text: [Themes: Fantasy]
  
  > Go downwards
  Lornedei climbs down.
  
  The clearing is almost perfectly round and thirty or so paces across. It is surrounded by the forbidden forest on all sides.
  A giant black oak stands in solitude in the middle of the clearing. Many of its roots stick out of the ground like snakes arching to suffocate their prey. Steps are cut in the oak to provide an easy way up.
  
  A stone altar stands in the shadow of the big oak. Dry grass and shrubs are still rooted in the dead soil, and more of the deformed bushes grow in a loose circle around the oak and the altar.
  
  An old stone well gurgles softly not far from a crumbling stone house. On the other side of the clearing, three paths lead into the forbidden forest.
  
  The roots under the big oak stir restlessly. The shadows beneath them seem to grow momentarily, but when Lornedei Looks at them the movement stops.
  
  She can also see a large black beetle (Taking a nap at the moment.) here.
  
  > examine the altar
  This less than holy stone is five feet long, four feet wide and is waist high. The old stone is almost black.
  Whether it is the natural color of the stone or if the color is caused by something else is hard to tell. Lornedei will not speculate.
  
  Ancient carvings cover all visible sides. Most of them are faded and impossible to read.
  
  > reach the altar
  She lifts her hands towards the stained altar. She focuses, frowning, then she is shoved back by something. The connection breaks and Lornedei gasps for air.
  "No Master, I cannot! There is so much wickedness there and it does not want to reveal its secrets. All I could sense was pain. Pain, fear, and blood."
  Lornedei's magic just dropped by five.
  "What should I do?"
  
  > eat the berry
  (Taking the handful of white berries first.)
  Lornedei eats another white berry.
  Lornedei's magic just went up by three.
  Something touches Lornedei's foot. She pulls her leg away from the grasping root with a shriek.
  
  > enter House
  Hall of Severance (In the House of Penance)
  Lornedei steps through the crumbling opening into a darkness that is not quite total. There is dim light sifting down from the ruined ceiling above. She glances up, perhaps fearing that the whole construction will give up at her intrusion.
  
  But the only thing falling down on her is the weight of history; stories of cruel ignorance, memories that linger. The light catches a glittering thread and Lornedei swipes at the descending spider before it can land on her. With a grimace she steps on it before it can scramble away, burying it in the dry dirt. She looks around, but if there are more spiders here, they keep out of her way.
  The many years have taken its toll on this house. The circular wall tapers slightly towards the ceiling. Above her, a framework of thick beams support several generations worth of spider webs. There is not much left of the roof now. The light from outside leaks in through the holes in the ceiling. It magnifies the presence of fine dry dust that floats lazily in the still air. Long since rotted straw and reeds cover the earthen floor.
  
  A pair of rusty manacles hangs on the wall.
  
  > look at the straw
  She gives the rotted straw and dirt a quick glance but she has nothing to say about it.
  "What should I do?"
  
  > examine the manacles
  Lornedei shakes her head.
  
  > search the straw
  Lornedei kicks the rotted remains around with a grimace, holding her breath against the odors rising from the floor. A shriek cuts through the still air and she takes a step back.
  
  Empty sockets in a yellowed and cracked skull stare up at her. She takes another step towards the opening and starts to turn to leave. Something causes her to look back, though, perhaps a sense of shame for disturbing this final resting place. She stares at the human skull peeking out from its shallow grave, and goes to cover it again. Before she can throw a handful of the old straw over it, she stops. There is a sudden glimmering light from within one of the dark holes. There is something inside the skull. She also notices a small pouch in the shallow grave, half buried in the dirt.
  
  > look in the skull
  In the cracked skull is An amulet.
  
  > look at the amulet
  It's a pale blue crystal hanging on a silver chain.
  
  > take the amulet
  Lornedei's hand trembles at the touch.
  "So much power!"
  
  [Your holiness has just gone up by five.]
  
  > wear it
  Lornedei hangs the amulet around her neck. Immediately it flares up and shines brightly. The blinding light fades somewhat and the light becomes soft and steady. Lornedei shivers in delight from the power in the crystal that gives itself to her.
  
  Lornedei's magic just went up by one hundred.
  
  "What should I do?"
  
  > take the pouch
  As you wish.
  
  > examine the pouch
  It is a dry and withered leather pouch, no bigger than a woman's fist. A leather string is used to close it and hang it in a belt.
  
  > wear it
  She can't wear that!
  Lornedei moves a strand of hair from her face and puts it behind her ear.
  
  > open the pouch
  She opens the small leather pouch, revealing a golden acorn.
  
  > look at the acorn
  It is an acorn in shape and form but it seems to be one in solid gold.
  
  > reach the acorn
  Lornedei holds the golden acorn in her hand. The images come to her without being reached for.
  
  A seedling, a sapling, a giant oak.
  All in a matter of seconds. Dripping water, a silver goblet.
  A wish to grow, a wish to heal.
  Instant flashes, not much more than emotion and fleeing images, but strong and urgent.
  Time is running out.
  The vision fades.
  
  > look at the beams
  Lornedei has no interest in the construction of this place. It may not even be safe to stay here very long.
  
  > Leave
  She steps out in the clearing.
  
  The clearing is almost perfectly round and thirty or so paces across. It is surrounded by the forbidden forest on all sides.
  A giant black oak stands in solitude in the middle of the clearing. Many of its roots stick out of the ground like snakes arching to suffocate their prey. Steps are cut in the oak to provide an easy way up.
  
  A stone altar stands in the shadow of the big oak. Dry grass and shrubs are still rooted in the dead soil, and more of the deformed bushes grow in a loose circle around the oak and the altar.
  
  An old stone well gurgles softly not far from a crumbling stone house. On the other side of the clearing, three paths lead into the forbidden forest.
  
  The roots under the big oak stir restlessly. The shadows beneath them seem to grow momentarily, but when Lornedei Looks at them the movement stops.
  
  She can also see a large black beetle (Taking a nap at the moment.) here.
  Something touches Lornedei's foot. She pulls her leg away from the grasping root with a shriek.
  
  > search the roots
  After a quick look, she just shakes her head. She does not know.
  The beetle runs off to one of the paths. It spins around once before returning to Lornedei.
  
  > ask Beetle about the paths
  The beetle actually seems to consider this for a moment. That was only wishful thinking though.
  The beetle scrambles through the dead grass to one of the paths. It spins around and comes back to Lornedei.
  
  > take Beetle
  The beetle crawls up in her hand.
  The beetle squirms its way out of Lornedei's grasp and drops to the ground. It runs off, climbs up on the stone well, climbs back down, crawls through the bushes and seems to inspect the stone house, to finally stop at one of the paths.
  
  > examine well
  It is an old, neglected well made of stones. It's nearly invisible among the long dry grass dying bushes that surround it.
  Something touches Lornedei's foot. She pulls her leg away from the grasping root with a shriek.
  
  > examine Beetle
  It's a black beetle as big as Lornedei's hand from antenna tip to end. The hard shell shimmers in shades of red and green.
  Lornedei moves a strand of hair from her face and puts it behind her ear.
  The roots under the big oak stir restlessly.
  
  > go left
  Lornedei takes a couple of steps towards the dark trail, glancing nervously up at the trees. Then she takes a deep breath before moving forward. The shadows of the forbidden forest fall on her.
  She walks without sun as guidance or aim to where she is going.
  The path twists and turns and soon she is cursing her own thoughtlessness. The prickling sensation of a forgotten spirit's hatred sinks down on her like a heavy blanket.
  Her feet feel strangely heavy and clumsy, as if the undergrowth hinders her movement. However there is nothing growing on the path. It is empty. Flat and hard-packed, it should be easy to walk on.
  A somewhat stronger light appears further ahead and with a soft sob of relief Lornedei starts running towards the clearing.
  She stops with the beginning of a smile freezing on her lips.
  The clearing is dark, a stone well gurgles softly, and three paths disappear into the forbidden forest.
  The beetle scrambles through the dead grass to one of the paths. It spins around and comes back to Lornedei.
  
  > reach the right path
  Lornedei closes her eyes, letting the unseen take over. Nothing. The scorched trees stand guard over the withered undergrowth, the rocks, the fallen trees,...but not one single trail.
  She turns her attention to the next passage, and then the final one, but there is nothing except the forest hiding its secrets even from Lornedei's magic eye.
  She opens her eyes, blinking a few times to make sure. Yes, there they are.
  
  Lornedei's magic drops by one.
  
  > check your inventory
  Lornedei's magic is currently at 176.
  Lornedei is carrying:
  a small leather pouch (which is open)
  a golden acorn
  A blue crystal hanging on a silver chain.
  a handful of white berries
  A brightly shining fairy lamp with a crystal spider inside
  a small gray plaque
  a leather rucksack (being worn)
  a purple nut with thorns
  a piece of cheese
  a loaf of horrid bread
  "Master?"
  
  > put the nut on the altar
  She needs to be holding the purple nut with thorns before she can put it on top of something else.
  Lornedei is waiting for your command.
  The beetle disappears into the crumbling stone house. It comes back out, stays a moment in the opening, waving its antennae, before coming back to Lornedei.
  Lornedei stares at the leaf clusters in the black forest. She looks away, biting her lower lip.
  
  > put the nut on the altar
  Lornedei carefully takes the nut, holding it with two fingers by one of the thorns. That way she won't get hurt.
  She puts the purple nut with thorns on the stone altar.
  
  > look
  The clearing is almost perfectly round and thirty or so paces across. It is surrounded by the forbidden forest on all sides.
  A giant black oak stands in solitude in the middle of the clearing. Many of its roots stick out of the ground like snakes arching to suffocate their prey. Steps are cut in the oak to provide an easy way up.
  
  A stone altar stands in the shadow of the big oak. Dry grass and shrubs are still rooted in the dead soil, and more of the deformed bushes grow in a loose circle around the oak and the altar.
  
  An old stone well gurgles softly not far from a crumbling stone house. On the other side of the clearing, three paths lead into the forbidden forest.
  
  The roots under the big oak stir restlessly. The shadows beneath them seem to grow momentarily, but when Lornedei Looks at them the movement stops.
  
  On the stone altar is a purple nut with thorns.
  
  She can also see a large black beetle (Spinning around waving its antennae at the moment.) here.
  
  > take the nut
  Lornedei carefully picks up the nut. She quickly drops it in the rucksack.
  The beetle scrambles through the dead grass to one of the paths. It spins around and comes back to Lornedei.
  
  > follow Beetle
  The black beetle is still for a few moments. Sniffing the air for danger. Then suddenly it decides where to go and takes off along one of the paths. Lornedei follows.
  
  Shadows reach for her, imaginary or not, from the growing darkness between the trees, as she moves into the forbidden forest. The beetle is ahead of her, leading on, stopping now and then to find its way. The path twists and changes direction so many times that Lornedei has to rely totally on her glimmering little guide.
  
  Lornedei keeps her eye on the bug, but looks around now and then. The trees all look the same. No matter which kind they might have been originally, they are now all black and scorched. Clusters of leaves, singing their strange melody, hang from nearly all of them, some nearly touching the undergrowth. The forest is cold, the air thick, and Cowering under the stare of the shadows, she moves on. The bug leads. It runs ahead, over a dry and cracked puddle of mud, through the hollowed out insides of a dead tree, forward.
  
  The beetle stops. Its antennae wave frantically and it spins around on the ground a couple of times. When Lornedei reaches down to pick it up it quickly unfolds its wings, takes off with a buzzing and disappears among the trees.
  
  Forbidden Forest (Near the Raven Tree)
  Disappointed, Lornedei looks around.
  "I think I am lost."
  The scorched trees tower over anyone and anything unfortunate enough to be here. An air of ill will hangs over the treetops.
  The gray fog touches the trees highest branches, hiding the sun from view. Two paths lead into the black forest from here.
  Lornedei sighs.
  
  An enormous raven sits high up on a blackened branch, surrounded by the bug like leaves. It stares unblinking at Lornedei as she moves around in the crossing. It greets her with a threatening flutter with the wings, a guttural croaking and constant nervous sidestepping on the branch.
  
  [Your holiness has just gone up by five.]
  
  > reach Raven
  In the moment she reaches the bird with her mind, she is pushed backwards by an unknown force. She loses the connection.
  The bird croaks as it shakes the unwelcome intrusion from its mind.
  
  Lornedei's magic drops by one.
  
  > give the cheese to Raven
  (Taking the piece of cheese first.)
  The piece of cheese does not seem to interest the bird.
  
  > examine Raven
  A large black bird with a shaggy, iridescent plumage. It never moves its gaze far from the trespasser. Every move she makes results in a nervous side step, a twitching in the wedge-shaped tail and a curious tilt of the black head.
  
  > put the cheese in the rucksack
  She drops the piece of cheese into the leather rucksack.
  
  > examine Tree
  These trees all look dead at first sight. Scorched and tortured, they reach out their blackened limbs over the cowering undergrowth. They do have leaves, however, not green and lush but almost black.
  
  > Exits
  She can try following one of the paths.
  
  > talk to Raven
  "I cannot talk to animals Master. Besides that, I am sure that a thing like that has nothing but nasty things to say."
  Lornedei shakes her foot to get rid of a painful stone from her sandal.
  
  > show the plaque to Raven
  The small gray plaque does not interest the bird. It just keeps on sidestepping.
  
  > follow Raven
  Follow the bird? The black bird is not going anywhere at the moment. Perhaps it needs some incentive.
  
  > give the bread to Raven
  (Taking the loaf of horrid bread first.)
  The loaf of horrid bread does not seem to interest the bird.
  
  > give the acorn to Raven
  Really? the golden acorn?
  
  [Your holiness has just gone up by five.]
  The golden acorn does not interest the bird. It just keeps on sidestepping.
  
  > give the nut to Raven
  Really? the purple nut with thorns?
  Lornedei carefully takes the nut, holding it with two fingers by one of the thorns. That way she won't get hurt.
  Lornedei glances up at you, uncertain.
  
  > put the nut in the rucksack
  She drops the purple nut with thorns into the leather rucksack.
  A dry black leaf drops down on Lornedei's shoulder. With a grimace, she flicks it with a finger to get rid of it.
  
  > take the leaf
  Lornedei grabs one of the black leaves in the nearest cluster and twists it loose from the branch. The leaf falls over and the beetle quickly takes shape in her hand. When it is done growing, it crawls up on Lornedei's shoulder.
  
  > take the leaf
  She already woke one beetle. There's no need to wake another one.
  
  > Caw
  "Master? I don't understand."
  
  > Pet Raven
  "I fail to see a point in what you ask!"
  A dry black leaf falls to the ground next to her. A gust of wind catches it and carries it away.
  
  > get Raven
  The bird is too far up in the tree; it will not come close enough to be caught.
  
  > climb Tree
  There's no way she could.
  Lornedei glances up at you, uncertain.
  
  > Dig
  (the raven)
  The ground is too hard to dig in this place.
  Lornedei shakes her foot to get rid of a painful stone from her sandal. A dry black leaf falls to the ground next to her. A gust of wind catches it and carries it away.
  
  > Pray
  She does. Every night. You taught her well.
  
  > Inventory
  Lornedei's magic is currently at 176.
  Lornedei is carrying:
  a large black beetle (Spinning around waving its antennae at the moment.)
  a golden acorn
  a loaf of horrid bread
  a small leather pouch (which is open but empty)
  A blue crystal hanging on a silver chain.
  a handful of white berries
  A brightly shining fairy lamp with a crystal spider inside
  a small gray plaque
  a leather rucksack (being worn)
  a purple nut with thorns
  a piece of cheese
  Lornedei bites on a nail.
  
  > give the Crystal to Raven
  (the amulet to the raven)
  The amulet does not interest the bird. It just keeps on sidestepping.
  A dry black leaf falls to the ground next to her. A gust of wind catches it and carries it away.
  
  > Rub crystal
  (the amulet)
  There is no need for her to do that.
  
  > read the plaque
  It is a small round plaque in a material unknown to Lornedei. The surface is smooth and with a deep polish. It is small enough to fit in Lornedei's hand. The surface shows nothing, not even the distorted image of Lornedei herself that one might expect. What shows in the plaque is like a reflection of a stormy sky in a puddle of murky water, just before the rain starts hammering.
  
  > Holiness
  Your current holiness is 30 out of a possible holiness of 105, in 173 moves.