Hey everyone, this is the dev blog for Diaspora, a ChoiceScript IF in which you take on the role of the heir of Clan Maghnus, a group of Cine chased from their homeland by a raging war.
Without giving away too much, Diaspora is a game about culture clash, and finding one’s way in unfamiliar territory. The player assumes the role of the heir of Clan Maghnus, a particular clan of the Cine, a raiding culture from the harsh northern climates of the world. They’re very loosely based on Celtic and Norse cultures, but definitely expect the differences to be far more prominent than the similarities. The PC’s mother is the current clan Chief, but in the interests of the future, the story sees her handing more and more important responsibilities down to them, allowing them to effectively shape the destiny of their Clan.
When the clan makes a much-needed supply raid on the small island of Divio, they discover that the territory they’ve sailed into belongs to the mighty, far-ranging Castulian Empire, and that Divio was officially under the control of the local regional capital, Tarracina. In the days and weeks following that first fateful raid, the PC will learn a great deal about the culture that now plays unwitting host to their own, and have to decide how best to handle that. Castulia is not the kind of enemy that can be overrun with a few brave warriors, after all.
The general feel is, if we’ve hit where we aimed, relatively low-fantasy. Magic is rare and not typically of cataclysmic power, and much of the story will focus on less-grand themes than the typical sword-and-sorcery adventure. (Not, of course, that anything’s wrong with sword-and-sorcery adventures!) We hope the dynamics between cultures, and the PC’s individual companions, will feel nuanced, balanced, and leave few if any obvious “right” answers.
Characters and more under the cut!