just trying to help you. Please, sit down!"
"Sorry." [[Seated with the Tailor]]
"No thank you. I'm leaving." [[Leave->Bus Stop.]]
"You're not in charge of me!" [[Fold arms.->Angry Tailor]]
You have a seat, in a moment she brings in a tray. On the tray sits a pair of china cups, a teapot and a plate with some very stale-looking biscuits on it. She sets the tray on a small table between you and sits across from you, regarding you with large, watery eyes.
You are about to reach for a biscuit when she blinks and snatches up the teapot, pouring out a viscous looking tea. Her smile broadens as she nods at your cup. "Don't worry dearie, I've already added sugar, just how you like."
[["I don't like sugar."->Offended Hospitality]]
[["Those biscuits look stale."->Offended Hospitality]]
[["Thank you."->Tea Party]]
The tailor's eyes widen to an unnatural degree. She looks hurt, offended, and not a little angry. When she speaks her voice is ominous and flat, "What?"
[["Sorry, err, I didn't mean to offend, I spoke out of turn."->Tea Party]]
[["You heard me, you nutty bat!"->Angry Tailor]]
You take a sip of the tea, hoping that your face does not betray the misgivings you feel. The tea is sweet, sweeter than you're used to. And there is something else... something... bitter.
She watches you with her eyes, eyes which seems to grow larger with each passing beat of your heart. Your heart is beat faster and faster, too fast.
Your throat feels tight, something in her eyes changes, her smile becomes less false, more genuine, and thus- more frightening. Your eyes begin to feel heavy.
"Yesssss." She says, "That's good, sleep now..."
[[Sleep->Death.]]
[[Summon the last of your strength and attack the tailor.->Sleepy Attack]]
You manage to get to your feet and lunge toward the woman, who remains sitting. She placidly stares at you with her eyes that are too big, and her mouth that is too feral.
[[Go for the eyes!->Angry Tailor]]
[[Go for the mouth!->Angry Tailor]]
(set: $bus to it + 1)
Finding the bus is getting easier, but the driver still does not seem to recognize you, even when you nod in acknowledgement.
"I've got a schedule to keep!" she mumbles, as she tosses the bus into gear and begins driving.
After what seems like a very long time, and yet, somehow not long at all, she pulls the bus up and opens the door.
"Here's your stop," she says, "best not keep the others waiting."
[[Get off the bus.->Bus Stop.]]You make your way up the hill. As you climb higher and higher the mist grows thicker. You feel as though you are walking upwards into a cloud. The buildings to each side of the street have grown enourmous, mansions or cathedrals you think to yourself.
[[Continue up the hill.->Uphill2]]
[[Walk back down.->Bus Stop.]]
(set: $slowT to (transition:"dissolve") + (transition-time: 7s) )(set: $transCounter to 0)
\|b1)[(transition: "dissolve")[Something feels different about the ... //nothingness// around you.]]
|b2)[(transition: "dissolve")[The... For some reason the word //"quality"// springs to mind. Yes... The //quality// of the nothingness...]]
|b3)[(transition: "dissolve")[It has changed.]]
|b4)[(transition: "dissolve")[[["Changed How?"->Changed]]]
]
{(live: 1s)[(if: $transCounter is 1)
[(show: ?b1)(set: $transCounter to it + 1)]
(else-if: $transCounter is 3)[(show: ?b2)(set: $transCounter to it + 1)]
(else-if: $transCounter is 6)[(show: ?b3)(set: $transCounter to it + 1)]
(else-if: $transCounter is 9)[(show: ?b4)(set: $transCounter to it + 1)]
(else:)[(set: $transCounter to it + 1)]
(else-if: $transCounter is 11)[(stop:)]
]
}
At the top of the hill the road opens out into a kind of plaza. There is a wide track for vehicles to turn around in and a wide space that could probably fit hundres of people. Today there is nobody, you can't even see all the way across.
[[Walk to the right.->Overlook]]
[[Walk to the left.->Entrance.]]
[[Walk straight across.->Woods.]]
[[Walk back down the hill.->Walk Uphill]]
Your voice echos as you ask the question.
"Have you learned anything?" To your surprise, another voice answers you.
[["Yes."->Liar]]
[["No."->LearnMore]]
[["I don't know."->LearnMore]]
(if: $bus is 8)[[[What am I supposed to be learning?->Journey]]]
(if: $bus is 9)[[[I want to try... will you help me?->Wisdom]]]"Liar!" the voice booms in fury. The darkest bright light you can imagine surrounds you for an instantant- and then[[...->Get on the Bus 3.]]"Then you are not paying attention!" the voice says with the tone of a scolding parent. The darkest bright light you can imagine surrounds you for an instantant- and then[[...->Get on the Bus 3.]]"Come now little wanderer. Will you not even try to answer?"
[["I guess it's easy to die."->LearnMore]]
[["The secret of happiness!->Liar]]
(if: $MountainClimb is 1)[[["Existence is about the Journey, not the destination. Keep exploring?"->NotGoodEnough]]](set: $MountainClimb to 2)
When the voice answers you can almost hear the speaker smiling. "Ahhh. Yes little traveler, now your questions shall be answered. Come, your time here is ended."
[[Mountain Summit]](set: $bus to it + 1)
You are on a bus.
...Again with the bus...
"I've got a schedule to keep!" the driver grumbles as she tosses the bus into gear and begins driving. Something about her tone implies she's losing patience.
After what seems like a very long time, and yet, somehow not long at all, she pulls the bus up and opens the door.
"Here's your stop," she says, "best not keep the others waiting."
[[Get off the bus.->Bus Stop.]]This side of the plaza is hemmed in by a waist-high railing. Beyond the railing is nothing but the flat grey of swirling clouds. The view from up here has got to be incredible. You strain your eyes in the murk, trying to see, but it's just too misty.
[[Lean out a little farther.->Fall]]
[[Walk across the plaza.->Entrance.]]
[[Walk to your Left.->Woods.]]
[[Walk back to the road.->Uphill2]]
(if: $bus > 3)[[[What's the point? Might as well jump.->Overlook Suicide]]]
The ediface of a massive building. This is the grande damme of all cathedrals. A soaring gothic ediface.
At least, you //assume// it must be //soaring//, since most of it is hidden in the thick mist above you. You contemplate the wrought-iron door handles.
Could it be open?
You try the doors, they are unlocked!
[[Go inside.->Cathedral Vestibule]]
[[Walk across the plaza.->Overlook]]
[[Walk to your right.->Woods.]]
[[Walk to your left.->Uphill2]]
This side of the plaza sits beside a forest of ancient trees. The intimidating bulk of their trunks makes even the cathedral on the other side of the plaza seem small in comparasin.
You find a pathway leading into the woods. It winds away through the trees, the thick loam of forest floor mutes all sound.
[[Walk into the woods.->Path 1]]
[[Walk back across the plaza.->Overlook]]
[[Walk to the left.->Uphill2]]
[[Walk to the right.->Entrance.]]
The railing wobbles, it must not be anchored properly! You try to take a step back but your foot slips on the loose cobbles. For one horrifying instant you almost topple backward but then you right yourself.
Oh no! You've overcorrected!
You pitch forward and break thorugh the railing, tumbling out into empty space. As you fall the mist parts and you see a lovely view of the town streatching out before you, all the way down to the sea.
The ground is rushing up toward you!
[[...->Death.]]You are standing just inside the grand building. The room you are in is small in comparasin to the one just beyond it. Through the ornate doors you can just see a grand space lit by stain glassed windows and candles.
[[Go further in.->Grand Hall]]
[[Go back outside.->Entrance.]]
You stand on the railing, deciding just when to jump, perhaps a breeze will blow the clouds away...
As if in answer to your thoughts a light breeze does pick up. Before you can enjoy it though the railing you're standing on breaks loose, sending you tumbling out into empty space.
As you fall the mist parts and you see a lovely view of the town streatching out before you, all the way down to the sea.
The ground is rushing up toward you!
[[...->Death.]]
(set: $MClimb to 1)
Higher up the slope the trees have thinned out. In their place are wide meadows full of small white flowers. The mist and clouds are beginning to thin, and the view is spectacular.
Below you is the thick forest, swirling with mist.
Above you stands a mountain peak that seems to stretch up forever, its shoulders holding the sky, the summit peircing the firmament.
[[Climb the Mountain->Crag]]
[[Walk back into the forest.->Lost Path]]
(if: $Mountainclimb is 1)[[[Take a moment and carefully find the path back through the woods.->Path 2]]]As you make your way up the mountain you feel invigorated. Though the air is thinner there is a quality to it that gives you newfound reserves of energy. You feel compelled to run toward the summit.
[[Continue upwards->Crag2]]
[[Return to the meadows.->Mountainside]]
You walk back into the trees but somehow you've missed the path you walked out of before. Surely it's around here somewhere...
[[Walk back out into the high meadows.->Mountainside 2]]
[[Try to find the path.->LostWoods]]
(if: $MClimb > 3)[[[Maybe the path is over here?->OtherLostWoods]]]
The trees here are even larger than those beside the plaza, if such a thing is even possible. The base of each tree is larger than any you have ever seen, larger than houses- Big houses!
From somewhere off to your right you hear a gentle and melodic cooing that might be singing.
[[Walk back to the plaza.->Woods.]]
[[Walk farther on the path.->Path 2]]
[[Investigate the sounds.->OtherLostWoods]]
(set: $MClimb to it + 1)
Higher up the slope the trees have thinned out. In their place are wide meadows full of small white flowers. The mist and clouds are beginning to thin, and the view is spectacular.
Below you is the thick forest, swirling with mist.
Above you stands a mountain peak that seems to stretch up forever, its shoulders holding the sky, the summit peircing the firmament.
It is starting to get cold, clouds have begun to obscure the mountain.
[[Climb the Mountain->Crag]]
[[Walk back into the forest.->Lost Path]]You are hopelessly lost in the woods. It has begun to get dark. Perhaps you can find shelter before night arrives.
You stumble around for a bit more and then find what looks like a small cave at the base of one of the large trees.
[[Go in the cave.->Den]]
[[Keep walking around.->LostWoods2]]You stumble into a clearing, a tidy little cottage sits on the other side of it.
[[Approach the cottage.->cottage]]
[[Leave the clearning.->LostWoods2]]There is a distinct slope here. The farther away from the plaza you get the more precipitously the pathway climbs. All around you is silence, the silence of a grand, old library. The silence of a church.
The silence of a tomb.
[[Keep walking up the slope.->Mountainside]]
[[Walk downhill.->Path 1]]
(set: $MonsChase to 2)
The little hollow at the base of the tree smells terrible, but the ground is covered with a soft blanket of moss, leaves and something fuzzy. You feel it with your hand. Some kind of fur?
It is almost pitch black in the cave.
[[Lay down and rest.->Monster]]
[[Leave.->ExtDen]]You are hopelessly lost in the woods and night has arrived. If only you could find someplace warm, someplace... some... place...
[[Everything goes dark...->Death.]]
The cottage is dark, it seems like nobody has been here in a very long time. You look around, hoping to find something to eat, or perhaps just a bed to rest on.
The center of the room is filled with the largest oven you have ever seen. It would probably be a comical sight in the daytime, but the darkness gives it a meanacing look. You step closer to the oven, wondering why such a large one is needed way out here in the woods.
The iron door stands ajar, odd parralel scratches decorate the inside of it.
Without warning you are pushed headlong into the oven. The door slams closed behind you with a clang and a cackling voice mocks you.
"Trespassing! Trespassing Teeheehee!
Looks like there's some Tea for me!"
You can hear the sounds of someone bustling around, lighting a fire. In a panic you leap to your feat. The last sound you hear is your head hitting to the top of the oven with a resounding clang like a massive bell.
[[Ow.->Death.]]
{(if: $MonsChase is 1)[You lay down on the soft bottom of the hollow, holding your breath, hoping that whatever is outside does not hear you. As the sounds come closer and closer a horrible realisation dawns on you. This is the den of whatever that thing is, you have made a terrible mistake. Instead of getting away, you have dropped yourself right into its clutches!]}{(if: $MonsChase is 2)[You lay down on the soft bottom of the hollow and close your eyes. The smell is so pungent you worry it will keep you awake but there is something relaxing about it, almost as if it is sending you off to dreams. Just before you drift away a sound wakes you. Something is coming into the hollow.]}
A limb like that of a kitten, but far too long, dips down into the cave. it is followed by another and another. Soon the room has begun to fill with spindly, hairy appendages. When the bulk of the creature's body begins to pull itself into the den what little light there was is blocked.
The last thing you see is a single eye, glowing red.
[[...->Death.]](set: $MonsChase to 1)
You climb back out of the hollow at the base of the tree. Except for the faintest tinge of purple in the direction you think is west the sky is now black and full of stars. You stand rooted for a moment, looking upwards, there are more stars here than you have ever seen...
More stars than there should be.
Something is coming toward you through the woods. Something big.
[[Hide in the cave.->Monster]]
[[Run!->LostWoods2]]
There is a pause as the voice considers your answer. When it speaks there is a note of pride to it, though tinged with sadness. "You are so close to understanding, perhaps if you try again...climb a little higher."
This time when the light surrounds you it feels gentle, almost kind...
[[...->Get on the Bus 3.]] You stand at the very top of the mountain, the view is extraordinary. The sun has now set completely but the stars are so bright that you can still see clearly around you.
You can see all the way past the forest to the base of the slope where the town, now a collection of miniscule toys, stands beside the twinkling sea. The sea rolls away into the distance, a distance you fancy does not curve like the horizon's you are used to.
Everywhere else you look is a landscape of mountain peaks, each larger than the last. They lead off farther than you can see. When you first discovered this peak it seems grander than any you could possibly imagine, but you now know it is a mere foothill compared to these.
The view is beautiful, the journey has been worth it. You smile to yourself, knowing that no matter what happens, you have seen incredible sights. In every direction the landscape spreads out like something from a dream.
[["Is this a dream?"->MountainVoice]]
[[Lay down to rest.->MountainSleep]]
[[Walk back down the mountain.->Dark Crag]]
(if: $MountainClimb is 2)[[[Fly->The End]]]"Not exactly little traveller."
You did not expect an answer, so when one comes it startles you. You stumble back and your foot slips on a loose rock.
[[...->Mountain Fall]]Just as you drift off your body already growing cold, you hear the faintest voice, drifting on the wind. "The answers do lie upon this peak, but you are not ready for them."
By the time you realize that sleeping in the open on a mountaintop is not the best plan, it is too late. Your limbs are heavy, you cannot summon the will to move, you drift away.
[[...zzz...->Death.]]You try to make your way down off the mountain in the darkness, after all you //just climbed up//. Your foot slips on a loose rock and you lose your handholds.
[[Nooooo!->Mountain Fall]]
(set: $MountainClimb to 1)
The pathway is almost verticle now, you cling to the rocks and ice, willing yourself to keep going. You are so close to the summit!
[[Press on to the top.->Mountain Summit]]
[[Turn back.->Crag2]]You can see the pathway all the way up to the summit. The journey looks rough and ever steeper. As you move along the path you notice a glitter just below, it looks like someone has dropped a crown a little way below the ridge you're walking up.
[[Continue toward the summit.->Almost Top]]
[[Head down the mountain.->Crag]]
[[Investigate the Shiny Thing.->Crown]]
(set: $slowT to (transition:"dissolve") + (transition-time: 7s) ) (set: $transCounter to 0)\
|b1)[(transition: "dissolve")[Your entire body fills with an electical charge as you feel yourself rising into the air.]]
|b2)[(transition: "dissolve")[With a whoop you soar out over the valley,]]
|b3)[(transition: "dissolve")[over the forest,]]
|b4)[(transition: "dissolve")[over the town,]]
|b5)[(transition: "dissolve")[and out over the sea.]]
|b6)[(transition: "dissolve")[The End]]|b7)[(transition: "dissolve")
[?]]
{
(live: 1s)
[
(if: $transCounter is 1)
[(show: ?b1)(set: $transCounter to it + 1)]
(else-if: $transCounter is 4)[(show: ?b2)(set: $transCounter to it + 1)]
(else-if: $transCounter is 7)[(show: ?b3)(set: $transCounter to it + 1)]
(else-if: $transCounter is 10)[(show: ?b4)(set: $transCounter to it + 1)]
(else-if: $transCounter is 13)[(show: ?b5)(set: $transCounter to it + 1)]
(else-if: $transCounter is 16)[(show: ?b6)(set: $transCounter to it + 1)]
(else-if: $transCounter is 24)[(show: ?b7)(set: $transCounter to it + 1)]
(else:)[(set: $transCounter to it + 1)]
(else-if: $transCounter is 25)[(stop:)]
]
}You are turning over and over in the cold air, the mountain's peak flys upward, away from you. Surely the fall will end soon.
[[whoosh->Death.]]
A short scramble off the ridge you can see that the object is indeed a crown. The ornament is a bit battered and worse-for-wear but the gems that glitter in its halo seem valuable and inviting all the same.
[[Leave the crown and climb back to the path.->Crag2]]
[[Reach for the crown.->Crown2]]
You stretch your fingers out, reaching for the golden headpiece. Your fingers just brush the surface. You smile. Adjusting your grip you reach out, just a little further...
...just...a little... more...
You lose your grip and fall, bouncing down the steep slope and then off the side of a cliff.
[[Aw Heck.->Mountain Fall]]
You stand in the grandest building you have ever entered. Soaring columns rear upward to a ceiling that is shrouded in murk. Even the light from the windows and the candles fails to fully illuminate the top of the room.
Instead of the pews or chairs you would expect in a building like this it is full of dozens of plinths holding curious objects.
[[Examine one of the plinths.->Plinth]]
[[Leave->Entrance.]]
[[Walk to the other side.->Rear of the Hall]]There is a small doorway here, behind it what looks like a hidden passage, the tunnel so low you will have to crawl on hands and knees.
[[Enter the passage.->Tunnel]]
[[Walk back into the Hall->Grand Hall]]You crawl on hands and knees through the tunnel for what seems like forever. There is a noticeable slope upwards. Though you do not have a flashlight you can still see your way forward thanks to the soft glow that fills the tunnel. Looking closely you notice that the glow is coming from small mushrooms that grown on the tunnel's walls.
The tunnel ends in a little chamber. A ladder stands in the middle of the room.
[[Climb the ladder.->Ladder]]
[[Return to the Cathedral.->Rear of the Hall]] The ladder travels up a vertical tunnel for almost two hundred rungs, you are almost afraid of falling. At the top is a trapdoor which you manage to push open.
Above you is a small room that looks to be an abandoned house of some kind. Dust is everywhere and there is a faint smell of something...
[[Explore the house->cottage]]
[[Go back down the ladder.->Tunnel]]
You realize with horror that the object on the plinth is part of a body. the gelatinous mass could be a kidney or perhaps a liver. The confusion of objects on the other plinths begins to resolve into a macabre collection, the details too horrifying to contemplate.
A voice addresses you. "What do you think of my collection?"
[[It's...interesting?->courteous vampire]]
[[It's disgusting!->offended vampire]]
(if: $vamptalk is 1)[[[It's fascinating! I wish I had more time to study it.->vamp offer]]]
[[Leave.->Entrance.]]
(set: $vamptalk to 1)
"Why thank you! Such good manners" The voice booms and whispers all over the massive room, you cannot tell exactly where it is coming from. "Take as long as you like to examine my artworks.
[["No thank you."->offended vampire]]
[["Thank you very much."->Grand Hall]]
[[Leave.->Entrance.]]
"How dare you!?" Before you can move a step, immense leathery wings envelope you. All is blackness... and pain...
[[Ow.->Death.]]"Ahh yes! I think I can arrange a little... //time// for you..." You hear a rustling, a shuffling and then sense something behind you. When you turn you are staring into the eyes of an androgynous creature of surpassing beauty. The eyes crinkle into a smile as vast wings envelope you.
"Now..." whispers a gentle voice, "let me show you what forever feels like..."
[[...->Death.]]