Gregor 3 Final

Thank you for playing my game!(set:$plays to 4) (set:$listens to 0) (link-reveal:"What should I call you? A first name is just fine...")[ (set:$name to (prompt:"What is your name?"))(goto:"Ready?")]

(if:$name is "")[(set:$name to (prompt:"What is your name?"))(goto:"Ready?")]Awesome! Hi, $name. Just a few things before we get started. 1. This story is part three of a four-part story. While you don't //need// to have played the previous installments to enjoy this one, it might give you some nice background information. (link:"Here")[(open-url:"http://www.thecrimson.com/column/little-tall-tales/article/2016/10/4/tall-tales-gregor/")] is the first installment, and (link:"here")[(open-url:"http://www.thecrimson.com/column/little-tall-tales/article/2016/10/18/gregor-part-ii/")] is the second. 2. (link:"Here is some suggested listening.")[(open-url:"https://youtu.be/5c1RDalpXuA?t=49s")] 3. Do you feel [[ready to play,|Trapped!]] or do you want to know some [[quick tips|Quick Tips]] about playing interactive fiction?

This kind of interactive fiction (a.k.a text-adventures/choice-of games/choose-your-own adventures) is super easy but hopefully also super fun! It's just like reading a normal story, but ''YOU'' get to influence how the story plays out. Sometimes you'll decide the actions of characters, and sometimes you'll decide things the characters have to deal with throughout their narratives. You can do this by clickin' on these here blue links... Some will reveal more information, (link-reveal:"like this.")[ Look at all this new information.] Some will take you to other passages, [[like this.]] Some will do other weird things, (link-reveal:"like this.")[ Look at all this{(live: 0.1s)[ (either: "weird", "//awesome//", "''cool''", "FUN") ]} stuff.] Some things look weird but are (color:"red")[not clickable.] (link:"Continue..")[There is no back button. You might find yourself making choices you regret, but, since the game is rather short, you can try playing multiple times. Some installments will have many different storylines and endings, so curious players may enjoy trying out different decisions on different playthroughs. That's about it! Have fun :) [[Start Game!|Trapped!]]

Look at this new passage. [[Back.|Quick Tips]]

//You scold yourself for falling into yet another one of oldman Goodman's traps.// (set:$plays to ($plays + 1)) [[Continue...|Frustrated with Game]]

(set:$coins to 3)//You've played his game $plays times now. It seems so simple, but no matter what you do you seem to lose in the end. You've spent $plays coins now, but you're sure that if you play just a few more times you can figure out how to win more coins.// [[Ask to hear the rules again.|Rules]] [[Play again.|Starting Game]] [[Leave game with $coins coins.|Outside Oldman Goodman's Tent]]

YOU: Oldman Goodman, could you tell me the rules just one more time? OG: $name, don't you listen! Oh well, of course I'll tell you. The game is simple. You pay me one coin to play. I hide your coin under one of these three cups. I spin them around, like this //(he casually mixes the cups around)// and if you correctly guess which cup it's under you win two coins back. YOU: Okay, and you're sure you aren't playing any tricks on me? OG: I'm an honest man. A truly honest man needs no tricks to get what he wants. YOU: Like talking goats. OG: Do you want to play again? [[Yes.|Starting Game]] [[No thanks.|Outside Oldman Goodman's Tent]]

//Oldman Goodman is so funny with his games and candy. Even though he is a bit of a trickster, it's rare to see such kindness in people nowadays. Seems like it's time to go buy Ela's milk.// [[Go buy that milk.|Heading to Milk Stand]]

OG: Do you have any coins? You need a coin to play. YOU: Oh. I guess I spent them all. OG: Well, come back later, I guess. Here, take this candy for playing! YOU: Thanks... [[Continue...|Outside Oldman Goodman's Tent]]

(if: $cup is "Left")[//Oldman Goodman lifts up the cup to reveal your coin. // OG: Big winner! //He hands your coin back to you along with a second one.// (set:$coins to ($coins + 2)) OG: So, want to test your luck again? Win another coin? ](else:)[//Oldman Goodman smirks and shows the empty cup. // OG: It was in the $cup cup, $name. Pay attention. Surely, you will win the next one. Another game?] [[Play again.|Starting Game]] [[Stop playing.|Outside Oldman Goodman's Tent]]

(if: $cup is "Right")[//Oldman Goodman lifts up the cup to reveal your coin. // OG: Well, looks like you got it right. //He gives you your coin back, with one more, as promised.// (set:$coins to ($coins + 2)) OG: So, want to test your luck again? Win another coin? ](else:)[//Oldman Goodman smirks and shows the empty cup. // OG: It was in the $cup cup, $name. Pay attention. Surely, you will win the next one. Another game? ] [[Play again.|Starting Game]] [[Stop playing.|Outside Oldman Goodman's Tent]]

(if: $cup is "Middle")[//Oldman Goodman lifts up the cup to reveal your coin. // OG: Big winner! //He hands it back to you along with a second coin.// (set:$coins to ($coins + 2)) OG: So, want to test your luck again? Win another coin? ](else:)[//Oldman Goodman shows the empty cup. He looks somewhat bored. // OG: It was in the $cup cup, $name. Pay attention and maybe you will win next time. Another game? ] [[Play again.|Starting Game]] [[Stop playing.|Outside Oldman Goodman's Tent]]

OG: Hmmm. You've won this quite a few times. Are you cheating me, young one? YOU: Nope. I'm just observant. OG: Are you saying I have a tell? YOU: Perhaps. OG: Well, you're smart. Here. Take these 20 coins, but promise not to tell anyone the secret of the game. (set:$coins to ($coins + 20)) YOU: Wow, thanks, oldman Goodman. That's really kind of you! I promise not to tell. OG: Yeah, yeah, now scram! //You walk away with pockets full of all the coins you won. It's a lot of money... enough to pay for months of milk for you and Ela. Sweet kitty cat. Hopefully she's have a nice day at home.// [[Continue...|Heading to Milk Stand]]

//You start heading over to the milk stand, which is all the way at the other side of the market. Scanning the crowd for Gregor, you notice that several of the usual stands and tents aren't there. You glance back and see your friend Cecilia playing oldman Goodman's game back at his tent. She has always been adventurous, but sometimes in a careless way. Still, adventurousness is an admirable trait. You wonder to yourself if she will figure out the secret to the game.// (link:"Continue...")[//Aha! You spot Gregor. What a handsome one he is. How is it possible for someone to look so strong yet so cute at the same time? You start sweating, your heart races, and you can feel yourself breathing shallowly. Get a hold of yourself, $name! you think, chiding yourself. This is not the temperament of a proper pumpkin farmer! You take a few deep breaths and feel the sun bake your skin a little. This makes you sweat a bit more, but Gregor won't mind. It would be weird not to sweat, right? Oh man. You wish Ela were here so that you could ask Gregor if he wants to pet her. Wait, does Gregor like cats? Would you still like Gregor if he didn't? AAAAAAH! //(link:"Continue...")[//You snap out of that crazy little spiral of doom and muster up the courage to go talk to him. You do a fast little waddle of a jog to catch him before he enters the butcher's tent. // YOU: Gregor! GREGOR: //(spinning around)// Oh! Hi, $name. How are you? YOU: I saw a goat earlier! GREGOR: Huh? YOU: What? Oh. I'm here to buy some milk for me and my cat. It's a lovely day, isn't it! How are you? GREGOR: I'm alright! Wait. Is it all right or alright? YOU: I can't hear the difference. GREGOR: Oh, right. Well, I'm good. Just busy. YOU: How come? GREGOR: A bunch of vendors didn't show up today, so it's putting extra pressure on all of us who //are// here. YOU: I noticed that! What happened? Where is everyone? GREGOR: I don't know. It's weird, right? YOU: Yeah. //You walk in silence for a bit.// (link:"Continue...")[//You can't stop staring at Gregor. This is the best conversation you've had since you talked about the pumpkin seeds. You are hardly worried about the missing townspeople. There must just be a case of the flu going around, and Babs, the medicine woman, has always been able to take care of the flu without a problem. Things have been strange lately, though. // (if: $coins < 3)[[[Continue...|Milk Stand - Not Enough Coins]]](else:)[[[Continue...|Road Closed]]] ] ] ]

{(if:$coins is 0)[(goto:"Out of Coins")] (if:$coins is 10)[(goto:"You Know the Trick")] OG: Alright, give me a coin.}(set:$coins to ($coins - 1)) YOU: Here you go. //(You now have $coins coins left)// (set:$cup to (either: "Left", "Right", "Middle")) //Oldman Goodman takes the coin and places it under the (either: "left", "right", "middle") cup. He then picks up a tiny music box and twists its knob several times. The box starts playing, and he shifts the cups around in sync with its (if:$cup is "Left")[lovely little tune.](if:$cup is "Middle")[macabre melody.](if:$cup is "Right")[relaxing song]. The music stops, and so does he. You notice his eyes shifting slightly (either: "upward", "to the left", "to the right", "down", "back and forth").// OG: Well, take your guess! [[Right]] [[Middle]] [[Left]]

//Just before you and Gregor get to the milk stand you realize you don't have enough money to buy the milk. Desperate to save yourself the embarrassment, you say an awkward "Oh, well. See you around!" and then wait for him to leave. What a fool you are! Not only did you waste this trip to the market, but you also have acted strangely in front of Gregor. You feel like you're about to cry.// [[Continue...|End of Chapter 3]]

//The next moments fly by like a dream. You purchase your milk and buy some for Gregor, too. As the market begins to close, he offers to give you a ride on his horse back to your hut. Next thing you know, you are holding onto him, perched on the horse, the wind blowing in your face.// (link:"Continue...")[//You come up to a sign that says "ROAD CLOSED." It's odd, since you just came this way.// GREGOR: The road's closed. YOU: That's odd. GREGOR: Hmmm. YOU: Hmmm indeed. GREGOR: Let's just cut through the tall grass? Old Rio can take it, right? HORSE: Bbbbbbbbbbrhhf. GREGOR: It's settled, then. (link:"Continue...")[//Gregor leads Rio into the grass, and the bouncing makes the coins jingle in your pocket. It's hypnotizing. Ding. Ding. Ding. Something white catches your eye in the grass. It's moving.// YOU: Gregor, what's that in the grass? [[Continue...|End of Chapter 3]]]]

''END OF CHAPTER 3'' [[Continue...|Final Notes]]

''YOU HAVE REACHED THE END OF THIS INSTALLMENT.'' Thank you so much for playing. If this is your first playthrough, I suggest going back to see if there are any nuggets of narrative that you missed. Liked the story? Want to know what happens next? Come back in a week for the Chapter 4 of (link:"this")[your] story! Thanks for playing, $name! Devon Guinn :) [[Start over.|Trapped!]] (link:"Replay Chapter 1")[(open-url:"http://www.thecrimson.com/column/little-tall-tales/article/2016/10/4/tall-tales-gregor/")] (link:"Replay Chapter 2")[(open-url:"http://www.thecrimson.com/column/little-tall-tales/article/2016/10/18/gregor-part-ii/")]