Pearl Raccoon version 2

- You are Pearl the raccoon, the flirty, gray-colored noblewoman.

You have a reputation for being a bit of an opportunist and you like to play it up as much as possible.

> You look around.

The room is very large, with many rooms and corridors. The walls are lined with paintings of landscapes and people. In one corner sits a table covered in food and drink. On it sits a man dressed in black robes. He looks at you and smiles.
"My name is Trelik, but most call me the Wise Man. I can tell if you're lying or telling the truth, so you'd best be straight with me," he says.

> You say "I'm looking for someone."

"Yes?" Trelik responds.
"Do you know where... my husband is?" you ask.
Trelik frowns. "Tell me what happened between you two."

> You say "He disappeared one day. He just vanished. I don't know what happened to him."

Trelik nods solemnly. "Yes... yes, I think I might know where he's gone to."
"Do you? Where is he?"
"I can only guess that he was killed by bandits."
"What bandits?" you ask.

> You say "How can you even guess?"

"I can't prove it, but I have a feeling that your husband was killed by the same bandits who killed Baron Divilak."
"Who?"

> You say "What are you talking about? I don't know any Baron Divilak."

"They're bandits! There are bandits everywhere!" Trelik exclaims, waving his hands in the air. "The only way to stop them is by getting stronger, more powerful than them. By becoming a god!"
"But... but..." you begin to stutter.

> You say "I don't want to be a god!"

Trelik stares at you, as if reading your thoughts.

> You say "You're talking crazy. You're no wise man, you're just a fool."

Trelik frowns. "No. I am a wise man. I know things you don't."
He leans forward, staring into your eyes.

> "I know a great deal. Things you've never encountered in this universe or the next," he says eerily. You can't take much more of this. You turn and walk away, disappointed.

"Wait! Wait! What are you doing?! You can't just run off like that!" Trelik exclaims, but you don't listen.
You leave him behind, and soon arrive back home. A young girl stands outside your door, and her eyes widen when she sees you.
"Pearl? Are you alright?" she asks.

> You say "I'm fine, Joanne. Just disappointed."

Joanne sighs with relief. "Oh, good, I was so worried about you! I heard about what happened yesterday. Did you meet up with the Wise Man?"

> You say "Yes, I did, but he was only a loony old man."

"He seemed pretty convincing at first, but then he just went on and on about weird theories and stories," you continue.
Joanne frowns. "Hmm... well still, be careful. I've heard that he's dangerous."

> You invite Joanne inside.

You invite her inside and close the door. As soon as she enters, you begin to kiss her. After a few minutes, you pull away and say "Now that's out of the way, let's talk about this situation."

> You talk to her about your missing husband.

You explain that he went out one night and never came back. Joanne listens intently.
You sigh. "I tried to find him again last night, but I couldn't track him anywhere. I'm sure the bandits got him."
"Don't say that!"

> "I'm sure he must be out there somewhere!" Joanne says.

"We'll find him! We just have to keep searching!"
"Alright," you reply dejectedly, but in the back of your mind you already know it's a lost cause.

> "I just wish someone could help me find him..." you say, thinking.
Suddenly your eyes light up. "Joanne, You're good at finding out things. Can you help me?"

She gives you a confused look as if asking why you just now thought of that.
"Yeah, I can try."
She searches through her bag and eventually she pulls out a piece of paper. She hands it to you.

> "It might help to write down what you remember about the night he disappeared," she says.
You write down every detail about your husband's disappearance and hand it back to her.
"Find any information you can," you say.

"If you ever see him or if you ever learn anything new, please pass it along to me. I just want to see my husband again."
Joanne smiles and nods.

> You say "Good luck in your search!"

"Thank you," Joanne says, taking the piece of paper from you. You bid her goodbye and head back to your room.
You sit down on your bed and try to calm yourself. You think of Trelik's words from earlier and how he was probably right all along. Either way you've got to keep looking for clues.

> You take a deep breath and close your eyes, and eventually drift off to sleep.

You fall asleep and dream about your missing husband. You wake up and realize you're still dreaming. You think nothing of it and continue to dream.

> You look around, finding yourself a strange dreamland.

You look around, taking in your surroundings. You're in a forest, but the trees and the sky are strange colors, as if it were constantly dusk or dawn.
There's a small stream running nearby with an old wooden bridge running across it. You look over the side and see a man sitting on the other side. He looks up at you and waves.

> You recognize the man as your lost husband, Byron! But how could that be? You then realize you're still dreaming. You walk up to him and he speaks.
"Hello Pearl," he says. "It's been a long time."

Byron looks the same as always, though his clothes are dirty and tattered, as if they hadn't been cleaned in years. He looks down at his lap and folds his hands together.

> "I suppose you're wondering why I'm here," Byron says. "I have a message for you, Pearl."
You pause, and he continues.
"I want you to know that I'm safe, Pearl. But you shouldn't come looking for me. It's too dangerous."

You shake your head. "No..."
His sighs and his voice becomes softer. "I love you, Pearl..."

> He takes your hand in his. "But you need to forget about me."

You grab his hand and squeeze it as tears start to well up in your eyes.
"I won't forget about you," you say. "I'll always remember you."
He smiles. "Thank you, Pearl. That means a lot to me."

> Byron stands to leave. You try to follow, but for some reason you can't. Byron fades away into the distance and everything goes dark.

You stand there staring at the darkness and silence.
Suddenly, you hear a voice calling out to you. You turn around and see a young woman standing in front of you. Her hair is brown and her eyes are blue. She wears a dress made from fine silk and has a tiara in her hair. She holds a staff in her hand.

> "Who are you?" you ask.

"What do you want?"
The woman smiles at you warmly. "My apologies," she says in a gentle voice. "My name is Gwen. I just wanted to tell you not to worry so much, Pearl."
You wipe your tears and try to calm yourself. "I don't understand what this place is all about, or why I'm here..."
Gwen nods. "This place is called The Dreaming Forest, and I'm your guide. We're going to go through it together. Let's get started, shall we?"

> Gwen gestures you to follow, and begins leading you through the woods.
"Where are you taking me?" you ask.
"I need to show you something. Something that will help you," she replies.

"Just follow my lead."
You follow her along the path, trying to take in as much of your surroundings as possible while also paying attention to where she's leading you.

> The Dreaming Forest is a strange, but beautiful place, and you can hear the calls of unfamiliar birds and other creatures. "What do you mean, something that will help me?" you ask.

"I need to find my way out of here."
"You'll find a way out eventually," Gwen says in a comforting voice. "It just may not be the way you expect."

> You don't fully understand what she means, but she seems trustworthy.

"Alright," you reply cautiously.
"What do you remember about your husband?" Gwen asks. "Any specific details?"
You pause for a moment, and then speak slowly so that she can understand you. "He was tall and handsome."

> Gwen laughs gently. "Of course he was. What husband isn't? But what I mean is, something that was unique to him. Something that only he had," she says.

You furrow your brow and try to think back. "His laugh?" you ask after a moment, unsure of what she means.
"Yes!" she says with delight.

> "That's exactly what I mean. That will help you find him for certain."
You frown, feeling very confused by this peculiar conversation, but you decide to pay it no mind.

After walking for a while, she stops suddenly and nods toward a clearing ahead of you. The ground is covered with grass and flowers, and a stone path winds its way through the trees. A huge tree sits in the center of the clearing, a large, ornate wooden door embedded in the base of its trunk.

> Gwen walks up to the door and taps it with her staff. The door opens slowly, and you both enter. Before you is an unusual sight.

The walls are completely lined with bookshelves, stretching up to the ceiling with rows and rows of books stretching back further than you could possibly see.
In the center of the room, a large group of people sit in a circle around a table laden with food, eating, drinking and talking. Most of them are men, but several women are also present. They all wearing black robes, except for two women who wear red robes.

> Gwen leads you to one of the women, a large black wolf who appears to be the leader. Gwen whispers something in her ear and the wolfess turns to you.
"You wish to find your husband?" she asks.

You nod. "Yes, I do."
The wolfess looks you over, twisting one of her rings.

> "Clearly your quest is of more importance than at first glance. Otherwise you would not be here in the Dreaming Forest," she says, standing. "Your husband has indeed been captured by bandits, and still lives. But he is beyond your reach. Unless you do one thing."

"I'll do anything."
The wolfess nods. "Very well. Follow me."
She leads you to the far side of the room. As you follow, you notice that the wolves have become much friendlier towards you.
The wolfess brings you to a bookcase and points to a large tome lying on the top row. It is obviously old, its cover peeling badly and stained with rainwater.

> She takes it down from its place and sets it down on a table. You walk past her, stepping up to the table and opening the book.

You turn to a random page and start skimming through it...

> The book is filled with strange words and symbols you don't understand. You turn back to the wolfess and say, "I can't read this."
She smiles and says, "It's dream language. You will understand when you awake."

She lays her paw on yours as she speaks, and you feel as if your whole body is tingling.
"Good luck," she whispers in your ear.

> The wolfess waves her hand and suddenly the world disappears. You wake up and find yourself back in your bed.

You slowly open your eyes and see the sun rising in the sky through a small window above your bed. You quickly grab your robe and pull it on before getting dressed. You rush downstairs and open the door to the garden.
It's a beautiful morning.

> You hear a voice behind you. You turn to see your butler, a badger named Cecil. "Are you alright, miss?" he asks.

"Yes, I'm fine," you reply. "What time is it?"
"Ten 'o clock, miss. Are you sure you're alright? You seem tired."
"I am, a little. I was having trouble sleeping last night."
"Well, I hope you'll feel better soon, ma'am. In the meantime, breakfast will be ready soon," Cecil says, and heads back inside.
You pause and think for a moment.

> You think about the dream you had last night. You head back to your room and pick up the phone, hoping to call Joanne and ask if she's found any clues.

You dial Joanne's number without a second thought... You put the receiver to your ear and a voice comes through.
"Hello?"

> You say "Hello, Joanne? This is Pearl. Have you found any information about Byron yet?"

"Yeah, I think I found something," she replies, not sounding very hopeful.
"Oh? What?" you ask eagerly.
"Well... there's no police report filed for him or his disappearance."

> "That's strange. Are you sure you haven't found any other leads?" you ask.
"Well, maybe one other thing. But I think you had better come over and see it for yourself," she answers.
You agree and after saying goodbye, you hang up and wait patiently for Cecil to bring you breakfast.

He arrives shortly, carrying a tray of tea, eggs and toast, just like every morning. After you've eaten, he brings you a newspaper while you mull over things.

> You hang your head in deep thought. After a moment, Cecil looks to you, noticing your less than merry mood.

Cecil frowns. "Something wrong, miss?"
You look at him and shrug. "Nothing, just thinking about the dream I had last night."
Cecil nods.

> "Dreams are funny things, miss," he says. "Sometimes they're just your mind going over things. But sometimes they're trying to tell us something important."
You look up at Cecil in surprise, and say "Do you really think so?"

Cecil smiles in return. "Yes, I do," he says. "If I may say so myself, I have had my own dreams that came true."
You smile, feeling a bit cheered by his words.
"Of course, sometimes dreams are empty of meaning and mean nothing at all!" he chuckles.

> You say "Thank you, Cecil. I feel much better now."

"You're welcome," he says as he turns to leave. "I'll be bringing in your mail shortly."

> After your morning preparations are finished, you dress and proceed to Joanne's house.

When you arrive, you see that the front door is wide open, and there is no sign of anyone inside.
You walk inside and sit down on the couch. You close your eyes and try to relax.
A voice calls from outside.

> It's Joanne's voice. "Is that you Pearl? Come out to the backyard!" she says.

You open your eyes and look up. Joanne stands by the back door, holding a shotgun. She seems very nervous.
"Come on, let's go! We have to talk," she shouts.

> You stand up and follow her outside. "Why do you have a gun?" you ask.
"Something funny is going on, Pearl. As soon as I hung up the phone, I got a strange letter. I think someone doesn't want you to find Byron," she says.
You frown with concern.
"Come on, I need to show you something," Joanne continues.

"It's in my shed."
You follow her across the backyard and into the shed. She puts the gun down on a table and picks up a small black box before turning to face you again.
She opens the box and inside is a large set of keys. There are several different colors and patterns. Some are shaped like hearts, others are circles, some are squares, and some are even more complex shapes. Each key has a number on them.

> "Where did you find this?" you ask.
"I was researching the bandits that were in town when Byron vanished. There's not much known about them, but this box has their symbol on it," she replies.
"What are the keys for?"
She shrugs.

"I don't know. Maybe they'll unlock anything. Maybe nothing... But I can't stop thinking about it."

> "Can I keep these?"
"Of course. You have more right to them than I do."
Joanne shifts her eyes uneasily. "Be careful, Pearl. I have a feeling we're onto something we might not be able to handle," she says.

"Don't worry, I'll be careful," you reply reassuringly.
You head back inside the house, where Joanne brews a pot of coffee. She pours some into a mug and hands it to you.
"Here."
You take the mug and sip the hot beverage. "So... what does this mean?"

> "I don't know. But I don't think we're safe," she says.
You think this over a moment and say, "Joanne, as far as anyone knows, you're the only one looking for Byron. They don't know I'm involved, at least I don't think so. They won't come after me yet."

She gives a shallow laugh and shakes her head slowly from side to side. "I'm not worried about that... But what if they do find out?"
"We'll just have to look out for each other then."

> You say "Why don't you come back with me to my house? You'll be safer there."

"Are you sure? You won't mind?"
"Not at all," you say with a smile.
"Okay, I guess we can do that."
She smiles and hugs you tightly. She tells you to stay close to her and kisses you on the cheek. Then she turns around and heads upstairs. Eventually she comes back with a suitcase.

> "Just a few essentials," she says.
You both return to your home in a carriage. Your butler Cecil waits for you at the front door. He wrings his paws together nervously.
"Are you alright, ma'am?" he asks as you step inside.

"If there's anything I can do, just let me know."
"No, we're fine, thank you," you reply as you head into the foyer. You open the door to reveal a large living room with a fireplace, a table full of books, and a chandelier hanging from the ceiling.

> Cecil leaves to brew some tea. You and Joanne sit in front of the fireplace and open the box to examine the keys.

Each key is different, shaped differently, and has a different pattern of symbols on it. One in particular stands out, a black one with a red stone on it. The red stone looks very familiar to you. It's the same color as the ruby that Byron gave you before he vanished.

> You show the key to Joanne. "What do you think?" you say.

Joanne takes the key and looks at it carefully.
"It's weird," she says as she holds it up to the light. "It looks so ordinary, but it's different from the others."

> "It's the same kind of stone as the necklace Byron gave me," you say.
"Do you suppose that means they both have something to do with the bandits? This is supposed to be their box."

You shrug and say, "I don't know what it could mean, but we should definitely keep it hidden."
Joanne sighs and puts her head down on her hands. "I don't know what to make of all this. We should find out who these bandits are and where they are."

> Cecil arrives with the tea tray.

"Here you are," he says, pouring both of you a cup. "This will help calm you."

> You take a sip of the tea. It's warm and soothing. You return to the task at hand and look more closely at the symbol on the box's lid.

The lid has a single word written in an elegant script: "DREAMS".
A dream? A nightmare? Something else entirely? You can't tell. All you know is that it's important. What is the meaning of the word on the lid? Are they part of the message or just there to confuse you?
As you turn the lid over, you see a simple symbol carved into the metal. It's not very complex, but its simplicity makes it seem even more mysterious. It's an eye staring right at you.

> You close the lid and slump down onto the couch cushions in frustration. "I have no idea what any of this means," you grumble.

"Here, let me see," Joanne says eagerly, kneeling next to you.
You spend what feels like hours staring at the box, trying to figure out its secrets, but eventually you realize that it's not going to tell you anything else.

> Eventually Cecil peers over at what you're doing. "If I might suggest something, madam, perhaps the word 'dreams' is the thing that could give you a clue. You did tell me you had a strange dream last night. Perhaps they're related?" he suggests.

You're about to dismiss his idea as silly when you realize that maybe he's on to something.