The alternate start

You touch the alternate start link, and the world goes white again, before convalescing into a cool, dark, damp dungeon. Another screen pops up, briefly explaining what led you here.

"You were hired to steal a particularly rare and expensive gem from one Baron Tyro. During your attempted theft, you were foiled by a magical ward, which trapped you until his guards happened upon you. He'd caught you once before, and had you sent to the castle dungeon, from which you promptly escaped. This time, however, he didn't make the same mistake.

Exercising his considerable influence with the King, he arranged for you to be magically teleported to the kingdom's worst dungeon, one saved for the worst of criminals. It's location is known to but a few people; the only thing the public knows is that it's buried deep in a forest, leagues away from the kingdom, deep within a cavern complex. It hasn't been guarded by the king's men in over a century. The only soul to escape this dungeon babbled incoherently about goblins, spiders, and other things, which no one could make out.

If you manage to escape the dungeon, your freedom is secured. If you don't, who knows what will become of you..."

You close the text box, wondering just what the hell you've gotten yourself in to. Looking around, you find yourself in a cell, three sides of which are rough-hewn stone, the fourth a standard barred wall, with inset door. The door hangs ajar, allowing you to see into the slightly larger room beyond, illuminated by glowing lichen along the walls.

The view is sobering. Several long-dead skeletons litter the floor, their gear in varying states of decay. No living soul has entered this room in quite some time. An old, half-collapsed wooden table sits in the center of the cavern, shattered ceramic dishes scattered across it. A tunnel leads slightly uphill, veering sharply to the right a short way up.

Looking down at yourself, you find you have precious little with which to stage your escape. Your only clothing is a tattered sleeveless burlap shift, seemingly exposing as much as it conceals. Its' ragged hem falls to mid-thigh, and while it covers your nipples and pussy, it shows a lot of tanned skin through various holes and tears. Beneath your dainty bare feet, you can feel how the cold stone floor has been worn smooth over time.

A small pack rests next to you. You open it, finding several loaves of bread and a pair of full waterskins. They'll sustain you for a few days if you ration them well. It contains nothing else. With a shrug, you put it on, before considering your rather limited options.

While the prospects look rather bleak, there's a slim chance you might find something useful in the room. Otherwise, you may as well just head up the tunnel, and see where it goes.