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Sunlight streams through cracks in the wood as Twig wakes up on a pile of straw. He stretches is lanky arms, raising them high in air, trying to work out the kinks in his back.
//Kinks in my back? I'm so old.//
Twig was in fact a skinny 25 year-old who had simply slept on lumpy hay.
"Oh, come on," he mutters, brushing chicken crap off his breeches. The chickens walk about pecking at the ground as he looks around the dimly lit barn. He presses down his dark blond hair, trying to make it, if not presentable, less of a mess.
<<addToInv "House Bracelet">> <<addToInv"Second Pair of Breeches">> <<addToInv "Sharp Rocks">> <<addToInv "Stale Bread">>
[[Check his Rucksack]]
[[Play with the chickens]]
[[Go Back to Sleep]]
Twig peers into his rucksack to make sure no chickens ran off with his meager items. His trusty rust-spotted dagger sits at the top, right above the stale bread Mother Present threw out. Some sharp rocks and a second pair of breeches lie near the bottom. A simple bracelet with a golden ant charm rests at the very bottom, the only possession Twig has of any real value.
[[Investigate the barn for anything useful]]
[[Study the charm bracelet closer]]
[[Exit the barn]]
Twig runs around mimicking chicken noises and thoroughly scaring the real chickens. They hop and cluck and dash madly in circles. Two run into each other, thus beginning a battle of flying feathers and piercing squawks. Twig grins and chuckles as he watches the chickens duel. //Well, that was fun. On to business.//
[[Check his Rucksack]]
[[Exit the barn]] Twig isn't interested in getting up and doing things. He lays back on the straw bed and curls up. He falls asleep listening to the clucking of chickens. After a little bit, he dreams of a King Twig.
A rough kick to the stomach takes him out of his fantasy.
[[Wake up]]
[[Turn Over and go Back to Sleep]]The old barn is dimly lit by the rising sun. The horses are quietly munching on their hay. Some farm tools lie in the corner, almost in pieces due to age. //I saw a farmhouse close by. I'd better get going before the people living there come to check on the animals.//
<<if $inventory.indexOf("A Pitchfork") == -1>>There is a pitchfork here.
[[Pick up the pitchfork]]<<endif>>
[[Exit the barn]]
<<set $timeLate>>Twig takes out the bracelet and looks more closely at it. The bracelet itself is made of sturdy, well-crafted leather dyed bright blue. The golden ant is about the size of an eye and a near perfect facsimile of the real thing. Inscribed on the bracelet are the words of his house:
//Try Not to Die//
[[Put it on]]
[[Put it Back in The Rucksack]]Twig quickly picks up his rucksack and proceeds to exit the barn.<<if $timeLate>>
Two brutish-looking men stand in front of him, each a good foot taller than him. "What in Blij's name are you doing in our barn?" the one on the left asks, his voice gruff and unfriendly. Both men hold chipped wooden clubs, obviously well-used.
[[Come back with a snappy response]]
[[Tell the Truth]]
[[Try to Fight Them]]
[[Run away]]
<<set $twinmeeting = 1>><<else>> He quietly pushes open the doors, wincing at every creak. The sun hangs high in the sky; it's about midday. Twig looks out over the sweeping hills of Orin, each one a mountain's child in size. Atop the greatest peak, "Marwin's Richard" as the locals call it, stands Castle Ayrclyde. There live the power hungry McKalins, who rule over most of Orin. //There's always good work in a castle. I wonder if Marwin still remembers me.// Twig laughs. //So maybe Castle Ayrclyde isn't my best bet.//
To the left of Ayrclyde is Jarl's Forest and beyond that is Hearthfife, which sits on the very edge of Orin, constantly at war with the McKalins. //Dangerous castle or outlaw ridden forest?// Twig grimaces. //So many wondrous choices. What do I do if make it to either, anyway? No home, no family, what am I supposed to do?// He laughs morbidly. //Try not to die, I guess.//
[[Path to Castle Ayrclyde]]
[[Path to Jarl's Forest]]<<endif>>
Twig cringes away from the kick and jumps up. Years of homelessness have given him the gift of light sleep. Two brutish looking men stand in front of him, each a good foot taller than him. "What in Blij's name are you doing in our barn?" the one on the left demands. Both men hold chipped wooden clubs, obviously well-used.
[[Come back with a snappy response]]
[[Tell the Truth]]
[[Try to Fight Them]]
[[Run away]]
<<set $twinmeeting = 1>>Twig decides kicks aren't enough to rouse him from his wonderful slumber. //Still, I am in a random strangers barn. Maybe I should wake up.//
[[Wake up]]
[[Stay asleep]]Twig responds blithely, "Well, what are ''you'' doing in ''my'' barn?"
The one who spoke responds by hitting him in the head with his club. He hits hard.
''TWIG IS DEAD''Twig decides that honesty is the best policy. "I had no place to sleep and saw this cozy barn. I really love how it's been decorated. I have the runs." The two men look disgusted and narrow their eyes at him. //Okay, so maybe that was too much honesty.//
[[Try to Fight Them]]
[[Run away]]Twig raises his fists reluctantly. Despite his skinny frame, there's strength in his arms and legs. Just not enough to overpower two large muscled men with clubs. //Shrubs beat barns every time, shrubs beat barns every time, shrubs beat barns every time. Why did I ever think this was a good place to sleep?// "Come on, you sons of Blij," Twig says with false bravado.
[[Hit Low]]Twig feels a sharp pain in his head as he goes back to sleep. He never wakes up.
''TWIG IS DEAD''Twig turns left and starts down the hill towards Castle Ayrclyde.<<if $deadbro>> He looks down at his hands as he trudges through the verdant fields. The twin's blood has dried and covers the hand that held the knife. //I didn't have a damn choice.// He keeps walking and his hands keep their small tremor.<<endif>>
He swings his rucksack around and checks to make sure everything is there. The sun has reached its peak in the sky, and a light breeze causes the grass and stalks of wheat to sway. Twig looks behind him to see the barn grow smaller and smaller. <<if $deadbro>> A shout of rage coming from that direction cuts through the windy day and sets birds aflight.<<endif>>
<<set $ayrclyde = 1>>
[[Start Running]]
[[Walk Leisurely]]
wig sighs and begins the trek towards Jarl's Forest. //I'll take outlaws over crazy lords any day.// The sun's light gently dapples the leaves and flowers. The entrance to Jarl's Forest is heralded by two towering Ebonwood trees. Their dark umber branches stretch and give birth to pitch black leaves.<<if $deadbro>>
He looks down at his hands as he trudges through the shady forest. The twin's blood has dried and covers the hand that held the knife. //I didn't have a damn choice.// He keeps walking, and his hands keep their small tremor.<<endif>>
The forest is alive with birds of a hundred hues, and treerats dash from limb to limb above him.<<if $deadbro>>
A shout of rage coming from the farm cuts through the windy day and sets birds aflight.<<endif>>
<<set $jarl = 1>>
[[Start Running]]
[[Walk Leisurely]]
The Twins are less than impressed with this answer. Twig sees their grip tighten on the weapons and jumps to his feat with surprising speed. As the left Twin walks forward, his club raised in attack, Twig dashes the other way. Unfortunately for Twig, the barn has one exit, and the twins stand square in his path to it. Backed up against the wall, Twig is running out of options. The brothers advance, inexorable.
[[Try to Fight Them]] Twig slides his hand through the bracelet. //What am I thinking? This is my most valued possession and I'm in a territory full of outlaws!// He shakes his head. //Not my best idea.//
[[Put it Back in The Rucksack]] Twig carefully hides the bracelet on the bottom of his rucksack. He slings the bag onto his back and takes a deep breath.
[[Investigate the barn for anything useful]]
[[Exit the barn]] <<initInv>>
[[Peasantry]] Twig picks of the rusty pitchfork, giving it a once over. The tines are battered and the wooden shaft full of splinters. The pitchfork is more likely to hurt its wielder than anyone else. //Better a sword with no hilt than no sword at all.//
[[Check his Rucksack]]
[[Play with the chickens]]
[[Go Back to Sleep]]
[[Exit the barn]]Twig runs at the twins, screaming wildly. At the last second, he hits the ground and slides under the right one's legs, clipping his crotch with a fist. The right twin yells in rage and grabs for Twig, but misses him slightly and grasps the air instead.
Twig is now behind them and has his freedom in front of him. //Oh no, my rucksack!// Twig turns to see his sack close by, yet running back could mean death. If he could just reach his knife, maybe he could win.
[[Escape the Twins]]
[[Turn and fight]]Twig makes a desperate dash for his rucksack and retrieves it just as the twins come bearing down on him. He turns hard and sprints out the barn door. //Where to go? I could lose them in the forest maybe, or I could try to reach Castle Ayrclyde. The McKalins take a hard view of brawls; I'd be safe.//
[[Path to Castle Ayrclyde]]
[[Path to Jarl's Forest]]
Twig reaches his rucksack. He pulls out his old knife and brandishes it. "All I wanted was one night's sleep somewhere that wasn't a hedge," he says, aggrieved. He steadies himself and hopes Harmde has a heaven for homeless 25 year-olds.
[[Shout Expletives and Rush Them]]
[[Rush them]]Twig runs at them, screaming every curse Rubbish Keep had taught him. He chooses the right twin at the last second and attempts to stab him.
The right twin easily grasps his hand and bodily lifts him off the ground. Strangely enough, Twig's mad rush causes the man to laugh. "The bastard's got some fight in him. Maybe we can use him, Gorosti; Mother's always wanting more fighters."
The other man, Gorosti, seems to weigh this before nodding. He turns and begins walking out of the barn, motioning for his brother to follow him.
[[Stab the Right Twin]]
[[Try to Escape His Grip]]
[[Relax]]Twig runs at them without uttering a word. He chooses the right twin at the last second and attempts to stab him.
The right twin easily grasps his hand and bodily lifts him off the ground. Strangely enough, Twig's mad rush causes the man to laugh. "The bastard's got some fight in him. Maybe we can use him, Gorosti; Mother's always wanting more fighters."
The other man, Gorosti, seems to weigh this before nodding. He turns and begins walking out of the barn, motioning for his brother to follow him.
[[Stab the Right Twin]]
[[Try to Escape His Grip]]
[[Relax]]Twig stabs his knife at the big man's torso. He easily knocks the stab away. "Vicious, aren't you?" he laughs. "That'll serve you well where you're going."
[[Stab the right twin again]]
[[Try to Escape His Grip]]
[[Relax]] Twig struggles and tries to break the big man's grip, to no avail. The twin just looks at him in amusement. "That's not going to work."
[[Stab the Right Twin]]
[[Relax]]Realizing he won't be dying, Twig stops struggling. The man sets him down and sheathes his club, as much as one can sheathe a club. Twig puts his knife away, as it now seems like a truly terrible idea to attack again.
"Since it seems we won't be killing you right now, what do I call you?"
"Twig works for most," Twig says lightly. //If they're not going to kill me, I can go along with this for a bit.// "What do I call you?"
The man smiles, showing off his few teeth that remain. "I'm Tavor; my brother is Gorosti. That's enough talk for now, Mother will want to see you."
[[Follow Tavor]]Twig stabs his knife at the big man's torso. He easily knocks the stab away once more. "Stop it." He says, the smile gone.
[[Try to Stab the Right Twin Again]]
[[Try to Escape His Grip]]
[[Relax]] Twig, in a desperate gambit, tries to stab the twin again. This time he goes high. Caught off guard, the twin fails to block it. It embeds itself in his neck and he instantly drops Twig. He tries to call out to his brother, but no sound emerges. Twig watches as the right twin bleeds out on the soft ground in the barn.
<<if $inventory.indexOf("The Bloody Knife") == -1>>
[[Pick up The Bloody Knife]]<<endif>>Twig retrieves the knife from the twin's neck and cleans it with some hay. Slightly shaken, Twig realizes he needs to leave, and quickly. //Blij only knows when the brother will be back and I don't think he'll be happy.//
<<addToInv "The Bloody Knife">>
<<set $deadbro = 1>>
[[Exit the barn]]
<<addToInv "bloody knife">>
<<inv>>Ignoring his surroundings, Twig begins to pick up the pace. <<if $deadbro>>//Who knows if the Gorosti has other men looking for me. I need to get as far away from that barn as I can.//<<endif>> The breeze gently pushes his hair back as he sprints toward his destination.
<<if $ayrclyde>>
[[Keep Running]]<<endif>>
[[Walk Leisurely]]
<<if $jarl>>
[[Stop and Listen Carefully]]<<endif>>
Twig takes it slow and gazes at his surroundings. <<if $jarl>> The trees' leaves are a verdant green, and the branches sway gently under the soft brush of wind. Treerats and weasels chase each other down trees and over rocks, their playful nature emerging in a graceful race. Twig smiles a bit. //Reminds me of home. Still, being stuck in a dark forest at night is not my idea of fun. Better get moving.//<<endif>><<if $ayrclyde>> It's high spring in Orin, and Twig's surroundings tell. The hills are rolling swathes of green, dotted with farms and towers. //I better stop leisurely walking if I want to make it before nightfall.//<<endif>>
[[Start Running]]
//I'm in a forest full of outlaws! Why am I running?// Twig stops immediately and lowers himself, putting his ear to the ground. He hears nothing. Twig stands back up and brushes himself off. //I've got to be more careful. Hearthfife never was good at keeping these woods safe. I wonder. Should I stay to the main path, or try to make my way off the road? Outlaws are more frequent on the main path, but Blij knows what lies off it.//
<<if $deadbro>>
Twig stumbles over a rock and nearly falls. //Gorosti can't be happy I killed his brother.// Twig looks down at his hands once more; they're not clean. //I need to wash my hands, can't let anyone see me like this.
[[Take a Bath]]<<endif>>
[[Go Off the Main Path]]
[[Continue on the Main Path]]The wind blows past Twig's face as he runs over hills, passing small farms and Solflowers in bloom. The sky seems to smile down on him, a blue face with white puffy eyebrows. Twig's legs take long strides, and his chest expands and contracts in quick sharp movements.
Eventually, he slows to a walk and laughs, the sweat beading on his forehead falling slowly. //Ayrclyde's a day's walk at most. Of course, if Marwin sees me I'll likely be hung.// He shakes his head. //I knew the risk. It'll be alright. I'm just a commoner, why should he even remember me.//<<if $deadbro>>
Twig stumbles over a rock and nearly falls. //Gorosti can't be happy I killed his brother.// Twig looks down at his hands once more; they're not clean. //I need to wash my hands, can't let anyone see me like this.<<endif>><<if !$deadbro>> He smiles ruefully. //Out of the boiling oil, into the enemy castle.//<<endif>>
[[Continue on to Ayrclyde]]
<<if $deadbro>>
[[Take a Bath]]<<endif>>//Everyone knows the secret roads are safer anyway. The main road to Hearthfife is forever ridden with outlaws.// Twig steps off into the trees, the grass crunching under his moth-eaten shoes.
[[Continue Walking]]
//Everyone knows the main path is safer.// Twig confidently strides along the main path. The grey road stands out among the forest, a cobblestone creation that, despite being hundreds of years old, remains as sturdy as ever.
[[Continue Walking]] -1 is if the object isn't in the characters inventory
0 is if the object is in the character's inventory
Ayrclyde's Choice
Jarl's Choice
The Bloody Knife
ayrclyde
jarl
deadbro
deadanteater
anteater
twigGroundTo his right, Twig notices a massive antpile. Curious, he gets down on his knees to get a closer look. The small warriors are moving to and fro, carrying specks of dirt to raise their soil castle higher.
Two of the ants run into each other and drop their precious cargo. Twig laughs. "Reminds me of Rubbish Keep," he says to the ants. He stands up and continues on his journey.
[[Keep Going]]As Twig strolls away, an ant-eater emerges, its umber fur absorbing the sunlight. He settles down next to the antpile and begins his lunch.
<<set $anteater to "killing">>
[[Kill the Ant-Eater]]
Twig quickly removes the knife from his satchel and hurls it at the peaceful creature. The knife <<print either("pierces the animal, killing it instantly", "misses completely, striking the tree")>>.
"Halt!" Twig looks behind him and sees three heavily armored men on dark brown horses. "That ant-eater is Lord Marwin's property. Attempting to damage it incurs heavy penalties."
Twig glares up at the armored men. "Who are you to tell me I can't hunt?"
The tallest knight dismounts and walks toward Twig, grey armor clinking with every step.
<<set $deadanteater = 1>>
[[Back Up]]
[[Get Close]]As the sun moves lower in the sky, Twig begins to pick up his pace. //I defintely don't want to be out after dark. My knife isn't going to do much against a bear or wolf.//
As if to punctuate that thought, howls pierce the evening air. //Yep, definitely time to hoof it.//
[[Get to Ayrclyde Before Nightfall]]
[[Camp in the open for tonight]]The moon has fully emerged, a silver coin shining gently down on all of Orin. Twig breathes heavily as the castle gets closer. As he makes his way down one of the final hills on his trek, his legs fail him and he trips, faceplanting in the muddy ground.
//Perfect.// He lies there a second, taking in just how annoying that was.
He tries to push himself up, but finds a foot on his back holding him down. "Hello, Twig."
//Shit.// The foot eases off his back and Twig rolls over.The moon has fully emerged, a silver coin shining gently down on all of Held Arn. Twig is breathing heavily as the castle gets closer. As he makes his way down one of the final hills on his trek his legs fail him and he trips, faceplanting in the muddy ground. //Perfect.// He lies there a second, taking in just how annoying that was. He tries to push himself up, but finds a foot on his back holding him down. "Hello, Twig."
//Shit.// The foot eases off his back and Twig rolls over.
[[Look Up]]
//I might as well stop here. Its a painful climb to Ayrclyde best made during the day. Wouldn't want to trip and break something.// Twig looks around for a comfortable shrub and lies beneath the first one to catch his eye. //Ah, nothing beats a shrub.// He drifts off to sleep as wolves howl and the moon casts silver glances upon the world.
A rough kick awakens him. //Man, I'm getting tired of this whole kick wake up thing.//
[[Look Up]] Twig gazes at his surroundings and spies a small pool. He stumbes quickly towards it, tripping over a rut in the ground. He falls to his knees and puts his hands in the water. The dried blood washes away like red smoke drifting off an aquatic pyre. //Clean. Good, they're clean.//
<<if $ayrclyde>>[[Continue on to Ayrclyde]]<<endif>>Twig raises his head and sees Kristoph Sallow standing above him, flanked by two grungy thugs. <<if $ayrclyde>>Sallow wears black breeches three sizes too small for him and a brown tunic that looks like it's seen more meals than Twig. //I haven't seen him since Rubbish Keep. He's probably not too happy with me abandoning him after that stunt we pulled on Mother.//<<endif>>.<<if $jarl>> //I haven't seen him since Rubbish Keep. He's probably not too happy with me abandoning him after that stunt we pulled on Mother. Why did he save me? What is he even doing here? //<<endif>>
//I need to walk softly here. Sallow never was never really in his right mind. I don't want to appear weak, maybe make a show of strength.// Twig assesses his surroundings.// Right, I'm on the ground in the mud. No real strength to show.//
[[Show Strength]]
[[Apologise Profusely]]
<<if $jarl>>[[Thank Him]]<<endif>>"Why the hell did you push me into the mud you puckered Blij?"
Sallow's cocky grin falters and he glares at Twig. "Maybe you forgot, so allow me to remind you," Sallow says, crouching until he's face to face with Twig. "There we were, halfway through Father Wells' dinner. An entire turkey for just the two of us. Wells walks in on us, you bludgeon me in the back of the head with your leg of meat and claim to have found me eating the chicken."
//Well, it didn't happen exactly like that.//
Sallow shakes his head, "and don't give me any of that nonsense about it being an accident. A leg of chicken the size of a log doesn't just slip from your hand and bludgeon me in the head by accident."
Twig watches him closely as he stands up and draws a curved knife from his belt. "You apologize right here, right now, and I won't kill you." He grins, surpisingly white teeth glaring out from behind his sharp mouth.
[[Apologise Profusely]]
[[Apologise]]
[[Tell Him to Shove it]]
Twig looks straight into Kristoph's shit brown eyes. "I'm sorry I betrayed you. You were a good friend and I should never have hurt you."
Sallow chuckles, his ample girth rumbling. "Now, was that so difficult?"
Before Twig can respond, Sallow stabs him through the eye. As Twig's body stills, Sallow just shakes his head. "Disappointing."
''TWIG IS DEAD''Twig looks up at Sallow and shakes his head. "Sure, I shouldn't have bludgeoned you in the head with a chicken. Sorry." A dangerous glint appears in Sallow's eye and his grip on the dagger tightens.
"But," Twig adds, "You would've done the same to me; I just thought of it first." Sallow's hurls the dagger and Twig flinches as it passes within an inch of him. Sallow just laughs, flecks of spit hitting Twig. "You're right, I would've done the same." Twig smiles tremuously. Sallow gives him a look, "Oh come on Tengu, I wasn't going to kill you. See I need someone with your abilities. I got a job that needs doing. Twig glares at him, "Don't call me that."
He only laughs, "You work for me again and you can call yourself whatever you like 'Twig'. So, what do you say?" He lifts Twig off the ground.
[[Not Interested]]
[[Inquire Further]]"Sallow, listen very carefully okay?" Sallow crouches down and looks at Twig, his overlarge hazel eye focused intently. "Please, please go find the ugliest chicken you can, and shove it all the way up your ass." Sallow gives him a dangerous glare and then falls over. Laughter booms out of his large frame and he honestly can't get up he's so amused. After a while one of his men helps him to his feet and Sallow then does the same for Twig.
[[Take his Hand]]"Look, Sallow, I appreciate you <<if $jarl>>saving<<endif>><<if $ayrclyde>>not murdering<<endif>> me and everything, but I'm really not sure what you want from me."
Sallow stiffens. His fists clench tight and his knuckles whiten. //He doesn't liking being refused, idiot. I either need to run, fight, or say I'll help him. I'm dead otherwise.//
<<if $ayrclyde>>[[Run to Ayrclyde]]
[[Punch Sallow in the face]]
<<endif>>
[[Inquire Further]]"Let's say I'm interested. Two things first. One, what do you need done, and two, why are you asking me to do it?"
Sallow motions toward a crop of rocks. "Let's go sit down."
Twig follows him over and sits on a smaller stone. Sallow leans against a taller stone, nearly six feet in height. "There's a town not too far from here, Lord's Fall. It's a few hours' ride from Hearthfife. The leader of the town, a knight named Marigold, is known to have a particularly large treasure hoard. Within it is Brick, greathammer of the Mighty."
Twig narrowly refrains from gasping. //Treasure is good. Treasure is very good.//
[[Ask About Who the Mighty Are]]
[[Ask About the Job]]
[[Ask About Brick]]
<<set $SallowLoyalty = 1>>Sallow gives him a look, "Oh come on Tengu, I wasn't going to kill you. See I need someone with your abilities. I got a job that needs doing. Twig glares at him, "Don't call me that." He only laughs, "You work for me again and you can call yourself whatever you like 'Twig'.
[[Not Interested]]
[[Inquire Further]]Twig follows Tavor out of the barn, rucksack slung over his back. They make their way towards the farmhouse. The lighthouse attached to it leans precariously.
Tavor opens the door and motions for Twig to go inside. "Word of advice: don't mention where you come from." Twig swings his head around and looks at Tavor in surprise. Tavor laughs. "We looked in your bag; we've seen the gold ant. I couldn't care less, but Mother's a bit more touchy. Old flames and old rivalries are the same in that they both die hard."
[[Question Tavor]]Twig backs up, hitting the tree and left with no where to run. The knight approaches, ugly steel hanging in a scratched scabbard on his side. Twig's head barely reaches the knight's shoulder and despite the helmet's visor, Twig can feel the glare piercing him.
"I don't like this one, smells like an outlaw," the knight growls.
The two men behind him laugh. "Sar, you've said that about the past three wretches we found in the forest," the right one points out.
Sar shrugs. "They smelled like outlaws too."
Again, the laughter. "More like they just hadn't bathed in a few weeks." The left one motions dismissively. "Ah, have your fun."
//This is not good.//
[[Beg for Mercy]]
[[Die with Dignity]]
[[Stall for Time]]
<<if $deadbro>>[[Stare Down the Knight]]<<endif>>
Twig walks toward the knight, chest puffed up.
The knight snorts and shoves Twig to the ground. He can feel the knight's glare piercing him. "I don't like this one, smells like an outlaw," the knight growls.
The two men behind him laugh. "Sar, you've said that about the past three wretches we found in the forest," the right one points out.
Sar shrugs. "They smelled like outlaws too."
Again, the laughter. "More like they just hadn't bathed in a few weeks." The left one motions dismissively. "Ah, have your fun."
//This is not good.//
[[Beg for Mercy]]
[[Die with Dignity]]
[[Stall for Time]]
<<if $deadbro>>[[Stare Down the Knight]]<<endif>>
<<set $twigGround = 1>>"What do you mean by that?" Twig asks, cocking his head to the side.
Tavor raises his eyebrows. "You mean your parents never told you?"
Twig looks at the ground. "Parents died when I was young, spent most of my childhood in Rubbish Keep."<<set $TavorRespect = 1>>
Tavor nods. "Mother was your parents' leige lord; your parents owed her their allegiance. When the call to arms came, your parents came, but after their first taste of battle they broke, ran away to the Zayn lands far to the south. People took notice and lots decided they'd rather run than fight. Mother showed up to battle with few behind her, and **her** lord removed her from the alliance. Her power was lost, and your parents were at fault."
Twig absorbs all of this in silence and a clamor emerges from the main room. Tavor turns his head to the room and then back at Twig. "Time to go, come on."
[[Enter the Main Room]] Twig inhales and walks into the main room. It's a fairly large, if run down, room. A circle of chairs fail to hold people down and many of them are standing now. A banner hangs at the other end of the room from Twig, emblazoned with a black talon on a field of white. In front of the banner is a sturdy oaken seat filled with cushions and holding a middle-aged woman whose fat rolls have fat rolls.
Her eyes are two intelligent green stones carefully moving over every person in the room. When the stones find Twig her mouth turns into a sharp smile and she makes a cutting motion with her hand. The room becomes silent instantly. Gorosti is standing next to her and gives Twig a glare. Tavor gently nudges Twig.
[[Step Forward]]Whatever path Twig chooses, he has a way to rise above his current station. Each path has its own perils and he will lose something no matter what path he chooses. (Being a servant = -Freedom, Being a warrior = -Peace, Being an outlaw = -Positiveness (he becomes a worse person))
Ending Shatterpoint:
Outlaw: Sneaks into Ayrclyde and kills Marwin. (ends up fighting Leon and killing him (and maybe his daughter). If you killed the Tavor, you'll have to fight the brother early on
Servant: Deal with Sallow and his assassins. (Maybe poison Sallow with the soup
Soldier: Defeat Sallow's outlaws and assault the city killing Leon.
<<if $punch is not 1>>Twig motions with his hands in a calming gesture. "I just want to know more about-"
<<endif>>He turns on a dime and dashes up the hill. Hearing muffled curses behind him makes him run faster. He looks up and sees Ayrclyde sitting proud atop the hill. Old and regal, the DragonSpyre shoots up into the night sky, a curved monstrosity hundreds of years old and carved by a particularly fanciful builder. Twig doesn't look back until he reaches the locked gate. //Well, this is unfortunate.//
"Wake up! Let me in! I'm being chased by outlaws!"
No responses from the battlements.
"They're trying to steal my treasure map!"
Suddenly, a man appears atop the battlements. "Come through the postern, it's wide open," the man calls down, motioning to a stone doorway a few metres away from the main gate.
[[Go Through the Postern]]
Twig pulls back his fist and slams it into Sallow's hidden jaw. Before the thugs can react, Twig is turning to run.
[[Run to Ayrclyde]]
<<set $punch = 1>>"Who's Brick? Who are the Mighty? What are you even talking about Sallow," Twig asks. Sallow's eyebrows raise, "Oh come on Tengu, Father Good used to go on and on about them when we were at Rubbish Keep." Sallow sighs, "The Mighty are a group of mercenaries from the War of Blij who succeeded in dethroning the old Queen. How do you think the war ended?" Twig shrugs, "I always thought the queen just died of old age, or got tired of ruling." Sallow laughs, a hint of scorn in his voice, "No one lets go of power like that, Twig, not willingly." "The Mighty have been around for centuries and have fought on the winning side of every war so far." Twig nods, but still looks perplexed.
[[Ask About Brick]]
[[Ask About the Job]]"Okay, but why do you need me?"
Sallow grins and slaps him on the back a little harder than necessary. "I've trained you myself. You're nimble, a good fighter, willing to go further than some others. You're the perfect thief. I want you to sneak into Marigold's fort and steal Brick."
Twig's look of surprise quickly transitions to one of disbelief. "You want me to break into a fort full of people, full of knights, and steal a huge hammer that I have no chance of actually lifting. Is this your revenge for the turkey leg? Because I really expected more subtlety from you."
Sallow shakes his head, chuckling. "I've got a plan. You wouldn't be in this alone. It happens that I've got quite the crew these days. There'll be distractions set to draw the knights out of their fort, never fear. I've got several ideas for the hammer."
//Wow, a Sallow who makes plans? This is new.//
Twig shrugs. "Sure, I'm your man. Let's go rob a helpless knight."
Sallow's grin widens to grotesque proportions. Twig gives him a look.
"Okay, I'm your man as long as you never make that face again."
[[Follow the Path You Were Destined For]]
<<set $outlaw = 1>>"Okay, what's this Brick thing I'm supposed to get?" The two thugs move forward threateningly, but Sallow motions for them to stop. "It's okay boys, I had a feeling he'd ask about this." Sallow leans in close, as if he's about to impart some dread tidbit. "Brick was the stone axe carried by only the strongest among them. The story went that whoever could take Brick from its current owner and wield it in battle was worthy of leading the Mighty."<<if $SallowLoyalty = 1>> Sallow looks pensive for a moment, but continues: "Not only does it command the Mighty's loyalty, it also is studded with gold chunks and diamonds. The Mighty made a habit of taking part of a crown from each King and Queen they deposed. You can imagine just how valuable that axe is by now." Twigs eyes go wide and he nods.<<endif>>Twig nods, " So you want it in order to control the MightyTwig steps forward and enters the center of the circle.
"Hello, Twig," the fat woman squeaks in a voice that sounds more like a plaintative cat than a human.
"Hello, Mother."
She leans her numerous chins on her fist and glares at him intensely. "Now, tell me, Twig, why shouldn't I kill you right now?"
//Not the best start to a conversation. I need to figure out how to approach this.//
[[Placate]]
[[Threaten]]
[[Act Nonchalant]]
[[Ask Why She Would Want To]]"Look, please. I don't want to die."
Sar laughs. "Few do."
The sword falls.
''TWIG IS DEAD''<<if $twigGround>> Twig looks up at the knights with distaste. He slowly pushes himself up and gazes at the three men in front of him. "Sure, you're going to kill me, but I swear to Blij himself that one of you won't survive. So go ahead, try it, but you better make sure I'm dead, because if I'm not, I will find you and kill everyone you love.<<endif>>Twig looks up at the knights with distaste. "Sure, you're going to kill me, but I swear to Blij himself that one of you won't survive. So go ahead, try it, but you better make sure I'm dead, because if I'm not, I will find you and kill everyone you love."
Twig's eyes aren't tinged with fear, or wrath. They're empty and the way he speaks leaves no doubt that he is telling the truth. The two men behind Sar look uneasy, but he just laughs derisively. "Threats from an unarmed outlaw, I'm terrified." He grasps his sword with two hands and prepares to swing.
[[Accept Death]]Twig spits on the ground. "Don't miss."
The knight cocks his head. "I won't, I'm using a sword."
Twig closes his eyes.
[[Accept Death]] "Woah, woah, woah there," Twig says, "let's not doing anything particularly drastic. We are all reasonable folk here."
The knight unsheathes his sword, chuckling. "Well spoken, for an outlaw." The sword is a dark grey, covered in nicks and notches, yet seeing it raised above the knight's head gives Twig pause.
"Gold!"
The knight pauses, his sword hanging just above Twig's head.
The two men behind Sar groan loudly. "Sar, he's a verbrand peasant; he doesn't have any gold, he's just stalling." Sar pulls back his sword and prepares to swing.
[[Accept Death]]Meets Sallow either in the forest of on his way to Ayrclyde. Sallow had men looking for him
Meets Sallow as a Soldier with the Twins at Hearthfife
Meets the Twins again at Hearthfife (if twin dead, turn in to fight.) They want Brick as well.
Twig looks up and sees dark figures moving through the canopy.
Suddenly, three men in moss green cloaks drop through the trees and surround the knights. Surprised, the two men behind Sar pull out their swords, only to have daggers thrown into their eyes, killing them both.
Sar turns around in time to see his companions fall from their horses, dead. He grunts and lunges at the man in green to his right; the man slips under Sar's guard and trips him, knocking him to the ground. Sar lands with a grunt and tries to rise, only to find another man in green kneeling on his chest. "Give Marwin my regards," the man whispers, shoving his short sword through the gap in Sar's side armor, killing him instantly.
While the two other outlaws search through their fallen enemies' corpses, the one who killed Sar approaches Twig. He offers him a hand.
[[Look Up]]Twig clasps his hands. "Mother, I truly apologize for what my parents did. It is no fault of mine, though. I did not lead your people away from you, I did not abandon you on the field of battle. Do not punish me for my parents' mistake."
Mother laughs harshly. "It is too late for forgiveness. In any case, you slept in my barn and you've heard my plans for an uprising. You are a part of us now whether you wish it or no."
Twig realizes what she's saying and quickly speaks: "Mother, I'm no fighter. I have no armor and no time in combat."
She smiles. "Well, aren't you lucky, then. All of that will soon be rectified. Welcome to Cast."
[[Follow the Path You Chose]]
<<set $soldier = 1>>"Oh? You want a reason not to kill me? I'll give you a reason, you particularly large dung pile. I even see one of your men move and I will land this knife right between your eyes."
The knife practically appears in Twig's hand, he retrieves it so quickly. The men around him yell in surprise and move to attack him when Mother waves her hand.
"I learned how to from someone a lot more competent than these idiots." Twig motions at the men around him. "They didn't even search me!"
"Now, little Twig, what makes you think you could kill me before my men tear you apart?" Despite her almost lazy tone, Twig sees how tightly she's gripping her throne.
"I've had to survive for years on my own. I've stolen from and hurt so many people. So please, 'Mother', try to kill me." Twig glares around the room, his eyes a frostbitten brown. "But at least have the dignity to get in line."
<<if $motherAnnoyed>>
Mother's face contorts with rage and she points her finger at Twig. "Kill him!"
The men rush Twig who manages to send his dagger flying. The steel arcs through the air before planting itself in between her brow, killing her instantly. Twig goes down punching and clawing at the men around him. A swift sword blow ends it.
**TWIG IS DEAD**
<<endif>><<if $motherAnnoyed is not 1>>
The room is silent and Twig's grip on his dagger tightens.
Mother chuckles to herself. "Coward or not, you are a master liar, I grant you that. You honestly had me believing for a moment that you would throw away your life so easily."
Twig's eyes narrow, yet his head hangs. "I would have. It isn't much of a life."
Mother's cold green eyes seem to soften for a moment. "Well, that will not be true any longer. We need all the men we can get, especially ones as stupidly brave, or as bravely stupid, as you."
Twig looks up, his brow furrowed in confusion. "What? I'm no soldier. I have no armor and no real weapons. I've never been to war."
She smiles. "Well, aren't you lucky, then. All of that will soon be rectified. Welcome to Cast."
[[Follow the Path You Chose]]
<<endif>>
<<set $soldier = 1>>Twig shrugs his shoulders. "To be quite honest, Mother, you shouldn't kill me, because I'm not worth it." She looks nonplussed and tilts her head sideways much as a dog might do when confused. Twig continues on, "I'm the abandoned son of two people who wronged you a long long time ago. I'm not special in any real way, and my dying would likely provide you with no satisfaction. Killing me is no different than snapping a twig; it gains you neither pleasure nor justice." A bead of sweat runs down Twig's back as he waits for her to respond.
She chuckles. "Well, despite that horrific pun, I believe you're right. Your parents were cowards, as you can likely attest, yet should you prove otherwise, I'm sure old crimes can be forgiven."
Twig realizes what she's saying and quickly speaks: "Wait wait, I'm no soldier. I have no armor and no time in combat."
She smiles. "Well, aren't you lucky, then. All of that will soon be rectified. Welcome to Cast."
[[Follow the Path You Chose]]
<<set $soldier = 1>>"Mother, why would that even be necessary?" Twig asks innocently.
She grimaces and waves her hand irritably. "Oh, you know why, Tavor explained it quite clearly to you. Your parents abandoned me and inspired others to do the same. I don't appreciate stupid questions. Ask another, and I will simply kill you."
[[Placate]]
[[Threaten]]
[[Act Nonchalant]]
<<set $motherAnnoyed = 1>>"Thanks for the save, Sallow. Things weren't looking too good."
Sallow laughs. "No, Blij, it wasn't looking good. You were about to get torn a new asshole."
Twig winces at the thought. "Yes, thank you for the wonderful image. Now, why did you save me?"
Sallow gives him a look. "Oh, come on, Tengu, you're of no use to me dead." His jovial voice turns dead serious. "Don't think that business with Mother is over. You'll get yours."
That painful smile returns to his face. "See, I need someone with your abilities. I got a job that needs doing."
Twig glares at him. "Don't call me Tengu."
He only laughs. "You work for me again and you can call yourself whatever you like, 'Twig'."
[[Not Interested]]
[[Inquire Further]]Twig quickly glances behind to see if Sallow followed. With no sign of pursuit, he walks through the narrow doorway and enters Ayrclyde.
The man who was atop the battlements yanks him to the side and kicks the lever, dropping the postern gate. Twig looks at the man, expecting a burly watchman, only to see a face barely older than his own.
The young watchman looks at Twig expectantly. "So, where's the treasure map they were after?"
//Oh, right.// Twig attempts to weasle his way out of the man's grip only to find that his lanky arms belie corded muscle.
[[Lie]]
[[Lie Extravagantly]]"It fell out of my pocket as I was running."
The guard's face falls. "Blij be damned, I've never had any luck."
Twig gives him a sympathetic nod and once again tries to escape his grasp. No luck. "Yes, quite unfortunate. Well, I must be going. Places to be."
The guard shakes his head violently. "No, no, you need to pay the toll first. Ten silver pieces for entrance into the city." He holds out his hand.
[[Tell Him You Have No Money]]
[[Make an Offer|Offer Him the Ant]]"The treasure map burst into flames as soon as I passed through the gate. The Old Magicks must have been at work. Blij himself must've had a plan for me."
The guard's face falls. "Blij be damned, I've never had any luck."
Twig gives him a sympathetic nod and once again tries to escape his grasp. No luck. "Yes, quite unfortunate. Well, I must be going. Places to be, Gods to appease."
The guard shakes his head violently. "No, no, you need to pay the toll first. Ten silver pieces for entrance into the city." He holds out his hand.
[[Tell Him You Have No Money]]
[[Offer Him the Ant]]"Well, unfortunately, most of my wealth is tied up in offshore ventures. Would an IOU work?
The guard sighs, the disappointment evident on his face. "Another loafer, of course I get this on my watch. Look you have to work off your debt to Ayrclyde. Let's go see the Servant Master. He'll give you work to do. Lots to be done before the princess's birthday next fortnight.
//I guess this is what I wanted.//
[[Follow the Path You Started Down]]
<<set $servant = 1>>Twig reaches into his satchel and grabs the bracelet.
//What am I doing? This is all I have. My only connection to home, my only idea of where I came from. If I give this up, what do I have left?// Twig is quiet.
//I could be free.//
//But, but this is what I wanted. A safe place, an honest job, a home.//
Sallow's voice appears in Twig's head: //You'll never be happy here. You never liked being tied down. You are a Tengu, not a Twig.//
[[Give Him The Ant]]
[[Tell Him You Have No Money]] Twig grips the ant with white knuckles and pulls it out of his bag. The guard's eyes light up as Twig holds the ant out. "Let this be my payment."
The guard takes the ant and looks it over. "Thank you for the gift, but I'm afraid you'll still need to work off your debt to the city. I'll consider this payment for the small matter of saving your life."
Twigs eyes grow wide as he realizes what the guard is saying. The light goes out behind them.
<<set $brokenTwig = 1>><<set $servant = 1>>[[Follow the Path You Started Down]]A few weeks pass and Twig is finally feeling at home. Tavor bears him no ill will for the crimes of his parents, and the two become fast companions. He and Twig train daily under the towering oak beside the barn. Mother left quickly after the meeting to rally her troops. When asked who they were fighting, Tavor revealed Mother's true intentions.
"She wants to bring down the McKalins, the Ironhalls, the Harts. She wants to see every major house in Orin fall."
Twig's surprise leaves him open to Tavor's next strike with his blunted sword. Twig grunts and jumps back. "Don't take this the wrong way, but you know that's insane, right? She has maybe five thousand men. That's a fourth of the troops Ironhall alone can field."
Tavor only laughs, swinging a diagonal cut that Twig easily blocks. "She doesn't intend to fight alone. With your help, we will have the Mighty by our side, and you know of their reputation."
[[Ask About the Mighty]]
[[Ask About The Role]]Weeks pass as Twig, Sallow, and their band of outlaws make their way to LordsFall. During the travel time, Twig takes up his training with Sallow again. He accomplishes tasks ranging from scouting in the trees, to "interrogating" stray soldiers. Over the course of their travels they heard tell of a crushed uprising near Ayrclyde, and a McKalin's birthday preparation, both of which Sallow claimed were of great importance, yet failed to explain why.
They finally arrive at the outskirts of LordsFall and make camp. Sallow calls Twig into his tent, a large octagonal structure made from black bear hides. Twig greets the guards at the tent and pulls the leather curtain back, entering. The inside is well lit by torches and candles. Sallow is staring intensely at what looks like a map of LordsFall.
The "castle" that Twig was breaking into, was called a castle by courtesy alone. It was little more than a broken-down tower house a few stories tall.
"Who'd you have to rob to get a map of the entire town," Twig asks.
Sallow turns to look at Twig and for a moment his eyes are filled with rage, as if they do not recognize his ally. So intense is the look that Twig backs up a step. Sallow seems to realize who he's looking at and shakes his head, smiling.
"You know it's not kind to sneak up on people Tengu."
Twig gives him a hard look. He rolls his eyes, "Oh, I'm sorry. Slip of the tongue."
Twig's brows bumped together in a scowl. Sallow continues heedless.
"Though I do have to ask, why do you hate that name so much?
Twig throws his hands in the air and glares at Sallow. "A Tengu is a tree demon! It waits for people to walk under its home, then it jumps on them, tearing them apart. I thought it was a good name when I was younger. Made me sound fierce."
Sallow chuckles, "You sure were. I remember that one kid, Jon Sand, he bumped into you and wham. You slammed him into the ground and broke his arm, snapped it clean in half!"
Twig looks down at the ground. "I didn't like being that person. Taking what I wanted from people. Beating the hell out of whoever 'wronged me'."
Sallow looks genuinely confused. "Why? That's what people do. Kick the shit out of whoever gets in your way. Take what you want. That's what being alive is all about."
Twig looks up at the ceiling of the tent. "Is it really?"
Sallow walks over and puts his hand on Twig's shoulder. "It is for us." He removes his hand and walks back toward the map. "Now, as I was saying, you really shouldn't sneak up on people."
Twig laughs and raises his eyebrow, "This is coming from you? The assassin?"
Sallow points at him and looks back at the map, "One time. One time! There should be number of people you have to kill before you can really be called an assassin."
"A Quota."
Sallow guffaws, "Yes! A Quota!"
They both laugh until they're out of breath.
[[The Job]]
A few weeks pass and Twig feels <<if $brokenTwig is not 1>>at home. He doesn't really mind cleaning and helping with meals. Despite not having much free time, he is content. //I've had much worse jobs than this. I'm surprised Sallow stopped coming after me, though. He's not a man to be denied. Still, I'm not too disappointed. If a lack of excitement means peace, I'm all for it.//<<endif>><<if $brokenTwig>> empty. He aimlessly goes about his duties, cleaning dung off stable floors and scorching his hands carrying soup pots. The days seem to drift into one another and Twig's mind goes to his parents. //Why did they leave me? Did they care so little?// Another voice in his mind whispers, //You gave away the one possession they left you with. Your only chance to one day find them, and you gave it to some guard. He probably spent it in a whorehouse, where it will remain until someone melts it down or loses it.// Twig shakes his head, trying to get rid of such painful notions.<<endif>>
The servant master, Daniel, was pleased to have another set of hands. He led Twig to a set of quarters for him to stay in. A small stone room with a chamber pot and straw bedding. Twig occasionally misses sleeping in a hedge, but he is comfortable enough.
The castle is abuzz with word of the Princess's birthday and the servants are working furiously to have everything prepared. Today, Twig is being briefed on his role in the feast.
[[Talk With Daniel]]Before Twig can ask why they need him, a messenger gallops up to the two of them, his horse in a lather.
"Tavor, Mother sent me to inform you that she is leaving for Lords Fall with the troops. She requests that you and 'Twig' join her." The messanger raises an eyebrow. "Twig? Really? Your parents weren't too creative, huh?"
[[Hit the Horse With The Flat of the Blade]]
[[Ignore Him]]"Who are the Mighty?" Twig asks, launching a blistering attack right after speaking. Taken aback by the intensity of the blows, Tavor barely fends him off.
Breathing heavily now, Tavor answers: "They're a mercenary group responsible for every major shift of power in the past 50 years. They're led by whoever can wield the greathammer Brick. It weighs over three hundred pounds and has only been held by a handful of men, much less used in combat. With them by our side, we will be more than powerful enough to defeat the Harts. Once we command their allegiance, we will have no trouble destroying the other houses root and stem."
[[Ask About The Role]]Twig casually attacks the horse with his sword. The horse neighs in pain and sprints off down the hill. The messenger yelps and falls from the saddle. He barely hangs on by the stirrup as the horse dashes away. Tavor laughs as the messenger bounces down the hill.
He turns to Twig. "Saddle up and pack your weapons; you're going to war."
[[Go to War]]Twig ignores the insult and turns to Tavor. "What does this mean?"
Tavor chuckles. "It means training's over. Pack your bags and saddle up. You're going to war."
[[Go to War]]Twig and Tavor ride hard and make it to LordsFall in a few days. They arrive to find the 'castle' surrounded. It was called a castle by courtesy alone. It was little more than a broken-down tower house a few stories tall. Twig and Tavor begin looking for Mother's tent only to find that she is currently negotiating terms of surrender with Lord Hart.
Twig throws his hands up in the air, "We ride all this way, and she's already forced the castle into submission."
Tavor laughs, a warm, full sound. "Since when are you interested in fighting?"
Twig launches punches at the air, "Since I trained with you and became a badass."
Tavor's smile dips. "You were already a pretty strong fighter. Fast, nimble, stubborn as a castle wall."
Twig launches a mean right hook at invisible spirits and Tavor grabs his wrist. Twig is a grown man, yet next to Tavor he seems almost a child. Tavor pulls his arm, forcing Twig to look at him.
"Twig, you have to remember. It doesn't matter how strong or fast you are. You have to be willing to shove a piece of steel into a man and watch his life spill onto the ground. If you can't, all that strength, all that skill, it means less than a liar's oath."
Twig loses his grin and simply nods. Tavor claps him on the back, "Good man. Now look, I'm going to go find Gorosti; you find something to eat in the meantime, huh?"
[[Find Food]]
Daniel crosses his spindly fingers and makes a face as if he swallowed a lemon.
"Trevor, my dear boy," he begins. //He still doesn't know my name. You'd think with a name like Twig it'd be easy, but nooooo.// "Our resident taster has fallen quite ill, and will not be present for the princess's celebration. Obviously, there must be a taster, and unfortunately, we drew your name." He attempts to give Twig a big smile, but ends up with a queasy half-smirk.
When two houses war with each other, being a taster is almost as hazardous as being a soldier.<<if $brokenTwig>> "Okay," Twig says, his face flat and uncaring.
Daniel gives him a pitying look. "Take the day off! My treat." <<else>> "Thanks, Daniel. Really, could you help me pick out my coffin color too?"
"Oh no," he says, waving his hand, "your body will simply be burned to ash." He sees Twig's raised eyebrow and laughs abruptly. "Oh! You were joking. Take the day off! My treat."<<endif>>
[[Enjoy the Day Off]]After making a bit more meaningless small talk with Daniel, Twig makes his way toward the outer walls.
Ayrclyde is a massive fortress, closer to a city than a castle. Sitting upon the second tallest hill in Orin, it is only matched in size and height by Marwen's Richard.
Three curtain walls break up the city into different sections. The hundred-metre tall Dragon Spyre is the innermost section. Marwin and all the other McKalins have lived there for centuries, and it is the site of feasts and justiciar hearings aplenty.
From there, Ayrclyde stretches its stone pathways in all four directions. These paths lead to the middle wall. Several smithies and stables cluster near the mid wall. Between the middle and outer wall sit the townsfolk's hovels and the guardhouses.The outer wall is several metres of thick stone. Years have passed since Twig has been in Ayrclyde and a gaggle of alehouses and gambling dens have grown onto the outer wall in the meantime.
[[Go Get a Drink]]As Twig approaches the largest alehouse, he notices a towering shadow in front of him that cannot be his own. He turns around quickly only to have a guardsman grab him by the throat and lift him bodily off the ground.
//Sallow would be so disappointed. Didn't expect an attack.// The guardsman cackles in a voice one would never pair with his hulking form. "Marwin heard a certain Twig had entered the city. Took me a while to find you."
He offers Twig a bucktoothed smile and drops him. Twig hits the ground coughing and rubs his throat.
"Marwen told me to either kill you, take all of your money, or both. He's apparently still angry about that little prank you played on him a few years back. Something about you naming a mountain after his unmentionables?" The guardsman cackles once more. "I thought it was pretty funny, but you know how these things go. So which do you want? A quick death, a poor death, or a quick poor death?"
<<if $brokenTwig>> //I could fight. Not much of a point.// "This isn't the life I wanted." The man cocks his head to the side. "I didn't think I asked for anything too grand or important." Twig shrugs.
"I just wanted a good life. I wanted family and a home."
The amusement in the man's sky blue eyes disappears. "This world wasn't made for happy stories. It was made for us to fight and for us to die. Thinking otherwise is a luxury. I have to kill you, but take comfort knowing that beyond this place of pain is one of peace. Blij made sure of it."
Twig's eyes gain a glint of their old fierceness and he stares at his would-be killer. "The next world is likely to be just as painful as the one we're in now. Kill me and Blij be damned. I never believed in any of that shit."
The man nods and snaps Twig's neck in the blink of an eye.
''TWIG IS DEAD''
<<else>>Twig's eyes narrow and he carefully analyzes his opponent. //Cackling? Making jokes? Smiling? This isn't the assassin I'd expect him to hire. I need to be very, very careful here.// Twig moves his legs apart and subtly shifts into a fighting stance.
"STOP!"
[[Turn to Look]]
[[Keep Your Eyes on the Assassin]]
<<endif>>Twig whips his head around to look at the source of the call. He suddenly feels large hands wrapped around his neck. Everything goes black.
''TWIG IS DEAD''Twig keeps his eyes locked on the assassin, ignoring the shout. The assassin does likewise and grins. "This should be a good fight," he says, taking off his oversized gloves to reveal spike rings on each finger.
"I COMMAND YOU TO CEASE." The voice is much closer this time and both men quickly glance to see a fully armored knight approaching them.
The assassin just shakes his head. "We can't have any witnesses to this unfortunate murder now, can we?"
He turns on a dime, swinging his spiked fist towards the open visor on the knight's helm.
The lightning fist is stopped suddenly in a flash of metal scraping together. The assassin's eyes widen, then narrow.
The knight draws his two-handed greatsword and strikes at the man with a mighty swing. The assassin rolls under the swing and comes up on the side of the knight, in his blind spot. Steel fists crash against steel armor, raising a clangor in the now empty street.
The knight moves his sword in a wide arc, the dark blade prepared to bisect its opponent. Once again the assassin rolls under the blow and appears behind the knight. He delivers swift kicks to the man's more lightly armored knees, sending him crashing to the ground.
[[Aid the Knight]]
[[Stand Back]]Twig watches as the assassin stands over the knight, victorious. The assassin is barely breathing hard. //I can't just stand by and watch him kill this guy.//
Sallow's voice once again appears in his head to say //Uhhh, why not?//
Despite standing still, Twig is breathing heavily and his nails bite into the palm of his hand. //Because I can't remember the last time someone tried to help me.//
Twig withdraws his knife and runs screaming at the assassin. The man barely glances at Twig before tackling him to the ground. His hands restrain Twig's knife hand and for a moment they struggle.
The assassin wins out and knocks the knife away. "Well now, what are you going to do without your knife," he asks jovially, that bucktoothed smile making an appearance.
The knight's arm shoots out and grabs the assassin's leg, loosening the man's grip on Twig. For once, Twig smiles at the assassin as he quickly pulls his second knife out with his left hand and drives it into the man's throat. "Two knives, asshole."
[[Check on the Knight]]<<set $knightSavior = 1>>Twig can't bring himself to act. //Why me? I finally have a peaceful life, and then this happens. Still, I had better get out of here before the assassin notices me again.//
Twig hears the gut-wrenching noise of a spike being driven into flesh. He turns to run when that damnably cheerful voice speaks, "You didn't think we were finished? Did you?" Twig turns to see the Assassin extricate himself from the body and begin to walk over.
The knight's metal arm shoots out and grabs the assassin's leg, pulling it out from under him. The man crashes to the ground. The knight painstakingly climbs on top of him and unsheathes his dirk, only to bury it in the man's neck.
Twig is frozen as he watches the assassin's life drip out onto the cobblestone. The knight falls over, exhausted.
[[Check on the Knight]]
<<set $knightFall = 1>>Twig runs over to the knight and drops to his knees. He quickly pulls off the man's helmet. Underneath<<if $knightFall>> is a man who would be handsome, were it not for the gaping void where his eye should've been. //He bears a striking resemblance to Marwin. I'd had better take him back to the Spyre. That wound doesn't bode well.
<<else>> is a particularly handsome man who appears very much alive, if a bit breathless. Twig hops off the man and gives him a hand in standing.
The knight takes it and rises, his legs still wobbly beneath him. He looks at Twig with striking hazel eyes and smiles. "Hello, Twig. I'm not quite sure I can express just how glad I am to see you. I am Leon McKalin."
Without waiting for a reply, Leon gently grabs Twig's arm, "We should return to the Spyre. Blij knows how many men my father hired to kill you."
<<endif>>[[Return to the Spyre]]The sun begins to descend by the time they make it back to the Spyre. <<if $knightFall>> Leon calls for a medic and they make their way up to his quarters.
Twig is full of questions, but Leon stubbornly refuses to answer any of them until they reach is room.
Leon's quarters are large and luxurious. The walls are covered in broken shields taken from his fallen enemies. Golden trappings surround his bed and paintings of several beautiful women adorn his nightstand. Twig helps him take off his armor and he stumbles into bed. The medic is close behind them and enters the room bearing supplies aplenty.
He barely flinches upon seeing the gaping hole in Leon's face and gently cleans the wound. From the tightness of Leon's face, Twig can tell he needs a distraction.
"So, why did you save me? Marwin's your father. What could possibly make you go against him?"
The question seems to cause him more distress than the hole in his eye and he grimaces.
"My father is a weak man. He has become capricious and power hungry in his old age. We have not been on speaking terms for a long time. The only time we meet is when he wishes to see my daughter.
The lines of pain seem to recede and the ghost of a smile appears. "My Lana is the only thing that seems to make him happy anymore. Ever since her mother died a few years ago, Marwin has taken a much more active role in her life."
Twig listens politely, and can't help but interject, "I appreciate the help, really I do, but this still doesn't explain why you'd risk your life to save me."
Leon looks genuinely confused. "You needed help. I did no more than others would have. The most you're guilty of is a bad joke. It's my job to defend the innocent."
Twig shakes his head, "Yeah, but why? Why even bother? I'm a commoner, a food taster for Blij's sake. And you're wrong. No one else stopped to help. People are the slaves to their own self-interest. That's just reality."
Leon gives him a sad smile, "That doesn't seem like any kind of way to live. Assuming the worst of everyone." Twig opens his mouth, but Leon raises his hand. "For the record, I do need your help, but that's not why I helped you.
//Of course. How convenient.//
<<else>> They make their way up the spiral stairs to his quarters.
Twig is full of questions, but Leon stubbornly refuses to answer any of them until they reach is room.
Leon's quarters are large and luxurious. The walls are covered in broken shield taken from his fallen enemies. Golden trappings surround his bed and paintings of several beautiful women adorn his nightstand. Twig helps him take off his armor and he stumbles into bed.
Twig begins to tap his foot impatiently. "So, why did you intervene? Marwin's your father. What could possibly make you go against him?"
Leon's eyes are downcast and he clenches and unclenches his fists repeatedly.
"My father is a weak man. He has become capricious and power hungry in his old age. We have not been on speaking terms for a long time. The only time we meet is when he wishes to see my daughter.
The lines of pain seem to recede and the ghost of a smile appears. "My Lana is the only thing that seems to make him happy anymore. Ever since her mother died a few years ago, Marwin has taken a much more active role in her life."
Twig listens politely, and can't help but interject, "I appreciate the help, really I do, but this still doesn't explain why you'd risk your life to save me."
Leon looks up at Twig and smiles in a way that reaches the warm hazel of his eyes. "Hah, you ended up saving me more than I saved you. Thank you, for that, by the way. I am indebted to you. "
Twig looks away and shrugs. "You needed help, I couldn't just stand by and watch you die."
Leon chuckles and shakes his head, "I do regret to say I need another favor from you."<<endif>>
[[Listen to His Proposition]]
Twig sits down in a gilded chair next to the bed and puts his head in his hands.
"You're telling me that Lana's 'loving' grandfather is going to try to poison her on her birthday and that you want me, lowborn scum, to save her."
Leon attempts to interject, but Twig barrels through him. "Not to mention the fact that Marwin killed the last taster just so I would get the job. He wants both me and your daughter dead, so his rule is unchallenged."
Leon nods, a grim look on his face.
"Sir, I.."
"Please, call me Leon."
"Leon, I came here to get away from fighting and conflict and death. I just want peace, a quiet life."
Leon takes Twig's hand in his. Twig flinches at the familiar action, but doesn't pull away.
"Twig. I need your help. I know you're more than you appear. Somehow, I think you could've defeated that assassin without me. Beyond that, you are the only person in this city full of sycophants and killers I can trust."
"You just met me!"
<<if $knightfall>>"I really don't have a choice, I have to trust you're the man I think you are, and not the one I've heard stories about.<<else>> "You saved my life. That's not something I'd forget."<<endif>>
Twig is about to<<if $knightfall>> ask him what he's heard <<else>> continue when Leon cuts him off. "Look Twig, like it or not, you're a part of this. If you don't help me, my father will kill you and my daughter. He'll blame it on insurgents, and war will erupt.
[[Be the Good Guy]]
<<endif>>
"Okay, fine. I'll help."
Leon <<if $knightFall>> gives him a firm handshake and looks at him appraisingly.<<else>> pulls him into a bear hug Twig was not ready for. Twig, surprised, returns the hug. Leon says something about finding acceptable clothes for Twig to wear and moves toward his closets.
//He really is a handsome man.//<<endif>>
"You will need to deal with the poisoned food and insure that Marwin doesn't have any back up measures for my daughter. I will be there, but I cannot act. Marwin will be watching me for the merest hint of betrayal, and most of the guard is still loyal to him."
"So, I'm basically on my own?"
Leon gives him a sheepish grin. "No one said saving an entire country would be easy."
Twig can't help but laugh. "No, I guess they didn't. How exactly does keeping your daughter safe save Orin?
"Think Twig. My father claims one our enemies is responsible for murdering my little girl. He now has an excuse to go to war."
Twig nods, quietly absorbing his words. "So," Twig says, "all I have to do is not let Marwin see me, save your daughter, and keep all of Orin from devolving into war." He lets out a deep sigh, a balloon releasing its last breath of air. "Simple."
[[Go to the Feast]]
The Princess's celebratory feast takes place on the second highest floor of the DragonSpyre. The massive hall is filled with rings of tables. The head table, however, is given a prodigious amount of room, sitting on a slab of raised marble. The architect had designed several large fire pits that sat in front of all the tables. It was here the cooks began cooking the pickled boar. The grease snaps as it drips into the flames and chefs dash around, hastily marinating this and seasoning that. Above them hundreds and hundreds of small chandeliers hang precariously from the lofty rafters, swords of Damocles allotted to each feaster.
Twig takes one look at the chandeliers and resolves to never feast here again. Daniel had shown him to the rickety table where he'd be tasting the food and now all Twig could do was watch the chefs carefully prepare the meal. To the right of the large meat slabs being cooked, a humongous pot was being filled with a stew of oats, carrots, and slivers of venison.
Serene leaf was used sparingly so as not to cause immediate harm. The poison would make its way throughout the body in a matter of minutes and once it did, death was certain. This allowed Marwin to bypass the safety food tasters provided.
//Leon said the poison would be in the stew. I just need to watch the servers to see which bowl they drop the Serene leaf into.//
Cymbals crash and Twig turns to see Marwin rise from his seat.
[[Listen to the Asshole Talk]]
[[Don't Listen to This Idiot]]
"Today we celebrate my beautiful granddaughter's twelfth birthday," Marwin declares in a thin voice. He motions to the pretty young girl at his side. Lana smiles widely and stands, her shimmering white and blue dress swirling around her.
"One day, when I am gone, Lana will rule over this castle and its people. She has grown into a stunning young woman, and moreover, a truly kind person."
He turns to Lana and reaches to clasp her forearm with his. She accepts and firmly grasps his. She then pulls him into a hug, surprised, it takes him a moment to respond in kind. The crowd cheers and only Twig seems to notice his smile crack and dissolve.
Lana turns to the feasters and raises her glass. "To the McKalin name, and to the people of Ayrclyde!"
The people cheer and whistle, taking Twig aback. //They really do love her. Just as her father does.// A twinge of bitterness enters Twig's mind at the thought. Sallow’s voice appears, //Bastards, the lot of them. They sit here feasting while people all over "their" country starve. You've still got a chance to change things.//
Twig shakes his head doggedly, trying to erase the thoughts, but they stubbornly remain.
[[Feast]]
Marwin clears his throat and opens his mouth to begin when Twig tunes him out. Most of the servers look just as bored with his speech as Twig is.
His lengthy speech eventually comes to a close and despite the smile plastered on his weathered face, Twig can see a sadness hidden behind those watery blue eyes.
"Begin the feast!"
//Here we go.//
[[Feast]]
Three servers walk towards twig carrying intricately carved bowls of various hues filled to the brim with soup. They array bowls of sunflower yellow, mahogany, and sky blue in front of him.
Two walk away and the other one explains the task.
"Deliver these to the head table. Each one has a corresponding napkin color and they must be delivered to the right spot."
Twig nods in time to hear a tremendous crash behind him.
[[Turn and Look]]
[[Ignore It]]Twig whips his head around in time to see a server fall to the ground, dropping a brass platter the size of a table. The server is quickly aided in standing and the platter is removed without any more fuss.
//Huh, weird.// Twig turns back around to see the servant gone. He picks up the four bowls and makes his way toward the head table.
//Wait. Which one is poisoned?//
[[Freak Out]]Twig keeps his eyes locked on the bowls, ignoring the clatter behind him. The servant continues talking to him, making broad hand motions to display the utter importance of the feast.
//There!//
Twig notices a small leaf drop into the sky-blue bowl as the man motions to the stew.
"Remember how the order should go. That's the most important thing."
Twig nods without looking up and picks up the bowls. He weaves in and out of tables, making his way to Marwin.
//Blue bowl, blue bowl, blue bowl.//
Upon getting closer, Twig notices the brightly colored napkins sitting next to each McKalin. Marwin has a dark mahogany napkin, Lana has a sunflower yellow one, and Leon has a sky blue one.
//Wait, he's trying to kill Leon? Oh no, no, no. What do I do? I have to deliver the stew, or Marwin will kill me.// Sallows voice speaks in his head, //Give it to the girl, or even the knight. Make war. Change, Tengu. This is your last chance to be free.
[[Deliver the Stew]]
Twig slowly makes his way to the head table, his calm face masking a tsunami of thoughts.
//WHO DO I GIVE IT TO? I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE THE POISON IS!//
[[Deliver the Stew]]
<<set $idiot = 1>>
<<if $idiot>>
[[No Choice]]
<<else>>
[[Give Lana the Poison]]
[[Give Leon the Poison]]
[[Give Marwin the Poison]]
[[None of the Above]]
<<endif>>
<<if $knightFall>>//I hate being trapped here. I was wrong to leave Sallow. Sure, my life was in danger constantly, but Blij it was better than this.// Twig smiles sardonically, let's see how much Marwin really cares about his precious granddaughter.
Twig puts the sky-blue bowl in front of Lana, the sunflower fitting the sky perfectly.
"Do enjoy your meal," Twig says, bowing. He moves to Marwin and places the yellow bowl in front of him. The look in Marwin's eyes is a mix of rage and indecision. Twig leans in a bit closer and remarks, "The stew is quite good my lord. An excellent choice for your beloved granddaughter's birthday."<<set $lanaPoison = 1>>
<<else>>
//Wait, what?? This is Leon's daughter! Why would I want to hurt the one person who's stood up for me? No freedom is worth that, no revenge neither.//
[[Give Leon the Poison]]
[[Give Marwin the Poison]]
[[None of the Above]]
<<endif>>
<<if $knightFall>>//I hate being trapped here. I was wrong to leave Sallow. Sure, my life was in danger constantly, but Blij it was better than this.//
Twig glances at Leon who's staring at him curiously.
//He only helped me because he thought it would save his daughter. Why am I surrounded by people who only want more for themselves? I know altruism is something for priests, but gods, I'm convinced it doesn't exist at all.//
He places the blue bowl in front of Leon and fails to meet his soft gaze.<<set $leonPoison = 1>>
<<else>>
//Yeah, right. Not a chance.//
[[Give Lana the Poison]]
[[Give Marwin the Poison]]
[[None of the Above]]
<<endif>>
Twig keeps his head bowed as he delivers the soup to each of the nobles. He gives Marwin the blue bowl and looks up to see a pair of twitching eyes staring right at him. Marwin's mouth stretches into a rictus of what must be a smile. "I hope you enjoyed the stew Twig," is all he says.
//More than you know.//
The wall behind the head table explodes rocking the feast hall and sending stones flying.
Twig falls prone and avoids the worst of the explosions, as well as the flying rocks. Marwin's guard shielded him from the brunt of the blast, and many lie moaning on the ground.
Twig spies Leon crouching over his daughter, shielding her in the case of any further explosions.
"Hello, Twig, Lord Marwin, Leon."
Twig recognizes the voice and his eyes go wide.
//Shit.//
[[Look at the Hole]]
<<set $marwinPoison = 1>>//Time to put those acting skills to use.//
Twig falls to the floor, the bowls shattering as they hit the ground, spilling stew everywhere. He clutches at his heart as people surround him. Leon dashes over and kneels on the floor next to him. "Twig, what, what happened."
"Poison," Twig winks at him.
Leon smiles at him and turns to look at Marwin who is now surrounded by guards, a circle of steel formed. A glint of malicious glee appears in the sunken voids of his eyes.
Marwin points at Leon with a bony finger.
"He's the poisoner-"
The wall behind the head table explodes rocking the feast hall and sending stones flying.
Twig stays prone and avoids the worst of the explosions, as well as the flying rocks. Marwin's guard shielded him from the brunt of the blast, and many lie moaning on the ground.
Twig spies Leon crouching over his daughter, shielding her in the case of any further explosions.
"Hello, Twig, Lord Marwin, Leon."
Twig recognizes the voice and his eyes go wide.
//Shit.//
[[Look at the Hole]]
<<set $noneOfTheAbove = 1>>
Twig turns to see Kristoph Sallow in assassin's garb; various bits of armor strategically placed under black fabric. Behind him, outlaws begin to funnel through the hole in the wall, apparently having climbed up the Spyre.
//This is really really not good.//
"My dear friends, tonight, we are here to observe the death of House McKalin." Sallow waves his hand as if banishing imaginary demons, "No, no, this is not a time of sadness, but a time to rejoice. Finally, people will be able to live without the heel of "Nobility" on their throats."
[[Inch Towards Leon]]
[[Glance Around For a Weapon]]
As Sallow rants and raves about the injustice of the upper classes, Twig begins to move slowly towards Leon.
"Move again Twig and I'll make you a Blij damn pincushion."
Twig sees several of the outlaw’s nock arrows to their bows.
//Okay, so moving is out of the question//
[[Distract Sallow]]
[[Glance Around For a Weapon]]
Most of the guards have fallen to the floor, dropping their spears and swords. Twig sees a couple close enough to grab, but he needed to distract Sallow somehow.
//I could kick the table over, give me and Leon some cover. Still, there's enough of them to just rush us. Maybe I can try to stall Sallow, give time for the other guards to get here.//
[[Knock Over the Table]]
[[Distract Sallow]] "Sallow wait!"
The man turns to look at Twig. He sighs and shakes his head.
"I'm disappointed in you Twig, M'boy. You could've been someone, a Freedom Fighter! Now you're just a slave. Speak quickly, my patience with has long since run dry."
"Was this the job you wanted me for? Assassinating the McKalins?"
Sallow snorts, irritated. "No, and you'd be better off not asking. Without you, the job failed and now we have to take a more direct route to power." He glares at Twig with such wrath on his face it's a wonder Twig didn't burst into flames.
//I have to keep him occupied a little bit longer.//
Leon and Lana had made it to a few tables back and were getting closer and closer to the door.
"Would one of their lives balance out mine?"
Sallow looks at him, curiosity apparent on his broad face.
"Explain."
Twig can feel everyone's eyes on him. Leon and Lana are mere feet from the door now.
"I poisoned <<if $poisonLana>> the girl. The heir of house McKalin."
Sallow gives him a look of mild surprise. "Never thought you really had it in you Tengu."
Twig tries to respond, but finds it difficult to speak with Leon's sword now lodged in his chest.
//huh.//
''TWIG IS DEAD''
<<endif>>
<<if $poisonMarwin>> The head of house McKalin. That's got to count for something."
Twig hears Marwin moan behind him and smiles. "Yepp, that's the sound of him going."
Sallow laughs, "You always were a vengeful little bastard. Reason I liked you in the first place. Too bad the time limit on my offer ran out a long time ago."
//Well, it was worth a try.//
[[Knock Over the Table]]
<<endif>>
<<if $poisonLeon>> Marwin's son.” Sallow laughs, "You always were a vicious little bastard. Too bad the time limit on my offer ran out a long time ago."
<<Time For a Fight|Be the Good Guy Again>>
<<endif>>
<<if $noneOfTheAbove>>myself. You're trapped in a tower full of angry guards, facing someone you trained, someone who has nothing left to fear. Think very carefully about your next move."
//I really hope this works.//
Sallow shakes his head in confusion. "Now, why'd you go and do a stupid thing like that? Doesn't matter much I suppose, you'll be dead soon anyway."
//Damn.
[[Knock Over the Table]]
<<endif>>
//Here goes something.//
Twig falls to the floor, the bowls shattering as they hit the ground, spilling stew everywhere. He clutches at his heart as people surround him. Leon dashes over and kneels on the floor next to him. "Twig, what happened?"
"Poison," Twig winks at him.
Leon smiles at him and turns to look at Marwin who is now surrounded by guards, a circle of steel formed. A glint of malicious glee appears in the sunken voids of his eyes.
Marwin points at Leon with a bony finger.
"He's the poisoner-"
The wall behind the head table explodes rocking the feast hall and sending stones flying.
Twig stays prone and avoids the worst of the explosions, as well as the flying rocks. Marwin's guard shielded him from the brunt of the blast, and many lie moaning on the ground.
Twig spies Leon crouching over his daughter, shielding her in the case of any further explosions.
"Hello, Twig, Lord Marwin, Leon."
Twig recognizes the voice and his eyes go wide.
//Shit.//
[[Look at the Hole]]
<<set $noneOfTheAbove = 1>>
Twig aims his foot at the side of the head table and gives it a hard kick, knocking it on its side. He grabs a sword from behind the table and motions hurriedly at Leon.
"KILL THEM ALL"
The remaining guards took that as a cue to do their jobs. They leap up and try to protect Marwin's prone form as the outlaws surround them.
Leon dashes over with Lana in his arms, dodging arrow fire as he goes. They sit next to Twig and he can see Lana's eyes are wide with fear.
"D-Dad, why do they want to kill me?"
Twig gives her a crooked smile, "Oh, don't worry dear, they want to kill all of us, not just you."
Leon gives Twig a quick look of annoyance and turns to his daughter.
"Shhh, it's going to be okay honey."
Twig peeks his head out from behind the table in time to see the last three guards stand over Marwin, bloodied and battered. Twig sighs, his shoulders slumping. //Making a habit of these heroic moments really isn't healthy for me. Still, no real choice at this point.//
[[Be the Good Guy Again]]<img alt="" srcset="https://photos-5.dropbox.com/t/2/AAAGPkVpyFZPByKkNBTZv7JtEip7FvUJIrQP0o7M29WWpg/12/462720256/jpeg/32x32/1/_/1/2/2F1FE5AA-0C82-43A6-B200-C40DEE3D021C.JPG/ELTw2poFGLYFIAcoBw/KzSSH961tJm9m2BQo5yASZtkpV7LOjL-FiQofar20dA?size=480x320&size_mode=3 480w, https://photos-5.dropbox.com/t/2/AAAGPkVpyFZPByKkNBTZv7JtEip7FvUJIrQP0o7M29WWpg/12/462720256/jpeg/32x32/1/_/1/2/2F1FE5AA-0C82-43A6-B200-C40DEE3D021C.JPG/ELTw2poFGLYFIAcoBw/KzSSH961tJm9m2BQo5yASZtkpV7LOjL-FiQofar20dA?size=640x480&size_mode=3 640w, https://photos-5.dropbox.com/t/2/AAAGPkVpyFZPByKkNBTZv7JtEip7FvUJIrQP0o7M29WWpg/12/462720256/jpeg/32x32/1/_/1/2/2F1FE5AA-0C82-43A6-B200-C40DEE3D021C.JPG/ELTw2poFGLYFIAcoBw/KzSSH961tJm9m2BQo5yASZtkpV7LOjL-FiQofar20dA?size=800x600&size_mode=3 800w, https://photos-5.dropbox.com/t/2/AAAGPkVpyFZPByKkNBTZv7JtEip7FvUJIrQP0o7M29WWpg/12/462720256/jpeg/32x32/1/_/1/2/2F1FE5AA-0C82-43A6-B200-C40DEE3D021C.JPG/ELTw2poFGLYFIAcoBw/KzSSH961tJm9m2BQo5yASZtkpV7LOjL-FiQofar20dA?size=1024x768&size_mode=3 1024w, https://photos-5.dropbox.com/t/2/AAAGPkVpyFZPByKkNBTZv7JtEip7FvUJIrQP0o7M29WWpg/12/462720256/jpeg/32x32/1/_/1/2/2F1FE5AA-0C82-43A6-B200-C40DEE3D021C.JPG/ELTw2poFGLYFIAcoBw/KzSSH961tJm9m2BQo5yASZtkpV7LOjL-FiQofar20dA?size=1280x960&size_mode=3 1280w, https://photos-5.dropbox.com/t/2/AAAGPkVpyFZPByKkNBTZv7JtEip7FvUJIrQP0o7M29WWpg/12/462720256/jpeg/32x32/1/_/1/2/2F1FE5AA-0C82-43A6-B200-C40DEE3D021C.JPG/ELTw2poFGLYFIAcoBw/KzSSH961tJm9m2BQo5yASZtkpV7LOjL-FiQofar20dA?size=1600x1200&size_mode=3 1600w, https://photos-5.dropbox.com/t/2/AAAGPkVpyFZPByKkNBTZv7JtEip7FvUJIrQP0o7M29WWpg/12/462720256/jpeg/32x32/1/_/1/2/2F1FE5AA-0C82-43A6-B200-C40DEE3D021C.JPG/ELTw2poFGLYFIAcoBw/KzSSH961tJm9m2BQo5yASZtkpV7LOjL-FiQofar20dA?size=2048x1536&size_mode=3 2048w" sizes="90vw" src="https://photos-5.dropbox.com/t/2/AAAGPkVpyFZPByKkNBTZv7JtEip7FvUJIrQP0o7M29WWpg/12/462720256/jpeg/32x32/1/_/1/2/2F1FE5AA-0C82-43A6-B200-C40DEE3D021C.JPG/ELTw2poFGLYFIAcoBw/KzSSH961tJm9m2BQo5yASZtkpV7LOjL-FiQofar20dA?size=800x600&size_mode=3" class="preview-image absolute-center">
[[Morning Dawns]] Without warning, Twig leaps over the table sword in hand. The assassins are so focused on the guardsmen, the fail to notice Twig before it's too late. He hamstrings one and shoves another to the ground with a kick to the knees. The first one to turn on Twig receives a sword through his face and the second tries to slam his mace into Twig's head. The weapon whistles through the air with frightening speed and makes a painful crunching noise as it bashes his friend's chest in. Twig tosses the meat shield aside and looks for his next foe.
The guards take that as their cue to press the attack, shoving forward. Sallow doesn't yell or rage, he just watches Twig cut down his men, the barest ghost of a smile on his face. More assassins stream through the hole in the wall, a black tide of men who've been broken and reforged.
<<if $leonPoison>> Twig spares a glance toward the fallen head table and sees Leon's daughter cradling his lifeless form. Twig grimaces //Right, I poisoned him. Man, that idea seemed better in retrospect.// The guards fall and Twig is quickly overwhelmed. He dies with a sword in hand.
''TWIG IS DEAD''
<<endif>>
<<if $knightFall>> Twig spares a glance toward the fallen head table and sees Leon running towards the exit, daughter in his arms. //Good, one fewer thing to worry about.// Twig narrowly dodges an arrow and feels the icy steel on his throat. Without warning, Twig falls forward, the knife wielder losing his grip. From the ground, Twig sees Marwin on his knees. "Last words," Sallow asks the man.
"Y-yes, tell them I died with-"
Sallow slices his throat with a vicious-looking scimitar. He leans over cupping his ear as if to hear better. "What's that? you died with what?" Sallow kicks the body over and chuckles to himself.
//What has he become?//
Twig's eyes narrow and he launches himself towards Sallow. Twig's sword comes within an inch of its target before Sallow raises his steel to block it.
"We have to stop meeting-"
[[Cut Him Off|Shut This Man Up]]
[[Just Fight|Let Him Talk]]
<<else>> Twig hears the whistle of steel slicing through the air behind him.
//Shit.//
Twig turns as fast as he can only to see the attack intercepted by Leon and his sword. He nods at Leon and turns around in time to knock a throwing knife out of the air.
"Nice of you to help out," Twig says, grinning.
"I dislike debts," he says running his opponent through.
Twig merely nods and they continue fighting long past after the guards fall. Twig sees the last guard collapse to his knees. "Last words," Sallow asks the man.
"Y-yes, tell them I died with-"
Sallow slices his throat with a vicious-looking scimitar. He leans over cupping his ear as if to hear better. "What's that? you died with what?" Sallow kicks the body over and chuckles to himself.
Twig's eyes narrow, "watch my back Leon?"
Leon nods, breathing heavily, "Me, and Gungir will insure this rabble does not interrupt you."
Twig turns to him, "You named your sword after a spear?" He shakes his head. "We're going to have a serious talk when all this is done."
He launches himself towards Sallow. Twig's sword comes within an inch of its target before Sallow raises his steel to block it.
"We have to stop meeting-"
[[Cut Him Off|Shut This Man Up]]
[[Just Fight|Let Him Talk]]
<<endif>>
"We have to stop meeting-"
"Shut up Sallow."
The man gives him a lopsided grin while trying to lop off his limbs. Sallow begins his diatribe as Twig narrowly dodges each swipe: "That's no way to greet a friend, hell, a family member." He puts heavy emphasis on the last word, grinning sardonically.
Twig just keeps his head down and stabs at Sallows chest.
[[Keep Fighting]]"We really have to stop meeting like this Twig," he says slicing at Twig's unarmored legs. Twig jumps back to avoid the attack, "What happened to you Sallow? Sure, before you were a little unhinged, but this?"
The mirth goes out of Sallow's eyes and is replaced with nothing, but pitch. "No more talking Tengu. Try not to die easy."
[[Keep Fighting]]Twig and Sallow fight for what seems like hours. <<if $knightFall>> The remaining assassins form a circle around the two of them, watching quietly.<<else>> The rest of the assassins are occupied fighting Leon, who, it turned out, had the foresight to wear armor to a feast.<<endif>>
Both men are breathing heavily as they keep their distance from each other. Sallow has a nasty cut above his forehead and Twig can feel the twinge in his side where the man had landed a deep strike.
//He's better than me, Blij be damned. Not by much, but he's just a bit faster. He's spent months fighting, I haven't held a sword in months. It's a miracle I've made it this long.//
[[Press the Attack]]
[[Stay Back]]Twig's longsword is nothing special. Good steel, solidly made, but plain. In his hands, however; the blade is a blue-grey blur. Sallow is forced to back up a step under Twig's onslaught. The longsword hammers against the scimitar relentlessly, the ringing of steel audible throughout the castle.
//I need to finish this.//
The sweat pours down Twig's forehead and his tunic is soaked through. Sallow is left reeling and Twig puts all his remaining strength into an overhand cut. <<if $knightFall>>
Sallow, having left himself open intentionally, jumps to the right and stabs Twig through with the scimitar. The blade cleaves through his body and leaves him limp.
Sallow's smile has disappeared. He pulls his weapon out and cleans it on his clothes. He bends over Twig's fallen form and digs around in his pockets. He finds what he's looking for and puts it on Twig's chest.
"Goodbye, Arno Root."
He walks off to go kill the rest of House Ayrclyde.
''TWIG IS DEAD''
<<else>>
Sallow, having left himself open intentionally, jumps to the right stabs his weapon forward, aiming for Twig's heart. Suddenly, Leon interposes himself between the two, knocking Sallow's scimitar out of his hand.
Sallow backs up quickly eyeing the two of them. Twig stands breathing heavily, blood streaming down his chest, a look of conviction in his eyes. Next to him stands Leon, a proud aristocratic face softened by sincerity and purpose.
Sallow withdraws dual knives and together they rush him. Twig swings his longsword low and Leon goes high. Somehow, Sallow dodges Twig's blow and slams him in the face, sending him reeling, while also ducking under Leon's cut and shoving both daggers into his chest.
The knives fail to hit flesh and Sallow pulls them back only to find their tips bent beyond repair.
Twig laughs and wipes blood from his nose. "Chainmail, Asshole."
Sallow grimaces as Gungir finds its mark. He collapses to the floor and Twig walks over to watch his friend die.
"Goodbye Kristoph."
[[Epilogue|Peace]]
<<endif>>
Twig takes a deep breath and steadies his shaking form. Sallow runs forward and drops his scimitar.
//What the-//
He tackles Twig to the ground and begins slamming his fist into Twig's face over and over again. Sallow grabs his head with both hands and slams it into the ground.
"If you had just taken the damn job, we wouldn't be here right now." Sallow knocks the knife Twig had drawn out of his hand. "Well, we would be here, but it'd be different."
He grabs Twig's face with both his hands. "Look at me. We could've taken this entire country for ourselves. Everything you wanted, we could've had it."
Twig chuckles softly, spitting up blood. "You always were shit at understanding people." He knees Sallow in the crotch and slams his free hand into the outlaw's throat.
Sallow rolls off him, choking. Twig stands up and wipes the blood away from his broken nose. "Power? Control? I never wanted any of that, you ass! Twig slams his foot into Sallow's side. "I. Just. Wanted. to be. Left. Alone," he says, kicking the prone man in time with his words.
Twig grabs his sword and stabs down like he's driving the last nail into a coffin. He stands up and wipes the sweat from his brow.
//Finally, I'm done. No more crazy assassin. It's over.//
Twig looks around and sees the outlaws kneeling to him. <<if $poisonLeon>> Leon lies dead, poisoned, next to his daughter's arrow ridden corpse.
One of the men in black stands up. "Are you ready to leave m'lord?"
Twig looks at the room full of bodies and shakes his head.
//Nowhere else to go.//
[[Epilogue|Freedom]]
<<endif>><<if $poisonLana>>Leon lies dead next to his daughter, a spear through his chest.
One of the men in black stands up. "Are you ready to leave m'lord?"
Twig looks at the room full of bodies and shakes his head.
//Nowhere else to go.//
<<endif>><<if $poisonMarwin>> Leon and his daughter stand looking at him curiously. "You're not thinking of turning outlaw on me Twig, are you?" Leon motions to the kneeling men. "You join them, you'll spend the rest of your life hurting people. We'll be enemies."
Twig turns to look at him. His hazel eyes are tinged with worry and his tunic is torn, the golden tree of the McKalins torn in half.
Twig looks at his friend and back at the men who would serve him in a heartbeat, if only because he proved stronger than their last leader.
[[Freedom]]
[[Peace]]
Double-click this passage to edit it."Sallow wasn't wrong," Twig says. "Insane, and murderous and evil, but not wrong."
Leon's face is tight with pain.<<if $knightFall>>"Don't make us hunt you down.<<else>>"Please, don't do this Twig. You could have a home here. Our family owes you a debt."<<endif>>
Twig just shakes his head. He walks over to Sallow's corpse and looks at the man's necklace. It's a simple loop of leather with a miniature hammer hanging on it. Twig takes it from the corpse and dons it.
He motions to the assassins. They immediately stand up. "We're leaving. Goodbye, Leon. Be a better ruler than your father was, or we'll be having words.
Twig walks towards the hole in the wall. His men line up in three rows, each one holding a long rope. He ties the rope around his waist and jumps.
[[Credits]]
<<if $knightFall>>Twig looks at the remaining assassins. "Leave, all of you." He turns away from them and walks toward Leon.
One of the assassins stands up, a small gold hammer pinned to his cloak distinguishes him. "Are you certain m'lord?"
"Yes. Now leave."
The men funnel out the way they came, nimbly crawling down the craggy stone tower.
<<endif>>
Twig is quiet as he looks at all the dead. Some assassins, some feasters, Marwin, Sallow; they share the hall in death.
//So, this is what peace looks like, huh?// Twig stands with his hands shaking. He half expects to hear Sallow's voice in his head, but the high-pitched voice of the outlaw fails to make an appearance.
<<if $knightFall>>"Twig," Leon says in a raised voice.<<else>>Leon grabs his arm gently, "Twig?"<<endif>>
Twig tears himself out of the reverie. "Yes?"
"I asked what you wanted to do next."
"Oh, to be honest, I hadn't thought about it." Twig is quiet for a moment. "I failed in my role as food taster," he chuckles.
"and saved most of the people in the hall, including my daughter." Leon smiles warmly at him.
Twig looks around at the hall and sees the remaining feasters looking at right at him.<<if $knightSavior>> Leon’s daughter pokes Twig in the side and he flinches, reminded of the gaping wound he should probably get looked at. "Thank you for saving me," she says with a tremulous smile.
Leon clears his throat and his daughter looks at him abashed, "Lana, perhaps refrain from poking his wound."<<endif>>
"Under these circumstances, it is customary to grant knighthood," Leon begins. "Is that what you want, Twig? A real name? Land?"
The short 20-year old looks at Sallow's body and shakes his head. "I think I'd rather stay Twig. Having no last name keeps me mysterious."
He puts his hand into his pocket and holds the bracelet tightly.
"This city owes you a debt Twig. Name anything reasonable, within my power to give, and it shall be yours."
"Your daughter."
Leon's face turns white and Twig laughs, "I'm kidding Leon."
Leon smiles weakly, "We could grant you land, a position at court, a house in the city."
Twig pulls out the bracelet and looks at the gold ant. Leon appears confused. "My family crest. Fitting, don't you think?"
Leon is quiet as Twig puts the bracelet on. "I've thought of my request. All I want is enough gold to fund a five-year venture to the lands of Zayn. A few men to accompany me would be nice, but not essential."
Leon nods and smiles. "We can make that happen, but why Zayn? Deserts and outlaws, not a pleasant place."
Twig simply smiles at him and looks down at the bracelet. "It's a family matter."
[[Credits]]
Peasantry
Cover Artist and Head Visual Manager: Elizabeth Bomba-Bloom
Lead Editor and Creative Director: Olivia Elmers
Moral Support: Bailey Ashworth
Slayer of All the Bad Ideas I Had and Chief Reality Grounder: Olivia Elmers
Producer Extraordinare: Angela Apte
Writer: Jackson Wagner
THANK YOU FOR PLAYINGTwig waves his hands while still chuckling, "What's the plan?"
"Okay, okay," Sallow says, still grinning. "Your job is to retrieve Brick from the castle. Once you have it, we can call upon the Mighty, and we'll have enough power to overthrow the McKalins. See, the tower house is actually the smallest part of LordsFall Castle. The rest is underground, deep tunnels filled with treasure and dangers for the unwary. So be wary. Anyway, the hammer should be in one of the treasure rooms. The knights will have a distraction so you should have a period of free rein in the castle."
Twig blanched, "Sallow. An underground fortress filled with traps. Am I really doing this alone? You also said Brick was a giant warhammer." He raises his arm and flexes the thin arm. It's corded with muscle, yet remains as thin as his namesake.
Sallow only smiles enigmatically. "I'm sure you'll figure it out."
//What??? I really hope Kristoph knows what he's doing. //
[[Press For More Information]]
[[Let it Go]]
Twig presses on, "How am I supposed to lift a giant hammer??"
"Figure it out Tengu! No more questions. You are dismissed." Sallow's face is cold and harsh.
Twig storms toward the exit.
[[Leave the Tent]]
<<set $sallowAnger = 1>>"Whatever you say boss," Twig says in a cavalier manner.
Sallow nods and waves at the tent flap, "Go grab some food Tengu. Going to be a long night."
//How in Blij's name am I going to do this? //
[[Leave the Tent]]
Twig leaves the tent and walks toward the fire where several outlaws appear to be roasting a boar. The fat drips into the fire and sizzles invitingly.
The men standing around the fire range from grizzled veterans with scars covering their faces, to pink skinned boys barely over 16 years old. The veterans don't seem to notice the cold, but the younger ones are clearly shivering, despite their best efforts to hide it.
Twig can't decide whether to laugh or grimace. //Sallow's been grabbing them young.// He nudges the young boy to his left. "Where you from boy?"
The youth jumps, frightened, and turns to Twig, his light blue eyes lacking any duplicitousness. "Z-z-Zayn Sir. To the South."
[[Respond Sharply]]
[[Respond Softly]]
"No shit, it's in the south. You think I don't know basic geography kid?"
The young man flinches and turns back toward the fire.
[[Stay and Eat]]
[[Go Get Sleep]]"Sir? I look that old to you kid," Twig asks threateningly.
The young man quails, spluttering, trying to find the right words to say. Twig lets him stew for a second before laughing.
"I'm messing with you. Don't worry about it."
The boy looks visibly relieved and nods before looking back at the fire.
//Weird kid.//
[[Stay and Eat]]
[[Go Get Sleep]]Twig stays to enjoy some roast boar which ends up being tough and overcooked. He eats it ravenously anyway, because roast boar is roast boar. Twig wipes the grease off his mouth and stands up stretching. He looks in the direction of his sleeping quarters and nods.
//I really need some sleep. Can't go breaking into underground fortresses tired.//
He walks past a semicircle of ragged tents where some had already decided to sleep. The grass crunches under Twig's feet as he approaches his extremely comfortable lodging.
It sits right in front of a towering Greyskin tree, shielded from rain by the dark grey leaves and powerful red branches. Twig smiles upon seeing the hedge and crawls inside.
//Nothing better.//
[[Infiltration Time]]
Twig yawns mightily and leaves the outlaws to their dinner. He walks past a semicircle of ragged tents where some had already decided to sleep. The grass crunches under Twig's feet as he approaches his extremely comfortable lodging.
It sits right in front of a towering Greyskin tree, shielded from rain by the dark grey leaves and powerful red branches. Twig smiles upon seeing the hedge and crawls inside.
[[Infiltration Time]]Day breaks and the outlaw camp is bustling with people preparing for their tasks. Sallow stands in the middle on an old stump hollering orders. Twig gets up and stretches, his lanky arms reaching for the tree tops. He dons the torn and faded blacks that mark him as one of Sallow's group.
They had argued for a good while about what the group should be called. Twig had fought hard, but in the end Sallow claimed seniority and named them the Kingslayers. Twig argued that there weren't any real kings around, and they personally had never killed a king. Sallow brushed the facts aside in preference of his own imagination.
"It makes us sound bold!"
"No, it makes us sound confused."
Twig shakes his head ruefully at the memory. Sallow spies Twig standing there and hops down from his log and walks toward him. Without stopping, Sallow puts an arm on Twig's shoulder and guides him away from camp.
"You ready for this kid?"
Twig looks affronted, "I'm only three years younger than you!"
Sallow smiles and ruffles his hair. "And you always will be." The man looks as if he wants to say more, but only shakes his head. He points at the tumbling tower house. "We do this Tengu and nothing will be able to stop us.
Twig smiles, but his eyebrows are drawn in uncertainty.
"How will I know when to break in? What's the signal?”
Sallow only smiles. "You'll know it when you see it. Now wait here. As soon as you see it, make your way inside. I can't promise you more than an hour."
Twig simply nods. Sallow tosses a satchel at his feet.
"Here, your tools."
Twig moves to look in it, but Sallow grabs his wrist. He looks up confused and Sallow gives him a sly grin.
"Don't look in it until you really need to."
Twig looks as if he has a hundred question, but hesitates. Sallow claps him on the back and walks away.
[[Wait]]
Twig sits on the hill Sallow left him on. It provides him with a nice view of the entire town. From the church of Blij's bell towers to the local market, where everyone goes to buy their food, he can see it all. This leads him to jump in shock as an explosion erupts from the market, sending fire and debris into nearby buildings.
//Please tell me we didn't do that.//
Screams and shouts emerge from the town as the fire spreads. The small portcullis opens at the tower house and men on horses stream out, galloping towards the fire.
Twig feels his stomach drop as he realizes that this was indeed Sallow's work.
//That wasn't... All those people.//
Twig stands there, quiet for a moment. He shakes his head, trying to rid himself of an overactive conscious.
//They'll be fine. Definitely. I, on the other hand, have a job to do.//
[[Do Your Job]]
Twig dashes down the hill, his thin legs carrying him to his goal. The wind blows past him, giving him a nice whiff of smoke and burnt food. Twig puts the thought of screaming peasants out of his mind and nimbly scales the side of the tower. The stones jut out and provide him with easy footholds. He reachs the second floor window and swings through, rolling as he hits the carpetted floor.
He pops up and turns around, looking for opponents. Upon seeing none, he dashes out of the room and notices a long and winding staircase.
[[Go Down the Staircase]]
He runs down the stairs and soon he is surrounded by nothing but musty stone walls studded with torches. By the time he makes it to the bottom he is slightly out of breath. A long hallway lies before him with rooms dotting either side.
//If I were a massive hammer, where would I be?//
Many of the rooms have fallen into a state of disrepair and some of the doors are off their rusty hinges.
//Jeeze, overflowing treasure hoard and the guy couldn't afford some new furnishings? Weird.//
Twig eventually spies the end of the hall. There are four doors at the end of the hall, each with a different style. The first is bright green and covered in painted GreyTrees. The second is blood red with a large hammer emblazoned on the front of it. The third is painted a dark black and covered in a sheath of small golden coins. The fourth and last door is simple. It's just a wooden door. No symbols are scrawled on it, no color painted on.
//Okay, I need to watch out for traps. It wouldn't be a proper treasure hoard without traps.//
[[Tree Door]]
[[Hammer Door]]
[[Gold Door]]
[[Simple Door]]//Trees are nice. I like trees.//
Twig pushes open the door to reveal a massive cavern filled with thick roots that branch out to create a veritable jungle. They all stretch down into the blackness below Twig, leading him to wonder how deep this cavern goes.
//I must be under the forest.//
At the far end of the cavern, Twig can see a glint of gold, standing out from the solid brown wood. There is no visible path across the cavern and a precipitous drop awaits the clumsy. A small smile grows on Twig's face.
//This is going to be fun.//
Twig takes a step back and takes a deep breath.
[[Cross the Cavern]]
//This looks distinctly promising.//
Twig tries to push the door and find's it far too heavy for him to move.
//Hmm. This is a problem. Let's see if Sallow packed anything to help deal with this.//
Inside the satchel is what looks like a bottle of Zayned Ale. //Blij, why would he give me this?//
Twig pops the cork off and coughs as the piercing smeell wafts into his nostrils.
//Drinking that would kill a man!//
Twig reaches into the bag and pulls out a damp oil rag and flint and steel.
//Ohhhhhhh.//
Twig gently puts the ale on the other side of him, as if mere proximity to the flint would cause it to burst into flame. Inside the satchel remains a length of rope, a brutal looking serrated blade, and a loaf of bread. Twig just shakes his head.
//I'm working with a mad man. Nothing in here would bring down this door except...//
Twig looks at the ale.
[[Firebomb the Door]]
[[Pick Another Door]]//Gold is good. Gold is very good.//
Twig gently pushes the door open and sees nothing but darkness.
//Okayyyy, not foreboding at all.//
[[Enter the Blackness]]
[[Pick Another Door]]//The others feel too much like a trap. I'll take simple over flashy any day.//
Twig pushes open the wooden door and enters the dimly lit room. It's a huge space, a stone corridor large enough for five men to walk abreast and as long as the previous hallway. Inside is nothing but a few torches and a stone hammer the size of Twig.
//Brick!//
Twig walks over to it, his eyes scanning the room for any sign of traps. The hammer sits on its log-shaped steel head. Twig grabs the shaft and attempts to lift it.
Suddenly, the ground in front of him drops, leaving a circular hole large enough for him to fall through. Twig looks down into the hole and sees only darkness. Twig gingerly steps around it and attempts to lift the hammer. It unsurpsingly remains still. Twig crouches down and looks closely at the hammer. Enscribed on it are the words: "Faith, Sacrifice, Change"
//What does it mean? There's no way I can lift this, and it's been half an hour already.//
Twig spends a good ten minutes pulling on the hammer with rope, attempting to find something that could help him move it, but nothing succeeds.
Twig hears a commotion from the outside the door, down the hallway, .
//Damnit, they're back. No way out.//
Twig looks back at the hole in the floor.
//Faith, Sacrifice, Change. A leap of faith maybe?//
Twig considers it for a moment.
//That's a really stupid idea.//
He hears the loud voices getting closer and closer.
//It's the only choice I've got right now.//
He looks down into the blackness and grabs his rope.
[[Shimmy of Faith]]
Twig takes a running start and jumps off the ledge, quickly grabbing onto the nearest root and using his momentum to swing to the next one. He continues leaping from root to root, making his way across the veritable forest a laugh emerging every now and then. He hears a crack and suddenly his root is snapped in half and he is falling. The roots branch off into the walls as he drops through the blackness. The air is knocked out of him as he slams into what feels like a hay bale.
//Scratchy, rough, smells like dung. Yepp, that's hay.//
The dark is suddenly chased away by a wave of red-orange light. Twig turns and watches as the flames surround him. In front of him sits a caudron with a fire lit beneath it.
"A most inelegant entrace, but I suppose it is the intent that truly matters."
A voice speaks from above, yet when Twig scans the room, he fails to find its source.
"You who would seek the Mighty know this. Our words are not the oaths of lordly houses, nor boasts of past glories. They are a request, a requirement, and a price. To earn our loyalty, you must prove your worth. You have shown your ability to have faith."
//Faith. Right.//
The voice sounds vaguely skeptical when it says this, but continues. "Now you must sacrifice."
Twig scratches his head, "Sacrifice what, exactly?"
"Whatever you prize most."
Twig looks around the room with incredulity. "You do realize how vague that is, right? And how would you know whatever I sacrifice really is something I care about. I could sacrifice my pants, and claim they mean the world to me. How would you know any different?"
"We would. Attempt to decieve us at your own peril."
Twig groans inwardly. "What if I have nothing to sacrifice? What if it is something far away from this place?"
"The physical object does not mean as much as the act. You must sacrifice something you truly care about."
Twig's hand unconsciously goes into his pocket.
"Ah, so you already know what must be done," the voice says softly.
Twig grips the small bracelet tightly. He slowly pulls it out of his pocket.
//It's only a bracelet.//
Twig is quiet.
//No, it's not.//
Twig looks up, "Is it worth it?"
The voice emerges again with a solemn tone, "That is not for us to say."
Twig nods, having recieved the unhelpful answer he expected.
//I have a choice here, don't I?//
Twig's fingers run back and forth over the small gold ant.
//Sallow will likely kill me if I don't come back with the Mighty. I could run, but where else do I have to go?//
[[Sacrifice]]
Twig tentatively steps into the dark and feels the ground depress beneath him.
//That's not good.//
He tries to step back, but is pierced by a dozen arrows before he can take a step. He falls over and his blood flows through the cobblestone floor.
''TWIG IS DEAD'' [[Tree Door]]
[[Hammer Door]]
[[Simple Door]]Twig hurls the lit bottle of ale at the door and quickly backs away. The bottle hit's the door and explodes, launching Twig backwards and lighting half the corridor on fire. Twig gingerly touches his hand and flinches upon feeling the massive cut. He looks up to see a group of armored men looking extremely unhappy with their fire-happy intruder.
//Shit.//
''TWIG IS SCREWED''Twig slides down the rope while gripping it so tight his hands turn a startling shade of alabaster. He's about halfway down the rope when the hole in the floor above closes, severing the rope. Twig screams as he falls, stopping when he hits the floor a mere second later.
//That was lucky.//
The dark is suddenly chased away by a wave of red-orange light. Twig turns and watches as the flames surround him. In front of him sits a caudron with a fire lit beneath it.
"A most inelegant entrace, but I suppose it is the intent that truly matters."
A voice speaks from above, yet when Twig scans the room, he fails to find its source.
"You who would seek the Mighty know this. Our words are not the oaths of lordly houses, nor boasts of past glories. They are a request, a requirement, and a price. To earn our loyalty, you must prove your worth. You have shown your ability to have faith."
The voice sounds vaguely skeptical when it says this, but continues. "Now you must sacrifice."
Twig scratches his head, "Sacrifice what, exactly?"
"Whatever you prize most."
Twig looks around the room with incredulity. "You do realize how vague that is, right? And how would you know whatever I sacrifice really is something I care about. I could sacrifice my breeches, and claim they mean the world to me. How would you know any different?"
"We would. Attempt to decieve us at your own peril."
Twig groans inwardly. "What if I have nothing to sacrifice? What if it is something far away from this place?"
"The physical object does not mean as much as the act. You must sacrifice something you truly care about."
Twig's hand unconsciously goes into his pocket.
"Ah, so you already know what must be done," the voice says softly.
Twig grips the small bracelet tightly. He slowly pulls it out of his pocket.
//It's only a bracelet.//
Twig is quiet.
//No, it's not.//
Twig looks up, "Is it worth it?"
The voice emerges again with a solemn tone, "That is not for us to say."
Twig nods, having recieved the unhelpful answer he expected.
//I have a choice here, don't I?//
Twig's fingers run back and forth over the small gold ant.
//Sallow will likely kill me if I don't come back with the Mighty. I could run, but where else do I have to go?//
[[Sacrifice]]
Twig holds the bracelet close to his chest tightly. He takes a deep, shuddering breath, and drops it into the large cooking pot. It bursts into flame and the small ant begins to melt. Twig can't seem to look away.
"It's never easy."
Twig turns to see a tall man with burnt umber skin and an almost sympathetic look on his stony face. He's dressed in a black cloak studded with a small golden hammer.
"My name is Signis. You have completed the sacrifice. I will not ask what you've truly given up. Know that the Mighty are now yours."
Twig stares at him intensely, "What about the third thing? What do I have to give up for that, because this whole sacrifice thing has gotten really old really fast."
"Some would see this as another sacrifice, which is why I will warn you. Having the Mighty behind you will make you a different man. You will change immeasurably and there will be no way to reclaim the person you once were."
Twig laughs softly, his voice full of scorn. "That's life. I'm going to change no matter what. Is this really all it takes to control a group of kingmakers and kingslayers?"
The man's stony face shows the ghost of a smile. "Have faith, make sacrifices, accept change. That is what it means to be mighty." He motions with his hand towards the far end of the corridor.
Twig follows, the sound of sizzling gold disappearing in the background.
[[Command the Mighty]]They reach the end of the corridor and the man puts his hand on the wall. He pushes and the wall falls into the floor leaving a large doorway into the next room. They enter and in the center of the room sits Brick. Lit in a ray of sunlight, the hammer seems to glow with power.
Twig looks at Signis. "You know I can't lift that hammer, right?"
Signis only smiles slightly, an expression that seems out of place on the man's stern countenance. "Try."
//I'm not in the mood for this.//
Twig walks over and reluctantly grasps Brick with both hands. He bends his knees and lifts with all his might. The hammer shifts, huge chunks of it falling away. After a few moments all that is left of Brick is rubble and a small broach in the shape of a hammer.
//Tiny and unassuming. Smart.//
A small hole at the top of the hammer provides a means of putting it on a necklace.
Signis hands him a string of leather and Twig slides it through the hole. He dons the necklace and looks to Signis.
"What now?"
Signis walks down to the end of the room and pulls down a ropeladder. Sunlight breaks through the dimness as Twig climbs the ladder. He emerges in a spot surrounded by trees and hundreds of darkly clad figures.
Signis grabs his arm and raises it. The figures kneel.
"They are yours now. What would you have them call you?"
Twig can't decide if he wants to laugh or weep.
//What am I? The demon who burns towns to get what I want? Or the idealist who thinks there's an easy way to fix everything?//
[[Tengu]]
[[Twig]]
"Call me Tengu."
Signis nods. "Demon of the trees. An interesting choice."
He motions and the men in cloaks rise, a black tide prepared to sweep over whomever Tengu chooses.
[[Return to Sallow]]
<<set $tengu = 1>>"Call me Twig."
Signis nods, a small smile on his face. "Small, unassuming. How ironic."
He motions and the cloaked men rise, a black tide bringing change.
[[Return to Sallow]]<<if $tengu>>Tengu<<else>>Twig<<endif>> and his army return to the agreed upon rendevous he and Sallow set up. He finds Sallow sitting on a stump cleaning his nails with the point of his knife. Behind him, the outlaws are resting. He looks up and greets <<if $tengu>>Tengu<<else>>Twig<<endif>> with a wide grin.
"Well done on bringing my army, Tengu."
Signis steps forward at that. "We are not yours. Our loyalty belongs to <<if $tengu>>Tengu<<else>>Twig<<endif>> and him alone."
Sallow's body stiffens and he nearly leaps up off his stump. He strides towards Twig, his footfalls heavy with anger. "This man does what I tell him to. If you follow his commands, you follow mine."
"Did you know Sallow?"
Sallow looks at Twig, both glaring unflinchingly at each other. "Did you know about the sacrifice, what I'd have to give up?"
Sallow cocks his head to the side. "Wait, where's the hammer?"
"Did. You. Know."
Sallow scowls, "What sacrifice? What're you going on about, boy?"
[[Step Up]]
"I'm wondering why you should be in control, when I am the only one who had to do anything."
The men behind Sallow begin to stand and several grab weapons. As if choreographing a dance, Signis raises his arm and the front group of the Mighty withdraw their bows in time with each other.
Sallow gets closer to Twig, their face mere inches apart. "Are you pulling a Mutiny? You're good Twig, but I'm better. I made you. This person you are? Someone with power? I did this. Without me you'd be a stableboy somewhere, wasting away."
Twigs eyes flash with rage, "You know, after all I've had to do to get here. That life doesn't sound half bad. Now, however, we're going to do what's right. <<if $tengu>>We're going to find anyone who thinks themselves strong and prove them wrong. Anyone who thinks it safe to lord their strength over peasants. They are a pandemic. We are the panacea.<<else>>We're going to do what you wanted. We'll end this habit the lords seem to have of crushing those beneath them. It's the right thing to do and if I don't do it, no one will.<<endif>>
<<if $tengu>>"That's what we were going to do!" Sallow's face has grown beet red.
"That was the plan! Why are you trying take over? What did I do to wrong you," he asks, spitting the last words at <<if $tengu>>Tengu.<<else>>Twig.<<endif>><<else>>Sallow rolls his eyes, "So now you're an altruist. Still, why try to take over? What did I do to wrong you," he asks, spitting the last words at <<if $tengu>>Tengu.<<else>>Twig.<<endif>><<endif>>
<<if $tengu>>You're insane. You're too unstable to trust at my back.<<else>>You don't seem to care at all about the ruin you bring to people's lives.<<endif>>
Sallow pulls out his knife and ,in a flash, has it at<<if $tengu>>Tengu's<<else>>Twig's<<endif>> throat.
"We had a good thing going Twig. Why'd you have to get crazy ideas?"
<<if $tengu>>[[Kill Sallow]]<<else>>[[Stop Sallow]]<<endif>>Tengu closes his fist. Arrows fly from several different directions and all hit Sallow. One pierces his hand, causing the knife to drop, another hits him through the leg, and another through his throat. Sallow drops like a puppet with it's strings cut. A few shouts of surprise and anger ring out from the outlaws. Tengu looks at all of them and then back at Sallow's body.
"My name isn't Twig."
[[End the McKalins]]Twig closes his fist. Arrows fly from several different directions and all hit Sallow. One pierces his hand, causing the knife to drop, another pierces his calf sending him to the ground and the last pierces his other arm as he attempts to go for his second knife.
A few shouts of surprise and anger ring out from the outlaws. Twig looks at all of them and then back at Sallow.
"I hope you find peace somewhere, because if you don't, someone is likely to give you some one day."
Sallow doesn't respond. He simply breathes heavily and stares at the ground.
[[End the McKalins Rule]]
Tengu and the Mighty sneak into Ayrclyde at dusk. They ascend the DragonSpyre, a great tower stone shaped like a dragon rising through the air. The Mighty set black powder explosives on the outer wall of the feast hall. The explosions cut through the quiet night and the Mighty funnel in through the hole.
By the time Tengu is through the hole, most resistance in the hall has crumbled. All the guards lie on the floor bleeding out. One knight seems to be holding his own, but is soon overwhelmed by the sheer number of assassins.
Tengu feels twinges of guilt as he watches men be cut down.
//I am doing what must be done.//
He repeats this to himself over and over again. The Mighty bring Marwin's body to him, as well as the body of his son and granddaughter. Twig looks at the corpses, feeling almost numb.
//This is what they deserved.// A small, quiet voice in the back of his mind speaks up, //The little girl too? She crushed people with her power? //Tengu tears his head away, and faces the wall. //I didn't mean for her to die.//
Signis puts a hand on Tengu's shoulder. "This was for the greater good."
A part of Tengu is screaming about how that's an easy way to justify horrific actions, but that voice seems small and so very far away.
//He's right.//
Twig hardens his heart and goes to ensure there are no remaining McKalins. He will save Orin. Even if that means burning it down first.
[[Credits]]
Twig and the Mighty sneak into Ayrclyde at dusk. They ascend the DragonSpyre, a great tower stone shaped like a dragon rising through the air. The Mighty set black powder explosives on the outer wall of the feast hall. The explosions cut through the quiet night and the Mighty funnel in through the hole.
By the time Twig walks through the hole, most of the guards have been disarmed and tied up. A few lie dead, those too foolish to surrender. Along with them lies Marwin's son. Twig grimaces at the sight of the bodies.
//I told them to only kill Marwin.//
Twig walks over to Signis who is holding the arm of a young girl. Dressed in ripped finery, the girl is clearly royal. Twig crouches down and looks intently at the girl.
"Hello."
The girl only glares at him.
//What a way to start a conversation with the girl whose family you just murdered. Yeah, she's defintely going to want to talk with you.//
Twig ignores the voice in his head and pushes forward. "I'm sorry about your family. They were of the old world. They wouldn't have listened, and their failure would only have led to more death. You seem like a smart girl to me, so let me explain how things are going to be. I'm sure you'll understand."
//Wow, now I sound like a condescending asshole, and I killed her family.//
Twig wearily continues to tell her how she must divest herself of riches and provide for the poor and needy. He describes how she must divide power among many, rather than keep it for herself. He goes on and on, his words seeming to only enrage her further. It gets to the point where her glare is so piercing and full of loathing Twig trails off.
"I was going to be a good ruler," she screams at him. "I was going to do everything you said! Why you had to kill my father who supported me?"
Twig stutters and tries to speak, yet no words come out.
The little girl's anger seems to melt, leaving nothing but sorrow on her young face. "I was going to be a good queen." She begins to emit soft gut-wrenching sobs and puts her head into her hands.
Twig stands up and pulls Signis away.
"I can't do it like this. We can't just kill our way through Orin's powerful."
Signis looks at him with a raised eyebrow. Twig sighs and shakes his head.
"Okay, so we could, but we aren't going to."
Signis's face is lined with disapproval. "Change is never easy Twig. We are doing what must be done."
"What if we weren't as direct? What if we didn't try to kill every power hungry ruler, but rather protected the peasants from them?"
Signis stares blankly at him. "You're suggesting splitting up the Mighty. Using them to protect sheep herders against unfair taxes, save townsfolk from brutal guardsmen, that sort of thing?"
"One could argue that making people's lives better is far more important than dethroning rulers."
Signis's expression changed from a look of confusion, to one of pure incredulity. "Twig you realize how incredibly naive that idea is."
Twig shakes his head, a small smile on his face. "Think about it! We could support rulers who treat their people well, while also being a threat to those who have crueler tendencies."
"Would you be willing to follow through on these threatened lords, the ones who fail to change?"
Twig's eyes move from Marwin's corpse to Signis and his face hardens. "Yes."
Signis simply nods. "We are yours to command."
Twig walks toward the hole in the wall and stares out into the night sky. The dim starlight shines down on villages and towns and castles. //I need to be better. I can't just be Twig anymore. These people deserve more than an orphaned peasant. They need someone strong, someone who cannot be stopped. Someone Mighty.//
Twig continues to look out into the black. He stares long enough, to where even when he turns away he can still see the shadows of the stars and all the people beneath them.
[[Credits]]
Twig smells the merest hint of meat cooking and allows the scent to carry him through the camp. After a good fifteen minutes of searching, his eyes fall upon something of great beauty. The honeyed pig hangs from a spit above the fire, the cook slowly rotating it so as to thoroughly roast it. Drops of honey and grease drip into the fire, causing small spouts of flame. Twig gleefully rubs his hands together and approaches the cook.
"Hello, good sir. I was wondering if you'd be willing to share some of your food with a fellow soldier," Twig says in his most polite voice.
The man looks up from his masterpiece and throws his hood back.
"Who am I to deny an old friend?"
Twig can't seem to stop looking at the face of his old friend, Kristoph Sallow. The one who trained him to fight, who helped him restrain the anger and loss, who he had bludgeoned with a chicken leg.
//This isn't good.//
[[Try For Small Talk]]
[[Apologize For the Betrayal]]
"Heyyyy there, Sallow! It's been a long time huh? So, what've you been up to?"
Sallow gives him a smile that doesn't make it halfway to his eyes.
"Well, after you beat over the head with a chicken leg, and claimed that I was trying to steal Father Well's food, I was kicked out of Rubbish keep, stripped of all my belongings, and sent into the wilderness to die."
His smile grows to grotesque proportions, showing off his inexplicably white teeth.
"Now what about you Tengu? I've been hunting you down for a long time? You think you've got an apology for your old mentor?"
Twig grimaces at the name. "Don't call me that. I'm not that person anymore. Also, why have you been following me? You get an apology after you explain."
He only laughs, "You work for me again and you can call yourself whatever you like 'Twig'."
Sallow's face grows serious and he looks Twig in the eye. "I followed you because I've got a job I need you for. I also know all this," Sallow motions to the war camp around him, "Isn't going to end well."
Twig's eyes narrow, "What do you mean it won't end well, and why do you want my help?"
Sallow's eyes keep glancing of in the distance to the hills behind them. "Let me answer those in reverse order. I need your help because you're the only person I trust enough to help me gain control of an extremely powerful mercenary group and as to the second part, well, let's just say the McKalins have been tipped off about this little uprising and are on their way to crush it."
[[Panic]]
[[Question Him]]
Twig looks straight into Kristoph's dirt brown eyes. "I'm sorry I betrayed you. You were a good friend and I should never have hurt you. Sallow chuckles, his ample girth rumbling. "Now, was that so difficult?" Before Twig can respond, Sallow stabs him through the eye. As Twig bleeds out, Sallow just shakes his head. "Disappointing." Sallow takes his bags and makes his way into the forest.
''TWIG IS DEAD''Rather than respond with words Twig simply starts hyperventiliating. Sallow sits there patiently, continuing to cook his pig. Twig occasionally looks like he wants to say something, but is silenced by increasingly rapid breathing and a thundering heartbeat.
Eventually, Twig is able to take in a few deep breaths, and calms down slightly.
[[Question Him]]
"WHAT? What do you mean the McKalins are know what we're doing?"
Sallow shrugs, "They want to end this little peasant uprising before it begins and as much as I can get behind what you all were trying to do here, it wasn't going to work."
At that Twig blanches, "What do you mean it wouldn't work?"
Sallow shakes his head and looks a Twig like he's a child. "You really expected to conquer four seperate houses without anyone finding out? There are thousands of you! Even if you somehow shot down all the messenger birds the castles sent, you really think no peasants would've noticed?"
//Wow. That's a good point. How did we ever expect that to work?//
Sallow shrugs, "It also doesn't hurt that I informed Marwin of this little uprising with a few anonymous messages."
[[Panic]]
[[Attack Sallow]]
[[Go Warn Mother]]Without a word, Twig draws his bastard sword from the sheath on his back and strikes at Sallow. The man twists aside, easily dodging the grey steel.
Sallow cocks his head at Twig. "Well, that wasn't very polite."
Twig doesn't respond, setting his mouth in a grim line.
Sallow ignores the looks and continues, oblivious, "I trained you Tengu, how do you honestly expect to lay a finger on-"
Twig moves quickly, kicking coals from the fire at Sallow, who narrowly dodges the bulk of them, while swinging his sword low. The blade finds it's mark and severs Sallow's leg. The man collapses to the ground, cradling his lost limb. The look on his face isn't one of rage or pain, simply confusion.
Twig stabs downward with his sword until the blade breaks through the dirt. For once, Sallow is quiet. Twig glares down at the dead man and looks away.
//It had to be done.//
The words provide him little comfort as his former friend's blood darkens the ground. Twig turns away.
[[Find Mother]]Without a word, Twig dashes toward the besieged tower, only to feel a hand grip the back of his tunic, dragging him backwards.
"Woah there, you haven't even heard my kind job offer," Sallow says, keeping his grip tighter than a miser's hold on his riches.
Twig tries to break Sallows grip, and fails. He turns to look at the man who was once his friend.
"Why would you do this?! You hate these people stepping on the peasants as much as we do. Why betray us?"
Sallow dons a contemplative face. "Well, a couple reasons. One, I want to be the one to bring these bastards down, two, I have no idea if this "mother" that leads you won't just become something worse than the rulers now, and three," He lets go of Twig's shirt and points a finger at Twig. "You mess with me, I mess with you."
Twig is beyond rage and is barely treading water in a sea of confusion. "Mess with me? There are thousands of good people here. You're killing all of them to get back at me?!"
Sallow closes an eye and moves his hand back and forth, "Good people might be a bit of stretch, I know that bodyguard of Mother has strangled more than a few people in his time."
Twig puts his hands on Sallow's chest and shoves him against a tree. " That's not the point! You're just a crazy bastard who I made the mistake of befriending."
Sallow face stiffens, "Look, if you'd just listen to my offer, we can both get out of here and wreak havoc on these lords."
Twig's mouth hangs half open in sheer incredulity. "You still expect me to help you? You are actually insane."
Sallow begins to turn a frightening shade of red. "Look, join me and live, or stay here and die."
Twig looks at him and actually laughs. "That's no choice at all." He points at the hills. "Leave Kristoph, before I kill you myself."
Sallow looks genuinely surprised. Twig doesn't wait for him to move, but simply turns his back on him.
[[Find Mother]]
Twig dashes like a madman, feet kicking up dirt with every step. He reaches the edge of the camp and runs down the hill. Unfortunately, he trips and tumbles down the steep hill. Upon finally stopping Twig rubs his now bruised head and picks himself up. He looks up to see Gorosti staring at him with the small embers of rage that always seem present.
"What are you doing, idiot?"
Twig rubs the back of his head and pushes himself up. "Thanks for the hand. I need to find Mother. Things are about to get bad."
Gorosti folds his arms and continues staring at Twig. "How specific. What's happening, you puckered Blij?"
Twig ignores the insult and tries to push past Gorosti. The boulder of a man doesn't move.
//This fool is going to get us all killed. Even if I told him, he likely wouldn't believe me.//
They both turn to look at the camp as a quiet drum beat begins. Gorosti hefts his club and begins making his way towards the noise. "Find Mother. Keep her safe." With that, he runs up the hill suprisingly quickly.
Twig runs toward the lone, massive, trebuchet they had set up to besiege the tower. To its right is Mother, unattractive and fat as ever in her old chainmail. Twig reaches her, breathless, and she smiles at him. "Hello, Twig, you're just in time. We need you to-"
"No," he wheezes, "Time. The McKalins know we're here. They'll be on us in minutes."
Mother's eyes widen, only to narrow once more in a stubborn look Twig knew all too well at this point.
She strides toward her horse. "We can only fight then. There isn't enough time for you to rally the Mighty, even if you could somehow lift Brick. Find Tavor, Twig. You'll stand a better chance fighting together. I'll go see if I can rally the men before Ayrclyde attacks."
Twig gives her a nod, attempting to keep a straight face, while his brain begins to panic.
//Our "army" is made up of nothing but poor houses and peasants. How does she expect us to do anything except die?//
As if hearing his doubts, Mother turns to him and gives a small smile. "Try not to die Twig." She kicks her horse into motion and they gallop towards the camp.
//Well that has to be the worst inspiring speech I've ever heard.//
Despite that, Twig feels a gentle warmth in his bones.
//Okay, I need to find Tavor. Between us, we have a chance to keep this rabble from breaking at the first sign of a knight.//
[[Find Tavor]]
Twig wastes no time in commandeering a horse and riding hard towards the camp. Once he reaches it, he finds only chaos. Men and horses are screaming, many trying to find armor, others simply trying to escape. The drumbeat is louder now and Twig gallops to the other side of the hill. Far in the distance he spies a long column of soldiers, their bright steel reflecting the sun.
//Shit.//
Twig takes a few deep breath and pulls the reins to turn the horse around. Behind him stands Tavor, who is busy staring at the fate marching their way.
"This isn't good."
Twig almost laughs at the understatement.
"We need to get in armor and gather our army of farmhands," Tavor says in an quiet tone.
Twig nods and together they return to their horses and don their armor. Twig wears simple boiled leather with an iron half-helm. His hands are defended by leather gloves with steel spaldings on the knuckles. Tavor looks at him incredulously. "I can't believe you're going to fight like that. You're practically naked!"
Twig only shakes his head. They'd had this argument numerous times and the familiarity of it offered Twig some comfort.
"Like you're so much better off in that metal coffin you're wearing," Twig says, voice dripping with sarcasm.
Tavor grumbles something about a green peasant telling him how to defend himself, but motions for Twig to help him don the breastplate. Once fully equiped, Tavor does make an imposing figure. Armored in the style of knights, the man has few weak points and is able to ignore most attacks.
Twig takes the bracelet out of his pocket and looks at the ant for a long moment. A smile sprouts on his face and he slips his hand through the bracelet.
//It's you and me now, little guy.//
He feels the beat of the drums vibrate his body, and Twig knows they can't be far. He and Tavor mount up and make their way to the center of camp. They find Mother desperately trying to gather her soldiers into any sort of order.
[[Yell to Get Everyone's Attention]]
[[Tell Tavor to Yell For You]]"Listen everyone," Twig shouts, straining his voice.
No one even glances at him, all of them too caught up trying to armor up or escape.
//Well, that worked.//
Tavor snorts, "Well that worked."
[[Tell Tavor to Yell For You]]
"Hey, Tavor. Get everyone's attention." Tavor nods and looks at the bulk of the crowd.
"STOP AND LISTEN," he shouts with the voice of Blij himself. The words are loud enough to shatter Twig's eardrums and he cringes. The camp grows silent, however, and everyone turns to look at Tavor.
"Thank you. The McKalins will be upon us soon, and we need to be ready. Anyone who needs to put on armor, do so. Anyone who needs to be a coward, try it, and I'll cut your head off. See, simple."
Twig watches in amazement, as people actually listen. They finish donning their armor, and Tavor directs them to where they will be for the battle. The drumbeats offer good incentive, and soon the chaos transforms into organized battle lines.
Tavor leaves his brother to gather the stragglers and turns to Twig. "Where do you want to be Twig? On the front lines, or guarding the rear?
[[Guard the Rear]]
[[Join the Front Lines]]Twig smiles sheepishly, "I'll take the back lines. Getting trampled by horses gives me a bad rash."
Tavor only laughs. "Probably not a bad idea. Most of these guys seem like they'll run as soon as their toes get stubbed."
Twig begins walking toward the back lines, and Tavor follows him.
[[Take Up Archery]]Twig shrugs, "I don't trust this front line not to shatter in the face of knights. They'll need us to stiffen them."
Tavor's mouth tilts up and Twig groans. "That's not what I meant. I swear even when we're facing certain death, you can't help yourself."
Tavor simply shrugs and claps Twig on the back, knocking the wind out of him. "Come on Twig, we've got some rookies to stiffen."
Twig groans, but follows all the same.
[[Stiffen Them]]The drumbeats grow louder as Tavor and Twig make their way to the front line. The column of soldiers moves ever closer, and will be on top of them in a few minutes. The foliage is dense on either side of the line, creating a choke point the McKlains will be forced to charge through.
//We might actually have a chance.//
Twig eyes the sharp slope the opposing force will have to climb. He nudges Tavor, "This isn't the worst spot we could've been in."
Tavor nods, "We've got a chance. It looks to be no more than four or five thousand of them. Still, they're better armored than most of ours, and they have horses." He looks at the men surrounding him and his face grows solemn. He lowers his voice, "If they break, they'll break hard. We cannot let that happen."
Tavor must have seen the beads of sweat on Twig's forehead and forces a smile. "Just stay near me Twig. We'll be okay."
Twig can only nod and turns to watch as the McKalin cavalry are spurred into a gallop.
//Trynottodietrynottodietrynottodie//
[[Try Not to Die]]Tavor and Twig make it to the back lines where the archers stand. Some have bowls of thick, black oil next to them.
Tavor tosses down his iron studded club and picks up a bow and quiver. He tosses them to Twig and picks up his own. Twig looks at the bow and back at Tavor. "What am I supposed to do with this?"
Twig scratches his chin, "Well, you might try shooting the enemy. If you feel like it."
Twig looks down at the bow and flares his nostrils. "I hate archers," he mumbles. He knocks an arrow to the string nonetheless and steels himself.
[[Light them Up]]
"Archers! Knock, draw, loose," Gorosti calls out from the middle of their group. Twig watches as a rain of flaming arrows fall upon the incoming cavalry. Men and horses scream as the arrows find their mark, yet the tide of battle is not stopped. The first man to reach the top of the hill finds an army of terrified peasants waiting for him. He attempts to ride over the front line, but his horse is skewered almost instantly and he is pushed back down the hill. He and his horse fall, taking several other soldiers with him as the horse crushes the unfortunates below them.
Tavor barks a laugh and Twig can't help but smile grimly. Soon the tide of steel reaches them and chaos erupts. Twig grips his sword tightly as men die in front of him. Finally the spear wall is broken and Aryclyde men pour through the gap.
Twig and Tavor hold their ground. Twig cuts the leg off a rider and Tavor slams his club into the first horse that reaches him, ducking the attempt by its rider to bisect him.
//Their horses really don't help them here. Once they reach the top of the hill, they can't gain any speed before we hit them. Hell, their corpes are making already treacherous terrain deadly. One mistep and their horse breaks a leg.//
Twig's thoughts become quieter and quieter as the battle goes on. There is no strategy, no tactic. He and Tavor fight with brutal efficiency. There is nothing but the enemy in front of them. The large force slowly dwindles in size as they are unable to make a beachhead for their horse to gain speed.
//We're actually winning. Most of their men are either dead of fleeing.//
Twig smiles widely, actually laughing as he continues to fight. The sound of a horn from behind them poisons the smile in it's sleep. Twig turns around for the briefest of moments to see another equally large force attacking them from behind.
[[Warn Tavor]]"Archers! Knock, draw, loose," Gorosti calls out from the middle of their group. The archers dip their arrows in the oil and a man runs along lighting the arrows for them. Twig sticks with his normal arrows and aims the bow high enough for the arrows to land just in front of the hill. As one he and the archers loose their arrows. A sky grow brighter as their arrows arc through the air and find their mark. The screams and shouts of Ayrclyde troops should warm Twig's bones, but he feels nothing. "Knock, draw, loose!" The archers obey and they laucn arrow after arrow into the opposing force.
A resounding crash of steel shakes Twig from his reverie, yet all they can do is continue firing. By the time the battle is fully joined, Twig's fingers ache and his quiver is near empty. Shouts and screams ring out from the front line and Twig can only shiver.
//This was a good decision.//
He glances back at LordsFall and his heart plummets. Another column, twice again as large as this one approaches them.
//Blij be damned.//
Then Twig sees the front line shatter.
[[Tell Tavor]]Twig turns to warn Tavor only to find the man isn't beside him. Twig frantically looks around while dodging mace swipes and horse hoofs. The sees the man frantically dueling with a particularly handsome knight. Both of them have lost their helms and are dueling. The opposing knight wears a surcoat bearing a large golden tree. Twig's eyes narrow.
//McKalin.//
Twig fights his way to the knight and meets Tavor's eyes. Tavor gives him the briefest of nods as he narrowly avoids losing his head.
Twig raises his sword and swings downward, shearing through the knight's unarmored skull and sending him crashing to the ground.
Tavor wipes the sweat off his brow and nods at Twig. "We need to find my brother and Mother. No one is surviving this."
As if to punctuate his statement they hear Gorosti roar. Tavor grimaces, "That can't be good. Come on."
He and Twig force their way through the chaos. They watch as one by one their soldiers are surrounded and cut down. Twig feels his stomach roiling, yet knows to stop is to perish. The two of them find Gorosti using a dead soldier's corpse as a weapon. He swings it into two of the men in front of him, sending them crashing into the dirt.
As the two of them get closer, they see Mother lying on the ground, a spear sticking out of her chest. Tavor interposes his shield between his brother and a spear thrust. Together, he and Gorosti shield their mother's corpse. Twig joins them and as time passes they become an island in a sea of golden trees. Twig feels his arms growing heavy, and both he and Gorosti have taken cuts to the arms. Even Tavor is slowing down noticeably, relying on his armor to take many of the blows sent his way.
//I feel like I should have something snappy to say here. Something noble.//
Twig mentally shrugs.
//I was never a speech giver anyway.//
He sets his mouth in a grim smile and fights on. Soon Gorosti is struck in the back of the leg by a spear and falls to the ground. A sword shears through his neck, sending his head rolling. Tavor and Twig stand back to back, two solitary figures among the hundreds left. Twig hears Tavor shout and ducks as a halberd passes right over his head. Another man finds the gap in Tavor's armor and cuts the man's arm off. Tavor takes the man by the throat with his good hand and throws him against his foes.
Soon the blood loss hits him, and Tavor stumbles. An arrow lodges itself in his throat and Twig hears him fall.
//Alone again.//
[[Finish the Fight]]Twig turns to warn Tavor only to find the man isn't beside him. Twig frantically looks around while dodging mace swipes and horse hoofs. He sees the man frantically dueling with a particularly handsome knight near the front line.
//How in the name of Blij did he get all the way up there??!//
Both of them have lost their helms and are dueling. The opposing knight wears a surcoat bearing a large golden tree. Twig's eyes narrow.
//McKalin.//
Twig fights his way to the knight and meets Tavor's eyes. Tavor gives him the briefest of nods as he narrowly avoids losing his head.
Twig raises his sword and swings downward, shearing through the knight's unarmored skull and sending him crashing to the ground.
Tavor wipes the sweat off his brow and nods at Twig. "We need to find Gorosti and Mother. No one is surviving this."
As if to punctuate his statement they hear Gorosti roar. Tavor grimaces, "That can't be good. Come on."
He and Twig force their way through the chaos. They watch as one by one their soldiers are surrounded and cut down. Twig feels his stomach roiling, yet knows to stop is to perish. The two of them find Gorosti using a dead soldier's corpse as a weapon. He swings it into two of the men in front of him, sending them crashing into the dirt.
As the two of them get closer, they see Mother lying on the ground, a spear sticking out of her chest. Tavor interposes his shield between his brother and a spear thrust. Together, he and Gorosti shield their mother's corpse. Twig joins them and as time passes they become an island in a sea of golden trees. Twig feels his arms growing heavy, and both he and Gorosti have taken cuts to the arms. Even Tavor is slowing down noticeably, relying on his armor to take many of the blows sent his way.
//I feel like I should have something snappy to say here. Something noble.//
Twig mentally shrugs.
//I was never a real eloquent speaker anyway.//
He sets his mouth in a grim smile and fights on. Soon Gorosti is struck in the back of the leg by a spear and falls to the ground. A sword shears through his neck, sending his head rolling. Tavor and Twig stand back to back, two solitary figures among the thousands of foes. Twig hears Tavor shout and ducks as a halberd passes right over his head. Another man finds the gap in Tavor's armor and cuts the man's arm off. Tavor takes the man by the throat with his good hand and throws him against his foes.
Soon the blood loss hits him, and Tavor stumbles. An arrow lodges itself in his throat and Twig hears him fall.
//Alone again.//
[[Finish the Fight]]Twig dodges a crossbow bolt and guts the man in front of him. His sword is red to the hilt and his armor is in tatters. Twig's eyes flit around madly, searching for another target. The only men near him are corpses and Twig shakes himself out of his bloodlust.
He is surrounded on all sides. Rested knights in plate armor watch him through the slits in their visors. Twig takes deep, shuddering breaths and lets his sword point rest on the ground. He looks around and sees a field of corpses. The sun shines brightly above him and a cool breeze lightly touches each soldier left.
Twig looks at the ant on his wrist and can't help but smile.
//I'll see you soon Mom and Dad.//
He grips his sword tight in two hands, blood running between his fingers. The circle of soldiers tightens and Twig is ready to finish this fight.
[[Credits]]