Line #98 VideoGame/TheTraderOfStories


1	[[quoteright:240:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/the_trader_of_stories_5246.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:240:Myosotis playing her flute]]
3
4	''The Trader of Stories'' (also known as ''The Big Old Tree That Dreams'') is a series of indie {{Adventure Game}}s set in the [[SceneryPorn very beautiful]] [[ConstructedWorld world of Forest Bed]]. The games, produced by the Polish brothers Marek and Marcin Rudowski [[http://www.hardydev.com/2009/10/25/interview-with-marek-rudowski-the-trader-of-stories/]] are of the [[PointAndClickGame point-and-click]] sort and web-based -- just [[FreewareGames click the link to play]].
5
6	TheProtagonist, a young woman named Myosotis, is a traveler who makes it her business to buy stories from people -- because, suffering a severe case of LaserGuidedAmnesia, she hopes to find the story that is her own. In {{flashback}} / story sequences the player characters are the protagonists of the particular story told by Myo, eg. for Willow's part of ''Chapter I'' the point-of-view character is Willow.
7
8	The developers' blog is found [[http://traderofstories.blogspot.com/ here]].
9
10	All the games can be found [[http://www.rudowscy.com/ here]], on the official site.
11
12	!!The series so far consists of:
13	* ''Bell's Heart'' (2010): When her cart breaks down, Myosotis is forced to stop in a small town with quite a [[GhostStory romantic legend of a haunted lake]]. In the course of her investigation, she discovers how [[StarCrossedLovers romantic the story really is]]. Since the server it had originally been hosted on had gone Among the Roots, the game was temporarily unavailable until it got re-released in 2024 with some tweaks. Play it [[https://www.rudowscy.com/bells-heart/ here]].
14	* ''A Grain of Truth'' (2012): To be able to proceed with her search of the [[MagicalGuide Wiseman]] who might know where to find her past, Myosotis must first unravel the mystery of the Floating Rocks. [[http://www.zamolski.com/agot/ Play it here]] or [[http://www.rudowscy.com/agot/ here]].
15	* ''Trader of Stories, Chapter I'' (2016): Set before ''A Grain of Truth'', this installment begins with our protagonist waking up in the [[HiddenElfVillage Forest of Dancing Trees]], [[AmnesiacHero remembering absolutely nothing about her own life]]. Named "Little Willow" by the [[{{Treants}} locals]], she makes herself more or less at home in the village. But even deep in the forest, danger lurks. Play it [[http://www.rudowscy.com/tos1/ here]].
16	* ''Trader of Stories, Chapter II'' (2019): After spending nearly a Blossoming in the human city of Bark, Little Willow's life seems fairly ordered. She works as a waitress and storyteller in Gofung's teashop, has aquaintances, if not friends, and generally makes do. But the amnesia still bothers her, alongside an odd sense of not belonging. Until a TallDarkAndHandsome mysterious guest arrives... Play it [[http://www.rudowscy.com/tos2/ here]].
17	* ''Trader of Stories, Chapter III'' (2023): Having finally learned her real name and that she has a sister (who's worried sick), Myosotis leaves Bark for her home village. Once there, she begins [[ChildhoodHomeRediscovery rediscovering her early life]] - and not everything she learns is pleasant. Play it [[https://www.rudowscy.com/tos3/ here]].
18	----
19	!!Tropes found throughout the series:
20
21	* AlchemyIsMagic: ''Bell's Heart'' and ''Chapter II'' feature potion making. There are also potions in ''Chapter III'', but these are non-magical (just herbs).
22	* TheAlcoholic:
23	** The drunkard in ''Bell's Heart''. He claims it's because of having been spooked by ghosts. The innkeeper doesn't mind his constant presence much, since the guy drinks enough for ''six'' people.
24	** In ''Chapter III'' (which generally features a lot of alcohol, being set during the fertility goddess festival), Fryme, whose ExcessiveMourning of her son and subsequent dissapearance of her husband has [[DrowningMySorrows driven her to drink]].
25	* AllLoveIsUnrequited:
26	** In ''Bell's Heart'', Derrida had been a ChickMagnet extraordinaire, but only had the eyes for a specific young lady, leaving the other girls sighing.
27	** In ''Chapter I'', both Juni and Omorica are in love with Pinutros, who loves Juni.
28	** In ''Chapter II'', Ugo is in love with our heroine. The player can choose whether or not to reciprocate.
29	** ''Chapter III'', being lighter on puzzles and heavier on character drama, reveals how boys tended to go crazy about Myo in her youth, but none was actually loved back. [[spoiler: Also, Reyle was madly in love with Ashur, who was madly in love with Myo.]]
30	* AlternativeCalendar: The Forest Bed equivalent of a year is a "Blossom". "Breath" roughly equals a day. This is because the light in this world comes from the Great Tree, in twenty-four hour "breath/shadow" cycles resembling our days and nights, while the Tree's blossoming marks years.
31	* AnimalisticAbomination:
32	** In the {{climax}} of ''Chapter I'', [[spoiler: the, for lack of better word, monstrous wolfeer that somehow ends up in the Forest]]. Wolfeers [[AlwaysABiggerFish run away from it]].
33	** The monsters in ''Chapter III'' are explicitly called anomalies by Rain, who explains they were not created by the First Born.
34	* AntiFrustrationFeatures:
35	** Except for the original ''Bell's Heart'', clickable areas can be highlighted using a button, which prevents {{Pixel Hunt}}s.
36	** ''A Grain of Truth'' has a map that acts as a WarpWhistle. Subsequent games have maps, too, but most locations are one-room and the map is the only way of travel.
37	** In ''Chapter I'' the lock puzzle can be bypassed.
38	** In ''Chapter II'' you can lose your patience and simply [[spoiler: hit the potion-making apparatus to create the explosive mixture. But only the explosive, not the star solvent, so you won't get 100% completion.]]
39	* TheAntiNihilist: Both Wiseman in ''A Grain of Truth'' and Siavel in ''Chapter III'' advise Myosotis to stop obsessing over her past and make use of the time she has.
40	* AmbiguouslyBrown: Myosotis resembles a Romani or a Native American in looks and dress (but is actually neither, since it's a ConstructedWorld.)
41	* AwfulTruth:
42	** ''A Grain of Truth'' hints there might be something really, really bad in Myo's past, and the Wiseman knows all about it. [[LockedOutOfTheLoop But won't tell]].
43	** [[spoiler: In ''Chapter III'' the Messenger of Death recognises her. Sure, this may simply mean she's been present at someone's death before losing her memory, but...]]
44	* AccentAdaptation:
45	** The Polish version of Bark slang is based on bałaka (with hints of thieves' cant, since several of the characters Myo meets are thieves). The English version is inspired by cockney.
46	** Similarly, the speech of some inhabitants of Myo's home village is inspired by Polish Highlander dialect. The English version takes some cues from Somerset accent.
47	* BedTrick:
48	** [[spoiler: In ''Bell's Heart'' a girl in the village did this to Derrida]], causing said person to [[DrivenToSuicide become the ghost in the lake]]. [[spoiler: And the real father of the present-day mayor]].
49	** [[spoiler: In ''Chapter III'', Myo discovers she herself had tricked an unwanted suitor to have sex with Reyle (who was in love with him and thought Myo's just arranged for them to meet at her secret place outside of the village).]] This one also resulted in a baby, and in a thorough upsetting of several people's lives.
50	* BreakingTheFourthWall: Sometimes Myosotis [[DeadpanSnarker talks back to the player]] when asked to do things she deems stupid. In ''A Grain of Truth'' some characters even ask who she's talking to.
51	* CatchingSomeZs: Whenever Myo falls asleep while ThinkingOutLoud. This happens a couple of times.
52	* ChariotPulledByCats:
53	** Husks, like Myo's Zephyr, fill the niche of oxen/cows, although they look somewhat reptilian, grow bigger than houses and have shells they regularly shed as they grow (also a reptilian trait).
54	** The cloud eater in ''A Grain of Truth'' is... an elephant-giraffe-sauropod... whatever that carries a ship-like structure on its back.
55	* CityOfAdventure: Bark, the central city of the Forest Bed (build right around the Oak's trunk, no less, hence the name), is huge and offers many possibilities. ''Chapter II'' is set there and Myo goes to visit it again at the end of ''Chapter III''.
56	* ClockPunk: Mild example -- the Wiseman owns scientific equipment [[spoiler: including a movie projector]]. Other than that, there's pretty advanced optics, but the general technology level of Forest Bed is pre-industrial, with animal power mostly.
57	* DeadpanSnarker: Our protagonist herself, especially in ''A Grain of Truth'', where the Wiseman still matches her snark for snark. Her sister Neesan can be pretty snarky, as well.
58	* DidWeJustHaveTeaWithCthulhu:
59	** In ''A Grain of Truth'', [[CoolOldGuy The Wiseman]] has a heart-to-heart with... [[spoiler: the Messenger]]. He also [[MagicalGuide communes]] with the [[PhysicalGod Tree]], and [[spoiler: so does Myo, using the notes she finds in his workshop]].
60	** By ''Chapter III'' Myo has worked out she's literally been having tea with one of the First Born. She also, quite amicably, shares a bottle of wine with [[spoiler: the Guardian Rain]].
61	* DisabledDeity: In Myo's ''Chapter I'' story, [[spoiler: the First Born Willow weeps so hard over a Dancing Tree seed that isn't sprouting that her [[ProphetEyes eyes become dull and unseeing]]. Present day lady Willow remains blind]].
62	* DivineConflict: The stories Myo tells about the First Born are set not long after the world-shattering Divine Conflict has ended and recount their attempts to RestartTheWorld.
63	* DivineDelegation: In a classic henotheistic scenario, there's [[TopGod The Great Oak]], the Grandfather, creator of the First Born (the humanoid deities who deal with specific domains and generate a lot of drama), the Guardians (lesser gods, servants and messengers for the First Born) and Grandchildren (mortals).
64	* DontFearTheReaper: Both [[GodOfTheDead Voice]] (who used to be rather flighty before the War but has seen the error of her ways) and [[{{Psychopomp}} the Messenger]] are perfectly reasonable people, even though they don't go for bargains.
65	* DrowningMySorrows:
66	** In ''Chapter I'', Omorica after it turns out Pinutros had an interest in her sister, not her.
67	** In ''Chapter III'', Fryme, and she has been for a couple of Blossomings now.
68	* DubNameChange: The First Born Jaśmin turns into Cedar in English, because "Jasmine" would be too girly. This gets {{Retcon}}ned by ''Chapter III'', where Cedar and Jasmine are definitely stated to be separate characters.
69	* TheExile:
70	** In ''Chapter II'', Scath was exiled by the Shadowchildren for reasons he doesn't elaborate upon.
71	** The reasons for Dew's exile are unearthed by Myo in ''Chapter II''.
72	** After the DivineConflict, those of the First Born who were on the wrong (or just the losing) side got exiled into the Void. [[spoiler: Cedar, however, was only guilty of getting too close to Hazel.]]
73	* ExpansionPackPast: The short {{flashback}} in ''A Grain of Truth'' ''kind of'' suggests that Myo awoke surrounded by people who told her her name and so on. It turns out that she spent Blossomings with people who knew no more about her than she did, before finally meeting someone who recognised her in ''Chapter II''.
74	* FantasticRacism:
75	** A mild example in ''Bell's Heart'', as it's unheard of for humans and Butterflies to marry; while not an open hate thing, it still causes [[StarCrossedLovers tragedy]].
76	** Also, the people of Bark are suspicious of Growls (Shadowchildren).
77	** Growls themselves have a (very) long-standing racial feud with the hitherto unseen Hisses.
78	* FantasyPantheon: The First Born, [[DivineDelegation children of the Great Oak]], all named after trees. Most of Myo's stories feature them and their Myth/ClassicalMythology worthy exploits in the aftermatch of [[DivineConflict the Great War]]. The pantheon consists of:
79	** Elm, the GodOfOrder and divine lawmaker;
80	** his [[GodCouple lover/wife]] Hazel, goddess of plants and [[FertilityGod fertility]] (''Chapter III'' features her festival, which is fun);
81	** Fir, goddess of language, the divine poet and patron of the Growls (her festival in ''Chapter II'' is celebrated with a storytelling contest);
82	** Rowan, [[JerkassGods he who meddles with the mortals]];
83	** Birch, who [[MeaningfulRename prefers to be known as Voice]] (for the Dead), [[GodOfTheDead caretaker of the dead]], advisor for redemption seekers and [[{{Psychopomp}} the Messenger's]] boss. Her priestesses, the Servants of Voice, make up the local SaintlyChurch, running hospitals, schools and orphanages;
84	** Baobab, the divine smith and patron of the Hisses; he and Fir tend to butt heads;
85	** Willow, also known as Weeping Willow, the mysterious patron of Dancing Trees [[spoiler: who lives with them in their forest, pretending to be "just an old lady"]];
86	** Ash, who builds things;
87	** Jasmine, who was "lost" in the War and whose domain may have been sex;
88	** Cedar, who created animals [[spoiler: and microorganisms, but, as we learn in ''Chapter III'', Elm exiled him out of jealousy over Hazel and had him [[{{Unperson}} erased from all the records]], so Myo is the only Grandchild who even knows of his existence]].
89	* FloralThemeNaming:
90	** [[IronicName Myosotis]] is the scientific name of the "forget-me-not" flower.
91	** The First Born are all named directly after trees.
92	** The Dancing Trees tend to take their personal names from botanical nomenclature, if not as straightly as the First Born.
93	* FriendToAllChildren: Somehow, Myo keeps ending up looking after the kids, protecting the kids from monsters and generally being an honorary aunt. It takes her about half a day to befriend and become a CoolAunt to her actual niece, too.
94	* {{Foreshadowing}}:
95	** The ending of ''A Grain of Truth'' hints at [[spoiler:the possible destruction of the world]] in the near future, and Myosotis' amnesia is somehow connected to it.
96	** The Messenger's appearance in ''Chapter III'' is foreshadowed throughout the game.
97	* GlowingEyesOfDoom: The [[AnimalisticAbomination anomalies]] have glowing red eyes.
98	* GodsHandsAreTied: The Red Codex, a collection of laws that bind all sentients, explicitly forbids the First Born and Guardians from meddling in the affairs of mortals. [[spoiler: It never stopped Rowan. Voice, too, is able to establish her cult quite freely, although after Enora's VisionQuest, most work is done by mortal priestesses anyway.]]
99	* GoodSmokingEvilSmoking:
100	** In ''Bell's Heart'', both Myo and the town mayor smoke pipes and are good people. Smoking appears to have been dropped for Myo in later games, though.
101	** The Messenger, who's a [[DontFearTheReaper good (if a bit grumpy) guy]], smokes. All the time. In ''Chapter III'', Enti even claims a witch told him tobacco will make the Messenger kinder. Of course, being the local [[{{Psychopomp}} grim reaper]], it's not like smoking can hurt him.
102	* GrumpyOldMan:
103	** ''Chapter I'' has Fagusvat, the grumpiest tree ever.
104	** ''Chapter II'' has the alchemist, [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold mister Salammon]].
105	** The grump of ''Chapter III'', Veig, [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold has even bigger heart of gold]]. Hvarfa plays the role a bit, but mostly for TricksterMentor purposes.
106	* GuideDangIt: Happens sometimes. %% Several instances in ''Bell's Heart'' have been excised from the re-release, though (eg. in the potion-making riddle, the order in which you add ingredients to the pot doesn't matter anymore).
107	* HighPriest: Mother Superior of the Servants of Voice is the high priestess of the goddess Voice.
108	* HoldYourHippogriffs: Apart from different measures of time, "leaf" is the local equivalent of soul both metaphysically and in idioms. The denizens of Forest Bed also swear by tree parts (or Void) and give their kids huskback rides instead of piggyback rides.
109	* HolyIsNotSafe:
110	** The Oak's sap can send you on a VisionQuest, but you're not guaranteed to get back. The Servants typically undergo strenuous preparation before they partake.
111	** A mortal can use a Guardian sword. Once. [[spoiler: See ''Chapter II'' for how they die.]]
112	** Touching [[{{Psychopomp}} the Messenger]] can deaden the nerves in your hand. People also tend to avoid his gaze, because it supposedly brings bad luck. Even the immortal Guardians prefer not to meet him.
113	* HomeOfTheGods: The High Branches of the Oak is where the First Born reside.
114	* IdentityAmnesia: Myosotis begins ''Chapter I'' with no idea who she is and slowly rediscovers herself and her life story over the next couple of installments.
115	* IndecisiveMedium: Intros, outros and all the cutscenes are made of static comicbook panels, especially in ''Bell's Heart''. Probably because the demo (later reworked as ''Bell's Heart'') was created as a side story for the comic book the creator wrote while at school.
116	* InformingTheFourthWall: With full [[DeadpanSnarker snark on]].
117	-->'''Myo''' (when asked to put roof tiles into a bucket): I might, but since my pockets are bottomless…
118	* IronicName:
119	** "Myosotis" is the scientific name of forget-me-not. Also the name of our AmnesiacHero.
120	** Aislin (dream) for a dream researcher who CannotDream herself.
121	* JerkassGods: Some of the First Born are, notably Rowan, [[ManipulativeBastard he of meddling with mortals]] ForScience
122	* JobTitle: For the series as a whole.
123	* KleptomaniacHero: Myosotis, as befits an AdventureGame heroine (in the second game, she almost sounds proud of it).
124	* MiniGame:
125	** Mahjong and jigsaw puzzle in ''A Grain of Truth''.
126	** Sliding puzzles in ''Chapter II''.
127	* MixAndMatchCritters: Several of the wild creatures encountered throughout the series seem to be a mix of two or more different types of animals. ''Chapter III'' also features mix-and-match plants. %%elaborate
128	* MysticalWhiteHair: In ''Chapter I'' and ''Chapter II'', Myo's hair is white, even though it wasn't in ''Bell's Heart'' and ''A Grain of Truth''. [[spoiler: And, as Adalbert says, it's not her natural colour. What makes it mystical, though, is the fact that somehow she can use a Guardian's sword, which would kill a mere mortal - Rain thinks the particular sword has been faulty, though. Also, the stories about gods "just come to her, like memories". In ''Chapter III'' Neesan dyes Myo's hair dark brown.]]
129	* MythPrologue: From ''Chapter I'' onwards, the prologues are Myo's stories - they get interrupted for some reason or another and she finishes after having taken care of the present day plot.
130	* {{Narrator}}: Intros and outros (and cutscenes) are narrated by Myo herself.
131	* NotAMorningPerson: Myo is ''not'' an early riser, no matter how much [[RunningGag she claims to be every time she's woken up by someone who's fed up with waiting for her]].
132	* PasswordSave: Long and complicated. Paste them into a text file. The games also have an autosave, though.
133	* PixelHunt: Thankfully subverted with a button that shows every clickable object.
134	* PlantPerson: [[{{Treants}} The Dancing Trees]], who make up most of the cast in ''Chapter I''.
135	* PointAndClickMap: Ever since ''Chapter I'', the main area of the game is represented by a clickable map.
136	* ProphetEyes: Lady Willow. Blindness is the first thing Myo notices about her.
137	* {{Psychopomp}}: The Messenger of Death, who starts being talked about in ''Chapter III'' where several characters are mentioned to have met and interacted with him (usually to try [[BargainWithHeaven bargaining for their loved ones to be allowed to stay]]) [[spoiler: before Myo herself meets him, for the first time since contracting her amnesia, but not for the first time ever. We also learn how he became the Messenger in the first place]]. The locals seem to treat the Messenger with a sort of superstitious dread, but he himself is just doing his job. %%she meets him in ''Bell's Heart'' and Wiseman talks to him in ''A Grain of Truth''
138	* QuirkyTown: Everywhere she goes, Myosotis meets people of unusual personalities or occupations (some more than others). %% ?
139	* TheSacredDarkness: Voice is the goddess of the underworld, caretaker of the dead and advisor for those who seek [[HeelFaceTurn redemption]].
140	* SacredScripture: The White Codex for Servants of Voice.
141	* SaintlyChurch: The Servants of Voice. They seem to fill the [[CrystalDragonJesus social niche]] of Christianity in day-to-day life of Bark, running schools, hospitals and an OrphanageOfLove.
142	* SceneryPorn: All of the games have absolutely gorgeous graphics and exotic landscapes to explore.
143	* ShoutOut:
144	** A possible one to ''{{Literature/Discworld}}'''s Duck Man: If you ask the wiseman about the bird on his head, the response is "What bird?".
145	** WordOfGod states that Derrida is named after [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques_Derrida Jacques Derrida]].
146	* StarCrossedLovers:
147	** In ''Bell's Heart'', Myo discovers the story of such a pair.
148	** [[spoiler: In ''Chapter II'', Dew is set on being with her lover, Red Codex be damned. It ends sadly.]]
149	* StoryBreadcrumbs: Myo gathers them as her job. She begins by Gaetana's advice in ''Chapter III'' (which is earlier in the timeline than ''Bell's Heart'').
150	* TheStoryteller: Myo is this, of course. There's an implication that she has such a gift for it that when she "makes up" elements of a story they're more likely to be true than the official version.
151	* TitleDrop: Myosotis is known around the land as the [[JobTitle Trader of Stories]]. The title is properly dropped in ''Chapter III'' in her conversation with Gaetana.
152	** The fact that the Big Oak "dreams" is also mentioned. [[spoiler: Its dreams form the clouds. The floating stones from the ''Grain of Truth'' are Oak's dreams in their crystalized form.]]
153	* TravelingSalesman: Myosotis. Selling and buying stories, in hopes that one day, she will meet someone who knows ''her'' story.
154	* {{Treants}}: The Dancing Trees, who take root and become immobile as they age.
155	* UndyingLoyalty: Zephyr hangs around for ten ''years'' after [[spoiler:Myosotis goes into her trance in ''Grain of Truth'']].
156	* WhamLine:
157	** The ending of ''A Grain of Truth'' [[spoiler: where the Messenger discusses Myo's vision]]. %%quote
158	** For ''Chapter II'', it's:
159	-->'''Adalbert:''' ''(pushing through the crowd)'' Excuse me. Myosotis, is that you? Gods, it is you!
160	* WeirdCurrency: Special silver acorns, grown on pecuniary oaks, then boiled and dried to keep them from sprouting and ruining the economy (see the book in ''Bell's Heart'').
161	* WeirdTradeUnion: The crew of the Cloud Eater in ''A Grain of Truth''. They collect ''clouds'', which in this world are solid (if fluffy) and used to make pillows.
162	* WorldTree: The Big Old Oak, a mountain-sized tree that stands at the center of the world. It can be seen from everywhere, and the locals believe it created the world, so they pray to it.
163	----
164	[[foldercontrol]]
165
166	[[folder: Tropes found in ''Bell's Heart'']]
167
168	* AllThereInTheManual: Myosotis carries the manual (helpfully written for her by her sister). You don't need to access it to solve the game, it's pure {{Worldbuilding}}.
169	* AndTheAdventureContinues: ''Bell's Heart'' ends with Myo continuing on her way.
170	* BeneathNotice: The old lady [[spoiler: is the schoolteacher, only some seventy Blossomings later]]. She's not there to make trouble, though.
171	* ChickMagnet: Derrida is remembered as one. He only had eyes for the schoolteacher, though, despite the [[StarCrossedLover racial divide]].
172	* CrueltyIsTheOnlyOption: [[EyeOfNewt Ingredients for the two potions]] include: cat's fur, hair of the person you want [[MindControlDevice to control]], an amulet and a pot to boil these together -- and the last two you have to [[KleptomaniacHero swipe]] from the old lady's house. Okay, maybe she doesn't mind, but you only find this out if you talk to her, and you don't have to (at least in the original release).
173	* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness:
174	** The original ''Bell's Heart'' was the only game in the series without an option to highlight clickable areas.
175	** There's a regular cat, regular chamomile and regular water lily, instead of mix-and-match species found in later games. Also, the [[CallASmeerpARabbit local steeds are called "horses" despite not really being horses]].
176	** Myo smokes a pipe. This is dropped in the very next game.
177	* GiveTheBabyAFather: In the story Myo discovers, the [[spoiler: man the mayor of the town thought was his biological father actually wasn't - he just married the mayor's mother after the actual father's death]].
178	* LoveLetter: Derrida used to send them to the schoolteacher, and finally got [[LoveConfession an answer]]. Myo finds it in his house and it serves as a vital clue. [[spoiler: It was not written by the schoolteacher...]]
179	* MindControlDevice: Used by the heroine, who needs to move the village drunkard using a charm made by soaking a demagiced amulet in a potion.
180	* MoodWhiplash: Intro of ''Bell's Heart'' starts with a dramatic bit of narration that segues into "I would kill for a soft bed right now."
181	* OurGhostsAreDifferent: The story Myo discovers is about Derrida's death, and she does get to meet his ghost, right where he drowned. Derrida knows he's dead, is ''furious'' about it and haunts the lakeshore like a StringyHairedGhostGirl, but he's male and rather hunky at that, looking for all the world like a random tanned guy on a swim. [[spoiler: He's BarredFromTheAfterlife by his turbulent emotions regarding how he died and gets to move on once Myo calms him down]].
182	* PaintingTheMedium: Only in the original release - the intro being made in the [[IndecisiveMedium style of a comic book]], all of a sudden Crack! goes the wheel and several panel borders.
183	* {{Railroading}}: In the original game's potion making puzzle, you're not allowed to put the ingredients into the pot in a different order than the recipe says. %% This was gotten rid of in the re-release, but you still [[GuideDangIt need a special bottle]] (obtained in the inn).
184	* SupernaturalLight: The drunk ''thinks'' he's seen a ghost in the birch grove, but the lady swathed in light is actually [[spoiler: a Butterfly]].
185	* UndeathAlwaysEnds: In the course of learning his story, Myo helps Derrida move on.
186	* WingedHumanoid: The elder Butterfly in ''Bell's Heart'' only has visible wings when she is approached. They have a full spread as a regular butterfly, and glow white.
187	[[/folder]]
188
189	[[folder: Tropes found in ''A Grain of Truth'']]
190
191	* BarefootSage: The Wiseman. [[spoiler: He used to be an academic, so perhaps he wore them then, but nowadays]] shoes just don't seem to enter his frame of reference.
192	* CerebusSyndrome: ''A Grain of Truth'' is (until the [[TwistEnding ending]], that is) LighterAndSofter than the whimsical ''Bell's Heart'', but also much harder (with more classical PointAndClick puzzles).
193	* EasterEgg:
194	** Ask the Captain if her crew has a long-standing tradition [[spoiler: of brewing]].
195	** Try asking the Wiseman (who [[StrangeSyntaxSpeaker talks like Yoda]]) about [[spoiler: the Force]].
196	* FloatingPlatforms: Floating rocks. They float. They can be climbed. Small ones are used to make stairs at one point.
197	* FriendToAllLivingThings: The Wiseman is unbothered by a ''bird nesting in his hair''. Couple of years before [[Film/TheHobbitAnUnexpectedJourney Radagast]], no less!
198	* HermitGuru: The Wiseman lives in a rather remote cave, and for a good reason, as [[spoiler: he's studying the places where one can commune with the Oak]].
199	* MagicalGuide: The Wiseman, by proxy of his notes on how to commune with the Oak.
200	* RipVanWinkle: [[spoiler:When Myosotis awakens from connecting with the Great Oak, she finds that it's been ''ten'' "Blossoms" (years).]]
201	* ScienceWizard: Rummaging in Wiseman's things, Myo finds not only scientific equipment and books, but also [[spoiler: evidence he used to be a university scholar]].
202	* SetPiecePuzzle: The projector, once you have all the parts to repair it, needs those parts arranged in the correct order.
203	* StrangeSyntaxSpeaker: The Wiseman speaks like [[Franchise/StarWars Yoda]], and if you ask him about "force" at the end of the game, he makes a shout-out to him, saying IAlwaysWantedToSayThat.
204	* TalkLikeAPirate: Part of the Cloud Eater crew.
205	* ThreePlusFiveMakeFour: A variant of this puzzle opens one of the doors in Wiseman's cave house.
206	* TwistEnding: [[spoiler: Myo manages to connect with the Oak and see glimpses of her past, which are confusing, as well as a vision of the future (possibly), which is even more confusing. After she leaves, the Wiseman is visited by the Messenger who reminds him "the girl" can never be allowed to know... something.]]
207	* YearOutsideHourInside: This happens to [[spoiler:both the Wiseman and Myosotis]] while [[MentalWorld communing]] with the Great Tree.
208	[[/folder]]
209
210	[[folder: Tropes found in ''Chapter I'']]
211
212	* ButThouMust: In Myo's story, the goddess Willow really doesn't want to [[spoiler: cause the Oak additional pain by reopening His wound to get fresh sap]], but it's the only way.
213	* TheCallLeftAMessage: [[spoiler: Dew's sword has been patiently waiting in its box since before Baccataxus came back from his travels]]. And that's a long time ago - ''six hundred Blossomings'', as it turns out in ''Chapter II''.
214	* CreationMyth: Myo's story in this chapter is one for the Dancing Trees: the First Born Willow, wandering the ruined Forest Bed, found the first Dancing Tree seed and watered it with her tears.
215	* FanService: Some of the poses Myosotis strikes in ''Chapter I'' are rather egregious.
216	* GoodBadGirl: Moralba ain't shy around boys. Or mead. This does not hinder her work in the nursery or her generally [[CoolBigSis helpful personality]].
217	* HiddenElfVillage: The forest of Dancing Trees, for all its TheLostWoods decorations, is one of these. Secluded? Check. Populated by a very traditional, yet (mostly) friendly to the lost, helpless protagonist CloseKnitCommunity of sentients not often met in TheOutsideWorld? Yup. The Dancing Trees generally keep to their own little corner and lead people away with Lothlorien ranger-like techniques if anyone wanders in.
218	* InnocentPlantChildren: Subverted. The sapient, humanoid trees are shown to care for their young like a human nursery, but the focus isn't on the children but the adults, many of which have... ''difficult'' personalities (some due to the fact that they don't like the player character, a human).
219	* PopQuiz: Several minigames (e.g. shooting rodents that are gnawing the trees.)
220	* SiblingYinYang: The cutesy, perky [[ThePollyanna Juni]] and her sister Omorica who holds everything and everyone in utter disdain, the [[FlatEarthAtheist Great Oak included]].
221	* SmallTownBoredom: Aceru is chomping at the bit to leave the forest of Dancing Trees, just like [[CoolOldGuy Baccataxus]] did in his youth.
222	* StayInTheKitchen: The Dancing Trees have a traditionalist society where men typically become soldiers and guards while young women all work in the nursery, caring for the seedlings, until they take root and begin bearing seeds of their own. This probably has a strong biological component (becoming immobile is an intrinsic part of their life cycle). Still, Aceru (who has a strong wanderlust) and Omorica (who simply hates children) chafe against their role, while Moralba just takes life as it comes and Juni is cheerful about everything.
223	* TrademarkFavoriteFood: Old lady Willow ''loves'' her tea so much she has a tea merchant visit her every couple of Blossomings solely for the purpose of buying some. Or so [[TheChessmaster she says]].
224	* WeAreAsMayflies: The Dancing Trees live several times longer than humans. One of the older ones even thought several generations of merchants to be the same person changing form each visit.
225	[[/folder]]
226
227	[[folder: Tropes found in ''Chapter II'']]
228
229	* AccidentalPervert: [[spoiler: Ugo walks in on Myo while she's washing]].
230	* BettyAndVeronica: Myo's {{Love Interest}}s in ''Chapter II'' are Ugo, a BoyNextDoor whose only fault is FantasticRacism towards Shadowchildren (which may or may not have to do with his rival being one) [[spoiler: and who [[TakingTheBullet defends Myo with his life and limb]], even if she's been standoffish to him]]; and Scath, an exotic, mysterious, [[ArtistsAreAttractive artsy]] and suave [[InterspeciesRomance Shadowchild]] [[spoiler: [[AllGirlsWantBadBoys dream thief]] and the unrepentant [[DatingCatwoman villain of the episode]].]] Also, you are free to play a MasterOfTheMixedMessage if you like.
231	* DivineDate: In one of Myo's stories, [[spoiler: Dew eloped with a mortal guy and they hid in the forest of the Dancing Trees. That is how Dew's sword ended up in the ruined house - it's the house they built for themselves.]]
232	* DreamStealer: An entire gang of these. [[spoiler: Dreams are used to produce a FantasticDrug.]] Losing your dreams results in a depression-like illness.
233	* EmissaryFromTheDivine: One of Myo's stories in this chapter centers around Enora, the prophet and founder of the Servants of Voice.
234	* TheFagin: [[spoiler: Scath is one for the dream thieves. He recruits street urchins because only a small, lightweight kid can fly a kite to catch a dream before it falls back to the dreamer.]]
235	* FirstKiss: [[spoiler: Myo can give Ugo his.]]
236	* AGlitchInTheMatrix: [[spoiler: To break out of her [[LotusEaterMachine artificially-induced dream]], Myo needs to change the pattern of things, effectively creating Glitches in the Matrix.]]
237	* HistoricalHeroUpgrade: Possibly. ''Chapter II'' begins with Myo's account of how Bark was founded. Later, she's told that her version differs a lot from the official history books, in which Enora was much less [[ManipulativeBastard manipulative]] and more saintly. We don't know who's got it right.
238	* InterspeciesRomance: Scath's RomanceArc, should you choose it. [[spoiler: OptionalSexualEncounter included.]]
239	* LovableRogue: Scath, the cool, artsy, TroubledButCute Growl has this vibe about him. [[spoiler: Except [[FauxAffablyEvil he's not]].]]
240	* TheMasochismTango: Aumur and Aislin, who seem unable to communicate without verbal abuse. Aislin says they wanted to kill each other when they first met in the university, only to get married this same Blossoming.
241	* NiceGuy: The owner of the teahouse, Gofung. Also his son Ugo, who [[DoggedNiceGuy quite obviously carries the torch for Myo]].
242	* OneOfTheBoys: Word of advice - don't call [[StreetUrchin Red]] "little girl". She's the meanest guy in town.
243	* ParentsAsPeople: Gofung is a bit of a BumblingDad, but loving and responsible. Aumur and Aislin were so [[ParentalNeglect neglectful]] that their son ran away from home, but they really, really regret that.
244	* StoryBranching: How the RomanceArc plays out is largely dependent on player's choices, as there are two {{Love Interest}}s. You can actually, ahem, play with both guys, but if you do, [[spoiler: Ugo gives you a DidYouThinkICantFeel and Scath, well. Spoilers.]]
245	* StreetUrchin: Red, Scraggly and Sniffles. Curls, the first of their gang that you meet, acts more like TheArtfulDodger. [[spoiler: Possibly due to being TheRunaway by choice, not an orphan.]]
246	* StuffBlowingUp: One of the potions you make in this chapter is an explosive. You do get to use it.
247	[[/folder]]
248
249	[[folder: Tropes found in ''Chapter III'']]
250
251	* AmnesiacsAreInnocent: Most of the messes she has to solve in ''Chapter III'' are, directly or not, Myo's own fault. Except she's sown the seeds before contracting amnesia, as a child or a constantly-acting-out teenager. Several of the villagers remember her as a first-class ManipulativeBitch.
252	* AngerBornOfWorry: Neesan begins the argument with Myo after [[spoiler: Myo's taken Coni to the meadows, disregarding the danger]]. She also scolds Myo after [[spoiler: finding her again after those couple of days she spent at Reyle's place with a twisted ankle]].
253	* AlternatePersonalityPunishment: It's obvious Myo is horrified at what an utter bitch she used to be, but doesn't try to hide the fact that [[spoiler:she'd pulled a BedTrick on her substitute mother's son]] and gets slapped hard for it.
254	* BaitAndSwitch: Myo's initial observations on her past self are completely off the mark (loves reading, keeps good order, pyromaniac) since she's sleeping in Coni's room. And there's no pyromania either, Coni just stays up reading until the candles burn to the ground.
255	* BelatedInjuryRealization: Myo only realizes she's twisted her ankle falling into the lake after she wakes up, orients herself, [[spoiler:discovers she's been tied up, attempts to talk Vozi into untying her and decides to escape on her own]], which involves standing up and discovering she can't.
256	* BlackAndWhiteMorality: To Elm, there is the Law, those who follow it, and those who must be destroyed. Fittingly, his segments switch to a stark monochrome that's necessary to solve a puzzle.
257	* BlindWithoutEm: A minor puzzle is centered around discovering a certain character ''really'' needs glasses and getting them a pair.
258	* BlueAndOrangeMorality: The First Born and Guardians are emphatically ''not'' humanity's friends.
259	** The most sympathetic of them [[spoiler:invents bacteria to force survival of the fittest]] as a means to encourage change in the world.
260	** Elm and Hazel are polar opposites, Elm adhering to rigid rules and Hazel unable to accept order. At first they're able to complement each other to solve problems, but as time goes by their differences become irreconcilable.
261	* {{Bookworm}}: Coni, Myo's niece, hoards books in her room, even though she knows all the books she and her mom own by heart. After [[spoiler: befriending Vozi]] she spends most of her time in her new friend's house, because there are new books there, and is quite curious about libraries in Bark. Did we mention the kid's six Blossomings old?
262	* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: Siavel, who carries a baby husk as a HeadPet and (by her own admission) isn't good with people. Conversations with her go straight to {{Cloudcuckooland}}, unless she's imparting advice. And then she's ''profound''.
263	* CrazyJealousGuy: In Myo's story, [[spoiler:Elm - the divine judge who values Order above all - is so intensely jealous of Hazel that he subjects Cedar to KangarooCourt and exile just for spending too much time with her]].
264	* DeathByChildbirth: Sljed's mother. He himself thinks this is [[MaternalDeathBlameTheChild why his father resents him so much]]. Myo's mother didn't die in childbirth, but the resulting complications left her in poor health and contributed to her death a couple of Blossomings later.
265	* ExcessiveMourning:
266	** Fryme has become TheAlcoholic because of her son's death and her husband's subsequent disappearance. One of Myo's tasks in this episode is to help her get her life back on track.
267	** Targov, who's lost his daughter about the same time Fryme lost her son, [[EmptyBedroomGrieving refuses to move anything in her room]] and will move heaven and earth to find her again, as he knows for a fact Reyle's still alive.
268	* FakingTheDead: [[spoiler: Ashur]] actually ran away to Bark, leaving his backpack to be found in the meadows so everyone would think he'd been eaten.
269	* FalseFriend: [[spoiler: Myo herself, back when she'd been a manipulative bitch]], "befriended" Reyle specifically in order to hurt her.
270	* FoolishSiblingResponsibleSibling: Neesan had been the responsible older sibling and all around ParentalSubstitute to Myo, whom she's seen more like a BrattyTeenageDaughter than a sister. Now they're adults, but Neesan still tends to think ahead more.
271	* FormerTeenRebel: As Myo discovers in this game, she used to be a... difficult child, so to say.
272	* GriefInducedSplit: It seems like this happened to Fryme and Kesaj, as she began suspecting him of cheating after their son's death and then he vanished. [[spoiler: Except Kesaj was really spending the time helping Reyle - the girl his son had a one-night stand with before FakingTheDead and running away - because she's the mother of his grandson. Kesaj's vanishing turns out to have been a fatal accident when [[FinallyFoundTheBody Myo finds his dead body]] in the underground tunnels.]]
273	* HeroicBSOD: After learning her part in [[spoiler: Reyle and Ashur's story, and after Reyle dies just before]] Myo reveals this to the villagers, she gets slapped by [[spoiler: Fryme, who's understandably furious]]. Myo then spends several Breaths in bed, depressed.
274	* HowManyFingers: Gaetana uses this to test [[spoiler: Xander's]] vision.
275	* LoveDodecahedron: Young Myo was the cool, popular, pretty girl whom all the boys wanted and all the girls envied. To elaborate: Myo went out with Sljed, who was pined for by Amka. Both Sljed and Ashur were head-over-heels with Myo, who didn't really care about either of them but hated the thought of somebody else being in (unrequited) love with Ashur enough to [[spoiler: arrange an elaborate revenge on the innocent girl and the equally innocent guy]].
276	* LoveMartyr: Amka for Sljed, being fully aware that he doesn't love her.
277	* TheMaze: [[spoiler: While Myo falls into the Caught Breath cave system through the ceiling,]] leaving it requires some careful navigation of underground tunnels.
278	* NasalTrauma: Myo punches [[spoiler: Sljed]] after having enough of his crap. Right in the nose. The punchee claims it's broken, but later appears perfectly fine, so either it wasn't or Hvarfa the healer did her magic.
279	* NatureVsNurture: Dr. Woolfe mentions a variation on this concerning Myo, who is essentially a blank slate post-amnesia. She certainly seems a completely different person to her teen self, and gets told that maybe it's not worth trying to find who she was since said teen self was an utter bitch.
280	* OrphanedEtymology: Veig mentions his proficiency in getting to the fourth base in his youth, hint, hint, nudge, nudge.
281	* ParentalAbandonment:
282	** Myo and Neesan's mother died when Myo was four Blossomings old, and their father was killed rescuing a child on the meadows not long after that.
283	** Coni's father is not in the picture, period - Neesan denies both Myo's guesses as to who he is and generally just keeps mum on the subject.
284	** [[spoiler: Vozi's]] father went missing right after conceiving the child ([[OneNightStandPregnancy in a one-night stand]]) and definitely never even knew he was a father in the first place.
285	** [[spoiler: Hvarfa]] also had a baby as a young woman, with a guy who didn't even stay for breakfast. She had to give her son up for adoption and is very sympathetic to Reyle and Neesan.
286	* PromotionToParent: Due to their mother's ill health and eventual death, Neesan had little choice in the matter, especially after her and Myo's dad was killed by noxers.
287	* RuleOfThree: The first time the heroes are on the run from noxers, they're saved by a mother husk being nearby. The third time, the husk is already being eaten by the noxers, resulting in [[spoiler:Reyle's]] death.
288	* SeekingTheMissingFindingTheDead:
289	** Technically, [[spoiler: Reyle]] isn't dead when found, but dies on the way back home.
290	** Played straight with [[spoiler:Kesaj]], whose corpse is found in the mountain tunnels.
291	* SoftWater: Myo falls from a considerable height into a small lake. She's rendered unconscious and lightly injured, but getting fished out and a couple of days of [=RICE=] is enough for her to recover fully.
292	* SomeoneToRememberHimBy: [[spoiler:Hvarfa]] and [[spoiler:Reyle]] both got pregnant by men they loved, only to be abandoned by them; in the latter's case because of a BedTrick (although she wasn't the one to arrange it, she understands and shares the guy's sentiment) and giving the former an understandable case of DoesNotLikeMen.
293	* SustainedMisunderstanding: Veig thinks [[spoiler:he drunkenly slept with Neesan (though after Coni was born)]], Neesan never told him that [[spoiler:she just threw up on him after they both got stinking drunk and he blacked out]]. Myo never brings this up with him.
294	* StrugglingSingleMother: Downplayed for Neesan, a woman managing a small farm singlehandedly without a word of complaint. Even when you get her a bit tipsy, she still talks of her life in a very matter-of-fact way. [[spoiler: Reyle ''never'' complains, either, despite raising a child by herself, in a cave, with the occasional help from the child's grandfather.]]
295	* TroubledAbuser: Sljed, who takes out his numerous frustrations on Amka in a rather unhealthy relationship.
296	* UnPerson: Elm orders that [[spoiler:no one can ever find out what happened to Cedar]], which is why everyone is surprised at Myo's version of the story.
297	* UntrustingCommunity: At first, many of the townsfolk want as little to do with Myo as possible. Then we find out they're more than justified in that due to Myo's past behavior.
298	* WellDoneSonGuy: Sledj feels nothing he ever does is good enough for his father. Then again, he ''is'' a wifebeater...
299	[[/folder]]

Context VideoGame / TheTraderOfStories