tiger's eye

[dramatispersonae]

[ The hill in the Ring dissolves, leaving you alone with your team in a soft, featureless grey space. The Dog's genderless, gentle "voice" speaks into all of your minds, less anxious and more confident now; confiding. ]

My name is The Dog Who Dies At The End Of The Story. I don't remember the name I had before that, and I didn't know what this one was either, not till I chose a new Master. I don't think I was supposed to do that, but I did, so here we are.

I understand being a dog, and sometimes dogs die. But I don't understand dying, even when I know what it is. . . and in order to make a choice about it, I need to catch answers. I've died over and over and not understood yet. Maybe some of you have, too. I wanted . . . to ask what you thought. . . ?

Thank you. . . I won't be able to answer for a little while, so if you would. . . please answer for me.

[ You know instinctively that while the Dog will not answer your words for a while, once it asks you its questions you will be able to speak your answers when you've reached a consensus and be heard. ]

Comments

round one part one

[dramatispersonae]

[ The questions click into your mind like pieces into a puzzle. You know that you must answer them together as a group. ]

In your story, you've just died. They're mourning you back where your body is, or they're not; I don't know how much they loved you in this story.

The rest of you is following a trail away. What's at the end of it?

something warm or something cold.

something close or something far.


something or nothing.

discussion

[dramatispersonae]

Re: discussion

[existenshillist]

I don't think I like this.

Re: discussion

[karlsefni]

. . . It doesn't exactly look like a game of halatafl.

answer

[dramatispersonae]

[ Please answer as a group if you choose to answer this question: one answer each for the three "or" choices. ]

Re: answer

[karlsefni]

• Warm
• Close
• Something

round one part two

[dramatispersonae]

Why did you answer that way? Is that how you think it is, or know it is? How are you sure? Or is it just what you want to be true... has someone you loved died, and now you hope they're there?

Please help me understand.

discussion

[dramatispersonae]

Re: discussion

[existenshillist]

We answered that way because that's what you liked best!

Re: discussion

[awwwkward]

[looks at everyone else

help]

I don't know if I'm qualified to answer this stuff.

answer

[dramatispersonae]

[ Please answer as a group if you choose to answer this question: you can go into detail or not, but the thoughtfulness of your answer will affect your score and game results. ]

Re: answer

[awwwkward]

We answered that way because that's what we believe! And because we hope that the people we care about are in a place like that. It would suck to think "so those people who raised me and taught me everything I know and loved me a lot aren't in a nice, safe, warm place now that they're gone and I can't see them anymore." So it's like a wish for them and a wish for us. --But, you know, even if we can't prove it, we can have faith that's what it's like. And we'll see for ourselves eventually.

round two

[dramatispersonae]

What does death mean to you? Is there ever a time to die?

discussion

[dramatispersonae]

Re: discussion

[awwwkward]

That might be negotiable?

Re: discussion

[karlsefni]

. . . It means, the end.

answer

[dramatispersonae]

[ Please answer as a group if you choose to answer this question: you can go into detail or not, but the thoughtfulness of your answer will affect your score and game results. ]

Re: answer

[awwwkward]

Death is basically the end of life--unless you're somebody who's the exception to the rule. But otherwise it's not like we can live forever. Death just means you have to live your life the best you can while you've got it. We don't have a time to die, we've just got a life to live.

round three

[dramatispersonae]

Tell me about. . . the place you talked about in the first question, even if your answer was that it wasn't a place. What it looks like and feels like around you. Just so I can. . .

Thank you.

discussion

[dramatispersonae]

Re: discussion

[awwwkward]

What...death is like?

answer

[dramatispersonae]

Re: answer

[karlsefni]

. . . My father told me, of a place. It was when he held a dying man in his arms . . . that man, he saw something. I don't know what he saw. But. . . it must have been that place.

[ . . . takes a deep breath and speaks, borrowing the words of someone else ]

Far to the west, across the sea . . . there is a place called Vinland. It is warm, and rich, and . . . far, far away from the fires of war and the slave trade. No one can chase you to hurt you there.

[ pauses, his voice quavering ]

The sky is blue, the air is clear, the and is warm. . . the grass is soft on the roling plains, the land is untouched by man. Its warmth goes as far as the eye can see, for miles and miles. You can live—happily, there. There are no troubles, in Vinland. The air is good, the sheep tend well, the land is fertile . . . it is a good place.

[ and, barely above a whisper ]

I believe. . .that man, went to Vinland. He, and his family, and . . . my father.

[ pauses, looking to anna meaningfully ]

And many others, too. If there was truly a Christian heaven, that would be it.

result

[dramatispersonae]

Re: result

[dramatispersonae]

[ For a moment, the grey room warms, and scenery flows through as if it's been listening closely to Thorfinn's words: blue sky, fine sun, rolling grass, the sheep lowing on the field...

And others, others who you miss, lifting their heads to look up at you from where they smile among each other — existing in peace.

It feels as if it could only be a breath away, something as close to you as a hand on your cheek. But you aren't there, now: here and now, you are alive. ]

((endgame.))