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You wake up in an unknown region.
...
Your sight is filled with the desolate landscape you find yourself in, and you can't help but wonder how you got here.
<img src="https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2014/03/05/21/12/desert-279862__480.jpg" alt="Wasteland" height=1080 width=920>
Will you fight for your life or will you perish to the wasteland?
[[Continue.]]
[[End your journey.]]
You decided not to let this disgusting sight be the last. You rise, and continue, forcing yourself to continue one step after another.
...
After a while of walking, you finally see buildings, albeit not very well-maintained.
<img src="https://t3.ftcdn.net/jpg/02/69/04/68/360_F_269046835_NvSW6fUHd3aSfiZ5uCDS5Kk263JDjvGw.jpg" alt="Ruins." height=1080 width=920>
Should you enter them?
[[Yes. Enter and explore.]]
[[No. I'd rather not.]]
You decided not to strive for life, and let yourself be conquered by the ravaging sunlight.
<img src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMmYwNjlhOGQtNWQ1YS00YTU0LWJkZmYtMTdlZjVmNWY4MGJjXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyOTk5OTU0MTc@._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.jpg" alt="The end.">Although you knew that the exploration of any of these buildings might lead you to overexerting yourself, you realized that this might be your only chance to survive.
...
Inside the first building there is no light. You can barely see a foot ahead of you. Cautiously, you walk forward, attempting to scout the area using your senses.
...
While you're shuffling, you accidentally kick an unknown object. After panicking for a short bit, you eventually realize that this object is inanimate.
Should you pick it up?
[[Yes. Let's see what it is.]]
[[No. Who wants a piece of trash to carry around anyways?]]You continue walking and ignore the building. Eventually, it fades from your sight, and once more, you are stuck in the wasteland.
It becomes clear that it was a mistake to not enter the building. Your vision begins to fade, a clear symptom of your exhaustion.
You begin to slow, your vision becomes blurry and fades to black.
[[You perished.]]Your exhaustion led you to your demise.
<img src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMmYwNjlhOGQtNWQ1YS00YTU0LWJkZmYtMTdlZjVmNWY4MGJjXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyOTk5OTU0MTc@._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.jpg" alt="The end.">You decided to pick up the object, stashing it away in your back pocket. Since there is no light in this building, you exit in order to see what it is.
...
You take a good look at the object, and realize that there are missing rings, and potentially a missing tailpiece cover. You have no idea where to find them, but you figure that it would probably be found in the area.
<img src="https://ecbrown.org/asm/promotions/josue/strange%20thing-2.png" alt="Mysterious object" height=720 width=1440>
<strong>Your new objective is to find the missing rings and fix the Mysterious Object.</strong>
You eventually realized that you had been walking around the interior of the building with no further findings.
You exited the building, and are faced with two choices.
<img src="https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/acb5cb15-636b-4bd5-a06e-a62420c5fb7f/db7tnh6-aaa03178-922e-4ecc-9d85-146b35dbb93a.png?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7InBhdGgiOiJcL2ZcL2FjYjVjYjE1LTYzNmItNGJkNS1hMDZlLWE2MjQyMGM1ZmI3ZlwvZGI3dG5oNi1hYWEwMzE3OC05MjJlLTRlY2MtOWQ4NS0xNDZiMzVkYmI5M2EucG5nIn1dXSwiYXVkIjpbInVybjpzZXJ2aWNlOmZpbGUuZG93bmxvYWQiXX0.dG_SrwRWr29L8OGSmjnaKkC1DQV9t2_eWjsc-fLmack" alt="Choices" height=1080 width=1200>
Go left or go right?
<strong>Warning: You are only able to enter one, unless you choose the correct path.</strong>
[[Go left.]]
[[Go right.]]
You disregarded the object and continued walking.
...
You eventually realized that you had been walking around the interior of the building with no further findings.
You exited the building, and are faced with two choices.
<img src="https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/acb5cb15-636b-4bd5-a06e-a62420c5fb7f/db7tnh6-aaa03178-922e-4ecc-9d85-146b35dbb93a.png?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7InBhdGgiOiJcL2ZcL2FjYjVjYjE1LTYzNmItNGJkNS1hMDZlLWE2MjQyMGM1ZmI3ZlwvZGI3dG5oNi1hYWEwMzE3OC05MjJlLTRlY2MtOWQ4NS0xNDZiMzVkYmI5M2EucG5nIn1dXSwiYXVkIjpbInVybjpzZXJ2aWNlOmZpbGUuZG93bmxvYWQiXX0.dG_SrwRWr29L8OGSmjnaKkC1DQV9t2_eWjsc-fLmack" alt="Choices" height=1080 width=920>
Go left or go right?
[[Go left.]]
[[Go right.]]You decided to visit the left building
...
Entering the left building immediately gives you a sense of paranoia. Walking forward, you begin to hear a quiet (...sniffing?) noise emanating from what you believe is the furthest corner from you.
However, seeing that you are already risking your life regardless, you continue exploring the room, attempting to gain any sort of information as to what occurred in this world.
...
...
...
You accidentally trip over a box like object, jamming your right toe as you fall. This movement echos loudly, and upon the sound of a growl coming from the corner you were originally suspicious of, you realize that this might be a fatal mistake.
What do you do?
[[Fight. I won't just let an animal cause my death.]]
[[Run! Who would want to die at the hands (paws?) of a rabies-infected animal?]]You decided to leave the left building alone, and instead, you head for the right building.
...
As you enter, the familiar darkness once again envelops your vision, making you rely on your senses once again.
After listening for a moment, you finally think it is safe enough to continue.
...
While you are slowly making your way across the interior, you kick a metallic sounding object.
You think that it would probably be another ring, but realize it is just a piece of junk metal laying around. What a disappointment.
Nonetheless, you continue your search.
...
After searching for a while more, you find another ring!
<strong>You picked up a golden ring piece!</strong>
Figuring that it you probably searched the entire area, you exit the building.
[[Leave.]]You decided to run away. As you begin to wind up your run, you realize that the pain from your jammed toe never faded away.
...
On your first step, a searing pain runs up your legs, causing you to stumble.
As adrenaline helps you to continue fighting for your life, you barely recognize a muzzle wrap around your leg. Consequently, your leg bones are crushed to shards as the animal bites down.
...
...
...
[[You were mauled to death by a wild animal.]]<img src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMmYwNjlhOGQtNWQ1YS00YTU0LWJkZmYtMTdlZjVmNWY4MGJjXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyOTk5OTU0MTc@._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.jpg" alt="The end.">You decided to fight back.
...
As you attempt to get an advantage for yourself you realize that the pain from your jammed toe never faded. This doesn't impede you, however, as you make your slowly make your way to the entrance of the building. The animal has yet to strike, but by the light slowly illuminating it, you realize that it's currently photophobic, a common symptom of rabies.
Using this to your advantage, you decide that fighting would probably not end well against a rabies-infected animal. You flee the building, leaving the animal by itself.
On your way out, you see a glinting figure!
<strong>You picked up a golden ring piece!</strong>
...
...
...
You continue walking, finding yourself back to the small crossroads that you were at before.
[[I'm going to the right building.]]After the interaction with the animal, you decided to visit the other building.
...
The familiar darkness once again envelops your vision, making you rely on your senses once again.
After listening for a moment, you finally think it is safe enough to continue.
...
While you are slowly making your way across the interior, you kick a metallic sounding object.
You think that it would probably be another ring, but realize it is just a piece of junk metal laying around. What a disappointment.
Nonetheless, you continue your search.
...
After searching for a while more, you find another ring!
<strong>You picked up a golden ring piece!</strong>
Figuring that it you probably searched the entire area, you exit the building.
[[Leave.]]You explored the building ruins. Seeing that there probably wouldn't be any hope in staying here, you pick up a rod of metal to use as a walking cane.
Seeing that it is almost night at this point, you continue your journey to (hopefully) make your way to civilization, if it even exists at that point.
<img src="https://media.istockphoto.com/videos/wasteland-at-night-natural-abstract-background-video-id487253398?s=640x640" alt="Wasteland at night" height=720 width=1220>
And so, you continue your journey.
[[Continue forward.]]The night presents itself as a challenge.
...
On your way forward, you forgot that nights in these types of biomes reach winter-type temperatures. In an attempt to maintain your warmth, you grab any type of burnable material along with a few rocks, and aim to make a campfire.
How should you make the campfire?
[[Use my intelligence. I think I remember something about how to make a fire.]]
[[Use my strength. If I hit these rocks together hard enough it'll spark.]]You attempt to use your limited knowledge in survival to help make a campfire. Unfortunately, you forgot that you needed to hit the rocks together. Instead, you smash your hand with a rock.
...
...
...
Several days later, your hand's infection reached an unsurvivable peak.
[[You died.]]You decided that your strength would probably be a plus here. You hit the rocks together, and after seeing that it sparked well, you got it closer to the shredded pieces of grass, and soon enough, the first flames appeared.
<img src="https://media.istockphoto.com/photos/campsite-in-sahara-morocco-picture-id980240604?k=20&m=980240604&s=612x612&w=0&h=7Jfri9qQu693T5bwbkmiSJuwd8_OizwHQXMyetezR9o=" alt="Campfire" height=720 width=1440>
...
Now that you have a fairly consistent source of heat, your exhaustion, hunger, and thirst finally hit you with full force.
Seeing that you are definitely nowhere near water, you decide that your necessities could probably be held off for another day or two, if you really believed it could.
On the other hand, you could potentially search for food and a dried-up riverbed.
Should you bear the desert's environment or search for materials and water?
[[Stay. I might be able to survive longer if I manage to survive this night.]]
[[Scavenge. I need to make sure that I figure out what happened here before I die.]]Your ignorance led you to your death.
<img src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMmYwNjlhOGQtNWQ1YS00YTU0LWJkZmYtMTdlZjVmNWY4MGJjXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyOTk5OTU0MTc@._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.jpg" alt="The end.">You decided against scavenging and went to sleep near the fire.
...
When you wake up panic quickly settles in as the environment that you fell asleep with is nowhere in sight. You take a moment to look at your surroundings.
<img src="https://i1.sndcdn.com/artworks-vrJukRNlz1hSsgOa-joG82A-t500x500.jpg" alt="Wasteland Village" height=720 width=1220>
You are quickly taken out of stupor by a man approaching you.
"Before you say anything, what is your name?"
What is your name?
Enter name and press enter
<<textbox "$name" "" "Introductions">>
You decided against staying and went out to scavenge.
...
At first, you thought that your scavenging was going well. You found lizards, but you couldn't catch a single one. When you finally believed you cornered one, you leaned down, and unbeknownst to you, a spider crawled up your arm.
This insect activated your fight-or-flight response, and unfortunately, you chose flight. This sudden movement caused the spider to become aggressive, and bit you.
...
The initial pain was agonizing. You quickly realized that going out to scavenge was a fatal mistake, and you begin to regret your decision.
You quickly pass out, and the dark of night consumes you.
[[You died.]]"Welcome then, $name, to our humble town. I go by Blitz, and at the beginning of Earth's crisis, we—me and my fellow neighbors—binded together to survive" he says.
<hr>
"Well...what happened here? I can't remember anything before I woke up in the middle of nowhere" you reply.
<hr>
"See...before this, the Earth was doing just fine. Then some crazy natural disasters began and tore our whole world up. Me and my family were locked up in our basement while all we could hear was the sound of rain and wind. We were terrified when we heard our the supports of our house break apart and collapse, but we had no other choice than to stay."
<hr>
"Wow. I can't even believe I survived that long, considering that I was probably in the open for a while."
<hr>
"What matters now, $name, is that you're with us. I didn't explain before, but the reason I even found you was because I was searching for gold rings."
<hr>
"Gold rings? But why?" You fully understand that he could be referring to the missing gold rings from your Mysterious Object, but you decide that he's still not trustworthy, despite bringing you to civilization.
<hr>
"I heard of a legend about some old artifact dating back thousands of years that could save us. From this mess, I mean. Have you ever encountered it?"
What should you respond?
[[Yes! I found it while scavenging.]]
[[No. I've never heard about it.]]You decide that, because he saved your life, you probably owe him some sort of information.
As soon as you confirm knowledge about this mysterious item, his eyes glint dangerously, and unbeknownst to you, you messed up big time.
...
The last thing you see before your 'savior' ends your life is him scrambling to take the object out of your pockets.
[[You were killed by Blitz.]]Your blind trust of him lead you to your death. In an apocalypse, you can't trust anyone; even the people who save you.
<img src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMmYwNjlhOGQtNWQ1YS00YTU0LWJkZmYtMTdlZjVmNWY4MGJjXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyOTk5OTU0MTc@._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.jpg" alt="The end.">You regard him for a moment, thinking about how you can steal from him. Clearly, he is very attached to these rings if he is going so far as to 'save' people for them to join his cause.
You realize that he would most likely easily be tricked. You begin,
"Oh wait! I think I have seen these rings that you're talking about!"
<hr>
"Seriously?! Where?" He responds.
<hr>
"Can I take a good look at them before I tell you? I need to make sure that we're talking about the same thing. All 5 of them, I mean, because I need to know if they're all the same or not."
<hr>
He blindly trusts you, eagerly putting the rings in your hands for you to inspect. Taking advantage of this trust, you make an attempt to run away.
[[Blitz blocks your way!]]Blitz stands in front of you, and you know that this won't be a simple fight. His stance clearly radiates danger; he'll do anything to make sure his rings stay in his possession.
What do you do?
[[Attack.]] [[Run.]]After you deny knowledge about the object, you can see a flash of disappointment in his face before he speaks up again.
"Oh. No worries, I can't really expect everyone around here to have even heard of the story. Especially since you don't remember what happened before this."
"I'm sorry, but maybe I could help you find this object?"
"You know what...maybe you could. I currently have 8 of the gold rings, and trust me, it took me many, many years of my life to find. I could be famous-no I could be the ruler of the new world if I save the world! So help me out, would you?"
<hr>
In your mind you envision a clear opportunity to help the world go back to normal. You have two options.
[[Steal from Blitz. Taking them could turn the world back to normal.]]
You get ready to attack. As soon as you see Blitz's stance falter for a moment, you strike.
<strong>Blitz's HP: 100</strong>
<strong>Your HP: 100</strong>
You struck him with your fist dealing 12 damage.
Blitz retaliates, sending a well timed jab into your stomach. He deals 19 damage! Your abdomen is in pain, but you have to keep going.
[[Continue]]In an attempt to get away, you break for the dunes in your surroundings.
As you run, you have a clear advantage over Blitz, but as sand keeps pulling you down in place, you slow down. Eventually, Blitz catches up.
Let's just say that your death was not very gentle.
[[Blitz killed you.]]After taking a small reprieve from the fight, you get back into a fighting stance.
<strong>Blitz's HP: 88</strong>
<strong>Your HP: 81</strong>
You send a kick to Blitz' side. You manage to strike him, dealing 18 damage, but in return he grabs your leg before you can react. He knocks you over, punching your cheek. He deals 24 damage, and you barely manage to escape his grasp.
[[Keep up at it.]]<strong>Blitz's HP: 60</strong>
<strong>Your HP: 57</strong>
You have to take a moment to breathe as his punch left you dizzy. He makes his way towards you, but you send a kick right to his knee, knocking him over. His knee bends in a disturbing angle, and you know that he won't be able to get back up.
<strong>You win the fight!</strong>
You take out the Mysterious Object once more.
You snap the rings onto the previously red areas, and in your hands, it transforms.
<img src="https://ecbrown.org/asm/promotions/josue/strange%20thing-3.png" alt="Transformed object." height=720 width=720>
It begins to shine, and before long you can't even open your eyes.
<hr>
When you finally open your eyes, you look all around you. The entire landscape has changed, leaving behind a beautiful oasis.
<img src="https://cdn2.wanderlust.co.uk/media/1040/cropped-tunisia-shutterstock_775877626.jpg?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=650&height=0&rnd=132056045420000000" alt="Oasis." height=720 width=920>
You breathe a breath of relief knowing that the world is going back to normal.
<img src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMmYwNjlhOGQtNWQ1YS00YTU0LWJkZmYtMTdlZjVmNWY4MGJjXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyOTk5OTU0MTc@._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.jpg" alt="The end.">You made the wrong decision. You were killed by Blitz.
<img src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMmYwNjlhOGQtNWQ1YS00YTU0LWJkZmYtMTdlZjVmNWY4MGJjXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyOTk5OTU0MTc@._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.jpg" alt="The end.">