An Interactive story/comic/adventure/game/art project played out on Steemit!

This post details an experiment that I have been thinking about for a little bit: An interactive fiction with images and sounds where the direction is controlled by people commenting.

It is sort of a crowd-sourced “choose your own adventure” with people in the comments voting on where we go and what we do!

There will be parts where I am also looking to collaborate with other artists on Steemit as well!

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The story will be broken into Episodes which will be broken into Parts. Each part will be an individual post.

ex. The Realm of the Ritual Masters. Episode 3 Part 2

Each post will have some images, and sometimes sounds/music to go along with the story. As well as some interactive components in the text as well as a list of them at the end of the post.

Interactive components are always bold italics and consist of various:

• Objects, creatures or beings nearby that can be interacted with.

• Locations that can be traveled to.

• Actions that can be done.

• Choices that must be made.

• Questions that must be answered.

ex.

• Touch the glowing rock

• Examine the slime

• Approach the large ominous object in the distance

• Attack the Night Mutant

• Flee from the Night Mutant

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How to participate

Please leave a comment choosing which interactive component you would like the story to interact with.

I will also be sourcing votes from my Instagram and Twitter!

Every few days(I am aiming for twice a week) I will update the post saying what was picked and link to the next post. (This initial post will be accepting votes for the full 7 days)

Whichever interactive component receives the most comments wins!

I will randomly choose one comment that chose the winning component to receive a 100% upvote from me!

Remember, there are no right or wrong choices! But some choices may be more right than others ;)

I will make a new post with a description of what happens next, an image or two and a new batch of interactive components will be revealed. Depending on where we go there might be the same interactive components available as before(less the chosen one), new ones, or old ones may go away if they are no longer nearby or available.

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Into the realm we go!

The Realm of the Ritual Masters

EPISODE 1 PART 1
The Beginning
Suggested sound track
Open this link in a new window, turn on loop, hit play and then come back and read on!

Darkness.Forever. Unending. An eternity of black…

Finally light!

Your eyes open, adjust and slowly you begin to take in your surroundings.

A rolling landscape of hills with mountains in the distance extends before you. A low mist covers the ground and all is shrouded in darkness. Yet every detail stands out crisply, still visible somehow...

The stars!

Bright pinpoints of light fill the sky above, as well as a pair of odd moons, casting a strangely bright greyish silvery light over everything in sight.

You know nothing and have never seen this sight before.

A few moments pass as you try to recall how you got here, where here even is,or who you are.

Nothing.

You hear a flapping sound behind you as a light wind blows. You turn around and see what’s causing the sound.

At first you mistake the sight for some kind of tent or shelter but you soon realize a ragged cloak stands before you. Pinned open by two huge tusks tied with spines of wood. It feels unbelievably ancient and makes a quiet tinkling sound as the various bones and teeth adorning it sway slightly in the cool breeze.

You watch it for a few moments as it flaps and sways.

It calls to you.

You walk closer and peer into the unnaturally pitch black darkness inside the cloak.

You lean forward trying to make out something in the dark.

A sudden tugging sensation pulls you forward and you lose your balance.

You fall into the darkness of the cloak.

A timeless interval passes.

Once again you awaken to the same sight as before, but something is very different now.

The cloak envelopes your body and you feel a new sense of strength and a great vastness. It seems to swell and contract, writhing and moving with a mind of its own.

You move around and the cloak bends to your every movement, never getting in the way or hindering you, always keeping you covered and hidden in darkness, yet you feel free and lithe. It feels right and like you and the cloak are one and have always been one.

Tucked within the folds and hidden pockets, that you somehow know the location of, you find an assortment of strange objects.

Teeth, bits of string and cord, wrapped bones, beads, small polished stones, dried mushrooms and twigs.

You have no idea what these objects are for but you sense power and utility in them and return them to their respective pockets.

You spend some time surveying your surroundings. A gnarled tree stands nearby on a small hill, you notice something swaying in the branches, the hilltop could also prove to be a nice vantage point.

The cracked ground around you seems to be strewn with small stones, sticks and tufts of dark grass. One brightly glowing stone nearby sticks out in the moonlight more than others.

In the distance a large ominous shape looms in the darkness. There appears to be birds circling above.

There is a gully down below you that leads between two hills. You can hear some strange sounds every so often carried on the breeze.

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What happens next?

• Climb the hill with the gnarled tree.

• Take a closer look at the brightly glowing stone.

• Walk towards the large ominous shape in the darkness.

• Cautiously approach the gully with the strange sounds.

You decide!

Please leave a comment choosing from the list above!
Check #ritualmaster for related posts and content!
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All words and images by me! @terrorfirma