The Forgotten Game Background

Hey all!

So it’s my birthday, which means I got time to work on stuff that I care about, and not just  finals studying! I got some time to work on my Simpossible game, as well as go through some of my old design documents, and wanted to share this one with you all.

Below is the back story on a game I started writing and designing a year or so back… we’ve put the project on the back burner as of a few weeks ago, but the story written for it and the basic lore are below:

We start at a time before time. The creation of the 5 planets we now know as the 5 sisters. As legend has it, the gods created each planet 1 harvest apart, creating entirely unique ecosystems for each one.

Planets

Arne

The first was Arne. Arne was created closest to the sun. It is a barren wasteland. With no water, Arne is essentially endless sand dunes. Arne rotates much faster than any of the other planets, and it’s days only last for about 4 hours, and it’s nights the same. Arne has very little large settlements, mostly consisting of groups of 2-4 homes in the middle of nowhere.  

People: The people who are able to survive shield themselves from the sun by only coming out at night. All other times they live in these forts they make from condensed sand, which creates a stone like material. The people here are notorious for their ability to make it days without food or water, and they are able to survive off the bare minimum essentials. The people, when they do eat, feast upon the rare to find animals of the planet. They wear masks which cover all but their eyes in the hopes of avoiding the wrath of the sun.

Animals: The animals inhabiting Arne are mostly small beasts. All of the large gods fled the land within the first few hundred years. Rodents reign supreme here. Most of the rodents have evolved to eat anything they can find. They gnaw on any wood which may fall from the heavens. They eat sand, foliage, each other, and most importantly, man. The people of Arne must always be weary of where they walk, for if they stumble upon a nest of rodies, they very well may become their next meal. The rodies are small, fast, and dirty. Their eyes glow a bright yellow in the night.

Vex

Next came Vex. Vex sits comfortably away from the sun, the optimal distance for human survival. Vex is where our hero begins his story, for Vex is the origin of some events to be discussed later. Vex is unique in its ecosystem, but leans towards a more mediterranean ecosystem, however a large majority of the planet is covered in huge cities. The cities are the center of life in Vex. Anything anyone could ever need can be found in one of it’s cities. Vex is also covered in a fair amount of water.

People: The people of Vex live the best quality of life of all those who live on the 5 sisters. Vex is the government capital of all the planets, and this is mostly because of the utopian qualities it demonstrates. Being by far the most civilised and technologically advanced planet, the people are often well spoken and well off. Those who are not usually end up outside the towering city walls. The people eat well. They keep jobs and respect their government. There has only ever been one crisis in Vex. Crime is low, and the people are happy. Most stay within the walls, but it is not a big deal to leave the city once a harvest or so. The people eat meat and the food from farms. Most of the farms lay directly on the outskirts of a city’s walls, however some farmers do stray from this norm.

Animals: The animals which live in this land are few. Vex is the safest planet, and is renowned for it’s “Safety Force”, which is responsible for keeping all cities clean of pests. But the few animals that do inhabit the land of Vex are unforgiving. Packs of hounds are the most common of these. The hounds are fast, but prefer to stay unseen. The second most common is Ozen. The Ozen were once human but have evolved since the creation along a separate path than the humans. They share similar features, but are a completely separate species at this point. More on the Ozen later. Another threat to some in Vex are the bots sent out by the King Olii to seek out the forgotten who remain outside the city walls. They pose no physical threat to the forgotten, however, upon seeing a member of the forgotten, they seek out the nearest safety force members to alert them of forgotten presence.

Zaki

Zaki was the third planet to be brought into existence. Zaki sits slightly closer to the sun than Vex. Zaki is a jungle planet. Largely untamed by man, Zaki is a beautiful and peaceful planet. Zaki is said to be the home of most the gods, and for that same reason many natives claim to have encountered giant beasts on long journeys. Zaki is green and gorgeous. The planet consists of 2 masses, said to have been split by the gods at the dawn of man to keep man from ever venturing to the god’s domain. The planet therefore is effectively split down the middle, and the only way to cross the great abyss is by crossing the Bridge of the Gods. No man has ever come back from the god’s side of the planet, therefore all settlements are on the man’s side of the planet, referred to as such. The settlements in Zaki are often centered around a church of a specific god, for the inhabitants are largely religious. There are only a few large cities known within Zaki. What lies on the other side of Bridge of the Gods remains a mystery, however.

People: The people living in Zaki worship the gods for a living. All they speak of are the gods. All they ever are concerned with are the gods and it is for that reason that they placed no votes in the most recent of the elections. For this, many of the people of Zaki are unliked by those of other planets. The people of Zaki often wear face paint. They are amazing survivalists, able to track down many beasts and humans alike. In addition, they rarely ever wear shoes. The people don’t carry any currency and instead tend to be more self sufficient in all their survival needs.

Animals: The animals in Zaki are copious. All types of beasts and critters alike roam these lands. The people live at peace with many of the critters. The beasts, however, tend to attack settlements, and often. The many types of beast hold resemblance to the hounds on Vex, and the springers on Buri. However, it seems that many of these beasts still remain unknown. The gods which some claim to have seen have been recorded to take the shape of some of the common animals inhabiting this region. Ozen have been recorded to live here but are not common by any means.

Buri

Buri is the fourth planet of the sisters. Buri is the second farthest planet from the sun. Buri is the only planet to ever attempt to withdraw from the sisters, in disagreeance with the result of the 3rd election. Because of this, many of the forgotten fled to Buri after the 4th election, but fell into a trap set by the new king to rid themselves of the forgotten. The king Olii flooded the planet killing many of the inhabitants, and destroying all established settlements. Because of this, Buri is almost entirely covered in debris scattered water. The settlements that have since popped up are placed upon giant rafts, and have little protection from the springers, a beast which lurks under water, and attacks from below, but is able to live upon land. Buri is not home to many people nor animals, but it’s resources trapped below the surface are plentiful. Some do travel to Buri to gain access to these riches. Buri also has a high population of Safety Force members.

People: The surviving people of Buri are quiet. They mostly keep to themselves. The scale of the disaster which took place here has been too much for many of the people to handle psychologically. All people own a makeshift boat. It is essential to survival. Many fish for food. Others dive deep down to take springer eggs, which are a known delicacy. The people have not fully adapted to this life, however they are known to be skilled negotiators. Only the richest of people on Buri are able to afford to live on one of the few bits of land remaining. These people tend to be incredibly defensive of their land and protect it indefinitely.

Animals: There are many fish who inhabit Buri, but the most common dangerous animal are the springers. Shooting out of the water at high speeds, and being able to fight on land with their claws is a huge advantage to them. Other than springers, there are not many surviving threats to the humans living there. Near land, there tends to be more birds in the air.

Hau

Hau was the final planet created by the gods, on the final harvest. Hau is also the furthest planet from the sun. Hau is mostly frozen over, and completely covered in snow. Despite this, it is a fairly lively planet. Hau is known best for it’s feasts. Hau celebrates at any chance that they can, and they do so in huge ways. Huge dining halls in every city is where you are most likely to find anyone you are looking for. It is this mentality that makes the planet feel very welcoming to strangers. Life in Hau is eventful, simple, and above average. The simplicity comes mostly from the lack of technology to have reached them. The people still ride animals, chop wood, and even read. The people stay warm with huge bonfires within city walls, and are always seeking out more wood to keep the flame ablaze.  

People: The people of Hau are kind, welcoming, and most of all, happy. Never to be caught without a mead nearby, they live a much simpler life than those on other planets. But this does not make them stupid. It is this style of life that allows them to all stay in top physical shape. Most of the people survive by hunting some of the many wildlife that live beyond city walls. They often wield traditional weapons such as guns, or even bows and arrows. Many of the men grow beards while the women also remain incredibly fit. The best way for the people of Hau to stay warm is the accumulation of many beast’s pelts over their shoulders, worn as almost a vest.

Animals: The animals in Hau are innumerous. Although Ozen have taken many parts of the planet, the majority of beasts on this planet are white to better blend in with the snowy weather. One of the most common of these beasts are the Marus. The marus have huge white tusks and although not fast, they are strong. They have no arms or legs, but fins. They are proficient swimmers as well, but they are most dangerous at close range.

After the creation of the 5 sisters, the gods created man, and then went into hiding. While some do insist that they reside on the other side of The God’s Bridge in Zaki, this is not known for sure. The first planet inhabited by men was Vex. Here, man thrived and quickly advanced. Over 10,000 years ago, man began to venture from Vex, to live on the other planets. They all quickly adapted to their environments and evolved to best survive in their respective situations. The system of government had been the same for as long as man could remember. The king ruled over all subjects in his or her domain, which was expanded to include the other planets once necessary. This continued until only 300 years ago, when the king was assassinated by a group only known as The Control.

The 5 sisters plunged into chaos, in utter disbelief of recent events. But soon, a new king arose. King Gaius of Zaki took the throne. A new system was established. One which was meant to preserve the lifestyle of all inhabitants of the 5 sisters. It enacted an election upon the death or resignation of the king. It required that every single citizen cast a public vote for one of 2 predetermined candidates. Since Gaius had already taken the throne, he declared himself the victor of the first election, and had all opposition run out of cities, and prosecuted as criminals. Public executions, mass graves, and rallies of hatred began to take place throughout the 5 sisters, except on Zaki. And so it was.

The 2nd election was around 260 years ago. The retaliation towards the losers was swift and powerful. It had become a new norm. Killed on the street, run out of cities, left for dead, the losers of the election became the Forgotten. The 3rd election was about 140 years ago. Buri made an attempt after the election to leave the 5 sisters and be a standalone governing body. This notion received no support from the other planets. Come the 4th election, many of the forgotten though that Buri would be a safe place to hide from the treachery that would soon ensue, but instead found themselves in a trap set by the new king, King Olii. This trap killed many of the forgotten. While nobody knows exactly where all the forgotten hide, the hideout that we find our hero in is in Vex, underground in the furthest outskirts of the planet.

Beast Guide

• Rodies
  • Present on all planets, mostly Arne.
  • Small rodent like critters
  • Yellow Glowing Eyes
  • Small, fast, dirty
  • Eat anything
  • Set traps for humans
  • Always travel in groups

• Hounds
  • Present Everywhere but Arne and Buri
  • Wolf like creatures
  • Quick, strong, intelligent
  • Always travel in packs

• Ozen
  • Present all planets
  • Human like features
  • Strong
  • Travel in packs,
  • Diverged along separate evolutionary path

• Bots
  • Present all planets
  • Serve the king
  • Don’t attack, but alert others
  • Travel alone
  • Tough to kill

• Safety Patrol
  • Present on all planets
  • Squads sent out by King Olii to pursue the Forgotten
  • Use weapons
  • Have armor
  • Travel in packs

• God Beasts
  • Present on Zaki
  • Rumored to exist but never reliably recorded
  • Giant, beautiful beasts
  • Strong and sometimes aggressive

• Springers
  • Present on all planets but Arne and Vex
  • Live in both water and land
  • Use claws and fast attacks as weapons
  • Travel in packs

• Marus
  • Present on all planets but Arne and Vex and Buri
  • Look like fat walrus
  • Live both water and land
  • Incredibly strong, not smart
  • Travel in small groups

The other animals that inhabit this universe are much like those in our own world. Most are not aggressive but some can be at times.