@Kismet I was really into writing fancfiction about anime, specifically Gundam Wing and Sailor Moon, to the extent that I created characters. These characters now have their own worlds and storyline sitting in draft files on my computer.
My question is if you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you prefer to be?
**Overview:
Title:**
All Souls’ Day
Pitch:
Welcome to Sevurn City, a gritty metropolis that never sleeps and whose smog-smothered, neon-lit burroughs hide the newest incarnation of an age-old battle between the mundane and magic. At its center is Arden Miles, a twenty-something, two-feet-on-the-ground type who lives in a self-imposed exile from their eccentric family and ascribes to the creed of “work hard, eat cheap, sleep deep, repeat.” But when a series of apparently random murders start to haunt Arden’s every footstep, they will have to decide whether or not and how to embrace an ancient family secret or risk all of humanity to an invasion of the Dead--and the necromancer who harvests them from the Veil. The real problem? Arden only has until November 2 to make a difference. Investigate the seedy underbelly and shadowy alleys of Sevurn City as Arden Miles, choosing both your allies and destiny along the way, but remember every choice has its consequence, and the clock is ticking.
Details:
History:
This quasi-first person player game combines the ambiance of classic noir with the intrigue of urban paranormal fantasy. At its center, the plot is simple: choose your path-- investigate the mystery (or don’t), learn magic (or don’t)--and save the world from an invasion of restless spirits unleashed from the Veil (or don’t). The choices you make and the allies you choose determine the outcome available to you.
Key events largely revolve around your decisions as Arden as the mystery of Sevurn City draws ever closer to your life. How you engage, the tasks you accept, and those you surround yourselves with will decide your fate--and everyone else’s with it.
Endings:
Possibility 1--That’s Not My Job: Sevurn City needs a hero, and Arden is it. That’s not particularly fair since Arden wants nothing more than a normal life, and maybe a little attention from that dreamboat of a co-worker. Arden has nothing to do with their family anymore and they’re not behind the murders stalking the city. It’s perfectly within their rights to cooperate with the police and walk away, but if they do, the Veil will rend on November 2 and flood Sevurn City with a host of restless spirits. This ending is the outcome if Arden sticks with the path of the mundane.
Possibility 2--Someone Has to Do It: Choose to investigate the murder and Arden’s history and accept an ancient calling in the process. Learn magic and track down the menace behind all the death. If you find them and stop them before November 2, you’ll save the world. It’s a dirty job, but someone has to do it; clean-up is a worry for after the battle. This ending is the result of choosing a path of natural magic, and Arden’s strength in their craft will determine how successful the venture is.
Possibility 3--If Not Me, Then Who?: A job worth doing should be done right. Have Arden adopt a no holds barred approach to solving the mystery and stopping the mysterious necromancer, and, while they’re at it, make sure no one else can ever use their power by taking it for themselves. But at what cost? This ending is the outcome of Arden chooses a path of soul magic, and Arden’s strength will directly impact the cost.
Some endings and/or their variations in outcomes leave room for sequels with different paths in destiny and development for Arden (and team ?) to explore.
World History:
To most, Sevurn City is just the evolution of a city founded in the 1600s by European settlers that expanded rapidly around 1790 with an influx of immigrants overflowing from nearby port cities. Fast forward a few centuries and Sevurn City is a center of industry and a model of the American melting pot at its finest. Cathedrals, shops, tenements, and conglomerates of all shapes and sizes crowd together with a maze of speakeasies, backrooms, and alleys and endless possibilities. In fact, hidden in plain sight, is an entire concealed community with magic and knowledge that hails all the way back to the druids and has a history that runs parallel to many of mankind’s biggest moments.
Lore Summary:
There are three branches of lore to be discovered in the game: (1) Arden’s history, (2) the history of magic, and (3) the lore of the mystery.
Arden’s history--found in scattered calendar notes, personal correspondence, and journal entries. This lore tells about Arden’s family history, its connection to the magical community, and why Arden is so hesitant to embrace them.
Magical history--found in religious iconography, kites, and candles. This lore comes in the form of visions that both tells the history of magic (more on magic in a later) and provides various spell recipes that will help you defeat the necromancer, if you can find them in time.
Mystery lore--found in police reports, crime scene evidence, and other assorted clues. This lore will help you find the necromancer, if you choose to take them on yourself.
Setting:
Main Setting:
Sevurn City--A gritty upstate metropolis that never sleeps. Full of smog, neon lights, and constant noise. Severn is sorted into seven boroughs: Lunford, Eastburg, Cruxland Park, Sandpool, Medbury, Dodgeview, and Rosefolk; each borough has its own hidden quirks, both magical and mundane, but all carry the feel of a 1950s noir. Amongst its many burroughs and beneath the humdrum of daily bustle and the pulsing tempo of nightlife, if you know where to look, are shops and places where you can buy just about anything you want: luck, love, fortune and all the ingredients in between. But be cautious, sometimes the cost is higher than you’re willing to pay.
The Districts--
Lunford--largely tenements with small mom and pop style stores with interactive shop fronts largely in red, but the occasional purple or green; non-playable shops and buildings are marked in yellow. On a map of Sevurn City, Lunford is approximately 12 o’clock.
Eastburgh--an entertainment district houses high-end boutiques, theaters, and nightclubs. Playable businesses are evenly mixed between red, purple, and green. Non-playable businesses are coded in yellow. On a map of Sevurn City, Eastburgh is approximately 1 o'clock.
Cruxland Park--a district with an assortment of mid level cultural icons like zoos, carousels, museums,and a park area etc. A good source of lore drops and occasionally finding useful items. Playable locations are coded in red,purple, and green. Non-playable locations are coded in yellow. On a map of Sevurn City, Cruzland Park is approximately 3 o’clock.
Sandpool--another tenement district with more cathedrals and other such social cultural markers. Most interactive buildings are coded in red, though a few are in purple or green. Non-playable locations are coded in yellow. On a map of Sevurn City, Sandpool is at approximately 6 o’clock.
Medbury-- a business district with assorted high-end boutiques. Playable locations are coded in red, purple, and green. Non-playable locations are coded in yellow. On a map of Sevurn City, Medbury is approximately 11 ‘o clock.
Dodgeview--a cultural district clearly still reflecting the melting pot motif full of small seemingly ramshackle shops. Playable locations are mostly coded purple or green with only a little red. Non-playable locations are coded in yellow. On a map of Sevurn City, Dodgeview is approximately 8 ‘o clock.
Rosefolk--an upscale residential area with equally upscale historical cathedrals, but very few shops. Most buildings are non-playable and coded yellow with one mystery coded in swirls of purple and green. The scene of the final boss fight, this location will not be revealed until Arden’s party is completely formed and the identity of the necromancer discovered. Once Arden and their party enters Rosefolk, they’re locked into the final battle and one of the three endings.
Specialty Locations--
Arden Miles’s Flat (Lunford)--a small studio apartment with gray walls and peeling paint, sparsely furnished with a gray shaded desk lamp on a desk cluttered with a scattering of opened bills, some past due, a newspaper, and a card next to a custom computer setup. An empty tumbler sits nearby. Liquor bottles sit on the counter by the fridge. A lone calendar open to October hangs on the walls. Plants sit, carefully tended, in purple planters along a window sill framed by deep red curtains. Board games, including a spirit board, are stacked neatly on the top shelf of a bookshelf. The books are typical classics--no mention of magic--and books on programming. The quilt on the bed is done in squares of red and purple.
Police Station (Lunford)--classic Noir-style police station. All the desk lamps have red shades.
Rip Finley’s PI Office (Lunford)--classic Noir-style PI office: small single room with a desk, lamp with an emerald lampshade, and random magazines and case files scattered on the desktop. A coat rack hangs in the doorway, and two dilapidated file cabinets are crammed in the corner.
Elliot Ripley’s Flat (Lunford)--similar to Arden’s but the lampshade is purple on the desk lamp. His desk is littered with old case files and current newspapers. His bookshelf contains several archaic looking books.
Lioncast Office Building (Medbury)--Arden’s place of work. Typical office cubicle. Plants on Arden’s desk. It’s next door to the cubicle of Arden’s attractive workmate, Robin Marlow whose desklamp has a scarlet shade. Arden's office lampshade is gray at the start of the game.
Club Scarlet (Eastburg)--A high end club at the end of one block nearest. Glitzy and glamorous with deep shadows in the corners and halls leading to the backroom, Club Scarlet may or may not harbor a few undesirables, but no magic. The curtains and accouterments are all done in vivid red.
Club Indigo (Eastburg)--A high end club on the opposite side of the block from Club Scarlet. Glitzy, and glamorous with deep shadows in the corners and halls leading to the backroom, Club Indigo may or may not harbor a few undesirables, but definitely has magic, and if you know the right kind, you just might gain access to the VIP Emerald Lounge. The curtains and accouterments are all done in a deep purple with occasional hints of emerald as accents.
Characters
Protag: Arden Miles--(gender and appearance to be chosen by the player) a computer programmer in self-imposed exile from the family who is just too weird for them and is bound and determined to find a rational explanation for everything. Arden enjoys botany and board games, but only celebrates Halloween if it involves sexy costumes at alcohol fueled parties. Otherwise, it’s all 9-to-5 at Lioncast and wishing their co-work would give them a little more than the time of day
Potential Allies--All allies have something to offer, but not all are necessarily who they seem. Throughout the story, Arden will have opportunities to interact with, forge relationships, and build a party. The people that Arden adds to their party will determine options available to Arden and lead them towards one of the three endings as well as determine their variation.
Robin Marlow--(gender to be chosen by the player) Arden’s cubicle neighbor and cute co-worker who happens to be into them, but a well-mannered, professional type who can be found in church every Christmas and Easter, and in the nightclubs on weekends in between. A potential romantic interest and ally for Arden, Robin wears a lot of red and is neither aware of nor interested in becoming aware of the magical world around them.
Quincy Grey--a young, attractive, ingenue type seeking out an education as a natural magic practitioner (more on magic later) who’s skirting around the edges of the mystery stalking the protag. A potential romantic interest and ally for Arden, Quincy embraces magic but firmly feels that natural magic is the only magic to wield and that with great care. Quincy wears a lot of purple.
Ridley Ellison--attractive, clever, and ambitious, Ridley Ellison is an engaging and enigmatic recently promoted manager at Lioncast who’s begun showing an interest in Arden, but is keeping their distance to keep the secret of their magical abilities. A skilled soul-magic devotee, Ridley is a potential romantic interest and ally for Arden who wears a lot of green.
Elliot Calloway--a retired police detective who lives in Arden’s building and has opinions on the recent string of events and what Arden should do about them. Grizzled and hardened by years in the service, Elliot is a tried and true lawman who hung up the badge but not their sense of justice and honor. Elliot has also used their natural magic to good end solving crimes, which is why he’s now intent on helping Arden figure out what they’ve stumbled into. A potential mentor and ally for Arden, Elliot wears purple ties.
Rip Finnely--a private investigator trying to solve a series of murders and Arden’s connections to them. Rip Finnely is a young and eager seeker of the truth albeit a bit edgy and uses soul magic to help his causes. A potential ally and mentor for Arden, the band on Rip’s hat and his tie are emerald green
Detective Brighton Henley--a by the book cop in the Lunford precinct, Brighton is charged with the responsibility of solving the murders and figuring out their connection to Arden Miles. Without a drop of magic to his name, nor would he want it even if he knew it existed, Detective Henley believes that Arden should leave it to the professionals and keep his nose clean. A potential ally and mentor for Arden, Detective Brighton wears a red tie and uses a pen with a red case.
Enemies
The Necromancer--the big bad. This enigmatic magic practitioner is an adept soul-magic practitioner and determined to cement themselves as the master of all by tapping into the near limitless source of souls in the Veil regardless of how dangerous it is for the Dead to remain in the land of the living. Attacks include summoning an assortment of the Dead and various magic attacks.
Minions and Lesser Battles--these fights crop up in the various boroughs of Sevurn City. They vary in type depending on both the makeup of the party and the location in which they’re encountered.
Gangsters--ranging from soldiers through dons, these villains are armed with tommy guns and knives and lurk in the backrooms of night clubs. Tread too close to their business interests and you’ll have to find some way to deal with them. Options include fighting it out, negotiating, and/or bribing. Winning these battles give you mundane items that help improve strength or health (to the least degree), earn coin, or gain information (lore drops in the mystery thread).
Police Officers--while not bad guys, they do have a job to do and that doesn’t involve letting civilians poke around in police business. Investigate if you will, but watch out for the police. If they catch you where you’re not supposed to be, you’ll have to choose between fleeing, fighting, or bailing yourself out--costing you both precious time and money. You’ll also add to local suspicion about Arden’s involvement in the murders, which will lead to more police presence at the crime scenes you need to investigate.
The Dead-- there are multiple varieties of the Dead, mostly wrenched from the Veil by a Necromancer to serve as minions or batteries for soul magic or trapped outside of it because they weren’t given the proper rites at their time of death. All of the Dead are angry for being denied their eternal rest. The longer they remain outside of the Veil, the angrier and more dangerous they become. To defeat the Dead, you will need either the right magical skills or the right mundane items to put them to rest. Depending on the strength of the Dead in question, it may be necessary to weaken them using physical and/or muscular attacks before a final cleansing.
Dybbuks--spirits that possess the sinful living; these souls were denied entry to the Veil for their evil in life and now spend eternity tortured by their banishment. They provide their living host with a superhuman strength and utilize any weaponry they might have. Unearthly attacks include an enchantment that obliterates the impulse control of others around them, turning your allies into theirs for as long as the spell lasts. To cleanse them, you will need to find the right Bible verse (old testament), or magical spells. Physical attacks should focus on the dybbuk’s feet as this is their weak spot and the big toe will be the point of exit for the spirit.
Revenants--the Dead who have risen from their graves with the aid of a necromancer. Bound to do the necromancer’s will, revenants are ravenous, violent, killing machines who will keep coming until they are forced back to their rest. Attacks include an overpowering stench that stuns their victims, powerful slashes, and bites as well as a swarm wherein multiple revenants will rush a single target in an effort to tear them apart. To cleanse them, you must sever the revenant’s head or by impaling them with birch stake or silver athame through the heart or sever their connection to the necromancer with a magic spell. Revenants are resistant to most physical attacks.
The Faceless--a series of ghosts, male or female, with no face. Either rent from the Veil or lost on Earth, these Dead will follow their victims endlessly until cleansed.. Attacks include a paralyzing fear blast and a freeze blast. To cleanse them you will need salt, iron, or spells of exorcism.
Spell Creatures-- the product of spells cast wrong. The creatures spawn from the element or elements used in the spell and wreak havoc until they’re defeated. Spell creatures can only be defeated with magic. Some types of magic make them stronger while others weaken them faster; which is which varies by the creature’s makeup.
**Items, Etc:
Items:
Religious Items--**
Crosses--a low level mundane armor item. This item can repel the Dead
Texts--these mundane items vary in strength and complexity, but provide passages that can be used to cleanse a sufficiently weakened Dead.
Holy Water--a mundane weapon against the Dead. It will yield low-level damage, but if you have enough of it, you might weaken them to the point of being able to cleanse them.
Magical Items--
Athames--small silver knives that can be used as weapons or in spell casting, particularly with soul magic. As a weapon, they’ll yield low level damage against mundane enemies, but a moderate one against the Dead.
Crystals--crystals can be used to enhance both natural and soul magic by acting as a conduit for natural magic or by trapping souls (harvested by defeating the Dead--basic magic--or pulled from the Veil--high level magic)
Spell ingredients--an assortment of items that can be combined in a variety of ways for various effects. Spells can be used for defense, healing, or attack. The strength of the ingredients and the strength of the wielder determine the effect of the spell. Defensive spells provide a lot of protection against magical attacks and moderate protection against physical attacks. Healing spells are more powerful restoratives than food. Attack spells yield more damage than physical attacks in most cases (but not when the opponent has some form of magical immunity and/or resistance--like some of the Dead or those in possession of certain accessories).
Mundane Items--
Firearms, knives, clubs, etc. of varied strengths to be used in physical attacks on mundane enemies. While mundane weapons may be used in physical attacks on the Dead, the damage they yield, if any, will be significantly lower than when used on mundane opponents
Clothing including hats and shoes that function as armor of varying strength based on the quality of the item; All items are thematic from Noir genre and relevant period pieces. Mundane clothing offers limited protection against magical attacks, but is an efficient guard against physical attacks.
Food--offers different levels of health restoration based on the quality of the item. While food will restore health regardless of what caused the damage, it does not restore as much health as a healing spell.
Hybrid (Both Magical and Mundane)--
Magic--:
Natural Magic--this magic works in harmony with nature and is elements based. Combine different levels of fire, water, earth, and air with a variety of other spell ingredients to varying effects, but remember, magic must be balanced or you’ll create a mess you didn’t mean to make…and make yourself another problem to solve. Natural magic points are slower to rebuild, but the attacks are every bit as potent as soul magic. Risks to the practitioner are external in the form of spells gone awry, though imbalanced magic may also cause localized damage to flora and fauna.
Soul Magic--this magic is fueled by soul energy. Souls pulled from the Veil lend more strength as they haven’t degraded yet from the torture of being denied their eternal rest. Strength of soul magic can also be increased by the number of souls used. Soul magic is potent and the magic points are quick to replenish as there are always more souls available to pull; however, this includes the practitioner’s soul. Soul magic done carelessly can result in injury or death to its wielder.
Necromancy--a specialty of soul magic that controls the Dead in addition to using souls as a source of magical energy.
Plot:
Every choice has its consequences and even if Arden manages to save the day, the repercussions must be faced. And who knows what damage the necromancer did to the Veil. In short, multiple opportunities exist for continuing the game play. The following are a couple of ideas.
All Souls’ Day: Phantom Hunt--following the battle for the Veil, even with the defeat of the Necromancer, Severn City is afflicted with a host of the Dead trapped outside the Veil. Arden and their friends must figure out how to put them to rest, picking up right where Arden left off. If Arden committed to a life of the mundane, they must also figure out what to do with a super powered Necromancer and the plague of Dead sweeping across the world.
All Souls’ Day: Redemption--There are a few different ways Arden could fall from grace throughout the course of All Soul’s Day. What happens if they do? How will the damage be countered? Can they be redeemed? Further development would depend on the specific circumstances of Arden’s fall.
All Souls’ Day: In the Veil--The battle for the Veil culminates with both Arden and the Necromancer ending up trapped in the Veil itself. Living souls where only the Dead belong and a whole new world of lore and exploration.
@Mariano Wild animal of Mt choice and wolves, because I'm fascinated by their social structure.
Would you rather be Jiminy Cricket or the Fairy Godmother?