Castle of the Red Prince
C.E.J. Pacian
compassless cover art dreams fantasy gender-neutral protagonist gothic horror prince telescopic descriptions Xyzzy Awards 2013
Welcome to Amaranth, foreigner. The Red Prince haunts your dreams, you say? If you want to overthrow our tyrant, you'll need to consider this whole blighted land at once.
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Even after you ended your studies into the arcane, the nightmares continued to get worse.

You see Amaranth in these dreams - a small and distant land that claims some vague portion of your ancestry - and the tyrant of a prince who rules it. You see everyone you have ever loved, everything you have ever cherished, shrivel and wither and fade - touched by his corrupting shadow.

The Red Prince must die. You realise that now.

Only then will the dreams stop.

[If you have not previously visited Amaranth, in dreams or otherwise, type ABOUT and press return.]

Wild forestland surrounds a quaint and shadowed village.

A sheer cliff rises over the treetops, upon which is perched an ancient and gothic castle.

(EXPLORE or X the land to find the means to the Red Prince's
undoing.)
You look at the village
You follow deserted cobble roads between shuttered cottages and past a burnt-out church. Although barely a soul is to be found out of doors, there is movement in the windows of the local inn.
You explore
What do you want to explore?
You look at the village
You follow deserted cobble roads between shuttered cottages and past a burnt-out church. Although barely a soul is to be found out of doors, there is movement in the windows of the local inn.

(If you get stuck, SLEEP. Your dreams brought you to Amaranth and
they may still show you the way.)
You look at inn
The inn bears no name, only a hanging sign depicting an overflowing tankard. The windows are barred and the door is unusually heavyset, but the hearth within casts a friendly glow and the barstool is a welcome respite for your weary legs.

The innkeeper nods a silent greeting, while a drunken carouser stamps his feet and slurs boisterous songs.

(You may find out important information if you TALK TO the
inhabitants of Amaranth.)
You talk to the innkeeper
The innkeeper sizes you up. "Don't get so many of your sort round here, least not these days. If you're looking for a drink, I have the best ale in all Amaranth."
You talk to the carouser
The carouser looms over you, his breath stinking of cheap ale. "We don't need any more of your sort around here. Why don't you bloody well bugger off back where you came from?"

(ATTACK belligerent parties WITH any weapons you may have. If you
have yet to find anything more suitable, you can always resort to your FISTS.)
You examine the carouser
Burly and red-nosed. He reeks of ale.
You talk to the carouser
The carouser slams his drink on the bar. "Get out! Your kind aren't welcome here! Or are you looking for a fight?"
About yourself
One who has spent too many nights studying forgotten lore, and too few days in the sunlight.
You attack the carouser with the fists
You raise your fists to attack, and the carouser suddenly falls to his knees. "No, don't! I'm the last of my brothers and sisters left alive! This lighter's not worth much, but my father gave it to me. Take it, and we'll call it quits!"

You pocket the lighter and lower your fists.
You examine lighter
The engraving reads, "Be sober, be vigilant."

With this, you should be able to light anything suitably flammable.
You talk to the carouser
"I s'pose you'll be setting fire to all sorts of things now. You look the type."
You set the fire to the carouser
There seems little purpose in setting the carouser on fire.
You ask the innkeeper for the drink
The ale served in the inn proves lukewarm and watered down.

The innkeeper meets your eye and smiles. You smile back.
You talk to the innkeeper
"They say the Armoured Lady has haunted the church graveyard for a hundred years. Never seen her myself, mind."

scurry back to their homes. You retire to the local inn.

flapping of leathery wings. Come morning, another poor soul is found pale, weak and proclaiming her love for the Red Prince.
You look at the village
You follow deserted cobble roads between shuttered cottages and past a burnt-out church. Although barely a soul is to be found out of doors, there is movement in the windows of the local inn.
You examine the church
Once grand and reverently architected, the windows are now empty, the roof open and the walls blackened by smoke. The spire remains standing, but the stairs up were apparently burned away in the original conflagration.

Despite this blasphemy, the graveyard seems untouched.
You examine the spire
An accusing claw, pointing at the sky.
You examine the graveyard
Emerging from tangled weeds are a chaos of headstones topped with cherubs and angels. A mausoleum stands in one corner.

Within the gates of this graveyard you feel watched.
You examine the headstones
There seems to have been a long lasting tradition of angel headstones in Amaranth. These stone guardians seem both protective and resigned to mute sadness.
You move the headstone
Those are fixed in place.
You examine the mausoleum
A small and gabled building of mossy stone. The silence around it is unnatural and oppressive.

As soon as you step inside the mausoleum, a long-haired revenant stumbles shrieking from its depths, clad in chainmail and brandishing a gleaming sword. Her voice claws at your eardrums and you find yourself fleeing the graveyard in terror.

She stops at the threshold of the mausoleum and watches you with empty eye sockets.
You talk to the revenant
Tip of her sword at your throat, the revenant speaks through parched lips. "Treachery at every turn. Betrayed by my own army. Failed by my heirs. Take this sword. Slay the one who trapped me in my own grave. Fail, and I shall recover it from your corpse and devour your heart. As I did with those who came before you."

With a flash of white-hot light from her empty eye sockets, the armoured lady retreats into the mausoleum and disappears. You find yourself holding her silver sword.
You examine the sword
Its edge glints with an otherworldly light.
Inventory
You are carrying:
a silver sword
an engraved lighter
You look around
Wild forestland surrounds a quaint and shadowed village.

A sheer cliff rises over the treetops, upon which is perched an ancient and gothic castle.
You look at the houses
For a moment you are confused. You might know that item by another name, it might not be important, or perhaps you grasp at phantoms that exist on another plane.
You take the barstool
You decide to leave the barstool for now.

scurry back to their homes. You retire to the local inn.

flapping of leathery wings. Come morning, another poor soul is found pale, weak and proclaiming her love for the Red Prince.
You examine the forest
The forests of Amaranth are dark and wild. An unpaved path leads through the grasping branches, past an abandoned shack and an ancient stone shrine, and ends - seemingly at random - in a quiet glade.
You examine the shack
Clearing away the ivy that has overgrown its broken door, you discover that the abandoned shack is the entrance to an old mine shaft.
You look at the shaft
The mine shaft is lit only by an eerie phosphorescence. Deserted rails lead down through the subterranean passages and makeshift crosses protrude from cave-in debris.

Among the abandoned mine equipment, you see a stick of dynamite.

(You can TAKE certain items and PUT them IN other locations. See
what items you're carrying with INVENTORY or I.)
You look at the dynamite
The stick of dynamite is old, but dry and intact. It should make a reasonable bang several seconds after being lit.
You take the dynamite
You take possession of the stick of dynamite... carefully.
You look at the shrine
A weather-smoothed stone that might once have been in the form of some obscure god.

A horned skeleton is lying near the shrine.
You get the horn
Those seem to be a part of the horned skeleton.
You get the skeleton
You gather up the horned skeleton. It maintains its form almost as though some inhuman will remains to hold it together.
You look at the stone
A weather-smoothed stone that might once have been in the form of some obscure god.
You move the stone
It is fixed in place.
You examine the path
The path that leads through the forest has been worn into the dirt by many feet.
You examine the glade
A quiet clearing in the forest, carpeted in daisies that gently sway in the wind.

A ring of scorched earth is the only blot on the glade's idyll.

scurry back to their homes. You retire to the local inn.

flapping of leathery wings. Come morning, another poor soul is found pale, weak and proclaiming her love for the Red Prince.
You examine the ring
You step uneasily around the ring. It is a perfect, unnatural circle.
You enter the ring
As you step into the ring of scorched earth, the sky beings to acquire a green tint. The trees around you warp and change into species you have never seen before. Mellifluous voices carry on the wind, and you catch glimpses of naked, horned figures frolicking in the eerie light of two suns.

With the gasp of one who has been holding their breath, you step out of the ring and back into the everyday world, before you are completely lost.
You throw the skeleton into the ring
You place the horned skeleton within the ring of scorched earth, taking care not to enter it yourself.

With a sound like the ripping of flesh, a toothed maw opens in the ground, swallowing the skeleton whole.

The maw stretches wide, exuding sulphur and the sense of an immense appetite yet unfulfilled.
You look at the shack
The abandoned shack stands over the entrance to an old mine shaft.
You go castle
A towering gothic structure of ancient stone. Its crumbling watchtower overlooks the village, and dim lights glow in the windows of the Great Hall.

Gaunt soldiers stand guard around the Great Hall.
You examine the soldiers
The gaunt soldiers of the Red Prince are haggard and emaciated. Their pallor speaks more of the grave than the battlefield.
You examine watchtower
The watchtower has a commanding view of the village below. Though built from huge stone bricks that have resisted weathering, it slants distinctly.

The air inside the watchtower is thick with flies. Rotting carcasses are shackled to the walls.

A massive gong stands within the watchtower.
You examine carcasses
Very little is left of these unfortunate prisoners.
You examine the gong
Heavy and ornate, it will make quite a sound when rung.
You hit gong
The gong resounds with a mournful note that echoes throughout the castle.

The gaunt soldiers that guard the Great Hall leave their posts to file slowly into the watchtower. They shamble and crawl over its mouldy flagstone, picking at the carcasses chained to the walls.
You look at great Hall
You enter a domed hall of faded tapestries and tarnished gold. Cobwebs span the archways and dust coats every surface.

A tall, pale figure emerges from the shadows. "Welcome. I am known as the Red Prince. A fitting title, I feel. And who might you be? No, don't tell me."

A chill runs down your spine as his dark eyes drill into yours. You hear subtle echoes of your recent thoughts and conversations, before he breaks the contact and smiles. "A fellow student of the occult, I see. Do feel free to explore my library."

Finding little fresh meat to sate their appetites, the gaunt soldiers march back to their posts in the Great Hall.
You examine the library
Shelves and shelves of books are crammed together in the tight space of the castle library. The air is musty with the smell of aging paper. You find any number of arcane and esoteric books, many of which you have previously read.

A few rare titles catch your eye, however, books you had thought long lost to the world: a Treatise on Other Worlds, Analysis Of Evil, Ignorant Children, History of Greatness and a black book.

A lantern has been cast aside in one corner.
You get the lamp
For a moment you are confused. You might know that item by another name, it might not be important, or perhaps you grasp at phantoms that exist on another plane.
You take the lantern
Taken.
You examine the lantern
A sturdy lantern in an old style. It is unlit.
Light lantern
You light the lantern. You can now explore places that are shrouded in darkness.
You look at the black book
This book is distinguished by only an embossed skull on its cover. Nevertheless, you recognise it immediately. You are unable to read the thin, inhuman scrawl within its pages, and would be reluctant to expose yourself to its horrors even if you could.

scurry back to their homes. You retire to the local inn.

flapping of leathery wings. Come morning, another poor soul is found pale, weak and proclaiming her love for the Red Prince.
You read Treatise on other Worlds
You thumb through the book looking for anything of interest, and find the following:

"...such 'Fairy Rings' have long been held in European folklore as passages to the realm of the Others. Doors left ajar, if you will, awaiting the return of visitors to our world.

"Experimentation reveals that such travellers need not return to their doorway in a state of life for it to open, albeit, in such cases, not quite to the place from which they originally came."
You read the analysis of the Evil
You thumb through the book looking for anything of interest, and find the following:

"Many myths and tales attribute various strengths and weaknesses to such evils - from the ability to turn to mist, to a variety of apotropaics thought to ward them away. In particular, the powers of evil are said to wane considerably during the daylight hours, although the notion that sunlight should result in the combustion of the demon is recent and apocryphal.

"Most reliable sources agree on the effectiveness of silver as anathema to evil. Those advocating iron instead are surely victim to ecumenical confusion between those that are Evil and those that are merely of the Other."
You read ignorant children
You skim the first chapter and pick out a passage at random:

"Moulded by foreign magicks into human form, these cuckoo chicks of outre parents may even reach adulthood unaware of their heritage and abilities."
You read the history of the Greatness
You read a page from the middle of the book:

"But recognising his magnificence, the invading army pledged their immortal souls to his throne. The betrayed jezebel fell into a fatal fit of rage and was said to have died of a heart too unrighteous to beat."
You place the dynamite in the castle
Although you're unable to find an obvious weak point, you place the dynamite in the castle.
You examine the cliff
These treacherous cliffs of black rock project straight up from the banks of a raging river and cast a shadow over the village. A single narrow trail leads up to the castle.
You examine the trail
It winds up the cliff, starting from the banks of a raging river.
You examine the river
A deep river of hidden undercurrents and nameless flotsam. Following it to its source, you find a waterfall cascading down the cliff face.
You look at the waterfall
Behind the waterfall is a dark cave.
You examine the cave
Holding your lantern high to illuminate your way, you edge into the cave.

Although seemingly natural in origin, the cave intersects with the foundations of some structure. They're not substantial enough to be shoring up the entire castle, but you suspect that these foundations might underlie its watchtower.
You look at the foundations
Thick beams of damp and rotting wood that must support the castle watchtower.
You get the dynamite
You take possession of the stick of dynamite... carefully.
You put it in the foundations
You study the foundations for a while, working out where the point of greatest weakness is, and place the dynamite there.
Light dynamite
You light the fuse and quickly make your exit from the cave. Scant seconds later the dynamite explodes and the nearby foundations fold up like a concertina.

With a low rumble, the watchtower collapses into a pile of broken stone and dust, forever changing the skyline of Amaranth. Those few of the Prince's terrible soldiers to escape are in no state to return to their posts.

scurry back to their homes. You retire to the local inn.

flapping of leathery wings. Come morning, another poor soul is found pale, weak and proclaiming his love for the Red Prince.
You look at Hall
You enter a domed hall of faded tapestries and tarnished gold. Cobwebs span the archways and dust coats every surface.

The Red Prince lounges in a high-backed chair, a terrible and languid smile adorning his pale features.
You look at the tapestries
These faded tapestries depict battles whose combatants and outcomes have been obscured by age.
You talk to Prince
"Oh... you were expecting me to be perturbed that you intend to kill me? You think, perhaps, that you're the first to try? But that is not so. I have bested far greater warriors than you. Much braver souls have begged me for mercy. Whole armies have been broken to my will. Yes, carry out your futile designs. And the less you bore me, the less I shall make you suffer."
You wipe the smile off his face
For a moment you are confused. You might know that item by another name, it might not be important, or perhaps you grasp at phantoms that exist on another plane.
You kill Prince with the sword
You charge the Red Prince, swinging the silver sword. He easily evades your clumsy attack, at first, before you find a grace and prowess you had no idea you possessed. You duck beneath fingers wielded like talons and drive the silver sword through his heart. With a prolonged death rattle, he crumples into his chair.

The corpse of the Red Prince bears a strange and terrible smile.
You examine the corpse
In truth, he does not seem to have changed much from when he was alive.

The corpse of the Red Prince moves with the slightest twitch.
You take the corpse
Taken.

A shudder runs through the corpse of the Red Prince.
You put the corpse in the ring
While you heft it towards the maw, the Red Prince's corpse seems to convulse with a renewed effort to tear through the thin albumen between death and unlife.

As you finally cast it into those terrible, subterranean jaws, the corpse's eyes flick open. "No! You cannot! Wretch!"

But the Red Prince's curses grow distant as he tumbles into oblivion.

With a satisfied, sulphurous growl, the maw's gangrenous lips draw closed and fade completely from this world. Behind you, the sinister castle that has for so long dominated the sky of Amaranth finally collapses in on itself.

You draw a deep breath of fresh air, and feel a weight lifted from your soul. Perhaps now you can return home and rest.