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Valera

Demo Version 1.3

In the economically powerful land of Valera, a group of mercenaries suffer a swift and focused attack, leaving three dead and one seriously injured. The mercenaries deem the culprit the "Butcher of Valera." This attack sends one of the most seasoned of the mercenaries—our protagonist, Julian—onto a path of revenge. Circumstances lead Julian to the doorstep of an old enemy: Kaufman, leader of one of the most powerful merchant syndicates in all of Arum.

In a blink of an eye, what starts as a simple revenge quest will turn into something far more personal than Julian could have ever imagined. For during all of this, he is occasionally jarred by lucid dreams, in which he is approached by a mysterious spirit. These dreams—and the subtle message they bring—will be the catalyst that changes everything for Julian.

Julian
Second-in-command of the Bergeron Force, a group of mercenaries, Julian has been suffering greatly due to a series of tragic events. His ability to compartmentalize his darker emotions has prevented him from growing unstable. Although he is able to remain sharp and positive most of the time, he is prone to bouts of anger—much like his comrade, Sarah. He is 37 years old.

Sarah
A close ally of Julian and one of the few who can "bust his balls", Sarah is occasionally brash but still has a good head on her shoulders. She might not possesses the same degree of calmness of Julian, but she is just as prone to anger. Her skills as a martial artist make her stereotypical in many ways; however, all is not what it seems with her. She is 28 years old.

Trey
One of the few foreigners in Bergeron Force, Trey hails from the land of Dermod, more than 1000 miles to the west of Valera. He is collected, curious, and analytical, and is never afraid to speak his mind. He has developed proficiency in elemental abilities. He is 25 years old.

Justine
Justine is a supportive, yet misunderstood woman. She is worried about what others think of her, to the point where she is often treated with indifference. There is a degree of jealousy among all of the members of Bergeron Force, for many believe she gets special treatment as Bergeron's sister. She is often marginalized when her brother is not around, even though her skills as an archer and healer make her one of the most valuable members of the force. She has been thinking about leaving the mercs for quite some time. She is 23 years old.

Bergeron
The founder of his band of mercenaries, Bergeron is a natural leader who is somewhat arrogant and instinctive. He counts on Julian and Trey as the voices of logic and reason—especially Trey. Despite his arrogance and boldness, he is prone to lapses of self confidence, which has placed a strain on his subordinates. Little does everyone know that his personal struggles will soon come to a head. He is 29 years old.

Jaal
One of the victims of the "Butcher of Valera", Jaal becomes comatose after suffering a serious stab wound. He is a friend of Julian's, though they have grown somewhat distant since the incident at one of Kaufman's secret vaults. He is 30 years old.

Kaufman
One of the main antagonists of Valera, Kaufman is a greedy and corrupt businessman, merchant, and manipulator. Hated by Julian due to the vault incident. He is 51 years old.

Aderna
Kaufman's second-in-command, Aderna is a hyper ambitious and sharp-minded woman from Thranik who is not afraid to speak her mind to her boss. She is 27 years old.

Valera is a turn-based RPG that uses elements of Yanfly's Gameplay Engine Ace. Regular battles are slightly more challenging and strategic than a typical RPG, and many bosses feature twists that require careful use of skills, elements, and status effects. The game emphasizes items: selling loot is the primary way of obtaining money, and the typical 'attack' command has been replaced with 'mug' to facilitate and encourage item acquisition. Most enemies have three items to steal; some of these items, such as the Gift Box and Money Bag, contain random rewards.

Each character features two skill subsets, as well as the 'Mug', 'Guard', and 'Use Item' options:

Julian: 'Cunning' (status-inflicting sword moves) and 'Impedimenta' (status/debuff magic)
Sarah: 'Martial Arts' (TP-based physical attacks) and 'Augmenta' (tanking/buff magic)
Trey: 'Swordplay' (various) and 'Elementa' (elemental magic).
Justine: 'Archery' (TBD) and 'Reficia' (healing magic).

There are three main dungeons in Valera: a mountain pass, an underground passage, and a watery tomb. In an attempt to streamline the game, most town interaction will occur on the world map. Field maps are completely explorable and feature a variety of puzzles, treasure chests, enemies, and NPCs. Completing an area in the final version will yield a special 'Care Package' based on a simple metric. Every treasure chest and monster party will yield a point; defeating the boss encounter under a certain turn number will also yield points. The more points collected, the better the care package.

Scripts by Yanfly - http://yanflychannel.wordpress.com/rmvxa/core-scripts/ace-core-engine/
"Impending Impact" and "Sentience" BGMs by Vengeance from the Sky: http://vengeancefromthesky.bandcamp.com/
Special thanks to Liberty and Namagomi for direct gameplay ideas.
Logo guidance from #pp...I'm a graphics noob