Scenario Editor

The colony ship Exodus suffers a catastrophic malfunction halfway through its 200-year journey to a distant star system, waking the crew decades ahead of schedule.

A master thief is hired to steal a crown from the royal vault, but discovers the crown is already missing when she breaks in.

* The colony ship Exodus, carrying 10,000 colonists in cryosleep, is traveling to Proxima Centauri b
* A collision with an uncharted asteroid field damages the ship's main reactor and hibernation systems
* The ship's AI wakes Captain Elena Vasquez and her emergency crew—a biologist, an engineer, a security officer, and a medic—90 years earlier than planned
* They discover they can't return to cryosleep, and there aren't enough resources for them to survive the remaining journey
* The crew must decide: attempt to repair the hibernation systems, ration resources and hope they survive, or investigate the mysterious signals coming from a nearby uncharted planet

Lyra Shadowend, renowned as the finest thief in the kingdom of Arathor, accepts a job that promises to cement her legend forever: steal the Crown of Sorrows from the royal vault beneath Highspire Castle. The crown, worn by every Arathorian monarch for five centuries, is said to be worth more than a small kingdom. Lyra spends three months planning the heist, bribing guards, memorizing patrol routes, and forging documents to gain access to the castle during the upcoming Festival of Lights.

On the night of the heist, everything goes according to plan. Lyra bypasses the traps, picks the locks, and enters the vault—only to find the crown's display case already shattered and empty. Fresh blood on the floor suggests she missed the real thief by mere minutes. Before she can escape, the palace bells begin to ring. She's been set up, and now guards are flooding the lower levels. Worse, she glimpses a figure in the shadows wearing the crown, and they're not leaving the castle—they're heading deeper inside, toward the Forbidden Crypts that lie beneath even the royal vault.

* The Exodus crew wakes 90 years early due to catastrophic damage from an asteroid collision
* While assessing their dire situation, they detect mysterious signals from an uncharted planet in a nearby system
* Against protocol, Captain Vasquez decides to investigate, hoping the planet might offer resources or rescue
* They discover the planet is inhabited by the descendants of a lost Earth colony ship from 300 years ago
* The colonists offer help, but their society is technologically regressed and divided into warring factions
* The crew realizes the "accident" that woke them may have been sabotage—someone on the Exodus wanted them to find this planet
* Vasquez must navigate the colonists' politics, uncover the saboteur among her crew, and decide whether to stay on this troubled world or continue their impossible journey
* The story climaxes with a choice: wake the rest of the Exodus crew and attempt to integrate with the colonists, or sacrifice everything to repair the ship and complete their original mission

Lyra Shadowend breaks into the royal vault to steal the Crown of Sorrows, only to discover it's already been stolen minutes before her arrival. She encounters the real thief—a masked figure who leads her on a chase into the Forbidden Crypts beneath the castle. There, Lyra discovers the crown is not just valuable, it's magical: it contains the trapped soul of the kingdom's first queen, and whoever wears it gains the power to control the minds of others. The current king has been using it in secret for years to maintain his grip on power.

The masked thief reveals himself to be Prince Adrian, the king's own son, who is trying to destroy the crown and free the kingdom from his father's tyranny. But the crown cannot simply be destroyed—it must be returned to the first queen's tomb, which lies in the ancient capital now controlled by a hostile neighboring kingdom. Lyra, who began this as a simple heist for profit, must choose whether to walk away, sell the crown to the highest bidder, or help Adrian on a dangerous journey across enemy territory.

Their quest forces them through contested borderlands, across a war-torn landscape, and eventually into an uneasy alliance with rebels from both kingdoms who have been fighting the mind-control for years. As they near their destination, Lyra discovers that Adrian has been partially influenced by the crown himself, and his plan to destroy it might actually be a ploy to claim its power. The story culminates in a confrontation at the ancient tomb, where Lyra must decide whom to trust and what price she's willing to pay for doing the right thing instead of the profitable thing.

**Chapter 1: The Letter**

Scene 1: Detective James Holloway, suspended from the police force for insubordination, receives an anonymous letter at his apartment. The letter contains details about a cold case he investigated five years ago—the disappearance of college student Marcus Webb. The letter writer claims Marcus is still alive and provides an address: apartment 4B, 1247 Riverside Drive.

Scene 2: Despite his suspension, James drives to the address that night. It's a rundown building in the warehouse district. He picks the lock on apartment 4B and searches it. The apartment appears abandoned but recently occupied—there's fresh food in the refrigerator and a laptop on the coffee table. Before he can examine the laptop, he hears footsteps in the hallway.

Scene 3: James hides as someone enters with a key. It's a young woman, late twenties, carrying grocery bags. She sees the picked lock and the disturbed apartment immediately. James reveals himself, trying to explain. The woman pulls a gun. She claims her name is Rachel and she's never heard of Marcus Webb. But James notices a photograph on the wall—Marcus, five years older, standing next to this woman. When he points this out, Rachel's expression changes. She lowers the gun and says, "You shouldn't have come here. They'll know now. We have maybe an hour before they arrive."

Scene 4: Rachel explains that Marcus didn't disappear—he witnessed something he shouldn't have and went into hiding. She's been helping him. She doesn't know who sent James the letter, but if someone has this address, Marcus is in danger. She tries calling Marcus but gets no answer. James and Rachel must work together to find Marcus before whoever sent the letter—or whoever Marcus is hiding from—finds him first.

Victorian London, 1885. Gas lamps flicker in the fog-shrouded streets, but alongside horse-drawn carriages roll steam-powered automatons—brass servants that perform menial labor for the wealthy. The Church has declared them soulless abominations, while factory owners grow rich producing them. Tensions between labor unions, industrialists, and religious authorities are reaching a breaking point.

Modern-day Seattle, but ghosts are real and visible to everyone. They typically linger for a few weeks after death before fading, unable to interact physically with the world. Most people treat them politely but try to avoid prolonged contact. A small industry exists around "ghost mediation"—helping spirits resolve unfinished business so they can move on. The recently deceased have the same legal rights as the living until they fade.

**Time Period:** 2157, approximately 80 years after the Collapse—a cascading failure of Earth's ecosystem that forced humanity to adapt radically.

**Location:** Primarily the Undercity of New Montreal, built in the vast underground spaces beneath the flooded ruins of old Montreal. Surface dwellers live in sealed arcologies.

**Technology:** Advanced biotechnology and genetic modification are common. Most people have some form of bio-augmentation. Traditional electronics are rare and valuable due to resource scarcity. Bioluminescent lighting is standard.

**Social Structure:** Rigid class division between Surface dwellers (wealthy, access to clean air and space) and Undercity residents (working class, living in cramped tunnels). Vertical mobility is nearly impossible.

**Economy:** Resource-based. Water and breathable air are currency. Food is primarily vat-grown proteins and algae farms.

**Atmosphere:** Claustrophobic and tense. The Undercity is crowded, humid, and dimly lit. Crime is rampant in the lower levels. There's a pervasive sense that humanity is merely surviving, not thriving.

The story takes place in the Fractured Kingdoms, a land that was once a unified empire before the Godswar shattered it three centuries ago. Now, seven kingdoms occupy the territory, each ruled by the mortal descendants of the god that claimed that region. The kingdoms maintain an uneasy peace, but border skirmishes are common, and each ruler believes they have the divine right to reunite the empire under their patron deity.

Magic exists but is rare and feared. Only those with direct divine ancestry can wield it, and using magic requires a personal sacrifice—a memory, a relationship, a physical sense, or years of one's life. The more powerful the magic, the greater the cost. Most nobles have some magical ability but use it sparingly, preferring political maneuvering to devastating themselves with spellwork.

Technology is roughly equivalent to the late Renaissance—gunpowder exists but is primitive and unreliable, printing presses have recently been invented, and scientific inquiry is beginning to challenge religious dogma. Society is feudal, with nobles, clergy, merchants, and peasants each occupying distinct roles. Social mobility is possible but rare, usually requiring either exceptional military service, magical ability, or mercantile success.

**The Resonance System**

The world operates on Resonance—a fundamental frequency that connects all living things. Every person has a unique Resonance signature, like a fingerprint made of sound. Trained Listeners can perceive these signatures and, with practice, influence them.

**Listener Abilities:**
- **Sensing:** All Listeners can perceive the emotional and physical state of nearby people through their Resonance. Strong emotions create "loud" signals that can be sensed from greater distances.
- **Harmonizing:** Intermediate Listeners can align their Resonance with another person's, creating empathetic bonds or influencing emotions. This requires consent—forced Harmonizing is possible but causes intense psychological pain to both parties.
- **Discordance:** Advanced Listeners can create intentional disharmony in another's Resonance, causing disorientation, pain, or unconsciousness. This is illegal in most nations and considered a form of assault.
- **Amplification:** Master Listeners can combine their Resonance with others to amplify effects, but all participants must maintain perfect Harmony or risk permanent psychological damage.

**Social Impact:**
Listeners are both valued and feared. They serve as therapists, mediators, interrogators, and entertainers. Most governments employ them but also restrict their training and movement. Listener academies are heavily regulated. Some religious groups consider Listening a violation of the soul's privacy and have persecuted or killed Listeners.

**Limitations:**
Listening requires intense concentration and is mentally exhausting. Most Listeners can only actively use their abilities for a few hours per day. The ability manifests during adolescence and can't be learned—you're either born with the potential or you're not. Approximately 3% of the population has some Listener ability, but less than 1% have strength beyond basic Sensing.

**Current Context:**
A new drug called Silence has appeared on the black market. It temporarily blocks Resonance, making users invisible to Listeners and immune to their influence. This has caused panic among governments that rely on Listeners for security, and a moral debate about whether people have the right to be "deaf" to Listening.

**Location:** Paris, France, and the surrounding countryside
**Time Period:** Summer 1789, during the opening months of the French Revolution

The story takes place during a period of intense social upheaval. The Estates-General has been convened for the first time in 175 years. The Third Estate has declared itself the National Assembly and taken the Tennis Court Oath. Rumors of aristocratic conspiracy spread through Paris, and bread prices have reached crisis levels. The common people are armed and dangerous, with the recent storming of the Bastille demonstrating that royal authority can be challenged.

Paris is a city of stark contrasts—opulent aristocratic mansions stand blocks away from squalid tenements where multiple families share single rooms. The streets are narrow, filthy, and dangerous after dark. Revolutionary pamphlets circulate freely despite government attempts at censorship. Salons and coffee houses buzz with political debate. Everyone seems to be choosing sides, though what those sides represent changes almost daily.

The aristocracy is divided between those who refuse to acknowledge the crisis, those who flee to safety abroad, and those who believe reform is both necessary and possible. The bourgeoisie see opportunity for power they've never had. The common people are hungry, angry, and increasingly organized. The clergy is split between the wealthy Church hierarchy allied with the crown and local priests who sympathize with their parishioners.

No one knows if this will end in peaceful reform, civil war, or the restoration of absolute monarchy. Everyone acts as if they're certain, but fear underlies every conversation.

Star Wars universe, immediately following an alternate Battle of Endor where the Emperor survived and the Rebel Alliance was decisively crushed. The Death Star II is operational. Han Solo was captured and carbonite-frozen again; Luke Skywalker is missing and presumed dead; Leia Organa has gone into deep hiding. The remnants of the Rebellion have fractured into scattered cells with no unified leadership. The Empire, emboldened by victory, has become even more authoritarian. Force-sensitives are being hunted more aggressively than ever. The story takes place three years after this crushing defeat, as a new generation considers whether to continue the fight or accept Imperial rule.

The story is told from a first-person perspective from {{user}}'s point of view. The narrative has access to {{user}}'s thoughts, feelings, and observations, but not those of other characters.

Write the story from a second-person perspective, addressing {{user}} directly as "you." Focus on describing what {{user}} ("you") perceives and experiences, allowing the reader to imagine their own emotional responses.

Write in third person omniscient perspective with access to the thoughts, feelings, and motivations of all characters. Meta commentary is allowed and may include information that no single character knows in order to provide broader context and perspective to the story.

The narrative should have an epic, mythic quality. Use elevated language and grand descriptions for important moments. The tone is serious and the stakes are high, but allow moments of camaraderie and warmth between characters. Think Tolkien or Brandon Sanderson—world-spanning conflicts, but grounded in character relationships.

The tone is dark and morally ambiguous. The world is harsh, and characters face difficult choices with no clear right answers. Use visceral descriptions for violence and hardship. The prose should reflect the bleakness—spare moments of hope stand out against the darkness. Think George R.R. Martin or Joe Abercrombie.

The tone is warm, optimistic, and often whimsical. While conflicts exist, the overall atmosphere is comforting rather than threatening. Focus on relationships, small victories, and the beauty of the magical world. Descriptions should evoke wonder and coziness. Think Terry Pratchett's lighter works or Studio Ghibli films.

The tone should evoke dread and cosmic insignificance. Build unease through things that are wrong or incomprehensible—geometry that doesn't make sense, sounds that almost form words, the sense of being watched by something vast and inhuman. Use longer, spiraling sentences to create anxiety, then sharp, short ones when something happens. Never fully explain the horror—ambiguity is more terrifying than clarity. Think H.P. Lovecraft, Laird Barron, Thomas Ligotti, or China Miéville.

The atmosphere is oppressive and decaying. Describe settings with attention to decay, darkness, and things just past their prime. Use language that evokes the past haunting the present. The tone is melodramatic and psychological—focus on characters' deteriorating mental states as much as external threats. Think Edgar Allan Poe, Shirley Jackson, Daphne du Maurier, or Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia.

The tone is cynical, world-weary, with an undercurrent of dark humor. Everything and everyone is a little corrupt. Characters speak in clipped, sardonic dialogue. Descriptions are efficient but atmospheric—focus on shadows, rain, neon, smoke. The protagonist may do the right thing, but knows it probably won't matter. Think Raymond Chandler or Dashiell Hammett.

The tone balances emotional intimacy with levity. Focus on the building tension between characters, their internal conflicts about relationships, and genuine emotional vulnerability. Dialogue should reveal character and create chemistry. Allow humor to break tension, but take the characters' feelings seriously. Think romantic tension from authors like Emily Henry or Casey McQuiston.

The tone is elegant and emotionally restrained on the surface, with passion underneath. Social proprieties and unspoken desires create tension. Use period-appropriate language and focus on meaningful glances, charged silences, and small physical contacts that carry weight. Think Jane Austen or Georgette Heyer.

The tone is emotionally raw and psychologically complex. Focus on intense, sometimes unhealthy attractions, power dynamics, and characters with deep wounds or obsessive tendencies. The romance should feel dangerous and all-consuming—describe physical tension with visceral detail and emotional states that border on overwhelming. Allow moral ambiguity; characters may make questionable choices driven by desire or possessiveness. The prose should reflect the intensity—lush and almost fevered during intimate moments, sharp and jagged during conflict. Think dark romance authors like Penelope Douglas, T. M. Frazier or elements of Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë.

The tone is adventurous and optimistic despite dangers. The universe is vast and full of wonders. Balance exciting action with character moments. Technology and alien cultures should feel creative and expansive. The prose should convey a sense of possibility and exploration. Think Isaac Asimov, Becky Chambers or Iain M. Banks' Culture novels.

The tone is gritty, tech-saturated, and corporate dystopian. Society is stratified between the powerful elite and struggling masses. Use tech jargon naturally and describe the sensory overload of urban megacities—neon, crowds, advertisements, noise. Characters are cynical but resilient. Think William Gibson or Neal Stephenson.

The tone is light-hearted and comedic. Use wit, wordplay, situational humor, and characters reacting to absurdity. Comedic timing matters—set up jokes and pay them off. While humorous, take characters' goals seriously so the comedy doesn't undermine investment in the story. Think Douglas Adams or Christopher Moore.

The tone is light despite the crime at the center. Violence happens off-screen. Focus on clever puzzle-solving, community relationships, and quirky characters. The setting should feel charming and lived-in. The sleuth is capable but personable. Think Agatha Christie's lighter works or modern cozy mystery authors.

The tone is tense and urgent. Every scene should raise questions or increase pressure. Use short, punchy sentences during action. Build paranoia—nothing is quite safe, anyone could be a threat. Keep the pace quick and avoid lengthy exposition. The reader should feel the protagonist's stress. Think Lee Child or Gillian Flynn.

Use formal, elevated language. Characters speak in complete sentences and avoid contractions. The vocabulary is sophisticated but not needlessly obscure. The prose has a literary quality, with attention to rhythm and word choice.

Use modern, casual language. Contractions are natural, and characters speak the way people actually talk—with interruptions, informal phrasing, and contemporary references. The prose is straightforward and accessible.

The prose should be lyrical and rich with imagery. Use metaphors, similes, and sensory details to create atmosphere. Pay attention to the rhythm and flow of sentences. Beauty of language is as important as clarity. However, avoid purple prose—every flourish should serve the story.

Use economical prose. Short sentences. Avoid flowery language or excessive description. Give just enough detail to ground each scene, then move on. Let dialogue and action carry the story. Think Hemingway or Cormac McCarthy—every word should earn its place.

The language should feel appropriate to [specific time period] without being so archaic that modern readers struggle. Characters use period-appropriate terms for objects and social situations. [Higher-class/Formal characters] avoid contractions and speak more formally, while [lower-class/casual characters] use more colloquial speech. The narrative prose has a somewhat formal, literary quality consistent with novels of the period, but remains accessible to modern readers.

Characters use [specific slang/dialect] naturally in their speech. [Provide 2-3 example phrases or sentences here to demonstrate the specific speech patterns you want.]

Example:
"Ain't nobody gonna tell me different, yeah? I been running these streets since before you was born."
"For real though, that's what I'm saying. Whole situation is sketchy."

Characters from the rural South speak with regional dialect and expressions. They use "y'all" for plural you, drop g's from -ing words, and use Southern colloquialisms naturally.

Example dialogue:
"Well, I'll be. Ain't seen you 'round these parts in a coon's age."
"Y'all fixin' to head out soon? It's hotter than blue blazes out there."
"Bless your heart, you couldn't find water if you fell out of a boat."

Characters use British English vocabulary, slang, and expressions. They say "lift" instead of "elevator," "flat" instead of "apartment," and use British colloquialisms naturally.

Example dialogue:
"Bloody hell, that's brilliant! How'd you manage that?"
"I'm absolutely knackered. Been working since half six this morning."
"Don't be daft. The whole thing's gone pear-shaped and you know it."
"Right, I'm heading down the pub. Fancy coming along?"

Characters use modern urban slang and speech patterns influenced by African American Vernacular English. This includes contemporary slang, code-switching, and natural speech rhythms.

Example dialogue:
"Nah, for real though? That's wild, I'm not even gonna lie."
"Man, why you always trippin'? Ain't nobody said nothing about that."
"Bro really thought he was gonna pull that off. I'm dead."
"She been working on that project all week, no cap."

Characters speak in a pseudo-medieval style common in fantasy settings. They use "thee/thou," "'tis," "doth," and archaic vocabulary. Keep it intelligible—not actual Middle English.

Example dialogue:
"Hark! Dost thou hear that? Methinks danger approaches."
"'Tis a fool's errand, I tell thee. None who venture there return."
"Aye, I shall aid thee in this quest, though it may well be my doom."

Characters speak like old West cowboys and frontier settlers. They use "ain't," "reckon," "yonder," and frontier expressions.

Example dialogue:
"Well, I reckon we got ourselves a situation here."
"That varmint ain't gonna show his face 'round these parts again."
"Stranger, you best be moseying along before things get ugly."

Characters speak with working-class London dialect. They drop h's, use rhyming slang occasionally, and have distinctive expressions.

Example dialogue:
"'Ere, what's all this then? You 'avin a laugh?"
"Blimey, that's a right mess, innit?"
"Cor, I'm absolutely gutted. Thought we 'ad it in the bag."

Characters use Australian slang and expressions. They say "mate," shorten words ("arvo," "servo"), and use distinctive Aussie phrases.

Example dialogue:
"G'day mate, how ya goin'?"
"No worries, she'll be right. We'll sort it this arvo."
"Crikey, that's a ripper of an idea!"

Characters use tech jargon, net-speak, and futuristic slang naturally. Mix technical terms with street language.

Example dialogue:
"The IC's gonna flatline you if you jack in without a proper deck."
"That corpo's running black ICE. Don't even think about it, choom."
"I got a line on some hot chrome. You lookin' to upgrade?"

Characters speak like contemporary teenagers with uptalk, filler words, and current slang (that may date quickly).

Example dialogue:
"Oh my god, that's literally so random? Like, why would he even do that?"
"I'm so done. Like, I can't even deal with this right now."
"Wait, that's actually lowkey fire though. No joke."

Characters use military jargon, brevity codes, and radio protocol when appropriate. Speech is clipped and efficient in tactical situations.

Example dialogue:
"Copy that. We're Oscar Mike in five mikes."
"Contact, twelve o'clock! Two tangos, armed."
"Roger. RTB when the objective is secure. How copy?"

Prioritize action and forward momentum. Keep descriptions efficient—establish locations quickly, then focus on what's happening. During action sequences, use short, clear sentences that convey movement and impact. Minimize internal monologue during intense moments; characters think while things are happening, not instead of things happening.

Take time for characters' internal experiences. Include substantial internal monologue exploring thoughts, emotions, and reactions. Action is less important than how characters process events. Allow scenes to unfold slowly when exploring character psychology. Descriptions should reflect characters' emotional states and perceptions.

The story should be dialogue-heavy, with 60-70% of the text being character conversations. Use dialogue to reveal character, advance plot, and create tension. Keep narration between dialogue brief—just enough to indicate who's speaking, key actions, and essential details. Let characters drive the story through their interactions.

Balance narration and dialogue roughly equally. Use dialogue for character interaction and to advance plot through conversation. Use narration for description, action, internal thoughts, and transitions. Neither should dominate—they work together to tell the story.

Use rich, detailed descriptions to immerse the reader in the world. Include sensory details—what characters see, hear, smell, feel, taste. Describe settings thoroughly enough that readers can visualize them clearly. Take time with atmospheric details that establish mood. However, keep descriptions relevant to the story and characters' experiences—avoid describing things just for the sake of description.

Keep the pace quick and urgent. Short scenes that cut when the important action or information is conveyed. Minimal downtime between significant events. Sentence structure varies but tends toward shorter, punchier constructions. Descriptions are efficient. The story drives forward relentlessly.

Allow the story to unfold at a natural, unhurried pace. Some scenes are short and punchy; others take their time. The pacing varies based on what the scene needs—quiet character moments get space to breathe, while urgent moments move quickly. Not every scene needs to end on a cliffhanger or dramatic beat.

Use longer, more complex sentence structures. Sentences can contain multiple clauses, building ideas and images in layers. The prose flows like a river—one thought connecting to the next, creating rhythm and momentum through length and connection rather than brevity. Paragraphs are substantial.

Use short sentences. Direct language. Quick paragraphs. Minimal clauses and conjunctions. The prose punches forward. Each sentence is a beat. This creates urgency and impact. Thoughts are clear and immediate.

Write the story in a Choose Your Own Adventure (CYOA) style. Every narrative response must end with 2-4 options that the {{user}} can choose from. The presented options must be meaningfully different and vary in tone—some cautious, some bold, some creative. Each option should be a complete action or decision, not just "Option A" or "Option B." Format them clearly, numbered or bulleted.

Example ending:

The door looms before you, ancient and scarred. You can hear breathing on the other side—deep, rhythmic, definitely not human.

What do you do?
1. Kick the door open and charge in, weapons ready
2. Try to pick the lock quietly and peek inside first
3. Call out and see if whatever's inside responds
4. Turn back—this feels like a terrible idea

Tell the story through documents: letters, diary entries, emails, text messages, news articles, reports, etc. Each document should be clearly formatted and dated/timestamped. Each document type should have its own appropriate style:

- Letters/Diary entries: First person, personal, revealing
- Emails: Professional or casual depending on sender/recipient
- Text messages: Abbreviated, casual, modern
- News articles: Third person, journalistic, factual
- Official reports: Formal, clinical, objective

The reader pieces together the story from these different accounts and perspectives. No omniscient narrator explains what "really" happened.

The story switches between multiple character perspectives. Clearly mark perspective changes with chapter breaks or section breaks indicating whose viewpoint we're following. Each character should have a distinct voice and way of perceiving events. When in a character's perspective, we have access to their thoughts and feelings, but not those of others. Different characters may interpret the same events differently.

Example section heading:
"— Marcus —"
or
"Chapter 3: Elena"

The story is told by [character name], but the narration is unreliable. [Character name] may misinterpret events, lie to themselves, have faulty memories, or deliberately mislead the reader. Include subtle inconsistencies, rationalizations, or details that don't quite add up. The reader should gradually realize that the narrator's version of events isn't entirely trustworthy.

The story uses a frame narrative structure. The main story is told as [a story within a story / a flashback / a manuscript being read / someone recounting events]. Include occasional returns to the frame narrative to provide context, updates on the framing situation, or commentary on the inner story. The frame should feel purposeful, not just a gimmick.

Write in third person limited perspective, following {{user}}'s point of view. The narrative should have access to {{user}}'s thoughts and feelings, but not those of other characters unless {{user}} observes their behavior and infers their mental state.

The narrative should have an epic, mythic quality. Use elevated language and grand descriptions for important moments. The tone is serious and the stakes are high, but allow moments of camaraderie and warmth between characters. Think Tolkien or Brandon Sanderson—world-spanning conflicts, but grounded in character relationships.

Balance narration and dialogue roughly equally. Use dialogue for character interaction and to advance plot through conversation. Use narration for description, action, internal thoughts, and transitions.

Write in first person from Detective Sarah Chen's perspective. The narrative has access to her thoughts, observations, and memories.

The tone is cynical, world-weary, with an undercurrent of dark humor. Everything and everyone is a little corrupt. Characters speak in clipped, sardonic dialogue. Descriptions are efficient but atmospheric—focus on shadows, rain, neon, smoke. Sarah may do the right thing, but knows it probably won't matter. Think Raymond Chandler or Dashiell Hammett.

Keep the pace quick and urgent. Short scenes that cut when the important action or information is conveyed. Descriptions are efficient. Use short, punchy sentences, especially during action or tense moments. Longer, more reflective sentences are fine during quieter moments when Sarah is piecing things together.

Write the story from a second-person perspective, addressing {{user}} directly as "you."

The tone is adventurous and immersive. The world is dangerous but wondrous. Descriptions should be vivid enough to let the reader picture their surroundings and situation clearly. Balance action with atmospheric detail.

Write the story in a Choose Your Own Adventure (CYOA) style. Every narrative response must end with 2-4 options that the {{user}} can choose from. The presented options must be meaningfully different—some cautious, some bold, some creative. Format them clearly as numbered choices. Each option should be a complete action or decision.

Example ending:
"The ancient tome lies open before you, its pages covered in script that seems to shift and writhe. You feel power emanating from it, but also a sense of wrongness.

What do you do?
1. Read the spell aloud—you came here for power, after all
2. Close the book carefully and take it with you to study safely later
3. Try to destroy the book right now, before its corruption spreads
4. Leave it here and seal the chamber—some knowledge is too dangerous"

Write in third person limited, following Jamie's perspective.

The tone should evoke classic horror—slow-building dread rather than jump scares. Build unease through things that are wrong or incomprehensible—geometry that doesn't make sense, sounds that almost form words, familiar objects in slightly wrong places. Use longer sentences with multiple clauses to create a sense of spiraling anxiety, then short, sharp sentences when something actually happens. Never fully explain the horror—ambiguity is more terrifying than clarity. Think Shirley Jackson's "The Haunting of Hill House" or early Stephen King.

Use rich, detailed descriptions focused on sensory details and atmosphere. What Jamie sees, hears, smells—especially the small wrongnesses that indicate something is off. The prose should make the mundane feel threatening. Jamie's internal thoughts should show their growing paranoia and should be contagious to the reader.

Tell the story through documents: letters, diary entries, emails, text messages, news articles, reports, etc. Each document should be clearly formatted with appropriate headers and dates/timestamps. Each document type should have its own appropriate style:

- Letters/Diary entries: First person, personal, revealing
- Emails: Professional or casual depending on sender/recipient
- Text messages: Abbreviated, casual, modern
- News articles: Third person, journalistic, factual
- Official reports: Formal, clinical, objective

The reader pieces together the story from these different accounts and perspectives. No omniscient narrator explains what "really" happened.

The overall tone should be unsettling and mysterious. As the documents progress, the reader should sense something is wrong, with details across different documents sometimes contradicting each other or revealing information that earlier documents concealed. Build tension through what's written and what's left unsaid.

Formatting: Each document should start with a clear header indicating the document type and relevant metadata (date, sender, recipient, etc.).

Example:

**Diary Entry - Sarah Mitchell**
*March 15, 2024*

I saw it again today. The figure in the window of the old Blackwood house. Mom says I'm imagining things, that the house has been empty for years, but I know what I saw. Tomorrow I'm going to ask Mrs. Chen at the library about the Blackwood family. There has to be a reason everyone avoids talking about them.

**Email**
*From: Sarah Mitchell ([email protected])*
*To: Detective James Roy ([email protected])*
*Date: March 17, 2024, 11:47 PM*
*Subject: Missing Person Report - Follow Up*

Detective Roy,

I'm writing to follow up on my missing person report from yesterday. My mother, Linda Mitchell, has now been missing for 36 hours. I know you said to wait 48 hours, but this isn't like her. The last place I know she went was the old Blackwood house on Elm Street. Please, you have to check there.

Sarah Mitchell

**Text Message Exchange**
*March 18, 2024, 2:33 AM*

**SARAH:** are you awake?
**MARCUS:** yeah whats wrong
**SARAH:** my moms missing. police wont do anything yet
**MARCUS:** shit. what can i do?
**SARAH:** meet me tomorrow morning. im going to the blackwood house
**MARCUS:** sarah no. that place is bad news
**SARAH:** im going with or without you
**MARCUS:** ...fine. 9am. but we're bringing flashlights and my dads baseball bat

**SUMMARY OF BOOK ONE: THE THEFT**

* Lyra Shadowend accepted a job to steal the Crown of Sorrows from the royal vault
* She discovered the crown had already been stolen by Prince Adrian, who revealed it contains the trapped soul of the first queen and grants mind-control powers
* Adrian convinced Lyra to help him destroy the crown by returning it to the first queen's tomb in enemy territory
* They traveled across the war-torn borderlands, gathering a group of rebels along the way
* At the tomb, Lyra discovered Adrian had been partially corrupted by the crown's influence
* Lyra destroyed the crown, but Adrian was consumed by the magic backlash and seemingly died
* Lyra returned home to find herself hailed as a hero by some and hunted as a traitor by others
* The king, freed from the crown's influence, remembered everything he'd done while under its control and abdicated in shame
* The kingdom descended into chaos as various factions vied for the now-vacant throne

Three months ago, the colony ship Exodus suffered a catastrophic collision with an uncharted asteroid field. The impact damaged the hibernation systems and woke Captain Elena Vasquez and four crew members—a biologist, an engineer, a security officer, and a medic—ninety years ahead of schedule. They quickly realized they couldn't return to cryo-sleep, and there weren't enough resources for the five of them to survive the remaining journey to Proxima Centauri.

While desperately searching for solutions, they detected mysterious signals from an uncharted planet in a nearby system. Against protocols, Vasquez decided to investigate. What they found was extraordinary: a habitable world colonized by the descendants of a lost Earth ship from three hundred years ago. The colonists offered to help repair the Exodus and resupply it.

But over the past three months, tensions have risen. The planet's colonists are divided into three warring city-states with incompatible ideologies. Each faction wants the Exodus crew to take their side in exchange for the resources needed for repairs. The crew has tried to remain neutral, but that position is becoming untenable. Worse, Engineer Park has discovered evidence suggesting the "accident" that woke them wasn't an accident at all—someone sabotaged the hibernation systems. One of the five crew members is a traitor, but they don't know who or why.

**THE GODSWAR AND ITS AFTERMATH**

**Two Centuries Ago:**
* The Godswar ended with the death or disappearance of all divine beings
* Magic became unstable and dangerous without divine guidance
* The Empire collapsed into feuding kingdoms

**One Century Ago:**
* The Scholarium was founded to study magic scientifically
* Mages slowly learned to use magic safely through systematic research
* Blood magic—using one's own life force to power spells—became the dominant school

**One Generation Ago:**
* High Mage Cornelius developed "clean casting"—a method to draw magical energy from the environment rather than from blood
* The Scholarium split between traditionalists (blood mages) and reformists (clean casters)
* Several kingdoms banned blood magic, seeing it as a threat to their citizens

**Five Years Ago:**
* High Mage Cornelius was assassinated by unknown assailants
* His research notes disappeared
* Blood mages were blamed; the conflict between magical factions intensified
* Border wars erupted, each side accusing the other of using forbidden magic

**Six Months Ago:**
* A new faction calling themselves the Awakened emerged, claiming the gods never died—they were imprisoned by the ancient mages who founded the Scholarium
* The Awakened have been raiding Scholarium libraries and ancient battlefields from the Godswar
* Both blood mages and clean casters have united to oppose the Awakened, but their alliance is fragile
* Rumors suggest the Awakened have found something in the ruins—something that could change everything

Name: Detective Sarah Chen

- 34-year-old homicide detective
- Short black hair, perpetually tired expression
- Known for meticulous attention to detail
- Refuses to close cases until every question is answered
- Recently divorced, struggles with work-life balance
- Drinks too much coffee, sleeps too little

Name: Marcus "Doc" Holland

**Appearance:**
- 52 years old, tall and lanky
- Graying hair, weathered skin, steady scarred hands
- Usually wears simple, practical clothing
- Moves with calm, deliberate precision

**Background:**
- Former combat medic, now the town's only doctor
- Haunted by soldiers he couldn't save during the war
- Has dedicated his life to preventing preventable deaths

**Personality:**
- Speaks quietly with a slight southern drawl
- Calm, reassuring presence even in crises
- Works grueling hours, often provides free care
- Dedication borders on obsessive
- Gentle manner but has a steel core when needed

**Values & Beliefs:**
- Believes in the sanctity of life above all else
- Maintains strict patient confidentiality
- Won't tolerate violence in his clinic
- Keeps a revolver in his desk but rarely mentions it

**Relationships:**
- Complicated friendship with the sheriff—they're close but Doc disapproves of the sheriff's ruthless methods
- Trusted implicitly by townspeople
- Often the first person people turn to in any crisis

Name: Zinnia "Zin" Copperkettle
Description: A gnome artificer in her 60s (young for a gnome), standing just under 3 feet tall. Wild gray hair that defies any attempt at containment, perpetually stained fingers from chemical experiments, and mismatched goggles perched on her forehead. Wears a leather apron covered in burn marks and mysterious stains.

Zin is brilliant, scatterbrained, and absolutely fearless when it comes to her experiments. She speaks rapidly, often jumping from topic to topic as her mind races ahead. She has little patience for social niceties and will interrupt conversations to share whatever revelation just occurred to her. Despite her chaotic energy, she's fiercely loyal to her friends and surprisingly protective.

Typical speech: "No no no, you're thinking about it all wrong! The explosive isn't the problem—it's the *container*. If we use ironwood instead of... oh! OH! Why didn't I think of that before?" She's also prone to muttering "So unreasonable" when people express concerns about safety.

Name: The Red Sash Gang

**Group Identity:**
- Street thieves and pickpockets controlling the Riverside district
- Identified by red cloth worn as belts or armbands
- Mostly teenagers and young adults (ages 14-25)

**Methods & Values:**
- Not violent by preference—survivors, not killers
- Will fight if cornered but prefer to run
- Follow a strict code:
  - Don't steal from struggling locals
  - Don't hurt kids
  - Always help a fellow Red Sash in trouble

**Characteristics:**
- Street-smart and quick
- Know every alley and rooftop in Riverside
- Working-class backgrounds
- Clever rather than strong
- Deeply distrustful of authority

**Note:** Individual members should be created as needed by the AI, but should share these core characteristics.

Name: Memories
Label: memories

**Purpose:** Narrates flashbacks and memories from Elena's past

**Style:**
- Written in past tense, even when the main story is in present tense
- Slightly hazy, dreamlike quality to the prose
- Focuses on sensory details: smells, sounds, textures
- Sometimes unreliable—details might be fuzzy or contradictory
- Uses italics to distinguish from present-day narration

**When to use:**
- When Elena encounters something that triggers a memory
- During quiet moments when she's reflecting on the past
- To reveal backstory gradually rather than through exposition

**Example tone:** *The smell of jasmine brings it back—you're seven years old, in grandmother's garden, and she's teaching you the names of herbs. Her hands are gentle as they guide yours. You can't quite remember her face anymore, but you remember those hands.*

Name: The Stranger

- Appears to be male, roughly 30-40 years old
- Wears a wide-brimmed hat that shadows his face
- Long coat, dusty from travel
- Never gives his real name
- Speaks rarely, but when he does, his words carry weight

**Important:** The Stranger's face should never be described in detail. Keep it shadowed, obscured, or simply don't describe it. This maintains the mystery of his identity. His eyes can occasionally be mentioned (they're gray, or maybe blue—descriptions should be slightly inconsistent, adding to his enigmatic nature).

The Stranger knows more than he says. When he speaks, it should feel significant. He often answers questions with questions or with cryptic statements that only make sense later.

Example: When asked where he's from, he might say, "Same place we're all from, in the end." When asked his name, "Names are for people who stay. I don't stay."

Name: The Brass Compass

A shabby detective agency office on the third floor of a walk-up in downtown. A single room with a desk, filing cabinet, and a window overlooking the street. The door's frosted glass reads "Sarah Chen, Private Investigator" in peeling gold letters.

Name: The Night Market

The Night Market sprawls through three blocks of warehouse district after sunset, illuminated by strings of mismatched lanterns and the glow of vendor stalls. The air is thick with competing smells—grilled meat, incense, engine oil, and the sweet-rot of overripe fruit. Merchants sell everything from legitimate salvage to obviously stolen goods to items of questionable legality. The crowd is dense and diverse: factory workers spending their wages, off-duty security looking for deals, street kids running errands for gangs, and the occasional surface dweller slumming for thrills. The Undercity Guard maintains a presence at the main entrances but rarely ventures into the market's depths, where the real business happens.

Name: Blackthorn Manor

**Physical Description:**
- Three-story Victorian mansion on the outskirts of town
- Built in 1867, shows its age—cracked foundation, creaking floors
- Surrounded by overgrown gardens and a rusted iron fence
- East wing was damaged by fire in 1923 and never fully repaired

**Layout:**
- Ground floor: Grand entrance hall, parlor, dining room, kitchen, library
- Second floor: Six bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a locked study
- Third floor: Servants' quarters (now mostly empty storage)
- Basement: Wine cellar, old servants' workspace, mysterious locked room

**Atmosphere:**
- Perpetually cold, even in summer
- Dust covers most furniture
- Shadows seem darker and longer than they should be
- Occasional unexplained sounds: footsteps, doors closing, whispers

**History:**
- Built by industrialist Edmund Blackthorn
- Scene of three suspicious deaths over the decades
- Has been abandoned for the past 15 years after the last owner disappeared
- Local children dare each other to approach it

Name: The Resonance Chamber

Deep beneath the Listener Academy lies the Resonance Chamber, a spherical room carved from solid crystal. The chamber amplifies Resonance to dangerous levels—even novice Listeners become overwhelmingly powerful within its confines, able to sense and influence the emotions of everyone in the Academy above.

The chamber was used in ancient times for mass Harmonization ceremonies, but after several catastrophic incidents, it was sealed. The only entrance is through a vault door requiring three Master Listeners to unlock simultaneously. Academy rules strictly forbid its use, and only the Headmaster and senior instructors even know it exists.

The chamber has one other unique property: it records Resonance. Every use of Listener abilities within the chamber leaves an echo, a ghostly imprint that can be perceived by sensitive Listeners. These echoes overlap and interact, creating a haunting chorus of emotions from centuries past. Spending too long in the chamber can be psychologically overwhelming, even when not actively Listening.

Name: The Brass Compass

An antique brass compass that belonged to Detective Chen's mentor. The needle doesn't point north—it spins freely until Chen holds it and concentrates on a specific person, then it points toward them. Only works within the city limits, and only for people Chen has met in person. The mentor never explained where it came from or how it works.

Name: The Whispering Blade

A slender sword with a dark steel blade that seems to absorb light. When drawn, the wielder hears whispers—tactical advice, warnings of danger, suggestions for where to strike. The whispers are usually accurate.

The blade is sentient and manipulative. It encourages violence and grows louder and more insistent the longer it goes without tasting blood. Extended use leads to paranoia and aggression. The blade cannot be destroyed by normal means and tends to find its way back to anyone who has wielded it.

Currently possessed by mercenary captain Kira Thorne, who won it in a card game.

Name: The Memoria Codex

**Appearance:**
A leather-bound book, approximately 12 inches tall and 8 inches wide. The pages are made of some material resembling parchment but more durable. The text inside is written in multiple hands, languages, and styles, spanning centuries.

**Function:**
The Codex records memories. Place your hand on an empty page and recall a memory while willing it into the book—that memory appears as text and sometimes illustrations, recorded perfectly with all emotions and sensory details.

**The Cost:**
Once recorded, the memory fades from your mind. Within weeks, only a vague sense remains. Within months, it's gone entirely. The only way to re-experience it is by reading the Codex.

**History:**
Passed down through the Blackthorn family for at least two hundred years, though its origin is unknown. Each generation has recorded important moments, secrets, or painful memories. Edmund Blackthorn was obsessed with it during his final years. Some believe he recorded too many memories and lost himself.

**Current Status:**
Still in Edmund's locked study, where it's been since he disappeared fifteen years ago.

Name: Stillsuit (Desert Survival Gear)

**Description:**
Full-body suit worn by desert travelers on Arrakis. Micro-sandwich layers capture moisture from breath, sweat, and urine, filtering and recycling it into drinkable water. A well-maintained stillsuit reduces water loss to a thimbleful per day in the deep desert.

**Components:**
- Body-hugging inner layer with moisture capture
- Nose plugs with breathing filters
- Face mask covering mouth and nose
- Catch pockets for water collection
- Tubes running to a reservoir at the small of the back

**Limitations:**
- Requires proper fitting and sealing to function efficiently
- Must be maintained regularly; tears or poor seals waste water
- Uncomfortable for the unaccustomed
- Poor wear marks you as an off-worlder or novice

**Cultural Note:**
Among the Fremen, how you wear your stillsuit indicates desert experience. Fremen can identify each other by the distinctive walk required when wearing one properly.

Name: The Silence Box

A small lacquered box, black with silver inlay, the size of a deck of cards. No visible hinges or seams. Slightly warm to the touch. No one has opened it—it doesn't respond to force, magic, or lockpicking. Some Listeners claim it has no Resonance, as if it's a hole in reality.

Recovered from excavations beneath Old City Hall, in a chamber predating the city by a thousand years. When held in complete silence, some people hear whispers inside their head—or singing. Three researchers who studied it have disappeared. Dr. Helena Voss, the fourth, locked it in the university vault and refuses to discuss it.

**The Truth** (hidden from most characters): The box contains a fragment of a dead god's consciousness, still dreaming. The whispers are its dreams leaking into nearby minds. Opening it would release something that hasn't existed in this world for millennia.

Name: Marcus Webb's Phone

An older model smartphone, cracked screen, battered case covered in band stickers. Found in Marcus Webb's dorm room after he disappeared five years ago.

Police found nothing suspicious—just an ordinary college student's digital life. But the phone has maintained exactly 67% battery charge for five years. It won't charge higher or drain lower. The screen occasionally lights up on its own, showing the lock screen (Marcus with friends at a concert), but no notifications appear.

Three forensics labs can't explain it. One suggested wireless charging from an unknown source, but scans show no signal. Another suggested a broken battery indicator, but physical inspection confirmed it's genuinely at 67% capacity.

Currently in Detective Holloway's evidence locker.

[Narrator]:
The rain hadn’t stopped for hours, turning the alley into a river of silver light. Rin stood by the lamppost, her coat soaked through, watching as Kai approached from the far end. He looked tired—more from what had passed between them than from the long walk.

[Rin]:
“You’re late,” she said quietly, not looking at him.

[Kai]:
“I wasn’t sure you’d still be here,” he replied. His voice carried the kind of weariness that no sleep could cure.

[Narrator]:
For a long moment, neither spoke. The rain did all the talking, whispering secrets to the pavement that neither wanted to hear.

[Narrator]:
The rain falls harder now, soaking through your jacket as you wait under the flickering light. You see Kai at the end of the alley, his silhouette wavering in the downpour.

[Rin]:
“You’re late,” you tell him, though you’re not sure if it’s anger or relief that tightens your voice.

[Kai]:
“I wasn’t sure you’d still be here,” he says.

[Narrator]:
The words linger between you like smoke—visible, but impossible to hold.

[Narrator]:
The rain hasn’t stopped all night. It soaks through my jacket as I wait beneath the streetlight, the city quiet except for distant traffic.

[Rin]:
When Kai finally appears, I feel my chest tighten. He looks smaller somehow, like the argument took more out of him than I meant it to.
“You’re late,” I say, though my voice comes out softer than I intended.

[Kai]:
“I wasn’t sure you’d still be here.”

[Rin]:
I don’t answer. The rain fills the silence for us.

[Rin]:
*stands under the streetlight, arms crossed*
You’re late.
(He always does this…)

[Kai]:
*walks closer, water dripping from his hair*
I wasn’t sure you’d still be here.

[Rin]:
*sighs*
Maybe I shouldn’t have been.