What are the limits of human ingenuity? Usually it is Nature who decides when a species is no longer worthy of continuation, but humans alone are able to truly understand their own limitations. However, understanding what you cannot do is not always enough, and eventually Nature decided to put human ingenuity to the ultimate test. Unfortunately, humanity knew they would fail that test the moment it was revealed. Unable to save themselves, they created something that could: PSYOPS.

Synopsis:

Left to fend for themselves, two children brave a dark forest, and the evil it hides.

Quick Notes:

This storygame is short, and it's kind of a kid's story. It's actually part of an idea I've been rolling around about a collection of fairy tales/spooky tales, a sort of anthology. It's my take on the classic Brother's Grimm tale, and it's not complicated, nor is it replete with a myriad of parallel plot lines. There are three endings (four if you count dying), but do not expect vastly different outcomes: it basically comes down to who ends up dying by the end.

It's also possible to completely avoid the main plot section (The Cottage), although I wouldn't recommend that path, as the story is short enough as it is. I'm not sure if this falls under fantasy or horror, but I think I'll go with horror, even if it isn't particularly scary. It's a bit macabre in places, but ultimately it is a children's story.

Visually speaking, I'd advise playing with images on, otherwise you might have to highlight text in order to read it in some cases. Also, you might want to scroll the text so it isn't directly on top of the moon on a few pages. A mild annoyance, I'm sorry, but I couldn't implement the full scripting I wanted to in order to handle that problem.

Lastly, admittedly this was put together quickly from a base idea jotted down earlier, due to the nuclear attack on the website over the past month, which put me too far behind to finish the entry I wanted to for Killa Robot's "Feels" competition. It is what it is: just a short take on a classic tale. Not a lot of feels, but a little bit of pseudo-early modern English ;).

Republishing (again) due to image hosting issues. 1/8/2018

Some quick info on the setting: It is generally believed that hominids lost their thick fur around 1.2 million years ago or so, give or take. However, for the sake of this story, Homo neanderthalensis will have thicker body hair than Homo sapiens (not bear-thick, but still thicker). There are two reasons I have chosen to do this: (1) They lived in the colder regions. (2) Homo neanderthalensis appears to have had primitive clothing compared to Homo sapiens; basically just fur capes, while Homo sapiens had more advanced stitching and more tightly tailored clothing (which kept them more warm). So I feel having neanderthals a little more hairy than Homo sapiens is a reasonable liberty for me to take in this story.

As for language and technology, both Homo sapiens and Homo neanderthalensis shared almost identical vocal anatomy where it matters. Despite neanderthals not having left behind nearly as much advanced artwork, they very likely had complex language just like Homo sapiens. As for fire technology, for the purpose of this story I am assuming that different hominid tribes were further advanced than others, irrespective of species. The neanderthal tribe the protagonist comes from has yet to master creation of fire.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

Update: Put an End Game link on the same page the Epilogue link is, so you can skip it if you want, since it is so unpopular ;) .

The Story of Count Osmond Jorgensen

There's no price a good man won't pay to save the woman he loves...

It was an unlikely marriage, but still somehow a happy one. Though he barely knew her, Count Osmond Jorgensen counted himself fortunate on the day of his wedding. Talia was more than he could have ever hoped for: beautiful, temperate, and always smiling. Osmond was fully taken, and believed that he would do anything for her. Over the years, he discovered just how far he'd go for the woman he loved.

WARNING: There isn't much by way of blatantly graphic sex in this storygame, but there are plenty of deviant erotic situations, including some pretty rapey ones. If such scenarios disturb you, this storygame probably isn't for you.

At its core, this storygame is a tale of a screwed up BDSM relationship, which you cultivate as the ultimate "sub." The goal of this storygame is to get your boss to engage in as many "unprofessional" acts as possible, and to eventually sway him into falling for you, all without getting fired along the way. If you make the right decisions, the game escalates from event to event, bringing you closer and closer to a relationship with your boss. It's pretty linear, and you'll know for certain if you get the "winning" ending. Let's just say it will involve a leash and some public humiliation. *1/8/2019 Republishing to re-upload background images.

You work in a small law firm, performing both receptionist and data entry roles. Your job is thankless and tedious, but one thing keeps you coming back: your boss, Brandon Wheeler. Aloof and dispassionate, Wheeler exudes a muted but overwhelming power you find irresistible, and you are determined to tame that power, even if it costs you your career.

Of course, if as you say everyone just stayed home, no one would get hurt (although we'd contend with the continued disregard of the Constitution by some police, but by now the message has probably been heard by the various legislators across the country).

Madison Protesters Condemned For Toppling Statue Of Anti-Slavery Activist

Everyone already knows what the left wing criminals are doing, so no point to rehash vandalism and refusal to comply with lawful orders from law enforcement officers and all the rest.

I get it, the site leans right. I lean centrist so I guess I just can't make up my mind. But at what point do political leanings interfere with the ability to think rationally and objectively? Or are we super internet badasses way to cool to have a truly rational discussion on the topic?

But regardless, if I've learned anything from the internet on this topic the last few months, it's this: if the killer agrees with my political views, then clearly it was self-defense. But if he agrees with the other side, then it is without question murder.

I'll say one thing: it's a page turner. I finished the book during a series of flights in basically one sitting, which is something I rarely do, because I wanted to see the movie but was stuck flying. I was pleasantly surprised to not be disappointed in the movie after reading the book.

You could use the same reasoning to say that all genres are ultimately arbitrarily chosen lines of distinction. Maybe the problem with Krull is that the blending is too overt. You mentioned Elder Scrolls, but the science fiction elements are more subtle, and lean closer to Steampunk than, say, Star Trek type Sci-fi (whatever word describes futuristic sci-fi like that).

Also, doesn't Krull actually have alien invaders? I thought that was a main premise of the story? The whole Black Fortress thing?

But, as I said, there are instances of movies that do this overt blending very well. Star Wars was the example I mentioned. Regardless of what you may think of the more recent movies, it would be disingenuous for someone to claim the original movies weren't really innovative for the time, and there are so many modern tropes that come from Star Wars that no reasonable person can deny the greatness of those films.

Anyway, while I don't usually like stories that have cyclopes and laser things, the main problem with Krull isn't really that. The main problem with Krull is that it sucks.

EDIT- But let me just say that your points are very well made, and while my personal preference is that sci-fi elements in traditional fantasy should be subtle and few and far between, it does not invalidate that sub-genre at all.

A coworker who grew up in the 1980s kept trying to get me to watch Krull. I finally attempted to. It felt like reading a 100,000 word storygame to get that one experience point you need, but it has an average rating of 3 and the ending is frustratingly hidden. Why do writers try to blend fantasy and sci-fi like this? Only Star Wars pulled this off well, to my knowledge. It is nigh impossible. Why do they do it?

My finally opinion: the movie is very fat and very ugly.