Thoughts on Assassin's Creed Syndicate

Assassin's Creed is a series that I have always loved. The original game may have been extremely repetitive but the overall concept was a fantastic one and since then the sequels have always done the series justice. 

Today, Ubisoft announced the next game in the series in the form of 'Assassin's Creed Syndicate', set in the Industrial Revolution, the player will take control of the Assassin 'Jacob Frye' as he begins to free London from the Templars and give more freedom back to the lower class. 

Jacob and his sister Evie are both trained as Assassin's, where they have become fed up with how the poor are treated and have begun to rise up against the Templars. In a similar system to the territory control, they will get the lower class to aid them in taking territories and putting them under the Assassin's charge. 

The team have done a fantastic job with Jacob's design wise, his long flowing black coat with the white undershirt and waistcoat is very true to that era as well as being dark in colour to fit in with the dank and dreary way of life for many in this time period. 

To add more to this detail they even gave him a top hot which he will take off to pull up his hood during stealth. This is a nice touch as many wealthy gentlemen wore top hats as a symbol of status, its very much like Ebonisa Scrooge. Facial wise he is very much like Arno but with a more gruff appearance. 

From the glimpse we saw of Jacobs interactions with other characters, he appears very forceful compared to many of the other Assassin's who were very cocky or naive. This is a good indication of how he will act during the game as he appears to be a man to get the job done and possibly for his own gain as noted by something he says to those he freed from the templars 'you will work for us'. 

Along with his personality, the combat is extremely brutal compared to older games which were fairly brutal themselves. Jacobs fighting style revolves around quick yet powerful blows with weapons such as the Kukri that he throws through peoples faces, brass knuckles for close range powerful strikes, a revolver for quick shots and throwing knives to quickly take out watchmen in the distance. 

All these details when put together have intrigued me greatly about how Jacob's story will play out as he seems very much like an Assassin Enforcer.

Along with combat, Ubisoft also released a few details on some new mechanics. The player is able to ride carriages and trains, allowing them to traverse the city at street level very quickly as well as using them during parkour. They can also fight on the back of these and hide within the carriages to perform stealth kills, which I am sure will be an amazing mechanic to have in, especially on the more stealthy missions. 

As well as this, they introduced a grappling hook, Jacob can shoot this at high points on buildings and fly up without the need of climbing, speeding up the process. He can also shoot this to other buildings like a Zip Line and perform aerial kills with ease. 

This game appears to have increased the pace greatly, with having close quarters combat, vehicles and faster paced climbing. Personally I am extremely happy with this as I found Unity fairly slow paced, whereas the pace for Syndicate is perfect for the Industrial Revolution. 

The time period was an incredible one, going from almost medieval to the birth of the modern world in such a short space of time. Modern medicine, electricity, Rail Roads, Steam Engines, it was a huge boon for many but not so much for the lower classes who found themselves in more squaller then previously imagined. The Thames river became extremely toxic during this time due to the pollution caused by the numerous factories, many fell ill due to this and it fits perfectly as some sort of Templar plot. 

Overall I am severely happy with the information we have received thus far on 'Assassin's Creed Syndicate' and I cannot wait to play it for myself in October! 

Post delay

Hey guys!

Apologies for delays in content for the blog. Life has been getting in the way due to various things, but some new content that I have been working on will be coming soon!

So keep checking back and I will post some new stuff soon.

--Andy

Equinox character overview #4 Gerald and Jessica

Character 7: Gerald Abus

A young and talented apprentice wizard from the Kingdom of Selvenei. During the events of chapter nine Gerald first appears to Clix and the current party as he rescues them from the monsters in the Margen Mansion. 

Gerald is a kind hearted young man with a dark and hidden past. He often goes off into his own head, leaving the group to ponder about what he could be thinking. As the story progresses the reader will learn the truth about this apprentice Wizard.

He carries a spell book into battle that allows him to blast the battlefield with a flurry of elemental magic as well as bludgeoning any enemies with it at close range.

When he first appears he recognises Clix straight away announcing that the young earthling is his cousin. Confused with this sudden confession, he asks the young Wizard what he means by this, how can they be related? It is up to the reader to discover the truth behind this series of events.

Character 8: Jessica Layens

A high spirited young woman and a childhood friend of Clix's. Jessica is a loving and caring girl that can get a bit hyperactive at times, she rushes into things before she thinks about them even if it puts her in danger.

Unlike Clix, Viktor and Ray. Jessica does not travel to Nyris at the same time, she eventually ends up there when the wormhole opens up once again and she is pulled through. Lost and confused, she is rescued by a knight of Selvenei named of Rydal, who protects her until she has recovered from her shock and helps her find Clix and the others.

Jessica carries a thorned whip into battle that she uses to great effect, it allows her to perform a series of skills that will devastate the enemy. Due to her loud personality, she is great at rallying the troops to the cause and will do anything for the people of Nyris.

Equinox novel segment #4

‘My lady, are you alright?’ Gerald asked, ‘Yes…I am fine Gerald, but I’ve told you before Gerald, we’ve known each other since we were little, you can call me Natalie’ Natalie said with a smile. ‘Ah forgive me my la……Natalie; it’s a force of habit with having to refer to everyone in a formal sense since our return. However Natalie, it is getting late, I must escort you back to the castle before the night rolls in, the King would throw a fit if you were still out in the wilderness once its dark’ Gerald stated, ‘Yes….you are right, forgive me Gerald the time escaped me; although I don’t know why father worries so much, I mean we were out in the wilderness for months as we traversed the lands’ Natalie said, ‘This is true Natalie, but I guess the king feels now that everything is back in order and the threat has dissipated; that a princess should not be out in the evenings’ Gerald stated. Natalie did not say a word and just gave a small smile as they walked towards the Sendonox’s to take them back to the castle.

As they road back to the Castle, the air grew heavy as the heavens opened and rain came flooding down. Natalie began to glow as she called out a protection spell ‘Obex Praesidium!’ as a brilliant light shot into the air and formed a protective bubble around Natalie and Gerald, the rain rolled off the barrier as if they were inside looking out of a window, ‘Incendia!’ Gerald called as he made a small flame float in between the two of them to keep them warm and dry them off, even though they were only caught in the rainstorm for small amount of time they were drenched right down to the skin. Natalie watched as she road as she saw the surroundings being pelted by rain, the tree’s dripped continuously, small animals ran for cover under bushes, it reminded her of the time Clix, herself, Ray, Viktor and Kimberly ran and took shelter from the rain in the abandoned mansion, the night was a tough one but she smiled to herself at the good times they had together on their journey.

They road up a large hill and saw the lights of the Kingdom shinning, ‘Not much longer now Natalie, we should be back within the next half an hour’ Gerald said as he led on, ‘Ah….yes thank you Gerald, this evening has been a long one indeed’ Natalie said with a hint of sadness in her voice, she knew once she got back to the castle, that the following morning would be another day of training and matters that her father thought would be beneficial to her rise to the throne. She however did not want this, her life was so turned upside down with the rise of the Reavers and she managed to have it all changed on her travels with her friends; she wasn’t sure how to cope with such demands anymore. As they got closer and closer to the castle, the rains began to stop, all around there were puddles and everything was dripping. Natalie removed the barrier, the fresh air felt so wonderful on her face, the clouds above began to recede revealing the moons and the stars; which glistened their light down onto the kingdom. 

Equinox character overview #3 Vikor and Ray

Character 5: Viktor Maicine

One of the first characters introduced in Equinox, Viktor is the best friend of Clix who was originates from Russia, he is an incredibly strong individual but he does struggle with the academic side of things.

Along with Clix he ends up travelling to the new land of 'Nyris' where he also dubbed a saviour of the world. To show his might he takes up a large Axe in battle where he is a force to be reckoned with, he uses this strength to protect his friends and save the people of Nyris.

Personality wise, he is a very outgoing person that makes friends easily, however he does have tendencies to become angry and needs to calmed down.

He will do what it takes to defeat the Reavers and return home.

Character 6: Ray Gates

A young and very talented young man. Ray is another of Clix's friends who is an incredibly smart individual, from a young age he has prided himself in his work and ability to play Chess to its greatest effect.

He is considered one of the saviours of 'Nyris' when he ends up travelling their with Clix and Viktor where he is unfortunately taken ill rather quickly. He is rescued by Kimberly who uses medicinal herbs on him and he soon recovers.

As an extremely academic person and a lover of chess, he has a mind for strategies and tactics that he displays with sheer prowess. During the many battles, Ray takes a role of being at the front and back of the fights so that his skills can take full effect.

He will protect Clix on his adventure no matter what the cost.

Game Concept #3 Anno del Serpente

'1400's, Horror, Pre-Columbian America, Serpentine, Regal, Cloaked, Collapsed, Central' 

Game title: Anno del Serpente
Genre: first person horror

Serpentine - Twisted, Crafty, Coiling, Snakelike
Regal - Imposing, Proud, Majestic,
Cloaked - Veiled, Occult, Arcane, Camouflage, Artful, Hidden
Collapsed - Disintegrate, Break, Weaken, Wilt, Exhaust
Central - Essential, Paramount, Pivotal, Significant

General Premise

During Columbus's first expedition, the Santa Maria was stranded on a coral reef where its crew spent a long time gathering up all the cargo that had strewn all over the water and the lands. Soon after, Columbus returned to Spain on the Nina leaving forty members of his crew behind to start the first European settlement in this new land. However this was a grave mistake....he would return to the settlement a year later to find that none had survived...Or is there?

Main Character

Crew member of Christopher Columbus's first expedition that was left behind after he returned to Spain. After Columbus vanished, a local tribe learned of this settlement and struck back against those that would defile their land. Many of the crew members were taken and sacrificed including the playable character who manages to escape. A large serpent like creature was summoned forth using the blood of the crew who goes forth to kill the rest of the settlers, it is up to you to survive this horror using the environment to your advantage.

Story Points

• Santa Maria is stranded at a Coral Reef 
• A crew of forty is left behind to create the first settlement 
• A local tribe is displeased their land is being defiled 
• Some crew members taken for sacrifice 
• One crew member manages to escape
• Blood of the crew is used in a ritual to bring forth a snake demon 
• The snake demon kills everyone bar the one crew member who escaped
• The crew member must use his wits and cunning to survive this predator 

Game Mechanics

The snake demon is on the lose and the player has no choice but to do their best and survive. They must use their environment in order to hide from this threat in hopes that someone will save him soon. 

Here are some of the mechanics that the player must master in order to survive. These skills are essential for survival.   

Sounds

There are many audio cues that the player must listen out for. These are helpful indicators as determining where the Snake demon is. 

• Hissing - the demon will hiss when it is extremely close and has your scent
• Slithering - a sound that can be heard from a medium distance to close range, the player needs to keep an ear out for this to see if it is getting louder or quieter 
• Tongue flair - listening out for the Snake demon tasting the air as it travels, this is an indicator that it has begun to catch your scent 
• Animal screeches - the snake demon has caught an animal, this can be heard from any distance but the louder the scream, the closer it is. 

Hiding

One of the main mechanics of the game, the player must use their wits to stay hidden from the Snake demon. As it is a snake, it has both the strengths and weaknesses of these slithering reptiles. 

• Covering yourself in mud and staying still will reduce your body heat and stop the snake from discovering you. Keep out of the way of the snake by standing against trees or crouching in tall grass.
• Hiding underwater will hide your scent, however make sure you have a reed available or you will run out of oxygen and drown. 
• Climbing trees will help you hide from the snake, make sure not to move as it goes passed as the noises of the shaking branches will draw it to you
• Creating a camp fire will increase the heat reducing your scent but it will draw the snake close. So using this in combination with other techniques is paramount at night. 
• Causing disturbance elsewhere can cause the Snake to go after that, allowing you to run away. 

Crafting

Using materials the player finds throughout the maps they are able to craft a variety of weapons and useful equipment. Although the weapons may not do much to the Snake demon as it can't truly be killed, it can however be driven off, the weapons and traps are also used to kill local wildlife that the player will need to do often. 

Some weapons include 

• Spear
• Bow and Arrow/Fire Arrow
• Flintlock
• Whip 

The player must use these to their advantage in order to survive 

Food and Drink

As mentioned above the player must kill local wild life in order to prepare and eat it. Not doing so will result in the character becoming tired, hungry and easier to catch, so the player must keep an eye out on the hunger gauge. 

Drinking is also important, they must find fresh water sources to quench their thirst. There are many salt water pools around, so the player will have to be careful to not drink too much of that as it will dehydrate the character and cause him to hallucinate and faint.  

Sleep

The player must find safe places to sleep, making sure they have plenty of wood for their fires to keep the snake away or making sure they are completely hidden and protected from this dangerous threat. Not sleeping will again cause the character to hallucinate and be easy prey for this slithering demon.

Exhaustion

It is a difficult task constantly running for your life, struggling to find food etc. During times of Exhaustion the player must rest out of the Sun. It is paramount to the characters sanity otherwise as mentioned above, they will start to hallucinate, seeing images of the snake that is not truly there but causing the player to panic and cause sounds that could bring the snake to them. 

Exploration

There is a whole world to discover, going through jungles, coastlines, cliff tops, the European settlement and also ancient temples. If the player discovers these, they can learn of ways to keep the beast at bay as well as learning truly how to defeat it.

Key Points

• Going back to true survival horror with a twist 
• Plenty of jump scares for adrenaline junkies 
• Extremely atmospheric 
• Brings a lot of audio elements into it 
• A story for the players making as they must survive the year 

Equinox character overview #2 Natalie and Maiyth

Character 3: Princess Natalie Feigh

The princess of Selvenei, she escapes her kingdom with Clix and the others after the Reavers come to take her away, it is unknown why they were after her but the King knows she will be in safe hands with the heroes protecting her. She is always desperate to help people, especially those within her kingdom who are suffering and in plight and will often run off in the face of danger to do so. Natalie has the ability to heal her allies as well as being able to strike from a distance with her archery skills. 

Natalie is first introduced in chapter four of Equinox and from that point on she is a prominent character throughout the story.

Character 4: Maiyth

An extremely powerful warrior who is under the Reavers control. Maiyth walks into battle with sheer strength and duty for his masters. He is tasked with bringing the princess of Selvenei to them although he does not understand as to why they would want this. 

The group encounter him many times along their journey as not only does he need to complete his task but from the first moment that he meets Clix, he feels something familiar about him. What that is he cannot fathom. 

He is first introduced in chapter three of Equinox but he is not truly revealed until the seventh chapter where he first meets Clix before he escapes.

Game Concept #2 Heroes of Antiquity

Game Title: Heroes of Antiquity  

Genre: Hack and Slash action

Story

On a distant planet within the promised system, a large scale war has been raging for centuries; the people of the planet battle it out against each other to unify the lands under their rule. It is unknown how the war first began, some say it was due to the power of a dark god intervening within the mortal realm for his enjoyment, others believe that some nations were becoming too powerful and must be dealt with swiftly. Some nations have become nothing more than rubble as they barely hang onto life; however ten nations are still going strong, as they battle for their lives and for control of the planet.

Characters

The characters for Heroes of Antiquity are split into the 10 nations that occupy the planet, each comes with a unique moveset, weapons and special skills. Only four characters are available from the start. 

Joan of Arc

Weapon: Rapier

Element: Light and Water

After the King of France unfortunately dies in an attack from the Japanese warlord Nobunaga Oda, a young maiden takes up to lead the people and avenge their fallen kind. Joan has a strong has a strong connection to the gods who watch over France, she uses this power to take up command of the forces even though she is only 17 years of age. Joan is an adept at sword play wielding a rapier and heavenly sword that was forged by the gods. She is a pure and honest soul as well as a devout believer in the Gods that watch over her. She feels that she will be able to reunite the lands under the French banner without much bloodshed, but only time will tell if this is the case.  

Alexander the Great

Weapon: Spear

Element: Electric and Earth

The third in line for the thrown of Greece, Alexander is a brave and adventurous young man but also cocky and fame hungry. Having recently become the ruler of Greece, he is still new to commanding an army. Alexander wants to protect his homeland from the threat of Nobunaga and from the minor threats of the England republic. He carries his spear into battle, determined to make sure that the lands bow to his rule and to once again bring peace to the people of the world.

Nobunaga Oda

Weapon: Katana

Element: Dark and Fire

The Demon king that watches over the harsh terrains in Japan, Nobunaga is a ruthless but ambitious leader that wants everyone to bow to his whim. He recently devastated China making the people run for their lives and has now turned his sites on the people of Mongolia. He will stop at nothing to gain control of the world, so that he can turn the lands into a hellish landscape filled with darkness. He once allied himself with the Saints of Spain and even converted to their beliefs but soon the darkness ebbed away at his heart and he gave into temptation. He rides from land to land, soaking his katana in the blood of his enemies.

Genghis Khan

Weapon: Bow

Element: Wind and Ice

Ruler of the Nomadic kingdom of Mongolia, Genghis is a stern yet fair leader respecting those who are honest and loyal to their leaders and not just his own army. He wants to change the way the world works, bringing all the lands back to Nomadic ways rather than surrounding themselves with wealth and pleasure. He is a brilliant tactician and always knows the outcome of a battle before it has even begun, using his archery skills, he rides into battle piercing his enemies with his arrows. He feels the change in the winds as darkness slowly encroaches on his homelands. 

Other characters include:

Edward the Black Prince

Cleopatra 

Julius Caesar 

El Cid

George Washington 

Erik the Red

Many other characters will appear within the game that the player must unlock in a variety of different ways. 

Game modes

Story mode: The main mode of the game, where the player will follow the story of each character. Originally the only characters stories available are Joan of Arc, Nobunaga Oda, Alexander the Great and Genghis Khan but they will soon unlock more characters to use. Each story is different and allows for replayability with varying paths to unlock different outcomes and endings. 

Free battle: This mode allows the player to select any character and then select any stage they have unlocked. Allowing them to train in stages that are not in a characters story. This can be done to collect weapons, test out a characters moveset, level up characters and learn new skills, that the player may want to do before starting a characters story.

Online battle: This is similar to free battle, where the player selects one character and any level, however another player will play as the owner of the land that is being attacked in defence of their kingdom. If a player selects Joan of Arc and does a mission to attack Nobunaga another player must play as Nobunaga. Players can also team up together to do missions together using online features. This can be done with the 3 mini games listed below.

Mini-games: a selection of 3 mini games for the player to try out

1) duel: the player faces off against an opponent in a 1 and 1 fight, using the environment to their advantage 

2) skirmish: the players have to take as many bases from their opponent within a certain amount of time

3) treasure collect: collect as many treasures such as gold, items and weapons before the time runs out, collect the most to win. 

All 3 mini games will be able to be used online and in offline co-op play.

Gallery: the gallery mode allows players to look at different areas such as character biographies, a weapons gallery showing all weapons collected so far, story area to show the story paths taken so far, items showing all items collected so far, soundtrack so the player can listen to the music of the game, movie theatre so the player can view the different cut scenes from the games.

Options: the options menu allows the player to select different aspects such as sound, music, game volume, contrast and brightness. Difficulty is set when the players selects a character story or when selecting a quick battle stage.

Core game mechanics

Combat

Once the player has selected their character and the stage they want to undertake, they will be set into a battlefield. Similar to the Dynasty Warriors series, the player must run around the battlefield, defeating troops and generals in order to ultimately succeed that stage. Each character has an array of combos that can be performed, which the player will unlock as the character levels up. They must execute these combos in order to defeat enemies or they will be defeated. 

Win and Lose conditions

Each stage comes with conditions that will let the player succeed or fail. Some of these are universal, however some are unique to a specific stage. 

Here are some examples of both win and lose conditions

Win

Defeat the main general

Take the main camp 

Force the army to retreat

Succeed in the flood attack

Lose

Player character is defeated

Main camp lost 

Specific allied general is defeated 

Difficulty

The player can choose between four difficulties:

Easy: the lowest difficulty. Good to start out with as the enemies do not attack as much

Normal: the standard difficulty. Good for those who are used to these types of games, enemies attack frequently as well as having better stats

Hard: a more aggressive difficulty. For those who want a bit of a challenge, enemies will attack more and will take longer to kill. 

Nightmare: The hardest difficulty. For those with skill, the enemies will hit hard as well as have extremely high stats. It is difficult but rewarding if the player can beat the stage. 

Level up

As the player continues to fight the waves of troops and generals, they will level up their character. As they level up, they will increase their stats such as health, attack and defence as well as unlocking new combos and special skills. So it is important to level the characters up in order to unlock these and take on harder difficulties. 

Skills

Each character has an array of skills that they can unlock representing the two elements a character is bind to. The player can map out 8 skills, so they will be able to set and change these on their character to something that works for them. 

Historia

A special skill that requires the player to fight and fill a bar up, once this bar is full the player can launch a powerful attack that will damage and defeat enemies around them. Once this has been used, the bar will empty and the player will need to refill it, it is best for those tight situations where they feel they may lose. 

Key Features

• Unique playable characters based on some of history’s greatest heroes
• Hack and Slash style game play
• Unique weapons to collect for each character
• Unlockable skills and combos as characters level up
• Items to collect to boost the power of the characters
• Unique stories for each character with multiple paths to get different endings

Equinox novel segment #3

Upon the Vidora continent and to the southwest; the kingdom of Kairathar once bustled with the proud race of the Dusk Elfein. Now however; their once beautiful home has been decimated and overrun by dark forces. Kairathar is now slowly crumbling away covered in darkness and storms; it is now a shadow of its former glory. Most of the Dark Elfein had escaped and are now dispersed across the entire continent; where they are still being hunted by the dark forces; some were lucky enough to escape to other kingdoms after the uprising who now ruled over this dank hellhole, however they feared for how long they would be safe. No one knows what happened to the royal family of Kairathar; but they were said to have been the first to be slain, leaving the kingdom without a ruler and the civilians left to fend for themselves.

The clattering of armour could be heard; as a warrior clad in heavy black armour walked up from the main gates of the forgotten kingdom with extreme force in his footsteps, he began to make his way towards the castle in the distance. The armour was jet black in colour with golden trims to accent the edges, it had spikes on all the joint pieces and the helmet covered the face of the warrior but left gaps to display his dark red eyes; the helmet also extruded two large horns from the top of it that seemed to be made of bone; but over time they had started to crack. All this Dark armour bore scratches from many battles, but it remained fully intact.

A long flowing dark purple cape made of fine silk protruded down from underneath the shoulder guards and continued all the way to the warriors knee’s. The pattern seemed to be engraved into the fabric as it bore the mark of darkness as its insignia; the bottom of the cape was torn and jagged; which projected the image that it had seen many battles. Underneath the cape, a large spear extruded diagonally across the back of the warrior; which clearly displayed the strength of the man underneath due to its immense size. On the bottom a large golden weight rested to balance out the spear, the top had a large spear head upon it; that was nearly the same size of the warrior’s torso. The outer edge of the spear head had large blades that met at the top point making it an extremely deadly weapon; which was evident by the blood stains encrusted onto it. 

Equinox character overview #1 Clix and Kimberly

Character 1: Clyde 'Clix' Drake

The main protagonist of the story, Clix and his friends end up in a strange world known as 'Nyris' after a series of events unfolds that will change his life for the better and for the worst. Due to their strange arrival they are dubbed the saviours of Nyris, who were sent by the gods to aid them in their plight against the Reavers. 

Clix is a rather quiet and distant character at first, due to the nightmares of his mothers death. He feels that he would be a burden to those around him if he showed any sign of weakness, however as the story he learns truths that would shatter any normal being but this only resolves to make him stronger. He doesn't truly understand why or how he has ended up in this strange world but he will do anything to help anyone in danger and gladly takes up the task at hand. Will he succeed in his task to destroy the Reavers? 

Character 2: Kimberly Rogers

The first creature Clix and his friends encounter in Nyris, the eccentric yet wonderful Fellyne. Kimberly Rogers.

As noted by her ears and her strange tail, Kimberly is very human like but has cat like features attached to her. Her race known as the Fellyne are often found in the southern continents where it has a warmer climate but Kimberly has friends in the local kingdom where she does odd jobs such as collecting medicinal herbs.

In personality, she is a very happy go lucky person, she is very eccentric and loves to joke around but her life was not always like this. At birth her family were killed by the Reavers and she soon found that she needed to fend for herself, she trained in stealth and using daggers in combat in order to strike a killing blow with ease. She joins Clix and his friends in order to avenge her family but to also save those that are in danger who she considers family.

Equinox novel segment #2

Kimberly sat down next to the others as Viktor added some more wood to the fire, ‘Oh I almost forgot, I haven’t asked you your names?’ Kimberly said, ‘Oh well, you know Ray’ Viktor said, Ray smiled, ‘I am Viktor and this here is Clix’ Viktor continued, ‘Well Clyde actually’ Clyde said, ‘ok so they call you Clyde Clix?’ Kimberly asked confused, ‘no no, just either Clyde or Clix’ Clyde explained, ‘so; which do you prefer Clyde or Clix?’ Kimberly asked, ‘…..Clix, just call me Clix’ Clyde said, he thought for a second, this way is probably better as he didn’t want to confuse the people of Nyris, if he was supposed to be the savior he may as well use a name that stuck better in people’s minds. 

‘Ok Clix it is’ Kimberly said, the four sat there listening to the sounds of nature all around them as they made small talk into the dead of night, ‘so is your world filled with creatures like the Lepulsa?’ Kimberly asked, ‘not so much…..we have animals but nothing like those, we have quite a few domesticated animals and a fair amount of wild animals but nothing like a person crossed with a snake’ Ray explained, ‘whoa that seems strange, I mean we do have normal animals but we may have different names for them, you will have to tell me some of the names for the creatures you have on your world if you see something similar here, I would love to learn them’ Kimberly said, Ray smiled ‘sure if you explain to us things in this world we’ll try and explain things about our world as we go’ Clix said as he put more wood on the fire. The group remained silent for a while listening to the sound of the area around them, the wind was gentle and quite warm it wasn't cold like it was back on Earth before they left. 

Soon the four drifted off to sleep, the seals keeping them safe glowed a pale blue within the moonlight. As he drifted off Clix began to think of all that had happened, was he really the one that was sent to save this world as Kimberly said, he wasn't sure but he must have been sent here for something. 

Equinox novel segment #1

The heat was unbearable, as the fire roared as the young child cried, his father slowly making his way towards him. The child’s mother was nowhere to be seen as the man carried his child through the burning cabin. The whole place was slowly crumbling to the ground as the flames lay waste to the wooden support beams holding the ceiling above in place, they would not last much longer.

‘Sarah!!!’ The father kept calling out, his wife not answering the shouts of her worried husband, as the child cried the floor above began to creek before finally collapsing on the father and his child. Trapped and frightened the father held the child tightly as he felt it would be their final time together, the fiery hot rubble slowly searing his arms to make sure it didn’t touch the child, as they slowly drifted unconscious due to the lack of Oxygen.

As the two lay there, the father slowly began to wake as he heard a voice calling out to him ‘Graham! Graham!’ the voice called, the father could barely make a noise but managed to kick the rubble ‘Hang in there! I’ll get you out’ the rubble began to move as a figure reached for the father and his child; the figure led the father outside whilst carrying the child. The air was clear as Oxygen filled the lungs of the father and the child as they continually coughed until the smoke in their lungs vanished.

The father looked up to see his friend Marcus stood there, he could only smile as he was still breathless from the fire until he realised; that his wife was nowhere to be seen ‘Sar…..Sarah!’ the father shouted as he tried to run back into the burning building. Marcus grabbed him ‘No…..it is too late, we need to go now!’ Marcus pulled his friend and ran. As they ran, the child looked back at the flame covered wreckage that was once his home, as he stared he saw it, within the flames the shadow of his mother kneeling down with a demonic figure stood beside her, the details of the figure couldn’t be made out other than the glowing red eyes as they stared at the mother before pulling a large sword that sliced down on the poor defenseless woman. The child screamed ‘mummy!’ over and over as the demonic figure laughed maniacally, a laugh that pierced through the child’s ears before the demon disappeared into the fire.

Game Concept #1 Rise of Osiris

'Egypt, Pyramids finished, supernatural horror thriller, Dark, Astrological, Plagues, Sacrifice, Addiction'

Dark: Bleak, Evil, Clouded, Somber

Astrological: Magical, Enigmatic, Cryptic, Necromatic, Spiritual 

Plague: Curse, Epidemic, Outbreak, Scourge, Affliction 

Sacrifice: Endure, Offer, Yield, Forfeit, Surrender, Renounce 

Addiction: Craving, Fixation, Slave, Obsession

Main character: Tutankhamun

A young Pharaoh imbued with the power of the Sun/Radiance God Ra and the God of Death Anubis who needs to be kept in balance. Too much light or too much darkness will corrupt him, his powers will increase with each use but it will cost more and affect him in different ways.

General premise

The player will take control of the young Pharaoh Tutankhamun, with him they will have to journey all across Egypt to wipe out the scourge of Osiris. The game is centred around giving the player a fright, by having things fly at the player in the dark and dank areas which could range from bats to the cursed people of Egypt charging and screaming at the player. 

The game has action elements in terms of combat but it will feature a noise gauge, the player will have to sneak around in areas that are filled with cursed civilians to allow them to remain unscathed. They must be vigilant as the enemies could appear out of nowhere. 

The player will have to defeat each of the Pharaohs that was awoken, only by doing this can they finally face Osiris in battle and save their kingdom. 

Story Points

• The Pharaohs were considered to be Horus in life and Osiris in death 
• Story covers the Plague of Osiris: uses the Pharoahs corpses to take over the known world
• Anubis looked over the Pharoahs in their tombs to make sure they were secure after learning of Osiris's plan to curse the world using the Pharaohs. 
• Ra engraved symbols into the Pyramids, preventing Osiris from gaining access. 
• Thieves come to take the treasures from the great Pyramid of Giza. They become greedy and take the Sarcophagus from Khufu's resting chamber, ultimately leading to Osiris to take control of the dead king and begin his curse. 
• Plague affects the thieves who then spread it through the towns. 
• Ra and Anubis grant their powers to the Pharaoh Tutankhamun, who will need to destroy Osiris and his army of undead Pharaohs. 

Game Mechanics

As mentioned above, the game centres around action combat with elements of sneaking and jump scares. The game itself will be mostly in third person except for certain moments that will be in first person to add to the thrill factor. 

The game has a free roam world, similar to the Assassins Creed series. They will gain horses to ride to cities, towns, landmarks and mission points. This allows the player to do what they wish and that they are not completely restricted to the main story.  

Noise Gauge

The player will have to pay close attention to the noise gauge if they want to remain stealthy. They can tilt the analog stick to varying degrees in order to change how quickly Tutankhamun moves in the field, if they tilt it slightly he will sneak and if they tilt it all the way forward he will run. 

The texture of the floor will also play a role into this, sand will allow him to move fairly quickly as it is not as noisy compared to the stone floors of the pyramids. They player will need to learn the best way to traverse the different environments and successful complete their missions. 

Powers and Addiction

One of the main focal points of 'Rise of Osiris' is the powers that the Tutankhamun receives from both Ra and Anubis. The player can focus more on the light route which unlocks powers of radiance and the use of the sun and advanced combat or they can go with the dark route and follow the path of Anubis, using his powers for advanced stealth, darkness and death. 

Both come with a series of traits that will aid the player on their quest to save Egypt and allow them to complete missions in a variety of different ways that they may not have been able to do with the other powers. 

Using one set of powers more than another will shift Tutankhamun further into that Gods favour and allow more powers to be unlocked for that God. However the player must keep a close eye on this as relying on one set of powers for too long will cause the young Pharaoh to become addicted to them and he will begin to lose favour with the other God. This will cause a variety of effects that will not only aid the player but also negatively affect them. 

Some effects are as follows: 

• Greater damage but at a higher cost
• Receive greater damage from the opposite element
• Using powers of the opposite God will reduce health due to not being used to them 
• Screen blur and a dazed character 
• Continual damage when out in direct sun or moonlight depending on the god in favour

There are many other effects so it is important to keep the powers in check so that the negatives don't outweigh the positives. 

The player will also have a series of weapons that they can equip, these are split into light and dark:

Weapons of Light:

• The radiant blade of Ra
• The solar slingshot 
• The staff of light

Weapons of Darkness:

• The death sickles of Anubis
• The midnight daggers  
• The Void Mace 

Each of these gains a bonus if they are equipped when the player is in a specific favour. Ra for the Light weapons and Anubis for the Dark weapons, these will also play into the addiction mechanic so the player must make sure that they have a balance of light and dark weapons equipped so that they do not receive negative effects from these as well. 

Sacrificing to the Gods

As with many ancient civilisations, the Egyptians believed in sacrificing to their Gods. The player will also have this option, they can either Sacrifice creatures and humans to Ra or to Anubis. 

What they player receives for doing these interactions is abilities and equipment for their chosen God that they would not be able to acquire in any other circumstance, so it is wise to keep an eye out for these sacrificial points to gain these. Once a sacrifice has been performed, the player cannot use that point again so they need to make sure that they have chosen wisely before completing the ritual. 

Praying to the Stars

Along with the powers, the player can also pray to the stars in various astrological sightings. What these do is allow the player to upgrade Tutankhamun in specific bonuses such as increased health, increased power, increased stealth etc. 

The player will gain points for completing missions and sidequests which they are then allowed to imbue into the stars and gain their attributes. Their is a specific amount the player can receive and once a point has been imbued it cannot be removed, so they will have to make sure the bonus is what they want to focus their character in. 

Key Points

• A look at ancient Egyptian culture with a twist 
• Allows the player to build the character they wish 
• Allows the player to roam the world without detracting from the story 
• Unique mechanics that give focus on the time period

Character writing #2 Isonash

‘Dystopian, 13^th Century, Hokkaido, Eerie, Monotonous, Silky, Durable, Conspicuous’

13^th Century Hokkaido Japan – Ainu people, Island of Ezo, Larger regional groups, economic and military expansion some move to southern Sahkalin. Drive the forces of Nivkh to the mouth of the Amur and directly confront the forces of Yuan. Bear sending ritual.

Dystopian – misery, oppression, overcrowding

Eerie – Ghostly, Supernatural, Bizarre, Mysterious

Monotonous – Humdrum, Tiresome, Repetitive

Silky – Delicate, Satiny, Silken, Plush, Luxurious

Durable – Lasting, Dependable, Strong, Abiding, Impervious

Conspicuous – Distinct, Discernible, Visible

Isonash

The Island of Ezo; known as Hokkaido in modern times and the birth place of Ainu people, a group of varying tribes that lived off the land and worshipped the Gods of nature. Many of the tribes fight for superiority over Ezo forcing the smaller tribes into submission, except for one lone devoted tribe in the south east of the Island who knew that their gods would not let them suffer. However for days to come this would not be the case as the larger tribes put pressure on them to join their cause.

The tribe continued their days, hunting for scraps but to no avail. Their food sources were becoming scarce as the larger tribes continued to dominate the land, taking all the resources and anything they could find for themselves.

The days became full of misery as the oppression of the large tribes rained down upon them. That is until one day a miracle began to happen...

Within this downtrodden tribe, a young male by the name of Isonash lay sleeping as strange ghostly voices began to speak to him in his head. It told him over and over that he had been chosen by the gods to be the saviour of the Ainu, for them to grow and expand their territory, bring the tribes together and make sure they are well looked after. Isonash responded with glad tidings that the gods were watching out for him and the tribe he belonged to but he was a mere boy, how would be able to help? The gods simply replied ‘the bear will guide you to true potential’ before they vanished.

Isonash awake after this peculiar series of events to find a Bear Cub sat staring at him in, its head tilted to one side. Not believing his eyes he reached out to touch the Cub to see if it was real or a figment of his imagination due to lack of food...It was most definitely real.   

A brilliant light lit the entire hut as Isonash covered his eyes due to its radiance, as it disappeared he noticed the Bear cub had vanished but something felt different to him. He looked down to see he wore strange garbs and armour emblazoned with the distinct insignia of the gods. The bear cub had fused with him, its fur lay across his shoulders and head wrapped his own like a hood as the main body flew behind him like a cape, his body was wrapped in a strange silken armour that felt soft to the touch but also strong and filled with light and hope, dark leather boots and gloves enveloped his hands and feet. Upon his back lay an intricately designed Bow and Quiver that glowed with a radiance that was not meant for mortal eyes, the arrows each decorated with spotted owl feathers and sharp enough to pierce the darkest of nights.

Isonash left his home and began his journey out into the Island of Ezo, not only to save those who were suffering but to stop those who force the plight of the land, but even with the power of the gods would it be enough... 

Appearance

Shoulder length black hair that has been tied at the back into a knot at the base of his hairline. His eyes are a piercing blue that reflects the light of the moon, very wolf like in texture. Very stern features, he has a low brow with quite a pointed chin, he has a goatee surrounding his jaw and mouth. Around 5'08 in height, not too tall to allow him to crouch lower for sneaking, Isonash is also well built allowing him to climb and run at speed. A bear pelt rests on his shoulders and its head is used as a hood, his clothing is moderately dark to allow him to blend in with his surroundings.  

Character writing #1 Ishtar-Mardek

‘The Bygone Era, Babylon, naughty, stoic, repugnant, towering, argumentative, radical’

Bygone Era – olden times, ruins, ancient civilisation

Babylon – Hanging Gardens, God Fearing, Babylonian Calendar, Neo-Babylonia, wrapped robes, shawls, colourful.

Naughty – Wicked, Playful, Mischievous, Fiendish, Teasing

Stoic – Apathetic, Indomitable, Dry, Unemotional, Resigned

Repugnant – Creepy, Vile, Horrid, Foul, Sickening

Towering – Monumental, Sublime, Elevated, Outstanding, Supreme, Superior

Argumentative – Belligerent, Combative, Opinionated, Factious

Radical – Agitator, Anarchist, Mover, Rebel, Revolutionary

Ishtar-Mardek

In the ancient times of the Babylonians, there once lived a priestess of immeasurable elegance. This woman enraptured the hearts of men as she watched over the ancient Babylonian Lunar Calendar; however this would ultimately lead to her downfall.

As the high priestess, Ishtar-Mardek was worshipped like a Goddess, men would shower her with gifts and praise for all she did for them, and each time they did it only served to increase her vanity, she would tease her worshippers forcing them to do her bidding and ultimately gaining what she desired. The King in particular took the priestess into his heart and eventually wed her making her queen, but this was short lived. After returning back to the castle after a day amongst the people, he found his Queen in embrace of one of his royal advisors within their chamber; the King became enraged and executed his once closest ally where he stood. Ishtar using all her wiles, attempt for the king to spare her but the king was not fooled; he exiled her from the Kingdom and left her to rot in the world outside.

Many years passed for Ishtar in her exile, this began to warp her mind and she became increasingly more vindictive by the hour. She felt cheated out of what was rightfully hers, the Kingdom of which she received Exile. Her vile and sickening thoughts led her to begin recruiting those who had also been banished by the King, causing rebellion and unrest within the small towns spread throughout the lands as more and more men joined her cause.

Soon she had an army that rivalled the kings, men both loved and feared her as they began to dub her ‘Ishtar the Supreme’, they would do anything for their Queen and soon marched on the Kingdom that they once called home.

The kingdom stood no chance against Ishtar and her unstoppable force, men, women and children all perished to their blades and the ruins that surrounded them. The King soon surrendered to the woman that he once loved, yet Ishtar showed no mercy in beheading him where he stood.

The once peaceful kingdom was now under her control, she used her vicious and tyrannical mind to deceive her people and keep them under her power. Many tried to kill her during her reign but all met their end as she brutally murdered them without care or emotion.

It is said that within the ruins of the Kingdom of Hanging Gardens that Ishtar sits silently on her throne. Her hatred for all keeping her alive but it is unknown what she is waiting for, perhaps death? Or waiting for the right time for the world to know her true strength?

Appearance

Ishtar has, long flowing black hair, dark blue eyes, and pale olive skin. She wears a cowl around her head and a shawl that rests on her shoulders. Jewellery all up and down her arms, she has the symbol of the moon emblazoned on her chest above her breasts, a dress that opens up at her cleavage, wrapped in a cloth belt, a skirt that flows from the right side down to her left foot, long boots that reach her knees, carries a sceptre with the crest of the moon atop of it. 

Creative Writing

Hi guys 

As part of a mini project I am working on I have created a few written concepts for characters and a game idea. I asked people to give me the following:

- a time period 
- a genre
- a location
- 1-5 completely random descriptive words

With this information, I would then create either a character, a short story or a game concept. So I will be posting a few examples. 

To go with this, over the years I have created a novel that will be developing into a trilogy, So I will be posting small exerts from that, along with a couple of pieces of initial character art for the main cast of the story. 

--Andy