What Time Remembered (formerly Generic Text Adventure)

[raekuul]

The key has a funny symbol engraved on the top, and it has two teeth.

The table is upside down.

You attempt to read the Tauropedia from cover to cover, but you pass out from information overload. You now know everything there ever was to know about Aardvarks.

You are fairly thirsty. You are fairly hungry.

Status:
40 HP
10 MP
70 EXP to next level
Ambient Magic: 20%

Inventory:
Waterskin (Almost Full)
Food Rations (7)
Tribal Spear
Skeletal Hand (?)
History of the Five Kingdoms
The Tauropedia

Spellbook:
Summon Fey (5 MP)

[Neo]

Drink water.

Consult Tauropedia: Are Feys edible?
_________________
_{Ad Astra}

[raekuul]

You drink a little bit of water. You feel refreshed.

You do some research on Fey. Fey do not leave any carcasses behind when they die, instead dissolving into mist upon death. The Tauropedia goes on to note that Fey Blood is toxic to humans if ingested and is extremely bitter.

[referee]

Eat 1 ration
_________________
Jan 21st, 2008: The pillaging continues.
Mar 4th, 2008: Rest in Peace, Gary Gygax. May your dice always roll a natural 20 wherever you are.

Be the Ultimate Ninja! Play Billy Vs. SNAKEMAN today!

[Sentran]

Of what material is the key made?
_________________
Sentran
"Speaking of double negatives, I haven't read greylab yet today." - Lifeinmomland

[Amb]

North west

[raekuul]

You eat a food ration. Your belly is filled!

The key is made of what appears to be blue metal. It matches the keyholes in the Hallway of Mercury.

The only exit in this room is to the South.

Status:
40 HP
10 MP
70 EXP to next level
Ambient Magic: 20%

Inventory:
Waterskin (Mostly Full)
Food Rations (6)
Tribal Spear
Skeletal Hand (?)
History of the Five Kingdoms
The Tauropedia

Spellbook:
Summon Fey (5 MP)

[Zag]

[raekuul]

You head south.

You head south.

You head south. The magic here is stronger. The door seals shut behind you! In this room is a pedestal, an exit further south, and a ghost gazing into a crystal ball.

Status:
40 HP
10 MP
70 EXP to next level
Ambient Magic: 35%

Inventory:
Waterskin (Mostly Full)
Food Rations (6)
Tribal Spear
Skeletal Hand (?)
History of the Five Kingdoms
The Tauropedia

Spellbook:
Summon Fey (5 MP)

[Logain]

examine pedestal
examine crystal ball
talk to ghost

[raekuul]

There is a book open on the pedestal. Upon closer inspection, it appears to be a spell of Mana Arrow.

You examine the crystal ball. You see... You see a castle, peaked with four towers, each tower being in one of the four cardinal directions. Then, an explosion of green light comes from the southern tower! The southern tower collapses, and time seems to speed up. You see the sands of time bury the castle, the lands around becoming a desert. A great deal of time passes, and many people enter the ruins from where the southern tower once stood, yet none seem to ever leave. Time slows, and you see yourself entering the tower. The vision ends with the image of a green scroll torn in three.

You speak to the ghost. She sighs. "Always the same result. No matter how hard I try, I cannot seem to cast magic. Can you show me how it's done?"

Status:
40 HP
10 MP
70 EXP to next level
Ambient Magic: 35%

Inventory:
Waterskin (Mostly Full)
Food Rations (6)
Tribal Spear
Skeletal Hand (?)
History of the Five Kingdoms
The Tauropedia

Spellbook:
Summon Fey (5 MP)

[Zag]

Do whatever one does to copy the Mana Arrow spell into my spellbook (or take the other book).

"Well, I only know two spells, counting this Mana Arrow one right here. The other is Summon Fey. And, I suppose that I have learned how to activate my magic triangle. Maybe this crystal ball is activated the same way."

Activate Crystal Ball.

[MNOWAX]

use the Summon Fey spell
_________________
The Man The Myth The Legend
MNOWAX

[raekuul]

You copy Mana Arrow into your spellbook.

The ghost looks at you funnily. "But you don't have a magic triangle."

You already looked in the crystal ball.

You summon a Fey. She is small, quiet, friendly. She will leave in 5 actions.

The ghost was watching as you had cast your spell. "Hmm... so I would need a body to channel the flow of magic. I see... now, can you show me what someone who has exhausted their personal mana looks like? And while you're at it, I would like to see the Mana Arrow spell being cast.

Status:
40 HP
5 MP
70 EXP to next level
Ambient Magic: 35%

Inventory:
Waterskin (Mostly Full)
Food Rations (6)
Tribal Spear
Skeletal Hand (?)
History of the Five Kingdoms
The Tauropedia

Spellbook:
Summon Fey (5 MP)
Mana Arrow (1 MP)

[Zag]

Look up ghosts in the Taruopedia. (I'm concerned that being mana exhausted is what leaves one vulnerable to possession. Of course, if this were a real text adventure, I'd probably just do it, die, back up one round.)

[raekuul]

The Tauropedia has this to say about Ghosts. "Ghosts are the souls of those who do not yet know that they have died, or else are those who have died while guarding a place. They are incapable of performing magic, as they do not have a body with which to channel their mana."

The Tauropedia has this to say about Possession. "Possession is nine-tenths of the law. If you own it, you keep it - for the most part. This includes one's body and one's sanity."

The Tauropedia has this to say about the type of Possession you are interested in. "Possession by a ghost is an interesting phenomenon, of which little has been documented. Of what has been documented, the only time a Ghost has not ended the possession at the request of the body's original owner is when the body dies while under the Ghost's control - leading to the creation of a Pseudo-Demon. Possession can only be entered into by a conscious decision, and requires a person to spend all of their mana with the intent of becoming possessed. If the intent is not there, then a Ghost or Demon cannot possess a body. See the Integration ritual under the subject of Shamans for further reference."

The Tauropedia has this to say about Mana Exhaustion. "Exhausting one's supply of mana is dangerous to do in battle; while ambient magic can hasten the recovery of one's mana, in battle it would leave a spellcaster unable to cast spells. It is for this reason that casting magic is divided into Spells and Rituals - Rituals are a special subset of spells in which a caster expends all of their mana in one action."

[Amb]

Plugh
Since Xyzzy didn't do anything!

[raekuul]

You grumble an arcane word of limitless power. In the back of your mind, you hear someone speaking.

"Hello? Hello? Is this thing on?"

[Sentran*]

Look up the Integration ritual in the Tauropedia, under Shaman.

[raekuul]

The Tauropedia has this to say on the subject of Integration Ritual.

"To integrate with a Ghost, both parties must be willing, and the person lending out the body must conduct the Ritual of Reincarnation (as detailed further down the page). Upon completion of the ritual, the ghost obtains a degree of control over the body. To regain your body, asking the ghost to leave will usually do the trick, although there are some ghosts who will need to be forced out by sheer willpower.

To integrate with a Demon, both parties must be willing, and the person lending out the body must conduct the Ritual of Incarnation (as detailed further down the page). Upon completion of the ritual, the demon obtains complete control over the body. WARNING! Demons can only be removed by force, as they do not willingly leave a body once incarnated."

[Neo]

Look up Demon in Tauropedia.

Talk to the ghost: So, what's your story?
_________________
_{Ad Astra}

[raekuul]

The Tauropedia has this to say about Demons.

"Demons are as much a part of nature as Ghosts - which is to say, they are humans who do not have a body. But where a Ghost is the soul of one who had a body of his own during life, a Demon never had a body to begin with. Demons typically know much more magic than Living Humans or Ghosts due to the fact that they can remember to almost the beginning of time (the fact that Demons are aware of a Creation but cannot give details of the Creation implies that they were actually created after the rest of Creation, but this is neither here nor there), and - if properly controlled - can be a great source of new spells and rituals for intrepid young spellcasters. However, it must be said that Demons typically will not leave a body once granted habitation, and the Ritual of Incarnation gives the incarnated Demon full control of a body."

You ask the ghost about its history. "Oh, Astra set the eight of us to guard the four towers and protect the hidden stairway to the Cache of the Star Kingdom. We're also the final test for those who would join the Court of Odysseus. I am the final test for Magicians, June is the final test for Scholars - since you've got the Tauropedia, I guess you've seen her already - Tau and Russel work in Mars Tower, and Maus and Ray work in Venus Tower. I haven't seen Bud and Trina since Jupiter Tower disappeared, back before we all died.

Yeah, I know I'm dead. There's naught that can be done to change it, either. I've been researching ways to continue casting spells despite my death, but from what you showed me earlier there's nothing that can be done for those without bodies short of possession, and I don't want to possess you anyway. The whole 'Let me see you exhaust your magic' thing is the way to pass from this room and retrieve Athena's Key of Magic. Astra set the challenges, and there's nothing we can do to change them."

[Sentran*]

Cast the Summon Fey spell.

[raekuul]

Your previously summoned Fey has returned to its home.

You summon a Fey. She is small, quiet, friendly. She will disappear in 5 actions.

And now I need to do a bunch of recalculating since I wasn't actually updating the stats during that last sequence.

Status:
40 HP
5 MP
70 EXP to next level
Ambient Magic: 35%

Inventory:
Waterskin (Mostly Full)
Food Rations (6)
Tribal Spear
Skeletal Hand (?)
History of the Five Kingdoms
The Tauropedia

Spellbook:
Summon Fey (5 MP)
Mana Arrow (1 MP)

[referee]

wait
cast Mana Arrow
if failed due to 0MP, repeat
_________________
Jan 21st, 2008: The pillaging continues.
Mar 4th, 2008: Rest in Peace, Gary Gygax. May your dice always roll a natural 20 wherever you are.

Be the Ultimate Ninja! Play Billy Vs. SNAKEMAN today!

[raekuul]

I'm interpreting that as "While MP > 0, cast Mana Arrow" (since any round without combat or casting regenerates mana based on how much ambient magic there is)

You cast Mana Arrow.

You cast Mana Arrow.

You cast Mana Arrow.

You cast Mana Arrow.

You cast Mana Arrow. Your previously summoned Fey has returned to its home.

You cannot cast any spells, for you are out of Mana! The ghost nods in approval, and the doors open.

Status:
40 HP
0 MP
40 EXP to next level
Ambient Magic: 35%

Inventory:
Waterskin (Mostly Full)
Food Rations (6)
Tribal Spear
Skeletal Hand (?)
History of the Five Kingdoms
The Tauropedia

Spellbook:
Summon Fey (5 MP)
Mana Arrow (1 MP)

[MNOWAX]

go through the door that has opened.
_________________
The Man The Myth The Legend
MNOWAX

[raekuul]

You continue north. The ghost from the previous room is here, and there is a table in the middle of the room. On the table is a key.

Status:
40 HP
3 MP
40 EXP to next level
Ambient Magic: 35%

Inventory:
Waterskin (Mostly Full)
Food Rations (6)
Tribal Spear
Skeletal Hand (?)
History of the Five Kingdoms
The Tauropedia

Spellbook:
Summon Fey (5 MP)
Mana Arrow (1 MP)

[Neo]

Take Key
Examine Key
_________________
_{Ad Astra}

[Sentran]

Wait until my mana points/magic points are full.
_________________
Sentran
"Speaking of double negatives, I haven't read greylab yet today." - Lifeinmomland

[MNOWAX]

hold my tribial spear in my hand just in case... does anyone else smell a trap here?
_________________
The Man The Myth The Legend
MNOWAX

[raekuul]

You take the key. This key is exactly like the key you found in the room past the Trial of the Scholar - except for having more teeth.

You wait. You wait. You wait. You ready your Tribal Spear.

Status:
40 HP
10 MP
40 EXP to next level
Ambient Magic: 35%

Inventory:
Waterskin (Mostly Full)
Food Rations (6)
Tribal Spear
Skeletal Hand (?)
History of the Five Kingdoms
The Tauropedia

Spellbook:
Summon Fey (5 MP)
Mana Arrow (1 MP)

[Sentran]

Return to the room with the keyholes.
Use the key in the corresponding keyhole.
_________________
Sentran
"Speaking of double negatives, I haven't read greylab yet today." - Lifeinmomland

[raekuul]

You return to the room with the Keyholes.

After a little trial-and-error, you are able to turn both locks. The Western Door opens!

Magic floods the room.

Status:
40 HP
10 MP
40 EXP to next level
Ambient Magic: 70%

Inventory:
Waterskin (Mostly Full)
Food Rations (6)
Tribal Spear
Skeletal Hand (?)
History of the Five Kingdoms
The Tauropedia

Spellbook:
Summon Fey (5 MP)
Mana Arrow (1 MP)

(Note: I'm not including keys in the inventory)

[MNOWAX]

ready the spear, go through the western door.
_________________
The Man The Myth The Legend
MNOWAX

[raekuul]

You ready the spear. You go through the Western Door.

In this room is a table with two pieces of scroll on it. One is blue and whole, the other is green and torn. The magic here is stifling.

Status:
40 HP
10 MP
40 EXP to next level
Ambient Magic: 85%

Inventory:
Waterskin (Mostly Full)
Food Rations (6)
Tribal Spear
Skeletal Hand (?)
History of the Five Kingdoms
The Tauropedia

Spellbook:
Summon Fey (5 MP)
Mana Arrow (1 MP)

[Amb*]

Read blue scroll aloud.

[raekuul]

You read the blue scroll aloud. Something clicks in your mind. Your vision darkens for a moment...

Ancient words of arcane power spill from your mouth against your will, and your spellbook flips open by itself. Words appear on one of the pages. Words appear on one of the pages. The blue scroll splits into three fragments.

Your vision is restored to normal. You now know how to cast Obscuring Mists. You now know how to cast Freezing Mists. You feel drained. The magic here is stifling.

Status:
40 HP
0 MP
40 EXP to next level
Ambient Magic: 85%

Inventory:
Waterskin (Mostly Full)
Food Rations (6)
Tribal Spear
Skeletal Hand (?)
History of the Five Kingdoms
The Tauropedia
Blue Scroll A
Blue Scroll B
Blue Scroll C

Spellbook:
Summon Fey (5 MP)
Mana Arrow (1 MP)
Obscuring Mists (3 MP)
Freezing Mists (7 MP)

[Jedo the Jedi]

Read the green scroll aloud.
Book it out of this room (that means leave in case you are trying to be annoyingly literal)...through the nearest door if it matters.
_________________
Paragon Tally: 18 mafia, 3 SKs (1 twice), 1 cultist, numerous chat scum...and counting.

[raekuul]

You read the green scroll fragment aloud. Your body starts to become green vapor. Panicking, you start adding random words to the spell in an attempt to stop the change. You black out as a result.

-----

You awaken to find yourself in a dark room. Something feels fundamentally different about this place, but you don't know what.

Status:
40 HP
0 MP
40 EXP to next level
Ambient Magic: 15%

Inventory:
Waterskin (Mostly Full)
Food Rations (6)
Tribal Spear
Skeletal Hand (?)
History of the Five Kingdoms
The Tauropedia
Blue Scroll A
Blue Scroll B
Blue Scroll C

Spellbook:
Summon Fey (5 MP)
Mana Arrow (1 MP)
Obscuring Mists (3 MP)
Freezing Mists (7 MP)