stop-the-play

[stop-the-play]

> [Take the blade]

You take the blade from the table. It would be difficult to You take the blade from the table. It would be difficult to You take the blade from the table. It would—

VOICE OF THE HERO: Aaaand we're done here.

Thanks.

VOICE OF THE HERO: Don't mention it.

As soon as the blade is in your hand, the doors swing open, as though inviting you to the basement below.

> [Enter the basement]

You step through the doors and onto an elegant, carpeted stairway, crafted from the same dark wood as the rest of the cabin. What dim light managed to reach the first floor is even fainter now, fading away as the stairs turn out of sight.

It smells like... nothing. There is no scent you can discern, not even that of the wood surrounding you. If If If If If—

VOICE OF THE HERO: If there is something alive down there, we're well able to deal with it.

VOICE OF THE MEEK: If whatever's down there is alive, we might be able to reason with it.

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: It doesn't matter what's down there. We still have to do the same thing either way.

As if on cue, you hear... a noise.

"IsYourllo?eethere?notherchoesagain?Please,low.down!fraid,makelitselfone. home!"

VOICE OF THE MEEK: ...What? What was that?

VOICE OF THE HERO: I guess that... really doesn't explain anything.

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: We didn't need an explanation. What we need is to keep going.

VOICE OF THE MEEK: Or.

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: Not this again.

VOICE OF THE HERO: Look, we all agreed we need to be doing this.

VOICE OF THE MEEK: Some of us agreed under duress.

VOICE OF THE MEEK: You don't have to do this, you know that? You've still got a chance to back out. We can go away from the scary noise and live the rest of our life without being ripped to shreds.

VOICE OF THE HERO: What? No, you can't!

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: How long is 'the rest of our life' supposed to be? The. World. Ends. We saw it happen.

VOICE OF THE MEEK: No, we didn't! We saw him die! And you don't even know for a fact why that happened!

VOICE OF THE MEEK: You don't have to do everything they say. You still have a choice.

Choices:

(Meek) Oh, thank goodness. I really don't want to do this. [Turn around and leave]

It's going to be fine. Noises can't hurt us. [Continue down the stairs]

"Hello to you, too!" [Continue down the stairs]

Okay. To the point of no return we go. [Continue down the stairs]

[Silently continue down the stairs]

The anti-gerrymandering rule is not in effect here. Whichever single option wins will win regardless.

[stop-the-play]

> (Explore) If there were a mirror, where would it be?

VOICE OF THE HERO: And why wouldn't we be able to see it?

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: I don't know. Maybe it's because if you could see it, you'd want to waste time looking at it.

VOICE OF THE MEEK: Well, we're about to spend a lot more time arguing about whether there is or isn't a mirror and whether it is or isn't important. Besides, I can see it, and I want to know what's in it.

VOICE OF THE HERO: Okay, so where is this 'mirror,' then?

VOICE OF THE MEEK: It's right next to the doorway. Opposite side from the table, I mean.

There is not a mirror to the left of the doorway. There's the table, the blade sitting on the table, and the double doors leading to the basement. There is nothing else in here.

VOICE OF THE MEEK: There's a mirror. At least I can see a mirror, and I think I'd rather interpret that to mean there is a mirror than the alternative.

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: That at least is a good point. If we can't trust our senses this early, it'll be much harder to get out of here alive.

VOICE OF THE HERO: So... what? We go to check it out? Fumble around for something we can't see?

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: As long as you can be quick about it.

> [Approach the mirror]

You walk up to the wall next to the doors. It's a wall. There isn't much to see here.

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: And here it is.

VOICE OF THE MEEK: You really can't see it?

VOICE OF THE HERO: No. Can you?

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: Why would I waste time by lying to you for fun? There's a mirror.

VOICE OF THE MEEK: But it's kind of... oh, why did I bring this up in the first place...

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: Yeah, why did you?

VOICE OF THE MEEK: Because it was there and he didn't mention it, okay? You can't say you didn't also think that was strange.

VOICE OF THE HERO: All right, let's not fight. The mirror's kind of what?

VOICE OF THE MEEK: It's... kind of... dirty.

VOICE OF THE HERO: What?

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: It's dirty. Can't see a reflection in it.

VOICE OF THE MEEK: I can't tell if it's smudged or dusty or just fogged up, but I think you need to... wipe it clean.

VOICE OF THE HERO: And this isn't a trick to make us look like an idiot?

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: Do you think I also want to look like an idiot?

VOICE OF THE HERO: ...I guess not. All right then. Let's get this all over with.

> [Wipe the mirror clean]

You reach forward and rub your hand against the cabin wall, fully aware of how ridiculous you look.

VOICE OF THE HERO: We did get it, right? Because it felt like we just rubbed our hand over wooden planks.

VOICE OF THE MEEK: Yeah, funny, that...

VOICE OF THE HERO: Please don't tell me this all really was some kind of joke.

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: Be a big waste of time for something with barely any payoff. The mirror just... vanished.

VOICE OF THE HERO: What.

VOICE OF THE MEEK: It just disappeared! As soon as your hand would have made contact, it... went away.

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: At least we can stop wasting time and actually do what we came here for.

VOICE OF THE MEEK: I feel so much worse now, though. I hate this. I never should have brought it up.

VOICE OF THE HERO: It's fine. No real harm done, right? Let's just grab our blade and see what we're dealing with.

[stop-the-play]

> I want you to know the only reason I'm doing this is because I apparently die if I don't. [Continue to the cabin]

VOICE OF THE HERO: That's okay. As long as the world is saved, it doesn't really matter why.

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: As long as we live, it doesn't matter what his motivations are.

VOICE OF THE MEEK: And as long as we're killed for exercising free will, the only way we can live is to go to the cabin.

You make your way up the short path to the cabin. You'll find You make your way up the short path to the cabin. You'll find You make your way up the short path to the cabin. You'll find

The only thing you know for certain is this: You're on a path in the woods. And at the end of that path is a cabin. And in the basement of that cabin is a You make your way up the short path to the cabin. You'll find the You're here to The only thing you know for certain is—

VOICE OF THE HERO: I'm going to cut you off here, mate.

> [Proceed into the cabin]

The interior of the cabin is dim yet polished, the dark wood of the walls gleaming with care. Something about the space makes you feel almost drawn to the wood-panelled doors at the far wall. The only furniture of note is a wooden table with an almost hypnotic pattern of lines carved into its surface, a pristine blade sitting invitingly at its center.

The blade is your implement. You'll need it if you want to do this right.

VOICE OF THE MEEK: Look, big man, I don't tell you how to internally monologue, but are you sure there isn't anything else here worth paying mind to?

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: Does it matter if he left something out? We don't need anything besides the blade.

VOICE OF THE MEEK: It matters to me...!

VOICE OF THE HERO: What are you two talking about? He got everything, didn't he? The table, the blade, the doorway...

VOICE OF THE HERO: (teasingly) ...Wait. Is it the windows?

VOICE OF THE MEEK: I don't know if I'd say 'windows'—that's not important. I'm talking about the mirror.

VOICE OF THE HERO: ...What mirror?

VOICE OF THE MEEK: You're joking, right? There's a mirror. Right there.

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: And he can't see it. Is this really worth wasting so much time on?

VOICE OF THE MEEK: It is if not all of us can see it! I mean, I know I can see it. You... you see it, right?

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: Does it matter?

VOICE OF THE MEEK: ...You see it. I think.

VOICE OF THE MEEK: But if our 'hero' can't... big man. Help me out here. Do you or do you not see a mirror?

You do not see a mirror. There is no mirror.

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: See? It isn't important.

Choices:

(Explore) If there were a mirror, where would it be?

(Explore) [Take the blade]

[Enter the basement]

[stop-the-play]

> (Explore) No, no, he might have a point. How do we know that whoever put us here is actually trustworthy?

VOICE OF THE MEEK: See, he agrees with me! We aren't just going to agree to the first goal that someone puts in our head!

VOICE OF THE HERO: Then what's the alternative? What are we supposed to believe, if we aren't going to trust the monologue? We already know he dies if we try to abandon this.

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: Unless you want to bring about the end of the world?

VOICE OF THE MEEK: Obviously I don't. I just don't think we should be jumping to conclusions this early. We don't even know what's in the cabin, much less whether we actually need to 'destroy it.'

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: Then why don't we stop wasting time and go find out?

VOICE OF THE HERO: Yeah. Seems like that's the one thing we can all agree on, right?

VOICE OF THE MEEK: Maybe it is.

Choices:

(Explore) Do I really have to destroy something? Is there not an alternative?

(Explore) So I go to the cabin, see what's there, and then 'destroy it?' I guess that sounds straightforward enough.

Back to the stage. [Continue to the cabin]

(Explore) Doesn't something about this feel wrong to you?

Yeah. Okay. Let's go save the world. [Continue to the cabin]

Ugh, fine. But I've got a bad feeling about this. [Continue to the cabin]

I want you to know the only reason I'm doing this is because I apparently die if I don't. [Continue to the cabin]

[Silently continue to the cabin]

You can't make me do anything. [Turn around and leave]

[stop-the-play]

> (Explore) You keep talking about 'saving the world,' but... what are we even saving it from? How is this thing in the basement supposed to end everything?

VOICE OF THE HERO: I don't know. You're the one with the monologue, so if anyone knows, it'd be you.

VOICE OF THE MEEK: If it really is going to end everything.

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: Does it matter how it's going to end the world? The important thing is that it's going to. It's dangerous, and we need to stop it.

VOICE OF THE HERO: He's right. There's plenty of ways the world could end if something wanted to end it. Does it really matter what we're saving the world from?

VOICE OF THE MEEK: Of course it matters! Maybe whatever's in the basement can be reasoned with! Or, or, maybe this 'end of the world' isn't actually what it's being made out to be! We don't know either way!

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: In what way could the 'end of the world' not be the end of the world?

VOICE OF THE MEEK: Well... maybe... I don't know... maybe it's not the end of the world so much as the dawn of a different world! Or maybe it's a figurative 'end of the world' for someone, and maybe that someone isn't actually a great person! Could be a bunch of things! We don't know!

VOICE OF THE HERO: Do you actually believe any of that, or are you just grasping for excuses not to go back to the cabin?

VOICE OF THE MEEK: Well—I mean—I—

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: Clearly he has no idea what he's talking about. Let's just ignore him and get a move on.

Choices:

(Explore) No, no, he might have a point. How do we know that whoever put us here is actually trustworthy?

(Explore) Do I really have to destroy something? Is there not an alternative?

(Explore) So I go to the cabin, see what's there, and then 'destroy it?' I guess that sounds straightforward enough.

Back to the stage. [Continue to the cabin]

(Explore) Doesn't something about this feel wrong to you?

Yeah. Okay. Let's go save the world. [Continue to the cabin]

Ugh, fine. But I've got a bad feeling about this. [Continue to the cabin]

I want you to know the only reason I'm doing this is because I apparently die if I don't. [Continue to the cabin]

[Silently continue to the cabin]

You can't make me do anything. [Turn around and leave]

[stop-the-play]

> (Explore) Wait. If the world really ended this time, then how am I back here?

VOICE OF THE HERO: Um,

VOICE OF THE MEEK: You know, that's a good point! We're still here, the world's still here... I mean, the rest of us didn't even die until you narrated us into it, 'hero.' I never saw the world end.

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: That doesn't mean it never will. We got lucky the first time.

VOICE OF THE HERO: He's right. We've got a second chance now, but that doesn't mean we can risk wasting it. We don't know if we'll be allowed to have a third.

VOICE OF THE MEEK: Yeah, but a second chance for what?

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: For not dying.

VOICE OF THE HERO: And saving the world. You know, the task we were sent here for in the first place.

Choices:

(Explore) You keep talking about 'saving the world,' but... what are we even saving it from? How is this thing in the basement supposed to end everything?

(Explore) Do I really have to destroy something? Is there not an alternative?

(Explore) So I go to the cabin, see what's there, and then 'destroy it?' I guess that sounds straightforward enough.

Back to the stage. [Continue to the cabin]

(Explore) Doesn't something about this feel wrong to you?

Yeah. Okay. Let's go save the world. [Continue to the cabin]

Ugh, fine. But I've got a bad feeling about this. [Continue to the cabin]

I want you to know the only reason I'm doing this is because I apparently die if I don't. [Continue to the cabin]

[Silently continue to the cabin]

You can't make me do anything. [Turn around and leave]

[stop-the-play]

> (Explore) But I don't even know anything about what's in there!

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: Then you find out.

VOICE OF THE HERO: We do know it's a danger to the world. And that we ought to be capable of destroying it if we try.

VOICE OF THE MEEK: We don't know that last part.

VOICE OF THE HERO: Someone trusted that we were.

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: And we've already established that it's worse if we don't try. There's no point in waffling around about it.

VOICE OF THE MEEK: We've established that one of our options is worse. We don't know for a fact that we have to destroy it, or even that we can trust whoever put us here!

VOICE OF THE HERO: If we can't trust them, who can we trust?

VOICE OF THE MEEK: ...I don't know.

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: It doesn't matter who we can or can't trust. The only thing that matters is making sure we don't die of the world ending.

VOICE OF THE HERO: I suppose that's a way to put it. Anyway, let's find out what's actually in the cabin, all right?

Choices:

(Explore) Do I really have to destroy something? Is there not an alternative?

(Explore) So I go to the cabin, see what's there, and then 'destroy it?' I guess that sounds straightforward enough.

Back to the stage. [Continue to the cabin]

(Explore) Doesn't something about this feel wrong to you?

(Explore) Wait. If the world really ended last time, then how am I back here?

Yeah. Okay. Let's go. [Continue to the cabin]

Ugh, fine. But I've got a bad feeling about this. [Continue to the cabin]

I want you to know the only reason I'm doing this is because I apparently die if I don't. [Continue to the cabin]

[Silently continue to the cabin]

You can't make me do anything. [Turn around and leave]

[stop-the-play]

> (Explore) Can we... talk about last time for a bit, first?

VOICE OF THE HERO: Yeah. Though I'm not sure there's much to talk about.

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: Would you like to start before or after you died?

VOICE OF THE HERO: Could you cool it a bit? At least now we know not to wander off again. On account of it kills us.

VOICE OF THE MEEK: I didn't even notice when you died. You just... faded away. Left me trapped in there with these two.

VOICE OF THE HERO: Which, let me be clear: You're not allowed to stop talking anymore. I want proof you're still alive at all times.

Um, okay??

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: And you're not allowed to back out again. You're going to go to the cabin, and you're going to destroy whatever's in there.

VOICE OF THE MEEK: Wait, hold on. We never agreed on this!

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: We did. Just now.

VOICE OF THE HERO: Yeah, I think you're outvoted, mate. We're here for a reason, and we aren't going to shirk it.

VOICE OF THE HERO: Besides. What if what happened last time was the 'end of the world?' Do you really want to go through that again because you decided to give pacifism a spin?

VOICE OF THE MEEK: But—I mean—we don't even know if we're still supposed to 'destroy' anything! You heard his monologue this time! He didn't say 'destroy' once!

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: He didn't say anything meaningful. Which means we assume the last thing he said that was is still in effect.

VOICE OF THE MEEK: (Grumbling, 'last thing he said...')

VOICE OF THE HERO: Right. So we're all on the same page?

Choices:

(Explore) But I don't even know anything about what's in there!

(Explore) Do I really have to destroy something? Is there not an alternative?

(Explore) So I go to the cabin and then. Figure out what to do from there?

Back to the stage. [Continue to the cabin]

Yeah. Okay. Let's go. [Continue to the cabin]

Ugh, fine. But I've got a bad feeling about this. [Continue to the cabin]

I want you to know the only reason I'm doing this is because I apparently die if I don't. [Continue to the cabin]

[Silently continue to the cabin]

You can't make me do anything. [Turn around and leave]

[stop-the-play]

Scene II: The Play

You're on a path in the woods. And at the end of that path is a cabin. And in the basement of that cabin is You're on a path in the woods. And at the end of that path is a cabin. And in the basement of that cabin is You're on a path in the woods. And at the end of that path is a cabin. And in the basement of that cabin is You're on a path in the woods. And at the end of that path is a cabin. And in the basement of that cabin is

You're here to You're on a path in the woods. And at the end of that path is a cabin. And in the basement of that cabin is

If you don't, it will be the end of the world. You're on a path in the woods. And at the end of that path is a You're here to And in the basement of that You're here to is a If you don't, it will be the end of the world.

You're on a path in the woods. And at the end of that path is a cabin. And in the basement of that cabin is You're on a path in the woods. And at the end of that path is a cabin. And in the basement of that cabin is—

VOICE OF THE HERO: SNAP OUT OF IT!

You snap out of it.

VOICE OF THE HERO: Glad to have you back, but... are you okay?

> (Explore) Why wouldn't I be okay?

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: Should I make a list?

VOICE OF THE MEEK: Starting with how you died?

VOICE OF THE HERO: Please don't go silent on us again like that. That was... terrifying.

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: And don't try to wander off into the woods again.

VOICE OF THE HERO: Seconded.

VOICE OF THE MEEK: I think I have to say thirded.

VOICE OF THE HERO: But you're not dead anymore, and neither are we. So let's get to that cabin, for real this time.

Choices:

(Explore) But I don't even know anything about what's in there!

(Explore) Do I... what am I even supposed to do? I don't know what I'm supposed to do.

(Explore) So we go to the cabin and... and what? What are we even here for?

No point in a preamble. Let's just cut it. [Continue to the cabin]

(Explore) Can we... talk about last time for a bit, first?

Yeah. Okay. Let's go. [Continue to the cabin]

Ugh, fine. But I've got a bad feeling about this. [Continue to the cabin]

I hate this. I don't want to do this. I don't even know what it is I'm doing. [Continue to the cabin]

[Silently continue to the cabin]

No. I'm not doing this, and you can't make me. [Turn around and leave]

[stop-the-play]

> Those are just words. I'm not even the one who decided I should say them. In fact, I'm not just going to ignore them—I'm going to drop the monologue entirely. And leave the path. That's also important.

VOICE OF THE HERO: Wh—can you even do that?

...

VOICE OF THE MEEK: It looks like he can.

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: I hope, when this is all over, dying turns out to be worth it.

...

VOICE OF THE HERO: I think you've made your point, mate. You can pick the monologue back up again.

VOICE OF THE MEEK: Yeah. It's starting to feel... kind of empty. And, I mean, I don't really get how your whole monologuing thing works, but... can't you just ignore what you're 'supposed' to say and narrate however you want?

VOICE OF THE HERO: At least bother to describe the woods as you trudge off into them.

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: Do you think he's paying any attention to us?

...

VOICE OF THE MEEK: Hey. Can you say something? Anything? Monologue, nonmonologue...

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: Gloat about our impending death...

VOICE OF THE HERO: Are you... can you even hear us?

...

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: You haven't off and died on us, have you?

...

VOICE OF THE MEEK: Oh, god, I think he's actually dead.

VOICE OF THE HERO: No, that can't be right. He can't have died. I mean, we're still. Breathing. Are we?

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: Are we?

...

VOICE OF THE HERO: He actually is dead.

VOICE OF THE MEEK: W-what do we do now? Can we. Do something about him?

VOICE OF THE HERO: And how are we still here, if he's dead?

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: I'm more surprised he managed to die before the end of the world.

...

VOICE OF THE HERO: What are we supposed to do? He's the one who understood all of this.

VOICE OF THE HERO: More than any of us, at least.

...

VOICE OF THE MEEK: Do we just wait here forever?

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: No, that can't be right. There has to be a way out of this.

VOICE OF THE MEEK: Like what? I'm open to any options you have, but I don't think we're able to do anything like this!

VOICE OF THE HERO: We could die.

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED AND VOICE OF THE MEEK: WHAT?

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: Have you forgotten that dying is bad?

VOICE OF THE MEEK: I think that's the opposite of what we want to do right now!

VOICE OF THE HERO: Look. Hear me out, okay? It seems to me that right now, our options are hanging around a frozen corpse waiting for the world to end, or quitting early.

VOICE OF THE HERO: We die either way. It's just a matter of how long we have to stay here, doing nothing, before we do.

VOICE OF THE MEEK: You have a point...

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: No, there must be a way out of this. We have to be able to avoid dying somehow.

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: Can one of us take over?

VOICE OF THE HERO: Maybe if we had a living body. But I don't think it'll work any more.

VOICE OF THE MEEK: ...

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: ...

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: ...Fine. If you think you can get us to die, go right ahead.

VOICE OF THE HERO: All right. I'll do my best.

VOICE OF THE HERO: ...

VOICE OF THE HERO: You... die. You stop existing. The world ends.

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: What are you trying to do?

VOICE OF THE HERO: I'm trying to narrate. Like he would. Maybe that's what makes things happen in this place. I don't know, do any of you have a better idea?

VOICE OF THE MEEK: Try being more... descriptive? When he was narrating, he wasn't this... blunt.

VOICE OF THE HERO: Okay. Here goes.

VOICE OF THE HERO: As you trudge off into the woods, you find experience... fades. And the further you go, the more your awareness wanes, until you are no longer able to move your legs, to pull air into your lungs.

VOICE OF THE HERO: Eventually, you are left standing still in the middle of the forest, with no one around to watch you die.

VOICE OF THE MEEK: Do we not count as 'someone?'

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: Ssh.

VOICE OF THE HERO: The world ends. Everything goes dark, and you die.

(This is the end.)

[stop-the-play]

> [Turn around (again) and leave (again)]

VOICE OF THE HERO: You know this is the wrong thing to do, right? We're a hero. We're supposed to save the world, not give up immediately and leave it to ruin.

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: And you also know that we're about to kill ourselves in the process. You do know that, right?

> No, I think I could survive the end of the world. I'm cool like that.

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: Wh—what—

VOICE OF THE HERO: This really isn't the time for jokes, mate.

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: The end of the world means the end of the world! You don't just get to decide it doesn't apply to you!

VOICE OF THE MEEK: ...I don't think we can stop him at this point...

You turn around and trek back down the path you came.

And you arrive at the cabin, yet again! Normally, you would never fall into the trap of superstition or astrology, but it seems almost as though the universe itself is aligning you into your destined path. Perhaps you really should go in. You want to go in.

VOICE OF THE HERO: Maybe you should listen to your own monologue.

Choices:

You should go in. You want to go in.

Those are just words. I'm not even the one who decided I should say them. In fact, I'm not just going to ignore them—I'm going to drop the monologue entirely. And leave the path. That's also important.

[stop-the-play]

> I'm actually pretty okay with the world ending. I relish the coming of a new dawn beyond our own. Gonna go walk in the opposite direction now!

VOICE OF THE HERO: Are you sure there's going to be a 'new dawn' if the world ends? I think if that were to happen, it'd mean the world hadn't actually ended

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: Even if there were a 'new dawn,' what makes you think you'd get to be alive to see it?

VOICE OF THE MEEK: I don't know! Maybe he's right to do this! Maybe we're flinging ourselves into potential death either way, and this is the one he thinks we're more likely to make it through.

VOICE OF THE HERO: It isn't, though.

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: The end of the world means the end of the world. And everything in it, which in case you've forgotten, includes us.

VOICE OF THE HERO: And if you'd only try to do the task we've been given, I'm sure you'd find it's a lot easier than you think.

You ignore the voices and turn away, heading down the path into the woods until the cabin is well out of view.

VOICE OF THE HERO: It's not too late to turn around and go back to the cabin. We can still fix this.

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: You're making a mistake.

But you refuse to listen to them, and you keep walking, until the trees part and reveal something at the other end of the path.

It's the cabin.

VOICE OF THE HERO: How...?

VOICE OF THE HERO: Never mind. As far as I'm concerned, this is a gift. Let's not waste any more time.

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: Yes. Let's not.

VOICE OF THE MEEK: You guys see how weird this is, right? This isn't normal. This isn't how things are meant to work.

Choices:

Okay, fine. If the cabin wants me to go so bad, I might as well see why.

[Turn around (again) and leave (again)]

[stop-the-play]

> (Explore) Do you think we should try to put together a plan first? I mean... we don't even know how we're supposed to destroy it.

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: And we're not going to learn out here. If we stay here and theorise, we're just going to waste time. The only strategy we need right now is to end things as quickly as we can.

VOICE OF THE HERO: I agree. Maybe we can reassess things at the cabin. It ought to get a little more clear once we're there, right?

VOICE OF THE MEEK: You two are very keen on this destruction thing. You know we don't even know what's in there, right?

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: And when we do find out? What does that change?

VOICE OF THE MEEK: Well... trying to destroy it might go badly, is all.

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: Then we make sure it doesn't.

> (Explore) Hey, do you remember anything?

VOICE OF THE HERO: Remember? Uh...

The voice thinks for a moment.

VOICE OF THE HERO: Do you mean remember anything specific, or just in general?

Just in general.

VOICE OF THE HERO: In that case... no, I guess. Why? Am I supposed to remember something?

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: Does it matter? Would it change anything if I said I did?

VOICE OF THE MEEK: I don't remember anything either, but I do recognise these woods. Like it makes sense that we're here.

They don't have any memory, either. You're not sure whether that should be comforting or worrying to you. On the one hand, you're at least in the same boat when it comes to your absence of backstory, but on the other you really would have liked it if at least one of you had any idea how you came to be on this path in the first place, or where this woods was, or what the outside world was like.

Or your name. In the shock of everything else, you hadn't noticed the absence of something so small, but... you don't know your own name.

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: Is it really that important if we do or don't remember anything? We're still here either way. We still need to stop the world from ending. So unless you happen to remember anything that might help us, let's get going.

> Oh, we'll get a move on, all right. [Turn around and leave]

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: WHAT? NO!

VOICE OF THE HERO: Look. Mate. I get that you're worried. But you can't just give up before you've even given it a try!

VOICE OF THE MEEK: 'Giving it a try' might kill us. If he wants to leave, I'm with him.

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: You do know the world is going to end if you do this, right? The world and by extension us. Even if we 'might die' in the cabin, we're definitely going to die if we don't go at all.

VOICE OF THE MEEK: ...You don't know that. Maybe it's not true.

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: Do you? Are you willing to risk your life for this?

VOICE OF THE MEEK: ...

Choices:

Okay, okay. I won't actually leave. Let's... go save the world?

All right! I get it! Going to the cabin now! But I hope you don't expect me to be entirely on board with all of... this.

We're only 'risking our lives' if this world-ending threat is actually real. Maybe it's not! And maybe I don't want to engage with it either way!

I'm actually pretty okay with the world ending. I relish the coming of a new dawn beyond our own. Gonna go walk in the opposite direction now!

No, I think I could survive the end of the world. I'm cool like that.

But consider: What if there's something really, really cool at the other end of the path?

[Quietly continue down the path away from the cabin]

[stop-the-play]

> (Explore) Doesn't something feel... wrong? I mean besides the quest. This world feels off, somehow.

VOICE OF THE HERO: Really? I'm not noticing anything. Maybe it's just nerves, this big a task is bound to affect people. Once we're done, I'm sure it'll feel a lot better.

VOICE OF THE MEEK: I'm... pretty sure that 'off' feeling you're talking about is just the fact that we're probably going to end up in a bad spot if we actually go through with all of this.

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: There's nothing wrong.

VOICE OF THE MEEK: Well, yeah, not yet.

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: Sure. With that attitude, there probably will be unless you shape up.

You wish you could be as dismissive as that. Or, barring that, that you could believe the others, that you could chalk everything up to anxiety.

But the air feels different than you would expect from a forest. Stagnant. And the more you search your memories—search for your memories—the more certain you are that you have none from before this moment.

And you can almost see the holes in the script you've been given. They're bleeding.

None of them can see something's off, can they? Maybe they're right and you're making all this up. But you doubt that. They must just not have the perspective you do. Maybe it's because they're only voices inside your head, and they can't feel the outside world as clearly as you do. Maybe it's because they don't have any reason to expect different from this world—though why would you, if you don't have any memories? Maybe you're the only one who knows that there's a script and can see where its writer left blanks.

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: Psst. Why are you just staring off into space like that? We need to get a move on.

Choices:

(Explore) Because something is very wrong and I'm the only one who gets it, okay? I mean—I have to save the world today, and I don't even know how I'm supposed to do it!

(Explore) Do you think we should try to put together a plan first? I mean... we don't even know how we're supposed to destroy it.

(Explore) Doesn't this feel really suspicious to you?

(Explore) Hey, do you remember anything?

(Explore) Do you think there's a better way to do this? Something... safer? Less violent?

Don't worry, I'm going! Just looking forward to saving the world! [Continue to the cabin]

You're right. Let's get moving. [Continue to the cabin]

Fine. I'll go to the cabin. But we're talking more once we're there. [Continue to the cabin]

[Silently continue to the cabin]

Oh, we'll get a move on, all right. [Turn around and leave]

[stop-the-play]

> (Explore) So that's it? I kill something to save the world? ...Is there a catch?

But as you try to think about what that catch might be, your mind... comes up blank. Knowledge repeats itself.

You're here to

[DESTROY SOMETHING DANGEROUS]

and save the world. That's all there is to it.

VOICE OF THE HERO: I don't think there's a catch, mate. Seems pretty straightforward to me. We go in, do our task, and save the world. And then... I don't know, go home a hero?

He's an optimistic one, isn't he? Maybe—

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: In that case, we should stop waiting around and get to the cabin. I don't like the thought of putting this off when the world is at stake.

And he's... driven. He could be right, though. If you're supposed to be saving the world, maybe you should... save the world?

VOICE OF THE MEEK: Isn't, um, the catch that if we try to destroy something, it might try to kill us back? That feels like the logical progression of things.

VOICE OF THE OBSESSED: It can't kill us if we kill it first.

VOICE OF THE MEEK: And how do you know we can do that?

VOICE OF THE HERO: Because we're a hero. It's as simple as that. I’m sure whoever sent us here was confident we’d be able to pull it off, or else they wouldn’t have sent us. We’ll just have to brace ourselves for whatever happens, and everything will turn out okay.

Choices:

(Explore) Are you sure? I'm not feeling particularly... heroic.

(Explore) Do you think we should try to put together a plan first? I mean... we don't even know how we're supposed to destroy it.

(Explore) Doesn't this feel really suspicious to you?

(Explore) Okay, but 'destroy it' sounds... dangerous. And violent. Is there any other way I can do this?

(Explore) Doesn't something feel... wrong? I mean besides the quest. This world feels off, somehow.

Okay. If you believe in me, I believe in me. [Continue to the cabin]

I agree we should get to the cabin as soon as possible, but I want to take some time there to figure out what we're actually going to do before we go all in on 'destroy.' [Continue to the cabin]

You don't have to tell me twice. Let's get to saving the world! [Continue to the cabin]

[Silently continue to the cabin]

We could also not, you know. [Turn around and leave]

[stop-the-play]

Act III, Scene I

You're on a path in the woods. And at the end of that path is a cabin. And in the basement of that cabin is—

[SOMETHING DANGEROUS]

You're here to

[DESTROY IT]

If you don't, it will be the end of the world.

Choices:

(Explore) Hold on. Something's not right here.

(Explore) Hold on, 'destroy it?' That sounds... dangerous. And violent. Is there any other way I can do this?

(Explore) So that's it? I kill something to save the world? ...Is there a catch?

[stop-the-play]

Post-act bonus:

Updated gallery! Took a bit as I'd noticed there was a slight mistake on the Veil's design and needed to find the time to fix it.

And Entity flowcharts!