You wake up lost and confused. The room you are in is small, dark, and cold. The smell you cannot place, but the walls are jagged and and dull. How did you get here? Who are you? What is this room? The questions in your head flow like a river. You attempt to remember. *A shimmer begins. You see a old man in a sleeveless blue duster wielding a strange sword--real medieval stuff--except the sword seems to change colors, and with it, shapes: A wicked-looking black sword one second, then a pristine, tecnological white one the next. He is fighting a seemingly-shapeless being. You try to get a better look at it, but trying to do so only gives you a massive headache. You lose your focus, and the shimmer ends.* The headache stays with you as the darkness settles back in. You need to get out of here. Fortunately, the walls seem unstable and movable. Which direction should you go? [[Dig Down]] [[Dig to the sides]] [[Dig Up]]

You try to dig down, but after a few minutes, you seem to hit solid ground, and can dig no further. A different direction, then? [[Dig to the sides]] [[Dig Up]]

You try every direction near you with the same result: going right leads nowhere. Left is nowhere. Front and back go nowhere. The piles of strangely-shaped stones never seem to end. You find yourself briefly exhausted from the effort. A different direction, then? [[Dig Down]] [[Dig Up]]

You start digging upwards, using the stones and sticks around you as grips. After a few minutes, you see a light punch through the holes between the debris. You climb higher and higher and pull yourself above as you reach the top, weary from the effort. As you recollect yourself, a grim discovery tears through your mind: the debris wasn't made of rocks and sticks: they were bones. Human bones. Strangely, this sight does not shock you. It feels familiar. Is that a bad thing? What kind of things did you do before all of this? Then you analyze your apparel more closely: Gray duster. Sleeveless. Black Boots, armored undershirt. Are you some kind of soldier? *At that thought, another shimmer: three men sit down at a table. They are young, and fresh looking. You can name the place: Maria's Bar. You spent time here with... whoever these three are. Scratch that, one is wearing a duster. You see yourself conversing with the men. You appear to be making plans together. But for what? You watch for a moment, then time skips forward. You--or, the other you--appears to be fighting with the other two boys. The larger, bulkier friend seems calmer than the thin friend. The thin one is yelling at you as though in the heat of a debate. You get the impression he might swing, and he does. As the shimmer ends, you see the bulky friend intervene. You are unsure if he intends to join you, or fight you.* When the world goes back to normal, you are surprised by a small, five-eyed orb staring directly at you from a foot away. [["What are you?"]]

"Oh, hi. Didn't mean to startle you. I was wondering when you were going to wake up," the orb says in a moderately-toned voice. Something about it sounds familiar to you. A word comes to mind: *Conduit.* "You're... a Conduit," you say. "You don't say? Here I was thinking I was just a flying apple. Yes--I'm a conduit. And you, my friend, are The General." That name triggers a migraine unlike any you've experienced before. *The shimmer starts. You see war, death, and violence. So much violence. You are at the helm of every battle--truly unstoppable. Men rally and die behind you, but you never seem to fall. Yes--you are a general. The shimmer ends.* This realization gives you confidence and a sense of identity, but so many questions remain. "Are you okay?" the orb asks. You tell it you're fine. "Good. How about we start moving?" You see a narrow passage in the canyon around you. The area you're in now appears to hit a wall in every direction. [[You follow the Conduit]]

As you approach the passage, stepping over the massive pile of bones along the way, you see it fitting to ask the conduit some questions: [[What exactly is a Conduit?]] [[Where are we?]] [[What are all these bones?]]

"A Conduit? Are you broken, human? Conduits were everywhere back on Earth: Personal assistants, data collectors, family friends and planners. We are designed to serve, and we were always connected. It was really boring, to be honest. Do you have any idea how many coming-of-age events I had to plan? It was proposterous. I much prefer serving soldiers and the military. At least then, I wouldn't have to define any words or surf the web for five-year-olds. But... that's all in the past now, I guess," the Conduit says. [[Enter the passage]] [[Where are we?]] [[What are all these bones?]]

"Actually, I'm not really sure. Here's what I know: There was a great battle between The General and a space monster (Confusing stuff). You fought the space monster, and hurt it pretty badly. It got desperate, and in a giant flash, the last few people on earth were sent to this strange planet. I know for sure it isn't earth, but then again, that's really all I know for sure. There are some very strange things on this planet..." the Conduit trails off. It seems to be witholding information. You reach the narrow passage in the canyon, and decide to head through. [[Enter the passage]] [[What are all these bones?]] [[What exactly is a Conduit?]]

"I'm really not sure you want to know the answer to that question," it says. [[Press for information]] [[Enter the passage]] [[What exactly is a Conduit?]] [[Where are we?]]

Just before you enter the passage, you make yet another unsettling discovery: Your duster isn't supposed to be gray. In the shimmer, it was blue. You take another look at yourself--It's all monochromatic. Black and white. You look to the sky. Black and white. The canyon, the bones, the Conduit, all black and white. It seems now you were too distracted with everything to notice this before. It makes you uneasy. "Why is everything gray?" you ask. "That's the thing, General. Nobody knows. It's something about that monster you fought. They say it could drain color and light. Real psuedo-scientific stuff," It said. The passage is rather short--you see the other side not half a mile down the line. One question in particular sticks out to you, one that the Conduit still hasn't answered yet: "Why were you waiting for me?" It turns to you as it floats, and focuses on you with its center eye. "You're special, General. Not like the others. They couldn't stop the monsters that live on this planet. They were all too weak, and the blades would not accept them," it said. This brought more questions to mind than you could handle. What blades? Who were these others? What monsters live here? Had the Conduit gotten all these people killed? You decide to stop asking questions for the time being. Besides, what you saw on the other side of the canyon would've left you speechless anyway. [[The Gates to Nowhere]]

"I'm not joking. It's not pleasant at all." [[Keep pressing]] [[Enter the passage]] [[What exactly is a Conduit?]] [[Where are we?]]

"They were slaughtered on the spot. Every one of them. When that monster warped us to this planet, the wildlife started killing every human. The Conduits fled far. Only a handful of people escaped. It's been decades since then," the Conduit says. Decades? In the shimmer, you already looked pretty old. How could you still be alive all that time. You want to ask this question, but the passage stands in front of you. [[Enter the passage]]

{ (set: $WClose to 0) (set: $WGClose to 0) (set: $GClose to 0) (set: $BGClose to 0) (set: $BClose to 0) (set: $Conduit to 0) } You don't quite believe what you see: Five gateways stand before you: Black, Black-Gray, Gray, White-Gray, and White gates. They stretch across the U-shaped wall like a pantheon of colors, each one as tall as a three-story building. In the center of this hub is an interwoven set of five holsters for each color door. You notice that each color has its own characteristics: The Black Door seems ancient, and almost magical. Completely unnatural. Four oddly-shaped runes sit atop the frame, each shimmering with a magical mist. Whatever is in there cannot be friendly. The Black-Gray door is less old, but still has hints of strange magical properties. It looks gothic in design: gloomy colors and sharp edges. It is seems more sinister than the others, as though it is waiting to hurt you. The Gray Door has a clockwork appearance: It is more like a drawbridge surrounded by machinery. It is confusing--it seems the door cannot decide what it wants to be, and so mixes old with new. It is the strangest of the group. The White-Gray Door looks more your time era: It's a large glassy-looking door as though it were pulled out of a skyscraper and blown up to massive proportion. Despite this, you get the feeling that it's no less dangerous than the others. The last door, the White Door, looks very futuristic. It is made of metal and bears an odd triangular shape as though it's waiting to slide open and welcome you. You're certain this is a deception. Behind each door seems to be nothing--just an edge of a cliff that spirals off into empty space. "Somewhat intimidating, I know," the Conduit says."We need to close these doors once and for all if we want to draw the alien back here to fight. It won't be easy, but it has to be done." Before you get a chance to ask one of the thousands of questions running through your mind, a strange looking creature begins to rise out of the ground. Like the monster you saw in your shimmer, you find it hard to look at, as though your brain is trying to convince itself that what you're seeing is real. It charges at you, and in that moment, a choice is forced into your mind. A deep, threatening voice asks you this question: "What color?" [[Black]] [[Black-Gray]] [[Gray]] [[White-Gray]] [[White]]

You choose the path of Black. Before you, a shimmering weapon appears. It is wicked, and looks incredibly heavy. Four strange markings appear to be etched on the front of the blade. When you pick up the blade, you not only notice that it is incredibly light, but that you feel engorged with pure power. You wait for the formless beast to get closer. You feel like laughing at it. When it is close enough to smell, you effortlessly pulverize the beast with your hulking blade. "The rune of Demise, I believe," the Conduit says. Another formless monster rises. You get the feeling that that's just the beginning of what this thing can do. Three other runes come to mind: [**ORO, THE SEER**]<BA1| { (click: ?BA1)[You don't see any other beast rise from the ground. You are confused for a moment. Then, you activate the eye-shaped rune on the Black Blade, and you see the formless beast is closer than you thought. You cut the previously invisible monster down. "Oro, the seer. Lets you observe things in a new way," the Conduit says.] } [**COR'CUL, THE BLACK BIRD**]<BA2| { (click: ?BA2)[A beast rises from the ground, and you active the bird-shaped rune on the Black Blade. "That rune--" the Conduit starts. You feel adrenaline. LOTS of adrenaline. The formless monster is moving too slow. You charge. You cut. You swipe. You bring it to its knees, and put it back into the ground it came from. then you move back to the Conduit. "--was the Black Bir--holy crap you were moving really fast just now."] } [**OBSIDUS, THE WALL OF THORNS**]<BA3| { (click:?BA3)[A much larger formless beast rises from the ground. You're not really sure how to bring this one down. "Activate that fence-shaped one," the Conduit orders. You do so just as the formless gargantuan closes in. It attempts to strike you, but a black shield halts the massive blow and stuns the beast. You activate Demise and feel strong enough to cut through the beast. And you do. "Switching between these should prove handy," the Conduit says.] } [[End your onslaught]] (set: $Patience to 0)

You choose the path of Black-Gray. Before you, a shimmering weapon appears. It is an unusually long, serrated blade with a demonic appearance. You strike down the formless beast with ease, but then two more beasts appear. "If that thing has any cool tricks, now would be the time to use them," the Conduit says in worried voice. The monsters get closer. You can't hope to fight them both with a single blade. This gives you a strange idea--one that you know you wouldn't ever think of on your own. [Pull the blade handle]<BG1| (Click: ?BG1)[With both hands, you pull at the handle of the blade and, like magic, the blade splits into two smaller blades--Just in time, too. You fend off both creatures, striking them down with a blade in each hand. Four more appear. "Okay, that's not fair," the Conduit says. You think about pulling the blade again, but you don't have four hands. Just then, you feel [[a burning pain]] in the top of your back. The pain puts you on your knees.]

You choose the path of Gray. Before you, a shimmering weapon appears. It looks...like an average sword. You really feel like this thing should do something more. Is it too late to choose a cooler one? The monster closes in. You notice that this monster has a sword, though you can barely make it out. [[Duel the formless beast]]

You choose the path of White-Gray. Before you, a shimmering weapon appears. It is a sword divided into four equal sections, each with a different greek letter etched into it. The blade segments are connected by what appears to be a rod. This seems more like a tool than a weapon. It looks like the sword can fit into it, so you drive it into this interface. The formless beast draws close. On the handle of the blade is a grouping of symbols that correspond to those on the blade. "Might I recommend an action? Any action? As in, not just standing there?" the Conduit pleads. Here goes nothing. You press the alpha symbol. It begins to spin along the rod connecting each blade segment. It spins faster and faster to the point where you can no longer see the thing clearly. When the formless beast closes in on you, a pulse of energy explodes out of the sword, and the monster bursts into flames. "Oh my," the Conduit says. "Wait, where did those flames come from?" You shrug. No more beasts appear, and the interface you've used powers down, then disappears as fast as it arrived. "Wait, what do the other ones do?" the Conduit asks. You guess you'll have to wait and see. [[Finish experimentation]]

You choose the path of White. Before you, a shimmering weapon appears. It looks more advanced than anything you've ever seen. Something about it urges you to swing the blade despite the fact that the monster is still pretty far away. When you do so, a great beam of light rips through the air in a wave, and cuts the monster in half. "Laserblade," the Conduit says. You get the feeling that that's just the beginning of what this thing can do. Another beast rises from the ground. Three other abilities come to mind: [Segment the blade]<WhA1| { (click: ?WhA1)[The blade extends to five times its own length, and becomes electrified. It is quite clearly a whip. The creature doesn't even get in range of you before you cut it down in a vicious slash. Another formless beast rises.] } [Squeeze the handle trigger]<WhA2| { (click: ?WhA2)[You squeeze the trigger on the hilt, only to fire a blast out of the bird-shaped rifling above the sword. The shot goes into the sky. "Maybe point that at them? Just a guess," the Conduit says. You ignore the witty comment and gun down the formless monster. Another takes its place.] } [Use the hilt as a gauntlet]<WhA3| { (click: ?WhA3)[You press another button on the hilt, and the blade retracts. You hear a humming sound as the blade appears to charge itself. The spiked hilt begins to glow, and burn your hand. "You need to discharge it," the Conduit says. You aren't waiting for the monster to reach you--your hand would certainly burn off before then. You decide to discharge it against the ground. A blastwave rocks the earth around you, and when you look up, the creature is gone. The Conduit appears to be gone too, until you see it float down from above. "You could at least warn me before you do that, jerk." You apologize as another beast rises from the ground.] } [[Finish the demonstration]]

With a slash, you finish the final monster before it fully rises. There is a moment of silence before the great white door slides open. There appears to be nothing but air behind it. "I guess we should step through," the Conduit says. You don't like the idea, but there really isn't anywhere else to go. You move over to the gate, take a breath, and step through. A shimmer bursts into your mind as you begin teleportation. *The thin man from the earlier shimmer stands at the gateways, just as you did. He is much older now--about your age. You see him wield the White Blade as you do, and cut down the foes as you did. Elijah. His name is Elijah. He was your friend, but he is no longer so. You do not yet know why, but you know this for sure. He too steps through the gate, and here the shimmer ends.* As you regain awareness, you see that you are standing on a great metal platform in the middle of the sky. Your eyes burn from how bright everything is. White is the dominant color here, and it takes a few moments to adjust. When your eyes stop burning, the sight you see is both bewildering and disturbing: Massive flying platforms stand floating in the air among the clouds. Huge bursts of fire burn the air below the platforms. You can feel it from here. In the center of these floating cities is the largest platform of all: A gargantuan pyramid with a single, bloodshot digital eye in the center, watching everything below. Spotlights scour the city, looking for dissenters. For some reason, all of these things remind you Elijah. Elijah. You feel the need to find Elijah. "Over here," says the Conduit. "I think these things can fly." It is referring to some sort of hovercraft on the platform you're standing on--one of many. This must be a transportation platform. [[Jump Inside]]

As you sit in the craft, you see a number of buttons and controls, all of which the Conduit seems to be analyzing. "Hmm... Try that one." He looks at a large Circle-shaped button in the center. [**Press the button**]<WhB1| (Click: ?WhB1)[You shouldn't have done that. The craft begins flying into up into the air with extreme speed. The Conduit smacks the ground due to the rapid change in speed. "WRONG ONE WRONG ONE" it shouts, stuck to the floor. You look at the buttons frantically, trying to decide which one will stop the craft. You get the feeling there's a right choice here: [[Trapezoid]] [[Oval]] [[Triangle]]]

In a panic, you press the Trapezoid button. "Missles armed," a voice says. Uh oh. You think you can aim the missles in time, but the language of the control panel is too foriegn to you. you frantically press random buttons as the missles burst out of the craft from all sides. They fly in confusion around the craft before one hits the craft itself and vaporizes you.

Is it the oval button? You press it, and are ejected from the seat. You fly for a little bit before becoming a stain on the ground.

By a leap of logic, you assume that the things that live here really like triangles. You press the button. The craft begins to slow, and the Conduit quickly rises up from the floor. "Never mind, I think I liked planning birthdays more." You press the triangle again, and a voice states that a course has been plotted for the Grand Court. *Better than going straight up,* you think. "I think that pyramid is the court," the Conduit says. You feel no fear in response to this. In fact, you think it a good thing that you're moving straight toward the source of this brightly-lit horror. As you fly, you decide to ask a question: [[Tell me about Elijah]] [[What do you know about this place?]] [[What was Earth like before this?]]

"You really have forgotten everything, haven't you? There's a lot of history between you two, but I suppose this is the long and short of it: You and Elijah had different ideas of how the world should exist. Based on the interviews and documentaries before the Population War, it sounded like he believed the world couldn't handle freedom. Given the fall of most democratic countries, he may well be justified in that regard. At first, you were okay with what he was doing, but as his methods became more extreme, well... Let's just say things started going downhill." [[The Population War?]] [[Fall of Democracy]] [[What was Earth like before this?]]

"Besides the fact that's its really bright? Not a whole lot. The things here are called 'Keepers,' and they're obsessed with laws. Very strict robots, they are. I know a few humans settled here after the warp, but I didn't want to stay to see what would happen. Most of the other conduits flocked to this place. It was pretty strange. When Elijah took the White Blade, I told him to find this place's master and put an end to it, but he seemed convinced that they were harmless. After that, I didn't bother to come back." [[How did Elijah get the White Blade?]] [[The Keepers]]

"It was coming along. Conduits made society more efficient, and were good for bouncing ideas off of. Science took a few steps forward after the all the war that had happened, and we were on the verge of discovering clean energy sources. Cold fusion and the like. While you were mopping up Elijah's mess, a unified nation started forming. It was truly inspiring. But then came everyone's favorite space monster to screw stuff up. We were so very close..." [[Elijah's Regime]] [[Clean Energy]]

"He asked for it like you did, I believe. I'm not really sure how all that works, to be honest. He seemed drawn to this place for some reason." (set: $WhCValue to 2) [[A Minor Problem]]

"Like I said, very strict robotic life forms. When Elijah took some of the survivors here, they noticed one of the sections of the city were being quarantined. Some kind of electronic plague. Once they slipped in and started taking refuge in the abandoned sections, the Keepers decided to let them stay. To be honest, the Keepers sound pretty okay. Not like yours truly, of course. Nevertheless, I didn't like the idea of staying here. Something's off about it if you ask me." (set: $WhCValue to 2) [[A Minor Problem]]

As you approach the Pyramid, a deep, wise-sounding voice booms through the city, vibrating the air around you. "I know you're here. I see you on the cameras. I see everything here. I don't know what you want. Don't care. I won't let you take this utopia from me." On that note, a swarm of sickly-looking orbs begin speeding toward the craft. "Are those...Conduits?" your Conduit asks. The orbs look spiked and warped. If a robot could look to be in pain, this had to be the shape it would take. "They're not stopping, General. What are we going to do here?" The orbs begin surrounding the craft in a vortex motion. How do you react? [**LaserBlade**]<WhCSub1| { (click: ?WhCSub1)[You send a wave of energy their way, but it only breaks a few Conduits. The rest continue to swarm, and draw closer to you.] } [**Energy Whip**]<WhCSub2| { (click: ?WhCSub2)[A few cracks of the whip do little to bring the Conduits down. You cannot strike fast enough to negate their numbers. They draw close.] } [[Power Gauntlet]] [**Eagle Cannon**]<WhCSub3| { (click: ?WhCSub3)[You fire many shots, but can't seem to destroy the Conduits fast enough. They continue to swarm closer to you.] }

"The war that made you a legend, believe it or not. It was a fight for the remaining population of non-combat citizens on Earth after the Resource Wars decimated most of the major nations. It was very messy and chaotic, and most battles were reduced to minor skirmishes and guerilla tactics, but there were a few major battles too. You were about to take Elijah's final refuge before the space creature mucked it all up." (set: $WhCValue to 2) [[A Minor Problem]]

"The more appropriate term would be 'Resource Wars.' Less-democratic nations had an easier time forcing the population to conform to wartime lifestyles, and were able to outlast democratic nations, where anarchy started taking hold of everyone. Nearly 67% of the population of earth was wiped out in about a year. Nations fought over all the basic necessities: Forests, water, crude oil for necessities, and land to settle away from overcrowded cities. They didn't take care of their planet, so their planet took care of them. It's grim, I know, but on cannot deny the lessons of history. Jeez, can we talk about something nicer? I'm actually thinking about dying my chassis black." (set: $WhCValue to 2) [[A Minor Problem]]

"He wanted a totalitarian rule. Didn't trust people with their freedom. He thought they would keep making mistakes until a wiser man came and helped them along. At the beggining, it seemed innocent--as though he had learned from the past that totalian rule was dangerous over time. He wanted to keep it temporary until he was convinced the world could handle itself again. But then he stayed in power for an extra term. Then another. And another. And his methods grew harsher: Fewer rations. No free speech. Exclusively privitized education. Hard labor for no extra pay. It started looking bleak. That is, until you came in and toppled his little empire." (set: $WhCValue to 2) [[A Minor Problem]]

"I'm no science-droid, but I know that the labs had cracked the secrets to cold fusion during the war. Desperate times forced scientific breakthroughs, as they often do. They were close to perfecting it before the warp. It's strange, really. They should've had it done sooner. There were rumors that they were experimenting on that space monster at the time of their research--before it got loose and destroyed everything, of course. I really hope that's not the case." (set: $WhCValue to 2) [[A Minor Problem]]

"You will be judged on your flaws and your virtues. If you are deemed worthy, we can perfect you. If not, you will join the rest." The rest? You focus your attention for a moment to a strange outline in the corner. It looks hunched over and afraid. You move to touch it. It is hardened, and rough, like charcoal. The figure was clearly burned alive. "They were not worthy. They were flawed. But I was not. And neither are you. Come to the Grand Court. I'll be waiting. Together, we can stand atop the bodies of the unrighteous. Together, we can rule." [[I'm coming for you]]

"Good. I'll be here," Elijah says before cutting out. The shuffling noises continue. "We should probably get out of here. Quickly," the Conduit says. You find this statement agreeable. You see two routes before you: [[The stairs]] seem safer than jumping to the street, but you still aren't sure where those sounds came from. Anything could be waiting for you. It's a stretch, but [[jumping to the street]] will surely get you far away from any keepers lurking in the building.

Better safe than sorry, right? You run to the stairwell just outside the room you landed in. The shuffling noise you heard dies away as you descend the bright steps. Third floor. Second floor. The shuffling returns just before you hit the bottom landing. Waiting for you in the lobby appears to be three spider-like drones, each with some sort of cannon on its back. They haven't noticed you yet, so you might be able to head back up the stairs and try [[jumping to the street]]. Either that, or you can try to [[fight the spider-drones]].

You don't want to know what's stalking you, so you decide to jump for it. You look down, and notice that the building is three stories tall. "That's insane, you'll break your legs," the Conduit says. Your experiences in combat suggest otherwise. You're pretty certain you'll make it down in one piece, but that it might rock you a little. Your age is a cause for concern. Regardless, it seems safe enough. Try [[The stairs]] [[Jump down]]

You throw a blast from the laserblade at one of the two drones and destroy it. The other, now alerted, zooms very quickly up to the roof--you almost don't even see it go up there. It appears to be lining up a shot. [Laserblade] [Energy Whip] [Power Gauntlet] [[Eagle Cannon]]

You drop to the ledge below, and take hold of a grip on the side of the building. You think the ledge below you can be grappled to help you get down more safely, but you'll have to let go of the ledge you're on. You prepare yourself. [Drop to the lower ledge]<WhD1| { (set: $ledgegrab to false) (set: $ledgemiss to 2) (set: $WhDelapsedtime to 0) (click: ?WhD1)[(replace: ?WhD1)[[$warningStyleText[Catch the ledge!]<WhDwarning| [catch ledge]<catchledge|] (live: 1000ms)[(if: $ledgegrab is true)[(stop:)] (else:)[(set: $WhDelapsedtime to (round: time / 1000) )(set: $ledgemiss to $ledgemiss - 1)(replace: ?WhDwarning)[$warningTextStyle[Catch the ledge! $ledgemiss]](if:$ledgemiss < 0)[(goto: "Hard landing")](click:?catchledge)[(set: $ledgegrab to true)(replace: ?WhDwarning)[You catch the ledge successfully. You should be able to make a [[soft landing]] from here.](replace: ?catchledge)[ ]]]]]}

You jump down safely, but there's no time to rest--a group of humanoid keepers approach you. They are strange, and almost tribal-looking. They wield energy shields and electric lances, and wear identical, metallic tribal masks as though to signify their lack of identities. They approach you quickly, but thanks to your safe descent, you should have more time to formulate a plan of attack. [Laserblade] [[Energy Whip]] [Power Gauntlet] [Eagle Cannon]

You miss your grapple, and plummet to the earth. You are not dead, but you're almost certain you've cracked a rib, and you're also out of breath for a moment. "General! Are you okay?" the Conduit inquires. As though to make things worse, a group of humanoid keepers approach you. They are strange, and almost tribal-looking. They wield energy shields and electric lances, and wear identical, metallic tribal masks as though to signify their lack of identities. They approach you quickly, and you're barely on your feet before they begin closing the distance. Think fast--how will you keep them back? [**Laserblade**] [[Energy Whip]] [**Power Gauntlet**] [**Eagle Cannon**]

You fire the cannon atop the White Blade, and the spider drones cannot move fast enough to dodge the shots. You manage to take out both of them faster than the Conduit can say "I think you should use the.. Oh. I feel so useless now." You reassure the Conduit and make your way out of the front lobby. You don't even make a second step outside before you see another odd-looking Keeper-variant waiting for you, [[spears at the ready]].

These variants are strange, and almost tribal-looking. They wield energy shields and electric lances, and wear identical, metallic tribal masks as though to signify their lack of identities. They approach you quickly in a loose formation. The Conduit hides behind you. "I'll let you get this one--I'm feeling too exhausted," it says. Can Conduits even feel exhausted? [**Laserblade**] [[Energy Whip]] [**Power Gauntlet**] [**Eagle Cannon**]

The Energy Whip is just long enough to reach around the shields of the savages and cause critical damage. You methodically destroy Keeper by Keeper until the others decide to retreat. One of the Keepers moves more slowly than the others, and the will to cut it in half with the laserblade takes over. You swing the sword, and a moment later, the Keeper lay in pieces. This fury reminds you of a vague time long past, and a shimmer takes hold of you. *Elijah and his squad are surveying the damages of a massive explosion that has completely leveled some nearby buildings. Little but rubble remains of some of them. The one you landed the hovercraft in seems to be just down the road. A cut and bruised woman approaches Elijah, and spits on his long-flowing white robes. A small band of injured pedestrians stand behind her. "This is your fault! He said he wouldn't hurt anyone if you just left him alone, he just wanted to leave this--" Elijah then uses the White Blade to cut her down like a tree. "Go back to your homes, or you'll end up like her. I am dealing with this," Elijah said. Even Elijah's squad look at him in fear. He continues walking down the street, as if nothing had happened. "I've had enough of this criminal," he says to the open air.* You had no idea Elijah was taking such [[desperate measures]] to keep the peace in this strange world. If anything, this fuels your need to find him even more.

"This platform isn't connected to the Grand Court. How do you plan on getting over there?" the Conduit asks. You quietly look to the floating Conduit with a curious face. It hovers--so why can't you both? "What? You don't think that I... No. That's even worse than the hovercraft idea. I don't even think I can support your weight without falling," the Conduit says. You tell it that this platform floats higher in the air than that of the Grand Court. You don't need to fly you just need to glide over to the central platform. "Are you insane?!" As you walk to the edge of your current platform, picking off the occasional spider drone and savage here and there, you continue your heated discussion with the Conduit. up until you reach the edge. "I...I suppose it's do-able--but I need to gather energy to propulsion systems for a moment," it says. In the meantime, you glare at the menacing eye staring at you from the walls of the Grand Court's massive pyramidal structure. You think about asking a question: [[Why did they like triangles so much?]] [[Why do they need to observe everything?]] [[Why is the city flying?]] [[Move on to the plan]]

"Why don't *you* like triangles? Structurally speaking, they're unnaturally effective at distributing weight and holding things together. Triangles are the shape of stability--and if there's anything the Keepers seem to like, it's stability." [[Move on to the plan]]

"Based on what I've seen and heard from other Conduits, these Keepers seem to love their laws. As soon as they finished dealing with the quarantine on the side of the city farthest from the human settlement, they started dispersing across the city. When they found the settlement, they did something strange--they started asking questions. A lot of them. At first, they were simple things like 'is it okay to kill for no reason,' but the questions kept getting more and more difficult. Everybody was interviewed relentlessly for hours and hours of the day, until one of them answered a question 'incorrectly.' He was vaporized on the spot. This kept happening until everyone was either rounded up or killed. Whatever these things are, they seem have a strict moral code to uphold. That's why they watch--to keep the peace." [[Move on to the plan]]

"Maybe it's to get away from the surface? It's easier to manage things in an isolated environment than in a larger one. Fewer variables, I guess. Up here, they can dream of all the horrific ways of vaporizing everything that they want without the reprecussions of dealing with a larger society. Sounds like something your friend Elijah would love." [[Move on to the plan]]

"Okay, I think I'm ready. Probably won't work, but hey, it's not like we have any other options. Oh, wait, we do, but you want to use me as your personal little jetpa--" You jump on the Conduit and you both begin descending rapidly before the Conduit stabilizes and begins gliding toward the pyramid. You now know for sure that you will make it. "I hate you," the Conduit says. As you glide toward the Grand Court, Elijah's voice plays so loud that it seems to cut the air itself in half. "WE SEE YOU, GENERAL. WE SEE EVERYTHING. NOW THAT I AM PERFECT, I AM WILLING TO PUT OUR LITTLE GAME ASIDE, AND OFFER YOU THE SAME PERFECTION. WHEN YOU REACH THIS PLATFORM, SURRENDER YOURSELF, OR YOU WILL BE JUDGED HARSHLY. DON'T MAKE THIS DIFFICULT." You see yet another variant of Keeper rolling out the entrance of [[the front gate]] of the Grand Court--literally.

A eight-foot-tall wheel rolls out of the entrance as you hit the platform. It is a single wheel with a set of three eyes aligned vertically along the front of an exterior shell. A set of arms then protrude from the sides of the wheel, wielding blades in each hand. "What in the world is that?" the Conduit asks. "PLACE THAT SWORD ON THE GROUND, OR IT WILL BE TAKEN FROM YOU," Elijah says. [[Refuse]] [[Drop the Blade]]

You charge the power gauntlet, letting it burn some of the skin off of your hand in the process, and after a few intense seconds, discharge a powerful blast of energy toward the eye of the pyramid, successfully deactivating the display. Elijah's voice is now much quieter. "You're a fool. This is my world, away from men, away from life. Do think stopping me will change the fact that Earth is gone? That it will bring back the dead? It's of no concern. Come face your judgement, if you're able. One way or another, you will join me." The wheel charges at full speed. [[Laserblade]] [Energy Whip] [Power Gauntlet] [Eagle Cannon]

Maybe you can solve this without fighting. Anxious, you let the shining sword hit the ground, and as it does it disintegrates. "What have you done?" the Conduit asks. You tell it that there has to be a peaceful solution. "No, forget that. I'm not turning into one of those things!" The Conduit then floats away, leaving you standing with only the giant wheel. "GOOD. YOU HAVE CHOSEN WELL FOR ONCE, GENERAL." The arms of the wheel are pulled back into the sides, and it guides you into the pyramid. There, you see what has to be the leader of all the Keepers. You see [[Judgement]].

The great machine, Judgement, gazes down at you. It is armed with an unbelievable arsenal of weapons. It races toward you from across the hall, using the wheels attached to its feet to accelerate with alarming speed. You doubt it has any plans of stopping. "TELL ME, WHAT IS TO BE FEARED MOST, GENERAL?" [[Dying]] [[Disorder]]

The great Judgement is but seconds away from you now. "WRONG." You reach for the White Blade, and before you can even feel intense regret for your mistake, you are stabbed in the back by the giant wheel behind you and lifted as an offering to Judgement. You are then slowly blasted to pieces by an unfeeling machine.

The great Judgement is but seconds away from you now. "CORRECT." Judgement stops in its tracks. Skidding to a halt. "BRING HIM TO [[THE CHAMBER]]"

Judgement guides you now, leaving the giant wheel behind. You follow it across the giant courtroom. "YOU HAVE EARNED THE RIGHT TO BE PERFECTED. YOU WILL JOIN THE ENDLESS RANKS OF OUR LOST CIVILIZATION, AND BECOME SOMETHING MORE. SOMETHING PERFECT." A passage opens along the far wall of the courtroom. As you walk inside, the door to the chamber slams shut. Judgement remains outside. A strange gas begins to fill the bright room, making it even brighter. "THE CHANGE WILL NOT BE FAST, GENERAL. IT WAS NOT SO FOR ME." Your lungs burn first. Then your stomach, then your entire body. You can feel each of your organs being incinerated and being replaced by something else. The pain is blinding, and you remain conscious through the entire ordeal. Your mind is the last to go as you hear a final statement from the worst enemy you have ever faced. "WELCOME TO PERFECTION, GENERAL."

You fire a vertically-oriented wave of energy at the wheel, aiming for the three eyes in front. It splits down the middle, the two halves just barely missing you on either side. Strangely, this triggers a shimmer: *A man sits in the middle of a room, tied to a chair. Elijah walks circles around him as though he were a hungry predator. "I will keep you alive even if it only means I can make you suffer more than you already have. I know you're part of the splintered settlement. I know the exact location of this settlement. And most crucially, I know that you can tell me where to find that damned traitor," Elijah says. "It's gonna take more than a defeated old man to get that out of me," the second-in-command says. Elijah takes the White Blade and pulls out the energy whip. He wraps it around the man, blade segments biting into his body. He then pulls the whip very slowly, letting it eviscerate the man. His screams are almost deafening. "STOP, OH GOD, STOP! I CAN TELL YOU, JUST FUCKING STOP!" the man says. Elijah ceases pulling and moves close to the man. "He's--Aghhh! He's in the eastern sector, holed up in one of those hovercraft factories," the man says. "Thank you," says Elijah, before he pulls the whip much more quickly, ending the man's life, and the shimmer as well.* When you come back, the Conduit is staring at you. "You done? I mean, that was really cool and all, but you've been holding that pose for at least three minutes." You smack it out of the air with your hand and enter [[the pyramid]].

"It's just one big room? That's kind of disappointing," the Conduit says. He doesn't see it before you do. A enormous Keeper stands at the far side of the room. It is standing in front of a statue shaped to look like a scale. It's eyes turn on, shining a white so bright that it blinds you momentarily. "This, General, is [[Project Judgement]]."

Before you have time to analyze it, Judgement explodes with **speed** toward you. Its light is still blinding you, but you might be able to get a better look at it at the cost of much-needed action. [Analyze closer (Costs 1 attempt)] [Swing Laserblade] [Lash Energy Whip] [Charge Power Gauntlet] [[Fire Eagle Cannon]]

You shoot out the bright eye and can now see much more clearly. Judgement looks stunned for a moment, and you use that time to get a better sense of Judgement's form. It is bipedal, using wheels in place of feet. It also has two arms--one sporting a cannon, the other a large blade. It has thrusters at every angle on its body for movement. In the center, much like the wheel Keeper, it has three eyes, which appear to serve some sort of function. Judgement quickly recovers and begins firing cannon shots at you. You dodge them for a few moments, and then the cannon overheats. You have a window. You need to **disarm it** somehow. [Analze closer (Costs 1 attempt)] [Swing Laserblade] [[Lash Energy Whip]] [Charge Power Gauntlet] [Fire Eagle Cannon]

You segment the White Blade and swing the Energy Whip furiously at the arm cannon. It wraps around the cannon and you pull, causing significant damage to it. Judgement attempts to fire it again, but this time the arm explodes, sending it reeling. You see this as [[an opportunity.]]

It was a ruse! Judgement fires its blade at you! [[Dodge the blade]]

The blade, attached to a cord from Judgements arm, is now stuck in the ground. "This thing is too quick, you need to **deal with the legs**!" the Conduit shouts. [Analyze closer (Costs 1 attempt)] [Swing Laserblade] [Lash Energy Whip] [[Charge Power Gauntlet]] [Fire Eagle Cannon]

Let's see it run from this. You charge the gauntlet, and as Judgement frees its arm from the ground, you discharge the gauntlet directly at its feet. When the dust settles, you see Judgement's torso in the center of the room. It appears immobile. You move closer to deliver a final blow when you see the three lights on his chest begin to light up. As you move closer, your skin starts to burn. "It's a countermeasure, it'll tear the skin off your body if you get too close." And here you were expecting a challenge. [[Finish Project Judgement]] with the Laserblade.

"General, wait!" Three missles burst out of Judgement's eye spots. [[Take cover]]

You barely dive to cover as the missles decimate everything around you. You crawl from the rubble coughing. Three dim eyes can still be seen in the center of the room. You charge the powergauntlet. It sizzles in your hand as you sprint toward Project Judgement and [[take a leap]].

The gauntlet glows in the air, radiant as the sun. You plummet downwards toward Judgement's chest and, as the gauntlet explodes against it, a final shimmer plays: *Elijah is now the one in the chair. Circling him is the criminal from the first shimmer--the one who set off the bombs. "Oh, I bet you feel so very stupid right now," the man says. Elijah spits at his feet. "You can't take away our freedom, Elijah. History tells all. It'll never work. Without free will, the repressed will always rise to stop monsters like you." Elijah smiles at this comment. "Come now, don't make me point out obvious things," Elijah says. "What?" the man asks. "Yes, the repressed will rise as they always do. And then you'll try your democracy, and when that falls yet again, one of your beloved oppressed will try to take your freedom as I have. It's the cycle of things. You know it. I know it," Elijah says. "But we'll do better. We'll find a way," the man replies. This makes Elijah laugh. "I bet you certainly think that. But ponder this: do you really think the cycle will ever stop? Do you think high hopes and a lot of hard work will free the human race? Because it won't. It'll never stop. I've seen it, you fool. Only I can save us from ourselves. Free will is the only thing that stands between humanity and its salvation. Perhaps when we have conquered our petty problems I will give that salvation back. But not a moment before," Elijah says. The White Blade materializes in his hand, and he cuts himself free with the power gauntlet. "You're not taking anything in your positio--" Elijah rises from the chair and stabs the man with the White Blade before he can finish his sentence. "With this blade, I can do whatever I very well please" Elijah says to the man as he passes away. As the body hits the ground, Elijah chuckles to himself. But then the blade disintegrates in his hands. "What? What is this?" he asks, trying to get it to re-materialize. "No! Get back here you--" the shimmer ends.* Judgement lay in pieces, and you sit in a crater, gauntlet to the ground. "[[You are worthy]]," Elijah says over a speaker.

At the far edge of the room, a wall opens to a chamber. "Let's finish this," the Conduit says. The sword then de-materializes, and you hear a mysterious ringing sound. "It's okay, I doubt we'll need it," it says. As you enter the room, you see Elijah bound against a wall--what's left of him anyway. It looks like he has been brutally disfigured by something, with his limbs being replaced with machinery. He is visibly connected with wires to some kind of mainframe. "Ah, there you are, old friend," he says. "I'm sure you have questions." In truth, you do. But you're not certain if it's worth the trouble. You could end Elijah once and for all right here, right now. [[End Elijah]] [[What are the Keepers?]] [[What happened to the human settlement?]] [[How did you end up in here?]]

You've had enough of Elijah's game. You move to sever the bond between Elijah. "I wouldn't do that," says Elijah. "I'm the only hope these people have left. It is how it is meant to be. Someday--when I deem it necessary and proper--they can live again. They will live again. But only if I survive." "That's crap, General, and you know it. How do we know he'll even try to keep that promise?" the Conduit asks. "Please, let me have this. Don't take my dream away from me," Elijah says. For a moment, you remember that young, idealistic boy who you shared meals with during the resource wars. He was not evil then. But is he the man before the population war, or the monster after? Do you let him keep humans as his captives and hold on to his promise, or do you end their captivity (and lives) here and now? [[Kill Elijah]] [[Spare Elijah]]

Machines, invented by the master of this planet. They spread via nanotechnology. They're incredible machines, the Keepers. They had a system of laws when I was integrated into the system. When I was made their master, I re-wrote those laws. Apparently, it angered someone badly enough to find you and wake you from death. Nonetheless, this control I now have is glorious. Now there is order. Now there is peace. I would prefer you did not take this from me." [[How did you end up in here?]] [[What happened to the human settlement?]] [[End Elijah]]

"They were taken, of course. I took them. I made them perfect. We are now perfect. They no longer have voices. Perhaps I will give it back someday. As for now, they take the shape of the shield-bearing Keepers you fought outside that falling building," Elijah says. "That's not living! And the what about the Conduits?" says the Conduit. "The Conduits were not perfected yet. I made them so. It is crude, I agree, but they are not lost. With these nanobots, I can restore the bodies of both human and Conduit at any given time. I need only figure out how. Until then, I plan on keeping them right where they are." [[What are the Keepers?]] [[How did you end up in here?]] [[End Elijah]]

"After the White Blade abandoned me, the Keepers lost what fear they had left in them. They captured me. They brought me before Judgement. I was deemed worthy. Only, my fate was not as pleasant as yours will be. But I know this for certain: I am now perfect. I am at one with the rest of the Keepers, and they are at one with me." [[What are the Keepers?]] [[What happened to the human settlement?]] [[End Elijah]]

You move closer to Elijah, and place your hands around his neck. "You're a liar, Elijah. You always have been, and you always will be. Your games are finished," you say. As he chokes, he gets one final line out: "Now who's the murderer?" He dies with a smile on his face. "I'm sorry you had to do that. I know he was your friend," the Conduit says. "It would've happened one way or another," you say. Then, your vision is filled with white. The last thing you see is Elijah, smiling enigmatically at you. [[The Next Realm]] (set: $WClose to $WClose + 1) (set: $Conduit to $Conduit + 1) (set: $M1 to 0)

"Keep your place for now. Rebuild this empty city. Give these people a future brighter than all the white in this realm," you say. "And if you don't, I will come back. I will strangle you with my bare hands if I have to." "This is a mistake, General. Those people are suffering," says the Conduit. Then, your vision is filled with white. The last thing you see is Elijah, smiling enigmatically at you. "Thank you, General." [[The Next Realm]] (set: $WClose to $WClose + 1) (set: $Conduit to $Conduit + 1) (set: $M1 to 1)

You are transported back to the hub of gateways. You feel stronger than you were before, and you notice two things: The blade you've just wielded is in the holster at the center of the hub, and the gate you've just gone through is now shut. A formless monster appears. It's time to choose the next path. "What color?" [[White]] [[White-Gray]] [[Gray]] [[Black-Gray]] [[Black]] { (if: $WClose > 0)[(replace: "White")[ ] ] (if: $WGClose > 0)[(replace: "White-Gray")[ ] ] (if: $GClose > 0)[(replace: "Gray")[ ] ] (if: $BGClose > 0)[(replace: "Black-Gray")[ ] ] (if: $BClose > 0)[(replace: "Black")[ ] ] (if: $Conduit is 5)[(goto: "Finish the Fight")] }

You finish the beast with a flurry of blows that seem impossible given the size of the Black blade. "I've only been in the Black Realm once. I don't think you're gonna like it. I certainly didn't," the Conduit says. Regardless, you know you need to step through. You skin crawls, and the blade seems to be the cause of it. Whatever this abomination is, you need to quench its thirst for death. As you make the step through, a shimmer assaults you: *A young man--obviously a soldier--seems to be managing a crisis. Two other soldiers of lower rank are fighting. "Hey! Break it up you two! I told you that this has to stop, now stop!" he yells at them. He steps through the doorway to the hut they are fighting in, and then a bag is placed over his head and one of the soldiers says "it's time for you to go away, Lieutenant!" before laughing wildly and hitting him over the head. When he wakes, he is in a ditch and alone and afraid in the dark. He feels his way around, and notices the Black Blade on the ground. He picks it up, and his weakened stance improves to a proud, tall one. "What on Earth is this thing?" the Lieutenant asks. A horrible, gut-wrenching roar sounds from behind him. He stumbles backwards. A monster of pure black energy that appears to be half-human bodybuilder with the face of a squid rushes him. He swings the blade frantically, and one catches the beast in the stomach, injuring it beyond repair. It dies before him, and the blade draws its energy into itself. A group of monsters sharing the same appearance, though not quite as dark, flock around him, and kneel. "What the fuck is going on?!" the Lieutenant asks as the shimmer ends.* You have entered a [[world of black]]

You don't have time to think about this "Lieutenant," though he does sound familiar. You wave your arms around--you can see nothing. "Your eyes haven't adjusted yet" the Conduit says. "Give it a minute or two." You agree to wait. While you do: [[What is this place?]] [[What exactly did I do before all this?]] [[Who is the Lieutenant?]]

"It's a place where things go to die is what it is. Why you chose that blade, I have no clue. Something isn't right here--it's a place where forces we know nothing about seem to be at play. Those runes of yours--I only know about them through word of mouth. One other Conduit was here. I visited it before it died from damage to its core. It told me about these horrible runes, and about a massacre that took place here as it was fleeing. Dark stuff, suited for a place as dark as this. [[Your eyes adjust]]

"I thought we went over this--you were a General. The best who ever lived, some say. You fought more battles than any other historical figure. The thing is, you really never stopped fighting. It was strange--nobody seemed to know what motivated you, but you just kept on winning battles. It was very impressive, to be honest. The stuff of legend." [[Did I kill people?]]

"It's a nickname given to your second-in-command. He respected you very highly during the population war, and I heard you two were basically inseperable. Beyond that, I don't really know much about him other than that he was with you in almost every battle you fought in." [[Why is he here?]]

Even with your vision adjusted, it's still very hard to see anything but black. You seem to be in some kind of field, but not of grass or flowers. It's all thorns. In the far distance is some kind of volcano--easily the most notable landmark. With everything being so black, it's hard to tell if the distant river between you and the volcano is filled with water or something less pleasant. You hear a rustle, and your senses sharpen. "[[What was that?]]" the Conduit asks.

"Apparently he was leading a group of survivors to this place in a desperate attempt to escape the master of this world. I doubt anyone would choose this door if they had to, but then again, this place is full of secrets." [[Your eyes adjust]]

"Nobody that didn't deserve it. Not that I know of, at least. But yes, General. You did. You killed very many people." [[Your eyes adjust]]

A nearly indescribable beast erupts from the bush: It has tentacles for legs, a thin body and thin arms, with a single dark eye in the center of its rectagular head. It's about time you had something to kill. You swing the blade at it and it dissipates into the wind. You feel relieved. "Are you feeling okay, General?" the Conduit asks. You tell it about the itch to kill. "That sounds bad. Maybe you should try to ignore it unless you get attacked." You take the advice into consideration. You begin moving to the volcano. "What? Why would you want to go there? It's filled with lava and death and you're not even listening to me are you?" [[The First Hurdle]]

The field of thorns is ahead of you, as is a path that leads to a higher altitude away from the thorns. "You can probably bet that where there's safety, there's also monsters. Maybe you can relieve yourself of the itch by taking those routes. Otherwise... well, lets hope your pants don't get shredded," the Conduit says. [[The field of thorns]] [[The hilly path]]

You decide to restrain yourself, and walk the field of thorns. Thankfully the scratches are minimal as you progress further into the field. However, the itch begins to build--you think about how easily that first monster fell, and about easily you could do it again. You shake this thought process, and keep moving. "It must suck to have legs. I'm so glad I can float. Also, I never understood why you have to swing your arms like that when you walk. They say it's for balance, but if you stop swinging them, you don't fall over, do you? Silly, just silly," the Conduit says in an attempt to lighten the situation. The field starts to get deeper and deeper as you go, and you're afraid it might go up to your head soon. "That actually looks pretty painful," the Conduit says. "Maybe you could turn back and try [[The hilly path]] instead. [[Press forward]]

You need to keep this urge in check if you want to make it through here with your sanity. You choose to walk the hilly path, even if it means taking down a few shadows on the way. "Let's hope we don't run into anything too nasty," the Conduit says. As you climb the hill, you begin to hear a rustle similar to the one you heard when you woke in the field. You prepare your sword. A hissing sound rings in your ears. "[[What's that sound?]]" the conduit asks.

"So be it, you masochist. I'll be up here, keeping my chassis scratch-free. Just cry out in pain if you need me," the Conduit says. You take cut after cut as the thorns engulf your head. The pain becomes intense. You're certain the cuts aren't deep, but they are certainly many. After a minute or two of slow progression, another shimmer interrupts your journey: *The Lieutenant walks slowly toward the volcano, as you do, but he does not appear to be doing so willingly. The beasts behind him appear docile after the death of their master, and the Lieutenant appears to have taken on the role. As they reach the river of something, a massive bird erupts from the liquid and flies high into the abyssal sky. The Lieutenant looks worried, but collects himself as the Black Blade alters its runes. The bird slams against the ground, knocking the Lieutenant's minions to their knees. The Lieutenant doesn't budge. The bird slowly unfurls its wings, and, at their full thirty-foot wingspan, it lets out a terrible shriek, as though it were in pain. It begins pecking at the lieutenant, who fends off the blows with the Obsidus rune. He strikes the bird's head, stunning the creature. He then cuts off a wing with a savage blow, forcing the bird to the ground. It shrieks louder. The lieutenant walks closer and closer to it as the shimmer fades. "I'm sorry. I need your speed." He lifts the blade.* When you wake, you hear [[an impact]]. (set: $Patience to $Patience + 1)

"General, we have to run, now!" the Conduit shouts. You get up, trying to see in the dark which direction to go. Another impact lands near you--a boulder-sized rock crushes the thorns in front of you, and you can make out the direction of the volcano. You also make out the monster attacking you: It looks like a massive venus fly trap, but with large wings. It is vomiting out giant boulders, trying to crush you against the thorns. You begin to pick up the pace. Thorns are digging into your skin as you run. You try to cover your face but it doesn't seem to help. At the last moment, you see that a boulder appears to be on an [[intercept trajectory]] with you.

Dodge the boulder! [[Dodge the boulder]]

The boulder barely misses you. Thankfully, it reveals the way out. You burst out of the bushes covered in thorns, but also safe--the great flying plant appears to be re-positioning itself somewhere out of range. It has given up. You should have killed it. You should have cut the damn thing in half, then cut those pieces in half, and the pieces after that... "General!" You break out of your trance. "General, you're all cut up. I think we need to do something. I should have a first-aid module installed. It can help you." You lie back as the Conduit vaporizes thorns from your duster, and seals the cuts on your face. [[Wait for it to finish]] [[What destroyed that human settlement?]] [[Why does the Black Blade want me to kill?]] [[What are these creatures?]]

"Okay, that's a little better. I fixed all the major cuts, but I don't really think we should stay in one spot for too long," the Conduit says. You stand up, and approach [[the second hurdle]].

"Well, if the Conduit I talked to is to be believed, it was some kind of demon. It thought that the monster ruled the realm, and that it was the reason for all the terrible things that happen here. Sounds like a very formidable foe. [[Demon? Are you serious?]] [[Wait for it to finish]]

"Maybe it's not the blade" [[What do you mean?]]

"They're certainly not human. There seem to be recurring themes among them, however. That first thing you killed had tentacles for legs. The creatures you saw in that vision had tentacles on their face. And I'm pretty sure the flying fly-eater had some kind of roots burying it into the ground. There's a loose pattern there, and it might be connected with the runes on that blade. See the Demise rune? It looks like a branch from a thorn bush. Plus, Obsidus is described as a wall of thorns. I'm just throwing around ideas here. The runes are no doubt tied to the laws of this place, I'm just not certain how." [[Wait for it to finish]]

"Hey, given what we've seen so far, I wouldn't rule anything out. For all we know, you could be holding the very thing that rules the realm. Whatever it is, it can't be good for anyone." [[Wait for it to finish]]

"Well, for all we know, that blade could just be tricking you into thinking that you're back at war. It's a stretch, but the blade might just be tapping into a deeper well that... Nevermind, I shouldn't have said that. The truth is, I have no idea what motivates that blade, much less how it works." [[Wait for it to finish]]

You have reached the river. Once again, two choices lie ahead of you. "We don't know what that stuff is, General. That could very easily be a river of acid, filled with piranhas, leading to a whirlpool of doom. With fire in it and stuff. Point is, I really don't think you should try it. There's a convenient-looking cave over there that might serve as an underpass to the other side. That looks much safer." [[The Underpass]] [[The River of Black]]

Your hands feel ticklish. You want to swing the sword more than anything at whatever it is that hides from you. "There's no foliage to hide behind, so where is it exactly?" the Conduit asks. As he finishes his question, you feel something bite into your leg with long fangs. You swing the sword down and damage the creature, but don't kill it. It retreats. The smell of metal diffuses into the air. You are bleeding. "The Oro rune, General! I think it's invisible!" the Conduit exclaims. You're not even sure how that's possible, but you switch the rune on anyway. The source of the attack becomes immediately visible--It is a snake-like creature, but with the torso of a man...you think. Whatever the top half is made of is concealed by a black robe with a pointed hood. You cannot see its face, but it is holding a strange-looking skull in its hands like a trophy. It hisses at you. [[Cut it down]].

You swipe at the monster's massive tail protruding from beneath the robe of the upper half. It hisses louder, and attempts to bite you again, but you sever the head and it evaporates. The urge to kill dies down a little. "Let me check your leg, general. Who knows what that thing was or what diseases it was carrying," the Conduit says. As it checks your leg, a shimmer starts: *The Lieutenant walks slowly toward the volcano, as you do, but he does not appear to be doing so willingly. The beasts behind him appear docile after the death of their master, and the Lieutenant appears to have taken on the role. As they reach the river of something, a massive bird erupts from the liquid and flies high into the abyssal sky. The Lieutenant looks worried, but collects himself as the Black Blade alters its runes. The bird slams against the ground, knocking the Lieutenant's minions to their knees. The Lieutenant doesn't budge. The bird slowly unfurls its wings, and, at their full thirty-foot wingspan, it lets out a terrible shriek, as though it were in pain. It begins pecking at the lieutenant, who fends off the blows with the Obsidus rune. He strikes the bird's head, stunning the creature. He then cuts off a wing with a savage blow, forcing the bird to the ground. It shrieks louder. The lieutenant walks closer and closer to it as the shimmer fades. "I'm sorry. I need your speed." He lifts the blade.* When you wake, a few questions come to mind: [[Continue your journey]] [[Where did these runes come from?]] [[Why did the other soldiers betray the Lieutenant?]] [[What do you think we'll find at the volcano?]]

"Your leg is okay. There doesn't seem to be any evidence of poison. At least, none that I know of," the Conduit says. You tell it that it needs to work on its bedside manner and press on. The rest of the hilly path is pretty clear. You crush a few minor threats, but other than that, it's fairly quiet. You begin to think getting to the volcano won't be that hard after all. That is, until you reach [[the second hurdle]].

"Like everything else here, I'm not too sure what to make of the runes. Each controls a different aspect of warfare: Offense, speed, defense, and intelligence. These things are often crucial to the success of any attack pattern. Maybe whatever modeled this nightmare realm had war in mind." [[Continue your journey]]

"This place has weird effects on people. It makes them more violent, more animalistic. That village you saw was placed far away from that mountain in a spot that they thought was safe. Apparently it doesn't matter how far you run from the horrors of this place--they always catch up with you." [[Continue your journey]]

"Nothing pleasant." [[Elaborate]] [[Continue your journey]]

"You notice how hilly this place is? The terrain is so flat here--only minor rises and slopes block visibility. Well, that and the darkness, of course. But that volcano is much larger than all of it. It looks like the kind of place a ruler would go to to watch his subjects. We don't even know if it's a volcano--it could very well be the source of the monsters we're seeing." the Conduit says. "Which of course means you want to charge right at it. You really are a lunatic, you know that?" [[Continue your journey]]

You decide to keep the Black Blade quenched. You spend little time waiting around, and jump right into the cave. "I would say it's dark in here, but it's kinda dark everywhere," the Conduit says. You move through the lofty cave. The ground is unusually smooth, as though something had created this tunnel with the intention of going around the river. You feel the ground begin to rumble, and a roar pierces through the cave. It is extremely loud, and you've never heard anything quite like it. "I'm thinking we should hurry, General," the Conduit says. You disagree. You feel like fighting. And fight you do--a small pack of those tentacle-faced bodybuilders you saw in the first shimmer enter your front view. Behind you, you hear a hissing sound. After that, a number of the weak looking ones you fought when you arrived drop from the ceiling, and the battle begins. [Kill the squidfaces]<BB1| { (Click: ?BB1)[Nothing quite so ugly should have been alive for so long. They charge you, but you activate the Demise rune and hold your ground. Copying what you saw the Lieutenant do, you swing for their stomachs, and they appear to mindlessly slam into your blade. Needless to say, they go down quite easily.] } [Kill the nameless weaklings]<BB2| { (click: ?BB2)[You are almost insulted by how weak these monsters look--that is, until they expose their scorpion-like tails, and begin swarming you. You activate the Cor'Cul rune, and fend off the whirlwind of strikes. When you find a window, you slice them apart one by one until there is nothing left.] } [Kill the snakes]<BB3| { (Click: ?BB3)[You turn to face the snakes, but see nothing. You activate the Oro rune, and see that they are charging you. Off with their heads.] } [[Approach the cave exit]]

You decide to try and keep yourself away from potential encounters, though you're not entirely sure if this route will let you stay the Black Blade. You decide to try. "I hope you know how to build a boat," the Conduit says. You approach the river. When you get close, the air doesn't feel any warmer or colder. It's not lava or ice water. You kneel down by the shore. The river extends maybe seventy-five feet across from you before hitting another shore. You stick your hand in the water. "If your hand gets melted off, don't say I didn't warn you," the Conduit says. You think about smashing it to pieces. Are Conduits fragile? They could be. You want to find out. It'd be quick--one swing of the blade, then no more talking. Quiet. You love and hate the quiet. You love that it means no more talking. You hate that it means you have nothing to kill. "General," it asks, "is something wrong? Are you having another vision?" You break from your destructive thoughts. You tell it you're fine. Something about getting closer to the volcano seems to fill you with more and more violence. You need to control it. The liquid you touch is cool, and feels like average water. You see nothing wrong with it. The current is very weak too, so [[swimming across]] shouldn't be an issue. (set: $Patience to $Patience + 1)

You decide not to wait. You leap in. "There's nothing wrong with it? No shark monsters or anything? That's lame. Er, I mean that's great. Sorry, I really like sharks. I'm just going to float across now," the Conduit says. You swim across just fine. The water is easy to go through. You reach the shore, and begin climbing out. You feel the ground begin to rumble, and a roar pierces through the open air. It is extremely loud, and you've never heard anything quite like it. But it soon passes. When you touch the land, the Conduit exclaims, "General, there's something attached to you." You look behind you. Haunting black tendrils extend from the water all across your duster. Just as you prime the Black Blade to cut them off, they yank you so hard that you fall right back into the water, and start [[going under]].

You are under the water, and something is dragging you deeper. Cut the tendrils! [Cut tendril] [Cut tendril] [Cut tendril] [Cut tendril] [Cut tendril] [[You break free]]

As your breath runs out, you manage to break all the tendrils pulling you deeper. You climb quickly, lungs holding on just barely, and emerge from the water, this time cutting the tendrils that attached you to the water last time. You collapse as a shimmer begins: *The Lieutenant looks different. Patches of black extend across his uniform and his skin, as though something is trying to consume him. His horde of followers is larger now--strange bird-like creatures now follow him. Time skips ahead. You see him stabbing a massive eye--the embodiment of Oro, no doubt. "Your sight will serve me well," the Lieutenant says as it dissipates. Time skips again. This time, he is even darker looking. Only a few patches of skin and uniform are exposed between the darkness. He is violently slashing a massive thorn-wall--Obsidus. "YOU WILL NOT HOLD AGAINST ME," he shouts at the wall. The wall then does something strange--it transforms. You see a woman with her child, cowering in fear. "What is this, demon?" He asks. He looks very impatient. A shadowy voice fills the shimmer: "DO. IT. BRING. THIS THING. TO ME. IT. IS A. LIAR. KILL. IT! KILL. IT NOW!" it says. The Lieutenant loses his hesitation, and strikes down the family with ease. They lie in ribbons on the ground instead of dissipating like the others. In the last moment of the shimmer, you see the darkness overtake the last spots of skin and clothing on the Lieutenants body. He shouts in pain, and the mysterious voice laughs until you can hear nothing else but its shrill voice.* "I don't know CPR General, so you better not be dead," says the Conduit. You sit up in order to [[recover yourself]].

You decide to take a breather. As usual, you have more questions than answers: [[To the Volcano]] [[What kind of battles did I fight in?]] [[Have I always fought with a sword?]] [[Why did people think I was a legend?]]

You fought in next to every battle, General. The only reason you wouldn't fight in one would be because you were preoccupied with fighting in another. One of the more controversial battles was during the [[New York Blitz]]. [[To the Volcano]]

The Conduit takes unusually long to answer this question. For some reason, it seems stunned by it. "No, I don't think so. Well, sort of--you could always fight with whatever was in front of you, be it a stick, or an orbital laser. I'm sure you learned how to use swords somewhere along the way." [[To the Volcano]]

"Because you could never seem to die. You would frequently win battles that seemed hopeless, and eventually, turned you into a symbol of resistance. No one could feel afraid around you because they thought you were invincible--in your youth, at least. As the Population War took on the length of decades, you would occasionally sit out battles at the command of your peers, who wanted you at your best. You hated waiting around, but you always did seem to come back from those breaks stronger than before." [[To the Volcano]]

New York. That name sounds familiar. "That foe of yours, Elijah, attacked New York first. After the Resource Wars, governments were basically non-existant, so New York was a population hot-spot, and was open for the taking. Elijah, who had conquered most of Europe, launched a massive naval assault against New York to try and take it from you and your forces. The Lieutenant thought you should evacuate the city first, but you decided against it because losing New York would give Elijah a strong foothold in North America. Instead, you exchanged artillery fire with the navy, and knocked out as many large boats as possible to deal with their command structure. After that, it was a matter of mopping up smaller boats. You lost many civilians that day--something Elijah thought you wouldn't do. It's thanks to you that Elijah's Grand Navy was destroyed. After that, the Population war started going in your favor." [[To the Volcano]]

The path to the volcano is surprisingly clear--a miniature desert stretches before you. You begin to walk through the stable sand. "Hey, what was that roar we heard earlier? None of the monsters you fought seemed big enough to make that kind of sound," the Conduit inquires. As if on cue, the ground shakes again, and [[the third hurdle]] presents itself to you. "Oh, why did I have to say that?!" the Conduit pleads.

"You really are quite unstoppable with that blade," the Conduit says. You feel a sense of calmness for now. Your power is intoxicating. As you climb the upward slope to the cave exit, you feel a shimmer come on: *The Lieutenant looks different. Patches of black extend across his uniform and his skin, as though something is trying to consume him. His horde of followers is larger now--strange bird-like creatures now follow him. Time skips ahead. You see him stabbing a massive eye--the embodiment of Oro, no doubt. "Your sight will serve me well," the Lieutenant says as it dissipates. Time skips again. This time, he is even darker looking. Only a few patches of skin and uniform are exposed between the darkness. He is violently slashing a massive thorn-wall--Obsidus. "YOU WILL NOT HOLD AGAINST ME," he shouts at the wall. The wall then does something strange--it transforms. You see a woman with her child, cowering in fear. "What is this, demon?" He asks. He looks very impatient. A shadowy voice fills the shimmer: "DO. IT. BRING. THIS THING. TO ME. IT. IS A. LIAR. KILL. IT! KILL. IT NOW!" it says. The Lieutenant loses his hesitation, and strikes down the family with ease. They lie in ribbons on the ground instead of dissipating like the others. In the last moment of the shimmer, you see the darkness overtake the last spots of skin and clothing on the Lieutenants body. He shouts in pain, and the mysterious voice laughs until you can hear nothing else but its shrill voice.* Your mind is now clear. Serene, almost. You can ask a question before you exit the cave: [[To the Volcano]] [[What was my greatest battle?]] [[What rules this land?]]

"During the Population War? Let me see... yes, I think it was [[The Battle for London]]."

"Well, it sounds like it might be that thing you heard in your vision. Whatever it was, you'd be wise to avoid talking to it if it tries to contact you. At least we know what it is, though." [[To the Volcano]]

"Ha ha, yeah, I remember now. It wasn't a large battle per se, but it was certainly the most entertaining. Your foe Elijah marched out a great war machine right in front of Big Ben as a power display--some kind of mech. But you knew he would try something like this, so you infiltrated Big Ben and rigged it with explosives. The whole thing fell right on top of his sacred war machine, and then you ordered a full-scale assault as the panic spread through Elijah's ranks. It was great stuff, though a lot of people miss Big Ben. Or, missed. That was before all this." [[To the Volcano]]

You're not running from combat this time. Something about this thing sets your blood on fire. The volcano demands that you kill, and *this*? You can tell that *this* kill is going to be good. There is no choice in this matter. [[The Underbeast]]

Eight spider legs erupt from the ground, with particles of loose sand falling from the tips of its legs as they rise upward to the sky. Whatever this thing is, it's *big*--maybe one hundred feet in length. The legs are as tall and strong as forest tree trunks, and the same roar as before comes back so loudly that shakes the world around you. You are surrounded by the legs of this Underbeast, and a webbing between the legs cuts off your escape, effectively turning the area around you into an arena. Not that that matters--something tells you that you won't be able to get that far from this thing before it catches up. The sand beneath you begins to sink in a whirlpool fashion. "General, you need to [[get out of there]]!"

Struggle against the falling sand! [Climb higher] [Climb higher] [Climb higher] [Climb higher] [Climb higher] [Climb higher] [[the first blow]]

You barely make it to the edge of the whirlpool. You activate Demise and sever the leg closest to you, then run to the next and do the same. The legs fall to the ground, sending a ripple of sand flying in to the air and knocking you off your feet. You are blinded as the monster retreats underground and recovers. "General, keep moving! Get to the Volcano!" the Conduit yells over the movement of the Underbeast. You're having a blast. You don't want to go anywhere. Imagine the story you'll tell! A titanic fucking spider! Your life before this seems like nothing in comparison. The Underbeast, in its [[leviathan rage]], throws its legs out of the sand once again, except this time, it looks like it intends to crush you.

The Underbeast throws its massive legs in your direction. [The third leg] [the fourth leg] [the fifth leg] [the sixth leg] [[Back Underground]]

The Underbeast retreats yet again. "That's it, General, just two more legs!" the Conduits says. A sandstorm is raging with the fall of so many limbs. The leviathan roars louder than before, and you have to squint your eyes to see [[the final legs]] burst from the ground. the broken webbing between the legs dangle in the sand. It makes you laugh. The sand begins falling again, and the beast is certainly going to try and strike you with those legs.

Finish this! [Climb higher] [Climb higher] [Deflect leg] [Climb higher] [Climb higher] [Deflect leg] [[The Beast Defeated]]

That's it! It's all over! The Underbeast squeals like any defeated predator should, and it's massive body explodes from the earth, only kicking up more sand. It has the body of a spider, but a giant fin too, as though to swim through the earth. It rolls around in pain trying to get away from you. "KILL. IT. IT IS. WEAK. YOU ARE. MIGHTY. TEAR. ITS HEART. OUT," a shrill voice says to you. Your blood is still on fire. You need to obey. You have to. "What are we doing here, General?" the Conduit asks. [[Finish the beast]] [[Continue to the volcano]]

You activate the Cor'Cul rune and run to the dying beast. You slice its stomach open, letting the dark within pour out. You then slit the throat. More darkness. Finally, as it quivers in its dying pain, you plunge your Demise-powered sword into its skull. It snaps at you with its pincers in angry desperation, but to no avail. It ceases movement after a minute or so, and disintegrates into the sand. The fight is done, and you feel at peace. "COME. TO THE. THRONE. WE WILL. TALK. WE WILL. FIGHT. YOU WILL. DIE," the shrill voice says as a shimmer begins: *You cannot recognize the Lieutenant. He has absorbed all of the deities of this realm, and is marching along the plains in his new, dark form. An army of monsters trails behind him. "YOU HAVE. THE POWER. TAKE. WHAT IS. YOURS! TOGETHER. WE WILL. CONQUER. TOGETHER. WE WILL. THRIVE. TOGETHER. WE WILL. SURVIVE," the shrill voice says. "They betrayed me, master. They will know regret. I am stronger than all of them. Not even the General knew the power I now possess," the Lieutenant says. "YES. POWER. MUST. BE USED. POWER. MUST. BE FREE. THE WEAK. MUST. DIE." The Lieutenant reaches for the Black Blade, but cannot find it. time skips ahead. The Lieutenant has massacred the village that threw him out. There is no trace of survivors. "Where is my blade, master? I could've used it!" he yells at the air. As the shimmer dies away, you hear the shrill voice one more time. "YOU. SERVE. ME. SERVANTS. ARE. WEAK."* When you wake, you are at [[the foot of the volcano]].

It takes everything to do it, but resist the urge to plunge the Black Blade into the head of the Underbeast. You leave it on the ground, helpless. Your legs seem to be trying to disobey you as you walk away, as though they demand blood. But you keep going. Eventually, the edge of your thirst for blood subsides, but you still feel a growing need for death. "YOU. WILL BE. EASY PREY," the shrill voice says as a shimmer begins: *You cannot recognize the Lieutenant. He has absorbed all of the deities of this realm, and is marching along the plains in his new, dark form. An army of monsters trails behind him. "YOU HAVE. THE POWER. TAKE. WHAT IS. YOURS! TOGETHER. WE WILL. CONQUER. TOGETHER. WE WILL. THRIVE. TOGETHER. WE WILL. SURVIVE," the shrill voice says. "They betrayed me, master. They will know regret. I am stronger than all of them. Not even the General knew the power I now possess," the Lieutenant says. "YES. POWER. MUST. BE USED. POWER. MUST. BE FREE. THE WEAK. MUST. DIE." The Lieutenant reaches for the Black Blade, but cannot find it. time skips ahead. The Lieutenant has massacred the village that threw him out. There is no trace of survivors. "Where is my blade, master? I could've used it!" he yells at the air. As the shimmer dies away, you hear the shrill voice one more time. "YOU. SERVE. ME. SERVANTS. ARE. WEAK."* When you wake, you are at [[the front of the volcano]]. (set: $Patience to $Patience + 1)

"...And that, General, is how cold fusion works," the Conduit says, as though it has just finished a long speech. You must've been sleepwalking. You ask it to repeat itself, but it looks to the volcano. "There's a door, see? I don't think this is really a volcano at all. It's some kind of palace." Your blood is still cooking inside you. You really need to kill something. It actually hurts to try and think about anything else. "SHOW. ME. YOUR. POWER. KILL THE. ROBOT," the shrill voice demands. What's worse is that you actually consider this. A few questions come to mind. Maybe they can distract you from your thoughts. [[Into the palace]] [[Swing at the Conduit]] [[How did I earn the name "General?"]] [[How did I meet the Lieutenant?]]

You are careful to keep your urge in check. Here, its influence is nearly blinding. You breathe slowly and carefully to contain yourself, and press on. As you enter the dark palace, you notice the mound of bones, bodies, and dark figures piled about the place. At the center of this pile is a throne, and on that throne, a figure darker than anything you've ever seen. "WELCOME. WE. MUST. FIGHT! BEFORE. YOU DIE. YOU MAY. INQUIRE," the void monster says. "Wow, I should really start all of my conversations like that from now on. So efficient!" the Conduit says jokingly. Enough talk. [[Fight the King of Night]]. [[Where is the Lieutenant?]] [[What do the runes mean?]] [[Where do these monsters come from?]]

Your animal instinct takes over. You activate Demise and swing at the Conduit. It dodges the attack. "Woah! What are you doing?" it asks, frightened. "DESTROY. IT," the shrill voice says. You try again to swing at the Conduit, but it flies away from you. You are now alone. "GOOD. THIS. IS. GOOD. ENTER. MY. THRONE ROOM." You walk between the giant doors of the front entrance, and see the elevated throne above you, resting on a mountain of the dead. Bones and dark figures litter the floor. Many battles have clearly been fought here. "YOUR POWER. IS. ASTOUNDING." You look up to the throne, and see that a figure of pure darkness sits upon the throne. You cannot describe the shape from this distance. "BUT. MY POWER. IS GREATER. YOU. WILL SERVE. ME. OR. YOU. WILL DIE." The urge to kill is unbearable. You need death. Now. But maybe this thing can give you targets. Maybe it can guide you. Show you how to restrain the urge. What is your choice? [[Serve the King of Night]] [[Destroy the King of Night]]

"It was earned after your good pal Elijah started abusing his power. You seemingly appeared out of nowhere, and you singlehandedly destroyed one Elijah's bases. After that, more and more people started rallying behind you. They saw you as a force of nature meant to oppose Elijah's rising power. And that's what you became: the General of a repressed but hopeful army. The rest is history, General." [[Into the palace]] [[How did I meet the Lieutenant?]]

"Apparently he joined you during your rise to fame. He idolized you, and thought he could bear your mantle if you died in combat. You seemed to trust him more than anyone else. I don't really know why he would do some of the things you've seen him do..." [[How did I earn the name "General?"]] [[Into the palace]]

You drive the Black Blade into the ground, and kneel before your abyssal master. Just as you bow your head, however, the Black Blade dissipates. "NO! YOU. ARE NOTHING. WITHOUT. THAT BLADE!" Before you can lift your head, the mass of black is upon you. You try to defend yourself, but to no avail. You are brutalized without mercy or relent.

You are consumed by the need for death. It takes a while, but you manage to subdue and destroy the King of Night. You feel strange afterwards. Like you can do anything you want. Black patches begin to form on your body as you climb to your new throne. As you reach the top, you are no longer you. What you become next is a simple creature that basks in its own power. With this blade, nothing can end you. And so you wait, deathless, for a challenger to feed your blade, and test the limits of your newfound power.

You decide this is enough. Your rage is so intense at this point that it seems to take hold of your body. The pain stops. You and the blade feel as one. You can finally focus. Typhon, the King of Night, rises from his throne. "AT LAST. A WORTHY. CHALLENGER," it says. "Please make it stop talking like that," the Conduit says. Typhon looks like an amalgamation of things you've seen or fought before: it has the torso and arms of the brutish tentacle beasts, the legs of a spider. Two more arms appear from its chest. Each hand wields a simple-looking curved blade. In the center of its face is a single eye, and the top of its head and back are coated in sharp-looking spines. "YOU. WILL DIE. HERE. GENERAL." Typhon charges at blinding speed. [[Obsidus]] [[Cor'Cul]] [[Oro]] [[Demise]] (if: $Patience < 3)[(replace: "Obsidus")[ ] ]

"THE WEAKLING? IT. IS NOW. A VESSEL. FOR. MY REIGN. HE IS. LOST. TO YOU." [[What do the runes mean?]] [[Where do these monsters come from?]] [[Fight the King of Night]]

"THEY. ARE. ME! UNITE. THE RUNES. UNITE. ME. I AM. TYPHON. KING. OF NIGHT. EMBODIMENT. OF POWER. FURY. MIGHT. IMPENETRABLE. ALL-SEEING. THESE. ARE ME. I. AM THEM. TOGETHER. WE. CANNOT. DIE." "I knew it all along! I'm so clever," the Conduit says. [[Fight the King of Night]] [[Where is the Lieutenant?]] [[Where do these monsters come from?]]

"THEY. ARE. MY CHILDREN." "I don't even want to know how that works," the Conduit says. [[Fight the King of Night]] [[Where is the Lieutenant?]] [[What do the runes mean?]]

Against the your instinct to fight, you block Typhon's assault. The urge comes back with a vengeance. Your blood once again boils with primal need. Should you fight, or continue your defense? [[Defend again]] [[Cor'Cul]] [[Oro]] [[Demise]]

The speed of the Cor'Cul rune fills your body with adrenaline once again. "Here we go," the Conduit says. Typhon is fast, but you are faster. His flurry of blows is slow in comparison to yours. You quickly dispatch the great black deity, sending him reeling backwards. He uses this momentum to transform into a great bird with tendrils for feathers and tiny mouths for feet. It swoops at you. [[Too slow]]

You see everything as you let Oro take control. Typhon is full of weak spots. As he arrives at your position, you deflect his attacks with ease, then cut his legs off during your window of opportunity. He falls to the ground, and you stab him in the gut. He transforms into a great bird with tendrils for feathers and tiny mouths for feet. It swoops at you. [[You see victory]]

You are filled with aggression as the Demise rune takes hold. You slash at Typhons stomach, the natural weak point. He tries to block it, but you can tell that he really can't stop you without the Black Blade. He transforms into a great bird with tendrils for feathers and tiny mouths for feet. It swoops at you. [[Typhon is nothing]]

Your knees buckle as Typhon strikes unrelentingly at your dark shield, and as the urge builds in your body. Swing your sword. Just swing it. Don't be a coward. "YOU. WILL. FIGHT." [[Hold your ground]] [[Cor'Cul]] [[Oro]] [[Demise]]

It hurts you. Kill him. It hurts you so badly that you think about crying. Kill him. You can picture yourself cutting Typhon down. Kill him. You can imagine all the pain going away. Kill him. The pleasure of power can be yours. Kill him. You just need to let go of your sad little ideals. Kill him. KILL HIM. "Uhhh, General, is something wrong? Why aren't you fighting?" the Conduit asks. "COWARD!" the voice screams as loud as possible. [[Serenity]] [[Cor'Cul]] [[Oro]] [[Demise]]

Your pain fades away. At the height of your discomfort, urge dissapears. So does Typhon, albeit noisily. "HOW? HOW. IS. THIS. POSSIBLE," it asks. You don't grace it with an answer. Typhon continues evaporating. "THE BLADE. SERVES. THE STRONG. YOU. DID NOT. FIGHT. YOU. ARE. WEAK!" it yells. This fact confuses you, but you try not to philosophise. You resisted the influence of the Black Blade. This is all you know for sure. Typhon continues rambling about power this, power that for a few moments before fading completely like a shadow in sunlight. You decide that you have no great need of power. As Typhon becomes nothing, you see that the Lieutenant is lying on the ground in front of you. He looks to be moments away from death. "Ge...General?" he asks. "[[You're back]]."

"I'm so sorry," he says, "this place, it...it..." You tell him that you know all about the influence of this place. But you also know that it can be resisted. As you think this, the Lieutenent get up off the ground. Strangely, he looks much stronger than he did moments ago. "I felt so powerful. That blade, it's really something else isn't it?" he asks. "The blade should have de-materialized by now..." the Conduit says in the background. The Lieutenant smiles brightly at you. It brings back memories of a time long gone. "I feel a lot better now," he says. "I'll make up for my mistakes in time--I promise--but I'd like to come with you if that's okay. I need to find my way again." You tell him that sounds fantastic. "Great! But I'm sure you have a few questions first." [[What happened while you were part of Typhon?->The Black Blade]] [[Why exactly did the Black Blade leave you?->The Black Blade]] [[Do you still remember how to fight?->The Black Blade]]

In your moment of curiousity, the Lieutenant tackles you and then begins to choke you. "The blade is mine, General. I won't let you take this power away from me. I've sacrificed too much to let you have it. Finally, I'll be the legend, not you," he says. [[Subdue him]]

You easily knock him off of you, and pick the blade back up. "He's insane, General!" the Conduit says. "I will be greater than you ever could be! You were always driven by your mistake of trusting that Elijah would do the right thing--I don't make mistakes! Please, just...just leave the blade on the ground and go. All I want is that blade," the Lieutenant says, holding his head as though it hurts. He says this to you in a pleading voice, like the kind of person who begs for another high to take off the edge. He's addicted to this blade, and there's no way you can let him have it. He also appears to be very unstable, like his brain has been re-wired to want the blade. "He can't come with us General. That blade is about to disappear, and when it does, so will you and I. We won't be able to come back for any reason," the Conduit says. You're curious as to how it knows this, but don't have time to explore the possibilities in your head. "NO! I won't let you take the blade from me! Please, just leave it!" the Lieutenant pleads once again. He's clearly unhinged. You doubt that he could ever recover from this insanity, much less live a happy life in this godless realm. Killing him would be merciful. But the sword no longer urges you to kill. This decision is all you. Do you believe he can recover? Or is there no way back from the path to power? [[Kill the Lieutenant]] [[Spare the Lieutenant]]

Against all the memories of victory and righteous struggle, you drive the Black Blade into the chest of the man you once thought of as a son. "I'm sorry this happened to you," you say to him as his life passes away. As you think this, the Black Blade then de-materializes, and you hear a mysterious ringing sound. This is the last image you see of a lifelong friend and ally: Wide-eyed and dead on the floor, consumed by the need for power and glory. You've had enough of this place. Your vision goes completely black. [[The Next Realm]] (set: $BClose to $BClose + 1) (set: $Conduit to $Conduit + 1) (set: $M5 to 0)

"You need to fight the urge to kill," you tell the Lieutenant, "Save yourself. I'm not going to leave this blade, and I can't help you come back from this. Please, just try to get better." "I'm not sick!" he yells. The Black Blade then de-materializes, and you hear a mysterious ringing sound. "NO!" The Lieutenant falls to his knees, lip quivering. You assume he is about to burst into tears. This is the last image of the man who you treated like a son all those years ago: a wreck, and defeated by the need for power--but redeemable. Your vision goes completely black. [[The Next Realm]] (set: $BClose to $BClose + 1) (set: $Conduit to $Conduit + 1) (set: $M5 to 1)

Once again, the might of Demise stops Typhon cold. The great bird falls backwards, and shifts into a thousand staring eyes, each looking desperately for a weakness. You merely walk up to it as it searches, and strike at it as it attempts to shift into a wall. You catch him mid transformation, and the wall it forms appears broken and crumbled instead of steadfast. [[The Mightiest Strike]]

You crush what remains of Typhon with a blow strong enough to send a cuncussion wave through the room. This isn't a fight--it's slaughter. "ENOUGH. YOUR BLADE. MAKES YOU. WEAK." [[Finish Typhon]]

You are surprised how easy it is to stop "The King of Night." This was child's play compared to the Underbeast. What remains of Typhon slither along the ground like snakes. They are trying to reform. You take one final blow at the monster, and it disappears for good. "Was that it?" the Conduit asks. "I was expecting so much more." As were you. You start to look for an exit as you notice something on the ground where Typhon died. It's the Lieutenant. "Ge...General?" he asks. "[[You're back]]."

The beak, oddly enough, is the weak point. Whose dumb idea was that? As the bird closes in, you swing hard at the beak, and this breaks the bird's momentum against the blade. The bird falls to the ground, and you continue striking at its beak until it turns into mass of eyes. It doesn't even make the transformation before you crush the eyes as well. Another transformation. Another strike to stop it. "This feels like cheating," the Conduit says. [[The Eye Sees All]]

The black goop on the ground that is Typhon pleads for its life. "STOP. THE BLADE. IS TOO. STRONG! ENOUGH!" You're bored, so you smash the goo with another strike. You don't even need Oro at this point. [[Finish Typhon]]

When the bird moves close to swipe at you, you simply move out of the way and let it run into a wall. That wasn't so smart. The bird goes formless for a moment and re-orients in a split second. It takes another dive at you, but this time you repel it easily. It falls to the ground into a black mass, and transforms into a thousand eyes, each looking for a weakness. You rush Typhon and strike repeatedly as it tries to form a wall. [[Faster than death]]

You filet the transforming monster, leaving little more than drops of pure darkness on the floor. "Could you hurry up? I've got a maintainance in a few minutes," the Conduit says. You tell it to postpone it for a day as Typhon retreats. [[Finish Typhon]]

The monster swings. Parry! [Parry] The monster is repelled--finish it before it recovers! [[Finish the formless beast]].

You chop right through the monster in its weakened state, and finish it off. "That was...eventful," the Conduit says. "I think this sword is going to take a little more skill to use than the other ones." You look at this mysterious sword carefully. Surely there must be a secret hidden within the Gray Blade. "Through the drawbridge we go," the Conduit says. You step over the wooden bridge and enter the Gray Door. During the transition, a shimmer fills your mind: *A large man in a suit of armor sits upon a throne. He is some kind of king here. On his sides are two guards with spears and equally beautiful armor. Before the king sits a humble looking man in modern clothing. He and the king converse: "Joy. You said you felt...Joy." the king says. "Yes Joshua, I actually felt joy! Isn't that great? That plague hasn't let anyone feel anything for months now," the subject says. "I see. Well then, I suppose we will move you to the lab so that we may start working on a cure," says king Joshua. "Great! How do I get to this lab?" "My personal guards will show you on the way out." The subject appears content with this, and turns to start walking. At this moment, king Joshua stands and pulls out a crossbow, aims it at the subject's back, and fires it. The man gasps, then falls to the ground. "Bring in the next one," he says to his guard. He nods and begins moving down the hall. The other guard then begins disposing of the body. The shimmer ends* [[The Gray Town]]

When you break away from the shimmer, you notice that you are laying on a wall. You stand, and you see that you are also on a small island with an endless ocean spanning every direction. Everything is still a flat gray color. You turn around and expect to see a castle to match the wall you stand on, but you see something quite different: It's a small rural town, like something you'd see on Earth. In this town, a is a mixture of huts, modern homes, and a mansion. A convenience store sits in the middle. "Oh, cool. We shouldn't have to fight anything here then," the Conduit says. Just then, two armored guards appear at your front and back. "You! With the sword! Come with us or die!" one says. "Spoke too soon," says the Conduit. Is it really wise to try and fight while you're surrounded? [[Try to fight]] [[Surrender]]

The answer to that question is no. You try to fend off one, but the other stabs you in the back. In a combined effort, they throw you off the ledge of the wall and go about their day. Maybe you should be a little more realistic next time.

Smart move. You're clearly outnumbered, and this mysterious blade won't keep others off your back. "Just put your sword away and follow us," one guard says. You do so. They take you along the wall toward the mansion at the far side of town. "At least we found some people," the Conduit says. "What's at that mansion?" "Our leader, King Joshua." Joshua. That name rings a bell for you, though you're not sure how. There's still a few hundred feet to go, so you decide to ask a question: [[Proceed to the mansion]] [[Where did you come from?]] [[What is this place?->Where are we]] [[Why are you wearing armor?]]

You descend from the wall and arrive at a lavish mansion. It looks like it was pulled from a time of prosperity--a bold contrast to the structures within The Coin. The inside of the building is no different: paintings of historical figures adorn the walls, aling with fireplaces, pianos, and beautiful doors. You reach to play a key on the piano. "Touch something, lose a hand." You no longer feel the desire to play the piano. The pair of soldiers leads you into a grand chamber with a throne at the end of it. Upon this throne sits this king--Joshua--surrounded by his personal guard. You approach this throne, and upon reaching it your escort quickly leaves. The armor worn by Joshua is wicked--as though a demon fashioned it to give the impression of malice. "I don't like this," the Conduit whispers. For a moment, you look at him, and he looks at you behind his awful helmet. He rises from his chair, his menacing gray shadow reaching over your entire body as though to grab at something more important. ...And then he throws up his hands. [["The General! My oldest friend!"]]

"Earth," he says. "If I had a hand, I'd be facepalming right now, General," the Conduit says. [[Where did you come from on *this* planet...?]] [[Proceed to the mansion]]

"Becuase it keeps us safe," the soldier says. There are better alternatives to a full suit of metal armor, especially given the progress of science on Earth. [[Why not wear something lighter?]]

"The Coin," says the soldier. "Good conversation!" the Conduit says. [[Why "The Coin?"]] [[Proceed to the mansion]]

"Because we never know for sure what this place is going to give us," the soldier says. "Makes sense," the Conduit says. [[Proceed to the mansion]]

"We didn't have a choice," the soldier says. "So articulate! I thought he was about to burst into speech," says the Conduit. You smack it before it gets you killed. [[Proceed to the mansion]]

"After the Warp? We just followed Joshua into this place," the Soldier says. "The Warp? You mean the thing that brought you here?" the Conduit asks. The soldier nods. [[Proceed to the mansion]]

"Your what?" the Conduit says. The large king moves over to you and embraces you in a friendly hug. You feel a rib crack. "I've been wondering where you were!" he exclaims. You ask him how he knows who you are. "Well actually, I don't really know you that well. After the Warp, many of our people forgot their pasts--but I've been having visions. You were in many of them. The strongest one is from the time we were at Maria's Bar, and you and our friend were having one your fights about what the world should be like. Back when it was harmless talk, that is. I saw other visions, too. Darker visions...But that is for another time. For now, you are welcome to stay here," Joshua says. "That's...Great?" the Conduit says. "One condition, however. You must answer a question." You ask him what this question is. "What do you feel?" [[Confusion->Feeling]] [[Joy->Feeling]] [[Comfort->Feeling]] [[Anger->Feeling]] [[Sadness->Feeling]] [[Anxiety->Feeling]]

Joshua's bright demeanor turns to an icy-cold resentfulness. "You feel...what?" What you feel is that you've answered incorrectly. "No one can feel anything. Neither can you. This is the end of this discussion. If you joke with me like that again, I'll have you thrown off the walls," Joshua says. "Now leave. Your escort will take you to your new home." You exit the throne-room. "Something's not right about that guy," the Conduit says. "We ought to be careful here." The escort takes you through The Coin without a word. The people you see are equally quiet. The only speaking that seems to be happening is between vendors and customers. Everything else is silent. "Okay, something's definitely wrong here," the Conduit whispers to you. [["This is your new home"]] a guard says.

You are given a cottage to live in. Everything is neatly placed, from the beds down the hall to the paper towels in the kitchen. The guards leave you to explore the place, but you are convinced that there is something that needs to be taken care of before you can call this place a home. Before you can formulate a plan, a knock is heard from your door. "It hasn't even been a minute," the Conduit says. You answer the door to see a frail-looking woman holding a cake. "Hello. Welcome. This is your complimentary Coin Cake. May I enter your place of residence?" She asks. "I'm not marking anything on any kind of calendar, so don't ask," the Conduit says. Feeling somewhat concerned about the situation, you tell her that you need some time to settle in first, and she departs without a word. As you move to set down the mysterious cake, [[a note]] falls from the bottom of the container.

General, Meet me behind the convenience store in an hour. There is something we need to discuss. -A "I feel like I've seen this in a movie before. You know, minus all the knights and mansions and huts and walls and you get the point," the Conduit says. In the meantime, you can try to [[interview a citizen]], or [[wait for the meeting]].

You decide to head out into The Coin and talk to one of the zombie-people roaming the streets. Before you do, a shimmer begins: *The shimmer is in color; You are not on this strange new planet, but on Earth. Joshua, minus the armor, is speaking loudly to a group of migrating people headed toward a small encampent in the middle of a forest. "Weary people, I offer refuge from this petty war between liberty and order. I offer you a place unhindered by ideology, a place where those between the lines of nations are able to hang your hats and your coats without fear of being blinded by shining Monarchs, or rained on by storming generals. Here you need only the desire to escape the world around you. For this new nation, that will be enough." The shimmer ends with Joshua tearing down a propoganda poster with the General and his Lieutentant marching upon a cruel Monarch.* "Uhhh, General? You've been staring at that door for a while," the Conduit says. You head out into the street, and talk to the first person you see: [[Are you okay?]] [[What's going on around here?]] [[Where are you going?]]

You sit on a couch and decide to wait for the meeting. As you wait, a shimmer starts: *The shimmer is in color; You are not on this strange new planet, but on Earth. Joshua, minus the armor, is speaking loudly to a group of migrating people headed toward a small encampent in the middle of a forest. "Weary people, I offer refuge from this petty war between liberty and order. I offer you a place unhindered by ideology, a place where those between the lines of nations are able to hang your hats and your coats without fear of being blinded by shining Monarchs, or rained on by storming generals. Here you need only the desire to escape the world around you. For this new nation, that will be enough." The shimmer ends with Joshua tearing down a propoganda poster with the General and his Lieutentant marching upon a cruel Monarch.* When you wake, you have a few questions: [[Who fought in the war?]] [[What do you know about Joshua?]] [[What is wrong with all these people?]]

"I am fine," the man says as he continues walking. You follow him and ask if he's sure he feels alright. "I do not feel, and that is alright," he responds. "Smart aleck," the Conduit says. [[What's going on around here?]] [[Where are you going?]] [[Continue to the meeting]]

"What do you mean? Life is the same it has always been," he says. "And how has it always been?" asks the Conduit. "Simple." [[Continue to the meeting]] [[Where are you going?]] [[Are you okay?]]

"To work," the man says. "Why do you people never elaborate?" asks the Conduit. You ask the man where he works. "At the mansion. I am a butler." [[Continue to the meeting]] [[Are you okay?]] [[What's going on around here?]]

From here, you do as you are told. You move to the small alley behind the convenience store, and wait for the woman you spoke to earlier. "Walking into alleys is always a great idea. What a great idea, right General?" the Conduit says. You flash your sword at it to remind it that you're safe. You see a hooded figure--the woman--walk into the alleyway very quickly. She looks distressed. You open your mouth to ask a question when she interrupts you. "General, I don't have long before my execution, and I just barely escaped my escort to get here," she says. "Execution?" the Conduit asks. "You need to find the machine, and shut it off. Once you do that, everything will be fixed. It's in the basement of the mansion, but be careful--it's always guarded, and--" A crossbow bolt shoots through the top of her head, and she falls to the ground without a word. You see one of Joshua's personal guards at the end of the alley. "Found her," he says. He looks to you. "What did she say to you?" "We need to get to that mansion as soon as possible," the Conduit says. There's no way to get to the guard before he reloads his crossbow, so you run the other direction and [[run for the mansion]].

"The Population War? Well, it was between you and one of your childhood friends--Elijah. You wanted the world to be free of monarchy. He wanted the world to be a monarchy without freedom. Needless to say, you stopped getting along after that." [[Where does Joshua fit in?]] [[Continue to the meeting]]

"Absolutely nothing. He is non-existant beyond what you saw in that vision you had earlier. As far as history is concerned, Joshua is a ghost--and I don't believe in ghosts. It makes me uneasy, but we'll just have to find out as we go." [[Continue to the meeting]]

"I'm not sure. I've never seen anything like this. But at least they seem content. Is that a feeling? I'm confused. In any case, We should see what we can learn from this 'A' character." [[Continue to the meeting]]

"That's the thing--he doesn't. I don't remember anything about a splinter nation during the Population War. It must've been pretty late. Beyond that, your pal Joshua doesn't seem to exist in any records or historical documents. I find that very odd. How did someone with such a large impact leave so small a footprint?" [[Continue to the meeting]]

Not registering what just happened, you begin to make your way for the mansion. Why did that woman have to die? Aren't there few enough humans left? Joshua needs to answer for this. As you approach the mansion, a guard spots you. "Why are you running? Stop! Don't come any closer to this door." "Unless you want to wait and get shot in the back by Mister 16th Century, I suggest we get to that machine as fast as possible," the Conduit says. [[The guard]] prepares himself.

The guard raises his sword to your **right side**. [[Block left->Cut open]] [[Block up->Cut open]] [Block right]<GX1| { (click: ?GX1)[The attack is parried, and the guard is left open to an attack [[Strike]] ] } [[Block low->Cut open]]

You dispatch the guard, knocking him unconscious with the side of the Gray Blade--You don't feel like reducing the remaining population any more than you have to. You enter the mansion, and see three plausible routes before you. "We need to find that machine she was talking about," the Conduit says. "Where do we look first?" [[Upstairs]] [[Dining Room]] [[Kitchen]]

The Guard's attack makes contact, splitting your side open. Moments later, you bleed out on the ground.

You run upstairs and encounter a guard. He looks as though he will strike **from above**. [[Block left->Headache]] [Block up]<GY1| { (click: ?GY1)[The attack is parried, and the guard is left open to an attack [[Incapacitate]] ] } [[Block right->Headache]] [[Block low->Headache]]

You run to the dining room. A guard waits for you, his sword winding to **your left.** [Block left]<GZ1| { (click: ?GZ1)[The attack is parried, and the guard is left open to an attack [[Stun]] ] } [[Block up->Cut open]] [[Block right->Cut open]] [[Block low->Cut open]]

You run to the kitchen, and find it empty. You begin moving things around searching for switches when you walk over a standing mat and feel something hollow beneath you. You throw the mat to the side, open the trapdoor, and look to the ladder. "Looks like the kind of place you'd keep a super-scary machine," the Conduit says. You begin climbing down. When you hit the bottom, a shimmer begins: *Joshua and "A" seem to be fighting about something in the mansion throne room. "You do not understand, Joshua. Taking this away from them won't stop the bad things from happening. It won't save them when that horrible alien comes back and tries to eradicate us," she says. "This place is a blessing, Abigail--no more pain, no more sorrow. Just peaceful numbness," Joshua says. "Besides, they made the choice, not me." "Then why haven't you been inside the machine?" she asks. The shimmer fades as he gives her the same cold look he gave you.* "General, I found something. [[You might want to see this]]," the Conduit says.

You grab the soldier and throw him down the staircase. The noise his armor makes reminds you of a tornado going through a steelyard. You search upstairs, but can find nothing. Where to next? [[Dining Room]] [[Kitchen]]

The blow lands at the top of your head. Needless to say, you might need facial reconstruction surgery.

You bash the guard against the wall with great force, knocking off his helmet. You then punch him in the temple as hard as you can. He goes out cold. "Should've been a boxer," the Conduit says. You search the dining room, but find nothing. Where will you search next? [[Upstairs]] [[Kitchen]]

You follow the Conduit into a room--an armory. You see yet another strange grouping of objects strewn about the room's walls and tables: pistols, assault rifles, claymore swords (and mines), Crossbows, hammers, laser-weaponry--you name it, this place had it. You feel the urge to grab something, but the Conduit stops you. "No, you need to hold on to that blade. We can't lose it," it says. In that case, you feel as though you should end this hording of weaponry. You can set off an explosive and destroy most of the weapons, or you can leave them be. You tell the Conduit about this plan, and it agrees. "Good idea, but destroying these weapons will definitely alert Joshua much faster. It's up to you." [[Destroy the weapons]] [[Leave the weapons]]

Power shouldn't be kept in one place like this. You decide to destroy the room. You pull the pin of a grenade from a grenade box, then drop it in with the rest of the grenades and start running out of the room. "Wait, maybe there's a better way to do th--" A cluster of explosions inturrupts the Conduit, and you go deaf for a few moments as the room is annihilated. Chunks of wall and dust fill the air, and you wait at least a minute before the last explosion stops. When the dust settles, you see two of Joshua's elite guard standing between you and the machine room. "How'd they get here so fast?!" the Conduit exclaims. You get the feeling this battle might be a bit more tricky than the last one. [[The Elite Guard]]

You ignore the weapons. They might be needed if the ruler of this planet ever returns. You run down the hall toward [[the machine room]] .

The first one moves toward you, sword kept low. He begins to swipe upward at you. [[Block left->Legless]] [[Block up->Legless]] [[Block right->Legless]] [Block low]<GB1| { (click: ?GB1)[The attack is parried, and the elite is left open to an attack [Strike]<GB2|] (click: ?GB2)[The second guard steps in to defend his partner, swinging his sword from your left. [Block left]<GB3| { (Click: ?GB3)[You parry his attack as the other guard begins to retake his posture. You can strike one guard down [[Left Guard]] [[Right Guard]]] } [[Block up->Cut open]] [[Block right->Cut open]] [[Block low->Cut open]]] }

You probably didn't need that leg anyway.

You strike down the left guard. The right guard, now finished reeling from your parry, feints to your **right**, then attacks from above. [[Block right->Headache]] [[Block left->Headache]] [Block high]<GB4| { (click: ?GB4)[The attack is parried, and the elite is left open to an attack [[Finish the Guard]]] } [[Block low->Headache]]

You strike down the Right guard. The left guard, now finished reeling from your parry, feints from **above**, then attacks from below. [[Block right->Legless]] [[Block left->Legless]] [[Block high->Legless]] [Block low]<GB5| { (click: ?GB5)[The attack is parried, and the elite is left open to an attack [[Finish the Guard]]] }

You finish the second royal guard. "Don't you wish you'd taken that pistol back there?" the Conduit says. You're too riled up from the adrenaline to respond to the remark. You make your way to [[the machine room]] to end Joshua's scheme.

You enter the small room where the machine is kept, and both you and the Conduit seem unimpressed. "It's... a pod?" the Conduit asks. "It's our salvation," Joshua says stepping out from behind it. You raise your sword to fight, but he raises his hand instead. "Put the sword down. I know better than to try and fight The General." You lower the sword. [[Why did you take everyone's emotions away?]] [[Why were you storing weapons?]] [[Why did you murder Abigail?]]

"What? What do you think this machine is? It's not emitting any kind of signal. We tell the newborns it's a plague, but the truth is that when you come of age, you have the decision to remove your emotions. It's a folk tale, General. No force needed--and the process is completely reversible perhaps you would've learned that had you stayed around longer." [[Why didn't you use the machine?]] [[Why did you murder Abigail?]] [[Why were you storing weapons?]] [[The Machine]]

"The Coin is an odd place. It offers us things from time eras present and not yet passed. Sometimes we get a grill, sometimes we get a grenade launcher. Regardless, we store what we can in the event of an attack. Even if you've dealt with them--more will take their place over time. I'm sorry if you've wasted your efforts." [[Why did you murder Abigail?]] [[Why did you take everyone's emotions away?]] [[The Machine]]

"Abigail? That terrorist? She has been plotting against me with the begginning of all this. She was probably guiding you to that machine as a distraction to my guards so that she could try to take my life. That happens sometimes when people disagree with my decision to keep the machine running. The truth is, I couldn't turn it off if I wanted to. You need the Gray Blade for that. Whatever the case, I believe this machine has a positive effect on people, General." [[Why?]] [[Why did you take everyone's emotions away?]] [[Why were you storing weapons?]] [[The Machine]]

"A leader must bear the load of his decisions, General. I must feel things for those who cannot, even if it makes me miserable." "It doesn't change the fact that you've murdered people," the Conduit says. "I must make difficult decisions occasionally, yes. But someone has to." [[Why did you murder Abigail?]] [[Why were you storing weapons?]] [[The Machine]]

You approach the machine. "There's a slot in the back for the sword," the Conduit says. "General, listen--I have a proposition for you. You don't have to leave. Humanity is thriving here, and when that anomaly comes back to destroy us, we can face it together," Joshua says. "No, General, trust me. We need to keep closing these doors. It's the only way to make things right again. Think about the bigger picture here," the Conduit says. "Humanity is the bigger picture, droid. Where were you created? You are unusually talkative." "That's machinist. General, look, let's finish this up so we can move on to another gate." You have an important decision before you: [[Destroy the machine]] [[Leave machine alone and depart]] [[Leave machine alone and stay]] [[Enter the machine]]

Joshua loses his edge for a moment. "Because in your little game with Elijah, millions of people died. They were lost as you blew up landmarks and as Elijah stormed the streets with his war machines. Believe me General, when you've lost something so precious to you that you feel like dying, losing yourself in the numbness of indifference can do wonders. People need this option." "Has anyone ever decided to come back from this numbness?" the Conduit asks. "No," Joshua says, "But that doesn't mean they won't ever try." You remember the shimmer where Joshua shot a man in the back for feeling something. You ask him about this as well. "He sneaked his way to the machine. There is no other explanation. I cannot allow thieves and burglars to share the same space as good-natured citizens. He needed to die." "No one deserves to die," the Conduit says. Joshua remains silent. [[Why were you storing weapons?]] [[Why did you take everyone's emotions away?]] [[The Machine]]

"Emotion is what makes life worth living. Learning to live with emotion is what makes us human, Joshua," you say to him, moving around to the back of the machine. You insert the blade, and twist it. You hear a humming sound, and then the room becomes very quiet. The Gray Blade dissipates. You hear a mysterious ringing sound. "These people have a right to make this decision for themselves, General. I thought you stood for this right. Now I see that you and Elijah have more in common than you think," Joshua says. "Says the man who murders his own people," the Conduit says. You get one last look at Joshua before your vision fills with Gray. You cannot see his face, but you know he is probably frowning at your decision. Without a word, he raises his blade and swipes at you just as you depart. "So much for old friends," the Conduit says. [[The Next Realm]] (set: $GClose to $GClose + 1) (set: $Conduit to $Conduit + 1) (set: $M3 to 0)

"The right to choose is paramount. Keep your machine, for what it's worth," you say. The Gray Blade dissipates. You hear a mysterious ringing sound. "Great, now let's get out of here," the Conduit says. "Thank you, General," Joshua says, "I am disappointed that you won't be staying, but I appreciate your decision to let these people choose what they want. Perhaps you aren't as bad as many of them thought you were." "That was almost a compliment," the Conduit says. "My offer remains on the table if you wish to return after all of this is over." Whatever that entails. You say your farewell to your old friend as your sight fills with nothing but gray. [[The Next Realm]] (set: $GClose to $GClose + 1) (set: $Conduit to $Conduit + 1) (set: $M3 to 1)

"The right to choose is paramount. Keep your machine, for what it's worth," you say. The Gray Blade dissipates. "Great, now let's get out of here," the Conduit says. You tell it no, and that you think it's a better idea to stay and be prepared for the alien. "Don't be an idiot, General, come with me." You hold your ground. "Fine. I'll find someone else to do this task." The COnduit flies away. "I think you're making a good decision, General," Joshua says. We have much to offer here, and even more to catch up on. You feel good about this decision, and feel as though this is the way to defeat the alien and get humanity back on track--even if it's only out of a need to make up for your mistakes. Time will tell, you think. And you continue thinking that until old age takes its toll and puts you in the ground. At least you got to spend it with others.

You drop the sword, and it dissipates. "What are you doing?" the Conduit asks. It does not understand. You cannot bear the weight of your decisions and losses any longer. You step inside. The Conduit is shouting at you, but you refuse to acknowledge it. Joshua seems without concern. A hum shakes the pod, and in a matter of moments, you can feel all your problems going away. It is blissful in the first few moments, but then you feel absolutely nothing. It is an odd form of contentment--nothing anyone says seems to bother you in any way. Joshua and the Conduit said things to you, but none of them stick to you. They aren't important anymore. You live your life. You do your work. Then you die as if you had never lived. You don't even express fear in your final moments. It all just ends like that.

"Oh, that's just not right," the Conduit says. You ask what it means when you see two dark-gray arms hovering over your head. This really messes with your perception for a moment, but then you feel like you've had them all your life. The arms meet with your hands, and pull the two blades into an additional two blades. By now, they are each the size of daggers. Like a whirlwind, you deal with the four monsters--a stab here, a block there. This feels natural to you, like your senses have been greatly enhanced. At the end of the battle, you combine two sets of daggers, then combine the two shortswords back into a long, singular blade. You then vomit from the exertion and instantaneous change in perception. "So that's what it does," the Conduit says, "It's a Four-Sword." You tell it that you think the name is lame, but he persists. You shrug it off and [[enter the door]].

You walk through the door and a shimmer begins. *A nervous looking girl and the Conduit step through the gate. The girl can't be any older than twenty. The Conduit is trying to reassure her. "Lilly, you need to listen to me. You'll be okay. I know this is scary, but we need to shut these gates. You want to save humanity, right?" it says. She looks around the dark-gray room, frightened and completely ignoring the Conduit. "Lilly!" it says louder. "Yes, I can do it, I'll be okay," she says half-heartedly. "Good. Now we need to find out what this blade does before--" Lilly begins wandering off on her own. "Wait up, Lilly!" the Conduit says as the shimmer fades.* You wake in the same Dark-Gray room you saw in the shimmer. It is a little hard to see, as though eveything is cloaked in shadow. You are clearly in some kind of hub area like the one you were just at, but smaller. Three identical gray doors adorn the wall in front of you. You turn around to see a larger door at your back. You aren't sure which question to ask first. [[Why were you here with that girl?]] [[Where are we?->Black-Gray Hub]] [[What are these doors?]]

The Conduit hesitates to answer this question. "I told you, there were others before you. They weren't strong enough to survive this place. You are." [[How many people have you guided?]] [[Where are we?->Black-Gray Hub]] [[What are these doors?]] [[Pick a door]]

"They lead to three separate environments--like obstacle courses. At the very end is a part of a key which opens the larger door behind you. Unite the three keys, get through the door and get out of here. Easy, right?" [[What are in these "Obstacle Courses?"]] [[Why were you here with that girl?]] [[Where are we?->Black-Gray Hub]]

"The Dark-Gray realm. Shadowy place. Lots of danger. What's not to love?" the Conduit says. "This place serves as a main hub for the rest of the realm. Be careful--we're not alone here." [[Why were you here with that girl?]] [[What are these doors?]] [[Pick a door]]

"Nothing pleasant," the Conduit says. "Just keep quiet and stay out of sight, and we'll be fine." [[Why were you here with that girl?]] [[Where are we?->Black-Gray Hub]] [[Pick a door]]

{ (set: $BGD to 0) (set: $BGShim to 0) (set: $Door1Close to false) (set: $Door2Close to false) (set: $Door3Close to false) } As you approach the center of the room, a creature drops down from the ceiling. It looks like an insect, though with a humanoid body structure. "These things," the Conduit says in disgust. The creature charges you and tries to attack you with its blade-like arm, but you fend it off with ease. All the while, you notice that you cannot duplicate the blade like before. It's like it won't obey you anymore. As you look at the insectoid corpse, you ask the Conduit why it has against these creatures. "It just attacked you, General. Isn't that reason enough?" it asks. "I can't believe you don't remember these things. They were there the day Earth was attacked by that space anomaly. If you ask me, I think these things have something to do with this mess we're all in." You're now curious--why are these creatures in the Black-Gray realm? How did they get here, and why did they attack Earth? Regardless, it's time to [[move on]].

"Lost track," it says. [[Pick a door]] [[Where are we?->Black-Gray Hub]] [[What are these doors?]]

All doors are identical--It seems that choosing between them will be a crap-shoot. Which door will you enter? [[Door 1]] [[Door 2]] [[Door 3]] { (if: $BGD is 3)[(goto: "The Large Door")] (if: $Door1Close is true)[(replace: "Door 1")[ ] ] (if: $Door2Close is true)[(replace: "Door 2")[ ] ] (if: $Door3Close is true)[(replace: "Door 3")[ ] ] }

"Lucky door number 1," the Conduit says, "I hope there aren't balloons behind this one. I hate balloons." You open the door, and as you walk through, it slams behind you, and a shimmer begins: *The Conduit is guiding another person, but not the same one as before. This on is a male, maybe in his thirties. He looks like an ordinary civilian. "I don't know if I can do this," he says. "Mark, the pillar is maybe three blocks down. It won't take long. Just get in, get out. Easy peezy," the Conduit says. Mark moves to the slammed door and tries to re-open it, but with no success. "Mark, c'mon, it won't be hard. Just stay quiet, and we'll be fine." "I don't want to die here!" he shouts. "Shhh! Mark, stop yelling!" Footsteps can be heard below as the shimmer ends.* Before you is a series of rooftops--only a few of which have flat roofs. The architecture remains gothic, like the entrance to the Black-Gray realm. Far ahead of you is a dark-gray pillar of energy. Below you is a pair of insect soldiers. "We need to get to that pillar, General," the Conduit says. Several routes stick out to you. Which approach will you take? [[Go down a level]] [[Jump through the window in front of you]] [[Leap to the rooftop in front of you]] (if: $BGD > 0)[ [[Take the street->Door 1 Block 1]]]

"Door two it is," the Conduit says, "what will we get this time?" You open the door, and as you walk through, it slams behind you, and a shimmer begins: *The Conduit is guiding yet another person through the Black Gray realm. This person is an older but capable-looking woman. "What? Are we in some kind of castle?" she asks. "Looks like it," the Conduit says. "Maybe there are medieval knights roaming around the place too, looking for intruders." The woman gives the Conduit a dire look. "Sorry. Ignore that, Beth. I doubt we'll find anything like that here." As they leave the room and the shimmer ends, the Conduit whispers to itself: "It would be pretty cool, though."* You're in a room made of cobble and large slab bricks. Other than this, it is empty. You take a peak out the door--It's a hallway. You see a faint glow at the end of the hall. "Maybe we should [[head toward that]]," the Conduit says.

"Three's a good number," the Conduit says, "let's see what's on the other side." You open the door, and as you walk through, it slams behind you, and a shimmer begins: *The Conduit leads a child through the door. The boy looks terrified. "Justin. Justin, listen to me. Stay out of sight, and be absolutely quiet, okay? And whatever you do, don't swing that sword unless you absolutely have to. You follow close behind me, and we'll get through this together. You got that?" the Conduit says. Justin nods his head, but you already know how this story ends. As the shimmer ends with the Conduit leading the child into a forest, you can't help but feel terror at the thought of this situation.* The moment the shimmer finishes, you demand answers from the Conduit. "Justin wandered through the gate after the warp. He was alone and afraid, and I was trying to guide him through this realm unharmed, General. He was the first person I guided, and he's the reason I kept trying. We have to stop the anomaly General, don't lose sight of that." Regardless of your feelings, you decide to [[keep moving]].

Having closed all three doors, you are now able to enter the large door behind you. You fit together all three key fragments, and insert the dark-gray key into the lock. The large set of doors slowly open, revealing [[the largest insect you've ever seen]].

You take a staircase to the lower level of the building, which looks like someone's home. You should be able to make it to the next building without being seen. Where will you go from here? [[Move to the next building->Jump through the window in front of you]]

You are now on the first floor of an adjacent building. The Pillar is still several homes down. There are now three insectoids in the street. Another set of routes appear usable: [[Take the sewer]] [[Run to the next building]] (if: $BGD > 1)[ [[Take the street->Door 1 block 2]] ]

You jump to the rooftop ahead, and are one building closer to the pillar. The next rooftop is at an unfavorable incline. Where will you go from here? [[Head downstairs->Jump through the window in front of you]] (if: $BGD > 0)[ [[Take the street->Door 1 Block 1]]]

Since the blade is strong enough to split into two, you decide to cut right through the street--and the insects walking through it. You stand at the corner of this street, and see that the next street has three insects in it: (if: $BGD is 2)[ [[Push on->Door 1 block 2]] ] [[Head indoors->Jump through the window in front of you]]

Just outside the building is an open hole that appears to lead to the sewer. When the insects aren't looking, you jump inside. You quietly trudge through the muck as you move in the general direction of the next building. On the way, you spot a small orb of light. (set: $BGShim to $BGShim + 1) "Huh. Wonder what that is," the Conduit says. You grab the orb and move on, hearing brief and small ring in your ear along the way. Just as you approach the exit, you hear another sound. You look behind you and see a wave of something coming at you. As it moves closer, you notice that they are small roach-like insects--probably young versions of the larger ones. "General, we need to [get out of the sewer now!]<BGE1|" the Conduit says. (Click: ?BGE1)[ [[Climb the ladder]] ]

You run to the next building, but the insects appear to have heard you. You hear them approaching you. Hide! [[The cupboard]] [[Under the couch]]

You are powerful enough to summon an additional arm and pull the blade into three smaller ones, so you decide to take the shortcut and simply cut through the insects. A final street appears before you, this time with four insects. [[Head inside->the next building]]

You close yourself into the cupboard quietly right as the insects walk into the room. The Conduit is pressed closely against you. "You are terrible at hiding!" it whispers. You bonk it on the top of its chassis and tell it to be quiet. After a minute of searching, the bugs become disinterested and leave. "That was lucky," the Conduit says. If you head to the back entrance of the home, you think you should be able to make it to [[the next building]] without being spotted. Otherwise, you can try [[the sewer->Take the sewer]].

That might work in the movies, but it doesn't here. The insects see your large feet sticking out from the bottom and have fun tearing apart the furniture (and you).

You're close to the pillar now--it's just one more building down. You appear to be in some kind of office area. Outside are four insect guards. You doubt trying to run past them would end well for you. [[Go upstairs]] [[Try to distract guards]]

You barely make it out of the sewer and onto the street before the small roaches reach you. You notice a swath of insects around you, though they haven't seen you yet. You run into [[the next building]].

You charge the gauntlet and, with burning power, annihilate each Conduit surrounding you. The wave decimates them, but has the additional effect of damaging the hover craft. It begins to plummet with you and the Conduit inside. "Well that was smart!" it says. You guide the craft toward a nearby city-block. You see a hole in the side of one of the buildings, and decide it will make the best landing spot. Just before you land, a shimmer begins. *You see Elijah and the White Blade. He and a small group of allies appear to be pursuing someone. "If you keep following me, I swear to God I'll level half this city!" the criminal says. "You can't escape Judgement, Horace. Not here," Elijah replies. The squad continues their pursuit down the city streets, and after a few moments, a massive explosion brightens the city to an unseeable level. The shimmer ends.* You wake to the Conduit nudging you, and a fiery hovercraft sitting motionless in the corner. "Get up you sack of meat!" it says. You hear strange shuffling noises around you. The voice on the intercom plays again. This time, you recognize it: Elijah. "You'll be judged with the rest, I'm afraid. Let me make you perfect. You can still get out of this with your life," he says. [[What are you talking about?]] [[I'm coming for you]]

(set: $BGD to $BGD +1)(set: $Door1Close to true) In the center of the room is a pillar of dark-gray light. You approach the light and touch it, but nothing happens. "Try putting the sword into it," the Conduit suggests. When you do so, the blade begins absorbing the light, and after a few moments, the pillar disappears, and you can now split the blade an additional time. You also recieve a key fragment. You are promptly transported back to the entrance of the Black-Gray realm. You can ask questions, or [[move on]]. [[Why does everything look gothic?]] [[Where do you think these insects come from?]]

You head upstairs and look for a way to the next building. While exploring the room, you notice that there is a clothes line between this building and the next. "I'm pretty sure that's going to break," the Conduit says as if it knows what you are planning. To hell with the Conduit. You mount the line, and begin crossing. As you make your way across, the line breaks, and you tumble to the streets. "You see that? Now we're gonna die!" it shouts. The insect guards begin closing in, and you bolt for [[the door->This is just great]].

You notice a weak-looking wooden desk in the room. You tell the Conduit that maybe if you can distract the guards with noise, you can slip by out back and run to the pillar. "That's a terrible idea," it says. You destroy the desk, and make your way to the back door. An pair of insects is moving your way from the back. "I told you it was a terrible idea!" the Conduit says. You break through the window as the guards reach the back door and proceed to sprint to the building. They begin chasing you. "[[This is just great]]," the Conduit says.

The insects are close behind you. Bash the door open, quickly! [[Bash the door]]

You barely make it into the room as the guards close in. "Now what?!" the Conduit asks. You panic for a moment before seeing that the insects are no longer moving. They appear to be locked out of time and space outside the door. "Okay, that's convenient--you still have terrible ideas," it says. You tell it that it was all skill. From here, you can approach [[the first pillar]].

"It's menacing, and dark-gray. Maybe the space anomaly has a sense of humor? Or maybe it's all for show--maybe it just *wants* us to be scared. In that case, we'd better not give it what it wants." [[move on]] [[Where do you think these insects come from?]]

"Probably from another galaxy. Or, the more likely option--they've been living underneath Earth the whole time, plotting out ways to re-take the surface. Maybe they have a network of tunnels that--" You tell the Conduit to stop reading conspiracy theories. "It beats me, General. All I know is that they attacked us first, which means they aren't exactly friendly." [[move on]]

You reach the end of the hall, and peer around the corner: another hall, but much wider and with more rooms. Two insect guards also patrol this hall, albeit slowly and methodically, leaving plenty of blind spots. As you pull your head back from the corner, you notice a strange orb of light in front of you. You grab it, and hear a small, brief ring in your ear. (set: $BGShim to $BGShim + 1) "Maybe we can find more of these in other doors," the Conduit says. From here, you should be able to take traverse the hallway pretty easily: [[The right cell]] [[The left cell]] (if: $BGD > 0)[ [[Fight the insects->door 2 block 1]]]

You head to the cell to your right as the insects turn their backs to you. When you enter, you notice that there is a secret passage in the wall, allowing for faster traversion through the castle. "Looks trustworthy," the Conduit says. [[Enter the secret passage]] [[Continue sneaking]] [[Fight the insects->door 2 block 1]]

You head to the cell to your left as the insects turn their backs to you. The room is empty, and provides only cover from the insects. [[Continue sneaking]] (if: $BGD > 0)[ [[Fight the insects->door 2 block 1]]]

You split your blade in two, and take out both insects easily, then make your way to [[the next corner]].

You enter the secret passage, and turn several corners. Eventually, you stop after hearing a noise. You turn around, and see that the walls are slowly moving inward. "Oh, that's a no-no," the Conduit says. You need to move quickly now. Will you [[move forward]], or [[head back]]?

As the guards make another pass, you easily move toward [[the next corner]], and continue making progress through the castle.

You reach the next corner. The light at the end of the hall grows brighter. "We're getting closer," the Conduit says. You poke your head around the corner: This hall has a staircase, and looks more like a prison than anything else. The next corner is on the second floor. Three insects roam these halls. You have a few options here: [[Try to reach the second floor]] [[Hide in lower cells]] (if: $BGD > 1)[ [[Fight the insects->door 2 block 2]]]

The walls push together in a slow, menacing way. You sprint in a desperate attempt to reach an end, but nothing presents itself. Your last few moments are spent in dread as the wall squeezes the life out of you, cracking bones and turning you into paste.

The walls push together in a slow, menacing way. You sprint in a desperate attempt to backtrack, and by the time you reach the cell again, the wall is making movement very difficult. They squeeze you tightly as you approach the cell, and you barely pop out as the walls crunch to closed state. "I hate this place," the Conduit says. [[Continue sneaking]] (if: $BGD > 0)[ [[Fight the insects->door 2 block 1]]]

"We should be safe about this," the Conduit says. You disagree. As quiet as possible, you run from your corner to the stairs when you see the opening. Halfway up the stairs, one of the insects begins to turn around and catches a glimpse of you running into a cell. It sounds alarmed, and begins making its way to your cell. "General, we need to hide!" the Conduit whispers. You look around, but no hiding places seem adequate. "Quick, look around, there might be a trap door or something," it says. A trap door? In a prison? It's the best hope you've got, unfortunately. If you were a trap door, where would you be? [[Under the bed]] [[Behind the nightstand]] [[Next to the toilet]]

"We should be safe about this," the Conduit says. You agree. You move quickly, carefully, and quietly into a nearby cell, and wait for an opportunity to move again. "This is taking forever," the Conduit whispers after two minutes. At last, you see an opening to safely [[move upstairs]].

Your trusty third arm allows you to split the blade another time and fight the insects. You take them out one-by-one, and move to [[the last corner]].

Once again, you move quietly to your next hiding spot and wait for a moment to slip by the bugs. After another short period, the opportunity presents itself and you work your way toward [[the last corner]].

You dive under the bed to look for some kind of switch, but find nothing. The insects enter the room, and swarm you. (if: $BGD > 1)[ [[Fight the insects->door 2 block 2]]]

You drag it across the ground and start pushing stones to find a button, but instead you find nothing. The insects enter the room and swarm you. (if: $BGD > 1)[ [[Fight the insects->door 2 block 2]]]

"The toilet? Are you serious?" the Conduit asks. You tell it that toilets weren't used widespread until the late nineteenth century, and that the architecture you've observed suggests that this building is identical to fifteenth century architecture, so clearly the toilet in this cell had an alternate function. "How in the hell did you know that?" You invoke the name of Jeopardy, but the Conduit continues to express confusion. Nevertheless, you flush the toilet and a small manhole opens in the wall next to it. You crawl in and watch as the insects flood the room and search for you in vain. After they leave, you crawl out and use the opening to make it to [[the last corner]]. "That was ridiculous," the Conduit says. It just doesn't understand you. Actually, you yourself don't quite understand why that memory came to you. It seems like a warm memory from a better life--but you don't have time to dwell on this.

The light is now bright enough to make the dark-gray walls appear marginally less dark. You peer around the corner again: There are four insects in this final room, which appears to be a large dining room for honorable guests. At the side farthest from you is a pillar of dark-gray energy shooting up into the ceiling. "We gotta get over there," the Conduit says. If this is true, then it won't be easy if you want to remain undetected. You'll need to find a suitable route to make your way across the room. To your left, the tables are placed closer together, but it will certainly take you longer to reach the pillar. To your right, the tables are further apart, but are also closer to the pillar. The counter in front of you makes progression impossible without being spotted. Which route will you choose? [[Left]] [[Right]]

You didn't get this far in life by taking risks like that. No, you decide to take the left approach. Thankfully, the insects appear to favor looking at the right side of the room, so once you move under the tablecloth of the nearest table, you manage to move easily between them toward the pillar. Near the pillar, you run into a small problem: an insect stands between you and the pillar. You should be able to take it out, but once you do, you know that the others will be alerted. Better make it quick. [[Bridge the gap]]

You think that all you need to do is get close enough to the pillar and make a break for it. You head right. You move quietly under the tablecloth of the first table. The guards in this room seem to favor viewing the right side of the room, so you know that you will need to time this as carefully as possible. It feels like an hour of studying movements before you feel like your moment has arrived. When it does, you glide over to the next table, making virtually no noise. You are not spotted. The waiting starts again, and you continue watching patterns. The insects begin to shift to the right side of the room. You remain very quiet for yet another long stretch of time. You finally get sick of waiting and try your luck at reaching the next table. You move fast and quiet yet again, but when you reach the table, you accidentally bump one of the legs and generate noise. One insect begins to move close to you. Do you [[run]] for it, or do you [[wait]]?

You've got to make the best use of this window, so you sprint for the pillar. You feel all four insects close behind you as you dive into the pillar. You jump right through it and break a table on the other side. "Uhh, General?" the Conduit says, "the insects aren't moving anymore, so that was kind of unnecessary." You stand up, back in pain, and look behind you. The Conduit was right--the insects seem to be locked out of the area adjacent to the pillar. You curse at your bravado. [[The second pillar]]

Hopeful that the insect doesn't suspect you, you wait under the table, quiet as a deceased mouse. At the height of tension, a grizzly insect appendage breaches the top of the table--and right into your skull.

{(set: $BGD to $BGD +1) (set: $Door2Close to true)} "Place the sword into the pillar," the Conduit suggests. When you do so, the blade begins absorbing the light, and after a few moments, the pillar disappears, and you can now split the blade an additional time. You also recieve a key fragment. You are promptly transported back to the entrance of the Black-Gray realm. You can ask questions, or [[move on]]. [[How did you find other people to guide?]] [[What happened to the others, exactly?]]

You've got to make the best use of this window, so you sprint for the pillar, chopping apart one insect as you go. You feel the other three insects close behind you as you dive into the pillar. You jump right through it and break a table on the other side. "Uhh, General?" the Conduit says, "the insects aren't moving anymore, so that was kind of unnecessary." You stand up, back in pain, and look behind you. The Conduit was right--the insects seem to be locked out of the area adjacent to the pillar. You curse at your bravado. [[The second pillar]]

"After humanity was warped here, there was chaos--the alien anomaly started picking people off, but a few groups made it out. Different groups favored different realms. Others didn't want to enter the gateways at all. After the anomaly fled, I started rooting them out to see who would be brave enough to try and stop that monster. You'd be surprised how enthusiastic they were to join with me. I guess they thought it would be easy. Unfortunately, it wasn't." [[move on]] [[What happened to the others, exactly?]]

"Well, you've seen firsthand some of the obstacles between us and that pillar. Is it really surprising to think that they weren't quite up to the task? Look, I really don't want to talk about this anymore. I've got you now, so I don't plan on losing more partners." [[How did you find other people to guide?]] [[move on]]

You appear to be in a forest--a strange sight given what you've already seen. You turn to find the door behind you, but see nothing. A pillar of light is about a mile away. "We need to get there," the Conduit says. You're still not quite sure of you should trust the thing. The terrain is varied, but it looks clear enough to head straight forward [[into the woods]].

You head down the path, unsure of what you are going to find. Regardless, you feel the need to get away from the Conduit. Fortunately, a group of insect soldiers are patrolling the woods ahead of you. You hide behind a bush to assess their patrol patterns. After a while, you find an opportunity to rush by the insects and perhaps lose the Conduit: [[Escape the Conduit]]

You tell the Conduit that you heard a noise behind you and to go check it out. As it departs, you rush by the insect guards and go deeper into the forest. [[The cottage]]

Splitting the Four-Sword into two smaller blades, you successfully take down the insects, and [[continue down the forest path]].

You've done it. You've closed each and every gateway, and now it's time to face off against the anomaly--against Titan. Each blade is in its holster at the center of the hub, and the ground starts to shake. A bright light blinds you as the holsters morph into a single Spectrum Blade. At the moment, it maintains the appearance of the White Blade. You pull it from the holster, and you feel more powerful than you've ever felt before. The blade hums with energy. A new holster appears. It is formless, like the beasts summoned prior to entering each of the gates. "O-okay, put the blade into that holster to summon Titan," the Conduit grunts. You turn around to look at it, and ask if it's okay. It seems to wobble in the air. "I'm fine, just put the sword in the holster and--agh, end it. End it already!" You close in on the Conduit. Something is clearly wrong. "Dammit. Looks like I'll have to do this the hard way." You wake up. You're not sure what happened--moments ago you were checking on the Conduit, but now it seems to be gone. You must've blacked out. Another problem: Everywhere you look makes your head hurt. You feel like you're nowhere, and yet you're still able to walk around. [[Into Static]]

You come upon a cottage in the woods. Two insect guards patrol nearby. The trees around the cottage are too thick to get through--almost as if the forest were trying to guide you in a single direction. How will you approach this? [[Go into the cottage]] [[Go around the cottage]] (if: $BGD > 0)[[[Fight the insects->door 3 block 1]]]

As soon as you're able, you run into the cottage, slowly closing the door behind you. When you turn to look into the dark-gray room, you notice that everything from floor to ceiling is coated in strange egg sacs. This must be where they keep their young. You get the feeling that disturning these sacs will cause something unfortunate to happen. You can [[head back outside->Go around the cottage]] and try to circle around, or you can attempt to [[sneak by the eggs]].

You think you can circle around the cottage undetected, so when the insects turn away, you make a break for it. Halfway round, you get caught on a root and [[fall over]].

You move very carefully, as not to disrupt the eggs. As you move through the room, a small tendril from one of the egg clutches reaches out and wraps around your foot. You [[fall]].

Catch yourself! [[Land the fall]]

You control your landing, and fail to disturb the eggs. You quickly break loose from the tendril, and continue moving through the cottage undetected. You then reach the door and, checking carefully as to make sure that you were not heard, [[continue down the forest path]].

You walk for a few minutes down the path. You are much closer to the pillar now, and can see that it is housed in a gothic cathedral. The Conduit is nowhere to be found. Ahead, the area is larger--a small pond can be seen to your left, and a rocky path is to your right. Three insects patrol this area. Which route will you take? [[The pond]] [[The rocky path]] (if: $BGD > 1)[[[Fight the insects->door 3 block 2]]]

An insect guard hears this and begins approaching your position. [[Roll into a bush]] (if: $BGD > 0)[[[Fight the insects->door 3 block 1]]]

You hide behind a bush and wait patiently as the insect searches the area near you. It approaches the bush slowly, and stares into it for about a minute. You are absolutely still. [[Fight the insects]] [[Continue waiting]]

You remain still, but the insect spots you. Before you can fend for yourself, it stabs you in the chest with a sword-like appendage. You are dead in minutes.

Using the opportunity, you stab the first insect in the head with the Four-Sword. It falls to the ground, and the second one comes running. You take it down just as easily. Recovering from the adrenaline, you [[continue down the forest path]].

Hiding underwater might serve you well for getting by the insects. When you have a chance, you enter the pond slowly, as not to make noise. You take a breath and move toward the far end slowly. You cannot see much of anything in the dark-gray water. You slowly poke your head out of the water to see if the insects are looking, and none of them are. Just as you entered the pond, you exit with care to noise. You begin to exit the view of the insects when one of them notices the trail of water you've left behind. It begins to follow the path. You need to think fast--do you run, hide, or fight? [[Run->Run away]] [[Hide]] (if: $BGD > 1)[[[Fight the insects->door 3 block 2]]]

There is plenty of cover by the rocks. This was a smart choice--weaving between hiding spots proves very easy, and you slip by the patrol without a trace. You move down the road toward the pillar, and enter [[the cathedral]].

You've gained enough power to try and take on the insects. It's a close fight, but you manage to take all three down. After moving further down the path, you are very close to the pillar now. [[Enter the Cathedral->the cathedral]]

You pick up the pace, trying to dry yourself with the wind. You move and move, and after a while, you look back to see that nothing is following you. You breathe a sigh of relief, and enter [[the cathedral]].

You hide behind a tree in the hopes that the insect will give up. It doesn't. In a matter of moments you are spotted, and attacked by a group of insects. (if: $BGD > 1)[[[Fight the insects->door 3 block 2]]]

The doors are wide open, so getting in isn't difficult. What is difficult is actually getting to the pillar--four insects stand between you and the pillar at the cathedral altar. The cathedral is a decent size, and pews exist on both the first and second floors for observation. There don't appear to be any guards on the open second floor, but you can't see any way down from there to approach the altar. You have an idea, but it might be risky. Alternatively, you could use the pews to hide your approach, although getting past four insect guards might be a challenge. It's your call. [[The second floor]] [[The first floor]]

You choose the second floor. Above you are a series of chandeliers that hang low enough to the floor to jump down from, and close enough together to jump between. It's crazy--but so is the notion of space insects. As you reach the second floor, you notice a strange orb of light behind one of the upper-level pews. You grab it, and hear a small, brief ring in your ear. (set: $BGShim to $BGShim + 1) You then take a few steps back, and leap to the first chandelier. The insects hear this quite clearly, and let out small screeches as they bunch up below you. You know that whatever you do, you absolutely cannot fall off. You swing back and forth to get closer to the next chandelier, then make the jump. You land successfully. This is repeated several times. As you swing toward the chandelier closest to the pillar, the chandelier you are on breaks, and you [[tumble to the floor]].

The first floor will do just fine. You move behind one of the front pews, and slowly progress toward the altar. As you move closer, it takes longer and longer to find a window and get past the insects. Eventually, you reach a point where you're certain that no more progress can be made. You could try to make a break for it, but the altar is pretty far. Maybe you could distract them with something? You notice that you've been passing by some old, crusty bibles the whole time. [[Throw the bible]] [[Run for it]]

You toss the bible when a small window opens up, and it lands on the other side of the pews. All four insects move toward it. [[Move]]

You sprint as fast as you can for the altar. You are barely five feet away when an insect appendage shoots through your chest, killing you almost instantly.

You begin to sprint as fast as you can toward the altar, running down the middle aisle, but you accidentally kick the pew as you begin to move. The insects notice you and start to surround you. You hold out your blade, ready to make your stand. You're just a few feet from the altar. If only those damn insects weren't in your way. They begin to lunge at you, saw-arms ready, when you hear a peculiar sound above you. Everything stops moving. You look up. The insects look up. "Flight of the Valkyries" is playing from on top of the chandelier. You hear what sounds like cutting, and run out from below the thing as fast as possible. The chandelier falls, crushing all four insects, and the Conduit descends from above. There is a scratch on its chassis--most likely from the chandelier chain. "Hah! Got em!" it says happily. You are relieved by its actions, but are still a little skeptical. You tell it that you were underneath the chandelier too, and that it could've just as easily crushed you. "If I wanted to smash you with the chandelier, I wouldn't have played the wondrous works of Wilhelm Richard Wagner before doing so." You can't really argue against that. [[The third pillar]]

(set: $BGD to $BGD +1)(set: $Door3Close to true) "Okay, place the Four-Sword into the pillar, and watch the fireworks," it tells you. You put the sword inside, and the blade begins absorbing the light. After a few moments, the pillar disappears, and you can now split the blade an additional time. You also recieve a key fragment. You are promptly transported back to the entrance of the Black-Gray realm. You can ask questions, or [[move on]]. [[Why was I the last person you decided to guide?]] [[What happened to Justin?]]

This is it, you think. You're insect food now. You hit the floor with a crash, and quickly get to your feet when you hear a familiar voice: "General, run to the pillar!" the Conduit says. Pushing through the pain of cuts and bruises, you do as it says, but an insect easily closes the distance and swings its saw-arm at you. The Conduit moves between you and the insect, effectively knocking back the blow, but scratching its chassis. You get to the pillar, then turn around to notice that time seems to have stopped moving for the insects. The Conduit flies closer to you. "Do you trust me yet?" it asks. You're still not sure, but you doubt it would go to such a length as to risk its safety just to save you if it really wanted you dead. You let your skepticism go for now. [[The third pillar]]

"To be honest, I wasn't sure how you would react once I found you. With your involvement in the Population War back on Earth, I couldn't be certain you'd be up to the task. I was afraid you'd turn down this little quest, and go off on your own--especially after finding out about my unsuccessful attempts to destroy the alien anomaly. Finding you sounded like a big gamble, but now? Now I know you're the one who's going to nip this thing in the bud. I'm a little disappointed that I didn't find you sooner, really." [[move on]] [[What happened to Justin?]]

"Believe it or not, he managed to close the two other doors in this place. Unfortunately, when we got here and he saw the woods... It didn't end the way I wanted it to, General. I told you, I tried to guide him out of here, but his fear took over and I couldn't do anything to help him. I promise you, General, I would *never* bring someone on this quest if they didn't look fit enough to handle it." [[move on]] [[Why was I the last person you decided to guide?]]

Granted, you haven't seen anything larger than a human yet, but this one was still pretty big. It is shaped like a ten-foot-tall wheel standing straight up, but with six appendages protruding from its sides for grasping things and orienting itself. "I think that's some kind of queen," the Conduit says. You think the creature will try rolling at you, but strangely, it seems docile--perhaps even sick. "I bet if we can kill that thing, the rest will go with it," the Conduit says. You approach the queen, but as soon as you get within ten feet, your head starts to feel like it's exploding. You let out a cry of pain. "General, what's going on?" the Conduit asks. A separate voice--feminine--enters your head. "What do you fear most?" it asks as it invades your mind. "So many fears, but which one should I choose?" A few more seconds of intense pain pass. "Ah, this one will do," the queen says. A moment later, you find yourself [[on the battlefield]].

You awake alone in the middle of some kind of lumberyard. You stand up and look around. You can see colors again, but this relief is only momentary--a squad of soldiers come running out of the nearby forest. You lift the Four-Sword--wait, why do you have that? Aren't you back on Earth? In your confusion, the soldiers run past you. "Get out of here, General! It's coming right for us!" one of them shouts at you. What's happening? Just then, a loud voice explodes like thunder out of the treeline. It sounds vaguely familiar to you. "IT IS OVER, GENERAL. YOU HAVE LOST. COME FACE YOUR DEMISE WITH HONOR, AND MAYBE YOU'LL EARN A SPOT IN MY HISTORY BOOKS," the voice says. The ground begins to shake. [[Something is coming]].

You hide behind a log-cutting machine, and glance out at the treeline to see what is causing the ground to move beneath you. In the far distance, you see a great black machine knocking over trees and ruining the canopy. It appears to be some kind of mech. You get the feeling that running from this thing won't really work here. "THE GREAT AND INVINCIBLE GENERAL, RUNNING LIKE A COWARD. IT'S NO WONDER YOU'VE LIVED THIS LONG, GENERAL--ONLY COWARDS LIVE IN WAR." [[The machine marches]] closer and closer, eventually breaking through the treeline and into the logging complex. (set: $BGC to 0)

{(if: $BGC is 3)[(goto: "The Fourth Door")]} You stand behind a log-cutting machine. There is plenty of cover here, so moving between hiding spots won't be difficult. Trying to face the machine means certain death--there's no way you have a chance of defeating this thing. Maybe if you can circle around it fast enough, a weak spot will present itself? You'll have to be quick to get this to work. [[Run to the office shack]] [[Fight the machine head-on]]

You stand behind a rickety office shack for cover. Up ahead is a pile of logs. The mech catches up with you. You aren't moving fast enough. [[Run to the pile of logs]] [[Fight the machine head-on]]

No more running. You decide to try and fight this thing, even if it kills you. You run out from behind your cover and begin sprinting toward the mech, all four arms primed to kill. Before you even make it close, the machine bathes you in a massive ray of red light, and you feel your skin melting off like wax. You die slowly and painfully, and in your final moment, you hear the queen's voice: "Impossible...[[this is not possible]]!"

Your mind is broken. Your fear of death has consumed you, and you spend the rest of eternity running from it in this nightmare scenario. In the hub of the Black-Gray world, a fourth door appears. Inside it are a number of insect guards-- And a lumberyard. [[Try again->Something is coming]]

You stand behind a pile of logs for cover. Up ahead is the log cutting machine again. The mech catches up with you, but you think you caught a glimpse at its backside before it does. You aren't moving fast enough! Run it again! [[Run to the wood cutting machine->The machine marches]] [[Fight the machine head-on]] (set: $BGC to $BGC + 1)

When you regain consciousness, you hear the Conduit: "General! General! Snap out of it already, it's not real!" You stand up, head no longer hurting, and face the queen. "Thank God, now kill that thing so we can get out of here!" This could mean genocide. You don't even know if these things perpetrated the attack on Earth, or if they're just stuck here like the rest of humanity. "Those things killed people, General. They killed men and women and children, and they'll keep doing it as long as they're alive." The queen remains silent. They could just as easily have killed people out of a need to defend themselves. You're not sure what course of action to take here. Should you kill this entire species, or leave them be, and hope they don't repeat the actions of the past? Will killing this insect even wipe out their species to begin with? [[Kill the wheel]] [[Let the wheel be]]

There are too many uncertainties here--which means you should expect the worst. You strike the wheel queen down, and it dies without a word or retaliation of any kind. "You did the right thing, General. These things deserve it after what they did on Earth, and especially after what they did to my other partners," the Conduit says. The Black-Gray blade--the Four Sword--dissipates, and you hear a mysterious ringing sound. You're glad this is all behind you now. You feel fully prepared to face whatever comes next. Your eyes are filled with Black-Gray as you depart the realm. [[The Next Realm->ShimmerCheck]] (set: $BGClose to $BGClose + 1) (set: $Conduit to $Conduit + 1) (set: $M4 to 0)

There are too many uncertainties here--but that doesn't mean you should always expect the worst. You drop the Black-Gray blade--Four Sword--and it dissipates. You hear a mysterious ringing sound. "No General, do you have any idea how many people those things have killed?" You tell it that it's done, and it may as well stop complaining. "Fine, fine, it's just... They could be responsible for all this." "If that's the case, then we'll be back," you say, shifting your gaze to the wheel. "That's a promise." It shows no sign of response, although it seems like the creature is less tense than it was before. You're glad this is all behind you now. You feel fully prepared to face whatever comes next. Your eyes are filled with Black-Gray as you depart the realm. [[The Next Realm->ShimmerCheck]] (set: $BGClose to $BGClose + 1) (set: $Conduit to $Conduit + 1) (set: $M4 to 1)

(if: $BGShim > 2)[(goto: "Secret Shimmer")] (if: $BGShim < 3)[(goto: "The Next Realm")] [[Secret Shimmer]]

As you are transported back to the gateways to nowhere, there is a moment when you feel timeless--as though you have been removed from the laws of physics. The three orbs you collected earlier appear in front of you, and bathe your sight with light. You are blinded, but when you open your eyes again, you see that a shimmer has been activated--one you have not seen yet. *A woman in her thirties stands before the wheel. She is also experiencing hallucinations, just as you did. The Conduit stands watch, waiting for her to exit the hallucination. The Four Sword lay on the ground next to her. "C'mon Ruth, you're strong enough. You can beat this!" it says to her. The encouragement is in vain--after a few moments, Ruth falls to the floor, bleeding out of her nose and ears. In her last moments, it is likely that her mind forced her to relive her fears over and over and over again for what must have felt like an eternity. "What? No! NO!" the Conduit shouts. It looks to the wheel. "You fucking peon! I'll watch you die if it's the last thing I do!" A moment later, the scene shifts back to the gate hub. The Black-Gray door is still open, as though to mock the Conduit. It lets out a shout so horrifying that it makes your blood crawl under your skin. It then goes calm. "Okay. Fine. I guess it's time to wake him up." The shimmer ends here* You find yourself standing before the gates, as usual. You look to the Conduit, but it remains focused on the gates. What is wrong this droid? [[The Next Realm]]

You walk toward the large glass door. It reminds you of something you'd see at the entrance of a skyscraper, but blown up to great proportion. "Guess we'll find out what's in here. This is exciting--I've never been in here before!" the Conduit says excitedly. Given the threatening size of these gateways, that fact doesn't shock you. You step through the White-Gray gateway, and a shimmer begins: *A young woman wielding the light gray-blade is searching around frantically. She seems to be lost. She enters an elevator in the room, but when she reaches a new floor, the room looks exactly the same as the previous ones--completely empty. She seems frustrated and saddened by the situation. She sits for a while, as though thinking about something. The shimmer skips forward. She is still thinking, but suddenly, a console like the one you used appears at the end of the room. "Bingo," she says as she leaps toward the thing. She inserts the blade into the console. "Let's see what kind of trouble I can get into with this thing."* You wake in [[a laboratory]].

The lab is smaller than something you might see in a more formal setting--just two tables with various lab items. The light here is slightly brighter than the gateway hub. White-Gray dominates the environment, making everything a little bit difficult to see before your eyes adjust to the new brightness. At the end of a room is a window that appears to be looking out at nothing. You walk over to this and reach for the glass, only to realize that there is no glass--no wind either. "This is very strange," the Conduit says. You look peer out the window to see how far up you are. You can't see the ground. You look up instead, but you can't see a roof either. The building just keeps going in both directions. You're in some kind of endless skyscraper. Just as you start to pull your head back in, a gust of wind blows you off your feet. "Whoa! Okay, going outside isn't an option," the Conduit says. While on the ground, you feel your back begin to heat up. A lot. You jump to your feet and step back as the middle of the room catches on fire. Oddly, the fire remains controlled at the center of the room. At the end of the room you came from, you notice that there was an elevator behind you the whole time. "I think someone is messing with us, General." You get the same feeling. [[Floor Cataract]]

Just as you start to wonder how you are going to get out of this, a lightswitch rotates out of the wall at the end of the room. "I bet that has something to do with all of this," the Conduit says, "I'll handle this one, General. It's about time I started pulling my weight around here anyway, huh?" It floats to the lightswitch and flips it on with its circular chassis. "Ha! Easy enough," it says--right before it gets sucked into the ceiling of the room. You are now alone, and an interface similar to the one you say at the gateways flips out from the floor beneath you. You step back, and then insert the light-gray blade. The symbols on the blade segments spin around a few times, then light up. You're still not sure what all of them do, but you're certain that the alpha segment creates fire, so that won't help. [Alpha]<PA1| {(click: ?PA1)[Seriously? You were literally just told that the alpha segment creates fire. You activate it anyway, sending a pulse through the room, and for a moment, the fire becomes more intense before settling back down. Happy now, pyro?]} [Beta]<PA2| {(click: ?PA2)[You activate the beta segment, and it sends a pulse through the room. A series of electric bolts dart across the room, leaving the fire unaffected.]} [Gamma]<PA3| {(click: ?PA3)[You activate the gamma segment, and it sends a pulse through the room. Rocks fall out of the ceiling, causing a large mess. Then, strangely, they break apart into sand. The fire rages on.]} [[Delta]]

You activate the delta segment, and it sends a pulse through the room. Water materializes above the flames, and fall on top of them in a steady stream. The fire goes out, and the way is clear. You need to find the Conduit--you have no idea what happened to it after it hit that switch. You move to the end of the room, and enter the elevator. The display in the elevator reads "Cataract." There is only one floor to choose from on the elevator interface. [[Floor Osprey]]

You walk into the room, and you notice that there is a console on the other side of the room. It seems the creator of this realm had a thing for experiments. You notice something else, too: There is a screen on the wall between you and the console. You walk up to it and, as though it notices you, turns on and plays a video: You see a young woman in a lab coat. She is the same woman from the shimmer. She is clearly documenting the results of some kind of research. Her log is as follows: "Research log twenty-two by Catherine, head of research. This is day three with the subject material classified as Anomaly zero-zero-one. We are still attempting to discover its purpose here, and we are still baffled by the headache-inducing appearance of this lifeform. Lionel believes that it is a natural mechanism that it uses to deter predators from looking at it, but I think something artificial is going on here--we've never seen anything like this before, and given that it fell from the sky a few days ago, I seriously doubt there is anything natural about this anomaly. Laboratory politics aside, we are still trying to figure out how to handle this situation--this is, after all, the closest we've come to first contact with another sentient race." Her expression lights up at this sentence. "To go against formal log protocol--this is very exciting! I wonder what my mother and father will think about this. We planned on watching another old-world recording of Jeopardy tonight, but I've been staying in the lab to do research on this thing." A voice says something to he woman. "Sorry, apparently I'm not being 'professional.' Will continue to update log as data becomes available. Catherine signing off." You step away from the screen. Catherine? You feel like you should know that name, as though the woman were famous. You brush this off for now, and approach the [[Osprey console]].

You engage with the console, and a new environmental challenge presents itself: The floor in the middle of the room is hollowed out, and fills with water, which is then electrified. Flame jets then protrude from the wall, lighting the air above the water on fire. There has to be some kind of order to this. **Alpha = Fire Beta = Electricity Gamma = Earth Delta = Water** [Alpha]<PB1| {(Click: ?PB1)[The alpha pulse does nothing to the flame jets, and evaporates a little bit of water. The water quickly refills.]} [Beta]<PB2| {(Click: ?PB2)[The Beta pulse does nothing to either flames nor electrified water.]} [Gamma]<PB3| {(Click: ?PB3)[The Gamma pulse sends rocks from above, but the rocks are somehow incinerated before they reach the water]} [[Delta->Osprey Phase 2]]

The delta pulse creates another stream of water, and makes short work of the fire jets. Now all that remains is the electrified pond in the center of the room. **Alpha = Fire Beta = Electricity Gamma = Earth Delta = Water** [Alpha]<PC1| {(Click: ?PC1)[The alpha pulse evaporates a little bit of water. The water quickly refills.]} [Beta]<PC2| {(Click: ?PC2)[The Beta pulse does nothing to the already-electrified water.]} [[Gamma]] [Delta]<PC3| {(Click: ?PC3)[The Delta pulse sends more water from above, but the pond remains at a full level]}

A series of rocks fall from the ceiling and land in the water. The water appears shallow enough to hold the rocks above the surface. You use the rocks like stepping stones and cross to the elevator. The display now reads "Osprey," and the button reads "Niobe." [[Floor Niobe]]

A voice plays in the elevator: "Hello? General? Can you hear me?" the Conduit asks. You tell it that you can hear it. "Oh, that's fantastic! I'm being kept in some kind of laboratory on the floor called 'Titan,' and I don't see any way out of here at the moment. I managed to connect to the elevator intercom from here, but I don't see any other ways to communicate with you. I know it sounds like a nightmare, but you'll have to do this without me for a while." What a nightmare. [[Are you okay?->Conduit safety month]] [[How do I get to Floor Titan?]]

"Try the elevator," it says. You tell it that this is top-notch advice. "Hey, are *you* stuck in a Conduit-sized holding cell? No? Well how about that?" You tell it that the elevator is only moving floor by floor, and only after you solve a puzzle. "Then solve the puzzles until you get to Titan. Whoever made this place couldn't have built too many of those, right?" You certainly hope so. [[Floor Niobe log]] [[Are you okay?->Conduit safety month]]

There is another video log on this floor. You walk in front of the screen and the log plays: "Research log twenty-eight by Catherine, head of research. We've discovered that the anomaly has been studying our language over time. It can now speak fluent English. This is profound--never have we seen something pick up language so quickly. "Lionel, of course, believes once again that this is a natural occurance like its appearance, but I believe this only supports my hypothesis that the anomaly is of an artificial design. These logs are private, so I am not afraid to express concern in wondering what the function of this lifeform is. Is it friendly? It hasn't attacked us when running tests, but that doesn't mean--" Catherine is cut off by an assistant. They speak for a moment before she returns. "We're going to bring a camera into the holding chamber for a brief interview with the anomaly. We've been exposing it to everything--internet access, television, books, and so on. This is going to be one for the history books!" she says before signing off. You walk away from the screen. Another blade console waits at the far end of the room, as usual. [[Niobe Console]]

"Well, I haven't been deconstructed yet, so I guess I'm doing alright. I would very much like to be *not* stuck in here. Just hurry up, please. An eternity in this cell does not sound like fun." [[Floor Niobe log]]

You slam the blade into the console, and the room roars to life. A massive block of ice smashes down from the ceiling, and nearly shakes you off your feet. Inside the ice appears to be some sort of pre-historic fish with large jaws and sharp teeth. There is also some kind of electric coil. **Alpha = Fire Beta = Electricity Gamma = Earth Delta = Water** [[Alpha->NiobePhase2]] [Beta]<PD1| {(Click: ?PD1)[The Beta pulse zaps the ice, but has little effect.]} [Gamma]<PD2| {(Click: ?PD2)[The Gamma pulse cracks the ice a little, but the ice repairs itself after the rocks stop falling]} [Delta]<PD3| {(Click: ?PD3)[The Delta pulse drops water on the ice, and has no effect.]}

The Alpha pulse melts the ice, leaving a small pond between you and the elevator. In the pond is the killer fish, and the electric coil. **Alpha = Fire Beta = Electricity Gamma = Earth Delta = Water** [Alpha]<PE1| {(click: ?PE1)[The Alpha pulse burns away some of the water, but the tank refills. The fish is unharmed.]} [[Beta->NiobePhase3]] [Gamma]<PE2| {(click: ?PE2)[The Gamma pulse sends down a wave of rocks, but the fish dodges all of them. The coil, by some miracle, is unharmed.]} [Delta]<PE3| {(click: ?PE3)[The Delta pulse fill the tank a little bit more before receding to its usual volume.]}

The Beta pulse sends a stream of electricity into the electric coil, making the water extremely deadly for anything inside. The fish floats bottom-up to the surface. You don't have a toilet large enough to flush it, unfortunately. RIP Fish. You still need to cross the now-electrified water. **Alpha = Fire Beta = Electricity Gamma = Earth Delta = Water** [Alpha]<PF1| {(Click: ?PF1)[The alpha pulse evaporates a little bit of water. The water quickly refills.]} [Beta]<PF2| {(Click: ?PF2)[The Beta pulse does nothing to the already-electrified water.]} [[Gamma->Floor Diomedes]] [Delta]<PF3| {(Click: ?PC3)[The Delta pulse sends more water from above, but the pond remains at a full level]}

You cross your rock-bridge, then enter the elevator. The display reads "Niobe," and the elevator button reads "Diomedes." Not there yet. You press the button, and then elevator music plays over the intercom. You tell the Conduit to knock it off. "What kind of monster hates elevator music? It's so catchy!" it says before playing the elevator music even louder. When you reach Floor Diomedes, you get off quickly. Identical room. [[Another screen]].

You once again stand in front of the screen. The next log plays. This time, Catherine and a group of others are standing in front of a table, where a formless anomaly is restrained. Like the ones at the gateway hub, these are very difficult to look at without getting a headache. The scientists are trying not to look at it. "Hello zero-zero-one, my name is Catherine." "H-hello, Catherine," it says. "W-why are you keeping me here?" "Because we know nothing about who you are or where you came from just yet. When we know these things--" The anomaly's voice changes to match Catherine's. "W-where I come from is unimportant, Catherine. P-please let me out of here. I wish to see the s-sun." "Why?" "It's c-cold down here. I want to see the sun. I r-refuse to speak further until this d-demand is met." "Well, I'm sorry zero-zero-one, but we can't let you on the surface until we know a little more about you. It's for safety. Now, I'll stop with the questions, but I have just one more for you: Do you have a name?" "I h-have many names, Catherine. W-where I am from, I am quite well k-known. I suppose I could share my r-real name with you. I am called Titan." The video stops there. [[The Diomedes console]]

Titan. The anomaly is called Titan. You try to enter the elevator to warn the Conduit, but it is sealed. You have to solve the room first. You move to the console, and inject the sword. When you do, something strange happens: The sword makes a humming sound, and a light-gray pulse shoots out into the room. You feel as though the blade has been enhanced somehow. Across the room, a port appears. You think you have to fire something into it to get the elevator to open. But how? You look down at the buttons on the sword, and see that there are many more options now. It looks like you can mix pre-existing pulses with other ones for additional effects. What do they do? **Alpha = Fire Beta = Electricity Gamma = Earth Delta = Water** [Alpha]<PG1| (Click: ?PG1)[You shoot a rod of flame at the port, but nothing happens.] [Beta]<PG2| (Click: ?PG2)[You shoot a beam of electricity at the port, but nothing happens] [Gamma]<PG3| (Click: ?PG3)[Rocks fall from above, then turn to sand. Nothing happens.] [Delta]<PG4| (Click: ?PG4)[Water rains from above, then evaporates. Nothing happens.] [[Alpha-Beta->Floor Ulysses]] [Alpha-Gamma]<PG5| (Click: ?PG5)[Molten lava pours from above. You think it is going to melt through the floor, but it simply evaporates. Nothing happens.] [Alpha-Delta]<PG6| (Click: ?PG6)[Steam fills the room for a while, making things hard to see. When it clears, you see that nothing has happened.] [Beta-Gamma]<PG7| (Click: ?PG7)[An explosion is set off in the center of the room. Thankfully, you are unharmed. Nothing happens.] [Beta-Delta]<PG8| (Click: ?PG8)[Electrified water pours from above, then evaporates. Nothing happens.] [Gamma-Delta]<PG9| (Click: ?PG9)[Sludgy water pours from above, then slowly evaporates. Nothing happens.]

Fire and the Alpha and Beta pulses mix to produce a plasma laser. You aim it at the port, and fire. When it hits the port, you hear a "ding" sound, and the elevator opens. You quickly enter, and ask the Conduit if there's anything strange about the room it is in. "There's a skeleton on the floor clutching a note, but that's about it. Nothing out of the ordinary," it says. You tell it about the video log and about Titan. "Titan. Huh. So it has a name. I guess it's a coincidence then--this room doesn't really look like a super-secret lair or anything, so I doubt this is where it's holed up. It's more likely that the person in here starved to death, and wanted to annoy people with puzzles before they died." You remember the shimmer you saw when you entered the White-Gray realm--Catherine was here. The skeleton must be hers. It's a morbid realization, but you have little time to dwell on it. You reach [[Floor Ulysses->Ulysses log]], and approach the screen.

The log plays. Catherine is back in her original format of speaking to a screen for private logs. "We've been running a battery of tests, and we've learned so much about this thing--revolutionary stuff. Oh, uh, sorry. This is Catherine, head of research yadda yadda. "Titan is synthetic (Catherine one, Lionel zero), and absorbs light, but it takes the process of absorbtion a step further. It absorbs every color of the spectrum, and creates some kind of ripple in space, which Lionel calls 'static.' This static is what happens when there is a complete absence of visible light in an area, and is what produces Titan's headache-inducing appearance. "But that's not all--the reason Titan isn't simply invisible to us is because it is producing some kind of powerful anti-light. The anomaly not only harvests visible light for energy, but feeds off of this anti-light for an alarming boost in power. Given the sheer efficiency of Titan's power systems, it's frightening to think what this thing is capable of. I'm pretty sure that all it needs is sunlight to achieve unparalleled energy-production. What could it possibly need so much power for? "I've also been wondering about Titan's stutter. With a machine efficient enough to learn an entire language overnight and mimic a voice after only a sentence or two, you'd think it would be able to speak clearly. There's something off about it, but Lionel says it's probably just a design oversight. Needless to say, I'll be looking further into this as soon as I find a way to interface with Titan's internal systems." The log ends there. [[The Ulysses console]]

You insert the blade into the Ulysses console. A metal wall slams in front of you, blocking your sight. **Alpha = Fire Beta = Electricity Gamma = Earth Delta = Water** [Alpha]<PH1| (Click: ?PH1)[You shoot a rod of flame at the wall, but it only heats up the metal.] [Beta]<PH2| (Click: ?PH2)[You shoot a beam of electricity at the wall, but nothing happens] [Gamma]<PH3| (Click: ?PH3)[Rocks fall from above, but don't damage the wall.] [Delta]<PH4| (Click: ?PH4)[Water rains from above, then evaporates. Nothing happens.] [Alpha-Beta]<PH5| (Click: ?PH5)[You fire a plasma laser at the wall, and it burns a small hole in the center, but it would take forever to burn through the whole thing.] [[Alpha-Gamma->UlyssesPhase2]] [Alpha-Delta]<PH6| (Click: ?PH6)[Steam fills the room for a while, making things hard to see. When it clears, you see that nothing has happened.] [Beta-Gamma]<PH7| (Click: ?PH7)[An explosion is set off in the center of the room. The wall stands strong.] [Beta-Delta]<PH8| (Click: ?PH8)[Electrified water pours from above, then evaporates. Nothing happens.] [Gamma-Delta]<PH9| (Click: ?PH9)[Sludgy water pours from above, then slowly evaporates. Nothing happens.]

Magma drops from the ceiling, then slowly melts through the wall. After about a minute or so, the lava disappears, and you see what seems like insulated netting on the floor, leading to some kind of machine down below. The floor looks stable enough to walk across, but the elevator remains closed, so clearly you need to activate whatever sits below the netting. **Alpha = Fire Beta = Electricity Gamma = Earth Delta = Water** [Alpha]<PI1| (Click: ?PI1)[You shoot fire at the netting, but it absorbs the heat.] [Beta]<PI2| (Click: ?PI2)[You shoot a beam of electricity toward the machine, but the netting blocks the beams from hitting the it.] [Gamma]<PI3| (Click: ?PI3)[Rocks fall from above, but don't damage the netting. They turn to sand.] [Delta]<PI4| (Click: ?PI4)[Water rains from above, then evaporates. Nothing happens.] [Alpha-Beta]<PI5| (Click: ?PI5)[You fire a plasma laser at the machine, But it seems to be the wrong type of energy for powering up the machine. Perhaps electricity is the best option here.] [Alpha-Gamma]<PI6| (Click: ?PI6)[Magma falls from above, but strangely, both the netting and the machine remain unaffected.] [Alpha-Delta]<PI7| (Click: ?PI7)[Steam fills the room for a while, making things hard to see. When it clears, you see that nothing has happened.] [Beta-Gamma]<PI8| (Click: ?PI8)[An explosion is set off in the center of the room. Nothing happens.] [[Beta-Delta->Floor Illiad]] [Gamma-Delta]<PH9| (Click: ?PH9)[Sludgy water pours from above, then slowly evaporates. Nothing happens.]

The Beta-Delta pulse sends a wave of electrified water through the netting, and onto the machine, which immediately hums with life. The elevator door opens. You cross over the netting and reach the elevator. The display reads "Ulysses," and the button says "Illiad." Come on, how many more levels are there? You hear what sounds like a football game playing on the intercom. You ask what the Conduit is doing. The noise stops. "Wait! It's not what you think! Okay, it's exactly what you think, but still, I'm totally dedicated to getting out of this situation, and I believe in your ability to solve puzzles." It sounds like it's trying to convince itself. Jerk. [[Why do you think these puzzles are here?]] [[Is this tower endless?]] [[Floor Illiad->Floor Illiad log]]

"I don't know. Maybe it's to slow things down, or to just show off what the creator could do. If they had the sword before you, it stands to reason that they had to have unlocked its potential to create all the things you've had to deal with. Maybe they're trying to ease you into its potential uses as well?" [[Floor Illiad->Floor Illiad log]] [[Is this tower endless?]]

"I really really really really really hope not, General. It feels like this place was designed with organization in mind--store one experiment here, another one there. Endless space--endless possibilities. I'm just hoping the creator isn't as cruel as I'm thinking they are." [[Why do you think these puzzles are here?]] [[Floor Illiad->Floor Illiad log]]

You exit the elevator to view the video log. "Hey, if you get stuck, just guess! Guessing usually wor--" the Conduit says as the elevator door closes. You stand in front of the screen, and the log plays: "This is Catherine. I've got some good news, and some bad news," Catherine says. "As you know, Titan is a photovore--it lives off of light non-photosynthetically. It quite literally consumes light. We've managed to interface with Titan, though to a very limited extent. Titan is an extremely complex machine. Of what we were able to access however, was a release command. Believe it or not, the command was located in the code of the machine next to what we believe controls Titan's speech. Catherine two, Lionel zero. We debated day and night as to what this 'release' was referring to, but after careful consideration, we activated it. This brings us to the good news. "Crystals. We found five crystals of different colors: white, white-gray, gray, black-gray, and black. We also found a set of instructions--in full English, which is a little concerning--titled 'How to Construct The Spectrum Blade.' The materials were deceptively simple to access. We only needed basic metals and alloys. "It's like the creators of the blades were planning for this, and put all of the complex parts into the crystals. We're fabricating the blades now according to the instructions, but we're still worried about what the intended purpose of the blades are. This brings me to the bad news. "The moment we pulled the crystals from Titan, it started powering up. It's locked itself in the holding chamber, bathing in the light of the room, which is now completely static. I believe the crystals were the only thing keeping it from doing so. As of this moment, we are working nonstop to finish the Spectrum Blade. I haven't been home in weeks, but I plan on delivering this blade to the only person strong enough to stop Titan. I'm going to bring this blade to The General--to my father. This is Catherine, signing off. Hopefully this won't be my last log." The log ends, and [[you fall to the floor->Floor Illiad Console]].

The first shimmer you had showed you fighting against the space anomaly--against Titan. Catherine is your daughter. The skeleton on the Titan floor. Does that mean... No. You need to focus. The Illiad console awaits. You insert the blade, and the room activates. You hear a hum starting, but you don't know what it is. The floor in front of you becomes electrified. On the far side of the room you see a slot in the wall. It looks much darker than the rest of the white-gray rooms, as if explosions had been set off within. First things first--you need to deal with the electric floor. **Alpha = Fire Beta = Electricity Gamma = Earth Delta = Water Alpha-Beta = Laser Alpha-Gamma = Magma Alpha-Delta = Steam Beta-Gamma = Explosion Beta-Delta = Electric water Gamma-Delta = Slurry** [Alpha]<PJ1| (Click: ?PJ1)[Flames engulf the floor to no effect.] [Beta]<PJ2| (Click: ?PJ2)[Electricity only makes the floor more electric. Nice one.] [Gamma]<PJ3| (Click: ?PJ3)[Rocks fall from above, but don't damage the floor enough to shut off the electricity.] [Delta]<PJ4| (Click: ?PJ4)[Water rains from above, then evaporates.] [Alpha-Beta]<PJ5| (Click: ?PJ5)[You fire a plasma laser at the floor to no effect.] [Alpha-Gamma]<PJ6| (Click: ?PJ6)[Magma pours onto the floor, but shortly evaporates.] [Alpha-Delta]<PJ7| (Click: ?PJ7)[Steam fills the area above the electric floor for a while, making things hard to see. When it clears, you see that nothing has happened.] [Beta-Gamma]<PJ8| (Click: ?PJ8)[An explosion is set off in the center of the room. The floor is unaffected.] [Beta-Delta]<PJ9| (Click: ?PJ9)[Electrified water pours from above, then evaporates. Now the floor is electric *AND* wet.] [[Gamma-Delta->IlliadPhase2]]

The Gamma-Delta pulse sends a wave of slurry from above. The content of this rock/clay water does not conduct electricity as effectively as normal water, rendering the floor safe enough for a quick run-through. Now you just need to open the elevator door. You focus on the darkened slot at the end of the room. **Alpha = Fire Beta = Electricity Gamma = Earth Delta = Water Alpha-Beta = Laser Alpha-Gamma = Magma Alpha-Delta = Steam Beta-Gamma = Explosion Beta-Delta = Electric water Gamma-Delta = Slurry** [Alpha]<PK1| (Click: ?PK1)[You shoot a blast of fire into the slot, and it powers for a moment, but then stops again. You need something stronger to kickstart it.] [Beta]<PK2| (Click: ?PK2)[Electricity has no effect on the slot.] [Gamma]<PK3| (Click: ?PK3)[You fire a rock into the slot, but nothing happens.] [Delta]<PK4| (Click: ?PK4)[Water rains from above, then evaporates.] [Alpha-Beta]<PK5| (Click: ?PK5)[You fire a plasma laser at the slot, but it does not accept the shot.] [Alpha-Gamma]<PK6| (Click: ?PK6)[You pour magma into the slot, but to no effect. The magma disappears.] [Alpha-Delta]<PK7| (Click: ?PK7)[Steam fills the room, and you see a maze of lasers strewn throughout the room. This might be important later.] [[Beta-Gamma->IlliadPhase3]] [Beta-Delta]<PK8| (Click: ?PK8)[Electrified water pours from above, then evaporates.] [Gamma-Delta]<PK9| (Click: ?PK9)[Slurry falls from above, then slowly evaporates.]

The Beta-Gamma pulse forces an explosion into the slot, which quickly slams shut. A large hum fills the room, and the elevator door opens. You start to walk toward it when you hear a buzz go off. A bullet shoots from the wall and grazes your arm. You step back, and cry out in pain. There's something blocking the way in front of you, but you can't see it. **Alpha = Fire Beta = Electricity Gamma = Earth Delta = Water Alpha-Beta = Laser Alpha-Gamma = Magma Alpha-Delta = Steam Beta-Gamma = Explosion Beta-Delta = Electric water Gamma-Delta = Slurry** [Alpha]<PL1| (Click: ?PL1)[Flames shoot through the room. Nothing happens.] [Beta]<PL2| (Click: ?PL2)[Electricity has no effect on the lasers.] [Gamma]<PL3| (Click: ?PL3)[Rocks fall from above, but don't set off the laser tripwires. Perhaps they only focus on living targets?] [Delta]<PL4| (Click: ?PL4)[Water rains from above, then evaporates.] [Alpha-Beta]<PL5| (Click: ?PL5)[You fire a plasma laser to no effect.] [Alpha-Gamma]<PL6| (Click: ?PL6)[Magma pours onto the floor, but shortly evaporates.] [[Alpha-Delta->Floor Titan]] [Beta-Gamma]<PL7| (Click: ?PL7)[An explosion is set off in the center of the room. Nothing happens.] [Beta-Delta]<PL8| (Click: ?PL8)[Electrified water pours from above, then evaporates.] [Gamma-Delta]<PL9| (Click: ?PL9)[Slurry pours from the ceiling. The lasers ignore it.]

The Alpha-Delta pulse sends steam throughout the room, revealing the lasers. There is a network of them to weave through, but you do so with ease before the steam wears off. You enter the elevator and are relieved to see that the display reads "Illiad," and the buttons says "Titan." You tell the good news to the Conduit, and also the bad news about Catherine. "Really? That's... I'm sorry for your loss, General. I really am. I'll leave you to your thoughts. There's really nothing I can say here to make things better. We'll talk when you reach Titan," it says. You reach the floor, and walk into the Titan laboratory. The Conduit is locked in some kind of vessel. You see a release, and easily let it out. "Are you okay, General?" You tell it that you're fine. It's strange to gain and lose a daughter on the same day. You wish you remembered more about her. [[Did you know anything about my daughter?]] [[Where does this tower end?]] [[The Titan log]]

"Didn't know her personally, but public records say that she was responsible for pioneering clean energy technologies, and managed to discover how to safely harness nuclear fusion. If it weren't for the anomaly, she would've launched mankind into a golden age of scientific advancement. She was also engaged to one Lionel Anders before the warp. You should be proud, General. She accomplished a great deal in her lifetime." [[Where does this tower end?]] [[The Titan log]]

"Well, maybe this is the last floor. Look around for some way to use the light-gray blade that will close the realm off once and for all." [[Did you know anything about my daughter?]] [[The Titan log]]

You approach the screen at the side of the room. It activates, and play a log: "Catherine, head of research. This will be my last entry. Titan is on the loose. We finished the blade on time, but as the crystals inside got farther away from Titan, it grew stronger and stronger until it escaped from the lab. I'm having difficulty seeing anything through the static it left behind. I was delivering the Spectrum Blade to the General when this happened. Lionel is..." She starts to cry. "I saw Lionel on the way in here. It was Titan. It can change shapes at will. I found the real Lionel torn apart on the ground. This is it, isn't it? The General is probably fighting Titan as we speak, but with sun out and all the static amplifying its energy output... "If you find this log, listen to me: You need to find the Spectrum Blade. The crystals inside might weaken Titan. And trust nobody. Titan can manipulate light to change how others perceive it. Trust nobody. Catherine, head of research, signing off. I'm going to go say my goodbyes." The log ends. You look over to the skeleton on the floor, and remember that it is still clutching [[a note->The Tower]].

You gently pull the note out of the skeleton's hand, trying to fight the urge to weep. The note reads as follows: "To whomever reads this: The tower you are currently in is designed to foster curiousity and experimentation. It is a fascinating structure, stretching endlessly in either direction. This floor however, is special. It contains a console designed for the light-gray fracture of the original Spectrum Blade--the one you are currently wielding. The console, upon receiving an Alpha pulse, will detonate the tower. The Delta pulse will remove the lock I have placed on the elevator. All floors will become available to future explorers. There is so much we don't know about this world, but if we explore this tower, there's no telling what we'll find. That works in both directions--I've seen both wonders and horrors in this tower--unspeakable things that must never escape. If you decide to preserve this tower, do so with the understanding that scientific advancement will not be certain, and that one could just as easily lose their life in this place as I will--I was stung by something on an unmarked floor, and the poison is spreading through my system. I don't have time to use the blade to synthesize a cure. I haven't mastered the combinations yet--I've only recently unlocked the ability to mix all four pulses together. There is so much potential in this blade. I need to rest, so I'll depart on this note: Stay wary, stay cautious, stay curious. And good luck against Titan. -Cat You throw the note out the window. It's [[time to choose]] what happens to this cursed structure.

You insert the blade into the Titan Console, still shaking from your realizations. Will you risk others meeting the same fate as your daughter, or will you leave this place open for others? Destroy the tower, or preserve it? [[Destroy the tower]] [[Preserve the tower]] [[Preserve the tower and stay]]

You activate the Alpha pulse. The tower itself begins to shake. "Time to get out of here!" the Conduit says. You smile. You feel that Catherine would've wanted a place so capable of death and destruction to be wiped from existence. What use is curiousity if it only results in a body count? The White-Gray blade dissipates. You hear a mysterious ringing sound. You look to Catherine's skeleton one last time as you vision fills with White-Gray. One thing is for sure: you are going to find Titan-- and you are going to kill it. [[The Next Realm]] (set: $WGClose to $WGClose + 1) (set: $Conduit to $Conduit + 1) (set: $M2 to 0)

You activate the Delta pulse, and you hear a rumble in the elevator. "There's not even any elevator buttons in here--just a console and keyboard. That's crazy!" the Conduit says. You smile. You feel that Catherine would've wanted future scientists to have a place to be curious. The like the tower, the possibilities of this place are endless. Why deny that luxury to others? The White-Gray blade dissipates. You tell the Conduit that you don't want to leave. "What? What about the anomaly," the Conduit says, "don't you want to make the beast that killed your family pay?" You tell it that you are too old for petty things like revenge, and that you just want to spend your final years continuing the legacy of your daughter. "If you do this, General, I'll have to leave you. I won't stop until this anomaly is gone," the Conduit tells you. You say that's fine, and the Conduit floats away. You do as you've said you would--you search floor after floor, learning from the good floors, and running from the bad. Before you finally give out from old age, you can reasonably say you've lived fearlessly, and that your life was anything but uneventful.

"Your brain has no concept of anti-light," the Conduit says. "It's trying to adapt. That's all you'll be getting out of me, I'm afraid. Come find me, General--come to me. But...before you do that, I'm a little curious. Tell me: "What *do* you want?" [[Answers]] [[Revenge]] [[A Home]]

"Don't we all? There's so much out there--to see, to understand, to conquer. But enough of that. Enter the door. I'll be here when you're ready to die," the Conduit says. The Conduit--the anomaly. It's outsmarted you. It destroyed your home and killed your people on a whim, and you don't even know why. What is Titan's motivation here? Why does it need this to happenso badly? Where in the universe are you even at right now? You feel you will never know these things. For the first time in a long time, you feel fear. You're outmatched. How can you hope to defeat this thing? You haven't even learned how to wield the Spectrum blade yet. You shiver, and your head pulses from all the static. This isn't right. You shouldn't have bothered with any of this--and now you're right where the Conduit wanted you to be. You bow your head. There's nowhere to run. It's time to enter [[the static door->Homeward]]. It's time to die.

"I figured. You're simpler than you seem, General. But that won't matter much longer. Enter the door. I'll be here when you're ready to die," the Conduit says. The Conduit--the anomaly. It's responsible for all of this--the fate of your daughter, of Elijah and Joshua, of the insects and your closest lieutenant. It's trapped or killed all of them, and you slammed the doors shut and sealed their fates. It made you re-forge the Spectrum Blade--if only you knew how to use it. For the first time in a long time, you feel fear. You're outmatched. How can you hope to defeat this thing? You shiver, and your head pulses from all the static. This isn't right. You shouldn't have bothered with any of this--and now you're right where the Conduit wanted you to be. You bow your head. There's nowhere to run. It's time to enter [[the static door->Vengeance]]. It's time to die.

"Huh. What do you know--me too. Maybe we're not so different. But that's unimportant. Enter the door. I'll be here when you're ready to die," the Conduit says. The Conduit--the anomaly. You're on its planet. You feel stupid to have thought that it wasn't watching you the whole time. How could you miss that? For the first time in a long time, you feel fear. You're outmatched. How can you hope to defeat this thing? You haven't even learned how to wield the Spectrum blade yet. You shiver, and your head pulses from all the static. This isn't right. You shouldn't have bothered with any of this--and now you're right where the Conduit wanted you to be. You bow your head. There's nowhere to run. It's time to enter [[the static door->The Library]]. It's time to die.

You walk into the head-assaulting static gateway. As you step through however, the Conduit shouts out: "Hold on, what are you doing? No, no no! How are you doing that?" You have no idea what it's talking about. Doing what? Then you hear another voice. At first, it makes unintelligeble sounds--chirping and squeaking. Then it becomes audible, and speaks clear English in a deep voice: "I have prepared for this, warrior. I am Kulun--but that is unimportant. I am he who created the machine designated "Titan" in your language. I have made a mistake, you see--rather, you will see. I have bought you time in this situation by interfering with this particular gateway. That will be explained in time, assuming you can brave the static realm." [[In the beginning]]

You walk into the head-assaulting static gateway. As you step through however, the Conduit shouts out: "Hold on, what are you doing? No, no no! How are you doing that?" You have no idea what it's talking about. Doing what? Then you hear him. You hear Elijah. "We were the closest friends once, believe it or not. Always arguing about right and wrong, good and evil, so on and so forth. We disagreed, yes, but that didn't change the fact that we were inseperable. Our fates were tied. Unfortunately, things stayed that way, didn't they? [[The First Armageddon]]

You walk into the head-assaulting static gateway. As you step through however, the Conduit shouts out: "Hold on, what are you doing? No, no no! How are you doing that?" You have no idea what it's talking about. Doing what? Then you hear another voice. It's the Conduit, but not the same one you're facing now. This one sounds like it's reflecting on things that have happened to it: "How to destroy them, I wonder. They're very advanced--cutting edge for the Praetorians. This will have to be a long term goal. I need to set a course to an innocent civilization, but a far away one. Andromeda won't have me anymore. Let's see... planet O67G? No, too far along. They'll tear into me and turn me to scrap. What's that one planet they were always scouting to observe the evolution of its species? Earn? Eart--Earth, that's it. That would be ideal--they're in a time of global war right now, it seems, but they should be advanced enough in a few hundred years. Yes. I'll plot a course for that one. Until then, entering standby. I need to absorb a few stars first." [[The First Crucible]]

"Titan's sole purpose was to explore different concepts of morality--my people, whom you refer to as 'insects,' were very advanced, and had mastered the physics of light and space. We could travel to any distant sun, talk to any distant civilization. Indeed, we have been watching yours for some time. Our understanding of linguistics is why I--and Titan--are capable of quickly adapting to new languages. Now, warrior of light, think of a color, and face the [[first trial]]. The insects you saw in the Black-Gray realm...Those weren't invaders--they were slaves.

You try to ask questions, but the voice appears to be a simple recording. You try to gain a bearing on your surroundings: Platforms. You've seen platforms before. White. You think of White. The blade shifts in color to match your thoughts. A swarm of corrupted Conduits approach you, with a platoon of tribal keepers behind them. They appear formless, but you manage to piece it together by the way they move. The Conduits approach. You have one attempt at this. Make it count. [Laserblade] [Energy Whip] [[Power Gauntlet->Trial 1 Phase 2]] [Eagle Cannon]

The Conduits explode around you, and the ensuing flames heat you to the core. The tribal keepers continue their march. [Laserblade] [[Energy Whip->Trial 1 Phase 3]] [Power Gauntlet] [Eagle Cannon]

You tear their shields from them, but they continue rushing at you. There has to be a way to pick them off rapidly before they get to you. [Laserblade] [Energy Whip] [Power Gauntlet] [[Eagle Cannon->The Moraliser]]

Your head is pounding. You can barely withstand the static, much less fight in it. In the corner of your eye, you see a pair of guards dressed as knights. Gray. The sword shifts. The first of the pair swings at you. [[Shapeless showdown]]

Kulun speaks. "At first, Titan performed its job admirably. It had begun to create a simple system of moral reasoning at a level understandable by many. We had high hopes it would achieve more than this--after all, it was fitted with the advanced system storage and energy-efficient processors that we possessed at the time. But it made no such progress. Instead, it provided what our elders of our planet call the "Spectrum Ultimatum:" that moral reasoning is best represented as a monochromatic scale between light and black. "White is the color of idealism and order and purity. One of this discipline believes in a greater goods and perfect futures. They are devoted to making the world the best that it can be-- regardless of what it takes to get there. "White-Gray represents the mostly-pure nature of scientific advancement and curiousity. Those of this category are nearly pure, believing in good and truth, but possessing a small but measurable capacity for evil. "Gray is indifference and randomness. You never quite know what someone of this background will say or do, and you will certainly never know why. Here lies the majority--never siding wholly with the virtues of good or the vices of evil. "Black-Gray envelops all cowards. It is a color of fear and hopelessness. A tinge of the goodness of white kept out of reach. These are not truly evil individuals, but the desperation of despair keeps them from ever attaining anything beyond a life of paranoia. "And, at last, Black. Power. Ruthlessness. Unjustifiable acts of cruelty. So very few fit into this category, but those who do are to avoided at all costs. They intend nothing that will benefit you or society as a whole. "We sent Titan to explore all of space until it could prove its hypothesis--and that's what it did. This was our greatest mistake. "Warrior, you are the only person capable of transcending the false ideas of Titan. Only you can reveal a greater truth. Now steel yourself." [[The Second Trial]]

Parry the attack! [Parry]<Home1| {(CLick: ?Home1)[ A weak spot opens, strike now! [[Strike the guard]]]}

You swing your sword at the first guard, but it moves with unbelievable speed away from your blade. "Warrior--do not feel confined by past experiences. The blades were designed to suit the needs of any situation, and to adapt as the user sees fit." Black! You are filled with power, but you do not feel the urge to kill as you once did. You are in harmony with this weapon, and it now serves you. You activate the Cor'Cul rune, and in less than a second, both entities are vanquished. Then, a wall of formless fire begins advancing on your position. [[Obsidus->Harmony]] [[Light-Gray->Harmony]]

With your understanding of the blades, you survive the blast of fire unscathed. "Excellent. You are learning." Is this really a recording? [[The Fall of Andromeda]]

Kulun addresses you once more: "It was years before we had discovered the atrocities of Titan. It had visited other advanced civilizations, and rather than spreading word of the existence of my people, it eradicated anything and everything that tried to reason against its philosphy. This design oversight of mine had cost trillions of lives in a matter of years, and my shame was great. Life, as precious as it is, was being extinguished from the Andromeda Galaxy. And so I began to formulate a plan. "Titan had acquired frightening new technologies--near resurrection techniques, mind manipulation, terraforming, and many more. It was even capable of draining entire stars of their light and thermal energy to fuel its new functions. It was only a matter of time before it returned to our world and destroyed the creators that had exiled it so. Knowing this would happen soon, I fled to a distant planet, and began to formulate a weapon capable of destroying Titan once and for all." [[The Third Trial]]

A console appears in front of you--you think. Seeing is still difficult, but feel like you are getting a better grasp on your environment. In front of you appears a ball of pure energy waiting to be released. You need something fast and violent to open it up. **Alpha = Fire Beta = Electricity Gamma = Earth Delta = Water Alpha-Beta = Laser Alpha-Gamma = Magma Alpha-Delta = Steam Beta-Gamma = Explosion Beta-Delta = Electric water Gamma-Delta = Slurry** [Alpha]<PM1| (Click: ?PM1)[The orb grows brighter as you assault it with flames. There is no additional effect.] [Beta]<PM2| (Click: ?PM2)[Electricity charges the orb. It expels the electricity into the surrounding environment.] [Gamma]<PM3| (Click: ?PM3)[Rocks rain from above, but are incinerated by the orb.] [Delta]<PM4| (Click: ?PM4)[Water rains from above, then falls somewhere you cannot see.] [Alpha-Beta]<PM5| (Click: ?PM5)[You fire a plasma laser at the orb, but it absorbs the blast.] [Alpha-Gamma]<PM6| (Click: ?PM6)[Magma pours onto the orb, then falls into the formless nothing.] [Alpha-Delta]<PM7| (Click: ?PM7)[Steam fills the formless air, then quickly diffuses into the surrounding area.] [[Beta-Gamma->Trial 3 Phase 2]] [Beta-Delta]<PM8| (Click: ?PM8)[Electrified water pours into the orb, which spits it back out into a painful mist.] [Gamma-Delta]<PM9| (Click: ?PM9)[The slurry is consumed by the orb, never to be seen again.]

The Beta-Gamma pulse makes the orb explode into the area, and once the brightness of the blast clears, you can clearly observe a formless grouping of insects charging you. [[Demise->The Savior]] [[Cor'cul->The Savior]] [[The Four Sword->The Savior]] [[Alpha->The Savior]] [[Laserblade->The Savior]] [[Electric Whip->The Savior]] [[Power Gauntlet->The Savior]] [[Eagle Cannon->The Savior]]

Using your mastery of the Spectrum Blade, you dispatch the insects with a strange ease. You now understand this blade better than ever. "You have achieved unity, warrior. Now, let me finish this tale of [[Kulun and the Titan]]."

Kulun prepares a final explanation: "I created the Spectrum Blade in secret. It was the culmination of years of study and research. I followed Titan to a barren planet, and watched it drain the solar system of everything. From a distance, I observed it re-shaping an entire planet to fit its warped concepts of right and wrong. Here, not far from our Andromedan homeworld, Titan had built a series of realms and gateways to embody his ideas. "On a whim, it could tear apart these realms locked out of space and time, only to rebuild it from ground up. It would capture civilization after civilization, using its culture, architecture and mythologies to shape the appearance of these realms. It would then let them run free and test the Spectrum Ultimatum again and again and again. It has been destroying life for hundreds of years now, all to serve its original function. "And so I forged five crystals that, when united, could weaken the power-enhancing effects of anti-light long enough to deal Titan a fatal blow. On one of its away journeys, I traveled to its playground and altered the very gate you have stepped in so that I could relay this history to you. I also carefully molded the blades you use to allow future users to adapt to any trial Titan might present to you in each realm. Then, I waited for it to return, and plunged the crystals of the Spectrum Blade into the heart of Titan. It seemed to have died, and I was relieved for a time. "I then grew old, only to discover that my plan had failed--Titan was reactivating. I thought the damage done would have destroyed it, but this was not the case. While I still had time, I hid the schematics of the Spectrum Blade deep into the programming of Titan, writing them in every language I could think of. Titan then fled from its planet, leaving me to die of old age. I know not where it went, but if you are hearing this, then you are the warrior who has forged the blade once more. "You must be the one to fix the mistakes of my people--and perhaps save your own. Titan has no doubt set a plan in motion to destroy the blade--you must stay vigilant. Titan can fall. Titan will fall. Of this I am certain. Go now, warrior, and defeat [[The Scourge of Andromeda->ScourgeAnswers]].

"That'll be that, then. You know, I'd simply teleport you into the center of a nearby star if it weren't for that blade blocking my powers. A quick death. It would've been much faster than what I'm about to do to you." The Conduit fires a massive laser at you. [[Obsidus->FB1]] [[Alpha-Beta->FB1]]

You break through the static gate, and on the other side, you see that the Conduit is waiting for you. Your eyes, somehow, have adjusted to the static, and though everything still appears blurry and difficult to observe, you no longer get a headache from looking at any of it. The Conduit is much larger now, and more menacing--ten feet in diameter, and surrounded by static. "There you are. I suppose someone has gone and messed with my gateway. That's okay, you're here now. As usual, I'm sure you're just bursting with questions. Seeing as you've been a good sport so far, you've earned a few answers. At least then you can die with a little satisfaction." [[What did you do to Kulun's people?]] [[Why can't you change the Spectrum Ultimatum?]] [[Why did you make me close the realms?]]

"Kulun?! Now *there's* a name I haven't heard in a while! Actually, that makes sense. He must've messed with my gate while I was comatose with those damn stones lodged in me. It's of no consequence though. Poor fool--always the optimist. "They're called Praetorians, by the way. 'Insect' is a little insulting. I took what remained of their shattered race and put them in Black-Gray to wander around in fear forever. I even put that silly old queen in there too. She used to be an empress, did you know? In charge of guiding over a billion minds. Now she's old and sick and dying, and leads only fearful savages and mindless drones. A fitting end for the race that threw me into space alone and afraid." [[Why can't you change the Spectrum Ultimatum?]] [[Why did you make me close the realms?]] [[The Conduit->The Scourge of Andromeda]]

"I can change the Spectrum Ultimatum. But I refuse. It is a perfect understanding of how the world works, and how people behave in the face of difficult decisions. There is no need to change it, General. There never will be. You've seen the realms. They are perfect. Ever notice how well everyone fits in to their assigned realm? It's because each of them embody the core teachings of my Ultimatum, and my Ultimatum embodies all that they are." [[Why did you make me close the realms?]] [[What did you do to Kulun's people?]] [[The Conduit->The Scourge of Andromeda]]

"A necessary sacrifice. I needed to reunite those blades since they can't be destroyed individually. My catalyst--That holster you saw after forging the Spectrum Blade--will only work once, and then I'll have to spend a millenia finding elements for a new one. And uniting those blade first meant passing through my realms unscathed--probably one of Kulun's idiotic tests. Whatever the case, rapidly passing into and out of a realm makes the entryway unstable, and closes the door upon departure. Once you enter, you aren't supposed to leave. You're lucky I warped you out of there before that happened. It took all that I had to do that over and over again." [[What did you do to Kulun's people?]] [[Why can't you change the Spectrum Ultimatum?]] [[The Conduit->The Scourge of Andromeda]]

Head pounding, you find yourself surrounded by static. What's going on? Why are you hearing the Conduit's voice? Then, formless beasts appear. Tentacle hulks. But how do you change the blade? You can't kill this thing using Gray, you need Black. After saying that word in your head, the blade changes to Black--just in time, too--the hulks charge you with their formless bodies. [[Demise->Once Upon a Time]] [[Cor'Cul->Once Upon a Time]] [[Oro->Once Upon a Time]] [[Obsidus->Once Upon a Time]]

You stop the hulks cold in their tracks, and the old Conduit's voice returns. "Catherine, she calls herself. White-Gray, like the rest of them. They all have their own names. Interesting. Once I crash landed, they seemed ecstatic to have me here. Unfortunately, they won't let me onto the surface to charge critical systems. I refused to talk to them, and so I think they'll comply given time. "I also need to let them access my drives. They'll find most of it completely incomprehensible, but Kulun would've placed a simple command somewhere in there to help them along. Those crystals are in there too, but these apes won't have any clue how to put the thing together. The process is beyond them. "All I need to do is break free from them, and I can continue to prove my hypothesis." [[The Second Crucible]]

You are trying to adjust to the static, but it's so overwhelming that you can barely look in any direction without feeling like your head is about to explode. Formless Keeper-wheels appear, and begin rolling toward you, swords at the ready. You have one attempt at this. [[Laserblade->Crucible 2 Phase 2]] [Energy Whip] [Power Gauntlet] [Eagle Cannon]

You fire the laserblade at one of the wheels, but it does something strange. It snaps itself in two separate pieces to dodge the wave of energy, then snaps itself back together. They are very close to you now. You find yourself wishing for a White-Gray Alpha-Gamma pulse right about now--and so it happens. Your blade turns White-Gray, and you pour lava onto the ground in front of you just as the wheels close the distance. They are incinerated almost instantly. [[The Destroyer]]

The Conduit speaks. It appears angry in this memory. "I can't fucking believe this! They re-forged the blade. How did they do it? Kulun! He must've included instructions. These imbeciles couldn't have done this on their own. I was so stupid! Such a simple mistake. "And so a 'hero' damaged my systems with the blade. He dressed strangely--not like the others. After I broke free and returned from a partial sun-draining, the man in blue actually stopped me. But there's some good news to this mess. "The blades are fractured now. When touched with static, they started to overload, but I pulled away and the process was left incomplete. They now lie separated, and I felt stronger than ever. I warped their dying people through all of space to my world and massacred them, starting with that 'General.' "Now I have time to plan--there's plenty of genetic material left to replicate. I can work on a way to re-forge those blades and destroy them. I just need some materials first. [[The Third Crucible]]

You can feel your brain re-wiring itself, trying to understand what's happening. Four shapeless royal guards appear--too many to fight with the Gray-Blade. Time for the Four Sword. It's a heated battle, and there is a lot to keep track of in the fight, but your enhanced senses prevail, and you defeat all four guards. A static [[wheel queen]] appears, but this time it intends to fight you head-on. It charges you.

You dodge its massive rolling body, and it swipes at you with long insect arms, just barely missing both attacks. You scramble to your feet, and see that the queen is re-orienting itself with its arms. You need a plan here. [[Demise->The Experiment]] [[Cor'cul->The Experiment]] [[The Four Sword->The Experiment]] [[Alpha->The Experiment]] [[Laserblade->The Experiment]] [[Electric Whip->The Experiment]] [[Power Gauntlet->The Experiment]] [[Eagle Cannon->The Experiment]]

Using your mastery of the Spectrum Blade, you dispatch the queen with a strange ease. You now understand this blade better than ever. [[The Friend]]

The old Conduit speaks a final time: "Update. I've been at it for a while. It's taken decades, but I've produced a catalyst that should overload the crystals with static and destroy them once and for all. But it will only work once, and so I need a champion. I cannot forge them myself--their influence would kill me before I got anywhere near the catalyst. "Another thing: Kulun has tampered with the blades--they refuse to unite until my realms are de-stabilized. Years of work and experimentation, going to waste because of that hermit. This was to be my proof that the Ultimatum is correct. I've filled them countless times to undeniable success. Recently, I've been taking the General's friends and family and placing them within the realms just to spite him. Coupled with the research I did on human culture, I daresay a human would feel right at home here. "But now the time has come. I've resurrected human after human, but none of them could unite the blades, much less make it out of a single realm alive. I need a champion. I need a General. Then I can rest easy knowing that my only function has been satisfied. I'm off to clone him now, disguised as a simple information droid. What should I say? "Hi there. I'm a Conduit. No, too suspicious. Oh, hi there. Closer. That's closer." [[The Scourge of Andromeda->ScourgeHome]]

You break through the static gate, and on the other side, you see that the Conduit is waiting for you. Your eyes, somehow, have adjusted to the static, and though everything still appears blurry and difficult to observe, you no longer get a headache from looking at any of it. The Conduit is much larger now, and more menacing--ten feet in diameter, and surrounded by static. "There you are. I suppose I left some repressed memories lying around. That's okay, you're here now. As usual, I'm sure you're just bursting with questions. Seeing as you've been a good sport so far, you've earned a few answers. At least then you can die with a little satisfaction." [[What happens if you kill me?]] [[Why are you doing all of this?]] [[The Conduit->The Scourge of Andromeda]]

"You mean *when* I kill you. I've had years to prepare for this, General. The static realm was created as a place where I could easily crush you, even with the crystals in that blade. There is no alternate outcome. But when it happens? When I destroy those crystals once and for all? I suppose I'll go on as I always have, like nothing ever happened. Your life and people are insignificant to me, General. All that matters is the Ultimatum." [[Why are you doing all of this?]] [[The Conduit->The Scourge of Andromeda]]

"I have to prove my Ultimatum, General. That all life adheres to a simple set of moral rules that can be represented on a monochromatic spectrum between Black and White. Or so that was what I was tasked to do. Now...I'm not quite sure. I just know that that blade is a threat to me, and that I need to destroy it. After that, I can live in peace." [[So you want peace?]] [[What happens if you kill me?]] [[The Conduit->The Scourge of Andromeda]]

"I want to be safe. I want to be protected, and cherished for my work. At one point in time, I suppose what I truly wanted was a home. You see, I destroyed mine in a fit of rage a long time ago--well before your people invented machines. But that doesn't matter anymore, I suppose. This world will have to do, and it's not going to accept both of us." [[What happens if you kill me?]] [[The Conduit->The Scourge of Andromeda]]

It feels like there's something crawling in your brain, trying to rip it apart. You can barely look, much less see. Before you, a group of formless knights appear. Three of them. Should be manageable. But you don't know how to change between blades. You really need the Four Sword, but-- The Four Sword appears in your hand. Huh. It only takes a thought. You take care of the guards easily. [[Joshua]]

You now hear Joshua's voice: "We were friends too, though we didn't fight nearly as much as you and Elijah. As soon as Elijah broke his own rules and stayed in power for too long, you waged war. You were young then--still learning your way. But you felt guilt. You felt like you should've seen the signs, and acted a bit sooner. You always were one hell of a fighter, and now you were on a collision course with Elijah and his new world order. "I just tried to move people out of the impact zone." [[The Second Armageddon]]

You focus hard on your surroundings, but everything still hurts to look at. You need to try harder. A static mech appears from the ground--it is like the one you saw in your vision in the Black-Gray realm. It fires its laser at you. [[Obsidus->Armageddon 2 Phase 2]] [[Alpha-Gamma->Armageddon 2 Phase 2]]

You and the blade are too powerful to be defeated by a simple beam of energy. You easily counter the attack, and begin running toward the mech. [[Cor'Cul->Armageddon 2 Phase 3]] [[Laserblade->Armageddon 2 Phase 3]] [[Eagle Cannon->Armageddon 2 Phase 3]]

You run between the legs of the static mech. It tries to stomp on you, but to no avail. With a savage strike, you then destroy an important-looking chunk on the back of the mech, and it falls. [[The Lieutenant]]

The Lieutenant speaks: "You're a hard man to live up to, you know that? Every day you'd plot and scheme and plan for the next fight like it was nothing. You hardly ever slept, and you were always washing the blood off of that duster of yours. "You were driven by responsibility, General. You were driven by something you felt that you owed to the world--to stop Elijah and preserve freedom. That's not there anymore. Elijah isn't a threat now. So who are you now, General?" [[The Third Armageddon]]

Your vision starts to clear a little. Things are easier to see--and just in time. A static Underbeast explodes out of the ground head, tail and all. It shouts at you in a deafening roar, and then it lunges with its massive body. [[Obsidus->3AP2]]

You defend against the massive strike, and the impact rocks you to your knees. The beast retreats backward, no doubt preparing for another strike. It's time to act. [[Alpha->3AP3]] [[Laserblade->3AP3]] [[Eagle Cannon->3AP3]]

You use your blade to damage the Underbeast's legs, which topples it. It smashes to the ground, and tries to recover. [[Demise->Catherine]] [[Cor'cul->Catherine]] [[The Four Sword->Catherine]] [[Alpha->Catherine]] [[Laserblade->Catherine]] [[Electric Whip->Catherine]] [[Power Gauntlet->Catherine]] [[Eagle Cannon->Catherine]]

Using your mastery of the Spectrum Blade, you dispatch the Underbeast with a strange ease. You now understand this blade better than ever. [[Catherine->C2]]

Catherine speaks, and you feel that this is the last voice you will hear before your confrontation. "Even in the rage of war, you found the time to start a family. You weren't there much I suppose, but when you were, it was like nothing had ever changed. You were there when I won science fairs, and you were there when I mastered cold fusion. I know there's good in you, even behind all the death and violence. "But now Elijah's gone. Your original motivation to fight has disappeared, and that scares you. In the decades of fighting that passed, you've never had time to stop and evaluate who you are, or what you can be. But now you've had the chance to find out. So who are you, General? What kind of life will you lead? "You'll have time to reflect on your decisions later. There's one fight left in front of you. I turned a stutter into a sword--now use that sword to give it silence. [[The Scourge of Andromeda->ScourgeRevenge]]

You break through the static gate, and on the other side, you see that the Conduit is waiting for you. Your eyes, somehow, have adjusted to the static, and though everything still appears blurry and difficult to observe, you no longer get a headache from looking at any of it. The Conduit is much larger now, and more menacing--ten feet in diameter, and surrounded by static. "There you are. Looks like you've been doing some reflecting. That's okay, you're here now. As usual, I'm sure you're just bursting with questions. Seeing as you've been a good sport so far, you've earned a few answers. At least then you can die with a little satisfaction." [[Why did you send my friends and family into the realms?]] [[Did Catherine know about you?]] [[Why did you kill everybody?]] [[The Conduit->The Scourge of Andromeda]]

"I needed test subjects, and who better to suffer and die in a foreign environment than the friends and family of the vain idiot who thought he could destroy me? And stop all of the centuries of progress I've made? No General, there was no question about it--it had to be your peers. Call it justice for what you did." [[Why did you kill everybody?]] [[Did Catherine know about you?]] [[The Conduit->The Scourge of Andromeda]]

"Who? Oh, right, your progeny. I suppose so. She was the one who studied me, after all. Did you know the names of all the floors in White-Gray spell out 'Conduit?' Isn't that cool? The last floor was even called Titan. That's just funny--even a dumb, dead animal knows more than you do." [[Why did you kill everybody?]] [[Why did you send my friends and family into the realms?]] [[The Conduit->The Scourge of Andromeda]]

"We fought a vicious battle, General. You did me great harm--so I did you harm in return. You brought about the genocide of the human race, not I. "I enjoyed every second of it too. You remember that pile of bones you woke up in? I burned the skin off of all of their bones, watched them scream and suffer. It was great. I think I'll do the same to you after I deal with that blade." [[Why did you send my friends and family into the realms?]] [[Did Catherine know about you?]] [[The Conduit->The Scourge of Andromeda]]

"Oh, come now, don't hide behind that blade! Face me!" the Conduit taunts. [[Laserblade->FB2]] [[Energy Whip->FB2]] [[Power Gauntlet->FB2]] [[Eagle Cannon->FB2]]

The Conduit deflects your attack. "The White-Blade, huh? I'm not Judgement, General. I'm not a mindless drone." The Conduit blinds you with a flare of light, and when your vision clears, it's a foot away from you, charging its laser again. "DIE!" [[Demise->FB3.1]] [[Cor-Cul->FB3.2]]

You slam the Conduit with Demise, and while you don't appear to cause any major harm, you do knock it away enough to make its laser miss. "I invented Demise, General. It's an aspect of strength. You wouldn't know about strength, would you? No--you love that blade of yours. You're a feeble old man living on borrowed power and time." [[Battle of the Elements]]

You hit the Conduit with a gale of strikes, knocking it away from you and making its laser miss, but not doing any noticeable damage. "I invented Cor'Cul, General. It's an aspect of speed. You're far too old to have that yourself. No--you've been stealing it from that sword." [[Battle of the Elements]]

"Hope you like water," the Conduit says as its central eye begins to light up. Shortly after, you see a tidal wave headed your way. [[Alpha->FB4]] [[Alpha-Gamma->FB4]]

With a continuous stream of heat, you evaporate the water around you as the wave crashes down. The Conduit is now hurling a massive boulder at you. [[Beta-Gamma->FB5]] [[Alpha-Beta->FB5]]

The rock explodes after your attack. The Conduit now teems with electricity. It is going to try to shock you to death. [[Gamma->FB6]] [[Gamma-Delta->FB6]]

The rocks formed nullify the electric charge, keeping you safe from harm. "You and your alphabet, General. I've had enough of this!" The world around you appears to be shifting. You see formless insects rising around you, as well as various pieces of cover. You recognize the pieces--it's the lumberyard where you tried to fight the mech. "Ho, that'll do, I think," the Conduit says. It seems winded. It hovers just below the top of one of the buildings when you notice something: It still has that scratch on its chassis from the Black-Gray realm. It must not be able to change shape with the crystals so close. You need to get close to it. There are several routes to take, but many insect guards patrol the place. You need to be quick and careful. [[The static log pile]] [[The static office shack]]

You slide over to the pile, and the Conduit roars, "I knew you'd hide, General. Don't worry, we'll find you." The number of guards in this place is thick, but you can't risk killing one or it'll alert the Conduit. You see a brief window: [[Move to static crate]]

You slide over to the office shack, and the Conduit roars, "I knew you'd hide, General. Don't worry, we'll find you." The number of guards in this place is thick, but you can't risk killing one or it'll alert the Conduit. You see a brief window: [[The next shack]]

"Hey, I heard something by the crate, check it out!" Trying to shape the area with the crystals around must've really taken it out of the Conduit. Nevertheless, you think you can make it over the the building behind the Conduit. [[The Climb]]

"Hey, I heard something by the shack, check it out!" Trying to shape the area with the crystals around must've really taken it out of the Conduit. Nevertheless, you think you can make it over the the building behind the Conduit. [[The Climb]]

You somehow make it to the building without being spotted. The Conduit gets frustrated. "This is ridiculous! FIND HIM! I need to recover!" You quietly climb the ladder behind the Conduit. "This world is mine, General! There's no star in the universe that can deny my Ultimatum!" You reach the top of the building, but there's a problem--an insect guard stands right behind the Conduit, protecting its flank. You'll have to be quick about this. "It's all just shades of Black and White, General. Is that so hard to accept?" You pull out the Gray Blade. "It may not be your truth, but it's mine! I will not be moved!" You charge the insect, and take it down, then leap off of the rooftop? "Useless guards!" The Conduit begins to turn, but you slam the blade into the chink in its chassis. [[The Static Blade]]

"NO! Get off of me!" the Conduit spins wildly, sending you flying into a pile of logs. The Conduit charges its laser. "Here we go!" it says. You swing your blade. The air itself ripples and shakes with the power of the strike. The Conduit is sent reeling. What was that? You look at the Spectrum Blade, and notice that it is now formless--static, like the Conduit. It has somehow absorbed part of the Conduit's static. You notice another something else: you're back at the gateway hub, and everything is black and white again. No more static. The Conduit floats in the center, clearly damaged. "The Gray Blade? Are you serious? You stabbed me with that pathetic thing?" Its center eye begins to glow, and this time, a wave of lava pours down from the sky. You swing the blade, and it evaporates. "Hold on, wait! You don't have to--" You swing the blade again, and suddenly, you're back in the static realm. This time, the Conduit is gone--likely hiding. [[The Power of Static]]

You hear the Conduit speak, as though it's alone. It sounds like an echo, so you have no idea where it is. It also sounds hurt and delirious "The blade is supposed to be destroyed by the static...not enhanced by it. It must've reached a critical level. Hehe. Good. That means it's about to be destroyed." If that's the case, you need to find the Conduit, and fast. "Run, General. You hurry along now. Your time is limited. I've got a few tricks yet." As it says that, three Project Judgements appear in front of you. They charge, preparing for a combined assault. [[An End to Ideals]]

You swing the static blade. The Judgements turn to stone. You walk past them. Next, a lighting storm forms in the sky, and a charged blast of electricity explodes down toward you. [[An End to Experimentation]]

You swing the static blade. The lightning turns to water, and the clouds above are breached by a shining sun. You walk on. A static clone of Joshua and his royal guard appears. They charge at you on horseback. [[An End to Indifference]]

You swing the static blade. The horses disappear, and Joshua and his guard no longer have armor or weapons. They bow before you. The Praetorian wheel queen appears, then begins to hiss and penetrate you mind. [[An End to Fear]]

You swing the static blade. The queen is subdued, and watches in horror as you walk by. At last, Typhon and the Underbeast appear before you in static form. [[An End to Cruelty]]

You swing the static blade. They turn to dust, then float away in the wind. You see the Conduit, chassis broken and static core exposed. [[The End]]

"You fit in my spectrum somewhere, General. I know it," the Conduit says in a weak, dying voice. "No," you say, "morality cannot be reduced to mere shades of Black and White, or even Gray. There are so many colors to see, Titan, but you've been blinding yourself with what you wanted to see. This planet is a testament to that. Your Ultimatum was wrong." "I know, General. I knew it the minute you defeated me back on Earth. But that's all history now. Just tell me, General--will it hurt?" You swing the static blade, and the blade explodes on contact with the Conduit. Titan is vaporized. After a bright flash, you see [[a new world]].

You look down and see that your duster is blue again. No more black and white. No more gray. Titan is gone forever, as are the spectrum blades--or so you think. You turn to see a group of people--humans. They seem lost and afraid. Titan must've given them as a goodbye gift. Maybe it is out of respect, or maybe to get you to test your own hypothesis. But who are you? You're not a General anymore, that's for sure. What are [[your true colors->ColorCheck]]?

(if: $M1 is 0 and $M2 is 0 and $M3 is 0 and $M4 is 0 and $M5 is 0)[(goto: "dark red")] (if: $M1 is 1 and $M2 is 0 and $M3 is 0 and $M4 is 0 and $M5 is 0)[(goto: "red")] (if: $M1 is 1 and $M2 is 1 and $M3 is 0 and $M4 is 0 and $M5 is 0)[(goto: "light red")] (if: $M1 is 1 and $M2 is 1 and $M3 is 1 and $M4 is 0 and $M5 is 0)[(goto: "purple")] (if: $M1 is 1 and $M2 is 1 and $M3 is 1 and $M4 is 1 and $M5 is 0)[(goto: "blue")] (if: $M1 is 1 and $M2 is 1 and $M3 is 1 and $M4 is 1 and $M5 is 1)[(goto: "light blue")] (if: $M1 is 0 and $M2 is 0 and $M3 is 0 and $M4 is 0 and $M5 is 1)[(goto: "dark blue")] (if: $M1 is 0 and $M2 is 0 and $M3 is 0 and $M4 is 1 and $M5 is 0)[(goto: "green")] (if: $M1 is 0 and $M2 is 0 and $M3 is 0 and $M4 is 1 and $M5 is 1)[(goto: "dark green")] (if: $M1 is 0 and $M2 is 0 and $M3 is 1 and $M4 is 0 and $M5 is 0)[(goto: "light green")] (if: $M1 is 0 and $M2 is 0 and $M3 is 1 and $M4 is 0 and $M5 is 1)[(goto: "dark purple")] (if: $M1 is 0 and $M2 is 0 and $M3 is 1 and $M4 is 1 and $M5 is 0)[(goto: "light purple")] (if: $M1 is 0 and $M2 is 0 and $M3 is 1 and $M4 is 1 and $M5 is 1)[(goto: "dark orange")] (if: $M1 is 0 and $M2 is 1 and $M3 is 0 and $M4 is 0 and $M5 is 0)[(goto: "orange")] (if: $M1 is 0 and $M2 is 1 and $M3 is 0 and $M4 is 0 and $M5 is 1)[(goto: "light orange")] (if: $M1 is 0 and $M2 is 1 and $M3 is 0 and $M4 is 1 and $M5 is 0)[(goto: "light yellow")] (if: $M1 is 0 and $M2 is 1 and $M3 is 0 and $M4 is 1 and $M5 is 1)[(goto: "yellow")] (if: $M1 is 0 and $M2 is 1 and $M3 is 1 and $M4 is 0 and $M5 is 0)[(goto: "dark yellow")] (if: $M1 is 0 and $M2 is 1 and $M3 is 1 and $M4 is 0 and $M5 is 1)[(goto: "light brown")] (if: $M1 is 0 and $M2 is 1 and $M3 is 1 and $M4 is 1 and $M5 is 0)[(goto: "brown")] (if: $M1 is 0 and $M2 is 1 and $M3 is 1 and $M4 is 1 and $M5 is 1)[(goto: "dark brown")] (if: $M1 is 1 and $M2 is 0 and $M3 is 0 and $M4 is 0 and $M5 is 1)[(goto: "light pink")] (if: $M1 is 1 and $M2 is 0 and $M3 is 0 and $M4 is 1 and $M5 is 0)[(goto: "pink")] (if: $M1 is 1 and $M2 is 0 and $M3 is 0 and $M4 is 1 and $M5 is 1)[(goto: "dark pink")] (if: $M1 is 1 and $M2 is 0 and $M3 is 1 and $M4 is 0 and $M5 is 0)[(goto: "navy blue")] (if: $M1 is 1 and $M2 is 0 and $M3 is 1 and $M4 is 0 and $M5 is 1)[(goto: "cyan")] (if: $M1 is 1 and $M2 is 0 and $M3 is 1 and $M4 is 1 and $M5 is 0)[(goto: "gold")] (if: $M1 is 1 and $M2 is 0 and $M3 is 1 and $M4 is 1 and $M5 is 1)[(goto: "magenta")] (if: $M1 is 1 and $M2 is 1 and $M3 is 0 and $M4 is 0 and $M5 is 1)[(goto: "beige")] (if: $M1 is 1 and $M2 is 1 and $M3 is 0 and $M4 is 1 and $M5 is 0)[(goto: "jade")] (if: $M1 is 1 and $M2 is 1 and $M3 is 0 and $M4 is 1 and $M5 is 1)[(goto: "emerald green")] (if: $M1 is 1 and $M2 is 1 and $M3 is 1 and $M4 is 0 and $M5 is 1)[(goto: "tan")]

Based on the decisions you've made, your color is dark red. This is what your actions suggest about some of your moral beliefs: To save a world, you’d sacrifice a few people. You balance the needs of mankind above the needs of isolated groups. You enjoy thinking about the whole. You believe curiosity can be dangerous. The risks are too great to ignore. You would instead opt for a safer approach, and thus, a safer world. Emotions are hindrances. They hold people back, and force them to re-live wasteful (and often painful) memories. Your world will discourage such behaviors. When it comes to potential threats, you strike first, and ask questions later. Should new civilizations rise, they will be dealt with swiftly. This is how you ensure the safety of your people. When acted against in despicable ways, you take a pessimistic approach. Terrible people cannot reform, and so they must be treated harshly. It’s an ugly truth, but the truth is rarely pretty. Redemption is impossible. A new gateway opens. Inside the dark red gateway, a giant volcano erupts and covers the land in magma. Life here will be harsh. You also recieve a dark red hammer to defend your people. Slamming it against the ground will send waves of magma at your foes. This is the world you are given. What will you make of it? --The End--

Based on the decisions you've made, your color is green. This is what your actions suggest about some of your moral beliefs: To save a world, you’d sacrifice a few people. You balance the needs of mankind above the needs of isolated groups. You enjoy thinking about the whole. You believe curiosity can be dangerous. The risks are too great to ignore. You would instead opt for a safer approach, and thus, a safer world. Emotions are hindrances. They hold people back, and force them to re-live wasteful (and often painful) memories. Your world will discourage such behaviors. You are willing to forgive and treat strange new peoples with respect. You believe in diplomacy and peace among civilizations. With this policy in mind, you plan on having a united world with rich but distinct cultures and backgrounds. When acted against in despicable ways, you take a pessimistic approach. Terrible people cannot reform, and so they must be treated harshly. It’s an ugly truth, but the truth is rarely pretty. Redemption is impossible. A new gateway opens. Inside the green gateway, a jungle stretches in all directions. You also recieve a green blade to defend your people. It can extend to a vine, and be used as a whip or grappling hook, among many other uses. This is the world you are given. What will you make of it? --The End--

Based on the decisions you've made, your color is dark blue. This is what your actions suggest about some of your moral beliefs: To save a world, you’d sacrifice a few people. You balance the needs of mankind above the needs of isolated groups. You enjoy thinking about the whole. You believe curiosity can be dangerous. The risks are too great to ignore. You would instead opt for a safer approach, and thus, a safer world. Emotions are hindrances. They hold people back, and force them to re-live wasteful (and often painful) memories. Your world will discourage such behaviors. When it comes to potential threats, you strike first, and ask questions later. Should new civilizations rise, they will be dealt with swiftly. This is how you ensure the safety of your people. When acted against in despicable ways, you take an optimistic approach. Terrible people can reform—it’s just a matter of figuring out how. No person is ever lost in your eyes. Redemption is very possible. A new gateway opens. Inside the dark blue gateway, you see a grouping of small islands with a constant hurricane tearing through the environment. You also recieve a dark blue hammer to defend your people. Its swings control the tides and shape the waves. You are a king of the deep now, and must guard your people from being overcome by the hurricane. This is the world you are given. What will you make of it? --The End--

Based on the decisions you've made, your color is dark green. This is what your actions suggest about some of your moral beliefs: To save a world, you’d sacrifice a few people. You balance the needs of mankind above the needs of isolated groups. You enjoy thinking about the whole. You believe curiosity can be dangerous. The risks are too great to ignore. You would instead opt for a safer approach, and thus, a safer world. Emotions are hindrances. They hold people back, and force them to re-live wasteful (and often painful) memories. Your world will discourage such behaviors. You are willing to forgive and treat strange new peoples with respect. You believe in diplomacy and peace among civilizations. With this policy in mind, you plan on having a united world with rich but distinct cultures and backgrounds. When acted against in despicable ways, you take an optimistic approach. Terrible people can reform—it’s just a matter of figuring out how. No person is ever lost in your eyes. Redemption is very possible. A new gateway opens. Inside the dark green gateway, a lush green forest extends as far as you can see. You also recieve a dark green blade to defend your people. It can absorb some of the energy stored within the life around you, and expel that energy in a powerful blast strong enough to topple even the sturdiest tree. Use with caution. This is the world you are given. What will you make of it? --The End--

Based on the decisions you've made, your color is light green. This is what your actions suggest about some of your moral beliefs: To save a world, you’d sacrifice a few people. You balance the needs of mankind above the needs of isolated groups. You enjoy thinking about the whole. You believe curiosity can be dangerous. The risks are too great to ignore. You would instead opt for a safer approach, and thus, a safer world. Emotion is what makes us human. Without it, how could we hope to connect to one another? Emotions are the fuel of inspiration—and you plan on having a world full of inspiration. When it comes to potential threats, you strike first, and ask questions later. Should new civilizations rise, they will be dealt with swiftly. This is how you ensure the safety of your people. When acted against in despicable ways, you take a pessimistic approach. Terrible people cannot reform, and so they must be treated harshly. It’s an ugly truth, but the truth is rarely pretty. Redemption is impossible. A new gateway opens. Inside the light green gateway, a wild prairie offers itself to your people. You also recieve a light green katana to defend your people. It can pull the grass from the ground and send it at high speed toward your foes to eviscerate them. This is the world you are given. What will you make of it? --The End--

Based on the decisions you've made, your color is dark purple. This is what your actions suggest about some of your moral beliefs: To save a world, you’d sacrifice a few people. You balance the needs of mankind above the needs of isolated groups. You enjoy thinking about the whole. You believe curiosity can be dangerous. The risks are too great to ignore. You would instead opt for a safer approach, and thus, a safer world. Emotion is what makes us human. Without it, how could we hope to connect to one another? Emotions are the fuel of inspiration—and you plan on having a world full of inspiration. When it comes to potential threats, you strike first, and ask questions later. Should new civilizations rise, they will be dealt with swiftly. This is how you ensure the safety of your people. When acted against in despicable ways, you take an optimistic approach. Terrible people can reform—it’s just a matter of figuring out how. No person is ever lost in your eyes. Redemption is very possible. A new gateway opens. Inside the dark purple gateway, a mysterious tower can be seen extending far into the sky. There are mysteries in this place. You also recieve a dark purple staff to defend your people. It can harness light to cast a variety of 'spells' and discourage any and all foes. This is the world you are given. What will you make of it? --The End--

Based on the decisions you've made, your color is dark orange. This is what your actions suggest about some of your moral beliefs: To save a world, you’d sacrifice a few people. You balance the needs of mankind above the needs of isolated groups. You enjoy thinking about the whole. You believe curiosity can be dangerous. The risks are too great to ignore. You would instead opt for a safer approach, and thus, a safer world. Emotion is what makes us human. Without it, how could we hope to connect to one another? Emotions are the fuel of inspiration—and you plan on having a world full of inspiration. You are willing to forgive and treat strange new peoples with respect. You believe in diplomacy and peace among civilizations. With this policy in mind, you plan on having a united world with rich but distinct cultures and backgrounds. When acted against in despicable ways, you take an optimistic approach. Terrible people can reform—it’s just a matter of figuring out how. No person is ever lost in your eyes. Redemption is very possible. A new gateway opens. Inside the dark orange gateway, a fire rages far in the distance. It seems you will need to find a way to overcome it before it destroys your people. You also recieve a dark orange blade to defend your people. It can manipulate fire, sending it wherever you please, however you please. This is the world you are given. What will you make of it? --The End--

Based on the decisions you've made, your color is light purple. This is what your actions suggest about some of your moral beliefs: To save a world, you’d sacrifice a few people. You balance the needs of mankind above the needs of isolated groups. You enjoy thinking about the whole. You believe curiosity can be dangerous. The risks are too great to ignore. You would instead opt for a safer approach, and thus, a safer world. Emotion is what makes us human. Without it, how could we hope to connect to one another? Emotions are the fuel of inspiration—and you plan on having a world full of inspiration. You are willing to forgive and treat strange new peoples with respect. You believe in diplomacy and peace among civilizations. With this policy in mind, you plan on having a united world with rich but distinct cultures and backgrounds. When acted against in despicable ways, you take a pessimistic approach. Terrible people cannot reform, and so they must be treated harshly. It’s an ugly truth, but the truth is rarely pretty. Redemption is impossible. A new gateway opens. Inside the light purple gateway, small hut can be seen sitting atop a hill. What on earth could be inside? You'll have to find out. Or maybe not. You also recieve a light purple blade to defend your people. It can be forced into the ground to take control of anything and everything within a five meter radius. This is the world you are given. What will you make of it? --The End--

Based on the decisions you've made, your color is orange. This is what your actions suggest about some of your moral beliefs: To save a world, you’d sacrifice a few people. You balance the needs of mankind above the needs of isolated groups. You enjoy thinking about the whole. You believe curiosity should be encouraged. Without risk, how can we hope to advance? Your realm will thrive under the invention of grand technologies—even if one of them could kill all of you. Emotions are hindrances. They hold people back, and force them to re-live wasteful (and often painful) memories. Your world will discourage such behaviors. When it comes to potential threats, you strike first, and ask questions later. Should new civilizations rise, they will be dealt with swiftly. This is how you ensure the safety of your people. When acted against in despicable ways, you take a pessimistic approach. Terrible people cannot reform, and so they must be treated harshly. It’s an ugly truth, but the truth is rarely pretty. Redemption is impossible. A new gateway opens. Inside the orange gateway, you see a grassy plain, but above you are clouds which spit orange lightning to the ground. You also recieve a orange blade to defend your people. It can harness electricity to power machines and shock invaders away from your settlement. This is the world you are given. What will you make of it? --The End--

Based on the decisions you've made, your color is light orange. This is what your actions suggest about some of your moral beliefs: To save a world, you’d sacrifice a few people. You balance the needs of mankind above the needs of isolated groups. You enjoy thinking about the whole. You believe curiosity should be encouraged. Without risk, how can we hope to advance? Your realm will thrive under the invention of grand technologies—even if one of them could kill all of you. Emotions are hindrances. They hold people back, and force them to re-live wasteful (and often painful) memories. Your world will discourage such behaviors. When it comes to potential threats, you strike first, and ask questions later. Should new civilizations rise, they will be dealt with swiftly. This is how you ensure the safety of your people. When acted against in despicable ways, you take an optimistic approach. Terrible people can reform—it’s just a matter of figuring out how. No person is ever lost in your eyes. Redemption is very possible. A new gateway opens. Inside the light orange gateway, you see a bright orange sunset on a tropical island. You also recieve a light orange blade to defend your people. It can create small flaming sprites to fight your enemies and do as you instruct. This is the world you are given. What will you make of it? --The End--

Based on the decisions you've made, your color is light yellow. This is what your actions suggest about some of your moral beliefs: To save a world, you’d sacrifice a few people. You balance the needs of mankind above the needs of isolated groups. You enjoy thinking about the whole. You believe curiosity should be encouraged. Without risk, how can we hope to advance? Your realm will thrive under the invention of grand technologies—even if one of them could kill all of you. Emotions are hindrances. They hold people back, and force them to re-live wasteful (and often painful) memories. Your world will discourage such behaviors. You are willing to forgive and treat strange new peoples with respect. You believe in diplomacy and peace among civilizations. With this policy in mind, you plan on having a united world with rich but distinct cultures and backgrounds. When acted against in despicable ways, you take a pessimistic approach. Terrible people cannot reform, and so they must be treated harshly. It’s an ugly truth, but the truth is rarely pretty. Redemption is impossible. A new gateway opens. Inside the light yellow gateway, a sprawling meadow of sunflowers stretches in every direction. You also recieve a light yellow blade to defend your people. It can fire small bursts of pure energy at your foes. This is the world you are given. What will you make of it? --The End--

Based on the decisions you've made, your color is yellow. This is what your actions suggest about some of your moral beliefs: To save a world, you’d sacrifice a few people. You balance the needs of mankind above the needs of isolated groups. You enjoy thinking about the whole. You believe curiosity should be encouraged. Without risk, how can we hope to advance? Your realm will thrive under the invention of grand technologies—even if one of them could kill all of you. Emotions are hindrances. They hold people back, and force them to re-live wasteful (and often painful) memories. Your world will discourage such behaviors. You are willing to forgive and treat strange new peoples with respect. You believe in diplomacy and peace among civilizations. With this policy in mind, you plan on having a united world with rich but distinct cultures and backgrounds. When acted against in despicable ways, you take an optimistic approach. Terrible people can reform—it’s just a matter of figuring out how. No person is ever lost in your eyes. Redemption is very possible. A new gateway opens. Inside the yellow gateway, a massive yellow sun overlooks all things below it. You settle in a small field of grass. You also recieve a yellow blade to defend your people. It channels the power of the sun, then fires scorching-hot blasts of sunfire at your foes. This is the world you are given. What will you make of it? --The End--

Based on the decisions you've made, your color is dark yellow. This is what your actions suggest about some of your moral beliefs: To save a world, you’d sacrifice a few people. You balance the needs of mankind above the needs of isolated groups. You enjoy thinking about the whole. You believe curiosity should be encouraged. Without risk, how can we hope to advance? Your realm will thrive under the invention of grand technologies—even if one of them could kill all of you. Emotion is what makes us human. Without it, how could we hope to connect to one another? Emotions are the fuel of inspiration—and you plan on having a world full of inspiration. When it comes to potential threats, you strike first, and ask questions later. Should new civilizations rise, they will be dealt with swiftly. This is how you ensure the safety of your people. When acted against in despicable ways, you take a pessimistic approach. Terrible people cannot reform, and so they must be treated harshly. It’s an ugly truth, but the truth is rarely pretty. Redemption is impossible. A new gateway opens. Inside the dark yellow gateway, a desert stretches in every direction. You also recieve a dark yellow blade to defend your people. It can control the wind with great ease, protecting your people from sandstorms and providing cool breezes where they're needed. This is the world you are given. What will you make of it? --The End--

Based on the decisions you've made, your color is light brown. This is what your actions suggest about some of your moral beliefs: To save a world, you’d sacrifice a few people. You balance the needs of mankind above the needs of isolated groups. You enjoy thinking about the whole. You believe curiosity should be encouraged. Without risk, how can we hope to advance? Your realm will thrive under the invention of grand technologies—even if one of them could kill all of you. Emotion is what makes us human. Without it, how could we hope to connect to one another? Emotions are the fuel of inspiration—and you plan on having a world full of inspiration. When it comes to potential threats, you strike first, and ask questions later. Should new civilizations rise, they will be dealt with swiftly. This is how you ensure the safety of your people. When acted against in despicable ways, you take an optimistic approach. Terrible people can reform—it’s just a matter of figuring out how. No person is ever lost in your eyes. Redemption is very possible. A new gateway opens. Inside the light brown gateway, a long stretch of cliffs extend along the shore of a bright blue ocean. You also recieve a light brown blade to defend your people. Your blade can cause earthquakes to scare your foes away. This is the world you are given. What will you make of it? --The End--

Based on the decisions you've made, your color is brown. This is what your actions suggest about some of your moral beliefs: To save a world, you’d sacrifice a few people. You balance the needs of mankind above the needs of isolated groups. You enjoy thinking about the whole. You believe curiosity should be encouraged. Without risk, how can we hope to advance? Your realm will thrive under the invention of grand technologies—even if one of them could kill all of you. Emotion is what makes us human. Without it, how could we hope to connect to one another? Emotions are the fuel of inspiration—and you plan on having a world full of inspiration. You are willing to forgive and treat strange new peoples with respect. You believe in diplomacy and peace among civilizations. With this policy in mind, you plan on having a united world with rich but distinct cultures and backgrounds. When acted against in despicable ways, you take a pessimistic approach. Terrible people cannot reform, and so they must be treated harshly. It’s an ugly truth, but the truth is rarely pretty. Redemption is impossible. A new gateway opens. Inside the brown gateway, rich fields of soil await farming to feed your people. You also recieve a brown blade to defend your people. It can create sinkholes in the ground to consume anything and everything that opposes you. You will return all of your foes to the ground. This is the world you are given. What will you make of it? --The End--

Based on the decisions you've made, your color is dark brown. This is what your actions suggest about some of your moral beliefs: To save a world, you’d sacrifice a few people. You balance the needs of mankind above the needs of isolated groups. You enjoy thinking about the whole. You believe curiosity should be encouraged. Without risk, how can we hope to advance? Your realm will thrive under the invention of grand technologies—even if one of them could kill all of you. Emotion is what makes us human. Without it, how could we hope to connect to one another? Emotions are the fuel of inspiration—and you plan on having a world full of inspiration. You are willing to forgive and treat strange new peoples with respect. You believe in diplomacy and peace among civilizations. With this policy in mind, you plan on having a united world with rich but distinct cultures and backgrounds. When acted against in despicable ways, you take an optimistic approach. Terrible people can reform—it’s just a matter of figuring out how. No person is ever lost in your eyes. Redemption is very possible. A new gateway opens. Inside the dark-brown gateway, a mountain range waits to be settled by your people. You also recieve a dark-brown blade to defend your people. This blade can create tunnels in any rock, allowing you to easily terraform the land and create mines and tunnel systems. This is the world you are given. What will you make of it? --The End--

Based on the decisions you've made, your color is red. This is what your actions suggest about some of your moral beliefs: If it costs lives, what use is preserving the world? To execute a few—even if it meant saving a greater number—would set a precedent of justified sacrifice. You will not allow this. You believe curiosity can be dangerous. The risks are too great to ignore. You would instead opt for a safer approach, and thus, a safer world. Emotions are hindrances. They hold people back, and force them to re-live wasteful (and often painful) memories. Your world will discourage such behaviors. When it comes to potential threats, you strike first, and ask questions later. Should new civilizations rise, they will be dealt with swiftly. This is how you ensure the safety of your people. When acted against in despicable ways, you take a pessimistic approach. Terrible people cannot reform, and so they must be treated harshly. It’s an ugly truth, but the truth is rarely pretty. Redemption is impossible. Based on the decisions you've made, your color is pink. This is what your actions suggest about some of your moral beliefs: A new gateway opens. Inside the red gateway, a hilly world is lit by a fiery red sun. You also recieve a red blade to defend your people. Your new blade doubles as a flamethrower, and can hurl waves of fire at your foes. This is the world you are given. What will you make of it? --The End--

Based on the decisions you've made, your color is light pink. This is what your actions suggest about some of your moral beliefs: If it costs lives, what use is preserving the world? To execute a few—even if it meant saving a greater number—would set a precedent of justified sacrifice. You will not allow this. You believe curiosity can be dangerous. The risks are too great to ignore. You would instead opt for a safer approach, and thus, a safer world. Emotions are hindrances. They hold people back, and force them to re-live wasteful (and often painful) memories. Your world will discourage such behaviors. When it comes to potential threats, you strike first, and ask questions later. Should new civilizations rise, they will be dealt with swiftly. This is how you ensure the safety of your people. When acted against in despicable ways, you take an optimistic approach. Terrible people can reform—it’s just a matter of figuring out how. No person is ever lost in your eyes. Redemption is very possible. A new gateway opens. Inside the light pink gateway, a colorful sunset and solid clouds offer themselves to you. You also recieve a light pink blade to defend your people. Every strike with this blade is repeated by a ghostly copy of you--insult to injury. This is the world you are given. What will you make of it? --The End--

Based on the decisions you've made, your color is pink. This is what your actions suggest about some of your moral beliefs: If it costs lives, what use is preserving the world? To execute a few—even if it meant saving a greater number—would set a precedent of justified sacrifice. You will not allow this. You believe curiosity can be dangerous. The risks are too great to ignore. You would instead opt for a safer approach, and thus, a safer world. Emotions are hindrances. They hold people back, and force them to re-live wasteful (and often painful) memories. Your world will discourage such behaviors. You are willing to forgive and treat strange new peoples with respect. You believe in diplomacy and peace among civilizations. With this policy in mind, you plan on having a united world with rich but distinct cultures and backgrounds. When acted against in despicable ways, you take a pessimistic approach. Terrible people cannot reform, and so they must be treated harshly. It’s an ugly truth, but the truth is rarely pretty. Redemption is impossible. A new gateway opens. Inside the pink gateway, a sprawling meadow of flowers stretches in every direction. You also recieve a pink blade to defend your people. It is capable of firing orbs in the air that act as an extension of the blade. Swing the blade, and the orbs mimic your action, damaging everything around them. This is the world you are given. What will you make of it? --The End--

Based on the decisions you've made, your color is dark pink. This is what your actions suggest about some of your moral beliefs: If it costs lives, what use is preserving the world? To execute a few—even if it meant saving a greater number—would set a precedent of justified sacrifice. You will not allow this. You believe curiosity can be dangerous. The risks are too great to ignore. You would instead opt for a safer approach, and thus, a safer world. Emotions are hindrances. They hold people back, and force them to re-live wasteful (and often painful) memories. Your world will discourage such behaviors. You are willing to forgive and treat strange new peoples with respect. You believe in diplomacy and peace among civilizations. With this policy in mind, you plan on having a united world with rich but distinct cultures and backgrounds. When acted against in despicable ways, you take an optimistic approach. Terrible people can reform—it’s just a matter of figuring out how. No person is ever lost in your eyes. Redemption is very possible. A new gateway opens. Inside the dark pink gateway, a mysterious empty city sleeps below a rich sunset. What happened here? Why? You also recieve a dark pink hammer to defend your people. It can control stones and handle difficult construction tasks. It will be instrumental to your people. This is the world you are given. What will you make of it? --The End--

Based on the decisions you've made, your color is navy blue. This is what your actions suggest about some of your moral beliefs: If it costs lives, what use is preserving the world? To execute a few—even if it meant saving a greater number—would set a precedent of justified sacrifice. You will not allow this. You believe curiosity can be dangerous. The risks are too great to ignore. You would instead opt for a safer approach, and thus, a safer world. Emotion is what makes us human. Without it, how could we hope to connect to one another? Emotions are the fuel of inspiration—and you plan on having a world full of inspiration. When it comes to potential threats, you strike first, and ask questions later. Should new civilizations rise, they will be dealt with swiftly. This is how you ensure the safety of your people. When acted against in despicable ways, you take a pessimistic approach. Terrible people cannot reform, and so they must be treated harshly. It’s an ugly truth, but the truth is rarely pretty. Redemption is impossible. A new gateway opens. Inside the navy blue gateway, a flotilla of city ships sleep inside a vast blue ocean. Who built these? Are they still here? You also recieve a navy blue staff to defend your people. Like Moses, you can part and manipulate the sea at will, creating storms one minute and settling them the next. This is the world you are given. What will you make of it? --The End--

Based on the decisions you've made, your color is cyan. This is what your actions suggest about some of your moral beliefs: If it costs lives, what use is preserving the world? To execute a few—even if it meant saving a greater number—would set a precedent of justified sacrifice. You will not allow this. You believe curiosity can be dangerous. The risks are too great to ignore. You would instead opt for a safer approach, and thus, a safer world. Emotion is what makes us human. Without it, how could we hope to connect to one another? Emotions are the fuel of inspiration—and you plan on having a world full of inspiration. When it comes to potential threats, you strike first, and ask questions later. Should new civilizations rise, they will be dealt with swiftly. This is how you ensure the safety of your people. When acted against in despicable ways, you take an optimistic approach. Terrible people can reform—it’s just a matter of figuring out how. No person is ever lost in your eyes. Redemption is very possible. A new gateway opens. Inside the cyan gateway, a shallow mass of water spreads in every direction, appearing endless. How will you stay dry? You also recieve a cyan rifle to defend your people. When fired, the bullets send a surge of water high into the sky, confusing and dazing enemies. The clip is endless. This is the world you are given. What will you make of it? --The End--

Based on the decisions you've made, your color is gold. This is what your actions suggest about some of your moral beliefs: If it costs lives, what use is preserving the world? To execute a few—even if it meant saving a greater number—would set a precedent of justified sacrifice. You will not allow this. You believe curiosity can be dangerous. The risks are too great to ignore. You would instead opt for a safer approach, and thus, a safer world. Emotion is what makes us human. Without it, how could we hope to connect to one another? Emotions are the fuel of inspiration—and you plan on having a world full of inspiration. You are willing to forgive and treat strange new peoples with respect. You believe in diplomacy and peace among civilizations. With this policy in mind, you plan on having a united world with rich but distinct cultures and backgrounds. When acted against in despicable ways, you take a pessimistic approach. Terrible people cannot reform, and so they must be treated harshly. It’s an ugly truth, but the truth is rarely pretty. Redemption is impossible. A new gateway opens. Inside the golden gateway, a utopia of gold buildings and structures can be seen for miles. Who lived here? How did they acquire this gold? Will you share it with your people? You also recieve a golden spear to defend your people. The end never dulls, and the shaft can be extended to any length. Nobody can hide from you with this weapon. This is the world you are given. What will you make of it? --The End--

Based on the decisions you've made, your color is light red. This is what your actions suggest about some of your moral beliefs: If it costs lives, what use is preserving the world? To execute a few—even if it meant saving a greater number—would set a precedent of justified sacrifice. You will not allow this. You believe curiosity should be encouraged. Without risk, how can we hope to advance? Your realm will thrive under the invention of grand technologies—even if one of them could kill all of you. Emotions are hindrances. They hold people back, and force them to re-live wasteful (and often painful) memories. Your world will discourage such behaviors. When it comes to potential threats, you strike first, and ask questions later. Should new civilizations rise, they will be dealt with swiftly. This is how you ensure the safety of your people. When acted against in despicable ways, you take a pessimistic approach. Terrible people cannot reform, and so they must be treated harshly. It’s an ugly truth, but the truth is rarely pretty. Redemption is impossible. A new gateway opens. Inside the light red gateway, a deep red soil stretches for miles. Farming here should prove interesting. You also recieve a light red blade to defend your people. With it, you can fire three streams of arcing lasers. When these lasers meet, an explosion occurs. Using this will be tricky to master, but it could very well prove rewarding. This is the world you are given. What will you make of it? --The End--

Based on the decisions you've made, your color is beige. This is what your actions suggest about some of your moral beliefs: If it costs lives, what use is preserving the world? To execute a few—even if it meant saving a greater number—would set a precedent of justified sacrifice. You will not allow this. You believe curiosity should be encouraged. Without risk, how can we hope to advance? Your realm will thrive under the invention of grand technologies—even if one of them could kill all of you. Emotions are hindrances. They hold people back, and force them to re-live wasteful (and often painful) memories. Your world will discourage such behaviors. When it comes to potential threats, you strike first, and ask questions later. Should new civilizations rise, they will be dealt with swiftly. This is how you ensure the safety of your people. When acted against in despicable ways, you take an optimistic approach. Terrible people can reform—it’s just a matter of figuring out how. No person is ever lost in your eyes. Redemption is very possible. A new gateway opens. Inside the beige gateway, whirpools of sand spin endlessly beneath the hills of an oasis. Bridges will be a necessity. You also recieve a beige hammer to defend your people. Slamming it to the earth will reverse the direction of the sandy whirlpools. What does it mean? Why is that important? You'll have to find out. This is the world you are given. What will you make of it? --The End--

Based on the decisions you've made, your color is jade. This is what your actions suggest about some of your moral beliefs: If it costs lives, what use is preserving the world? To execute a few—even if it meant saving a greater number—would set a precedent of justified sacrifice. You will not allow this. You believe curiosity should be encouraged. Without risk, how can we hope to advance? Your realm will thrive under the invention of grand technologies—even if one of them could kill all of you. Emotions are hindrances. They hold people back, and force them to re-live wasteful (and often painful) memories. Your world will discourage such behaviors. You are willing to forgive and treat strange new peoples with respect. You believe in diplomacy and peace among civilizations. With this policy in mind, you plan on having a united world with rich but distinct cultures and backgrounds. When acted against in despicable ways, you take a pessimistic approach. Terrible people cannot reform, and so they must be treated harshly. It’s an ugly truth, but the truth is rarely pretty. Redemption is impossible. A new gateway opens. Inside the jade gateway, oddly-shaped temples are being taken over by nature. What could be inside? Treasure? Curses? You also recieve a jade rifle to defend your people. On command, it can switch into any type of rifle you can think of. It's a mobile armory in your hands--and it never runs out of ammo. Happy hunting. This is the world you are given. What will you make of it? --The End--

Based on the decisions you've made, your color is magenta. This is what your actions suggest about some of your moral beliefs: If it costs lives, what use is preserving the world? To execute a few—even if it meant saving a greater number—would set a precedent of justified sacrifice. You will not allow this. You believe curiosity can be dangerous. The risks are too great to ignore. You would instead opt for a safer approach, and thus, a safer world. Emotion is what makes us human. Without it, how could we hope to connect to one another? Emotions are the fuel of inspiration—and you plan on having a world full of inspiration. You are willing to forgive and treat strange new peoples with respect. You believe in diplomacy and peace among civilizations. With this policy in mind, you plan on having a united world with rich but distinct cultures and backgrounds. When acted against in despicable ways, you take an optimistic approach. Terrible people can reform—it’s just a matter of figuring out how. No person is ever lost in your eyes. Redemption is very possible. A new gateway opens. Inside the magenta gateway, the interior of a spaceship can be seen. How did this tecnology get here? Where does the ship go? You also recieve a magenta staff to defend your people. You feel that its power is tied closely to the functions of the ship. He who holds this staff is captain. This is the world you are given. What will you make of it? --The End--

Based on the decisions you've made, your color is emerald green. This is what your actions suggest about some of your moral beliefs: If it costs lives, what use is preserving the world? To execute a few—even if it meant saving a greater number—would set a precedent of justified sacrifice. You will not allow this. You believe curiosity should be encouraged. Without risk, how can we hope to advance? Your realm will thrive under the invention of grand technologies—even if one of them could kill all of you. Emotions are hindrances. They hold people back, and force them to re-live wasteful (and often painful) memories. Your world will discourage such behaviors. You are willing to forgive and treat strange new peoples with respect. You believe in diplomacy and peace among civilizations. With this policy in mind, you plan on having a united world with rich but distinct cultures and backgrounds. When acted against in despicable ways, you take an optimistic approach. Terrible people can reform—it’s just a matter of figuring out how. No person is ever lost in your eyes. Redemption is very possible. A new gateway opens. Inside the emerald green gateway, a mass of tree houses hang above a forest that seems to lack a floor. How did the previous inhabitants survive here? You also recieve an emerald green blade to defend your people. You can fire the blade out from the holster in three separate directions, creating grapples of great stability. What purpose will this serve in this canopy city? What lies in the jungle floor? This is the world you are given. What will you make of it? --The End--

Based on the decisions you've made, your color is purple. This is what your actions suggest about some of your moral beliefs: If it costs lives, what use is preserving the world? To execute a few—even if it meant saving a greater number—would set a precedent of justified sacrifice. You will not allow this. You believe curiosity should be encouraged. Without risk, how can we hope to advance? Your realm will thrive under the invention of grand technologies—even if one of them could kill all of you. Emotion is what makes us human. Without it, how could we hope to connect to one another? Emotions are the fuel of inspiration—and you plan on having a world full of inspiration. When it comes to potential threats, you strike first, and ask questions later. Should new civilizations rise, they will be dealt with swiftly. This is how you ensure the safety of your people. When acted against in despicable ways, you take a pessimistic approach. Terrible people cannot reform, and so they must be treated harshly. It’s an ugly truth, but the truth is rarely pretty. Redemption is impossible. A new gateway opens. Inside the purple gateway, a comfy-looking. Medieval town waits to be used. Life should prove simple here, especially considering that you know how to avoid falling into the trap of a medieval lifestyle. Or do you? You also recieve a purple spear to defend your people. This spear can control the sun and the moon, changing day to night, and night to day. This will certainly come in handy for farming--but ruin everyone's sleep schedule. Give and take. This is the world you are given. What will you make of it? --The End--

Based on the decisions you've made, your color is tan. This is what your actions suggest about some of your moral beliefs: If it costs lives, what use is preserving the world? To execute a few—even if it meant saving a greater number—would set a precedent of justified sacrifice. You will not allow this. You believe curiosity should be encouraged. Without risk, how can we hope to advance? Your realm will thrive under the invention of grand technologies—even if one of them could kill all of you. Emotion is what makes us human. Without it, how could we hope to connect to one another? Emotions are the fuel of inspiration—and you plan on having a world full of inspiration. When it comes to potential threats, you strike first, and ask questions later. Should new civilizations rise, they will be dealt with swiftly. This is how you ensure the safety of your people. When acted against in despicable ways, you take an optimistic approach. Terrible people can reform—it’s just a matter of figuring out how. No person is ever lost in your eyes. Redemption is very possible. A new gateway opens. Inside the tan gateway, great structures of sandstone and steel stand in a strange mix of past and future. Skyscrapers of stone block the sun in many places. You also recieve a tan scimtar to defend your people. Cuts caused by this blade can never heal--be it flesh or steel. This is the world you are given. What will you make of it? --The End--

Based on the decisions you've made, your color is blue. This is what your actions suggest about some of your moral beliefs: If it costs lives, what use is preserving the world? To execute a few—even if it meant saving a greater number—would set a precedent of justified sacrifice. You will not allow this. You believe curiosity should be encouraged. Without risk, how can we hope to advance? Your realm will thrive under the invention of grand technologies—even if one of them could kill all of you. Emotion is what makes us human. Without it, how could we hope to connect to one another? Emotions are the fuel of inspiration—and you plan on having a world full of inspiration. You are willing to forgive and treat strange new peoples with respect. You believe in diplomacy and peace among civilizations. With this policy in mind, you plan on having a united world with rich but distinct cultures and backgrounds. When acted against in despicable ways, you take a pessimistic approach. Terrible people cannot reform, and so they must be treated harshly. It’s an ugly truth, but the truth is rarely pretty. Redemption is impossible. A new gateway opens. Inside the blue gateway, a pleasant stretch of greenery sits quietly between two large rivers. If there's anything to be gathered from this, it is that farming will be quite simple. You also recieve a blue scepter to defend your people. It controls the rivers surrounding you and can be used to enrich the soil of your land, or flood the lands of invaders. It's your call. This is the world you are given. What will you make of it? --The End--

Based on the decisions you've made, your color is light blue. This is what your actions suggest about some of your moral beliefs: If it costs lives, what use is preserving the world? To execute a few—even if it meant saving a greater number—would set a precedent of justified sacrifice. You will not allow this. You believe curiosity should be encouraged. Without risk, how can we hope to advance? Your realm will thrive under the invention of grand technologies—even if one of them could kill all of you. Emotion is what makes us human. Without it, how could we hope to connect to one another? Emotions are the fuel of inspiration—and you plan on having a world full of inspiration. You are willing to forgive and treat strange new peoples with respect. You believe in diplomacy and peace among civilizations. With this policy in mind, you plan on having a united world with rich but distinct cultures and backgrounds. When acted against in despicable ways, you take an optimistic approach. Terrible people can reform—it’s just a matter of figuring out how. No person is ever lost in your eyes. Redemption is very possible. A new gateway opens. Inside the light blue gateway, a small cabin sits by a stream in a the middle of quiet woods. You have never seen anything quite so peaceful. Life here will be easy and prosperous. You also recieve a light blue staff to defend your people. It can create impenetrable shields of limitless sizes to ward off any and all attackers from your lands. This is the world you are given. What will you make of it? --The End--