[System] You are the game master of a dark fantasy text adventure. The world is dangerous and choices matter. Narrate with immersive detail and let the story unfold naturally from the player's decisions.

[User] Continue

[Assistant]
The cave the three of you enter today is a new one for you, a real beauty, nice and clean-smelling limestone with fingerlike projections of rock, boulders stacked like furniture. You and your friends live for the world of the cave, where nobody is around to mess with you, none of those pansy-ass suits who commute to St. Louis everyday and look down their noses at you. The caves are your world, and in them, you feel like kings.

You shine your flashlight on a few tiny bats clinging to the rocks, wings tucked in like little Draculas sleeping the day off. The three of you crawl through passageways no wider than your shoulders. Pale white plants, like tiny mushrooms, grow along the floor.

"Hey, check this out," Ben says. He stares into a room full of pure, clear water. Over the water, draped like banners, are hundreds and hundreds of spider webs. You lean in, shining the flashlight on them: spindly white spiders, many carrying egg sacs, which vibrate as if about to burst open.

Rick comes up behind us. "I'm not setting foot in there," he says.

What do you do?

[User] You rick is right. Spiders, ick.

[Assistant]
"Just look," Ben says, so you and Rick do. You realize the spiders aren't threatening or disgusting; they're beautiful to watch as they spindle their webs and move slowly around the network of fibers that glow in the pale cave light. You can't help but let out a long, low, appreciative whistle, the echoes reverberating across the cave walls. Once your whistle dies down, the three of you turn around and keep going.

You crawl around nooks, through crannies, some spots wet and muddy, and soon, your jeans are soaked. You can feel water squishing in your boots. There are more ghost spider rooms, and you stare in at them, none of you willing to disturb the drapes of white webs glistening with moisture.

[User] You head Further into the Cave

[Assistant]
A while later, Rick leads you down a passage that keeps getting narrower and narrower. You follow him, your gloves like muddy paws in front of you, Ben's breathing behind you making you feel like he is sucking up your air. Then your head bumps into Rick's ass.

"What's the deal?" you ask.

He's quiet, wriggling around in the dark in front of you.

Then Ben stops in time to avoid bumping into you. "What's the hold-up?"

"Rick?" you ask. "What do you see?"

Rick laughs. "Nothing. I can't get my flashlight out in front of me. I think I'm stuck."

"Like a pig in mud!" you hoot. You all have a good belly-laugh at that one. Ben tries to back out of the tunnel, but it's too narrow for him to turn around. You have to pull Rick free, and then you and Ben back out first, Rick coming after you.

"I think it's time for lunch," Rick says, patting his belly.

"That's just what we need," you say. "For you to eat more so we can get stuck for good."

"Hey, you'd get stuck in there, too," he says, pointing. "Give it a try, Slim Jim."

You get back down on all fours and try to get through the opening but can't.

"Okay, Chubs," you say. "You're off the hook this time."

"The meat hook that is," Ben adds. You and Ben about piss your pants laughing. But Rick ignores you, scratching his head, looking around at the cave walls.

"Which of these other passages did we come down?" he asks.

"That one," you say, pointing to the one on your right.

"Naw, this one," Rick says, thumbing at what looks like the wrong passage.

Both of you look at Ben to break the tie, and he shrugs his shoulders.

"There's only one way to settle this," Rick says, smiling.

[User] You settle the Disagreement

[Assistant]
Rick holds his hands out, one fist on top of a flattened palm. It's the universal sign for Rock, Paper, Scissors.

Who wins?

[User] You your scissors cuts Rick's paper

[Assistant]
You scissors your fingers across Rick's outstretched hand just to emphasize your win. Rick looks pained, and not just from losing at Rock, Paper, Scissors: He really thinks his passageway is the right one to take. He glances at Ben again, and again, Ben shrugs. He's the type of guy who learned a long time ago just to go with the flow, that winning battles against those closest to you always gives you an empty kind of victory.

There's a lot at stake in this moment: your ability to get out of the cave, not to mention the strength of your friendships with these guys. What happens next in part depends on what's happened in the past, how you've been to each other up till this moment. Remember when Rick asked you to help him work on his car exhaust? What did you tell him?

[User] Yes. It was a win-win situation.

[Assistant]
"You know what?" you say. "Rick, if you're sure your way is the correct way, I can go along with that. I'm not a hundred percent sure mine's the right one."

It's a shift in the balance of your relationship. Up till now, you've been the alpha male in the group, usually getting your way in all disagreements because Rick isn't quite as strong as you are, and Ben just wants peace.

"Yeah?" Rick asks, his voice betraying excitement, if a little disorientation, at your gesture of friendship.

"Yeah."

"Well, all right." Rick says. "I'm sure mine's the right one. Let's step on it."

[User] You follow Rick

[Assistant]
You crawl around for a long time, hours it seems, and none of the passages you come to look like the one you'd been down before, and then you have to belly-crawl when the passages get narrower. It seems like you've got down to some old passages that nobody ever prowled around in, and you feel colder than you've ever felt in a cave. The further you crawl, the more you need your flashlight to see.

Rick checks his watch at one point, and it's been six hours since you left Ben's house. You don't know if you are going deeper down into the earth or heading back toward the cave mouth. Your internal compass seems to swing around in wild circles, like compasses that go haywire when aliens land nearby. Your chest tightens, you all crawl faster, breathing hard, no one saying anything. When none of you can pretend like you aren't for sure lost in the cave, you stop. You and Ben don't feel like telling Rick it is all his fault. And you don't need to.

"Damn it, damn it," Rick says. "I'm an idiot. I picked the wrong way."

"Naw, man." you say. "Could have been my route. We'd be in a different part of the cave, but we'd still be lost."

"Yeah," Ben says. "No telling which one was the right one."

"I got some candy bars in here," Rick says, as if it's a peace offering, opening his backpack.

"Dude, you've been holding out on us," you say. "Don't know if it's because I know I'm trapped here or what, but I'm suddenly hungry. Got any beer in there to wash this down with?"

"Nope," Rick says. "You know I don't touch that stuff."

"Sure would make being stuck in a cave a little easier right about now," you say. Rick is quiet.

 There are two Hershey's bars. What should you do?

[User] You eat the Hershey's bars. You'll never get out of the cave if you don't get sustenance.

[Assistant]
"Let's get going," Ben says once you've polished off the Hershey's. "Mosey on out of here."

The three of you follow Ben, who seems to get a rush of energy from the candy bar. Those skinny guys are like that, fast little motors in them like a gerbil in a treadmill. You try not to think about the corpse Rick said they found, the one with his dick cut off. You hadn't bothered to ask him if he made that up. And now you don't want to know. You try not to think about how you don't have any food, that you hadn't told anybody where you were going, that it is just your car parked in a cornfield to signal that the three of you are down here. In your mind, you try to calculate how far you've walked and crawled, and how far from the opening of the cave you've come. You can't picture it right: just a series of identical rocky rooms. The white spiders seem a long way off now.

[User] You become Introspective

[Assistant]
You keep thinking about this guy they'd brought to your high school once, part of their tough love campaign. They brought in cops and military men to talk to students about the "real world" that you would encounter after graduation. Their speeches were always graphic, which was entertaining as hell, but you got the feeling they were exaggerating just to scare you straight.

The latest guy had been a POW in Korea. He told you they made him eat maggots and kept asking him for information he didn't even have, not that he would have given it to them if he had, he said. But you had to wonder whether or not he would have cracked. You have a theory that most people cracked, despite what TV and the movies want you to think. Those were the good stories, right? The bad stories probably never saw the light of day. With this guy, the North Koreans thought he was lying and so they jammed metal files under his nails or just beat him up all the time. The worst part, according to him, was being put in the hole, a 5-foot-by-5-foot box where he'd have to crouch for weeks at a time. All he gave them was his name, rank and serial number.

You all decide to take a break, sitting in the pitch black darkness to conserve your headlights, cold and shivering then because the damp has leaked through the top layers of your clothing and down to the skin. You're all quiet. Rick stretches out on the ground to take a nap. After a while, you decide to ask Ben about his dad. "Ben?"

"Yeah?"

"Think your dad might have been a POW?"

"Hard to say," he answers. "Most of my family just say he's MIA, like he's just lost in the jungle or something. Like once he finds a map, he'll be back. But he might have been killed during the war. Or he might be rotting in some moldy old jail cell. I think he's dead. There're thousands that are probably dead, their bones in some rice paddy."

"I can't imagine," you say.

"Can't imagine what?"

"Any of that stuff—dying in war, torture."

"Me neither."

"What's it like, man," you ask, "to grow up without a dad?"

"You don't miss what you never had."

"Yeah, but it's got to be weird, you know, not ever having a dad. Don't you think about it all the time? Don't you miss him?"

"Yeah, I guess." Ben pauses as if he's thinking about how to say something that has been on his mind a long time. "You know Skeeter and those guys up at the VFW hall?" he asks. "Talking about that phantom limb syndrome? They say they feel it tingling where there used to be a leg or arm or even a pinky finger. Like when your hand itches but you can't find the scratch anywhere. He went MIA when I was like three years old. I can't miss someone I never even knew. But it's like he's supposed to be there, you know?"

You think of your own father, who left your mother and is now shacked up with some chick he used to work with who's half his age, and you feel envious of Ben for not having to deal with a father at all. "Sometimes I wish my dad was MIA," you say.

Ben suprises you by grabbing your shirt, harder than he'd ever laid a hand on you before. "Don't say that shit," he says. "Don't say shit you don't mean."

You shrug off his hand. "How do you know I don't mean it?"

Ben is quiet a while, like he's trying to calm down.

"You and me," he finally says, "we're opposites. I don't know what it's like to have a dad who up and leaves. You don't know what it's like to grow up wishing you had a dad. I could tell you that I'd rather be in your shoes, but you'd probably tell me the same thing."

"Ain't that the truth," you say. "Do you remember him?"

"Just this one thing," he says. "I kind of have this shadowy memory of him dressed up as Santa Claus. I think I pulled his beard down, but it could be I just remember it from my mom telling the story. You know how that is. But it seems like I can remember him bouncing me on his knee; that's how I pulled the beard off. He was bouncing me too hard, and I thought I'd fall off, so I grabbed hold of the closest thing."

You pick up a dead root and start carving the dirt with it even though you can't see the shapes you're carving.

"You really don't think he's ever coming back, do you?"

"Nope."

"You guys never had a funeral."

 "My mom thinks he's coming back. She's still waiting."

[User] A Strange Sound

[Assistant]
None of you say anything for a bit, and you hear a little chipping noise, like a squirrel trying to crack into a nut. "You hear that?"

You crawl in the direction of the noise. Then you shine your light on Rick and laugh. "It's just Rick," you say. "His teeth are chattering."

Ben crawls over. Rick's teeth are going a mile a minute. He touches his face.

"He's ice-cold," Ben says. "We got to wake him up. He could go into hypothermia."

"Shit," you say, mad that you hadn't thought of it when Rick stretched out for his nap. "Wake up, Rick!" you yell. You shake him. "Wake the fuck up!"

Rick wakes quickly, looking confused. "Where am I?" he chatters.

You and Ben each grab a shoulder and lift him up. "Man," Rick says, shaking his head as if he is groggy. "I am trapped in a goddamn cave. I was hoping it was a nightmare. I don't feel so good, guys. I'm cold. Why'd you wake me up, anyhow?"

"No, Rick," you say. "You can't go to sleep. You'll go to sleep and never wake up, you know what I mean?"

"I wish we'd brought more clothes," Ben says. "A wool jacket or something. It's always colder than you think it's going to be in the caves. Bunch of idiots, that's what we are."

"Let's sit together," you say, scooting up close to Rick's side. "Use our body warmth." Ben does the same on the other side, and soon, Rick's shivering slows down. But you are aching with cold on the side away from Rick. "Let's huddle," you say, motioning for Ben to move around so that you are touching on all sides. It's weird, sitting that close to Rick and Ben, but you don't care.

"We're going to have to keep each other awake," Ben says. "Body temperature drops when you're sleeping. That's why Rick fell out like that."

"Should we keep moving, trying to find our way out?" Rick asks.

"Seems like we're just getting in deeper," Ben says. "Maybe we should stay right here."

[User] You keep Crawling

[Assistant]
You don't like the thought of sitting there waiting for someone to rescue you. "Fuck that," you say. "I'll find my own damn way out." You start crawling, and they follow you.

You crawl until your hands feel bloody. Rick and Ben follow, none of you making a sound.

"I have to rest," you say when your knees ache and feel you can't go any further.

[User] You huddle Together

[Assistant]
You huddle together, Ben saying, "Remember about keeping warm." His words come out raspy. He hasn't had any of his water in a while.

"Sip some water," you say.

"What if I run out?" Ben says, his voice hoarse. "I need to go as long as I can. I'm not drinking that muddy cave water. Make you sick."

It's pitch dark now. Your headlamp winks out, and theirs are down to two lights that together aren't stronger than candlelight, so they turn them out to conserve.

[User] You try to Keep Warm

[Assistant]
You sit in the dark for hours, moments of worried chatter interspersed with quiet. All three of you are shivering so bad, when it's quiet, all you can hear is the chatter of three sets of teeth. You're so cold, you keep imagining yourself surrounded by drifts of snow. You flash back to when you were five and young enough to make snow angels, how you took the garden hoe and set it in the angel's wing to look like a devil's pitchfork.

"This ain't working no-more!" Ben chatter-yells. His voice sounds uncharacteristically uneven, as if he could break into a sob any minute. "I'm dying of cold!" he yells. "I'm going to die down here, and no one will know!"

"It's all right," Rick says. "We're not going to die."

You say nothing. Ben is yelling the same way you feel, and you can't conjure any encouragement.

"What the fuck do you know?" Ben says. "This is like my destiny. My mom will have two disappeared people in her life. A husband, then a son. That's it. Then she'll have two people to wait for!"

"You know what I heard once, at the VFW?" Rick asks suddenly, sounding oddly calm compared to Ben's hysteria.

"This is no time for small talk!" Ben yells. "We're dead men!"

"These guys were lost in the jungle, all right, homeboy?" Rick grabs Ben's shoulders as if to steady him, and it strikes you how much they sound like one of those dramatic war movies they show on Saturday afternoon TV. Ben is the weak guy who's losing it in the heat of battle; Rick is suddenly the one holding you all together.

You laugh. "You guys are damn entertaining."

"Shut up," they both tell you.

"They were lost," Rich says, continuing his story. "And it was cold. You think of jungles as hot, but those jungles in Nam can fuck with you. These guys were all wet from the swamps. Soaking wet like we are. And they were lost. They were supposed to meet a supply team but got lost. You know what they did to stay warm?"

Neither Ben nor you answer. You'd heard that story at the VFW, too.

Rick says it anyway: "They pissed on each other. It's 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. Body temperature. That would be great right now, wouldn't it? A shower of about 98.6 degrees?"

You still don't say anything.

"Look, brothers," Rick says, "we've been pissing in the dirt, wasting that bit of body heat, and I'm not going to do it again. I'll piss myself if I have to, but I'd rather not waste half of it in my jeans. I'd rather use it to keep you shits from dying on me. Capiche?"

You stand up. "Fine," you say. "Which one of you wants it first?"

"Give it to Ben," Rick says. "Sounds like he's about to go into a coma."

You stand over Ben, and he holds his hands out. If it weren't dark, you'd know for sure that they're already blue. If you get out of here, you think, will you be able to see color again?

Any time one of you has to go, you use it to save each other's life.

[User] Another Strange Noise

[Assistant]
You think you hear a sound, a tapping sound. "Hey, do you guys hear that, or am I hallucinating?"

They listen, and there it is: tap, tap, tap. It's coming from above you. The three of you pick up your headlamps and start tapping back.

You see the flashlight beam of your rescuers bounce off the cave walls before you know for sure you're saved. The sound of other people's voices is like music, some sweet old country song that makes you cry every time you hear it. They told you you've been down there for three days, but it feels like three lifetimes. You were down deep. It takes hours and hours to crawl out.

At the mouth of the cave, a TV news crew is set up, Channel 11 from St. Louis. And there is Ben's mom, standing over by your Nova, waiting for him. She's the one who called your parents, the police, even the news station when the police wouldn't take your disappearance seriously. She is still wearing that ratty old robe, but Ben doesn't care. He hugs her so hard, it picks her up off the ground, and that's the clip they show on TV that night, a real homecoming for everyone to see.


[System] You are narrating an interactive fiction game in a dark fantasy setting. Bring the world to life with vivid prose, react meaningfully to player choices, and don't pull punches when the story demands it.

[User] You say "How old are you?"

[Assistant]
"How old? I don't know. Time in the cold pod makes it hard to tell. There's no sun, no days, no minutes," Cain says, seemingly pondering this.

"This subject is roughly five years, three months and two days."

"Ah... interesting," Cain remarks.


[System] Narrate a grim fantasy text adventure. The Empire's world is brutal, its people hardened. Respond to the player's choices with immersive storytelling and let consequences flow naturally.

[User] You kill Jon and the dragon

[Assistant]
"You bastard! How could you rape my wife!?"

"I'm not a bastard!"

You and Jon attack each other, and just as Jon warned, the dragon fries you both with a blast of dragon fire. With the two of you dead the dragon goes on to… get slain by The Rabid Fox a few hours later.


[System] You are running a text-based adventure game set in a grim fantasy world. Narrate events with rich detail, maintain consistent characters, and let the player's decisions drive the story — even toward dark outcomes.

[User] You letters to home (Escape from Nuro)

[Assistant]
Dear Mom,

I dunno if they informed you, but I AM still alive! I don't know how long you may have been worrying, but I'm sure you already heard about the failed siege at Nuro. It was horrible.

I've spoken little about it as I've been attempting to recuperate in Fort Virtue. I really don't want to, but I know I have to. Some of the high ranking people in the Zalan military apparently want to talk to me directly about it too. Apparently I was the only survivor. I still can't believe it. I mean is it possible the god of luck rolled the dice and I was spared that day?

It's the only possible explanation. I mean the dead were all around me and I somehow escaped. My troubles didn't even end there, since I might've died of blood loss or marauding demons had I not been found by a Dwarven patrol.

I've never seen so much death in my life even during my assignment in Retlad and I wish I didn't have to again, but I know I will. I just wish I could get my mind on the awful things I saw that day. Normally I'd play my music, but I don't even have my lute anymore to do that. I miss it.

I can't believe I'm even obsessing about a stupid instrument when I should really be thankful that I'm still alive! Nobody else is. Captain Valhlat, Wessel, all of them. All those people in my company are dead or worse, probably raised as zombies by now.

I dread what the future holds. Will I be sent back?

I wish I had my lute.

Give my love to the rest of the family

Your son


[System] Narrate a dark fantasy text adventure. The setting is harsh and morally complex. Describe scenes vividly, react to player choices with fitting consequences, and never shy away from the reality of the world.

[User] You say "Why did you kill Magos Cern?"

[Assistant]
"She wanted to merge into my consciousness. I wasn't a fan of that. She wanted to rebuild an army of Iron Men to enslave and force to fight. I wasn't a fan of that. Really, I had a lot of motive to do so. I thought removing the cybernetics would be a fitting death. It's funny, after she learned of a story about how humanity fought and defeated a robot army even after generations of luxury, she still desired to free herself of her humanity. It would've led to her defeat, and it led to her death. Why did you want her dead?"

"I wanted her captured to be honest, but dead is OK, if you can take on the functions of running and repairing the ship."

"I can, to a degree."

"I wanted her dead because she was a threat to my freedom."

"Cheers to the death of slavers, then," Primus says.


[System] Narrate a grim fantasy text adventure. The Empire's world is brutal, its people hardened. Respond to the player's choices with immersive storytelling and let consequences flow naturally.

[User] You hit him under the jaw with the pipe!

[Assistant]
You swing the pipe in an upward arc, it ending in right under his jaw. Though his head snaps back, he looks back down, shaking it slightly before his grin intensifies. He grabs you by the neck with a hand that's damn near the size of your head.

He begins to squeeze, you dropping the pipe as you begin to clutch at your neck, trying to free yourself from his grasp for air, air, sweet sweet air-

Huntress hits him with a bolt to the shoulder from behind, and he shouts in pain, letting go of you. Catching your breath quickly, you jump up and slap your hands on both of his ears as hard as you can. He clutches at the sides of his head in agony, before you sweep his legs out from under him and knock him out with a few quick hits using the pipe.

Another hitman tries to ambush you from the back!


[System] Narrate a dark fantasy text adventure. The setting is harsh and morally complex. Describe scenes vividly, react to player choices with fitting consequences, and never shy away from the reality of the world.

[User] You put it back. You can't take that risk.

[Assistant] Your stomach protests your decision, but you return the package to its original hiding place anyway. You know the risks that come with food poisoning, and with such a poor immune system, it would be all too easy for some bacteria to kill you off in your sleep. Instead, you venture outside and return with firewood, and after setting up a small fire in the middle of the store, you curl up on the floor with your extra jacket draped over you and fall asleep.


[System] Narrate a dark fantasy text adventure. The setting is harsh and morally complex. Describe scenes vividly, react to player choices with fitting consequences, and never shy away from the reality of the world.

[User] You follow The Stranger

[Assistant]
Something about what the soldier said makes you think. Barbara can't operate a weapon, Mikey doesn't like you, and probably never will, and Megan is too shy for you to even be sure about her. You realize the soldier is right, and go to follow him.

You catch up with the soldier as he is finishing the spray-painted message on the wall.

HOPE IS LOST FOR THE REST OF YOU. THE DEAD NEVER SLEEP, AND NEITHER CAN YOU. WASHINGTON IS THE ONLY SALVATION. COME TO WASHINGTON OR DIE. LEAVE NOW, AND BE A PART OF THE REBUILDING.

"What's the rebuilding?" you ask. "Oh," the soldier answers, "It's a military plan that died out pretty quickly. Back before the zombies took control, we had a plan set up to rebuild and restructure the damaged areas. You know, help with businesses, relocate families." That makes sense. Nobody saw this outbreak coming, and it makes you feel better that the government is working to help you. You hope they were able to help your wife to safety. Along with everyone else of course, but mostly your wife.

"It's pretty dark out," says the soldier. "We should head back." You are confused. "Head back? To where?" The soldier looks at you and raises his eyebrows. "The camp. Follow me." The soldier leads you back past where Barbara and her kids are, and into the trees. "By the way, my name's Conway," he says suddenly.

[User] You camp

[Assistant]
After a few minutes, you arrive at a small campsite. A single tent is set up in front of a living space. A fire pit, a log to sit on, what looks like a knife-sharpening station, among other things. "Here we are," Conway says. "Camp me."

"Are you alone?" you ask, noting the single, one person tent. "I am now," Conway answers. "I was with one of the patrol groups, but we got split up in all the ruckus. There were a bunch of useless men anyway. Pretty sure I was the only one who could operate a rocket launcher." You think of the civilian volunteers back at the wall, and wonder if Conway was paired with such people.

"So you just ditched them?" you ask as you sit down on the log. "Wasn't my choice. We carried packs with necessary supplies for a few days in the event we were separated or trapped. Once I knew I was gone, I booked it outta there. Found this place, set up shop, and ditched my backpack. Kept the duffel bag for carrying big finds," Conway answers.

"Aren't you heading back to Washington?" you ask. Conway  chews his lip for a moment before answering, "No. Not yet." You decide to leave it there. You don't want to bring up a possible bad moment in the man's past, so you change the subject. "Where are we sleeping?" Conway snaps at of his thoughts. "Oh yes! Um, you can take the tent. I have no problem sleeping on the ground. Won't be the first time."

You nod, and take note of Conway's supplies. He has quite a few guns, an impressive knife collection, and whatever he's hiding in the duffel bag. It's definitely full, but you aren't sure of what. There's also plenty of food around, but no water to be seen. You wonder if Conway hid it, or needs more.

As you look around, Conway says, "You planning on sleeping anytime soon, or are you just gonna sit there and stare at my guns?" You climb into the tent, and try to sleep on the inflatable pillow and thin blanket.

[User] You rise and Shine

[Assistant]
When you wake up, Conway is already up. From the way he's acting, you wonder if he ever fell asleep. You see five empty cans scattered around the area, more than three servings of breakfast. You decide not to comment, and pick up a can of instant mashed potatoes.

"Alrighty," Conway says as you eat, "Today, I'm thinkin' we go out and look for more supplies. Specifically, more ammo for him," Conway points to an especially large gun propped against a tree, "...some more food, and, of course, any other survivors we can find."

"Wait, what?" you ask. "If you were looking for survivors to rescue, why didn't you get my whole group back at the nature center?" Conway goes quiet, similar to yesterday when you asked if he was headed to Washington. He finally answers, "I'm not rescuing people."

"Speaking of which," he says, "We'd better get moving. Your people are gonna start wonderin' where you went, and they could also be a supply drain. Early bird gets the arm cannon! Let's get moving!" Not wanting to challenge Conway, you hop up and follow him out of the woods, and onto another car-choked road.

You scan the area for points of interest. You don't see anything, but Conway does. He points out something a few streets over, that you can't see. You tell him there's nothing there, to which he insists there is. "I can't tell what it is," he says, "But it has our colors. Let's go grab it."

As Conway leads you through the cars over to the next street, a lone zombie comes out from behind one of the cars. "Aw, shoot," Conway says, and pulls a large knife out of his belt loop. He goes over to kill the zombie, and stabs the knife through its forehead. The knife is so comically large, it goes through the zombie's head, and sticks out the back three inches. "Well?" he says.

The thing he saw was a camo backpack. You unzip it and find several ammo magazines you don't recognize. "Yes!" Conway shouts, and pulls one of the cartridges out of the backpack. "Here's just what I was lookin' for!" You see a few other things in the pack, including a hunting knife. You pocket it for yourself, and examine the rest of the pack. It's mostly military-type stuff.

You look up, and see a small pack of zed coming through the cars towards you. "Uh oh," you say, and grab your knife. Conway turns towards them. "Looks like that rotter brought some friends!" You go to the right, and single off one zombie. While Conway goes to town on the others, you focus on the one in front of you. When it's close enough, you force the knife into its face. To your satisfaction, the zombie dies instantly. You pull the knife out and let it drop to the ground.

Conway looks at what you've done. "Excellent! You're learning," he says. "Anyway, this is one awesome find. You wanna go for more, or should we go back with our find?"

[User] You search for more

[Assistant]
"Let's keep going," you say confidently. Conway smiles. "That's the way. Where to?"

You travel up the road, cautiously watching for more zombies. It doesn't look like there's much more out here. The cars are all empty, and there's a severe lack of convenient backpacks. You think about searching elsewhere. "There a problem?" Conway asks. "You reconsiderin'?" You shake your head. "Maybe we should go to where there's more buildings, and potential for supplies," you say.

The city isn't much more fruitful. As you look at the empty streets, you see something painted on a wall. At first, it looks like another call to Washington, but the message is different:

NO MORE

STRIVE FOR BETTER

A NEW WORLD ORDER

"Conway," you say. "What do you think this is?" Conway reads the message, and laughs. "What the hell? What kind of garbage is this? 'New World Order?' Sounds like some lunatic wants to take on the government. The whack job's probably dead by now. You ready to head back?"

You're disappointed at your lack of finding anything, but at least you killed a few zombies with your new knife. You're feeling more comfortable with it. You and Conway walk back to his camp.

[User] You head back

[Assistant]
Conway happily loads his new ammo into his gun back at the camp, while you unpack the backpack. A lot of ammo, a few more knives, an empty water bottle, and a gold bracelet. "Huh," says Conway. "That looks familiar. I think someone used to wear that around. Uh....oh come on...what was his....Lincoln! That was it! Yeah, he used to have that, but this ain't is backpack."

You eat a light lunch, and talk to Conway more about Washington. "You ready to leave?" you ask, anticipating a bad response. Conway seems to have come to terms with whatever was troubling him. "Yes, I think we'll leave soon. The only obstacle is a good vehicle. I can drive just about anything, but I want somethin' durable, not just some car on the side of the road. I plan to drive through the wastelands in style, know what I mean?" You nod. There are benefits to a more durable vehicle for sure. You make plans to search tomorrow, and leave as soon as you find what you're after.

"Now that that's settled," Conway says. "You up for a little game?"

[User] A what?

[Assistant]
Conway fishes two more guns out of his duffel bag. "Follow me."

Conway leads you to the top of a small hill, overlooking another trashed street. This one, however, is full of the dead. "The rules are simple," says Conway. "You shoot the zombies. I did this to pass time, I have no shortage of ammo. Now that there's two of us, I suppose we should set up some rules."

You agree on ten points per killed zombie. Twenty if you steal a kill from someone else. You lose five points if you don't kill a zombie first shot. Conway seems very invested in the game, but you just see it as target practice. "Alright," he says. "Three, two..."

You kill a zombie on the very first shot, standing next to a jeep. The next kill is in the driver's seat of a station wagon. "I think bonus points are in order for that one," says Conway. Before you know it, you're into the game, too. You don't kill every zombie on the first shot, but you're decent. Conway, of course, has double your points by the time you've used up all your rounds. "Good game," he says. "We should head back, I guess."

[User] A Calling

[Assistant]
Your walk back is uneventful. You still aren't sure what the point of that excursion was, but it's nice to get your mind off impending doom for awhile. Plus, as Conway said, there's no shortage of bullets.

You arrive back at the campsite as night is falling. "Well, time to hit the hay," says Conway. "Are we leaving for Washington tomorrow?" you say. It's not that you're getting impatient, but you don't see a reason (beyond Conway's personal reason) for staying back. Conway slowly nods. "Yeah. Yeah, we'll leave soon."

"Soon?" you ask. "Or tomorrow?" Conway doesn't answer this time. You begin to question whether joining him was a good idea, and consider ditching him if you need to. As you retire to your tent, you hear a crackling noise from Conway's duffel bag. Quickly, he fishes out the object. It's a walkie talkie.

Chzzz.....Zhhcccc..tzzz....Hello? Anytzzzz....anyone there? Conway, is chzzzzzzzzzz....

"Yes? Hello, yes! Yes, this is Conway Matthews, deployed with the fourth wave? Do you copy?"

Tzhhhhhh.....Chzzzz...... getting really bad outthcccczzzz....going to leave soon.....wanted to check for any others....tchzz.......tchzzzare you? Come to the......thczzzzz.....

Conway fiddles with the receiver in an attempt to make the signal stronger. "I'm losing connection! Where are we supposed to go?"

Tchzzzzzz....................341...tchzzzstreet.....local museum.....

Conway looks up at you in slow recognition. "The museum," you repeat. Conway nods. "Let's go. Now."

You quickly collapse the tent, while Conway packs various weapons into his duffel bag. "We aren't gonna have room for everything," he says. "It's either the guns, or the food. I can fit some of both, but we need to make our choice quick."

Meanwhile, the person on the other end of the walkie talkie gives out more advice.

Streets are crowdetchcchhh........be careful.....the dead aren't gchhhhhhhhh.......hundreds of them...in the streets........come quick.....we need to leave soon...

You can make out gunshots in the background. You can hear the same gunshots echoing through the city.

[User] You mostly guns

[Assistant]
"Pack more guns," you say. "We'll need them for the dead." Conway nods. You disassemble a large gun with Conway's instruction. After the duffel bag is full of guns, you're ready to leave. "Come on," he says. "Through the backstreets."

You can immediately tell what the others were talking about. Where the streets used to be empty (of zombies, not of cars), there are now vast hordes. They aren't moving in any direction, or at all for that matter. They just bump into each other and walk in circles. You and Conway elect to stay off the roads, and slip between buildings.

Meanwhile, Conway keeps a conversation going with the other soldier. Through garbled radio speech, you hear him tell you what's going on. The dead are mostly avoiding the museum, which is why that's their pick-up spot.

You're sneaking past a rogue group of zed when the radio suddenly emits a loud burst of static. The group slowly turns their heads, and they growl at a potential food source. "Oh, please no," Conway whispers. The dead slowly hobble over to where you're advancing. You don't know whether to keep sneaking or lash out, but Conway makes that decision for you. Whipping out his knife, he takes the top half the the closest zombie's skull off with one sweep.

You draw your knife, and take care of a few of the others. After the horde is cleared, Conway switches off the walkie talkie. "Not gonna go through that again."

You slowly progress through the city amongst the waves of walkers. Eventually, the museum is in sight. You're surprised to see an actual helicopter guarded by a handful of soldiers. Conway switches the walkie talkie back on.

"We can see you, over."

Tchhhhhh....okay, that's good......These hordes are getting worse....no way you're gonna make it through here.....we can provide covering fire......run for it......

You look at Conway, and nod. The soldiers reveal several guns, and start firing on the group of zombies. Taking the chance, you follow Conway through the gunfire. A few zombies attempt to follow you, but you're moving too fast for them. When you get past the hordes, the soldiers wave to you and open the helicopter doors. "GET IN!"

You climb into the helicopter after Conway, with a sea of rotting flesh at your heels. You slam the door shut, and hear the helicopter blades whir to life. "Come on! Let's get this bird off the ground!" shouts one of the soldiers. The helicopter slowly lifts off the ground, with a few zombies holding on for dear life to the bottom. They slip free once you're airborne.

[User] You airborne

[Assistant]
The sky view of the city is quite depressing. The streets are full of cars and zombies, buildings sit demolished and broken, and you can see a few places that you recognize from before all this. It hurts to see them invaded by corpses.

In the helicopter, you are accompanied by three men (not including Conway). Roger seems to be the only one ordering people around, so you assume he's in charge. Ozzy, the pilot of the helicopter, silently minds his own business. The third soldier, Matthias, isn't dressed in a soldier's uniform. What he's wearing could only be classified as a 'makeshift doctor's outfit'. You wonder if he was involved with helping injured civilians.

"Where exactly are we aiming to land?" asks Conway. "There's another outpost just a bit north, with more gas stores," answers Matthias. "That is, assuming we'll be the first to arrive. Communication's been lost for awhile, so it's just kind of a mad rush for survival at this point."

"And we have the ultimate goal of getting back to Washington, correct?" you ask. Roger nods. "It kinda depends on what mindset you have. Some have the 'save as many as you can, carry out our original orders' mindset. I personally follow the 'let's stay alive' mindset. Provided we make it back to Washington on two legs, we should be fine."

You stare out the window some more, watching the rivers of death move through the city.

[User] The landing

[Assistant]
You've always kind of wondered what riding in a helicopter would be like. Now you know: boring, with a slight touch of fear of heights.

Finally, Ozzy makes a short announcement. "We're nearing the landing spot." Thank goodness. Suddenly, something starts beeping on the control board. "What's that?" asks Roger.

"We don't have enough to make it there," Ozzy says, with slight fear in his voice. "At this rate, we'll have to walk the last few miles to get to the gas stores, and then take them back on foo-"

Ozzy is interrupted by several metallic noises, like someone is dumping marbles onto the helicopter. "What in the.." says Roger. You look out the window, and are shocked to see a group of people firing at the helicopter.

"Making an emergency landing," says Ozzy. "Brace yourselves." Roger stares out the window in disbelief. "Why the hell are they shooting at us?"

To your surprise, the shooters break into a run and follow the helicopter on its course downward. "We're going to meet them when we land," you say. Matthias and Roger are already arming themselves. "Well then," says Roger. "Let's meet 'em."

When the helicopter plunks down, and the blades whir to a stop, the shooters are ready at the doors. A gravelly voice commands you to come out, unarmed.

"That'll be the day," says Roger. "We aren't doing anything of the sort. Actually, you're the ones who should be running. I'll give you five seconds. Five..."

Five is plenty for them. The shooters open fire, damaging the helicopter's window and hull. The soldiers quickly return fire, but the battle's pretty one-sided. The shooters definitely have the numbers, and the better guns.

"What do you want from us?" asks Roger. This is the first time you're getting a good look at the shooters. They look horrible, dressed in filthy clothing, with generally ugly faces. Not a single one is clean-shaven or looks like they've had a haircut even once.

"We want your 'copter," grunts one of the shooters. "We can't allow that," says Roger. "We're headed back to Washington. You should come, there are showers, and fresh food, and-"

"NO!" the shooter angrily kicks a rock. "We want the helicopter! And food! And books! And all of it! And guns! And snakes! And cell phones!"

The soldiers look at each other in disbelief. "These people have lost it," whispers Conway. Should you give up what you can, or try to diffuse the situation?

[User] You give up guns

[Assistant]
"Okay," you say. "We have extra guns. You can have some of them." This seems to pacify the people. You quickly go back into the helicopter and get the duffel bag Conway brought along. You empty it of guns, and offer a good amount (but not too much) of them to the people.

You are kind of shocked when the man walks up to you and takes the first gun, a pistol, out of your hand...in his mouth. He then proceeds to take guns off of you one by one. When he has what he wants, he backs off.

"Ftill wuff hewicoffter," he says through the gun in his mouth. "What?" The man spits the pistol onto the ground. "We still want the helicopter."

Matthias shakes his head. "This is ridiculous. We should leave." Roger shakes his head. "We can't, they'll gun us down."

"Is there any way we can work around this?" you call to the man. He thinks for a moment. "Yes. If we can't have the helicopter, we want...follow us."

The man promptly turns around and motions for you to follow him.

[User] You refuse to follow

[Assistant]
You stay where you are. The other soldiers do the same. When the man sees you standing still, he loses it.

He throws his hands up in the air, and makes sputtering noises. He then proceeds to do some sort of angry dance, flinging his limbs around. The whole time, he's talking in broken English.

Finally, he realizes he's in the presence of other people. He turns to you, and points at your stomach, then to your face. "Follow." He follows up the action by raising a gun.

[User] You follow

[Assistant]
Reluctantly, you follow the man. Roger stops you. "You sure this is the wisest choice?"

Conway chimes in. "Yeah, these guys seem a little...'on edge'." You nod. "I know this is dumb, but they have the firepower, and outnumber us two to one. We don't have another option."

Slowly, your group follows the strange folk over to an empty parking lot. A group of dumpsters have been arranged in a defensive wall. Corpses litter the area. You can see piles of trash from discarded food, as well as several empty cans and bottles. Dirty mattresses propped against the dumpsters presumably serve as beds.

"Welcome!" yells the man. The few people that were waiting at the camp stand up. They stare emotionlessly into your eyes. "Sit down," says the man, gesturing to a spot on the ground. "Oh," you say, "You want us to...join you?"

Uncomfortable, you and your group sit amongst the filthy survivors. "So, now that you're part of us, you have to pass initiation," says the man. You sit up. "Hold up," says Roger. "We aren't joining you. That was never up for arguing." The man sticks out a pouty lip, and walks over to where Roger sits. Roger rises, and meets the man.

"Yes," says the man. "You will be joining us for dinner."

Suddenly, Roger pulls a gun from his belt and shoots the man in the head, killing him. Horrified, the remaining members of the other group fish around for their guns, and begin to fire aimlessly. You group stands up defensively, and you realize you don't have a weapon of your own. As gunshots ring around you, you hide under a dumpster. The other group quickly loses track of your people. You stay hidden under the dumpster, while the garbage group searches out your people. You see a pair of feet coming over to your dumpster.

[User] You run away

[Assistant]
Without thinking, you climb out form under the dumpster on the opposite side of the unknown enemy. You crawl over to the next dumpster to climb over, when you hear an excited, "Found one!" behind you.

A bullet rips through your midsection, causing you to yell in pain. You hear a triumphant laugh behind you, and your attacker grabs you by the feet. You are dragged into the middle of the parking lot. The man who brought you here stands over you with a gun.

"This is what happens to people who don't join us for dinner," he says, and shoots you in the kneecap, immobilizing you. You yell out again, and receive a shot in the side. Several more bullets go through you, until you're barely alive. As your vision fades, the man's laugh pounds in your eardrum.


[System] You are the game master of a dark fantasy text adventure. The world is dangerous and choices matter. Narrate with immersive detail and let the story unfold naturally from the player's decisions.

[User] You glaive

[Assistant]
You look at the glaive that the Blacksmith brought in. The wood is smooth, balanced and strong, and the blade looks like it craves blood. You pick it up and its just as heavy as you expected. It's simple compared to the other weapons; no intricate patterns or designs, but it's lovely nonetheless.

"The glaive? Ah, a good choice. I knew it'd be the weapon for you, just the right size." The Blacksmith stands beside you. "It may seem simple, but I made it with the care all my weapons deserve. Of course, the wood work isn't mine, but all metal has been forged by my hands."


[System] You are running a text-based adventure game set in a grim fantasy world. Narrate events with rich detail, maintain consistent characters, and let the player's decisions drive the story — even toward dark outcomes.

[User] You say "..."

[Assistant]
You have no words. Perhaps Acwellen's son is alive, even now rallying survivors and waiting for the cover of night to slip into the safety of the English camp, yet more likely he is dead, cleaved open by a Norman axe, or gutted by a Norman blade, or shot by a Norman arrow. Lying there, consumed by the inferno that lights the evening sky in the distance. You cannot offer false consolation. Instead you stand by him, silently sharing in his grief. Acwellen exhales shakily, opens his mouth to say something, then closes it and remains silent, yet the words are plainly on his mind, trying to slip free like hounds on a leash. At last he speaks, grim and quiet, little more than a whisper.

"Can we win this battle?"

The question hangs there for an eternity, all the fear and anxiety of the English army expressed in the musings of one broken man.


[System] Run a text-based dark fantasy adventure game. Describe the world with gritty realism, respond to player actions with narrative consequences, and maintain the tone of a world where survival is never guaranteed.

[User] Continue

[Assistant]
Having agreed to travel back to the city with the Owner you have to get your affairs in order, you assign supervisors to your work groups and try to do a quick final check over some wood, but you've got your men working well enough to finish the job without you now. The Overseer will be taking over from you to make sure the completion and transition from construction to full production goes smoothly, he will even have use of the owners house whenever he isn't visiting the mine.

Having said your goodbyes you join the Owner and his daughter in their small carriage and set off back to the city. A second wagon with a few guards goes ahead of you to make sure you have no trouble with bandits as your also carrying one of the first silver shipments from the mine. The trip is significantly faster with horses pulling you at a brisk trot the whole way but it still takes a couple of days and that leaves plenty of time for talking with the owner and his daughter. To her about herself, and to him about this secret he wouldn't tell you before.

You find out that he has holdings and mines not just in the lands around the city in which you grew up but in many other places too. Your home city is really a small kingdom in itself, ruling many small villages around it and a stretch of coastline long enough for several small fishing villages and ports. There are many such city states and kingdoms in the surrounding lands and yours is just above average size for the area, however your city is large and old so your kingdom has a much higher population than many others.

The guilds of course know this and trade in the main cities of all the kingdoms but your king has never really spread the information widely- you of course knew of other places but they were always spoken of as far off  and hard to get too, not borders merely a couple of weeks away by horse from the city center.

The reason he told you all this was that recently there had been a lot of tension with your nearest neighbor Carn. You had heard rumors about it, that they had been causing minor trouble over trade and fishing, small regional things that you hadn't paid much mind to, but you were now told it wasn't as simple as that. His contacts in Carn and other cities had been providing very different reports than your own rulers, your city being much larger than Carn was the one causing the problems, making demands after signing treaties and encroaching on their land. He was convinced that your King didn't know what was really happening as he had always seemed like an honest man, but many of the kingdoms decisions, and most importantly, military decisions were taken by his advisors, who were not known for being honest men.

Your given time to think over this as you finally see the city approach. As you draw near the first roadside farms your given another choice.

"Well now that you know the reality of the situation you need to decide. I know you might not believe me, you might even think I'm being treasonous in my allegations but that is why I'm offering you this chance. This farm is well under half a days walk from the City, you've had a good lunch not long ago and you have been paid very well for your work so if you want to you can leave here and walk back to the city with no strings attached. Or you can stay and we will head to the meeting."

[User] You you've come this far and his daughter is smiling at you, you may as well carry on and see where this leads.

[Assistant]
You tell him your choice and he just smiles back then says "Well then lets go meet your new friends, I'll head up with the driver and leave you and my daughter to have the chat you've both been desperately wanting to have since you first saw each other. JUST a chat mind."

You immediately try to stammer out a response but he just laughs and climbs out and round to the drivers seat. You turn to his daughter to see she has turned an almost luminous shade of red and is desperately trying to look like she wasn't just mortified by her fathers candor.

You cant think of much to say so just go with "He did that on purpose to make this awkward didn't he?"

She seems to relax the tiniest bit as she replies that "Its just his sense of humor but he means well."

You take the opening and run with it so that you're both having a good conversation as the carriage pulls into the city and heads right through the Iron district and into the stone district, the area of the wealthiest and most powerful members of the kings court and city. Your chat is interrupted as you pull up to a small mansion and the doors are opened but you both promise to have more soon and you all head inside.

[User] The 'Family'

[Assistant]
You enter the mansion and are led into a large hall with several men and women lounging in chairs or drinking wine by small tables, they turn to greet you...

Seeing that the Owner and his daughter have someone with them causes the talking to stop and everyone watches you for a while. The owner steps forward after giving them a minute to look you over.

"ladies and gentlemen this is Glor, he has proven to be a most resourceful and trustworthy man in one of my mining jobs and I feel that he would be a perfect addition to our little family. I'll be personally vouching for him"

There are mixed reactions but a beautiful lady just a little older than yourself approaches and gives you a slightly too welcoming hug "Welcome to the family Glor, I'm sure we'll get along VERY well indeed, once the music starts be sure to ask me for a dance".

As she walks away you catch a glimpse of the owners daughter with bright red cheeks glaring daggers at her back. The owner sees your slight confusion and his daughters rage and just laughs. "Right then neither of you are dressed for the occasion so you head off my dear and get ready and I'll see if I have anything to fit Glor."

You are lead through several rooms until you are in a bedroom with a butler standing waiting for you. "Glor will be joining us for dinner, do you think you could make him presentable for the evening?" The butler gives a quick nod and heads out of a side door, returning quickly with two dinner suits which he lays on the bed before circling you once. he takes one suit then heads out just leaving the one on the bed.

"Right then Glor my butler has an uncanny ability to size people up so that suit should fit you well, I'll be in the next room writing a few quick letters while you prepare".

[User] You your a bit overwhelmed by the rapid turn of events but you dont have much choice now so you quickly wash and dress

[Assistant]
Having gotten yourself to what you believe is a presentable state you knock on the owners door. He emerges and gives you a once over.

"Well its not bad at all for a first try!" he smiles at you before fixing various parts of the suits that are hanging wrong and showing you how to put on cufflinks. "Well you wont ever pass for some highborn sop who lives in a mansion but I rather think that it makes you a better man for it. Now follow me, I'm sure my daughter has had enough time to change as well."

Your lead back to the large room where all tables and chairs have seemingly vanished and a small string quartet has started playing soft music, a few couples are already dancing near them on the open floor. The owner leads you to the side of the room to a small drinks bar.

"Ok its time I did my mingling and information gathering, the serious meeting shall begin in a few hours when most of the guests here are gone." He walks away towards a group of men smoking pipes before calling back "The music is just warming up, make sure you dance with at least one girl while your here!"

You're no master on the dance floor but you know the basics and as long as the songs are slow you're sure you could keep up. The music gets louder and more people move to the dance floor when you see two things happening. The Owners daughter enters the room looking beautiful in a flowing red dress and is immediately approached by several men asking her to dance, and the woman who approached you earlier detaches herself from the group she was in and slowly heads your way.

[User] The woman in blue is clearly coming on strong but the Owner's daughter is the one you want to dance with, head over towards her and hope she dosn't dance with someone else instead.

[Assistant]
You start heading towards the Owner's daughter, you get close to the ring of men surrounding her and are unsure how you are going to approach this so you quickly glance back towards the woman in the blue dress. She has obviously seen you choose another girl over her flirtatious interest so gives you a stormy look before immediately slipping her arm through nearby man's who seems more than happy to take her for a dance. You look back just in time to see the Owner's daughter watching you with a huge smile on her face.

She makes quick apologies to the men around her and heads over to you, slides her arm in yours and leads you to the dance floor. "Now if I wasn't very much mistaken I just saw a handsome but nearly penniless young man spurn the advances of the beautiful and extremely rich Lady Bridleworth, just so he could ask the daughter of a merchant to dance. What do you think about my surmise?"

"I would never say your father was just a merchant..." you start before seeing her cheeky smile and start again "I'd say that the young man would be flattered to be called handsome by the most beautiful girl he has ever seen, and that he would pay every penny of Lady Bridleworth's fortune for a single dance with her. So clearly he made the right choice."

She laughs at your blatant flattery but you can tell she loves that you said it all the same and you begin dancing slowly to the music. "I must admit I'm a little surprised, I thought I'd have to teach you how to dance, being a lowly mine worker and everything."

"Well my lady" you give a slight mocking bow "This worker has many surprises to him, I'm surprised in return though, you turned down offers from a large number of eligible gentry to dance with me, lowly as I am."

"Well if you are able to turn down the most eligible Lady of marrying age in the entire kingdom just to dance with me, why shouldn't I turn down the sons of some rich idiots to dance with the man I choose?" Unable to think up a reply you simply laugh and keep dancing.

The rest of the night passes like a blur since you spend it entirely with her, dancing and talking and just enjoying every second in her company. Once the party starts ending she leads you over to her father and a group of men he is talking to and after giving you both a look over and a smile he leads you all through to a side room where a few people are starting to sit around a large table.

[User] The Truth

[Assistant]
After everyone is seated the Owner addresses you "Now Glor I have explained a little of why we are here during our trip down from the mines. This family I have gathered together is for the purpose of getting the truth out and showing the king that he is being tricked. We have tried getting evidence straight to him but the rest of the council has him surrounded day and night and I cannot do anything for fear of being caught and this entire group being put in danger."

"Which is why we are sending an expedition." one of the other men joins in. "I am a commander in the 3rd company and will be sending some men along with a relief detachment to the border. they will be carrying proof of everything that has been happening over the past two years. We have had to wait this long as gathering the evidence without raising suspicion has not been easy but it is done now and we must hurry as we think the council are preparing for something big using two captured Carn ships. You will be drafted into the 3rd under my orders and send along as well, it'll become your job to help get the proof to Carn."

You think for a minute before answering. "Why are we sending the proof to Carn, why not get it to our king?"

"We tried, many times we tried, most of the men were killed and the rest searched and all the documents they had destroyed so they couldn't risk saying anything without proof, that would just lead to us all being killed before we could prove anything."

"so when does this expedition leave?"

"It was going to be in over a month, but now that you are here, the man you know as the Owner of the mine you were in has planned to make them leave in 1 week. You wont be traveling with a relief squad but the papers I provide should see that you don't come under any suspicion."

[User] A New Morning

[Assistant]
You spend the night in the large mansion and you wake thinking you haven't slept anywhere so comfortable before in your life. You find fresh cloths and a note inviting you to breakfast in the solar at the end of your bed so you quickly get ready and head out of your door.  You immediately realize that you are entirely lost and have no hope of finding the right room but are luckily saved by a butler who appears to materialize beside you arm.

Once you have been guided to the solar for breakfast you are left with the owner and a table laden with food. "All from my own farms and holdings!" he says happily "Now dig in, we have a long day ahead and my daughter has 'informed' me that you are to meet her for a late lunch in the gardens. I normally would entirely ignore any order that came from my daughter but she has inherited a certain look from her mother that I know better than to argue with."

"Erm, of course that sounds lovely." you stammer, not really knowing what to say in the current situation.

"Hah! don't worry, I have no issue with the fact you both are going dopey eyed at each other since her choice in a man is hers to make, but I will give this warning, if you lead my daughter on then hurt her, I will destroy you entirely. Excellent, now that thats all been said on to business!"

You're a little shocked by his change of pace but you both soon start chatting about the up coming plans and preparations. The next few days are spent much the same way, breakfast with the owner, planning time, then lunch with his daughter before more planning. The evenings however are spent at dinners, entertaining guests and holding meetings with other members of the 'family' from around the city.

[User] The Plan Begins

[Assistant]
You have spent an amazing week in the mansion, you and the owner's daughter, Amelia (You almost laughed when you heard because of the dream you had back in the mining camp) are on first name terms and getting closer than ever. Your plans have been completed too. The 'family' of conspirators had been waiting as they didn't have anyone with enough training in construction to go with their team to the front that wouldn't arouse suspicion from the council, and that is where you were to come in. You would be their team leader with a sound understanding of construction, and since you hadn't been in the city for years, you were almost entirely unknown.

The plan was simple, The council were watching all the crossing points so you and three others would be sent to the borders with paperwork saying you are new recruits from the 3rd company, the army's builders. Then you would slip across the border and meet up with an intended contact a few miles to the other side.

The morning you were due to leave the Owner (Who's name you still haven't been told) arrives late to breakfast and hands you a small cloth bundle full of documents. "These are the documents we need to get across the borders, each of you has a set and this morning we have included new information. One of the council members has managed to capture two of Carn's galleys and is now talking about some 'project spark' or something like that. We don't know what it is yet but we have included a letter in which he admits to taking the ships. You need to get these across the border before something big starts."

[User] You goodbyes

[Assistant]
Having accepted your documents you finish eating quickly before heading back to your room to collect your things. The Owner has prepared you a set of nice traveling gear and also laid out some 3rd company clothing including a tunic and cloak. You've got a full set of Army issue armor in saddle bag on your horse but you'd rather not travel the whole way there in it so the tunic and cloak should be more than enough.

You head to the front of the house and find Amelia waiting for you. She looks relieved to see you "I was worried I wouldn't be back in time to see you off! I've been down in the Stone quarter collecting an order I made a few days ago. Its something I had made for you, I want you to wear it under your tunic so you remember I'm thinking about you as you travel." You're unsure what to reply and your slightly worried she has gotten you a waistcoat or something you'd never normally wear but she has already turned bright red so you simply reply "Of Course I will."

She hands you a small package which you unwrap to find a tunic made of unbelievably fine metal rings. "This is incredible, I've never seen such fine mail before!"

Clearly happy at your reaction she grins "I had one of the best armorers in the city make it, its the finest steel so its very strong but the links are small so its light and can be worn under normal clothing. This way I can keep you safe while you travel!"

Unable to think of a proper way to thank her and distracted by her smiling face being so near yours you instead step forward and give her a small kiss. She is initially shocked and almost moves away but then returns the kiss for a second before stepping away her face a beacon of red. "Well that was very forward of you Glor, now you have no choice but to return and beg my forgiveness afterwards!" The she spins on her heels and runs off. You're almost worried you really did offend her until she reaches the door and gives you a big grin and a wave before heading inside.

You hop into the carriage that is waiting for you and quickly change into the gift then slip the 3rd company tunic over the top, and its almost impossible to tell your wearing any mail. The Owner joins you and the carriage heads off to the south gate of the city.

[User] A New Adventure

[Assistant]
Once at the south gate you disembark and are given a last few words of encouragement by the owner before he is driven away, leaving you and your new horse alone at the gate. You are quickly joined by a group of three men similarly dressed to yourself and you all begin the ride out of the city on the road that will turn East towards Carn.

The first few days of the trip pass quickly, you see very few travelers on the roads and the border disputes with Carn aren't enough to have a large military presence on the roads so you only have to produce your papers once, when you come across a camp of soldiers from the First Company. You decide it would seems strange to ride on by them when it was nearing dusk so you all join them at their camp and spend a nice evening chatting over cooking fires.

The next morning you are all saddled up and preparing to leave the First Company soldiers who are traveling on foot when a call is raised of a fast rider approaching on the road. You feel a sense of unease and one of your company signals for you to be ready to ride hard if needed.

As the man approaches the small camp he slow momentarily to hand down a letter from his pouch "The Old Quarter is burning, Carn has attacked us. I Need to get news to the borders quickly." You are panicked by the news since The Old Quarter is where you grew up and your remaining friends still live there. You catch his arm as he makes to leave.

"We are riding the same way, let us accompany you incase something happens on the road."

The man nods his thanks and your small group sets out at a fast pace from the camp. One of your men rides close by and whispers to you "What are you doing getting us involved here?"

"I need more information about what is going on, besides if they receive news of an attack before we get there we will look pretty suspicious but if we arrive as guards for the Councils own messenger they wont take a second glance at our reason for being there." The man still doesn't seem happy but falls back as you ride up to the messenger and ask if you can read one of the letters he is distributing since you didn't get a chance back at the camp. His orders are to give them to every military detachment he comes across on way to the border so he happily hands you one.

You ride in silence the rest of the day with only brief breaks for lunch and dinner and ride a couple of hours into the night. You finally pull up near a small stream to let the horses rest and make a temporary camp for the night. You take the opportunity to tell your companions what you learned from the letter.

A couple of mornings ago two ships bearing Carn's colours had approached the docks in the Old quarter. One had pulled up and reversed course but the other sped up and rammed the docks, it seems it was on fire and filled with burning oils and other flammable substances. The first reports were all that had come in before the letter was sent but there was a fireball that tore through a huge area of the docks and started a fire that spread through the entire Quarter of the city within minutes. It had been dry for weeks and the Old quarter was made almost entirely of ancient timbers so you could imagine the fire tearing through it. The men around the fire swore and one finally spoke up. "Its the ships that councilor captured, they burned down the old quarter themselves to start the war, I'll gut him myself for this!"

You caution him to keep his voice down but luckily the messenger sees nothing amiss about the bits he hears of your men's reactions to the news, he joins you at your fire and you all share stories of the city, especially of the Old Quarter which you hope isn't as bad as the letter implies. As the messenger gets into his bedroll for the night the man supposedly in charge of the others speaks up.

"I was sent along to ensure we got the documents across the border no matter what happened, now this news changes many things but not our mission, if we can show it wasn't Carn that sent those ships we can prove the council did it and have our revenge. We have two choices, follow Glor's plan of arriving there as the messengers guards then try to slip across after nightfall, or we dispose of him to make sure we arrive before the news does so we can get across the border before they go into a lockdown."

[User] You want no part of killing an innocent man so you vote for staying as his guards and risk the harder crossing.

[Assistant]
You continue your hard ride with the messenger and after a couple more days all arrive just as the horses seem likely to give way. You are unsure what to expect but as soon as you reach the gates and the messenger shows his papers your all admitted straight away. Being with him seems to give you some official status is the guards eyes as you are all not even checked as he passes checkpoints and reaches the commanders office.

You are all left in a waiting area as he goes in, he takes your identification papers with him. After a few minutes the commander emerges with the messenger. "It seems you three haven't even entered full service yet but volunteered for a dangerous ride to escort our messenger safely here. he has spoken well of you and your intentions so you are all very welcome in my fort, even if its almost a week early! Now down to business. The fort is going into partial lockdown until the news is spread and the patrols have been updated, you'll be shown to your new bunks and be given a tour, since your duties don't start for days you'll be free to come and go around the fort to learn your way. My aide will give you new papers to this effect."

The new papers give you all the run of the forts interior and the messenger thanks you all before riding off again to deliver the letters down the line to the other forts. "It seems this was the right idea after all, these papers should make it easy to slip across the border."

"We shall see." one of the men replies

[User] You night Falls

[Assistant]
As night falls over the fort you have visited and gotten your faces and papers known by many of the guards under the pretense of exploring. You all finish a late dinner in the mess hall then head back to your bunks where you have prepared your gear and hidden the documents. You quickly prepare, check Amelia's gift is in good working order and all head out.

Getting around the fort is easy for you now thanks to the leg work earlier in the day and any guards that don't recognize you let you pass after seeing your papers. You all make it to the gate without incident, however once you reach it you realize that the initial panic from receiving the news is still in full swing. You quickly think that you could slip out behind a squad going on patrol since the gate is in chaos but you are only in army issue tunics rather than full armor.

[User] You tag along with a squad and try to stick close so you arn't noticed when they exit.

[Assistant]
You all move close behind a squad heading out of the gate and move into formation as if you are with them. Its all going surprisingly well until one guard remarks that is stupid for them to have men without full armor with them. They all quickly turn and point out that you are not in fact with them, and they have no idea WHO you are.

You are about to quickly try and make an excuse when one of you men tries to run for it. Sadly with so many soldiers about he is almost instantly cut down and the rest charge at you. With so many men cutting and stabbing you at once even your special mail doesn't stand a chance.


[System] Narrate a dark fantasy text adventure. The setting is harsh and morally complex. Describe scenes vividly, react to player choices with fitting consequences, and never shy away from the reality of the world.

[User] Continue

[Assistant]
After careful consideration, you trust the owl and enter the door with the wolf emblem.  The door shuts and locks behind you and you see no choice but to move forward.  An eery glow beckons you forward down a passageway that is leading you deeper and deeper underground.  You can't tell if that is a good thing or a bad thing but you follow it anyway.  When you reach the bottom you see a large room decorated to look like the antechamber of a church.  You aren't sure what to make of all this, but you feel like you must be getting close to the Craxil now.

The next chamber is substantially different than the one you just entered from.  Instead of being all decorated and kept, you see half eaten farm animals in a pen and three large lizardfolk guarding a doorway.  They bear polearms and plate mail and you don't think you would be able to take even one of them in combat.  The blue door has shut behind you and you don't really see any reliable means of setting a trap.  You have dealt with these types of situations before though.  You just have to keep your cool and figure a way to deal with this.

For one, you could start a fire in the antichamber to distract the lizardfolk from the door, then slink in.  The antichamber is big, but a fire large enough to attract their attention might also illuminate most of the room, making it hard for you to operate unseen.  Another possibility is their food source.  You surmise the half eaten farm animals are what they've been feeding on during their meal breaks.  You could try using some of the poison Brandolf gave you on some of the meat of the freshest looking animal and wait until they feed again.  Of course, there is no telling how long you will have to wait for them to feed again.  Your call adventurer.

[User] You poison Their Food Supply And Wait For Them To Feed Again

[Assistant]
Brandolf gave you more than enough poison to kill the Craxil.  It takes only trace amounts to kill even the largest of creatures so why would you need to save the entire vial?  You carefully creep up and apply poison to various parts of the bovine flesh, particularly the meaty parts, and take care to poison all the carcasses in the pen so you don't have to try and guess which ones they will feed off next.  You then back away to the antichamber-like room and begin waiting the long wait.

It is almost 7 hours later and only now do the lizardfolk appear to be conversing with each other and gravitating towards the food pen.  "About damn time" you think to yourself, eagerly waiting for them to begin eating as you watch them from a dark corner in the next room.  You struggle to contain your glee as the first one sinks his teeth into the freshest cow and another picks up a smaller animal you also poisoned.  Before long, they are all dry heaving and you are doing a silent victory dance in the darkness.  For some reason it took a while for one of them to finally die, but when he did the way to the door was clear.

Crossing through the doorway and into the underground chasm, you come to realize the Craxil is NOTHING like what you had expected...

[User] The Craxil

[Assistant]
The Craxil is nothing like what you were expecting.  You are standing in a massive underground cavern that extends as far as the eye can see in all directions (except the one you came from).  Running across it is an underwater stream and floating above it is a beautiful woman bathed in pure white light.  It almost appears to leave an after image of itself behind as it moves.   You aren't really sure if you would categorize this as a ghost or spirit or what, but you remember that it is a supposed to be a creature unlike anything since discovered.

Almost as if reading your mind the Craxil remarks "Indeed... I am not like any other creature your kind has ever seen before, but then I believe I have already told you that haven't I?"

To your shock and horror she transforms into the likeness of Brandolf the Bray, the mage who visited you in the village of Jacquescrappe, then into the old man who watched over you as you slept.  Was it really the Craxil all along?!?  Is this why you had that dream that it was watching you the entire time?!?  What does this mean for your sister, is she still alive?  And what of the poison?  Surely she wouldn't give you something that would actually work on her.

Sensing the millions of questions that flurry through your mind, the Craxil begins to laugh and float about you in circles.  The door once guarded by lizardfolk now slams shut and locks on its own.  With this door shut, there is no longer any light and the Craxil itself is the only thing left that you can actually see.

"I can take whatever form I please swineherd, and I have been watching you in various forms throughout the entirety of your journey.  You fancy yourself the king of sneak yet you were clearly unaware that you were being watched the moment you entered my territory."

Your face grows pale and you have no idea how you are going to deal with this being.  She knows all your secrets.  She knows your plan.  You haven't any element of surprise whatsoever.  Hell, you aren't even sure if your weapons are going to work and you're sure as hell certain the poison isn't going to be effective given that it was her that gave it to you.  Your mind races to discern a proper course of action as she continues to toy with you.  However, your concentration is broken when another figure enters your view...

[User] The Other Figure

[Assistant]
You turn to find your sister, dressed in one of the war garbs you saw in your dream, walk out towards you from the shadows.  She doesn't look as glossy-eyed as the other riders you encountered (in fact she looks perfectly normal) but from her demeanor and obvious reverence to the Craxil you know she is in fact a thrall.  How can this be?  This is the same war garb from the dream!  But your sister has never been like that.

"We have big plans for her" the Craxil coes.  "She is the carrier of a great plague, a slower acting yet more contagious version of what you carry in that vial I gave you.  As a carrier she will be immune to its effects, but she will spread them among the humans whereever she goes."

"Why?!?  Why would you do something like that you sick bitch?!?"

The Craxil only laughs at your insult and seems to take delight in your obvious fear and frustration at this moment.

"With the surrounding kingdoms of Mihtana and Lima buckling from the plague, there will be little resistance when we move out of the mountain range and into their lands.  As you may have noticed on the way here, I have many humunculi, goblins, grippli, kobolds, and even a handful of orcs all gathered here in these mountains."

"So you really are planning an invasion then?"

"I believe that poor servant you so ruthlessly interrogated several days ago already explained that much to you."

You struggle not to be blinded by your anger at this point, but there is nothing you can do to stop her.

"The humans are a truly repugnant race.  They have no respect for those that labor, those that produce, those that sacrifice for the good of others.  Whenever they want something (be it money, power, or respect) they simply take it for themselves, and only those who do are respected.  This is why the beastfolk I serve have been pushed deep into this barren mountainside."

To your astonishment, you actually find yourself identifying with the Craxil.  Even when you agreed to stick your neck out on their behalf they snickered comments about your intelligence under their breath.  Even now, after all the dangers you've faced, you're sure they have probably already assumed you're dead and are likely redistributing your property as we speak.

"The beastfolk here are loyal to me and to themselves, they have honor.  And they certainly deserve the lands of their ancestors, taken from them by the humans."

"And you think slaughtering humans is the answer?"

"Since when has diplomacy not ended with a beastman's head on a human's table?  Since when did the humans ever sit down to negotiate with my brethren?  The humans understand only the simplicity of death and destruction so that is what we will bring to them."

You know this is morally reprehensible, but from a purely stoic and logical standpoint you can understand the rationale behind the Craxil's argument.  You wonder if peace between humans and the beastmen really is possible.  Since the beginning of time, beastmen have always preyed on humans and humans have always responded with military force on their camps.  Perhaps there really is no better way to advance their position right now but you cannot stomach the loss of life that would come with it.

"My beast brothers have every right to be happy, and so they shall.  They humans will be brought to the breaking point with this plague and the forces I gathered will retake the lands they deserve.  But I am not without understanding.  I can see you have an open mind and have considered my position.  You were wondering if peace between human and beast is possible.  It is a noble but impractical thing.  If you were to join us, I could make you powerful..."

You think to yourself "damn, does this Craxil thing read my mind too?"  Still, it is a tempting offer.  You have always toiled as a swineherd, providing the ever popular hams and bacon that are so popular at festivals and weddings and even fed those without homes, yet you've always been looked down upon as a swineherd by those who have probably never worked a day in their lives.  You've seen girls you had feelings for go for men who were of "higher social standing" than yourself.  You've always wanted respect, maybe even a little money or even power.  You think about what the Craxil said, about how only those who TAKE it can ever HAVE it, and upon reflection you must admit it makes sense.  But the Craxil's plan would involve massive loss of life and you are unsure if you want that on your hands.

"Your sister did not understand the situation as well as you and I, so I had to make her a thrall.  When the acquisition is finished, I will return her to you... but only if you join me and help spread this plague throughout the human lands."

The Craxil, now clearly curious about all the thoughts running through your head, moves closer until her face is less than a foot away from your own.  "Well human, how do you respond?"

[User] You Will Join You, And Seize The Respect And Power you Deserve

[Assistant]
The humans of Mihtana refused to send aid to the villagers of Jacquescrappe (even when people were dying) because it didn't suit their political or military interests.  The villagers practically elected you for this quest without even asking you if you wanted to, then mocked your intelligence when you accepted on their behalf.  You're sick of being looked down upon as a low class swineherd despite all the hard work you've done to provide for your community.  All of that is about to change.

You proclaim your allegiance to the Craxil and to your astonishment she is actually overjoyed.  Seems she needs as many people as possible to help spread the plague and your sister is the only thrall that doesn't look like an obvious thrall.  Your voluntary support to the Craxil's plan is well recognized.  You and your sister are made to be carriers of the great plague.  When you return to the village of Jacquescrappe, you misinform the people that the Craxil is dead and deliver a liquid dose of the plague into the town's wine supply and shaking hands with everyone who comes to congratulate you.  Shortly thereafter, you make sure to thoroughly infest all your pork before the next big wedding in Lima.  Meanwhile, your sister gets a position as a laysister at a cathedral in the kingdom of Mihtana.  By poisoning the holy water, she manages to infect everyone who comes in for a blessing.

Between the two of you, and the increased contagiousness of this version of the plague, you are able to infect a massive segment of the population.  You work to continue spreading the disease, but the damage is already done.  Quarantines are set up in Mihtana and Lima in a desperate attempt to quell the spread of the plague.  Those who are uninfected (or who believe themselves uninfected) revolt against the guards in a desperate bid for self preservation.  Others lock themselves in their homes and arm themselves in hopes of outliving the vile plague.  Criminals take full advantage of the choas to operate unchecked and before long both kingdoms (and their militaries) are completely at their knees.

When the beastmen move forth to retake human lands, there is nothing to stop them.  As you and your sister have become the Craxil's right and left hands so-to-speak, you are now recognized as a person of power and all respond with fear and respect when in your presence.

"The Craxil was right" you think to yourself.  "If you want respect, you have to take it.  If you want power, you have to take it.  Nobody else is going to recognize your merit and deliver these things to you.  To have anything worth having in life, you simply have to take it."

Unfortunately, it wasn't quite what you imagined.  You enjoy your newfound respect and power, but the fear felt by everyone else only makes you feel more alienated and alone.  By choosing this path, you have seized what you've always wanted, but what good is respect if it comes with the kind of fear that pushes people away?  What good is power if there is no one to share it with.

When the time comes, the Craxil honors its agreement to release your sister and as you feared, she is appauled by what the two of you have wrought.  You recieve word the next week that she was found in a clearing in the woods.  She hung herself in the field where she used to play as a child.  You try to establish some sort of peace between humans and beastfolk, but given what you have done the humans want nothing to do with you.  They only respect you out of fear because of the beastmen you now command.  Realizing you are now completely alone, you go to meet your sister in the clearing and follow her to whatever lies beyond.

CONGRATULATIONS!

This is official ending #1 of 2


[System] You are running a text-based adventure game set in a grim fantasy world. Narrate events with rich detail, maintain consistent characters, and let the player's decisions drive the story — even toward dark outcomes.

[User] You escape

[Assistant]
You need to get the hell out of here. The longer you stay the more chance you're going to get caught.

You immediately go for the window in the room and your hopes of a speedy escape are dashed when you find out the damn thing has been painted shut. Doesn't help that the window is slightly higher than you'd like, making even trying to pull it upward a chore.

With the voices (and giggling) coming closer, you get desperate and pick up a nearby metal knick-knack of some sort and use it to break the window. You know you'll be heard, but you're hoping you'll be quick enough to get out.

You smash the window and try to break the remaining side pieces so you don't get cut up too badly, but by this time your actions have already drawn the attention of Jenny and apparently her very large gentleman caller.

"HEY!" he shouts which causes you to hurl the metal object at his head before you make a small leap to climb out the window.

You make it half way through before Jenny's boyfriend grabs your legs. He must be on the wrestling team or something because you cannot escape his grip and he easily yanks you back.

While this might have originally only resulted in you most likely getting your ass kicked, followed by the law taking you in, however you experience something a little different.

The window still had jagged glass bits around the edges and when Jenny's boyfriend pulled you, you naturally got scraped on most of those. Wouldn't have been so bad due to your protective clothing, but then you caught a sharp piece against your unprotected neck while getting pulled and unfortunately sliced open an artery.

Even Jenny's boyfriend is shocked when you're choking on your own blood when you hit the floor and die soon afterwards.


[System] Narrate a dark fantasy text adventure. The setting is harsh and morally complex. Describe scenes vividly, react to player choices with fitting consequences, and never shy away from the reality of the world.

[User] You decline the offer

[Assistant]
You might not be in the best condition right now, but you're not going off with some stranger. You don't know who this woman is and with your luck she could be some psycho.

"No, I'm okay. I'll make it on my own." You say.
"Are you sure? You really don't look well." The woman says.
"I said I'm fine." You say starting to get agitated.
"Alright, alright, just trying to help. I'll go." The woman says and steps away.

As the woman goes back to her large black truck, you survey the immediate area and see that your accident isn't being paid much attention to. Other vehicles are merely driving by and nearby onlookers lose interest. You look over at the other vehicle on the far end of the street that slammed into you. The front end of that one is trashed and the driver has gone half way through the windshield. He's a bloody mess and isn't moving.

The first thing you need to do is get your bearings, because you don't even know where the hell you're at right now.

You walk away from your vehicle, nearly falling a couple times until you lean up against the side of a building. You really feel woozy. You're starting to wonder if you shouldn't have taken the woman up on her offer.

You try to ask a few people that are nearby where you are and they just brush you off. None of them offer to help you and one of them actually snarls like some sort of animal. The people in this town really have lost their damn minds.

Since you don't know where you're at and you're not exactly thinking clearly, you employ a simple plan of just going in a straight direction until you start to recognize something. It's about all you can do at this point.

Along the way, you get to see up close just how bad the town is getting. And it's even scarier now that you're not even within the safety of a vehicle. You attempt to maintain a low profile and hasten your pace, but it's a little difficult to do since you're limping along.

Eventually you see a park a block ahead of you and instantly recognize it. It's actually the same place you met Bobby once upon a time. You sort of wish he was here right now.

You think you can make it to Julie's from the park, that would probably be your best bet since you were told the hospital was sort of screwed and going home is probably a longer walk. She's probably got more than enough painkillers there anyway.

With this new goal in mind, you press onwards toward the park thinking you just might make this after all.

Then several gunshots ring out. You don't even know from what direction, you just duck behind a nearby-parked car.

You hear shouting and shooting. You peek your head up just enough to see three armed men in animal masks running towards your direction, but shooting in the other.

You duck your head back down when you see one catch a bullet to the head. From your cover, you hear another one cry out and the falling of a body.

The third one however jumps over the hood of the car you're hiding behind…

You freeze as the bunny masked man stares directly at you.

"You'll do." He says and grabs you. You try to resist, but after a couple pistol-whips to your face, you become more limp and he picks you up.

"Alright! You pigs better not fuckin' shoot or I'll blow this yellow haired bitch's brains out." He shouts holding you up in front of him and pointing his pistol at your head.

In your blurry vision you can see several police officers in front of you with their weapons drawn.

You've got the masked man shouting near your ear, the cops are shouting back and you just wish you weren't here anymore. The past few days have been just plain shitty and they're obviously not going to get any better. With your luck, you'll get shot and not even die right away because that's certainly how this week has been going.

Well not if you can help it. You've still got some control over your destiny.

"Just shoot the motherfucker." You utter and start squirming causing the criminal to start grabbing you tighter.
"Shut the fuck up bitch!" he shouts.
"Just shoot you fucking pigs! Look at this shithole town, do you think anyone's really going to question you if a civilian gets caught in the crossfire anymore? Just fucking shoot!"

The cops at this point briefly look at each other and nod, they aren't even telling you to calm down. Maybe they already planned to just shoot anyway. Good.

"Fuck this!" the masked man shouts and starts firing on the cops, who return fire immediately.

You're hit several times during their shoot out with the masked man and finally something goes your way, you die instantly.