Torment: Tides of Numenera Post-funding Update #41: Novella and Dynamic Floors

A new post-funding Kickstarter update for Torment: Tides of Numenera has been released today. It includes the obligatory blurb on The Bard’s Tale IV Kickstarter, the announcement of the release of the “Indigo” novella from Ray Vallese, and a technical write-up at a pretty good looking dynamic floor effect the team has developer for the game. An excerpt on and from the novella:

From the Depths: Indigo Released

We have now released the second of our From the Depths novella series. (Recall that the From the Depths novellas, written by people involved in the creation of TTON, together illustrate the five Tides. While not required reading to play, they do provide a richer understanding of the world and setting of our game, and also helped our design team explore and master the nature of the Tides.)

If the Digital Novella Compilation was part of your Tier, or if you pledged for the $15 add-on, then you can retrieve the Indigo novella RIGHT NOW at our site. It’s available DRM-free in all the most common eBook formats (epub, mobi, azw3, and PDF).

We released the Gold novella late last year. This second one comes from Torment editor and Planescape veteran Ray Vallese, who has been working with some of you on your NPCs and item descriptions. It tells the story of Tuck, who settled into New Iqa in the vicinity of the Oasis of M’ra Jolios. When catastrophe hits the isolated settlement, Tuck knows he must act to save the scattered survivors with the help of his friend Baji. Baji has always given him good advice. Even if he’s just a voice in Tuck’s head.

An excerpt:

The priest walked toward Palene, but not too close. (Honored M’sem, we don’t expect your people to share your food without recompense. We can trade. Look around. I have no small skill with the numenera what you probably call the relics of the ancients. Let us negotiate an arrangement to help both our villages. The creatures that attacked us might come for you next. Or perhaps the mutants of M’ra Jolios will go on the march. An alliance )

(Oh, yes, the creatures,) Palene interrupted, sounding bored. (I understand that your little camp here was nuisanced by a chelka swarm. What a shocking turn of events. You really should be more careful about what turns up on your doorstep. It is an awful thing to feel unsafe in your own homes. No one would fault you for going back where you came from.)

I’d never heard the term chelka swarm before. The look on Eltria’s face said that she hadn’t, either.

The priest hammered onward. (As I was saying, an alliance between the humans will strengthen the valley and help us all. We may be scattered, but we can work together. What I’m proposing )

(Is nothing of interest, I am quite sure.) Palene’s words came faster now. He moved around a table and picked up a rusted metal cube from a raised stand. The cube had been cut nearly in half, exposing dozens of filaments that he flicked back and forth, chuckling as they sparked.

(We can make a deal,) I said. (There must be something Warale wants.)

His light brown eyes smiled at me over the blue smears on his cheeks. (Why, yes: your absence. The fact that we all are human does not entitle you to squat in our lands. The valley was ours before you arrived. It will be ours after you are dead. And then we will sweep up your bones and take what we please.)

(We are not as weak as you seem to think,) Eltria said.

(Oh, have I offended you?) Palene put on an exaggerated frown. (What a poor guest I make. But it is so tiresome to negotiate with children.) He walked to the window, tapped on the stronglass with a corner of the cube, and peered out toward the village. (We know of this place. It lies closest to M’ra Jolios. Can you see the dome from here? I wager you can. More likely, then, that the mutants will slake their thirst on you, and rid the valley of pests. We must do what is best for us all. You understand, I’m sure.)

(I would say what is best for all is a matter of perspective.)

I stepped in close to Palene and looked up into his eyes, puffing myself up as much as I could. (We offer friendship, and you threaten us? This is a grave insult. I demand an apology.)

Palene laughed. (Or what? You’ll thrash this body?)

I clenched my fists at my sides. We both knew my threat was empty.

(I quite like being tall,) he said, comparing our heights. (If only my family could see me now. Were it possible, I would stay longer. But the yoke has melted, so my time is about up. We spared your ridiculous runner so that I could deliver our response in person. You seem incapable of taking the hints we give, so I will speak plainly: there will be no further discussion. The next runner you send to Warale will be put to better use. And you, tinkerer) he threw the cube to Eltria )do not demean your prowess. You do have small skill with the numenera.)

Palene smiled coldly, but the expression faded as his eyes rolled back and his body crumpled like a marionette. I lunged to catch his head before it struck the floor, and laid him out. He’d come back to us in about an hour, gods willing.