Story Mode

**Story Mode** is a game mode that accounts for the main plot and narrative of the champions' quest to find the Prophet's Key in order to save Fœnum from the return of the Predators. Each character's story arc was planned to be released in chronological chapters that would be included in free game updates as they are completed.

As of today, only Chapter 1, starring Arizona, was released during the time the game was still in development. Chapter 2 would have featured Velvet. It's unknown how the plot would develop further post Chapter 1.

## Plot

### Prologue

The story begins in Fœnum's capital, Reine, with the Council of Ungulates having an emergency meeting. Chief Anga starts the discussion of the predators' return by claiming there's a survivor - Ribbon, who tells her story of encountering a small pack of wolves. When she was chased down and cornered, the wolves demanded to take them to the Prophet's Key. But the dawn came just in time, blasting the predators with morning light and turning them into smoke. Just as they were disintegrating, they warned her of the predators' return. After listening to the story, Kalimat insists that the legends of the The Prophet's Key are true, and they must seek a champion to find the Key. While Anga is skeptical at first, she admits it must be taken seriously. However, she believes it won't be easy to settle on one champion, and so she calls all nations of Fœnum to choose a champion of their own, and they will battle each other for the right to seek the Key.

### Chapter 1 (Arizona)

#### Part I: Champion of the Prairie!

Arizona is heard of The Council's call and decides to talk about it with her father, Texas, who is up at night at the campsite. As he tells the story of how predators were banished from Fœnum to Arizona and the rest of the Cattlekind, he asks his herd who'd be willing to become the Prairie's champion. When no one else would, Arizona decides to be the sole volunteer. Worried for her safety, Texas refuses to let her be chosen, but Arizona states that she isn't too young to protect her home. With Minnesota's blessing and heading, Arizona starts her journey to Reine City. On her way through the Canyon Pass, Arizona meets Madison, who seems to have been stuck because of the collapsed bridge to Reine City. After a chat Madison convinces Arizona to stay for a night and wait until the bridge is repaired. However Arizona is too excited to sleep, and notices a scouting wolf in the night running into the abandoned salt mines. She follows it and ends up fighting the critters while she advances through the mines. Once Arizona reaches the end, she encounters a big snake, who engages with her in a battle. After the fight is over, Arizona continues on, saying she'll have to travel across a lot of land and sea before she gets to Reine.

#### Part II: I Thought I'd Never See Ze Day

Arriving to Reine City's gates, Arizona talks with one of the cows who offers help to get into the city if Arizona brings her some food from the local tavern. After trading food and offering gate's guardians milk for letting her inside, Arizona enters the city. She briefly encounters Pom, busy catching up on her puppies who were chasing down bunch of Winter Sprites. Arizona gets to museum and finds the relic which could potentially give more clue about the Prophet's Key. It's when Velvet arrives into the room and asks what's Arizona's business in Reine City. The calf claims herself to be Prairie's champion, to which Velvet responds by challenging her to a fight. After beating Velvet up, Arizona heads to the ship which is said to be sailing to the High Plains after being given a ticket to cruise. The Deerfolk of Reine are thankful she's finally gone.

#### Part III: At the Mountains of Sadness

Upon arriving to the High Plains, Arizona makes her way into the harsh area through the mountains and hawks. After reaching the top, she collapses from all the climbing and fighting, and gains consciousness at the Alpake Camp. The members, as well as Adobo, try to dissuade her from proceeding further. Despite this, Arizona is determined to continue, and Adobo gives the directions to Temple of the Ancestors, where Arizona could find more information about the Key. After passing through Foggy Mountaintops and being chased by Paprika, Arizona engages with her in a fight at the end of the area. She then proceeds to reach the entrance to the Temple.

#### Part IV: Temple of Gloom

Arizona searches the temple while making her way through the obstacles and predators. Once she reaches the giant monolith and tries to read it, Oleander shows up, who then challenges Arizona for a fight when the calf claims she's the champion. After the fight - whether player wins it or not - Arizona gets knocked out. Oleander proceeds to copy the encrypt of the monolith while Fred loots Arizona's bag, taking the Longma Ball if Arizona happened to obtain at least one of them, after which they both leave the temple. When Arizona recovers, she finds herself unavailable to read monolith's encrypt. Frustrated, she leaves the temple, refusing to give up on her quest.

## Creation and Development

Story Mode has been promised as one of the core game modes since the 2015 crowdfunding period, and was first announced to be released in 1.0 version of the game on 2nd of April 2020 during Mane6's Story Mode preview stream, but later the date of release was postponed to 30th of April 2020.

As of October 21st 2021 update, some of the dialog from Prologue was revised.

The next chapter, featuring Velvet, was first mentioned to be released after 3.0 update. After acquisition by Modus Games, it was announced that Chapter 2 was in active production, and new members of the team would help not only make new content, but improve the game mode as a whole. It was said all the main chapters + the "final" one would be released before the end of 2022, but as console ports and localization system have been in the works, it's become impossible for the entire thing to be finished in time.

On the 23rd of November 2023, the game was declared to be ending active developement, and as such, the release of Story Mode, along with other updates, is indefinitely cancelled.

## References

1. ↑ https://forums.themsfightinherds.com/index.php?threads/1-0-release-date-new-website.2273/
2. ↑ https://forums.themsfightinherds.com/index.php?threads/1-0-release-delayed-by-one-month-now-april-30th.2277/
3. ↑ https://www.forums.themsfightinherds.com/index.php?threads/halloween-event-begins-version-2-1-6.2395/
4. ↑ https://www.forums.themsfightinherds.com/index.php?threads/development-update-5.2374/
5. ↑ https://forums.themsfightinherds.com/index.php?threads/development-update-6-acquisition-by-modus-games.2401/
6. ↑ https://forums.themsfightinherds.com/index.php?threads/development-update-7-tfh-is-coming-to-consoles.2405/
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/574980/view/3882727783056476087?l=english