Call of the Oracle

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You have been called by the Oracle of Delphi, she has news of the fate of yourself and the fate of your home. You are unsure what this news may be. [[You decide to go to the oracle]] [[You decide to not answer the Oracle's call]]

You hear word that the oracle is pleased that you have decided to come willingly. You may go by yourself or wait for the guards to come assist in your passage. The temple of Delphi is not far, but you may become a target for ransom for those wishing to make money off of the oracle's desires. [[Brave the Town]] [[Wait for the Guards]]

The oracle has immense power in your town, you will now be tracked down by local authorities. She demands your presence and will track you down unless you are careful. You may remain at home, but the oracle may find you there. You may go to town, but there are guards on the borders of the town. They may recognize you and bring you to the oracle. [[Stay at Home]] [[Go through the town]]

<<silently>> <<set $OraniaFavor =false>> <<endsilently>> Call of the Oracle C. Ringo [[Answer the Call]]

The guards are there by morning, you are trapped with little to no escape possible. [[Try and Run]] [[Be caught and go]]

You leave the comfort of your home to begin your quest to the oracles temple. There is a path through the town, which is paved, or a path through the mountains, which is not paved. The path through the mountain may pose some danger, but you may be held up in town. [[Go through the town]] [[Go through the mountains]]

The guards arrive for you, they seem worried. They briskly pop you in a cart on the way to the temple. They do not respond to your questions. [[Sit in Silence]] [[Try and make a guard laugh]]

You see a tavern with a very nicely stocked and well made carriage outside, it is safe to assume that the owner of the carriage is inside. A wild party rages inside, you can hear your favorite kind of music playing, and are enticed. If you enter you may get sucked in by the party, but you may also find the owner of the carriage and convince them to let you take it. [[Enter the Party]] [[Steal the Carriage]] [[Stay out of sight]]

This does not bode well, you forgot to pack water and necessary survival items. you do not make it far. You must begin again [[Main Title]]

This party is wild. You spot a rich looking lad laughing surrounded by beautiful people. You also spot a gorgeous person at the party on the dance floor. [[Approach the Lad]] [[Party with the Hottie]]

You approach the Carriage and unhook the horses from their post. You hop on the carriage, and notice a couple of guards watching you from a distance. They start to run towards you [[Run over the guards with the carriage]] [[Take the carriage and run]]

The lad sits at a fancy chair surrounded by fancy people. The area oozes pretentious energy. He looks at you and smiles. [[Ask for his favor]] [[Ask for his carriage]] [[Punch him, you hate his guts]]

Uh oh! You're catching feelings! What will you do about them? [[Drink to repress]] [[Tell them!]]

As you approach the guards, one pulls out his sword. The horses rear themselves, knocking you off of the carriage. Before you can get up, a guard has his sword at your throat. You are now a criminal, but they recognize you as the person needed by the oracle. They decide to spare you, to gain favor with the oracle. You are dragged forcefully to the temple. [[Meet with the Oracle]]

By the time you are out of sight of the guards, you are far off from where you wanted to be. You understand you have been spotted and there are guards waiting for you in every direction but forwards. The mountain stands before you. You have to continue on foot. [[Go through the mountains]]

This does not go well. You awaken in a ditch, unaware of where or who you are. You must begin your journey again. [[Main Title]]

They seem to be entranced by your profession of love. They agree to run away with you if you will have them. You never go to the oracle, but live a happy life until your house is burned down, with your partner and children inside. The oracle sends a message "You should have come." You yell at the gods, asking for another chance. They answer. You must begin again [[Main Title]]

The oracle is pleased you made it. She has grave warnings. If you do not do exactly as she says, terrible things will happen to you and your house. She warns against the parties that often rage in town, and warns against you falling in love. She asks that you retrieve something for her. You are unsure why these matter. She states that you may ignore her, but she seems genuinely concerned. [[Begin her Quest]] [[Enter the Party]]

The ride is vaguely terrifying, but not long. You will survive this. [[Meet with the Oracle]]

Out of the guards escorting you, there is one that may laugh if you play your cards right. [[Tell a story about a time you disrespected women]] [[Make vague sound effects for the movement of the head guard]]

No one laughs. They may be guards, but they do not drink disrespecting women juice. One tells you to shut up. You arrive at the temple. [[Meet with the Oracle]]

The head guard is annoyed at the mockery, but a few of the guards laugh. They enjoy your presence and become less strict on the way. [[Meet with the Oracle]]

You make it through the guards, but are being hunted. You are forced to go into the town to try and stay hidden or escape east to the woods. [[Go through the town]] [[Stay out of sight in the woods]]

The guards knock you to your knees. You have no choice but to wait until they can transport you. [[Wait for the Guards]]

The Oracle has requested a small vial of a very rare flower essence. The only place known to man that you may find this flower is at the opening to the underworld. You may face danger by going there. You can begin your journey or gather information first. [[Begin to the Mouth]] [[Go gather information]]

He giggles at you. He calls you "simply adorable" and hands you a pile of money. You do not know what to do with this. [[Spend it]] [[Party with the Hottie]]

He laughs at you. "Oh that silly old thing? You want that?" He laughs in the most pretentious way physically possible. He eyes you up. "Take it darling, but be sure that I see you again" You do not know what to do with that information. [[Take the carriage and its supplies]]

He has abs. You can do nothing. The guards are called on you, and you are taken prisoner. You must wait for the guards. [[Wait for the Guards]]

There are many things you could do with your newfound money. What would you do? [[Buy a horse and begin your journey to the oracle]] [[Buy a sword to evade the guards]] [[Booze.]]

procedural up You take the carriage and its supplies, successfully traveling to the oracle [[Meet with the Oracle]]

You are prepared to complete your call, and willingly turn your horse towards the temple. The ride goes smoothly, and quietly. You are pleased. [[Meet with the Oracle]]

The guards recognize you coming out of the blacksmith. You have to run or fight. [[Try and Run]] [[Fight]]

This does not go well. You awaken in a ditch, unaware of where or who you are. You must begin your journey again. [[Main Title]]

You are outnumbered. You get to choose your fate. Get caught and go with them, or end it here. [[Be caught and go]] [[Use your sword]]

There is not much you can do. You stay disguised, change clothes, and never sleep in the same place twice. You can expose yourself, fufill your destiny, and be what the gods want. Is that what you want? [[Decide for yourself]] [[Wait for the Guards]]

Dangerous creatures lurk here. As you curl up under a tree for the night, a large noise is heard from the bushes. It is coming towards you. The next thing you see is your own blood, you had no chance. You must begin again. [[Main Title]]

With a flash of the blade, your life drains out of you. This is not what the gods intended. They are displeased with your choice. Your eternal fate is not yours to decide. You must begin again [[Main Title]]

Years pass. You learn your house has burned down, everything you knew is gone. You are tired, but if you want you can live in the shadows forever. Are you really satisfied? Is this what you want? [[Wait for the Guards]] [[You know what you want]]

You are never found. You live a long and healthy life, but the guards have been after you all of these years. You deflect all the fates throw at you, but you are never satisfied, and you forever miss home. You die of old age in a nondescript tavern with very few friends. Was it worth it? The gods still have plans for you. [[Main Title]]

Are you sure? The gods have a plan for you. [[Wait for the Guards]] [[The gods do not own you]]

You are assigned a Guard. Her name is Oralia and she will follow you to the ends of the Earth to appease the oracle. Despite your exhaustion, you both tredge ahead through a meadow. It is quiet, but peaceful. You hear laughter and glowing lights in the distance. [[Approach the Laughter]] [[Sleep under the stars]]

You are unsure where to get information, but you are tired, and have a guard assigned to you. Her name is Oralia, and she is ready to follow you to the ends of the Earth to appease the Oracle. She is your sword, but your journey is yours. [[Stop for the night at a quiet tavern]] [[Camp for the night]]

You and Oralia enter a tavern that is quiet. An old man who looks decrepit loudly announced gibberish, but you hear him repeat a calling to the gods. [[Go to sleep]] [[Ask the elder for information]]

You and Orania lay at your camp. You both are quiet. You fall asleep, and dream of an old man who seems cryptic and familliar. You wake up feeling as if you have to find him, as if he knows something. This may delay your journey. [[proceed to the mouth]] [[ask the hermit]]

You immediately both head up to your rooms, and begin to settle for the night. You dream of home, of the place you grew up, and you are angry at the gods for threatening your own personal temple. You awaken confused and no longer wanting to find another way. You want to go home, and decide to head for the mouth of the underworld. You confide in Orania, she understands wanting to return to somewhere you have left unwillingly. She has no home other than with the oracle, but she is inspired to help you get to yours. You may continue on in the morning, or ask her about her past. This may hurt her. [[Ask about her past]] [[Begin to the Mouth]]

You ask the elder if he knows where to find the rare flower, that isnt the opening to the underworld. He replies, "Oh I sure don't but if you ask the gods they might tell you!" You think this is pure insanity. [[Ask the Gods]] [[Go to your room]]

The glowing lights and laughter circle in and out of a ring of trees. Orania warns you of the dangers this might pose. You approach anyway. There is a song coming from the center of the ring, in which one person, with glowing skin sits singing in the circle. The song enchants you. Orania warns you again. Something about her tone tells you she has seen this before. [[Listen to the song]] [[Continue to the mouth]]

You dream of home, and understand that the stars are the same, but they do not feel the same. You are far from home. You awaken upset and angry at the gods for assigning you a task you never wanted. You want to go home. You confide in Orania, she too knows of missing home. You both let down your guards. Orania says she knows the way to the mouth. It seems as if this is not the first time she has done this, but you are unsure whether you should ask. This may hurt her. [[Ask about her past]] [[Continue to the mouth]]

You dont know what to do. you can sleep or you can take the advice of the elder [[Go to sleep]] [[Ask the Gods]]

Orania recognizes where you are. She states that you are close. When you arrive you are meeted with a large cave, whose stalagtites look like teeth. You see the flower in the mouth, but the cold winds emerging from the deep dark path in. The winds create cold whispers that you feel in your bones, and in your core the shaking and shivering create a message. "In order to take from within the mouth, you must give up yourself" <<if $OraniaFavor eq true>> Orania states that she heard it too, and offers herself in your place. You do not know how to proceed, or whether to kill your newfound friend in your place. [[Sacrifice Orania]] <<endif>> [[Prepare for the task]]

You walk into the circle, Orania tries to get you to leave. In her attempt to save you, she becomes enraptured by the song as well. The magic around you turns dark, you feel your soul being sucked out through the pores in your skin. You are not bothered, the song is so pretty. It is the last thing you hear. you must begin again. [[Main Title]]

The gods hear you, and they answer. You get info about how to not die while getting the flower [[proceed to the mouth]]

The journey is tiring. Orania speaks little and if so, only speaks praise about the oracle. You can sense there may be some tension between you two. You were chosen by the gods, you do not need her company. [[plan how to get the flower]]

The gods had told you of a sacrificial dance, in which one of the two of you may perish during the ritual. Orania says the gods ahould not be playing with the two of you like mice. While you are walking to the mouth, you encounter a squad of forest nymphs. They sing and dance in tounges you are not physically unable to understand. Something in your soul is entranced. [[preform a sacrificial dance]] [[convince a nymph to help you]]

You step about 100 feet into the woods, and find a hut you do not recall seeing yesterday. The old hermit from your dream steps out and exclaims, "Oh Good! You're here! Step in! Step in!" This man may be nuts, or he may have access to the gods [[Ask the Gods]] [[proceed to the mouth]]

The gods demand a sacrifice, whether it is yours or orania, you must give up yourself. To do this, the gods do not ask for your life, but for your memory. Who you are, your journey, will be erased. <<if $OraniaFavor eq true>> [[Sacrifice Orania]] <<endif>> [[Sacrifice Yourself]]

the gods take oranias hand, and you watch as she is lightly driven down into the underworld by the most etherial creatures you have ever seen. You get the flower, but the gods are not pleased with you. This was meant to be your fate not hers, she was just serving her lady Oracle. They will not forget this, and they will make sure you are forced to live with your decision for the rest of your long, grueling life. [[return to the oracle]]

You are at the mouth, its teeth form a snaarl, and you step into a stone circle in front of it. The flower is within the mouth The two of you prepare for this dance, winding around eachother, hand in hand. Orania stands in the center of a circle, and you wind around her, as if you were the passaging of shadows around a sun dial. The exhausting ritual continues for hours, through many steps, many verses, and many movements. The two of you finish, and the mouth of hell seems to applaud you with wild hissing and hot air. The hissing turns to words: "In order to obtain my fruit, one of you must stay. Centurian for the ages, to watch time whisk away." You have to choose. [[Offer yourself]] [[Offer Orania]]

You interrupt the nymphs in their dance, and all but one turn back to the forest elements they once were. One nymph speaks to Orania, looking her up and down, in a whispering song you can barely understand. She spends a few minutes looking at Orania, admiring her with loving eyes, and then takes her hand. Orania seems awestruck, and you recognize this as love in her eyes. You interrupt their moment with a question. The nymph turns to you, angry for innterupting her. Orania mentions the quest you are on, and the nymph seems to recognize your tale. The nymph looks at you, eyes more beautiful than anything you have ever seen. "I can save you both, get this boon of yours, but only if this lovely soldier of yours agrees to stay with me." You look over to Orania, who has no objections. [[Complete your quest]]

With the flower in hand, you return. The oracle is crying when you reach her, the first real emotion you believe she has felt in years. You tell her Orania's final words and leave the flower with her. You have completed your quest, but the gods will never be done. Your fate is not yours, and no matter how much you try, you must live with this. You are destined by the gods for nothing but misery. Your house is in tact, but the walls feel so much colder, and the days seem to blur into mundane. The mourning of the oracle is felt everywhere, and the gods stop trying to comminicate. They abandon telling humans of anything, deemed unworthy and cruel of heart. You watch as life as you know it is plunged into chaos, the towns no longer sure how to run themselves without the gods. It is certain that your home will be pillaged and destroyed by outside invaders. You wanted a quiet life. You are not allowed, the gods refuse to let you live down what you have decided. Remember what you have done. [[Main Title]]

The fate the gods wanted for you comes down to this moment. If you do this, you live as someone who has no past. [[Are you sure?]] [[Sacrifice Orania]]

Light emits from the mouth of hell, and the lights slowly take a human shape. You are striken with unnatural feelings beyond your comprehension. The gods seem pleased, one takes your hand, gives the flower to orania, and with a light touch you feel as if all of your life has returned to you. Your entire life of exhaustion fades. You turn to the mouth, step beside the gods, and begin your eternal post. You watch Orania take the flower, smile at you with kindness, and turn her back to the gods. You have the rest of eternity to think out your feelings, remember her smile, remember humanity, and remember who you were. [[Main Title]]

Orania tells you she will be waiting for when you come to meet your end. Lights surround her, a glowing hand seems to take hers and lightly bring her into the mouth. She picks the flower, and throws it to you. "Good luck in your happy ending." You see her face one last time, and you see tears in her eyes. This is not what she wanted, and this is your choice. The mouth closes onto her, dissapearing into the depths. The flower in your hand, you turn back to finish your quest and get it over with. [[return to the oracle]]

Do you have no choice in your fate? Is this what you were destined for? Do you have any regrets? [[Let yourself go]] <<if $OraniaFavor eq true>> [[Sacrifice Orania]] <<endif>>

The gods take your hands, the recognizable faces you see in them turn into blurred masses of light, etherial beings with no memory to create faces from. You feel a soft sleep come over you, and every muscle you were tensing relaxes. When you open your eyes, a person with a soft but firm hand takes yours, and you walk out into the light. You are led by the soft-handed person, who introduces herself as orania, and she takes the flower you had scrunched in your hand. She talks of her past, and spares you from yours, deciding that it is better that you begin again. Your journey is over, the world is yours to explore. [[Main Title]]

You approch the mouth, and the nymph stands in the center of an old stone circle from outside the cave. The nymph touches the ground with her hand, and from the stone grows an intracate tall flower, unlike one you have ever seen. The mouth seems to speak, "I accept this in exchange for the flower I have kept for eons." The flower flies from inside the mouth on a gust of wind, and directly into your hand. The nymph grabs Oranias arm, touches her hair, and a flower grows in the crook of her ear. You both journey back to the nymph home, and you bid Orania goodbye. She seems... Happy. The oracle will miss her, but you believe that this is for the best. For her and for you. You return home after delivering the flower, lay down in your bed, and breathe for the first time in weeks. [[Main Title]]

Orania is reluctant to open up. You see her shoulders tense and her body tighten. [["Forget it, it's none of my business anyway"]] [["Its okay, you do not have to open up if you do not want to"]]

Orania is still tense. She looks at you confused, and grabs her items. "Lets go," She says with her tone flat. You can feel her anger in the air. Her opinion of you has changed. [[Continue to the mouth]]

She smiles at you sadly, a level of fondness after your remark. "I think I should." She breathes in deeply her chest rising and falling as she calms herself to a point where she is comfortable. "It is true I have taken this path before, but this time is not by choice." [["What happened before?"]] We don't have time for a sob story: [[Continue to the mouth]]

"You are not the first person to have been chosen by the gods for this task." You are confused. You were chosen weren't you? This is your purpose? Why would the gods choose you after someone else had completed this task. "Before you, a young girl was chosen. She completed the task the gods assigned to her." You know by the tone of her voice it was someone close to her. [[It was the Oracle?]] [[It was Orania?]]

"It was not, but she has had no fair time herself." She seems sad. "She has the lives and deaths of everyone ever in her head, that must be difficult for her." Orania continues, her voice dripping with sadness. [["I can't imagine how hard."]] [["Is that why you love her"]]

"You are right, it was me." She looks at her hands. "I was chosen, but the gods never spoke to me. The oracle told me I was chosen, sent me on this quest I had no idea how to do, and the gods turned their back on me." She tooks towards the sky, and sighs. "I never completed the task, and went back to the oracle alone." [["Alone?"]] [["Then why did they choose me?"]]

"I had a guide, someone serving in the role I take now. Her name was Elpis." You see her face soften at the mention of the name, she must have meant a lot to Orania. "She was taken from me by the gods, and I refuse to let you be taken too." She looks at you, dead in the eyes, and you see fire burning in her soul. You understand Orania more now than you have in the time you have known her. <<set $OraniaFavor = true>> You believe she will follow you until the ends of the world. [[Continue to the mouth]]

"I could not tell you." She explains that after she returned from her failed quest, the Oracle welcomed her with open arms. "The gods did not want to listen, but the fates took everything from me, I had no where to go." Orania looks towards the ground, "Now my failure is your responsibility." You visibly see her withdraw her self from the conversation, leaning back and turning cold. "We must move on." [[Continue to the mouth]]

"I can get close, but nothing will ever be like that for me." Orania stares at the ground again, you sense she has seen things far worse than you have in your quest. Orania stands up, and faces away from you. "Let us finish this quest." [[Continue to the mouth]]

"Thats..." she goes quiet. "Thats not why, but... Yes... You are correct." She goes quiet. "I am not even sure why, and I know for a fact that nothing can ever come of it." You look at her relax, sinking into herself. "She has her destiny, and I have mine." "Enough of this. We must continue." [[Continue to the mouth]]

Call of the Oracle

C. Ringo

Answer the Call