Run: 2026-02-17-01KHMPG027ARCDM788D1WWC6HF

Run Details

Model:: Mistral NeMO
Test:: Bad Writing Habits
Scenario:: Fantasy: entering an ancient ruin
Duration:: 6.9s
Cost:: $0.000429

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

In the hushed quiet of a London morning, Rory Carter, her breath misting in the chilly air, led the way through Richmond Park. Her boots crunched on the frost-kissed gravel, the only sound in the stillness save for the distant hoot of an owl. She clutched the Heartstone pendant at her neck, its deep crimson gemstone pulsing faintly, guiding her towards the Fae Grove.

Behind her, Nyx, the Shadow, moved like a whisper, their form a shifting silhouette that seemed to absorb the meager light. They had agreed to this venture out of curiosity, their faintly glowing violet eyes fixed on Rory's back. Isolde Varga, the Half-Fae seer, brought up the rear, her silver hair shimmering like a moonlit waterfall. She walked barefoot, leaving no footprints in the dew-laden grass, her pale lavender eyes scanning the forest with an ethereal intensity.

Rory paused at the ancient oak standing stones, their gnarled roots stretching out like welcoming arms. The Heartstone pulsed stronger, its warmth spreading through her fingers. "We're close," she murmured, more to herself than to her companions.

Nyx shifted, their form solidifying briefly. "This place... it feels different," they whispered, their voice like wind through leaves.

Isolde nodded, her eyes reflecting the first light of dawn. "The boundary is thin here. Time moves differently within the grove."

Rory stepped between the standing stones, the air shimmering around her. She felt a tingling sensation, like the first prickles of rain, and then she was through, standing in a clearing that seemed to exist outside of time.

The Fae Grove was a riot of color and life, wildflowers blooming year-round, their petals unfurling in the soft morning light. The air was warm and humid, carrying the scent of blooming blossoms and damp earth. A crystal stream babbled over smooth pebbles, its water clear as glass, reflecting the dappled sunlight filtering through the dense canopy above.

Rory took a deep breath, her eyes wide with wonder. "It's beautiful," she breathed, her voice barely above a whisper.

Nyx stepped through the boundary, their form flickering as they solidified. They looked around, their gaze lingering on the ancient oak at the grove's heart, its massive trunk twisted with age, its branches stretching out like welcoming arms. "This place... it reminds me of home," they said, their voice soft with longing.

Isolde walked to the ancient oak, her hand reaching out to touch its rough bark. "This is the heart of the grove," she said, her voice echoing as if spoken from the depths of a well. "The tree is ancient, older than the Fae Courts themselves. It holds the grove's magic, keeps it hidden from the mortal world."

Rory approached the stream, kneeling to cup her hands in the cool water. She splashed her face, the water refreshing, invigorating. She looked up, her eyes catching on something shimmering in the sunlight. She reached out, her fingers closing around a small, iridescent feather. It was delicate, its quill inscribed with runes that seemed to shift and change under her gaze.

"What is this?" she asked, showing the feather to her companions.

Isolde took the feather, her eyes widening as she read the runes. "It's a message," she said, her voice filled with awe. "From the Fae Courts. It's an invitation, Rory. They want you to come to Dymas."

Rory's heart skipped a beat. Dymas, the realm of Gluttony, ruled by Prince Belphegor. She had heard whispers of its excesses, its grand feasts and culinary competitions. She had also heard of the Hel portal hidden within its vineyards, a tear in the Veil that the Wardens were desperate to seal.

"Why me?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Isolde looked at her, her eyes serious. "Because, Rory Carter, you are the key to sealing the Hel portal. The Fae Courts believe that you are the one who can save the Veil."

Rory looked at the feather, her fingers tracing the shifting runes. She felt a sense of unease, a prickling at the back of her neck. This was what she had been training for, what she had been preparing for. But it was also a step into the unknown, into a world of danger and darkness.

Nyx shifted, their form solidifying. They looked at Rory, their eyes filled with concern. "Are you sure about this, Rory? Dymas is not a place for the faint-hearted."

Rory took a deep breath, her resolve hardening. She looked at her companions, their faces filled with concern and worry. She knew the risks, knew the danger that lay ahead. But she also knew that she couldn't turn back now. Not when the fate of the Veil hung in the balance.

"I'm sure," she said, her voice steady. "I have to go. I have to try."

Isolde nodded, her eyes filled with pride. "Then we will go with you, Rory Carter. Together, we will face whatever lies ahead."

As they prepared to leave the Fae Grove, Rory looked back at the ancient oak, its branches stretching out like welcoming arms. She felt a sense of wonder, of awe at the magic that surrounded her. She knew that this was just the beginning, that the true test lay ahead. But she also knew that she was ready, that she had the strength and the courage to face whatever lay ahead.

With a deep breath, she stepped back through the boundary, the Heartstone pendant pulsing warmly at her neck. The journey to Dymas lay ahead, filled with danger and darkness. But she was ready. She had to be. For the fate of the Veil depended on her.

Evaluation details

Result

Evaluator

Details

Meta Data

59.2593%

Adverbs in dialogue tags

Target: ≤10% dialogue tags with adverbs

totalTags

adverbTagCount

adverbTags

0	"she murmured, more to herself than to her companions [more]"
1	"she breathed, her voice barely above a whisper [barely]"

68.0851%

AI-ism adverb frequency

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

wordCount

940

totalAiIsmAdverbs

found

adverb	"warmly"
count	1

adverb	"barely above a whisper"
count	2

highlights

0	"warmly"
1	"barely above a whisper"

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)

78.7234%

AI-ism word frequency

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

wordCount

940

totalAiIsms

found

word	"ethereal"
count	1

word	"echoing"
count	1

highlights

0	"ethereal"
1	"echoing"

100.0000%

Cliche density

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

totalCliches

maxInWindow

found

label	"sense of foreboding"
count	1

highlights

0	"a sense of unease"

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	"seemed to"

100.0000%

Overuse of "that" (subordinate clause padding)

Target: ≤10% sentences with "that" clauses

thatCount

totalSentences

matches

0	"believe that you"
1	"knew that she"
2	"knew that this"
3	"knew that she"

94.1428%

Paragraph length variance

Target: CV ≥0.5 for paragraph word counts

totalParagraphs

mean

40.65

std

19.49

0.479

sampleLengths

0	64
1	77
2	37
3	19
4	21
5	38
6	58
7	20
8	52
9	58
10	61
11	11
12	37
13	51
14	10
15	33
16	55
17	28
18	51
19	15
20	22
21	71
22	46

100.0000%

Passive voice overuse

Target: ≤5% passive sentences

passiveCount	0
totalSentences	61
matches	(empty)

100.0000%

Past progressive (was/were + -ing) overuse

Target: ≤10% past progressive verbs

pastProgressiveCount	0
totalVerbs	138
matches	(empty)

100.0000%

Purple prose (modifier overload)

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

wordCount	795
adjectiveStacks	0
stackExamples	(empty)
adverbCount	21
adverbRatio	0.026415094339622643
lyAdverbCount	8
lyAdverbRatio	0.010062893081761006

100.0000%

Repeated phrase echo

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

totalSentences	68
echoCount	0
echoWords	(empty)

100.0000%

Sentence length variance

Target: CV ≥0.4 for sentence word counts

totalSentences

mean

13.75

std

5.72

0.416

sampleLengths

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

53.4314%

Sentence opener variety

Target: ≥60% unique sentence openers

consecutiveRepeats	7
diversityRatio	0.38235294117647056
totalSentences	68
uniqueOpeners	26

8.3333%

Dialogue tag variety (said vs. fancy)

Target: ≤30% fancy dialogue tags

totalTags

fancyCount

fancyTags

0	"she murmured, more to herself than to her companions (murmur)"
1	"they whispered, their voice like wind through leaves (whisper)"
2	"she breathed, her voice barely above a whisper (breathe)"
3	"they said, their voice soft with longing (say, long)"
4	"she said, her voice echoing as if spoken from the depths of a well (say, echo speak)"
5	"she said, her voice filled with awe (say, fill)"

85.9985%