Quick Start

Abolitus is easiest to understand if you treat it as a private workspace rather than a hosted chatbot.

You bring the model route. Abolitus handles local storage, roleplay structure, prompt assembly, and optional encrypted sync. The fastest path to success is to get one provider working, one character loaded, and one backup path decided before you invest real time into a story.

Before You Begin

Make sure you have:

• A modern browser with Web Crypto API and IndexedDB support.
• One AI route you can actually use right now.
• A plan for backups if you care about the data you are about to create.

Step 1: Pick Your Model Route

You have four main choices:

OpenRouter

Best if you want broad cloud model access with minimal setup.

Use this if you want access to a large live catalog through one key. This is the easiest way to try current cloud model families without managing multiple vendor accounts.

NanoGPT

Best if you prefer a crypto-friendly cloud route.

Use this if privacy around payments matters to you and you want a browser-safe cloud endpoint that behaves like an OpenAI-compatible route.

Local Model

Best if you want maximum privacy and are comfortable running your own model server.

Use this with Ollama, LM Studio, or another OpenAI-compatible local endpoint. You are responsible for model downloads, hardware limits, and local server configuration.

Desktop Tunnel

Best if your model lives on a desktop machine and you want to use it from another device.

This requires Premium. It is for securely reaching a desktop-hosted local model, not for basic local chat on the same device.

Step 2: Add Your Provider in Settings

Open Settings and configure one provider before doing anything else.

What you should choose first:

• Choose OpenRouter if you want the lowest-friction first run.
• Choose Local if you already know your desktop model stack is working.
• Choose NanoGPT if you specifically want that payment route.

[!IMPORTANT] Provider credentials are stored on the current device only. They do not sync through Premium cloud sync.

Step 3: Confirm the Model List

After adding a provider, confirm that Abolitus can see at least one model and that the route is responsive.

Practical advice:

• If the model list is empty, fix the provider route before doing anything else.
• If a local route fails, check the server address, CORS settings, and whether the server is actually running.
• If a cloud route fails, assume key, balance, rate-limit, or provider-side availability first.

Step 4: Import or Create a Character

You can start with:

• A PNG or JSON character card.
• A migrated character from another platform.
• A fresh manual character.

If you are moving from another tool, import first and only clean up later. It is easier to evaluate how Abolitus behaves with real material than with placeholder text.

Step 5: Set a Persona Early

Do this earlier than most people expect.

A default persona gives the model a stable idea of who you are in the scene. Without it, the model can still roleplay, but continuity around your identity is weaker and you may end up repeating basic details across sessions.

At minimum, set:

• Display name.
• Pronouns or identity framing if relevant to the scene.
• Short appearance or role summary.

Step 6: Add a Small Lorebook Instead of Overexplaining in Chat

If something must be remembered reliably, do not trust repetition alone. Put it in a lorebook entry.

Good early candidates:

• Relationship rules.
• Setting facts.
• House rules for tone or power systems.
• Names, factions, or recurring locations.

Step 7: Decide Your Safety Net

This is the step many people skip and regret later.

You have two main safety paths:

Local-only workflow

Use manual exports and manual backups. This is fine if you mainly work on one device and already keep disciplined backups.

Premium workflow

Use encrypted cloud sync for convenience across devices. Premium adds sync and desktop-tunnel access, but it still does not sync provider keys.

[!WARNING] If you clear browser site data before exporting or syncing what you care about, Abolitus cannot restore it for you.

A Good First-Session Checklist

By the end of your first session, try to have all of this done:

1. One provider added and tested.
2. One model selected.
3. One character imported or created.
4. One persona selected.
5. One short lorebook entry added.
6. One chat sent and received successfully.
7. One backup path chosen.

Common First-Time Mistakes

Treating Premium like a model subscription

Premium does not pay for OpenRouter or other provider usage. It pays for Abolitus convenience features such as encrypted cloud sync and desktop tunnel access.

Assuming API keys sync

They do not. Enter them on each device you want to use.

Starting with an enormous lorebook

Begin with a few high-value entries. You can scale up later once you understand how your model behaves.

Ignoring token pressure

Long roleplay sessions eventually hit context limits. Watch the token budget early so you learn how your preferred model behaves before a critical scene gets squeezed.

Where to Go Next

• Read LLM Connections if you need route-by-route setup guidance.
• Read Managing API Keys if you want the trust-boundary details.
• Read Core Features once your first chat is working.