The Council of Mastor Orators has vanished from the land. You along with many others have been framed of usurping the position of the once great orator. In order to restore the balance of judicial power to the realm, you along with the rest of the alleged criminals have been sealed away in the kingdom's most treacherous dungeon as punishment. However, this sentence is two-fold, for the only way to escape the grasp of this prison is to be eloquent in your oratory, and moreover, a master of rhetoric. To fill the role of the missing of head Master Orator, the king has declared that whichever perpetrator makes it out of the dungeon alive first will be offered the position. It will be up to you to prove your worth of being the next Mastor Orator of the land.
[[Time to learn more|Next]]You are currently sitting together in a dimly lit jail cell. There is a locked door which leads down a narrow corridor. A loose tile on the floor that will lead you to the sewers and a barred window are up ahead. Which do you select as your mode of escape?
[[Unlock the door with some pins like you learned to do in your youth|unlock the door]]
[[Lift the tile to climb into the sewer|Lift the tile]]
[[Loosen the bars on the window and smash your way to freedom|climb through the window]]Your nimble fingers coax the door to unlock.
"The orator must be accomplished in every kind of discourse and in every department of culture" (Cicero 299)
[[Continue on your quest|Go]]Fool, you almost threw out your back! Stick to what you know.
[[Go back and try again|Next]]Uhh, when did I ever learn this?
[[This is wrong|Next]]Walking down the corridor, you stumble upon an intersection. But alas! To your right, there are footsteps and a urgent voice calling out, *who's there?*
[[You confront the guard|confront]]
[[Scamper back into your cell|cell]]
[[freeze in fear|fear]]Pfft, coward.
[[Try again!|Next]]You are caught! You are returned to your cell with due force from the guard.
[[Time to start over|Next]]Ha, this is a dungeon of rhetoric after all!
You do not have much time to consider how you are going to respond, but you can focus on your words, your articulation, or your posture.
[[You focus on tone|tone]]
[[You focus on intonation|intonation]]
[[You focus on standing up straight and eye contact|eye contact]]Your thesis behind patrolling the hallways as chief in command has moved your "fellow" comrade to tears. Taking your time to execute your words allows for your tone to come off as certain and authoritative.
Antonious describes that the tradition of "polished and flowery sort of diction" in rhetoric is a more enjoyable contrast to the "hurly-burly" business-only methods in the political scene (Cicero 302).
[[Onward|continue]]Your predisposition of a "ready tongue, the ringing tones (of your words), strong lungs, vigor, suitable build and shape "do not fail you in passing as a common guard" (305).
[[Onward|continue]]Uhh deer in a lamp light much? The guard forcefully brings you back to your jail cell.
[[Caught!|Next]]It is quickly becoming obvious that this dungeon is no simple labryinth. You have found a way into the sewers that does not require exerting your strength, but you have also found a mead hall and have considered posing as a bard for the guards.
Into the sewers! [[sewers]]
Pose as a bard [[bard]]You enter the sewer with more ease than attempting a musical performance.
"The truth is that the poet is a very near kinsman of the orator, rather more heavily fettered as regards rhythm, but with ampler freedom and license as the other" (Cicero 299).
As you stumble into the sewers, you encounter a hooded figure. He asks "why are you here?" Not knowing his intentions, you:
State you are a rhetorician trying to escape [[rhetorician]]
Lie and say you are a persona thief simply passing through [[thief]]
Intimidate him and say you are a mercenary of words [[mercenary]]Your performance makes the guards wonder What kind of musician is this? Sick of hearing your lousy melodies, you are taken to the cell to be punished for this blasphemy against music.
Back to the cell! [[Next]]"How pathetic", says the figure.
Your vision goes blank.
Go back to the cell [[Next]]"Ah, I have never seen a personae before. Are they worth a lot? Follow me, I know the way out!"
As boring as rhetoric may appear, it is up to the orator to surpass their "suspicions of dullness once for all" (Cicero 306).
Onward, young rhetoricians [[follow him]]The hooded man raises his brows "Oh, alright then. We could definitely use someone of your... skills"
As boring as rhetoric may appear, it is up to the orator to surpass their "suspicions of dullness once for all" (Cicero 306).
Continue [[follow him]]You follow the hooded man down the sewer, until he leads you into a room of vile thugs! "Before we let you leave to the final gate, we must free you of a sense"
Take my eyes! [[eyes]]
Take my ears! [[ears]]
Take my hands [[hands]]
Take my tongue! [[tongue]]How will you ever hear your audience?
Go back to your cell! [[Next]]They all grin. Your hands vanish and a wall opens up like a door, revealing the sweet light of the early morn. "For the better the orator, the more profoundly is he frightened of the difficulty of speaking, and of the doubtful fate of the difficulty of speech, and of the anticipations of an audience" (Cicero 306).
Good work, orator. [[continue on]]Uh, how are you going to ever practice oration again?
Go back to your cell! [[Next]]How will you ever see and adapt to your audience now?
Go back to your cell! [[Next]]Stumbling toward the light, you approach a final figure. He asks, why do you above all others deserve the title of Master Orator?
"Because I have encountered the challenges of rhetoric by traveling through this dungeon." [[challenges]]
"Because it is my birthright to take my father's position in the council." [[birthright]]
"Because I eliminated the former council members." [[elimination]]
**Game over**
[[Restart|Start]]"Yes, congratulations!", the man declares. He opens the gate, allowing you to walk toward your newfound freedom and position as the Mastor Orator of the kingdom.
"It was not the principles and method of oratory that were wanting, but inborn capacity" (Cicero 305).
**You win!****Game over**
[[Restart|Start]]