Tears of Tetricala #1
Finishing the first Chapter of my passion project Tears of Tetricala was a big deal for me mentally. I had worked on some game projects but this one was all mine. It is set in a world I’ve been building since I was a kid on my uncle’s farm playing make-believe with my cousins. We named our world Benselot and it is filled with magical creatures and wonders.
The world it has turned into in my own mind, manifested in short stories and Dungeons and Dragons campaigns, is very different from the one we cousins made in our innocence. It is inspired by the worlds of JRR Tolkien, George R. Martin, Robert Jordan, and most significantly Steven Erikson’s Malazan books. There is a grittier, more brutal aspect to the world it has turned into. And I think a tinge of fatalistic sadness built into it, as I have long delved deep into despondency in my own life. But there is also HOPE. My life might be a mess at times, but there is always:
“light to you in dark places, when all other lights go out.” — JRR Tolkien
Because…
“The stars, they are as the sun. Each star. Every star. And those spheres- they are worlds, realms, each one different yet the same.” ― Steven Erikson
Ok, ok. I’ll stop with the quotes for now.
Tears of Tetricala is the current manifestation of this world once called Benselot, now known as Myriah, as it is a foggy mirror of our own. I won’t go into high concepts behind it, but in short, it is a world ruled over by careless gods and powerful magics, a world of conniving priests and gallant antiheroes, sometimes friendly goblins (known as Wazzles) and ever-tricksy sphinxes.
The main character, the PC, is named Kvilius de Bruke by default, but the player has the option to rename themselves as well as choose their gender and sexual orientation. They are the second child of a rich and ancient family based in Telephos, where their father serves as Councilor and Admiral. But everything is soon to change. The world is turning and politics are soon to break the balance between time and space…
But that’s all to come. For now, the game is built in Twine Harlowe, but I am working on converting it to Sugarcube. As a text-based game, there are many limitations, not the least audience, but it does have 200 plays on itch.io now, so I am fairly happy with the reception. Hopefully, one day I will be able to rework the game as a truly interactive adventure RPG with 3D graphics and more player agency. For now, you have items, health and mana, money, and relationship points to gain. There are a few battles and obstacles to overcome, but I need to work on some of the interactive elements more for a second version release to come with Chapter 2.
Writing Sample from Tears of Tetricala
Scene:
As you walk down the broad street, you spot a tall dark-skinned, white-haired man slipping into a dark alleyway not far ahead of you.
//This must be the guy your friends were talking about!//
His long cloak covers his body, as he holds it tightly closed. As he disappears into the alley, a breeze makes the cloak billow out. You notice a long slender scabbard attached to his belt.
//Oh shit, he's armed. I'll just take a peek at what he's up to//
[[Sneak after him]]
You quietly approach the alley mouth, as the bustling crowd flows on behind you.
Peering down the crooked road, you spot a few old barrels stacked up against a shop's wall, a smashed crate lying in the middle of the alley, and some rotting garbage here and there. But no sign of the mysterious man.
//Looks like I'll have to go further in.//
[[Use a potion]]
[[Approach Cautiously]]
[[Be Confident]]
[Approach Cautiously]You take your time creeping down the alley, looking behind the barrels, checking corners before you go forward. Your nostrils smart with the acrid fumes of decay. The rotting smell of this place is not very appealing.
As you peek around the third crooked bend in the alley, you see a large manor before you. On the foundation stones at the base of the building, you see a glowing glyph. A symbol in some strange runic language that you've never seen before. The edges of it glow purple, pulsing faster and faster with the beat of your heart.
Then the glowing stops, and you hear a deep husky voice behind you. The words are pronounced precisely in a strange guttural accent.
"Are you following me child?" [[Turn Around]]
As you spin around, the man continues, "This isn't a safe for one such as yourself."
Staring up at the man, who is only three meters away, you realize that he is even taller than you thought, at least two meters. As tall as your brother or taller, but the dusky-skinned man's broad shoulders nearly reach either side of the alley.
He has a face made of stone, hard lines, and sharp angles though handsome. There is something inhuman about him, but not quite elvish.
His eyes are what make you jump though. A dark purple fills the entire socket, not a bit of iris or sclera shows through the strange dark swirling. Just a giant pupil. Only an endless pool of swirling darkness, almost blending in with his dark skin but contrasted by his white hair framing his face.
His deep voice sends shivers through your body. "I think you should go."
[[Leave]]
[[Challenge him]]
[[Ask what he is doing here]]
[Challenge him]
You try to muster as much confidence as possible into your voice as you draw your weapon, "I don't know what you're up to. But I cannot allow it to continue. You're the one who should leave."
The dark purple eyes stare at you for a moment. Then in a blur, the man is springing towards you drawing a long thin two-handed sword faster than you can see.
He feigns a strike at your head before dipping low to flicker it towards your chest.
[[Defend]]
[[Attack]]
[Attack]
Caring not for your own safety, you try to slash at his head with you weapon, but as you swing towards him, he slides to the side. His blade still stabbing through the air at you.
[[The blade strikes]]
The tip of the man's sword tears through your chest, straight into your heart.
Still standing, held up by his weapon, you feel your body start to slacken, the world growing dark.
[[He steps in front of you]]
"You are brave. I'll give you that."
He pushes his sword deeper into your chest until the hilt hits you.
Then he whips it out in a single motion as your body crumples to the ground.
[[Game Over]]