# 26.11 Narrative

#### **Feedback**

- **Factions & Main Quest Connection**
- **Individual Feedback**:
    
    
    - **Marius (Anti-Magic)**:
        
        
        - mirror images combat
        - Thorns concept: integration integration.
        - faction: possible access to caves or unique areas easier
    - **David(Coven)**:
        
        
        - Artifacts act like "batteries": provide buffs and can also debuff.
        - Focus on the final fight and the role of the last artifact.
    - **Carl(Merchant)**:
        
        
        - mental artifact.
        - Game design issue: 
            - Are dialogues planned?
            - how could powers function?
            - Faction has minimal influence on the main quest
    - **Melissa**:
        
        
        - Win condition: reaching a location rather than defeating a foe (design ).

#### **Thorns**

- **Thorns**: 
    - Visual indicators for artifact locations.
    - Special thorns (e.g., 1m tall) for unique identification.
    - Clearings surrounded by thorns point at artefact
    -

#### **Main Quest**

##### **Flow Overview**

1. **Start the Run**:
    
    
    - Tutorial or similar combat introduction.
    - Village exploration introduces nightmares and quest motivation.
2. **Nightmares & Objectives**:
    
    
    - **1st Nightmare**: Subjective and cryptic.
    - Collect **3 Artifacts** to stop the coven, break the curse, and end nightmares.

##### **Artifact Discovery**

- **How do players find them?**
    
    
    - Ask **merchants** for leads. 
        - Example: Narrow down regions through dialogue or item clues.
    - Use **magic sub-quests** for specific info: 
        - Escort someone to a shrine, retrieve magical knowledge.
    - Anti-magic faction quests: 
        - Hear rumors in exchange for completing tasks (e.g., training grounds quest).
- **What are the artifacts?**
    
    
    - Players can identify them visually.
    - Additional quest elements include: 
        - Coven involvement.
        - Dreams offering guidance.
        - Breaking faction-held artifacts.

##### **Player Awareness**

- How do players figure out their purpose? 
    - Trial and error.
    - Nightmares.
    - Coven encounters.
    - Merchant interactions.

##### **Coven Encounters**

- **When do they occur?**
    - Stop rituals during quests.
    - Random encounters after completing objectives.
    - Optional mini-boss fights with generals tied to specific artifacts.

##### **Ending**

- **Too early?**
    - Warning system in place.
    - Early arrival leads to failure or death.
- Boss fight?

#### **Biomes**

1. **Needle Forest**:
    
    
    - Dense thorns, small clearings.
    - Final coven boss area, ruins.
2. **Mountainous Region**:
    
    
    - Broad trees, large clearings.
    - Dense mixed forest with shrubs.
3. **Asian-Inspired Dense Forest**:
    
    
    - Dry terrain with tall mountains.
4. **European Deciduous Forest**:
    
    
    - No birch trees.
5. **Swamp**:
    
    
    - Wet and overgrown terrain.