Iknow5/Text_Adventures huggingface dataset:
Year 378 of the Second Era


Wyverns are beasts bred for killing and war. You don't think they'll simply abandon this instinct just because their riders die. No, if you're going to attempt to help the griffin knights, then the best way to do so is to take out a wyvern. Even if you only manage to take out one of them, it would help a significant amount. 


You cast your thoughts back to your youth. Your mother would tell you stories of the beasts in the Lost Realm, and of the heroes whom bested those beasts. You're sure you remember something about a wyvern being vulnerable in its underbelly? Or maybe it was its wings? You can't remember for sure, but you don't have any other ideas.

You aim for the wings

Year 378 of the Second Era


You can't remember for certain if their wings are vulnerable, but you doubt the stomach is, as you can think of no viable reason for it to be. The wings, on the other hand, if damaged enough can cause a wyvern to lose its flight abilities.  


Sweat forms on your brow as you notch an arrow and take aim. You raise your bow at the wyvern closest to you, whom is being chased by a pair of griffin knights, and loose your arrow. Your aim is true, but the arrow is merely gusted away by the draft the flapping its wings create. Apparently your hunch was wrong. The wings are not a weak point for a wyvern. This fact, however, doesn't keep you from trying.


You enter a state of pure focus. Arrow after arrow is loosed from your bow, and when you run out of arrows you search for more. You will kill one of these blasted beasts even if it takes every arrow in this realm, this wyvern will fall. Fortunately for you, you don't have to wait too long before you time your arrow just right. You let your arrow go just before the wyvern flaps his wings, and it sails true piercing the softer scales of the wing. The wyvern roars in pain, and for a moment you think you've succeeded, but you only hit one arrow, and that wyvern's wings are quite large.


There is one thing that changes, however, and that is that the wyvern now targets you. Apparently it didn't appreciate your lucky shot. The griffin knights are not quick enough to save you this time, and you end up learning how sharp a wyvern's teeth are firsthand.
Year 378 of the Second Era


The memory fades away, and Byron's voice returns. "I need one person to light the signal light over by the watchtower. Everyone in division two stay here and support us with arrows. Everyone in division one follow me!" 


The wyverns are still racing to the wall, and a fight seems inevitable.


Byron leads the way as he and division one head down to the ground to support the rest of the group. Everyone else stays and prepares their bows. 


You were assigned to division two upon your transfer here, and so your orders are abundantly clear.

You abandon the fight

Year 378 of the Second Era


You didn't come here for a fight. This was supposed to be the easiest place to guard in all the realm. No wyverns or kobold were supposed to come here, and certainly not in the numbers that actually threaten your wall occupation. Your goal is to save your beloved. Liliana. You don't have time to be caught up in border battles where you might die. Your life is not your own anymore, for if you die, then Liliana will as well. 


You pretend to be lighting the signal fire, but when you are out of sight of the other soldiers you find one of the many towers and make your way down it. They keep food and water storage in the towers, and if you were to have any hope of deserting and living then you would need supplies. You move quickly, and gather anything that you might need: Food, water, flint and steel, extra arrows, a shield. Everything you could possibly need. After gathering it all, you head to the very bottom of the stairwell and tower. A large iron gate-like door greets you. It is quite the durable piece, and nothing less than a battering ram would be able to break through it. Or perhaps a wyvern flying at breakneck speed... You push that foreboding thought from your head and walk through the iron doors. 


A slight breeze pushes against your face. You're far enough from the battle that you can only barely hear the roar of the wyverns fighting. you take a breath and look at your next destination. The green of the forest is all that will greet your eyes for an indeterminate amount of time in the future. This was the only way to go. The penalty for desertion is death, so there was no way you were going to stay there. Your only option was to move forward in your search for Liliana. 


You take a deep breath, ready yourself mentally, then enter into the Lost Realm. You don't get very far in there, however, before you run into kobold reinforcements. They number over ten, and you are no god though you do manage to take a few out before succumbing to multiple stab wounds.
Year 378 of the Second Era


You pull yourself from the memory. That was happening way too often since Liliana was captured. And she was captured. There was no doubt in your mind about that. Captured by people who obviously knew what they were doing. Otherwise they wouldn't be able to make it through the forests of the Lost Realm without being captured, killed, or raped by horny kobold. That means there's a way to make it through that forest. You just have to find it. 


That was the reason you spent your time here on the wall watching, waiting, planning your route through that kobold infested place. Of course you could just leave on your own and hope for the best, but th- 


Your thoughts are interrupted when the roar of some beast sounds throughout the air. You jerk your head immediately towards the sound. It came from somewhere over the tops of the trees, and still must've been miles out. Every guard on the wall peels their eyes to the forest, and it isn't long before one of your fellow guardsmen spots something. 


"There! Above the forest!" The guard sounds quite panicked.


You look where he indicated and spot several grey blots in the distance. They look like birds at first, but as they get closer you can tell they're much larger and have several more rows of teeth than a bird. 


"Wyverns." The guard right beside you breathes out. 


You turn back to look at the beasts. They're still a few miles out, but you can hear the beat of their leathery wings drawing closer every second. The guards in your platoon stand on the wall in stunned silence. Nothing happens here, ever. Why now of all times? 


Your lieutenant, an older fellow named Byron, calls everyone to order. "This is what we're here for men! This is why..." 


Byron's voice fades into the depths of your mind. It is replaced by a different voice. One that's mocking, provoking. The memory of your first fight calls back to you.

You push the memory back

Year 378 of the Second Era


This isn't the time for idle thoughts. No, you need to focus on the situation at hand. 


The memory fades away, and Byron's voice returns. "This is why we guard this wall! No wyverns, kobold, or other filth will cross this wall! Gather your weap-" Byron is interrupted by another voice. 


"Help! There are kobold chasing us on the ground. The rest of my party is coming with the kobold hot on their tail." The voice comes from all the way at the bottom of the wall. You can barely make out what he's saying, but someone does and repeats it to Byron, who then continues speaking.


"I need one person to light the signal light over by the watchtower. Everyone in division two stay here and support us with arrows. Everyone in division one follow me!" 


Byron leads the way as he and division one head down to the ground to support the rest of the group. Everyone else stays and prepares their bows. 


You were assigned to division two upon your transfer here, and so your orders are abundantly clear.
You decide to refuse the offer and exit the barricade choosing to make it on your own.

You move on

You decide to pass them by, there has to be another way through the city without the aid of the Essitreans and the inevitable conflict they will attract. You head down a corridor and see flames rising ahead, to the left you see a massive army of Turric soldiers fighting with another smaller group of Essitreans. The carnage is horrid and you opt not to go that way. To your right you see an old stable. Perhaps within you can find a horse.

You head towards the Fire

The flames ahead of you fly many feet into the air and you try to find a way past the street but there are no obvious exits. Disheartened you retreat back to the previous intersection.
You decide to pass them by, there has to be another way through the city without the aid of the Essitreans and the inevitable conflict they will attract. You head down a corridor and see flames rising ahead, to the left you see a massive army of Turric soldiers fighting with another smaller group of Essitreans. The carnage is horrid and you opt not to go that way. To your right you see an old stable. Perhaps within you can find a horse.

You check out the Stable

You opt to check out the stable but there are no horses inside. As you are searching, you see the fighting from the left street starting to pour into yours. The mass combat is punctuated by explosions, the sound of steel on steel or flesh, and the screams of the injured or dying. You quickly decide to abandon the search and head back to the intersection before you are overwhelmed.
You decide to pass them by, there has to be another way through the city without the aid of the Essitreans and the inevitable conflict they will attract. You head down a corridor and see flames rising ahead, to the left you see a massive army of Turric soldiers fighting with another smaller group of Essitreans. The carnage is horrid and you opt not to go that way. To your right you see an old stable. Perhaps within you can find a horse.

You go Backwards

You arrive at the massive barricade. The barricade is manned by a holdout group of Essitrean soldiers each holding crossbows. There have to be dozens of them all on watch. The bodies of hundreds of Turric soldiers lie scattered in the streets around the barricade though it's obvious the Essitreans are wounded and exhausted.
You're tired, you've had  a long afternoon and you have found somewhere to crash. You hope that this place is safe enough but in a city under siege, no where is truly safe. You find a little corner amongst the clutter and nestle in as best as you can.


You place your broadsword to your side within easy reach and thank the gods you have your modified light chainmail. It's very comfortable to sleep in, especially compared to most armors. Covering yourself with a blanket you slip easily into the demesne of sleep.


TEST YOUR LUCK: Pick a number between 1 and 3.

You 2

You fall into a deep and dreamless sleep. As luck would have it, you are not bothered by anything or anyone during your stay and you feel quite at peace with yourself. Your mother always said you were a strong one before she died. She never knew how many times you would have to test that theory. You wake up refreshed and ready to go.


It is now NIGHT.
You whirl quickly around pulling three throwing knives and letting them free at the charging warriors. Two of the three blades 'thunk!' into the Turric Swordsmen. One plunks deep in a man's chest and he staggers sideways before falling. The other knife slams into a warrior's arm causing him to howl in pain.


With four of the men left from the initial assault, you realize you are in a bind. You level your sword at the two melee warriors and try to stay out of the sight of the two crossbowmen.


A bolt 'thrums' by your ear. Another 'thuds' into a pillar to your left. You circle for position as one warrior heads towards your left side and the injured warrior with a knife sticking out of his arm circles to your right. The crossbowmen are reloading and another attack is imminent.


What do you do?

You throw more daggers at the crossbowmen.

You are surrounded both by swordsmen and crossbowmen. Sensing that you might be plucked off from range you duck under the slash of the warrior to your left and pull your throwing blades. Two blades fly free and both strike the crossbowmen, the man on the left is hit in the chest and the one on the right feels a blade hit his shoulder.


Even as they fall, you bring your broadblade up to parry the attacks from the man on the right. The barbed scimitar collides with the flat of your blade and sparks glide from the conflicting metals. Then you feel a sharp pain from behind as you see the point of a scimitar pierce through your chest. You feel as if your whole body is being electrocuted and you watch with hazing vision as your sword falls limply from your grasp.


The blade twists inside you and your knees give out and you fall to your knees. The left side swordsman measures you up and swings his blade. The sensation of your head rolling on the ground is eerie as you watch your body fall. Then, slowly, the world turns black.


YOU HAVE FAILED!!!
You whirl quickly around pulling three throwing knives and letting them free at the charging warriors. Two of the three blades 'thunk!' into the Turric Swordsmen. One plunks deep in a man's chest and he staggers sideways before falling. The other knife slams into a warrior's arm causing him to howl in pain.


With four of the men left from the initial assault, you realize you are in a bind. You level your sword at the two melee warriors and try to stay out of the sight of the two crossbowmen.


A bolt 'thrums' by your ear. Another 'thuds' into a pillar to your left. You circle for position as one warrior heads towards your left side and the injured warrior with a knife sticking out of his arm circles to your right. The crossbowmen are reloading and another attack is imminent.


What do you do?

You feint Left and Attack the Warrior to your right.

You quickly feint left and then pull your heavy blade to the right with a vicious backhand arc that decapitates your opponent. The right-side swordsman's body twists in a ghoulish pirouette before stepping once to the left and falling. His head lies some ten feet into the distance.


You have however left your side exposed and you feel the results of a brutish slice into your side. You scream in agony and frustration before reversing your sword and thrusting it backwards. This catches the left-side swordsman directly in his stomach and you thrust it through his body before giving the blade a nasty twist.


You feel the warrior slide off of the steel and grunt in satisfaction. However, this is cut short by a bolt which smashes into your shoulder. You scream and reflexively draw a dagger which you hurtle across the field into the throat of the crossbowman who just shot you. However, his ally has been taking careful aim and looses another bolt which slams into your stomach.


Blood courses down your armor as you collapse to the ground, your feet no longer able to carry you. You grip your sword and try to rise as the men reload speaking their guttural language. They walk cautiously up to you as you grip a dagger secretly and act just a little bit more wounded than you are.


The first man approaches and pulls a knife, "You've got pretty skin bitch," he growls and grabs your face, pulling your chin up to his. "Too bad I've gotta cut you up, you might have been a good ride."


Growling, you plunge your dagger into his crotch and twist. He screams, gripping his groin and falls to the side rolling in pain. The other crossbowman steps back in suprise then his look hardens, "You've got teeth, Siak was always a fool. I'm not."


Raising his crossbow he levels it at your head and pulls the trigger.


The bolt jolts your head back as you fall lifeless into the street surrounded by a pile of corpses.


YOU HAVE FAILED!!!
You whirl quickly around pulling three throwing knives and letting them free at the charging warriors. Two of the three blades 'thunk!' into the Turric Swordsmen. One plunks deep in a man's chest and he staggers sideways before falling. The other knife slams into a warrior's arm causing him to howl in pain.


With four of the men left from the initial assault, you realize you are in a bind. You level your sword at the two melee warriors and try to stay out of the sight of the two crossbowmen.


A bolt 'thrums' by your ear. Another 'thuds' into a pillar to your left. You circle for position as one warrior heads towards your left side and the injured warrior with a knife sticking out of his arm circles to your right. The crossbowmen are reloading and another attack is imminent.


What do you do?

You surrender.

Surrounded by the warriors and realizing that you will probably not survive this fight, you drop your sword and raise your hands. The warriors grin and, under the careful watch of the crossbowmen, the swordsmen circle, one to the front and one behind. Suddenly, your hair is gripped and you are pulled to your knees.


A knife is applied to your neck and the men begin to grin. "Take her weapons Siak, the kitten still has claws."


You feel your body being searched, the knives being stripped and tossed, your belts being removed, and then the men fall on you. You scream and try to fight them but there are just too many of them. You finally burst into tears as you realize your impending fate. Two hold you arms as the others pry your legs open and the others pull off your pants. You scream for help knowing none will be coming.


Before they kill you, you hear Siak say, "I wish all our girls were this easy..."


YOU HAVE FAILED!!!
You attack the warriors with the advantage of surprise. Crawling low, you creep until you are at the edge of the wall you were hiding behind then you suddenly sprint with your broadsword lifted in both hands. As you descend upon the Turric Warriors, you swing the sword in an arc that splits the first Turric Swordsman's left arm from his body. You spin and use the heavy blade's momentum to make a second cut from the shoulder blade up through the man's neck decapitating him instantly.


As the first warrior falls, blood arcing into the sky, the two others reel in shock. You take advantage of this momentary lapse of reason and bring a low slice towards the second man's knee. The blade connects and the limb is taken clean off. Following the blade's momentum, you raise it up and steer it into the man's chest.


The third warrior has now gathered his wits and attacks viciously trying to slice you with his barbed scimitar. You back away from the first strike, block the second, and duck the third. His blows are coming faster than the broad-blade can react. Do you: Parry and look for an opening with the butt of your sword to stun the enemy or block with the sword and pull a dagger with your other hand and plunge it into his neck?

You pull the Dagger and go for the Kill!

Parrying his first attack, you slip a dagger from your belt and plunge it deep into his neck. The man stops and falls backwards, his body shivering and eyes glazing as he tries to pull the treacherous weapon free. His struggles soon cease and he lies in a glistening pool of his own blood.


Do you:

You scram before anyone else sees you?

Deciding that it is smarter to pick your battles rather than have them pick you, you decide to leave the corpse alone and head for the nearest cover. Sure enough several men, three swordsmen and two crossbowmen curiously round a corner of a destroyed building and begin to investigate the area.


You are skilled but you'd rather not risk being put to the test against such ruthless men. You shiver when you consider what they do to women they take captive. Crouching, you duck out of sight and move quietly out of their range. A few tense moments later you are in a less damaged part of the city. You look around and you see two likely routes of escape, the sewers and the twisting alleyways that run through the slums.


Going through the main thoroughfares would be suicide so you decide to risk them. Normally both the alleys and the sewers are dangerous because of brigands, disease, and wild animals but for now, they might make for safe havens in the otherwise fallen city.


Which do you choose?
Parrying his first attack, you slip a dagger from your belt and plunge it deep into his neck. The man stops and falls backwards, his body shivering and eyes glazing as he tries to pull the treacherous weapon free. His struggles soon cease and he lies in a glistening pool of his own blood.


Do you:

You search the Body.

You check the body of the fallen soldier and find a map. The map shows the city as it once was before the attack. You look around and try to get your bearings and spy a tower that is currently in flames. Orienting yourself, you see that the enemy has well marked battle plans and you can see troop movements marked in red as well as defending troop locations marked in blue. Perhaps you can make it to a defensive point where other troops might be, or you might just want to try to use back alleys to avoid all troops altogether. You could also ignore the map and head for the sewers.


MAP: Essitrea Battle Plans

You head for a Defensive Point

You move quickly and silently through the alleys, side streets, and main streets of the falling city. Several times you have to draw swords and fight enemy troops, run away from other Turric groups, or even loose undead creatures wandering the city, however, you find a place to hole up before you make the final push towards safety. You decide to wait until nightfall before moving onwards.
You grab your blade tightly and look around quickly before dashing over the lip of the crater and towards the blasted wall nearest your left side. Nearby an explosion spurts up chunks of earth and stone as well as the arm of a corpse, high into the air. You watch in horror as the appendage plops onto the sidewalk.


From your left, three Turric warriors rush and assault an injured merchant, stabbing him repeatedly with their wickedly barbed scimitars before looting the man's corpse.


To your right you see another building about twenty feet across some exposed ground.


Do you:

You wait for the Men to Move On?

The merchant is already dead so why waste your life fighting for him? Also running away will probably attract their attention so you hide and wait for the men to pass. After about three minutes, you see the men move on, one brags about the men he's killed as they turn a corner. As you are just about to leave, another five Turric soldiers appear from around the corner.


You are glad you didn't charge the first three or you might have been fighting eight men by now. You've got the drop on the five men but it seems like it could be really risky. You can also try to sneak away or continue to wait. You take a small breath and exhale as you make your next decision.


You creep towards the edge of the wall ready to make your move.