The Element Chronicles

The Element Chronicles would be a highly customizable adventure game for the Wii U, Xbox One, PS4, and PC. It would be unique for its options to customize not only appearance, but also weaponry and magical abilities stemming from natural elements.

For a long time, RPGs and adventure games have been one of my favorite genres of video game. I've been playing them since I was little, since I always found them the most engaging and immersive of all the games I played. More specifically, though, I loved fantasy RPGs, most likely since I grew up on stuff like Zelda, Elder Scrolls, and Lord of the Rings.

This has, over time, become my signature idea, and for good reason. I've poured my heart and soul into this, and it combines elements from some of my favorite games of all time. Hopefully, it's the best it can possibly be, and you all enjoy it!

Plot
The plot begins in a small world reigned by Sentris, the God of Time, Vaia, the Goddess of Time and the 2 gods of balance and prosperity, Rhey and Rhea which are the descendants of Sentris and Vaia respectively. The world in question is called Hainfell, this world is known for it's usage on the power of the elements, which, at the same time, are represented by gods each.

However, as there are plenty of gods, there is also a god of destruction, Gomorthos, he is the opposite to Rhey and Rhea (and to some extent, his sibling), he wants this world to be destroyed and be reborn because humans are starting to abuse their powers, on the other hand, Rhey and Rhea think they should be left alone because they can't directly interfer with their actions, according to a pact made hundreds of years ago. By hearing this, Gomorthos is outraged and wants to exterminate everything in this world for the cause mentioned above, starting with the gods themselves. He then proceeds to steal a relic weapon that was crafted by Sentris, Vaia and Zyr (the God of Entropy).

The relic weapon in question is the Metachronos Sword, which was made since this world existed, to punish those gods who abused their powers or started to become corrupted themselves, this sword is so strong that even the gods who created it can't handle it's power, to the extent of being able to overthrow any kind of god/goddess, however, for some reason Gomorthos was able to steal and manipulate it's powers to his heart's content. The entity that actually made this sword was Zyr, the God of Entrophy, along with the powers of Sentris and Vaia to make the weapon perfectly balanced, the true purpose of creating this weapon still remains as a mistery in the legends.

Sentris and Vaia became worried, if the world is going to get destroyed, nothing will remain, including Gomorthos itself, this was a serious matter and they had very few options left, but then Rhey and Rhea suggested something...

...Since Rhey and Rhea are descendants of both Sentris and Vaia, why not use their powers to create their own descendants, although limited to being humans instead of gods and deities, this way, they can enter Hainfell and start crafting power with the help of the elemental gods in order to stop Gomorthos' will?

Sentris and Vaia were in doubt, this was a very risky decision and it destroys the pact made by humans and gods several years ago, this pact is resumed in simple words, gods will not interfer with human beings as long as they worship them for their hard work in mantaining Hainfell in balance and order. Sending descendants of a god and a goddess respectively could overthrow the pact and if humans discover this, there might be more troubles than solutions, but still, the siblings were hesitant and thus the process of creating the both symbols of hope began.

They created 2 human entities, both called Zero (male) and Zeta (female), they indirectly represent Rhey and Rhea, but their purpose is to be able to defeat Gomorthos and be the direct owners of the now awakened Metachronos Sword and it's powers. Both god and goddess send their newly created descendants to the human world...

Zero and Zeta fall over a temple which represents their "creators", the temple was administrated by a couple of a fairly young man and woman, which adopt and take care of both encountered children and raise them as their own son and daughter.

Several years pass and Gomorthos is about to completely unleash the Metachronos Sword's powers and Zero and Zeta are fully grown teenagers, they eventually are visited by an unknown entity, he presents himself as Isaac and starts telling the family in the temple the purpose of Zero and Zeta and the potential state of the world in perish, they were surprised by this but eventually realize that their purpose must be fulfilled and they will be guided with the help of this unknown entity to their success and victory, thus beggining the adventure.

Dimensional Administrator Easter Egg
If you readed the plot, the guide of Zero and Zeta is called Isaac, which is none other than the Dim Admin. itself (from the game Dimensional Administrator: The Locked Dimension), he actually has a direct impact on the story by being the tutor of the powers of Sentris and Vaia and being able to teach every and each elemental god their restrictions and limits on Hainfell, he is, however, not part of this world nor is he a real god or deity of some sort.

After completing the story, Zero and Zeta are congratulated by Isaac as he is happy to see their purpose is fulfilled as Rhey and Rhea desired, but he wanted them to do him a favor, he wanted them to visit him on his real world (his dimension) and test their powers againist him for evaluating purposes. Both boy and girl accept his request and they are moved over to his world via a dimensional portal...

Zero and Zeta cannot grasp the shape of the world, it looks just like Hainfell but the world looks distorted to some extent, also, Isaac is nowhere to be seen and he was just a split second behind them, they, however, see a sign just some steps ahead, saying "The test has started, good luck!", they actually have to traverse the distorted world all the way to the Temple of the God and Goddess (the temple where they were raised), they are far away from it and they must use the help of each other to finish this test and encounter Isaac once again.

The way was odd and long, but rewarding in the end, as they approach the temple and enter it, they're greeted once again by Isaac itself, but this time he looks different, he looks in his usual outfit instead of the one he used as their guide, he also states that "he wants to test their power", thus beggining a fight between the three...

In the end, the couple wins, but Isaac is not defeated, nor even with a scratch or injury, Zero and Zeta become a bit frustrated for not being able to defeat him, but Isaac states that they do fine as brother and sister, and that's what he wanted for them and it also was one of Sentris and Vaia's desires. Both siblings hug each other and Isaac rewards them with the Dimensional element for the Metachronos Sword (their powers are explained below).

Gameplay
My idea is for this game to be a real-time RPG, much like The Legend of Zelda or Monster Hunter. Its fighting physics would be much like Monster Hunter in that the physics would change depending on the weapon being used. Heavy weapons would have more heft and would take longer to swift, but would have a larger radius of effect. Meanwhile, a vanilla sword and shield would be effective in its own right, since it would be a combination of maneuverability and power.

In many ways, this game would appear similar to Hyrule Warriors, or Dynasty Warriors in general. Movement would be realistic, and elemental magic attacks would range from small and precise to large and devastating. However, it would cross with the physics of Monster Hunter, and enemies would be fewer and more powerful.

This game would also have its share of platforming, which would blend into the environment to make it feel more natural. Items like a grappling hook and boots of temporarily flight would make platforming more interesting as well, but could also be integrated into combat to give them more depth.

Character customization
The main character can be of either gender, and his/her appearance could be customized in detail. His/her weapons could be shaped and designed to suit the player, but the player would also begin with two basic powers based on two different elements.

Each element sports a variety of options for powers. At the start of the game, after choosing which two elements to specialize in, the player can select one of three sub-powers to work with for each one. The player could then upgrade these base powers more quickly than others, along with other powers of the same element. Although, it should be mentioned that any power of any element would be obtainable somewhere, somehow in the overworld.

The player can also select a class at the beginning of the game similar to Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. They could select from preset classes, or could alternatively create a custom class consisting of major and minor skills. Major skills would advance fastest, minor skills would advance a bit more slowly, and ones in neither category would be slowest. The skills to choose from would be:
 * Long weapons
 * Short weapons
 * Blunt weapons
 * Dual wielding
 * Hand-to-hand
 * Smithing
 * Launched projectiles
 * Thrown projectiles
 * Stealth
 * Mystics
 * Speechcraft
 * Destructive magic
 * Defensive magic
 * Healing magic
 * Speed
 * Endurance
 * Strength
 * Agility
 * Heavy armor
 * Medium armor
 * Light armor

Weaponry
The weapons customization for this game would work in an interesting way. There would be four categories of weaponry:

Primary weapon
This weapon would be special in that you would go into the game with it armed first. The player would be given various choices of beginning primary weapon; I wouldn't limit this selection to medieval  Western weapons, although they would be included. I would also incorporate Eastern weapons, such as:


 * Nunchaku


 * Bo staffs


 * Tonfa


 * Katanas


 * Ninjatos


 * Staffs-in-three-parts


 * Tantos


 * Double blades


 * Double tantos
 * Scimitars

As I mentioned, there would be some medieval-style weapons as well, such as:
 * An invention of my own: a tonfa staff, which would be a short staff with a bar protruding from the middle to be operated like tonfa.


 * Broadswords


 * Maces


 * Battleaxes
 * Warhammers

Some weapons would have a variation in styles; for example, the tonfa could be operated in numerous ways, and the all swords (with possible exception of the broadsword) could be used with a backhanded grip, which I am personally an avid fan of.
 * Longswords
 * Handaxes
 * Shortswords
 * Daggers
 * Spears

Secondary weapon
The selection for the secondary weapon would be the same as for the primary, but a button can be used to switch between them.

Ranged weapon
As is known to us all, a hero is nothing without a ranged weapon. This, too, would be a diverse selection. The way I have it now, I would make available:


 * Longbows


 * Shortbows


 * Slingshots


 * Shurikens


 * Throwing daggers


 * Throwing maces


 * Boomerangs
 * Bolas
 * Caltrops

This, too, would be a part of the weapon cycle.

Magic
Magic would also contribute to the weapon mechanics, but they would have other uses as well.

For example, say you have air and lightning as your two specialized elements, and are using a longbow as a ranged weapon. When in shooting mode, you can toggle whether you want a plain projectile, one powered up with air, powered up with lightning, or one powered by both. The more elements you have the arrows imbued with, the more magic would be required, but the more potent they would be.

Elements
You can obviously derive from the title of The Element Chronicles that elements are an essential feature to the game, but insofar, their role hasn't been explained yet, you can use them for battle or for utility (in order to progress in the game). For example, it must be told what the elements are, what they symbolize, and whether they are represented by a god or goddess. To start, here is the list of elements.

Fire
One of the four classical elements, fire is a symbol of bravery, passion, ferocity, and perseverance. In this game, the Fire will be an offensive weapon that can deal damage to a large group of enemies and apply continuous damage over time for a short time, outside of battle, it can be used to melt snow and ice. This element is represented by the god called Magnus.

Water
Water is another of the four classical elements, water is a symbol of commitment, skill, resposibility, and pride. In this game, water can be used to slow down enemies' movements, use it as a protective bubble shield to absorb magical attacks and focus it to launch away a huge mass of water in a line. Outside of battle, it can pull down fires and you can dive and swim on water levels. This element is represented by the goddess called Aquaria.

Air
Air (or to some extent, Wind), being another of the four classical elements, is a symbol of intelligence, wisdom, cleverness, and knowledge. In this game, air can be used to push enemies away, create small tornadoes or wind gusts to damage enemies and allows you to throw and slam enemies. Outside of battle, it allows you to glide shortly and double-jump to reach high terrain. This element is represented by the goddess Athenea, based on the Greek goddess of wisdom and cleverness Athena.

Earth
Earth is a notorious classical element (and the last of the 4 classical elements as well), earth is a symbol of compassion, humanism, strength, and tolerance. In this game, earth can be used to shake the terrain, lift and throw stones or boulders and use it as a defensive wall againist melee attacks. Outside of battle, it allows you to break certain stones or debris. This element is represented by the goddess Terra.

Grass
Grass is not usually acknowledged as being an element, but still qualifies as one in this game. It is a symbol of might, righteousness, power, and humor. Grass involves summoning logs to deal large yet slow damage to enemies, summon trees and forests around you to damage enemies in an area and also bind certain enemies with vines to stop their actions for a short time. Outside of battle, it recovers your vitality little by little. This element is represented by the goddess Hydra.

Sand (or Desert)
Sand is another qualifying element in this game. Sand represents complexity, depth, and definition. You can create sandstorms to deal continuous damage in exchange of not being able to do other actions while it's active, it can also be used to protect you from both melee and ranged attacks by nullifying some damage incoming from them and create quicksands so that enemeies are sucked in a determined position (for easy ways to deal damage). Outside of battle, this element is one of the few that has no real use. This element is represented by the god Sahara.

Ice
Ice is one of the last qualifying elements in this game. It pairs along with Snow to some extent. This element can be used to freeze the terrain so enemies have restricted or are slipped away by the hazard, freeze enemies for some seconds to prevent them from acting and summon cold rain that falls down on a large amount of enemies. Outside of battle, it can be used to freeze water in order to walk over it or to block the water flow in order to progress. This element is represented by the goddess Crystal (sibling of Invernus).

Snow
Snow is the last qualifying element in this game. It pairs along with Ice to some extent, but they have some differences. Snow can be used to summon blizzards and damage enemies around you, throw barrages of snowballs at enemies and damage enemies over time with a snowy wether. This is another of the few elements that has no real use outside of battle. This element is represented by the god Invernus (sibling of Crystal).

Dark
Dark is an element opposite to Light. Dark is used for utility more than offense; it can be used for limited stealth, to throw shadow spheres at random enemies, and to disorient enemies so they have a lesser chance to damage you. Outside of battle, this can be used to briefly teleport from one spot to another by using your shadow. This element is represented by the god Shayd (twin of Lumina).

Light
Light is an element opposite to Dark. Light can be used to summon light pillars that fall down as a majestic rain on the battle, fire away beams of light in a straight direction, or protect yourself with a light shield that absorbs the next incoming attack. Outside of battle, it can be used to illuminate dark stages or levels for a brief amount of time. This element is represented by the goddess Lumina (twin of Shayd).

Lightning
Lightning is one of the special elements introduced to this game. You can charge this element up by moving constantly and the attack's strength will depend on how much you charged it. It can go from small thunderbolts to a huge thunderstorm, and it ignores enemies' shields and defenses. Still, it is costly and restricts your actions. This element can be used to make machines and special things work outside of battle. This element is represented by the god Zaius.

Metal
Metal is another of the special elements introduced to this game. This element is used specially to summon melee weapons in-game, and in battle, you can create metal spheres that punish enemies in their way and create a defensive wall that greatly reduces the incoming damage. This element seems not to have an actual god, since it is mostly an artificial element. In this sense, the god of metal is essentially humanity.

Time
Time is not a real element but an actual power of the Metakhronos Sword. Manipulation of this power is taught to you by obtaining said sword and defeating the god of time Sentris in battle (as one of the 3 trials offered by Gomorthos in order to defeat him in battle). You can use this power to slow down your surroundings and approach combat more efficiently, or completely stop time and move freely for a brief moment.

Space
Space is another power of the Metakhronos Sword, this power is taught to you by having the said sword and defeating the goddess of space Vaia in battle (as one of the 3 trials offered by Gomorthos in order to defeat him in battle). You can use this power to alter space around you and harm enemies, but you can also create small black holes that swallow amounts of enemies (although it can be used once per battle) and turn gravity lighter (to make yourself more swift and certain enemies to be able to float) or heavier (to make you and the enemies slower, and even down airborne enemies).

Dimension
Dimension is the hidden master power of the Metakhronos Sword, mixing both time and space to act in battle. You can obtain this power in the easter egg involving Isaac (the Dimensional Administrator), and this power will summon him to either stop enemies from acting and then distort and explode the map around you to deal incredible amounts of damage. However, since this power is dependent on an entity and is pretty powerful, you can't cast it often, and must wait out a long cooldown period to use it again. You can also use the sword to summon clones of it that land on the ground, which can the be destroyed to deal radial damage.

Realms
As previously stated, the hero must necessarily travel through a variety or realms, each based on a different element. Essentially, basis on the element means a place that reminds one of that element, so imagining the details is rather simple. Regardless, I'll detail the realms and which elements they represent.

Aethron
Aethron represents Air/Wind/Sky in the game, a medium-temperature land around the clouds to be lightly tread upon, and obviously to be flown through. It is quite precarious, but skillful maneuvering should escort a player through safely. The boss at the end is a tornado-based creature which will attempt to disorient the player and slam them into hard surfaces, all the while working to prevent damage to itself.

Volcindra
Volcindra is the Fire realm, a bewared territory amid high heat and danger. Given its volatile nature, there is the constant threat of collapsing debris, much of which causes significant damage simply by contact. It requires good resoucrfulness to navigate. The boss at the end is aggressive, never hesitating in a rapid assault with heavy objects. It is highly dangerous to approach, as it is made not even or lava, but of pure flame.

Terraitra
Terraitra is the most basic in nature of the worlds, representing Earth. It is comprised mainly of fields, but often interjected are hills and rocky areas. It simply takes spirit to overcome. The boss at the end is crafty, looking to attack from various places beneath the ground. Thusly, he warrants quick reflexes and foresight.

Meroth
Meroth is the Water realm, one which requires cunning and good navigation skills, as well as some good puzzle solving ability. One of the most difficult aspects of traversing Meroth is the potential need for evasive maneuvers, since many unholy terrors have been known to dwell in Meroth. The boss at the end is precise, aiming to hit you with straight on attacks, but its weakness is its vulnerable body that can be damaged when it tries to attack you. Good timing is key.

Silvaine
Silvaine is the Forest realm, a beautiful yet challenging place. It is close to what you would imagine a forest to be, but it is populated by fantastical creatures who will not hesitate to attack you, warranting good fighting ability. This is how the boss at the end must be approach, as it is powerful and takes a good fighter to analyze and harm.

Thermoth
Thermoth is the Sand (Desert) realm, a vast and dry landscape that is punishment and perhaps death to find yourself lost in. As such, this realm requires great perseverance to overcome. The boss at the end is very direct, its strategy is to come right at you and catch you off guard. You have to be rather fast to outwit him, making him a wonderful challenge.

Arcata
Arcata is the Ice realm, a gloomy world of punishment and danger (and the classic danger of slipping). To get through this requires determination. The boss at the end is clever, working to get you into a trap by making you dodge another. As such, it also requires a good deal of cleverness to overcome him.

Frigidon
Frigidon is the Snow realm, a very large and blurry place where seeing is a challenge, let alone fighting. Getting through this world mainly demands good instincts. The boss at the end is skilled, attempting to hit you with a powerful long-range attack that causes significant damage, meaning you should probably work on your dodging with him.

Morthea
Morthea is the Dark realm, and given that, it actually takes the form of a large cave system. Although you typically get some form of environmental warning as to when something is about to attack you, it's easy to get ambushed in these surroundings. Defeating this world takes courage and focus. The boss at the end will try to take advantage of the darkness to attack you, but you can stop him by moving contantly and finding some way to light the room and get the upper hand.

Solera
Sola is the Light realm, a heaven-like land that is very bright and enjoyable. But don't be fooled, as many foul creatures can strike and use well-known attacks such as light beams and energy balls to land decisive blows. If you're going to beat this level, you must be good at dodging and quite crafty to evade the attacks that you'll see in this place. The boss at the end will try to stun you by blinding you and then striking, but will also keep you on your toes with a light beam that he will try to focus on you. The key to defeating him is using properly angled mirrors.

Amperiam
Amperiam is the final world in the game, the Lightning realm, which is extremely dangerous and unpredictable. Lightning will continually strike everywhere, making it necessary to move quickly and not idle, as you can be seriously hurt if you don't. The boss at the end will try to electrocute you by not only electrifying the ground, but also the air around you. It can also cause lightning to strike at will. The key to this boss is tricking it into electrocuting itself by means of the environment.

This is also the place where the first part of the final battle with Gomorthos takes place, as it is the final level, and what better setting could there be for a battle such as this? Of course, the entire battle won't take place here, but would rather move down to the castle.