3/22/2023

4/3/2025 9:41 PM

576

2

9 wins / 6 losses

Architect

A night in Dark Chicago

A retelling of a short story written by myself for an old Horror fanzine. That story focuses on a particularly eventful evening in the life of freelance photographer Pamela Grey in the world of the Dark Conspiracy RPG. In this story game you take the place of Pamela. 

The world you live in is much like today's, only a little worse.  The rich are richer, the poor are poorer, and the gap between is so much wider. So much is controlled by the mega-corporations and rich interests that large swatches of the ever expanding urban sprawl are marked as "Outlaw Territory, Enter At Own Risk" - where even the police don't go, either for fear or lack of resources.  The middle class has mostly disappeared except for the lowest echelon of corporate execs, and legislative changes have allowed many that would have previously been on the public dole to instead sell their vote to corporate interests in exchange for support. Crime is up, as are disappearances, theft, and violence. Even as bad as the world has become, there are persistent rumors that even worse things lurk in the shadows.  Many neighborhoods have abandoned houses that everyone knows better than to enter, and even in the outlaw where the police fear to tread there are rumors of entire blocks that no one but the mad or the most desperate are willing to risk going into after dark.

You and Susan, your significant other, are doing ok.  Her job with Aprico has afforded the two of you a small place in a small gated community owned by the company. A prized place in the vanishing middle class. Your home is close enough to the gates that you can still easily indulge in your favorite hobby, walking through Chicago with your trusty camera in hand, particularly at night.  The sale of these photos as art pieces to the ultrawealthy, facilitated by Susan's contacts, has helped with sporadic lump sums of money.  Susan pays the bills, but your money pays for luxuries and splurges.

In the twilight one often finds isolated moments of beauty and mystery that would never been seen in the daylight, and you work to capture these moments in the perfect clarity of your lens. You know the risks of being out alone at night outside the gates, but even Susan has had to admit that the last couple of pictures you sold would not have been possible if you hadn't been out there.  To help comfort her (and yourself to be completely honest), you recently bought a large knife to carry with you, just in case.

So, come explore the night and see what waits for you in the dark.

The Little Princess of the Forest

An entry for MHD's Fairytale contest, this is a retelling of the old Appalachian Fairy Tale "The Little Princess of the Forest".

Come listen to the telling of one of the wildest fairy tales I've ever heard.    This story was originally told by Marshall Ward for a fairy tale collection, and has stuck with me ever since I first heard it.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.  Grab a seat and listen up, as it starts like this...

169th Cycle IntraGalactic Culinary Competition by Mag King and Gal-actic Robotics

unpublished

You have made your way through the city, state, regional, national, planetary, sector, parsec, arm, 64th-, 32nd-, 16th-, octo-, quarter- and semi-finals to arrive with a guaranteed spot in the Finals of the 169th cycle IntraGalactic Culinary Challenge brought to you by Mag King and Gal-actic Robotics held on RecStation 420 in the Lagoon Nebula. When those magnetronics need to sing, 🎶🎶 Call on Mag King 🎶🎶! Do you need a handy robot pal? Everybody wants a Gal!

You face a varied array of challengers and an even more diverse panel of judges to win over in the two round Final. Before each round, you will have time to plan your dish and explore the features of the station. Who knows, you might even find something to help in the contest! Judges and contestants are randomly selected with every read-through, and finding things is done by a random function of your stats, so every new read is a fresh game.

Minion Hunter

unpublished

This is a storygame conversion of the Minion Hunter Board Game (and Minion Nation expansion) by GDW, based on the Dark Conspiracy TTRPG by GDW and Dynasty Presentations, with some modernization updates by myself, and is set in the same world as my "A Night in Chicago" storygame.

This is a simulation of a complex boardgame and while I have done my best to add some narrative to the events, it does not have a standard ending that you are working towards.  Every movement is a "round" in the game, and while you are developing your own stats and equipment, the forces of the Dark influences are advancing their plots.  The story ends when one of the main Dark Minion races (ETs, Fae, Morlocks, or Nukids) gains 20 plot points, or you defeat enough plots to run out the plot deck.

Full rules are detailed within.  Give it a try and see if you can save Dark America from the corrupting influence of the Dark Minions.

 

 

 

 

Witness

unpublished

It was just supposed to be a quick run down to the bodega. Ten minutes, tops. Then you saw something in the alley, and now everything has been turned upside down.

This is incomplete. Sorry, I just ran out time.

Entry for Sherbet's Summer's End Synergy Contest

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A little surprised we haven't had anyone already officially throw in the towel. Last contest had at least one or two people that quit with a fair amount of time left on the clock.

Have we ever had a contest with 100% participation (or 50 entrants)?

Twice in a row, very impressive Circle Guard, good job.

@kai90718

Circle guard core dancing

♬ Circle guard core - Silly kai

Yeah, I didn't read the list closely. The one born with no mouth that couldn't eat but didn't die until 18 while institutionalized should have caught my eye.

The following three articles should be required reading for everyone when they join the site.

1. Attention Newbies! Being a Respected CYStian
2. CYS Forum Advice and Etiquette
3. How To Not Be Fucking Weird Online

The point of Mizal's list (which are likely all real, birth defects of all sorts happen all the time) was that there was ample body horror in the real world, your tentacular and bug mutants are not so horrific as to be worrisome. Write your story, it will be fine.

Anne Bonny immediately jumps to mind.

1. This is primarily a writing site, and we are nearing the end of a major writing contest, so I would imagine that many people are only checking the forums sporadically while they are working on their entries. 2. You can't copyright an idea, only the expression of the idea. No one is going to bother to copy your whole CYOA as the site does not facilitate that easily. Also, it's not like the general idea of body horror or "experiments gone wrong, twisted human being" are that unique. If I were you I would worry more about finishing a thing than what happens to it afterward. 2a. Just avoid being super, super detailed in your descriptions or focusing on overly-salacious details and you will be fine. 2b. As stated by others avoid AI text, unless you have rewritten so much that you might as well have written it yourself. People are a little more forgiving about AI art if you only use a few pieces to provide something meaningful that may not be communicated well by writing, but even then, I would keep it to only one or two for the whole story. I have used them as intro art for a few of my stories, particularly as I try to keep my story blurb pretty short.

Pretty close: Yet Another World Ending Scenario

It was originally April 1 and then extended to May 1. You have even more time to get that first page absolutely perfect.