Royal_Flush
Member
PROLOGUE
Noone knew where they came from. What they wanted. Or when they wanted to leave. But everyone knew they were there, right in the middle of the Town. Just standing. Staring. Breathing. Occasionally performing an expressionless nod to passing townsfolk. It was as if they were waiting for something to happen, something earth-shattering, something they deemed worthy to leave their stoic stasis for. Nobody knew what it could be. Nobody dared to ask. How would they? What was standing in the middle of their peaceful town wasn't just two humans. It was a man without age, his skin perfect and pure like a child, his hair strong and black like a young hero, his body stooped and tired like an old man, his eyes deep and piercing like they had witnessed aeons pass. And it was a spider, several feet tall, its soft black hair elaborately braided into incomprehensible shapes, seemingly changing their appearance whenever gazed upon, telling a million stories yet none at all, holding the wisdom of universes yet not disclosing any. How would anyone dare to approach them?
Two days and two nights they stood there at the center of the Mephyklai's main plaza, people gathering around them like they were a campfire in a cold and moonless light, unable to fully grasp its seemingly ever changing form, and like a bonfire everyone came just close enough to surmise the aura of mystery surrounding them, but feared getting burned by it if they got too close. Then, at dawn of the third day, they just vanished, leaving the townsfolk behind, some with relief, some with disappointment, some with anger, but none unaffected.
Around noon, as they slowly started to accept that there was no danger anymore, that they would never learn the visitors' mysteries, that they plainly have been left without answers, as they already were back in their daily routine, buying food, discussing politics, praying to their gods, a cry of fear, excitement and surprise suddenly echoed through the town. One of the townsmen had spotted the strange man and the even stranger spider on top of the townhall, standing on its red rooftop, their silhouettes barely guessable against the glaring sunlight, casting short but hard shadows on the main plaza. They looked somehow different. Noone could exactly tell why, but everyone knew they were about to make an important announcement. Eagerly awaiting the message that by now so familiar, yet so unfathomed strangers were about to deliver the town gathered beneath them.
"People of Mephyklai, hear my words! Hear the words I, Royos, prophet of the infinite, and Yena, bearer of all truths that are, will be or ever have been, speak to you!", the man shouted. No, he didn't shout. His mouth moved with the words, but it was like a disembodied entity whispered right into everyone's ears, almost unbearably loud and intimately quiet at the same time.
"People of Mephyklai, the Gods have chosen you! Komena, God of the Hunt, the Crop and the Natural Balance and Peripseros, God of the Decay, the Despair and the All-Swallowing Sea have chosen you, their loyal followers, to show your devotion to them by participating in a game of life and death!"
The townsfolk just stood there, barely comprehending what they just were told. What was this man talking about? Why would the Gods choose them? Why not someone else? Why would they even do such a thing? What was the part with life and death about? And how did this all even make sense, considering...
"There are no Followers of Peripseros in our Town!", a man suddenly shouted from amidst the crowd, "We outlawed his worship decades ago. All his minions have either been converted or banned!"
"He is right!", "There are no Followers of Peripseros!", "This all has to be a big mistake!", "These ... creatures ... up there were either confused or lying!" and many more expressions of relief got mixed together to an indistinguishable mumble of relief. And then it stopped abruptly as everyone watched in shock how the spider opened her mouth and began to speak: "Most of you think this is true, but few know better. Those few secretly still worship Peripseros. We want you to identify and kill them."
This was too much. This could not be reality! This had to be some cruel joke! Komena, of all gods would never agree to this! Or would she? Who could the traitors to Komena, the forbidden worshipers of Peripseros be? Some men and women started eyeing warily to their neighbor, some just stood there in apathy and some started crying. One woman just collapsed, her head violently crushing against the rough pavement, her skull emitting a horrible cracking noise, her now dead body still wildly shaking. But instead of calming down, instead of loosing all tension, her body stiffened up and her lips started to move, just trembling at first but soon making distinguishable motions and finally speaking in a voice that was clearly recognizable as hers, yet different in a cold, unnatural way forming the following words:
Welcome!
The others always look down on you for not having some shiny special ability. But you have the power! You can vote! Did you ever think about how awesome that is? The simple people (like you) can influence what happens on the great scale! How can they still laugh at you? You kind of invented Democracy after all, right?
You are an Ordinary Villager.
You are aligned with the Followers of Komena (That's Town).
You win when all Followers of Peripseros are dead.
The game thread is here: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1201486
If you have any questions, please send a PM to YesNOnoNOYes or Royal_Flush.
Please post in the thread or reply to this message a confirmation that you received it.
Have fun!
