City on Fire

By Te Soraya Ejersbo

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Summary

Setting and theme

Story Engines

Engines

The truth and the known Factions

Game Mechanics

The World Expanded

Kaster

Harbor Forest

The Fae Realm

Playable Characters

Robin the teen

Marcus the detective

Hadis the skinshifter

The heart of the story

Dandelion and Tora

Story and Gameplay

Act 1

Act 2

Act 3

The solutions

The reward for exploration is experience

Narrative Segment

Intro

Harbor

The Drowned King

Madames room

Media and Platforms

The media landscape

Video game

Tabletop rpg

Audio drama

Thanks and acknowledgments

SUMMARY

When creatures such as kelpies, witches and fae are real, all must engage the world with caution and curiosity alike.

Setting

Kaster is a small town, and much like any other small town by the ocean it is gray, wet, and depressing at first glance. Kaster is home to an unusually high number of mystical beings, witches and creatures. It is a hotspot of otherworldly activity, its inhabitants finely attuned to the mystic while being wholly uncaring for its wonder. Some live in peace alongside the mystic, while others engage in it and use it for their own gain. The people are harsh to outsiders, and gentle to their own, but often act with kind intentions regardless of their demeanor. It is small town friendliness wrapped in general distrust. It is secrets and monsters hiding in every corner and crevice.

Kaster exists in relative peace, until a series of arsons set the town ablaze, and into an age of chaos.

Story

By playing through the story you will uncover the identity behind the arsonist who has brought unrest to town. You can choose between three different characters with their own backgrounds and abilities, giving them each a unique path to uncovering the truth. The truth lies with two girls, identical in looks but wholly different in character. One is a human and the other a changeling who has taken her place.

The fires are set by the human, out for revenge on the creature who stole her life, setting the changeling with a human identity to take the fall for the crime.

It is up to you to uncover not only that the girl you thought to be the culprit is in fact a changeling, but also to realise that the real culprit behind it all, is a human.

Theme

In this game you explore themes of identity and compassion - or as I would say - identity through compassion. You get to define who your character is after a world shattering change, through their interactions with the town, the choises you make and the outcomes you reach. It is also a story of identity between the changeling and human; who they are, and who they will each become, and what it means to be human or not.

Genre

City on Fire is primarily a mystery game; you gather clues and find the culprit. It is also an exploration game meant for pc and console with many rewards to the curious player in the form of story and experience.

STORY ENGINES

ENGINES

What drives the story.

Folklore is real

Creatures belonging to folklore exist, driving encounters and the mystery that has overtaken the town. Every scenario holds an extra layer of mystery as you must deduce whether or not what is happening is because of a creature, or because of a person. It can be a clan of vampires taking up the graveyard at night, or a bunch of larpers playing pretend. It can be a nixie who took the Miller, or he could simply have slipped and drowned on his own. Nothing can be certain at first glance.

Us vs. Them

You and I, Us and Them. Like most small towns the sense of community is strong, and the town is ruled by many smaller factions who care about their own more than anyone else. They will pit the player against the other factions, and it is imperative to say and do the right things for the right people to get what you want, and to avoid becoming a tool in their internal fight against each other.

Truth is missing

Truth is a big factor, as big a factor as lying, for when truth is missing, lie is present. NPC’s can and will lie to you to get what they want, they will bend the truth or omit information in order to gain more from a situation. Reading NPC’s and finding their motivations is imperative for not being deceived or used. Sometimes withholding the truth yourself is the best way forward.

Things are not always what they seem, and more often than not you will be mistaken.

THE TRUTH AND THE KNOWN

The plot

The story will mislead the player and characters into mistaking the truth and making the wrong conclusions by witholding information and setting up expectations through exposition and quests. What the player believes to be the real scenario will change several times as more truths and lies are revealed.

This leads us to a scenario, in which the player is constantly guessing and secondguessing their conclusions. Diagrammatically the core story example that follows later in the document looks like this.

FACTIONS

The town is divided politically into several factions that scheme and play against each other.

Hightown

The rich and powerful. In their midst is the mayor and other influential individuals. These people own most of the land, acting as landlords and business owners. If you want to make powerful connections you have to play into their favor and possibly spy for them. Their goals are to keep their power, and the workers beneath them in check. They are tolerant of the fae and mystic, and has made many dubious deals in the past.

Harbor

The workers are a tight-knit lot and they trust no one except themselves. They are of the highest numbers and the poorest at the same time. They want to shake the power balance and get rid of the fae influence in town that does nothing but hurt them. Connections with them will give you the most rumors and general knowledge, they see much more than you’d expect and their daughters and sons work for the those in power.

Witches

The smallest faction and the most well hidden, the witches refuse to be called a coven as they are not one big organization but instead a scattering of individuals. They have their own squabbles with each other, but they can still be considered one faction. Their main goals are to stay hidden and to get rid of the fae influence in town, muddling up their own magics and endangering their invisibility. Connections with the witches will give mystic insight into creatures and how to subvert them.

Fae

The Fae have divided themselves from the rest of reality by living in their own dimension, parallel but separate from all else. They play a dangerous game of power, using humans mostly as pawns in games against each other, they regard them mostly as playthings. They work only for themselves and are impossible to barter with. The biggest wild card in town.

GAME MECHANICS Gameplay is essential to experience.

To follow up on the three central story engines, we must take a look at the game mechanics of City on Fire. The core mechanics of the game act both as a way of navigating the world interactively and as an essential designtool in this universe.

Stats

Three central stat groups carry the blueprint of the interactive structure in the world and for the player; MIND, BODY and BARDO. Intelligence, muscle and mystery. These are the ways we designate and design our characters and encounters that carry the story forwards.

All other mechanics will be experienced through these three core stats.

Over the next few pages. we shall examine them as part of the world build.

Mind

LOGIC

Book learning, calculated response and solution

CRITICAL THINKING

Connecting clues and solving puzzles

CUNNING

Lying, deception and truth

FOCUS

Logically explain people/ spot inconsistencies, deduction and staying on course

MEMORY

Ability to remember world knowledge and concepts. Remembering past experiences.

Body MIGHT

Strength, force and resistance

REFLEX

Quick reaction, agility, mobility and sight

VITALITY

health, toughness and endurance

SENSORY

Smell, touch, taste, hearing and sight

COMPOSURE

holding steady, keeping your cool and bravery

Bardo

SHIVERS

Supernatural stuff goes oOOooOOoohhh, the most cryptic sense

EMPATHY

Feeling others’ feelings, understanding others’ emotions, used for social situations

AFFINITY

Quickness of learning, used for small specialized tasks and bonding/understanding supernatural creatures WILL

Standing your ground, not giving in, resisting temptation, you combat this when trying to force you PC to change their nature

CHARM

Physical and spiritually attractive, used for convincing, gaining trust and intimidation

NPC memory and dialogue

NPC’s are characters of their own, having their own preferences and opinions, they will approve and disapprove of the things you say depending on their own prejudice. Aside from this, they will have opinions about each other, and should you get along with one, there might be another that will dislike you for it.

Lying is always an option, but be prepared that NPC’s will lie to you as well.

Questing

Aside from the main plot, the world is littered with smaller assignments and optional work. Most of these smaller stories work as a micro scape of the bigger plotline, foreshadowing the twists of the story. This means doing these quests is the way to truly understanding the story and the world.

Specialized events

Unlike the things that can and will happen to all three characters as you play them, specialized events are ones that would only happen to one. These events drive the personal story for each playable character, making it more appealing to replay the game as another.

Free choice

As an RPG game, free choice is essential to the genre. It is at all times the players choice of where to go, who to talk to, and what to say. You will encounter many opportunities to make choises through actions and words that will define your character and your story.

Chance as a game mechanic

Quite similarly to the classic tabletop game D&D, dice plays a role in this game together with your stats. When doing special tasks you will have the chance to roll dice to see how well you succeed or if you succeed at all. This gives a chance of success or failure however big or small in any given situation, leaving the player always on their toes as to how a scene will unfold.

Fighting the Playable Character(PC)

Each pc is their own self realised character, this means that you may disagree with the character you play as. In these cases you can attempt to force them into doing what you want them to do rather than what they want to do, with a roll of the dice to fight them. Should you succeed, they will do as you tell them, changing their character in a fundamental way in the mean time.

Should you fail the contest of will, you will lose control of the character for a while, as they will act without you.

WORLD EXPANDED

KASTER

Kaster is a small town by the ocean, it is surrounded tightly by both coastline and forest, effectively isolating it from the oustide world. It is an isolation that is reflected in its people, tight-knit and outwardly unfriendly; everyone you meet holds their secrets close to heart.

The town itself is bigger than small, but smaller than big. It is large enough that not everyone would know everyone, but small enough that the community is singular and connected. Streets of short cobbled buildings house small local stores, people and secrets. In almost every shadowed corner, under every larger structure and hidden behind every tree is the traces of the fae and mystic, never truly extinguished by humanity’s claim on the earth in a town that lives in synergy with it.

The City Heart(1)

It holds the community house, two streets worth of shopping area, the library, a fancy fountain, the town hall, and a very fine park.

The Villas(2)

Where rows of identically built two story houses contain two apartments each. Attached is a playground meant for children, but at night it becomes a hangout place for the young and bored adults.

The Apartment District (3)

They are located up the hill from the ocean, far enough from the stink of the bay, instead giving the residents a wonderful view of the sea when the sun sets. These buildings are the most modern looking, simplistic beton buildings marking a stark contrast to the half-timbered structure of the rest of the town.

The Fae Hill(4)

Close to the city heart, and just up the hill from the local college is a fae hill, an unnaturally perfect circle of a bump in a big patch of grass with one gnarly oak tree growing from its center. Most people keep clear of it, and only teens on dares will go close to it voluntarily. People tend to disappear, and while most fae related structures have been torn down, no one dares to touch this one.

Serpent Street(5)

It is a long street spanning from one end of town to the other, it runs through every district starting on the coast and ending right before the forest at the entrance to the cemetery. It is of an inconsistent make, at times pretty and well kept with flowers on each side of the road, and at times so poorly kept it resembles a path for wildlife. Some theorize that these areas are kept by the mystic, and that the fae were the ones who built the road long before Kaster came to be.

The Cemetery(6)

Located in between the edge of town and the start of the forest is the Cemetery with it’s very small and rarely used church. Rumors say that something else than god is being worshipped here, but locals will tell you it is only deer and other wildlife paying their respects.

Rosenbloom Manor(7)

Close to the cemetery, and next to the forest is Rosenbloom Manor, the Rosenbloom family has the longest and most eccentric recorded history in town and are rumored to be deviants who sold their souls to the fae for eternal life.

CREATURES OF INTEREST

The Troll

Large as a boulder and the size of a small house, the troll is a large creature with big ears and a bulbous nose. Shy of the sun it walks Kaster at night and can only be encountered here. When the sun rises to touch the skin of the troll it solidifes into stone, until the following night. Every day it appears somewhere new after a night of moving.

The fountain Nixie

In the fountain in front of the town hall resides a nixie of unusual peaceful temper. Of all nixies in town this is the most friendly and most likely to participate in a conversation. Skin grey and clammy, it looks like a handsome young man with long green hair and webbed fingers. Unlike its relatives it is not fond of singing.

The Network of Nisser

Kaster has a high number of nisser, meaning most houses hold one. Most comparable to a house spirit, these appear as little people the size of a garden gnome. They consider themselves the rightful owner of any house they reside in, and accept bribes and gifts from its inhabitants. A happy nisse will bless its house with help and care, but a slighted nisse will make life as difficult as possible for all inhabitants.

Dust Spirits

Black like charcoal, these small spirits came to town long ago

when coal was the main form of heat. Through the years they have changed, tying themselves to dust rather than a furnace. Corrosive in nature they reside in corners and forgotten places, slowly tearing it down.

Changelings

Changelings are fae constructs, made to resemble a specific human perfectly in order to replace them in human society. The human is abducted to the fae realm, its parents and family left with its copy. Unbeknownst to its citicens, Kaster has several changelings hiding in their midst.

Werewolves

The local pack is small but peaceful, so peaceful that most people assume Kaster is werewolf free. As shape changers, werewolves are posessed by the spirit of a wolf, cursed to change their shape every full moon into that of a beast. The less in controll a werewolf is, the more volatile its transformation becomes, making it likely to change randomly outside of the moons cycle.

Deathwalkers

Akin to zombies, deathwalkers are dead bodies that wake to life. They are a byproduct of necromancy, and appear when the witch put too much power into her craft and made the spell semi-permanent. Deathwalkers awaken when the sun is gone and the air is moist, most likely to be seen on foggy evenings.

Fae hill area example

SPOTLIGHT NPC

MAYOR MARGARET

The mayor is an older woman, she is easy to deal with on the surface but difficult when you need any real information or help.

She has close ties to the Fae in town, using them to hold power and influence. The mayor is the gateway to knowledge of the Fae, and holds the potential for an alliance with them.

Likes

Favors

Coffee

Magic

Fae

Dislikes

Witches

Children

Smoke

HARBOR

This is the poorest district of them all, housing workers who spent most of their lives at sea, fishing the town’s main export out of the ocean. Most fishing boats are owned by the Rosenbloom family, and two other rich people in town. This leaves everyone in the bay to be hired for work rather than owners of their own business, and they are poorer for it.

The houses are raggedy and small, packed close like fish in a barrel, some choose to live on their boats. This part of town is slowly falling further and further into the sea each year.

Sailors in Kaster are a harsh lot, hardened by their time at sea, and their situation in life. They are amongst the most cautious in town, and they have many stories of creatures and monsters lurking in the waters.

The Drowned King(1)

The most popular pub in town, The Drowned King is the go to spot for most workers at the docs in the evening. It is big, loud and warm, brimming with drunks lamenting their hard life, and partygoers intent on getting the most out of their time off as they possibly can.

Housing Bay(2)

Shielded by the cove, the bays waters are quiet enough to allow the poorer fishermen to live on their boats, giving the sight of boats upon boats with people eating and talking, drying their clothes and cooking their meals outside on warm days.

The seaside fireplace(3)

Down the coast, closer to the lighthouse is a large fireplace built into the grassy beginnings of the sand. A popular spot for teenagers and drunks.

The Abandoned Boat(4)

Closer yet to the lighthouse lies a stranded boat, old and abandoned it towers over the sand, broken windows ominously glinting on the ground. Rumor has it a Deathwalker has taken residence here.

The Lighthouse(5)

On the tip of the spit lies the Lighthouse, meant to warn off ships from the rocky coast at night. It has not done it’s job for many months, and rumor has it it is haunted. In reality it is home for the local DnD community.

The Mermaid Rocks(6)

A collection of rocks out in the water where Mer can be spotted. It is the place where the highest number of mortality can be found, as people get lured out by their song to drown in their arms.

harbor houses

SPOTLIGHT NPC

MADAME MARROUSE

The Madame is an older woman and the witch with the most renown in Kaster. She has her home base in The Drowned King where she holds court and deals in favours and knowledge.

She is a key figure to uncovering most things related to creatures and prophecy.

Likes

Magic Cigars

Death Creatures

Children

Dislikes

Fools

The mayor

Liars

Alcohol

FOREST

The forest is not made for People, and most attempts at expanding into it has ended in destruction and unexplainable sickness and ruin. These days people avoid messing with it, having established a few places inside that are safe for the residents of Kaster.

In the daytime it is relatively safe to walk the paths through the shallows of the trees, leading past the one bonfire, carefully made to be safe against forest fires.

The rest of the forest is a gamble to traverse, filled with fae and creatures all too eager to lead the unsuspecting off their path and into the unknown. Only few people spend time in it safely; the hunter, Rosenblooms youngest, and the coven of witches hiding in Kaster.

NOTABLE AREAS

The Forest Entrance(1)

Located right next to the Cemetery, the forest presents its primary entrance point with an opening between the trees. The forest closes tight around its borders, unnaturally so and in such a way that the path inside looks more like a tunnel of roots than anything else.

The Oak Tree(2)

Located inside the ocean of trees is a clearing with a great oak in the middle, of which all other trees holds a respectful distance. The oak is visibly old and on its trunk is a large hole, exposing a blackened interior. One of the gateways to the Fae realm.

The Faerie Circle(3)

A number of mushrooms forming a perfect circle. At first glance it is innocent enough, but anyone with local sense can tell you to stay far away. One step into its center and you will be lost forever.

The Fireplace(4)

Similar to the fireplace on the coast, this one is smaller in size and visibly less used. Few old glass bottles litter its circumference.

The Hunters Cabin(5)

A cabin in the woods belonging to the hunter, the only person who can traverse the forest somewhat safely. It is a cosy spot with smoke coming from the chimney and animal pelts drying outside.

The Secret Shed(6)

A locked shed, near impossible to enter. Rumor has it this was a sacrifical spot for an old witch.

The Old Ruins(7)

A colletion of broken down rocks that show the last embers of a larger structure. Romantics would compare it to a castle, from a long forgotten kingdom on this very land.

The Bog(8)

The most dangerous part of the forest, the bog stretches several kilometers. It is a large patch of tretcherous waters, the trees thinning out for the most part, but closing in at all sides around it. Many people have gotten themselves lost here, and drowned.

CREATURES OF INTEREST

Mosekonen

An old hag of a creature, it looks like a woman but is not one at all. Mosekonen has a large cauldron she brews her potions in, the steam resulting is the fog covering the bog on trecherous days. Should you survive to meet her she is ameable to a trade for one of her potions.

Kelpies

Different from their ocean counterparts, Kelpies come in many colors, natural and unnatural. Their coats are shiny and goregous, their manes wet but attractive, eyes gentle and kind. They beckon humans to sit on their flanks, for who would say no to riding the most perfect horse in the world? Should you accept its offer it will abduct you to the fae realm, never to be seen again.

The Fae

Magical creatures coming in all shapes and sizes, they don’t often come to this side without a goal in mind. Some of them look human, others entirely not, often posessing animal characteristics or pointed ears and sharp teeth. They are never to be trusted; any deal you can make with a fae will always leave you the loser.

Fossegrimen

Seemingly a handsome man, it lives in the lake and sings alluring songs, often leading humans to their death or eternal servitude. Some people make offerings to it, for good luck.

Lanternlights

They look like lights in the darkness, mimicking the gentle flicker of the light from a window. Lanternlights are mischevious and cruel, and love nothing more than to beckon people further into the woods to be lost.

Kelpie

SPOTLIGHT NPC

THE HUNTER

The hunter is a mysterious weirdo who can only be found in and around the forest. They warn tresspassers of danger and dislikes anyone who is careless and reckless.

The hunter is your key to traversing the volatile forest, and unlocking its secrets.

Likes

Animals

Quiet The forest

Mushrooms

Dislikes

Talking

People

Questions

The ocean

FAE REALM THE

The Fae are just as mystic as all the folklore creatures inhabiting the world of man, but they are more secluded and directly magical. They exist in what can only be described as a parallel dimension to the one we are used to, living an almost separate and much more magical life.

The people

Fae come in many sizes and shapes, often having both human and animal characteristics, while the lower castes might sometimes be entirely grotesque and monstrous.

The politics

The Fae have their own laws, their own lands and their own traditions. Most of their rules are based on the Fae nobility and its power, their influence ruling above any they deem below them; which is everyone. Most Fae are lesser, servants and workers of the nobility who are the performers of magical feats and internal warfare.

Their society is strictly seperated into castes, where you are born into your position in society. Nobility have been so for hundrets of generations, their power and station earned by their blood. These Fae are the most beautiful, with delicate human features and soft and shiny coats of animal fur.

The magic

Fae magic is the most advanced and adaptable of any existing kinds of magic. It is an innate ability they can use to learn a myriad of spells and augmentations, often specialised for art, deception or controll of others.

Non magic users and some of the lower castes has learned how to do enchantments and the craft of magical objects that can do fantastical things. These tools sometimes get lost to the mundane realm to be found by creatures and humans. They are valuable trading objects.

The Gateways

In between the Fae realm and the mundane, there are many smaller gateways often taking the shape of a hollow tree, an unnaturally circular hill or a circle of mushrooms. The Fae use these to travel back and forth, and any human who might get lost into one is unlikely to return.

At times the Fae court will play pranks on humans, and abduct children to have as servants, sometimes replacing them with changelings.

PLAYABLE CHARACTERS

You can play the game as one of three characters.

Three Choices

In City of Fire you get the choice to play as one of three characters rather than to fully customise your own self insert PC(Playable Character). Each of these characters are established with their own background and circumstance, along with their own set of base stats.

As the player you get to make your own mark on these characters by using some additional stat points to push the PC in any direction you prefer, without compromising their established existence.

You can choose to play on their strengths or to fight their nature and force them into doing things they wouldn’t normally have done. Either in the name of character progression or regression, you can influence them to get better or worse, be healing or self destructive.

Regardles of your choice, it will give different benefits and challenges.

The Multiple Character Conundrum

All PC’s exist in Kaster regardless of whether or not you play them, and can be encountered as they do their own investigation in town. All three characters will cross each others’ path in some way or another throughout all three games. The characters that you do not choose to play, will be the worst version of themselves, making the wronger choice in every situation.

A local teen, she is well known by the people, and searching for her best friend.

ROBIN HJALRUS

Robin is a local teen who has spent most of the past 14 years following her friend Tora around to share in her adventures. At peace with her existence as a follower, her life is shaken when her best friend not only disappears, but is also rumored to be the one responsible for the towns fires.

Having to find out who she is without her guiding star, Robin must find her own strength to discover what she is capable of on her own. She knows she has to find her friend before anyone else does. She knows sge can’t trust anyone except herself now.

Tora, in game model

Her main goal is to find Tora before anyone else, to discover the truth, and to save her friend.

Individuality

Being a teenager dictates a lot of Robins chances and scope of success. She is hindered by being on the smaller side, and very skinny and lanky. At times she most resembles an angry deer, all limbs and bad attitude.

She can enter tight crevices, and nimbly vault around with her superior agility, gained from spending most of her days roaming the countryside with Tora.

Robin can use smaller tools like knives, screw drivers, keys and the slightly bigger but lighter baseball bats. Using her ingenuity, it is possible to adjust and customise some tools to be more harmless/harmful. Such as banging nails into a baseball bat, should the situation require violence.

Robin is 16 years old and a hit with the elderly. Robin has an elaborately decorated spyglass from her mother. Robin knows of several obscure and magical places. Robin has high SHIVERS but little knowledge of the mystic.

Robin is the most impulsive character of the three. Robin has matching stick and poke tattoos with Tora. Robin and Tora had high status amongst the other teens. Robin is inexplainably attracted to chaos.

A detective from the capital, an outsider with authority.

MARCUS

Marcus has been a detective for over 20 years, and while he was just about to be promoted he had an accident on a supernatural assignment, and was turned into a werewolf.

New to being a mystic being, he has no control over his new condition and is deemed too unreliable to recieve his new position. To spare him his collegues’ friendly but intrusive prodding, and to give him space for his new reality, Marcus’ superior sends him off on a seemingly simple arson case in a small town far away from the city’s bustle and commotion. Hoping to give him a break and an easy win to find his footing again.

Marcus, in game model

His main goal is to gain control over his werewolf form and prove his competence to his superiors.

Individuality

Broad and muscular, Marcus has the most MIGHT out of the three characters. He can force his way through many things physically when his official credentials fail him. On the other hand he has low REFLEX, and moves slower than a smaller character would.

INTIMIDATION, AUTHORITY and MIGHT are his strongest stats.

REFLEX, SHIVERS and CUNNING are his weakest stats.

Marcus can use all guns, and all larger instruments such as crow-bars and large rocks to his advantage. If all else should fail him he will in most situations be given an option to break whatever he is struggling with for a violent solution to his problem.

Marcus has the support of the local police. Marcus has the most authority of all three playable characters. Marcus is hostile to all things mystic. Marcus is not in controll when he turns into a wolf.

Marcus is treated with caution by the locals. Marcus is good at INVESTIGATION and INTIMIDATION.

Marcus has a new and unfamiliarly keen sense of smell. Marcus’ hair grows unnaturally fast thanks to his werewolf status.

A local skinshifter with magical abilities.

HADIS

Hadis is a 41 year old woman who has lived her whole life in Kaster. She comes from a long line of witches specialised in the craft of making and wearing animal pelts.

Confident in her power and arrogant with history and tradition, she did not foresee that the arsons ravaging the town would reach her own home, and her own magic. After one of the fires burns down her house along with all her artifacts and heirlooms, Hadis is set on finding the person responsible and making them face her justice, with only one skin left with the rest burnt. A little brown mouse.

Hadis, in game model

Her main goal is revenge for what she has lost at the hands of the arsonist.

Individuality

In her mid 40’s, Hadis is - according to herself - in her prime, but to anyone looking from the outside, maybe not. Thin and tall, Hadis has poor VITALITY, poor REFLEX and poor MIGHT. She has depended largely on her animal forms to make up for her physical failings, and now with only the mouse at her disposal she is in trouble.

Hadis can use her mouse form to gain access through tiny crevises none of the other PC’s can utilise.

Playing as Hadis means not using the physical solutions, instead using LOGIC and CRITICAL THINKING to solve conundrums in indirect or unexpected ways.

Hadis comes from a long line of witches. Hadis has the most knowledge of the Mystic. Hadis can turn into a small brown mouse at will. Hadis is affiliated with the witches.

Hadis is good with AFFINITY, SHIVERS and WILL.

Hadis has very poor EMPATHY, VITALITY and INSIGHT.

Hadis has a huge ego that often sabotages her in her endevors.

Hadis is mostly known in town as a grumpy shut in.

THE HEART OF THE STORY

DANDELION AND TORA

At the center of the mystery of Kasters’ fires are two identical girls with mysterious ties. It is - at its heart - a changeling story.

Despite her humanity, Dandelion looks slightly more unnatural with bright green eyes, gained from a deal she herself has made with a fae.

Tora, the changeling, and Dandelion the human are the core of the mystery that needs to be solved in order to reach the truth. They look nigh identical, the only noticeable thing to be seen by the quick of mind is the fact that the changeling is a mirror of the human, leaving all features on the opposite side of her body.

While Tora is running from the fate of being charged with a crime she didn’t commit, she is also hiding from the truth of her changeling identity. She cares for her human family and her human friend, and does not wish to see her situation change.

Dandelion on the other hand is on a path of destruction, and she will not rest until Tora is either exposed for what she is, or taken in by the authorities for the crimes she herself has committed.

While Tora is a changeling, her behavior is more like that of a human since she grew up as one.

SMOKE BLACKENS THE SKY

Despite the fact that you can play this story from three different angles, it is still a single game, and thus the beginning is similar for all of them: the fires.

The story follows a classic three act structure, each unlocking the next part of the story for the player. On the following pages is a summary of each act, as well as the available resolutions for the ending of the game.

Additionally is a section detailing some of the smaller things you can experience if you explore the world deeper.

The lighthouse

ACT 1

The story begins, we enter the town and gather our first clues.

RUNAWAY

Each Playable Character begins in their own spot but they all have the same end objective. To find the arsonist.

The skies above caster is grey, and the town is obscured by a dense fog. The first act is spent getting acquainted with Kaster and finding the name of the arsonist.

It will be revealed that Tora was seen at scene of the crime.

ACT 2

Knowing Tora’s name, you have to find her. Talk to the locals, do tasks and trade in information.

FIRESTARTER

As the sun sets over town, it burns away the fog from the day before. The task ahead is clear; finding Tora. You must first dicover that she has not skipped town, and then where to find her.

Should you arrest Tora there the game ends, you take her away and no further fires are set and the day is saved. This is the false ending.

Talking to locals and going on errands for them will slowly get you closer to your goal, eventually leading first to an encounter with the mer, her alibi for the night. They point you in her direction, the haunted and abandoned boat at the shore. Tora has managed a truce with the draugr there and you must get past it to meet her. Tora will plead her innocense, insisting that she has been framed, backed up by her alibi in shape of the mer.

If you don’t she gets to leave, and the game continues.

ACT 3

Act 3 starts on a fire set by Dandelion

FAE FORTUNES

The final hunt begins with fire as a new one is set almost immediately after Tora gets to leave. You return to town and deal with the aftermath.

Eventually, with access to the lighthouse, you locate the doubleganger to be in the forest, and guided by magic and a kelpie, you reach her.

For the third act, it is possible to speak to Tora at the haunted ship; she gives you clues on how to proceed to track down her doubleganger.

Tora will join you for the last leg of the journey, leading to a showdown between herself an her doubleganger. The human to whom she is the changeling.

There are four ways to end this.

THE SOLUTIONS

Arrest Dandelion but let Tora go

Arrest or bring in Dandelion for the crime of arson, you decide to let punishment fall on the person who set the fires. Dandelion will curse and cry, denied her revenge and knowing the fae will do nothing for her.

Tora breathes a sigh of relief but seems shifty at the end. In the future she will seek out the fae to find the truth from the source, about her own origin.

Robin will be happy to have her friend back, but now knowing that she is not a person like herself.

Hadis brings in the person who set her house in flames, but she knows she has enabled the fae presence in town.

Marcus has done his job, and can expect to recieve the promotion back home, but like Hadis, he knows that this decision will have implications of the fae presence in Kaster, possibly leading to more trouble down the road.

The Fae influence increases.

Arrest Tora but let Dandelion go

Changelings are illegal beings on their own, identity theft on a whole other level, it is an unnacceptable existence. Give Dandelion what she wants and arrest the changeling, letting her go back to the human realm, and help the town fight the fae influence in the future.

Robin loses her friend but she has returned the real “Tora” to her family. She struggles with this decision but she knows it would be bad to keep a fae in town. She is determined to see if this human girl would be her friend as well.

Hadis decides that her own justice is less important than keeping down the fae influence, ackowledging the usefulness of Dandelions dislike of the cretaures.

Marcus deems the changeling more dangerous than the arsonist, deciding to arrest her. The Fae influence is decreased and he will still get his promotion.

The Fae Influence is decreased.

Arrest both of them

Dandelion set the town on fire and Tora is a changeling, both arguably terrible crimes that cannot go unaccounted for. You bring both girls in to answer for their crimes.

Robin will lose her friend, and live with the knowledge of what she is. It is a bitter ending but she saw no other solution where everyone would get what they deserve.

Hadis Will get her justice and take away a fae agent from the towns power struggle. It is an easy ending for her.

Marcus will have done his job twice, double up, and double his chance for a promotion when he returns.

The Power struggle in town remains the same.

Let them both go

The most benevolent of the choises, you can chose to let them both go free.

This act of mercy can only be achieved if you have gotten all information possible on the Fae and on Tora. You can persuade Dandelion to let go of her anger, appealing to her humanity with the fact that they were both displaced. Tora can be convinced to stand down by explaining about the fae, what they are and what they have done. Both girls can meet in the middle and forgive each other.

Tora will find the way to the fae realm with Dandelions help, and they both return there to sabotage it from the inside.

Robin will insist on going with them but they refuse her, promising to come back eventually, or at the very least when they are older. It is a bittersweet ending, but she can rest with the knowledge that she helped them both come to terms with their existence.

Hadis does not get the justice she had first envisioned, but it was all a result of fae trickery, and she at least gets to pay them back. Transforming into her mouse form she follows the girls to the entrance of the fae realm.

Marcus is softened by this decision, and his actions throughout town. This decision will let him reach peace with his wolf form and his own connection to the mystic, but it will also doom his immediate career, making it impossible for him to get the promotion he had been gunning for.

The Fae influence drastically decreases.

THE REWARD FOR EXPLORATION IS EXPERIENCE

There Is A Local Werewolf pack, it is small, consisting of only three people. They will track down Marcus at the beginning of act 3 to confront him about trespassing.

One of the local witches is Hadis’ ex, she is also the librarian and if Hadis wants to make deals with her, she will get much more difficult and cumbersome tasks than the other two PCs.

The big troll in town, during the day it is an enormous boulder that moves to different locations during the night, appearing in a different spot each day. In act 2 there will be graffiti on it, you can get soap and wash it off, or paint and make it worse. You can meet it later at night on the fields if you stay up late, if you cleaned it, it will be thankful and give you a token (lucky clover(+5 luck), if you defaced it, it will be crying, and you get nothing, if you neither cleaned nor defaced it you get the chance to console it and get a lily of the valley(empathy +2).

There’s a group of outsiders already in town, but they are all staying at one of the wealthier villas and acting very cryptid and dressing oddly; refusing to eat specific things, or cross running water etc. In the end it turns out they are a bunch of larpers that have met up here for their bi-yearly live roleplay session. The theme this year is vampires.

You can meet the larpers near the graveyard in act 2, playing as

vampires. There is a backstabbing anarky plot taking place, and they are all super into it.

High tide low tide will play a role for mer encounters and some boat related things alongst with traveling near the coast.

Three of the witches dance naked under the moonlight one of the nights.

Local teens will hang out at the bonfire on the coast in act 2, they will be open and talkative to Robin but they will treat Marcus and Hadis with disrespect. Hadis can do a magic trick to make them speak.

The local teens will be at the bonfire again in act 3, depending on your interaction earlier, they will treat the PC differently. They can tell you that they saw Tora near the lighthouse.

Act three is where you can unlock the lighthouse. Interest is sparked in different ways, it can be the mystery of a locked door, or it can be simply because you want to take a look at the town from afar. That, and there are some stories of voices coming from the building. After a series of rather silly side quests you acquire a copy of the key from a child. When you enter the lighthouse it looks almost like a halloween dungeon, and you discover the spot of a dedicated dnd group. They are doing a changeling story.

Exploring Kaster exposes its secrets and oddities.

The top of the lighthouse gives a good view of town, and it will add points of interest on your map if you’ve missed anything.

The dnd group and larp group do not like each other, and can be found arguing in all three acts.

After any fire or lawbreaking event, police will be at the scene after a short while locking it off to anyone except Marcus. Hadis might be able to sneak past as a mouse, and should be spotted by the aware player throughout the game if she is not the PC.

There are three changelings in town aside from Tora. One is the principal of the local school; an old woman with soulful eyes and stinging words. The second; a man in a suit whose work is suspicious and secret, and a baby belonging to one of the villa districts families, it cries and screams and throws things, and people will comment that it reminds them of Tora when she was a baby. Discovering them is key to unlocking the understanding of the changeling plot.

Robin and Hadis get the most gossip from the townspeople.

The forest is deep and holds the most fantastical creatures and the most death paths. Trinkets and advice can be had from locals to protect yourself.

Several smaller assignments given by locals will lead into the forest either to gather plants/herbs or to confront a creature.

NARRATIVE SEGMENT

A story segment

As an rpg game, the story is experienced through visuals and words.

Dialogue is the mechanic that drives the story forwards the most, combined with skill checks and choices you get to shape the progression and direction yourself.

In this segment of the story bible I present three areas and their interactable elements such as objects, sights, smells and people, as I demonstrate how to move through a scene and obtain information vital to solving the mystery.

The narrative segment is told from the eyes of Robin, as she is the character with the highest shiver stat and simultaneously lacking in the mind category. This makes her ideal for showing the supernatural sense of the story while giving me a chance to explain things to you.

Interaction is key

In the following pages I will walk you through three areas, as Robin searches for someone who can identify a mysterious blue sea shell she found in Tora’s room.

The narrative segments consists of these areas and their interactable elements in form of characters and objects. As an example, in the scene “Harbor”, 5 interactive elements are selectable; “Lonely stroller”, “Odd smear”, “Peculiar Bubbles”, “Old Man Ja-

This is the person or object you are talking to

Descriptive text looks like this

• These are the questions and dialogue options you have

• This is another one

• This is a choice you already took

• This is the on you chose.

cob”, and “Moving Dust”. For each, the textual interaction and outcomes are listed in the following.

The Narrative segment traces these interactable events through three scenes; The Drowned Kind and Madames Room being in addition to the Harbor.

Below is the guide on how to read this section of the bible;

THESE ARE YOUR STAT CHECK RESULTS

And after comes the outcome of your skill checks.

------ this is the divider between interactables ------

OLD MAN HANS

MOVING

ODD SMEAR

Lonely stroller

A lone stroller stands silently next to a small ragged building. It is impossible to see if anything is inside it from over here.

• “Hi little one.”

• IS it a baby? What if it’s a bomb? You’ve seen this on TV, you know how this works, better approach with caution.

• I’m not touching that (move on)

It is always beneficial to be careful, you know this and thus you decide to tip toe towards the stroller, slowly and carefully, one foot in front of the other. You are so stealthy, and so cool.

The stroller is veiled by a tarp-y piece of cloth. You pick it up by a corner and lift carefully to peek inside.

It is a baby, sleeping quietly. The sight makes you want to yawn, but as you do so you feel something else coming. A sneeze.

• Oh no, oh no this is a big one! (Composure check)

• LEAVE NOW! (Reflex check)

COMPOSURE CHECK SUCCESS

You clamp your nose with your free hand to squash the sneeze before it leaves your body. You are rewarded with your sinuses exploding inwards in exchange for your silence.

The baby sleeps on.

You let go of the tarp.

Odd smear

PASSIVE STAT CHECK FAIL

A dark brown patch stains the floorboards, you’re unsure of what it is, and where it came from.

Old Man Hans

An older gentleman is hunkered over on a bench, bottle in hand.

(passive stat check, sensory success) He smells of alcohol. The strong kind your mother drinks.

• “Hey! Are you awake?” (contested will check)

• “GET UP YOU OLD DRUNK!” (contested will check)

• leave him alone

WILL CONTEST FAILED ( -1 SANITY )

The bottle in his hand stares at you, you’ve seen it a million times before, and the sight of it makes your guts twist. You want nothing to do with it, and nothing could make you spend more time with it than you already do. ------

Peculiar bubbles

The water ripples oddly, concentrated into a point. You see multiple colors shimmer and twist under its surface.

myriad of oddly shaped fish moving in a tight ball just beneath the surface. The pattern of their dance is mesmerising.

• Take a closer look (sensory skill check)

• Who cares about looking, go touch it!

• (walk away.)

The dirt feels layered and sticky on your hands as you have to get down on your knees to look at the water beneath the planks.

The water moves erratically in a very small area.

SENSORY CHECK SUCCESS

You observe as the waters surface breaks, a small fin holding every color of the rainbow breaks the waters tension and reveals a

• Go on Robin, touch it.(Will check)

WILL CHECK FAIL

Unable to help yourself you reach out to the fish. The water is further below you than what is comfortable to bridge. You stretch your upper body to let your fingers touch the surface of a soft fish body.

SHIVERS CHECK SUCCESSFUL

The fish are one fish, a hivemind, and as your fingertips touch soft scales they freeze all at once, a myriad of wide fish eyes trained

upon you.

Who are you?

• “I am a friend.”

• “I am a predator, grr, GRR.”

• “I am looking for someone actually.”

Who are you looking for little biped?

• I am looking for my friend, her name is Tora, she’s - she’s missing. Have you seen her?

They start moving, resuming their dance slowly beneath your hand. We have not seen her, we don’t care for the ordeals of walkers nor the walking fae. Be on your way.

They dismiss you by returning to their ball of movement, the fast

squirming locking your hand out of their tight little ball.

You retract you hand, wet with seawater.

---------

Moving dust

LOGIC SUCCESS

You notice a small cyclone of dust on the ground moving fast in a circle despite the obvious lack of wind.

SHIVERS SUCCESS

Something about the disrepancy of its existence makes you look closer, and you notice small specks of grey darkness in the whirlwind. It feels like it is looking at you.

• Hello, who are you?

• That is dust.(leave)

The cyclone says nothing.

• Hello, please answer.

• Clearly it is just dust.(leave)

The cyclones silence ridicules your silly questions.

• (leave)

THE DROWNED KING

BLUE DOOR

MARIANNE, FLEMMING AND CLAUS

RADIO

EMPTY BOTTLES

LIGHTHOUSE KEEPER

LARPERS

LIGHTS

BARKEEP O’LERRY

FISHERMEN

DIRTY WINDOW

STICKY TABLE LONE DRUNK

FORGOTTEN COAT

Sticky table

You spot the glistening of a sticky spot on the table. The faint smell of sugar makes your nose wrinkle. -----

Lights

Dim and yellow, the light makes you perpetually squint. ------

Forgotten coat

A long waterproof coat lies forgotten on the chair.

• Check the pockets

• Think about the fate of being forgotten(empathy check)

• Do you know the owner?(memory roll)

MEMORY FAIL

You have seen numerous sailors wear coats just like this, you have no clue who this could belong to.

• Check the pockets (cunning)

• Think about the fate of being forgotten(empathy check)

• Do you know the owner?(memory roll)

CUNNING FAIL

The coat has 2 obvious pockets, one on each side. The left pocket holds an open pack of cigarettes, and in the right you fish out 10cr and pocket them. -----

Radio

Jazz croons from the speakers. ------

Dirty window (passive shivers success)

A movement catches your attention from the window.

• Look through the glass. (sensory check)

• Ignore (leave)

SENSORY FAIL

The window glass is dirty and the street beyond seeming empty. You doubt you actually saw anything. -----

Fishermen (2)

Two fishermen, easy to pick out by their attire sit and chat. -----

Lone drunk

The woman is passed out on her table. ------

Barkeep O’lerry

O’lerry is polishing glasses behind the counter. You know he takes pride in his glasses and beverages, he makes a big deal out of anything he serves, even if it is a glass of juice. He looks at you shortly before scanning the bar for your parents. They are not here today.

O’lerry: “Hey there Kiddo, coming for a juice on the rocks?”

• “Juice please,” today has been such a long day, a glass of juice sounds amazing. (accept)

• “I need to find someone who knows about sea-shells!”

O’lerry: You sit on a chair while O’lerry takes out a glass and fills it with ice and orange juice. He hands it to you by sliding it on the counter like they do in the movies.

• “I need to find someone who knows about sea-shells”

• “Have you seen my mom?” (play innocent)

• (whisper) Lerry have you seen Tora?

O’lerry: “Sea shells?” He gives you a look, “we got plenty of those on the beach, everyone’s an expert on thems.”

• “Not regular seashells, Magical ones!”

• “You know that’s not what I mean.”

• Simply show him the shell.

O’lerry: He squints at it for a moment before reaching out without touching it. “Where did ya find this one?”

• “No where!”

• “Just at the beach”(cunning check)

• “In Toras room”(tell the truth)

CUNNING CHECK FAIL

O’lerry:”At the beach aye?” He raises one eyebrow, clearly not believing you but too respectful to question it. “I see, well I am expert enough to tell you I don’t be seeing shells like this on the beach. Your best guess would be the Madame, or another one of them witches.”

MEMORY MEDIUM SUCCESS +5 local bonus

There are a handful of witches in town, most of them do hedge magics and future telling. You only know the librarian personally, you don’t have names for the rest.

• “Can you tell me more about the witches?

• “Where is she?

O’lerry:”What do you want to know little bird?”

• “What do witches do?”

• “Is the madame a witch?”

• “What witches do you know?”

• “Are you a, uuh, you know...”

• “That’s all.”(return)

O’lerry: He barks out a laugh, “who me? Oh no I’m no witch unless you count alcoholic beverages as hallucinatory witchcraft!”

(Claus from across the room)”You made ME see things a’yesterday with that new brandy ye made!”

• “What do witches do?”

• “Is the madame a witch?”

• “What witches do you know?”

• “Are you a, uuh, you know...”

• “That’s all.”(return)

O’lerry: “She sure is, Madame Marrouse is the best witch in town.” He crosses his arms, “she cares about us boating folks, warning for disasters and weather on the sea. Future telling and the like.”

(Passive empathy fail(hidden))

• “What do witches do?”

• “Is the madame a witch?”

• “What witches do you know?”

• “Are you a, uuh, you know...”

• “That’s all.”(return)

O’lerry: “The Madame is our most important witch, aside from her we gots Margarit up in the flower shop, and Talia at the library. You’re gonna have a hard time getting a hold of Hadis, her house boat got flamed in the last fire.”

• “What do witches do?”

• “Is the madame a witch?”

• “What witches do you know?”

• “Are you a, uuh, you know...”

• “That’s all.”(return)

O’lerry: He squints at you, wrinkly face contracting in the middle, hiding his eyes almost entirly from your sight, “witches aye? Haven’t you been told by yer parents?”

• “Right, sorry of course I know.” (return)

• “Mama and Dad doesn’t tell me shit, just tell me!”

O’lerry: “Alright then,” he puts a dried piece of meat in his mouth to chew as he speaks, “the most regular stuff is future telling, they use these concoctions they brew to see the future or auras or pasts. Some of them do spells and curses for things such as luck or UN-luck yer know.”

“That and they know the most about the freaky stuff, the creatures and the magical. If yer’ going to mingle with any of those thingies you should talk to one of them witches first.”

• “Did you ever get your luck done?”

• “Could they make curses FOR you?”

• “So they do drugs and call it magic?”

• “I see,, magic and things.” (return)

O’lerry: “Shush child! That aint drugs it’s MAGIC.” He shakes his head.

PASSIVE EMPATHY SUCCESS

O’lerry: He regrets agreeing to tell you, clearly you’re too young to understand, “never you mind birdy.”

• “Did you ever get your luck done?”

• “Could they make curses FOR you?”

• “So they do drugs and call it magic?”

• “I see,, magic and things.” (return)

O’lerry: “They could and they do. Well. Some of em do, but it’s costly is what it is. I sure can’t afford it but if I could I’d rather get some lucks for myself.”

• “Did you ever get your luck done?”

• “Could they make curses FOR you?”

• “So they do drugs and call it magic?”

• “I see,, magic and things.” (return)

O’lerry: “Nope, I can’t afford the price of those magics. Costly things, and not in money.”

• “What do you mean not-in-money?”

• “Are you broke?”

• “That’s kind of sad.”

O’lerry: O’lerry tugs at the half-beard on his chin, he is too mature to roll his eyes, “no I ain’t broke, I got this whole place and we are busy here! No they don’t take money for favours, they take other things, things that mean something to you, sentimental value. And if you don’t got any of that stuff then they take favours for a favour. Dangerous favours.”

• “Did you ever get your luck done?”

• “Could they make curses FOR you?”

• “So they do drugs and call it magic?”

• “I see,, magic and things.” (return)

• “Can you tell me more about the witches?

• “Where is the Madame?

O’lerry: “Well luck being with ye she’s here, out back in her private room where she holds her little witchy court. I can’t get you to her but her friends over there could potentially let you through if yer’e convincing enough.” He nods towards the trio on the far side, all whom are looking at the two of you as you speak.”

• “Thank you O’lerry, I’ll do that!”(leave)

• “How does she have a room here that you don’t have access to?” (cunning check)

CUNNING FAIL

O’lerry: “That’s right kiddo.”

• “What do witches do?”

• “Is the madame a witch?”

• “What witches do you know?”

• “Are you a, uuh, you know...”

• “That’s all.”(return)

O’lerry: He leans over the table a bit, lowering his voice in confidence, “you don’t mess with those ladies too much Robin, they’re a fickle lot and yer’ too young to get caught up in their games.” He nods once, expecting you to take the warning to heart, and gets back to polishing glasses.

O’lerry: He stiffly straightens up, “that’s none of yer business kid, now I’ve told ye enough, hop along.” You have been dismissed.

Marianne, Flemming and Claus

Three elderly people sit around a round table, their wrinkly faces lit dimly by the candle burning on its surface. A set of playing cards is played out before them, two empty tankards sit upside down on each side of the middle card stack, they are playing tankery, a popular game amongst the fishers in town. All three of them pretend not to see you approach, continuing their friendly banter with each other.

Marianne: “See you beat that one you old codger.” She sets a queen of hearts on the table, met by a scoff from the oldest gentleman.

• Excuse me ladies

• Excuse me sirs

• Excuse me?

• Leave them along.(leave)

Marianne: “Yes little birdie?” The two men ignore you.

• Who are you?

• My name is Robin, not birdie.

• Do I know you?

Marianne: “No you don’t know me, but I heard you talk to old Lerry, you want something from us, question is what and why.” She taps the cards in her hands on the table as the oldest man puts a card in the centre his hands bony and shaking, his face so wrinkly you cannot see his eyes.

• “I want to see the Madame.”

• “I want to know who you are.”

• “Can you teach me your game?”

• Ponder the old mans face. (AFFINITY check)

AFFINITY SUCCESS

You stare at the old mans face instead of answering, his skin folds and ripples like an ocean over his bones, reflecting the kind of life he’s lived. Maybe traversing the ocean your entire life will make you into an ocean yourself, a microscopic and personal version of a natural occurence so massive you should be incapable of holding its meaning in one small body.

• “Are you the sea?”

• “How did you become so wrinkly?

• This is a silly series of thoughts, and they would think you sillier for expressing it.(return)

Claus: His face turns to you, the wrinkle where his eyes should be seems to look at you. He raises one shaking hand, skin loose over his bones, knuckles protruding painfully with clear signs of arthritis. “WHAT’S THAT?” He asks in a loud voice, cupping one ear with his hand.

• “ARE YOU THE SEA?”

• “HOW DID YOU BECOME SO WRINKELY?!”

• You can’t say those things so loudly, abort! Retreat! Shake your

head he understands sign language for sure!

Claus: His wrinkles stares at you for a moment, as does several people in the pub, before he coughs out a dry and joyous laugh. “Aye that I am!” He leans in confidentially, “you see kid, when I was young and handsome a mer fell madly in love with me, and in return for a kiss she made me part of the ocean. I only came back on land some years ago. I am made of salty waters and bubbling waves.” He cackles.

PASSIVE CRITICAL THINKING FAIL

Holy shit he is a magical creature, you were right! What an honour to be in his presence, the ocean himself right here in front of you!

• “Oh, wow! It’s an honour to meet you sir!”

• Shuffle your feet shyly.

• You are a cool teen, this makes you feel closer to him, as he is a cool old man. Cool people should stick together. Give him a cool nod, he gets it, show him that you get it too.

He tips his head every so slightly back at you. You’re cool, you’re both so fucking cool.

Marianne is visibly rolling her eyes when you turn back to her.

• “I want to see the Madame.”

• “I want to know who you are.”

• “Can you teach me your game?”

• “Are you also magical like him?”

• Uhm, that’s all bye. (leave)

Marianne: “No.”

• “I want to see the Madame.”

• “I want to know who you are.”

• “Can you teach me your game?”

• “Are you also magical like him?”

• Uhm, that’s all bye. (leave)

Marianne: “Just me, or all of us?” She gestures to the other two around her table.

• “Just you.”

• “All of you.”

• Shrug your shoulder noncommittally.

Marianne: I am Marianne, retired on paper, this is Chris he is also retired, but for real.” She is gesturing to the ocean man. “Last we got Flemming, he’s still working and a real piece of work he is too.”

Flemming: “Up yours Mary!”

• “I want to see the Madame.”

• “I want to know who you are.”

• “Can you teach me your game?”

• “Are you also magical like him?”

• Uhm, that’s all bye. (leave)

Marianne: “The Madame aye? What do you want with the witch?”

• “I have questions.”

• “I am considering witchery as my career path.”

• “None of your business lady!”

Marianne: She raises a grey eyebrow at you, “are you now? Who gave you that idea pray tell.”

• “Miss February from the library, she can talk to mice. I want to talk to mice too.”

• “I did that myself.”

• “Magic is cool, and I’m cool, we simply belong together.”

Marianne: “Ah yes of course, cool children like you should be doing cool things like magic. In that case the answer is no, Marrouse doesn’t have time to deal with your childish fantasies.”

• “Oh um! No Actually uuh..”

• Cry.

• Stomp your feet insistingly.

• Come up with a snappy comeback! (composure check)

Flemming: “The kid is fucking with you Mary, that brat is no witch.”

Marianne: “Of course she is no witch, she’s a child!” She turns back to you, “so? Are you fucking around and there’s another reason you are wasting my time right now?” She seems grouchy now.

• “ Yeah sorry, I didn’t want to learn witchery.”

• “I do think it would be cool to learn but no I was looking for her for another reason.”

Marianne: She makes a gesture with her hand, telling you to continue and finish answering her question.

• “I have questions on the supernatural from her.”

• “I am looking for someone.”

• “I think she can help me find what I am looking for.”

Marianne: She sighs, some of the tension leaving her body. She fiddles with a simple silver ring on her finger, “I bet you are looking for that firestarter no? Word is you were friends.”

• “No it’s someone else.”(lie)

• “Yes.”

• “She didn’t do it!”

• What is that ring on her finger? (sensory check(sight))

SENSORY SUCCESS

The silver ring catches the light and you spot a symbol on it, a rather witchy symbol too. When you look her in the eyes you get

the sense that she is seeing through you. Better not lie.

• “No it’s someone else.”(lie)

• “Yes.”

• “She didn’t do it!”

• What is that ring on her finger? sensory check(sight)

Marianne: “Hmmm,” she observes you for a moment longer before she lets go of her ring and stands up. “Very well. I will let you through, do you want to see her now?”

• “Yes, let’s go.”(proceed)

• “No, not yet.” (leave, you can come back.) ------

Blue door

A blue door sits half hidden under the stairs. The paint looks fresh and clean, contrasting to the rest of the pubs raw unpainted wood.

• Inspect the door (logic check)

• Inspect the door (sensory check)

• Inspect the door (lick it)

• Think about doors (critical thinking check)

• (Leave)

CRITICAL THINKING FAIL

Doors are so... Rectangular! And difficult. And also stupid :(

• Inspect the door (logic check)

• Inspect the door (sensory check)

• Inspect the door (lick it)

• Think about doors (critical thinking check)

• (Leave)

SENSORY SUCCESS

The door smells of salt, no, salt water. You lean closer and touch

it, (passive shiver success) and feel your fingers tingle. It is wet to the touch, but when you check your fingers after they are still dry.

• Inspect the door (logic check)

• Inspect the door (sensory check)

• Inspect the door (lick it)

• Think about doors (critical thinking check)

• (Leave)

Empty bottles

You regard four bottles on a table, empty and smelling of beer.

• Take them. (reflex check)

• Leave them.

REFLEX SUCCESS

You stealthily take open your backpack and put the bottles in without anyone noticing. You can exchange it for pant tomorrow.

------

4 LARP’ers in gothic attire

A group of oddly dressed strangers sit around a table in the corner, they have bags under their eyes and their skin looks almost blue in the lamp-light.

Lighthouse keeper

An older man is pondering a bottle of Roulan Red at the counter.

MADAMES ROOM

FISH TANK

FISH TANK

FISH TANK

FISH TANK

FISH TANK

Threaded Lamps

Multicoloured threads knotted together like a fishermans net flow over the wall. The round lamps shine in too many colours for your eyes to interpret. It looks like a psychedelic waterfall whose main purpose is to give you - specifically - a headache.

-------

Waterlogged carpet

A large dark patch covers one edge of the carpet. It smells like mildew and rot. ------

Faerie lamp

PASSIVE SHIVERS SUCCESS

The light from the lamps on the ceiling gives you an odd taste in your mouth, like sour grapes.

• Look closer.

• No thanks this place is weird enough.

You step closer to one, ignoring Madame’s piercing gaze. Four little eyes blink back at you from the lamp, it is a little bug-ish creature, it’s colourful wings twitching in its cage.

MM: “That’s a faeire dear, careful they bite.”

-----

Farie lamp 2

This faerie lamp is dimmer than the rest. The creature inside is lying on the floor of its confines. ------

Madame Marrouse

Laid back on her soft throne, the woman’s features are partly obscured as her face is shadowed by the large, brimmed hat she wears despite being indoors. She is holding a cigar between two gnarly fingers, its tip smouldering slowly as a thick line of smoke seeps into the air, making your throat hurt.

Madame: Her voice is deep and raspy as she speaks, “welcome bird.” She leans forwards as if to take a closer look at you.

PASSIVE SENSE SUCCESS

Her eyes are brown, and her cheeks have dimples. The wrinkles in her face seem to give her an immovable pleasant smile.

• “Thank you?”

• “Have you seen my friend!?” There is no time for chit chat!

• “My name is Robin not bird.”

• “Did you know I was coming?”

Madame: “Know? No, you can’t truly know anything these days, but I suspected you would come and ask me questions that I may have answers for.” She pauses for a moment, inspecting you, “aren’t you going to introduce yourself?”

• “Don’t you know my name? You called me bird.”

• This woman is a witch, who knows what witchery she could do with your name! Your name is none of her business! “My name is none of your business!”

• “My name is Robin, like the bird.” Flap your arms like a bird.

• Say nothing, simply sulk teenagerly until she lets it go.

Madame: She raises a grey eyebrow, “So your name is bird?”

• “No my name is Robin!”

• “Is this a joke? My name is the name of a bird that’s why you called me bird!”

• “Are you fucking with me?” Sulk some more, let her know she is being insufferable and you are too cool for this.

Madame: “Fucking with you?” One leathery hand covers her mouth, a smile perhaps, “maybe a little. I sensed a bird when I was doing my morning predictions. I assumed it was you.”

• “You can predict the future? Can you predict mine?”

• “Morning predictions??”

• “Uhm, okay.” (progress)

• “Predict this!” (Leave)

Madame: “Ah, yes, one of my talents is prediction of the future, it is a fickle art form and rather vague and often victim to poor interpretation. I circumvent this by not interpreting it at all. I saw a bird visiting me, and here you are.” She is tapping her chair impatiently, waiting for your name.

• “You can predict the future? Can you predict mine?”

• “Morning predictions??”

• “Uhm, okay.” (progress)

• “Predict this!” (Leave)

Madame: The wrinkles on her face tenses in a stiff smile, “of course

dear but it is costly, predictions are on commission, they don’t come free even for kids.”

• “You can predict the future? Can you predict mine?”

• “Morning predictions??”

• “Uhm, okay.” (progress)

• “Predict this!” (Leave)

Madame: She take a drag from her cigar.

• “You asked for my name, it is Robin.”

• “You can just continue to call me bird, that’s okay.”

• “I have questions I need to ask you.”(Don’t give her your name.)

Madame: Her features relax, you realise she was tense before. “And my name is Marianne Celoura Marrouse, you may call me Madame. What did you need from me Robin?”

• “I am looking for my friend and I have a lead I don’t understand.” (tell her about Tora)

• “The arsonist must be caught and I am looking for her.” (cunning check)

• “I found this shell, and it feels off. (show her the blue sea shell)

Madame: She reaches out her empty hand, beckoning you to hand her the shell. Her fingers are long, and her skin is leathery like a wrinkly snake. You spot several golden bands around three of her fingers, colourful stones glitter in the lamp light.

• Hand her the shell.

• Hold it back, “you have to return it to me.”

Madame: “You have my word.”

• Hand her the shell.

• Shake your head and step back.

Madame: She takes the shell from your hand, cold fingertips brushes your skin, making you shiver. You watch as she brings it to her face and examines it, turning it over and over and over before sniffing it with her hooked nose. For a moment you think she will lick it too, but she doesn’t. The old crone whispers something indescribable to the shell and brings it to her ears.

• “What is it?”

• Simply wait.

Madame: Her eyes are closed, her brows furred as if she is listening to something important. After several moments she brings the shell from her ear and hands it back to you. It feels warm in your hands.

• “What did you do?”

• “It’s warm!”

• Wait for her to speak.

Madame: She sits back in her chair, the hand holding the cigar touches her chin thoughtfully as her eyes unfocus. You wait. And wait. And wait.

• Lady what the hell? Tap your feet loudly.

• Ahem-HEM! Clear your throat.

• Give it a moment she’s doing something you’re sure of it!

• Maybe you can find out what she’s thinking too. Listen to the shell! (shivers check)

Madame: Is she even breathing? She is sitting still as a rock, but when you spend several seconds observing her shoulders you see them rise when she takes a breath, ever so slightly.

• Lady what the hell? Tap your feet loudly.

• Ahem-HEM! Clear your throat.

• Give it a moment she’s doing something you’re sure of it!

• Maybe you can find out what she’s thinking too. Listen to the shell! (shivers check)

SHIVERS CHECK SUCCESS

You bring the shell to your ear like your would one of the big ones you’ve seen Tora’s parents have on display over their nice fireplace. This shell is warm against your ear, and as it touches it gets warmer to an almost burning sensation on your skin. The hair on your arms raise, the skin on the back of your neck tingles. You don’t hear the ocean, you hear whispers. Distant at first, they

come closer and evolve, the sound unfurling into a song so sweet and yearning, so genuine and gentle you want to drown in it. Or lie down.

And die in it.

• What are you saying?

• What can I do?

• Where are you?

• I shouldn’t be here.(willpower check)

Blue shell: Come closer, it’s soft and gentle amongst the kelp. Feel it on your skin, a soft carress. You want to be there. Here. With us.

• What are you saying?

• What can I do?

• Where are you?

• I shouldn’t be here.(willpower check)

Blue shell: Close your eyes, give in.

• What are you saying?

• What can I do?

• Where are you?

• I shouldn’t be here.(willpower check)

Blue shell: Right here love. Right here with you, forever and ever

and ever.

• Lie down, this is your bed, your grave.(give in)

• Sleep, slumber, never wake up.(give in)

• Breathing isn’t necessary here, only sound, only love, only this. (give in)

• Resist, this isn’t for you.(willpower check)

WILLPOWER CHECK FAIL

Your throat clench, you are choking on water deep in your lungs. Your cheeks feel wet and cold.

A soft hand grabs yours harshly, pulling it and the shell away from your ear. The world comes back into focus, your ears ring and you choke hoarsely, spitting salty water on the floor. You feel the skin around your ears twinge.

HIDDEN EMPATHY FAIL

Madame Marrouse looks furious, her hands shake with anger.

Madame: “Foolish girl! Are you trying to kill yourself!?”

• “What happened?” Try to stand on your own.(might check)

• “Please don’t yell.” Cradle your poor head.(vitality check)

• This is too much, why is she yelling at you? What could you do? Just cry.

MIGHT CHECK FAIL

You try to steady yourself, but your legs give out from under you. The ground is made of wet mossy stones. Madame Marrouse’s hand grabs you tightly around the bicep, holding you from collapsing on the floor.

Madame: She presses something crinkly into your free hand, something round on a stick. You look down and see a lollipop, the kind you would get from a doctor after a scary wary appointment. “Now now, stop crying.” The Madame sounds slightly embarrassed, and gives your a firm pat on your head as if you were a toddler weeping after having scraped its knee.

• “Thank you.” That’s right, you’re baby.

• “I’m fine!” Get a hold of yourself, you are not! Baby! Stop crying!(Composure check)

COMPOSURE CHECK SUCCESS

You gather yourself, mentally sucking the tears back into your tear ducts as you clutch the candy in your hand. You can do this!

• “What the fuck was that?”

• “I think I am loosing my mind, the shell was singing.”

Madame: “That, silly girl, is a mer shell. They give it to people who

can listen to their songs without coming to them to die. It let’s the holder hear their songs whenever they please, which they would do fine with except it doesn’t belong to you. Does it?”

• “It does too!” (lie)

• “No, I just want to know where it’s from.”

• “It’s Toras, I wanted to know where she got it and what it was.”

Madame: The woman shakes her head, “well now you know, and I do too. I can tell you where your friend acquired it, but as payment I want it from you.”

• “What!? No you can’t take it! I need it!”

• “If you tell me where, and how to talk to those mer, it’s yours.”

• “That’s all? I want more.”

Madame: “Very well,” she reaches out for the shell again.

• Uncurl your fingers from the shell. (will check)

WILL CHECK SUCCESS

Your fingers feel stiff and creaky when you slowly release the little blue shell from their grip around it. Your fingers feel dead and unresponsive, an you watch the old woman’s slender leathery fingers pick the shell out of your claw-like hand.

Madame: She tucks the shell into the fan of her sleeve, “it’s better

this way, the shell could kill you if you tried that again.” Her dress adjusts as she gestures you towards the door, “the mer holds concerts for the unfortunate three quarters of the way to the lighthouse amongst a cluster of large rocks in the shallows. You can escape their lure by wearing ear plugs, or holding cold iron to your skin at all times.”

• “Thank you.” (Get up and leave.)

• Simply nod. (Get up and leave.)

Madame: As you exit the door you hear her say quietly behind you, “be careful love.”

-------

Fish tank

The tank behind the Madame casts a backlight on her, giving you an eerie feeling as you watch impossibly colourful fish swim by. ------

MEDIA AND PLATFORMS

THE MEDIA LANDSCAPE

City on Fire is meant for the video game and rpg players in the ages 18 and up, meaning there are many similar and adjacent games to compare to.

All modern rpg games can have mechanics like choice, combat and dialogue traced back to tabletop pen and paper gaming. Choice heavy games can come in many forms like big open world settings such as Baldur’s Gate, Fallout and Dragon Age, and more contained but just as choice heavy games such as Disco Elysium, and Pathologic.

I would compare City of Fire more to Disco Elysium and Pathologic for their smaller but immersive maps with narrative choices en masse. Disco Elysium itself has proven by its massive success in 2019, racking in 7 million USD in profit in only the first 6 months despite being their first published game. Players love having choices and having their decisions matter on a micro and macro scale.

While Pathologic is a cult classic that has barred many people from making it through its story with punishing and borderline sadistic gameplay, the people who did, often played it several times to experience the story from all angles available with the multiple main chartacter setup they use.

By giving the players of City on Fire a less punsishing gameplay and a more versatile difficulty scale along with the main character setup, I believe City on Fire would have a substancial audience.

City of fire can be published as more than a game however, making it liable for multiple platform release in form of books. and comics to add to the world. Similar to how games such as Dragon age, The Witcher and Assassins Creed has done.

PLATFORMS

The story and setting for the world behind City on Fire is versatile. It has more promise than a single story could uncover and it could simultaneously be a multi media franchise.

VIDEO GAME

The heart of the bible.

City on Fire as depicted throughout the bible has been presented as a video game. The primary way to use the bible would be to adapt it into a mystery rpg game for PC, MAC, Playstation, Xbox and Nintendo.

Gameplay wise it would function as an adabtaple point and click

adventure in which you can move a character by pointing and clicking but also with the wasd keyboard and controller.

Action and combat is static and decided by virtual dice rolls that are the mix of the way the World of Darkness module and D&D does it.

TABLETOP RPG

Pen and paper is the one media most accessible to anyone and everyone.

Closely related to the videogame rpg genre lies the tabletop formula.

I would make two different tabletop games from this story bible, one with the possibility of being the prelude game to the other.

For the first tabletop the players pick an existing town they know intimately, such as a hometown or their current place of residence. The goal is to make your own magical version of your town, making

up creatures and places for them along with a magical struggle with factions. The fun is figuring out how the mystic would look in a large city as well as a small town.

The second game consists of having a game master who writes and narrates the story that the player’s characters will act through, being able to make free decisions and attempt any action they will in the mystic world they have created together.

AUDIO DRAMA

Not all stories need visuals to be engaging and colourful.

While being entirely non-visual, audio stories and podcasts usually use social media to advertise and engage with listeners. Here they create and use mood images while engaging with fan-art.

Intermittent breaks will be had, letting a sister station in a bigger town share their broadcasts which will give a broader view of the world and what it looks like in different climate.

The audio drama would be a series of local radio station broadcasts. The station has been built recently, the hosts are both new to town and unbeknownst to them, their station has been built on a fae hill, making it a hot spot for strange happenings.

Acknowledgments

Thank you to my mentor Sascha Altschuler for guiding me through this project and having my back through the ups and downs of it all. You have been a real champ and I enjoyed every moment.

Additionally thank you to Martin Rauff for your feedback and help throughout these months. Thank you to Peter and Erik our coordinators for all your hard work and encouragement.

Joe Kelly and Mikkel Mainz were at the core of the idea, I wouldn’t have gotten to this without you right there with me in the beginning.

Thank you to Steve Seagle, Cecil Castellucci, Joana Mosi and Mads Ellegår Skovbakke who came by with great advice and guidance during the project.

And a special shout out to my flatmates Sarah Santangelo and Lee Wachman for being so cool and supportive the whole way through.