What Time Remembered (formerly Generic Text Adventure)

[raekuul]

Cancer shakes his head. "Technically, you're under arrest for trespassing at the very least, as well as possibly burglary and grand larceny - especially since you have the Mercury, Venus, and Mars scrolls. In any event, I've decided you're not a threat, so that should work in your favor."

Scorpio opens a trap door leading above, and you are pushed into the above floor.

You stand before a simple throne, in which is seated a young woman with silver robes and dress. In front of her is an orb that's emitting some major magic power. On her brow is the mark of the Star Kingdom, the eight-pointed Star of Destiny, which is repeated on a broach on her dress.

"Well, Cancer. What did the Zodiac capture for me today?"

Status:
39 HP
10 MP
120 EXP to next level
Ambient Magic: 60%

Inventory (not that you're carrying it):
Waterskin (Full)
Food Rations (5)
Tribal Spear
Combat Hammer
Sword
History of the Five Kingdoms
The Tauropedia

Spellbook:
Summon Fey (5 MP)
Mana Arrow (1 MP)
Obscuring Mists (3 MP)
Freezing Mists (7 MP)
Burninate (8 MP)
Paralytic Flare (5 MP)
Light Bolt (2 MP)
Light Shower (5 MP)

[itisally]

Listen and try not to make too much trouble for myself...for now
_________________
I could agree with you, but then we would both be wrong.

[raekuul]

Cancer, Scorpio, and Aries all bow before Queen Astra. "My queen, we have apprehended a person who has managed to teleport directly into the basement, completely bypassing our defenses. In addition to that, this person had the Mars, Mercury, and Venus scrolls in his possession. We confiscated them and have put them in containment tubes. However..."

Cancer looks at you. Astra raises her hand, forestalling any further speaking. "Enough of this. The Mars, Mercury, and Venus scrolls are still where they belong, Cancer. Unless you're telling me that our visitor is also capable of fooling my own magic?"

"I suspected as much, actually." Cancer says, without skipping a beat. "I believe that our visitor did not just travel through space to get here, but also through time." He reaches into your backpack and pulls out your History of the Five Kingdoms.

Status:
39 HP
14 MP
120 EXP to next level
Ambient Magic: 60%

Inventory (not that you're carrying it):
Waterskin (Full)
Food Rations (5)
Tribal Spear
Combat Hammer
Sword
History of the Five Kingdoms
The Tauropedia

Spellbook:
Summon Fey (5 MP)
Mana Arrow (1 MP)
Obscuring Mists (3 MP)
Freezing Mists (7 MP)
Burninate (8 MP)
Paralytic Flare (5 MP)
Light Bolt (2 MP)
Light Shower (5 MP)

[itisally]

Say to them, "Where I come from the castel is in ruins and adventures who enter are never seen again. I had no idea that I mayb etress passing or what the scroll would do when I read it. "
_________________
I could agree with you, but then we would both be wrong.

[MNOWAX]

What century are we in? ( What century were we in when we started the adventure?)
_________________
The Man The Myth The Legend
MNOWAX

[raekuul]

Cancer stomps on your foot to let you know that you were speaking out of turn, but Astra leans forward.

"This castle in ruins, becoming a death trap? I had seen such a thing in visions, though I could not understand how. Tell me, how did you come to possess the Mars, Venus, and Mercury scrolls? Surely, if you had truly been a thief, you would have also stolen the Jupiter scroll as well."

Scorpio scoffs. "The person also had a fourth scroll, one that from a distance could easily be mistaken for the Jupiter scroll. It is possible that someone inside your court created a back door entry to the Grand Vaults and gave it to our guest. Cancer's memory-reading is not impervious to implanted memories, as you recall from the incident with the Cult of Entropy on Mars."

Astra snaps her fingers. "Let me see the scroll. Given that our guest appears to have come through time, it is possible that the scroll will have become necessary. And hand me that book as well, Cancer. It would be interesting to see how the five kingdoms will be remembered in the far future."

Status:
39 HP
14 MP
120 EXP to next level
Ambient Magic: 60%

Inventory (not that you're carrying it):
Waterskin (Full)
Food Rations (5)
Tribal Spear
Combat Hammer
Sword
History of the Five Kingdoms
The Tauropedia

Spellbook:
Summon Fey (5 MP)
Mana Arrow (1 MP)
Obscuring Mists (3 MP)
Freezing Mists (7 MP)
Burninate (8 MP)
Paralytic Flare (5 MP)
Light Bolt (2 MP)
Light Shower (5 MP)

(MNOWAX: 25,000 years have passed between the downfall of the Star Kingdom and the start of the adventure)

[itisally]

" If I may be so bold, I didn't know of 5 kingdoms untill I found that book in the ruins. The vaults were gaurded by ghosts and skelitons."
_________________
I could agree with you, but then we would both be wrong.

[raekuul]

Astra sprinkles some dust on the book and mutters a spell. Your other captors wait in anticipation.


Status:
39 HP
14 MP
120 EXP to next level
Ambient Magic: 60%

Inventory (not that you're carrying it):
Waterskin (Full)
Food Rations (5)
Tribal Spear
Combat Hammer
Sword
History of the Five Kingdoms
The Tauropedia

Spellbook:
Summon Fey (5 MP)
Mana Arrow (1 MP)
Obscuring Mists (3 MP)
Freezing Mists (7 MP)
Burninate (8 MP)
Paralytic Flare (5 MP)
Light Bolt (2 MP)
Light Shower (5 MP)

[Dread Pirate Westley]

Wait in antici...pation.

[raekuul]

Astra lowers her hands and starts to read through the book. "It's genuine, all right - but our guest's planet should never have housed our castle in the first place. I'm starting to wonder why it was where it was.

"As for you, I'll have you escorted to a place that you can use as your quarters until we can get you back home."

Cancer unties your hands.

Pick a number between ♈ and ♓

Status:
39 HP
14 MP
120 EXP to next level
Ambient Magic: 60%

Inventory (not that you're carrying it):
Waterskin (Full)
Food Rations (5)
Tribal Spear
Combat Hammer
Sword
History of the Five Kingdoms
The Tauropedia

Spellbook:
Summon Fey (5 MP)
Mana Arrow (1 MP)
Obscuring Mists (3 MP)
Freezing Mists (7 MP)
Burninate (8 MP)
Paralytic Flare (5 MP)
Light Bolt (2 MP)
Light Shower (5 MP)

[itisally]

If I am not mistaken this should work.


_________________
I could agree with you, but then we would both be wrong.

[raekuul]

Cancer nods his head. "I'll have Capricorn escort our guest. I'm sure they'll both find each other interesting - and maybe Capricorn will get his head out of his machines for a change."

With that, your bag is returned to you (minus the scroll fragments and the History of the Five Kingdoms). Cancer presses a button on his wristwatch.

"Capricorn, Throne Room, Pickup Prisoner. No Danger."

You're fairly hungry. You're somewhat thirsty.

Status:
39 HP
14 MP
120 EXP to next level
Ambient Magic: 60%

Inventory:
Waterskin (Full)
Food Rations (5)
Tribal Spear
Combat Hammer
Sword
The Tauropedia

Spellbook:
Summon Fey (5 MP)
Mana Arrow (1 MP)
Obscuring Mists (3 MP)
Freezing Mists (7 MP)
Burninate (8 MP)
Paralytic Flare (5 MP)
Light Bolt (2 MP)
Light Shower (5 MP)

[MNOWAX]

since this is the first time we have had our bag back, eat and drink heartily as we wait for Capricorn.

They gave us back our weapons??? fools.
_________________
The Man The Myth The Legend
MNOWAX

[raekuul]

You consume a ration. You drink from your waterskin.

Cancer puts his arm back down. "Please don't try anything stupid while you're here. I really don't want to have to scrape another person off of the floors."

You realize that you have a moment to do some research, and you remember what it was that you wanted to look up in the Tauropedia earlier. You draw the book from your pack and thumb through it.

"Oh, how did you get that?" Astra asks. "Is there more than one in your time?"

Status:
39 HP
14 MP
120 EXP to next level
Ambient Magic: 60%

Inventory:
Waterskin (More than half full)
Food Rations (4)
Tribal Spear
Combat Hammer
Sword
The Tauropedia

Spellbook:
Summon Fey (5 MP)
Mana Arrow (1 MP)
Obscuring Mists (3 MP)
Freezing Mists (7 MP)
Burninate (8 MP)
Paralytic Flare (5 MP)
Light Bolt (2 MP)
Light Shower (5 MP)

[itisally]

" I found it in the ruins"
_________________
I could agree with you, but then we would both be wrong.

[raekuul]

Astra's sudden upswing in mood leaves just as quickly. "Oh, so it's still the same one that we'd had the whole time. I'd... ah well, it's probably for the best that there's only one Tauropedia. Can you imagine what would happen if two people had near-instant access to information on any subject?"

Astra then snaps her fingers. "Oh, right! You have the Tauropedia from your time, but since you're from the future there should still be a Tauropedia in the Scholar's Challenge up on the third floor."

You return to your research.

The Tauropedia has this to say on the Castle of Vaults. The Castle of Vaults was the main castle of the royal line of Astra until the theft of the Jupiter Scroll and subsequent transitioning of the castle from Odysseus to the planet (the name of the planet is too smudged to make out). After the transitioning, the Castle of Vaults was used to store the treasures of the royal line of Astra, with the obvious exception of the Star Orb. There is only one person who ever knew the full history of the Castle of Vaults, and that person has refused to comment.

The Tauropedia has this to say on Dream City. Dream City is the largest city on Odysseus, and houses two castles - the Castle of Vaults, which was the original administrative center for the Star Kingdom, and Astra's Fortress, which was built sometime between the transitioning of the Vaults and the hatching of Dr'achicar. It is also the only city in the entire Silver Millenium in which elections are held on a weekly basis.

The Tauropedia has this to say on Odysseus. Odysseus, the Wandering Planet, is the home planet of the Star Kingdom, fourth member of the Silver Millenium, and it frequently patrols the outer Solar System alongside the various peoples of Uranus and Neptune. Ruled by the royal line of Astra from Dream City up until its destruction in the Hatching of Dr'achicar, the people of Odysseus played a critical role in preventing outside threats from interfering with the other four kingdoms of the Silver Millenium. You start to feel sleepy.

The Tauropedia has this to say on the Star Kingdom. The Star Kingdom rules on but one planet in the entire solar system, and that is Odysseus. Headed by the royal line of Astra, the people of the Star Kingdom are descended from the tribes of Astra the Seer, one of the Five Ruling Wizards. In the years preceeding the Hatching of Dr'achicar, the Star Kingdom was torn apart from within by intrigue - the only known survivor from the entire kingdom of the Hatching was Princess Astra, who was very likely killed during the Atlantean Assault on the Moon Kingdom.

Astra coughs, trying to get your attention. You feel very sleepy. You feel a hand on your shoulder.

Status:
39 HP
8 MP
120 EXP to next level
Ambient Magic: 20%

Inventory:
Waterskin (Full)
Food Rations (5)
Tribal Spear
Combat Hammer
Sword
History of the Five Kingdoms
The Tauropedia

Spellbook:
Summon Fey (5 MP)
Mana Arrow (1 MP)
Obscuring Mists (3 MP)
Freezing Mists (7 MP)
Burninate (8 MP)
Paralytic Flare (5 MP)
Light Bolt (2 MP)
Light Shower (5 MP)

[itisally]

look to the hand on my sholder
_________________
I could agree with you, but then we would both be wrong.

[raekuul]

You look at your shoulder. The hand belongs to a tall man with green hair.

"Ah, Capricorn. If you'll show our guest to their quarters, I'd greatly appreciate it." Astra says. Capricorn nods and pulls you by your shoulder.

You follow Capricorn for a little bit. "Your quarters are just down this hall here... you're free to rest and recover, and we'll be working on a way to return you to your homeworld. Please try to stay out of the way, and watch out for Smoke Rats. We haven't been able to find the Shadow Wolf that's breeding them, and Astra still won't listen to reason. There's something very wrong about Odysseus; ever since we got back from our last patrol we've been seeing more and more... THINGS... breed on the planet."


Status:
39 HP
8 MP
120 EXP to next level
Ambient Magic: 20%

Inventory:
Waterskin (Full)
Food Rations (5)
Tribal Spear
Combat Hammer
Sword
History of the Five Kingdoms
The Tauropedia

Spellbook:
Summon Fey (5 MP)
Mana Arrow (1 MP)
Obscuring Mists (3 MP)
Freezing Mists (7 MP)
Burninate (8 MP)
Paralytic Flare (5 MP)
Light Bolt (2 MP)
Light Shower (5 MP)

[itisally]

" I hate it when people won't listen to reason, especially when you are working so hard to solve the problem. I wonder if it is related to my apearancce here."
_________________
I could agree with you, but then we would both be wrong.

[raekuul]

Though you cannot see his face, his tone implies a smile sitting there. "Right! Well, okay... between you, me, and the wall we Zodiacs haven't exactly been acting in good faith, but we have for the most part been acting in the best interests of the people. Take that election from last year... oh, right, you won't know. Basically, Gemini - who were ascendant at the time - decided that one of the elections had to be fixed in order to prevent some sort of catastrophe. We can't defy the will of the Ascendant one, whether he or she - or even they, in Gemini's case - are idiots or not. As you can probably guess, rigging the election didn't exactly go over well with the people - and it turns out that the catastrophe in question wasn't anything major after all anyway, so we nearly got banished for nothing. Where was I?"

He shrugs. "Anyway, if Astra will permit it, I can probably use the combined powers of the four Scrolls to turn the Castle of Vaults into a gate point between here and an untainted planet, so that we can at least get the people off of Odysseus before things get too bad."

He stops in front of a random door down a random corridor. "Here are your quarters. There's a bed inside. There'll be food in the dining hall between sunrise and noon, in case you're one of those people who eat in the morning. If you get thirsty, there's a tap in the room, along with... well, you'll be comfortable inside, at any rate. I should warn you that the lower and upper floors are normally off-limits to those who can't call upon the Star Power, and it would end badly for you if you should try to go up on your own."

Status:
39 HP
8 MP
120 EXP to next level
Ambient Magic: 20%

Inventory:
Waterskin (Full)
Food Rations (5)
Tribal Spear
Combat Hammer
Sword
History of the Five Kingdoms
The Tauropedia

Spellbook:
Summon Fey (5 MP)
Mana Arrow (1 MP)
Obscuring Mists (3 MP)
Freezing Mists (7 MP)
Burninate (8 MP)
Paralytic Flare (5 MP)
Light Bolt (2 MP)
Light Shower (5 MP)

[MNOWAX]

Thank them graciously, and imbibe all the comforts of anythign and everything in the room. when the door shuts and everything is quiet, take a look at our surroundings. If we can fill up our waterskin.
_________________
The Man The Myth The Legend
MNOWAX

[raekuul]

Capricorn nods, returns your History of the Five Kingdoms, and backs away, leaving you to enjoy the comforts of your room. There is a bed here. There is a basin large enough for you to fit in here, with a strange metal fixture on one side. There is a smaller basin in here, large enough for you to use as a washing pot, with a similar strange metal fixture on one side. There is a mirror here, mounted on the wall above the smaller basin. You see no place for you to light a flame. There is a small bookshelf full of books here. There is a table here.

You hear a scratching sound.

Status:
39 HP
8 MP
120 EXP to next level
Ambient Magic: 20%

Inventory:
Waterskin (Full)
Food Rations (5)
Tribal Spear
Combat Hammer
Sword
History of the Five Kingdoms
The Tauropedia

Spellbook:
Summon Fey (5 MP)
Mana Arrow (1 MP)
Obscuring Mists (3 MP)
Freezing Mists (7 MP)
Burninate (8 MP)
Paralytic Flare (5 MP)
Light Bolt (2 MP)
Light Shower (5 MP)

[itisally*]

investigate the scratching

[raekuul]

The scratching sound is coming from the walls.

Status:
39 HP
8 MP
120 EXP to next level
Ambient Magic: 20%

Inventory:
Waterskin (Full)
Food Rations (5)
Tribal Spear
Combat Hammer
Sword
History of the Five Kingdoms
The Tauropedia

Spellbook:
Summon Fey (5 MP)
Mana Arrow (1 MP)
Obscuring Mists (3 MP)
Freezing Mists (7 MP)
Burninate (8 MP)
Paralytic Flare (5 MP)
Light Bolt (2 MP)
Light Shower (5 MP)

[itisally*]

Tap on the wall, Does it scurry?

[raekuul]

The result of your experiment supports the hypothesis.

After a moment, the scratching sound returns.

Status:
39 HP
8 MP
120 EXP to next level
Ambient Magic: 20%

Inventory:
Waterskin (Full)
Food Rations (5)
Tribal Spear
Combat Hammer
Sword
History of the Five Kingdoms
The Tauropedia

Spellbook:
Summon Fey (5 MP)
Mana Arrow (1 MP)
Obscuring Mists (3 MP)
Freezing Mists (7 MP)
Burninate (8 MP)
Paralytic Flare (5 MP)
Light Bolt (2 MP)
Light Shower (5 MP)

[itisally]

peek out the door...What time is it anyway?
_________________
I could agree with you, but then we would both be wrong.

[raekuul]

You peek out the door. You see a hallway with many other doors, and a glowing green sign mounted on the ceiling saying "EXIT ↑".

You cannot easily tell what time it is, but you are tired. It might be safe to assume from what Capricorn has said that it is the appropriate time for sleeping.

The scratching sound fades away into the distance.

Status:
39 HP
8 MP
120 EXP to next level
Ambient Magic: 20%

Inventory:
Waterskin (Full)
Food Rations (5)
Tribal Spear
Combat Hammer
Sword
History of the Five Kingdoms
The Tauropedia

Spellbook:
Summon Fey (5 MP)
Mana Arrow (1 MP)
Obscuring Mists (3 MP)
Freezing Mists (7 MP)
Burninate (8 MP)
Paralytic Flare (5 MP)
Light Bolt (2 MP)
Light Shower (5 MP)

[itisally*]

Sleep , but not too deeply. I want to hear if someone comes in.

[raekuul]

You lay down to rest. You rest. You dream.

"...and that's the situation."

"Hmm... This is troubling. What of the Device?"

"There is no sign of it, but it is likely that"

Your dream is interrupted. You are awakened by something crawling around in your room.

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

Inventory:
Waterskin (Full)
Food Rations (5)
Tribal Spear
Combat Hammer
Sword
History of the Five Kingdoms
The Tauropedia

Spellbook:
Summon Fey (5 MP)
Mana Arrow (1 MP)
Obscuring Mists (3 MP)
Freezing Mists (7 MP)
Burninate (8 MP)
Paralytic Flare (5 MP)
Light Bolt (2 MP)
Light Shower (5 MP)

[itisally*]

see what it is

[raekuul]

You sit up to take a look, and as you look the room fills itself with light.

There is a space of darkness in about the size and shape of a rat. It flinches at the lights, then turns and starts to hiss at you.

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

Inventory:
Waterskin (Full)
Food Rations (5)
Tribal Spear
Combat Hammer
Sword
History of the Five Kingdoms
The Tauropedia

Spellbook:
Summon Fey (5 MP)
Mana Arrow (1 MP)
Obscuring Mists (3 MP)
Freezing Mists (7 MP)
Burninate (8 MP)
Paralytic Flare (5 MP)
Light Bolt (2 MP)
Light Shower (5 MP)

[itisally]

attempt to trap the rat
_________________
I could agree with you, but then we would both be wrong.

[raekuul]

You attempt to grab the rat. The rat bites you! The rat is grabbed!

Status:
38 HP
12 MP
120 EXP to next level
Ambient Magic: 10%

Inventory:
Waterskin (Full)
Food Rations (5)
Tribal Spear
Combat Hammer
Sword
History of the Five Kingdoms
The Tauropedia

Spellbook:
Summon Fey (5 MP)
Mana Arrow (1 MP)
Obscuring Mists (3 MP)
Freezing Mists (7 MP)
Burninate (8 MP)
Paralytic Flare (5 MP)
Light Bolt (2 MP)
Light Shower (5 MP)

[itisally]

examine the rat, and try to figure out how it got in.

Read about summoning Fey again.
_________________
I could agree with you, but then we would both be wrong.

[raekuul]

You examine the rat. It thrashes in an attempt to escape, but causes no wounds. It's a creature you're not familiar with, though it has the appearance and physical properties of a rat. However, it is roughly two feet from nose to tail-tip, and it has an aura of unlight around it.

You look around, but you can't see how it got in the room. The rat goes limp for a moment, and you realize that this makes it a lot harder to keep hold of.

You let go of the rat as you reach for your spellbook, and it passes through a wall on the way out. You re-read about summoning fey. The mechanical process is that you're reaching into another space to pull a fey, and you are surprised to learn that the amount of mana you put into the spell is directly proportional to how long the fey will remain.

Status:
38 HP
12 MP
120 EXP to next level
Ambient Magic: 10%

Inventory:
Waterskin (Full)
Food Rations (5)
Tribal Spear
Combat Hammer
Sword
History of the Five Kingdoms
The Tauropedia

Spellbook:
Summon Fey (5 MP)
Mana Arrow (1 MP)
Obscuring Mists (3 MP)
Freezing Mists (7 MP)
Burninate (8 MP)
Paralytic Flare (5 MP)
Light Bolt (2 MP)
Light Shower (5 MP)

[itisally*]

Leave my room in search of Capricorn. If I find him tell him about the rat like thing.

[raekuul]

You leave your room. As you step out into the hallway, something dark and shadowy rushes past you. Chasing it are Scorpio, Cancer, and Capricorn. Capricorn falls behind as the others keep chasing.

"I'm guessing you were interrupted by a Smoke Rat?" Capricorn asks before you have a chance to say anything. "Apparently there's more than one Shadow Wolf in the castle - we're being swarmed by Smoke Rats. Long story short, they can only hurt you when they're solid - but that's the only time that you can hurt them in return. Astra's working on getting a Curtain Wind Ritual going to clear out the Smoke Rats with, but it'll take some time and we'd need to keep the rats off of her. Want to help out?"

Status:
38 HP
12 MP
120 EXP to next level
Ambient Magic: 10%

Inventory:
Waterskin (Full)
Food Rations (5)
Tribal Spear
Combat Hammer
Sword
History of the Five Kingdoms
The Tauropedia

Spellbook:
Summon Fey (5 MP)
Mana Arrow (1 MP)
Obscuring Mists (3 MP)
Freezing Mists (7 MP)
Burninate (8 MP)
Paralytic Flare (5 MP)
Light Bolt (2 MP)
Light Shower (5 MP)

[itisally]

Sure. I grab my stuff to help out
_________________
I could agree with you, but then we would both be wrong.

[raekuul]

You duck into your room to grab your pack, then follow Capricorn to the throne room.

Astra is standing in a glowing circle, with magic energy flowing strongly around her. You can feel the energy flowing from her into the circle, and it is very nearly overwhelming. You start to choke on the sheer amount of ambient mana.

The room is filled with Smoke Rats. There are various other people fighting off the smoke rats in their own way.

A smoke rat lunges at you!

Status:
38 HP
12 MP
120 EXP to next level
Ambient Magic: 90%

Inventory:
Waterskin (Full)
Food Rations (5)
Tribal Spear
Combat Hammer
Sword
History of the Five Kingdoms
The Tauropedia

Spellbook:
Summon Fey (5 MP)
Mana Arrow (1 MP)
Obscuring Mists (3 MP)
Freezing Mists (7 MP)
Burninate (8 MP)
Paralytic Flare (5 MP)
Light Bolt (2 MP)
Light Shower (5 MP)