[AMoG] Preview I: A Murder of Gods

The First of Scions has perished upon his throne.

The exalted assembly openly weep as they watch Vasaria lose the last of his luster, acolytes and saints alike groveling for mercy from the husk he has left behind. The all-engulfing fire swallows the  whole of Vasaria's remains, mutating godly skin to cinders, tongues of flame licking at the temple's high ceiling.

A bell is sounded at the far end of the sanctum, its cry high and baleful as it echoes through the cavernous halls, like a physical entity taking up space. With heavy hearts and tears streaming down their face, the congregation one by one abandons their dead, tenebrous god; and when the bell is rung a tenth time none had remained in the sanctum but the Knight-Exalt and her templars.

"Do your duty," the Knight-Exalt orders, the steel of her conviction tempered by the break in her voice. Her terror is nearly as great as her grief, and all around her the templars echo her sentiment in kind. "For Extolien, and for Vasaria."

The first of the dark expulse is birthed within the blaze, its eerie bellow a herald for the beginning of the end. It is a desecration too grievous to endure--and it is this, moreso than desperation, moreso than the city behind them, the innocents fleeing into the night--that compels the templars' blades ever forward.

(Every last one of them knew the score: the temple is to be their tomb. But they will die as they have lived--basking in the splendor of Vasaria's light--and in all the corners of Asphodel, no other honor could compare.)

The pale shaft of moonlight, drowned by the blaze of Vasaria's remains, is the sole witness of the slaughter that follows. Bodies would soon litter the hallowed grounds, their blood spilling in ripples and staining the marble pillars. But in his sacrifice, Vasaria had bestowed upon the templars the strength of a god; and so it was that when the Knight-Exalt herself had been made martyr, the Scionian faithful would be leagues away from the Holy City.

The broken and mourning congregation would carry the lament of that day for the rest of their lives: the templars standing tall in their tomb, the god bartering his life for their own. How they longed for the reverse to be true, for they would have gladly laid down their lives if it meant Vasaria could shine on Asphodel for centuries more. Instead, they must now live in a world bereft of his light, propelled only by the decree the Everbright had left them.

Do not falter, Child of Man, Vasaria had ordained, his weakened voice echoing through the palatial temple. This body will visit gruesome terrors upon you, the likes of which you have never seen. Your blade must be true, your resolve full. Entreat the Circle of Scions for their blessings, their power--and slay me where I stand. And should the worst come to pass; should the other Scions fall to darkness, as I have...

Child of Man, you must slay us all.

***

Hi everyone, Adam here! I hope you enjoyed this little sneak peek into A Murder of Gods!

This book will be the next interactive fiction work I'll have coming down the pipeline, with production likely beginning sometime in the middle of next year. It's been extensively brainstormed, plotted, and outlined, but the passage you see above is the only piece of it I've actually written! Until Book 2 is done and sent off for publication, I do not intend to continue work on this title yet, except for the purposes of sneak peeks like this one.

A Murder of Gods is in many ways a more ambitious title than AMR, taking into account all the things I've learned writing IF for the past couple of years, and with more resources at its behest (thanks in large part to your support!). While I can't guarantee that AMR enjoyers will also be AMoG enjoyers (god, I hope that doesn't confuse people down the line), they share a similar genre and style of game elements, so it will at the very least be familiar territory! The largest difference will be in overarching themes and plot beats, as AMoG will deviate quite significantly from the JRPG template AMR is rather faithful to.

I will be posting one of these sneak peeks every month for tiers Retainer and above, along with a preview of artworks I've commissioned for the game. I've found a brilliant character designer and artist for this project in Fulminaire (https://www.fulminaire.online/), and I am absolutely itching to start sharing his incredible works with you!

For our first iteration of this feature, I present to you Vasaria, the Everbright, who is depicted in the passage above!

And here is an excerpt of the brief I gave Fulminaire:

Vasaria is the leader of the Circle of Scions, standing tall as the ultimate authority in Asphodel. He is regarded by believers as a stern but kind god, solemn in his demeanor but always ready to save the faithful from danger. When the threat of demons loomed over Asphodel, he successfully led the Circle's efforts to quell them, wielding fire and light in the war's front lines. He is now regarded by the faithful as the symbol of authority, victory, and unbending justice.

I'll be posting Vasaria's full artwork very soon, available for tiers Arcanist and up.

And that about does it for this preview; I hope you enjoyed it! Please look forward to more drips of AMoG content as we continue to chip away at AMR Book 2. As usual, I'll be back on Saturday for an AMR progress devlog and sneak peek!