The War for the Rose: Book One Complete

[Cadorean]

Yeah, that's true, but it'll attempt to sway Hiding towards the Masked unfairly. That's the only faction "worth joining" represented in there, because like hell there'll be any Knives.

Meh. Go to the medical ship. Piss on Crushing's leg. Join the Knives. Watch Poodles P. McFustercluck arrive.

[DS Piron]

...Then what are we doing about the bloody nose?

> Get to the choppa ship.

[mellifluousMastermind]

>Go to the ship, but don't decide which faction to align with yet, if that's okay.

[absoluteCertainty]

go team masked!! don't fuck over your family by choosing the other options!! woooooooooooooo~~

[alexthewhite]

It seems to me the medical ship/base camp is the "go here if no more questions" option. I wager the final choice will be made from there.

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Was it really that hard to figure out?

You board the medical ship, which is airborne minutes later. Out of the corner of your eye, you see Whispering Dune considering coming over to talk to you, but he decides against it.

You're kind of glad. You want to be left alone at the moment.

THREE HOURS LATER...

You've been sitting here for about...mmm, twenty minutes.

Your face hurts. They put this huge bandage over your nose so it could set, but all you feel like it does is make it hard to breathe and talk. You've been in two battles today, and now you're tired. You want to take this stupid set of armor off and sleep for eight or nine hours.

The barracks are quiet. The Mudmen prisoners are still here under guard, but the majority of the Spire, Rose, and Sage forces are off finishing off the resistance on the waterfront gate. Lord Sandstone's surrender occurred less than an hour ago. As a show of goodwill, he's leading a ground force to fight against the men on the gate. The men there are blacktongues, which means death is the only solution.

Once the battle is finished, Sandstone and a hundred other Mudmen will be put on trial. Most of them will hang.

You hear walking from behind you, and turn to look. It's Falling Spire.

FALLING SPIRE: Hello.

HIDING SPIRE: Hi. What are you doing here?

FALLING SPIRE: Quite a few wounded after the battle. I've been helping. Still too fragile to lift a ship, I've been told.

HIDING SPIRE: Mmm. What are you doing here?

FALLING SPIRE: No reason, really. Saying goodbye, if necessary.

HIDING SPIRE: I think somebody is coming.

You look up at the wall, where a pair of black-clad figures have just climbed over, out of sight of the sparse guards on the gates. Gracefully, the two figures leap down and walk over to you.

ZULFIQAR: Hiding Spire. That was easier than I thought'd be.

DHULIFIQAR: Second time I've broken into this camp.

It hits you, suddenly.

HIDING SPIRE: You're the Knife I met that night.

DHULIFIQAR: I am. First I was going to kill you. Now I'm here to retrieve you. Funny how that works, isn't it?

FALLING SPIRE: What makes you so certain she's coming with you?

DHULIFIQAR: Ten Knives wants her. And Ten Knives gets what she wants.

FALLING SPIRE: I'd recommend you not take her by force.

ZULFIQAR: Do you plan to stop us, priest?

FALLING SPIRE: This priest doesn't plan to stop you. This Spire does. Because if you kidnap his little sister, he will raise his banners and rain fire down onto your heads. I will bring force so overwhelming against you that the Knives will cease to be. Every one of you, from your lowest member to your beloved Ten Knives, will die at the hands of a Spire gunship, Spire blade, or Spire noose.

DHULIFIQAR: Peace, Lord Spire. We are not here to kidnap Hiding Spire, only to retrieve her if she is willing to come.

CRUSHING FORCE: Wow, I have something in common with a Knife.

Crushing Force and Whispering Dune walk over on your left side. Dune nods slightly at Zulfiqar, who blinks a greeting back.

CRUSHING FORCE: Five ship is prepped and ready, Hiding Spire. We're ready to leave when you are.

FALLING SPIRE: And if she doesn't want to come?

CRUSHING FORCE: Then Dune and I will be on our way. But Hiding Spire is coming with us, isn't she?

ZULFIQAR: Hiding Spire, don't listen to that Masked fellow. Come with us. Ten Knives is expecting you.

CRUSHING FORCE: I'm a lady, whelp. Call me a fellow again and you'll be one, too.

ZULFIQAR: Gods, am I anxious for the day that I'm strong enough to bury my blade into the throats of people like you. For now, I'll settle for stealing your prize from you.

FALLING SPIRE: Enough. Hiding Spire is not a prize, nor is she a bargaining chip. She is a person, and this decision is hers to make. What will it be, Hiding Spire? Will you stay with us, your family? Will you go with Crushing Force to try and become a member of the Masked? Or will you go with these Knives?

You sigh, then stand up.

HIDING SPIRE: Thank you, Falling Spire. I've spent most of today thinking about what I was going to do. It wasn't an easy choice. But, I've decided that I am going to go with...

[Cadorean]

Walk over to Crushing and Dune. Give Dune the most passionate kiss you can muster, then head over to the Knives.

[OnBackorder]

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So this is what happens when I'm gone. All the lords get killed, Hiding has a bloody nose, Anas is rewarded for treason, and yuns discuss priesthood. Amazing.

Stay with your family.

[mellifluousMastermind]

Here it is! I'm so excited!

It wasn't easy for me to decide how to vote, but...

>Hiding: Forge your own path, with the family you hold so dear. You are no one's puppet today.

[alexthewhite]

Spires: KoffieinBlik, DS Piron, MagusBlack, OnBackOrder, mellifluousMastermind, Pvt. Prinny, Drakon, FeelingsofDisorientation, absoluteCertainty (9)
Knives: 001, askia, Ganelon, Cadorean, destinysWalrus, Auraboks (6)

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As you can see by an informal chart I put together, it looks to be a two-horse race between Spires and Knives. I found that a little odd; for what it's worth, Masked is my preferred option. Especially considering how poorly the Spires were doing a while ago...

I'll give you all a couple days to read, gestate, and argue before I accept a final tally. I am also considering removing the least popular of the three options from the equation so people who voted for that can at the very least have their second choice.

There is quite a lot to every option, but the question here is one of where Hiding Spire's loyalties lie. Is she loyal to herself, leaving behind her commitments and the chance for glory to seek personal gain and freedom? Then she should go for the Knives. Is she loyal to her family, sacrificing greatness and freedom for loyalty and duty? Then she should go for the Spires. Or is she loyal to her country, setting aside her freedom and family while putting herself in great danger for an opportunity at glory, greatness, and heroism? Then she should go for the Masked.

The decision is yours.

[destinysWalrus]

I've been reading this for a while, not sure how I found it to start with, and this will probably be my only post for this.

I have no mind for strategy or this sort of thing really, but for what it's worth, I say pick the Knives.

*resumes lurking*

[absoluteCertainty]

well... if she's loyal to her family she should go with the masked anyway, because it will make the king happier with her family. :v
sometimes you must sacrifice what you want for what is best for others
this is one of those times

[Pvt. Prinny]

Except for the part where you might have to kill some of them one day.
The way I see it, the Knives and the Masked are actually pretty much the same as far as this decision goes: they're both dangerous, feared groups in direct service to a powerful and uncaring warlord. Whatever benefits are given to the family by joining the Masked are probably counterbalanced by the fact they'd lose a skilled silent walker with combat experience as a daughter.
Then again, if Crushing is standing there, than joining the Knives is actually a worse idea than it would normally be, because she could report that the Spire family now has a traitorous bandit directly to the king. Who knows how awful the king would make things for her family if he heard that? If she cares at all about her family, she probably shouldn't join up with the Knives.
I'll throw my vote in for the Spires. No matter how badly-off they are, and no matter who we may leave behind, we can help our family more by being there and being dangerous than we can by putting in a good word with the king. Besides, I want to hear about Hiding's mother.

[Ganelon]

I've already voted and it's not like I can come in to suggest anything at this point, but I can't help but comment on this all the same. Alex, I commend you for making a set of choices which, for the most part, accurately reflect the thought processes of the people making them. It's clear from these descriptions that the people voting for the Spires are thinking about Hiding's family while the people voting for the Knives are thinking entirely about her. It's more than I'd ever let myself expect from a reader-driven story, but exactly the sort of thing that you could never pull off with another medium. Very impressive indeed.

[alexthewhite]

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As the race is still very close, I am going to keep it going for a couple more days with a new caveat.

The Masked have been withdrawn as a choice. The decision is between the Spires and the Knives.

[Drakon]

Switching to spire then.

[Auraboks]

Hiding Spire is a murderin' machine. Sure, we'll still get to kill people if we go for Spire, but being gleeful about it would most certainly be inappropriate. Not to mention all the other shenanigans we might want to get up to. Murderseducing people and launching them from catapults (for example) would reflect poorly on the whole family! And you know people won't be able to stop themselves from suggesting stuff like that.

For your own sake, and your family's, go with the Knives.

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'Sup. I just registered to vote here. It's been a good read, and I expect it will continue to be no matter the result.

[FeelingsofDisorientation]

Whoo! Finally caught up! This is a nice thing you have going here, keep it up!

Anyway, I sort of wanted to go with the Masked; but since that's no longer a choice, I say go with the Spires. I might have it wrong, but I can't see Hiding betraying her family like that

[absoluteCertainty]

bluagh i have to be on team spire team
piss off all of the people, with none of the honour!

[alexthewhite]

My current preference is nontheless the Spires, with the Knives (reluctantly) as the runners-up. The Masked can go die in a fire.

Stay with your family.

Voting for the Spires.

I also vote... for Spire for now, although, perhaps Crushing should be asked if you'll ever see your family, or ever be Hiding Spire ever again...

>Hiding: Forge your own path, with the family you hold so dear. You are no one's puppet today.

Switching to spire then.

I'll throw my vote in for the Spires. No matter how badly-off they are, and no matter who we may leave behind, we can help our family more by being there and being dangerous than we can by putting in a good word with the king. Besides, I want to hear about Hiding's mother.

Anyway, I sort of wanted to go with the Masked; but since that's no longer a choice, I say go with the Spires. I might have it wrong, but I can't see Hiding betraying her family like that :befuddled:

bluagh i have to be on team spire team
piss off all of the people, with none of the honour!

HIDING SPIRE: I am going to go with my brother. I have no intentions of leaving Tritower, or my family, behind.

DHULIFIQAR: Well, I just lost a forty-gold bet.

ZULFIQAR: Depressing. Hulta will be upset about your decision. Goodbye, Hiding Spire. The next time I see you, I will kill you.

The Knives back away into the darkness and are out of view in a matter of seconds.

You walk over to Dune and pull him into a hug. He's taken by surprise, but after a moment, hugs you back.

HIDING SPIRE: I'm sorry.

WHISPERING DUNE: Me too.

CRUSHING FORCE: No, actually, you aren't. Get her off of you, trainee.

To your surprise, you feel a pair of strong hands wrench your hands off of your back, and Dune pushes you back. You rub your wrists and stare at your friend, who has cast his eyes to the ground.

CRUSHING FORCE: The trainee has already joined the Masked, and has renounced his name. You have insulted the crown, House Spire. We will not forget this slight. See you on the fields of Honit.

Force turns around, and the young man who once called himself Whispering Dune follows her after a moment. Force stops for a moment, but doesn't turn to face you.

CRUSHING FORCE: Oh, and tell Setting Sun that our offer still stands.

The two of them are gone a second later. You watch them go, and then watch as a Spire five-ship lifts itself into the air and heads north, out of the city.

Falling Spire walks up to you.

FALLING SPIRE: You chose...poorly. The crown will make things rather difficult for us now, and who knows what Ten Knives will try.

HIDING SPIRE: Bring it on. I'm not scared of the king, and I'm not scared of Ten Knives. She wants my knife? She can have it. I'll get it back.

FALLING SPIRE: If we don't all die in the war with Honit. But, considering you're here with us...I believe we stand a pretty good chance.

HIDING SPIRE: Then bring on the Honitians, too. Bring on the Avalians and the Reegans and the Etonsians and, y'know what, let's invite the Ornegians, too. Bring on the Northern lords and the Southern lords, the First Five Families and the lesser lords. Bring on the Masked and the Rangers and the Knives. They're no match for us. House Spire prevails.

FALLING SPIRE: Well said. So now what?

HIDING SPIRE: Now? I'm going to bed. I was in two battles today, and lost one of them. You should get some sleep, too.

FALLING SPIRE: That sounds...delightful.

The two of you walk over to your respective tents. You're sleeping among the female soldiers. There are only about sixty of them among the entire Spire army, and all but two of them are out attacking the wall with Laughing Spire.

SPIREWOMAN: Lady Spire.

HIDING SPIRE: No talk. Only sleep now.

You unhook your armor, letting it clatter to the floor. You take off your knife belt, climb into your bunk, and close your eyes.

You then open your eyes, climb back down, grab the knife your father gave you, put it under your pillow, and then lie down and close your eyes.

END OF BOOK ONE.

[Cadorean]

Book two start: (to the tune of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat")

KILL KILL KILL THE MASKED, AND THE KNIVES AS WELL

HONIT CAN GO SUCK ON IT

WE'LL SEND 'EM ALL TO HELL

[mellifluousMastermind]

>Space-Age Future Intermission: Begin.

[OnBackorder]

I agree with mM's intermission idea. Lets get some technology up in here.

or

Hiding: Wake up, baby is crying.

[Cadorean]

Hiding: Wake up, baby is crying.

This

also the song

[alexthewhite]

Epilogue

The chief examiner twiddles his thumbs patiently as he waits for his second to arrive. The stable boy gives him a suspicious look, but moves on after a minute or two. The pub is quiet, with only three other patrons at the moment.

The door opens, and a tall, spindly man walks in. The page. His face is obscured by a black hood, and on his belt is a long, serrated blade. He spots the table that the first is sitting at and walks over, sitting down and folding his gloved hands.

PAGE: The Emperor survives.

CHIEF EXAMINER: And so does the world.

PAGE: For how long?

CHIEF EXAMINER: I cannot say. Shorter than I'd like if the enemy is allowed to persist.

PAGE: Then Blade and Bow failed?

CHIEF EXAMINER: We know the enemy has escaped Southflight. We can presume them dead. I suppose we will have to send in more teams of Surgeons.

PAGE: Are you saying you've located the enemy?

CHIEF EXAMINER: No, but I've dispatched my Examiners. They will find it.

PAGE: I see. What is my message?

CHIEF EXAMINER: I require no less than thirty more teams of Surgeons, firstly. Step up production if necessary. The escape of the enemy from the Ovellian is one of the largest catastrophes ever to befall the Empire since the discovery of the enemy itself.

PAGE: I will request it of Onyx. What else?

CHIEF EXAMINER: War between the sky-worshipers and the frost-worshipers will be an excellent situation for the enemy to spread his strength. We must avert war between them.

PAGE: Is that even possible?

CHIEF EXAMINER: No. We will have to settle for a delay. I am going to place my resources in motion. I ask that the Chief Examiner of the frost-worshipers be ordered to do the same. Only if we work in collaboration can we hope to substantively delay the war.

PAGE: Do you believe we will be able to do it in time?

CHIEF EXAMINER: No. The enemy is elusive and powerful. Now that the initial team of surgeons has failed, every passing day will make capturing it exponentially more difficult. With the full cooperation of the Chief Examiner of the frost-worshipers and the swift, decisive motion of the Surgeons, I anticipate a delay of...three years.

PAGE: So long. You say that we cannot capture the enemy in that time?

CHIEF EXAMINER: I hope we can, but no, I do not think it feasible. Thus, we must prepare for our most desperate of contingencies.

PAGE: ...A cleansing?

CHIEF EXAMINER: Yes. But I speak of measures even more extreme. Should three years pass and we fail to capture the enemy...

PAGE: Yes?

CHIEF EXAMINER: I do not think there will be any choice but to reveal ourselves to the sand-worshipers and the frost-worshipers.

PAGE: Sir, it has been centuries. You cannot possibly mean-

CHIEF EXAMINER: Our secrecy is second to only one thing, and that is the capture and containment of the enemy. If we can preserve both, then it would be worth a million lives. But if an ocean of blood cannot buy our secrecy, we must sacrifice it.

PAGE: I understand, sir. Is there anything else?

CHIEF EXAMINER: Yes. Sit and drink with me. You have a long, difficult ride tomorrow.

PAGE: Yes, sir.

CHIEF EXAMINER: The Emperor survives.

PAGE: Then so does the world.

[alexthewhite]

Thank you all for reading and suggesting for this adventure.

The tale of Hiding Spire is far from over, but I'm going to take a brief hiatus from this adventure. Say, a month or so. In the meantime, I have a few tasks for you guys.

1. About halfway through this adventure, I switched the text format from traditional ("the dialogue in quotes," you say) to a simpler chatty style (HIDING SPIRE: The dialogue like this.) I've developed something of a love-hate relationship for it, and will be switching back to the former for Book Two. That is, unless you all find one style preferable to another. Now would be a good time to give me feedback on that.

2. Actually, strike that. Feedback on every aspect of the adventure would be nice. What did you like? What didn't you like? What would you like to see more of? What would you like to see less of? All feedback is welcome, but I'd really appreciate constructive criticism. I wasn't always satisfied with how I was writing this adventure, and I would like Book Two to be something I can be more proud of without any sort of baggage.

3. Over this story, I introduced numerous elements and games for you all to play. The convincing sequences (too many to list,) the squad-based tactical combat (when Setting Sun led the Granitemen to the waterfront to fly to Palegarden,) the full-scale military conflicts (The Spires, Roses, and Sages vs. the Mudmen,) the stealth/combat missions (like Hiding Spire and Crushing Force sneaking into the Mudmen camp to poison their water,) the extended fights (Hiding Spire fighting Hulta and later Anas,) and the political game the lords play (Hiding Spire drumming up support to stop Obsidian from killing the peasants.) I used all of these, and now you guys will tell me which you thought were fun or interesting, which you thought were dull or boring, and which you thought were too long and should be trimmed down but still used. This will help me determine what sort of content Book Two will contain.

3. I've also been debating trying to get an artist for this adventure. While I rather like being the second biggest text adventure on this forum (oh, yeah, did I mention that War for the Rose is the second biggest text adventure on the forum? That's incredibly shocking and amazing to me,) I feel like I'll reach a wider audience with some pretty pictures. I've made only cursory efforts to find an artist up until now, but if you all think it's a good idea, I can step up my search...or abandon it completely. You tell me.

Once again, thanks for reading. I'll see you all in book two.