Ash Hollow - Prologue

:: Arrival in Town You are Detective ''Alex Morgan'', called to ''Ash Hollow'' by a cryptic letter. The letter claimed people have been vanishing in the dead of night, and the local authorities are baffled. As a renowned investigator specializing in strange and unsolved cases, you’ve seen things most would never believe—but something about this town feels different. The air is thick with unease, and the streets are eerily quiet. <img src="https://i.imgur.com/zSfb65y.png" alt="A retro 8-bit pixel art scene" style="width:100%; display:block; margin:10px auto;" /> You step out of your car, the town's fog settling around you. Where will you begin your investigation? [[Investigate the inn|Inn]] [[Talk to the townsfolk|Townsfolk]]

:: Inn The innkeeper, an old man with tired eyes, nervously polishes the counter as you enter. The dim light flickers, casting long shadows across the room. He hesitates before revealing a worn piece of parchment with a strange, glowing ''symbol'' etched into it. His voice trembles as he speaks, clearly afraid of something—or someone. "The disappearances started a month ago, right after... after this symbol started showing up." He glances over his shoulder, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Stay away from the ''forest''. It’s not what it seems." [[Ask for more details|Old Man]] [[Talk to the townsfolk|Townsfolk]] [[Go to the forest|Forest]] (if: $learnedAboutChurch is true)[ (text-colour:orange)[You recall the townsfolk mentioning the abandoned church. Maybe there’s something hidden there...] [[Go to the church|Church]] ]

:: Townsfolk You approach a small group of townspeople huddled by the statue. Their faces are etched with fear, and they speak in hushed tones. One elderly woman, clutching a rosary, steps forward. "It’s the'' forest,''" she whispers, her eyes darting toward the dark treeline in the distance. [[Ask for more details|MoreDetails]] [[Go to the inn|Inn]] [[Go to the forest|Forest]] (if: $learnedAboutChurch is true)[ (text-colour:orange)[You remember hearing about the cursed church. It might hold the answers you need...] [[Go to the church|Church]] ]

:: OldMan (set: $learnedAboutCloakedMan to true) The innkeeper motions for you to follow him to a quieter corner of the inn, away from prying eyes. His voice drops to a whisper, and his hands shake slightly. "This town is cursed, detective. The forest... it's ancient. But it’s not just the forest. There’s something else in the streets." His voice trembles. "People talk about the old families—the ones that founded this place. Watch the alleys, detective, and the symbols. But be careful. They’re watching." [[Investigate the alleys|TownFurther]] [[Return to the inn|Inn]]

:: Forest You step into the forest, the trees twisting overhead, casting eerie shadows on the ground. The forest remains quiet and still. You sense that there’s something hidden here... (if: $sawCloakedMan is true and $learnedSecretPassage is true)[ (text-colour:yellow)[A break in the clouds allows the moonlight to reveal a faint glowing pattern in the grass. It looks like the symbol you read about in the journal. You hear a rustling sound—a branch cracking in the distance.] [[Investigate the sound|CloakedManChase]] ] (else-if: $sawCloakedMan is true and $learnedSecretPassage is false)[ You notice strange details in the forest, but something feels incomplete. The forest holds secrets, but you need more information. [[Talk to Townsfolk|Townsfolk]] (if: $learnedAboutChurch is true)[ [[Go to the church|Church]] ] ] (else-if: $sawCloakedMan is false and $learnedSecretPassage is true)[ The journal hinted at a hidden pattern in the forest, but something feels off. Perhaps you're missing a key detail. [[Go to Inn|Inn]] ] (else-if: $learnedAboutChurch is true and $learnedSecretPassage is false)[ (text-colour:orange)[You recall the townsfolk mentioning the old church. Maybe you should investigate it before continuing your search here.] [[Go to the church|Church]] ] (else:)[ [[Go to Inn|Inn]] [[Talk to Townsfolk|Townsfolk]] ]

:: MoreDetails (set: $learnedAboutChurch to true) The woman clutches her rosary tighter, glancing around as if someone might overhear. "Those who vanish," she whispers, "they all went to the ''forest''. Some say they saw lights. Others heard their own names being called... but none returned." Her voice trembles. "The //old church//—it's near the edge of the forest. Some say it’s cursed." [[Go to the forest|Forest]] [[Investigate the old church|Church]] [[Go to the inn|Inn]]

:: TownFurther You wander through the narrow streets of Ash Hollow, noticing strange details you missed before. The symbol from the innkeeper’s parchment is carved into several of the town’s oldest buildings. It’s subtle, but it’s there. The feeling of being watched grows stronger. (if: $learnedAboutCloakedMan is true)[ (text-colour:orange)[Just then, you see a cloaked figure at the end of the street. He stops, glancing in your direction before disappearing around a corner.] [[Follow the cloaked man|CloakedMan]] ] [[Return to the inn|Inn]]

:: Church The old church looms in front of you, its windows shattered and overgrown with ivy. Inside, the air is musty, and the floor is covered in dust. Strange symbols are drawn in a large circle near the altar, resembling the one from the innkeeper’s parchment. You move closer, and just as you do, a low, raspy breath echoes from behind the altar. Something—or someone—is hiding. [[Investigate the sound|Altar]] [[Leave church and head to the Inn|Inn]] [[Leave church and head to the Forest|Forest]]

:: CloakedMan (set: $sawCloakedMan to true) You follow the cloaked figure through the winding streets. His pace is deliberate, as if he knows you’re there. Finally, he stops in an alleyway and slowly turns to face you. His face is hidden beneath the hood, but his voice is eerily familiar. "Looking for answers, are we? You'll find them soon... sooner than you think. But remember, truth is revealed in (text-colour:red)[''threes'']—''3 presses, 3 strikes, 3 steps..."'' (if: $learnedSecretPassage is true)[ You glance at the faint, glowing symbol etched into the wall, and it strikes you. It's the same symbol described in the journal you found in the secret passage. This can't be a coincidence. ](else-if: $sawCarvingsInChurch is true)[ You recognize the faint, glowing symbol etched into the wall. It's the same symbol you traced in the church. This can't be a coincidence. ](else:)[ As you step closer, something catches your eye: a faint, glowing symbol etched into the wall. You've seen it before—but where? ] He steps into the shadows, disappearing from sight. [[Investigate the symbol|AlleySymbol]]

:: Altar The altar is worn with age, its stone surface etched with cryptic symbols. You recognize some from your earlier encounters, but there’s something different about these—they seem older, more significant. A deep sense of unease washes over you as the carvings form a pattern—a map? Or a guide? As you lean in, you hear faint whispers again... [[Investigate the carvings further|InvestigateCarvings]]

:: AlleySymbol The cloaked figure disappears into the alley’s shadows. You step closer to the wall, noticing a faintly glowing symbol etched into the stone. (if: $learnedSecretPassage is true)[ (text-colour:orange)[The symbol is unmistakable—it’s the same as the one described in the journal from the secret passage. A surge of recognition hits you. Whatever this symbol represents, it’s tied to the secrets you've uncovered so far. You feel an urge to head into the forest, where the answers might lie.] [[Head to the forest|Forest]] ](else:)[ It feels familiar, but you can’t quite place where or when you’ve seen it before. The symbol tugs at your memory, but the answer remains just out of reach. ] A low whisper echoes in the alley: "You’re closer than you think..." The words send a chill down your spine, as if a deeper truth lurks just out of reach. (if: $learnedSecretPassage is false and $learnedAboutChurch is true)[ (text-colour:orange)[You recall the townsfolk mentioning the abandoned church. Maybe there’s something hidden there...] [[Go to the church|Church]] ] [[Return to the inn|Inn]] [[Talk to the townsfolk|Townsfolk]]

:: InvestigateCarvings (set: $sawCarvingsInChurch to true) You trace the carvings with your fingers, noting how they seem to form a path. Some of the symbols resemble constellations, while others look like markers on a map. (if: $sawCloakedMan is true)[ You recognize one of the symbols as the one worn by the cloaked figure. Its presence here only deepens the mystery. ](else:)[ As you study them closer, you realize they form a crude outline of Ash Hollow—and beyond it, the forest. ] One section of the carving emits a faint glow. As your fingers brush over its surface, you notice it's slightly recessed—almost as if it's waiting to be pressed. The whispers in your mind grow louder, their insistent tone urging you to act. [[Press the glowing symbol|PressCarving]] (if: $learnedSecretPassage is true and $sawCloakedMan is true)[ (text-colour:orange)[The forest now seems like your next destination.] [[Head to the forest|Forest]] ] (if: $unlockedSecretPassage is true)[ You remember the hidden passage you uncovered in the church. [[Enter the secret passage|SecretPassage]] ] [[Return to the inn|Inn]]

:: CloakedManChase You tear through the forest, chasing the cloaked figure as he moves swiftly, deliberately. Every twist and turn feels like it’s been planned—like the trees themselves are guiding you along a path you didn’t choose. Something about the chase feels scripted, but you can’t afford to slow down. Your heart pounds, and the only thing that matters is catching him. Ahead, he slips between two tall trees. For a moment, the air shimmers, but there’s no time to think. You push forward. [[Continue|PastArrival]]

:: PressCarving (set: $pressCount to it + 1) You press the glowing symbol. (if: $pressCount is 1)[ (text-colour: #32CD32)[A low rumble echoes in the distance, but nothing else happens.]  (text-colour: white)[Number of presses: ](text-colour: #FF4500)[(print: $pressCount)]  ] (else-if: $pressCount is 2)[ (text-colour: #FFA500)[The rumble grows louder, as if something is shifting beneath the ground.]  (text-colour: white)[Number of presses: ](text-colour: #FF4500)[(print: $pressCount)]  ] (else-if: $pressCount is 3)[ (text-colour: #FF4500)[The rumbling intensifies, and you hear a *click*—a hidden door slowly opens nearby, revealing a secret passage.]  (set: $unlockedSecretPassage to true) (text-colour: white)[Number of presses: ](text-colour: #FF4500)[(print: $pressCount)]  ] (else:)[ Nothing happens. (text-colour: white)[Number of presses: ](text-colour: #FF4500)[(print: $pressCount)]  ] (if: $pressCount < 3)[ [[Press the symbol again|PressCarving]] ] (if: $pressCount is 3)[ [[Enter the secret passage|SecretPassage]] ] [[Step back|InvestigateCarvings]]

:: SecretPassage (set: $learnedSecretPassage to true) (set: $unlockedSecretPassage to true) You step into the dimly lit secret passage. The air is cold and stale, and the stone walls are etched with more symbols. At the end of the passage, you find a dusty old journal, its pages yellowed with age. As you flip through the journal, you uncover something shocking: detailed descriptions of rituals performed in the forest, connected to the symbol you’ve seen. The journal mentions a "doorway" hidden within the forest that can only be opened at the right time, using a specific sequence of movements. The more you read, the clearer it becomes—the forest holds far more than just answers, it holds a dangerous secret. [[Step Back|InvestigateCarvings]] [[Head to the forest|Forest]]

:: PastArrival You come to a sudden stop, breathless, the forest around you eerily still. The cloaked man is nowhere to be seen. A strange silence falls over the woods, and everything feels... wrong. The trees loom taller, the air heavier, as if the world itself has shifted in some subtle, unspoken way. Disoriented, you try to make your way back to town, but the path you remember seems unfamiliar—twisting and turning in ways it shouldn’t. As you break through the tree line, a chill runs down your spine. The town of Ash Hollow stands before you, but it’s not the town you know. The buildings look newer, the streets less worn, and there are people where there should be none. Everything has changed. ''Thank you for playing *(text-colour:red)[Ash Hollow - Prologue]*.'' [[Replay the game from the beginning|Arrival in Town]] { (set: $learnedAboutChurch to false) (set: $sawCloakedMan to false) (set: $learnedSecretPassage to false) (set: $pressCount to 0) (set: $chasedCloakedMan to false) }