UPDATE: Courtesy of @ghast, IoA’s formal trailer is released! Inheritance of Ash
I’ve been keeping this under wraps for awhile, but…
Inheritance of Ash
**In an age long past, Valsadia bent to the will of the Logothoi, great scions of sorcery who wielded the Words of Creation itself, shaping land, sea and sky alike to their whim. Seven in all, each Logos carved out territory of their own from the bones of the fledgling continent, and through their magic, brought order to an untamed land. Their reigns were not to be eternal, however - As time progressed, one among their number came to believe the tyranny of their power had grown too great, and in secret, worked a ritual that cast both himself and his brethren into a sleep of stone from whence they would never awaken, and in one breath, ushered in a new era of freedom…and of chaos.
Centuries passed, and the once unified kingdoms tore one another part in an effort to assert their own dominance over the territories the Logothoi had left behind. And so it went, on and on, until one man rose up from the ruins to once again bring order to the continent.
Caranos of Avashir arose from the south a whirlwind or iron and blood, his armies sweeping over the continent with unparalleled fury. Nations fell before him in droves, and all who stood in opposition to his conquest were one by one forced to bend the knee. Cunning in politic, brilliant in battle, Caranos seemed unstoppable. In the span of the decade, almost the entirety of the continent was united within his empire.
Two years later, he died. On his deathbed, his assembled commanders and courtiers asked to whom he meant to leave his empire. He spoke only three words:
‘To the strongest.’
And once again, the land fell to chaos.
Now, amidst the backdrop of a continent in turmoil, the outcast prince of a dispassionate nation chases after the sudden disappearance of a mysterious, long-lived tribe, following hazy fragments of a prophecy that bespeaks an uncertain fate for the now kingless land…**
The Technical Stuff:
Inheritance of Ash is a Fire Emblem hack that attempts to present a deeply character-driven story against the backdrop of a living, breathing world. The events of IoA are but one component in a larger tapestry being woven across the continent of Valsadia, As such…
Length: Inheritance of Ash is intended to be a shorter than usual hack of approximately 15 Chapters.
Branching Storyline: Due to both the relatively short overall length of the hack, a much greater focus will be placed on placing player control on a diverging storyline: There will be several smaller breakpoints, a handful of Gaiden chapters, and one major split that will massively impact the entire remaining scope of the game.
Character Interaction: Character interaction both on and off the battlefield is an integral element of the hack’s core gameplay. Interactions between characters will have both short and long term effects on the game as a whole, opening up minor and major story branches, awarding items, revealing further information on the history of Valsadia, and so on. (In short - Expect lots of Talk events.)
Art and Animation - Better shown than told. Take a look below for a preview therein, including a re-design of the Soldier class and a preview of the protagonist’s animation.
Music: Expect a selection of familiar tracks from Fire Emblem and beyond. Additionally, I (Siuloir) will be composing a number of original pieces for the hack.
Date: Preview LP to be released with FEE3. Expect a first patch of 5 chapters shortly thereafter.
I’ll table the long windedness for now.
Special Thanks to: Arch, GhastStation, Skitty of Time, Agro, Merc, Nickt, Nih, Matt Snow and anyone else who has contributed time, art, assistance, advice, etc. (Many who aren’t even on FEU yet, shame on you!)
Obligatory Art Request: Mostly, this applies to mugs. I’m doing okay for the first patch, but I a) have a handful of my own pieces that could really stand a rework and b) will likely need further down the road, so if either interests you, go ahead and talk to me and we’ll work something out.
