All Gods assemble - A path to hedonism

"If that is indeed true, as crazy as it sounds, why are you telling me this? Following your story so far, I am to be reincarnated to another world through your system. Is this knowledge important to me? Will I even remember it?"

[Who knows... I'm just having a conversation with my first intelligent being in eons. Basically I am using you in order to alleviate my own boredom.]

"I see. And can you explain what and how did Prometheus managed to convince the other 999 gods to leave Earth? It kind of seems like a far fetched idea..."

[It does doesn't it? How and why would Gods abandon their only hope for existence. Even if they could continue to live on, they would lose their divinity and with it, their purpose and their true power. That's why that specific council became the most important one in all of creation's history. But rather than talking about it, how about we watch it!]

"Huh!?"

After saying so with a smile on his face, again, by snapping his fingers we were standing in a middle of some huge building akin to an ancient Greek amphitheater. He signaled me with a slight movement of his chin to follow and we started ascending the stairs, somewhere towards the middle rows where we took our seats, preparing to watch the most relevant play in human history. He then smiled and snapped his fingers again, followed by a blinding light engulfing the entirety of the space around us.

All of a sudden, loud voices started clamoring around us and by reopening my eyes in confusion, I saw the same room, now bustling with liveliness as talks between different people and different groups occurred everywhere on the seats in this place. Some showed concerned faces, while others were calm and collected. Some voiced their doubts about 'the situation at hand' according to what I heard, while others showed comfort in the assembly and its future prospects.

There were many people around, while myself and this 'Reaper' were seated in the middle. He pointed towards the stage where someone was walking slowly towards the middle,reminding me of a host I once saw at a charitable event.

This was the assembly of the Gods he mentioned and I was now watching how real history unfolded. A smile sneakily broke on my face.

All of a sudden, the commotion around us seemed to die down, while everybody was focusing their attention on the middle of the stage where the host raised his right hand in an attempt to calm down the divine 'crowd'. The man that now stood there was donning a white suit, similar to the one Reaper wore, opened his arms widely and took an exaggerated bow.

[Welcome beloved brothers and sisters to the Hall of Gods and thank you for answering my call so promptly. I Prometheus, the host of this assembly, will explain the reason behind it, ask for your opinion and then propose a solution for it.]

I was amazed by the sheer confidence of his speech and the smart businessman-like smile he wore at the end of his brief introduction. By quickly glancing around, I could see that even the faces that showed discomfort or concern previously, were now strangely reassured, while the others had a 'See, I told you there's nothing to worry about!' expression when looking at him. I wasn't sure if this was something akin to mass brainwashing or he was that talented at leading the crowds.

[Without further ado, like all of you know, the reason for us gathering here is that the Void Chamber is reaching its full capacity, while the people on Earth keep increasing in numbers. We are to discuss the measures we will take. Please voice your thought without any worry, since that is the reason for us being here!] (Prometheus)

[Isn't it time already to do as I asked eons ago? Start the reincarnation circle! When they die, the people will simply start over anew. Keep the same number of believers at all times.] (Brahma)

[Spoken like a true God of creation. However, at this point it is impossible. The number of souls in the Void Chamber are too many to start a reincarnation circle. To put it in numbers there are enough to create around five hundred Earth like worlds and fill them to the brim with people.] (Prometheus)

[Also, my beloved brother, doing so and starting a reincarnation circle would tip the balance of believers towards your religion. That would bring about the end of more than half of the Gods here present.] (Adrestia)

[That is also true Adrestia. Exactly like the goddess of Balance mentioned, we must not tip the scales in favor of one religion, while forsaking the others. That will spell the end of most of our family. But that's why, it should be exactly what we should do.] (Prometheus)

[Prometheus, I apologize but I must've misunderstood you right now. Did you just suggest that we let our brothers and sisters die? Even for a trickster, there should be a limit to your jokes.] (Osiris)

[Osiris, calm down and hear him until the end. He has never been one to disappoint until now. He must have something in mind, otherwise he wouldn't have said in the beginning that he also has a solution to propose as well. Isn't that so, Prometheus?] (Odin)

[It is indeed so Odin, however, this solution is rather uncommon. So before we talk about it, let's address another problem us Gods usually face. You must have heard me complain about it since an eternity ago.] (Prometheus)

[Are you talking about your boredom again brother? Surely, it is indeed a problem we all face, but one usually solves it by actually WORKING for their faithful, you know?] (Hera)

[Hahahhaaha! Indeed they do my lovely sister, indeed they do. But, what if that wouldn't be necessary? What if, we could solve both problems by finding just one solution to them. What if, at the same time, we could also see which God or Goddess of War stands superior over the others?] (Prometheus)

[Like always, you truly have a way with words Prometheus. You know well that we aren't allowed to fight among each other to prove supremacy. Even if that is what our nature dictates...even if it is a barbaric way to prove it, while our instincts crave for it.] [Bishamonten]

[Since the beginning of times, once the conflicts between people surfaced, we had played our little games by giving them support and knowledge of the battlefield. Exactly like little sister Bishamonten said, we do crave for war, but at the same time we are wise enough to know of it being impossible, since it would lead to the ruin of too many lives, therefore working against the current problem we need to solve.] (Freyja)

[And we decided against war, in order to nurture the way of the thought! We decided to create scholars instead of soldiers, in hope that by doing so, they will achieve great improvement. And so they did, residing now on the top of a civilization so advanced, it can't even be compared to what it was in the ancient times of Earth. So, tell us Prometheus, how do you plan to achieve both yours, our brothers and sisters desires, while also nurturing the humans that worship us.] (Ra)

[You all know me as one the oldest among the Gods here present and I have always did my best to ensure that all of our family and the humans residing in the mortal world receive a fair life. But even so, at this very moment, we have countless souls residing in the Void surrounded by nothingness, a fate that is worse than death. Also, at the same time, we have some of our brothers and sisters that are slowly but certainly being forgotten by the people on Earth, due to the same advance in civilization mentioned by you my brother Ra. So? What should we do in this case? How do we satisfy both our own selfish desires, offer salvation to the souls in the Void Chamber and leave Earth to continue on its path of development, while it will surely forget most of us here soon enough?] (Prometheus)

The entire building started clamoring again, obviously rattled by the complex words of the trickster. On his face a vivid smile could be seen, that he didn't even bother hiding. At the same time, the Reaper beside me wore a really nostalgic smile, apparently in anticipation of the answer he was about to give.

The true history about to unfold, guided by the desire of one selfish God to alleviate his boredom... who knew that reality was so much better than what was written in books!

[No less than 100 billion souls left in the Void Chamber, serving no purpose whatsoever. Only one million believers required, in order for a God to reach and sustain his full strength. What I propose to you, my brothers and sisters, is 100 million believers to each God to rule over, as well as the possibility to prove supremacy in both the arts of war or culture, in such a system that will appease the boredom of all of us at the same time.] (Prometheus)

The clamor previously couldn't even be compared to the one this time. It was an uproar filled with both anticipation, curiosity, indignation, anger and uncertainty. But there was one feeling that was oozing from all the Gods present: desire.

If there was one thing that Prometheus made obvious through his speech, was that Gods are selfish and egocentric beings that desire above all to alleviate their boredom and prove their supremacy against the others. Therefore obviously, if presented with such opportunity to do both, why would they refuse it? For the sake of appearance initially, maybe abstain from doing so, but count on the majority to decide the way that you also hope for.

After a couple of minutes, just like at a concert, the 'conductor' of an orchestra made entirely by Gods, raised both of his hands, bringing about silence from the audience.

[What I want to create for you my brothers and sisters, is a game of Gods played by man, while every ruler will stay above his own world and guide its advancement, while at the same time competing against the others.] (Prometheus)

[War between Gods? Between family? Is that what you have in mind brother?] (Ra)

[War? No! No, no, no Ra! I am the God of mischief, the eternal trickster and the one who gifts. This, my brother, is nothing more than a gift I provide to all of you! War between family? Far from it! I offer you a GAME between family!] (Prometheus)

[It is immoral to use the souls of humans to our own devices Prometheus! Furthermore, to alleviate our boredom and amuse ourselves!? You should know better than that!] (Hera)

[And is it less immoral to leave them rot in the hell that is the eternity of nothingness provided by the Void Chamber!? I ask of all of you here, Gods and Goddesses, haven't we been created from the desire of the humans to be led? We have! Haven't we seen since ancient times that humans long for wars and supremacy as well? We have! And finally, haven't we been created in their image, borrowing aspects both physic and mentality from them? We were! So why deny both them and us from what we truly desire? Given the choice to each one of those souls between nothingness and the opportunity to live, breathe, eat, love and worship their Gods once again...which would they chose my beloved family?] (Prometheus)

[And fight amongst each other to the death for our entertainment?] (Freyja)

[Entertainment? No! They will fight each other and die for the glory of the God that rules above them, with the promise of being once again reborn to do the same! They will fight to the death to prove that their God is supreme and that the path their civilization followed was the correct one, be it drowned in blood by the soldiers, or written on papers by the scholars. Or why not both? This is an equal opportunity for all of us!] (Prometheus)

The assembly's sudden silence was... deafening. Nobody was saying anything, but every one of the Gods was contemplating the scenario presented so skillfully, where they could once more be worshiped by millions, instead of being slowly and certainly forgotten. It appeared impossible to say no to this offer. That was until a voice roared across the hall.

[Your plan is riddled with holes Prometheus. What is to become of the Earth we have cared for? What is going to happen once the souls will fight in this war of Gods and all die? How do you ensure a fair chance to every God, given that some of them are weakened by the lack of faith from the humans?] (Apollo)

[You know me too well Apollo, to think so little of me. To ensure fairness, a system will be created that will put all Gods and Goddesses on the same level of power, in order for them not to have a head start against others in a potential war. Therefore let me explain how this game will play out, brother.] (Prometheus)

The God which just spoke nods silently and with a smile, Prometheus snaps his fingers creating behind him something akin to a wall on which movies are usually projected inside of a cinema. He snaps his fingers again and an image of Earth as a planet comes into view. He then proceeds to explain his intentions.

[This is the planet we nurtured since our coming into existence. Now imagine one thousand other such planets, each bearing the name their God or Goddess sees fit. All are the same size as Earth is, but it will be left to each ruler to decide how the continents are split since it will be of heavy importance later on. At the same time the game will be based on wars between such worlds, taking place at specified number of years in human time. To put it simply, at that time a gate can be opened to attack a specific world of the God's choosing, but in order to be fair, only one such gate can be opened per world, meaning that all battles will be held God vs God in the beginning.] (Prometheus)

[Why only in the beginning?] (Bishamonten)

[Because at a later point in time, for example 10000 years in human time since the game started, alliances between Gods will be allowed, in order to expand the possibilities of the game. But if the game doesn't start with a protection period, each God will incur losses early on, maybe even meet the end of the game all too soon, therefore inconveniencing the improvement and evolution of their world. To make sure we can avoid that, for a period of 1000 years, each God and Goddess will nurture their world into evolving and increasing both their numbers and their knowledge first, so that later on they can either sharpen their spears or polish their shields. From that point onward, we will decide on a time frame for the repeating wars and how are they going to be fought. Also, while alliances early on are prohibited, trading will be allowed between worlds after the first 1000 years.](Prometheus)

[You said that everything will be fair. How do you intend to do so, since all of us here present will participate in the game. How do you ensure that YOUR 'system' won't provide assistance or an advantage over the others, to a single one? Say...you for example.] (Odin)

[The answer to that is rather simple. We need someone to take over ruling the Earth and keep nurturing their growth, while at the same time, we need someone to create this system that will take all the power from us and split it into one thousand equal parts and finally, also equally split the existing souls between us and provide new ones. Both the system and the rules will be enforced by an outsider to the game.] (Prometheus)

[You should know that is impossible to do so. In order to force us under a system that takes away our power and grants it to another, such thing is impossible to a God with as much influence as even you currently have Prometheus. Aren't you the one that currently is the strongest among us here? And even then, it should be impossible for you to do so.] (Odin)

[It is so because the current worship is being split between too many gods. But what if all of it were to go to a single one, that would act as a recipient and then pass it to us? What if we would create a new belief, in a new God and spread it among our faithful? I certainly have enough strength to make this happen and sustain all of us until such a God will be born. From there onward everything we planned will happen like described.](Prometheus)

[Are you talking about forcing a God into existence? I see...that indeed would be possible.] (Ra)

[RA! How can you even entertain the idea? Is even worse than using the souls! What you are talking about is creating and enslaving a God, a brother or sister to do our bidding while we'll play? Is absurd!] (Hera)

[Yes it is. But, is it better to let our brothers and sisters die? Is it better to let all those souls rot away in the Void? We will create a God that is stronger than any of us, which will have knowledge of everything we ALL know and share the feelings we ALL have. What reason will he have for not wanting to rule over Earth alone and save his family, while we will be engaging in this game and conserving power for our return to Earth? No matter how you look at it, it is indeed a good plan.] (Ra)

[I can't believe you will agree to this! I am against it! We should do what we've done up to this point as well!] (Hera)

The building got rowdy and the 999 voices kept overlapping, each presenting its own view on the matter. There was only one voice which remained unheard, while watching over the others quietly. Like a hunter aiming for the right moment while eyeing its prey, he also waited patiently to reach this moment, the climax that he knew would turn everything in his favor. There was no malice lingering in his eyes, nor did this idea of his seemed to be created with ill intent. He simply wished for his family and himself to be excused from the endless boredom of eternity, while also saving the ones that will be erased from existence soon enough, by being forgotten.

He was indeed fighting for his family's well being.

[We will do it then, like we always had! Fairly, through a vote. On one hand we have the idea I've just proposed that will save our family and even increase it and on the other hand we have uncertainty that we can find a better solution. However, like always, no matter which option is voted successful, there will be no ill feeling or regret behind it. We will make sure both our worshipers and us continue to exist and thrive. Let us vote!] (Prometheus)

[All those against the idea presented by Prometheus raise your hand!] (Hera)

[Now all those in favor of proceeding with Prometheus's idea, raise your hand!] (Ra)

The votes were in and a sigh of relief could be heard from the host's face, that did his best to play his part until now, alone on the stage. The audience was feverish.

Some were bitter, while some expectant. Some were reluctant, while others eager. However, all of them knew that from this point onward, everything was going to change.

[And that is how I came into existence.] (Reaper)