The Legend of the Tree of Life and Death

<<set $outcome = "">>\ <<display Intro>>

<<print $outcome>> And so you come to the end of your journey. /% TODO: Improve this! %/

You sit in the shade of a tall tree looking back over your shoulder as if you could still see Charín. Your journey has hardly started, and already you are thinking of the city you left behind. Still, someone had to go on this ridiculous errand, this quest that will span a continent, and it's not as if you hate the idea of an adventure. Maybe it will be exciting, and it might even be an opportunity to make something of yourself. Even if the claims of enlightenment and life-changing events were exaggerated, tasting the fruit of the Tree of Life and Death would certainly be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Walking onwards, you review the mission you were given: as a princess of Jyväsky, you must represent your country in the Festival of Life in Lincun. Even though the last blooming was thousands of years ago, the traditions are still preserved, and participation in the Festival of Life would mean a taste of the fruit of the Tree of Life and Death. It was a sign of the strength of those traditions that even a nation as far away as Jyväsky had the right to send a representative. Of course, the delegation they had chosen to send said something different about tradition. No grand procession, no royal guard, not even a small caravan: just you, your student Ime, and your friend Arel. You are not entirely without resources. You have some perfume, a ring, a book of herbal lore, a medicine chest, and an oboe, and you are able to read and write, you are competent with an instrument, you are skilled at fighting, and you are knowledgeable about the healing arts. Meanwhile, your student Ime brought nothing, and your friend Arel brought nothing. Ime is good at casting spells and she is knowledgeable about plants and animals. Arel is great at telling stories and she is good at repairing things. Between the three of you, it should be possible to make it to Lincun, and once you get there, your family's disregard for the importance of the Festival of Life might just backfire on them. After all, they gave you full authority to represent Jyväsky at the Festival. You shake your head to clear it of thoughts of glory and doom. No matter what lies ahead, only time will tell if this expedition will be rewarding. [[Begin your journey...|root]]

<<if $outcome neq "">><<print $outcome>> <<endif>>You come to a chaotic market and decide to browse for a bit. A merchant seems knowledgeable and a peasant seems knowledgeable and some bandits are threatening the merchant and a noble is baselessly accusing the peasant of insolence and the merchant is selling a spear. [[You travel onwards (no relevant skills).|root_3][$outcome="You continue your journey. You have traveled to a new place."]] [[You attack the bandits (The bandits are skilled at fighting. You are skilled at fighting. The bandits have no tool for fighting. You have no tool for fighting).|root_2][$outcome="You attack the bandits. The bandits dodge your attack, but then you thrust at the bandits and the bandits are hit by your attack. The bandits are defeated. The bandits are not threatening the merchant any more, and they have been killed."]] [[You deny that the peasant is guilty and argue that the noble’s accusation is baseless (The noble is good at rhetoric. You are not great at rhetoric).|root_1][$outcome="You argue that the peasant has been wrongly accused, but the noble remains convinced that the peasant is guilty. The situation remains the same."]]

<<if $outcome neq "">><<print $outcome>> <<endif>> The noble is baselessly accusing the peasant of disrespect and the bandits are threatening the merchant and he is selling his spear and the peasant seems knowledgeable and the merchant seems knowledgeable. [[You attack the bandits (You are good at fighting. The bandits are skilled at fighting. You have no tool for fighting. The bandits have no tool for fighting).|root_2][$outcome="You attack the bandits. The bandits thrust at you, but then the bandits are hit by your attack and then you strike at the bandits. The bandits are defeated. The bandits are not threatening the merchant any more, and they are now dead."]] [[You ask Arel to explain to the noble why the peasant to be actually innocent (Arel is great at telling stories).|root_1_1][$outcome="Arel explains to the noble why the peasant is innocent and the noble concedes the point. The noble is not accusing the peasant any more."]]

<<if $outcome neq "">><<print $outcome>> <<endif>> The noble is baselessly accusing the peasant of insolence and the merchant is selling the merchant’s spear and the peasant seems knowledgeable and the merchant seems knowledgeable. You travel onwards. You continue your journey. [[Onwards...|root_3][$outcome='']]

<<if $outcome neq "">><<print $outcome>> <<endif>> The bandits are threatening the merchant and he is selling his spear and he seems knowledgeable and the peasant seems knowledgeable. You travel onwards. You continue your journey. [[Onwards...|root_3][$outcome='']]

<<if $outcome neq "">><<print $outcome>> <<endif>>As you travel onwards, an ogre approaches you, bellowing. He is threatening you. [[You attack the ogre (You are good at fighting. He is skilled at fighting. He has no tool for fighting. You have no tool for fighting).|root_3_3][$outcome="You attack the ogre. You are hit by the ogre’s attack, but you dodge the ogre’s attack and then you strike at the ogre. The ogre is defeated. You have an oboe now, the ogre is not threatening you any more, and he has been killed."]] [[You have Ime transform the ogre into a chicken (Ime is good at casting spells. Ime has no tool for sorcery).|root_3_1][$outcome="She tries to cast a spell on the ogre, but nothing happens. The situation remains the same."]]

<<if $outcome neq "">><<print $outcome>> <<endif>> You travel onwards. You continue your journey. [[Onwards...|root_3_3_1][$outcome='']]

<<if $outcome neq "">><<print $outcome>> <<endif>> The ogre is threatening you. He attacks you. He attacks you. You are hit by the ogre’s attack and you dodge the ogre’s attack. Finally he and you withdraw from combat, exhausted. [[Onwards...|root_3_1_1][$outcome='']]

<<if $outcome neq "">><<print $outcome>> <<endif>> The ogre is injured. You travel onwards. You continue your journey. [[Onwards...|root_3_3_1][$outcome='']]

<<if $outcome neq "">><<print $outcome>> <<endif>>You come to a tavern and decide to rest for a while. A peasant seems knowledgeable. [[You travel onwards (no relevant skills).|root_3_3_1_3][$outcome="You continue your journey. You have traveled to a new place."]] [[You gossip with her (You are not good at persuasion).|End][$outcome="You chat with the peasant, but the peasant doesn't seem to know anything useful. The peasant no longer has any interesting gossip to share."]]

<<if $outcome neq "">><<print $outcome>> <<endif>>You come across some bandits attacking a merchant. The bandits are threatening the merchant. [[You attack the bandits (You are skilled at fighting. They are skilled at fighting. They have no tool for fighting. You have no tool for fighting).|End][$outcome="You attack the bandits. The bandits dodge your attack but the bandits are hit by your attack and then you dodge the bandits’ attack. The bandits are defeated. The bandits are no longer threatening the merchant, and they are injured now."]] [[You travel onwards (no relevant skills).|End][$outcome="You continue your journey. You have traveled to a new place."]]