Fading Away: The Bleak Tale of Leanen

THIS PROJECT IS ON INDEFINITE HIATUS

EXPLANATION HERE.

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The plague had come swiftly, and it had long devastated the land of Therge. Without warning, it appeared as a dark mist upon the western horizon, falling down upon the land from the lofty peaks of the nOthair Moíla. From the east, it came as a foul water from the Roþwen, running northward from haunted Ōlios. Ere two seasons had passed that the clamorous streets of Elbregn were silent, and the grand halls of the king in Sagherödn were dull and barren. Many that had not perished from that pestilence departed from the land, some going west over the nOthair Moíla or south to the forests of the Mháner, yet there were those that remained.

Whether it was through grief yet unfulfilled that bound them to Therge, or by despair that weakened their resolve to seek a better land, by the time of the warm season’s end, only they remained within that sad, blighted, and empty land. How it was that those few were yet unafflicted by the plague, none know. Perhaps by mere fortune it was that they, of all, did not perish by the dark mist.

From a quiet, little remembered farming village, then called Cersedd, one such survivor bore out at the breaking of what would have been the harvest season. Leanen, his name was; a farmer of then no renown, nor of recognition, nor of any claim to anything in the world. On the day of his leaving Cersedd, he piled the carcasses of his fallen family and of his friends into a pyre, and burned it, sending their souls to the next world.

From there, he set out on a seemingly-hopeless journey to return life to Therge, once more. Seeking out ancient spells, restless spirits, fortitude for the other survivors, and an end to the source of the plague.

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My vision for this game is one that combines survival resource gathering with role-playing player-driven storylines. Exploration will grant the player the possibilities of finding food and water sources, as well as old secrets that may lead to long-forgotten tales.

If you like any of the following, then stay tuned, as these are all massive inspirations that I keep in mind, while designing Fading Away!:

-Fear & Hunger by ~orange...A dark, brooding, and oppressive atmosphere

-Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice by Ninja Theory...Failures in the game adding up to a supernatural force that threatens to consume the soul of the player character.

-The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien...Vast landscapes that act as "environment as character"

-The Cat Lady by Harvester Games...Sketchy, dark, and semi-realistic artwork

-Fallout by Interplay Productions...Nonlinear and choice-driven quest design

-Stalker by Andrei Tarkovsky...Departing from a familiar world, and entering into a dangerous, but seemingly empty, land.

-The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess by Nintendo...Co-existence and alternation in two different dimensions/states of being

-Valhalla Rising by Nicolas Wending Refn...Dark Age style aesthetic with a somewhat Nordic tone

-Engine Summer by John Crowley...Heavy emphasis on spiritual growth/decay, with elements of nostalgia and melancholy

-Silent Hill by Konami...Brooding ambient soundscapes and soundtrack

-Dark Souls by FromSoftware...Engaging main story with a rewarding deeper tale for those who search for it

-Nosferatu: Phantom Der Nacht by Werner Herzog...Dark, bleak, wide, and empty landscapes and cities.

Please remember that this game is still in development...I am frequently working on and polishing various aspects of the project. If you have any feedback or criticisms, please let me know!

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Background image of page by Victor Lopez