zankokunoyami 1 Posted November 3, 2020 (edited) SYNOPSIS: Spoiler Long ago, Gaia was once ruled by the Goddess Evangeline and kept in balance by the Phantatiom Elements. These crystals supplied Gaia with the essentials needed to sustain life. Each resided within a separate kingdom; a token of Evangeline's faith in her children. For as long as they were kept safe, humanity would prosper. However, should humanity manage to destroy even just one; all would be consumed in total destruction. It was a thousand years ago, during the great war, 'Prologue to Dies Irae', in which saw the end of the bloodiest era in all of Gaia's history. An era where the rules of the kingdoms raged war for naught more than achieving a sense of immortality. Life ceased upon death, and thus, the only way to remain immortal was within the hearts of men. No matter how Evangeline cried, her pleas could not be heard over man's ego. Thus did the battle escalate until soon a champion rose who could still hear the Goddess' pleas. Alas, the tides of fate could not be turned, and all six Phantatiom Crystals were destroyed. The Earth quaked, the Waters roared, the Wind howled, the Fire danced, the Dark consumed and the Light blinded. The Goddess died and humanity was faced with it's impending doom... the promised Dies Irae. In their destruction, the Goddess' champion pulled a strength from within himself that allowed him to create a seventh Phantation Element. The element created a cycle that had not yet been known to man; rebirth. It, and it alone, created a balance that brought harmony once again to Gaia. More so, it created unplanned implications through it's existence. Without a Goddess, no new souls could ever be created; this lead way to humanities deepest desire... something beyond death. Human souls would from this day forward, continue to follow a cycle of death and rebirth. Though, it did not stop with humanity; this also applied to the very Phanatatiom Crystals in which were destroyed. Their particles attached themselves to human souls and through death and rebirth, soon found themselves evolving along side humanity. Soon, these particles grew into complete--yet spiritual--crystal like substances within the human soul. Gifting those who possessed their fully grown shards with the powers once stored within the crystals themselves. Ultimately, humans born as Phantatiom Users (or simply, Users), came into existence. They could weird magically crafted weapons and command the ancient spells once only a champion in possession of Phantatiom element could cast. Beyond them, Masters, were born. Those with an even more evolved Phantatiom Crystal form with access to a sixth class. A thousand years have long since passed, and Gaia continues to thrive in what is called the Era of Peace. Turmoil amongst kingdoms is relatively low and no major war has occurred since the bloody tragedy of Prologue to Dies Irae. However... the Wheel of Fate is once again turning. A young orphan girl--Esther Keshet--along side her best friends Jay and Allen, are about to find themselves caught up within a journey that could very well once again lead to Dies Irae. PLOT: Spoiler Esther Keshet woke up early this morning. It took many hours for her to brush and braid her hair, and she couldn't be late. Jay--her best friend--had promised to take her on a Grand Adventure. Not just any Grand Adventure at that! This was to be the greatest adventure of their lives. Though, it was all imaginary, it was the most excitement any of them could hope for. They lived in Eyvindr Orphanage; a small, but peaceful, orphanage way out on the outskirts of a peninsula. Alas... this adventure was going to shape up to truly be the greatest adventure of their life. For after reaching the end of their quest, the sound of screams and the smell of fire rode on the wind and reached them. Their peaceful days of happiness were all but shattered as a man calling himself the Emperor of Ardere, Zaniel Vesta, began his attack upon their orphanage. Facing the chance that if she does nothing, Jay could die, she gives into a voice she thought long since silenced. Giving into this voice granted her the powers she needed and awoken her as a Wind Master. Furthermore... this entity, now fully awoken within Esther, proclaims that she is the reborn Goddess of Creation--Evangeline. HEROES: Spoiler Name: Esther Keshet Age: 14 Element: Null Bio: Orphaned at a young age after her parents died in a fire; Esther was taken to Eyvindr Orphanage. After the orphanage is attacked, Esther awaken's and finds out two things; one, she possesses the Null element. Meaning she can ultimately control all elements. Second, she is the vessel for the reborn Goddess Evangeline. Name: Jeremiah 'Jay' Constantine Age: 15 Element: Fire Bio: Jay has no memories prior to coming to the orphanage. He is about to turn sixteen and thus has to leave the orphanage. He hopes to take this chance to finally uncover the memories he has lost. Name: Allen Age: 16 Element: N/A Bio: Little is known about Allen. Only that he has been at the orphanage the longest. He suffers from narcolepsy and thus is always managing to fall asleep at the worst times. Yet, for some reason, he always seems to wake up when it matters... Name: Elysia Zephyrine Age: 14 Element: Wind Bio: A street rat with no memories of her past. She happens to pick the wrong target when she comes across Esther and finds herself getting caught up in a battle between Esther and the Apprentice of Fire. Name: Jacob Uriel Seraphim Age: 23 Element: Water Bio: Jacob is the last of his bloodline and thus travels Gaia looking for the right women to bare him offspring. Alas, his perverted nature serves to ward off his potential mates. He finds himself traveling along side Esther in hopes of increasing his chances of finding the right wife(s?). Name: Lucius Van Sephirot Age: 21 Element: Water Bio: Assassin / Duke of Rivers. When word spread that the Apprentice of Fire has joined Vesta's side, it is up to him to assassinate the individual before the Prophecy can be fulfilled. Name: Anastasia "Anna Nightningale" Diana Josephine Age: 23 Element: Light Bio: A secret agent sent from Eden on word of a mysterious rebirth. Running into Lucius' after he was critically wounded and healing his wounds; she learns that his target may very well lead to her target as well. Name: Yulia Valentine Age: 10 Element: Darkness Bio: Yulia is the sole Princess of the Darkness Kingdom, Niflheim. One day, while playing hide and seek, she 'accidentally' arrives above ground, lost, confused... and overjoyed? Crippled with a severe case of bi-polar, she finds herself quickly jumping between overly excited to deeply depressed. Unfortunately for Lucius, he has no choice but to babysit, as his mission takes precedence. Name: Captain Sepphora Sullivan Age: 26 Element: Fire Bio: The Great and mighty Captain Sepphora is a pirate with a quite notorious reputation... for her chosen booty is not gold and diamonds, but men in which she can add to her harem. Thus, upon setting eyes on Lucius and learning of his status, she finds herself compelled to travel by his side until such a time arises that she can take him as her own. Name: Rebekah Konstantinos Age: 30 Element: Wind Bio: The greatest technological mastermind of the current era. She is single handily pushing Gaia into the start of an industrial revolution. Though with greatness comes great ego; and her's knows no bounds. Name: Cain Maximilian Age: 16 Element: Earth Bio: An emissary for the Demeter household, Cain often finds himself consulting with Lucius. Ultimately, he finds himself dragged into greater affairs than he desired when Lucius uncovers a plot that could bring about the end of Gaia. Name: Lucia 'Lucy' Demeter Age: 18 Element: Earth Bio: A runaway from the Kingdom of Terra, Lucia is determined to find trouble and get into as much trouble as she can. Finding nothing more exciting than being on the wrong side of a sword, she tends to get involved in gangs and groups of bandits. One such group happens to cross Esther at the worst time possible. Upon witnessing the kind of chaos that stands before Esther, she can't help but want to get involved. VILLAINS: Spoiler Name: Zaniel Vesta Age: 26 Element: Fire Bio: The ruling Emperor of Ardere, Vesta is on a mission to collect the Appentice of Fire. He is genius strategist who has never been defeated... that is, until he crosses blades with the reborn Goddess of Creation. Serving as the main antagonist, he is hellbent on destroying Evangeline at any cost. Name: Coelia Concordia Age: 16 Element: Fire Bio: Coelia is the Vestalis Maxima of Division #2 of Vesta's Elite Royal Guard--The Vestal Virgin's. Usually seen calm and reserved, she is anything but. Easily rattled and shaken with a soft spot for things that are cute. NAME: Veneneia Valencia AGE: 15 Element: Fire Bio: Serving under Coelia, Veneneia is the hot headed one of the group. Wild and crazy and loves a battle high. After swearing eternal rivalry with Esther after being defeated; her admiration seems to be blossoming into something more. NAME: Gegania Blaise AGE: 17 Element: Fire Bio: Serving under Coelia, she is the calm and calculative one. Slow and steady wins the race; and a little studying and taking notes never hurt! Name: Aquilia Severa Age: 17 Element: Fire Bio: Aquilia is the Vestalis Maxima of Division #1 of Vesta's Elite Royal Guard--The Vestal Virgins. Unlike Coelia, she is a Master not a User, with a far more reserved personality to accompany it. If only her partners were any more reliable... she might actually be capable of destroying Lucius' group on the spot. Name: Tarpeia Silvestra Age: 15 Element: Fire Bio: Serving under Aquilia, Tarpeia is the most disobedient fun going Vestal Virgin. She acts how she wants, when she wants, and somehow always manages to get the job done. Having gain the favor of Vesta, she appears incapable of doing no wrong despite Aquilia's many complaints. Name: Rhea Silvia Age: 14 Element: Fire Bio: Serving under Aquilia, she is both the strongest and weakest member of the team. It all depends on which personality she is currently exhibiting. Suffering from multiple personality disorder, Rhea is all over the place; but her true personality is cute and strict. She could rival Aquilia in loyalty and professionalism. NAME: Claude Alexandros Balthasar III AGE: 21 Element: Fire Bio: Vesta's number one Apprentice. With an ego that could rival Rebekkah's, he is as beautiful as he is deadily... too bad he realizes too late that he is nothing more than a pawn in Vesta's overall schemes. Name: Mysterious Vestal Virgin Age: ?? Element: Fire Bio: The mysterious Vestal who appears most mysteriously! Who is she? What is her purpose? What is her ultimate goal? SCREENSHOTS: Spoiler Battle Test: https://fb.watch/1w_2aH-oZf/ Animated Faces + Voice Over Test: https://fb.watch/1w_860-2xZ/ FEATURES: Spoiler Voice Acting: Dies Irae started off as a Radioplay on the Voice Acting Alliance. Thus, I have about 50% of the main scenes already voiced. I am sticking to just the main cutscenes right now. But combat will also have follies/battle cries. A number of the voice actors who are part of the project have gone pro since lending me their voices; and nearly all plan to continue their roles. So look forward to it! Side Quests: I plan to have plenty of side quests littered along the way. I plan to update the reward system on them to potentially give bonus exp across the various aspects of the leveling system. Side quests for the most part will be given by visiting a bulletin board in any town. There are always those in which you can pick up from NPCs, but most will be done this way. Allowing you accept what you choose. I am experimenting with non-bulletin board side quests having small narrative impacts. Such as one of the very first quests you can succeed in taking. It is a simple quest, find a dog for one of the orphans. However, ignoring this quest or failing to accomplish it before a certain event in the main story, will have a tragic outcome for that orphan girl. Survival: I am no fan of breakable equipment, so that will not be an aspect I incorporate into the game. However, there are a few other aspects the player will need to keep an eye on if they want to survive the daily grind. First off is the cooking and synthesis system. When you fight enemies, they will drop one of two types of items: Ingredients: You will use the ingredients to cook meals. Each ingredient on it's own will only heal 1% of your HP or SP. But when cooking them up with recipes, you will be able to heal 10-100%. You can get new recipes in each town. Different NPCs or side quest rewards will grant them to you. It is important to keep up, since new ingredients will be dropping from each area's new enemies. Materials: Materials are used to craft or upgrade your armor. I enjoy games with more armor slots. So I maximized mine. Helm, Shield, Armor, Arms, Legs, and two Acc. slots. Armor is not simply bought. The money in this game is hard to come by. Enemies don't drop it unless they are humanoid (why would a wolf carry money?!). And even human enemies aren't carrying that much on them. They aren't banks right? Thus, you will instead visit weapon/armor shops and inquire about the newest recipes of that town! They will glady share these, since they expect you to use excess materials to craft duplicates in which they can buy from you on the cheap and sell for an exaggerated price (you always have the option of buying the item out right... but probably wont have the cash on hand). There is Light, Medium and Heavy armor. All dependent on which class you are. Each has four levels in which you can upgrade it. Combat: The basic combat style will be Linear Motion Battle System (think the Tales of series). Attacking uses WP (Weapon Points). You have three types of attacks: Jab (no directional presses when attacking) Slash (press left/right as you attack) Thrust (press down while you attack) These three attacks are known as Attributes. Every enemy is weak and strong to one. So they may be strong to Jab but weak to Slash. To regain WP, you can use items or use spells. The more you use a particular attribute (which is actually associated to a weapon. Each character gets THREE weapons only) the more exp you get; which allow your weapons to level up As you level up the weapons, you gain longer combos. So if you keep pressing attack and the direction of your choice, you will perform a longer combo. Jab gets 5 attacks total, Slash gets 12 and Thrust gets 3. Everyone has an element automatically applied with their attribute. For example, Jay has Fire only. Thus if he uses a Jab attack, Fire is also applied. So if an enemy is weak to Jab and Fire, he does 4x damage. If the enemy is strong to both Jab and Fire, he does no damage. However, if an enemy is weak to just one, he will be ensured to do damage. Knowing an enemies Attribute/Element weaknesses' is key to high damage. Spells also level up as they are used and gain longer combo chains. This is designed this way because attacking classes get only 12 spells (6 regular, and 6 upgraded). Support classes get 12 defense spells and only 6 attack spells. Esther is the only one who can change elements. Meaning, she will become what you need. Using spells gains WP. Attacking gains SP. So going back and forth is good for leveling. Also, it ensures you aren't just focusing on attacks over spells and vice versa. You also have a level for your element. As your level increases, you gain more spells. You also have a base level. Leveling: This game has a number of levels that impact different stats. Base Level: these are the levels you gain from normal exp of winning a battle. Each level increases your overall stats. Phantatiom Crystal Levels: these are levels associated with your characters Phantatiom Crystal. Each User or Genius has one within them. Users have a max of 5 levels and Genius' have a max of 6 levels. Each level gained grants an additional Attack and Defense spell. Spell levels: as spells are used, they will grow stronger. They will also cost more SP. I am hoping to put in a system that also makes the spells more powerful or costly simply because you can string a longer combo. So instead of simply increasing in strength and SP, using the same spell within a certain amount of time extends to another combo in that spells usage. Weapon levels: as stated before, every character only has three weapons. These are automatically all given to them at the start. The direction you press determines what weapon they use. These weapons gain exp based on the damage you deal with them during combat. As they level, so does your weapons strength bonus (as well as its primary bonus for that class). This also allows your number of hits in a combo to increase. From one, before a pause, up to 12 (for a Slash attribute weapon). TEAM: Lead Writer: Jeremiah Caudle Lead Eventer: Jeremiah Caudle Lead Programmer: Frank Nieuland Lead Artist: M. Beatriz García Lead Spriter: Low (Robert Pinero) Lead Battler Artist: Low (Robert Pinero) Lead GUI Designers: M. Beatriz Garcia / Lazcht Lead Music Composer: Jamaal 'KeyJay' Ephriam RECRUITMENT: We are looking for help in any way that someone might want to provide it. If you are interested in helping this project succeed, give me a shout! Especially if you are a programmer. My lead programmer has been quite busy recently and it has held me up from making any real progress. So even if its more simple things, any help at all in the programming area would greatly help drive this project forward! For more info, follow us on facebook! https://www.facebook.com/diesiraegame/ Edited November 3, 2020 by zankokunoyami 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
