text: [Themes: Fantasy]
  
  > go down
  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.
  
  > go west
  Lornedei steps closer to the huge hole in the wall. One glimpse down is enough. She steps back on unsteady legs.
  Lornedei bites on a nail.
  
  > Go east
  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.
  
  > Inventory
  Lornedei's magic is currently at 376.
  Lornedei is carrying:
  a large black beetle (Taking a nap 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 is waiting for your command.
  
  > Go south
  The forbidden forest stands guard. There is no way through it.
  Lornedei frowns. She seems to be listening.
  And there truly is a sound, distant, from the forest. It sounds like something that does not want to be heard. Careful, tentative.
  
  > listen
  There is nothing here to listen to but the constant wind.
  Lornedei is waiting for your command.
  A dry black leaf falls to the ground next to her. A gust of wind catches it and carries it away.
  
  > go east
  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.
  Lornedei frowns. She seems to be listening.
  And there truly is a sound, distant, from the forest. It sounds like a bird, unlike any other.
  
  > go to the northeast
  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.
  
  > go to the south-west
  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.
  A dry black leaf falls to the ground next to her. A gust of wind catches it and carries it away.
  
  > go to the east
  Wasteland (By the Circle of Stones)
  This is the southeastern corner of the field of despair. The forbidden forest is nearly all around her. West, northwest, and north takes her out. The ground sinks into a large hole, a bowl more than fifty paces across, in the ground, edged by crevices and uneven ridges. A broken land. Once at the bottom, the rest of the field is out of sight.
  
  A stone circle is laid out on the ground.
  
  There is a fire inside the ring of stones, blasting out heat and light. Shadows cast by the stones stretch out from the circle. Their wavering tips caress the ragged ground where it begins to ascend to the plane above.
  
  A black plaque lies near the center of the fire pit.
  
  > Go south
  The forbidden forest stands guard as if regretting giving passage. She is lucky to have made it through at all. Now there is no way back. She can however go east, west, northeast, northwest, and north.
  
  > Blow ball
  "Master?"
  
  > hit the ball
  "Perhaps. There might be a way but violence is not the answer." Lornedei moves a strand of hair from her face and puts it behind her ear.
  Lornedei frowns. She seems to be listening.
  And there truly is a sound, distant, from the forest. It sounds like a wolf. Yes, a wolf, but it's far away.
  
  > look at the nut
  A purple nut from the deformed bushes in the hall of severance. It is deep purple and hosts a number of sharp thorns.
  
  > Go east
  Wasteland (By the Circle of Stones)
  This is the southeastern corner of the field of despair. The forbidden forest is nearly all around her. West, northwest, and north takes her out. The ground sinks into a large hole, a bowl more than fifty paces across, in the ground, edged by crevices and uneven ridges. A broken land. Once at the bottom, the rest of the field is out of sight.
  
  A stone circle is laid out on the ground.
  
  There is a fire inside the ring of stones, blasting out heat and light. Shadows cast by the stones stretch out from the circle. Their wavering tips caress the ragged ground where it begins to ascend to the plane above.
  
  A black plaque lies near the center of the fire pit.
  "What should I do?"
  
  > Go east
  The forbidden forest stands guard above the rim of the bowl she is in. She can get back to the field by going north, west, or northwest.
  
  > Go north
  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.
  
  > Go east
  There is nothing ahead but swirling dust, a hot wind, and the mist beyond. She turns away.
  "Master?"
  
  > Go north
  There is nothing ahead but all that fog, hiding everything. She takes a few steps in that direction, but turns back.
  
  > go south
  Wasteland (By the Circle of Stones)
  This is the southeastern corner of the field of despair. The forbidden forest is nearly all around her. West, northwest, and north takes her out. The ground sinks into a large hole, a bowl more than fifty paces across, in the ground, edged by crevices and uneven ridges. A broken land. Once at the bottom, the rest of the field is out of sight.
  
  A stone circle is laid out on the ground.
  
  There is a fire inside the ring of stones, blasting out heat and light. Shadows cast by the stones stretch out from the circle. Their wavering tips caress the ragged ground where it begins to ascend to the plane above.
  
  A black plaque lies near the center of the fire pit.
  Lornedei frowns. She seems to be listening.
  And there truly is a sound, distant, from the forest. It sounds like someone crying. An abandoned cry of loneliness.
  
  > walk through fire
  The heat forces her back.
  
  > Pray
  She does. Every night. You taught her well.
  Lornedei bites on a nail.
  A dry black leaf falls to the ground next to her. A gust of wind catches it and carries it away.
  
  > Heal fire
  Healing drains too much power. That would be a waste.
  
  > throw the dirt on the fire
  She needs to be holding the ground before she can put it on top of something else.
  "What should I do?"
  
  > take the dirt
  Lornedei picks up a handful of dry soil. Frowning, she lets it scatter. Lornedei moves a strand of hair from her face and puts it behind her ear.
  
  > Inventory
  Lornedei's magic is currently at 376.
  Lornedei is carrying:
  a large black beetle (Airing out its shell 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
  
  > examine the spider
  She can't quite see what it looks like as long as it's trapped inside the lamp. She'll have to free it somehow.
  Lornedei shakes her foot to get rid of a painful stone from her sandal.
  
  > throw the ball into the fire
  Lornedei throws the fairy lamp into the fire. There is a loud whistling and the fire grows. After a short while, a crystal spider comes crawling out of the flames and the fire returns to normal.
  
  The spider stops for a moment between the fire and the boulder closest to Lornedei.
  It bobs up and down a couple of times as if working the stiffness out of its long legs, then it sprints out of the pit. The spider stops at her feet, turns around once and curls itself up into a ball.
  
  [Your holiness has just gone up by five.]
  
  > examine the spider
  It's a large spider made of crystal. It has curled up as if either dead or sleeping most of the time. It is hard to tell which. It gives off a cold sparkling light and has a pair of multi facetted eyes. Oddly enough, the eyes seem both beady and shifty. No matter from where it is observed, it seems to glare suspiciously. She will have to touch the spider to examine it further. That is, if it will let her.
  Lornedei shakes her foot to get rid of a painful stone from her sandal.
  
  > touch the spider
  Lornedei reaches for the spider and it actually lets her investigate. She carefully holds one leg and the spider lets her flex it experimentally before resolutely pulling it away from her. The spider is cold and strangely flexible. It seems to be able to appear as hard as the crystal it is at will, just to move around like any other spider the next moment. It is however staring suspiciously at her, wondering what this touchy feely thing is all about.
  
  > take spider
  The spider reluctantly steps up on her hand.
  
  [Your holiness has just gone up by five.]
  
  > look at the boulder
  The circle is almost ten paces wide. Inside the edging of boulders, the ground sinks further down, into another bowl. This one is smooth and perfectly round.
  
  > enter Circle
  Lornedei glances questioningly at the circle of stones. That is not something that she can enter.
  Lornedei bites on a nail.
  
  > look at the plaque
  (the small black plaque)
  The plaque is too close to the flames, she cannot get near it without setting herself on fire.
  Lornedei bites on a nail.
  
  > examine the baked berry
  "I can smell nothing here but dust Master. The air is dead and dry."
  
  She can't find anything like that. Are you sure it's here?
  
  > check your inventory
  Lornedei's magic is currently at 376.
  Lornedei is carrying:
  A crystal spider with shifty, beady eyes (Curled up acting dead at
  the moment.)
  a large black beetle (Fluffing up its wings 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 small gray plaque
  a leather rucksack (being worn)
  a purple nut with thorns
  a piece of cheese
  Lornedei glances up at you, uncertain.
  
  > look at Circle
  The circle is almost ten paces wide. Inside the edging of boulders, the ground sinks further down, into another bowl. This one is smooth and perfectly round.
  
  > read the plaque
  (the small black plaque)
  It's a totally black round plaque. It is small enough to fit in Lornedei's palm. The smooth stone is of a kind that Lornedei has never seen. A strange picture is carved on one side. It looks like a flying insect of some sort, with a giant tree in the background.
  Lornedei shakes her foot to get rid of a painful stone from her sandal.
  
  > take it
  As you wish.
  Lornedei is waiting for your command.
  
  [Your holiness has just gone up by five.]
  
  > Black
  Nothing happens.