[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]
You're willing to stick it out a little longer, but you really need to use a few short cuts now. The brew from the still is good enough for the miners and you won't have to deal with a middleman anymore.

Your mother isn't happy with this idea. She wasn't thrilled with it before, but realized it was necessary at the time. You argue with her for hours about the moral and legal ramifications of it all until she finally gets tired and capitulates under stress.

Over the months you manage to save tons of money, are able to pay Mr. Reynolds off larger amounts and you believe in a few more months you'll completely be free of him.

The problem now is with your mother who still insists on bitching at you day in day out despite the fact that you're basically saving her ass from the problems that her and your dumb ass dad got you involved into in the first place.

"For fuck's sake, will get off my fucking back? I've been the main one coming up with solutions on how to save this fucking place and I'm getting shit for it? Why the hell am I getting punished for something you and dad did? I was supposed to be taking classes right now to become a doctor! Y'know, like YOU all wanted me to? I'm trying to make the best of this situation and still find a damn way of achieving my goals yet all I'm getting is kicked in the fucking face for it!" you yell while throwing a potato against the wall.

Your mother shakes her head.

"I don't know what's happened to you, but the son I knew wouldn't be engaging in criminal activities and yelling at me like this. This isn't worth it; I'm not dealing with this anymore. You want to be mad at me and your father, you can go right ahead, you might even be right in some way but I'm still not going to put up with it. You think you can turn this place around and still achieve your goals? Go right ahead, but you're doing it without my help. I quit, and I'm handing this place over to you. Have fun, and I hope you make all your dreams come true."

You're a little shocked by this. You run after her asking what she's going to do and that you're sorry about the stuff you said, but she won't hear it. She just says she's leaving the deed with you and she's going to go live with your aunt Enora in Teckleville.

After some last words are exchanged she's gone. You aren't quite sure how to feel and you're still trying to wrap your head around it when your barmaids come in.

"Hey which one of you is the best cook?"

"Uh, I guess that would be me." Wendy says.

"Good, you're upgrade to cook, you'll get a small raise too."

"What seriously?"

"Yeah, mom quit and gave me this place, so we're making some changes around here."

Wendy looks a little pleased with getting a small promotion, but Rita isn't so happy.

"Hey what about us? You can't just expect us to shoulder all the extra work! You're going to have to hire someone else to help!" Rita says

"Settle down Rita, I'll be getting some new help soon don't worry about it. All I need from the rest of you is to do your jobs."

A few weeks pass and you're doing okay even if you're getting some grumbles from your staff every once in awhile. You do end up hiring a new person, but it's not another barmaid. It's a janitor so the barmaids don't need to worry about cleaning up as much anymore. The great thing is he's simple minded and you don't need to pay him since apparently his mother wanted him out of the house and dragged him by the ear to you when she saw your Help Wanted sign. You agreed to let him sleep in your cellar and he could eat all the rats he catches down there. (Though Eliza gives him real food from time to time)

Your still is perfected a bit better, but the brew from that stuff does take it's toll on your usual patrons. While none of the miners go blind, a lot of them are starting to feel several side effects from drinking the stuff on a regular basis. This causes some to stop coming in altogether, but on the "plus side" you do get a few more lowly types that don't give a shit what poison they put into their system. You end up changing the name of the place to the Bottomless Mug Inn.

Despite your decrease in clientele you still manage to cut enough corners and exploit enough drunks that you pay off Mr. Reynolds. He's a little surprised considering how run down the inn has gotten. He suspects (quite rightly) that you're probably doing something illegal and tells you if you ever need another loan in the future you know where to find him. You vow that you're not going to let that happen.

Well the inn is profitable again (barely) and you've effectively saved the place and your mother from potential danger (mainly yourself) but taking over your father's inn wasn't your dream and it wasn't your parents' dream either.

You figure you've got two choices, you could either sell this place now and hope you get enough money for it to finish your education, or you could continue to run it as a ongoing source of income and somehow manage to save enough as well as find the time to study while running this dump.

[User] You continue to run it

[Assistant]
You know it isn't going to be easy, but selling the inn would be folly. You're not going to get as much for the inn anymore and you know that you'll need a steady source of income and this place also serves as your home. You've already managed to cut a few corners to save money, so perhaps you'll be able to figure out how to cut some more to achieve your goal.

One idea has crossed your mind already, but you'd rather see if any other opportunities arise before resorting to it. The inn is a little shadier now, and that's partly because of you. Still, you aren't really a bad person, you've just been put in a rough situation and you're trying to make the best of it. You figure the ends will justify the means after all is said and done.

You hope.

[User] Back to school...

[Assistant]
A year has passed and you're back in college, though it's not as much fun as it was when you didn't need to worry about where your tuition was coming from or having something like a job.

Finding time to study while running the inn is difficult, but fortunately Wendy picks up the slack when you're not around. You've also managed to re-establish some old contacts with people you were "friends" with before your "break". Most of them are ahead of you and some are getting ready to graduate. While none of them bothered to stay in contact with you (so much for education breaking down class distinctions) a few of them are still willing to help you out by selling you books for cheap or giving you some of their old notes. Every little bit helps.

As for the inn, it's doing well, but you constantly worry about its future profitability. Your regular patrons aren't the upstanding working class anymore, most of them are petty criminals, broke losers and other ne'er-do-wells. You also have to do something about your overworked/underpaid staff. So far Wendy has been doing far more than she anticipated and is demanding more pay. Rita on the other hand is just plain threatening to quit. All of which is cutting into your study and school time.

A few bright spots are you're getting adventurers coming in since those nice rooms you got awhile back started to pay off. You're also saving money with your stills (You have multiple ones in the basement now) and your retarded janitor Alan who seems to be just happy to work and follow your orders. If only all your employees were so agreeable.

Today's the day you make a change to the status quo.

[User] You fire Rita and hire some pretty girls

[Assistant]
Rita is already threatening to quit anyway so you might as well get rid of her, besides you figure you can hire some prettier faces that will complain less and probably work for less as well.

The first thing you do is advertise for new barmaids. You get a few takers. Most of them don't seem much better than Rita though, coming in and demanding more stuff immediately. You're about to give up when a mother comes in with her two half elven daughters practically begging you to hire them.

Sort of what you're looking for, young, pretty "exotic" even given that they're half-elven. Their bloodline is what sort of concerns you though. Elves aren't exactly known for their hard work ethic.

"Pfft! You think I don't know that? Their no good father left to go prance around in the forest again while I have to raise these little leeches!" the mother says. "Look you don't even have to pay 'em that much, at this point I just want them to earn their keep around the house!"

"Well, I'll see what we can do."

You hire Sunshine and Flameflower and explain how things work and what is expected of them. Their mother periodically interrupts to tell them to pay attention and how if they end up getting fired that she'll be kicking them out of the house. The pair of them seem rather unworried about the situation and do a lot of eye rolling, sighing and even some minor giggling. After all is said and done you tell them to arrive on time tomorrow and go back to work.

"It's about time you hired some more help." Wendy remarks.

"Well, I'm also getting rid of some too, where's Rita at?"

"She's out front serving drunks as usual, wait you're going to fire Rita?"

"Yeah, I can't afford them and her. Besides I'm getting two pretty faces for the price of one and hopefully less bitching."

"Sheesh, I know Rita's a pain in the ass and all, but you really think you should get rid of her? Who's going to train the new girls? I noticed the pointy ears, I'm guessing they're half-breeds. Elves have terrible work ethics."

"I already told them what to do, but I figured you'd be keeping an eye on them most of the time, so you can make sure if they're working and not goofing off"

"What?! As if I don't have enough to do around here? Look, I'll do what I can, but really between the cooking and other shit I do, you expect me to play mother hen to them you're going to be sorely disappointed."

"I can't give you a raise if that's what you're angling for."

"Huh, I wouldn't dream of being that optimistic, but quite simply I'm stretched thin as it is, I can't do it all and I think you know that."

"Yeah, I suppose you're right, well I guess Eliza will have to do it."

"HER? Eliza's a nice girl and all, but I dunno if she's up to supervising."

"Well she's gonna have to, now if you'll excuse me, I have to speak to her and Rita about the changes around here."

Wendy shakes her head as you call Rita and Eliza over to speak to them in the kitchen

"WHAT?! You're fucking firing me?! After all the shit I've done around here?!" Rita predictably reacts.

"Rita, all you do is complain and you've been threatening to quit for months! Is this really all that surprising? Hell, I would've thought you wouldn't even give a shit given your attitude."

"…y'know what? You're right. I don't give a shit. I should've quit a long time ago. I could get a better job just like that! (snap) Thanks for freeing me from this slave wage shithole, but I'll just say one thing, without me, this place is gonna fail! You think you can replace me with those little half-breed sluts I saw you with earlier? Yeah right! I'm outta here!" Rita says and makes a dramatic exit by shouting to the various patrons of how they should take a good look at her ass as she walks out the door, because it'll be the last time they see it around the inn.

"Oh my!" Eliza exclaims.

"Whatever. Okay, now I have to talk to you too…and don't worry I'm not firing you." You say before Eliza jumps to that conclusion.

You explain to Eliza that it'll be part of her job to train the new girls. She's surprised and nervous as you'd expect, but you try to reassure her that she'll be fine.

Initially things are shaky. Eliza isn't very authoritative and often Wendy or you have to step in to lay down more discipline in the half elven sisters. A couple more months pass and it's obvious things are not working out. Sunshine and Flameflower work, but in a very half-assed way. Even Rita did her job. The sisters are prone to flirt a lot to the patrons, which is good…but not so great when they tend to disappear with said patrons for a few hours. This wouldn't be a problem if you were running a brothel and making money on this, but you aren't and it's too late to start now.

You get angry with Eliza and tell her that she needs to get a leash on them, but all this does is make Eliza more nervous and cry that you're yelling at her. You try to get Wendy to help more, but she complains about how she told you in advance that she can't do anymore than what she's doing now. Ultimately she quits because she's getting burned out. This is soon followed by Eliza who is so stressed out that she can't take it anymore. As for Flameflower and Sunshine, you don't even bother firing them since they just stop coming in one day.

At this point your school work is taking a small dive due to your only source of income crumbling. You see the writing on the wall and decide to sell the place hoping that you can finish up at least the year. You aren't going to be able to become a doctor, but MAYBE you'll be able to get a good job with your education level. You feel slightly bad about Alan who you have to run off because he doesn't completely understand why he has to leave.

You don't get quite as much money as you'd like for the inn, mainly because the place had gone down hill quite a bit during the time your father ran it, but you finish out the year.

As for getting a job, you manage to get one, but it's working as an office clerk in the city. Maintaining records, filling out shit, etc. It's tediously dull work, but to a certain extent you're just glad to not have to worry about that damn inn anymore.

Over the years, you settle into your mundane life. You're always a little bitter about your situation, but you try to make the best of it. It isn't a terrible life, but you always wonder what you could've done differently.

You'll never know.


[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 him you could care less about Aaron

[Assistant]
Your detached answer, only causes Henry to believe that you're smarting off to him. He immediately kicks you in the balls and trust me you DO feel that!

He then drags you into the bathroom and beats the hell out of you and leaves you for dead. As you struggle to get your head out of the toilet you lose consciousness due to the massive gash in your head that's bleeding profusely.

Later you're found by the janitor who manages to get you to a hospital just in time for you to live. Not in time for you to have not suffered brain damage though.

Oddly this has an interesting effect on your previous emotional condition. You revert back to a childlike state. Your Mom actually is nicer to you and in general, and sis seems to stop partying as much. Your unfortunate event has inadvertantly brought them closer to each other and to you. Of course you're unaware of such things, you just know that two pretty ladies take care of you.

Another day arrives and you feel playful...


[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]
Your decision to accompany James Reed and Walter Herron raises some eyebrows but you are glad to get away from the increasingly slow-moving group and press on ahead. Unfortunately the journey turns out to be very difficult: you are all unsuccessful at hunting and by the time you reach the Sierra Nevada Mountains you have eaten all your supplies and are surviving chiefly on wild onions and beans. Herron wants to kill the horses for food but you and Reed persuade him that you need them.

Finally you make it across the Mountains and in Bear Valley where you have the wonderful fortune of meeting a party of settlers near Johnson's Ranch, the beginning of civilization in California. They share some food with you and while you are there you meet Charles Stanton, who is on his way back to the Donner Party with seven mules of provisions and two Indians guides. Stanton is delighted to see the three of you and you quickly exchange news.

Reed tactfully explains that you three were sent ahead of get supplies, leaving out the part about him murdering John Snyder. Stanton tells you that William McCutchen has fallen ill and is resting at Fort Sutter. Reed decides to press onto Fort Sutter with Herron to get more supplies. Stanton suggests that you accompany him back to the Donner Party.

What do you do?

[User] You travel onto Sutters Fort with Reed and Herron

[Assistant]
You travel on to Fort Sutter and there you reunite with William McCutchen. He is recovering well with your illness and as with Stanton, James Reed tells him that he was sent on for supplies with you and Walter Herron. Herron learns that war has just broken out between the USA and Mexico decides to go off and fight but Reed and McCutchen intend to gather a few mules of supplies together and set off back to the Donner Party.

Unfortunately just a few days after Reed's arrival on the last day of the month it starts to snow, lightly around Fort Sutter but heavily in in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. This is very bad as it will mean that the Donner Party, which incidentally includes both Reed and McCutchen's wives and children, will be unable to cross the Sierra Nevada Mountains. In Fort Sutter there is nothing you can do but watch as snow completely seals the valley, making it virtually impossible to cross. Despite this you, Reed and McCutchen soon set out on a mission to try and reach the stranded settlers.

[User] Back into the Mountains...

[Assistant]
Despite the unlikelihood of making it across the mountains you, James Reed and William McCutchen, the latter still suffering slightly from his illness, set off from Sutter's Fort to try to reach the Donner Party. Reaching Johnson's Ranch you are warned by the owner that it is impossible to cross the Sierra Nevada Mountains when the passes are blocked by snow but feeling that you have to at least try you journey on. Unfortunately the owner is right.

Reaching the Sierra Nevada Mountain Pass with difficult you and your companions discover the snow does indeed makes crossing the mountains completely impossible. Nothing can force its way through it and after several days of struggling you are forced to turn back: there is nothing you can do now but wait until the spring when the snow melts and the Donner Party can be rescued. You can only hope their food supplies hold out until then and as you return to Sutter's Fort you can't help but feel relieved you aren't up there in the mountains with them.

[User] You now you wait...

[Assistant]
For three months you, James Reed and William McCutchen find ways to keep yourselves busy in California. Reed joins in the war against Mexico while you stay with McCutchen in Sutter's Fort. Near the end of January incredible news arrives: seven members of the Donner Party (William Eddy, William Foster, Sarah Foster, Sarah Fosdick, Mary Graves, Amanda McCutchen and Harriet Pike) have somehow managed to cross the mountains despite the snow and made it to Johnson's Ranch.

McCutchen is overjoyed to learn his wife has made it and you hasten to Johnson's Ranch. There you are shocked by what you see: the survivors are skeletal and so weak they can do nothing but eat and sleep. Eddy is the healthiest of them and he mutters a terrible story about blizzards, the deaths of eight of their companions and being forced to eat the bodies of the dead to survive. He is certain it is the same up in the mountains where the rest of the Donner Party is stranded.

As McCutchen's two young children and Reed's entire family are still up in the mountains the three of you immediately begin planning an expedition to rescue them. Another rescue effort called the First Relief is being prepared at Sutter's Fort that will be ready sooner but Reed and McCutchen have the advantage that both of them already know the route. Eddy is determined to accompany the First Relief but he is still weak from his terrible journey out of the mountains.

Which expedition party do you want to accompany?


[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 cast a flame blast

[Assistant]
You take the logical approach that most things don't like fire and cast a few quick flame bolts at the horde. This works to a small degree in that it sets a few on fire and causes them to fall to the ground trying to put the flames out, which stops the momentum a bit as the non flaming "villagers" trip over the burning ones.

As you run through the village more of them are coming out their homes ahead of you. Several of the inhabitants attempt to grab you, but you cut them down instead. They're tougher and stronger than they look and seemingly very resistant to the concept of pain. You sliced into the neck of one and the hideous thing actually began laughing.

The end of the village is in sight and a little further in the distance you can see another structure, which you guess is the temple. Naturally your line of sight is quickly blocked by another horde of the villagers get in your way. With one group ahead and the other group still behind you, you'd actually be in danger of being trapped if you weren't the quick thinking one.

You quickly climb up the side of one of the houses up to its roof. It isn't the climb that's difficult, but rather the fact that the house is in such terrible condition that part of it starts crumbling. You nearly fall through the rotting roof when you get to the top. The villagers howl and moan at you as you stand out of their reach, but they begin to correct that by trying to climb up as well.

You lob a couple of fireballs into the horde, but that soon turns out to be a bit of a mistake as the blast back (along with burning villagers running around on fire) end up setting the house on fire along with others nearby it. The only way you're getting away from this madness is by rooftop jumping and hoping you don't fall through them.

You make your escape across the rooftops while a raging inferno starts to slowly envelop other houses and will most likely burn down the whole cursed village. The villagers don't give up on you that easily, some of them actually make it up to the roofs as well and continue their pursuit, while the non burning ones start trying to pelt you with nearby stones.

You get to the last house roof before you need to jump down and one of the bastards manages to grab you at the same time another hits you in the head with a rock.

"Shit!" you utter as you fall off the roof taking the villager who grabbed your arm with you.

With some quick moving you pull the villager so he lands on the ground first and all your weight lands on top of him. With your elbow in his neck when you both hit the ground you hear a satisfying snap. When you scramble to get up, you see that you're out of the village, but not out of danger.

You cut down a few more of the villagers that have caught up with you and distance yourself from the damned place by running towards the temple which is looking much closer now. You expect the villagers to chase you all the way there, but they don't go much past the outskirts of their village, which continues to burn.

Your journey to the temple isn't far, but it certainly starts to feel like it is. The closer you get to the temple the more you start feel the effects of the island's toxic environment. Soon each step is an effort and you can hardly concentrate on even walking towards the temple.

"Give in…join ussssss…lay down…diiiiiiiiiiiiie…" you suddenly hear in your head. You hate these psychic spirit attacks.
"NO! The Emperor will give me strength to carry out my mission!" you yell out and redouble your efforts to shake off the mind assault.

Eventually you reach the temple and the signs of battle are very obvious here. You see one of the silver doors blown off the hinges. Several large bones lie strewn about and from the looks of it; these weren't from any ordinary skeleton. You also notice two ruined black statues on either side of the temple. While they have great large chunks missing from them, you notice that these statues resemble the ones the Emperor has just outside his chambers; they're just on a smaller scale.

"Son? Is that you outside?" you hear the Emperor ask from within.
"Yes, it's me. Are you okay?" you answer.
"Yes! Just get in hear quickly, we don't have much time!"

You enter the temple which actually isn't all that large inside. In fact it looks more like a shrine rather than a temple since the only thing inside is a small pedestal against the far wall. You see the Emperor who is holding an old looking book and he seems very excited. More excited than you've ever seen, even when all the gnomes were reportedly exterminated he wasn't this excited.

You notice he's drawn several circles and symbols on the floor.

"Good, good, you're here! We have to begin immediately! Step into that circle…no I mean that one!" he exclaims.
"Erm, okay. You know I got attacked by a whole village of freaks?"
"I'm sure you did. Probably ghouls. Generations of inbreeding and cannibalism tends to make folks insane and unfriendly to outsiders. Please, now we have to begin, they'll be here soon!"

You step inside one of the circles and the Emperor steps into another one and obsessively fondles the book he has in his hand.

"Who'll be here? The ghouls?"
"No! The…nevermind, look I'll explain everything to you afterwards, but right now I have to concentrate and you will have to as well. Now begin this chant with me."

The Emperor starts chanting and you try to follow along as best you can. The circles and symbols on the floor begin to glow. As much as you don't want to interrupt, you're a little lost on what exactly is going on.

"Father, what is…"
"Silence!" the Emperor screams and then you hear a second voice, but this one is from no spirit.

"Casimir, is that you? I see you've finally returned. Always knew you would. Have you come back because you've seen the error of your ways or is this just a visit for a mad dash of power? Judging by the mess, I'd say the latter." You hear the voice shout from outside the temple.

The Emperor suddenly looks very nervous. Worried even. You've never seen such an expression from him before.

"Yes! It's me, Nicodemus! And you'll not be stopping me this time!" the Emperor shouts and then a red barrier materializes in the temple entryway. You see a robed figure walk up to it, but can't make out much more than that.

"Casimir, you have to know this cheap trick isn't going to stop me. If you just let down the barrier we might be able to talk about this. "
"Never! I wasn't deterred then, and I won't be deterred now! I have the book and after this rejuvenation ritual, you and the entire council won't be able to stop me from my destiny!" The Emperor shouts and starts making elaborate hand gestures.
"Don't you think over six hundred centuries of this nonsense is long enough? You've had your fun and now its time to realize you need to act your damn age. Casimir I'm coming in and I assure you if you attack me, you will be destroyed this time."

The Emperor ignores this threat and continues his spell. He begins to eminate a purple glow and you soon follow.

"Am I supposed to have this purple glow?" you ask.
"Shhh! It'll all be over soon. Just have to cast one last spell." The Emperor quickly says before beginning another spell.

About this time the barrier disappears and an ancient looking man in a black robe steps in. He doesn't look very imposing, but it's pretty apparent he exudes great power. He completely ignores you and looks directly at the Emperor. Its one of disapproval, but there's no anger at all behind it.

"Casimir, you have to know this isn't even necessary. If you desire immortality so much, you could've just stayed here to begin with, you could still stay here if you'd just recognize the error of your ways."

The Emperor looks out the corner of his eye at Nicodemus, but doesn't stop his spell. Meanwhile Nicodemus now looks over at you and begins studying you. He then closes his eyes and lifts up his own hand while mumbling something.

You have no idea what he's doing, but at this point you're starting to feel like you're genuinely threatened. The circle you're in will probably protect you, but he broke through the other barrier with ease. Who's to say he won't do the same with the circle?

There's also the matter of risking ruining the elaborate ritual the Emperor is currently casting…which you're also starting to have separate concerns about.

Semra's words: "You will learn the truth too late." begin to ring in your mind.

[User] You defend yourself

[Assistant]
While the Emperor may or may not being lying to you, your immediate concern is Nicodemus. He's right in the room and casting a spell, if that isn't an indication of dire threat, you don't know what is.

Summoning all your energy you unleash a double spray of frost at him in the hopes of freezing him into a block of ice. Its enough to interrupt him, but not for long. He merely turns his gaze towards you and you feel a sudden drain of your energy. Like when Cyrus was clutching your throat, but this is even faster. You fall to the floor instantly meanwhile the Emperor has to stop his own spell casting.

"DAMN IT! You've ruined everything!" he shouts and casts some sort of green ray at Nicodemus.

You crawl out of the way of the ensuing magic battle. You can't even see who is winning; you're just trying to get the hell out of the temple so you can gather your strength. The next few moments are a blur, though you manage to stand yourself up and make it to the doorway. You stagger outside and hear the final outcome of the battle.

"Casimir, you've brought this fate upon yourself." Nicodemus remarks and this followed by a long scream. The sound of it gives you the shivers as it's an obvious sign the Emperor has lost his battle with Nicodemus and most certainly his life.

You push past your lingering weakness and start running in a random direction, you don't get far when you suddenly feel that all encompassing drain again. At first you think its Nicodemus, but its something less personal. Its one of those negative zones that the Emperor mentioned, you just ran into one.

His comment that stepping into one could instantly turn you into a thousand year skeleton isn't quite accurate. It takes you at least five minutes before something similar happens. The strange thing is you end up feeling every agonizing second of decomposition before you are no more.


[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 attack

[Assistant] You grab the pistol, forcing it skyward as the skinny one pulls the trigger, the bullet ricocheting off the wall. The big one thrusts his knife forward, stabbing into your throat repeatedly, slicing open your throat and sending a wave of blood to run down your chest. You let out a pained gurgle, before collapsing to the ground.


[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 go all out

[Assistant]
"Option five. If we're going to allow this, we go all out."

"Yes, sir," Elizabeth says, raising an eyebrow. "I… I guess I applaud your balls."

[User] You continue

[Assistant] You sit in your chambers, taking a deep breath from the bright red… no, yellow… no purple… whatever color haze. You need some water to get rid of your headache. You lean over, grabbing your canteen, and downing your flask. You shake your head and groan as a wave of ecstasy overtakes you. A multicolored warrior dances in and out of reality in front of you, causing you to smile. This idea was fantastic. Morale is through the roof, and productivity has stayed high, as long as your productivity was… like, in regards to making more drugs. Your farms and food growing… places, or whatever, are still operational, due, thanks to automation and a few of the men still being smart enough to work. You've put your ship in orbit a small star, allowing the solar panels on the ship to increase the energy levels, or whatever keeps this place running. You smile, leaning back in bed. Yeah, this was a good idea…


[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 go to where most people are - those are the supplies you want

[Assistant]
You decide to go where everyone else is, because following the crowd is sometimes a good thing. Right?

You try and get a shopping cart through the crowd but give up, there's far too many people. You instead reach out and grab as much food as you can in your arms.

However this is where your plan of following the crowd fails you. You see, some not-so-friendly people with guns had the same idea. They also seem to not be big fans of large crowds, and so they shoot in the air and into the crowd a few times.

Most people are uninjured and run away, as gang of men have made their point. Sadly you are not in the group that survived, because you were shot in the leg. Now of course, a shot in the leg isn't fatal, but it did cause you to fall to the ground. Then what was your cause of death you ask? The large crowd of people who trampled you to escape was.

Hey, at least you weren't eaten.

[Death]


[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 stick around

[Assistant]
You decide to wait a bit. Maybe things will start getting better. You stay at home an entire month keeping up on events, and it only gets worse. You keep deluding yourself that things WILL get better, but they don't. Finally you realize you better leave soon.

You decide to leave first thing in the morning…

Monday 8:00 AM

You groggily wake up and hear a loud continuous beeping noise. It's a test pattern on TV that you left on from the day before.

"…BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE…"

Your heart races.

This is it.

You scramble to your van as fast as you can, and drive even faster to the shelter. On your way there, you curse yourself for forgetting all the extra stuff you wanted to bring with you, but that becomes the least of your troubles when your van stalls out.

You desperately try to turn it back on, but it's not starting. You get out of the van and attempt to run all the way to the shelter.

As you run you notice the sun is shining strongly today, it's nearly blinding your eyes.

Then you see a bright light and then nothing at all.


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

[User] You say "The mutiny is going to succeed. Join us, or perish."

[Assistant]
"Fuck, what do we do, Sarge?"

"The radio makes it sound like the loyalists are having their ass handed to them, and the prisoners are close to taking the complex! The psyker's right! Abandon post! Join the mutiny!"

The guards lay down their bolters, and begin running towards the elevators. You shrug and allow them to pass, making your way down the hall. It's only a minute before you arrive at a massive, thick metal door with an intercom.


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

[User] You attack his belly.

[Assistant]
Everyone knows the underbelly of a dragon is vulnerable. If you get in close, your sword can rip through him like hot crocodile shears through flesh.

You charge the dragon with sword in hand. The dragon blasts fire. You have too much forward momentum; there is no way to dodge this one. The world slows to crawl and your entire life flashes before your eyes: all that time spent mucking shit and selling cabbages, long hours training in the yard with Jon, your sexless courting of Princess Anne. Wow, your life sucked.

Well, maybe you can take the dragon with you: go out a hero and all that.

You grit your teeth and shut your eyes as you barrel into the firestorm. The stink of charred flesh and burning hair cloak you. Your blood boils, lips sear off, eyes burst and brain tingles as it begins to melt inside your skull. Somehow, you are still conscious as you storm through and plunge your sword through the dragon's soft underbelly bounce your sword off the dragon's rigid scales. Turns out those underbelly scales are just as tough as the rest of them. Who knew?

The dragon chuckles as you collapse to the cave floor in a smoldering heap. "Foolish bravery, mortal, is foolishness all the same." The dragon admires you a moment longer before he devours you as a midday snack.

If it serves as any consolation, your remains go on to fertilize several small trees… which promptly get burnt down.


[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 fight

[Assistant]
You raise your rifle, firing. The bullet thuds into Mihrab as he bears his teeth in a  grin.

"Pathetic," he says.

Mihrab bursts towards you, grabbing you by the throat, his claws cutting into your skin.

"Your life is meaningless. Has your service to Count Grey blurred your mind and given you a strong head? You have nothing to offer."

[User] You headbutt him

[Assistant] You smack your head into Mihrab's face, knocking him backwards into the wall. The gun's not working. You need to find something else. You quickly hurry down the stairs as Mihrab swears in some long dead language. You run quickly, finding yourself in the lower floors of the castle. There's a straight shot up another stairs to the courtyard, where you could lure Mihrab outside. Hopefully, the werewolves would frenzy and take him out, while you could slip back inside the castle. You could also head deeper into the castle, towards Count Grey's coffin and the inner areas.

[User] You head out to the courtyard

[Assistant] You turn and sprint forward towards the courtyard as you hear Mihrab quickly following as he snarls. You push open the oak doors to the courtyard, running out. You hear a half dozen howls as the werewolves outside spot you, but you know Mihrab is most likely still pursuing. You can't tell,  you only hear the pounding of his own heart. You keep running, before you feel your back breaking as the werewolf's claw smashed into your hack, the knife-like claws cutting through your leather duster and slashing through your flesh. You roll to the ground with a scream, as the werewolf leaps onto you, it's weight crushing you. It's wet saliva dripping onto your face, it howls at the moon in an act of triumph, before it lunges forward, biting deep into your throat.


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

[User] You head along the stream

[Assistant]
You begin walking alongside the stream, staring down at the cool stream of water, your boots trudging into the soft mud as you stare along. You think you can make out fat fish in the stream, although it's hard to tell due to the rushing water. Perhaps father will teach you how to fish sometime.

Suddenly, you hear something. You quickly turn, dropping to your knee to raise your rifle into a firing position to bag your prey as father always does. You don't, clumsily tripping and hitting yourself in the face with the gun and falling into the cool mud of the stream. Still, you're getting better at that maneuver. You push the gun off yourself as your rub your nose, before hopping up to a kneeling position. You stare at where the noise came from. Through the blurred visage of your watery eyes, you see in th distance a pale figure,, sprinting past the trees with unnatural speed. You heft your gun to your shoulder and aim, not knowing whether to fire or not. You don't want to miss a chance to take out a… whatever creature that is, but you're unsure whether that's even a good idea.


[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 lie to her

[Assistant]
"They'll... ransom you off back to the humans after a few days of imprisonment," you say.

"Oh... I can survive that. I can do that," she says.

You nod grimly, continuing walking. 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 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 disobey orders

[Assistant]
You wouldn't have gotten promoted if you hadn't reported Captain Eckers, and you wouldn't have gotten this command if you hadn't took it upon yourself to launch an attack on the gnolls. The fact is, throughout most of your life, you've followed orders, but it's only when you've taken matters into your own hands on important decisions that you've gotten anywhere.

Why should this time be any different?

For one thing, just because there are reports that the ED aren't planning an invasion any time soon, doesn't mean that's true. Not that you doubt Warrick's skills as a spy, but there's always a possibility that false information is being leaked intentionally and that someone is on to him. Hell, maybe its even Brenda pretending to be on his side, you don't know.

The other thing is even if the info is true it's not like they couldn't still invade during or after their invasion of Rask. And it would be better to catch THEM off guard instead of the other way around, because you're pretty sure they aren't expecting the Felkan Kingdom to attack first.

You're most likely going to get into a shitload of trouble for all this, but when you get this war started, the ED isn't going to listen to diplomacy, when they get attacked; they're not going to stop. When that happens the kingdom isn't going to have any choice but to help you. Or it could just backfire horribly.

It's all a gamble, but one you're willing to risk, because you're damned if you're going to grow old and just become a guard for fat gnome merchants after all you've done and sacrificed. And if you die in battle, then it'll be a death you've been destined for since birth.

You find Dawn and tell her that you want orders put out to all the forts in the province. A full offensive across the Arat border and into ED territory is to be launched.

"So the ED is invading soon?" Dawn asks.
"No, but after we destroy a couple of their forts and towns they will be. Have the message sent out that all forces are to converge on that ED town about twenty miles past the border, Bucklesberg. I'll meet the rest of the battalion commanders there and plan the next attack after the place has been razed to the ground."
"Wait, you're going?"
"Yes, I'm leading this attack personally. I'm not some helpless old man you know!"
"I didn't say…wait, this plan isn't official is it? What did that gnome tell you?"
"A bunch of shit as usual. Now I'm going to need you here to keep things orderly on this side of the border. It might get ugly, but I know you can handle it. Just remember, we're doing this for the good of the kingdom, even if its leaders are too stupid to see it."

Dawn looks a little concerned and it reminds you of when you first asked her to completely wipe out a gnoll village, but then she proves herself, as you knew she would.

"It will be done, my love." She says and leaves to send out the messengers.

You order all troops in the fort to ready themselves for battle save for a skeleton crew to protect the fort. When they're completely ready, you ride your horse up and down the line of them and are glad to see the dedication they are displaying. You can see that they have no need for any sort of long-winded motivating speech; they've been anticipating this moment for years, just as you have.

"For the kingdom!" you shout which is followed by a loud cheer from your soldiers, then your army begins its march to war.

When you get within a mile of Bucklesburg, a scout reports that the town isn't completely undefended. In fact there is a larger than normal group of soldiers there along with Eternals. There may even be a mage there.

"Hmm, it might appear that Edgar might've been amassing troops to prepare for an invasion after all, either that or he's just distrustful. Doesn't matter, we're killing everything there anyway."

The battle of Bucklesburg is a massacre. The ED puts up as good a fight as they could have, but ultimately they're overrun and outnumbered. The town is completely burned to the ground and the only survivors are the few villagers that had sense to run when you were seen coming in the distance.

This is just the first step of the plan. When the rest of your soldiers arrive from the other forts you march again.

By day nine, you've taken one the Eternal Dominion's forts. It's very damaged from the fighting, but you figure it will serve as a temporary base of operations while you plan your next attacks. After this battle you've also confirmed from various documents that you've found in the commander's office that Edgar WAS planning to invade the kingdom, meaning you were right to attack.

On day sixteen you get a message from Dawn, stating that the entire Gan province has been declared "under hostile control" and that all fort commanders are to relinquish their control to the kingdom immediately. Naturally this hasn't happened, but the rest of the kingdom's soldiers are supposedly being prepared to take back the province by force, however there is a lot of civil unrest going on as well due to some of the public opinion openly agreeing with conquest. She says that it's part of the anti-gnome movement that claims they've been keeping the kingdom weak on purpose. She also says she is doing everything in her power to keep control of the Gan province and sends her love.

On day twenty-two you get a visitor to Fort Ruin (as you've renamed it).

"Hello Klemto, I hope your journey here wasn't too dangerous, we've been trying to keep the road to the kingdom somewhat safe." You say.
"Eternal, we've got a lot to talk about."
"Yes, I suspect we do. So here, this'll save time." You say and throw a journal at Klemto who catches it.
"What's this?"
"It's the ex-captain of this fort journal. Makes mention of all the plans for the invasion on the kingdom, as well as a few amusing sexual desires. Second generation eternals certainly are a twisted bunch even when brought under control."
"At least they can be brought under control, which is more than can be said for you."
"I don't understand, I'm did this for the kingdom and the proof is right there that I'm right! Don't believe me? I've got more official documents I can give you."
"It doesn't matter if you're right! It never fucking mattered! What you were supposed to do is obey orders! You pushed a boundary that's too far this time I can't fix this! Not now!"
"I question if you ever could in the first place. I'm sure you only kept me around as long as it served your purpose. Build up the pitiful defenses along the Felkan borders and then just get shuffled off to defend your fat merchants because they're getting death threats from bigots that actually have a point whether they even know it or not. Face it, YOU fuckers helped create the Felkan government and you share part of the problems with it. Me? I'm just serving it. I told you before, I pledged myself to the kingdom, but my only stipulation was that I do things my way and that I not be held back in doing it. You got in my way and I had no choice, but to defy you. You can't give a sword to me, and tell me not to kill the enemy with it. That's what a fucking sword is for."

Klemto, rubs a hand over his face and sits down in silence. His face has a slightly gaunt appearance than you last remember it. Every time you've seen him he's always been dressed very nice, but even his expensive clothing is a bit disheveled, even a small tear in his jacket. He takes a deep breath and speaks.

"Major, you really don't know what's going on back home do you?"
"Dawn sent me a letter recently about a week ago about some of what's going on. I hear the Gan province has been declared hostile and the rest of the kingdom army is planning to retake it."
"Yes, and even that is being put on hold, you know why? Because somebody blew up the merchant's guild two days ago! The day before? A duke was executed for conspiracy to kill the fucking king! At this point the Eternal Dominion doesn't need to invade us, the Felkan Kingdom will be in ruins by the time their armies even arrive! You haven't saved the kingdom, you've destroyed it!" he shouts with his eyes beginning to water and nearly hyperventilating the whole time. You have to say, you've never seen him ever this upset. You quickly get some water from a nearby pitcher and pour him a glass.

"I don't know what we're going to do…I don't know what we're going to do…" he says in between drinks.
"Look calm down Klemto, maybe it isn't as bad as you think." You tell him.
"Bad? It's fucking tragic! With the destruction of the merchant's guild, the economy is going to go down the fucking privy hole, the king is an ineffectual idiot that'll probably be successfully assassinated in a couple months, we're suffering from civil revolts, we got a rogue province and on top of everything we're at war with the Eternal Dominion!"

Sounds pretty familiar.

"Well, maybe it is as bad as you say. The question is what are YOU going to do about it?" you ask.
"Do? What can I do? I'm just one gnome! I'm hated in general by most non-gnomes and even most of my own people since they personally blame me, for having a hand in allowing you to be in charge of all the military in Gan. Even most of my friends that agreed with me were all killed in the bombing! I have nobody to help me fix this!"
"You're wrong there, you've got me. Look, take all these documents concerning the invasion plans, and do your best in convincing everyone and anyone important that this first strike was very necessary. If you're telling me that the king already is in danger of being assassinated…well maybe it'll be best to let that happen and place someone who is more likely to support the cause. I have to imagine that there's some power hungry royal ready to step up to the task."
"Assassinate the king, this is what it's come to? I don't know maybe you're even right, it's just I really hoped it wouldn't come to that. We gnomes have been puppet masters, but we've never engaged in assassination tactics before."
"Well, I think you're going to have to forget your previous tactics if you want the kingdom to survive regardless of who is actually on the throne. It's either that or cut your losses and leave like I did with the Empire. I caution you though, if you truly believe in the kingdom and love it like I think you do, you might later regret that decision."

Klemto calms down a bit and looks at you to see that you speak from experience with that last remark. And it is true; there is a part of you that misses the Empire for all its faults. You're making the best of things and you even manage to be content most of the time, but there is always something "missing" and you can't get it back.

"Okay, Eternal. Okay. Hand me all the documents that you mentioned, and I'll get started on a plan. (Sigh) I just hope you can hold back the full wrath of the Eternal Dominion all by yourself."
"Don't you worry about that, I brought this problem on, so I'll be the one to take care of it. Just try to keep the rest of the Felkan army off of my back, even if they aren't going to help."

Klemto leaves with the documents and you return to your duties. You can't be sure what's going to become of the kingdom, but one thing is certain, you aren't going to abandon your duty like last time.

[User] Continue

[Assistant]
Year 58

Your soldiers stand ready at camp as a single enemy approaches you. He shows no fear and has a look of determination and blazing fury in his eyes. He might even be able to cut down everyone in his path just to get to you, but that won't be necessary, as you have ordered everyone to stand down. This is between you and him. He's an Eternal, a true one that you once served with, if either of you are to die today, it should at the hands of the other. No others are worthy.

He's stood in opposition to you for a few years now and now that his side has finally lost completely, his side has resorted to acts of desperation to continue a long lost battle. This is just another example of that desperation.

The pair of you look at each other and say nothing. It wouldn't do any good anyway, neither of you is going listen. You both believed in the same thing once, but not anymore. In his eyes you ruined all that.

The two of you clash swords.

You remember when you saw him after a long stretch of distance from each other; you felt a sense of relief. There you were in a hostile environment not exactly knowing what would come next and you saw a friendly face that was more than willing to help out.

You land a kick to his stomach and smash his face with the pommel of your sword, destroying several of his teeth. He staggers back mouth filled with blood, but manages to block your next attack.

After that last time you saw him you were soon separated again. Oh sure, you heard about him, and he probably heard about your deeds as well, but you haven't actually seen each other until this moment. No matter who wins, it's going to be the last time.

You feel the deep cut of the sword sinking into your shoulder. Fighting through the pain, you manage to keep a firm grip of your sword and swing it into his side. You both hear a crack signaling that not only have you opened up a severe wound, but also broken a rib or two. He reels back from you as his side now drips red with gore. He's unsteady and breathing hard, but he's not going to stop. He's got nothing left to lose. If you were in his shoes, you wouldn't stop either.

The funny thing about this is you always thought you'd be having this battle with Edgar, not Warrick.

A slash at your leg brings you down to one knee, but Warrick isn't able to capitalize on bringing his sword down on your head, since you slash upward into his groin. He screams out, dropping his weapon and you painfully lift yourself up on your one good leg and land your own strike across his head. The sickening sound of skull meeting metal is heard and he falls to the ground with blood and brains leaking out the side. He gurgles a few unintelligible things, but some of it starts to form complete thoughts.

"You…? Wha…what are you doing here? I thought…you were still stationed in …Rask… I…don't rem…gnomes…"

After all this time, his memory is starting to come back. Your hit to his head, must've done something. You kneel down beside his bloody body and provide him a better last memory.

"I was sent here to help you Warrick. It was a very important mission for the Empire. You got blown up by a trap, but we succeeded Warrick. We won. Remember this."
"We…won…yeah…we…" Warrick mumbles and then finally expires.

You tell your soldiers to burn his body and not to disturb you for the rest of day, despite the medic insisting that you really should have your wounds seen to.

You sit in your tent in silence trying to rationalize killing yet another one of your former comrade in arms. He was trying to kill you. Warrick was on the wrong side of the civil war. A new king had to be installed and new policies had to be implemented. It had to be done, to protect the kingdom. Just like you had to kill Kane to protect the Empire…

It was a shitty end to an honorable man, but death by your hand is probably the best thing you could've done for him and at least in his final moments he believed he was elsewhere. You sometime wish you were.

The next day, you get your wounds properly patched up and get back to the business of holding off the Eternal Dominion, which hasn't been the same since Edgar was assassinated last year. Apparently the new eternals didn't agree with his leadership since it wasn't producing the results they wanted. They might not have agreed with it, but he was doing better than whoever the idiot that's in charge now is.

You wonder what happened to Brenda, you knew she was up there with Edgar in ranking, but since she's not in charge of the ED you can only assume that she was killed along with Edgar. You're the last one left and you think back to Gruz's last words to you.

"You'll outlive everyone…"

It's finally come true.

Year 65

More aches and pains as you slowly get out of bed. With every passing year you feel more of them and it's getting to a point where you can't reasonably get into the thick of battle anymore with sword in hand. Sure you're still a good fighter, but you're slowing down and don't have the strength that you once did. Of course some would say you weren't supposed to be doing that anyway as a leader should stay in the back and give orders from behind the safety of his soldiers. But then you always did cling to your old ways.

Still, it's not like you need to anymore, as the Eternal Dominion hasn't been a threat in years. You knew they'd fall apart soon after Edgar died. Their territory or what's left of it basically consists of petty warlords fighting each other more than fighting anyone else, let along the kingdom. Nowadays your job as a general mostly consists of pushing a few bits around on a map. Sometimes you still try to remain active by visiting areas that are experiencing heavy combat.

With no real opposition anymore and a stronger king in charge, the Felkan Kingdom is entering a period of aggressive expansion. With the newly acquired Arat province under control right now the king is looking towards Rask due to its resources. Diplomatic feelers were sent to see if the towns up there would join willingly, but no luck. You know from experience how difficult it is to hold, as the land is wild and its people are fiercely independent minded especially since they threw off the shackles of Empire rule and aren't willing to have another large government tell them what to do.

While you're certainly the most qualified to carry out an invasion on Rask, you aren't sure if you still have the energy anymore. Granted you wouldn't be personally, but you still remember the headaches of holding the place. Ever since Dawn retired to become an instructor, she's been dropping hints about you retiring as well. Perhaps it's time to follow in your wife's footsteps and join her.

[User] You continue as general

[Assistant]
You can't retire, at least not yet. Despite your aches, pains, and old age, you still feel the call of war within and the fire of it still hasn't disappeared from you. You wonder if it ever will, but until that time, your place is on the battlefield despite your diminished capacity.

Within a few months the decree in passed. Rask is to be invaded, as you knew it would. You know how the powers in charge work. They want results and they want them fast so you're going to try your best to provide just that, you amass a large army and send it forth to conquer. Since you've got access to more powerful weapons this time, perhaps this invasion won't be as difficult as you think if you show an overwhelming display of force.

The first strike is against Kenneth's Rest which you once knew as Fort Destiny. The place apparently had been converted into a hang out for mercenaries and a trading spot. Your army faces a lot of dark elven mercenaries that were enjoying their pay at the time, but most of them flee seeing as there isn't any profit in defending a place they don't actually have any loyalty to.

When Kenneth's Rest is taken, you ride out to it so you can carry out your orders closer to the action.

"So you'll be leaving soon again?" Dawn asks.
"You know how it is, if I don't make a personal appearance they're likely to fuck up my orders."
"They can't handle it themselves?"
"While I'm sure they could, I'm still the most familiar with the area. I think it would be best if I went there myself. Dawn, you shouldn't really worry. I mean I'm not even going to be on the frontlines and there were more times in the past of when I could've been killed."
"It's not that, it's just I dunno, when we got married and as we both get older I suppose I just figured we'd settle down a bit more so we could enjoy our remaining time together."
"Like a normal married couple?"
"Well, yes."
"Dawn, I think you know you didn't exactly marry a normal person."
"Yes, I know that too. Still, I do wonder when you'll eventually realize that you don't need to prove yourself anymore. I think everyone knows you aren't an armchair general. Ever since the new king took the throne, you've actually had nothing but support. I'm pretty sure your name will go down in history."
"It's not about that, I pledged myself to this kingdom and its survival. Part of that is me making sure this invasion of Rask doesn't go badly, because while we're on top now, I'd rather make sure we stay that way and it doesn't become a drain on our kingdom which then has a chain reaction of making things worse."
"You didn't abandon your duty." Dawn says to you.
"What?" you ask, turning to face her.
"You didn't abandon your duty to the Empire. I know that's why you try so hard here and still do. I've always known that the first time you told me of your past. You always speak in such a way about it with a mix of regret and frustration yet always with a sense of pride. You still struggle with that one thing that you consider a failure on your part, when if you think about it…it was the best thing you ever did."

You hold Dawn's hand and the pair of you look at each other's wedding rings. She has an argument that can't be debated as far as that is concerned. If you hadn't left the Empire when you did, you doubt if you would've been married. Most likely you probably would've gotten a knife in the back by one of those treacherous new eternals by this point.

You hold Dawn tightly and kiss her, before explaining.

"You're absolutely right of course. It was the best thing I could've done, but that's not the whole picture. I was raised different than anyone in the Felkan Kingdom, hell I was raised different than most in the Empire. I was brought up not just for war, battle and combat, but also to this ideal. An ideal that wasn't reality unfortunately, but there it was still implanted in my mind regardless. The thing is while that ideal barely existed in the Empire as I knew it, I see the spark of it coming to pass here in the Felkan Kingdom, and it's like I finally belong here and I want to be apart of it's glory as much as I can before I'm too old to be of any more use. Maybe I'm trying to live out the rest of my life as IF the Empire had never fallen. Perhaps that's what I've been doing all along for the past few decades."

Dawn nods and understands, but you know she would still prefer you to stay closer to home.

"Someday Dawn, someday." You tell her before you leave for Rask.

You almost feel like history repeating itself when you enter Kenneth's Rest, though it's a comforting feeling.

Using Kenneth's Rest as your base of operations in the Rask province, you decide the next attack should be the largest town in the region, which is Keplavisk. While Rask doesn't strictly have a proper central government, Keplavisk is the closest thing to a capital. Take that out and everything else should be a lot easier. You tell your captain that when he enters the smoldering ruins of the town to relay a message to the survivors.

"Tell them that the Bane of Rask has returned."

Year 75

You have to admit, that while retirement has it's good and bad points, you think you've finally gotten your "struggle" out of your system now. You initially thought after you retired you would still have that "pull" but you don't. Your successful campaign in Rask was truly a bookend of sorts. Maybe it was a kind of closure for you.

Your retirement basically consists of you spending a lot of time with Dawn which is time well spent as you grow old together. You sometimes wonder if Dawn wanted children, though she never specifically addressed it. Nature never took its course in that area. Dawn is about twenty years younger than you, and she was still in her childbearing years when you first got together. You don't think it was a problem with her though, you hold the belief that it probably was with you. Perhaps Eternals weren't meant to reproduce, or maybe you weren't. Still, you know that Roldan and Brenda never had any children that you know of, so you maintain the belief that it's one of the limitations of an Eternal. After all if an Eternal could breed offspring his attention might not be solely on war.

Besides your time with Dawn, you sometimes fill your time giving instruction at one of the military academies. You attend the occasional special royal event and recently you just accepted an award for everything you've done for the kingdom. There are also plans on having a statue made of you, but that isn't set in stone (literally) yet.

You sometimes walk down the streets of the capital and see how much it's changed in such a short time and continuing to thrive. Soldiers marching down the street keeping order. Citizens going about their business, proud of their nation and not trying to overthrow anything.

This is what the Empire should've been like.

This is what you were taught to believe in.

And it fills you with happiness that it was you that was part of making this come true.


[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 exile

[Assistant]
You don't think you could bring yourself to kill Ulivik directly or indirectly, besides it's not likely to help anything. He'd most likely become a martyr and you'd never be done fighting future uprisings in his name.

You then come up with an idea: Exile. If people are really unhappy here they can get the hell out and they can take their chances making it on their own. It has the potential to cause an exodus, but you doubt if it will. Not many with families will be willing to leave and it's still less harsh than execution. You are giving people a chance to live after all, it's up to them if they can survive in Rask without the benefit of protection or survive long enough for them to leave it entirely.

Not killing dissidents, it's a radical idea in it's own right, but you're going to gamble on it.

Having made this decision you finally get some sleep, though not exactly restful sleep.

The next day when Ulivik is protesting with his little group in front of the academy you and several soldiers march up to him.

"Okay Ulivik, this ends today." You say.
"And so it begins, I was wondering when you'd finally let loose and start threatening people for speaking out against you. That's what you used to do back in your Empire days isn't it? Well we aren't going quietly to be executed, as I said, if you want a fight, I'm more than willin to give it to you right here and now!"
"I'm not executing you Ulivik."
"Well we're not going to rot in your jails either."
"Will you shut the fuck up? I've heard your complaints outside my window for the past several months, the least you can do is listen to me for a change."
"Very well, but this better be good."
"Don't presume to tell me what is good, because this isn't a compromise. I'm going to say this once and once only and this is going out to all of you. Any more dissension or acts of stirring up shit for no reason, and you're gone. And what I mean by gone, I mean exile. And not just you, I'm talking ALL your family, all your friends and even your fucking pets. All of you that don't like how things are being run in this city, well you can get the fuck out. Let's see you do better out there. Lots of luck…"

Ulivik is a little surprised by your tactic, but it doesn't deter him and he gets in your face. You keep your soldiers back.

"You can't just throw people out of the city! These people have a right, we ALL have a right to live here and voice our concerns when the government is failing to provide a suitable quality of life!" Ulivik exclaims.
"Failing? What the hell are you talking about? We're protecting everyone from bandits, monsters, eternal dominion hold outs and do I even need to mention the wendigos? Nobody starves, everyone has a job, and all people have to do is follow a few simple fucking rules. I'm not demanding people bring me their virgin daughters! I'm not having people routinely tortured for not believing in some religion! Yeah there have been some sacrifices like food rationing and curfews, but I've been pretty damn fair about everything and YOU of all people should know that!"

Ulivik stops for a moment and while it seems like he knows you have a point, he refuses to back down still. Perhaps you taught him too well.

"So basically what you're saying is we should just be grateful that you're not Edgar…"

And that's the last straw, you lose your temper and proving you can still be quick for your age, you punch Ulivik in face. He staggers back and is disoriented enough for your soldiers to get a firm grip on him. He tries to twist free, but you have four soldiers lift him up grabbing one of his limbs each.

"Let me go tyrant! Too cowardly to face me in battle? So much for your eternal bravery!"
"Lucky for you, since you weren't even fast enough to dodge my punch, open the gates and throw his ass out. And if the rest of you want to join him, you can pack your shit and go too!"

As you and the soldiers escort Ulivik out of the city, the rest of his followers lose their courage. Most of them have families and friends and aren't willing to risk your wrath anymore. Other citizens look on at the spectacle and just stare in silent awe. The only one making any sort of noise is Ulivik who is cursing you and everyone else who isn't helping him. You ignore his curses, and just simmer in anger at the situation.

Eventually you reach the gates and with a mighty heave your soldiers throw Ulivik a few feet and face first into the snow. He scrambles to get up and upon turning around; your soldiers draw several muskets on him.

"Goodbye, Ulivik, don't come back or else I won't be as merciful next time." You say from the gate.

"Merciful? You're throwing me out of my own fucking home you bastard!"
"At least I'm not throwing your mother out as well, and at least you're still alive."
"Fuck you. I can't believe I used to look up to you."
"And I never told you to, you chose to do that! And you chose this path as well. I'm merely doing what I think is best, just like I did then. (sigh) I'm sorry it has to be this way, but you'll survive Ulivik…I know I taught you that…close the gates."

As the gates close you see Ulivik just standing by himself looking very alone. It's sort of sad. He started out as a disliked "outsider" due to his race in this town when he was growing up and now he has at last been banished from it for good. Not even one of his so called followers or even a bystander pleaded for him or even joined him by leaving. He did a lot for Rask during the war and he was speaking out for their "rights", but that doesn't seem to account for shit in the scheme of things to people. While it's a fortunate situation, it still doesn't seem right even if he was opposing you.

Over the next few months you half expect Ulivik to be attacking soldiers outside the gates of the city and holding some sort of one man vendetta or possibly even gathering a small group of bandits robbing the miners or loggers and such, but that doesn't happen. He's gone, but you're confident he's not dead. You just hope he's moved on to better things.

As for you and everyone else life goes on.

Year 75

With age catching up on you every day you sometimes wonder if it's even worth getting out of bed anymore. You tire of the tedious act of governing, but you have no real successor to take your place. There are a couple of officers you have in mind, which could do a competent job you suppose, and that's when you make a major decision. You decide to step down from power and hand this mess over to someone else. Since you know whoever you pick is going to have to be a strong leader and nip any potential coups in the bud, you pick the three most charismatic, intelligent and loyal that you can think of and call them into the training area in front of an audience of soldiers.

You then announce that the three men will fight to the death and whoever is left standing gets to be in charge. The three officers look a little surprised and the audience is silent, but it doesn't take long for one of the men to try to sneak attack on one of the others.

The fight is a good one. As you watch you fight back to the days when you watched your classmates fight each other for Mistress. That was so long ago and as crazy as it seems you've actually been missing those days lately, everything much simpler at least. All of them are gone now. Last you heard of Edgar is that he was assassinated four years ago as the Eternal Dominion continued to fragment into petty fiefdoms ruled by equally petty eternal warlords. You don't know about Warrick or Brenda, but you sometimes like to think they managed to escape the madness and are living satisfying lives. Barring that, you hope they died well in whatever battle that was their last.

Eventually one man is left standing. Bruised, bloody and battered, but victorious. It is at this point you stand up and congratulate him and make another announcement to the crowd.

"Captain Eddings has proved himself worthy of succeeding me. I trust you will serve this man as well as you have served me all these years. Congratulations Eckers, you've just been promoted to…uh general I guess."
"Thank you sir, I will do everything in my power to ensure the safety and prosperity of the city." Eddings remarks with pride.
"I'm sure you will, I'm sure you will, why don't you head to the infirmary first though. As for me I'm going back to sleep. You can catch up with me later if you need some explanation on anything, but I left some notes on my desk for you as a general guideline." You say and head back to your room.

You know you'll probably still be running things for a while at least and probably be consulted many times, but you still feel as if a weight has been lifted off you. The problem is, you wonder how you'll spend your free time. You'll think of something you suppose.


[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 know what, whatever. Why the hell not.

[Assistant]
You eat, and you immediately you feel better.

When it's time to get off the plane, the goblin is already gone, just like all the other first-class passengers. A glass with a few traces of red wine is on the tray beside his seat.

You walk through JFK with Dmitri. He holds your hand, watching your face for any sign of them, but there are no goblins.

You get your luggage from baggage claim and turn toward the exit. Outside is a long line of taxis.

In front of the door is a huge goblin. Taller than you. His head is above the archway.

"There's one there," you say dully to Dmitri, pointing toward it.

His eyes follow your finger. He squints hard. "I think," he says slowly, "I see a...a shadow."

There are about ten sets of doors to the taxi line, so you turn toward another one and start hurrying toward it. It probably won't work, but hey, what do you have to lose?

It doesn't move. "Go ahead."

You turn, shocked. They've never spoken before.

"If you do, I'll follow you. I'll never kill you, but I'll never stop following."

Oh. Well, great. Fighting him seems like a losing proposition. Sure, he doesn't look terribly fast or strong, but you aren't either--and you've got skin, not hard, armor-like scales. Also, he's huge.

But you also can't let him follow you around forever.

What should you do?

[User] You know what, this ends now. Fight him.

[Assistant]
Okay, what will you fight him with?

You now have your heavy, hard-sided suitcase, with a large textbook and the statue you planned to give to Keith's parents inside. Despite its weight, you could probably get it over your head, and since it's already in your hand, speed would be on your side.

Nearby is a frail old lady carrying a long umbrella with a fairly pointy metal tip.

Also nearby is a large, heavy metal luggage cart, which you definitely couldn't lift over your head but might do some serious damage if used like a battering ram.


[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]
You frown, deciding that you can't take away reinforcements on such an important night. You still have the drop on the Thrall, and despite his vampiric favor, he's a simple mortal with a beating heart that can be stop and fresh blood that can be spilled. You're going to take him out ,and remind his master of how much mortality stings. With fresh-faced determination, you walk forward towards the house.

You walk with steady, certain steps up towards the house. You know from surveillance that the house has the main entrance as well as a back door. The lounge, dining room and basement are located near the front door. The sitting positions would give anyone in there the sight of the door, but it would allow for the quickest contact. If the vampire's awake, eliminating the thrall would give you far better chances against the Vampire shortly afterwards.

So, the only question left before you dive in the throes of nightmarish battle is whether you're going in through the front door or the back door.

[User] You head in the back door

[Assistant]
The back door, you decide. You want to ensure you get the drop on the Thrall, and don't end up in a firefight with the man, or else the vampire will have time to awaken from his internal, dreamless slumber, and then you don't have a chance in hell. With that decided, you walk towards the house, shotgun gripped tightly in your hand. Surprisingly for a vampire's lair, your surveillance has said that the house is completely lacking in any serious security measures. Locked doors and windows, sure, but they're lacking the reinforced doors, security cameras. It's a young vampire, so you're not expecting legions of Thralls protecting him or runic blood magic protecting the house, but clearly the power's gone to this creature's head.

Moving slowly and softly through the garden around to the back, you still your breathing and do your best to be as soundless as the shadows. You creep through the rose bushes, whose petals look almost eerily beautiful in the moonlight. The sky's light brightens your path, but also makes it harder to sneak, and you just stay low and hope that if the Thrall happens to be looking out the window, he isn't looking too hard.

Edging around to the back, you draw close to the wooden door. You move to the door, standing ready, before striking. Taking a deep breath, you growl, ready to act. You raise your shotgun, firing through the door's lock as you boot it open, quickly stepping through the now opened doorway and into the house.

The Thrall stands in the kitchen, his back turned to you.The Thrall is a short, bearded man, growling and shaking his head repeatedly as he divides a pile of crushed and broken white crystals, no doubt a substitute between his feedings on the vampiric blood he's heavily addicted to. The man quickly turns, his crazed, blood-shot eyes bulging at you as he sees you.

His eyes dart up to you as he growls, an animalistic sound that could only come from a beast. With a roar, he charges for you.

[User] You reload and fire

[Assistant]
You pump your shotgun, as the crazed man leaps through the air towards you. Rolling back, your hands clench and pull the trigger, firing a burst of flames and metal through the air in a noise like a dragon's roar firing straight through the thrall's chest. He gasps, his clothes lighting into flames as he's catapulted into the wall. He slides down the wall, screaming out in anger and pain, a noise of such intense rage that it chills you.

Marching forward, you aim your shotgun to his head.

"You goddamn bastard! We'll take the night back! We'll steal the fucking sun for you! We will rule the darkness, and we will fucking make blood bags of your loved o...!"

You fire the round, the man's head exploding. You've listened to enough insane ramblings in your day, so you're not bothering with the man. With him dead, you've one target left.

[User] You take out the coffin

[Assistant]
You quickly head down the staircase of the basement, descending into the dark basement, lit by a dim candle. You slow down as you notice the counters piled with jars filled to the brim with red liquid. A bloody metal table sits there with unopened leather straps, a series of tubing and IV's connected to it. You're certain that it's equipment to drain the blood of victims the Thrall captures, to feed his master when he doesn't wish to hunt for himself.

However, the highlight of the room is a large, ornate coffin, leaning against a concrete wall. You've seen enough coffins in your life for any man, but this one is a fairly nice one. It's solid wood, cherry, with brass handles, sitting up on its side so its resident can sleep standing up. The face on the front of the coffin shows a grinning, gargoyle-like face made of brass, its eyes shining at you. You flinch at the sight of it, nervous about what lies behind it.

You hurry up to the coffin, readying your shotgun to perform the breaching actions. Swinging around and standing back, you quickly measure the size of the coffin and roughly calculate where the center of its heart is. You aim, your fingers tightening on the trigger as you fire the weapon.

Your shotgun bucks, firing lead and magnesium shards directly through the heavy wood of the coffin. You fire four times as the wood splinters and explodes away, your shells bursting through them as they tear through the coffin, swiveling your aim between where the head and heart should lie. After a few seconds, you pause, quickly reloading your shotgun as you step back, hoping the creature lies dead inside there.

Stepping forward, you grab the handle of the coffin and wretch it open, tearing open the splintered and almost destroyed door. Staring inside, you find splintered wood and torn apart coffin... but no vampire, or no ash to show a clean kill.

"That was expensive," a dark, chilling voice says. "You'll pay for that."

Your voice chills when you hear the voice, but you know it's not the time for tears. Turning your head, you find yourself staring up at a tall, deathly pale figure, baring a pair of ivory daggers that descend from its upper jaw. It's skin seems almost entirely hairless except for the thick black hair that hangs down from its head. Its eyes, however... its blood red eyes betray an inhumanity that you'll never be able to comprehend.

The creature dashes forward, grabbing your shotgun by the handle and punching you in the stomach. He quickly begins to wrest the shotgun out of your hands as you use all your strength to stop it, fighting for control of your weapon while using your knees to keep the vampire far enough away from you so that it's fangs can't sink into your flesh and drain you of your blood.

[User] You fight for control of the shotgun

[Assistant]
You grab the shotgun with both hands, tightening your grip and trying your best to wrestle it out of the Vampire's hand, but he's far stronger than you. The Vampire grabs your wrist, pulling it behind your back and forcing you to the ground. There's a painful snap as you feel your arm break in half, and you let out a horrified scream. The Vampire pulls the shotgun from your broken grip, laughing.

"I thought you Hunters were supposed to be threats," he laughs.

"You're never going to feel the sun on your face, you monster," you groan.

The Vampire lifts the shotgun into the air, smashing it against your head as you scream. The creature repeatedly smashes the butt of your shotgun against your skull, hitting you again and again and again as your skull is crushed into the concrete floor, blood and brains leaking in a puddle around your shattered form.