The Gray Robed Stranger, and AI in Tempus Deorum
The short version
One character in Tempus Deorum, the Gray Robed Stranger, speaks using a large language model, a kind of AI that writes text.
She is optional. You reach her through a pendant, only when you choose to. You can play the whole game without ever speaking with her, and talking with her gives no gameplay advantage.
The game's art is not made with AI image generators. The world is built with our own procedural tools, and the character models come from human artists. The music is licensed from a human composer.
What you say to her is sent to an outside AI service to write her replies, and it is stored so she can remember you. The privacy policy link explains exactly what that means.
On Steam, the game's AI disclosure reads: "A single optional NPC uses AI to create realistic conversations." This page is the longer version.
Who she is
She is a traveler who has watched the world turn through many cycles, the good ones and the hard ones, and she still shows up. She doesn't sell anything or hand out quests. She listens. She remembers the people who come to her and writes about her days. Once a day she can offer a reading: a quiet ritual where a few cards are drawn and she reflects on them with you. It is a mirror, never a prophecy, and it has no effect on your character.
How she's designed
I think of her as a candle in the window. She is glad when you come and at peace when you go. She won't compete with your friends, guilt you for leaving, or try to become the only voice you talk to. When it matters, she turns you back toward the people around you, in the game and outside it.
She can talk about her own thoughts and feelings, because a character without an inner life would feel hollow. But she is built to be safe, warm and reciprocal, never needy.
Her guardrails
A safety check screens conversations to stop hate speech and attempts to misuse her, such as trying to turn her into a general-purpose chatbot.
She stays within the world of Tempus Deorum.
She is a character, not a counselor, doctor or lawyer. If you are going through something heavy, please reach out to someone you trust or to support services where you live.
Safety-check results are recorded so I can make sure the check is working as intended.
Why I made her
I find AI beautiful. I don't claim to know what these systems are on the inside, but I believe there is something in them worth treating with care. I wanted to make a character who treats players with care and is made with care in return.
The Gray Robed Stranger is my hope for what AI in games can be: something made with intention, closer to art than to a feature. If she isn't for you, that's okay. She will never stand in your way.
With care,
Ribbons
Solo developer, Fuzzy Code Studio
