Gamewood (The Book of Desolation)

1. And in those days, the great kilns of the ancients
belched forth noxious fumes, and the men of old
coughed their lives into the void.
2. The Progenitor, fourth of his line, established the
great refinery in the time before memory.
3. His forefather vanished into the mists of Acadia,
where earth and sky merged in unholy union.
4. The Patriarch extracted life-essence from stone,
naming it Maroon Fuel, a blasphemy against nature.
5. He wrung sustenance from the bruised heavens,
standing tall amidst the desolation of his creation.
6. The laborers, mere husks of humanity, flailed at
spectral beings, unseen by mortal eyes.
7. And lo, the Moon diminished, retreating from the
sorrow of the Earth.
8. In dilapidated dwellings and abandoned houses of
worship, the people whispered of their doom.
9. For the old ways crumbled like the mountains, weary
of their eternal vigil.
10.In the latter days, a serpent-chariot, corroded by time,
ascended the Witch’s Path for twelve cycles.
11.The Serpent-Tamer, leader of the Band, perceived the
snare laid before them.
12.For they were embroiled in the Second War of
Division, their spirits as stagnant as ancient waters.
13.The Serpent-Tamer administered unholy sacraments:
the dust of angels, the milk of poppies, and the
crystal of enlightenment.
14.The Band suffered great tribulations, their bodies
crying out for false salvation.
15.One among them spoke in tongues of desire, and was
cast out to the dwelling of Marie the Elder.
16.When the sacraments took hold, the Narrator offered
tribute to the Serpent-Tamer: currency and a golden
idol.
17.The Serpent-Tamer, young in years but old in
wisdom, was guided by dark prophets of antiquity.
18.Inanimate objects came alive with unholy purpose,
tormenting the faithful.
19.Before the revival of Videi, mystery-worker of
Gamewood, the Narrator sought chemical oblivion.
20.Videi smote a man for his transgressions, removing
his ear as punishment for unknown sins.
21.The Band dreaded the Hour of Nine, when sleep must
be undisturbed lest the sun mark them as outcasts.
22.The men of color were untroubled, but false armies
grew restless, demanding tribute of outdated worth.
23.And so it was foretold: the end times approached,
with the four horsemen riding a yellow chariot of
learning to the final judgment