Chapter 0: The Fork at Halfway

Two guides, two letters

Where: Halfway, the market square at the crossroads stone (marker Event_fork). The north road climbs to Twinhold, the south road runs down to the Shardfield edge and Lanternfall.
When: act1.done != 0 and act2.first == 0.
Who: the player, Tamsin, Rook.
What happens: Tamsin and Rook have each waited out the Wyrm, and each wants to walk the player to their own city. The two letters come out: pale blue seal for Twinhold, amber for Lanternfall. Tamsin offers an escort and a bed in the Hall of Measure; Rook offers "a door that's never shut". Both admit the other city is days away the other way, and both mention that a Waymaker caravan runs the Long Road between the courts. (Idea) The names on the letters are now readable: Ondine Ash, Speaker, the Hall of Measure and Iver Kest, Lanternfall. Tamsin goes quiet at the first, Rook laughs at the second.
Player does: talk; choose which letter to carry first. (Idea) A side choice: break a seal and read a letter now (scene 0.2).
Content to make: Yarn Act2_Fork_Start, Act2_Fork_Tamsin, Act2_Fork_Rook, Act2_Fork_Choose. Sets act2.first (1 = Twinhold, 2 = Lanternfall), met.tamsin and met.rook if Act 1 didn't, and starts quest act2 (stage choose_first completes). The guide not chosen says where to find them: Tamsin "at the Mirror Gate, whenever you remember your manners"; Rook "at the Shard Gate. It's open. It's always open." (Arriving later by the Long Road, each meets the player at the gate the caravan comes in by: scenes 1.1 and 3.1.)
Art and audio: the crossroads stone with two worn arrows, one pale blue, one amber (Idea). Halfway's market theme (Act 1) thinning out to a single instrument as the guides leave.
Screens used: Dialogue box with choices.

(Idea) Reading a letter

Where: anywhere, from the item view, until that letter is delivered.
When: letter.twinhold == 1 or letter.lanternfall == 1.
Who: the player alone.
What happens: Aske said not to read them. The player can break a seal anyway. The Twinhold letter reads: "Ondine. This one rang the Glass. Keep them out of your mending circles. You know why. A." The Lanternfall letter reads: "Iver. They're not yours either. You owe me one crossing. This is it. A."
Player does: choose to open or not.
Content to make: Yarn Act2_Letter_Read_Twinhold, Act2_Letter_Read_Lanternfall. Sets letter.twinhold.opened or letter.lanternfall.opened to 1. Each recipient notices the broken seal (scenes 1.4 and 3.4). Ondine takes it badly (-5 rep.wardens); Iver approves ("Never carry what you haven't read"). Either way aske.trust drops by 1 when Act 3 brings Aske back (VEL-57 to pick up).
Art and audio: two letter props, the seals in pale blue and amber wax. A paper-tearing sound.
Screens used: (Idea) Letter view (an item view that shows the paper).

The road to the first court

Where: overworld, the Halfway north road (route A) or south road (route B). (Idea) Each road is one short overworld stretch with a waystone halfway (Walk_A_1, Walk_B_1) for a guide conversation.
When: act2.first != 0, before arriving at the first city.
Who: the player and the chosen guide.
What happens: [Twinhold first] Tamsin explains the five factions, sure the Wardens lead. Tamsin warns that casting a Facet spell inside Twinhold's walls is a crime ("not wise, a crime"). [Lanternfall first] Rook walks out ahead into the first standing shards, shows how the Shardfield throws back a different sky in every pane, and explains cuts and giving ("A Facet's worth is what they've given away"). One glint pack attacks on the road in either case.
Player does: move, talk, fight.
Content to make: Yarn Act2_Road_Tamsin, Act2_Road_Rook. Encounter road_glints (enemy glint, from the Prologue pack). No flags beyond met.*.
Art and audio: route A: the Evane road with paired milestones carved mirrored. Route B: the first shards rising out of the dry lakebed, each pane showing a slightly different sky (a cheap screen-space reflection with a tinted sky per shard). The guide's theme over the road theme: Tamsin's in strict even bars, Rook's in an odd meter.
Screens used: overworld HUD, Dialogue box, Battle.

From Walkthrough: Act 2 › Chapter 0: The Fork at Halfway