When the gate opens, love and beauty will return to the world, and we will once again live in his perfect light. He’s been gone for a long time, but his return is upon us. Let us praise his name and rejoice!
The Elder Crystals is a fantasy game set in the world of Sekherion, and its story begins in a place known as the Secluded Valley. The valley has been your home for nineteen years, and you have always seen it as a safe place.
All of that changes when you wake up in a forsaken cavern, right next to a large Crystal Gate, and you realize you were kidnapped and left for dead. Thankfully, you’re not alone. There’s a black cat with you, and he/she seems to be trying to lead you to safety.
As you explore the cavern, you uncover traces of suspicious activity. There are books and scrolls dating back to the Second Age, there are notes speaking of strange, dark rituals, and then, there is the Crystal Gate itself. You’ve never seen anything like it in the valley, and you can’t help but wonder why it’s there.
Is the Crystal Gate keeping you from what’s inside, or is it keeping whatever’s inside from getting out?
- Play as male, female, or nonbinary.
- Play as a member of one of eight races, with each one having a unique racial trait.
- Customize your appearance, personality, and sexual orientation.
- Romance a wizard astronomer, a dutiful monk, a quirky witch, a noble archer, a mysterious mercenary, or an arrogant elf from the outside world.
- Build your stats and develop your skills, and see how your choices change your experience.
- Choose your weapon and collect different types of equipment.
- Explore three different types of magic.
- Customize your dragon familiar.
- Complete quests and track them in your personal journal.
- Collect books to unlock a unique scene at the end of the game.
- Protect your town from bandits, cultists, and the undead.
- Join forces with an old wizard, an ancient lich, or a talking tree.
- Learn the truth about your mother and her unusual connection to the Elder Crystals, and discover what happened when the valley was cut off from the outside world!
THE ASTRONOMER | PINTEREST
Amedu (m) or Ameda (f) | Islander, human | 19yo | Wizard
Trope: MC’s childhood friend.
Personality: relaxed, open-minded, esoteric, calm.
Born to a family of merchants from Ferndale, A has always been a bit of an enigma to you. You’ve been close friends for many years, but you still don’t feel like you know them that well. They are a mage with a passion for arcane energies and astronomy, that much cannot be denied, but there is also something darker about them. Something dangerous. When lines get crossed and secrets come to light, will you stick by their side, or will you make them walk their path alone?
THE MONK | PINTEREST
Nelfas (m) or Nelfasu (f) | Saryel/Southerner, human | 22yo | Monk
Trope: Voice of reason.
Personality: calm, detached, rational, unemotional, wise.
Monks are a rare sight in Ferndale, and N is no exception. Given to the Abbey of Silent Tears at an early age, they’ve spent most of their childhood and early adulthood in relative solitude. When your paths first cross, it feels like a coincidence. But is it really one? When you learn that your home is in danger, will N help you make things right, or will they stand by and do nothing at all?
THE NOBLE ARCHER | PINTEREST
Darion (m) or Daria (f) | Southerner, human | 20yo | Archer
Trope: Arranged engagement.
Personality: sarcastic, rebellious, cunning, evasive, cocky, loud.
Being a noble when there are only two noble families left is not easy, and it’s even worse when you’re not someone who’s fond of tradition. D has been in that very position since the day they were born, and yet, they’ve never been able to get used to it. When you first run into each other, they’re on the run from one of their arranged dates. They have a problem, but they do not wish to face it. But what happens when other, much darker, problems arise? Will D stand by your side when you face the darkness, or will their answer be to run again?
THE WITCHLING | PINTEREST
Cerien (m) or Cerina (f) | Northerner, human | 18yo | Witch
Trope: That strange person no one knows anything about. Someone with a secret crush.
Personality: obsessive, quirky, individualistic, unorthodox, shy.
When your mother dies while giving birth to you, and the family that’s supposed to care for you throws you out of the house when your magic manifests at the tender age of four, you’re set on a very strange path. But what happens if you also disappear for nine years and come back as a different person? C never needed to wonder about that, as that’s exactly what happened to them. Can a person this mysterious and odd live among regular people? Can they be trusted when darkness falls upon the valley?
THE MERCENARY | PINTEREST
Xarien (m) or Xarina (f) | Northerner, human | 25yo | Battlemage
Trope: New person in town. Someone with a lot of inner demons.
Personality: deceitful, cunning, daring, jealous, ruthless.
A bit of a secret character. Anything I say will be a spoiler. For now, they are a mercenary who comes to Ferndale to help with the problems the town is facing. Is there more to them? Who are they? Do their secrets have something to do with the darkness that’s spreading across the valley?
THE GUARDIAN* | PINTEREST
Qen (m) | Primeval Elf | 5506yo | Guardian/Holy Warrior
Trope: Someone with a connection to MC’s family.
Personality: dutiful, arrogant, lawful, tactful, lonely.
Dedicated, ancient, and certainly not amused, would be the best words to describe Qen at the beginning of the story. His life might have been long and tragic, but it still hasn’t prepared him for the current events. When you first run into each other, he almost dies in the process. Who is he? How come no one has ever heard of him? Did he come from outside the valley? How could that be, when the world outside the Secluded Valley ceased to exist over two centuries ago?
*Qen’s gender is set to male, and he can only be romanced by male characters.
OTHER DETAILS
WORD COUNT
Demo words: 99.000.
Per playthrough: 34.550.
Alpha build words: 154.500.
Per playthrough: 59.500.
QUESTIONS
How many books will there be?
Three, but the first book will have a strong, complete ending.
How long will it take to write?
About a year per book.
How long will the demo be?
The demo will include the first four chapters.
Will there be cliffhangers?
Only in a secret scene that will be unlockable and will hint at the sequel.
Can I play without romance?
Absolutely.
PROGRESS
Chapter 1 – 100% done.
Chapter 2 – 100% done.
Chapter 3 – 100% done. (alpha build)
Chapter 4 – 25% done (alpha build).
Chapters 5 – to be done.
Chapter 6 – to be done.
Chapter 7 – to be done.
Chapter 8 – to be done.
Chapter 9 – to be done.
Chapter 10 – to be done.
FEEDBACK
Feel free to leave comments with questions, ideas, and any possible errors (including grammar and punctuation) or bugs you might have encountered.
UPDATES
Chapters 1-4 will be available in the public demo. The rest of the game will be available in the alpha build (and in the closed beta). The alpha build is updated every few days, while the public demo will be updated when a full chapter is done.
When it comes to the demo, Chapter 3 will become available when I finish working on Chapters 3 and 4. Chapter 4 will be up when I’m done with Chapters 5 and 6.
CHANGELOG
December 8, 2022
- Demo release (ca. 40.000 words, excluding code).
December 9, 2022
- Fixed an issue with D’s gender choice.
- Fixed an issue with MC’s eye color.
- Added *line_breaks in the journal.
- Changed the save file name from THS to TEC.
- Made it possible to actually buy the religious book.
- Fixed a coding error (wrong order) that made the game take both gems and scrolls from you when you were buying books. (It checked for the scrolls, took away the scrolls, and on top of that, it then also checked for money. It was a mixup, and it’s been fixed. Tell me if it’s working!)
January 27, 2023
- CHAPTER 2 RELEASE (ca. 60.000 words, excluding code).
- New in Ch.2: More racial reactivity (something for every race).
- New in Ch.2: First romance scenes for 5 ROs.
- New in Ch.2: First option(s) to use magic.
- New in Ch.2: Enchanting, crafting, and alchemy.
- New in Ch.2: Overhaul of scrolls, potions, and powders.
- New in Ch.2: Option to meet one of the gods.
- New in Ch.2: 4 (5) side quests.
- New in Ch.2: 4 new achievements.
- New in Ch.2: Journal entries for all quests (side, main, companion).
March 29, 2023
- This isn’t a content update, but Chapter 3 will be coming to the public demo in April.
- REWORKED SKILLS, STATS, AND ITEMS.
- Rework details: Deleted endurance and charisma. Charisma/Charm is now a personality trait.
- Rework details: Turned memory skills into knowledge stats.
- Rework details: Deleted lesser versions of items.
- Rework details: Revised personality stats. We now have: Timid/Bold, Serious/Playful, Humble/Proud, and Charming/Abrasive (prev. charisma).
- Rework details: Skills are now text-based and focus on mastery and not percentages. For combat, there are three masteries: novice, adept, and master. You will have options to increase them through training at certain points in the game.
- Rework details: Using the skills will not increase their level.
- NEW SAVES REQUIRED.
DEMO | TUMBLR | PINTEREST | PATREON
MY OTHER GAMES
TEMPLE OF ENDLESS NIGHT
THE HIDDEN SANCTUM
THE ALCHEMIST
Art for The Elder Crystals was created by Izabela Oliwia.
