[RMVX] Project Everlasting.

Forever
Developed by: Purple Crystal Studios.
Project Name: Everlasting.
Rated: PG.
Contains: Mild Coarse Language.
© Purple Crystal Studios, Rook.

~About the Project.
Greetings, welcome to my topic. I am pleased you took the time to drop by, read, and comment even if you didn't do the last one. Project Everlasting is for the moment a solo production being developed by myself, sole spriter, writer, inexperienced artist, mapper, eventer, and database... er. It began as a story my friends and I concocted when I was but a spry thirteen year old, and it has grown at a steady pace, having a number of changes along the way.

I have always enjoyed the concept of making a game, I love the idea of creating something that tells a story in an engaging and interactive way. So I started this small little game, but its turning out to be much more than I thought I could handle. But I will get there.
~Storyline.
At the beginning of all things, there was a single burning light: the Star Goddess. Born from the light in the darkness, she rose to create the earth and its populace form the celestial Godchild Alter. She created the ten elements of the land: the earth, water, fire, air, moon, wood, ice, light, darkness and thunder, and gave them purpose and her first children, the Spirits of the Elements. When her work was done, she departed to the ethereal Afterplain, the final resting place of all her children, located in the heavenly band of stars. For mellenia, the world existed in peace with minor feuds, passing from age into age. With every turn of the moons, another month passed, and the world continued on. However there is always one pebble to ripple the pool of tranquility.

My tale begins at a time in which I, and my later to be gained companions, were just coming into our own, and also a time of sorrow. Her majesty Princess Ember had passed away from a rare and mysterious illness. Great sorrow befell our small kingdom, with the Prince dead from battle wounds, the Queen during complications at birth and not the Princess. King Raith was saddened greatly, for now he had no heir to the throne, and could no longer father children for he was too old.

Alas, the King's people saw it as the beginning or the end of a ruling house both fair and noble, apart from the obviously sexist laws against women, which most were happy to abide by afterall. His majesty had decided that the rest of his time in power shall be spent on celebrating the good times, after of course the grievous ceremony of his daughter's  Burning, a sacred act carried out by the religious Order of the worlds majority. The king has summoned me and three of my sisters to the city to perform the Burning, a great honour, the greatest honour in these parts. Today, I set off for the city alone, my three sisters ahead of me, myself behind with the supplies. I pray to the goddess that all be well on my journey, and that I arrive safely and promply...
~ Characters: Protagonists.
Alora Vesilan.
Class: Chanter
Weapon: Staff.
Proficiencies: MN, SPI, Air, Healing.

Spoiler for:

One of the inhabitants of the Temple of the Goddess in the Divia Mountains on the border of the Orion kingdom. Chanter by trade, she can use her voice to evoke the Mana around her to perform harmless acts like snuffing out candles, lifting ceremonial objects and so on. Alora is an orphan, her father in unknown, her mother however was found adrift in the river that runs through the temple, clutching Alora's basket in her pale hands. Her final words were: "Protect my daughter," and the sisters of the temple did just that.

Alora is a religious, yet optimistic girl, who tells stories to children so that they may utilise their imaginations. She does however find her own adventure story to be her best by far.

 Euro Lamont.
Class: Archer
Weapon: Bow and Arrows.
Proficiencies: HP, AGI, Earth, Status.

Spoiler for:

The only other town in the kingdom of Orion besides Orion itself is the gate town of Ivin, a small farming town that in old times acted as a checkpoint between Orion and the lands beyond the mountains. Farmer by trade, archer by passion, Euro has great skill with the use of bows and even has bees on his family farm from which ha harvests Honey and wax for bow repair. His parents are both simple farmers, and as per tradition are reserved a place at the royal markets on day two of the Burning.

Intelligent and hardworking. Euro is the kind of guy you would like to have on your football team, being both nimble and strong. His knowledge of places and people also comes in handy.

Layk Namednil.
Class: Mariner.
Weapon: Sickle.
Proficiencies: DEF, AGI, Water, Healing.

Spoiler for:

Born on the sea, lives by the sea, Layk loves everything ocean. Port Maridian is where Layk calls home, a great merchant port, one of the shipdock hotspots of Lorensia capable of holding a total of thirty ships. He is a sailor himself, and he knows the ropes, he is also knowledgable about geographical locations, especially islands and large bodies of water. His father died at sea when he was a young boy, and he was raised by his mother until she remarried into a happy life with the captain of the Whitegull.

Layk is quite the ladies man, preferring to hang around in bars and taverns with any number of ladies. Though a skilled sailor, he prefers to spend his spare time on land, as females are uncommon among seafarers.

Nix Pheo.
Class: Fighter
Weapon: Sword
Proficiencies: HP, ATK, Fire, Sabotage.

Spoiler for:

A young man working in the underground, leading a group of mostly females in a secret rebellion for equal gender rights. He prefers to keep to himself, noting that the past is seldom important, and that the future is what we must strive for. Though, what he has said to a select few is that he is shunned for his beliefs by his father, his mother has left the family to rot in a cesspool of male corruption, and he himself is the only on who can rise up and stop it. He believes the Burning, a sacred act for the dead, though more celebrated in royalty, is a symbol of change, the beacon has been lit that will guide human kind to peaceful, prosperous and serene world.

Nix is quiet, and quite a pessimist, he takes more of an interest in the ideas of females, and believes males have to earn his trust if they are to join him. He has been teaching skills with weaponry, most notably the sword, to women whom have no skill in that field, or young men whom join him.

~ Characters: Antagonists.
Adrianna von Taren.
Class: Sorceress.
Weapon: unknown.
Proficiencies: unknown.

Spoiler for:

The female villainess of the game. Adrianna von Taren was born to a well off family in the Southern Desert Kingdom of Vai'un, however her father was betrayed by the Pharaoh and they were forced to flee into the fertile wetlands known as the Republic of Pris. Her father was injured escaping from the Pharaoh's guards and died of deadly Scarpia poison, the most potent deadly poison.

Adrianna's father's only wish is that she would live to avenge him, and take the throne of Vai'un and give it to the people. Adrianna, whom pulsed with a yet untapped magical power, unknowingly agreed to single handedly destroy a country. The sought shelter in the town of Windrove, a farming village powered by wind and water mills in the valley just beyond the borders of Vai'un. Because of their skin colour, and Adrianna's mysterious jeweled crimson eyes and stark white hair, the villagers tried to force them out, however the village leader saw that they were tired and hungry and took them under her roof for the night.

In the morning, Adrianna's mother appealed to the townsfolk to let her live among them. She would owrk to earn her keep, and do just as much as any other man or woman here. Adrianna was reviewed and set to the task of spinning the wool on the many farms along with three significantly older spinsters. Adrianna did as much as she could, carried flour to the carts, drove the horse after she had been old enough to learn, and many other minor tasks like fetching water and other drudgery. Inside her however, the well of power was growing and on her eighteenth year it finally relieved the great pressure.

Immediately afterwards, the townsfolk had rallied against the sorceress, claiming her attack to be deliberate, a young girl turned to stone, alongside a haystack. The village leader calmed the rabble and spoke kind words: "I digress, I did not see the power she held, and it is my own fault that these things happened, but with proper training these powers can be helpful, and I have chosen to train her." After that, the girl and the hay turned back to their normal state, the effect did not last long, for it was such a weak spell.

For three yeas afterwards, in the time when the king and queen of Orion had given birth to a daughter and a son, the inhabitants of Divia temple had discovered a babe among the reeds and Nix was born to his own family, Adrianna learned from a teacher she called Grandmother Joan. Three years after in with a farmers wife bore two sons and a recently widowed woman lost her husband and birthed a healthy baby boy some weeks later, Adrianna's powers had grown, far beyond what Grandmother Joan had thought they would. Adrianna was now twenty four, and fast becoming a powerful sorceress. However, her teacher had run out of lessons, and though not fully satisfied, Adrianna resumed her place in the community as a worker. This went on for sixteen years, sixteen years of lifting, and weaving, and cooking, and cleaning, and praying, and farmin, and riding, and so on, Adrianna had had enough. She had dreamed of her purpose, she was the elemental of Luna, bound to dominate the world. And so with that she set off.

Saeko Arnula.
Class: Bombardier
Weapon: Explosives.
Proficiencies: HP, ATK, AGI.

Spoiler for:

Saeko is a villainess too, though not as vicious as her over zealous Master, Adrianna's name to Saeko. Dabbler in alchemy, exposured to elemental chemicals and compounds had made Saeko a touch unstable, she is a useful ally to Adrianna as she is a high ranking religious official and can gain them access to areas that are otherwise restricted. Saeko believes Adrianna to be the next Goddess, and followes her wherever she may go.

Saeko's past is wrapped in mystery, all that is known about it is her father was a well renewed scholar, and may still be if her is alive and well.

"Rook"
Class: Stalker.
Weapon: Daggers.
Proficiencies: HP, AGI, SPI, Sabotage.

Spoiler for:

Real name, Rivin Emar, he adopted the name Rook to keep his identity hidden, and to emphasise the strategic game of chess, of which he is fond. Rook is an excellent tracker and skilled assassin giving him the stalker persona. He may plague a single target for months before striking the final blow, oft times turning everyone against them, or leading them into a trap.

Though Rook believes himself to be the best, there is only one person who can out match him and that is his former master's second student Sakura Eko, from the Koto Island. A skilled seductress, and master of disguises. He joined Adrianna as his dreams promised him wealth, and all the souls he could imagine to harvest one by one.

~ Current Features.
- Custom made religious system, still in development but mostly completed.
- Side view battle system.
- Custom graphics ( 5% of the way there though.)

~ Upcoming Features.
- Original music.
- Summons system.
- custom menu system.
~ Screenshots & Art.

Spoiler for Screenshots:

Spoiler for Art:

Adrianna being a dominating bi--, I mean leader.

~Project Team.
Rook: Spriter, Writer, Mapper, Eventer, Database Compiler, Artist.

I'm actually kind of psyched about this.

Thank you very much. Just a side note, lack of images comes down to lack of time as well as laggy net. Only one will work I have to reupload the others. Anyway, I will need some help on this in the furute, from what I have here Its gonna be big. And I am 100% commited to finishing it.

Next step really is faces, and finishing off the character sprites, and doing some work on the custom tileset in my style. Very cartoony though my style.

I seriously can't sprite for shit. It's the type of thing that doesn't really seem impressive until you try for yourself (I make my own facesets, but I CANNOT sprite for the life of me.)

I feel like a seagull at the moment, let me explain, its 2:30 am at my house and you are the first steady poster I have had the whole time I have been on this site. So everytime you post a reply, I pouch on it like a seagull to a potato chip.

I don't sprite 100%, most of the skills I learned are a combination of pokemon sprites and breeze sprites. Faces are difficult for me, I like the anime-ish style but can draw for excrament, my style ( as you can see in my avatar) is very... chibi.

As a side note, I managed to guess the url for one of my sprites. This is one of Nix.

Spoiler for:

Now imagin that, but in tree, and house, and water, and beach and mountain and so on form. And with just some face sets and a few nice features to match it would be great.


Another thing, I have to make paralaxes and battle backs for my game, and I think I may also need to make fogs... so much work to be done, but I am determined.

I actually had a thread in the Game Creation General Chat concerning custom graphics/original artwork.

The response was mixed, but we found generally in favour of original art.

Also, I complained about how ugly the facemaker faces were.

I like it and the story seems like a good premise. One thing though: the line "and my later to be gained companions" makes it sound as though the story is being told by the character in the future, while "Today, I set off" makes it sound like a present narrator. It's not a big deal, but it's a weird inconsistency.

Anway, I think it sounds good. I hope to see a demo sometime Good luck.

UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE

I have some written info on the religion of the game, primary religion of course.

Spoiler for Religious Info:

RELIGIOUS BASIS
Project Everlasting has a strong basis on a religion created by myself, called The Order. The Order is a religion that teaches the tale of creation, it is said in its scriptures that at the beginning of creation a celestial woman was born from a star in the Band of Stars, and she alone became the mother of all things in existence today. The Order is the most widespread of all the religions and has a large quantity of churches across the worlds land, and while there is no singular religious capital (Example, Vatican City.),  almost every major city of Lorensia houses a Sanctum, or a head church from all the others in the region are controlled(e.g., Kingdome, Republic, Federation, etc.). Aside from the belief in the Goddess, many Orderlings (as they are known) follow traditional customs of the Order.

CREMATION
The Goddess is said to reside in the Afterplain, existing on the other side of the gate that is the Band of Stars that circles the world on a slight angle. In order to reach her, the soul of the dead must be transported up to her, and this is done by smoke. Wrapped in shrouds and scented with fragrant oils in the case of wealthy deceased persons, the body of the dead is placed of a Funeral Pyre and burned until the flames die out (which is believed to be the last touch of the persons soul leaving the body. ) If the person led a good life, their soul is taken by the smoke to the Goddess, if however their life was led with evil intent then their soul is trapped in the ash and they are bound to an eternity of sorrow in the Underplain.

ELEMENTAL WORSHIP
In The Order there are a total of ten basic elemental powers, Earth, Air, Fire, Water, Luna, Wood, Ice, Volt, Light and Dark, and two unparalleled powers called Lux and Umbra, or Purity and Corruption. These make up all matter, with Purity and Corruption being opposite ends of the scales. For example: A red dragon would have the element of FIRE and would be partially CORRUPT. The Order says that each of the ten basic elements was given a spirit as is representation and controller. All spirits and their subsequent elements are neutral in alignment so they can be used by either a Corrupt or a Pure.

THE GODCHILD ALTER
The Godchild Alter is a plateau high atop Purity Mountain upon which legend says the Goddess stood when she created the lands and its populace. The location is treacherous and guarded with all manner of fell beasts and magical wards, few have walked the path to the Alter, and of them fewer still reach the summit. From legends and traveler's tales however, many descriptions have been given. The Alter is not big, it can perhaps hold twenty men comfortably, thirty uncomfortably, and the final stair way is a steep assent into a drift of clouds. Above the clouds in a sky wrapped in eternal dawn, a soft pink though nightly glow, with glittering stars and a band of ethereal light cast in unison by the three moons and the morning glow of sunlight. Atop the Alter, wrapped in their own colorful fluorescence, stand ten colossal statues of marble each holding a gem of the elements.
The Alter itself is a slab of marble in the center of the room, raised from the rest of the plateau and carved with intricate patterns and ancient text.

@ Modern Algebra: In other news, thankyou for pointing that out to me. It's meant to say: "The king had summoned me and three of my sisters to the city to perform the Burning, a great honour, the greatest honour in these parts. That day set off for the city alone, my three sisters ahead of me, myself behind with the supplies. I prayed to the goddess that all be well on my journey, and that I arrive safely and promply..."

@ Mikhail Faulken: OMFG, Face maker faces are so overused and so fugly. I made some temporary faces for my game but other than that no cool art and stuff. I wanted someone to make like this big promotional Image with the 4 main characters and Adrianna, or something like that.

Wow, this sounds like it's... big... Good, nonetheless.

Just make sure that it doesn't become so bag that you need both the production studios of Square Enix and Namco/Bandai to finish this in good time. Also, I might be able to help with the faces, but my art style ain't that great -.-

EDIT: Plus GIAW's going on right now, so yah.

I'd like to do some of the faceset requests, but I've got three games to do art for already.

Right now I need as much help as I can get, there is still LOADS to do. Im more partial to writing things, and the practical side is longer in comparison. Add to the list of things animations, I need to do some of those too. I'll probs do them in Adobe Illustrator to make them look smoother, animations like water droplets, fire balls and so on for skills and attacks, and special effects too.

I also want custom music for this game, I have one composer who has made one or 2 tracks for me already. If what I have planned comes to fruition, this game is going to be big. A simple break down of the story is: Locate sacred artifact, gather elemental power, restore artifact to power, fight villainess.

Oh yeah, you should recruit a team in the recruitment forum.

I'm already teaming up with my friend Ronnie to bring out two campaigns, and I'm working loosely with my brother on another project.

They're the ones doing the bulk of the writing; I'm doing the promotional art (for all four projects), finding the resources, and the artwork for my own games (Amihailu Plus and the Sidestory to Ronnie's game) and everyone's doing their own mapping and eventing.

Also, I'm the one doing a portion of the scripting.

I will need some minor scripting help too now that you mention it. I want to make like the systems customised for the game, and have a map system kinda like that of Alundra 2 ( If you haven't played it, look it up on youtube.)

I'll post a recruitment topic when I get home. Im at Tafe right now and my ride is almost here, it takes like... 20 mins to get there. SO yeh, not long. I hope this game becomes good and popular.

This seems to be a very promising and very interesting project. I'd love to help out, I'm partially an artist, so I could help with some drawings, like face-sets. If I can make some up when I get the chance, I'll post them up for you to see. I also like the way the story is different; from some I've seen and played, some of the games are just too much the same, only with minor differences. I like how original this one sounds, and I love the array of elements.

AC

Thank you Aqua, speaking of the elements, I just worked out their weaknesses and strengths.

Earth > Air > Luna > Water > Fire > Wood > Volt > Ice > Light > Dark.

Earth halts Air.
Air commands Luna.
Luna pulls Water.
Water douses Fire.
Fire burns Wood.
Wood resists Volt.
Volt breaks Ice.
Ice holds Light.
Light repels Dark.
Dark lurks in Earth.

They each also have a coresponding colour, shown in the diagram above.

Tiny mini update but whatever. Screenies are STILL coming, but I have some more up on Photobucket and I will add them now. Enjoy, there are only 2.

I do love the colours that are there with each element, and I do like the way you've explained it too. I wish I could figure out what I'll be doing with my game. For some reason, RMXP wont let me test it. I can map, event and script it all, I just can't test what I have already. It's actually kind of annoying me.

By the way, Would you like my help with some of the graphics? I do admit, i cannot sprite to save my life, but I can draw. Not very well, but I can try my best.

AC

Of course you can help with the graphics Aqua. Just tell me what task you would like to have a go at and I will give you a few things in that area. I have to find someone who can do paralaxes, I need some, but most of all I need a night one featuring Lorensia's three moons and the band of stars which is the equivalent of their heaven. I could do a mock up and get a more professional artist to work on them.

I wanted the art in the game to stay relativley concistent, meaning all having the same look in the field, for example the character sprites will use the same template and colouring system, the faces will be by the same artist in the same style and so on. So area's would need work by more people. Like tilesets and animations, speaking of aniamtion I want them to be smooth animation parts, possibl constructed in Adobe Flash or Illustrator, because of its vector capabilities.

Im going into town tomorrow, not that you care or anything, but I am going to get a new art book and do some basic character sketches for important NPC's most important being the leader of Divia Temple, where Alora is from, the King, the Guards whom form a small group in Nix's resistance, and the women involved with it too. And the head of the Order Sanctum in Orion. So I'll do some and then upload them, then trace over them in photoshop and FINALLY show them to you.

Anyway, must dash, its late here and I need sleep. (again, not that you care) More updates soon, I have lots rolling around in my head.

That sounds all really enjoyable. I'd be happy to work on some face-sets. I've got to work on some of my own as well, so I can throw those in too. I'll be happy to get started right away, but when you get the chance and all.

AC

I have this feeling, a strong feeling that I know who you are, and if you are who I think you are then we should not work together. I have already sought your assistance and it has been put on hold. So if you are who I think you are then your assistance is on rocky ground.

You may believe what you would like to believe. I am just someone who wishes to help with your project. With this said, I'd like you to know something, I am who you think it is, and I'm trying to get the other things done for the other project. The one thing is, which you and I both know, we are both busy with our TAFE assignments.

Anyway, back on topic.

I would be happy to help with the designs, but you know yourself that you can say 'no'. It's your project. I've just put myself on offer.

AC 

Very interesting. This sounds a lot like what my friends and I do a lot, making up stories and fantasy worlds and expanding on those worlds :3

Sounds awesome. I can't wait for a demo.

The demo will come once I get faces for my characters, finish off the important sprites and do a little on the battlers. Other thing like Tiles and music, I don't think I will have them in the battle as my composers are being lazy ( about 2 months waiting for just a SAMPLE of their work )

UPDATE! UPDATE! UPDATE! UPDATE! UPDATE! UPDATE!

Sorry for double posting, by I feel that revival is in need. I have spent the last few weeks ill in bed, but during my strong moments I decided to work on a little something to do with Forever. I noticed quite a little dillema, my friend and I are working on a side project for fun which is set in the same world as Forever. Noticing that if we choose to release the game I would have 2 different versions of the same world of Lorensia, I quickly thought up an edit, I made the two games set on different continents of a world now called Terra.

The Continent of Lorensia on the World of Terra.

I drew one big map so the colour is just for dividing continents. Here we have Lorensia and its countries, there are six in total, Revias, Undon, Trensu, Orion, Kietina and Jellann. With their abreviations in order: RV, UN, TS, OR, KT, JL. Each white dot is a capital city: Revias' capital is Kila, Undon's capital if Illanis, Trensu's capital is Xynos, Orion's capital is Orion, Jellann's capital is Sian'eth, and Kietina's capital is Lanif.

Revias is the only country out of the six not to follow the Order, a primary religion, they follow the newly established Creed. Jellann, Undon, Orion, Kietina and Trensu have formed what is known as the Lorensian Alliance, and in each capital city there is a tower which is the base of operations for the Five Lords, seperate rulers of each Kingdom. Revias has held a slight grudge against the Alliance for not allowing them a seat of power, however Order laws prevent the Alliance from having a connection to the Creed. The Revias Empress is most displeased at this.

Each character has a country of origin, three are from Orion which is Euro, Alora and Nix, Layk is from Jellann, and Adrianna is from the far off country of Dysuri on the Venosian continent, a country which resembles Ancient Eqypt. Lorensia is sub tropical mostly, with Revias consisting mainly of savannah like plains, much like that of Africa but dryer.