"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.

"Guys!" Milton shouts. "If you all have confidence that I am at least not a Troll, then you can be convinced that I am at least more likely to be truthful than the other person we know nothing about. I would be reluctant to say what my role is except for a situation like this one. If the Investigator reveals himself, he puts himself at great risk of attack. I'm revealing it because I know that MHD is lying. Anyone who argues against this idea is shooting themselves in the foot, or is in league with the Trolls."

Milton shouts, "I call for a vote against MHD! She is deceiving you about her role, which is unfortunate for her because she chose to lie about MY role. Vote for her! I can't do it myself! Cast suspicion on those who do not vote against MHD!"

I'll go for Option 2 as well

Rising up from the well, Milton heads back to the scene of his murder, the Advanced Editor Room.

Mizal, may your birthday be a happy one!

"There is no saint without a past, no sinner without a future." - Saint Augustine of Hippo

The voice of the dead echoes from the well.

“Hello everyone, it’s rather unfortunate, but someone had to die first. If you bring me back, know that I’ll contribute well to the common good. Otherwise, you can save the Wishing Well power for another time. Bear in mind though that the longer it takes for you all to use the Wishing Well, the more likely the Trolls will have more sway in the vote, since there will be less innocents alive. It’s up to you all of course. I would however, if I were in your shoes, cast suspicion on those who don’t want to bring me back.

Choose wisely.”

Upon entering, MiltonManThing sees the "people" he now shares a room with, a trio of mice and whatever the other thing is. Sitting down at one of the available computers, he begins to click away at the keys. 

'This is taking a while, he ponders to himself. 'Why did I think I could finish this properly in a Prompt Contest of all things? The scope of this project is way too much for a guy trying to run a newspaper and a full-time job at the same time! Still, you have to commit to finish what you've started.'

Click clack go the keys. For a moment, he distracts himself through an internet rabbit-hole before going back to typing.

'I wonder what Anthraxus is doing here,' he thinks.  'He better not be slacking off. Not that he usually does; he must be here for a reason.'

Minutes go by before Milton peers over his shoulder to look at the other occupants of the room.

"Whenever I watch TV and see those poor starving kids all over the world, I can't help but cry. I mean I'd love to be skinny like that but not with all those flies and death and stuff." - Mariah Carey

"Smoking kills. If you're killed, you've lost a very important part of your life." - Brooke Shields

I'd commend that comment if I could.