(display: "stats") --- (display: "player special")\ (if: $monster_state is "blind" or $monster's m_hp <= 0)[](else:)[(display: "monster special")]\ (set: $player_init_roll to (random: 1,6))\ (set: $monster_init_roll to (random: 1,6))\ (set: $player_init to (($player's speed) + $player_init_roll))\ (set: $monster_init to (($monster's m_speed) + $monster_init_roll))\ (if: $player_init >= $monster_init)[(if: $monster's m_hp > 0 and $player's hp >0)[(display: "player attack")](if: $monster's m_hp > 0 and $player's hp >0)[<br>(display: "monster attack")]]\ (if: $player_init < $monster_init)[(if: $monster's m_hp > 0 and $player's hp >0)[(display: "monster attack")](if: $monster's m_hp > 0 and $player's hp >0)[<br>(display: "player attack")]]\ (if: $monster's m_hp <= 0 or $player's hp <= 0)[<br>(display: "end fight")](else:)[<br>(display: "end action")]**Health: [(print: $player's hp)]<dynamichp|** | Str: (print: $player's str) | Int: (print: $player's int) | Spd: (print: $player's speed) | Att: (print: $player's p_attack) | Def: (print: $player's p_defense) Weapon: (print: $weapon's w_name) | Armor: (print: $armor's a_name) | Shield: (print: $shield's sh_name) \ (set: $player_attack to (($player's p_attack) + ($weapon's w_attack) - ($armor's a_adj)))(set: $player_damage to ($player's str + $weapon's w_damage))(set: $monster_defense to $monster's m_defense)(if: $player_state is "blind")[- You are temporarily blinded and cannot attack.](else:)[(set: $roll to (random: 1,10))\ (if: $roll is 1 and $monster's m_name is not "Prince Raz")[- You fumble your attack and take (print: $weapon's w_damage) damage! (set: $player's hp to ($player's hp - $weapon's w_damage))](replace: ?dynamichp)[(print: $player's hp)](if: $roll is 1 and $monster's m_name is "Prince Raz")[- Prince Raz swats aside your fumbling attack and counter-attacks with a slash to (print: (either: ...$att_body)) the for 10 points of damage! (set: $player's hp to ($player's hp - 10))](replace: ?dynamichp)[(print: $player's hp)]\ (if: $roll is 10)[- You (if: $weapon's w_type is "blade")[(print: (either: ...$att_blade))](if: $weapon's w_type is "blunt")[(print: (either: ...$att_blunt))] (print: $monster's m_name)'s (print: (either: ...$att_critical)) for (print: ($player_damage * 2)) points of damage! Critical hit! (print: (either: ...$blood)) (set: $monster's m_hp to (($monster's m_hp) - ($player_damage * 2)))]\ (if: ($roll < 10 and $roll >1) and (($roll + $player_attack) > $monster_defense))[- You (if: $weapon's w_type is "blade")[(print: (either: ...$att_blade))](if: $weapon's w_type is "blunt")[(print: (either: ...$att_blunt))] (print: $monster's m_name)'s (print: (either: ...$att_body)) for (print: $player_damage) points of damage! (print: (either: ...$blood))(set: $monster's m_hp to ($monster's m_hp - $player_damage))]\ (if: ($roll < 10 and $roll >1) and (($roll + $player_attack) is $monster_defense))[- (print: $monster's m_name) blocks your attack.](if: ($roll < 10 and $roll >1) and (($roll + $player_attack) < $monster_defense))[- (print: (either: ...$player_miss))]]\ (if: $wound_display is "yes" and ($monster's m_hp <= $monster's m_maxhp * 1/3))[ (print: $monster's m_name) is seriously wounded.(set: $wound_display to "no")](set: $monster_attack to $monster's m_attack)\ (set: $monster_damage to $monster's m_damage)\ (set: $player_defense to (($player's p_defense) + ($armor's a_defense)))\ (if: $monster_state is "blind")[](else:)[(set: $m_roll to (random: 1,10))\ (if: $m_roll is 1)[- (print: $monster's m_name) attacks and fumbles, taking (print: $monster_damage) point(if: $monster_damage > 1)[s] of damage! (set: $monster's m_hp to ($monster's m_hp - $monster_damage))]\ (if: $m_roll is 10)[- (print: $monster's m_name) attacks with his (print: $monster's m_weapon), and he hits you in the (print: (either: ...$att_critical)) for (print: ($monster_damage * 2)) points of damage! Critical hit! (print: (either: ...$pain)) (set: $player's hp to (($player's hp) - ($monster_damage * 2)))(replace: ?dynamichp)[(print: $player's hp)]\ (if: $available_barks is [])[](else:)[<br>- &quot;(set: $current_bark to (either: ...$available_barks))(print: $current_bark)(set: $available_barks to $available_barks - (a: $current_bark))&quot; (print: $monster's m_name) says.]]\ (if: ($m_roll < 10 and $m_roll >1) and (($m_roll + $monster_attack) > $player_defense))[- (print: $monster's m_name) attacks with his (print: $monster's m_weapon), and he hits you in the (print: (either: ...$att_body)) for (print: $monster_damage) point(if: $monster_damage > 1)[s] of damage! (if: $monster_damage >0)[(print: (either: ...$pain))] (set: $player's hp to ($player's hp - $monster_damage))(replace: ?dynamichp)[(print: $player's hp)]\ (if: $available_barks is [])[](else:)[<br>- &quot;(set: $current_bark to (either: ...$available_barks))(print: $current_bark)(set: $available_barks to $available_barks - (a: $current_bark))&quot; (print: $monster's m_name) says.]]\ (if: ($m_roll < 10 and $m_roll >1) and (($m_roll + $monster_attack) is $player_defense))[- You block (print: $monster's m_name)'s attack.]\ (if: ($m_roll < 10 and $m_roll >1) and (($m_roll + $monster_attack) < $player_defense))[- (print: (either: ...$monster_miss))]]{(set: $izzy to (datamap: "m_name", "Izzy", "m_vname", "izzy", "m_hp", 25, "m_maxhp", 25, "m_attack", 2, "m_damage", 2, "m_defense", 6, "m_speed", 3, "heal", "yes", "m_weapon", "club", "bark1", "You are an ugly one, you know that?", "bark2", "How do you go through life with that face?", "bark3", "You know, you really are impressively ugly. I don't mean to insult you or anything,", "bark4", "Did your mother drop you on your face as a child?", "bark5", "Seriously, I don't know how you look in the mirror without crying,", "deathbark", "Crap, you got me...", "smacktalk", "Wow, you are not a handsome man. Not at all. Probably best I put you out of your misery.", "immune", "magic", "m_xp", 250, "m_bounty", 5000, "tier", 1, "m_victory", "Sad to lose a fellow imp, but Izzy was always up to no good. And what a jerk, too. You probably did the world a favor. Nice job.")) (set: $crazycarl to (datamap: "m_name", "Crazy Carl", "m_vname", "crazycarl", "m_hp", 30, "m_maxhp", 30, "m_attack", 2, "m_damage", 1, "m_defense", 6, "m_speed", 3, "heal", "no", "m_weapon", "broken bottle", "bark1", "Hello? Where am I?", "bark2", "Who are you?", "bark3", "The aliens are coming!", "bark4", "Do you hear that?", "bark5", "Hey, man! Can you spare a dollar for the bus?", "deathbark", "They'll never take me alive...", "smacktalk", "Listen, can you hear them? They're all around us, man. Wait, do I know you?", "immune", "none", "m_xp", 250, "m_bounty", 5000, "tier", 1, "m_victory", "With all the voices in his head, I don't know if Carl even knew his own name or what planet he was on. Hopefully he finds some peace in the afterlife.")) (set: $malbrot to (datamap: "m_name", "Malbrot", "m_vname", "malbrot", "m_hp", 40, "m_maxhp", 40, "m_attack", 2, "m_damage", 2, "m_defense", 6, "m_speed", 1, "heal", "yes", "m_weapon", "claws", "bark1", "Sorry I have to kill you,", "bark2", "You know, Hell is nice this time of year. You will like it there,", "bark3", "You seem like a decent guy, and it's unfortunate that you have to die,", "bark4", "If you were smart, you'd run!", "bark5", "I tried to warn you...", "deathbark", "Aaaaarrrgghh...", "smacktalk", "I am the demon Malbrot. It's my pleasure to meet you. Now you will die.", "immune", "fire", "m_xp", 250, "m_bounty", 5000, "tier", 1, "m_victory", "Defeating a lesser demon isn't going to make you any friends around here, but you fought well. Maybe over time you'll earn some respect.")) (set: $antonio to (datamap: "m_name", "Antonio", "m_vname", "antonio", "m_hp", 25, "m_maxhp", 25, "m_attack", 2, "m_damage", 1, "m_defense", 6, "m_speed", 4, "heal", "no", "m_weapon", "dagger", "bark1", "Please, I beg you not to hurt me!", "bark2", "This whole thing is a big mistake!", "bark3", "Don't I get a phone call? I want my lawyer!", "bark4", "Since when is pickpocketing punishable by death?", "bark5", "You have to believe me. I'm innocent!", "deathbark", "Why?", "smacktalk", "I'm not supposed to be here, you know. I'm innocent. If you kill me, you will have murdered an innocent man!", "immune", "none", "m_xp", 250, "m_bounty", 5000, "tier", 1, "m_victory", "While you were fighting Antonio, he was charged with two more counts of thievery and also murder. All that talk about his innocence was an act. Justice is served.")) (set: $drunkjoe to (datamap: "tier", 1, "m_name", "Drunk Joe", "m_vname", "drunkjoe", "m_hp", 35, "m_maxhp", 35, "m_attack", 3, "m_damage", 3, "m_defense", 5, "m_speed", 1, "heal", "no", "m_weapon", "fists", "bark1", "What are you looking at?", "bark2", "Hey, I'm talking to you!", "bark3", "I need a drink!", "bark4", "This bar sucks!", "bark5", "Beer before liquor... Wait, what is it?", "deathbark", "I think I'm gonna puke...", "smacktalk", "I'm gonna kick your ass!", "immune", "none", "m_xp", 250, "m_victory", "All Joe ever wanted was to drink and fight, and he lived by that code to the very end. Here's to Joe!", "m_bounty", 5000))}{(set: $switchblade to (datamap: "w_name", "switchblade", "w_type", "blade", "w_attack", 1, "w_damage", 1, "w_des", "A small knife for cutting people, slightly better than your fists.")) (set: $metalbat to (datamap: "w_name", "metal bat", "w_type", "blunt", "w_attack", 2, "w_damage", 1, "w_des", "It's just like the one you played baseball with as a kid.")) (set: $brassknuckles to (datamap: "w_name", "brass knuckles", "w_type", "blunt", "w_attack", 1, "w_damage", 2, "w_des", "You can ring some bells with these.")) (set: $oakstaff to (datamap: "w_name", "oak staff", "w_type", "blunt", "w_attack", 3, "w_damage", 1, "w_des", "It gives you extra reach in combat, but it doesn't do a lot of damage.")) (set: $combatknife to (datamap: "w_name", "combat knife", "w_type", "blade", "w_attack", 2, "w_damage", 2, "w_des", "This large knife gives you good slashing distance and cuts deep.")) (set: $nightstick to (datamap: "w_name", "nightstick", "w_type", "blunt", "w_attack", 2, "w_damage", 3, "w_des", "This police-issue billy club is ready-made to crack stulls.")) (set: $cleaver to (datamap: "w_name", "cleaver", "w_type", "blade", "w_attack", 2, "w_damage", 3, "w_des", "It's terrific for chopping meat.")) (set: $fireaxe to (datamap: "w_name", "fire axe", "w_type", "blade", "w_attack", 3, "w_damage", 3, "w_des", "This axe is very helpful for search and rescue operations. And dismemberment.")) (set: $machete to (datamap: "w_name", "machete", "w_type", "blade", "w_attack", 3, "w_damage", 4, "w_des", "This blade cuts off tree branches and arms with equal ease.")) (set: $katana to (datamap: "w_name", "katana", "w_type", "blade", "w_attack", 4, "w_damage", 4, "w_des", "This beautifully crafted Japanese sword's speed is matched only by the sharpness of its blade.")) (set: $battleaxe to (datamap: "w_name", "battleaxe", "w_type", "blade", "w_attack", 4, "w_damage", 6, "w_des", "It's bit cumbersome to swing, but your opponents can't criticize your choice of weaponry when their heads are rolling in the dirt.")) (set: $broadsword to (datamap: "w_name", "broadsword", "w_type", "blade", "w_attack", 6, "w_damage", 5, "w_des", "The warrior's choice, this Medieval blade offers only death to those that get in its way.")) \ (set: $a_none to (datamap: "a_name", "none", "a_defense", 0, "a_adj", 0, "a_des", "You don't have any armor.")) (set: $sportspads to (datamap: "a_name", "sports pads", "a_defense", 1, "a_adj", 0, "a_des", "Shin and wrist guards combine with shoulder pads to offer slight protection.")) (set: $leather to (datamap: "a_name", "leather armor", "a_defense", 2, "a_adj", 0, "a_des", "Funky and falling apart, this leather armor beats being naked -- barely.")) (set: $chainmail to (datamap: "a_name", "chain mail", "a_defense", 4, "a_adj", 1, "a_des", "This heavy chain-link armor will weigh you down a little, but it will also keep you safe.")) (set: $platemail to (datamap: "a_name", "plate mail", "a_defense", 8, "a_adj", 3, "a_des", "Like the knights of yore, you will be well-protected by this heavy metal armor.")) \ (set: $sh_none to (datamap: "sh_name", "none", "sh_defense", 0, "sh_adj", 0, "sh_des", "You carry no shield.")) (set: $buckler to (datamap: "sh_name", "buckler", "sh_defense", 1, "sh_adj", 0, "sh_des", "This tiny shield is slightly better than nothing.")) (set: $lightshield to (datamap: "sh_name", "light shield", "sh_defense", 2, "sh_adj", 0, "sh_des", "This nimble shield offers decent protection with no no penalty.")) (set: $mediumshield to (datamap: "sh_name", "medium shield", "sh_defense", 3, "sh_adj", 1, "sh_des", "This bulky shield may get in your way a bit, but it offers a lot of protection.")) (set: $kiteshield to (datamap: "sh_name", "kite shield", "sh_defense", 5, "sh_adj", 2, "sh_des", "This shield makes attacking awkward, but you'll be plenty safe hiding behind it."))}{(set: $heal to (datamap: "s_name", "Heal", "s_state", "none", "s_damage", "0", "s_description", "Your wounds disappear before your eyes as you Heal yourself 10 points.<br>")) (set: $weaken to (datamap: "s_name", "Weaken", "s_state", "weak", "s_damage", "0", "s_description", "You cast a Weaken spell on (print: $monster's m_name), temporarily reducing the damage he can cause.<br>")) (set: $push to (datamap: "s_name", "Push", "s_state", "normal", "s_damage", "5", "s_description", "With a wave of your hand, you Push (print: $monster's m_name) back into the arena wall for 5 points of damage.<br>")) (set: $blind to (datamap: "s_name", "Blind", "s_state", "blind", "s_damage", "0", "s_description", "You Blind (print: $monster's m_name) with magic, and he loses his attack and the ability to properly defend himself.<br>")) (set: $slow to (datamap: "s_name", "Slow", "s_state", "slow", "s_damage", "0", "s_description", "You cast a Slow spell on (print: $monster's m_name), stiffening his joints and numbing his muscles. He temporarily moves slow and has reduced attack and defense.<br>")) (set: $shock to (datamap: "s_name", "Shock", "s_state", "normal", "s_damage", "15", "s_description", "Electricity arcs from your fingertips as you Shock (print: $monster's m_name) for 15 points of damage. He writhes in pain as the bolts rip through his body.<br>")) (set: $mend to (datamap: "s_name", "Mend", "s_state", "none", "s_damage", "0", "s_description", "You invoke a powerful magic to Mend 25 points of your health.<br>")) (set: $blaze to (datamap: "s_name", "Blaze", "s_state", "normal", "s_damage", "25", "s_description", "A Blaze of fire erupts from your hands burning (print: $monster's m_name) for 25 points of damage. He screams in agony as the flames torch his flesh.<br>")) (set: $feces to (datamap: "s_name", "Feces", "s_state", "blind", "s_damage", "5", "s_description", "Crazy Carl hurls his feces at you, temporarily blinding you. Some of it gets in your mouth for 5 points of damage. Gross.<br>")) (set: $known_spells to (array:))}{(set: $m_original_damage to $monster's m_damage)\ (set: $m_original_speed to $monster's m_speed)\ (set: $m_original_attack to $monster's m_attack)\ (set: $m_original_defense to $monster's m_defense)\ \ (if: $cast_spell is "Heal")[- (print: $heal's s_description)\ (set: $current_spells to $current_spells - (array: "Heal"))\ (set: $player's hp to ($player's hp + 10))\ (if: $player's hp > $player's maxhp)[(set: $player's hp to $player's maxhp)]]\ \ (if: $cast_spell is "Mend")[- (print: $mend's s_description)\ (set: $current_spells to $current_spells - (array: "Mend"))\ (set: $player's hp to ($player's hp + 25))\ (if: $player's hp > $player's maxhp)[(set: $player's hp to $player's maxhp)]]\ \ (if: $cast_spell is "Weaken")[(if: $monster's immune is "magic")[- (print: $monster's m_name) is immune to most magic attacks. Your Weaken spell has no effect on him, and he laughs at your pathetic attempt.<br>(set: $current_spells to $current_spells - (array: "Weaken"))](else:)[- (print: $weaken's s_description)\ (set: $current_spells to $current_spells - (array: "Weaken"))\ (set: $monster_state to "weak")]]\ \ (if: $cast_spell is "Slow")[(if: $monster's immune is "magic")[- (print: $monster's m_name) scoffs at your feeble spell. He is immune to many magic attacks, and your Slow spell has no effect on him.<br>(set: $current_spells to $current_spells - (array: "Slow"))](else:)[- (print: $slow's s_description)\ (set: $current_spells to $current_spells - (array: "Slow"))\ (set: $monster_state to "slow")]]\ \ (if: $cast_spell is "Blind")[(if: $monster's immune is "magic")[- (print: $monster's m_name) rolls his eyes at you. "Nice try," he says. Your Blind spell has no effect on him.<br>(set: $current_spells to $current_spells - (array: "Blind"))](else:)[- (print: $blind's s_description)(set: $current_spells to $current_spells - (array: "Blind"))(set: $monster_state to "blind")]]\ \ (if: $cast_spell is "Push")[(if: $monster's immune is "magic")[- You attempt to cast Push on (print: $monster's m_name), but he reverses the spell and knocks you backward into the arena wall for 5 points of damage.<br>(set: $current_spells to $current_spells - (array: "Push"))(set: $player's hp to ($player's hp - 5))(replace: ?dynamichp)[(print: $player's hp)]](else:)[- (print: $push's s_description)\ (set: $current_spells to $current_spells - (array: "Push"))\ (set: $monster's m_hp to $monster's m_hp - 5)]]\ \ (if: $cast_spell is "Shock")[(if: $monster's m_name is "Xe")[- You attempt to Shock (print: $monster's m_name), but he reverses the spell and blasts you with your own lightning for 10 points of damage.<br>(set: $current_spells to $current_spells - (array: "Shock"))(set: $player's hp to ($player's hp - 10))(replace: ?dynamichp)[(print: $player's hp)]](else:)[(set: $shock_damage to (random: 10,20))- Electricity arcs from your fingertips as you Shock (print: $monster's m_name) for (print: $shock_damage) points of damage. He writhes in pain as the bolts rip through his body.<br>\ (set: $current_spells to $current_spells - (array: "Shock"))\ (set: $monster's m_hp to ($monster's m_hp - $shock_damage))]]\ \ (if: $cast_spell is "Blaze")[(if: $monster's immune is "fire" or $monster's m_name is "Xe")[- (print: $monster's m_name) is immune to fire. Your Blaze magic has no effect on him.<br>(set: $current_spells to $current_spells - (array: "Blaze"))]\ (else:)[(set: $blaze_damage to (random: 15,30))- A Blaze of fire erupts from your hands burning (print: $monster's m_name) for (print: $blaze_damage) points of damage. He screams in agony as the flames consume his flesh.<br>\ (set: $current_spells to $current_spells - (array: "Blaze"))\ (set: $monster's m_hp to ($monster's m_hp - $blaze_damage))]]\ \ (if: $monster_state is "weak")[\ (set: $monster's m_damage to $monster's m_damage -3)\ (if: $monster's m_damage <0)[(set: $monster's m_damage to 0)]\ ] \ (if: $monster_state is "slow")[\ (set: $monster's m_speed to 0)\ (set: $monster's m_attack to $monster's m_attack -5)\ (if: $monster's m_attack <0)[(set: $monster's m_attack to 0)]\ (set: $monster's m_defense to $monster's m_defense -3)\ (if: $monster's m_defense <0)[(set: $monster's m_defense to 0)]\ ]\ (if: $monster_state is "blind")[(set: $monster's m_defense to 0)]}--- {(set: $player_state to "normal")\ (set: $monster_state to "normal")\ (set: $monster's m_damage to $m_original_damage)\ (set: $monster's m_attack to $m_original_attack)\ (set: $monster's m_defense to $m_original_defense)\ (set: $monster's m_speed to $m_original_speed)\ (set: $player's p_defense to $p_original_defense)\ (set: $player's p_attack to $p_original_attack)\ (set: $player's speed to $p_original_speed)\ (set: $cast_spell to "None")}[[FIGHT!|fight]] (if: $current_spells is (a:))[](else:)[Cast a spell?\ (if: $current_spells contains "Heal")[<br>(link: "Heal")[(set: $cast_spell to "Heal")(goto: "fight")]]\ (if: $current_spells contains "Weaken")[<br>(link: "Weaken")[(set: $cast_spell to "Weaken")(goto: "fight")]]\ (if: $current_spells contains "Push")[<br>(link: "Push")[(set: $cast_spell to "Push")(goto: "fight")]]\ (if: $current_spells contains "Blind")[<br>(link: "Blind")[(set: $cast_spell to "Blind")(goto: "fight")]]\ (if: $current_spells contains "Slow")[<br>(link: "Slow")[(set: $cast_spell to "Slow")(goto: "fight")]]\ (if: $current_spells contains "Shock")[<br>(link: "Shock")[(set: $cast_spell to "Shock")(goto: "fight")]]\ (if: $current_spells contains "Mend")[<br>(link: "Mend")[(set: $cast_spell to "Mend")(goto: "fight")]]\ (if: $current_spells contains "Blaze")[<br>(link: "Blaze")[(set: $cast_spell to "Blaze")(goto: "fight")]]]{(set: $p_original_attack to $player's p_attack)\ (set: $p_original_defense to $player's p_defense)\ (set: $p_original_speed to $player's speed)\ \ (set: $m_hurt to $monster's m_maxhp - $monster's m_hp)\ (if: $monster's heal is "yes" and $m_hurt > 10)[- (print: $monster's m_name) Heals himself 10 points.<br>\ (set: $monster's heal to "used")\ (set: $monster's m_hp to ($monster's m_hp + 10))\ (if: $monster's m_hp > $monster's m_maxhp)[(set: $monster's m_hp to $monster's m_maxhp)]] \ (if: $monster's m_name is "Crazy Carl")[\ (if: $special_counter is 0)[- Carl drools on himself.<br>]\ (if: $special_counter is 1)[(set: $carl_roll to (either: "hit", "miss"))\ (if: $carl_roll is "miss")[- Carl flings a shoe at you and misses.<br>]\ (if: $carl_roll is "hit")[- Carl throws a shoe at you and hits for 1 point of damage.<br>(set: $player's hp to ($player's hp - 1))(replace: ?dynamichp)[(print: $player's hp)]]] (if: $special_counter is 2)[(set: $carl_roll to (either: "hit", "miss"))\ (if: $carl_roll is "miss")[- Carl hurls his feces at you and misses.<br>] (if: $carl_roll is "hit")[- Carl throws his feces at your face, temporarily blinding you. Some of it gets in your mouth. Gross. You lose your attack and ability to defend.<br>(set: $player_state to "blind")]] ]\ (if: $monster's m_name is "Antonio")[\ (set: $antonio_dagger to (either: "no_throw", "throw_hit", "throw_miss"))\ (if: $antonio_dagger is "no_throw")[]\ (if: $antonio_dagger is "throw_miss")[- Antonio flicks a throwing knife at you but misses.<br>]\ (if: $antonio_dagger is "throw_hit")[- Antonio throws a knife at you and hits for 1 point of damage.<br>(set: $player's hp to ($player's hp - 1))(replace: ?dynamichp)[(print: $player's hp)]]]\ \ (if: $monster's m_name is "Stanislov")[\ (if: $special_counter is 0)[- Stanislov grumbles and glares at you.<br>]\ (if: $special_counter is 1)[(set: $stan_roll to (either: "hit", "miss"))\ (if: $stan_roll is "miss")[- Stanislov tries to grab you, but you evade him.<br>]\ (if: $stan_roll is "hit")[- Stanislov grabs you and tosses you hard into the arena wall for 7 points of damage.<br>(set: $player's hp to ($player's hp - 7))(replace: ?dynamichp)[(print: $player's hp)]]] (if: $special_counter is 2)[(set: $stan_roll to (either: "hit", "miss"))\ (if: $stan_roll is "miss")[- The big Russian attempts another grapple, but you slip free of his grasp.<br>] (if: $stan_roll is "hit")[- Stanislov grabs your head and pushes his thumbs into your eyes. You squirm free before he kills you, but you are temporarily blinded. You lose your attack and ability to defend.<br>(set: $player_state to "blind")]] ]\ (if: $monster's m_name is "Pitz")[\ (set: $pitz_spikes to (either: "no_throw", "throw_hit", "throw_miss"))\ (if: $pitz_spikes is "no_throw")[]\ (if: $pitz_spikes is "throw_miss")[- The demon Pitz flings spikes at you but misses.<br>]\ (if: $pitz_spikes is "throw_hit")[(set: $num_spikes to (random: 2,10))(set: $spike_damage to ($num_spikes *1))- Pitz throws a handful of spikes at you and (print: $num_spikes) hit for a total of (print: $spike_damage) points of damage.<br>(set: $player's hp to ($player's hp - $spike_damage))(replace: ?dynamichp)[(print: $player's hp)]]]\ \ (if: $monster's m_name is "Unknown Ninja")[\ (set: $ninja_stars to (either: "no_throw", "throw_hit", "throw_miss"))\ (if: $ninja_stars is "no_throw")[- Unknown Ninja circles you.<br>]\ (if: $ninja_stars is "throw_miss")[- Unknown Ninja fires a shuriken at you but misses.<br>]\ (if: $ninja_stars is "throw_hit")[(set: $num_stars to (random: 2,5))(set: $stars_damage to ($num_stars *2))- Unknown Ninja throws shuriken in rapid succession. (print: $num_stars) hit for a total of (print: $stars_damage) damage.<br>(set: $player's hp to ($player's hp - $stars_damage))(replace: ?dynamichp)[(print: $player's hp)]]]\ \ (if: $monster's m_name is "Urd")[\ (if: $special_counter is 0)[- Urd the Dark Priest readies his magic.<br>]\ (if: $special_counter is 1)[(set: $urd_roll to (either: "hit", "miss"))\ (if: $urd_roll is "miss")[- Urd tries to blast you with Lightning, but you dive out of the way.<br>]\ (if: $urd_roll is "hit")[(set: $lightning_damage to (random: 5,15))- Lightning crackles from Urd's fingers and electrocutes you for (print: $lightning_damage) damage.<br>(set: $player's hp to ($player's hp - $lightning_damage))(replace: ?dynamichp)[(print: $player's hp)]]] (if: $special_counter is 2)[- Urd casts a Darkness spell over you, temporarily blinding you. You lose your attack and ability to defend.<br>(set: $player_state to "blind")] (if: $special_counter is 3)[- Urd waves his hands and mumbles an incantation. You feel your body go rigid, and your movement becomes painfully Slow.<br>(set: $player_state to "slow")]] \ (if: $monster's m_name is "Gunter")[\ (if: $special_counter is 0)[- Gunter stares at you, but there's nothing but crazy behind his eyes.<br>]\ (if: $special_counter is 1)[(set: $gunter_roll to (either: "hit", "miss"))\ (if: $gunter_roll is "miss")[- Gunter's rage kicks in, and he rushes you with his axe but misses.<br>]\ (if: $gunter_roll is "hit")[- Gunter suddenly attacks in a mad battle rage and catches you with his axe for 6 points of damage.<br>(set: $player's hp to ($player's hp - 6))(replace: ?dynamichp)[(print: $player's hp)]]] (if: $special_counter is 2)[(set: $gunter_roll to (either: "hit", "miss"))\ (if: $gunter_roll is "miss")[- Gunter's throws his axe at you but misses.<br>]\ (if: $gunter_roll is "hit")[- Gunter hurls his axe at you and hits for 6 points of damage!<br>(set: $player's hp to ($player's hp - 6))(replace: ?dynamichp)[(print: $player's hp)]]]]\ (if: $monster's m_name is "Xe")[\ (if: $special_counter is 0)[(set: $xe_roll to (either: "hit", "miss"))- Xe the Wizard immediately throws a Fireball at you, and \ (if: $xe_roll is "miss")[you dive out of the way, rolling across the ground as it explodes behind you.<br>]\ (if: $xe_roll is "hit")[(set: $fireball_damage to (random: 5,20)) it hits you in the (print: (either: ...$att_body)) and explodes for (print: $fireball_damage) damage.<br>(set: $player's hp to ($player's hp - $fireball_damage))(replace: ?dynamichp)[(print: $player's hp)]]] (if: $special_counter is 1)[(set: $xe_roll to (either: "hit", "miss"))\ (if: $xe_roll is "miss")[- Xe blasts you with a Storm of Ice, but you manage to get out of the way.<br>]\ (if: $urd_roll is "hit")[(set: $ice_damage to (random: 5,15))- Punishing needles of ice rain down on you for (print: $ice_damage) damage. The cold chills you to your core, and you are nearly frozen in place.<br>(set: $player_state to "slow")(set: $player's hp to ($player's hp - $ice_damage))(replace: ?dynamichp)[(print: $player's hp)]]] (if: $special_counter is 2)[- Xe casts a Blind spell on you. You temporarily lose your attack and ability to defend.<br>(set: $player_state to "blind")] (if: $special_counter is 3)[(set: $xe_roll to (either: "hit", "miss"))- Xe blasts a Lightning Bolt at you, and \ (if: $xe_roll is "miss")[you narrowly avoid getting electrocuted.<br>]\ (if: $xe_roll is "hit")[(set: $lightning_damage to (random: 5,20)) it shocks you for (print: $lightning_damage) damage.<br>(set: $player's hp to ($player's hp - $lightning_damage))(replace: ?dynamichp)[(print: $player's hp)]]]] \ (if: $monster's m_name is "Gordo")[\ (set: $gordo_breath to (either: "no_breath", "breath_hit", "breath_miss"))\ (if: $gordo_breath is "no_breath")[- Gordo stares down at you.<br>]\ (if: $gordo_breath is "breath_miss")[- Gordo breathes his Fire Breath at you, but you scramble out of the way.<br>]\ (if: $gordo_breath is "breath_hit")[- Gordo blasts you with Fire Breath for 10 points of damage.<br>(set: $player's hp to ($player's hp - 10))(replace: ?dynamichp)[(print: $player's hp)]]]\ \ (if: $monster's m_name is "Rog")[\ (if: $special_counter is 0)[- Rog growls at you.<br>]\ (if: $special_counter is 1)[(set: $rog_roll to (either: "hit", "miss"))\ (if: $rog_roll is "miss")[- Rog tries to grab you, but you dodge him.<br>]\ (if: $rog_roll is "hit")[- Rog grabs you and tosses you across the arena into the crowd. Your back cracks against a seat for 9 damage, and then a fan breaks a bottle over your head for 1 more point.<br>(set: $player's hp to ($player's hp - 10))(replace: ?dynamichp)[(print: $player's hp)]]] (if: $special_counter is 2)[(set: $rog_roll to (either: "hit", "miss"))\ (if: $rog_roll is "miss")[- The ogre throws his club at you but misses.<br>] (if: $rog_roll is "hit")[- The ogre hurls his massive club at you and clocks you in the (print: (either: ...$att_body)) for 12 damage.<br>(set: $player's hp to ($player's hp - 12))(replace: ?dynamichp)[(print: $player's hp)]]]]\ \ (if: $monster's m_name is "Prince Raz")[\ (if: $special_counter is 0)[- Prince Raz dances toward you, his sword a blur. He stabs at you, and you swat the blade away. "Nicely done," he says.<br>] (if: $special_counter is 1)[(set: $raz_roll to (either: "hit", "miss"))\ (if: $raz_roll is "miss")[- Prince Raz lunges at you, but you dance aside. &quot;Very good,&quot; he says. &quot;I see you're not a complete lost cause.&quot;<br>]\ (if: $raz_roll is "hit")[(set: $sword_damage to (random: 5,10))- Fluid like the wind, Prince Raz lunges and sticks you in the (print: (either: ...$att_body)) for (print: $sword_damage) damage.<br>]] (if: $special_counter is 2)[(set: $raz_roll to (either: "hit", "miss"))\ (if: $raz_roll is "miss")[- Prince Raz takes another swipe at you, but you knock away the sword. &quot;Encouraging,&quot; he says. &quot;We may have a contest yet.&quot;<br>]\ (if: $raz_roll is "hit")[(set: $sword_damage to (random: 5,10))- Prince Raz launches a rapid fire attack. You do your best to parry, but the blade eventually gets through and slashes your (print: (either: ...$att_body)) for (print: $sword_damage) damage.<br>]] (if: $special_counter is 3)[(set: $raz_roll to (either: "hit", "miss"))\ (if: $raz_roll is "miss")[- Prince Raz lunges again, but you parry his blade.<br>]\ (if: $raz_roll is "hit")[(set: $sword_damage to (random: 5,10))- Prince Raz lunges again and stabs your (print: (either: ...$att_body)) for (print: $sword_damage) damage.<br>]] (if: $special_counter is 4)[(set: $raz_roll to (either: "hit", "miss"))- &quot;Bravo! I'm impressed you've lasted this long,&quot; Prince Raz says. &quot;Time to change up my tactics!<br>\ (if: $raz_roll is "miss")[- From nowhere, Prince Raz procures a throwing knife. You step aside, and it knicks your cheek before sticking into the side wall of the arena.<br>]\ (if: $raz_roll is "hit")[- Out of nowhere, Prince Raz fires a throwing knife at you, catching you in the (print: (either: ...$att_body)) for 5 damage.<br>;(set: $player's hp to ($player's hp - 5))(replace: ?dynamichp)[(print: $player's hp)]]]] \ (if: $player_state is "blind")[\ (set: $player's p_defense to 0)\ ] (if: $player_state is "slow")[\ (set: $player's speed to 0)\ (set: $player's p_attack to $monster's m_attack -5)\ (if: $player's p_attack <0)[(set: $player's p_attack to 0)]\ (set: $player's p_defense to $player's p_defense -3)\ (if: $player's p_defense <0)[(set: $player's p_defense to 0)]\ ] (set: $special_counter to ($special_counter +1))}**subVegas** by Joel M. Traylor --- Please send any feedback to joeltraylor@gmail.com. Big thank you to beta testers Jeff Traylor, Jason Levine, Mike Foy and Rick LaPorte. All your input was tremendously helpful. Hope you enjoy the game. Thanks for playing! --- "Am I going to die, Daddy?" Your heart snaps in two. "Daddy would never let that happen, sweetie," You say. "Never." You smile at your little Isabelle and use all your strength to keep from crying in front of her. The cancer has her, and the doctors give her maybe four months. She's only seven and won't make it to eight. She seems smaller each day, and you're losing her. It can't be happening, but it is. You glance over at your sister Becky who sits everpresent in a corner chair. She's wiping away tears and trying not to let Isabelle see. The woman can't hold a job, but you know she'll always be there for Isabelle and you. Since Isabelle's mom died years ago, Becky has never let the two of you down. "Can I speak with you?" You glance over at the door. It's Dr. Anderson, Isabelle's oncologist. --- [[Talk to Dr. Anderson.|doc talk]] [[Skip the introduction.|lounge init]] (link: "Load saved game.")[(loadgame: "Sub-VegasSave")]You step outside and close the door. "I'm afraid it's not good news," Dr. Anderson says. "It never is," you say. "It's all impossibly difficult, especially with a child her age." "What is it, doc?" "We're downgrading her to two months," he says. "I'm so sorry." You take a breath and let it sink in. The truth is you're not surprised. She's a fighter, but the battle is taking its toll. Every time she goes to sleep you can't help but wonder if she'll wake up again. The doctor finally breaks the silence. "There's something else," he says. --- [["What?"|treatment]]"I found out about an experimental treatment," Dr. Anderson says. "It might be able to help her. Truth is, it could save her." You grab the doctor's shoulder. "Well, let's do it," you say. You can hardly believe what you're hearing. The doctor shakes his head. "It's not that simple. There's no guarantee it will work, and the procedure isn't covered by any insurance. It's incredibly expensive." "How much?" "300,000 dollars." You do a quick mental tally, and you're not even close. You don't own a house, and your car, savings, retirement, everything only adds up to maybe 40 grand. Becky doesn't have anything. Your parents are gone. "There's no grants or..." The doc shakes his head before you can finish. "I'm sorry," he says. --- [["Hang on a second. I have an idea!"|vegas]]It's not a good idea, you think as you step out of the cab, but it's an idea. You said your goodbyes to Isabelle, told her you would be back soon. Becky will look after her. You sold your car, emptied your savings, cashed out everything for a total of $47,000. You've always had good luck at the tables. The billion-watt lights of Las Vegas illuminate the night for miles, and the casino glitters above you. A valet opens the glass door for you to step inside. You're an idiot, you know this. The plan will never work, but Isabelle dies if it doesn't. You don't have a choice. --- [[Enter the casino.|busted]]You get ahead quickly at Blackjack and then start pushing your bets. You take a heavy loss and try to make it up at Roulette, but the wheel doesn't favor you. Craps is no better. You try to build your stack with more Blackjack, but the cards bleed you out. Soon you're left with enough money for a room and a plane ticket home in the morning. Your brilliant idea is shattered in less than an hour. You buy a plastic pint of Jim Beam and sit down on the sidewalk outside the liquor store. Now Isabelle is going to die because you're an idiot. You try to reason with yourself as the whiskey burns your throat, but it doesn't work. Sure, she was always going to die, but now she will die knowing her father failed her. "You're a big man," a squeaky voice says. "And you look strong." You look up at the short figure in a black trenchcoat standing over you. He wears a matching black fedora, but you can't see his face. "I don't swing that way," you say. "Move along, pal." "I have a proposition for you, buddy, but it's not that kind of proposition. You stand to make a lot of money." You pull yourself to your feet. "What are we talking about?" "I'm a businessman," he says. His skin is almost gray under the hat, and his brown eyes are too big for his face. "And I manage fighters. Are you a fighter, mister?" he asks. --- [["Yeah, I'm a fighter."|alley]] [["Sorry. Not interested."|not interested]]"You sure?" the little man says. "Look, I have a daughter," you say. "I need to get home to her." "Your loss," he says and walks away. You sit back down on the ground and keep drinking. Later that night, you meet a pretty woman in a red dress at your hotel bar. The rest of the night is a blur, and you wake up to find your wallet gone. Becky wires you the money you need to buy a ticket home. Isabelle is gone in six weeks. Becky tries to help you through the funeral preparations, but mainly she cries. You fumble through it with a kind funeral director who charges too much, and finally the day comes. As you stand at the podium staring at the small crowd that has come to pay their respects, you wonder... --- [[Could I have done things differently?|start]]"I'm Nix," he says and extends his hand. You shake it. His hand is no bigger than a child's. "Follow me." He leads you down the Strip a couple blocks and then turns down a narrow alley between a liquor store and a souvenir shop. You round a corner and squeeze past a dumpster, and you look around. This has to be a trap, you think. You look around for the goons waiting to jump you. Nix glances back. "You coming?" he asks. You rush to catch up and stop short when a giant lug steps into your path. Here it comes, you think. The guy is probably the biggest person you've encountered in real life, seven feet easy and built like a brick house. Bald with a nose like a pig snout, he's also the ugliest person you've ever encountered in real life. "He's with me, Harold," Nix says. "Let him through." Harold grunts and steps aside as Nix opens a heavy wooden door into an old building. "You coming?" he asks. "This is your last chance to back out." --- [[Follow Nix.|down]] [["No, thanks."|no thanks]]Red lights illuminate the metal steps as you descend floor after floor. People push past you heading back up. You see other brutes like Harold. Others look more like ladies of the night, and they smile as they pass. You can't help but smile back. "Ignore them," Nix says. "They're trouble." You continue down, step after step, floor after floor, until you finally arrive at a huge double-door. "This is going to seem a bit... different," Nix says. "Just play it cool, and you'll be fine." Nix pulls open the doors, and you are knocked back by an overwhelming cacophany that rattles your senses. Shouts, music and roars echo into the stairwell followed by spices, perfumes and rotten eggs. A massive underground bazaar opens up before you and seems to go on for miles. "Stay close," Nix says. --- [[Enter the bazaar.|bazaar]]"I don't like this," you say. "Something doesn't feel right." "Your loss," Nix says and closes the door behind him. Later that night, you meet a pretty woman in a red dress at your hotel bar. The rest of the night is a blur, and you wake up to find your wallet gone. Becky wires you the money you need to buy a ticket home. Isabelle is gone in six weeks. Becky tries to help you through the funeral preparations, but mainly she cries. You fumble through it with a kind funeral director who charges too much, and finally the day comes. As you stand at the podium staring at the small crowd that has come to pay their respects, you wonder... --- [[Could I have done things differently?|start]]"Welcome to subVegas," Nix says. You follow him into the chaos of the bazaar. Narrow aisles run between stalls spilling in all directions. Cooks grill up succulent meats that make you drool. Vendors peddle lavish silks, glittering jewelry and even weapons. Beautiful girls dance enticingly attempting to lure you into their tents. "What is this?" you stammer. Nix smiles, and you notice his teeth are more like fangs. "It's the place in-between," he says. "Sin has dripped down from the city to attract the denizens of the Deep Down, and we have built a thriving community that caters to every need." "How come nobody knows about this?" "People know," he says, "but no one talks about it." --- [[Continue.|continue]]Nix leads you through the crowded aisles. A man sharpens a curved blade against a stone. His skin is reddish, and tattoos cover his face. You notice small horns poking through his forehead. "Is that a..." you start to say. "Lesser demon," Nix says. "But..." "Demons, devils, succubi, humans, ogres and others," Nix says. "You'll find all kinds here. The succubi travel to surface to prey on the weak. And the most desperate humans, like yourself, find themselves here seeking fortune. Come on now. We're almost there." The demon smiles at you, large fangs jutting past his black lips, and then he goes back to sharpening his blade. Nix stops outside a squat building. A neon sign flickers over the entrance that reads "Leroy's Lounge." He opens the door. --- [[Enter Leroy's Lounge.|lounge intro]]You step into a dim bar crowded with dark forms. No one looks up. "Grab us a table," Nix says. "Whiskey is it?" You nod and make your way to an empty table with a couple chairs. You sit and notice a few monitors over the bar displaying fights in progress, volume off, but they don't look like any fights you've ever seen broadcast. They're raw and bloody, and the combatants fight with weapons instead of fists. Around the bar, no one even looks up at the carnage. Shadowy figures focus intently on their drinks or murmured conversation. Nix sets two drinks down on the table. "How this works is pretty simple. You win a fight, and you get money. You lose a fight, and you die. Cheers." He clinks your glass and takes a drink, but you don't. "To the death?" you ask, not quite believing what you're getting yourself into. The carnage on the monitors confirms what Nix says. You watch as a thin man with horns disembowels a giant man with his sword, guts spilling onto the dirt. "That's right. You want out?" --- [["I'm in. How much money we talking about?"|lounge intro 2]] [["I need to go home."|go home]]"How much money do you need?" Nix asks. "A lot," you say. "Tier 1 victories pay five grand. You need three victories to move up each tier. Tier 2 pays fifteen. Tier 3 pays seventy-five grand. That enough for you?" "I'll need to win a lot of fights." "You don't and you die." Nix takes another drink. "Rules aren't many. You get one weapon per fight. You are also allowed armor and a shield, if you can afford them. No helmets, though. It's all about putting on a show for the audience, and they want to see the pain on your face. You can use magic, too." "Wait, what? Magic?" "When you have the experience, I'll teach you." "But magic isn't real," you say. "Oh, it's very real," Nix says. "You'll see." --- [[Drink your whiskey.|lounge intro 3]]"Combat is pretty straightforward," Nix says. "Spells and special moves happen first, then melee attacks. Whoever gains the initiative attacks first, so it helps to be quick. And then you bash the shit out of each other until only one of you is still breathing." "Will I be fighting women?" you ask. "Women fight in a separate league, so don't worry about getting your ass handed to you by a girl." "I won't." "Come here to the bar after every fight to recover your strength. I'll get you patched up, feed you some food and a cold beverage. You get paid after each fight." He points to a door next to the bar. "There's a shop through that door. Elizabeth will sell you weapons and armor, but she strikes a hard bargain. Supply and demand, you know." You nod. You'll also need to remember to set aside cash for Isabelle. If you can defeat enough Tier 3 opponents, it won't be a problem. The trick will be surviving that long. "When you have the experience, I can also train you. You can build up your speed, your strength, attack skill, whatever. Like I said, I can also teach you spells." --- [["Sounds good."|lounge init]]{(set: $player to (datamap: "hp", 30, "maxhp", 30, "str", 2, "int", 2, "speed", 2, "p_attack", 2, "p_defense", 2, "money", 500, "xp", 0)) (set: $att_high to (array: "shoulder", "arm", "chest", "hand", "elbow", "wrist")) (set: $att_low to (array: "foot", "leg", "hip", "knee", "ankle", "shin", "thigh")) (set: $att_body to (array: "shoulder", "arm", "chest", "hand", "elbow", "wrist", "foot", "leg", "hip", "knee", "ankle", "shin", "thigh")) (set: $att_critical to (array: "head", "neck", "groin", "stomach")) (set: $att_blade to (array: "stab", "slice", "chop", "clip", "cleave", "hack", "slash", "carve", "gash", "slit", "cut")) (set: $att_blunt to (array: "club", "slam", "crack", "thump", "whack", "bludgeon", "bash", "strike", "hit", "bust", "clobber", "pound", "pummel")) (set: $blood to (array: "Blood spurts like a busted pipe.", "The wound drips blood onto the ground.", "The crowd applauds!", "It's an ugly wound.", "Brutal.", "The crowd screams for blood!", "(print: $monster's m_name) staggers back in pain.", "(print: $monster's m_name) stumbles back.", "(print: $monster's m_name) grabs at the wound, shocked.", "It's a brutal blow.", "The crowd gasps.", "You smile to yourself.", "Blood drips into the dirt of the arena.")) (set: $pain to (array: "Ouch.", "It hurts.", "Serious pain.", "It's agony.", "You gasp at the wound.", "You clench your jaw at the pain.", "The crowd laughs at your suffering.", "The wound stings.", "The pain is awful.", "You grit your teeth and keep fighting.", "You almost cry at the pain.", "You stumble in pain, and the crowd boos.", "You stagger back, grasping at the wound.", "You almost fall, but you quickly gain your feet.", "The crowd roars their satisfaction.", "Someone in the crowd throws a dead rat at you.", "The crowd peppers you with trash.", "Someone in the audience tags you in the shoulder with a soup can.", "A tomato whizzes past your face.", "A rotting cabbage explodes on the ground next to you.")) (set: $player_miss to (array: "You swing your (print: $weapon's w_name) at (print: $monster's m_name), but he dives out of the way.", "You attack with your (print: $weapon's w_name) and miss.", "You try to attack, but your (print: $weapon's w_name) slips in your hand and you miss.", "(print: $monster's m_name) parries your attack.", "You lunge, but (print: $monster's m_name) gets out of the way.", "You charge (print: $monster's m_name), but he dances aside.", "(print: $monster's m_name) dodges your attack.", "You strike at (print: $monster's m_name) and miss.", "You leap at (print: $monster's m_name), but he rolls out of the way.", "You attack, but your opponent is too quick. You miss.", "You try to attack, but you can't hit (print: $monster's m_name).")) (set: $monster_miss to (array: "(print: $monster's m_name) charges you, but you dance aside.", "(print: $monster's m_name) attacks and misses.", "You dive out of the way of (print: $monster's m_name)’s attack.", "(print: $monster's m_name) lunges at you, but you bat the feeble attack aside with your (print: $weapon's w_name).", "(print: $monster's m_name) rushes you, but you knock him back.", "(print: $monster's m_name) comes at you and misses.", "You quickly step aside as (print: $monster's m_name) attacks.", "(print: $monster's m_name) tries to attack, but swat it away.", "(print: $monster's m_name) attacks but can't hit you.")) (display: "t1monsters") (display: "t2monsters") (display: "t3monsters") (display: "items") (display: "specials") (set: $tier to 1) (set: $armor to $a_none)(set: $shield to $sh_none) (set: $lounge_step to 1) (set: $shop_step to "first") (set: $train_step to "first") (set: $t1arena to "first") (set: $t2arena to "first") (set: $t3arena to "first") (set: $t1wins to 0) (set: $t1wins to 0) (set: $t1wins to 0) (set: $monsters_alive to (array: "Izzy", "Crazy Carl", "Malbrot", "Antonio", "Drunk Joe", "Stanislov", "Pitz", "Unknown Ninja", "Urd", "Gunter", "Craag", "Xe", "Gordo", "Rog", "Prince Raz")) (set: $monsters_dead to (a:))}\ Nix sets a switchblade on the table. "My gift to you," he says, and you take the blade. "Hopefully you survive your first fight and earn enough cash to buy something better," he says.(set: $weapon to $switchblade) "Thank you," you say. "Why are you doing this?" "It's business. You win, I win. So you better win." "I'll win," you say. "Good." --- [["Let's begin," you say.|lounge]]You currently have **$[(print: $player's money)]<dynamicmoney| and [(print: $player's xp)]<dynamicxp| XP.** Health: (print: $player's hp) | Att: [(print: $player's p_attack)]<dynamicattack| | Def: (print: $player's p_defense) | Str: (print: $player's str) | Int: (print: $player's int) | Spd: [(print: $player's speed)]<dynamicspeed| Weapon: (print: $weapon's w_name)| Armor: (print: $armor's a_name) | Shield: (print: $shield's sh_name) Known spells: (print:$known_spells.join(", ")) --- (if: $lounge_step is 1)[You watch the carnage play out on the monitors. Soon you'll be in the arena fighting for you life. Even if you somehow win, there are no guarantees the experimental treatment will even work. But that doesn't matter. You have to try for Isabelle. Nix studies you and sips his whiskey. "What do you want to do?"]\ \(if: $lounge_step is 2)["I need another drink," Nix says. "Go introduce yourself to Leroy and get me a whiskey." "Sure thing, *boss*," you say. You stand up and make your way to the bar. A tall man with clean cut dark hair wipes down the countertop. You almost mistake him for human, but then you notice tiny horns poking through his forehead. "You Leroy?" you ask. "In the flesh," he says. "What can I get you?" "Two whiskeys on the rocks, something decent." "Sure thing." He pulls down a couple bottles. "You a demon?" you asked. "You must be new," he says. "I'll forgive the insult." "But the horns..." "Devil. You know, spawn of Lucifer. Fifth Circle born and raised." He sets the drinks down. "On the house." You thank him and take the drinks back to the table. "What now?" Nix asks.]\ \(if: $lounge_step is 3)[You pull your cell phone out of your pocket. No signal, no surprise. Nix laughs. "You seriously thought you'd have service down here?" "I need to call my daughter," you say. "Leroy lets fighters use the house phone for free, just keep it short." You make your way to the bar and ask Leroy for the phone. He slides it over, an old rotary dial model from the stone ages. You pick up and dial the hospital operator from memory, and she puts you through to Isabelle's room. Becky answers and hands the phone to your daughter. "Hi, sweetie," you say. "Daddy!" She almost blows your ear out. "I just wanted to hear your voice and tell you that I love you." "I love you too, Daddy," she says. "I have to go now," you say. "I'll talk to you very soon. Bye bye." She says "bye," and you hang up. You turn to Nix. "Let's go to work," you say.]\ \(if: $lounge_step is 4)[It's business as usual in Leroy's Lounge. The drunks get drunker, and the world keeps turning. Nix sets two drinks down on the table, and you both take a seat. "How you doing?" he asks. "I'm not dead," you say. "Not yet." "It's a long and bloody road ahead. I just want to make sure you can handle it." "We'll see." "You're not filling me full of confidence," Nix says. "I'm your fighter not your therapist," you say.]\ \(if: $lounge_step is 5)["So what's your story?" you ask Nix. "I got no story," he says. "Just an honest imp trying to make my way in this world." "You said you're a businessman. What sort of business besides fights?" "I have some investments. You know, a couple franchise restaurants, my cousin's internet start-up, a bio-tech company, pharmaceuticals, this and that. It's good to diversify." "And you manage fighters," you say. "Keeps me young," he says.]\ \(if: $lounge_step is 6)[You take a seat at the bar and massage your jaw. Leroy hands you an ice water. "Nothing stronger?" you ask. "Pace yourself, cowboy," he says. "Nix asked me to keep an eye on you. You put away too many whiskeys, and you won't last out there. I've seen it happen." You raise the ice water. "Bottoms up," you say and take a sip.]\ \(if: $lounge_step is 7)[You crunch ice cubes and sip water as you watch the monitors. The scene is horrifying. A wizard in a dark cloak is electrocuting a man mercilessly. The man in question is a foot taller than you are, probably twice as strong, and he doesn't stand a chance. Leroy comes over. "That's Xe the wizard," he says. "He doesn't fuck around, does he?" You shake your head in awe. "How the Hell am I supposed to fight a wizard?" "There's a reason I'm behind the bar and not in the arena with you idiots," he says. You finish your water, and watch as the wizard's opponent collapses dead in the dirt. "I might need something stronger," you say.]\ \(if: $lounge_step is 8)[A stooped man with an eyepatch approaches your table. His white hair sticks out in all directions, and his brown blazer has been around and then some. "Excuse me, sir," he says. "Are you a fighter?" You nod, unsure of what to make of this stranger. "What sort of hardware are you using, son?" he asks. You set your (print: $weapon's w_name) down on the table. (if: $weapon's w_type is "blunt")["Wish I could help you," he says. "But I only work with blades. Good luck out there." The stranger saunters away and out of the bar.](if: $weapon's w_type is "blade")["A (print: $weapon's w_name), eh?" says the stranger. He eyes your weapon. "Doesn't look sharp enough to cut mayonaise, but maybe I can help you. For $500, I'll sharpen it up for ya, give it a little more bite. What do you say?" [(link: "YES.")[(if: $player's money < 500)[(replace: ?dynamictext)["Sorry, pal," says the old man. "You're a bit short on cash at the moment. Maybe next time." He gets up and saunters out of the bar.]](if: $player's money >= 500)[ (set: $weapon's w_damage to $weapon's w_damage +1)(set: $player's money to $player's money - 500)(replace: ?dynamicmoney)[(print: $player's money)](replace: ?dynamictext)[You hand the old man your money, and he nods thanks as he procures a stone from his jacket. He goes to work on the blade, years of experience guiding his sure hands. After a few minutes, he hands the (print: $weapon's w_name) back to you. "I believe you'll find that will work a bit better for you," he says. **Your (print: $weapon's w_name)'s damage is increased by 1 to (print: $weapon's w_damage).**]]] Or... (link: "NO, THANKS.")[(replace: ?dynamictext)["Your loss, pal," says the old man and saunters out of the bar.]]]<dynamictext|]]\ (display: "more lounge")\ \(set: $lounge_step to ($lounge_step +1)) --- [[Choose your opponent.|choose opponent]] [[Shop.|shop]] [[Train.|train]] (link: "Save game.")[(savegame: "Sub-VegasSave")] (if: $tier is 1)[(if: $t1wins >= 3)[Would you like to advance to Tier 2?<br> (link: "YES!")[**Congratulations! You are now at Tier 2.**<br>(set: $tier to 2)]]]\ (if: $tier is 2)[(if: $t2wins >= 3)[Would you like to advance to Tier 3?<br> (link: "YES!")[**Congratulations! You are now at Tier 3.**<br>(set: $tier to 3)]]]\ (if: $player's money >= 300000)[**[[Head home to Isabelle.|the end]]**]\ (if: $player's money < 300000 and ($monsters_dead contains "Craag" and $monsters_dead contains "Xe" and $monsters_dead contains "Gordo" and $monsters_dead contains "Rog" and $monsters_dead contains "Prince Raz"))[**You have defeated all the Tier 3 opponents but did not save enough for Isabelle's treatment. [[Restart?|start]]**] (if: $shop_step is "first")[Locked cases line the walls, each displaying a multitude of weapons. You see knives, bats, axes, swords and other methods of pain delivery. Shields of different sizes decorate the walls along with suits of armor. A gorgeous woman with long jet-black hair stands behind the counter. She wears a tight green dress that accentuates everything. Tiny horns protrude from her forehead. "Let's get a couple things straight," she says. "New fighters start with access to Tier 1 weapons and gear only. You can't have an unfair advantage. You'll have better options when you get to Tier 2 and 3, I promise. When you buy something, you have to turn in your old item -- no exceptions. You get one weapon, one shield and one suit of armor; those are the rules. And don't gripe about the prices. We're not runnning a charity here." "I'm Elizabeth, by the way," she says. "Don't get any funny ideas. I don't date fighters." She flashes her most winning smile. "Now how can I help you?"(set: $shop_step to "seen")]\ (else:)[Elizabeth stands behind the counter, stunning as always. "What can I help you with?" she asks.] --- You currently have **$[(print: $player's money)]<dynamicmoney|** Weapon: [(print: $weapon's w_name)]<dynamicweapon| | Armor: [(print: $armor's a_name)]<dynamicarmor| | Shield: [(print: $shield's sh_name)]<dynamicshield| --- [What would you like to buy?]<dynamicshop| (if: $tier is 1)[(link: "Switchblade")[(if: $player's money >= 2000)[(set: $weapon to $switchblade)Purchased (print: $weapon's w_name).\ (set: $player's money to ($player's money - 2000))(replace: ?dynamicshop)[You buy the (print: $weapon's w_name). (print: $weapon's w_des) Would you like anything else?](replace: ?dynamicweapon)[(print: $weapon's w_name)](replace: ?dynamicmoney)[(print: $player's money)]]\ (else:)[Insufficient funds.(replace: ?dynamicshop)[You can't afford it. Would you like anything else?]]] - Attack: 1, Damage 1, Cost: 2000 (link: "Metal Bat")[(if: $player's money >= 3000)[(set: $weapon to $metalbat)Purchased (print: $weapon's w_name).\ (set: $player's money to ($player's money - 3000))(replace: ?dynamicshop)[You buy the (print: $weapon's w_name). (print: $weapon's w_des) Would you like anything else?](replace: ?dynamicweapon)[(print: $weapon's w_name)](replace: ?dynamicmoney)[(print: $player's money)]]\ (else:)[Insufficient funds.(replace: ?dynamicshop)[You can't afford it. Would you like anything else?]]] - Attack: 2, Damage 1, Cost: 3000 (link: "Brass Knuckles")[(if: $player's money >= 3000)[(set: $weapon to $brassknuckles)Purchased (print: $weapon's w_name).\ (set: $player's money to ($player's money - 3000))(replace: ?dynamicshop)[You buy the (print: $weapon's w_name). (print: $weapon's w_des) Would you like anything else?](replace: ?dynamicweapon)[(print: $weapon's w_name)](replace: ?dynamicmoney)[(print: $player's money)]]\ (else:)[Insufficient funds.(replace: ?dynamicshop)[You can't afford it. Would you like anything else?]]] - Attack: 1, Damage 2, Cost: 3000 (link: "Oak Staff")[(if: $player's money >= 4000)[(set: $weapon to $oakstaff)Purchased (print: $weapon's w_name).\ (set: $player's money to ($player's money - 4000))(replace: ?dynamicshop)[You buy the (print: $weapon's w_name). (print: $weapon's w_des) Would you like anything else?](replace: ?dynamicweapon)[(print: $weapon's w_name)](replace: ?dynamicmoney)[(print: $player's money)]]\ (else:)[Insufficient funds.(replace: ?dynamicshop)[You can't afford it. Would you like anything else?]]] - Attack: 3, Damage: 1, Cost: 4000 (link: "Combat Knife")[(if: $player's money >= 4000)[(set: $weapon to $combatknife)Purchased (print: $weapon's w_name).\ (set: $player's money to ($player's money - 4000))(replace: ?dynamicshop)[You buy the (print: $weapon's w_name). (print: $weapon's w_des) Would you like anything else?](replace: ?dynamicweapon)[(print: $weapon's w_name)](replace: ?dynamicmoney)[(print: $player's money)]]\ (else:)[Insufficient funds.(replace: ?dynamicshop)[You can't afford it. Would you like anything else?]]] - Attack: 2, Damage: 2, Cost: 4000 (link: "Buckler")[(if: $player's money >= 2000)[(set: $shield to $buckler)Purchased (print: $shield's sh_name).\ (set: $player's money to ($player's money - 2000))(replace: ?dynamicshop)[You buy the (print: $shield's sh_name). (print: $shield's sh_des) Would you like anything else?](replace: ?dynamicshield)[(print: $shield's sh_name)](replace: ?dynamicmoney)[(print: $player's money)]]\ (else:)[Insufficient funds.(replace: ?dynamicshop)[You can't afford it. Would you like anything else?]]] - Defense: 1, Cost: 2000 (link: "Sports Pads")[(if: $player's money >= 5000)[(set: $armor to $sportspads)Purchased (print: $armor's a_name).\ (set: $player's money to ($player's money - 5000))(replace: ?dynamicshop)[You buy the (print: $armor's a_name). (print: $armor's a_des) Would you like anything else?](replace: ?dynamicarmor)[(print: $armor's a_name)](replace: ?dynamicmoney)[(print: $player's money)]]\ (else:)[Insufficient funds.(replace: ?dynamicshop)[You can't afford it. Would you like anything else?]]] - Defense: 1, Cost: 5000 (link: "Leather Armor")[(if: $player's money >= 10000)[(set: $armor to $leather)Purchased (print: $armor's a_name).\ (set: $player's money to ($player's money - 10000))(replace: ?dynamicshop)[You buy the (print: $armor's a_name). (print: $armor's a_des) Would you like anything else?](replace: ?dynamicarmor)[(print: $armor's a_name)](replace: ?dynamicmoney)[(print: $player's money)]]\ (else:)[Insufficient funds.(replace: ?dynamicshop)[You can't afford it. Would you like anything else?]]] - Defense: 2, Cost: 10000]\ (if: $tier is 2)[\ (link: "Nightstick")[(if: $player's money >= 10000)[(set: $weapon to $nightstick)Purchased (print: $weapon's w_name).\ (set: $player's money to ($player's money - 10000))(replace: ?dynamicshop)[You buy the (print: $weapon's w_name). (print: $weapon's w_des) Would you like anything else?](replace: ?dynamicweapon)[(print: $weapon's w_name)](replace: ?dynamicmoney)[(print: $player's money)]]\ (else:)[Insufficient funds.(replace: ?dynamicshop)[You can't afford it. Would you like anything else?]]] - Attack: 2, Damage 3, Cost: 10000 (link: "Cleaver")[(if: $player's money >= 10000)[(set: $weapon to $cleaver)Purchased (print: $weapon's w_name).\ (set: $player's money to ($player's money - 10000))(replace: ?dynamicshop)[You buy the (print: $weapon's w_name). (print: $weapon's w_des) Would you like anything else?](replace: ?dynamicweapon)[(print: $weapon's w_name)](replace: ?dynamicmoney)[(print: $player's money)]]\ (else:)[Insufficient funds.(replace: ?dynamicshop)[You can't afford it. Would you like anything else?]]] - Attack: 2, Damage 3, Cost: 10000 (link: "Fire Axe")[(if: $player's money >= 12000)[(set: $weapon to $fireaxe)Purchased (print: $weapon's w_name).\ (set: $player's money to ($player's money - 12000))(replace: ?dynamicshop)[You buy the (print: $weapon's w_name). (print: $weapon's w_des) Would you like anything else?](replace: ?dynamicweapon)[(print: $weapon's w_name)](replace: ?dynamicmoney)[(print: $player's money)]]\ (else:)[Insufficient funds.(replace: ?dynamicshop)[You can't afford it. Would you like anything else?]]] - Attack: 3, Damage 3, Cost: 12000 (link: "Machete")[(if: $player's money >= 14000)[(set: $weapon to $machete)Purchased (print: $weapon's w_name).\ (set: $player's money to ($player's money - 14000))(replace: ?dynamicshop)[You buy the (print: $weapon's w_name). (print: $weapon's w_des) Would you like anything else?](replace: ?dynamicweapon)[(print: $weapon's w_name)](replace: ?dynamicmoney)[(print: $player's money)]]\ (else:)[Insufficient funds.(replace: ?dynamicshop)[You can't afford it. Would you like anything else?]]] - Attack: 3, Damage 4, Cost: 14000 (link: "Katana")[(if: $player's money >= 16000)[(set: $weapon to $katana)Purchased (print: $weapon's w_name).\ (set: $player's money to ($player's money - 16000))(replace: ?dynamicshop)[You buy the (print: $weapon's w_name). (print: $weapon's w_des) Would you like anything else?](replace: ?dynamicweapon)[(print: $weapon's w_name)](replace: ?dynamicmoney)[(print: $player's money)]]\ (else:)[Insufficient funds.(replace: ?dynamicshop)[You can't afford it. Would you like anything else?]]] - Attack: 4, Damage 4, Cost: 16000 (link: "Light Shield")[(if: $player's money >= 4000)[(set: $shield to $lightshield)Purchased (print: $shield's sh_name).\ (set: $player's money to ($player's money - 4000))(replace: ?dynamicshop)[You buy the (print: $shield's sh_name). (print: $shield's sh_des) Would you like anything else?](replace: ?dynamicshield)[(print: $shield's sh_name)](replace: ?dynamicmoney)[(print: $player's money)]]\ (else:)[Insufficient funds.(replace: ?dynamicshop)[You can't afford it. Would you like anything else?]]] - Defense: 2, Cost: 4000 (link: "Medium Shield")[(if: $player's money >= 8000)[(set: $shield to $mediumshield)Purchased (print: $shield's sh_name).\ (set: $player's money to ($player's money - 8000))(replace: ?dynamicshop)[You buy the (print: $shield's sh_name). (print: $shield's sh_des) Would you like anything else?](replace: ?dynamicshield)[(print: $shield's sh_name)](replace: ?dynamicmoney)[(print: $player's money)]]\ (else:)[Insufficient funds.(replace: ?dynamicshop)[You can't afford it. Would you like anything else?]]] - Defense: 3, Attack Penalty: 1, Cost: 8000 (link: "Chain Mail")[(if: $player's money >= 30000)[(set: $armor to $chainmail)Purchased (print: $armor's a_name).\ (set: $player's money to ($player's money - 30000))(replace: ?dynamicshop)[You buy the (print: $armor's a_name). (print: $armor's a_des) Would you like anything else?](replace: ?dynamicarmor)[(print: $armor's a_name)](replace: ?dynamicmoney)[(print: $player's money)]]\ (else:)[Insufficient funds.(replace: ?dynamicshop)[You can't afford it. Would you like anything else?]]] - Defense: 4, Attack Penalty: 1, Cost: 30000] \(if: $tier is 3)[\ (link: "Battle Axe")[(if: $player's money >= 30000)[(set: $weapon to $battleaxe)Purchased (print: $weapon's w_name).\ (set: $player's money to ($player's money - 30000))(replace: ?dynamicshop)[You buy the (print: $weapon's w_name). (print: $weapon's w_des) Would you like anything else?](replace: ?dynamicweapon)[(print: $weapon's w_name)](replace: ?dynamicmoney)[(print: $player's money)]]\ (else:)[Insufficient funds.(replace: ?dynamicshop)[You can't afford it. Would you like anything else?]]] - Attack: 4, Damage 6, Cost: 30000 (link: "Broad Sword")[(if: $player's money >= 33000)[(set: $weapon to $broadsword)Purchased (print: $weapon's w_name).\ (set: $player's money to ($player's money - 33000))(replace: ?dynamicshop)[You buy the (print: $weapon's w_name). (print: $weapon's w_des) Would you like anything else?](replace: ?dynamicweapon)[(print: $weapon's w_name)](replace: ?dynamicmoney)[(print: $player's money)]]\ (else:)[Insufficient funds.(replace: ?dynamicshop)[You can't afford it. Would you like anything else?]]] - Attack: 6, Damage 5, Cost: 33000 (link: "Kite Shield")[(if: $player's money >= 20000)[(set: $shield to $kiteshield)Purchased (print: $shield's sh_name).\ (set: $player's money to ($player's money - 20000))(replace: ?dynamicshop)[You buy the (print: $shield's sh_name). (print: $shield's sh_des) Would you like anything else?](replace: ?dynamicshield)[(print: $shield's sh_name)](replace: ?dynamicmoney)[(print: $player's money)]]\ (else:)[Insufficient funds.(replace: ?dynamicshop)[You can't afford it. Would you like anything else?]]] - Defense: 5, Attack Penalty: 2, Cost: 20000 (link: "Plate Mail")[(if: $player's money >= 50000)[(set: $armor to $platemail)Purchased (print: $armor's a_name).\ (set: $player's money to ($player's money - 50000))(replace: ?dynamicshop)[You buy the (print: $armor's a_name). (print: $armor's a_des) Would you like anything else?](replace: ?dynamicarmor)[(print: $armor's a_name)](replace: ?dynamicmoney)[(print: $player's money)]]\ (else:)[Insufficient funds.(replace: ?dynamicshop)[You can't afford it. Would you like anything else?]]] - Defense: 8, Attack Penalty: 3, Cost: 50000] --- [[Return to Leroy's Lounge.|lounge]]"It's not worth the risk," you say. "I need to go home and see my daughter." "That's disappointing," Nix says. "Are you sure?" "I don't want to die today." You and Nix finish your drinks in silence, and then you both get up to leave. He escorts you back through the bazaar and up the stairs. You open the door to the alley, and he stops you. "If you tell anyone about this, no one will believe you," he says. Later that night, you meet a pretty woman in a red dress at your hotel bar. The rest of the night is a blur, and you wake up to find your wallet gone. Becky wires you the money you need to buy a ticket home. Isabelle is gone in six weeks. Becky tries to help you through the funeral preparations, but mainly she cries. You fumble through it with a kind funeral director who charges too much, and finally the day comes. As you stand at the podium staring at the small crowd that has come to pay their respects, you wonder... --- [[Could I have done things differently?|start]](if: $train_step is "first")[You follow Nix out of the bar and down a dozen bazaar aisles before arriving at a massive tent. He pulls open a flap and ushers you inside. "Welcome to my training facility," he says. Fighters train throughout the gymnasium space. They work out on the boxing bags, lift weights, and some even practice sword-fighting with wooden sticks. A giant demon covered in tattoos makes his way around the facility, shouting encouragement. Not only do large horns protrude from his head, but he has spikes jutting from his shoulders and arms. He's truly frightening to behold. "That's Gax," says Nix. "He's retired now, but he was the best fighter that ever stepped into the arena. Now he's our head trainer. When you have the experience, Gax can work with you to boost your physical strength, health, fighting skills and speed. I'll help you with the mental stuff like spells and sharpening your intelligence. Training here is free, but you need to have earned the experience to benefit from the lessons." "So we're clear, your Health shows how much of a beating you can take. Attack represents your combat technique increasing the chance of you scoring a hit. Your Defense skill dictates how well you block, dodge and parry. Strength increases the damage you do. Intelligence gets you an experience bonus after each fight. Finally, speed helps you gain initiative to attack first. In all cases, a bigger number is better." "Ready to get to work?"](if: $train_step is "seen")[The training tent is a buzz of activity. Gax the trainer works with some fighters while Nix loiters nearby.] --- You currently have **XP: [(print: $player's xp)]<dynamicxp|** Health: [(print: $player's hp)]<dynamichp| | Attack: [(print: $player's p_attack)]<dynamicattack| | Defense: [(print: $player's p_defense)]<dynamicdefense| Strength: [(print: $player's str)]<dynamicstr| | Intelligence: [(print: $player's int)]<dynamicint| | Speed: [(print: $player's speed)]<dynamicspeed| Known spells: [(print:$known_spells.join(", "))]<dynamicspells| --- [What do you want to do?]<dynamictrain| (if: $train_step is "seen")[(link: "(Ask Nix to explain skills again.)")[(replace: ?dynamictrain)[Nix says, "So we're clear, your Health shows how much of a beating you can take. Attack represents your combat technique increasing the chance of you scoring a hit. Your Defense skill dictates how well you block, dodge and parry. Strength increases the damage you do. Intelligence gets you an experience bonus after each fight. Finally, speed helps you gain initiative to attack first. In all cases, a bigger number is better." Now what do you want to do?]]] For 300 XP, you can boost your a skill one point: (link: "Attack")[(if: $player's xp >= 300)[Upgraded!\ (set: $player's p_attack to ($player's p_attack + 1))(set: $player's xp to ($player's xp - 300))(replace: ?dynamicattack)[(print: $player's p_attack)](replace: ?dynamicxp)[(print: $player's xp)]\ (replace: ?dynamictrain)[Practicing your combat skills with Gax has upgraded your Attack 1 point. This will make it easier to hit. What now?]]\ (else:)[Insufficient XP.]] \ | (link: "Defense")[(if: $player's xp >= 300)[Upgraded!\ (set: $player's p_defense to ($player's p_defense + 1))(set: $player's xp to ($player's xp - 300))(replace: ?dynamicdefense)[(print: $player's p_defense)](replace: ?dynamicxp)[(print: $player's xp)]\ (replace: ?dynamictrain)[Working on blocking and parrying has upped your Defense 1 point, making it harder for your enemies to hit you. What now?]]\ (else:)[Insufficient XP.]] \ | (link: "Strength")[(if: $player's xp >= 300)[Upgraded!\ (set: $player's str to ($player's str + 1))(set: $player's xp to ($player's xp - 300))(replace: ?dynamicstr)[(print: $player's str)](replace: ?dynamicxp)[(print: $player's xp)]\ (replace: ?dynamictrain)[Relentlessly hitting the gym has jacked your Strength 1 point. This will allow you to do more damage when you hit. What now?]]\ (else:)[Insufficient XP.]] \ | (link: "Intelligence")[(if: $player's xp >= 300)[Upgraded!\ (set: $player's int to ($player's int + 1))(set: $player's xp to ($player's xp - 300))(replace: ?dynamicint)[(print: $player's int)](replace: ?dynamicxp)[(print: $player's xp)]\ (replace: ?dynamictrain)[Studying tactics and techniques have boosted your Intelligence 1 point. More intelligence means experience bonuses when you defeat enemies. What now?]] \ (else:)[Insufficient XP.]]\ | (link: "Speed")[(if: $player's xp >= 300)[Upgraded!\ (set: $player's speed to ($player's speed + 1))(set: $player's xp to ($player's xp - 300))(replace: ?dynamicspeed)[(print: $player's speed)](replace: ?dynamicxp)[(print: $player's xp)]\ (replace: ?dynamictrain)[Agility training with Gax has bumped your Speed 1 point. This increases the chance of you gaining initiative and attacking first. What now?]]\ (else:)[Insufficient XP.]] Boost your maximum Health by 5 points: | (link: "Health")[(if: $player's xp >= 300)[Upgraded!\ (set: $player's maxhp to ($player's maxhp + 5))(set: $player's hp to $player's maxhp)(set: $player's xp to ($player's xp - 300))(replace: ?dynamichp)[(print: $player's maxhp)](replace: ?dynamicxp)[(print: $player's xp)]\ (replace: ?dynamictrain)[A regimented diet and constant exercise has increased your Health 5 points. What now?]]\ (else:)[Insufficient XP.]] | Learn new spells: (if: $known_spells contains "Heal")[](else:)[(link: "Heal (350 XP)")[(if: $player's xp >= 350)[Learned Heal!\ (set: $known_spells to $known_spells + (a: "Heal"))\ (set: $player's xp to ($player's xp - 350))(replace: ?dynamicxp)[(print: $player's xp)]\ (replace: ?dynamictrain)[Nix has taught you the Heal spell. What now?]\ (replace: ?dynamicspells)[(print: $known_spells.join(", "))]]\ (else:)[Insufficient XP.]] - Rejuvinating magic that heals 10 points of damage.<br>]\ (if: $known_spells contains "Weaken")[](else:)[(link: "Weaken (400 XP)")[(if: $player's xp >= 400)[Learned Weaken!\ (set: $known_spells to $known_spells + (a: "Weaken"))\ (set: $player's xp to ($player's xp - 400))(replace: ?dynamicxp)[(print: $player's xp)]\ (replace: ?dynamictrain)[You have learned the Weaken spell. What now?]\ (replace: ?dynamicspells)[(print: $known_spells.join(", "))]]\ (else:)[Insufficient XP.]] - Temporarily weakens the damage your enemy can do.<br>]\ (if: $known_spells contains "Push")[](else:)[(link: "Push (400 XP)")[(if: $player's xp >= 400)[Learned Push!\ (set: $known_spells to $known_spells + (a: "Push"))\ (set: $player's xp to ($player's xp - 400))(replace: ?dynamicxp)[(print: $player's xp)]\ (replace: ?dynamictrain)[You have memorized the Push spell. What now?]\ (replace: ?dynamicspells)[(print: $known_spells.join(", "))]]\ (else:)[Insufficient XP.]] - Knock your adversary into the arena wall.<br>]\ (if: $known_spells contains "Blind")[](else:)[(link: "Blind (700 XP)")[(if: $player's xp >= 700)[Learned Blind!\ (set: $known_spells to $known_spells + (a: "Blind"))\ (set: $player's xp to ($player's xp - 700))(replace: ?dynamicxp)[(print: $player's xp)]\ (replace: ?dynamictrain)[Nix has taught you how to Blind your enemy. What now?]\ (replace: ?dynamicspells)[(print: $known_spells.join(", "))]]\ (else:)[Insufficient XP.]] - Temporarily blind your opponent, causing him to lose an attack and the ability to defend.<br>]\ (if: $known_spells contains "Slow")[](else:)[(link: "Slow (700 XP)")[(if: $player's xp >= 700)[Learned Slow!\ (set: $known_spells to $known_spells + (a: "Slow"))\ (set: $player's xp to ($player's xp - 700))(replace: ?dynamicxp)[(print: $player's xp)]\ (replace: ?dynamictrain)[You have studied and learned the Slow spell. What now?]\ (replace: ?dynamicspells)[(print: $known_spells.join(", "))]]\ (else:)[Insufficient XP.]] - Slow down your foe, reducing their speed, attack and defense.<br>]\ (if: $known_spells contains "Shock")[](else:)[(link: "Shock (850 XP)")[(if: $player's xp >= 850)[Learned Shock!\ (set: $known_spells to $known_spells + (a: "Shock"))\ (set: $player's xp to ($player's xp - 850))(replace: ?dynamicxp)[(print: $player's xp)]\ (replace: ?dynamictrain)[You now understand how to Shock opponents with an electric charge. What now?]\ (replace: ?dynamicspells)[(print: $known_spells.join(", "))]]\ (else:)[Insufficient XP.]] - Shoot charges from your fingers to electrocute your rival.<br>]\ (if: $known_spells contains "Mend")[](else:)[(link: "Mend (1000 XP)")[(if: $player's xp >= 1000)[Learned Mend!\ (set: $known_spells to $known_spells + (a: "Mend"))\ (set: $player's xp to ($player's xp - 1000))(replace: ?dynamicxp)[(print: $player's xp)]\ (replace: ?dynamictrain)[You have learned the powerful healing magic of Mend. What now?]\ (replace: ?dynamicspells)[(print: $known_spells.join(", "))]]\ (else:)[Insufficient XP.]] - Serious healing magic for when you're really injured.<br>]\ (if: $known_spells contains "Blaze")[](else:)[(link: "Blaze (1200 XP)")[(if: $player's xp >= 1200)[Learned Blaze!\ (set: $known_spells to $known_spells + (a: "Blaze"))\ (set: $player's xp to ($player's xp - 1200))(replace: ?dynamicxp)[(print: $player's xp)]\ (replace: ?dynamictrain)[Nix has taught you how to incincerate your opponents with Blaze. What now?]\ (replace: ?dynamicspells)[(print: $known_spells.join(", "))]]\ (else:)[Insufficient XP.]] - Blast flames from your hands to scorch your assailant.<br>]\ (Note that each spell can only be used once per fight.) --- [[Return to Leroy's Lounge.|lounge]]\ (set:$train_step to "seen")Who will you fight? --- (if: $tier is 1)[\ (if: $monsters_dead contains "Izzy" and $monsters_dead contains "Crazy Carl" and $monsters_dead contains "Malbrot" and $monsters_dead contains "Antonio" and $monsters_dead contains "Drunk Joe")[**You have defeated all Tier 1 opponents.**]\ (else:)["Tier 1 fighters aren't the toughest, but don't underestimate them," Nix says. "What they lack in strength and skill, they make up for with crazy. You get me?"] (if: $monsters_alive contains "Izzy")[<p>(link: "Izzy the Imp")[(set: $monster to $izzy)(goto: "arena entrance")] - "He's an imp like me, small but crafty. He's hard to hit, and he heals. He might also be immune to some magic. You nail him hard and fast, and you'll come out just fine."]\ (if: $monsters_alive contains "Malbrot")[<p>(link: "Malbrot the Demon")[(set: $monster to $malbrot)(goto: "arena entrance")] - "He's is a lesser demon, which means he can heal himself. Otherwise he's a pretty average demon, if you know what I mean. Watch out for his claws."]\ (if: $monsters_alive contains "Crazy Carl")[<p>(link: "Crazy Carl")[(set: $monster to $crazycarl)(goto: "arena entrance")] - "Carl's a bonafide lunatic, which is probably the best thing I can say about him. I don't think he even knows what planet he's on. I kinda feel bad for the guy."]\ (if: $monsters_alive contains "Antonio")[<p>(link: "Antonio the Thief")[(set: $monster to $antonio)(goto: "arena entrance")] - "Antonio got caught pickpocketing in the bazaar, and he's trying to buy back his freedom. He's very light on his feet, and he'll try to throw knives at you."]\ (if: $monsters_alive contains "Drunk Joe")[<p>(link: "Drunk Joe")[(set: $monster to $drunkjoe)(goto: "arena entrance")] - "Joe never met a bar brawl he didn't like. He's a bruiser, and he usually shows up wasted out of his gourd. The idiot sure can take a punch, that's for sure."]\ ]\ (if: $tier is 2)[\ (if: $monsters_dead contains "Stanislov" and $monsters_dead contains "Unknown Ninja" and $monsters_dead contains "Urd" and $monsters_dead contains "Gunter" and $monsters_dead contains "Pitz")[**You have defeated all Tier 2 opponents.**]\ (else:)["Tier 2 fighters don't mess around," Nix says. "One mistake and you're done. Stay on your toes."] (if: $monsters_alive contains "Stanislov")[<p>(link: "Piotr Stanislov")[(set: $monster to $stanislov)(goto: "arena entrance")] - "This big Russian brute fought professionally in the MMA for years -- until he killed someone in the ring. Then he somehow made his way down here. Don't let him grab you, whatever you do. Don't let him punch you, either."]\ (if: $monsters_alive contains "Pitz")[<p>(link: "Pitz the Spiked Demon")[(set: $monster to $pitz)(goto: "arena entrance")] - "Pitz hails from the not-so-sunny Seventh Circle of Hell and delights in causing pain. Like all demons, he's immune to fire and can heal. He'll also throw spikes at you. Beware his tail; it's a nasty bit of work."]\ (if: $monsters_alive contains "Unknown Ninja")[<p>(link: "Unknown Ninja")[(set: $monster to $ninja)(goto: "arena entrance")] - "We don't know who this guy is, and he doesn't say a lot. He just loves to kill. He's very quick and lethal. He also has those ninja stars, and he's not afraid to use them."]\ (if: $monsters_alive contains "Urd")[<p>(link: "Urd the Dark Priest")[(set: $monster to $urd)(goto: "arena entrance")] - "This guy claims to worship the god of darkness or some mumbo jumbo. I think he's full of shit, but that doesn't mean he's not dangerous. Supposedly, he knows a few spells. He's also got a big mace to crack your skull open with."]\ (if: $monsters_alive contains "Gunter")[<p>(link: "Gunter the Berzerker")[(set: $monster to $gunter)(goto: "arena entrance")] - "His name says it all. The idiot thinks he's descended from vikings, but I think he's descended from crazy. He's got a big axe, so watch out. Did I also mention that he's crazy?"]\ ]\ (if: $tier is 3)[\ (if: $monsters_dead contains "Craag" and $monsters_dead contains "Xe" and $monsters_dead contains "Gordo" and $monsters_dead contains "Rog" and $monsters_dead contains "Prince Raz")[**You have defeated all Tier 3 opponents.**]\ (else:)["Tier 3 is the best of the best," Nix says. "Fighting any one of them is essentially suicide. Wish I could be more encouraging."] (if: $monsters_alive contains "Craag")[<p>(link: "Craag the Rock Demon")[(set: $monster to $craag)(goto: "arena entrance")] - "Ever fight a boulder? You'd have better luck than fighting Craag. This rock demon is more stone than flesh, and good luck hurting him. Or it. Or whatever it is."]\ (if: $monsters_alive contains "Xe")[<p>(link: "Xe the Wizard")[(set: $monster to $xe)(goto: "arena entrance")] - "Xe is a devil from the Ninth Circle who serves as Lucifer's house wizard. He likes to visit Vegas from time to time catch a show, and he loves a good steak. In any case, he's going to use every spell you can imagine -- and probably some you can't. Good luck."]\ (if: $monsters_alive contains "Gordo")[<p>(link: "Gordo the Greater Demon")[(set: $monster to $gordo)(goto: "arena entrance")] - "Once a commander in Lucifer's army, now retired, Gordo is the greatest of the greater demons. He stands 12 feet high and actually breathes fire. Best to avoid this guy."]\ (if: $monsters_alive contains "Rog")[<p>(link: "Rog")[(set: $monster to $rog)(goto: "arena entrance")] - "Rog is a giant ogre who weilds a tree branch as a club. He's very, very strong and very, very ugly."]\ (if: $monsters_alive contains "Prince Raz")[<p>(link: "Prince Raz Rizmanon")[(set: $monster to $princeraz)(goto: "arena entrance")] - "Prince Raz is Lucifer's favorite son and the most talented swordsman in the nine circles of Hell. I've heard he's also very handsome and quite charming."]\ ]\ [[Return to Leroy's Lounge.|lounge]]{(set: $current_spells to $known_spells) (set: $special_counter to 0) (set: $player_state to "normal") (set: $monster_state to "normal") (set: $wound_display to "yes") (set: $available_barks to (array: $monster's bark1, $monster's bark2, $monster's bark3, $monster's bark4, $monster's bark5))} (if: $tier is 1 and $t1arena is "seen")[A small crowd gathers in Leroy's basement waiting for the fight to start.]\ (if: $tier is 1 and $t1arena is "first")[Leroy's basement serves as the Tier 1 arena. Exposed pipes run along the low ceiling, and the floor is light brown dirt. A circular space has been worn hard in the middle, stained dark from blood and littered with teeth. Plywood boards have been erected around it to keep the combatants from slamming into the audience. It’s here you will make your stand. A small crowd rings the space, about two dozen men: humans, demons and creatures you can't define. Someone yells, "I want blood!"(set: $t1arena to "seen")]\ (if: $tier is 2 and $t2arena is "seen")[You enter the stink of The Pen, and the crowd screams to start the fight.]\ (if: $tier is 2 and $t2arena is "first")[They call the Tier 2 arena "The Pen" because it used to house cattle for the bazaar, and it still reeks of cow shit. Riser bleachers have been setup around it, like you would see at a junior high school baseball game. Except here the stands are packed with drunken and screaming humanoid creatures, and they demand to be entertained.(set: $t2arena to "seen")]\ (if: $tier is 3 and $t3arena is "seen")[The roar of the crowd in subVegas Center deafens you. You steel your nerves for battle.]\ (if: $tier is 3 and $t3arena is "first")[You walk into subVegas Center, the Tier 3 arena, and the scream of the crowd almost knocks you over. Thousands of fans fill the seats of this huge amphitheatre, row after row ascending for hundreds of feet above. Trash and debris rain down on you along with boos and cheers. Welcome to the main event.(set: $t3arena to "seen")]\ <br><br>(print: $monster's m_name) enters the arena. He locks eyes with you and says, "(print: $monster's smacktalk)" --- [[Fight!|fight]]{(set: $player_state to "normal") (set: $monster_state to "normal") (set: $monster's m_damage to $m_original_damage) (set: $monster's m_attack to $m_original_attack) (set: $monster's m_defense to $m_original_defense) (set: $monster's m_speed to $m_original_speed)\ (set: $player's p_defense to $p_original_defense) (set: $player's p_attack to $p_original_attack) (set: $player's p_speed to $p_original_speed) (set: $player's hp to $player's maxhp) (set: $cast_spell to "None")} You defeat (print: $monster's m_name)! Nix says, &quot;(print: $monster's m_victory)&quot; You collect $(print: $monster's m_bounty) and (print: $monster's m_xp) experience, plus a (print: $player's int *100) XP bonus for intelligence (100 per point). Great work! \ (set: $player's money to ($player's money + $monster's m_bounty))\ (set: $player's xp to (($player's xp + $monster's m_xp) + ($player's int *100))) You now have $(print: $player's money) and (print: $player's xp) XP. (set: $monsters_alive to $monsters_alive - (a: $monster's m_name))\ (set: $monsters_dead to $monsters_dead + (a: $monster's m_name))\ (if: $tier is 1)[(set: $t1wins to $t1wins +1)(if: $t1wins >= 3)[You may now advance to the Tier 2 arena. (Note that if you go to the next tier, you will no longer be able to fight Tier 1 opponents or access Tier 1 equipment in the shop.) Would you like to advance to Tier 2? (link: "YES!")[**Congratulations! You are now at Tier 2.**(set: $tier to 2)(replace: ?dynamictier)[]] [| (link: "Not yet.")[Perhaps wise to build your money and experience first.]]<dynamictier|]]\ (if: $tier is 2)[(set: $t2wins to $t2wins +1)(if: $t2wins >= 3)[You may now advance to the Tier 3 arena. Would you like to advance to Tier 3? (link: "YES!")[**Congratulations! You are now at Tier 3.**(set: $tier to 3)(replace: ?dynamictier)[]] [| (link: "Not yet.")[Understandable.]]<dynamictier|]]\ (if: $tier is 3)[(set: $t3wins to $t3wins +1)]\ (if: $player's money >= 300000)[**You have saved enough to pay for Isabelle's treatment!**] \ (if: $player's money < 300000 and ($monsters_dead contains "Craag" and $monsters_dead contains "Xe" and $monsters_dead contains "Gordo" and $monsters_dead contains "Rog" and $monsters_dead contains "Prince Raz"))[**You have defeated all the Tier 3 opponents, but you did not save the $300,000 needed to pay for Isabelle's treatment. What a major bummer. [[Restart?|start]]**] --- [[Return to Leroy's Lounge.|lounge]] (if: $player's money >= 300000)[[[Head home to Isabelle.|the end]]]Removed specials from fight: Removed from end action: **(if: $monster's m_hp <= 0)[- &quot;(print: $monster's deathbark)&quot; says (print: $monster's m_name) and then dies. You have killed (print: $monster's m_name)!]**\ **(if: $player's hp <= 0)[- You have been killed by (print: $monster's m_name)!]** --- (if: $monster's m_hp <= 0)[[[Victory!|victory]]]\ (if: $player's hp <= 0)[You are dead. [[Restart?|start]] (link: "Load saved game.")[(loadgame: "Sub-VegasSave")]] (set: $player_state to "normal")\ (set: $monster_state to "normal")\ (set: $monster's m_damage to $m_original_damage)\ (set: $monster's m_attack to $m_original_attack)\ (set: $monster's m_defense to $m_original_defense)\ (set: $monster's m_speed to $m_original_speed)\ (set: $cast_spell to "None")You arrive at the hospital and embrace Isabelle in your arms. Only a few weeks have passed, and already she's smaller than you remember. The cancer is eating her up, and soon there won't be anything left. Dr. Anderson enters, and you explain that you have the cash for the treatment. He disappears to make the arrangements. Piles of paperwork is followed by days of waiting for approval, but finally it comes. There's no guarantee, but the company takes your money anyway. Hopefully all the blood on your hands is worth it. A week later, they transport your daughter to their facility. No one is allowed to accompany her, and you try to reassure her that everything will be fine -- even if you don't believe it yourself. Days go by and then weeks with no word. You try Dr. Anderson, but he can't tell you anything. Finally, your phone rings. It's an "Unknown Caller." You answer it. "Your daughter is going to be fine," a squeaky voice says. "The cancer is gone. We've taken care of it." The voice sounds familiar. "Nix?" you say. "Is that you?" The line goes dead. The next day, Isabelle comes home. Weeks ago, she was too weak to walk, and now she runs and leaps into your arms. Time passes, and you watch your daughter grow. She has a fire in her now that she never had before. Sometimes you see it burning behind her eyes. You tell yourself it's the strength bourne from overcoming cancer, but you wonder: what exactly did you agree to? **The End** --- [[Restart?|start]] (link: "Load saved game.")[(loadgame: "Sub-VegasSave")] {(set: $stanislov to (datamap: "m_name", "Stanislov", "m_vname", "stanislov", "m_hp", 55, "m_maxhp", 55, "m_attack", 6, "m_damage", 6, "m_defense", 8, "m_speed", 3, "heal", "no", "m_weapon", "fists", "bark1", "Time you die,", "bark2", "Me break you face,", "bark3", "Come, meet fist!", "bark4", "Give Stanislov hug. Come here,", "bark5", "Aaaaarrrggghhh!", "deathbark", "Oh, no...", "smacktalk", "I kill you now.", "immune", "none", "m_xp", 500, "m_bounty", 15000, "tier", 2, "m_victory", "I remember watching Stanislov's fights on TV, and it's bittersweet to see him meet his end. But better him than you, right?")) (set: $pitz to (datamap: "m_name", "Pitz", "m_vname", "pitz", "m_hp", 55, "m_maxhp", 55, "m_attack", 3, "m_damage", 6, "m_defense", 9, "m_speed", 3, "heal", "yes", "m_weapon", "spike tail", "bark1", "This is fun!", "bark2", "Are you having a good time?", "bark3", "You're making this too easy,", "bark4", "You are just the saddest little man, aren't you?", "bark5", "Humph,", "deathbark", "How disappointing...", "smacktalk", "Well, hello. I'm going to enjoy this.", "immune", "fire", "m_xp", 500, "m_bounty", 15000, "tier", 2, "m_victory", "I was more than a little worried about your chances against Pitz, especially with him throwing those spikes. But you fought well and did us proud.")) (set: $ninja to (datamap: "m_name", "Unknown Ninja", "m_vname", "ninja", "m_hp", 40, "m_maxhp", 40, "m_attack", 5, "m_damage", 4, "m_defense", 12, "m_speed", 5, "heal", "no", "m_weapon", "katana", "bark1", "...", "bark2", "You will die,", "bark3", "...", "bark4", "Death comes to you now,", "bark5", "...", "deathbark", "You have fought well,", "smacktalk", "I have nothing to say to you.", "immune", "none", "m_xp", 500, "m_bounty", 15000, "tier", 2, "m_victory", "The Unknown Ninja left no next of kin and no forwarding address. Seems like shame to just feed his body to the pigs, though. Me and some of the fells put a collection together to get him a decent funeral. He was a helluva fighter.")) (set: $urd to (datamap: "m_name", "Urd", "m_vname", "urd", "m_hp", 50, "m_maxhp", 50, "m_attack", 3, "m_damage", 4, "m_defense", 9, "m_speed", 4, "heal", "yes", "m_weapon", "mace", "bark1", "Night descends upon you,", "bark2", "Soon you will know the darkness,", "bark3", "Twilight comes for all,", "bark4", "I foretold this battle in my dreams,", "bark5", "The shadow comes,", "deathbark", "I return now to the darkness...", "smacktalk", "I will pray for you.", "immune", "magic", "m_xp", 500, "m_bounty", 15000, "tier", 2, "m_victory", "Seems like Urd was always counting down the days to meeting the darkness again, so maybe you did him a favor. Either way, I'm glad he's gone. Guy gave me the willies.")) (set: $gunter to (datamap: "m_name", "Gunter", "m_vname", "gunter", "m_hp", 55, "m_maxhp", 55, "m_attack", 5, "m_damage", 6, "m_defense", 8, "m_speed", 4, "heal", "no", "m_weapon", "battle axe", "bark1", "Die!", "bark2", "Raaarrrggghhh!", "bark3", "Fight me!", "bark4", "Taste my axe,", "bark5", "Fear me!", "deathbark", "I cannot die...", "smacktalk", "I will destroy you!", "immune", "none", "m_xp", 500, "m_victory", "Gunter always seemed like he was two seconds away from a heart attack with all that rage. Maybe he'll finally relax now that he's dead, but I doubt it.", "m_bounty", 15000, "tier", 2))}{(set: $craag to (datamap: "m_name", "Craag", "m_vname", "craag", "m_hp", 80, "m_maxhp", 80, "m_attack", 9, "m_damage", 10, "m_defense", 14, "m_speed", 4, "heal", "yes", "m_weapon", "rock fists", "bark1", "Breeeaaak huuuman...", "bark2", "Graaarrrggghhh...", "bark3", "Kill yoouuuu...", "bark4", "Huuuman sooo small, sooo weak...", "bark5", "Pooooor huuuman die...", "deathbark", "Uuuurrrggghhhh...", "smacktalk", "Cruuush yooouuu...", "immune", "fire", "m_xp", 1000, "m_bounty", 75000, "tier", 3, "m_victory", "The pile of rock is still a pile of rock, so not a lot has changed. Nice work not getting crushed in there.")) (set: $xe to (datamap: "m_name", "Xe", "m_vname", "xe", "m_hp", 60, "m_maxhp", 60, "m_attack", 8, "m_damage", 7, "m_defense", 9, "m_speed", 5, "heal", "yes", "m_weapon", "fire staff", "bark1", "Prepare to burn,", "bark2", "You are weak and pathetic,", "bark3", "This is going to hurt,", "bark4", "Why am I wasting my time with you?", "bark5", "You should surrender,", "deathbark", "Impossible...", "smacktalk", "Are you ready to die?", "immune", "magic", "m_xp", 1000, "m_bounty", 75000, "tier", 3, "m_victory", "Really did not expect you to beat Xe, and I am honestly very impressed.")) (set: $gordo to (datamap: "m_name", "Gordo", "m_vname", "gordo", "m_hp", 80, "m_maxhp", 80, "m_attack", 11, "m_damage", 9, "m_defense", 9, "m_speed", 6, "heal", "yes", "m_weapon", "giant scimitar", "bark1", "Today you die!", "bark2", "I will destroy you,", "bark3", "Cower before me, pathetic human,", "bark4", "You can't win,", "bark5", "Run away, weakling,", "deathbark", "Nooooooo...", "smacktalk", "Fear me!", "immune", "fire", "m_xp", 1000, "m_bounty", 75000, "tier", 3, "m_victory", "I'm sure they'll have a parade for Gordo in hell, but you probably won't want to attend it. Sure, he was a celebrated commander and all that, but he always seemed like an asshole to me. Good riddance.")) (set: $rog to (datamap: "m_name", "Rog", "m_vname", "rog", "m_hp", 80, "m_maxhp", 80, "m_attack", 7, "m_damage", 12, "m_defense", 9, "m_speed", 4, "heal", "no", "m_weapon", "massive club", "bark1", "You not good,", "bark2", "I crush you,", "bark3", "You not win,", "bark4", "Rog best at fights,", "bark5", "You go cry now?", "deathbark", "No understand...", "smacktalk", "Hello.", "immune", "none", "m_xp", 1000, "m_bounty", 75000, "tier", 3, "m_victory", "Have to admit, I'm gonna miss Rog. He wasn't a bad guy for being a dumb block of wood. Guess we'll need to find someone else for our reading group.")) (set: $princeraz to (datamap: "m_name", "Prince Raz", "m_vname", "princeraz", "m_hp", 70, "m_maxhp", 70, "m_attack", 13, "m_damage", 10, "m_defense", 16, "m_speed", 8, "heal", "yes", "m_weapon", "sword", "bark1", "You seem like a fine chap. Sorry I have to kill you,", "bark2", "Are you having fun? I certainly am!", "bark3", "This is hardly a fair contest,", "bark4", "Where is the challenge?", "bark5", "Sadly, I may have to take your head,", "deathbark", "This cannot be...", "smacktalk", "Greetings, good man. Shall we dance?", "immune", "magic", "m_xp", 1000, "m_bounty", 75000, "tier", 3, "m_victory", "Wow. Nice job. I can't belief you killed Lucifer's favorite son. The Prince of Darkness is going to lobby hard for your soul when you die. So do yourself a favor and never die, okay?")) }(if: $lounge_step is 9)[You study the monitors, watching a Tier 3 fight in progress. One combatant is a massive demon, red-skinned, covered in tattoos and wielding a giant hammer. He's fierce beyond measure, bellowing and swinging his weapon with enough force to destroy anything it hits. The other combatant is an average-sized man with devil horns, nicely dressed and laughing a lot. He's dancing around the arena like it's a vacation, cutting the demon to ribbons and having a terrific time doing it. "Who's that?" you ask Leroy. Leroy glances up. "Prince Raz," he says. "They say he's the best swordsman in Hell or on Earth." You watch as Prince Raz slices the demon's weapon hand from his arm, and then smile as he separates the monster's head from his shoulders. The demon's lifeless body falls forward, and blood gushes from its neck. The crowd leaps to their feet applauding and screaming their approval. "I believe it," you say.]\ (if: $lounge_step is 10)["I think I need some air," you say to Nix through the cigarette haze of the bar. Nix sips his whiskey. "Where you gonna go?" "I don't know," you say. "I'll check out the bazaar." "You're better off having another drink. There's nothing out there but scam artists and cheap crap." "I'll take my chances," you say. You stand up and make for the door. The bazaar is chaos. Shoppers jostle you every other step as you make your way down the narrow aisles. You peruse silk scarves and consider buying one to bring back for Isabelle. You buy a kabob of meat; it's tasty, but after a bite you suspect it might be rat and toss it away. It takes only a few minutes before the crowds and noise overwhelm you, and you make your way back to Leroy's. "Did you get pickpocketed?" Nix asks. "Shit," you say and check your pocket. Thankfully, your wallet is still there. "You're lucky," Nix says]\ (if: $lounge_step is 11)[A man with curly brown hair, a purple velvet jacket, and round glasses sits down across from you. He smiles and extends his hand. "I'm Jasper," he says, his voice light and lively. "Fancy a game of chance?" "I'm not much of a gambler," you say. "Not anymore." "Nonsense," he says. He sets three black plastic cups on the table and holds out a small rubber ball. "The game is very simple. You only need to guess which cup the ball is under. It's $100 to play. If you guess correctly, I'll give you $500. What do you say?" [(link: "NO, THANK YOU.")[(replace: ?dynamictext1)["Your loss," Jasper says. "Perhaps another time." He picks up his cups and heads out the door.]] Or... (link: "YES, LET'S PLAY.")[(replace: ?dynamictext1)[\ (if: $player's money < 100)[You open your wallet, and you realize you don't have $100. "Sorry," you say. "I'm a bit cash-poor at the moment." "Perhaps another time," Jasper says. He quickly gets up and exits the bar.]\ (if: $player's money >= 100)["Terrific," Jasper says as you hand him your money. "Let's play."(set: $player's money to $player's money - 100)(replace: ?dynamicmoney)[(print: $player's money)] He sets the ball under one of the cups, shows it to you, and then begins to move the cups around. Faster and faster they go, until his hands are a blur, and it's impossible to keep track of which cup the ball is under. Jasper occasionally stops and exposes the ball, but then you quickly lose it again. Eventually he stops. "Which cup hides the ball?" Jasper asks. (set: $winner to (either: 1,2,3)) [(link: "CUP 1")[(if: $winner is 1)[(replace: ?dynamictext2)[Jasper lifts the cup, and you see the ball. "We have a winner!" he shouts. "You must have the eyes of an owl." He hands over your winnings.(set: $player's money to $player's money + 500)(replace: ?dynamicmoney)[(print: $player's money)]]]\ (else:)[(replace: ?dynamictext2)[Jasper lifts the cup, and you see nothing underneath. "Sorry, friend," he says. "We can't all be winners. Better luck next time."]]] | (link: "CUP 2")[(if: $winner is 2)[(replace: ?dynamictext2)[Jasper lifts the cup, and you see the ball. "We have a winner!" he shouts. "You must have the eyes of an owl." He hands over your winnings.(set: $player's money to $player's money + 500)(replace: ?dynamicmoney)[(print: $player's money)]]]\ (else:)[(replace: ?dynamictext2)[Jasper lifts the cup, and you see nothing underneath. "Sorry, friend," he says. "We can't all be winners. Better luck next time."]]] | (link: "CUP 3")[(if: $winner is 3)[(replace: ?dynamictext2)[Jasper lifts the cup, and you see the ball. "We have a winner!" he shouts. "You must have the eyes of an owl." He hands over your winnings.(set: $player's money to $player's money + 500)(replace: ?dynamicmoney)[(print: $player's money)]]]\ (else:)[(replace: ?dynamictext2)[Jasper lifts the cup, and you see nothing underneath. "Sorry, friend," he says. "We can't all be winners. Better luck next time."]]]]<dynamictext2|]]]]<dynamictext1|]\ (if: $lounge_step is 12)[You sit at the bar and drink your drink. Your neck hurts, and you've got a goose egg the size of a golf ball swelling on the back of your head. You're already exhausted and beat, and you're only at Tier (print: $tier). Warm fingers gently caress your neck. "There, there..." a woman's soft voice says. "Just relax." You can't help close your eyes as she kneads your neck and shoulders. After a moment, the beautiful blonde in a red dress sits down next to you and extends a hand. "I'm Alexa," she says. You shake her hand, and she smiles; it's like electricity. You can't remember ever meeting a woman this beautiful. "I've been watching you," she says, nodding to the monitors. "You're impressive, and you're cute for a fighter." She giggles. "Get away from him!" Nix shouts as he enters the bar. "Oh, little Nix," Alexa says. "Don't be that way. We were just getting to know each other." "That's what I'm afraid of," he says. "Now, get outta here!" Alexa doesn't allow herself to appear flustered. "Nice meeting you she says," charging the phrase with another electric smile. "Maybe I'll see you around." You watch her walk out of the bar, her dress struggling against her curves with every step. She's magnificent. "Don't be fooled," Nix says. "Damn succubus would swallow your soul."]\ (if: $lounge_step is 13)[You take a seat in the corner and crack your neck. You would say you're too old for this shit, but there's no right age to be doing anything this insane. Leroy saunters over and asks if you want the usual whiskey. "Top shelf," you say. "It might be my last."]\ (if: $lounge_step is 14)[You sit at the bar, nursing your water and wondering how long you can take this. You notice a woman sitting at far end, head down. She appears to be sobbing. You make your way over to her, and she looks up as you approach. She's a tiny thing, no more than a hundred pounds. Her dark hair is cut in a short bob, and her eye makeup runs rivers down her face. "You okay?" you ask. "I'm fine." She tries to smile, and brushes her hair back. You notice she's hiding an ugly black eye. "What happened to you?" you ask. "You don't want to get involved," she says. You say: [(link: "I SHOULD MIND MY OWN BUSINESS.")[(replace: ?dynamictext)["Sorry, I didn't mean to bother you." You slink back to the other end of the bar. You finish your drink. Now what?]] Or: [[TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED.|wife beater]]]<dynamictext|]\ (if: $lounge_step is 15)[It's quiet in the bar, and you ask Leroy if you can use the phone. He hands it over. You dial the hospital and eventually get Dr. Anderson on the phone. "How is Isabelle?" you ask. "Be honest." The doctor takes a deep breath. "She's declining," he says. "But we're doing all we can." "I appreciate that," you say. "Tell her to hang in there for me." "Do you want me to transfer you to her room?" "She's probably sleeping. Look, doc... The reason I'm calling, it looks like I might be able to come up with the money for the experimental treatment after all. At least, I'm going to do my best. Can you contact the company and start making the arrangements?" "Of course," he says. "Thank you," you say and hang up the phone.]\ (if: $lounge_step is 16)[You sit at the bar, sipping quality whiskey and enjoying the gentle burn as it goes down. It keeps you from worrying too much about your imminent death in the arena. A hulking form sits down on the stool to your left. "Mind if I join you?" It's Gax from the training facility. "Please," you say. "Be my guest." Leroy slides a beverage in front of the big demon. "The usual, I assume?" Gax takes a sip and nods. "Thank you." You smell the licorice scent. "Ouzo?" you ask. "Can't get enough of the stuff," Gax says. "So you're a retired fighter?" "That's right. I was an enforcer before that." "An enforcer?" "Think of it as an security escort for the damned. I made sure the really bad souls made it to their penances. When they tried to run, I brought them back." "People try to run?" "If you spent 1000 years boiling in a river of blood, you'd run too." You raise your glass. "Cheers."]\ (if: $lounge_step is 17)[You nurse your whiskey and wounds as you watch the carnage play out on the monitors. "You like the top shelf stuff," Leroy says. "If I'm about to die, I want my last drink to be a good one," you say. "Can I interest you in a tip-top shelf drink?" he asks. "Right now, I have a very special beverage called Mercury's Messenger. There's only a shot left, and it costs $5000." "Why would I pay that much money for a drink?" "Let's just say, it will add a little pep to your step. And the effects are permanent. Trust me when I say it's money very well spent. Interested?" [(link: "NO, THANK YOU.")[(replace: ?dynamictext)["Your loss," Leroy says.]] Or... (link: "DEFINITELY.")[(if: $player's money < 5000)[(replace: ?dynamictext)["Looks like you're a bit short on cash," Leroy says. "Maybe you should stick with water for now."]](if: $player's money >= 5000)[(replace: ?dynamictext)[Leroy hands you a shot of smoking elixir. You eye it suspiciously. "Bottoms up," he says. You slam it in a single gulp, and it's still the worst thing you've ever tasted. "Chaser?" you ask. (set: $player's speed to $player's speed +1)(replace: ?dynamicspeed)[(print: $player's speed)](set: $player's money to $player's money - 5000)(replace: ?dynamicmoney)[(print: $player's money)] **Your Speed has been boosted by 1 to (print: $player's speed).**]]]]<dynamictext|]\ (if: $lounge_step is 18)[You settle into a seat at the bar and ask Leroy for a whiskey. The fights play on the monitors overhead. What do you do?]\ (if: $lounge_step is 19)[You ask Leroy to use the phone, and he hands it over. You dial your sister's cell phone, and she picks up right away. "How you both holding up?" you ask. "You need to get back here," Becky says. "I don't know how much longer we have." "I'm doing my best," you say. "Do it faster!" She almost shouts the words. "I'm sorry. It's just that..." "I know. I know. I'll be back as soon as I can. I just need you to stay strong for me... And for her." "I am doing my best." "And you're doing great. Is she awake?" "Sleeping. She mostly sleeps now." "Give her a kiss for me. Tell her Daddy loves her."]\ (if: $lounge_step is 20)[You sit at the bar sipping another whiskey, but it doesn’t seem to do anything to dull the pain in your shoulder. You rotate your arm, grimacing. Leroy comes over. "Dislocated?" he asks. You shake your head. "Just sore." "I don’t know how you’re not dead yet," Leroy says. “Tell me about it.”]\ (if: $lounge_step is 21)[You sit at a dark table in the corner. Leroy has been kind enough to loan you a bag of frozen peas to help with the swelling under one eye. The ground shakes slightly, and you look up as Gax sits down. Even sitting, he’s still taller than most men standing at full height. "How you doing?" he asks. You show him the shiner, and he shrugs. "I’ve seen worse." "It still hurts," you say. "They’re getting tougher. Any advice?" Gax looks pensive for a moment and finally speaks: "When I was in the ring, I never showed mercy. I didn’t play around. I just got it done. It wasn’t always the best show, and sometimes the crowd would boo me. But I’m still here. The showmen, the talkers, the performers, they’re all gone. So my advice? Hit them hard and fast with everything you’ve got. Get your offensive spells in early." He puts his hand on your shoulder and looks you in the eye. "Knock them down, and don’t give them a chance to get back up."]\ (if: $lounge_step is 22)[The stooped man with the eyepatch enters the bar and gives you a wave. "How are you, son? What sort of weapon you fancy these days?" You show him your (print: $weapon's w_name). (if: $weapon's w_type is "blunt")["That's a real let-down," he says. "I only work with blades. You take care out there now, ya hear?"](if: $weapon's w_type is "blade")["Your (print: $weapon's w_name) looks a tad dull," he says. "But for $2000, I'll make it razor sharp. How about it?" [(link: "YES.")[(if: $player's money < 2000)[(replace: ?dynamictext)["My apologies," says the old man. "I reckon my services cost more than you have. Maybe next time." He gets up and exits the bar.]](if: $player's money >= 1000)[ (set: $weapon's w_damage to $weapon's w_damage +2)(set: $player's money to $player's money - 2000)(replace: ?dynamicmoney)[(print: $player's money)](replace: ?dynamictext)[You give the man your money, and he thanks you. He goes to work on the (print: $weapon's w_name) with his whetstone and soon hands it back to you. "There ya go," he says. "Sharp enough to shave with." **Your (print: $weapon's w_name)'s damage is increased by 2 to (print: $weapon's w_damage).**]]] Or... (link: "NO, THANKS.")[(replace: ?dynamictext)["Too bad for you," says the old man and saunters out of the bar.]]]<dynamictext|]]\ (if: $lounge_step is 23)["You get the women's fights in here?" you ask Leroy. He clicks a remote, and the image shifts on one of the monitors. Two female combatants circle each other, a massive crowd cheering them on from the tiered seats of a colosseum. The tall blonde in chain mail armor lunges with her broadsword, and her demoness opponent rolls out of the way and instantly counter-attacks with her trident. They each move with dizzying speed. "Be glad you don't have to fight them," Leroy says.]\ (if: $lounge_step is 24)[Jasper enters the bar, cups in hand. He sees you and makes his way over. "Hello, friend," he says. "Fancy a game of chance?" You shrug and sip your whiskey. "How about we raise the stakes this time," he says. "Let's say $1000 to play. Guess the correct cup, I'll give you $5000. How does that sound?" [(link: "NO, THANK YOU.")[(replace: ?dynamictext1)["Fine," Jasper says. "Maybe next time." He picks up his cups and heads out the door.]] Or... (link: "YES, LET'S PLAY.")[(replace: ?dynamictext1)[\ (if: $player's money < 1000)[You open your wallet and realize you don't have enough money. "Sorry," you say. "Perhaps next time," Jasper says and exits the bar.]\ (if: $player's money >= 1000)["Terrific," Jasper says as you hand him your money. "Shall we?"(set: $player's money to $player's money - 1000)(replace: ?dynamicmoney)[(print: $player's money)] He sets the ball under one of the cups, shows it to you, and then begins to shuffle the cups. His hands are a blur, and it's impossible to keep track of which cup the ball is under. Jasper occasionally stops and exposes the ball, but then you quickly lose it again. Eventually he stops. "Which cup hides the ball?" Jasper asks. (set: $winner to (either: 1,2,3)) [(link: "CUP 1")[(if: $winner is 1)[(replace: ?dynamictext2)[Jasper lifts the cup, and you see the ball. "We have a winner!" he exclaims and hands over your winnings.(set: $player's money to $player's money + 5000)(replace: ?dynamicmoney)[(print: $player's money)]]]\ (else:)[(replace: ?dynamictext2)[Jasper lifts the cup, and you see nothing underneath. "Sorry, friend," he says. "You lose. Better luck next time."]]] | (link: "CUP 2")[(if: $winner is 2)[(replace: ?dynamictext2)[Jasper lifts the cup, and you see the ball. "We have a winner!" he exclaims and hands over your winnings.(set: $player's money to $player's money + 5000)(replace: ?dynamicmoney)[(print: $player's money)]]]\ (else:)[(replace: ?dynamictext2)[Jasper lifts the cup, and you see nothing underneath. "Sorry, friend," he says. "You lose. Better luck next time."]]] | (link: "CUP 3")[(if: $winner is 3)[(replace: ?dynamictext2)[Jasper lifts the cup, and you see the ball. "We have a winner!" he exclaims and hands over your winnings.(set: $player's money to $player's money + 5000)(replace: ?dynamicmoney)[(print: $player's money)]]]\ (else:)[(replace: ?dynamictext2)[Jasper lifts the cup, and you see nothing underneath. "Sorry, friend," he says. "You lose. Better luck next time."]]]]<dynamictext2|]]]]<dynamictext1|]\ (if: $lounge_step is 25)[You nurse a glass of water at the bar, and Leroy saunters over. "Any interest in another tip-top shelf drink?" he asks. "Today only, I have an extra special beverage called Blood of Ares. It will set you back $10000." "What does it do?" "The God of War will watch over you and guide your weapon in battle, of course. At least that's what it will seem like. The potion actually aids your concentration and heightens your attack skill. What do you say?" [(link: "NO, THANK YOU.")[(replace: ?dynamictext)["Your loss," Leroy says.]] Or... (link: "YES!")[(if: $player's money < 10000)[(replace: ?dynamictext)["Looks like you're a bit short on cash," Leroy says. "Maybe you should stick with that water."]](if: $player's money >= 10000)[(replace: ?dynamictext)[Leroy hands you a shot of blue elixir, and you swallow it in a single gulp. It's horrible, like wheatgrass combined with rotting fish. You gag and cough, and Leroy passes you a chaser. (set: $player's p_attack to $player's p_attack +2)(replace: ?dynamicattack)[(print: $player's p_attack)](set: $player's money to $player's money - 10000)(replace: ?dynamicmoney)[(print: $player's money)] **Your Attack skill has been boosted by 2 to (print: $player's p_attack).**]]]]<dynamictext|]\ (if: $lounge_step >= 26)[(display: "random lounge")]"My husband, he's a monster," she says. "He drinks, and things can get out of hand. Sometimes he breaks stuff, you know, but this is the first time..." She trails off, sobbing. "He hit you." She nods. "I'll talk to him," you say. "You can't. He'll kill you." "Let's see him try," you say. You stand up. "Let's go pay him a visit." "I... I can't..." she stammers. "Let me do this," you say. "Please. It's just going to get worse." She thinks about it and nods. "Follow me." The two of you exit the bar, and you follow her through the maze of the bazaar. You can't help wonder if this is some kind of trick, but you keep going. Eventually the bazaar is replaced by clustered brick buildings, and she stops in front of one of them. "I'm warning you," she says. "This is a bad idea." "I can handle myself," you say. She takes you inside, up a narrow flight of stairs and opens a door. A gray cat scrambles past your feet. "Hairball, no!" the woman exclaims, but the cat is gone. A slurred voice bellows from inside: "You let the fucking cat out again?" A giant of man steps into view, stumbling a bit, eyes red from drink. His torn white shirt is stained in a dozen places. He looks at you, confused. "Who the hell are you?" "I came to talk to you," you say. "Is that so?" "That's right. We need to talk about your wife." You don't hesitate. Your knee thunders into his chest, knocking him down, and you land on him with your (print: $weapon's w_name) pressed against his jugular. "You hit her again, and you're a dead man," you say. "Yes, sir," he stammers. The fear in his eyes is replaced by recognition. "Wait, I know you," he says. "I saw you fight in the arena. You're a dangerous man. Shit, okay. Uh... You, you have to believe me. I didn't mean what happened. I'm not a violent man. I just got carried away. I swear." "Promise me," you growl. "I promise, I will never hurt her. Never." "Okay." You stand up and turn to the woman. "I'll be checking on you from time to time. Be good to each other." You give the man another hard look. "Don't disappoint me." You make your way out of the apartment and back through the winding streets subVegas. **Your kindness has earned you 500 experience points.**(set: $player's xp to $player's xp + 500) --- [[Return to Leroy's Lounge.|lounge]]\ (set: $lounge_step to ($lounge_step +1))(set: $random_lounge to (random: 1,5))\ (if: $random_lounge is 1)[Leroy works behind the bar, and you relax at a corner table watching the fights on the monitors. A few other customers huddle together at tables, talking quietly. What would you like to do?]\ (if: $random_lounge is 2)[You sit with Nix and Gax at a corner table, but none of you speak. At this point, there's not much they can tell you that you don't already know. You sip your whiskey and massage your sore muscles, but it doesn't help. What do you do?]\ (if: $random_lounge is 3)[Leroy waves to you as you enter, and you grimace in return on your way to a corner table. Your muscles ache as you lower yourself into a chair. Leroy sets an ice water down on your table, and you nod your thanks. You sip the crisp beverage and try to clear your ringing head. What now?]\ (if: $random_lounge is 4)[It's business as usual in Leroy's Lounge. A few drunks chat amongst themselves at the scattered tables as Leroy himself attends to customers at the bar. You settle into an empty chair and study the monitors. What would you like to do now?]\ (if: $random_lounge is 5)[The usual clientele occupy the tables, talking amongst themselves. Leroy works the bar. Nix sips his whiskey and looks up at you. "Ready?" he asks.]