The Hungry Hills

readingTime: 0 sound.volume: "0.2" -- {ambient sound: 'hall',volume:0.2} "You are Young-Squire Christopher Trebleborn, Shieldbearer and soon-to-be Squire to the greatest knight the Kingdom has ever known! Act like it!" The words, meant in jest, devolve into a giggle as they tumble from the lips of your older brother of Sir Brace Trebleborn, the greatest knight of {reveal link: 'The Kingdom', passage: 'The Kingdom'}. "Stop! You'll make me spill it. Then we'll never hear the end of it!" The simple silver cup you carry is filled almost to the brim with the deep red your father favours. If you lose yourself to laughter, you will most certainly spill some wine. > [[That would be unacceptable->"Helmbroke Hall - Near the Kitchens"]]

wineStain: true -- The wine sloshes out of your father's cup as you deliver an impatient elbow to your brother's ribs, "Stop making fun of me! I know you don't think this is important, but you know father is expecting this. And now you've made me spill!" > [[Moving On |"Helmbroke Hall - The Greater Hall"]]

wineStain: false -- As you move away from the Kitchens towards the Greater Hall, Brace continues with an exaggerated seriousness, "The cupbearing duties of a squire during the ceremonies of peace are of equal import to their shieldbearing duties during the ceremonies of war." Your father, Lord Barstopher Trebleborn, had also, once upon a time, been a great knight. There were many tales told of his adventures. Tales he most enjoyed telling with a cup of wine. > [[Elbow Brace |"Helmbroke Hall - Near the Greater Hall"]] > [[Ignore him and move on |"Helmbroke Hall - The Greater Hall"]]

The Fork in the Road has three paths, all of which lead into what are collectively known as The Hungry Hills. It has been a long time since anyone has been known to successfully travel all the way through The Hills. All who have dared, have never been heard from again. Not even the Eolvaru, reknowned travellers that they are, can claim a passage through The Hungry Hills, at least not in recent history. Brace says, "Go on, Little Brother, which way should we go?" [[Study Relevant Passages|Table of Contents]] [[Take the High Road toward Bane Peak |"Bane Peak - High Road"]] [[Head into The Bristle | "The Bristle"]] [[Follow The Dwindling Path to The Fells | "The Fells"]]

sound.volume: 0.0 -- The Hungry Hills (so named for their tendency to swallow travellers up whole) are a whole other kettle of beeswax. Brace urges you to continue your quest into the hills, but mostly you just think the two of you should go home and forget about hills and quests and the horrible things that happen to little squires who brave them. [[Head Home|"A Coward's Death"]] [[Moving On |"The Fork In The Road"]]

memoryLake: true sound.volume: 0.2 -- {ambient sound: 'lakeside', volume: 0.3} Not too far from home, but on the way to adventure. First you must skirt around Lake Lyanfyrd. You used to play here as a child. Back then the dark depth of the lake frightened you. Does it frighten you now? [if !armed] {reveal link: 'Look at the Lake', text: 'The glint of sunlight on the slightly rippling water tugs at your memory. Did you forget something?'} > [[Yes, Head Back.|"Helmbroke Hall - The Armory"]] [continue] > [[Nope, Onward!|"In Sight Of The Hills"]]

sound.volume: 0.2 -- {sound effect: 'explosion', volume:0.6} {ambient sound: 'greathall', volume: 0.5} <audio>Door slams then, busy kitchen and common room sounds</audio> In the hall > [[Moving On|"Helmbroke Hall - The Banquet"]]

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[[Climb to a better vantage point|"Bane Peak - Climb to the Top"]] [[Back to the Fork in the Road|"The Fork In The Road"]]

[[Back to the Fork in the Road|"The Fork In The Road"]]

knowledge.Kingdom:true -- The Kingdom of Lyrelwynd "... colloquially known simply as 'The Kingdom', both internally by its citizens and externally by neighbouring states, The Kingdom of Lyrelwynd earned this distinction by having a name that is nearly unpronounceable by the commonfolk" (Araxis 114).

[align center] [[Pertaining to Bane Peak|"Reading Break - Pertaining to Bane Peak"]] [[Pertaining to The Bristle|"Reading Break - Pertaining to The Bristle"]] [[Pertaining to The Fells|"Reading Break - Pertaining to The Fells"]] {back link, label: "Put the book down, you're on an adventure for Pete's sake"}

readingTime: readingTime + 1 -- [if readingTime > 7 ] You died reading to death. {restart link, label:'Start over?'} [else] Blah blah blah big mountain blah. [[Read more | "Reading Break - Pertaining to Bane Peak Page Two"]] [[Read about something else|Table of Contents]] [[Close Book|"The Fork In The Road"]]

readingTime: readingTime + 1 -- [if readingTime > 7 ] You died reading to death. {restart link, label:'Start over?'} [else] It's like, really, really... Bristley? [[Read more | "Reading Break - Pertaining to The Bristle Page Two"]] [[Read about something else|Table of Contents]] [[Close Book|"The Fork In The Road"]]

readingTime: readingTime + 1 -- [if readingTime > 7 ] You died reading to death. {restart link, label:'Start over?'} [else] They're like, really, really spoopy. [[Read more | "Reading Break - Pertaining to The Fells Page Two"]] [[Read about something else|Table of Contents]] [[Close Book|"The Fork In The Road"]]

readingTime: readingTime + 1 -- [if readingTime > 7 ] You died reading to death. {restart link, label:'Start over?'} [else] More blah blah blah. Big mountain. [[Read about something else|Table of Contents]] {back link, label: "Go back a page"} [[Close Book|"The Fork In The Road"]]

readingTime: readingTime + 1 -- [if readingTime > 7 ] You died reading to death. {restart link, label:'Start over?'} [else] More blah blah blah. Bristlebristle. [[Read about something else|Table of Contents]] {back link, label: "Go back a page"} [[Close Book|"The Fork In The Road"]]

readingTime: readingTime + 1 -- [if readingTime > 7 ] You died reading to death. {restart link, label:'Start over?'} [else] More blah blah blah. Spoopiness continues. [[Read about something else|Table of Contents]] {back link, label: "Go back a page"} [[Close Book|"The Fork In The Road"]]

See the bad weather thing... and dark forces thing. :) Will need to make a choice. [[CHOICE: Hurry Down or Spend the Night]]

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warningReceived: false -- Before the banquet can begin, Sir Barstopher, your father, casts an eye towards you, perhaps signalling that The Many Toasts are about to begin. [if wineStain] > [[Oh no he wants something else|"Helmbroke Hall - Sire Warning"]] [continue] > [[Commence The Many Toasts|"Helmbroke Hall - The Many Toasts"]]

warningReceived: true -- "What's this!? Have you already been drinking!? A-ha, just like me when I was your age, but perhaps you should take it easy during the toasts, eh?" > [[Moving On|"Helmbroke Hall - The Many Toasts"]]

config.style.page.link.active.color: "blue-8 on blue-0" config.style.page.link.lineColor: "blue-8" config.header.center: "_{passage.name}_" author.name: "Christopher Alan Slater" sound.ambient.hall.url: 'Assets/Audio/hall2.mp3' sound.ambient.hall.description: 'kitchen sounds' sound.ambient.greathall.url: 'Assets/Audio/greathall2.mp3' sound.ambient.greathall.description: 'banquet sounds' sound.ambient.lakeside.url: 'Assets/Audio/lakeside.mp3' sound.ambient.lakeside.description: 'water and camp sounds' sound.effect.explosion.url: 'largedoorslam.mp3' sound.effect.explosion.description: 'a large door slamming shut' sound.transitionDuration: '10000ms' sound.volume: '0.4' wineStain: false warningReceived: false armed: false memoryLake: false -- [align center] {story.name} by {author.name} > [[Begin|"Helmbroke Hall - The Kitchens"]]

[if warningReceived] You remember your father's words. Warning of the dangers of overdrinking the night before a big quest. > [[Drink sparingly|"Helmbroke Hall - The Armory"]] [continue] The toasts are more plentiful and the boasts increasingly juvenile with each new cup of wine poured for you and your household. > [[Drink with each toast|"Helmbroke Hall - The Hangover"]]

sound.volume: 0.0 armed: true -- [if memoryLake] You remembered playing Knights and Dragons while standing in the reeds of The Lake, which in turn reminded you that you forgot to grab your Squire's Sword and Squire's Shield. Duh. [else] Not having imbibed to wretching the night before, you remember to arm yourself for your big quest. You grab your trusty Squire's Sword and Squire's Shield. [continue] [[Head out|"Near Helmbroke Hall - The Lake"]]

sound.volume: 0.0 -- You wake up late, the sound of the morning sun's rays pounding into your head through your eyeballs. Perhaps drinking to every toast last night was a little reckless. [[Head out|"Near Helmbroke Hall - The Lake"]]

Brace lies and tells you it's all right. He even smiles when he says it, but it never reaches his eyes. You die many years later, of the shame you first saw in your brother's eyes. {restart link, label: 'Start over?'}