The gradient shades of the night sky shifted from what it was a moment ago, a dark blue blanket which the moons and stars sat upon. To now the rising of the first rays of the sunlight peeking above the dawning sky.

The whole city itself, Kurajur, shined like an inland lighthouse throughout the night before dawn rose. The city, which was composed of hundreds of stonework buildings, all standalone yet reachable, laid itself on and around three mountains which poked oddly in the middle of a relatively flat zone. The mounds act like massive bonfires in the night. But soon after the break of day, the fires and distant stars which were shown over the Marchland of Sonder were no longer necessary to fill in the darkness as the sun rose up once more. And the moons seemingly almost disappeared from existence, with only a ghostly fade waiting for the next night.

The fading of the moons also resembled the fading of Sayooshi’s project right before his eyes. The three player characters of Krafty, RemixHorizon, and Sayooshi still stood in the outdoor hot spring pools conversing under the changing sky. At this time many NPCs woke up from their slumbers, yet the Players known as the ‘divine spirits’ continued to fool around.

As the leader of a so far non-existent project, it became apparent to Sayooshi that cooperating with others for his goal was very difficult. He expected that he needs others to aid him, but he didn’t expect the difficulties that would pose on his goal. The most annoying thing about this to Sayooshi was his undesired but necessary realization that compromises must be made. Compromises which required modifications to his idealized plan, otherwise it couldn’t come into fruition because nobody else would ever be willing to follow through the ideas he proposed.

There was really no value in the notion of a “better” and “long lasting” Player government for the majority of Players, especially Players like Krafty and RemixHorizon. He could not afford to be picky. The government mechanics implemented into Divine Mortality were indeed a selling point, but the difficulties and realities of establishing a proper running Player Government became apparent to anyone who was interested in meddling with it. Besides Groupings (Parties, Groups, Guilds/Clans) and Governments, there are organizations which are like open Guilds which usually serve a purpose such as playing a role in the ingame economy. So, when most Players realized that their needs for virtual organization, logistics, crafting, command, etc. could be found in Organizations, then their desires for a Player Government lessened.

That is not to say there haven’t been any attempts, of course there have, but a Player Government becomes susceptible to the AI world. Bandits or other inworld groups would treat the governments as prey to chew down on, and if a Player Government grew too large then the local NPC authorities often would clamp down on the possibilities of its rise. Since, proclaiming a new government is translated in Divine Mortality as proclaiming a new country. And the cautious or paranoid major nations of Divine Mortality, such as the Kingdom of Graypine or the Chiefdom of Visiwend take glad precautions at curbing potential Player Governments until their eventual non-existence. Finally, the most crushing blow to the notion of a proper Player Government functioning comes down to resources. Two resources. Specifically, money and Players. Money to create, building, and upkeep the Player Government and all the tiny yet amazing details which go into actually creating a ‘real’ virtual country within Divine Mortality. While Players, the potential lifeblood of any Player Government, is what determines its direction and purpose. Without an active player base to enjoy their participation in a new country, then it may as well be pointless for many. They may as well join already inbuilt and already detailed ingame countries which already have professionally written lore, music, art, and even some voice lines to accompany them.

And since Sayooshi’s goal is to create and uphold a proper Player Government, he must and already has begun to consider many of these possibilities and accept the facts that come along with them. Before today, he merely dreamed, but now he must somehow effectively apply all of those dreams into reality.

In a single night and from only a couple hours of gameplay, a whirl of simultaneous brain waves spawned in many new realizations which hit Sayooshi. All of his pent-up desires of creating his ideal Player Government couldn’t ever be made by themselves, by ideas alone. So, while he held an abundance of lonely ideas, he also held on to something new, an emptiness. He felt a new sensation, which was the void of knowing other people’s knowledge and experiences.

All of this was spawned in Sayooshi because of chance. He found himself in a completely radical scenario today than the one he was in yesterday. What was once his comfort zone no longer existed. He was removed from his previous guild, met, and conversed with a stranger named RemixHorizon, and even tolerated interacting with an extremely odd roleplayer called Krafty.

He now required cooperation. Which requires compromise. But for someone who has been playing their video games and living their life in complete selfishness, it’s very difficult for Sayooshi to acknowledge and accept that he must improve himself upon his faults. However, he at least understands that the time is now.

“So anyways, let me get this straight. You don’t care about Player Governments, but you do want to profit from it?”

“You make it sound like I don’t take any consideration into your fun with Player Governments. What I’m saying is…like, I want to help you create a Player Government so I could make a lot of money (because May told me to practice becoming an entrepreneur in a video game before real life…) but it’s not like I don’t also see what’s so fun about Player Governments. I have a friend, oh, actually two friends, who would probably really like participating but I’m pretty sure they are busy or something. The point is, I actually know a thing or two about Player Governments! I’m not stupid enough to offer bad help in exchange for lots of money…that would be super embarrassing!!!”

“Ahh, the way you say it now makes a lot more sense. I can see what you mean now!”

“So, am I in?”

“Hold on, what about your guild? You said it’s a small one, so wouldn’t that mean you guys often need each other to do dungeons or something?”

“Nope. Not a problem! My guild, Afatenity, is active…kind of. It’s more like we’re all individually active but sometimes play together to do something, but more often we just chat together or request help. I usually request help and May helps me… oh but much more often it’s WiseMaster gathering us to go see Eseli… and-“

“Alright! Sorry to interrupt, but I get the point. I’m kind of rushing right now because a certain brat is already leaving before hearing what I want to say to them!”

RemixHorizon paused in motion. Like a cat caught unaware by a stranger. In the middle of their sneaky escape, RemixHorizon had just turned on their “City Shadow” stealth ability which allows the player character to slowly transform into a half invisible figure that is also suited to camouflage in an urban environment. In a nervous grinning laugh, RemixHorizon selected the character emote animation “cheeky3”. A cartoonish slightly sly and slightly smug smile. They merely stood there, still paused in motion and silent. Not moving an inch, hoping for a miraculous release from the hellhole which was the actually very pleasant hot spring pool courtyard. Sadly, for RemixHorizon in this scenario, she wasn’t able to play with a cute chubby sunmel character for a quick moment, instead it was a time waste because of the place was a torturous experience with no escape due to Krafty’s crazy behaviour and the unnecessary discussion about Player Governments which RemixHorizon cared little about. “So, maybe if I continue to stay still and not move…they won’t notice me…?”

“I can still see you!” poked Sayooshi

Sayooshi learned firsthand of Krafty’s desire to help in creating the Player Government and both agreed into partnership. Meanwhile, RemixHorizon displayed little to no interest in the consideration Player Governments. Their desires remain unclear to Sayooshi. However, since the beginning, Sayooshi was curious about RemixHorizon. There seemed to be no good reason other than coincidence that the both of them happened to be at the same spot in the vast wilderness when they met. However, Sayooshi is smart enough to recognize that there existed a common factor in their meeting. The Chocolate Milk Kittens. The guild base was still nearby after Sayooshi’s departure. RemixHorizon probably has some sort of interest with the Chocolate Milk Kittens. Knowing this, Sayooshi now plans to somehow utilize that information to convince RemixHorizon.

“Krafty, have you already bought a room in this inn?”

“Yup, yes I have.”

“Then, Remix can we finally buy that cheaper room?”

RemixHorizon’s voice quickly shifted into a newer and chirpy tone

“Oh yeah yeah yeah! That’s why we came here after all right?!”

In a comedic fashion, the tiny exchange and feigned ignorance of the ‘great escape’ attempted by RemixHorizon was brushed aside.

Finally, Sayooshi went confidently to the inn’s counter, to talk to the dwarf lady waitress NPC in request of purchasing a room that both Sayooshi and RemixHorizon shared in paying the fee.

So far, Sayooshi understood that RemixHorizon was a skillful ninja player and someone who was indifferent to roleplayers. They also might be affiliated with the Chocolate Milk Kittens, and if he remembers it right…they even mocked him for getting kicked out of that guild which was baby-friendly. Also, RemixHorizon obviously seems to like to curse a lot like a brat but claims to be a college student which is hard for Sayooshi to believe. Yet, of course, that is barely enough information for Sayooshi to get to know RemixHorizon better. Oh no, am I actually a weirdo? Sayooshi thought to himself whether he was obsessed over getting the help from RemixHorizon as well. He already knows that he wants to be friends with them, but he recognizes that half of his desire to eb friends with RemixHorizon pretty much comes from the superstition. Meeting RemixHorizon in such a cinematic-level atmosphere was the ideal amount of immersion expected from Divine Mortality. But that was hard for Sayooshi to enjoy since he viewed the enjoyability of immersion from the game like the average player did. “Oh, that’s pretty nice, and oh wow these NPCs are so life-like! Wow this world is huge, I guess I can feel the mountains even though I’ve never been on mountains before” types of feelings, but nothing more. Yet, there was something truly special about his meeting with RemixHorizon that he couldn’t exactly identity no matter how many times he could try. At this point, in relation to RemixHorizon, all that matter was becoming friends with them. Maybe, even getting their help for his Player Government project doesn’t even matter anymore. Sayooshi walks a fine line between his enjoyment of “philosophy” and the adventures provided from real mechanics of a video game, versus the enjoyment of “imagination” and “roleplay immersion”.

The stories which Sayooshi seeks from Divine Mortality derive not from the lore behind the lance weapon his player character carries, but instead from the actions possible from his lance. And on a grander level, the stories which can be created from the already established mechanics available to the player. And yet, he can’t help but to open himself up for the new possibilities laid out before him, even if they alter from his original idealized ideas which lay in abundance in the background yet to be used strategically.