Story & Characters

Outline:

In THE MERCENARY OF KNOWLEDGE the story follows a former mamluk (slave soldier) who has become an independent mercenary. He starts his journey doing various missions such as raiding a castle and hunting down bandits. Along the way he encounters a mystic occult scholar and a holy man cleric. Both of them teach him of their ways and their beliefs and he learns of the usages of magic and god.
The Sultan tasks the Mercenary with hunting down a sorcerer who has stolen an artefact from the Sultan.
At this point the mercenary is confronted by both the occult scholar and the cleric and he must make a choice who to ally himself with as they both seek to assist him in apprehending the sorcerer (for different reasons of course).
This is the point where the player chooses which skill tree they wish to align themselves with. The choice made here also affects the second-to-last boss as the player will fight the one they didn’t align themselves with at the end.
Across the mercenary’s journey he learns that the sorcerer intends on summoning down an archangel to gain unlimited power and his quest becomes more dire.
Depending on the path the mercenary chooses (i.e. which skill tree the player upgrades most) he will seek to defeat the sorcerer to either seize power for himself and ascend his power, to keep god’s servants in heaven, or simply collect the bounty on the sorcerer’s head.

Story Beats:

KEY POINTS:

At the start the MERCENARY is apathetic to everything. He is a warrior because that is all he knows.
By the end the MERCENARY gains a sense of purpose either through the pursuit of magical wisdom, the devotion to God, or his own inner fulfillment he gains via the pursuit of human knowledge.

OPENING:

The SORCERER has stolen an integral artefact from the SULTAN. The Sultan calls for his head and the return of the artefact.
The MERCENARY is preoccupied with a castle siege.

SET-UP

The MERCENARY makes his way to the city to visit the SULTAN after learning he has put out a bounty.
On his way he meets a PHILOSOPHER who gives him advice on wisdom and on the morals of those he may ally himself with,
As he traverses to the city he meets the OCCULTIST who reveals esoteric secrets and offers to assist the MERCENARY in recovering the artefact.
The MERCENARY also meets the CLERIC who reveals the wisdom of God and religion and offers to assist the Mercenary in recovering the artefact.
The MERCENARY arrives at the city and makes his way to the PALACE where he meets the SULTAN and the RIVAL.
The Sultan tells the Mercenary and the Rival about the SORCERER and the ARTEFACT he stole, which is a small idol that supposedly holds the power to commune with archangels.
The Sultan tells them about the last location the Sorcerer was sighted and bids the mercenaries farewell.
The Rival gives a devious expression to the Mercenary and disappears from the palace.
The MERCENARY meets the OCCULTIST and the CLERIC outside the city gates and they both attempt to speak with him about the artefact.
Both of them realize they are at odds with each other and confront the Mercenary about which of them he will side with (the player chooses which one to side with).
The Mercenary chooses and the one whom he rejects leaves giving him a warning about his decision. (From now on the one he chose will be referred to as the ALLY).

ADVENTURE:

The MERCENARY and his ALLY traverse across the vast land through deserts, mountains, oases, forts, cities, and more.

TWO PATHS:

Along the way the MERCENARY gets closer to his ALLY by gaining knowledge from him. He leans into piety or magic depending on the selected Ally, and his quest slowly transforms from a quest for currency to a quest for either the attainment of unlimited power or the return of the idol and a devotion to God.
The MERCENARY rejects the knowledge of his ally and simply uses the ally as an extra set of eyes for when they make camp. Instead he gains knowledge from the various PHILOSOPHERS he encounters on his journey at rest stops between specific lands. The MERCENARY’s quest remains the same but his resolve is bolstered and he is sure of himself and his decisions.

FINALE:

The MERCENARY arrives with the ALLY and they battle their ADVERSARY (the one the Mercenary rejected at the beginning). After defeating the Adversary, the ALLY is injured and urges the MERCENARY to press on while he recuperates. The Mercenary confronts the SORCERER and defeats him. However, the Mercenary was too late and the ARCHANGEL was summoned.

THREE ENDINGS:

Piety: If the MERCENARY is pious he prostrates before the ARCHANGEL and praises God. The ARCHANGEL is pleased and gifts the Mercenary divine wisdom.

At the end of his journey he returns the artefact and gives the head of the SORCERER to the SULTAN. He then enters a house of worship and devotes his life to God.

Magic: If the MERCENARY is emboldened by magic he uses the idol on the ARCHANGEL to make him grant the Mercenary vast wisdom on magic and sorcery. The Archangel is forced to oblige and leaves after granting the Mercenary.

At the end of his journey he uses the magical knowledge he has gained to overthrow the SULTAN and reigns as a despotic ruler for centuries.

Humanity: If the MERCENARY is philosophical and emboldened by the wisdom of humanity he neither prostrates before the ARCHANGEL nor uses the idol. The Archangel is offended at this and battles him. The Mercenary defeats the Archangel but shows it mercy and allows it to return to the heavens.

At the end of his journey he destroys the artefact and gives the SULTAN the head of the SORCERER, he then continues to roam the land with a sense of purpose in his life gained and the hope for a future of peace and purpose.

Characters & Creatures:

CENTRAL CHARACTERS & NPCS:

The Mercenary:

His name is Al Murtaziq (literally the mercenary in Arabic). He is the protagonist and is a former mamluk (slave warrior). He has no strong desires (at first) and is apathetic. His only knowledge is on fighting and surviving, thus he became a mercenary. Across the game he develops either to becoming a religious and pious man, or a sorcerer and power-hungry man, or as a philosophical man who seeks peace and self-fulfillment. His personality shifts from careless to one of three:

Magic: Humorous and rude, with little to no tact in his conversation.

Piety: Calm and collected, with little words about anything save religion.

Humanity: Stoic and peaceable, with articulate dialogue

The Occultist:

His name is Ibn Bunya. He can be either a companion character that helps the mercenary learn new spells and sells him useful items or he becomes an antagonist that the mercenary fights right before the final boss. He is a clever and creepy man that cracks dark jokes. His ultimate goal is to attain unlimited knowledge. His morals are questionable and depending on the route the player chooses, they may get very different impressions of him. On one route, he may appear as a loyal and kind, if not slightly off-putting, ally. On another, he may appear as an evil and spiteful enemy.

The Cleric:

His name is Al Fadel. He can either be a companion character that teaches the mercenary about God and religious scripture and sells him useful items, or he becomes an antagonist the mercenary fights right before the final boss. He’s a wise and calm man that enjoys preaching and praying. His ultimate goal is to be a pure and pious man that will enjoy the grace of God. However, he has a dark streak in his treatment of those he dubs as heretics and shows little mercy to them. Depending on the route the player chooses he may appear to be a kind and wise teacher, while on the other he may appear as a cold and intolerant enemy.

The Merchant

A friendly travelling merchant named Al Hisham. He appears in the middle of every level and between each level. He sells the player a variety of items such as magical, holy, and regular items. He is a humorous and light-hearted man.

The Philosophers:

This comprises several characters the mercenary meets on his journey. They sell him knowledge on human erudition and scientific items (i.e. actual medicines, throwing knives, etc. no supernatural or holy powers). They pose questions to the mercenary about his journey and serve as a method to get players contemplating ideas about the game and (hopefully) reality as a whole.

Sultan:

The sultan is a rich and decadent ruler who only wants to appear as a wise and knowledgeable philosopher but in actuality is a rather ignorant and tactless man. He appears at the beginning of the game and sends envoys to the mercenary throughout the rest of it. He is slightly foolish and is a somewhat comedic character and is continuously insulted and poked fun at by the mercenary in his inner monologue.

Sorcerer (BOSS):

The sorcerer is a mysterious and deranged character. His one goal is to attain god-like powers and will stop at nothing to attain this goal. Little is known about his identity or background, but his few appearances would showcase his madness with him cackling constantly and creating destruction everywhere he appears.

He is a boss fight at the end of the final level of the game.

The Rival (BOSS):

The rival is another mercenary intent on apprehending the sorcerer. His name is Shashin. He is of nearly equal skill to the mercenary and acts as a mirror of the mercenary. He is distinct in that he changes in no way throughout the game (motivation wise) and his one goal remains money. He barely speaks and what little he says is either affirmations of orders he’s receiving or insults towards the Mercenary. He appears in three sections of the game:

Alongside the Mercenary when they are recruited by the Sultan.
He appears as a boss fight in the Wasteland Desert after having followed the Mercenary. He flees after nearly being killed.
The second boss fight occurs at the Ancient City Entrance & Ruins where he is defeated by the mercenary once and for all.

BOSSES:

The Warlord:

A warlord the mercenary fights and defeats at the beginning of the game (tutorial boss).

Gang Leader:

The leader of the Capital City’s largest bandit gang. He fights the Mercenary after having most of his henchmen killed by the Mercenary. He appears right before the Mercenary arrives at the palace.

Giant Bird:

While the mercenary traverses through the canyon/mountain region he stumbles upon a giant egg belonging to a giant bird. The bird is territorial and attempts to attack the mercenary and he must defeat it in order to survive and make it through the valley.

The Chieftain:

The boss of the nomadic warriors the mercenary defeats at the oasis. He uses a spear and curved swords to fight, as well as his camel. He is dressed in white and black.

The Djinn Lord:

A powerful Djinni the mercenary encounters in an abandoned town. It is an evil spirit that seeks the souls of humans and does not obey their requests or commands.

Ghoul Queen:

A female ghoul who has taken control of a graveyard/mausoleum and compels the male ghouls to do her bidding. She was given great power by the Sorcerer in order to impede the mercenary.

Crusader General:

A general from the Far North that is commanding a crusader stronghold. A mid-game boss the Mercenary fights as he raids the stronghold when he’s hired to in exchange for safe passage to the City of Wonders.

Mad Roboticist:

A wise scientist of the city of wonders. Gifted knowledge by the Sorcerer in exchange for impeding the Sorcerer’s enemies. The Mercenary stops at the City of Wonders (inspired by Baghdad and Cordoba) for what should be respite before embarking on a voyage, but is then forced to battle his way through it in order to reach the safety of the port. The final boss is the Mad Roboticist and his loyal mamluk who is armed with various devices and mechanisms. The Mad Roboticist is incredibly intelligent but has been corrupted by the esoteric knowledge the Sorcerer bestowed on him.

Sea Serpent:

A giant sea creature that attacks the ship the mercenary is on. It forces the mercenary to navigate a sea cavern before he comes into contact with it and defeats it.

The Blue Chieftain:

The chieftain of another Nomadic tribe. She works at the behest of the sorcerer as the sorcerer has her tribe under his control. The Mercenary encounters her outside the ancient city at a nomadic settlement. She is forced to battle him in order to ensure the safety of her tribe, however she is defeated and warns the Mercenary of the power of the Sorcerer before he leaves to pursue him.

Archangel:

The powerful being that the sorcerer summons. It is a secret boss that can only be fought under certain conditions. Otherwise the Mercenary either prostrates before it or beseeches it for unlimited wisdom.

ENEMIES:

This list shows off potential enemies, but the designer is free (and encouraged) to add more enemies to these areas, or rearrange where they may appear at their own discretion.

Desert & Canyons

Bandit henchman (dagger type)
Bandit henchman (bow type)

Brigands/Bandits are thieves who try to rob the mercenary.

Scorpion
Cobra snake
Hawks (or vultures)
Cities

Thieves/Bandits
Crooked Guards

People of the city – looking to make some money off of killing the Mercenary and looting him.

Automata (robots)
Sentry Turrets

Creations of the Mad Robotocist that he uses to protect the City of Wonders as well as attack the Mercenary

Catacombs & Abandoned Towns
Ghoul henchman

Controlled by the ghoul queen. Do her bidding of killing more humans to feed upon and lure humans to the catacombs.

Spirits

Souls of the damned who have yet to pass on to the next world, attack and eat humans.

Nasnas

Appearing to be humans, but missing one arm and one leg, they move exceedingly fast. They are said to be half djinni and half human.

Ancient Ruins & Abandoned Towns
Minor djinn

Djinn commanded by more powerful djinn such as the Djinni Lord. There are many different potential variations.

Spirits

Souls of the damned who have yet to pass on to the next world, attack and eat humans.

Desert Settlements & Oases

White Nomad (sword type)
White Nomad (spear type)
White Nomad (bow type)

White nomads are hardened warriors of the desert who fight the mercenary to protect their territory and/or collect a toll.

Blue Nomad (bow type)
Blue Nomad (sword type)
Bedouin henchman (magic type)

Blue nomads are mystical warriors of the desert who fight the mercenary as they are controlled by the Sorcerer.

Castles/Strongholds

Crusader soldier
Crusader knight
Crusader cleric

Crusaders are warriors from the North (Europe) who are trying to conquer the land.

Saracen soldier
Saracen knight
Saracen cleric

Saracens are warriors from the region. The Mercenary fights them in the tutorial castle siege.

Sea/Rivers

Eel
Piranhas
Sharks
Octopi
Crocodiles

Dialogue Sample:

Preface: The grammatical errors in dialogue are intentional to showcase the character’s ineptitude.

Scene opens on the MERCENARY entering the PALACE, a merry band is playing as the SULTAN is sat on his throne sipping wine and smiling at the sight while being surrounded by some advisors and guards. By the SULTAN is the RIVAL who glares at the Mercenary.

MERCENARY: <He’s hired Shashin as well…>

The Sultan notices the Mercenary and Welcomes him.

SULTAN: Aha! Welcome o’ noble warrior!

The Mercenary bows his head

The Rival moves his gaze from the Mercenary to the Sultan

SULTAN: Now that twice the warriors have emerged I am ready to lighten you with mine commandment!

MERCENARY: <Isn’t it “enlighten”?>

The Sultan gestures to an attendant who scrambles for a scroll in his pocket before he unfurls it and begins to read

ATTENDANT: It is by the declaration of our o’ so noble, o’ so smart, o’ so wise, o’ so amazing, o’ so wealthy, o’ so humble Sultan, the fairest, the kindest, the wisest, the intellecutalist, the wealthist-

The Attendant pauses and scrutinizes the scroll for a moment before giving the Sultan a puzzled look and then continuing. The Sultan looks satisfied smiling with his eyes closed.

ATTENDANT: the wealthist, the smartestest, and the unfalliblest Sultan in all the lands! That the thief who looted the artefact must be beheaded and the idol he stole returned to his o’ so beautiful, o’ so elegant, o’ so pretty, o’ so-

The Mercenary and The Rival give each other a glance before looking back at the attendant.

ATTENDANT: o’ so jorgeous, o’ so lovely, o’ so grandiose palace!

The Sultan smiles with excitement and looks around the room. All the attendants immediately clap and cheer.

SULTAN: Ah! Now you two amazing warriors understand the task!

The two warriors nod

SULTAN: Did you like that poem the attendant spoke? I wrote it myself, you know =)

MERCENARY: <did he just call that a poem?>

RIVAL: It was exquisite my lord <of course that addlepated fool wrote it>

SULTAN: A-ha! I am glad to hear that!

MERCENARY: And where may I begin my search for this thief?

SULTAN: Yes of course! But before I lighten you on that information-you should beware that the thief is too a sorckerer (sorcerer) of the most fantastic magic! He was so powerful that he defeated the elight (elite) guards of the sanctum where I kept the idol!

MERCENARY: Understood. <sorckerer? elight? This kingdom is doomed>

SULTAN: Anyway! That wretched Sorckerer (Sorcerer) was last seen around the City of Wonders, apparently he works with the chief engineer! I’ve sent envoys to the City but none have returned >:(

RIVAL: I will be certain to return with his head and your dear artefact, my lord.

The Rival kneels and bows his head.

SULTAN: Wondrous news o’ noble Sha-sheen (Shashin).

The Rival grimaces to himself momentarily before raising his head and smiling at the Sultan.

SULTAN: Now then, begone!

The Rival and the Mercenary are escorted out of the palace. The Rival gives the Mercenary a mischievous smile

RIVAL: I’ll see you soon, mamluk.

The Mercenary glares at him before the RIVAL disappears into the nearby crowd.

MERCENARY: <I’ll kill that man before he calls me a slave again>