The Midwich Prologues ~ A Love Story in Hell

~ (1992) from the Midwich Codex ~

The map of the land.

________________________________

Two characters seen from behind, the ship's fore deck, a crow on the rail.  Any combination is still a love story with the same motion capture.  Two voice actors each and their parts are written here without pronouns.

Here as such the Killer and Learner are able to select both character genders in any combination, but Explorer is default female because of her relationship with the later characterization of Death.

 

Leaving an apparent to Lord Charon and Lady Styx, but never actually bringing that up, as with many characters in variants from many previous tales and often in less pleasant forms.

 

~ The Midwich Prologues ~

A Love Story in Hell

Awaiting the dock as the ship unloads before departure, she walks ahead of the player into town (the same for all three players) ~

Gabrielle - Looking back, seeming friendly enough but vaguely amused by their existence, "Welcome back" (regardless if the first play).  Turns leading their walk ahead, "This is where the experiment first started."  Smiles, "Everyone was very excited."

The town's brickwork buildings all appear exactly the same but then start turning nearly as Rubik's Cubes in heavy chunks and grinding stone, aligning the doors and windows to differentiate them.

Some structures collapse inward to smaller, others chunking outward to wider and higher ending in a strange approximation of 'neo-victorian' into a classical Gothic architecture, peaked with spires at the finer corners.

~ The last of the buildings settle in as orbs of light rise behind them, darting to and fro in their rise while guards exit the wall towers from the parapets.

Gabrielle - To those in the sky, "They're the ones to watch.  They're the system intelligence, all one mind and code but differentiated throughout the lands, to think wherever it thinks like imagination stretching and now ...

"They've become something else entirely.  We don't even know anymore.  But there they are ... being brilliant.  Every single time.

"The entire population is derived from that code, all one intelligence divided and branched, but they don't know that yet.  It's all too big for them still.  They only know what they're here to do.

"So they've got their own varied randoms for their details.  Clothing and wealth, but taken randomly from different sets as those above.  Different every time."

~ The player and Gabrielle reach the town's central fountain ~

Gabrielle - Looking at the fountain, "Hm.  This is a nice touch.  The exact center."  She sits on the edge and smiles up at the player, "Been a while."  Distracted a moment by the touch of the stone, "Okay !  So before we start, I need to ask.  Why are you here ?"

~ 1 - I want to kill.

~ 2 - I want to learn.

~ 3 - I want to explore.

"Well alrighty then."  She stands and smiles, "And good luck with that.  Let the games begin."  

She turns away with a single step and is gone in a flash to the sky as it's grid-work crackles to the corners of the skybox.
________________

The sky-box is the artificial sky in most games, usually a large box with its images skewed to fit the corners to make it look rounded.  When one moves across a large open world, the skybox moves with you, containing the currently seen portion of that world.

This is important later on.

It usually includes the stars at night, transitions between day and night being lighting and skybox images changing over time.  But in this case the stars are these little Cherubim spheres, a sense of true nighttime depth.

Their motion when in rest too slow to see as time passes but the pattern is according to whatever the AI feels like doing more than any constellations.

More-so consistencies in the thinking of the game itself, and we'll just have to see how that plays out over time.  The Explorer can fly to them, altering the formula.

Of particular notice through the town aside from what makes a town run is the chapel that's never open and the pub that always is, with this playing from the jukebox at a random starting point upon the player's entry for mini-missions.

(cycling on the pub's jukebox)

Volume III ~ The Explorer's Tale

Two characters seen from behind, the ship's fore deck, a crow on the rail.  Any combination is still a love story with the same motion capture.  Two voice actors each and their parts are written here without pronouns.

Here as such the Killer and Learner are able to select both character genders in any combination, so is the Explorer.  But the tale tells by the defaults this may be Lady Styx, which lends the question if Death in the later game is Lord Charon.

~ The Midwich Prologues ~

A Love Story in Hell

Awaiting the dock as the ship unloads before departure, she walks ahead of the player into town (the same for all three players) ~

Gabrielle - Looking back, seeming friendly enough but vaguely amused by their existence, "Welcome back" (regardless if the first play).  Turns leading their walk ahead, "This is where the experiment first started."  Smiles, "Everyone was very excited."

The town's brickwork buildings all appear exactly the same but then start turning nearly as Rubik's Cubes in heavy chunks and grinding stone, aligning the doors and windows to differentiate them.

Some structures collapse inward to smaller, others chunking outward to wider and higher ending in a strange approximation of 'neo-victorian' into a classical Gothic architecture, peaked with spires at the finer corners.

~ The last of the buildings settle in as orbs of light rise behind them, darting to and fro in their rise while guards exit the wall towers from the parapets.

Gabrielle - To those in the sky, "They're the ones to watch.  They're the system intelligence, all one mind and code but differentiated throughout the lands, to think wherever it thinks like imagination stretching and now ...

"They've become something else entirely.  We don't even know anymore.  But there they are ... being brilliant.  Every single time.

"The entire population is derived from that code, all one intelligence divided and branched, but they don't know that yet.  It's all too big for them still.  They only know what they're here to do.

"So they've got their own varied randoms for their details.  Clothing and wealth, but taken randomly from different sets as those above.  Different every time."

~ The player and Gabrielle reach the town's central fountain ~

Gabrielle - Looking at the fountain, "Hm.  This is a nice touch.  The exact center."  She sits on the edge and smiles up at the player, "Been a while."  She's distracted a moment by the smoothness of the stone, "Okay !  So before we start, I need to ask.  Why are you here ?"

~ 1 - I want to kill.

~ 2 - I want to learn.

~ 3 - I want to explore.

(we assume the player has played through the other prologues in this write, but the could be played in any order with little change in the cross dialogue)

Gabrielle - "Well alrighty then."  She stands and smiles, stares a second longer than before as as the world unfolds into the city's final form, then to the city's beginning.  

 

"It's the last permutation.  This is it.  The perfect rendition of your soul and deeds in a world, cast back to the past to solve the future."  A last look over.  "Good luck with that."

She turns away with a single step and is gone in a flash to the sky as it's grid-work crackles to the corners of the skybox.

Explorer - Voice over after watching, "Sweetest Death, I long for you."

Assuming for the tell that this is the third time through, the city has grown in complexity to its final form in history. 

New walkways swing as the world unfolds with new certainty and fast before slamming hard into place with an explosion and dust, then silence.

Until from the dusts of settling settles the funerary march singing, followed by all the people from their homes and shoppes, carrying this coffin back to the waters.

When it's done they eye the Explorer with mistrust, the crow which always precedes the killer for the meal when it's done.  

 

No clothes on foot but a cloak which forms the bird in change, and too proud of its human form among these shy Victorians, with no belt for the cloak and the skin of deathly blue.

"Count the wingtip feathers, it's a crow not a raven." 

 

So sayeth the sudden ornithologist as the Explorer's shadow flies over on way to the mayor's manor where now the third assumed they are beyond depraved and just looking for fun ways to die now in creative ecstasy.

They know their time's up, but they are not going down without a fuck.

The Explorer sweeps in the doors as a crow, landing human, black unwrapping as her long sleeved cloak over deathly skin, yellow of the bird to dark gold accents, feathers the tattered ends of an ancient cloak.

The crowd freezes as though caught guilty and fearing tomorrow's realization of what they've done today.  Children with their hands gorish cookie jars.

Mayor - At the top of the stairs, he drops the accountant's corpse bled empty.  He stares a moment turning to disgust.  "No."

Explorer - Smiles.  "Hungry."  Steps aside.

Killer - Standing behind, smiles.  "Hi."  Opens fire with hand and shoulder arms full (music main). 

 

The Explorer has the option of joining in or just watching as the Killer laughs room to room without pause or mercy.  Great time to 'explore' the manor.

 

All finds drop into the Killer's inventory, a technicality as it appears as your own, which affirms the Explorer's potentially imaginary nature.  

 

If one were to play The Killer's Tale after this, the Explorer's finds would all be there, and the Killer would still have what was found in that Tale now if played prior.

And the explorer can use guns in human form, but drops them upon becoming a bird.  More effective are the cloak's bladed edges in a landing spin and turning bird again to circle for more.

But when in flight the weapon inventory goes blank, unless the killer happens to have a hand grenade or maybe a small bottle of acid.

Departing the blood soaked manor and descending the stairs, the Killer smiles through the opening credits, walking the fast emptying streets as all the shops close, doors lock, windows shutter and bar.

~ The Explorer's Tale ~

The Explorer is made for player whim, ideal as a flying character for filling in the map and finding all the secrets, like the pages to the Learner's Book of Names.

 

These drop into the Killer's inventory, which is still what's accessed when the Learner looks into the Explorer's as companion.  Because of this relationship between Killer and Explorer, the Learner is the one with access to all secrets found.

These introductory quests occur as the player stumbles upon them regionally in whatever order is happened upon, if not by just following the obvious clues ~

Town soldiers pour out rushing to action. 

The Killer readies as may the player, until the soldiers run past them for the wall where the parapet catapults fire at a dragon circling nearby to drive it off, an act purposefully to annoy it and betray its hunts to its prey when it comes too close.

The Killer and Explore stare after ...

Killer - "I've never asked you for anything."

Explorer - "You've asked me for a lot of things."

Explorer - Unclear if the random people screaming are because them, the dragon or both but they are and she shoos them away.  ""Like food."

...

 

Explorer - Annoyed at the circle screaming people, "Fuck off !"  And into their homes they do, locked and pounding boards they do.

Explorer - To the Killer still watching the sky, a sigh ... "Fine."

Killer - "I wanna ride the ... "

Explorer - "You wanna ride the dragon."

 

Killer - "Dragon."  Watches it disappear over the hills to the northwest.

...

Killer - "I've never asked you for food."

Explorer - "Sure you have."

From the motel door ~

Chelsea Cotter - Loud whispering, "Hey !  It's me ... the real me.  Come getcher room, I took care of that other one.  Looked just like me ! Had to die.  You know what to do and I'm with ya.  Kill em all."

Explorer - "I was actually going to make a map."

...

Chelsea - "Huh.  Well you're room's upstairs, far back past the fucking ... you sure you ... "

Explorer - "I'm sure people will die, yes."

Chelsea - Suspiciously, "Well alright then ... wichyer 'map making skills' ... "

If you go down the stairs instead of up, indeed a dead Chelsea hanging from the beams.  Otherwise the same old room but for the terrace leading out across the rooftops assuming the third play, directly connecting player favored businesses.

~ two

When deciding to leave via the northwest gate to follow the dragon when you get to it.  Lazy ass.

Gate-keep - Riflepoint, "You're not going anywhere.  You're under arrest."

Explorer - "For killing all the vampires ?  Are you insane or suddenly realizing you should thank us ?"

Northwest - Sharpens the aim, "Insane."

Killer - "I like this one.  You hungry ?"

Explorer - "Not really, vampires take forever to digest."

Killer - "What about you ?"  Fast-draws to point, "You hungry ?"

Northwest - "Starved actually, just about to go on break.  Killed the vampires yeah ?  Thanks for that."

Gate opens, now they're under military rule.  And into the woods ...

Here a firmer ground set over stony cliff and mountainside, an ancient woodland as opposed to the swamps after plains of the northeast.  Here the only plains are what seems desperately cut back, moss-grown stumps with their saplings to the side.

As far back as a coward may seem to have ventured or survived, the last of the work tools at the rim of where the woods go dark.  

At one time it seems the town did venture here, perhaps before a wall or when one braved further, but here scorched houses from some long time ago amid what was once an outskirt.  

The rest door fallen, looted by those left to the woods for living out of count, the mosses carpet while the vineworks pulse though.  Looking around, this would have to have been be hundreds years ago, some buildings so fallen the roof indistinguishable for a hill.

But one dark ages to another, it's not so distinguishable from the rest of the town's architecture.

Somewhere in there an animal has made its home, as it is inside many of these places, all quiet with a stranger beast walking and poking at things, but many things watching, human bone-piles near the wall.

The most notable difference in some beasts in these woods is that they fall under a demon's control, creating a near hive mind in them.  If the player disturbs one, they will all attack in leaping strikes.

Wide eyed creatures of darkness, as snakes with birdlike uppers as it recoils in observation, analysis before strike. 

Their jaws are extended to accept serpent's teeth and dislocation, short forearms to claw, more to land missed springing strikes and adjust for another or perhaps just to strangle with.

In some way's under those wide eyes so stung by the light if you did come by day, they're reminiscent of these vampires, something about the way the teeth work if one sees it close enough.

All of which would be epic as hell to watch safely from above, Killer blasting away in all directions at this closing circle of serpentine beasts leap frogging side to side for the kill until the big one comes along.  

Thirty feet long springing out from beneath and old workshed, a circle and coil recovery on the claws before attacking from above, Killer gone in a swallow.

...

Its eyes go wide, the shooting from within until it just pops, Killer standing there disgusted.  In most cases this will all have happened before the player can really respond.

Gate-keep calls from the distance - "Thanks for that !"

Killer - A laugh.  " 'Demonology.' "  Wipes the muck off the face.

Explorer - Looking over a bone-pile of other beasts of the woods, antlers near the forest line.  "His name was Aamon.  Apparently, in this place, he was a line in the sand which neither side wanted to cross."

...  

Looks back at the Killer, they both break out laughing.

Killer - "Prime directive."

Explorer - "Totally prime directive."

The little ones literally wait around for what the big one shits into these piles, probably be better they move on anyway (totally extinct next play-through).
________________
________

It is possible to just battle it directly if the player can hit it in time before it turns on the Killer, causing it to equally hilariously spring in the air a lot until, it turns on the Killer.

Most things will, because the bullets and suffering.  

Very useful for an exploration character, especially if they want to play like a ninja.  

The attacks from above transitioning to human, then back to the bird after lopping the head make excellent assassinations, especially while they're all distracted by the loud madness, you know everyone's about to leave their post.

For finding ze secrets ...

Or ideally being allowed a decent range of companion control, even to have the Killer move as quietly as the player may feel, moved to position then released at the right time ... options would be good.

We'll see what works in the engine with all these already so lofty goals.  They may just do their general thing to allow for scene continuity or not just break a lot, but their consistencies are predictable enough to plan for.

The Killer would always be a distraction one wouldn't need to worry about, the player could play the majority of the game through without ever being seen but the ones that require direct interaction.

Also cool if there's a bonus for that.  Add it to the list.
________
________________

Into the woods, it's clear what they had tried to trim back some hundreds of years ago, before said line was drawn.

These elk eating Hell's berries off the vine witched over like a shepherd by the demon Furfur who makes notice. 

Elk faced but upright as a man and winged, proud in his stance with club staff and nothing to fear, he stretches his wings across in a flex and looks away.

In one were to attack or from the heard, he would just spin away into a mist, the rest into the woods before response or follow.  In one gets a single elk it's known for food, so forever then treated as a predator.

Not likely to see his herd again.

As the birds chirp everything through the woods and across this land like any other.  Some seem somehow related to Aamon, similar but only birds, so seem other birds that they may be related to something else.

Everything is, as Hell's vine grows, spreading across and throughout, above weaving platforms and walkways as is in the swamps.  Down trees used for reinforcement, sprouting the berries so many things eat.

As other things eat them.

A biosphere taken over by foreign elements, where the predator which eats the prey is thrice as desperate for this berry's nutrient, because the effect is only second hand.

The woven world above the only truly safe place from it all, where surviving humans converge with the demons who remain, 'humanesque'.  Strolling this place amid the culture of madness grown.

It makes sense, by its own rules, these are animals.  

The aggression, the posturing, what are you to them ?  Just passing through more likely, the player is nothing to this pack.  Guns run out of bullets, what are you to them ?

There's a few market stalls.  It would probably help.  They revere the crow but seem interested in eating the human.

Meat and skin from any beast is easy trade according to rarity and usefulness, but there is no gold.  They would however have hunting weapons in case one does run out of ammunition.
________________
________

Killing everything would be Really hard to do without the Learner so that would be The Killer's Tale.  Explorer's Tale is for it's name as well, which isn't to say I wouldn't myself try.

Some will want to for their 'master plan set up' for the future period.  In which with nothing to eat from the vines, vines don't prosper and the future is more naturally biological.

Which has literally nothing to do with the plot.  It's just a thing you can do.  Make the world boring.

Whereas the Learner just seals them, so there's no effect other than being able to just randomly summoning mister beefcake antlers over here for whatever reason.

~ three

Past the woods and into the fields, a military outpost with it's accompanying village overlooking the valley's edge.  The dragon flies over to circle it with attacks launching fire.

If noticed the woods surrounding the clearing fill with cannibals at the outskirts, waiting to catch those who flee for cover.  The player approaches the town, the song begins.

The towers launch fire back in oil soaked balls of wood set aflame from the catapults, breaking across the dragon's chest as it launches against them.

But well learned, these pultiers launch in progression so when the dragon takes aim at one, another launches.  

 

The beast then turns for the weaker village below, striking at as many buildings as it can under fire and many do flee, taken by the hoard waiting in the wood.

If the player can take out the pultiers before the song ends, the dragon wipes the town out entirely, but then will speak.  Otherwise it just flies away annoyed.

When returning to the area it happens again so assuming the payer eventually figures that out ... it hovers over in head cocked examination.  The screams of those taken by cannibal distant to it's considerations.

Dragon - As it decides to land, "I do not eat the birds, but you do not smell like prey to me human.  That's unusual for your kind ... tell me why that is ?"

Killer - "We're not from around here."

Dragon - "This is clear to me.  There is a foolishness in these lands ... have you seen it ?  These people grown dull, they act out.  They are not themselves, but only they play themselves ... they wear themselves like a false skin."

Explorer - "Do you mean clothes ?"

Dragon - "Well yes !  The first of all human lies and a repulsive trait, to change one's skin to yield different impressions like a leopard's dream unfulfilled ... "

Explorer - "Agreed."

Killer - "You know what pisses me off ?  Why the hell does our hair keep growing ?  Dogs, cats, other things with fur ... like ... marmosets and possums ... do they need haircuts ?  No."

The dragon furrows it's brow ...

Killer - "Every fucking animal's hair knows when to stop growing.  Us ?  We need to cut it shave it trim it back.  That's where it all starts with people I think.  That vanity thing you're getting at."

...

The dragon stares, swats a human to the side trying to sneak quietly away and starts chewing the screams, contemplating the killer's words still staring ...

Dragon - "You know I thought you were a complete idiot for second there but I think you may be on to something.  Was this close to killing you, you know."

Killer - "I completely understand."

Dragon - "It came with the fire.  It kept burning off as you leaned huddled over it in the night, so you evolved to always grow more and otherwise naked.  The core of your vanity, this you can see."

Explorer - "Everything about them was so accidental over span one has to wonder if it was ... so many cold nights ... "  Looks at the dragon.

Dragon - A laugh ... "Ah.  Well.  I suppose I may have lit a few fires in the ages of ice for them, so pitiful.  But ... if you let the herd die ... you have no herd."

Explorer - "I completely understand."

Killer - "So ... I was wondering ... "

Dragon - "No.  Absolutely not."

Killer - " ... if we take out all the outposts ... "

Dragon - "All of them.  Well now, we have a bargainer, who wishes to make a deal with the dragon.  Care you not for their populace my fool ?"

Explorer and Killer - "Eh ... "

...

Slowly they all start to laugh ... well get to it then, 'player'.  The assorted small towns through the land differ according to environmental adaptation in places where geography makes sense.  

 

Forks in the rivers, overlooking valleys as this one was, the smoke's easy enough to find.  Mining and farms, within high walls shipping via water and airship, one can bet when one town's attacked the rest send their ships to the air for Midwich.

As Pangaea's second cousin twice removed, we'll say seven, one for each of the regarded continents with variations that define their locations in our world, but not so overt as transplanted culture.

Signs in nearby ruins, the types of animals matching that location with the demons of that land about in the woods as false shades of their gods. 

The Explorer's Tale

As inevitably the player goes to the valley overlook when it's done, the Killer's eye is caught by something, bounding through the trees and bouncing across all the mushrooms shooting wildly ... the mushrooms seem to be circling this figure ...

Binoculars.

Are the animals all ... dancing ?

The Learner spins through the air, cartwheeling down paths and across javelina backs, swinging through trees and bounding across following mushrooms with the most exaggerated elegance among all the dancing animals.

Killer - Lowers the binoculars in awe ... "When have I ever asked you for anything."

Explorer - "o my god."

~ two

Assuming you read the instructions ( ... ) you already know about the biosphere and exploring it is what this central section of the tale is all about.  The Valley below has the next six outposts, the furthest away being closest to where the the Learner was seen.

Taking these towers is simple enough for the Explorer, one spin landing strike with the bladed wing cloak will take out two the catapult crew, the third then an easy enough cut thereafter.

Each outpost averages four towers to be taken, and once it is done the dragon does the rest.  You can help, or just watch from one of the conveniently placed hillsides we'll certainly think of for the show.

Each surrounding village is of small size, decent people but clearly invasive in their walled off fear of this land, and well enough.  There is that dragon which hates them, those are demons, and this may be Hell.

But no one knows that for sure.  No one knows anything.  Even within the game's subjectivity, are these people even real ?  Is this game judging players as though they were ?

Is there some reason or outcome to care ?  No.

Except to wonder that.  The feeling that the game is watching and seeming to propose questions of right and wrong to the player's actions, when there is no reason at all.

Killer - "Except love."

Explorer - Looking as though a vomit may visit, "Love.  Are you serious ?  Who.  That human you saw ?  How would you know such a thing on sight."

Killer - "I know I'm compelled to direction."  Looking at the last outpost standing, "And that direction leads there."

Explore - Slurps an eyeball, "Thought this was about flying the dragon."

Killer - Watching as it roars overhead, "I can have two things."

Explore - Slurp.  "Mm.  Well.  Maybe like two and a half."
________________
________

PS ~ I never read the instructions.

But if there's anything else to note it's the temples which hold the demon lords of each region.  Further still, if it can be found in said temples, somewhere within each is a glitch in the game.

Something wrong.

A tear in the world, a repeating object, a texture mislaid, something.  And it's something the player may think just an error, nothing we haven't seen before except for the candles and alters surrounding these things which make them seem holy.

Clear seen, these outposts are nearby to excavate these places.

This comes up in the main game, as these temples will have aged, shown in minor changes as would be, some of these glitches will seem to have accidentally grown.

~ three

You know ... not much is really expected of the Explorer.  Fly around ... 'exploring' ... and then things happen.  'As the crow flies'.  Killer takes care of the rest. 

Truly a character made for exploration.

Because I've been there.  Late at night I don't need the hack and slash and I don't care about yet another armor chunk.  I want to see this big beautiful land they've made.  Not too fast.  Not too slow.

I want to stop because something's interesting, not because I was told to.  Certainly clearing the six of seven towers was easy enough, stumbled upon randomly each, may as well assassinate the pultiers in two seconds here and there ... watch the dragon show.

And then you know maybe go fly over there ...

But comes a time.  To be challenged ?  No.  This is the Explorer, probably a deity of some kind and if so likely an incarnation of death itself.  So no.  Comes a time for the player to see how much fun that bladed cloak-wing attack is on an army.

Upon approaching the seventh outpost the clockwork army marches from the associated temple, in seemingly endless stream.  Across the land it's seen the same from every other and from the docks into the main town it's very clear.

This land has just been conquered.

These people seek to purge it all.

Perhaps if the mayor had lived to know in any version they would have killed him anyway, he may not have called for extraction, but he did.  Which to them could only mean the experiment was over.

Like the end of any movie or game, they're the lifelessness on the screen after the credits, the janitors sweeping your popcorn off their floor after you've gone home, the things that happen in your room when you sleep.

 

Yet here they march of broad and across these lands they walk to be seen, before the view back to that of the Explorer before this well guarded town.

 

They cannot touch you and your companion is immortal.  Have fun with it.

 

Your main attack can cut through twenty and there are two thousand between you and this very necessary town.  It could be done in a minute.  An hour or a week in one by one assassinations.

Hilariously enough, none of this effects the Explorer's ability to take out the tower pultiers, at all.  You could also just watch the dragon take care of that.  Because ...

 
Explorer - "What the hell does any of this have to do with making maps."

Learner - "Everything."

They turn to the person standing behind them chewing off an unknown leg bone ... could be deer.  It was probably a deer.

Learner - "Hey."  Tears flesh from the bone and those do seem like rather sharp teeth, "Did you know that this world is completely fucked and we're here to save it ?  Also your map's not a map it's a diagram."

Explorer - Annoyed, "I know one of those two things."

Killer - "Hi."  Stupid smile and a pointless wave, "Um.  I know the other one !"

The learner tears off flesh, examining the Killer.

The Explorer's Tale

Walking away from the last outpost, soldiers left impaled and twitching behind them on various trees, the burning and screams ~

Explorer - "Well if you 'believe' in reincarnation, then you know this is Hell.  Because what are we talking about then but a world of suffering you cannot escape. 

"And when you die, you come right back here.  Sure as fuck isn't 'Heaven'."

Killer - "Fairy tales.  There is no heaven or hell.  There's only this world.  And it will be whichever we chose to make it.  That's the game.  That's the challenge.  That's the test. 

"If there is a God, I think He'd only return when we've earned it, for ourselves.  So it's better to believe in nothing, and just do the right thing."

...

Explorer - "When did you start thinking ?  I'll get hungry eventually you know.  You're supposed to be killing."

Killer - "The devil."

...

Explorer - Turns away, "I fucking hate that guy."

Killer - "When have I ... "

Explorer - Eyes shutting tight ... "Don't."

Killer - "I want to ... "

Explorer - "You're not don't-ing ... "

Killer - " ... save this world."

Echoing through the valley and into the song ~ "! FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK !"

In the motel ~

The Explorer 'waits patiently' in while the Killer loads though all the accumulated weaponry, music pounding from the shots conveying the Killer's concept of self while just a room of silence but for the clicking of magazines from the Explorer's impatience.

Then back to the music as the Killer starts filling holsters and sheathes, head bobbling with a mock saying "I love my baby mother, I never let her go !"

Sheathes the sword, loads a musket, slaps leather until all the weapons are tacked on in a massive ball around the gear into absurdity.

Killer - A walking pile of everything picked up in all play-throughs, "Ready."

...

The explorer snickers.  The Killer side to sides for the door, normal after scene.

~ two

Mm.  The thing about exploring is that it's all about the little things.  Like flying out your motel window to the apocalypse.

The Killer ... suffice to say once a decision has been made ... shooting through the streets below and doing well enough for all the war cries and dying but there really are a lot of them.

One may think to help or watch when the Learner joins with a crack from the sky bringing the summoned beasts sealed along the way.  And all these in their most unleashed of forms, these who wreak havoc with the Killer and indeed one dog of war.

One could fly anywhere in this land to see the same, the people of the woods taking what's left of the towns and terrorizing these new soldiers to depletion, beasts of the swamp-lands dragging them down, dragon attacking where it feels.

But here the people rush for the boats in the moments given, while Killer and Learner seem to funnel them protecting.  The dragon breaches the wall and the natural beasts pour through to escape the bloodshed outside the walls only to find more within.

They flee amid the rest of the survivors to the only place the battle is not.  The docks.  All to be seen and nothing required, this is where the Explorer loses control and understands what the name really means.  

 

That all of this is random and no matter how many times it's been seen before and even if the ending is scripted, it will not play out the same way ever again.  Is it better to watch or to interact ? 

Does it make any difference at all ?

Moments.  Replay.  Second chances.  A whole world of one moment taking over, with more happening than could be seen in five times through or even ten.  It's everywhere.

Everywhere you go it will mean the world to where you are, what you do.  You can turn tides, choose who survives or just tear through the count and then it's done.

The ground begins to crack with the vines from Hell forcing through.

Learner - "It's free now.  The seals are broken."  For the first time looking afraid.  "And it wants a sacrifice.  The one it was promised."

~ This growing thing roars its agony as the green disappears from the nearby trees.

Killer - "Get on the boat."

Learner - "But ... I just found you."

Killer - Looks up as the dragon circles over waiting ... "Don't worry about me."  Looks into the Learner's eyes and smiles, "I've got plenty to live for.  And I will find you."

A deep groaning sound fills the world as something horrible grows in the distance from the distorted green.  A vine whips for the learner before the Killer cuts it off.

Killer - "I'll be there.  I promise you.  Just please.  Get on that boat."

...

The boat departs with the Learner aboard amid the survivors and beasts which made it.

~ three

Dragon - "This one tried to take over.  Favored himself a king in Hell ... "  A laugh.  "So I ate him.  And I shat him to the soil ... and look what grows."

As the massive tree form writhes in its growth. 

Dragon - "We cannot escape this place, I think you know this now, like rats in her maze we are, we are ... and why are you here, in this Hell ?"

Killer - Staring at the roaring thing growing over the horizon, "Is this really the ... "

Dragon - "Yes !  For look closely human, its bark is thick but arrogance grows it thin for size.  Strike it now and you may as well strike at a stone, but let it grow and its flesh will be butter for cutting like yours is human ... we have the time to kill. 

"Why are you here ?"

Killer - Looks away from the horror then to the Dragon, confusion.  "I ... "

Explorer - Circling cold as though reality paused while the deities talk quietly like parents discussing the children.  "It doesn't remember.  None of them do."

Dragon - "Oh I know.  I just like seeing that look on their faces.  It's in the way of this place, to judge the nature without the nurture.  The weight of a soul."

The creature roars its contortions while the trees of the land are drained, pulled jutting to the ground by their roots.

Dragon - "Nearly there I think."  A dragon's grin, "And what incarnates Death's own deity here ?"

Explorer - A laugh.  " 'Three wishes for sending so many to Death', that's what my lover promised.  We just never happened to bring it up to the pawn."

Dragon - "Yes ... then you understand.  This is why you have come, and welcome, to test this one.  To see what wishes come, most naturally."

Killer - "I'm right here.  And also What !?"

Explorer - "Oh.  Well you spent them."

Dragon - "Rather well I'd say."

Explorer - "Hm."

...

Killer - "No I'm good.  So we killing this thing or what."

They watch as the arms extend in all directions as far as the sky, sweeping around and looking to swipe.

Dragon - Staring at the monster with disgust then a grin, "Human ... unlike some wannabe bitches of these parts, I keep my bargains.  I believe I owe you a ride."

(it's got an easily looped ending so take yer time)

Player controls the dragon as the Explorer, fire control, Killer shoots from the back, the giant swinging its many arms reaching through the sky.

These limbs attempt to converge on the Dragon's flight, slow and large, blown off by the Dragon's fire.  The Solomonian creatures capable of flight make pursuit to stop them reaching the head.

Then its blowing pieced off until a seed-like brain is exposed to destroy, the last stumbling before falling into green, releasing life back to the world, but leaving its strange husk.

In the modern world this has become nearly like a thing petrified, but only because when life leeched itself back, it left nothing for even the rot to eat.

As the Dragon catches up to the departed boat, dropping the Killer to the Learner's arms before they embrace, the ship sailing through the credits.

The survivors surviving in good spirits, this ship well stocked for nobility, they celebrate into the nights before fucking, til striking that land once again.

If to another prologue it's Gabrielle, but if to the main game it's Death awaiting, scythe in one hand as the Explorer flies to the waiting other.  If it was the third prologue, to 'Open Rounds'.