What is Errant Heart?
Well, put simply, Errant Heart is a Visual Novel. It’s being constructed with Ren’Py, which is a very flexible program designed to help creators make their own Visual Novel game. If you’d like to read a synopsis of the story and of character bios, as well as get a chance to glance over some artwork and screen shots, then please continue reading.
PREAMBLE:
In ancient times, Gods and Demons dwelled among man. But as mankind developed and his power grew, the influence of the Gods slowly receded. One culture—the first great civilization of humanity—chronicled the exploits of the Gods during their waning time among man.
The ancient Egyptian civilization knew of the Gods. They also knew of men who walked with the Gods. Men who were not men. These were the Servants of the Gods—and of Demons. It was these Servants who were charged with the protection of the order and tranquility first divined by the Gods. Yet, despite the rise and fall of the Egyptians, the Greeks, the Romans and countless other civilizations, these Servants, these men who are not men, walk among us still, vying to keep order intact and keep the forces of chaos at bay.
STORY:
Lira Moretti, a shy, young artist from a small island in the Mediterranean makes her way to the mainland city of San Moritz in pursuit of her career as a painter. There she encounters peculiar people whom she never before thought could exist, nor would she befriend.
As Lira spends more time in San Moritz, it becomes evident that she’s being pulled into a world that she can scarcely comprehend, much less desires to be a part of. However, her developing friendships will help make her become a better person and prepare her to meet the ultimate destiny that awaits her.
PRIMARY CHARACTERS:
Rather than a temperamental, bombastic creative figure, Lira is a shy, demure, introverted artist who is unsure of her talent. She’s a very private person—preferring to keep her thoughts and feelings to herself whenever possible. Typically, only her paintings allow her inner self to show through.
Being such a reserved introvert, dropping her mask and confiding her thoughts in others is truly a special privilege bestowed on only the closest family and friends.
When faced with the challenge of stepping into the world of Gods and Demons, only her developing relationships will help prepare her for the life that fate has bestowed upon her.
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Lira’s younger sister, Priscilla is almost her polar opposite. A talkative, social butterfly, Priss cultivates relationships with myriad people and has developed an information network that is quite impressive given her age. She talks to anyone who looks the slightest bit interested, about any topic under the sun. A truly gregarious young woman, she’s also a talented violinist at the age of 16.
Apparently more excited about Lira’s trip to San Moritz than Lira, she pines to follow in her sister’s footsteps. The prospect of moving from such a small, isolated island to a large city, filled with diverse people excites her to no end, and hopes dearly to move to the big city once she graduates high school.
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A fourth cousin to Reme Girard, Karl works as an assistant in a veterinary hospital in San Moritz. As luck would have it, Karl was visiting Reme for his graduation celebration and is returning to the city at the same time as Lira is moving there herself. Being a very handsome young man, this makes him a very intimidating person to Lira and someone whom she would prefer to avoid.
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An archeologist from San Moritz, Cassandra met a local girl—Salima—at her latest expedition. Because of Salima’s assistance, she managed to make a number of spectacular finds. Finds, not just in regards to artifacts, but also in regards to herself and her own latent abilities.
After tragedy befalls her expedition, Cassandra takes Salima and what remains of her finds back to San Moritz. There, she tries to determine the cause of the tragedy. But misfortune has followed her back to the city and threatens to snuff out her and Salima.
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A young Egyptian girl who befriended Cassandra during her latest expedition. Her parents, having died a few years ago, lives with her uncle in her home village. Wanting more out of life than existing as virtual chattel, she takes an interest in the newly arrived archeological expedition by the Europeans.
Despite the need for strong, male backs, Salima catches the eye of one of the expedition members; Cassandra. Or rather, Cassandra catches Salima pilfering some of her findings. Rather than an antagonistic response, Cassandra finds the young girl intriguing. With her help, Cassandra makes a number of discoveries in the area. She also learns about the wider world, of which Salima is a part.
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Mrs. Hinze’s granddaughter, Elena is a stern, stand-off-ish woman. She appears to have a single-minded tenacity. And that tenacity is directed at making certain the boarding house runs smoothly and that her grandmother is not troubled by any of the tenants.
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Noel manages Flower Shop Melchior and is something of an enigma. A large and aggressive-looking woman, her mannerisms and dress belie a desire to appear more dainty and feminine than she really is. A long-time friend of Eva, the two have an unusual relationship. Eva works for her at the flower shop, and is typically admonished on a daily basis for sleeping or otherwise slacking. Yet, at times, Noel almost behaves subservient to her. It’s unknown just how deeply their relationship goes and what path their affection for one another travels.
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Eva is quite the socialite. She’s a supremely confident individual who has a passion for antiquities. She has a hand in a number of prominent associations and charities around the city. And yet, she works the register at a flower shop as part of her day job.
She takes an immediate and somewhat unsettling interest in Lira the moment she shows up at the shop. Over time, she positions herself in such a way as to be there with a job offer at precisely the moment when Lira is in need of funds. And yet, for some reason, despite all the apparent planning and plotting, she doesn’t seem to care if her obviousness is exposed.
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SECONDARY CHARACTERS:
The mother of Lira and Priscilla. She’s raising her two girls on her own, as her husband died a number of years ago. She struggled quite a bit to make ends meet shortly after his death. However, she has gained some notoriety—some would say infamy—by becoming an illustrator for a popular “Gentleman’s Magazine”. By securing work with such a widely distributed publication, she’s been able to afford her girls a very comfortable life, and give them both a chance to strike out on their own.
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A talented young woman from San Moritz. Nina attends one of the schools near Mrs. Hinze’s boarding house. However, her talent doesn’t lie in academia. Rather, she’s very mechanically inclined—an unusual, and rarely encouraged skill for a woman in this time period.
Her father secured her a job at a local auto shop. However, the owner has no intention of letting someone so young, let alone a woman, actually take part in the tasks of repairing automobiles. Frustrated at having been relegated to custodial work, Mrs. Hinze gives her a chance to shine by becoming the boarding house’s “manager”. With that position, she has the opportunity to fix whatever might break or fail in the house.
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Reme is Lira’s childhood friend. Their homes are next to each other. And being from such a small island, they were classmates ever since they began attending school. Over the years, their relationship deepened. However, there’s some ambiguity over whether that relationship veered more towards a platonic, almost familial role, or whether they “experimented” with one another in a romantic way.
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The landlady of the boarding house in San Moritz in which Lira resides. She’s a kindly old lady, who apparently doesn’t speak a word of English. She primarily relies on her granddaughter, Elena, to impart her desires to the boarders.
She’s apparently a long-time friend of Eva Klein, and insists that someone always picks up a fresh bouquet of roses from her flower shop every Tuesday.
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IN-GAME SCREEN SHOTS:
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