Chapter 1: The Game

Blisterburgh College of Art, Sir Question University

Collegeville, Tx, USA

9:50 P.M. , August 15, 1958

It's a darky and stormy night. Why is it always dark and stormy? A lone figure can be seen running from something in the shadows, a parcel in their hands.

*Flash*

A figure in all it's unholy, quite literally, glory rears its' head. A smile is seen on it's face as more shadows gather and gradually solidify. The figure slips as lightning and thunder dance across the sky. L:ike a battle between primordial demons and gods.

*Boom*

"No. No. NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!", the figure screams before bursting into light as the shadow creatures approach before disappearing as well.

*Flash*

A parcel lies in the garbage and is ignored as all returns to normal.

*Boom*

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sir Cumference Halls and Apartments

Downtown New Collegeville, Tx, USA

10:15 P.M., Present Day

It had been a quiet night so far, and above all... boring. College was usually fun, but with Finals almost done most of the students were either studying or too tired to party. Unfortunately for Mark and his roommates, they didn't fit into either of those categories.

No, they still took them seriously, crammed for twelve hours straight, AND had nearly went through with there suicide pact. Fortunately, they had passed, all of their exams, but that had was two days ago. With a three days of finals remaining for most of the , the party in party town was in a coma.

Normally they all- me (Mark), Paul, his brother Ian, Erick, and Shawn, would've gone home. However, mine and Ian's families were on vacation in Hawaii, so no one would be home. Erick was basically a hobo who lived with them since he couldn't afford tuition and housing, and Paul and Shawn owned the apartment they all shared together.

As such, there was nothing to do. Granted, the group were all board game enthusiasts, the only thing they had in common. So when they ran out of games to play, surprisingly, it didn't kill the imagination... things got worse.

By 'worse', meaning a brainstorming of custom game ideas they could play over the next couple of days. To say it went well would be and overstatement. An understatement was a complete disaster.

I suggested a DnD style game with two Dungeon masters competing against each other, the players like pawns in chess. Of course three players didn't really split well, and Erick wasn't to keen on the idea of managing two characters. Paul wanted to play chess, while standing upside down. Ian and Shawn wanted to play a historical facts game called 'Woofles'.

It tested your historical canine knowledge by having characters ask each other questions on a card and players would advance there pieces on a board. Whoever got to the end and answered the bonus question first would win. However, no one could take seriously, when they suggested they where costumes.

In the end, Erick had won by leaving and getting an actual game from, as he put it, 'storage'. "The Pantheon Game™1957" by Hubble K. Qubble. When questioned about it he simply chose to shrug and give a nonsensical response.

"Okay I don't remember buying this game. What about you Paul?", Shawn questioned only to get a 'no' in response. "Okay, so where'd you get this game in the first place, Erick?", opening it to reveal a set of instructions two sets of cards, and an instruction booklet.

"Like I said, 'storage'.", and he left it at that. "Anyways can we play already. The longer we wait the more I consider my life choices.", groaning. "Believe me when I say I don't need more of that."

"Ah, fine.", Pulling the rulebook from off the top, Shawn opened it and began to read,

"Greeting my fellow Deities, are you ready for some excitement, some hubbub, and a little something to "Razz your Berries". Well look no further, it has arrived. Pantheon, short for The Pantheon Game, is a new style of game, meant for adults only. Events, Prizes, and More are all in store. All types of different playstyles, to make sure everyone has a good time.

Taking place in the world of Elthoria," placing board game on table, "you must guide the people of your Realms, through Conquest, Culture, Wealth, or Other. Be warned while you may work together, only one may win. As there can truly only be one head of the Pantheon. Good luck, Future God King or Queen. - Hubble K. Qubble.", Shawn finishes.

"Erick, I love the premise, but seriously where'd you get this game.", pulling out a set of cards and what looked like character sheets.

"Like I said twice 'storage'...", annoyed while mumbling something.

"I'm sorry what was that?", Paul asks.

Looking embarrassed, "The art building... dumpster.", he replies.

"Backup where?", Ian said while tossing the box top, whose art he had been admiring, on the floor. Fine I walked outside and found it lying on top. It was wrapped in some plastic bags, and figured it was some old textbooks someone threw away that I could sell later. When I opened it and saw the game, I figured we play it and if wasn't any good I'd sell it later.

"Okay but still... dumpster games, this games probably missing cards or rule pages. Are you sure we can still play?", Ian said.

"I'm sure it's fine.", I said.

"Yeah, it was actually unopened and still sealed in plastic wrap when I opened it, so everything's still inside. It was probably left in the basement by whoever bought it, and it was thrown out by the cleaning crews since it looked like it was in some trash."

"Okay, just warn us next time, I said, we would like to know what we're getting into.

"Yeah well, why not play and find out.", pointing to the still open rule book in Shawn's hand.

"Fine... Okay lets see.", albeit reluctantly Shawn continues to read.

Explanation of rules:

1. Make Character: First Select Race, stats, Class & Abilities, personal details, and finally religious practices, structure, and beliefs.

Roll for Stats, Backstory, Personality Traits, and decide a sub goal.

Personality Traits: Cynical, optimistic, insane, lustful, etc.

Backstory Example: Roll dice 1 and get Unfortunate soul, "Bad things have happened to you and have resulted in your life being hard and tumultuous.", and Roll dice 20 lucky blessed soul self explanatory.

Sub goals are additional goals aside from your main goal that can provide you with extra points, abilities, and or other unique events.

Decide your godly Domain, class, and abilities. Domains, classes and abilities, are also self explanatory, although abilities can accessed created based on followers, class, and domain.

2. Accumulate points and resources:

Fp- Follower points based on true follower numbers.

Rp- Resources or Resource Points. Gathered in game

Dp- Divinity points. Gathered from followers, completion of goals, and card completion.

3. Solve Problems: Either from players, world & personal, and card events

4. Play turns based on main goals: Improve society, gain wealth, conquer territory, or etc..

5. Complete sub goals: World's Strongest, Smartest, most lovers, vengeance, etc.

6. Complete a, example, main goal to win.

Culture Route- followers society reaches culture win.

Wealth- followers society reaches wealth win.

Conquest- followers society conquer reaches win.

Alright Character Creation: we selected 5 blank sheet, and a previously unseen, despite how large it was, 200 sided die.

We decided to all use the same stat numbers just in different areas. Furthermore, we each chose one domain off a list based on how high or low our scores were. It was a lot like one of those old compatibility dating tests placing in a certain domain based on stats, personality, other trait in and out of game.

Race was what we would look like to our followers, and was basically a dice roll as well although it was limited to a list of 10 races. 1-20 were humans, 21-40 were elves, 41-60 were dwarves, 61-80 were gnomes, 81-100 giants, 101-120 Dragons,121-140 Dryads, 141-160 Eldritch being, 161-18o Elemental, 181-200 Custom. Variants and traits were included, just included on a separate list I'll get to later.

After which we assigned the rest of our charts details ending up looking like this.

Mark:

Name: Maracam

Domain: Farming

Race: Human

Strength: 62

Dexterity: 42

Endurance: 54

Intelligence: 64

Wisdom: 44

Fortitude: 200

Charisma:74

Clarity: 148

Constitution: 160

Resistances: Earth, Metal, Physical.

Weaknesses: Fire, Plague, Nature

Abilities: Harvester's Blessing

Personality:...

Backstory: ...

Appearance: ...

Quests: ...

Goal: ...

Sub goal: ...

Paul:

Name: Paula

Domain: Nature

Race: Nature Dragon

Strength: 42

Dexterity: 62

Endurance: 74

Intelligence: 54

Wisdom: 44

Fortitude: 148

Charisma:64

Clarity: 200

Constitution: 160

Resistances: Nature, Water

Weaknesses: Chaos, Order

Abilities: Fertile Growth

Personality:...

Backstory: ...

Appearance: ...

Quests: ...

Goal: ...

Sub goal: ...

Ian:

Name: Ion

Domain: Light

Race: Light Dragon

Strength: 54

Dexterity: 74

Endurance: 62

Intelligence: 42

Wisdom: 64

Fortitude: 160

Charisma:44

Clarity: 148

Constitution: 200

Resistances: Light, Radiance, Holy

Weaknesses: Shadow, Unholy, Corruption

Abilities: Holy Blessings

Personality: ...

Backstory: ...

Appearance: ...

Quests: ...

Goal: ...

Sub goal: ...

Erick:

Name: Ericka

Domain: Battle

Race: Giant

Strength: 74

Dexterity: 44

Endurance: 64

Intelligence: 62

Wisdom: 42

Fortitude: 200

Charisma:54

Clarity: 148

Constitution: 160

Resistances: Physical, Fire, Metal

Weaknesses: Ice

Abilities: Warrior's Battlecry

Personality:

Backstory:

Appearance:

Quests:

Goal:

Sub goal:

Shawn:

Name: Sarronil

Domain: Craft

Race: Dwarf

Strength: 64

Dexterity: 54

Endurance: 44

Intelligence: 74

Wisdom: 62

Fortitude: 160

Charisma: 42

Clarity: 200

Constitution: 148

Resistances: Fire, Order, mental

Weaknesses: Chaos

Abilities:

Crafter's Wisdom

Personality: ...

Backstory: ...

Appearance: ...

Quests: ...

Goal: ...

Sub goal: ...

"Alright so what do we do for personality?", it seemed simple, but was influenced by backstory. Which influenced it as well.

"Well let's see...", Shawn begins but is stopped when the lights suddenly flickered and went out. And next thing we know, or rather I know, I find myself adrift amidst a void.

"Hello?", but there is no response. Then there is a light, and then a world. Well what now?