Alexis Hiemis
Member
A world
Wrapped in ice
See how beatiful she is
Holding her last breath
Maybe I can forget
What I once held dear
Do you suffer?
Do you bemoan this world?
It's your fault
Everything's your fault
From the chronicles of Dalishear, year 552
This is the story of the godchild Harue and her sinning against our Lord and Creator.
In a stormy night Adrete, a young woman, gave birth to her first and sole child Harue. And as she held it in her arms for the first time, Sanadorae, Creator of our world, descended and spoke: "This child of yours is singular among all human born children. For she has touched my heart, I want her to be my own, and she shall be known as the everlasting sign of friendship between me and humanity. But nobody shall touch her, and she shall be devoted in love for me. This I demand as your Lord and Creator."
And Harue was brought to Sanadorae's temple as the god had demanded. And she was risen by the monks and priests, for noone whose heart was not one of purity should ever catch a sight on her
And Sanadorae endowed the humans with twenty years of everlasting spring.
But Harue transgressed the rules imposed on her.
She fell in love with Saites, a warrior monk, and fell in sin with him. And Sanadorae's wrath inflamed him with sin, throwing down his beloved child, killing Saites, and commanding the priests to rip out Harue's heart, for it led to her betrayal..
And the high priest Arfedalus, wise and mighty, grasped Harue's heart, ripping it out of her breast, and it was made of red crystal, and Arfedalus shattered it on the holy altar. It bursted into six splinters, and in his sorrow Sanadorae destroyed his temple and killed all of his monks and priests, and withdrew all his might from Dalishear.
And as his might did no longer warm the land and no longer gave life to it, all growing and thriving stopped, and no crop could be harvested and no seed seated, and snow came and covered the land for all time to come.
For this was God's wrath, and for this wrathed punished our sinful race.
And this happened in the year 537, and as day for day passes by, all life withers from the earth we still walk. And many victims are moaned about, and shadows are haunting Dalishear. Flowers of a bloody red are covering the land, reminding us of the sins committed.
But our hope has not yet vanished. The day might see the sun arise, when a brave being finally unites the splinters of Harue's heart. And his brave heart will warm Sanadorae's soul and eventually free his mercy. And his name shall be prophesied by the sages...
What really happened 25 years ago, nobody can tell. Only a few people ever have perceived the last Sanadorae priest's words. And for too long, humanity dwells under a hazed sun and the cold stars of an eternal winter, living a hard and ungrateful life from the wild monsters' flesh which haunt the land, while the once so strong race suffers.
This is the story of the godchild Harue and her sinning against our Lord and Creator.
In a stormy night Adrete, a young woman, gave birth to her first and sole child Harue. And as she held it in her arms for the first time, Sanadorae, Creator of our world, descended and spoke: "This child of yours is singular among all human born children. For she has touched my heart, I want her to be my own, and she shall be known as the everlasting sign of friendship between me and humanity. But nobody shall touch her, and she shall be devoted in love for me. This I demand as your Lord and Creator."
And Harue was brought to Sanadorae's temple as the god had demanded. And she was risen by the monks and priests, for noone whose heart was not one of purity should ever catch a sight on her
And Sanadorae endowed the humans with twenty years of everlasting spring.
But Harue transgressed the rules imposed on her.
She fell in love with Saites, a warrior monk, and fell in sin with him. And Sanadorae's wrath inflamed him with sin, throwing down his beloved child, killing Saites, and commanding the priests to rip out Harue's heart, for it led to her betrayal..
And the high priest Arfedalus, wise and mighty, grasped Harue's heart, ripping it out of her breast, and it was made of red crystal, and Arfedalus shattered it on the holy altar. It bursted into six splinters, and in his sorrow Sanadorae destroyed his temple and killed all of his monks and priests, and withdrew all his might from Dalishear.
And as his might did no longer warm the land and no longer gave life to it, all growing and thriving stopped, and no crop could be harvested and no seed seated, and snow came and covered the land for all time to come.
For this was God's wrath, and for this wrathed punished our sinful race.
And this happened in the year 537, and as day for day passes by, all life withers from the earth we still walk. And many victims are moaned about, and shadows are haunting Dalishear. Flowers of a bloody red are covering the land, reminding us of the sins committed.
But our hope has not yet vanished. The day might see the sun arise, when a brave being finally unites the splinters of Harue's heart. And his brave heart will warm Sanadorae's soul and eventually free his mercy. And his name shall be prophesied by the sages...
What really happened 25 years ago, nobody can tell. Only a few people ever have perceived the last Sanadorae priest's words. And for too long, humanity dwells under a hazed sun and the cold stars of an eternal winter, living a hard and ungrateful life from the wild monsters' flesh which haunt the land, while the once so strong race suffers.
The story begins with Merit, a young man who lives in the small town Hadlom. His day starts as every day - first he gets some tasks from his father and his sister, afterwards he leaves the town to hunt snowbeasts.
But at the town's gate he discovers a half frozen and heavily injured young woman. Stammeringly and unarticulately she tells him about some Snowbeasts' attack against the neighbor town Dandre. Merit takes the woman to the local inn and decides to go to Dandre to help the citizens as good as he can. But all the other town poeple don't agree with his plan, since nobody wants to endanger himself unnecessarily. Only the old blacksmith Artan gives Merit a better axe than the small wood axe he wields.
Merit fights his way to the next town, only to see that he has come too late - most of the town has already been wiped out. Not only a pack of snowbeasts, also two ice trolls who naturally live in the heights of the mountains have attacked the people. Using his remaining strength, Merit hunts them down and hides himself in the destroyed houses.
There he discovers some survivors who were left behind because they were to weak to fight. They tell him about the attacks that got more frequently and more apalling over the time. An evil power seems to fuel the beasts' wrath, according to the people...
Merit disregards these words as babble, but he gets curios when the elders tell him that a stolen artifact brought them into this situation. A young woman appeared several days ago and took the "Blanket of the Celestial" with her, but before she could flee, she was surrounded by snowbeasts and forced to hide in an old farmhouse. Because of the assault nobody knows exactly where she is and how she is doing.
Merit decides to follow the woman. Actually he finds Islana heavily injured and unconscious and takes her and the "Blanket of the Celestial" back to Dandre.
As soon as Islana is strong enough she tries to steal the blanket and to dissappear, but Merit stops her and takes the blanket to bring it to his home town. Islana explains to him indignantly that she is the chosen one from the old legend who is expected to collect all splinters of Harue's heart and bring them to Sanadorae. The splinters were captured within six items, the "Blanket of the Celestials" being one of them.
Merit is not affected by her words and leaves Dandre. Unwillingly Islana has to follow him to Hadlom. But bad things have befallen Merit's home town...
But at the town's gate he discovers a half frozen and heavily injured young woman. Stammeringly and unarticulately she tells him about some Snowbeasts' attack against the neighbor town Dandre. Merit takes the woman to the local inn and decides to go to Dandre to help the citizens as good as he can. But all the other town poeple don't agree with his plan, since nobody wants to endanger himself unnecessarily. Only the old blacksmith Artan gives Merit a better axe than the small wood axe he wields.
Merit fights his way to the next town, only to see that he has come too late - most of the town has already been wiped out. Not only a pack of snowbeasts, also two ice trolls who naturally live in the heights of the mountains have attacked the people. Using his remaining strength, Merit hunts them down and hides himself in the destroyed houses.
There he discovers some survivors who were left behind because they were to weak to fight. They tell him about the attacks that got more frequently and more apalling over the time. An evil power seems to fuel the beasts' wrath, according to the people...
Merit disregards these words as babble, but he gets curios when the elders tell him that a stolen artifact brought them into this situation. A young woman appeared several days ago and took the "Blanket of the Celestial" with her, but before she could flee, she was surrounded by snowbeasts and forced to hide in an old farmhouse. Because of the assault nobody knows exactly where she is and how she is doing.
Merit decides to follow the woman. Actually he finds Islana heavily injured and unconscious and takes her and the "Blanket of the Celestial" back to Dandre.
As soon as Islana is strong enough she tries to steal the blanket and to dissappear, but Merit stops her and takes the blanket to bring it to his home town. Islana explains to him indignantly that she is the chosen one from the old legend who is expected to collect all splinters of Harue's heart and bring them to Sanadorae. The splinters were captured within six items, the "Blanket of the Celestials" being one of them.
Merit is not affected by her words and leaves Dandre. Unwillingly Islana has to follow him to Hadlom. But bad things have befallen Merit's home town...
Merit Dorelen
Age: 23
Family: sister Kiriella, mother Anena, father Ramranit Dorelen
Jobs: hunter, lumberjack, guard
Residence: Town of Hadlom, lower Town
Weapon of choice: axe
Hair: unobtrusive brown
Physical characteristics: tall, broad shoulders, athletic, scar on his right cheek from a long scratch
Merit was born shortly after the events of the legend and is now 23 years of age. He doesn't really believe in the old legend, mostly due to a lack of time to devote to it. He doesn't know spring or summer, and his main task is killing snow beasts together with some older man to feed the town. Merit is unpopular among the town's folks, since he's not able to read or write he's usually regarded as illiterate. Some even describe him as a kind of barbar, whose only pastime consist of killing snow beasts instead of doing honest work. He doesn't even try to defend against these accusations and is already emotionally isolated, for noone would esteem the sacrifice he brings to safe the town's life. And yet all this ignorance doesn't weaken his strong convincement in what he does.
His only friend is the town's blacksmith Artan, whose experience and inner balance are strong ideals for Merit. For him, Artan even resembles a kind of father whom he tries to emulate, while at the same time being confronted with his real father's demands of marrying or leaving the town. Behind Merit's simple words, there lies a sharp mind, questioning and watching the things surrounding him. While his real longing may be for an eventual change, he's still held on Hadlom by his strong affection towards his sister Kiriella and the blacksmith Artan.
Family: sister Kiriella, mother Anena, father Ramranit Dorelen
Jobs: hunter, lumberjack, guard
Residence: Town of Hadlom, lower Town
Weapon of choice: axe
Hair: unobtrusive brown
Physical characteristics: tall, broad shoulders, athletic, scar on his right cheek from a long scratch
Merit was born shortly after the events of the legend and is now 23 years of age. He doesn't really believe in the old legend, mostly due to a lack of time to devote to it. He doesn't know spring or summer, and his main task is killing snow beasts together with some older man to feed the town. Merit is unpopular among the town's folks, since he's not able to read or write he's usually regarded as illiterate. Some even describe him as a kind of barbar, whose only pastime consist of killing snow beasts instead of doing honest work. He doesn't even try to defend against these accusations and is already emotionally isolated, for noone would esteem the sacrifice he brings to safe the town's life. And yet all this ignorance doesn't weaken his strong convincement in what he does.
His only friend is the town's blacksmith Artan, whose experience and inner balance are strong ideals for Merit. For him, Artan even resembles a kind of father whom he tries to emulate, while at the same time being confronted with his real father's demands of marrying or leaving the town. Behind Merit's simple words, there lies a sharp mind, questioning and watching the things surrounding him. While his real longing may be for an eventual change, he's still held on Hadlom by his strong affection towards his sister Kiriella and the blacksmith Artan.
Islana Narmanda
Age: 24
Family: father, mother, two sisters
past jobs: scribe, scholar, adventurer
past residence: capital Yildim
weapon of choice: special metal quills, missiles
hair: black-brown shoulder-long curls
eyes: vivid ice-blue
physical characteristics: slender, agile and fast
specialization: distance (missile, magical projectiles), support (blending, confusing ect.)
Islana is a very pretty, yet asinine young woman. Her faith in the old legends and her own role within these is imperturbable. She's chasing the splinters of Harue's Heart with the zeal and the courage of someone not yet knowing the events she'll have to face. Although this sometimes leads to serious dangers for her, she managed to jump off death's edge every time. Her character is adulterated with boast and a dangerous naiveti, rather resembling a child than an adult woman. Since she's capable of using a multitude of languages in written and spoken form, including the ancient language of the temple priests of Sanadorae, Islana is usually regarded as very intelligent.
Islana was born into one of the few prosper families and was always treaten good. She speeks her mind freely, sometimes even harming others' feelings, since she never truly understood about "interpersonal relationships".
As unsympathetic she's perceived from the outside, as confused is her mind. Her careless life with luxury made her feel worthless and exchangable. So her hunting for the splinters also serves the purpose of escaping her crisis and her fear about life's inherent mortality. While she has no problem dealing with people offending her, she reacts helplessly towards ignorance.
Family: father, mother, two sisters
past jobs: scribe, scholar, adventurer
past residence: capital Yildim
weapon of choice: special metal quills, missiles
hair: black-brown shoulder-long curls
eyes: vivid ice-blue
physical characteristics: slender, agile and fast
specialization: distance (missile, magical projectiles), support (blending, confusing ect.)
Islana is a very pretty, yet asinine young woman. Her faith in the old legends and her own role within these is imperturbable. She's chasing the splinters of Harue's Heart with the zeal and the courage of someone not yet knowing the events she'll have to face. Although this sometimes leads to serious dangers for her, she managed to jump off death's edge every time. Her character is adulterated with boast and a dangerous naiveti, rather resembling a child than an adult woman. Since she's capable of using a multitude of languages in written and spoken form, including the ancient language of the temple priests of Sanadorae, Islana is usually regarded as very intelligent.
Islana was born into one of the few prosper families and was always treaten good. She speeks her mind freely, sometimes even harming others' feelings, since she never truly understood about "interpersonal relationships".
As unsympathetic she's perceived from the outside, as confused is her mind. Her careless life with luxury made her feel worthless and exchangable. So her hunting for the splinters also serves the purpose of escaping her crisis and her fear about life's inherent mortality. While she has no problem dealing with people offending her, she reacts helplessly towards ignorance.
Adarma
Age: ?
Family: ?
job: fortuneteller
physical characteristics: tall, emaciated
hair: smooth, blond
eyes: vivid green
weapon of choice: fire magic
Adarma is a silent beauty. She doesn't talk much and often just ignores Islana's questions. The only thing she tells about herself is that she used to be a fortuneteller at her town, although she forgot the town's name and the reason why she got chased out of it. She has no full control over her strong fire magic, a unfortunate fact often leading her into trouble.
It is not known why exactly Adarma wants to travel with Merit and Isalana. It seems she neither feels compassionate nor irate about the world, only disinterested. The only thing fueling her will to move on is the legend and everything that links it to the world around her.
Family: ?
job: fortuneteller
physical characteristics: tall, emaciated
hair: smooth, blond
eyes: vivid green
weapon of choice: fire magic
Adarma is a silent beauty. She doesn't talk much and often just ignores Islana's questions. The only thing she tells about herself is that she used to be a fortuneteller at her town, although she forgot the town's name and the reason why she got chased out of it. She has no full control over her strong fire magic, a unfortunate fact often leading her into trouble.
It is not known why exactly Adarma wants to travel with Merit and Isalana. It seems she neither feels compassionate nor irate about the world, only disinterested. The only thing fueling her will to move on is the legend and everything that links it to the world around her.
Harue
Age: ?
Family: Mother Adrete, Father?
physical characteristics: tall
hair: long, blonde
eyes: green
The child that has been adopted by Sanadorae is depicted as a beautiful young girl in religious writings and sculptures. Her long, bright-blonde hair and her green eyes are a symbol of Sanadorae. Not much is known about her, only that Sanadorae loved his child so much, that he endowed Dalishear for many years with a fertile spring.
Family: Mother Adrete, Father?
physical characteristics: tall
hair: long, blonde
eyes: green
The child that has been adopted by Sanadorae is depicted as a beautiful young girl in religious writings and sculptures. Her long, bright-blonde hair and her green eyes are a symbol of Sanadorae. Not much is known about her, only that Sanadorae loved his child so much, that he endowed Dalishear for many years with a fertile spring.
Sanadorae
Age: ?
Family: Sister Isadorae
physical characteristics: tall, slender, androgynous
hair: short and curled, blonde
eyes: green
In religious descriptions, Sanadorae is depicted as a young man of tremendous beauty. Green eyes like his are rarely seen in Dalishear, and are therefore worshipped as a God's symbol. This is also the reason why the traditional priest's robe is of a green color.
Family: Sister Isadorae
physical characteristics: tall, slender, androgynous
hair: short and curled, blonde
eyes: green
In religious descriptions, Sanadorae is depicted as a young man of tremendous beauty. Green eyes like his are rarely seen in Dalishear, and are therefore worshipped as a God's symbol. This is also the reason why the traditional priest's robe is of a green color.
Isadorae
Age: ?
Family: Brother Sanadorae
physical characteristics: tall, slender, androgynous
hair: long, black, curled
eyes: dark brown/black
Isadorae only plays a subordinate role in Dalishear. She's usually depicted as a dark-haired, pale woman. She's the Goddess of the night, the winter, and death.
Family: Brother Sanadorae
physical characteristics: tall, slender, androgynous
hair: long, black, curled
eyes: dark brown/black
Isadorae only plays a subordinate role in Dalishear. She's usually depicted as a dark-haired, pale woman. She's the Goddess of the night, the winter, and death.
(Sorry, I translated this part very fast on my own, because I couldn`t get contact to my translator, so some things may sound funny ;_; blame me, it is my fault)
Mouse Script
Everything in the game is handled with the mouse. This includes all menus and the movement. By clicking to any point of the map, the character will try to find a way to this point if it is 1) reachable and 2) not blocked.
By clicking at any active object (which is marked by a red cursor instead of a blue one) you can trigger all events, even distant ones can be activated. The hero will move to the object or turn to it if it is to far to reach (like a chest behind stones that are to high to climb over them)
Menus
All menus can be handled with the mouse. There is a main menu from which you can save, load, start a new game, exit the game and change options. These options include sound control and feature control. You can turn on/off the help messages and can change between moving the character with keys or with the mouse, or control features that may cause laggs.
Battle
The battlesystem is the ACBS from Atoa in Front-View. All characters will be drawn by me (currently I inserted RTP battlers).
There are some special features linked to the battle system. The first one is that you can carry only a limited size of items and skills when you go into battle. That means you must choose wisely which of them you want to use.
The second important fact is that you are not limited in using skills, but if you have no more stamina, you will pay life for casting skills, even untill you are unconcious (nobody dies in this game, they all just get unconscios XD)
Ropes
Ropes are a special items. Everytime you come to a cliff you cannot jump over, you can use a rope. If you throw it and hit the other side, your characters can climb to the other side. But if you miss, your rope will be lost.
There are several places in the game where you have to use ropes, but they are all sidequests.
Special Abillitys
Every character you will have in your party has skills you can upgrade over the time. Some of these are real combat skills, others will be useful somewhere else. Islana, as example, can become a very clever thief, steal items from oponents and open locked doors to find interesting treasures.
Mouse Script
Everything in the game is handled with the mouse. This includes all menus and the movement. By clicking to any point of the map, the character will try to find a way to this point if it is 1) reachable and 2) not blocked.
By clicking at any active object (which is marked by a red cursor instead of a blue one) you can trigger all events, even distant ones can be activated. The hero will move to the object or turn to it if it is to far to reach (like a chest behind stones that are to high to climb over them)
Menus
All menus can be handled with the mouse. There is a main menu from which you can save, load, start a new game, exit the game and change options. These options include sound control and feature control. You can turn on/off the help messages and can change between moving the character with keys or with the mouse, or control features that may cause laggs.
Battle
The battlesystem is the ACBS from Atoa in Front-View. All characters will be drawn by me (currently I inserted RTP battlers).
There are some special features linked to the battle system. The first one is that you can carry only a limited size of items and skills when you go into battle. That means you must choose wisely which of them you want to use.
The second important fact is that you are not limited in using skills, but if you have no more stamina, you will pay life for casting skills, even untill you are unconcious (nobody dies in this game, they all just get unconscios XD)
Ropes
Ropes are a special items. Everytime you come to a cliff you cannot jump over, you can use a rope. If you throw it and hit the other side, your characters can climb to the other side. But if you miss, your rope will be lost.
There are several places in the game where you have to use ropes, but they are all sidequests.
Special Abillitys
Every character you will have in your party has skills you can upgrade over the time. Some of these are real combat skills, others will be useful somewhere else. Islana, as example, can become a very clever thief, steal items from oponents and open locked doors to find interesting treasures.
One of Isadoraes hidden temples. Creatures creep in the dark you never wanted to meet..
The caves under Dandre... to pass them, you have to solve a trigger puzzle
Oh look - walking food!
Barbecue! ... Okay, not really. Actually, it is Dandre.
Battle against 3 snowbeasts
Snow... and more snow...
What may hide in this creepy ice dungeon...?
The option menu. From here you can change almost every important game setting. In this screen you can change game priority, the display of the dynamic footsteps and the brightness of the game (important for those ones who do not have a modern flat screen - they complained that the screens are to dark)
The inventory - equip armor, items and spells, use potions and check your state on this screen.
Merits Skilltree - actually, this is not the final one because I made some changes in the concept, but it will look almost the same in the final game, just with some other icons and names
Currently, there is no english translation of the last demo, so I'm sorry that I cannot show you something you can play, but the next demo, comming christmas 09/january 2010 will be translated. For more information, artworks, wallpapers and other stuff please visit
http://www.sanadorae.de
At the end, for everyone who likes videos (like me XD), here you can watch the german intro of the game. I is not a very good quality, but I think it gives an impression of the game itself (the text written in german is the same text you can read above under the game logo).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpNsF-l5xw0
Please feel free to comment. Many thanks to Greyhat who translated the more important text parts and the websites :3
Alexis Hiemis