*title The Great Tournament
*author Philip Kempton
*scene_list
	startup
	travel
	village
	war
	wall
	knight
	quest
	training
	quest2
	tournament
	final_match
	ending
	death

*create leadership 0
*create strength 0
*create agility 0
*create diplomacy 0
*create intelligence 0
*create wisdom 0
*create health_max 30
*create health 20
*create varys_health 20
*create found_abi 0
*create luck 0
*create score 0
*create light 0
*create dark 0
*create gold 1
*create diceroll 0
*create diceroll4 0
*create diceroll20 0
*create diceroll8 0
*create diceroll6 0
*create die_roll 1
*create die_roll6 1
*create die_roll8 1
*create die_roll10 1
*create die_roll20 1
*create die_roll4 0
*create dieroll 0
*create name " "
*create name2 " "
*create points 5
*create darts 0
*create drinks 0
*create fighters 0
*create boots_gone 0
*create team_name " "
*create hours 5
*create team_number 2
*create Harold 0
*create Abilene 0
*create Jacob 0
*create Tommen 0
*create tournament_strategy 0
*create ramshorn_explored 0
*create town_explored 0
*create shield 0
*create armor 0
*create prized_horse 0
*create boss_health 10
*create damage 0
*create important_meeting 0
*create not_hidden 0
*create team_strength 0
*create team_boss 50
*create lost_gold_to_varys 0
*create weapon ""
*create thrall 75
*create diceroll3 0
*create thrall1 0
*create two_handed_sword 0
*create short_sword 0
*create long_sword 0
*create spear 0
*create team_complete 0
*create sword_and_shield 0
*create staff 0
*create varys_knocked 0
*create tournament_participated 0
*create tournament_won 0
*create job 0
*create count 3
*create riding 1
*create days 300
*create abi_turns 0
*create explore_veritas 0
*create met_ashera 0
*create ashera_house 0
*create ashera_turns 0
*create ashera_feelings 0
*create hannah_feelings 0
*create nadine_feelings 0
*create abilene_feelings 0
*create married ""
*create engaged 0
*create weapon2 ""
*create courtyard_companion ""
*create tournament_information 0
*create drunk 0
*create gamble_win 0
*create share_borne 0
*create debate1 0
*create debate2 0
*create debate3 0
*create strange_book 0
*create book_turns 0
*create older_hunter 0
*create moon_festival_alert 0
*create saw_governor 0
*create strange_pond 0
*create ashera_love 0
*create love_hannah 0
*create attended_feast 0
*create han 0
*create han_turns 0
*create age 15
*create peasants 250
*create militia 0
*create guards 10
*create archers 0
*create knights 0
*create first_visit 0
*create spearman 0
*create heavy_infantry 0
*create all_drafted 0
*create age_limit 0
*create over_age 0
*create abi 0
*create abilene_love 0
*create archery1 ""
*create archery 0
*create tournament_points 0
*create opponent_points 0
*create knight2 30
*create won_final_tournament 0
*create knight_strength 5
*create joust1 ""
*create individual_melee ""
*create team_melee ""
*create fifth_event ""
*create cuthvell_team 30
*create did_not_meet_borne 0
*create bandits 35
*create nadine_turns 0
*create rabbit 0
*create fox 0
*create fox_training 0
*create married_nadine 0
*create rabbit_training 0
*create small_game 20
*create meeting_borne 0
*create medium_game 10
*create big_game 5
*create trained_rabbit 0
*create drink1 0
*create drink2 0
*create drink3 0
*create drink4 0
*create drink5 0
*create drink6 0
*create drink7 0
*create drink8 0
*create drink9 0
*create drink10 0
*create vdrink1 0
*create vdrink2 0
*create vdrink3 0
*create vdrink4 0
*create vdrink5 0
*create vdrink6 0
*create vdrink7 0
*create vdrink8 0
*create vdrink9 0
*create vdrink10 0
*create turns 100
*create dart_points 0
*create village 1
*create ashera_married 0
*create morale 0
*create offer 0
*create varys1 0
*create ben1 0
*create nadine1 0
*create target_shooting 0
*create nadine_points 16
*create self1 0
*create difficulty 0
*create wagon_strategy 0
*create battle 0
*create outfit 0
*create fragglesworth 0
*create boss2 30
*create food 5
*create wagon_burned 0
*create party 2
*create soldiers 750
*create enemy_soldiers 3000
*create nadine_love 0
*create nadine_dead 0
*create soldier_wall 0
*create archer_wall 0
*create ben_left 0
*create apple 0
*create village_gold 200
*create village_guards 5
*create village_servants 2
*create unemployed_citizens 30
*create diceroll2 0
*create raid 0
*create robert_not_dead 0
*create explored 0
*create found_herbs 0
*create quality_bow 0
*create diamond_ring 0
*create mining_license 0
*create mining_turns 0
*create malik 80
*create coin 0
*create ramshorn_expored 0
*create explore_firebend 0
*create hannah_visited 0
*create eadic_dead 0
*create fireball 0
*create ben_escaped 1
*create eadic_health 20
*create hunter_points 0
*create total_gold 0
*create training1 0
*create training2 0
*create training3 0
*create training4 0
*create first_shot 0
*create second_shot2 0
*create third_shot2 0
*create first_shot2 0
*create third_shot 0
*create hannah_ending 0
*create reform_ending 0
*create heir_ending 0
*create king_ending 0
*create rich_ending 0
*create title_ending 0
*create power_ending 0
*create nothing_ending 0
*create redwood_ending 0
*create location ""
*create melee 0
*create charm 0
*create dead 0


*achievement ruthless visible 10 Ruthless
	Finish the game with a high Dark stat. 

*achievement merciful visible 10 Merciful
	Finish the game with a high Light stat. 
	
*achievement gladiator visible 10 What We Do In Life Echoes In Eternity
	Win the team melee at the festival. 

*achievement darts visible 25 Bullseye!
	Beat Varys at darts.
	
*achievement win visible 10 Tournament Champion
	Win the Great Tournament.
	
*achievement freedom visible 25 Down with the Monarchy!
	Change the government of Magincia from a monarchy to a republic.

*achievement king visible 25 King of Magincia
	Become the King of Magincia.
	
*achievement prince visible 25 Prince
	Become heir to the throne.

*achievement kazoo hidden 10 Royal Kazoo Player
		hidden
		Convince someone on the guard that you play the kazoo for the King. 

*achievement assemble visible 25 Warriors…Assemble!
	Get a full team for the team melee. 
		
*achievement save_robert hidden 50 Save Sir Robert
		hidden
		Find and rescue Sir Robert.
	
*achievement meeting visible 5 Secret Meeting
	Follow Sir Robert to a secret meeting.
	
*achievement midas visible 25 Midas
	Finish the game with 8,000 or more Gold Pieces.
	
*achievement sherlock visible 15 Sherlock
	Uncover which noble is working for Sir Cuthvell.
	
*achievement keen visible 20 Keen Eye
	Reveal enemy spy activities. 
	
*achievement magic_man visible 30 I Know Magic
	Learn to use fire magic.
	
*achievement bandit_killer visible 30 Bandit Killer
	Defend Redwood from bandits.
	
*achievement solomon visible 25 Solomon
	Beat the game with a high Wisdom stat.
	
*achievement expert visible 25 Expert
	Beat the game with a high score.
	
*achievement hard visible 100 Veni, Vidi, Vici
	Beat the game on Hard.


*if not(choice_is_web or choice_is_steam)
	*temp skip_description
	*config skip_description false
	*if skip_description

		*goto purchased
*check_purchase adfree
*if choice_purchase_supported and not(choice_purchased_adfree)
	Play a young peasant boy who becomes the squire to a legendary knight. Travel the realm competing in jousts, archery, and melee competitions. Train hard in order to become a powerful knight and eventually compete in the Great Tournament to decide the fate of the realm in this medieval story.

	[i]The Great Tournament[/i] is a 180,000-word interactive fantasy novel by Philip Kempton, where your choices control the story. It's entirely text-based—without graphics or sound effects—and fueled by the vast, unstoppable power of your imagination.

	• Enjoy the story of a young boy's rise from lowly squire to powerful knight in this epic story that takes place in medieval times.[n/]
	• Choose your attributes and hone your skills in order to win tournaments.[n/]
	• Become a hero of the realm or use your power to take control over the Kingdom.[n/]
	• Unique combat and character generation ensures that no two games are the same.[n/]
	• Fight for glory, love, or power in the Great Tournament.[n/]
	• Multiple endings with different storylines.

	*if choice_is_steam
		*if choice_prerelease
			[i]You can play the first part of the game for free today. The rest of the game will be available on ${choice_release_date}.[/i]

			*choice
				#Sign up to be notified when the game is available.
					*subscribe {"now": true}
					*restart
				#Play the first part of the game now for free.
					*goto purchased

		[i]You can play the first part of the game for free. Purchase the rest of the game below.[/i]
		*if choice_is_advertising_supported
			[i]Purchasing the rest of the game will also turn off in-game advertisements.[/i]

		*purchase_discount adfree 2018-02-15 $5.99 $3.99 purchased
		*if choice_is_advertising_supported
			*page_break_advertisement
		*if not(choice_is_advertising_supported)
			*page_break Play Now for Free

		*goto purchased
	*else
		*if choice_is_advertising_supported
			[i]The Great Tournament[/i] is supported by advertisements, but you can buy the unlimited version
			to turn off ads forever.
			
			*purchase adfree $5.99 purchased
			*page_break_advertisement

			*goto purchased
		*else
			[i]You can play through the game once for free, or purchase unlimited replays below.[/i]

			*purchase adfree $5.99 purchased
			*page_break Play Now for Free

*label purchased


*rand die_roll6 1 6
*rand die_roll8 1 8
*rand die_roll20 1 20

*image animal-1300015-small.png

Welcome, stranger. In this adventure, you're playing a young man named…
*choice
	#Kaelan Stormwell.
		*set name "Kaelan"
		*set name2 "Stormwell"
		*goto continue
	#Hadrian Cartwright.
		*set name "Hadrian"
		*set name2 "Cartwright"
		*goto continue
	#Loran Potter.
		*set name "Loran"
		*set name2 "Potter"
		*goto continue
	#I don't like any of these names.
		*goto name
		
*label name			
What is your first name?
*input_text name
*page_break
*if name = "Robert"
	That's a nice first name, but if you don't mind, I'll call you Rob.
	*set name "Rob"
	*page_break
	*goto name2
*if name = "Sir Robert"
	That's a nice first name, but if you don't mind, I'll call you Rob.
	*set name "Rob"
	*page_break
	*goto name2
*if name = "Varys"
	That's a nice first name, but for this adventure, it just won't do. My apologies, please enter another one. 
	*page_break
	*goto name
*if name = "Hannah"
	That's a nice first name, but for this adventure, it just won't do. My apologies, please enter another one.
	*page_break
	*goto name
*if name = "Cuthvell"
	That's a nice first name, but for this adventure, it just won't do. My apologies, please enter another one.
	*page_break
	*goto name
*if name = "Hannah"
	That's a nice first name, but for this adventure, it just won't do. My apologies, please enter another one.
	*page_break
	*goto name
*if name = "Fuck"
	That's an interesting first name, but for this adventure, it just won't do. My apologies, please enter another one. 
	*page_break
	*goto name
*if name = "Shit"
	That's an interesting first name, but for this adventure, it just won't do. My apologies, please enter another one. 
	*page_break
	*goto name
*if name = "Idiot"
	That's an interesting first name, but for this adventure, it just won't do. My apologies, please enter another one. 
	*page_break
	*goto name
*if name = "idiot"
	That's an interesting first name, but for this adventure, it just won't do. My apologies, please enter another one. 
	*page_break
	*goto name
	
*label name2
What is your family name?
*input_text name2
*page_break
*if name2 = "Cuthvell"
	That's a nice last name, but for this adventure, it just won't do. My apologies, please enter another one. 
	*page_break
	*goto name2
Your name is ${name} ${name2}, is that correct?
*choice
	#Yes.
		Splendid!
		*page_break
		*goto continue
	#No.
		All right, then.
		*page_break
		*goto name
		
*label continue
*temp unlock_hard ""
*check_purchase adfree
*if choice_purchase_supported and not(choice_purchased_adfree)
	*set unlock_hard "—Unlock with purchase of the full game"
Choose a level of difficulty:
*choice
	#Easy.
		*set points +2
		*set score -5
		*set difficulty 1
		*set village_gold +250
		*set village_guards +2
		*set malik -30
		*set hours +1
		*goto attributes
	#Normal.
		*set difficulty 2
		*goto attributes
	*selectable_if (not(choice_purchase_supported and not(choice_purchased_adfree))) #Hard${unlock_hard}.
		*set points -1
		*set score +10
		*set difficulty 3
		*set bandits +10
		*set village_guards -2
		*set village_gold -100
		*set riding 0
		*set varys_health +5
		*set malik +10
		*set ashera_love -1
		*set abilene_love -1
		*set nadine_love -1
		*set health -5
		*set health_max -5
		*set thrall +5
		*goto attributes

*label attributes
Current Attributes:

Strength - ${strength}

Agility - ${agility}

Leadership - ${leadership}

Intelligence - ${intelligence}

Wisdom - ${wisdom}

Diplomacy - ${diplomacy}

Points Remaining: ${points}
	

*choice
	*selectable_if (points > 0) #Increase Strength.
		*set points -1
		*set strength +1
		*goto attributes
	*selectable_if (points > 0) #Increase Agility.
		*set points -1
		*set agility +1
		*goto attributes	
	*selectable_if (points > 0) #Increase Leadership.
		*set points -1
		*set leadership +1
		*goto attributes	
	*selectable_if (points > 0) #Increase Intelligence.
		*set points -1
		*set intelligence +1
		*goto attributes	
	*selectable_if (points > 0) #Increase Wisdom.
		*set points -1
		*set wisdom +1
		*goto attributes	
	*selectable_if (points > 0) #Increase Diplomacy.
		*set points -1
		*set diplomacy +1
		*goto attributes	
	#Give an explanation of stats.
		Certainly…
		
		Strength is a measure of how strong you are. It primarily affects your fighting ability in terms of how much damage you can deal out when you hit. Strength can also play a major role in Strength-based skills such as climbing. 
		
		Agility is a measure of how nimble you are and how quick your reflexes are. In combat, it's very important as it affects how likely you are to hit your opponent or dodge his or her attacks. Agility can also affect how fast you are at running and other skills in which Agility is important. 
		
		Leadership is a measure of how well you lead others. High Leadership skills can result in people following your orders or listening to your advice during battle. It can also grant you additional options in conversation. 
		
		Intelligence is a measure of how educated you are through formal training or from reading books. High Intelligence can allow for additional options in conversation and give you the ability to perform tasks that require formal training or education, like using military tactics in battle. 
		
		Wisdom is a measure of how wise you are. Wisdom can only be granted through experience or learning from the experiences of others. It's different than intelligence and more of a measure of common sense. High Wisdom will allow you to notice things that others might not, and may even give you additional options to choose from. 
		
		Diplomacy is a measure of how well you do in normal conversations. High Diplomacy will make it more likely for people to see your point of view, trust you, or do what you want. Someone with high Diplomacy can usually talk themselves out of any situation. 
		
		Hidden stats:

		There are several hidden stats within the game. Choices you make throughout the game may influence hidden stats. Luck is one example. Luck can affect all other stats in ways you may not be able to predict.  
		
		Crossover Stats:

		At times, stats can complement each other when it makes sense. For example, Strength and Diplomacy may be used when you're trying to intimidate someone, or Intelligence and Agility may be used together when you're trying to feint during an attack or perform a complex fighting maneuver. 
		*page_break
		*goto attributes
	*selectable_if (points < 5) #Reset all stats.
		You have selected to reset all your stats and start over…are you sure?
		*choice
			#Yes.

				*if difficulty = 1
					*set points 7
				*if difficulty = 2
					*set points 5
				*if difficulty = 3
					*set points 4
				*set strength 0
				*set agility 0
				*set leadership 0
				*set wisdom 0
				*set diplomacy 0
				*set intelligence 0
				*page_break
				*goto attributes
			#No.
				*page_break
				*goto attributes
	*selectable_if (points = 0) #Done.
		Your stats have been finalized. It appears we can start the adventure now…
		*page_break
		*goto done	

*label done
Like most things in life, you can't choose where you begin, but you can certainly influence where you end up.
*page_break
*rand die_roll8 1 8
*set luck die_roll8
*if difficulty = 3
	*if luck > 2
		*set luck 2
*page_break
The crowd is louder than ever. The arena is packed this year, and it's difficult to sneak in. Luckily, you and Varys, who you consider to be your best friend, know about the slightly cracked wall that has a hole just big enough for the two of you to crawl through.

You're able to make it to the middle section of the arena. Trying to get front row seats would be too risky, as nobles tend to have that area reserved and you might run into a guard asking to see your ticket. The middle seats are crowded and provide anonymity. They also provide a decent enough view of the tournament. The middle and top sections don't have assigned seating; they're designed more like areas for the masses to watch. Even though there are a few benches, most of them are old and broken. A few people bring their own wooden stools to sit or stand on, and fathers have their children on their shoulders so they can see. You arrive just as the pre-tournament ceremonies are about to begin. Music is being played…there's also dancing and horse tricks providing entertainment to the crowd.

You find the pre-tournament events to be…
*fake_choice
	#Fun and exciting. It adds to the event even more. 
	#Boring; I want the fighting to begin.
	#A good time to discuss tournament strategy and this year's competition with my friend. 

After several minutes, a horn blasts to signify that the first match is about to begin. You stand up on your toes and strain to see the arena floor. Walking in are two teams, each wearing garb and shields from their respective houses. The team on the left have sigils of griffins with black-and-white patterns, while the team on the right has sigils of horses with brown colors. They're about to do combat with wooden swords, clubs, and staffs. Varys decides it's a good time to make a bet with you; it's a game you often play with each other, even though you know neither of you has the coin to pay the other. Varys is kind enough to let you take first pick of the teams.

You choose…
*choice
	#The team on the left. (Griffins)
		*set luck +1
		*goto horn
	#The team on the right. (Horses)
		*goto horn

*label horn
Another horn sounds, and the men from the right side, the Horses, charge. You noticed the left side, the Griffins, charge as well, but they're much more organized and make sure they stay close together. They soon form a semi-circle facing the enemy. When the right side charges, one of the eager aggressors runs further ahead than his comrades. He quickly engages in combat with the left defenders and finds himself surrounded. He's quickly put down. The fighting continues until only one side remains standing, which happens to be the left side, the Griffins. Two of their men have fallen, but all in all, they're mostly intact. A few watchers boo; this is certainly one of the quicker arena battles you've seen. Usually, it's chaotic, with men having individual duels throughout the arena. People often want to make a name for themselves, as this is the most common way to get into the single matches. It seems the left team decides to use a different strategy instead. You find the Griffins to be… 
*choice	
	#Smart for using an alternative strategy.
		*goto continue2
	#Boring, as the battle ended too quickly.
		*goto continue2
	#Smart, but also foolish, as they probably won't be invited to compete again.
		*goto continue2

*label continue2
In truth, winning wasn't really the point of the team battle. Both sides are compensated well; what really matters is that the crowd is entertained. It's supposed to be a disorganized brawl to get the crowd excited for the main event. By making it a quick fight, some of the people are disappointed. Perhaps the Griffins didn't know this, or didn't care. There's a brief intermission before the main event. Vendors walk around selling food and trinkets. A couple of fights break out on the top stands, which results in a small detachment of guards being sent to break it up. 
*page_break
Next up is your favorite knight, Sir Robert Gale. He's your favorite for a good reason…not only is he considered one of the best swordsmen in the realm, he has the love of the people, as well; he often donates his winnings to the poor or uses it in outrageous ways. You fondly remember one tournament when Sir Robert tossed a bag of Gold up onto the stage, causing a near riot to break out. He hasn't done that since.

He also employs your father, which might be an even bigger factor in why he's your favorite knight. Your father works as a stablehand for Sir Robert, taking care of his prized horse, Midnight. Your father grew up as a farmhand and has always taken to horses well. It's said that Midnight is the fastest horse in the realm, but also one of the wildest. Other horse trainers and stable hands refuse to work with Midnight, saying she could never be broken in, but that didn't stop your father. He's able to get the horse under control and take care of her like no one else. Sir Robert Gale took notice and hired him immediately. 
*page_break
Sir Robert is going to fight Thrall, a noble warrior from the far east. Many people are shocked at Thrall's size. He's huge. His hand is bigger than some people's faces, and he also stands around seven feet tall. Your initial reaction when you see him is to feel sorry for his horse. He seems uncomfortable on his mount; for him, the joust is more of a formality. The two knights line up across the arena as the flags and rope are set up to distinguish the sides. You see your father feeding a carrot to Midnight, which seems to make her forget about the crowd and calm her down. Sir Robert Gale is wearing light armor, while Thrall is in heavy plate mail. When the jousting area is fully prepared, Aldric, who has been the tournament announcer for as long as you can remember, takes the stage and raises his arms for the crowd to be silent. 

He introduces Sir Robert Gale, who hails from the Northlands, and the crowd cheers. He then introduces Thrall, and the crowd also cheers, but with a little less enthusiasm than before. He reminds the competitors of the rules of the competition, which are very few. The joust will consist of three passes, if it even lasts that long. You receive one point for making contact with your opponent. You receive two points if you hit your opponent and break your lance. Finally, if you knock your opponent off his horse, you'll receive three points. Most knights who are knocked off their horses don't continue the joust and are allowed to withdraw with honor. There's also a rule that if any knight doesn't agree with the ruling of the tournament judge, they can settle the competition with hand-to-hand combat. Aldric examines each of the knights' three lances to make sure they're fully wooden, then waves his hand to signal that the tournament can begin. Each knight stands on either side of the arena, looking at the other and ready to charge at any moment. 

*page_break
*image joust.png

A flag in the center is waved, and both opponents charge on their horses. Sir Robert keeps his lance up in the air, but Thrall lowers his too quickly and has trouble maintaining its aim. At just the right moment, Sir Robert lowers his lance and hits Thrall with a perfect strike to the center of his chest, cracking the lance in half. Thrall misses completely. In fact, Thrall barely moves; his size and weight make him more like a tank than a human being, and even though Sir Robert's strike is true, it does very little damage.

Sir Robert drops what's left of his lance and grabs another from one of his attendees. He quickly turns around and charges at Thrall again. Thrall does the same but isn't as quick as Sir Robert. Just like the previous attack, Sir Robert lowers his lance at just the right moment. He hits Thrall hard in his shoulder. This time, Thrall manages to slightly hit Sir Robert, but it's brushed aside by his shield. The blow Thrall receives seems more powerful this time and causes him to lean back. He has to drop his lance early in order to maintain control of his horse. Now comes the third and final pass. 
*page_break
Sir Robert gives Thrall a few seconds to compose himself and grab another lance before charging again. Sir Robert begins to lower his lance like before, but then he does something that you've never seen him do before. Rather than lower it all the way, he rests it slightly on his shield, so it's tilted up. When the two men meet, he hits Thrall by smashing the end point of the lance directly into his face. Thrall loses his balance and falls off his horse. The crowd cheers. Sir Robert takes off his helm and holds what's left of the lance high up in the air.

Thrall doesn't move. For a few seconds, it looks like he could be dead, until suddenly he rolls over and gets up. He takes off his helmet, which still has wooden splinters in it, then roars something at Sir Robert and starts walking forward. Sir Robert drops his lance, jumps off his horse, and signals someone to give him his sword. Thrall's two attendants run up and give him a huge, two-handed war hammer, which he seems to wield in one hand like it weighs almost nothing.

Thrall and Sir Robert meet, and Thrall makes an overhead strike at him. Sir Robert dodges at just the right moment and the attack misses, hitting the ground with a thud so loud that everyone in the arena hears it. Sir Robert then attacks Thrall, seeing he's open and off balance, but his thick armor makes his sword look more like a toothpick. With surprising speed, Thrall swings his war hammer around, catching Sir Robert nearly off guard. Sir Robert is able to put his shield up just in time to take most of the impact. His shield cracks under the heavy weight of the war hammer, causing Sir Robert to fall to the ground, shield flying down at his side. Thrall then ferociously attacks again. Sir Robert rolls to the right, dodging the blow. You've only seen Sir Robert in a position like this a handful of times. You ponder for a few moments, thinking what you would do if you were in his situation… 
*fake_choice
	#I would throw sand into Thrall's eyes to blind him.
		It would probably be viewed as dishonorable, but if it meant not getting smashed to smithereens, it would be worth it. 
		*set dark +5
		*page_break
	#I would wait for the right opportunity and strike.
		Thrall is overeager and arrogant due to his success so far; eventually, he'd let his guard down and open himself up to attack.
		*page_break
	#I would fight defensively and let Thrall tire.
		Thrall is a beast of a man, but he's slow. If you could move around him and tire him, you should be able to get the upper hand.
		*page_break
Sir Robert gets up and holds his sword with both hands, keeping some distance between him and Thrall. Thrall lifts his war hammer high in the air. Rather than dodging, Sir Robert jumps toward Thrall and stabs him in the armpit, finding a weak spot in his armor. Thrall grunts and swings his war hammer. Sir Robert rolls forward past Thrall, spins around, and attacks Thrall's hamstrings; this is another weak spot in the armor. Thrall cries out in pain this time, then falls to one knee.

Sir Robert continues his attack, and even though Thrall is on one knee, they stand at about the same height. Thrall parries Sir Robert's next blow with his war hammer and tries to stand back up. Sir Robert kicks Thrall hard in his knee, causing him to fall down again. Then Sir Robert puts his sword close to Thrall's throat. After a moment of hesitation which seems like forever…Thrall finally yields. Sir Robert helps Thrall up and shakes his hand. Then he raises his sword in the air and looks at the crowd, which is cheering in excitement. Sir Robert leaves to take his armor off and prepare for the closing ceremonies. 

Varys starts asking you what you think Sir Robert will ask for from the Governor. As winner of the tournament, he'll be granted a boon from the organizer. Most men ask for Gold, titles, land…whatever suits them. After considering all this, you reply, "I'm not sure; you never know with Sir Robert Gale."

Varys puts his hand to his chin and thinks for a few seconds. "Hmm, maybe he'll throw Gold to the crowd again. I'm going to try and get closer to the front of the arena. Are you coming?"
*fake_choice
	#"Sure."
		You and Varys get closer to the front of the arena. You can see some of the nobles closely now. A few of them are cheering just like the crowd. You notice one in particular has something of a scowl on his face. You figure more than likely the man has lost money, or perhaps he's jealous of Sir Robert. You learned a long time ago never to bet against Sir Robert in a match. You hear the boards beneath make noises; this dissuades a few people from getting closer, but not Varys. The arena is getting old, and it's been announced that this will be the last tournament for a while, at least until they rebuild it.
		*page_break
	#"No, I'll stay here."
		Varys runs away, saying, "Suit yourself! If I get a handful of Gold, don't go asking me to give you some of it." You take some time to look around. You've snuck into this arena several times over the years, and you have some fond memories. You wonder how long the rebuilding will take. 
		*page_break
Your thoughts are interrupted by the sound of a trumpet. Out walks the Governor, several nobles, and other people of importance. They meet with Sir Robert and declare him the winner of the tournament. 

Aldric moves forward to approach Sir Robert. He says, loudly so the crowd can hear, "As the winner, you have the right to select a boon of your choosing from the Governor." Sir Robert smiles, then he whispers something into Aldric's ear. Aldric consults with the Governor for a few minutes. You look over and see Varys getting ready to catch any Gold that might come flying by. A few others have the same idea. Aldric tells the crowd to calm down, and a hush overtakes the masses. 

When there's enough quiet, Aldric says, "Sir Robert's boon has been accepted by the Governor. Today…" He pauses for a moment and looks over at the Governor. "And…only today, the Governor will pay for everyone's tavern bills. Essentially, food and drink are free."

The crowd cheers so loudly that you think about covering your ears. The crowd disperses; more than likely, there will be a lot of drunk people tonight. Varys runs up to you and asks if you heard. After you nod, he says, "I haven't had a good meal in a long time; let's quickly head to one of the smaller taverns before it gets too crowded…perhaps the Black Swan." Before you can respond, Varys grabs you and pulls you toward the exit. 
*page_break
You end up in the Black Swan fifteen minutes later. It's already three-quarters full, but you manage to find a seat in the back. Varys orders a round of beer for four; the barmaid looks at him, puzzled, saying, "But there are only two of you."

Varys smiles and responds, "Three are for me. Come on now, and bring us some bread with cheese, a full roasted chicken, and oh, some of that wonderful beef broth you're so well known for." The barmaid leaves, probably wondering when the last time someone ordered an entire roasted chicken was. More men start gathering in the tavern, rushing to the bar and ordering as many drinks as they can. Varys looks over at you and says, with a somewhat worried expression, "They know that Sir Robert is paying this bill, right?"

You respond, "I would think so, or at least, they will soon enough." You point at some of the Governor's guards, who have just walked into the tavern. They have a conversation with the owner, who starts to look upset when they mention the word "free." He quickly changes his demeanor when they drop a large bag of Gold onto the counter. The guards then leave in a hurry; obviously, there are several other taverns to visit. Varys sighs in relief.

After some time, the food finally arrives. Varys looks a bit disappointed when he doesn't see an entire roasted chicken; instead, it's a few hunks of chicken in a bowl. "What is this?" he asks.

"Sorry. The owner says everyone can eat as much as they'd like, but they'll be limiting the portions; otherwise, they'll sell out within an hour," replies the girl. "Besides, you couldn't have eaten an entire roasted chicken by yourself."

"I would have liked to have tried!" responds Varys. She puts the drinks and food down, then leaves. A few beggars walk in and look surprised when everyone starts offering to buy them drinks. They're oblivious to what's going on. A few foreigners look confused as well when the owner reluctantly gives them back their money. When you look back at the table, you see that Varys has eaten most of his food. For as long as you've known him, he could eat three times as much as a normal man but still maintain his lanky figure. You decide to eat and drink as well, and finish just after Varys has convinced the barmaid to bring him a third portion of chicken. After some time has passed, Varys gets up and asks if you'd like to play darts, which is his favorite bar game. You think for few seconds; Varys always wins at darts, but at least it's challenging…

*label bar
What should you do?
*choice
	*selectable_if (darts = 0) #Play a game of darts.
		*set darts 1
		Who knows, maybe you'll win this time…Varys is quite drunk, after all; though that usually doesn't seem to make his skill at darts any less exceptional. You walk over to the corner of the tavern to a heavily used dartboard, one so old that many of the numbers are unreadable. You have your own rules. If you hit the board, even if it's outside the circle, it's one point. Hitting inside the outer circle is worth two points, the inner circle is four points, and the bullseye is eight points. Varys smiles and takes the darts in his hand. "Best of three?" 
		
		You nod, and he throws his first dart…
		*page_break
		He hits the outer circle: two points. Varys frowns. "First throw is always a feeler, you know?"
		
		You line up and get ready to throw…
		*rand diceroll 1 20 
		*page_break
		*set diceroll + agility
		*if diceroll > 17
			You hit the bullseye. Eight points.
			*set dart_points +8
		*if diceroll > 14
			*if diceroll < 18
				You hit the inner circle. Four points. 
				*set dart_points +4
		*if diceroll > 10
			*if diceroll < 15
				You hit the outer circle. Two points.
				*set dart_points +2
		*if diceroll > 4
			*if diceroll < 11
				You hit the board. One point.
				*set dart_points +1
		*if diceroll < 5
			You miss the target completely. No points. 

		Varys lines up again, this time taking some time to eye his target. He throws the dart…
		*page_break
		It hits the inner circle. Four points. He's at six points now.
		
		You line up and get ready to throw…
		*rand diceroll 1 20 
		*page_break
		*set diceroll + agility
		*if diceroll > 17
			You hit the bullseye. Eight points.
			*set dart_points +8
		*if diceroll > 14
			*if diceroll < 18
				You hit the inner circle. Four points. 
				*set dart_points +4
		*if diceroll > 10
			*if diceroll < 15
				You hit the outer circle. Two points.
				*set dart_points +2
		*if diceroll > 4
			*if diceroll < 11
				You hit the board. One point.
				*set dart_points +1
		*if diceroll < 5
			You miss the target completely. No points. 

		
		Varys takes the last dart. He has a very serious look on his face. After several seconds, he finally throws the dart…
		*page_break
		"Bullseye!" Varys grins.
		
		He earns a total of 14 points. 
		
		You have ${dart_points} points.
		
		*if dart_points < 6
			Varys grins. "Looks like there's no way you can win, ${name}."
		
		This is going to be your last shot.
		*choice
			#Take a deep breath and throw the dart. 
				You throw the dart…
				*rand diceroll 1 20 
				*page_break
				*set diceroll + agility
				*if diceroll > 17
					You hit the bullseye. Eight points.
					*set dart_points +8
				*if diceroll > 14
					*if diceroll < 18
						You hit the inner circle. Four points. 
						*set dart_points +4
				*if diceroll > 10
					*if diceroll < 15
						You hit the outer circle. Two points.
						*set dart_points +2
				*if diceroll > 4
					*if diceroll < 11
						You hit the board. One point.
						*set dart_points +1
				*if diceroll < 5
					You miss the target completely. No points. 

				The score is 14 to ${dart_points}.
				*if dart_points > 14
					
					You win!

					Varys frowns. "Lucky shot."
					*achieve darts
					*set agility +1
					*set score +1
					*page_break
					*goto bar
				*if dart_points < 14
					
					You lose.
					
					Varys smiles. "And still undefeated…Varys!"
					*page_break
					*goto bar
				*if dart_points = 14
					Varys blinks a few times. "What, a tie?" He thinks for a few seconds, then shrugs. "Technically, I'm still undefeated. Good game, ${name}."
					*set score +2
					*page_break
					*goto bar
			*selectable_if (dart_points < 6) #"Double the points for the next shot?"
				*goto double_or_nothing
	*selectable_if (drinks = 0) #Play a drinking game.
		Varys groans. "That isn't fair, I've already had three drinks!"
		*set drinks 1
		*choice
			#"Sounds fair to me."
				Varys grins. "I guess I do drink a lot more than you do. All right, let's begin."
				*set health +5
				*page_break
				*goto drinking_game
			#"Does that mean you forfeit?"
				Varys shakes his head. "Heck, no. Now let's get this game started." 
				*set health +5
				*page_break
				*goto drinking_game
			#Order two more drinks to make it fair. 
				Varys looks surprised. "I was only kidding, mate, but if you're willing to even the odds, so be it." 
				*set light +5
				*page_break
				*goto drinking_game
	*disable_reuse #Don't play any games right now; instead, stuff my face with as much free food as I can.
		*set health +5
		You eat until your stomach is stuffed. 
		*page_break
		*goto bar
	#Head home.
		You decide to head home. Varys decides to stay and waves goodbye to you; apparently, someone challenged him to a game of darts. 
		*page_break Head Home
		*goto home

*label double_or_nothing
Varys turns to face you. "And why would I agree to that?"

*goto double_or_nothing2
*label double_or_nothing2
What do you say?
*choice
	*disable_reuse #"To make it more interesting."
		*if diplomacy > 1
			Varys nods. "All right…double the points on the next shot."
			
			You throw the dart…
			*rand diceroll 1 20 
			*page_break
			*set diceroll + agility
			*if diceroll > 17
				You hit the bullseye. Sixteen points.
				*set dart_points +16
			*if diceroll > 14
				*if diceroll < 18
					You hit the inner circle. Eight points. 
					*set dart_points +8
			*if diceroll > 10
				*if diceroll < 15
					You hit the outer circle. Four points.
					*set dart_points +4
			*if diceroll > 4
				*if diceroll < 11
					You hit the board. Two points.
					*set dart_points +2
			*if diceroll < 5
				You miss the target completely. No points. 
			*page_break
			The score is 14 to ${dart_points}.
			*if dart_points > 14

				You win!
				
				*achieve darts
				Varys frowns. "Lucky shot."
				*set diplomacy +1
				*set score +1
				*page_break
				*goto bar
			*if dart_points < 14
				You lose.

				Varys smiles. "And still undefeated…Varys!"
				*page_break
				*goto bar
			*if dart_points = 14
				Varys blinks a few times. "What, a tie?" He thinks for a few seconds, then shrugs. "Technically, I'm still undefeated. Good game, ${name}." 
				*set score +2
				*page_break
				*goto bar
		Varys thinks for a couple of seconds. "And risk the chance of breaking my winning streak? No way!"
		*page_break
		*goto double_or_nothing2
	#"I'll give you a Gold Piece if I lose." (1 GP)
		Varys rubs his chin for a few seconds, thinking it over. "Why not? Your next shot is worth double the points, but if you lose, you gotta hand over that Gold Piece."
		
		You throw the dart…
		*page_break
		*rand diceroll 1 20
		*set diceroll + agility
		*if diceroll > 17
			You hit the bullseye. Sixteen points.
			*set dart_points +16
		*if diceroll > 14
			*if diceroll < 18
				You hit the inner circle. Eight points. 
				*set dart_points +8
		*if diceroll > 10
			*if diceroll < 15
				You hit the outer circle. Four points.
				*set dart_points +4
		*if diceroll > 4
			*if diceroll < 11
				You hit the board. Two points.
				*set dart_points +2
		*if diceroll < 5
			You miss the target completely. No points. 

		The score is 14 to ${dart_points}.

		*if dart_points > 14
			You win!
			*achieve darts
			
			Varys frowns. "Lucky shot."
			*set diplomacy +1
			*set score +1
			*page_break
			*goto bar
		*if dart_points < 14
			You lose.
			
			You dig around in your pockets until you find a Gold Piece. Varys takes it greedily. "Thanks. I can buy my own dart set with this."
			*set gold -1
			*set lost_gold_to_varys 1
			*page_break
			*goto bar
		*if dart_points = 14
			Varys blinks a few times. "What, a tie?" He thinks for a few seconds, then shrugs. "Technically, I'm still undefeated. Good game, ${name}."
			*set score +2
			*page_break
			*goto bar
		*page_break
		*goto bar
	#"Never mind."
		You throw the dart…
		*rand diceroll 1 20 
		*page_break
		*set diceroll + agility
		*if diceroll > 17
			You hit the bullseye. Eight points.
			*set dart_points +8
		*if diceroll > 14
			*if diceroll < 18
				You hit the inner circle. Four points. 
				*set dart_points +4
		*if diceroll > 10
			*if diceroll < 15
				You hit the outer circle. Two points.
				*set dart_points +2
		*if diceroll > 4
			*if diceroll < 11
				You hit the board. One point.
				*set dart_points +1
		*if diceroll < 5
			You miss the target completely. No points. 

		The score is 14 to ${dart_points}.

		*if dart_points > 14
			You win!
			
			*achieve darts
			Varys frowns. "Lucky shot."
			*set agility +1
			*set score +1
			*page_break
			*goto bar
		*if dart_points < 14
			You lose.
			*page_break
			*goto bar
		*if dart_points = 14
			Varys blinks a few times. "What, a tie?" He thinks for a few seconds, then shrugs. "Technically, I'm still undefeated. Good game, ${name}."
			*set score +2
			*page_break
			*goto bar
		*page_break
		*goto bar

*label drinking_game
The barmaid begins setting up the game. Varys frowns. "What are the rules again?"

You spend a few minutes telling him the rules; he always seems to forget them, perhaps because he's always drunk whenever you explain it to him. 

The Black Swan gives you ten drinks: three are watered-down beer, three are normal beer, three are wine, and one is a concoction of something that tastes horrible and has more alcohol in it than anything else. They also give your opponent ten drinks in the exact same order as yours. It's a game of luck, fortitude, and perhaps a bit of acting too. People often make bets during the drinking game. Occasionally, you'll pretend you got wine when it was really watered-down beer. You and Varys rarely have any money to bet with, so you mostly play for fun. A couple of times, the game has ended in a draw, but whenever someone gets the concoction of nearly pure alcohol, they almost always lose. The bartender is the one that mixes up the flasks, and the only rule is that the same kind of drink can never be next to each other. This results in a strategy in guessing drinks, since your opponent has to tell you what it is he or she drank, even though lying is encouraged. 

Varys nods. "Oh, that's right. Okay, who's first?"
*choice
	#"I'll go first."
		This is risky, since there's a chance you could pick the strongest drink first.   
		
		The bartender puts ten cups in front of you and Varys, one at a time. He pours a liquid into them behind the counter, then covers each with a piece of cloth. After a few minutes, there are two rows of identical drinks in front of you and Varys, their contents hidden from view.
		*page_break
		*goto your_turn
		
	#"Ladies first." 
		Hopefully, Varys will pick the strongest drink first. 
		
		The bartender puts ten cups in front of you and Varys, one at a time. He pours a liquid into them behind the counter, then covers each with a piece of cloth. After a few minutes, there are two rows of identical drinks in front of you and Varys, their contents hidden from view. 
		*page_break
		*goto varys_turn


*label varys_turn
*if varys_health < 1
	*if health < 0
		*set health 1
	*goto win_drink
*if health < 1
	*set health 1
	*goto lose
Varys reaches for a drink…
*goto re-roll
*label re-roll
*set turns -1
*if turns < 1
	*goto fix
*rand dieroll 1 10
*page_break
*if dieroll = 1
	*if vdrink1 = 0
		*set varys_health -2
		*if drink1 = 1
			Varys grabs the first drink. He takes a sip, then chugs it. He frowns. "I hate light beer…"
			*page_break
			*goto your_turn
		Varys grabs the first drink. He takes a sip, then chugs it. He frowns. "I was hoping for something stronger…"
		*page_break
		*goto your_turn
*if dieroll = 2
	*if vdrink2 = 0
		*set varys_health -4
		*if drink2 = 1
			Varys grabs the second drink. He takes a sip, then chugs it. He smiles. "Hmm…beer, my favorite."
			*page_break
			*goto your_turn
		Varys grabs the second drink. He takes a sip, then chugs it. He frowns. "I was hoping for something stronger…"
		*page_break
		*goto your_turn	
*if dieroll = 3
	*if vdrink3 = 0
		*set varys_health -8
		*if drink3 = 1
			Varys grabs the first drink. He takes a sip, then chugs it. "Bah…wine."
			*page_break
			*goto your_turn
		Varys grabs the third drink. He takes a sip, then chugs it. He frowns. "I was hoping for something stronger…"
		*page_break
		*goto your_turn		
	*goto re-roll
*if dieroll = 7
	*if vdrink7 = 0
		*set varys_health -10
		*set vdrink7 1
		*if drink7 = 1
			Varys grabs the seventh drink. He takes a sip, then chugs it. He starts coughing, gasping for air. "How did you manage to drink this, ${name}?" He looks over at the bartender. "There's nothing in here that would rot your insides, is there?" 
			*page_break
			*goto your_turn
		Varys grabs the seventh drink. He takes a sip, then chugs it. Then gives a huge frown. "Ugh…I hate the taste of watered-down beer."
		*page_break
		*goto your_turn		
	*goto re-roll
*if dieroll = 4
	*if vdrink4 = 0
		*set varys_health -4
		*if drink4 = 1
			Varys grabs the fourth drink. He takes a sip, then chugs it. "Beer."
			*page_break
			*goto your_turn
		Varys grabs the fourth drink. He takes a sip, then chugs it. He frowns. "I was hoping for something stronger…"
		*page_break
		*goto your_turn		
	*goto re-roll
*if dieroll = 5
	*if vdrink5 = 0
		*set varys_health -8
		*if drink5 = 1
			Varys grabs the fifth drink. He takes a sip, then chugs it. "Bah…wine."
			*page_break
			*goto your_turn
		Varys grabs the fifth drink. He takes a sip, then chugs it. Then he gives a huge frown. "Ugh…I hate the taste of watered-down beer."
		*page_break
		*goto your_turn		
	*goto re-roll
*if dieroll = 6
	*if vdrink6 = 0
		*set varys_health -2
		*if drink6 = 1
			Varys grabs the sixth drink. He takes a sip, then chugs it. He frowns. "I hate light beer…"
			*page_break
			*goto your_turn
		Varys grabs the sixth drink. He takes a sip, then chugs it. He coughs a bit. "Not fond of wine."
		*page_break
		*goto your_turn	
	*goto re-roll
*if dieroll = 8
	*if vdrink8 = 0
		*set varys_health -4
		*if drink8 = 1
			Varys grabs the eighth drink. He takes a sip, then chugs it. He smiles. "Ah, sweet beer."
			*page_break
			*goto your_turn
		Varys grabs the eighth drink. He takes a sip, then chugs it. He smiles. "Ah, sweet beer…"
		*page_break
		*goto your_turn	
	*goto re-roll
*if dieroll = 9
	*if vdrink9 = 0
		*set varys_health -2
		*if drink9 = 1
			Varys grabs the ninth drink. He takes a sip, then chugs it. He gives a half-grin. "Light beer."
			*page_break
			*goto your_turn
		Varys grabs the ninth drink. He takes a sip, then chugs it. He smiles. "Ah, sweet beer…"
		*page_break
		*goto your_turn	
	*goto re-roll
*if dieroll = 10
	*if vdrink10 = 0
		*set varys_health -8
		*if drink10 = 1
			Varys grabs the tenth drink. He takes a sip, then chugs it. He frowns. "Bah. Wine."
			*page_break
			*goto your_turn
		Varys grabs the tenth drink. He takes a sip, then chugs it. He frowns.  "Bah. Wine."
		*page_break
		*goto your_turn	
	*goto re-roll
*goto re-roll
	
*label your_turn
*if varys_health < 1
	*if health < 0
		*set health 0
	*goto win_drink
*if health < 1
	*set health 0
	*goto lose
*if health > 15
	You feel fine.
*if health > 10
	*if health < 16
		You feel somewhat drunk.
*if health < 10
	*if health > 3 
		You feel really drunk.
*if health < 4
	You're about to pass out. 

Which drink do you pick?
*choice
	*disable_reuse #The first drink.
		You grab the first drink and gulp it down. It's light beer.
		*set health -2
		*set drink1 1
		*page_break
		*goto varys_turn
	*disable_reuse #The second drink.
		You grab the second drink and gulp it down. It's beer.
		*set health -4
		*set drink2 1
		*page_break
		*goto varys_turn
	*disable_reuse #The third drink.
		You grab the third drink and gulp it down. It's wine.
		*set health -8
		*set drink3 1
		*page_break
		*goto varys_turn
	*disable_reuse #The fourth drink.
		You grab the fourth drink and gulp it down. It's beer.
		*set health -4
		*set drink4 1
		*page_break
		*goto varys_turn
	*disable_reuse #The fifth drink.
		You grab the fifth drink and gulp it down. It's wine. 
		*set health -8
		*set drink5 1
		*page_break
		*goto varys_turn
	*disable_reuse #The sixth drink.
		You grab the sixth drink and gulp it down. It's light beer. 
		*set health -2
		*set drink6 1
		*page_break
		*goto varys_turn
	*disable_reuse #The seventh drink.
		You grab the seventh drink and gulp it down. Your throat begins to burn…it's the concoction. You have the sudden urge to cough and gasp for air.
		*set health -10
		*set drink7 1
		*if vdrink7 = 0
			What do you do?
			*choice
				#Cough and gasp for air.
					Varys laughs at you. "You must have gotten the concoction, didn't you? Unless…unless you're trying to fool me and you got a light drink." Varys suddenly looks confused.
						
					You shrug and give a half-grin. Varys curses. 
					*page_break
					*goto varys_turn
				#Pretend it's a normal drink.
					*if diplomacy = 1
						You do a decent job in suppressing the cough. Varys eyes you uncertainly.
					*if diplomacy > 1
						You do a good job in suppressing the cough. Varys sighs. "Damn. For a second there, I thought you got the concoction."
						*set score +1
					*if diplomacy = 0
						You do a horrible job and end up coughing anyway. Varys laughs at you. "You must have gotten the concoction. Unless…unless you're trying to fool me and you got a light drink."
						
						You shrug and give a half-grin. Varys curses. 
						*page_break
						*goto varys_turn
		Varys laughs uncontrollably. "I fooled you, ${name}! Did you like my acting? Go ahead and cough; we both know it's the concoction."
		
		You start coughing. Varys continues to laugh.
		*page_break
		*goto varys_turn
	*disable_reuse #The eighth drink.
		You grab the eighth drink and gulp it down. It's beer.
		*set health -4
		*set drink8 1
		*page_break
		*goto varys_turn
	*disable_reuse #The ninth drink.
		You grab the ninth drink and gulp it down. It's light beer.
		*set health -2
		*set drink9 1
		*page_break
		*goto varys_turn
	*disable_reuse #The tenth drink.
		You grab the tenth drink and gulp it down. It's wine. 
		*set health -8
		*set drink10 1
		*page_break
		*goto varys_turn
	*selectable_if (health < 11) #Forfeit.
		Are you sure you want to forfeit the drinking game?
		*choice
			#Yes.
				*goto lose
			#No.
				*goto your_turn

*label fix
*if vdrink1 = 0
	*goto vdrink_1
*if vdrink2 = 0
	*goto vdrink_2
*if vdrink3 = 0
	*goto vdrink_3
*if vdrink4 = 0
	*goto vdrink_4
*if vdrink5 = 0
	*goto vdrink_5
*if vdrink6 = 0
	*goto vdrink_6
*if vdrink7 = 0
	*goto vdrink_7
*if vdrink8 = 0
	*goto vdrink_8
*if vdrink9 = 0
	*goto vdrink_9
*if vdrink10 = 0
	*goto vdrink_10
*goto win_drink
		
*label vdrink_1
Varys grabs the first drink. He takes a sip, then chugs it. He frowns. "I hate light beer…"
*set varys_health -2
*page_break
*goto your_turn

*label vdrink_2
Varys grabs the first drink. He takes a sip, then chugs it. He smiles. "Beer…now that's more like it!"
*set varys_health -4
*page_break
*goto your_turn

*label vdrink_3
Varys grabs the first drink. He takes a sip, then chugs it. He smiles. "The sweet taste of wine."
*set varys_health -8
*page_break
*goto your_turn

*label vdrink_4
Varys grabs the first drink. He takes a sip, then chugs it. He smiles. "The sweet taste of beer."
*set varys_health -4
*page_break
*goto your_turn

*label vdrink_5
Varys grabs the first drink. He takes a sip, then chugs it. He smiles. "The sweet taste of wine."
*set varys_health -8
*page_break
*goto your_turn

*label vdrink_6
Varys grabs the first drink. He takes a sip, then chugs it. He frowns. "Bah…watered-down beer."
*set varys_health -2
*page_break
*goto your_turn

*label vdrink_7
Varys grabs the seventh drink. He takes a sip, then chugs it. He starts coughing, gasping for air.
*set varys_health -10
*page_break
*goto your_turn			

*label vdrink_8
Varys grabs the first drink. He takes a sip, then chugs it. He smiles. "The sweet taste of beer."
*set varys_health -4
*page_break
*goto your_turn

*label vdrink_9
Varys grabs the first drink. He takes a sip, then chugs it. He frowns. "Bah…watered-down beer."
*set varys_health -2
*page_break
*goto your_turn

*label vdrink_10
Varys grabs the first drink. He takes a sip, then chugs it. He smiles. "Wine."
*set varys_health -8
*page_break
*goto your_turn

*label win_drink
Varys falls over; you win!
*set health_max +5
*set health +5
*set score +1
*page_break
*goto bar

*label lose
You can't take any more; Varys wins!
*set health +5
*page_break
*goto bar

*label home
On the walk back home, you notice several drunks singing in the streets. A few are passed out. Suddenly, you hear some shouting and see a small band of kids beating and robbing a drunk man.
*choice
	#Intervene.
		*set leadership +1
		"Hey, what are you doing?" you yell in the most intimidating voice you can muster. 
		
		The kids turn around, shock on their faces, until they see that it's just you, a kid only a few years older than they are. 
		
		A short kid steps forward; he must be the leader. "What's it to you?"
		*fake_choice
			#"I don't appreciate what you're doing."
				The kid laughs. "Well, I don't appreciate you interrupting us. In fact, I think I need to teach you to never interrupt us again."
			#"Leave that man alone, or I'll call the guards."
				The kid laughs. "Oh, that'll be a difficult task after I knock you out." 
		The kid charges forward to attack you. 
		*page_break
		*goto battle
	#Walk by and say nothing.
		You walk by, trying not to draw any attention…it doesn't work.

		"Hey, you! Yeah, I'm talking to you, kid!" One of the kids (who must be the leader of the gang) walks up to you. "I'm short a few coins…do you have any Gold you could spare?"
		*choice
			*selectable_if (gold > 0) #Hand him whatever I have in my pockets. (1 GP) 
				You hand him whatever Gold Pieces you have in your pockets. "Thanks…now, scram." You walk away before he changes his mind. 
				*set gold -1
				*page_break
				*goto at_home
			#"No."
				"No Gold, huh? That's too bad. That is a nice pair of shoes you have there. I think they might fit me, mind if you take them off for a moment so I can compare?" 
				
				*if wisdom > 0 
					You take a look at his feet. They clearly won't fit him. 
				*choice
					#"No."
						"No…is that the only thing you can say?" Before you can respond with another no, he cuts you off. "How about this: give me something of value, or I beat you to a pulp."
						*choice
							#Give him the advice that it's not a good idea to mess with strangers.
								"We shall see about that." He charges at you…
								*page_break
								*goto battle
							#Give him my boots.
								"Thanks." He tries to put them on, but they don't fit. "Hmm. They don't fit, but you know what? I think they might fit my brother. I think I'll keep them. Now, scram." 
								
								You walk home, feet hurting as you try to avoid broken glass and rocks. 
								*set boots_gone 1
								*set score -1
								
								*page_break
								*goto at_home
							*selectable_if (gold > 0) #Hand him whatever I have in my pockets. (1 GP) 
								You hand him whatever Gold Pieces you have in your pockets. "Thanks…now, scram."

								You walk away before he changes his mind. 
								*set gold -1
								*page_break
								*goto at_home
					#"Why? Do you need my boots because you don't know how to tie your own shoes?"
						You point at his drawstring boots, which are clearly untied and too big for him to begin with. He probably just stole them from the drunk on the ground. 
						
						"You're going to pay for that insult!" He runs up to you with his hand out, ready to strike you. 
						*page_break
						*goto battle		
					#Hand him my boots.
						"Thanks." He tries to put them on, but they don't fit. "Hmm, they don't fit. But you know what? I think they might fit my brother. I think I'll keep them. Now, scram." 
						
						You walk home, feet hurting as you try to avoid broken glass and rocks. 
						*set boots_gone 1
						*set score -1
						*page_break
						*goto at_home
					#"They don't make these boots in female sizes."
						"What…I'm not…" He looks very confused.

						You call out harshly, "Sorry, you sound like a little girl. I guess I mistook you for one." His friends laugh, but he gives them a dirty look that quickly shuts them up.
						*choice
							#Continue to berate him.
								You continue to berate him, making fun of anything you can think of. Eventually, he tells his friends to quit laughing, and you make a joke about him having his britches in a twist. This leads to one of his friends laughing too loud and him punching his friend in the face. Soon there's a brawl between the thugs. You take this time to help the old drunk to his feet, get him on his way, and leave before they notice you again. 
								*set diplomacy +1
								*page_break 
								The drunk man's breath smells horrible, but he thanks you and asks for your name. You tell him, and he nods, saying he knows of your family. He seems very appreciative. 
								*page_break
								*goto at_home
							#Walk away.
								Perhaps to show off to his friends, or to maybe somehow redeem his honor, the kid charges at you while your back is turned. You turn around just as he's about to reach you. 
								*page_break
								*goto battle
							
	#Take a different route home.
		You decide to take a different route home…it takes a little longer than usual, but you arrive home without any issue. 
		*set wisdom +1
		*page_break
		*goto at_home

*label battle
The kid tries to punch you in the face…
*rand die_roll20 1 20
*set die_roll20 + agility
*page_break
*if die_roll20 = 5
	You manage to move out of the way of his punch just in time. 
*if die_roll20 > 5
	You manage to move out of the way of his punch. 
*if die_roll20 < 5
	The punch ends up hitting you in the face. 
	*set health -5
	*if health < 1

		Perhaps it's the drinking you did, or perhaps the kid is stronger than he looks…anyway, the punch ends up knocking you out. You wake up with your money gone, as well as your boots.
		*set gold -1
		*set boots_gone 1
		*set score -1
		*page_break
		*set health 1
		*goto at_home

	It only causes minor damage, though. 

You decide to punch the kid back.
*rand die_roll20 1 20
*set die_roll 20 + agility
*page_break
*if die_roll20 = 5
	Your punch isn't the most accurate, but at least it hits him. 
	*rand die_roll4 1 4
	*set die_roll4 + strength
	*set damage die_roll4
	*set boss_health - damage
*if die_roll20 > 5
	You manage to deliver a vicious jab to the kid's face. 
	*rand die_roll4 1 4
	*set die_roll4 + strength
	*set damage die_roll4
*if die_roll20 < 5
	Your punch completely misses him. 
You both have your fists up now in a defensive posture. His friends start cheering him on.
*page_break
*goto fight

*label fight
*if health < 1
	You're feeling wary from that last attack. You stumble; the kid notices and manages to hit you with a huge uppercut. The next thing you know, you're on the ground. The last thing you remember before you pass out is a fist hitting you in the face.
	*set gold -1
	*set boots_gone 1
	*page_break
	*goto at_home
*if boss_health < 1
	The kid staggers back. You run up and finish him off with a vicious right hook. He falls to the ground. His friends run away. You walk over to the drunk man and help him to his feet. He thanks you for your help.
	
	You walk home, feeling good about yourself. 
	*set agility +1
	*set wisdom +1
	*page_break
	*goto at_home
The kid tries to hit you…
*page_break
*rand die_roll10 1 10
*set die_roll10 - agility
*page_break
*if die_roll10 = 10
	The kid kicks you in the chest, hard. 
	*rand die_roll8 1 8

	*set damage die_roll8
	*set health - damage
*if die_roll10 > 5
	The kid punches you in the face with a quick jab. 
	*rand die_roll4 1 4

	*set damage die_roll4
	*set health - damage
	
*if die_roll10 < 5
	The kid misses completely.

*goto fight2
	
	
*label fight2
*if health < 1
	You're feeling wary from that last attack. You stumble; the kid notices and manages to hit you with a huge uppercut. The next thing you know, you're on the ground. The last thing you remember before you pass out is a fist hitting you in the face.
	*set gold -1
	*set boots_gone 1
	*page_break
	*goto home
*if boss_health < 1
	The kid staggers back. You run up and finish him off with a vicious right hook. He falls to the ground. His friends run away. You walk over to the drunk man and help him to his feet. He thanks you for your help.
	
	You walk home, feeling good about yourself. 
	*set agility +1
	*set wisdom +1
	*page_break
	*goto home

Gang Leader's Health: ${boss_health}

Your Health: ${health}

*choice
	#Hit him with a fast jab.
		You strike at him with a jab…
		*rand die_roll20 1 20
		*set die_roll20 + agility
		*page_break
		*if die_roll20 = 5
			Your jab isn't the most accurate, but at least it hits him. 
			*rand die_roll4 1 4
			*set die_roll4 + strength
			*set damage die_roll4
			*set boss_health - damage
			*page_break
			*goto fight
		*if die_roll20 > 5
			You manage to deliver a quick jab to the kid's face. 
			*rand die_roll4 1 4
			*set die_roll4 + strength
			*set damage die_roll4
			*set boss_health - damage
			*page_break
			*goto fight
		*if die_roll20 < 5
			Your punch misses him.
			*page_break
			*goto fight
		Your punch misses…
		*page_break
		*goto fight
	#Kick him.
		You attempt to connect with a kick to the chest…
		*rand die_roll10 1 10
		*set die_roll10 + agility
		*page_break
		*if die_roll10 = 5
			Your kick isn't the most accurate, but at least it hits him. 
			*rand die_roll10 1 8
			*set die_roll10 + strength
			*set damage die_roll10
			*set boss_health - damage
			*page_break
			*goto fight
		*if die_roll10 > 5
			You manage to kick the kid hard in the chest. 
			*rand die_roll10 1 8
			*set die_roll10 + strength
			*set damage die_roll10
			*set boss_health - damage
			*page_break
			*goto fight
		*if die_roll10 < 5
			Your kick misses him.
			*page_break
			*goto fight
		Your kick misses him.
		*page_break
		*goto fight
	#Hit him with a strong uppercut.
		You attempt to hit him with an uppercut…
		*rand die_roll8 1 8
		*set die_roll8 + agility
		*page_break
		*if die_roll8 = 5
			Your uppercut isn't very accurate, but it hits its intended target…
			*rand die_roll8 1 8
			*set die_roll8 + strength
			*set damage die_roll8
			*set boss_health - damage
			*page_break
			*goto fight
		*if die_roll8 > 5
			You deliver a vicious uppercut to the kid's jaw. 
			*rand die_roll10 1 10
			*set die_roll10 + strength
			*set damage die_roll8
			*set boss_health - damage
			*page_break
			*goto fight
		*if die_roll8 < 5
			Your punch misses him.
			*page_break
			*goto fight
		Your punch misses…
		*page_break
		*goto fight
		
*label at_home
You slowly open the door. It's rather dark; you guess everyone must be sleeping. You slowly close the door. Then you carefully walk to your room, making sure to avoid the squeaky board in the center of the living room. When you reach the door, you hear a loud voice say, "And where exactly have you been?" You turn…it's your mother, and she's quite angry. Apparently, she's been waiting for you.
*choice
	#"I was hanging out with Varys, that's all."
		"That doesn't surprise me in the least, but doesn't really answer my question, does it? You smell of beer. What have you been up to? The truth now!" 
		*set score +1
		*goto the_truth

	#Make something up.
		"Reading…I…must have lost track of time."
		
		She looks at you like you just told her you were swimming in the ocean. "Quit lying! Now where were you?"
		*set dark +5
		*goto the_truth
	#Tell her the truth.
		*set light +5
		*goto the_truth
	
*label the_truth

You sigh. "I was at the tavern, and before that, the tournament."

"Why am I not surprised…did you see your father there?" she asks in an almost worried tone. 

"Yes, Midnight did great as usual. Sir Robert Gale won," you reply. 

Your mother sighs. "Good…he hasn't come home yet. I was getting a little worried."

"After a big win, it's not uncommon for Sir Robert to celebrate. He probably invited him along," you say. 

Your mother frowns. "Perhaps, but there's something I wanted to talk to him about."

You shrug. "Want me to go looking for him?"

Her anger returns. "No, I want you in bed like you're supposed to be!" 
*if boots_gone = 1

	As you walk away, she looks at your feet. "And why in the heck are you barefoot? Did you lose the new boots I got you?"
*page_break
You quickly go into your room and close the door. You get into bed, thinking about the day's events. Your thoughts are interrupted by your little brother across the room; the noise must have woken him up. 
*set health health_max

"${name}, where have you been? Did you go to the tournament? Can you tell me about it?" asks your little brother. 
*fake_choice
	#"I'm tired, Vaughn, we can talk about it tomorrow."
		Your little brother nods and goes back to sleep. You close your eyes and soon fall asleep as well.
		*set dark +2
	#"Yes."
		Your little brother listens to your every word. You've always been good at telling stories. He cheers when you get to the part about Sir Robert Gale winning. You hear your mother yell something about how the two of you should be sleeping. You tell him that you can talk more about it tomorrow if he wants. You close your eyes and soon fall asleep. 
		*set light +2
*page_break
*goto next_day

*label next_day			
The next morning, you wake up with a huge headache. Maybe you drank a little too much. You get dressed and walk into the kitchen to find a note from your mother. 

"Midnight is sick. Your father asked me to bring him those medicinal herbs we keep for emergencies. I'll probably be gone for most of the day, so I left your brother with your aunt. Try your best to stay out of trouble." 

As soon as you're done reading, you hear a knock on the door. You walk over to open it.

You open the door and see Varys, smiling and holding some kind of flyer in his hand.
*fake_choice 
	#"I'm supposed to stay away from trouble." (Shut the door in his face.) 
		"Come on, ${name}, you're going to kick yourself if you don't hear what I just found out…open the door." 
		
		Curiosity gets the best of you, and you open the door. 
	#"How are you not hung over?"
		He shrugs. "They must've watered down the beer, with so many people there last night." 

He walks inside and puts the flyer on the table. "Take a look at this!"

You take a quick look; it's an announcement of some kind of event to celebrate the rebuilding of the arena. 

You sigh. "Yeah, what of it?"

He points at a certain section. "Read closer."

You read the following: "Events will include a pie-eating contest, puppet show, horse racing, and a tournament, which for the first time will be open to all citizens and organized by age groups. The competition will include melees, archery, darts, and jousting."

You read it again to make sure you read the last part correctly.

Varys looks at you and says, "You keep talking about how you'd like to participate in one of these things; now here's your chance. Heck, I might compete as well. It sounds like fun. First prize gets 100 Gold Pieces. Too bad we can't compete in the adult competition; the prizes are much higher."

*label decide
What do you say?
*choice
	*disable_reuse #"With your height, you could pass as an adult."
		"Hmm, no. I'm too well known in the taverns. People will recognize me on the spot as the most famous darts player in town."
		*choice
			#"You mean most infamous?"
				"Quit it, you always have to bring up that one time at the Frog's Bottom, don't you? It was when I was first starting out. I didn't mean to throw the dart at that patron's bum. Now are you interested or not?"
				*page_break
				*goto decide
			#Nod.
				"Now are you interested or not?"
				*page_break
				*goto decide
	#"Sounds interesting; how did I not hear about this?"
		"Well…it's not exactly official…"
		
		You narrow your eyes at Varys.
		
		"It's not what you think! I mean, the arena is closed and the Governor has left the village by now. No one's using it. It looks like one of the nobles must have bribed the guards to let them host an event there. The flyers went out today."
		
		You think for a moment…
		*choice
			#"I guess it wouldn't hurt to check it out." 
				Varys nods. "Exactly. Now, let's get going before it gets too crowded to get in." You both head for the arena.
				*page_break
				*goto festival
			#"No. As much fun as it sounds like, it also sounds a bit sketchy."
				"Seriously? Come on, at least see what it's all about. What else are you going to do?"
				*choice
					#"Fine, let's go."
						"Now that's the spirit," Varys says, and you both head out in the direction of the arena.
						*page_break
						*goto festival
					#"Sleep."
						"Ugh…you're so lazy. Suit yourself. When I come back 100 Gold Pieces richer and with a great story to tell, you'll have no one to blame but yourself." Varys leaves. 
						
						What do you do?
						*choice
							#Sleep.
								You go back to bed and take a nap. You wake up sometime later; you aren't sure how long you were asleep, but it's still daylight. You hear a knock on the door. It's Varys. He walks inside and proceeds to tells you all about the tournament. 

								"There was a huge crowd of people there, even though it wasn't really an official event. Apparently, they were charging people a Gold Piece to get in."
								
								*if lost_gold_to_varys = 1
									He smiles. "Luckily, I had that Gold Piece I won off of you last night, so I was able to pay the entry fee." 
									
								*if lost_gold_to_varys = 0 
									He grins. "I didn't feel like paying, so I proceeded to go to that hole we found in the arena earlier. Turns out it's been patched up. But the wall wasn't that tall, so I was able to jump up and climb it, but I got spotted by the guards. I had to run away, until I lost them in the crowd at the festival. It was a close call."
									
								He continues. "Anyway, I signed up for the darts tournament, and I was doing great. In the final match, I had to play against a difficult opponent…she got three bullseyes in a row! I personally think she cheated somehow, but I couldn't prove it. Anyway, I won second place." He shows you the 25 Gold Pieces he earned for winning second place in darts. 
								
								*fake_choice
									#"Someone beats you at darts, and you automatically assume they cheated?"
									#"Beaten by a girl? Maybe you should find a new hobby."
								
								He scoffs, then proceeds to tell you about all the food and games they have there. You talk for several more minutes, but eventually he says he needs to head back home and departs.
								
								You return to your room, thinking about whether you should have gone or not. Varys is your best friend, but he has a knack for getting you into trouble. Even though it sounded like fun, perhaps it's best that you didn't attend. You'll never know, so it's best not to worry about it. You decide to focus on the present. 
								
								How would you like to spend the rest of your day?
								*fake_choice
									#Reading adventure books.
										You sit on your bed and read a book about a knight saving a princess. It's a typical plot, but at least the main character is interesting. When you finish, you look up at your ceiling and think about what being a knight would be like. 
										*page_break
									#Studying one of my father's old horse-training manuals.
										Inside are several handwritten notes from your father. You spend an hour or so reading the book. It's rather dull, but you do learn a few things about horses you didn't know.
										*page_break
									#Snoop around the house.
										This is dangerous, as you aren't allowed to go into your parents' bedroom. Getting caught would probably result in you getting in trouble, but since they're gone, you figure now would be a better time than ever. Unfortunately, you don't find anything that exciting, mostly tools and books on horse training. In your room, you check under your little brother's bed and a find a crude drawing of a knight fighting off a dragon. It makes you laugh a little.
										*page_break
								Suddenly, the front door to your home bursts open and two men walk in carrying your father, who appears to be wounded. Your mother and a healer follow. They all rush into your parents' room and close the door. Your brother and aunt arrive shortly thereafter and have worried looks on their faces. They wait outside your parents' room. 
								*page_break
								*goto what_happened
							#Catch up with Varys and go to the tournament.
								You catch up to Varys, and you both head out to the arena.
								*page_break
								*goto festival

*label festival
You and Varys walk over to the arena; you see a bunch of people already there. You're about to walk in when a large man puts his hand in front of the pair of you. 

"It costs one Gold Piece to enter the festival," he says with a sigh; he's probably had to say that all day. 

You look at Varys, and he just shrugs. "I guess they have to make money from this somehow, right?"
*choice
	*selectable_if (gold > 0) #Give him the money. (1 GP)
		The large man bites on the gold coin to make sure it's real, then lets you in. 
		*set gold -1
		*page_break
		*goto inside_festival
	#Find a way to sneak in.
		You walk over to the hole where you and Varys snuck in yesterday, but to your dismay, it's been hastily patched up and a couple of shady guards are patrolling the perimeter. 
		*choice
			*selectable_if (gold > 0) #Go back and pay the toll. (1 GP)
				The large man bites on the gold coin to make sure it's real, then lets you in. 
				*set gold -1
				*page_break
				*goto inside_festival
			#Ask Varys to lift me up so I can climb over the wall.
				He does so, and you make it to the top. You hold your hand out to help him up. You both manage to climb over the wall.
				*page_break
				*goto inside_festival
			
*label inside_festival
There are people selling items at booths everywhere. You take a look at the prices, but they seem a bit exorbitant. Varys points toward the tournament registration. You walk over. 

A gruff-looking man looks up and asks what you're interested in registering for. Before you can even say anything, Varys signs up for the darts competition at 2PM. Then he walks away to look at one of the vendor stands, leaving you alone to take a look at the events.
*set tournament_participated 1

*label sign_up
What do you do?
*choice
	#Sign up for the melee tournament.
		The gruff-looking man sighs and looks at the schedule. Looks like all the rosters are full on that except for the team event. 
		
		You ask him what the number of people you need to sign up for as a team is. He thinks for a moment. "Well, the average team size is five, but no more than six people are allowed per team." He takes a brief look to see if you're with anyone else. "I suppose the minimum would be two."
		
		After a few seconds, he says, "It looks like you don't have enough people." The gruff-looking man is about to tell you to leave when you suddenly interrupt him and tell him you do have enough people. You look over at Varys. He's in the middle of eating an overpriced funnel cake and pretending not to notice you. You keep staring, until he finally sighs. "Fine, sign me up." You put Varys's name next to yours. The gruff-looking man examines the two of you. "You still have time to find three or four other participants. You would be at a great disadvantage if it's just the two of you." 
		
		*label team_name
		What's the name of your team?
		*choice	
			#The Dusty Knights.
				*set team_name "the Dusty Knights"
				The tournament official writes this down and gives you the details about the tournament. 
				*page_break
				*goto before_event
			#The Killer Rabbits.
				*set team_name "the Killer Rabbits"
				The tournament official shrugs, then writes this down and gives you details about the tournament. 
				*page_break
				*goto before_event
			*disable_reuse #Varys Sucks at Darts.
				Varys glares at you. "If you call it that, I'm not signing up."
				*page_break
				*goto team_name
			#I don't like any of these names.
				*input_text team_name
				*page_break
				*if team_name = "Varys Sucks at Darts" 
					Varys glares at you. "PICK ANOTHER NAME."
					*page_break
					*goto team_name
				The tournament official gives you a half-smirk, then writes the team name down. "Good luck to ${team_name}." 
				*page_break
				*goto before_event
					
	*disable_reuse #Sign up for the archery tournament.
		Varys overhears and laughs. "You've never even shot a bow, ${name}". The tournament registrar frowns. "The last thing we want is you shooting someone by accident. It would be best if you chose a different event, kid."
		*page_break
		*goto sign_up		
	*disable_reuse #Sign up for the jousting tournament.
		The gruff-looking man looks at you for a few seconds, then asks, "Do you have a horse?"
		
		"No," you say in reply. He shakes his head. "Then unless you plan on making a fool out of yourself, you can't participate. It's not for a kid like you, anyway."
		*page_break
		*goto sign_up
	*disable_reuse #Sign up for the darts tournament.
		"Sorry, the roster is all full. Your friend over there got the last spot. You should've gotten here earlier, kid."
		*page_break
		*goto sign_up

*label before_event
*if hours > 0 
	Hours until the tournament: ${hours}
*if hours < 1 
	The tournament is about to begin!

Your Health: ${health}

Number of Team Members: ${party}


What should you do?
*if team_complete = 0
	*if party = 6
		*set team_complete 1
		*achieve assemble
*choice
	*disable_reuse *selectable_if (hours > 0) #Discuss strategy. (30 Minutes)
		You discuss strategy. "So, what's the play here?" Varys interjects. "I know there are some general formations you can make, but remember, playing to the crowd can be useful too. Any Gold thrown into the arena is shared. It might also be a good way to distinguish ourselves."
		*set hours -0.5
		*choice
			#"We'll keep a tight formation, nothing fancy, and forget about the crowd."
				Varys frowns. "Fine, I guess that is the smart play."
				*set intelligence +1
				*set tournament_strategy 1
				*page_break
				*goto before_event
			#"We'll keep a loose formation, playing a little to the crowd, but winning is our ultimate goal."
				Varys makes a half-smile. "I guess that's a good compromise." 
				*set wisdom +1
				*set tournament_strategy 2
				*page_break
				*goto before_event
			#"No real formation; just watch each other's backs if you can…our main goal here is to make the crowd happy." 
				Varys grins. "Fantastic. I'll make that crowd rain Gold on us. Hopefully, it won't land on our heads."
				*set diplomacy +1
				*set tournament_strategy 3
				*page_break
				*goto before_event
	*disable_reuse *selectable_if (hours > 0) #Practice fighting. (30 Minutes)
		You and Varys practice fighting. You both take up wooden sticks, and you quickly disarm Varys. He picks it back up and attacks again, though you easily parry it and hit him several times with your stick. "Hey, take it easy, man," Varys groans.

		"They won't take it easy in the arena," you reply. "You need to be prepared."

		Varys frowns. "Yeah, I guess you're right, I am much more of a long-range fighter. Too bad this isn't a darts competition."

		You show Varys a few more moves, and he's able to defend himself a little better, but he still lacks finesse. When you're not looking, he throws a mud brick directly at your face. You chase after him for several minutes until you both get tired out.
		*set wisdom +1
		*set hours -0.5
		*page_break
		*goto before_event
	*selectable_if (hours > 0.5) #Look for other people to join our team. (1 Hour)
		Where should we look?
		*set hours -1
		*choice
			*disable_reuse #The weapons shops.
				You peruse the weapons shops. There are a variety of interesting weapons. Varys takes a liking to a throwing knife. You notice a young man carving a short wooden sword and a kid who's just bought a huge bastard sword and is swinging it around for fun, trying to impress his friends. 
				*choice
					#Talk to the carver.
						You say hello, to which the carver replies in kind but doesn't take his eyes off his work. A few seconds later, you hear a crash, some laughs, and a kid cursing. The kid with the huge bastard sword comes over to the carver. "Hey, man, this sword is unbalanced, and I think I have a few splinters. I want a refund." This makes the carver look up. "I warned you that sword is too big for you. You specifically asked for it to be extra-long too, despite my warnings about balance. I don't give refunds." The kid looks pissed. He lifts the bastard sword up in the air and is about to smash some carvings. Within the blink of an eye, the carver is up and, with his short sword, knocks the bastard sword out of the kid's hand, then points his sword at the kid's throat. "It may not be much to you, kid, but these carvings keep my family fed. If I were you, I'd get out of here before you have another accident." The kid leaves in a hurry.
						
						Varys grins. "Hey, what's your name, carver?"

						The carver looks up, somewhat hesitantly. "Jacob. Are either of you interested in a wood carving?"  

						"No," Varys responds, "but I think we could use you in another capacity."

						You explain the tournament to Jacob, and he nods, asks what time it is, and says he'll be there to join you. Before you leave, Jacob asks what your team's name is. When you tell him, he shakes his head and grumbles something about kids. 
						*comment endif
						*set Jacob 1
						*set party +1
						*page_break
						*goto before_event
					#Talk to the kid with the bastard sword.
						You approach the kid who's swinging the sword widely in the air. After a few moments, he looks up at the two of you. "What do you guys want?"

						Varys grins. "Nothing. Just appreciating your finesse with the sword."

						The kid grins back. "Yeah it's a beauty. The stupid carver says it's too big for me and its length would make it off-balance, but what does he know?"

						You can't help but interject at this. "I would assume a lot, since he makes a living carving swords…." 

						"Yeah, well watch this," the kid says as he starts swinging the sword wildly, smashing various objects around him. Suddenly, he loses his balance and falls, getting a few splinters in his leg. He starts to cry and runs toward what you could only assume is his mother. Varys frowns; so much for that potential recruit.
						*page_break
						*goto before_event
			*disable_reuse  #The game stands.
				You approach the game stands. Before you can do much scouting, you notice that Varys is over at the knife-throwing stand. He takes a few practice throws and does reasonably well, but he doesn't hit a bullseye. A girl next to him approaches the table; she misses her first two shots but lands a bullseye on the third.

				She smiles at Varys. "Looks like I'm better than you."

				Varys balks. "Please, that was just a lucky shot, I bet you can't do it again."

				The girl puts her hands on her hips. "Oh, yeah? Willing to put your purse where your mouth is?"

				"Yeah," Varys says, never backing down from a challenge. "I'll bet you three Copper Pieces you can't hit another bullseye. I'll even let you have three throws, since I'm a gentleman."

				The girl smiles. "I'll take that bet." She takes a few moments, then starts doing some deep breathing.

				Varys laughs. "I was only kidding, if you're that worried about losing the Copper Pieces, maybe we can work something else—" She throws the first dagger, and it hits a perfect bullseye. She immediately picks up the two other daggers and throws them both at the same time. Both hit nearly perfect bullseyes. She smiles and puts her hand out, expecting Varys to pay her the Copper Pieces. Varys frowns. "Why…why, you tricked me! I'm not paying you anything."

				The girl looks annoyed. "I won fair and square! It's not my fault you fell for such an easy con." 
				*comment endif
				
				Varys is about to make some witty retort when you interrupt. "How would you feel about entering the team tournament with us? You obviously have some skill, and you could earn a lot more than three Copper Pieces." 

				Varys pulls you aside. "Are you serious, man? She's…she's a girl."
				*choice
					#"Yeah, I'm serious."
						Varys puts his face in his hands. "Fine, but I'm not sure how the crowd will react."

						You tell the girl that the offer stands if she's willing to take it. She agrees and tells you her name is Abilene, but that you can call her Abi. She asks you what your team name is. After you tell her it's ${Team_Name}, she shakes her head and says, "Boys…"

						After learning the details of where and when, she departs and promises to be there. 
						*set Abilene 1
						*set party +1
						*page_break
						*goto before_event
					#"Perhaps you're right…but pay her the three Copper Pieces, she won fair and square." 
						Varys frowns but hands over the Copper Pieces. The girl leaves, most likely to another booth to try her luck. 
						*page_break
						*goto before_event
			*disable_reuse  #The jousting arena.
				You head over to the jousting arena. It's too noisy from the cheers of the crowd to make any conversation. Anyone you try to talk to brushes you aside and tells you they're trying to watch the joust. You leave after several minutes.
				*page_break
				*goto before_event
			*disable_reuse  #The back alleys.
				Varys seems a bit hesitant. "What exactly do you expect to find here? Thieves and cut-throats are always lurking around here." He keeps his hand close to a dagger he has around his waist. 
				*page_break
				*if luck < 4
					A man in a hood tries to steal your coin purse, but you jump back before he can reach it. He pulls a dagger and slashes at you. 
					*rand diceroll 1 20
					*set diceroll +agility
					*if diceroll > 9

						You manage to dodge the attack. The cloaked figure runs away.
					*if diceroll < 10

						The cloaked figure slashes your arm, causing minor damage. Then he runs away before the guards can be called.
						*set health -5
					*page_break
				You walk around for a long time. You find mostly beggars or people trying to pickpocket you. After about an hour, you decide to head back.
				*page_break
				*goto before_event
			*disable_reuse  #The food stands.
				Varys looks surprised. "Why would we go there?"

				You shrug. "Warriors need to eat, don't they?"

				Varys thinks for a moment, then nods. You stand around chatting with a few people, but most of them are drunk or too busy eating to chat with you. Suddenly, you see someone running from a stand, and a woman yells, "Thief!" The man running turns around to wave and gloat. He continues to run but doesn't notice the overweight kid in front of him and crashes into him, falling backward. The large kid doesn't move an inch from the impact, but he does end up dropping his turkey leg. The thief tries to get up, but a couple of guards catch him. The woman demands he pay for the food he stole, or she'll call the "real guards" (whatever that means). 
				*choice
					#Help the thief.
						You offer to pay for whatever the thief stole. The thief and woman both look a bit perplexed, but they nod. You force Varys to give the woman a couple of Copper Pieces, which he groans about having to give up. "I would've liked to have spent that money on one of those turkey legs." The crowd disperses, and you're left with the thief.

						He looks at you hesitantly. "What do you two want?"

						"We're looking for people to join our team for the tournament," you respond. "You seem like a fast kid." You tell him all the details. He gives you a half-smile, nods, and then leaves.

						Varys frowns. "I get the sense he won't show up."
						*page_break
						*goto before_event
					#Talk to the large kid.
						The kid seems upset. Varys is first to speak. "Hey man, pretty good thing you did there." The kid doesn't respond; he just sits there, staring at the turkey leg, which is now on the ground. Varys tries again. "Hey, anybody there?"

						The kid looks up. "Oh. hello, yes, sorry, I was just really looking forward to eating that turkey leg." 
						
						Varys smiles at him, and you know he's about to make a joke telling the kid the last thing he needs is another turkey leg, so you interject, "We could buy you another. Don't worry about it. Hey, you have quite a strong build…how would you feel about competing in a team tournament with us?"

						The kid seems unsure and tells you that he doesn't have a whole lot of experience fighting. Varys examines the kid again. "He does look rather intimidating, regardless of what his fighting ability may be. He could be useful in the arena."  
						
						You and Varys buy the kid a new turkey leg. The kid bites into it and looks extremely happy. You ask him his name. He tells you it's Tommen. After giving him all the details, he mumbles something in between bites; you manage to understand the words "I'll be there." You and Varys decide to leave. 
						*set Tommen 1
						*set party +1
						*page_break
						*goto before_event
			#Never mind.
				You decide to review your options again.
				*set hours +1
				*page_break
				*goto before_event
	*disable_reuse *selectable_if (hours > 0) #Enjoy the festivities. (30 Minutes)
		You and Varys walk around, enjoying the festivities. After some time, you overhear an argument between a young, short kid and the tournament organizer you spoke to earlier. The kid leaves in anger. You and Varys are curious, so you walk up to the kid and ask him what happened.

		The kid replies, "All the tournament rosters are full. I was going to join the individual melee competition, but apparently that was filled hours ago." He sighs. You tell him about how you had trouble too, but you were able to make it onto the team melee.

		"Really?" he says, looking excited. "Could I join you guys?"

		Before you can say anything, Varys interjects. "That depends, kid…can you fight?"

		The kid laughs, and you notice the staff he's holding. "I'm quite good at this. I bet you can't even touch me in a fight."

		Varys laughs. "Come on, kid, you can't be that good."

		The kid encourages Varys to try. Varys shrugs and charges at the kid. The kid dodges and trips him. When Varys tries to grab him, he's hit in the chest and arms several times with the staff. After the third attempt results in Varys nearly getting hit in the face, he decides to stop trying. Varys rubs his shoulder. "The kid is young and short, but definitely has skill." 

		Should you invite the kid onto the team?
		*set hours -0.5
		*choice
			#"Yes, he is skilled."
				You smile and tell the kid all the details. Varys asks the kid his name, and he replies, "Harold." You and Varys leave. 
				*set Harold 1
				*set party +1
				*page_break
				*goto before_event
			#"No, he's too young."
				The kid is too young, so it isn't right even if he is skilled. You and Varys leave.
				*page_break
				*goto before_event
	*selectable_if (hours > 0.5) #Rest. (1 Hour)
			*set health health_max
		You rest for a while.
		*set hours -1
		*page_break
		*goto before_event

	*selectable_if (hours < 2) #Go to the tournament.
		You and Varys go to the tournament entrance. Several people are heading into the arena to get seats. Nearby, there's a makeshift armory. You look around and see several wooden weapons to choose from. 
		*page_break
		*goto start_now
 
		
*label start_now
*if Harold > 0
	Harold, the short young kid you met earlier, is first to arrive. He starts practicing with his staff. 

*if Abilene > 0
	Abilene shows up. You're not sure what weapon she'll choose. Eventually, she picks up the short sword. 

*if Jacob > 0	
	Jacob the carver shows up. He has a well-made wooden longsword already in his hand. 

*if Tommen > 0	
	Tommen shows up and looks around at the various weapons. He picks the wooden war hammer. Its size is ridiculous, but he has no trouble lifting it up. 

Varys is unsure what weapon he should choose. Eventually, he grabs a sling with some pellets and a wooden club for good measure. He says something about using weapons he's familiar with when he notices you looking at him.  

What do you pick?
*choice
	#The two-handed sword.
		You grab the two-handed sword. 
		*set two_handed_sword 1
		
		*if strength < 2
			It feels quite heavy in your arms, and you have difficulty swinging it. 
			*page_break
			*set score -1
			*goto start1
		*page_break
		*goto start1
	#The sword and shield.
		You grab the sword and shield. 
		*set sword_and_shield 1
		*page_break
		*goto start1
	#The short sword.
		You grab the short sword. 
		*set short_sword 1
		*page_break
		*goto start1
	#The spear.
		You grab the spear. 
		*set spear 1
		*page_break
		*goto start1
	#The axe.
		You grab the axe.
		*page_break
		*goto start1
	#The staff.
		You grab the staff. 
		*set staff 1
		*page_break
		*goto start1
*label start1
The tournament announcer looks around. "Are you…${team_name}?" You nod. He tells you to gather your group into the arena. 

*if tournament_strategy = 1
	You remind Varys and the others to maintain a tight formation and to stick together.  
*if tournament_strategy = 2
	You remind Varys and the others to maintain a loose formation and spread out, but to make sure to watch each other's backs. 
*if tournament_strategy = 3	
	You remind Varys and the others to be sure to put on a good show; win or lose, you want the crowd cheering at the end. 

A young man walks in and begins checking your gear. "Everything looks to be in order here. Did someone already go over the rules with you?"
*fake_choice
	#"No, what are they?"
		The young man proceeds to go over the rules. "Your team will form up on the right side of the arena. Upon hearing the horn, you'll be free to move around the arena as you wish. Until then, you cannot pass the center line. The melee will then take place. If you or one of your team members are knocked out, they're eliminated from the tournament. At any time, anyone can yield, which will also eliminate him or her from the tournament. If the judges rule you've taken too much damage or they fear for your safety, they may remove you from the tournament. Last team standing wins. Remember: your objective is to knock your opponents out or damage them enough to the point that they yield or a judge removes them. Your objective is not to maim or kill…though that does remind me…" He pulls out a piece of paper. "If you would please sign these waivers with the understanding that you're putting yourself and your party at risk of bodily harm?" 

		You sign the waiver. The young man wishes you luck and departs. 
		*page_break
	#"Don't care; go away."
		The young man makes you sign a waiver, then leaves. 
		*page_break
You hear the announcer's voice. "First up is…${team_name}." The arena gates open, and you walk through. You see a few hundred people watching, and some are even cheering. You walk over to the right side of the arena.

The announcer speaks again. "Next up is the Rhino Horns!" Another team enters the arena and lines up on the opposite side. The team consists of several boys, all of whom seem much older than you. Most of them are carrying spears or two-handed swords. Varys whispers to you that he thinks some of those guys must have lied about their age. He points at the enemy team's leader, who stands nearly six feet tall. 

*if Harold > 0 
	Harold tells you that the Rhino Horns are pretty good. They almost always charge their opponents the minute the horn sounds. That's how they got their name.
	
	Varys enters the conversation. "Don't rhinos have tusks, not horns?"
	
	*if Abilene > 0
		Abilene laughs. "Stupid boys…they don't even know what a rhino is." 
	*if Jacob > 0

		Jacob replies, "Regardless of whether a rhino has a tusk or a horn, if their strategy is to charge, perhaps we should stand our ground or move forward slowly rather than charge them when the fighting starts."
		*if Abilene > 0

			Abi laughs. "You want us to huddle up in a little group like frightened school kids? That'll just make us look weak. I think you overestimate these guys…I say we charge them instead. Look at all of them, with their long weapons. I think they're compensating for something…"
			*if harold > 0

				Harold looks confused and turns to you. "What is she talking about?"

				You shake your head. "I'll explain that joke to you later…maybe."
*if Tommen > 0
	Tommen asks you if it's too late to grab another turkey leg before the battle begins. Varys gives him a dirty look. "This isn't the time to think about food. Get that war hammer ready and at least pretend to look like you know how to use it!"
	
	*if Abilene > 0 
		Abilene grins. "Perhaps he's more proficient with a turkey leg; I say you try to get one, Tommen."

		Tommen begins to walk away when you say sharply, "Don't you dare."

		Tommen frowns and returns to the group, rubbing his stomach. 

*if Jacob > 0
	Jacob holds his sword out in front of him. He swings it a couple times, getting ready for combat. 
	
	*if Harold > 0
		Harold notices the wooden sword. "That's a nicely made weapon, Jacob. Where did you get it?"
	
		Jacob responds, "I made it myself."

		Harold smiles. "Oh, that's cool." He holds his staff up. "I made my weapon, too. I call it Troll Smasher."
		
		Jacob looks over at you and Varys. "How old is this kid…twelve?" 
		
		Varys laughs. "He may be young, but he knows how to use that staff…trust me."

You take a few moments to concentrate on the battle to come. The crowd quiets…and then suddenly, the horn sounds!

What do you do?

Your Health: ${health}

*choice
	#"Charge!"
		You charge, and so does the other team. They have three up front with spears, and they also have two boys wielding two-handed swords on the flanks. Their leader is in the back with a sword and shield. You meet in the middle, and the three with spears end up splitting your forces into two. Before you can react to this maneuver, you're attacked by one of the boys wielding a two-handed sword. 
		*choice
			*selectable_if (sword_and_shield > 0) #Use my shield to block it.
				The blow is tremendous, but your block holds. The boy attempts to attack you again.

				*if Harold > 0 
					Harold charges in and hits the boy with his spear. He turns to face the other opponent. He's now flanked, and you and Harold are able to take him down. 
					*page_break
					*goto fight_continues
				The combat is tough. You eventually manage to knock the other boy out, but not before taking a few blows of your own.

				*set health -5
				*if health < 1
					You find that you have trouble standing up. You've taken too many blows. The judge eliminates you from the tournament. Your team ends up losing. 
					*page_break
					*goto lost
				*page_break
				*goto fight_continues
			
			#Parry and counterstrike.
				*if agility > 0
					*if intelligence > 0
						You manage to parry and hit the boy with a hard blow. He falls to the ground, unable to get back up. He's eliminated from the tournament. You switch your focus to the other members of the enemy team.
						*set score +2
						*page_break
						*goto fight_continues
				You attempt to parry, but it doesn't go well; as the boy charges, he swings mid-stride, hitting you hard in the chest. You're knocked back. He winds up again for another attack. 

				*set health -8
				*if health < 1
					The boy hits you hard, and you black out. Your team loses the tournament. 
					*page_break
					*goto lost
				*if Abilene > 0 
					Abi rushes in and hits the boy with her short sword. It causes him to turn around in anger. You move up behind him. He's flanked, and together you and Abilene take him down. 
					*page_break
					*goto fight_continues
				*if agility > 2
					Somehow, you manage to roll at just the right moment, avoiding his attack. 
					
					You sweep with your leg, causing the boy to fall down. Then you knock him out with your weapon. 
					*page_break
					*goto fight_continues
				It hits you hard in the face, and you're knocked down. You try to get up, but you can't. The judge removes you from the tournament. Your team loses.
				*page_break
				*goto lost
			#Dodge it.
				*if agility > 1
					You dodge his blow gracefully. Your opponent gets off-balance, which allows you an opportunity to attack. You end up knocking him to the ground. Varys hits him with his club, knocking the boy out. 
					*set score +1
					*page_break
					*goto fight_continues				
				*if Jacob > 0 
					You get hit hard in the face, and it dazes you. The boy attacks again with an overhand strike, but Jacob rushes in and blocks it. He ends up disarming the boy and knocking him out. 
					*set health -10
					*page_break
					*goto fight_continues
				You get hit hard in the face, and it dazes you. The boy attacks again with an overhand strike, hitting you on the top of the head. You're knocked to the ground and can't get back up. The judge removes you from the tournament.
				*page_break
				*goto lost
			#Jump back.
				*if Abilene > 0 
					You jump back, but the attacker only pursues you. He gets in a few good hits, but in his state of frenzy, he forgets to check his side, and Abi runs up and hits him in the face with her long sword. 
					
					He opens his guard, and you use the opportunity to hit him hard. He ends up getting knocked down, and the judge eliminates him from the tournament.

					*set health -4
					*if health < 1
						You have trouble standing up. Apparently, you've taken too much damage. You fall to your knees, and the judge eliminates you from the tournament. Your team ends up losing. 
						*page_break
						*goto lost
					*page_break
					*goto fight_continues	
				You jump back, but the attacker only pursues you. You take several hits to the chest and shoulders. Eventually, you lock weapons with your opponent. 
				*choice
					#Jump to the side.
						*if agility > 1
							You manage to jump back so quickly that the boy stumbles over. 
							
							This creates an opening, and you hit him hard, knocking him to the ground. The judge eliminates him from the tournament.
							*page_break
							*goto fight_continues
						You jump to the side and end up getting a sword blow directly to your face.
						*set health -10

						*if health < 1
							You have trouble standing up. Apparently, you've taken too much damage. You fall to your knees, and the judge eliminates you from the tournament. Your team ends up losing. 
							*page_break
							*goto lost
						*if Tommen > 0 
							You're on the ground, dazed, and figure it's pretty much over for you when you see Tommen charge the boy with his war hammer. The boy is surprised and turns to face Tommen, who doesn't know what to do other than yell and wave his hammer around in a menacing manner. The other boy smiles, realizing Tommen doesn't know how to use his weapon effectively, but it gives you a chance to get up and hit the boy from behind, knocking him out. 
							*page_break
							*goto fight_continues
						The boy hits you again, and you're knocked out. Your team loses. 
						*page_break
						*goto lost
					#Knee him in the groin.
						This is a rather dirty trick, but quite effective. It forces your opponent to put his guard down, and you hit him hard with your weapon, knocking him out. 
						*set dark +5
						*set light -2
						*page_break
						*goto fight_continues
					#Push him back.
						*if strength > 1
							You're able to overpower him and knock him to the ground. You hit him hard in the chest and again in the head. He's knocked out. 
							*set score +1
							*page_break
							*goto fight_continues
						*if Harold > 0
							Your opponent slowly begins to push you backwards. You think this is the end for you until Harold suddenly appears and trips the boy from behind with his staff. He falls over, giving you time to recover. The two of you manage to do enough damage to the other boy that a judge removes him from the tournament.
							*page_break
							*goto fight_continues
						You're unable to overpower him, and he knocks you over. He hits you hard with his weapon. You black out from the pain.
						*page_break
						*goto lost
		
					#Kick him.
						*if strength > 1
							*if agility > 0 
								You kick him hard in the knee, which causes him to lose his balance. You take a mighty swing and knock him out. 
								*page_break
								*goto fight_continues
						*if agility < 1 
							You kick him but miss completely. He ends up hitting you with the pommel of his sword. You fall over, knocked out. 
							*page_break
							*goto lost
						*if agility > 0 
							*if Jacob = 1 
								You kick him, but it doesn't do much damage. He winds up to attack you again, when suddenly Jacob intercepts the blow, giving you a few seconds to flank him. You and Jacob take him down without any problem. 
								*page_break
								*goto fight_continues
						*if agility > 0 
							*if strength < 2 
								You kick him, but it doesn't do much damage. He winds up to attack you again; you attempt to block it, but it ends up hitting you hard in your shoulder. Then you're hit from behind and knocked out.
								*page_break
								*goto lost
						Your attack fails, and the judge eliminates you from the tournament.
						*page_break
						*goto lost
			
	#Move forward.
		You decide to move forward as a group. A spearman charges forward ahead of his group.
		*choice
			#Attempt to trip him.
				*if agility > 1 
					You manage to dodge the spear and trip the boy, who falls over on top of his spear. Even though it's blunt, it ends up going through his shoulder. The judge removes the spearman from the competition. 
					*page_break
					*goto fight_continues
				It doesn't work. You end up getting hit hard on your right shoulder, and you end up dropping your weapon.

				*if Tommen > 0 
					You figure it's pretty much over for you, until you see Tommen charging the boy with his war hammer. The boy looks so surprised that he turns to face Tommen, who doesn't seem to know what to do other than yell. The other boy smiles, realizing Tommen doesn't know how to use his weapon effectively, but it gives you a chance to pick up your own weapon and hit the boy from behind, knocking him out. 
					*page_break
					*goto fight_continues
				Unarmed, you have no way of defending yourself. You take several more blows until you're knocked down to the ground. The judge removes you from the tournament.
				*page_break
				*goto lost
			#Take a defensive posture.
				*if spear > 0 
					Your opponent ends up running into your spear. He falls to the ground, wincing in pain. You lift up your spear and swing, whacking him on the head. He's knocked out instantly.
					*set score +1
					*page_break
					*goto fight_continues
				*if sword_and_shield > 0 
					His spear hits your shield so hard that it ends up cracking his weapon. Unarmed, you're able to finish him off with relative ease.
					*set score +1
					*page_break
					*goto fight_continues
				You try to defend yourself but end up taking a spear directly to the chest. Even though the end is blunt, you think you feel some blood trickling out.
				*set health -10
				*if Jacob > 0
					He's about to hit you again, but Jacob runs up and hits the boy's arm hard, causing him to drop his spear. Unarmed, there's little he can do to defend himself, and you and Jacob end up knocking him out. 
					*page_break
					*goto fight_continues
				Before you can recover, he turns the spear around and hits you with the butt end. You're knocked out instantly.
				*page_break
				*goto lost
			#Charge as well.
				*if short_sword > 0 
					You surprise the boy, running past his spear and hitting him in the face with your short sword. He falls to the ground. You continue to pummel him until he yields. 
					*page_break
					*goto fight_continues
				You run right into his spear, which hits you in the chest. You think you hear something crack, and you fall over on your side.
				*set health -15
				*if strength > 2
					Somehow, you manage to find enough strength to get back up. You block his next attack and hit him hard in the chest. He falls to the ground. You keep hitting him until the judge eliminates him from the tournament.
					*page_break
					*goto fight_continues
				The boy hits you again, and you're knocked out. 
				*page_break
				*goto lost
		
		
	*selectable_if (leadership > 0) #Order everyone to stand their ground.
		You decide to stand your ground. Varys takes his sling and throws a well-timed pellet that hits the front spearman in the face. He falls over and ends up tripping one of his friends, causing their charge to end. One of the two-handed swordsmen approaches you and starts swinging wildly. 
		*choice
			#Parry and counter.
				*if agility > 1 
					*if intelligence > 0
						You manage to block the wild swings fairly easily and return a few vicious blows of your own. The swordsman falls to the ground, and you hit him in the head, knocking him out instantly. 
						*page_break
						*goto fight_continues
				You try to parry, but the number of blows is too much for you. You take several hits and soon find yourself having difficulty standing. 
				*if Tommen > 1 
					Tommen runs up and steps in between you and the swordsman, giving you time to recover. The two of you are able to flank him and soon defeat him. 
					*page_break
					*goto fight_continues
				*if luck > 4
					You take several more hits, and it looks like it might be over, until Varys runs up and tackles the swordsman. This gives you enough time to recover, and you end up hitting the swordsman hard on the head while he's on the ground.
					*page_break
					*goto fight_continues
				You take too many hits and end up falling to the ground. 
				*set health -10
				*if health < 1
					You try to get up but can't. You must have taken too much damage. The judge removes you from the tournament. Your team loses.
					*page_break
					*goto lost
				*if agility < 1
					The judge rules you out of the tournament. Your team loses.
					*page_break
					*goto lost
				Your opponent lifts his sword up high to finish you off…
				*page_break
				*rand diceroll 1 20
				*set diceroll + agility
				*if diceroll > 9
					You manage to roll at just the right moment to avoid his blow. You get back up and hit him hard across his chest. He falls to the ground. You finish him off with a strike to the head. The judge eliminates him from the tournament.
					*page_break
					*goto fight_continues
				You attempt to dodge it but fail. He hits you hard in the shoulder, then begins hitting you repeatedly until you're knocked out. Your team loses the tournament. 
				*page_break
				*goto lost
			#Fight defensively and look for the right moment to strike back.
				*if agility > 1
					You end up taking a lot of hits, but eventually, you find the perfect time to strike him as he raises his sword up high. You hit him hard in the chest, causing the swordsman to fall over. You quickly run up and hit him again while he's on the ground, knocking him out instantly. 
					*set health -5
					*if health < 1
						You struggle to stay up. You've taken too many blows and fall to the ground. The judge removes you from the tournament. Your team loses. 
						*page_break
						*goto lost
				*if Abilene > 0
					Your opponent ends up hitting you hard, and you're thrown back. He charges over to finish you off, and it looks like the end, but then Abilene jumps in front and trips the swordsman with her foot. She begins to hit him repeatedly while he's on the ground, until he yields. Abi helps you up.
					*set health -5
					*if health < 1
						You struggle to stay up. You must have taken too many blows. You fall to the ground on your knees. The judge removes you from the tournament, and your team loses.
						*page_break
						*goto lost
					*page_break 
					*goto fight_continues
				Your opponent hits you with a massive blow to the face that sends you whirling. 
				*if luck < 7
					*set health -30
				*if luck > 6
					*set health -25
				*if health < 1
					You try to get up, but you can't. Suddenly, you look up to see a sword coming at you. You black out. Your team loses the tournament. 
					*page_break
					*goto lost
				Somehow, you manage to get back up. The enemy swordsman is tired, and you hit him with blows of your own. Eventually, you knock him out.
				*page_break
				*goto fight_continues
			#Rush at him.
				You rush at him but mistime your steps and end up taking several blows to the chest and face. Eventually, the swordsman tires, and you're able to get close enough to strike a few blows of your own. The swordsman falls to the ground, and you hit him with a final blow that knocks him out. 
				*set health -10
				*if health < 1
					You have trouble standing up and fall to your knees. You've taken too much damage. The judge removes you from the tournament, and your team loses. 
					*page_break
					*goto lost
				*page_break
				*goto fight_continues
			*selectable_if (staff > 0) #Attempt to trip him with my staff.
				*if agility > 0 
					Surprisingly, you find it quite easy to do, perhaps because of all the chaos earlier. The two-handed swordsman trips and falls hard onto the ground. You hit him hard on the head, knocking him out instantly. 
					*page_break
					*goto fight_continues
				You end up missing with the staff. The opponent hits you hard in the chest, then in the face, causing you to fall backwards. Before you can even react, he hits you a third time, knocking you out. Your team loses the tournament. 
				*page_break
				*goto lost
*label fight_continues
The fighting continues…

*if health < 4
	It's getting intense. You lose sight of Varys and suddenly get attacked from all sides. You end up taking too many blows. The judge eliminates you from the tournament, and your team ends up losing. 
	*page_break
*if party < 5
	You're simply outnumbered. Eventually, you and Varys fall and are removed from the tournament. Your team loses. 
	*page_break
	*goto lost
*set score +party
The fighting is fierce, but eventually, your party manages to get the upper hand. 
*if Jacob > 0 
	Jacob is fighting with the other swordsman, blocking his every attack and counter-attacking whenever he can. 
*if Harold > 0 
	Harold is still up, even though he's taken a few hits from one of the spearmen. He's mostly maintaining a defensive posture, blocking blow after blow. The spearman is growing frustrated at his inability to take him down.  
*if Tommen > 0 
	Tommen looks mostly confused, but after being pressed into a corner, he swings his war hammer widely and manages to hit one of the spearmen. 
*if Abilene > 0 
	Abi is darting back and forth, helping the others flank the enemy. Whenever an opponent moves forward, she moves back, allowing him to open himself up to an attack from someone else. Whenever the enemy tries to regroup, she presses the attack, preventing them from coordinating any kind of counter-offensive.

You look over at Varys and see he's in trouble. He's taken several hits from one of the spearmen. You also notice that the leader of the enemy team has left himself open. He's trying to direct his forces and has left his flank exposed. This could be a moment of glory for you.

What do you do?
*choice
	#Charge and attack the enemy team's leader.
		The enemy leader is surprised by your sudden attack. He ends up dropping his shield. You continue to press your attacks until the enemy leader yields. You cheer in triumph, but stop as you look over to see Varys bloody and knocked out. After the enemy leader yields, it doesn't take long for the others to yield as well, and you end up winning the tournament.
		*set dark +5
		*set varys_knocked 1
		*set score +1
		*page_break
		*goto win
	#Go help Varys.
		You go to help Varys, and you arrive just in time. Varys falls to the ground, his club lost and his sling out of pellets. The spearman raises his spear to strike Varys, but you hit him from behind so hard that he falls over. You think you might have heard something crack, though whether it was your weapon or one of the spearman's bones, you're not sure. The judge removes the spearman from the competition, and you help Varys up. Together, along with your other companions, you manage to defeat the enemy team. 
		*set light +5
		*page_break
		*goto win

*label win
*set tournament_won 1
You are rewarded 100 Gold Pieces for winning the tournament. 
*set gold +100
*if tournament_strategy = 1 
	The crowd doesn't shower you with any extra Gold, since they felt like the fight was too quick. 
*if tournament_strategy = 2 
	You also receive 10 Gold Pieces from the crowd.
	*set gold +10
*if tournament_strategy = 3
	You also receive 25 Gold Pieces from the crowd. 
	*set gold +25
*achieve gladiator
*set melee +1
*set leadership +1
*set score +1
*page_break
*goto afterwards

*label lost
Even though your team lost, you're awarded 50 Gold Pieces for participating in the tournament. 
*set gold +50
*if tournament_strategy = 1 
	The crowd doesn't shower you with any extra Gold, since they felt like the fight was too quick. 
*if tournament_strategy = 2 
	You also receive 10 Gold Pieces from the crowd.
	*set gold +10
*if tournament_strategy = 3
	You also receive 25 Gold Pieces from the crowd. 
	*set gold +25
*set melee +1
*page_break
*goto afterwards

*label afterwards
After the tournament, you stretch, examining any bruises you might have gotten from the fighting. Varys grins. "Well, that was…fun. I'm going to be late for the darts competition if I don't leave soon."

*if varys_knocked > 0
	Varys attempts to take a few steps forward and collapses. "Damn…that spearman must have hit me good. I think I sprained something. I guess I can't participate in the darts tournament. I'll have to find a healer instead. Will you help me up?" 
	
	You help Varys up. Varys tries competing in the darts tournament, but he has difficulty throwing the darts. 
	*if Abilene > 0
		He ends up losing to Abilene, who has also signed up for the tournament. 
	*if Abilene = 0
		A young girl named Abilene ends up beating him by the narrowest of margins. Varys looks rather displeased, even more so because he was beaten by a girl.  
	*fake_choice
		#Tell him that second place isn't too bad.
			Varys nods. "It is fun, after all." Suddenly, he falls over, holding his side in pain.
			
			You look at him and say, "That's it, I'm taking you to a healer." Varys doesn't protest. You take him to a healer, which ends up taking the rest of the day. 
			*page_break
			*goto over
		#Tell him that perhaps he should consider picking up a new hobby.
			Varys scoffs at you. Suddenly, he falls over, holding his side in pain.
			
			You look at him and say, "That's it, I'm taking you to a healer." Varys doesn't protest. You take him to a healer, which ends up taking the rest of the day. 
			*page_break
			*goto over

You walk to the darts tournament with Varys. He ends up winning second place.
*if Abilene > 0
	Turns out Abilene also signed up for the darts tournament, and she beats him by the narrowest of margins. 
	*set score +2
	*page_break
	*goto over
A young girl named Abilene ends up beating him by the narrowest of margins. Varys looks rather displeased, even more so because he was beaten by a girl.  
*fake_choice
	#Tell him that second place isn't too bad.
		He nods. "It is fun, after all."
		*page_break
		*goto over
	#Tell him perhaps he should consider picking up a new hobby.
		He scoffs at you. 
		*page_break
		*goto over

*label over
You and Varys leave richer than you left, and overall, you're satisfied. You part ways near your home and walk inside. When you arrive, you see your aunt and brother have worried looks on their faces and are waiting outside your parents' bedroom. 

*label what_happened
You ask your aunt what's going on. She tells you that your father was attacked in the stables. Some thieves came during the night. They attempted to steal Midnight, and your father fought them off, but not before one of them stabbed him. Your mother managed to get some guards before the thieves could get away with Midnight. 
*page_break
The next few days are rather tense. Your father often wakes up, only to fall back asleep a few minutes later. After a few days, he's well enough to speak. There's a knock on the door, and you go to answer it. It's Sir Robert Gale. You're so surprised at his presence, you don't know what to say. Luckily, he speaks first.

"${name}, right? Your father's told me a lot about you. How's he doing? Is he doing better?" You manage to nod. Sir Robert walks in and goes to talk with your father and mother. He hands over a bag, which you assume has a large amount of Gold stuffed inside of it. Then he comforts your mother and shakes your father's hand. Your father whispers something to him, but you can't really hear anything from this distance.

Sir Robert spends a few more minutes talking to your parents, then leaves their bedroom. He approaches you on his way out and asks if he might have a word. You nod and follow him. "${name}, I really appreciate everything your father has done. Midnight is quite a handful to care for; it will be difficult to find someone to replace him." 

You frown, the words suddenly hitting you. "Replace him? What do you mean?"

Sir Robert puts his hand on your shoulder. "Unfortunately, I'm leaving town in a few days for another tournament. In fact, I plan on attending several tournaments over the next few months. Your father is in no condition to come with me, so I'll have to find a new horse trainer."

"I can help," you quickly reply. "I may not be as well-versed when it comes to horses as my father, but I know enough." 

Sir Robert smiles. "That's nice of you, but I already have an experienced horse trainer in mind who I know will be more than willing to take over in your father's absence."

You frown again. Seeing this, Sir Robert continues. "However, I am in need of a squire…tell me, do you know much about tournaments?"

You nod ecstatically. "I've watched almost every single one you've participated in here."

Sir Robert Gale looks puzzled. "Really? I thought your father didn't allow you to attend."

You decide there's no point in lying. "I go anyway. I saved up money to attend the ones I could afford, and well…ones I couldn't, I snuck into."

Sir Robert laughs. "Interesting. Do you have any other experience?"
*comment endif

You think for a moment…

*if tournament_participated = 0
	"No, but I'm willing to learn. I have a good knack for picking up anything I put my mind to. Just last month, for example, my dad wanted me to learn a new skill and introduced me to his friend, who's a wood carver. I practiced at his house for several hours a day. At first, I wasn't too good, but after some time, I became really good. I ended up giving my mother a wooden bird carving as a gift."

*if tournament_participated > 0
	"Well, I have actually competed in a tournament…a team melee, to be exact," you reply. 
	
	"Really? Did you win?" asks Sir Robert. 
	
*if tournament_won > 0
	"Yes, I did."
*if tournament_won = 0
	"No…but I did learn quite a bit."

"Impressive, quite impressive," Sir Robert replies. You aren't quite sure if he's being sarcastic or genuine. 
*page_break
Sir Robert thinks for a few moments. "Well, I guess you qualify. I'm a little shorthanded, so even though you're my squire, I might use you as a stablehand or make you do some menial tasks, like polishing my armor. I've spoken with your parents, and they told me it's all right for you to join me. In fact, it was your father who suggested the idea."

You thank Sir Robert.

"Ah, no need to thank me. Your father has done a lot for me, training Midnight and all. It's the least I can do. The money I give them and the wages you earn should be enough to support your family until your father is healthy again. I'll be leaving for the tournament in three days. I expect you to be ready."

After a few more details are relayed, Sir Robert departs. 
*page_break
A day later, Varys finds out that you're working for Sir Robert and begs you to ask him if he could use one more person to help.

You agree to bring it up with Sir Robert. 
*page_break
The next day, you overhear Sir Robert complaining about the state of the stable and also lamenting about how he has to fire a watchman who falls asleep on duty; apparently, some wolves got into the food stores. 
*choice
	#"I know someone who's really good at cleaning up horseshit."
		*set job 1
		*set dark +2
		*goto the_job
	#"I know someone who's good at standing around, not that bad with a sling either. He could ward off any wild animals."
		*set job 2
		*goto the_job
*label the_job
Varys ends up getting the job. 
*page_break
One day, Sir Robert asks you why you think he likes to have his armor so shiny.
*fake_choice
	#"I suppose it's to make you easier to spot from the stands."
	#"A knight should look respectable."
	#"I suppose it's some kind of strategy…"

"It is a strategy. You see, one day during a joust, I had an overeager attendee polish my armor and shield so well that you could practically see your reflection in it. I was jousting an opponent that was quite good, and I wasn't sure if I was going to win, when halfway through the match my shield and armor reflected the rays of the sun into the eyes of the other jouster. It allowed me to hit him with my lance and unhorse him. Ever since that day, I always keep my armor as shiny as possible when it comes to jousting."
*fake_choice
	#"Smart."
	#"Isn't that cheating?"
		"It isn't cheating if it isn't against the rules. Is it honorable? Perhaps not, but in jousting, just like war, doing what's honorable doesn't always mean you'll win…or continue breathing, for that matter."

You nod and take a mental note to make Sir Robert's armor as shiny as possible the next time he competes.

The next day, you say goodbye to your family, as you'll soon be on your way with Sir Robert and his attendees to travel to various tournaments throughout the land. Your mother makes you pack a variety of clothes and extra supplies. Your brother wishes you good luck, and you can tell he's hoping you bring him back something, like your father usually does. Finally, you visit your father, who's still in bed resting. 

"${name}, be sure to listen to everything Sir Robert says. He may be a bit sarcastic and act silly at times, but he's quite a smart fellow. Most importantly, you can trust him. Be sure to do what he says and stay close to him." You nod and say a few other parting words. Your father gives you some last-minute tips on how to handle Midnight. He also hands you his sack, which contains various supplies including food for Midnight, a dagger, and a map. You say your goodbyes and leave through the front door.

Varys is waiting outside. 
*if job = 2
	"Hey ${name}, thanks for helping me get this job with Sir Robert. Even though I'll be essentially a paid scarecrow in charge of guarding his supplies…I can use the work. My uncle's tanning shop has had a run of bad luck lately, so I need to go out on my own for a while."
*if job = 1
	"Hey ${name}, thanks for talking to Sir Robert for me. Did you convince him to give me a job?"
	
	You nod. "Yep, you'll be cleaning the stables." Varys looks back at you in surprise. "Seems a bit rudimentary, but I'll take it. I can use the money." You suddenly feel a bit bad; perhaps you should have tried to get Varys a better job. 

Varys starts walking away, then turns around. "Are you coming, ${name}? We don't want to be late, do we?" You catch up with him shortly. You arrive at the wagons where Sir Robert's men are loading supplies. There are two wagons, one for Sir Robert's personal belongings, and another for general supplies. Most of the attendees are either on horseback or riding on top of the wagons. You decide to find a good spot on one of the wagons. You see Sir Robert up ahead on Midnight. He waves you over, along with your friend. You walk up to him.

Rather than saying hello, he gets right to the point of why he called you over. "How good are you and your friend at riding horses?"

You and Varys glance at each other. "We're pretty good, as we've been riding since we were kids." 
*comment endif

"Good," responds Sir Robert. "I want you to ride these two horses here. Even though I always prefer to compete with Midnight, I figured it might be good to have some backup horses just in case. You'll ride alongside me in the front. All right?"

"Yes, sir," you both reply, almost simultaneously.
*page_break
You start riding. A few minutes pass, and you start to see the outskirts of the village. 
*choice
	#Remain silent.
		Sir Robert looks over and frowns. "Not much of a conversationalist, are you? Aren't you boys at all a bit curious where we're headed?" You nod. Sir Robert continues. "We're heading to the Capital."

		Your eyes widen slightly. Varys interjects. "I've never been to the Capital. I hear it's huge."

		Sir Robert nods. "It is somewhat large…I guess for someone who's never been there, it would be quite impressive, but I've been there so many times, I don't really pay it much mind. To me, it's just another city."
		
		You think for a moment. "Is a tournament being held there?"

		Sir Robert grins. "No, but it is on the way to one. I always try to stop by whenever I pass through. Lots of good memories there, plus Melinda and Hannah would probably kill me if I didn't stop in at least to say hello."

		"Who are they?" asks Varys.

		Sir Robert laughs. "I guess you boys don't know much about royal politics, do you? Lady Melinda is sister to the King, and Princess Hannah is the King's daughter. I should probably use their titles, but to me they're like family. Melinda and I have a lot of history together. We practically grew up together in court. When I was old enough, I even used to escort her through town. My father was on good terms with the King. Our families were quite close. When Princess Hannah was born, I was tasked to watch over her as a Royal Guardsman."
		*choice
			#"You know the King…and the royal family?"
				Sir Robert nods. "Don't look so shocked. They're normal people like you and me…they just wear fancier clothes, have servants that cater to their every whim…and can have your head chopped off if you look at them wrong." He grins at you. You aren't sure if he's joking or not. 
				*page_break
				*goto listening
			#Keep listening.
				You remain quiet and continue to listen to Sir Robert.
				*page_break
				*goto listening
	#"So…where are we going, exactly?"
		"We're heading to the Capital," responds Sir Robert.

		Your eyes widen slightly. Varys interjects. "I've never been to the Capital. I hear it's huge."

		Sir Robert nods. "It is rather large…I guess for people that have never been there, it would be impressive, but I've been there so many times, I don't really pay it much mind, to me it's just another city."

		You think for a moment, "Is a tournament being held there?"

		Sir Robert grins. "No, but it is on the way to one. I always try to stop by whenever I pass through. Lots of good memories there, plus Melinda and Hannah would probably kill me if I didn't stop by to at least say hello."

		"Who are they?" asks Varys.

		Sir Robert laughs. "I guess you boys don't know much about royal politics, do you? Lady Melinda is sister to the King, and Princess Hannah is the King's daughter. I should probably use their titles, but to me they're like family. Melinda and I have a lot of history together. We practically grew up together in court. When I was old enough, I even used to escort her through town. My father was on good terms with the King. I guess you could say they were childhood friends. My father is a rich and influential merchant in the Capital. Our families were quite close, or at the very least, my father has connections the King finds useful. When Princess Hannah was born, I was promoted to watch over her as a royal guardsman."
		*choice
			#"You know the King…and the royal family?"
				Sir Robert nods. "Don't look so shocked. They're just people like you and me…they just wear fancier clothes…have servants that cater to their every whim…and can have your head chopped off if you look at them wrong." He grins at you. You aren't sure if he's joking or not. 
				*page_break
				*goto listening
			#Keep listening.
				You remain quiet and continue to listen to Sir Robert. 
				*page_break
				*goto listening

*label listening
"Anyway, I got tired of being a royal guardsman; felt like adventuring, y'know? My father wasn't too pleased with my decision. He felt I could guard the King one day if I stuck with it. I ended up competing in tournaments instead. I asked to become a knight as one of my boons for winning a big tournament. Sometime later, I also asked to receive land, and they made me Lord of a small village in the north. I don't visit there often." 
*fake_choice
	#"Did you win all your tournaments?"
		"Oh, no. I lost quite a few at the beginning. I mean, I had an excellent talent for it, but I was still young and not as experienced as some of the older knights. Eventually, I found a good tutor, and he showed me how to win. After winning my fifth tournament, I qualified for the royal tournament; you know, the one they hold every year? I ended up asking the King for a knighthood as my boon, which he granted."
	#"You own land and you don't live there?"
		"I'm not a farmer, and I don't really have any interest in lording over others. I pretty much let the townsfolk do what they want. As long as they pay their tithes, I'm happy and they're happy for the autonomy I provide them."
	#Keep listening.
		"I figure when I retire…I might build a manor there." Sir Robert talks a little bit more about his adventures. Apparently, he's been to almost every major city in the Kingdom. Eventually, the conversation drops off, and it becomes silent.

*label pause
Sir Robert lets out a long breath. "That's about it."

*choice
	*disable_reuse #Ask Sir Robert about the boons he's received.
		Sir Robert thinks for a moment. "Oh, you know…Gold…land…those kinds of things, at least at first. After a while, I started getting bored, you could say. I've never really been a material type of person; for me, winning the tournament is the true prize, not the boon you receive. I started asking for things I thought were funny. I asked a Governor once to personally go door to door, handing out a piece of Gold to every house in the slums. He wasn't too happy about that, but I think it taught him some humility. Another time, I asked for a tavern to be named after me and free drinks for life from it. I think the craziest thing I ever asked for was to be mayor for a week. That poor town, they're probably still trying to undo some of the laws I passed."
		
		You think for a few seconds. "I heard that once you threw your winnings up in the stands…is that true?" 
		
		Sir Robert grins. "Oh yes, the tournament of Medlin. That was a memorable experience. I really didn't plan on doing that, but it just came to me. It ended up causing a small riot."

		Varys interrupts. "I really liked the fact that you made the taverns free on your last tournament win. It really made our day."

		You nod in agreement. You begin to think about Sir Robert's choices in boons. Sir Robert has become very popular with the people in part because of his boon choices. They always cheer for him in the tournaments and hope he wins. You wonder if Sir Robert takes that into account, and if that's partially why he does it; or perhaps he does do it out of boredom, like he hinted at earlier. 
		
		Almost as if he's reading your thoughts, Sir Robert says, "Growing up, I saw firsthand how difficult some of the peasants have it. They would come in, begging my father for a loan or a discount on goods. I figured if I could do something to brighten their day or perhaps help them, it would be a good thing."
		*page_break
		*goto pause2
	#Ask Sir Robert about some of the competitions he's been in.
		"Oh…there have been so many. I didn't always concentrate on jousting tournaments, you know. At first, I participated mostly in melee tournaments, even a few archery tournaments. I remember one melee tournament I was in…it was when I was first starting out. I had on so much heavy armor, I could barely move. My opponent was strong, and he had no problem moving around in his. Every strike I hit against him with my sword did nothing. I got so frustrated, I grabbed my sword end with my gauntlets and hit him with the pommel." He pauses for dramatic effect.
		
		"And?" Varys asks.
		
		Sir Robert grins. "It actually did some damage; I was able to find a chink in his armor. I must have looked like a fool, fighting with my sword like that. Nowadays, I mostly wear light armor. I like to be maneuverable, and I also fight looking to attack weak spots. It's interesting; I fight most men the same way whether they're in armor or not. I stab at joints, under the arm, et cetera. It's good practice; that way, when you do get into a fight, you can defeat your opponent no matter what type of armor he or she is wearing. I've been in a couple of bar fights too, but that's another story." 
		*choice
			#"Bar fights?"
				"Yeah, in some ways I find those much more dangerous. Probably because you're in an enclosed space with a bunch of drunk people trying to kill you, and some with concealed daggers too. I was outnumbered in one bar fight that turned ugly really quick. I actually managed to block one of the assailants' strikes with my arm, even though he did some minor damage to me, though obviously, small wounds are better to receive than mortal ones. In fact, some of the bloodiest fights I've been in were bar fights." 
				*page_break
				*goto pause2
			#Nod in silence.
				Sir Robert sighs. "Enough talk, boys. Let's pick up the pace a little." He pushes his horse a little faster, and you increase your own pace to match.
				*page_break
				*goto pause2
	#Remain silent.
		Sir Robert sighs. "Enough talk, boys. Let's pick up the pace a little." He pushes his horse a little faster, and you increase your own pace to match.
		*page_break
		*goto pause2
	
*label pause2
After several hours of travel, Sir Robert tells the wagons to stop and make camp for the night. It's getting late, but there's still some light, so Sir Robert tells his attendees to gather firewood and pitch tents before it gets too dark. 
*page_break Set Up Camp
Sir Robert walks over to you. "Since you're my squire, I should probably start educating you now. I assume you never served as a page in court, did you?" You shake your head. Sir Robert continues. "Neither did I…frankly, you don't learn that much, except for how to deal with nobles and how to talk politics, two things I'm rarely interested in doing."  

Sir Robert motions toward one of the wagons. "Go over to the second wagon, grab the wooden weapons stored in there, and come back. Make sure you get a good variety of them." He starts clearing some ground to make a makeshift arena. You return with several different types of weapons.

When you finish helping Sir Robert with the arena, he says, "Good, now all we need is a sparring partner."

You look puzzled. "You mean, I won't be sparring with you?"

Sir Robert laughs. "Kid, even if I go easy on you, there's the possibility I might pummel you to death by accident. It's better you fight someone on your same level, and gradually increase from there." He looks over at Varys. "What's your friend's name again?"

"Varys," you respond.

"He'll do. Hey Varys, come over here. I need your help with something." Varys quickly walks over.  

Sir Robert continues. "Okay boys, I'm going to teach you how to use a variety of weapons. They all have their strengths and weaknesses. Feel free to ask any questions you want, even if you think they're stupid; just make sure you listen to my answers, because I don't like to repeat myself."

*page_break
Sir Robert points to the weapons on the ground. "${name}, grab the wooden short sword there, and Varys, you grab the spear." You grab the short sword while Varys grabs the spear. "Okay, so let's see what we're working with…FIGHT!" You and Varys look at each other, a little confused. Sir Robert frowns. "Come on, now…spar, I don't expect you to kill each other, but fight the best you can."

Varys falls back and reaches out with his spear. You try to move forward, but he stabs at you, hitting you with several blows. Each time you try to get closer, Varys hits you. He falls back a little and occasionally circles around you. After several minutes of this, Sir Robert tells you both to stop.

Varys frowns. "Why? I was learning quite a lot."

You look at Varys and scowl. "Yeah, learning how to make me bruised. This weapon is practically useless against a spear." 

Sir Robert nods. "It's true that the spear has superior range. It's a great offensive weapon, and its defensive value lies in its range; however, it has its weaknesses. Look at your short sword; for example, it's easy to handle and excellent up close. Once you get close enough, the spear's superior range actually becomes a disadvantage."

You think for a moment. "I guess that makes sense, but how do I get past his defenses?" 

Sir Robert smiles. "Hand me the short sword." You gladly hand it over. "Okay Varys, do exactly what you were doing before with ${name}. Don't hold back now; I won't punish you if you hit me. Heck, I'd probably reward you."

Varys nods and starts stabbing at Sir Robert. Sir Robert begins dodging the blows at first. He feints, moving forward a couple times and causing Varys to stumble, but Varys is quick to get back into position. Out of frustration, Varys attacks with a deep strike, and rather than moving backward to avoid it, Sir Robert moves forward into the strike, parrying it away with his short sword. With his off hand, he grabs Varys's spear and jumps forward until he's within a foot of him, practically face to face. Still holding onto Varys's spear, he hits him several times with the short sword. There's little Varys can do, so he ends up dropping the spear and jumping back. 
*page_break
Sir Robert smiles. "You see? Once you get past his guard, his weapon is practically useless. Don't underestimate a weapon because it has a short range; a dagger will kill just as well as a sword if used correctly." You and Varys both nod. Sir Robert walks over to the stack of wooden weapons you gathered earlier. "Let's see what else we have here." He picks up the two-handed sword. "Ah, this is a good weapon. It has a nice range, and wielding it with two hands allows you to make massive strikes. Parrying is a bit more difficult, but not impossible. It's a good weapon for someone who has the strength to wield it well." 

Sir Robert picks up the longsword next. "Also an excellent weapon. Might not have the same power as the two-hander, but its shape makes it excellent at deflecting blows. It's a quick weapon, and not heavy; great for someone with good agility and strength."

He drops it and takes a look at the sword and shield. "That's probably the best choice in a tournament for defense. The shield is quite useful in blocking most blows. The sword is mid-range, compared to the others. You have to wield it one-handed, so there's only so much strength you can use, but you can stab and slash while you block, which makes up for it." 

He goes through the other weapons. After a while, all that's left is the staff. Varys decides to ask a question. "Why would anyone use that weapon? Seems like the worst one, if you ask me."

Sir Robert thinks for a while. "Not necessarily. The staff is a good weapon. Practically anyone can use it, but in the hands of an expert, it can be one of the most effective non-lethal weapons around. You think monks carry these around only for walking sticks? They're weapons, and concealed ones at that." 

Varys shakes his head. "I'm sorry, but I don't think that staff would fare well against the other weapons. It's shorter than the spear and has no real attack points." Sir Robert looks surprised at Varys's words. "Actually, the staff is one of the most versatile weapons. In fact, why don't you two come at me, and I'll show you. Pick whatever weapons you'd like."

Varys picks up the heavy two-handed sword, while you decide to grab the longsword. 
*page_break
Varys charges at Sir Robert, swinging the two-handed sword in an overhead, downwards motion. Sir Robert sidesteps, and as Varys runs past him due to momentum, he swings the staff hard, hitting the back of Varys's head. Varys falls over and drops the weapon. You charge in with the longsword, but before you can even strike, Sir Robert holds the staff like a spear and stabs it at you, causing you to stumble and put yourself on guard.

You slash at Sir Robert; he lifts his staff up high, parrying your blow. He notices Varys behind him getting back up, this time armed with a sword and shield. You attack again, and Sir Robert spins around and hits you hard with the staff, knocking you down. He turns to face Varys. Varys smiles and lifts his shield up high with his sword pointing out, ready to attack. Rather than attack Varys directly, Sir Robert moves around and trips him with the staff, then for good measure hits him hard while he's on the ground. 

You're both on the ground now, panting hard. Sir Robert smiles. "I think that's a good enough lesson for today. Come on, boys. Let's sit by the fire." 
*page_break
The servants hand out food and drink. Sir Robert rambles on about various weapons he's encountered in faraway lands. "You wouldn't believe how creative some people get." He continues, talking about the various adventures he's had, even throwing in the occasional legend he heard while drinking at taverns. You and Varys find everything he says fascinating. When he finishes, he goes over to his tent and falls asleep. You walk over to your sleeping bag. As soon as your head hits the ground, you find yourself falling asleep. 
*page_break
It takes about three days to reach the Capital. Most of it is quite dull, traveling through forests and roads that seem to go on forever. 

In your spare time at camp, you usually:
*choice
	#Ask Sir Robert to tell me more about his adventures.
		Sir Robert tells you several stories about being a knight.  
		*set wisdom +2
		*set score +1
		*page_break
		*goto arrival
	#Spar with Varys.
		You and Varys spar, probably encouraged by the stories Sir Robert tells you about the battles he was part of, both in and out of tournaments. Sir Robert even joins in a few times to give you pointers. He shows you the proper way to parry, how to stab, and how to block stabs. You use a variety of weapons during the sparring sessions. 
		*set strength +1
		*set agility +1
		*set melee +1
		*page_break
		*goto arrival
	#Read books I brought along on the journey.
		You'd noticed some books in your father's bag. Most deal with herbal medicine and practices for taking care of horses, but a few are about the history of the realm.
		*set intelligence +2
		*page_break
		*goto arrival
	#Practice hunting small game.
		Varys teaches you how to use a sling, throw javelins, and even use a makeshift bow and arrow. You're quite satisfied with yourself when you kill your first rabbit. You, Varys, and Sir Robert eat it and talk over the campfire. 
		*set agility +1
		*set wisdom +1
		*set archery +1
		*page_break
		*goto arrival

*label arrival
You arrive in the Capital around mid-afternoon. The city is huge, bigger than any you've ever seen. The area is within a natural valley, and a single road leads into it. An outer wall surrounds the entire city, while the castle is on a large hill with a secondary wall. Varys is tempted to wander off several times, and you have to grab him by the shoulder more than once to make sure he doesn't get lost in the storm of people.

Sir Robert wants you to take Midnight to the stables and feed her some fresh food from town. When you put Midnight in her stable, she seems a bit uneasy with all the noise in the city. She nearly kicks one of the stablehands in the face when he tries to brush her. You tell Varys to watch her and go out to find some fresh food for her to eat. You grab some fresh carrots, apples, and anything that might be a good meal for her.

When you return, you see that all of the stablehands have left, including Varys; he's probably gone out exploring, you think to yourself. As you approach, you see a teenage girl with blonde hair petting Midnight's mane. 
*fake_choice
	#"Beautiful horse, isn't she?"
		The young lady responds, "Quite beautiful, indeed." 
		*page_break
	#"Please be careful, Miss. Midnight is a bit wild and doesn't react well to strangers."
		To your surprise, Midnight is quite at ease, even allowing her to hug her face. The young lady turns and smiles. "I'm no stranger. Anyways, I think she likes women better than men." 
		*page_break
	#"I'm sorry, Miss, but you're not supposed to be here."
		The young lady frowns. "I was only admiring the beautiful horse. I didn't mean to intrude…"
		*page_break

The girl notices the fresh carrots and apples you've brought for Midnight. "Do you mind if I help you feed her?"
*fake_choice
	#"Sure."
		You hand her a couple of carrots, and the young lady offers them to Midnight. The horse eats them greedily from the young lady's hand. 
	#"Best if I do it."
		You try to offer Midnight some food, but she ignores you. That's odd; usually, she gobbles up anything offered to her. The young lady notices and stops petting Midnight. The horse immediately takes notice of the food and begins eating. You scratch your head in a bit of confusion. 

The young girl looks at you more closely, examining your height and features. "Do you work for Robert? I haven't seen you here before."
*fake_choice
	#"Yes, my father usually takes care of the horses, but he's not well enough for travel."
		"Oh, I see. Your father is a good man. I often helped him take care of this beautiful horse. Robert is so lucky. You don't know how many times I've offered to buy her from him. Sometimes I wish my aunt had given me Midnight rather than him, but I rarely have time to ride, and it would be a shame to have her locked in a stable all day. " 
	#"Yes, I do work for 'Sir' Robert, and this horse is quite important to him." 
		"Sir Robert, yes…where are my manners? And of course, this horse is his prized possession. You don't know how many times I've offered to buy her from him. Sometimes I wish my aunt had given me Midnight rather than him, but I rarely have time to ride, and it would be a shame to have her locked in a stable all day." 
*fake_choice
	#"I doubt Sir Robert would take any offer for this horse."
		"You're probably right…but it doesn't stop me from asking him." 
		
		Suddenly, you hear Sir Robert's voice. "The day I sell that horse is the day I give up being a knight."
	#"Your aunt?"
		"Yes, Aunt Melinda gave it to him as a gift, on his eighth or tenth tournament win. I can't really remember which one." 
		
		Suddenly, you hear Sir Robert's voice. "It was my tenth tournament win."

Sir Robert walks in and gives the girl an exaggerated bow. She punches him on the shoulder and gives him a hug. He laughs, then looks over at you. 

"${name}, I see you've already met Princess Hannah."

Your jaw drops, but you quickly recover.
*choice 
	#Say or do something courtly.
		*if diplomacy > 1 
			"It's a pleasure to meet you, my lady," you say, bowing respectfully.
			
			Princess Hannah looks impressed. "You act well; you'd fit right in at court." Then she does some form of a curtsy you're not familiar with, saying, "It's a pleasure meeting you too, ${name}." 
		*if diplomacy = 1 
			You think for a few seconds, then say, "It's…it's a pleasure to meet you…Princess Hannah." You try bowing in a manner you hope is respectful. 
			
			Princess Hannah giggles at your attempt. "No need to be so formal. We're not in court. It's nice to meet you too, ${name}."
		*if diplomacy = 0 
			You try to say something, but you can't think of anything. Instead, you just bow your head in the most respectful way possible. You're not sure how long you should remain bowing, so you keep your head down, waiting for some kind of cue to look up. Princess Hannah bends down and looks at you, then she smiles and says, "You can look up now." She laughs a little. "It's nice to meet you too, ${name}."
		
		She reaches her hand out. 
		*choice
			*if diplomacy > 0 
				#Hold her hand and kiss it.
					*if diplomacy > 1 
						You take her hand and kiss it gracefully. She seems a little taken aback, but then she laughs. "Such formality; are we in court, or a stable? I merely meant to shake your hand, but thank you for such a nice gesture."
					*if diplomacy < 2
						You take her hand and try kissing it in a graceful manner…your attempt fails. Sir Robert puts his hand to his face, and Princess Hannah laughs, saying, "No need to be so formal; we aren't in court, remember?"
					*page_break
					*goto off
			#Shake her hand.
				You shake her hand, and she looks over at Sir Robert, smiling. Suddenly, Sir Robert looks at you with a serious expression. "Touching a member of the royal family is strictly forbidden to outsiders." Then he looks at Princess Hannah. "I apologize, Princess, the boy doesn't know any better, please don't take his hand off for his ignorance."

				You're not sure what to do. Then Princess Hannah speaks. "He can keep the hand, but perhaps I should take a finger or two."

				Sir Robert nods. "That would be most fair, my lady."

				Your eyes widen. Suddenly, they both start laughing hysterically. Sir Robert grins. "Sorry, ${name}, just a joke the Princess and I like to play on people. I hope you aren't offended."
				*fake_choice
					#Smile and laugh as well.
						Sir Robert smiles. "Glad to see you have a sense of humor." 
					#Say I knew it was a joke all along.
						Sir Robert responds, "Sure…sure you did." 
					#Sigh a breath of relief.
				*page_break
				*goto off
			#Do nothing and keep bowing.
				Sir Robert laughs. "Sorry, Princess Hannah, he's obviously never met royalty."

				Princess Hannah smiles. "No worries!" She reaches out and grabs your chin, gently forcing you to look up. You notice her eyes are looking directly into yours. She winks at you.
				*page_break
				*goto off
	#Nod.
		You nod and bow your head slightly. Princess Hannah laughs a little. "It's always funny whenever someone finds out I'm royalty…they either start acting like a nobleman or they get really quiet. It's nice to meet you too, ${name}."
		
		She reaches her hand out.
		*choice
			*if diplomacy > 0 
				#Hold her hand and kiss it.
					*if diplomacy > 1 
						You take her hand and kiss it gracefully. She seems a little taken aback, but then she laughs. "Such formality! Are we in court, or a stable? I merely meant to shake your hand, but thank you for such a nice gesture." 
					*if diplomacy < 2
						You take her hand and try kissing it in a graceful manner…your attempt fails. Sir Robert puts his hand to his face, and Princess Hannah laughs, saying, "No need to be so formal; we aren't in court, remember?"
					*page_break
					*goto off
			#Shake her hand.
				You shake her hand, and she looks over at Sir Robert, smiling. Suddenly, Sir Robert looks at you with a serious expression. "Touching a member of the royal family is strictly forbidden to outsiders." He looks at Princess Hannah. "I apologize, Princess, the boy doesn't know any better. Please don't take his hand off for his ignorance."

				You're not sure what to do. Then Princess Hannah says, "He can keep the hand, but perhaps I should take a finger or two."

				Sir Robert nods. "That would be most fair, my lady."

				Your eyes widen. Suddenly, they both start laughing hysterically. Sir Robert grins. "Sorry, ${name}, just a joke the Princess and I like to play on people. I hope you aren't offended."
				*fake_choice
					#Smile and laugh as well.
						Sir Robert smiles. "Glad to see you have a sense of humor." 
					#Say I knew it was a joke all along.
						Sir Robert responds, "Sure…sure you did." 
					#Sigh a breath of relief.
						They laugh again, seeing your expression.
				*page_break
				*goto off
			#Do nothing and keep bowing.
				Sir Robert laughs. "Sorry, Princess Hannah, he's obviously never met royalty."

				Princess Hannah smiles. "No worries!" She reaches out and grabs your chin, gently forcing you to look up. You notice her eyes are looking directly into yours. She winks at you.
				*page_break
				*goto off
	
*label off	
Princess Hannah says, "I must be off, the palace guards are probably looking all over the place for me if they haven't raised the alarm by now. Will you be attending the feast?"

Sir Robert nods. "Of course, my lady; how could I say no to such wonderful food and company?"

Princess Hannah half-smiles. "The food is wonderful; I don't know about the company, however. I'm glad that you'll be there, as these feasts can be so boring. Most of the people there are twice or three times my age." 

She looks over at you. "You will you be coming as well, ${name}?"
*fake_choice
	#"If you wish, my lady."
		She smiles. "I do. Maybe it won't be that boring, after all. Goodbye, you two."

		After she leaves, Sir Robert looks at you. "You probably should have asked me before you accepted, as I might have needed you to do something. But if the Princess wants you there, I don't see any harm in it." 
	#Look at Sir Robert.
		Sir Robert thinks for a moment, then nods at you. You tell the Princess you will attend. 
		
		She smiles. "Then maybe it won't be that boring, after all. Goodbye, you two."

Sir Robert pats you on the shoulder and looks at your clothes. "Well, you can't wear that to a royal feast." He gives you a bag of Gold Pieces and tells you to go to the tailor and find something noble-like. Before you can leave, Sir Robert calls out to stop you. "Just one more thing, ${name}. Princess Hannah is rather unique when it comes to royalty and, well, nobility in general. Be careful how you act and who you talk to there. Understood?" 

*set gold +5
You nod. Sir Robert gives you some instructions on where to meet him, and you depart. 

You arrive at the tailor, and he asks what you would like.
*choice
	*selectable_if (gold > 9) #A nobleman's outfit. (10 GP)
		*set gold -10
		*set outfit 1
		*set score +1
		*page_break
		*goto castle
	#A fancy shirt with leather pants. (5 GP)
		*set outfit 2
		*set gold -5
		*page_break
		*goto castle
	#A merchant's outfit. (4 GP)
		*set outfit 3
		*set gold -4
		*page_break
		*goto castle
	#A squire's outfit. (3 GP)
		*set outfit 4
		*set gold -3
		*page_break
		*goto castle
	#Normal attire. (2 GP)
		*set outfit 5
		*set gold -2
		*page_break
		*goto castle
	#Servant's attire. (1 GP)
		*set outfit 6
		*set gold -1
		*page_break
		*goto castle
	#Keep the Gold and go with what I'm wearing now.
		*set outfit 7
		*page_break
		*goto castle

*label castle
You arrive at the castle. A guard walks up to you.
*if outfit = 5
	"This is for official guests only."
	
	You respond that you are an official guest. He looks at you dubiously. 
*if outfit = 7
	"This is for official guests only." The guard proceeds to examine your clothing. "No riff-raff allowed."
	
	You respond that you are an official guest. He looks at you dubiously. 

*if outfit = 6
	The guard looks at your clothing and mistakes you for a servant. "Use the servants' entrance in the back; this is for official guests only."
	
	*choice
		#Use the back entrance.
			You go to the back entrance, wandering aimlessly around the castle. Eventually, a couple of servants spot you and call a guard. They kick you out. You head back to the front entrance.

			*goto invitation
		#"Actually, I am an official guest."

			*goto invitation


*label invitation
The guard asks for your invitation. When he finds out you don't have one, he asks why he should let you in.

What do you say?
*choice
	#"I was invited by the Princess."
		*if outfit = 1
			He looks at your fancy nobleman clothes, trying to find a signal or anything that reveals your identity. Eventually he says, "Sorry, I don't recognize you. What house do you hail from?"
			
			Should you tell him your real name or give a name that he might recognize that sounds lordly?
			*choice
				#"House ${name2}."
					"Never heard of that house…"
					*choice
						#"It is a small house."
							"Where is it located?"
							*choice
								#"The Northern Province."
									"Oh, that makes sense, I've never visited the Northern Province…unfortunately, your name is not on the list, m'Lord."
									
									Before you can respond, Sir Robert walks up and says, "What's going on here, guardsman?"

									The guard turns and sees Sir Robert. "Nothing, sir, just a lord trying to get into the feast, but he doesn't have an official invitation. Nothing to worry yourself about."

									Sir Robert nods. "Ah, I see, well this so-called lord is actually my squire. It looks like he's trying to play a prank on you. Obviously, he doesn't know your sense of humor when it comes to your job. You don't need to worry about him, I'll escort him in."

									The guard nods and lets you through. Sir Robert half-grins. "Next time you try something like that, try using an excuse you can actually back up."
									
									You walk into the feast, and nobles are everywhere. Servants are moving back and forth. Some nobles call over Sir Robert. He looks at you and says, "I need to talk to a few old friends for a while. Can I trust you not to make a fool of yourself?" You nod, and he leaves soon after. 
									*page_break 
									*goto feast
								#"The Southern Province."
									"I was actually born in the Southern Province; there's no house there by that name." 
									*choice
										#"You can't possibly know every house."
											"Ha, that right there proves you're not a noble. For if you were, you'd know that any guard worth his salt would make sure he knew all the noble houses, for if a guard were to mistreat a member of a noble house, it's one of the quickest ways he gets assigned to the middle of nowhere guarding cattle."
											*fake_choice
												#Tell him the truth.
													"Well, why didn't you just say that from the beginning?"
													
													A guard goes inside to get Sir Robert. A few minutes later, Sir Robert appears and is filled in on the situation. 
													
													Sir Robert half-grins. "Next time you try something like that, try using an excuse you can actually back up."
													
													You walk into the feast, and there are nobles everywhere and servants moving back and forth. Sir Robert gets called over by one group of nobles and has to leave, but before he does, he makes sure to remind you to behave yourself. 
													*page_break
													*goto feast	
												#"So…you're willing to take that chance?"
													The guard suddenly looks conflicted. "What was the name of your house again?"
													
													Before you can respond, Sir Robert walks up and says, "What's going on here, guardsman?"

													The guard turns and sees Sir Robert. "Nothing, sir, just a lord trying to get into the feast, but he doesn't have an official invitation. Nothing to worry yourself about."

													Sir Robert nods. "Ah, I see, well this so-called lord is actually my squire. It looks like he's trying to play a prank on you. Obviously, he doesn't know your sense of humor when it comes to your job. You don't need to worry about him, I'll escort him in."

													The guard nods and lets you through, but not before shoving you a bit for your attempt to fool him. Sir Robert half-grins. "Next time you try something like that, try using an excuse you can actually back up."
													
													You walk into the feast, and nobles are everywhere. Servants are moving back and forth. Some nobles call over Sir Robert. He looks over at you and says, "I need to talk to a few old friends for a while, can I trust you not to make a fool of yourself?" You nod, and he leaves soon after. 
													*page_break
													*goto feast
										#Assure him that I'm from a noble house. 
											He still doesn't believe you. 
											
											Before you can respond, Sir Robert walks up and says, "What's going on here, guardsman?"

											The guard turns, and his demeanor changes to respect upon seeing Sir Robert. "Nothing, sir, just some rabble trying to get into the feast. Nothing to worry yourself about."

											Sir Robert nods. "Ah, I see, well this rabble is actually my squire. It looks like he's trying to play a prank on you. Obviously, he doesn't know your sense of humor when it comes to your job. You don't need to worry about him, I'll escort him in."

											The guard nods and lets you through. Sir Robert half-grins. "Next time you try something like that, try using an excuse you can actually back up."
											
											You walk into the feast, and nobles are everywhere. Servants are moving back and forth. Some nobles call over Sir Robert. He looks over at you and says, "I need to talk to a few old friends for a while, can I trust you not to make a fool of yourself?" You nod, and he leaves soon after. 
											*page_break 
											*goto feast
										#"I never said it was a noble house…"
											The guard squints at you. "Damn kid, you're wasting my time. This feast is for nobles only, unless you have an invitation…now why don't you bother someone else?!"
											
											Before you can respond, Sir Robert walks up and says, "What's going on here, guardsman?"

											The guard turns, and his demeanor changes to respect upon seeing Sir Robert. "Nothing, sir, just some rabble trying to get into the feast. Nothing to worry yourself about."

											Sir Robert nods. "Ah, I see, well this rabble is actually my squire. It looks like he's trying to play a prank on you. Obviously, he doesn't know your sense of humor when it comes to your job. You don't need to worry about him, I'll escort him in." 

											The guard nods and lets you through. Sir Robert half-grins. "Next time you try something like that, try using an excuse you can actually back up." 
								
											You walk into the feast, and nobles are everywhere. Servants are moving back and forth. Some nobles call over Sir Robert. He looks over at you and says, "I need to talk to a few old friends for a while, can I trust you not to make a fool of yourself?" You nod, and he leaves soon after. 
											*page_break 
											*goto feast
								#"The Western Province."
									"There's nothing there but swamplands. There are maybe three houses that would be worth inviting from there. You're no noble."
									
									Before you can respond, Sir Robert walks up and says, "What's going on here, guardsman?"

									The guard turns, and his demeanor changes to respect upon seeing Sir Robert. "Nothing, sir, just some rabble trying to get into the feast. Nothing to worry yourself about."

									Sir Robert nods. "Ah, I see, well this rabble is actually my squire. It looks like he's trying to play a prank on you. Obviously, he doesn't know your sense of humor when it comes to your job. You don't need to worry about him, I'll escort him in."

									The guard nods and lets you through. Sir Robert half-grins. "Next time you try something like that, try using an excuse you can actually back up."
									
									You walk into the feast, and nobles are everywhere. Servants are moving back and forth. Some nobles call over Sir Robert. He looks over at you and says, "I need to talk to a few old friends for a while, can I trust you not to make a fool of yourself?" You nod, and he leaves soon after. 
									*page_break
									*goto feast
								#"The Eastern Province."
									He looks over at one of the guards. "Hey, Jim! You're from the Eastern Province; have you ever heard of House ${name}?" Jim looks over, annoyed as he's in the middle of flirting with a servant. "Never heard of it, and I'm well versed when it comes to noble houses from the Eastern Province."
									
									Before you can respond, Sir Robert walks up and says, "What's going on here, guardsman?"

									The guard turns, and his demeanor changes to respect upon seeing Sir Robert. "Nothing, sir, just some rabble trying to get into the feast. Nothing to worry yourself about."

									Sir Robert nods. "Ah, I see, well this rabble is actually my squire. It looks like he's trying to play a prank on you. Obviously, he doesn't know your sense of humor when it comes to your job. You don't need to worry about him, I'll escort him in."

									The guard nods and lets you through. Sir Robert half-grins. "Next time you try something like that, try using an excuse you can actually back up."
											
									You walk into the feast, and nobles are everywhere. Servants are moving back and forth. Some nobles call over Sir Robert. He looks over at you and says, "I need to talk to a few old friends for a while, can I trust you not to make a fool of yourself?" You nod, and he leaves soon after. 
									*page_break 
									*goto feast
								#"The Central Province."
									"As a guard, it's my job to know all the houses in the Central Province. That's not one of them." 
						
									Before you can respond, Sir Robert walks up and says, "What's going on here, guardsman?"

									The guard turns, and his demeanor changes to respect upon seeing Sir Robert. "Nothing, sir, just some rabble trying to get into the feast. Nothing to worry yourself about."

									Sir Robert nods. "Ah, I see, well this rabble is actually my squire. It looks like he's trying to play a prank on you. Obviously, he doesn't know your sense of humor when it comes to your job. You don't need to worry about him, I'll escort him in."

									The guard nods and lets you through. Sir Robert half-grins. "Next time you try something like that, try using an excuse you can actually back up."
											
									You walk into the feast, and nobles are everywhere. Servants are moving back and forth. Some nobles call over Sir Robert. He looks over at you and says, "I need to talk to a few old friends for a while, can I trust you not to make a fool of yourself?" You nod, and he leaves soon after. 
									*page_break 
									*goto feast
								#"It's not a nobleman's house."
									The guard begins to grow annoyed. 
										
									Before you can explain, Sir Robert walks up and says, "What's going on here, guardsman?"

									The guard turns, and his demeanor changes to respect upon seeing Sir Robert. "Nothing, sir, just some rabble trying to get into the feast. Nothing to worry yourself about."

									Sir Robert nods. "Ah, I see, well this rabble is actually my squire. It looks like he's trying to play a prank on you. Obviously, he doesn't know your sense of humor when it comes to your job. You don't need to worry about him, I'll escort him in."

									The guard nods and lets you through. Sir Robert half-grins. "Next time you try something like that, try using an excuse you can actually back up."
														
									You walk into the feast, and nobles are everywhere. Servants are moving back and forth. Some nobles call over Sir Robert. He looks at you and says, "I need to talk to a few old friends for a while, can I trust you not to make a fool of yourself?" You nod, and he leaves soon after. 
									*page_break 
									*goto feast
						*selectable_if (diplomacy > 0) #"How dare you belittle the house of ${name2}?!"
							The guard isn't sure what to do. "I didn't mean to offend you, Lord…I was just asking where you were from."
							
							Before you can say anything else, Sir Robert walks up and says, "What's going on here, guardsman?"

							The guard turns and sees Sir Robert. "Nothing, sir, just a lord trying to get into the feast, but he doesn't have an official invitation. Nothing to worry yourself about."

							Sir Robert nods. "Ah, I see, well this so-called lord is actually my squire. It looks like he's trying to play a prank on you. Obviously, he doesn't know your sense of humor when it comes to your job. You don't need to worry about him, I'll escort him in."

							The guard nods and lets you through, but not before shoving you a bit for your attempt to fool him. Sir Robert half-grins. "Next time you try something like that, try using an excuse you can actually back up."
													
							You walk into the feast, and nobles are everywhere. Servants are moving back and forth. Some nobles call over Sir Robert. He looks at you and says, "I need to talk to a few old friends for a while, can I trust you not to make a fool of yourself?" You nod, and he leaves soon after. 
							*page_break
							*goto feast
				#"House Fragglesworth."
					"Ah, you must be Sir Fragglesworth the Third. I heard that you were invited, but I didn't expect you to travel so far in order to attend. Please go in." A guard escorts you into the feast and announces "Sir Fragglesworth the Third" when you enter. A few nobles look over but quickly return to their conversations. 
					
					A nobleman approaches you. "Sir Fragglesworth, in the flesh! It's a pleasure to finally meet you. I'm Herbert; I'm sure you know of me through my letters and conversations with your father."
					*choice
						#"I'm sorry. I am not who you think I am."
							The nobleman looks quite confused; you try to walk away, but the nobleman follows you. "Didn't the guard just announce that you were Sir Fragglesworth the Third?" This starts to raise the attention of a few other nobles in the room. They all start staring at you, waiting for a response. A few call over some guards, whispering something. 
							
							"I…umm…"

							Suddenly, Sir Robert grabs you by the shoulder, rather tightly too. "Forgive me, fine gentleman, this boy is a bit of a prankster. He's my squire. Please excuse us."
							
							After you walk away with Sir Robert, you get a stern lecture. A few nobles call Sir Robert over, which forces him to leave you. Before he leaves, he looks you directly in the eyes and says, "Stay out of trouble."
							*page_break
							*goto feast
						#"Yes…yes, of course." (Play Along)
							"Excellent! Can you come this way? I have a few guests that would love to meet you." He introduces you to several other nobles and merchants. One of the nobles asks you, "I'm sorry; who is your father again?"
							*choice
								#"Sir Fragglesworth the Third."
									The nobleman looks confused. "I thought you were Sir Fragglesworth the Third."

									Another nobleman interjects. "Now that I think about it, I thought I remembered Sir Fragglesworth the Second saying his son is rather short with dirty-blond hair." They all start staring at you, waiting for a response. A few call over some guards. 
									
									"I…umm…"

									Suddenly, Sir Robert grabs you by the shoulder, rather tightly too. "Forgive me, fine gentleman, this boy is a bit of a prankster. He's my squire. Please excuse us."
									
									After you walk away with Sir Robert, you get a stern lecture. A few nobles call Sir Robert over, which forces him to leave you. Before he leaves, he looks you directly in the eyes and says, "Stay out of trouble."
									*page_break
									*goto feast
								#"Sir Fragglesworth the Second."
									"Of course, I know that…I meant, what does he do?"

									You're about to respond when Herbert suddenly interrupts. "Why, he owns all of Fragglerock, of course!"

									A few of the nobles look impressed. One continues to question you. "Where exactly is Fragglerock again?"
									*page_break
									*goto fraggle
								
								#"Sir Fragglesworth."
									The nobleman looks confused. "I thought you were Sir Fragglesworth the Third."

									Another nobleman interjects. "Now that I think about it, I thought I remembered Sir Fragglesworth the Second saying his son is rather short with dirty-blond hair." They all start staring at you, waiting for a response. A few call over some guards. 
									
									"I…umm…"

									Suddenly, Sir Robert grabs you by the shoulder, rather tightly too. "Forgive me, fine gentleman, this boy is a bit of a prankster. He's my squire. Please excuse us."
									
									After you walk away with Sir Robert, you get a stern lecture. A few nobles call Sir Robert over, which forces him to leave you. Before he leaves, he looks you directly in the eyes and says, "Stay out of trouble." 
									*page_break
									*goto feast
								#Try to avoid the question.
									The noblemen find your behavior strange. One nobleman says, "Now that I think about it, I thought I remembered hearing Sir Fragglesworth the Third is rather short with dirty-blond hair." They all start staring at you, waiting for a response. A few call over some guards. 
									
									"I…umm…"

									Suddenly, Sir Robert grabs you by the shoulder, rather tightly too. "Forgive me, fine gentleman, this boy is a bit of a prankster. He's my squire. Please excuse us."
									
									After you walk away with Sir Robert, you get a stern lecture. A few nobles call Sir Robert over, which forces him to leave you. Before he leaves, he looks you directly in the eyes and says, "Stay out of trouble." 			
									*page_break
									*goto feast
				#"I don't belong to any house."
					The guard looks at you, puzzled. "Then how do you know the Princess?"
		
					You tell him the truth, and the guard listens intently…
					*page_break
					*if diplomacy > 0 
						He takes a few moments to consider your story. "If it was any other royal family member, I'd say you were lying, but that does sound a lot like Princess Hannah." He looks at another guard. "Check him for weapons and let him through. Stay with him until you can verify his story."

						You walk into the feast, and nobles are everywhere. Servants are moving back and forth. Suddenly, Sir Robert appears. "There you are! I was wondering when you would show up." The guard asks him if he knows you. "Yeah, he's my squire. No need to worry about him, he's with me." The guard leaves.

						Sir Robert starts pointing out various nobles, telling you some rather interesting facts about each one. Suddenly, some nobles call over Sir Robert. He looks at you and says, "I need to talk to a few old friends for a while, can I trust you not to make a fool of yourself?" You nod, and he leaves. 
						*set score +1
						*page_break
						*goto feast
					"Bah, what a load of horseshit. Royalty doesn't act that way, even Princess Hannah." The guard looks annoyed at you. "Leave, boy; this place isn't for you."

					You're about to say something, but Sir Robert, overhearing the conversation, walks over. "Problem here, guardsman?"

					The guard looks over and sees Sir Robert. His demeanor changes instantly, and he speaks much more respectfully. "No, sir, just some rabble trying to get into the feast. Nothing to concern yourself over." 

					Sir Robert nods and looks at you. "He may be rabble, but he's my rabble." He looks at the guard and speaks to him directly. "Frank, this is my new squire, ${name}."

					The guard nods and then says, "Well, why didn't he say that from the beginning?" Sir Robert shrugs. 
				
					You walk into the feast, and nobles are everywhere. Servants are moving back and forth. Some nobles call over Sir Robert. He looks at you and says, "I need to talk to a few old friends for a while, can I trust you not to make a fool of yourself?" You nod, and he leaves. 
					*page_break
					*goto feast
		The guard looks at you, puzzled. "How do you know the Princess?"
		
		You tell him the truth, and the guard listens intently…
		*page_break
		*if diplomacy > 0 
			He takes a few moments to consider your story. "If it was any other royal family member, I'd say you were lying, but that does sound a lot like Princess Hannah." He looks at another guard. "Check him for weapons and let him through. Stay with him until you can verify his story."

			You walk into the feast, and nobles are everywhere. Servants are moving back and forth. Suddenly, Sir Robert appears. "There you are! I was wondering when you would show up." The guard asks him if he knows you. "Yeah, he's my squire. No need to worry about him, he's with me." The guard leaves.

			Sir Robert starts pointing out various nobles, telling you some rather interesting facts about each one. Suddenly, some nobles call over Sir Robert. He looks at you and says, "I need to talk to a few old friends for a while, can I trust you not to make a fool of yourself?" You nod, and he leaves. 
			*set score +1
			*page_break
			*goto feast
		"Bah, what a load of horseshit. Royalty doesn't act that way, even Princess Hannah." The guard looks annoyed at you. "Leave, boy; this place isn't for you."

		You're about to say something, but Sir Robert, overhearing the conversation, walks over. "Problem here, guardsman?"

		The guard looks over and sees Sir Robert. His demeanor changes instantly, and he speaks much more respectfully. "No, sir, just some rabble trying to get into the feast. Nothing to concern yourself over." 

		Sir Robert nods and looks at you. "He may be rabble, but he's my rabble." He looks at the guard and speaks to him directly. "Frank, this is my new squire, ${name}."

		The guard nods and then says, "Well, why didn't he say that from the beginning?" Sir Robert shrugs. 
				
		You walk into the feast, and nobles are everywhere. Servants are moving back and forth. Some nobles call over Sir Robert. He looks at you and says, "I need to talk to a few old friends for a while, can I trust you not to make a fool of yourself?" You nod, and he leaves. 
		*page_break
		*goto feast

								
	#Make something up.
		You try to think of something to say…

		*if diplomacy > 1
			"I work as a piss boy for one of the nobles…he asked for me."

			The guard frowns. "A what?"

			You respond, "You know, I empty the chamber pots. Are you going to let me through, or what? The privy won't clean itself."
			
			The guard looks over at another guard who's standing close by, then back at you. He moves aside. "And I thought the stablehands had it tough." He moves back far away from you and points you over to the servants' entrance. One of the guards escorts you; he's about to take you all the way but decides to leave once you go into the details of your job.
		
			You walk in through the servants' quarters and eventually find your way into the feast. You see Sir Robert and walk up to him. He turns around, very surprised. "How did you get in?" 
			*set score +1
			*fake_choice
				#"I told them something no one in their right mind would lie about."
					"What did you say? Wait…I don't want to know. Follow me." You walk toward the center of the feast, and nobles are everywhere. Servants are moving back and forth. Sir Robert points out a few nobles and tells you a little bit about their background. Some nobles call over Sir Robert. He looks at you and says, "I need to talk to a few old friends for a while, can I trust you not to make a fool of yourself?" You nod, and he leaves soon after.
					*page_break
					*goto feast
				#"I guess the guards just aren't very good here."
					"Hmm, all right. I might want to mention something to the guard captain about increasing security."
					
					You walk toward the center of the feast, and nobles are everywhere. Servants are moving back and forth. Sir Robert points out a few nobles and tells you a little bit about their background. Some nobles call over Sir Robert. He looks at you and says, "I need to talk to a few old friends for a while, can I trust you not to make a fool of yourself?" You nod, and he leaves soon after.
					*page_break
					*goto feast
				#"I told them I was royalty, and they let me right in."
					Sir Robert looks confused, then laughs. "Well, whatever you said, you're here now. Follow me, and I'll show you around." 
					
					You walk toward the center of the feast, and nobles are everywhere. Servants are moving back and forth. Sir Robert points out a few nobles and tells you a little bit about their background. Some nobles call over Sir Robert. He looks at you and says, "I need to talk to a few old friends for a while, can I trust you not to make a fool of yourself?" You nod, and he leaves soon after.
					*page_break
					*goto feast
		*if diplomacy > 0
			"I'm a musician. Sorry for being late."
			
			The guard looks at you dubiously. "If you're a musician, then where's your instrument?" 
			*choice
				*selectable_if (intelligence > 0) #"I'm a singer."
					"Are you now? Sing me something."
					*choice
						#Sing something.
							You begin to sing…

							"The days, the days are long and borrowed…"

							The guard cuts you off. "Enough. My dog could probably do better."

							Before you can respond, Sir Robert walks up and says, "What's going on here, guardsman?"

							The guard turns, and his demeanor changes to respect upon seeing Sir Robert. "Nothing, sir, just some rabble trying to get into the feast. Nothing to worry yourself about."

							Sir Robert nods. "Ah, I see, well this rabble is actually my squire. It looks like he's trying to play a prank on you. Obviously, he doesn't know your sense of humor when it comes to your job. You don't need to worry about him, I'll escort him in."

							The guard nods and lets you through. Sir Robert half-grins. "Next time you try something like that, try using an excuse you can actually back up."
							
							You walk into the feast, and nobles are everywhere. Servants are moving back and forth. Some nobles call Sir Robert over. He looks at you and says, "I need to talk to a few old friends for a while, can I trust you not to make a fool of yourself?" You nod, and he leaves soon after.
							*page_break
							*goto feast
						#Tell him the truth.
							"You should've started with that from the beginning. He told me his squire would be coming. You can go on in." 
							
							When you enter, you instantly see Sir Robert, who thanks the guard for escorting you. You walk into the feast, and nobles are everywhere. Servants are moving back and forth. Some nobles call Sir Robert over. He looks at you and says, "I need to talk to a few old friends for a while, can I trust you not to make a fool of yourself?" You nod, and he leaves soon after. 
							*page_break
							*goto feast

				#"I forgot it."
					The guard blinks at you. "You forgot it?" You nod. He continues. "Right, well…that's a problem, isn't it?"  
					
					You reply, "I guess it is. You wouldn't happen to have a kazoo handy, would you?" 
					
					The guard looks at you, expressionless. "No." 
					
					You frown. "Well, that's a shame…I'm sure they have backups though. Will you let me through?"
					
					You move forward, but the guard stops you. "Let me get this straight…you're a musician hired for the feast, but you forgot your instrument…which happens to be a kazoo…and you expect me to let you pass?"

					"That about sums it up," you reply. 
					
					The guard is about to say something less than polite when he's interrupted by Sir Robert. "What's going on here, guardsman?"

					The guard turns, and his demeanor changes to respect upon seeing Sir Robert. "Nothing, sir, just some rabble trying to get into the feast. Nothing to worry yourself about."

					Sir Robert frowns. "Rabble, what do you mean?" The guard points at you. Sir Robert continues. "You're calling ${name} rabble?" He walks up to the guard with fake shock on his face. "The most famous kazoo player in the entire Kingdom?"

					The guard looks taken aback. "What…you mean he really is a musician? And he actually plays the kazoo?"

					Sir Robert now looks upset. "What's wrong with the kazoo? Don't you know it's the King's favorite instrument?"

					The guard looks back and forth. "I…I didn't know, my apologies." He moves aside. "Please, go to the feast." 

					You and Sir Robert leave. A couple of seconds later, out of earshot of the guard, you say to Sir Robert, "Did what just happen…actually happen?"

					Sir Robert nods. "Yep."

					"You could have just told him I was your squire."

					Sir Robert looks at you. "Where's the fun in that?" Before you can talk more, you reach the feast hall. Nobles are everywhere. Servants are moving back and forth. Sir Robert takes a quick look at the musicians and laughs. "I think I might actually try and find you a kazoo to play. It would be quite entertaining."

					*set score +2
					*achieve kazoo
					He points out a few of the nobles and tells you their backgrounds. Some nobles call Sir Robert over. He looks at you and says, "I need to talk to a few old friends for a while, can I trust you not to make a fool of yourself?" You nod, and he leaves soon after.
					*page_break
					*goto feast
		"Umm…I'm a messenger for the Governor. I bring a letter of great importance."
			
		The guard looks dubious. "Let me see the letter."
		*fake_choice
			#"The only one that can read it is the King himself!"
				The guard refuses to budge, and you end up having to search your pockets for something resembling a letter. 

			#Reach into my pockets and search for something note-like.
				You reach into your pockets for something resembling a letter…


		You only manage to pull out some string. "Must have lost it. Oh well, guess the Kingdom is doomed."

		The guard raises his eyebrow. "You'd better be joking, boy; otherwise I'm about to have you arrested."

		Before you can respond, Sir Robert walks up and says, "What's going on here, guardsman?"

		The guard turns, and his demeanor changes to respect upon seeing Sir Robert. "Nothing, sir, just some rabble trying to get into the feast. Nothing to worry yourself about."

		Sir Robert nods. "Ah, I see, well this rabble is actually my squire. It looks like he's trying to play a prank on you. Obviously, he doesn't know your sense of humor when it comes to your job. You don't need to worry about him, I'll escort him in."

		The guard nods and lets you through. Sir Robert half-grins. "Next time you try something like that, try using an excuse more believable." 
	
		You walk into the feast, and nobles are everywhere. Servants are moving back and forth. Some nobles call Sir Robert over. He looks at you and says, "I need to talk to a few old friends for a while, can I trust you not to make a fool of yourself?" You nod, and he leaves soon after. 
		*page_break
		*goto feast
	#"I'm with Sir Robert."
		"Ah yes, he's already inside. He told me his squire would be coming. You can go on in." 
		
		When you enter, you instantly see Sir Robert. You walk over to join him, and nobles are everywhere. Servants are moving back and forth. He points out a few of the nobles and tells you their backgrounds. Some nobles call Sir Robert over. He looks at you and says, "I need to talk to a few old friends for a while, can I trust you not to make a fool of yourself?" You nod, and he leaves soon after. 
		*page_break 
		*goto feast
	#"Since when does royalty need an invitation?"
		The guard laughs, then looks annoyed at you. "Leave, boy; this place isn't for you."

		You're about to say something, but Sir Robert, overhearing the conversation, walks over. "Problem here, guardsman?"

		The guard looks over and sees Sir Robert. His demeanor changes instantly, and he speaks much more respectfully. "No, sir, just some rabble trying to get into the feast. Nothing to concern yourself over."

		Sir Robert frowns. "Rabble…rabble? Don't you know who this is?" The guard looks confused. "This is the King's second cousin once removed! I'm sure the King won't be happy about you refusing one of his relatives."

		The guard looks shocked. "The…King…no need for him to know about this." He looks at you. "I'm sorry m'Lord, you can go on through."

		Sir Robert starts laughing hysterically, and some wine spills out of his cup. The guard looks even more confused. "Frank, this is my squire. Sorry about flustering you. You should know better with me."

		The guard looks frustrated. "If you weren't a knight and I didn't make so much money betting on you in the tournaments, I would punch you in your face, sir."

		Sir Robert grins. "I don't blame you, Frank. Come on, ${name}, before the guards arrest us both." 
		
		You walk into the feast, and nobles are everywhere. Servants are moving back and forth. Some nobles call Sir Robert over. He looks at you and says, "I need to talk to a few old friends for a while, can I trust you not to make a fool of yourself?" You nod, and he leaves soon after. 
		*page_break
		*goto feast
*label fraggle
What should you say?
*choice
	#"In the south."
		Herbert blinks at you several times. "No, it's not…have you been drinking, my Lord?"

		Another nobleman interjects. "Now that I think about it, I thought I remembered Sir Fragglesworth the Second saying his son is rather short with dirty-blond hair." They all start staring at you, waiting for a response. A few call over some guards. 
		
		"I…umm…"

		Suddenly, Sir Robert grabs you by the shoulder, rather tightly too. "Forgive me, fine gentleman, this boy is a bit of a prankster. He's my squire. Please excuse us."
		
		After you walk away with Sir Robert, you get a stern lecture. A few nobles call Sir Robert over, which forces him to leave you. Before he leaves, he looks you directly in the eyes and says, "Stay out of trouble."
		*page_break
		*goto feast
	#"In the east."
		Herbert blinks at you several times. "No, it's not…have you been drinking, my Lord?"

		Another nobleman interjects. "Now that I think about it, I thought I remembered Sir Fragglesworth the Second saying his son is rather short with dirty-blond hair." They all start staring at you, waiting for a response. A few call over some guards. 
		
		"I…umm…"

		Suddenly, Sir Robert grabs you by the shoulder, rather tightly too. "Forgive me, fine gentleman, this boy is a bit of a prankster. He's my squire. Please excuse us."
		
		After you walk away with Sir Robert, you get a stern lecture. A few nobles call Sir Robert over, which forces him to leave you. Before he leaves, he looks you directly in the eyes and says, "Stay out of trouble."
		*page_break
		*goto feast
	#"In the west."
		Herbert blinks at you several times. "No, it's not…have you been drinking, my Lord?"

		Another nobleman interjects. "Now that I think about it, I thought I remembered Sir Fragglesworth the Second saying his son is rather short with dirty-blond hair." They all start staring at you, waiting for a response. A few call over some guards. 
		
		"I…umm…"

		Suddenly, Sir Robert grabs you by the shoulder, rather tightly too. "Forgive me, fine gentleman, this boy is a bit of a prankster. He's my squire. Please excuse us."
		
		After you walk away with Sir Robert, you get a stern lecture. A few nobles call Sir Robert over, which forces him to leave you. Before he leaves, he looks you directly in the eyes and says, "Stay out of trouble."
		*page_break
		*goto feast
	#"In the north."
		"It is…in the Northlands…far away from here." 
		
		You glance around, hoping you said the right thing…
		*page_break
		*goto fraggle2
				
	#"It's not that far from the Capital."
		Herbert blinks at you several times. "No, it's not…have you been drinking, my Lord?"

		Another nobleman interjects. "Now that I think about it, I thought I remembered Sir Fragglesworth the Second saying his son is rather short with dirty-blond hair." They all start staring at you, waiting for a response. A few call over some guards. 
		
		"I…umm…"

		Suddenly, Sir Robert grabs you by the shoulder, rather tightly too. "Forgive me, fine gentleman, this boy is a bit of a prankster. He's my squire. Please excuse us."
		
		After you walk away with Sir Robert, you get a stern lecture. A few nobles call Sir Robert over, which forces him to leave you. Before he leaves, he looks you directly in the eyes and says, "Stay out of trouble."
		*page_break 
		*goto feast
	#Look annoyed and stare at Herbert.
		*if diplomacy > 0
			Herbert quickly interjects. "Franklin, you're offending our guest. It's in the Northlands, of course. You may not know of it, but the rare materials they export make it a very important place." He looks over at you, hoping you appreciate his words. You nod.
			*page_break
			*goto fraggle3
		Herbert stares right back at you. Another nobleman interjects. "Now that I think about it, I thought I remembered Sir Fragglesworth the Second saying his son is rather short with dirty-blond hair." They all start staring at you, waiting for a response. A few call over some guards. 
		
		"I…umm…"

		Suddenly, Sir Robert grabs you by the shoulder, rather tightly too. "Forgive me, fine gentleman, this boy is a bit of a prankster. He's my squire. Please excuse us."
		
		After you walk away with Sir Robert, you get a stern lecture. A few nobles call Sir Robert over, which forces him to leave you. Before he leaves, he looks you directly in the eyes and says, "Stay out of trouble."
		*page_break 
		*goto feast
	#Make an excuse and leave.
		You tell the nobles that you need to use the privy and leave. They look rather confused. Herbert starts yelling and causes somewhat of a scene. "Wait, Sir Fragglesworth the Third, we need to discuss details on the trade treaty!" You turn around and nod. As a result, you aren't watching where you're walking. You run straight into Sir Robert, who looks quite displeased.

		"Oh, if it isn't Lord Fragglesworth himself!" He grabs you by the shoulder, rather tightly too. "Forgive me, fine gentleman, I need to speak to the Lord alone for a moment. Please excuse us."

		After you walk away with Sir Robert, you get a stern lecture. A few nobles call Sir Robert over, which forces him to leave you. Before he does, he looks you directly in the eyes and says, "Stay out of trouble."
		*page_break 
		*goto feast
					
			
*label fraggle2
All the nobles nod. Herbert says, "Yes, it is rather far away, I appreciate the long journey you took to reach us."
*page_break
*goto fraggle3

*label fraggle3	
The same nobleman continues to press you. "And what exactly makes Fragglerock so special?"
*choice
	#"Why, we have some of the best fighters in the realm!"
		Herbert frowns. "That's not what I would say makes Fragglerock unique…have you been drinking, my Lord?" 
		
		Another nobleman interjects. "Now that I think about it, I thought I remembered Sir Fragglesworth the Second saying his son is rather short with dirty-blond hair." They all start staring at you, waiting for a response. A few call over some guards. 
		
		"I…umm…"

		Suddenly, Sir Robert grabs you by the shoulder, rather tightly too. "Forgive me, fine gentleman, this boy is a bit of a prankster. He's my squire. Please excuse us."

		After you walk away with Sir Robert, you get a stern lecture. A few nobles call Sir Robert over, which forces him to leave you. Before he does, he looks you directly in the eyes and says, "Stay out of trouble."
		*page_break 
		*goto feast
	#"Our precious metals and rare stones."
		Herbert nods. "Yes. Fragglerock is quite rare indeed."

		One of the nobles looks confused. "Wait, I thought Fragglerock was a place." Herbert gestures at you to explain. 
		*choice	
			#"It's both!"
				Herbert nods. A nobleman who looks intrigued speaks. "Very interesting…very interesting, indeed. Tell me, what makes fragglerock so unique, compared to other stones?" 
				
				You think for a moment.
				*if wisdom < 4
					*if intelligence < 3
						You have no idea what fragglerock is.
					You think you may have glanced at a geology book that has a picture of fragglerock…from what you remember, it looked rather plain.
				*if wisdom > 3
					You think you might have heard about fragglerock once; there's something special about its weight. 
				
				What should you say?
				*choice
					#"It's the most beautiful stone you've ever seen."
						The nobleman frowns. "Couldn't you just use marble?"

						Herbert frowns as well. "Lord, have you been drinking? That isn't a good explanation of fragglerock." 

						Another nobleman interjects. "Now that I think about it, I thought I remembered Sir Fragglesworth the Second saying his son is rather short with dirty-blond hair." They all start staring at you, waiting for a response. A few call over some guards. 
						
						"I…umm…"

						Suddenly, Sir Robert grabs you by the shoulder, rather tightly too. "Forgive me, fine gentleman, this boy is a bit of a prankster. He's my squire. Please excuse us."

						After you walk away with Sir Robert, you get a stern lecture. A few nobles call Sir Robert over, which forces him to leave you. Before he does, he looks you directly in the eyes and says, "Stay out of trouble."
						*page_break 
						*goto feast
					#"It's very heavy."
						The nobleman looks confused. "Isn't all stone heavy?"

						Herbert looks confused as well. Another nobleman interjects. "Now that I think about it, I thought I remembered Sir Fragglesworth the Second saying his son is rather short with dirty-blond hair." They all start staring at you, waiting for a response. A few call over some guards. 
						
						"I…umm…"

						Suddenly, Sir Robert grabs you by the shoulder, rather tightly too. "Forgive me, fine gentleman, this boy is a bit of a prankster. He's my squire. Please excuse us."

						After you walk away with Sir Robert, you get a stern lecture. A few nobles call Sir Robert over, which forces him to leave you. Before he does, he looks you directly in the eyes and says, "Stay out of trouble."
						*page_break 
						*goto feast
					#"It's very light."
						The nobleman looks confused. "What good is light stone? You can't use it for building. For example, the point of a stone wall is to prevent people from being able to get through it. It sounds like you'd be able to push over any stone wall made with fragglerock."

						A few of the noblemen nod. Herbert smiles. "Ah, but you haven't heard the best part yet!"
						*choice
							#"It's so light that it floats in water."
								The nobleman thinks for a moment, then calls over one of his servants, who appears to be a scribe. They talk for a few seconds, and he orders him to go away. "Oh, so essentially it's like pumice stone." Herbert nods. "I plan on building something I've always wanted to build…" He pauses until he has everyone's attention. "A stone boat!"

								Another nobleman thinks for a little while. "A raft would be more practical."

								Herbert thinks for a moment. "That could work too!"

								One nobleman that's been quiet for quite some time interjects. "You know, I've met Sir Fragglesworth the Second. You don't look very much like him." 
								
								You pause, trying to think of something to say. "Well, umm, you know not all sons look like their fathers…and, well…"

								Suddenly, they all stand up straight and begin bowing. You turn around to see Princess Hannah approaching. She curtsies and smiles at the guests. Then she looks at you and says, "I'm glad you could make it."

								One of the noblemen looks at you in awe. "Princess Hannah, you know Sir Fragglesworth the Third?"

								Her eyes meet yours, and without saying anything, she understands. "Of course I have, we're old friends. How was your journey? Please, come and tell me all about it."

								You gladly leave with Princess Hannah. You tell her all that transpired, and she laughs. "And I thought I was the prankster." After a few moments of pleasant conversation, she says, "Sir Robert has been looking for you."
								*set score +2
								*set fragglesworth 1
								*fake_choice
									#"I'd much rather stay here and continue talking to you…"
										She blushes. "As would I, but you'd better find him. I have several more nobles to say hello to. The duties of a princess are long and tiresome. Also, you can't keep that ruse up; eventually, you might meet someone who happens to know the real Sir Fragglesworth the Third." She grins mischievously, gives you a kiss on the cheek, and departs. A few people see, and rumors spread that the Princess and Sir Fragglesworth the Third are quite close. 
										*page_break
									#"I suppose I should go find him."
										She nods. "That would be the wisest course of action. The duties of a princess are long and tiresome. Also, you can't keep that ruse up; eventually, you might meet someone who happens to know the real Sir Fragglesworth the Third." She grins mischievously, gives you a kiss on the cheek, and departs. A few people see, and rumors spread that the Princess and Sir Fragglesworth the Third are quite close.
										*page_break
								*goto feast
							#Make an excuse and leave.
								The noblemen find your behavior strange. One nobleman interrupts before you can leave. "Now that I think about it, I thought I remembered Sir Fragglesworth the Second saying his son is rather short with dirty-blond hair." They all start staring at you, waiting for a response. A few call over some guards. 
								
								"I…umm…"

								Suddenly, Sir Robert grabs you by the shoulder, rather tightly too. "Forgive me, fine gentleman, this boy is a bit of a prankster. He's my squire. Please excuse us."
								
								After you walk away with Sir Robert, you get a stern lecture. A few nobles call Sir Robert over, which forces him to leave you. Before he does, he looks you directly in the eyes and says, "Stay out of trouble."
								*page_break
								*goto feast
					#"It sparkles, giving natural light."
						Herbert frowns. "That isn't correct…have you been drinking, my Lord?" 
						
						Another nobleman interjects. "Now that I think about it, I thought I remembered Sir Fragglesworth the Second saying his son is rather short with dirty-blond hair." They all start staring at you, waiting for a response. A few call over some guards. 
						
						"I…umm…"

						Suddenly, Sir Robert grabs you by the shoulder, rather tightly too. "Forgive me, fine gentleman, this boy is a bit of a prankster. He's my squire. Please excuse us."

						After you walk away with Sir Robert, you get a stern lecture. A few nobles call Sir Robert over, which forces him to leave you. Before he does, he looks you directly in the eyes and says, "Stay out of trouble."
						*page_break
						*goto feast
					#"It's very durable."
						Herbert frowns. "That isn't correct…have you been drinking, my Lord?" 
						
						Another nobleman interjects. "Now that I think about it, I thought I remembered Sir Fragglesworth the Second saying his son is rather short with dirty-blond hair." They all start staring at you, waiting for a response. A few call over some guards. 
						
						"I…umm…"

						Suddenly, Sir Robert grabs you by the shoulder, rather tightly too. "Forgive me, fine gentleman, this boy is a bit of a prankster. He's my squire. Please excuse us."

						After you walk away with Sir Robert, you get a stern lecture. A few nobles call Sir Robert over, which forces him to leave you. Before he does, he looks you directly in the eyes and says, "Stay out of trouble."
						*page_break 
						*goto feast
					#Stare at Herbert, hoping he'll explain.
						*if diplomacy > 1
							Herbert explains that the stone is so light that it floats. The nobleman who asked the question thinks for a moment, then calls over one of his servants, who appears to be a scribe. They talk for a few seconds and he orders him to go away. "Oh, so essentially it's like pumice stone." Herbert nods. "I plan on building something I've always wanted to build…" He pauses until he has everyone's attention. "A stone boat!"

							Another nobleman thinks for a little while. "A raft would be more practical."

							Herbert thinks for a moment. "That could work too!"

							One nobleman that's been quiet for quite some time interjects. "You know, I've met Sir Fragglesworth the Second. You don't look very much like him." 
						
							You pause, trying to think of something to say. "Well, umm, you know not all sons look like their fathers…and, well…"

							Suddenly, they all stand up straight and begin bowing. You turn around to see Princess Hannah approaching. She curtsies and smiles at the guests. Then she looks at you and says, "I'm glad you could make it."

							One of the noblemen looks at you in awe. "Princess Hannah, you know Sir Fragglesworth the Third?"

							Her eyes meet yours, and without saying anything, she understands. "Of course I have, we're old friends. How was your journey? Please, come and tell me all about it."

							You gladly leave with Princess Hannah. You tell her all that transpired, and she laughs. "And I thought I was the prankster." After a few moments of pleasant conversation, she says, "Sir Robert has been looking for you."
							*set score +2
							*set fragglesworth 1
							*fake_choice
								#"I'd much rather stay here and continue talking to you…"
									She blushes. "As would I, but you'd better find him. I have several more nobles to say hello to. The duties of a princess are long and tiresome. Also, you can't keep that ruse up; eventually, you might meet someone who happens to know the real Sir Fragglesworth the Third." She grins mischievously, gives you a kiss on the cheek, and departs. A few people see, and rumors spread that the Princess and Sir Fragglesworth the Third are quite close. 
									*page_break
								#"I suppose I should go find him."
									She nods. "That would be the wisest course of action. The duties of a princess are long and tiresome. Also, you can't keep that ruse up; eventually, you might meet someone who happens to know the real Sir Fragglesworth the Third." She grins mischievously, gives you a kiss on the cheek, and departs. A few people see, and rumors spread that the Princess and Sir Fragglesworth the Third are quite close.
									*page_break 
							*goto feast
						Herbert stares right back at you. Another nobleman interjects. "Now that I think about it, I thought I remembered Sir Fragglesworth the Second saying his son is rather short with dirty-blond hair." They all start staring at you, waiting for a response. A few call over some guards. 

						"I…umm…"

						Suddenly, Sir Robert grabs you by the shoulder, rather tightly too. "Forgive me, fine gentleman, this boy is a bit of a prankster. He's my squire. Please excuse us."
						
						After you walk away with Sir Robert, you get a stern lecture. A few nobles call Sir Robert over, which forces him to leave you. Before he leaves, he looks you directly in the eyes and says, "Stay out of trouble."
						*page_break 
						*goto feast
					#Make an excuse and leave.
						You tell the nobles that you need to use the privy and leave. The nobles look rather confused. Herbert starts yelling and causes somewhat of a scene. "Wait, Sir Fragglesworth the Third, can we discuss details on the trade treaty later?" You turn around and nod. As a result, you aren't watching where you're walking. You run straight into Sir Robert, who looks quite displeased.

						"Oh, if it isn't Lord Fragglesworth himself!" He grabs you by the shoulder, rather tightly too. "Forgive me, fine gentleman, I need to speak to the Lord alone for a moment. Please excuse us."
						
						After you walk away with Sir Robert, you get a stern lecture. A few nobles call Sir Robert over, which forces him to leave you. Before he does, he looks you directly in the eyes and says, "Stay out of trouble."
						*page_break 
						*goto feast
	#"The way we govern our people."
		Herbert frowns. "That isn't correct…have you been drinking, my Lord?" 
		
		Another nobleman interjects. "Now that I think about it, I thought I remembered Sir Fragglesworth the Second saying his son is rather short with dirty-blond hair." They all start staring at you, waiting for a response. A few call over some guards. 
		
		"I…umm…"

		Suddenly, Sir Robert grabs you by the shoulder, rather tightly too. "Forgive me, fine gentleman, this boy is a bit of a prankster. He's my squire. Please excuse us."
						
		After you walk away with Sir Robert, you get a stern lecture. A few nobles call Sir Robert over, which forces him to leave you. Before he leaves, he looks you directly in the eyes and says, "Stay out of trouble."
		*page_break 
		*goto feast
	#"How dare you belittle the great name of Fragglesworth and our land of Fragglerock!"
		The noblemen find your behavior strange. "I meant no offense, sir…"
		
		Another nobleman interjects. "Wait a second, I thought I remembered Sir Fragglesworth the Second saying his son is rather short with dirty-blond hair." They all start staring at you, waiting for a response. A few motion over some guards. 
		
		"I…umm…"

		Suddenly, Sir Robert grabs you by the shoulder, rather tightly too. "Forgive me, fine gentleman, this boy is a bit of a prankster. He's my squire. Please excuse us."
						
		After you walk away with Sir Robert, you get a stern lecture. A few nobles call Sir Robert over, which forces him to leave you. Before he leaves, he looks you directly in the eyes and says, "Stay out of trouble."
		*page_break 
		*goto feast
	#"We have the best honey mead in the realm."
		Herbert frowns. "That isn't correct…have you been drinking, my Lord?" 
		
		Another nobleman interjects. "Now that I think about it, I thought I remembered Sir Fragglesworth the Second saying his son is rather short with dirty-blond hair." They all start staring at you, waiting for a response. A few call over some guards.

		"I…umm…"

		Suddenly, Sir Robert grabs you by the shoulder, rather tightly too. "Forgive me, fine gentleman, this boy is a bit of a prankster. He's my squire. Please excuse us."
						
		After you walk away with Sir Robert, you get a stern lecture. A few nobles call Sir Robert over, which forces him to leave you. Before he leaves, he looks you directly in the eyes and says, "Stay out of trouble."
		*page_break 
		*goto feast
	#Laugh.
		You begin to laugh…when no one else joins in, you abruptly stop. Herbert looks at you, puzzled. Another nobleman interjects. "Now that I think about it, I thought I remembered Sir Fragglesworth the Second saying his son is rather short with dirty-blond hair." They all start staring at you, waiting for a response. A few call over some guards. 
		
		"I…umm…"

		Suddenly, Sir Robert grabs you by the shoulder, rather tightly too. "Forgive me, fine gentleman, this boy is a bit of a prankster. He's my squire. Please excuse us."
						
		After you walk away with Sir Robert, you get a stern lecture. A few nobles call Sir Robert over, which forces him to leave you. Before he leaves, he looks you directly in the eyes and says, "Stay out of trouble."
		*page_break 
		*goto feast
	#Make an excuse and leave.
		You tell the nobles that you need to use the privy and leave. The nobles look rather confused. Herbert starts yelling and causes somewhat of a scene. "Wait, Sir Fragglesworth the Third, we need to discuss details on the trade treaty!" You turn around and nod. As a result, you aren't watching where you're walking. You run straight into Sir Robert, who looks quite displeased.

		"Oh, if it isn't Lord Fragglesworth himself!" He grabs you by the shoulder, rather tightly too. "Forgive me, fine gentleman, I need to speak to the Lord alone for a moment. Please excuse us."
					
		After you walk away with Sir Robert, you get a stern lecture. A few nobles call Sir Robert over, which forces him to leave you. Before he does, he looks you directly in the eyes and says, "Stay out of trouble."
		*page_break 
		*goto feast
*label feast
You look around the feast. There seems to be a lot to do…
*choice
	*disable_reuse #Head for the food.
		You head toward a table filled with bread, various cheeses, and meat. It appears to be a table for snacking, not the actual main course. You fill up on several different things. It's probably the best food you've ever tasted, with the exception of your mother's famous stew, the ingredients of which she still keeps secret to this day. A page walks up to you; he's only a few years younger than you are. 
		
		"I haven't seen you around the castle before. You're too young to be a lord or knight. Are you a servant?"
		*fake_choice
			#"I'm a squire."
				"Oh, wow, that's really cool. That's what I want to be, though a lot of those positions get filled quickly. You must come from a really wealthy or influential house." 
				
				You look over at the boy. "What do you mean? I just recently became a squire, and I didn't even ask for it." 
				
				The boy looks puzzled. "That's interesting. As you know, a squire is one step below a knight. A lot of knights who don't have squires use it to their advantage for political…sometimes financial rewards. Being a squire can take years. My father's trying to find a knight to take me on as squire, but even though our house is well respected, we have little in terms of money or political connections. I tell you, if I have to listen to any more squabbles or run any more errands for nobles, I might just ask to go back home."
			#"And you're too old to be a page."
				The boy blushes. "Well, my father hasn't found a knight who can take me on as his squire yet…so I'm stuck being a page in the service of nobles. A lot of knights who don't have squires use it to their advantage for political…sometimes financial rewards. Even though the house I'm from is well known, unfortunately it doesn't have much of either of those two things. Hopefully, I'll be a squire too. All I do all day is run errands and listen to nobles squabble."
		*fake_choice
			#"What kind of errands?"
				"Running messages, mostly. Occasionally escorting their guests, buying goods from the stores…those kinds of things." A nobleman motions at the page. "I gotta go, looks like I'm needed." The page leaves. 
			#"What kind of squabbles?"
				He looks at you with amusement. "Come on, that's how most nobles spend their time. Whether it be internal squabbles within a house or rivalries with another, I see all sorts of stuff. For example, did you know House Travin hates House Gromound, or that House Frons is currently negotiating with House Juel on a marriage proposal? Frankly, I find the whole thing boring, but I suppose for a merchant or someone with position, it could be useful information." A nobleman calls over the page. The page frowns. "Ah well, I need to go." He leaves in the direction of the nobleman who called him. 
		*page_break
		*goto feast
	*disable_reuse #Grab some wine.
		You walk over to a servant, and he pours you a glass of wine. You taste it. It's quite good. 
		*fake_choice
			#Chug it down and ask for another.
				The servant raises his eyebrow but instantly pours you another glass. 
				
				A man in noble clothing with a sigil you don't recognize on his tunic approaches you. He speaks with a deep foreign accent, and you can't quite place where it's from. "The wine is good here, no?"
				
				You smile and nod. He continues. "Where I'm from, wine is a luxury…and so is food, for that matter. I still can't believe the extravagance of this place. There's way too much food here for everyone to eat. Do you think they'll throw it out?"
				
				You shrug, and he sighs. "What a wasteful thing to do. I know many in my Kingdom that would benefit from such abundance of food and drink."
				*fake_choice
					#"Where are you from?"
						"Ah, I'm sorry, I have not introduced myself. I am Prince Rolin from the Kingdom of Liza. We live in the icy mountains northwest of your Kingdom."
						*fake_choice
							#Ask him why he's here.
								"Oh, my father asked me to attend…we're trying to sign trade agreements with the Kingdom of Magincia." He looks at you, almost sizing you up. "But that's only partially the reason. My father's trying to gain political connections with a powerful noble house here. Our Kingdom is small, and has little in the way of tradable goods. We are mostly a nomadic people."
								
								"How do you expect to form a political connection with a noble house?" you ask. 
								
								He half-grins. "Ah, the usual way: through marriage, or perhaps, if we're lucky, some form of exclusive trade agreement. My sister already has a few eligible suitors, but it would do little for us if she married someone within our Kingdom."
								*page_break
							#Ask him about his Kingdom.
								"It is a cold, desolate place…but it's also beautiful. During summer, when the ice melts, you can see the sky so clearly, and at night the stars are so bright. We also have a variety of rare creatures you would not normally find elsewhere. It's a popular spot for huntsmen and trophy collectors." He pulls at his tunic uncomfortably. "We also do not have to wear such strange clothing as this. Rather impractical, if you ask me."
								*page_break
						You talk for some time about various topics until he eventually spots a noble he needs to talk to. "Anyway, it was nice talking to you." He frowns. "Oh, I didn't catch your name."
						
						"It's ${name} ${name2}."
						
						He nods. "A pleasure to meet you, ${name}. Perhaps we'll meet again." He walks off. 
						*page_break
						*goto feast	
					#Remain silent.
						After a while, the man leaves, but not before asking the servant to pour him another drink.
						*page_break
						*goto feast							
			#Nurse the drink.
				You walk around, occasionally sipping the drink. You overhear several nobles talking about a variety of topics, from war to trade. All rumor and conjecture, though. Eventually, you find yourself back where you were before. 
				*page_break
				*goto feast
	*disable_reuse #Walk over to a group of nobles chatting about the Kingdom's politics.
		*if diplomacy > 1
			They glance over at you but don't pay you any further attention. They start talking about tournaments, and one of the nobleman asks a question you know the answer to.
			*choice
				#Answer it.
					They look at you, surprised, almost as if they'd forgotten you were there. 
					
					The nobleman continues to talk to you about tournaments, and after they find out that you're the squire to Sir Robert, others start taking interest in the conversation. Out of all the topics they discuss, this is one you know quite a bit about. They're all impressed by your knowledge, and several of them ask you to give them advice on betting or training men for the tournaments.
					
					Eventually, they go back to their original conversation regarding trade and noble squabbles, and you're soon removed from the conversation, but it seems like you made a good impression. 
					*set score +1
					*page_break
					*goto feast
				#Remain silent.
					One of the other noblemen answers his question, but it's wrong. You grow bored and decide to go back to where you walked in.
					*page_break
					*goto feast
		They glance over at you, but when they don't recognize you, they mostly ignore you. You can't find a good time to join the conversation, so eventually you leave.
		*page_break
		*goto feast
	*disable_reuse #Go someplace quiet, away from the noise.
		You decide to go out to the courtyard. It's quite beautiful. There are flowers, bushes, and trees which appear more sculpted than naturally grown. You look up at the stars, wondering if you'd told yourself a week ago that you'd be here, whether you would have ever believed it. Suddenly, you hear what sounds like an argument. You get closer to see what's going on.

		You see Princess Hannah talking to an older lord, probably in his forties. She seems quite upset at something he said. You strain to try and overhear. You hear the noble say, "Your father is quite ill. Not too many people know about his sickness. Soon, they may start asking questions. What do you think will happen to the realm if he were to die? He has no heirs."
	
		Princess Hannah frowns. "First off, his illness isn't that dire. Secondly, he has plenty of advisors to help him if he's to be out of commission for some time. Thirdly, he does have an heir…me." 
		
		The Lord laughs. "I meant male heirs. We aren't the Kingdom of Dribathi, where gender doesn't matter in royal succession. Excluding Queen Gwyneth, there hasn't been a Queen Regent of Magincia for over five hundred years."
		
		The Princess crosses her arms. "I don't need a history lesson, Cuthvell. Especially not from you."
		
		"All I'm saying is it could cause a lot of chaos in the Kingdom if your father were to suddenly die. As one of his advisors, I urge you to consider marriage."
		
		Princess Hannah laughs. "First off, you're his financial advisor. How you ever got into that position, I'll never know. It probably involved lots of bribes. You're also forgetting about my cousin, Robin."
		
		Sir Cuthvell shakes his head. "Your cousin is just learning to crawl. Plus, he's the bastard child of your uncle. Your aunt may be raising him as her own, but it still doesn't change that fact."
		
		Princess Hannah takes a deep breath. "So he's a bastard; it doesn't matter. Either he'll be the next King, or someone else will. I could care less right now. I also don't appreciate you bombarding me with this while I was simply trying to take a break from the feast to look at the stars."
		
		Sir Cuthvell leans in a little closer to Princess Hannah. "There are many eligible bachelors for you…my son included."
		
		Princess Hannah looks disgusted. "Ha! Now I see what this is all about. I would rather marry a toad than your son. A toad would be much less slimy."
		
		Lord Cuthvell grows extremely angry. "Why, you impudent…" He begins to raise his hand to strike her.
		*choice
			#Interrupt and say something.
				"Princess Hannah!" You run over. The Lord lowers his hand. "Your father has requested your presence."

				Princess Hannah looks surprised to see you, but she quickly recovers. "Oh yes, thank you, ${name}. I wouldn't want to keep him waiting." As she walks by, she whispers, "Thank you."

				Lord Cuthvell mutters something under his breath, but it's just loud enough for Princess Hannah and you to hear. "Ah yes, don't keep your father waiting…if only he knew your little secret, I wonder what he would do." 

				Hannah stops for a second, then continues walking as if nothing was said. Lord Cuthvell starts to walk back to the feast. He pushes you aside like he would a street urchin, saying, "Out of my way, servant." 
				*set not_hidden 1
				*fake_choice
					#"Why don't you pick on someone your own size?"
						He turns around. "What did you say?" You repeat the phrase, but this time add a little more to the end. "I said you should pick on someone your own size…but I guess that would be rather difficult, given how fat you are."

						He looks shocked. "No servant can speak to me that way, I shall tell your master and have you flogged."
						*comment endif
						
						You laugh. "I'm no servant; I'm a squire, and you can tell him whatever you'd like."

						His eyes narrow. "Which knight do you serve?"

						"I serve Sir Robert," you reply.

						The man nods. "Ah, that explains a lot." He leaves before you can say anything else. 
						*comment endif
						
						You sit down on a stone bench, thinking about all that's transpired. After some time has passed, you decide to return to the feast. 
					#Remain quiet.
						He leaves and returns to the feast. You sit down on a stone bench, wondering what that was all about. After a few minutes, you decide to return to the feast too. 
				*page_break
				*goto feast2
			#Remain quiet and observe.
				The man puts his hand down and regains his composure. Princess Hannah quickly turns her shock into a laugh. "That's right, you wouldn't dream of laying a hand on me. One word, and my father would have you in the stocks, or something even worse."

				She begins to leave. Angrily, Sir Cuthvell says, "I suppose he would…but how do you think he would react if he knew your little secret?"

				Princess Hannah stops for a second, then continues walking as if nothing was said. Lord Cuthvell laughs and returns to the feast a few seconds later. You sit down on a stone bench, wondering what that was all about. After some time passes, you decide to return to the feast too. 
				*page_break
				*goto feast2
*label feast2
You enter the feast, and Princess Hannah is by her father's side, acting as if nothing happened. The King raises his hand and asks everyone to sit and eat. Servants bring out dishes and start placing them on the table. Sir Robert motions for you to sit next to him. 

*if fragglesworth > 0 
	You also notice a free seat next to Princess Hannah, as well as Herbert, the merchant you spoke to earlier. 

*if fragglesworth = 0 
	You also notice a free seat next to Princess Hannah. 
*label feast3	
Where do you sit?
*choice
	#Sit next to Sir Robert.
		*goto Sir_Robert
	*if fragglesworth = 1 
		#Sit next to Herbert.
			Sir Robert raises his hands in confusion. You shrug and grin. He shakes his head and directs his attention to the food. Herbert is excited that you've chosen to sit with him. He talks incessantly, and you almost immediately regret your decision. After the first course, there's a lull in the conversation. 
			*choice	
				#Ask Herbert what he knows of Sir Cuthvell.
					Herbert frowns. "Sir Cuthvell is a very respected leader of the community…" He looks around to see if anyone is paying attention. He whispers into your ear, "He's also one of the most ruthless and vile lords this Kingdom has. Best not to get on his bad side; few that do survive long."
					
					"Who's on his bad side?" you ask.
					
					Herbert thinks for a moment. "Plenty, I suppose, though they're mostly downcast nobles or lesser knights. Sir Robert is probably his biggest rival."
					
					"Why is that?"

					He responds in between bites of a chicken leg. "Not quite sure, I think it has something to do with Sir Cuthvell's son."

					You look at him, confused. "His son?"
					*comment endif
					
					He nods. "Yes, apparently he somehow convinced Sir Robert to take him on as a squire. It lasted about two weeks before Sir Robert told him to find some other knight to teach him. It was quite an embarrassment for Sir Cuthvell. I mean, Sir Robert is considered by many to be the most skilled knight in the realm. It didn't help that Sir Cuthvell bragged to almost everyone that his son was squiring for Sir Robert. I really don't know many of the details; all I know is that Sir Robert rarely takes on new squires, and when he does, they're usually not of nobility. In fact, I think he took on a new squire recently, a boy named ${name}."
					
					You grin.
					*fake_choice
						#"I hear that ${name} is a very talented squire."
							Herbert shrugs. "Is that so? I guess that would make sense." He continues biting into his chicken leg. 
							*set diplomacy +1
						#Nod and keep listening.
							"Anyway, I hear he took him on as a favor…"
							
							Before you can ask further questions, a noble starts talking to Herbert about the value of fragglerock, and he refuses to talk about anything else. 
							*page_break
							Sir Robert approaches the table and says, with a small hint of anger, "Excuse me…Sir Fragglesworth." Herbert turns. "That is Sir Fragglesworth the Third, Sir Robert."
							
							Sir Robert forces a smile. "Of course, where are my manners…Sir Fraggeslworth the Third." He looks at Herbert.
							
							Herbert nods, and Sir Robert continues. "Would you be so kind as to grace me with your presence for a few moments? I wish to discuss something with you."
							
							*fake_choice
								#"Of course, Sir Robert."
									Sir Robert forces a smile.
									*page_break
									*goto Sir_Robert
								#"Perhaps in a little while. I don't want to be rude to Herbert."
									Herbert waves his hand. "No, that's quite all right, Lord. Please go. We can finalize the shipments of fragglerock another time."
									
									You leave and walk over to the seat next to Sir Robert. He eyes you angrily. "If people didn't think you were a noble, I would smack you in the head right now."
									*fake_choice
										#Apologize.
											You apologize to Sir Robert and explain. After a few moments, Sir Robert chuckles. "I guess it is a bit funny."
										#"Does that mean I can smack you in the head?"
											Sir Robert elbows you hard in the gut. It's so quick that no one notices. "Why don't you try it and see what happens?"
											
											You grunt. "No…thank you."
											
											Sir Robert nods. "That's what I thought."
					*page_break
					*goto Sir_Robert
				#Ask Herbert about Sir Robert.
					"Best knight in the realm, if you ask me. Honorable, though his sarcasm and humor can be a bit off-putting."
				
					"How did he become a knight?" you ask. 
				
					Herbert stops eating his chicken and begins to rub his chin in contemplation. "From what I hear, he was close childhood friends with Lady Melinda, the King's sister. Well, she funded much of his training and even gave him his prize horse, Midnight. In a tournament, I forget which one…he asked the Lord there for a knighthood, and he was granted it. Ever since then, he's won almost every tournament he's ever competed in."
					
					Before you can ask further questions, a noble starts talking to Herbert about the value of fragglerock, and he refuses to talk about anything else. 
					*page_break
					Sir Robert approaches the table and says with a small hint of anger, "Excuse me…Sir Fragglesworth."

					Herbert turns. "That is Sir Fragglesworth the Third, Sir Robert."
					
					Sir Robert forces a smile. "Of course, where are my manners…Sir Fragglesworth the Third." He looks at Herbert.
					
					Herbert nods, and Sir Robert continues. "Would you be so kind as to grace me with your presence for a few moments? I wish to discuss something with you."
					
					*fake_choice
						#"Of course, Sir Robert."
							Sir Robert forces a smile.
							*page_break
							*goto Sir_Robert
						#"Perhaps in a little while; I don't want to be rude to Herbert."
							Herbert waves his hand. "No, that's quite all right, Lord. Please go. We can finalize the shipments of fragglerock another time."
							
							You leave and walk over to the seat next to Sir Robert. He eyes you angrily. "If people didn't think you were a noble, I would smack you in the head right now."
							*fake_choice
								#Apologize.
									You apologize to Sir Robert and explain. After a few moments, Sir Robert chuckles. "I guess it is a bit funny."
								#"Does that mean I can smack you in the head?"
									Sir Robert elbows you hard in the gut. It's so quick that no one notices. "Why don't you try it and see what happens?"
									
									You grunt. "No…thank you."
									
									Sir Robert nods. "That's what I thought."
							*page_break
							*goto Sir_Robert
				#Ask Herbert about Princess Hannah.
					"I know little about her personally. Just rumors. I hear she's a bit wild and rebellious, but the King is very fond of her. She's honest, brutally at times. I met her once. Some royalty try to make you feel inferior, but I remember when I met her, she had nothing but warmness toward me. It was almost as if she treated me as an equal. Rare to see such a trait in a princess."
					
					Before you can ask further questions, a noble starts talking to Herbert about the value of fragglerock, and he refuses to talk about anything else. 
					*page_break
					Sir Robert approaches the table and says with a small hint of anger, "Excuse me…Sir Fragglesworth."

					Herbert turns. "That is Sir Fragglesworth the Third, Sir Robert."
					
					Sir Robert forces a smile. "Of course, where are my manners…Sir Fragglesworth the Third." He looks at Herbert.
					
					Herbert nods, and Sir Robert continues. "Would you be so kind as to grace me with your presence for a few moments? I wish to discuss something with you."
					
					*fake_choice
						#"Of course, Sir Robert."
							Sir Robert forces a smile.
							*page_break
							*goto Sir_Robert
						#"Perhaps in a little while; I don't want to be rude to Herbert."
							Herbert waves his hand. "No, that's quite all right, Lord. Please go. We can finalize the shipments of fragglerock another time."
							
							You leave and walk over to the seat next to Sir Robert. He eyes you angrily. "If people didn't think you were a noble, I would smack you in the head right now."
							*fake_choice
								#Apologize.
									You apologize to Sir Robert and explain. After a few minutes, Sir Robert chuckles. "I guess it is a bit funny."
								#"Does that mean I can smack you in the head?"
									Sir Robert elbows you hard in the gut. It's so quick that no one notices. "Why don't you try it and see what happens?"
									
									You grunt. "No…thank you."
									
									Sir Robert nods. "That's what I thought."
							*page_break
							*goto Sir_Robert
	#Sit next to the Princess.
		You begin to walk over to the Princess, and several people watch you. Sir Robert jumps up and grabs you by the arm. "${name}, are you lost? You must have not seen me waving over there. Please…come sit next to me." He emphasizes the words 'please' and 'me.' 
		*page_break
		*goto feast3

*label Sir_Robert
You take a seat next to Sir Robert. He's already biting into a turkey leg when you get there. He glances over at you. "So, how did it go?"

You look back at him. "How did what go?"

He stretches his arm out. "The feast; what did you think?"
*fake_choice
	#"It's interesting."
		Sir Robert nods. "That's a polite way of putting it. In what way is it interesting?"
		
		You think for a moment about whether you should tell Sir Robert about what transpired between Princess Hannah and Sir Cuthvell; you decide it's best not to broach the topic in the open. Instead, you just tell him you didn't realize how much went on during a feast. 
		*page_break
	#"I find it to be rather boring."
		Sir Robert laughs. "Well, don't worry too much. Most of your time will be spent with me training and attending tournaments. This will probably be the last feast we have in a while, so you might as well enjoy it while you can."
		*page_break
Sir Robert talks a bit more until they bring out more wine, then he quickly focuses his attention on getting his cup filled. 
*page_break
*label question1
*choice
	*disable_reuse #Ask Sir Robert what he knows about Sir Cuthvell.
		"He's an ass…no, actually that's insulting to donkeys. He's more of a tick…annoying and draining."
		
		You nod. "What's his relationship with the King and Princess Hannah?"
		
		"He's the King's financial advisor. He owns most of the farmland that feeds the King's troops. He's also in the position to pay the troops, which is quite a powerful position. He seems to be on good terms with the King. As for Princess Hannah, he has no real relationship that I know of, except maybe he's always wanted his son to marry her." He gulps down the rest of his wine and asks the servant for another.  
		*page_break
		*goto question1
	*disable_reuse #Ask Sir Robert about Princess Hannah.
		"I think you know a lot about her already. She's pretty much an open book, honest and forthright."
		
		You hesitate for a moment, then ask another question. "Does she have any secrets?"
		
		Sir Robert looks at you dubiously. "That's a rather odd question, but honestly I don't know. She can be a bit wild, and she has been caught sneaking out a few times. Not your typical princess behavior, but doesn't everyone have secrets of some kind?"
		
		You ponder that for a while as you continue eating your food. 
		*page_break
		*goto question1
	*disable_reuse #Ask Sir Robert about the King.
		Sir Robert smiles. "Ah, King Darek. He's a good man. I think he enjoys hunting more than ruling, though. He's very much his father's son."
		
		"You knew his father?" you ask. 
		
		Sir Robert nods. "Yes, though I only met him briefly when I was a child. He was quite close with my father. For a King, he was rather unique; he was actually the person who first showed me how to handle a sword properly. He was an inspiration for me. Do you know how he became King?"
	
		You think for a moment. "Only what I read from the history books…apparently he was adopted?"
	
		"Sort of. He wasn't always royalty. He had no blood relation to the King, but he proved his loyalty, and the King granted him a small lordship of a castle somewhere in the swamplands. If I know my history correctly…I think somewhere near the border of Galmencia. Anyway, it was in terrible shape, and the fact that barbarians were constantly raiding its lands didn't help either. He ended up quelling those barbarian raids, though, and turned the castle around. It became the main trading hub between Galmencia and Magincia, and still is to this very day. I forget who lords over it now. Anyway, back on topic…I assume you're familiar with the Civil War? He took sides with the King and helped fight off the rebels. As a result, the King made him head of the army. He pursued the rebels and drove them out. It was both an exciting and dangerous time. I ended up fighting in several battles. Anyway, to make a long story short, an assassin tried to kill the King by shooting him, and he ended up taking an arrow for the King, which saved his life. After that little display, the King declared him heir to the throne, which is essentially the same thing as adopting him…I suppose."
		*fake_choice
			#"So…Hannah isn't actually of royal blood?"
				He looks at you. "I thought we were talking about her grandfather, but to answer your question…that's not completely true. She is royalty…at least, a quarter royalty, you could say. Her grandmother is royalty. They had King Darek and Melinda, then King Darek married a peasant woman, and Hannah was born. Besides, isn't it Kings and Queens who decide who's royal and who's not?"
				
			#"Did the King have any heirs?"
				"No official heirs…there were rumors of bastards. If you're wondering if it's a common thing for a King to make someone he has no blood relation to an heir, it isn't; but he is an unconventional King. For that matter, so is Darek; he often gives the man or woman who's most qualified positions in his court, and cares little for their noble background. I guess the only exception is Sir Cuthvell, and he was sort of strong-armed into his position, from what I heard. I guess as King he felt he needed to placate the nobles who, for some reason, were very adamant about Sir Cuthvell being financial advisor."

		Sir Robert yawns. "I hate talking about Kingdom politics. I find it so very boring."
		*page_break
		*goto question1
	#Remain quiet and eat my food.
		You eat the rest of your food in silence. 
		*page_break
		*goto feast_end
*label feast_end
The rest of the night is rather uneventful; after the third course, you and Sir Robert are so full you can barely get out of your seats. Along with Sir Robert, you say your goodbyes and walk out of the feast. 

Sir Robert takes you aside. "I need you well rested tomorrow. I plan to head out rather early…or at least, once I get over the hangover I'll more than likely have tomorrow. Be ready."

He leaves. You go to your quarters and fall asleep.
*page_break
The next morning, you rise and decide to check on Midnight. Princess Hannah is already there, feeding Midnight some carrots. She looks up at you and smiles. "Did you enjoy the feast?"

*fake_choice
	#"I had a great time."
		"At least that makes one of us," she replies. 
		*page_break
	#"I guess you could say it was interesting…"
		"That's putting it mildly," she replies. 
		*page_break
	
*if not_hidden > 0
	"Thank you for helping me with Sir Cuthvell; the man is vile. I have no idea why my father appointed him his financial advisor. He was probably pressured into it somehow." 
*if not_hidden = 0
	You think for several seconds, then decide to broach a sensitive topic. "I overheard your conversation with Sir Cuthvell in the courtyard garden."

	Princess Hannah's eyes widen. "You were spying on me?"
	
	"No," you reply. "I just happened to be there, heard some arguing, and decided to see what it was all about."
	
	"Sounds a lot like spying to me," she retorts.

She sighs. "I went out there to find some peace and quiet from the festival, and he took that opportunity to bother me. How much did you hear?"

"Quite a bit…what exactly did he mean by your little secret?"

Princess Hannah laughs. "You're quite bold, aren't you? I don't know. Perhaps he was bluffing, trying to get me off base. If he does know some secret, it's probably not what he thinks." 

*fake_choice
	#"Like what?"
	#Remain silent.

Princess Hannah sighs. "I think he saw me sneaking into a tavern one night. He probably thinks I was up to no good. What he doesn't know is I know the tavern owner, and that's where I keep my extra set of clothes when I want to change into my peasant clothing. The tavern owner's son is quite nice; he always opens the back door for me so I can get in and out unseen. Sir Cuthvell happened to be having a conversation with another lord back there one night. Even though I was wearing a robe, I think he might have recognized me." 

You nod. "I need to prepare Midnight for travel. Sir Robert wants to head out today."

Princess Hannah frowns. "Leaving so soon? Very well, but Sir Robert isn't here. He's at the castle talking to Aunt Melinda. She requested his presence this morning." Hannah helps you put the saddle and reins on Midnight. You continue talking for several more minutes.

Varys walks in sometime later. He nods at Hannah, assuming she's a servant, and immediately starts talking to you. "Well, if it isn't ${name}! How are you, my Lord? Did you enjoy the feast?" He makes an exaggerated bow in your direction. 
*fake_choice
	#"It was great. Best food I've ever tasted."
	#"It was all right."
	#"It was a bit boring, actually."
He laughs. "Did you meet the Princess? Woo her with your charming ways?"

You aren't sure how to respond. "Well, umm…"

Varys doesn't let up. "Is she cute? I hear she's cute…is that true, or is she fat and ugly? I saw the Governor's daughter once; she's nice, but plain. Personally, I like a girl with some nice…" He makes a somewhat obscene gesture, then sighs. "I wish I could have gone—for the food, that is. I could smell the food from my window. It smelled delicious." 

Hannah says, "I don't think we've been formerly introduced. My name is Hannah."

Varys replies, still not recognizing her, "Nice to meet you. My name is Varys.
*if job  = 1
	I'm in charge of the stables here…whole operation would fall apart without me."
	*fake_choice
		#"You clean up after Midnight."
			Varys frowns. "Well…yeah, but I do a lot more than that." He gives you a stern look not to say anything else. 
		#Remain quiet.
			You remain quiet and allow Varys to exaggerate his duties. 
	*page_break
*if job = 2
	I'm the watchman here; seen anything suspicious, like bandits or anything? If you do, let me know and I'll take care of it." He makes a swiping motion with an imaginary sword.
	*fake_choice
		#"Actually, you're more of an overpaid scarecrow tasked to scare away birds getting into the wheat stores."
			Varys frowns. "Well…yeah, but I do a lot more than that." He gives you a stern look not to say anything else. 
		#Remain quiet.
			You remain quiet and allow Varys to exaggerate his duties. 
		
Princess Hannah nods. "Well, it sounds like an important position to me." 

Varys nods back. "Why, thank you. Do you play darts?"

Hannah responds, "I play occasionally, when I'm not needed in court." 

"Oh, you work in court? Do you know the Princess?"

Hannah grins. "Quite well." 

You try to interject, but Hannah raises her hand for you not to interrupt the conversation. Varys pulls out a few darts from his pocket. "Care for a game? I always carry a few darts with me just in case I have the time."

Hannah nods. "I don't see why not."

Varys looks over at Hannah. "Do you need me to show you how to throw them?"

"Actually, I'm quite good at observing; could you go first?"

Varys draws a crude dartboard on the side of the wall with some chalk. Then he stands back at an appropriate distance and throws three darts in a row. The first two hit the outer circle, and the third comes very close to a bullseye.

Hannah walks over and picks up the darts. She throws the first one, and it completely misses. Varys chuckles. She throws a second one, and it actually hits within the outer circle. Varys claps. She throws a third shot, and it hits the border of the inner circle, not close to the bullseye though.

Varys goes over and picks up the darts. "You're not a bad shot. Maybe I could help you with your technique sometime."
*comment endif

Hannah yawns. "I don't know, I find fencing to be much more entertaining."

Varys frowns. "Fencing? But you're a woman!"

Hannah puts her hands on her hips. "And?"

Varys says, "Well it's…it's just improper." He looks over at you. "Don't you agree, ${name}?"

You put your hands up. "Oh, I'm not getting into this argument. You're on your own here." 

Hannah picks up two sticks and hands one to Varys. "Want to do a quick match?"

Varys laughs. "I wouldn't want to hurt you."

Hannah looks around. "Oh, afraid you'll get your ass kicked, I understand."

Varys gets a little angry at that. "Okay, let's go…first to get three clean hits wins."

Hannah nods. Varys takes off his jacket and gets ready. 

You walk over to him. "Are you sure about this? It's not the first time you'll have your ass handed to you by a woman." 

He laughs. "That was a fluke. I could have easily won that darts competition. I was just tired from the team melee you forced me into."

You sigh. "From what I remember, you didn't fare that well when it came to hand-to-hand combat."
*if Abilene > 0
	You whisper, "Remember Abi at the tournament? I bet she could have kicked your ass with her short sword." 

Varys rolls his eyes. "If you're worried I'm going to hurt this girl, I'll go easy on her, okay?"
*fake_choice
	#"That would be best."
	#"That isn't what I'm worried about."

Varys goes up to Hannah. "Are you ready? Still time to back out if you want."

Hannah grins. "Oh, I'm ready."

Varys doesn't even bother to take the defensive stance Sir Robert taught you; instead, he charges forward and swings. Hannah ducks underneath his blow, then grabs his sword hand with her off hand and starts hitting him repeatedly in the face with the stick. She jumps back before he can react. Varys gets into a defensive stance this time. Hannah puts her off hand behind her. He moves forward, slashing with his stick. As Hannah parries or dodges all of his attacks, he grows frustrated and does an overhead strike with the stick. She sidesteps, tripping him slightly, then stabs him in the back with her stick. 

"That's two points for me, and none for you," quips Hannah. 

Varys gets up, having fallen after his attempted strike. He notices the wooden stick he held is now broken. Hannah notices as well, drops hers, throws him a shepherd's crook, and grabs one of her own. 
*fake_choice
	#Intercede.
		"Hey guys, how about we just call it…" Both Varys and Hannah glare at you simultaneously. You put your hands up and shrug. 

	#Don't intercede.
		You decide not to intercede.


Varys charges forward using the shepherd's crook as a spear. Hannah dodges it, but it makes a small tear in her clothing. She isn't wearing the best outfit for fighting. Varys continues to stab and push forward. Hannah holds the shepherd's crook like a longsword, blocking each of his blows. Varys continues to use the range of the crook to press her backwards. He stabs suddenly, and rather than jumping back, Hannah parries it and jumps forward, lowering her hand halfway down the shepherd's crook. When she gets close to Varys, she pokes him in the chest with it. Varys frowns as he recognizes the move. 

"I win," announces Hannah. 

Varys looks puzzled. "That move you just did, it looked a lot like something Sir Robert taught ${name} and I."

Hannah grins. "Should be; he's the one that taught it to me." 

Varys looks completely confused. "I thought you said you worked in the court or something like that?"

Before Varys can enquire further, Sir Robert walks in, clapping his hands, "Excellent move, Hannah. I was afraid that you'd forgotten our little fencing lessons."

Hannah smiles. "Of course not, I still practice here and there when Father isn't watching."

Sir Robert nods, then frowns when he sees the tear in Hannah's clothing. "How much is that outfit you're wearing?" 
*comment endif

Hannah shrugs. "Oh, I don't know, fifty, maybe a hundred Gold Pieces?" Before Sir Robert can say anything, Hannah raises her hand. "Don't worry, I have dozens. I can easily get a tailor to mend it, too." Sir Robert nods. 

"Have a fun conversation with my aunt?" Sir Robert rubs his chin. "I guess you could say it was productive. She wasn't too happy to hear I would be attending tournaments for the next three months."

"Did you see my cousin Robin?" asks Hannah.

Sir Robert nods. "Yes, he's grown up quite a bit since I last saw him." 
*comment endif

Varys interrupts the conversation. "Umm…can someone fill me in here?" 

"Gladly," you say. "That girl you've been sparring with is Princess Hannah." 

Varys looks shocked and immediately gets on his knees. Hannah rolls her eyes.

"Get up, Varys," says Sir Robert. "The Princess doesn't like people prostrating themselves in front of her. You didn't do anything wrong…and I'm sure she started it." Sir Robert gives her a stern look. Hannah smiles back innocently. Sir Robert orders you and Varys to go outside, as he needs to have a few private words with the Princess. The Princess gives you a wink and waves goodbye.

As you and Varys leave, you hear Hannah say, "If you ever want a rematch, you know where to find me!"

Varys is still in shock. "You should have…you should have told me she's royalty." 

"I tried," you reply. 

"If I'd struck her…do you think they would have chopped off my head?"

"Probably," you reply, trying to maintain a straight face. "Either that, or taken off a few fingers at the very least."

Varys looks worried. You start to laugh. 

"What's so funny?" he mutters.

"You have nothing to worry about," you reply. 

Sir Robert emerges. "I have a few duties I need to take care of. Will you two try your best to stay out of trouble?"
*fake_choice
	#Say innocently, "Who, us?"
		Sir Robert rolls his eyes. "There are only so many things a knight can get his squire out of, so try your best to behave. The Capital has some rather strict laws…I wouldn't have much use for a one-armed squire." He walks away before you can respond.
		*page_break
	#Nod.
		Sir Robert walks away. 
		*page_break

Varys stretches out his arms and asks, "So what do you want to do? The Capital is a big place, so I'm sure we can find plenty of stuff to do to entertain ourselves."

*label explore
What do you say?
*choice
	#"Let's explore the city."
	
		Varys grins. "Finally! Something fun."
		
		You hear a voice from behind you. "Mind if I tag along?"
		
		You both see a woman in a robe staying close to the shadows. You and Varys look at each other, confused, until she comes closer and takes off the hood. 
		
		"Princess Hannah?" you ask.
		
		Hannah smiles. "Yes?"
		
		"You want to come with us?"
		
		She winks. "Well, seeing how neither of you have been here, and I rarely get to travel with a group, I figured I could tag along and be your guide."
		
		You look over at Varys. Varys shakes his head.
		*choice
			#"Sure. You're more than welcome to join us."
				Hannah smiles. "This way, boys. There's a place I've been meaning to visit, but going there alone would draw too many questions." She leaves, expecting the two of you to follow.
				
				Varys raises his hands. "I'm going to stay here…"
				
				You shrug. "Suit yourself." You walk away with Princess Hannah. 
				*set score +1
				*page_break
				You end up in a tavern. It's not a fancy one, either. 
				
				Hannah smiles. "I hear this bar has the best honey beer in the entire Capital. I've been dying to try some, but it isn't the type of spot where one should travel by themselves." 
				*fake_choice
					#"Princess Hannah, are you sure this is the safest spot to be?"
						She looks at you. "Please, call me Hannah, and don't worry. I have a squire to protect me, don't I?" She smiles and orders two drinks.

						She's right; it's the most delicious beer you've ever tasted. Princess Hannah asks if you like the taste.
					#"Sounds good to me, Princess."
						"Call me Hannah." She smiles and orders two drinks.

						She's right; it's the most delicious beer you've ever tasted. Princess Hannah asks if you like the taste.
				*fake_choice
					#"Yes…Princess Hannah."
						"What did I just say?" she sighs. "So much formality; just be careful in saying that too loud around here." 
					#"Yes…Hannah."
						"That's more like it! Now let's drink a few more." You both order the honey beer again, and it's even better the second time.

				You and Hannah spend a long time talking. She asks you a lot of questions, which you find rather amusing since they seem rather basic, but you guess since she's a princess, she doesn't have much time to find out the latest gossip and news that happens outside of the Capital. 
				
				You ask her a few questions, too. For example, one of the questions you ask is…
				*fake_choice
					#"How do you like being the Princess?"
						She thinks for moment and gives a half-smile. "Well, it definitely has its perks…but at the same time, I'm pretty much stuck in the castle most of the day. When I do get out, it's mostly for official events like feasts or tournaments. Father usually sends me as the person to greet nobles and other royalty who visit the castle. It can be a bit boring, but also exciting."
					
						She thinks further on the question, then starts telling you stories about some of the more interesting diplomats and dignitaries she's met from faraway lands. You both laugh when she tells you a story about some of the strange customs a few of them have, including the traditional greeting for Navras, which is to put your palms together with the other person and hum for ten seconds.
					
					#"How much Kingdom politics are going on behind the scenes?"
						"Ugh," she proclaims. "Too much, if you ask me. Almost everything is political in nature. A meeting, a dinner, an event; almost all of them are to advance some cause or to engage in secret diplomacy. Even my birthdays are used as political events, for nobles to come together to discuss various things. It can be quite draining."
					
						She goes into further detail about who some of the worst schemers and politically minded people in the Kingdom are. Sir Cuthvell's name comes up several times. 
					#"How's your relationship with your family?"
						At first, she seems a little surprised at your question, but then she relaxes. "I guess we're not your typical family. I hardly ever get to see my father. He's mostly surrounded by his advisors. Occasionally, I go to court and watch him listen to the people who come to ask for his help to settle disputes in the land. I spend a lot of time with my aunt and taking care of my cousin, Robin."
				*page_break
				You talk for hours until you walk outside and realize it's almost nighttime. 
				
				You say, "Well, I guess I better head back. Sir Robert is probably wondering where I am."
				
				She cocks her head. "Leaving already? The sun is just setting. Surely you can spend a few more hours exploring the city?"
				*choice
					#"Sure."
						You walk through the markets. Hannah enquires about a few trinkets. She has her eye on a necklace, and she haggles with the old lady selling it until she gets her down to half of what she was originally selling it for. 
						
						You look at her with surprise. "Why not just pay full price…it's not like you can't afford it."
						
						She quips back, "Haggling is commonplace here. In fact, it would be more suspicious if I didn't do it…and I'm pretty good at it. Besides, just because I can afford something expensive doesn't mean I should pay double its value."
						
						She laughs, and you both walk up a hill, where she tells you she often goes to look up at the stars. She lies down and stares at them, telling you the names of various constellations. She points out the North Star to you.
						
						You lie down next to her, forgetting all about the fact that she's a princess. You start talking about life and things that you would discuss with any normal person. You make a joke, and Hannah pushes you and laughs. Once, and only for a moment, your hands touch. You both blush and look away. 
						
						Around midnight, you both decide that it would be best to head back to the castle. 
						
						It's time to say your goodbyes. 
						*set love_hannah +1
						*choice
							#"Good night, Princess Hannah."
								She smirks and says, "Good night, Squire ${name}. I had a lot of fun." You both go your separate ways. 
								
								When you arrive back at the stables, you find that Sir Robert has still not arrived back from the castle. You decide to go to bed.
								*page_break
								*finish
							#"Good night, Hannah."
								She smiles. "Good night, ${name}, I had a lot of fun. Promise we'll try to do it again sometime?"
								
								You nod. "If I'm able to."
								
								She's getting ready to leave when she suddenly stops, her back to you. 
								
								"Everything all right?" you ask, slightly concerned. You move a little closer to see if something's wrong. 
								
								She turns and kisses you. 
								
								Before you can say anything, she disappears into the night.
								*set wisdom +1
								*set love_hannah +1
								*page_break
								Walking back, you're in a bit of a haze. When you arrive at the stables, you notice that Sir Robert still hasn't arrived back from the castle. You go to bed. You aren't sure if you can fall asleep, but as soon as you lie down, sleep follows. The next thing you recall is waking up to the sunlight shining on your face. 
								*page_break
								*finish
					#"No, I really must be going."
						She nods, and you escort her back to the castle. When you arrive, you head straight to bed. It appears Sir Robert has not returned from the castle yet. 
						*finish
			#"I think it would be best if we escorted you back to the castle."
				Hannah frowns. "Screw that. I'll just go out by myself." She leaves before you can say another word.

				Varys sighs with relief. "Okay, let's go have some fun." 
				
				You both agree to head to the closest pub. You drink various beers until you both have trouble standing up straight. You return to your room later that night and pass out on the bed, completely drunk. 
				*page_break
				*finish
	*disable_reuse #"Let's follow Sir Robert."
		Varys frowns. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"
		
		"I'm curious about what he's up to," you reply.
		
		Varys shrugs. "Sounds like a bad idea to me, but let's go."
		
		You follow Sir Robert. He walks down the street at a normal pace, then stops as if he's waiting for someone. He suddenly looks over at an alley and walks into it. 
		
		You stay back to avoid being spotted, but start running as you don't want to lose him in the alleyway. As you turn the corner to enter the alley, you run straight into Sir Robert with his sword pointed at your throat. You yell and duck, avoiding the sharp point of the sword.
		
		Sir Robert looks surprised to see you. "You're lucky I didn't cut your throat. I had a feeling I was being followed, but I didn't expect it to be you." You look behind you. Varys seems to have disappeared after hearing Sir Robert talking to you.
		
		He sheathes his sword. "What are you doing?"
		*choice
			#Tell the truth.
				"I was curious about what you were up to. As your squire, I thought I should be included, and perhaps…I could help in some capacity." You state every reason you can think of.
				
				Sir Robert listens to your words, then thinks for several moments…
				*rand die_roll 1 20
				*set die_roll +luck 
				*set die_roll +diplomacy
				*if diplomacy > 2
					*set die_roll +5
				*page_break
				*if die_roll > 9
					Sir Robert sighs. "Fine. I guess I could use someone watching my back during the meeting."
					
					"Meeting?" you ask.
					
					Sir Robert nods. "Apparently, some nobles want to meet at the local tavern here. Not quite sure what it's about, but I was invited to attend. Go in first and try to overhear any conversations between any rich-looking people. When I walk in, pretend you don't know me. After the meeting, follow one of the nobles, then meet me back at the stables. Understood?"
					
					You nod. 
					*set diplomacy +1
					*set wisdom +1
					*achieve meeting
					*page_break
					You walk into the tavern. It isn't the fanciest of places, so an odd meeting place for nobles. You look around but don't see anyone in noble garb. 
					
					*if wisdom > 1
						You look closely; even though everyone is dressed in normal peasant clothing, there are a few individuals that don't have any dirt on them. You also notice one wearing a rather ostentatious gold ring on his finger. You move up slowly to see if you can overhear anything.
						
						You hear a young noble talking to an older noble with a beard. 
						
						"Think he'll show?" says the younger noble.
						
						"If I know Sir Robert well, which I think I do, he'll show."
						
						"I think it's a mistake bringing him here," complains the younger noble.
						
						The older noble looks over. "Perhaps it was a mistake bringing you here? Sir Robert is a respected knight. I would like to hear his opinion on the matter."
						
						The younger noble sighs. 
					
					You see Sir Robert walk in and get escorted to a table with three other people. At the head of the table is an older noble with a gray beard. To the right of him is a middle-aged man with a finely maintained mustache. Next to him is a young noble; you have to squint hard to notice the goatee he's trying to grow.  
					
					The older noble stands up and says, "Sir Robert. Glad you could join us." 
					
					Sir Robert gives a half-smile. "That remains to be seen." He shakes the hands of the other nobles and whispers some kind of joke to the middle-aged man, who laughs loudly. "So why did you gather us all here, Garrett? I thought you were done with scheming over tavern tables. Getting bored in your old age?"
					
					Garrett shakes his head. "No scheming here, Robert, just talking."
					
					"Okay, then…what are we talking about?" asks Sir Robert.
					
					"The Kingdom's future," Garrett says seriously.
					
					"Wow, that's quite a big topic. I think I'm going to need a beer first." Sir Robert waves one of the barmaids over. 
					
					The middle-aged man interjects. "This is serious, Sir Robert. I'm sure you're aware of the King's health?"
					
					"I'm not his physician, but last I heard, it's just a bad cough." Sir Robert continues to try and get the attention of the barmaid.
					
					The middle-aged man frowns. "Bad coughs don't usually last for weeks or result in blood."
					
					The older gentleman says, "That's just speculation, some rumors from servants who tend to the King. We don't know for sure it's true."
					
					The middle-aged man nods. "That's true; however, you must admit the King spends the majority of his time in his room. It's not his usual behavior."
					
					"He was at the feast," notes Sir Robert. 
					
					The older man nods, then says, "But only for a brief appearance. In fact, I don't remember him engaging in conversation with anyone besides his daughter."
					
					Sir Robert swipes his hand in the air. "Okay, okay, let's cut through all this bullshit and get straight to the point. Why am I here?"
					
					The three men look at each other, and then the older man says, "We're worried about the future of the realm. If the King were to…die…it would leave quite a large power vacuum. We think it's time that the King either declares an heir or perhaps marries his daughter to another nobleman's son."
					
					Sir Robert chuckles. "It's true Princess Hannah is getting close to the age of marriage, but I think she's still too young." He chuckles again. "Besides, she's quite strong-willed; even if the King told her to marry, it doesn't mean she would." He smiles. "I remember once, when she was a kid, her aunt told her she couldn't leave the table until she ate all her vegetables. She ended up sitting there half the night until Melinda relented and told her to go to her room."
					
					The middle-aged man interjects. "Okay, then perhaps he should name a successor, an heir, or a council of nobles…something."
					
					The older man nods. "Exactly, and I think it's our duty as lords to help the King come to that decision."
					
					Sir Robert snorts. "Your duty as lords is to follow the King and do what he commands."
					
					The younger Lord finally says, "And if the King proclaimed the Royal Rooster as his heir?"
					
					"I would stop eating eggs immediately," jokes Sir Robert. 
					
					The younger Lord continues. "All I'm saying is the King hasn't been in the best state of mind. Perhaps he needs our advice…"
					
					Sir Robert frowns. "If the King were acting strangely, I would know. As far as I'm concerned, he's in a perfect state of mind."
					
					The middle-aged man says, "I suppose Melinda would tell you if that was the case?"
					
					Sir Robert stares at the man sternly. "Yes, I suppose she would." He sighs. "This is why I hate politics. I tell you to get to the point, and you continue to drag on…and on. Why don't you just say what you're thinking? Who do you think the King should proclaim as his heir?"
					
					None of the men speak right away, until finally the older Lord says the name "Sir Babot."
					
					Sir Robert laughs. "Sir Babot? What is he now, a hundred years old?"
					
					The older Lord looks particularly angry at that comment. "With age comes wisdom. He's not that old. He's also a highly respected general. He would be a strong leader, which we need right now with the constant threat of raids from the barbarians of Galmencia and talk of rebellion in the Northern Province."
					
					Sir Robert smirks. "He also happens to be your cousin, but I'm sure that has nothing to do it."
					
					The younger noble says, "What about Baron Nogonst, Lord Harron, or even…Sir Cuthvell?"
					
					Sir Robert winces when he says the last name. "I would prefer the Royal Rooster over him."
					
					The middle-aged man holds up his hand. "Everyone relax. No need to rehash old rivalries here. All we're asking, Sir Robert, is that you broach the subject to the King directly, or perhaps indirectly by mentioning it to one of his family members. We know how close you are to the royal family, being a former guard and all."
					
					Sir Robert's anger subsides. "Fine, but I make no promises."
					
					The older man nods. "It's all we ask."
					
					The four men say their goodbyes and go their separate ways.
					
					Who should you follow?
					*choice
						#The older Lord who led the meeting.
							You follow the older Lord. He goes straight to a large manor, which you assume is his house. You climb a tree to see if you can get a look through his window. You see him reading, then slowly fall asleep in his chair. You leave soon after.
							
							You return to the stables and report what you've seen to Sir Robert. He just nods, then tells you not to tell anyone what you heard and leaves again, saying he needs to go to the castle.
							
							You spot Varys some minutes later at the stables. He gives you a sheepish grin. You punch him in the shoulder. He yelps in response. "Can you blame me? No point in both of us getting caught."
							*page_break
							*goto explore
						#The middle-aged Lord who seems friendly with Sir Robert.
							The middle-aged Lord goes to another tavern and has a couple of drinks. Then he plays a few drinking games, until he gets so drunk that he passes out and his servants have to take him home. You leave soon after.
							
							You return to the stables and report what you've seen to Sir Robert. He just nods, then tells you not to tell anyone what you heard and leaves again, saying he needs to go to the castle.
							
							You spot Varys some minutes later at the stables. He gives you a sheepish grin. You punch him in the shoulder. He yelps in response. "Can you blame me? No point in both of us getting caught."
							*page_break
							*goto explore
						#The younger Lord who mostly remained quiet.
							The younger Lord moves with such haste that you have trouble keeping up. You don't want him to see you following, regardless of the fact that he probably has no idea who you are. He walks for what seems like miles, until finally he arrives at a small house. He knocks.
							
							The door is opened, and you recognize the man that peeks his head out. It is Sir Cuthvell. The young Lord starts telling Sir Cuthvell everything that occurred, when Sir Cuthvell quickly raises his hand. "Not out here, please. Come inside." 
							
							You aren't able to hear anything more, so you decide to return to the stables. 
							*set important_meeting 1
							*set wisdom +1
							*set score +1
							*achieve sherlock
							
							You meet Sir Robert at the stables and tells him what you've seen. Sir Robert looks angry. "That little worm. I had a feeling he was working with Sir Cuthvell."
							
							Sir Robert paces for a few moments, then tells you he has to go to the castle to speak to Melinda. He leaves in a hurry. 
							
							You spot Varys some minutes later at the stables. He gives you a sheepish grin. You punch him in the shoulder, and he yelps in response. "Can you blame me? No point in both of us getting caught."
							*page_break
							*goto explore
					
				Apparently, your argument isn't very convincing. Sir Robert shakes his head. "I appreciate the honesty, but the best thing you could do is go back to the stables and watch Midnight."
				
				He waits until you're far away, then he continues where he's going. 
				
				You spot Varys some minutes later at the stables. He gives you a sheepish grin. You punch him in the shoulder, and he yelps in response. "Can you blame me? No point in both of us getting caught."
				*page_break
				*goto explore
					
			#Deny I was following him.
				Sir Robert frowns. "I don't believe you. I purposely took a very complicated route to get to this tavern. You were clearly following me."
				
				You sigh. "I was curious about what you were up to. As your squire, I thought I should be included, and that perhaps…I could help in some capacity."
				
				Sir Robert shakes his head. "The best thing you could do is go back to the stables and watch Midnight."
				
				He waits until you're far away, then he continues where he's going. 
				
				You spot Varys some minutes later at the stables. He gives you a sheepish grin. You punch him in the shoulder, and he yelps in response. "Can you blame me? No point in both of us getting caught."
				*page_break
				*goto explore
		
	#"Let's stay here."
		Varys frowns. "Come on, ${name}, that sounds so boring."
		
		"You heard Sir Robert. We need to stay out of trouble. We can spar or something, I don't know."
		
		Varys reluctantly says, "Fine."
		
		You spend the rest of the day sparring.
		*page_break
		*finish