Celestial Blade

## Story

The High Renaissance.

The world is a perplexing place to live. The scourge of the Black Death has subsided and the Crusades are slowly becoming a memory. Wonderful, expressive and spiritual works abound and, for the first time, the world is truly beginning to open up. But times are far from perfect. Native peoples are suffering from European expansion, sometimes at the point of a sword sometimes through disease, and war is a constant as empires fight to expand their borders in struggles that, ironically, will give rise to the world we know today.

In this roller coaster of a world, there exists a little known tale of a Princess, a Demoness, old-fashioned human greed, ambition and finding oneself through adventure.

## Gameplay

As mentioned before, *Celestial Blade*will be a purely weapon-based fighter with 3D Graphics running on a 2.5D Unreal gameplay engine. Though its character designs and setting is inspired by *Soul Calibur*, it will play like *Samurai Shodown*, with outlandish moves and characters.

It will feature a four button layout: **Light Slash, Medium Slash, Heavy Slash,**and **Kick**.

Normals are handled with **Light Slash, Medium Slash, Heavy Slash**and **Kick**.

**Mage Arts**, the game’s Specials, will range from the 2D Fighter staples like energy projectiles to RPG-like status ailments like **Poison**, **Paralysis**, and **Seal**. **Poison**, for example, eats away at your health while **Paralysis** restricts movement. **Seal**is perhaps the most devastating as it restricts the use of Mage Arts and **Celestial Drives**, the game’s Supers.

**Celestial Drives** are performed by pressing a certain set of directions (QCF for example) and Light Slash, Medium Slash, Heavy Slash, or Kick in the vein of *Samurai Shodown*and *Last Blade*. Of course, which button and what kind of Celestial Drive depends on the character. **Celestial Gauge**, situated underneath your character like normal and fills up as you give and take damage.

For **Guard**, press Back or Down + Back. As a shoutout to *Samurai Shodown*, you can also **Roll** by tapping Down + Forward or Down +Back. In a shoutout to *Last Blade*, you can **Parry** by pressing Back + Light Slash + Medium Slash. You can also perform the **Celestial Break** by pressing Heavy Slash + Kick. It works like *Guilty Gear’s* Burst in that it gets you out of a tough situation like a long combo. It costs 10% of the Celestial Gauge.

**Throws** are performed by pressing Back + Heavy Slash.

To get around you can**Walk**(Forward or Back) **Dash**(double tap Forward),**Back Dash** (double tap Back), **Jump** (Up), and **Air Dash** (double tap Forward in air).

## Characters

As in most medieval/fantasy weapon-based fighters there will be the necessary staples: Knight, Samurai, Ninja/Kunoichi, Pirate, Barbarian, and Native Fighter. However, don’t expect the normal fare beyond those types. Hell, even a few of ***those*** archetypes aren’t what they’re usually depicted as here. It’s fine to stick to historical depictions, but I like to give a little something more if possible.

### Default

* **Aaliyah Al-Ahdal (voiced by Tatyana Ali)**-The main protagonist of *Celestial Blade.*She’s the firstborn child of an Ottoman Vizier presiding over the vassal state of Al-Hijaz, a cosmopolitan and spiritual region in western Arabia. She is a princess in every sense of the word: wealthy, spoiled, lazy and happily sheltered. Despite this, she is very spiritual and a devout a Muslim. She is forced from her comfortable life by an attack on the palace and embarks on a journey that will forever change her life. Fights with her modified Scimitar**“Al-Buraq”**, an heirloom passed down through the Al-Ahdal family.
* **Bebende (voiced by Danny Glover)-**An elderly teacher and skilled sorcerer from Timbuktu, one of the Mali Empire’s most treasured cities. He has been Aaliyah’s personal tutor and mentor since she was five and is a wise, calm, gentleman—with the patience of a saint. He hears of slave trappers and traders from Europe encroaching on West Africa and seeks a greater means to stop them to protect his family. Fights with **Shaman Staff**; a wand similar to the famous Japanese Shakujo.
* **Munetoshi Yagyu (voiced by Steve Kramer)-**A outwardly calm and collected middle-aged Samurai loyal to the rising star that is Ieyasu Tokugawa, future Emperor of Japan. With Hideyoshi Toyotomi’s recent passing, a line has been drawn between Mitsunari Ishida, Toyotomi loyalist, and Ieyasu and tensions are high. Jubei seeks to gain the power necessary to assist his lord in the upcoming battle between Mitsunari and Ieyasu (Sekigahara) and embarks on a journey to test the skill of his style, Shinkage-Ryu. Fights with the Katana**“Raikage”**
* **Sir Dudley Winthrop (voiced by Patrick Stewart)-**An elderly English Knight, devout Christian and gentleman lover of combat. Though his beard is gray and his movements slowed, Dudley still feels the flame of combat within him. However, his wife and children have begged him to settle down, especially since the latter are now grown. Dudley hopes going on a journey will make them understand that this old knight isn’t ready to retire yet. Fights with the “**Drac”**Swordand**“Wyvern”**Shield.
* **Francesca Abruzzi (voiced by Trina Nishimura)-**A mischievous teenage thief from the Papal States. She is a Catwoman, spawned from a male Werepanther and a human prostitute from Rome. Francesca was abandoned by her mother as a child and had to steal to survive. When she was five she met Father Antonio Abruzzi after a botched theft attempt. Instead of chiding her, however, kindly Father Abruzzi took Francesca in and adopted her as his own. Despite her changed life, she still finds herself stealing for the thrill, but ***only*** from those who can afford it. She sets out on a journey after Father Abruzzi fell ill following a demonic vision of a demoness named Mammon, who Francesca hopes to find and defeat. Fights with her clawed gauntlets **“Pantera”**.
* **Inti Amaru (voiced by Brennan Mejia)-**A young and hot-blooded warrior from what was the great Inca Empire. He survived the Spanish Conquest and the fall of the Neo Inca State, a vassal state made up of remnants of the great Incan Empire following the Conquest. He went into hiding following the fall of the Neo Inca State, waging small guerilla campaigns against Conquistadors. But he wants do more; he wants to take his empire and his culture back and goes on a journey to seek a way to do that. Fights with his twin Halberds **“Sunrise”** and **“Sunset”**
* **Heidi Schnaufer (voiced by Laura Bailey)-**A teenage female (Cross)Bowman from the Holy Roman Empire. Though painfully shy and aloof, she is prized by Emperor Rudolf II for her exceptional Crossbow aim and unique fighting style combining Crossbow skills and Martial Arts. She is tasked by the Emperor to seek out and execute the Dutch pirate Antoon Vandermeer, responsible for many atrocities across Europe. Fights with her Crossbow **“Gyrfalcon”**
* **Adoni (voiced by Khary Peyton)-**A young, buff Aboriginal warrior from Australia. While proud of his people and heritage, he is naturally adventurous and wishes to learn about the wider world. To do so, he takes up arms and sets out to see what there is to see. Fights with the Boomerang**“Wollombi”**
* **Maeve Campbell (voiced by Colleen Clinkenbeard)-**A Pictish Tribal Leader from the Scottish Highlands. She has been called the “Second Coming of Wallace” for her ferocity against rivals. She sets out on a journey after the Council of Druids told of the rise of a demonic force. She sets out to defend her family and her people. Fights with the Hammer **“Gae Bulg”**
* **Aayush Bhonsle (voiced by Wilmer Valderrama)-**A charismatic and honorable member of the Maratha warrior group. He is patriot of India and devout Hindu who, with his fellow Maratha, seek to bring an end to the Mughal Empire and bring about a new ruling class. Fights with twin Pata **“Shiva”** and **“Indra”**
* **Shanaa (voiced by Cree Summer)-**A Half-Elf born from a Saponi Indian father and an Elf mother of the Myuria tribe; both native to Pre-Colonial Central North Carolina. The Saponi have coexisted with the pale-skinned Myuria Elves for centuries and young Shanaa now acts as a direct go-between. She sets out on a journey after hearing that the English plan to expand their colonies further into North Carolina and seeks greater power to protect the interests of her two tribes just in case. Fights with the Staff **“Snakewind”**

### Unlockable

* **Antoon Vandermeer (voiced by Yuri Lowenthal)-**A young Pirate from the Dutch Republic and a vain and greedy pillager who loves nothing more than his own face and a buttload of gold. He’s terrorized Europe, Africa and Asia, tailing the Dutch expeditions and sometimes stealing from them. He works for Mammon on the promise of infinite treasure. Fights with his Rapier **“Gold”** and Flintlock **“Silver”**.
* **Ragnar the Bloody (voiced by Travis Fimmel)-**In the Early Medieval Period, Ragnar was a Viking who took part in the slaughter at Lindisfarne. His success there took him further into England and the France until he became living legend. His deeds and violent, restless spirit have earned him a second life as a Draugr, a Norse zombie in the service of Mammon. He fights with his Axe, **“Tyr”**.
* **Feng Hu (voiced by Robin Shou)-**A hulking Ming Warrior famous throughout the Empire as the “Warrior worth a Thousand”. His claim to fame is fighting off ten tigers at just ten years old and, as an adult, fighting off a thousand Ming soldiers. But he’s not content at being the best in China, he wants to be the best warrior ***period***. He serves Mammon to do just that. Fights withhis Monk Spade**“Wang Hu”**.

### Final Boss

* **Mammon (voiced by Cindy Robinson)**-One of the Neo Crown Princes—or in her case, ***Princess***—of Hell following the defeat of the original Crown Princes by Orion and the Seijyu centuries earlier. Mammon herself is usually associated with money and, by association, greed. But she’s not shy about her flirtatiousness and loves using sex appeal to get her way. She and her cadre of Feng Hu, Antoon and Ragnar have been wreaking havoc throughout the world. But, what is her true purpose for this? Could she be seeking something greater or just in it for the thrills? Fights with her own golden-tipped claws, **“Golden Nails”**.

### Hidden

* **Sonatina Chianella (voiced by Jodi Benson)*-***An Undine, a species of Merfolk native to the undersea civilization Seidon, located in the seas just off Italy’s famed Amalfi Coast. She’s kind and reticent with a passionate love of music, being a talented musician. She sets out on a journey to share her gift with the surface world. Fights with her harp, **“Siren Song”**.
* **Junko Mitarashi (voiced by Kate Higgins)-**A sprightly and optimistic Fuuma Kunoichi and student of the famous fifth Kotaro Fuuma and, like him, servant of the Hojo Clan. She cut her teeth in the Second Siege of Odawara Castle against the brilliant and fierce Shingen Takeda but the Third and final Seige of Odawara by Hideyoshi Toyotomi has forced the Hojo into hard times. With Hideyoshi now dead and herself unemployed, Junko sets out on a journey to find a new purpose. Fights with her modified Wakizashi, **“Ran”**and **“Yuri”**.
* **Humberto Vasquez (voiced by Jamieson Price)-**A fierce but humble and (surprisingly) pious Spanish barbarian nicknamed “El LeonGigante” for his lion-skin mantle, hulking muscular frame and fierce fighting skills. A mere utterance of Humberto’s name gives pause to even the mighty Spanish Army. Having defeated all comers in Spain, Humberto sets out for the wider world to seek new opponents. Fights with a spiked club, **“El Leon”**.
* **Aarav (voiced by Crispin Freeman)**-An Indian Thuggee out to destroy Mammon for his Goddess, Kali, the Hindu Goddess of Death and Destruction. Fights with twin Chakram **"Kali-Yuga"**.

## Game Modes

* **Fated Journey**: Tells the story of the game through your chosen character’s eyes in a eleven-match Arcade Mode-style layout. Rival Battles take place after ten Wins. You then move on to the Final Boss. Everyone will have their own cinematic ending.
* **Destined Battle:** Relive your favorite Rival Battles without a playthrough. Just select your character and start. ***NOTE:*** Must finish at least one character’s Fated Journey to unlock this mode.
* **Versus Mode**: Self-explanatory. You can play against CPU or Human here and Winquotes will be the same as Arcade Mode plus Mirror Match Winquotes for those who happen to like the same character.
* **Time Attack**: Try to climb the ladder with the fastest time following a randomly generated ladder ending at the Sub Boss. Special conditions must be met for the Final Boss.
* **Survival:**Try to survive an endless gauntlet of opponents for the highest score. Unlike Story and Time Attack there will be no set formula, you fight everybody all the time until you die. It will follow the Garou: MOTW survival where there will be health and time items. Like old-school survival, there is one difficulty that starts off easy and gets more complicated as you go.
* **Training**: Where you select your fighter and hone your skills against your selected opponent in whatever stage you like. Training will be as detailed as most modern Training Modes.
* **Tutorial**: A special tutorial that you can play and review as many times as you like.
* **Trails**: These are character-specific trails concerning Specials, Spirit Drives, combos, and cancels.
* **Gallery**: View character profiles, listen to music, and view Story Mode cutscenes.
* **Online**: You find a match, join a lobby, or enter a tournament. Cross-play between all systems will be added. Broadband is required. Rage-Quitters will be served with an automatic loss, no exceptions. If your internet is bad you might be best not playing fighting games with it.
* **Options**: Adjust settings like sound options, game options, and controls.

## Notes

* *Celestial Blade*will be set during the Renaissance (1400s-1700s). The specific period won’t be mentioned but if you know your history you can make an educated guess from the hints in the character descriptions here.
* There will be Rival Battles but you’ll have to read the entries to find out who.
* I am avoiding the Crusades so don't look for anything like that here (outside a small reference). I personally have no stance on them, they were wars and all war is hell. But since they've been used so much I'll just tiptoe around them.
* *Celestial Blade* will be T-Rated, with mild violence and light blood. However, there ***will***be mild *Samurai Shodown*-style finishing fatalities unique to every character that I'll put down.
* While there will be no direct *Hyaku Seiken, Shinobi no Michi,*or *Galaxy Clash*cameos, *Celestial Blade **is*** indeed a part of my prime fictional universe.
* In fact, *Celestial Blade* takes place centuries before *Hyaku Seiken*and*Shinobi no Michi,*with certain *Celestial Blade* characters being ancestors of certain *Hyaku Seiken* and *Shinobi no Michi* characters.