You do this by knocking on their doors and making subtle “inquiries” about their goings-on. However, humans are sinful creatures who like to stray from the righteous path, and it’s your job to keep them in line. You will get to know each and every one of them, because it is your business to know. All of them have unique names, portraits and personalities, and lines of dialogue that reflect those personalities. It’s just as grim as it sounds, and all the more considering that you will get to know your followers rather intimately. The people milling about in the shadow of your great cathedral are mere cattle to you they will either get with the program or perish. This is foremost on your mind, as you bear no allegiances to anyone except Him. Only three years remain until judgment day – the glorious day when Chernobog will awaken and decide whether the inhabitants of The Shrouded Isle are truly worthy or not. But that doesn’t really matter your followers aren’t getting out of this hellhole anyway. But is that the truth? Probably not, as your religion seems curiously fixated on ensuring that knowledge of the outside world is suppressed. According to your scriptures, only the worthy ones – the followers of Chernobog – were saved.
You start the game in “year 497”, nearly five hundred years after a cataclysm ravaged the Earth and wiped out most of humanity. However, there’s a high-minded understanding beneath the surface here – along with a dark sense of humour, if you dig deep enough – that lets you know that the developers knew exactly what they were doing. If The Shrouded Isle was lacking self-awareness or presented as a mere wish-fulfillment fantasy, it might’ve easily ended up on my shit list. I dunno about you, but there’s something about being evil – and committing evil acts upon others – that leaves a sour taste in my mouth. All the while, you must perform regular sacrifices to sate his thirst for blood and souls. They must demonstrate the “virtues” of Ignorance, Fervor, Discipline, Penitence and Obedience to be considered worthy. Your dark god slumbers beneath the waves off the coast of the Isle, whispering in your ear from time to time, demanding that you exercise complete control over the hearts and minds of your followers. No, you must play as the despicable high priest of the Cult of Chernobog, a ruthless, submissive servant of evil incarnate itself. Playing the bad guy is mandatory in this case, and I’m not talking about some lovable anti-hero with redeemable qualities. For this reason, I probably should have absolutely hated playing The Shrouded Isle. I just can’t stomach being an evil prick to anyone, whether they are real or imagined.
There are a few notable exceptions, of course – Dungeon Keeper among them – but most of the time, if I am given the choice I prefer to play the good guy. I generally don’t like playing the “bad guy” in video games.
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