Kickstarter

All screenshots and videos are in BETA and they do not reflect the final product. Some graphics are mere placeholders and will be replaced with all original sprites and tiles.

1) Dual story lines: Aside from the main character Esther, you will also play as the Duke of Rivers, Lucius, as his story follows closely to Esther's and begins to intertwine. Insuring a 40+ hour game.

2) Engaging battle system: taking the best of the old and adding a few unique twists. Battles will rely on a number of tactics.

3) Original artwork done by enchantma; spanning main character designs to animated faces with a large range of emotions to fit every moment.

4) Original soundtrack done by Jamaal Ephriam; who composed, produced and sang the opening theme song, Lands of Forever.

5) Emotionally engaging and compelling story; driven by the wide range of characters. The story itself will keep you guessing and as each plot drives near its conclusion, the world itself will change drastically. Each character will draw you in or even grip your heart.

6) Full voice over for main story points and battle follies; including spell casting, attacking, and victory cry’s.

7) No random encounters; similar to games like Chrono Cross and the ‘Tales of’ series, all enemies are viewable and offer you the chance to avoid combat.

8) Cooking and synthesizing systems. Monsters don't drop cash; humans might, but not enough to get by on. So utilize the resources you get from monsters to keep your team healthy and strong.

9) Side quests galore; once the game really picks up, you will have a huge massive world to explore. Side dungeons and locations will keep you playing for hours.

   As time passed, the remnants of the shattered elements, kept alive through the Memory Phantatiom Element, attached themselves to human souls; evolving as they did. Until eventually they were restored to a fully crystallized substance within the humans. Thus, effectively granting humanity the powers of the six Phantatiom Crystals.

   Now, in the current Era of Peace and Prosperity; an evil is lurking from deep within Gaia's forgotten memories. The only hope of reversing the contamination being dealt to the Heart of Gaia, is a young orphan who is the vessel for the Reborn Goddess Evangeline.

   Join Esther Keshet in a journey that will not only change her; but the entire world around her. Travel around the massive world known as Gaia; filled with dungeons and countless places to explore. Travel to each of the six massive kingdoms and master all six elements in hopes of saving the world from this mysterious enemy.

   In a world that has forgotten its history and basked in a blanket of lies, what is right; and who are the good and bad guys, could not be any less clear. Discover the truth for yourself, and constantly have everything you've learned flipped upside down, as this powerful and emotionally driven tale unfolds.

   Donations will be divided to insure my full vision of this game comes to life. My hopes are to make this game as grand and engaging as possible; foremost driven by its storyline, and secondly by all the important aspects that make a game shine; insuring that both the storyline and game play are as engaging as possible.

   I will also be listening to all critique, ideas, and input by the fans and those who donate. Those who donate enough to beta test will be able to have a huge part in the way the game and its systems work. Thus, helping me truly develop a game that will have features as engaging as the storyline is.

   I have been working on the story for this game since 2008. The storyline I have devised has been years in the making and has become something unlike anything anyone else has seen. Its outer shell is to draw you into a false sense of security before ripping the rug from underneath your feet; setting you on an emotional and unique journey. Originally working on an idea that no matter the story, the characters themselves would drive the story; Dies Irae took many dark and twisted turns as I spent countless hours tying all the strings together. Ultimately, becoming a story that no typical RPG has treaded much light on. Hence, I can promise a journey and story full of as much originality as possible in this current age.

   The game itself went into full productions in 2010 when I got my hands on a very talented programmer. He has gone above and beyond with the programming and managed to make things I felt were impossible on RPG Maker XP. After which, I had managed to not only employ a very talented artist, but also several talented spriters. Though due to a lack of personal funds, the game has remained held up.

   Given the cost of each character design, each emotion for the animated faces, and also each original character having battlers and sprites based on their original designs; it can get pretty costly. Animated faces alone are can cost $7+ per emotion; with character designs being especially costly.

   With the correct funds, I can also upgrade BOTH the sprites and the battlers. Ultimately, I would love to upgrade the tilesets as well. As the battlers stand now, it is around $35+ per battler; and its $15 plus per sprite. Given the number of playable characters, this adds up fast.

   I will be taking input on all artistic decisions and listening to fans wishes for which direction would be the best for this type of game. I may even upgrade the engine all together to insure a superior experience.

   The musician I am working with has already done the original opening, Lands of Forever. If I want this game to have high quality music, fitting of every mood and feeling, it will cost around $100+ per track. Complete with original opening and ending themes.

   One of the biggest aspects, I feel, is the voice acting. Before Dies Irae was a game, it was a radio play. Thus, I have already been working with a very talented crew of voice actors; some professional and some surpassing the pro level. I am hoping that with the funds, I may also hire a number of professional voice actors from various companies to join the ranks. Thus bringing even more characters to life and matching quality.

   The story itself is already complete; and how it stands now, it spans three games. We are currently concentrating all efforts on just finishing the first game and seeing how much support we get to go even further.

The current team consists of:

• Jeremiah Caudle who is the writer and producer of Dies Irae
• Enchantma who is the lead character designer and artist (http://enchantma.deviantart.com/)
• Frank Nieuwland who is the lead programmer
• Jamaal Ephriam (AKA, KeyJay) who is the lead music composure (http://keyjayonline.com)
• Kevin Verhoeven who is the lead mapper
• Jerod W as our current spriter
• Plus a large cast of talented voice actors such as Lawrence Simpson (MasakoX), Lucien Dodge, and Cristina Vee.

   As it currently stands, if I can get the funds I need, I will be able to accomplish the basics needed. Which include:

• Talented Voice Actors
• Original OST
• Original character art
• Animated faces (including many distinct facial expressions and emotions)
• Original sprites and character battlers
• Wonderful field, dungeon and town maps
• Programming; effecting but not limited too an amazing battle system

   Now, the more I can get, the more I can effectively add, of course. I have many plans for this game, and I would love to achieve them all. So keep in mind, if I can go beyond my target goal, I can put even more into this game. Such as:

• Completely original tile sheets
• Original enemy design
• Animated opening and cut scenes throughout the game
• More professional voice actors
• Superior sprites and battlers
• Superior gaming engine

   How much of this I can accomplish is in your hands. I truly hope to create a game that not only brings to life my dreams and goals; but also inspires others and leaves them with hours of enjoyment.

   With your help, input, and ideas; let us create as amazing of an RPG as we can. Thank you!