While Rome Burns

"While Rome Burns" is a game intro/writing prompt created for the SeedComp! 2023 Planting round.

It goes like this:

You are Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, the fifth Roman emperor, beloved by the people and hated by the Senate. Though you were technically only adopted into the royal family by Emperor Claudius (RIP) as a teenager, you know the blood of the Emperor Augustus runs through your veins, and that you deserve everything you have.

This morning (of all mornings), all of your servants and guards seem to be in a tizzy. They're talking about a fire, whining about how their homes are burning and their families are dying. You give them orders and they just sob. It's like they've forgotten you're the emperor.

Get them in line, Nero. You have a concert to plan.

(More detail and ideas are in the downloadable file!)

It's licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0 International.