Rhaegor. Kingdom of fire and ash. For years the kingdom has been engulfed in civil war, deaf to the cries for mercy and peace. Pacts are made and broken, and as time passes, the world becomes separated into two people. Those who die by the sword, and those that wield them.
There are enemies everywhere, and trust is a myth. There have become two true powers in the war, the swordsman called the Windblade, Rex Harlaan, and those who oppose him. Rex is the first to create a territory in Rhaegor, using his power and his will to dominate to drive his forces throughout Rhaegor, killing any that stand in their way.
There are few pockets of peace left in Rhaegor. With the lords ignoring a common enemy and fighting amongst themselves, the kingdom is on the verge of crumbling.
But hope yet remains for the world. The province called the Vale, in the northern territories of Rhaegor stands true, and peace still holds the north. Alliances formed at the dawning of Rhaegor's great era still stand, though hope lays on the edge of a knife. Even the combined powers of the Vale are not capable of supporting a full scale war.
In the hearts of all men there is a light, like that of a star. And all light is combated by evil, a dark being within us all, waiting...sleeping...yearning to be unleashed. Only those who have seen the evil of their own creation and defeated it may truly dawn the name Hero.
And if the world has any hope of surviving, a Hero must rise.
The story begins in the village of Gaia, a town in the Vale. Gaia stands a few leagues from the Vale's borders, protected only by a few small keeps that protect the outskirts. However, with the lords of the Vale staying out of the conflict, Gaia remains an oasis to those who live there, and those trying to escape the bloodshed.
But even the Vale cannot hope to stay out of the war forever. Lord Hosteff has ordered preparations begin. The Vale is preparing to march, so who will protect Gaia?
That is the task appointed to the player, but when you awake one morning to find themselves not in Gaia at all, but atop some mountain, you must try and find your way home. When you finally reach your home, the village is empty. Though no signs of battle are visible, you worry for your people, and set off to find them.
In your travels, you are sucked into the conflict of the war, and find yourself deep in the conflict. Finding friends is the only way to survive, but for every friend you meet, you make a dozen enemies.
Realizing that escaping the war is impossible, you must make your way deep into the kingdom. The Windblade has amassed his forces, and poses to strike down the kingdom in one fell stroke. Alone, you must face him.
The fate of Rhaegor is in your hands.
Protagonists
Gerard
Gerard is one of two main characters players can choose from. He was found alone as a child, wandering around the Vale, and was given a home in Gaia. He recalls very little of his past, but remembers that his village was attacked by raiders. His parents died in the skirmish, and only a dozen others survived the attack. Where they are now, he does not know. He is a bit arrogant at times, and he has a strong sense of pride and honor.
Note: Gerard's name can be changed at the start of the game.
Gerard is a brute force kind of fighter. He is a character built on strength and endurance.
Alise
Alise is the second of the main characters players may choose from. She is a kind hearted and polite young woman, who wants nothing more than to give back to the village of Gaia for all that it has done for her throughout the years. She is generally soft spoken, and while she is not the strongest of fighters, she has a high level of skill with the blade.
Note: Alise's name can be changed at the start of the game.
Alise is a skill kind of fighter. Though weaker than Gerard, she has increased speed and dexterity, allowing her to be more nimble in combat.
Antagonists
Rex Harlaan
Rex is the leader of the Black Occult, the first contingent of allied forces that Rhaegor has ever known. Unlike the bonds shared by the various lords in the Vale, Rex has somehow managed to combine forces from three different provinces of Rhaegor with the intent of destroying anyone who stands for democracy. He believes that only through the power of dictatorship will Rhaegor survive, and he believes that it is the strongest that should rule the kingdom. His principles have driven him to madness.
The Black Swordsman
The Black Swordsman is Rex's aide-de-camp. He is very mysterious and says very few words. It is believed that he is not even human, and in fact a creature summoned from another plane of existence. Though shrouded in mystery, the Black Swordsman is a skilled warrior, though he seems hesitant to fight. He tries to block your way numerous times, but does not always result to drawing swords to stand in your path.
Non Player Characters
Flint
Flint is the blacksmith of Gaia. He was once a gladiator fighter, but he earned his freedom in the arena and moved to the Vale to begin a new life. He opened a forge and became one of the most skilled blacksmiths the Vale had to offer. He is a man that would give his life to protect Gaia and its people, and he hopes that by teaching you how to fight, that he can leave Gaia in your hands.
Shrantellatessa
Shrantellatessa is a mysterious little bird, only found in your dreams. Her words are often hard to decipher, and her messages broken. There is little known about this creature, but it speaks of the Hero's Prophecy, so one must believe it is a creature of good.
Chi
Chi is a wandering swordsman. He is very quiet, choosing to let his blades do the talking. He does not offer much information about himself, but his actions show that he is an arrogant fighter, believing he cannot be bested in battle. He hopes that in his travels he finally meets somebody worthy of ending his life.
Dream
Dream is a young woman of a religious cult called the Black Roses. While many do not agree with their standpoints, the Roses are a group that fights for good. Dream has been sent out by her order to brother, who abandoned the Roses. She is told to bring him back, dead or alive.
Chronicles of Gaia, though a small project, will be anything but simple. Here is a quick list of features I hope to have (I will go into detail later, since I'm a little pressed for time):
- Custom Battle System
- Custom Message System
- Custom Menu Script
- Crafting Script
Side Quests
Because I feel that all good games should have side quests, whether they directly influence the game or not, I have come up with some side quests for CoG. Here is what I have so far:
Because I do not got into much detail about the kingdom of Rhaegor (aside from this thread, and even then, it's only brief), I thought it might be interesting to have a side quest to reveal the history of the kingdom. This side quest will be the "dungeon" aspect of the game, and aside from the first "dungeon", places must find these places on their own (though it won't be overly difficult). This side quest will also sport the majority of the game's puzzles.
Reward: crafting materials (each "dungeon").
Reward: crafting materials (each "dungeon").
This side quest has two sides to it. The first is that you meet up with a wandering swordsman (if you explore a little bit) named Chi. He claims to be looking for a swordsman worth of his skill, and constantly puts you down as unworthy of crossing blades with him. The other part is that you meet another swordsman named Dream (who you find out is Chi's sister). Chi is a member of the Order of the Black Roses, a religious "cult" searching for her brother, who has deserted the Order and whom she must kill in order to regain her faith. You can help Dream locate Chi, and eventually you will be able to fight them both. This side quest is just to give a change of pace, and allow for a mini boss to fight against.
Reward: Skill techniques (Dream), weapon (Chi)
Reward: Skill techniques (Dream), weapon (Chi)
This is the shortest of the side quests, and it is the only mandatory one players must do (I only call it a "side quest" because it breaks away from the main story). The mystic bird Shrantellatessa believes you are the great Hero spoken of in Prophecy, and transports you to an ancient fortress to prove it. This is one of two "dungeons" in the actual game (though the first is from the History of Rhaegor), and it is here that the game takes a turning point, because you learn there are no true Heroes, and the Prophecy is not real. Only reward is plot development (and experience).
I always hate when a game I really enjoy ends, because to continue to enjoy it, you have to replay it. That's fine and all, but I felt like adding more content outside of the actual story. So, once the game is finished, there will be an entire area added, and if you completed either side quest (or both), new content will be added to those as well. Now, while currently the rewards are just more gameplay and unlocking new things (and new monsters to kill), if this project becomes successful enough, this side quest will lead into a sequel, and reward players who took the time to play through everything.
Note: Aside from the Hero, which is mandatory, the only way to continue with a side quest is to complete the previous aspect of it (in the case of the History of Rhaegor, you'll obtain an item needed to open the next dungeon, and in the case of the Order, Dream and Chi stay in the same place until you complete their current "mission").
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This game started out as just a project for another site I am a member on. It was meant to be a small project, mostly just something I was doing for the community, adding in members to the game, etc. It's since become a bit more than that, and is maybe a little more ambitious than I would like, but hey, I can deal with it.
Now, some questions that might get asked, and the answers to those questions (I thought ahead):
What is the "Dark Star" and what does it have to do with the game?
As I said above, this project stared out as a community game, and one of the community members is named DarkStar. I wanted to find a way to incorporate that, and I also wanted to do it in a way that wasn't too cliche. The way I determined to do this was to use it as a metaphor. There is no evil star in the game, but instead it refers to the darkness that resides in the hearts of all men, the evil that even the purest of souls can fall pray to. It's basically using the concept of yin and yang. It's not overly original, but that's okay with me.
Why is the kingdom of Rhaegor in a case of civil war?
The history of Rhaegor is pretty vague, but it gets explained in bits and pieces as the story goes on. Basically, the kingdom was set up in provinces, with no real monarchy to oversee them. The provinces really had nothing in common with each other aside from the fact that they were inside of a common border. There were attempts to create a monarchy or a system where the greater good of the entire kingdom is looked after, but they all failed.
The reason that Rhaegor is currently at war, is because of the actions of the antagonist Rex Harlaan. Now, as you learn throughout the game, he's not really a "bad" guy or evil or anything, he's just a man who's ideals have driven him to madness. Rex believes that the world should be led by select few individuals rather than a democracy or any system where the people have a say in what happens. He uses the following phrases in the game, at the point where you realize the entire war is his fault.
"Democracy is not the salvation of this world, or its people. It is in the hearts of the strong that is given the will to dominate, the power needed to rule. If you give that power to the weak, the world will be deaf to the cries of a thousand woeful villagers, and nothing shall be done to save them. No, it is the strong that deserve to rule this world. And I will prove to be the strongest."
How does the main character end up on top of a mountain and not know how he got there?
To be honest, it's one of those simple plot devices that I felt necessary to get the story going. While there is seemingly no real reason to be placed on the mountain, you are transported there by the bird Shrantellatessa. This is meant to be a test. The bird believes that the main character has the potential to be a Hero, thinking that this is the time of the Great Prophecy (insert major cliche here to explain what the Great Prophecy is).
However, as the story unfolds, the main character begins to learn the truth about Heroes, and realizes that this is not the Prophecy, and that Heroes don't exist. I plan on having a pretty badass speech for this that will come into play later in the game, so I apologize if it seems a little vague.
Why can't Gerard remember much of his past?
He blocked out the memories when he was younger. He saw some horrific things, and forced himself to forget them. I don't want to say he gave himself a case of amnesia, but it basically explains it. It has no real effect on the story, and if he chooses to (and he ends up doing so a few times in the game) he can recall his past. The only thing he can't recall is how he ended up in Gaia, and that's simply because he lost consciousness and was found by a traveler who left him in Gaia when Flint said he'd take care of you.
What's with the cliche of the world's fate being in the hands of the main character?
When you first encounter the Windblade, he reveals his plan to you (as I explained a little bit above as well). Rex basically fully gives into his "Dark Star" and is completely consumed by hatred. And while (as I said above) Rex is not altogether evil in his own right, he has been so consumed by his ambitions that it has completely taken over his body and soul, and he has become corrupted and a mad man. He speaks of "purging" the world so that Rhaegor can rise to its true greatness, and so players realize that he must be stopped, for the Vale is the province that most utilizes a sense of democracy (it's not very well explained because it's not important to the game, but the Vale uses a variant of the Senate, even though in the end the king has the full rule).
It's your own principles, so far opposite to the Windblade's that gives that sense of "save the world" even though you're not really saving anything. Your battle is about standing up for what you believe is right. So perhaps "saving the world" is over dramatic, but that's the sense the character gets about it, so it's what I used.
What's with the side characters and what is their point to the game?
Like I said, this was a community project. The side stories are just a way to implement that into the game. While they will not directly affect the story, these side stories offer something else for the player to do, and they will play a part in determining the class structure. Plus it's just nice to have something else going alongside the main story, because that's how it works in real life. Not everything is focused on one event or action. People outside of that event or action still follow their daily lives.
You didn't answer my question!
Well, if I didn't answer the question that is rattling up in your brain, feel free to ask it! I can't possibly know everything that's going to be asked of me, but I figured those would be the big things, and since I knew the answer already, better to post them now than have to take time to do it later.
Here's my first PCP critique for your project.