text: [Themes: fantasy, fantasy]
  
  You stand at the ready, but keep your sword sheathed. A good thing, too, because at that moment, Adonis, official messenger of Lyestra, comes hurtling through the bushes.
  
  "Arakhan!!" He nearly collapses to the ground with relief and exhaustion. "Thank the gods I've found you!"
  
  Adonis is panting heavily. He bends over, trying to catch his breath.
  
  "Calm down," you say, "What seems to be the problem? What are you doing so far from Lyestra?"
  
  "Lyestra?" Adonis gets a hollow, far off look in his eyes. "Lyestra is...now don't take this too hard, but--" he swallows. "Lyestra is gone."
  
  You nearly sink to your knees. Lyestra? Your home town, gone?
  
  "What do you mean? Tell me, NOW!" You are barely able to choke back your panic and grief. Your village needs you now more than ever. Now is the time to keep a cool head.
  
  "Goblins came in the night---we---we weren't ready for them," Adonis chokes, "And so many of them! They just kept coming! In hordes! I barely got out with my own--I mean--I fought off at least half a dozen, of course--but---even for someone like me, I knew the odds were hopeless--"
  
  "Get to the point," you growl, "How many are dead?"
  
  Adonis stares down at the ground.
  
  "....Hundreds," he mumbles.
  
  Now, you really do fall to your knees. How could you have let this happen? You've failed Lyestra, and nearly a hundred people have paid for your carelessness with their lives. You've failed your guards--your guards! You have to find them. They must be scattered around the woods--somewhere nearby. You have to find them before a troop of goblins finds them first!
  
  "We've got to get back to Lyestra," Adonis continues, "There might be a few survivors left. And we have to find out who was responsible for the attack!"
  
  You weigh your options. If you go with Adonis now, the two of you could conceivably make it back to Lyestra in two hours. However, there are still a few guards doing their final sweep of the area. They could take care of themselves, surely, but you would feel much better knowing that they are safe in this uncertain time.
  
  Adonis looks at you expectantly. What will it be? Find your guard regiment? Or go back to Lyestra and search for survivors?
  
  > go off by yourself to find your guard regiment and regroup
  "I will return to Lyestra in good time," you tell Adonis, "But there is nothing I can do for the village now. My guards are scattered throughout the forest. I can't just leave them."
  
  "But what about me?" Adonis moans, "You can't just leave ME here, can you?"
  
  "You are free to join me if you wish," you tell Adonis, "But I think you'll be much safer if you return to Lyestra and look for survivors on your own. I will surely be back in Lyestra before nightfall."
  
  Adonis grumbles, but he heads off back towards Lyestra.
  
  Well. He's gone. Now, to find your guards.
  
  You came out here in a small troop of four--yourself, and three of your most trusted guards. You sent all three of them to scope out a different area.
  
  Lodan, your trusted right hand man, was sent to the Caves--a partially underwater system of tunnels.
  
  Anaria, your ranger, was sent off to the Trapper's Pits--a very dangerous valley full of toxic, carnivorous plants.
  
  And Glusen, your strongest guard, was sent to the Shadowed Glen--a densely wooded area.
  
  Where should you go first?
  
  > search for Lodan in the Caves
  You stand at the entrance to the Caves, a system of tunnels that burrows deep into the forest.
  
  Lodan, your most trusted right-hand man, is somewhere within these caves, searching for goblins and clues. You only hope that he is still alive. You screw up your courage and travel into the gaping mouth of the cave.
  
  > enter the Cave
  As you explore the tunnels of the Cave, you notice that they are getting more and more tight. Soon, it is all you can manage to squeeze your large frame through the exceedingly narrow tunnels.
  
  The floor of the cave is also getting wet, you notice. Your boots are beginning to soak as you slosh through water that is now rising up to your ankles.
  
  Fortunately, the water doesn't rise much higher than that, and you push on steadfastly. Lodan must be around here somewhere!
  
  As you scan the darkness, you wish you had some sort of torch to help you search--and then, up ahead, you see a light!
  
  It's a strange, glowing, ethereal light, very faint, almost impossible to make out. It almost seems as though it's hovering in midair, waiting for you.
  
  As you approach, however, the light darts off!
  
  You lunge forward, trying to catch the light, but it's gone far too quickly, and disappears down a tunnel that branches off to the east.
  
  You approach the eastern tunnel cautiously. It is incredibly narrow, almost as if it were dug by human hands. It's so small, you would have to crawl through it on your hands and knees.
  
  You weigh your options. You could follow the mysterious light down into the scary tunnel, or you could continue down to the main cavern, where you are likely to find Lodan.
  
  What will you do?
  
  > follow the Mysterious Light
  The strange blue light beckons you onward. You feel as though it may have some of the answers you so desperately need.
  
  Screwing up your courage, you get on your hands and knees, and squeeze your bulky frame into the wet tunnel.
  
  The tunnel is a tight fit--too tight for you to fit wearing your leather armor. You discard it and leave it at the tunnel entrance.
  
  Soon, you are crawling through the tunnel wearing only your tunic, feeling more vulnerable than ever. The tunnel goes on forever--growing darker and darker. Soon, you are groping your way through pitch blackness, pulling yourself forward inch by inch. The walls constrict around you, and, hysterically, you feel as though you are crawling into the depths of some enormous python.
  
  Every time you consider giving up hope, however, the blue light bobs and floats ahead of you, flickering down the tunnel and giving you a quick glimpse of the way forward.
  
  But then---the light goes out.
  
  You sit there, alone in the blackness, your breath catching in your throat.
  
  You feel the panic rising and the tunnel walls closing in.
  
  Maybe this is some sort of trap. Maybe you need to get out, NOW, before it's too late.
  
  What do you do??
  
  > turn back!
  You give into blind terror, and try to scramble backwards!!
  
  You have to get out of here!!! You have to get out!!!!
  
  In the dark, you have no room to maneuver, and your thrashing only leads to a showering of dirt down into your eyes and mouth.
  
  This, alas, only leads you to panic more severely, thrashing and kicking, until--
  
  The tunnel walls cave in around you, filling the cramped passageway with dirt and rocks.
  
  You are buried alive in an underground tomb, forgotten and abandoned.
  
  > Have died.
  Sadly, you have died.
  
  However, this is not the end! It can't be the end!
  
  Try again! You must avenge your village. If you don't, who will?