You and Anansi watch as the slave makes his way into the city, glowing with joy at being amongst humans for the first time in months.\n\nSuddenly, the slave's cruel master from whom he ran away appears in front of him on the street.\n\nAnansi rubs some of his hands together, "Right, Feronia, what does the master do?"\n\nYou think for a moment about what fits best with the narrative.\n\n[[The master lets out a happy yelp and throws his arms around the slave saying how much he's missed him and how he'll be nicer in future]]\n\n[[The master points at the slave and screams "Grab him, he's the one who ran away! I'll make an example of him to show the others they cannot betray me!"]]

Anansi jumps slightly. "Cool! Right, as we're gods, we can control the humans and stuff, so I'll give you a scenario and you have to decide what happens next. If what you say makes narrative sense, according to me, we go on. If not, well, we go back and try again."\n\nAnansi waves one of his arms and a vision of Earth appears before you. There you see a slave carrying a heavy burden for his nasty looking master through the busy streets of a dusty city.\n\nAnansi announces, "That's the slave. We'll call him the slave. He doesn't look very happy. What should happen?"\n\n[[The slave continues working for his cruel master]]\n\n[[The slave kills his cruel master]]\n\n[[The slave runs away from his cruel master]]

The vision shows the slave and the lion lying on the grass outside the cave, looking up at the clouds. Suddenly the slave jumps up and starts speaking:\n\n"Lion, old buddy. You know how much I've loved living with you here. It's been really super. I'm grateful every day for you not eating me and I know you're grateful for my cooking skills. But, the thing is... I think it's time I headed back to the city, you know, to be with people."\n\nThe lion looks at the slave, grunts, gets to his feet and moves to nudge his nose against the slave's hand. The slave bends down and gives his pal a big hug and kiss on the head. \n\nWith tears in his eyes, the slave walks off towards the city, the lion looking on with a cold, unknowable expression on his big lion face.\n\nYou feel a lump in your throat as you witness this separation.\n\n"What's going to happen now?" you ask Anansi.\n\n[[Let's see]]

"Yeah, that's it! Now we're having a proper adventure." Anansi smiles a big spidery smile.\n\n"What happens next?" you ask.\n\n"Glad you asked, Feronia. OK, now the slave has escaped the city. Look at him run. He's exhausted now, out in the desert. Phew, glad I'm not him."\n\nYou gaze into the vision and see the slave struggling. A cave appears.\n\n"Should he sleep in there tonight, Feronia? It looks empty." says Anansi.\n\nYou think for a bit. "Um, maybe. Empty now, but suspicious."\n\n"Of course it's suspicious! But the slave's got to sleep!"\n\nFinally you concede that there's nowhere else to go, so the slave sleeps in the cave."\n\n[[Fast forward to the next morning]]

Dear Feronia,\n\nCongratulations, you have passed the test, which was overlooking the annoying exclamation marks and opening the email!\n\nAs one of our favourite gods here on God Mountain, you are entitled to attend the grand opening of the new God Club. It's a kind of social club, allowing gods from different backgrounds to meet and get to know one another. \n\nIt will be super. All your favourite gods will be there. Some of them, at least.\n\nAnyway, we look forward to seeing you at God Club next Tuesday at 18.45!\n\nYours piously,\n\nZeus\n(God Club President)\n\n[[Fast forward to next Tuesday! Yippee!]]

This short interactive game is designed to shed light on some of the fundamental principles of Western storytelling, such as character development, logical causality and resolution.\n\nThe main story in the game is based on one of Aesop's fables.\n\nIf you want to go back, just press the back button on your browser.\n\n[[Play!]]

After some time in the jail cells, the slave, weak and scared, is led to the city arena where wretched outlaws are forced to fight until death for the amusement of the city population.\n\n"Woah!" you exclaim, "Are there no circuses in this city? Is that how people amuse themselves, watching people getting killed?"\n\nAnansi looks into the vision, "I'm afraid it is this way."\n\nThe slave is led out to the centre of the arena, the crowd screaming for blood and justice. \n\nSuddenly a massive lion emerges from a cage with a hungry look in his eye.\n\n"Hey, isn't that the lion from the cave?" you shout. "I recognize him. Yes, it's him!"\n\n"It is, Feronia. And what will happen now? How do you want this story to end?"\n\n[[The lion kills and eats the slave]]\n\n[[The lion recognizes his old friend and lays down in front of him, so he can have his belly tickled]]

Seeing this display of friendship, the crowd no longer scream for blood, but instead they plead for the lion and the slave's freedom.\n\nThe emperor, amazed at this show of loyalty, decides that they should both be set free and protected from persecution.\n\n"Yes!" you shout. Some gods turn to look but who cares!\n\nAnansi smiles. "We got there in the end, Feronia. And this ending works best as it makes sense in the context of the whole story. All the parts of the story are connected, characters remain true to themselves, there's enough conflict and the ending is satisfying in the way our hero influences events."\n\n"That was fun," you say "I'm glad it worked out in the end. Thanks, Anansi. You're a cool spider."\n\nThe rest of the God Club social event goes well and you've made a new friend on God Mountain who has many things to teach you about storytelling...\n\nThanks for playing!

Strolling into the main hall of the God Club, you take a look around to see who has bothered to turn up.\n\nThere's Ra in the corner chatting to a bunch of Japanese forest gods. Huh, he's always at these kind of events. What a creep! "Ooh, look at me, I control the sun!" Ugh.\n\nOver there, slumped against the bar, is old Dionysys. Drunk as always.\n\nSuddenly a hand taps you on the shoulder. And the other shoulder. And your back and legs. You spin round to be faced with a giant spider.\n\n"Hi! I'm Anansi, the West African God of All Knowledge and Storytelling! Who are you?"\n\nYou stare at his many eyes and consider your response.\n\n[[Tell the truth]]\n\n[[Make up a lie]]

"I'm Feronia, Goddess of Freedom, quite popular with slaves, don't you know!"\n\nAnansi smiles. "Yup, I did know. Hehe. I know everything! But anyway, I'm happy you decided to tell me the truth. Thanks."\n\n"You're very welcome, Anansi." you reply.\n\n"Feronia, I'm new here and I want to make friends. Shall we play a game together? It'll be fun!"\n\nYou think of the alternatives, stupid Ra, drunk Dionysys... \n\n[[Play with Anansi]]

The slave runs at the lion, screaming and waving his arms like a scared little girl. The lion, in one movement, rips his head off like it's made of warm chocolate.\n\nAnansi smiles, "Okay, I understand you wanted your slave to be brave and active, but this doesn't look like the right option. You have to give the lion a chance to reveal himself a bit. Also, this doesn't quite fit with our slave's character. I think he's smarter than this. He's our hero remember, but he's also just a slave. Let's turn back time and start that one again..."\n\n[[Wait and see what the lion does]]

"No. Sorry, Feronia, but that's not going to work as a good ending. It almost works as a kind of joke, but hardly even as a joke. I mean, it makes a mockery of everything else that happened before. The lion's character has changed completely and everything that the slave and the lion went through together has been for nothing. I'm not allowing this ending. We're having the other one. I'm the god of story, I decide."\n\n[[The lion recognizes his old friend and lays down in front of him, so he can have his belly tickled]]

Really? That's what you want to do? Fine.\n\nScrub.\n\nScrub.\n\nScrub.\n\nScruuuuuu-ub.\n\nNothing is happening with this pot... You give up.\n\n[[Open email]]

"Uh, I'm Blodwyn, the God of, Uh, Things That You Used to Do When You Were a Kid But Don't Like to Be Reminded of Now. Nice to meet you."\n\nAnansi stares at you and smiles. "I just told you I'm the God Of All Knowledge Etc. I know who you are. You're Feronia, Goddess Of Freedom. You can't fool me."\n\n"OK, fine, I'm Feronia."\n\nAnansi lowers his head. "Sorry, I don't mean to be smart. I'm new here. I just want to make friends. Let's start over. Can we play a game?"\n\n[[Play with Anansi]]

Welcome To The God Club!

Anansi put his head in his hands. "Come on! If that's how this ends, what was the point of all the stuff with the lion? It doesn't fit at all. Also, the master has just changed his character for no good reason."\n\nYou shrug your shoulders, "Yeah, it was a bit easy."\n\nAnansi goes on, "In storytelling, we call that Deus ex Machina, which means "God from the machine", when a problem is solved, literally in this case, by a god coming down and fixing things. That, Feronia, is not satisfying. We want our hero to have a hand in the resolution. I'm not allowing this. I'm rewinding and seeing what happens in the other option..."\n\n[[The master points at the slave and screams "Grab him, he's the one who ran away! I'll make an example of him to show the others they cannot betray me!"]]

"Woah" That's a bit sudden. He kills him? Just like that? You can't go around just killing people? I mean, sure he's not very nice, that master, but death?"\n\nYou shrug your shoulders. "Yeah. Death to the cruel master."\n\n"No no no no. Too much too soon. Also, remember, the slave is our hero in this story. We should like him, be on his side. It's going to be hard to like him if he goes around killing people. No, let's go back and try again."\n\n"OK, you've only got one choice left. You're not very good at this so far. Luckily I've got all night. At least until the nibbles run out."\n\n[[The slave runs away from his cruel master]]

The lion lets out a long groan of relief at the removal of the thorn. Finally he can walk without pain again.\n\nThe lion lays down in front of the slave and shows his gratitude, gently licking the slave's outstretched hand.\n\nTime speeds up in the vision and you see the slave and the lion become good friends, living happily together.\n\nAnansi looks at you. "That turned out nicely. Is that the end of the story, Feronia? Or do you think there should be more?"\n\n[[The story ends here]]\n\n[[There's more...]]

An email pops up with the subject heading "God Club Invitation!!". That's a strange use of exclamation marks, you think to yourself.\n\nShould you open the email and see what adventures await or just go back to doing the dishes?\n\n[[Open email]]\n\n[[Start scrubbing that big pan you used to make porridge last week]]

Chris Smith

Anansi smiles, "Good option. Now we have the slave in danger and we have the chance to resolve this situation in a satisfying way. The other option was too easy, eh?"\n\nYou wonder how exactly the cruel master is going to make an example of your poor slave.\n\n[[What happens next?]]

"Woah" That's a bit sudden. He kills him? Just like that? You can't go around just killing people? I mean, sure he's not very nice, that master, but death?"\n\nYou shrug your shoulders. "Yeah. Death to the cruel master."\n\n"No no no no. Too much too soon. Also, remember, the slave is our hero in this story. We should like him, be on his side. It's going to be hard to like him if he goes around killing people. No, let's go back and try again."\n\n[[Try again]]

Anansi says "Right, here were the other two options. Think about it."\n\n[[The slave continues working for his evil master]]\n\n[[The slave runs away from his cruel master]]

Upon waking in the cave, hungry and with a sore back, the slave find himself face to face with a ferocious lion.\n\n"Aha!" exclaims Anansi. "Not so lucky, this is the lion's cave and he doesn't look very happy about finding your slave there."\n\nThe scene looks unforgiving. What are you going to make the slave do now?\n\n[[The slave runs at the lion screaming]]\n\n[[Wait and see what the lion does]]

The lion looks mad, but instead of charging at the slave, he sits down and holds out his paw, showing that he has a nasty looking thorn stuck deep in there. It looks pretty bad and you can imagine the pain and discomfort the lion is suffering.\n\nAnansi looks back at you, "What now, Feronia? Here's a chance for our hero to act."\n\nA feeling of pity for the poor lion comes over you. There seems only one good option.\n\n[[The slave removes the thorn from the lion's paw]]

Anansi looks sad. "Come on, this isn't much of a story, is it? The slave is our hero, he has to act, to be in control of his own destiny, not just let stuff happen to him. Pff. Try again."\n\n[[The slave kills his evil master]]\n\n[[The slave runs away from his cruel master]]

Anansi looks sad. "Come on, this isn't much of a story, is it? the slave is our hero, he has to act, to be in control of his own destiny, not just let stuff happen to him. Pff. Only one option left."\n\n[[The slave runs away from his cruel master]]

Anansi waves most of his arms about in protest, "No, come on! That can't be it. Does it seem finished already? It was all too easy. Where's the conflict and resolution? I don't care about this story if it ends like this. It doesn't have any purpose. I'm not letting that be the end of this story, there's some unfinished business here..."\n\nSuddenly, Odin and his wife, Frigg, appear out of nowhere and stare at you and Anansi.\n\n"Hi guys," you greet them, "It would be great to catch up, but I'm kind of in the middle of something here, so, um, can I finish this first?"\n\nOdin nods, pats Anansi on his giant spidery head and wanders off, Frigg following behind him.\n\n"OK, let's see what happens then", you tell Anansi.\n\n[[There's more...]]