conversations.from: system
conversations.value: **SUMMARY**: Players assume the role of abandoned pets in a world devastated by an apocalyptic world war.
  
  **PITCH**: Beasts of Burden meets pretty much any post-apocalyptic setting.
  
  
  = = = = = = = =
  
  
  The world as you knew it is gone. For months, the humans fought each other. Your neighborhood and your city were gradually destroyed. Then one day, there was a blinding flash of light, an intense heat, and then everything was different.
  
  The humane society shelter that was your home became a pile of rubble, one of the last buildings to go. Due to exposure to bad smelling gases and things you could not see, dogs and cats around you went to the Great Backyard. Only you and a few animals survived. Emerging from the debris, you see very little left of the city, and not a human in sight. You agree with the other remaining animals that you need to find some form of civilization, and that your survival depends on it.
  
  
  = = = = = = = =
  
  
  **NOTES**
  
  • Players play animals, most likely a dog or a cat, but any typical domestic pet is fine.
  
  • Animals survived a world war, which left behind a dangerous mix of chemicals and radiation that has triggered latent mutations.
  
  • Mutations will appear during the course of the story. Everyone starts out as a "normal" animal.
  
  • The subplot cards consist of "flashback" scenarios. Players should periodically write flashbacks for their animal characters that take place before or during their time in the shelter.
  
  • I'm an intermittent narrator. If you get annoyed with 4-5 days between posts, this isn't the game for you.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Buddy the bulldog seems to be making his way to the Great Backyard. Can he be saved?
conversations.prefix: Save Buddy?:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: sneaky
conversations.prefix: Sneaky:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Shelter life makes some animals suspicious of each other. Up to you to pull this group together. As far as you can tell, there's no one else to help you.
conversations.prefix: Build the Team:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Picked up a few odds and ends from the shelter.
conversations.prefix: Survival Supplies:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Kindly shelter employee Carl left his smartphone with the animals before perishing.
conversations.prefix: Carl's SmartPhone:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Got to rejoin the others.
conversations.prefix: Regroup?:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: The bulldog's injuries are pretty serious. Is he worth saving?
conversations.prefix: Buddy's Fate:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: The bulldog's injuries seem to be serious. He may be a liability in the short term, but may help in the long term.
conversations.prefix: Buddy's Fate:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: You're generally unreliable and think everyone's out to get you.
conversations.prefix: Shifty and Paranoid:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Stands by friends.
conversations.prefix: Reliable and Loyal:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: You don't like people.
conversations.prefix: Suspicious of Humans:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: You run quickly.
conversations.prefix: Fast:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: You can climb and jump.
  (No dogs.)
conversations.prefix: Agile:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: You only have three legs.
conversations.prefix: Tripod:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Since ending up in the shelter, your wild side has emerged.
conversations.prefix: Hunter:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: You have some illness that weakens your endurance.
conversations.prefix: Sick:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: You only look out for number one.
conversations.prefix: Selfish:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: You only deal with animals of your own type.
conversations.prefix: Suspicious of Other Species:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: You were scheduled to be euthanized because you wouldn't have made a suitable pet.
conversations.prefix: Damaged Goods:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: The world isn't half destroyed so much as half intact!
conversations.prefix: Incurably Optimistic:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Your eyesight, hearing, or sense of smell is especially sensitive.
conversations.prefix: Perceptive:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: It's not that you don't trust anyone. It's just that you don't think anyone is particularly trustworthy.
conversations.prefix: Aloof and Skeptical:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: You were out on the street before you were in the shelter, and you learned something about how the world works.
  
conversations.prefix: Street Smarts:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Other creatures (mostly humans) are immediately attracted to you.
conversations.prefix: Cute:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: You're a natural leader.
conversations.prefix: Charismatic:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: You're sensitive to how other creatures are feeling.
  (No cats.)
conversations.prefix: Empathetic:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: You're missing an eye, which makes it difficult to judge distances.
conversations.prefix: One Eye:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: You've got teeth and claws and you know how to use 'em.
conversations.prefix: Fighter:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: You've learned to control your innate impulsiveness.
conversations.prefix: Patience:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: You're debilitatingly shy.
conversations.prefix: Timid:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: You're persistent when dealing with problems.
conversations.prefix: Tenacious:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: You never let go of an idea, no matter how harebrained.
  
conversations.prefix: Stubborn:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: You don't have a good sense of social dynamics.
conversations.prefix: Clueless:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Before being placed in the shelter, you had a companion and you guys were inseparable. How did you meet your partner?
conversations.prefix: Partner (Flashback):
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Something bad happened to you, either before the shelter or while you were in the shelter. You can't quite remember what it was. What were the events leading up to the trauma?
conversations.prefix: Suppressed Trauma (Flashback):
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: You had an arch-rival before you were placed in the shelter. How did this animal become your nemesis?
conversations.prefix: Nemesis (Flashback):
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: You were a member of a loving family that suddenly gave you up. What were the events leading up to your being placed in the shelter?
conversations.prefix: Loving Family (Flashback):
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: You had been a test subject in a lab, liberated by some animal rights activists. How did you come to be in the lab? What were they doing to you?
conversations.prefix: Liberated (Flashback):
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: You respond violently when confronted with a particular situation or circumstance.
conversations.prefix: Reactive:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Certain situations make you uncomfortable and nervous.
conversations.prefix: Anxious:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: You'd been a stray your whole life, then one day you met a human who might actually take you in. Before you could form a deeper relationship, you were grabbed by animal control and dropped into the shelter. What was life on the street like? How did you meet this human?
conversations.prefix: Missed Connection (Flashback):
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: You make decisions without regard to consequences.
conversations.prefix: Impulsive:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: You show true grit in the face of adversity, but sometimes you're a little too enthusiastic.
conversations.prefix: Scrappy and Excitable:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: You're tough, but not mean. Quiet, but not menacing.
conversations.prefix: Quiet Bruiser:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: You were living with an older person, who went out one day and never came home. The humane shelter came to get you a few days later. Were there any clues that might have revealed they weren't coming back? Why didn't they come home? 
conversations.prefix: Missing Human:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: You were taken from your litter when you were still small, but not so small you can't remember them. You've always pined for them. Why were you separated from your littermates? What happened to them?
conversations.prefix: Separated at Birth:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: You had been in and out of foster care for years. Why wouldn't anyone adopt you?
conversations.prefix: Revolving Door:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: You can hear someone's voice from in the rubble.
conversations.prefix: Help Someone Out:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: You somehow survived the destruction, but you need to get out.
conversations.prefix: Escape the Rubble:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Buddy is a bulldog who was dropped at the shelter a few weeks ago. He never seemed to get over his depression at being abandoned.
conversations.prefix: Buddy:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Find a place to hide before the humans find you.
conversations.prefix: Take Cover!:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Carl left a mysterious direction with you. Look after the smartphone. What could it mean?
conversations.prefix: Look after Carl's Smartphone:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: It's not that you don't trust anyone. It's just that you don't think anyone is particularly trustworthy.
conversations.prefix: Aloof and Skeptical:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: You can climb and jump.
  (No dogs.)
conversations.prefix: Agile:
conversations.from: human
conversations.prefix: Wild:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: You only look out for number one.
conversations.prefix: Selfish:
conversations.from: human
conversations.prefix: Wild:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: You had an arch-rival before you were placed in the shelter. How did this animal become your nemesis?
conversations.prefix: Nemesis (Flashback):
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: You were scheduled to be euthanized because you wouldn't have made a suitable pet.
conversations.prefix: Damaged Goods:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: You were out on the street before you were in the shelter, and you learned something about how the world works.
  
conversations.prefix: Street Smarts:
conversations.from: human
conversations.prefix: Wild:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: You're missing an eye, which makes it difficult to judge distances.
conversations.prefix: One Eye:
conversations.from: human
conversations.prefix: Wild:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Something bad happened to you, either before the shelter or while you were in the shelter. You can't quite remember what it was. What were the events leading up to the trauma?
conversations.prefix: Suppressed Trauma (Flashback):
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: You're bigger and stronger than other animals, including humans, but you're a big old softy. You only use your size advantage defensively.
conversations.prefix: Gentle Giant:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: You've learned to control your innate impulsiveness.
conversations.prefix: Patience:
conversations.from: human
conversations.prefix: Wild:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: You believe most animals, including humans, are fundamentally good. Sometimes you give the benefit of the doubt when you shouldn't.
conversations.prefix: Gullible:
conversations.from: human
conversations.prefix: Wild:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: You were a member of a loving family that suddenly gave you up. What were the events leading up to your being placed in the shelter?
conversations.prefix: Loving Family (Flashback):
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: You don't like people.
conversations.prefix: Suspicious of Humans:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: You are bright and creative, good at solving problems and figuring things out.
conversations.prefix: Clever:
conversations.from: human
conversations.prefix: Wild:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: You respond violently when confronted with a particular situation or circumstance.
conversations.prefix: Reactive:
conversations.from: human
conversations.prefix: Wild:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: You had been a test subject in a lab, liberated by some animal rights activists. How did you come to be in the lab? What were they doing to you?
conversations.prefix: Liberated (Flashback):
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Stands by friends.
conversations.prefix: Reliable and Loyal:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: You're persistent when dealing with problems.
conversations.prefix: Tenacious:
conversations.from: human
conversations.prefix: Wild:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: You have some illness that weakens your endurance.
conversations.prefix: Sick:
conversations.from: human
conversations.prefix: Wild:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: You had been a test subject in a lab, liberated by some animal rights activists. How did you come to be in the lab? What were they doing to you?
conversations.prefix: Liberated (Flashback):
conversations.from: human
conversations.prefix: Wild:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.prefix: Wild:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: You've been through so much, it's hard to care anymore.
conversations.prefix: Apathetic: