chapter one transcripts

page one

panel one

Narration: Like most things online, I don't remember exactly how I found the Citadel. Image: Camille, a girl with light skin and dark hair, colored in shades of blue, sitting at a desktop computer.

panel two

Narration: I know it was after school, in Mom's office. I was 13. Image: A parody of the AOL booting up screen, called "Swanstooth Online." A swan appears in two out of three boxes on a screen, carrying a tooth and flying forwards, while a button beneath says "Cancel." Sound Effects: KRRHWHRR

panel three

Narration: I don't quite remember the name of the first multi-user dungeon I found it in. "Serpent's Bane," or some shit like that. Image: A side view of Camille using the computer, which is glowing. Sound Effects: Clik Clik

panel four

Narration: I would learn later that that M.U.D. had been created by a bored high schooler, about a decade before I found it. Image: A picture of Camille's character in the dungeon, a green goblin with a long tail and fiery, curly red hair. Next to it is a mock screenshot from the game she is playing, that says the character's name is Dinah, their race is Goblin, their sex is M, and their stats balancing is "Normal."

panel five

Narration: I had never played a text-based game before. But from the moment I logged in... Image: ASCII art that says "Tutorial" with two options that say "Begin new character" and "Log In."

panel six

Camille: "Wow." Image: Camille has her eyes and mouth wide open with her hands on the keyboard, visibly awed.

page two

panel one

Narration: ...It was wonderful. Image: Dinah, standing on a grassy hill, approaching a tall white brick tower with a patched-up red roof. Smoke is blowing from one of the windows.

page three

panel one

Game Controls: Ring doorbell Dinah: "Hello?" Image: Dinah stands in front of the tower's door, which has an eye in it looking at them. Sound Effects: Ding Dong

panel two

Wizard: "Oh my dear boy, hello! Do come in." Image: A short wizard with light brown skin, grey hair and beard, and blue robes opens the door. Behind him can be seen the rest of the tower with a trapdoor in the floor. Sound Effects: Swing

panel three

Wizard: "Come, come!" Image: The wizard pulls Dinah further into the tower. A window can be seen behind them with a potted plant in it. Sound Effects: Tug

panel four

Wizard: "Welcome to Serpent's Bane! You can start your journey just down this hatch." Image: The wizard gestures to the trapdoor.

panel five

Dinah: "Um...okay! Thank you, sir!" Wizard: "Hee hee hee" Image: The wizard walks away in the background as Dinah calls over their shoulder with a hand to their mouth.

panel six

Game Controls: Open trapdoor Image: Dinah's hand reaches forward to open the trapdoor. Sound Effects: Creaaaak

page four

panel one

Dinah: "Yeah, I'm gonna try to slay the Were-Mer." Picture: Dinah sits across from an elf with dark brown skin and locs in a cave. There is hot liquid brewing over a small campfire, which they are both drinking cups of. Sound Effects: Sluuuuurp

panel two

Dinah: "RAAAGH!" Picture: Dinah swings their sword and leaps at a were-mer, a long serpentine creature which has blood on its teeth and wild eyes. The were-mer's body has cuts on it, and continues into the next panel and into the page margins.

panel three

Head Mage: "You are officially a student mage!" Dinah: "Wow, thank you so—" Camille's Mom (interrupting Dinah): "Camille!" Picture: The Head Mage, a woman with brown skin and long dark hair, gives a crystal ball to Dinah.

page five

panel one

Narration: In a flash, I was transported back to reality, the whole spell broken by my mom's call to dinner. Picture: Dinah's world collapses in a flash back into Camille's monochrome reality. We can see her mom's desk and the pictures taped up behind it.

panel two

Picture: Camille looks anxiously around.

panel three

Picture: Camille exhales.

panel four

Camille: "Coming!" Picture: Camille's chair swings as she leaves it.

page six

layout description

The page includes a background of Camille's view of the dining room table, with three panels of dialogue over it.

panel one

Camille's Mom: Camille, dinner's ready! It's your favorite! Picture: Camille's mom, a Filipino woman with dark skin and curly hair, wearing a crucifix, stands in front of a steaming pot of food with a spoon. Behind her is a kitchen table with some papers and a glass of water on it, with a window that has a potted plant directly behind the table.

panel two

Camille: Oh! Thanks, Mom. Picture: Camille walks into the kitchen, zipping up a hoodie with several stars sewn onto it. She looks pleasantly surprised. Sound Effects: Zippp

panel three

Picture: Camille, her brother Mateo, an older teenager with a shaggy undercut and a basketball jersey, and their mom eat dinner. Narration: An arrow points to Mateo and says "My brother Mateo." Another points to Camille's mom and says "Mom eats with her hands like a real Filipino."

background

Picture: A plate of afritadang manok, a stew including chicken and vegetables, rice, and a napkin under it with an overexcited hamster mascot. Narration: Several arrows point to the plate and say "Afritadang manok (actually my favorite)" and "Rice (of course)." Another points to the napkin labelling it as "Happy Hamster napkins from the Regional Dollar"