I'm running (or ran, depending on when you're reading this) a multiple-choice adventure on Mastodon. I write a short description of the situation and four options what to do next. I have no idea what's going to happen, and invent the result after I see the result of the vote. No AI is used, even though that would be super easy.
Here's a recap:
--
Should I host a multiple choice adventure on mastodon using polls?
--
You're on a grassy hill. There's a small hut on top of the hill, in the shade of a massive oak. You can see forest around the hill, with a hint of the sea in the horizon.
--
As you approach the tree, you notice an eerie glow from inside the hut.
Climbing the tree is surprisingly easy, with branches at convenient intervals. You climb high, leaving the hut, and the smoke rising from the chimney, far below you.
You can see the port town on the seashore, and in another direction, a small trail of smoke in the middle of the forest.
--
You enter the hut through the lone, lockless door. It's somewhat dark inside, with the only light sources being small windows and the dying embers in the fireplace.
You notice the nice smell of the stew in the large pot in the fireplace. You also notice two glass bottles on the table, glowing lightly; one is filled with a clear light green liquid, the other with cloudly orange liquid.
--
The alluring smell of the stew draws you closer, and as you dip the nearby scoop into the stew, an eyeball comes to the surface.
You step back in shock, and to make things worse, you hear the door opening.
You can see a silhouette of a person in the doorway; you're not sure if they've noticed you yet, as they came into the dark from the bright outdoors.
--
You quickly duck under the table. The person can't see you - but you can't see them either. You hear their footsteps approach the pot, and an old voice proclaiming "that's odd.."
The potions are on the table you're hiding under. You may be able to reach one.
--
You manage to reach a bottle - the green one - and decide to take a sip. It's apple juice. Frustrated, you toss the empty bottle across the room and make a dash to the door.
Outside, the sensations of a dense city assault you. Smells, sights and noise. You've never seen as many people in the same place.
--
You try and blend into the crowd, walking along with people. After a while all the sights and sounds stop being overwhelming. People are speaking in languages you don't know, wearing unfamiliar clothes. Luckily nobody seems interested in you, and mostly just stare at bright rectangles they're carrying.
After walking in circles for a while you notice smell of the sea. You also notice that as noisy as the city is, there's louder noise in a direction.
--
You make your way to the port, and wonder about the massive ships, bigger than some towns you've seen. Made of metal! How do they float?
Smaller boats line the pier, some selling fishing products. At least something is normal here. There's also a line of market stalls, and a church nearby attracts your attention.
--
The stalls mostly sell what seems, at first, hand-made items, but they are way too identical. Some stalls sell unfamiliar foods, but their smells still remind you of how long ago you had anything to eat.
A couple of people with official looking clothes walk near the stalls, and you can sense that other people are wary of them.
--
Trying not to attract any attention, you go to a booth and show great interest in what you suspect is a very ornate bottle opener. It has a wooden handle which looks like it's been carved by hand, but all of the items are perfectly identical.
People around you grow quiet and you sense that the official-looking people are coming closer.
--
The official looking people come and stand next to you, one on both sides. You notice that everybody else around has gone silent and look the other way.
One of the official ones says something to you, probably a question, but you don't understand a word they say. When you don't answer, they poke you on the shoulder and say something again.
--
You throw a punch at one of them, and start running. They definitely did not expect that. In the confusion you get a couple dozen heartbeats of lead.
Now you just have to figure out where to run to.
--
You run down a random side street, turning corners more or less randomly. There are fewer people here, and nobody still pays you much attention, just staring at their glowing rectangles instead.
Something makes you stop in a back alley. There's a familiar looking door there. A lot of noise is coming from where you came, and there seems to be a ladder up to the roofs nearby. You don't have much time.
--
You quickly go through the door and find yourself back in the hut. The elder has been waiting for you, and says:
"What did you drink my juice for? Now you go and bring me more!". They hand you the empty (still glowing) bottle, and push you out the door.
You find yourself in a metal corridor. You feel funny, somehow lighter. You don't see any obvious sources of light, but it's not dark in here. One way in the corridor is quiet, the other is noisy.
--
Now that you feel nobody is actively chasing you for a moment, you stop and take a look at the bottle. It's clearly glass, but it glows faintly, and it feels lighter than it should. Angular glyphs are etched to the surface, along with an image of a smiling creature that's somewhere between a cow and a fox.
Maybe you're supposed to fill it. Or swap it for a full one. Or maybe they gave it to you as a reference of what to get. You realize you don't know.
--
You walk towards the noise shouting "hello". Your call doesn't cause any reaction in the busy indoor bazaar, with people.. or things of various shapes and sizes go in all directions making strange noises. It all makes you stop and take it all in. There's a bunch of stalls, as far as you can see, the beings, various lights and.. then you notice that one wall is a massive window showing the night sky outside. We must be really high, as you don't see the ground outside.
--
You take a look at the people. Some are impossibly tall and slim, others are almost spherical. You spot someone with at least nine arms. In one, you can't figure out where their head is. The couple human-shaped beings feel out of place. Many have clothes that look like metal, and several look transparent to you.
Compared to the city you visited, this place feels way more alien to you.
--
You warily approach the nearest humanoid, but stop when you realize they don't actually have a face. It's unlikely that you will find anyone here you can relate to.
Maybe it's the fact everyone looks so strange, but nobody seems to pay you any attention, just concentrating on their business instead.
--