· 8 years ago · Jun 25, 2018, 08:38 PM
1Developer mode?
2*choice
3 #Developer mode
4 *set developer true
5 *goto page1
6 #No
7 *set developer false
8 *goto page1
9
10
11
12*label page1
13
14It was a bleak midautumn's day. The damp air refurbished the color of the sky into a brownish color. Condensed droplets tuned a lullaby in the air, and formed small puddles in the streets where horse drawn cartridges would sometimes pass and cause a splash. The streets would be otherwise quiet, and only a few pedestrians walked on along the shallow pavements. The weather has always been like this in the Celpeian Empire. This stuffy air can be quite choking, especially for you, for you originated from the northern parts the realm where the coldness will always keep the air dry. But this land, foreign to your origins, will soon become all that you know.
15
16It was your first memory, dated back when you were very young. You still remeber that you were sitting alone in the rain, at the bottom of the broad and long stone stairs before St.Harrow's Cathedral. Your parents told you to wait there. You vaguely remember their countenance as they spoke to you - full of grieve and regrets, not the face of a typical parent before their children.
17
18But surely you do remember your life before this. How was it like before this day?
19
20*choice
21 *if (developer) #(Developer) Use default values for all variables and skip to chapter 1
22 *set forename "Vrynscyth"
23 *set surname "Valerie"
24 *set Gender "Female"
25 *set age 17
26 *set birth "Aristocratic"
27 *set ethnicity "Celpeian"
28 *ending
29 #I remeber I was born with riches beyond description with flocks of servants surrounding my birth.
30 *set birth "Aristocratic"
31 *goto page2
32 #Impoverished and famished I was at birth, that I could not remeber one day without starving to bed.
33 *set birth "Plebeian"
34 *goto page2
35 #I don't actually remember what my life was like before this day. I was small and my memories do not last so long.
36 *goto page2
37
38
39
40*label page2
41
42They told me to not leave until someone comes to pick me up, not by them, but by a friend of theirs. They stuck a scruffy note and a gold piece in my hand. They left me a trace of memory of their backs as they faded away.
43
44I cannot recall precisely how long I had waited for, but I knew that dusk approached when the sky had turned from a lighter shade of azure to an inkier shade of blue. Many people went past me into the cathedral: pastors, vicars, chaplains, clerics. I heard guidances of the priests, prayers of faithful mens, chants of devotion, pleads of sinners, acoustics of requiems, they accompanied me momentarily as I waited, and they all left me waiting after they were gone.
45
46My parents and whomever is the friend they spoke about still showed no signs of appearing in. The sermon services the church offered ended long ago. Only a few of the truly faithful ones still stayed. Eventually, the sky became suffiently dark that everything around me had a shade of blue, and I could see no one else in the vicinity. Even so, my eyesight still allowed me to see quite clearly a haggard porter came by, who locked church doors and the gates to the cemetery. He eventually left aswell, and I became the only person still sitting on the stairs in the rain.
47
48I noticed a dropped Bible in the grass stuck in a small pile of muddy dirt before someone's grave. It's book written in my language, still open on the book of Job, that which read "And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand." The writings were still clear even after the rain came down and soaked the pages together. It did make me wonder why someone would bury half of a Bible into a foreign graveyard. I took the book under my clothes, and claimed it's ownership.
49
50Wherefore did you do so? Are you a faithful follower of the LORD?
51
52*choice
53 #Absolutely. I am very faithful to the LORD.
54 *set liberty -10
55 *set has_bible true
56 *goto page3
57 #No. But a bible is quite expensive, and I don't want to let it go to waste.
58 *set has_bible true
59 *goto page3
60 #I don't believe in God, I believe in my own freedom, and I should certainly not bow to anyone.
61 *set liberty +10
62 *goto page3
63
64
65
66*label page3
67
68Then came a middle aged man, face covered in wrinkles that witnessed his vissicitudes. He had a red rose in his hand, half withered and strown by the rain, and half unbloomed to begin with. He knelt before the tombstones on which the Bible was dropped, which had the name "Elena Davies" engraved upon it's wordy face, and planted the unbloomed flower upon the same small pile of dirt he built next to the headstone. As unmoving as everything around him he stood there, staring emptily at the flower before him for no less than five minutes before he finally averted his eyes. When he did, he noticed me, the only other person who was still here. He walked over to me, and lowered his upper torso as in a bow to speak to me in a very gentlemanly manner.
69"You should put the book back where it was. It was meant to be there. It did cost me three hundred denars. Bury it there, if you will."
70
71*choice
72 #Why do you want me to bury a Bible? That is disrespectful to God.
73 *set liberty -10
74 "She needs it more than we do, for she is with God now." He sighed, puffing out a breath into the air.
75 *choice
76 #Bury the Bible
77 *goto bury
78 #No matter what, it is disrespectful to God to do such a thing, and I will not do it.
79 If you don't want to bury the bible, then give the Bible to me. It is my property after all.
80 *choice
81 #Give him the Bible
82 He took the Bible. "Thank you".
83 *goto page4
84 #No way
85 *goto keepBible
86 #No. I found it, so I'm going to keep it.
87 *goto keepBible
88 #Do as told. Bury the Bible.
89 *goto bury
90
91
92*label keepBible
93*set has_bible true
94*set linden -10
95"Alright, fine. I have no evidences to say it was mine so I cannot push this case. Keep it if you so will. I'll just buy another one someday." He said to you softly. He did insist to get back his property, so you now have a bible.
96*goto page4
97
98
99*label bury
100
101*set liberty %+30
102*set god -10
103*set has_bible false
104Albeit curious of the reason why he would ask you to do such a thing, you dug up the dirt and buried the book in a wet muddy pile of dirt besides the grave of the person called "Elena Davies".
105*goto page4
106
107
108
109*label page4
110
111*set knows_linden true
112He looked at you up and down, examining your nature. "It should be scary for a young ${girl} like you to be visiting a graveyard alone at this hour. Where have your parents gone?"
113
114You looked into his eyes for a while, and then shook your head awkwardly, accompanied by shivers of coldness or nervousness that you got from the cold rainy weather.
115
116He saw that you didn't respond with words. "What's that note you have? Can I see it?"
117
118He was observant and attentive to ask about the note. If he hadn't, then all the story that would consequently happen would never have happened, and you would be perhaps taken hostage by stray dogs, dismembered overnight. You handed him the note, in which the piece of gold was encapsulated. He took both of this. You read his expressions which was unclear as he read the note, and you couldn't tell what he was thinking as he saw its contents. He then gestured you to follow him. Perhaps because you were relived to finally see someone, you got up with my numbed legs and followed.
119
120As you walked, you talked.
121
122"Sir, pardon me if we have met before, but I cannot recall your identity. My parents never told me whom I'd be expecting."
123
124"I don't believe we've met. My name is Linden Layre. I and your father are colleagues."
125
126"By my father never had work colleagues." I looked at him suspiciously.
127
128"This was from a while back, before you were born, so you might not know. He asked me to take care of you for a while as he runs some business here."
129
130Suspicious of him lying about knowing your father, you asked him "What is my name?"
131
132*temp toomanyquestions false
133*temp gavename false
134
135*label ask_name
136For the purpose of game integrity, what actually is your name?
137*choice
138 #My name is...
139 *set gavename true
140 *goto give_name
141 #Why should I tell you?
142 *if toomanyquestions
143 Alright that's too many questions. Don't tell me. I don't want to know anymore. I'll just give you a default name.
144 *goto ask_gender
145 So that the game may continue as designed.
146 *set toomanyquestions true
147 *choice
148 #You are "The man who has access to everything"? Can't you get my name from whoever it is working for the government that keeps a record of everyone's name?
149 Yes, but wouldn't it be way easier if you just tell me?
150 *goto ask_name
151 #My name is...
152 Well?
153 *goto give_name
154 #I... I'm not sure. Who am I? Why am I here? What am I doing?
155 *if toomanyquestions
156 Alright that's too many questions. Don't tell me. I don't want to know anymore.
157 *goto ask_gender
158 Ok. I don't know who you are, and thats why I'm waiting for you to tell me. You are asking a lot of questions instead of answering mine. Will you tell me your name or not?
159 *set toomanyquestions true
160 *goto ask_name
161 #Give a false name
162 *set gavename true
163 *goto alias
164
165*label give_name
166*choice
167 #Vrynscyth Valerie
168 *set forename "Vryscyth"
169 *set surname "Valerie"
170 *goto ask_gender
171 #It's none of those. Let me tell you my name myself!
172 What's your first name?
173 *input_text forename
174 What's your last name?
175 *input_text surname
176 *goto ask_gender
177
178*label alias
179*set has_alias true
180Ok then. What do you want your fake name to be?
181*choice
182 #Vrynscyth Valerie
183 *set alias_forename "Vryscyth"
184 *set alias_surname "Valerie"
185 *if (alias_surname = surname)
186 *if (alias_forename = forename)
187 I don't think you fully comprehend the purpose of an alias, which is that it is meant differ from your real name.
188 *goto alias
189 *goto ask_realname
190 #It's none of those. Let me tell you my name myself!
191 What's your fake first name
192 *input_text alias_forename
193 What's your fake last name
194 *input_text surname
195 *if (alias_surname = surname)
196 *if (alias_forename = forename)
197 I don't think you fully comprehend the purpose of an alias, which is that it is meant differ from your real name.
198 *goto alias
199 *goto ask_realname
200
201*label ask_realname
202In that case, what's your real name?
203*choice
204 #I didn't tell you my real name just now. What makes you think I would change my mind?
205 I don't know? I'll just call you "Annonymous" then.
206 *goto ask_gender
207 #It is..
208 *goto give_name
209
210*label ask_gender
211*if gavename
212 *line_break
213 Well from that name it is not hard to guess your gender, which is...
214 *choice
215 #Which is...?
216 I actually have no idea what your gender is. Please tell me.
217 *choice
218 #Male
219 *set gender "Male"
220 *goto page5
221 #Female
222 *set gender "Female"
223 *goto page5
224 #Unspecified
225 *set gender "Unspecified"
226 *goto page5
227 #Tick the "Others" option.
228 *set gender "Others! Not even unspecified?"
229 *goto page5
230 #No. Go away.
231 You're so boring.
232 *goto page5
233
234 #Male
235 *set gender "Male"
236 *goto page5
237 #Female
238 *set gender "Female"
239 *goto page5
240 #Is it really easy to guess that I'm male from that name?
241 Well... I have no idea actually. But now you said you're male so...
242 *set gender "Male"
243 *goto page5
244 #It's not really a girl's name but ok.
245 Well... I have no idea actually. But now you said you're female so...
246 *set gender "Female"
247 *goto page5
248 #Unspecified
249 *set gender "Unspecified"
250 *goto page5
251 #Tick the "Others" option.
252 *set gender "Others! Not even unspecified?"
253 *goto page5
254
255You don't want to give me your name. That's fine. Will you tell me your gender then? I presume not?
256*choice
257 #Male
258 *set gender "Male"
259 *goto page5
260 #Female
261 *set gender "Female"
262 *goto page5
263 #Unspecified
264 *set gender "Unspecified"
265 *goto page5
266 #Tick the "Others" option.
267 *set gender "Others! Not even unspecified?"
268 *goto page5
269 #No. Go away.
270 You're so boring.
271 *goto page5
272
273
274*label page5
275
276*if gender = "male"
277 *set she "he"
278 *set her "his"
279 *set hers "his"
280 *set girl "boy"
281 *set lady "gentleman"
282 *set miss "mr"
283"You are ${forename#1} ${surname}." Linden replied, and you are surprised that he knows your real name. "But I must confess I don't know too much about you. You are from the far northern parts of the realm, why did you come here?"
284
285"Me and my parents are here on a vacation. He thought he'd take me and my mother out for a holiday here, and thus we came. But there had been a change of plans since we arrived. We didn't go see any places other than the cathedral, and they told me to wait for you and after than, they just disappeared. It's strange isn't it?"
286
287"It is quite strange, yes". Linden nodded his head and frowned as if sthinking quite deeply, but also to appreciate my quickly recovered confidence speaking.
288
289After that, we just talked about the north where I was from. He did have more knowledge in where I lived then I did. Almost as if he lived their also.
290*goto page6
291
292
293*label page6
294
295You had thought you walked miles from all the twists and bends he led you turning, and all the narrow alleyways that you had to walk through, but it was not a great deal of time before you reached a terribly conditioned dwelling. It's size is not awful, but it's doors had been rusted. It didn't seem like a place habited by human beings, yet that was the home of this friend of your parents'
296
297The immediate moment you walked through those doors, a gush of decaying wind swept past me. Your nervousness and fears multiplied by some factors as you started to doubt the environment of this place. You then noticed the interiors of this seemingly insignificant slum house. It was a massive den of deprivation, filled with grimness and ghastly people with purple black faces. There was an underweight boy in the corner just sitting there. He had eye bags and yellow red veins like the crawling roots of a radish popping out from his eyes. He looked desperate, like murderous criminals before imprisonment awaiting a pronounced hanging, deathly and numb to death, despite his fears, he clearly lacked the intents in a criminal. He looked like he was lost without purpose. He breathed as troubled disease waiters his agonal stage, gasping before all respiration is cut off, except he lacked the struggles to survive. Evidently, he's fears do not originate from his health and condition as they obviously should have, but rather, it looked like he couldn't care. Not that he didn't want to, he just couldn't muster the energy to care. He looked like they don't mind losing his lives, not out of audacity, but out of greif, having nothing to love in this world.
298
299You murmured to Linden "Who is this person?" in a silent voice that almost sounded like a whimpering, but he did not reply to you. Instead, he loudly proclaimed to the boy in the corner in the most authoritative manner.
300
301"Where's your boss?"
302
303There was no reply, so Linden raised his voice slightly, and repeated.
304
305"Where is your boss?"
306
307The boy suddenly looked up in a very shocked manner, in a way that looked like someone smacked him awake from some nightmares. His face became clouded with fear and a mixture of some other feelings.
308
309"The boss..." He started considering the words deeply, and mumbled them out.
310
311"Yes. Where is he?" Linden becomes slightly impatient in his reply.
312
313"He's just with some guy across that door." He pointed at a door, and spoke slowly and with a slightly cracking voice."He's been in there for a while. You can expect him to come out any time now."
314
315"I'm just going to wait here then." Linden said, as he fanned off the smoke before him. "Go do some work instead of just sitting there. Stop being so slovenly, or else your boss will be angry with you."
316
317He sat you down on a stool and you waited in this closed room filled with the smell of illnesses. You wanted to barge out the door the moment you could find the chance to, but even if you ran out, where would you possibly go? you had no idea where your parents went, so what good will it do in escaping what might be the only shelter from the rain that existed where you could enter?
318
319Having no other choices, you sat there and waited silently.
320*goto page7
321
322
323*label page7
324
325*set knows_boss true
326The man he was talking about soon came out from the door. He was was not as big as you thought he would be, and looked kinder than the boy and Linden made him seem. He raised a brow seeing me sitting on a stool inside the den he runs. Nervously, you waved and smiled at him, but he didn't reply this gesture, he simply turned to Linden and they conversed. The full content of their conversations you couldn't have eavesdropped but their contents you could guess.
327
328After minutes of discussions, the boss greeted you perfunctorily, and introduced you to who he was. He told you that he and Linden are friends and fellow philanthropist colleagues who helps people who are down and give them free stuff. He said he'll allow you to join his big family of many children tomorrow.
329
330Linden left you here alone after he dropped you here. Evidently, he wasn't a friend of your parents, that you had realised the moment you walked into this slum of sickness. He must have obtained your information from the writings on the note. It then became clear your situation: You were abandoned by your parents, and they left a note and a coin in the hope that you might be picked up by some kind person and they might raise you be. It was not lucky to be brought into this grim den. Although, even if that was the case, what could you possibly do? You just stood stoically besides the boss. You didn't have to privilege to cry at that moment, if you did, would this boss find you annoying and throw you out into the rain again? You just tried to be completely obedient to perhaps find yourself some favors in my benefactor or kidnapper's eyes.
331
332After he left, the boss led you through that door to a room in the smoggy slum with other kids of your age. They were mostly all sleeping by now, and the ones who were still awoke didn't bother to look at me. The boss led you before a triple bunk bed with just one girl on the bottom deck. He gestured you to climb up, and so you did. He then left the room. Although starving to bed, although in excruciating despair, it was late and the night was dark, so you easily fell fast asleep.
333
334*goto page8
335
336
337
338*label page8
339
340*set date "Morning - 13 September 1429"
341*set location "Criminal's Den - Praven, capital of the Kingdom of Celpeia"
342*set garment "Gray dress and lace ankle-boots"
343*set wealth 0
344
345When you finally awoke, you noticed that the pillows were wet from tears from weeping that you didn't realise were produced in your sleep, so you quickly flipped the pillow upside down, hoping it won't be noticed by others. You were the last one to wake up. There were some people putting on their clothes in their blankets, but you never took yours off. The boss came in and herded you all before a table, where you were each given a cob rye bread and water. You had not touched a grain since yesterday morning in the cathedral, so you were quite keen. Some of the other people gave you strange looks, but you avoided their eyesights.
346
347*if birth = "Aristocratic"
348 "This is ${forename} ${surname}. $!{she}'ll be joining our big family from today onwards." The boss proclaimed, and everyone looked at me and him. He then pointed his hand at me. "$!{miss} Valerie here, is a lady from a noble family from the north!"
349*if birth = "Plebeian"
350 "This is ${forename} ${surname}. $!{she}'ll be joining our big family from today onwards." The boss proclaimed, and everyone looked at me and him. He then pointed his hand at me. "$!{miss} Valerie here, is a girl from the north!"
351
352Everyone's mouths became wide and round. Have they never seen a northern girl before? If so, then Evidently they must be quite shallow in their sights and experience.
353
354"We expect everyone to be treated as equals in our family, no matter who they are. So everyone be nice to our new member, and let's give ${her} a warm welcome."
355
356The other kids started "Woohooing" and shouting. The girl who's bed was beneath mine greeted you, and you forced myself to smile back.
357
358Finally, the boss declared. "$!{forename} is now a part of us. Let us celebrate an addition to our growing family through this breakfast."
359
360And of course, no one was reluctant to eat.
361*goto page9
362
363
364*label page9
365
366The morning should have meant the beginning of a day of playful games or studying the importance of agriculture, but since you were disbanded by your parents before the St Harrow's Cathedral, you had lost all those privileges. With this newfound home and family which operates on crimes and malfeasances, it can be expected that the dawn consists of a series of assignments which are to be completely by dusk.
367
368Kindly, the boss did not ask anything of you, and in gratitude of their acceptance of you and giving you a place to sleep thereof, you simply worked around the house, made it tidier to better fit your standards and to satisfy what you had considered necessities to achieve a sustainable lifestyle. Unpertaining to your usual slovenly self, you completed these work with commendable efforts and adequate skills. You were able to have wiped all the surfaces with wet and dry cloth, scrubbed all of the floors, organized the placements of the furnished
369
370When the other kids came back to the den, they brought numerous articles of pocket-books, jewels and trinkets. None of which in particular held great values, but combined, they do sum to an amount. They were likely not manufacturers of valuable commodities, so it was not difficult to guess what work they had been doing: routing uncareful ladies, pickpocketing drowsy elders, finagling kind gentlemen, robbing from street beggars, and whatever other devious means that could not be named to obtain these pricey assets.
371
372The boss was quite visibly pleased, as he commended them each individually for the quantity and quality of harvests they each brought in. After collecting up the product of the kids' work today, and after recounting and re-evaluate their net value, his mood became light.
373
374Normally, people would feel uncomfortable with the though that they are living with robbers. Would you?
375
376*choice
377 #Yes, of course I would be uncomfortable. I am sitting right next to a few dozens of villains, criminals, thugs, and theives - the most repulsive people of peoplekind.
378 *set good %+10
379 Well, what can you do? Better stick up and live with it.
380 *goto page10
381 #No, not at all. They are my new family now. Would you feel uncomfortable around your family?
382 *set boss %+20
383 Good. Feeling comfortable at your home for the next few "God knows how long" would make your life so much easier.
384 *goto page10
385
386
387
388*label page10
389
390After some jovial celebrations, the boss said to me: "You see how many valuables were brought back here so that we may celebrate a day of hard work through eating, $!{forename}? They were not brought back without hard work. A wise man once said 'if you want to eat, you've got to earn a bob'. Following his life philosophy, all of my family works very hard everyday. Thus it is you see the result of our work in both the jewels and our happiness. Do you not think agree that one must work hard to be happy?"
391
392"I do, sir."
393
394"I'm very glad that you agree. But only hard work alone does not always grant you it's results. You must also know how the work is to be performed, how to do it efficiently, and how best to quickly come to fruition. In every trade, there exists skills and tools you may use to aid your work. Would you like to learn them?"
395
396"I do, sir, but I haven't got anything to repay your kindness."
397
398"It is very good to hear your eagarness! As you know. I am a philanthropist, I will charge you nothing. But every person is different, and we respect that individuality. It is thus you should know your strengths and weaknesses. Let's engage in an aptitude test."
399
400"What kind of an aptitude test do you mean,sir?"
401
402"Well. I'll just ask you a few questions about yourself, and you will try to answer them to the best of your ability. Is that alright?"
403
404"Yes sir surely."
405
406*temp not_strength true
407*temp not_agility true
408*temp not_intelligence true
409*temp not_determination true
410What would you say is your strongest trait?
411*label attribute1
412*choice
413 #I am physically and mentally strong. In fact, there are few people I know who can match my STRENGTH.
414 *set strength +20
415 *set not_strength false
416 *goto attribute2
417 #My AGILITY has been sharpened through all these years, and I am dexterous as a cat.
418 *set agility +20
419 *set not_agility false
420 *goto attribute2
421 #Whether you call me cunning or ingenuity but my INTELLIGENCE has always been my greatest advantage.
422 *set intelligence +20
423 *set not_intelligence false
424 *goto attribute2
425 #Anything I want to accomplish, anything I want to achieve, I put all my DETERMINATION into it.
426 *set determination +20
427 *set not_determination false
428 *goto attribute2
429
430*label attribute2
431Hmm, that's interesting. What's your second strongest trait then?
432*choice
433 *selectable_if (not_strength) #My STRENGTH should come second place. I try to maintain a strong body.
434 *set strength +10
435 *set not_strength false
436 *goto attribute3
437 *selectable_if (not_agility) #I am more dexterous than most so... AGILITY maybe?
438 *set agility +10
439 *set not_agility false
440 *goto attribute3
441 *selectable_if (not_intelligence) #Someone of my caliber should have a high INTELLIGENCE surely.
442 *set intelligence +10
443 *set not_intelligence false
444 *goto attribute3
445 *selectable_if (not_strength) #To achieve anything, you must have DETERMINATION. That's why I still keep mine.
446 *set determination +10
447 *set not_determination false
448 *goto attribute3
449
450*label attribute3
451*temp picked false
452*comment The picked variable is initialized here because of the recursive nature of the skill picking block.
453Everybody has a weakness. What's yours?
454*choice
455 *selectable_if (not_strength) #I'm slighty fragile, my STRENGTH is my weakness.
456 *set strength -10
457 *set not_strength false
458 *goto skills
459 *selectable_if (not_agility) #I am too slow by nature. My AGILITY is not all that impressive.
460 *set agility -10
461 *set not_agility false
462 *goto skills
463 *selectable_if (not_intelligence) #Some of my peers had high INTELLIGENCE, not me though.
464 *set intelligence -10
465 *set not_intelligence false
466 *goto skills
467 *selectable_if (not_strength) #I'm already dissuaded of my purpose from your question. I don't have much DETERMINATION now do I?
468 *set determination -10
469 *set not_determination false
470 *goto skills
471 #Please. I have no weakness?
472 Hmm... Not very humble are we?
473 *set perception -5
474 *set learning -5
475 *set extravagant +20
476 *goto skills
477
478
479*label skills
480Tell me two of your proudest skills then please.
481*choice
482 *disable_reuse #I am STEALTHY as Erebus
483 *set stealth +20
484 *if picked
485 *goto page11
486 *set picked true
487 *goto skills
488 *disable_reuse #I am CHARMING as Aphrodite
489 *set charm +20
490 *if picked
491 *goto page11
492 *set picked true
493 *goto skills
494 *disable_reuse #I am PERCEPTIVE as Odin
495 *set perception +20
496 *if picked
497 *goto page11
498 *set picked true
499 *goto skills
500 *disable_reuse #I am PERSUASIVE as Peitho
501 *set persuasion +20
502 *if picked
503 *goto page11
504 *set picked true
505 *goto skills
506 *disable_reuse #I am COMBAT honed as Ares
507 *set combat +20
508 *if picked
509 *goto page11
510 *set picked true
511 *goto skills
512 *disable_reuse #I am WEAPON proficient as Hephaestus
513 *set weapons +20
514 *if picked
515 *goto page11
516 *set picked true
517 *goto skills
518 *disable_reuse #I am a good LEARNER... I'm googling up the names of the gods listed above and learning their deeds right now...
519 *set learning +20
520 *if picked
521 *goto page11
522 *set picked true
523 *goto skills
524
525
526
527*label page11
528
529"It is very good to learn so much about you, $!{forename}. You should be ready to learn about our work now." The boss smiled at you, a smile better than greiving look you last saw on your parents.
530
531The boss was very pleased with your attributes and skillset. He told you that you had a bright future. He even asked the girl who was under your bed last night to befriend you and guide you through what they did. At first, she was shy and reluctant to do so, but after a multitude of praises on how she had indeed a pair of nimble hands and ten swift fingers like the limbs of a crab, she succumbed to the boss's flatteries and agreed to help you through the first few stages integrating into your new family. After the curfew bell rang three times, you and your new family dined, the other kids went back to working their goods, and my tutor took me aside.
532
533The meal was more or less satifying, comprising of commonplace food that most people of this city would eat. How do you feel about it though?
534*choice
535 *if (birth = "Aristocratic") #These plebeians are scant in their food. How could they eat such foul foods?
536 *set extravagant %+20
537 For you, of course these food were terrible. To think that you would have to survive on it for the subsequent timeline...
538 *goto page12
539 *if (birth = "Aristocratic") #Despite being a ${girl} coming from a overwealmingly rich family, these homemade food aren't too bad either.
540 *set extravagant %-20
541 How humble as a ${lady} of an aristocratic family! Respect for you.
542 *goto page12
543 *if (birth = "plebeians") #I am glad to have any food at all since I was born into a poor family. How could I ask for more?
544 *set extravagant %-20
545 What a sad truth.
546 *goto page12
547 *if (birth = "plebeians") #I had to cook better foods for my family.
548 *set can_cook true
549 *set extravagant %+20
550 If you know how to cook, you know how to turn anything into foodstuff. Guess you won't be starving.
551 *goto page12
552 #I am getting food for free, so atleast I am thankful regarless of preference.
553 *set good %+20
554 *goto page12
555 #Meh... Normal I guess? No specific preference.
556 *goto page12
557
558
559*label page12
560
561Despite just having lost everything you had up till now, you were not easily dissuaded to make a new living for yourself. Regardless of your dignity, righteousness, and morality, you didn't feel too humiliated to quickly learn their trade. They were, of course, also very open to any discourses that can provide the family - the boss, more potential profit, something that you had suspected to be the purpose of taking you in for free. For this mutual benefit, you felt compelled to not beguile yourself before the watchmen of the city, and in order to not be caught, you had to diligently study the art of earning money fast without risking myself in the process.
562
563Your mentor wasn't neglecting her duty either. She gave you a dagger and took for herself another, and you looked at her in suspicion. Though maybe not as much shock after all that had happened.
564
565"Why should we need this? What are we doing?"
566
567"Nothing particularly dangerous per se. If we're going outside after the curfew bell, then we have to always carry something in case anything happened."
568
569"We're going outside after curfew bell? Will we not be seen by the night watch?"
570
571She laughed at my seemingly ignorant question. "We'll just have to not be seen then don't we. Don't you want to learn our trade? Come on."
572
573She closed the door behind us as you two headed into the alleyways. you never took a good notice of the streets of the capital. You had thought they'd be well maintained and befitting of where the King of Kingdom of Celpeia would walk on, but was rather unkept. All streets like this one we walked on were all dirty if they are not cleaned a few times a day with the amount of vandalism occuring each day. The street would be otherwise empty without the rubbish each residents dumped out. Even some of the buildings on the sidewalk became cracked after the rain from yesterday, exposing their hollow crumbling insides.
574
575As you walked further, seeing absolutely no watchmen and patrols you expected to appear, you soon realised that you certainly were not alone. In fact, you were part of a grand capital nightlife.
576
577It wouldn't be so surprising to find a street two blocks within the den I was led into where illegitimate trades took place. There were three men in the street, all viciously villainous by sight. One of the men gave another a box the size of a common drawer. The receiver opened it, and reacted by returning a punch straight into the giver's face. The third man didn't intervene until the giver was already lying in the floor, by which he immediately join the action by stomping repeatedly onto the giver's stomach.
578
579Then my teacher nudged me. "Rule number one, when you're walking around these parts at night, you keep your head down, and you ignore everything. Curiosity killed the cat."
580
581I instantly complied by not looking at any of the subsequent beatings.
582
583We walked past them, and came before a door.
584
585"Hmm... Let's see. This is a good spot. Let's see how well you fare against this door." Elena said with a finger up before her face and a tilted head. "Before we embark on more risky businesses, such as... Well. You know."
586
587"I'm not too sure what you want me to do."
588
589"Nothing hard. Let me think... Hmm... See that door with the massive padlock on it? That means nobody is in there. So, if you can manage get to the other side of that door and back, I'll give you this glossy soft coin." She took out a golden ten denars coin, a pretty special one, with king Rinatus's head engraved up the front side and a rose flower at the back. Ten denars isn't a lot of money per se, but considering my dire situation, I probably should need it severely. I went over to the door and examined. The lock was bulky and heavy, and I probably can't open the lock without any specialist's tool.
590
591How proficient are you at lockpicking?
592
593*choice
594 #I have the skills of a master theif. Doors and locks are indifferent to me from a empty frame.
595 *set can_lockpick true
596 *set good -10
597 Well then you're in a position to use those skills that you have. Unfortunately, you do not currently have the lockpicking toolset that you usually need, so this door will prove more challenging. As a master lock picker, can you find an alternative way to get through to the other side?
598 *goto page13
599 #No. But I did manage to get back home in thirty minute that one time I was locked out of my home.
600 Knowing how to pick a lock should come quite handy in the current situation. It seems like you'll have to find an alternative method.
601 *goto page13
602
603
604*label page13
605
606Immediately you thought of Santa's signature move, but with the small chimney this dwelling has and the apparent difficulty of climbing back out. You changed your idea. You then then remembered how you could shove a branch a foot long through the letterbox slit on the doors, slide it's tip over on the handle, and just press down. But with this door, there is a massive padlock on the door, and there is practically no way that could work.
607
608You dwindled on the outside of that door for fifteen minutes, and after you drained yourself of ideas, you thought brute force would be the best way to get past the door. You jammed my dagger into the creaks of the door, and started to hammer it in. When it was three centimeters deep into the creak, you turned it left and right to create an even wider gap between the door and the frame. At this point, a few splinters on the door started breaking off, and you found hope and motivation to continue. Eventually, You started prying the door against the frame, and the wooden part of the door sank back in, and it's entirety ripped like a piece of paper. The door frame was broken, so the task became much easier. After a few kicks and shoulder rams, the interior frame broke down and you opened the door via brute force. You beamed an victorious smile at Elena, ignoring what a serious crime you had just committed.
609
610"Very well done. A dagger can be used in multitudinous ways. That certainly was one of the ways you could deal some damage to the edge of blade." Elena's lips had lifted corners, and she started lecturing you as instructed by the boss in some details. The explanation of how she would personally had gone about the door problem is precise enough for her to become a professional teacher if she so wishes.
611*goto page14
612
613
614*label page14
615
616"I see that you do have the talents a thief may need. However, we are not thieves as you might be suspecting. We are above that. For that reason, every single one of us is equipped with a full arsenal of skills of all sorts. That door that you had just broke certainly is a part of the skills that some of us acquire before actually doing work. However, even if you do have so much talents in door opening, there are a few other skills which you may need to become successful in our trade." She glanced around like a meerkat, shuffled herself towards me, and shoved ten denars into my hands discreetly. You nodded and placed the not so hefty ten denars securely into your pocket.
617
618"Another one of these skills, a rather important one, probably the most useful for life, would be making quick money. Right now, you have ten denars. Before the sunrise tomorrow, I would like to see you with a hundred denars. Do anything you wish, but I will follow you around to observe you."
619
620A very simple way to get those twenty denars is to burglar the house that you had just broke in. Would you burglar it?
621
622*choice
623 #I had already broken in. If I don't steal it's contents, someone else surely would. Besides, there is a great sum of money in there, so of course I would burglar the house.
624 *set wealth +43
625 Indeed. But that's the first sentence of the most dangerous criminals.
626
627 You rummaged through the house with less experience then a burglar but more proficiency than any other common people. It didn't take long before you found a jar hidden in a pile of haystack used as a bed. Elena was outside scouting for any incoming intruders or owners of this dwelling, and conveniently, there wasn't. In total, you found thirty denars worth of small goods you could carry from the jars and some other valuables container, and you skedaddled away quick enough for no one to notice.
628 *goto page15
629 #Breaking the door down is not a minor crime, but to steal from it is a another story.
630 *set wealth +10
631 What? You broke into a house but your morals and dignity retrained you from entering? Okay. I won't judge you.
632 *goto page15
633
634
635*label page15
636
637*temp time 0
638Now how should you continue the task to gain 100 denars? You have only till sunrise, and it will approach fast if you stand here thinking about what you should do instead of getting right down to it. You better think fast, and come up with some way of getting the denars.
639
640*choice
641 *disable_reuse *selectable_if ((agility >= 30) or (stealth >= 30)) #I don't have much of a choice now. Eventhough there are few rich pedestrians on the streets at this time, I should still try to do some pickpocketing. (Requires Agility 30 or Stealth 30)
642 *if (perception >= 30)
643 *set wealth +31
644 There were only a few pedestrians as you expected, but your high perception allowed you to find a few walkers to steal from. Even so, pickpocketing was very difficult. In the end, you manage to steal a sum of thirty one denars.
645 *goto check
646 *else
647 *set wealth +23
648 You couldn't find many a pedestrians this late at night. That coupled with your low percenption makes this task very challenging. Despite the difficulty however, you did manage to come up with a sum of twenty three denars.
649
650 *disable_reuse *selectable_if ((intelligence >= 30) and (good <= 60)) #Formulate an evil plan to make a lot of money fast. (Requires Intelligence 30 and Evil 40)
651
652 *disable_reuse *selectable_if (strength >= 30) #I am strong and I have a weapon. I should do some armed robbery. (Requires Weapon & Strength 30)
653
654 *disable_reuse *selectable_if ((charm >= 10) and (persuasion >= 30)) #I try to persuade Elena to give me some more money. (Requires Charm 30 and Persuasion 30)
655
656 *disable_reuse *selectable_if (has_bible) #Sell that bible I had earlier (Requires Bible)
657
658 *disable_reuse *selectable_if (wealth >= 30) #Go to the biggest casino in the city. (Requires Wealth 30)
659
660 *disable_reuse *selectable_if ((determination >= 30) and (perception >=30)) #Roam about the streets for a long time, searching for money that other people might have dropped. (Requires Determination 30 and Perception 30)
661
662*label check
663
664*if(wealth >= 100)
665 "Very well done, $!{forename}. You have proved yourself very able. When this test was applied to "
666*elseif (time >=6)
667 "How unfortunate, $!{forename}. The day broke, and you have not made 100 denars. It seems that you still need to learn some skills and better train your abilities."
668*else
669 *goto page15
670and I surveyed my surroundings. Noticing that I still have that house that I had already opened a path to, I quite easily thought of my first step in making money. I rummaged through the house with less experience then a burglar but more proficiency than any common people. It didn't take long before I found a jar hidden in a pile of haystack used as a bed. Elena was outside scouting for any incoming intruders or owners of this dwelling I was in, and conveniently, there wasn't. In total, I found thirty denars worth of small goods I could carry from the jars and some other valuables container, and I skedaddled away quick enough for no one to notice. Before Elena was about to congratulate me however, I left for a jewel shop that was open 24/7 to prevent all theifs and burglars and to attract late night customers which it frequently has, and bought some extravagantly expensive decorations. Elena was highly confused as to what I was doing, which was only natural.
671
672Elena followed me as she said she would, and I took her to the biggest casino in the Kingdom.
673
674The casino is where the upper population of the city migrates to when night falls, and the traffic around it was busy. There seemed to be an endless stream of casino regulars and amateur gamblers alike. Two men in black suits stood guard in front of the main entrance of the casino, verifying that everyone entering has money and taking a portion thereof.
675
676Despite seeming incredibly suspicious, the two men seemed to allow anyone in who paid to enter. I and Elena managed to get in to the casino quite effortlessly.
677
678The environment on the inside was easy to predict, with arbiters scamming gamblers, the house taking money from both. I could I almost see strings being pulled here.
679
680*ending