Darkness.
Depths.
Dryness.
Underneath the landscape of post-apocalyptic Australia, in the 2015 Mad Max video game after entering a camp, Max finds himself fighting his way through many enemies.
Not as a prisoner, but a person with a mission.
Just like a raging sandstorm that devours and consumes all it takes, his determination and vengeance match it in ferocity.
All to take down the first enemy camp.
Not too long ago, his car, the Interceptor was taken from him by Scrotus’ war boys.
Enemies that prowl and hunt like vultures and who also roam the land on twisted metallic vehicles of their own.
Crude transportation for a crude group.
Within these depths, he continues to navigate the underbelly of the wasteland.
Only a few lanterns laid out throughout the tunnels light the way.
Not even the water he wades in at one point is good enough to drink.
Silence below did not mean the storm above had passed.
He continues, finding a ladder.
Up he climbs, reaching the top and another, the light of the surface slowly makes its appearance.
But sometimes the last door before freedom is not guarded by an enemy, but by a question.
“What do you want?”
A question Max asks with both curiosity and frustration.
The stranger replies:
“Time has built to this, wanderer. Your path however crooked, has led you straight to here.”
He continues.
“Our work, yours and mine, must soon commence. Come find me when your spirit is ready.”
With that conclusion, he turns to leave.
No attack, not even an attempted one?
What would someone like this be doing in an enemy encampment, wandering freely, yet unseen?
Who is he?
Questions that Max surely contemplated as he climbs the final ladder where the punishing Australian sun welcomes him, accompanied by the remainder of the enemies in the camp.
They are defeated and the camp inhabited no more.
He got the fuel that was needed.
He successfully liberated the camp and defeated his enemies, yet one question would have no doubt remained on his mind.
Who is the mysterious wastelander?
The Crooked Road That Brought You Here
Griffa: “Ah…there you are…drifter of sands…letter of blood…remnants of a ruined past. You say you seek the Plains of Silence, but do you not wander them right now? The remains of your life; a perpetual flight. An escape from all that is human, until one day…the Plains of Silence end…and you begin. You’ve purpose in this life, my friend. Though fear to dream it. But pain will come, much more pain…before this purpose to you is made manifest.”
Max responds in turn: “You know nothing of me.”
Not too long ago, Max had only just met this stranger in the depths.
Now, here he was standing on the edge of a cliff with that same stranger in an isolated area overlooking the region of the Outer Graves.
Something drew him there, like a wind gently yet subtly influencing the direction to take.
No flair.
No large shout.
Only a momentary meeting and a brief exchange of words.
Even a single drop of water causes a great ripple to disperse.
Their mission was complete.
With the enemies and the base eradicated, Chumbucket, the car’s mechanic could now transform his car, the Magnum Opus into a wastelander’s nightmare.
Even more so with Max, of all people at the wheel.
The car was at the entrance facing away from it, Chumbucket was ready to go.
Max’s goal to reach the Plains of Silence was still very much a priority.
But the next words to Chumbucket were to alter the course of Max’s mission.
“There’s something needs doing before we turn back.”
Chumbucket’s confusion reinforced Max’s next words.
“It’s not for you to understand.”
Maybe Max didn’t even understand himself.
He had his destination, but didn’t know exactly where it was.
He wasn’t a wastelander, more of a wanderer.
Always moving yet getting nowhere.
Travelling, but stagnating.
Trying to find meaning in the meaningless.
The wanderer he met up with on that cliff edge seemed to have a greater perspective than Max did.
“Look behind you, at dune after dune of drifting half-forgotten terrors. You flee them always, these past phantoms…and the madness that crawls inside. You’ve come to Griffa for a reason. Deep inside, twisted around horrors from which you run, lies your strength. Griffa can help; help you venture down to where you daren’t go yourself, and lay bare your true promise!”
Come Find Me When Your Spirit Is Ready
Griffa: “You’ve taken a short rest from your twisted path. I’ll help you find what you seek, but first…answer me this.”
“What?” replies Max.
Griffa: “The other ones…that you don’t kill…who are they to you?”
When Max first encountered one of the most mysterious figures in the game, Griffa.
It was in the depths of the enemy camp, he offered him an invitation: “Come find me when your spirit is ready.”
Once he has accomplished everything he needs to, he made the choice to go and see Griffa.
He was the one who made that choice.
Not Chumbucket, not another random character.
Not even Griffa himself.
It was down to Max to decide.
Only a single marker on the map and a mission objective: ‘Meet up with the mysterious wastelander’ were his guides for the next step.
Max could have done many other things:
Explore.
Liberate other outposts.
Collect scrap to upgrade his car.
He had the freedom to do so.
But there comes a point where there is nothing more to do and where movement forwards is actually movement sideways.
Straight lines turn into circles.
Conquered landmarks become relics.
Eventually, there is no road to follow, no path to turn to.
Yet, not all hope is lost.
For in the midst of barrenness, desolation and endless wandering, an answer will come, if only one learned to stand still.
The marker and objective were not going anywhere; they were there to remain until they had been fulfilled.
Like a gentle tug on his heart, the threads of the silent winds were pulling him towards his next destination.
Even if he didn’t feel ready, he was willing. Especially with what he said previously:
“There’s something needs doing before we turn back.”
Growth can never be forced. It must be chosen.
The Journey Nobody Can Walk For You
Griffa: “Why must a vehicle be so important? Allies are a powerful aide. Even a dog can be a life saver. You focus your loyalty on a dead thing.”
Max: “I can drive a car… People…get in my way.”
Griffa: “We have a long way to walk. Let’s look deeper.”
Every time Max went to see Griffa, he went alone.
No Chumbucket.
No other allies.
Not even the Magnum Opus.
He went alone and on foot.
A meaningful journey leading to an isolated place.
Where the trail of uncertainty leads to a path of clarity.
The Magnum Opus carried him and Chumbucket across the wasteland. It showed its capabilities as a machine.
It did great amounts of damage to crude looking structures.
It outran destructive Wasteland Storms.
It even took down enemy vehicles bigger, more powerful and better equipped than his.
But the most impactful and necessary journeys are the ones where one’s body must bear the weight.
No machine, animal or other human can walk that journey.
His first encounter with Griffa felt forced.
Underground.
Surviving.
Focused on the mission.
Crossing paths with Griffa was not planned, especially in a place where enemies ruled the roost.
But where he had the choice. Where he was free to decide for himself, he left the Magnum Opus behind and said to Chumbucket as the car stopped:
“Stay with the car. I do this alone.”
Only Griffa could meet him where he needed to go.
Max walked the journey alone, but not once was he ever abandoned.
Not by the person he went to, nor by the one he returned to.
The voice that spoke with questions and riddles would become his greatest guide.
The Voice in the Wasteland
Griffa: “You, again. I thought you wanted to know nothing more of yourself. What year is it?”
Max: “I don’t know.”
Griffa: “How old are you?”
Max: “I don’t know. I’m here, that’s all I know.”
Griffa: “And where is that?”
Max: “…Hell. That’s how it feels.”
That last line pretty much sums up the wasteland in a nutshell. No matter what direction Max looked in.
Harsh.
Punishing.
Unforgiving.
Such as life can be at times and one doesn’t even need to wander in endless sands to experience it.
Everything Max did was about survival. Even when speaking with allies, those who gave shelter, it was all about the next mission.
It was always the next step to surviving, not the next step to overcoming.
Yet Griffa was doing something different. Passive even.
Through him was a journey of rediscovery.
Max’s backstory is shrouded in mystery, other than being a patrol officer turned survivalist who is journeying to the Plains of Silence, there is nothing more about him.
A destination that he hoped, once reached, would silence the voices he couldn’t save, permanently.
Yet it was in the ‘hell’ that the quietest voice was actually the one making the loudest impact.
Griffa was a man to whom Max went to, but there was one-line Chumbucket mused about that would provide as much mystery to Griffa as Max’s past life.
“To talk with ghosts.”
Chumbucket never once met, let alone interacted with Griffa. Yet with Max he made such an undeniable impact.
The “leathery wanderer”.
An unofficial title that Chumbucket gave Max, especially when he went away to Griffa.
Was Griffa even real? Was he the last threaded fragment of Max’s sanity?
The only thing that seems human is trying to stop him becoming inhuman.
Or was he an actual wanderer, yet chose only to reveal himself to those who needed him?
A man who provided much needed answers in the form of questions.
Conscience.
Wisdom.
Humanity.
Aspects of Griffa that represent what one was and what one could be again.
Even if that place is wild and unstable.
Even if that place feels like the end.
One guide.
One path forward.
One small victory at a time.
One Token at a Time
“For one who shies from knowing, you seem not to mind learning.”
The Griffa token.
A reward for accomplishing certain objectives.
But not so easy to come by.
Every upgrade demands effort.
Every accomplishment shows perseverance.
Every challenge, a lesson.
One is very much never too old or too inexperienced to learn.
Yet to obtain it, Max must achieve certain smaller victories first. Once they have been met, then does he have the prize bestowed upon him.
Only then does Griffa appear.
After obtaining one, is it worth using now?
Should Max go out and obtain more, even though Griffa waits.
He doesn’t call out, there is no time limit on spending them.
There isn’t even a limit on how many to have at one time.
Another reward is freedom. The choice to choose when to spend them and which one of Max’s abilities to improve.
Generosity graces itself in harsh lands.
Griffa also doesn’t recommend or force the choice. Free will is a power at work here.
The reflections of Max’s efforts can be seen in the abilities that are gradually improved over a period of time.
- More health to last longer
- Acquire more liquid from water sources
- Consume less fuel when driving
- Increasing his legend level by 1.
To name but a few.
Some of them may not come directly within Max, but they all impact him nonetheless.
Even the environment can be a blessing in unexpected ways.
He is never developed overnight, but gradually.
Just like one encounter with Griffa isn’t enough.
It requires returning and growing, something that can only be done in the environment that one must be tested in.
Discipline.
Endurance.
Faithfulness.
Even obedience.
Weapons against the forces of evil.
Traits that can only be found from one who is willing.
Max was resistant, even stubborn. But perhaps he saw purpose in the struggle.
His abilities didn’t make him superhuman but they did give him a better advantage.
He still had to work, to fight, to push forward and he still had all the strengths and weaknesses like his enemies.
Because of Griffa he was breaking free from the chains that held him back and linking the ones that would define him.
Becoming More Human
Griffa: “You approach different. Am I now your friend?”
Max: “No friends. Allies…maybe. Never friends.”
Griffa: “Are you afraid I’ll die? That some unseen malevolent power butchers anyone you draw near?”
Max: “No friends. They only mean trouble.”
Griffa: “That which is broken…can be mended by love only.”
After everything Griffa has done for Max, he is still seen only as an ally. Even though he did more for Max than an ally would.
A man so hardened that he seemed to prefer to do things alone. Help for him was pointless, even dangerous.
But where one travels the road of transformation, resistance will always be the force ready to pounce.
Like a predator stalking its prey.
This happens when one either refuses or struggles to let their guard down.
To allow themselves to be made vulnerable.
Many have been hurt by experiences and traumas that their ability to trust people has waned.
But one word Griffa mentions is key for almost any situation that any human goes through.
Love.
Another wonderful thing about Griffa is that he was able to turn anything negative Max brought into good.
- Max brings harsh and gruff tones. Griffa is calm and collected.
- His encounters bring arrogance and pride. Griffa sees potential.
Notice how Griffa worked. He didn’t respond with the same pattern as Max.
In fact, he didn’t work against him, but around him.
Griffa was the one who always set up the encounters, but Max determined the direction and pace.
Very often to help people, they need to be met on their level and spoken to in their own language.
Even Chumbucket speaks in mechanical terms to Max who is a very proficient driver.
Both contribute to his healing and his development.
Chumbucket repairs the car.
Griffa repairs the man.
How does one remain human, remain hopeful while crossing the wasteland?
The journey was never about restoring Max to what he was, but about transforming him into someone greater.
That could only be done when he was gently broken down and when he was willing.
A guide who was always prepared to be there for him. Max would see the person he was becoming and experience the blessing of friendship.
When the Guide Disappears
Griffa: “I’m glad to see you, my friend.”
Max: “Me too.”
Griffa: “You understand; the time has come to leave these Plains of Silence.”
Max: “That which is broken can be mended by love only.”
Griffa: “Your way does not end with the Plains of Silence. They’re just another stop on the road…until your true purpose is revealed.”
Blowing a handful of dust into Max’s face, the ability screen appears.
The remainder of the possibilities are picked.
As Max comes to, Griffa is nowhere to be seen. Much like he did with every other encounter.
The work continues.
Max continues to defeat enemies, at the same time continuing to grow in status.
He achieves more accomplishments worthy of Griffa tokens.
Yet he receives none. Nor does Griffa make an appearance anymore.
The mentor has vanished.
There is no chance meeting in a hideout, no crossing paths on the road, not even an appearance in the darkest chasms of another enemy stronghold.
Like a spirit being called back, Griffa has gone.
There was no letter left for Max, no directions to find him, not even silent words amidst the windy swells.
Griffa came, fulfilled his purpose and left.
The work was complete.
Max not only called him friend at their final encounter, but also reiterated an important lesson he had learnt from him:
“That which is broken can be mended by love only.”
Griffa was never meant to walk the journey for Max. He was meant to help Max become the man capable of walking it himself.
Everything was preparation for future chapters.
But just because the mentor is gone, does not mean the journey stops.
The destination is still ahead. All the work was to get prepared for the road towards it.
Even with Griffa gone there are still challenges to accomplish.
There may be no more room for upgrades, but there is always room:
- To grow
- To teach
- To be an example to others.
If there was a sequel to Max’s story, perhaps he would have been the new Griffa to the remaining dwellers left in post-apocalyptic Australia.
Maybe even to newborns who would have to learn to live in harsh conditions. Teach them to thrive and be human in a punishing world.
It could even be that Griffa was a representation of how Max wanted to be all this time.
He just didn’t know it, until he had to confront it.
Sometimes the road will only take us so far, until a single encounter changes everything.
One person can make a difference. Even if that person is:
- Quiet in words
- Calm when others snap
- Answering in ways we don’t want, but need.
To ignore the Griffa in one’s life is to ignore wisdom, as well as a life transforming process.
Perspective changes.
An ordinary journey becomes extraordinary.
An everyday life becomes filled with greater purpose.
Let the voice of Griffa be a guide, even if the place it takes you is in isolation.