text: > Go downwards
  Caves (In the Gathering of Dead)
  The water is colder. The pressure in her ears is starting to get painful but now she can see it. The bottom is littered with bones, skulls and rib cages of all sizes that lie in droves on the sand. Pale bony hands wave at her in the unexplainable current. Grinning skulls mock her and whisper.
  "Come! Rest here with us!"
  There is a subtle movement near one wall. The bones twitch and move slightly as if pulled by a current.
  Her lungs are starting to ache. She will have to go to the surface soon!
  
  > Search bones
  (the bones)
  Lornedei looks terrified, but she moves closer to the layer of bones covering the bottom.
  Suddenly, Lornedei is grabbed by a current stronger than she can handle.
  
  She is dragged and pulled through the water, through a narrow opening in the cliff, up through a narrow well, and through wet cold darkness. She breaks the surface, spitting water, choking in her greedy quest for air.
  
  Inside an Old Stone Well (In Gurgling Water)
  The dark water swirls and gurgles in this small well. The crumbling edge of the stone cylinder is perhaps an arms length higher than the surface.
  Dim rays of light find their way down to the dark water, but help little to chase away the shadows.
  
  [Your holiness has just gone up by five.]
  
  > Exits
  She can go up.
  
  > go upwards
  She grabs the slippery stones and climbs out of the old well, wet and exhausted. She sits down on the ground, leaning against the cold stones.
  
  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 great roots under the giant oak have slid aside revealing a passage.
  
  The nightmare is here, spinning slowly. The frayed edges are constantly releasing veils of broken smoke that dissolves in the air.
  
  The sleepwalker is here, spinning slowly.
  Lornedei glances up at you, uncertain.
  The deformed bushes rustle and seem to reach for her.
  
  > dig the hole
  The ground is too hard to dig in this place.
  Lornedei glances up at you, uncertain.
  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.
  
  > Go upwards
  Hall of Severance (In the Black Oak)
  Clusters of black leaves surround Lornedei. They hang from the upper branches, creating a shield that totally obscures the sky above. She can look down, as all the clusters are above and around her, but up is nothing but shimmering black. The branch reaches out over the clearing and the end of it seems to disappear in a big cloud of smoke. She can climb down to the ground or follow the branch.
  
  > Exits
  She can go down to the ground or try the branch.
  
  > go to the west
  If she moves around too much she will fall and break her neck. She can go down to the ground or try to follow the branch.
  
  > follow the branch
  Lornedei follows the branch. She steps through the smoke and enters the Hall of Mirrors.
  
  Castle Ruins (In the Hall of Portals)
  This square chamber is dominated by four portals. Each has a small impression to place one of the plaques. Lornedei came in from the northwest. If all portals are open, she can also go south, east, west or north.
  
  On the portal to the void is a small gray plaque.
  
  On the portal to the Hall of Severance is a small black plaque.
  
  The stone pile still takes up too much room and the dead somebody is still very much dead.
  
  > take the stone pile
  that is way too heavy to move around.
  
  > reach the north frame
  "Something is not right. Something is missing."
  
  > reach the west frame
  "I cannot reach into this one Master. I am not sure what is stopping me. Perhaps it needs to be whole."
  
  > examine the staff
  It's a heavy staff in what appears to be oak. It reaches Lornedei to the shoulder, is thicker in one end and irregular in shape, with the natural shape preserved. It is polished and given a patina with many years use.
  
  > reach the staff
  "No need for that Master. I have heard about things like this. I believe that this staff once had much power but it is now useless. A staff like this focuses the owner's powers only and this ones owner is obviously quite dead."
  
  > go northwest
  Castle Ruins (In the Guard Chamber)
  The spiral staircase ends in the middle of a square chamber. The west wall has fallen out into the ravine, letting in the glowing sunset. The walls that are still standing and the marble floor have cracked in several places. Rocks, a thick layer of dust, and all sorts of debris cover the floor. The only thing still intact is a stone statue standing in the southeast corner.
  
  The spiral staircase leads up and the west wall is open to the ravine.
  
  She can see an old torch here.
  
  > Go upward
  Castle Ruins (In a Stone Corridor)
  A staircase leads down in darkness and south takes her out to the courtyard. The corridor seems to lead only to the dim light to the north.
  The column of black smoke rushes towards the opening, jerks through it. It struggles to stay, twitching.
  
  > look at the opening
  The stone staircase spirals down into the dark. The steps are worn and cracked. A layer of sand and dust covers each step. No one has walked here for many years.
  The nightmare twitches, stirring up dust.
  Lornedei is waiting for your command.
  
  > Go south
  Ahead of her is the southeastern corner of the castle. The corridor between the building and the outer wall leads northeast, but is blocked by a great pile of stone blocks and other debris. To the west, the courtyard ends at the ravine.
  
  Looking up, the facade disappears into a swirling ceiling of mist. Right at the corner of the castle, a narrow doorway leads north into darkness. She can look around, or walk around to learn more. South or southeast takes her away from the ruins. East brings her around to the east side of the east wall.
  
  Deini is here.
  The hovering sleepwalker shows up at the edge of the forest. It picks up speed over the dry land, swirls up sand and dust and stays next to Lornedei.
  Lornedei moves a strand of hair from her face and puts it behind her ear.
  
  > dig the hole
  The ground is too hard to dig in this place.
  
  > Go east
  Wasteland (By the East Wall)
  The eastern wall of the ruined castle stands strong here. Fifty or so paces north, it fades into a wall of mist. East, south, southwest and southeast takes her to the rest of the field. West takes her past the east wall to the courtyard of the castle. Anything north of here is dwelled in gray mist.
  The sleepwalker stirs up a cloud of dust and dirt as it follows Lornedei.
  
  > go east
  Wasteland (By the Petrified Tree)
  This is nothing but wasteland. Scattered remains of a once big tree cover the ground. It might have been a great oak at one point. A dry and hot wind tears at her while throwing sand in her eyes and mouth. Beyond rocks, sand and starved soil, there is nothing but a gray mist. In the distant west, beyond more wasteland, she can see a high stone wall. South, the broken land dips down in a bowl beyond which is the forbidden forest. Southwest would take her back to the edge of the forest where she first entered the field.
  The sleepwalker stirs up a cloud of dust and dirt as it follows Lornedei.
  "What should I do?"
  
  > Dig
  (the sleep walker)
  Lornedei digs a hole in the dry ground.
  
  > put nut in the hole
  She needs to be holding the purple nut with thorns before she can put it into something else.
  "Master?"
  
  > put the nut in the hole
  "No Master. I will not plant that thing. It is wrong."
  "Master?"
  
  > go southwest
  Wasteland (Overlooking the Field of Despair)
  Behind her is the forbidden forest. The tree line is sharp as if cut with a knife at creation, separating the blackened forest from the uniform gray ahead.
  
  The horizon ahead is strangely blurred. If from dust, mist or simply the uncertainty of distance is hard to tell from here. In the east, the field slopes down towards something that she cannot see. On the far side of that, the forest continues. In the opposite direction, the dying sun has set the horizon in flames above the gray covering the forbidden forest on that side. On this side of the forest, the land is cut, cracked, dropping down into a ravine. In the northwest, there is an old ruin reflecting the colours of the sun. To the north and northeast, the field continues into the blurred horizon.
  The sleepwalker stirs up a cloud of dust and dirt as it follows Lornedei.
  
  > Go west
  Wasteland (Overlooking the Ravine)
  Lornedei stands on an outcropping overlooking a deep ravine going as far north as she can see. The ledge seems to be the remains of a road, cut off by the creation of the break in the earth. On the other side of the ravine, there's a barely visible opening through the trees. There is no way over there though. A steady wind tears at her clothes and hair in sudden gusts that seem eager to throw her off balance.
  
  East, northeast and north are the ways off the ledge.
  The sleepwalker stirs up a cloud of dust and dirt as it follows Lornedei.
  Lornedei moves a strand of hair from her face and puts it behind her ear.
  
  > Go northeast
  Wasteland (By the East Wall)
  The eastern wall of the ruined castle stands strong here. Fifty or so paces north, it fades into a wall of mist. East, south, southwest and southeast takes her to the rest of the field. West takes her past the east wall to the courtyard of the castle. Anything north of here is dwelled in gray mist.
  The sleepwalker stirs up a cloud of dust and dirt as it follows Lornedei.
  
  > go west
  Ahead of her is the southeastern corner of the castle. The corridor between the building and the outer wall leads northeast, but is blocked by a great pile of stone blocks and other debris. To the west, the courtyard ends at the ravine.
  
  Looking up, the facade disappears into a swirling ceiling of mist. Right at the corner of the castle, a narrow doorway leads north into darkness. She can look around, or walk around to learn more. South or southeast takes her away from the ruins. East brings her around to the east side of the east wall.
  
  The nightmare is here, spinning slowly. The frayed edges are constantly releasing veils of broken smoke that dissolves in the air.
  
  Deini is here.
  The wolf tires of Lornedei and pretends to sleep for a bit.
  
  > enter the nightmare
  "Master? Are you sure about this?"
  She looks terrified but she decides to trust your judgment. She walks into the spinning smoke.
  the nightmare stops spinning and Lornedei appears on the other side. She looks at you with gray eyes and an uncanny smile on her lips.
  
  > Go east
  Wasteland (By the East Wall)
  The eastern wall of the ruined castle stands strong here. Fifty or so paces north, it fades into a wall of mist. East, south, southwest and southeast takes her to the rest of the field. West takes her past the east wall to the courtyard of the castle. Anything north of here is dwelled in gray mist.
  
  The sleepwalker is here. It has stopped spinning.
  
  > go to the east
  Wasteland (By the Petrified Tree)
  This is nothing but wasteland. Scattered remains of a once big tree cover the ground. It might have been a great oak at one point. A dry and hot wind tears at her while throwing sand in her eyes and mouth. Beyond rocks, sand and starved soil, there is nothing but a gray mist. In the distant west, beyond more wasteland, she can see a high stone wall. South, the broken land dips down in a bowl beyond which is the forbidden forest. Southwest would take her back to the edge of the forest where she first entered the field.
  
  She can see a small hole in the hard ground (which is empty) here.
  
  > put the nut in the hole
  "Lornedei stares at the nut.
  "No! It is not ready. It needs something else. It needs blood to grow. That is what he said."
  
  > cut yourself
  That makes very little sense. Perhaps you should think that one through.
  
  > take the red worm
  If you insist.
  Lornedei is muttering to herself.
  
  > kill it
  Lornedei mumbles.
  "With time. The end is coming and they will all die."
  Lornedei's shadow trembles and disappears. In an instant, it is back. She seems not to notice.
  
  > bite the the red worm
  Lornedei mumbles.
  "With time. The end is coming and they will all die."
  
  > Inventory
  Lornedei's magic is currently at 165.
  Lornedei is carrying:
  a shiny red worm
  a purple nut with thorns
  a wizard's staff
  a cracked skull
  A blue crystal hanging on a silver chain.
  a small leather pouch (which is open)
  a golden acorn
  a skinny yellow worm
  a bone
  a small dented silver plate
  a small water sack (which is closed)
  the water from the Elder's spring
  an old tarnished bronze urn
  a fat blue worm
  a leather rucksack (being worn)
  a handful of white berries
  a loaf of horrid bread
  a piece of cheese
  
  > look at the bone
  As far as Lornedei can gather, it's a bone from a dear's leg. It has plenty of bite marks on it so this might have been one of Deini's unfortunate preys.
  Lornedei's shadow tears one shadow-leg from Lornedei's real one, then the other. It fades as it rises. Once upright, it melts into Lornedei. She shivers.
  
  > Yes
  You give it your best shot, chanting and carrying on.
  "Master?" Lornedei is extremely pale but she seems well.
  The exorcism succeeded.
  The sleepwalker stirs up a cloud of dust and dirt as it follows Lornedei.
  
  > enter the sleepwalker
  "Master?" She glances up at you, frowning, but she walks into the spinning mist.
  The sleepwalker stops spinning and Lornedei appears on the other side, apparently not sure where she is or why.
  
  > go west
  Ahead of her is the southeastern corner of the castle. The corridor between the building and the outer wall leads northeast, but is blocked by a great pile of stone blocks and other debris. To the west, the courtyard ends at the ravine.
  
  Looking up, the facade disappears into a swirling ceiling of mist. Right at the corner of the castle, a narrow doorway leads north into darkness. She can look around, or walk around to learn more. South or southeast takes her away from the ruins. East brings her around to the east side of the east wall.
  
  The nightmare is here. It has stopped spinning but occasionally it twitches, releasing veils of broken smoke that dissolves in the air.
  
  Deini is here.
  
  > Pet deini
  Lornedei moves to pet the wolf but halfway there, she seems to forget what she was about to do.
  
  > go to the west
  A few paces away, the courtyard ends abruptly as the ground is replaced by the ravine. A vertical cliff of bare rock is all that is left. If there was a western wall there, it now lies at the bottom of the ravine, along with a big part of the castle. On the other side, the forbidden forest starts again. Lornedei quickly backs away from the edge.
  The wolf tires of Lornedei and pretends to sleep for a bit.