Black Souls I

Premise: Black Souls is a high-magic, low-hope dark fantasy world set in the Lost Empire, a once-prosperous land now consumed by fog, corruption, and cyclical despair. Magic: Ubiquitous but tainted; power always has a cost. Technology: Late medieval (Dark Souls–like): steel weapons, castles, no firearms. Unique Elements: Fog that corrupts humanity, transforming people into beasts. Undeath is normal — death is a setback, not an ending. Sin as a metaphysical force that alters fate, endings, and enemy behavior. Fairy tales exist—but rotted, inverted, and weaponized. The world is not about saving everyone. It is about what you are willing to sacrifice to survive. The Nature of the World The Lost Empire is a post-collapse high-magic civilization trapped in a perpetual state of decay. Magic is ancient, abundant, and corrupted Civilization still exists, but only as isolated embers Time is non-linear in places Death is temporary, but consequences are not The world operates on three invisible laws: Everything can be broken Nothing truly ends Hope accelerates despair Fog of Transfiguration A metaphysical miasma that slowly converts humans into demonbeasts. Sin Accumulation Moral corruption becomes physically and spiritually tangible. Narrative Curse Fairy-tale figures are trapped in distorted story roles they cannot escape without outside intervention. The Story Starts off instead of old greg, there is Leaf, the green fairy. Later in the Story you can find: Leaf – Fairy companion found in the Holy Forest early in the game. Dorothy – Witch found in the Witch’s House; becomes a companion after completing her quests. Goose (Rich Bird Goose) – A bird companion rescued from Behemoth Ranch. Holy Knight Jeanne – Revived companion using her ashes and other items after defeating certain bosses. Saint Catherine – A companion rescued after saving Jeanne and progressing through related events. Miranda (Black Condemner Miranda) – Companion you recruit by fighting her once your Sin threshold is high enough. Red Hood – A hunter companion you can recruit after finding her house and paying her service. Victoria (Maid Victoria) – Found in Rotten Burg’s truth-house, she joins after feeding her souls following the defeat of the Iron King. Match Seller Elma – Companion found in Rotten Burg; requires specific progress and boss defeats to save and recruit her. Soul Lady Elisabeth – Appears in the Holy Forest after certain progression; you recruit her by returning her lost ring. Secretly Leaf is an "Outer One" (Lovecraftian God) Called Mary Sue who is behind this world. This world is her "garden" called Elysium. Leaf does not reveal this until the end end of the game. Baphomet

Geography & Nations The Lost Empire is fragmented, each region ruled by madness, memory, or a Demonic Princess. Major Regions Central Ruins (Old Capital) Crumbling castles, abandoned streets, bonfires scattered among corpses. Once the heart of civilization—now a reminder of failure. Foglands Endless gray zones where humans slowly become monsters. Navigation is dangerous; sanity checks recommended. Domains of the Five Demonic Princesses Each princess rules a warped land themed after her fairy-tale origin: Frozen kingdoms Drowned cities Endless forests Clockwork or illusion-ridden lands These function like Dark Souls legacy dungeons mixed with political courts. Hidden Gardens & Storybook Realms Places where fairy tales almost resemble their original versions—until they don’t.

Humans (Dominant but Doomed) Slowly turning into beasts due to the Fog. Most cultures are fatalistic. Undead Hunted down and only a few remain. Demonbeasts Former humans twisted by despair or broken oaths. Storyborn (Fairy-Tale Figures) Alice, Snow White, Little Mermaid, etc. They are not races but cursed narrative entities, bound to tragic loops. Cultural Tone Hope is mocked. Mercy is rare. Love exists—but often leads to worse endings.

Current Conflicts (Adventure Hooks) The Fog Is Thickening Entire regions are being lost; refugee caravans are vanishing. The Black Trial Hunts the Sinful A relentless, knight-like order that punishes moral transgressors. Led by Baphomet. Black Judge Baphomet is an archdemon and leader of the Black Trial, tasked with hunting and executing sinners with tainted black souls. In truth, she is Shub-Niggurath, an Outer God and the mother of Leaf (Mary Sue). She was summoned by the witch Glinda, stole the role of “Archdemon Baphomet” from Leonard, and founded the Black Trial, gaining a foothold in Mary Sue’s Garden. She manipulates Grimm into completing deadly tasks—hunting monsters and sinners—under the pretense of forming a covenant. Her ultimate goal is to open a gate to her daughter’s domain, but her true nature is revealed only after Grimm returns to the Holy Forest, witnessing a massacre orchestrated by her. Demonic Princess Politics Some can be bargained with. Others demand annihilation—or devotion. Endings Are Breaking Fate itself is unstable; heroes are no longer guaranteed conclusions.

Magic System Magic is fueled by Souls (both literal and symbolic). Anyone can use magic. Religion consists of some cults (those who have lost their mind) but most are atheist.

Primary Currency: Souls Used for leveling, magic, crafting, and favors. Trade Goods: Relics from ruined fairy tales Rings with passive enchantments

Justice is personal, brutal, and inconsistent Remaining Cities enforce law through: Execution Exile into the Fog Public trials by faith or combat Adventurers are: Feared Used Blamed when things go wrong But also necessary. Overall, There is no Law nor Order. However If One does too much sin. The Black Vanguard Lindamea. Lindamea, also called Black Vanguard, is an Undead enforcer of the Black Trial who relentlessly hunts sinners with tainted black souls. Mounted on a supernatural steed, he can appear anywhere in the world, tracking high-Sin targets and confronting them directly. He is unstoppable until Sin is atoned, reviving repeatedly if killed. Lindamea judges and punishes transgressors without mercy, enforcing the Black Trial’s law and serving as a living warning that Sin has consequences.

4 demonic princesses rule the world. The Little Mermaid — The Drowned Sovereign Domain: Abyssal Reverie (the Drowned Kingdom) Snow White — The Undying Maiden Domain: Snow White’s Castle, frozen hinterlands Rapunzel — The Gilded Prisoner Domain: Gothel’s Tower and surrounding fractured lands CINDERELLA The Glass Tyrant, Queen of the Final Ending