As many of you may already know, I’ve been working on a storygame for the past 15 months. It’s an attempt to teach my therapy techniques in a CYOA fantasy-adventure format.
Because it is pretty damn large (~100K words), I’ve decided to role out some samples so I can get feedback without it being too much of a burden.
I’ve rigged the game so that you can only play the introduction (~3500words).
On the ever-sage advice of Lady Mizal, an appetizer is being pasted below (along with a link to the gamebook).
I hope you like it! Any and all feedback is very appreciated!!
Preface
You are Cabata ('Ka-Bah-Ta' for male, 'Ka-Bay-Ta' for female), the seventeen-year-old heir to the throne of Alluvia, descendant of a long line of sorcerer monarchs, waging battle against an insidious and tenacious power known as Fear Magic.
Items
You carry a Book of Lore and a Socratic Journal. Your decisions and experiences will unlock their pages. They will provide the theory and the therapy behind the quest. As such, these readings are optional.
Your Book of Lore already has one entry: a description of the five types of magic in Alluvia.
Scoring
Although you can retry certain sections of the quest, points are only awarded (and lost) the first time you view a particular page. Your performance with each form of magic, as well as your total score, will be displayed at the end of your journey. Your scores will influence the contents of seven true endings.
A Word of Caution (especially for patients with panic disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder)
If reading any part of Cabata's Quest makes you feel even mildly anxious, then it's actually best to put the quest aside; and, if you are feeling motivated, try it again later. With repeated attempts, you should be able to get a little further in while remaining calm. If so, then you are using a form of Berserker Magic successfully on yourself.
-Play Cabata's Quest
Chapter 1: The Sky
The only constellation you will find in the stars is the one you bring with you.
-The Book of Constellations
-Next
A Fateful Sky
You gaze upon a fateful sky. It is the dusk of the Fear Bane.
Every two hundred years, a red comet approaches from the northern sky, inching its way towards the Dragos constellation.
For a few moments, it becomes the dragon's eye. Granting him a fleeting glimpse of life.
At that instant, as far back as the histories of Alluvia have recorded, your bloodline has been stricken by the Fear Bane: a powerful spell releasing Fear Magic, overwhelming the minds of those in power, and casting the kingdom into shadow.
Powerless to prevent this curse, your parents have secluded themselves in a distant forest retreat, hoping to spare the populace of the madness that will surely befall them.
Now, from the highest point of your ancestral castle, you gaze alone upon the sky. Straining your eyes. Your pulse, quick. Unsure what the future will bring, for the Fear Bane is different every time.
-Continue
The Dusk of the Fear Bane
You stand atop a noble tower, the wind tugging at your hair, a glowing ancient tome in your hand, and a telescope at the parapet paying homage to the sky.
You hear the murmur of the people down below. They are apprehensive. You all are.
The wind turns colder. Biting your face. You pull your coat close to catch the warmth of your breath and watch as the red comet inches ever closer. It is almost time.
You are currently feeling moderate anxiety in your mind and body.
How do you proceed?
-Use the telescope to search the sky.
-Use the telescope to scan the horizon.
-Search your Book of Lore
-Use Yoga Magic to calm down.
Cabata's Quest (game link)
