Chapter Two: This World Was Made For You
Book One: All Is Silent at Beckett’s Sound
Part One
The Lone Explorer
It took Hollis eleven days to beat the tutorial when he was a kid. As an adult, it took him less than one. Part of that was owed to his having greater experience and knowing the meaning of words like 'unguent,' 'chitin,' or 'larder' as an adult that he didn't as a kid. The other part was that, as a kid, all he wanted to do was explore. To escape. This time, he knew the real journey didn't start until the offer was made.So, after he found homes for his animals and got his affairs in order, he rushed through the game as fast as he could point and click. Then, he was offered the choice once more.
| Return to Periapt |
| You’ve shown your mettle, traveler. Not every soul who signs on can keep a wagon moving when the road turns cruel. Not every hired hand can stand watch through nights where the wind carries voices it shouldn’t. You did. You learned the rules of the trail, and more importantly, when to bend them. By consensus and quiet approval, you are hired on. A proper westward caravan claims you now. Oxen low in their yokes. Settlers counting futures they haven’t earned yet. A benefactor eager to put his name on the map. There is pay. There is purpose. There is a destination marked clearly on the map. Most will take the job as it was given and stop reading here. Will you continue? [Yes] [No] If you are truly interested in exploring the wilds of the abandoned continent, perhaps you will consider another offer. The ink on this bargain is older. The lettering is strange, and the promise stranger. Will you read on? [Yes] [No] You know in your heart that the perils of Periapt are no mere game. The continent beyond the sea is not the stuff of imagination. You've felt the warmth of its campfires on your face and the breath of its beasts on the tender part of your neck. This world is as real as you are. If you so choose, abandon your world of plenty and take passage to Periapt itself. Then you can live the life of an explorer where the stakes have never been higher. Vow to protect the settlers as they reclaim their homeland. Guide them down the winding road to the Great Pass, through wild magic, ancient ruins, and a land where all power is carved from beast, bone, and root. Magic does not come from books here. It comes from what you bind, what you bargain with… and what you are willing to take into yourself. The oath is binding. The choice is permanent. The deeper you go, the darker the trail becomes. Do you wish to swear the oath? [Yes] [No] Then, Welcome to Periapt, Hollis Hood. This world was made for you...
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