Hello, I’m planning a hack, but am new to hacking. It may be a long time before I make progress on the game itself. If that happens to be the case I’d like to at least have the script ready for the future. I’m hoping that a few people would be willing to review and give feedback to what I’ve got so far. Please note that there may be some “to-do” like statements mixed in there that I wasn’t able to comb out of the script and fair word of warning, it’s a bit long.
I hope that you all enjoy what I’ve got so far and please let me know what you think.
Continent – Onerade Terra
King – Consilia resides in the Capital (Urbe). An amiable and ambitious man.
Lord 1 – Alexander Lux (A stern man with light hair and a broad build) (Bad)
Region: Domus Aurea – This land is used as one of the training grounds for future soldiers of the capital
Lord 2 – Cameron and Cary Tenebris (they are siblings sharing the rule until one of them marries)(Good)
Region: Opacare – The leading country in medicine. Prefers to remain neutral in all matters.
Lord 3 – Daniel Fulgur (A quick tongued man who never stops moving)(Bad)
Region: Adolebitque – Due to their vast number of pegasi and wyverns, this nation is typically used as a delivery system.
Lord 4 – Jane Marinis (A lazy woman who holds bad company often)(Good)
Region: Procellae – a country with a pirate problem. Several of the nobles question who is actually in charge.
Lord 5 – Joseph and Joyce Agricola (husband and wife)(Good)
Region: Fertilis – known for their golden fields, they supply the majority of the wheat and hay for the nation
Lord 6 – Lauren Lutum (Down to earth, but doesn’t tolerate foolishness)(Good)
Region: Uidisset – Stays on good terms with everyone, despite living in a desert.
Lord 7 – William and Celeste Ardentem (A loving mother and father who spoil their son and mistreat their subjects)(Bad), Jonathan Ardentem (naïve, but kind. Patient stubborn)(MC)
Region: Occulta – This landlocked nation is known for their lumber, supplying wood to the navy often. Peasants are worked to the bone and grow restless.
Lord 8 – Gabrielle Cor (A bubbly girl who loves gossip. May have a heart problem)(Good)
Region: Sanguinem – The opposite of Via, they are known for their advanced magic. Though some question how ethical some of their practitioners are.
Lord 9 – Miller Itineribus (Knows more than he lets on, but never reveals his secrets)(Good)
Region: Via – This country hosts the leading engineers of the land and is best known for their well-maintained roads.
Lord 10 – Arturo Amicus (Family friend of the Ardentem’s)(Bad)
Region: Proditio – This barren land has consists of the heartiest of people either looking for a fight or some coin.
Lord 11 – Elaine Stellae (A wisecracker who likes to write)(Good)
Region: Adagnitio – holds the highest literary rate of all the regions and has the best teachers.
Lord 12 – Julie Velle (A bossy woman who doesn’t appreciate the efforts of others.)(Bad)
Region: Propositum – this land hosts a wide assortment of people, but one thing is shared among them: they are all survivors.
Characters
Jonathan – already explained
Amissa – see story bullet 2
Morietur - ^
Sam – A cavalier in the service of house Ardentem. Laid back but focused.
JT – A mage in the service of House Ardentem. Means well, but doesn’t always think things through.
Belinda – a cleric on a pilgrimage to Opacare to obtain greater healing knowledge. Village healer and failed to save her cousin. Polite and always nice, overly protective of everyone -> doesn’t like to see so much as a scratch on anyone. Comes in Amicus’s retainer’s ambush with a torch staff as well.
Culus – asshole. Loves sleeping more than anything. His master was harsh and made him feel insecure around people, always trying to validate his life and prove his worth.
Myrmidon/ swordmaster – a good one
Raleigh – A pirate who loves the smell of adventure. Has a strict no killing unless necessary policy.
Elizabeth – a traveling knight wishing to take another vocation (cleric). Doesn’t have the healing touch however. Friends with Belinda, comes from the same village.
Carleen – A blunt shaman who is friends with Fleur. Well versed in the arcane arts and aspires to go to a university in Adagnitio after everything settles. The conflict brewing postponed her plans for higher education and she just wants it to end. Ponders why no one uses water magic and just goes straight to ice.
Beatrice – an engineer from Via who like fun, but doesn’t put up with bull crap. (Archer) Trying to find work after being laid off from her last job.
Irina – a poor girl trying to survive by making deliveries. (I had a seagull fly into my face!)
Jina – Just got divorce, trying to get over the pain (doesn’t like to share her feelings).
Norina – Post master in charge of the other two. Calm, but likes to keep a deadline.
Richard – Servant of the Ardentems turned thief. He helped the rebels kidnap Jonathan as per their orders. Didn’t expect the rebels to go so far and now feels guilty for what he did.
Lee – a monk sent out to help those in need as his final test in the clergy. A genuinely kind person.
Emmy – an experienced physician traveling town to town to heal everyone she can. Fun loving and enjoys pranks. (Traveling with Lee due to their similar objectives) (Troubadour)
Dallas – a depressed man who drowns his woes in liquor. Bandits took his wife and kid away from him 4 years ago. Barely holds a job and has debt running out of the wazoo. (Fighter)
Dallas Jr. (Junior) – Dallas’s son. His mom and he escaped 3 years ago with no idea where they were. So they settled in a town and he became a thief to help bring food to the table. Mom died a year ago.
Gerard – A logger from Ardentem. Wants to quit his job, but is only good at swinging an axe. (He was the one that chopped the tree that killed Amissa and Morietur’s parents.) (Fighter)
Fleur – A mage from Sanguinem. On the run from her homeland because of what she found out. Wants to go to Fertilis to hide. Currently paranoid.
James – A recent graduate of Veritas University in Aequum of Adagnitio. Over confident in his abilities and stubborn as a bull, but he will admit to his mistakes. (Sage)
Conner – a cavalier working in Triticum, Fertilis (protects farmers from brigands). Goes home to Occulta after harvest season in fall and comes back mid-spring. Doesn’t know what he wants to do with himself.
Ziva – a driven paladin who believes in Alexander Lux’s vision. Despises Jonathan for getting in the way of the goal. She is curious as to why he opposes his parents.
Uriel – a stalwart knight of Via. Came to Occulta/ Proditio to survey the land and discuss plans for building a super road from there to Via. Loves his job because of the scenery and meeting new people.
Ruth – A sword for hire from Propositum. Survivor of a riot in Proditio after Lord Amicus was killed. She doesn’t blame anyone for why it happened, she’s just sad that it happened and she had to leave. (merc)
Anthony – a wyvern rider from Adolebitque receiving training in Domus Aurea. Didn’t make it through boot camp and is doing everything in his power not to go back home. He doesn’t want to be a delivery boy and he doesn’t want to get a scolding from his mom.
Margaret – a nomad employed by lady Valle. Disinterested in the affairs of the world and only cares about the next meal.
Clark – An honest man from the Fertilis countryside who moved to the capital of Via, Adparatio. Found work there and is Uriel’s assistant. (Soldier)
Bruce – A man who swears that he is the greatest marksman in Onerade. In actuality he is a poor shoot who is better off with a sword. He does at least try.
Barbara – A bishop in the service of King Consilia. Pragmatic and yet impulsive. She will plan out everything for the next month, but then on a limb go against her on planning. It bothers her so much that she ends up not following the plan even more.
Michael – A wanderer who wants to be left alone. Has no aspirations, but has nothing to lose. A patient hunter. (nomad)
Genevieve – a performer from an oasis tavern in Uidisset. Decided that she was tired of sweating every day of her life and decided to move to Procellae where she can at least have an easy access to water. Finicky and a brat at times.
Leocadia – An Opacarian who makes a living escorting physicians anywhere they want. Gets paid upfront. She’s handy with a sword and doesn’t like to be questioned about her methods of survival.
Agnes – An Uidissetite that got separated from her older brother in a sandstorm. Has been looking for him for the last 2 years. Currently residing in Adolebitque after receiving a tip that he went there to pay a flier to find her. She decided to join the delivery service in hopes that her travels would allow her to find her brother.
Victoria – A merchant from Adagnitio. Just finished her apprenticeship and started moving on her own when she ran into some financial trouble. Hopes that Jonathan can help her out. Wants to settle in a town after she has obtained enough money.
Ezekiel – a man with precognition. Has become a renowned fortune-teller and will help anyone (for a price).
Luke – the child who survived the slaughter of his home (see story). After witnessing the destruction of his family, he has been traumatized and has closed himself away from others. Likes birds and is good with horses. (Nomad)
Calder – a professional tracker, not in it for the money. Everything is killable in his eyes and being paid to hunt someone down is a delight to him. Despite seeing everyone as prey, he does not treat them as beneath him. It’s all sport to him and he sees himself as prey as well. Typically he’s a nice guy, but be weary of his dagger (Hero)
Background: The country of Onerade Terra is divided into 12 lands each controlled by a ruling family. All of these lords swear their allegiance to the King, Consilia. This system was established after a long and bloody war that resulted in Consilia’s family dominating over everyone. As the years went by some of the nobility started planning to overthrow the King. They believed that they were better fit to control the land.
Plot in detail –
• Jonathan Ardentem, son of William and Celeste Ardentem. For the majority of his life he has not ventured far from his home nor has he ever been far from his mother’s watchful eye. On the eve of his 17th birthday, Jonathan is kidnapped from his winter vacation home in the dead of night.
• His captors lock him up in a prison not too far from where he was. There he meets a guard, Amissa, and her brother Morietur. Their parents took an early grave when a tree fell on them. After that, their uncle took them in and beat them whenever they broke one of his rules or failed to fulfill their assigned work (which was actually the uncle’s job). After a year, they fled and ended up with this band of revolutionaries (they need food and will do what they must).
• Jonathan convinces them to help him escape. He leads them to his home. Upon arrival, they see that the manor is in ruins and there are looters everywhere. Jonathan subsequently chases the thieves away. After the fight, two of the Jonathan’s servants shows up and tell the group that the current whereabouts of Jonathan’s parents is unknown. However, they fear the worse since the family sword was found bloodstained on the ground.
• Sam advises Jonathan to go to Lord Amicus and seek his aid. Amicus warmly welcomes his young friend and is distraught to hear about Jonathan’s missing parents. He offers his aid, but only in return for a small favor. Jonathan and his group is supposed to suppress a small group of bandits on the border of the two countries. Jonathan complies and heads out with his group. ¾ of the way there, one of Amicus’s retainers attacks them. (He was sent to capture them and put into the care of Jonathan’s parents)
• Jonathan decides to press forward after the attack and take care of the bandits. While everyone tells him there is no point, he replies that he never goes back on his word and as head of his household, he is duty bound to continue since the bandits are so close to his land as well.
• After taking care of the bandits, Jonathan and co. set out on their return trip. During the night, the group is raided by thieves and they give chase all the way to Procellae. They find a village being abused by pirates and take down the pirates. Finally having all of their stuff back, Jonathan and co. head back to Lord Amicus with some questions.
• Amicus is slightly distressed to see Jonathan and co. return, but brings them into his court. There Jonathan confronts Lord Amicus on why one of his retainers attacked them. He feigns ignorance, while motioning to his guards to get into position. After stalling for time, Lord Amicus’s men have the group surrounded. Eventually, Jonathan’s group beats Lord Amicus’s and he dies of blood loss. His dying words haunt the group: “You should have … stayed with … your captors. You’d have … been safer with … them, prepare for …”
• 3 months pass and Jonathan decided to work toward restoring his realm. However, he is having difficulty gaining the trust of the people. Amissa and Morietur offer their thoughts on the matter when a messenger tells them that Jonathan is being summoned for questioning by King Consilia and the other lords about the Amicus affair.
• Once there, the Jonathan explains what happened to the king and the other lords. Many question the validity of the story. As the king is about to speak, Jonathan’s parents run into the room. They had survived the attack on their home and taken refuge within the capitol. Jonathan demands to know why they never made contact if they were safe - It had been 3 months, surely word had reached the capital about what had happened. Celeste Ardentem tells him that Consilia wouldn’t let them leave. Consilia then explains that he couldn’t risk the safety of the Ardentem family. If Jonathan had actually been a bandit posing as their son, problems would have arisen. So King Consilia had sent scouts to investigate what was happening in Occulta and Proditio. They had only returned a week ago. The king then offers to give Lord Amicus’s land to the Ardentem house as condolences for the strife they had endured, but the other nobility objects and tells Consilia to reconsider. After much debate, it is decided that the land is to be split equally with all the surrounding houses. **There was no next in line for Lord Amicus. Also, considering that his retainers had attacked Jonathan’s group, everyone assumes that no one in that manor can be trusted. (Before Jonathan and his group leave, we see in a cutscene Consilia pull Morietur aside and offer him a deal – Morietur will keep tabs on Jonathan for him and inform the Ardentem’s, Lord Lux and Lord Fulgur in exchange for land and a title.)
• Now returning with a family reunited, Jonathan is in high spirits. News reaches all the people of Occulta within days and riots begin to pop up once more. At first they’re just small insurgencies easily taken care of by normal soldiers, but they escalate over the course of the week. Not wishing to have a repeat of the events that started this story, Jonathan gets permission from his parents to deal with the people. Amissa and Morietur have their doubts about the situation and convey this with Jonathan, but he reassures them that nothing will go wrong.
• The first riot is suppressed without much effort, but Sam makes note of how impoverished the people seem to be. Shortly after the group finishes up, Jonathan receives word that a much larger insurrection is taking place closer to his manor than the one they just dealt with.
• This time, the revolters have gathered in Vectes, the town where Jonathan was first held prisoner. Amissa and Morietur become aware of this after Jonathan sends a messenger to his parents letting them know he’s ok and that he’ll be headed to Vectes to end the commotion there. Amissa and Moietur ask Jonathan if they could avoid this battle. They might run into someone they knew and it would be too hard for them to go to blows with old comrades. Jonathan accepts this and lets them sit the fight out. As it turns out, several of the sibling’s old comrades are there, including Jonathan’s original captors.
• Midway through the fight, the Royal Vanguard comes in and starts to slaughter everyone with no regard for who they are attacking. Jonathan’s group ends up coming to blows with the Vanguard. Once things quite down Sam starts to question if they’re really from Occulta since they didn’t recognize the only son of their Lords. The knights apologize, with no success, and tell Jonathan that they stay in Vectes to make sure that no one starts anything. Jonathan tells them not to do anything rash and he’ll head home to make a report to his family.
• While they journey home a small boy riding a horse much too big for him, from the direction they just came, calls out to Jonathan’s group. Stopping, Jonathan lets the boy catch up to him. It is made apparent that the boy has been crying once he gets closer. That is when he tells the group that after they were out of sight, the Royal Vanguard started to attack everyone. The boy, Luke, just managed to escape their grasp. Floored, Jonathan rushes his band back to Vectes to find the soldiers killing off the few survivors. At this sight, Jonathan engages the knights once more and this time kills every one of them except for the commander and a messenger that slipped away (Morietur had a hand it this). The commander is interrogated and it is revealed that he had strict orders from the Lord and Lady Ardentem to wipe out all rebels and leave no one behind. He reveals nothing more after further questioning. Everyone, appalled by the vanguard, urges Jonathan to head back immediately and question his parents.
• Jonathan does just that and has his group rush back to his manor, a fire lit in each of their hearts. Before they can enter his house, the house guards stop him from entering. Above, Jonathan’s dad berets him for attacking their soldiers and questions the intellect of his son for attacking his allies. When Jonathan asks why he told the Vanguard to attack civilians and why he wasn’t being allowed back into his home, his father scoffs at him and informs his son that it is none of his concern and his punishment (respectively). Demanding entrance, Jonathan is stopped by the guard. With this, Jonathan’s men start to attack the soldiers and they eventually break their way into Jonathan’s own home.
• Inside, Jonathan tries to reason with his parents. They don’t need to oppress the people in order to rule. They in turn question him on what grounds he should rule. “Does he now think that he is better fit to rule than them?” Has their absence spoiled him? In response, he tells them that their absence has opened his eyes and if they won’t stop, he will force them to. Remnants of the rioters watch this conversation unfold and decide to give their support to Jonathan.
• Standing before his parents one last time, he pleads with them to reconsider their actions. Both refuse, once again they tell him that he is unfit to rule and is naïve for thinking that he is remotely qualified. “But if you stop this foolish nonsense we’ll forgive you darling. Come back to us and we’ll only ground you for a year.” – Celeste Ardentem. “I’ll teach you how to rule this land properly my son. I’ll tell you everything you’ll want to know.” – William Ardentem. Jonathan refuses, retorting “My eyes were opened the day I thought you were dead” and has them thrown into the manor’s dungeon.
• 4 days pass and King Consilia visits the manor, inquiring what the uproar was about. To his surprise, he discovers Jonathan in charge of the Occulta region. Shocked, he asks Jonathan what happened (glaring at Morietur). After the tale is told, Consilia tells Jonathan that he is a remarkable young man, but what he has done will not sit well with some of the other lords. Not even testimony from survivors would be enough to convince them otherwise. His actions were brash and makes him appear ambitious. Consilia then tells Jonathan to stay put and do nothing outside Occulta or anything that might garner more attention. The king rides off saying that he’ll try to calm the nobility. He doesn’t want a war among his vessels. Before he leaves, he offers to take his parents to the imperial prison, but Jonathan states: “My parents, my issue”
• Jonathan decides to host a dinner party to try to calm the other lords after a week or two has passed. Tensions are palpable during the evening, but the party goes without incident.
• That night, Jonathan walks through the throne room and begins to wonder if he did the right thing by dethroning his parents. When Amissa comes by to tell Jonathan he needs to stop worrying and get some sleep, they’re attacked by unknown assailants. After the skirmish, one of the grunts is captured and interrogated while Sam and JT try to settle the other nobles’ worries. The grunt talks and reveals that his employer was Lady Velle. With this knowledge Jonathan intends to confront her about the attack, but discovers that she had slipped out of his estate and also that his parents are no longer in their cell. Immediately trackers are sent to locate and apprehend Jonathan’s parents. The next morning Jonathan starts to leave a proxy to run Occulta so he can confront Lady Velle about her attack on his life, but Sam and JT remind him that King Consilia warned him to not do anything rash and this clearly was. Frustrated, a messenger is sent to the king asking what he would allow Jonathan to do, only for the letter to be returned to sender. Having wasted time, Jonathan finally gets everyone ready for a march on Propositum. Met with resistance along the way, he finally reaches Julie Velle’s estate. Upon cornering her, Lady Velle commits suicide as she says it was worth it. (Consilia had offered her economic support in exchange for attacking Jonathan and freeing his parents. Morietur was made aware of this and slipped Velle a key to the cell earlier that night.)
• Not knowing what to do next, Jonathan returns home and finds one of the trackers waiting for him. The man, Calder, informs Jonathan that his parents were spotted heading into Lord Lux’s realm and that was a little more than a week ago. The young noble gives chase. Jonathan and co. follows the trail leading to Domus Aurea, but is stopped by Lord Lux himself. He was on his way to inspect his share of what was Amicus’s land. After a short talk Alexander Lux grants Jonathan and his band permission to enter, but on the condition that they leave after 5 days. Jonathan’s group meets up with the other trackers and finally catches up to his parents after two days and they are accosted. While questioning them about how and why they escaped, Lord Lux ambushes the group.
• During the attack, Jonathan’s parents flee once again and he is unable to find any trace of their trail this time. Jonathan returns home and sends correspondence to King Consilia, asking about any connection between his house and the Lux family. Getting a reply this time, Consilia informs the young man that doesn’t know anything, but suggests that he talk to Lady Cor in Sanguinem (B/c Sanguinem is the furthest area from Occulta and Consilia wants Jonathan out of his hair for a while).
• Taking his advice, Jonathan leaves another proxy at the estate and heads out to meet Lady Cor. (Sam gets Jonathan to send an advance notice, but JT argues that if she is their enemy, this will give them time to prepare an ambush. Sam tells him that if Lady Cor isn’t their enemy, not sending a notice will make them appear like an invading army and that could lead to the other nobles taking arms against them). Along the way, Jonathan and his group run into a mage named Fleur and her companion Carleen who are being chased by a band of mercenaries. After beating the thugs, Fleur explains that they are on a personal mission from Lady Cor and need to go straight to Fertilis. Jonathan offers them his protection (b/c he want more time to think about things before he has to go home) if they go with them to Lady Cor’s manor first. Not wanting to back track the two decline his offer, but hastily write a letter that would expedite their entrance into Lady Cor’s court.
• The rest of their journey is without excitement and they meet the Lady of Sangiunem shortly after handing off the letter to the guards. Once in her court, Jonathan asks if she knows anything about a relationship between his house and that of Lord Lux. To respond, Lady Cor tells him that every house has their secrets, but some are more secretive than others. She then inquiries about what his intentions are once he learns what he needs. Jonathan states that he only wishes to find his parents and will go any lengths to bring them back and try to make his family whole, despite it being broken as it stands. Gabrielle Cor sighs and informs him that his actions of late may make that impossible. He has moved too much and unknowingly put this country into turmoil. She then asks him how he feels about war. Like a child he responds that war is wrong and no one should be going to war, but asks what she meant by him putting the continent into chaos. Lady Cor laughs at the childish remark and agrees that it would be bad. She finishes by saying that King Consilia, and the Lux, Amicus, Ardentem, and Fulgur families are making ready for war with a nation across the ocean.
• Incredulous, he asks her how this is his fault and why King Consilia wishes to spill blood. Lady Cor informs Jonathan that several of nations’ economies are hurting and going to war created a demand for jobs and work that everyone wanted. By usurping his parents’ seat, Consilia no longer had access to all the wood that Occulta produces with the reforms that Jonathan implemented. She finishes by saying that Consilia may be close to going off at this moment. Amissa stands up and then asks how she knows this. To which Gabrielle Cor responds by telling her that her seers witness everything on this country without deviance at her command. (She doesn’t know about Morietur b/c she was at that meeting and her seers weren’t around for her). Finally she states that she is planning to throw a coup with the help of the Tenebris, Itineribus, and Stellae families and stop the continent from going to war. She wants the Agricola family as extra support and inquiries if Jonathan would join her (she’ll lock him up [at best] if they intend to get in her way). He tells her that he’ll assist her if she’ll use her seers to locate his parents. She says that he might end up fighting them if he joins them and he tells her that he just wants to get his parents back and will do anything to accomplish his goal.
• They make their pact and Lady Cor tells Jonathan that she’ll have her seers investigate the Ardentem’s whereabouts and in the meantime she sends him to Fertilis to make sure the two mages they already met – Fleur and Carleen – were doing fine.
• The group decides to take a boat and rendezvous with Fleur and Carleen at the closest town to the capital. Along the way, Procellaen pirates try to raid them and a battle ensues. After taking care of the rogues, Jonathan and his compatriots meet up with the two young women and they proceed to meet the Agricola family. As soon as they arrive, they are turned away. Not only that, but capital soldiers come marching in. However, they seem to be more preoccupied with managing the courtroom official traveling with them then in fighting and walk past the group; gaining entrance to the Agricola manor.
• With that Jonathan and co. slowly walk away and are stopped by a castle guard. He informs them that an ambush is being about to start and tells them to join. Bewildered, the group begins to take formation and starts to pound on the capital soldiers as they exit.
• After capturing the diplomat, Jonathan and his friends meet Joseph and Joyce Agricola. There the elderly couple apologizes for being denied entry before, Jonathan and co. had walked in on their ambush and they weren’t ready to see other visitors. They then elaborate that Consilia had been pestering them with messenger after messenger and they had had enough. They leave off by saying that Fertilis is overworked trying to supply most of the nation with food and are too busy to do anything else. The courtroom official is released with a horse and sent back to Ubre.
• With that the group heads back to Sanguinem where Lady Cor tells Jonathan she knows where his parents are. They are in Occulta and have seized back control of the area. Before Jonathan rushes off JT stops him and asks if they was anything else they should know. There is.
• As it stands, Consilia is still at the capital preparing his army. This is what’s going to happen: Opacare, Sanguinem, Via and Adagnatio are going to make a push to the capital from the East and South. They want Jonathan to go deal with his parents so that he can attack from the North and hopefully strangle Domus Aurea, Adolebitque and Urbe in one swoop. In case Consilia and the other nobles try to escape to the west, a mercenary band has been bought out in Propositum. (Cutscene: Morietur is seen sending a falcon messenger)
• The group seeks around Domus Aurea’s borders where they travel as fast as they can to Occulta. They find the mansion deserted when a vision of Lady Cor appears. Gabrielle Cor tells Jonathan that Fulgur launched an attack on Via and Opacare and was receiving reinforcements from his parents and Lord Lux. She doesn’t know if how well guarded the Capitol is, but tells him to either attack Urbe or try and assist them. (I’m thinking of making this a split that the player can choose honestly.)