Prologue and Twine Tech Demo 0.1

Game Menu. Player Start. Ext. - Forest - Rainy Night A wooden wagon slowly crosses through a wooded path. The driver is a hooded figure, not more than a silhouette and a lamp. Stars hang in the sky. The driver TAPS against the wall of the wagon. (text-colour:purple)[["Letter for you."|Int. Wagon]] //These scenes are intentionally designed to be implemented with minimal effort(mvp!), mainly SFX and simple FX that doesn't ask for large art asset creation. This should give us a nice ground to start testing in-game asset importing, sound design, animatic/cinimatics/key art/etc/general in-game pipeline. Purple text is dialogue. //

Int. Wagon Simple wooden cabin, with a small window that looks out above the driver's hat. Rain and stars. (text-colour:purple)["I think. What's your name again?"] ''Player types in their name.'' (text-colour:purple)["{Player name.}"] A letter flaps through the window and lands on the floor. The rain has smudged its To and From to be unrecognizeable. (text-colour:purple)["So that's what that's supposed to mean."] [[Open letter.]] //Assigning a surprising sound to each letter on the player name keyboard would be a fun little thing here. //

The letter opens up on screen. A few words smudged out by water, represented by dashes here. VO does its best to mumble its way through these parts. (text-colour:purple)["Dear {player name}, We regret to inform you that you are officially rejected from this world. This is effective immediately."] A low foreboding tone. The letter takes on a strange hue, starting as a faint glow, getting brighter. The rain gets more intense outside the window, blotting out the stars and The Rider's hat. (text-colour:purple)["Please standby for the --pl--m-g-rt-z-- process to complete. ] The darkness behind the rain transitions to a galactic stream of color, and a heavy wind pushes the rain at an extreme angle. (text-colour:purple)["Your participation is mandatory." ] Thunder sfx. Lightning (window whiteout fx). Rain is falling upside down. (text-colour:purple)[["The key to this land is a song. Play it for us.|"To begin, enter the correct passkeys using an appropriate air passage."]] //wishlist: After the ""effective immediately", the letter is blank but then the words magically begin to appear.//

- the wagonX - the letter< - the windown/world transformation< - the puzzle/reason for the puzzle - visited by a fae/maybe it's the letter? - sing into the game? - whispers on the breeze SFX!!X - unlocks - the ballad of the unshaken - SFX of branches shaking - fog - ritual completeX CRASH - smashing through a big drumX - transition into barry/anna contentX

(text-colour:purple)["The first part sounds like..."] [[Sing your song.|1st note]] [[Give the orange to a stranger.|1st note]] [[Open the addict door.|1st note]] //This sequence inspired by Puzzle inspired by this tutorial level password puzzle in Kentucky Route Zero: https://youtu.be/uhDaWwg5uCI?feature=shared&t=465 The three choice paths in this sequence are written to attract our top player types, from the design vision meetings - Expression, Fellowship, and Discovery. //

(text-colour:purple)["Of course. Such a classic. Play it for me."] The player instrument drops through the window. They click it to interact. Game text: To play, click an area on the instrument. Choose your pitch wisely. The player chooses a note on the C scale. All notes are correct and will continue the sequence. A sequence of up to three notes/a short measure of song would also work. A song begins to play very softly and distantly, overtaking the sound of the rain. (text-colour:purple)["Pretty. The second part sounds like..."] [[Dance around the fire.|2nd note]] [[Learn their name.|2nd note]] [[Rummaging through the old chest.|2nd note]] //wishlist: The player can sing into their mic, and the pitch will be auto-detected. The instrument that comes from the window is a microphone.//

(text-colour:purple)["I didn't think you'd know that part. Prove it."] Game text: Play the sound of (player choice). Player creates second pitch/measure. The song is more audible. The words are missing. (text-colour:purple)["Dramatic. Now the finale. It's like..."] [[Bang the drum.|3rd note]] [[Exchange the secret in the grove.|3rd note]] [[Keep the compass.|3rd note]]

(text-colour:purple)["Very good. Let's hear it."] The player plays the third part. They're asked if they are finished with their song. They choose yes. The player created song - combining all three parts - plays. (text-colour:purple)["Yes. That's right."] The words of the song begin to fade in. It's the Ballad of the Unshaken. The player's song is in the key of the ballad, and is tied in somewhere (unobtrusive but fun) to reward the player (text-colour:purple)["That's exactly it."] The VO begins to laugh in delirious joy. The camera looks down at the letter and it vanishes. (wishlist - bursts into smoke/flames) (text-colour:purple)["You're in for it now!"] The cabin begins to shake. (frame shake fx). The words of the song get louder, as the cabin begins to sound like an airplane nosediving through the air. The cabin window rushes quickly towards a white circle, then the screen whites out. EXT. GIANT DRUM FACE A loud bang. The front of the cabin crashes through an immense drumhead. (Flash of a good keyframe.) CRASH. Blackout. [[Next]] // The player created song could serve as part of character creation, and we could use it in more magical sequences to cutomize game experience, when they level up, and as a sort of gamer tag that otherp layers can play to call someone over or as a calling card in their compositions -which perhaps they can share?//

EXT. - SMITHY - DAY Player finds themselves on the path outside of the smithy. On one side of the path is the wreck of the wagon. [[Enter the Smithy]]

(smithy entrance, green=narration, red=taryn) (text-colour:green)[The clink of a hammer hitting an anvil, always accompanied by the soft tone of a vibraphone resounds through the air.] (text-colour:green)[The hammer strikes stop, as if the source stops to listen.] [[Wait at the door.]] [[Enter.]]

(text-colour:green)[A lingering vibraphone note lingers in the air, this time accompanied by footsteps. They approach. Surely as one could expect, the door to the smithy swings open. Before you stands a tall and muscular blacksmith. She seems somewhat exerted and her apron is smudged with grease, as if she has been working for some time. She offers a half-hearted but friendly smile.] (text-colour:red)[Oh! A newcomer. Well, you've found the smithy. I'm Taryn, the blacksmith of this hamlet.] (text-colour:green)[[Taryn beckons you inside.]] (provides an example of tutorializing choices)

(text-colour:green)[You slide open the creaky smithy door and peek inside.] (depiction of Taryn cold forging SOMETHING inside. If relevant, a note is played on her anvil when she strikes the metal against the anvil.) (text-colour:green)[A tall, muscular blacksmith relentlessly strikes at the billet of metal on her vibraphone anvil. And when she does - the metal appears to heat up, ever so slightly. It looks like hard work, and judging by the grease on her apron and sweat on her brow, she's been at it for a while. Your presence attracts her attention. She places her hammer on her anvil and turns to face you, with a small bewildered smile on her face.] (text-colour:red)[Oh! A newcomer. Well, you've found the smithy. I'm Taryn, the blacksmith of this hamlet. Don't be a stranger, come in.] (text-colour:green)[[Taryn beckons you inside.]] (provides an example of tutorializing choices)

My name is {name}. I hail from... [[The Kingdom of Marnivar, the land of warriors.]] [[The distant north, the home of the Khyángha.]] [[Elsewhere in the Two Rivers valley, nearby. I am of the River Folk.]] [[The eastern drylands - I am of the Asharim people.]] [[Here and there. We Let don't call just one place home.]] [[...Somewhere else]]

Taryn: "What should I build or fix today? I am feeling INSPIRED! The creative fire burns within me!" There will be a big guitar on the table right in the center of the picture. It will be bright and broken, as if inviting player to say guitar. [[Player: Guitar]] [[Player: Hammer]] [[Player: Drum]] [[Player: Something useful?]] [[Player: {FREEFLOW}]] [[Exit Prologue]]

(like in the shrouded path, use this to guide the LLM based on physical descriptions of each player for their description. Further info/guidance is in the culture docs in git. https://gitlab.com/the-smithy1/glass-umbrella-knowledge-repo/-/blob/main/docs/narrative/Culture_of_the_Marnivar.md?ref_type=heads) I come from a clan of... [Blonde-haired] [Red-haired] ... warriors. Our... [Gray] [Blue] [Green] ... eyes and... [Medium] [Large] ... stature strike fear into the hearts of our enemies. (Repeat the selections as a sentence. prompt to review and confirm, or go back.) (text-colour:red)[One of my people, yes I see.] (text-colour:green)[Taryn offers a small reassuring smile, seemingly nonplussed.] [[(text-colour:red)[You're an outsider, your perspective is different, at least. Perhaps you can help.]]]

(like in the shrouded path, use this to guide the LLM based on physical descriptions of each player for their description. Further info/guidance is in the culture docs in git. https://gitlab.com/the-smithy1/glass-umbrella-knowledge-repo/-/blob/main/docs/narrative/Culture_of_the_Khy%C3%A1ngha.md?ref_type=heads) I come from a family of... [Blonde-haired] [White-haired] ... scholars and dragon tamers. Our eyes are... [Violet] [Ice Blue] [Blue] [Dark Blue] ... and our frames are... [Small] [Medium] , perfect for living in harmony with silver dragons. (Repeat the selections as a sentence. prompt to review and confirm, or go back.) (text-colour:red)[Ah, Minh's people! I have heard tales of your mysterious land beyond the polar rim.] (text-colour:green)[Taryn offers a small reassuring smile and nods.] [[(text-colour:red)[You're an outsider, your perspective is different, at least. Perhaps you can help.]]]

(like in the shrouded path, use this to guide the LLM based on physical descriptions of each player for their description. Further info/guidance is in the culture docs in git. https://gitlab.com/the-smithy1/glass-umbrella-knowledge-repo/-/blob/main/docs/narrative/Culture_of_the_River_Folk.md?ref_type=heads) We are the river keepers, the natives of this land. (text-colour:red)[Yet you seem just a bit far from home. It's quite alright, there's a home for everyone here.] (text-colour:green)[Taryn offers a small reassuring smile and nods.] [[(text-colour:red)[You're an outsider, your perspective is different, at least. Perhaps you can help.]]] (consider adding more options for River Folk physicality)

(like in the shrouded path, use this to guide the LLM based on physical descriptions of each player for their description. Further info/guidance is in the culture docs in git.) We Asharim are a people with many histories and many stories, yet we are a unified people My family has... [Textured hair.] [Straight hair.] Our eyes are... [Light Brown.] [Yellow.] [Hazel.] [Brown.] [Dark Brown.] Our skin is... [Very Dark.] [Dark.] [Tan.] [Lightly Tanned.] [Fair.] And we are... [Average in stature.] [Particularly Tall.] (Repeat the selections as a sentence. prompt to review and confirm, or go back.) (text-colour:red)[How welcome it is to meet one of the nomads of the east.] (text-colour:green)[Taryn offers a small reassuring smile and nods.] [[(text-colour:red)[You're an outsider, your perspective is different, at least. Perhaps you can help.]]]

(like in the shrouded path, use this to guide the LLM based on physical descriptions of each player for their description. Further info/guidance is in the culture docs in git.) (text-colour:green)[Taryn studies you for a few quiet moments. Her expression plays out an animated eureka moment.] (text-colour:red)["You mean you're a Let? I was beginning to wonder if our humble settlement would attract a bit of post, someday." She teasingly chides. "But tell me more about your family."] The pattern of our uniforms are... [Vertically Striped] [Horizontally Striped] [Paisley] [Waved] [Polka Dotted] [Incorporate a fish tessellation pattern] ...and incorporate these colors... [Yellow, Purple, and White] [Black, Red, and Blue] [Green, Blue, and Brown] [White, Gray, and Black] [Orange, Red, and Yellow] [Red, White, and Blue] [Red, Blue, and Yellow] We have... [Textured hair.] [Straight hair.] ... and our complexions are... [Very Dark.] [Dark.] [Tan.] [Lightly Tanned.] [Fair.] (Repeat the selections as a sentence. prompt to review and confirm, or go back.) ... stature strike fear into the hearts of our enemies. (text-colour:red)[One of my people, yes I see.] (text-colour:green)[Taryn offers a small reassuring smile, seemingly nonplussed.] [[(text-colour:red)[You're an outsider, your perspective is different, at least. Perhaps you can help.]]]

(like in the shrouded path, use this to guide the LLM based on physical descriptions of each player for their description. Further info/guidance is in the culture docs in git.) (I'd suggest an amalgam of previous attributes here, or to give a guided free-form input. I'll demonstrate what the former looks like.) I hail from particularly distant lands. (text-colour:red)[Fascinating, tell me more about your people.] (text-colour:green)[Taryn looks quizzically at (name).] We have... [Textured hair.] [Straight hair.] ...and generally are... [Blonde-haired] [Red-haired] [White-haired] [Black-haired] [Brown-haired] ...our eyes tend to be... [Gray] [Silver] [Green] [Violet] [Ice Blue] [Blue] [Dark Blue] [Light Brown.] [Yellow.] [Hazel.] [Brown.] [Dark Brown.] ...our complexions are... [Very Dark] [Dark] [Tan] [Lightly Tanned] [Fair] ... and our statures are... [Small.] [Medium.] [Large.] [Particularly Tall.] (Repeat the selections as a sentence. prompt to review and confirm, or go back.) (Some of these combinations could be a little odd, but that's okay in my view, since our aim is to focus on expression.) (text-colour:red)[A foreigner indeed. You are welcome here, in our hamlet.] (text-colour:green)[Taryn offers a small reassuring smile, seemingly nonplussed.] [[(text-colour:red)[You're an outsider, your perspective is different, at least. Perhaps you can help.]]]

(text-colour:red)[Let me explain. At this rate, we're going to run out of tools, and if we don't have working tools, well...] (text-colour:red)[... that would be bad for everyone. We could use some help repairing the smithy. I have the bellows here. As they are, they're punctured and useless. Would you mind taking a look?] [[I would be happy to.]] [[Ask Taryn about...]]

(actual test minigame goes here. I'm operating under the assumption the broken scale is used, and its implied with A/V cues that the player repairs it using their instrument and magic.) (text-colour:red)[You did it! Of course, it could be sewn up using magic - good thinking. There's more pieces to the puzzle, and I get the feeling you're just the person we need to help us out of this bind.] (text-colour:green)[Taryn smiles encouragingly.] (text-colour:red)[Be sure to meet everyone around town and ask them about the smithy, if you find the time. You've been a huge help already. If you have any more questions for me, feel free to ask.] [[Ask Taryn about...]] [[Exit Prologue]]

(suggesting a more free-form character-centric approach to this next stage of the prologue, ultimately resolving back at Taryn when she realizes her aether/binding ability and has the player help repair the smithy, exiting the prologue) Exit to town.

(text-colour:red)[You can see my predicament, I'm sure. Cold forging is such a slow process, and I can't be of much use to anyone going at the pace I am. The forge is broken, and it's been this way for a while. You wouldn't believe the backlog I have - at this rate progress in town is going to grind to a halt.] (text-colour:green)[Silence lingers for a moment after the blacksmith vents her frustration. Taryn is making the best out of a bad situation.] [[Introduce yourself]] [[Ask Taryn about...]]

A magical singing hammer! YES! One that harmonizes with whatever you're building! Each strike creates a different note based on the metal's molecular composition! We could have SYMPHONIC construction! Finally, someone who appreciates true innovation!

A self-playing drum! BRILLIANT! One that reads the room's emotional energy and plays the perfect rhythm! With crystal resonators and... wait, what if it also changes colors? And maybe shoots sparkles? OH! And it could brew tea while it plays! This will revolutionize music forever!

Useful? USEFUL?! My friend, you clearly don't understand the artistic process! Everything I make IS useful—just in ways people haven't realized yet! But fine, let's make a... a... OH! A spoon that tells you exactly how much salt your soup needs! With tiny bells that chime the perfect seasoning ratios!

RAG with {character file} + {instructions} to llm //see character freeflow demo// [[Exit Prologue]]

Oh... you noticed that old thing? Great idea, let's do that. You know, nobody usually appreciates my inventions—they always want 'practical' things like 'working door hinges' and 'swords that don't explode.' I'm really glad you came to Grit. Maybe you'll actually understand what I'm trying to create here.