NEEDS TO BE REWORDED
Danis thoughts in colours
Father Character (Players
perspective)
Name
(Caspian, Juan, Malik) Bailey
His name can't be Malik.
Personality
Serious, Judgmental, Intelligent, bit flaky
Occupation
Inventor
Social status
Comes from a reasonably poor family, an only child. He has turned out
quite rich and upgraded his family's status.
back story
growing up running around the alley ways of 'this town', building
toys and contraptions in his youth. As he grew into his mid teens he
befriended and worked at a local workshop owner. He invented a 3D
printing tool and became very profitable.
Around about the same time he fell in love with the beautiful
daughter of a rich family, and though she had affections she denied
him in fear of dishonouring her family. He still looked poor
regardless of his financial success as he was kept in the workshop
working on yet another invention. When he went to his mentor seeking
advice he was told to forget her and find a woman more his level, he
should focus on their work.
Malik did not relent in his intentions, clearly infatuated with her
at this point. His mentor withheld his share of the profits claiming
it was for his own good. Enraged, Malik schemed of taking what he
believed to be his invention away from his mentor and to build for
people directly by himself. This worked well for a time building the
windows and doors he and his 'mentor' used to build, but once word
got round of what he had done, the building company’s refused to
work with him. Malik had to either come up with a clever idea or go
grovelling back to his old work partner, that would never get him his
love.
A clever idea indeed he had, he began working with planting company
building roof top gardens to go with their arrangements. He had made
enough money this time to dress him self up and approach the girls
family. Being a salesman of his talents he was able to talk his way
into her fathers affections, rewarded with a smile from her. One
problem however before their marriage could be put on the table, he
had to host a dinner in his family house.
A family house for Malik was a difficult and tense relationship with
his father. He was a drunkard and a hypocrite. Having been brought up
himself with family traditions he preached family values to Mailk and
his mother, while at the same time disrespecting them and even
beating them if the mood took him. This lead to Malik spending a lot
of time away from home, working to get him and his mother out.
Clearly this would never work to impress his love's family, so he set
out to use his building invention to build himself a new,
respectable house. He had picked out the perfect area, he climbed the
hill over looking the town. He had arranged the meeting for a weeks
time, this was enough time but not for sitting around. What stands
their now is a cream white house on the hill and for many years was
his family’s happy home.
They married in the coming spring, though for Malik there was always
a tense relationship with Tanith's father. His effort and skill were
admired but he was still looked down upon as a drunkards son. Tanith
too admired him and was very glad he overcame their challenges. After
his father he has always shown her and their daughter great respect,
even if sometimes he has to slump away down to this work shop.
The
wife/mother
Shayla shemala, rhena, Tanith
Personality
Strong willed, Innocent, kind, affectionate
Occupation
Mother, but she did spend much of her time gardening
Social status
upper-class, looked after, a few strong friendships
Back-Story
The second youngest of 5 siblings, 3 girls and two boys. Children of
a rich merchant there were no hand-me downs for them, they always had
fine silks to wear. More accurately though was that the 3 girls were
always made to wear layers of fine silk, whilst their brothers were
free to dress as they pleased.
Though at first Tanith was ok with it, this changed when she first
went into the city with her father, she saw all the array of styles
and fashions women there wore. she came home excited to try and
imitate these styles she saw with her own wardrobe but found it to be
lacking.
She asked her parents for new clothes, expressing excitement and
envy. Her father instead gave her a condescending look and told her
of how terrible it is that women dress such away there, how much he
looks down on them and how disgusted he was that she asks to be like
them. Tanith sobbing now her mother in an attempt to comfort said she
could have a new Hijab. She cried to her older sister upstairs,
proclaiming that is was unfair, etc. “haha, oh sister how foolish
you are, father will never allow it, I went through the same thing
years ago. It's a futile thing to hold onto, but if you are really
lucky you will find a husband who will take you to the city and buy
you new clothes.”
She never really gave up on her dreams but she did not want to risk
pushing her father further. That was until she saw a glimmer of hope
one day at market. She was being escorted with her father, he had to
meet someone in private for a moment. She left in the alley way just
outside the shop and told to stay put. Not a minuet passed before a
young man fell from the ledge above and landed in front of her. She
helped him up, and as he brushed the dusk off of his working clothes
he smiled at her. He was very handsome, she felt herself smiling back
but he could not see. Fearing he would run off, she pulled down her
Hijab scarf to reveal her blushing face.
After proclaiming her beauty Malik asked to see her again, after his
work was done. She told him of her father, of her fear that he may be
inadequate by his standards. Malik told her of his invention, of his
skill, he would win her hand. He ran off around the corner just
before Tanith's father returned.
She did not see him until one day he came into her fathers store
dressed in fine garments, he looked extravagant. He passed a smile to
her then walked right up to Tanith's father. They duked it out,
Taniths father admired his courage and perseverance and did
eventually agree to their marriage. She was so grateful, but she had
one more test for him before she let out a sigh of relief. She
requested he bought her a new gown that she could wear with no Hijab.
He was happy to oblige and she thanked him with a kiss.
Daughter character
Nishe? Namira
Personality
Strong willed, brave, naive,
intelligent, emotional.
Occupation
Was a student
Social status
Makes friends easily, intense
back story
coming home from school excited to tell her parents of the things she
had learned, she found school did not stop when she came home. Her
father would consistently add to or amend what she was told by her
teachers at school. Into her teens this differing education turned
from excitement to content to disagreements.
This was mainly because while he told her to question what she was
taught at school he also warned her about publicly denying their
teachings, leaving her confused. She also spent a lot of her time
running around in her mothers garden dreaming, as well as helping her
groom it.
With this diversified learning the other children found her to be an
interesting person, she was never short of friends. That was until
those children started telling their parents about these growing
differences in teachings. When she started getting a bad name, being
labelled a liar and a trouble maker her friends were told not to talk
to her. She went home on the edge of tears, the situation in her eyes
was not helped when her father told her she had to go back on
everything he had taught her in front of her granddad.
Afterwards he apologised for what happened and explained to her why
things had to be this way, but things were ever changed for her. She
became more resentful of the culture she was in, she became more
resentful of her parents for pandering to it. For the next few years
she did not rebel, but she increasingly felt as though she was lying
to the people she called her friends and felt like she was lying to
herself.
At the age of 17 she had been with a Muslim boy for about a year, he
had become a friend of the family. She had resisted talking with him
about how she really felt about the towns deep religious culture out
of fear of her words travelling back to public disapproval. However
she had decided enough, and if she was to marry him or even spend any
more time together she must be able to speak freely.
This did not go down well, taken aback by her opinions he
immediately attempted to distance himself from her. She was very
upset, and caught in the emotions of the moment she marched down to
her grandfathers store. She shouted to him and other family members
present about her concealed feelings, tossing insults and anger out
at them, screaming of oppression.
Angry voices responded, this very old man sitting in front of her
stood to meet her eye's. The rest of the voices died down as he spoke
“ How dare you young lady?! to think you are of my blood...” The fear and
danger of the situation caught her, she ran out of the shop and up
the hill as fast as as her legs would carry her. “You foolish girl
… I know what you are!! Just a...” rang down the street behind her. She had
to get home quick, mother will know what to do she thought.
Don't like the you are not my blood blood will be spilled thing... that is very violent and the mothers death seemed like an accident rather than intentional. and saying i know what you are makes her sound like an alien rather and a human with free will.
The Catastrophe
Malik was lost for words when Nesha
told him and Tanith what she had done. On one hand he knew she was
right but in the other knew that nothing good could come of this.
Nesha knew she had been foolish, and was now beginning to realize why
Malik had discouraged public dissent. Tanith could see it all and
decided that now was as good a time as any to make a stand and
attempt to make a change. If not they all agreed they should leave
this place altogether.
The next day they made arrangements to
leave quickly if things went too sour and headed down too Azkabar's
shop. They were greeted with very aggressive stares and a
condescending smile from Azkabar himself.
AZ- “So you have come grovelling back
to beg at my knee's for forgiveness, Ha , how petty!”
MA- “ Sir, I...
AZ - “Silence! … im not through
with you yet”
-“ who do you think you are?!
Poisoning my daughters mind with your disdain … think your some know it all? Think you know the truth of god better than I? … No
wonder you know nothing of respect, the son of a beggar drunk!
TA- “Father please! Lis...”
AZ - “Listen to what? This silver
tong devil? Or his wretch of an offspring?!
-“look at her now... will you cry
my dear? What a weak species you are!
-“… I may have been cursed
with 3 daughters but they are still from my blood, you must be worth
something to me, you must pay your dues.”
-“come with me, you shall be
re-married to someone more fitting”
TA - “NO! Father … I will not. …
I should point your questions right back at you! … When was the
last time you looked in the mirrior?! … who do you think you are
that you can speak to anyone like the way you do?
AZ- “ I am your father!”
TA- “I am not alone in this room, my
brothers? … Sisters? … you must feel the same? … are you so
afraid of this frail old man?
Brother-”how dare you sister …
father has been good and generous in his teachings
TA-”TO YOU he has, brother you heard
him, I am not even human to him, do I mean so little to you?
Brother- “Have you heard the
disrespect your daughter has been spouting? She has disgraced you”
TA- “She told us what she said …
and we stand by her”
MA- “Tanith? Sir I am sorry, we did
not come here intending to disrespect you further”
-“ We simply wish to live more
freely from the constraints of your society”
your society? maybe ours because it is everyone's isn't it?
AZ- “ Looks like you took the words
out of my mouth, your right this is my society and you and your brat
are free to go and live any way you wish somewhere far away from
here!”
-“Tanith my dear you
are not leaving,(Brother) bring her to me!”
TA- “don't you touch me!”
Tanith slaps her bother*
tense stares, he backhands her to the
face.
Malik and Nesha react, a scuffle ensues
but Malik and Nesha bloody and bruised are restrained. Tears all
round, Azkabar is not done yet, he decides to teach them a lesson
that will mark Nesha for the rest of her life.
A hot poker is prepared with the mark
of the heretic. As they hold her down her parents both struggle to
free them selves but to no avail. Only once the hot steel marks her
neck are they able to pose some resistance. Malik senses now how
desperate the fight is, he manages to over power Tanith's brother.
Tanith herself was not so able, her scuffle with her father ended
with a knife in her side.
later you say he made sure of that. this makes it sound like an accident.
By this point they are gaining some
attention from neighbours and Malik finds him self dealing with the
second brother, he is unable to reach Tanith. Nesha cries out in pain
of the situation. Malik was no fighter, he could see there was little
chance they were getting out of this, in a moment he surveyed the
scene.
Tanith lying there in a pool of her
blood, she was dead her father made sure of that. Nesha almost passed
out on the floor, she would be dead too soon if he did not do
something, he could never carry them both out. He called on what
strength he had left, pushed this thug aside and made for escape with
Nesha.
Oh how she cried.
They grabbed their supplies and fled
the town, driving all night till they found somewhere they could
stop. Malik buried himself in work when he could, it was all he could
do but to comfort Nesha. She could not over come her anger.
Year or so later Nesha goes missing,
Malik fears a resentful family has caught up with her. Until he
receives a message from her Asking for help.
He rushes off to find her, hoping he is
not too late...
[This is not the main event the game
will cover, it is created for our reference and to provide basis to
draw on when writing script. These events will be brought across in
the script]
What the player knows at the start:
Characters daughter has ran off at some
point
Daughter is in danger
She needs to be rescued.
What the character knows at the
start:
His wife was killed by her brother and
father almost 2 years ago.
They ran away to live elsewhere, hiding
from the family’s honor.
Has an idea where is daughter went too.
His daughter is very sad, misses her
mum
What is revealed over the game:
Daughter went seeking revenge of her
mothers killers
Why the mother died(moving away from
the honor culture)
The characters regrets of failure or
inaction.
Nesha's
Account
Before
she left her father she raided his workshop for various supplies and
tools to help her, Multi-tool grapple gun, rope, food/supplies etc
and a Hijab disguise.
After
2 days of travelling Nesha arrives in town via a rear goods port
keeping a low profile she works her way through the town's streets
and alleyways up the the hill.
She used the rope to climb up some buildings and the garden wall to
quicken her route back to her old home
the house was a state, structurally sound but a mess. She left
things as they were but made the attic observatory livable.
Her main target was Askabar(The granddad), she knew it would be best
to kill him first though perhaps not the most satisfying.
She was also targeting her two uncles who held her down and fought
with her father.
She knew they worked in various shops in the market and that they
like many others spent much time praying in the mosque.
She could not bring attention to her self but did want to bring
attention to their deaths. After the first one it would be more
difficult, she was under no illusions.
For some reason she decided to record her progress. Perhaps so there
would exist an account of her story. No doubt if she was to be
killed there would be no one to telling the tale in an illuminating
light. It was an after thought to direct them to her father. It only
dawned on there to do so when she caught herself justifying her
actions.
The
order that Malik receives her voice recordings in not the same order
they were recorded in.
Daughters messages
opening
“ Papa, I am sorry i left you.
but, i couldn't bare it any more
Theres just things I had to do,
...I know you wouldn't approve.
But … I'm on my own here
now … im scared
…
I have resisted sending you this , ...
this cry for help.
I guess, I don’t think I really
deserve saving
But I need you now…
…
Soon they will find me... I pray that
you will come
…
Search your heart papa
You will know where to find me.”
This sounds soft - not someone in distress but someone who doesn't want to involve her father and its finally too late so she sends a well thought out message to her father. If she was in distress her sentences wouldn't be so apologetic they would be rushed.
“I could not bare the villainy any
longer!
How could they claim she had lost her
sight?
No one could ever be closer to reason
than her!
Papa you saved me for a reason, and I
refuse to believe any more …
that it is in my power to spare them.
...
you told me that I could free others
from our pain,
how can I do this while these men still
have a voice!”
“It was the fatal opportunity .
He preyed alone, on his knee's forever
now
Butchery was all he deserved, his death
could not be quick
I stood over him, watching his blood
stain the carpet
he looked so confused, I realised then,
that for him, mothers death was an ascendancy
his dues paid, he lived in content
was he still an evil man? He followed
a callous check list, was he simply benighted?
regardless, a moment later I got what I
came for
that gleam in his eyes as he recognised
me
the moment he remembered what he had
done”
“I'm
on
a
shuttle now, heading to the opposite edge of town
It's
a port for merchandise and animals, paid my ferryman not to mark that
I was on board,
he
didn’t seem bothered and took papa's money
Not
the most comfortable ride sitting on a pile of crates, but It should
get me there unannounced.”
“We
didn’t leave town this way, my memories of this place are watching
from papa's telescope,
I
used to watch the animals so restless in their cages
The
act of setting them free was symbolic to my own freedom from stubborn
regrets."
“These recordings have become more
than just a journal for me now
they are my truth, my … salvation …
if I believed in that any more
no, like you have taught me, my truth
only matters here ,and with you papa
but the gritty reality now, is that
they must become like a trail of breadcrumbs.”
“I saw him there in his shop on my
way through,
crowing over the market like a magpie,
squawking at his underlings.
My Idle apathy is replaced by scheming
conviction.”
Protagonist’s thoughts
From the distress in her voice it was
not difficult to guess where she has gone.
Our house glares from the hill top,
Shining in the sun.
Whatever her intentions are here, it
will be a familiar beacon for her … as well as for me.
“I am surprised the house did not
fall with my honor
(A man's duty is to
protect and provide his family)
you deserved more than I was capable
yet, there it's wood and mortar still
stand
You were my conviction, I am so sorry
Tanith”
(he did not stand by
his daughter at first, when tanith did only then did he act, too
late.)
“We left this place almost 2 years
ago now... so little changes here
This cycle of window ledge judgement
(the town look down
upon and judges each other, but they are only 1 higher)
swiping down any attempt to grow
any attempt to overcome the situation
this stigma you bathe in it
oh Nisha what are you doing here....”
“A contradiction is written all over
this town
the world moves on , all around them
and still they sit here
silencing themselves...”
“How godforsaken this place is
I assume with hope the towns
inhabitants are all gathered inside that temple
I dare not confirm my suspicions
This way at lest, it should make is
easier to go unnoticed and find Nesha
It does however give me cause to worry
Despite the warmth, in it's current
state this town does have a surreal chill to it.”
“It is strange revisiting a place
like this
It inhabits such a polarity of feelings
in me
I used to darted up and down these
streets as a child, they still hold the familiar features
They make me feel young and adventurous
again, yet
Time catches up ... our ventures
Tanith, seem such a sour memory now
I want to much to climb this hill and
find you there
*sigh* … It's to you I pray, that
Nesha feels the same.”
I remember your tears that day
when I told you life could not be that
way
(he told her she could
not be open about her feelings)
but how could you know the danger of
your love
(how extreme her
granddads family were about their culture and honor)
I see now how brave your mother was
(She did know the dangers, but stood by her daughter
anyway)
Have I lost my little girl?
No … I guess your path just changed
how could I blame you
he branded you
burning your skin as if you were already condemned
perhaps it is I who was lost … but i'm beginning to see.