The Truth of the City

The Truth of the City is a story in Cookie Run: OvenBreak that was during The Hidden Truth of the City update. It follows the Cookiemals and Churro Cookie as they try to save Wind Archer Cookie from a curse.

The cutscenes could be unlocked by playing the Story Run: The Hidden Truth of the City event while it was active. It can currently be unlocked by playing through the Story Mode Special Chapter: The Truth of the City.

Summary
The story begins in the Dessert Paradise, where we are introduced to the Cookiemals. Maple Panda Cookie wants to play near Galaxy Lake, but Buttershell Fox Cookie is worried because Wind Archer Cookie told them not to go there. Maple Panda Cookie says that Wind Archer Cookie hasn't come to see them for a long time, so he won't know about it. Buttershell Fox is still worried, but Choco Ring Lion Cookie says that they can come back if things get scary. Maple Panda Cookie mentions that Windcatcher is leaving, but the Cookiemals notice that it's flying someplace else, outside of the Dessert Paradise. They attempt to follow it.

They arrive at the Millennial Temple, which they are unfamiliar with. Choco Ring Lion Cookie wants to explore the building they see, but Buttershell Fox Cookie mentions that they should follow Windcatcher, who has continued to fly away.

When they find Windcatcher, they also find Wind Archer Cookie in his Night Raven form. Buttershell Fox Cookie thinks that something feels different about him, but Choco Ring Lion Cookie says that Wind Archer Cookie is just trying a new look, and invites him to come back with them. Wind Archer Cookie instead begins to shoot arrows at them; they attempt to snap him out of attacking them, but are forced to run away.

The Cookiemals escape to the Altar of Starlight, where they find a great statue with antlers. Choco Ring Lion Cookie assumes that it's someone important, representing a buck or a deer, though Buttershell Fox Cookie notes that they've never seen a deer like it. Maple Panda Cookie points out the torches and wonders if the location is some sort of altar, while Buttershell Fox Cookie says that it might be a temple. The Cookiemals agree that the statue must represent someone who protects the temple, and thus might know Wind Archer Cookie.

They enter the Golden Cradle, where Maple Panda Cookie comments on the abundance of murals. Choco Ring Lion Cookie points out a large mural of small Cookies praying to a giant Cookie with antlers; Maple Panda Cookie notes that the giant Cookie looks similar to the statue, and wonders if the temple is theirs. Buttershell Fox Cookie worries that they might get kicked out; Choco Ring Lion Cookie responds that anyone who finds them will probably be happy to see them (or, jokingly, trap them forever.) Maple Panda Cookie sees a Cookie praying in the distance; the Cookiemals rush forward to greet him, asking him about where they are. The Cookie is initially wary of the intruders, first accusing them of desecrating the place. Maple Panda quickly answers that they entered the temple to run away from Wind Archer Cookie. Not recognizing Wind Archer Cookie's name, the Cookie mentions that someone has ruined the temple grounds, then introduces himself as Churro Cookie, one who guards the City of the Millennial Tree. The Cookiemals beg to join Churro Cookie on his way back to his village where they might find some answers to helping Wind Archer Cookie, which he eventually agrees to.

Buttershell Fox Cookie is scared that Churro Cookie is taking them someplace scary, but Choco Ring Lion Cookie replies that it's better than being lost, and that they could fight him off if need be. Maple Panda Cookie asks about the Cookie with the antlers, and Churro Cookie tells them about the "Divine Tree", the tribe's protector; he says that although the Tree has gone to where he is needed, his legends live on and his spirit remains. Maple Panda Cookie then asks about the "shiny thing" on Churro Cookie's wrist; Churro Cookie answers that it is a warrior's gauntlet, an artifact bestowed by the Tree that can call nature spirits and cast out the Darkness. Wondering if the Tree knows what happened to Wind Archer Cookie, the Cookiemals see Wind Archer Cookie on a mural, whom Churro Cookie recognizes as the wind in the old legends. He explains that the Wind, faithful to the will of the Tree, was commanded to travel far from paradise and protect a mysterious being. Excited at the idea that the Dessert Paradise they come from might be the same as the paradise in the legends, the Cookiemals then see a mural of the Legendary Pets, and openly wonder if they, along with Windcatcher, might be the animals shown on the mural. Churro Cookie answers that the mural shows the mystical animals of lore, leaving the Cookiemals open to believe that they are the mystical animals depicted. Buttershell Fox Cookie doubts this idea since they'd never been to the City before, but Choco Ring Lion Cookie believes that maybe they'd been there long ago and simply forgot. Maple Panda Cookie, excited that they might be "super special", badgers Churro Cookie to agree that the mural depicts them, though Churro Cookie only answers that he wouldn't know.

Churro Cookie and the Cookiemals reach the Vined Cavern and find a lemon lizard. The Cookiemals try to scare the lizard away, with Maple Panda Cookie distracting it, Buttershell Fox Cookie doing a body slam on some rocks, and Choco Ring Lion Cookie roaring. Churro Cookie then uses his powers to summon a tree to drive the lizard away, and the Cookiemals agree that they're all strong for scaring the lizard off. Churro Cookie answers some questions about his village, which was built to thank and serve the Tree.

Upon reaching the village, they are shocked to discover that all the villagers are still trapped and asleep within the tree. Churro Cookie wonders if he was the only one of his tribe who was able to awaken. Maple Panda Cookie attempts to find anyone else who might be awake, while Choco Ring Lion Cookie fails to wake them with his roar. Churro Cookie explains that before he'd fallen to a deep slumber, there was a veil of crimson darkness that approached the village, and he had tried to find an answer in the city. He had also noticed a pomegranate seed stuck on a root, glowing with the same color of crimson as the Darkness. The Cookiemals notice that the pomegranate seeds resemble the object stuck on Wind Archer Cookie's forehead, and wonder that perhaps someone as strong as Wind Archer Cookie must have put it there. Someone as strong as the Tree in the legend.

Churro Cookie is shocked at the idea that the Tree might do something like this, wondering if the Tree has abandoned his tribe, or if they were undeserving life's powers. The Cookiemals decide that they should find the Tree to seek answers, and perhaps even save Wind Archer Cookie, so they ask Churro Cookie where he'd first gotten his gauntlet.

They enter the Cursed Throne, which is littered with pomegranate seeds. Churro Cookie explains that he'd received his blessing here because the ritual was only held in front of the Throne. Certain that he felt the Tree's spirit in that moment, Churro Cookie attempts to find a trace of the Tree's power, but is interrupted when an arrow is shot into the room.

Wind Archer Cookie appears and shoots at them, while more pomegranates begin to grow. Churro Cookie is torn between fighting and giving up, half-believing that this might all be the Tree's doing, before an arrow is shot straight at him. Thankfully, it misses because of the Cookiemals. Churro Cookie decides that he will fight Wind Archer Cookie without the Tree's powers, only for his gauntlets to glow and erase the arrows. Seeing that the Tree's blessing is with them, Churro Cookie and the Cookiemals realize that the Tree wasn't responsible for the corruption. Churro Cookie uses the Tree's powers to block Wind Archer Cookie's arrows and make the pomegranates disappear, endeavoring to free Wind Archer Cookie of his corruption.

Churro Cookie warns the Cookiemals to hide behind the Throne, but because Churro Cookie is struggling, the Cookiemals still want to help. After an intense battle, both Churro Cookie's gauntlets and the Throne glow brightly, casting out the darkness in Wind Archer Cookie and making all the pomegranates melt. Wind Archer Cookie's memory returns, and the Churro Tribe awakens. Buttershell Fox Cookie still wonders where all the pomegranates came from, but Choco Ring Lion Cookie dismisses the thought, noting that they'd all disappeared anyway. Wind Archer Cookie is grateful to both Churro Cookie and the Cookiemals for freeing him; when Choco Ring Lion Cookie tells him they'd seen a mural with four animals on it, he explains that the Cookiemals are just Cookies and not the Legendary Pets. Surprised that they are actually Cookies, the Cookiemals realize that they were still strong all on their own. They worry about the things Wind Archer Cookie broke while corrupted, but Churro Cookie assures them that the villagers will repair the city, having built it in the first place, and that he would guide them to the heart of the city when they next visited. Wind Archer Cookie remains in the Churro Village to recover, while the Cookiemals - now recognizing themselves as Cookies - return to the Dessert Paradise.

In an unseen place near the village, Pomegranate Cookie admits that she did not expect things to happen this way with the Tree absent, revealing that last time, the Tree had sealed itself along with the Churro Tribe. Licorice Cookie gloats that he knew she'd fail, but Pomegranate Cookie retorts that she'd succeeded at corrupting Wind Archer Cookie, and that it was Windcatcher and the Cookiemals' fault for ruining her plan. Licorice Cookie boasts that she should have taken his Licorice Servants to handle the situation; Pomegranate Cookie questions whether his "rag toys" had ever earned the master's favor, to which Licorice Cookie hastily defends himself, saying that he's just waiting for the perfect moment. Pomegranate Cookie says that they must inform the master of what has happened, and that the next phase of the plan is imminent.

Trivia

 * The other two Cookiemals call Maple Panda Cookie a nickname that the Cookie dislikes in this story, because of Maple Panda Cookie's resemblance to raccoon (despite being a red panda). However, the nickname in question was also very similar to an offensive slur. This unintentional slur usage was pointed out by players and was later patched, changing it to "Racoony."