The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante: Game's lore and main characters
Hail to your grace, honorable guests! Welcome to the official page of The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante game! In this post, we would like to introduce you to our studio, its newest project, and the titular protagonist — Sir Brante, as well as pour light on some of the crucial elements of the game's lore.
Let’s dive in, shall we?
[h3]Sever Studio[/h3]
The Sever Studio was founded by Dmitry Ivanov in 2014 in a distant Siberian city of Tomsk. The team originally consisted of only 5 people who began their work creating simulation software for business and educational establishments, at the same time always having their eyes set on indie game development.
In 2018 the decision was made to shift the focus to the Studio’s own indie projects with the goal of making atypical titles covering non-conventional subjects that would allow players to immerse themselves into the game’s narrative. Such was the main idea behind The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1272160/The_Life_and_Suffering_of_Sir_Brante/
During almost 2 years spent working on the project, the team has grown to 9 people and managed to enlist the support of the publisher 101XP, aiming to make the game available to a wider international audience. The game's plot, gameplay, and interface have already been finalized and the developers are currently busy polishing the script, QA testing, making adjustments to in-game balance, as well as perfecting graphical content and localization.
There are still a lot of pleasant surprises ahead of us preceding the official release! For now, please allow us to reveal several key points of the lore of The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante.
[h3]Story and setting[/h3]
Placed at the foundation of the game's narrative is the life of a single individual whom we follow from the very birth, reflecting on events and actions that shape his personality and may even one day influence the course of history itself.
The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante takes place figuratively and literally on the pages of the protagonist’s personal journal, retelling the account of his survival in a dark fantasy world torn apart by endless class struggle.
The project is based on a live action role-playing event known as the Talisman, attended by numerous participants from all over Russia during the past 11 years where they have brought the inhabitants of the strange and somber imaginary realm to life. Under the guidance of the original setting's author, we are now molding its history, culture, politics, and spirit into a full-fledged video game.
According to our calculations, a single playthrough of the final version of the game should take the player around 10-12 hours (our calculations were based on an average reading speed perfect for calm and leisurely immersion into the game's narrative). We can say with confidence that many will want to replay the various crucial events more than once to try out and see all of the different possible outcomes!
Speaking of the plot… It is precisely the subject of the next segment of this article!
[h3]Who are you, Sir Brante?[/h3]
The idea to center the story around the hardships of a single character did not appear out of thin air but rather evolved on its own over time. In a nutshell, the game’s narrative is a kind of philosophical parable on the misadventures of a seemingly insignificant little man set up against the background of the collapse of a worldwide empire brought down by the deepening social crisis.
Sir Brante was born to an honorable family as a result of an unequal marriage between a widowed nobleman and a peasant woman. Owing to this fact, the Lot that awaited the young Brante since early childhood was that of his lowborn mother — to be a commoner and toil away for the glory of the Empire. Our hero, however, has a chance to alter his own destiny by earning the mantle of nobility as his father once did before him, by becoming the voice of the Twin Gods — the prime deities of the realm — or perhaps even by challenging the existing order and throwing off the shackles of the Lots altogether. It is up to you as the player to forge Sir Brante’s path.
The boy’s parents have instilled divergent, sometimes contradicting values in their son, potentially sowing the seeds of defiance in Sir Brante’s soul. The player is free to guide him towards whichever worldview they see fit. The choices you make early on will largely affect the character’s personality and skills, as well as determine many of the future plot twists, Sir Brante’s relationships with family members as well as his fellow countrymen, and, perhaps, even the fate of the Empire itself.
Would you become a judge, a warlord, a priest… Or reject the existing world order and pave out your own path, free from the oppression of the Lots? The choice is yours to make.
[h3]The Blessed Arknian Empire[/h3]
The only surviving state in the world of The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante, the Empire stretches from one shore of the endless sea to the other. It is ruled by Arknians — a nigh immortal race whose members never age. No human can go against the will of Arknian nobility, since their power stems from the Twin Gods themselves... Nonetheless, the Empire has recently entered an era of rapid change. With the class struggle threatening to reach its peak, the hitherto unquestionable influence of the old Arknian rulers has begun to dwindle.
[h3]The Lots: the Whip, the Sword, and the Prayer Book[/h3]
Said to have been bestowed onto mortals by the Twin Gods, the Lots are the estates that all the citizens of the Empire are separated into at birth. Those who abide by the rules prescribed to their Lot have a chance at being granted entry into heaven, also known as the Peak of the Shining Pillar, after they die. Those who disregard or rebel against their Lot are doomed to eternal suffering at the Foot of the Pillar.
The second estate are the lowborns, encompassing the majority of the human population in the Blessed Arknian Empire. No Arknian can be considered lowborn by right of birth. This estate consists of peasants and workers, destined to serve for the good of the Empire. Their Lot is to work, endure hardships, and suffer. Lowborn citizens have no right of ownership — anything they have or make must be given away to the nobles should the latter demand it.
The third and final estate is the clergy, whose calling is to spread the word of the Twin Gods throughout the realm. Priests cannot legally start a family, nor can they own land or any other sort of property. They are forbidden from ruling over others, participating in warfare, enjoying the simple joys of life, or even suffering as the lowborns do. A priest's duty is to interpret the Will of the Twins, study history, memorize the sacred texts, and interpret them for the noblemen and the common folk alike.
Aside from these three major social groups, the game’s universe also includes a large number of outcasts and exiles, such as witches and mages — people who were born with the curse of magic, able to subjugate the will of others or set items and even other living creatures on fire with a mere thought. Magic users have long been outlawed all across the Empire, their magical craft violating the divine laws. Nowadays they are being actively hunted down by the Inquisition.
[h3]“True death” and a few words on game mechanics[/h3]
In The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante your character can die up to three times during a single playthrough. Known as “lesser death,” the gift of resurrection has been granted to mortal humans by the gods as a chance to rethink their actions and decisions that would otherwise lead to a tragic premature end. The people who have suffered a lesser death receive a black mark on their left hand. Upon the fourth and final “true death” the person will not be brought back to life. In case of Sir Brante this would mean game over for the player.
A lesser death will not affect the protagonist’s skills or progress, but will be treated as part of the story and may affect the plot in unpredictable ways. You should expect to be put in a difficult situation where Sir Brante will have to make the choice between sacrificing one of his own lives and saving another.
Skills is the element of The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante that had the most direct inspiration in the world of live action RPGs. By leveling up certain abilities such as empathy, you will be able to improve or worsen relations with other characters more effectively, thereby unlocking new ways of dealing with certain in-game events and hurdles.
While playing The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante, you may also master certain fighting skills and even magic. Aside from the latter, all of the abilities available to the protagonist were designed to have a realistic effect on how the player can go about various in-game scenarios. That includes diplomacy, the art of manipulation, and many others.
We will take a closer look at the skill system in a future article. For now, should you have any questions — feel free to ask them in the comment section below!
If you are intrigued by Sir Brante’s world and would like to stay up to date with the project’s news, make sure to add the game to your wishlist and follow us on social media - Facebook, Twitter or Discord.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1272160/The_Life_and_Suffering_of_Sir_Brante/
Let’s dive in, shall we?
[h3]Sever Studio[/h3]
The Sever Studio was founded by Dmitry Ivanov in 2014 in a distant Siberian city of Tomsk. The team originally consisted of only 5 people who began their work creating simulation software for business and educational establishments, at the same time always having their eyes set on indie game development.
In 2018 the decision was made to shift the focus to the Studio’s own indie projects with the goal of making atypical titles covering non-conventional subjects that would allow players to immerse themselves into the game’s narrative. Such was the main idea behind The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1272160/The_Life_and_Suffering_of_Sir_Brante/
During almost 2 years spent working on the project, the team has grown to 9 people and managed to enlist the support of the publisher 101XP, aiming to make the game available to a wider international audience. The game's plot, gameplay, and interface have already been finalized and the developers are currently busy polishing the script, QA testing, making adjustments to in-game balance, as well as perfecting graphical content and localization.
There are still a lot of pleasant surprises ahead of us preceding the official release! For now, please allow us to reveal several key points of the lore of The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante.
[h3]Story and setting[/h3]
Placed at the foundation of the game's narrative is the life of a single individual whom we follow from the very birth, reflecting on events and actions that shape his personality and may even one day influence the course of history itself.
The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante takes place figuratively and literally on the pages of the protagonist’s personal journal, retelling the account of his survival in a dark fantasy world torn apart by endless class struggle.
The project is based on a live action role-playing event known as the Talisman, attended by numerous participants from all over Russia during the past 11 years where they have brought the inhabitants of the strange and somber imaginary realm to life. Under the guidance of the original setting's author, we are now molding its history, culture, politics, and spirit into a full-fledged video game.
According to our calculations, a single playthrough of the final version of the game should take the player around 10-12 hours (our calculations were based on an average reading speed perfect for calm and leisurely immersion into the game's narrative). We can say with confidence that many will want to replay the various crucial events more than once to try out and see all of the different possible outcomes!
Speaking of the plot… It is precisely the subject of the next segment of this article!
[h3]Who are you, Sir Brante?[/h3]
Originally posted by author“My grandfather, Gregor Brante, taught me a valuable lesson: either you obey the laws that govern this world or it will break you. There is no other way.” — Sir Brante.
The idea to center the story around the hardships of a single character did not appear out of thin air but rather evolved on its own over time. In a nutshell, the game’s narrative is a kind of philosophical parable on the misadventures of a seemingly insignificant little man set up against the background of the collapse of a worldwide empire brought down by the deepening social crisis.
Sir Brante was born to an honorable family as a result of an unequal marriage between a widowed nobleman and a peasant woman. Owing to this fact, the Lot that awaited the young Brante since early childhood was that of his lowborn mother — to be a commoner and toil away for the glory of the Empire. Our hero, however, has a chance to alter his own destiny by earning the mantle of nobility as his father once did before him, by becoming the voice of the Twin Gods — the prime deities of the realm — or perhaps even by challenging the existing order and throwing off the shackles of the Lots altogether. It is up to you as the player to forge Sir Brante’s path.
The boy’s parents have instilled divergent, sometimes contradicting values in their son, potentially sowing the seeds of defiance in Sir Brante’s soul. The player is free to guide him towards whichever worldview they see fit. The choices you make early on will largely affect the character’s personality and skills, as well as determine many of the future plot twists, Sir Brante’s relationships with family members as well as his fellow countrymen, and, perhaps, even the fate of the Empire itself.
Would you become a judge, a warlord, a priest… Or reject the existing world order and pave out your own path, free from the oppression of the Lots? The choice is yours to make.
[h3]The Blessed Arknian Empire[/h3]
The only surviving state in the world of The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante, the Empire stretches from one shore of the endless sea to the other. It is ruled by Arknians — a nigh immortal race whose members never age. No human can go against the will of Arknian nobility, since their power stems from the Twin Gods themselves... Nonetheless, the Empire has recently entered an era of rapid change. With the class struggle threatening to reach its peak, the hitherto unquestionable influence of the old Arknian rulers has begun to dwindle.
[h3]The Lots: the Whip, the Sword, and the Prayer Book[/h3]
Originally posted by author“The ants cannot do what they weren’t born to do. Each of them was born for their own job. Our virtue is meekness. We are humble in our words. We work hard. We think what is right.” — Lydia Brante, Sir Brante’s mother
Said to have been bestowed onto mortals by the Twin Gods, the Lots are the estates that all the citizens of the Empire are separated into at birth. Those who abide by the rules prescribed to their Lot have a chance at being granted entry into heaven, also known as the Peak of the Shining Pillar, after they die. Those who disregard or rebel against their Lot are doomed to eternal suffering at the Foot of the Pillar.
The first estate are the nobles. At the dawn of the Empire, only the Arknians could belong to this estate, but as time passed some humans were able to earn the mantle of nobility as well. The nobles are expected to rule, wage wars, and indulge in various forms of art.Originally posted by author“Look... there are three Lots. They were brought to us by the Twins when they descended to us from the Shining Pillar. Remember that pillar of light on the horizon? That’s it! You can see the Shining Pillar anytime, from anywhere in the world.
If you follow your Lot as you live, you’ll reach the Peak of the Pillar. And if you don’t, you’ll get eternal torment at the Foot!” — Gloria Brante, Sir Brante’s sister
The second estate are the lowborns, encompassing the majority of the human population in the Blessed Arknian Empire. No Arknian can be considered lowborn by right of birth. This estate consists of peasants and workers, destined to serve for the good of the Empire. Their Lot is to work, endure hardships, and suffer. Lowborn citizens have no right of ownership — anything they have or make must be given away to the nobles should the latter demand it.
The third and final estate is the clergy, whose calling is to spread the word of the Twin Gods throughout the realm. Priests cannot legally start a family, nor can they own land or any other sort of property. They are forbidden from ruling over others, participating in warfare, enjoying the simple joys of life, or even suffering as the lowborns do. A priest's duty is to interpret the Will of the Twins, study history, memorize the sacred texts, and interpret them for the noblemen and the common folk alike.
Aside from these three major social groups, the game’s universe also includes a large number of outcasts and exiles, such as witches and mages — people who were born with the curse of magic, able to subjugate the will of others or set items and even other living creatures on fire with a mere thought. Magic users have long been outlawed all across the Empire, their magical craft violating the divine laws. Nowadays they are being actively hunted down by the Inquisition.
[h3]“True death” and a few words on game mechanics[/h3]
Originally posted by author“Such is the Law of the Twins: you will return to the world until the time of your true death, and in this world you will have a body with which to feel pain and suffering and pleasure.”
In The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante your character can die up to three times during a single playthrough. Known as “lesser death,” the gift of resurrection has been granted to mortal humans by the gods as a chance to rethink their actions and decisions that would otherwise lead to a tragic premature end. The people who have suffered a lesser death receive a black mark on their left hand. Upon the fourth and final “true death” the person will not be brought back to life. In case of Sir Brante this would mean game over for the player.
A lesser death will not affect the protagonist’s skills or progress, but will be treated as part of the story and may affect the plot in unpredictable ways. You should expect to be put in a difficult situation where Sir Brante will have to make the choice between sacrificing one of his own lives and saving another.
Skills is the element of The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante that had the most direct inspiration in the world of live action RPGs. By leveling up certain abilities such as empathy, you will be able to improve or worsen relations with other characters more effectively, thereby unlocking new ways of dealing with certain in-game events and hurdles.
While playing The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante, you may also master certain fighting skills and even magic. Aside from the latter, all of the abilities available to the protagonist were designed to have a realistic effect on how the player can go about various in-game scenarios. That includes diplomacy, the art of manipulation, and many others.
We will take a closer look at the skill system in a future article. For now, should you have any questions — feel free to ask them in the comment section below!
If you are intrigued by Sir Brante’s world and would like to stay up to date with the project’s news, make sure to add the game to your wishlist and follow us on social media - Facebook, Twitter or Discord.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1272160/The_Life_and_Suffering_of_Sir_Brante/