96 Quite Bitter Beings

Story:

Colonial North Carolina. Town of Shell Beach

The denizens of Shell Beach were in celebration, and were thoroughly enjoying themselves, even though the festivities were forced upon them. It was Halloween, and the merriment was intended to drive away the forces of darkness said to culminate on that night. The local tavern was as full as the nearby church. Most other buildings were unoccupied. The only souls not in the tavern and church were in the bakery.

Lord Mayor of Shell Beach, a good-hearted man named Benjamin, had kept his affair with the local baker girl a secret ever since. And here they would be found, this semi-profane night, wrapped in each other’s arms. They were not aware of the set of eyes that peered at them from the night. The eyes of Teresa, Benjamin’s wife.

Teresa too had a secret that she kept. She was a witch. Calmly, as if purchasing a loaf of bread on any given day, she sauntered into the bakery, and right in on their personal celebration. It was then that a curse was laid upon the two. That they shall never leave Shell Beach.

Perhaps it was the rage Teresa felt toward her husband, or maybe those dark powers that gathered on Halloween found their way into her spell. Whatever happened, far more than just the adulterous couple were affected by the curse. The entire town was consumed by it. No one found release from it, not even through death. And worse still, no one knew they were cursed.

Over 200 or so years, the town changed with the times. They chose their side during the Civil War. They endured their own Industrial Revolution. They felt the despair of the Great Depression, and the hope of the New Deal. They experienced the anti-Hitler hysteria of World War II, and became the picture perfect suburb of the 50s. They had their Vietnam protests in the 60s, and felt Saturday Night Fever in the 70s. The 80s were marked with one-hit wonders, tacky clothes, and one scandal after another. The 90s were a bland non-descript era for them, but they celebrated the new millennium with the rest of the world. And for 200 or so years, the town had the same 96 citizens it started with.

During the day, Shell Beach was the perfect little rural community: a sort of Andy Griffith Show given concrete reality. But at night. At night, no one dared leave their homes. At night, the very ghouls, ghosts and demons who aided the spell two hundred years ago stepped out to paint the town red. Preferably with some poor victim’s blood. At night, the citizens themselves went mad from dealing with forced immortality. At night, Shell Beach became Hell on Earth. At night, the people of Shell Beach were hunted, beaten and mangled by the creatures of the night, though even through Death, they found no release from Teresa's curse. They always awakened the next day, safe in their beds, bright eyed and bushy tailed, ready to start a new day, only vaguely wondering why the ground was a little redder than was normal for ground to be, for the bodies of the doomed, damned and downtrodden were always dragged off by whatever fiend had claimed them.

Those on the outside world had some dim knowledge of Shell Beach, as a local legend; a place that did and did not exist. The few souls who had found the place were never seen again. They came in ones and twos. Until a whole busload of toursits came to Shell Beach, seeking refuge from a freak storm.

This is where our story begins. . .

In this game, you play as a kid named Tyler. You have one of two options: simply escape the town, or find a way to break the curse upon it. Armed with nothing but a pocket knife, you will have to use your wits to defeat the enemies in this game. For instance, if a crowd of foes is hanging about under a suspended crate, making the crate fall onto them will be your best option of killing them.

Should you choose to simply escape town, your adventure will revolve around finding supplies to rebuild the bridge that got washed away in the storm. You will have to find things such as nails, planks, posts, and the proper tools for building the bridge, and then coerce the local carpenter into fixing the bridge.

The second option will take you deep into the heart of this little town and its surrounding areas. All in a search for the source of the curse, so that it may be destroyed and the curse dispelled.
Regardless of what option you choose, you only have a limited amount of time to either escape, or break the curse.

(Props to TheNewMan)There are 28 people on the bus, and each night, one will not live to see the next day. You can save the unfortunate victim if you happen to be near where they are at the time of attack. This will buy you one more day to find a way out of there. As you spend more and more time in Shell Beach, you yourself will begin to go crazy. This will manifest itself first in strange nightmares, then as odd reactions from the people you are trying to save, and finally you may wake up next to a dead body with blood on your hands.

While playing the game, you will explore the area on foot in a 3d person perspective. There will be one button to encompass all that you do (attack, talk, jump, etc.) the Action Button. Your health is measured by how much blood you have left in your system. The lower this gets, the worse off you are. At 100% you will feel fine, 90% a little queasy, 80% you will feel tired. 70% cold, 60% you will move slower and your reactions will not be as quick. 50% to 30% and you will stagger around as if drunk. Below 30% and you will randomly pass out. If your blood level drops to 0%, you're dead, naturally. Varying enemies will knock various amounts of blood from you. An imp's claw may knock only 1 or 2% out of you, but a vampire's bite can knock as much as 50% out. You will recover lost blood by sleeping, and finding items in the environment. Some attacks leave wounds, and cause you to lose so much blood over time. Heal these as quick as possible with a bandage or first aid kit.

During the day, the town’s citizens will be your best allies, but at night it is advisable to run from them. Key citizens are:

Benjamin, the mayor, During the day, this guy is as normal and as friendly as the y come, but after sundown, you don’t want to turn your back to him, unless you’re running full tilt.

Teresa, his wife, One of only two citizens who know of the curse, Teresa is a dangerous person even during the day. At night, She tends to turn those who draw her displeasure into things unnatural. Stay on her good side and she may try to help you break the curse.

Ellie, the baker girl. Cheery, perky and almost hyper. Ellie’s bubbly daytime persona belies the fact that she’s a sadistic killer at night. She is also the source of the curse.

Maria, the librarian. During the day, Maria tends to her books, and allows those who want to study on the history of Shell Beach and its wildlife to study. At night, she is constantly washing her hands, as if trying to cleanse them from some terrible impurity. Maria is the first person you witness go crazy at night. You will walk up on her chatting with one of the tourists just before sunset. The moment the sun drops out sight, she attacks the tourist, apologizing the entire time she's tearing their throat out. After this, you are certain that you will need to find a way out before the rest of the tourists suffer the same fate.

Bucky, the farmer, Dirt-poor, Bucky never gives up the chance to show hospitality, no matter how hard life gets on his farm. The second of the two who know about the curse, Bucky is quick to offer shelter to those seeking to escape the night. Though trapped by the curse, Bucky's persona does not change at night because of his dedication to religion.

Harold, the policeman. Firm, and loyal to the law up to the letter, Harold’s moonlight persona is that of a traumatized war vet. The smallest instance that may remind him of fighting will set him off.

Reverend Planter, the preacher, Planter is your typical, God-bless-you preacher during the day, and is respectably moderate in his practices. AT night, he goes to no limit to please his deity, even going so far as human sacrifice. But if you can keep his conversation from his ministry, you may be able to get some useful information out of him.

Karen, the vineyard owner. Smart and strong willed, Karen has a sharp tongue that tends to make sparks fly when she needs to make a point. When the moon rises, Karen becomes a naïve craven little waif, who is scared of almost everything. If you befriend her in this fearful state, she will help you break the curse.

Patricia, the Florist. Just like the flowers she sells, Patricia is the most beautiful girl in Shell Beach. She knows everything you could want to know about the area’s plant life, but not much else. At night, she slips into an ambulatory catatonic state, and acts like some sort of zombie. In this state, she is notorious for watering her “white” roses with blood.

There are many places under the curse that you can explore looking for a way to lift the hex.

Shell Beach- the town proper, This is a good place to stock up on things you will need to survive in the wild around town, and is also a good place to gather information.

Big Ol Farm- Bucky’s farm. The only citizen who doesn’t change come nightfall, Bucky will offer you shelter and sanctuary during the nights in Shell Beach.

Darkwater Beach- Named for the black sands just a few yards off the beach, this little cove was used by pirates long ago as a place to store their treasure and simply lay low. A few of their artifacts remain here.

Arklay Mound- A large hill looking over the town, this is used as a popular picnicking spot and offers a great view of the town and the ocean beyond. A small series of caves permeates the interior of the mound. No one knows what is in them, but it is often advised to stay out.

Vineyard- Karen’s property, The ground here is red with the stain of the grapes grown here, and from the blood spilled every night.

River Bank- Not so much a river as an inlet of the sea, the Bank is a good fishing spot, and is often ignored by the more malevolent denizens of the area. It is a good place to hide if night catches you by surprise.

The region is inhabited by more than a few demons, such as imps, Incubi, Centaurs, nymphs, Blood Faeries, Vampires, the odd werewolf, and the Baron of Hell. They are led by three powerful creatures, who act as Bosses.

Cerberus- The three headed guardian of Hell. He makes his home under Arklay Mound, and holds one of three ingredients of the brew needed to break the curse.

Lilith- the Succubus Queen. In an attempt to lure you to your death, she kidnaps Karen, so that you cannot receive the second brew ingredient.

Ellie- The source of the Curse-When Ellie reveals that she is source, she becomes Morlock. .Stronger Faster , and almost invincible, You will need some occult help (read: Teresa) to defeat her.

When the curse is lifted or the bridge is fixed you can leave Shell Beach with your blood still in your veins.

Another work in progress, as is all my Ideas, This one will be upgraded as I think of stuff to put in it. If you’d like a return trip to Shell Beach. Let me know, I’ll make the arrangements. Any input you have on my game ideas is more than welcome. As a note, the title of the game is inspired by the CKY piece of the same name. Something about a town of psychos really caught my interest. Send any input at all my way.