The game starts with the player checking into a motel in the sleepy town of Cyclone, Arizona. Upon entering the motel, the player is greeted by a rather unfriendly clerk who hands them a message that reads: 'I have your friends, only a warrior can free them.' The player walks into their room, sets down their bags and goes to bed. Once the player drifts to sleep, they have a strange dream involving a car wreck and a dead body. Once awake, the player is free to explore the town.

The player will quickly discover that their immediate goal is to find the twelve bahos (prayer sticks) scattered throughout the town and return them to the sacred kiva in Devil's Mouth Canyon just outside town. The bahos have been hidden by the villain known only as Darkcloud, a mysterious figure who wears a kachina mask, in order to test the player so that they may become "the warrior". The player is assured that once they become "the warrior", they will be able to free the members of Trip Cyclone, who have been transformed into petroglyphs. The player must ultimately deduce the true identity of Darkcloud and discover his actual plan.