The Endless Myth and TRPGs Compared
Narrative Structures and Worlds That Never End
At first glance, the novel The Endless Myth and TRPGs (Tabletop Role-Playing Games) seem fundamentally different. One is a written narrative shaped by a single author, while the other is an interactive medium built on collective play. Yet they share a crucial structural similarity: neither is designed with a definitive ending in mind.
This article compares The Endless Myth and TRPGs from the perspectives of worldbuilding, narrative structure, and free will, clarifying both their shared traits and their decisive differences.
Worldbuilding: Fixed Myth vs. Expanding Settings
The world of The Endless Myth is built upon a structure fixed by myth and faith. Myth is not a distant legend but a living system that sustains the world itself. People are forced to live within its meanings. While the world may be updated over time, those updates are strictly limited to what does not threaten the myth’s foundation.
In contrast, the worlds of TRPGs are designed to expand indefinitely. Rulebooks provide only a starting framework. With every session, new events, characters, and histories accumulate. Worlds can be rewritten or even destroyed if the players choose. Flexibility is a core feature, not a flaw.
Why the Stories Never End
The Endless Myth cannot end because the myth itself is not allowed to end. The collapse of myth would mean the collapse of meaning and order. As a result, the story survives through repetition, reinterpretation, and cyclical narration rather than closure.
TRPGs do not end because as long as there are storytellers, stories can continue. Players and game masters can always begin another session. An ending does not signify the death of the world; it is simply a pause or transition.
Protagonists and Player Free Will
The protagonist of The Endless Myth, Messiah, is a chosen figure whose freedom is severely restricted. From the moment he is chosen, his actions are shaped by mythic expectations. He may make choices, but he can never step outside the myth itself.
In TRPGs, player characters are fundamentally embodiments of free will. Stories evolve unpredictably based on player decisions. Rules act both as constraints and as the framework that makes meaningful freedom possible.
The Role of the Narrator: Author vs. Game Master
In The Endless Myth, the author is the sole narrator. The mythic structure is deliberately designed, and readers observe its closed nature from the outside.
In TRPGs, the game master serves as a narrator but does not hold absolute authority. The story emerges through collaboration with players. Myth is not imposed unilaterally; it is created and sustained through shared agreement.
Philosophical Differences
The Endless Myth raises introspective questions such as:
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Why do humans need stories and myths?
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Does faith offer salvation, or does it restrict freedom?
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Is being bound by meaning a form of comfort or a form of imprisonment?
TRPGs express a different, experiential philosophy:
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Accepting responsibility for one’s choices
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The joy of creating stories together
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The freedom and risk involved in reshaping or destroying worlds
Conclusion: Two Forms of Endless Narrative
Both The Endless Myth and TRPGs present narratives without definitive endings, but for opposite reasons:
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A story that cannot end
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A story that does not need to end
In one, myth binds humanity. In the other, humans move and reshape the story themselves.
This contrast highlights fundamental questions about authorship, freedom, and who truly owns a narrative.
