,,,,(align:"<==")+(box:"=======XXXXXX=======")[<a href="https://www.kelfecilstales.com/"; target="_blank">
<img src="https://i.imgur.com/uCpByop.png" title="source:imgur.com" style="width:100%;height:100%;">
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(align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[=###Semisa's Tale
//This is the story of Semisa Embershade and her latest archaeological journey into the desert wilds.//
###[["Let the Tale begin!"->Start]]
---
Author: <a href="https://ko-fi.com/philipwrites"; target="_blank">Philip Alexandris</a>
Editing and Coding: <a href="https://linktr.ee/kelfecil"; target="_blank">Constantine "Kelfecil" Christakis</a>
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This ''Tale of Choice'' is directly connected to the adventure <a href="https://www.kelfecilstales.com/"; target="_blank">"Library of Stars"</a> which is also published by Kelfecil's Tales.
''Tales of Choice'' are browser-based gamebooks which anyone can play through, exploring their own branching story of one of the many unique NPCs that appear in the adventure modules made by Kelfecil's Tales.
#####(Menu contains Art Credits, our Special Thanks and Copyrights Segment.)
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(track: 'main-background', 'fadein', 2)
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(track: 'main-background', 'playwhenpossible')###Visuals
➤ <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/22090661861/"; target="_blank">Z s, desert</a>
<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/"; target="_blank">Adapted and licensed under (CC BY 2.0)</a>
➤ <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/cmichel67/32824366596/"; target="_blank">Christopher Michel, Exploration of Sudan</a>
<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/"; target="_blank">Adapted and licensed under (CC BY 2.0)</a>
###Audio
➤ <a href="https://www.free-stock-music.com/alexander-nakarada-the-desert.html"; target="_blank">ispeakwaves, Mystery</a>
<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"; target="_blank">Adapted and licensed under (CC BY 4.0)</a>main-background: https://static.wixstatic.com/mp3/d5fc5a_54302d0f12764e9ba9e626507d2d543d.mp3####A huge thanks to all of our amazing Patreon supporters. Without them, none of this would have been possible!
Mart, Karolina O., KeksAdr, KataiAkuma, Calithiliel, Emma Kate, Fey Ma, Claire Buzzelli, Ian Achzenick, Matthew Lougheed, Naomai Alexander, AStarryFox, JC Ramin, Sigurds Eglitis, Silvio Rene Lopar, Bri, Howie Taylor, Yogi, Jos, Mr.Krane, Hannah Brown, Марк ШевченкоAll visuals (except for the Kelfecil's Tales logo) and audio are commercially licensed material or are used under agreement for this work specifically.
The credits for all the visuals and audio can be found in the menu of the gamebook.
GAMEBOOK'S AUTHOR is the person listed on the intro page of this html file.
GAMEBOOK is the html file.
All written story content, including unique names and characters in this
Gamebook (html file) are property of Kelfecil's Tales and this GAMEBOOK'S AUTHOR and are Copyright 2021 of the GAMEBOOK'S AUTHOR as well as Copyright 2021 Konstantinos Christakis (Kelfecil's Tales) All Rights Reserved.
## OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a
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the Coast, Inc.; Authors Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford, Chris Perkins, Rodney Thompson, Peter Lee, James Wyatt, Robert J. Schwalb, Bruce R. Cordell, Chris Sims, and Steve Townshend, based on original material by E.Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. Kraken Beach Scavengers: Copyright 2020, Hamrick Brands, LLC
**END OF LICENSE**Semisa Embershade had grown up in the heat of western Latakar, but that didn't mean that she was used to it. The midday sun above was overbearing, the heat extreme.
And yet she kept going, as she always did. They had a Library to find, after all, her and her sister.
"The ruins are up ahead," her sister Amira said.
Semisa smiled and urged her camel to move faster.
[[Continue->Temple]]After about ten minutes, they reached the ruins. The tribe they had met last night had been right: Those ruins seemed to be newly uncovered, the sands only recently shifted to reveal them.
"It looks like a temple to me," Amira said next to her, leaning forward from her camel to see better.
Indeed, the structure looked a lot like other temple ruins they'd seen, with a large square building standing prominent amid small ones.
"Alright," Semisa said. "We should..."
[[Approach the temple->Approach]]
[[Take some time to investigate the structure->Investigate]]Semisa dismounted from her camel and tied its reins to a rock nearby while her sister did the same. Together, they moved towards the temple. The structure was old, as old as the other ruins they had explored. It dated to before the Astral Conflict, certainly.
Most of the surrounding structures were destroyed, with roofs and some walls missing, but the main structure had held up well. As they entered it, they found most walls and a large part of the roof still standing, with pieces of art still faintly visible on the walls, while a hallway extended further into the main structure.
Semina decided to:
[[Inspect a piece of art->Art]]
[[Enter the Hallway->Hallway]]"Let's have a look around first," Semisa said. She spurred her camel on, moving in a circle around the ruins.
There didn't seem to be any sign of people having been there recently, no signs of fires or tracks, although the desert would have quickly gotten rid of those. The structure looked like a temple indeed, and although it wasn't in the best condition, Semisa was quite sure it would have something of interest still inside.
[["Let's go inside"->Approach]]Semisa paused by a still-standing wall, vivid colors now faded but the art still visible.
It was a picture of two dragons standing side by side, tall and imperious. Between them, there was a building where people flocked, surrounded by books. A library. Perhaps the Library of Stars, the place they were looking for. The dragons were surely the Moon and Sun Deities, judging from their research.
"Sure looks important," Amira observed, taking notes in her little notebook.
[[Semisa nodded. "Let's go in," she said, moving towards the hallway->Hallway]]Semisa moved to the hallway, her sister right beside her. The whole room seemed solid enough, the walls and roof still in place.
There was no art in the walls, just simple sandstone. It was a rather long hallway, and Semisa took to thinking, thinking about what they would find further inside. Perhaps some information about the famed Library of Stars. Perhaps, just perhaps, something that would give her power, make her famous.
She stepped on a floor tile and heard a loud clicking sound. She only had an instant to react, and she decided to:
[[Jump back->Back]]
[[Jump Forward->Forward]]Semisa jumped back, falling onto her sister and dropping both of them to the ground. The roof fell right where she had been standing moments ago with a loud noise, barring their way and very nearly killing them.
"Well, that was close," Amira said, pushing Semisa off and getting up.
"Too close," Semisa added. "I should have been more careful." The truth was, she had been distracted.
[["Let's find another way inside"->Another way]]
[["Let's climb the stones"->Climb]]Semisa made her way out of the hallway and back outside the temple. Followed by Amira, she walked around the main structure. On the far side, they found a part of the wall that was slightly collapsed, allowing them to climb inside the temple.
The inside of the temple didn't have many pieces of furniture. Most were ruined, made of wood that had rotten to the core and collapsed. Some were stone however. There were shelves across the walls, as well as an altar in the middle.
Semisa decided to:
[[Investigate the shelves->Shelves]]
[[Investigate the altar->Altar]]"We can climb," Semisa said, eyeing the rubble of stone in front of them. It was tall, but it was angular, and so there would be enough foot and hand-holds.
"Are you sure?" Amira asked. "We've already had trouble trying the hallway."
"We'll be fine," Semisa said, grabbing a hold of the rock and starting to climb. The whole thing provedh harder than she had expected, but after about an hour, they were through and into the main structure.
The inside of the temple didn't have many pieces of furniture. Most were ruined, made of wood that had rotten to the core and collapsed. Some were stone however. There were shelves across the walls, as well as an altar in the middle.
Semisa decided to:
[[Investigate the shelves->Shelves]]
[[Investigate the altar->Altar]]Semisa moved towards the shelves lining the walls, while her sister leaned down by some rubble to examine them, taking out her notebook once more.
Sadly for Semisa, the shelves proved a disappointment. There had been scrolls there, perhaps detailing ancient stories or spells. Sadly, time had made short work of them. They were barely more than dust, and if Semisa hadn't been experienced, she would have thought they were exactly that.
She scoffed, disappointed.
[[She made her way towards the altar->Altar]]Semisa moved towards the altar as her sister moved to some column in the corner of the room, inscribed with some letters of an ancient language.
At first glance, the altar didn't seem like much. It was simple sandstone, intricately carved but simple nonetheless, with little ornamentation.
Semisa was ready to give up when she noticed one side of the altar had a small incline in the middle. She pressed there, and a shelf opened without sound.
There was a stack of papers there, miraculously well preserved.
[[Read on->Read]]Semisa jumped forward, putting distance between her and her sister. The next moment, the roof above where she had been standing fell with a loud noise, cutting the hallway in half and leaving her and Amira stranded on opposite ends.
"Can you hear me?" Semisa asked the moment the noise had faded.
"Yes," her sister answered. "What should we do?"
[["I'll help you climb up"->Climb up]]
[["Try to find another way in"->Another way in]]Semisa eyed the rubble separating her from her sister. It was tall, but angular and full of hand and foot-holds. "Hold on," she yelled to Amira. "I'll get to the top and help you climb."
"You sure?" Amira asked. "Looks a bit dangerous to me."
"It'll be fine," Semisa scoffed. It took about an hour, but eventually both of them were on the right side of the rubble and moving towards the main structure.
The inside of the temple didn't have many pieces of furniture. Most were ruined, made of wood that had rotten to the core and collapsed. Some were stone however. There were shelves across the walls, as well as an altar in the middle.
Semisa decided to:
[[Investigate the shelves->Shelves]]
[[Investigate the altar->Altar]]"Go around the structure from outside," Semisa said. "See if you can find a way in from there. If not, come back here."
"Got it," Amira shouted back. Semisa heard her footsteps receding out of the hallway. She turned and made her way inside the main structure of the temple.
The inside of the temple didn't have many pieces of furniture. Most were ruined, made of wood that had rotten to the core and collapsed. Some were stone however. There were shelves across the walls, as well as an altar in the middle.
As Semisa was looking around, she heard a noise from the far wall. She moved there, alert for danger, but found only Amira crawling into the building from a hole that was there. "Hello again," Amira said. "Let's get back to it."
Semisa decided to:
[[Investigate the shelves->Shelves]]
[[Investigate the altar->Altar]]Semisa picked up the papers and began reading. The notes were a traveller's journey in the form of prayer, telling of his journey to the Library of Stars.
Finally, they had found it! And yet, Semisa didn't want to tell her sister immediately. She had always been the brave one of the family, the one that wanted power. If Amira found out about the notes, she'd want to put an expedition together. More would share in the glory then. She wanted it - and all the powerful items they'd find inside - for herself.
"Did you find anything?" Amira asked her, still looking at the column.
"No," Semisa lied, quickly stuffing the notes in her backpack. "Let's keep exploring.
[[End->End]]It was late evening when they left the temple, their camels heavy with the weight of all they had found, as well and Amira's copious notes.
Apart from the papers Semisa had found, they'd also discovered a few more items and pieces of intact scrolls. But none compared to what she'd found.
She'd have to think long and hard as to how to use the information. But sooner or later, she would be ready, and the Library of Stars would be found.