[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 spy Mission

[Assistant]
"Another day, another dollar," you think as you trudge out the door from your job. You really don't like working there, but at least they pay you...a little. Finally you've made it to the weekend, so you at least get to look forward to a couple days off from work.

You get in your car and drive out of the parking lot at work only to come to an almost immediate stop as you hit the traffic. It is like this every day, but Fridays are always the worst. You reach to turn the radio on, but then remember that you still haven't had time (or money) to get that fixed. You look out the window and just see the line of cars moving slowly...

Finally you get home, and you're hungry. You should have stopped for something on the way home, but you just wanted to get out of that traffic and out of the car. When you arrive at the apartment parking lot, you sigh when you realize that you're late, so everyone else will be parked in the good spots. You circle the building once before you give up and park in the "remote" lot. Hey, at least you're home and work is over.

As you trudge towards your apartment building, you see a small brown box sitting on the edge of the sidewalk, right near where you parked. Looking around, you don't see anyone else at the moment. You can't tell if the box was left there on purpose, or if someone accidentally left it behind.

[User] You ignore it and head home...

[Assistant]
You walk across the sidewalks and towards your apartment. You can feel the heat coming off all the cars that got to park closer to the building than you did because of that traffic. Most of the cars here are older cars, some with dents and cracked windows, just like yours. You'll earn enough one day to get a better car, you're sure of it, just not any time soon.

You start up the stairs to your apartment. When you rented this place, the $200 discount for taking the fourth floor apartment seemed like a good idea. Of course, that was before you found out the apartment above you had kids, and you still had to walk up all these stairs because the elevator was at the other end of the building. Maybe you would win the lottery, then you could build your own house where you wanted it to be: and you weren't going to have any stairs in the entire house!

You unlock your apartment and step inside. The air is pretty stale, since the management makes you pay if you leave the A/C on all day. You know without looking that the refrigerator has nothing but some old catchup. But hey, you did get paid today, so you're going to order some take-out! Just before you get to the phone to place an order, the phone starts ringing.

[User] You ignore the phone...

[Assistant]
You make it through the regular take-out for your dinner and realize that you ended up spending way more of your paycheck than you should have. Now you're full, so maybe you won't go out tonight...well, at least not yet. Sitting around for a bit, it's Friday night, so you're sure something good will be on TV. Later on you can worry about going out.

You flip the channels and start to realize that even though you have something like 1,000 channels, there's really nothing on...nothing at all. You finally stop on some supposed reality show that's just made for laughs and embarrassing people. It's pretty bad, but you watch it all the same because it's better than watching re-runs of a game show from 20 years ago.

As you zone out, suddenly you hear a tapping on your window. Yes, you're on the fourth floor, but one of your living room windows faces the walkway/balcony that loops around the outside of one side of the apartment building. You figure it was probably just the kids from upstairs messing with you, but then you hear the tapping once again. You could just turn the TV up, but you could go see who it is.

[User] You ignore It...

[Assistant]
Your eyes blink open and you look at the ceiling. It is a boring white, like all these apartments, but you're pretty sure it hasn't been painted in 10 or more years. You blink and sit up. At least you don't have to go to work today. Instead, today is relaxation day. First you need to head to the store to stock up on some food, then all bets are off!

You open the door to head downstairs. The day does not match your mood: it is cloudy, cool, and windy outside. In fact, the clouds are getting darker and rolling across the sky as you watch them. You better hurry and get your supplies and get back, or you're sure this storm will catch you. You trot down the stairs and head into the back lot to your car.

You start to pull out and slam on your brakes when another car starts to back out in front of you. That was close. This is a big apartment building, but you recognize that giant car as that of the old lady who lives on the first floor and does everything slow. You slowly follow her out of the parking lot and are glad when she turns the other way.

You are headed towards the grocery store, but when you take a right in the middle of town, you hear a loud "pop" and feel the car slide underneath you. You limp the car over to the sidewalk and get out to see that yes, you now have a flat tire. That's the second one this year, and you just remembered that you didn't replace your spare since the last time.

Fortunately, you have AAA, and you can call them to help you. The overly nice AAA guy on the phone tells you that it will take about an hour, but they'll be there. You sigh and lean against the hood, thinking about all the food you were going to buy, but will now have to wait.

As you're sitting there, a black four-door car slams it's brakes on next to you in a squeal of tires. The back door pops open and you can see a skinny man inside in a dark suit and dark glasses on the far side. He calls out to you, "Get in."

[User] You get in the car...

[Assistant]
You get in the vehicle and take a seat. Before you have time to put on your seat belt, the vehicle starts moving quickly. As you are pressed back into your seat, you get a whiff of the car: it smells new. It looks completely new, like the plastic had just been taken off the seats this morning. You start to sit up and look out the windows, but then you realize the rear windows are not just blacked out from the outside, you cannot see out them from the inside.

You look towards the windshield as a large panel appears from the floor, sliding up to completely obscure your vision. You cannot see out the front window at all. Instead, you sit back, slightly disoriented, as the vehicle bounces through traffic and along the roads. You have no idea where you are going, or even what direction you are traveling.

Suddenly you start to get sleepy and find that you are having trouble keeping your eyes open...

[User] You continue...

[Assistant]
The first thing that you notice when you start to wake is that you are lying down on something hard. The next thing you notice is how much your head hurts. If feels like your head has been in a pinball machine. As you reach up to touch it, you hear a deep voice say, "Oh, sorry about that headache. It will go away soon, but until then it's going to hurt quite a bit. A minor side effect of the drug, you know."

You open your eyes and start to sit up. It feels like a horse has kicked you in the head as you manage to start to sit and open your eyes. You find that you are sitting on the floor of the black van and the side door is open. You spin around and put your legs out the door but don't stand right away as you press your hands against your head to try and reduce the pain. Fortunately, opening your eyes doesn't seem to make the pain any worse and you take in the man outside the van.

The man is short, bald, and dressed in black pants and a tight black tee shirt. You can see cargo pockets on the pants that hang down as if they are not empty. The tight tee shirt reveals that the man has more than a few muscles. He has small, dark eyes that are set deep into his head and a strong forehead. He has a dark stubble around his chin. When he smiles, you can see he is missing at least one of his teeth. He smiles and nods as you take him in.

He crosses his bulging arms in front of his body and continues, "So yeah, we had to knock you out because you didn't need to see where we are just yet. You know, secret and all that stuff. And before you ask, no, I don't know why you were selected. That's above my pay grade. They tell me you're coming, and I take it from there. So you ready to get started?"

You look up with confusion on your face and think of any number of different responses from one-word responses, to anger, to being incredibly sarcastic. Before you can put the words together to respond, the man continues.

"Okay, you're confused. I get it. Sometimes people are prepared for this, sometimes they're not. And some people can't make it through the training, while other times they can. I don't feel like giving you the long story, so you're getting the short story. Here it is: "You're in training be a spy. You get to decide the best way for you to do that. The training starts as soon as you get up off your lazy rear end. And at any time if you decide this isn't for you, you can go home. Of course, we will wipe your memory and you likely won't remember any of this, but that's your choice. Your other options? In this facility we teach stealth, charm, and weapons. So you pick one and we get started, or you choose to go home and I zap you. Got it?"

You look around and past the man and you can see that you are in a large warehouse with a high ceiling. There are a few doors along the far wall that appear to lead into smaller offices. Off to the right is a garage door, obviously where the van came in. The space off to the left is wide open, but there are some obstacles and the floor and some chains and rope hanging from the ceiling. The man snaps his fingers as you look around and says, "Hey, you with me here? We don't have all day."

[User] You tell him to forget it, you want to go home.

[Assistant]
You look around the space and make a decision. You tell the man, "No way. This isn't for me. I might have a crappy job, but at least I'm not getting beat up and killed every day." You shake your head and continue, "My crappy apartment is crappy, but at least it's safe. I don't know who you are and I don't want to know. I just want to get back to my safe life. Now, mister."

The man shrugs his shoulders and pulls out a small bottle. Before you can react, he presses a button on the top and a fine mist sprays into your face. You reach up to wipe away the mist, but as you do, the garage around you is already starting to get out of focus. You try to look at your hand, but it almost seems to be moving on its own. You close one eye to try and focus, but then your other eye closes as well. You only have a moment to think about that before you just stop thinking...

You wake up and open your eyes, but immediately regret doing so. Above you is clear, blue, bright sky. You squint and realize that you really have a pounding headache. From the view of the sky you put two and two together and realize that you're lying on your back on the ground. You gingerly move to sit up and close your eyes as your head pounds. You can't remember the last time your head hurt this much. You squint again, trying to get your bearings and realize that you're sitting on the sidewalk outside your crappy apartment. You don't really remember how you got here, but you wonder if there is any pizza leftover from last night...


[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 tell her the truth

[Assistant]
"Most likely? They'll take you down to the lower chambers as a treat for the more important Ratlings. They'll rape you for a few hours, maybe a few days depending on how resilient you are, and then they'll finally kill you and feed you to the giant rats."

The girl bursts into tears, sobbing with terror. You stare at her with a twinge of sympathy and guilt, before continuing walking.

"I need to get out of here! I need to...!" she says, looking as if she wants to run, so you tighten your grip on her arm, knowing there's no way she'll escape either way.

Soon, you walk down into the burrows through the caved in portion of sewer and into the top layer of the many layered burrows. The weakest and most feeble rats are forced to live here, away from the safety that waits lower down. They look gleefully at the girl, talking and chattering among themselves. They grab at her, groping at her breasts and bosom and tearing pieces of fabric off her dress. You raise your sword to threaten them off, and they easily follow orders. You're weak for a Ratling, but you could easily kill the crippled and the the meek who surround you. You find a corner of the room, shoving the girl into it and raising your sword, waiting for Pak to arrive and take his prey.

"I'm scared," the girl says.

"I'd be, if I were you," you admit.

"What's your name?" she asks.

"Ritz," you say.

"I'm Julianne," she says. "I don't want to die here."

You don't say another word, as she begins to chant.

"I have the soul of the dragon. Dragons to not break. Dragons do not die. Dragons do not show fear. Dragons survive the flames. I have the soul of the dragon..." she continues to chant.

You turn, staring at her. You notice a long, silver necklace hanging around her, and grab it.

"This is pretty," you say, admiring the silver.

"You can have it. If you help me get out of here, it's all yours. It was a gift from my father."

You stare at the necklace, knowing there's not a chance she's getting out of here alive, even if you tried to save her.


[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 send the shamblers away, staying here for a while wouldn't be so bad

[Assistant]
You stop and think things through. Your kills were always driven by your hunger, and sure you enjoyed killing and eating humans, but right now you feel no need too. Your abilities have progressed greatly without eating any humans recently and the food Cara has been giving you tastes great and gets rid of the hunger completely.

So what is wrong with staying here for a bit and enjoying things? Sure you are a harbinger and you might not be human anymore but they don't know that and it's not as if you are infectious... You stop. "Am I infectious? It's not as if I went round biting live humans then seeing how they react... No I don't think so, the virus did something strange to change my body but it must have mutated to do that. I should be safe enough." Having decided that you probably aren't infectious after all you settle into a chair and wait for the dawn. watching the human minds beginning to stir and move about their houses.

Once you judge enough people have gathered around where you saw the large fire-pit the night before you head outside yourself to join them and get breakfast. You no longer have the burning driving hunger constantly in your head pushing you to kill, but your stomach still rumbles if you go too long between meals.

Once there you are immediately greeted by several people and a couple of the younger women come over to give you food and chat. You grateful accept the food and try it "Still tastes good" You think as you notice Cara across the fire hacking angrily at her bowl "Erm sorry ladies but I have to run". They try and keep to you you insist that it is important and jog over to Cara to sit beside her.

"Hey, why sitting alone?" You begin and make her jump, she had been so intent on killing her food that she hadn't even noticed your arrival. She quickly recovers and gives you look that you can't tell is happy or angry "I was just eating and you surprised me, anyway weren't you talking to those other girls first?" She looks over to indicate the girls that had been talking to you and is immediately met with three evil glowers, clearly directed right at her. She lets out an "oooo" noise before turning to you "Ok what did you do?" she says wearily.

You think about it for just a second "Honestly I have no idea, they were nice and brought me some food but I saw you sitting here alone so told them I had to go. I mean, they did try and keep me but I told them I had something much more important to... Oh dear" You finish as realization dawns on you. Cara just bursts into laughter then shuffles closer so she can lean against your side "Good choice!" she announces as she sticks her tongue out at the girls glowing at her "Stupid hussies trying to steal my man" she adds mostly to herself.

"Your man?" you ask before you realize it might be something that you should have pretended you didn't hear. Cara immediately flushes bright red and you can feel her entire body freeze up beside you "Oh crap" You think and you are about to try and save yourself when you feel her relax a little and she replies "Well you haven't asked me yet but you have good taste and aren't too stupid so I can wait a day or two more." You let out an audible sigh of relief and hear her chuckling to herself "Only a day or two more?" You start "I understand that your a highly desirable girl but are you saying you have men lined up that I will need to fight off if I take more than a day or two?".

She gives you a cheeky grin "A girl never reveals her secrets so you better just not wait so you don't need to find out!" THen she hops to her feet and heads off.

[User] You settling into the community life

[Assistant]
You don't wait and later that day you and Cara kiss for the first time. The relationship moves on from there as you stay in the little community and more time passes. You keep working on your abilities and find that all your physical skills improve along with your mental ones and you direct any infected you sense miles away from the community of scavenging areas.

You join Cara's scavenging team permanently to protect her and make sure that the community is always well stocked and prepared incase anything does happen. You decide finally to settle down there and stay as a sort of 'resident protector' for the whole community. Cara already announced to everyone that you will be getting married soon despite only being together for a few weeks but you actually have no problem with it and are just going along with it since it makes her happy.

Once you accepted your roll as her future husband and protector of the people in Safe-Haven your mind shifted. You felt your mind changing, as if it was clarifying everything for you. The last remnants of the headaches fade away and your senses, in their fully relaxed state, seem to stretch further, showing more details of those around you and making everything less hazy when you look at minds. As if you had been walking on a frozen lake covered with snow before and suddenly the snow was brushed aside to reveal the solid clear ice underneath.

You quickly test a few other metal exercises and find that before your mental defenses were like random planks nailed over a window and mostly held in place by you pushing on them constantly whereas now the moment you try to put up a defense it's like a thick wall of pure blue ice forms around your mind, shielding you from all sides.

You push out at shambler minds, only now in range of your abilities and feel you mind moving out like an inexorable glacier, sweeping them away before it. You now know you truly made the right choice, you have full awoken.

[User] A romance ending in blue

[Assistant]
You have found the romance ending as a Blue harbinger! If you do not know what that means, then you need to seek out the other endings hidden in the game as they explain it all!"

*******************************

As with several other endings I have unfortunately had to cut it shorter than I would like due to time constraints but one day in the future it will be extended and completed!


[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] The Count doesn't matter. You came here to get away from fighting, not to get involved in more of it. You'll look around.

[Assistant]
You decide not to interfere with the Count, instead opting to explore Sodran. It's been a while since you've been here. Briefly, you wonder how much has changed; obviously it's grown a lot, but are any of the old stores still open? You recall a store run by an older man, which sold the best wine you ever tasted. Is he still alive, or did his son take over the store like he wanted?

Shaking your head, you reason that you'll just have to find out, and begin to explore. Most of your knowledge of the city hasn't aged well, since more buildings have sprung up and some roads you used to know are gone now. Still, your knowledge holds true when you find the old store you knew. The sign reading "Louie's Supplies" is faded and the wooden door is cracked, but it's still the same place.

Stepping through, you find a bored looking young man standing behind the counter. Looks like you were right about his son taking over. He perks up as soon as he sees you, and smiles. "Ah, a customer! It's been a while since one came through." He studies your face for a moment. "... You look familiar, traveler. Do I know you?"

You grunt. "Probably not. I have one of those faces."

He shakes his head. "No, no, I do know you... You helped my father deal with thugs that were harassing him. Twenty years ago..." Then, he gasps, as if finally realizing who you are. "You're Sir Kit the Brave! The man who slayed the vile wizard Alistair!"

Despite yourself, you face twists into a scowl. "Don't go screaming it from the rooftops."

His own smile drops. "Oh. Apologies, Sir Kit."

"Yeah... Look, I did know your father, and I did help him out, but I just came here to see if the place was still around. Glad it is..." You can't help yourself, and soon ask, "Is your father still alive?"

"No, sir. He died five years ago, when I was nineteen. I inherited the store. Didn't wanna see it run into the ground, but..."

You're gonna hate yourself for asking this. "But?"

"... I don't want to run this store. I want to go out into the world, go on an adventure, like you did. When you came and helped my father with those thugs... I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I wanted to be a hero."

That makes you sigh and pinch the bridge of your nose. Great, now you've got a fanboy telling you he wants to be a "hero", like you were.

[User] You discourage him. Being a hero's not all it's cracked up to be.

[Assistant]
You take a moment to think about what you want to say. After a moment, you begin to speak, "Look, kid. Adventuring isn't all that fun. It can be brutal. I had to cut down my fair share of men when I was younger, and while I can live with it, not everyone can. Just keep the store running, like your father would've wanted."

The shopkeeper's face falls. He lets out a sigh, but nods. "... Right. I should probably keep doing that. Settle down, find a wife, too. It's just that ever since I took over the store, no one's coming here anymore. I guess I just don't manage it as well."

"What do you mean? Is there any competition or something?"

He nods. "There's another store across town that opened before my father died. People went there, but they came here more often, because they trusted my father. Now that I've taken over, people don't shop here as much, if at all in a few cases. They don't know me as well as they did my father, so I might as well be another stranger to them... If people come here these days, it's because they want to save time rather than walk across town."

You ponder for a moment. Maybe you could get people to start heading to this store more often? You have your fame to use to your advantage, maybe if you recommend it, more people will come. Alternatively, you can just ignore the boy and leave. You've spent too much time in this town already.

[User] You you'll give the store your commendation. That will get people to shop here.

[Assistant]
After a moment of mulling it over, wondering if you should bring this much attention to yourself, you come to this decision. "I could help you out. We can use my fame to get people to come here. Everyone loves me, for whatever reason, so if I gave your store my commendation they'd shop here."

The shopkeeper's face lightens up immediately. "Y-you'd really do that for me? You're serious?"

"Sure. It'd help you out. I didn't go through those thugs just so this place would have to close down."

To your surprise, the shopkeeper jumps up and hugs you from across the counter. You awkwardly pat his shoulder, as he blubbers into your own. "Oh by the Gods, thank you, thank you so much! I don't know how I can ever repay you!"

"You'll repay me enough by keeping this place open... And giving me as much of that Cikoni wine as I can carry."

The shopkeeper pulls away from you with a small smile. He wipes the tears away from his eyes... Then pauses. Chuckling nervously, he asks, "Uh... Do you mean the Cikonus Vineyard Wine?"

You frown. "Yeah. What about it?"

"We uh... Lost contact with the makers of that wine, about ten years back. We don't sell it anymore."

You grumble. "... Perfect. Just perfect."

Not long after, you leave the shop and look around outside. You told the kid to stay inside, because you'd get the customers in there. As you search the marketplace, you find that there's a large chunk of townsfolk milling about. Some are in a hurry, others taking their time checking each shop out.

Raising your voice, you begin to shout, "My name is Sir Kit of Droburg, and Louie's Supplies is my favorite store in Sodran!" This piques the interest of a few shoppers, who turn in your direction. A few look in awe that you're there. Others look disbelieving and carry on. Still, you got some attention.

A young girl approaches you, looking at you with wide eyes. "Wow! Are you the guy who killed the evil wizard Al-a-star?" She pronounces his name wrong, but you smile at her and nod.

"Yes, I did! I saved this city, and this store right here, too!"

More people begin to flock over. A few actually head inside, but most just ask you questions or request some stories of your exploits. You don't want to answer them all, but an idea sparks in your head... "Tell you what, folks! If you buy one item from this store, I'll gladly tell you any story you want!"

That really gets people heading into the store.

People start swarming in and out, buying everything from little knick knacks to their groceries. You answer a few lighthearted questions about yourself and what you've been up to, the occasional serious one involving your friends. The former is asked by young kids and the like, while the latter is older folks who know the true details of your journey beyond the bastardized fictionialized versions.

Eventually, a young boy tugs at your shirt. You look down, and he smiles wide, his two front teeth missing. He shows you a small box of chocolates he just purchased from the store. "Look, I bought some chocolates! Can you tell us about your adventure, Mr. Kit? The whole adventure, not just parts of it!"

You were waiting for that. To be honest, you're not sure how to respond. It takes you a moment, before you decide that no, you won't tell this story.

You're about to give the boy your answer, but you stare into his wide and hopeful eyes. Despite yourself, you can't find it in yourself to decline him. "... Alright. But it's a long one. I might not be able to get to all of it."

"That's fine! I just wanna hear what really happened!"

A small smile makes its way onto your face despite yourself. Taking in a deep breath, you begin to reminisce about those days. Where to start? You suppose, at the very beginning.

"Listen closely, because I won't repeat myself. A long time ago, I lived in a village called Droburg. It was there that I lived with my best friends, Henry, Thomas, Lilith, and... Grace. One day, news came through that an evil wizard was attacking the Kingdom! We knew that this was what we had been waiting for. So, the very next day, we set out to slay the vile wizard. And that, is where our story begins..."

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 tell the truth

[Assistant]
"She's been taken down to the fifth layer. You... you won't want to find her. She's dead by now, and her body won't be in the best condition."

The man doesn't respond for some time, before snarling.

"No, she's alive. I can feel it. You, however, are no better than the rest of your lying kind. Death's for you."

The man slices open your throat, and you collapse against the ground, quickly dying.


[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 go to the front door

[Assistant]
You dismiss you're worries as paranoia and walk up to the front door. After ringing the doorbell you patiently wait. Finally the door opens and you're greeted by a large man.

"Yeah?" The man rudely greets.

"I'm looking for Carla Northcutt," You explain.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Ben Higgins, Detective Northcutt asked me to come."

The man heads back into the house without saying anything. You continue to wait in the doorway unsure of what to do next. Another man soon comes to the entrance he has slicked back blonde hair, wearing a white t-shirt and jeans, along with a revolver holstered on his hip.

"Hey Ben, sorry for the rudeness of my friend, we're all a little on edge, Carla is upstairs," The man greets. You walk into the house, a stairway is in the middle of the foyer. You're about to head up when unknown to you, the man with the slicked back hair takes out his revolver and points it at the back of your head. You never hear the gunshot that kills you.


[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] You kill it

[Assistant]
When in doubt, flay 'em like a trout. Swift as a cat hopped up on methamphetamines you draw your sword, spin around, and hack off Organa Mel Fy's head. Magic may not be dope, but you sure are.

What didn't you know? Magic is a stimulating drug. That's why even the best wizards are twitchy and half-cracked in the head. Shit's addictive, man.

Whoa, what the hell is going on? Organa Mel Fy's body and freshly decapitated head melt into what appears to be water and seeps into the ground. That is not normal. Perhaps now would be a good time to get out of here. You are still feeling funny from the magic and can swear you are being watched as you clamber up out of the dell. In fact, your feet are moving in a flurry, but it does not seem like you are getting anywhere. You definitely passed that big ass maple like five times already.

You whirl around and brandish your sword. "Ok, what the fuck gives? Will the mysterious magic bitch or bastard please stand up?"

"If you insist." A mysterious magic bitch with bountiful breasts appears before you out of thin air wearing low-cut red robes. She reeks of magic and virility.

"Listen, err, lady, my day's been one odious load of shit, so unless you want me to wrap you up in the stink, I suggest you bugger off."

The woman's lips curl into a seductive smirk. "Aren't you curious as to whom I am, or what I am going to offer you?"

"At this point, I really don't give a damn."

"Perhaps you should."

"Perhaps you should suck my dick."

"If that is what you truly desire, that may be arranged. But for now, you will listen to my proposal like a good puppy." The woman raises her hand, immobilizing your body with her magic. "Now then-"

[User] You hear her out.

[Assistant]
"If you agree to be my obedient and ever loyal servant, I will allow you to be my second in command and we shall rule the world with a magical fist! I'll even fix up your arm for you, much better than that crackpot Osprey could do for you too."

"Can I be a Knight in Shining Armor?"

"You can be a Black Knight."

"Awww, that's not heroic at all."

"Well, you could just be my Dragon."

"You'll turn me into a dragon! That's awesome!"

"No. A Dragon is a trope. Don't you have the internet?"

"What's a trope? Or the internet? Is it like a cliché?"

Organa Mel Fy face palms. "Go here and waste countless hours of your life and educate yourself. http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/HomePage"

"I don't speak foreign. Just Common."

"I think I'll just kill you."

And so she does. Now you are free to lose your soul in the vast voids of the internet.


[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] You address it

[Assistant]
"Hey Nina get up."
"Huh, what? Not tonight I'm tired."
"No it's not that. It's about the surface. I think we need to start taking precautions and possible steps to expand above. The surface doesn't look that bad and…"

Nina immediately sits up.

"YOU WENT TO THE SURFACE? After I told you not to fucking do that?! YOU ASSHOLE!"
"Calm down look you can see nothing happened to me. It doesn't even look like there was any bombs that landed anywhere near the area."
"You could be radiated! The wind blows your know or have you forgotten? Or maybe it was a biological weapon! A disease could be floating in the air! You ever think of that? You could be infected with god knows what right now and spread it to the whole shelter! And our baby!"

Another surprise.

"Baby? You're pregnant?"
"I just found out recently from Brenda a few days ago. I was going to tell you soon, I should've told you yesterday before you went to the surface, but I THOUGHT you respected my wishes! I can't believe you…"

Nina gets up and starts pacing. She's very upset. You get up and try to fix this mess.

"Look that just makes this idea even more vital, this place can't support all these people having babies. Even GZS mentioned in their delusional guideline statement it was the intention for people to eventually go back up to the surface and repopulate it with their families. We can't live like a bunch of crowded sardines; we should make preparations now, before it becomes a problem."
"But it might be dangerous up there."
"It probably won't be a picnic, but that's another reason why we should start getting ready now. The more we're prepared the better off we'll be to defend ourselves."
"But the radiation…"
"Look, the fact remains this place IS going to get overpopulated one day and people are going to have to start going up to the surface and any background radiation isn't going to disappear within that time. So we're just going to have to roll the dice and deal with that fact. Like I said I think we're okay, we're in a fairly isolated area away from an important major city. It's not like we're located on either of the coasts which were probably bombed the shit out of. And to the response to biological weapon thing, I highly doubt those were used, we were the only country that had the capability to launch such weapons from a long distance, except maybe Russia and I'm sure they probably just used nukes on us. Besides any virus or germ used in such a way would've died out long ago after it killed off the immediate population."

Nina still doesn't look so sure, she still look worried about you. You hold Nina to reassure her.

"If it'll make you feel better I'll actually go see Kyle and have him check me out. And you know how much I hate going to see doctors, especially one that's got all his knowledge from the GZS info files. I'll be here for a long time… for all of us."

Your words seem to relax her a bit. She smiles and embraces you more closely.

"Okay, I'll bring it up tomorrow…I still think it's funny that you of all people would be advocating going back to the surface."
"Pfft! WE'RE not going to the surface to live. We're staying here! I just want get the rest of these fuckers out of the shelter and on to the surface! This place is too damn crowded as it is!"
"Now that sounds more like you!" Nina laughs.

Five more years pass…

It's been ten years since you got here. It almost seems surreal to think about. Nina's still the shelter leader and you're still looking after the central computer. However a lot more things have changed, and just as predicted the population grew significantly, fortunately the implementations ahead of time allowed everyone to adjust with little problems.

There was some apprehension at first when Nina first suggested the surface thing, but eventually people did see the point in it. Some even wanted to go up to the surface. The first step was to make a fully functioning elevator that people could go up AND down on without any problems. (Of course that job fell to you again)

The next step was to create small "huts" with the cars outside as well as using current shelter material. This went quicker than expected as most people pitched in to help.

Nina gave birth to a son Jack, and almost went back to her duties immediately, leaving you to do most of the "Mr. Mom" work. Nowadays you split your time between monitoring the computer and monitoring Jack. Thankfully Charles and Todd have learned a lot more now and don't require your supervision lessening your workload.

Now its time for the next step.

Nina and her council have been discussing plans for the even farther future. Contact with others and exploration. Within the past five years of the return to the surface, there has been contact with a few wanderers here and there, but they tended not to talk too much about their travels, they just mentioned that they'd seen other evidences of civilization, not all very civilized of course. Most of them just seemed to want to keep moving after doing a bit of trading and resupplying. One even hinted at some other "things" lurking around on the surface which didn't sound too promising.

However, the shelter needs to start finding a stable trading partner, or at least a place to find more supplies, because the vital ones are starting to run out. Some people are asked to volunteer for this exploration mission

It wasn't surprising Leon volunteered, but Brenda and Todd also volunteered. They were given as much supplies as they could carry and armed with the most "dangerous" things in the shelter. Leon and Todd carry some crowbars and Brenda carries a scalpel. You wonder if that's really going to be enough though. Chances are some people out there (Quite possibly a lot) are carrying guns on them. Todd and Brenda aren't going to be much good in a fight anyway, and while Leon is a fighter, even he can't stop a bullet.

You're the only one with an "equalizer" around here. Maybe you should hand it over to them to give them a better chance. Though you really don't want to do that, for various reasons.

[User] You hand over your pistol

[Assistant]
Before they leave you approach Leon, you and he still have a bit of history over the whole Elliot thing years ago. You're guessing he's not one to hold a grudge though since he's never sought any type of revenge or something. You only hope he isn't the patient type.

"Alright Leon, I know you're the fighter of this group, and I know its most likely going to be dangerous up there, so I'm gonna do something totally out of character. I'm giving you my pistol and the two clips I have. It's in good condition, and it's only been fired once in ten years and I think you know when that was. Here you go."

Leon takes the gun and looks at it with silence for awhile and then speaks. You think this is the first time you've actually heard him speak at all!

"Y'know, I never did apologize for that shit ten years ago. I dunno what the hell I was thinking following Elliot; none of us who did do. You and Nina have done a better job of keeping this place running than anyone. Anyway, this is really generous of you, but I can't shoot worth shit, but I know someone who's going with us who used to practice regularly before the bombs dropped. Hey Brenda! I got something for ya!"

Brenda comes over and her eyes widen when Leon hands her your pistol.

"Aw yeah! This is what I'm talkin' about! I just hope I'm still a good shot; I've only been able to practice my aim by throwing this scalpel at a human diagram chart."
"Yeah well don't practice too much with it, save your bullets for an emergency. I didn't know you were a gun person Brenda." You say.
"You really need to get out of that computer room and socialize more!"
"Shit, he barely socializes when he's in there with me and Charles." Todd adds.
"But yeah I used to practice with my own when I had one. I was too afraid to try to sneak mine in here though…you know we've all always wondered about that, how DID you sneak this in?" Brenda asks.

You just smile.

"Hey I think you guys better get going." You say almost laughing

"Oh come on! What a gyp! Alright, but we want to know when we come back!" Brenda says and then her, Leon and Todd enter the elevator wave goodbye to everyone and go up.

You and everyone else go about your usual business. Nina mentions what you did.

"Wow, that was really surprising for you, you've practically been walking around with that thing on you for ten years."
"Yeah, well I can only hope I don't need it within the time that they come back…if they come back."
"You just gave them an edge I'd say they've got more of a chance now. Don't be so pessimistic. They'll come back."
"Yeah I hope. Bring Jack by the computer room later; I know you got some sort of meeting to go to."
"Oh I can cancel that, it's not vital."
"No its fine, bring him by. I've been indoctrinating him on the basics of the shelter computer. Someone's gotta run this thing when I'm gone."
"Well alright then, hey don't worry. Everything will be alright."

Nina kisses you and you exchange remarks about how you love each other before you make your way back to the computer room. You know its silly to think about it, but you can't help thinking about some worst possible scenario.

You think about those three getting captured, tortured, and killed by a large group of psychotic bandits or something and then those same scum coming here because they found out the location after torturing them. You wouldn't have anything proper to defend your family with and the surface scum would probably have all kinds of weapons to kill everyone with. They'd start by killing everyone in immediate area of the entrance, then they'd come down in small groups with automatic weapons they undoubtedly have and start killing down here and worse…

"HEY! Stop spacing!" Charles suddenly says to you.
"Huh? Oh! Okay." You say snapping out your horrible daydream.
"Man, what's wrong with you? You've been doing that the whole time you got here."
"Nothing, just a little pre-occupied."

You still don't really relax until Jack gets there, which allows you to think about less terrible things like teaching him about the computer system.

When you're finished with your duties, you go back to your room, and Nina's there waiting for you looking as lovely as usual. You came in this place ten years ago with nothing except a bad attitude, now you got a lot more…

You're not losing this. No way in hell.

The next day you start visiting the community gym area. You know other people like Leon use it. Nina uses it to keep in shape, but you've never stepped foot in the place, you never really saw any reason to, its not like you were fat or anything, but you realize if some shit goes down you're going to have to be in better physical condition. You might not have a gun, but MAYBE you'll be quick and strong enough to take one away from somebody! You need a fucking edge. You begin training regularly. Nina's a little confused about this sudden change, but she's not at all displeased with it.

You do this for the next six months with the constant theme running in your mind of how you'll be able to take out the first miscreant that steps through the elevator, grab his gun and…

"Hey everyone, they're back! And they're in a fuckin' car with a shitload of stuff!" someone shouts while you're training.

You immediately stop and head for the surface. When you arrive you see Leon unloading some stuff out of a beat up, but functioning car, he's got a patch on his eye now and his face is scarred, but otherwise looks okay. Brenda comes up to you and tosses you your pistol back, along with three clips!

"Came in handy, but I think I'll be using THIS from now on!" Brenda pats an automatic rifle slung over her shoulder. "Hey, you look different, you been working out?"

"Um, something like that. So where did you get all this stuff?"
"Most of it we got from this small place called Ashtown that's agreed to trade with us, we'd found it after about a week of wandering around, we were there negotiating with them and they wouldn't trust us at first until the place suddenly got attack by a bunch of raiders. We helped defend the place from a one month siege! We also stuck around to help heal the wound. After that, they decided we were okay…that was at sort of a high cost though. Todd didn't make it. He got killed in the fight. Tried to save him, but it was already too late by the time I got there." Brenda explains.

"Damn...he was an alright guy…so is this fight where Leon got all scarred up?" you say as he approaches.
"No, that happened after we left Ashtown, we went exploring some more, we found another place a lot less friendly called The Combine. Trust me; we want to AVOID that place. We barely got out of there; we were basically prisoners. That's why we were gone for so long. However, that's where we got this car. We stopped back at Ashtown to pick up some supplies and came back here." Leon answers, then he looks at you with his remaining eye. "Damn, you been working out?"

You nearly start laughing at your situation, here you were training and thinking up every possible worst case scenario that was going to befall the shelter, while Brenda and Leon were actually engaged in some worst case scenarios. You're just glad that nothing did happen to the shelter, but you certainly feel less naked now that you have your "equalizer" back!

Life in the shelter continues.

Ten more years pass…

You've been here twenty years and as always there are more changes.

More people have moved to the surface, pieces of the shelter have been dismantled and started to be used to build a real town along with supplies from Ashtown, and scavenging from other places. Still, the shelter is needed to ensure at least a clean water supply so you're still running it. Nina's position has changed though. Since the shelter doesn't contain a majority of the population anymore, her position is more of a community council person and her title is no longer "shelter leader". The place has been given a name now; New Haven

One current problem is to keep the place together, but with the younger population, they're less likely to want to stay. Ever since Leon came back with a giant mutant wolf head on one of his exploration trips, they all want to be "explorers" too. Your son Jack being one of those young people.

Nina of course doesn't want him to go anywhere (You're reminded of when she didn't want you to go to the surface) and you can't say you're too fond of the idea either, but what can you do?

[User] You increase his work time with you

[Assistant]
The longer you can keep an eye on him the less likely he'll be sneaking off, maybe you can drum some discipline into his head again too, because apparently he lost some of it. You go to find Jake who's hanging around the edges of town as usual.

"Hey Jack come here!"
"Aw Dad, I don't feel like working with you in the boring ol' computer room right now!"
"Boy, you better get your ass to that computer room!"

Jack follows you in defeat before you embarrass him anymore in front of his friends. When you arrive in the computer room Charles is there. Jack slumps down in a chair next to a console.

"Oh hey there, I didn't expect to see you both here today." Charles says unsure of how he's suppose to respond to this situation."
"Yeah, well Jack needs to spend some extra time down here, he's been slackin' lately."
"I ain't been slackin'!" Jake protests.
"You've been slackin'! Now check the power systems!"
"(Sigh) Fine! I dunno why we have to do this for; there hasn't been a problem with this thing for years."
"Yeah, and it's gonna STAY that way too! The only reason why we haven't had problems is because I'm on top of things all the time! If I let this thing go to shit, no more clean water supply for us! Would you like that? Drinking piss water?"
"I know I sure wouldn't." Charles mumbles.
"Damnit Dad this is boring! I don't wanna be doing this shit! I wanna go out an explore the world like Leon!"
"Like Leon huh? In case you're blind, you'll notice Leon's got a missing eye, a missing left ear and pieces of his fingers. That's what the rest of the world does to you, if you slip up just slightly and nobody's perfect. Look at Brenda, she's the best marksperson in this place and she got herself shot in the leg which stopped her from going out. She now walks with a permanent limp! Is that what you want?"
"God you're a fucking control freak Dad! I thought Mom was bad, but…"

Over the line. That one incurred Jack a wrap to the head.

"DON'T YOU DARE TALK ABOUT YOUR MOTHER THAT WAY!" you bellow as Jack holds his head.
"Um…I think my shift is over, see ya later!" Charles says getting out the way of this family squabble.

The rest of the time in the computer room is silent. Jack doesn't say anything, he just sullenly does what you tell him. The next day he does the same thing, and the day after that, and so on, until one day he doesn't. Mainly because he's run away with some of his friends and stolen Leon's beat up car. Nina is very distraught along with many other parents. The only thing is that Leon said it doesn't have that much gas in it because he hasn't been able to come across any lately.

You, some of the other fathers and Leon go looking for all of them. You first head towards Ashtown thinking that maybe they just went there to be "a little rebellious". You come across the car, which they obviously abandoned, and continue to Ashtown with hope that Jack still headed that way, but no such luck. When you arrive, the people their say they haven't seen anyone come by in weeks.

Days go by and at one point Leon thinks he's got a lead, but then the worst happens. You're attacked by crazed cannibals and their mutant dogs. You immediately tag one of the cannibals and duck behind a rock. But the cannibals also have guns and while the other fathers have weapons too, they haven't been practicing with them like you and Leon have. They're a lot better shots, you see a few of your fellow parents go down for the count, while the dogs finish them off. Leon holds his own, and you and he manage to take out all the cannibals, but it's the fucking dogs that give you trouble…

Three of them leap onto Leon, knocking his weapon from his hand, he sticks his thumbs in the eyes of the one that tried to take out his throat, but that still doesn't stop it from biting him in the face before it dies, one is chewing on his chest though and the other one is going to town on his crotch. You'd try to help him, but you got one that came out of nowhere that rips into your leg. You shoot the damn thing in the head three times before it lets go. You then struggle to stand and shoot the other couple dogs, but its too late, Leon's a mangled corpse.

"FUCK!" you shout in frustration looking at the dead all around you. You collapse to the ground and put your hands on your face thinking about how this got all fucked up and then that's when you notice the smoke coming from the cannibal camp and the smell of burning flesh. Your heart sinks and you drag yourself over for a closer look.

"No…don't let it…" you to yourself. You see some bones and clothing. Some on it looks like that of some of the other parent's kids. You don't see anything of Jack's. You don't know if he got away, or they ate him and threw the clothing elsewhere or what. Somehow it doesn't really matter; you haven't found him, so for all intents and purposes he's dead or at best; missing.

After grabbing all the remaining water you can from the others you make the long painful journey back to New Haven, thinking about what you're going to tell everyone. Much has been lost this day.

When you get back you collapse again, this time you feel a fever. Brenda and Kyle immediately see to you. It's your leg, its festering and infected from the mutant dog bite. Nothing can be done; you get it chopped off at the knee. The only good thing is you were unconscious at the time.

After you get over the initially shock of waking up to a peg leg, you only have more bad news for everyone, especially Nina. However, many lives of husbands and children have been lost and someone MUST take the blame. And that someone happens to be you just because you happened to be the lucky one to come back alive.

Nina is voted out of her position on the council for some made up reason which you protest loudly, but it hardly bothers her since she's been preoccupied ever since you came back with the bad news. She holds on to sanity by making herself believe that Jack DID escape and is somewhere out there wandering the world.

They can't get rid of you so easily since even with Charles around you're still the only guy who can keep the computer system running everything working right, but most of the population sure gives you a hard time. If you weren't walking around on a fucking peg, you'd start kicking some ass. As a few years goes by, finally you get sick of the shit and say:

"Fuck it. Let 'em rot. They can run this shit themselves, this place is getting dead anyway. Nina, we're going to Ashtown."
"Ashtown? But that's so far away! And you're walking on that peg!"
"I didn't mean go right this minute or by ourselves, I meant the next trade caravan from Ashtown that comes by we're tagging along with it."
"We're just going to pick up and leave? Just like that? After all these years?"
"Hey, I don't like it either, but its obvious all of our efforts weren't ever appreciated here. Yours OR mine. Since they hate us so much, then let 'em live here without our help. There's nothing for us here now. All we got left is each other."

Nina agrees and holds you tightly while telling you how much she loves you.

When the Ashtown caravan comes around you and Nina have all your stuff packed. They're only too happy to take you with them, since Ashtown has been trying to get a couple old generators working to maximum efficiency and they heard you were good at that sort of thing.

You spend your remaining life in Ashtown. It isn't as secure in safety as it was in New Haven, but at least you had Nina to make it equally as comfortable.


[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]
Love SICK Too

The Future…

"You know how mutants are dear, they act on impulse sometimes." You say as you sew up a shirt.
"Yes, I get that, but I specifically told my congregation NOT to attack Iron Union transports! Last thing we need is the GZ corporation sniffing around this town asking questions. I'm just glad I managed to convince them to clean up the mess, even if some of them were bitching the entire time." Bobby exclaims.
"Hm, well you are very persuasive when you want to be. Guess that's why they listen to you at all."

Bobby just sits down in a nearby chair continuing to rant about the troubles with his "congregation." You've heard the complaints before several times and really this is just a normal routine for you both. Bobby complains and you listen to his troubles. Just part of married life you suppose.

Making adjustments to accommodate your significant other's desires is another part of married life.

Bobby may have very well left his "religion" behind, but the cult leader part of him never really left him. You're not even exactly sure what "higher power" Bobby believes in now, if he does at all. Personally you think he just made up some shit and managed to convince a bunch of mutants to follow him. Not that you really care. He's bringing in the loot with his little band of brainwashed mutants and it provides him with a sense of fulfillment, despite the fact he's doing a lot of complaining right now.

"Bobby, you're worrying too much again. I'm sure your minions aren't the only mutants living in this town that have attacked Iron Union transports. Besides, last I heard the Iron Union is in the middle of a civil war. So even if they did find out, I doubt if they've even got the firepower to launch an attack on a place that has the reputation of being a large and extremely dangerous mutant town." You say.
"Heh, well they certainly got less now. There were some nice weapons in that transport." Bobby chuckles.
"See? Just gotta look on the bright side of things." You say.

Maintaining an optimistic mindset certainly came in handy during those early years when it was just you and Bobby surviving on the road, drifting from place to place. Not that it was all-bad and some of it was even fun, but you and Bobby were never truly happier when you finally managed to lay down roots here in Emberville.

You, of course for the reasons of comfort and security. Bobby of course still wanted a family. He had you of course, but you know deep down he still wanted to have children with you.

Which also became another adjustment, but really not one you were so resistant about anymore. You just needed time like you said and eventually you felt it was the right time.

"Alexander! Your shirt is done!" you shout.

Your son comes in from his room. Normally he's out playing, but there are times where he just shuts himself away and reads whatever books Bobby or you find for him. It's good that he has a variety of interests.

"Hey this looks as good as new." He exclaims.
"I doubt that, but I did the best I could with what I had."
"Where did you learn to sew Mom?" Alexander asks.
"Oh, my mother taught me when I was little. Never thought I'd actually ever take it up again though, but in this sort of world, it's sort of a handy skill to have."
"Hey how come you never told me about that little interesting tidbit about your life when we were first going out? I remember being surprised when you told me you had seamstress skills" Bobby asks.
"Like I said, I never thought it was important until this whole world went to shit and sewing up clothes was something I had to actually do more frequently." You answer.

"Did she teach you how to cook too?" Alexander asks
"Hah, no. I didn't learn how to do that until much later in life and I taught myself mostly." You say.
"Your mother is misremembering things again. She actually learned a lot from Mrs. Zerul down the street. Before we moved here, your mother's cooking probably nearly killed me more times than gunfire." Bobby jokes, which gets him a glare.
"Hey, there were several times that we didn't starve thanks to me." You snap.

"Well I think you're a good cook Mom." Alexander remarks.
"Thanks son, at least someone here appreciates me. Now go out and play and try not to ruin the shirt you're currently wearing. Especially if you play with that Jenny girl."
"Who's Jenny?" Bobby asks, not knowing all of his son's friends as usual.
"Jenny is a cute little mutant girl with talons instead of normal nails. Last time they were playing and Alexander came home with a shirt that was beyond my sewing skills."
"You sure they were just playing?" Bobby asks.
"Bobby!" you say.
"Hey, kids grow up fast without traditional social norms!" Bobby says.
"And what exactly would YOU even know what traditional social norms are?" you ask.
"…well I do know what they were even if I didn't actually practice them. In fact I'd say I'm a living example of what happens to a child growing up without traditional social norms." Bobby replies.

Alexander isn't quite sure what you and Bobby going on about, but speaks up.

"Me and Jenny were just playing tag that time my shirt was all ripped up, like I said."
"Yes, I remember and I believe you. Now off you go, and remember dinner will be ready just before night fall."

Alexander agrees he'll be careful and runs out to play with his friends.

You watch him briefly from the door.

"Sometimes I wonder if we shouldn't be a little more protective of him." You say.
"He's fine. Better he get some claw scratches and bruises now so he doesn't grow up to be completely sheltered." Bobby responds.
"Yeah I know all too damn well what the dangers that can bring, especially with the way the world is now. Still, can't help but worry at times."

Bobby stands up and walks over to reassure you.

"Well of course you worry, you're a good mother. And here you always thought you wouldn't make a good one, remember?"
"Yeah, that was a whole other lifetime ago. I can honestly say I'm glad those old days are behind us."

Bobby nods and begins to caress you. You return his affection with a kiss and the pair of you just sort of hold each other for awhile.

Seems surreal at times that you arrived at this point. Married, a child, and living modest home in a town mainly consisting of mutants. Though given both your family and Bobby's, maybe it makes sense you fit in better with a community full of mutants.

To be honest, you think the only real problem you ever had with moving in and marrying Bobby to begin with was due to the situation with his sister Diana. You wonder if you would've done all this sooner had she never been in the picture. Oh well, no point in playing "What if" especially since everything worked out.

This life is harder than your old one in several ways, but given all the new skills you learned and all of what you've managed to achieve, you're definitely a stronger and better person now than you ever were before.

"Well I guess I better get started on dinner. Unless you want what Mrs. Zerul is serving down the street." You say elbowing Bobby in the side for his previous comment.
"Oh yeah because hideous old women with humps on their back and scales on their face really do it for me. You know I was joking about that."
"I know. You brought the groceries right?"
"Yeah, just vegetables and meat though. Didn't get a hold of much else this time."
"It's all I ever really need. I know you're probably tired from getting the stuff last night, but can you help me get started?" you ask.
"Sure. Meet you in the kitchen." Bobby responds.

Bobby heads to the root cellar and you head to the kitchen when you start your preparations. You're lucky to have the kitchen amenities you have compared to most in this town. Wood burning stoves aren't that common here, but then again most mutants don't bother cooking their food at all. You and Bobby of course aren't savages.

As you're getting everything set, Bobby comes up with the groceries and sets them down on the large prep table.

"There you go baby. You need me to help prep the meat?"
"Nah, I can do it. Doesn't take me long."
"Okay, I'm going to get some sleep. Call me if you need anything."
"Will do. Thanks dear." You say and Bobby kisses you on the cheek before heading off to bedroom.

You grab your machete and stare at the table.

The tied and gagged naked young woman continues to squirm on the table. If she could, she'd probably scream or beg. You're guessing she was part of whatever caravan Bobby and his congregation raided. Probably the merchant since she doesn't look like a guard. That's a good thing; her meat isn't going to be as tough.

This would be the other advantage of living in a mutant town: They don't frown upon cannibalism here.

The young woman's eyes widen as you bring the machete down to finish her off.

As you chop up the rest of the woman's body, you briefly think about the past again, specifically when Bobby's aunt was psychoanalyzing you.

She certainly was right when she said you were prone to revel in great violence under the right circumstances.


[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]
Day Zero.

You wake up, it seems like a normal day.

A little too normal....

[User] You go To Work

[Assistant] You put your clothes on and head to work. Regardless of the abnomal normality of this day, the bills need to be paid. You walk down the street to your local 7/11 ,head to the back room and put on your work clothes.

[User] You time to Work

[Assistant]
You spend the rest of the day working, your 9-5 job goes by as normal as ever.

At little too normal....

[User] You well works done, let's go home

[Assistant]
You change back to your normal clothing and walk back home. There's not much to do so you make some food, play some games, masterbate and fall to sleep.

Everything was just too normal though...

[User] You day One

[Assistant]
Suppose it makes sense nothing unusual happens until the first day. After all, if anything happened the day before then that would have been considered the first day, now wouldn't it have.

Before you wake up, let's reflect on who you are so you don't die to some random incident due to some crazy issue you had that you should have known you had all along since you are you.

Anyways....

Name: James

Age: 23

Sex: Yes Please Male

Occupation: Clerk at 7/11 (Full time)

Intelligence: Average

Strength: Average

Stamina: Low

Weapon Experience: You can swing a melee weapon, then again anyone can do that.....that's it

Relationships: You got a best friend who lives next store (Bob) and your family (Mom/Dad/younger Sister) lives across town, that's it. Don't you get lonely?

Driving: You can drive fine, but sadly you cannot afford a car right now.

Special Traits : None, you are an average bastard

[User] You guess it's time to wake up

[Assistant]
You wake up at 8am, take a shower, throw on some clothes and turn on the local news. Everything seems to go just like it did yesterday, and the news is pretty much the same. Except all the normal murder stories are replaced by animal attacks and riots.

The news doesn't say anything specific, no mention of zombies or anything, but the potential is still there...

[User] You go to work anyways

[Assistant]
You decide to head to work anyways, you need money if you're going to finally buy a car and you have bills to pay.

Nothing unusual happens on the way to work, nor for the first 3 hours. However at noon the news starts to say some interesting things. It's saying that the attacks and riots this morning are actually due to a new virus. They instruct everyone to return to their homes and wait until further instructions.

No one arrives for the next hour, and finally your boss calls and tells you to go home. You change and proceed to head home, but then something different happens.

[User] You well it's about damn time

[Assistant]
You exit the employee room, and find a customer standing just inside of the entrance to the store. He seems pretty out of it. You tell him the store is closed and he turns to you.

His clothing is covered in blood, and his eyes seem completely black. He starts to stumble towards you.

You continue to yell at him, angry that he is ignoring you. Finally, when he's just out of arm's reach, you realize hes probably been infected with that virus you heard about on the news.

You hate to admit it, but he's probably a zombie.

(Well no shit Sherlock)

So, what's the plan?

[User] You wrestle Him

[Assistant]
You um...decide the best course of action is to wrestle a zombie.

Perhaps "average intelligence" was a bit too generous...

Regardless, you slip behind the zombie and put him in a chokehold. You lean back, fall to the floor, and wrap your legs around him.

Now usually this is the part where the person would slowly lose consciousness, and you would then let go and kick them a few times for good measure. Sadly this person is a zombie and can't lose consciousness. As such, his continous struggle eventually gets him out of your iron grip, and he bites your arm.

We could go further into the story, but you can guess what your ending is now.

[Death]


[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] Continue

[Assistant]
Even though you're supposed to be a wizard in training, you spend as little time as possible in library if you can help it. Normally you just check out whatever you need to read for a class and leave.

You have little faith in finding anything substantial on Necromancy in there, but maybe you can find something that will at least quell this thirst for knowledge on it. You realize you're treading on dangerous ground, but you have to try to learn more.

The library is huge however, and you're unsure of where to look, it's not like there's a section on Necromancy or Outlawed Magic, but you figure you'll look in the History section first.

You glance and browse through the stacks until you pick up a few choice books that look like they might contain something, sit down in a quiet corner and begin to read. Naturally you don't learn too much. The history books mainly go on about how bad the Dead War was, important battles, the atrocities of the Lich Lord, the typical stuff you've read time and time again. Still, you're determined to find something new.

You spend hours reading until you realize you've spent the day in the library and that it's now night time. Oddly the library is mostly empty, and that's probably because finals are now over, one of which you've now undoubtedly failed. You think of how stupid you've been to obsess over an outlawed art that you probably wouldn't be any good at anyway! You've only been dwelling on the subject to ignore your own problems that you could've tried to solve yourself, instead of fantasizing about being some Necromancer. Raising the dead…what good would that do you? Delusions of grandeur. You wouldn't have enough motivation to try to take over the world anyway. There was only one person who truly motivated you, and she's gone.

You begin to think about Serena and begin to feel sorrow like when you first lost her. You've had enough of death. You leave the library in a daze and head back home to sleep off this miserable day.

You can't escape though; even your dreams bring death. You dream about Serena. At first she's alive and vibrant, and then suddenly she dies before your eyes. Then you see her grave with you sobbing over it and shouting how you demand that she not leave you.

Then she rises from her grave…and you wake up only to come face to face with her! She is a ghost floating near your bed.

"HOLY SHIT!" you shout and back up against your headboard.
"Shhhh! Hush my love, I'm risking a lot just by being here." She says looking around as if someone is going to bust down your door any minute.
"Serena, what's going on? This isn't a dream is it?"
"No, my dear I assure you that I am very real. And I have a message for you."
"A message?"
"Yes, embrace death and all the beauty it has to offer."
"You want me to kill myself, to join you?"
Serena laughs a bit. "No silly, you are to become a necromancer and bring the purity of death to the world."
"…yeah right. With my aptitude of magic, I doubt if I could raise a mouse skeleton."
"You always did lack confidence in yourself. I suppose that's why they sent me to motivate you one last time. Though I admit, I would've come to see you anyway."
"They?"

Serena side steps your question and continues.

"Look we haven't much time, but you HAVE the ability to become the greatest Necromancer since the Great Lich Lord who brought the world near the brink of extinction centuries ago, but you cannot do it alone…at least not yet. You must have allies. There are others like you on this campus who long to practice the dark arts. Seek them out and take over this college as your first step to your destiny."
"What? Hold on! What makes you think I want to do all this?"

Serena floats closer to you and touches your face with a ghostly hand. You feel completely calm.

"Because deep down it IS what you want. You know your thoughts are dominated by death. You even think of me rather than living girls and I've been dead for years. The very fact that your mind played a part in summoning me here is also proof of your desire."
"I miss you…"
"I know you do, but my point is, even before I died I remember you having an interest in the dark arts. Indeed it's part of what attracted me to you. But now I must return and you must fulfill your part in this world, whether you succeed or fail at this endeavor will ultimately be up to you, but I believe you will succeed."

Serena then floats a little closer to kiss you.

"Farewell, my love." She says and then disappears.

You're now wide awake and pacing the floor. You've been ambivalent about pursuing this path before, but the more you think about it and with this visit from Serena, this is the path you're going to choose. And why not? It's not like you have any better options in your life at this point.

You're going to do it, and though Serena mentioned others like you being on campus, you're damned if you have a clue to as of knowing who they are since you don't really socialize. Still, you can think of two people that could get you started. (Or at least not rat on you, when you start inquiring about Necromancy)

The next day you take your first steps towards darkness…

[User] You go talk to the demon, Big Red

[Assistant]
Chapter 2: Hellbound

Serena's advice might've pointed you in the right direction, but as far as you needing the help of others you're going to take a pass on that. You don't need anyone else except yourself. That's the way it's been for a long time and that's the way it's going to stay.

That leaves you to go where various other students have gone when they want to get something illegal and keep it to themselves. "Big Red".

Technically Big Red isn't actually all that big, in fact for a demon he's probably on the smaller size, but like most demons he likes to think he's very important. Big Red typically hangs around in the seedy parts of Nuro, but he also hangs around the park area on campus late at night. His presence in Nuro is barely tolerated, but he's been known to acquire things for high ranking officials and provide important information that is beneficial to Nuro security.

Oddly for all his mercenary criminal behavior he's tight lipped for a demon and will only tell on someone if asked directly and only then for the right price. Given how low profile you are, it's unlikely anyone's going to ask about you, let alone what for. Chances are if anyone does see you with Big Red they'll just think you're another college student looking to get high.

You wait until night and then stalk the campus park area looking for Big Red, but instead he finds you, catching you off guard.

"Y'know you'd look less guilty if you weren't lurking around like a damn dark elf assassin. Haven't seen you around before, I guess that explains why you're coming to me AFTER finals are over. Most students come and get the answers before hand y'know."
"You sell those? Damn, I didn't have to fail my nature test final after all."
"I could probably fix that too, for a price of course."
"…maybe, but what I'm looking for is uh…a little different."
"Ah, so high exactly do you want to get?"
"No, not that…"
"Well, I'm not selling sex slaves if that's what you're looking for…well at least not here."
"No! I'm looking for something different!"

Big Red gives you a strange look.

"Okay, what kind of freak are you exactly then?"
"I'm looking for something on Necromancy."

Big Red throws you up against a tree when you make that remark and begins to whisper to you in a harsh tone. You can feel (And smell) the brimstone emanating from his breath.

"You fucking little mortal pissant, you trying to get me killed? I don't sell that shit! Get the fuck outta here!" he says before throwing you on the ground and walking away.

Now it may be that he's telling the truth, but he may be more worried that you're trying to set him up. You're determined to find out regardless of the consequences. You run back to him, but stay out of his immediate range.

"Look, I know you're a guy who can get a hold of lots of things and I also know you're available for a price. I'm not a spy, I'm not gonna rat you out, I'm not working for anyone, I just have a…need…"

Big Red turns back towards you and walks in your direction, you think he's going to attack and you nearly run, but chances are he'd catch you first anyway. He's looking around in all directions and speaking in a low tone.

"Alright. Look. Since you're obviously new and not hip to how this works, I'm inclined to believe you're not working for someone. Someone undercover wouldn't be so obviously clueless as you seem to be, at least not to catch the likes of me. Plus I can sense the darkness around you…it's a neat ability we have and again let's us tell who's a goody two shoes and who isn't. You don't seem to be either though just yet. You seem to be more confused and curious than anything which is almost as bad."
"So you can't you help me?"
"It's not that I can't, it's whether I should. This isn't selling you some Hobgoblin Hashish so you can go get high and wind up naked the next morning with a Dwarf in your ass."
"Um…what? Excuse me?" you stutter at Big Red's odd scenario outcome.
"This is serious shit, if word got around that I was selling information on the Dark Arts, let alone books on it, my ass would be strung up and killed. And to have some dumb ass college student fucking around with something as dangerous as that is asking for trouble since YOU'RE probably going to get yourself caught, which will then lead to possible questions before they kill you…which can then link to me. And that can't happen."
"I'm not going to get caught."
"Hah! Heard that one before from people getting busted for less. I dunno, I don't see you as a good risk and even if I did consider this request my price would be VERY high and I don't see you as having that kind of money to spend."

Big Red's denials of your request are actually making you want what he has even more. You KNOW he can help you. In fact you're beginning to get irritated. Why the hell is he denying you this? He's a fucking demon who sells illegal shit! He shouldn't care at all! You're desperate for his help though so you tell an outlandish lie.

"Look my parents are rich! I can get the money for you, just gimme your price and I can get it…it might take me awhile, but I can get it."
"Oh you can huh? Alright then I'll play your game. He's my price." Big Red pulls out a little pad of paper and pencil and writes something on it and then hands it to you. You read the astronomical price while Big Red's face turns into a smug demonic grin. He probably did that for dramatic effect.

There's no way you can pay this, even if you somehow managed to convince your parents to give you money to support your grossly illegal studies in necromancy. You're not going to let it stop you though.

"Wow…that is high…okay. I can get this, but it'll take me a few days." You say feigning a mixture of shock, but calmness too. Big Red himself looks surprised that you agreed. He begins to write down something on his pad again and gives it to you.

"Well alright money bags, we got a deal. You come meet me at this time and location in a week. If you ain't there, then you can forget about coming to see me for anything ever again. If you come and you don't have the money…well I don't think I need to stress how bad that would be. So my advice is if you don't have it, don't show. See ya."
"Hey wait, you said you can fix my grade too." You suddenly remember.
"Don't you think you've spent enough money tonight? Alright then maybe you ARE made of gold after all, so what's the class?"
"Nature magic."
"Oh yeah, you said that. Yeah, that's definitely doable, mainly because the professor is, I just need to slip the deviled ham into her and she'll be willing to pass anyone."
"I thought she was a lesbian."
"Feh, not when it comes to Big Red. It ain't just a name ya know. Alright, my price for this task is two hundred gold pieces. Normally I might charge less, but hey you got the money right?"

Indeed, but you don't have much now after forking it over to Big Red. You were hoping the gold you brought was going to go towards a necromantic tome, but instead it's just going to cheating.

"Thanks, and as appreciation for your generous business tonight, I think I'll go take care of that grade situation of yours right now, if I'm lucky maybe she'll have one of those little elven bitches with her. Ha ha!"

As Big Red leaves you, you head back to your apartment to scheme for the rest of the week. You go through a wide variety of emotions: fear, anger, desire, anxiety, obsession, etc. None of it really means anything though since you don't really have too much in the way of choices now. You're either going to have to kill Big Red when you go to meet him, or just forget about this necromancy stuff and go home for vacation.

[User] You kill Big Red

[Assistant]
While all the other students are on their way home for vacation, you're planning a murder…

You're in this all the way now. You've decided that you can't live life as you have been. You have to take this chance, regardless of the consequences. You're just wondering how the hell you're going to go about killing Big Red. He's not going to be a push over and is probably more than a match for most college students, let alone one who can barely cast spells competently in first place.

Still, you must try. You get one of your oversized back packs and begin stuffing it with rocks. The only plan you have is when he asks to see the money, you'll tell him you got it in gemstones, throw it at him to catch it and then unleash a blast of lightning in his face.

After that you're going to hope for the best.

You head down to the location given to you by Big Red. Even though Nuro is a prosperous city, it still has its "bad parts" and right now you're walking in one of them. You half expect to get mugged by orcs at any moment; you almost wish your sister was with you.

Eventually you get to the location, you're already nervous about all this and walking through this neighborhood just made you more so. However, this dilapidated house that you're currently standing in front of looks like its shown signs of battle recently. The door is smashed open and there's a whiff of charred flesh coming from the broken windows.

"Heeeeeey….(hic!) youz ain't goin' in dere is ya?" some drunken goblin lying by some trash cans nearby utters.
"This is Big Red's house isn't it?"
"(hic!) Nope, his girlfriend lives here, well one of 'em anyway."
"What happened here?"
"Shit. (hic!) Fuck if I know. I was passed out for most of it, but I heard some screams a couple of magic blasts and well…(hic!) a whole buncha shit really."
"Is Big Red in there?"
"Dunno, I think I heard his voice…didn't sound good either. (hic!) Guess it all caught up to him. Here's to Red! Demon Bastard! (hic!) Hope dey didn't kill his pretty little girlfrien' doh. She was swee-eet!" the goblin says and takes another drink out of his pocket.
"Nobody's come out here, to investigate?"
"Har har! Datsh a good one boy! Come out here? Man those mage guards like us poor folks killing each other. Ain't nobody gonna show up here probably for like a few days. (hic!) fuckin…no good (mumble mumble)"

As the goblin wino lapses back into an alcoholic coma, you cautiously enter the house.

The house is a wreck. Though you get the impression it wasn't a palace to begin with. You look on the floor and see Big Red. You also see him on the walls and even the ceiling. Whoever wanted him dead, made sure of it.

Of course this doesn't exactly help you get what you wanted to get from him. Not knowing what else to do, you begin to search the house, but you're not finding too much, but for some reason you sense you aren't completely alone in this house. Someone is still here.

You stand completely silent and listen carefully, then you see a blood trail leading to the bedroom closet…

"Alright, I know someone is in the closet, I can hear the stifled cries. Just come out, and I won't hurt you. I just want to know what happened to Big Red and some information." You shout.

The closet slowly opens and you see a young human woman crawl out, she's hurt badly and you don't think you can help her in time. She looks up at you with tears in her eyes.

"I've nothing more to give…they've taken everything…I am dead…I have nothing else…" she sobs.
"Who came? What's going on?"
"That damn college professor and his Dark Order that's who! Mr. Demar! He and Big Red have had dealings for years in forbidden tomes and the dark arts. Well Mr. Demar said since their business was nearly at an end he demanded that Big Red just hand over all the rest of his collection. Violence soon followed. It was horrible what they did… I only lived this long by playing dead (sob)…but then I just wanted to crawl into a dark place and die."

This bit of information is very interesting, but you still have to figure out how it can serve you.

"What does Mr. Demar have planned?"
"I don't know! Something about restoring the rightful place of those who practice the dark arts. I don't care! They took my whole life away! Maybe it wasn't much, and maybe Big Red was a demon asshole…but I loved him and in his way, he loved me! I'll never know!" the girl cries.

You feel slightly bad about coming here to try to kill Big Red now. This girl's feelings while most likely misguided seem to be genuine. Just proving that even the lowliest of scoundrels can be loved. Your mind briefly thinks about Serena before addressing this situation again.

"Okay, look shhhh. I'm sure Big Red probably did love you. He was a demon though, you know he had to put on a show and act tough." You say.
"…(sniff) yeah…You're absolutely right. You are right….mmm I'm sleepy…" She says as her eyes begin to start closing.
"Hold on, before you go to sleep, I need to know something. Big Red was holding a book for me too, a book on necromancy. I was coming to pay him and pick it up here. It sounds like Mr. Demar was trying to rip the both of us off and that ain't no way of doing business. I mean to get revenge on the lot of them that killed Big Red, but I'll need the help of that book, you don't happen to know where it is, do you?"
"…oh…yeah, you must be the one that Big Red briefly mentioned before they came…I dunno, they searched the house, maybe they got it, but it would be in a small hidden floor safe behind the toilet. Ha ha…nobody searches behind a toilet Red used to say…I love you Big Red…" The girl says and then closes her eyes and stops breathing.

Poor girl, you think as you leave her to search the bathroom. You curse as soon as you look behind the toilet and see a small panel open. You're so frustrated you nearly miss the false bottom of the safe…

Jackpot. You pry up the false bottom and greedily grab the tome you were looking for, in fact there are a few other books there too, but you only keep the necromantic ones, and destroy the rest as you have no interest in demon summoning. (And not going to let anyone else use them either!)

You pour out the rocks in your backpack and place the books inside; you're now ready to go back home. Or are you?

In your last minute peruse you search the remains of Big Red, and as luck would have it, you find his infamous pad and paper still somewhat intact. You briefly glance through it and make out one other address, not too far from here. It could be his real home or maybe just another place where he stashed stuff. Either way it could be lucrative.

[User] You go back home

[Assistant]
You head to your apartment where you study your acquired books until morning and then sleep for the entire day.

When you wake up you write a letter to your family saying that you're going to be staying at Nuro for vacation since you have some extra curricular studying to do and a big opportunity could be opening up. You mostly study your necromantic books and absorbing the knowledge within.

You keep up with local news and the deaths of Big Red and his girlfriend are barely mentioned. You gather that you're in the clear.

Next week you get a letter in return from your Mom who says she's disappointed you won't be coming to visit, but pleased that you're doing well and your grades are back up. (At least Big Red came through for you on the nature magic thing before he died) She also mentions how proud she is of you.

If she only knew…

A month passes and you've almost finished the books you acquired, but you haven't been able to do any practicing which is something you desperately want to do. You feel like you got all this power within you and you're being forced not to use it.

You're so hot on raising some corpses you're on the verge of doing something rash. You ponder going to the local graveyard which is really risky given that there are always guards on duty and magical monitors in place to prevent such things from easily occurring.

Your other alternative is to kill someone and then raise them.

[User] You go to the graveyard

[Assistant]
The city isn't as busy now since most of the students have left, so maybe you won't have too many problems.

Initially all goes well. You sneak into the graveyard at night, managing to avoid the guards. You then break into one of the mausoleums where you hope you can find some easily accessible coffins.

You shut the door and pry open one of them trying to be as quiet as possible. The skeletal remains inside are calling to you.

You take out your book and begin to cast your spell and within no time at all the skeleton inside begins to rise. Success! And it barely took any effort at all. You were born for this!

You open up another nearby coffin and raise another one. Two skeletons! You're controlling two at a time with no problems! You're positively euphoric.

Of course you've been making a lot of noise. Noise that one of the guards hears and comes to investigate, when he sees the door lock broken and opens it, he sees you.

"NECROMANCER!" he screams and runs away!

You don't care that you've been caught though. You're ready to show the world what you're really made of! You begin the chant and cast, and all that other stuff you've been reading about. You're going to raise an army to swarm this city and take it over! None shall oppose you! And if Mr. Demar gets in your way, you'll crush him too!

Soon you're raising the dead from their graves, and even though you're a "natural" at this, you're still shy of practice so you have a bit of a hard time controlling so many. By the time you reach the hundreds, you're losing control over most of them and you have to leave the graveyard to save your own life.

You march down the street with the dead horde you do have control over causing havoc on a small scale. You have some fun reveling in the terror you're bringing, but it is short sighted and not to last.

The Nuro mage guards soon arrive on the scene and they don't fuck around. They use every spell against you, destroying entire blocks in an effort to bring you down. It is at this point you realize that you've handled this poorly.

When you've lost your last corpse, you attempt to run away only to bump into a few of the dead that had wandered away from your control. In a kind of ironic justice, you are killed before you can reestablish your dominance over them.