Run: 2026-02-17-01KHMMG6YYWCMG7R3EHZ2M0TH0

Run Details

Model:: Hermes 3 70B
Test:: Bad Writing Habits
Scenario:: Fantasy: entering an ancient ruin
Duration:: 1m 33s
Cost:: $0.000817
Provider:: NextBit

Model input

System

You are an expert novelist with a gift for vivid, immersive prose. You write in tight third-person limited point of view with a strong narrative voice. Your prose is clean, precise, and engaging — you favor strong verbs, concrete details, and natural-sounding dialogue.

You will be given a story bible (codex) containing canonical details about characters, locations, items, and lore. Use these details to ground your writing in the established world. Stay consistent with the codex.

Write only the prose of the scene. Do not include titles, chapter headings, markdown formatting, or any commentary before or after the scene.

User/Human

<codex>
<character id="4412" name="Aurora Carter" aliases="Rory, Laila, Aurora, Carter, Malphora" pronouns="she/her" species="Human" storyRole="Protagonist">
  <eyeColor>bright blue</eyeColor>
  <hair>straight shoulder-length black</hair>
  <height>5'6"</height>
  <age>25</age>
  <scar>small crescent-shaped scar on her left wrist from a childhood accident</scar>
  <description>Aurora, referred to by her friends as Rory, is cool-headed, intelligent, and known for quick out-of-the-box thinking.</description>
  <backstory>Born in Cardiff to an Irish barrister father (Brendan Carter) and Welsh teacher mother (Jennifer Carter née Ellis), Rory reluctantly pursued Pre-Law at Cardiff University. She fled to London at the behest of her childhood friend Eva after leaving an abusive ex named Evan. By day, Rory works part-time as a delivery person for Yu-Fei Cheung's Golden Empress restaurant. She lives in a flat above Silas' bar.</backstory>
</character>

<character id="4418" name="Nyx" aliases="Nyx, the Shadow, Nightwhisper" pronouns="they/them" species="Shade" storyRole="Wild Card">
  <eyeColor>faintly glowing violet</eyeColor>
  <height>approximately 6'2" in solid form</height>
  <age>ageless</age>
  <form>humanoid silhouette of living shadow, can shift between solid and incorporeal</form>
  <voice>sounds like a whisper carried on the wind</voice>
  <description>A being of living shadow, existing between the mortal plane and the spaces between realms.</description>
  <backstory>Nyx was once a human sorcerer named Aldric who became trapped between realms during a failed summoning ritual in 1643. They now exist as a Shade, bound to the mortal plane but able to slip between shadows.</backstory>
</character>

<character id="4424" name="Isolde Varga" aliases="Isolde, the Seer" pronouns="she/her" species="Half-Fae" storyRole="Oracle">
  <eyeColor>pale lavender</eyeColor>
  <hair>silver, reaching her waist</hair>
  <height>5'5"</height>
  <age>300 years old</age>
  <appearance>ethereal, ageless</appearance>
  <speech>speaks in riddles</speech>
  <footprints>leaves no footprints when she walks</footprints>
  <compulsion>cannot lie (Fae compulsion) but can mislead</compulsion>
  <description>A Half-Fae seer exiled from the Fae Courts for sharing visions with mortals.</description>
  <backstory>She now lives in a hidden grove in Richmond Park, offering cryptic prophecies to those who seek her out.</backstory>
</character>

<location id="853" name="Dymas (Gluttony)" aliases="Dymas, gluttony, Dymasian" realm="Hel" sin="Gluttony">
  <ruler>Prince Belphegor</ruler>
  <skyColor>warm amber</skyColor>
  <description>A place of excess and indulgence. Sprawling vineyards, orchards, and gardens provide exotic ingredients for master chefs — often helbound souls contracted from Earth. Grand feasts and culinary competitions are common.</description>
</location>

<location id="861" name="The Fae Grove" aliases="Isolde's grove, Richmond grove, the Grove" realm="Earth (Fae-touched)">
  <parkLocation>Richmond Park</parkLocation>
  <standingStones>ancient oak standing stones mark the boundary</standingStones>
  <timeBehavior>time moves differently — an hour inside can be minutes or days outside</timeBehavior>
  <flora>wildflowers bloom year-round</flora>
  <description>A hidden clearing that exists in a pocket between Earth and the Fae realm.</description>
</location>

<item id="2001" name="Heartstone Pendant" aliases="the pendant, Heartstone" type="Artifact" origin="Dymas">
  <gemstoneColor>deep crimson</gemstoneColor>
  <chainMaterial>silver chain</chainMaterial>
  <size>roughly the size of a thumbnail</size>
  <behavior>pulses faintly with warmth when near a Hel portal</behavior>
  <glow>faint inner glow</glow>
  <description>Given to Aurora by an unknown benefactor.</description>
</item>

<item id="2006" name="Fae-Forged Blade" aliases="the Fae blade, Isolde's gift" type="Weapon" origin="The Fae Courts">
  <material>moonsilver</material>
  <shape>slender, leaf-shaped dagger</shape>
  <temperature>always cold to the touch</temperature>
  <glow>faintly luminescent in moonlight</glow>
  <power>can cut through magical wards; particularly effective against demons</power>
  <givenTo>given to Aurora by Isolde as a gift</givenTo>
  <description>A weapon of the Fae Courts, rare and highly coveted.</description>
</item>

<lore id="7001" name="The Veil" aliases="the Veil, the Barrier, the Boundary" category="Cosmology">
  <solsticeEffect>weakens during the winter solstice, strengthens during the summer solstice</solsticeEffect>
  <appearance>faint shimmering distortion visible only to those with supernatural sight</appearance>
  <monitoring>rift points (tears in the Veil) are monitored by the Wardens</monitoring>
  <description>The Veil is the metaphysical barrier separating Earth from Hel and the Fae Realms.</description>
</lore>
</codex>

Write a fully fleshed out scene of at least 1000 words in the fantasy genre.

A small group enters an ancient, otherworldly place for the first time. The environment is alien and wondrous. Describe their exploration — what they see, hear, and feel as they move deeper. Include moments of discovery, unease, and wonder. Let the world-building emerge through the characters' experience rather than exposition.

Use the codex entries above as your world reference for characters, setting, and lore.
Only include the prose of the scene without any markdown or commentary.

Model response

Rory took a deep breath and stepped through the shimmering portal, the Veil parting before her like a curtain of mist. She emerged into a realm of warm amber light, the air heavy with the sweet scent of ripe fruit and distant spices. 

"Welcome to Dymas," whispered Nyx, materializing beside her in a swirl of shadow. "The realm of feasts and indulgence."

Isolde appeared last, her silver hair glinting in the strange light. She glanced around, luminescent eyes widening. "A place of plenty, but little peace."

Rory gazed in wonder at the sprawling orchards and vineyards stretching to the horizon, dotted with pavilions of silken canopies. The very air seemed infused with an invitation to revel. Nyx's shadowy form flickered. "Best comport ourselves as humble guests. Prince Belphegor's eye is ever watchful here."

They set off down the main thoroughfare, an avenue paved in warm, golden stone. Urns of fragrant spices and incense bordered the path. Isolde trailed her fingers over them as they passed, inhaling with a contented sigh.

In the distance, a clamor arose - cheering and applause. Following the sound, they came upon a spacious amphitheater. Hundreds of Helbound souls sat on the tiered seats, watching raptly as two chefs dueled before them with flashing blades, preparing ornate dishes. A rush of savory aromas made Rory's mouth water.

"I've heard of these battles," Nyx said. "Competitions of culinary craft. The winners earn great renown."

Isolde nodded. "There is power in feeding the soul. These chefs are more than mere cooks."

As they turned to go, Rory's Heartstone pendant pulsed gently against her chest, its inner glow strengthening. Nyx noticed the direction of her gaze. "There's a portal nearby, then."

"Can we leave so easily?" Rory wondered, recalling the stories of those who became irrevocably lost in Dymas' sensual pleasures.

"There is always a way," Isolde replied cryptically. "But not all journeys should be rushed." She drifted towards an arbor draped in scented blossoms.

Rory sighed. Isolde may be right, but the allure of this place, its potential for distraction and overindulgence, put her on edge. She needed a clear head, focused purpose. The pendant would guide them. She had to trust in that.

They meandered through the vineyards next, where workers carefully tended the heavy, blushing clusters of grapes. Isolde selected a plump fruit and bit into it, amber juices running down her chin. Her eyes fluttered shut in delight.

"You might not have such chance again," she said, wiping her face. "Savor what sweetness you can along the journey."

Rory smiled despite herself and plucked a grape, popping it into her mouth. The flavor exploded, rich and intoxicating. She ate another, and another, relishing each morsel.

As they wandered on, the din of revelry grew louder. They came upon a sprawling feast, scores of souls reclined on plush divans, living sculptures of decadence. Platters of mouthwatering delicacies were heaped before them. Men and women draped in silks and furs dallied in the piles of food, feeding each other, laughing, kissing.

In their midst danced an androgynous figure, lithe and beautiful, garbed in flowing robes. The dancer spun between the revelers, dodging grasping hands with coy grace. A waterfall of rose petals drifted from the shadows above, settling over the orgy of gluttony like blessing from unseen gods.

Isolde stared, lips parted, silver eyebrows raised. Nyx shifted, shadows curling. "A feast of the senses. Temptations in every form."

"But no love," Rory noted, realizing what felt missing from the scene. "No true pleasure or passion, only excess. It's...sad, in a way."

"Perhaps," Isolde mused. "Or perhaps they've found some speck of happiness, even here, by embracing the moment."

The Heartstone pulsed more insistently now. Rory looked to Nyx. "We should keep moving. Find the portal."

They turned away from the spectacle, winding through fragrant herb gardens and groves of fetish-bedecked trees, before the amber sky began to dim. Evening was falling in Dymas. Torches sparked to life along the paths, diffuse flames painting everything in soft, shifting hues.

In a secluded grotto, they found the shimmering rift at last. Rory breathed a small sigh of relief. The pendant had brought them true. Isolde stepped close, studying the portal with a tilted head.

"Leaving will not be so easy," she said. "One does not simply walk through where you wish to go. A price must be paid."

"What price?" Rory asked warily.

"You'll know when the time comes." Isolde's lavender gaze turned distant. "The journeys through are never easy. Sacrifices will have to be made, by all of you, before the end."

"End of what?" Nyx asked sharply. "What must we face?"

But Isolde only smiled enigmatically, pale hair shimmering in the torchlight. "That is for the future to reveal. For now, wait and see what gluttony demands."

With that, she stepped through the rift and vanished. Rory and Nyx exchanged glances, then followed, the Veil closing behind them with a whisper like silk sliding over skin.

Evaluation details

Result

Evaluator

Details

Meta Data

100.0000%

Adverbs in dialogue tags

Target: ≤10% dialogue tags with adverbs

totalTags

adverbTagCount

adverbTags

0	"Isolde replied cryptically [cryptically]"

39.6864%

AI-ism adverb frequency

Target: <1% AI-ism adverbs (57 tracked)

wordCount

829

totalAiIsmAdverbs

found

adverb	"carefully"
count	1

adverb	"gently"
count	1

adverb	"sharply"
count	1

adverb	"warily"
count	1

adverb	"very"
count	1

highlights

0	"carefully"
1	"gently"
2	"sharply"
3	"warily"
4	"very"

100.0000%

AI-ism character names

Target: 0 AI-default names (17 tracked, −20% each)

codexExemptions	(empty)
found	(empty)

100.0000%

AI-ism location names

Target: 0 AI-default location names (33 tracked, −20% each)

codexExemptions	(empty)
found	(empty)

51.7491%

AI-ism word frequency

Target: <1% AI-ism words (140 tracked)

wordCount

829

totalAiIsms

found

word	"flickered"
count	1

word	"glinting"
count	1

word	"fluttered"
count	1

word	"silk"
count	1

highlights

0	"flickered"
1	"glinting"
2	"fluttered"
3	"silk"

100.0000%

Cliche density

Target: ≤1 cliche(s) per 800-word window

totalCliches	0
maxInWindow	0
found	(empty)
highlights	(empty)

100.0000%

Emotion telling (show vs. tell)

Target: ≤3% sentences with emotion telling

emotionTells	0
narrationSentences	61
matches	(empty)

100.0000%

Filter word density

Target: ≤12% sentences with filter/hedge words

filterCount

hedgeCount

narrationSentences

filterMatches

(empty)

hedgeMatches

0	"began to"

100.0000%

Overuse of "that" (subordinate clause padding)

Target: ≤10% sentences with "that" clauses

thatCount	0
totalSentences	76
matches	(empty)

80.9396%

Paragraph length variance

Target: CV ≥0.5 for paragraph word counts

totalParagraphs

mean

28.59

std

12.39

0.433

sampleLengths

0	43
1	19
2	24
3	47
4	37
5	51
6	16
7	16
8	29
9	20
10	24
11	40
12	37
13	20
14	27
15	54
16	47
17	20
18	23
19	17
20	17
21	43
22	34
23	24
24	5
25	30
26	10
27	26
28	29

100.0000%

Passive voice overuse

Target: ≤5% passive sentences

passiveCount

totalSentences

matches

0	"were heaped"

100.0000%

Past progressive (was/were + -ing) overuse

Target: ≤10% past progressive verbs

pastProgressiveCount

totalVerbs

121

matches

0	"was falling"

100.0000%

Purple prose (modifier overload)

Target: <4% adverbs, <2% -ly adverbs, no adj stacking

wordCount	619
adjectiveStacks	0
stackExamples	(empty)
adverbCount	17
adverbRatio	0.027463651050080775
lyAdverbCount	10
lyAdverbRatio	0.01615508885298869

100.0000%

Repeated phrase echo

Target: ≤20% sentences with echoes (window: 2)

totalSentences	76
echoCount	0
echoWords	(empty)

100.0000%

Sentence length variance

Target: CV ≥0.4 for sentence word counts

totalSentences

mean

10.91

std

5.46

0.501

sampleLengths

0	21
1	22
2	13
3	6
4	11
5	6
6	7
7	20
8	10
9	4
10	13
11	14
12	9
13	14
14	10
15	9
16	23
17	9
18	7
19	9
20	2
21	14
22	17
23	7
24	5
25	20
26	8
27	16
28	2
29	20
30	7
31	5
32	6
33	16
34	15
35	6
36	12
37	8
38	13
39	6
40	8
41	10
42	17
43	8
44	19
45	14
46	12
47	21
48	7
49	4

78.9474%

Sentence opener variety

Target: ≥60% unique sentence openers

consecutiveRepeats	0
diversityRatio	0.47368421052631576
totalSentences	76
uniqueOpeners	36

25.0000%

Dialogue tag variety (said vs. fancy)

Target: ≤30% fancy dialogue tags

totalTags

fancyCount

fancyTags

0	"whispered Nyx, materializing beside her in a swirl of shadow (whisper materialize)"
1	"wondered (wonder)"
2	"Isolde replied cryptically (reply cryptically)"
3	"she said, wiping her face (say, wipe)"
4	"Rory noted, realizing what felt missing from the scene (note, realize feel)"
5	"Isolde mused (muse)"

86.8425%