One murder makes a villain, millions a hero.

Rethgood the Redolent blinked sweat and blood from his eyes as he tugged his sword from the limp form at his feet. He staggered as he looked about himself, a haze of nausea welled up inside him as his head hummed from the blows it had received – a swarm of wasps buzzing around inside his head and stinging at his mind. The corners of the world closed in on him, and seeing no more wolves he finally dropped to his knees, placed broken hands into the white carpet that lay upon the grass as he heaved clouds of breath out into the cold morning air.

“Hey maaaaaaaaaaaaan. Like, what’s with all the rage?”

Rethgood looked up and saw an orc approaching from the trees to his right, he scrambled to gain his feet, slipped on the frosty ground and fell prone. Clutching at the grass with hands that stained the pristine canvas with crimson, he pulled himself away from the orc, whimpering to himself all the while.

“Duuuude! Like, wow, you killed all these wolves? Awwwww heck, man, why’d you do that? What have you got against the wolves man, they’re God’s creatures maaaaan, just like you and me…”

“You’re… mot… cweadure ob God” panted Rethgood, the words formed through a swollen mouth full of blood sounded slow and stupid to his ears.

“Oh hey maaaaan, don’t be like that. Don’t be all, like, Mr Angry. Relax, dude.”

“WELAX? I’b dyig here you gween fweak…” Rethgood choked on his anger and vomited blood down his front.

“Oh wow. Well man, maybe you shouldn’t have hurt those wolves man.”

“Wh… harghk… whad?”

“They weren’t doing no wrong. Just livin’ their lives here, like, in peace. With the nature an’ all, man, you know? We’re all happy here man, why’d you have to come along and bring your bad vibes? You’re, like, totally bringing the place down.”

“Thad wab the idea you gobbam monsder”

“Monster? Hey man, I’m not, like, the one who came charging in here killing all Big Mother N’s children. You’re like, totally bad karma man, you know? Like, bad mojo. You need to mellow man. Me-llowww.”

“Yo…. gaghk… you’re mad.”

“Mad? I suppose so man, we’re all a little mad you know? But you crazy folks keep coming in here and killing the innocent children of Gaia, man. We’ve all got a right to live. You people just need to chill, try to understand it from our point of view.”

Rethgood sobbed as the orc bent over him, he could feel the creature’s breath on the back of his neck. He tried to turn himself over, fend the creature off in some way, but his limbs had long stopped obeying his commands. He squeezed his eyes closed and waited for the inevitable.

The orc’s lips rolled back in a grin, huge tusks and pointed teeth framed in red velvet, drew its arm from behind its back and slowly, gently, placed a crown of daisies on Rethgood’s head.

“Peace, man.” it said.

Rethgood watched from one half-opened eye as the orc walked away, a wolf padded along beside it now and a hawk sat on its shoulder; the forest seemed to wrap its long branched arms tenderly about the orc as it melted away into the shadows.

Ever noticed how all the animals that attack you on sight never seem to have any problem with the humanoid NPCs in the area? I picture them all living in perfect hippy harmony, at one with nature and creation. Their lives are happy until adventurers come along and slaughter them wholesale because some stranger told them to.

Think of all the wildlife that we PCs kill during our adventuring lives because someone with a pocketful of gold compelled us. No wonder so many of the wild animals in MMOs attack us but leave everyone else alone.

Sometimes you have to wonder whether we’re not the heroes but the villains after all.

5 thoughts on “One murder makes a villain, millions a hero.

  1. Riknas

    I do wonder if this is an actual serious post. That said, there are plenty of the times in games (WAR, for example) where you really are the villain.

    Many more a case where the game pretty much tells you, “Yea. Those things? They friggin kill EVERYTHING. Can you fix that?”

    I am a bit thrown off by so many animals leaving each other alone. Eco-systems don’t really get too much thought do they? Sure. WoW might have a wolf kill the occasional rabbit, but the only game I’ve seen touch upon it anymore than that is Aion, where in some zones creatures seemingly all at odds will tear at each other where their spawn zones seem to mix a bit. Hmm.

  2. Melmoth Post author

    @Riknas: I always loved the wolves in WoW: they would run over and kill a rabbit, then run back and stand beside the deer they were ignoring beforehand. They’re just petulant bastards, although that’s probably more genuine character development than you’ll ever get with Arthas.

    Perhaps as part of the Cataclysm, Blizzard should have any remaining rabbits gang up as though they were in a post-apocalyptic game such as Fallen Earth, dress them in spiky leather and goggles and have them hunt the remaining wolves for sport.

    @Stabs: “The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing man that he didn’t exist. That and the belief that phat loots are worth killing for.”
              — Usual Suspects, Director’s Cut

  3. Capn John

    Warsong Lumber Camp in Ashenvale. The workers are slaving away while supervisors oversee the work…as wolves & spiders wander quite happily among them.

    Then you turn up and even if you’re an Orc, exactly like the other Orcs, the wolves do not hesitate to attack you. You can be a level 80 and able to incinerate the wolves just by sneezing on them, and yet they’ll ignore the lower level, less powerful guards and attack you.

    I’ve got your immersion right here, buddy. Snap! Hear that? That was your immersion. Yeah, that’s right; it’s broken.

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