SwiftRunner

[page="start"]
[if_know_name goto="main"]
[goto="dont_know_name"]
[endpage]


[page="dont_know_name"]

[colour="#808080"]
You see a dark wolf-creature, who watches you with
intelligent eyes.

Finally he speaks in a snarling voice.

"Who are you and what do you want with the Others?"

[link="Who are you?"]
[linkto="name"]
[link="What are you?"]
[linkto="what"]
[link="Who are the Others?"]
[linkto="others"]

[colour="#ffffff"]
[endpage]


[page="name"]
[learn_name]

"I am SwiftRunner, leader of the Others.
 We are a pack, made up from the former rulers of the
 City.  We were expelled following a revolt led by
 RedTooth and his band of fools.

 Let them keep their city..  we will build our own!"

[link="Tell me about RedTooth."]
[linkto="redtooth"]
[link="Tell me about the revolt."]
[linkto="revolt"]
[link="Why were you expelled?"]
[linkto="revolt"]

[endpage]


[page="revolt"]

"It is a long story.. one that brings back sad
 memories.

 I can tell it if you wish."

[link="Tell me about the revolt."]
[linkto="revolt2"]
[link="Why is it sad?"]
[linkto="revolt_sad"]
[link="Tell me some other time."]
[linkto="revolt_notnow"]

[endpage]


[page="revolt_sad"]

"My dear brother, Grey.  If he was here today, life
 would be so much easier
 
 Cursed be the false god, Aa'Ruuff the Betrayer!"


[link="Tell me about your brother."]
[linkto="grey"]
[link="Tell me about your God."]
[linkto="aaruuf"]
[link="Tell me about the revolt."]
[linkto="revolt2"]

[endpage]


[page="revolt2"]

"My brother, Grey, was the leader of the City.
 He made a fine ruler, with charisma, a strong,
 decisive leadership and an excellent sense of
 justice.

 We worshipped a God called Aa'Ruuff, who created us
 centuries ago, according to the litany.
 
 He protected us and taught us many things.

 My brother, as leader of the pack, was close to
 Aa'Ruuff, and relayed His teachings to the people.

 One day, Aa'Ruuff announced that we were no further
 use to Him and we would all be destroyed by His new
 worshippers.. Men."

[nextpage="revolt3"]

[endpage]


[page="revolt3"]

"Grey prepared us for the war against Men and
 several vast battles were fought.  The field
 of bones is testimony to this.

 But then tragedy struck.  Grey and I were on a hunt
 together, because he always preferred to catch his
 own prey.  We took reasonable precautions..
 a dozen guards always accompanied the hunts.

 But human sniper, sent by Aa'Ruuff, slew Grey
 before we even knew what was happening.

 I took his place with some success, but once the
 human attacks were over, the people became
 discontented."

[nextpage="revolt4"]

[endpage]

[page="revolt4"]

"An ambitious general called RedTooth kept stirring
 things up and alleged that I and my advisors still
 worshipped Aa'Ruuff.  Nonsense, of course.

 He gained enough support for a coup to take place
 and we were banished from the City."

[nextpage="revolt5"]

[endpage]



[page="aaruuf"]

"He is no God of mine!

 For centuries our people worshipped Him.
 The litany says He created us.  But ten years ago,
 He announced that we would be destroyed by His new
 worshippers!

 He betrayed our people and there was a war against
 the Men that He sent to kill us.
 
 My poor brother Grey had planned all our defences,
 so Aa'Ruuf had him assasinated."

[link="Tell me about the revolt."]
[linkto="revolt3"]

[endpage]



[page="grey"]

"My elder brother was the leader of the Warg before
 the Betrayal.  He was a very handsome warg, with an
 argent grey coat that shone with vitality.
 Most of us have dark fur, so he was named 'Grey'.

 We grew up together.  We were given a lot of
 freedom, and we spent many happy years playing
 together in the forest, a few miles from the city.

 When the leader grew old, Grey was picked to
 succeed him.

 He made a fine leader.. courageous, wise, handsome
 and with tremendous charisma.  He was privy to many
 of Aa'Ruuff's secrets."

[link="What happened to him?"]
[linkto="grey_dead"]

[endpage]



[page="grey_dead"]

Swiftrunner becomes distressed.

"My brother was killed when Men attacked our city.
 We were outside the city at the time, engaged in a
 hunt, with our usual complement of guards, for Grey
 always insisted on catching his own food.

 There were twelve of us, but Aa'Ruuff had singled
 Grey out to His human worshippers..  probably to
 throw the Warg into leaderless chaos.

 They had firearms.  He didn't stand a chance."

[link="Are you sure he's dead?"]
[linkto="grey_dead_sure"]
[link="How did he die?"]
[linkto="grey_dead_how"]

[endpage]




[page="grey_dead_sure"]

"Of course he's dead!  They blew his brains out!
 I saw it with my own eyes!"

[endpage]




[page="grey_dead_how"]

The creature recalls his brother's death and relates it to you with some
difficulty.

"He was shot in the head.  His last act was a yell for me to get clear.

 A shot rang out, and.. and there was a great chunk of his head.. missing.
 He.. staggered for a second and then fell.

 They took his body away with them.  I d-don't know why.  Perhaps they
 w-wanted his fur or something..

 I erected a tombstone at the spot where he fell, and a statue was built
 in his honour."

[endpage]



Grey probably would have lead the resistance against Aa'Ruuff and become an
even greater hero if he hadn't been struck down
