Word Crawl/Fantasy Crawl

(Transcribed by Ellalah – I tried to fix all of the spelling errors and such, but probably made a few typos in the process. Sorry!)

Designed for the lovers of fantasy out there, this crawl will take you on a journey that will up your word count and possibly inspire you. As guiding lights through this mystical world, there will be creatures to help you – and hinder you – throughout your adventure.

WARNING: This is a very long crawl and designed as a pretty in-depth rpg type story. It will take time to get through it!

RULES

• At any point where you fail, you are permitted to restart that task.
• You will find – or be give – runes that allow you passage through your current task, should you fail an not be able to overcome.
  • You are not permitted to use them prior to attempting the exercise to move on.
  • You are permitted to repeat the task before moving on to get your desired outcome.
• You are not permitted to switch classes or weapons at any time through your adventure
  • If you wish to change class/weapon, you must restart your journey from the beginning.
• You may do the word wars by either timing yourself or participating against another. Any form of being able to do a word count in a specified time is acceptable.
• You are advised to split this up over several days, as it is very long, but you may do it all in one sitting.
• Have fun!

The Beginning

The World is spinning. A kaleidoscope of colors whir past you as you fall. You are falling down – but to where?

With no warning, the spinning stops. You are lying on possibly the greenest grass you’ve ever seen in your life. In the distance, you can see a shimmering lake, mountains jutting far into the clouds just behind it. A cool brush of wind moves through the area, rustling the crash and bringing you to awareness.

You’re definitely not in Kansas anymore.

Slowly, tentatively, you push off the ground and glace about. There isn’t anyone around. Were you kidnapped? Dropped off? Drugged? More importantly – how are you going to get home?

A strange creature appears, the head of an owl with it’s body cloaked in a rich blue garment. It’s black eyes peer at you, head tilting, before it speaks.

“Who?” it calls, voice trilling. “Who are you?”

• CHALLENGE! Do a five-minute word war. Your class is decided by the amount of words you produce. Take your word count and divide it by five before choosing your result:
  • Warrior: 0-35 WPM
  • Sorcerer: 36-59 WPM
  • Minstrel: 60+ WPM

“A warrior is strong,” says the owl. “Plowing through foes. A sorcerer is thoughtful and knows that word can amass much. A minstrel lives deep in lyric and song, knowledgeable as one who spends much time with letters and thoughts.”

The wind picks up once more and thousands of cherry blossoms appear. They cloak your vision for the briefest of moments before a young girl stands before you, her blue eyes wide as the last vestiges of wind lift her brown hair. Attached to her, you see a long sword that brushes the ground, a staff, and what appears to be a golden harp.

“Gifts to be earned,” she says, her lips curving in a smile.

• CHALLENGE! Do a ten minute word war. Your weapon is decided by the amount of words you produce. Take your word count and divide it by ten before choosing your result:
  • Broad Sword: 0-35 WPM
  • Rowan Wood Staff: 36-59 WPM
  • Harp Bow: 60+ WPM

“The sword is of strength,” the young girl says. “Able to slay time and create sentences. The staff is of might, capable of great paragraphs. The bow is of practice, as much time is devoted, the result is seen.”

Once more, the cherry blossoms swarm and you are left behind, your weapon lying on the grass next to a leather satchel. Hesitant, you reach down and lift the items. The weapon feels warm in your hands – familiar. There is a comfort in holding it.

Light springs forth from your weapon and you let out a cry, blinded.

As the light clears, you discover you are at the edge of a cave. Glowing near the entrance is a pale blue stone. Gripping your weapon, you glance around before drawing closer.

A strange symbol is inscribed atop it, letting off the glow.

“It is a rune,” a voice calls out. “It will allow you passage, should you fail.”

You glance down to the sight of a small mouse, cowering near the cave’s entrance. It twitches its nose before poking it’s head toward the stone. Your hand closes around it and the creature flees. Stuffing the rune in your bag, you move carefully into the cave. The light behind you disappears slowly before you are in total darkness. A shuffle is heard and you hear a cry. You rush to the screams, finding your way with the sound, and a plunged back into the light.

A woman is being attacked by a giant bat, swinging her weapon viciously.

• CHALLENGE! Do a ten minute word war. Your result is determined by your word count.
  • 300 words or less: the giant bat tosses you into a wall, knocking you unconscious, before killing the woman. You lose.
  • 500 words or less: the giant bat kills the woman, but you use your weapon, managing to vanquish it. You win.
  • More than 500 words: you distract the giant bat, giving the woman time to flee, before you use your weapon to vanquish the beast. You win.
    • (If the woman lives, she joins your party as either class other than yourself, with any weapon other than your own. Her name is Maruka. She will come in handy later on.)

The creature defeated, you manage to get out of the cave through an opening behind the bat’s nest. Before you spills a roadway, a city off in the distance. You are already tired from the battle, but you must get to the city.

They may know something about what is going on.

• CHALLENGE! Sprint to the nearest thousand to get quickly to the city. If you take less than ten minutes, you find a rune at the gate to the city.

Inside the city, you find that there are others like you – lacking memories. From what you overheard, you decided to go to the best place possible to gather information. The tavern.

The place reeks of alcohol and there are several men quarrying. The bartender looks distressed as you take your seat at the bar. According to him, the men have been threatening to fight for over an hour. He asks if you would be willing to speak to them to make them leave.

• CHALLENGE! The bartender is too weak to do anything about the thugs across the room.
  • If you are a brutish warrior, you quarrel with them. Do a thirty-minute word war to kick them out by force.
  • If you are a compelling sorcerer, you manage to talk them down with some effort. Do a fifteen minute word war to coerce the into leaving.
  • If you are a minstrel, your words are crafty and quick enough to avoid violence. Do a five-minute word war to get them out.

The bartender thanks you and, in return, gives you a rune along with some information. There is a snow monster toward the northern mountains that, if defeated, will grant anyone the knowledge they seek. You thank him and head out.

Trials

• CHALLENGE! The mountain is a two day journey from the city. Sprint for twenty minutes to get there as quickly as possible. If you hit over one thousand words, you find a rune at the base of the mountain.

The climb is steep and covered in snow. Scaling it seems dangerous and you’re not quite sure where the monster is supposed to be. Without any other clues, you begin scaling the mountain.

• CHALLENGE! The mountain is very steep! It requires a lot of to make it to the top.
  • If you are a warrior, the climb is easy. Write at your own pace for five minutes.
  • If you are a sorcerer, the climb is a bit hard, but manageable. Write at your own pace for fifteen minutes.
  • If you are a minstrel, climbing isn’t your strong suit and it takes you quite some time. Write at your own pace for thirty minutes.

You reach the top of the mountain at last. Despite your hands being numb and your muscles aching, you stand victorious. Across the way, you spot yellow eyes that watch you cautiously. As the wind blows the snow, the eyes vanish before a voice calls out.

“Why have you come, human?”

Startled, you reach for your weapon. A growl emanates and you drop your hand, careful as you draw closer, explaining yourself to the strange voice.

As the snow clears, you see the eyes belong to what appears to be a white wolf. One of a much greater size than any you ever recall seeing. It leaves paw prints in the snow as it approaches.

“You have come here to save our world,” the wolf says, eyes trained on you. “You must be tested if you are the one. Many have come here, sought after to save us. All have failed to this point. Will you?”

Before you are give time to answer, the wolf lunges.

• CHALLENGE! The wolf has challenged you!
  • If you wield a sword, the battle is intense, but you manage. Do a ten minute word war to defeat the wolf.
  • If you use a staff, the battle is almost too much. Give it your all in a twenty minute word war to defeat the wolf.
  • If you wield a bow, luck is on your side with ranged attacks. Breeze through the battle with little effort in a five minute word war.
  • Exception: If Maruka is on your team, and her weapon has a lower count time than yours, divide the difference. If you wield a sword, but she wields a bow, you only need to write for two minutes.

(Defeated, the image of the wolf vanishes and you discover that it is a trick. A man appears from the mist of the former wolf with the creature’s ears and tail on his body. He is one of the two classes that is not your own, wielding either weapon that is not your own. Exception: If Maruka is on your team, he is of the final remaining slots.)

The creature is known as Dariel. He is from an eastern tribe of elves, capable of shifting their forms. At a young age, a transformation went wrong. The accident made him incapable of turning into anything but a wolf, marking him with his counterpart’s ears and tail.

According to Dariel, he was sent to the mountains to search for the one prophesied to save their world. Due to his immense strength from only being able to shift to one form for so long, he was the ideal choice to test those who approached him.

He joins you on your quest, guiding your party to the woodlands with ease.

World in Peril

Dariel leads you to the woodlands. According to him, they are the heart of where the danger is taking place. The part of their world that is becoming ruined. The place where the destruction is coming from.

With no warning, your party is attacked by pixies!

• CHALLENGE! Your party is attacked! Do a thirty minute word war to fight off the fiendish little monster. If you have over seven hundred words, one of them drops a rune.

“They were not always such harsh creatures,” Dariel says, frowning. “But the changes in our world have affected a great many of us. Those who were once peacekeepers have become vicious killers.”

You look at the slain foes, frowning. A world of light and warmth. You miss it. There is a memory there that you yearn to recall, but can’t quite reach. Deciding it is for the best, you focus on the task at hand.

“Deep within the castle in the capital city, sits a ruler,” Dariel goes on. “A false king who has imprisoned the royal family. No one knows what has happened to the King and Queen within, or their child. Some speculate they are all dead. Others say the child escaped to a far off land to seek aid.”

You shift your bag, furrowing your brow.

“There is nothing we can do,” he sighs. “It grows late. There is no sense in travelling at this hour. We should set up camp.”

• CHALLENGE! The night goes smoothly. Relax with your reward. You’ve earned it.

Into the Castle

Your party gathers outside the gates of the city. Gypsies dance about in bright clothes through the streets while merchants buzz as they try to sell their goods. The streets are packed with the shops and customers. Something strange grabs at your waist before your satchel slips off.

A man breaks through the crowd, your satchel in hand. You run after him, your party crying out your name in confusion.

• CHALLENGE! You’ve been robbed!
  • If you’re a warrior, running isn’t your strong suit. You manage to catch up and tackle the man after you do a twenty minute word war.
  • If you are a sorcerer, this is a breeze! Stop the man after a five minute word war.
  • If you’re a minstrel, you’ve got some stamina, but you run out pretty quickly. After a fifteen minute word war, you manage to catch him.

The man drops your bag, screaming that you’re crazy, and runs off. Your party comes up behind you, huffing a bit from the run, and looking confused. After a short explanation, they understand and you continue through the city.

As the sun sets, you and your party have set up camp outside the castle. You’ve decided to attack the false kind tonight, after doing some reconnaissance throughout town.

Dariel says that, according to the guards, the King and Queen are alive, but their heir has fled. No one is sure where the child is, but they have search parties out for them.

Clinking is heard not too far from your camp. You know if the guards catch you, you’ll be in trouble. You try gathering your things, but they spot you!

• CHALLENGE! Oh no! The guards have caught you.
  • If you wield a sword, you’ve got the strength but lack the speed. Do a twenty minute word war to overpower them.
  • If you wield a staff, you’ve got the advantage! Do a five minute word war to whack them upside the head, effectively knocking them out.
  • If you wield a bow, their armor is too thick! Thankfully, you’re good at spotting their weak spots, so do a fifteen minute word war to get them out of commission!

More Guards are heard nearby. You and your party grab your things and run into the castle – headed for the throne room. The building is littered with guards, protecting the false king. Getting to the top isn’t easy!

• CHALLENGE! Fight your way to the throne room, where the false king awaits.
  • Do a forty-five minute word war to fight off the guards.
  • Exception: If Maruka is in your party, do a twenty-five minute word war.

You make it to the throne room, where the false kind awaits. The room is empty, save you and the king. Your party has vanished.

“They’ve been sent to the dungeons,” he says, a ball of light in his hand. “And you, dear child, will soon join your parents there as well!”

• CHALLENGE! Duel with the false kind! Do a one hour word war to defeat him. If you have over eight hundred words, you win! If not, the false kind overpowers you and you are locked in the dungeon. Escape and fight again!

You slay the king and run through the castle, finding your companions and the King and Queen in the dungeons below. You free them – along with several other captives – and the Queen rushes you.

Her arms wrap tightly around you as she sobs, whispering “My dear, sweet child,” over and over again. Confused, you lean in, patting her back as you look at your party. They return the same expression, not understanding either, and the King pulls you and the Queen into his embrace.

You voice your confusion, and the Queen smiles sadly, tears slipping down her cheeks.

“Of course,” she says, blotting her face with the edge of her sleeve. “We erased your memory so you would forget. We knew if we sent you off, you would just come straight back.”

You look between the King and Queen, not quite understanding.

“We erased your memory and had a dear friend take you far away,” the King says, picking up from the Queen’s words. That way you would wander about and find help before coming. “When we prepared you, we knew that if you remembered everything, you would think yourself brave enough and strong enough to do it on your own.” “You weren’t strong enough then,” the Queen sniffs. “I worried so much. But you’re here. And it’s time you remembered.”

• CHALLENGE! Your mother gives you an elixir. Your memories are returning! Do a ten minute word war to remember everything clearly and realize you are the heir to a kindom!

Your parents embrace you.

That evening, a feast is held for the return of the heir and the freedom of the King and Queen. Later in the evening, Dariel asks what you intend to do. After some deliberation, you decide to take your party and head out into the world.

A few weeks after the feast, your party is gathered, prepared to leave.

“Where will you go?” your mother asks, teary-eyed at seeing her only child leaving hom.

“Wherever the journey takes us.”

The end.