03 | what will you do?

[elevelvetor]

good morning, Retrospec.
today, i'm hosting a choose-your-own-adventure... adventure!
if you would like to play, simply read the rest of my post and reply with your action; i shall supplement all details.
if you don't wish to, then simply keep scrolling.
thank you.
now, without further ado...

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Night has fallen on the sleepy seaside town of Willin' Wisp. The full moon casts her ethereal light on the cobblestone pavement and rough, shanty houses of the area you're in. Once famed for being a rich fishing town, Willin' Wisp has largely fallen into disrepair in the last fifteen years. Those that could fix it do not, enjoying their time eating rare, tropical fish imported from the capital of Helena instead. The town is staying afloat, but only just by the skin of its teeth, thanks to its oil business.

You are standing outside of the town's most famous tavern, though "most famous" makes it sound a little more glorious than simply "the only tavern in town." Inside the tavern, people shout and cheer and are generally incredibly loud, contrasting with the dead quiet that litters the streets.

There are exits to the south, east, and west of you. To the south is the tavern. To the east is one half of Mulberry Lane, which leads to the cemetery, the church, and the docks, where the oil businesses run their businesses. To the west is the rest of Mulberry Lane, which leads to the market, an area that is genuinely booming during the day.

What will you do?

Comments

[compendiem]

> Equip Staff of the Adder and pendant
> Take Bones' sign
> Leave tavern and head west to market

[elevelvetor]

You equip the Staff of the Adder, as well as the protective pendant. You cut quite the dashing figure now, which is important for all adventurers! Bones loyally follows after you as you leave the tavern. The din quiets as you exit, disappearing completely as you make your way to market uninterrupted...

The market is deserted, as it should be at this time of night. Stalls are empty caricatures of their usual selves, with rope and signs that read "CLOSED" hanging from them. Shops line the large plaza area as well, and like the stalls, most of them are closed -- however, off on the south side of the market, one of them is lit up. Perhaps it's open.

You stand at the east entrance of the market; if you continue straight through, you'll read the west entrance of it. If you take a right, you'll go to the north entrance, which will eventually lead you to the northern gate of Willin' Wisp -- the only way out of town, aside from taking a ship at the docks. Going left will bring you to the south entrance, which follows Main Street to the Mayor's house. It's also where the dubiously open shop is located.

[compendiem]

> Head left towards the south, keeping a lookout for anything left behind that can be scavenged

[elevelvetor]

You make your way left towards the south end of the market, keeping an eye out for anything you can take. Most of the market seems to be littered in trash and leftovers -- food people have dropped, wrappers, and so on and so forth, however... between your diligent study of the area and your eyes adjusting to the dim lighting brought by the moon, you spot something quite valuable looking.

Someone has mistakenly left a pair of earrings on their stall; judging by the way it's partially hidden by some rough-looking fabric, they simply missed it picking up earlier. The earrings have a strange sort of glow to them that ebbs in the moonlight, and as you draw closer to them, you can see they're made of silver and decorated with sapphires.

Are you going to pick them up?

[compendiem]

> Fill inventory with leftover food, wrappers, so on and so forth. I can find a use for these. I will also pilfer the earrings.

[elevelvetor]

Like some sort of terrible packrat, you collect everything your gaze alights on. However... the moment you touch the earrings, you feel wind whip about you. Instinctively you cover your eyes, and when the wind finally settles, you lower your arm.

The landscape before you is a sprawling, glittering land of ice and snow. It crunches beneath your feet as you shift in place, taking it in. Despite the sun now hanging high in the sky, it's not very warm. Bones has thankfully come with you, and he whines as he realizes you're not in Kansas Willin' Wisp any longer.

However, your inventory and your pilfered trash seems to have come with you. The earrings are in your hand as well, though their glow has dimmed considerably... or perhaps it's simply hard to see in the sunlight. Regardless, you're now nowhere you recognize. All around you is icy plain, though to the north-east there appears to be some sort of tall, mountainous structure with smoke curling out of it.

[compendiem]

> Build a snow cairn to mark my current position
> Head towards the smoke while leaving a trail of breadcrumb trash