This is the first storyline for Isnatary, a game I'm working on. I am so positive there will be multiple variations of my storyline, (there always are!), so I'm numbering them. This is the first, and probably worst.
C&C gladly appreciated! ~JV
ISNATARY
Isnatary is an ancient tome that is believe to give unbelievable powers and the answers to all questions, to whoever reads from it. However, whoever reads fro it is damned to a life of agony and pain. But, that’s just ancient folklore, right?
That’s exactly what the Kohrsen family hopes, when one of their children brought home the ancient tome. He caused his father to faint, because he hadn’t thought it was real. However, Jasun is a rather crafty child. Luckily for his father, Jasun brought home a fake prop of the folklore tome.
After waking up from his scare-induced faint, Mr. Kohrsen punishes his son; the rest of the night in his room. Not really a suffice punishment for an 18 year old, but what can he do? Anyways, Jasun has other plans. The other children help their parents. Kaelin cooks, and Jackael gets ingredients from town.
After a long days work, the children are given their nights pay and are allowed to leave. They head out to The Hideout, and meet with their friends: Xonah, Terro, Delsyn, Acadia and Neoma, like most nights. After a while, Jasun and Jackael head out to weapons training with Calys and Sarkane.
It was on this night, that changed their lives forever. Jackael finally bested Calys in a sword fight, and was given the title of “Master Swordsman”, and began archery training. He was given Calys’ most prized short-sword.
Jasun also got a great title, as his arrows hit a bullseye 4 times on a target farther than Sarkanes. He, unlike Jackael, had not wanted to try fighting with a sword, he instead, was given a training crossbow.
Sometimes, good things happen to good people, and also bad things, and occasionally, both. This is what happened to both Jasun, Kaelin, and Jackael.
Jasun headed home to practice his crossbow secretly outside, and Jackael stayed behind to practice his archery with Calys.
Jasun had set up his new Crossbow targets, when a strong wind began. He figured he could get in a few shots before it stormed. He was wrong. He shot his first bolt, and it hit a candle inside, knocking it sideways. It was still on the metal plate, so he figured that it was no big deal. As he readied his second shot, another strong wind arose and knocked the candle off of the metal plate, catching his father’s papers on his desk on fire. Next, the desk caught. Then the curtains, then the walls. In a matter of moments the entire house was ablaze, and all he could do was watch the burning torch and listen to the agonising screams from inside.
Shortly after Jasun left, bad luck began. Calys showed Jackael how to fire his new bow. Calys explained to Jackael that unlike the sword fighting, it is vital that you pay attention when you fire. One miscalculated shot, and it can/will cost you dearly. Jackael acknowledged this information, and after a couple of shots, they were firing side-by-side. Quickly, Calys ran out of arrows and went to retrieve them. Three were in his target, one under Jackael’s, and one under his own. Jackael hadn’t known Calys went behind the targets, as he had dropped his arrow on the ground. He picked it back up, and fired. For once, his arrow pierced his target, and slammed his trainer in the neck. He rushed over to help, but it was too late. His idol was dead, and he was the one who killed him. He snapped his bow in half, and angrily threw it to the ground, and stalked home.
He arrived back in town to the heavenly aroma of burning pine, and he will soon discover that what he smelled was his own house.
All the townsfolk had gathered, listened, and watched the poor Kohrsen family house burn. Jackael had spotted his brother; standing in the same spot as he did when he fired, crossbow kicked away from him, soon the crackling of the fire died down.
With nowhere to live, Jasun moved to a cave in the forest - he says man-made structures are unsafe. Kaelin moved to Fulke’s Monastery in Feirma. And Jackael moved into The Hideout.
~Five Years Later ~
Jasun discovers the real book of Isnatary. He doesn’t know were Jackael went, but e knows where Kaelin is, so he sets out to Feirma to seek guidance with the book.
He brins the book to Kaelin, and she tells him to brin it to Jackael, and she tells him where to find Jackael. Once again, he has to travel to the town of bad memories; Rholdon.
Jasun gives the book to Jackael, and returns back to
his little rocky paradise, as Kaelin and Neoma sense danger.
Kaelin and Neoma go after Jackael, Neoma as her bodyguard. Her trek to Rholdon is a tough one, as unholy/unhuman creatures are constantly attacking the young Pacifist and her bodyguard.
Eventually, the duet reach Rholdon. Boy, has it changed! With all the scattered bodies, and the burning, destroyed buildings. Trying to avoid the worst of it, the two walk along the outskirts of the wasteland, eventually reaching their childhood hideout. To their dismay, the door has been obliterated and there are holes in the cavern entryway. They go in, only to find the inside worse than the outside. Searching for Kaelin’s brother is hopeless. If he was there, he’d be crushed. But they look anyways, but they have no luck. They know they must set out after him, he has the book! On their way out of town, taking the same route, they find the only “wise old man” of this story. He is battered, bloody, and he stalked the rubble, seemingly looking for something. Before they can say a word, he says to them, “Kaelin, Jackael was kidnapped by Sera. She was last heard screaming that she must go to Drödmár. I’d take care if I were you.” Right after, he collapsed in a heap and cried loudly for he found his brother’s lifeless body.
As Kaelin first left the Monastery, Jasun arrived to his cavern to find Sarkane dead, and Delsyn freaking out. After some calming down, Delsyn tells Jasun that a female came through, and he claims her name was Sera. She was looking for Jasun, and when Sarkane told her Jasun was in Drödmár, and she killed him. Luckily for Delsyn, he was out hunting for dinner.
To Jasun, his story seemed skewed. If he was out hunting, how did he know exactly what happened? He kept it to himself though, it didn’t bother him that much. All that he knew was that his childhood idol was dead. He and Delsyn set out for Drödmár, hoping to avenge his friend’s death.
As they reached Drödmár, they met up with Kaelin and Neoma. The four of them search - cautiously - for Jackael and Sera within the dystopia. The quartet come across a hell-spawned tower, with Sera overlooking the town. They approach the tower, and a gate lowers, allowing them in.
The tower was composed of 20 twisted levels, each one causing one of the four some kind of mental regret, fear, or hate towards the group. The first five levels caused Delsyn to kill himself. The maniacal voice heard through the walls was enough to make him stab himself with a blade. The voice kept telling him Sarkane’s death was his fault, and that he should have died with him. Because he had to satisfy his own needs, he got his buddy killed. The next 5 levels made Neoma nearly insane. This time, the voice was telling her to leave, or she would die. The people she was with were not trustworthy, that they would backstab her. The following five levels appealed to Jasun the most. He had it the worst. The voice was screaming at him for allowing himself to kill his own parents, for just moving on. How could he just let it go? Why did he just stand there? Is he man enough to face his fears? He best be. The final five levels were meant to effect Kaelin. They had not demoralized her, just filled her with fear. The voice was whispering in her ear that Demons and Unholy creatures lied above, and the she was to be with them. She was one of them.
Finally, they reached the top. Sera was clapping, as they managed to make it to the top without dying. They demanded Jackael back, and she tells them to fight her for him. They accepted.
During their fight, Sera demoralizes them more, and spawns fake copies of Jackael to fight them. He pleads them to not hurt him, that he’s real. But then he disappears, and new ones spawn. Sera is eventually defeated, and as she dissipates, Jackael appears; dead.
Kaelin, being a healer, rushes over and revives him. What happens next couldn’t have been seen by the group. Upon returning to life, and thanking his sister dearly, he walks over to Jasun to hug him, and kills him. Stabs the sword he keeps on his shoulder into his neck.
He knows Sera isn’t dead, so into the recesses of his mind he goes, to rid of her completely. They will fight to the death;
~~Alternate Endings~~
Ending 1
If Sera wins, she banishes Jackael into hell, and seeks out Kaelin. When she finds the terror-struck priestess, Sera explains that she is actually her sister. She is Jackael’s other half. What nobody knew was that Jackael had Split-Personality Disorder. When he got the book, she knew it was her job to get it away, even though it was fake. She then goes to explain why specific people died..
Jasun died because she told Jackael it was a fake. Jasun had bought another fake as a joke, to remind them of the younger days.
Jackael was the one who destroyed all of Rholdon, and he killed everyone who saw him do it.
Sarkane died because Jackael was jealous; why could Jasun have an alive childhood hero, when he couldn’t?! And then he made Delsyn tell Jasun it was Sera.
She also explains that she made the tower in the demoralizing fashion so Kaelin and Jasun could overcome their fears. Then she goes to burning the fake book.
As the world slowly rejuvenates, and it’s citizens begin to rebuild, Sera sits back, in the confinement of The Hideout, with the book of Isnatary in her lap...
Ending 2
However, If Jackael wins, he seeks out the only tie that proves he’s guilty. When he finds Kaelin in the corner of the monastery, he kills the innocent pacifist. Finally, undisturbed by anyone, he finally sits down and reads an excerpt...
Nothing happened.
What Sera said was true! His evil plot to rul all of Xenia was foiled, by a simple joke. Jackael sat back, and everything that had happened, everything that he did, suddenly hit him. It doesn’t matter now, as the flames slowly engulf him, and the building.. All he can do, is watch.
~End alt endings~
Which poses a new question; Is Isnatary real?