The Wolf of Derevnya is a horror mystery choose your own adventure set in Kievan Rus’. These are a selection of the location descriptions that appear in-game. You can play the first chapter here, or play a stand-alone build of only this scene here. Art by David Bowman.
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The village: The village square, such as it is, is only a patch of well-trodden mud in the center of the cluster of izbas. A small church stands before you, its roofs, vaults, and lofty onion dome all built of the same weathered, mossy wood. Across from it stands the inn.
The inn: Womblike warmth and dimness swallow you. Bundles of herbs hang from the roof beams and a masonry stove dominates the wall. The air is close with the lingering smell of bodies.
The church: The nave of the church is rich with the scent of incense. The walls are rough planks, but the iconostasis is gilt and covered in lovingly rendered portraits of the saints.
The birch grove: The birch trees stand straight and thin, like an army of spears. Their bone-white bark peels off in papery sheets that litter the ground.
The pond: The pond water is dark and flat as glass. A couple of turtles blink at you disinterestedly.