Runt of the Litter

In the interactive fantasy novel "Runt of the Litter" written by Kelly Sandoval, you'll have the chance to raise a baby war gryphon and make choices that determine the fate of the empire. The story is entirely text-based and relies on your imagination to bring it to life.

In the Empire of Vaengrea, the gryphon keepers have all the power. They make the laws, patrol the borders, and decide who gets a gryphon egg. As a lowly stable hand, or "thrall," you know you'll never have a chance to prove yourself.

But when you discover a neglected gryphon egg that was pushed out of the nest, you feel an inexplicable warmth growing inside. Now, you must keep your gryphon safe from other keepers and a deadly plague that's killing off the empire's gryphons. You'll have to decide where to hide your new hatchling, how to provide for it, and which gryphon keepers you can trust. It's up to you to shape the young gryphon's mind and decide its future.

When wyrm riders fly in from the north on their fire-breathing dragons—the natural enemy of the gryphons—you must decide whether to join the elite and fight in the war or lead a revolution against the empire.

In "Runt of the Litter," you can choose to play as any gender and as gay, straight, or asexual. You'll have the opportunity to raise a variety of unusual gryphon breeds with a gentle hand or demand obedience. You can find romance among your fellow thralls or steal the heart of a gryphon keeper. It's up to you whether you rise through the ranks and become a gryphon keeper or lead a rebellion to achieve freedom. Will you be able to find a cure for the devastating gryphon plague and save the empire? Everything rests on your shoulders.