conversations.from: system
conversations.value: *Genre: Thriller. Players: 3-4*
  
  Frank Wilton destroyed your life.
  
  How? Maybe he murdered your child. He burned your business to the ground. Your husband is now locked up in a mental hospital after what Frank put him through. He attempted to murder you and badly burned you in the process.
  
  The fact is, Frank's a very bad man. He's done unspeakably bad things.
  
  And now, you've got caught him. Your little circle of vigilantes have him in a dingy basement, handcuffed to a chair. Letting him go, of course, is out of the question. Now the only question is: Phone the cops? Or pull the trigger?
  
  Most of this game will take place in the basement. And every time, there will be three challenges.
  
  
  **The Gun**. Shoot Frank. Kill him for everything he's done.
  
  **The Phone**. Call the police. Maybe make him confess on the line. But bring them in and get him locked up.
  
  **Investigate further**. This isn't enough. You need to know more. Maybe this means looking through all the files you found. Maybe it means interrogating him. And this opens up new scenes. Flashback to other times and places. Ring up people you need to talk to. Get Frank to open up about his life. Find all the evidence you need to make a choice. After all, he's not going anywhere.
  
  But sooner or later, you will need to make a choice.
  
  The phone, or the gun?
  
  **Mechanics**
  
  There is a single central scene that I will keep returning to: The characters in the basement with the gun and the phone. But that scene always has three challenges: The gun, the phone, and investigate. Whichever one is resolved first wins out, and the person playing the final card resolves the whole story. But before then? You can keep on investigating as many times as you want to help you reach a decision. Investigations may mean looking over papers, it may mean flashbacks, they can be for you guys or for Frank. Any number of options.
  
  I'm also going to request that, while in the basement, players submit no more than one card per move, and do not make multiple moves in a row.
  
  **Character Generation**
  
  I've included a four cards in each slot, but please, please feel free to make new ones. You'll notice that 'natures' is basically "What Frank Did To You", while subplots is "What You Want to Do to Frank". This game will be very tightly focused, so there's not a lot of room for personal subplots.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: We need to know more. (copy): Maybe we can't decide yet. 
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Form a connection, or shut yourself off on your own terms.: Alicia has one chance to safeguard her soul. 
  
  Answer in the story if she took it. 
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Trust the fuckhead?: Jarrod's going to learn in prison that a man needs a place to stand. (He'll learn that hard.) You can stand with friends, or on your own, but you need to know where you stand. Here's a chance to learn early.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: The phone.: A mobile phone. Pre-GPS, never been used, pre-pay and paid in cash. Untraceable.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: The Knife.: The pointy end.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Admit you're on the verge of homelessness: Admit it in court, and it'll help your case. Admit it to your friends, and they might lend you a couch. Admit it only to yourself, and it might save your pride.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: The gun.: A glock G22. Purchased illegally, serial number filed off. Clean.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Anger issues.: Temper, temper.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: A dingy basement.: Here is where you've trapped Frank. There's a few work benches around, some power tools, but most importantly a desk, a chair, and handcuffs.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Frank Wilton: This is the reason your life is ruined.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Former victim: Frank personally damaged you, either in body, mind, or soul.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: The gun.: This ends with his life.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Grieving Caregiver: Frank killed your child, either personally or indirectly. Maybe they were your biological child. Maybe your niece or nephew. Maybe your adoptive child. And now they're gone, thanks to Frank.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Survivor: Frank destroyed everything you'd worked for. Family, business, life gone. You may not be physically harmed, but you've nothing left to live for.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: The Phone.: This ends with the police.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Investigate.: Maybe we can't decide yet. 
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Interrogation Skills: Maybe you worked in the police force. Maybe you "worked for the government". Perhaps you were just a HR flack who did good interviewing. Either way, you've a knack for getting folks to talk.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Only the memory remains.: They were special to you. Lover, husband, wife. Best friend. Army buddy. Now a painful, torturous hole where once was joy.
  
  To Frank, just another victim. 
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: You want vengeance.: This isn't about stopping Frank. This is about punishing him. Maybe you want him to die in pain. Maybe you want him locked up in a shitty, godawful hole. But he has to *suffer*.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Squeamish.: Blood makes your stomach turn. 
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Medical Training: Are you a nurse? Doctor? Maybe just did a first aid course? No matter. You're handy to have around when people start bleeding.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Dead inside.: You remember what feelings were like.
  
  It's very hard to get under your skin these days.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Empathy.: It's easy to relate to nice people. But it's harder to relate to the nasty ones, and you're one of the rare ones who can.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Guilt.: Your high horse is a little low. You've hurt people in the past, hurt 'em bad.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: You want the hunt.: You'd never admit this even to yourself. Of course you want Frank dealt with.
  
  But you don't. Hunting him is your only purpose left, all Frank left you.
  
  Part of you wants to let him go.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Greedy.: Every principle has its price.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: You want justice.: Frank needs to be stopped, but he needs to be held accountable more. Does that mean prison? Death? Must he feel remorse, the weight of what he's done? That's up to you.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: You want closure.: Fuck Frank. This isn't about him. This is about the endless nightmares, the panic attacks the the jumping at shadows. Frank needs to be dealt with so you can deal with your life again.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Richard Skemp: This guy is your chance to find out what makes Frank tick.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: The knife.: This ends with Frank's worst fears.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Helena Shelby: Quiet, empathetic, intelligent, caring, passionately vengeful.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Group therapy.: Upstairs in the old Masonic center, filled with many hoping for healing and a few finding it.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Trust.: It's hard to truly stand by those who would admit, by your association, to criminal intent.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Somewhere.: Earlier.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Calm Frank.: Something about Frank seems off tonight. His usual cocky sonovabitch is now shaky asshole. Is he gonna blow the job?
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Outside the Liquor Store on 5th: Does a good trade on Saturday nights.
  
  Most other nights too.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: The kid's gonna die.: It's on you, dumb shit.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: The Courthouse: "In criminal law cases, you see bad people at their best. In family law cases, you see good people at their worst."
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Keep it together.: You've lost everything.
  
  If you're not careful you'll lose even more.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Emily Reynolds: Ben's former wife.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Fall guy: Frank *let* you take the fall for a liquor store shooting. Planning your revenge was your escape from life as a prison bitch. 
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Handyman: With the right tools, you can fix just about anything.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Victim: Poor poor Jarrod, the world is always against you guy. 
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: You want him to understand: You loved Frank once, like a brother. You think he even loved you. 
  
  But prison fucks you up. And Frank needs to know the pain you felt, still feel every day of your life.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Financially Ruined: You gave Frank everything you had because he told you it was a sure thing. You're not one for violence, but if can help you get back some of what you lost...
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Anger is an Emotion: As long as you feel anger, you feel *something*... and that means there is a way back.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: First-Aid Certified: Ben always figured he'd use the first aid training he learned at camp. He just never thought it would be for this.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Damaged Goods: You've been through a lot of abuse, and most of it was at the hands of Frank. Whatever tough front you put on, it's not like that just goes away.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Enough to be Dangerous: You like to think of yourself as well read, but that reading mostly consists of headlines on low-grade news sites and novelizations of your favorite movies.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: It ends here: This is the end of the line. Frank has met the only justice that Alicia will accept for him.