The sun rises on another day. Two forces, as ancient and immortal as the concept of time itself, once again gather together to wage war. The struggle is always the same, and they have waged a similar battle countless times before, on a near infinite amount of battlefields, over the course of untold eons.
But after an almost incalculable number of battles, today things will finally be settled for eternity. The forces of good and the forces of bad clash for the final time, and the winner will have their ending etched in history forever. Each side has picked their champions, and their deadly game is about to begin, honed to a brilliantly fine point through sheer repetition.
But both sides, in a twist of ironic fate, choose to depart from their usual strategies in an attempt to gain leverage over the other. This is the story of their battle...as told by a slightly eccentric narrator.
The year is 2219.
Technology has reached an apex, the likes of which can scarcely be understood by the general public. They unwittingly handle and rely on machines that could be almost described as magical. Things that once plagued humanity in the past such as hunger and wars no longer exist. With the human race now living in a world nearing total automation, the next great frontier has been built in the ruins of what was once the internet: Ancardia, the Land of Nutech.
The advent of Nutech heralded humanities exodus from the waking world, into an illusionary world that existed in the space between dreams and reality. Here, thoughts reigned supreme and anything that could be imagined could be created. Resembling the virtual reality of the 21th century, this wondrous world was known as Ancardia, and it is here that our story begins.
Chapter 1: Of Light and Darkness
For those dedicated to the art of the game, there is no rest.
In a dark, far-flung corner of Ancardia, a close-knit community known as the "Revolution" live in constant competition. The circumstances that bring them together vary. Some find their way to the border of Revolution territory by following the rumors: A group of brilliant minds who pursue mental supremacy with an unmatched fervor. Some are initiated by those who already live there, and still others stumble in by happenstance but soon find a home among like-minded individuals.
One thing unites them, however: Competition in all forms. While there are sects among them who favor one type of contest over another, all of them follow this guiding creed. For a group who claim Mafia as their game of choice, the start of a day brought with it yet another iteration of the game to be played.
=-=-=-=
"Good End, huh?"
The Avatar of ShadoWolfe (commonly shortened to Shado in the interest of lingual economy, as most of their names were) spoke these words as he considered the options for today's game of mafia.
Ancardia blurred the lines of personal identity to a degree that would be almost unrecognizable for those who lived in the past. While an avatar could be sculpted to look like whatever the subject wanted, here among the Revolution, they did things differently.
The ShadoWolfe that spoke these words wasn't a
person, so much as his sense of self, given vaguely human form by the expectations of the listener. Over a long period of time, the Revolution had found that this method helped focus their minds less on the frivolous details of their individual appearance and more on the game itself. However to anyone in the area, listening to these words gave off the almost implicit feeling that they unmistakably belonged to ShadoWolfe.
He continued. "It's been suggested before, as I recall. I'm still in support of it." He gave a nod of assent, and gradually more raised their voices, either in support or against it.
After a short time, FreezinIce held up his hand. "Enough! Everyone has made their voices heard. It seems TWGood End wins, and will be played after we gather the requisite players."
What followed was another lull of activity. People came and went, discussing the merits of the game compared to past ones, and weighing in on if they would participate or abstain.
Finally, the list of people who would play was finalized, and a location was chosen.
"That took forever, but I'm glad we will be able to start this game before today ends." FreezinIce complained loudly to ShadoWolfe and AragakiAyase (shortened commonly to AA) as they walked down the marbled hallway towards what was known among them as the Game Room.
"I'm glad the game you designed will finally see the light of day, Freezin." AA replied. "And not a moment too soon. I have a trip to Oreno in a week and it's on the other side of Ancardia. It allows level 2 travel and below only so I'll have to walk part of the way. So I'd like to be finished and get some rest before then."
Shado made a conciliatory gesture. "The game will be done long before then AA, have you seen the roles? It's superhero-themed and people get crazy powers!" Among his close friends, his excitement clearly showed.
AA hums thoughtfully in response, no doubt looking forward to the game to come. Despite his seeming reluctance, he was one of the most competitive players among the mafia group, and always found ways to advance the meta of the game.
Before they knew it, the group of three had reached the Game Room, which opened automatically to admit them. Inside was a various assortment of familiar and unfamiliar faces. Due to the nature of Revolution avatars, people who were not known to him registered in his vision as little more than gray outlines. He knew that this would change as soon as he talked to them and got a sense of their self. It seems this particular mafia game had attracted a large, diverse group.
Shado wasted no time walking up and yelling loud in the ear of Xelnya, who was lost in his thoughts near a corner of the room.
"HEYA XEL!!!"
The poor unsuspecting Xelnya almost ran into a nearby wall in sheer shock, but quickly mastered himself and turned to face Shado. "Can I help you?" He responded icily to Shado's greeting.
"Nah I don't need anything bro, but I'm surprised to see you here! I didn't think you'd be very fond of this particular game!"
Xel rolled his eyes "Well, unlike some people I have a discerning palate for mafia games, and this one has piqued my interest." This earned a hardy slap on the back from Shado, which completely shook up Xel's composure again and he began sputtering.
"Well glad you're here! Hope you have fun!" Shado walked away from Xel grinning and began eagerly chatting up other nearby people.
Xel gave AA and Freezin a long glare. "What are you two looking at?"
They both quickly walked away, hiding their smiles with their hands. Waving to Freezin briefly, AA walked in another direction to join a conversation elsewhere. Freezin found a nearby couch and slowly sank into it to collect his thoughts.
He saw a few faces he recognized, but didnt feel pressured to go say hi. No use wasting a good interaction, one of the rules he picked up after playing mafia for so long. There would be more than ample time to talk to everyone once the game started.
After a few minutes idly spent watching everyone else mill around and chat, a clear bell sounded, signifying the upcoming automatic dispersal of roles, and afterward the start of the game.
Freezin sat up and waited for the automatic prompt confirming his participation to appear, and along with it his role.
It never appeared
Instead, in the center of the room with a flash of brilliant light, materialized a girl in a long, flowing green dress. She looked strangely out of place among the gray outlines and psuedo-people and stood out as a vibrant, expressive figure in a sea of blandness.
>heya guys glad you could make it!!
The tone of her voice was like a wave of emotion, and as Freezin numbly observed, was quite unsuited for the game of mafia.
>lets get this show on the road!
With a wave of her arms, everything faded to black. Freezin's last thoughts before losing consciousness were panic as everyone around him was seemingly swallowed by the encroaching blackness until it finally reached him.
=-=-=
>time to wake up!
Freezin opened his eyes, and found himself in a huge room with many doors.
Surrounding him were people dressed in strange superhero outfits. He looked down and saw that he and the mysterious girl were the only ones without a hero outfit on. The girl spoke again
>alrighty now that ive got your attention let me introduce myself! im jade, and i will be the host of this game. dont make the mistake of trying to fight me or escape or youll be sorry!!
The tone of voice Jade used was easygoing and happy, but one look at her eyes told a different story. They were as black as dead stars and held the same sense of infinite darkness. This girl teetered on the edge between light and darkness and seemed to embody both. Freezin could clearly feel that angering her would not be wise.
A voice quipped up from near him. "What game are you talking about? Are you mad woman? Let us out!"
Freezin turned and found someone he knew instinctively was Xelnya...wearing a red dress-like hero outfit that he was clutching and pulling down with his hands. Putting the ridiculous sight out of his mind, he turned back and saw Jade was smiling at Xelnya eerily.
>the game is mafia of course! its like the only game you guys ever play...and youre not leaving till you win!
Jade looks around the room and her smile loses a bit of its mania.
>this paticular game is more important than you can possibly imagine! i think it would be pretty accurate to say that the fate of the entire world, both the real one and ancardia, hangs in the balance!
She brings a hand to the side of her cheek as if thinking. Her old maniacal smile slowly returns.
>and of course, a game this important has suitable stakes as well. win here and youll gain fantastical powers that will let you do all sorts of crazy things! it will be awesome i swear!
After a dramatic pause and a small laugh, she continues.
>of course, if you die here, you die for real as well. youll be revived if you end up winning but if you lose youre dead forever! so keep that in mind as you play :]
Her words were met with a wide range of reactions, from stupified to hysterical, and almost everything inbetween.
Near Freezin, someone in a purple outfit with a cape that he knew as Hakulyte was sitting with a calm look on his face. Noticing Freezin looking at him, he looks up and says. "Long time no see Freezin."
Freezin makes sure his voice is level before he responds. "You seem pretty calm Haku. Know something that we don't?" Even in this seemingly insane situation, Freezin's mafia instincts were unfrayed. Freezin saw a situation that made no sense was tried to unravel it.
Haku gives him a slight shrug and remarks. "I could say the same thing to you Freezin. You're the only one without a superhero getup on. Never mind the fact that we all have definitive forms now despite none of us ever making them due to Revolution guidelines, I would say that's worthy of some suspicion."
Freezin found himself agreeing. Why exactly was he the only one without a costume? While he mulled over a possible answer, Haku notices another nearby person. Getting up, he turns them and says. "What do you think InDheart?"
InDheart seems to not be in a condition to respond, as he's still looking straight ahead in horror at Jade, who stands nearby smiling and answering the many questions being thrown her way by players.
Haku frowns. "He's muttering something..."
Freezin and Haku both take a few steps closer to InDheart to catch what he's saying.
"....W...tch.....S......ce........Wi...tc...h.......Witch.....Space Witch..."
His voice slowly gets stronger and louder, until he's finally shrieking the words as he has what appears to be a nervous breakdown.
Jade turns to him unphased and slowly walks to him. Stopping a few feet away she smiles and puts up a hand. InDheart falls silent as a grave.
>close but not quite. the phrase your looking for is witch of space!
At these words, InDheart falls backwards away from her and lands on his back. Freezin gives him a cursory glance.
He turns back to Haku. "Seems like InD is out cold."
Haku gives him a shrug. "Let him sleep." Haku droned. "Not like there's any way out of here anyway. He'll come to accept our situation soon enough."
Freezin frowned with annoyance at Haku. He was smart, but his flippancy and tendency to shrug at everything took some getting used to. Back in past games of mafia, his voice was monotone even compared to the low standards of expression that were the norm among the Revolution. Nice to see that some things never change.
Jade cleared her throat politely.
>alright, i think thats enough questions. now for an announcement! im going to call out a name then a number. find your number on the wall and check the paper you find there!
Freezin waited patiently as this process unfolded. Finally with nobody left near him, Jade calls out his number and he leaves to go find it along the wall of the huge room. Picking up the piece of paper he finds there, he reads to himself:
[Welcome to TWG CLXXII
FreezinIce!]
[You are a special role, the
Witness! You are not actually a part of the game. Your job is to bear witness to the game and its conclusion, and inherit the world shaped by the winner!]
With cold hands, he folds the paper and pockets it, then returns to the center of the room along with everyone else.
>i hope you all have a clear idea now about whats going on?? good!!!
this is just a normal game of mafia, except the stakes just happen to be astronomical. oh and you all have superpowers. the paper explained your latent abilties to you so they should be activated now!
some of you are aligned with the forces of darkness, and some of you are aligned with the light. your job is to determine who wins once and for all!!!
decide among yourselves who will be killed today, and let me know. ill take care of the rest. if i catch you using your superpowers during the day there will be trouble!
during the night, you will sleep. at night can use your superpowers freely!! but so can everyone else, so be careful.
After finishing her speech, Jade looks around the room.
>well lets not waste any more time. day start!!!!!!!! fight for your ending!!!
With this dramatic proclamation and a wave, Jade turns around and walks away toward the edge of the room.
Silence fell over the group as the first day began.
Then the first words were said by AragakiAyase.
...
"hi. probably not gonna say much tonight..."
TO BE CONTINUED...