Kingdom Without End
On the cusp of a breakthrough, Ministry funding from the National Board
falls through for an unfashionable archaeological dig to the very origins of
the Kharuen city-state. You play the project leader, illegally visiting the
excavation site one last time under cover of darkness, using field tools of
the future (palmcorder, wrist-lamps, nubblex gloves) to investigate the Late
Arcanic catacombs of the philosopher-priest hierophant mystery cultists of the
last dynasty, all the while reflecting on their relevance to the present day
and your own role in it.
Using deceptively simple multiple-choice selections and the occasional
invocation of an inventory item, this game acts as a guided tour by a
certified expert, your narrating protagonist, into the remains of a fictitious
civilization, translating glyphs and interpreting the values and fundamental
doctrines of people long dead through the esoteric rituals of Gahbra and
Ykrasia depicted in their frescoes and statuary. The exploration is external
but parallel internal investigation follows suit; numerous different endings
result depending on your studies, values and cleverness in perceiving the
workings of antique machinery, reflecting on the anti-historical politics of
the day and informing what is only suggested — where the protagonist’s story
proceeds following the completion of the game.
Kingdom Without End