Refer to original posts here and here

So, I spoke with my biggest responder on this project (Fred Hicks of Evil Hat Fame) and he said:

Fred: you still have my interest, though going to ‘kill’ from ’save’ is kind of an about-face.
and i’m trying to sort out my thought there :)

Me: Hmm, true.
Maybe they could still save him, as in save his soul.
That’d infuriate the old bastard.

Fred: maybe your actual game lives between the two of them
it’s about “do something about bierce”
and the progression of the game is folks figuring out which they want to do
maybe even with some of the system enforcing a split in agendas if you’re okay with PvP results
e.g., half of you want to save, half of you want to simply eliminate whatever

Me: right on

Fred: that’s my 5 seconds of impression :)

So, we’re back to Saving that damned soul, Mr. Bierce. Not only because Fred said so, but he’s also threatened to stalk me if I don’t make this.

The Bible

What a bunch of lies. The afterlife has nothing at all to do with suffering in Hell or a glorious Heaven. Get that nonsense out of your head. As a matter of fact, I won’t be mentioning any more biblical terms so as not to confuse you.

The Afterlife

When you finally make it to the afterlife, you find out that it is a House Divided between the Husband and the Wife. They’re married, see, but they’re also tired of each other (eternities will do that to you). So, since divorce can’t happen in a scale such as theirs, they’ve separated. They both live in the Big House. Upstairs is the Husband’s, Downstairs is the Wife’s, and the middle is where they meet when they choose to do so (that’d be where you and I live). And when they meet (via their Proxies, usually), they have Agendas.

Everyone, pretty much, wants to go Downstairs. The Wife throws a better party, don’t you know? But, see, the Husband has a better PR department. Everyone thinks they want to go Upstairs. They eventually learn better. But, some stuffy ones, they make it Upstairs and stay there.

You never make it to either Party (Upstairs or Downstairs) on the first try (the Husband doesn’t trust newcomers, despite his fervent wish to have a rockin’ party; the Wife is struggling against her Husband’s PR and needs the workers). You have do a stint for the respective hosts in the Middle back in the living world and when your time is up again, you’re get to try again, for real this time (suicide just gets you another stint).

The Husband doesn’t like a sausage fest and rarely allows men Upstairs. He only does so when his Wife can’t stand the guy and makes her Husband take him. The Wife is the most equitable of the two, since she likes a little variety in her big party Downstairs.

The Proxies

Once you make it to either Party, you get your hand stamped and you can go back whenever you want. Getting to the Middle is a little bit of an ordeal (you have to say your goodbyes and that takes a while), but once you’re there you’re acting on your Host’s behalf as a Proxy. You’re also the boss of any first-timer trying to complete their job for your Host as well.

Los Pistoleros

So, that thing I mentioned about the demographics of the Parties? Here’s where it comes into play. Since Downstairs is overflowing with men, the Wife makes a good chunk of them permanent Proxies. You know the guy that always shows up but is made to go and get another keg or pick someone up? That’s what I’m talking about. Always at the party but never at the party.

These guys are called Los Pistoleros. Why Spanish? Ask the Husband and Wife, I don’t know. They think it sounds better rolling off the tongue, I guess.

Las Arcángelistas

So, the Husband has his own Proxies, and due to his demographics, it has to be gals. No one looks better in wings, anyway.

So, why does all this matter? It didn’t, until Ambrose Bierce came along.

Ambrose seduced the Wife. How? He knew how to speak her language, was all. And, since she’s actually left the Party to hang out with her new man, the Husband isn’t too happy. He’s sent his Arcángelistas to solve the problem. But, since he won’t be leaving his Party unless someone makes him, Las Arcángelistas will solving the problem on their own. And, since the Husband dictated ‘free will’ in the Middle, it’s gonna be a hell of a ride.

Can you hear that? Sounds like the bikes of Las Arcángelistas. They’ve come to solve some problems.

Demon Hunters in a Wild West that Never Was.

Except that it’s not Dogs in the Vineyard :P

Ambrose Bierce has seduced the Devil herself, but hasn’t come out of the deal unchanged. Challenge the King of America’s demonic minions and fight your way to the Great Cynic’s Throne to save God’s wife, whether she wants to be saved or not!

Take on the roles of Las Arcángeles as they battle cynicism, pessimism, sexism and demons to better the world.