Simple Synopsis:
The basic idea behind 7Crowns is that of Full-immersion gaming. What I mean by this is the experience of BEING the character. Not just handling a controller or keyboard but feeling as though you yourself are in the game, living and inhabiting the body of your character.
The game itself is a typical fantasy adventure MMO taken to the next level. Boasting evolving NPCs, 'player controlled' bosses, and countless secrets it's a revelation in gaming.
Of course; if I wanted a fantasy world of this sort I could just have made a fantasy RP. I chose the game format for the secondary character element. In game you are your character, but you're also a gamer sitting in a chair or a bed or on a floor at home. You're prone to all the usual follies and foibles gamers face; Chores, bathroom-breaks, power-outages. I reckon that should add an additional layer of complication and fun to things.
The basic plot is below, and I've got the weapon, magic, races, and skill system all worked out and ready to go if I get a little bit of interest, so... let me know.
Basic Plot:
2013
Virtual Reality Gaming begins to become a reality with the ongoing creation and refinement of systems like the Oculus Rift and Omni-track.
2014
Somnis Systems, a low end gaming company decides to try their hand at giving these well-hyped and well-funded franchises a run for their money.
After a successful kickstarter, the team enters development and in just over a year is ready to present the prototype.
2015
Following an outstanding first showing the Dream Gear Immersive Gamestation, or DGIG, recieves further backing as well as the interest of several gaming companies who seem interested in creating games compatible with the system in future.
2016
The DG1 goes to market, hosting several games from indie developers, as well as the first hit of up-and-coming game company J.R.D. Games who use the impressive 3d world provided with the DG1 in order to showcase their hit fantasy adventure game; Promethean Quest, wherein players take on the role of Prometheus and must steal fire from the gods and traverse the whole realm of Olympus and ancient Greece whilst fighting terrifying monsters and fearsome gods in order to bring fire to mankind. A revolutionary game filled to the brim with gorgeous scenery, brilliant lighting effects, and intuitive controls.
2017
Only a year after the launch of the DG1 Somnis Systems discreetly makes contracts with several cell-phone an internet companies in order to create the DG2. Now holding wireless internet, and telephone capabilities the DG2 becomes a head-held computer gaming system like no other.
Taking advantage of the new online capabilities of the system J.R.D. Games wastes no time in unveiling their next inspired miracle of gaming... Meteor City. A contained online world that takes players into the lives of mechanics, mercenaries, and miners living in a dystopian space colony where they must fight to survive.
2020
The DG3 Launches, offering for the first time ever a Full Immersion system, allowing players not only to see the world in 3d, but to experience it with all five of their senses. While it can still be used as a general computing, gaming, and communication device turning on the neural net-link system affectionately dubbed 'Dreamcatcher' will send gamers into a deep R.E.M. session and allow their minds to enter select games.
As ever J.R.D. Games is right on the front-line of gaming progress, offering a Beta Test of it's new fantasy mmorpg Seven Crowns to a handful of lucky individuals who pre-ordered their DG3 systems.
Traverse the Kingdom of Cardis in the journey of a lifetime; make new friends, battle deadly foes, master the ways of magic, and learn the skills of fallen heroes. All this and more await you in Seven Crowns!
Game Plot
In the beginning there was light... and there was darkness.
Eight gods reigned in the abyss.
The High God Graem created the world itself, a work of beauty, majesty, and wonder. And he filled it with the first beings, the Ancients. He crafted all of their original number by hand with delicate care and attention, and placed them all around the world. That their lives may be prosperous he granted them one of his lesser skills, allowing them to see and to touch Essence; the stuff with which he had forged existence.
Over time they would learn to use this in many ways most unexpected... Most notably, the Ancients, unlike other races, would learn to peel apart essence and pass through it to the Abyss, the demense of the gods. Upon noting this Graem and the other gods were shocked, and encased the Abyss in a mighty barrier; leaving only the space between open to the Ancients.
Delighting in these beings, and how clever they were, most of the other gods sought to improve upon the Ancients design.
Arsanus, second most revered among them took a handful of the Ancients, and added to them; making them bigger, stronger... Creating the first Gigas. Eight foot tall men and women with great might and honor. Suited for battle. There were squabbles among them at first, and the first death befell Varheim...
Noting the end of a life Graem took pity upon them and laid hands upon the unfortunate being. In that instant their memories, their thoughts, their... self... took solid form. A fragment of who they once were, of what they could do. In mortal guise the god bid the murderer take up this fragment, as not to forget the fall of their brother. Doing so the Gigas was filled with regret, and the squabbling among their race came to a halt... But from then on-wards, the victor was said to have fought with the strength of two of his kind...
Seeing this Bardein shuddered with grief and took a portion of the Ancients unto himself, setting them away from others in the midst of the high and frosty mountains. He hardened their skin against one another, and against the elements. He took their very essence and stretched it like a great band, tying it to his own that they need not suffer death. He named them Eterna, the everlasting people, and smiled upon his creations.
Carnoff had loftier ideals than a race which would simply live, she wanted them to live well. Rather than adding to his small set of Ancients she whittled them down; making them slender and shapely in all the right places, artistically crafting their features into works of beauty. He gave them long lives, and vast lands, and a thirst for greatness. She called them Faenar and watches them eagerly still.
Not one to be outdone Borna, the wisest of their number, set their focus upon a grouping of ancients and set to work. Rather than effect the being directly they opted to give them gifts which would help them to attune to their world. Carefully prying up the essence of the world Borna gave bits and pieces to their chosen few, watching as the beauty and power of nature changed them. The race became known as Natura, and among the uncultured were referred to as Elementals. Studying the essence of the world the other races over time developed foci which would allow them to tap into the essence of the world as Borna did, and wield nature in the form of magic, albeit never on par with the Natura.
Soluss, the smallest and weakest of the gods saw no point in attempting to compete with the creations of his brethren. Rather; he saw fit to populate the trees, and seas, the hills, and skies. He created animals, and scattered them about the world. Birds, and Vermin. Fish, and mammals. Tiny insects, and massive monsters.
Tarna, never one to do things for themselves, simply stole the concepts of the other gods. Taking a ram made by Soluss whose might would impress Arsanus and drawing forth it's essence in the manner Borna had they drew it into an Ancient of Graem's making, and granted it a hunger for the better things akin to the creations of Carnoff. Then, they repeated the process several times. Capri, they named their capricious young who would later call their tribe Satyr.
Last came Vaise... Rather like Bardein the weak-hearted Vaise had felt pain at the first passing of a mortal. However; for them it wasn't enough merely to shelter a handful of individuals from death... They wanted it gone. And so they took but one being for themselves. The fallen Gigas. But life, and death, are no trifling matter. Attempting to restore the empty shell would prove too challenging. With nothing left inside, there was no way for it to keep itself going. Vaise grew depressed, then angry. They tried again, and again...
The world progressed. Kingdoms rose, and fell. Wars were fought. Loves won and lost. Centuries passed. Eons. The other gods delighted in walking the world in mortal guise, watching their creations, albeit not interfering further.
Vaise worked on the first fallen. He attempted to create a soul... As Graem had. He failed. Instead he formed a corrupt and malformed spirit... A Cursed thing. Unwittingly he placed it within the preserved corpse... And was delighted when it rose. When it spoke. And then horrified... Where it walked the grass blackened and died. When it breathed the air turned vile and noxious.
Corruption.
That was the word the Ancients, and all the races which came after used for what happened next. In an attempt to put down his failed creation Vaise unwittingly came in contact with it... All the pain, the rage, the sorrow of the millenia had been placed within the being... Every failure was a part of it. It drove him mad... It twisted his thoughts. So much pain in the world, so much death, so much failure... Rather than dispose of the being he bid it propagate. Taught it to touch the essence of things. And so it did. Adding a bit of itself to those it came into contact with. Making monsters of men and beasts.
The gods took a stand. They turned on Vaise, sealing him and his creation away in a realm beyond the Abyss. Seven seals, called the Seven Crowns by the nations of Varheim, were formed in order to lock the crazed deity away. The horror became a story. The story a Legend.
For a time... things were peaceful.
But then The seals about Vaise began to decay. To rot away. Creatures of Varheim began to be corrupted. To sicken and transform. None of the beings then living seemed immune...
Cardis was once a single kingdom on the world of Varheim. A place of peace, prosperity, and a vast populace composed of all the races of Varheim. Until the Seal of Seven Crowns was broken. It was the first place the Corruption struck... and fearing it's spread the Ancients banded together, and cast the entire kingdom back into the Abyss that they may have time to think of a solution
Seeing what had become of Vaise the gods... feared. They studied the corruption from afar. Learned it's might and it's measure. And they came up with a solution. Together the seven would create a new race.
Human Opening
One which would have some attributes of all others. Essence, memory, power, cunning, hardiness, wisdom, confidence, and humility. But beyond this... a trait unique to them. A complete immunity to the corruption.
They work frantically to put together their army against corruption. Tirelessly they craft our number. You are one of us. We are Humanity. We must band together to stem the tide of corruption, and fel the mad god. Learning from the other races to harness Skills, to apparate Essence into Magic, and to wield weapons.
Happy birthday.
Gigas Opening
But alone the race of Man could not prevail, and so they searched the realm in the hopes of finding those amongst their first children who could aid the humans in facing the corruption. Those born immune, or as carriers...
The Gigas great strength had served them well for ages, and whilst a great deal found themselves undone by the evil Vaise had wrought still some fought on... Clung to themselves by sheer stubbornness and willpower. These were called to join the ranks of the Cardisian army; to lead the charge by might of arms and pierce the heart of corruption.
Capri Opening
But alone the race of Man could not prevail, and so they searched the realm in the hopes of finding those amongst their first children who could aid the humans in facing the corruption. Those born immune, or as carriers...
The infectious darkness seeped into the soul of ancients and beasts alike. And the Capri, who were of both, were doubly devastated by it's taint... Or at least, most were. A small number amongst them deftly dodged the deep-rooted dank of disease an corruption, and were swept up by the gods to retake their world, and to face the evil which had devastated their kin.
Eterna Opening
But alone the race of Man could not prevail, and so they searched the realm in the hopes of finding those amongst their first children who could aid the humans in facing the corruption. Those born immune, or as carriers...
The Eterna had never been fully undone by the corruption... They had suffered pain, and change, and seen great darkness thanks to it, but several of their number had proven unperturbed by the fount of hate and sickness. Most had chosen to stay hidden away in their mountains, to attempt to wait out the end of the world... But those who could be persuaded were brought to the center of Cardis, and there face for the first time the possibility of death as they prepare for war.
Natura Opening
But alone the race of Man could not prevail, and so they searched the realm in the hopes of finding those amongst their first children who could aid the humans in facing the corruption. Those born immune, or as carriers...
As the race of the elementals propagated it was found that their young, pure spirits of aether, were uncorrupted by Vaise's wickedness. Not yet one with any fragment of the natural essence of the world they found themselves safe... but seeing the havoc that the corruption had wreaked upon their elders the young Natura ready themselves to end it, to protect their ancestors as well as their own futures.
Faenar Opening
But alone the race of Man could not prevail, and so they searched the realm in the hopes of finding those amongst their first children who could aid the humans in facing the corruption. Those born immune, or as carriers...
To the Faenar the Corruption is a plague. A curse. An end to beauty, goodness, and joy. It sickens them to even hear of it, and when one of their number is brought low by it it pains them to end their life. And so, those few finding themselves fit an able to withstand it's touch offer their weapons, their magicks, and their lives to put a stop to it. After all; if they don't stop it, they could lose their wealth, their beauty, their families... and then what would life be worth?