"GOL'BURGER - Brighten up your day!"

Franchise restaurants are hard to maintain, especially when they become one of the most popular fast-food services in the country! Thomas Alden grew up enjoying Gol'Burger's delicious hamburgers and fries growing up. Now, he's an adult in his thirties that has inherited a seat at the Board of Directors and a significant amount of shares in the company. With this comes great responsibility as his decisions will affect the company's future.

As Al Ray, the Chief Executive Officer of Gol'Burger, gets older, the world begins to change drastically. The FDA is beginning to implement and enforce new standards of practices regarding quality of fast-food chains around the country, putting the company's future at risk. The Members of the Board need to think of new ways to adapt.

What will you do in this privileged position of power? Will you flounder, find a way to rise above the noise, or become a victim to the strange forces in the background of the company?

Submitted for EndMaster's Crisis Contest 

Original Publishing Date: August 1, 2024

Corruption, complacency and conflict has eroded the once great Roman Empire. Split into two, and then diminished to the Italian Peninsula, Roman citizens, Christian and pagan, believe that the world as they know it is about end. His Holiness, Pope Leo, previously drove back Attila the Hun, called the Scourge of God by most west of the Danube River. The world believed that was the end of the Hun Invasion. They were wrong.

Eight years later, Attila still continues his conquest of the world, now having subdued all of Africa and the Eastern World. With the sacking of Constantinople, the Byzantine Empire has collapsed into anarchy as the Huns and their subordinate tribes pillage and plunder the countryside. With no other obstacles in his path, Attila is once again free to attack the Western Roman Empire.

The alarming speed of the Huns' conquests and reports of new total war tactics terrify the west. Strange tales of hordes of vicious animals, warriors with the strength of ten men and demonic sorcery plague the imaginations of the Roman forces charged to protect what remains of the Empire. Before, reports of the Huns' savagery were already running rampant. Now, all forms of apocryphal tales are accepted as fact.

In a final desperate stand against the forces of darkness, the leader of the Christians, Pope Leo, has organized what remains of the bravest and most cunning soldiers of the Roman army to launch a covert mission to save the people of the West. There is no other way; Attila must be destroyed! Possessing otherworldly insight, Leo has been given he knowledge necessary to guide his chosen men, and you among them, to fight to the threat that seeks to end not only Rome, but the entire world. Will you defeat Attila's ambition to destroy the world, or will you be just another victim?

Update Notes:

Addressed the variable glitches that led to some of the content being blocked off. Fixed the issue and made some other edits.

France - Summer 1415 AD

The country of France faces a point of crisis. King Henry of England, fifth of his name and hope of the House of Lancaster, declares his intention to conquer France, stating it is the will of God. Charles, sixth of his name and known as the Mad King, is poorly suited to deal with the rising threat and relies on the strength of better men. To the shock of the French court, Henry and his army arrive safely in Normandy despite coastal defenses, leaving Henry to freely begin his siege of the port of Harfleur. Charles, furious and frothing at the mouth, threatens his lords into compliance to answer English aggression.

Command the destiny of Jean the Younger, heir to the Valois-Alençon dynasty. His father Jean the Elder, named the "Wise" and Duke of Alençon, is ordered by his liege to lead a portion of the French army to counter the English invasion. Little Jean wants to his father in action, drawn by the romantic, medieval desire to see the glory of battle. But, there is one problem: Jean is only a six-year-old boy! Nevertheless, he dreams of glory, being the son of one of the most powerful men in France.

Will you bind Jean's actions to history, guide him to a greater future or doom him to obscurity? His fate lies in your hands.

Welcome to CYS!

I saw mizal poop herself.

I can't relate at all, I haven't had that problem ever since the 8th grade or so when I stopped wearing anything south of the border.

Give me the Hand with the Knife by Bilbo :)

Some newer people here have given their opinions, so I'll throw mine in here too.

I feel a draw towards acting with kindness. I represent the Church with what I do as a Christian. Even behind the mask of an online identity, the effects of what I do are still real. I never feel good about tearing someone down, and try to only tell jokes of a certain level if there’s an atmosphere of benefit of the doubt and understanding. Will11, and to whom this complement also concerns, the kindness you’ve extended to others is something I appreciate. I’m glad to know you and the sensitivity espoused is welcome. I’m thankful for you and glad to talk about this with you.

That being said, barring the most abjectly cruel situation, I’m never going to expect or ask for others to act like me. I also do not want this site’s culture to change.

There's really no accounting for children getting affected by things here. It doesn't matter how much we would try to gatekeep, filter out or protect those we would consider to be at risk; they will always find a way to get in and get hurt. Giving age ratings or disclaimers for certain threads or tabs is functionally useless. The person most at risk for being hurt by harsh discourse online is also the sort of person least likely to be fit to be online in the first place. Feelings get hurt all the time, but that’s resistance training for living. Any child of worth who is a good author, showing capability of critical thought, is not the character archetype we have to worry for. However, the vast majority of children shouldn’t be on the internet. In fact, most adults shouldn’t be on the internet. Trying to accommodate to this demographic in a space like this is a losing battle. I don’t always like the way things are done here, but you have to take the good with the bad. If one has the prerogative towards kindness, they should take it upon themselves to give towards one in need rather than demand authoritative action from on high. We risk losing what’s been created here otherwise.

Concerning section 3397 of the Ending Coercion of Children and Harm Online Act (ECCHO 2025), I rarely use this expression, but...it's gay. This law is gay. There's no way to really enforce this that doesn't result in destruction to freedom of expression, and I value the atmosphere here. I would prefer to earn people’s respect here rather than have it be given freely. I don’t need anyone’s approval so long as I get good feedback on my stories. I’ll enjoy community where it can be found (and I value the relationships I’ve made here), but my primary concern is towards the craft. 

I don’t want this site to become like everywhere else. That would make me want to kill myself (if you know what I mean).

Welcome to CYS! There's lozenges in the main lobby.

Thank you, fearless leader.

Got it under the wire, but it's done.

The Fate of the Empire and The Council of Constantinople by MiltonManThing

I debated on what I wanted to write for my next history article and concluded that it only made sense to continue this series of pieces on the First Ecumenical Councils. Though the Council of Constantinople isn’t highlighted as much in the annals of history, it is still a important milestone in both the chronicles of the Church and the Roman Empire.

Desiring initially to be baptized in the Jordan River, Constantine was content to settle for baptism in the city of Nicodemia due to an untimely, deathly illness. The baptism was conducted by the bishop of the area, as was the custom. Sadly, and in a move counter-productive to the Council of Nicaea, that bishop, a man named Eusebius, was a supporter of the Arian Heresy. Arianism would continue to be an opponent to more widely-accepted Trinitarianism that has continued to remain the dominant doctrine of the Church.

Though Arius and his supporters would initially renounce their disagreement on CHRIST’s divinity to end their exile, support from Constantine’s son, Emperor Constantius II, would give rise to Arian influence even to the point of open discussion to replace the Nicene Creed. Trinitarianism was still not wholly supported, and Eusebius’ influence in the royal court was strong. Through underhanded scheming, the Eusebian faction would successfully move to exile Athanasius, the chief opponent to Arius, repeatedly throughout the course of his life. Despite the victory at Nicaea, Athanasius’ strong opposition to Arianism would lead him to be exiled five times. After returning to Alexandria, he would work to attempt to undo all the damage caused in his repeated absences till his death in 373 AD.

Regarding the Roman Empire, the great unifier would ironically position his sons and nephews. This however would not stabilize the territories as intended and would lead to several internal wars. Constantius II would eventually rise to become the only emperor and appoint Julian his cousin as Caesar in the West. The empire would be eventually reunified under Emperor Julian in 360 AD, only to be split again four years later. The constant shifting of administration, the direct support to Arianism from Constantius II and the persecution of the Church under Julian would create an atmosphere of chaos and confusion in the Church. Arianism would flourish in the newly created capitol city of Constantinople and would persist to oppose the supposedly widely accepted doctrine of Trinitarianism. Eventually, the Roman Empire would be united one last time under the rule of Theodosius I, known as “The Great.” After winning two civil wars and stabilizing the country, he would convene with Church bishops to organize a second ecumenical council to resolve the schism between Arians and the rest of the Christian community.

The reason for this focus wasn’t just Christian fervor, but rather also a political concern. The Christian sees of Alexandria and Rome were strongly opposed to the see of Constantinople, which was firmly controlled by the Arians. If the sees would not be united, the two factions would be at war and cause civil unrest between the eastern and western portions of the empire. Theodosius was determined to solve this problem once and for all. Being a proponent of Trinitarianism, the emperor offered to cement the authority of the incumbent bishop of Constantinople if he would affirm the Trinity and deny Arianism. When this proposal was rejected, Theodosius would order the exile of the Arians to return the churches of the east to those supportive of the Nicene Creed.

However, there was still chaos as a bishop would still need to be selected to hold power in Constantinople, and there was much debate on that. After much deliberation on who should lead the council, and after a dramatic resignation by the current leading member, an unbaptized official, named Nectarius would become president over the council in 381. It wasn’t the best start. In contrast to the last council, the divinity of the HOLY SPIRIT would be put on trial instead of that of JESUS CHRIST. Since the Nicene Creed had not addressed the issue of the divinity of GOD’S SPIRIT to the satisfaction of the Church at large and to Arianism’s advantage, it was agreed that the creed needed a revision to confess all Members of the Godhead. Arianism, and related heresies, were officially condemned.

If you’ve never heard of Arianism before you read about it in the Gazette, you can assume the Early Church rests delighted in their work. As for who would become the next bishop of the capitol city of the empire, the council would select Maximus I of Constantinople, nicknamed the “Cynic.” Needless to say, this didn’t please everyone, and many consider this to be an early factor to the division between the Eastern and Western Churches that still exist to this day.

WHO WROTE THIS? (formatted by MiltonManThing)

One of our Gazetters wrote this piece outside of CYS. Who is it?

"I feel the thrumming at the back of my mind, thoughts galore, waiting to be explored. My mind yearns to traverse those paths, brimming with mystery and exuding an aura of excitement. Yet, my brain freezes. It thinks about everything but nothing of importance. So many roads to take but it chooses to go back to the roads I have walked upon a hundred times before. The road often traveled is the path of least resistance, so along those paths, my aimless thoughts wander.

Inspiration cannot be reached in such a way. I have combed the ground bare of any seeds of ideas, I have plucked beauty from every flower, described in so much detail that it grows weary and rots. These paths are sullen with boredom. Nothing grows here anymore.

A blockade traps me, thick thorny trees bar my way. Inspiration, my destination, is not even in sight. I cannot move any further lest I kill myself before I arrive. Is there a way if I climb those trees? Or can I dig a ground past this strange wall? It remains obstinately still, glaringly obnoxious. If I had a map, this wall would be known as ‘writer’s block’.

Authors, with the power to 

orchestrate worlds of words and invoke immense emotions in the hearts of their readers, have skills that would transcend the realm of what’s worldly if they are not contained by blocks such as these. Whispered rumors flitting by at midnight has filled my head with sudden solutions.

There was a writer who claimed the only way past the block is to get on a different path. Yet, how can I, when all the roads are sealed off? Is there even a way to find joy in a life that’s so frustratingly mundane?

They say that insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. If that’s the case, insanity is running cold in my veins, pulsing to the tune of my beating heart. I examine every dewdrop, analyze each speck of dust, hoping that someway, somehow, I would be able to resume my journey to inspiration.

When I dream, I dream of nothingness. When I wake, I see all that I saw the previous day. Nothing new, nothing that sets my 

neurons alight and humming with the readiness to write. The block hasn’t magically disappeared. I am still no closer to my goal.

So I give up. The faraway land is out of reach, I may as well settle down and write. Each word is nonsense, served on a platter of trash can lids and smoky cigarettes. It doesn’t matter. I write without reaching inspiration, because it doesn’t matter how articulate the words are or how poetic they sound. I just need to explore those ideas I have always wanted to.

Several hours later, I look up to see myself at the gates of inspiration."

* * *

The first person to correctly guess the author of this work will win an interview by the Editor-in-Chief for the front page of next month’s issue. If you’d be excited to be front page news (in a good way), send an answer in the article thread!

UNSENTSORED by Suranna

Editor’s Note: The editor-in-chief would like to apologize to the readers for the delay in publishing this interview. The delay was caused by negligence in properly securing the interview materials from unproductive noobs. The thieves were under the influence of recurring psychotropic visions caused by acid-dipped marijuana cigarettes. The Editor-in-Chief takes full responsibility for this mistake and this publication is committed to staying accountable. Please enjoy.

SUR: How did you find CYS?

ISPI: I was looking for Warrior Cats games and it was the first website that came up. I was so infuriated that all the games were text based that I left a lot of angry comments about how these should be "video games, not reading games" before my first account was banned.

SUR: What inspired you to write?

ISPI: Making up weird shit and relaying unusual information to others is a chronic condition I've had since I was very little. It's simultaneously something that makes me happy and also a little bit like that Kafka story about the guy in the cage.

SUR: What are your favorite type of storygames?

ISPI: I'm a sucker for good stories the same as anybody, I think long stretches of writing where I can kinda save my place and pick up where I last left off are the games I tend to end up spending the most time with, because it means I can play them throughout the day no matter what I'm doing. I do have a soft spot for the bizarre, surreal, and unwieldly, and will tend to stick my nose out for things that don't fit the CYS format as well as other games -- Or rather, maybe they're something else entirely, squeezed into the CYS format, like that one game where a guy tried to transcribe the 

beginning of his interactive theatre play. Gower I think is the only guy who's been really successful playing with the formula in recent years, though MHD an anonymous contestant in the Mod Thunderdome did have that really neat concept for a pinball game.

SUR: How do you get your inspiration?

ISPI: Allah.

SUR: How did you come up with your username?

ISPI: My penguin guy character is technically called a Penguinite, but I mean, visually he's clearly also a penguin. In his original lore, he lived on a massive airship called “The Sentinel” and used it to defend his part of a fantasy world from, essentially, War of the Worlds aliens -- That's a very long 

story, but what isn't a long story is that the I's on either side are there because I forgot the password to SentinelPenguin.

SUR: What is the most absurd piece of information you know?

ISPI: There was a Randomly Walk 5.

SUR: When is Randomly Walk 3 coming out?

ISPI: Motherfucker, there was a Randomly Walk 5. I directed only one story in the entire series, each and every one before and since has been deleted, and I have since renounced my own contribution.

SUR: Do you have any advice (writing or otherwise)?

ISPI: Do not speak of Randomly Walk again, for all our sakes.