Grey
03-19-2008, 07:51 AM
One of the things that makes ADOM stand out from many other roguelikes is the involving story. Of course JADE has to do better, but what will it inherit from its wonderful predecessor? As usual I have some thoughts that I'll give out in an overly verbose fashion...
ADOM's Ending
Obviously JADE's set some time after ADOM, but how does ADOM leave off? If Andor is still a force in the world then evidently a regular gate closing ending was achieved, most likely by a lawful or neutral character. One can derive a few things from this:
-The orb guardians are dead, and the orbs were placed in the anomalies.
-The gate was closed.
-Khelevaster may or may not have been saved.
-Many powerful chaos creatures were killed.
-Dwarftown was protected from its threats.
-Terinyo survived.
-Hotzy may or may not have been killed.
-White unicorn most likely was saved.
-Chaos Trinity most likely not recovered.
-Trident of the Red Rooster most likely not recovered.
-Emperor moloch likely to have not been killed.
-Weird tome may have been delivered to the Mad Minstrel.
So, using this as a basis my general guess would that Andy's on the warpath again, after vengeance for his previous setback. There may be other forces in play too.
Locations
Now I think most of us would like to see the Drakalor Chain again in JADE, even if it doesn't play a big role. After all the Chaos Gate needn't be reopened in the same place, right? And Andy may have found some other method of invading the world than a simple gate. But in general let's just consider how locations from ADOM could reappear:
Drakalor Chain
The lovely little valley that houses all our current character deaths. I think the shape of this could change with time. In particular the squareness of it will look unnatural in JADE's more open maps. Some of the mountains could be eroded down. Perhaps a volcano eroded some of the mountains, or maybe titans fleeing the chain after Chaos's defeat have made some lanscape changes. It should roughly have it's old shape, but be weathered into a style more fitting JADE's world map.
Terinyo
What has happened to this little farming village since the defeat of the forces of Corruption? Perhaps it's still a humble farming town, with a village elder and a sherrif and little quests to be done. Or maybe it's grown into a large lawful city, and Laweniwhatsit has been annexed (now some slums in the southeast of the city). I think there should definitely be a statue in the middle of the town, weathered beyond recognition of race or gender, of some champion that no one properly remembers. If you ask people they could just claim ignorance, or some might sprout rumours like "They say the hero once saved a puppy."
HMV
Whilst it's hard to see what would really becomes of this enclosed town, it has some potential. Maybe the state of Terinyo uses it for prisoners (with the hidden passage blocked and the SMC too dangerous to get through). Anyone going there would be at risk from the veteran criminals. Maybe breaking the law in Terinyo will get you sent there. Maybe it has instead become home to giant eagles. Or perhaps it's now a secret temple run by the Brothers and Sisters of Chaos.
Dwarftown
With corruption stopped and the Dwarven Halls cleared this place could become a big mining and smithing complex. The Dwarven Halls would be restored to their former glory and repopulated. Many great weapons and armour could be purchased here at high prices. Or instead maybe Kherab got some hold on the dwarven community in the past, and now the place is over-run by dark dwarves and their terrible constructs.
Infinite Dungeon
This was once a monument to order, corrupted by chaos. After closing the gate it could now be restored to its former glory: the Crystal Tower of Order. An infinitely high building stretching to the heavens. Each level is a beautiful pattern of crystals, all arranged in ordered geometric shapes, but different every time (like snowflakes). A true monument to the infinite beauty of order. It would be populated by lawful beings like ki-rins and unicorns, and tended to by priests, monks and powerful lawful guardians. At some high level one might find a great temple to a lawful god, or perhaps the ability to come face to face with the deity. High-powered chaotics and neutrals might have to assault this bastion of law (though obviously with great difficulty).
Chaos Plane
Briefly visited in the first game, maybe this colourful and jolly place could be allowing a little more tourism for the brave-hearted. Powerful chaotic PCs could explore it and find a whole other world to mess around in, with demons battling each other for supremacy and dark gods planning devious things. Lawfuls could invade it more thoroughly, trying to quell the major forces of chaos that lie therein.
Characters
Though most will be dead, some might be around, or their ancestors, or they may have made some great influence on the world.
Andor Drakon
Still alive and kicking, and out to corrupt the world again. However, his defeat centuries ago was terrible, and it's taken a long time for him to recover his troops and his power. During this time rivals may have cropped up, and he's no longer the only force of Chaos trying to rule or destroy the world. Or maybe lacking troops he has moved his physical manifestation from the Chaos Plane to Ancardia. He manipulates civilisations from the shadows whilst waiting for the opportunity to call his slowly strengthening forces to strike at the right time.
Gaab'Baay, Keriax and Malakai
The 3 guardians of the Chaos Trinity might still be at large, or maybe they have been succeeded by others. But the Chaos Trinity could still play an important role (an idea I expressed in the Religion thread was for the trinity to be used to resurrect the three lords of chaos from before Andor Drakon). The guardians may have new positions now. Gaab'Baay could be running a secret cult of chaos brothers and sisters, or other cults to dark gods. Malakai could be commanding his own army of chaos knights, wreaking havoc across the world. Keriax may have hidden himself somewhere else, in an even more inaccessible place, ever fearful of Andor Drakon sending troops after him to reclaim the crown.
The Mad Minstrel
This is the guy I want to see most again. I wrote a few of the songs he sings in ADOM, and want to write more for JADE. If not directly him or one of his descendants then maybe numerous minstrels in different towns could give similar songs. However I would really like to see a return of the real Mad Minstrel. Given his dark nature in ADOM, and the fact that the PC can deliver to him a tome that contains a hint about the Scroll of Omnipotence, it makes sense that he might have somehow acquired immortality. Not omnipotence obviously, but maybe he could help PCs that are searching for the scroll themselves (as well as using them for other dirty work he desires).
Blup
By the time of JADE he should be a much older and more matured water dragon, probably huge in size and power. No longer would he give such a simple reward as the swimming skill in exchange for carrot juice. He could be involved in much bigger quests, like the polluting of a lake by a big human city. He might also reward the player with the good old rune-covered trident in exchange for their services.
Khelevaster
Though obviously long dead, rumours of him should abound. Especially the bit about how he single-handedly stopped all the forces of chaos. Good ol' Khelevaster, eh? There should perhaps be some great mage's school in his honour. It might be possible to gain access to some of his writings and memoires, which would contain important information about the elemental orbs and the trident of the red rooster.
Nuurg-Vaarn
The Chaos Archmage suffered an embarassing defeat in the last game, but with extreme magics he has managed to be reformed as an emperor lich. Now he serves himself, not Chaos, and rules over a huge land of the dead, sending his undead legions to attack the civilisations he despises.
(continued in next post...)
ADOM's Ending
Obviously JADE's set some time after ADOM, but how does ADOM leave off? If Andor is still a force in the world then evidently a regular gate closing ending was achieved, most likely by a lawful or neutral character. One can derive a few things from this:
-The orb guardians are dead, and the orbs were placed in the anomalies.
-The gate was closed.
-Khelevaster may or may not have been saved.
-Many powerful chaos creatures were killed.
-Dwarftown was protected from its threats.
-Terinyo survived.
-Hotzy may or may not have been killed.
-White unicorn most likely was saved.
-Chaos Trinity most likely not recovered.
-Trident of the Red Rooster most likely not recovered.
-Emperor moloch likely to have not been killed.
-Weird tome may have been delivered to the Mad Minstrel.
So, using this as a basis my general guess would that Andy's on the warpath again, after vengeance for his previous setback. There may be other forces in play too.
Locations
Now I think most of us would like to see the Drakalor Chain again in JADE, even if it doesn't play a big role. After all the Chaos Gate needn't be reopened in the same place, right? And Andy may have found some other method of invading the world than a simple gate. But in general let's just consider how locations from ADOM could reappear:
Drakalor Chain
The lovely little valley that houses all our current character deaths. I think the shape of this could change with time. In particular the squareness of it will look unnatural in JADE's more open maps. Some of the mountains could be eroded down. Perhaps a volcano eroded some of the mountains, or maybe titans fleeing the chain after Chaos's defeat have made some lanscape changes. It should roughly have it's old shape, but be weathered into a style more fitting JADE's world map.
Terinyo
What has happened to this little farming village since the defeat of the forces of Corruption? Perhaps it's still a humble farming town, with a village elder and a sherrif and little quests to be done. Or maybe it's grown into a large lawful city, and Laweniwhatsit has been annexed (now some slums in the southeast of the city). I think there should definitely be a statue in the middle of the town, weathered beyond recognition of race or gender, of some champion that no one properly remembers. If you ask people they could just claim ignorance, or some might sprout rumours like "They say the hero once saved a puppy."
HMV
Whilst it's hard to see what would really becomes of this enclosed town, it has some potential. Maybe the state of Terinyo uses it for prisoners (with the hidden passage blocked and the SMC too dangerous to get through). Anyone going there would be at risk from the veteran criminals. Maybe breaking the law in Terinyo will get you sent there. Maybe it has instead become home to giant eagles. Or perhaps it's now a secret temple run by the Brothers and Sisters of Chaos.
Dwarftown
With corruption stopped and the Dwarven Halls cleared this place could become a big mining and smithing complex. The Dwarven Halls would be restored to their former glory and repopulated. Many great weapons and armour could be purchased here at high prices. Or instead maybe Kherab got some hold on the dwarven community in the past, and now the place is over-run by dark dwarves and their terrible constructs.
Infinite Dungeon
This was once a monument to order, corrupted by chaos. After closing the gate it could now be restored to its former glory: the Crystal Tower of Order. An infinitely high building stretching to the heavens. Each level is a beautiful pattern of crystals, all arranged in ordered geometric shapes, but different every time (like snowflakes). A true monument to the infinite beauty of order. It would be populated by lawful beings like ki-rins and unicorns, and tended to by priests, monks and powerful lawful guardians. At some high level one might find a great temple to a lawful god, or perhaps the ability to come face to face with the deity. High-powered chaotics and neutrals might have to assault this bastion of law (though obviously with great difficulty).
Chaos Plane
Briefly visited in the first game, maybe this colourful and jolly place could be allowing a little more tourism for the brave-hearted. Powerful chaotic PCs could explore it and find a whole other world to mess around in, with demons battling each other for supremacy and dark gods planning devious things. Lawfuls could invade it more thoroughly, trying to quell the major forces of chaos that lie therein.
Characters
Though most will be dead, some might be around, or their ancestors, or they may have made some great influence on the world.
Andor Drakon
Still alive and kicking, and out to corrupt the world again. However, his defeat centuries ago was terrible, and it's taken a long time for him to recover his troops and his power. During this time rivals may have cropped up, and he's no longer the only force of Chaos trying to rule or destroy the world. Or maybe lacking troops he has moved his physical manifestation from the Chaos Plane to Ancardia. He manipulates civilisations from the shadows whilst waiting for the opportunity to call his slowly strengthening forces to strike at the right time.
Gaab'Baay, Keriax and Malakai
The 3 guardians of the Chaos Trinity might still be at large, or maybe they have been succeeded by others. But the Chaos Trinity could still play an important role (an idea I expressed in the Religion thread was for the trinity to be used to resurrect the three lords of chaos from before Andor Drakon). The guardians may have new positions now. Gaab'Baay could be running a secret cult of chaos brothers and sisters, or other cults to dark gods. Malakai could be commanding his own army of chaos knights, wreaking havoc across the world. Keriax may have hidden himself somewhere else, in an even more inaccessible place, ever fearful of Andor Drakon sending troops after him to reclaim the crown.
The Mad Minstrel
This is the guy I want to see most again. I wrote a few of the songs he sings in ADOM, and want to write more for JADE. If not directly him or one of his descendants then maybe numerous minstrels in different towns could give similar songs. However I would really like to see a return of the real Mad Minstrel. Given his dark nature in ADOM, and the fact that the PC can deliver to him a tome that contains a hint about the Scroll of Omnipotence, it makes sense that he might have somehow acquired immortality. Not omnipotence obviously, but maybe he could help PCs that are searching for the scroll themselves (as well as using them for other dirty work he desires).
Blup
By the time of JADE he should be a much older and more matured water dragon, probably huge in size and power. No longer would he give such a simple reward as the swimming skill in exchange for carrot juice. He could be involved in much bigger quests, like the polluting of a lake by a big human city. He might also reward the player with the good old rune-covered trident in exchange for their services.
Khelevaster
Though obviously long dead, rumours of him should abound. Especially the bit about how he single-handedly stopped all the forces of chaos. Good ol' Khelevaster, eh? There should perhaps be some great mage's school in his honour. It might be possible to gain access to some of his writings and memoires, which would contain important information about the elemental orbs and the trident of the red rooster.
Nuurg-Vaarn
The Chaos Archmage suffered an embarassing defeat in the last game, but with extreme magics he has managed to be reformed as an emperor lich. Now he serves himself, not Chaos, and rules over a huge land of the dead, sending his undead legions to attack the civilisations he despises.
(continued in next post...)