366 days after a wizard cursed the REALM…
Current Version:
A somber ceremony marked the one-year anniversary of the Wordler Village curse. It had been a year of courage and bravery for those chosen to undertake the quests necessary to protect the village, but it had also been a year of sacrifice.
Ellie bowed her head as the big screen played a tribute to Wordler 304, who had gotten herself trapped in the FOYER. Failing to bring home a Word of Power on that day, she had sacrificed herself to the curse rather than allow its destructive power to descend upon the entire village.
Now it was Ellie’s turn to quest as Wordler 366. Her success would buy the land another day, but a failure would be a disaster.
“You will go north,” the QUEEN told her.
“I will go east,” 366 stated.
The QUEEN frowned. “Our sense is that the answer lies northward. You should listen to our guidance. Many Wordlers have found good counsel in our navigational sense.”
“Respectfully, Your Majesty, this is my quest and I will carry it out in my own way.”
The QUEEN sighed. “Very well.”
366 marched off to the eastern road, through a gauntlet of Wordlers who advised her to listen to the QUEEN, but 366 was determined to make her own way. After all, 304 had listened to the QUEEN, and look where it had gotten her?
However, 304 had at least been able to find the FOYER, while 366 soon lost all sense of direction.
“Maps! Maps for sale!” called a convenient traveling merchant.
“Did the QUEEN send you? Tell her that some Wordlers don’t need her advice,” said 366. “Wordler 354 didn’t need a map. Her Word of Power was TRAIT, which she found by looking inside herself.”
“For your quest, you require information,” said the merchant. “Take a map, incorporate it into your thoughts, and you will find your Word.”
“Fine,” said 366, and as soon as she looked at the map, she knew. The QUEEN and the merchant were right.
Web3 Draft:
Revision Notes:
To be added.
