Original Outline for the Interactive Story

Working title: Valek’s Unknown Mission

Part 1 – Right after Yelena’s escape to Sitia, Valek, Ari, and Janco are still at Brazell’s Manor house. Ari finds out that an assassin is after Yelena and informs Valek. The assassin holds a grudge because of Yelena’s involvement in General Brazell’s downfall and arrest.  Even though the Commander’s execution order is only valid within the borders of Ixia, the assassin plans to find Yelena in Sitia and kill her.

Decision 1 – Should Valek set up an ambush along the Sitian border to capture the assassin or should he follow the assassin to Sitia and find out more information?

Part 2 – Ambush – The assassin spots the ambush and outwits the guards. Valek tracks the assassin into Sitia’s Moon Clan’s lands. The assassin knows Valek is chasing him, and sets up a trap. The assassin pays a group of thugs to act out a mugging of a woman late at night, knowing Valek would help her. When Valek intervenes, he is surrounded by the town’s guards and arrested. While in prison, he is visited by a woman who claims she can help him escape. She says she was sent by Irys Jewelrose.

Part 2 – Following - Valek tracks the assassin into Sitia’s Moon Clan’s lands. In one of the towns, Valek witnesses a group of thugs mugging a woman late at night. Valek rushes to help her. The ensuing commotion draws many of the town’s guards and Valek is recognized. He is immediately arrested. While in prison, he is visited by a woman named Ziva who claims she can help him escape. She says she was sent by Irys.

Decision 2 - Does Valek trust Ziva or not?

Part 3 – Trust – Ziva is a magician and she helps Valek escape the authorities. A manhunt for the two of them is launched. They must avoid capture and find out where the assassin and Yelena are headed. The assassin plans to cut through the Avibian Plains to surprise Yelena in the Illiais Jungle. Yelena and her group follow a longer route to the jungle. They travel along the foothills of the Emerald Mountains, stopping at various towns.

Part 3 – Don’t trust – Valek escapes on his own, but ends up killing a couple of guards and is injured (not life threatening – but enough to slow him down). A manhunt for him is launched. He must avoid capture and find out where the assassin and Yelena are headed. The assassin plans to cut through the Avibian Plains to surprise Yelena in the Illiais Jungle. Yelena and her group follow a longer route to the jungle. They travel along the foothills of the Emerald Mountains, stopping at various towns.

Decision 3 – Does Valek cut through the Plains or follow?

Part 4a – Avibian Plains with Ziva - They enter the plains. The Sandseed Clan lives in the plains and have erected a protective shield of magic. Ziva thought she could handle the magical attack, but wilts under the pressure. Valek’s immunity to magic helps him, but he feels the magic, it’s like walking through thick syrup. With all the distractions, Valek and Ziva encounter a group of Sandseed Warriors. They try and explain to the Sandseeds what they are doing in the plains. The Warriors give them a choice to prove they are sincere by drinking a liquid of truth. Nasty stuff that could kill them.

Part 4b – Avibian Plains without Ziva - Valek enters the plains. The Sandseed Clan lives in the plains and have erected a protective shield of magic. Valek’s immunity to magic helps him, but he feels the magic, it’s like walking through thick syrup. Eventually the effort exhausts him, and he doesn’t have the energy to fight a group of Sandseed Warriors. He explains to the Sandseeds what he is doing in the plains. The Warriors give him a chance to prove his sincerity by drinking a liquid of truth. Nasty stuff that could kill him.

Part 4c – Foothills with Ziva – They follow Yelena’s trail through the foothills of the Emerald Mountains, hoping to catch up and warn her. Ziva’s power isn’t strong enough to contact Irys. They reach the end of the mountain chain and the jungle is just through a thick forest. Ziva is confident no one is in the forest. It is nighttime and Ziva leads the way—right into a hunting trap (a big hole in the ground that had been camouflaged) set by members of the Cloudmist clan. The clan members find the two the next morning and want to know who they are. The Cloudmist clan doesn’t trust strangers. Valek and Ziva explain that they are trying to stop an assassin. The Clan gives them a choice to prove they are sincere by drinking a liquid of truth. Nasty stuff that could kill them.

Part 4d – Foothills without Ziva – He follows Yelena’s trail through the foothills of the Emerald Mountains, hoping to catch up and warn her. He reaches the end of the mountain chain, and the jungle is just through a thick forest. A group of Cloudmist Clan members live on the edge of the forest so Valek waits until night to bypass the farmstead and he falls right into a hunting trap (a big hole in the ground that had been camouflaged) set by members of the Cloudmist clan. The clan members find him the next morning and want to know who he is. The Cloudmist clan doesn’t trust strangers.  Valek explains that he is trying to stop an assassin. The clan members give him a choice to prove he is sincere by drinking a liquid of truth. Nasty stuff that could kill him.

Decision 4a, 4b, 4c, & 4d – Does Valek (& Ziva) drink the liquid?

Part 5a1 – Valek & Ziva in the plains – Valek drinks and nothing happens to him since he is sincere. Ziva hesitates and won’t drink the liquid. Valek finds out Ziva was hired by the assassin to slow Valek down. The assassin knew Valek would eventually escape from the Moon Clan. The Sandseeds take Ziva into custody and help Valek get to the jungle. Valek arrives in the jungle in time to catch and kill the assassin. Valek watches as Yelena disappears into the tree canopy of her family’s jungle home—never knowing that Valek had just saved her life. The End.

Part 5a2 – Valek & Ziva in the plains – They don’t drink the liquid. Valek manages to get a scimitar from one of the Sandseed’s and grabs their leader. He threatens to kill the leader if the Sandseeds don’t let Ziva and him go. The Sandseeds let them go, knowing they won’t get far with the protective magic influencing them. The magic crashes down on them once again, but this time when Valek is exhausted by the effort of moving through the magic, Ziva tries to kill him. She was hired by the assassin to slow Valek down because the assassin knew Valek would eventually escape from the Moon Clan. Valek has just enough energy to counter her. When she is unconscious, the amount of magic in the air is reduced.  Valek can move easier and arrives in the jungle in time to catch and kill the assassin. Valek watches as Yelena disappears into the tree canopy of her family’s jungle home—never knowing that Valek had just saved her life. The End.

Part 5b1 – Valek in the plains - Valek drinks and nothing happens to him since he is sincere. The Sandseeds help Valek get to the jungle. Valek arrives in the jungle in time to catch and kill the assassin. He watches Yelena disappear into the tree canopy of her family’s jungle home—never knowing that Valek had just saved her life. The End.

Part 5b2 – Valek in the plains – Valek doesn’t drink the liquid. Valek manages to get a scimitar from one of the Sandseeds and grabs their leader. He threatens to kill the leader if the Sandseeds don’t help him get to the border of the plains. They help him and once Valek is out of their lands – he is no longer a Sandseed problem. Valek arrives in the jungle in time to catch and kill the assassin. He watches Yelena disappear into the tree canopy of her family’s jungle home—never knowing that Valek had just saved her life. The End.

Part 5c1 – Valek and Ziva in trap – Valek drinks and nothing happens to him since he is sincere. Ziva hesitates and won’t drink the liquid. Valek finds out Ziva was hired by the assassin to slow Valek down. The assassin knew Valek would eventually escape from the Moon Clan. The Cloudmists take Ziva into custody and help Valek get to the jungle. Valek arrives in the jungle in time to catch and kill the assassin. Valek watches as Yelena disappears into the tree canopy of her family’s jungle home—never knowing that Valek had just saved her life. The End.

Part 5c2 – Valek and Ziva in trap – Valek pretends he is going to drink the liquid, but when the leader lowers a flask down, Valek jumps and grabs the man’s hand, pulling him into the hole.  He threatens to kill the leader if the Cloudmists don’t let Ziva and him go. The Cloudmists throw down a rope.  Ziva climbs up first and tells Valek the others have backed off. Valek knocks the leader unconscious and climbs up after her. They escape through the forest and into the jungle. Ziva tries to lure Valek into the coils of a necklace snake, but he is too fast, and she ends up in the snake’s coils. He finds the assassin and kills him. Valek watches as Yelena disappears into the tree canopy of her family’s jungle home—never knowing that Valek had just saved her life. The End.

Part 5d1 – Valek in trap - Valek drinks and nothing happens to him since he is sincere. The Cloudmists help Valek get to the jungle. Valek arrives in the jungle in time to catch and kill the assassin. He watches Yelena disappear into the tree canopy of her family’s jungle home—never knowing that Valek had just saved her life. The End.

Part 5d2 – Valek in trap - Valek doesn’t drink the liquid. Valek pretends he is going to drink the liquid, but when the leader lowers a flask down, Valek jumps and grabs the man’s hand, pulling him into the hole. He threatens to kill the leader if the Cloudmists don’t let him go. They lower a rope and Valek escapes. Once Valek is out of their lands – he is no longer a Cloudmist problem. Valek arrives in the jungle in time to catch and kill the assassin. He watches Yelena disappear into the tree canopy of her family’s jungle home—never knowing that Valek had just saved her life. The End.