0.3 Prologue: Conversations with an Admin

I don’t know how long it lasted, that flash of white light. A few seconds, a few minutes,a few hours, years? When I regained awareness I was in an old fashion Victorian study. There was a dreamlike quality, I knew the shelves were covered with books, but I couldn’t actually focus on any of the details.

-“Welcome to Transition. Thank you for accepting the Responsibility for Protecting the Realm from the Beyond.”

It wasn’t English, or French, or German. I didn’t think it was Latin, Greek, or Hebrew, but admittedly my familiarity with those was limited. Despite being completely unfamiliar with the language, I understood the meaning completely. Rather than responding immediately, I took a breath and tried to focus on my interlocutor. Longish grey hair, beard, piercing intense grey eyes. He was wearing cream robes with a gold pin at his collar, of a head with two faces, crowned with, oak leaves? I felt sluggish, drugged almost. Thinking was like swimming through honey. That pin meant something, something important. Transition, he named this location Transition. He claimed I had accepted this, whatever it was.

-”Is this appearance not comforting? Is this better?”

What followed were a series of finger snaps, each resulting in the room changing. A subway station, a Greek temple, clouds floating in the sky, bare rock suspended in a strange starscape, and then back to the Victorian study. As I struggled with the disorientation, something snapped. Words unbidden came to my lips.

-”Janus Quirinus Portunus Kairos. Admin of transition, change, travel, doorways, Gatekeeper, Keybringer, Seer of the Past and Future.”

The word-vomit just exploded from me, in that same strange but comprehensible tongue. The name didn’t even make sense, since Janus, the Roman god of new beginnings, and Portunus the god of well, ports and entrances were considered to be separate entities. My Classic education wasn’t completely wasted. Quirinus, who was sometimes an aspect of Janus, was responsible for the transitions between war and peace. Often considered to be an old war god before Mars took over the role. Kairos is greek for time, as in the right time or moment, opposed to chronos meaning a more general sense of the passage of seasons. All this burbled up from my subconscious, while pounding headache was ringing in my brain like the bells of Notre Dame.

-”Well, well. A potential Onomancer. I was not expecting that.”

The ‘man’ laughed. A deep, rumbling laugh one might expect from a rosy cheeked yuletide elf. He seemed pleased with his discovery. He did not look like an ancient Roman. The robes reminded me of a desert wizard from a two sun planet more than anything else. As if the sputter freed my tongue, I said the first thing that came to me:

-”Who, What are you? Where am I? What is going on?”

I would have continued had he not interrupted me with his booming laugh.

-”Call me Janus if you will. It is as good a name as any. Better than most. I am a Senior SysOp Admin. Hmm, that didn’t translate how I intended, SyssssOpp. SysssssOppp! Admin. Aaadminnn. Peter Picked a Peck of Pickled Peppers. T-H-E-U-S. Admin! Well how do you like that. Normally you telestrial types translate that word as “god”. Hmm, “Divine Hierarchy.” Sysop Bureaucracy. Interesting! Anyhoo, I told you before, this is Transition.”

Each laugh was like a hammer blow to my head. Scattering my thoughts like leaves in the wind. Not a god but an Admin. I could deal with that. I was focusing on the wrong things, my awareness flowing like sand through my fingers. He had said something else. Something important I almost had it.

-”I did not accept Responsibility.”

Like a cork popping my thoughts were clear. The pain vanished as if never there. With the clairity came the precise memory of reading the gag embedded in the User Agreement for Legends of Lorecraft. I agreed to be summoned, to fight, to share. Nothing about Responsibility for the consequences of my summoning..

-”I was tricked. I wanted to play a game, not join a war.”

-”Belief was not required. Only informed consent. You agreed to Serve the Realm, Fight the Beyond, and share your Skills. In return you were granted Amusement.”

The pain was returning. His voice went from amused to stern. I am not normally good at reading tone of voice, but his words made my bones hurt. Debating the fairness of the agreement wasn’t going to win me any points. Responsibility, that was the key. If I was responsible for my choices, then…

-”Not just Amusement. A defined system of rules and options. An interface that allowed me insight into the abilities and behavior of others, and alerted me to potential dangers and opportunities. The option to pause out of combat play to consider my actions and their consequences. Access to gear commensurate with my level, and an Inventory in which to store it. Finally, the choice of when to play. I was summoned without warning, without preparation, and without Responsibility.”