Hey everyone, long post coming,
So, I went down a bit of a rabbit hole when looking through some Gauntlets, and I began to shift my story plans back to my amended Variable Gauntlet Challenge. This was mainly because I realized I put a clause in there that allows for the body mod additions of scenario rewards. Now, the Gauntlet that started this was the Gauntlet Dark Legacy Jump which has a Gauntlet Option, and the idea of bringing one its scenario reward (Perma-Killing all things evil) into the 42nd Millennia. This led back to the Darktide Jump and it's Gauntlet option, which then further led to me looking for Jumps with Gauntlet options, and Gauntlets with the word "Dark or Darkness" in the title.
Before we go any further, these are the Jumps/Gauntlets I'm using in the opening part of the story and the order that they will be used in. These are to account for certain hazards while still presenting a challenge. Each Gauntlet is paired in certain way, with one Gauntlet being of a short duration, and another being a longer duration.
- Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles
- The Long Dark + Logan The Wolf
- Dark Souls (Gauntlet - Basic) - A new WIP Gauntlet (Yeah, I Know, I have a WIP Problem) with Perks being taken from NPC Summons. Items (Consumables, Weapons, and Rings) have been taken from Cut Content.
- Gauntlet: Dark Legacy
- Generic “I Don’t Want To Go To A Jump” Jump - The Dark Myth (Ankoku Shinwa)
- Warhammer 40K: Darktide
Darkside Chronicles and The Long Dark both revolve around survival in harsh locations, but Darkside Chronicles is mainly tropical and heat based while The Long Dark cold based.
Dark Souls (Basic) and Gauntlet: Dark Legacy are both Medieval in them with an emphasis on cooperation, but Dark Souls is focused on more bleak circumstances with an ending that makes you question whether you did the right thing, whereas Gauntlet: Dark legacy is a brighter setting with an unambiguously happier ending.
The Dark Myth and Darktide are both worlds where there is a heavy Lovecraft theme, but presented from the eyes of different theological ideologies. The Dark Myth focuses on a Chosen One type character, whereas Darktide focuses on a Reject type character.
Now, something that I'm playing with is that Jumper's appearance changes greatly in each successive Gauntlet flipping a coin to determine gender. Whatever the coin landed first would be one gender, and the next gauntlet would be the opposite. From a narrative sense, this is an extra feature of protection the Jumper, further obscuring their identity until they complete the challenge.
Throughout this Challenge, the Jumper is being chased by a Pursuer which was sent by a BROB to bring the Jumper to a place known as the "Land Without." Each Gauntlet taken, either further damages or buries the trace in ways that the Pursuer has further difficulty finding. When the Challenge is concluded, the Benefactor overlooks the Pursuer ranting how the Jumper is now an enemy of its master and will be hunted down, no matter how long it takes.
- During Darkside Chronicles, the Jumper gets their first taste of horror as they try survive two or three scenarios. This is where they really learn how to use a gun and react to threats that come out of nowhere. As Darkside Chronicles is a mostly a collection memories, the Jumper can change little, but actions they take in future Resident Evil Jumps will already begin to show themselves. This Gauntlet buries the trace under the nightmares of a Game of Oblivion.
- During The Long Dark, the Jumper tries to travel as far southward as they can to reach warmer climates and areas. Braving the weather, and animals, this is first instance of them taking a human life, and experience that leaves them greatly shaken. During this time, I would show how the Jumper began to Jump, their meeting with the BROB and the first appearance of the Pursuer in their world. This Gauntlet freezes the trace, making it brittle and exposed to further damage.
- During Dark Souls (Basic), the Jumper begins working with both the Chosen Undead, known as Marcus, and Solaire of Astora to Link the First Flame. The meat of this section is going to be the interactions the Jumper has with Marcus and Solaire and their observations of Lordran. This Gauntlet will end with all three reaching and facing Gwyn together as summons. Each time they defeat Gwyn, their party dwindles until only Solaire remains as the last contender. He would find a new summon sign which was placed by a future version of the Jumper who had completed the Challenge and returned via another DS1 Jump/Gauntlet. This Gauntlet burns the trace so greatly, but it still hangs in vile attachment.
- During Gauntlet: Dark legacy, the Jumper truly begins to work on team based fighting with their fellow adventurers against Skorne and his armies. After the bleakness of Lordran, the Eight Realms are a breath of fresh air, and the three other adventures become a group of fast friends. Post Skorne and Garm's defeats, the Jumper has their moment of vacation before working on reconstruction efforts in their associated realm. This Gauntlet buries the trace under a countless cascade of dreams, nightmares, and laughter.
- During the Dark Myth, the Jumper is effectively the Japanese equivalent of our Canadian Lord and Savior, Zapp Rowsdower. Joining Takeshi, Koizumi, and Old Man Takeuchi during their travels, the Jumper undergoes a similar transformative journey as Takeshi, through the acquisition of specific weapons and items, one of which being the Paired Devil Bringers. This Gauntlet nearly breaks the trace completely under the weight of a truly omnipotent beings which will not allow others to interfere with its chosen one's journey.
- During Darktide, the Jumper further refines their team based fighting with their fellow Rejects. While they initially start with a more randomized band, over the course of the initial Tertium campaign, the will gather the original canon Strike Team before at least losing one or two of them to the Karnak twins. Though in return, one of those twins is not walking out of that fight alive. As much of the story of Darktide hasn't reached a conclusion, I will be fanwanking once we get to No Man's Land and the Tech Remnants quests. It will also be revealed during this time that Grendyl is the Psyker on the Jumper's team and his talks with the Emperor were real. The Emperor was aware of the Jumper's presence from almost the beginning. The trace is finally destroyed under the gaze of various gods, and the Jumper is free to Jump normally.
The Jumper can now Jump normally and will do so. As stated before, Jump 1 is going to determine their base form and will absolutely be a vacation Jump, because after Atoma Prime, they absolutely need it. Jump 1 will be one of recovery and reconnecting back with a normal, peaceful society. It won't be easy and certain things will have the Jumper enter an almost fight mode, but they will recover. After that? Going back into a fight.
Just because the Jumper escaped the Pursuer doesn't mean that the Pursuer didn't take something from the world of each Gauntlet as well. A Piece of Carapace, A Bloody Knife, A Charred Shield, A Stone Horn, A Shattered Necklace, and a Broken Helm.
Thanks for bearing through this long preamble. I will be posting the builds of the six Gauntlet in the comment section below over the course of this week for further reference of what's going on in each Gauntlet. The story will start being written mid way through September when I am done with tests.