conversations.from: system
conversations.value: Beside a campfire outside a broken inn, the strangers came together to tell stories.
  
  "Where were you on the Day?" a young boy with a dirty face asked the tired man carrying a worn and blunt broadsword.
  
  "On the Day? It was my daughter's birthday. We had paid the local carpenter to build her a rocking horse. All the children of my village came over to see it."
  
  "...Then, the ground **cracked**, bursting forth with flames. I saw her body, charred, faceless, the bone visible in places. I grabbed my wife and son, and took shelter."
  
  "When it was finally safe, all the crops were gone, cattle dead. Things **rot** faster now--I can't explain it, but I *know* it."
  
  "I lost my wife to disease." He then pointed to a nearby man with a rag over his eyes. "My son, blind, from who knows what..."
  
  "On the Day, *I didn't exist*. The man before and this man after, we are **nothing** alike...The only thing that's the same is that we're alive, for whatever that's worth..."
  
  The fire cracked in the silence.
  
  "I've seen fire..."
  
  **=====**
  
  **I've Seen Fire** is a **low fantasy** tale that takes place in a **sword and shield** world after a cataclysmic event known as **the Day** when the world erupted with volcanoes and large fissures for several hours, tearing and tainting the world forever after.
  
  The reason for **why** the Day happened **won't** be the focus of the story nor is there any chance of correcting it. Instead, **the story will focus on the characters trying to live in an inhospital world where famine, disease, and civil war are rampant.** Don't expect dragons, zombies, or beasts, although low-end magic is allowed (you can start a fire, create a gallon of water, can sense certain things, etc.).
  
  You should expect **fighting people for the basics to survive** and **moral choices that aren't binary in nature**--think *The Walking Dead* or *The Road*. As a team, you might have to pick one of two NPCs to die, where the choice you chose will affect what benefits you get.
  
  When you submit, a **writing sample** is a lot more interesting to me than a description of the character, but I won't dismiss an application just because it isn't a sample. **Feel free to make up your own cards**, just keep them realistic to the universe. Please include pictures when possible because I think the visual adds a completeness to the story.
  
  **I'm looking for an odd number of people, either 3 or 5, depending on the level of interest. Expect at least 2 scenes a week.**
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Nomad: Growing up on the move means being more agile, but *home* is merely a concept. 
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: A New Home: It's a dream to settle in the wasteland after the Day but a beautiful one.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Pattern Recognition: With a heads up, you can see what's coming and better approach the task at hand. 
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: RED VOTE: **Use this card to VOTE RED**
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: BLUE VOTE: **Use this card to VOTE BLUE**
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Tools and Lumber: A few supplies sat in the cart once guarded by Fat Carl's dead body. 
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: The Burning Settlement of Mira: A peaceful town built by survivors awoken by fire and flame and in the middle of the night. 
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: The Misty Road Ahead: A nameless road that leads elsewhere, maybe to a better life. 
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: A Clearing with Buck: Some remember *deer* but their name is long forgotten and foreign now. 
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: The Fallen Temple: An old church to some god no one remembers. Already raided, this place serves as a shelter now. 
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Kara: One of the few settlements that exists, but that says nothing about the demeanor of its people.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: The Once Village of Tahre: Tahre was a place, but like many other things, it no longer is. 
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: A Weathered Estate: Its unclear whether someone lives here by the outside appearance, although there are nearby signs of activity.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Calico: Calico wandered much before arriving at Mira. She says she has nothing to do with the fire and can lead the group to "greener" fields.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Interior of the Estate: Small signs of life hang on about the place but maybe they are from long ago. 
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Escape the fire unharmed: The bandits lit the village in the midst of the scramble. Now Mira burns. 
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Talbet: Wearing hunter's armor, Talbet's appearance speaks for his profession, although it is a dying one. He isn't from Mira and doesn't know where villages are, but he promises you he can find food.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Warrior: Fighting can be a way of surviving, but you need to fight *for* something, or for *someone*. It can be lonely and to your disadvantage fighting for nothing but yourself.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Youth: The Day is something people talk about, but it's not real for you. All you naively know is the aftermath. 
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Hunter: A dying profession but an extremely important one for a team that needs to survive. Hunters evolved to not just spot and kill prey but to find and cook less *appetizing* prey as well. 
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Farmer/Forger: Tending to the new land is like pulling blood from a stone, but knowing good soil and what to do with it can make or break a settlement. 
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Tradesman: Having a trade, whether that be carpentry, blacksmithing, or something else, knowing how to create practical objects is always handy. 
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Mystic: Either through alchemy, shaman practices, old god spells, or a special gift, the mystic changes their surroundings just enough to count. 
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Charismatic: People listen, and *care*, when you talk
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Inventive: Others see the limits. You see the ways around them. 
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Strong Willed: It's not easy, but you've seen worse and don't plan on stopping now. 
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Naive: The world is a horrible place, but you haven't seen the worst and know no better. 
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Tactless: You always say the wrong thing at the wrong time. Social grace is not your strong suit.    
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Quick: Being fast at hand and in the mind can always get you ahead.    
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Strong: A strong hand and a strong spirit are needed in tough times.    
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Wise: Knowing what's best and when's the perfect time can sometimes be all that matters.   
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Play by the Rules: You rarely stray from the course, even when its probably best to do so.  
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Slow to React: You either lollygag or just don't react when you need to. 
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Weak Willed : Obstacles can sometimes feel impossible to overcome to the point of breaking down.  
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Weak: You aren't the type to survive off of brute strength; you barely have any.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Power: In the wake of the Day, governments collapsed to the ground and only city-states exist now. You can never rule the world, but taking over the local province may not be so bad. 
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: A Normal Life: *All I want is a good home and a wife and a children
  And some food to feed them every night.* - Gil Scott-Heron
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: To be the Best: Whatever it is, you want to be the best at it, whether that's hunting, tool making, surviving. You just want to be number 1. 
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: To Settle: Settling in one location means no longer forging the world for somewhere perfect. It's a dream, but a beautiful one, in the wastelands. 
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: To Protect Those You Love: Maybe you can't have a home or a title, but you can protect those around you. 
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: To Get Ahead: Being better than others can feel pretty sweet when everything else sucks. 
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Will the Lumberjack: Will tends to think about the immediate gains, but in this wasteland, being able to think ahead is a luxury most don't have.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Guard the Town: Mira can't survive without people to guard it. Or maybe it could, at a cost.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Save the children: With the fire raging, the children of the village scatter like scared mice. 
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Save Scarlet: In the midst of the fire, Scarlet runs into trouble when a piece of debris lands on her tail. 
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Save the Supplies: All the village supplies are on fire but some can be saved if people act.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Save the Villagers: The chaos of the flames spreads to the masses as they scrambled to find their loved ones and enough supply to last them for the rough times ahead. 
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Kill the Bandits: The Bandits run rampant through the streets, killing anyone in their path. 
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Herd of Deer: The deer in the distance watch you carefully. They're unsure if you're friend or foe. 
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: What was that noise?: A sound in the nearby area doesn't sound like the wind. What could it be? 
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: The Remains of Mira: The smoldering remains of Mira turn to ash in the wind. Nothing remains now except the people and a few supplies. 
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: RED VOTE (copy): **Use this card to VOTE RED**
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: BLUE VOTE (copy): **Use this card to VOTE BLUE**
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Fight or Flight: The town is split over the decision to stay and rebuild or to flee for elsewhere. **ONLY USE RED OR BLUE VOTE CARDS**
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Ranger: You were always a bit of a loner, preferring the wilds and forests to the clutter of towns and cities... and you had a bit of an affinity with animals of the wild. You learned to climb, track, swim and hunt better than most. And you used this knowledge to keep the towns from over-hunting the game, from the loggers taking too much. Given the state of the world now... it seems like your efforts were for naught.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Way of the Wolf: Rangers can temporarily take on aspects of the animals they protect, in your case, you took on the enhanced senses and reflexes of a wolf. You don't gut furry when you take on this ability, but you do smell and see better than normal. You do this by forming a bond with a wolf, to the point that you both learn a bit from each other. This ability comes with a price however.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Way of the Wolf: The drawback to higher senses and faster reflexes of a wolf is that you start to think like a wolf as your bond with your bonded animal becomes stronger and you make more use of the ability. This leads you to be aggressive and liable to see hostility in most interactions you have with others... it also makes you fiercely territorial and quick to anger when someone invades your "territory". It also puts you in cycles of heightened arousal, not entirely unlike a female wolf in heat. 
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: The Vigil: The Burn might have destroyed much, but you can still feel The Vigil compelling you to preserve what little of nature's bounty remains. You feel compelled to find traces of nature as it used to be, and preserve them against all who would exploit them.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Theif: A skill looked down upon before that day now held in high regard. The art of stealth means killing quiet or avoiding combat all together. The tools of the trade have stayed much the same and life hasn't changed all that much for many in this trade. They still live or die off what they can take from others. The difference now is everyone is doing the same. 
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Dexterous: In order to live a life in the shadows you have to be quick and agile. You are light both in touch and on your feet.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Code: There are just some things you never do. A code that defines you as a person, as a human being. While something seen as honorable before, now can end up getting in the way of survival.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: To Fill the Void: While you weren't the only one that lost someone during that day it doesn't change how you feel. You look to fill that loss with whatever you can find. It can take the form of things, friends, lovers, or revenge. 
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Bounty Hunter: No matter how bad the world gets, people will still be willing to put a price on each other's heads. 
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Silent: You rarely, if ever, speak. This can be problematic if someone is expecting a straight answer, or even just an opinion.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Find Her: This one is personal. I won't let go of her again.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Warden: A jailer, a keeper of men. You tend to a flock of prisoners and criminals. You safeguard the people around you from evil men. 
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Blind: On that day you saw something that took your sight away. You have learnt to deal with it as best you can but it is your greatest hindrance.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Free the Innocent: Your life has changed since that day, now you are on a quest to free the innocent. Hopefully it will set you free as well.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Cold-Hearted: You have suffered too much to be burdened by other people's pain.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Road Warrior: You've been on the road a long time, made hard decisions, survived them. Your knowledge of the wandering life grants you a measure of skill in defending and guiding your group.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Suprisingly Strong: You may look scrawny, but you're actually much stronger than you look. This tends to catch people off guard.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Stealth : You have to be quiet in order to sneak up on a man and steal his breath away or just steal his purse. Years of sneaking about has made you quiet as the grave.