Spirit of Hunger - TRUNCATED - FOR CH.3 DEVELOPMENT

[if isPast] {embed passage: 'IsPast Page Layout Logic'} [if isMind] {embed passage: 'IsMind Page Layout Logic'} [unless isPast; unless isMind] {embed passage: 'Ch.2 Normal Page Layout Logic'} [continue]

[JavaScript] engine.state.set("isPast",isInPast()); [continue] [JavaScript] engine.state.set("isMind",isInMind()); [continue] {embed passage: 'Ascii Deep Logic (Ch.2)'} [continue]

[unless passage.name == 'Abilities Menu'; unless isCutscene == true; unless passage.name == 'Settings'] {link to: 'Abilities Menu', label: 'Abilities'} [if passage.name == 'Abilities Menu'] {link to: last_ingame_passage, label: 'Back'} [if isCutscene == true] {ascii backdrop: 'loading'} [continue]

[unless passage.name == 'Abilities Menu'; unless isCutscene; unless passage.name == 'Settings'] {save to file: 'Save'} | {load save: 'Load'} [continue] [unless passage.name == 'Abilities Menu'; if isCutscene; unless passage.name == 'Settings'] {save to file: 'Save'} | {load save: 'Load'} [if passage.name == 'Settings'] {save to file: 'Save'} | {load save: 'Load'} [if passage.name == 'Abilities Menu'] {link to: 'Settings', label: 'Settings'} [continue]

dialogue.speed: 'fast' config.footer.center: "{save to file: 'Save'} | {load save: 'Load'} | {link to: 'Settings', label: 'Back'}" -- Dialogue speed has been set to **fast**. {link to: 'Settings', label: 'Back'}

dialogue.speed: 'instant' config.footer.center: "{save to file: 'Save'} | {load save: 'Load'} | {link to: 'Settings', label: 'Back'}" -- Dialogue speed has been set to **instant**. {link to: 'Settings', label: 'Back'}

{embed passage: 'CH2 Variables'} [unless CH2Standalone] <div class="chapter-container"> <div class="chapter-heading">Chapter 2</div> <div class="chapter-subtitle">Daemon of Hunger</div> </div> </div> [continue] The morning air bites with smog as Eleanor steps onto the cobblestone street. Her leather workbag sways at her hip, its worn strap creaking under the combined weight of ledgers, artifacts, and your vessel. Through the half-open clasp, you glimpse the statuette's [[granite curves->Intro 2.0.5]].

config.style.page.color: "#2a1a3a on #f4f0ff" config.style.page.link.color: "#3a8b8b" config.style.page.link.lineColor: "#2b6a6a" config.style.page.link.active.color: "#c71585 on #f4f0ff" config.style.page.link.active.lineColor: "#9a0e5e" config.style.page.footer.link.color: "#6a4b8b" config.style.page.footer.link.lineColor: "#4d3663" config.style.page.footer.link.active.color: "#c71585 on #f4f0ff" config.style.page.footer.link.active.lineColor: "#9a0e5e" config.style.page.header.link.active.color: "#c71585 on #f4f0ff" config.style.dark.backdrop: "#222222" config.style.dark.page.color: "#d9ccff on #0f0a1a" config.style.dark.page.link.color: "#66b3b3" config.style.dark.page.link.lineColor: "#4d9999" config.style.dark.page.link.active.color: "#b399ff on #0f0a1a" config.style.dark.page.link.active.lineColor: "#66b3b3" config.style.dark.page.footer.link.color: "#9980d9" config.style.dark.page.footer.link.lineColor: "#7a66b3" config.style.dark.page.footer.link.active.color: "#b399ff on #0f0a1a" config.style.dark.page.footer.link.active.lineColor: "#66b3b3" config.style.dark.page.header.link.active.color: "#b399ff on #0f0a1a" -- ~ ❉ ✧ ◎ ✧ ❉ ~

dialogue.speed: 'normal' config.footer.center: "{save to file: 'Save'} | {load save: 'Load'} | {link to: 'Settings', label: 'Back'}" -- Dialogue speed has been set to **normal**. {link to: 'Settings', label: 'Back'}

[JavaScript] engine.state.set("isCutscene",comesFromCutscene()); [continue] {embed passage: 'Deep Ability Menu Logic'}

config.footer.center: "{embed passage: 'Settings Menu Logic'}" -- [JavaScript] engine.state.set("last_ingame_passage",get_last_ingame_passage()); [continue] [CSS] /* Style for the Settings Page */ .settings-page { text-align: center; /* Center all content */ max-width: 600px; /* Optional: Limit width */ margin: 1em auto; /* Center the block itself, add top/bottom margin */ } /* Style for section headings */ .settings-heading { font-family: 'Bona Nova', serif; font-size: 24px; font-weight: bold; font-variant: small-caps; margin-top: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.8em; padding-bottom: 0.2em; border-bottom: 1px solid currentColor; display: inline-block; /* Keeps border tight to text */ } /* Optional styling for the speed selection links */ .speed-link { display: inline-block; /* Allow margin/padding */ margin: 0 0.5em 0.5em; /* Space between links */ /* Add any specific link styling here if needed */ } /* Specific styling for the 'Back' link at the bottom */ .settings-back-link { display: block; /* Put on its own line */ margin-top: 2.5em; /* Space above */ } [continue] <div class="settings-page"> <div class="settings-heading">DIALOGUE SPEED</div> <div class="speed-selection"> {cycling link for: 'dialogue.speed', choices: ['Slow', 'Normal', 'Fast', 'Instant']} </div> <div class="settings-heading">ASCII BACKDROPS</div> <div class="speed-selection"> {cycling link for: 'AsciiBackdrop_Enabled', choices: ['On', 'Off']} </div> <div class="settings-back-link"> {link to: last_ingame_passage, label: 'Back'} </div> </div> [note] <div class="settings-heading">DEBUG</div> <div class="speed-selection"> [[Debug Menu->Debug Menu CH2]] </div> [continue]

[JavaScript] engine.state.set("isCutscene",comesFromCutscene()); [continue] {embed passage: 'Deep Settings Menu Logic'}

dialogue.speed: 'slow' config.footer.center: "{save to file: 'Save'} | {load save: 'Load'} | {link to: 'Settings', label: 'Back'}" -- Dialogue speed has been set to **slow**. {link to: 'Settings', label: 'Back'}

config.style.backdrop: "#563232" config.style.page.color: "black on amber-2" config.style.page.link.color: "cinnamon-5" config.style.page.link.lineColor: "cinnamon-4" config.style.page.link.active.color: "raspberry-4 on amber-2" config.style.page.link.active.lineColor: "cinnamon-6" config.style.page.footer.link.color: "cinnamon-5" config.style.page.footer.link.lineColor: "cinnamon-4" config.style.page.footer.link.active.color: "raspberry-4 on amber-2" config.style.page.footer.link.active.lineColor: "cinnamon-6" config.style.page.header.link.active.color: "raspberry-4 on amber-2" -- [JavaScript] engine.state.set("last_ingame_passage",get_last_ingame_passage()); [continue] [CSS] .about-page { text-align: center; max-width: 700px; margin: 1em auto; } .about-heading { font-family: 'Bona Nova', serif; font-size: 48px; font-weight: bold; font-variant: small-caps; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 1em; line-height: 1.1; border-bottom: 2px solid currentColor; display: inline-block; padding-bottom: 0.1em; } .about-section { margin: 1.5em 0; padding: 0.8em; background-color: rgba(0,0,0,0.05); border-radius: 8px; } .about-main { font-size: 1em; margin-bottom: 1.5em; } .credits-section { font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.4; } .credits-section em { font-style: italics; font-weight: normal; } .ai-disclaimer-link { display: inline-block; margin: 0.5em 0 1.5em; padding: 0.8em 1.5em; background-color: transparent; border: 2px solid currentColor; border-radius: 6px; font-weight: bold; font-size: 1.2em; text-decoration: none; } .back-link { display: block; margin-top: 0.2em; font-size: 1em; } [continue] <div class="about-page"> <div class="about-heading">About</div> <div class="about-main"> This game was made by {link to: 'https://darkeyev2.itch.io/', label: 'DarkeyeV2'}. Enjoy :) </div> <div class="about-section credits-section"> *Save system by {link to: 'https://maliface.itch.io/', label: 'Maliface'}.* *Inventory functionality partly by {link to: 'https://intfiction.org/u/javiermobile/summary', label: 'Javier Perna'} and their wonderful {link to: 'https://intfiction.org/t/chapbook-modal-text-window-strategy/52457/8', label: 'contribution'} to the Intfiction forums.* *ASCII patterns inspired and AI-generated from Rick Rubin's work on "{link to: 'https://www.thewayofcode.com/', label: 'The Way of Code'}."* </div> <div class="ai-disclaimer-link"> {link to: 'AI Disclaimer 1', label: 'Use of AI Disclaimer'} </div> <div class="back-link"> {link to: last_ingame_passage, label: 'Back'} </div> </div>

WardrobeFallen: true EleanorChocolate: true GluttonyCalEXP: GluttonyCalEXP + 3 WardrobeOpen: true -- It is done. {link to: 'Debug Screen', label: 'Back'}

SittingroomDooropen: true Clotofplaster: true Eleanorspotted: true Quillandpaper: true Clotofplaster: true -- It is done. {link to: 'Debug Screen', label: 'Back'}

Figurine1: true Figurine2: true Figurine3: true BreadPrayer: true BasinSinkPlugged: true HelpfulnessEXP: HelpfulnessEXP + 2 GluttonyCalEXP: GluttonyCalEXP + 4 -- It is done. {link to: 'Debug Screen', label: 'Back'}

correctartefact: 3 -- It is done. {link to: 'Debug Screen', label: 'Back'}

HandbagHit: true HelpfulnessEXP: HelpfulnessEXP + 1 GluttonyTerrace: true boxofsweetseaten: true RageTerrace: true GlutttonyIncremented: true GluttonyCalEXP: GluttonyCalEXP + 2 pastterraceturn: 4 -- It is done. {link to: 'Debug Screen', label: 'Back'}

config.header.center: "{embed passage: 'Debug Screen Logic'}" -- [JavaScript] engine.state.set("last_ingame_passage",get_last_ingame_passage()); [continue] [CSS] .very-big { font-size: 88px; font-variant: regular; } .big { font-size: 48px; font-variant: small-caps; } .medium { font-size: 36px; font-variant: small-caps; } .medium-small { font-size: 30px; font-variant: small-caps; } .small { font-size: 20px; font-variant: small-caps; } [continued] <div class="titleScreen"> <center> <h1 style="font-family: 'Bona Nova', serif;"> <span class="big">Debug Mode activated</span><br> </h1> </center> [continued] If you're not me, then you might want to hit restart! This mode is not meant for players, and will spoil the game for you. [note] Remember to credit Maliface, add their Kofi and Itch.io page. Also remember to get rid of the Debug Screen. [continue] {link to: last_ingame_passage, label: 'Back'}

stuffedstate (GluttonyCalEXP <= 1): 'EMPTY' stuffedstate (GluttonyCalEXP > 1 && GluttonyCalEXP <= 3): 'BLOATED' stuffedstate (GluttonyCalEXP > 3 && GluttonyCalEXP <= 6): 'FULL' stuffedstate (GluttonyCalEXP > 6 && calories <= 10): 'STUFFED' stuffedstate (GluttonyCalEXP > 10): 'OVERSTUFFED' -- [JavaScript] engine.state.set("last_ingame_passage",get_last_ingame_passage()); [continue] Keep in mind that the debug screen only works after the intro section. HelpfulnessEXP: {HelpfulnessEXP} GluttonyCalEXP: {GluttonyCalEXP} stuffedstate: {stuffedstate} [[Increase GluttonyCalExp]] [[Increase HelpfulnessExp]] [[Decrease HelpfulnessExp]] [[Give Pocket Watch]] [[Give Quill & Paper]] [[Give Dull-looking Knife]] [[Give Clot of Plaster]] [[Give Measuring Tape]] [[Give Handbag]] [[Give Handmirror]] [[Give all items]] [[Complete Figurine/Bread Puzzle]] [[Fail Attic Wardrobe Puzzle]] [[Complete Attic Wardrobe Puzzle]] [[Complete Handbag Puzzle]] [[Fail Handbag Puzzle]] [[Complete Terrace Panties Puzzle + Gluttony route]] [[Complete Double Door Intro]] [[Use Measuring Tape on all correct clothes]] [[Use Measuring Tape on all incorrect clothes]] [[Use Measuring Tape on all clothes]] {link to: last_ingame_passage, label: 'Back'}

[unless passage.name == 'Debug Screen';unless isCutscene == true;unless passage.name == 'Save Menu'] {link to: 'Debug Screen', label: 'Debug Screen'} [if passage.name == 'Debug Screen'] {link to: last_ingame_passage, label: 'Back'} [continue]

HelpfulnessEXP: HelpfulnessEXP - 1 -- It is done. {link to: 'Debug Screen', label: 'Back'}

WardrobeFallen: true -- It is done. {link to: 'Debug Screen', label: 'Back'}

wrongartefact: 3 -- It is done. {link to: 'Debug Screen', label: 'Back'}

Clotofplaster: true -- It is done. {link to: 'Debug Screen', label: 'Back'}

Dulllookingknife: true -- It is done. {link to: 'Debug Screen', label: 'Back'}

Eleanorhandbag: true -- It is done. {link to: 'Debug Screen', label: 'Back'}

handmirror: true -- It is done. {link to: 'Debug Screen', label: 'Back'}

measuringtape: true -- It is done. {link to: 'Debug Screen', label: 'Back'}

pocketwatch: true -- It is done. {link to: 'Debug Screen', label: 'Back'}

Quillandpaper: true -- It is done. {link to: 'Debug Screen', label: 'Back'}

pocketwatch: true Quillandpaper: true Dulllookingknife: true Clotofplaster: true measuringtape: true Eleanorhandbag: true handmirror: true measuringtape: true -- It is done. {link to: 'Debug Screen', label: 'Back'}

GluttonyCalEXP: GluttonyCalEXP + 1 -- It is done. {link to: 'Debug Screen', label: 'Back'}

HelpfulnessEXP: HelpfulnessEXP + 1 -- It is done. {link to: 'Debug Screen', label: 'Back'}

config.style.googleFont: '<link href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Bona+Nova:ital,wght@0,400;0,700;1,400&display=swap" rel="stylesheet">' config.style.page.font: 'Bona Nova/serif 12' config.style.page.header.font: "20" config.style.page.header.link.font: "" config.style.page.footer.font: "10" config.style.page.footer.link.font: "" config.style.page.verticalAlign: "center" config.style.page.style: "shadow" config.style.backdrop: "Indigo-2" config.style.dark.page.header.border: 'thin-line' config.style.page.header.font: "12" config.footer.center: "" config.style.page.footer.link.active.font: "regular" config.style.page.header.link.active.font: "regular" config.footer.left: "Spirit of Hunger" config.style.page.footer.font: "" config.style.page.theme.enableSwitching: true config.style.backdrop: "#563232" config.style.page.color: "black on amber-2" config.style.page.link.color: "cinnamon-5" config.style.page.link.lineColor: "cinnamon-4" config.style.page.link.active.color: "raspberry-4 on amber-2" config.style.page.link.active.lineColor: "cinnamon-6" config.style.page.footer.link.color: "cinnamon-5" config.style.page.footer.link.lineColor: "cinnamon-4" config.style.page.footer.link.active.color: "raspberry-4 on amber-2" config.style.page.footer.link.active.lineColor: "cinnamon-6" config.style.page.header.link.active.color: "raspberry-4 on amber-2" config.style.dark.backdrop: "teal-5" config.style.dark.page.color: "gray-1 on gray-6" config.style.dark.page.link.color: "white" config.style.dark.page.link.lineColor: "teal-3" config.style.dark.page.link.active.color: "aquamarine-2 on gray-6" config.style.dark.page.link.active.lineColor: "teal-5" config.style.dark.page.footer.link.color: "white" config.style.dark.page.footer.link.lineColor: "teal-3" config.style.dark.page.footer.link.active.color: "aquamarine-2 on gray-6" config.style.dark.page.footer.link.active.lineColor: "teal-5" config.style.dark.page.header.link.active.color: "aquamarine-2 on gray-6" config.body.transition.name: 'crossfade' config.style.fontScaling.baseViewportWidth: 900 config.style.page.theme.override: 'dark' dialogue.speed: 'Normal' InventoryDebug: false AsciiBackdrop_Opacity: 0.2 AsciiBackdrop_Speed: 8 AsciiBackdrop_FontSize: 14 AsciiBackdrop_Clickable: true AsciiBackdrop_Pattern: 'random' AsciiBackdrop_Enabled: 'On' -- [JavaScript] comesFromMenu = function (){ if (trail.length>1){ if (engine.story.passageNamed(trail[trail.length-2]).tags.includes("Menu")){ return true; }else{ return false; } } else { return undefined; } }; get_last_ingame_passage =function(){ let trail_clone=Object.assign([],trail); let rtrail=trail_clone.reverse(); let result = rtrail.find(el => !engine.story.passageNamed(el).tags.includes("Menu")); return result; } [continued] [JavaScript] comesFromCutscene = function () { const currentPassage = engine.story.passageNamed(passage.name); return currentPassage.tags.includes("Cutscene"); }; isInPast = function () { const currentPassage = engine.story.passageNamed(passage.name); return currentPassage.tags.includes("Past"); }; [continued] [JavaScript] engine.state.set("isCutscene",comesFromCutscene()); engine.state.set("isFuture",checkFuture()); engine.state.set("isMisaligned",checkMisaligned()); engine.state.set("isGorged",checkGorged()); [continue] <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Dancing+Script:wght@400;700&display=swap"> <style> .titleScreen { text-align: center; } body { background-color: gray; } </style> <div class="titleScreen"> <center><h1 style="font-family: 'Dancing Script', cursive; font-size: 56px;"> </h1></center> <br><br> </div> [align center] Loading... [continued] [after 3 second] [align center] [[Click here to continue ->Title screen]][[.->Title screen variant]] [continued] {embed passage: 'Bought Variable Set'} {ascii backdrop}

config.footer.center: "{load save: 'Load'} | [[About]] | [[Settings]]" calories: 0 strength: 0 config.style.backdrop: "#563232" config.style.page.color: "amber-2 on aquamarine-3" config.style.page.link.color: "amber-2" config.style.page.link.lineColor: "amber-2" config.style.page.link.active.color: "raspberry-1 on aquamarine-3" config.style.page.link.active.lineColor: "amber-2" config.style.page.footer.link.color: "amber-2" config.style.page.footer.link.lineColor: "amber-2" config.style.page.footer.link.active.color: "raspberry-1 on aquamarine-3" config.style.page.footer.link.active.lineColor: "amber-2" config.style.page.header.link.active.color: "raspberry-1 on aquamarine-3" isCutscene: false -- [JavaScript] engine.state.set("last_ingame_passage",get_last_ingame_passage()); [continue] <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Bona+Nova:ital,wght@0,400;0,700;1,400&display=swap" rel="stylesheet"> [CSS] .titleScreen h1 { font-family: 'Bona Nova', serif; margin: 0 auto; max-width: 80%; } .titleScreen h1 span { display: block; font-variant: small-caps; line-height: 1.1; letter-spacing: 0.03em; } /* Very Big - Title */ .very-big { font-size: 56px; margin-bottom: 0.15em !important; letter-spacing: 0.05em; } /* A Curious Account - pull up */ .very-big + .medium { font-size: 36px; margin-top: -0.25em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; } /* of Apparitions... - keep tight */ .medium + .small { font-size: 20px; margin-bottom: 0.05em; line-height: 1.3; letter-spacing: 0.02em; } /* by One - push down */ .small + .medium { font-size: 36px; margin-top: 0.4em; margin-bottom: 0.15em; } /* Eleanor Lovelace - reduce space above */ .medium + .big { font-size: 48px; margin-top: -0.15em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; } /* Museeum Assistant - pull up */ .big + .medium-small { font-size: 30px; margin-top: -0.2em; margin-bottom: 0.05em; } /* as Observed Through - normal */ .medium-small + .small { font-size: 20px; margin-top: 0.3em; margin-bottom: 0.05em; } /* Strange Shadows - push down */ .small + .medium { font-size: 36px; margin-top: 0.25em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; } /* "and" connector - special case */ .medium + .small { font-size: 20px; margin-top: -0.15em; margin-bottom: 0.05em; } /* Fading Echoes - pull up */ .small + .medium { font-size: 36px; margin-top: -0.1em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; } /* Link preservation */ a[href="Debug Activation"] { font-variant: small-caps !important; vertical-align: baseline; letter-spacing: 0.02em; text-decoration: none; } /* Last element spacing */ .titleScreen h1 span:last-child { margin-bottom: 1em !important; } [continued] <div class="titleScreen"> <center> <h1 style="font-family: 'Bona Nova', serif;"> <span class="very-big">The Spirit of Hunger</span> <span class="medium">A Curious Account</span> <span class="small">of Apparitions, [[Artefacts->Debug Activation]], and the Pursuit of Meaning</span> <span class="medium">by One</span> <span class="big">Eleanor Lovelace,</span> <span class="medium-small">Museeum Assistant, Glutton, and Seeker,</span> <span class="small">as Observed Through</span> <span class="medium">Strange Shadows</span> <span class="small">and</span> <span class="medium">Fading Echoes of Time</span> </h1> </center> [continued] [align center] [[~Start~->Chapter Select]] [continued] <br><br> </div> {ascii backdrop, clickable: 'false', opacity: '0.2'}

TapeGreenSkirtFitted: true TapeWaistcoatUnFitted: true TapeDressFitted: true TapeBlouseFitted: true TapeSkirtFitted: true TapeUndergarmentsFitted: true -- It is done. {link to: 'Debug Screen', label: 'Back'}

TapeGreenSkirtFitted: true TapeBlouseFitted: true TapeSkirtFitted: true TapeUndergarmentsFitted: true -- It is done. {link to: 'Debug Screen', label: 'Back'}

TapeWaistcoatUnFitted: true TapeDressFitted: true HelpfulnessEXP: HelpfulnessEXP - 2 -- It is done. {link to: 'Debug Screen', label: 'Back'}

config.footer.center: "{link to: last_ingame_passage, label: 'Back'} | [[About]] | [[Settings]]" config.style.backdrop: "#563232" config.style.page.color: "black on amber-2" config.style.page.link.color: "cinnamon-5" config.style.page.link.lineColor: "cinnamon-4" config.style.page.link.active.color: "raspberry-4 on amber-2" config.style.page.link.active.lineColor: "cinnamon-6" config.style.page.footer.link.color: "cinnamon-5" config.style.page.footer.link.lineColor: "cinnamon-4" config.style.page.footer.link.active.color: "raspberry-4 on amber-2" config.style.page.footer.link.active.lineColor: "cinnamon-6" config.style.page.header.link.active.color: "raspberry-4 on amber-2" AsciiBackdrop_Enabled: false -- [JavaScript] engine.state.set("last_ingame_passage",get_last_ingame_passage()); [continue] [CSS] .chapter-select-container { max-width: 700px; margin: 2em auto; padding: 0 2em; } .chapter-select-entry { margin-bottom: 1.5em; position: relative; } .chapter-select-entry:nth-child(1) { text-align: left; } .chapter-select-entry:nth-child(2) { text-align: right; margin-top: -1em; } .chapter-select-entry:nth-child(3) { text-align: left; margin-top: -1.5em; } /* Special fix for the 3rd entry's title gap */ .chapter-select-entry:nth-child(3) .chapter-name { margin-top: 0.9em; /* Increased to clear the lower line */ } .chapter-number { font-family: 'Bona Nova', serif; font-size: 120px; font-weight: bold; font-variant: small-caps; line-height: 0.9; margin-bottom: 0.1em; position: relative; display: inline-block; opacity: 0.3; /* Faded for disabled state */ } .chapter-number::after { content: ""; position: absolute; bottom: -0.15em; left: -0.3em; width: calc(100% + 0.6em); height: 6px; background: currentColor; opacity: 0.8; } .chapter-number-three { font-family: 'Bona Nova', serif; font-size: 90px; font-weight: bold; font-variant: small-caps; line-height: 0.9; margin-bottom: 0.1em; position: relative; display: inline-block; } .chapter-number-three::after { content: ""; position: absolute; bottom: -0.35em; /* Pushed further down */ left: -0.3em; width: calc(100% + 0.6em); height: 6px; background: currentColor; opacity: 0.8; } .chapter-name { font-family: 'Bona Nova', serif; font-size: 40px; font-weight: normal; font-variant: normal; margin-top: 0.6em; } .chapter-name .link { font-size: inherit !important; font-variant: inherit !important; text-decoration: none !important; position: relative; display: inline-block; } .chapter-name .link::after { content: ""; position: absolute; bottom: -0.1em; left: -0.2em; width: calc(100% + 0.4em); height: 3px; background: currentColor; opacity: 0; transition: opacity 0.2s ease; } .chapter-name .link:hover::after { opacity: 0; } .disabled-chapter { opacity: 0.4; cursor: default; pointer-events: none; } [continue] <div class="chapter-select-container"> <div class="chapter-select-entry"> <div class="chapter-number">1</div> <div class="chapter-name"><span class="disabled-chapter">Spirit of Hunger</span></div> </div> <div class="chapter-select-entry"> <div class="chapter-number">2</div> <div class="chapter-name"><span class="disabled-chapter">Daemon of Hunger</span></div> </div> <div class="chapter-select-entry"> <div class="chapter-number-three">3</div> <div class="chapter-name">[[Goddess of Hunger->Intro 3.0]]</div> </div> </div>

Bought: true CH2Standalone: false CH3Standalone: false --

[unless passage.name == 'Abilities Menu'; unless isCutscene; unless passage.name == 'Settings' {save to file: 'Save'} | {load save: 'Load'} | {link to: 'Settings', label: 'Settings' [continue] [unless passage.name == 'Abilities Menu'; if isCutscene; unless passage.name == 'Settings' {save to file: 'Save'} | {load save: 'Load'} [if passage.name == 'Settings' {save to file: 'Save'} | {load save: 'Load'} | {link to: last_ingame_passage, label: 'Back' [continue]

config.style.page.color: "black on amber-2" config.style.page.link.color: "cinnamon-5" config.style.page.link.lineColor: "cinnamon-4" config.style.page.link.active.color: "raspberry-4 on amber-2" config.style.page.link.active.lineColor: "cinnamon-6" config.style.page.footer.link.color: "cinnamon-5" config.style.page.footer.link.lineColor: "cinnamon-4" config.style.page.footer.link.active.color: "raspberry-4 on amber-2" config.style.page.footer.link.active.lineColor: "cinnamon-6" config.style.page.header.link.active.color: "raspberry-4 on amber-2" config.style.dark.backdrop: "teal-5" config.style.dark.page.color: "gray-1 on gray-6" config.style.dark.page.link.color: "white" config.style.dark.page.link.lineColor: "teal-3" config.style.dark.page.link.active.color: "aquamarine-2 on gray-6" config.style.dark.page.link.active.lineColor: "teal-5" config.style.dark.page.footer.link.color: "white" config.style.dark.page.footer.link.lineColor: "teal-3" config.style.dark.page.footer.link.active.color: "aquamarine-2 on gray-6" config.style.dark.page.footer.link.active.lineColor: "teal-5" config.style.dark.page.header.link.active.color: "aquamarine-2 on gray-6" -- [if CurrentDay == 'MONDAY'] __MONDAY__ [if CurrentDay == 'TUESDAY'] __TUESDAY__ [if CurrentDay == 'WEDNESDAY'] __WEDNESDAY__ [if CurrentDay == 'THURSDAY'] __THURSDAY__ [if CurrentDay == 'FRIDAY'] __FRIDAY__ [unless CurrentDay == 'MONDAY'; unless CurrentDay == 'TUESDAY'; unless CurrentDay == 'WEDNESDAY'; unless CurrentDay == 'THURSDAY'; unless CurrentDay == 'FRIDAY'] ~ ~ ✥ ◇ ✥ ~ ~ [continue]

config.style.googleFont: '<link href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Bona+Nova:ital,wght@0,400;0,700;1,400&display=swap" rel="stylesheet">' config.style.page.font: 'Bona Nova/serif 12' config.style.page.header.font: "20" config.style.page.header.link.font: "" config.style.page.footer.font: "10" config.style.page.footer.link.font: "" config.style.page.verticalAlign: "center" config.style.page.style: "shadow" config.style.backdrop: "Indigo-2" config.style.dark.page.header.border: 'thin-line' config.style.page.header.font: "12" config.footer.center: "" config.style.page.footer.link.active.font: "regular" config.style.page.header.link.active.font: "regular" config.footer.left: "Daemon of Hunger" config.style.page.footer.font: "" config.style.page.theme.enableSwitching: true config.style.backdrop: "#563232" config.style.page.color: "black on amber-2" config.style.page.link.color: "cinnamon-5" config.style.page.link.lineColor: "cinnamon-4" config.style.page.link.active.color: "raspberry-4 on amber-2" config.style.page.link.active.lineColor: "cinnamon-6" config.style.page.footer.link.color: "cinnamon-5" config.style.page.footer.link.lineColor: "cinnamon-4" config.style.page.footer.link.active.color: "raspberry-4 on amber-2" config.style.page.footer.link.active.lineColor: "cinnamon-6" config.style.page.header.link.active.color: "raspberry-4 on amber-2" config.style.dark.backdrop: "teal-5" config.style.dark.page.color: "gray-1 on gray-6" config.style.dark.page.link.color: "white" config.style.dark.page.link.lineColor: "teal-3" config.style.dark.page.link.active.color: "aquamarine-2 on gray-6" config.style.dark.page.link.active.lineColor: "teal-5" config.style.dark.page.footer.link.color: "white" config.style.dark.page.footer.link.lineColor: "teal-3" config.style.dark.page.footer.link.active.color: "aquamarine-2 on gray-6" config.style.dark.page.footer.link.active.lineColor: "teal-5" config.style.dark.page.header.link.active.color: "aquamarine-2 on gray-6" config.body.transition.name: 'crossfade' config.style.fontScaling.baseViewportWidth: 900 config.style.page.theme.override: 'light' dialogue.speed: 'Normal' InventoryDebug: false AsciiBackdrop_Opacity: 0.2 AsciiBackdrop_Speed: 8 AsciiBackdrop_FontSize: 14 AsciiBackdrop_Clickable: true AsciiBackdrop_Pattern: 'random' AsciiBackdrop_Enabled: 'On' -- [JavaScript] comesFromMenu = function (){ if (trail.length>1){ if (engine.story.passageNamed(trail[trail.length-2]).tags.includes("Menu")){ return true; }else{ return false; } } else { return undefined; } }; get_last_ingame_passage =function(){ let trail_clone=Object.assign([],trail); let rtrail=trail_clone.reverse(); let result = rtrail.find(el => !engine.story.passageNamed(el).tags.includes("Menu")); return result; } [continued] [JavaScript] comesFromCutscene = function () { const currentPassage = engine.story.passageNamed(passage.name); return currentPassage.tags.includes("Cutscene"); }; isInPast = function () { const currentPassage = engine.story.passageNamed(passage.name); return currentPassage.tags.includes("Past"); }; [continued] <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Dancing+Script:wght@400;700&display=swap"> <style> .titleScreen { text-align: center; } body { background-color: gray; } </style> <div class="titleScreen"> <center><h1 style="font-family: 'Dancing Script', cursive; font-size: 56px;"> </h1></center> <br><br> </div> [align center] Loading... [continued] [after 3 second] [align center] [[Click here to continue.->Title Screen CH.2]] [continued] {embed passage: 'Bought Variable Set'} {ascii backdrop}

Spirit Daemon

config.header.left: "{embed passage: 'CH3 Ascii Logic'}" config.footer.center: "{embed passage: 'CH3 Settings Menu Logic'}" config.header.right: "{embed passage: 'Satchel Menu Logic'}" -- {embed passage: 'CH3 Variables'} [unless CH3Standalone] [CSS] .raised-number { position: relative; top: -0.18em; /* Significantly higher lift */ display: inline-block; } [continue] <div class="chapter-container"> <div class="chapter-heading">Chapter <span class="raised-number">3</span></div> <div class="chapter-subtitle">Goddess of Hunger</div> </div> </div> [continue] Warmth seeps into your bones, a familiar comfort against the [[cave's deep chill->Intro 3.0.5]].

CH3Demo: true config.style.backdrop: "#563232" config.style.page.color: "black on amber-2" config.style.page.link.color: "cinnamon-5" config.style.page.link.lineColor: "cinnamon-4" config.style.page.link.active.color: "raspberry-4 on amber-2" config.style.page.link.active.lineColor: "cinnamon-6" config.style.page.footer.link.color: "cinnamon-5" config.style.page.footer.link.lineColor: "cinnamon-4" config.style.page.footer.link.active.color: "raspberry-4 on amber-2" config.style.page.footer.link.active.lineColor: "cinnamon-6" config.style.page.header.link.active.color: "raspberry-4 on amber-2" GoblinDressed: false GoblinHasSatchel: false LoinclothOn: false WrapOn: false BracersOn: false FrozenChamberInteractions: 0 CurrentLessonState: 'letters' DakaHasUrgentGossip: false LessonSeen: false CurrentDay: 'MONDAY' GoldenBugGifted: false ProphecySeen: false FirstTimeReturn: false GoddessWeightGained: 'NONE' LeikaWeight: 'NONE' DakaTurns: 0 GrizelTurns: 0 GramaTurns: 0 GrakTurns: 0 TuningForkTaken: false WireSawTaken: false GearTaken: false MetalGearTaken: false TrenchLighterTaken: false QuillAndPaperFound: false HasPrisonBone: false HasFireStone: false SlimeCavernsFirstTime: false SlimeGirlsGathered: false SlimeGirlNorthTalkedTo: false SlimeGirlNorthMoved: false SlimeGirlEastTalkedTo: false SlimeGirlEastMoved: false SlimeGirlWestTalkedTo: false SlimeGirlWestRiddleSolved: false SlimeGirlWestMoved: false SlimePackRemoved: false SlimePressState: 'inactive' SlimeFutureSeen: false LastBiomeAligned: 'none' SlimeCavernsAligned: false SlimeCavernsMisaligned: false HuntingGroundsFirstTime: false FloraGrottoFirstTime: false FungalPlainsFirstTime: false BlueHideSeen: false BlueHideDialogueSeen: false FarmGoblinsMet: false FungalTreeFelled: false BeraPostFellingDialogueSeen: false KeffPostFellingDialogueSeen: false PackCleaned: false MawAmbush: false InMawPrison: false InMawPrisonFirstTime: 0 OrkState: 'notseen' LooseStoneNoticed: false HiddenCellItem: 'notrevealed' BarsBoneTried: false BarsFireStone: false PailBoneTried: false PailFireStoneTried: false StrawBoneTried: false ChainsBoneTried: false ChainsFireStoneTried: false FireStoneThrow: 'none' MawChamberTurns: 0 FungalPlainsAligned: false FungalPlainsFutureSeen: false PileKitsWoken: false WaterSkinCut: false waterdrunk: false CurtainBurnt: false ShelfSawed: false ShavingsBurnt: false CarvingSawed: false GearDented: false WickLit: false GourdCut: false CrateBurnt: false StalkCut: false GateQuillSlid: false TotemFelled: false RackFallen: false SnacksBurnt: false PoolLighter: false StalagmitesResonated: false VentsLit: false CurrentBiome: 'none' LeikaGorgedSlime: false LeikaGorgedStew: false TotemFelled: false isFuture: false isMisaligned: false isGorged: false inFutureChamber: true KeffTalkedTo: false BeraTalkedTo: false FireStoneTraced: false IronChainsSeen: 0 -- [note] CurrentLessonState 'letters' is the first state the player sees. CurrentDay is a leftover from the second chapter. Eventually, it will be phased out in favour of a new header ASCII. [continue]

You surface from a dream of chasing fat, slow grubs through sun-dappled moss, the taste of sweet earth still on your tongue. For a moment, you are content to simply exist in the soft space between sleep and waking, still nestled deep in the heart of the communal sleeping pile. Grizel's elbow digs familiarly into your ribs, and the musky scent of kin, damp fur, and faintly fermenting sweet-fungus is the smell of safety. The press of sleeping bodies is a comforting weight at your back. You burrow deeper, seeking just a few more moments [[in the comforting dark.->Intro 3.1]]

A low hum vibrates up from the stone floor, a deep thrumming that makes your jaw buzz. A soft, sleepy smile touches your lips. The Goddess' morning lesson. The sound is a holy one, a melody without words you can truly understand, yet it speaks of a power you can feel in your teeth. You have grown to love this morning song, this promise of order that guides the others from their sleep and toward the Great Chamber. It means the Goddess is awake. It means another day of Her divine presence has begun. You are not quite ready to leave the warmth of the pile. Not yet. [[Just a few more moments of peace...->Intro 3.2]]

But the elbow in your ribs is gone. The weight from your side, lifted. A sudden, sharp chill prickles your skin where the warmth of other bodies had just been. Your eyes snap open. The pile is empty. The shuffling, the snoring, the rustle of furs - all gone. There is only the hum, steady and ongoing. Her lesson has already started. You were meant to be there, listening, learning. A cold knot tightens in your belly as you sit bolt upright, the furs falling away to reveal the bare, cold stone around you. You are alone. Late. [[Late!->Intro 3.3]]

No, no, no, *no*! How could you oversleep? Daka! She promised she'd give you a kick to the shins if you were still burrowed when she left. She must have forgotten. Or... or just didn't bother. Damn her! You kick free from the tangled furs, short legs scrambling for purchase on the slick stone. To be late is to be noticed. To be noticed is to feel the weight of Her gaze settle upon you. You... *Gahh!!* You are not ready! Your wrap is not on, your gathering satchel still lies by the wall. You cannot present yourself before Her like this, naked as a newborn grub. Unworthy. You must dress. [[You must hurry!!->Goblin Warrens Sleeping Chamber]] {ascii backdrop}

config.header.right: "" -- You stand shivering in the heart of the sleeping chamber. The air is cold on your bare skin. In the center of the cavern, the great communal [[sleeping pile->Pile (Intro)]] is a messy tangle of furs, mosses, and leaves, now mostly empty. You can see [[Daka's spot->Daka's Spot (Intro)]] right next to yours. To the side, a lopsided [[water skin->Water Skin (Intro)]] hangs from a hook driven into the stone. The low, curved walls are pocked with small, [[personal alcoves->Personal Alcoves (Intro)]] - yours is just ahead. A tattered hide curtain serves as the door to your [[wardrobe->Warrens Wardrobe (Intro)]], and nailed to the wall above it is a shard of polished slag you use as a [[mirror->Goblin Mirror (Intro)]]. In another corner lies a pile of wood shavings and a few half-finished [[carvings->Whittling Corner (Intro)]]. [unless GoblinDressed; unless GoblinHasSatchel] *The tunnel leading out to the main warren beckons. But you can't go. Not like this. Naked before Your Goddess? Unthinkable.* [if GoblinHasSatchel; unless GoblinDressed] *You have your satchel, but you're still not dressed! What a fool. You cannot face Her without your wrap.* *Also, on contact with your bare shoulder, it really itches.* [if GoblinDressed; unless GoblinHasSatchel] *The tunnel leading out to the main warren beckons. You're dressed, but you cannot appear before Her empty-handed. Where is your satchel?* [if GoblinDressed; if GoblinHasSatchel] Dressed and with your satchel slung over your shoulder, you are as ready as you'll ever going to be. Behind you lie the [[⚫caves->Intro 3.4 - Tunnels 1]].

You look over the great sleeping pile. A messy mountain of cave-bear furs, damp moss, and leaves gathered last autumn, all tangled together. It still smells of sleep and kin, a musky, comforting smell that is already fading in the cold air. Your spot is just a hollow dent, the warmth almost gone. Daka's spot next to yours is just as empty. Your hands furrow into fists; she really did leave you behind. Frustrated, you kick through the bedding, looking for your things. Your foot bumps something heavy and familiar. *Ah.* There, half-buried under a ratty bit of fur, is your gathering [[satchel->Satchel (Not picked up)]]. {link to: 'Goblin Warrens Sleeping Chamber', label: 'Back'}

You stare at the hollow in the furs where Daka should be. She always makes a proper nest for herself, deeper than anyone else's, lined with the softest moss she can find. She says it helps her dream. Her best polishing stone is still here, half-tucked under a fold of hide. It's a smooth, dark river stone she uses to sharpen her digging claw. She never goes anywhere without it. She must have been in a great hurry to forget it, uh? Not in enough of a hurry to make sure you were tagging along, though. Some friend! You glare at the stone. For a moment, you think about taking it. Just to be mean... ah, but there's no time for that! Focus, Leika, focus! {link to: 'Goblin Warrens Sleeping Chamber', label: 'Back'} [note] Let's have it so when if player returns to the chamber, they can distract Daka and actually take it. It might help with a quest. [continue]

The lopsided water skin, made from the stitched gut of a lizard, hangs from a bone hook driven into the stone. The gut-skin sags, looking mostly empty. Your throat is dry from sleep, and the thought of a sip of the cold, clean water is tempting.... but no. There is no time. Besides, it was Grama's turn to fill it this morning, and if you drink it he'll say something like "Well, I'm not the one who finished it, shortie!". You hate him so much. Certainly the worst of your brothers, and that's saying something. {link to: 'Goblin Warrens Sleeping Chamber', label: 'Back'}

You glance along the row of personal alcoves carved into the cavern wall. Most are just shallow scoops in the stone. Grakk's is easy to spot. He always leaves the skull of his latest kill just outside. A bat this time. Show-off! Inside are more bones and a sharp-looking flint for skinning. A few alcoves down, bright red dust stains the stone where someone is trying to make paint from the Red Cap mushrooms again - it never works, just makes a mess. One of the younger kit's alcoves holds only a single shiny river stone and a bird feather. Yours is near the end. Mostly empty. Just your spare wrap, a couple of random tools, and a small, smooth grey stone you found last week. It's shaped a little like one of the Prophet's holy symbols, if you squint. Kind of. Actually... not really, no... did someone replace it? Real mature, you guys. {link to: 'Goblin Warrens Sleeping Chamber', label: 'Back'}

GoblinDressed (LoinclothOn && WrapOn && BracersOn): true -- You pull back the stiff, greasy hide curtain that covers your personal alcove. It's not much of a wardrobe, just a shallow space carved into the stone, but it's yours. Inside, your few belongings are arranged with care. [unless LoinclothOn; append] Your [[loincloth->Goblin Loincloth]] of tough lizard-hide hangs from a bone peg. [if LoinclothOn; append] The familiar lizard-hide is now cinched tight around your plump hips. [unless WrapOn; append] Folded on a small stone shelf is your dull red [[fungus-cloth wrap->Goblin Wrap]]. [if WrapOn] The red wrap covers your torso, its rough texture a familiar weight on your shoulders. [unless BracersOn; append] Beside it lie your bone [[bracers->Goblin Bracers]]. [if BracersOn; append] The bone bracers protect your forearms, ready for the day's gathering. [continue] {link to: 'Goblin Warrens Sleeping Chamber', label: 'Back'}

[unless GoblinDressed] You glance at the shard of polished slag nailed to the wall. The dark, wavy surface gives back a distorted face. Green skin, long, pointy ears, a messy tangle of red hair pulled back with a simple leather tie, and wide, dark eyes made for the deep places. It's you, Leika. Your gaze drops lower. Beyond your modest chest, a soft, round belly pushes out over hips that are wide for your short frame. Your thighs are thick, pressing together. Too clumsy for a hunter, not nearly large enough to be a Matron. You are just... chubby. A pale, clumsy echo of Her perfect, holy abundance. Almost ready. You cannot face Her until you are properly attired. [unless GoblinDressed; if LoinclothOn; append] *Still, you have made some progress.* [unless GoblinDressed; if LoinclothOn; append] *The tough lizard-hide is cinched tight, making the soft flesh of your belly and hips spill just a little over the top. It defines your shape.* [unless GoblinDressed; if WrapOn; append] *The dull red fungus-cloth is draped over your shoulders, its rough texture hiding your torso and doing little to conceal the roundness of your middle. You don't really mind,* [unless GoblinDressed; if BracersOn; append] *The bone bracers are stark and white against your green skin, making your arms look ready for work, for gathering. A sign of purpose.* [append] [continue] [if GoblinDressed] You glance at the shard of polished slag. The goblin in the wavy surface looks ready. The red wrap covers your torso, the lizard-hide loincloth is cinched at your plump hips, and the bone bracers protect your arms. Proper. Serviceable. Still small, still a pale shadow of Her magnificent form, but you are ready to serve. Ready to face the day. There is no more time to waste. What are you still doing here?! [continue] {link to: 'Goblin Warrens Sleeping Chamber', label: 'Back'}

In the far corner, the floor is covered in fine, white dust and shavings of bone. It smells dry and chalky here. Your best carving knife rests on a flat stone, its flint edge newly chipped from a mistake last night. Beside it lies your latest attempt: a carving of the Goddess, barely half-finished. You tried to capture Her divine roundness, Her magnificent size, but the belly is all lopsided and the head is far too small. It looks more like a fat grub than a goddess... You huff, kicking a shaving away in frustration. No time for this now. The real thing waits. {link to: 'Goblin Warrens Sleeping Chamber', label: 'Back'}

config.header.right: "{embed passage: 'Satchel Menu Logic'}" -- You burst from the sleeping chamber into the main warren tunnel, your bare feet slapping against the cold, damp stone. The passage is empty. The usual morning chaos - the shouts of hunters preparing their gear, the chatter of kits chasing cave-lizards, the smell of the cook-pits firing up - is gone. There is only the echo of your own hurried footsteps and the distant, holy hum. Patches of lumina-moss pulse with a soft teal light from the walls, just enough to see the familiar carvings etched into the stone. Spirals for good hunts, circles for full bellies - symbols of old, now rich with meaning. Not precise ones just yet... but there's power within them that all of you and the Goddess are just starting to unravel. Your stomach gives a low, pathetic growl as you pass the cold cook-pits, the lingering smell of yesterday's roasted grubs making your mouth water. No time for that. Hunger can wait. Your Goddess cannot. [[You run faster, deeper into the dark.->Intro 3.5 - Tunnels 2]]

GoblinHasSatchel: true -- You pull the satchel free from the furs. It's a simple thing, made of tough, woven root-fiber, the strap worn smooth from daily use. The sides are stained with old berry juice and the faint, sweet smell of crushed grubs from yesterday's gathering still clings to the interior. It's mostly empty now, save for a few stray pebbles and a smear of lumina-moss paste that glows faintly in the dimness. Not as good-looking as some belonging to your brothers and sisters, but you made it yourself, and they are too stupid to do the same, so, actually, it's a lot better - thank you very much. You sling the familiar weight over your shoulder. {link to: 'Goblin Warrens Sleeping Chamber', label: 'Back'} {ascii backdrop: 'loading'}

LoinclothOn: true -- You snatch the loincloth from its peg. The hide is stiff from the morning cold, and it takes a moment to work some flexibility back into it. You tie the thongs tight around your plump hips, the worn leather settling into its familiar curves. {link to: 'Warrens Wardrobe (Intro)', label: 'Back'} {ascii backdrop: 'loading'}

WrapOn: true -- The fungus-cloth wrap is rough against your fingers. You shake it out once, sending a few loose spores into the air, before pulling it over your head. The dull red fabric settles over your shoulders, covering the soft curve of your belly as well as part of your ass. It smells faintly of beet-root dye and damp stone. {link to: 'Warrens Wardrobe (Intro)', label: 'Back'} {ascii backdrop: 'loading'}

BracersOn: true -- The bracers are made from curved segments of upper-bear rib, polished smooth and lashed together with dried sinew. You tie the cords tight around your forearms. They feel familiar, protective. Good for fending off the spiny crawlers that sometimes get too curious during gathering. Also a deterrent to monsters lying in wait through the tunnels... but not by much. {link to: 'Warrens Wardrobe (Intro)', label: 'Back'} {ascii backdrop: 'loading'}

The smooth, worn stone of the warren gives way to jagged, natural rock that scrapes at your wrap as you run. Likewise, the air grows colder, tasting of deep earth and wet stone. The friendly patches of lumina-moss become sparse, their teal glow replaced by a darkness broken only by the drip of water catching the light. Something with too many legs skitters away from your approaching feet. [[You barely notice.->Intro 3.5.2 - Tunnels 3]]

[JavaScript] engine.state.set("isCutscene",comesFromCutscene()); engine.state.set("isFuture",checkFuture()); engine.state.set("isMisaligned",checkMisaligned()); engine.state.set("isGorged",checkGorged()); [continue] {embed passage: 'Deep Satchel Menu Logic'}

[unless passage.name == 'Satchel'; unless isCutscene; unless isFuture; unless isMisaligned; unless passage.name == 'Settings'] {link to: 'Satchel', label: 'Satchel'} [if passage.name == 'Satchel'] {link to: last_ingame_passage, label: 'Back'} [if isCutscene; if isGorged] {ascii backdrop: 'gorged'} [if isCutscene; if isMisaligned; unless isGorged] {ascii backdrop: 'misaligned'} [unless isCutscene; if isMisaligned; unless isGorged] {ascii backdrop: 'misaligned'} [if isCutscene; if isFuture; unless isGorged; unless isMisaligned] {ascii backdrop: 'future'} [unless isCutscene; if isFuture; unless isGorged; unless isMisaligned] {ascii backdrop: 'future'} [if isCutscene; unless isFuture; unless isMisaligned; unless isGorged] {ascii backdrop: 'loading'} [continue]

[JavaScript] engine.state.set("last_ingame_passage",get_last_ingame_passage()); [continue] [if LeikaWeight == 'NONE'] You reach into the familiar roughness of your root-fiber satchel. Your fingers brush past a smooth river stone, a half-whittled bit of bone, and gain access to the deeper parts of it, where you keep your tools and treasures. [continue] [if LeikaWeight == 'CHUBBY'] You shift the strap. Again. It keeps sliding down your shoulder to dig into the new, soft cushion of your neck. *Rude.* You have to nudge the bag back, as it seems determined to rest right on the curve of your hip, which is... well, wider than it was yesterday. You reach inside. [continue] [if LeikaWeight == 'PLUMP'] You huff, resting the satchel on your lap. The strap is getting uncomfortably tight across your chest, squeezing you in a way that is... not dignified for a holy servant? Or maybe *more* dignified? You have to suck in a breath to reach past the warm, stubborn curve of your own belly. [continue] [if LeikaWeight == 'FAT'] You've loosened the strap to the very last hole, and the bag still rides high, perched ridiculously atop the shelf of your flank. It sticks out. You stick out. Your arm rubs against your own soft side as you dig inside, the rough fiber scratching your skin. Who made this strap so short? [continue] [if LeikaWeight == 'OBESE'] The satchel lives on the floor now. Putting the strap over your shoulder is a war you have lost - you are way too winded to try it again. You lean sideways, your side-rolls folding against each other, to fish around inside. [continue] [if ProphecySeen] [[➼->Leika's Belly (Satchel)]] Your Belly. {inventory LeikaBelly} [continue] [[➼->CH.3 Pocket Watch]] The Golden Bug.{inventory GoldenBug} [if GearTaken] [[➼->Metal Gear]] A Metal Disc.{inventory MetalGear} [continue] [if TrenchLighterTaken] [[➼->Trench Lighter]] The Fire Box.{inventory TrenchLighter} [continue] [if SlimePackRemoved; unless PackCleaned] [[➼->Foul Pack]] A Foul Pack.{inventory FoulPack} [continue] [if QuillAndPaperFound] [[➼->Quill and Paper (CH3)]] The Scribbly Stick.{inventory QuillAndPaper} [continue] [if WireSawTaken] [[➼->Wire Saw]] A Toothy String.{inventory WireSaw} [continue] [if TuningForkTaken] [[➼->Tuning Fork]] The Singing Stick.{inventory TuningFork} [continue] {link to: last_ingame_passage, label: 'Back'} {ascii backdrop: 'satchel'}

[JavaScript] engine.state.set("isCutscene",comesFromCutscene()); [continue] {embed passage: 'CH3 Deep Settings Menu Logic'}

[unless passage.name == 'Satchel'; unless passage.name == 'Wraps'; unless isCutscene; unless passage.name == 'Settings'] {save to file: 'Save'} | {load save: 'Load'} [continue] [unless passage.name == 'Satchel'; unless passage.name == 'Wraps'; if isCutscene; unless passage.name == 'Settings'] {save to file: 'Save'} | {load save: 'Load'} [if passage.name == 'Settings'] {save to file: 'Save'} | {load save: 'Load'} [if passage.name == 'Satchel'] {link to: 'Settings', label: 'Settings'} [if passage.name == 'Wraps'] {link to: 'Settings', label: 'Settings'} [continue]

CurrentBiome (passage.name == 'Sleeping Warrens (post intro)'): 'Warrens' CurrentBiome (passage.name == 'Northwest Tunnel'): 'TunnelNW' CurrentBiome (passage.name == 'West Tunnel'): 'TunnelW' CurrentBiome (passage.name == 'Southwest Tunnel'): 'TunnelSW' CurrentBiome (passage.name == 'North Tunnel'): 'TunnelN' CurrentBiome (passage.name == 'Central Tunnel'): 'TunnelC' CurrentBiome (passage.name == 'South Tunnel'): 'TunnelS' CurrentBiome (passage.name == 'Northeast Tunnel'): 'TunnelNE' CurrentBiome (passage.name == 'East Tunnel'): 'TunnelE' CurrentBiome (passage.name == 'Southeast Tunnel'): 'TunnelSE' CurrentBiome (passage.name == 'Great Chamber'): 'Chamber' CurrentBiome (passage.name == 'Slime Caverns Entrance Router' || passage.name == 'Slime Caverns Hub' || passage.name == 'Slime Pool North' || passage.name == 'Slime Pool East' || passage.name == 'Slime Pool West'): 'Slime' CurrentBiome (passage.name == 'Fungal Plains Entrance' || passage.name == 'Fungal Plains Hub' || passage.name == 'Fungal Farm' || passage.name == 'Gated Cavern' || passage.name == 'Rusted Grotto'): 'Fungal' CurrentBiome (passage.name == 'Maw Chamber Diorama'): 'Maw' CurrentBiome (passage.name == 'Great Chamber - First Time Return'): 'Chamber' CurrentBiome (passage.name == 'CH3 Demo End'): 'DemoEnd' inFutureChamber (passage.name == 'Future Chamber - Stage NONE' || passage.name == 'Future Chamber - Stage PLUMP' || passage.name == 'Future Chamber - Stage FAT' || passage.name == 'Future Chamber - Stage OBESE' || passage.name == 'Future Chamber - Stage ALMOST IMMOBILE' || passage.name == 'Future Chamber - Stage IMMOBILE' || passage.name == 'Future Chamber Router'): true inFutureChamber (passage.name == 'Great Chamber'): false -- [JavaScript] engine.state.set("isFuture",checkFuture()); engine.state.set("isMisaligned",checkMisaligned()); [continue] {embed passage: 'CH3 Ascii Deep Logic'} [continue]

[if isFuture; unless isMisaligned] {embed passage: 'IsFuture Page Layout Logic'} [continue] [unless isFuture; if isMisaligned] {embed passage: 'isMisaligned Page Layout Logic'} [if isFuture; if isMisaligned] {embed passage: 'isMisaligned Page Layout Logic'} [unless isFuture; unless isMisaligned] {embed passage: 'CH3 Normal Page Layout Logic'} [continue]

The familiar spirals and circles of the warren are gone. Here, older marks scar the walls - straight lines and sharp angles that make your fur prickle. Old magic. Grama said these tunnels led to the Before-Times places. Ahead, the tunnel widens. The jagged rock gives way to massive, perfectly cut blocks of stone, black and smooth. Not goblin-work. And from a towering archway carved into this ancient wall, a warm, golden light spills out. The Great Chamber. You slow your run to a reverent walk as you approach. [[You have arrived.->Intro 3.6 - Arrival 1]]

You creep into the Great Chamber, trying to make yourself small, to slip unnoticed behind the last row of your kin. The Goddess's voice washes over you as she gestures toward a carving on the wall. But then the humming stops. Every head turns. You recognize Grizel's sneer, Daka's wide, innocent eyes, and Grama's usual scowl. And then, the worst of all, [[Her gaze finds you.->Intro 3.6.5 - Arrival 1.5]]

She stands just before the great granite throne. Her white gown, a treasure from the Sky-Walker's chests, is pulled open for comfort, revealing the holy swell of Her belly. She... well, that's not anger. Something else. Weariness? Disappointment? Oh dear. You frown. How can you blame her? This is the third time you have failed to wake up in time! What a *fool* you are! Her finger, soft and pale, lifts and curls. You turn your left, then right, then point to yourself... but with a gulp and a heart hammering against your ribs, you get to walking towards her throne, [[kneeling before Her.->Intro 3.7 - Arrival 2]]

Your head is level with Her navel, tucked into the holy curve of Her belly. You feel the heat of Her skin through the thin white fabric of Her gown, smell something sweet like berries and warm bread. Above you, the great mountains of Her breasts rise and fall with each divine breath. Her hand, soft and pale, disappears into a fold of Her gown. You and your congregation *gasp*. You never knew She had pockets. [[What wonders must they hold?->Intro 3.7.5 - Arrival 2.5]]

GoldenBugGifted: true -- Her hand returns, holding a small, shining sun. It dangles from a golden vine, ticking like a skitter-bug's heart. It glints in the moss-light, so bright you squint. Her other hand comes down, and a pale finger - so huge! - taps the shiny sun's clear face, then points directly at you. A gift. *It must be a gift*!! For you. Her gaze is expectant. With trembling hands, you hold them out, cupped together. The golden bug is lowered into your palms. It is heavier than it looks, and warm, and the ticking hums right through your skin and into your bones. [[You stare at it, speechless.->Intro 3.8 - Arrival 3]]

Take that, Daka! *Look at the Goddess's favorite now!* You stare down at the golden bug in your palms. It has a round, golden shell surrounding an ivory-white face. A long, black leg circles the face - it seems to be the source of the steady *tick, tick, tick*. Faint black marks with pointy edges circle around it. You prod at a small bump on its side. With a soft click, a second golden shell snaps down over the face, almost taking your other thumb with it. [[The ticking stops.->Intro 3.8.5 - Arrival 3.5]]

*Oh, no...* The sudden silence is deafening. You look up, wide-eyed, a nervous apology on your lips for breaking the holy bug... but the words freeze in your throat. [[Everything has frozen.->Frozen Chamber]] {ascii backdrop: 'chronos'}

FrozenChamberInteractions (passage.visits == 1): 0 -- [if FrozenChamberInteractions <= 3] Everything is stone-still. The Goddess, your kin, even the dust motes hanging in the moss-light. You stand alone in a world of statues. Before you, [[The Goddess->CH3 Eleanor (Frozen)]] stands, the white fabric of Her gown hanging without a single ripple. She is before Her great [[granite throne->Throne (Frozen)]], at the base of which lie the morning's [[offerings->Offerings (Frozen)]]. To Her left is the smooth [[teaching stone->Teaching Stone (Frozen)]]. Behind Her, the great [[prophecy wall->Prophecy Wall (Frozen)]] rises into shadow, its sacred carvings hidden by Her divine form. All around, [[your kin->Chamber Goblins (Frozen)]] are caught mid-fidget, mid-whisper, mid-sneeze. *The doors to the chamber have been closed behind you.* [continue] [if FrozenChamberInteractions >= 4] The golden bug in your hand feels heavy. You look down at its closed shell, and the world melts. The stone walls ripple like water in a disturbed pool. The moss-light dims, then flares, washing everything in a blinding teal flash that makes you squeeze your eyes shut. The deep hum of the chamber rises to a painful shriek, [[then cuts to absolute silence.->Frozen Chamber Future Vision Trigger]] {ascii backdrop: 'chronos'} [continue]

FrozenChamberInteractions (passage.visits == 1): FrozenChamberInteractions + 1 -- [if passage.visits == 1] You dare to creep closer. She is so tall. Her honey-blonde hair is a frozen waterfall over her shoulders, and you can see the tiny spots scattered across Her nose. Her round seeing-glasses have slipped down, showing a tiny web of cracks in one corner you hadn't noticed before. Her lips are parted, the sound of Her lesson caught forever in Her throat. And Her belly... the holy swell of it pushes the white gown forward, a perfect, warm-looking curve. You feel a sudden, fierce urge to press your cheek against it. Is that wise? [continue] [if passage.visits == 2] *You cannot resist.* You step forward, into Her divine presence, and press your face against the white fabric covering Her belly. The fine weave of the gown feels impossibly smooth, cool against your skin, but a deep, living heat radiates from within. The fat yields generously under the pressure, and your face sinks into the soft, pillowy expanse. Your ear, now pressed against Her, picks up a low, frozen gurgle... A giddy thrill shoots through you. On impulse, you wrap your arms around Her, trying to encircle this mountain of a stomach. It is a fool's errand. Your arms stretch wide, but your fingers don't even come close to meeting on the other side; they simply disappear into the soft flanks at Her sides. Your face is buried in the warm, yielding cushion of Her. She is so vast. You are barely a belt. [continue] [if passage.visits > 2] Your cheeks grow warm as you recall the feeling. You keep a more respectful distance this time. She is so tall. Her honey-blonde hair is a frozen waterfall over her shoulders, and you can see the tiny spots scattered across Her nose. Her round seeing-glasses have slipped down, showing a tiny web of cracks in one corner you hadn't noticed before. Her lips are parted, the sound of Her lesson caught forever in Her throat. [continue] {link to: 'Frozen Chamber', label: 'Back'}

FrozenChamberInteractions (passage.visits == 1): FrozenChamberInteractions + 1 -- The Great Throne. Carved from a single piece of black star-stone, its arms wide enough for two goblins to sit on. It is not goblin-work, for who of us could be something that could support her this well? It is from the Before-Times. Where Her great bottom and back rest, the stone is worn smooth as a river pebble, and the faint patterns in the rock have been polished away by the constant, heavy presence of Her divinity... well, more likely the water that once dripped from the chamber's ceiling. You remember when it was just a cold, empty seat in an old ruin. Before Her. Now... now it is a cradle. The holiest of nests. {link to: 'Frozen Chamber', label: 'Back'}

FrozenChamberInteractions (passage.visits == 1): FrozenChamberInteractions + 1 -- You look down at the morning's tribute, laid out on wide, flat fungus-leaves at the base of the throne. It is... not much. A small pile of pale lumina-mushrooms, their caps still emitting a weak, sleepy light. A single skewer of roasted cave grubs, their shells blackened and brittle. A bowl carved from soft stone holding a handful of sour-smelling purple berries. Grak brought the grubs. He always brings grubs. He thinks it makes him a great hunter, but everyone knows he just finds them in the damp tunnels near the waste pits. Pathetic. Is this all we can offer Her magnificent, divine hunger? A few bugs and sour berries? Her holy stomach would be rumbling in disappointment if it wasn't frozen in time. Your own rumbles just looking at them. *No, Leika. Bad. These are for Her.* {link to: 'Frozen Chamber', label: 'Back'}

FrozenChamberInteractions (passage.visits == 1): FrozenChamberInteractions + 1 -- The teaching stone is just a big slab of slate, smooth and dark, propped against a smaller rock. The Goddess draws on it with a piece of soft, white chalk-stone. Holy pictures. Power-marks. Today's lesson is frozen on the surface. There is a drawing of a mushroom, and next to it, strange, sharp symbols. There is a drawing of a goblin - a short, chubby one, just like you! - and more of the same symbols follow. Her lines are so sure, so perfect. It actually looks like a goblin. What tecnique! You do not understand the marks. A name, perhaps? A prayer to abundance? You stare, trying to burn the shapes into your memory. This is divine knowledge. Can you, a mortal, even learn this? The Goddess certainly believes it so. {link to: 'Frozen Chamber', label: 'Back'}

FrozenChamberInteractions (passage.visits == 1): FrozenChamberInteractions + 1 -- You try to peer around Her, to catch a glimpse of the sacred carvings... but it's no use. Her divine form, so vast and magnificent, blocks the holy wall completely. From this angle, you can see nothing but the curve of Her back and the great swell of Her bottom, both very close against the ancient stone. It does not matter: you know the words carved there by heart. {link to: 'Frozen Chamber', label: 'Back'}

FrozenChamberInteractions (passage.visits == 1): FrozenChamberInteractions + 1 -- You turn your attention to your kin, scattered on the cold floor. A whole chamber of statues. There is Grama, his wrinkled face set in a permanent scowl, arms crossed over his chest. He probably disapproved of something the Goddess drew. He always disapproves. You can almost hear him muttering about "new ways" and "the old hunger." And there, near the front, is Daka. Not even looking at the Goddess! Her head is turned toward Grizel, her mouth open in a silent giggle, her eyes wide with some shared joke. Unbelivable. You are the only one who can move. The only one who can see them for what they are in this moment: just... still. You are the one the Golden Bug chose. This... must be a sign. {link to: 'Frozen Chamber', label: 'Back'}

When you dare to look again... [[the chamber is empty.->Future Chamber - Stage NONE]]

The Great Chamber is hollow. A great, aching quiet has settled where the Goddess's voice once hummed. The air is still and tastes of dust, and event the moss-light from the walls seems weaker now, casting a sickly teal glow over a scene of abandonment. Her [[great granite throne->Throne (Future)]] is just a chair, cold and empty. On the dusty flagstones before it, something small glints in the dim light: Her [[seeing-glasses->Glasses (Future)]]. And the wall behind the throne... now you can see it. The [[sacred carvings->Prophecy Wall (Future)]] are fully visible, no longer hidden. *Turning around, you can see that the entrance of the chamber has been blocked off by a [[pile of debris->Pile of Debris (Future)]].* [if ProphecySeen; inventory for GoldenBug] [[The bug shivers...->Great Chamber]] [continue]

A deep, dead cold seeps into your fingertips when you dare touch the blackened granite throne. The seat is still rough, its ancient star-stone patterns sharp under your palm. A thin web, spun by a starved-looking spider, stretches from one of the wide arms to the backrest. {link to: 'Future Chamber - Stage NONE', label: 'Back'}

You kneel, reaching for the small, round seeing-glasses. The once golden frames are now weathered green and bent. The tiny web of cracks you saw before has shattered completely, leaving a spiderweb of broken glass in one lens. Through the other, the dusty floor looks blurry, warped, as if someone stepped on it. You hold them in your palm... a wave of sadness washes over you. You set them back down, exactly where you found them. What happened here? {link to: 'Future Chamber - Stage NONE', label: 'Back'}

Now with nothing in the way, the sacred carvings are finally clear. You run your small, chubby fingers over the ancient lines etched into the cold stone. They are deeper than they look. You recognize the great spiral of the cavern system, the five paths leading from the center. You see the shape of a goblin, small and kneeling. And you see Her, growing larger and larger with each carved panel, until She fills the stone entirely. And the words... [unless ProphecySeen] [[You trace the glyphs you know by heart.->The Prophecy]] [continue] [if ProphecySeen] [[The bug shivers, and the world snaps back into place.->Great Chamber]] [continue]

You scramble over to the entrance. It's gone. Sealed completely by a massive jumble of stone and earth that reaches all the way to the chamber's high ceiling. There is no way out. A desperate hope makes you press your ear against one of the largest, flatest stones, listening for... anything. The sound of the wind? Another goblin? At first, nothing. Then... *thump*. A deep, slow, rhythmic sound. Muffled and distant, but so powerful you feel it in your teeth, a vibration inside of your skull. *Thump*. Like a heartbeat. Or something walking on the other side. *Thump*. You scramble back from the wall of debris. That does *not* sound friendly. {link to: 'Future Chamber - Stage NONE', label: 'Back'}

{embed passage: 'Prophecy Text'} As the last word settles in your heart, the golden bug in your hand gives a single, sharp, impossibly loud *TICK*. [[The world shivers in response.->Return to Present 1]] [note] Redacted text hidden for demo purposes. [continue]

ProphecySeen: true -- The dusty air of the empty future grows thick, then dissolves into a swirl of sickly teal and warm gold. The deep silence is shattered by a low hum, faint at first, then growing stronger, vibrating through your bones. It is Her voice. The cold, empty throne blurs, and for a heartbeat, two thrones exist at once - one dusty and abandoned, the other warm and occupied. The figures of your kin flicker back into existence around you, transparent as ghosts, then solidifying. [[The world snaps back into place.->Return to Present 2]]

You are on your knees again, on the cold stone of the Great Chamber. The golden bug is warm in your hands. You look up. The Goddess is looking down at you, her lesson interrupted. The other goblins are staring. The world is moving again. Her finger, which had been pointing at you, now gives a little wave. The Goddes might have her mysterious ways, but you know this one by heart: [[a dismissal.->Return to Present 3]]

But your purpose is clear now. You saw what happens if you fail. [[What happens if *we* fail.->Return to Present 4]]

You... are not going to let that happen. From this moment onward, your life's mission as The Goddess newly appointed favorite of Her flock is **to make sure the prophecy comes to fruition**. Nothing bad shall come to haunt your Goddess of Hunger! She will be allowed the means to grow forever, so that we may be worthy of salvation from the mosters of deep. The only things she will need to worry is being tributed a meal big enough to have her struggle to finish it to completion... ...if such a thing even exists. *Ha!* Yes, yes, yes... [[How *exciting*!->Return to Present 5]]

You scramble to your feet, clutching the golden bug, and hurry from Her presence. [[You have great work ahead of you.->Great Chamber]]

[[🤍The Goddess->CH.3 Eleanor (present)]] turns Her attention to the lesson at hand. She stands near Her [[great granite throne->The Great Granite Throne]]. At its base, the meager [[morning's offerings->Morning's Offerings]]. Her gestures are slow, deliberate, pointing towards marks on the smooth [[teaching stone->The Teaching Stone]]. Now to the side of Her, the [[prophecy wall->The Prophecy Wall]] looms, its ancient carvings rising into the gloom. Your kin, the other [[goblins->Chamber Goblins]], surround you on all sides. [if passage.visit == 3] *You clutch the golden bug through the fabric of your satchel, its warm metal a comforting weight against your hip.* [continue] Behind you, the wide archway leading back out to the [[⚫caves->North Tunnel]] beckons. [JavaScript] // This flag confirms that the player has entered the chamber and "seen" the current lesson. // It signals to the tunnel script that it is now safe to draw the next lesson for the *next* visit. engine.state.set('LessonSeen', true); [continue] [inventory for GoldenBug] [[It seems to be ticking faster...->Future Chamber Router]] [continue]

The Goddess. She stands, a mountain of soft white cloth and warm, living flesh. The gown She wears is parted down the middle, unable to contain the holy expanse of Her belly, which spills into Her lap in a perfect, round curve. You feel a divine heat radiating from it, even from here. Her honey-blonde hair frames Her face, and Her seeing-glasses have slipped down Her nose as She focuses on the lesson. [if CurrentLessonState == 'letters'] Her lips part, letting out a long, drawn-out sound as She points to the stalactite symbol. "Aaaah." Then Her hand moves to the Well-Fed One, and the sound changes to a short, round pop. "Buh." A few of your kin try to copy it - you quickly follow suit -, but only manage a series of confused grunts. The Goddess pinches the bridge of Her nose, a gesture you have come to understand as deep, divine contemplation. [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'botany'] She holds the chalk with two fingers, Her movement light and airy as She adds a loop to the top of the stem. She pauses, tilting Her head to the side, Her brow furrowed. A sigh escapes Her, fluttering the loose strands of hair by Her face. She wipes a smudge of white dust from Her fingers onto Her gown, leaving a faint, holy mark on the fabric stretched across Her hip. She looks... unsatisfied with her drawing. [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'monsters'] The Goddess is animated! She makes a sweeping gesture over Her head, mimicking the flowing mane of the beast, then stomps Her foot on the dais - *thud*. Her belly gives a firm, heavy wobble with the impact. She bares Her teeth, making a strange, rolling sound in Her throat. "Rrr-run." She points a stern finger at the drawing, then at the exit. It is a terrifying performance. [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'anatomy'] She turns from the stone, Her hand moving to rest atop the high slope of Her own stomach. She presses down, Her fingers sinking deep into the soft, white fabric and the flesh beneath. She intones... something you don't quite get, giving the holy mound a firm, instructional pat that sends a ripple through her gown. She looks down at Herself, then back at the drawing, nodding slowly. You and a couple of others clap excitedly: a perfect demonstration! [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'math'] She taps the slate with the chalk - *tap, tap, tap* - a sharp, rhythmic sound that echoes in the quiet chamber. She points to the pile of berries, then holds up three fingers. Then two. Then she sighs, a long, weary exhale that makes Her shoulders slump. The buttons on Her bodice strain as She reaches up to cross out a tally mark, Her arm shaking slightly with the effort. Heavy is the crown, Grama says. Heavy is the counting, you think. [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'rest'] A soft rumble, a holy snore, escapes Her lips. She has slumped to one side on the granite throne, Her head lolled against the soft pillow of Her own shoulder. Her body has settled, spreading out to consume the seat entirely. The stone arms of the throne disappear completely beneath the soft overflow of Her hips and thighs. With each deep, slow breath, the mountain of Her stomach rises and falls, and the whole throne seems to sigh under Her divine weight. [continue] {link to: 'Great Chamber', label: 'Back'}

[unless CurrentLessonState == 'rest'] Your eyes drift upward, tracing the powerful lines of the empty throne. It is carved from a single, massive piece of star-stone, its surface so black it seems to drink the moss-light. The arms are wide enough for two goblins to sit on, their edges worn smooth not by time, but by the holy weight of Her divine form. You remember when this was just a cold, strange rock in an old, forgotten ruin. Before Her. Now, a cradle! The holiest of nests. The heart of the world. [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'rest'] A soft rumble, a holy snore, escapes Her lips. She has slumped to one side, Her head lolled against the soft pillow of Her own shoulder. Her body has settled, spreading out to consume the seat entirely. The stone arms of the throne disappear completely beneath the soft overflow of Her hips and thighs. The white fabric of Her gown is pulled taut across the vast curve of Her back, revealing the precise line where the ancient star-stone presses into the yielding pale flesh of Her shoulders. With each deep, slow breath, the mountain of Her stomach rises and falls, and the whole throne seems to sigh under Her divine weight. The great throne... it seems almost small now, a mere pedestal for Her magnificent, resting form. [continue] {link to: 'Great Chamber', label: 'Back'}

You look down at the tribute laid out on the wide fungus-leaves at the base of the throne. *Gah!* Pathetic. There is Grak's single skewer of roasted cave grubs, burnt as usual. He probably found them near the waste pits again. A small pile of lumina-mushrooms give off a weak, sleepy light; they look like the kind that grow in the upper tunnels, the ones with hardly any taste. And a small stone bowl holds a handful of sour-smelling purple berries that always give you a stomach ache. Is this all they could muster for Her? For the holy, divine hunger that will save you all? You can almost hear her stomach rumble in disappointment from across the chamber. Your own rumbles just looking at it. No. This will not do. {link to: 'Great Chamber', label: 'Back'}

The teaching stone is a large slab of smooth, dark slate propped against a smaller rock. This is where the Goddess imparts Her divine knowledge, drawing holy pictures with a piece of soft, white chalk-stone. [if CurrentLessonState == 'letters'] Today's lesson is on Her holy marks. The chalk makes a dry, scratching sound as She draws. First, a sharp peak with a line across its middle... symbol for a stalactite, you think. Then, next to it, two round shapes stacked one atop the other... Ah, that one you know! It is the mark for a well-fed goblin. Or perhaps it is a drawing of the Goddess Herself, Her holy chest resting on Her belly. The last one is a simple curve, like a slice of sickle-cap mushroom. [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'botany'] The slate is covered in drawings of... plants? Bushes? You squint at them. They are strange, spindly things. A long, straight line for a stem - no ridges, no thorns? - topped with a simple circle of loops. It looks defenseless. Weak. Where are the spore-gills? Where are the slime-catchers? She draws them with such confidence, but a plant like that wouldn't last a heartbeat in the deep tunnels. Perhaps the flora of the Sky-Walkers is just... well, it could just be badly drawn. You can't expect a Goddess to do it all. [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'monsters'] You shudder looking at the white lines. She has drawn a beast! It stands on four legs, like a lizard, but it has no tail and its face is long and heavy. And on its neck... hair? A mane of fur? A bunch of lines are added behind it - it looks fast. It looks hungry. She taps the drawing with the chalk, her voice firm, as if warning you of the dangers this bloodthirsty creature presents. A "Hou-Ar See." You gulp, hoping never to meet one. [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'anatomy'] It is a map of the self. She has drawn the outline of a kin, and inside, She has placed circles. One in the chest, high up. Two soft sacks to the side. But Her focus, and the focus of every goblin in the room, is on the large, central circle She has drawn low in the torso. The Stomach. She has drawn it largest of all, the center of the body's world. The Divine Furnace. The Source. You nod solemnly; this is a truth you understand in your bones. [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'math'] The stone is covered in tallies. Rows of mushrooms, scratched out. Piles of berries, circled. An arrow pointing from a small pile to a larger one. It is the Law of Tribute written in stone, not unlike the one of the queen your kin once followed. You count the marks: for every five gathered, two must be given. No... wait, She just erased a line. Three must be given? *Oh dear.* It is a hard lesson, but a fair one. The Goddess must be fed. [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'rest'] The slate has been wiped clean with a dry cloth, leaving only a ghost of white dust swirling across the dark surface. The nub of chalk sits in the groove at the base of the stone, unused. There is no lesson now, only the holy sound of Her rest. [continue] {link to: 'Great Chamber', label: 'Back'}

CurrentLessonState: 'something' -- [unless CurrentLessonState == 'rest'] {embed passage: 'Prophecy Text'} [unless CurrentLessonState == 'rest'; align center] {link to: 'Great Chamber', label: 'Back'} [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'rest'] You try to peer past the throne, but it's no use. The Goddess, now resting, is blocking the view. It is a funny thing, is it not? To know the words of the prophecy, but to be unable to see them because the prophecy is coming true right in front of you. {link to: 'Great Chamber', label: 'Back'} [continue]

[if CurrentLessonState == 'letters'] Your kin are a fidgety, whispering mess. A few, like you, are trying to pay attention, their brows furrowed in concentration. Most, however, are not. You see [[Grizel]] scratching a clumsy copy of the Well-Fed One symbol in the dust with his claw, then rubbing it out in frustration, his own looking-glasses nearly falling off of his nose. Near the front, [[Daka]] is not even looking at the teaching stone; her head is bent close to another goblin's, her mouth moving in a silent stream of gossip. Off to the side, old [[Grama]] just scowls, arms crossed over his chest, his gaze fixed on the ceiling as if asking the stone for patience. And in the back, [[Grak]] is polishing his hunting spear with a greasy rag, clearly bored. [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'botany'] Your kin are... confused. You see [[Grama]] scowling at the teaching stone, shaking his head so hard his ears flap. [[Grizel]] has tilted his head so far to the side he looks like he might fall over, trying to make sense of the strange, spindly shapes. Even [[Daka]] looks skeptical, whispering something to her neighbor while pointing at the stem. Only [[Grak]] looks bored, picking his teeth; he clearly doesn't care about anything he can't stab. [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'monsters'] A hush has fallen over the room. The fear is thick enough to chew. [[Grak]] stands rigid, his knuckles white on his spear shaft, eyes locked on the hairy beast-drawing. Near the front, [[Daka]] is pale, her mouth hanging open. Only the group nearest the dias - today a few of younger kits - seem not to grasp the threat that the creature poses, laughing in delight at the Goddess mimicking it. Though... she seems pleased by this? Uh... [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'anatomy'] There is a low, reverent murmur. As the Goddess touches Her holy stomach, a dozen green hands mimic the motion. [[Grama]] nods slowly, eyes closed in meditation. [[Daka]] puffs out her cheeks and her belly, trying to match the divine roundness. They get it. We all get it. [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'math'] Panic. Pure, silent panic. [[Grizel]] is frantically counting on his fingers, running out of digits, and starting over with a look of horror. [[Daka]] looks suddenly guilty, trying to discreetly hide a small pouch of berries behind her back. [[Grama]] is scratching his chin, his lips moving in silent calculation. [[Grak]] just looks confused, staring at his own empty hands as if wondering where his tribute went. [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'rest'] With the Goddess resting, a quiet, restless energy fills the chamber. The lesson's tension is gone, replaced by the low murmur of goblin chatter. A small group in the corner has already started a game, tossing knuckle-bones onto a stretched piece of hide. A few others have simply curled up where they sat, their soft snores joining the divine rumble from the throne. You spot [[Daka]] gesturing wildly, recounting some no-doubt exaggerated story to a captivated audience of two. [[Grama]], predictably, is muttering to himself, tracing old symbols in a patch of dust with a gnarled finger. Nearby, [[Grizel]] is trying to show him a new type of knot, but the old goblin seems completely uninterested. Meanwhile, [[Grak]] stands with his hunting party near the exit, laughing loudly at some cruel joke, his spear resting proudly on his shoulder. [continue] {link to: 'Great Chamber', label: 'Back'}

correctartefact: 3 arrowheadstaken: true clayvesseltaken: true SkullTaken: true -- She pauses to adjust her skirt's waistband where it digs into her flesh as a tram clatters past. Her route takes her past warehouse workers unloading crates and a bakery window fogged with steam - the scent of fresh bread mingles unpleasantly with the coal dust clinging to her collar. At each intersection, her pace slows fractionally. You observe how her breathing shallows while ascending the gentle slope toward the neoclassical facade that looms [[ahead.->Intro 2.1]] [note] Here I've placed all provisional variables that relate to the previous chapter, as I do envision some of the actions taken in the first chapter to influence some minor things in this chapter too, it would be cool. Maybe some major stuff too, we'll see. [continue]

The building's portico stretches overhead, its limestone columns streaked with decades of soot. Eleanor mounts the stairs with care, one hand bracing against the iron railing while the other clutches her bag to her midsection. A uniformed attendant - a very tall, young-looking lad - holds the brass-framed door open just wide enough for her to sidle through without brushing the glass. "Morning, Miss Lovelace," he says, without really bothering to glance towards her. [[She nods back, and enters through.->Museum Entrance]]

SecondChDemo: false config.style.backdrop: "#563232" config.style.page.color: "black on amber-2" config.style.page.link.color: "cinnamon-5" config.style.page.link.lineColor: "cinnamon-4" config.style.page.link.active.color: "raspberry-4 on amber-2" config.style.page.link.active.lineColor: "cinnamon-6" config.style.page.footer.link.color: "cinnamon-5" config.style.page.footer.link.lineColor: "cinnamon-4" config.style.page.footer.link.active.color: "raspberry-4 on amber-2" config.style.page.footer.link.active.lineColor: "cinnamon-6" config.style.page.header.link.active.color: "raspberry-4 on amber-2" config.header.right: "{embed passage: 'Powers Menu Logic'}" config.header.left: "{embed passage: 'Ascii Logic (Chapter 2)'}" config.footer.center: "{embed passage: 'Settings Menu Logic'}" WeightGained: 'NONE' TotalCalories: 0 DayCalories: 0 DayFullnessState: 'HUNGRY' ExpeditionFunds: 0 ResearchProgress: 0 ResearchConnectedToVessel: false EleanorMine: 0 MatterAbility: true TimeAbility: true PersuasionAbility: true correctartefact: 3 arrowheadstaken: true clayvesseltaken: true SkullTaken: true bathtub: false CurrentDay: 'NONE' NextDay: 'MONDAY' SlotOneEvent: 'INTRO MEETING' SlotTwoEvent: 'CAFE' SlotThreeEvent: 'ICECREAM' Intro2: false IntroMeetingAttended: false PolishExhibitSetup: false ExpertConsultationAttended: false PrivateTourAttended: false SocietyLectureAttended: false BankMeetingAttended: false GeologyClubAttended: false GardenPartyAttended: false AuctionAttended: false ArchiveReviewAttended: false PrivateResearchAttended: false TranslationSessionAttended: false WeekendExpeditionAttended: false LunchWithMary: false LunchWithDirector: false MarketVisited: false ApothecaryVisited: false TrainStationVisited: false GraveVisited: false TeaWithMaryAttended: false SocietyBallAttended: false VioletCrateAttended: false MikaCollectionRevealed: false VioletCrateRevealed: false MaryTeaSuccessful: false VioletArchiveSuccessful: false GardenPartyHangover: false AssistanceProvided: false DateProposed: false ExpeditionProposed: false RichardEngagment: false VioletInterest: 0 RichardRelationship: 0 MaryRelationship: 0 IntroMeetingTurns: 0 AmphoraState: 'base' TriedVibratingTheAmphoraInThePresent: false PastryCartVisible: false PastryCartPastSeen: false MarbleBustsFallen: false BronzeHelmetPastFallen: false IntroMeetingEleanorPersuasion: false IntroMeetingMaryPersuasion: false IntroMeetingVioletPersuasion: false IntroMeetingDirectorPersuasion: false OfficeIntroTurns: 0 PocketWatchOfficeHint: false PocketWatchOfficeHasBeenSeen: false ClayTabletFallen: false BusinessCardFallen: false BusinessCardPastSeen: false MagnifyingGlassScorched: false MagnifyingGlassCracked: false EyeMarkCreated: false VioletLookingGlassPersuasion: false ScarabPastSeen: false BronzeFigurinePastSeen: false DeskPastSeen: false MapPastSeen: false ExhibitDioramaTurns: 0 SweetsEaten: 0 RichardCompliment: false RichardFullDoubt: false RichardTrapped: false ApothecaryTurns: 0 ApothecaryBellRung: false LedgerChecked: false BottleLabelSwitchSeen: false OriginalLabelSeen: false ApothecaryPregnantPast: false ApothecaryScalePast: false TeaMaryTurns: 0 PastriesEaten: 0 FundingDiscussed: false BallInvitationOffered: false BallInvitationGained: false TeaMaryEleanorPersuaded: false TeaMaryMaryPersuaded: false CreamSpilled: false EleanorLustPersuaded: false MaryLustPersuaded: false QuillPaperFallen: false HandbagSpilled: false QuillPaperPowdered: false MaryPricked: false MarySickTriggered: false MaryPastryChoiceSeen: false DirectorLunchTurns: 0 DirectorFocused: false DirectorLunchEleanorPersuaded: false DirectorLunchEleanorPersuadedGluttony: false DirectorLunchDirectorPersuaded: false DirectorKnockedOut: 0 MirrorEventTurns: 0 MirrorEventFixed: false MirrorPastVisited: false MirrorGuardScared: false ArchiveReviewTurns: 0 MagnifyingGlassAligned: false ReflectiveObjectAligned: false GasLampFlareSeen: false VioletShadowAnomalySeen: false CratePastSeen: false VioletAnimusBlocked: false VioletArchiveReviewPersuaded: false VioletTeleported: false VioletCrateTurns: 0 VioletCratePathAChosen: false VioletCratePathBChosen: false VioletCrateOpened: false PryBarUsed: false TomePageViewed: 0 DrapedObjectRevealed: false MikaCrateChronos: false MikaTomeChronos: false MikaKnivesChronos: false MikaEffigyChronos: false MikaVioletAnimusAnticipation: false MikaVioletAnimusLonging: false MikaVioletAnimusAssurance: false MikaEleanorAnimusCuriosity: false MikaEleanorAnimusUnease: false MikaEleanorHungerTriggered: false GeologyClubTurns: 0 EleanorCuriosity: false DukePersuaded: false DukeGraniteUsed: false DukeMarbleUsed: false DukeObsidianUsed: false NautilusThrown: false SocietyBallTurns: 0 SocietyBallTimesReset: 0 MaryBallAnimus: '' BallCalories: 0 IndustrialistConvinced: false PatronWifeConvinced: false PianistConvinced: false EleanorSocietyBallPersuaded: false IndustrialistSocietyBallPersuaded: false PatronWifeSocietyBallPersuaded: false PianistSocietyBallPersuaded: false WeekendExpeditionTurns: 0 WeekendExpeditionResetCounter: 0 ExpeditionEnding: 'delayed' SpearsState: 'standing' AqueductState: 'intact' FrescoesState: 'pristine' OilLampsState: 'dim' MassageStonePlatformState: 'unknown_use' BarrierCleared: false BarrierAetherHelpful: false LustSpiritHelpfulActions: 0 LustSpiritOpposingActions: 0 LustSpiritCommitted: false AnimusBlocked: false CircleObjectsMoved: 0 CrateMoved: false DrapedStatueMoved: false LedgerStackMoved: false VioletFormRevealed: false VesselHideTurns: 0 VesselPushes: 0 VesselBroken: false MuseumEntranceIntroTurns: 0 MarketVisited: false VioletArchiveSuccessful: false HamperDeliveryAttended: false CharitableLuncheonAttended: false BenefactorLunchAttended: false VioletPlotStealVessel: false TotalCaloriesDebug: true DayCaloriesDebug: false SlotOneAttended: false SlotTwoAttended: false SlotThreeAttended: false MarySuccessTurns: 0 ResearchCompleted: false CataloguingTimes: 0 ForgottenEndingTurns: 0 PackingTurns: 0 PregnancyEndingTurns: 0 Clotofplaster: true handmirror: true Quillandpaper: true --

[JavaScript] const goddessWeight = engine.state.get('GoddessWeightGained'); const lessonHasBeenSeen = engine.state.get('LessonSeen'); // This script only runs if conditions are met to advance the lesson stage: // 1. We are past the initial tutorial weight ('PLUMP'). // 2. The player has confirmed the previous lesson by visiting the chamber ('LessonSeen' is true). if (goddessWeight !== 'PLUMP' && lessonHasBeenSeen) { let cycle = engine.state.get('lessonCycle') || []; if (cycle.length === 0) { // Master list excludes 'letters' as it's the tutorial lesson. const allLessons = ['botany', 'monsters', 'anatomy', 'math', 'rest']; for (let i = allLessons.length - 1; i > 0; i--) { const j = Math.floor(Math.random() * (i + 1)); [allLessons[i], allLessons[j]] = [allLessons[j], allLessons[i]]; } cycle = allLessons; } const nextLesson = cycle.pop(); engine.state.set('CurrentLessonState', nextLesson); // Lower the flag immediately to prevent re-rolling the lesson if the player re-enters this passage. engine.state.set('LessonSeen', false); // Reset turn counters for all characters for the new lesson. // FIX: Using correct JS syntax for variable setting engine.state.set('DakaTurns', 0); engine.state.set('GrizelTurns', 0); engine.state.set('GramaTurns', 0); engine.state.set('GrakTurns', 0); } [continue]

GrizelTurns: GrizelTurns + 1 -- Grizel is taller, but also thinner than most, with huge ears that seem to pick up every echo in the caves. A pair of cracked, oversized looking-glasses are lashed to his head with twine, making his eyes look enormous. He clutches his slate to his bony chest like a shield. [if CurrentLessonState == 'letters'] Right now, that energy is focused on the floor. He scratches a clumsy copy of the 'Stalactite' symbol in the dust, his tongue protruding from the corner of his mouth in concentration. He stares at it, frowns, and furiously rubs it out to start again. He has done this five times. You giggle: he seems convinced that if the angle isn't perfect, the ceiling might actually fall! The fool... [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'botany'] He has tilted his head so far to the side he looks like he might tip over. He is squinting at the drawing of the spindly flower, mouthing a number of silent questions to himself. He holds up a piece of dried moss, comparing it to the board, and looks deeply distressed by the lack of resemblance. Angered, even. [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'monsters'] Grizel is currently a small ball on the floor, his knees pulled up to his chest and his arms wrapped over his head. He is rocking back and forth slightly. You can just hear him muttering, "Not real, not real, stone is safe, stone is safe..." [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'anatomy'] He is poking his own ribs with a frantic finger. *Poke, poke, poke.* He moves his hand higher, then lower, his expression growing more panicked with every prod. He checks the board, checks his chest, and whimpers. What is he doing? Is he checking for a missing piece? This guy... [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'math'] You watch Grizel frantically counting on all of his eight fingers. He runs out of digits on his left hand, moves to his right, then looks at his toes in desperation. He starts over, mouthing numbers, but gets stuck halfway through. [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'rest'] Grizel is kneeling next to Grama, holding a length of gut-string. He is trying to demonstrate a complex knot, his fingers flying in a blur of nervous dexterity. He finishes with a flourish, holds it up... and the whole thing admittedly does look very beautiful. Mesmerizing, really... you didn't know he was an artist... Grama hasn't looked at him once. [continue] {link to: 'Chamber Goblins', label: 'Back'} *** {embed passage: 'Grizel Lesson Dialogues'}

DakaTurns: DakaTurns + 1 -- Daka preens, smoothing the fabric of her wrap. It is a brighter shade of red than anyone else's, dyed with extra beetle-juice, and she has woven shiny, iridescent shells into the hem that click softly when she moves. Her black hair is pulled into a complicated top-knot held in place by a polished bone pin. [if CurrentLessonState == 'letters'] She isn't paying the slightest bit of attention. Her head is bent close to Grizel's, and you can see her shoulders shaking with silent laughter. She catches your eye for a moment and gives a little wave, a smirk playing on her lips, before turning back to her gossip. Show-off... [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'botany'] She is examining a split end in her hair, completely ignoring the lesson. She glances up at the board, makes a face like she smelled a rotten egg, and goes back to picking at her messy bangs. She clearly thinks this is beneath her expertise as a (very occasional) gatherer. [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'monsters'] She is leaning forward, her elbows on her knees, grinning wicked. Every time the Goddess makes the scary noise, Daka mimics it, flashing her own sharp teeth at Grizel, who looks ready to faint. She keeps nudging her neighbors, pointing at the drawing and shaking her head in amusement. She clearly thinks this "monster" is hilarious. [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'anatomy'] Daka is standing with her back arched and her belly pushed out as far as it will go. She looks ridiculous, holding her breath until her face turns a slightly darker shade of green. She keeps glancing around to see if anyone is noticing her "holy shape," ignoring the actual diagram entirely. [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'math'] She is shifting her weight from foot to foot. Her hands are busy behind her back, fiddling with the pouches on her belt. She looks like she is trying very hard to look innocent, staring intently at a crack in the floor rather than the Goddess's tally marks. You know that look. That is the look of a goblin with extra snacks. [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'rest'] She is in her element! She stands with her hands on her wide hips, recounting a story to a small, captivated audience. Her voice is low but animated, and she uses her whole body to act out the tale, her pointy ears twitching with expression. She seems bigger, more confident, when she has an audience. [continue] {link to: 'Chamber Goblins', label: 'Back'} *** [if DakaHasUrgentGossip] {embed passage: 'Daka Urgent Gossip Dialogue 1'} [continue] [unless DakaHasUrgentGossip] {embed passage: 'Daka Lesson Dialogues'} [continue] [note] Daka Urgent Gossip Dialogue 1 will likely only have a single turn, looping dialogue and contain a link to head to a cutscene where Leika hears Daka out. Almost as if it was the first part of a cutscene. [continue]

GramaTurns: GramaTurns + 1 -- Grama sits on a low, flat stone he has claimed as his own, his gnarled hands resting on the head of a black-wood cane. His skin is the color of old moss, loose and wrinkled, and a map of white scars crisscrosses his chest. One of his ears is missing the tip - bitten off by a great monster forty seasons ago. Or so he claims... [if CurrentLessonState == 'letters'] He scowls at the board, then at the ceiling, then at the floor. He traces a rough, jagged line in the dust with his cane, muttering to himself. It looks like one of the old warding-marks. He spits to the side, clearly unimpressed. [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'botany'] Grama is shaking his head so hard his ears flap against his skull. *Flap. Flap.* He points a trembling, accusing finger at the spindly flower drawing... scoffing at it? Ahhh, no... that's a laugh! You don't think you've ever seen him do that before. You don't like it. [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'monsters'] He isn't looking at the board. He is looking at the terrified youngsters with a sneer of absolute contempt. He leans back, tapping a rhythm on the stone floor with his cane, looking like he's waiting for a "real" monster to show up so he can hit it. [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'anatomy'] Grama is nodding slowly, his eyes closed in deep meditation. [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'math'] He is scratching his chin, the rasp of his nails on his stubble loud in the quiet room. His lips move in silent calculation, counting tribute in the air. He holds up three fingers, frowns, shakes his head, and drops one. He looks... shrewd. [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'rest'] He is ignoring Grizel completely. Grama is muttering to himself, tracing old, sharp-angled symbols in a patch of dust with a gnarled finger. He wipes them away, dissatisfied, and starts again. What's he up to now? [continue] {link to: 'Chamber Goblins', label: 'Back'} *** {embed passage: 'Grama Lesson Dialogues'}

GrakTurns: GrakTurns + 1 -- Grak is a slab of muscle and bad attitude. He wears a helmet fashioned from the skull of a horned monster, and his arms are thick as tree roots. He smells strongly of old grease and dried blood - a common enough trait against hunters, but you don't much care for it. He is currently leaning against the wall with his battle axe, taking up enough space for two of you. [if CurrentLessonState == 'letters'] He's running a whetstone along the edge of his spear - *shhhk, shhhk* - ignoring the Goddess entirely. Every few seconds, he stops to test the edge against his thumb, grunts, and goes back to sharpening. He's going to grind the blade away at this rate. [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'botany'] Grak is squinting at the board. He keeps tilting his head, trying to find... the dangerous part of the flower, perhaps? Hard to tell. He just looks confused. [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'monsters'] He is vibrating. Actually vibrating. His knuckles are white on his spear shaft, and his eyes are locked on the drawing of the beast with an intensity that makes you scared to approach him. [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'anatomy'] He is licking his lips. He mimics the Goddess's gesture, then pantomimes a stabbing motion. You really hope he's imagining hunting some kind of beast, not... someone else in the room. [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'math'] He's staring at his own hands, flexing his fingers into fists, then opening them again. He mouths numbers, gets frustrated, and snaps a small twig he was holding in half. A sharp hissing sound escapes his mouth as his face reddens. [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'rest'] Grak is surrounded by his hunting party - two smaller, though equally decked out goblins. He laughs loudly at something, a harsh, barking sound, and shoves one of them hard enough to send him stumbling. [continue] {link to: 'Chamber Goblins', label: 'Back'} *** {embed passage: 'Grak Lesson Dialogues'}

[if DakaHasUrgentGossip] [[She waves you over, a conspiratorial glint in her eye...->Daka - Urgent Gossip Dialogue]] [continue] [unless DakaHasUrgentGossip] {embed passage: 'Daka LessonStages Router'} [continue]

[if CurrentLessonState == 'letters'] [[You cautiously approach her.->Daka - Letters Dialogue]] [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'botany'] [[You nudge her arm.->Daka - Botany Dialogue]] [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'monsters'] [[You whisper to her.->Daka - Monsters Dialogue]] [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'anatomy'] [[You poke her side.->Daka - Anatomy Dialogue]] [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'math'] [[You sidle up to her.->Daka - Math Dialogue]] [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'rest'] [[You walk over to listen in.->Daka - Rest Dialogue]] [continue]

[dialogue delay:0.1 id:dakaletters] You march right up to her, but she doesn't seem to notice at first. *"...and then he just... fell right in!"* Daka finishes with a snort, wiping a tear of laughter from her eye. [dialogue delay:1.2 id:dakaletters] You clear your throat pointedly. [dialogue delay:1.5 id:daka1 newline] She finally turns, her smirk widening. *"Well, well. Look who it is. Her Holiness's new favorite."* She gives you a playful poke in your soft arm. *"Finally decided to grace us with your presence, short-stuff?"* [dialogue delay:0.1 id:dakaletters] You glare. Before you can stop yourself, your foot lashes out, connecting squarely with her shin. [dialogue delay:0.5 id:dakaletters] *"Oof! Hey!"* Daka yelps, rubbing her leg. *"What was that for?"* [dialogue delay:1.2 id:dakaletters newline] *"You were supposed to wake me!!"* you hiss. [dialogue delay:1 id:dakaletters newline] She rolls her eyes, all innocence. *"Hey, I tried! You were snoring like a bloated boar. I figured you needed the rest..."* She smiles. *"Oops."* [dialogue delay:0.2 id:dakaletters newline] {link to: 'Daka', label: 'You scowl, turning away from her.'}

[dialogue delay:0.1 id:dakarest2] Daka pauses her story as you approach, a dramatic hand pressed to her forehead. The two younger goblins listening to her turn to stare at you. [dialogue delay:1.2 id:dakarest2 newline] *"Leika! Thank the stones, a witness to my tale of survival!"* she proclaims. *"I was just telling them... I nearly became grub-food today!"* [dialogue delay:1.5 id:dakarest2 newline] You raise an eyebrow. *"Oh? Did you trip over a rock again?"* [dialogue delay:1.0 id:dakarest2 newline] She gasps, offended. *"It was a spiny crawler! The size of my head! Its claws were clicking, just like this-"* She makes an unconvincing clicking sound with her tongue. *"-and its front pincers were snapping right for my face!"* [dialog-delay:1.5 id:dakarest2 newline] The two kits gasp in unison. You just cross your arms. Wait a minute... [dialogue delay:1.8 id:dakarest2 newline] *"Pincers? Ah!"* you ask, a slow smile spreading across your face. *"Spiny crawlers don't have pincers, Daka. They have mandibles. Everyone knows the difference."* [dialogue delay:1.2 id:dakarest2 newline] Daka freezes. Her ears turn a shade darker. *"Well... this one was special! A mutant! It... it had both!"* She huffs, seeing the kits are starting to look at her funny. *"Whatever! Besides, what do you know about it? You've been too busy polishing your shiny clicker to go gathering!"* [dialogue delay:0.2 id:dakarest2 newline] {link to: 'Daka', label: 'You just smirk and walk away.'}

SlimeState: SlimeCavernsAligned || SlimeCavernsMisaligned DemoComplete: FungalPlainsAligned && SlimeState -- [if DemoComplete] {embed passage: 'CH3 Demo End'} [continue] [unless DemoComplete] {embed passage: 'North Tunnel Description'} [continue]

The air here is thick and warm, heavy with the smell of cook-pit smoke, damp fur, and unwashed kin. The floor is worn smooth by the passage of countless feet, and the moss-light is bolstered by sputtering tallow lamps set in wall niches, casting flickering shadows. The walls are smudged with greasy handprints and scratched with crude symbols - territorial marks, boasts of successful hunts. You hear the muffled echo of chatter and the clink of tools from deeper within the warren below. To the north lies the [[🔆main junction->North Tunnel]]. To the south is the way to the [[💧wet passage->South Tunnel]], and to the west, the tunnel leads back to the [[🦴old hunter's path->West Tunnel]]. A steep, spiraling ramp in further in and to the left leads down into your and your kin's [[🛖sleeping warrens->Sleeping Warrens (post intro)]].

The tunnel narrows here, the ancient stonework giving way to rough, natural rock. Patches of sickly yellow moss cling to the damp walls, casting a much dimmer light than the main passage. The air is thick with the loamy scent of rich soil and decay. To your right, the passage widens again, leading back to the bright teal glow of the [[🔆main junction->North Tunnel]]. Straight ahead, the tunnel continues its winding path [[🦴deeper into the network->West Tunnel]]. But to your left... the air grows warmer. A sweet smell drifts from a wide opening overgrown with pulsing, phosphorescent fungi - it leads to the [if FungalPlainsFirstTime; append] [[🍄Fungal Plains->Fungal Plains Hub]]. [unless FungalPlainsFirstTime; append] [[🍄Fungal Plains->Fungal Plains Cutscene 1]]. [continue] {embed passage: 'Leika Weight Tunnel Check'}

[if passage.from == 'Slime Caverns Misalignment Cutscene 2'] *You stumble out into the clean air of the tunnel, gasping.* [continue] A strange silence hangs in this tunnel. The usual scuttling and dripping sounds are absent. The walls are coated in a thin, slick film that catches the light, making the stone look like it's sweating. To the southwest, the passage leads back to the [[🔆main junction->North Tunnel]]. The path continues south, into a darker, [[🌀singing tunnel->East Tunnel]]. To the east, the slickness on the walls grows thicker, coalescing into slow, translucent drips that fall from the ceiling of a wide cavern mouth. This is the way to the [unless SlimeCavernsMisaligned; if SlimeCavernsFirstTime; append] [[🟢Slime Caverns->Slime Caverns Hub]]. [if SlimeCavernsMisaligned; append] [[🟢Slime Caverns->Slime Caverns Blocked Entrance 1]]. [unless SlimeCavernsMisaligned; unless SlimeCavernsFirstTime; append] [[🟢Slime Caverns->Slime Caverns Cutscene 1]]. [continue] {embed passage: 'Leika Weight Tunnel Check'}

Her holiest of gifts. You pull the golden bug from its special pocket, cradling it in your palms. Its golden shell is warm from being close to you, and it purrs with a steady *tick-tick-tick*. You bring it close to your ear, listening to its secret little heart. The long, black feeler still circles the ivory-white face, pointing at the strange marks... You run a finger over the cool links of its golden tail. This proves it. You are her favourite! Her chosen! Let Grak see you now. *Let them all see!* {link to: 'Satchel', label: 'Back'}

[if GoddessWeightGained == 'NONE'] {embed passage: 'Future Chamber - Stage NONE'} [continue] [if GoddessWeightGained == 'PLUMP'] {embed passage: 'Future Chamber - Stage PLUMP'} [continue] [if GoddessWeightGained == 'FAT'] {embed passage: 'Future Chamber - Stage FAT'} [continue] [if GoddessWeightGained == 'OBESE'] {embed passage: 'Future Chamber - Stage OBESE'} [continue] [if GoddessWeightGained == 'ALMOST IMMOBILE'] {embed passage: 'Future Chamber - Stage ALMOST IMMOBILE'} [continue] [if GoddessWeightGained == 'IMMOBILE'] {embed passage: 'Future Chamber - Stage IMMOBILE'} [continue]

This passage feels older, more primal. The walls are unworked stone, scarred with claw marks from creatures long gone. A steady, cool draft whispers from ahead, carrying the faint, coppery scent of old blood and something musky, like damp fur. The floor is uneven, littered with small bone fragments that crunch under your careful feet. [unless TuningForkTaken] Wedged tight into a crack in the stone wall, right next to a deep claw mark, is a [[shiny metal stick->Tuning Fork Cutscene]]. It looks like a two-fingered hand reaching out from the rock. [continue] To the north, the tunnel leads back to the [[🍄sickly yellow glow->Northwest Tunnel]]. To the east is the way to the [[🛖central caves->Central Tunnel]], and the path south continues into [[🌺deeper darkness->Southwest Tunnel]]. From a low, jagged opening to your left, the draft is stronger. You can hear the distant echo of a hunter's cry. This is the way to the [if CH3Demo; append] [[🦴Hunting Grounds->Hunting Grounds Demo Block]]. [unless CH3Demo; if HuntingGroundsFirstTime; append] [[🦴Hunting Grounds->Hunting Grounds Hub]]. [unless CH3Demo; unless HuntingGroundsFirstTime; append] [[🦴Hunting Grounds->Hunting Grounds Cutscene 1]]. [continue] {embed passage: 'Leika Weight Tunnel Check'}

The stone here is damp, almost wet to the touch. Thick, woody roots, pale as bone, have forced their way through cracks in the rock, twisting across the floor and ceiling. The air is still and humid, heavy with the sweet, cloying scent of pollen and overripe fruit. [unless GearTaken] Half-buried in the damp earth near one of the thick roots, you spot something glinting. It's a small, flat [[disc of dark metal->Southwest Tunnel Gear Cutscene]]. *A treasure!* [continue] The path north leads back toward the [[🦴old hunter's passage->West Tunnel]]. The tunnel continues east, toward what sounds like [[💧dripping water->South Tunnel]]. To the south, a curtain of thick, leafy vines hangs over a low archway. Strange, colorful flowers bloom amongst the leaves, pulsing with a faint, internal light. This marks the path to the [if CH3Demo; append] [[🌺Grotto->Flora Grotto Demo Block]]. [unless CH3Demo; if FloraGrottoFirstTime; append] [[🌺Grotto->Flora Grotto Hub]]. [unless CH3Demo; unless FloraGrottoFirstTime; append] [[🌺Grotto->Flora Grotto Cutscene 1]]. [continue] {embed passage: 'Leika Weight Tunnel Check'}

The sound of dripping water is much louder here, echoing through a cavern carved by some ancient, underground stream. The walls are smooth and dark, slick with moisture, and rounded in a way goblin tools could never manage. Small pools of clear water have gathered in depressions on the floor, reflecting the faint moss-light from above in wavering patterns. The air feels cold. To the west, a passage choked with [[🌺pale roots->Southwest Tunnel]] leads back the way you came. The path continues north into the [[🛖main caves->Central Tunnel]], and east toward foul smelling, [[🪨drier passage->Southeast Tunnel]]. {embed passage: 'Leika Weight Tunnel Check'}

This passage is drier than the last, the packed earth floor firm under your feet. A strange, sharp smell hangs in the air here, a bit like burnt black-sap, but thinner. You spot scuff marks in the dust you don't recognize - long, straight lines, and the prints of something heavy with a flat, patterned bottom. To the west, you can still hear the faint echo of [[💧dripping water->South Tunnel]]. The path continues north, toward the [[🌀singing tunnels->East Tunnel]]. Another tunnel branches off to the east, but it is completely blocked by a recent [[🪨rockfall->Southeast Tunnel Collapse]]. {embed passage: 'Leika Weight Tunnel Check'}

GearTaken: true -- Admittedly, a very strange looking treasure. You kneel and pry the metal disc from the dirt. It's cold and surprisingly heavy in your palm. Its edge is cut into tiny, perfect teeth, like a saw-bug's jaw, and there's a perfectly square hole in its center. Definitely not goblin-work. The edges are too clean, the teeth too even. You have no idea what it's for, but it feels... well, it's unique, isn't it? You tuck it safely into a small pocket inside your satchel. {link to: 'Southwest Tunnel', label: 'Back'}

You pull the small metal disc from its pocket in your satchel. It feels cold and solid in your hand, heavier than a rock of the same size. You run a finger over the edge, feeling the tiny, perfect teeth. [if GearDented; append] One of them is bent inward, a little metal snag from when you tried to dig with it. It ruins the perfect circle. You frown at it. [continue] [unless GearDented; append] Not sharp, but precise. [continue] You have no idea what it could be for. Some kind of... sky-walker tool? Or maybe part of a strange, metal bug? It is definitely not goblin-work. {link to: 'Satchel', label: 'Back'}

A low, whistling sound fills this tunnel, rising and falling with a strange rhythm. The air moves here, a steady current that stirs the dust on the floor and raises goosebumps on your arms. The walls are pocked with thousands of tiny, smooth-rimmed holes, and it is from these that the eerie music of the cave seems to be breathing. {one of: ["", "", "", "Suddenly, the whistling is drowned out by a deep *thump... thump...* that vibrates through the soles of your feet. It's followed by a wet, scraping sound... like something huge gnawing on bone, just on the other side of the stone. It stops as quickly as it began."], order: 'cycling'} To the north, the passage leads back toward [[🟢the silent tunnel->Northeast Tunnel]]. The path continues south, toward [[🪨the passage smelling of black-sap->Southeast Tunnel]]. {embed passage: 'Leika Weight Tunnel Check'}

A jumble of rock and packed earth chokes the tunnel, reaching from the floor nearly to the ceiling. It looks fresh - the stones are sharp-edged, and loose dirt still trickles down from above. You can't see past it, and the gaps between the rocks are far too small to squeeze through. You sigh: cavefalls are uncommon enough, but they have happened before. Oh well. [if CH3Demo; append] *A barrier beyond your current means. For now, this path is closed to you.* [continue] {link to: 'Southeast Tunnel', label: 'Back'} [if TrenchLighterTaken; inventory for TrenchLighter] [[What if...?->Collapse Lighter Cutscene]] [continue] [if WireSawTaken; inventory for WireSaw] [[What if...?->Collapse Saw Cutscene]] [continue] [if TuningForkTaken; inventory for TuningFork] [[What if...?->Collapse Tuning Fork Cutscene]] [continue] [if MetalGearTaken; unless GearDented; inventory for MetalGear] [[What if...?->Collapse Gear Cutscene]] [continue]

You duck back into the familiar passage leading down to the sleeping chamber. The air is cool and still, thick with the familiar smell of damp moss, sleeping furs, and the faint, smoky scent from the distant cook-pits. A few of the younger kits who are not yet of working age are curled up in the great communal [[sleeping pile->Pile]], but most of your kin are out on their duties. To the side, the lopsided [[water skin->Water Skin]] hangs. The low, curved walls are pocked with small, [[personal alcoves->Personal Alcoves]]. Yours is just ahead, with its tattered hide curtain for a [[wardrobe->Warrens Wardrobe]] and the shard of polished slag you use as a [[🪞mirror->Goblin Mirror]]. In the other corner, the pile of wood shavings marks your [[whittling corner->Whittling Corner]]. The spiraling ramp leading back up to the [[⚫central tunnel->Central Tunnel]] is behind you.

You run your hand over the great pile. It's a messy mountain of bear furs, damp moss, and leaves, all tangled together. It still smells faintly of sleep, a musky, comforting scent. It's mostly empty now, save for a few small, slumbering lumps under the thickest furs near the center. Your spot, and Daka's beside it, are just cool, empty hollows in the bedding. It looks much less inviting now that everyone is gone, and yet... No! No. You have a duty at hand. This is no time to go back to bed! {link to: 'Sleeping Warrens (post intro)', label: 'Back'} [if TrenchLighterTaken; inventory for TrenchLighter] [[What if...?->Pile Lighter Cutscene]] [continue] [if TuningForkTaken; unless PileKitsWoken; inventory for TuningFork] [[What if...?->Pile Tuning Fork Cutscene]] [continue]

[if WaterSkinCut] The ruined water skin hangs from its hook, a sad, shredded ribbon of lizard-gut. A dark puddle on the floor beneath it has mostly dried into a sticky stain. Well. No one is making *you* refill that. Or drink from it. Or look at it, really. [continue] [unless WaterSkinCut; if waterdrunk] The lopsided water skin hangs limply from its hook, completely deflated. You give it a poke, but there's no sloshing sound, just the dull thud of your finger against empty gut-skin. You can still smell the faint, sweet scent of red-berry juice if you get close. Well. Grama will *have* to go on the next water run now - you certainly aren't. Serves him right! [continue] [unless WaterSkinCut; unless waterdrunk] The lopsided water skin, made from the stitched gut of a lizard, hangs from a bone hook driven into the stone. The gut-skin sags, looking mostly empty, but you can hear a little bit of water sloshing around inside when you poke it. Your throat is a bit dry from walking the tunnels. A sip would be nice... but it was Grama's turn to fill it this morning. If you drink the last of it, you just know he'll complain that *you* were the one who finished it, and then try to make you go on the next water run. [[Take a sip anyway.->Water Skin Drink]] [continue] {link to: 'Sleeping Warrens (post intro)', label: 'Back'} [if WireSawTaken; unless WaterSkinCut; inventory for WireSaw] [[What if...?->Water Skin Saw Cutscene]] [continue] [if TuningForkTaken; unless WaterSkinCut; inventory for TuningFork] [[What if...?->Water Skin Tuning Fork Cutscene]] [continue]

[if ShelfSawed] You look at your alcove. A deep, jagged groove cuts right across the edge of the stone shelf. White dust covers your folded wrap. It looks... ugly. Why did you do that? Now every time you reach for your things, you're going to scrape your knuckles. Good job, Leika. [continue] [unless ShelfSawed] You poke your nose into the other alcoves as you pass. Grakk's first, of course. Ugh. A whole new string of cave-lizard teeth, the little bits of gore still clinging to the roots. A few scoops down, Grizel's left out one of his slate-scratchings. More knots. What is it with him and knots? Then there's yours. Your spare wrap is folded on the shelf, and beside it... that stupid grey stone. You pick it up. Remember how excited you were when you found it? You were so sure it was shaped just like one of the Goddess's holy belly-marks. A sign! A secret gift from the stone itself! You turn it over in your palm. Nope. Still just a lumpy, grey, useless rock. Shiny, but that's about it. With a little huff, you toss it back onto the shelf. It makes a sad little *tink*. [continue] {link to: 'Sleeping Warrens (post intro)', label: 'Back'} [if WireSawTaken; unless ShelfSawed; inventory for WireSaw] [[What if...?->Alcove Saw Cutscene]] [continue] [if QuillAndPaperFound; inventory for QuillAndPaper] [[The stick twitches...->Alcove Quill Cutscene]] [continue]

[if CurtainBurnt] You look at the entrance to your alcove. It's... open. The hide curtain is gone, replaced by a jagged line of black ash on the floor and a few singed scraps of leather clinging to the ceiling hooks. The smell of burnt hair is still strong. Your things inside - the spare loincloth, the lizard-hide, the wrap and bracers - are a bit dusty now, but at least it's easy to reach them? Ahah... why would you have done this, Leika?! [continue] [unless CurtainBurnt] You pull back the stiff hide curtain. It's not much, just a scoop in the rock, but it's yours. Your spare loincloth hangs from its peg, the lizard-hide patched in two places with gut-string where it split last season. Functional. Next to it is the brown fungus-wrap. It's a dull, dirt-color, and smells like... well, like dirt. And your spare bracers, tucked on the shelf. One has a singed spot right in the middle. *Gahh!* Your cheek still flushes when you remember it. All for a taste of that sweet, fatty slime from the falls. You were leaning out, your fingers *so close* to scooping up a perfect, jiggly glob... You didn't even get a taste! Just a well-cooked hip and this stupid spot troubles. [continue] {link to: 'Sleeping Warrens (post intro)', label: 'Back'} [if TrenchLighterTaken; unless CurtainBurnt; inventory for TrenchLighter] [[What if...?->Wardrobe Lighter Cutscene]] [continue]

You peer into the wavy slag-shard nailed to the wall. The goblin staring back is still you. Short. Red-haired, with long ears poking out. A bit of moss from the tunnels is still stuck behind your ear. You flick it away. [if LeikaWeight == 'NONE'] Your gaze drops to your belly. Soft. Round. It's just... fat. Proof you are too slow for the hunt, but also not important enough to get the best cuts. You push it out, puffing your stomach to make it look bigger, rounder. More like Her, or maybe like Big-Maw. You squint at your distorted reflection. Is that a glimmer of divinity you see in your own roundness? A holy echo?! No. It's just you. But... maybe it's a start. [continue] [note] Other stages should be developed after the interactions - as of now, we can just make a placeholder for 'OBESE' just to get the technical format going. [continue] [if LeikaWeight == 'OBESE'] Your gaze drops to your belly. Or rather, it tries to. The massive, pale dome of your gut fills the bottom half of the shard completely. It pushes out so far you have to stand a step back just to see where it ends. It's heavy, swaying with every breath, pulling at your skin. You give it a slap, sending it into a wobble. You grin, baring your teeth. A Matron's belly! No... a *Goddess's* belly. [continue] {link to: 'Sleeping Warrens (post intro)', label: 'Back'} [if TuningForkTaken; inventory for TuningFork] [[What if...?->Mirror Tuning Fork Cutscene]] [continue] [if QuillAndPaperFound; inventory for QuillAndPaper] [[The stick twitches...->Mirror Quill Cutscene]] [continue]

You crouch by your little corner, the floor still covered in a fine white dust of scraped bone. Your flint knife is where you left it. You ignore it and pick up the carving. [if ShavingsBurnt] There's just a black smudge now. The soft white dust is still there, but it's now met by a smear of soot and the charred remains of your carving. It smells like a burnt cook-fire. [continue] [if CarvingSawed] The floor is clean, but the carving... well. It's in two pieces. A clean, diagonal cut runs right through the Goddess's belly. The top half has rolled away to the wall. It looks less like a statue now and more like... firewood. [continue] [unless ShavingsBurnt; unless CarvingSawed] ...it's worse. It's somehow even worse than you remember. You tried to make Her belly rounder, more holy... but you just scraped away all the detail. Now it's not even a fat grub. It's just a smooth, lumpy ball with a tiny head. It looks like a sick mushroom. A hot feeling rushes to your cheeks. Useless! How are you supposed to capture Her glory when your fingers are this clumsy? This is an insult! You almost throw it against the wall, but stop. No. Breaking it would be worse. You set it back down, very gently. [continue] {link to: 'Sleeping Warrens (post intro)', label: 'Back'} [if TrenchLighterTaken; unless ShavingsBurnt; unless CarvingSawed; inventory for TrenchLighter] [[What if...?->Whittling Lighter Cutscene]] [continue] [if WireSawTaken; unless ShavingsBurnt; unless CarvingSawed; inventory for WireSaw] [[What if...?->Whittling Saw Cutscene]] [continue] [if MetalGearTaken; unless ShavingsBurnt; unless CarvingSawed; inventory for MetalGear] [[What if...?->Whittling Gear Cutscene]] [continue] [if QuillAndPaperFound; inventory for QuillAndPaper] [[The stick twitches...->Whittling Quill Cutscene]] [continue]

waterdrunk: true -- You huff, deciding your thirst is more important than Grama's whining. You pull the wooden plug from the skin and take a quick swig. The water isn't stale. It's... sweet. Faintly, but unmistakably. Someone must have mixed a little bit of red-berry juice into the skin this morning. Daka, probably, trying to make up for not waking you. Or maybe she was just hiding it from Grak. You wipe your mouth with the back of your hand, feeling much better. You leave just a few drops at the bottom for the next thirsty goblin. That'll teach him! {link to: 'Sleeping Warrens (post intro)', label: 'Back'}

The tunnel opens into a vast, round cavern. The air is warm and heavy with that sweet, fatty smell. [if SlimePressState == 'inactive'] In the center of the chamber, a huge [[central pool]] of shimmering green slime bubbles slowly, thick, lazy bubbles rising to the surface and popping with a wet *gloop*. At the pool's edge, you spot a small pile of [[half-dissolved bones]]. [continue] [if SlimePressState == 'activated'] The central pool is gone. In its place, sitting in the middle of the slime pool, is a single, unnervingly perfect [[Gelatinous Cube->Gelatinous Cube]]. Carried away from the pool's edge, you also spot a small pile of [[bones->half-dissolved bones]] near the shore. [continue] [if SlimePressState == 'shaped'] The center of the cavern is now dominated by the massive form of [[Bouba->Great Slime Mother]]. Carried away from the pool's edge, you also spot a small pile of [[bones->half-dissolved bones]] near the shore. [continue] [if passage.visits == 3] *Your mouth is watering again. So much of it... enough to feed the Goddess for a whole turning of the... well, for a long time! If it wasn't burning, that is. Even grabbing some to cool later can be a death sentence.* [continue] Across the cavern, on a raised dais of black stone, stand two massive [[blocks of stone->Gelatinous Cube Press]], hanging suspended from thick, root-like chains. Three smaller tunnels branch off from the main cavern. One leads up to a passage where the ooze drips like [[💧thin rain->Slime Pool North]]. Another is a narrow fissure from which a rhythmic [[♨️*glooping* sound->Slime Pool East]] echoes, while the third is a tunnel where the slime on the walls seems to have ambered and [[🔶cristalized->Slime Pool West]]. The way back to the main [[⚫cave network->Northeast Tunnel]] is behind you. [if SlimePressState == 'shaped'; unless SlimeFutureSeen] *Just as you turn to leave, the golden bug in your satchel gives a sudden, sharp shiver, its ticking momentarily frantic...* [continue] [if SlimePressState == 'shaped'; unless SlimeFutureSeen; inventory for GoldenBug] [[It seems to be ticking faster...->Slime Caverns Future Vision 1]] [continue] [if SlimePressState == 'shaped'; unless LeikaGorgedSlime; inventory for LeikaBelly] [[The pool smells so sweet...->Leika Gorging Slime]] [continue]

You push past the curtain of dripping growths. The air on the other side is immediately different. Warmer. And the smell... oh, the smell! It hits the back of your throat, thick and sweet like honeyed fat. Your stomach gives a low, hungry gurgle, and you have to swallow a sudden rush of drool. The walls here in the slime caverns glisten with a slow, translucent green ooze that coats every surface in a shimmering film. The only sound is a soft, wet noise, like slow, thick bubbles rising to a surface. [[*SPLOOT!*->Slime Caverns Cutscene 1.5]]

A heavy glob of the green slime, thick as your arm, detaches from the ceiling and lands on the path just ahead of you. It quivers there, a perfect, glistening mound. [[You freeze.->Slime Caverns Cutscene 2]]

SlimeCavernsFirstTime: true -- The glob of green jelly shivers on the stone floor, catching the moss-light. You could just scoop up a tiny bit with your finger... As if it heard your thoughts, the glob trembles again. A thin, glistening tendril of green ooze stretches out from its base, creeping slowly, deliberately, across the slick stone... toward the toe of your foot. It's like a curious grub-feeler, sniffing the air. You snatch your leg back with a little yelp. *Ow!* It didn't really bite, it's just... really hot or something. You give the wiggling glob a wide berth and hurry past it, [[deeper than you've gone before into these caverns.->Slime Caverns Hub]]

You creep to the edge of the vast, bubbling pool. The sweet, fatty scent is so strong here it makes your head swim. You lean over, peering into the shimmering, translucent green depths. The bubbles that rise are slow and thick, each one taking a long time to reach the surface before popping with a soft, wet *gloop*. [unless SlimeGirlNorthMoved; unless SlimeGirlEastMoved; unless SlimeGirlWestMoved] *Deeper down, where the moss-light struggles to reach, you see a shape.* It's... curled up at the very bottom of the pool. A sleeping green lady. The slime around her seems to pulse gently, pulling away from her form with each slow 'breath' to reveal a curve like a soft hip or a round breast, before flowing back to cover it. You bet she's real comfortable in there... a weird pang of jealousy courses through you. [continue] [if SlimeGirlNorthMoved; unless SlimeGirlEastMoved; unless SlimeGirlWestMoved] *The sleeping Green Lady has woken up!* In her place, two figures now slosh happily in the main pool. The new arrival - the ditzy one from the north - is trying to teach the pool's original resident how to do a flip. The resident, who seems just as ditzy, keeps getting tangled up with her, resulting in a lot of giggling and splashing. [continue] [if SlimeGirlEastMoved; unless SlimeGirlNorthMoved; unless SlimeGirlWestMoved] *The sleeping Green Lady has woken up!* Now, two figures occupy the pool at opposite ends. The grumpy one from the east has claimed a corner and is trying to build a wall of thicker slime to keep the pool's bubbly original resident away. The resident, looking confused and sad, keeps trying to offer her a friendly pat, which is met with a furious gurgle. [continue] [if SlimeGirlWestMoved; unless SlimeGirlNorthMoved; unless SlimeGirlEastMoved] *The sleeping Green Lady has woken up!* Now, two figures are in the pool. The one with the skull is holding court, her crystal shard pointing at the bubbles as she explains some seemingly grand theory. The pool's original resident sits before her, her form wobbling with rapt, total attention, listening to the wisest words ever gurgled. [continue] [if SlimeGirlNorthMoved; if SlimeGirlEastMoved; unless SlimeGirlWestMoved] *It's... noisy.* The ditzy northern girl and the grumpy eastern girl are in a sloshing match. The former one keeps trying to splash the grumpy one playfully, while the grumpy one sends back much stronger waves. The pool's original resident is in the middle, trying to pat both of them at once, which isn't helping at all. [continue] [if SlimeGirlNorthMoved; if SlimeGirlWestMoved; unless SlimeGirlEastMoved] *A strange lecture is happening.* The skull-headed girl is explaining the concept of soft to the ditzy northern girl, who is just nodding and giggling, occasionally poking the skull with a curious finger. The pool's original resident watches them both, her head tilting back and forth as if watching a fast game of knuckle-bones. [continue] [if SlimeGirlEastMoved; if SlimeGirlWestMoved; unless SlimeGirlNorthMoved] *A silent war is taking place.* The grumpy girl and the skull-headed girl are ignoring each other with great intensity. The grumpy one mutters to herself in a corner, while the skull-head delivers a grand, gurgling monologue to the pool's original resident, who looks very impressed. They are pretending the other doesn't exist. [continue] [if SlimeGirlNorthMoved; if SlimeGirlEastMoved; if SlimeGirlWestMoved] *It is absolute chaos.* The ditzy girl is trying to start a wave. The grumpy one is roaring for quiet. The skull-headed one is trying to gurgle a lecture about "the ee-ntro-py of communal living" over the din, whatever that means. And in the very center of it all, the pool's original resident is just spinning in happy circles, splashing everyone. [continue] {link to: 'Slime Caverns Hub', label: 'Back'} [if TrenchLighterTaken; inventory for TrenchLighter] [[What if...?->Pool Lighter Cutscene]] [continue]

You cautiously step around the edge of the central pool to get a better look at the pile of bones. Ew. They're pale and have been polished unnervingly smooth, all the rough edges scorched by the slime. It's hard to tell what sort of creature they belonged to, though it must've been a stupid one not to realize that while the slime is sweet, it can also strike back. [unless TrenchLighterTaken] One piece looks like a hand, its long fingers curled into a loose fist. Something metallic glints inside of it. A small metal box, maybe? You find a nearby rock and consider using it to [[pry the metal box free->Trench Lighter Cutscene 1]]. [if TrenchLighterTaken] One piece looks like a hand, its long fingers now curled around nothing at all. You wonder what poor creature ended its journey here. Well, at least it didn't go to waste. [continue] {link to: 'Slime Caverns Hub', label: 'Back'} [if QuillAndPaperFound; inventory for QuillAndPaper] [[The stick twitches...->Bones Quill Cutscene]] [continue]

You follow the passage where the slime drips like thin rain. The constant, soft *pitter-patter* on the slick stone is the only sound here. The tunnel opens into a small grotto with a high ceiling. [unless SlimeGirlNorthMoved; append] In the middle, a [[Green Lady->Slime Girl North]] sits within a wide, shallow basin. [if SlimeGirlNorthMoved; append] A wide, shallow basin sits in the middle of it, now empty. [continue] All around the basin's edge, strange, quivering [[slime stalagmites->Slime Stalagmites North]] have formed from the constant dripping. Looking up, you can see the source: a cluster of glowing [[ceiling polyps->Ceiling Polyps North]] clinging to the grotto's roof. The way back to the [[🟢main cavern->Slime Caverns Hub]] is behind you.

[unless SlimePackRemoved] The passage narrows into a tight, low-ceilinged fissure where the stone walls feel slick and close. The rhythmic *glooping* sound is much louder here, echoing in the cramped space. The source is clear: a series of cracks in the floor where thick, green slime is rhythmically forced upward, forming several small, actively [[bubbling pools->Bubbling Pools East]]. Huddled defensively in the largest of these pools is a [[Green Lady->Slime Girl East]], her gelatinous arms crossed in a way that looks surprisingly grumpy. Across from her, something dark is stuck in one of the smaller pools - a [[half-submerged pack->Half-Submerged Pack]] of some kind. The [[slime vents->Slime Vents East]] themselves pulse with a slow, steady pressure, their surfaces swelling and deflating like sluggish hearts. [continue] [if SlimePackRemoved] A powerful geyser of warm, green slime now dominates the fissure, erupting from a wide hole in the floor and splashing against the ceiling in a constant, roaring spray. The air is thick with a fine, sweet-smelling mist that coats your skin. The sheer force of the geyser has pushed all the smaller [[bubbling pools->Bubbling Pools East]] to the edges of the grotto, where they churn violently. The [[slime vents->Slime Vents East]] in the floor seem to pulse faster now, feeding the eruption. [continue] The narrow opening back to the [[🟢main cavern->Slime Caverns Hub]] is behind you.

[unless SlimeGirlWestMoved] The air in this cavern is still and strangely cool. No risk of getting burned by the slime here... though you couldn't go for a swim anyhow. The walls are coated in a thick, hardened layer of slime that has crystallized into sharp, amber-like shapes. The moss-light from the main cavern filters through these [[crystalline formations->Crystalline Formations]], casting faceted, geometric patterns of green light across the floor. Caught within one of the larger crystals on the wall, you can see the frozen form of a [[one-eyed monster->Trapped Beholder]]. In the center of the grotto, where a pool might have been, sits a [[Green Lady->Slime Girl West]], her lower half encased in a massive, amber-like cocoon. [continue] [if SlimeGirlWestMoved] The air in this cavern is still and strangely cool. No risk of getting burned by the slime here... though you couldn't go for a swim anyhow. The walls are still coated in sharp, [[crystalline formations->Crystalline Formations]]. The [[one-eyed monster->Trapped Beholder]] is still trapped. But the center of the room is now a wreck. The amber cocoon lies in sharp, glistening shards around the top of the crystalized pool below. A thin trail of green goo leads from the wreckage out toward the exit. [continue] The way back to the [[🟢main cavern->Slime Caverns Hub]] is through the archway behind you.

SlimeGirlsGathered: false SlimeGirlsGathered (SlimeGirlNorthMoved && SlimeGirlEastMoved && SlimeGirlWestMoved): true -- [unless SlimeGirlsGathered] You scramble up the few shallow steps onto the dais. The black stone is smooth and cold under your boots, completely different from the slick, slimy cavern floor. Up close, the hanging blocks are... well, *huge!* Much taller than you, and twice as wide. They are made of the same cold, black stone as the platform, and they hang from the high ceiling on thick, black chains that look like twisted iron roots. They just... hang there. One high, one low, with a big empty space between them. There are no levers to pull, no wheels to turn. Just stone and chain. What a strange thing. Maybe the Before-Time folk started building something and got bored? {link to: 'Slime Caverns Hub', label: 'Back'} [continue] [if SlimeGirlsGathered] You scramble up the few shallow steps onto the dais. Something is different. A low, deep hum vibrates up from the black stone, making the soles of your feet tingle. The change isn't just the sound. Carved into the very center of the dais, where before there was only smooth stone, a symbol now glows with a faint, internal teal light. It's a 'V' shape, nestled in the curve of a larger, rounded form. How did you not notice the carving the first time around? Well, there's plenty of ancient things from Before-Time folk lying around, with carvings all over the place. Still, you're pretty sure it wasn't... active before. [[Is it active?->Gelatinous Cube Press Activation 1]] [continue] [if MetalGearTaken; inventory for MetalGear] [[What if...?->Press Gear Cutscene]] [continue] [if QuillAndPaperFound; if SlimeGirlsGathered; inventory for QuillAndPaper] [[The stick twitches...->Press Quill Cutscene]] [continue]

You give the bony fingers a firm *whack* with the rock. With a dry crack, the grip loosens. You reach in - ignoring the sticky, sweet-smelling slime that coats your fingers - and pull the small object free. It's a metal box, cold and heavy in your palm. Not goblin-work, that's for sure. Too straight, too perfect. Hobgoblin, maybe? There's a little hinged part on top, and a small, rough wheel on the side. You wipe the worst of the slime off on your wrap and turn it over, looking for a way in. Your thumb brushes against the little wheel. [[It makes a dry, scraping sound...->Trench Lighter Cutscene 2]]

TrenchLighterTaken: true -- Curious, you do it again, dragging your thumb hard across the little wheel. *Zzzt-CHUNK!* A bright shower of orange sparks erupts!! You yelp, dropping the box with a clatter. It lies on the slick stone, silent. Nothing happens. No monster leaps from the shadows, no curse falls upon you. *That you know of!* You creep closer, poking it with your toe. Still nothing. is it... safe? Hesitantly, you pick it up again, your heart still thumping. A spark-maker! A fire starter in a box! A grin spreads across your face. You tuck the strange, wonderful treasure carefully into a special pocket in your satchel. {link to: 'Slime Caverns Hub', label: 'Back'}

You carefully pull the fire box from its special pocket in your satchel. It feels solid and cold in your palm, much heavier than a rock its size. You flick open the little metal cap again. *Click*. Inside, there's a little hole with a bit of burnt string poking out. Useless. But the little rough wheel... ah, yes, that's the good part. Holding it away from your face, just in case, you give the wheel a good, hard scrape with your thumb. *Zzzt-CHUNK!* A burst of tiny, angry fire-spit leaps out, smelling of hot rock. It's gone in a blink. [if passage.visit == 2] You grin - still works! Ahh! A magic fire starter, all yours. Maybe... maybe you should offer it to the Goddess? A gift this powerful would surely please Her! ...No. Not yet. It's too useful. And come on now. It's *yours*! [continue] {link to: 'Satchel', label: 'Back'}

[unless SlimeGirlNorthMoved] The green lady of this cavern is sloshing in her basin - a slow, joyful jiggle that sends soft ripples across the slime pool. Her body is a single, continuous flow of translucent green jelly, clear enough that you can see right through her. She spots you and her whole form wobbles with excitement. Her generous hips sway, and her round, jiggly breasts slosh with a life of their own. A glistening arm stretches out from her shoulder, wobbling as she gives you an enthusiastic wave. A wide, simple smile forms on her face, and her two dark eyes swim lazily within her gelatinous head. [continue] [unless SlimeGirlNorthTalkedTo] [[You wave back.->Slime Girl North - First Meeting]] [if SlimeGirlNorthTalkedTo] [[You approach her again.->Slime Girl North - Generic Meeting]] [continue] {link to: 'Slime Pool North', label: 'Back'}

They aren't sharp and stony like proper stalagmites. They look more like... jelly-horns growing up from the floor. They are made of the same translucent green goo, and they quiver slightly every time a new drop of slime-rain lands nearby. They look... delicious. [if passage.visits == 1] You can't resist. You reach out and give the nearest one a good poke with your finger. It's cool and firm, but yields like thick pudding. The whole thing wobbles back and forth like a scared grub... and lets out a low, warbling *hummmm~*. The sound vibrates right through your finger and up your arm. Huh. [if passage.visits > 1] You poke the nearest jelly-horn again, just for fun. It gives that same happy wobble and sings its low, warbling *hummmm~* at you. [continue] {link to: 'Slime Pool North', label: 'Back'} [if TuningForkTaken; inventory for TuningFork] [[What if...?->Stalagmites Tuning Fork Cutscene]] [continue] [if MetalGearTaken; inventory for MetalGear] [[What if...?->Polyps Gear Cutscene]] [continue]

[unless SlimeGirlNorthMoved] You tilt your head back, looking straight up into the dripping darkness. Clinging to the high ceiling is a cluster of glowing sacs, swollen with a soft green light, pulsing with a slow, steady rhythm. They don't look like they're *part* of the stone... more like they're just... stuck on. With each pulse, a thick tear of green slime wells up on their undersides before dripping down to feed the basin and build the stalagmites below. It's their light that makes this whole grotto glow. [continue] [if SlimeGirlNorthMoved] You look up. The ceiling seems much higher now, and darker. Most of the big, glowing sacs are gone, having floated off to chase the singing stick's song. Only a few tiny, unripe ones remain clinging stubbornly to the stone, their light weak and sputtering. Without the steady *drip-drip-drip* from above, the stalagmites below look a bit... thirsty. You feel a little guilty. [continue] {link to: 'Slime Pool North', label: 'Back'} [unless SlimeGirlNorthMoved; if TuningForkTaken; inventory for TuningFork] [[What if...->Tuning Fork Polyp Cutscene]] [continue]

SlimeGirlNorthTalkedTo: true -- [dialogue delay:0.1 id:slime1] You wave hesitantly. [dialogue delay:1.0 id:slime1] The Green Lady gives a happy wobble that sloshes slime over the edge of the basin. [dialogue delay:1.0 id:slime1] Her voice flows out, a slow, warbling sound. *"Heeeyy~ there..."* [dialogue delay:1.2 id:slime1 newline] You jump. *"Gah! Y-you talk too?!"* [dialogue delay:1.5 id:slime1 newline] *"Of couuurse~, silly..."* [dialogue delay:0.8 id:slime1] She slides closer, her lower half melting and reforming as she moves. [dialogue delay:1.2 id:slime1] *"...It's just...* [dialogue delay:0.8 id:slime1] *...so cooold...* [dialogue delay:1.2 id:slime1] *...all alone here...* [dialogue delay:1.0 id:slime1] *...makes my words all slow~..."* [dialogue delay:1.8 id:slime1 newline] You puff out your chest. *"Are you... a spirit of this place? A servant of the Great Goddess?"* [dialogue delay:1.5 id:slime1 newline] She tilts her wobbly head, her dark eyes drifting. *"Whaaat...?* [dialogue delay:1.0 id:slime1] *...Goddess...?* [dialogue delay:1.5 id:slime1] *...I dunnooo~...* [dialogue delay:1.2 id:slime1] *...It just makes my insides feel all..."* [dialogue delay:1.5 id:slime1] She places a drippy hand on her flat, jelly belly. It sinks in completely. [dialogue delay:1.5 id:slime1] *"...hollow..."* [dialogue delay:2.0 id:slime1 newline] *"Hollow?"* [dialogue delay:0.5 id:slime1] you repeat, your eyes lighting up. [dialogue delay:0.5 id:slime1] *"You mean hungry! Ah!* [dialogue delay:0.8 id:slime1] *The Goddess provides for all Her children!* [dialogue delay:1.0 id:slime1] *Even... drippy ones."* [dialogue delay:1.5 id:slime1 newline] Her eyes brighten. *"Ooooh~..."* [dialogue delay:2.0 id:slime1 newline] Seemingly having forgotten all about you, she turns away, going back to swimming through the basin. [dialogue delay:0.5 id:slime1 newline] {link to: 'Slime Girl North', label: 'Back'}

[dialogue delay:0.1 id:slime2] You approach the basin again. The Green Lady is humming a bubbly, tuneless song to herself, poking at her own reflection in the shimmering surface of the pool. [dialogue delay:1.2 id:slime2 newline] *"Hey! Drippy lady! It's me again!"* you call out, a little impatiently. [dialogue delay:1.5 id:slime2 newline] She looks up from her reflection, her dark eyes blinking slowly as if waking from a dream. [dialogue delay:1.0 id:slime2] *"Ooooh~...* [dialogue delay:1.0 id:slime2] *...a little warm rock person...* [dialogue delay:1.5 id:slime2] *...Have we met...* [dialogue delay:1.0 id:slime2] *...befooore~?"* [dialogue delay:1.8 id:slime2 newline] You sigh, a puff of steamy air in the warm grotto. So much for making an impression. *"Yes! We just talked! About... being hollow? And the Goddess?"* [dialogue delay:1.5 id:slime2 newline] *"Goddess...?"* [dialogue delay:1.0 id:slime2] Her form drifts lazily, trailing a glistening swirl in the pool. [dialogue delay:1.2 id:slime2] *"...Hmmm~...* [dialogue delay:1.2 id:slime2] *...I don't remember that...* [dialogue delay:1.0 id:slime2] *...but I *do* remember a sound...* [dialogue delay:1.5 id:slime2] *...a *hummmm~*...* [dialogue delay:1.0 id:slime2] *...from the deep places...* [dialogue delay:1.2 id:slime2] *...It makes me sad..."* [dialogue delay:2.0 id:slime2 newline] *"That's just your tummy rumbling! You're hungry! I told you, the Goddess will-"* [dialogue delay:0.5 id:slime2] The green lady just turns away from you. [dialogue delay:1.5 id:slime2 newline] *"Maaaybe~...* [dialogue delay:0.8 id:slime2] *...Ooh! Look!"* [dialogue delay:0.5 id:slime2] She points a wobbly finger at a particularly big drop of slime falling from the ceiling. [dialogue delay:0.8 id:slime2] *"That one made a big splash~!"* [dialogue delay:0.5 id:slime2] She giggles. [dialogue delay:1.5 id:slime2 newline] {link to: 'Slime Girl North', label: 'Back'}

You peer closer. They aren't really pools, more like deep cracks in the cavern floor that have filled to the brim with the same thick, green goo. Every few seconds, a huge bubble of slime swells up from the bottom of one of the cracks. It grows, its translucent green skin trembling, until it pops with a wet, sucking *gloop*. Each pop releases a puff of warm, sweet-smelling air that washes over your face. You can feel a deep, slow pressure building and releasing from the vents in the rock below your feet. It's kind of nice! {link to: 'Slime Pool East', label: 'Back'}

This Green Lady's translucent green form is pulled in tight. Her gelatinous arms are crossed firmly beneath a pair of large, round breasts, pushing them up into a single, defiant shelf of green jelly. Her whole upper body quivers with indignation, simmering in her bubbling pool. Her two dark eyes are narrowed, fixed on you with suspicion. She isn't swaying or sloshing; she's tense, a coiled spring. Whenever a bubble of slime from the vent below rises through her, she pops it with a short, annoyed poke of a gelatinous finger. [unless SlimeGirlEastTalkedTo] [[You approach her warily.->Slime Girl East - First Meeting]] [if SlimeGirlEastTalkedTo] [[You try talking to her again.->Slime Girl East - Generic Meeting]] [continue] {link to: 'Slime Pool East', label: 'Back'}

It's a pack, made of thick canvas and dark, cracked leather. One of the straps is torn, and the whole thing is half-sunk in one of the smaller bubbling pools, held fast by the thick green goo. You notice the slime right around the pack is a sickly, pale yellow color, and it barely bubbles at all. A sharp, stinging smell rises from it, overpowering the cavern's usual sweet scent. Ewww... whatever is in that pack is leaking. [[You decide to grab the strap and pull.->Half-Submerged Pack Pull Cutscene 1]] {link to: 'Slime Pool East', label: 'Back'} [if TrenchLighterTaken; inventory for TrenchLighter] [[Maybe you can burn it away...->Half-Submerged Pack Lighter Cutscene]] [continue] [note] Lighter Misalignment Path: Using the Trench Lighter here should be the "bad" solution. Leika attempts to burn the pack away. The interaction causes the pack's contents (likely chemicals or fuel from the expedition) to violently react with the slime, catastrophically poisoning the entire grotto. This will set `SlimeCavernsMisaligned: true` and lock the player into the Glutton ending path if they misalign another biome. [continue]

[unless SlimePackRemoved] You edge closer to the cracks in the floor. The stone feels strangely soft here, and you can see the surface of the vents themselves swelling and deflating in a slow, steady rhythm, like the skin over a sleeping beast's heart. You take a careful step back. One slip, and your foot would go right through that thin, green skin. Then what? Sucked down into the warm, gooey guts of the cave? No thank you. [continue] [if SlimePackRemoved] You edge closer to the cracks in the floor. The whole fissure thrums with a deep, fast rhythm. The vents are pulsing violently, feeding the roaring geyser in the center of the grotto. You don't dare get too close. The pressure coming from them is strong enough to feel in your teeth. A whole goblin could be shot up to the ceiling, just like that poor drippy-lady. You shudder, remembering the gurgling shriek. Look, she wasn't nice... but you do hope she's ok. [continue] {link to: 'Slime Pool East', label: 'Back'} [if TrenchLighterTaken; inventory for TrenchLighter] [[What if...?->Vents Lighter Cutscene]] [continue]

SlimeGirlEastTalkedTo: true -- [dialogue delay:0.1 id:slime_east_1] Her voice is a low, unhappy gurgle, thick with impatience. *"Whaaat~...* [dialogue delay:1.0 id:slime_east_1] *...do you...* [dialogue delay:0.8 id:slime_east_1] *...want...?"* [dialogue delay:1.0 id:slime_east_1 newline] You brandish your fists, trying to look bigger than you are. *"Stay back, drippy-thing! I'm... I'm not for eating!"* [dialogue delay:1.5 id:slime_east_1 newline] She gives a slow, contemptuous wobble. *"Eeeeeaaatiing~...?"* [dialogue delay:1.2 id:slime_east_1] The word sounds like an insult. [dialogue delay:1.0 id:slime_east_1] *"...You're...* [dialogue delay:0.8 id:slime_east_1] *...too...* [dialogue delay:1.0 id:slime_east_1] *...*solid*~..."* [dialogue delay:1.8 id:slime_east_1 newline] A wobbly arm forms from her side, pointing a shaky, accusing finger at the dark shape stuck in the other pool. [dialogue delay:1.0 id:slime_east_1] *"You...* [dialogue delay:0.8 id:slime_east_1] *...little warm-thing...* [dialogue delay:1.0 id:slime_east_1] *...you look...* [dialogue delay:0.8 id:slime_east_1] *...useful~...* [dialogue delay:1.2 id:slime_east_1] *...Get...* [dialogue delay:0.8 id:slime_east_1] *...riiid~...* [dialogue delay:0.5 id:slime_east_1] *...of...* [dialogue delay:0.5 id:slime_east_1] *...*that*."* [dialogue delay:1.5 id:slime_east_1 newline] You look over at the half-submerged pack, then back at her. *"That? Why? What is it?"* [dialogue delay:1.8 id:slime_east_1 newline] The Green Lady gives a shudder of pure disgust that sends ripples across her chest. *"It's...* [dialogue delay:1.0 id:slime_east_1] *...*ugly*~...* [dialogue delay:1.2 id:slime_east_1] *...And it's messing up my...* [dialogue delay:1.0 id:slime_east_1] *...my *gloop*...* [dialogue delay:1.5 id:slime_east_1] *...Now gooo~...* [dialogue delay:0.5 id:slime_east_1] *...Fix it."* [dialogue delay:0.5 id:slime_east_1 newline] She turns her back to you, as much as a blob of jelly can, and resumes popping bubbles with more force than before. [dialogue delay:0.5 id:slime_east_1 newline] {link to: 'Slime Girl East', label: 'Back'}

[dialogue delay:0.1 id:slime_east_2] You approach the bubbling pool again. The Green Lady sees you and her entire form stiffens, her large chest jiggling with contained anger. [dialogue delay:1.2 id:slime_east_2 newline] *"You~..."* [dialogue delay:0.5 id:slime_east_2] she gurgles, her voice a low growl. She doesn't even wait for you to speak. [dialogue delay:0.8 id:slime_east_2] *"...It's...* [dialogue delay:0.5 id:slime_east_2] *...still...* [dialogue delay:0.8 id:slime_east_2] *...*there*~..."* [dialogue delay:1.0 id:slime_east_2] A wobbly arm points a trembling, accusatory finger toward the half-submerged pack. [dialogue delay:1.8 id:slime_east_2 newline] You huff, crossing your own arms. *"I'm getting to it! These things take-"* [dialogue delay:1.5 id:slime_east_2 newline] *"NOOOW~...!"* [dialogue delay:0.5 id:slime_east_2] she interrupts, her body giving a violent shudder that sends a wave of warm slime sloshing over the edge of the pool, uncomfortably close to your feet. [dialogue delay:1.0 id:slime_east_2] *"...Idiot...!* [dialogue delay:0.8 id:slime_east_2] *...Fix...* [dialogue delay:0.5 id:slime_east_2] *...my...* [dialogue delay:0.5 id:slime_east_2] *...*pool*...!"* [dialogue delay:0.5 id:slime_east_2 newline] She turns away with a final, furious gurgle, leaving you with nothing but her quivering, jellied back. [dialogue delay:0.5 id:slime_east_2 newline] {link to: 'Slime Girl East', label: 'Back'}

SlimeCavernsMisaligned: true -- You grin. Fire solves everything! You flick the wheel of the metal box. *Zzzt-CHUNK!* A shower of bright orange sparks lands on the leaking pack - a blinding flash of white light singes your eyes raw as the pale yellow slime around the pack *boils*. A violent hiss ripples out instantly, with a cloud of stinging, acrid smoke exploding upward, smelling of burning tar and sugar. It's hard to see - what with having just gone blind there for a second - but the translucent green goo is turning into a much more a opaque yellow sludge. [[*"EEEEEEEEEEEE!"*->Slime Caverns Misalignment Cutscene 1]]

SlimeGirlEastMoved: true -- The pack rips free from the sucking slime so suddenly you stumble backwards, landing hard on your backside. But that's not the only sound. A low rumble builds from the now-unplugged vent. Before you can even scramble up, a thick jet of warm, green slime erupts from the hole, shooting straight up to the ceiling with a mighty roar. The geyser's spray splashes down everywhere, drenching you. You hear a surprised, gurgling shriek from the other pool and look up just in time to see the grumpy Green Lady get blasted by the overflow. She's washed out of her basin in a great green wave that surges down the narrow fissure and out of sight. {link to: 'Slime Pool East', label: 'You pick yourself up, dripping.'}

SlimePackRemoved: true -- You wrap both hands around the slimy leather strap. Ugh. You plant your feet wide on the slick stone, dig your heels in, and lean back, putting your whole short, chubby body into it. The pack... doesn't budge. The goo holds it like strong-sap. With a frustrated grunt, you give it one more mighty heave. [[*SCHLOOOP!*->Half-Submerged Pack Pull Cutscene 2]]

You plop the soggy pack onto the floor with a wet smack. It... it actually *reeks*. That sharp, stinging smell is coming from a big, dark stain that has soaked through the canvas from the inside out. Pinching your nose, you pry open the stiff leather flap. Inside is... a mess. A thick, black and sticky goo has soaked everything. Several bundles of what might have been pale leaves are now just a single, black, pulpy brick. You can also spot a lone feather in there, equally drenched and useless. {link to: 'Satchel', label: 'Back'} [note] The player could find a way to clean the ink off the contents of the pack. Cleaning the pack could reveal/turn the pack into another tool, making this puzzle's reward more tangible than just aligning the biome if willing to go the extra step. [continue]

You run your eyes over the walls, covered in amber-colored spikes - giant, broken spear-points. The moss-light from the main cavern shines through them, painting the floor in a shifting pattern of sharp-edged green shapes. Sharp. *Too sharp.* You keep your hands tucked close to your body. One clumsy trip in here and you'd be skewered like a lowly lizard. {link to: 'Slime Pool West', label: 'Back'}

*...oh, wow.* Caught in the amber is a floating... eye... squid? Surely one of the big ones Grama tells stories about. Its mouth is frozen open in a silent, furious roar, a single thread of drool crystallized on one of its many sharp teeth. The great central eye, wide and unblinking, stares out. This is so cool! How did such a mighty monster get trapped like this? You can't help yourself. You press your face, then your hands, then your whole soft belly and chest against the hard, smooth surface of the crystal. It's cold, so cold it makes your teeth buzz, but up this close, you can see every detail - the tiny red veins in its massive eye, the dust motes frozen in the amber around its writhing tentacles, the way the light catches on the wet-looking curve of its eyeball. Amazing! {link to: 'Slime Pool West', label: 'Back'} [if TuningForkTaken; inventory for TuningFork] [[What if...?->Beholder Tuning Fork Cutscene]] [continue] [if QuillAndPaperFound; inventory for QuillAndPaper] [[The stick twitches...->Beholder Quill Cutscene]] [continue]

This Green Lady sits upon a throne of hardened amber that is, in fact, her own crystallized lower half. Her translucent green upper body is perfectly still, one gooey hand propped under her chin in a pose of deep contemplation. Floating serenely within her head is a pale, yellowed skull. Its dark, empty eye sockets stare out through her gelatinous form as if possessing some great, secret knowledge. Her free arm ends not in a soft hand, but in a jagged shard of amber-colored crystal, which she occasionally uses to tap thoughtfully against the skull. You keep your distance: that thing could easily hurt. [unless SlimeGirlWestTalkedTo] [[You clear your throat to get her attention.->Slime Girl West - First Meeting]] [if SlimeGirlWestTalkedTo; unless SlimeGirlWestRiddleSolved] [[You clear your throat to get her attention again.->Slime Girl West - Riddle Answer]] [if SlimeGirlWestRiddleSolved] [[You approach her again.->Slime Girl West - Third Meeting]] [continue] {link to: 'Slime Pool West', label: 'Back'}

SlimeGirlWestTalkedTo: true -- [dialogue delay:0.1 id:slime_west_1] She doesn't turn her head, but one of her dark eyes drifts lazily in your direction. Her voice is a slow, self-important drawl. [dialogue delay:1.0 id:slime_west_1] *"Ahhh~...* [dialogue delay:1.0 id:slime_west_1] *...a visitor...* [dialogue delay:1.2 id:slime_west_1] *...come to bask...* [dialogue delay:0.8 id:slime_west_1] *...in the glow...* [dialogue delay:0.8 id:slime_west_1] *...of my...* [dialogue delay:1.0 id:slime_west_1] *...superior...* [dialogue delay:1.2 id:slime_west_1] *...intellect~...?"* [dialogue delay:1.8 id:slime_west_1 newline] You shuffle your feet. *"Uh... sure? I'm Leika."* [dialogue delay:1.5 id:slime_west_1 newline] *"Silence~..."* [dialogue delay:0.5 id:slime_west_1] she commands, tapping her crystal finger against the skull with a faint *tink*. [dialogue delay:1.2 id:slime_west_1] *"...A...* [dialogue delay:0.8 id:slime_west_1] *...profound...* [dialogue delay:0.8 id:slime_west_1] *...thought...* [dialogue delay:1.0 id:slime_west_1] *...is percolating...* [dialogue delay:1.0 id:slime_west_1] *...within my...* [dialogue delay:1.2 id:slime_west_1] *...magnificent...* [dialogue delay:1.0 id:slime_west_1] *...cranium~..."* [dialogue delay:2.2 id:slime_west_1 newline] After a long pause, she speaks again. [dialogue delay:1.0 id:slime_west_1] *"I have...* [dialogue delay:0.8 id:slime_west_1] *...a conundrum~...* [dialogue delay:1.2 id:slime_west_1] *...A...* [dialogue delay:0.8 id:slime_west_1] *...philosophical query...* [dialogue delay:1.2 id:slime_west_1] *...that has vexed me for...* [dialogue delay:1.0 id:slime_west_1] *...eons~...* [dialogue delay:1.0 id:slime_west_1] *...or, maybe...* [dialogue delay:0.8 id:slime_west_1] *...since this morning~..."* [dialogue delay:2.0 id:slime_west_1 newline] She leans forward slightly, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial gurgle. [dialogue delay:1.0 id:slime_west_1] *"What...* [dialogue delay:0.8 id:slime_west_1] *...has an eye...* [dialogue delay:1.0 id:slime_west_1] *...but cannot...* [dialogue delay:1.2 id:slime_west_1] *...perceive~...?"* [dialogue delay:1.8 id:slime_west_1 newline] *"Answer this...* [dialogue delay:1.0 id:slime_west_1] *...and I shall...* [dialogue delay:0.8 id:slime_west_1] *...reward you...* [dialogue delay:1.0 id:slime_west_1] *...with a sliver...* [dialogue delay:0.8 id:slime_west_1] *...of my...* [dialogue delay:1.0 id:slime_west_1] *...boundless...* [dialogue delay:1.2 id:slime_west_1] *...wisdom~..."* [dialogue delay:0.5 id:slime_west_1 newline] She returns to her thinking pose, her gaze distant, leaving you to ponder her great riddle. [dialogue delay:0.1 id:slime_west_1] Mmm... [dialogue delay:0.5 id:slime_west_1 newline] {link to: 'Slime Girl West', label: 'Back'}

SlimeGirlWestMoved: true -- [dialogue delay:0.1 id:slime_west_3] The Green Lady's skull-eye drifts towards you. [dialogue delay:1.0 id:slime_west_3] *"The acolyte...* [dialogue delay:1.0 id:slime_west_3] *...returns~...* [dialogue delay:1.2 id:slime_west_3] *...Come...* [dialogue delay:0.8 id:slime_west_3] *...pose your...* [dialogue delay:0.8 id:slime_west_3] *...simple questions...* [dialogue delay:1.0 id:slime_west_3] *...to my...* [dialogue delay:1.2 id:slime_west_3] *...grand intellect~...?"* [dialogue delay:2.0 id:slime_west_3 newline] You shrug. *"I dunno. Aren't you bored? Just sitting here?"* [dialogue delay:1.5 id:slime_west_3 newline] A long, gurgling silence. The crystal shard taps the skull. [dialogue delay:1.5 id:slime_west_3] A low hum begins to emanate from the amber cocoon at her base. [dialogue delay:2.2 id:slime_west_3 newline] *"Booored~...?"* [dialogue delay:1.0 id:slime_west_3] she repeats, as if tasting a strange new word. [dialogue delay:1.0 id:slime_west_3] *"Stasis...* [dialogue delay:0.8 id:slime_west_3] *...is the foundation...* [dialogue delay:1.0 id:slime_west_3] *...of observation~...* [dialogue delay:1.2 id:slime_west_3] *...But intellect...* [dialogue delay:0.8 id:slime_west_3] *...requires...* [dialogue delay:0.8 id:slime_west_3] *...new...* [dialogue delay:1.5 id:slime_west_3] *...stimuli~......!"* [dialogue delay:2.5 id:slime_west_3 newline] The humming grows louder. You can see tiny cracks begin to spread across the surface of her pool. You take a nervous step back, towards the cavern floor. [dialogue delay:2.0 id:slime_west_3] *"To truly *know*...* [dialogue delay:1.0 id:slime_west_3] *...one must not only...* [dialogue delay:1.2 id:slime_west_3] *...*be*~...* [dialogue delay:1.2 id:slime_west_3] *...one must also...* [dialogue delay:1.5 id:slime_west_3] *...*go*~...!"* [dialogue delay:1.8 id:slime_west_3 newline] ***CRACK!*** [dialogue delay:0.5 id:slime_west_3] The amber cocoon shatters. The Green Lady's upper body sloshes forward, pouring off the broken throne in a wave of green goo. [dialogue delay:1.8 id:slime_west_3 newline] *"I must...* [dialogue delay:1.0 id:slime_west_3] *...relocate...* [dialogue delay:1.0 id:slime_west_3] *...to the neeexuuuus~..."* [dialogue delay:1.2 id:slime_west_3] she proclaims, already oozing her way toward the exit. [dialogue delay:1.5 id:slime_west_3] *"...a larger...* [dialogue delay:1.2 id:slime_west_3] *...veeessel~...* [dialogue delay:1.0 id:slime_west_3] *...cometh...!"* [dialogue delay:0.5 id:slime_west_3 newline] {link to: 'Slime Pool West', label: 'You watch her leave.'}

SlimeGirlWestRiddleSolved: true -- [dialogue delay:0.1 id:slime_west_2] The Green Lady's eye drifts toward you as you approach. [dialogue delay:1.2 id:slime_west_2] *"Sooo~...* [dialogue delay:1.0 id:slime_west_2] *...have you...* [dialogue delay:0.8 id:slime_west_2] *...deduced...* [dialogue delay:1.0 id:slime_west_2] *...the answer...* [dialogue delay:0.8 id:slime_west_2] *...to my...* [dialogue delay:1.2 id:slime_west_2] *...great enigma~...?"* [dialogue delay:1.8 id:slime_west_2 newline] You point a finger past her, toward the wall. *"That thing."* [dialogue delay:1.5 id:slime_west_2 newline] There is a long, gurgling silence. The skull inside her head seems to stare blankly. The crystal hand, poised for a thoughtful tap, freezes mid-air. [dialogue delay:2.0 id:slime_west_2 newline] *"Ahhh~..."* [dialogue delay:1.0 id:slime_west_2] she finally drawls, slowly lowering her hand. [dialogue delay:1.0 id:slime_west_2] *"...Yesss~...* [dialogue delay:0.8 id:slime_west_2] *...of course...* [dialogue delay:1.2 id:slime_west_2] *...The...* [dialogue delay:0.5 id:slime_west_2] *...obvious...* [dialogue delay:0.8 id:slime_west_2] *...solution...* [dialogue delay:1.0 id:slime_west_2] *...for a mind...* [dialogue delay:0.8 id:slime_west_2] *...as...* [dialogue delay:0.5 id:slime_west_2] *...simple...* [dialogue delay:0.8 id:slime_west_2] *...as yours~...* [dialogue delay:1.5 id:slime_west_2] *...I had already...* [dialogue delay:1.0 id:slime_west_2] *...moved on...* [dialogue delay:1.0 id:slime_west_2] *...to more complex...* [dialogue delay:1.2 id:slime_west_2] *...corollaries~..."* [dialogue delay:2.5 id:slime_west_2 newline] She straightens up, her form seeming to puff out with importance. [dialogue delay:1.0 id:slime_west_2] *"A promise...* [dialogue delay:0.8 id:slime_west_2] *...is a promise~...* [dialogue delay:1.2 id:slime_west_2] *...Prepare your...* [dialogue delay:0.8 id:slime_west_2] *...soft mind...* [dialogue delay:1.0 id:slime_west_2] *...for...* [dialogue delay:1.5 id:slime_west_2] *...enlightenment~...* [dialogue delay:1.0 id:slime_west_2] *...Are you...* [dialogue delay:0.5 id:slime_west_2] *...ready~...?"* [dialogue delay:1.5 id:slime_west_2 newline] You nod, leaning in expectantly. [dialogue delay:1.8 id:slime_west_2 newline] *"To be...* [dialogue delay:1.0 id:slime_west_2] *...hard~..."* [dialogue delay:0.5 id:slime_west_2] she says, tapping her crystal shard. [dialogue delay:1.0 id:slime_west_2] *...is to be...* [dialogue delay:1.2 id:slime_west_2] *...not...* [dialogue delay:2.0 id:slime_west_2] *...soft~..."* [dialogue delay:1.5 id:slime_west_2 newline] She then leans back, returning to her thoughtful pose, apparently exhausted by the effort of sharing such a profound secret. [dialogue delay:1.0 id:slime_west_2] *"...now goooo~..."* [dialogue delay:0.5 id:slime_west_2 newline] {link to: 'Slime Girl West', label: 'Back'}

You take a hesitant step forward, your eyes fixed on the pulsing teal light. Your foot, still slick with green goo, lands squarely in the center of the carving. [[A jolt, sharp and cold, shoots up your leg.->Gelatinous Cube Press Activation 1.5]]

The teal symbol flares, impossibly bright, and you throw a hand over your eyes with a yelp, stumbling back. The low hum doesn't just get louder; it tears itself into a deep, groaning **RRRRUMMMBLE** that comes from the guts of the cavern itself. The dais shudders, a bone-rattling vibration that makes your teeth chatter in your skull. Panic, sharp and cold, seizes you. *You broke it! You broke and made it mad!* As you look up, scrambling away from the glowing symbol, you see the thick, root-like chains high in the darkness lurching into motion. Dust and small pebbles rain down, pattering on your head as the massive black blocks begin to move, though [[not in your direction.->Gelatinous Cube Press Activation 2]]

The blocks above swing. Ponderously, they begin to travel along some unseen track in the cavern's high ceiling. With each lurching movement, the massive chains groan, their thick links popping with tension. A great shadow sweeps across the cavern as the blocks pass overhead, eclipsing the soft moss-light. You watch, frozen, as they drift directly over the central pool. Down below, the three Green Ladies look up from their chaotic splashing. One of them waves. With a final, deafening **CLANG**, the blocks lock into place, hanging motionless. *Uh oh.* You shout and wave about, trying to get their attention, trying to get them away from [[*the giant, obviously deadly block standing right on top of-*->Gelatinous Cube Press Activation 3]]

As the top block falls, the bottom of the pool rises. The slime churns, parting as another perfectly smooth, black plinth rises from the depths, pushing a wave of green goo over the pool's edge. At the same time, with a smooth *shhhhlick* of stone sliding on stone, four more massive blocks emerge from somewhere in the dark, boxing in the pool on all four sides. As the blocks reach the center as a singular wet **SQUELCH** echoes through the cavern. Thick, green jelly squeezes out from the seams where the six black faces' edges meet, dripping down their sides in thick, glistening ropes. [[The infernal contraption is now still.->Gelatinous Cube Press Activation 4]]

SlimePressState: 'activated' -- For a long moment, there is only the soft sound of dripping goo. Then, with a series of sharp **CLICKS**, the press begins to retract. The four side blocks slide back into the darkness as well, with a scraping of stone on stone. Where the chaotic, sloshing pool once was, there now sits a single, unnervingly perfect gelatinous cube. It is utterly still, its edges sharp, its sides smooth and featureless. You hold your breath. What... {link to: 'Slime Caverns Hub', label: 'what have you done?'}

You creep closer to the strange, green jelly-box. It doesn't move. It doesn't bubble. It doesn't even jiggle. It just... sits there, a perfect, silent square of slime in the middle of the cavern floor, the moss-light shining right through it. You circle it slowly. It's so... clean. No lumps, no drips. The corners are sharp, not soft and rounded like they should be. It's the most un-slimy slime you have ever seen. Not only that, it's *huge*! Being careful not to fall into the hot slime, you get on your tippy toes and reach out a hesitant hand, your fingers trembling slightly. Is this... a holy thing? Or just... wrong? Your fingertip touches the surface. It's... warm, giving just a little, like a firm grub-belly. [[The cube shudders.->Gelatinous Cube Reshaping 1]]

She is a mountain of happy, shimmering green jelly. **Bouba.** She sits upon the black plinth, her enormous backside spreading wide to cover it completely. Her vast, round belly, a world of its own, hangs heavy and low, its lower curve dipping into the warm slime of the pool with a soft *gloop*. The moss-light from the cavern walls shines right through her, illuminating the slow, hypnotic swirl of the dark core deep within her gut. Her thick, strong arms rest atop the great mound of her belly, her fingers idly tracing patterns on its taut, glistening surface. She gives a slow, happy wobble that sends ripples across the pool, her huge breasts jiggling in sympathy. Her lazy, dark eyes watch you, and a wide, simple smile never leaves her face. {one of: ["*You can see yellowed bone fragments drifting slowly within her translucent form.*", "*Her belly gives a low, gurgling rumble.*", "*She shifts her immense weight, and a warm wave of green goo sloshes gently against the cavern shore at your feet.*", "*She gives a slow, sleepy blink, and a single, huge bubble rises from the depths of her belly to pop with a soft, sweet-smelling 'gloop'.*", "*She briefly crosses her huge arms under her breasts, a flash of grumpy concentration on her face, before dissolving back into a happy wobble.*"], order: 'cycling'} {link to: 'Slime Caverns Hub', label: 'Back'} [if SlimePressState == 'shaped'; unless LeikaGorgedSlime; inventory for LeikaBelly] [[The pool smells so sweet...->Leika Gorging Slime]] [continue]

SlimePressState: "shaped" -- The cube sings with a low hum, and the surface beneath your finger trembles. The corners soften, the flat planes sag, and the whole thing loses its rigid shape. The side you touched begins to swell outward - a slow, unstoppable bulge of green jelly pushing toward you. A faint vertical line traces down its center, a subtle indentation that deepens, pulling inward until it forms a distinct cleft. The single mass splits, reshaping itself into two perfect, quivering hemispheres that swell to a massive scale. While the rest of the cube is now a formless, trembling mound, an enormous, perfectly formed backside gives a slow, [[ponderous wobble->Gelatinous Cube Reshaping 1.5]].

It stretches, becoming smoother, tighter, until the belly is a perfect, round curve that juts past Her chest. A deep, resonant hum vibrates from within, and you can barely catch a glipse of a slimey hand coming to pat it on its side... [[...prompting, apparently, to make it swells a second time.->Gelatinous Cube Reshaping 3.5]]

The jelly groans as it continues onwards, the belly becoming a vast, heavy mound that rests upon the black plinth. Her newly formed breasts, each the size of you, are now dwarfed, simply resting atop the upper slope of this immense, gelatinous sphere. It just keeps going! By this point it fills your vision, a mountainous gut of shimmering green jelly hanging heavily, its lower curve now partly on the stone, partly aloof in the slime pool below. The translucent skin is stretched so tight you can see every slow, hypnotic swirl of the dark core deep within. The hum softens to a gentle purr. [[You blink, take a few steps back and look up.->Gelatinous Cube Reshaping 4]]

SlimePressState: 'shaped' -- You finally tear your gaze away from the magnificent gut, your eyes tracing the shimmering green jelly upward. *Ah...* In your revere, you missed the forming of the head sitting atop the massive form, tilted slightly as if in lazy contemplation. A wide, simple smile is etched onto her face, and two dark eyes swim lazily above the surface. Two thick, gelatinous arms, strong-looking but at ease, rest upon the upper curve of her belly, her fingers melting slightly into the soft mass. A slow, warbling sound flows out, like thick honey pouring mixed with the gentle *gloop* of the pools. *"Heeeyy... little warm-thing~... eeeveen smaller... noow~..."* The voice is a happy, sleepy rumble. *"Mmm... call us... Booouuubaa~..."* {link to: 'Slime Caverns Hub', label: 'You can only stare in awe.'}

The vision shimmers again, the air growing thick and heavy. The same goblins are there, but the hopeful kneeling is gone. Grak is idly poking at the edge of the pool with the butt of his spear, a bored expression on his face. One of the kits is asleep, curled up on the slimey stone. Yuck. Another tries to skip a flat rock across the slime; it just makes a sad *splut* and sinks. Bouba... just sits there, in the same exact spot as before. She gives a happy, sleepy wobble now and then, but that's about it. No lessons. No commands. No holy hum or divine language. Just green. A lot of green. As you watch, the sleeping kit stirs, waking with a yawn. He stretches, then looks at the pool. He looks at his grimy fingers. He looks back at the pool. [[A slow grin spreads across his face.->Slime Caverns Future Vision 3]]

Before anyone can stop him from burning himself in the slime, the kit plunges his whole hand in. To your and the surprise of the others in the cavern, he just pulls it out, dripping with green goo. Then, the little fool... he licks it. His eyes go wide. A happy, slurping sound fills the quiet cavern. Grak stares, then snatches the kit's hand, sniffing it suspiciously. Then he dips his *own* finger in. His eyes go wide, too. In a blink, they're all at the pool's edge. Hands, then empty water skins are dipped in, scooping up the sweet, fatty goo - now simply warm instead of scolding hot. *Oh!* You understand now. Bouba isn't a goddess to be worshipped... She's a gift *for* the Goddess, a living cook-pot for Her divine hunger! [[The scene shifts one last time...->Slime Caverns Future Vision 4]]

The vision blurs into a steady, purposeful rhythm. A chain of your kin, their faces grim with determination, now ferry skins and bowls brimming with the sweet green goo back toward the Great Chamber. Bouba sits in her pool, a vast, happy, living wellspring. A passing goblin gives her a fond pat on her vast, wobbly side and gives a contented little jiggle in response, sending a fresh wave of slime sloshing to the shore for the next in line. Of course! The Goddess is wise! She did not give you a rival; She gave you a living pantry. Bouba, the *patron saint of Slime!* The golden bug hums, clearly not ready to bring you back to the present. From the slime caverns, you are moved [[back to the heart of the world...->Future Chamber Router]]

The chamber feels different. The air is warm, thick with the smell of a freshly stoked cook-fire and the sweet, fatty scent of roasting... something. The moss-light on the walls seems brighter, tended to. In the center of it all, standing by her throne, is [[🤍The Goddess->Future Eleanor]]. Before Her lies your kin's [[offering->Future Offerings]]. To one side, a proper [[cook-fire->Cook-Fire (Future)]] now burns. Near the wall, another goblin scratches marks onto a large, smooth [[tally stone->Tally Stone (Future)]]. [unless CH3Demo] *The archway leading back to the caves is closed, but the bug [[seems to be ticking slower...->Great Chamber]]* [if CH3Demo] *The archway leading back to the caves is closed, but the bug seems to be ticking... mmm... a lot slower... [[to a stop, even?->CH3 Demo End]]* [note] All around, [[your kin->Future Goblins]] move with a newfound energy. We need to implement this at some point, but I'm still unsure at our current set of goblins. It'll have to written and added to this passage later. [continue]

[if GoddessWeightGained == 'PLUMP'; if LastBiomeAligned == 'SlimeCaverns'] Up and about inside of the chamber, you watch as she sets a large, empty bowl carved from bone onto the throne's arm, a faint green sheen still coating its inside. Her white gown, which usually hangs in soft folds, is pulled taut across her middle. Her belly bulges forward, a firm, round dome that strains the fabric further than it previously did. A soft, holy sound escapes her lips - really, just a burp - and a faint blush colors Her cheeks as the surrounding kin giggle. One of Her hands comes to rest on the taut curve of her gut, pressing gently as if to soothe the pressure within. *Your actions had their consequences, and clearly you are on the right path!* But it's not enough. More of the caverns back in the present need to realize her divine right to rule. More offerings. *More Goddess!* [continue] [if GoddessWeightGained == 'PLUMP'; if LastBiomeAligned == 'FungalPlains'] The Goddess stands near the warmth of the brazier, a half-eaten skewer of smoked meat in her hand. A smear of grease shines on her chin, and she looks... content. Truly content. Her gown is noticeably tighter. The heavy, savory meats of the plains have settled quickly on her frame; her cheeks are fuller, flushed with the heat of the fire and the richness of the food. Her belly presses against the fabric, a soft, distinct mound that she uses to balance her free hand as she inspects a new offering. *Your actions had their consequences, and clearly you are on the right path!* But it's not enough. More of the caverns back in the present need to realize her divine right to rule. More offerings. *More Goddess!* [continue] [if GoddessWeightGained == 'PLUMP'; if LastBiomeAligned == 'HuntingGrounds'] Placeholder for PLUMP stage after Hunting Grounds alignment. [continue] [if GoddessWeightGained == 'PLUMP'; if LastBiomeAligned == 'IndustrialGrotto'] Placeholder for PLUMP stage after Industrial Grotto alignment. [continue] [if GoddessWeightGained == 'PLUMP'; if LastBiomeAligned == 'ExpeditionRemains'] Placeholder for PLUMP stage after Expedition Remains alignment. [continue] [if GoddessWeightGained == 'FAT'; if LastBiomeAligned == 'SlimeCaverns'] The Goddess stands beside Her throne, directing the placement of the new tribute with a slow, deliberate finger. Her white gown, now stained with honored streaks of green slime, pulls taut across the holy breadth of Her hips and the impressive swell of Her belly. Her gut now hangs heavy and low, a substantial curve that rests against the gown's sash and sways with a power of its own when She shifts Her weight to the teaching stone behind her, chalk in hand. You spot a small bowl of the shimmering slime resting on the arm of the throne. Her voice is a low, commanding rumble as she corrects a clumsy goblin, but the simple effort makes her breath catch - a divine pause. Her fingers dip into the bowl absently, bringing a glistening glob to Her lips. You watch, mesmerized, as Her pale throat works to swallow the thick, sweet offering before She places a hand in the small of Her back, arching slightly to counterbalance the increased divine weight She carries at Her front. [continue] [if GoddessWeightGained == 'FAT'; if LastBiomeAligned == 'FungalPlains'] The Goddess sits on the very edge of Her throne, the only place her widened hips fit comfortably. She holds a massive, roasted bone in one hand, her fingers glistening with rendered fat. The heavy, savory diet has thickened Her substantialy. Her belly is a heavy, round pot that rests on her thighs, pushing the fabric of her gown to its limit; you can see the faint outline of her navel pressing against the cloth. Her face is flushed, shiny with grease and beads of sweat that gather on her forehead and upper lip, rolling down to dampen the collar of her gown and pooling in her armpits. She tears a strip of meat from the bone with her teeth - a savage, hungry motion that makes her soft cheeks quiver. She chews slowly, eyes half-closed, lost in the savory richness of the offering, before letting out a deep, satisfied grunt that vibrates in your own chest. [continue] [if GoddessWeightGained == 'FAT'; if LastBiomeAligned == 'HuntingGrounds'] Placeholder for FAT stage after Hunting Grounds alignment. [continue] [if GoddessWeightGained == 'FAT'; if LastBiomeAligned == 'IndustrialGrotto'] Placeholder for FAT stage after Industrial Grotto alignment. [continue] [if GoddessWeightGained == 'FAT'; if LastBiomeAligned == 'ExpeditionRemains'] Placeholder for FAT stage after Expedition Remains alignment. [continue] [if GoddessWeightGained == 'OBESE'; if LastBiomeAligned == 'SlimeCaverns'] The Goddess is no longer standing. She rests heavily upon the great granite seat, Her massive rear spreading onto its stone. She holds a piece of chalk, hovering over the teaching stone, attempting to draw the curve of the 'Well-Fed One'. But the lesson is failing. Grizel stands beside Her with a bowl of the green slime, and every time She opens Her mouth to speak a holy word, he slips a spoonful in. She accepts it with a soft, wet sound, Her eyes fluttering shut, the chalk forgotten in mid-air. Her massive belly dominates her lap, a vast orb of pale flesh that jiggles with every swallow. By the time She remembers the lesson, another spoonful is waiting. She giggles, a low, wet sound, and simply gives up on the symbol to open Her mouth again. [continue] [if GoddessWeightGained == 'OBESE'; if LastBiomeAligned == 'FungalPlains'] The Goddess sits splayed on the throne, a sheen of heavy sweat coating her flushed skin. She leans forward, grunting with effort as She tries to reach the top of the teaching stone. It is no use. Her enormous, meat-heavy belly presses hard against her thighs, physically stopping her from leaning any further. She huffs, breathless from the simple exertion, and a drop of sweat falls from her nose to smear the chalk line she just drew. With a frustrated, lethargic groan, She lets the chalk clatter to the floor. It's too hot. It's too much work. She slumps back, the wood of the throne creaking under her, and instead reaches for a bowl of fatty stew. The lesson can wait. The hunger cannot. [continue] [if GoddessWeightGained == 'OBESE'; if LastBiomeAligned == 'HuntingGrounds'] Placeholder for OBESE stage after Hunting Grounds alignment. [continue] [if GoddessWeightGained == 'OBESE'; if LastBiomeAligned == 'IndustrialGrotto'] Placeholder for OBESE stage after Industrial Grotto alignment. [continue] [if GoddessWeightGained == 'OBESE'; if LastBiomeAligned == 'ExpeditionRemains'] Placeholder for OBESE stage after Expedition Remains alignment. [continue] [if GoddessWeightGained == 'ALMOST IMMOBILE'; if LastBiomeAligned == 'SlimeCaverns'] The great granite throne has become a simple pedestal for Her divine mass, and its unclear to you if she could even get up from it without aid. Her colossal backside spills over the edges, and her legs are forced wide by the sheer size of her stretch-marked gut, which now rests not just on her lap, but on the throne itself, its lower curve hanging heavily between her knees. Her white gown is a holy mess, stained green and pushed to the side of her gut - even then, it barely covers the tops of her thighs. You watch, mesmerized, as two of your kin struggle to lift a full lizard-gut skin to Her lips. She leans her head back, and a thick, steady stream of shimmering green slime pours directly into Her waiting mouth. Her throat works continuously, a soft gulping sound in the quiet chamber. A glob of slime escapes, tracing a glistening path from the corner of her lips, down her chin, and onto the heaving slope of her chest. When the skin is empty, she gives a low, gurgling belch of satisfaction, and with a lazy gesture of her hand, She whimpers for more. [continue] [if GoddessWeightGained == 'ALMOST IMMOBILE'; if LastBiomeAligned == 'FungalPlains'] The heat from the nearby spit-roast has turned the throne into a sauna. Her white gown is soaked through with sweat, transparent and clinging to the massive, flushed rolls of her sides. She is slumped back, her limbs heavy and useless at her sides, legs splayed wide to accommodate the boulder-like density of her stomach. She is visibly overgorged. Her belly is tight, a solid dome of packed meat and heavy starches that rises and falls with short, shallow gasps. Her eyes are rolled back, glazed over in a savory stupor. She doesn't even chew anymore; the meat is so tender she just mashes the fatty pork against the roof of her mouth before swallowing with a strained gulp. A deep, wet *BELCH* tears out of her, smelling of smoke and fat. She winces, a hand fluttering weakly to the side her taut midsection as if in pain... but when the attendant offers another dripping slice, her mouth opens automatically. [continue] [if GoddessWeightGained == 'ALMOST IMMOBILE'; if LastBiomeAligned == 'HuntingGrounds'] Placeholder for ALMOST IMMOBILE stage after Hunting Grounds alignment. [continue] [if GoddessWeightGained == 'ALMOST IMMOBILE'; if LastBiomeAligned == 'IndustrialGrotto'] Placeholder for ALMOST IMMOBILE stage after Industrial Grotto alignment. [continue] [if GoddessWeightGained == 'ALMOST IMMOBILE'; if LastBiomeAligned == 'ExpeditionRemains'] Placeholder for ALMOST IMMOBILE stage after Expedition Remains alignment. [continue] [if GoddessWeightGained == 'IMMOBILE'; if LastBiomeAligned == 'SlimeCaverns'] The throne is gone, swallowed by Her holy mass. She is visibly sitting taller than ever, propped up by a dozen carefully placed moss-pillows, yes, but more so her colossal ass. Her belly has cascaded over her lap and thighs entirely, a great, taut curve of fat that rests heavily upon the stone dais at her feet. The white gown is nowhere to be seen, clearly no longer fit for her; the skin of her gut is stretched so thin you can see a network of angry red lines beneath the surface. And the feeding... the feeding never stops. Ghera has fashioned a funnel from a large horn, and your kin work in a silent, reverent line, pouring skin after skin of the green slime directly into it. Her throat works in a continuous, hypnotic rhythm - it's hard for you to look away. Some of it spills, tracing glistening green rivers down the deep cleft of her cleavage and into the sweaty folds where her belly meets her thighs. As her stomach below churns audibly, one of her hands weakly pushes the offered slime away. After just a moment's pause, a grunt escapes her, prompting the feeding to resume. [continue] [if GoddessWeightGained == 'IMMOBILE'; if LastBiomeAligned == 'FungalPlains'] The throne is gone, swallowed by Her holy mass. Her body has expanded to fill the entire space between the walls of cured meat and fungus-grains, her flesh pressing tight against the stacked hams and cheese wheels. She is effectively molded into a larder. Her belly is a terrifying, magnificent thing - a solid, flushed mountain that rises almost to her chin. It is so vast and heavy that her legs are completely hidden beneath its overhang; you only know they are there because her massive, dimpled knees push out against the sides of the food-walls. Her arms rest atop the mound like useless appendages, her hands unable to reach past the slope of her own chest. The air around her shimmers with body heat. Rivulets of sweat run constantly down the flushed expanse of her skin, pooling in the deep, compressed valley of her cleavage and the angry red creases of her neck. She is slick, shiny, and overwhelmingly *solid*. She doesn't move. Truly, she can't. Rounding the corner, you see her as she simply opens her panting mouth, eyes glazed and distant, and waits for the next strip of dripping, fatty meat to be placed on her tongue. [continue] [if GoddessWeightGained == 'IMMOBILE'; if LastBiomeAligned == 'HuntingGrounds'] Placeholder for IMMOBILE stage after Hunting Grounds alignment. [continue] [if GoddessWeightGained == 'IMMOBILE'; if LastBiomeAligned == 'IndustrialGrotto'] Placeholder for IMMOBILE stage after Industrial Grotto alignment. [continue] [if GoddessWeightGained == 'IMMOBILE'; if LastBiomeAligned == 'ExpeditionRemains'] Placeholder for IMMOBILE stage after Expedition Remains alignment. [continue] [if GoddessWeightGained == 'PLUMP'] {link to: 'Future Chamber - Stage PLUMP', label: 'Back'} [if GoddessWeightGained == 'FAT'] {link to: 'Future Chamber - Stage FAT', label: 'Back'} [if GoddessWeightGained == 'OBESE'] {link to: 'Future Chamber - Stage OBESE', label: 'Back'} [if GoddessWeightGained == 'ALMOST IMMOBILE'] {link to: 'Future Chamber - Stage ALMOST IMMOBILE', label: 'Back'} [if GoddessWeightGained == 'IMMOBILE'] {link to: 'Future Chamber - Stage IMMOBILE', label: 'Back'}

[if GoddessWeightGained == 'PLUMP'; if LastBiomeAligned == 'SlimeCaverns'] At the base of the throne, a cluster of hollowed-out gourds sits arranged in a neat semi-circle, filled to the brim with the translucent green slime. A wooden ladle rests in the largest one, coated in a thick, sweet-smelling residue. It is a modest, but steady supply. Your eyes linger on a drop of slime sliding down the side of a gourd. *Would She notice if just one lick went missing?* No. Bad Leika. But... maybe just a little finger-dip? *No!* Stoppit. It's for her. [continue] [if GoddessWeightGained == 'PLUMP'; if LastBiomeAligned == 'FungalPlains'] Spread out on fresh palm-fungus leaves are woven baskets overflowing with the harvest. Grilled red-caps, their gills glistening with oil, sit beside neat stacks of smoked lizard-jerky. The scent of woodsmoke and savory spice hangs pleasantly in the air. It smells exactly like you remember it. Better, actually. There isn't a single burnt piece in the pile - good. Sure, she *could* have gone through the charred remains of Big-Maw's tributes, but really now... Her Holiness deserves only the perfect cuts. [continue] [if GoddessWeightGained == 'PLUMP'; if LastBiomeAligned == 'HuntingGrounds'] Placeholder for PLUMP stage after Hunting Grounds alignment. [continue] [if GoddessWeightGained == 'PLUMP'; if LastBiomeAligned == 'IndustrialGrotto'] Placeholder for PLUMP stage after Industrial Grotto alignment. [continue] [if GoddessWeightGained == 'PLUMP'; if LastBiomeAligned == 'ExpeditionRemains'] Placeholder for PLUMP stage after Expedition Remains alignment. [continue] [if GoddessWeightGained == 'FAT'; if LastBiomeAligned == 'SlimeCaverns'] You stand at the side of heavy clay amphorae that are waist-high to you. They are unsealed, and the thick, green jelly wells up over the rims, ready for Her to dip her fingers in whenever the fancy strikes. Sticky puddles are forming on the stone where she drips. It's a bit messy, isn't it? Someone should really clean that up before she slips... or before the ants find it. Actually, you wouldn't mind cleaning it up. With a spoon. Or your tongue. [continue] [if GoddessWeightGained == 'FAT'; if LastBiomeAligned == 'FungalPlains'] A whole roasted cave-lizard, glazed in dark sauce and still steaming, dominates the offering space. It's flanked by mounds of buttery mashed tubers and a tower of flatbreads. Grease from the roast pools on the platter, dripping rhythmically onto the stone floor. *Pat... pat... pat...* It's a beautiful sound. The lizard still has its claws on, though. You wince. Hopefully, She doesn't mind the crunch as much as the false queen did. She looks like she has a stronger jaw, anyway. Hopefully. [continue] [if GoddessWeightGained == 'FAT'; if LastBiomeAligned == 'HuntingGrounds'] Placeholder for FAT stage after Hunting Grounds alignment. [continue] [if GoddessWeightGained == 'FAT'; if LastBiomeAligned == 'IndustrialGrotto'] Placeholder for FAT stage after Industrial Grotto alignment. [continue] [if GoddessWeightGained == 'FAT'; if LastBiomeAligned == 'ExpeditionRemains'] Placeholder for FAT stage after Expedition Remains alignment. [continue] [if GoddessWeightGained == 'OBESE'; if LastBiomeAligned == 'SlimeCaverns'] A low, wide table has been dragged before the throne, serving as a dedicated staging ground. It holds a massive basin of slime, from which Grizel dutifully refills the smaller bowls he offers to Her. The supply is constant. You watch a team of carriers haul a fresh vat in from the tunnels, their arms straining. *Heave! Heave!* Good work lads. Keep it coming. If that bowl stays empty for more than a heartbeat, heads should roll. [continue] [if GoddessWeightGained == 'OBESE'; if LastBiomeAligned == 'FungalPlains'] The space before the throne has become a larder. Crates of smoked meats are stacked haphazardly, creating an actually wall of abundance. In the center, a massive iron cauldron rests on a portable brazier, bubbling with a thick, fatty stew that smells of bone marrow and rich earth. The heat from the brazier is intense. Is it too hot for Her? You see beads of sweat on Her divine forehead. Maybe you should fan Her? Or maybe the heat helps the digestion? Yes, like a cook-pot for the belly. Smart. [continue] [if GoddessWeightGained == 'OBESE'; if LastBiomeAligned == 'HuntingGrounds'] Placeholder for OBESE stage after Hunting Grounds alignment. [continue] [if GoddessWeightGained == 'OBESE'; if LastBiomeAligned == 'IndustrialGrotto'] Placeholder for OBESE stage after Industrial Grotto alignment. [continue] [if GoddessWeightGained == 'OBESE'; if LastBiomeAligned == 'ExpeditionRemains'] Placeholder for OBESE stage after Expedition Remains alignment. [continue] [if GoddessWeightGained == 'ALMOST IMMOBILE'; if LastBiomeAligned == 'SlimeCaverns'] Piles of bloated, bulging skins are stacked like cordwood near the throne. They are filled to bursting with the green slime, the leather stretched tight. Two of your kin are constantly busy, grabbing a fresh skin, unstopping it, and rushing it to Her waiting lips. It's an efficient system. Grab, pour, discard. Grab, pour, discard. But look at that one dropping the empty skin! There was still a squeeze left in that! *Wasteful!* You feel the urge to go down there and wring it out yourself. Every drop counts! [continue] [if GoddessWeightGained == 'ALMOST IMMOBILE'; if LastBiomeAligned == 'FungalPlains'] A full roasting spit has been set up on the dais itself, mere inches from Her reach, where a whole boar turns slowly over smokeless coals. The skin crackles and pops, weeping hot fat. Attendants stand ready with long carving knives, slicing strips of dripping meat directly from the carcass to Her plate. It's a ceaseless cycle of carving and consuming. The boar is shrinking, but Her Holiness is growing. A fair trade. [continue] [if GoddessWeightGained == 'ALMOST IMMOBILE'; if LastBiomeAligned == 'HuntingGrounds'] Placeholder for ALMOST IMMOBILE stage after Hunting Grounds alignment. [continue] [if GoddessWeightGained == 'ALMOST IMMOBILE'; if LastBiomeAligned == 'IndustrialGrotto'] Placeholder for ALMOST IMMOBILE stage after Industrial Grotto alignment. [continue] [if GoddessWeightGained == 'ALMOST IMMOBILE'; if LastBiomeAligned == 'ExpeditionRemains'] Placeholder for ALMOST IMMOBILE stage after Expedition Remains alignment. [continue] [if GoddessWeightGained == 'IMMOBILE'; if LastBiomeAligned == 'SlimeCaverns'] A massive, open vat stands beside the throne, constantly replenished by a bucket-brigade of your kin. This is the reservoir for the great funnel. The attendants work with grim focus, dipping large pitchers into the vat and pouring the slime into the horn held to Her mouth. It never stops. The level in the vat barely dips before another bucket is dumped in. It's magnificent. It's... terrifying? No. No, it's glorious. Definitely glorious. [continue] [if GoddessWeightGained == 'IMMOBILE'; if LastBiomeAligned == 'FungalPlains'] She is walled in by gluttony. Stacks of cured hams, wheels of cheese, and sacks of grain have been piled around Her immobile form, forming a literal fortress of fat that obscures the lower half of the throne, and allows her a place to rest her legs. Attendants climb over the food-walls like ants, passing choice cuts to the feeders at the center. It's a nest. A soft, edible nest for the mother of us all. You have a sudden, wild urge to burrow into that pile of hams and just... hibernate. Would She mind a permanent neighbor? All of that food, from all possible sides... [continue] [if GoddessWeightGained == 'IMMOBILE'; if LastBiomeAligned == 'HuntingGrounds'] Placeholder for IMMOBILE stage after Hunting Grounds alignment. [continue] [if GoddessWeightGained == 'IMMOBILE'; if LastBiomeAligned == 'IndustrialGrotto'] Placeholder for IMMOBILE stage after Industrial Grotto alignment. [continue] [if GoddessWeightGained == 'IMMOBILE'; if LastBiomeAligned == 'ExpeditionRemains'] Placeholder for IMMOBILE stage after Expedition Remains alignment. [continue] [if GoddessWeightGained == 'PLUMP'] {link to: 'Future Chamber - Stage PLUMP', label: 'Back'} [if GoddessWeightGained == 'FAT'] {link to: 'Future Chamber - Stage FAT', label: 'Back'} [if GoddessWeightGained == 'OBESE'] {link to: 'Future Chamber - Stage OBESE', label: 'Back'} [if GoddessWeightGained == 'ALMOST IMMOBILE'] {link to: 'Future Chamber - Stage ALMOST IMMOBILE', label: 'Back'} [if GoddessWeightGained == 'IMMOBILE'] {link to: 'Future Chamber - Stage IMMOBILE', label: 'Back'}

[if LastBiomeAligned == 'FungalPlains'] You see now a hearth in the chamber. Stones have been stacked to contain a bed of glowing, smokeless coals that radiate a steady, intense heat. Above it, a massive iron grate holds heavy cuts of smoked meat and wide caps of red fungi. The air shimmers with the heat, distorting the view of the throne beyond. It is a fire meant to burn forever, a permanent engine of cooking to keep pace with Her appetite. [continue] [if LastBiomeAligned == 'SlimeCaverns'] A whole kitchen has appeared in the chamber. A wide ring of stones contains a low, steady fire, over which sits a massive, shallow basin of bronze. The green slime inside bubbles lazily, thickened with savory roots and herbs - a soup . A rich, hearty broth that could be drunk by the gallon. *Can* be drunk to the gallon! The steam rising from it is thick enough to dampen your face. [continue] {link to: 'Future Chamber - Stage FAT', label: 'Back'}

You peek over the shoulder of the scribe - it's Grizel, of course. He is kneeling before a large, smooth slab of slate, his tongue poking from the corner of his mouth in concentration. [if LastBiomeAligned == 'FungalPlains'] His chalk flies across the surface. He seems to be drawing hash-marks for crates of jerky, circles for baskets of mushrooms. He runs out of space at the bottom and has to start writing in the margins. [continue] [if LastBiomeAligned == 'SlimeCaverns'] He is drawing lines to track the flow. A mark for every skin filled, a circle for every barrel rolled in. He pauses, wipes his brow, and shakes his head with a grin, as if he can't quite believe the numbers he's writing down. [continue] *"Too much... well... never too much..."* he mutters happily, underlining a particularly large number three times. {link to: 'Future Chamber - Stage FAT', label: 'Back'}

The chamber feels... different. A small, makeshift [[spit-roast->Makeshift Spit-Roast (Future)]] crackles near the center, its smoke curling up into the gloom. The air is warmer now, carrying the scent of roasting meat and something sweet. [[🤍The Goddess->Future Eleanor]] stands overseeing her kin. Before Her lies your kin's [[offering->Future Offerings]]. A few hunters are gathered around a [[sharpening stone->Sharpening Stone (Future)]], tending to their blades. [unless FirstTimeReturn] *The archway leading back to the caves is closed, but the bug [[seems to be ticking slower...->Great Chamber - First Time Return]]* [if FirstTimeReturn] *The archway leading back to the caves is closed, but the bug [[seems to be ticking slower...->Great Chamber]]* [note] All around, [[your kin->Future Goblins]] move with a newfound energy. We need to implement this at some point, but I'm still unsure at our current set of goblins. It'll have to written and added to this passage later. [continue]

[if LastBiomeAligned == 'FungalPlains'] A simple frame of green wood holds a skewer over a crackling fire. Threaded onto it is a whole cave-lizard, its skin turning a delicious, crispy black. Fat drips into the flames, sending puffs of savory smoke drifting toward the throne. It is a small offering, but cooked with care. The cook rotates it slowly, brushing it with a glaze of crushed berries. It smells like a promise of better meals to come. [continue] [if LastBiomeAligned == 'SlimeCaverns'] A simple frame of green wood stands over a small fire, but instead of a roast, a round clay pot hangs from the crossbar. Inside, the green slime simmers gently, releasing a thick, sweet steam. The heat changes the jelly. It makes it thinner, smoother... warm. A goblin stirs it with a long ladle, humming a happy tune. It smells like hot sugar and comfort. A warm treat for a growing Goddess! [continue] {link to: 'Future Chamber - Stage PLUMP', label: 'Back'}

You approach the circle of hunters. The rhythmic *shhhk-shhhk* of stone on steel is a steady, comforting heartbeat beneath the chatter. Grak is there, but he isn't scowling or bullying the others. He holds his spear with a relaxed, confident grip, running the whetstone along the tip with practiced ease. Around him, other kin are preparing their tools. Not for war, but also not out of boredom. They are sharpening skinning knives and harvest-blades: the weapons of a tribe that is getting to have plenty to process. How poetic of them. {link to: 'Future Chamber - Stage PLUMP', label: 'Back'}

FirstTimeReturn: true -- The warm smell of the future cook-fire vanishes, replaced by the familiar damp chill. The purposeful hum of your working kin fades, and the sound of the Goddess's lesson rushes back in. Your heart hammers in your chest, not with fear, but with a giddy, soaring certainty. The golden bug did not lie! It showed you the way. It showed you what *will be*. And... and surely our Goddess could get even bigger! *Yes!!* {link to: 'Great Chamber', label: 'You have work to do.'} {ascii backdrop: 'chronos'}

[if GoddessWeightGained == 'NONE'] You approach the strange, dark figurine left in the middle of the tunnel. It's a small thing, carved to look like a fat goblin... or maybe a pregnant one? It's smooth and cold to the touch, and feels very, very old. Clearly something from the Ancients. You've seen Grak's kits kick it a few times when they thought no one was looking. It doesn't seem important, but it also doesn't feel right to move it. Best to leave it where it is. [continue] [if GoddessWeightGained == 'PLUMP' || GoddessWeightGained == 'FAT' || GoddessWeightGained == 'OBESE'] You approach the strange, dark figurine, now positioned on top of a pile of smooth rocks, with small offerings at its feet. It's not cold anymore. A gentle, holy warmth radiates from it, and if you press your ear close, you can hear a faint, sleepy hum from within. It's... it's singing to Her! You can feel it! The warmth seems to call to something deep inside you... a strange sense of... want? Need? No. *Hunger*. [[Perhaps, if you focused, you could join its song...->CH3 Demo End]] [continue] [if GoddessWeightGained == 'ALMOST IMMOBILE' || GoddessWeightGained == 'IMMOBILE'] You approach the strange, dark figurine, now positioned on top of a tall pile of smooth rocks, with plenty of offerings at its feet. Where before it was warm, it now pulses with a powerful heat that you can feel on your face from several steps away. The sleepy hum has become a clear, resonant song that vibrates through the soles of your feet - a perfect harmony to the divine rumbling of the Goddess in her chamber. A soft, teal light, the same as the moss-light, now glows from deep within the stone. A sense of satisfaction - of fullness - washes over you. [[Perhaps, if you focused, you could join its song...->CH3 Demo End]] [continue] {link to: 'North Tunnel', label: 'Back'} [if TuningForkTaken; inventory for TuningFork] [[What if...?->Vessel Tuning Fork Cutscene]] [continue] [if QuillAndPaperFound; inventory for QuillAndPaper] [[The stick begins to twitch...->Vessel Quill Cutscene]] [continue] [note] The ending links will have to be changed in time for the final release - instead of bringing the player into the ending of the demo, they should instead lead them to either '[[Vessel Meditation Cutscene - Stagnation]]' in the case of PLUMP, FAT, OBESE, or '[[Vessel Meditation Cutscene - Ascension]]' in case of ALMOST IMMOBILE, IMMOBILE. [continue]

[if LeikaWeight == 'OBESE'] *Your shoulder scrapes across the tunnel wall as you lean on it. Every step sends a jolt through your massive, overstuffed belly, and your breath comes in short, desperate pants. You need to rest... just for a moment... [[maybe right here...->Leika Glutton Ending 1]]* [continue]

The cavern is a forest of soft, glowing light. Towering [[giant mushrooms]] with wide, fleshy caps pulse with a gentle red and purple light, illuminating a springy floor of moss and tangled roots. Half-swallowed by the moss near the path, you spot an old [[carved marker stone]], its surface worn by time. A well-trodden path, marked by two smaller, neatly trimmed mushrooms, leads deeper into the plains toward what you recall being a [[🌾farm->Fungal Farm]]. To your right there's another path, this one wider, packed down hard and leading towards the [[⛩️kingdom->Gated Cavern]]. From a small, dark opening in the wall, you catch the faint, sharp scent of rusted metal. It leads to a smaller [[⚙️grotto->Rusted Grotto]]. Behind you is the way back to the main [if FungalTreeFelled; unless MawAmbush; append] [[⚫cave network->Fungal Plains Ambush Cutscene 1]]. [continue] [unless FungalTreeFelled; append] [[⚫cave network->Northwest Tunnel]]. [continue] [if FungalTreeFelled; if MawAmbush; append] [[⚫cave network->Northwest Tunnel]]. [continue] [if passage.visits == 1] *It still smells like home. A bit... emptier, though. That's a shame.* [continue] [if FungalPlainsAligned; unless FungalPlainsFutureSeen] *Just as you turn to leave, the golden bug in your satchel gives a sudden, sharp shiver, its ticking momentarily frantic...* [continue] [if FungalPlainsAligned; unless FungalPlainsFutureSeen; inventory for GoldenBug] [[It seems to be ticking faster...->Fungal Plains Future Vision 1]] [continue]

FungalPlainsFirstTime: true -- You duck under the thick, fleshy caps of the fungi blocking the passage. The air on the other side is... *ahhhh*... It's warm - a soft, earthy heat that feels like a familiar blanket. The sweet smell of damp soil and rotting mushroom-pulp fills your nose, a scent so familiar it makes your shoulders relax. [[Home!->Fungal Plains Cutscene 2]]

Before you, the cavern opens up, a vast field of giant mushrooms. Their caps, wide as huts, glow with a soft, steady light, some pulsing a gentle red, others a deep purple. The ground beneath your feet isn't cold stone, but a springy carpet of moss and fungal roots. You remember tumbling on this very ground as a kit, rolling down the soft slopes with Daka until you were both dizzy and covered in spores. A smile touches your lips. [[It's been some time, hasn't it?->Fungal Plains Hub]]

You stand under the wide, fleshy brim of one of the great mushrooms. Its cap glows a deep, pulsing red. Grama always called these Death-Caps, and warned the kits away from eating the tops. Fair enough. You reach out and press your palm against the thick, pale stem. It's cool and surprisingly firm, but gives just a little under the pressure. High above, the gills on the cap's underside shift with each slow pulse of light, releasing a fine, shimmering dust that smells earthy. {link to: 'Fungal Plains Hub', label: 'Back'} [if TrenchLighterTaken; inventory for TrenchLighter] [[What if...?->Mushroom Lighter Cutscene]] [continue] [if TuningForkTaken; inventory for TuningFork] [[What if...?->Mushroom Tuning Fork Cutscene]] [continue] [if QuillAndPaperFound; inventory for QuillAndPaper] [[The stick twitches...->Mushroom Quill Cutscene]] [continue]

The stone is old, its surface worn smooth by seasons of damp and drip. The thick moss of the plains has grown right into the cracks of its carvings, half-swallowing it back into the earth. You run a finger over the deep-cut lines. Straight lines crossing over spirals, and a shape that looks a bit like a kin's hand, but with one too many fingers. You've seen stones like this all over the deep paths. It... doesn't feel important? It's just another old thing laying about in the caverns. {link to: 'Fungal Plains Hub', label: 'Back'} [if QuillAndPaperFound; inventory for QuillAndPaper] [[The stick begins to twitch...->Carved Stone Quill Cutscene]] [continue]

The path opens into a wide, cultivated clearing. The wild red and purple glow of the plains is gone, replaced by the soft, steady teal light of neatly arranged [[mushroom stalks]]. A short distance away, smoke curls from the chimney of a small, sturdy-looking [[🛖farm hut->farm hut]]. [unless FungalTreeFelled; unless FarmGoblinsMet] You spot a [[lanky one->Keff]] leaning on a digging stick near the base of a truly massive [[giant fungal tree]]. [continue] [unless FungalTreeFelled; if FarmGoblinsMet] You spot [[Keff]] leaning on a digging stick near the base of a truly massive [[giant fungal tree]]. [continue] [if FungalTreeFelled] [[Bera]] stands with her hands on her wide hips, looking over the felled mushroom. Beside her, [[Keff]] pokes glumly at the enormous, sappy stump where the giant fungal tree once stood. [continue] Behind you, the path leads back to the [[🍄main plains->Fungal Plains Hub]].

The wide, packed-earth path ends here, at a wall of solid rock that seals the cavern. Set into the rock is a heavy [[⛩️gate->gate]] made of thick, dark fungus-wood bound with strips of iron. You can hear the faint murmur of voices from the other side, but you can't make out any words. Beside the path, a crude [[warning totem]] has been driven into the ground, its painted face scowling out at the open plains. The only way available to you here is [[🍄back->Fungal Plains Hub]].

The grotto is small and cramped, the air thick with the smell of rust and decay. The soft moss of the plains gives way to bare, damp stone, which is split by a slow [[streamlet]] that trickles from a crack in the back wall and disappears into a side one. In the damp earth, you spot a strange [[glass-and-metal cage]]. Nearby lies a dented [[hard-shelled gourd]], and a few [[scraps of blue hide]] are snagged on a sharp rock. Long, orange streaks of rust stain the walls where water has dripped down. In the center of the mess sits a large, splintered [[smashed crate]] made of a strange, pale wood you don't recognize. Behind you is the way back to the [[🍄main cave->Fungal Plains Hub]].

[unless FungalPlainsAligned] You press your shoulder against the heavy gate. It doesn't budge. Not even a shudder. The wood is dark and dense, more like stone than fungus, and it's bound with thick, rusty iron bands that look like they were hammered into place by a someone taller and stronger than most of your kin. You peer through a thin crack between the planks. It's mostly dark on the other side, but you can see the end of a massive wooden bar locking it shut. The muffled murmur of voices is a little clearer here. A guard, maybe, complaining about his shift. Well... clearly this gate wasn't built to be opened from this side. Tough luck. [continue] [if FungalPlainsAligned] You press your shoulder against the heavy gate. It still won't budge, not even a shudder. The wood is dark and dense, more like stone than fungus, and it's bound with thick, rusty iron bands. You peer through a thin crack between the planks. Glimpses of an unsteady orange light flicker from within, casting dancing shadows. You can still see the end of the massive wooden bar, locking it shut. The muffled murmur from before has been replaced by a distant ruckus - angry shouts and the occasional loud clang. It sounds like they're still cleaning up your mess. Eheh. *Good!* [continue] {link to: 'Gated Cavern', label: 'Back'} [if TrenchLighterTaken; inventory for TrenchLighter] [[What if...?->Gate Lighter Cutscene]] [continue] [if WireSawTaken; inventory for WireSaw] [[What if...?->Gate Saw Cutscene]] [continue] [if QuillAndPaperFound; unless GateQuillSlid; inventory for QuillAndPaper] [[The stick twitches...->Gate Quill Cutscene]] [continue]

[if TotemFelled] The totem lies in the dirt, face down. The ugly, painted mouth is buried in the moss, eating dirt, its feathers matted and sad. A clean cut runs through the base of the stalk where you felled it. It looks much less scary horizontal! [continue] [unless TotemFelled] A thick stalk of dried black-cap fungus, hard as bone, has been stabbed into the earth. A face has been hacked into its side, not carved with any real skill. The mouth is just a wide, hungry gash filled with sharp river-flints for teeth. A few grimy feathers and a string of yellowed knuckle-bones hang from the top, clacking softly in the cave-wind. Hmph. Such a ugly thing! Big-Maw must like ugly things. [continue] {link to: 'Gated Cavern', label: 'Back'} [if WireSawTaken; unless TotemFelled; inventory for WireSaw] [[What if...?->Totem Saw Cutscene]] [continue] [if QuillAndPaperFound; inventory for QuillAndPaper] [[The stick twitches...->Totem Quill Cutscene]] [continue]

[if WickLit] You crouch down to get a better look. It's a small cage made of rusty metal bars and very clear glass. You tap it with a fingernail. *Tink*. Hard as stone. The little cage sits on the damp stone, now glowing with a warm, steady light. The flame inside dances behind the clear rock, casting long, sharp shadows across the grotto walls. It makes the rust look pretty... [continue] [unless WickLit] You crouch down to get a better look. It's a small cage made of rusty metal bars and very clear glass. You tap it with a fingernail. *Tink*. Hard as stone. A little handle on top lets you pick it up. Inside, a little burnt string hangs down into a small metal bowl at the bottom. The whole thing smells sharp and a little oily. Maybe it was a house for a wisp? Whatever lived in here, its light went out a long time ago. [continue] {link to: 'Rusted Grotto', label: 'Back'} [if TrenchLighterTaken; unless WickLit; inventory for TrenchLighter] [[What if...?->Cage Lighter Cutscene]] [continue]

You pick up the strange gourd. It's cold and hard, not like a proper gourd-skin, and it's a dull grey color with a big'ol dent in its side. You give it a shake. A hollow, lonely *clonk* echoes from inside. Empty. There's a strange, ridged knot at the top, but it won't come off, no matter how hard you try. {link to: 'Rusted Grotto', label: 'Back'}

BlueHideSeen: true -- You tug at the scraps of hide snagged on the sharp rock. They're not leathery like sky-walker hide. It's fungus-cloth, thick and coarsely woven, just like your own wrap. But the color... it's a bright, startling blue. You've never seen a dye like it. Whoever this belongs to... *tsk*. They must be dumb to be wearing something this bright and well made out in the dark plains. That's just asking for thieves. {link to: 'Rusted Grotto', label: 'Back'}

[if CrateBurnt] The crate is gone. Just a square outline of white ash on the damp stone and a few charred scraps of pale wood. The grotto feels bigger without it... but also emptier. [continue] [unless CrateBurnt] [if WireSawTaken] You look over the big, broken box again. It's just an empty husk now, full of dry, yellowed straw. Whatever treasure it once held is now safely tucked in your satchel. [continue] [unless WireSawTaken] You poke at the big, broken box with a cautious foot. It's made of a strange, pale wood, not like any root you know. Cool! You'd bring some with you but it's clearly dry and splintered, and the whole thing has been smashed open on one side, probably from a long fall. Strange, sharp black marks are painted on its side, like the Goddess's teaching-marks but... blockier. Peeking through a crack, you see the inside is full of a dry, yellow straw. And tangled in that straw, something thin and dark [[glints->Wire Saw Cutscene]]. [continue] [continue] {link to: 'Rusted Grotto', label: 'Back'} [if QuillAndPaperFound; inventory for QuillAndPaper] [[The stick twitches...->Crate Quill Cutscene]] [continue]

WireSawTaken: true -- You reach into the scratchy straw, your fingers closing around the thin, dark thing. You pull it free with a soft *ziiiing*. It's a long loop of shiny, dark string, with a small wooden handle at each end. But it's not string. It's too thin, and when you pull the handles apart... well, it doesn't stretch. It's strong! *Really* strong. You run a curious finger along its edge... *Ow!* The string is covered in tiny, sharp teeth. What a strange rope. You grin - this could be useful. Much better than the flimsy gut-string Grama is always braiding. You carefully coil the shiny, toothy string and tuck it away in your satchel. Another treasure! {link to: 'Rusted Grotto', label: 'Back'}

You pull the strange, toothy string from your satchel. The two wooden handles feel smooth and worn in your palms. You pull them apart, and the dark, shiny line between them goes taut, humming faintly. It doesn't stretch at all, not like gut-string. You run a thumb *very carefully* along its edge. The tiny teeth catch on your skin, sharp as a jaw. This would be good for cutting things. Tough mushroom stalks, maybe? Or... Grak's favorite spear? Heh. {link to: 'Satchel', label: 'Back'}

You walk between the neat rows of cultivated stalks. They stand about as tall as you, their pale stems giving off a soft, steady teal light. You run your hand over one of the caps. It's cool, smooth, and slightly rubbery. You give it a little squeeze... not that firm yet. Not ready to harvest, maybe? You're more of a gatherer than a farmer. A few of the stalks at the end of the row look a bit droopy, their light even weaker than the others. [continue] {link to: 'Fungal Farm', label: 'Back'} [if WireSawTaken; unless StalkCut; inventory for WireSaw] [[What if...?->Stalks Saw Cutscene]] [continue] [if QuillAndPaperFound; inventory for QuillAndPaper] [[The stick twitches...->Stalks Quill Cutscene]] [continue]

The inside of the hut is a single, round room, warm and hazy with smoke from a small cook-fire. It smells of simmering stew-grubs and the sharp, dry scent of scraped bone. [unless FungalTreeFelled; unless FarmGoblinsMet] A [[fat woman->Bera]] stirs a pot over the fire, her broad back to you. [continue] [unless FungalTreeFelled; if FarmGoblinsMet] [[Bera]] stirs a pot over the fire, her broad back to you. [continue] [if FungalTreeFelled; unless LeikaGorgedStew] The hut is empty, though the [[stew pot]] still simmers over the fire, filling the air with a thick, savory smell. [continue] [if FungalTreeFelled; if LeikaGorgedStew] The hut is empty. The [[stew pot]] sits to the side of the dying fire, now looking thoroughly conquered. [continue] In one corner is a small [[whittling bench]] covered in pale shavings. Above the fire, a [[drying rack]] holds thin strips of something leathery. Nailed to the wall near the door is a smooth slate [[tally board]] covered in white scratches. The hide flap leads back out to the [[🌾farm->Fungal Farm]]. [if passage.visits == 3; unless LeikaGorgedStew] *The stew smells a little thicker this time.* [continue]

He's a lanky one, with a mop of stringy black hair that falls into his eyes. He looks like he'd get blown over by a strong cave-wind. His wrap is old, patched at the elbow, and stained with the same teal color as the mushroom stalks. [unless FungalTreeFelled] He isn't digging. He's just leaning on his stick, idly tracing spirals in the soft fungus-soil with its tip. His gaze is fixed on the giant tree, but his eyes look distant, like he's seeing something else entirely. [continue] [if FungalTreeFelled] He isn't clearing the stump. He's just leaning on his digging stick, thoughtfully poking at the massive, sappy wound where the tree used to be. His gaze is fixed on it, as if trying to solve a great puzzle... or perhaps just trying to figure out where to start. You don't exactly blame him, there's a lot to go through - you'll also be trying to think of a way to not take care of it. [continue] [unless KeffTalkedTo] [[You clear your throat to get his attention.->Keff First Meeting]] [if KeffTalkedTo; unless FungalTreeFelled; unless BlueHideSeen] [[You snap your fingers.->Keff Generic Dialogue]] [if KeffTalkedTo; unless FungalTreeFelled; if BlueHideDialogueSeen] [[You snap your fingers.->Keff Generic Dialogue]] [if KeffTalkedTo; if FungalTreeFelled; unless KeffPostFellingDialogueSeen] [[You coily get closer to him.->Keff Post-Felling Dialogue]] [if KeffTalkedTo; if FungalTreeFelled; if KeffPostFellingDialogueSeen] [[You check in on him.->Post-Felling Generic Dialogue]] [continue] {link to: 'Fungal Farm', label: 'Back'}

It towers over the farm, a silent, fleshy giant. Its stem is thicker than three goblins standing shoulder-to-shoulder, a smooth, pale pillar that rises into the gloom and disappears under the shadow of its own immense cap. The whole thing gives off a sleepy, deep red glow, pulsing with a rhythm much slower than the other mushrooms. You press a hand against its side. The surface is cool and firm as old bone, but you can feel that deep, slow pulse thrumming under your palm. The air around it smells of rich, sweet rot, like overripe blood-fruit left too long in the damp. {link to: 'Fungal Farm', label: 'Back'} [if WireSawTaken; inventory for WireSaw] [[What if...?->Giant Fungal Tree Saw Cutscene 1]] [continue] [if TrenchLighterTaken; inventory for TrenchLighter] [[What if...?->Tree Lighter Cutscene]] [continue] [if TuningForkTaken; inventory for TuningFork] [[What if...?->Tree Tuning Fork Cutscene]] [continue] [note] This is the central puzzle object for the farm. The player's goal is to fell it using the Wire Saw. [continue]

[dialogue delay:0.1 id:keff_gen1] You creep up behind him while he's lost in his thoughts. He doesn't even hear you. [dialogue delay:1.5 id:keff_gen1 newline] "RAAAGH!" [dialogue delay:0.5 id:keff_gen1 newline] He yelps, jumping a full foot in the air and dropping his digging stick with a clatter. [dialogue delay:1.2 id:keff_gen1] *"Gah! Spirits!* [dialogue delay:1.0 id:keff_gen1] *By the deeps, little one! Don't *do* that!"* [dialogue delay:1.5 id:keff_gen1 newline] You can't help but giggle. *"Got your attention, didn't I?* [dialogue delay:1.2 id:keff_gen1] *Now. About the Goddess..."* [dialogue delay:1.8 id:keff_gen1 newline] He rubs his chest, still catching his breath. *"The Goddess...* [dialogue delay:1.0 id:keff_gen1] *Big-Maw...* [dialogue delay:1.2 id:keff_gen1] *The tree...* [dialogue delay:1.5 id:keff_gen1] *So much... to... think about.* [dialogue delay:1.8 id:keff_gen1] *Bera handles the thinking. You talk to Bera."* [dialogue delay:0.2 id:keff_gen1] He stoops to pick up his stick, pointedly turning his back to you. [dialogue delay:0.5 id:keff_gen1 newline] {link to: 'Keff', label: 'Back'}

KeffPostFellingDialogueSeen: true -- [dialogue delay:0.1 id:keff_post1] You swagger over to Keff, dusting the sweet-smelling spores from your wrap. You point proudly at the massive, felled mushroom. [dialogue delay:1.5 id:keff_post1 newline] *"See? All it took was a little elbow-grease! Now you'll have plenty of tribute for..."* [dialogue delay:1.8 id:keff_post1 newline] Keff doesn't look at you. He's staring at the huge, sappy stump, his mouth hanging slightly open. His digging stick is trembling in his hand. [dialogue delay:2.2 id:keff_post1 newline] [dialogue delay:0.2 id:keff_post1] *"You..."* [dialogue delay:0.8 id:keff_post1] *he whispers, his voice cracking.* [dialogue delay:1.0 id:keff_post1] *"You... you destroyed it.* [dialogue delay:1.8 id:keff_post1 newline] *I liked that tree,"* [dialogue delay:1.0 id:keff_post1] *he says, his voice cracking even more as he finally turns to you with wide, accusing eyes.* [dialogue delay:1.5 id:keff_post1] *"It had the perfect... droop. And the light it made... it was so good for thinking!* [dialogue delay:2.2 id:keff_post1 newline] He gestures wildly with his stick, not at the stump, but at the colossal trunk lying across the farm. [dialogue delay:1.8 id:keff_post1 newline] *"And now... now look! It's everywhere! Do you know how much... *chopping* that is?!* [dialogue delay:1.5 id:keff_post1] *Spirits, the hauling... and the stacking... and Bera will make me sharpen the big axe...* [dialogue delay:2.0 id:keff_post1] *my back already hurts just thinking about it..."* [dialogue delay:1.8 id:keff_post1 newline] He slumps, utterly defeated, and lets his head fall into his free hand. [dialogue delay:1.5 id:keff_post1] *"This is a disaster. An absolute disaster!"* [dialogue delay:0.2 id:keff_post1 newline] {link to: 'Keff', label: 'Back'}

[unless FungalTreeFelled] She turns from the fire, and you get a full view of her. She is... wide. Her wrap, a sturdy fungus-hide dyed a practical brown, is stretched to its absolute limit across a massive chest and a belly that hangs heavy and low over her loincloth's cord. Thick, strong arms, bare to the elbow, press against the soft rolls of fat at her sides as she plants her fists on her substantial hips. Her face is round, her black hair pulled back tight, and her dark eyes are sharp and assessing. You recognize this as the body of a proper matron. [continue] [if FungalTreeFelled] Bera stands with her fists planted on her wide hips, staring at the colossal trunk. Not staring *at* it, like Keff stares at things... her dark eyes are moving, tracing a line from one end to the other, then back again. Her jaw is set tight. Dust and fine red spores cling to her sweaty arms, and her wrap, streaked with sweet-smelling sap, is pulled taut across the solid shelf of her belly. A single bead of sweat cuts a clean path through the grime on her temple. She looks pissed. [continue] [unless BeraTalkedTo] [[She points at you with her spoon.->Bera First Meeting]] [if BeraTalkedTo; if BlueHideSeen; unless BlueHideDialogueSeen; unless FungalTreeFelled] [[You show her the blue scrap.->Bera Blue Hide Dialogue]] [if BeraTalkedTo; if BlueHideSeen; unless BlueHideDialogueSeen; if FungalTreeFelled] [[You show her the blue scrap.->Bera Blue Hide Dialogue Outside]] [if BeraTalkedTo; unless FungalTreeFelled; unless BlueHideSeen] [[You try to get her attention.->Bera Generic Dialogue]] [if BeraTalkedTo; unless FungalTreeFelled; if BlueHideDialogueSeen] [[You try to get her attention.->Bera Generic Dialogue]] [if BeraTalkedTo; if FungalTreeFelled; unless BeraPostFellingDialogueSeen] [[She looks at you expectantly.->Bera Post-Felling Dialogue]] [if BeraTalkedTo; if FungalTreeFelled; if BeraPostFellingDialogueSeen] [[You near her.->Post-Felling Generic Dialogue]] [continue] [unless FungalTreeFelled] {link to: 'farm hut', label: 'Back'} [if FungalTreeFelled] {link to: 'Fungal Farm', label: 'Back'}

The bench is low to the ground, just a thick slab of fungus-wood, but its surface is covered in a fine white dust of scraped bone. A half-finished amulet sits in the center. You pick it up. He was trying to carve a spiral, but the lines are all wobbly and it keeps turning into a lopsided circle... Hmph. Even *your* carvings are better than this. A few other finished pieces lie nearby: more clumsy spirals, a thing that might be a cave-lizard if you squint real hard, and something that looks like a lumpy rock. Or maybe a carving of a lumpy rock, made of rock... how *masterful!* {link to: 'farm hut', label: 'Back'}

A rack made of lashed-together knuckle-bones hangs in the warm, smoky air above the cook-fire. A few thin, leathery strips of teal-cap fungus are draped over the rungs, curled at the edges. They're joined by a couple of skinny cave-lizard tails, looking very dry and tough. The rack is mostly empty. Your mouth waters a little, even though they don't look like the best bits. {link to: 'farm hut', label: 'Back'}

A smooth, dark piece of slate is nailed to the wall, a nub of white chalk-stone resting on a little ledge below it. A line is scratched down the middle. On one side, ten spirals are scratched deep into the stone. The tribute-mark for Big-Maw. On the other side... ohhh, would you look at that. There are only five mushroom-marks - two more have been furiously scrubbed away, leaving a pale, blurry mess on the dark slate, like someone made a mistake and tried to hide it. ***HA!** They're behind. *Wayyyy* behind. You giggle; that's no good. {link to: 'farm hut', label: 'Back'}

FungalPlainsAligned: true -- [unless LeikaGorgedStew] You lean over the big, soot-blackened pot. A slow, thick *blub... blub...* sound comes from inside as a single, lazy bubble of grease rises and pops on the surface. The smell is so good it makes your stomach ache. It's rich and fatty, the scent of simmering grub-meat and savory roots. Peeking over the rim, you see big, pale lumps of fat floating amongst chunks of the teal-cap mushrooms. This is a proper tribute! A stew like this would please the Goddess, help Her grow strong and holy. Your gut gives a low, jealous growl. This Big-Maw doesn't deserve a meal this good. [continue] [if LeikaGorgedStew] The heavy iron pot lies tipped on its side near the coals, scraped so clean the metal shines. A single, lonely drop of brown gravy dries on the rim. You give your now bloated belly a firm, approving pat. *BUUUUuuurp* A very good tribute indeed. [continue] {link to: 'farm hut', label: 'Back'} [if FungalPlainsAligned; unless LeikaGorgedStew; inventory for LeikaBelly] [[The stew has been left unattended...->Leika Gorging Stew 1]] [continue]

FarmGoblinsMet: true BeraTalkedTo: true -- [dialogue delay:0.1 id:bera1] The big goblin whirls around from the pot, a laugh booming from deep in her belly that makes the whole hut seem to shake. [dialogue delay:1.5 id:bera1 newline] *"Well now!"* [dialogue delay:0.8 id:bera1] *"What's this? A little one, lost from the warren?"* [dialogue delay:1.5 id:bera1 newline] You stand as tall as you can. *"I am Leika! I serve the Great Goddess, and She requires-"* [dialogue delay:1.2 id:bera1 newline] *"Goddess?"* [dialogue delay:0.5 id:bera1] *She throws her head back and laughs, a deep, rumbling sound that makes the stew pot rattle on the coals.* [dialogue delay:1.5 id:bera1] *"How precious! Another hungry spirit, is it? Mah! Get in line!"* [dialogue delay:1.8 id:bera1 newline] She gestures with her stew-spoon, sloshing a bit of greasy broth onto the floor. *"You see this stew? It's a good stew! But it's a cup of water in a dry season!"* [dialogue delay:2.2 id:bera1] *She gives her own belly a firm, resounding slap.* [dialogue delay:1.0 id:bera1] *"Haven't you heard? Big-Maw's gut is bottomless, little one. And it needs filling *now*."* [dialogue delay:1.0 id:bera1] *You hear her whisper.* *"Not the usual month in between... damn her to the deeper caves..."* [dialogue delay:2.0 id:bera1 newline] *She turns her attention back to you.* *"Mmh? Well? Get out of my hut! Go pester that bone-idle husband of mine, Keff. He's outside. Give him a beating if he's not planting."* [dialogue delay:0.2 id:bera1] She turns and gives the pot a mighty stir, her back a wide wall of brown fungus-hide... the conversation is over. [dialogue delay:0.5 id:bera1 newline] {link to: 'Bera', label: 'Back'}

[dialogue delay:0.1 id:bera_gen1] You poke your head back into the hut. Bera glances over her shoulder, sighs, and turns back to the stew. [dialogue delay:1.5 id:bera_gen1 newline] *"So...* [dialogue delay:0.8 id:bera_gen1] *...about the Goddess's tribute..."* [dialogue delay:1.2 id:bera_gen1 newline] *"Spirits of the deep, you're a persistent little grub, aren't you?"* [dialogue delay:1.2 id:bera_gen1] *She turns, wiping a sweaty hand on her wrap.* [dialogue delay:1.5 id:bera_gen1] *"Fine. You really want us to help?"* [dialogue delay:0.8 id:bera_gen1] *She jabs her spoon toward you.* [dialogue delay:1.5 id:bera_gen1] *"You.* [dialogue delay:0.2 id:bera_gen1] *Are.* [dialogue delay:0.2 id:bera_gen1] *An idiot.* [dialogue delay:0.8 id:bera_gen1] *A nuisance! Do you really think Big-Maw's people will let us give her food away like that?"* [dialogue delay:2.2 id:bera_gen1 newline] *"We don't want no trouble. I have plenty of those already!! The harvest's not going great, we're way behind on the tributes...* [dialogue delay:1.5 id:bera_gen1] *...and all my lunkhead husband does is poke the ground with his digging stick.* [dialogue delay:1.8 id:bera_gen1] *Bah!* [dialogue delay:0.8 id:bera_gen1] *Wasting my time."* [dialogue delay:1.2 id:bera_gen1] She dismisses you with a wave of her spoon and gets back to stirring her pot. [dialogue delay:0.5 id:bera_gen1 newline] {link to: 'Bera', label: 'Back'}

BeraPostFellingDialogueSeen: true -- [dialogue delay:0.1 id:bera_post1] Bera whirls around as you approach, her face a mask of pure fury. She points a thick, trembling finger that goes from the felled tree, to the hut, then squarely at you. [dialogue delay:2.2 id:bera_post1 newline] *"YOU...!"* [dialogue delay:0.8 id:bera_post1] *she roars, her voice shaking the hut.* [dialogue delay:1.5 id:bera_post1] *"You brainless, reckless, half-wit grub! You could have flattened the hut! Crushed the entire harvest under that thing!"* [dialogue delay:2.5 id:bera_post1 newline] She stomps over to you, looming. Her eyes dart from the massive trunk lying across her farm, to Keff, and then back to you. A long, weary sigh escapes her, taking some of the fire with it. [dialogue delay:2.8 id:bera_post1 newline] *"Spirits... look at him. Useless."* [dialogue delay:1.5 id:bera_post1] *She gives the felled trunk a solid, meaty kick. It doesn't move.* [dialogue delay:1.8 id:bera_post1] *"Well. It's done now."* [dialogue delay:1.5 id:bera_post1] *"This'll keep Big-Maw happy for a season or two. Overkill! But what's done is done."* [dialogue delay:2.5 id:bera_post1] She crosses her thick arms, glaring down at you. *"I'm guessing you want a cut for your Sky-Walker goddess?"* [dialogue delay:2.5 id:bera_post1 newline] *You smile, nodding along.* [dialogue delay:2.0 id:bera_post1 newline] *"Mmph. She can have the stump. Don't expect any of the good parts - it's ours! The cap is for the tribute, and the stem is for us.* [dialogue delay:2.5 id:bera_post1 newline] *Now get out of my sight."* [dialogue delay:1.8 id:bera_post1] She turns her broad back on you, motioning Keff to get moving. [dialogue delay:0.5 id:bera_post1 newline] {link to: 'Bera', label: 'The conversation is clearly over.'}

BlueHideDialogueSeen: true -- [dialogue delay:0.1 id:bera_blue1] You hold out the small, bright blue scrap. Bera squints at it, then her eyes go wide. She snatches it from your fingers with her thick digits. [dialogue delay:1.8 id:bera_blue1 newline] *"My wrap!"* [dialogue delay:0.8 id:bera_blue1] *she bellows, holding the tattered piece up to the firelight.* [dialogue delay:1.5 id:bera_blue1] *"Where in the deeps did you find this?"* [dialogue delay:2.0 id:bera_blue1 newline] You puff out your chest. *"In the rusty grotto. Snagged on a rock, near a big smashed box."* [dialogue delay:1.8 id:bera_blue1 newline] Bera freezes, the spoon hovering over her pot. *"The grotto..."* [dialogue delay:1.5 id:bera_blue1] *Her face darkens.* [dialogue delay:1.2 id:bera_blue1] *"Of course.* [dialogue delay:1.0 id:bera_blue1] *So that's where the great beast finally came to rest."* [dialogue delay:2.2 id:bera_blue1 newline] *"Beast?"* you ask. [dialogue delay:1.0 id:bera_blue1 newline] *"A roaring metal beast!"* [dialogue delay:0.8 id:bera_blue1] *she spits, gesturing wildly with the scrap.* [dialogue delay:1.2 id:bera_blue1] *"Came tearing through here from the western caves! All shrieking wood and metal!"* [dialogue delay:1.8 id:bera_blue1] *"Sent Keff diving into the mushroom patch like a scared kit. Must have snagged my wrap right off the drying line!"* [dialogue delay:2.2 id:bera_blue1 newline] You lean in, mind racing. *"Woahh! Was it going on its own? Was there anyone on top?"* [dialogue delay:1.5 id:bera_blue1 newline] Bera gives you a flat, unimpressed look. *"Bah! Who knows."* [dialogue delay:1.2 id:bera_blue1] *"It was just a great big mess. And I'm out a good wrap."* [dialogue delay:2.0 id:bera_blue1] *She tosses the scrap onto the whittling bench in disgust.* [dialogue delay:1.5 id:bera_blue1] *"Now stop pestering me! My stew is getting cold."* [dialogue delay:0.2 id:bera_blue1] She turns her broad back on you, giving the pot a mighty, angry stir. [dialogue delay:0.5 id:bera_blue1 newline] {link to: 'Bera', label: 'Back'}

FarmGoblinsMet: true KeffTalkedTo: true -- [dialogue delay:0.1 id:keff1] You clear your throat. The lanky goblin doesn't move. You do it again, louder. [dialogue delay:1.5 id:keff1 newline] He starts, looking up slowly from the spirals he was tracing in the dirt. He blinks spores from his eyes. *"Hm?"* [dialogue delay:0.8 id:keff1] *"Oh."* [dialogue delay:1.2 id:keff1] *"Hello, little one."* [dialogue delay:1.0 id:keff1] *"No, wait... just short, right?"* [dialogue delay:1.5 id:keff1 newline] You puff out your chest. *"I am Leika."* [dialogue delay:1.0 id:keff1] *"A servant of the one, true Goddess."* [dialogue delay:0.8 id:keff1] *"And!!"* [dialogue delay:1.2 id:keff1] *"I am here to check on your tribute."* [dialogue delay:1.8 id:keff1 newline] He just stares blankly for a moment. *"Wha-"* [dialogue delay:0.5 id:keff1] *"Tribute??"* [dialogue delay:0.8 id:keff1] *"Again?"* [dialogue delay:1.2 id:keff1] *He sighs, a long, weary sound, and leans heavier on his stick.* [dialogue delay:1.5 id:keff1] *"My, how time flies... yes, well, it is... not enough. Never enough."* [dialogue delay:2.0 id:keff1 newline] You stamp a foot. *"Ah, wait! Not for 'Big-Maw'! For the *Goddess*! A new power has come to the caves, and She requires proper sustenance!"* [dialogue delay:1.8 id:keff1 newline] His eyebrows raise, a flicker of interest in his dreamy eyes. *"Oh yes..."* [dialogue delay:1.2 id:keff1] *"I've heard of that."* [dialogue delay:1.5 id:keff1] *He considers this.* [dialogue delay:1.0 id:keff1] *"That's... new."* [dialogue delay:1.5 id:keff1] *"Look, you should talk to Bera. She's in the hut. She handles the counting. And the... everything else."* [dialogue delay:0.2 id:keff1] He goes back to staring at the giant tree, his mind already drifting away. [dialogue delay:0.5 id:keff1 newline] {link to: 'Keff', label: 'Back'}

The little streamlet is odd. It trickles out of a dark crack in the back wall, clear as a seeing-crystal as it flows over to the orange-stained stone. It doesn't smell like rust or dirt. You dip a hand in. It's cold! So cold it makes your knuckles ache. You pull your hand out, and where the water touched, your skin is surprisingly clean, all the grime washed away in a single swipe. Where does water this clean even come from? It's not right... but it's kind of nice. {link to: 'Rusted Grotto', label: 'Back'} [if SlimePackRemoved; unless PackCleaned; inventory for FoulPack] [[What if...?->Wash Foul Pack Cutscene]] [continue]

PackCleaned: true QuillAndPaperFound: true -- You kneel by the streamlet, the foul pack in your hands. Taking a deep breath, you plunge it into the water. The black, sticky goo is stubborn. It clings to the canvas and to your fingers, but the clean, cold water is stronger. You scrub and scrub, the water biting at your skin, until the blackness finally begins to melt away, clouding the streamlet for a moment before being washed away into the dark. The pack is clean now, but empty. The contents lie in the shallow water at your feet. The pulpy leaves are just... thin, flat slices of some kind of white fungus, smooth as a river stone. The feather is just a feather. And among them is a pointy black stick, sharpened at one end. You pick them up, turning them over in your clean hands. And then, [[they float.->Wash Foul Pack Cutscene 2]]

The white slices and the pointy stick rise from your palms, hovering in the air before you. You let out a small gasp, scrambling back a step. The pointy stick turns, its sharp end touching the surface of the nearest white slice. A tiny black line appears on the white surface, zipping and looping and zig-zagging in a frantic, silent scribble. Your jaw drops. A magical item?? Another holy tool from the Goddess, hidden away for you to find! You watch, mesmerized, as the [[frantic scribbling continues->Wash Foul Pakc Cutscene 3]].

Then, it stops. New marks appear. Slow. Deliberate... and these ones you recognize. ~WHAT? WHAT IS IT, TRIBAL? NEVER SEEN A GHOST BEFORE?~ You stay still, unsure of how to reply. The stick and slice look left and right, then gently float down, settling into your waiting, trembling hands. With the utmost care, you place the holy items in your satchel and leave the now-empty pack. {link to: 'Rusted Grotto', label: 'Back'}

You carefully take out the holy items: the pointy black stick and the thin white slices. The moment they're free from the satchel, the stick zips over to the slice and begins to scribble frantically, the tiny black marks appearing from nowhere. {one of: ["*The stick draws a perfect circle, then another, then a bigger one below.*", "*The black marks form into a picture... a short, round goblin with a messy top-knot of hair. It's... it's you!*", "*The stick taps impatiently on the white slice. A single, angry-looking black mark appears: ~?~*", "*The stick draws the V-mark, the Goddess's holy symbol, right in the middle of the slice. It pulses with a faint inner light before fading.*", "Both items suddenly stop to spell out 'JUST POINT US IN THE DIRECTION OF AN ARTEFACT, GOBLIN' before resuming their usual scrawling."], order: 'cycling'} {link to: 'Satchel', label: 'Back'}

The pointy stick and white slices fly from your satchel, hovering over the old marker stone. You watch as the stick traces the ancient carvings in the air, its tip glowing with a faint teal light. Then, it zips back to the slice and begins to scratch furiously. The black marks that appear are jagged like claw-marks, though perfectly readable. ~RUIN THE LAND, CROSS THE SLEEPER - A STARVING GOD WAKES TO HUNT.~ A cold shiver runs down your spine. Sleeper? Hunt? You don't understand what a "starving god" is, but you know what a hunt is. And you know you don't want to be the prey. Having delivered their message, the items float back down, and you carefully place them back in your satchel. {link to: 'carved marker stone', label: 'Back'}

FungalTreeFelled: true -- You pull the toothy string from your satchel, the wooden handles feeling small and silly as you face the fleshy stem. What can such little teeth do? You try to drag the wire across the thick stem, but it just slides off the smooth, curved flesh with a useless *skree*. You huff, repositioning it lower down where the trunk bulges out. This time you try a short, hesitant back-and-forth motion, like a bone saw. At first, nothing. Just more pathetic scraping. Then... [[*z-z-z-ZIP!* ->Giant Fungal Tree Saw Cutscene 2]]

The tiny teeth catch. A surprising vibration runs up your arms as the wire bites in, much deeper than you expected. A fine, sweet-smelling dust sprays from the new cut, and the tree gives a low, pained-sounding *groan* that rumbles through the soles of your feet. You stop, wide-eyed, staring at the dark gash you've made. The red glow from the cap above seems to pulse a little faster. Mm... A slow grin spreads across your face. [[You plant your feet and try again.->Giant Fungal Tree Saw Cutscene 3]]

This is it! You plant your feet, digging your heels into the soft soil, and fall into a rhythm. You put your whole body into it, a counterweight to the stubborn flesh of the tree. The high-pitched *ziiiiing* of the wire becomes a song. A giggle escapes you - this is *fun*! With every pull, the tree lets out a deeper groan, and you answer it with a triumphant heave. The ground trembles, and the whole farm is bathed in the frantic red light of the mushroom's cap as it pulses faster and faster. You're halfway through. The cut is a wide, grinning mouth weeping thick, sweet sap. You laugh, pulling with renewed strength, feeling the immense power of this tiny, toothy string. [[A deep, wet *CRACK* echoes through the plains.->Giant Fungal Tree Saw Cutscene 4]]

The wet *CRACK* is followed by a sudden, jarring release. The wire goes slack, its song cut short, and you stumble forward, thrown off balance by the sudden lack of resistance. [["MOVE, YOU ABSOLUTE FOOL!"->Giant Fungal Tree Saw Cutscene 5]]

Bera's roar is what moves you. You don't think, you just scramble, rolling sideways into the soft mushroom stalks as a vast shadow swallows the farm. The air tears apart as the massive fungus heaves down. Something heavy and wet clips your shoulder, sending a jolt of pain down your arm and pushing you flat into the dirt. Then the world ends with a **THUMP** that shakes the very stone beneath you. The ground jumps, throwing you into the air for a moment before slamming you back down. The air is suddenly thick, a choking cloud of spores and sweet-smelling sap that fills your nose and mouth. [[You push yourself up, coughing.->Fungal Farm]]

[dialogue delay:0.1 id:post_fell_gen1] You wander back to the farm to check on their progress. Bera is hefting a large, freshly-cut log of the red fungus, her thick arms straining. Keff... is poking at the stump with a stick. [dialogue delay:2.0 id:post_fell_gen1 newline] Bera drops her log onto a growing pile with a heavy **THUD**. *"Are you going to stand there all day, or are you going to help me haul?"* [dialogue delay:2.5 id:post_fell_gen1 newline] Keff jumps, dropping his stick. *"I was just... checking for rot! It's important to check for rot."* [dialogue delay:0.5 id:post_fell_gen1] He smiles smugly, crossing his arm. [dialogue delay:0.5 id:post_fell_gen1] *"Everyone knows this."* [dialogue delay:2.2 id:post_fell_gen1 newline] She plants her fists on her hips, dust clinging to her arms. *"Oh, no, you don't get to use that excuse again. It just fell! No way it's rotting already. Now grab an end before I use you to grease the saw!"* [dialogue delay:2.5 id:post_fell_gen1 newline] Keff sighs dramatically and shuffles toward the smallest log he can find, rubbing his lower back as if it already ached. You get the feeling they're going to be busy for a while. [dialogue delay:1.5 id:post_fell_gen1 newline] {link to: 'Fungal Farm', label: 'You leave them to it.'}

MawAmbush: true -- The tunnel narrows here, the ancient stonework giving way to rough, natural rock. Patches of sickly yellow moss cling to the damp walls, casting a much dimmer light than the main passage. The air is thick with the loamy scent of rich soil and decay. To your right, the passage widens again, leading back to the... um... to the... [[Uh oh.->Fungal Plains Ambush Cutscene 2]]

The path isn't empty. A low grunt echoes from the gloom ahead, and a hulking shape detaches itself from the shadows. Then another. They are kin, though clearly not from your warren. They are big, with shoulders like boulders, and are clad in crude armor of shell plates and thick hide lashed together with gut. Heavy, knotty clubs are held loosely in their thick-fingered hands. The larger of the two takes a slow, deliberate step forward. The sickly yellow moss-light glints off a row of sharpened teeth set into his shoulder-plate. His voice is a low, gravelly rumble. *"Well now! From the warren, is it?"* He grins, a humorless stretching of his lips. *"Intruding on Big-Maw's lands."* He laughs, turning to the other. *"Can you believe that, Guk? Now that's just stupid."* [[You scowl at them, your face reddening.->Fungal Plains Ambush Cutscene 3]]

You draw yourself up to your full, unimpressive height, your fists clenched at your sides. *"I am Leika! Servant of the Great Goddess! The *true* Goddess!"* you declare, your voice shaking only a little. *"This is holy ground now!"* The lead guard's grin doesn't waver. He takes another slow step, his club scraping lightly on the stone floor. *"Holy ground, is it? Don't matter. Big-Maw's ground. And all who walk it pay the toll."* He holds out a thick, open palm. *"You know how it goes. Get your tribute showing, shortie."* You clutch the strap protectively. *"I... I have n-nothing for your false idol! My offerings are for Her alone!"* The guard's hand closes into a fist. He shares a look with the other one. *"Wrong answer."* [[Guk's club moves in a blur.->Fungal Plains Ambush Cutscene 4]]

config.header.right: "{embed passage: 'Wraps Menu Logic'}" -- A wet, heavy *thwack* explodes against the side of your head. A flash of white-hot stars behind your eyes drowns out the sickly light, and a high, thin ringing sound swallows the guard's grunt. The stone floor lurches up to meet you. You hear a voice from far away. *"HA! Told you. One hit!"* The bug! The holy bug... the thought is a faint spark, already being smothered by a vast, heavy blackness. [[The world dissolves.->Prison Cell]]

InMawPrison: true InMawPrisonFirstTime: InMawPrisonFirstTime + 1 -- [if InMawPrisonFirstTime == 1; append] Your head throbs. A dull, heavy ache behind your eyes that pulses with every beat of your heart. *Ugh.* You push yourself up, the rough texture of straw scratching your cheek. [continue] The air is thick, sour with the smell of unwashed bodies and old, wet meat. It's dark, but a faint, greasy orange light filters through a wall of thick, dark [[fungus-wood bars]], together with some distant voices. You're in prison. [if OrkState == 'notseen'] A low, rumbling noise echoes from the corner. A [[huge figure->Orc Lady]] lies slumped against the far wall. [if OrkState == 'seensleeping'] A low, rumbling snore echoes from the corner. An [[orc->Orc Lady]] lies slumped against the far wall, bound by heavy chains. [if OrkState == 'awake'] The [[orc->Orc Lady]] is now awake, wearily growling in your general direction, still slumped against the far wall and bound by heavy chains. [continue] In the center of the cell is a dented metal [[pail]], and a miserable-looking [[pile of straw]] serves as your bed. [if LooseStoneNoticed; unless HasFireStone; append] On the far wall, near the floor, you can now clearly see the outline of a [[loose stone]]. [continue] [if InMawPrisonFirstTime == 2; append] But... where is...? Oh, no... *oh no, no, no*. Your hands fly to your side. It's gone. Your satchel. The golden bug, the toothy string, the... the... all gone. A cold knot of panic tightens in your gut. [continue]

You press your face between two of the bars, the cold, greasy wood chilling your cheek. They're made from mature black-cap fungus, grown so dense they feel like stone, and each one is thicker than your thigh. You wrap your hands around two of them and heave with all your might. Nothing. Not even a creak. You try to squeeze your head through the gap, but... *ack!* Your ears are getting stuck on it! Why did they have to be so damn long? Well, even if you could get your head through, your shoulders are definitely too wide. No escape that way. {link to: 'Prison Cell', label: 'Back'} [if HasFireStone; unless BarsFireStone; inventory for FireStone] [[What if...?->Bars Fire Stone Cutscene]] [continue] [if HasPrisonBone; unless BarsBoneTried; inventory for PrisonBone] [[What if...?->Bars Bone Cutscene]] [continue]

[if OrkState == 'notseen'] A low, rumbling noise echoes from the corner. A huge, dark shape. You freeze, your heart thumping against your ribs like a trapped bird. Oh no. There's another prisoner? You don't want to look. You really, *really* don't want to look. But you can't look away. [[You force yourself to step closer...->Orc Lady Seen Cutscene]] [continue] [if OrkState == 'seensleeping'] {embed passage: 'Orc Lady Description Embed'} Each slow, deep breath she takes is a rumbling snore that makes the chains on her broad chest rise and fall with a faint, rhythmic *clink*. *This must be one of the big ones!* Your own body feels suddenly very small, very soft. [continue] [if OrkState == 'awake'] {embed passage: 'Orc Lady Description Embed'} Her head is lifted. The snoring is gone, replaced by a low, guttural growl that vibrates through the stone floor. One red eye, is cracked open and fixed on you, unblinking. She hasn't moved - the chains hold her fast - but the air in the cell has changed. {one of: ["*She tests the chains, a low grunt of effort rumbling in her chest.*", "*Her one open eye tracks you as you move, silent and assessing.*", "*She shifts her body, the chains groaning in protest.*", "\"STUPID... GOBLINS...\" *she rumbles, her voice like grinding stone.*", "\"THEY... WERE...\" *You watch her smile...? Oh dear, why is she doing that?*", "\"...DISGUSTING...\" *At that, she belly-laughs, pointing at you as you cower to the other side of the cell.*", "*A thick, black tongue darts out to wet her lips.*", "*She flexes the fingers of her free hand, studying her own knuckles.*", "\"HUNGRY...\" *she grunts, her gaze drifting toward the pail.*", "*She lets out a sigh so heavy it stirs the straw at your feet.*"], order: 'cycling'} [continue] [unless OrkState == 'notseen'] {link to: 'Prison Cell', label: 'You back away slowly.'} [continue]

[if passage.visits == 1] You cautiously approach the dented metal pail. A foul, sour smell wafts up from it, making your nose wrinkle. You peer inside. It's half-full of a murky, brown-ish liquid with a few sad, unrecognizable lumps floating in it. Probably yesterday's slop. Or worse. You give it a wide berth. Ew. *Yuck.* Absolutely not. [continue] [if passage.visits == 2] Out of sheer boredom, you look at the foul pail again. The smell is just as bad. You poke one of the floating lumps with your toe. It sinks with a sad little *gloop*, releasing a new bubble of foul air. But as the liquid settles, you see it. Just for a moment, something pale and long glints beneath the murky surface before being covered again. Ugh. Do you... do you really want to know what that is? Probably not worth it, to be honest. [continue] [if passage.visits > 2; unless HasPrisonBone] You sigh, pinching your nose. There's no avoiding it. Whatever is in there might be useful! You can't just leave it. Well, you can. Maybe you should actually, that thing looks disgusting. Yes, on second thought, you should do well to just ignore it... ugh. [[You steel yourself and reach into the slop.->Pail Item Find Cutscene]] [continue] [if HasPrisonBone] You glance at the pail, and an involuntary shudder runs down your spine, remembering the feeling of the cold, greasy liquid closing over your hand. Now that its secret is yours, you can see the pail for what it is: a meal. Is this what they feed the big orc-lady? Just... this? That doesn't seem enough... You look at the few remaining lumps floating in the brown water. You have no reason to ever touch that disgusting thing again... well, unless you don't find a way to escape. [continue] {link to: 'Prison Cell', label: 'Back'} [if HasPrisonBone; unless PailBoneTried; inventory for PrisonBone] [[What if...?->Pail Bone Cutscene]] [continue] [if HasFireStone; unless PailFireStoneTried; inventory for FireStone] [[What if...?->Pail Fire Stone Cutscene]] [continue]

[if passage.visits == 1] You glare at the pathetic pile of straw in the corner. It's thin, damp, and smells faintly of mold and something musky, like a rat's nest. A few of the stalks are black with rot. This is supposed to be a bed? You'd rather sleep on the cold stone. Even the worst spot in the pile back home - the wet one - is a hundred times better than this. [continue] [if passage.visits > 1] You glare at the pathetic pile of straw in the corner. It's thin, damp, and smells faintly of mold and something musky, like a rat's nest. A few of the stalks are black with rot. Again, this is supposed to be a bed? It hasn't gotten any cleaner, but your head still aches. [if passage.visits > 1; unless LooseStoneNoticed] [[Maybe a moment's rest wouldn't hurt.->Straw Bed Sleep Cutscene]] [continue] {link to: 'Prison Cell', label: 'Back'} [if HasPrisonBone; unless StrawBoneTried; inventory for PrisonBone] [[What if...?->Straw Bone Cutscene]] [continue] [if HasFireStone; if OrkState == 'seensleeping'; inventory for FireStone] [[What if...?->Straw Fire Cutscene Sleeping]] [continue] [if HasFireStone; if OrkState == 'awake'; inventory for FireStone] [[What if...?->Straw Fire Cutscene Awake 1]] [continue]

HasPrisonBone: true -- You take a deep breath, holding it until your cheeks puff out, then... you plunge your arm into the pail. A wave of nauseating cold washes over your skin. The liquid is thick and greasy, and soft, squishy things brush against your fingers. You bite back a gag, your eyes watering, and grope blindly through the slop. Your fingers brush against something hard. You close your hand around it. It's long, thin, and... sharp at one end. Ignoring the disgusting drips, you pull it free. It's a bone. A rib, maybe, from some small animal. The end has been snapped, leaving a jagged, pointed tip. You quickly wipe the worst of the filth off on a clean patch of your wrap and tuck it away. {link to: 'Prison Cell', label: 'Back'}

OrkState: 'seensleeping' -- You take a slow, hesitant step. Then another. The straw rustles under your feet, the sound impossibly loud in the quiet cell. The snoring grows louder with each step, a deep, wet, rumbling sound like rocks grinding together in a landslide. You round the edge of the straw pile and finally see her properly. Your breath catches in your throat. [[*That's an orc.*->Orc Lady]]

The ork lady is slumped in the corner, bound by thick [[iron chains]]: one from a heavy collar at her thick neck, another from a wide band bolted tight around her chest, and more from crude manacles at her wrists and ankles. Her face, half-hidden by a curtain of coarse black hair, is broad and strong-jawed, with two lower tusks jutting past a slack lip. Where the manacles chafe her wrists and the band constricts her torso just under her heavy, unbound breasts, pushing them up and together, the grey skin is rubbed raw. She's got broad shoulders and a belly that, while not fat, is soft and hangs in a distinct pouch over her lap where she's slumped. Her thighs are thick, tense even in her slumber, full of white scars.

Defeated by the ache in your head, you finally give in. You push the foulest-smelling straw to one side and curl up, pulling your knees to your chest. The dampness seeps through your wrap instantly, and a sharp stalk pokes you in the back. This is awful. Still, the darkness behind your eyelids is a small comfort. [[You drift off...->Straw Bed Sleep Cutscene 2]]

IronChainsSeen: IronChainsSeen + 1 -- [if IronChainsSeen == 1] All the chains are pulled taut, running to a single, massive ring set deep in the stone wall behind her. Each link is as thick as your wrist, forged from dark, pitted iron. They smell of rust and tar. With every one of the orc's slow, rumbling breaths, the chains shift with a faint groan, the sound of metal grinding on metal. There are no locks you can see, no simple pins to pull. They look like they were hammered shut, really. What did this lady do to Big-Maw's people to deserve this? [continue] [if IronChainsSeen == 2] You find your eyes drawn back to the chains. How did they even get them on her? She's huge. It must have taken ten of those big guards, maybe more. You picture them swarming her like angry ants, a flurry of nets and clubs and shouting. She must have been asleep. Yes, that's it. They must have snuck up on her while she was sleeping, maybe after a big meal. Even then... to hammer these shut without waking her? That seems... unlikely. She's big, but is she that heavy of a sleeper? [continue] [if IronChainsSeen == 3] You creep closer, reaching out a hesitant finger to touch the thick chain leading from her collar. It's cold, so cold it feels wet, and coated in a thin, greasy film. You follow the line of it with your eyes, past the raw chafe marks on her skin, all the way back to the massive ring in the wall. That's the weak point. It has to be. Not the chains themselves, but the ring holding them. If you could just get that out of the wall... The orc shifts in her sleep, a low grunt escaping her lips, and you snatch your hand back as if burned. ...wait, why would you want to get her free in the first place? Are you going insane? Oh god, how many days have you been here?? Months, maybe?? *Years!?!?* [continue] [if IronChainsSeen == 4] *One last look. Just one more, come on, just one more look...* ...you can't help it. You lean in, your eyes fixed on the massive ring. On an impulse, your hands close around the cold, heavy chain leading to her collar. You give it a small, testing jiggle, just to feel the weight of it. The sound is impossibly loud. A sharp, echoing **CLANK-JANGLE** that rings through the cell. [[The snoring stops.->Orc Lady Escaping Death Cutscene]] [continue] [if IronChainsSeen > 4] The chains are still, no longer rising and falling with the rhythm of sleep. They look tighter now, pulled taut by the orc's quiet, watchful tension. [continue] [if IronChainsSeen < 4] {link to: 'Orc Lady', label: 'Back'} [if IronChainsSeen > 4] {link to: 'Orc Lady', label: 'Back'} [continue] [if HasPrisonBone; unless ChainsBoneTried; inventory for PrisonBone] [[Are you mad...?->Chains Bone Cutscene]] [continue] [if HasFireStone; unless ChainsFireStoneTried; inventory for FireStone] [[Are you insane...?->Chains Fire Stone Cutscene]] [continue]

OrkState: 'awake' -- A single red eye snaps open in the gloom, fixing on you. The chains shriek as her arms simply moves left: a grey fist as big as your head blurring past your face with the force of a thrown boulder. You don't even think, you just throw yourself backwards, [[landing in a heap in the foul straw.->Orc Lady Escaping Death Cutscene 2]]

The fist connects with the stone wall where your head was a moment ago with a sickening **CRUNCH**. Stone dust puffs into the air, and a web of cracks spiders out from the new crater in the wall. The fist remains there for a beat, knuckles buried in the rock, before slowly, with an annoyed grunt from the prisoner, pulling free. "MY... SIDE..." At that, she points to the opposite wall. "YOURS... THERE!" You scurry away to the other side, [[heeding the wise words of the lady->Prison Cell]].

LooseStoneNoticed: true -- You don't dream. You just sink into a grey, throbbing nothing for a while, and wake with a stiff neck and a foul taste in your mouth. You roll onto your side, blinking the sleep from your eyes. The cell looks different from down here. Taller. The greasy orange light from the corridor casts long, strange shadows from the bars across the floor. Your gaze follows one of these dark stripes to where it ends against the far wall. Stone, stone, stone... then... a dark gap. A shadow that doesn't move when the torchlight outside flickers. One of the large stones at the very bottom, near the floor, looks wrong. It's not flush with the others. The mortar around its edge isn't solid, it's just a crumbling line of dark dust. {link to: 'Prison Cell', label: 'Back'}

You crouch down, your eyes level with the dark, crumbling line around the stone. It's definitely loose. You can see how it sits just a little bit forward of the others, creating a shallow gap. You dig your fingernails into the dusty mortar, trying to get a purchase on the edge of the stone. The grit grinds under your nails, but the gap is too thin, and the stone itself is heavy. You pull, you wiggle, you grunt with effort, but it doesn't budge. Not even a wobble. Your fingertips are raw and dusty for your troubles. {link to: 'Prison Cell', label: 'Back'} [if HasPrisonBone; inventory for PrisonBone] [[What if...?->Loose Stone Pry Cutscene]] [continue]

You jam the sharp end of the bone into the crumbling mortar. A puff of dry dust fills the air. You wiggle it back and forth, using it like a tiny lever, scraping and digging at the weak points. The bone grinds against the stone. Your knuckles are raw against the wall, but you keep pushing, keep prying. With a low, grating scrape, the heavy stone shifts inward just a little. That's it! You drop the bone and get your fingers into the new gap, pulling with all your might. The stone comes free, landing on the straw with a muffled sound. [[Behind it is a dark, hollow space.->Loose Stone Pry Cutscene 2]]

[JavaScript] engine.state.set("isCutscene",comesFromCutscene()); [continue] {embed passage: 'Deep Wraps Menu Logic'}

[unless passage.name == 'Wraps'; unless isCutscene == true; unless passage.name == 'Settings'] {link to: 'Wraps', label: 'Wraps'} [if passage.name == 'Wraps'] {link to: last_ingame_passage, label: 'Back'} [if isCutscene == true] {ascii backdrop: 'loading'} [continue]

[JavaScript] engine.state.set("last_ingame_passage",get_last_ingame_passage()); [continue] No satchel. No treasures. Just the rough fungus-cloth of your wrap and whatever you can hide in its folds. You run your hands over yourself, feeling for anything useful. [[➼->Leika's Belly (Prison)]] Your Belly. [if HasPrisonBone] [[➼->Prison Bone]] A sharp bone.{inventory PrisonBone} [continue] [if HasFireStone; unless FireStoneTraced] [[➼->Fire Stone]] A glowing stone.{inventory FireStone} [continue] [if HasFireStone; if FireStoneTraced] [[➼->Fire Stone]] A Fire Stone.{inventory FireStone} [continue] {link to: last_ingame_passage, label: 'Back'} {ascii backdrop: 'loading'}

You pull the bone from a fold in your wrap. It's cool and smooth on one side, but the other end is jagged and splintery where it was snapped. A faint smell of old meat and something sour still clings to it, even after you wiped it. A rib. From a cave-lizard, probably. Too big for a grub, too small for a boar. Grak would probably turn his nose up at a snack this scrawny. *But the tip is sharp!* {link to: 'Wraps', label: 'Back'}

You look down. Without your satchel in the way, your belly is right there. It's soft, and round, pushing out in a gentle curve against the rough fabric of your loincloth. You give it a little poke. It's definitely... chubby. A proper gatherer's belly. You give it another, friendlier pat before pulling your wrap closed again. {link to: 'Wraps', label: 'Back'}

HiddenCellItem: 'taken' HasFireStone: true FireStoneTraced: false -- Your heart thumping, you reach in. Your fingers close around something smooth and warm. You pull it out into the greasy torchlight. It's... a stone, flat and dark, worn smooth as a river pebble. A circle with outward pointing arrows has been carved into its surface: it's pulsing with a slow, steady, orange light. *A... a holy relic!* A secret, left here just for you! You can feel a gentle warmth spreading from the stone into your palm. You carefully tuck it into a fold of your wrap. {link to: 'Prison Cell', label: 'Back'}

[if passage.visits == 1] You carefully pull the stone from a fold in your wrap. The orange light pulses in your palm, a slow, steady heartbeat. The surface is smooth as a river pebble, and the carved symbol feels... powerful. A gentle warmth seeps into your skin. [continue] [if passage.visits > 1] {embed passage: 'Fire Stone Check Set'} You trace the glowing symbol with the tip of your finger, drawn to the pulsing light. A sharp, searing pain shoots up your arm and you snatch your hand back with a hiss. *"Yowch!"* The tip of your finger is bright red, a tiny blister already starting to form. That's not just warm, that's *hot*! Cook-fire hot! You quickly tuck it away, being very careful not to touch the symbol again. [continue] {link to: 'Wraps', label: 'Back'}

if BarsFireStone: true -- You take out the glowing stone, and press it to the bars. There is a sharp, angry *hiss*, like a grub spitting in the fire. A puff of foul, acrid smoke billows out, making you cough and your eyes water. The orange symbol on the stone flares brightly for a moment. You pull it away. A black, ugly scorch mark, the size of your palm, is now branded into the fungus-wood. But that's it. The bar is just as thick, just as strong as before. With a huff of frustration, you try again on another spot. Same hiss, same smoke, same useless black mark. Damn these fungi and their fire resistance! This isn't going to work. {link to: 'Prison Cell', label: 'Back'}

BarsBoneTried: true -- You take out the sharp bone and get to work on the nearest bar, trying to carve into the dark fungus-wood. The result is... pathetic. You make a dry, scraping noise that sets your teeth on edge, and all you manage are a few faint, white scratches on the bar's greasy surface. The wood is just too hard. After a few more tries, you look at the bone. The sharp tip is already a little duller. You sigh, tucking your long bone away. {link to: 'Prison Cell', label: 'Back'}

[if passage.visits == 1] You kneel down, holding the glowing stone just over the edge of the straw pile. You give it a little tap with your knuckle, right on the symbol. A single, bright orange spark leaps out, lands on a damp stalk, and dies with a pathetic *fssst*. The prisoner on the other side snores on, undisturbed. You grin. [continue] [if passage.visits > 1] You feel a bit braver this time. You hold the stone closer and give the symbol a firm press. A small, bright orange flame, no bigger than your thumb, flickers to life on a piece of dry straw. It dances for a moment, casting a tiny, warm light. Before it can grow, you quickly stomp it out. Heh. Fun. [continue] {link to: 'Prison Cell', label: 'Back'}

You creep over to the straw, keeping one eye on the awake orc. She's just watching you, her expression unreadable. You kneel down, thinking you'll just make one tiny spark, just like before. A little bit of harmless fun. You hold the glowing stone out. Just as your knuckle taps the symbol, the orc lets out a deep, guttural **"HNNNGH."** You jump, startled by the sudden, loud noise, and the hot stone slips from your grasp, [[tumbling directly into the driest part of the straw pile.->Straw Fire Cutscene Awake 2]]

*Ack!* The stone's orange glow flares, and the dry straw around it simply explodes into a column of bright, hot flame that roars toward the ceiling. The heat is intense, and you scramble back with a yelp, the sour smell of burning mold filling the air. The orc lets out a furious growl. Is she scared? Have you made her mad? There's way too much smoke in the cell to get a good look. What you see is that, with a grunt of effort that makes her chains strain, she swings her massive, chained leg over the spreading fire. [[Her bare foot comes down with a heavy, wet **STOMP**.->Straw Fire Cutscene Awake 3]]

A thick, choking cloud of black smoke and steam now fills the cell. But the embers, still glowing hot, are now pressed directly against the tar-coated iron of her ankle manacle. There is a low sizzle. A flicker of orange. You watch in horror as a line of greasy, black-flamed fire races up the chain... and another, and another, igniting the tar on every chain connected to her body. A roar tears from the lady's throat. She surges to her feet and pulls against the ring with her entire, massive weight. [[The chains, now glowing a dull red in the gloom, groan under the strain.->Straw Fire Cutscene Awake 4]]

There is a sound like a great root tearing off the ground. A deep, grinding **SCREEEECH** of tortured stone - the massive ring, glowing cherry-red, rips free from the wall in a shower of sparks and shattered rock, leaving a gaping hole. Freed, the orc stumbles forward, a mess of glowing, burning chains still hanging from her body. The air crackles with the heat, and the greasy black smoke is so thick you can barely breathe. She stands there for a moment, her broad back heaving, before turning toward you. You press yourself into the far corner of the cell, making yourself as small as you can. There. It's... it's *over!* [[A huge, grey hand reaches through the smoke.->Straw Fire Cutscene Awake 5]]

You squeeze your eyes shut, bracing for the end... but the hand doesn't strike. It just... closes. Huge, calloused fingers wrap around your entire torso, one pressing into the small of your back, another on your ass, another yet pinning your shoulders to your sides. The heat coming off her skin is... unberable. You are lifted, effortlessly, up into the thick, choking smoke until your head is level with hers. "SMART... GOBBY..." she rumbles, her voice a gravelly purr. A thumb, wider than your arm, scrapes gently across the top of your head. Once. Twice. [[She sets you down.->Straw Fire Cutscene Awake 6]]

The orc turns to the cell bars, lowers her massive shoulder, and charges. There is no cracking sound, no splintering. The wall of bars simply blow outwards into the corridor in a shower of dark, pulpy chunks. The greasy orange torchlight floods the cell, and for a heartbeat, you can see the shocked faces of the two guards as they're knocked off their feet. You watch as she thunders through the jagged opening she's made; a burning, chained juggernaut. From the corridor, her laugh, the shouting of incoming guards, and a horn alarm boom back [[towards you.->Maw's Chamber Getting there Cutscene]]

*Freedom!* Out. *Out!* You scramble out of the smoky cell and into chaos. The corridor is a mess of shouting and the clash of clubs on iron. You don't know where she's going, and you don't care. You just run in the direction away from the fighting. Your bare feet slap on the stone, past storerooms piled high with crates and fungus-sacks, past gawking goblin cooks peeking out from their kitchens. The shouts and sounds of battle fade behind you. The corridor ends at a wide, hide-covered archway. You push through it and find yourself on a wide, wooden ledge overlooking [[a massive and surprisingly adorned cavern.->Maw Chamber Diorama]]

MawChamberTurns: MawChamberTurns + 1 -- From your hiding spot on the high wooden ledge, the cavern below opens up. The air is thick with smoke from a dozen sputtering torches and the rich, greasy smell of a massive feast. The murmur of the court echoes up, a low rumble of voices. In the center of it all, a bloated figure is slumped upon a massive [[throne]]. This must be [[Big-Maw]] herself! She is flanked by two [[attendants]]. At her feet, vast [[piles of tribute]] are heaped upon greasy hides. Tattered [[banners]] hang from the ceiling. Along the cavern walls and at the main entrance, several heavily-armed guards stand watch at their [[posts]]. *** {embed passage: 'Maw Chamber Dialogue'}

PailBoneTried: true -- Out of sheer, desperate boredom, you take out the sharp bone and give the contents of the pail a slow, reluctant stir. The murky liquid swirls, and a half-dissolved lump bobs to the surface before sinking again. A large bubble of gas, smelling of rotten mushrooms, rises with a wet *plop* that makes you gag. This has got to be a new low for you. You wipe the bone on a relatively clean patch of straw and put it away, feeling deeply unsatisfied. {link to: 'Prison Cell', label: 'Back'}

PailFireStoneTried: true -- You hold the glowing stone over the pail, its warmth a stark contrast to the cell's damp chill. What would happen if you dropped it in? Deciding against losing your only source of heat, you just dip one corner of the stone into the murky liquid. A violent ***HISSSSSSS*** erupts as hot stone meets cold slop. A thick cloud of steam, smelling worse than anything you have ever smelled in your entire life, billows up and hits you in the face. You snatch the stone back, coughing and spluttering, your eyes watering. It's now coated in a thin layer of disgusting, cooked-on filth. *Eww...* {link to: 'Prison Cell', label: 'Back'}

StrawBoneTried: true -- You take out the sharp bone and use its tip to sift through the damp, musty straw, hoping to find... well, anything. A dropped coin, a lost tool, a less-moldy patch to lie on, even! Underneath, nestled in the rot... is the squashed, brittle husk of a roach. For a moment, you thought you'd found something. Nope. Just more filth. You put your bone away. {link to: 'Prison Cell', label: 'Back'}

ChainsBoneTried: true -- You pull out the sharp bone, and a truly stupid idea forms in your head. What if you could find a weak link? Pry at it? You look from the pathetic splinter of bone in your hand to the iron links as thick as your arm. Then you look at the massive orc they are attached to. No. No. Bad idea. Very, very bad idea. You quickly and quietly tuck the bone away, your cheeks burning with embarrassment at your own foolishness. {link to: 'Prison Cell', label: 'Back'}

ChainsFireStoneTried: true -- You take out the glowing stone, its orange light pulsing warmly in the gloom. For a wild moment, you imagine pressing it to one of the iron links. Get it cherry-red, maybe weaken it? But the heat would travel. The orc would feel it. And then what? An angry orc attached to a glowing-hot chain, in a tiny cell... with *you*. The thought alone makes you break out in a cold sweat. No, no. Absolutely not. You hide the stone's glow back in your wrap, your heart thumping a little faster. {link to: 'Prison Cell', label: 'Back'}

The throne is a monstrosity of fungus-wood, as wide as three of you and dark with age and grease. The backrest is a fan of sharpened bones, their tips glinting in the torchlight, with arms carved into the shapes of snarling creatures, their stony teeth worn smooth where generations of queens must have rested their hands. Big-Maw isn't resting her hands on them. Her bulk has forced her to the very edge of the seat, and the lizard-head armrests are buried somewhere deep in the soft overflow of her hips. A dark, greasy stain has soaked into the wood where her sweaty back has been pressing against it. {link to: 'Maw Chamber Diorama', label: 'Back'} [if HasFireStone; inventory for FireStone] [[What if...?->Throne Pre Fire Cutscene]] [continue]

[if passage.visit == 1] A hot feeling rushes to your cheeks. You can't look away. [continue] The white-haired Big-Maw is less a queen on a throne and more a mountain of flesh that has been piled onto it. Her belly is... a lot to take in. An impossibly round, taut sphere of overstuffed gut that has completely consumed her lap and now hangs heavy between her thighs. And yet, its lower curve does not rest on the stone of the dais - it hovers above it, too taut to droop. One of the attendants kneels before her, diligently rubbing a glistening oil onto the tight, gurgling skin. The goblin's hands make a slick, wet sound as they slide over the vast expanse; the flesh barely yields, tight as a drum. The rest of Maw's body seems almost secondary: her arms, though thick, are dwarfed by her middle. Her wrap is a very fine shade of red, but hopelessly lost in the deep valley of her cleavage and the wide rolls of her back. {one of: ["*She lets out a low, petulant whine as the attendant follows one of her stretchmarks a little too hard, shifting her immense weight.*", "*Her eyes are narrowed into slits, glaring at nothing in particular.*", "*Left to breath instead of crammed full of tribute, her wet breaths are short, shallow things, each one a quick puff from the top of her lungs often ending in a strained burp.*"], order: 'cycling'} {link to: 'Maw Chamber Diorama', label: 'Back'} [if HasFireStone; inventory for FireStone] [[What if...?->BigMaw Pre Fire Cutscene]] [continue]

An older woman stands near Big-Maw's shoulder, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. Her wrap is dyed a deep, expensive black, and a necklace of polished knuckle-bones clicks softly when she moves. Her eyes are shut, but her ears clearly perked up - it is she who does most of the talking, her voice a low, insistent rasp that cuts through the queen's whining. The other, a man with a greying top-knot, paces at the foot of the dais. He doesn't hold a platter himself; instead, he barks low, sharp orders, gesturing sharply at a line of smaller, terrified-looking kin who scurry forward with more platters of steaming meat and glistening fungi. His gaze is constantly scanning, assessing, managing the relentless flow of tribute to the throne. {link to: 'Maw Chamber Diorama', label: 'Back'} [if HasFireStone; inventory for FireStone] [[What if...?->Attendants Pre Fire Cutscene]] [continue]

Your own stomach gives a low, jealous gurgle just by looking down. Whole roasted lizards, their skins blackened and split to show the pale meat beneath, are heaped next to glistening haunches of meat. Mounds of fungi, the prized red-caps and deep purples, are piled so high they threaten to tumble down onto the stone floor. This alone is more than your warren offers the Goddess in a week! *How dare they?!* And... and there's more! Huge wooden bowls overflowing with twitching fat-grubs, skins of dark, fermented berry-juice leaking sticky puddles onto the hides below... all of it just... waiting. Waiting to be shoveled into that whining, overstuffed gut on the throne. What a waste. {link to: 'Maw Chamber Diorama', label: 'Back'} [if HasFireStone; inventory for FireStone] [[What if...?->Tribute Pre Fire Cutscene]] [continue]

Long, tattered banners hang from the high ceiling, swaying gently in the hot, smoky air. You can tell that these ones aren't woven from fungus-cloth, but stitched together from the cured hides of... well, what must've been some massive monsters! Their scales and scars still visible. The symbols painted on them are... ugh, so crude. Not creative, really: a huge, open mouth filled with sharp teeth; a crown; a big goblin standing on a pile of smaller ones. They're all painted in the same thick, black-ish red pigment. {link to: 'Maw Chamber Diorama', label: 'Back'} [if HasFireStone; inventory for FireStone] [[What if...?->Banners Pre Fire Cutscene]] [continue]

*...lazy lumps.* At the main entrance and along the walls, crude barricades of sharpened fungus-wood mark the guard posts. Spears with bone tips are leaned carelessly against the rock, next to a couple dented shields. The guards themselves aren't paying much attention to the court. One leans heavily on his spear, his helmet - fashioned from the skull of some horned creature - tilted so far forward he might be asleep. Another, sitting on an upturned crate, is entirely focused on gnawing the last stringy bits of meat from a large bone. {link to: 'Maw Chamber Diorama', label: 'Back'} [if HasFireStone; inventory for FireStone] [[What if...?->Guards Pre Fire Cutscene]] [continue]

[if MawChamberTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.0 id:maw1] From your perch, you watch Ghera hiss at an attendant, who shoves a new platter forward. *"The Red-Clan's offering, oh Great Maw."* [if MawChamberTurns == 1; dialogue delay:2.2 id:maw1 newline] Big-Maw makes a face, a ripple of disgust crossing her features as she pokes the roasted lizard with a single, greasy finger. *"Ughhh... Ghera. Come on... It's all... shell. And it smells... pointy. I don't want it."* [if MawChamberTurns == 1; dialogue delay:3.0 id:maw1 newline] Ghera snatches the poking finger away. *"Oh, shut it! Just crunch it? You are *the* Maw! It's what you do! Their chief is right there, watching you."* [if MawChamberTurns == 2; dialogue delay:1.0 id:maw2] *"I don't CAAARE!"* [if MawChamberTurns == 2; dialogue delay:1.2 id:maw2] *Maw's whine turns into a full-blown tantrum, her whole body quivering.* [if MawChamberTurns == 2; dialogue delay:2.0 id:maw2] *"Mother never had to eat pointy lizards! Mother got the sweet-jellies and the soft-grubs and... ooh, yes, right there... uuhhh~"* [if MawChamberTurns == 2; dialogue delay:2.5 id:maw2] Her tirade cuts off as her eyes glaze over, her body going limp. The attendant oiling her belly has clearly found a good spot - a low, wet belch, loud enough for you to hear, rumbles out of her. [if MawChamberTurns == 2; dialogue delay:2.8 id:maw2 newline] Ghera's face twists in fury, and you hear the snaps of her fingers over Maw's face. *"No, no, FOCUS! Stop letting him grease you like a stuck boar! They're watching you drool!"* [if MawChamberTurns == 3; dialogue delay:1.0 id:maw3] *"Don't you yell at me, you peasant!"* [if MawChamberTurns == 3; dialogue delay:1.5 id:maw3] *Maw snaps back, though the effort leaves her breathless.* [if MawChamberTurns == 3; dialogue delay:2.2 id:maw3 newline] Ghera throws her hands up, her voice a sharp, panicked hiss. *"Then act like a queen, Leera! A proper one!"* You can barely hear the next part as she gets closer to the Big-Maw. *"Do you think they don't hear the whispers? A 'Goddess'? One who doesn't complain? Our hold is not as strong as it was in your mother's day, you absolute cretin!"* [if MawChamberTurns == 4; dialogue delay:1.0 id:maw4] Big-Maw just blinks. *"Goddess, shmoddess... Ghera, I'm...* [if MawChamberTurns == 4; dialogue delay:1.5 id:maw4] *-HUUURK-* [if MawChamberTurns == 4; dialogue delay:1.0 id:maw4] *...I think I'm gonna be sick."* [if MawChamberTurns == 4; dialogue delay:2.0 id:maw4] Her eyes, however, betray her. They dart past Ghera to a different platter. Her voice drops to a conspiratorial, hungry whisper. [if MawChamberTurns == 4; dialogue delay:2.5 id:maw4 newline] *"oh~...are those the jellied sour-grubs?"* [if MawChamberTurns == 5; dialogue delay:1.0 id:maw5] Ghera sees her opening. Her face smooths over. *"Mm, yes. How observant. But the grubs are for a queen who has eaten her lizard."* [if MawChamberTurns == 5; dialogue delay:2.5 id:maw5 newline] There is a long silence, broken only by a low, gurgling rumble from Maw's gut. Defeat settles over her features. [if MawChamberTurns == 5; dialogue delay:2.8 id:maw5] *"Ok. Fine."* [if MawChamberTurns == 5; dialogue delay:1.0 id:maw5] *she whimpers.* [if MawChamberTurns == 5; dialogue delay:1.5 id:maw5] *"But I want the whole bowl. And you'll tell the cooks they didn't put enough honey on them last time."* [if MawChamberTurns >= 6; dialogue delay:1.0 id:maw6] Big-Maw chews sullenly on a piece of lizard, her mouth open, making wet, sloppy sounds that echo in the chamber. *"Too...* [if MawChamberTurns >= 6; dialogue delay:1.5 id:maw6] *-brrp-* [if MawChamberTurns >= 6; dialogue delay:1.0 id:maw6] *...too crunchy,"* [if MawChamberTurns >= 6; dialogue delay:1.2 id:maw6] she complains to no one in particular. [if MawChamberTurns >= 6; dialogue delay:2.5 id:maw6 newline] Ghera ignores her, already gesturing for the next platter to be brought forward. She occasionally turns to the far distance of the cave, nervously smiling towards a crowd of what you assume are *heretics* and *idiots* you can't really make out from up here.

FireStoneThrow: 'bigmaw' -- The Fire Stone pulses in your hand, a tiny, angry heart. Your eyes lock onto the biggest target in the room: the queen herself. A direct hit. Right in that vast, gurgling gut: the ultimate distraction! But what if you miss? What if it just bounces off all that blubber with a pathetic *thunk*? She'd shriek, every guard would look right up here, and you'd be caught. It's a bold, glorious, and very, very stupid idea. Is it the right one? [[Throw it.->Maw Fire Throw Router]] {link to: 'Maw Chamber Diorama', label: 'No, not yet.'}

[if FireStoneThrow == 'tribute'] {embed passage: 'Tribute Fire Stone Cutscene'} [continue] [if FireStoneThrow == 'bigmaw'] {embed passage: 'BigMaw Fire Stone Cutscene'} [continue] [if FireStoneThrow == 'attendants'] {embed passage: 'Attendants Fire Stone Cutscene'} [continue] [if FireStoneThrow == 'throne'] {embed passage: 'Throne Fire Stone Cutscene'} [continue] [if FireStoneThrow == 'banners'] {embed passage: 'Banners Fire Stone Cutscene'} [continue] [if FireStoneThrow == 'guards'] {embed passage: 'Guards Fire Stone Cutscene'} [continue]

FireStoneThrow: 'attendants' -- You grip the Fire Stone, its heat a small comfort. Your gaze narrows on the attendants, especially the sharp-voiced Ghera. Hitting one of them would definitely cause a scene. A yelp, a bit of smoke, maybe a burnt wrap... it would stop the feeding, that's for sure. *Justice.* But ugh... they're such small targets, and always moving. And would it be enough? A single screaming attendant might not be the chaos you need to slip away unnoticed. It feels... petty. Which is actually fine by you but... mmm... not big enough, maybe. [[Throw it.->Maw Fire Throw Router]] {link to: 'Maw Chamber Diorama', label: 'No, not yet.'}

FireStoneThrow: 'throne' -- The Fire Stone feels heavy in your hand as you eye the monstrous throne. It's her seat of power, the symbol of her rule. To set *that* ablaze and with it her blubbering ass... *HA!* It's huge, made of old, greasy fungus-wood and bone - it would burn well, you think. But it's so close to *her*. The fire... it might spread. To her wrap, her hair... yeah... You want to cause a distraction, not necessarily cook a queen. Or do you? Ugh, this is complicated. It's making your head hurt again. [[Throw it.->Maw Fire Throw Router]] {link to: 'Maw Chamber Diorama', label: 'No, not yet.'}

FireStoneThrow: 'banners' -- Your eyes travel upward, to the tattered, ugly banners hanging in the smoky air. Dry monster-hides, swaying gently. *Perfect.* If you could hit one of those, it would surely go up like a torch. Fire raining down from the ceiling! Panic! Screaming! Everyone would be looking up, trying to dodge the burning bits, not at the ledge where a little goblin is trying to sneak away. It's the cleverest plan. It is a long throw, though. Your arm isn't that strong, is it? What if you miss? The stone would just clatter onto the floor, and you'd be discovered for nothing. Can you make the shot? [[Throw it.->Maw Fire Throw Router]] {link to: 'Maw Chamber Diorama', label: 'No, not yet.'}

FireStoneThrow: 'guards' -- You weigh the stone in your palm, your gaze settling on the lazy guards by the main entrance. The barricades are made of wood, and there are probably spare weapon oils nearby. A fire there would block the entrance, cause confusion. It's a strategic target. Panic right at the exit would draw all the attention, maybe even make them run out of the chamber, leaving your escape path clear. But what if it just makes them angry? Instead of panicking, they might form a wall. They'd be looking for an attacker immediately. It feels like picking a fight when really, you just want to cause a mess and run. [[Throw it.->Maw Fire Throw Router]] {link to: 'Maw Chamber Diorama', label: 'No, not yet.'}

FireStoneThrow: 'tribute' -- You pull the stone from your wrap, its orange glow pulsing in your palm, warm and angry. Your eyes are fixed on the piles of tribute below. An insult! A mountain of food for a false queen while the true Goddess waits. *If She can't have it, then no one can.* It would make a huge fire, wouldn't it? All that grease... a perfect distraction. But... it's right at their feet. So close. What if they see the stone? What if they look up and spot you before you even throw it? Is this the best target?? *Oh dear...* [[Throw it.->Maw Fire Throw Router]] {link to: 'Maw Chamber Diorama', label: 'No, not yet.'}

With a grunt, you lob the stone in a high arc. It sails through the smoky air, a tiny orange comet, and disappears into the heart of the tribute pile. It doesn't clatter. It lands with a soft, greasy *thud* in the side of a roasted boar haunch. ***WHOOSH*** A column of greasy, orange flame erupts from the tribute, feeding on the rendered fat and oils. Roasted lizard skins curl and blacken instantly. A skin of berry-juice, heated beyond its limit, bursts with a wet bang, spraying flaming liquid across the other offerings. The chamber is plunged into chaos - [[as good a chance as any to get down and start running!->Maw's Chamber Chaos Cutscene 1]]

You take a deep breath and heave the stone with all your might. It spins end over end, a tiny orange blur, heading straight and eventually hitting the taut, oiled skin... though not with a thud, more so a sharp, sizzling noise before ricocheting off, launching high into the air like a skipped stone. *"Eeeek!"* Big-Maw lets out a furious squeal, slapping at a new, angry red mark on her gut. But no one is looking at her. The stone sailed over the tribute piles and disappeared into the crowd of onlookers. There's a shriek, then a crash of what sounds like pottery, followed by a sudden, loud ***WHOOMPH***. Flames erupt from within the crowd. Goblins scatter, screaming and pointing. The guards are turning, clubs drawn, trying to see the source of the new fire. [[As good a chance as any to get down and start running!->Maw's Chamber Chaos Cutscene 1]]

You aim carefully and flick the stone. It's a low, fast throw that smacks Ghera squarely in the shoulder with a solid *thump*. She yelps, more in surprise than pain, and spins around, slapping at her shoulder as if stung by a wasp. A wisp of foul-smelling smoke begins to rise from her expensive black wrap where the stone hit, a small orange ember glowing in the fabric. Her face, when she looks up, is not one of panic, but of pure, murderous rage. She points a trembling finger right at the ledge, her mouth open in a furious scream. The guards are turning... this is your last chance - [[as good a chance as any to get down and start running!->Maw's Chamber Chaos Cutscene 1]]

You lob the stone, letting it clatter against the bone backrest and falls, wedging itself in the greasy crevice where the seat meets the back. For a moment, nothing. Then, a tiny lick of orange flame, no bigger than your finger, crawls out from the crevice. It finds the ancient grease soaked into the fungus-wood and greedily drinks it down. With a low *crackle*, the tiny flame grows, climbing the back of the throne. The bones start to smoke. Big-Maw, feeling the heat on her back, shrieks as she scrambles away from the throne, landing belly first onto the ground. The guards are thoroughly distracted - [[as good a chance as any to get down and start running!->Maw's Chamber Chaos Cutscene 1]]

It's a long shot, but you put your whole body into the throw, sending the stone soaring up into the smoky gloom. A perfect arc! Yes! It smacks into one of the tattered monster-hide banners. The dry and ancient hide ignites instantly. With a sound like tearing cloth, the banner rips free from its mooring and falls, a sheet of pure flame, directly onto the two guards at the main entrance. They shout in panic, beating at their burning cloaks and creating the perfect bottleneck of confusion - [[as good a chance as any to get down and start running!->Maw's Chamber Chaos Cutscene 1]]

You toss the stone underhand, aiming for the messy pile of gear at the main guard post. It lands with a soft clink amongst a pile of discarded skins and pouches. There isn't a bright flame, instead a thick, oily ***FOOMPH***. One of the pouches, likely full of weapon oil, erupts. A dense, choking cloud of greasy black smoke billows out, instantly enveloping the entrance. You hear coughing, sputtering, and the clumsy clatter of dropped spears as the guards stumble around blindly inside the smoke cloud, shouting in confusion - [[as good a chance as any to get down and start running!->Maw's Chamber Chaos Cutscene 1]]

You don't wait to see what happens next. You scramble to the edge of the ledge, your heart hammering against your ribs. There's a rickety service ladder there, half-hidden in the shadows. Your feet find the rungs without you even looking down. [[Below... oh, it's a glorious thing.->Maw's Chamber Chaos Cutscene 2]]

A beautiful mess - it really does speak to something within you. People are shouting, tripping over each other, pointing in five different directions at once. The guards are just adding to the confusion, shoving their way through the panicking court, trying to form a line that keeps breaking apart. The caverns lights up as the fire just keeps on growing. You hit the stone floor with a soft thud and dive headfirst into the stream of fleeing kin, just another small, terrified body in the stampede, [[making for the main corridor.->Maw's Chamber Escape Cutscene 1]]

config.header.right: "{embed passage: 'Satchel Menu Logic'}" -- A bigger kin shoves you hard against the wall, and you use the momentum to push off, diving deeper into the stream of bodies. A foot stomps on your hand as you stumble, and that's when you see it. Spilled onto the floor, amongst a dropped club and a discarded helmet, is a familiar shape of woven root-fiber. **Your satchel!** You immediately dive for it, your fingers closing around the worn strap, and scramble back into the flow of bodies, clutching it to your chest. The Golden Bug... you take a breath of relief. It's safe. Now you can *really* run, [[toward the distant cave-wind.->Maw's Chamber Escape Cutscene 2]]

FungalPlainsAligned: true -- You spill out of the main corridor, running through the kingdoms' huts... and there you spot it: the gate, open! Just a gaping maw leading back to the plains. You scramble through, your lungs burning, and don't look back until you're a safe distance away. Just as you stop to lean against a rock, a deep, groaning **BOOM** echoes from the cavern behind you. The gate has slammed shut, its locking mechanism loudibly triggering on the other side. The echo fades, leaving you alone in the sudden, heavy quiet of the plains with the faint smell of smoke and cooked meat in the air. {link to: 'Gated Cavern', label: 'You catch your breath.'}

GoddessWeightGained (GoddessWeightGained == 'ALMOST IMMOBILE'): 'IMMOBILE' GoddessWeightGained (GoddessWeightGained == 'OBESE'): 'ALMOST IMMOBILE' GoddessWeightGained (GoddessWeightGained == 'FAT'): 'OBESE' GoddessWeightGained (GoddessWeightGained == 'PLUMP'): 'FAT' GoddessWeightGained (GoddessWeightGained == 'NONE'): 'PLUMP' FungalPlainsFutureSeen: true LastBiomeAligned: 'FungalPlains' FungalPlainsAligned: true -- The golden bug hums, and the world smears into a blur of teal and grey. When the spinning stops, the air hits you first - thick. You are back in the throne room, the fire gone. The walls are scorched black, and the magnificent piles of tribute are now just sad, smoldering heaps of charcoal. In the center of this ruin, Big-Maw is throwing a fit that would embarrass a teething kit. She heaves a blackened haunch of meat at the wall, wailing about. Her massive belly jiggles violently with every sob, tremors of fat rolling down her flanks as she pounds her fists against the arms of her soot-stained throne. *Pathetic!* A true Goddess would never lose her composure over a little burnt snack. You watch as a sooth-covered Ghera just rolls her eyes at the queen, her arms crossed, [[looking utterly done.->Fungal Plains Future Vision 2]]

Ghera just shouts something at her, snaping her tally-slate shut with a sharp *clack* that cuts right through the sobbing. Then, she just jerks a thumb toward the exit. You watch as the porters immediately hoist the few crates of unburnt food onto their shoulders, with the guards lower their spears and turn their backs, falling into line. The entire court flows toward the gate like water finding a new, better channel, leaving the throne room silent. Big-Maw is left blinking, a tear tracking through the soot on her cheek. Realization hits her slow and hard. She has to heave herself up, the wood of the throne letting go of her hips with a reluctant, sticky *shhhlick*, before frantically waddling after her own servants, her engorged belly forcing her to take a breather every couple of steps. *Ha!* [[The scene flickers forward, to the open plains...->Fungal Plains Future Vision 3]]

Now from a high-vantage point, you look over a gigantic procession of green skin and laden baskets, flowing from the gated cavern and winding across the fungal plains. The line stretches as far as you can see - porters groaning under crates of smoked meat, hunters dragging strings of lizards, gatherers with overflowing sacks - all marching with single-minded purpose toward the dark mouth of the tunnels. Could it be... yes! *Yes!* Toward Her! As the procession passes the farm, you see Bera watching, her hands on her hips. She looks at the endless line of tribute. She looks at her own pile of cut fungus-logs. Then, without a moment's hesitation, she heaves a massive crate onto her shoulder and kicks Keff square in the rear. He yelps, grabs a bundle, and they stumble into the line. Yes, well, this all makes perfect sense to you. The false queen was a hack and the Goddess not only of a better temperament but evidently larger. Your holy fire pushed them over the edge of enlightment: [[even the stubborn ones can feel the divine heat shift in the wind!->Fungal Plains Future Vision 4]]

The vision blurs one last time, speeding up until all individual people are just streaks of green in a river of constant motion. The warren has swallowed the kingdom whole! Or maybe it's the opposite? Mm... well, the tunnels are choked with activity - scouts from the plains trading maps with deep-delvers, farm-growers arguing with hunt-masters over storage space. It is a beautiful harmony. No more "Big-Maw's people" or "Warren kin." Just one massive, hungry swarm once more, united by a single, driving purpose: feed the Goddess! To feed Her until the stone itself groans under Her weight, as the prophecy foretells. The golden bug hums, clearly not ready to bring you back to the present. From the bustling plains, you are moved [[back to the heart of the world...->Future Chamber Router]]

[dialogue delay:0.1 id:daka_botany1] You nudge Daka's arm. She glances at you, then at the board... and rolls her eyes so hard you're surprised they don't fall out of her head. [dialogue delay:1.5 id:daka_botany1 newline] *"Look at the leaves,"* [dialogue delay:0.5 id:daka_botany1] *you whisper, trying not to giggle.* [dialogue delay:0.8 id:daka_botany1] *"They're just... round. Like little pebbles."* [dialogue delay:1.2 id:daka_botany1 newline] Daka snorts, covering her mouth just in time. *"Pebbles! Right! And the stem... look at it! It's just a stick. A straight stick! Where are the feelers?* [dialogue delay:1.5 id:daka_botany1] *How's it meant to find water if it can't feel?"* [dialogue delay:1.8 id:daka_botany1 newline] *"It's not even a good stick,"* [dialogue delay:0.5 id:daka_botany1] *you add, feeling a bit bold.* [dialogue delay:0.8 id:daka_botany1] *"One good wind and the whole thing would just snap."* [dialogue delay:1.5 id:daka_botany1 newline] She nods, a conspiratorial glint in her eye. *"Exactly. Pathetic."* [dialogue delay:1.0 id:daka_botany1] *She gives her own sturdy wrap a confident tug.* [dialogue delay:1.2 id:daka_botany1] *"Sky-walker plants must be very, very stupid."* [dialogue delay:2.0 id:daka_botany1 newline] She leans in close, her voice dropping even lower. *"Honestly... I could draw a better fungus with my eyes closed."* [dialogue delay:1.5 id:daka_botany1] With a final, dismissive flick of her hair, she goes back to inspecting her nails. [dialogue delay:0.5 id:daka_botany1 newline] {link to: 'Daka', label: 'You try to hide your smile.'}

[dialogue delay:0.1 id:daka_monsters1] You whisper to her, trying to sound serious. *"That's a warning, Daka! Look at the teeth She drew!"* [dialogue delay:1.2 id:daka_monsters1 newline] Daka just snickers, leaning back on her heels. *"Teeth? Those little nubs?* [dialogue delay:1.0 id:daka_monsters1] *I've seen scarier teeth on a cave-lizard."* [dialogue delay:1.2 id:daka_monsters1 newline] *"But the Goddess-"* [dialogue delay:0.5 id:daka_monsters1 newline] *"Look at its feet!"* [dialogue delay:0.5 id:daka_monsters1] *she interrupts, pointing a rude finger at the board.* [dialogue delay:0.8 id:daka_monsters1] *"Flat as stones. No claws. No grip! How is it supposed to catch anything? It would slip right off the wall!"* [dialogue delay:1.8 id:daka_monsters1 newline] She bares her own teeth, making a soft, mocking growl. *"And that noise?* [dialogue delay:1.0 id:daka_monsters1] *Sounds like it's choking on a rock."* [dialogue delay:2.0 id:daka_monsters1] *"If that thing came down here,"* [dialogue delay:0.8 id:daka_monsters1] *she says, puffing out her chest,* [dialogue delay:1.2 id:daka_monsters1] *"I wouldn't run. I'd ride it!"* [dialogue delay:0.5 id:daka_monsters1 newline] {link to: 'Daka', label: 'She grins, entirely too pleased with herself.'}

[dialogue delay:0.1 id:daka_anatomy1] You poke Daka in the side. It's firm, like a drum. [dialogue delay:1.0 id:daka_anatomy1 newline] *"Watch it!"* [dialogue delay:0.5 id:daka_anatomy1] *she hisses through gritted teeth, not breaking her pose.* [dialogue delay:1.0 id:daka_anatomy1] *"You are disturbing the vessel."* [dialogue delay:1.5 id:daka_anatomy1 newline] You roll your eyes. *"You're just holding your breath. You're going to turn purple."* [dialogue delay:1.2 id:daka_anatomy1 newline] *"Am not,"* [dialogue delay:0.5 id:daka_anatomy1] *she strains, her voice tight.* [dialogue delay:0.8 id:daka_anatomy1] *"This is... pure... potential. I am aligning my inner circle."* [dialogue delay:1.5 id:daka_anatomy1] She pushes her stomach out another inch, her belt creaking audibly in protest. [dialogue delay:1.8 id:daka_anatomy1 newline] *Brrrrp.* [dialogue delay:1.5 id:daka_anatomy1 newline] A small, escaping burp deflates her instantly. She blinks, then looks at you with total seriousness. [dialogue delay:1.5 id:daka_anatomy1] *"See?* [dialogue delay:0.8 id:daka_anatomy1] *The Goddess speaks through me."* [dialogue delay:0.5 id:daka_anatomy1 newline] {link to: 'Daka', label: 'You shake your head.'}

[dialogue delay:0.1 id:daka_math1] You sidle up to her, eyeing the bulge in her belt-pouch. [dialogue delay:1.2 id:daka_math1 newline] *"Three,"* [dialogue delay:0.5 id:daka_math1] *you whisper, nodding at the Goddess's tally marks.* [dialogue delay:0.8 id:daka_math1] *"She wants three parts for the tribute."* [dialogue delay:1.5 id:daka_math1 newline] Daka jumps, her hand clamping protectively over her pouch. *"Three? Are you sure?* [dialogue delay:1.0 id:daka_math1] *I thought that meant... three for me, one for Her?"* [dialogue delay:1.5 id:daka_math1 newline] *"Daka..."* [dialogue delay:1.0 id:daka_math1 newline] *"It's just rocks!"* [dialogue delay:0.5 id:daka_math1] *she lies, her eyes darting around the room.* [dialogue delay:0.8 id:daka_math1] *"Holy rocks. For... a project. A shrine! Yes, I'm building a shrine."* [dialogue delay:2.0 id:daka_math1] A faint, distinct *squish* comes from her pouch as she squeezes it too hard. A drop of purple juice leaks out. [dialogue delay:2.2 id:daka_math1 newline] *"...very juicy rocks,"* [dialogue delay:0.8 id:daka_math1] *she whispers, backing away slowly.* [dialogue delay:0.5 id:daka_math1 newline] {link to: 'Daka', label: 'You let her go.'}

[if CurrentLessonState == 'letters'; if DakaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:0.1 id:daka_letters_turn1] You march right up to her. *"...and then he just... fell right in!"* Daka finishes with a snort. [if CurrentLessonState == 'letters'; if DakaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.2 id:daka_letters_turn1 newline] You clear your throat. She turns, smirking. *"Well, well. Look who it is."* [if CurrentLessonState == 'letters'; if DakaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:0.8 id:daka_letters_turn1] *She looks you up and down.* [if CurrentLessonState == 'letters'; if DakaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.0 id:daka_letters_turn1] *"Her Holiness's new favorite."* [if CurrentLessonState == 'letters'; if DakaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.5 id:daka_letters_turn1 newline] *"You're missing the lesson!"* you hiss. [if CurrentLessonState == 'letters'; if DakaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.0 id:daka_letters_turn1 newline] *"Oh, I'm learning,"* [if CurrentLessonState == 'letters'; if DakaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:0.5 id:daka_letters_turn1] *she says, leaning closer.* [if CurrentLessonState == 'letters'; if DakaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:0.8 id:daka_letters_turn1] *"I'm learning that Grizel still can't tell a stalactite from a hole in the ground."* [continue] [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'letters'; if DakaTurns > 1; dialogue delay:0.1 id:daka_letters_turn2] Daka puts a finger to her lips and points at the struggling Grizel. *"Watch,"* [if CurrentLessonState == 'letters'; if DakaTurns > 1; dialogue delay:0.8 id:daka_letters_turn2] *she whispers.* [if CurrentLessonState == 'letters'; if DakaTurns > 1; dialogue delay:1.0 id:daka_letters_turn2] *"He's about to ask if the curve means 'mushroom' or 'butt'. Ten glints says he gets hit with the chalk."* [continue] [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'botany'; if DakaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:0.1 id:daka_botany_turn1] You nudge her arm. She glances at the board and rolls her eyes. [if CurrentLessonState == 'botany'; if DakaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.0 id:daka_botany_turn1 newline] *"Look at the leaves,"* [if CurrentLessonState == 'botany'; if DakaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:0.5 id:daka_botany_turn1] *you whisper.* [if CurrentLessonState == 'botany'; if DakaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:0.8 id:daka_botany_turn1] *"They're just... round pebbles."* [if CurrentLessonState == 'botany'; if DakaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.2 id:daka_botany_turn1 newline] Daka snorts. *"Right! And the stem... look at it!"* [if CurrentLessonState == 'botany'; if DakaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:0.8 id:daka_botany_turn1] *She gestures vaguely at the air.* [if CurrentLessonState == 'botany'; if DakaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.0 id:daka_botany_turn1] *"It's just a straight stick. One good wind and the whole thing would snap."* [if CurrentLessonState == 'botany'; if DakaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.5 id:daka_botany_turn1 newline] She nods, a conspiratorial glint in her eye. *"Pathetic. Sky-walker plants must be very, very stupid."* [continue] [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'botany'; if DakaTurns > 1; dialogue delay:0.1 id:daka_botany_turn2] She leans in close again. *"Where are the feelers?"* [if CurrentLessonState == 'botany'; if DakaTurns > 1; dialogue delay:1.0 id:daka_botany_turn2] *she whispers, jabbing a finger at the air.* [if CurrentLessonState == 'botany'; if DakaTurns > 1; dialogue delay:1.0 id:daka_botany_turn2] *"How's it meant to find water? Honestly... I could draw a better fungus with my eyes closed."* [continue] [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'monsters'; if DakaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:0.1 id:daka_monsters_turn1] You whisper to her. *"That's a warning, Daka! Look at the teeth!"* [if CurrentLessonState == 'monsters'; if DakaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.2 id:daka_monsters_turn1 newline] Daka just snickers. *"Teeth? Those little nubs?"* [if CurrentLessonState == 'monsters'; if DakaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.0 id:daka_monsters_turn1] *She bares her own sharp fangs.* [if CurrentLessonState == 'monsters'; if DakaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.0 id:daka_monsters_turn1] *"I've seen scarier teeth on a cave-lizard."* [if CurrentLessonState == 'monsters'; if DakaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.5 id:daka_monsters_turn1 newline] *"But the Goddess-"* [if CurrentLessonState == 'monsters'; if DakaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:0.5 id:daka_monsters_turn1 newline] *"And that noise?"* [if CurrentLessonState == 'monsters'; if DakaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:0.5 id:daka_monsters_turn1] *she interrupts, rolling her eyes.* [if CurrentLessonState == 'monsters'; if DakaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:0.8 id:daka_monsters_turn1] *"Sounds like it's choking on a rock. Not scary."* [continue] [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'monsters'; if DakaTurns > 1; dialogue delay:0.1 id:daka_monsters_turn2] She points a rude finger at the board. *"Look at its feet! Flat as stones. No claws."* [if CurrentLessonState == 'monsters'; if DakaTurns > 1; dialogue delay:1.2 id:daka_monsters_turn2 newline] She puffs out her chest. *"If that thing came down here, I wouldn't run. HA! I'd ride it!"* [continue] [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'anatomy'; if DakaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:0.1 id:daka_anatomy_turn1] You poke Daka in the side. It's firm, like a drum. [if CurrentLessonState == 'anatomy'; if DakaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.0 id:daka_anatomy_turn1 newline] *"Watch it!"* [if CurrentLessonState == 'anatomy'; if DakaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:0.5 id:daka_anatomy_turn1] *she hisses through gritted teeth.* [if CurrentLessonState == 'anatomy'; if DakaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.0 id:daka_anatomy_turn1] *"You are disturbing the vessel."* [if CurrentLessonState == 'anatomy'; if DakaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.5 id:daka_anatomy_turn1 newline] You roll your eyes. *"You're just holding your breath."* [if CurrentLessonState == 'anatomy'; if DakaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.2 id:daka_anatomy_turn1 newline] *"Am not,"* [if CurrentLessonState == 'anatomy'; if DakaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:0.5 id:daka_anatomy_turn1] *she strains, face darkening.* [if CurrentLessonState == 'anatomy'; if DakaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:0.8 id:daka_anatomy_turn1] *"This is... pure... potential."* [continue] [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'anatomy'; if DakaTurns > 1; dialogue delay:0.1 id:daka_anatomy_turn2] She pushes her stomach out another inch, her belt creaking audibly. [if CurrentLessonState == 'anatomy'; if DakaTurns > 1; dialogue delay:1.2 id:daka_anatomy_turn2 newline] *Brrrrp.* [if CurrentLessonState == 'anatomy'; if DakaTurns > 1; dialogue delay:1.0 id:daka_anatomy_turn2 newline] A small, escaping burp deflates her instantly. She blinks, then looks at you with total seriousness. [if CurrentLessonState == 'anatomy'; if DakaTurns > 1; dialogue delay:1.2 id:daka_anatomy_turn2] *"See? The Goddess speaks through me."* [continue] [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'math'; if DakaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:0.1 id:daka_math_turn1] You sidle up to her, eyeing the bulge in her belt-pouch. [if CurrentLessonState == 'math'; if DakaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.2 id:daka_math_turn1 newline] *"Three,"* [if CurrentLessonState == 'math'; if DakaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:0.5 id:daka_math_turn1] *you whisper.* [if CurrentLessonState == 'math'; if DakaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:0.8 id:daka_math_turn1] *"She wants three parts for the tribute."* [if CurrentLessonState == 'math'; if DakaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.5 id:daka_math_turn1 newline] Daka jumps, her hand clamping over her pouch. *"Three? Are you sure?"* [if CurrentLessonState == 'math'; if DakaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.2 id:daka_math_turn1] *She looks around nervously.* [if CurrentLessonState == 'math'; if DakaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.0 id:daka_math_turn1] *"I thought that meant... three for me, one for Her?"* [continue] [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'math'; if DakaTurns > 1; dialogue delay:0.1 id:daka_math_turn2] *"It's just rocks!"* [if CurrentLessonState == 'math'; if DakaTurns > 1; dialogue delay:0.8 id:daka_math_turn2] *she lies, her eyes darting.* [if CurrentLessonState == 'math'; if DakaTurns > 1; dialogue delay:1.0 id:daka_math_turn2] *"Holy rocks. For... a shrine!"* [if CurrentLessonState == 'math'; if DakaTurns > 1; dialogue delay:1.5 id:daka_math_turn2 newline] A faint *squish* comes from her pouch. A drop of purple juice leaks out. [if CurrentLessonState == 'math'; if DakaTurns > 1; dialogue delay:1.5 id:daka_math_turn2 newline] *"...very juicy rocks,"* [if CurrentLessonState == 'math'; if DakaTurns > 1; dialogue delay:0.8 id:daka_math_turn2] *she whispers, backing away.* [continue] [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'rest'; if DakaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:0.1 id:daka_rest_turn1] Daka pauses her story, a hand pressed to her forehead. *"Leika! Thank the stones, a witness!"* [if CurrentLessonState == 'rest'; if DakaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.5 id:daka_rest_turn1 newline] *"I was just telling them... I nearly became grub-food today!"* [if CurrentLessonState == 'rest'; if DakaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.0 id:daka_rest_turn1 newline] You raise an eyebrow. *"Oh? Did you trip over a rock again?"* [if CurrentLessonState == 'rest'; if DakaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.2 id:daka_rest_turn1 newline] She gasps. *"It was a spiny crawler! The size of my head!"* [if CurrentLessonState == 'rest'; if DakaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:0.8 id:daka_rest_turn1] *She holds her hands wide apart.* [if CurrentLessonState == 'rest'; if DakaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:0.8 id:daka_rest_turn1] *"With pincers!"* [continue] [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'rest'; if DakaTurns > 1; dialogue delay:0.1 id:daka_rest_turn2] You cross your arms. *"Pincers? Spiny crawlers have mandibles. Everyone knows that."* [if CurrentLessonState == 'rest'; if DakaTurns > 1; dialogue delay:1.5 id:daka_rest_turn2 newline] Daka freezes. Her ears turn a shade darker. *"Well... this one was special! A mutant!"* [if CurrentLessonState == 'rest'; if DakaTurns > 1; dialogue delay:1.5 id:daka_rest_turn2 newline] She turns back to her audience, ignoring you. *"And *this* part is also true!"* [continue] [continue]

[if CurrentLessonState == 'letters'; if GrizelTurns == 1; dialogue delay:0.1 id:grizel_letters_turn1] You tap his shoulder. He jumps, his chalk skittering across the floor. *"Don't!"* [if CurrentLessonState == 'letters'; if GrizelTurns == 1; dialogue delay:0.5 id:grizel_letters_turn1] *he gasps, clutching his chest.* [if CurrentLessonState == 'letters'; if GrizelTurns == 1; dialogue delay:0.8 id:grizel_letters_turn1] *"I almost had the axis right!"* [if CurrentLessonState == 'letters'; if GrizelTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.2 id:grizel_letters_turn1 newline] You point at the scribbles. *"It's just a rock, Grizel. A drawing of a rock."* [if CurrentLessonState == 'letters'; if GrizelTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.0 id:grizel_letters_turn1 newline] *"Just a rock?"* [if CurrentLessonState == 'letters'; if GrizelTurns == 1; dialogue delay:0.5 id:grizel_letters_turn1] *he whispers, his eyes widening.* [if CurrentLessonState == 'letters'; if GrizelTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.0 id:grizel_letters_turn1] *"Look at the tilt! If I draw it leaning left... sympathetic resonance, Leika."* [if CurrentLessonState == 'letters'; if GrizelTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.5 id:grizel_letters_turn1 newline] He looks up at the cavern roof, shielding his head with the slate. *"We could bring the whole mountain down."* [continue] [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'letters'; if GrizelTurns > 1; dialogue delay:0.1 id:grizel_letters_turn2] Grizel is furiously rubbing out his drawing with his sleeve. *"Too steep..."* [if CurrentLessonState == 'letters'; if GrizelTurns > 1; dialogue delay:0.8 id:grizel_letters_turn2] *he mutters, blowing a cloud of white dust away.* [if CurrentLessonState == 'letters'; if GrizelTurns > 1; dialogue delay:1.0 id:grizel_letters_turn2] *"If I reduce the angle by a finger-width... no, then it's a Pebble, not a Stalactite. The semantic load! Too heavy!"* [continue] [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'botany'; if GrizelTurns == 1; dialogue delay:0.1 id:grizel_botany_turn1] You lean over to see what he's looking at. Grizel is holding the dried moss up to the drawing. [if CurrentLessonState == 'botany'; if GrizelTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.0 id:grizel_botany_turn1 newline] *"It defies physics, Leika."* [if CurrentLessonState == 'botany'; if GrizelTurns == 1; dialogue delay:0.5 id:grizel_botany_turn1] *he says, his voice tight.* [if CurrentLessonState == 'botany'; if GrizelTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.2 id:grizel_botany_turn1 newline] *"Mm? It's just a flower, Grizel. Drawn badly, but still-"* [if CurrentLessonState == 'botany'; if GrizelTurns == 1; dialogue delay:0.5 id:grizel_botany_turn1 newline] *"It is a structural nightmare!!"* [if CurrentLessonState == 'botany'; if GrizelTurns == 1; dialogue delay:0.5 id:grizel_botany_turn1] *He jabs a finger at the thin stem on the board.* [if CurrentLessonState == 'botany'; if GrizelTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.0 id:grizel_botany_turn1] *"Top-heavy. Without a root-anchor or a support, it will snap instantly."* [if CurrentLessonState == 'botany'; if GrizelTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.5 id:grizel_botany_turn1 newline] He drops the moss, defeated. *"Unless... the air up there is thick? Like soup? Yes... sky-soup holding it up..."* [continue] [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'botany'; if GrizelTurns > 1; dialogue delay:0.1 id:grizel_botany_turn2] He is sketching a tiny scaffolding around the flower on his slate. *"Buttresses,"* [if CurrentLessonState == 'botany'; if GrizelTurns > 1; dialogue delay:0.8 id:grizel_botany_turn2] *he whispers, tapping the board.* [if CurrentLessonState == 'botany'; if GrizelTurns > 1; dialogue delay:1.0 id:grizel_botany_turn2] *"If we assume the petals are made of iron, we need at least three points of contact. Clearly, the Goddess is testing our engineering skills."* [continue] [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'math'; if GrizelTurns == 1; dialogue delay:0.1 id:grizel_math_turn1] You watch his fingers fly. *"Seven... no, eight... carry the grub..."* [if CurrentLessonState == 'math'; if GrizelTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.2 id:grizel_math_turn1 newline] *"Just use your toes, silly."* [if CurrentLessonState == 'math'; if GrizelTurns == 1; dialogue delay:0.5 id:grizel_math_turn1] *you suggest.* [if CurrentLessonState == 'math'; if GrizelTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.0 id:grizel_math_turn1 newline] He looks at you, horrified. *"I can't! It would be disrespectful!"* [if CurrentLessonState == 'math'; if GrizelTurns == 1; dialogue delay:0.8 id:grizel_math_turn1] *He grabs his hair, pulling slightly.* [if CurrentLessonState == 'math'; if GrizelTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.0 id:grizel_math_turn1] *"If I miscalculate the tribute ratio by even one berry... famine! The whole system collapses!"* [if CurrentLessonState == 'math'; if GrizelTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.5 id:grizel_math_turn1 newline] He stares at his hand, sweat beading on his brow. *"I need more fingers, Leika. Lend me yours."* [continue] [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'math'; if GrizelTurns > 1; dialogue delay:0.1 id:grizel_math_turn2] He reaches for your hand without looking, muttering, *"Twelve... plus the thumb..."* [if CurrentLessonState == 'math'; if GrizelTurns > 1; dialogue delay:1.0 id:grizel_math_turn2] You slap his hand away. He blinks, looking hurt. [if CurrentLessonState == 'math'; if GrizelTurns > 1; dialogue delay:0.8 id:grizel_math_turn2] *"Selfish,"* [if CurrentLessonState == 'math'; if GrizelTurns > 1; dialogue delay:0.5 id:grizel_math_turn2] *he mutters, going back to his own digits.* [if CurrentLessonState == 'math'; if GrizelTurns > 1; dialogue delay:0.5 id:grizel_math_turn2] *"Rude, even!"* [continue] [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'rest'; if GrizelTurns == 1; dialogue delay:0.1 id:grizel_rest_turn1] You crouch beside him. The knot in his hands is a tangled masterpiece. *"That's really pretty, Grizel."* [if CurrentLessonState == 'rest'; if GrizelTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.2 id:grizel_rest_turn1 newline] He flinches, glancing nervously at Grama's back. *"Shh! It's terrible."* [if CurrentLessonState == 'rest'; if GrizelTurns == 1; dialogue delay:0.8 id:grizel_rest_turn1] *He holds it up, fingers trembling.* [if CurrentLessonState == 'rest'; if GrizelTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.0 id:grizel_rest_turn1] *"Look at the tension on the third loop. It's uneven! Imperfect."* [if CurrentLessonState == 'rest'; if GrizelTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.5 id:grizel_rest_turn1 newline] He shudders. *"That look, Leika. Burns worse than acid. I have to start over. Before he turns around."* [continue] [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'rest'; if GrizelTurns > 1; dialogue delay:0.1 id:grizel_rest_turn2] He is tying the exact same knot again, his hands shaking so bad the string vibrates. [if CurrentLessonState == 'rest'; if GrizelTurns > 1; dialogue delay:1.2 id:grizel_rest_turn2 newline] *"Left over right..."* [if CurrentLessonState == 'rest'; if GrizelTurns > 1; dialogue delay:0.5 id:grizel_rest_turn2] *he whispers to the string.* [if CurrentLessonState == 'rest'; if GrizelTurns > 1; dialogue delay:0.8 id:grizel_rest_turn2] *"...or right over left? If I get it wrong... well, how would you trap anything like that? It all... starts... with the knot..."* [continue] [continue]

[if CurrentLessonState == 'letters'; if GramaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:0.1 id:grama_letters_turn1] You peer at the jagged lines he's scratching in the dust. *"That's not what She's drawing, old man."* [if CurrentLessonState == 'letters'; if GramaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.0 id:grama_letters_turn1 newline] Grama spits to the side. *"Hers is wrong."* [if CurrentLessonState == 'letters'; if GramaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.0 id:grama_letters_turn1 newline] *"It's a stalactite!"* you insist. [if CurrentLessonState == 'letters'; if GramaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:0.8 id:grama_letters_turn1 newline] *"It's a Drop-Rock! A Roper!"* [if CurrentLessonState == 'letters'; if GramaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:0.5 id:grama_letters_turn1] *he rasps, jabbing his cane at the floor.* [if CurrentLessonState == 'letters'; if GramaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.0 id:grama_letters_turn1] *"Stalactites just hang there. Drop-Rocks wait. They have intent."* [if CurrentLessonState == 'letters'; if GramaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.5 id:grama_letters_turn1 newline] *"Rocks don't have intent, Grama."* [if CurrentLessonState == 'letters'; if GramaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.0 id:grama_letters_turn1 newline] He glares at the ceiling, eyes narrowed. *"That's what they want you to think."* [continue] [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'letters'; if GramaTurns > 1; dialogue delay:0.1 id:grama_letters_turn2] He flinches as a drop of water falls nearby. *"Hah!"* [if CurrentLessonState == 'letters'; if GramaTurns > 1; dialogue delay:0.8 id:grama_letters_turn2] *he shouts, pointing his cane at the roof.* [if CurrentLessonState == 'letters'; if GramaTurns > 1; dialogue delay:1.0 id:grama_letters_turn2] *"I saw you! You missed! Stupid rock. Can't be outsmarting me. HA!"* [continue] [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'botany'; if GramaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:0.1 id:grama_botany_turn1] You cross your arms. *"Stop shaking your head! It's... a nice flower."* You look over again. *" Ok, well... a flower!"* [if CurrentLessonState == 'botany'; if GramaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.2 id:grama_botany_turn1 newline] *"Useless,"* [if CurrentLessonState == 'botany'; if GramaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:0.5 id:grama_botany_turn1] *he wheezes.* [if CurrentLessonState == 'botany'; if GramaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.0 id:grama_botany_turn1] *"Can't eat it. Can't smoke it. Can't poison a dart with it."* [if CurrentLessonState == 'botany'; if GramaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.5 id:grama_botany_turn1 newline] *"You are so stupid. It's for looking!"* you argue. *"It's pretty!"* [if CurrentLessonState == 'botany'; if GramaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.0 id:grama_botany_turn1 newline] He taps his clouded eye. *"My eyes are full. Don't need more pretty. Need lunch."* [if CurrentLessonState == 'botany'; if GramaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.2 id:grama_botany_turn1 newline] He pulls a piece of dried moss from his ear and eats it. *"Needs salt."* [continue] [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'botany'; if GramaTurns > 1; dialogue delay:0.1 id:grama_botany_turn2] He offers you a piece of ear-moss. *"Want some?"* [if CurrentLessonState == 'botany'; if GramaTurns > 1; dialogue delay:1.0 id:grama_botany_turn2] You shake your head, disgusted. [if CurrentLessonState == 'botany'; if GramaTurns > 1; dialogue delay:0.8 id:grama_botany_turn2] *"Suit yourself. More for me."* [continue] [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'monsters'; if GramaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:0.1 id:grama_monsters_turn1] *"Don't tell me you aren't scared,"* you whisper. *"Look at the size of it!"* [if CurrentLessonState == 'monsters'; if GramaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.2 id:grama_monsters_turn1 newline] Grama snorts. *"Mm, well, I rode one of those once."* [if CurrentLessonState == 'monsters'; if GramaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.5 id:grama_monsters_turn1 newline] *"You did not."* [if CurrentLessonState == 'monsters'; if GramaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.0 id:grama_monsters_turn1 newline] *"What! I did!"* [if CurrentLessonState == 'monsters'; if GramaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:0.5 id:grama_monsters_turn1] *he insists, puffing out his scarred chest.* [if CurrentLessonState == 'monsters'; if GramaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.0 id:grama_monsters_turn1] *"A Hairy-Long-Face. Fast as a rockfall. Bumpy. Ate my hat."* [if CurrentLessonState == 'monsters'; if GramaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.5 id:grama_monsters_turn1 newline] *"You never had a hat, Grama."* [if CurrentLessonState == 'monsters'; if GramaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.0 id:grama_monsters_turn1 newline] *"Exactly! Beast ate it before I even got it! Sneaky devils."* [continue] [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'monsters'; if GramaTurns > 1; dialogue delay:0.1 id:grama_monsters_turn2] He squints at the drawing. *"Wait. That one has four legs."* [if CurrentLessonState == 'monsters'; if GramaTurns > 1; dialogue delay:1.0 id:grama_monsters_turn2] *He scratches his chin.* [if CurrentLessonState == 'monsters'; if GramaTurns > 1; dialogue delay:1.0 id:grama_monsters_turn2] *"Mine had six. Or maybe eight? It was dark. And I was very drunk... Mm. Well, it had hair."* [continue] [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'anatomy'; if GramaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:0.1 id:grama_anatomy_turn1] You lean close. *"Finally paying attention?"* [if CurrentLessonState == 'anatomy'; if GramaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.0 id:grama_anatomy_turn1 newline] He opens one eye. *"She forgot the gizzard."* [if CurrentLessonState == 'anatomy'; if GramaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.2 id:grama_anatomy_turn1 newline] You pause. *"That cannot be a thing. Goblins don't have gizzards, Grama."* [if CurrentLessonState == 'anatomy'; if GramaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.0 id:grama_anatomy_turn1 newline] *"Speak for yourself,"* [if CurrentLessonState == 'anatomy'; if GramaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:0.5 id:grama_anatomy_turn1] *he grunts, patting his lower belly.* [if CurrentLessonState == 'anatomy'; if GramaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.0 id:grama_anatomy_turn1] *"I swallowed a flint in the Great Famine. Still there. Grinds my corn."* [if CurrentLessonState == 'anatomy'; if GramaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.5 id:grama_anatomy_turn1 newline] *"That... that doesn't sound right."* [if CurrentLessonState == 'anatomy'; if GramaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.0 id:grama_anatomy_turn1 newline] *"It's a feature! Two stomachs. One for meat, one for rocks. Adaptation, girl! Ever heard of it?"* [continue] [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'anatomy'; if GramaTurns > 1; dialogue delay:0.1 id:grama_anatomy_turn2] He shakes his hips, and you hear a faint, dry *clack* from inside him. [if CurrentLessonState == 'anatomy'; if GramaTurns > 1; dialogue delay:1.0 id:grama_anatomy_turn2] *"HA! Hear that? I. Told you!!"* [if CurrentLessonState == 'anatomy'; if GramaTurns > 1; dialogue delay:1.0 id:grama_anatomy_turn2] You back away slowly. [continue] [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'math'; if GramaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:0.1 id:grama_math_turn1] *"Counting tribute, old man?"* you ask. *"Or just napping with your eyes open?"* [if CurrentLessonState == 'math'; if GramaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.0 id:grama_math_turn1 newline] *"Five... ten... twelve..."* [if CurrentLessonState == 'math'; if GramaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:0.5 id:grama_math_turn1] *he mutters, ignoring you.* [if CurrentLessonState == 'math'; if GramaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.0 id:grama_math_turn1] *"Twelve minutes."* [if CurrentLessonState == 'math'; if GramaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.5 id:grama_math_turn1 newline] *"Until what?"* [if CurrentLessonState == 'math'; if GramaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.0 id:grama_math_turn1 newline] *"Until She drops the chalk."* [if CurrentLessonState == 'math'; if GramaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:0.5 id:grama_math_turn1] *He grins, showing yellow teeth.* [if CurrentLessonState == 'math'; if GramaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.0 id:grama_math_turn1] *"I bet Grizel my dessert. He says fifteen. He's an optimist."* [if CurrentLessonState == 'math'; if GramaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.5 id:grama_math_turn1 newline] Your face reddens. *"You two are gambling on the Goddess's fatigue?"* You puch his arm, getting no response. *"Idiots!"* [if CurrentLessonState == 'math'; if GramaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.0 id:grama_math_turn1 newline] *"I'm gambling on gravity. Gravity always wins."* [continue] [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'math'; if GramaTurns > 1; dialogue delay:0.1 id:grama_math_turn2] He stares intently at the Goddess's hand. *"Wobbling..."* [if CurrentLessonState == 'math'; if GramaTurns > 1; dialogue delay:0.8 id:grama_math_turn2] *he whispers, licking his lips.* [if CurrentLessonState == 'math'; if GramaTurns > 1; dialogue delay:1.0 id:grama_math_turn2] *"Drop it... drop it... Grampa Grama needs a new beetle-pin..."* [continue] [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'rest'; if GramaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:0.1 id:grama_rest_turn1] You nudge his knee. *"Hey. Grizel's doing a good job. Tell him."* [if CurrentLessonState == 'rest'; if GramaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.0 id:grama_rest_turn1 newline] Grama doesn't even look down. *"He's doing it wrong."* [if CurrentLessonState == 'rest'; if GramaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.2 id:grama_rest_turn1 newline] *"It looks fine to me!"* [if CurrentLessonState == 'rest'; if GramaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.0 id:grama_rest_turn1 newline] *"Ah, it's too pretty. Pretty knots slip."* [if CurrentLessonState == 'rest'; if GramaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:0.5 id:grama_rest_turn1] *He closes his eyes.* [if CurrentLessonState == 'rest'; if GramaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.0 id:grama_rest_turn1] *"Besides, watching him sweat is the only entertainment I get around here."* [if CurrentLessonState == 'rest'; if GramaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.5 id:grama_rest_turn1 newline] *"You're mean,"* you say. [if CurrentLessonState == 'rest'; if GramaTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.0 id:grama_rest_turn1 newline] *"I'm old, child. Same thing."* [continue] [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'rest'; if GramaTurns > 1; dialogue delay:0.1 id:grama_rest_turn2] He waits until Grizel isn't looking, then reaches out with his cane and pokes the knot. [if CurrentLessonState == 'rest'; if GramaTurns > 1; dialogue delay:0.8 id:grama_rest_turn2] *It collapses instantly.* [if CurrentLessonState == 'rest'; if GramaTurns > 1; dialogue delay:1.0 id:grama_rest_turn2] *Grama closes his eyes again, immediately falling into a snore.* [continue] [continue]

[if CurrentLessonState == 'letters'; if GrakTurns == 1; dialogue delay:0.1 id:grak_letters_turn1] *Shhhk. Shhhk.* The sound of stone on steel cuts through the Goddess's voice. [if CurrentLessonState == 'letters'; if GrakTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.0 id:grak_letters_turn1 newline] *"Grak!"* [if CurrentLessonState == 'letters'; if GrakTurns == 1; dialogue delay:0.5 id:grak_letters_turn1] *you hiss, kicking his boot.* [if CurrentLessonState == 'letters'; if GrakTurns == 1; dialogue delay:0.8 id:grak_letters_turn1] *"Quiet! She's teaching!"* [if CurrentLessonState == 'letters'; if GrakTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.5 id:grak_letters_turn1 newline] He doesn't look up. *"Spear needs edge, shortie."* [if CurrentLessonState == 'letters'; if GrakTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.0 id:grak_letters_turn1 newline] *"Don't. Call. Me. Shortie."* You kick his foot again, to the same effect. *"It's sharp enough to cut a rock! Stop it."* [if CurrentLessonState == 'letters'; if GrakTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.2 id:grak_letters_turn1 newline] He pauses, slowly turning his heavy head to look at you. *"Never sharp enough."* [if CurrentLessonState == 'letters'; if GrakTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.0 id:grak_letters_turn1] *He grins.* [if CurrentLessonState == 'letters'; if GrakTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.0 id:grak_letters_turn1] *"Keep bothering, maybe I test on you?"* [continue] [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'letters'; if GrakTurns > 1; dialogue delay:0.1 id:grak_letters_turn2] He scrapes the stone down the blade again. *SCREEEE.* [if CurrentLessonState == 'letters'; if GrakTurns > 1; dialogue delay:1.0 id:grak_letters_turn2] *Grizel flinches violently across the room.* [if CurrentLessonState == 'letters'; if GrakTurns > 1; dialogue delay:1.0 id:grak_letters_turn2] *Grak chuckles.* [continue] [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'botany'; if GrakTurns == 1; dialogue delay:0.1 id:grak_botany_turn1] You poke his arm. *"Hey. Pay attention. I know, not a great lesson but-"* [if CurrentLessonState == 'botany'; if GrakTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.2 id:grak_botany_turn1 newline] He glances at the board, then back at his axe. *"Does flower bite?"* [if CurrentLessonState == 'botany'; if GrakTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.0 id:grak_botany_turn1 newline] *"No. What? It's a plant, Grak."* [if CurrentLessonState == 'botany'; if GrakTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.2 id:grak_botany_turn1 newline] *Poison-spit?"* [if CurrentLessonState == 'botany'; if GrakTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.0 id:grak_botany_turn1 newline] *"No! I mean, maybe. I don't know?"* [if CurrentLessonState == 'botany'; if GrakTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.5 id:grak_botany_turn1 newline] He snorts. *"Bad lesson."* [continue] [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'botany'; if GrakTurns > 1; dialogue delay:0.1 id:grak_botany_turn2] He is digging something out of his teeth with a long, sharp splinter of bone. [if CurrentLessonState == 'botany'; if GrakTurns > 1; dialogue delay:1.0 id:grak_botany_turn2] *He flicks a piece of gristle at the drawing.* [if CurrentLessonState == 'botany'; if GrakTurns > 1; dialogue delay:0.8 id:grak_botany_turn2] *"Weak plant. Bah."* he mutters. [continue] [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'monsters'; if GrakTurns == 1; dialogue delay:0.1 id:grak_monsters_turn1] You barely get close before he grabs your shoulder. His grip is like iron. [if CurrentLessonState == 'monsters'; if GrakTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.0 id:grak_monsters_turn1 newline] *"Where?"* [if CurrentLessonState == 'monsters'; if GrakTurns == 1; dialogue delay:0.5 id:grak_monsters_turn1] *he demands with bare teeth, shaking you slightly.* [if CurrentLessonState == 'monsters'; if GrakTurns == 1; dialogue delay:0.8 id:grak_monsters_turn1] *"You know Goddess. What she say? Where does "Hou-Ar See" live? ANSWER!!"* [if CurrentLessonState == 'monsters'; if GrakTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.2 id:grak_monsters_turn1 newline] *"I-I don't know! It's a warning!"* [if CurrentLessonState == 'monsters'; if GrakTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.0 id:grak_monsters_turn1 newline] *"Look at neck, shortie!"* [if CurrentLessonState == 'monsters'; if GrakTurns == 1; dialogue delay:0.5 id:grak_monsters_turn1] *His eyes are wild, shining.* [if CurrentLessonState == 'monsters'; if GrakTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.0 id:grak_monsters_turn1] *"Much meat. And hair... I want hair. For hat."* [if CurrentLessonState == 'monsters'; if GrakTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.5 id:grak_monsters_turn1 newline] As he remains mesmerized by the drawing, you slowly back out of his grip and away from him. [continue] [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'monsters'; if GrakTurns > 1; dialogue delay:0.1 id:grak_monsters_turn2] He is thrusting his spear at the air, making soft *hff, hff* noises. [if CurrentLessonState == 'monsters'; if GrakTurns > 1; dialogue delay:1.0 id:grak_monsters_turn2] *"Throat... leg..."* he whispers lovingly to the drawing. *"...other leg... other leg... no more leg?"* [continue] [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'anatomy'; if GrakTurns == 1; dialogue delay:0.1 id:grak_anatomy_turn1] You watch him mimic the stabbing motion. *"She's talking about our bodies, Grak. Not killing things."* [if CurrentLessonState == 'anatomy'; if GrakTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.2 id:grak_anatomy_turn1 newline] *"Same,"* [if CurrentLessonState == 'anatomy'; if GrakTurns == 1; dialogue delay:0.5 id:grak_anatomy_turn1] *he grunts.* [if CurrentLessonState == 'anatomy'; if GrakTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.0 id:grak_anatomy_turn1] *"Just inside-parts on outside."* [if CurrentLessonState == 'anatomy'; if GrakTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.5 id:grak_anatomy_turn1 newline] He points at the stomach circle. *"Under the ribs. Goooood target."* [if CurrentLessonState == 'anatomy'; if GrakTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.0 id:grak_anatomy_turn1 newline] *"No it's not! That's the Divine Furnace, and I won't have you-"* [if CurrentLessonState == 'anatomy'; if GrakTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.2 id:grak_anatomy_turn1 newline] *"You hit, they fold. Then hit head. Easy."* [continue] [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'anatomy'; if GrakTurns > 1; dialogue delay:0.1 id:grak_anatomy_turn2] He pokes his own abbed stomach with a finger. It's hard as a rock. *"Armor,"* he grunts, satisfied. [continue] [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'math'; if GrakTurns == 1; dialogue delay:0.1 id:grak_math_turn1] *Snap.* [if CurrentLessonState == 'math'; if GrakTurns == 1; dialogue delay:0.5 id:grak_math_turn1] *Another twig breaks in his massive hands.* [if CurrentLessonState == 'math'; if GrakTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.0 id:grak_math_turn1] *"Stupid,"* he hisses. [if CurrentLessonState == 'math'; if GrakTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.2 id:grak_math_turn1 newline] *"Having trouble counting, dumb dumb?"* you tease. [if CurrentLessonState == 'math'; if GrakTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.5 id:grak_math_turn1 newline] He glares at you. *"NO! One spear. Two fists. Many dead things."* [if CurrentLessonState == 'math'; if GrakTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.0 id:grak_math_turn1] *He gestures angrily at the board.* [if CurrentLessonState == 'math'; if GrakTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.2 id:grak_math_turn1] *"Why She counting berries? Stupid. Waste time!"* [continue] [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'math'; if GrakTurns > 1; dialogue delay:0.1 id:grak_math_turn2] He breaks a thicker branch over his knee. *CRACK.* [if CurrentLessonState == 'math'; if GrakTurns > 1; dialogue delay:1.0 id:grak_math_turn2] *"One stick... two stick,"* he mutters. *"Woah..."* [continue] [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'rest'; if GrakTurns == 1; dialogue delay:0.1 id:grak_rest_turn1] You step in front of him as he looms over a smaller goblin. *"Leave him alone, Grak. He is a follower like the rest of us, and-"* [if CurrentLessonState == 'rest'; if GrakTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.2 id:grak_rest_turn1 newline] Grak looks down at you, blinking slowly. *"Hi shortie! Goddess pet. HA!* [if CurrentLessonState == 'rest'; if GrakTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.0 id:grak_rest_turn1 newline] Now go. Very busy,"* [if CurrentLessonState == 'rest'; if GrakTurns == 1; dialogue delay:0.5 id:grak_rest_turn1] *he rumbles, shoving you aside with one finger.* [if CurrentLessonState == 'rest'; if GrakTurns == 1; dialogue delay:0.8 id:grak_rest_turn1] *"He in my spot."* [if CurrentLessonState == 'rest'; if GrakTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.5 id:grak_rest_turn1 newline] *"...aren't you always on the other side of the room?"* [if CurrentLessonState == 'rest'; if GrakTurns == 1; dialogue delay:1.0 id:grak_rest_turn1 newline] *"Grak strong,"* he says, grinning. *"Need two spots. Maybe three. Move."* [continue] [continue] [if CurrentLessonState == 'rest'; if GrakTurns > 1; dialogue delay:0.1 id:grak_rest_turn2] He "accidentally" drops the butt of his spear on your toe. OW. *"Oops,"* he says, not looking at you. [continue] [continue]

TuningForkTaken: true -- You tug at the metal stick. It's stuck fast. You brace your foot against the wall and give it a hard yank. *PING!* It pops free with a pure, high-pitched note that seems to hang in the air, much louder than it should be. The metal prongs blur, vibrating so fast they look fuzzy. You feel the buzz of it tingling the aether surronding you, going all the way up your arm to your shoulder. A singing stick! You grin, tapping it against the stone floor again just to hear it hum, before sliding the strange, musical iron into your satchel. {link to: 'West Tunnel', label: 'Back'}

SlimeGirlNorthMoved: true -- You pull out the silver stick and strike it hard against the cavern wall. *CLANG-HMMMMMMM!* The pure, high note cuts through the dripping silence. Immediately, the glowing sacs on the ceiling shudder. They ripple, their light pulsing fast and erratic, matching the hum of the metal in your hand. One by one, they lose their grip on the stone. But they don't fall! Swollen with gas, they drift slowly downward like dandelion seeds, caught in the gentle draft flowing toward the main cavern. *"Oooooh~..."* The Green Lady's eyes go wide. She watches the pretty lights drifting past her, mesmerized. *"Wait... come baaack~..."* Without a second thought, she sloshes out of her basin, her gelatinous form flowing over the rim to chase the floating lights [[out into the main hub.->Slime Pool North]]

You pull the Singing Stick from your satchel. It’s shiny, silver, and shaped like a little two-fingered hand. It feels heavy and cold, but if you squeeze the prongs, they tremble against your skin, eager to make noise. You give it a soft tap against your leg. *Mm...* *Hmmmm....* *Hhhhhmmmmmmmmmmmm....* {link to: 'Satchel', label: 'Back'}

The Grumpy Green Lady shrieks as the yellow wave hits her pool. Her form convulses, bulging in four different directions at once. With a wet, sickening noise, she tears apart, multiplying before your eyes. Four smaller, distinct shapes rise from the yellow froth. They are knee-high, jagged drops of acid, featureless save for their narrowed, furious eyes. Uh oh. One of them hisses, launching itself at you. It splashes against the ground near you, sending smoke rising from... *ack!* [[No, that's your foot!->Slime Caverns Misalignment Cutscene 2]]

You scramble back through the fissure, coughing as the yellow fumes fill your lungs. The main cavern turns around you, with a sickly yellow creeping in from the east, quickly overtaking the shimmering green. You run, your boots slapping on the stone, the hissing sound of the angry swarm echoing behind you. You dive into the exit tunnel just as a glob of yellow slime smacks into the wall where your head was a second ago, sizzling against the rock. [[Out! You're out...->Northeast Tunnel]]

You approach the cavern mouth, hand over your nose to block the burning smell. A thick, yellow fog still hangs low to the ground, and before you can take another step, a high-pitched, squeaky chorus erupts from the mist. *"HALT! HAAAAALT!"* A line of small, jagged yellow shapes slithers out of the fog. They form a perfect, angry line across the path, their tiny gelatinous arms crossed over their chests in a familiar, grumpy gesture. [[They glare at you with dozens of furious little eyes.->Slime Caverns Blocked Entrance 2]]

*"Road closed!"* one squeaks, waving a little wobbly arm at you. *"Closed due to... to... NASTINESS!"* *"Ash-Spreader!"* another chirps accusingly. *"Gunk-Hand!"* *"Pool-Ruiner!"* They start bobbing up and down, a sea of yellow accusation. *"Move along! Nothing to see! Move along or get melted!"* To prove their point, the leader spits a glob of yellow goo that lands inches from your toe, hissing loudly as it eats into the stone. Jeez, ok, fine! Message received... {link to: 'Northeast Tunnel', label: 'Back'}

You stare at the dry, rustling leaves mixed into the bedding. A little spark here... *woosh*. The whole pile would go up. Wouldn't... wouldn't that be something... You flick the wheel. *Zzzt!* A single orange spark lands on a leaf. It smokes, curls black... and goes out. The damp moss underneath smothers it instantly. You let out a breath you didn't realize you were holding. Probably for the best. Bera would skin you alive. {link to: 'Pile', label: 'Back'}

PileKitsWoken: true -- You strike the metal fork against your palm. *HMMMMMMmmmm...* You press the vibrating end against the nearest lump in the furs. The sound amplifies through the hollow bedding, turning into a loud, buzzing drone. *"Eeeek!"* *"Bees!"* Two sleepy kits erupt from the pile, eyes wide and terrified, swatting at invisible bugs. They scramble over each other and bolt for the tunnel, squealing - you stifle a giggle. {link to: 'Pile', label: 'Back'}

WaterSkinCut: true -- You eye the sagging skin. Grama's turn, was it? And he left it almost empty? You pull out the toothy wire. With a wicked grin, you draw it across the bottom of the skin. *Zzzzip!* It slices through the cured gut like wet paper. The bottom drops out, and the remaining water splashes onto your feet with a wet *splosh*. Oops. Looks like the skin "broke." What a tragedy! Guess someone will have to stitch a new one. Not you, though. You're on holy duties. {link to: 'Water Skin', label: 'Back'}

You give the fork a good *thwack* and press it against the taut lizard-skin. [if waterdrunk] *Thud...* The vibration dies instantly against the empty leather. A dull, flat sound. Boring. [continue] [unless waterdrunk] *Blurble-urble-urble...* The water inside vibrates, making a funny, wet gargling sound. It tickles your hand. Heh. It sounds like the skin has a stomach ache. [continue] {link to: 'Water Skin', label: 'Back'}

CurtainBurnt: true -- That curtain. It's so stiff. So greasy. It always scratches your shoulder when you go in. You flick the wheel. *Zzzt-CHUNK!* The spark catches the old grease instantly. *FOOM!* A sheet of orange fire races up the hide. You yelp and scramble back, batting at the smoke. It burns hot and fast, curling the leather into black crisps that drift to the floor like snow. In seconds, it's over. You cough, waving the smoke away. {link to: 'Warrens Wardrobe', label: 'Back'}

ShelfSawed: true -- You look at the shelf. It's just... rock. Hard, grey rock. But this wire... can it cut it? You position the wire against the lip of the shelf and pull. The sound sets your teeth on edge, a horrible dry shriek that echoes down the tunnel. You grit your teeth and pull harder. *SKREEEE-K!* The wire bites, but only a little. It leaves a jagged, ugly white scar in the stone and dulls a patch of the wire's teeth. {link to: 'Personal Alcoves', label: 'Back'}

The pointy stick zips out of your bag, hovering near Grizel's alcove, then Grak's, then yours. It seems... disappointed? It returns to the white slice and scribbles fast. ~MORTUARY ALCOVES WITH NONE OF THEIR ORIGINAL ARTEFACTS.~ ~CURRENT CONTENTS APPEAR TO BE RUBBISH.~ You frown. Rubbish?! That's your spare wrap! And Grak's teeth collection is... well, okay, that is rubbish. But still! Rude. {link to: 'Personal Alcoves', label: 'Back'}

You tap the fork against the wall. *HMMMMMMmmmm...* You press the vibrating prongs against the slag-glass. The surface buzzes against the metal. In the reflection, your face suddenly goes all... wrong. Your eyes stretch wide, your mouth zig-zags, and your ears ripple like water. You giggle, pulling a face. *Bleurgh!* The reflection wobbles back at you, shaking like jelly. It's like looking at yourself in a puddle during one of the cave shakings. They've gotten to be more frequent, haven't they? Mm... {link to: 'Goblin Mirror', label: 'Back'}

The stick floats up, facing the mirror. It pauses. It drifts closer, as if inspecting the reflection... or perhaps checking its own 'hair'? Does a stick have hair? It zips back to the paper. ~WE'RE NOT ONE FOR ANTHROPOLOGY. SMALL INDIVIDUAL. ROUND. GREEN COMPLEXION. NOTE: EAR-TO-HEAD RATIO IS CONCERNING.~ You instinctively reach up and cover your ears. They are perfectly normal! It's the mirror that's wavy! {link to: 'Goblin Mirror', label: 'Back'}

ShavingsBurnt: true -- You stare at the pile of white shavings. They're so dry. Like tinder. And that lumpy, insulting statue... *Click-fwoosh.* The shavings catch instantly. A small, polite fire dances in the corner, consuming the bone dust and licking at the wood of the carving. You watch it burn. The little lumpy Goddess turns black, then grey, then crumbles into ash. There. *Gone!* Can't be a bad artist if there's no art left. {link to: 'Whittling Corner', label: 'Back'}

You hold the lumpy statue. It mocks you with its... lumpy-ness. You thread the wire saw around its middle. *"You call that a belly?"* you mutter. *"I'll show you a belly."* *Zip!* The wire slices through the soft fungus-wood like it isn't even there. The top half of the statue slides off and hits the floor with a *clack*. Now it's just two lumps. You feel... weirdly satisfied. {link to: 'Whittling Corner', label: 'Back'}

You hold the metal disc up to the wood. Maybe... maybe if you traced it? It is a really pretty shape. You try to hold it steady against the lumpy head, but the teeth of the gear dig in, scratching the wood. And your flint knife is too thick to fit in the little square hole. You huff. It's too hard! Why is making things so difficult? You toss the gear back in your bag. Stupid perfect metal thing. {link to: 'Whittling Corner', label: 'Back'}

The stick hovers over your lumpy carving. It spins once, as if shaking its head. It darts to the paper. and in seconds, a drawing appears... your mouth drops. It's Her. Perfect. The curve of the belly, the flow of the hair, her looking-glasses and freckles, the majestic weight of Her hips... it's all there, captured in a few simple black lines. It makes your carving look like a piece of droppings. You blush furiously, snatching your carving and hiding it behind your back. *Show-off!* {link to: 'Whittling Corner', label: 'Back'}

You touch the vibrating prongs to the smooth black stone... well, attempt to. The figurine starts to sing an inch before they reach. A deep, throbbing note that you feel in your teeth, in your bones, in the pit of your stomach. *WOOOOOM...* It's the same note as the Goddess's morning hum, but deeper. Clearer. The fork shakes so hard in your hand you almost drop it. You pull it away, your fingers tingling, somehow hungrier than before. It's... definitely hollow. Or filled with something that isn't stone. {link to: 'CH3 vessel', label: 'Back'}

The stick shoots out of your bag like an arrow. It buzzes around the figurine, doing a little loop-de-loop in the air. It looks... excited? It zips back to the paper, scribbling so fast the black marks are a blur. ~HEY THERE, SPECTER! FANCY MEETING YOU HERE!~ You stare at the paper. Specter? Is that the stone's name? You look back at the figurine. It doesn't reply or anything like that, it just sits there, dark and silent. Weird. {link to: 'CH3 vessel', label: 'Back'}

You hold the little flame up to the wall of rock. The stone glows faintly orange. A few dry roots sticking out of the dirt catch fire and sizzle away in a second. That's it. The mountain of rock remains entirely unmoved by your tiny fire. Mm. That was silly. {link to: 'Southeast Tunnel Collapse', label: 'Back'}

You try to slide the wire between two of the big boulders. Maybe if you cut the keystone? You pull. *Skritch.* You pull harder. *SKRITCH.* The wire catches on a sharp edge and gets stuck. You have to yank it free, nearly falling over. The rock has a tiny white scratch on it. The pile is still a pile - useless. {link to: 'Southeast Tunnel Collapse', label: 'Back'}

You give the fork a mighty whack and jam it into the dirt between the rocks. *HMMmmm...* Maybe the sound will shake them loose? Like an avalanche? The vibration dies in the packed earth with a dull thud. A single pebble rolls down the slope and hits your head. *Plink.* You stare at it. Well. That showed them. {link to: 'Southeast Tunnel Collapse', label: 'Back'}

GearDented: true -- You grip the metal disc like a little shovel. The teeth look sharp enough to dig, right? You scrape it against the packed earth. *Chhh-k.* You hit a rock. You try to pry the rock out. *CLINK.* The rock doesn't move. You pull the gear back and... oh! One of the perfect little teeth is bent. No! You rub it with your thumb, trying to push it back, but it stays crooked. *Gah!* Why did you use a treasure for digging? What a shame... {link to: 'Southeast Tunnel Collapse', label: 'Back'}

You hold the flame against the pale stalk. The fire licks at the fungus-flesh, turning the white skin a scorched brown. But it's too wet. A thin stream of sap weeps from the burn, hissing softly as it drowns the flame. The mushroom doesn't seem to care at all. {link to: 'giant mushrooms', label: 'Back'}

You strike the fork, then press its vibrating metal against the soft stalk... there's no hum, no song. You try again, striking harder, but the spongy, wet flesh just absorbs the shaking instantly, like punching a ball of dough. *Flup.* The vibration dies. How boring. {link to: 'giant mushrooms', label: 'Back'}

The stick floats up, circling the massive stalk. It bobs up and down, measuring the height, then zips back to the paper. ~SPECIMEN: MYCENA GIGANTEA. NOTE: BIOLUMINESCENCE INDICATES HIGH SPORE DENSITY. DO NOT INHALE.~ You sneeze. Ugh. It's far too late for that kind of advice... {link to: 'giant mushrooms', label: 'Back'}

You hold the fire to the heavy iron band near the lock. The metal warms up, turning a dull grey where the soot burns off. The wood around it blackens slightly. But the gate is thick, and the lock is on the other side. You'd need something like a bonfire to burn through this, not a spark-box. {link to: 'gate', label: 'Back'}

You try to thread the wire through the crack between the planks. Maybe you can cut the bar on the other side? You wiggle it in and it catches! You pull. The wire grinds against the iron binding of the gate. *Skreee.* You... well, this is a really akward motion. You can't get a good angle. And even if you cut that bar... isn't there another one on the other side? And a guard standing right there? Yeah. Not going to work. {link to: 'gate', label: 'Back'}

GateQuillSlid: true -- The stick and paper flatten themselves against the floor. Like liquid, they slide right under the gap at the bottom of the gate! You gasp, pressing your eye to the crack. You see them float up on the other side, do a little spin in the air, and then... slide right back out to you. They just hover there. Smug. Content with themselves. They don't even have a message or anything like that, they just felt like checking the other side a bit. You quickly catch them out of the air and angrily swat them back into the satchel. {link to: 'gate', label: 'Back'}

TotemFelled: true -- You glare at the ugly face. It's mocking you. "Go away," it says. "Weak," it says. Well then: you wrap the wire around the base of the dry stalk. *"No. YOU go away."* *ZZZ-zip!* The dry fungus-wood parts with a satisfying crunch. The totem sways, tips, and falls over with a heavy *thump*, kicking up a cloud of dust. The flint teeth rattle in their sockets. HA! Take that, Big-Maw. {link to: 'warning totem', label: 'Back'}

The stick hovers in front of the crude face. It looks... unimpressed. It traces the air, translating the markings. ~PRIMITIVE PICTOGRAM. "BIG TEETH. EAT YOU." POSSIBLE TERRITORIAL INSECURITY.~ You nod. "Yes, exactly. It says 'Go Away'." The stick stops writing. It goes to the paper again, jotting down *~AH. SORRY. I THOUGHT YOU COULDN'T READ THAT.~* before it floats back to your bag. {link to: 'warning totem', label: 'Back'}

WickLit: true -- You open the little metal door - it squeaks - and reach inside with your fire-box. It's a tight fit. *Click-fzzzt.* The spark lands on the black string. For a second, nothing. Then, a tiny blue flame sputters to life, growing into a steady, bright yellow teardrop. The oily smell gets stronger, but the light... oh, it's wonderful! It pushes back the gloom of the grotto instantly. You close the door with a satisfied *clink*. {link to: 'glass-and-metal cage', label: 'Back'}

The stick traces the blocky black marks on the side of the wood. It pauses, tapping against the grain. ~SHIPPING DATE: 12/04/1889. CONTENTS: SURVEY EQUIPMENT / CLASS B.~ ~RECIPIENT: BRISTOL INSTITUTE - EXPEDITIONARY FORCE.~ You blink. Numbers. Lots of numbers. Possibly the biggest numbers you've seen so far. You can't really make sense of anything else that's written on the paper in front of you, though. *What's a Bristol?* {link to: 'smashed crate', label: 'Back'}

You eye a thick stalk. It looks... juicy. You loop the wire. You're about to pull, but you freeze. You look at the hut. If those farmers catch you cutting down their crop, they'll think you're stealing. Or worse! Trying to help with the harvest. Can't be having that: you're on a holy mission! Better to leave these where they are. {link to: 'mushroom stalks', label: 'Back'}

The stick hovers near the teal cap, practically vibrating. ~AGARICUS LUMINA - A DOMESTICATED VARIANT. POSSIBLE STUNTED GROWTH DUE TO POOR SOIL AERATION.~ Poor soil? You look at the dirt. It looks like dirt to you. The stick adds: ~YOU FOLK SHOULD DIG DEEPER IF AT ALL POSSIBLE.~ {link to: 'mushroom stalks', label: 'Back'}

You hold the tiny flame against the massive trunk. It's like trying to burn down a mountain with a candle. The pale bark doesn't even blacken; it just sweats a little bead of sap that extinguishes your fire with a *hiss*. The tree pulses on, ignoring you completely. {link to: 'giant fungal tree', label: 'Back'}

You whack the fork and press it to the trunk. . . . ...dead silence. No *Flup.* Not even a little vibration. The tree is massive, so dense with water and flesh: it just swallows the energy of your blow entirely. It feels like pressing against a wall of mud. {link to: 'giant fungal tree', label: 'Back'}

The stick hovers over the pile, doing a slow, respectful circle. It zips to the paper and sketches a quick outline of the skeletal hand. Then, underneath, it writes in neat block letters: ~HUMAN REMAINS. HORRIBLE CONDITIONS. POOR JAKE.~ You tilt your head. Yorick? Is that a type of animal? Or... ah, that must be the name of the stupid explorer. You poke the bones. "Bye Jake." {link to: 'half-dissolved bones', label: 'Back'}

You flick the spark-wheel over the bubbling goo. *Zzzt.* A spark hits the surface. *Pfft.* It sinks immediately with a tiny hiss. The slime is way too wet and thick to burn. It just swallows the fire whole. Good thing, too... in hindsight, you don't really want to know if it would've spread to the whole pool. That's a scary thought. {link to: 'central pool', label: 'Back'}

You hold the metal disc up to the massive stone blocks. It looks... mechanical. Maybe the gear goes somewhere? You search the smooth black stone for a slot, a hole, anything square-shaped. Nothing. It's just seamless rock and heavy chain. You try to wedge the gear into a link of the chain, but it just clatters uselessly against the iron. Nope. This machine runs on magic, not gears. {link to: 'Gelatinous Cube Press', label: 'Back'}

The stick hovers over the glowing teal symbol on the dais. It vibrates, matching the low hum of the machine, before finally jotting something down on its paper. ~FROM MANY, ONE.~ You step back from the center. What does that mean? {link to: 'Gelatinous Cube Press', label: 'Back'}

You strike the fork. *PING!* You touch it to the jelly-horn. The whole stalagmite lights up from the inside! *WOOOM-WOOOM-WOOOM.* It resonates perfectly, amplifying the sound into a warbling song that fills the grotto. The vibration travels up... you look at the ceiling. The glowing sacs up there are shivering in time with the sound. Cool! {link to: 'Slime Stalagmites North', label: 'Back'}

You weigh the heavy metal disc in your hand. It's got a good heft. Maybe you could throw it? Knock one of those sacs loose? You wind up... and stop. Wait. If you miss, the gear might get lost in the shadows. If you hit, it might fall into the slime basin and sink forever. Losing a treasure just to knock down a bag of goo? Bad trade. You lower your arm. {link to: 'Ceiling Polyps North', label: 'Back'}

You hold the lighter over one of the pulsing cracks. The air coming out smells sweet and... gassy? *Click-fzzzt.* ***WHOOSH!*** A ball of orange fire erupts from the vent, fed by the gas! It singes your eyebrows and you scramble back on your butt with a yelp. The flame dances for a moment, blue and orange, before the next pulse of slime snuffs it out. You clap your hands, delighted - that was pretty! {link to: 'Slime Vents East', label: 'Back'}

You strike the fork against your palm - *HMMmmm* - and press the vibrating metal against the clear amber. The sound resonates through the crystal, amplifying into a low, throbbing drone. Inside, the monster stays still. Instead, the massive central pupil suddenly *dilates*, blowing wide open until the eye is almost entirely black. The tiny red veins in the white of the eye begin to pulse in time with the fork's hum. *Thump. Thump. Thump.* A wave of dizziness hits you, and you feel a sudden, intense pressure behind your own eyes, as if something is trying to push its way into your head. You grab the fork with your other hand to stop it, gasping. No more of that! {link to: 'Trapped Beholder', label: 'Back'}

The stick floats up, tapping the "glass" with a lot of curiosity. Clearly you're not the only one here who finds this thing cool! It measures the width of the jaw, the span of the eye. It zips back to the paper, writing in sharp, precise strokes. ~SPECIMEN: OCULUS TYRANNUS, VULGARLY REFERED AS "BEHOLDER". POSSIBLY IN SUSPENDED ANIMATION. PERHAPS HYBERNATION.~ You slowly lower your hand from the crystal, gulping loudly. *Hybernation*? {link to: 'Trapped Beholder', label: 'Back'}

The tunnel doesn't end, yet stops all the same. The cool draft carrying the scent of blood vanishes, replaced by a wall of swirling, silent grey mist. It doesn't smell like rock, or mold, or anything. It just... doesn't. Your nose is not working. You try to peer into it, but your eyes slide off the grey. It hurts to look at. Like trying to remember a dream after you've woken up. *The world simply hasn't been made here yet.* {link to: 'West Tunnel', label: 'Back'}

You reach for the curtain of leafy vines... and your hand bumps against them. They are hard as stone, frozen in mid-sway. Behind them, the pulsing colors of the flowers are smeared and blurry, like a cave-painting left out in the damp. The air in the archway feels solid. You push, but the air pushes back. You can't go through, and you get the sharp impression that *the world simply hasn't been made here yet.* {link to: 'Southwest Tunnel', label: 'Back'}

[CSS] .prophecy-container { max-width: 750px; margin: 1em auto; font-family: 'Bona Nova', serif; font-variant: small-caps; line-height: 1.3; font-size: 1em; color: var(--page-color); } .prophecy-stanza { margin-bottom: 1.5em; position: relative; padding: 0.5em 0; } .prophecy-stanza.left { text-align: left; padding-left: 4%; border-left: 2px solid currentColor; } .prophecy-stanza.center { text-align: center; opacity: 0.9; } .prophecy-stanza.right { text-align: right; padding-right: 4%; border-right: 2px solid currentColor; } .emphasis { font-size: 1.3em; font-weight: bold; display: block; margin-top: 0.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; } .redacted { opacity: 0.3; letter-spacing: 3px; filter: blur(0.5px); display: block; } [continue] <div class="prophecy-container"> <div class="prophecy-stanza left"> The cycle of the Starving God is at hand<br> It cannot be halted only hastened<br> Only an outsider from above shall bring safety<br> A passage to the downward heavens<br> <span class="emphasis">The Goddess of Hunger</span> </div> <div class="prophecy-stanza center"> Let the waters merge into the whole<br> Let the kingdom change its course<br> <span class="redacted">▒▒▒ ▒▒▒ ▒▒▒▒▒ ▒▒▒ ▒▒ </span> <span class="redacted">▒▒▒ ▒▒▒ ▒▒▒▒ ▒▒▒ ▒▒▒ </span> <span class="redacted">▒▒▒ ▒▒▒ ▒▒▒▒ ▒▒▒▒ ▒▒</span> </div> <div class="prophecy-stanza right"> From five paths one way<br> She must grow until the granite groans<br> So it is allowed by our greatest daughter<br> <span class="emphasis">The Spirit of Hunger</span> </div> </div> <div style="text-align: center; margin: 2em 0; opacity: 0.6;">~ ✥ ~</div> [note] REDACTED TEXT KEY: Line 3: Let the ruins see no need for blood (Hunting Grounds) Line 4: Let the dead one reach apotheosis (Expedition Remains) Line 5: Let the iron grow forever again (Industrial Grotto) If you're seeing this, you're a smart cookie! Just know that these are just ideas, and may change in the final release. [continue]

[if LeikaWeight == 'NONE'] You look down. Past your chest, your belly is... fine. It's there. A soft, modest curve pushing gently against your wrap. You give it a poke. *Squish.* It's just soft. Not impressive. A hunter would call it "lean," and a Matron would call it "starved." It grumbles quietly - a lonely, hollow sound in the quiet cave. You frown, smoothing the rough fabric over it. You deserve better than this... but surely the Goddess' own belly has priority! [continue] [if LeikaWeight == 'CHUBBY'] You look down. Your wrap is pulled tight, the fabric straining slightly to contain you. You give your side a slap. *Thwack.* Good sound. Solid. Like a sturdy, ripe melon. This is the belly of a goblin who knows how to find the good roots, swaying a little when you shift your weight - a comforting, heavy reminder that you aren't some scrawny kit anymore. You pat it, and a small, surprised *urp* bubbles up your throat, tasting of your last meal. You cover your mouth, looking around guiltily. Excuse you! But... *hehe*. It felt nice. You catch yourself puffing it out a little further, just to see how far the fabric of your wrap will stretch. [continue] [if LeikaWeight == 'PLUMP'] You look down... ah. You can't really see your toes anymore unless you lean forward. Your belly has become a proper mound, a round, firm hillock that hangs noticeably over the cord of your loincloth and escapes your wrap. That cord is digging in, actually. A deep, red line is forming on your hips, itching in that tight, pinched way. It's... annoying, but also weirdly satisfying? You squeeze a handful of the soft flesh at your side; it spills over your fingers, warm and heavy. You are taking up more space in the world, and the world just have to deal with it. You're getting to feel important! A deep, wet gurgle rolls through your gut, loud enough to echo, followed by a long, suppressed belch that makes your eyes water. You have to stop and pant for a second. Moving this much weight is harder work than you thought. [continue] [if LeikaWeight == 'FAT'] You look down. A shelf of pale green flesh dominates your view. Your wrap has lost the war; it has ridden up, bunching under your arms, unable to cover the bottom curve of your gut which now hangs out, pale and exposed to the cool cave air. You bumped into a stalagmite earlier. You didn't even feel it hurt, you just... *bounced*. You rub your lower back. It aches. A dull, constant throb from carrying this... *load*. You feel bloated, your stomach hard as a rock and churning like a stew-pot. And yet it also jiggles with every breath, a heavy, gelatinous motion that pulls at your back. Walking has become a bit of a waddle, hasn't it? A dignified, heavy waddle. A godly one. [continue] [if LeikaWeight == 'OBESE'] You look down... or you try to - your chin hits your chest. You are massive. Your belly is a vast, heavy sphere that you have to actively navigate around. It rubs against your thighs when you walk, forcing your legs wide in a heavy, breathless waddle. *BBBRRRAAAP!* A massive, uncontrollable belch tears out of you, shaking your whole frame. You groan, clutching the sides of your overstuffed gut. You're out of breath just standing here, the sheer weight of yourself pressing against your lungs... you feel hot, flushed, and... oh, spirits... incredibly slow. But when you touch the skin... *fuck*. It's tight as a drum. Stretched to the limit. It feels powerful. *It feels like you are becoming a Goddess yourself.* [continue] {link to: 'Satchel', label: 'Back'}

LeikaGorgedSlime: true LeikaWeight (LeikaWeight == 'FAT'): 'OBESE' LeikaWeight (LeikaWeight == 'PLUMP'): 'FAT' LeikaWeight (LeikaWeight == 'CHUBBY'): 'PLUMP' LeikaWeight (LeikaWeight == 'NONE'): 'CHUBBY' -- You stand at the edge of the pool, your toes curled over the lip of the stone. The smell is overwhelming - warm sugar, rendered fat, and something else, deep and earthy... your mouth waters. ...would it be so bad to taste some? Just a small portion. A quality check! Yes. For Her. You have to... uh... be sure that it's not burning anymore!! [[That's very important work. Holy, even.->Leika Gorging Slime 2]]

You reach out, watching as Bouba gives a slow, encouraging wobble from the center of the pool, her massive form shifting to send a wave of warm, thick goo lapping over your feet. You scoop up a handful. It’s heavy, trembling in your palm like a living thing. You bring it to your lips... and tilt your head back. [[*Oh.*->Leika Gorging Slime 3]]

It slides down your throat like warm silk. It’s incredibly sweet, but heavy - so heavy. It lands in your empty stomach with a solid, satisfying *thud* that radiates heat through your whole body. You gasp, wiping your mouth. This has to be the best thing you have ever tasted... *More.* Your hand goes back in before you even tell it to. Then the other. You fall to your knees at the edge of the pool, scooping the green jelly into your mouth in frantic, messy handfuls. It coats your tongue, your throat, your chin, and you can feel it piling up inside you, expanding, filling every hollow corner of your gut. Your wrap tightens. You feel the fabric strain, the knot at your hip digging in as your belly pushes out against the stone floor, hard and round and wonderfully full. You let out a wet, gurgling *BELCH* that tastes of sweetness, but you don’t stop. You can’t. Not until you are absolutely... undeniably... full. {link to: 'Slime Caverns Hub', label: 'You roll onto your back, panting.'}

LeikaGorgedStew: true LeikaWeight (LeikaWeight == 'FAT'): 'OBESE' LeikaWeight (LeikaWeight == 'PLUMP'): 'FAT' LeikaWeight (LeikaWeight == 'CHUBBY'): 'PLUMP' LeikaWeight (LeikaWeight == 'NONE'): 'CHUBBY' -- The hut is quiet, save for the popping of the fire. Bera and Keff are gone, hauling logs to the line. It's just you and the pot. The smell is thick enough to chew - roasted bone marrow, salty tubers, and rich, rendered fat. A bubble of grease rises to the surface, shimmering in the firelight, and pops with a wet *blup*. Your stomach gives a painful, demanding twist. It's not stealing if it's leftovers, right? They left it here! It might go cold! And like... you're a holy servant. What have *they* done to help the cause?! [[A small retribution is in order.->Leika Gorging Stew 2]]

You grab the wooden ladle. It's heavy, coated in the thick brown gravy. You lift it, blowing on the steam, and take a sip. *Salt. Meat. Heat.* It hits your tongue like a punch of flavor, so savory it makes your jaw ache. You chew on a chunk of teal-cap mushroom that has soaked up all the juices until it's like a sponge of flavor. You swallow, and you can feel the hot, heavy lump slide all the way down to your gut, settling there with a radiant warmth. It's incredible. You lick the ladle clean. Then you dip it again. Deeper this time. Dredging up the heavy stuff from the bottom. [[Just one more spoon...->Leika Gorging Stew 3]]

You forget the ladle. It's too slow. You tilt the heavy pot, slurping the thick broth directly from the rim, ignoring the way the hot grease scalds your lip. Chunks of tender lizard-meat and soft fat slide into your mouth, one after another. You barely chew, just swallowing mouthful after mouthful of the heavy, savory sludge. Sweat breaks out on your forehead, dampening your hairline. You feel hot, flushed and feverish with the sheer density of the meal. Your loincloth cord cuts into your hips like a wire. You grunt, feeling your belly pressing hard against your thighs, expanding, tightening, filling with a heavy, sloshing weight that pulls you forward. You drop the empty pot with a loud *CLANG*, gasping for air, grease smeared across your cheeks. {link to: 'farm hut', label: 'You lean back against the wall, groaning.'}

[CSS] .demo-end-subtitle { font-size: 0.9em !important; opacity: 0.75; max-width: 600px; margin: 1.5em auto !important; display: block; line-height: 1.4; text-align: left; } .demo-end-text { font-size: 1.1em; max-width: 600px; margin: 0 auto 1em; line-height: 1.3; text-align: center; } .titleScreen .very-big { font-size: 56px; font-variant: small-caps; letter-spacing: 0.05em; } .return-link { text-align: center; margin-top: 3em; } .return-link a { font-size: 1.2em; font-variant: small-caps; } .hint-text { font-size: 0.8em; opacity: 0.5; max-width: 600px; margin: 2em auto 0; font-style: italic; text-align: right; } .demo-divider { max-width: 600px; height: 1px; background-color: currentColor; opacity: 0.3; margin: 2em auto; } [continue] <div class="titleScreen"> <h1 style="font-family: 'Bona Nova', serif; text-align: center;"> <span class="very-big">END OF DEMO</span><br> </h1> <br> <p class="demo-end-text">Thank you for playing the demo for the third and final chapter of Spirit of Hunger!</p> [if GoddessWeightGained == 'FAT'] <p class="demo-end-text">You have aligned the first two biomes, but the Goddess's appetite - and her belly - are far from satisfied.</p> [continue] [unless GoddessWeightGained == 'FAT'] <p class="demo-end-text">The Goddess's appetite - and her belly - are far from satisfied.</p> [continue] <div class="demo-divider"></div> <p class="demo-end-subtitle">The full chapter will open the paths to the three remaining biomes. Tons more objects and tools to play with, proper endings, Glutton... you've got plenty to look forward to. Oh, and significantly more weight gain for both our Goddess and her zealous little servant; that comes without saying. I just need to, you know, actually write it all! Might take a while, folks. But I am having fun!</p> <div class="return-link">{link to: 'Chapter Select', label: 'Return to Menu'}</div> <p class="hint-text">Also yes, you read that right: Leika can gain as well! The Goddess isn't the only one allowed to feast. Check your satchel after completing a biome - you just need to find the right place :)</p> </div>

The tunnel here is wide and smooth, the result of ancient carving that predates the warren. The floor is packed earth, cool beneath your feet, and the moss-light is steady, flooding the junction with a clear, comforting teal glow. In the middle of the tunnel lies the [[🪦vessel->CH3 vessel]]. Behind you, the massive stone archway leads to the sacred [[🔆chamber->Great Chamber]] of the Goddess. Straight ahead, a wide passage continues into the [[🛖main tunnel->Central Tunnel]]. To the left [[🍄the dark path->Northwest Tunnel]] narrows, while to the right [[🟢the path slants up slightly->Northeast Tunnel]]. {embed passage: 'Lessons Logic'}

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FireStoneTraced: true -- [note] Never do this! To set variables in this way, with a dedicated embed, is a risk; this is a very special exception. [continue]

IronChainsSeen (IronChainsSeen === undefined): 0 --

With a wet, heavy hop that makes the cavern floor slap, the mass turns. The formless front plane begins to swell. Two points push outward from the upper half, separating into two enormous, trembling globes. Darker, denser cores coalesce within their centers, puckering outward into firm, blunt points that strain against their translucent green surface: a pair of nipples? Below them, the soft curve of a belly forms, its surface shimmering, a deep green core swirling slowly within its depths. Your face flushes as you take in just how tall this being truly is. But the growth doesn't stop. A new pressure builds from within, the core inside the belly pulsing with a brighter light. The translucent green skin tightens, [[growing taut as it swells forward.->Gelatinous Cube Reshaping 2]]

**TRAITORS!** They are kneeling before Bouba! Not in the Great Chamber before the true Goddess!! You watch as the lay out offerings at her base - a string of lizards, a pile of shiny flints. Your fists clench. How could they? But then... you look up. She... she truly is huge, her belly, a vast, shimmering thing. You know what? You cannot blame them. Not really. A pang of something... a holy envy twists in your own gut. To be so vast... [[The scene flickers forward...->Slime Caverns Future Vision 2]]

Yeah, so, funny story: this is not the same working file I have been using for the previous two chapters. That one is like 1488 passages, it was starting to lag a lot! I am still going to merge the two into one eventually though, don't worry. But yeah, I haven't brought over the disclaimer, I forgot to and kind of don't feel like doing it now. I haven't really changed my methods, so you shouldn't worry about that. Ok, bye :) {link to: 'About', label: 'Back'}

BlueHideDialogueSeen: true -- [dialogue delay:0.1 id:bera_blue2] You hold out the small, bright blue scrap. Bera squints at it, then her eyes go wide. She snatches it from your fingers with her thick digits. [dialogue delay:1.8 id:bera_blue2 newline] *"My wrap!"* [dialogue delay:0.8 id:bera_blue2] *she bellows, holding the tattered piece up to the moss-light.* [dialogue delay:1.5 id:bera_blue2] *"Where in the deeps did you find this?"* [dialogue delay:2.0 id:bera_blue2 newline] You puff out your chest. *"In the rusty grotto. Snagged on a rock, near a big smashed box."* [dialogue delay:1.8 id:bera_blue2 newline] Bera freezes, slowly lowering the heavy log she was holding. *"The grotto..."* [dialogue delay:1.5 id:bera_blue2] *Her face darkens.* [dialogue delay:1.2 id:bera_blue2] *"Of course.* [dialogue delay:1.0 id:bera_blue2] *So that's where the great beast finally came to rest."* [dialogue delay:2.2 id:bera_blue2 newline] *"Beast?"* you ask. [dialogue delay:1.0 id:bera_blue2 newline] *"A roaring metal beast!"* [dialogue delay:0.8 id:bera_blue2] *she spits, gesturing wildly with the scrap.* [dialogue delay:1.2 id:bera_blue2] *"Came tearing through here from the western caves! All shrieking wood and metal!"* [dialogue delay:1.8 id:bera_blue2] *"Sent Keff diving into the mushroom patch like a scared kit. Must have snagged my wrap right off the drying line!"* [dialogue delay:2.2 id:bera_blue2 newline] You lean in, mind racing. *"Woahh! Was it going on its own? Was there anyone on top?"* [dialogue delay:1.5 id:bera_blue2 newline] Bera gives you a flat, unimpressed look. *"Bah! Who knows."* [dialogue delay:1.2 id:bera_blue2] *"It was just a great big mess. And I'm out a good wrap."* [dialogue delay:2.0 id:bera_blue2] *She tosses the scrap onto the dirt in disgust.* [dialogue delay:1.5 id:bera_blue2] *"Now stop pestering me! This timber won't stack itself."* [dialogue delay:0.2 id:bera_blue2] She turns her broad back on you, bending to heft another log. [dialogue delay:0.5 id:bera_blue2 newline] {link to: 'Bera', label: 'Back'}