Set in the world of The Ancient One. Arendin and Rain have lived many lives together, and have fought against the Ancient One and his insidious evil in many of those lives.

In this storygame, you play as Arendin the day before a coming battle with the Ancient One, who is in control of the King's Army. But in spite of your previous conflicts with Alaric Thorne, you are unprepared for just how deep the Ancient One's plans go..

Scribe's Note: Arendin and Rain have been reincarnated multiple times, and have always been given different birth names by their parents in each life. However, as they adopt their original names once their memories have been awakened, I will use the names Arendin and Rain.

(Please be aware that this storygame contains mature themes, such as sexual content, violence, scenes of abuse, and mind control. A lot of the more adult content will depend on paths you take in this storygame, but I'm not going to warn for those in the storygame, as I don't want to pull anyone out of the story. Just be aware that the Anything Goes rating fits some of the paths here).

This game also contains a same-sex male/male relationship and hints at a second in other paths.

If you reach what appears to be a dead end, or there's only one choice, try looking in your inventory.

Written for the rebellion contest December 2024.

The Ancient One, a being of immense power always hungry for more, has been the downfall of societies over thousands of years. Now, in the modern world, he has struck again. He has exerted his influence over Dominants, forcing them to treat their subs (or potential subs) cruelly and harshly. The only way to break his control is for the sub to submit fully. This is something that has been hard for any sub to do over the centuries, and so the Ancient One's power grows with each soul he consumes, draining the Dominant entirely of their lifeforce and leaving them a broken husk.

Draco, a simple saddlemaker, falls prey to the machinations of Headmaster Alaric Thorne, a sadistic man who subjects Draco to terrible cruelty and abuses the students under his care. As Draco learns how evil Thorne really is, he forms a close bond with one of Thorne’s students; a bond that may be instrumental in saving their world from the evil that threatens it.

In this story, you play as Arthur, as he returns to the Academy to retrieve a forbidden book to leave for someone in the future to find, creating allies that the Ancient One won't be aware of because they haven't been born yet.

This story does have some hints of Dominant/submissive themes, and certain paths will contain scenes of torture. There is also a sex scene right at the beginning. I won't warn for those paths, but just please be aware of what you might discover within.

Written for Summer's End Synergy Contest, using this prompt: A recent event has caused the protagonist to go through a difficult change.

You're a patient in a psychiatric hospital, having been admitted there on the instructions of your family, who are no longer able to take care of you. But despite the best efforts of the doctors trying to treat you, you're still in the grip of the delusions they tell you you're suffering.

Every night, when you dream, you find yourself in a fantasy world of dragons, magic, elves, and warriors. Your dreams feel as real to you as your life in the hospital; perhaps even more real. But the doctors tell you that there's something wrong with your mind; that you cannot differentiate fantasy from reality. And you're in the hospital for treatment.

As the days progress and your condition doesn't get any better, you find yourself wondering if the doctors are right. Are your dreams merely fantasy, or are they glimpses into another world?

Or is something far more sinister going on?

More than two decades ago, a series of brutal murders rocked the small town of Rivercrest. Several students at the high school lost their lives in the massacre, and the murderer was never caught.

Your parents were survivors of the massacre and it's made them extremely overprotective of you. You find yourself chafing against their constant rules, especially when combined with the curfew set through the whole town. It's been twenty years since there were any murders...since there was any crime.

But one day, all of that changes. After your own mother is murdered brutally, you find yourself thrown back in time....before the Rivercrest High School murders occurred.

Can you stop the murders and figure out who the killer is before you end up another victim?

Huh...my theory was that Will, or Cavus, or Liminal were trolls, so I got one out of three right. Not sure I believe I was killed just because I was a 'smart player', though. My opinion is still that it was a revenge killing.

(A shame I never actually got to play properly).

Congratulations, RK! Definitely a well-deserved win. And I will try to read more of the Thunderdome battles.

Also, the more I found out about the other situation, the worse it feels. Very unexpected! I feel bad for everyone who has been affected by this.

I would be interested in joining as Commander Camo!

That's absolutely fine! I will send a PM over this weekend (it's for my contest story, so no real rush for it).

I actually would be interested in something that I can use as a visual for the storygame I'm currently working on.

I think I would like the 50 point option, if that's all right?

So...my storygame is going to be horror-themed, and because I really want to visit Japan in the future, it's going to be based in Japan. I'm basically going to be learning about customs and etiquette, so...everyone can come along on that journey with me, I guess?

Also, a bit about horror urban legends that might or might not be Japanese-related. Well, one of them is...but there are a couple that I want to include and at least one of them is from another country of origin.

But it's my storygame, and it will still be educational, so...

As the cat chokes on her final breaths, the light going out of her eyes, she manages a final few words in a raspy, pain-filled voice that sounds decidedly human.

"If I...survive...I will inevitably...gain knowledge that...will be of use."

But death is coming swiftly, and the cat has no more strength left to get out words. If a decision is not made quickly...it will be too late anyway.

I'm willing to try to drag Maz out. (And, hopefully, if I succeed, the second chance will not be wasted)

I feel like I should also offer to pull someone up to a higher level in the pit, but I'm actually not sure who would then go on to make use of that chance.

You know what? I'm in. I could do with something that's a little less ambitious than my current project.