"YOU are the hero" : The Fate of Faraway 438

You co to an abrupt stop. Ancient verses echo in your mind, mories of your vast musical knowledge.

The great Hero, naless yet so famous, is said to have once faced a Dwarf in hand-to-hand combat—and won. This Dwarf, king of a northern mountain, would later beco one of his loyal companions. Many of the legends about Dwarves, known among other peoples, co from the Hero’s epic songs, in which his Dwarf companion recounts his own adventures.

One of these songs speaks of a helt, perched atop his fortress—the helt of a stone giant. In an epic battle, he had reclaid this citadel from an army of ogres who had barricaded themselves inside, entering through a secret passage.

Now that you think about it, from afar this mountain strongly resembles a helted face… Following the directions from the ancient verses, you leave the trail and take distant landmarks to navigate between the rocks. With growing excitent, you discover nurous Dwarven runes carved into the ground, and you surmise that they confirm the correctness of your path.

Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

You increase Ti by 1, then clear away a small suspicious rubble to reveal a stone door. Strange runes are engraved upon it, and three of them seem to hold a secret chanism. You were right! But according to legend, only one rune opens the door—while the others bring death…

Will you press the one that looks like a cow at 350, the one that forms a circle at 158, or the one that resembles a pitchfork 480? Or do you judge these attempts futile and retrace your steps, resuming the climb up the stairs at 7?