"He found the knowledge at the heart of the universe; Returned, and cut his story into stone..." -- The Epic Of Gilgamesh Whom The Telling Changed By Aaron A. Reed Would you like instructions?>Please answer yes or no.>yes "Whom the Telling Changed" is interactive fiction, meaning both that you must read it and interact with it. Whenever you see the prompt: >...you may type something that will shape the story. This can be a single word, such as LOOK to remind yourself of where you are, or REPEAT, to remind yourself of what was recently said. Certain words will be highlighted, drawing your attention to important objects or topics of conversation. You may also type simple commands to perform actions. The story understands basic VERB NOUN combinations the best, such as TAKE ROCK, GO OUTSIDE, TALK TO ISI, or ATTACK ISI. Try the verbs TALK, PRAISE, MOCK, or SHOW TO to interact with characters. If you don't want to do anything, try LISTEN or WAIT. Finally, you may type STORY at any time to see how the choices you've made have shaped the ongoing story. HELP will repeat these instructions. Press any key to begin. The people have always gathered on moonless nights to hear the telling, since the time of your ancestors' ancestors. The heat of the fire and the glow in the storyteller's eyes make the past present, and the path to the future clear. Tonight the stars are bright, but the minds of your people are troubled. May the words of the telling guide your way. ----------- The walls of your tent glow yellow in the lamplight, your simple possessions casting flickering shadows on the wall. A straw bed; some skins of water, oil, and wine; a small, guttering lamp--it is simple, but it is enough. The symbol of your occupation hangs from the central support of the tent. >symbol\ [Things to try: LOOK | LOOK AT | GO | TALK TO | GREET | ATTACK | TAKE | TOUCH | HEAL | LISTEN | PRAISE | MOCK | STORY | UNDO | or an EMPHASIZED word. For more detailed instructions, type INFO] >symbol Which do you mean, the medicine bag or the copper dagger? >bag A small leather medicine pouch hangs from a long strap, bulging with curative herbs. >take bag The leather strap feels cool and familiar in your hands as you take your medicine bag down from its place. > [Nothing entered.] >look The walls of your tent glow yellow in the lamplight, your simple possessions casting flickering shadows on the wall. A straw bed; some skins of water, oil, and wine; a small, guttering lamp--it is simple, but it is enough. Your lover's copper dagger hangs from the central support of the tent. >take water Water for your hands, oil for your lamp, wine for your thirst. You need none of them now, but knowing they are there brings comfort. >drink water Water for your hands, oil for your lamp, wine for your thirst. You need none of them now, but knowing they are there brings comfort. Lowered voices speak softly from somewhere outside your tent. >leave tent [That action is unimportant to this story.] >go You step outside into the warm night air. It has been night for many hours, but the air is still warm, and the stars are a million brilliant fires above you. Nearby are the vague outlines of your neighbors' tents, but on this moonless night only the distant glow of the fire pit seems truly alive. In the darkness a few feet away, Sihan and Saiph talk quietly in strained tones. As you approach, your enemy grows silent. Your love turns to you with a look of relief and reaches out a hand. >x sihan Sihan is beautiful; you have always thought so, as have many others. Her long black hair seems to swallow up her face in the dark of night. >x saiph Saiph has his father's tall strength and the bearing of a leader. His grace and bold demeanor draw others to him, though few know of his inner turmoil. >talk to enemy Who do you mean, Sihan or Saiph? >saiph You clasp Sihan's soft hand and turn to Saiph with a frown. "What business have you here?" you ask him coldly. Saiph stares down at you with distaste. "I came to see if Sihan is truly a woman of action and not only of words," he says levelly. "But I see that, like you, she is counted among the cowards and the weaklings. I have no more to say." He turns and strides fiercely into the darkness. >what happened [Things to try: LOOK | LOOK AT | GO | TALK TO | GREET | ATTACK | TAKE | TOUCH | HEAL | LISTEN | PRAISE | MOCK | STORY | UNDO | or an EMPHASIZED word. For more detailed instructions, type INFO] >talk to sihan "I care for you more than you know," you say, kissing Sihan on the cheek. Sihan sighs. "His heart clamors for war with these newcomers," your lover says, "and was upset to find I do not share his views. We shall see if your enemy has better luck at the telling." She looks up to the stars, and adds, "It is a good night for it." >telling "It is almost time," your love says seriously. "I wonder, what story will we hear tonight? The people are buzzing about the newcomers; perhaps the teller's story will be about them." >enemy "Saiph has been asking all the warriors to support his plan to attack the newcomers," your love says. "He is convinced they are planning to murder us all in our beds at any moment. He is so sure of himself; how nice it must be to have such conviction in one's own superiority." >newcomers "Have you heard the news?" she asks. "Young Ada found traces of a camp less than an hour's walk from here, and more than half a day from their fires in the valley. Saiph and his friends are already sharpening their spears and preparing for war," she says darkly. >fires "The moon has waxed and grown small again since they arrived," Sihan murmurs, holding you tightly. "Why don't they come to us? Why do they hide when we send our emissaries? They must know the unrest they're causing in us." >ada [Things to try: LOOK | LOOK AT | GO | TALK TO | GREET | ATTACK | TAKE | TOUCH | HEAL | LISTEN | PRAISE | MOCK | STORY | UNDO | or an EMPHASIZED word. For more detailed instructions, type INFO] >teller The time is not right to speak about that. >talk to love "I care for you more than you know," you say, kissing Sihan on the cheek. Sihan glances towards the fire pit, ducks inside the tent and emerges a moment later with her copper dagger, sliding it into its familiar place at her waist. "Let us join the gathering and hear the story," your love says lightly, and turns to the fire at the center of the village. >fire You walk to the firepit with Sihan, and friends and neighbors greet you with a nod or quiet word. Always the fire pit is the center of the village, and always the people gather there. Faint smells of tonight's great feast still linger, but the fire now smolders low, only a shadow of its roaring fierceness at sunset. Isi and Nabu stand near the fire, along with a growing crowd. Sihan stands near your side. >isi Isi's long black hair is white now, and her soft skin is loose and wrinkled, but her eyes have grown sharper with each passing year. Your father's sister sees more than most; the truth behind deceit and the sadness behind smiles. Her eyes sparkle as they meet yours, and she gives you a tiny nod. >talk to isi "My brightest light," says Isi as she always does, a smile lighting her face as she pulls you down to kiss your cheek. >talk to isi "And how is Sihan?" asks Isi, a mischievous smile lifting the corners of her mouth. "Is all still well in your bed?" You blush and smile nervously as Isi's friends cackle uproariously. Sihan places a hand on your shoulder. "Go on, my love," she says softly. "Give the circlet of office to the storyteller. It is time." >storyteller "The storyteller awaits," Sihan says. "The telling cannot begin until the teller's circlet has been gifted." >give circlet Whom do you want to give the feather circlet to? >to self [You can only do that to a human being.] >me The time is not right to speak about that. >myself The time is not right to speak about that. >to self [Things to try: LOOK | LOOK AT | GO | TALK TO | GREET | ATTACK | TAKE | TOUCH | HEAL | LISTEN | PRAISE | MOCK | STORY | UNDO | or an EMPHASIZED word. For more detailed instructions, type INFO] >give circlet Whom do you want to give the feather circlet to? >myself No; yourself are not the storyteller. >give circlet Whom do you want to give the feather circlet to? >look Always the fire pit is the center of the village, and always the people gather there. Faint smells of tonight's great feast still linger, but the fire now smolders low, only a shadow of its roaring fierceness at sunset. Nabu and Isi stand near the fire, along with a growing crowd. Sihan stands near your side. >nabu Your father's brother Nabu has never been good with a spear, but there is a warrior somewhere inside him that the wise respect more than the strongest man in the village. He is short and stern; quiet, but clever and collected. He is old, now, but his spirit is as strong as ever. >give circlet to nabu You approach your uncle Nabu and hand the circlet to the small old man. He takes it delicately, eyeing the craftsmanship, and then looks up at you and smiles warmly. Carefully, he lifts it up to his old head--and now before you is no longer your father's brother, but the storyteller... a role he has taken every new moon for many years. >waiyt [Things to try: LOOK | LOOK AT | GO | TALK TO | GREET | ATTACK | TAKE | TOUCH | HEAL | LISTEN | PRAISE | MOCK | STORY | UNDO | or an EMPHASIZED word. For more detailed instructions, type INFO] >wait Somewhere in the darkness, a night bird calls. Saiph approaches the far side of the fire and greets some friends warmly. >talk to nabu The storyteller seems to be gathering himself together; you should not disturb him. Sihan kisses your cheek. "May the story bring you what you seek," she whispers, then slips into the crowd. Your beloved has always liked to hear the stories by herself. >wait A gust of cool wind tugs your clothes. The murmurings of the people die away as the storyteller rises to his feet and raises two bony hands. >look Always the fire pit is the center of the village, and always the people gather there. Faint smells of tonight's great feast still linger, but the fire now smolders low, only a shadow of its roaring fierceness at sunset. The teller stands near the fire, and all the people's attention is focused on him. The storyteller shouts, "In this time of darkness the people gather for the telling. Will the people hear?" >bo [Things to try: LOOK | LOOK AT | GO | TALK TO | GREET | ATTACK | TAKE | TOUCH | HEAL | LISTEN | PRAISE | MOCK | STORY | UNDO | or an EMPHASIZED word. For more detailed instructions, type INFO] >no Your mood is sour; you do not join the crowd in the traditional affirmation. The crowd cries out with one voice, "The people are ready." The teller bows humbly, accepting the people's blessing, then straightens with the hint of a smile. "Tonight," he says, "we shall hear an old, old story, from days long ago when great cities and mighty kings ruled this land. May you find in the story that which you seek." >leave The telling has begun. If you left now, you would miss the story. The storyteller lifts his hands in invocation. "Our story begins," he says quietly, "in the far-off city of Uruk. Uruk of the broad streets, Uruk of the mighty walls. Can you see them, gleaming in the desert heat?" The teller gestures into the night, and in your mind the walls come alive, shimmering in the desert air. "Come," he continues, "cross the ancient threshold, walk the streets and orchards and markets. Walk the streets and climb the great stone steps to the temple. Climb the steps and find the box of burnished copper. Find the box and undo the lock and draw out the great tablet of deep blue stone. Draw out the tablet and read of Uruk's king, Uruk's pride, Uruk's greatest hero. Hear of the trials of Gilgamesh." >walls "How high were the walls of Uruk?" you ask. "As high as ten men," the storyteller replies, "and made of the finest brickwork both inside and outside. Gilgamesh built them, a work no later king could match, to defend the people of Uruk from her foes. From their top the whole city is laid out below you, only the temple still above." >temple "The great temple of Inanna: what did it look like?" you say. "Mighty and tall and grand and proud," the teller replies, "so fine that Inanna herself dwelt there instead of in her heavenly palace. Inanna, goddess of warfare, goddess of lust, dwelt often in Uruk herself." >uruk Before you can speak, Saiph steps forward. Saiph smiles broadly. "Ah, good!" he says, "a story of my ancestor Gilgamesh. There, there was a true hero to inspire the people in troubled times." Some in the crowd murmur in excitement, but older faces look as if they question Saiph's claim of lineage. A gust of cool wind tugs your clothes. >question You snort and raise your voice. "So it is Gilgamesh you descend from now, is it Saiph?" you say derisively. "Last moon it was Sargon of Akkad, was it not?" A few near you snicker as Saiph flushes furiously, then he turns away from you with cold disdain. The teller continues. "Mighty was Gilgamesh, a lord among lords. Mighty is he who both leads the way and guards the rear. Mighty is he who both crashes like a wave and shelters the weak. Gilgamesh was tall, strong, bearded, a roaring bull among his people. Aruru, mother of the Earth, gave him his form, and Adad the Storm gave him courage, and Shamash the Sun gave him beauty--but," the teller's piercing eyes fixate on the crowd, "he was still a man, nonetheless." >shamash "What did great Shamash give to King Gilgamesh?" you call out. "Shamash, Father Utu, Lord of the Sun and of Justice, gave to great Gilgamesh beauty and nobility," the teller says. "Shamash's burning touch woke within Uruk's king the fire of legend." >legend [Things to try: LOOK | LOOK AT | GO | TALK TO | GREET | ATTACK | TAKE | TOUCH | HEAL | LISTEN | PRAISE | MOCK | STORY | UNDO | or an EMPHASIZED word. For more detailed instructions, type INFO] >man Your mouth is already open to respond when Saiph's voice booms across the circle. "How awesome to have such divinity in one's creation," Saiph says. "The people of Uruk were blessed indeed to have such a king to lead them." "And they knew it," says the teller with a twinkle in his eye, "even if they sometimes wished for a leader who provoked awe less frequently." A voice somewhere behind you calls, "It is true!" and one or two nod their heads in agreement. >story This is a story about a healer in the village who was in love with a strong warrior woman, Sihan. On the night of the telling, when the healer's uncle Nabu became the teller, their enemy Saiph tried his best to turn the people towards needless war with the outsiders. >peace The story has moved on; there are other things to say. The telling continues. "With his friend and companion Enkidu," the storyteller says, "Gilgamesh ruled Uruk with a young and prideful heart. But he saw the dead and dying in the streets of Uruk, and his mind was troubled." >praise enkidu The story has moved on; there are other things to say. >troubled You wonder, was Gilgamesh a fool to be so troubled by distant death? >wonder "Why was mighty Gilgamesh troubled, I wonder?" you ask. "A hard thing to tell," the storyteller says simply, "and a question that the King himself often pondered. The dead and dying in Uruk troubled him, yes, but he could not say why. Death had not touched his soul, and perhaps, perhaps, he did not yet have the words to tell what troubled him." >dead "Why were there so many dead in the streets of Uruk?" you wonder. "No special reason," says the teller, "other than that which must one day take us all. In the cities things are different than here, or so my father told me: the people there are so many that every day there is death; every day a birth; every day a wedding or a feast or a piece of intriguing news." >city [Things to try: LOOK | LOOK AT | GO | TALK TO | GREET | ATTACK | TAKE | TOUCH | HEAL | LISTEN | PRAISE | MOCK | STORY | UNDO | or an EMPHASIZED word. For more detailed instructions, type INFO] >dead The story has moved on; there are other things to say. "Death comes to the weak quicker than the strong," booms out Saiph from across the circle. "It is the way of things, and cannot change. Gilgamesh spent his worries needlessly." His eyes meet yours for a moment, as if challenging you to agree or disagree. >yes "It is true," you say after a moment's thought. "All men must die. Any good king must accept that this is the way of the world." "Gilgamesh, perhaps, still had much to learn about being a good king," the teller says softly. The storyteller continues. "One night," he says, "as Gilgamesh knelt in prayer, Shamash, god of the sun, came down to whisper in his ear. Shamash whispered to Gilgamesh of a far off place called the Cedar Forest, where dwelt the demon Humbaba. Shamash whispered that he who could defeat Humbaba would gain fame greater than any man. He who could chop down the tallest cedar and defeat Humbaba the guardian would gain everlasting fame. He would burn in the minds of men forever. He would never be forgotten. And the heart of Gilgamesh became restless." >cedar Before you can speak, Saiph steps forward. "You said King Gilgamesh was restless when he heard Shamash's call," Saiph says loudly. "And of course he was! What king would not seize a chance for glory, to prove his strength and power? A leader is trebled in stature when admired by the people." Whispers dance around the circle as the people share their views; a fair number seem in agreement. Sihan scowls darkly across the flames. >no "Tell me," you say to the storyteller, "had this demon ever set upon the city of Uruk, or harmed its crops or its cattle?" "The demon Humbaba did not leave the Cedar Forest," the teller answers. "Humbaba was charged by Enlil, lord of all gods, to guard the Cedar Forest against all intruders." "And would you leave the safety of your women and children to the word of a monster, a demon?" Saiph calls out to the crowd. "Such evil cannot be contained. If left it will grow and fester like an ill-treated wound. Gilgamesh feared for the safety of his people. So would I, were I king of Uruk." >no You shake your head, muttering dangerous words to yourself. The story moves on. "The heart of Gilgamesh burned with the words of Shamash," says the teller. "Gilgamesh sought out his friend Enkidu and said to him: 'You came from the wild. My friend, you came from the wild and you know the secret paths of animals. Do you know the way to the Cedar Forest?' "Enkidu sighed and his heart grew heavy," says the teller, and then seems to become young and strong as the gruff guise of Enkidu comes over him. "'Yes, I know the way to the Cedar Forest, but it is long and lonely. And what awaits you at its end but the demon Humbaba? The lord of all gods, mighty Enlil, has set him there to guard the Cedar Forest. What man or god could defeat him, my brother?'" >signed [Things to try: LOOK | LOOK AT | GO | TALK TO | GREET | ATTACK | TAKE | TOUCH | HEAL | LISTEN | PRAISE | MOCK | STORY | UNDO | or an EMPHASIZED word. For more detailed instructions, type INFO] >sighed Enkidu was brave to question his friend, perhaps. Or was his hesitation to fight a sign of weakness? >brave "How strong is Enkidu," you marvel aloud, "to stand against such a man as Gilgamesh. What courage to raise his voice against so mighty and stalwart a man." A voice somewhere behind you calls, "It is true!" and a few nod their heads in agreement; for a moment, you see Sihan's grinning face across the crowd. >yes You mutter a quiet word of support. "Shamash himself came down from the realm of the gods to tell Gilgamesh of this?" asks a weatherbeaten farmer. "Why don't I have such luck?" A few of his neighbors chuckle. A gust of wind ripples through the grass. >shamash It is no longer the right time to make that part of the story. The telling continues. "Gilgamesh looked at Enkidu with disapproving eyes," continues the teller, who then seems to grow tall and strong. "Is this the brave Enkidu I know?" he asks in the voice of the king. "Is this Enkidu who fought with the wild beasts and once challenged King Gilgamesh himself? Have you traded courage for cowardice? Our days are few, and chances for glory far between. Do you not wish to burn forever in the minds of men?" The teller becomes Enkidu again, and seems to consider the words of Gilgamesh. "'You have set your mind, I see. You will make this quest no matter what your friend Enkidu counsels. Since that is your road, I will go with you. I will guide you on the hidden paths; I will find for you the hidden water; I will help you on your quest for glory. Enkidu will go with you.'" >enkidu You consider Enkidu's response for a moment. Some might call him weak for giving in so easily to Gilgamesh... but others would call him a true friend for standing by even though he did not agree. >weak "There are few chances for glory," you say. "Why did Enkidu not relish such a chance to prove his valor, and that of his King?" "The story does not say," says the teller demurely, "and so neither shall I." There are some who frown, but some of the people smile and nod. You feel but do not see Sihan's gaze burning on your face. >agree You smile, your affinity lighting up your face. >glory "What better task for Gilgamesh to take on?" you wonder aloud. "If he succeeds, his people will love him and follow him all the more; and if he fails, his name will live on in death as one who showed no fear." "As it has," the teller says, "though which of those outcomes found Gilgamesh has not yet been told." The story continues. "Gilgamesh rejoiced," the teller says, "and summoned the blacksmiths to forge mighty weapons for the companions. He summoned the blacksmiths and summoned the servants to prepare food and supplies. He summoned the servants and summoned the priestesses to make generous sacrifices, to ask the gods for good fortune." "When all was ready, Gilgamesh and Enkidu passed through the seven gates of Uruk and set off into the desert. The people watched them go," he says softly, "the people of Uruk in silence watched them go." >silence "Did the people of Uruk not cheer as their two greatest heroes left on this quest?" you ask. "I would not," says an old woman near you. "If my protectors left me for a long journey to distant lands, leaving the weak and defenseless to fend for themselves? No; I would watch in silence, too." >agree You smile, your affinity lighting up your face. "What must it have been like to see such a thing?" rasps an old blind woman, smiling wide as if the whole scene is spread out before her. "Such wonders there were in those great times." >disagree A frown crosses your face as you murmur your disagreement. "Hot were the sands of the desert," continues the teller, "hot were the sands and hard was the way. Many bones of less fortunate travellers marked their journey. But Enkidu knew the secret paths of the animals and the secret hiding places of water, and the land fell behind them swiftly." "The first mountain range they crossed in a day; the first desert and mountain range they crossed in a single day. On the next day they crossed the second desert and the second mountain range; on the next they crossed the third desert and the third mountain range. On the third night they lay down to sleep, utterly exhausted from their journey." >enkidu "Without Enkidu, Gilgamesh could not have crossed the desert," you point out. "Without Enkidu, who was once his enemy, Gilgamesh could not have prevailed in this quest." "It is true," nods the teller, "without Enkidu Gilgamesh would have been lost in the trackless sands." Whispers dance around the circle as the people share their views; a few seem in agreement. >enkidu It is no longer the right time to make that part of the story. "True heroes were Gilgamesh and Enkidu," Saiph says. "They did not stop to pity the dead travellers who did not have the strength to cross the desert. They knew that the weak should not be pitied, for pity saps the strength of strong and weak alike." A current of energy runs through a fair number in the crowd, who mutter affirmation with somber faces. Sihan scowls darkly across the flames. >praise enkidu The story has moved on; there are other things to say. >wait Wisps of clouds mark moving black shadows on the stars above. The teller continues. "In the darkest hour of night Gilgamesh woke with a start and clutched his chest. 'Who walks there?' he gasped. 'Why does my flesh tingle? Has a god touched me?' Enkidu heard and awoke, saying, 'Have you dreamt, Gilgamesh? Tell me your dream and I will unravel its meaning.' 'I dreamt we walked in a gorge beneath a mighty mountain, you and I,' said Gilgamesh. 'We were like flies beneath its massive bulk. Then, with a rumble, the mountain collapsed on top of us. What is its meaning, my friend?'" >fell "The mountain collapsed on the companions?" you say. "This does not sound like a fortunate dream." "What Enkidu said next may then surprise you," says the teller with a mischievous smile. 'The mountain is the demon Humbaba,' he said. 'Shamash has sent us this dream to show that we will defeat the demon, and his fall will shake the earth.' And Gilgamesh heard his words, and was at peace." >god It is no longer the right time to make that part of the story. "Dreams of portent are frightening," says a young mother, pulling her wrap tighter around her. "I do not like the gods to enter my head in the night." "Wise you are to be cautious," says the teller with a nod. "The ways of the gods are strange and obscure to men, their dealings laced with complexities we cannot understand." >[Nothing entered.] >waiyt [Things to try: LOOK | LOOK AT | GO | TALK TO | GREET | ATTACK | TAKE | TOUCH | HEAL | LISTEN | PRAISE | MOCK | STORY | UNDO | or an EMPHASIZED word. For more detailed instructions, type INFO] >wait The stars begin to fade as clouds swallow up their light. As the teller speaks more of the journey across the desert, a strong hand presses on your shoulder. You turn to see Saiph's face only inches from yours. "Your words are subtle tonight," he says, "and I wonder at your purpose. I will ask you straight: do you counsel action or the path of words?" >words "Talk can be stronger than actions," you say quietly. "Indeed it can," Saiph says, "but this is not the time for talk. Our enemies in the valley will not listen to our words. Do you support me in this, or do you still sanction the hopeless path of peace?" >peace "You are so sure they mean us harm?" you ask. "All we know is they have come to our land and have not yet left." "He who assumes the stranger is a friend does not live long in this world," says Saiph. "Perhaps you will have to learn that lesson the hard way. Tell me now in plain language: are you with me or against me?" >against "I do not wish to say I am against you," you whisper back, "but unless you turn from this rush towards warfare, I must oppose you." Saiph's face darkens and his eyes become daggers. "You are a fool," he says. "I hope only that your foolishness does not mean the end of our people. I have no more to say." He turns and vanishes back into the crowd. >wait A flash of lightning on the horizon catches your eye, followed by a low, rumbling wave of thunder. You turn your attention back to the teller. "On the seventh day," he is saying, "the companions crossed the seventh desert and the seventh mountain range, and came at last to the edge of the Cedar Forest." "The cedars were green, and the forest cool after the barren heat of the desert, and it smelled inside of wood and soil. But quiet it was under the boughs of the trees; quiet, with a lingering whisper of fear." >quiet "But is this not normal for a forest? I have never heard of noisy trees," you say with a smile. "This forest was too quiet: quiet as a temple, quiet as a tomb," the teller chants, "no creature stirred within the Cedar Forest; not hare nor hawk nor rat nor owl. No beetles crawled on dampened leaves; no crickets chirped. Even the wind seemed to lose its voice as it entered the cool wood." >cedar "What magic was there in the Cedar Forest that made it special?" you ask. "Uruk was a land like ours," the teller answers, "where the tree is scarce and the wood is poor. Cedarwood is strong, and beautiful, and pleasant to see and smell, and in those days was valued as gold. In the Cedar Forest far, far away, the cedar trees are so thick you could not see a man a hundred paces away; and so tall you could not see the sky." >restart Are you sure you want to restart? yes