Under the Eyes of the Gods

The desert sun pounds down upon your brow. In the Valley of the Kings, miles away from the nearest town, you stand dwarfed by a relic of a bygone era. A grand pyramid, left unsullied by human hands for centuries. You are an archaeologist, the leader of your expedition. Your crew, currently, has left to gather supplies in town for your newly government approved research dig of the pharaoh's tomb. In exchange for any cultural artifacts, you and your team will be allowed to do as much studying onsite as possible. You've been setting up tents while waiting for the others, only stopping in brief intervals to soak up the image of the grand feat of engineering in front of you. A slight breeze picks up around you. All you have to do is wait for your team to get back. ... Or you could enter the pyramid by yourself. While it would be selfish, and possibly dangerous, you can't help but feel yourself drawn to the entrance. What do you do? [[Enter the pyramid alone]] [[Wait outside for your group]]

The curiosity is just too much for you to handle. You grab a backpack, an electic torch, and journal for notes and make your way to the entrance. The entryway to the pyramid is about 10 feet tall and 4 feet wide. It's as if a small chunk of the pyramid's side was broken off, leaving a hole in between the sides. While you take your steps upon the golden sand, you wonder what the pyramid was like in its glory days. The pyramids used to be even more impressive. Sides lined with white marbles basking in sunlight, with a top made of gold, crowned like its intended occupent. But, those are days lost to time. You step through the archway, and into the shade. Your footsteps on stone echoing ever deeper into the tomb. Walking more and more into darkness. Soon enough, you are out of the sun's reach, and you turn on your torch. Along the walls are somewhat faded drawings of the life and faith of the Egyptians. Farmers in their fields along the Nile, priests performing ceremonies, the pharaoh being attended to by servants. And of course, their gods. It's all so fascinating. You could stop and take the time to draw what you see. [[Stop and draw for further studies]] [[Keep going, the art will still be here]]

You shouldn't go into the pyramid alone. You don't know what's in there. It's safer as a group. You sit outside your tent, content with drawing what you think the pyramid might have looked like in its glory days. The page of journal start to flap in the wind, the breeze having picked up to become stronger. And it continues to become even stronger. The sand around you is picked up into the air. You are now in the middle of a sandstorm. Your tent is ripped out from the ground. It's getting harder to see in front of you. You need to get moving now. You could move north and [[Enter the pyramid alone]], but that is risky. You could move south [[Towards Town]], but who knows how long it would take you on foot. You could move east [[Towards the Nile]], but who knows if there'll be anybody there. There's nothing to the west, but right now you just need to [[get out of the storm]].

$artsketch (set: $artsketch to 1) You stop and kneel to remove your backpack. You take out your journal and a pencil, and draw the depictions on the wall as detailed as possible. Of course, this will be important to studying and verifying what the field knows about the people of the region, but you are most impressed by the detail. Especially on the gods. Gods depicted with heads of animals. Jackals, cats, birds, crocodiles. Carrying ankhs, crooks, and flails. Disks of the sun above their heads. Weighing the hearts of the dead to determine if they lived an eternal life after death or if they were damned to die again. You wonder what they though of these gods. Were they cruel and indifferent. Or were they ever vigilant protectors. Perhaps, with more research you'll find out. You put your journal away. [[Time to head to the next chamber]]

$artsketch (set: $artsketch to 0) You don't have faith in your own hands to recreate such masterworks of art. Just standing around breathing without doing anything could actually put the already faint quality of the pictures in danger. It's better if you keep going to see what's in store for your crew and wait for them to bring cameras and the like. Either way, you can still appreciate them while you make your way out. [[Time to head to the next chamber]]

You walk further along the walls and come across a fork in to road. As to be expected, these pyramids were built with multiple chambers for various purposes and various people. But even in the pyramids studied for decades at this point, some of these chambers were built for unknown reasons. Before you lays two paths. One on the left and one on the right. The left path goes down deeper into the earth, probably into a [[Subterranean Chamber]]. The one the right goes higher, towards the [[Center of the Pyramid]]. You put some time into thinking what you want to do. [[Go to the left path]] [[Go to the right path]]

The Great Pyramid of Giza, the last of the Seven Wonder's of the Ancient World, was a large source of knowledge of the past of Egypt. However, much speculation has to do with the pyramid's subterranean chamber. A large hollowed out section underground. However, it was left unfinished, and so the knowledge of what it was used for has long since died with the people in this tomb. But perhaps this pyramid, if it has a similair chamber, holds the secret. Either way, it's [[Time to head to the next chamber]]

By going toward the center of the pyramid, you'll be entering a new hall way, one that surely leads to the most valuable of the pyramid's holdings. The chambers of king and queen, the gallery, and possibly even more chambers yet to be uncovered. While other pyramids were ransacked by looters and grave robbers, you may be able to see these rooms as beautiful as they were during burial. But there's also a...perverse feeling that creeps up on you. As if getting closer to these rooms would disturb their occupents' long rest. But you can't dwell on it too long. It's [[Time to head to the next chamber]]

This may change our understanding of one of the oldest standing monuments in history, you think. There is no good reason not to venture deeper through the ground. You get to walking. Your imagination runs wild as to what could lie in waiting. Perhaps it's the bodies of important religious figures. Maybe it's a second gallery, full to the brim with the pharoah's eartly possessions. It could be a religious site, filled with papyrus scrolls and statues of gods. The darkness starts to envelop you. Your flashlight is still working, but you feel as though its light is being eaten by the shade around you. You have difficulty seeing anything. Anything but the [[eyes]]

Seeing the pyramid's contents unchanged since the days of yore is too tempting to resist. You start walking up an incline, towards the center of the pyramid. The drawings on the sides of the wall change, detailing more religious ceremonies. You see decpictions of men in jackal masks using hooks and knives to remove the organs of royalty, wrapping them in linen and sealing them in sarcophagi with scrolls and treasure to accompany them to the afterlife. It's morbid, but at the same time beautiful. Soon enough, you come across another [[split in the path]].

The drawings on the walls stop being about the everyday life of the Egyptians, and start to take a disquieting turn. Every single drawing is of eyes. The Eye of Horus. A protective symbol. Everywhere you look, all you can see in the darkness are dozens upon dozens of unblinking eyes, following you. You pick up in speed, wanting to waste no time to enter the subterranian chamber. But a thought forces its way into your head. [[What are they protecting]]

You break out running until you see something amongst the eyes. A shaft of light. No, that's impossible. What light could there be down here? It couldn't be... You run further and further, and soon enough all the eyes fade away behind you. You've made it to the subterranian chamber. But what could lie here, making light? You slow down and walk through the chamber. As soon as you put your foot down, you stop in shock. A splash. You've stepped in a puddle. But water? In the pyramid's chambers? You start to walk again, each time into a puddle deeper than the last. Soon enough half of your boot is submerged. What is going on. You take a quick break to calm yourself, and you hear it. A crashing sound. Water against rocks. It's coming from near the light. You [[run towards the source of the sound]].

A river. A rushing river in the lower chambers of the pyramid. About 20 feet across, and an unknown depth. Where did this water come from? How did they get it so deep into the earth? You stand at the side of the river, your feet in the shallow edges of the water. The river is moving to your left, going deeper and deeper underground. Something quickly takes your eye. The source of the light. It's far to your right. And it's getting closer, moving down the river towards you. You need to make a decision. Either [[Go down the river]] or [[Confront the source of the light]].

You aren't waiting to see what could be living down here. You decide to run down the river, away from the eyes and the light. It's possible that there's another exit down this path. Anything is a good reason if it means avoiding the eyes. The eyes of whatever carries that light. Down and down into the earth you go. The water getting deeper and deeper. You start to wonder, does this river ever truly end? You take a look back, and the light is still following. You can't stop. You can't be seen by its eyes. You run and run. The water hits the edges of the river harder and harder. It's getting harder to see. Your foot hits the ground, and you slip. [[The rivers pulls you in]]

As much as the thought being caught by this lightsource terrifies you, running deeper into the pyramid will most likely only harm you. You take small steps, walking slowly to the growing light. With each step, your heartbeat grows louder, the pounding of your heart overtaking the crashing of the water. Step by step, you both get closer and closer. Your mind draws to a blank on what it could be. What could possibly live down here? And then, you [[see it]]

The current sweeps you into the murky waters. You struggle to stay atop the surface, gasping for breath and taking water into your lungs. You try and swim to the edge, but the river is too strong. You try and grab on to anything, flailing you arms around to find something sturdy. And something brushes against your hand. You start to panic even more. It felt like cold scales. What was that, some sort of fish? You feel it again against your legs. You start trashing even harder. What is this? The water next to you starts to bulge. Whatever you felt is rising out of the water. Dark scales is what you see. What seems like miles upon miles of of scales surrounds you. Its head breaks the surface, and you see the visage of a terrible serpent. Apep, the Lord of Chaos. It looks at you, and you see into its eyes. A terrible sense of overwhelming dread fills you, and you are paralyzed. You can't even let out a scream as it moves to swallow you whole. THE END

A small boat floats down the river, carrying a lone passenger. You must be going insane, because when you see the passenger... It's Ra. The god of the sun. The actual god himself stands before you. Seemingly twelve feet tall, with the head of a falcon, he rows the ship down into the earth. Behind him is a floating eye, the same as in the halls. The god turns his head, and you think you see a slightly confused expression on his face. He starts rowing a different direction, and his ship turns toward you. Having already been seen by this almighty being, you don't even try to run away. His ship stops infront of you. You look up to meet his eyes. "It's been a while since I've seen a human down here. Tell me, what is you name." You struggle to speak, but you manage to get the words out. "I do not know why you're here, but it is not safe for your kind. This is the home of Apep, and anything living he will consume. I am here to do battle against him, along with the Eye of Horus." You look at the two of them, and realize something's missing. "Yes, Set has not joined me on my quest, having matters on the surface to attend to. But I can do battle without him, if need be. But now is not the time, you must return to the surface before-" He's cut off by a movement in the water. A dark figure rises from the river and lets out a mighty roar. Ra has been caught off guard, and tries to put you behind him. He draws his sword, and [[the two battle]].

Ra slices at the serpent with his blade, while Apep tries to use its tail to crush the god. You stand there in shock, unable to take your eyes of this scene. Sword against scales, metal against flesh. Until Apep swipes at Ra, tripping him. Apep than traps him within his gaze, leaving him unable to move. You realize if you stay any longer, you could be next. Abandoning the god t this point would be cowardly, but you think to yourself he's a god, he can get out of this fine, or at least better than you can. While the snake is still preoccupied, you can [[run to the pyramid's exit]] or [[try and help the god]]

You run. You know you should of at least tried to help Ra, but you are only human. If a god was taken out by the snake, than what chance do you have? You run past the chamber, and eyes have seemingly changed. Judgement. The eyes are judging you now. They know what you did. What a coward you are. You run and run past the eyes and past the art. The art depicting the one you just abandoned. You exit the pyramid, and you finally stop to catch your breath. What else can you even do at this point? As soon as you are breathing normally, you notice something. It's suddenly night. It was the middle of the day when you entered, and it's only been a few hours since. How could it be night? You look up into the sky and see the answer. It's an eclipse. The moon is blocking the sun. And the moon stays there in the sky, unmoving. How long until you see the sun again? Will you ever see the sun again? THE END

No matter what, you have to try and help. You can't let this foul snake win this fight. You don't have anything else in hand, so you take your torch and shine it directly into the serpent's eyes. Apep winces at the bright light, and you run closer to the Lord of Chaos to keep it blinded and give Ra some time. The serpent takes blind swipes, and you manage to dodge them. Feeling like you don't have much time, you look to your side and see Ra standing up, taking his sword in hand. The serpent's tail manages to hit you, knocking the light out of your hand. Apep turns to face you, ready to strike. But then Ra leaps at his side, slicing the snake's neck before it could move. It falls into the river, defeated. The god sheath's his blade, and turns towards you. "Thank you for your help. You have done the gods a great favor, and we will be happy to reward you." Not wanting to seem ungrateful, you meerly accept this promise. Ra boards his ship, and sails down the river, bidding you farewell. [[After helping the gods, it is time for you to leave]]

Epilogue: You have lived a long life. After your adventures in Egypt, you never did manage to settle down. Your brief brush with danger always left you wanting more. To explore more, to learn more, to fight more. Always going this way and that. But that's over now. You've lived a long life, but now you've reached its end. Funny, you always thought your recklessness would get you killed, but in the end, age simply caught up with you. It was like something was watching over you. You feel something on your hand. Using what little strength you have, you look down. A scarab,crawling on your hand. You let out a small laugh, and close your eyes for the final time. That should be the end, but you find you can open them again. You see not your room, but an expansive hall. Your surrounded by giant figures, looming over you with curious expressions. "This is the one!" You turn to see the speaker, a man with a falcon head. "This is the mortal that battled with Apep!" It seems the god has use for you in the afterlife. THE END

Despite the name, the chamber doesn't actually house the mummy of the queen. Many archaeologists think the room was a serdab. The serdab was a room where the ka statue was placed, giving the soul a final resting place. The statue would also go through a ritual, where they would open its mouth to allow the soul to eat in the afterlife. Even in death, survival was necessary. If this pyramid has remained untouched for so long, maybe you'll be able to see such a statue in its place. But now it's time to choose where you'll go in this [[split in the path]]

The grand gallery of the Pyramid of Giza was a long shaft connecting the Queen's and King's chambers. It was empty, devoid of any treasure. But it may have had a greater use at some point. Some believe that during the pyramid's construction, when the gallery was met with open air, astronomers would use the hall to look to sky. The pyramid was buit in line with the constellations, after all. Perhaps something awaits you in the gallery. But now it's time to choose where you'll go in this [[split in the path]]

Seeing an intact ka statue at its place of burial would be an excellent find. You go and take the left path, walking towards the Queen's Chamber. The drawings on the wall all detail the afterlife now. The trials and tribulations that awaits the soul trying to enter it. Proper preparation, including magic and rituals, are needed for the deceased to have a chance at continuing. Many of the depictions involve a jackal headed god. Anpu, the god of mummification. Known as Anubis to the Greeks, He was a psychopomp, one who took the souls of the dead to the afterlife. He was also a judge, weighing the heart of the dead again Ma'at, the concept of truth, symbolised by an ostrich feather. If the heart was lighter than the feather, they were worthy of entering Duat, the realm of the dead. If it was heavier, he would feed the heart to his daughter Ammit, never to reach their next life. He embalmed bodies, and priests would dress in masks of his visage during mummification. But most of all, he was a protector of tombs, even against other gods. Ironic, for a god depicted as a jackal. Either way, you've reached [[the serdab]]

By going through the gallery, you'll find your way to the king's chamber. With luck, the body will still be there in its sarcophagus. You begin your ascent, and the halls start to narrow. There's little room to your sides. The walls come closer and closer, with the hall seemingly growing out. You start to panic, it's as if the walls are going to crush you. [[You need to move on now]], you think. You're breathing grows ragged, and if you dont [[calm down now]], you'll begin to hyperventilate.

Across from you is a path straight into another chamber, what you believe to be the [[Queen's Chamber]]. But if you stray from your current direction, you'll be set on a path further up the incline, most likely to the [[Grand Gallery]]. You need to decide whether to [[Go forward]] or [[Go further upwards]].

It's a beautiful room, limestone and pink granite lining the walls and floors. There aren't any inscriptions, but there is a small niche in a wall. Looking into it, you see a small statue. A foot tall depiction of man made of stone, painted in black and gold. A ka statue. The soul of the pharaoh. A though crosses your mind. What if you were to [[take this statue]]? You'll be able to study it better in the light, and then deliver it immediately to the government for safe keeping. Who knows what could happen to it if you [[let it stay here]]?

$Maat (set: $Maat to 0) You can't let anything to chance. This is a once in a life time opportunity, and you won't let it slip through your fingers. You pick up your pace and walk steadily towards the statue. You reach out your hands, and you can feel the stone on your fingers. [["Who dares disturb this tomb?"]]

$Maat (set: $Maat to 1) As tempting as it is, you can't just take the statue from this room. It feels like...almost graverobbing. You should just let it remain here, and come back with your group to study it properly. Talk to the government to find the best course of action regarding the statue. You're about to leave the room to await your group's arrival, when you hear it. [["Who dares disturb this tomb?"]]

You freeze in your tracks. You slowly turn around to meet the voice's source. You eyes widen in shock at what you see. The god Anpu stands before you. Tall enough to reach the roof of the room, wearing a cloack made from the skin of leopard. A furious gaze stares through you. "Why have you violated this sacred resting place?" You stammer, trying to explain your naivete. "Whether or not you are innocent, we shall see." He grabs your arm, and quickly starts escorting you down a hall you've never seen before. An orange glow grows around you, and you start to feel hotter. Soon you reach your destination, a large room surrounded by a lake of fire. In the center of the room lies a scale, and besides it a terrible demon, with the head of a crocodile, the body of a lion, and the hind legs of a hippopotamus. "We shall weigh your soul to see if you are truly as innocent as you say." He takes a feather in one hand and a heart in the other. Thus begins [[the judgement]]

The god places your heart on the scales. They shake up and down, up and down, until finally, they stay still (if: $Maat is 1) [The heart lies above the feather. You have shown your innocence "It seems I've judged you too quickly. You came in here with pure intentions. My sincerest apologies. I will find a way to reward your pure heart" With that, he vanishes, along with the room. You are back in the serdab. You leave start to leave the pyramid, unsure of what to tell your compatriots] (if: $Maat is 1)[Epilogue:] (if: $Maat is 1)[You spend your years advocating for the care and preservation of the pyramid and its artifacts. You work hard to make sure nothing falls victim to black market dealers. In a way, your almost like the pyramid's second protector.But your days are numbered. You're old now. Bedridden. You close your eyes to drift on to whatever lies next.When next you open them, you see a familiar figure looming over you."I think we can skip the whole scale part, don't you think? Now let's get going. We've prepared place down here for you."] (else: ) [The heart lies lower than the feather. Your guilt is shown. "Just as I thought, just another graverobber here to disturb the dead. Well, we have a method of dealing with the likes of you." The god takes the heart off the scale, and he tosses it towards the beast, which eats it whole. The room around you disappears, leaving you alone with nobody to call out to. Without even having dying, you have experienced the worst fate of the soul] [THE END]

If you stay in here too long, your will surely meet your end. You run as fast as you can towards the king's chamber. There is nothing for you here, but if you can get to the next room, you might be able to get you bearings. You run and run as the walls close in around you. Narrower and narrower. Threatening to swallow you in stone. You finally break through, into [[the next room]]. You live for another day.

Panicking isn't going to do you any good. You take long breaths. In and out. You start to calm down, and your eyes pass over something interesting. A bit of the walls has a gold leaf decor. You point your torch at it, and you find it goes up to the ceiling. It hits you. These gold inlays mimic the stars. They form constellations above you. It's beautiful, a grand secret you were lucky to stumble upon. But you see something else. If this was meant to mimic the constellations, there's something off. A lone star you don't see connected to anything else. Looking carefully, you see it isn't gold, but emerald, and a crack crawls from underneath the gem. You follow this, and see it leads to the wall to your right. The crack stops at [[a random brick]].

In this room of pink granite, there lies treasure all around you. Gold artifacts scattered on the ground. Coins, staves, statues, scrolls. Intricate paintings all around. It's all breathtaking. In the center of the room lies a sarcophagus made of red granite. It seems to be unopened, preserving the corpse of the pharaoh within. You're finally able to calm down, but until your group gets here, you aren't going back into the gallery. For now there's a few things you can do: 1. [[Try and interpret the drawings on the wall]] 2. [[Take stock of the artifacts within the room]] 3. [[Open the sarcophagus]]

$respect (set: $respect to 1) You look at the walls and see a life played out in paint. From birth to death to afterlife, the pharaoh's journey is detailed across the granite. Just who was this man whose grave you now stand in? As you take out your journal to write down your notes, a voice comes from behind you. [["Who are you to stand in the pharaoh's tomb?]]

$respect (set: $respect to 0) Despite the lack of adequate lighting, all the gold glimmers. It all calls to you, begging you to take it into the sun. And why shouldn't you take it?All it will do is gather dust if left here. And who know's what will happen if you take it to the government. You start to line your pockets with coins and fill your pack with statues. When suddenly a voice calls out from behind you. [["Who are you to stand in the pharaoh's tomb?]]

You walk up to the red sarchophagus. Using all your strength, you push the lid off. The stone hits the ground, and you see its contents. A solid gold coffin, with paints of different colors forming a facade of the face of its occupent. [[All you need to do is open the coffin]]

Stopping in your tracks, you turn around to see the imposing figure asking the question. The falcon headed god of the sky Horus stands before you. (if: $respect is 1) [You freeze. You can't think of anything good to say. This force of nature could smite you where you stand. And yet, you don't think he will. All you see is curiousity. No anger, just an honest question. Mustering up your courage, you answer that your here to study the long lost tomb. "Is that all?" he asks. "Well, that seems to me like you'll need some help on your journey. Please, take my blessings with you." A bright light shines from him, and after it dissipates, you see he's vanished. What just happened, you don't know. But you have a feeling everything is going to be okay] (if: $respect is 1) [Epilogue:] (if: $respect is 1) [Your at the airport, having just arrived back to the States from Egypt. You wait for your bag, but it doesn't show up. You see in the courner of your eye, someone with a bag of the same design. You chase after them, but they see you and run. They're almost out the door, but just then, the sliding glass door shuts infront of them. They collide with it, dropping your bag. You go to pick it up, when you see something in the glass. An eye, looking back at you.] (else: ) [You don't know what to say. So you don't say anything. You run past the god, and you don't stop until you exit the pyramid. The next few days are rough. You don't see him again, but out of paranoia, you tell your crew they need to leave. They don't believe you...until they start dropping like flies. One after one, they all die. Freak sandstorms, wild gator attacks, it seems everything is out to get you all. Your the last one alive. You lay in your inn room, awaiting for the next day when you leave Egypt. You get up to go into the bathroom. You wash your face, and in the mirror you see it. An eye staring back at you.]

You slowly lift the top of the coffin off, giddy in anticipation for lies beneath. The lid gently tips over, and you see... nothing. There's nothing within the coffin. No scrolls. No jars. No body. Why would there be a coffin without a body? Did this tomb even ever house a mummy? You mind races, trying to find a logical conclusion, when you feel something touch your back. Your pushed into the coffin. Your too shocked to do anything as the lid closes you in. You start pounding, yelling at your captor, when you hear the stone sarcohagus lid being set ontop. You hit the lid as hard as you can and scream nonstop for help. You hit the lid until your hands start to bleed, and you scream until you voice is hearse. "It's okay," you try to tell yourself. "My crew will be here to save me soon. All I have to do is wait." "All I have to do is wait." "All I have to do is wait." [["All I have to do is wait."]]

[["All I have to do is wait." ]]

THE END

Curious, you touch the stone. You apply some pressure, and it moves. The walls around you shake, and a passage way opens before you. This must be a way to a [[secret chamber]]

In the Great Pyramid of Giza, there lies a part known as the Void. Nobody knows what it is. Nobody's ever reached it. Nobody even knows if it's there intentionally. But now, you might have stumbled upon something. You start walking, and you see the paintings of the wall change. They now depict scholars and priests, writing on papyrus scrolls, all being taught by a lone figure. Thoth, the god of wisdom and magic. With the head of an ibis, he taught the Egyptians his findings, including the writing of hieroglyphs. You enter the chamber, and find a trove of tools. Writing utensils, pestles and mortars, plumb bobs, all set up neatly on tables. In the back of the room lies a peculiar object. A tome, quite thick from what has to be hundreds of pages, wrapped in linen. You slowly walk up to the book, and before you can unwrap it, you hear it. [["Now, who are you?"]]

You drop the tome. Turning around, you see the beaked face of Thoth. You have disturbed his workshop. (if: $artsketch is 1) [While trying to explain yourself, you back up to give yourself some space. While doing so, your backpack falls off, spilling its contents onto the floor. One thing in particular takes the god's eyes. He kneels down to pick up your journal and flips through it. He sees your drawings of the pyramid walls. "I see you're one for discovery." He smiles. He grabs the tome you dropped and hands it to you. "This will suit you well." You take it from his hand. You look up from the book in your hands to thank him, but he's disappeared. Maybe it's best to leave his space for now] (if: $artsketch is 1) [Epilogue:] (if: $artsketch is 1) [After your trip to Egypt, you've starting going around the world, finding treasures and lost monuments for the world to see. Everybody thinks you're the luckiest person in the world, when actually, all you needed to do was ask the right people. Or, in this case, animals. That tome was very special, and it contained information nobody on earth could have taught you. Maybe you'll reveal it some day, but for now, you have to deal with a group of squabbling chimps arguing over the correct directions to an Incan cave network.] (else: ) [Your voice is caught in your throat. You can't explain yourself. Thoth looks unamused. "Oh well," he says, "I could always use a new test subject." The passage way you took slowly shuts itself, never to be reopened] THE END

You make way south, towards town. It may be a bit of a long walk, but there'll be people there that can help. Hour melts into hour, and soon enough the sun disappears to make way for the moon. You finally reach town, and it seems any business died with the sunlight. You walk through the empty streets, hoping to find an inn to stay the night or to find your your friends. You take a shortcut through an alleyway, when you hear crash. Looking behind you, you see a shadow looming. You take the torch in your hand, and contemplate whether or [[not]] you should [[attack your stalker]].

Getting to the river might be your best bet. Even in the storm, you can follow the water to civilization. You set out the east, bracing yourself against the storm. After a few hours, you come across some grass and reads, signifying your arrival. Taking a moment of respite, you sit down at the edge of the water. You're so dreadfully thirsty. Despite your better judgement, you kneel down and cup your hands, scooping the water to drink. It refreshes you, and you continue for a while. Until you see it. In the water, in front of you, lies a crocodile. Its piercing yellow glare aimed at you. You only have a few moments to decide. Will you [[run away]] or will you [[stay perfectly still]].

There's no time to think, soon enough the storm will just envelop you. You decide to move west, hoping to get out soon. So you trek out into the desert, [[walking west]].

$cat (set: $cat to 1) You decide you should just turn around and confront this person. There is no reason to believe they want to hurt you. They could just be as lost as you are. You turn around, and what you see just makes you feel silly, It's a cat. The shadow was just a cat on some trash cans. It mewls, and chuckling, you walk up to it to pet the cute kitten. Its midnight fur feels soft under your fingers, and it purrs at your touch. It tires of this soon, however, and jumps of the trash can to leave. You get the idea that its time for you to do the same, and you hear [[a woman's voice humming from outside the alleyway]]

$cat (set: $cat to 0) This might be a mugger, you think. Its best to attack now and ask for forgiveness later. Steadying you heart, you take a quick breath and turn around, throwing your torch at your stalker. A hiss is what you get in return. It seems as though your stalker was merely a stray alley cat. Feeling sheepish, you think its time to leave this alley, and you hear a [[a woman's voice humming from outside the alleyway]].

Walking out the alleyway, you see a small stone building, only a single floor, with light pouring out of the window. You walk up to the door, and you find it's unlocked. You open the door slightly, and ask for permission to enter. "Please, come in," says a welcoming voice. You enter, and see a woman wearing a cloak sitting infront of the fireplace. Her back is turned from you, so you can't see her face. "Do have a seat," she says. You sit down, and under the table, you hear a noise. Looking underneath, you see a black cat, similar to the one you saw outside. "He told me much about you," the woman says. She stands up and disrobes, revealing a feline head. Towering above you is the goddess of protection Bast. "Now, what should [[we do with you]]?"

[[And walking west]].

[[And walking west. ]]

You start to feel as if there's no end to this storm, as if the whole world was subject to it. Before you can give up and let the sand take you, you spot a figure in the storm. You start to run, thinking you may have just found aid in this harsh land. You stop dead in your tracks, looking up to what you thing has to be [[a hallucination]].

A 12 foot tall man with the head of canine stands before you, holding a spear in his hands. Set, the god of storms. You looks down at you with a bemused smile. "So, what have we here? A mortal seeking glory, only to find themself at the mercy of that they had no respect for." You're panicing. It's obvious he can kill you at any point. And that would be merciful. You can try to [[plead for mercy]] or you can [[fight back]] against all odds.

You fall on your knees and beg for your life, promising to worship the god before you. "This is pathetic, you know that, right? Trying to carry my favor by promising to abandon all your prior beliefs? You couldn't begin to understand the amount of times some mortal tried to pull that on me. But for now, I suppose I can let you live. Just know I won't take that back." The god disappears, leaving you alone in the the storm. What did he mean by that? You get to walking, and although it feels like its been hours and you continue to walk the same direction, you make no progress in escaping the storm. You walk and walk, and although you never stop, you can never escape the storm. And you never will. THE END

You decide, in a moment of panic induced idiocy, that your best course of action was to take your pack and through it at the god. It hits his chest, but he doesn't even flinch. Instead he laughts. "Ahahaha! You must be the bravest mortal I've ever seen, or the most foolish! But I suppose you didn't get here by making wise decisions, now did you? Either way, you've entertained me, and so I will let you go with my blessing. You seem the type the needs it." He disappears into the storm around you, and the winds begin to settle. Where he once stood is his spear, gold glistening in the sun. You take it, not knowing what to tell the others. Epilogue: Your trip to Egypt was an interesting one. The spear was unaccounted for in the official inventory of the pyramid's treasures, and so it ended up in your personal collection. You've ended up in a comfortable position, ending up as the new museum currator after your boss suddenly fell ill and died. Tragic, really. But it made sense for you to take his place. After all, you've added so much to these museum's halls through your research. Of course, when your partners wanted to take more than their fair share of the credit, they were found dead under horrible circumstances, but that's neither here nor there. What matters now is that your currently in a struggle to expand your Egyptian wing with the help of the Egyptian government against a rival museum. But you have the feeling you'll be the last one standing in this argument. THE END

You need to get away from this beast. If you stay for even a single second, it will kill you. You jump up to run away, but before you can get anywhere, the crocodile bites your leg. You yell out in pain and trip, hitting the grassy floor. The crocodile starts to drag you into the water while you futilely try and grab on to anything to keep you on dry land. The croc lets go for a second and bits your upper thigh, yanking you harder into the river. With a single last scream, you are submerged. Never to be seen again. THE END

There's no way you can outrun the crocodile. As soon as you move, you're dead. It's better if you stay still and wait for the croc to get bored. And so you wait. The two of you don't take your eyes off each other, playing a morbid staring contest. Your eyes start watering, irritated. You try to keep it up, but you blink. You keep your eyes closed, afraid of what will happen next, but you slowly open them over what you hear next. The crocodile is laughing. The beast stands up, breaking the water and revealing a body of a man. Sobek, the Lord of Faiyum, of crops and fertility, looks down at you. "You must not fear death if your willing to have a staring contest with a crocodile. Not many men are as brave as you are, at least that I come across. Tell you what, I give you my blessings. Just follow the Nile, and you'll reach your people." With that, he slinks back into the water, leaving you alone on the river bank. Though you don't know what'll come next, you walk along the river, certain your safety has been promised. Epilogue: It's been years since your encounter in Egypt, and you've long since retired from the archaeology business. Your content with living the rest of your life with your family. You have many wonderful, brilliant children. The eldest is a doctor, your middle child is a Navy officer, and the youngest wants to become an archaeologist, just like you were. But now you live on a beautiful farm, with the best tasting crops anyone has ever had. THE END

(if: $cat is 1) [You sit in shock, not knowing what to do with this development. "Now, don't be scared. This little one told me you were a bit lost, weren't you? Why don't I help you get on your way now? Take my blessing, and see that it will help you on your journey." With that, the light in the fireplace dies, and she disappears with it. The cat leaves the suddenly open door, and you have the feeling you're supposed to follow it. This, you think, is the beginning of something truly strange] (if: $cat is 1) [Epilogue:] (if: $cat is 1) [You're walking to your job at the museum. It's a nice autumn morning, but you don't have time for that, as you're running a bit late. You try a shortcut between two buildings. "Stop right there," a man yells. He points a knife your way. "Give me your wallet, right now," he demands. Before things can escalate, a cat falls from a nearby window sill. It scratches at his eyes, forcing him to drop his knife. You take this time to leave, not wanting to be anymore late. This kind of thing has been happening lately. A cat trips up someone you don't like. Bits of jewelry, and sometimes dead birds, show up at your doorstep. Sometimes they'll even show you a quick way through town, which is how you found this place. You look over your shoulder, seeing the cat climbing back to its window, looking at back you.] (else: ) ["My darling has told me that you hurt him." You try to explain it was an accident, but it's futile. "It's bad luck to cross a black cat, you know. Let's show you what happens when someone disrespects my children." With that, more cats appear. At the windows, the door, out of every nook and cranny of the building. The cats come closer, a hungry look in their eyes.] THE END