Please don't feel shy about contributing to the idea, everyone's input is welcome and encouraged!


The storyline will revolve around a pride of white(ish) lions come from the far north, following the migration of equally as pale animals from their homelands. Their leader, a blue flecked lioness named Baridi seems to have unnatural properties to her, the air around her is freezing and wherever she goes 'snuh' seems to follow. She and her pride have thick fur and don't seem bothered by it, but your lion isn't used to such low temperatures and isn't sure they like this new weather. What we don't know, at first at least, is that Baridi is a winter goddess, the strange white furred animals infiltrating your territory have escaped from her pride's distant realm through a tear in the dimensions. Without their source of food, the pride will suffer and their lands will be out of balance, so she tasks you with helping her pride round up the white animals to bring them back through the tear before she can fix it.

Unknown to all, the cause for the tear (Or bizarre migration, alternately) is a long lost relative of Baridi's. Her brother Nuru, winter god of the South Pole, opposite to her domain of the North Pole. For many centuries he has been missing, but had truly been banished into a constellation by the celestial god Apademak after the two fell into a heated arguement when Nuru was found lost in the Celestial Kingdom. Nuru has been growing weak in the sky, forever echoing with a terrible wail no one can hear, hoping to reach his sister in the north.

| Using the last of his strength, Nuru tore a hole into the wall separating the worlds of gods and mortals, it was not very big but it served his purpose.(ignore this part or replace with a final, mighty roar to summon the herds if you are again a tear in dimensions) He beckoned the animals of his sister's lands away from their frozen home and into yours, bringing with them the chill of the Tremere pride's kingdom. As the weather grows colder, the celestial seal holding him in his constellation grows weaker. Unfortunately, so does your pride and territory as the snow begins to pile up. Still, he calls desperately to his sister for help. His voice shaking the stars and causing a few to fall in weak meteor showers.

If you save him, you could destroy your home and end countless lives. But is it right to leave him abandoned in his celestial prison? (Thanks to
Pearl Jewel (#119750) and Umbra (#106865) for brainstorming this section up, with a few of my own edits for dramatic effect)

In explore, along with the usual interactions with the albinistic animals, there will be a new option. Maybe "Wangle" in reference to a previous event or simple a button that says 'herd' or 'guide' that gives you a flavor text about you taking the animal back into the portal and has a chance to give maybe 1-2 Stinkbugs as well as +1 rep for Baridi/-1 rep for Kaskazini. Alternatively, you could scare off the animal, making them scatter further across the land and away from Baridi's pride and +1 rep for Kaskazini /-1 rep for Baridi.

Like the mechanics of other storylines, you can gain and lose reputation with a few key members of Baridi's pride and herself through your actions. For example, Baridi wants the animals to return to her kingdom so the pride can leave and close up the rip. Her adviser, Kaskazini isn't too excited to return as he enjoys the warmth and lushness of this new land, despite it's slowly dropping temperature because of his pride's presence.

Alternatively: The Pale Migration could have missed it's mark, going further than usual and into your lands seeking the lush grazing and plentiful prey, much different than from the creatures own lands. Baridi's goal remains the same, bring back the herds to her pride's lands before the savannah becomes the tundra.

I may add more in the future as I think of it and others contribute their own ideas. I'm also aware that there is no time to implement these ideas this year, but I wanted to get the original idea down while it was with me. c:
Also please leave some feedback, I'd love to hear how you guys think this idea could be improved!

============================================

Winter Godess's Blessing
Not a boost or anything, but a small background check in the code if possible. If the game detects your main lion has a form of piebaldism, a few extra things are thrown into the comment pool when receiving/finishing quests.

When taking/finishing a quest with Baridi
"The winter lioness seems amused by your patches of winter fur, saying you would fit in with her pride." - Umbra (#106865)

When taking/finishing a quest with Baridi
"Baridi points out an oddly shaped patch of white on your fur that looks like two lions standing side by side, she gets very quiet afterwards"

When taking/finishing a quest with Kaskazini
"Although you've been blessed by the winter goddess, that doesn't mean you have to do everything she says!"



New Encounters
Penguin encounter
"You come across a strange bird, dressed up fancy like those humans." - Umbra (#106865)

Random encounter when snow begins to fall, during the night
"The stars seem to be quivering, maybe it's just your imagination but somehow you feel kind of sad. Are they cold up there?"

Random encounter when snow begins to fall, any time
"You notice Baridi's daughters racing across the savannah, kicking up snow as Barafu chases Bahari, yelling something about making a snuhlion together. You quietly cheer Bahari on."


============================================


Some NPC designs
Baridi - The queen of the Tremere Pride and goddess of winter (Updated and fluffified as suggested by Razz (#18166) and AristaLight (#31020) with snowflake eyes, an applicator could be a quest reward)

Bahari - One of Baridi's daughters (Added Snowflake eyes and glacial vit 5, which is an app marking suggestion)

Barafu - One of Baridi's daughters

Dire - Previous broodmother and personal guard to the royal sisters Bahari and Barafu

Kaskazini - Baridi's adviser

Pearl Jewel's Nuru | Nactenata's Nuru - With his Godly Glory activated | Umbra's Nuru - The imprisoned winter god of the South Pole and Baridi's brother (Suggested to be given a warmer base, maybe eggnog or frankincense or laurel?)

Snowflake Eye Potential Fails: Ice, Blue, Sapphire, White


Wintery Brainstorming Music
Wintery Brainstorming Sounds
I highly suggest listening to both at the same time! Adjust as you like, personally I like the wind and snow louder than the music.

============================================

Natanocte's Storyline Example:

Page 1
-Scene of the savannah with falling snow and vapor rising as if from the viewer's mouth-

As you patrol the edge of your territory you can't help but shiver, lately the temperature has dropped far below the average even for this time of the year, you can even see your breath in front of your face! Strange animals have been spotted by your lionesses as well during hunts, ghostly pale and carrying the scent of frost. Nearby you hear the murmur of voices far too close to your border for your liking.

Go see what's going on P2



Page 2
-a few white coated lions are seen clustered together and speaking urgently, some of them are actually ice, glacial or arctic with piebald and white markings. One is nearly glowing-

You see a pride of very icy looking lions as you follow the sound of their voices, the air here is even colder, making you grateful for your mane. A few of them spot you and they all go quiet, staring at you with a curious but detached intensity that makes your uncomfortable. One of them stands and breaks away from the others, walking towards you with a regal grace that could only belong to a queen. The lioness stops when she is almost nose to nose with you, seeming unfrightened by a strange lion and unconcerned with personal space, at least she's pretty.

"Tell me, Stranger, have you seen any white animals wandering the lands?"

"Lots, they came out of nowhere" P3 (+1 rep with Baridi)
"I'm looking at some" P3 (-1 rep with Baridi)



Page 3
-closeup of Baridi's face, looking calm yet curious, almost bemused-

Did it just get colder? It just got colder, this ice queen seems like the source of it all. She gives a faint smile, looking relieved.
"I see, that is good. My pride and I have been looking for them since they left our lands" She purrs, white vapor rising from her mouth as she does. "We cannot possibly round them up on our own though, would you like to help us? You will be rewarded if you do"

======================================================
Extra Concept Art

The winter goddess Baridi creating a shining aurora in thanks


Nuru's tears fall from his prison in the stars


An example of how the portal could look if going that route, big chunk unmelting of ice in the middle of the savannah, cold wind blasting out of it and an eerie glow coming from the large crack in the center.


====================================================

Big Storyline Breakdown

Major Community Credits: Pearl Jewel (#119750), Umbra (#106865), Razz (#18166), AristaLight (#31020)

(Breakdown and edits by Razz #18166 with further edits by the community as they add their voices, thank you all!)


To Razz's in depth version of Book 1

Chapter One - Introduces the main characters and the basic problem (albino animals being out of their realm).

Chapter Two - Baridi and Kaskazini are arguing about the length of their stay in the mortal lands with Kaskazini wanting to stay longer and explore what it has to offer, and Baridi being aware that the pride's presence is killing the land, which introduces the conflict. Also mentions Nuru's character once the argument is over and the player is talking with Baridi alone.

Chapter Three - The player and the pride figure out that Nuru is trapped in the constellation, and they try to figure out how to help him.

Chapter Four - Baridi comes to you and explains that after much deliberation, they have all concluded that there is only one way to get Nuru out of his prison. She would have to bring the temperature down to subzero, which would 'even freeze the sky'. She and her pride would then be able to shatter his prison and bring him back to earth safely. She does not know what would happen if the Savanna dipped into subzero temperatures, even if it was just for a short time. She cannot even promise that she would be able to bring the temperature back up afterwards, or if they would need to wait for it to thaw naturally.
She says that she will leave you to think on the situation.
Kaskazini comes to you with another proposition, that you and him sabotage the event and instead bring the temperatures back to full warmth, effectively trapping Nuru in the stars and allowing him to stay with this world.

Chapter Five - Conclusion, three main endings with 5 total.
1. You help Baridi, freeing Nuru and temporarily freezing the Savanna. She is able to bring the temperature back up and there are no lasting damages. Kaskazini confronts her, and she retaliates by sending him into the still open prison in the stars, claiming that if he wants the warmth then he can spend eternity watching the sun fly just out of his reach.

2. You refuse both of them, and Kaskazini gets into a rather bloody fight with Baridi. You get the option to save one of them, or stay and watch. If you save Kaskazini he sends Baridi's pride back to their realm and then leaves you to your pride. If you save Baridi, she returns to her realm with her family. If you do nothing, neither one is killed and eventually break apart and go their separate ways.

3. If you help Kaskazini, Nuru is forever trapped in the stars and he gives Baridi the remaining days of the winter season to finish gathering up the white animals that she can before he forces her to return to their realm and seals the rift/proclaims that if she returns he will kill her.