Ferryman

Welcome to the River Styx, lost soul. Are you ready to depart? You seem confused. That is normal. Allow me to explain. Around the domain of Hades, six rivers form the border between the worlds of the living and the dead. Oceanus encircles the world while the other five issue forth from Hades' heart: Cocytus, of lamentation; Phlegethon, of fire; Lethe, of oblivion; Acheron, of pain; and Styx, of hate. For eons, I have -- [[ Wait, who are you? ]]

Oh hi. I am called Charon. I ply the waters of Hades' rivers and carry the spirits of dead mortals into the lands of mist and gloom. [[ Oh, so you're Death? The Reaper? ]] [[ I've heard of you. You're the Ferryman! ]]

No. I don't collect the souls of the newly dead. They find their way to me. [[ Tell me more. ]]

Yep. That's me. [[ Tell me more. ]]

It's not an easy job. For one thing, I'm not really equipped to dissuade those with... necromantic intentions. [[ Does that happen a lot? ]] [[ Any other difficulties? | Seems like your job is pretty interesting. ]]

You would be surprised. The rivers do most of the work keeping the living out and the dead in, but the occasional soul does wander where it shouldn't. Living folks looking to rejoin lost loved ones, or dead shades trying to creep back and linger in the sunlight. [[ What happens if a living person tries to bring back the dead? ]] [[ What happens if a shade tries to go back to the mortal realm? ]]

Honestly, it depends. Hades doesn't like me granting passage to living people, but I have done it. Heroes and demi-gods can be very persuasive, and the boss isn't as intimidating as people think. [[ Hades is your boss? ]] [[ Interesting. But wait, you mentioned shades trying to return to the world above? | What happens if a shade tries to go back to the mortal realm? ]]

Depends on the soul. Most of the ordinaries from the Asphodel Meadows would just vaporize in the sun like morning mist. Some from Tartarus or Elysium might be stout enough to survive and haunt the places they used to live. Not sure that's ever happened. Wouldn't be the strangest thing I ever saw though. [[ Aspho-what? What are those places? ]] [[ Interesting. But wait, you mentioned living people trying to get into the Underworld? | What happens if a living person tries to bring back the dead? ]]

Of the Underworld, Hades is sovereign. To Charon the Ferryman? More of a friend and colleague. He and Persephone have me over for mead on weekends. Good hearted, that Hades. He has actually heard the pleas of mortals looking to revive loved ones on occasion. Not that it always goes well. You ever hear of Orpheus? [[ I think I know the story. | Story for another time ]] [[ Can't say I have. | Story for another time ]]

It's a weird story for sure. Then again, every time I think I've seen it all... [[ Seems like your job is pretty interesting. ]]

Mmm... sometimes I feel like I'm not qualified to offer grief counseling to the newly dead. I'm just the Ferryman. Hades says I do a good job, but I can't help but think I could be doing more. The shock of learning your life has ended is bad enough, but then there's just so much explaining to do for them. Ignorance and misconceptions abound among mortals, and it's not even really their fault. Most don't live long enough to gain true wisdom. Me, I've lived for millennia. You learn a thing or two. [[ For instance? ]]

Oh, um... Asphodel is where most mortal souls go after death. Demi-gods, heroes, and special people end up in Elysium. Getting into Elysium is more about knowing the right people or being superhuman than being morally good. I'm... not certain about Tartarus. Nobody is sure what's down there, but it's the pit where Zeus cast Cronos. Hades sometimes throws souls down there if they're too dangerous to keep in his realm. It's a long way down. [[ Seems like your job is pretty interesting. ]]

Well, one story sticks out. I this encounter with a middle-aged fellow... [[ ... | The Man and the Obol ]]

A middle-aged man approaches your shores. He seems composed. You greet him. [[ Welcome to the River Styx, lost soul. Are you ready to depart? ]]

He opens his mouth to reply, but stops short as realization washes over his face. He seems to have lost something. "My Obol! It was in my mouth just a moment ago! Oh please, mercy! Send me back and I swear, I'll be right back with it!" You can't really "send" him anywhere. If he wandered back into the sunlight, he'd probably evaporate... And what is he babbling about? An Obol...? Why does that ring a bell? [[ You know what an Obol is ]] [[ You don't know what an Obol is ]]

"For generations, my kin have dutifully buried our dead with a coin in the mouth so that they might pay you your due, O Ferryman. Please forgive me. If you send me back, I will find my Obol and buy my passage into the Underworld." You forgot about these people. They show up every now and then, infrequently enough that it always takes you off guard. [[ Next | You know what an Obol is ]]

"First of all, stay where you are. I don't have the power to send you back to the world of the living. You could just walk back there, but you would uh..." Maybe better not to scare him too badly. "Anyways, don't worry about your Obol. The coin that was in your mouth has probably already bought the gravediggers' supper by now." He seems horrified at this notion. "The ghoul! You mean he stole my offering?! Robbed a dead man?!" This happens a lot. [[ No no no. Listen to me. ]]

"What is it you have lost?" you ask. "My Obol! My toll! It was here a moment ago, and now it's gone!" [[ Uh, what? ]]

"There is no toll. How could you pay me anything? You don't bring things with you when you die. Or did you not notice the draft down here?" At this, he notices and promptly covers his nudity. You wave your hand dismissively. "We can get you some clothes, but nothing from above can be brought with you. Your custom of burying the dead with a coin in their mouth isn't literally true." "Then why do we do it?" [[ Because the gravedigger needs to eat. ]] [[ So people can believe the poor are cursed. ]]

"You may not like to acknowledge these grim folk even exist, but without them, well... The wise among your ancestors must have devised the custom as a way to reconcile that disgust with necessity. Somewhere along the line, the real cause was either obscured or forgotten." ... And then I picked him up and carried him over the Styx. And that's pretty much the whole story. [[ I had never thought of it that way. ]]

"If a person dies friendless and penniless, their life must have been hard, or at least ended badly. But the living know nothing about what happens after death. When you claim that it costs money to die and find proper rest, you pile shame onto the already-downtrodden. It becomes easy to blame them for their own misfortune. Instead of mourning their poor life, you imagine that they must deserve it for some reason, and will be further punished in death. Plainly, it's despicable." ... And then I picked him up and carried him over the Styx. And that's pretty much the whole story. [[ I had never thought of it that way. ]]

Most people don't. Thanks for listening, anyhow. [[ Got any more stories? ]]

Uh, plenty, but I don't know if we have time for that. [[ Pretty please? What about that cat in your boat? What's her story? ]] [[ Come on! I know -- you could tell me why you look like a skeleton! ]] [[ Oh, you're right. I guess it's time to go, huh? ]]

That's Zoey. Must belong to somebody because it says so on her collar. She's still got all nine lives, and I love cats, so she gets to come and go as she pleases. Unlike you my friend. You've got none lives. Or did you forget why you came here? [[ Come on! I know -- you could tell me why you look like a skeleton! ]] [[ Oh, you're right. I guess it's time to go, huh? ]]

You can't just ask people why they... Nevermind. It's no use, friend. You can't stall me forever. [[ Pretty please? What about that cat in your boat? What's her story? ]] [[ Oh, you're right. I guess it's time to go, huh? ]]

I must say, it's been fun talking with you. Few people actually open by asking me about myself. Usually they just want to know what's going to happen to them. I appreciate the conversation. Now, climb aboard and sit tight. You're almost home. [[ END ]]

Thanks for playing! You've reached the end. This has been "Ferryman" by Adam Marsh, made for Extra Credits' fifth game jam. [[ Play again? |Start]] . . [[ Secret ]]

Aha! You've found the extra media. The link below contains my Trello board for this jam game. Most of the ideas had to be scrapped for time, but I thought it would be interesting to share nonetheless. https://trello.com/b/ZM7ZIpaP/ferryman [[ Back | END ]]