MANOS-1966

Nobody knew what Manos was. Manos never gave an indication of its own existence. It never spoke. Never.

It never declared itself as the ruler of all. It never had a physical form. It didn't care. It wasn't alive.

It didn't have a mind. No reason. No reason for Manos to evolve, and somehow it still did.

There was once a man who wandered into the forest's warm embrace so he could worship the being known as Manos.

The man's unquestionable loyalty was recognized, and the two became intertwined. Manos's eyes, ears, and tongue...

The Master... a man who was given the gift of immortality, in exchange for setting Manos free unto the world.

The task was not easy. In order for Manos to escape the forest, a sacrifice of 75 women was required. More

specifically, a sacrifice of their hands. They all had to be gathered at once. And with every hand set ablaze, Manos's

grasp over the forest could grow, until finally the chains holding the being back can finally break.

The task was not quick. The Master had to kidnap many women, but kidnapping too many within a short span of time would

draw unwanted suspicion from the world outside the forest. They would become The Master's wives, but not without

conversion by force. The process was slow. One by one. Some managed to escape, while others had unpure hands. There was

no point in disposing of them, however. It'd be such a waste.

Due to the weight of the task, the task wasn't accomplished. Manos wasn't free. But in a way, The Master was.

Though immortal, centuries of reanimation took a progressive toll on The Master's body. Skin turned gray, eyelids

grew heavier, a body that may be alive, but too weak to continue carrying out the ultimate goal of Manos.

So, yes, The Master was set free. And he was never seen again after that.

A hunt for The Master's successor began and unsucessfully ended on the same day. Manos's place was in the forest, continuing

to remain imprisoned. The wives were conditioned to stay within a certain range of Manos, to eliminate the possibility of

escape, they certainly could not look. Nobody could. Until the day comes when another man wanders into the forest, ready to

swear their loyalty to Manos, there was nothing that could be done. All seemed lost.

Until a young woman with an axe arrived one day, eyes all strange and an expression that said very little. She approached

the campfire of the wives, and glaring at their gawking faces, she said but one thing.

"Give me back my mom."

The wives gathered together and were prepared to fight to the bitter death. Years of effort would not be disrupted by this

one simple creature. Yet... something gave pause. Because the truth is, killing a man felt so simple to them, but they've

never killed a woman before. It is at this point where the purple-haired girl would've been turned into the next wife, but...

Her power, her glare, her dangerous aura...

Who knows when a chance like this will happen again? She must become their new Master. But, how to convince her...?

And so, Manos spoke in such a way so only the purple girl would hear. You will get your mother back. You'll be able

to see her again and again, for as long as you please. In exchange, you must swear your loyalty to me, for as long as

I have use of you, for as long as I remain in this forest. Gather new wives for me, use any method you desire, just as

long as in the end, I will become de facto owner of all living beings. Say yes now, or never speak a word of your own

choosing again.

It just so happened that the purple girl knew where to find wife candidates. She lives in an orphanage. Newcomers come and

go every week. Many of them are exquisitely forgettable.

"I accept your offer."

Thus, a new Master was chosen. And this Master was notably efficient in their job. Only a few months later... the task was

accomplished, as 75 wives were gathered to sacrifice themselves for a new age of torment.

In the middle of the Forest's nowheres, a Lodge materialized, and...

"A quarter of our population stared at that building far too long, and succumbed to instant death."

Manos was free.