You are the protectors of the realm. Without you the world of men would have fallen to the hands of evil ages ago. But the true crucible was not the first age of great wars, nor the second age of falling light. It's now, at the dawn of the age of men - for the old powers are waning and the Immortals have all but left the realm of the living. In this new age of men - you stand to raise the first legends, to help the first heroes to understand true meaning of bravery and to protect the newborns from the horrors of the old fading aeons...'

And the true crucible? The final challenge before you can follow your brethren to the immortal lands? It's to help without helping, guide without guiding and to uplift the race of men without Falling

• 3-6 players
• All players have archetypical "protector" characters (see Apocalypse world)
  • At a players turn other players play the "heroes of the age".
  • Heroes go "out of the frying pan, into the fire" until the protector has to yeld
  • Protector may save the heroes by using up his power
  • Power usage awakens the old powers (on black die?)
  • Power usage causes the fall (on white die?)
• Story/genesis creation ala microscope?