For the last months I have been working on Deluge: Threnody of Crashing Waves, an eastern style VN with mysterious and lovecraftian elements. Deluge is set in Abbotsford, a former island that became part of the mainland in the 1940s due to a process of land reclamation (stemming off the sea and pumping out the water, with the intention of creating cultivable farmland). The story follows a main character, Abe, and three girls, Ina, Rika and Mei, as they slowly discover unsettling details about the island's past.
The setting of Abbotsford is loosely based on the real world location of Schokland, a former island that was completely landlocked by the creation of a series of polders. Ever since I learnt about this place, I became fascinated with the concept of an island that suddenly became part of the mainland. I think it's highly suitable for a mystery VN.
Plot Introduction
Abe never chose to come to Abbotsford. The village glows in a rural backwardness that fills him with a lingering dread. Soon however, things begin to look up, as he is hired as a delivery boy by Ina, the headstrong editor-in-chief for the school paper.
Before long they begin to uncover unsettling details about Abbotsford's past, including the mysterious evacuation of over half the island's populace. Gradually, Abe and Ina become caught up in an intricate web of political corruption, organized crime, and a highly secretive local church.
Deluge: Threnody of Crashing Waves is a mysterious visual novel with psychological and lovecraftian undertones.
Characters
Mei
Put your hand on these stones. Can you feel their calming warmth?
For obscure reasons Mei doesn't go to school. She can often be found wandering around the giant megaliths that where erected on the island during the late Neolithic. Recently she's been having nightmares about her little brother.
Rika
The Leviathan must be melancholy, coiling all alone through pitch black depths.
Descending from a long line of reformed preachers, Rika is well grounded both socially and spiritually. Lately, however, she has become captivated by an intense longing for the sea. Her father is the leader of the secretive Kuyper faction in the Abbotsford city council.
Ina
Scandal, crime, corruption — small town politics are a cesspool of human depravity.
Ina is strong headed and determined. Having recently taken over as chief editor of the Sunday Abbot, Ina is dedicated to turn the nameless tabloid into a hallmark of investigative journalism. Soon however, her inquiry into local political affairs stirs up a force that is better left untouched.
In Conclusion
I'm excited about this project and hope to have a basic early access version out by the end of the year. I'm very interested in input from people on the forums. What do you think of the premise? The posted artwork? How could it improve? I am also interested in feedback on the way the game is presented, both in this forum post as on the Steam page. Does the description make you want to check out the game? Are there parts that could be improved?
