Kedru Babu.
A cloth merchant and landowner from the district Jamnapur who turned to the myth of Kayamgadh for solace, upon the disappearance of his family in the last riots in Butagam. He sold is flourishing business and became a devout yatri ( traveler ), on a tirth ( pilgrimage) of the places mentioned in the journals of Major Subedar Connington Sahib. The journal known as " My journey to Kayamgadh" or colloquially know as "Kayamghad ni Shodh".
Having chanced upon an actual page from the journal and a set of letters ( that provide precious insight into the search for Kayamgadh ) Kedru Babu believes he will find Kayamgadh, and perhaps even his lost family. The Sarai is one of the thirth stahan ( place of pilgrimage ) he must visit in trying to piece together the clues that he has acquired. His implicit faith in Kayamgadh and it's power to bring him salvation derives in part from his childhood fascination with the fireside story of Connington Sahib's journey across the desert of Bhatighat, and his heroic discovery of Kayamgadh.
Manu Sepahi
A footsoldier with the 23rd East Company paltan. He joined the army to escape an abusive lanloard. Who was threatening to hang him for steeling fodder from the landloard's barn. His fireside stories and joyous harvest songs earned him as much love from his fellow sepooies as slaps from his abusive subedar.
His paltan is currently host to Cartographer Walter Daniel, who is on his much fabled attempt at reenacting the legendary journey of Connington Sahib. The campfire talk of Kayamgadh and the mysteries buried in Daniel's papers lead Manu Sephai to run away with those papers, hoping that his new found companion might be able to read them out for him and that he would discover Kayamgadh. * this back story still needs work.
Sampath Bugtadey
Caretaker and an odd jobs man at the Sarai, Sampath helps maintain the rest house for Mia Dwaramal, whom he considers an adoptive parent.
He lost his father at this very Sarai, ten years ago when they were both searching for Kayamgadh. At the time of his father's death he was told by people they were traveling with ( fellow Yatris ) that his father had found his way into Kayamgadh and that he would be back to take Sampath with him. It was only when the Yatris suddenly left the Sarai, and left him there under the care of it's caretaker ( Min Dwaramal ) that he was told his father had died and that he wasn't going to come back.
His childhood experience has only bread a deep seated contempt in Sampath for the people ( Yatris ) who come searching for Kayamgadh and worship at the Sarai. He is often remarked as having said " This is not a shrine to a passage into Kaymgadh, but a tomb. People do not find salvation here only death and disillusionment. "
By detailing the story of how each character comes to be in the Sarai, at the time of the game's enactment, we can create behaviors that start to affect the player's ability to navigate the game world.
For example, if Sampath as a person resents people who spend their lives looking for Kayamgadh, then it is going to be particularly difficult for you as the player to possess Sampath and use him to find a path into Kayamgadh.
Hope that provides a little peek into our world building writing process !
Aside from the characters and dialogues we are also working towards finishing the rest of the Sarai. Wat you saw in the last post was one room from the building here are some very early ( wip ) screenshots form the other rooms and passageways.
* wip screens from volume block. No details or lightmap implemented as yet.
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