What happens?
Hunter is the corrupt Mayor of the City. Forced to deceive his constituents, project a persona of false piety, and live as a fake person even in his home life, Hunter has lost his self. Rendered powerless by TP&P’s blackmail, feelings of fear, uncertainty, and emptiness too paralyse him, but he knows he detests the wicked force he has become and feels he has betrayed himself by becoming so corrupted.
Time has passed since Act IV. In that time, Hunter has adopted an opium habit to cope with the pain and emptiness of this false life. The opium comforts him, but also allows him to speak with an Apparition of his younger self. The Apparition tells Hunter that he can reclaim his lost self, redeem himself for his wrongs, and escape the clutches of evil by embracing his desire to aggressively combat TP&P.
TP&P has noticed Hunter becoming vaguely inspired to resist. Seeking to destroy these thoughts promptly, he demoralises Hunter with a cruel sermon, which tells him he has sinned so greatly that he is too evil to redeem. Though hurt by the sermon, it also gives Hunter confidence, in that, if he is evil, then perhaps he can use evil tricks to escape TP&P. Hunter’s mindset shifts into one of waiting for a good moment to act.
TP&P reopens the Dime, even though brothels are now illegal, with Hunter’s help as Mayor. Hunter is disgusted by his part in enabling this and feels responsible for it. Seeking comfort, he goes to Ms Leading, with whom he has maintained a loving relationship. He feels able to be himself around Ms Leading, and has accepted his feelings towards her as genuine love, bringing him happiness, warmth, and a connection to his self amid the darkness of the rest of his life.
The Dime’s reopening catches the attention of a wicked businessman and ex-politician, Mr Usher. He determines that Hunter, the Mayor, must be corrupt to allow this reopening and can likely be manipulated. Seeking to claim the City and industrialise it, he goes to Hunter and encourages him to begin this industrialisation, noting that Hunter could repurpose Dime workers into factory workers, boost the City’s economy, attain more money and power than TP&P, and from there dismantle TP&P. Mr Usher hopes such dismantling will inspire TP&P to retaliate, so that he and Hunter destroy each other, leaving Mr Usher to fill the power vacuum.
Hunter utterly rejects Mr Usher’s proposal. So disgusted by Mr Usher’s heartlessness that the very existence of someone so cruel baffles him, he reclaims even more confidence in himself as a good person able to rebuff evil. Sensing that things in the City will soon come to a head, Hunter sends his wife and son safely to the Lake and the River.
Hunter shoots up on opium again and has another encounter with the Apparition. The Apparition encourages him to shed the Son persona entirely, and embrace his true self by moving against TP&P, as this is the path to redemption. Hunter is becoming openly confident and unfearful of TP&P’s blackmail.
This confidence terrifies TP&P. Mr Usher exacerbates this fear by telling TP&P that Hunter will surely kill him at this rate, and encourages TP&P to kill Ms Leading before that happens. TP&P is reluctant to do this, but is ultimately convinced when Mr Usher argues that Ms Leading’s death will destroy Hunter’s last connection to himself, and demoralise him beyond repair, making him susceptible to TP&P’s influence again.
TP&P kills Ms Leading. Hunter is not demoralised, but stoked with righteous vengeance. Feeling virtuous and liberated, he sets the Dime on fire. The fire spreads to the Church and burns both buildings down. Hunter knows that the burning of the Church makes this a public issue, but feels, because he has done the right thing, truth will exonerate him and he will be able to live a virtuous new life under his true identity as Hunter.
TP&P is furious. He gathers up townsfolk, themselves angry at the burning of the Church, and reveals Hunter as the arsonist. He also reveals Hunter’s identity theft and paints him as a murderous villain. The townsfolk accept TP&P’s words and become eager to oust the evil Hunter. TP&P brings the angry mob to Hunter’s house, then goes inside to negotiate privately with Hunter.
TP&P offers to call off the mob provided that he and Hunter work together again. Hunter has nothing to particularly gain from resisting TP&P anymore, but principle forbids him from entertaining the idea of allying with him. Hunter considers manipulating the mob himself by doubling down on his Son persona, but rejects this course also. It then crosses Hunter’s mind that he might simply be an evil person, and that is why he has been cornered into such an evil crossroads again, but resolves that if he will be evil, he will at least take out TP&P. Hunter kills TP&P.
Hunter knows he has signed his death warrant by killing TP&P. The mob outside will surely kill him now. Rather than let them, he decides to kill himself, and pauses to consider what might happen to him after he’s dead. Though initially fearful of facing eternal punishment, and then resigned to face the void of nothingness, Hunter wonders if there’s a chance Heaven could actually be real and he could get there. Staking everything on this hope, he pleads for absolution and forgiveness, and kills himself.
The Apparition appears to Hunter in his last moments, announcing that he will be venerated. Hunter goes to his final place, and so his story seems to end…
…as the story of his son, begins.
What is the purpose?
battesimo
What’s in a name?
I’M SEEING
FORGOTTEN FORMS
FROM A DIFFERENT AGE casey got good at lyrics come back l8r
Song Index
Regress
The Moon / Awake
Cascade
The Most Cursed Of Hands / Who Am I?
The Revival
Melpomene
Mr. Usher (On His Way To Town)
The Haves Have Naught
Light
Gloria
The Flame (Is Gone)
The Fire (Remains)
The March
Blood
A Beginning
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