Oedipus

,,,,

(align: "<==")[As I wake in the place, I wonder. Recently, I have heard numerous rumours about my family. To give you a little background: my father is king of the city and my mother the queen] (align: "=><==")[**But it turns out that my parents are not really my parents!**] (align: "<==")[I am not sure what to do right now... Should I try to find out who my real parents are? Or should I just be happy with these amazing parents that are also king and queen and therefore making me next in line for the throne (since I am their only child)?] [[■ Ofcourse I want to find my real parents!-> The Oracle]] [[■ No, things are fine the way they are. My real parents did not even want me... -> A life in peace?]]

I decided not to look for my parents and live out my days in peace. I was made king after my fathers death and my subjects found me to be a great ruler. History remembers me, not as an adopted son, but as the ruler of rulers. Still... I have always struggled with not knowing my heritage. Did I make the right choice? The End. (align: "=><==")[[[Okay... fine, I'll look for my parents! -> The Oracle]]]

I really want to find my real parents. I decide to go to the oracle for answers. When I asked the oracle who my real parents are, the oracle ignored my question. The oracle did tell me about a prophecy. I am destined to mate with my own mother and kill my own father. After this I am confused. The oracle did not say that I was adopted, so perhaps my parents are my //real// parents after all. But what about this prophecy? Should I put the prophecy aside or leave the city? [[■ I should definitely put this ridiculous prophecy aside -> Putting it aside]] [[■ Leave the city of course! I don't want this prophecy to become reality -> Leave the city]]

Well, let's be honest... You can't just put this aside. Unless you want to mate with your own mother and kill your own father? But come on, that's a bit sick to say the least. You know you have to leave this city, it's the only way to escape the prophecy. [[■ Well, since I'm not a sicko I will leave the city-> Leave the city]] [[■ I ain't going nowhere! Leave me alone you sick gamemaker-> Sicko]]

I decided to leave the city and I get on the road. After some days I encounter some men at a crossroads coming from the city I am heading to. But the road is small, too small for us to quietly pass each other. One must give way. Both of us don't want to give in and an argument errupts. While we quarrel the sun is burning down on our faces and so we grow more impatient per minute. To my suprise the argument takes a sinister turn as the leader of the group tries to strike me with his sceptre //(how pretentious?)//. In defending myself I try to throw the old man down from his chariot. But how do I approach this sensibly? Should I throw the man over my right shoulder or should I just grab him and force him down? [[■ Throw the man over my shoulder->Throw the man over my shoulder]] [[■ The grab and force->The grab and force]]

(align: "=><==")[''Well played my friend, well played.'']

(align: "=><==")[''What a manoeuvre! You are just a legend!''] After this display of might you come to your senses again. You have killed the old man! A classic case of not knowing your own strength. But what now? [[■ It's unfortunate, but gotta keep moving-> Keep moving]] [[■ What have I done?!? Please just leave me-> Leave me]]

Well, this failed. The old man dodges your grip and strikes you hard with his sceptre. While you are on the ground the old man bends over to say something... but before he gets a chance to speak, you grab his sceptre and hit the old man over the head with it. (align: "=><==")[**Victory!**] But after a few moments, you discover that the old man is dead. He lies on the ground, not making a move anymore. What should I do? Should I just move on or stay in this area to calm myself before moving on? [[■ Just move on, that man was annoying anyway so not that big of a loss-> Keep moving]] [[■ Calm myself of course, it's not every day that I kill a man-> Calm myself]]

(align: "=><==")[//You were just defending yourself, so why feel guilty?//] (align: "=><==")[Let's just move on.] (align: "=><==")[[[Follow the path towards the new city->Follow the path towards the new city]]]

You just murdered a man, of course you need time to get back your senses! Take all the time you need. You can proceed whenever you are ready. (align: "=><==")[[[Okay, I'm cool now. Lets move on-> Keep moving]]]

You just murdered a man, ofcourse you need time to get back your senses! Take all the time you need. You can proceed whenever you are ready. (align: "=><==")[[[Okay, I'm cool now. Lets move on-> Keep moving]]]

(align: "=><==")[[[Blimey! What is this mythical creature!?-> The Sphinx]]]

I encounter a mythical beast! It has the head and breast of a woman, the body of a lioness and the wings of an eagle. The beast will not let me pass as I need to solve its riddle first... (align: "=><==")[//The riddle goes like this: What is the creature that walks on four legs in the morning, two legs at noon, and three in the evening?//] [[■ Man->Man]] [[■ Must be one of those new Pokemon->Must be one of those new Pokemon]] [[■ How should I know?->How should I know?]]

"Of course it is man itself that cralls on all fours as an infant, walks upright in maturity and leans on a stick in old age." I have bested the beast by solving the riddle correctly and the beast will let me pass. (align: "=><==")[[[Time to go-> Move on]]]

(align: "=><==")[//The beast answers: "Okay, that sounds fair. There are about 600 new ones. I can't expect you to know all their names. I will let you pass."//] (align: "=><==")[[[YES! Let's get a move on-> Move on]]]

(align: "=><==")["WRONG!", the beast screeches.] (align: "=><==")[The beast then decides to strangle you and you die an agonizing death.] (align: "=><==")[**The End.**]

It turns out that the beast was a plague for the city I was heading to. After solving the riddle the beast throws itself from a cliff and therefore freeing the city from its curse. The city rejoices and I receive the most valuable rewards possible. Since the king of the city has just been found dead, I am given the kingship of the city and the hand of the queen. (align: "=><==")[[[Let's get crowned and married!->Let's get crowned and married!]]]

After getting married and being crowned king, life is perfect. My new wife and I have become parents of adorable twins and my rule has been prosperous. But after some years have passed, disaster strikes the city. The city is struck with plague and my subjects are dying. I send my trusted brother-in-law to ask for advice at the oracle of my former city (the one that told me about the prophecy years ago). The plague turns out to be the result of an unsolved murder. The previous king was murdered and his murderer was never found. **I have to find this murderer! Curse him and his family!** I summon a blind prophet, but he refuses to give me the name of the murderer! He even advises me to abandon my search.. should I? [[■ Yes, I should listen to this prophet. He must know what is best-> Listen to prophet]] [[■ No! If he won't tell me, perhaps he himself is the murderer!-> Accuse the prophet]]

The prophet must be right. I should let the matter rest and put all my effort into helping my people. I make sure that the infected are held apart and people everywhere sacrifice to their gods in hope to survive. But all our efforts are fruitless. Everywhere, dying or dead people can be found laying in the streets and houses. My city is lost to all, including me. My family and I await our fate in the palace. Eventually, my children get infected and through them, us. My wife and I are infected as the last ones and after our children have died on our arms, so do we in each others. (align: "=><==")[**The End.**]

The prophet must be the murderer himself as he refuses to give me a name. The prophet is outraged by this accusation! (align: "=><==")[//"My king, how could you accuse me of this murder while it is you who has committed it yourself?!"//] I killed the former king?! How?! What should I do? [[■ Contemplate the situation-> Contemplate]] [[■ Be sad/angry.. emotionally all over the place-> Sad]]

Well, this is becoming some telenovela... Drama all over the place. Life used to be so good and now it's a straight up mess. I need some distraction before I do anything rash I think.. [[■ Go play some Mario Kart on my Wii -> Mario Kart]] [[■ Let's just nap-> Nap]] [[■ Eat away my feelings-> Eating]]

(align: "=><==")[//I am feeling the feels.//] I walk up to the balcony. From there I can watch the entire city. I see the people suffering, ridden with plague. There is no other option, I must find out the truth. Am I the murderer of the former king? But first, I should talk to my wife. She might know some details concerning the murder of her former husband. (align: "=><==")[[[Talk to the wife->Talk to the wife]]]

Really, you think you can play Mario Kart on a Wii? I know that as the storyteller I haven't told you about the setting of this story, but you must have realised by now that our story takes place in a somewhat older setting... Mario Kart was realised in 2008 so you can't play that right now (also because of copyright and stuff) (align: "=><==")[//Maybe it's a better idea if you just talk to your wife. She might have an idea of what to do now.//] [[■ Talk to the wife->Talk to the wife]] [[■ The betrayal! I.WANT.MARIO.KART!-> Complaining]]

(align: "=><==")[//I got 99 problems, but I'm gonna take a nap and ignore them all.//] I wake after several hours. I know what to do. I need to speak to my wife about this, she might know something about the murder of her former husband that can tell us something about the murderer. (align: "=><==")[[[Talk to the wife->Talk to the wife]]]

(align: "=><==")[//Good food equals a good mood.//] After eating for several hours the kitchen is empty and so I am. After contemplating my situation I decide to turn to my wife for answers. She might have some information about the murder of her husband that will help me find out the truth. (align: "=><==")[[[Talk to the wife->Talk to the wife]]]

My wife consoles me when I tell her about the prophets message. I should ignore the message given, prophets cannot be trusted. I ask her why I should not trust the prophets message. Apparently, the former king, her former husband, received a prophecy as well. He had been told that he would be murdered by his own son. But this did not happen, he was killed by random bandits at a crossroads. (align: "=><==")[^^//crossroads... crossroads... crossroads...//^^] I have killed a man on a crossroads. Could it be? I have to get a survivor of that attack here, at the palace. I tell my wife the entire story: the rumours I heard, my own prophecy, my travels and the murder... But thankfully there is hope, the former king was murderer by several persons. If the witness confirms this, I will be cleared of the accusation. (align: "=><==")[[[Bring the witness here at one!-> Bring witness]]]

(align: "=><==")[Really...? I'm so sorry, but please go talk to your wife now.] (align: "=><==")[[[Talk to the wife->Talk to the wife]]]

I send for the witness to be brought to me. But before this happens, a messenger arrives from my old city, carrying the new of my fathers death. I am ecstatic! The prophecy cannot be fulfilled now, I cannot kill my already dead father! Now I can only fear for the other part of the prophecy to be fulfilled. I could still commit incest with my mother. Thankfully I am far away from my old city and my mother. I tell the messenger about the prophecy to explain why I am ecstatic about my fathers death. In an attempt to please me, he then proceeds to tell me that my mother is not really my mother. So I should not worry about that. (align: "=><==")[[[Wait... What?!->Wait... What?!]]]

So I am adopted. My father and my mother are not my real parents. A shepherd found me and gave me to my 'parents'. This shepherd turns out to also be the witness of the murder on the former king! //(how suspiciously coincidental...)// (align: "=><==")[[[Why is that witness taking so long!-> Taking long]]]

(align: "=><==")[After a while, the witness/shepherd arrives. But he refuses to give me any information...] (align: "=><==")[//What should I do so that he will talk?//] [[■ Threaten him->Threaten him]] [[■ Straight up torture should do the trick-> Torture]]

(align: "=><==")[Torture is a bit much, let's just threaten him Okay, this was the best solution. After making a threat, the witness reveals all.] (align: "=><==")[[[WHAT DOES HE REVEAL!?!-> Reveal]]]

(align: "=><==")[A little torture should do the trick...] Okay nevermind, he is dead now. You will never get the answers now!Beacuse the murder remains unsolved, the plague continues to sweep through the city. People are dying and there is nothing I can do about it. But I will try. (align: "=><==")[[[Try your best->Try your best]]]

I make sure that the infected are held apart and people everywhere sacrifice to their gods in hope to survive. But all our efforts are fruitless. Everywhere, dying or dead people can be found laying in the streets and houses. My city is lost to all, including me. My family and I await our fate in the palace. Eventually, my children get infected and through them, us. My wife and I are infected as the last ones and after our children have died on our arms, so do we in each others. (align: "=><==")[**The End.**]

(align: "=><==")[**All is revealed at last**] In fear of the prophecy, my mother had given me away to a shepherd who in turn gave me away to another family. [[■ So wait.. explain it to me?-> Explain]] [[■ What prophecy again?->What prophecy again?]]

(align: "=><==")[It turns out that my wife is my mother!!! And I actually killed my father!!!] (align: "=><==")[The prophecy has been fulfilled after all.] (align: "=><==")[I need to talk to my wife.. uh... mom? [[Find my wife/mom->Find my wife/mom]]]

(align: "=><==")[Really? A few clicks back your wife told you about the prophecy that was given to the former king.] (align: "=><==")[Okay so pay attention...] (align: "=><==")[The former king received a prophecy telling him that he would be murdered.] (align: "=><==")[And not just that...] (align: "=><==")[He would be murdered by his own son!] [[■ Oh yes, I remember. Let's move on-> Explain]] [[■ Uh what?->Uh what?]]

(align: "=><==")[Yeah man, I just can't... Let's just stop here before you further embarrass yourself.] (align: "=><==")[**The End.**]

(align: "=><==")[//I find her... hanging from the ceiling. When she found out the truth, she hung herself in shame.//] Crying, I take down her body. Her dress is held together by two golden pins... What should I do next? [[■ Obviously I should stab myself in the eyes with the pins-> Stab]] [[■ Uh, do nothing?-> Nothing]]

(align: "=><==")[Blind, I exit the the palace. I live out the rest of my life in shame.] (align: "=><==")[**My name shall be known throughout time and space as Oedipus**] (align: "=><==")[**The End.**]

(align: "=><==")[Okay, I get your decision, but for the story you should really stab out your eyes. Just play along.] (align: "=><==")[[[Play along-> Stab]]]