Prologue - The Journal of Antoine Chénier

This is a prologue upon which I will be iterating to produce a fuller game. To play, select 'restart' in the top menu.

Paris, 1788.

Antoine Chénier: poet, philosopher, dilettante; monster, murderer, vampire. A man reviled for his station; a creature hunted for his depredations. Your vessel.

Shepherd him through this half-life, a lonely spirit guiding.

By day, take refuge in the limestone quarries beneath Paris, the nascent Catacombs. Commune with the dark soil, with an ancient being who may or may not exist.

By night, stalk the streets: for the blood that sustains you, for the fleeting echoes of your past, for fragments of life and light.

All things must pass. When we reach the final death, but one question remains: how will you be remembered?

Please be aware that this writing features mature themes.

This game was inspired by a journal I wrote using prompts from Tim Hutchings’ excellent solo role-playing game ‘Thousand Year Old Vampire’. It was written using ink, Inkle's narrative scripting language.

Although this is a historical fantasy, I have previously studied the French Revolution and have tried where possible to maintain historical consistency in dates and events. If you find that I have made a mistake on that front, or in the inclusion of other anachronisms, please do let me know!

Art:

Banner: Le Serment du Jeu de paume: an incomplete painting by Jacques-Louis David, painted between 1790 and 1794.

Background and Background BG: Le Sacre de Napoléon by Jacques-Louis David, completed in 1807.