The classic image of the battle between good and evil, has always been a chess game. Black pieces battle white pieces on a board of ebony and ivory squares. Plotting and moving pieces till they get a final victory. Except it wasn't a final victory, as the pieces are set up again. For another game.
Which makes the repeated games repeative and redundant, over and over again. Which cause the forces playing to change the pieces, the board, the rules and much more. Which include this game. Starting like aways, unlike real chess, with the black pieces of the villain beginning first. The idea of a spell, a virus, a machine, or something. In the mind of a villain to turn the heroes allies into their ally. The idea of making the hero immune to force them to suffer from their friends and love ones attacking them.
Or an item which contain the same, which has the same effect of corruption and redemption as well.
However, the idea is flawed. A flaw created on purpose by the force playing. The same touch which corrupted the hero's allies and friends in the image of the villain, alters the villain's minions and colleagues in the image of the hero. Once the process begins, it can not be stopped.
Thus we turn to the game being played. Played in the world of...