Dominic zullo
Narrative Designer
STORY SUMMARY
Tales of Valoris: Swallow's Defenders is a tower defense game about a bandit uprising that threatens Swallow's Keep, a fortress in the land of Valoris. The heroes of the tale are the Green Thumb, elite knights who serve the Green Prince. In the process of dismantling the bandit forces, the heroes discover a plot to destroy a sacred tree that was blessed by a goddess. The heroes set out, rescuing civilians and gathering allies along the way, hoping to stop the bandits before it's too late.
I completed the narrative work on Chapter 4, consisting of the final 5 levels of the game. Below are videos showcasing the in-game writing, as well as internal documents that I received to complete the associated tasks. Each clip plays after the respective level is beaten, as a lead-in to the next, with the exception of the Chapter 4 Intro, which plays at the start of Level 16.
LEVEL TRANSITIONS
Chapter 4 Intro
This intro quickly establishes the setting, the stakes, and names the boss featured at the end of the chapter. It also introduces the new Armored Bandit enemy unit and Crossbow Woman allied unit.
Level 16 Transition
This level needed no technical information about new allied or enemy units. Instead, it describes how the heroes begin to track the final boss, Selas.
Level 17 Transition
This level introduces the powder keg, which is the only allied tool that has an immediate effect and does not linger. This information had to be woven into the narrative so as not to confuse the player.
Level 18 Transition
This level finally reveals the true stakes to the player, which has only been hinted at thus far. Arcyna's sacred tree is at risk, and the heroes must protect it.
Level 19 Transition
The transition at the end of the fourth level in each chapter breaks away from the classic narrator perspective. Instead, the text is meant to reflect the words of the boss in the final level, who is, in this case, Selas.
Level 20 Transition/Epilogue
The end of each chapter is about the defeat of Selas, as well as her fate. The epilogue is meant to hint at future DLCs, Wherein new bandits will rise to fill the power vacuum left by Selas.
ALL NARRATIVE TEXT SIMPLIFIED
INTERNAL CHARACTER SHEET FOR SELAS
The information below was written by my narrative lead. I am providing it to demonstrate how internal documentation informed what I wrote for Chapter 4.
Selas - The final bandit commander that the hero will encounter in Tales of Valoris. Selas is a woman who used to be a noble in Cerulis but has forsaken that life for a variety of reasons. From a young age, Selas was pressured to become an Illumnia Mage. Selas did have a talent for magic. She loved spellcasting and the study of the world around her; however, she felt that the Illumnia Mages were the biggest hypocrites that Cerulis had to offer. The Mages that she did talk to seemed studious enough, but indulged too much in their elevated status.
On her 17th birthday, her parents asked her why she had not entered the order of the Illumnia Mages at her age. She ultimately responded that she wanted to find her own path in life and wanted to study magic on her own. As Illumnia Mages themselves, her parents were angered as this declaration essentially undermined their efforts and hard work. They decided to undergo the work to strip Selas of her magic. But before they could enact the ritual, Selas was ready and retaliated. She ambushed her parents one night, gravely scarring them, and took this chance to run away from Cerulis to lead a new life.
The first people she encountered was a group of nobles who had captured some bandits. Fresh out of Cerulis, Selas decided to side with the bandits and burned their chains off and released them. Since then, Selas earned the favor of bandits all over and lived a life free from restriction under their wing.
Personality
Selas can be seen as a nihilistic woman who only sees the negative side of things because her upbringing only allowed room for criticism (for herself, which is reflected in her thoughts towards others). Since leaving Cerulis, she has lived a life outside her parents supervision and feels as if she can do whatever she pleases. When she’s angry she doesn’t hesitate to burn something to a crisp and when she wants something she immediately stops everyone in their tracks to get what she wants.
A bit of a spoiled child at heart, she at least knows this and owns up to it as opposed to the nobles who hide behind their airs of responsibility for their drastic measures. Ultimately, she’s calculating yet deadly but also willing to express her frustrations because she’ll no longer let anyone silence or choose her fate for her.
Art
Selas’s style is a mix of a femme fatale but deadly assassin. She still carries an air of nobility around her because it would be hard to unlearn the small mannerisms instilled from a young age. Selas still prefers the royal blue-ish/purple color in her style because once again, that’s what she grew up with and was the most convenient. Otherwise, she likes to keep things simple but elegant.