Narrative Design
Detailed Narrative
As a peasant living in a kingdom ruled by a lord, you were witness to a yearly tradition where the lord selected several individuals to offer as sacrifices to the gods, in the hopes of fertilizing the land. This year, your family was chosen, and they were brutally slain on the altar while the crowd cheered. Just as you were about to meet the same fate, a mysterious voice whispered in your mind.
The voice revealed the truth about the sacrifices, explaining that the lord used the souls of the slain to build an astral world, hoping to gain immortality. The voice offered you a pact, claiming that your family's souls still lingered and that it had the power to enter the astral world to save them. In exchange, the voice asked for your assistance in destroying this realm.
You accepted the pact and entered the astral world, where you encountered enemies with similar powers. The voice informed you that these enemies were souls created by the lord to defend his world. As you defeated each enemy, you absorbed their power and grew stronger.
The voice directed you towards lodestones, explaining that they were the pillars of the astral world made from thousands of innocent souls. The voice was anxious to destroy these lodestones, but the journey was not without challenges. There were many enemies defending the lodestones and you were still mastering your newfound power. Each time you failed, the voice consumed its power to bring you back to the starting point.
Eventually, you reached the lord's palace, where you defeated the lord and destroyed the final lodestone. As the astral world collapsed, the voice's true form was revealed: a devil imprisoned by the astral world. The tradition of offering sacrifices was to maintain this prison by replenishing dissipated soul energy, and each lord in history kept the secret and continued the tradition. The enemies in the astral world were soldiers who sacrificed themselves to protect the lodestones. The lord's soul was composed of several lords in history, who had kept the world going for the past hundred years by sacrificing minorities, including themselves.
With the devil freed, you were returned to the real world along with your family. You stood amidst the blackened earth, littered with the bodies of millions of the dead. Eventually, the devil was satisfied with the destruction it had wrought and disappeared. You took on the mantle of lord and began rebuilding the kingdom with the surviving populace. A new cycle had begun.
Cutscene Narrative
At the beginning and the end of the game, two cutscenes (in video form with voice acting) are displayed. We design the video in a cinematic way to be the first step to immersing players.
Start Cutscene
Clipping 1
Narrator:
In a grand kingdom, there was an ancient ritual passed down for generations.
Individuals offered as sacrifices were sent to the astral realm in exchange for bountiful harvests.
Clipping 2
Narrator:
This sacred ritual was regulated and enforced through the might of the lord, the unchallenged ruler of the land.
He sent chosen souls to the astral realm to bask in eternal joy and glory.
It is a privilege.
Clipping 3
Narrator:
This year, a peasant’s family was chosen at random for sacrifice, and cruelly taken to the altar as crowds cheered.
The fear and terror in the family’s eyes shattered any belief in eternal glory, leaving only a desire to be reunited with them.
Clipping 4
Narrator:
Desperately kneeling among the deceased family, a cryptic voice suddenly whispered within the peasant’s mind.
Alternate demon (weak demon voice):
“Oh, you poor soul.”
“I’ve been anticipating your arrival for an eternity.”
“Do you now see the truth behind the lies you have been told? ”
“There is no glory in service, only suffering and despair.”
“Your lord has used the souls of countless innocents, like your loved ones, to construct this realm and attain immortality.”
“Help me put an end to this barbaric tragedy, and I promise you: [I will bring back your family] (speak this part with pauses between each word).”
“Come, take my hand.”
End Cutscene
Clipping 1
Narrator:
At last, the peasant did it.
With the vanishing of the lord's soul, a flood of memories rushed into the peasant's mind.
An ancient demon was imprisoned in the astral realm by dozens of lodestones, saturated in human souls.
For centuries, each lord had maintained the prison by replenishing the dissipated soul energy.
They sacrificed their peasants, defenders, and even themselves to protect countless people.
Clipping 2
Demon (stronger voice compared to start):
(Maniacal laughter) Free at last! Free at last! I have waited centuries for this! I will make my jailors pay and pay for the years I’ve lost sealed in this infernal prison.
Narrator:
With those words, the demon consumed the entire kingdom, mercilessly slaughtering droves of people.
Clipping 3
Demon:
I have not forgotten my promise. I will keep my end of the deal and restore your family. Whoever is left should fear you as Lord. Rebuild what you can and pray we never meet again.
Clipping 4
Narrator:
With their new astral powers, the peasant quickly rose to power and became the lord over the ashes. The same blood rituals they fought to end have been reinstated to imprison the demon again.
And now history repeats itself.
In-Game Narrative
The demon keeps talking to players during the journey, giving them instructions about the astral realm.
Event-based dialogue system
Demon dialogues are triggered by events. Each event chooses a random paragraph from the corresponding paragraph set and play the sentences in paragraph one by one. There are 26 unique events in the game, which means that even if players have gone through a few loops, the narrative won’t be empty. The demon is continuously chatting with players, but I also ensure the dialogues are not too crowded so players can still focus on the gameplay.
Examples (video accelerated):
Contact
Feel free to contact me with any questions.
Email
liuboning2012@gmail.com