Paper Mario: The Ancestral Key

Paper Mario: The Ancestral Key is a future installment of the Paper Mario series. The story regards Mario and his friends traveling to the continent of Chantania to investigate strange happenings under the request of Prince Clemence. As it turns out, an ancient race of vile beings from a parallel dimension known as the Necromads seek to break the seal keeping them trapped and take over the Mushroom World. To stop them, Mario must restore power to an ancient artifact, the Ancestral Key, to seal the Necromads away again.
This game will have 20 chapters. The prologue and the final chapter will be written by PaintedRealms9374. However, Chapters 1-19 will be written by different users. Just comment down below which chapter you want to write, and a queue will be put in for you. Keep in mind, there are some rules to this:
* You are only allowed to write one chapter.
* Try to make your chapter make sense with the rest of the story.
* This game will have a total of 15 partners, with a possible 16th optional partner. That being said, you can include more than one partner in your chapter.
* Please note that, after writing your chapter, PaintedRealms9374 may make some small edits.
* Even after writing your chapter, you are allowed to suggest/make miscellaneous content for this fangame, such as a logo, box art, or just to simply fix a grammatical error.
(The concept for this game is heavily inspired by this.)
== Story ==
=== Intro ===
As the game begins, Merlon sits in a rocking chair, holding a book in hand. He addresses the viewer, telling them that he will tell them a story. He opens the book, only to realize that he got a cookbook instead of the storybook he wanted. He gently places it on the ground and decides to tell them the story without a storybook.
"There exists two different versions of our world: the Light World and the Shadow World. The world we live in, myself included, is the Light World, a world of general happiness and fortitude. The Shadow World, on the other hand, is not such a forgiving place. It's overrun by an evil race called the Necromads, who find joy in conquering and destroying empires.
"These worlds actually used to be connected to one another. That is, until the Necromads attempted to take over the Light World. To stop them, a group of sages created a seal using an artifact they titled the Ancestral Key. By exerting all of their life force into the key, they cut off the Shadow World from the Light World, isolating the Necromads. Everyone thought that all was well...
"However, little did they know that, as powerful as the seal was, it wasn't permanent. There came a day where the Necromads found a way to weaken it, and were able to send some of their soldiers through it. Multiple kidnappings were reported on the continent of Chantania, but no suspect or evidence could be found. The continent fell into a state of fear and despair. The people of Chantania prayed for an answer to their troubles.
"That's where a man named Mario came in."
=== Prologue: Rise of Darkness (Written by PaintedRealms9374) ===
Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Captain Toad were on a boat, about to dock in Chantania Harbor. Peach, holding the letter she received from an old friend, Prince Clemence, was in disbelief of the situation. She looked at the letter again, just to confirm that what she read was true.
"To Mario and his friends:
"I am Prince Clemence, an old friend of Princess Peach. I have heard of your many heroic deeds, and I request your help. Many of my loyal subjects have been going missing for a month now. I have done everything in my power to get to the bottom of this, but we currently have no leads. The more I think about it, the more I am convinced that these disappearances are no freak accidents, but rather deliberate. Yes, you read that correctly. I believe someone may be kidnapping my subjects. As the prince of this land, I cannot allow that.
"I hope you are able to help my people and I in these trying times."
-Prince Clemence
Peach put the letter in her pocket, still a little shook about the idea that someone was kidnapping innocent people. Captain Toad, who was Peach's new attendant (Toadsworth retired,) swore to Peach that he wouldn't let her out of his sights. Meanwhile, Luigi was talking to Mario, telling him that, just in case something happened, he should hit the first Save Block he came across.
Once they arrived at Chantania Harbor, Mario did just this. Before he did anything else, he decided to explore around a bit, talking to the locals around him and finding some neat items. But he soon bumped into a calico Cat Goomba wearing pink glasses, making her drop her papers. She apologizes, saying that she should've been looking where she was going, as she frantically picked up her papers. Once she calmed down, she was able to recognize who Mario was, making her mouth drop and causing her to let go of her papers again. She euphorically introduced herself as Camilla, a college professor who recently got a new job at Bell University. She was going to start her job in a week, and she wanted to get as much work done today as possible. She picked up her papers again and ran off.
Peach called over to Mario, telling him to get in a carriage that would take them to Clemence's castle. One carriage ride later, they were at the gates of Castle Clemence. The guards immediately recognized Mario and his friends and let them enter. Inside the castle, they saw a man with brown hair, red robes, black boots, and a golden crown. This was Prince Clemence, the benevolent ruler of Chantania. When him and Peach saw each other, they embraced the other in a whole-hearted hug. Sadly, the lighthearted atmosphere was quickly replaced by one of gloom and sorrow. Prince Clemence, who understood that they read the letter, told them that he desperately needed their help to both find the missing people and to stop whoever is behind the mess. Without hesitating, they all agreed.
Prince Clemence took them back to the harbor and offered to help them search for clues. However, before they could get going, a scream for help could be heard. Following the cries, they saw the Cat Goomba from before, Camilla. She was being threatened by two skeletal-looking creatures, telling her that they couldn't allow her to go anywhere near Bell University. Mario bravely stepped in to take out the two troublemakers, who swore to get back at the plumber. Camilla thanked Mario for saving her tail, and offered to repay the favor by assisting Mario, in case more of those "creatures" showed up. With Camilla now in Mario's party, they headed to Bell University, hoping to find some clues as to what was happening.
When they arrived at Bell University, they were greeted by an old friend: Merlon. He was working as the librarian for the college grounds, a nice change of pace from his typical everyday routine. Prince Clemence told him about the strange monsters that attacked them on their way their, which put a grim look on Merlon's face. He invited them to come to his library, where he'd explain everything.
In Merlon's library, everyone was tense as to what Merlon had to say. The wise Shaman wished that this day would never come, but it was clear that everything that's been going on was all connected to something. The kidnappings, the attackers...all of it had to do with one thing: the Necromads. He told everyone the story of how the Shadow World and the Necromads were separated from the Light World by the sages of times long past. One of those sages was his own father, Merlore. Before dying, his father entrusted Merlon with a relic that would only be used when the time had come: the Ancesteal Key. Merlon opened a safe hidden behind a painting and took out the key he was talking about. He then shoved over a bookcase to reveal a hidden passageway that led into the catacombs that the university was built over.
Down in the catacombs, Merlon showed the group the seal that separated the Shadow World from the Light World. A hole in the fabric of reality was seen being closed off by a lock and seven chains. The Shaman commented that there were supposed to be eight chains closing off the portal, which confirmed his fears that the seal was growing weaker. If the seal was fully broken, the Necromads would flow through and surely take over the Light World. But there was a way to repair the seal; the Ancestral Key had to be recharged at each Ancestral Shrine scattered across the continent. Merlon believed that if anyone could do it, Mario could. He also told Camilla that she should go with Mario to help him.
Back at the entrance, Merlon told Mario that the journey to recharge the Ancestral Key would be long and arduous. He asked him if he needed a tutorial on battles. Whatever Mario says is up to the player. Either way, Merlon informed Mario of one last thing: each time the Ancestral Key is recharged at a shrine, it will point the way to another shrine. If he had any further questions, he could always ask Merlon. Peach said to Mario that if he ever feels weak or beaten up, he could come see her and let her heal him up. Mario's friends bid him and Camilla farewell, hoping for safety on their quest. With that, the dynamic duo begin their journey in Windy Acres.
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== Gameplay ==
== Characters ==
=== Main Characters ===
Appearance	Name 	Description
 	Mario 	Mamma mia! It's the hero himself! His quest this time? Recharge the Ancestral Key to repair the seal keeping the Necromads out of the Light World! He encounters many new allies along the way, but also plenty of foes.
 	Luigi 	Mario's trusty brother, who has gone on an adventure on his own. Throughout the game, Mario can encounter him at a random point in Chantania Harbor, sometimes with an unfamiliar face. If Mario wishes, he can hear a segment of Luigi's tale.
 	Princess Peach 	The princess of the Mushroom Kingdom, who comes wth Mario to investigate the disappearances in Chantania. She resides in a house in Chantania Harbor, willing to heal Mario should he get bruised on his journey.
 	Captain Toad 	Princess Peach's new attendant, who took a vow to protect the princess from all danger. In between chapters, he can give Mario a random item to help him on his quest.
 	Prince Clemence	The kind-hearted ruler of Chantania. He just so happens to be an old friend of Peach, so it's only natural he's heard of Mario's amazing feats. That being said, he needs Mario's help to put a stop to the kidnappings of his land.
 	Merlon 	A Shaman who has helped Mario before in the past. However, this time, he has a bit more to share. His father, Merlore, gave him the task of guarding the Ancestral Key. With the seal weakening, he now has to give the key to Mario.
=== Partners ===
Appearance	Name 	Description 	Field Ability 	Moveset
 	Camilla	A chipper Cat Goomba professor who recently got a new job opportunity at Bell University. While she was setting up to begin her job, though, she was attacked by the Necromads. Fortunately, Mario saved her from the evildoers, and in a debt of gratitude, she joined Mario's party	Tattle - Reveals information about a person or place.	Scratch - Scratches an enemy with her claws. (2 dmg, 0 cdn)
 	Camilla	A chipper Cat Goomba professor who recently got a new job opportunity at Bell University. While she was setting up to begin her job, though, she was attacked by the Necromads. Fortunately, Mario saved her from the evildoers, and in a debt of gratitude, she joined Mario's party	Tattle - Reveals information about a person or place.	Tattle - Reveals the stats and information about an enemy. (0 cdn)
 	Camilla	A chipper Cat Goomba professor who recently got a new job opportunity at Bell University. While she was setting up to begin her job, though, she was attacked by the Necromads. Fortunately, Mario saved her from the evildoers, and in a debt of gratitude, she joined Mario's party	Tattle - Reveals information about a person or place.	Pounce - Jumps up and lunges at an enemy. Does not worked on spiked enemies or lava enemies. (3 dmg, 2 cdn)
 	Camilla	A chipper Cat Goomba professor who recently got a new job opportunity at Bell University. While she was setting up to begin her job, though, she was attacked by the Necromads. Fortunately, Mario saved her from the evildoers, and in a debt of gratitude, she joined Mario's party	Tattle - Reveals information about a person or place.	Distortion Bells - Summons large Super Bells that toll on the enemy side, with a chance of inflicting Confused. (4 cdn)
Category:Paper Mario (series)
Category:Paper Mario Games
Category:Paper Games
Category:Mario (series)
Category:Mario Games
Category:Joint Projects
Category:RPG Games
Category:Role-Playing Games