The Spire

[ObstinateMessenger]

Your eyes are closed, but a bright light shines through the lids and turns the darkness red.

You feel warm on one side, and a coarse, gritty, but welcoming sensation. You take a moment to pull forth a good word for it... sand. On your other side is an equally warm sensation, but more open, somehow. You call it... air.

You hear a strange sound, though it's muted on the side with the sand. The words come faster, now, entering your mind like flashes of lightning. Wind. Sun. Salt. Seabirds.

You are lying on your side on a beach, the wind carrying the smell of salt and fish up to you. The sun is beating on your back, but it feels good; not too hot yet.

Another word enters your consciousness, but it flits around, vague and half-thought. It is your... name. What is your name?

[Roselalonde]

> Abby P. Moreau.

The P stands for Perrin.

Or just Perrin if you want one name.

[Grug]

> Yannel

[Whimbrel]

Drift

[ObstinateMessenger]

> Abby P. Moreau.

The P stands for Perrin.

Or just Perrin if you want one name.

> Yannel

Drift

Several times you think you have the name, only for it to slip out of your grasp, leaving just a fragment behind. This one is different from the other words, seeming to have a consiousness of it's own. Finally, though, you beleive you have it: Abby Perrin Yannel Moreau. Drift seems to you like a place's name. Maybe you're from there? Abby P. Y. M. of Drift. Yes, you are sure this is it.

> Open your eyes

The beach stretches away from you, a narrow one with cliffs rearing up surprisingly close to the water line. A good distance away, the beach curves out of sight, though you see another spit of land beyond. The sun is straight above, warming the sand, and you're feeling drowsy. Part of you wants to sleep, while another wants to get up and explore. What do you do?

[Whimbrel]

If you sleep now you'll only feel more tired when next you wake. Stand up, see if you have anything with you. The first thing you'll want to do is find a source of potable water. Walk along the beach.

[ObstinateMessenger]

If you sleep now you'll only feel more tired when next you wake. Stand up, see if you have anything with you. The first thing you'll want to do is find a source of potable water. Walk along the beach.

You decide to get moving. It is with somewhat weakened muscles that you push yourself out of the sand and stagger forward a bit before regaining your balance.

You are female, your form currently enclosed by a large square of white, slightly damp cloth wrapped around it, that after a moment you recognize to be a 'robe.' Your arms, shoulders, and head are left open to the chill breeze, though. The sun is slowly inching towards the clifftops, and you realize that soon it's warmth will be gone. You feel hastened, and decide to move on; find... yes, 'shelter.'

You begin to walk along the beach, when a sudden glint shines in your eyes. Buried blade-down in the sand, not far from where you were just lying, is a 'knife.'

[Whimbrel]

Pick up the knife and examine it. Is it new and sharp or dull and rusty, that sort of thing.

[SteelKomodo]

>Pick up the knife and examine it.

[ObstinateMessenger]

Pick up the knife and examine it. Is it new and sharp or dull and rusty, that sort of thing.

>Pick up the knife and examine it.

You pick up the knife. It is made entirely of steel, even the handle, and gleams as though it were newly made. It has a simple crossguard, and the handle ends in a loop. Attached to the loop is a chain made of dozens of extremely fine links that flow through your hand like water. At the end of the chain is a number of charms; a small plate, a pair of chopsticks, a pencil, ect.

Looking more closely at the knife, you see words engraved upon the blade: My first gift...

Who is the gift for? You, or someone else, you wonder. Should you take it with, or leave it for whomever else it may have been intended for?

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Welp, we'll get moving soon enough. I have an overall plan for where this'll go, but how to get there is up to you. Sorry if it feels like I'm railroading right now, but pretty soon things'll open up once I'm done establishing a few things through these more narrow choices.

[Whimbrel]

Take it with you. If you find you don't need it later, you can think about returning it here, but survival takes priority for the moment.

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Sounds good to me~

[ObstinateMessenger]

Take it with you. If you find you don't need it later, you can think about returning it here, but survival takes priority for the moment.

You decide to take it, and as you continue walking, you get the oddest feeling, like you have just successfully avoided a long, drawn-out, rewardless, and frustrating side-quest.

You shake off the sensation and keep walking.

After what seems like ages, you finally reach where the beach curves away behind the cliff. Turning the corner, you find yourself staring at an inlet; the cliffs back up to allow room for a few trees on either side of a river that flows out of a deep gorge. On the other side, the beach continues on; you see some stepping-stones that might let you cross. On the other hand, there are narrow but usable banks on the gorge, and you wonder if that way might lead to civilization... or at least some shelter. Descisions, descicions...

[Whimbrel]

Follow the river, definitely.

[gumbal1]

> Use the stepping stones. If they were put there artificially, then they might lead somewhere. Even if you don't find anyone, some ruins might be nice to explore.

[ObstinateMessenger]

Follow the river, definitely.

> Use the stepping stones. If they were put there artificially, then they might lead somewhere. Even if you don't find anyone, some ruins might be nice to explore.

Struck by indecision, you opt to compromise.

First, you follow the shore into the gorge for a ways. You see little of note; just several shrubs clinging to the bare rock and at one point, a tree that fell and now hangs horizontally halfway down the rock walls, held up by the slopes.

After a while, you return to the shore, and taking the stepping stones across the river. The beach is much the same as where you woke up, though the air is colder and the sun has dissapeared completely behind the cliffs. back at the stepping stones, you contemplate your next move.

[gumbal1]

> Try to start a fire

[Whimbrel]

First gather some sticks, vegetation and similar for feeding the fire. Then make some tinder out of the dryest materials. Take your knife, and see if hitting it on any nearby rocks will cause it to spark. If you get these things, you'll have what you need to make a fire.

[ObstinateMessenger]

> Try to start a fire

First gather some sticks, vegetation and similar for feeding the fire. Then make some tinder out of the dryest materials. Take your knife, and see if hitting it on any nearby rocks will cause it to spark. If you get these things, you'll have what you need to make a fire.

Another new word occurs to you; warmth. The association brings up Fire; and you quickly go about trying to figure out how to make one. Finally, some branches and a rock later, you have a small, smoky, fire going. It's not great, but it's something, and you huddle close to it as you ponder what to do now.

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sorry about the short update today; kinda pressed for time.

[Whimbrel]

((S'alright))

Are you tired?

[gumbal1]

> Behold your surroundings in the new light

[ObstinateMessenger]

> Behold your surroundings in the new light

You look around. Though the sun is still up, as indicated by the blue sky over the water, it has become like... like twilight down here. Now the fire throws a smoky half-light among the branches of the trees you've sheltered among, making strange shapes stand out and recede. You don't feel entirely comfortable here, but it's relatively safe.

Are you tired?

After walking around all day, you're in the mood for a nap. You curl up by the fire, close your eyes, and sleep.

> Dream

A sword shines before you, hanging in darkness. But when you reach out to touch it, you find a strong force pulling you back. You try to run towards it, but it only recedes. A wet sensation on your arms startles you. Looking down, you see they are covered in cuts that ooze more blood than seems possible, staining your robes a deep red. It spills out and fills the void, until all you can see is red.

> Awaken

You awake to find that it is night. The fire is out, and your arms feel wet. You remember your dream and panic, but you soon realize it is only the tide, having come up to the base of the cliff. You splash to your feet, ignoring your now-soaked robes, and look around. The whole beach and the riverbanks are flooded, the stepping-stones buried in the churning current. An intense orange glow shines through the trees, coming from the ocean.

[Whimbrel]

Investigate the glow--don't go too far out, and be careful not to get caught by a riptide!

[ObstinateMessenger]

(apologies for the lack of updates; I have something special planned for the next one. >)

(EDIT: This is going slow and not turning out as impressive as I wanted, so I may have to just go with a more simple thing. I'm getting there, though!)