The Dragon's Hoard

This game is a visual novel taking place at a tavern. This is a story-heavy game where the player has to serve drinks to the customers. The customers will ask for specific drinks and it's your job to figure it out. You can look at the recipe book to view the specific drinks. Depending on the outcome of the drink, the customers will have different reactions. Different conversations will happen because of this. This will give more life to the characters and the game.

The Lore:

Founded in the year 743, the city of Marstok was not always the trade capital it is today. Rather, its beginnings were quite humble, for it once began as a mining town far removed from the veritable drama that had lingered over the region of Aston at the time. Its caves, originally carved out for coal and other natural fuels, inevitably revealed a trove of riches, from the simplest of copper to the grandest of gemstones. Such discoveries brought trade, and Marstok soon became a bustling hub of mercantilism. In time, such a growing economy, coupled with the town’s convenient location along major trade routes and distance from large governmental bodies, brought about a surge in population that soon led to the city we know today. 

In the years that followed Marstok’s recognition as a member of the Astonian Alliance, crime syndicates and gangs soon followed suit, with the greatest of which, the Gilded Coffers, laying claim to the underworld of the city. In an attempt to profit from other criminals, and to keep a close eye on the whereabouts of rival syndicates, the Coffers founded a bar within the now-emptied tunnels beneath Marstok — the Dragon’s Hoard, named after the variety of riches once discovered in the caverns they now occupied. 

Recently, however, Marstok has fallen upon difficult times. War, born of numerous political disputes between the Astonian Alliance and the Empire of Vras, has begun, and the warfront has slowly encroached upon the city’s lands. Economic distress and a decline in local morale has led citizens to turn to lives of crime to make ends meet. Life within Marstok has never been so stressful, even in its earliest days. 

Of course, such a life is only terrible for those who live on the surface, far removed from violence and greed. For the Hoard, despite its low-profile status and exclusive advertising through word of mouth, this period has served only to deepen their coffers and notoriety. The faceless leaders of the Coffers have celebrated such an influx in business, formally declaring the Hoard as a local hot sport of sorts, and notable criminals, bordering on celebrity status, have begun to visit the bar in much greater quantities. 

Due to such circumstances, you have been hired on as the Hoard’s newest bartender, and tonight is your first unsupervised shift. 

Good luck, and may your Coffers be deep, friend. 

The Cast:

Customer #1: Shaw Alabast 

A frequent visitor to the Hoard, Shaw is a bit of an odd soul. Whether it is due to his ragged clothing, unkempt appearance, or manner of speech, some would think him displaced — a victim of Marstok's economic decline. To the managerial staff of the bar — and, by proxy, other customers — however, he is a source of strange tales, a large variety of drink orders, and secrets clearly held behind his lazy façade. 

Customer #2: Valyria Draviris 

A bit of a self-proclaimed criminal celebrity, Valyria is an arrogant, vain, self-centered, and pompous vampire — and she loves it. Thinking her mere presence as a blessing to those around her, she tends to enter the Hoard with a dramatic flourish, seeking to draw the attention of all bystanders to herself. To the many previous bartenders of the Hoard, her expectations of quality and prior knowledge of orders makes her quite the interesting customer to serve, to put it lightly. 

Customer #3: Quinn Holmion 

A fresh face to the Hoard, Quinn has seemingly stumbled upon the bar by chance. How this is possible, none can truly be sure, considering the twisting tunnels and paths one must follow to reach its gilded doors. Seemingly forgetful and ever-drowsy, one could easily be concerned for their safety, given the bar’s typical fare, but it would seem that they have miraculously avoided most of the dangers of the Underground. Nevertheless, a good first impression has never hurt anyone, and it would seem that a proper introduction to their surroundings may be in order. 

Thanks for playing!

Credits:

Writing:  Nick Novello

Game Design: Nick Novello

Character Art:  Jude Fry

UI Assets:  Alexis Mayberry

Sounds/Music:  Zoe Maddix

Programming:  Michael Nadasky

Credited Music:

• Jazz Loop 01 50 bpm by CarlosCarty on Freesound.org
• Forget Me Not by E's Jammy Jams under Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... Music provided by FreeMusic109 https://youtube.com/FreeMusic109

Credits for Drinks:

Our drink recipe inspiration was taken from Heroes' Feast, the official Dungeons & Dragons cookbook.