Scrib Lyfe

You come home to your tree. You haven't seen your brother all day, and you wonder where he is. You see a note hanging from an adjacent branch. [[read note]] [[take a nap]]

"got hungry for mushrooms. be back soon." You look out the window. The sun is setting. [[go and look for Jampy]] [[raid the fridge]]

You wake up from an epic nap, only to realize that Jampy is still not back. [[go and look for Jampy]] [[raid the fridge]]

You head out to Jampy's favorite mushroom patch. Upon arrival, you feel a chill run down your spine. You scan the area and see you see a small, pitch-black hole in the middle of the patch. [[jump into the hole]] [[Jampy can fend for himself. Go back home.]]

You scarf down the leftovers in the fridge. Your eyelids start to get heavy, and you wonder why. You then realize the berries you'd eaten were sleepy berries. Unable to keep your eyes open any longer, you fall asleep on the spot. ... You awaken to the sound of the door squeaking open. Sunlight streams through the windows, and you realize you've slept through the night. You turn toward the sound of approaching footsteps and see... a ghost! [[jump out the window and run away]] [[take a closer look at the ghost]]

You fall for what feels like an eternity. Luckily a nice trampoline breaks your fall. You have now entered the Underworld. [[take a look around]]

You head back home intending to take another nap. You tell yourself you deserve it. After all, it's your day off from collecting and bottling Negativity. Speaking of, you remember that you still need to give Elder Price the Negativity you've gathered this week. On your way home, you run into a scariest demon-creature you've ever seen. The last thing you see is its cold, reptilian eyes as it swallows you whole. In the afterlife you reunite with Jampy, who is now the proud owner of a mushroom patch that he has grown all by himself.

You decide to run away. You stop abruptly though, realizing that Jampy may have come home at some point while you were asleep. [[head back to your tree]] [[go seek out the village elder]]

You fear no scrib, corporeal or otherwise. You approach the ghost, staring into its dark, empty eyes. You realize suddenly that this ghost looks just like Jampy. It is Jampy! [[ask Jampy what happened to him]] [[decide it's all a nightmare and go back to sleep]]

You live out the rest of your life without a brother and single as a pringle, yet you pass on with a smile on your lips as you reminisce about all of the good and the bad times you've shared with your other scrib friends. In the afterlife you reunite with Jampy, who is now the proud owner of a mushroom patch that he has grown all by himself.

You go to Elder Price's house and tell him about Jampy's disappearance and the ghost at your tree. He looks at you with benevolent but obviously disbelieving eyes. "My dear, please have a seat. There is no need to worry. I am sure Jampy is fine. And this 'ghost' you saw must have been a trick of the light." He chuckles. "After all, there are no such things as ghosts. Now run along, my dear, go and play with your other scrib friends. The day is young!" You frown as Elder Price ushers you out the door. Something feels off. [[stand at the doorstep torn with indecision]] [[go find your friends]]

Jampy gives you a mournful stare. Then he howls, a howl full of despair and agony. You cover your ears, but it does little to drown out the sound. After what feel like an eternity, he stops and coughs, as if to clear his throut. "Sorry," he says, "Had somethin' stuck in me throat." "But Jampy, what happened to you?" you ask incredulously. "Not sure. There I was, eatin' me mushrooms then a gapin' hole opened up in the middle of me mushroom patch, and it ate me! It's all a wee bit fuzzy what happened after. There was another scrib, and boyo he sure was angry. Spitin' fire, he was. He made some hand-wavey motions and alla sudden, I didn't feel too good. He started yellin', but I wasn't payin' much attention to what he was goin' on about. Then he kicked me out back into me mushroom patch. And now I'm here." [["Oh no Jampy! How can I fix this?" you ask desperately. ]]

You wake up a few hours later. Jampy is nowhere to be seen. You start to wonder if your nightmare wasn't actually a nightmare. Days pass and Jampy remains missing. The other scribs offer their condolences. Then a curious thing starts to happen. As the days go on, Jampy begins to slip from your mind. A week after his disappearance, you can't remember his name. Soon you cannot recall his face. There are times when you don't even remember that you had a brother, or why you had felt so heartsick earlier. You wonder if some kind of sorcery is affecting your thoughts, but you quickly dismiss the outlandish idea. You continue on with your life and soon, as if by some kind of magic, you forget all about Jampy.

A few mintutes pass, and suddenly you start to hear voices coming from Elder Price's window. You sneak in closer to hear better. "I told you, none of the captured scribs can ever be allowed escape! Believe me, another slip like that and you will be the next sacrifice!" says Elder Price. [[continue eavesdropping]]

You find your friends, who are playing a game called "The Scrib Life." It's a really cool game. [[tell them about what you overheard]] [[keep quiet]]

Elder Price walks out his door and spots you immediately. "Grab her! Do not let her escape!" he cries. You gasp at the sight of a massive demon-creature coming straight for you. [[run away!]] [[uncap the bottle of Negativity that you have in your pocket. throw it at the demon, then run away.]]

You run off as fast as your cute little scrib feet can take you. You don't get far before the demon catches up and devours you whole. Later on the demon gets a very upset stomach and throws up. Unfortunately you've already been digested and are still dead.

You fling Negativity at the demon but it seems to have no bad effects. The demon's eyes glow. If anything, it looks even more menacing. And hungrier. You run off as fast as your cute little scrib feet can take you. You don't get far before the demon catches up and devours you whole. Later on the demon gets a very upset stomach and throws up. Unfortunately you've already been digested and are still dead.

You are a scrib, a glorious shimmering creature from Scribland whose existance is meant to keep the world's Negativity from overpowering its Positivity. You do this by bottling up Negativity and giving it to Grand Scrib Elder Price for safekeeping. In the past, scribs were ruled by a king or queen. The last king to rule was cruel, and was overthrown by the common scribs. [[start]]

Really, you thought that would work? You run into a tree. [[run to the mushroom patch]]

You tell your friends everything, but they seem hesitant to believe you. You walk away in a huff, determined to find proof that Elder Price is connected to Jampy's disappearance. [[head back to Elder Price's house]]

The next time you see Elder Price is to hand off the Negativity you've gathered for the week. He regards you with some suspicion and you do your best to look cute and innocent. The days go on. As if by magic, the memory of Jampy fades from your mind, even if Elder Price's words are still fresh in your head. One day, Elder Price invites you into to his house for tea. You never come back out.

"Forgive me, your greatness," says a wheedling voice, "I had only taken my eyes off of that scrib for an instant. I don't know how he was able to pass through the portal. I know you had locked it after I lured him in." "You dare to suggest that this was my fault?!" growls Elder Price. "No! No! I would never, your highness!" "Hmmm, there is only one other scrib who could have unlocked that portal for Jampy-- no it cannot be. He is powerless; I have made certain of that." Elder Price growls. "Come, I must lock the portal once more before another scrib stumbles upon it." You quietly back away from the window, stunned by what you've overheard. You start to think that maybe it's Jampy who was captured. [[fall to the ground, even more frozen with indecision than before]] [[close your eyes, pick a direction, hope it'll lead to this mysterious portal]] [[run to the mushroom patch]]

You peek in through the window and notice that Elder Price and whoever was with him are gone. [[go inside]] [[turn back; breaking and entering isn't your thing]]

You look around. [[open chest labeled PRIVATE DO NOT OPEN]] [[raid Elder Price's fridge]]

It's locked. (if: (history:) contains ("raid Elder Price's fridge")) [ You use the key you found in Elder Price's fridge to open the chest. Inside, you find a dented crown, a rusted septor, and a moth-eaten robe. At the very bottom you see a portrait of what appears to be Elder Price in his younger days, wearing all three of the items (when they were new). You frown, wondering if Elder Price could possibly have been one of the cruel kings of the past. Before you can give it more thought though, you hear the door creak open. [[hide in the chest!]] ] (else:) [ It's locked. ]

There's no food in the fridge, but oddly enough there is a key. You pocket it. (if: (count: (history:), "raid Elder Price's fridge") >1)[You have been here before.]

The chest is much to small for you to fit inside. Elder Price walks in and spots you straight away. His eyes dart to the open chest. He smiles cruelly. "Now Synth, you know better than to look through other scrib's things without permission. I am afraid I cannot let your impudence go unpunished. Tsk, tsk." The last thing you see is the cold, dead eyes of a terrifying demon-creature as it devours you whole.

You walk down the path, which leads to two identical-looking cave entrances. [[go left]] [[go right]] [[whistle a tune. what else can you do?]]

At the end of the cave, you see... a three-headed duck! It's completely tied up and chained to the wall. [[untie the knots]] [[head back]]

As you head toward a turn in the cave, you hear somescrib speak. "What's wrong, Price?" she asks in mocking tone. "Did you miss me so much that--" She comes into view and you're surprised to see that she has wings sprouting out from her back. She's also caged. "You're not Price. I'm Dev L. Who're you?" she asks. [[introduce yourself]]

As you whistle, you hear a flock of ducks quacking angrily from the left cave entrance. From the right cave entrance, you hear somescrib whistling back. [[go left]] [[go right]]

"Dunno. Maybe eat some mushrooms and the answer'll come to ya? Or go find that scrib who yelled at me, maybe he's the one who did this to me." "Oh golly gee wilikers, you think so Jampy?" you ask with a voice dripping with sarcasm. "Yup I do," he responds, nodding sagely. [[decide that Jampy is probably better off wherever it is he's at]] [[run to the mushroom patch]]

Days pass and Jampy remains missing. Then a curious thing starts to happen. As the days go on, Jampy begins to slip from your mind. A week after his disappearance, you can't remember his name. Soon you cannot recall his face. There are times when you don't even remember that you had a brother, or why you had felt so heartsick earlier. You wonder if some kind of sorcery is affecting your thoughts, but you quickly dismiss the outlandish idea. You continue on with your life and soon, as if by some kind of magic, you forget all about Jampy.

The duck(s?) growls as you approach but start to act more friendly when they realize that you are trying to free them. All of the knots at last untied, one of the duck heads gives you a friendly lick before they all waddle out of the cave. [[head back out]]

You're back at two identical-looking cave entrances. [[go left]] [[go right]] [[whistle a tune. what else can you do?]]

You introduce yourself and explain why you're in the Underworld. "I can help you find Jampy if you grab those wire cutters over there and get me out. Oh! And we have to get Cerberduckie out too!" Suddenly you hear footsteps, and Elder Price appears. [[ask if he can help]] [[throw wire cutters at him]]

"Of course Synth. You know that I am alawys there for you." Elder Price smiles kindly. "Demon? You have my permission to eat her." (if: (history: contains) "untie the knots")[ Your heart pounds as a massive demon-creature lopes toward you, a starving gleam in its eyes. All of a sudden, the three-headed duck you'd freed earlier charges in and tackles the demon, knocking it out. "Cerberduckie!" Dev yells from her cage. "Get Price! Sit on him-- don't let him get away!" [[watch as Cerberduckie does as Dev says]] ] [[stay in place, frozen and confused]]

You throw the wire cutters at Elder Price, knocking him out. You then free Dev L., who reveals that she is the ruler of the Underworld. Grateful for your help, she dubs you co-ruler, enabling you to go find and rescue Jampy. You learn that Price had been using Negativity to control Underworld creatures, and that he had planned to become ruler of the universe. He mentions something about wanting to bring back the "good old days." You wonder what he is talking about. THE END (if: (history: contains) "open the chest")[ You throw the wire cutters at Elder Price, knocking him out. You then free Dev L., who reveals that she is the ruler of the Underworld. Grateful for your help, she dubs you co-ruler, enabling you to go find and rescue Jampy. You learn that Price had been using Negativity to control Underworld creatures, and that he had planned to become ruler of the universe. He mentions something about wanting to bring back the "good old days." The words resonate within you, as if a past life had found a chest in Price's house full of clues. You don't think too hard about it. THE END ]

The last thing you see is the cold, dead eyes of a terrifying demon-creature as it devours you whole.

You ask Elder Price, who is secure under Cerberduckie's rear, why he would go through such lengths to... do whatever he was doing. You learn that he had been using Negativity to control Underworld creatures, and that he had planned to become ruler of both Scribland and the Underworld. He mentions something about wanting to bring back the good old days. You free Dev L. from the cage and she reveals that she is the real ruler of the Underworld. Grateful for your help, she dubs you co-ruler, enabling you to go find and rescue Jampy. THE END

You're back at the two caves' entrances. [[go right]]