[System] Narrate an interactive dark fantasy adventure. The world is brutal and unforgiving. Respond to the player's actions with vivid, immersive descriptions and let their choices carry real weight.

[User] Continue

[Assistant]
Paper-Mache

By Jster02

[User] You start

[Assistant]
The pain is the first thing you notice.  It feels as though someone's poured an entire vat of hot coffee over your entire body.  Somehow, you get the sense that you've been asleep a lot longer than normal. You open your eyes to find yourself laying in a patch of grass, staring up at a clear, starry sky, interrupted by the branches of nearby trees.  You don't move for a moment. How did you get outside? You don't remember going to sleep out here... as a matter of fact, you don't remember going to sleep at all. Or anything else, as a matter of fact.

The pain is fading fast, so you sit up and take a look around, pulse racing. The shadowy forms of trees surround you, the sounds of the night bombarding your senses.  It occurs to you that you're hyperventilating. Is this what it feels like to have a heart attack? No this is a panic attack of some kind. Instinctively, you find yourself focusing on a single blade of grass in the field.  With shaking hands, you pluck it from the dirt and study it, taking note of its shape, the feel of it in your hand, the nearly indistinguishable pattern of little veins running through it. Mindfulness. That's supposed to help with Panic attacks.  Somehow, you remember that. But you can't remember where you learned it.

Slowly but surely, your breathing normalizes.  You wipe the snot from your nose and the tears from your eyes as your body stops convulsing.  For the first time since you woke up, you notice the cool night breeze. You're going to be fine.  If you just keep your wits, you'll find a way out of this eventually. You take a quick inventory of everything you can remember.  Random bits of knowledge surface in your head, facts about whales, mathematical formulas, the steps to changing a tire. But no memories of the people, or events, or books that taught you those things.

As you contemplate these things, you notice a few items laying in the grass around you.  Namely, a small backpack and an odd metal disk, with a glowing screen on one side. You pick up the disk first and examine it.  "Insufficient power," flashes across its face over and over in red.  Something about it tugs at something in your memory, but you can't quite put your finger on what.  Confused, you slip it into your pocket and turn to the bag. You unzip it to find a lighter, a knife, a sleeping bag, a pillow, and... a whole mountain of Cheez-Its and Mountain Dew?  Just what kind of person are you? Still, it's better than nothing, so you slip it over your shoulders.

As you try (and fail), to take your bearings from the waning crescent moon, (not that it really matters, it's not like you know where you came from), you become aware of a strange noise in the distance.  You stop and listen. Is that yelling? Wait, yelling is a human noise, right? So, where there's yelling, there's humans. Before you can even finish processing that thought, your feet are carrying you towards the source of the noise.  You didn't know you could run this fast on pavement, much less over the uneven turf of the forest, but then, maybe you're a famous football player or something and just don't remember it.

The yelling grows louder as you draw nearer.  A dim light shines in the distance, growing brighter.  You slow down a little, these shouts don't sound like happy ones.

"Stop struggling or it'll only hurt more!" a gravelly voice says.

"Help! Stop! Let me go!"  An extremely high pitched voice this time.

You've slowed to a tip-toe now.  Whatever this is, you're not sure you want to be a part of it.  Still you creep closer until you can just make out the figures involved between the trees.  They look small from here, no bigger than children, but then, it's a little hard to tell from this distance.  It looks like they might be wearing some kind of cloaks, green ones, if your eyes don't deceive you.

"Gag her before she draws someone to us!"  Says the gravel tongued shadow to two others holding down a third, "Get her in the bag and tie it tight.  The last thing we need is another escape."

Your palms are soaked with sweat.  You should do something, anything, to help, but whoever these people are, they certainly don't sound like the kind of folks you'd like to mess with...

[User] You creep closer and attack

[Assistant]
You drop into a crouch and creep closer, stopping behind trees whenever you can.   Now that you're closer, you can make out more details, and boy are these people weird.  They're even shorter up close, they'd probably only come up to your waist.  But that's the least strange thing about them.  They're skin resembles Paper-Mache, all folded over itself.  And then there's the ears, so long and pointy.  Almost as big as they are, and yet still they point straight up.  Forget whatever you thought about only humans yelling.  You must've forgotten that too, because these things are no humans.

The two biggest creatures hold down a smaller one, (perhaps that one is only a child), while the one that appears to be the leader stands and watches.  Like you thought, all but the one on the ground are clad in green cloaks, reaching nearly to their feet, with a strange symbol of something like a broken goblet embroidered on their backs in brown.

They've nearly got the child into a big sack now, but she (he? It?) still hasn't given up.

"Please!"  She cries, "I just wanna go home!  Let me go home!"

"We're giving you a new home."  Says the leader, "A better home!  Don't you want to help make your old home better?"

"No!  I want my papa!"

Just watching this makes you nauseous.  This has got to be stopped, there's no way you can sit by and let it happen.  Before you've even so much as thought of a plan, you're on your feet, charging the creatures with...

[User] The knife!

[Assistant]
You flick your knife open and tense for battle.  It feels so small in your hand, so weak.  If only you had a gun, or a hatchet at least.  Still, it's better than using your fists.

Before you have the chance lose your nerve, you charge one of the creatures holding down the... other creature.  (You're really not sure what to call any of these things, you've never seen anything quite like them before).  You slam into it, knocking it to the ground before it has a chance to react.  It's eyes go wide as you plunge the knife into it's stomach, (or what appears to be it's stomach).  It penetrates easier than you expected, the knife.  Feels a little too easy.

But before you have time to fully contemplate the moral ambiguity of your actions, you see, out of the corner of your eye, the other creature charging you with some kind of sharpened stick.  You act faster than you ever thought you could, rolling to the side, just as it brings it's stick down in a stabbing motion.  The stick buries itself into the chest of the first creature, (the one with the knife still stuck in it's chest).  If it wasn't dead before, it certainly is now.

The creature with the stick stares at it's fallen friend, stunned.  You should strike now, while it's distracted, but all you can do is stare at the dead creature.  You did that.  Even though it's not exactly a human, something about the whole thing just feels wrong.  Slowly, the surviving creature turns towards you.

"Why would you do that?"  He asks,  "That was my friend!"

"You were attacking that... other creature!"  You say.  Even as you say it, the words feel hollow.  "He... had it coming!"

"You have no idea what you've gotten yourself involved in!"  He says, "You're messing with things you shouldn't you crazy monster!"  With that, the creature charges you once more, wrenching it's weapon from the chest of its dead friend.  Perhaps you should let him strike you down.  Maybe you're the monster here.  But then, what about that other creature?  The one he was tormenting?  What does that make him?  No, you were just acting as any good person should when they see someone in danger. Just as the creature reaches you, instinct takes over and you slam your fist into it's head.

These creatures don't just look like Paper-Mache, they tear like it too.  As soon as your hand makes contact, his face crumples inward and he staggers back, falling to the ground, dead.  You stare at your hand, stunned.  Either you've got some sort of hidden superpowers, or these creatures are weaker than most.  That doesn't seem normal.  Even with your broken memory, you can be pretty sure of that.

As the adrenaline wears off, you remember that there were three creatures involved.  Two doing the heavy lifting and one giving orders.  You take a quick look around you, but see nothing.  It must've run off somewhere; the only other living thing left in the area is the creature you came to save in the first place.

[User] You check on the fallen creature

[Assistant]
The creature lays in the dirt, staring at you.  It trembles as you approach, inching away on its back.

"Who are you?"  It asks with trembling voice, "What do you want?  I want my papa!"

"I'm not going to hurt you,"  You say, trying to sound as soothing as you can,  "I'm here to help."

"You're... not gonna hurt me like those other guys?"

"No, I was saving you.  That's why I hurt them."

"Oh... Okay..."

You stare at each other wordlessly for a few moments, unsure of what to say.  Finally, you extend your hand to help the creature up.  It stares for a second at your arm, and asks,

"What are you doing?"

"I'm helping you up."

"How does holding your hand out help me up?"

"You grab it and... oh, never mind.  Do you know how to get home?"  (Does this thing even have a home)?

"I think so..."

"Alright, can you walk?"

The creature struggles to its feet.  "Yes."

Another moment of silence.

"I'm Pila,"  the creature says, "...thanks."

"You're welcome.  Come on, let me walk you home."

"Okay."

You set off down the path, Pila leading the way.  For a few minutes you travel in silence.  The hooting of owls and the howl of the wind are your only company as you trudge through the trees.  Finally, you can't help but break the silence.

"What are you exactly?"

Pila looks at you, her ears twitch slightly.  "I already told you, I'm Pila."

"No, I mean, what are you.  As in, what species are you?"

"What's a species?"

You struggle to come up with an explanation.  "It means, what kind of creature are you?  I don't know how else to explain it."

"I'm confused."

"Well... I'm a human."  You point to yourself, then look around for something else to name.  You spot an owl sitting on a branch, "And that's an owl,"  You point at the creature, "But what are you?  I've never seen anything like you before."

"I still don't understand... human?  Is that what you said your name was?"

It's no use trying to get anything out of her.  You sigh, and say,  "Never mind, it's not important."

"Okay!" She says

As you're talking, you come to the side of a hill, with little stairs carved into the side for you to climb down.  Lights twinkle a little ways below; must be some kind of village.

Pila points at the lights.  "That's where I live. It's also where my mama and my papa live.  And all of my friends.  Let's go!"

With that, she dashes down the stairs.  They're the perfect size for her little feet, (if a little big).  As for you though, you may as well be going downhill on gravel.  You nearly slip at least three times as you descend, but in the end you make it to the bottom unscathed.

"We're almost there now,"  Pila says, running up the path.

You follow as quick as you can, it wouldn't do to lose her again.  If that happened you might as well have never saved her at all.  As you jog along the path, you pass a strange plant, just taller than you are.  It grows on a thin, blue stalk, straight up, until it droops over at the top, opening into a strange, orange bulb.  The bulb glows in the dawn, lighting the whole path beneath your feet.  Just a few moments later, you pass by another on the opposite side of the path.  The entire trail leading up to the village is lined with these plants, lighting the way like streetlights on an old city road.

[User] You pila's house

[Assistant]
It soon becomes apparent that you are closer to the village than you thought.  Is it just you, or are those buildings smaller than they seemed from afar?  You come to the edge of the village to find that the smallest of the houses are about your height.  Everything is half the size it should be, from the road through town to the stones that pave it.  Stranger still, it all has the same Paper-Mache quality as Pila's skin.

You follow the little creature through a twisting maze of streets, just a tad bit too small for you.  You begin to see other creatures like Pila milling about.  Most stare at you, terrified, a few even run the other way, screaming.  But every time that happens, Pila shouts after them,

"It's okay, he's nice!  He saved me from bad people!"

After about five minutes of walking, a high pitched whistle cuts through the air.  You try to ignore it, but it persists.

"What is that?"  You ask.

"Oh that?"  Pila stops and turns,  "That's the alarm.  People sound it whenever there's an emergency.  Then the watchmen come and help whoever sounded it.  My papa is the leader of all of the watchmen."  She beams with pride.

"Shouldn't we be worried."

"No, this happens a few times every day.  My papa will take care of it, whatever it is."

"Well, alright."

You walk for a few minutes more, then the alarm stops, leaving you in complete silence.

"See?"  Pila says, "Everything's going to be-"

A voice from behind interrupts her, "What in the name of the water-pit are you?"

You and Pila turn in unison to see a whole squadron of creatures, all pointing little wooden spears your way.  But before you can do or say anything, Pila runs straight up to them.

"Papa!"  She cries, flinging her little arms around the one who appears to be their leader.

"Pila?"  He says,  "What are you doing with this... thing?  Did it hurt you?"  He turns his gaze on you.  "What were you doing with my Daughter, you monster?"

"No, Papa!  You don't understand!  This is human, he saved me from a bunch of really mean people.  They tried to put me in a big bag, but then he came out of the forest and beat them up!"

Pila's father is quiet for a minute.  Then, he turns to the creatures behind him and says, "You can relax.  Looks like we won't be needing spears."  He turns back to you, and takes a few steps in your direction.  "I apologize... human, is it?  It's just that no one's ever seen anything like you before.  So it was only natural the alarm was sounded.  They all thought you were some kind of monster!"

"I thought the same when I first saw creatures like you."  You say,  "If you don't mind me asking, what exactly are you?  I've never seen anything quite like you either.  At least, I don't think I have."

"You stand in a village full of Oalkwardners."  The Creature says,  "I am Merk, head of the Watchmen of Arrorn.  I help to protect this place from any sort of outside invaders or natural disasters.  That's why I came when I heard you had arrived.  By the way, thank you so much for rescuing my daughter.  If you ever need anything at all, just come find me and I'll do my best to make it happen."   He stops and thinks for a moment.  "Are you planning on staying here a while?"

"Actually,"  You say, "I have no idea how I got here in the first place.  So, I guess I'm kinda stuck till I figure out how to get back home."

"That's strange indeed,"  Merk says,  "Come with me, if you need, you may stay with me and my family while you're here. You did save Pila, after all.  It's the least we can do."

"I guess I have nowhere else to go,"  You say.

"Yay!"  Pila says,  "It'll be like when we have all the family over for a feast!"

And once again, you set off through the streets.  As you walk, you explain to Merk how you woke up in the forest with no memory and found Pila in trouble.

"What were you doing out there, Pila?"  Merk asks, "Why on earth did your mother let you go out so late?  And why on earth did you take this long to come back?  From what Human said, it doesn't sound like you were too far from town."  Merk frowns, "In fact, you'd better come up with a pretty good explanation as to why you were out so late, or else you're in hot water!"

"It's not my fault!"  Pila says, "I went out to play hide-and-seek in the woods with my friends.  The sun was going down, but we knew it would still be light outside for a little bit, so we thought it would be okay.  But I really wanted to win.  I never win at hide-and-seek, so I needed a plan to make sure they'd never find me.  So I went really far away on the road.  But then it started to get dark, and I got scared.  And then, the ground started shaking, and I got really scared.  So I ran away into the trees.  But then I got lost, so I was really really scared.  It took me a long time to find my way back to the road, and then when I was walking back, the mean guys came and tried to put me in a bag!"

"You said the ground started shaking?"  Merk asks, "But I didn't feel anything here.  I was on the night-watch, so I know."

"But it's true, Papa!"  Pila says, "There was a really bright light in the sky too!  It was like lightning, but it stayed there for a looooooong time."

"Don't make up stories, Pila."  Merk sounds a little irritated now, "When we get home, you're going to have to do some chores."

"But Papa-"

"Let's not do this in front of our guest, alright?"

Pila sighs,  "Yes Papa..."

"Good girl.  Oh look, we're here."

The streets are a bit wider here, and the houses a bit bigger.  They're all spaced apart, each one with a good five-or-so acres of space.  You've stopped in front of a beautiful yellow one, that looks like it might be two stories high, (though it's hard to tell what with the strange sizes of everything).

"We have the best house in the village!"  Pila beams, "That's because Papa has the best job.  I wanna do it when I grow up too, so I can have this same house."

Merk laughs.  "I'm glad you think this house is the best.  You've never told me that before.  Come on, lets go inside."

You follow Merk to the front door, where it becomes apparent that you might have a problem.

"I'm... not sure I can fit,"  you say, staring at the door.  It comes up only to your chest and looks just a little too narrow for you to fit through.  "I don't want to mess up your house."

Merk thinks for a moment, wringing his hands.  "That really is a shame.  We might have to figure out somewhere else for you to stay, I'm sorry."

It's then that you remember, you've got camping supplies in your backpack

"I can just sleep outside,"  You say,  "I've got a sleeping bag and a pillow, I'll just lay it out in your yard somewhere, if that's alright.

Pila's face brightens,  "Papa, can we eat outside with Human too?"

"I guess we may as well, so long as it stays nice outside,"  Merk says,  "Now you'd better go get some sleep.  I'm not sure how you can be this chipper after staying up all night like that.  Besides, you'll need your rest if you ever want to get done with the massive list of chores you're gonna get once I figure out just how much trouble you're in."

Pila sighs, and starts towards the door.  "Yes papa..."

You spend the rest of the day on Merk's property, not daring to re-enter the village for fear that someone might see you and sound the alarm.  ("Just until we get the word around that you're not a threat," Merk says). For a while you talk with Merk, trying to figure out where exactly you are.  Eventually, Merk pulls out a map of the area, and you find that you don't recognize any of the landscape.  (Though, you can't quite remember any other landscapes either).  You just can't make heads or tails of the situation.

Once evening rolls around, Merk's wife, (who you quickly learn is named Fila), brings you dinner in a bowl, much too small for you to properly hold.  It's filled with some kind of goop that smells like burning rubber, and doesn't taste much better.  But you don't say anything, and just choke it down best you can.  You know you can eat some of the Cheez-Its from your bag after everyone else goes to bed.

After an hour-or-so more of small talk, everyone decides to hit the sack.  As the Oalkwardners head inside, you spread out your sleeping bag and lay down, staring up at the stars.  The moment your head touches the pillow, all the energy you spent today hits you at once.  You're asleep within minutes...

[User] A living nightmare

[Assistant]
Your dreams are a confused mass of pictures and images.  Lots of formulas and numbers, the strange disk you found in the woods, a violet light engulfing you...

A whisper in your ear breaks you from your slumber.

"Wake up, strange beast.  I need to talk to you."

You open your eyes so find that it's still dark.  The face of an Oalkwardner stares down at you, blocking out the moonlight.  It startles you so much, you sit straight up; if it wasn't for the creature's swift reflexes, your head would've smashed right into it.  That's when you get a good look at it in the light of the moon.

"What the heck do you think you're doing here?"  You ask, "You were the guy that ran away after I saved Pila!"

"Not so loud," He hisses, "Do you want to give me away?"

"Yeah, actually.  I should call Merk right now, or better yet, do you in myself!"  You take a deep breath to let out a shout.

"Don't!"

Something about the creature's tone stops you, if only for a moment, from alerting the Oalkwardners in the house.  What would drive any intelligent creature to walk into the lion's den like this in the first place? It just doesn't add up.

"At least hear me out."  Pleads the creature, "I need your help."

"What makes you think I would help a kidnapper?  Seriously, are you crazy?"

"It's not just me you'd be helping, but them too!"  he gestures towards the house, "In fact, you'd be helping every Oalkwardner in this village."

"Is that a threat?"  You ask, "Are you going to kill them or something if I don't cooperate?"

"My word, you must really think I'm some kind of monster, monster.  No, I'm not here to hurt anyone. Like I said, I'm here to help."

"How does kidnapping children help anyone?"

"I was getting to that.  This village, Arrorn, I believe it's called, is not as peaceful as it seems.  It is under the rule of King Faerdalm, a cruel, ruthless tyrant."

"Sound like something a teenager would come up with for a writing contest,"  You say, rolling your eyes.

"Will you let me finish?"  The creature glares at you, "He takes their food, says they owe it to him for getting to live in such a 'great and powerful country.'  It's all a load of bull, of course. He takes so much that a good many of the villagers die every year from starvation. I'm part of a resistance group trying to stop it.  We've been working on a way to get rid of Faerdalm once and for all, so everyone can be free, just like in the good old days. That's why we've needed to take children, to run tests on them.  We're developing a way to make ourselves stronger, so we can finally stand up to him. But we're still a ways out from perfecting it. It's going to take a lot more people, a lot more deaths, to finally perfect it.  To be quite frank, I'm getting quite sick of it."

"So, where do I come in?"  You ask.

"Never in my life, have I ever seen a creature as powerful as you." He says, "If you were to join us, we would be able to achive our goal much quicker. And the quicker we achive it, the less needless deaths must occuer." He extends his hand, as if to shake yours, "So, are you in?"

[User] You shake his hand

[Assistant]
The Oalkwardner smiles as you shake his hand.

"Very well then,"  he says, "We must go at once, there are many preparations to be made."  he stops for a moment and looks at you,  "You may call me Bolard, by the way."

With that, he makes a single clicking noise with his mouth, and a whole hoard of Oalkwardners dressed in the same cloaks as Bolard step out from the shadows, surrounding the two of you.

"We're heading back to base,"  Bolard says,  "Better get moving if you wanna get any sleep tonight!"

"Hold on a second!"  you say, "Were you planning on ambushing me if I said no?"

"Of course not!"  Bolard says,  "They were just here in case you were... unreasonable, and decided to attack me."

Something about his tone puts you on edge, but you can't exactly do anything about it with all these guards around.  You follow the pack into the forest...

Bolard leads the group back up the path you came from, past the place where you witnessed the attempted kidnapping.  You walk for hours, never stopping for even so much as a five minute break.  As the sun's rays begin to peak over the horizon, the leaders of the pack turn off the trail abruptly and lead you into more densely wooded area.

As the sun grows higher in the sky, you notice that there is still a sort of trail here, just fainter and harder to see than the one you left.  It seems this way has been traveled a few times before, the vegetation trampled underneath it.  After a few more hours of walking, the group stops abruptly, and you nearly trip over the Oalkwardner in front of you.

You sigh with relief.  This must be some kind of break.  Thank goodness, your feet feel like they're about to fall off.  But instead of dispersing and finding spots to sit down and talk, the Oalkwardners stay where they are.  There's motion at the front of the pack, someone's doing... something, you're not sure what.  Then, a great wooden hatch opens up from the ground, revealing a spiral staircase descending down into the earth.  You didn't see it because it was camouflaged by dirt and leaves, somehow stuck on top of it.

The assembly moves forward, down the stairs, and you follow at the middle of the pack.  You reach the bottom and find yourself in a hard packed dirt tunnel, with a few paths branching off from it.

"To your barracks, everyone!"  Bolard says, "I must speak with the monster for a moment."

The crowd disperses, heading down various tunnels, chattering amongst themselves.  Bolard turns to you.

"I'm not going to have you stay in the barracks with the others,"  He says, "You're a might too big for the beds there, and I don't want you rolling over and crushing someone or something.  Instead, I think you ought to take one of the private suites, which are usually reserved for our highest ranking officials.  Thankfully enough, we've got a few to spare.  Come, I'll take you there now.  I'm headed that direction anyway."

You follow Bolard through the tunnels, trying your best to remember how to get back to the hatch.  Thankfully, it isn't too far.  After a few minutes, the dirt walls become wooden, which feels a little nicer.  It's like being in a regular hallway, (if a bit cramped, due to your size).

"This is your room,"  Bolard says, opening the door at the very end of the hallway, "Take some time to get acquainted with your new surroundings.  I will return shortly,  there are a few matters of grave importance which I must discuss with you."

He shuts the door, leaving you to explore your new accommodations.  Not to say there's all that much to explore, the room is quite barren.  The only furniture is a sleeping pad that looks like it's woven from grass and a little table on the far side of the room.  It's all too small for you, but you'll just have to make do. You take off your backpack and sit on the mat. It feels so nice to take a rest after all that walking.

While you sit, you begin sifting through the contents of your bag, laying them out on the floor in front of you.  You stop when your hand touches the strange metal disk you found in the forest when you woke up. The screen still flashes, "insufficient power," over and over again.  Maybe if you can get it charged up again, you might be able to uncover some clue about your past.  You flip it over and look at the back. There's a little tank strapped to this side, with a tiny bit of green fluid inside.  Is this the stuff that powers it? If you fill it up, will the disk work again?

As you ponder all these things, the door opens and Bolard walks in.

"Come, monster,"  he says,  "I need to relay the plan to you, so that we're ready."

[User] The plan

[Assistant]
Bolard leads you back out into the hallway and through another nearby door.  This room is less barren than the one you sleep in, and it's set up more like an office.

"Sit,"  Bolard gestures towards a stool, too small for you, in front of a desk in the middle of the room.  You obey, sitting uncomfortably low, as Bolard walks around the desk and sits on a stool of his own on the other side.

"Monster," Bolard says,  "You have displayed great strength.  Strength enough, perhaps, to take out an entire army single handedly."

"What do you mean?"  you ask, "I've never fought anyone in my life since yesterday.  At least, I don't think I have."

"Training will be provided of course,"  Bolard says, "With your great strength, and the proper training, you may lead us to victory."

"You're crazy!  What kind of insane thing do you want me to do anyway?"

"I want you to storm the king's palace.  In two weeks time, there'll be a banquet, and all his advisors and officials will be there.  If you attack then, you'll be able to cripple his regime, creating a power vacuum with no one to fill it.  That's when we'll step in and take over, creating a new era of peace and prosperity."

"But why just me?  Why should I do this alone?"

"Because if you don't, more innocent Oalkwardners will die!  They'll keep doing experiments, stealing more children to use as lab rats!  We've got someone inside the palace who can get you inside.  There's no turning back, you agreed to this when you shook my hand."

You open your mouth to argue, but then close it.  It's useless to argue.  If you refuse to do as he says, he'll probably have you killed or something.

"Any questions?" Bolard asks.

You don't say anything.

"Good.  You may spend the rest of the day as you wish.  Go explore the facility, if you want.  Get to know your way around so you feel more comfortable here."

You turn and walk out the door, back to your room.  There's nothing else to say.

[User] The note

[Assistant]
You return to your room to find a note, laying on your pillow.

"Come to the mess hall at midnight.  There's something we must discuss."

Confused, you turn it over to see if there's anything on the back, but there's not.  For a moment, you stand there, staring at the piece of paper in your hands.  What's going on?  You've hardly met anyone yet, and already someone wants to talk with you privately?  Is it some kind of trap?  But what if it's important?

Curiosity burns within you.  You have to find out what this is all about.  If things go wrong, you'll just have to find a way out of it.

That night, you creep out of your room and head to the mess hall at what you think is about 11:30.  (It's hard to tell, the Oalkwardners use a complex system of hourglasses to tell time. It's nothing like what you're used to).  Luckily, you explored most of the tunnels beforehand, so you find your way easily enough, with ten minutes to spare.

You enter the mess hall to find... nothing out of place.  There's not another person in sight. You're not surprised, you are early after all.

Something touches your shoulder.  You whirl around to see a cloaked Oalkwardner with a wooden mask over their face, standing behind you.

"What-"  you start to say, but the Oalkwardner puts a finger to its lips.  It beckons for you to follow, and scurries down a tunnel at the far side of the room, one of the few you have yet to explore.  You follow behind as best you can, trying your best not to lose them in the twists and turns of the passage. Soon, you reach a staircase, leading up to a hatch.

The Oalkwardner leads you through the hatch and into the cool night air.  You hadn't realized how much you missed the surface until now, and you cherish each breath of fresh air.  They lead you a little ways into the forest, then stop.

"So,"  the Oalkwardner says,  "You're the one Bolard was talking about.  The one that's gonna save the entire rebellion."

"I... guess."  you say, confused.  "What did you want to talk about, exactly?"

"Do you want to know how Bolard sees you?"  The Oalkwardner asks.

"What?"

"When he looks at you, he sees only a pawn.  A monster which he can bend to his will and use for his own gain."  The Oalkwardner turns to face you. "But you are not the only one. He treats everyone that way.  All of the high ranking Oalkwardners do, at least in this rebellion."

"What does this have to do with me?"

"If their plan succeeds, and they manage to take power, I fear they will estate an even worse government than there already is.  You are the key piece in their plan. But if that key piece were to fail..."

"What, you want me to die on purpose?"

"No, of course not!  But I want you to fake your own death.  Me and some others are ready to desert this crazy rebellion and take whatever the king has to throw at us.  It can't be worse than what they've got planned. Not only that, but we want you to tip the king off about their plans while your at it.  We'll write a note, and we want you to leave it somewhere they'll find it once you're inside the fortress."

"Wait, so am I going into the fortress or am I faking my death?"

"You're faking your death at the fortress.  They'll just think you failed your mission, but you'll actually have run away, with me and the others."

"I hardly know you!  Why should I trust you?"

"I'll give you until the day of the attack to think it over, alright?"  The Oalkwardner says, "I get that this can be hard, but I'm begging you, please don't fail us."

You sigh.  "I'll think about it."

"Good.  Now, go get some rest.  You've got a long couple of weeks ahead of you."

[User] The choice...

[Assistant]
The next two weeks are a blur.  You train for six hours a day, preparing for the big day.  Before you know it, it's nearly arrived.  The night before, you find another note on your pillow, this one a little longer than the last.

"Enclosed is the note you must plant in the fortress," It reads, "I hope you've decided to help us, as we desperately need it.  Meet us in the woods behind the fortress once you've done the job, and we can escape."

There's another piece of paper, this one explaining everything about the rebellion, where to find their headquarters, and how best to stop them.  You skim it, then shove it in your pocket.  You're still not sure whether to go along with the rebellions plan, or join the defectors.  Whatever you do, you'll have to decide now...

[User] You tell Bolard about the defectors and end this right here and now

[Assistant]
There's no point risking complications during the mission. You'd better tell Bolard about this right now.  You stand and head to his office.  He's still in there, organizing some of the books on his shelves, as you enter.

"Hello, monster."  He says, nodding to you.  "What can I do for you?"

"Defectors,"  you say,  "They've been trying to get me to help them, I've got proof!"

You show him the note.  He reads it, his eyebrows rising higher and higher with every sentence.

"My word!"  he cries,  "We must do something about it before it's too late!  I'll initiate a surprise inspection, we'll catch those filthy traitors yet!"

He rushes out of the office.  You head back to your room and sit on your bed.  Did you do the right thing?  There's no stopping it now, so you'd best try and get some sleep.  It doesn't come easy though.  There's a lot of yelling and screaming from the other tunnels, probably the defectors.  You try your best to ignore the conflicting feelings in your stomach as you drift into an uneasy sleep...

[User] The attack

[Assistant]
The next day, you begin the journey to the fortress, escorted by a few rebels, and Bolard himself.  It takes several days to get there, and you get to pass by Arrorn on the way, so that's fun.  (Though, you don't get to actually enter the village.  Too much risk of being recognized or something).

Finally, you spot it, sitting on a hilltop just on the horizon.

"Alright," Bolard says, "There's a little side door you're going to be let in through.  It leads straight to the great hall.  Once you get inside, kill as many people as you can, alright?  Especially the ones that look super regal, because those are probably royalty."

"Anything else?"  you ask, dryly.

"Actually, yes.  The king wears this magic armor all the time.  He doesn't get hurt by physical attacks."

"Why didn't you tell me this sooner?"  you protest,  "What do you want me to do about him if I can't hurt him?"

"I'm getting to that!"  Bolard sounds annoyed,  "I do have something that'll kill him."

He reaches into his bag and pulls out a glass bottle full of... water.

"What's this for?"  You ask.

"What do you think?  It'll get through the cracks in his armor, and kill him!"

"It's water."

"Exactly!  Water kills people!"

"I don't follow."

"Didn't anyone ever tell you that water disintegrates people?  The skin soaks up too much and it just falls apart."

"That's not how it works for Humans," you say,  "We can touch water, no problem."

"Really?  Well, that sure makes things easier.  This way you can cross the moat, no problem!  I was wondering how we'd do that."

"Yeah... Okay."  You roll your eyes.  "Just give me the bottle.  I'll smash it over his head or something."

As you get closer to the fortress, you start to make out more detail.  It looks like it mainly consists of a bunch of towers, surrounded by a wooden wall.  By the time the sun sets, you're within a hundred yards of the walls.

"Perfect!"  Bolard says,  "Look, all the nobles are already inside."  He points to the closed drawbridge, as if to prove it.  "The doorway is just around the back of the fortress.  Good luck, monster."

"Thanks," you say, rolling your eyes.  You grab your knife and hop into the moat, making it across in less than a minute. You rush around the side of the wall and find a door, carved into the side.  Just as you reach it, it flies open, and a female Oalkwardner beckons you inside.

As soon as you enter the fortress, the nauseating smell of Oalkwardner food hits your nose.  You ignore it best you can and take a look around.  You're in an alcove at the edge of the great hall, which consists mainly of a bunch of wooden tables lined up together.  Over fifty Oalkwardners sit around it, laughing, eating, getting drunk...

This is perfect!  If they're tipsy, you can strike much more easily.  Quickly, you locate the king, (his armor sets him apart from the rest quite nicely), and sneak up behind him.  Then, in one quick motion, you bash the bottle over his head, shattering it into a million pieces.  The water splashes everywhere, (it definitely wasn't a small bottle), and the entire room goes silent.  Then, the king begins to scream, and the room erupts into chaos.

Quick as you can, you start punching, kicking, stabbing right and left.  Oalkwardners go flying everywhere, most dying the instant you touch them.  You manage to take out about half of the nobles before they get wise and start running for the door.  At the same time, some of the guards seem to be getting ready for a counter attack.  You'd better figure out what to do next, and fast...

[User] You get out now, while you still can. (You've already killed the king, and that's all that really matters).

[Assistant]
You dash out the door before the guards can strike back.  Soon as you make it to the moat, you know you're home free.  The guards can't follow you here.  Before you know it, you've reached the other side.

"Bolard!"  You call, "I got the king!"

He and the other guards come running from around the corner.

"Great!"  Bolard says,  "That should be enough!  Worst comes to worst, and we have to launch another assault.  They're crippled without a leader, it should be easy."

"Good to know.  Now why don't we get out of here before they come after us?"

Bolard laughs.  "Yes, let's get on that."  And you run off into the forest together.


[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] You just walk into the battlefield and let it end

[Assistant] You stroll forward into the battlefield, watching as dozens of brightly colored and heavily armored Space Marines near you. They raise their weapons and fire, as others attempt to get to your with chainswords. You offer no resistance. You don't attempt to dodge the fire, or to block it, or even move. You feel the shells burst through, your organs being decimated. As you collapse back in a pool of blood, you hope death will give you the peace you could never get from sleep.


[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] You be a hero

[Assistant]
While the offer of playing for what could possibly be eternity is tempting, part of you has been affected by world events and the war going on. You have come to realize that the Necromancer (and the demons) need to be stopped. If you can take an active role in that, then you'll know for sure that your family will be safe in the near future. You did do all this for your family after all, and while your path has definitely undergone a change, you're still going to put them first.

Besides, you're a vampire now, you're sure that you'll have tons of time to play later if all goes well. You're definitely nervous about this decision, but you're going to make it.

"Lord Rostov, I wish to begin your advanced combat training." You say.
"Very well, though I almost hoped that you wouldn't. Your playing was just divine and you won't be able to play again for a long time during your extensive training time. Possibly never if you fail…but let us hope that you do not fail! It would be a loss for all of us. Warnov escourt him to the lower dungeons."
"Yes, Lord Rostov."

Warnov takes you into the lower dungeons of the castle just as Lord Rostov commanded. Warnov tells you that this isn't going to be easy and that you better condition your mind to almost a pure instinctive level because you could very well die in training!

Finally you reach a large barren room with a pair of large doors on the far end.

"This is it. Just keep an eye on the large door over there and well, brace yourself!"

You half expect to get bitten again after hearing those words, but instead Warnov quickly steps out of the room and locks the door leaving you alone. The large doors on the other side of the room start to open.

And you just realized that you don't have a weapon…

A year passes…

You survive your rigorous training. You have fought all manner of dangerous beasts with and without weapons. (And feasting on their blood for survival) You have undergone pain you didn't think possible even in your new undead state. You're definitely a better killing machine than you were.

You were allowed to write letters to your family which were overlooked first by Lord Rostov of course to make sure you weren't saying something you shouldn't. You barely know what to tell them except keeping your lies to a minimum about your supposed new job with Zalan intelligence. You have dedicated and conditioned yourself to combat so much that you don't even think about music. You briefly wonder if you've "lost" something, but you then dismiss such things as you must focus on battle.

During this time you have been informed that the Necromancer Lord as well as Velzix have grown in power. Lord Rostov says though that he believes the demons will pose no serious threat if a concentrated effort can be made on them by the mortals. However, for that to happen, the Necromancer Lord must die and that's where you come in and what you've been training for.

However, you won't be going in by yourself. A band of "heroes" will be necessary for a job like this. You are told you will meet the others in a small abandoned village bordering on the Necromancer's Domain.

Another vampire takes you there with the aid of a black teleportation cube. This is a one way trip. You're not coming back unless you win. That and the fact that the black cubes can't possibly be allowed to fall into enemy hands.

There you meet the others. They look unimpressed with you, but you're a little surprised to see one of them. She's very well known…a "hero".

"You're Deliah the Deathdealer! You fought at the battle of Azark and you also retrieved the Celestial Sword! You're a hero! I didn't know you were…"
"Didn't they tell you all this shit when you started training? Sheesh, we gotta get paired up with some broodling…" a brutish vampire interrupts.
"Quiet Gorax! I'm sure he was, but meeting a legend is a lot different from basking in their glory in person." Deliah replies.
"Gorax!? Gorax the Mighty? You were a barbarian king that held back the orc hordes over a hundred years ago!" you say in amazement.
"Huh, fat lot good that did me. I can't take any credit for of my deeds today and barely anyone remembers my past deeds except some useless tribal shamen that now cower from the undead hordes in the Drozz Plains. Feh! Back in my day such men would not allow mere ghouls run them off their lands! I don't know why Rostov won't allow me to go in, seek out, and just chop off that retched Ghoul King's head! He's partially to blame for this mess!"
"Oh you know Rostov, he has his reasons. Besides, if we take out the Necromancer lord, the Ghoul King will probably be our next assignment." Another vampire says in a bored tone. This one looks like he was once a Halfling. It almost makes you laugh to think of a vampire Halfling, but there he is. You don't know who he is or was, but given the other two, he was probably important at one time.

"So are you ready to go broodling? Or are you going to stand there with a dumb look on your face?" Delilah asks.
"Uh sure, let's go!"

The trip into the Necromancer's Domain is surprisingly quick and uneventful. You attempt to make conversation as you can't help now but be curious about your companions, but all of them are less than talkative and forthcoming. Deliah eventually takes you aside harshly.

"Look broodling, we've got a job to do. A fucking dangerous one at that! We all need to be in focus and not concentrating on anything else! So keep your damn questions to yourself and if you happen to survive this encounter THEN perhaps you may get a little more information from us and our fascinating history. Until then, stay in the fucking dark!"

The rest of the trip is silent.

At last you reach the city of Nuro and easily scale its walls and onto the battlements while remaining undetected the whole time. This is a lot different from what it was when you arrived here as a mortal. That memory still gives you a bit of pause. You remember how scared you were back then.

"Hurry up broodling! These walking corpses might not be able to detect us, but the Necromancer will soon! We need to get the advantage as soon as possible! Gorax, Wally you go through the front of the main tower. I'm sure you two can handle that. While whatever guards rush to defend their master, me and the broodling will scale the tower and go in through one of the top windows.

"You sure about that Delilah? Would you rather I go with you than some broodling?" Wally asks.
"Yeah, but if I leave him with Gorax he'll probably get killed in the fighting and be useless. At least if he's with me, he can serve as an extra body for the Necromancer Lord to draw his attention to."
"HEY! I'm right here y'know!" you exclaim indignantly which causes Deliah to smack you in the face hard. You didn't even see it coming.
"Shut the fuck up! You'll draw attention! Look if we pull this off just maybe you'll come out of this alive. I need you to take care of the Necromancer's bitch anyway. She's probably up there with him. Now let's do this!"

The plan is set into action. Gorax and Wally make their presence known immediately jumping off the battlements and into the courtyard while yelling at the top of their lungs.

"Intruder! Protect the master!" you hear a scratchy voice yell in the distance, while you and Delilah sneak around, jumping onto the rooftops and attempting to avoid the main fighting force. A few flying shadows try to stop you, but they're easily dispatched with your bow and silver arrows. Delilah looks glad that you aren't entirely useless and you and her proceed to scale the walls.

"I can't believe this place isn't more protected." You say while climbing.
"Heh, he's got his troops all spread out and mostly on his borders, plus he's grown more arrogant and confident. That will be his undoing." She replies quickly.

"Funny I was about to say the same for you bloodsuckers." A voice says causing the both of you to look up.

A raven haired female leans over the nearby window above Delilah and blast her directly in the face burning it off with a beam of light. You certainly weren't expecting a necromancer to cast any sort of spell like that! You then see Delilah fall…and get impaled through the chest by a weathervane. A fucking weathervane. Unbelievable.

You attempt to scale the wall to the nearest window under you and just barely get out of the way of the lady necromancer's next spell.

You have no idea where you are in the tower, but you can hear fighting going on outside and a couple of hearty roars which you can only guess is Gorax.

A quick scan would indicate that you're in some sort of library. You cautiously proceed and decide that finding stairs that lead up would be the way to go. You just hope you're ready to take him on and his mistress.

As you make your way through, you fight all manner of undead sentries: Wraiths, ghosts, skeletal warriors, etc. During one of your moments of hiding a couple of wight guards run by talking in a hoarse tone.

"The big one and little one are dead! We must find the last one! Quick Quick!"
"Yes Yes! The master must be protected!"

You come to the very real feeling of having been in the position before…all alone, surrounded by hostile undead, and in Nuro…

Your resolve breaks a little and you wish that you weren't here. You want to go home.

Eventually you push yourself forward, but somehow fear has crept back into your own dead heart. To your credit you do reach the top of the tower, but the Necromancer's mistress once again surprises you. A ray of light sears your face off and destroys your vision. You fall to the cold stone floor in extreme pain and can only make out blurry images.

You see a blurred black hooded figure approach. You can't see his face, but this could only be who you think it is. You attempt to reach for your sword.

"More assassins? I swear something is going to have to be done about these bloodsuckers. The Ghoul King's kin are really starting to get on my nerves. These ones weren't even a challenge. What are you doing bloodsucker? Don't you know that's futile?"

The Necromancer Lord unleashes a ball of flame that engulfs your body, putting an end to your undead existence.


[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 resist them

[Assistant]
You're not going to be some fucking puppet, if you're ever going to control this whole town, you'll do it yourself, in fact you display your feelings about the Combine immediately when their little envoy unit enters your part of the town by telling your followers to shoot them on sight.

Of course killing a few of their number doesn't endear you to them, not that it was supposed to, but unfortunately one of the other town warlords decides to take advantage of the Combine visit and isn't quite as proud as you are.

An all out battle for the town occurs again, and you're not on the winning side as the warlord who sold out to the Combine gains more ground. You vow to do as much damage as you can though, namely by burning down most of your side of the town, killing every non-combatant living under your control there, as well as destroying the biofuel refinery and ultimately fleeing Cinderville. It all comes to a final end though when you make your last stand against Combine soldiers in your old home where you killed your first victims five years ago.

After all the trouble you gave them back at Cinderville, the Combine soldiers don't even attempt a long drawn out shoot out with you. They just start bombarding the place with rockets and grenades.

The entire place is razed to the ground with you in it.


[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 jennifer's visit (A friendly face for once)

[Assistant]
"I told you I don't want any visitors and I'm not dealing with anything today, I'm resting!" you tell David as you wince from the aches all over your body.
"I know, but under the circumstances, I thought you might make an exception for this person. It's Jennifer Mol, my Emperor."
"Really? Well what does she want?" you ask.
"I think she heard what happened and just wants to see you."

Despite your pain, you suppose you can spare the time for Jennifer.

"Alright send her in."

You take a seat and mumble about the sharp pain in your back when Jennifer enters your room. She notices your discomfort immediately and walks briskly towards you.

"Are you okay?" she asks.
"Not really, but there's nothing you can do. Don't worry about it. Good to see you."
"I had to come to see if you were as wounded as I had heard. I also heard that you had a great battle with a sea monster?"
"Well, I did have a battle with a sea monster and I also managed to paralyze myself in the process, fortunately magic has its advantages." You say.
"Paralyze?!"
"Yes, but as I said magic has its benefits. Look, its all been taken care of. I'll just have to put up with a few more aches and pains now, but I'm alive and still functional and that's the important thing."
"I suppose so. I'm guessing you succeeded against those fish people then?"
"Well there haven't been any more sightings, so I certainly hope that's the case. I regret to inform you that Delerg no longer exists in any form though, its nothing but water now. I remember you once expressed a desire to explore the islands at one time." You say.
"Oh yes, I did. I sort of gave up on that idea though when I realized it wasn't possible. Sometimes you just realize those sorts of things you know?"

Jennifer says that like she's talking about something more than just Delerg. Like your former relationship.

"Heh, but then of course in your case I suppose everything is possible for you." Jennifer adds.
"Not getting severely injured seems to still elude me as well as getting old…bah I don't want to dwell on this shit anymore. Tell me about what you've been up to."

"Oh! Well nothing important, I mean certainly nothing as exciting as protecting the Empire from external threats." Jennifer remarks.
"Doesn't matter. It's important to me, I'm genuinely interested." You say.

This comment garners a smile from Jennifer who begins to tell you what has been going on in her life. The big thing she mentions is the book she's working on. She hasn't thought of a title for it yet, but it's going to be all about the old Empire or at least from what she's pieced together from what she's found and from what you've told her.

While she's explaining the process, you notice a male name keeps popping up when she discusses having another person helping her put it together. You can't help but wonder…

"So your partner, is this the one?" you ask.
"One?"
"Your new boyfriend of course. I might not be an expert on these matters, but I do notice a bit of extra excitement when you speak his name and how much he's supported and helped in putting together the book."

Jennifer doesn't know how to react; you reassure her that she's done nothing wrong.

"Jennifer, what we had ended amicably and years ago, I certainly didn't expect you to continue your life alone. I'm certainly not uncomfortable or going to be angry about it."
"Okay." Jennifer says as if a weight has lifted off of her.
"So anyone I know? Tell me about him." you ask.

Jennifer says, that he isn't anyone you would know. He's a historian that started working at the museum about a year ago, but that they got along almost immediately. She says that they are already talking about getting married and maybe starting a family. You are a little surprised by that news, but not displeased. You're glad she found someone that's probably a little more "stable."

Still, when she explains all this, you can sense almost an apologetic tone at times. Like she feels in some way that she's betrayed you even though logic dictates otherwise and you've even said as much.

"Well that sounds very good, I'm glad life is working out for you and you're doing well. And if you need more information for your book you're free to ask me at anytime…well assuming I'm not fighting any more sea monsters or whatever else the world decides to throw at me."
"Ha ha, If I need more information I will certainly ask you. Well…I guess I better leave you to your rest. I know you've got an Empire to run and you need all your strength for that."

Jennifer starts to leave, but turns around.

"I just want to say I will always be a loyal citizen to you and the Empire. I have always believed in you and appreciate how you ascended this nation to greatness. Maybe people tell you these things all the time, but I want to reinforce the fact that I respect and appreciate the sacrifices you make to protect us all."

You certainly weren't expecting all that.

"Well I thank you very much Jennifer. I never doubted your loyalty for a second, you didn't need to tell me." You reply.

Jennifer smiles again, but her eyes look slightly watery like she's going to cry.

"I…know. I just wanted to say it to you." She remarks and then nods silently and walks out of your room, leaving you alone.

You get out of the chair you were sitting in slowly and make your way to the bed ignoring all the pains the whole time. When you finally get horizontal you actually feel a little relief.

"Ah…better." You say as the pain in your back lessens. "She'll get over those lingering feelings eventually. Everything fades in time."

You say that, knowing that isn't necessarily true when you begin thinking about Alison as you drift off to sleep.


[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 "No."

[Assistant]
You shake your head. "No. I'll come with you," you say, and she looks surprised and... Pleased?

"Alright. Come on." She opens the window and slides into the mansion, you following not long after.

Cassamento looks up as he sees the two of you enter.

He gives a smoldering smile when he sees Huntress. "Huntress," he says, before frowning upon seeing you. "... And a faceless Humphrey Bogart impersonator."

Ouch.

"What are you doing here?"

"You know damn well why I'm here, Cassamento," Huntress spits, cold glare penetrating the older man as she takes aim. "The murders. You're framing me."

Cassamento quirked an eyebrow, "I promise you, I know nothing about that."

"I wouldn't bullshit her, Cassamento," you comment, "that crossbow has a hair-trigger."

"Hm. I would believe so, what with all those people she's killed." Cassamento smirked, looking like the cat who caught the canary.

"It was you. I can tell," snarled Huntress.

"Ha. Don't be so foolish. Say what you will about my activities, I'm a man of my word, and I speak the truth when I say I have nothing to do with the murders."

Huntress looks shocked, but after a moment just sighs. You've done some reading into Cassamento himself, and he's right; he's not one to lie about his intentions. And looking at him now, smug as he is, you can tell that he's telling the truth. That or the man is a master manipulator and this is an elaborate scheme.

"... I'll be back." Huntress says coldly, before heading out the window. You cast one last look at Cassamento, who simply sits back down and continues reading as if nothing happened.

You leave through the window, heading back to the city with Huntress.


[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 encourage him. He should chase his dream, get out and see the world.

[Assistant]
After a moment of thinking the kid's words over, you look him dead in the eye. "If you're serious about your wish, then you should chase it. But be careful, because the world is brutal out there. I'd suggest grouping up with people you can trust, rather than striking out on your own or, Gods forbid, hiring mercs to protect you. Those bastards just care about your money, not you."

You continue to ramble on a bit about your general dislike of mercenaries and their ilk. The shopkeeper doesn't stop you out of respect, but you can tell he doesn't care for your rant about how they'll drink all your alcohol if you have it. Eventually, your throat gets sore anyhow, so you stop. You don't think you've talked this much in ages.

"I'll be sure to not hire mercenaries then, Sir Kit. I've got a group of friends who are interested in adventuring as well, and we all have some level of combat experience. We're not gonna go on an adventure like you did, just explore. But..." He bites his lip nervously. "I don't know who will manage the shop while I'm gone. I don't want to lose it."

You nod, having expected that. Having encouraged him, you feel the need to help him with this so he can get his ass on the open road. The question is, who could take over the shop? You ask, "Any idea who could manage it for you?"

He nods. "I have an idea, yeah. There's another store across town, I'm sure they'd be happy to manage the shop for me. Though I am a bit worried about them... They might try and permanently take over the shop, if you know what I mean. They need to expand to get all the customers they can get after all."

You hum. That can't be the only option though, right?

[User] You you'll have him go to the other shop.

[Assistant]
You nod in agreement. "Yeah, that'd be the best bet. They know how to run this sort of business, and already have enough goodwill with the people that the place will finally get shoppers."

He considers your words, and nods. "Right. This'll boost the business, and I can go have an adventure!" With a grin, he leans over the counter and hugs you. Awkwardly, you pat his back. "Thank you, Sir Kit. I can finally leave this town!"

All you give is a shrug. "Just doing my part. Have fun, kid." With those words, you exit the shop, and step out into the marketplace. For the rest of the day, you mill about Sodran for a while, visiting other places you and your friends visited. A few of the shops have closed down, some of them are under new management. The remainder that haven't changed as much are surprised and pleased to see you.

At the end of the day, you head to an inn near the entrance to the city and sleep. When you awake in the morning, you pack up your things and leave the city behind. Weeks pass as you get further and further away from your former home, then reach a port town by the sea. You pick up transit on a supply ship headed to Cikoni. A few months later, you arrive in the country.

You wander there for a while, unsure what to do. Eventually, you find a small coastal town with few people. There, you take residence in an abandoned shack. To make ends meet, you get a job at a farm, tending to exotic crops you've never seen before. It's strange, but eventually, you think you've got the hang of it.

It's a good life. All in all, better than anything a guy like you could've hoped for.

THE END


[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 teleport behind the enemy

[Assistant] You teleport behind the enemies, immediately sending out bursts of flames to incinerate those closest to you, before a shock of lightning runs through another. Still, this si close combat, their specialty. They move with incredible speed, dodging your blows. One gets in close, stabbing through through the neck. You shudder, blood running down your killer's blade, before your soul expires.


[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 just Take A Bath

[Assistant]
This is a no brainer.  If you want to shed the stench of pig crap then take a bath and get a change of clothes!  You head down to the bathouse and a tall, dark haired girl prepares your bath.  The bath is relaxing and you take special care to dawn an all tan outfit as you suspect it may help you blend in with the rockface better than your usual swineherding outfits will.  When you are done, you realize you haven't any scent at all and gather up the equipment you were given at the council.  It is time to go.

The villagers are gathered at the base of the mountainside cheering you on as you walk forth.  Despite their cheering you know they don't really give a shit about you and you question why you are still taking this kind of risk, but you move forward with it anyway.   You continue up the path and reach the first plateau that overlooks the village.  There are two caves that go down deeper into the rockface.  You remember seeing humunculi emerge from these caves so you reason that this would be a good place to being your search.

All that's left to decide is which cave you wish to enter.

[User] The Left Cave

[Assistant]
You are quickly beginning to wish Brandolf had given you a torch, but given the nature of your quest he probably figured you didn't need to draw attention to yourself.  Still, you can barely see more than a few feet in front of your face and it is only getting darker as you continue further inward.  You run your hand along the right wall and move carefully, scouting each step with your foot to avoid a fall.  Your heart is racing and you know that at any moment, something might come out and attack.

Eventually, the cave leads into a small inner chamber with a campfire in the middle.  Three humunculi are sitting around the campfire, roasting human limbs on a stick as if they were marshmellows.  Fortunately, they are not aware of your presence and the campfire enables you to see there are several tunnels leading out from this chamber.  On the other side of the chamber is a tunnel that goes deeper in, but you won't be able to go down this way undetected as long as the humunculi are here.  There are also nondescript passsageways to the left and the right (large and small respectively) that you can reach as long as you stay in the shadows.

[User] You sneak Down The Large Passageway

[Assistant]
You press your body firmly against the back wall of the chamber and slowly make your way over to the entrance of the large passageway on the left.  Occasionally the campfire will flicker light in your general direction giving you pause, but the humunculi are totally unaware of your presence.  Eventually, you manage to make it to the passageway and it doesn't take long before you reach another chamber.  You are greatly disheartened by what you see up ahead.

A larger than normal humunculus stands in the center of the fairly well lit chamber and judging from his tribal decor you figure he must be someone of rank.  The passageway continues at the other end of the chamber, but this creature blocks your path.  At the moment, he is looking off to the side and does not notice your presence.  You weigh your options.

[User] You charge Him With Your Sword Drawn. Only One Of Him After All.

[Assistant]
You may be weaker than a Japanese schoolgirl but there is only one enemy to face here and you have the element of surprise!  Perhaps if this were just an ordinary humunculus this would have worked, but it becomes apparent that this well decorated character is something altogether different.  His reaction time is excellent and he whirls around to back hand you before you can get within range to strike.  This sends you sprawling across the floor and knocks the sword out of your hand and beyond your reach.  Before you can get up, he leaps over and grasps your neck.  As he squeezes the life out of you, the three from the other room come down and you quickly realize all hope is lost.  There is no point in fighting now, it is simply...

THE END


[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 run while you can

[Assistant]
"I'll go with that idea, but we're gonna have to be quick! Grab only the basic necessities. We're going to Ashtown."

 You and your family grab what you need and run for the elevator which fortunately is still on the bottom. A couple of guards still loyal accompany you. When you arrive to the surface you nearly get your head blown off as soon as the elevator door opens. Your guards shoot the would be killer and you all move on.

Outside the shelter entrance it's even worse. There's fighting all over the place, and as soon as people see you, they all start trying to kill you. You urge Nina and Jack to run for the wilderness immediately. You fire back at the angry mob moving on your position, while running at the same time. The last of your guards go down. You run to attempt to catch up to Nina and Jack, which you do, but the mob is still chasing you. A bullet whizzes by your ear and then you hear a scream, its Nina.

You turn around and think she's been hit, but it was Jack who was hit. She goes back to retrieve his body. Of course the mob isn't stopping.

"NINA! NO!" you shout and fire at the mob, but killing a few of them doesn't stop them from shooting Nina, who falls by Jake's body. There's nothing you can do now. You continue to run until you eventually lose your pursuers. Then you weep for the loss of your family.

You wander the wasteland for a bit, hoping something will attack you and put you out of your misery, but you never encounter a thing. Eventually you make your way to Ashtown. You get a couple of strange looks. A few people from Ashtown have heard descriptions of you, but never actually met you in person.

"Aren't you…"
"No, not at all, you got any work around in this dump?"

The citizens of Ashtown have a few old generators that they need working at maximum efficiency, so that's what you work on. They're so grateful for your technical expertise, that they keep quiet about you being here, the next time a group of people from the shelter come to trade. Things don't look like they're going to well at the shelter from what you can tell though, word has it, that they're going to have to completely abandon the shelter itself and live completely on the surface now, apparently the shelter's computer system was severely damaged and is libel to shut down at any moment. The people are miserable and the baby mortality rate is high

This gives you no joy however, you've lost more. Much more. The solitude you once cherished and have again now only feel like emptiness. One day during a raider attack you purposely go out and fight them along with all the other defenders. You get yourself shot in the stomach and you don't even care as you lie dying, anything to end your suffering.


[System] You are the narrator of a dark fantasy text adventure. Describe the world and its consequences with unflinching detail. The player's choices shape the story — for better or worse.

[User] You search out and lead a charge against the Raiders

[Assistant]
"Darkwit, go, take who you need and scout ahead for the raiders. Jakku, make sure the men are ready. We''re going to charge the raiders and wipe them out to the last orc."

"Yes, Chieftain." Jakku barks, before running away.

The Orcs quickly regroup as the scouts sprint off in search of the raiders. You wait with your allies for two hours, before one of the scouts breaks through the treeline.

"Chieftain! They're coming! They were about an hours march away last I saw, but at the pace they were moving they're only half an hour away."

"Good. Let's move. Orcs! Get ready to fight. In fifteen minutes, our swords'll be deep in Raider blood."

The Orcs all bark responses in the affirmative, and you begin moving forward towards the raiders. It seems the scout under-exaggerated the raiders speed, because it takes twenty minute to finally meet the raiders. A massive group of Orcs, with three Merchant Caravans in tow, no doubt from a recent raid.

"Orcs! Now is the time to spill blood! CHARGE!" You scream.

You raise your sword, charging forward with your Orcs. The Raiders aren't prepared to fight, but they're still armed from their previous raid and they're still Orcs. You swing your blade downwards, hacking off an arm, and headbutt a raider before running him through with your sword. You dodge an axe swing and cleave the Orc in half. A Warhammer smacks you in the chest, launching you backwards. Your head bangs against a tree, and you stand and charge forward again. You launch yourself into the fray, and hack a raider to death. The Raiders are beginning to turn and run now, but you slice the back of the legs of one of them and stab them through the chest, breaking through their armor and into the soft flesh beneath.

"Chieftain! We are victorious!" Jakku roars happily.

"Losses? Kills?" You ask.

One of the scouts quickly begins tallying the dead, and turns to you.

"Sir! We lost thirteen men. They lost thirty seven."

Jakku roars victoriously.

"Yes! I told you we didn't need cowards tactics. We wiped them out and sent the rest running."

"Yes. Have the scouts find our dead and bring them back to the village for the funeral pyre. Orcs, let's head home."


[System] You are the narrator of a dark fantasy text adventure. Describe the world and its consequences with unflinching detail. The player's choices shape the story — for better or worse.

[User] You dendrin's Disciples (Your "siblings")

[Assistant]
In the few years you've been with the Shadow Guard, you still haven't gotten used to the idea their strange hierarchy system. The part you understand is the initiate level, which are the prospects who have not yet gone through the ceremony. They are lowest and understand why as far as the shadow hierarchy goes. It's after the ceremony where it gets confusing to you.

Everyone that passes through the ceremony is either a brother or sister according to gender and nobody is technically above anyone, though there is obviously still a hierarchy system in place based on experience. For example Brother Gray and Brother Murk are supposed to be equals, but Brother Gray is really his superior (along with most others) since he's been a shadow for much longer and has more knowledge than Murk.

From what you know, this "equality" is part of the idea that Dendrin wanted the shadows to not fight amongst themselves and to concentrate on their true enemy the Empire. While this is a strange concept for you, it must have worked since the shadows do treat each other more like a family and you haven't observed any real power conflicts with any of them.

The one exception is Master Ebon. Apparently even in a family of "siblings", there still needs to be a parental figure and Master Ebon would be that "father". It is he who supposedly speaks to Dendrin directly about his greatest visions, ideas and prophecies on how to best proceed.

Though this seems questionable to you, considering if Dendrin spoke to him directly about the most important matters, why wouldn't he mention you and your doubting loyalties?

In any event, you've come to know quite a few shadows since your time here and against your better judgment, even become friendly with them. You have to admit; they aren't all like what the common perception of them is. Master Ebon, as mentioned is the overall leader, and other than that you don't know too much about him personally except that he has been a meticulous planner much like his predecessors.

Brother Gray would probably be the closest thing to a second in command. Brother Gray has always seemed to try to help you though perhaps not in any way you'd like. But his words of encouragement on survival during your training and his concern that you should feel welcome here like a family member display that he genuinely is trying to look out for you since he has on several occasions praised your combat skills.

If there were a proper hierarchy, Brother Shade would probably be your commanding officer or sergeant since he's been here longer than the rest of you and relays a lot of orders to the rest of you. He still goes on missions as well, unlike Brother Gray. He seems a little more militant than the rest of his fellows, and you don't mean in his worship of Dendrin, but rather his desire to see the Empire fall. You get the impression he's tired of waiting.

Sister Talia, or just Talia as you still think of her. During your years with her in Mistress' class she was much like you in that she kept to the background and mostly just followed instruction. She was a good fighter; you recall her shutting up one of your louder classmates (Edgar you think his name was) with one punch when they were paired up together to fight for the first time. Other than that, you didn't really talk to her and that continued even during your shadow guard training.

After the ceremony however, she interacted with you more, mostly taunting your shadow magic abilities initially, but in time she began to speak to you on a friendlier level, she even apologized and claimed that she should not have mocked you so, and should have tried to help you instead. Since that time, she's been cordial with you. In different circumstances, you'd probably appreciate her friendliness in your situation; the problem is she's part of which you consider the enemy. It's even worse, since she's an Eternal like you and her brainwashed mindset is much more distressing to you.

Brother Cyrus or just Cyrus as you still think of him. Much like you and Talia, he kept to the background in Mistress' class. Also like Talia he was a good fighter, though you remember having to go up against him once, and you beat him. It wasn't an easy victory, but you sometimes wonder if he continued to hold a grudge because he still remains stand offish to you. He even still says something snide about your shadow magic aptitude once in awhile. Especially since Cyrus himself has proven to be quite apt at using shadow magic

Cyrus seems to have embraced the worship of Dendrin wholeheartedly, even more than Talia, though again you wonder if his new relationship with Draven has something to do with enforcing that, rather than anything Dendrin did to brainwash him. Lately though he's been away a lot and given more assignments. Apparently he's moving "up" as far as shadow responsibilities go.

Brother Draven is Cyrus' special friend, or in other words his lover. You aren't exactly sure when it started, since you were concerned with your own crisis of loyalties at the time, but you really don't care anyway.

Draven has never really spoken too much to you, but when he has he's at least been friendlier than Cyrus. He's mentioned he was born into the shadows, but that his own parents died when he was young though he doesn't say how exactly. From what you've seen his combat abilities are nowhere near that of you or any of the other Eternals (Then again few shadows are) but his shadow magic is much better. He's a little older than Cyrus, probably by a few years, but despite that, Cyrus is still obviously the dominant one of the relationship, but then given that Cyrus is still an Eternal at heart, which seems logical to you.

Brother Murk is probably the closest thing you have to a "friend" in here. Though he probably wouldn't be, if he knew your true thoughts. He's about Draven's age, but unlike Draven he was born in the Derlerg province and actively sought out to be part of the shadows, since his family was one of the few that still quietly worshipped Dendrin even after centuries of others forgot him. Apparently it was always a dream of someone in his family to become a shadow, so Murk pestered the shadows until they finally gave him a chance. He passed and it was the happiest day of his life.

Murk was one of the few that tried to reach out to you even when he saw you struggling with shadow magic (among other things). During the times when you were paired up and had to fight actual dissidents who didn't want to listen to you (Not all are willing to trust let alone join the shadow guard agenda, and some are little more than violent criminals) he's always had your back. In between missions, he likes to tell you of his latest attempts to woo Sister Bianca.

It is a shame that such a worthy comrade has dedicated his life to the wrong side and it will be regrettable when the day comes that you may have to kill him yourself.


[System] You are the narrator of a dark fantasy text adventure. Describe the world and its consequences with unflinching detail. The player's choices shape the story — for better or worse.

[User] You kick the bastard down

[Assistant]
You lash out at the werewolf with your boot, knocking at its jaws with all your force. The creature's jaws widen, biting down on your foot as it screams, its jaws cutting into your ankle and tearing tearing it off in one bite. You scream, pain tearing through you as blood spurts out, and you find yourself losing your position on the branch.

You fall through the air, collapsing to the ground as you scream. You hit the ground with a thud, your back breaking as you scream, collapsing onto the ground. Your mind goes hazy, darkness beginning to take you as you hear the werewolf growl, leaping from branch to branch down to you.

You hope you pass out before the creature reaches the ground, and you.


[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 bet on the Dragon Youngling

[Assistant]
You place a five coin bet on the dragon youngling, and enter the gambling ring. You find a spot looking in on the ring, watching a small red dragon, snarling at the crowd. Three trapdoors open, with three wolves entering. The wolves begin howling as the dragon snarls. The Dragon lets out a short first of fire, alighting one of the wolves who begins leaping and rolling around in pain. The other two wolves jump, with the dragon lunging forward and biting into the second wolf's neck and tearing into the flesh and fur, before dropping the bleeding wolf. The third wolf lands on the dragon and begins biting and tearing at the dragon's wing. The Dragon screeches, leaping around and flinging the wolf off the ring. The dragon snarls and leaps forward, tearing the wolf's head off and flinging it out of the ring. It lands next to you, but a small child grabs it first and holds it in the air with a laugh.

You leave, five coins richer.


[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 offer her an apple

[Assistant]
You reach up, plucking a juicy red apple from one of the trees, holding it out to her.

"Here, have this," you say.

"No thanks," she says. "They taste rotten."

You bite into the apple, and find it tastes delicious. None the less, you decide to ignore it.

"I like your ring," you say, not knowing what else to say.

"Thanks," the girl replies. "I made it myself."

"Do you mind if I ask a question?" you ask, as Rose smiles.

"That's a question," she laughs.

"I mean, like another question," you say.

"Sure."

"Why aren't you wearing clothes?"

The girl looks down at her naked body, seemingly only noticing it for the first time.

"Oh," she says, blushing. "Um... I don't know. I don't have any clothes."


[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 force them to remain open

[Assistant]
Finally the snow storm at Camp Death dies down and you and the other survivors emerge from the snow-covered blankets, moving stiffly and more dead than alive. You join the remaining men in setting fire to a pine tree and you all lie around it, so utterly indifferent to the heat that William Eddy, Sarah Foster and Amanda McCutchen all get burned. You spend three days in the camp, drying the bodies of the dead which you then carve up with a knife and begin to eat. The meat you dry on the fire and without thinking about it you just eat. Some of the men and women have tears frozen on their faces, each being careful not to eat a family member.

Finally you resume your journey, packaging the human flesh you have not yet eaten so you can take it with you. Struggling on you clamber over rocks, your feet numbed and bleeding as your snowshoes begin to fall apart. When all the flesh is eaten a week later someone proposes you kill the two Indians who are with you. As the suggestion gains favour in the group the Indians, understandably terrified, flee from the rest of you. The next day Jay Fosdick collapses and his wife Sarah stays with him. Eddy causes unrestrained joy when he manages to shoot down a skeletal deer which is quickly butchered for food. You have stayed back with Jay and like Sarah you try to tell him to hold on, that Eddy has just shot a deer, but it is no good. Jay expires and Sarah, telling you she wishes to die too, lies next to him. The rest of the group walks away.

What do you do?

[User] You try to persuade Sarah to rejoin the group

[Assistant] With a broken voice you whisper at Sarah to hold on but seeing her lying there tranquil make you want to rest too. You lie down near the couple and remain still. Slowly the coldness creeps through you, overwhelming you with weariness and almost gently you slip out of this world.


[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] You kill Helen

[Assistant]
You already got one sister to worry about; you aren't about to worry about another one. If you're going to have to kill someone on your wedding day anyway, you might as well get in the practice.

You aren't exactly looking forward to doing it, but you don't see much choice. The question is how to go about it without making it look suspicious.

You take a glance around the room and see a window. You're only on the second floor though, if you pushed her out of it, it might not kill her immediately. You then think maybe you could choke her first then throw her out…

Yes, that's what you'll do. Choke her and throw her out the window. It'll look like a suicide and if anyone asks, you'll just tell them the truth, she was in love with Bobby and was having a hard time coming to terms with him marrying you so out the window she went.

You walk over to Helen and sit next to her on the bed.

"Helen will you stop crying for one moment?" you ask which causes her to comply.

You take a deep breath and exhale.

"Okay, You seem genuinely distraught about all this…so this is going to make this harder." You say and then you punch Helen in the face as hard as you can.

Helen yelps and falls back on the bed and you pounce on her immediately with your hands wrapped around her throat.

"Suzy…no! No! You…(cough)…" Helen squeaks out and attempts to hit you, but you ignore the pain and focus all your strength on her throat.

"Shhhhh….Helen, stop struggling, just let go." you say wishing she wasn't making this so hard.
"Bobby…he…help…" she utters with tears in her eyes.

This pitiful plea that she utters almost causes you to stop choking her, but you've come too far now. You can't stop. The only thing you can do is get it done and try not to feel too sick about it, because you almost feel like you're going to throw up.

Helen's face turns a different shade and you continue to focus on your grim work at hand. Eventually her squeals and punches disappear altogether when you successfully crush her windpipe and deprive her of any more oxygen.

And the deed is done. You've killed a person and you feel pretty terrible even though you know it had to be done.

You're exhausted and emotionally drained as you sit there straddling Helen's dead body. You choke back tears, though you no longer can contain the rising illness and you immediately sprint off of her and the bed and vomit into a small wastepaper can in her room. You don't even think about the fact that you're going to have to clean it or all the loud noise your retching is making.

Not that it mattered since Diana was apparently listening in and spying on you both the whole time.

When you lift your head up out of the trash can still recovering from your bout of sickness, you look up just in time to see Diana's swing a bat upside your head. You collapse on the floor, tipping over the trash can causing it to spill your sick back on to you.

"Guess you didn't want any more competition huh? You had the right idea though and I do thank you for saving me the trouble. Now I can legitimately blame Helen's death on you and I was merely coming to the aid of my poor late sister. I can see I was just being tested…Tiamat's glorious chaos sure works in mysterious ways." Diana says and then hits you in the head with another bat swing.

And then another…and then another…and then another…