Michael F. Bryan / Tools

The Cost of a Word

One night in a ruined watchtower, a hurt dragon, and a handful of words that cost what they do.

Updated 17 Oct 2026Source

The tower can’t be drawn in this browser, but the night still plays out below.

You are at the hearth. The campfire burns brightly. The outside stair is open. Vael lies against the wall, awake, her wing badly broken.

21:00Dawn in 8h 30m

The road is dark

You70

Vael50

The watchtower has no roof over its hall and no door in its doorway. You lit the fire because your hands stopped working. Vael lies curled against the cold wall, one wing folded wrong.

VaelImperial soldiers. At dawn, probably. I can smell their horses on the wind, and their bad cooking. You know one word of the old tongue, Rider. Ithra. Move. It is a beginning.

Words 1 of 8 known

DoAn undiscovered wordAn undiscovered wordAn undiscovered word
ToAn undiscovered wordAn undiscovered wordAn undiscovered wordAn undiscovered word

Choose a word to do and a word to do it to. What they mean depends on where you stand.

The hearth

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Speak with Vael mind to mind

An original small game inspired by the Inheritance books. Its characters, words, and tower are invented. Nothing you do here leaves your browser.