Interlude: A Brief History of Godface
"I'm nailed to the crossroads searching for the piece of me that wasn't mine, blood dripping from my hands." – Neurosis, The Doorway
Godface was not initially meant to be a city, but rather, a massive temple dedicated to the High God Mokoroth. Work on it was started in 493 AD by the Followers of Mok, members of a cult who reject worship in all other gods except Mokorth. While most creatures are polytheistic to various degrees, the idea of a massive temple devoted to the Supreme Lord was very popular, and resources poured in from all over the world. Work was slow going, as only the Followers were allowed to do the actual contruction. In 504, the temple was nearing completion; it was meant to have multiple shrines and chapels to Mokoroth, a library, living quarters for the Followers, and winding Halls of Reflection where different designs would be painted to reflect the various deeds and attributes of the god.
The Scourge War put an end to this work, as the majority of Followers were killed in the conflict. Believed that they had done something to anger the god, the survivors abandoned the project. For almost twenty years, the site remained vacant except for a few wild animals and the occasional vagrant. No one knew what to do with the place. The building materials were valuable, but no one dared to demolish something that had Mokoroth's face on it. Also, many were too afraid to actually live in it for fear of bringing down divine wrath.
Then, in 530, a T-1 Tyrant and some Hunters decided to carve homes out of the massive structure. When they were not struck down from heaven, displaced individuals from all around flooded into the empty structure. Though neighborhoods quickly became segregated on the basis of race (a common occurrence in most post-Dawn multiracial cities), there were no restrictions as to who could enter the city. For about two hundred years, the city basically had no government, as the different neighborhoods largely ran themselves. In 736, Godface fell under the control of the Confederation of Li (a Licker government), that sought to turn the city into a Licker-only metropolis. This was obviously met with great resistance on the part of the non-Licker populations. Moreover, the Confederation alienated the native Lickers by seeking to end their traditional autonomy by getting rid of their town council and appointing a regional governor. In early 739, the entire city revolted and expelled the Confederation. In its wake, the Godface Congress was established. Its first order of business was to declare equal rights for all members of the city. While the Congress no longer exists, the original laws that it passed are still largely in place. For the next four hundred and fifty years, this body would control Godface, handling all city-wide matters but delegating much authority to local neighborhoods.
This period is considered by many to be Godface's golden age. New trade routes were forged that brought in much wealth, and the territory that Godface controlled expanded. In 910, the military stronghold now known as Godhand was founded as a key fortress in the north. Small settlements and towns were established outside of the city itself that brought in new tax revenue. Also, the city's original religious mission was rediscovered somewhat, as pilgrims began to see the city's prosperity as a sign of divine favor and started to visit. Unfortunately, as they rejected the city's secular status, they would often stay on the outside and pray rather than going inside, thus not adding to the city's in-flow of foreign wealth.
The rise of Great Majinia put an end to this era. The massive and well-organized armies of Irving II in the late twelfth century successfully united most Majini factions and embarked on a campaign of world conquest. As Godface was relatively close to the Empire's territory, the city was first ignored by the Majini as something that could be dealt with later. However, once West Africa, Siberia, and the bulk of North America had been conquered, the Majini turned their attention towards Godface. Their armies swiftly took the city's northernmost territories, and then besieged Godhand. After five months, the fortress finally surrendered, and all inside were massacred.
The slaughter at Godhand sparked both panic and anger within Godface. Public outcry was turned towards the city's local Majini population. Though they had few ties with Great Majinia, the Godite Majini became the victims of violent riots and pogroms. Soon, this violence was turned against other Plagas in the city, then those who belonged to species that were seen as allies of Great Majinia. The metropolis descended into chaos, with the Congress unable to restore order. Under these circumstances, no real effort was made to combat the Majini army, and soon, it was stationed just a few miles outside the city.
In 1201, out of the chaos emerged the powerful Xelax, a Tyrant who is credited with saving the city. He belonged to the same strain of Tyrant as the infamous Mr. X had, and was a lieutenant in the Godhand militia. He and a group of loyal militiamen broke into the Congress during session and had everyone arrested on the charges of betraying the trust of the people of Godface. He then set himself up as dictator, and through a combination of intense propaganda and terror, he managed to restore a modicum of civilized life. His next task was to build as large and well-trained an army as possible, spending the next two years drilling the recruits.
It is believed by many that the only reason Godface did not fall during this time is that Irving did not want to directly attack the city. If a great deal of damage had been done to the facade, the provinces might rise up in revolt at the destruction of something that had the face of Mokoroth. Multiple attempts to contact the Majini inside the city and get them to open the gates failed, and trying to bribe others to do the same got nowhere. Finally, an infiltration team was sent in through the sewers. When they emerged during nighttime, they hoped to sneak through the darkened alleys to reach the main gate. However, they were discovered while passing through the Majini neighborhood. Despite the abuse heaped upon them by their fellow citizens, the Godface Majini had no desire to be subjects to the Empire and fell upon the saboteurs, ripping them to pieces. In the wake of this, most anti-Majini attitudes in the city subsided.
Despite this victory, the army outside the walls greatly outnumbered the city's militia. Thus it was a stroke of luck when Irving died and the Empire erupted into civil war. The best elements of the army were recalled to Great Majinia, leaving a rump force behind. Xelax took advantage of this opportunity, and leaving out a back entrance, he and his forces took a long, circuitous route that positioned them behind the Majini. On the morning of April 3, 1203, his army made a surprise attack on the imperial encampments. The Battle of Godface was an incredibly bloody affair, but when it was over, the vast majority of the imperials lay dead, with the remainder scattering. Xelax was acclaimed as a savior, and he was made Dictator for Life. In his first act, he rededicated the city to Mokoroth and had a large cathedral built in the god's honor. He also created the Council of the People to replace the Congress. The Council, like the Congress, represented all of the different neighborhoods and ran most of the day to day affairs of the city. However, any of its decisions could be revoked by the Dictator and it had no authority in areas concerning national security.
With the Majinian Civil War still raging, Xelax took the opportunity to reconquer the now lightly manned Godhand. The battle was relatively quick and easy, though he realized that most the northern territory was mostly not defendable and lost for good. He thus reset the border at the Copper Strip, where it remains for the most part to this day.
Xelax ruled Godface for about two hundred years. On his death, his appointed successor was a Chimera who was a greatly respected councilman but something of a weak personality. The Council began to exert more authority in ways it wasn't used to, which led to a gradual uptick in public disorder (though crime had always been bad in the city) and a neglect of the border. In 1411, a blitz attack by Majinia allowed the principality to take back Godhand, though they weren't able to go much further. This led to the rise of Nemesis. Not much is known about his early life or how this duplicate of the original Nemesis had arrived in Godface. What was known was that like Xelac, he too was an officer in the militia. As a popular figure known for his fercocious temperament in battle, he called for Godites to reclaim their former glory and have a strong leader once again lead the government. Seeing the writing on the wall, the Chimera resigned in exchange for being able to retire peacefully. Nemesis then launched a siege of Godhand that returned it to Godface control in about two months. He also created a more powerful police force that managed to put down some of the more violent criminal syndicates, though petty crime still remained a serious problem.
Godhand has gradually seen a return to prosperity, though it can hardly be called a golden age. Bandits have recently plagued some of the city's outermost provinces, requiring military action. In the wake of this, Majinia has been able to take back part of Godhand. Nemesis has sworn to reverse this, and to drive the enemies from the country once and for all.
