This was my fifth project overall and first to be canceled. I hit a massive roadblock in making the plot twist work. This was around the time that I stopped working on my own personal projects and focused instead on commission work as well as RMN activities.











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 kept him focused on work without any problems. Although he is able to remain sharp and positive most of the time, he is prone to occasional bouts of anger—though not to the extent of his comrade, Sarah. He is 37 years old.

Sarah
A close ally of Julian and one of the few who can get under his skin without reprisal, Sarah is occasionally brash but intelligent enough to get the job done. Not as stoic as Julian, she tends to wear her emotions on her sleeve. Her skills as a martial artist surprise nobody given her personality. 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, providing sound advice only when necessary. He has developed proficiency in elemental abilities: a rare trait among mercenaries. 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 Bergeron Force 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 have placed a strain on his subordinates in the past. 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 severe stab wound. He is a friend of Julian's, though they have grown somewhat distant since an earlier incident at one of Kaufman's secret vaults. He is 30 years old.

Kaufman
One of Bergeron Force's most frequent targets, Kaufman is a greedy and corrupt businessman, merchant, and manipulator. Hated by Julian due to the vault incident, though one would suspect that the feeling is mutual. 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 has 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 opened treasure chest and defeated monster party will yield a point; vanquishing the boss under a certain number of turns will yield a ton of 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