Bitter Herb

Morris scrabbled for purchase as he climbed up the mountainside, smooth with age and lichen. The fingers of his left hand slipped off of a minute crevice and he dangled from the other, gazing down over the distant mist-shrouded lands he had traversed, the foul and unnatural swamp that bubbled at Staxal's base, the safer, easier parts of the earthen monstrosity that rested hundreds of yards below. He saw the brown canvas of his tent and the majority of his possessions on a rock shelf. Morris only carried on his person the things which the soothsayer desired as payment.

He wrenched with his right arm, hauling his body up by that lone extremity, desperate to regain a handhold. His fingers felt icy cold and then flushed with warmth as the blood flowed, but he managed to regain purchase and, using his fear-fueled sudden burst of strength, hauled his entire body over the last rise to flop on the cold stone.

He lay there for some time, breathing the thin air, recovering his strength and composure. The cuts in his hand, perfect moon-shaped incisions, a valiant final attempt by the mountain to thwart him, throbbed as blood trickled out in thin rivulets. He staggered to his feet and looked at the cave mouth up ahead. It yawned open like the mouth of a giant infant beast, smooth and clear of any clutter.

Morris stepped inside, out of the sunlight. The cave's interior was cold, far colder than it should have been, and a cloying aroma filled it, something pungent and sweet, a scent that brushed at the very edges of Morris's memory, teasing and taunting him with its almost-familiarity.

"Issif! Wise oracle, speaker of the truth! I, Morris Tage, seek your guidance in matters dear to my heart!" He spoke the words loudly, enunciating precisely, as he has been told to do by the Homeopath in Telmana...or had it been Keelage? He practiced the words every night of the journey to Staxal.

For a moment, he feared that he had made a mistake, that the resident of this cave would ignore him and that everything had been for nothing. Then a dry, rasping voice echoed from out of the deeper parts of the cavern, "This is Issif, who once was. Morris Tage, you seek knowledge of things outside your mortal ken?"

The Homeopath had prepared him for this question as well. "I do, and I come with the payment you require." Morris reached down and untied the small bag from its place at the left side of his hip. Its contents bulged out grotesquely. He undid the thong which held it shut and flipped it open. The severed heads of three children, two boys and a girl, rolled out and deep into the cave.

Issif made a strangled gasping sound, equal parts delight and agony. "Ask, Morris Tage, what you would have Issif answer."

Morris lifted his chin and straightened his shoulders, every inch of the soldier he had been. "How can I have back the things which I have lost?"

Issif chuckled. The sound was like dried snakeskins being crushed into dust. "You must take them."

This, too, was part of the game the Homeopath warned Morris about. The oracle's answers would be vague no matter how specific the question that was asked. No, what Issif wanted of visitors was evidence that they truly desired what was being offered. "I ask a different question, then." Morris reached down for the bag hanging from his right hip. This one bulged, too, but was not nearly as full. He upended it and the head of Ludah, the guide he had hired to take him to this place, spilled out at his feet. He kicked it inward. This head, unlike those of the children, was fresh, having been harvested just this morning. "What can be done to reclaim the things which one cannot grasp in one's hands nor load onto a cart or ship?"

Issif hissed. "You speak of love, Morris Tage? Many who come here want knowledge of such...carnal things." The soothsayer crooned the word, something akin to emotion entering its voice for the first time.

Morris shook his head. "I ask of all intangibles. Do not attempt to shortchange me by answering only with regard to one emotion."

"I would never imagine such a thing. Look, you, into the deep of the cave."

Morris squinted and saw the first hint of the oracle, a pair of faint green eyes that smoldered in the darkness. The eyes grew and blurred, as though they drew close to Morris's face, but faded away as two forms emerged from the shadows, somehow darker than the sunless depths. A man and a woman. They seemed to be arguing, though about what Morris could not say...or could he? The shadow-people lacked color and definition, but the man-shape seemed to resemble him to some degree. Or was he only imagining the similarities, letting his mind fill in the details which the soothsayer's magics could not?

The dispute between the two shadow-people intensified. They gesticulated wildly, mouths opening and closing rapidly, simultaneously, arguing over each other. Then the woman lashed out and struck the shadow-man on the right cheek. Morris flinched as though he had been the victim and raised his hand to his own cheek. Something warm and sticky clung to it. Blood from the wounds on his fingers? Or more?

Morris blinked rapidly and turned his head away. "That does not answer anything, oracle."

Issif purred, "Oh, but it does, Morris Tage. You see what it is that you want to see, what answers you already have."

Morris snapped an arm outward and yelled, "That is not why I came here! Tell me, how can I regain meaning and happiness in my life!"

Issif's hellish green eyes flared in the darkness. "You must find it for yourself."

Morris took a deep, frustrated breath through his mouth, though it did little to lessen the charnal atmosphere of this foul place. He recited the words which the Homeopath had told him to say when he had finished with Issif. "I take my leave of you, soothsayer, to put your words into practice. May I never come to this place again."

Morris turned to leave and had just taken his first step in the direction of the bright, clean outside when Issif's voice, powerful and vibrant, came out of the darkness. "Are now you content in your life, Morris Tage?"

Morris considered for a moment. "I...I am content in the answers you have given to me."

"It should bring you comfort, then, that you are content in your life at this moment, Morris Tage. I yet require payment for the last answer I have given."

Morris stopped in his tracks. A cold sweat broke out under his shoulders, over his back, everywhere but on the patches of scalding flesh on his cheek and hand.

Morris's unwilling body turned and marched into the depths of the cave.

Legion of Battle

TO: Mark Aimes (aimesmj@paranoid.com)
FROM: Mike Taylor (tayl1@rampagegaming.com)
SUBJECT: Legion of Battle alpha

Hey Mark

Mike, from Rampage Gaming. What's up? Just wanted to shoot you an email letting you know we've gotten the rights to Schwark's virtual gaming software. We're updating the alpha to use the VR tech...pretty seamless and quick so far. We should have something for you by the end of the month, probably could start in-house alpha testing then too. This is gonna be huge, a revolution in MOBA gaming!

Drop me a line if you need anything.

Mike Taylor
Programming Manager
Rampage Gaming

TO: Mike Taylor (tayl1@rampagegaming.com)
FROM: Mark Aimes (aimesmj@paranoid.com)
SUBJECT: RE: Legion of Battle alpha

Good to hear! I've talked to the suits upstairs about publishing, they're on board! Really looking forward to how things go with integrating the tech. Keep me posted on your progress.

Mark Aimes
Community Relations Representative
Paranoid Games

TO: Mark Aimes (aimesmj@paranoid.com)
FROM: Mike Taylor (tayl1@rampagegaming.com)
SUBJECT: LoB alpha playtest

Man, your mind will be blown when you try this out! Alpha testing's going great...got bugs to work out but nothing with the VR...shit's flawless. The testers love it...really hightens the competitive feel of the games, BEING your avatar, feeling like you're there in the Arena of Battle. Let me tell you, you haven't played Gai-Bo until you've ACTUALLY seen the individual grains of sand he kicks up with his Wind Sweep, it's like being there in person. Really excited to send you guys a polished alpha in a little bit so you can try it yourselves!

Mike

TO: Mike Taylor (tayl1@rampagegaming.com)
FROM: Mark Aimes (aimesmj@paranoid.com)
SUBJECT: LOB PLAYTEST

Just received your alpha, put it through its paces. The execs loved it! They're focused on nothing but the green, but everybody on the floor is thinking about the places this can go...different game modes and spinoffs you guys could throw together down the road. They did want me to ask if you were planning on a game version that didn't use the VR...the suits would prefer you did, since we're not seeing any of the returns...actually I'll talk with some people about sitting down with SchwarkTech and working out some bundle deal on the game, maybe that'll convince them to go VR only. No good not using the tech you've got to the fullest and pushing for further innovation, right?
By the way, the game feels really tight, really good. The graphics are superb and you can feel the frustrations of the enemy team as you push down their base...likewise your team's joy at winning. I thought you were BSing me on the emotive aspects but there's definitely something to it...really good for marketing purposes...don't think any game using Schwark's stuff can claim this. Whatever you guys have stuck into the code to make it work is phenomenal!
Looking forward to the next version!

Mark Aimes
Community Relations Representative
Paranoid Games

TO: Mark Aimes (aimesmj@paranoid.com)
FROM: Mike Taylor (tayl1@rampagegaming.com)
SUBJECT: RE: LOB PLAYTEST

Good to hear the execs liked it! Still hard at work at the .4 alpha, coming along well. Not sure what you mean with the stuff we stuck in the code though. We didn't do anything more than tweak it to use Schwark's VR. Whatever it is, it works...not gonna fix what ain't broke.

Mike

TO: Mark Aimes (aimesmj@paranoid.com)
FROM: Mike Taylor (tayl1@rampagegaming.com)
SUBJECT: .6 Alpha

Progressing well. Getting closer and closer to the open beta! Rick's super excited, as is everybody else. He'll be conferencing with the publishing reps on Tuesday. It's weird, the further along we get with the project, the more realistic it becomes in the VR. Since all the testers have done it both ways, we've had to pay them a little more to play with an old-fashioned monitor...it's just not the same. People won't want to go back to the old way after they've experienced Legion of Battle with SchwarkTech Virtual Reality!
The emotions are coming across stronger, too. Like I said, more real in every way. Won't be an "e"-sport for very much longer at this rate!

Mike

TO: Mark Aimes (aimesmj@paranoid.com)
FROM: Mike Taylor (tayl1@rampagegaming.com)
SUBJECT: .8 Alpha Update

Hey Mark. Writing for Rick letting you know the contracts got through. He'll have them signed and returned by the end of the week.
Alpha progressing well. Not a lot of time to talk, sorry. Gotta get back to the bugfix marathon. Beta debuts in three months!

TO: Mike Taylor (tayl1@rampagegaming.com)
FROM: Mark Aimes (aimesmj@paranoid.com)
SUBJECT: RE: .8 Alpha update

Sorry, Mike. I've been really busy on this end getting things ready for the beta release. The talks with Schwark went well, they've agreed to the bundle idea! Not the best split on purchases (65/35 in their favor) but better than nothing, and it's a foot in the door. What's more important is that now Paranoid Games and Rampage Gaming are at the forefront of the VR home gaming revolution!
Congrats on everything! Next time you're in town we'll have to go out for drinks to celebrate.

Mark Aimes
Community Relations Representative
Paranoid Games

TO: Mark Aimes (aimes1mj@paranoid.com)
FROM: Mike Taylor (tayl1@rampagegaming.com)
SUBJECT: OPEN BETA

Open beta debuted, mostly highly anticipated MOBA release of all time, tens of thousands of players log on all at once, all of them using Schwark VR. You'd think that's great, best thing ever. No, man. We forgot something important when we were building up the VR, happy as pigs in shit that it was as real as it was.
We forgot the griefers! We've received notice from no fewer than six different law firms that Rampage Gaming is the target of class action wrongful death lawsuits after people were TROLLED TO DEATH playing our game! Cardiac failure, brain embolism, one of them offed himself after people rode his ass for speaking Spanish in teamchat...this shit's serious!
Mark, you gotta talk to people on your end, help us out here! There was no way we could have known!

Mike