Greater Powers
Lore
About Greater Powers
Greater Powers is an indie online RPG developed by Darkstar Games, a Californian indie studio. As a sky captain, you fly skyships across the vast astral world, engage in ship battles against other captains, and upgrade your ship and characters.My Involvement
I worked as a part of a writing team and helped write the lore for the game's world, which includes its history, factions, and characters. I collaborated with other writers to write and plan the story campaign. Finally, I collaborated with concept artists to bring characters to life.
Overview
Astral Realms:
The Astral Realms is a unique plane of existence in which inhabitants are clones of individuals from other realms. An invisible cosmic force marks people in their original worlds at random points of their lives and creates alternative versions of them in the Astral Realms. These clones keep their memories of their past lives but are unable to return to them. Having no other options, they start new lives in a fantasy world with flying islands, magic, and steampunk technologies. The aging process works slower in the Astral Realms, allowing humans to live for 500 years.
The Astral Realms is a unique plane of existence in which inhabitants are clones of individuals from other realms. An invisible cosmic force marks people in their original worlds at random points of their lives and creates alternative versions of them in the Astral Realms. These clones keep their memories of their past lives but are unable to return to them. Having no other options, they start new lives in a fantasy world with flying islands, magic, and steampunk technologies. The aging process works slower in the Astral Realms, allowing humans to live for 500 years.
Astral Inhabitants:
Among the realm's inhabitants are not only humans but also gods and magical creatures from various mythologies and fairy tales - these too are realms of their own. Some of these beings are weak and mortal, while others are powerful and immortal. The inhabitants of the realms can be classified into four groups: mortals - humans and other living beings; Gods - immortal beings with innate magical powers and angelic wings; Darkspawn - monsters, fiends, vampires, and many other types of evil creatures; and Titans - primordial and powerful evil beings locked away in a chaotic plane of existence.
Among the realm's inhabitants are not only humans but also gods and magical creatures from various mythologies and fairy tales - these too are realms of their own. Some of these beings are weak and mortal, while others are powerful and immortal. The inhabitants of the realms can be classified into four groups: mortals - humans and other living beings; Gods - immortal beings with innate magical powers and angelic wings; Darkspawn - monsters, fiends, vampires, and many other types of evil creatures; and Titans - primordial and powerful evil beings locked away in a chaotic plane of existence.
Planes of Existence:
The Astral Realms consist of four plains of existence:
- The Heavens, or the High Plains, is a bright realm where the sun never sets. At the highest point of the Heavens stands Olympus, a flying mount inhabited by Gods who watch over the mortals in other plains of existence.
- Below the Heavens lie the Middle Lands, the largest plain of existence made of countless islands scattered across the Astral. These lands were given to mortals by the Olympic Gods. Gods from Olympus and the Abyss must cast avatars of themselves to travel there.
- The Lower Plains, or the Abyss, is inhabited by various dangerous monsters collectively known as the Darkspawn. The Abyss contains seven layers from top to bottom. The deeper the layer, the more evil and depraved the monsters that dwell in it.
- The last one is Tartarus, a chaotic plain of existence that serves as a prison for Titans, primordial evil beings. The entrance to Tartarus lies in the maelstrom at the very center of the Astral skies, where only Gods can travel.
The Astral Realms consist of four plains of existence:
- The Heavens, or the High Plains, is a bright realm where the sun never sets. At the highest point of the Heavens stands Olympus, a flying mount inhabited by Gods who watch over the mortals in other plains of existence.
- Below the Heavens lie the Middle Lands, the largest plain of existence made of countless islands scattered across the Astral. These lands were given to mortals by the Olympic Gods. Gods from Olympus and the Abyss must cast avatars of themselves to travel there.
- The Lower Plains, or the Abyss, is inhabited by various dangerous monsters collectively known as the Darkspawn. The Abyss contains seven layers from top to bottom. The deeper the layer, the more evil and depraved the monsters that dwell in it.
- The last one is Tartarus, a chaotic plain of existence that serves as a prison for Titans, primordial evil beings. The entrance to Tartarus lies in the maelstrom at the very center of the Astral skies, where only Gods can travel.
Gameplay:
In the Greater Powers game, we control characters from the 3rd person's view. We can land on islands and explore them. While controlling the character, we walk around docks, cities, structures, and ships. The combat system allows us to fight enemies in melee combat or use ranged weapons like bows or handguns. Some classes can also use magic blasts (fireballs, ice blasts, etc). Additionally, we can gather a party and sail across the Astral skies. While we are on the ships, we can control and navigate the ships themselves or walk around the ship with our character and operate specific modules.
In the Greater Powers game, we control characters from the 3rd person's view. We can land on islands and explore them. While controlling the character, we walk around docks, cities, structures, and ships. The combat system allows us to fight enemies in melee combat or use ranged weapons like bows or handguns. Some classes can also use magic blasts (fireballs, ice blasts, etc). Additionally, we can gather a party and sail across the Astral skies. While we are on the ships, we can control and navigate the ships themselves or walk around the ship with our character and operate specific modules.
History
Gods versus Titans:
Although the Astral Realms consist of living beings from countless other realms, it has a rich history of their own. At the dawn of its existence, the Astral was inhabited by Titans. These large and powerful cosmic beings enslaved all the lesser Astral beings, mortals, and immortals alike. They waged war against each other, destroying entire islands in their wake.
Although the Astral Realms consist of living beings from countless other realms, it has a rich history of their own. At the dawn of its existence, the Astral was inhabited by Titans. These large and powerful cosmic beings enslaved all the lesser Astral beings, mortals, and immortals alike. They waged war against each other, destroying entire islands in their wake.
Rise of Gods:
Tired of the havoc wrought by the Titans, the other Astral inhabitants rebelled against their hegemony. Mighty angelic humanoid beings, led by Zeus the Lightbringer, stood up as the beacon of the resistance. Many mortal beings rallied behind them and called them "Gods". One by one, the Gods hunted down and slayed the Titans. Since Titans were immortal, the Gods could not kill them. Aries, one of the rogue Titans who sided with the Gods, proposed a solution. He helped Zeus imprison his former brethren in Tartarus, an eternal prison from which neither a God nor a Titan could escape.
Tired of the havoc wrought by the Titans, the other Astral inhabitants rebelled against their hegemony. Mighty angelic humanoid beings, led by Zeus the Lightbringer, stood up as the beacon of the resistance. Many mortal beings rallied behind them and called them "Gods". One by one, the Gods hunted down and slayed the Titans. Since Titans were immortal, the Gods could not kill them. Aries, one of the rogue Titans who sided with the Gods, proposed a solution. He helped Zeus imprison his former brethren in Tartarus, an eternal prison from which neither a God nor a Titan could escape.
The New Order:
Zeus assumed the position of the King of Olympus and sought to create order in the Astral Realms. He ruled that Gods would watch over the other realms from Olympus. Aries and his allies, the Darkspawn, would control the Abyss, a plain of eternal darkness. As for mortals, they would reside in the vast plains of the Middle Lands, across countless flying islands. Aries wasn’t happy with Zeus’s decision. He had grand plans for Middle Lands and believed he deserved them for his major contribution to defeating the Titans. Alas, Zeus remained reluctant. He feared Aries and his accursed allies would corrupt the mortal hearts in the Middle Lands. Aries obeyed but kept a grudge against Zeus and the mortals.
Zeus assumed the position of the King of Olympus and sought to create order in the Astral Realms. He ruled that Gods would watch over the other realms from Olympus. Aries and his allies, the Darkspawn, would control the Abyss, a plain of eternal darkness. As for mortals, they would reside in the vast plains of the Middle Lands, across countless flying islands. Aries wasn’t happy with Zeus’s decision. He had grand plans for Middle Lands and believed he deserved them for his major contribution to defeating the Titans. Alas, Zeus remained reluctant. He feared Aries and his accursed allies would corrupt the mortal hearts in the Middle Lands. Aries obeyed but kept a grudge against Zeus and the mortals.
Breaches in Tartarus:
Several years later, Chronos, one of the Titans, escaped Tartarus and started wreaking havoc across the realms. Both the Gods of Olympus and the Gods of the House of Aries stopped the Titan and brought him back to his prison. There, they learned a terrible truth - Chronos could escape because mortal wardens could not resist their whispers. Titans were slowly corrupting them and forcing them to do their bidding. From that point on, Gods would only assign one of their kind to guard Tartarus. But even the Gods were not fully resistant to the Titans' whispering. They could withstand them for years, maybe centuries, but would eventually succumb to their corruption. Thus, even Gods needed to be replaced once a century.
Several years later, Chronos, one of the Titans, escaped Tartarus and started wreaking havoc across the realms. Both the Gods of Olympus and the Gods of the House of Aries stopped the Titan and brought him back to his prison. There, they learned a terrible truth - Chronos could escape because mortal wardens could not resist their whispers. Titans were slowly corrupting them and forcing them to do their bidding. From that point on, Gods would only assign one of their kind to guard Tartarus. But even the Gods were not fully resistant to the Titans' whispering. They could withstand them for years, maybe centuries, but would eventually succumb to their corruption. Thus, even Gods needed to be replaced once a century.
Rise of Mortals:
The Gods have ruled over the Astral Realms for thousands of years, maintaining the fragile peace between the powerful factions that wrestle for control. Agents of the House of Aries would regularly invade the Middle Lands and attempt to subjugate mortals to their will. At first, mortals needed the Olympic Gods to protect them. Over time, they learned to defend themselves on their own. Slowly but steadily, mortals started losing faith in the Gods, so the latter started losing their grip.
The Gods have ruled over the Astral Realms for thousands of years, maintaining the fragile peace between the powerful factions that wrestle for control. Agents of the House of Aries would regularly invade the Middle Lands and attempt to subjugate mortals to their will. At first, mortals needed the Olympic Gods to protect them. Over time, they learned to defend themselves on their own. Slowly but steadily, mortals started losing faith in the Gods, so the latter started losing their grip.
Nicola Tesla:
The mortals in Middle Lands multiplied in numbers - more and more humans arrived in the Astral from other realms. Among them was Nicola Tesla, a brilliant engineer and scientist who introduced the citizens of the Middle Land to technology. Within the next few decades, his revolutionary inventions improved the lives of mortals across the realm. Tesla built the Ivory Tower, a large complex of universities and research facilities. This way, he allowed mortals to attain education and become less reliant on the Olympian Gods.
The mortals in Middle Lands multiplied in numbers - more and more humans arrived in the Astral from other realms. Among them was Nicola Tesla, a brilliant engineer and scientist who introduced the citizens of the Middle Land to technology. Within the next few decades, his revolutionary inventions improved the lives of mortals across the realm. Tesla built the Ivory Tower, a large complex of universities and research facilities. This way, he allowed mortals to attain education and become less reliant on the Olympian Gods.
Attack of Aries:
Aries could not let go of his yore for Middle Lands. Watching over humanity for centuries, he mistook their ostracization from the Olympian Gods as a weakness. Believing he would finally reclaim what was his by the right of a victor, he manifested in his pure physical form - a powerful half-titan, half-god. Arrogant and convinced of his invincibility, Aries invaded the Ivory Tower. No human armies could stand against him as he slaughtered his way toward the Tower.
Aries could not let go of his yore for Middle Lands. Watching over humanity for centuries, he mistook their ostracization from the Olympian Gods as a weakness. Believing he would finally reclaim what was his by the right of a victor, he manifested in his pure physical form - a powerful half-titan, half-god. Arrogant and convinced of his invincibility, Aries invaded the Ivory Tower. No human armies could stand against him as he slaughtered his way toward the Tower.
Mechabunnicus:
Once he reached the Ivory Tower, Aries confronted none but three rabbit golems. He laughed. Was that all the Ivory Tower put against him? But as he raised his weapon against these golems, they combined into a huge mechanical reaver - Mechabunnicus. After a long battle, the giant construct defeated the mighty Titan-God and saved the entire realm. Since Aries could not be killed in the Middle Lands, Mechabunnicus captured the Titan-God and imprisoned him in Tartarus. Thus, once again, the mortals proved that the reign of the Gods had come to an end.
Once he reached the Ivory Tower, Aries confronted none but three rabbit golems. He laughed. Was that all the Ivory Tower put against him? But as he raised his weapon against these golems, they combined into a huge mechanical reaver - Mechabunnicus. After a long battle, the giant construct defeated the mighty Titan-God and saved the entire realm. Since Aries could not be killed in the Middle Lands, Mechabunnicus captured the Titan-God and imprisoned him in Tartarus. Thus, once again, the mortals proved that the reign of the Gods had come to an end.
Wrath of Olympus:
Following the defeat of Aries at the Ivory Tower, the Olympian Gods grew fearful of the mortal influence. They threatened Tesla to dispose of the Ivory Tower if he didn't halt his activities. Zeus claimed that swaying mortals away from the Gods might undermine the established order and facilitate the return of the Titans. But Tesla refused to submit. He secretly built an army of mechanoids and prepared to defend the Middle Lands.
Following the defeat of Aries at the Ivory Tower, the Olympian Gods grew fearful of the mortal influence. They threatened Tesla to dispose of the Ivory Tower if he didn't halt his activities. Zeus claimed that swaying mortals away from the Gods might undermine the established order and facilitate the return of the Titans. But Tesla refused to submit. He secretly built an army of mechanoids and prepared to defend the Middle Lands.
The Mortals' Triumph:
The Gods of Olympus returned to besiege the Ivory Tower, only to suffer a humiliating defeat at the hands of the mechanoids. The Lightbringer himself fell in battle. Without his physical manifestation in the Middle Lands, he had no choice but to return to Olympus. That was the breakeven point when gods realized they no longer held sway over the Astral Realms.
The Gods of Olympus returned to besiege the Ivory Tower, only to suffer a humiliating defeat at the hands of the mechanoids. The Lightbringer himself fell in battle. Without his physical manifestation in the Middle Lands, he had no choice but to return to Olympus. That was the breakeven point when gods realized they no longer held sway over the Astral Realms.
Modern Days:
As years went by, the Gods lost their grasp over the Astral Realms, and technologically advanced mortals took over. They started hunting down Gods and eliminating them. The Gods of Olympus have secluded themselves on their flying mount of Olympus, while the dark Gods of the House of Aries burrowed deep in the lower plains. Mortals completely took over the Astral Realms. For the first time in their long history, mortals experienced prosperity without being subject to some powerful beings.
As years went by, the Gods lost their grasp over the Astral Realms, and technologically advanced mortals took over. They started hunting down Gods and eliminating them. The Gods of Olympus have secluded themselves on their flying mount of Olympus, while the dark Gods of the House of Aries burrowed deep in the lower plains. Mortals completely took over the Astral Realms. For the first time in their long history, mortals experienced prosperity without being subject to some powerful beings.
The Evil Stirs Beneath:
Unbeknownst to the mortals, deep in Tartarus, the Titans started plotting their escape. With no new Gods to replace the corrupted Wardens, no one would stop them from returning to the Astral Realms.
Unbeknownst to the mortals, deep in Tartarus, the Titans started plotting their escape. With no new Gods to replace the corrupted Wardens, no one would stop them from returning to the Astral Realms.
