"A Kestrel in the Dark" — Damien King

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<h1>Beginning</h1> <aside>This is a simple <b>branching quest design sample</b> with multiple conditionals, such as whether the player has found the target, their initial approach, and how they choose to complete the contract.</aside> The piercing light of Zabadon's twin suns peeks through the holes in the ceiling above you, slowly bringing you to consciousness. You rub the sleep from your eyes as you groggily awaken, still sore from yesterday's run-in with some thugs from Kobayashi. Still, there's no time to sit around — you're still significantly short the amount of credits needed to catch an interstellar and follow up on that lead about your sister. Another day, another job. Let's hope for a high payout this time; a good score would really help right now. [[Bounty Board]]

<h1>Bounty Board</h1> <img src="https://damienking.com/images/narrativedesign-location-bounty.jpg"> The bounty board has the usual assortment of morally dubious contracts, from item retrieval (theft, more like) to outright assassination. One contract catches your eye, posted by Ms. Nakamura of Noriyama Corporation: a rescue and extraction mission to retrieve a close colleague of the contract poster. The extraction target, one Rhea Armana, is being help captive aboad a corporate station. Corp security is fairly lax compared to some of the conflicts you've dealt with in the past, so this should be easy credits. Quick in and out. Accepting the contract, you suit up and jump into your cruiser to fly to Zeus Relay Station. [[Fly to Zeus]]

<h1>Zeus Relay Station</h1> <img src="https://damienking.com/images/narrativedesign-location-zeus.jpg?1"> You arrive at Zeus Relay Station: a small, low-level facility owned by Corporación de Vida. Very few areas here are open to the public, so you'll need to think fast about how to best find and rescue Rhea before it's too late. Time is running out. Will you go loud, aggressively engaging in combat to quickly take out security, or will you take a more stealthy approach, avoiding detection at the cost of spending more time? [[Guns blazing]] [[Slow and stealthy]]

<h1>Zeus Relay Station</h1><<set $alarm to "on">> You don't know the condition Rhea is in — or if she's even still alive. No time to waste. You draw your blaster and quickly take out the front desk security with precision. They don't have a chance to fight back, but the sound of blaster fire triggers an automatic security alarm. The path ahead diverges; one way leads upwards towards the executive offices, where Rhea may be being interrogated by the higher-ups. The other path leads down to the holding cells, where "guests" are held. Thanks to the alarm, the entire station will know that there's an intruder. You'll have to hurry. [[Approach Holding Cells]] [[Approach Executive Suite]]

<h1>Zeus Relay Station</h1> Best to play this smart. No need to engage in combat unless necessary — setting off an alarm would make this mission far more difficult, not to mention the cost of healthcare in case of injury. Slowly, carefully, you watch the patrol patterns of security officers and manage to skillfully bypass them. This is hardly your first infiltration mission, after all. The path ahead diverges; one way leads upwards towards the executive offices, where Rhea may be being interrogated by the higher-ups. The other path leads down to the holding cells, where "guests" are held. [[Approach Holding Cells]] [[Approach Executive Suite]]

<h1>Zeus Relay Station — Holding Cells</h1> <<if $alarm is "on">><<set $choice to "evac">> <div class="character"><img src="https://damienking.com/images/narrativedesign-portrait-rhea.jpg"><div><b>Rhea Armana</b> I assume you're the idiot who set the alarm off. You've blown my chance to extract the data I wanted... everything is under lockdown now. Nice going, hero. Let's get outta here.</div></div> [[Leaving Zeus Relay Station]] <<elseif $rhea is "yes">> <div class="character"><img src="https://damienking.com/images/narrativedesign-portrait-rhea.jpg"><div><b>Rhea Armana</b> Look who came running back. Either make yourself useful, or leave me alone.</div></div> [[Force Rhea to leave with us immediately, before we're caught]] [[Help Rhea extract data]] [[Leave Rhea alone to complete her mission]] <<else>><<set $rhea to "yes">> <div class="character"><img src="https://damienking.com/images/narrativedesign-portrait-rhea.jpg"><div><b>Rhea Armana</b> You're not corpo. Who are you?</div></div> You quickly explain how you've been hired to rescue and extract her. <div class="character"><img src="https://damienking.com/images/narrativedesign-portrait-rhea.jpg"><div><b>Rhea Armana</b> You must be joking. You're not rescuing me; I'm here by design. By letting these chumps "arrest" me, they've brought me into the back offices — ready for me to steal some very juicy data. Make yourself useful and watch the door while I finish breaking this last firewall. I'm not leaving here without what I came for.</div></div> [[Force Rhea to leave with us immediately, before we're caught]] [[Help Rhea extract data]] [[Leave Rhea alone to complete her mission]] <</if>>

<h1>Zeus Relay Station — Executive Suite</h1> <<if $alarm is "on">> You hurry into the security office to see if Rhea is being interrogated. Unfortunately, you find nobody besides the executive head of Zeus Relay Station, who is currently crouched behind his desk for cover, blaster drawn and aimed at you. <div class="character"><img src="https://damienking.com/images/narrativedesign-portrait-manuel.jpg"><div><b>Manuel Orteganos</b> Hmph. Another assassination attempt? Pathetic. None will ever topple de Vida!</div></div> [[Engage in combat with Manuel]] <<else>> <div class="character"><img src="https://damienking.com/images/narrativedesign-portrait-manuel.jpg"><div><b>Manuel Orteganos</b> Can I help you?</div></div> <<if $rhea is "yes">> [[Tell Manuel about Rhea's plan to steal data]] <</if>> [[Approach Holding Cells]] <</if>>

<h1>Zeus Relay Station — Security Office</h1> You fight and ultimately defeat Manuel, taking a portable credit chip with you. <b>+20,000 Credits</b> [[Approach Holding Cells]]

<h1>Zeus Relay Station — Security Office</h1><<set $choice to "betray">> <div class="achievement"><i class="fa-solid fa-trophy"></i><div><b>Achievement Unlocked: Livin' de Vida Loca</b> Revealed Rhea's plans to Corporación de Vida</div></div> <div class="player character"><img src="https://damienking.com/images/narrativedesign-portrait-player.jpg"><div><b>Player Character</b> I have information about a woman currently in your captivity — Rhea. She's a mole. She's digging through your databanks as we speak.</div></div> You tell Manuel about Rhea's plans. While unperturbed, he does raise an eyebrow at the mention of Rhea's name. <div class="character"><img src="https://damienking.com/images/narrativedesign-portrait-manuel.jpg"><div><b>Manuel Orteganos</b> Curious. That's a bold claim. Give me one moment to verify, would you?</div></div> Manuel turns to a security guard by his side and whispers an order. The guard salutes and quickly leaves the office. A few moments pass, before Manuel receives communication through his earpiece. He looks up at you knowingly. <div class="character"><img src="https://damienking.com/images/narrativedesign-portrait-manuel.jpg"><div><b>Manuel Orteganos</b> The situation is handled. Corporación de Vida thanks you. Should you prove to have future intel favorable to our interests, do know that we always pay handsomely.</div></div> Manuel connects his credit chip to yours and immediately wires 50,000 credits. With a polite smile and a small nod, he bids you farewell as a security guard escorts you back to the docking area. <b>+50,000 Credits</b> [[Leaving Zeus Relay Station]]

<h1>Zeus Relay Station — Holding Cells</h1><<set $choice to "forced">> <div class="achievement"><i class="fa-solid fa-trophy"></i><div><b>Achievement Unlocked: Not Paid to Babysit</b> Forced Rhea to flee Zeus with you</div></div> <div class="player character"><img src="https://damienking.com/images/narrativedesign-portrait-player.jpg"><div><b>Player Character</b> We don't have time — de Vida isn't exactly known for their mercy. We're getting out of here, now.</div></div> You force Rhea at gunpoint to leave Zeus Station with you. <div class="character"><img src="https://damienking.com/images/narrativedesign-portrait-rhea.jpg"><div><b>Rhea Armana</b> Unbelievable. Fine... let's go.</div></div> [[Leaving Zeus Relay Station]]

<h1>Zeus Relay Station — Data Center</h1><<set $choice to "help">> <div class="achievement"><i class="fa-solid fa-trophy"></i><div><b>Achievement Unlocked: In This Together</b> Helped Rhea extract the corporate intel</div></div> You help Rhea be sneaky and steal the corporate data, before leaving together. <div class="character"><img src="https://damienking.com/images/narrativedesign-portrait-rhea.jpg"><div><b>Rhea Armana</b> Perfect. Appreciate the assist. Let's move.</div></div> [[Leaving Zeus Relay Station]]

<h1>Zeus Relay Station — Holding Cells</h1> We leave Rhea to do her job, as she wishes. [[Abandon the contract and leave Zeus]] [[Approach Executive Suite]]

<h1>Debrief</h1> <img src="https://damienking.com/images/narrativedesign-location-escape.jpg"> <<if $choice is "evac">>The contract is a success, and we are paid. Our Noriyama faction standing improves. Rhea will become a contact in future content, starting at Neutral. <<elseif $choice is "help">>The contract is a success, and we are paid. Our Noriyama faction standing improves. Rhea will become a contact in future content, starting at Favorable. <<elseif $choice is "abandon">>The contract is failed, and our standing with the Noriyama faction is damaged. Ms. Nakamura no longer trusts us with important contracts. Rhea will become a contact in future content, starting at Neutral. <<elseif $choice is "betray">>The contract is failed, and our standing with the Noriyama faction is damaged. Ms. Nakamura no longer trusts us with important contracts. Rhea is executed by Corporación de Vida, and her future content is locked out. Corporación de Vida becomes accessible as a new faction to work for. <<elseif $choice is "forced">>The contract is a success, and we are paid. Our Noriyama faction standing improves. Rhea will be visible in future content, as a hostile rival. <</if>> -- <b>Thanks for playing.</b> Restart from the left column if you want to revisit other branches.

<h1>Zeus Relay Station — Holding Cells</h1><<set $choice to "abandon">> Rhea seems to know what she's doing; she can take care of herself. No reason to risk yourself for someone who doesn't need rescuing. [[Leaving Zeus Relay Station]]