Tavern Song

“The rain had come down in torrents that night. It seemed that the gods themselves had cursed humanity. Banshees were aplenty that night, reveling in the drenching storm. Lightning played off houses, igniting entire towns and burning them into ashes. Then the surge of beasts came. Giants, dragons, undead, and horrors beyond your wildest nightmares. Looking back, I still don’t know how I survived all the terrors—but I managed. I believe I was the sole survivor for a purpose. That purpose was to spread knowledge of the night the gods almost abandoned and utterly destroyed this world. The gods of good and evil fought to the almost bitt’rest end. Only one thing saved humanity that night; the sacrifice of Honor, the god of neutrality.

“The battle in the heavens mirrored the turmoil among the beasts below. Chaos was rampant. The beasts were as frenzied as the dueling gods. Then the god appeared as a beacon of light, surrounding an immortal warrior. Neither male nor female, Honor stood there, not as its counterparts above, but in mortal size and shape. Honor took up his sword, and unleashed her wrath. The uncontrollable beasts soon fell before his vengeful blade, and a raging fire burned in her eyes like nothing I’ve ever seen on this world before. He fought for humanity, she fought for existence.

“The gods stopped their mighty battle and looked upon Honor below. The god of neutrality cried his challenge, yet she also pleaded for the deities to stop. Honor went unheeded, and the gods renewed their unrelentless battle. Angered, Honor began to a glow a fiery red. Flames leaped around the god’s body, yet instead of destroying its surroundings, the inferno revitalized the blackened ground. With a last power surge, Honor sent a bolt to the heavens, not only disrupting the otherworldly battle, but annihilating the contesters. The skies cleared, the sun shone, and life reluctantly peeped back into the light.

“I walked to where Honor had stood. He had sacrificed herself to saver the world. I was surprised to find a parchment of paper with a song written on it. I foretold of times to come, when strange creations called ‘machines’ would rule with the humans, but without Honor, humans would misuse these machines. And so it seems tat I am now a prophet bringing tales of salvation, yet doom. Spread your knowledge. Humans are in control of their own destinies now.”

The traveling prophet dropped a copied parchment on the table. He left, but the patrons, eager to read the parchment, did not notice.

And thus the world deserted

Will look unto itself

For the strength from within

To the darkness without

And steel beasts called “machines”

Will conquer humanity

For Honor is gone

To darkness and insanity.