The Game of Gods

Interests in becoming a god are a common object among men, but the question is how to do so, not in its possibility.

Doing so is as simple as playing a simple game. But gaining the pieces is a different matter entirely, and a matter you must do yourself. You can gather them in any order, but it is recommended that you gather them in the order of this list, as the board is hardest to keep.

Obtaining the Manual and Record Book
To obtain the manual and the record book, you must be prepared to wait an extremely long time. Go to the house of your nearest writer who fulfills the conditions below:

1. The writer must have published at least one work. 2. The writer cannot be famous or well known. 3. It must be a writer who knows of the supernatural.

Examples of writers that fulfill this condition can be any number, from a small book writer to an internet story writer. Upon going to the writer’s house, knock on the door 3 times loudly, seven times softly, for a total of ten times. The writer will answer with a “Who is it?”

Respond loudly, yet calmly with “One who seeks the manual and record book.”

Upon saying this, you will hear doors unlocking, and the writer will open the door and welcome you inside. He will tell you to wait there, and will proceed into the room where he keeps his room. This can take anywhere from 5 minutes to 2 years; but you must remain in the house, though you can freely wander about it as you please. Remember: the writer is just as uncomfortable with you being in his home for so long as you are, so it will not bode well to waste his time.

You will not starve, as the kitchen is stocked with food. There will also be entertainment in the form of books. Even those who despise reading will find these books excellent; for they tell tales of great heroes, truly cruel villains, and sassy heroines. Be wary, however, for the writer will not find the manual until you completely finish your current book.

The only place in the house in which you must not go, under any circumstances, no matter how much you are tempted, is in the room the writer keeps his works. For what is currently in that room is not for people such as yourself to see.

Upon finding the manual, the writer will emerge from the room with it in one of three forms:

1. A large box of approximately 96 notebooks; each 100 pages long. 43 of these are the manual and will state the rules of the game, and 43 of these are the record book and are blank. You will be able to tell them apart, as they are numbered 1-43 and colored Black for the Manual, red for the record book. 2. A thick, leather bound, ancient-looking book. It is extremely heavy and contains 9600 pages; 4300 contain the manual, and 4300 are blank, with the exception of the word “Records” at the top center of the page, which are the record book. 3. Two large boxes full of paper. In one box is the manual, with 4300 pages, and the other is the record book with 4300 pages. They will be labeled.

He will promptly explain the point of both items to you calmly. Pay attention, for they are very important. You must not write in the record book or tamper with the manual until you play the game.

Each rule must be followed to a near T, and only the record keeper of the game must write in the record book. The manual is not to be tampered with.

Now you have retrieved the manual and record book, you must retrieve the dice.

Obtaining the Dice
This will be by far easier than obtaining the books. You will only need to buy a pack of cigarettes, and go to the main highway closest to your local school at around 3:00. You will see a boy around his senior year of high school; and he is underage.

He will ask for a cigarette. Do not deny him or ask him his age; for if you value the petty laws of men you are unworthy of playing this game. Give one to him, and watch him light it. Keep a stoic expression on your face, for this boy is far more than you know. Depending upon the brand and flavor, he will put an expression on his face. Be wary, for this will determine not only if you get the dice, but if you live past this moment, as this is a demon with very picky tastes.

If he approves, he will thank you kindly, and pull a black cloth pouch from his pocket. The pouch will contain four six-sided dice (two black, two white), two twenty sided dice, and a single one hundred sided die. He will proceed to walk away, but don’t look at him as he passes, for where he goes is not for your eyes.

If he disapproves, he will take your life. This can be prevented: the more expensive the pack, the more chance he will approve.

Now you must retrieve the board.

Obtaining the Board
This will be the hardest part, as there is only one board in the world. You must find the person who currently holds the board, and hope they have not played the game yet, or are in the process. You must take the board, by force if necessary. Do not hesitate to kill them, as they will not hesitate to kill you.

If they played or are in the process of playing the game, you must wait until their game is finished, and find the keeper of the board. Go to the nearest graveyard that holds the grave of a family member who passed away no less than 10 years ago, and no more than 100. Have a bouquet of red and white roses, a match, and some parsley flakes. Place the bouquet in the flower receptacle, removing any flowers already in it, and make a circle of Parsley around the bouquet.

Then, light the match, and recite the words, clearly and loudly, “Death, I seek the board.”

If you succeed, Death will appear in the form the family member took when alive. Death is the Keeper of the Board, for he is the one in control of all souls. He will offer a deal- succeed in his test of sanity, and he will grant you the board. Fail, and he will gain your soul. You will die here.

Accept the deal, and you will be transported to a pitch black room. No time will pass, and you need not worry about running into things, as there is only space, for you are in Death’s personal realm. A few minutes after, Death will come, still taking the form of your family member, and will begin the test.

Death will send at you what you believe to be your most primal and inner fears. He will emphasize them ten-fold, and they will be unpredictable. They will attempt many things, and you may even feel unbearable pain, but you must not show fear; for fear will be a sign of loss of sanity. You will not die from anything they do unless you fail to keep a stoic expression on your face. If you are religious, you will be tempted to pray, but do not, for by playing this game you are effectively spitting in the face of your god, and prayer will allow Death to take your soul.

After any number of moments, Death will snap his fingers, and your fears will recede. He will snap them twice, and a wooden box will appear. It is a stone tablet, which is the board, complete with several stone pieces. The tablet will be engraved with many strange symbols and an “X.” Be warned, until you play the game you must not directly touch the board or its pieces, for it will make even Death unable to salvage your soul.

Death will return you to the area in which you will to play the game. If you did not gather the other pieces, it is recommended you guard the board with your life, for others will be pursuing it as well...

Playing the Game
Take seven candles, of different colors if possible. Arrange them in a circle around the area where you have set up the game. Now it is safe to touch the board. Pull it out, and place all pieces at the block with the “X” engraved in it. Pull out the dice, and place them in the middle of the board. Then, pull out the books and place them at the left edge, approximately centered.

Then, promptly recite “I am ready to play.”

At this point, the souls will gather from the ancient realms to watch the spectacle. Suddenly, with no explanation as to how he got here, the demon boy will appear at the left edge with a pencil and a deck of cards, which he will place on a special symbol not connected to the others. He is Diguras, the record keeper and law-binder of Hades and Satan. He will be the record keeper of the game. He is very picky about the rules, and will only warn you about the same rule twice. The third time will be met with a swift death.

Two other souls, also gods, will assume positions beside the board. They will come at random, and can be from any culture.

The goal is to make it around the board, without landing a certain symbol which takes the shape of a skull. Each time you land upon a skull, you will draw from Diguras’ deck, and a consequence of great pain and trial will be given. The amount of pain will be determined by the 100-sided die. The pain or trial can be physical, or emotional. However, you must remain strong.

Each significant movement, such as turning on the board, or encounters with other players, will be recorded. Encounters with other players will result in a duel. The duel will consist of each player taking two six-sided dice, and rolling them. Whoever has the higher number of black dice, skips back that many spaces. In white, they move forward that many spaces. The higher number of the white dice is the winner of the duel, and the loser loses two turns, which could last anywhere from 5 minutes to a year with the way gods play their games.

The twenty-sided die determines how many spaces are moved per turn by the rolling player. Rolling over 15 will allow the player to take a sharp turn if there is one, over 10 a curve. Below 10, the rolling player must go straight.

Each symbol has a different meaning, and the gods that play the game will gain power from their symbols. There is a cane, a rest note (quarter), a candle, a wood fire, and others. The one you must seek to land upon more often is the candle, for it grants you abilities far beyond that of the gods in this game.

Other rules are discussed in the manual. But if you win, you will be granted the immortality and powers of a god, including the power to make your own realm. Good luck, for you will need it, because if you lose, the gods will destroy your soul, or imprison you, depending on the challenge you became in the game. Senjumaru Shutara