The Eternal History of Tenmia
The ‘Eternal History of Tenmia’ is a fantasy role playing game I am currently developing using Unreal Engine. As part of this game, I wanted to have a mini game the main character could play with other non-player characters using collectable cards. Since the main game is still in its early stages, I decided to take on the mini game as a standalone project. I started with a Java text-based version, to come up with base game play logic I could transfer to Unreal Engine. This worked well for me, as I could focus on learning the ins and outs of Unreal Engine. Once I had a handle on how Blueprints functioned, I was able to successfully transfer my Java logic to Blueprints. I was also able to work on the art and story of the game.
The story centers around a young lady, Liakada, with one of the most powerful unique abilities known, mimic. With it, she can absorb the magical abilities, including unique abilities*, of those around her. It has allowed Liakada to become a fiercely powerful woman, years ahead of her experience level. While her ability is powerful, it is a wild uncontrollable ability that activates around any new activity and as a result, she had to be isolated as a child after absorbing someone's ability to hear the thoughts of others. This forced Liakada’s parents, along with her godfather, to home school her until she could learn to control herself around others.
Chapter One: The Phoenix Run
‘You cannot change the past. You can become a part of it.’
- Draven, on the topic of Time Travel
The story will open with Liakada waking up in the back of a prison transport, hog tied and bolted to the floor. A voice will start talking to her inside her head that will turn out to be a black cat named Sebastian. Sebastian will help direct her through the story as a guide and confidant. As Liakada and Sebastian converse, Liakada goes over the previous day leading up to how she ended up a prisoner.
Yesterday, Liakada and her father, Draven, both received a letter and a ring in the post. Liakada’s Letter, written in her own handwriting and explicitly stating she was the author, instructed her to wear and activate the ring along with the following message: 'Forgive your father, he didn’t know. Do not lose this letter. Keep it with you, where you can feel it, always. Read it when you need help. Hide. Run. Fight. Hide. Run. Die. Trust the Cat.'
Liakada doesn’t get to learn what Draven’s letter said or if he received the same ring because an event occurs** which causes Draven to insist Liakada change into her combat training outfit with full gear. This is where the ‘player’ gets to explore a bit of Liakada’s home and learn about the forbidden book, ‘The Eternal History of Tenmia’ which is held in a secure room in her house. No one Liakada knows has read more than the first page of the book, something Liakada hasn’t even done because she hasn’t been able to get past the magical security measures around it. Once Liakada has changed her outfit and geared up, Draven sends her through a portal. Draven tells her the portal will send her to Talonia Forest where they both will be looking for her mother. The portal takes Liakada to a forest, just not the one she was expecting and the portal closes without her father following behind.
Liakada, alone in a dark forest, feels the Letter in her pocket. Reading it again, the previous full message about the ring and who wrote it was gone and all that remained was ‘Hide. Run. Fight. Hide. Run. Die. Trust the Cat.’ After reading it again, a burst of fire blows by her, leaving a trail of burnt trees, bushes and a few bodies. Bodies that were part human, part animal. Screams followed along with several running half human creatures. Hide is what Liakada did.
While hidden, Liakada was able to see the half human creatures were being chased by wizards who attacked with a variety of deadly magic. After some of them had passed by, the Letter signaled her again, but this time she didn’t need to read it to know the next thing to do. Run. And run she did.
This is the ‘player’s’ time to control the run which eventually turns into fighting, hiding and running some more. And the realization that following the sequence meant the next line item was to die. And die she does.
Liakada is struck by one of the half human creatures, she isn’t killed by it, but it did manage to steal way the Letter she was not supposed to lose. She then gets hit in the back by a Needle from one of the wizards. Thankfully, her training outfit was designed to absorb what should have been a death blow from behind. Unfortunately, the impact was too forceful. It threw her into a nearby tree, breaking her neck and killing her. Before she can fall to the wet forest floor, a ring on her finger ignites in orange light. From inside it emerges a Phoenix, an Eternal creature with a feminine male torso and face. Its legs were bird like talons and its arms were wings of multi-colored fire. Small tendrils of flame encircled Liakada and the Phoenix spoke to her.
‘I have revived your broken form and now you must choose. A life must be freed or a life must be taken. Choose to free me or choose to take the life of your killer. Choose.’
The ‘player’ gets to make the decision. Freeing the Phoenix leaves Liakada with an empty Eternity Ring. Taking the life of her killer means keeping the Phoenix imprisoned inside the Eternity Ring to revive her again if needed, but kills one of the wizards, someone she has never met. Both have ‘Story’ consequences. Regardless of the decision, Liakada ends up a prisoner, hog tied to the back of a prison transport.
More to come...
* - Each person in the world of Tenmia is born with a Unique Ability which, as it sounds, is unique to them. Some are simple, some are powerful, some are insane. No matter what the ability is, the person is capable of using the ability with no prior knowledge or training.
** - the event which occurs has yet to be determined but will involve Draven believing his wife is in trouble and needs her family.