So as my experience at Go Media draws to a conclusion, I was given this final task to write my own GoMediaZine article, something as a sort of memento.  There was one thing I knew I could discuss with confidence, and even though it doesn’t have much to do with design, the process isn’t too different, and it takes just as much determination; writing a story.

Forsaken

See, I may be a student of Graphic Design, but my life goal is to become a Game Designer (or at least a Concept Artist at a development company). As much as I love drawing, I love to tell stories. I’m also a huge gamer; I’ve been holding a controller for the same amount of time as I’ve been holding a pencil. For a while now, I’ve been creating my own story that I would love to see on the TV/PC screen, and I’m putting in as much time as I can on it. Its working title is called “Forsaken”, and it’s a pretty dark game… imagine Okami, except with more black (don’t know what Okami is? Look it up; you won’t be disappointed).

The Story

The story occurs during a time of darkness and despair. Life in this world consists of three main races: the Higher, a race of god-like birds that reside in the world of clouds above, the Sky. On the surface, the Higher are considered divine beings, deities that have ultimate power. Then there’s the Men; basically, the human race. However, they do not look like us in this world. Males are much more primitive looking, while females look a bit more “elf-ish”. Most Men live their lives as servants to the Higher. And lastly, there is the race of tribal felines known as the Forsaken. The Forsaken are hated by both Higher AND Men alike, being looked upon as mindless, bloodthirsty beasts. However, under the rule of their king, they live a life of tolerance and peace, wishing no ill-will on either race.

Magic, otherwise known as Hidden Powers in this story, is the main source of power in this world. Two types in particular, known by many in this new world as the original sources of magic, control all aspects of life; Benevolence (pure light) and Malevolence (darkness). Each one balances each other out, creating order and stability in an otherwise unstable era. The Higher are naturally gifted creatures, being able to perform Hidden Powers as soon as they are born. The Men and Forsaken are not so lucky, as they are forced to learn it on their own, sometimes taking years to master. Even more unlucky for them is the fact that the Higher gods have forbidden the study of Hidden Powers for either race, to prevent acts of rebellion. That did not stop most Men, however, and pretty much the entire Forsaken race have learned it (the Higher see so little of the Forsaken as a threat that they really do not care to mettle with them).

There are many types of powers that the player can learn, like launching explosive fireballs, becoming encased in an indestructible metal shell, summoning acidic rain storms, blasting through multiple enemies as a raging lightning bolt, and even calling forth a deity of pure light that eradicates enemies depending on how much dark energy they’re composed of.

You play as the King of the Higher, a monstrous-looking horned eagle named Amqueela. Amqueela’s a bit of a brute; his natural Hidden Power is Darkness, after all. He constantly performed suspicious, malicious acts that arose the attention of the Higher gods. After a meeting with a dark sorcerer of shadows, only known as the Foul Priest, in an attempt to acquire so much power that he himself could become a god, his birth-right as a Higher King was stripped from him, and he was banished from the Sky as punishment. In an act of desperation, Amqueela approached the Priest, one of his own former slaves, to ask for help. However, the Priest steals the Higher King’s soul, his “Wretched Bane”, forcing him to turn into a Forsaken, specifically a white panther.

Your journey as Amqueela is to take back your soul from the Foul Priest and reaffirm your place as king. That’s the MAIN story, anyway… this story is set to have multiple arches and side-stories, as well as alternate endings that will take your breath away. I don’t plan on making this easy for players, as I want this game to be a challenge (something I hardly see in most games nowadays), so when they reach a new segment of the story, it will reward them in a way that will convince them to keep pushing on to find out what happens next, or to play with a new power they may have discovered.

You’ll meet all sorts of strange characters along the way, both friendly and hostile, such as a six-tailed demoness fox, a militant falcon on a quest for retribution, a pair of insane puppet jesters that haunt a forest of gold, and a female warrior with the talent to bend pure Benevolent light that is revealed to be the sister of the Foul Priest. They’re all sure to leave an impression thanks in part to their eccentric personalities and bewildering back-stories.

What I’ve Learned

One thing that I’ve slowly started to understand while writing this story (as well as my previous story before “Forsaken”) is that things happen overtime; you slowly build up something, like a story, a drawing, or a talent, you’ll soon see it become an entity. Forsaken was the result of an entire year of non-stop formulating, sketching, typing, and headaches, and it’s still got a ways to go. Through it all, you just don’t stop doing it, and tell people about it. That’s it. It’s just like the world of design; ya gotta invite people into your head if you want ’em to stick around for more. If you’ve discovered a new universe in your head, why try and hide your discovery for yourself? Reveal it to the world! Let people know what you’ve found out about this fascinating new world; who dwells there, what its climate is, how’s the ecosystem, is there a superior race in this world, do they have a functioning society, or is society merely a figment of the imagination and anarchist rebellion is law? TELL US.

Welp, I suppose that this would be a good stopping point. I don’t wanna give out too much about my story yet. Thank you for taking the time to read my lengthy story. But hey, wasn’t it worth it? It’ll be that way with my game too, which you should totally buy when it comes out in I-don’t-know-how-many years. For now, go ahead and browse through my entire collection of concept art for Forsaken. Thanks again!

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