conversations.from: system
conversations.value: It's pretty easy to make a god. All you have to do is believe.
  
  But you aren't any under obligation to keep on doing it.
  
  You are one of the godlets, the tiny deities born of the imagination of children. Once, you were a toy, or the darkness of a bedroom at night, or a beloved pet; now, invested with the total faith of a child, you find yourself something more.
  
  Or at least, you did. Children grow up, and dismiss the superstitions they held when they were young. As with all gods, a total lack of faith would be fatal - but a trace of you still survives, in a half-forgotten memory at the back of your creator's head, or in a drawing they made of you that lingers in a dusty attic. And so, despite the odds, you're still around.
  
  Reviled by 'full' gods, unacknowledged by holy books or temples, you godlets exist on the fringes of reality, drifting from place to place without aim or reason. However, that's not why you have ended up in the little desert town of Gallow Springs: you're here because you felt someone call you here. You don't know who. You don't know why. But someone - or something - has drawn you to the tiny burg.
  
  When you get here, though, the pull seems to fade, and you lose track of where it's coming from. Sensing other godlets nearby, you and they converge on a nearby diner, tired and confused. Perhaps if you can talk to one another, you will be able to figure something out.
  
  You certainly hope so.
  
  *Roleplaying is strongly encouraged; the story is one of characters as much as plot, and we won't be confining ourselves to the challenge cards.*
  
  *Inspired by the classic Saki story* Sredni Vashtar* - which you do not need to have read to play, although I recommend it as both extremely short and utterly brilliant.*
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Run: An angel, even mad and weakened like this, is too dangerous. The others tried and failed to take it on: you will not make the same mistake.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Milkshake: A milkshake from the Fountain All-Nite Diner.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Milkshake (copy): A milkshake from the Fountain All-Nite Diner.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Slice of Pie: A slice of pie from the Fountain All-Nite Diner.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Hello?: Other godlets are turning up. You'd better get to know them.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Nine Lives and More: You're a cat, and there's some things only cats can do. Fitting through small gaps, interrogating the local wildlife - your skills are many, and variously useful.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Last Spark: A tiny, tiny piece of divine essence. It's all that's left of Creek. Inedible, but you can squeeze it for warmth, and light.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Coffee: Some godlets can go without sleep, but others can't, and their rest tonight has been difficult and broken.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: The Hero: Taller than most humans, and stronger, and smarter. Where there are gods and monsters, heroes aren't far behind.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Tuna Salad: It took a while, but it's finally here. Smoke can breakfast in style.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: A Substantial Breakfast: There's no need to worry about cholesterol when your veins are made of faith. When you're a god, you can eat what you like.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: A Taste of Fear: Like they say, life's no fun without a good scare.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Miracles Do Happen: Work a little magic. Watch a few faces light up. Or darken in horror, if that's more your thing.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Cthonic Ichor: A dense chunk of divine essence - essentially, a piece of coagulated god blood. It's more pleasant than it sounds. Save it for a moment when you really need a shot of extra power.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Whispering Thistle : Hold it close and listen, and it will talk to you of home. But be careful: those points are unnaturally sharp, and they will slice skin and bark alike to get at the blood or sap beneath.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: The Trees have Ears: Ask around. See what the local flora and fauna have to say about the matter.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: New Strength: In the pit of the night, and fat with fear, you're stronger than you have been in years.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Save a Life: It might get you a spot of belief, or it might not. But it's the right thing to do, you are certain.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: A Difficult Concept: All this is so complicated. If you're going to get anywhere with all this weirdness, you're going to have to try to figure some of it out.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Make a Friend: There's nothing like an alliance to get you through good times and bad.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Conqueror : You're in control. All you have to do is prove it, to a beast, a man, a monster ... Perhaps even a god.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Cthonic Ichor: A dense chunk of divine essence - essentially, a piece of coagulated god blood. It's more pleasant than it sounds. Use it to make one miracle that much more miraculous.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Make a Friend: There's nothing like an alliance to get you through good times and bad.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Zealous: You hold certain values with fanatical devotion. It doesn't exactly make you popular.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Sredni Vashtar: Like the most famous godlet of all, you were once a beloved - or feared - pet. A child's belief in your secret power granted you your godhead. Your bestial shape makes it hard to interact with humans, but you have other skills.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Imaginary Friend: Conjured into existence by pure imagination, your physical form is sporadic and unsettled. You can pass for human if it isn't too bright or too dark. Sometimes you can slip through walls.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Code of Honour: Just and honest, you do not infringe upon the moral code you've set yourself.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Wrack & Ruin: You bear the full gods an intense hatred. If you have a chance to cross them, you will certainly take it.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Personal Demon: Someone hurt a child, and in their head that someone became a demon. Perhaps they have recovered from the emotional trauma, but you still linger, dark and savage. Your powers diminish if people are not afraid of you.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Something Hidden: You are a connoisseur of secrets, and always on the lookout for more. They serve you well, either as currency or as fuel for darker deeds.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Spirit of Place: A child played beneath a tree, or in a cave, or in a junkyard. They were convinced there was something living there: you. You can sculpt the fabric of places like that you came from, but away from them you are weak.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Subtle: Ingenuity could be your middle name. Plans come to you as easily as breath; devious plots are your speciality.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Predator: You are a natural hunter. The search for and slaughter of prey is a vital part of your being.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Thaumaturgy: Some call it miracle-working. The big stuff is still exclusively the preserve of full gods, but you have more skill than most godlets in twisting the fabric of nature.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Puissant: It's just a fancy word for strong. But it makes you sound much more impressive than the average godlet.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Power: Strength is all there is. Whether the faith of mortals, physical might or thaumaturgical power, you seek its increase above all.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Stealthy: You have a knack for getting into places where you're not wanted.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Resilient: For one reason or another, it's hard to kill you. You take a hit, your essence knits back together, and you carry on going.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: The Stranger: Colourless, textureless, barely visible except for the occasional spark of light that ripples through her body. Who and what is she?
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Fountain All-Nite Diner: The sign claims it serves the best chilli in the state. You're pretty sure that's a lie, but it's a nice enough place.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Agile: Walls, fences, chasms - you surmount all with ease. It can also be hard to hit you in a fight.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Wise: You may not know every-thing, but you do know what's right. Your advice is always sound.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Observant: Others may miss details. You never do.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Despairing: You never really think that things are going to work out. In consequence, you give up a little too easily.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Bold: You're only a godlet. But you never let that hold you back. You act when others can't or won't. It certainly makes an impression.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Rash: Fools rush in where angels fear to tread, they say, and you're the living proof of it.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Slow-witted: Sometimes it takes you a little while to understand a situation. Sometimes a little while is too long.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Powerless: You've lost much of what thaumaturgical skill you had. These days, even the most minor miracles take time and effort to work.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Stubborn: You're not good at taking the advice of others. You make your decisions and refuse to be swayed from them.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Weak: You aren't much use in a fight. Or indeed in any kind of physical activity. In fact, you might even say you were a liability.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Heartless: Empathy is alien to you. You hurt others without the slightest twinge of guilt.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Fellowship: Your life has been a lonely one. You would like, if you can, to find people to fill the gap in it.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Rebirth: You are flawed, perhaps even broken. But that just means you have an opportunity to repair yourself.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Charismatic: Your winning words, your good looks - something about you makes other people want to help you out.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Bitter: There's something in your past that you're not over yet. It hasn't exactly given you a sunny disposition.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Not just for Christmas: When will kids learn? You can't just make a god and then abandon them. If you can, you'd like to spread the message among the children you meet.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Ammit: Part crocodile, part lion, part hippo, she used to devour the hearts of sinners in Ancient Egypt. She's a lot less picky these days.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Naïve: Maybe you're a recent creation. Maybe you've just got lucky so far. Either way, you're unschooled in the ways of the world.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Creature in the Dark: Your creator was terrified of the dark, and for good reason - they created you to populate it. In the dark, you are a fearsome monster; in the light, you're barely more than human.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Chad: You've seen dozens of men just like him in small towns across America: big, broad-shouldered, affable. He's a nice guy. Who apparently has the Second Sight.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Favoured Toy: Your creator was convinced you had a life of your own. They were right. You carry the toy from which you were wrought on your person at all times; when you need to, you can withdraw into it. If it is harmed, so are you.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Oasis Bowling Alley: A little faded around the edges, but it's a local institution. The day it disappears, they say, the town itself is dead.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Abandoned Motel: There's a newer one on the other side of town. This one suffered for it.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Desert Flower Trailer Park: Home to forty-nine of Gallow Springs' six hundred and twelve residents. It's not as bleak as you might expect.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Cormac's Trailer: It doesn't look good. Even 'habitable' might be stretching it a bit far.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Fountain All-Nite Diner (Night): It's a different place after dark - an island of cool in the warm desert night. Chad's sister Kelsey takes over at ten.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Kelsey: She runs the diner at night. Her face has sharper edges than her brother's, and her eyes are brighter. You sense she is not as happy here as he is.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Something's Up: Something's happening in this little town. But where? And what?
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Ford: More direct than the stranger, he's not going to play games. Or at least, you'll see through them if he does. He is not the smartest god in the pantheon.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Mia's Used Car Emporium: Shouldn't an 'emporium' have more cars than this?
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Bedside Guardian: You were made to protect those children who fear that something, or someone, is coming for them. You are strongest at dusk, when your vigil begins. You are weakest at dawn, when the new day brings new terrors.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Prove Yourself: You're not just another small-time godlet. Show someone your strengths.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: The Stranger: You still don't know her name, but at least you're a little more certain of her motives now.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Kelsey: She looks more tired than ever. Are the long nights catching up with her, or has someone been talking to her?
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Ammit: If anything, she seems less friendly this time. She's probably still mad about your earlier escape.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: (Optional) Help the Child: You can't leave her like this. Find her parents, or get her medical attention yourself.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Find the Others: If you can find the others - or their remains - you'll probably find the thing that found them.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Stand Fast: Stand your ground. The angel is clearly mad: you stand a good chance of remaining unseen. Besides, you have to find out what it is and why it's here.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: The Stranger's Offer: You've been offered what sounds like a pretty good deal. But do you trust your would-be employer?
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Last Spark: A tiny, tiny piece of divine essence. It’s all that’s left of Creek. Inedible, but you can squeeze it for warmth, and light.   
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: The Parking Lot Out Back of the Diner: It backs onto a liquor store and a few other shops. The place is almost deserted.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: The Child's Scream: A child is in danger. But where? And what will you do with them if you find them?
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Something Bad: What is this thing? It's like a piece of the desert come horribly to life. 
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Behind the Scenes at the Bowling Alley: The corridors behind the lanes lead to the staff room, kitchen, and maintenance access.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Follow the Angel: Don't let it see you. That would be ... unfortunate.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: (Optional) Use the Child: The child is terrified of some of you. Terror means belief: scare her some more, and you have yourself a little power source.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Get Away: All this noise attracts attention - and given that it is midday, and at least one of your party has turned translucent in the bright sunlight, you want to avoid that.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Follow In Her Footsteps: Tread carefully. The road to the radio station takes you through places where a missed step can be deadly.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: What Happened?: Where did the angel go, and how? Perhaps a search of the maintenance room will turn up a clue.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: And Why? (Optional): Some thought is necessary here. Why would the angel have left the building?
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Which Path?: Following Credit has got more than half of your number killed. Do you risk reporting back to him? Or try Charlotte or Ford instead?
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Gallow Springs Radio Station: Radio is doing surprisingly well in this little town - despite no one knowing that it exists.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Navigate the Station: Somewhere in here is the key to all this. You'll have to find it. Before the angel finds you.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: The Street Outside Mia's Car Lot: If it has a name, you don't know it. There's hardly anyone around; it's too hot, and the town too small, for much activity.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Credit: His voice is full of money. It's hard not to like him, but it's probably a bad idea to do so. He is the sort of man who lives on that kind of power.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Talk: You four need to talk. Now's the time to do it.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Where's the Radio Station?: You haven't seen anything that might be a radio station. You'll have to ask where it is.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Seriously, Where's the Radio Station?: According to Kelsey, it doesn't exist. But there are lots of things that don't exist in this town. You, for one.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Charlotte: She's back. Be on your guard; she may have heard something of what happened during the night.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Chad: With the morning comes Chad, and though you may be tired you are going to have to guard against his Sight.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: The Hero: She's not taller than anyone else, not smarter or stronger. But where gods and monsters appear, there's always a hero - and this, you know, is her.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Talk to Charlotte: She trusts you, or at least she isn't more than normally suspicious. See what you can get from her.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: The Streets of Gallow Springs: It's a hot morning, getting hotter. The asphalt is beginning to warm up beneath your feet.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: The Man on the Radio: He's the one at the centre of the web Credit described. What is he doing here? And why has he trapped everyone?
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Get inside: The bowling alley is dark and quiet - and locked. Getting inside will take some effort.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: What's in there?: Forewarned is forearmed. Before you go charging blindly into the motel, you need to know what's in there.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Something Terrible: It is house-sized now, a monstrous chimera of urban waste and desert debris crowned with an inverted car.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Something Worse: The junk-beast from before is not dead, and seems to have added to itself from the store of garbage in the motel.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Search the Motel: In legends, monsters always guard a prize. This is a legend. There was a monster. So where's the prize?
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Miracles Do Happen: Work a little magic. Watch a few faces light up - or darken in horror, if that's more your thing.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Spirit of Summer: You were the spirit of long, hazy, adventurous summer days spent away from the house. You are lithe, dancing, and emphemeral; when the sun sets you become a hollow shell.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Distracted: You flit from one thought to the next, never settling, never focused.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Supplicant: You know you will never be one of the full gods, but by dedicating yourself to one of them, you can become part of something larger...
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Warmth: In your stiller moments, your presence evokes a sense of deep contentment and intimacy, like a hot summer evening.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Personal Monster: Sometimes the only thing that can protect you from the creatures that go bump in the night is something with a bigger bump.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: My House!: You are meant to be at your house. Being far away is draining.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Life in Plastic: Artifice is your native element. You're well aware of the games that gods and mortals play, and you enjoy chicanery too much to take it personally.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Loyalty: You would rather die than abandon your friends.  That may be just what you do, in fact.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Control Issues: You aren't accustomed to having control of your own life. There are times when everything still looks like a cage.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Animal Nature: Being an animal, tied to your senses and not often required to carry on a conversation, can sometimes put a damper on human relations.  
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Mutable Form: It's the stuff nightmares are made from. Literally.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Part of a Balanced Breakfast: The corporeal state has its benefits as well as its costs.  Exertion tires you and your animal nature can be a serious distraction, but when well-fed and well-rested you can think and react more cleverly than usual.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Wrack & Ruin: You bear the full gods an intense hatred. If you have a chance to cross them, you will certainly take it.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Nana Nana Boo-Boo: Stick your head in doo-doo
  I'm better than you-you