CHOOSE YOUR OWN STORY

RISE AND REIGN

A solitaire adventure game in the world of

by Błażej Kubacki

INTRODUCTION

This solo adventure takes you on a short journey through the world of visions and dreams based on
the works of Zdzisław Beksiński, and created for the game Nightmare Cathedral. It is played by reading
passages and making choices that will guide you to the next numbered passage, until the adventure ends.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED

To play this game, you need this document, a pencil and a piece of paper. Either print out the tracking sheet
from the last page of this document, or simply write down its contents.

GAME RULES

Whenever you are asked to Mark something, simply put an X in a relevant square.

Example: When asked to mark 1 Conviction, put an X in a square next to Conviction.

Whenever you are asked to write something down, simply note it on the relevant space of the tracking sheet.
Whenever you see this symbol , it means that it precedes a choice that you can make.
Whenever you see this symbol , it means that it precedes an instruction that is unskippable, unless it has
a requirement that you do not fulfill.
Whenever a choice is preceded by an word in bold, you must have that word (or value, in case of Convcition
and Terror) on your tracking sheet to be able to select it. Choices with no requirements may be selected
freely.

Example: When a choice is preceded by Conviction 2+, you must have marked at least 2 squares next
to Conviction to be able to select this choice.
There are two Traits in the game: Cruelty and Mercy. They are mutually exclusive. If you gain
Cruelty when you already have Mercy, simply cross out Mercy and supplant it with Cruelty.
Attention! If you receive Mercy when you already have Cruelty, just cross out Crulety. You will have
to receive Mercy again to be able to write it down!
Finally, more of a tip than a rule: this game is meant to be played by restarting it a few times. Do not hesitate
to use the “wake up” choice when you feel you might make better choices the next time around!

CONTENT WARNING
This game is intended for mature audiences. It features dark imagery, elements of
body horror and violence. Reader discretion is advised.

You are now ready to play the game. Good luck, Wanderer!
 START HERE

She beckons.
At first, but a silhouette you catch in the corner of your eye. Barely more than a figment
of your racing mind, as you take the first glimpses into a world beyond the veil of sleep.
You rub your eyes, as if rubbing wayward shards of lucidity from your eyelids, and
look upon a crystal clear sky above the structure. Four pillars, white and sleek, carry the
weight of a darker roof over what seems like a temple to a forgotten Greek goddess.
Perhaps she is one?
You take a few steps closer, still unsure of your footing, and she appears for a second
once more. Leaning out from behind a pillar, her upper body arched impossibly, her
face shaded under lush locks, darker than the night itself.
Nothing is impossible here, nothing is what it seems to be, and the one thing that is
constant is the beckoning.
A moment passes, and she is gone. This time you know that she is not here anymore.
Yet, she beckons from afar, and you know that the only way to finally unfold the
mysteries of this world is to follow her, and see what it is that she wants to show you.
Yet, as you look to the dark forest, you begin to see the darkened leaves in its bed, and
the reddish hue of the sky beyond. What awaits? You cannot say. You can only make
a choice.
She beckons. Will you follow?

Be on your way immediately. Go to P21.

Linger and search the structure. Go to P23.
Wake up. Go to P12.
 You hurl yourself at the wolf-like creature, and when it turns tails, you pursue it. Panic in
P1 its almost human eyes, the creature rushes straight into one of the pieces of scaffolding
holding up the white tent. The black wood snaps, and the construct falls to the ground,
as you tread over the white leather hot on the heels of the two intruders.
The call to go deeper returns abruptly, and with it, another feeling. A rush of the hunt,
a sensation of becoming something you could never be outside this twisted land of
dreams and horrors. As you pursue the creatures, you can feel your body becoming
more powerful, allowing you to give chase with inhuman speed and bloodlust.
The creatures try to flee in terror but are now too slow to evade you. As you reach
out for one of them, the cold iron of the plate still in your clutches suddenly burns
your hand. You shriek involuntarily, and stop dead in your tracks, flinging the burning
iron into the darkness. When you come back to your senses, you become aware of the
darkness that has enveloped you. You look around but the only landmark you can still
make out is the far settlement. It is still visible against a rapidly darkening sky.

Write down Cruelty as your Trait.

Move swiftly towards the settlement. Go to P6.

Shed this madness and try to wake up. Go to P37.

You keep walking even though the sky turns red, and blood-soaked snow starts coming
P2 down in large, dark red flakes. When you finally reach the first buildings - or at least
what is left of them - the snow is gone once again, but the sky remains red.
The first thing that catches your eye is what used to be the top half of a multi-storey
building, floating above the centre of the settlement. It keeps turning around in a slow
dance, pieces of stone both small and as large as your head floating around it, each on
its own, strange little orbit.
And then there is the wailing.
You look upon a group of creatures that inhabit this place. Small of frame and stature,
lean and hunched, they have gathered around a large pile of rocks. Some on their knees,
some on their feet, but unsure in their slow stride. All of them crying and wailing in
voices so sad that for a moment you feel as if an ice-cold hand has just reached for
your heart.
You approach slowly and observe. You feel as if you should know this place already, as
if you should know the answer to the question they will ask. Finally, one of the wailers
 notices your presence.
“Behold the one that comes upon the blood snow!” he cries even louder, his voice
carrying above the rest. “Behold the one who has been foretold by the Face of Stone!”
“Praise be!” shouts another one. “Praise be! Praise be,” others join in quickly. “Have
you come to deliver us?”

Cruelty. “Whatever you are, I have come to make you obedient tools. Weapons
against those who dare to cross me.” Go to P24.
“I have come seeking answers.” Go to P16.

You stand before the being of stone, your heart empty of malice or cruelty. The creature
P3 looks upon you, and when it speaks, its voice is tinged with even more sadness.
“It is a rare quality you possess, Wanderer. A rare quality indeed.”
You open your mouth still unsure of what to say.
“I have seen through you,” says the creature. “She beckons and you follow. Or…
followed? Yes. We all come from the same place.”
“Why am I here?” you finally manage to speak. “And what is this place?”
“It is a dream, no more, and no less. It is where all come when they are no longer for
the waking world. Me and her, we are but dreams within a dream. Nightmares we are,
for it is only terror that lingers indefinitely. Or so they would have you think.
Suddenly, the layers that make the giant head start turning, and the being itself ends up
looking beyond the settlement, to the horizon. When you follow its gaze, you realize
that a dark shape has formed far away, where the land and sky meet.
“The cathedral is a part of us all, as we are a part of the cathedral. But you do not
belong to that cycle. Not yet. You have the power of a dreamer, the will of a shaper.
You have maybe the most important quality of a ruler, but one that may stand in your
way of becoming one. Follow your own dreams, to rise, and to reign.”
The being of stone shifts once again, this time ending up looking at you.
“Once I am gone, the dwellers of these ruins will fall into despair. Save them, lead
them, make use of them. This is the only way.”
You want to say something but you notice a red snowflake landing on your hand. Then
another one, and another one.
 “Goodbye, Wanderer,” says the creature, and within a blink of an eye, it is before
you no more. The layers of stone erode before your very eyes, and the whole being
crumbles and falls to the ground.
As more and more red snowflakes fall from a crimson sky, the inhabitants of this place
come out to grieve the being that has spoken its last words to you. Small of frame and
stature, lean, and hunched, they start gathering around the large pile of rocks. Some fall
on their knees, some wobble on their feet. All of them are crying and wailing in voices
so sad that for a moment you feel as if an ice-cold hand has just reached for your heart.

Go to P32.

You strain your muscles and focus on opening your eyes, even though your lids are
P4 not shut. You grit your teeth, curl your fingers into fists, and try to scream at the top
of your lungs, but suddenly feel that your mouth is full of something cold, thick, and
salty. You take a wheezing breath through your nose and expunge the contents of your
mouth, spewing a fountain of mud on the ground.
 Just as you think that the mud will suffocate you, you open your eyes for real, and sit
up on your bed. The sheets are wet, and the room is filled with the scent of sweat.
You know that the world beyond still awaits you, and that closing your eyes once again
will bring you back to the beginning. You also know that the deeper you go, the more
difficult returning to reality will be.

Erase all data from your tracking sheet. When you are ready, mark
1 Terror and go to the Start Here section.

You are released from the dream so suddenly, that the return to reality comes with
P5 a deep sensation of a mental whiplash. Yet, you are in control. You know that the world
beyond still awaits you, and that closing your eyes once again will bring you back to the
beginning. You also know that the deeper you go, the more difficult returning to reality
will be.

Erase all data from your tracking sheet. When you are ready, mark
2 Conviction, write Mercy as your Trait, and go to the Start Here section.

You fix your gaze on the settlement and start walking, your pace quicker and more
P6 certain with every step. As you draw near, the beckoning reappears in your thoughts,
but this time there is another feeling rivalring its strength. Somewhere deep inside
you feel like your ultimate objective may lie somewhere in the walls of your current
destination, and if it is not the objective, then at least the key to achieving it.
It takes a moment for you to realize that you are no longer walking on the ash and sand
of the barren wasteland. The creaking and crackling under your feet feels and sounds
differently. Indeed, it is not sand but snow.
You stop your stride for a moment as you come upon a large low rock formation
inscribed with symbols that you cannot understand. You look at them for a moment,
then turn to your wrist. The handless clock face is still tattooed on your skin.

If you have 4+ Time marked, you must go to P2. Otherwise, you must go
to P18.
 As you spin on your heel, expecting to see the landscape behind you transformed by
P7 the black sun, you are surprised to notice that it is unchanged. In the distance, the horse-
like figure remains where it was, as do the structures of what might be a settlement.

You start walking towards the horse. Go to P26.

You set your sights on the settlement. Go to P6.

You grab the plate and yank it hard. The death grip of the previous owner gives in to
P8 your strength, and you spin around, weapon in hand, towards a creature that emerges
from behind the tent.
If you were awake, you would perhaps call this creature a wolf. Its head is similar
to that of one, but its eyes are almost human, and much too large for the rest of
its head. The lean body is also a far cry from what a wolf should be, especially as it
seems precariously perched atop spindly, hairless legs, more fitting a giant insect than
a mammal. The creature opens its mouth, and instead of the expected howl, a shriek
escapes its maw. Immediately, another shriek answers.
You take a step back, making sure that you can see them both now. You are not yet
flanked, but the time for actions is now.

Swing the iron plate around, trying to scare away or injure the closer of
the two intruders. Go to P46.
Conviction 2+. Hold the plate up as a small shield and look the closer creature
straight in the eye. Go to P36.

You strain your muscles and focus on opening your eyes, even though your lids are not
P9 shut. You grit your teeth, curl your fingers into fists, and then fall down to the ground.
You open your eyes suddenly, and immediately grab your side, as if in need of
reassurance that you are still whole. Having shed the last bits of the last dream, you rise
from the sweat-soaked bed sheets. You know that the world beyond still awaits you, and
that closing your eyes once again will bring you back to the beginning. You also know
that the deeper you go, the more difficult returning to reality will be.
 Erase all data from your tracking sheet. When you are ready, mark
2 Conviction, write Mercy as your Trait, and go to the Start Here section.

You walk away from the dwelling, and look back only once. You cannot say that you are
P10 surprised when the white structure simply disappears, as if it was never there.
You look to the sky for a moment, and find that it has changed its colour to rust brown.
While the rules of time passing here are unknown to you, one thing is certain: time
does not stand still, and some of your choices will be influenced by how much of a toll
your decisions take.
On the flat and barren wasteland the only landmark you see is the settlement, still
visible against the darkening sky. For now, this is your only way forward.

Start walking towards the settlement. Go to P6.

Try to wake up. Go to P22.

You carefully look around. As you step around the tent, you feel as if each of your
P11 steps cracked and crackled on the dried soil. Still, the moment you face the new arrival,
it seems as surprised as you.
If you were awake, you would perhaps call this creature a wolf. Its head is similar
to that of one, but its eyes are almost human, and much too large for the rest of
its head. The lean body is also a far cry from what a wolf should be, especially as it
seems precariously perched atop spindly, hairless legs, more fitting a giant insect than
a mammal. The creature opens its mouth, and instead of the expected how, it shrieks.
Immediately, another shriek answers.
You take a step back, making sure that you can see them both now. You are not yet
flanked, but the time for actions is now.

Use the opening and run towards the settlement. Even if it is abandoned, you
are probably a better climber than the creatures you encountered. Go to P6.
 Grab the iron plate and use it as a weapon against the closer of the two
intruders. Go to P46.

You strain your muscles and focus on opening your eyes, even though your lids are not
P12 shut. You grit your teeth, curl your fingers into fists and try to scream at the top of
your lungs, but stop short the moment you notice that you are surrounded by complete
darkness.
As your eyes adjust to it, you find yourself in your bed, not even surprised that it was
all a dream. Yet, you know that the world beyond still awaits you, and that closing your
eyes once again will bring you back to the beginning.

Erase all data from your tracking sheet. When you are ready, go to
the Start Here section.

You try to avert your gaze, but cannot truly banish the visions of a bloodied sky from
P13 your thoughts. For a moment, all you have felt so far vanishes, supplanted by a sense of
utter dread. Only then are you able to truly tear yourself away from the frightful visage
and fix your eyes on the road ahead.

Mark 1 Terror.

You change your mind. This is too much.

One cannot start a journey with such an ill omen.
You need to return here when you are stronger. Try
to wake up. Go to P4.
Take a deep breath, slow down your
frightened heart, and be on your way. Go to P39.
 You turn around, ready to come back to the beginning of your journey, but face only
P14 a barren flatland. The forest, which you seem to have left no more than a few minutes
ago, is nothing but a small blotch on the horizon, marked by a rusty brown smear in
the sky above it.

Try to reach the forest anyway. Go to P40.

You decide not to retreat after all and go back to your journey. Go to P7.
Feeling lost, you try to wake up to start the journey anew. Go to P4.

There is much to do and you know that time is of the essence. You may not have all
P15 the answers, but you have a purpose. You have a people. They are your followers, your
obedient pawns in a game the nature of which is not yet known to you. One thing
certain - with time you will learn the rules.
For their protection, and for your own future purposes, you make plans of a defensive
structure. A fort among the ruins, one that will stand the ravages this world can bring
to bear.
It is time to become more than a wanderer. It is time to rise a ruler.

You have uncovered one of the endings of this story. If you want to find
out other possible endings, erase all data from your tracking sheet and go to
the Start Here section.

“Then you come too late,” answers the one who first noticed you, hunching down.
P16 “For He is gone, and you come to us clueless. We are doomed.”
The cries that have died down for a moment rise in intensity again. You feel as if you
became invisible to the dwellers of this settlement, and all you can do is observe their
suffering, as they crumble to the ground in their despair.

Cruelty. Unleash your fury upon these wretches. It is time for this world to
 start bending to your whim. Go to P24.
Conviction 4+ and/or Mercy. Convince them that not all is lost, even if they
feel there is no hope. Go to P35.
Try to wake up. Go to P38.

You place the iron plate on the ground before the being of stone. It looks upon it, and
P17 when it speaks, its voice is tinged with even more sadness.
“The one who parted with it is now either gone, or on his way into oblivion. In any
case, it shall be long before we are both what we used to be. It shall be long before we
are reunited. Ask me your questions, gift giver.”
You open your mouth, still unsure of what to say.
“I have seen through you,” says the creature. “She beckons and you follow. Or…
followed? Yes. We all come from the same place.”
“Why am I here?” you finally manage to speak. “And what is this place?”
“It is a dream, no more, and no less. It is where all come when they are no longer for
the waking world. Me and her, we are but dreams within a dream. Nightmares we are,
for it is only terror that lingers indefinitely. Or so they would have you think.”
Suddenly, the layers that make the giant head start turning, and the being itself ends up
looking beyond the settlement, to the horizon. When you follow its gaze, you realize
that a dark shape has formed far away, where the land and sky meet.
“The cathedral is a part of us all, as we are a part of the cathedral. But you do not
belong to that cycle. Not yet. You have the power of a dreamer, the will of a shaper.
You have everything it takes to rule this world. Follow your own dreams, to rise, and
to reign.”
The being of stone shifts once again, this time ending up looking at you.
“Once I am gone, the dwellers of these ruins will fall into despair. Save them, lead
them, make use of them. This is the only way.”
You want to say something but you notice a red snowflake landing on your hand. Then
another one, and another one.
“Goodbye, Wanderer,” says the creature, and within a blink of an eye, it is before you
no more. The layers of stone erode and turn to dust, and the whole being crumbles
and falls to the ground.
As more and more red snowflakes fall from a crimson sky, the inhabitants of this place
 come out to grieve the being that has spoken its last words to you. Small of frame and
stature, lean, and hunched, they start gathering around the large pile of rocks. Some fall
on their knees, some wobble on their feet. All of them are crying and wailing in voices
so sad that for a moment you feel as if an ice-cold hand has just reached for your heart.

Go to P32.

You keep walking as the sky turns darker and darker, until the silhouette of the settlement
P18 is barely visible. You push on, hoping that you have not gone too far off your original
course, and you finally reach the first buildings, or at least what is left of them.
The first thing that catches your eye is what used to be the top half of a multi-storey
building, floating above the center of the settlement. It keeps turning around in a slow
dance, pieces of stone both small and as large as your head floating around it, each on
its own, strange little orbit.
The second thing is what you first take to be a giant boulder perched on a small column.
Now, when you are much closer, you begin to notice that it consists of multiple layers
of stone placed one on top of the other. The layers revolve independently, and as you
approach, they stop to form a giant face.
The stone eyes open, and for a second you are bare to their sight. For a blink of an eye
you partake in the wisdom of this being, and you already know that all your fears will
come to the surface.

If you have Terror 2+. Your fears strike

you all at once, and after a moment that seems
like an eternity, there is only one thing you
want. You must wake up. Go to P12. Otherwise,
go to P31.
 As your steps take you closer to your target, it becomes obvious that it is not a horse.
P19 Still away, you begin to notice that it is in fact much bigger than any horse could be.
Once you come closer, you see that what you have taken for a beast of burden may
have been one some time ago, but is now something very different.
The wind picks up as you approach, and the white leather mounted upon a construct
of blackened wood and charred bone flaps and billows, imitating the moves of
an actual animal. What was once a creature is now a shelter.
You come even closer and look under the construct. The ashen ground, beaten into
solidity by feet that had been walking here in daily routines for what seems to you like
a very long time, is littered with pieces of bone, scraps of leather and slivers of oxidized
iron. Under the leather roof you find a small pile of filthy blankets.
Only a moment later, as you take a look around the hovel, you find its dweller. Curled
up just beside the tent, the creature is unbelievably thin, grey-skinned, completely bald,
and - from what you can tell - very much dead. Wiry fingers clutch on a darkened, iron
plate.
As you linger, you hear a muffled shriek. Something draws near.

Leave this place immediately and head for the settlement. Go to P6.
Try to find and examine this potential threat. Go to P11.
Pry the iron plate from the cold hands of the dweller to use it as a weapon
against the encroaching danger. Go to P8.
 You look at the wretch again, still pondering the possibility of sharing your own flesh

P20 with the creature, but finally abandon the idea entirely.
“I cannot tear my flesh to feed you,” you say after a moment of heavy silence. “I have
nothing to give but my time here.”
The wretch remains still for a while, as if digesting your answer. Finally, it sits back
down on the ground. With a waning voice it says “I used to be terror and wonder, but
now I am but a passing dream.” Its body suddenly convulses and drops to the ground
interily. “Time,” it whispers. “Share time. Mine is at an end, share yours.”

Sit down by the wretch and accompany it until it passes. Go to P44.

Turn away and let the wretch die on its own. Go to P10

You take your first steps towards the forest, and as your grip on your surroundings
P21 grows, an uncertain crawl transforms into a brisk march. The forest beyond
the structure is dark, but you do not intend to slow down.
As you come closer to the trees, you hear a strange call from the canopy. While you
think that it is probably a bird, no bird you have ever encountered cries the way this
one does.

Stop and try to locate the strange bird. Go to P29.

Focus on watching your feet and hasten your pace. Go to P39.

You strain your muscles and focus on opening your eyes, even though your lids are not
P22 shut. You grit your teeth, curl your fingers into fists, and… nothing happens. You are
still where you were a moment ago. The only thing that changes is that you can feel
the beckoning once again.
Suddenly you realize that right here, in the middle of nowhere, your will can wrest
the control of the dream from the powers that rule this place, but only if it is strong
enough.
 Conviction 3+. Pierce the veil and wake up. Go to P5.
Risk the journey back knowing that you may not find a way out. Go to P28.
Remain where you are and go towards the only remaining landmark:
the settlement. Go to P6.

You resist the call and stay awhile. As you set foot on the stone floor of the structure,
P23 your heel crushes a small object with a loud crack. You lean in but there is nothing to
find but the cool stone of the perfectly smooth floor. Yet, as you take a knee to examine
the ground, the atmosphere of the place sinks into you, gifting you with a strange pang
of confidence.

Mark 1 Conviction. Mark 1 Time.

Get up and leave. Go to P21.

Wake up. Go to P12.

You lunge at the closest wretch and strike a deadly blow. Then grab another and twist
P24 its head until the neck snaps with a loud crack. You strike more and more blows, until
you realize that your opponents offer no resistance, and that brings your blood to
a boil. Frenzied, you deal blows, rip and tear their limbs until there is not a single one
left standing.
She beckons.
You turn around and see her. Half-hidden behind a ruined home, she looks at you and
smiles. Behind her, on the horizon that is unsettlingly near, a giant dark shape rises. It
towers over the settlement, casting its shadow over you, the ruins, the building ripped
from its foundation, now floating above, still in its slow dance.
You howl savagely, and she smiles again. Unable to contain the thrill of the hunt, you
charge her, but quickly notice that no matter what you do, you cannot close in on her.
She beckons and turns her back on you, and you are frozen with terror, for it is nothing
more than a rotting carcass. A skeleton. An empty shell.
Just like you, dream hunter. A pawn in someone else’s game, able to win only minor
victories.
 She beckons. Limbo awaits.

You have uncovered one of the endings of this story. If you want to find
out other possible endings, erase all data from your tracking sheet and go to
the Start Here section.

There is almost no pain and surprisingly little blood. Your fingers dig into your own
P25 body as if it was not flesh but cold dough. You feel for your own rib and the flesh that
surrounds it, and the pull. You can both feel and hear the bone snap, and skin rip, but
there is still little to no pain, as you dislodge a piece of your own body, and offer it to
the wretch.
The creature raises its iron plate, and you put your flesh on it.
“Share, share,” the creature says, as it backs away, plate still in hand. As it turns around,
you notice an animal shape emerging from the dark. You blink in disbelief, but the
new arrival does not vanish or transform. It remains exactly what it seemed to be in
the beginning. A cat.
The dweller puts the plate on the ground and then digs its bony fingers into the morsel
you have just offered. Having ripped it in half, it starts eating. The cat, its fur almost
blood red even in the dim light, joins after a moment of hesitation.
“We all used to be so much more,” the creature starts his mantra again, this time with
its mouth full. “I was much more. He was much more,” it says, gesturing towards
the cat. “She used to be so much more. And we will rise again, just as it will rise again.”
Just as you are about to rise and leave, the dweller stops you.
“I will have no more need for this. Now that I have the strength, I will join her, as it
rises. And we will be like titans again!” It shoves its iron plate, still marked with drops
of your blood, into your hand. “Now, go!”
You look at the plate, and as you raise your eyes to look at the dweller and the cat once
again, you cannot find them any more. The only thing remaining on this flat and barren
land is the settlement, still visible against a darkening, rust brown sky.

Write down Iron Plate as your Memento. Write down Mercy as your Trait.
Iron plate in hand, you start walking towards the silhouette of the settlement.
Go to P6.
With a part of your body gone, you feel it would be a bad idea to persevere.
You try to wake up. Go to P9.
 With sudden uncertainty, you look at your hand, as if checking the time. Instead of
P26 a watch, you find a tattoo of one. No matter how much you strain, you are unable to
decipher the symbols around its face.

If you have 2+ Time marked, you must go to P19. Otherwise, you must
go to P43.

“Share?” you ask, as you approach. “What would you have me share with you?”
P27 The creature looks you over, as if your questions puzzles him to no end. For a moment
it is almost human in its vulnerability.
“I used to be like a titan,” it says, as if it was an answer to your question. “I shall be
one still. Or I shall serve one. Once I’m strong. Once I’m fed.” The creature suddenly
extends its hand, as if trying to touch you, but stops midway. “No more sustenance,” it
explains. “No more strength.”
“I cannot feed you,” you explain. “I have no…”
“All have the means,” the creature interrupts, extending its hand towards you once
again, this time aiming for your chest. “Not all have the will to share. I used to be like
a titan. Now there is nothing left but the mercy of strangers.”

Resolve to feed the wretch. Go to P45.

Offer to help the wretch. Go to P20.
Strike the wretch before its sinewy hand grabs you. Go
to P30
 `You reach out towards your memories of every waking moment, but they burn for
P28 a mere second in your mind, before they fade away and turn into nothingness. It takes
you a second to realize that you are now in a void, an emptiness unlike anything you
have felt before fills you, body and soul, and you start drifting in an endless cycle that
chips away at your psyche.
Bit by bit, you are stripped of everything that made you what you were. And you were
like a titan once, now but a shadow, adrift in the limbo. Even if you eventually find
the way out, everything that you have achieved will be wiped away by the void.

Erase all data from your tracking sheet. When you are ready, go to
the Start Here section.

You stop and look around, raising your eyes to the canopy. The longer you look, the
P29 more you become aware of the fact that the forest is dead. The leaves that seemed dark
green against a blue sky, turn out to be brown and withered upon closer inspection.
The branches are dry and blackened, thorns protruding here and there from dead bark.
No bird would ever be able to nest here.
As this dawns on you, and your gaze travels further and further up, you catch a glimpse
of an ethereal shape perched atop one of the trees. From the skeletal beak to wings
with but a few feathers, it oozes a dark red mist. As you follow its swirling tendrils, you
see it flows up and up, coloring the sky above it. Where the forest touches the sky it is
no longer blue but rusty brown, the colour of tainted blood seeping from a horrible
wound.
You try to persevere.

Conviction 1+. You clench your teeth,

avert your gaze and soldier on. Go to P39.
You find all of this a harrowing
beginning, one you would like to expunge from
your thoughts forever. You try to wake up. Go to
P12.
It is too early to give up. You try to find
the courage to move forward. Go to P13.
 You plant your foot firmly in the ground and strike the creature’s hand, and then follow
P30 up with a strike to its face. This wretch is no match for you. Your strikes crumble
the creature, and when its body hits the ground, you do not even need to come closer
to know that your meager opponent is no more.
Write down Cruelty as your Trait.
You back away and look at it for the last time. A pathetic creature, curled around its
iron plate, its sinewy hands now gripping it for the last time. You take a deep breath and
halfway through it, you hear a muffled shriek. Something draws near.

Leave this place immediately and head for the settlement - the only landmark
still visible in this barren wasteland. Go to P6.
Try to find and examine this potential threat. Go to P11.
Pry the iron plate from the cold hands of the dweller to use it as a weapon
against the encroaching danger. Go to P8.

The stone lips curl, and utter the first words in a voice deep enough to reach all the way
P31 to the bottom of your soul.
“Wanderer,” says the creature. “You come late. I may not have enough time left to
provide you with answers.”
You look upon the face with puzzlement. As if to answer what has only formed in
your mind, it says “Like others, I used to be more than I am now. Yet, the slivers of my
wisdom remain and are at your disposal. There is a price to pay first.”
“What price?” you ask immediately, feeling the sense of urgency in the air.
“A gift,” the creature answers. “A gift of friendship. A gift of benevolence. A gift of
strength, but not of barbarism. You choose.”

Iron Plate. Gift the being with the iron plate. Go to P17.
Mercy. Let the purity of your heart carry you through. Go to P3.
Conviction 3+. Make it obvious that you are not backing down. Go to P34.
You have nothing to give, so you try to wake up. Go to P47
 There is much to do and you know that time is of the essence. You may not have all

P32 the answers, but you have a purpose. You have a people. They are your followers, your
obedient pawns in a game the nature of which is only now becoming clear. One thing
is certain - with time you will learn even more.
You make plans for a defensive structure. A fort among the ruins, one that will stand
the ravages this world can bring to bear.
It is time to become more than a wanderer. It is time to rise a ruler.

You have uncovered one of the endings of this story. If you want to find
out other possible endings, erase all data from your tracking sheet and go to
the Start Here section.

The ground here is barren and soft. You start digging and realize that the soil is part
P33 ash, and part tiny pieces of bone, all mixed with what looks to be beach sand. The iron
plate makes for a somewhat unwieldy but still effective digging tool.
Once the hole is big enough, you move the dweller’s body inside, and then use the iron
plate again to cover the corpse and create a small mound.
Then you stand up, and get ready to go.

Write down Iron Plate as your Memento. Write down Mercy as your Trait.
Mark 1 Time. Go to P42.

You stand before the being of stone, stalwart and unflinching. The creature looks upon
P34 you, and when it speaks, its voice is tinged with even more sadness.
“You are one with a strong drive, Wanderer. A rare quality which I have come to value
in my twilight centuries.”
You open your mouth ready to answer.
 “I have seen through you,” says the creature. “She beckoned, but you were too wilful to
simply follow. That is good. That is good indeed.”
“Why am I here?” you finally manage to speak. “And what is this place?”
“It is a dream, no more, and no less. It is where all come when they are no longer for
the waking world. Me and her, we are but dreams within a dream. Nightmares we are,
for it is only terror that lingers indefinitely. Or so they would have you think.
Suddenly, the layers that make the giant head start turning, and the being itself ends up
looking beyond the settlement, to the horizon. When you follow its gaze, you realize
that a dark shape has formed far away, where the land and sky meet.
“The cathedral is a part of us all, as we are a part of the cathedral. But you do not
belong to that cycle. Not yet. You have the power of a dreamer, and the true will of
a shaper. You have everything one needs to become a rules. Follow your own dreams,
to rise, and to reign.”
The being of stone shifts once again, this time ending up looking at you.
“Once I am gone, the dwellers of these ruins will fall into despair. Save them, lead
them, make use of them. This is the only way.”
You want to say something but you notice a red snowflake landing on your hand. Then
another one, and another one.
“Goodbye, Wanderer,” says the creature, and within a blink of an eye, it is before
you no more. The layers of stone erode before your very eyes, and the whole being
crumbles and falls to the ground.
As more and more red snowflakes fall from a crimson sky, the inhabitants of this place
come out to grieve the being that has spoken its last words to you. Small of frame and
stature, lean, and hunched, they start gathering around the large pile of rocks. Some fall
on their knees, some wobble on their feet. All of them are crying and wailing in voices
so sad that for a moment you feel as if an ice-cold hand has just reached for your heart.

Go to P32.

“I will protect you,” you say in a surprisingly small voice, and then repeat, much, much
P35 louder. “I will protect you, as long as you care to follow my lead.”
For a moment, there is no effect. Only once you are almost ready to abandon the silly
idea, one of the dwellers stops wailing, and looks at you with its dark, deep eyes.
“He will protect me,” he says, absently. “I followed the Face of Stone. Now I will
become the follower of this one,” he says, pointing to you.
“I will become the follower of this one,” repeats another one a few moments later. And
then another one, and another one.
You look at the settlement, and the red sky above it. Then, you turn your gaze towards
the horizon, and flinch, when you notice that it is much closer than it would ever be
in the waking world. A massive building rises there, and you reflexively point towards
the cathedral, but none of your followers seems to see it.
“Questions!” you finally say. “I have questions!”
One of your followers looks at you, his dark eyes momentarily filled with sadness. He
says, “We have no answers. Only Face of Stone had them, and he is gone.” You follow
his hand, as it points to the mound of stone in the center of the settlement.
You nod, and once again look at the cathedral. You notice a shape in its door, too small
to make out from here, but you already know what it is.
She beckons, but now, you have other matters to deal with. You will answer her call only
when you are ready - and to be ready, you need to know more.

Start planning to
rebuild the settlement, stake
your claim to power, and worry
about answers later. Go to P15.
Try to wake up. Go
to P38.
 As your gaze meets the almost human eyes of the wolf-like creature, it lowers its head
P36 and whimpers. Then, both of them start backing away, slowly at first, just to turn tails
and run the moment they believe to be out of your reach.
You take a breath and once again assess your surroundings. The pitiful dweller lies
curled up, sinewy hands wide after you took the iron plate from its grip. It looks like
you took the only thing of value this place had to offer. Perhaps it would be wise to
offer something in return.

Use the plate to dig a shallow grave and bury the dweller. Go to P33.
It will make no difference to the poor wretch, and your time here may be finite.
Go to P42.

You strain your muscles and focus on opening your eyes, even though your lids are not
P37 shut. You grit your teeth, curl your fingers into fists and try to scream at the top of your
lungs, but instead of a human scream, emit a blood-curdling howl.
Visions of destruction rush you and assault your senses with a mixture of fear and fury.
As you take a breath to howl again, you open your eyes and suddenly sit up on your
bed. The sheets are wet, and the room is filled with the sour scent of sweat and saliva.
You rub your face and your spittle-soaked chin. You know that the world beyond still
awaits you, and that closing your eyes once again will bring you back to the beginning.
You also know that the deeper you go, the more difficult returning to reality will be.

Erase all data from your tracking sheet. When you are ready, mark
1 Terror and 1 Conviction, and go to the Start Here section.

There is simply too much you do not know. You do not feel that you wasted your time,
P38 but you know a way to make even better use of it now. It is true that only bits and pieces
survive the journey between this place and the waking world, but you are quite sure you
will be able to preserve the most important parts.
You close your eyes and open them again, this time simply waking up. You know that
the world beyond still awaits you, but now you will return there with eyes fixed on what
you want to achieve.
 Mark 1 Conviction. If you have a trait, do not erase it. Do not erase
Conviction. Erase Time and go to the Start Here section.

With your eyes fixed on your feet you start moving through the forest with purpose.
P39 You focus on the call that draws you further into these broken lands, but still manage
to avoid thorny roots that occasionally appear on your path.
You keep walking at a brisk pace, your stride now cautious but also constant enough
to take you out of the woods, and into a plain that opens up in all directions dizzyingly
fast.
You slow down to try to find your bearings, but the land is flat as the eye can see, with
just two exceptions: a distant silhouette of a structure, and a closer, white shape of
a creature that might be a horse grazing in the distance.
With no other landmarks, and the sensation of the call rapidly fading from your mind,
you have to make a choice.

You turn around and try to make your way through the forest. Go to P14.
You start walking towards what may or may not turn out to be a horse. Go
to P26.
You set your sights on what may be a town or settlement. Go to P6.
 The land before you is flat, the sand light. With every step you kick up a small cloud
P40 of dust that rises over dry twigs and blackened roots littering the ground. You move
faster and faster, but the forest seems no closer than moments ago. Instead, you notice
a change in the sky.
At first, you think your eyes are playing a trick on you, as a top of a dark shape rises
over the horizon. However, with every passing minute more and more of it emerges,
and now you see that it is a sphere of darkness. It is as if the sun rose here black, and
spilled over the horizon in a twisted parody of the dawn.
Soon, the forest is no more, and all that you see is a dark and starless sky. With no forest
in sight, your options dwindle, and your spirit breaks. Soon, there will be nothing but
the dark surrounding you and swallowing the land.

Mark 1 Time.

Turn your back to the darkness and return to your journey. Mark 1 Conviction.
Go to P7.
Close your eyes and scream until you wake up. Go to P4.

It is great that you are exploring this game on your own! You have found a hidden
P41 feature! Now, if you do not tell anyone of this, I will not as well. Just remember, reading
the paragraphs of a game like this without actually playing it can really spoil your fun!

You look to the sky for a moment, and find that it has changed its colour to rust brown.
P42 While the rules of time passing here are unknown to you, one thing is certain: time
does not stand still, and some of your choices will be influenced by how much of a toll
your decisions take.
On the flat and barren wasteland the only landmark you see is the settlement, still
visible against the darkening sky. For now, this is your only way forward.

Start walking towards the settlement. Go to P6.

Try to wake up. Go to P9.
 As your steps take you closer to your target, it becomes obvious that it is not a horse.
P43 Still away, you begin to notice that it is in fact much bigger than any horse could be.
Once you come closer, you see that what you have taken for a beast of burden may
have been one some time ago, but is now something very different.
The wind picks up as you approach, and the white leather mounted upon a construct
of blackened wood and charred bone flaps and billows, imitating the moves of
an actual animal. What was once a creature is now a shelter.
You come even closer and look under the construct. The ashen ground, beaten into
solidity by feet that had been walking here in daily routines for what seems to you like
a very long time, is littered with pieces of bone, scraps of leather and slivers of oxidized
iron. As you are about to enter the hovel, a scraping sound coming from the other side
of the tent stops you in your tracks. Slowly, you circle the construct to lay your eyes
upon its dweller.
The creature is small, no bigger than a six-year old child, and inhumanly thin. Its
skin, dark and scarred on its chest, tightly stretches over its oversized head, taking on
a sickly, grey tone. A pair of completely empty, dark eyes are fixed on the ground. Thin,
sinewy hands, clutching an exidated, iron plate move in constant motions, sifting, as if
the creature was trying to find nuggets of gold in the ashen soil.
Before you have a chance to act, the creature freezes, and then slowly turns its head
towards you, stopping again once your eyes have met.
“She beckons,” the creature says, as if reading your thoughts. “She beckons, and you
come. Come. Come.” It stutters for a moment. “Come closer, share it with me, or be
gone forever.”

Walk up to the creature and answer it. Go to P27.

Leave this wretch to its devices and never look back. Go to P42.

You cannot say if it takes long. The creature curls up tighter and tighter around
P44 the iron plate. Finally, before it expires, it makes one final gesture, pushing the iron plate
towards you.
You ponder its fate for a moment, and then reach for the plate to bury the creature.
On the other side of the veil a body left lying would attract scavengers. Are there any
here? You cannot tell, but somehow feel a burial will be a fitting cap on your decision
to help the wretch.
The ground here is barren and soft. You start digging and realize that the soil is part
ash, and part tiny pieces of bone, all mixed with what looks to be like beach sand.
The iron plate makes for a somewhat unwieldy but still effective digging tool.
Once the hole is big enough, you move the dweller’s body inside, and then use the iron
plate again to cover the corpse and create a small mound.
Then you stand up, and get ready to go.

Write down Iron Plate as your Memento. Write down Mercy as your Trait.
Mark 1 Time. Go to P10.
 You back away but reassure the creature with a nod that you intend to feed it. You look
P45 down at your own body, pale within the meek light of this land of horrors, pondering
which part of it you can do without. Finally, you grab your skin just above your stomach,
on the left side of your chest, where your ribcage starts. With little to no effort, and
with almost no pain, you sink your fingers into your own flesh.

Conviction 3+. Rip a rib out and feed it to the wretch. Go to P25.
Change your mind and offer to help the wretch. Go to P20.
Change your mind and strike the wretch. Go to P30.

You take a swing with the plate, and miss the closer of the two creatures. It recoils in

P46 surprise, and you can see a flash of fear in its almost human eyes. Its companion gives
out another muffled shriek, and both intruders start backing away from you.
Mark 1 Time.

Give chase. Go to P1.

Let them flee. Go to P36.

You strain your muscles and focus on opening your eyes, even though your lids are not
P47 shut. You grit your teeth, curl your fingers into fists and try to scream at the top of your
lungs, and wake up suddenly, before any sound escapes your mouth.
The visage of the stone face still burns in your mind. You know that the world beyond
still awaits you, and that closing your eyes once again will bring you back to the beginning.

Erase all data from your tracking sheet. When you are ready, mark
1 Terror and 2 Conviction, and go to the Start Here section.
 TRACKING SHEET

Trait:
Memento:
Conviction:
Terror:
Time: