Storyline *SPOILERS*

General Series of Events ***Denotes key information needed to progress.

Prologue: Gameplay is of Rill in a battlefield of the crystal wars running a pack back to the base camp. Along the way, other soldiers are giving instructions to “build a tower here” and other such things to train the player how to fight. On Rill’s arrival to the base camp, he gives his oversized sack of crystals to the general there and is congratulated for completing his final mission. Confused, it is explained to Rill that his 25 years of service is now over and he is to be sent back to his hometown with his pay to live in peace. Rill boards a train and sent on his way…

Title Sequence / Opening Credits / Character Development: The train speeds along the track as the sky gradually turns dark. Rill muses to himself that all he knows is war and wonders how he will adjust to a quiet life. He expounds on the nature of the world politics and his feelings about it for the benefit of establishing the setting for the player.

Train Station: The whole town is at the train station to welcome Rill home. Everyone has something to say and moves out of the way as Rill talks to the crowd. This allows the player to be directed to certain people and guided to the exit. ***Rill’s parents are near the exit and tell Rill that he should stay the night at their house since it's so late. ***The mayor tells Rill that he needs to check in at the town hall the next morning to fill out some forms.

Town (First Night): Clockwork guards are stationed around the town, limiting movement to the residential area. All places are closed except the Inn, the Church, and Rill’s parents house.

The Church: The priest explains his duties to heal the sick and wounded. This place is a place of sanctuary where politics is of no concern. He will not speak ill of anyone here.

The Inn: Most of the characters not met in the Train Station can be found here. They establish relationships with Rill and the romance side-plot can be started here. Maybe a couple of mini-games here would help for players who hate playing anything with a real storyline. ***Rill’s best friend Jansen is found here and Rill’s parents will keep insisting he “catch up” with old friends at the Inn until he has spoken with Jansen.

Rill’s Parent’s House: Firstly, until Rill has spoken with Jansen, all they will say is that he needs to go “catch up” with old friends at the Inn while the night is still young. They will have time to talk later. After talking to Jansen to re-establish his friendship, Rill can talk to his parents. They ask him about the war, Rill doesn't want to talk about it. ***Roe suggests that Rill find a nice girl to settle down with. Gil suggests that Rill go buy that haunted cabin by the lake. Rill asks about the rumors he heard from Jansen about the town being run by a mining company now. Roe explains that crystals of a usable size were found in the mountains near here and a mining company has taken over. Rill knows that war will soon follow. (Perhaps a shadow in the window here indicating someone’s spying on them?) Then they all go to bed.

Early Morning: Rill wakes up. Everyone else is still asleep. All places are closed except the Town Hall. ***The occasional guard will tell Rill that the Mayor is waiting for him in the Town Hall.

Town Hall: The Mayor welcomes Rill once inside. He says “sign here” a lot. He informs Rill that “things have changed” and tells him of the Mining Company’s V.P. and Mining Army’s Commander (which immediately come in). The V.P. and Commander try to intimidate Rill into joining them, or, at least, not interfering with their operations. Rill says he only wants a quiet life of retirement and asks to buy the haunted cabin by the lake. ***The Mayor asks how much Rill has and takes all but 100gp from him. With a final warning for Rill to mind his own business, the V.P. and Commander leave. The Mayor warns Rill that he will have to clear the cabin of monsters, but it’s his now.

Kleinesdorf: Rill is now free to roam the city. Shops are open. People are out and about. Bridges to the mining camp and HQ are blocked by clockwork guards. The lake and ocean boats are inaccessible due to river/sea monsters. More rumors can be had at the INN as well as romance advancement.

Haunted Cabin: (1^st Dungeon) Rill must clear the area outside the cabin to make it safe. Then he can enter the cabin and clear the first floor. In one of the rooms, he encounters a mini-boss that escapes down a hatch after so much damage. Following it down the hatch, Rill then has to clear the basement until he discovers the boss in the hidden laboratory / workshop under the cabin. After beating the boss monster, Rill can then look about the lab. ***Jansen pops in and gives Rill the tour of all the equipment (for the player’s benefit). The player now has the option of making defense towers and can make up to 2 of them to place outside the cabin to keep the local monsters from coming back. ***On leaving the cabin, Jansen suggests that the monsters are probably coming from the nearby abandoned mine and that if Rill wants to put a permanent stop to them, he should clean and clear that mine.

Abandoned Mine: (2^nd Dungeon) Townfolk will hint strongly at getting the abandoned mine cleared if the player heads back to town first to heal / resupply. Rill clears the caverns. Here, the player will find some more naturally growing crystals for use in crafting. Rill even finds plans for making crystal landmines. There are some more places for towers to help control the monster population. Rill eventually gets to the boss monster at the back / lowest level of the cave system. The boss is like a ‘rust monster’ looking creature (but it’s NOT actually a rust monster, of course) can be defeated more easily by using crystal landmines as the body is armored but the underbelly is not. Rill takes armor plates from the monster to use in crafting an armor upgrade later. It is believed that with the smell of the powerful monster gone from the cave, the other monsters won’t be as brave about coming out. This is somewhat true, but the player can always bring Rill back to farm a few wandering monsters for gold. The carcass of the boss monster is too big to move and Rill can always come back for more armor plates if he needs them. (Tower upgrades?) ***There is nothing else for Rill to do except leave the mine.

Mine Exit: On exiting the mine, it is mid-evening and Rill is met by the V.P., the Commander, and a squad of clockwork guards. They give high praise to Rill’s bravery and skill in defeating the monster. They then INSIST that Rill work for the Mining Company as the Commander’s right-hand-man. Rill refuses them again, saying he’s sick of the crystal wars, mining companies, and politics. Rill just wants to live in peace. The V.P. says that a man of Rill’s talents cannot be left alone and he must decide if he’s with him, or against him. Rill decides “against him” whereby the V.P. leaves to establish his alibi. The Commander orders Rill to be murdered by the clockwork guards and then takes his leave too. Rill must fight his way through the clockworks to get back to his cabin where he is safe because of his towers. The clockworks are too numerous to make it back to town. ***On going to sleep, there is a cut-scene of Rill’s parents being kidnapped by a shadowy feminine figure and some clockwork assassins.

Next Day: Rill can head to town, and every clockwork that sees him tries to fight him. They are less numerous, but a consistent harassment to deal with. People about town and at the Inn heard about Rill’s mine adventure and steer Rill to talk to his parents. ***Rill eventually checks on his parents only to find a “ransom note”, but there are no ransom demands. Only a vague threat that Rill’s parents are being held hostage as insurance that Rill won’t cause trouble. Townfolk chatter now change to the kidnapping and steer Rill to seek out the town constable.

Sherriff’s Office: The constable can be found here. He is in a depressed mood about having to let the Commander institute martial law in the town. He feels powerless and ineffective. He’d fight back if he didn’t think that the Commander would take his daughter, Blossom, and keep her in the HQ prisons, deep underground. Rill talks of his parents being taken. The constable says he can’t directly help Rill, but that he knows of a cave system that runs near the prison system and that there is an entrance to that cave in the cliffs below the HQ, but it would take a sea-boat to get there. ***He then suggests that Rill talk to the crazy old hermit that lives in the shack by the sea.

Shack by the Sea: Rill fights clockworks that get in his way until he gets to the shack. The hermit confirms the existence of the cave, but says that the water’s too dangerous to travel because of the sea monster. He tells a crazy story of the sea monster being cranky about being stood up for its mating season. Apparently, the lake monster comes down the gorge every few years to romance and mate with the sea monster, but this year, he hasn't. It’s probably because of the dam the Mining Company built to redirect water to its mining operation. The lake monster can’t get past it. *** The hermit tells Rill that he found some plans washed up on shore on how to make a bomb catapult tower and that it might just work on busting the dam if he could place such a tower on the lake’s island near the dam. He then tells Rill how to craft a small boat for use in the lake.

Lake: (3^rd Dungeon) After crafting a boat and a bomb-throwing tower, Rill has to fight angry lake creatures as he tries to get to the island closest to the dam. There are a few other islands that he can place towers on to help fight off and redirect the swarms of angry lake monsters. Unfortunately, there is a large amphibious boss monster guarding the way to the desired tower platform. On defeating the boss, Rill builds the tower and destroys the dam. The boss monster is washed down the ravine and out to sea. ***The hermit shows up right behind Rill and congratulates him on his cunning. He says it should be safe to cross the sea now and Rill can use his boat which can be found on the beach by his cabin.

Sea Cave: (4^th Dungeon) The sea cave system has monsters much like the abandoned cave, but tougher. Likewise, there are naturally occurring places that can accommodate towers to help with the monster population. At certain places deep in the cave system, “weak walls” can be broken using the newly made bomb-catapult tower. Opening these areas can help with making shortcuts on the return trip, finding lost pirate treasure, and opening holes into the Mining Company prison area. Listening to weak walls gives clues as to what’s on the other side. Like: bombing the wrong hole into the prison area opens the barracks where many clockworks are ready for a fight. Bombing Rill’s parents cell opens an escape route for them. When that cell is opened, a short dialogue happens where Rill encourages a speedy escape. This is where we first see the V.P.’s daughter, Charlene, not in shadowy form. She gives the order to give chase. Rill has to fight clockworks as his parents make for the boat at the cave entrance. Pre-planted towers (on the way in) will make this part of the escape much easier. Charlene is the boss that Rill has to defeat to escape the cavern. Rill doesn't kill her, but tells her to tell her father to leave them all alone now. Then Rill leaves on the boat with his parents.

Rill’s Cabin: Rill hides his parents in his cabin because it’s safer there. Gil tells Rill of the giant crystal that the miners found in the nearby mountain of “It could destroy the world” kind of size. It’s unfortunate, but everyone, including Rill, knows that he is the only one in town capable of driving out the Mining Company so that the giant crystal can be safely drained of power before something accidentally (or intentionally!) destroys it and the world along with it.

To be continued...

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