A ninth spellsong!

It is the first eight seconds here.

I have transcribed it as "Seilei colfin ar kadram tro...."

Who this belongs to is unknown.

Digital Viginette: Gemdust Cave

"This is it. Gemdust Cave," Miresa announced as they approached the entrance to a large, gray, and rocky cavern. Although the path ahead was dark, there were the occasional gleams of light sparkling from the inside.

"Are those lights from gems?" Arune asked as she flitted by Miresa. Miresa nodded.

"Yes. Bradlin and I like to come to this cave often. This place is a huge source of Gemdust, which as you know, is what we use to uncover gems that lie in the Aoi River," she explained. As they got further in the cave, the light from the gemdust lit the cave in a light blue hue.

"I can actually see now!" Arune exclaimed.

"Some of the enemies in here carry Gemdust on them. So let's be on the lookout," Miresa added. But Arune's wings twitched as she felt the wind of an approaching earth bat.

"Watch out!" Arune cried. The bat barely missed Miresa as she ducked from its approaching dive. The bat's wings were covered in a rocky crust, symbolizing its Earth element. The bat raised its wings and flapped them violently, releasing a screeching supersonic wave.

"Be careful, Arune!" Miresa shouted over the loud roar of the waves.

"I've had enough of this!" Arune exclaimed. "Foam Shower!" She yelled as she raised her tiny rapier at the bat. Blue magical energy swirled around the sword and soon turned into a foamy water. She swung her sword, making the water fly towards the bat.

The ball of water exploded upon hitting the bat, resulting in a large splash. The sonic waves subsided as the bat fell to the ground. "Good job, Arune!" Miresa said as she walked over to the bat's remains. Light glittered from the wings of the bat.

"Is that what I think it is?" Arune asked as she flitted towards the substance.

"Yes, that's Gemdust," Miresa explained as she gathered the dust into a small bag. She tied a rope around the top of the bag and shook it. "We have what we came for, but how about we continue ahead? There may be some rare jewels deeper in the cave."

"Sure! The day is still young after all," Arune replied as they both continued through the glittering cavern......

Idea: Field spells

One new idea we are considering is the addition of HM-like field spells--if we go ahead with this idea, what kinds of field spells would you want to see (besides the obvious healing spells)?

If it's a bad idea, why do you believe it is a bad idea? ("Because it's terrible" and the derivatives thereof are not acceptable answers, because it doesn't answer WHY you believe it is a bad idea--and if we know why, we can better tweak the idea)

A New Beginning...

The story begins...here

Now with a new prologue and a walking tour of the new Telrain.

Miresa's Diary

One major change we're making in this draft is in how to remind people what they should be doing--a journal system--or rather, Miresa's diary

Check it out here.

First Look: New Forest of Dawn

Here's a sneak peek at the new Forest of Dawn. You'll notice that it has more winding paths now, which should encourage players to explore off the beaten path.

Take a look

New Feature: Inns

In Shokiyu, not only will inns provide a place to recover your HP, but they will also be a useful source of knowledge.

Talk to the NPCs in the inns. You will get useful information that may or may not be limited to:

- Information about what you should be doing
- Information about Shokiyu
- Silly rumors and gossip
- Information about potential sidequests

We're alive, but...

...we're starting the game over again.

From my partner:

"So. We're starting over.

I feel that the old draft had way too many errors, and I think starting anew after so long will give me space to be able to redo everything in a more neat manner.

I hope you guys stay tuned for more Gemsinger Updates.

There will be many changes from the old version.

Such include:

More sidequests
More in-depth battle system
Characters will have a bigger role

etc."

That said, I'm hoping that this year we can at the very least get a working and playable demo out to you, the fans.

I'm committed to seeing the game (and its novelization) through to the end--I wouldn't give up on Shokiyu after working and tweaking and refining it for five years now.

Rest assured, I haven't given up on Miresa and friends--after her story ends, I have ideas for other stories (and possibly other games) in Shokiyu.

For now, Miresa and  co.are back and ready for more adventures in 2014. 

Lore Posts to Continue

Summer may be over, but the posts of lore will continue, to make up for missing a lot of days. I also hope to have some updates on The Video Game, as well.

New Spellsong!

An eighth spellsong echoes through Shokiyu... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-VN3QYb__U

I have transcribed it as "Seios, higarima laisido..."

Who this spellsong belongs to is currently unknown.

New Spellsong!

t's a "blink and you'll miss it" moment, but here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHumTOqQ4wQ I have transcribed it as "Leishu shun ji, lei si..."

Summer of Lore #74: A Song for Miresa

"Hear ye, people of Telrain! The lady Miresa Selvan has reached her thirteenth year!" a blonde haired minstrel announced, making the guests present cheer as a cake was set before Miresa with thirteen candles adorning its chocolate frosting.

"What is your wish for this year?" Arune asked her Other.

"The same thing I wish for every year." Miresa smiled before addressing the guests. "I wish for peace for all Shokiyu." With that, she blew out the candles, to cheers, applause and a triumphant chord from the minstrel's harp.

"A song for the young lady?" the minstrel grinned--he knew as well as the other guests that when it was someone's birthday, the guest of honor chose the first song of the party.

Miresa thought for a moment, then told the minstrel "I would like to hear 'Oh Soldier, Soldier'"

The minstrel nodded, then started the familiar melody. Oh soldier, soldier, would you marry me now?
With a hey, and a ho, and the sound of a drum...
Oh no, fair maid, I cannot marry you
For I have no stockings to put on

So she went to the shop, as quick as she could run,
With a hey, and a ho, and the sound of a drum...
And she bought him a pair of the very very best
Saying 'Here, my good man, put these on...'

Oh soldier, soldier, would you marry me now?
With a hey, and a ho, and the sound of a drum...
Oh no, fair maid, I cannot marry you
For I have no leather boots to put on

So she went to the shop, as quick as she could run,
With a hey, and a ho, and the sound of a drum...
And she bought him a pair of the very very best
Saying 'Here, my good man, put these on...'

Oh soldier, soldier, would you marry me now?
With a hey, and a ho, and the sound of a drum...
Oh no, fair maid, I cannot marry you
For I have no bracers to put on

So she went to the shop, as quick as she could run,
With a hey, and a ho, and the sound of a drum...
And she bought him a pair of the very very best
Saying 'Here, my good man, put these on...'

Oh soldier, soldier, would you marry me now?
With a hey, and a ho, and the sound of a drum...
Oh no, fair maid, I cannot marry you
For I have diamond ring to put on

So she went to the shop, as quick as she could run,
With a hey, and a ho, and the sound of a drum...
And she bought him a ring of the very very best
Saying 'Here, my good man, put this on...'

After a brief interlude, the minstrel continued Oh soldier, soldier, would you marry me now?
With a hey, and a ho, and the sound of a drum...
Oh no, fair maid, I cannot marry you
For I have no trousers to put on

So she went to the shop, as quick as she could run,
With a hey, and a ho, and the sound of a drum...
And she bought him a pair of the very very best
Saying 'Here, my good man, put these on...'

Oh soldier, soldier, would you marry me now?
With a hey, and a ho, and the sound of a drum...
Oh no, fair maid, I cannot marry you
For I have no linen shirt to put on

So she went to the shop, as quick as she could run,
With a hey, and a ho, and the sound of a drum...
And she bought him a shirt of the very very best
Saying 'Here, my good man, put this on...'

Oh soldier, soldier, would you marry me now?
With a hey, and a ho, and the sound of a drum...
Oh no, fair maid, I cannot marry you
For I have no feather cap to put on

So she went to the shop, as quick as she could run,
With a hey, and a ho, and the sound of a drum...
And she bought him a cap of the very very best
Saying 'Here, my good man, put this on...'

Miresa grinned as the minstrel began the final verse. Oh soldier, soldier, would you marry me now?
With a hey, and a ho, and the sound of a drum...
Oh no, fair maid, I cannot marry you...

He played a sad little flourish over his last line. For I have a wife of my own...

The room exploded in laughter and applauded as they pictured the lady's reaction to the news, drowning out the song's ending. "That last verse gets me every time!" Arune wheezed in between giggles.

"Is it any wonder it's Dorian's signature song?" Miresa smiled as she flipped a gold coin into the harp case...
 

Summer of Lore #73: Shokiyan Birthdays

In honor of my own birthday, today I want to tell you about a Shokiyan birthday.

In Shokiyu, someone's birthday is a cause for celebration, no matter how old they are turning. If it is a child's first birthday, they are taken to the Seer, where the Seer foretells their future (and if they have any developing magic power) by reading their hearts.

Bear in mind the spell used for this is different than Gem's Knowing!

Different colors mean both what kinds of magic they will develop (if any) and possible talents the child has.

For example, Miresa's heart glowed red (for the ruby) and light green (for the peridot), leading many people into thinking she would develop fire and wind magic (but it also symbolized her bravery and fighting skill and her musical and storytelling ability), which made it all the more surprising when she became infamous for magical accidents.

Like Earth birthdays, there is still a cake and presents, and tysal stands in for ice cream. The guest of honor also receives a new item of clothing, which they are expected to wear to the festivities. There is no birthday song per se, but a minstrel is usually on hand to perform anything the honoree wants to hear 

Summer of Lore #72: The City of Wenjia and the Avri Clans

Losi's hometown, Wenjia is one of the largest cities on the eastern plains of the avri lands. Avri society is based on a clan, with one of the twelve gems (eight in the video game) as their icon, and even the cities reflect this. For our purposes, we will be focusing on the game version of Wenjia and an eight clan system.

Losi is part of the Sapphire Clan, which is in charge of sacred matters, healing, and teaching. As Wenjia is a city of the Sapphire Clan, sapphires are everywhere in the city and on the clothing of the avris that live there. All avris, regardless of their clan, can learn to use a bow (this is what Losi wields, even though the Peridot clan specializes in archery), but the Sapphire Clan specializes in magical fighting, which amazes city leader Wuzhou when he finds Losi can spellsing. (a rare talent among the clan)

The other seven clans and their domains (and what weapons and fighting styles they teach, if any):

Amethyst Clan--focuses on espionage and intelligence, they usually tend to wield shurikens, chakrams, and nonlethal stunning darts (killing someone is the ultimate disgrace to an Amethyst avri)
Aquamarine Clan--focuses on trade--these avris are usually the ones traveling from place to place selling their wares. They don't have a specific style, but they will have a bow and maybe a dagger to protect themselves
Diamond Clan--focuses on defense and protection--it is usually this clan that guards cities and towns. As such, they tend to wield heavy weaponry, such as pikes, maces, and spears
Emerald Clan--focuses on farming and caring for young avris, they tend to focus on martial arts and other styles of physical fighting
Pearl Clan--focuses on wisdom and study, many great scholars came from this clan. They tend to gravitate towards weapons and martial arts that rely on very precise aim and an eye for detail
Peridot Clan--focuses on the arts and exploration, avris from this clan are famous for their archery skills, as well as skills in music, dance, theater,  and storytelling. They also tend to serve as scouts, observing the world as they patrol the land, the sea, and the air
Ruby Clan--focuses on martial arts and defense, they work with the Diamond Clan to protect the avri lands 
Topaz Clan--focuses on crafting and mining--avris from this clan make their keep crafting weapons, artifacts, and other items, as well as repairing broken items.

New Spellsong!

A new spellsong has appeared in Shokiyu!

I have transcribed it as "Furiya, shuru shamato..."

Who this spellsong belongs to is unknown at this time.

Summer of Lore #71: Calitan Laryan

Natiliene's elder brother, Calitan is very charismatic, but this is offset by a huge ego. When it came time for a successor to Taraka to be chosen, Calitan had every belief that he would be the one--only to be stunned when his sister was chosen over him.

In his jealous rage, he tracked down the leader of the Blue Wolves and asked if they would kill his sister and have it look like an accident so he would ascend to the mayorial seat. But he didn't count on Miresa and co. to intervene, much less Natiliene gaining a spellsong of her own! 

Summer of Lore #70: Gem Mining

Gem mining is a popular pastime in Shokiyu, and an easy way to get money and means to craft weapons. If digging through dirt isn't your fancy, you can buy gemdust (dirt with gems and minerals hidden inside) and do it in a river or stream with a screened box (the easier and most common way)

On your journey, earth based enemies may drop one or more bags of gemdust (which have about 20-50 uses apiece depending on the size, which you can use to mine gems at rivers and streams. Depending on the quality of the gemdust, you are more likely to find mythril shards and diamonds

Turning a Dreadknight to a Hero

Would you want to see one of the yet to be unveiled dreadknights join the side of the heroes? If so, why? If not, why not?

Board Games and How They Can help Create Video Games

Something to think about: Board games can actually be a big help in making video games--here's how

Sci fi/Fantasy movies I've seen

And now, a  little something different, taken from here.

Bold means I've seen it

1. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (cried all the way through)
2. Pan's Labyrinth
3. Moon
4. The Fellowship of the Ring (and own it on DVD)
5. The Two Towers (and own it on DVD)
6. The Return of the King (and own it on DVD)
7. The Princess Bride (not all the way through)
8. Labyrinth
9. Men in Black (had nightmares about Edgar's true form for a week afterwards)
10. Edward Scissorhands
11. Mad Max
12. Princess Mononoke
13. Spirited Away (but I really really want to see this!)
14. Gattaca
15. Primer
16. Blade Runner
17. Fantastic Planet
18. The Wizard of Oz (the Wicked Witch of the West STILL scares me to this day!)
19. The Secret of Roan Inish (really want to see this, if only for the Celtic music!)
20. Dark City
21. The Matrix
22. Time Bandits
23. Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (have seen Temple of Doom and Last Crusade too--would love to own the classic Indy trilogy on DVD)
24. La Jetée
25. Brazil
26. Metropolis
27. Big Fish
28. Solaris (original)
29. Jurassic Park (just the opening segment on DNA)
30. Alien
31. Aliens
32. Orpheus
33. Dark Star
34. 2001:  A Space Odyssey
35. Avatar (not completely--got bored an hour in, and it came off as too preachy to me)
36. Back to the Future (I really want to see this)
37. Star Wars IV:  A New Hope (seen this and the next two more times than I care to count)
38. Star Wars V:  The Empire Strikes Back
39. Star Wars VI:  The Return of the Jedi
40. Close Encounters of the Third Kind
41. A Clockwork Orange
42. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
43. The Fountain
44. Sleeper
45. City of Lost Children
46. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
47. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
48. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
49. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
50. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
51. Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince
52. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt.1 (would love to see the other movies)
53. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt.2
54. The Day the Earth Stood Still (original)
55. Donnie Darko
56. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (original)
57. Ghostbusters (love the theme song, but the movie scares me to this day)
58. Being John Malkovich
59. Akira
60. The Terminator
61. Terminator 2 (in bits and pieces)
62. Strange Days
63. Serenity

Total: 20/63