My forum got this first, but I need an update. Have the first bit of the marionettes' backstory!
...Or a fairy tale based on it, at least.
Long, long ago, three brothers known for their
bravery, strength, and compassion were given by a
strange man three strange stone masks. The man
said to them, "A marionette which wears this mask
will move without strings, speak without actors... It
will do the will of its master until the day of its
master's death. But beware... these are not for those
who would have their hands stained with blood if
given the chance. For the marionette given life has
free will, and chooses to obey as thanks. If it is
asked to do work harming others, it may lash out at
the one who commands it. That being said... do you
accept these items, dangerous in the wrong hands?"
The first brother hastily repied yes, and took the
mask. He immediately returned to his abode to craft
its wearer. The second brother thought for a day and
a night, and then, when he had made his decision,
the man appeared from the shadows, asking if a
selection had been made. The second brother
agreed, and took the mask, vowing not to use it for
personal gain.
The third brother took fourteen days and fourteen
nights to make his decision. When he was ready, he
located the kindly stranger and replied "No, for I am
not ready, not wise nor foolhardy enough to take
such a power." The man answered him, "But you
must. If you do not, who will stop your brothers from
bringing about the end of all?" He left the final mask at
the third brother's feet and vanished. The third
brother grudgingly accepted the mask and went
home to carve his marionette.
The first brother, being brash and headstrong,
ignored the stranger's warning and forged a sleek,
powerful puppet of steel. He plotted to use it to build
a great empire in his name, fearful that his brothers
would bring about cataclysm if he did not control the
land. The mask was placed over its head, and it
bowed before asking him his desires. The second, a
wiser man, and yet lacking in foresight, chose to
grow plants, the fruits of the earth, to make himself a
puppet he believed could guard the countryside he
held dear. When the arduous task was finished, he
placed the mask on its head and it asked his wishes.
However, the third brother, knowing what lay ahead,
built a simple puppet of wooden rods, for that was all
he had. He slept one night when it was completed
but the mask had not yet been placed. Before he lay
down that night, though, he pleaded to the stars that
his puppet be improved, so that it might be able to
better fulfill its role. That night, something happened.
Down from the heavens came a star imp. Its head
flapped about as if a long cap, and from that it shed
star dust. It sprinkled a bit on the puppet, and, when
the man awakened, the puppet was a glorious
creation of unearthly materials. The man shouted his
praises to the heavens, and placed the mask on the
puppet. The puppet spoke, asking its master for his
greatest desire. He answered, "Protect this land and
all beyond it from whatever may harm them!" The
puppet bowed, and vanished in a puff of smoke.
