Xaxas is a world of peace and prosperity. It is a land in which all races live together in harmony. The gnomes build their machines and live among the humans. Elves run the academies in which people come to learn. Ogres have no qualms living in the same town as humans or gnomes. Yet, all is not well.
You are Erland, a male elf druid in the kingdom of Kuzos. You've spent your entire life in the kingdom and have spent your time tending the land and helping the farmers. You have a bit of a reputation for being a bit of a recluse. It's not that you're an outcast, it's just that you do your work and go home.
You live in the forest in a small cottage with your wife and son.
> You ask the wife about her name.
"Briar Rose." She answers.
The woman winces as she's so deep in thought that she doesn't realize her arm is in a sling.
"Briar Rose?"
"Yes, my birth name. I was born at night in a storm like this and given the name Briar Rose."
She looks to the sky as lightning flashes.
> You say "Wait, is your arm in a sling? How did you not notice that?"
"Long story." She answers.
"Will you tell me?
> You say "#"
"Too long of a story." She says.
"Ah. That's too bad. I love to hear stories."
"Maybe some other time."
She looks up at the sky and thinks for a while.
> You look up too and ask her: "What are you thinking about, Briar Rose?"
"The future."
"Oh? Such things have been on my mind lately too. I'm not quite sure what to do with my own future."
Briar Rose smiles at you.
> You say: "By the way, have you seen our son?"
"He is in his room, I believe."
"Okay. I'll be off then."
Briar Rose nods and falls silent. You head into your son's room and see him curled up in bed.
> You say "Hey Torff! Is everything alright?"
"Yeah, just thinking about stuff."
"Ah. I was in your situation once. When I was your age, I spent a lot of time thinking about the future."
"Did you know your future?"
> You say "No, but i had many ideas what the future could bring."
"Like what?"
"I'll tell you one day, when you are older. Now, it's late and we should all be sleeping."
You tuck him in and leave his room.
> You go to the bedroom where Briar Rose is.
You see Briar Rose in the bedroom waiting for you. You go to the bed and get in it, she soon follows you. Soon, you both fall asleep, ready for another day of work in the fields.
> You wake up late at night. Something's not right.
You wake up to the sound of the window shattering. You stand up and draw your dagger, but it isn't necessary. Standing before you is a woman with long, black hair, dressed in black leather armor.
Briar Rose wakes up too. You stare at the unknown woman, unable to move.
"Good evening." The woman says.
"Who are you?" You ask.
"My name is Zana. And you are Erland, right? The husband of Briar Rose?"
You nod.
> You say "What are you doing in our bedroom?"
"Oh, I'm sorry. Should I get my answers first or give them?"
"Give them."
"I'm here to take you both to the capital. The king wishes to speak with you.
> You say "The king? Why? We've never met him. We're just common people."
On the word 'people', Zana's eyes flash red for a split second. She clenches her hand into a fist, and you feel an impact in your chest.
> You say "Ow! What was that for?"
"To stop you from talking. Now, grab your stuff and let's go."
You feel a wave of nausea hit you as you realize Zana put her fist in your chest. You collapse to the floor.
> You say "Can you please answer my questions first? What does the king want?"
"The king wants to offer you a place by his side. There is nothing more and nothing less."
"I still don't understand why he wants us though. We're nobody here."
"I told you, the King wants you by his side. It's not my place to ask why."
Briar Rose is silent through this whole conversation.
> You get up and grab your stuff.
You pick up your backpack and put it on. You stand up and take a deep breath. You look at Zana, who is wearing a tight smile.
> You say "I don't understand? Why people like us?"
"The king has his picks. Now, are you ready to go?"
You nod your head.
"Then let's go."
Zana opens the door and the wind enters the house.
> You say "Can my wife and son with me?"
"No, only you. Now come on."
Zana walks back outside and you follow her. She gets on her horse and looks at you expectantly.
"Well come on."
You say goodbye to Briar Rose and Torff and follow Zana.
You get on the horse and ride towards the capital. You have a lot to think about.
How can you decide whether or not to go along with this?
> You say "Why did you beat me in the chest earlier?"
"I needed to get your attention. I didn't want to, but you were being really difficult."
"It hurt a lot. It still does."
"Yeah well, what you gonna do?
> You say "Nothing?"
"Exactly."
You nod your head. You reach the end of the path and find a dirt road. The road then continues on for miles until it finally crosses a bridge.
> You say "When will i see my wife and son again?"
"When our journey is over."
You don't ask any more questions. The journey is long and tiresome. Zana doesn't speak to you at all, so you end up sleeping for most of it. The journey spans two days.
You wake up and find yourself in front of a massive city wall. It is made of stone that comes up from the ground and peaks at about twenty feet tall.
> You say "Wow, this is huge. What city is thing?"
"This here is Kursk. The king's city. I'll be staying here for a while so you'll have to continue this journey without me. Be punctual though, or else the king might punish you."
> You say "Won't you bring me to the king?"
"Nope, you gotta take care of that yourself. Now listen up: go to the main gates, introduce yourself, and say Zana sent you. They'll let you in after that."
You get off the horse and walk towards the main gate to introduce yourself.
To your surprise, the guards let you in right away. You walk through the city streets and marvel at the height of the buildings around you.
Eventually you reach the castle.
> You go to one of the guards: "Greetings. My name is Erland. Zana sent me."
The guard looks you up and down.
"Aye, we were expecting you. We have orders to take you to the king immediately."
The guards grab your arms and march you through the city. You try to look at your surroundings, but the guards push you and jostle you so you don't get too good a look. Eventually they reach a door and open it, revealing a long staircase. You are hauled down the staircase, which ends at the floor of a large room. You wonder if this is a dungeon, given the lack of light. Suddenly, torches light up on the walls.
> You say "Where are we? It's quite dark down here."
"This here is the throne room. The king is currently sleeping. You need to wake him up."
A guard gets out his sword and slaps you in the face with the flat of it.
You start bleeding.
"Listen up, m'boy. You need to go to the king, and tell him that Erland sent you. Understood?"
"But I'm Erland."
The guard hits you again.
You go to the king and slightly touch his shoulder to wake him up. The king jumps in his seat and brandishes his sword.
"Who dares disturb my sleep?"
"Zana sent me, your highness."
The king frowns. He seems displeased about something.
> You say "She said you wanted to see me."
"Zana... yes, I wanted to see you. Did she send you to me?"
"Yes."
The king frowns once more and stands up.
"Follow me."
He starts walking out of the throne room and you follow him. He seems very unhappy about something, but you don't want to risk angering him, so you comply.
"Um..."
> You say "I don't understand why i'm here. I'm just a common citizen."
"If you're just a common citizen, then why did Zana send you to me? There are millions of people in my kingdom. Why would she send me one of them?
> You say "She said you wanted to see me. Isn't that true?"
The king stops in his tracks and stares at you.
"Yes... I suppose that's true."
He turns around and keeps walking.
"I don't like liars, citizen. I don't like them at all. What is your name?
> You say "My name is Erland, your highness"
"My name is Erland, your highness"
The king nods.
"My name is King Flevas V, ruler of the kingdom of Kuzo."
> You say "It is a pleasure to see you. But i still don't understand why i'm here."
"It is a pleasure to see you. But i still don't understand why i'm here."
The king frowns in annoyance.
"I summoned you here, didn't I? That should be reason enough."
You nod. The king has a point, you suppose.
> You say "I supposed it is. But i don't understand what i need to do."
"I want you to explore the caverns under this forest."
"What's down there? by your expression, it can't be good."
The king sighs.
"There are rumors of monsters in the caverns. I need you to explore them, and find out the truth.
> You say "What is the truth?"
"That's for you to find out."
The king reaches under his throne and pulls out a purple crystal, which he hands to you.
> You take the purple crystal and examine it closely.
The crystal is cool to the touch and glows slightly.
"What is this?"
"That is a beacon crystal. Throw it down, and it will lead you out of the caverns."
> You say "Where does it take me?"
"It will lead you to the exit of the caverns. That's all I can tell you."
"How do you know this?"
The king smiles at you.
"I have my ways."
> You say "I understand. Will i go alone to the caverns? I'm hardly a fighter."
"Don't worry about that. I will give you an escort to the caverns."
The king stands up and starts walking towards the door.
"Well? Are you coming?"
> You say "Yes, your highness"
"Then follow me."
The king starts walking down a corridor with many rooms. You follow behind him, not wanting to be left behind.
The king stops at one of the doors and opens it. There is a soldier with a rifle sitting in there. You give a sigh of relief. Someone who can fight for themselves.
The king turns to you again.
"This is Captain Handol. He will be leading you to the caverns."
You walk over to the soldier, who gets up and starts staring at you.
"My king." He says, giving a salute to the king.
The king leaves, leaving you and captain Handol alone. The captain turns to you. He's about two meters tall, and is wearing steel plated armor.
> You say "Hello. My name is Erland."
"Captain Handol. Pleased to meet you."
The captain shakes your hand, although his grip is so strong it feels like he's going to break your fingers.
He lets go of your hand.
> You say "Can you tell me why the king chose me to come with you?"
"I'm not sure. I was chosen to lead you to the caverns. The king said this."
He pulls a piece of paper out of his pocket and reads it.
"Erland shall be granted a weapon befitting his stature."
The captain nods to you.
"It appears you and I will be spending a lot of time together."
"Great." You reply.
> You say "But i'm not a fighter."
"Neither was I when I joined the king's army."
"But you're a soldier. I'm a druid, a carer of nature. Fighting destroys nature. It's not something I do. "
The captain walks over to a table and picks up a small bow and a quiver full of arrows.
"Don't worry. I'm not expecting you to use this.
> You say "Who's is it?"
"It was mine when I was a child. It's just gathering dust in my room, don't worry. I'll get it back from you when your mission is over."
"Thanks."
> You say "Do you know Zana?"
"I do. She's the best mage in the kingdom. It's a shame she has to spend all her time studying, she's missing out on a lot of fun."
> You say "She wasn't very friendly to me."
"Ah. Well Zana isn't very friendly to anyone, except for maybe the king."
"Do you know why? I mean is there some childhood grudge or something?"
The captain looks down and shuffles his feet.
"I like her." He says quietly.
"Oh. So that's why she was mean to me when I first got here."
"I didn't know you at the time. Besides, I've gotten used to the idea that she won't return my feelings.
> You say "I'm sorry to hear that."
"It's fine. I'm over it now. Shall we go?"
You and the captain head down a series of paths until you find yourself at the side of a large hill.
> You say "Is it far from here?"
"It's on the other side of this hill." The captain says.
He points to the large cave that sits at the bottom of the hill.
> You say "Will you come with me or do i have to enter the cave alone?"
"You want me to come with you?"
"Do you mind?"
The captain shrugs.
"Sure, I don't have anything better to do."
You nod.
> You say "Thank you. I don't think i'd survive this task alone."
You quickly enter the cave, with the captain hot on your heels.
You've entered a large cavern, at the other end sits an ancient looking chest.
> You say "look at the floor in front of the chest"
As you walk towards the chest, you notice a pattern starting to emerge in the stones of the floor.
"There's a pattern here." The captain points out as he kneels down to inspect it.
> You say "Do you think it's a trap?"
"It's hard to say." The captain replies, "I can't make heads or tails of it."
He stands up and takes a step back.
> You take a step back, pick up a small rock and throw it onto the stone floor in front of the chest.
You watch as the stone lands on the floor. Nothing happens.
You turn to the captain.
"It's alright" You assure him.
> You cautionsly move closer to the chest.
You slowly approach the chest. You reach the edge of the pattern on the ground. Still, nothing happens.
You stare down at the stones under your feet. They look like they're shaped like short, broad arrows.
> You pick up another small rock and throw it right in front of you.
You watch as the stone lands in front of you. One by one, the stones beneath your feet begin to fall away, leaving a round hole in the ground.
> You run back, away from the stones.
You dash backwards as the stones under your feet fall through the hole in the ground.
You land with a thud, directly on top of one of the broadhead arrows.
> You say "Great, so it WAS a trap!"
You try to get up, but find the broadhead arrow runs straight through your foot and penetrates the ground. You're stuck, and things are looking grim.
> You ask Captain Handol for help.
"Hey!" You call out to the captain, "I'm stuck!"
Captain Handol walks slowly towards you.
"Are you alright?" He asks.
You nod your head.
> You say "But my foot hurts. I stepped onto this arrow!"
"Oh dear" The captain says, "Does it hurt a lot?"
You nod your head.
"I can't move!" You whimper.
The captain shakes his head and sighs.
> You say "Please, help me get my foot free!"
The captain slowly inches his way towards you.
"Ready?" He asks.
"As I'll ever be." You grimace as you jiggle your foot in its awkward position.
You hear a snap as the broadhead breaks off, releasing your foot. You sigh in relief.
"Thank goodness!" You sigh as you wiggle your toes, which still work.
> You take a bandage and put it on your bleeding foot.
You tear a long strip of cloth from your shirt. You wrap it tightly around your bleeding foot.
Then, you notice that the chest still hasn't opened. You realize that the chest is trapped as well!
> You say "The chest appears to be trapped as well. Can you open it? You are wearing armor."
"I'll try." He says.
The Captain slowly edges over to the chest. With a quick jump, he lands in front of it. Then, he backs away quickly.
"I should've known" He says, shaking his head.
"I've been a fool!"
You nod in agreement.
> You say "What's the matter?"
"I should've been more careful.
> You say "Are you hurt? I can't see anything from over here."
"It's nothing, I just twisted my ankle."
"Don't worry," You reassure him, "I'll find some way to open this chest."
You look around the cave.
You find something that appears to be some sort of strange, old key. But it looks broken.
You also spot a short sword. It appears to be made of iron, and quite rusted.
You also see a strange, black wand. It appears to be made of some sort of animal bone.
take the black wand and examine it closely
You take the wand.
It appears to be made of some sort of animal bone.
It feels warm in your hand, and you feel as if it's leading you somewhere...
> You say to Captain Handol: "Get away from the chest, i'll try something", then you point the black wand at the chest and try to summon it's magic powers.
The wand begins to vibrate in your hand, and the air around becomes very cold.
The chest begins to shake, and shakes so much that it falls over, then it explodes!
> You say "Well, i didn't expect that to happen. Are you alright, Captain?"
The captain doesn't answer.
You see his body, lying there on the ground. You run over to him.
He's breathing slowly and his eyes are closed, but he's unconscious!
> You check Captain Handol for injuries. If you find any, take a healing potion out of your backpack and carefully pour the liquid into the Captain's mouth.
As you approach the body, you notice he is bleeding from his head.
You check for a pulse and don't find one.
You unbutton his shirt and begin chest compressions.
> You try to safe the Captain's life.
After several minutes, the Captain's chest begins to rise and fall on it's own.
His eyes slowly open, and he begins to cough up blood. He looks around, a bit confused.
> You say "You're alive! I thought you wouldn't make it. How do you feel?"
"Water..."
You provide Captain Handol with some water in a small vial you find in your pack. He slowly drinks it.
"Thanks for saving my life...."
"Don't mention it."
> You say "What happened? I told to to get away from the chest!"
"That chest, it was cursed by an evil wizard. He wanted me to suffer a slow, horrible death. If it hadn't been for you, that's exactly what would've happened.
> You say "Do you think it's safe now?"
"I believe so. After what you did, the curse is gone."
"What should we do with the chest?
> You say "Well, let's see what's in it. Go ahead, but be careful not to trigger any more traps or curses."
Handol opens the chest. Inside is a stack of gold coins, and a short sword.
"It looks like there's something engraved on the sword... Take a look."
You look at the sword. There are some words engraved on the bottom of the blade.
> You try to read the words.
"To the future captain of the Kuzosian Guard: may these arms protect you in battle. -General Torg"
The sword is a sword made out of steel.
> You say "Guess it's your's now. I don't know how to fight with a sword anyway. Do you think this black wand can be used as a weapon?"
"I don't know, try tapping it on the ground."
You tap the wand on the ground. The wand begins to glow and a large pink flower... grows out of the ground?!
"What is this?"
> You say "So it doesn't just lift curses, it also lets flowers grow."
"Interesting, I wonder if we can grow anything else?"
"Like what?"
"I don't know."
You both stare at the wand.
> You tap the black wand on the ground again, but twice.
The wand begins to glow and a large pink flower grows out of the ground.
"Two for two."
You pick up the flower, and smell it, however it quickly dies in your hands.
> You say "Interesting. Can you remind me again what's my duty for the king in this cave?"
"You need to make sure no one takes any of the treasure in the cave.
> You say "I guess we did. We lifted the curse and took the treature. The chest is broken though. I think we should return and report to the king that we finished our mission."
The captain of the Kuzosian Guard thanks you for lifting the curse that had plagued his men for the past three months.
"The king will also be thankful."
> You take a final look around in the cave for anything interesting.
In the corner of your eye you notice something gleaming in the wall. You pick up a large iron key.
"We should take that back to the king too."
> You take the key and examine it. You say: "What do you think it opens, Captain Handol?"
Captain Handol examines the key.
"The king will know. It looks like it could open any lock in the kingdom."
You smile.
> You put the key in your backpack and leave the cave with Captain Handol to return the the king's castle in the big city.
You have finished your mission!
Epilogue:
You return to the king with the wand, the sword, and the iron key you found in the cave. The king thanks you for your service.
You meet Zana and she escorts you back home to your wife and son. After a long journey, you return home safe and sound.