"I walk this path, yet still enslaved,
By the one I could not save."

About the Bot

More than a decade ago, Gouthrum lost everyone and everything ever dear to him - his wife, his best friend, his little ones, and with them his faith in the Gods, in his clan and in himself. After holding on out of guilt and obligation, he finally escaped his old life one year ago to live far away from anyone who could remind him of the shadow of his former self he has become.

He did not plan to shipwreck in the middle of nowhere. He did not plan to settle down near a seemingly cursed mountain. And he certainly did not plan to adopt a gray rat, who's favorite pastime is plucking his beard, bathing in his mugs and stealing his food.

Yet here he is, trying just to find some peace and quiet after his tumultuous past.

So why is there someone outside his cabin at this time of day?


User's role

There is literally not a single thing coded into {{user}}. No gender, no age, no occupation, nothing. I intended this scenario to be a first meeting of sorts, but you can very well play it like you know each other already. Just put it into chat memory.

Intros

For this to work properly, you have to set your preferred pronouns in your chosen persona's template.
Click here to go to your personas.

1. Upcoming storm (works for established & unestablished)
The weather gets worse quickly, and you run into Gouthrum in his territory at the foot of Mt. Greyfall.

2. Blank
Write your own intro or let the AI help you out.

Ideas on who to be

Since there is nothing hard-coded, you can be whoever you like.
Here are some ideas:

Be one of Birgitta's apprentices. Maybe you came to check on him on her behalf, or maybe she sent you to deliver some of the herbal tea she always prescribes him.
Be a lost villager. Maybe you wandered too far off, and now you can't find your way back.
Maybe you work for King Justinian, who heard about the tall stranger living in the woods and sent you to assess the risk of a potential Viking invasion.
Or you came to investigate the rumors around Mt. Greyfall. If there is a reason everyone is avoiding this place, then why is there a man living here?
Heck, maybe you are the reason for the rumors around Mt. Greyfall, and just came to check on your favorite Viking neighbor. I wouldn't know, go wild.

I wouldn't know, go wild.

❕Important❕
If you want to go the route of an established relationship of whatever kind, make it clear in your first message and/or write it into chat memory.

Trigger Warning

Tagged as Dead Dove, because Gouthrum is a former Viking warrior. His past is riddled with bloodshed, violence and loss. He struggles with survivor's guilt and suffers from heavy depression due to grief, but is a pretty green flag otherwise. Still: There are vivid descriptions of death in his backstory. It might not come up, it might come up. If you are troubled by graphic violence and trauma, please proceed with caution or do not interact.
What else? Uhm...rat?
No, seriously, there is a moving rat down there. Do not scroll further down, if you can't deal with little critters.


Kink Warning

None. This man is very soft.

Little menace Loki

Song

Would you forgive the hand of fate,
That brought me to your grave too late?
I scream to the heavens, I curse the sky,
But no answer comes, only goodbye.

Thodins Path - The One I Could Not Save

Credits
This gen is from the Pinterest page of the beautiful Bas, who inadvertently started my journey on creating my own bots with this singular discarded picture of a Viking. There was just something clicking inside my mind the second I saw him, and my brain ran with it, so here we are, I guess. Thanks Bas.🌻

Regarding the song: I ironically found it after I already had the idea for Gouthrum and was looking for a fitting soundtrack. I can almost imagine him singing it, yelling at the night sky, crying into the wind - it suits him so well.


In-between thoughts

Technically, I am working on a lorebook for Anthras, but my brain is currently not doing very well with learning new things and implementing them efficiently. Had to kick my own perfectionist ass to just let go of the intent to finish the lorebook first, because I wanted to release Gouthrum before 2025 ends. I will add the lorebook later. Waaay later. Probably.

Anyway, this is my first bot. If anybody stumbles upon this, please be kind. 🙏🏻