Introduction

1. Introduction • Look • Listen • Learn • Continue

2. The Secret Palace

3. Entranceway • The dusty road leads you to stand before The Secret Palace. A mighty pair of arched doors, one of which is slightly ajar. The great stone slab seems to be carved with a symbol. • The slightly ajar door leads North.

4. Entranceway • The stone slab is carved with what appears to be a paw print. • Stop inspecting the stone slab.

5. The Staircase • The staircase is marble. Each step is clean and polished. The railing is black obsidian. A huge lantern hangs from the ceiling, lighting the way. • The staircase leads up to a large door without a knob to the North. • The staircase leads down to a slightly ajar door to the South.

6. The Red Gallery • This is a long gallery with red walls. Large portraits hang on one wall. • There is a large door without a knob to the South. It does not budge. • There is an archway leading to a bright room to the North. • The gallery continues West. • The gallery continues East.

7. The Great Atrium • The sky is clear and blue beyond the glass ceiling of the atrium. There is a pedestal in the center of the room with a keyhole in it. • There is an archway leading towards blue to the North. • There are doors to the West and to the East that have no knobs. They do not budge. • There is an archway leading towards red to the South.

8. The Blue Gallery • To the North is a picture of a Snake, hanging from the tree. The snake appears to have a note in its mouth. • There is an archway leading to a bright room to the South. • The gallery continues West. • The gallery continues East.

9. The Blue Gallery • To the North is a picture of a proud Unicorn, tossing its mane, its horn gleaming in the bright sun • A door leading West is marked with a picture of a Shrub. • The gallery continues East. • A door leads to the South.

10. The Blue Gallery • To the North is a picture of a great Lion, rearing on its haunches with its great paws up, ready to attack. • The gallery continues West. • A door leading East is marked with a picture of a Tree. • A door leads to the South.

11. The Green Room • The walls of this room are all green. In the center of the room, there is a pedestal with a green vase upon it. • A door leads North. • A door leads South. • A door leading West is marked with a picture of a Shrub. • A door leads East.

12. The Gold Room • The walls of this room are all gold. In the center of the room, there is a pedestal with a neat stack of gold coins upon it. • A door leads North. • A door leads West. • A door leading East is marked with a picture of a Tree. • A door leads South.

13. The Red Gallery • A door leads to the North. • A door leading West is marked with a picture of a Shrub. • The gallery continues East. • To the South is a picture of a Knight on a Horse carrying a banner.

14. The Red Gallery • A door leads to the North. • The gallery continues West. • A door leading East is marked with a picture of a Tree. • To the South is a Mirror. In the reflection is an image of you and the door across the room that leads North.

15. The Hedge Maze • The hedge is high and thick. The pebbles on the ground here are gray and dusty. • There is a hedge arch to the North. • There is a hole in the hedge to the West. • There is a hole in the hedge to the East. • There is a path through the hedge that leads to the South.

16. The Hedge Maze • The hedge is high and thick. The pebbles on the ground here are brown and rough. • There is a path through the hedge that leads to the North. • The hedge to the West is thin and brittle. • There is a green door leading East. • There is a path through the hedge that leads to the South.

17. The Hedge Maze • The hedge is high and thick. The pebbles on the ground here are smooth and glossy. • There is a path through the hedge that leads to the North. • There is a hole in the hedge to the West. • There is a hole in the hedge to the East. • There is a hedge arch to the South.

18. The Forest • These look like oak trees. • The trees continue for a bit to the North. • There is a brick wall to the West. There is an door-sized outline in the brick, but it doesn’t budge. • The trees are too thick to pass to the East. • The tress continue for a bit to the South.

19. The Forest • These look like elm trees. • The trees continue a bit to the North. • There is a golden door to the West. • The trees are too thick to pass to the East. • The trees continue a bit to the South.

20. The Forest • These look like ash trees. • The trees continue a bit to the North. • There is a brick wall to the West. There is an door-sized outline in the brick, but it doesn’t budge. • The trees lead far off to the East. • The trees are too thick to pass to the South.

21. The Precipice • The brittle hedge gives way to firm air. • As you cannot stand on air, you fall through the hedge and off of the very high precipice. • The ocean is very, very, very far below you. Uh oh.

22. The Forest • The trees continue far off to the North… • …and the West… • …and the East… • …and the South… • You appear to be completely lost.

23. A Secret Passage • You are on the other side of a large canvas. The room is dark, you cannot see. • The North wall feels solid. • The West wall feels solid. • The East wall feels like it moves a bit. • If you haven’t turned around too much, you think the canvas panel is in the dark to the South.

24. The Clearing • The trees form a ring around a grove. The air feels strange here. • The tree to the West has a strange set of lines cut into it that form a large rectangle. • The trees lead a bit to the South. • In a stump is plunged a great Sword. • Next to it is a dusty leather Book.

25. The Empty Stump • You remove the great sword from the stump with a mighty pull. You pull so hard that when it finally lets go, you fall back and the sword goes flying high up into the air, spinning slightly as you look up at it from the comfortable grass beneath you. • Interested to know where it lands?

26. The First Page • “Every journey has a beginning. Some journeys begin with fear and apprehension, but fear is healthy to start. The brave and the wise continue despite this fear. • Turn to the Second Page. • Skip to the Last Page. • Close the book.

27. The Second Page • “Some journeys go forward. Some go back. The brave always go forward. The wise sometimes go back. The brave and the wise usually are willing to take at least one chance.” • Turn back to the First Page. • Turn forward to the Third Page. • Close the book.

28. The Third Page • “In every journey there comes a time when temptation sets in. The brave may try to push their luck one more time and gain riches because of it. The wise know when it is enough. They know when to stop.” • Turn back to the Second Page. • Turn to the Last Page. • Close the book.

29. The Last Page • The last page is blank... Uh oh.

30. The Last Page • A voice speaks from very, very, very close behind you… • “I told you the wise know when to stop. Why do they never listen?” • That’s a good question. Unfortunately, you have a feeling you’re not going to have time to answer whoever that is.

31. You Have Died • Oh, brave adventurer! What happened? What went wrong? Where did your path into The Secret Palace meet such an end? Aren’t you glad this is only a game? • Only one thing to do then: Start Over!

32. Amazing! • The moment the pages touch, a blaze of color and light explodes from the book. Birds take flight around you, and a bright door, like shards of glassy power, opens in the air. It might be time for another adventure! • Or…

33. The Snake • You lean in close to read the note in the painting. The print is very tiny. • You can lean in even closer to the note, • or you can stop inspecting the note in the painting.

34. The Snake • “I am not a painting. Yours truly, Snake” Uh oh.

35. The Unicorn • The Unicorn looks noble, standing amidst glorious oak trees. It has one leg raised and seems to be pointing towards the top of the picture with its horn. The sun is rising on the right hand side of the painting. • The brass plate on the picture frame says “Message in the Morning.” • Stop inspecting the painting.

36. The Knight • The Knight rides proudly upon his armor-clad steed. However, behind the Knight is a scene you didn’t notice from far away. At left there are thin hedges and steep cliffs just on the other side. At right there is a path that runs straight through a forest, but goes on forever off to the right. • Stop inspecting the painting.

37. The Mirror • In the reflection of the mirror, you see yourself get closer as you lean in. You look carefully, and see the room behind you, but leaning in, you are lower and can see the reflection of the ceiling too, which is painted with an ornate pen writing in some ancient language on the pages of a glowing book. • Stop inspecting the mirror.

38. The Vase • The vase is made of rough, almost jagged green stone. It has no hole in the top, so you cannot see inside. It looks heavy, but it isn’t too large. • Try to pick up the vase. • Stop inspecting the vase.

39. The Vase • The vase is surprisingly light. You can feel it rock slightly as if there is liquid inside. • Shake the vase. • Listen to the vase. • Smash the vase on the ground. • Stop inspecting the vase.

40. The Vase • The vase sloshes. There is definitely liquid inside.

41. The Vase • No sound comes from the vase, but with it this close to your face, you catch a whiff of its scent.

42. The Vase • The vase shatters. The brittle, jagged stone pieces scrape and grind against each other, sending a shower of sparks everywhere, which instantly ignites the volatile liquid inside in a gigantic fireball. • You know your eyebrows are gone… but are you missing anything else?

43. The Vase • The vase reeks terribly, and your eyes burn a little when you smell it deeply. Your hands feel a little oily, so you decide not to wipe your eyes, and instead take it away from your face.

44. The Gold Coins • There are thirteen coins in the stack. Around the base of the stack on the pedestal is a tiny inscription in black script: “One to all, two to none, three for me, and the other ton.” • Take a coin. • Don’t take a coin.

45. The Gold Coins • You take one gold coin. It is heavy for its size. The coin bears the inscription “XIII” on both sides and is ridged on the edge. • A ticking sound begins, and slowly, the stack moves upwards. Another gold coin appears at the bottom of the stack! The ticking sound slows, then stops. • Take another coin. • Stop inspecting the stack.

46. The Gold Coins • You take another gold coin. A ticking sound begins, and slowly, the stack moves upwards. A bright red coin appears at the bottom of the stack! The ticking sound doesn’t slow down this time, but continues. • Take another coin. • Stop inspecting the stack.

47. The Gold Coins • You take a third gold coin. The ticking sound slows… and slows some more… until it stops. Suddenly, there is a loud crack, and the stack of coins falls quickly into the pedestal. • Suddenly, what sounds like crashing cymbals from above draws your attention quickly to the ceiling! COINS! Uh-oh…

48. The Gold Coins • You do not take a coin. You step away from the pedestal, and as you lift your foot, the tile beneath it snaps up with a click. • A voice booms out from somewhere above. “You are too good for my generosity? I said one for all, not only those who choose!” • That can’t be good. And what’s that ticking coming from the pedestal? Uh oh.

49. The Gold Coins • A voice whispers from somewhere above. “The wise know that neither too few nor too many is best. What is best, is best.” • You look up. There is no one there.

50. The Gold Coins • A voice whispers from somewhere above. “Two to NONE!” it hisses. • You look up. There is no one there. Tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick… tick… tick… snap. Uh-oh.