The Self-Made Chronicle of Ronaku is an RPG/small worldbuilding project created by Fabrica Studios under Throwaway Games, inspired by the Kasuga-lead Like a Dragon games, Deltarune, and the Mario and Luigi series. Set in the land of Gallimaufrey, it follows a young girl named Ronaku with a desire for fame, becoming an adventurer and ping-ponging across Gallimaufrey in her quest, only to stumble upon something much more harrowing.
Gameplay[]
Overworld[]
An open 3D space where the characters can move, jump, and run around freely, with the player's active party members following behind them always. All members have specific skills outside of combat they can use to access new areas, find hidden objects, and solve puzzles. Moreover, specific party members have their own thoughts and even interactions with NPCs, most notably opening up new quest lines. The overworld is generally non-linear, where any available level can be explored and exited with ease, but with locked ones needing the progression of story to access.
Enemies appear across the overworld, but will only attack you if they touch a party member or your player character. A first strike can be achieved by the player character or enemy managing to hit the other while in the overworld, which will not only deal damage as soon as the battle starts but will also allow the attacker to take their turn first.
Battle[]
Following a typical RPG-style set-up for combat, Ronaku implements action commands into its battle sections, allowing a player to dodge or even counter-attack if they time their buttons right. Attacks also follow these same commands, completely ending one with a miss and rewarding nearly-perfect accuracy with extra damage. Unlike their inspiration, however, selection is manual rather than having dedicated buttons for each, requiring the player to act quickly to change their character before an attack happens.
The party itself consists of three front-line members and three back-up, adding up to a total of six. Backup members will instantly tag into the game once a front-liner is knocked out, but can be switched with anybody at the cost of their current turn. Each member has a specific class with their own strengths and weaknesses.
Occasionally, bosses will completely change the nature of their battles, whether by introducing completely new mechanics such as microgames, locking the progression of their fights behind puzzles, or completely forgoing the system for a Metroidvania.
World[]
The Land[]
By the nature of its own name, Gallimaufrey consists of various connected yet very distinct lands that don't seem to mesh well with each other at all, as though torn from other worlds and placed together randomly. Very adventure-friendly even as modernization sets in, new explorers and guilds are popping up rapidly as various tools and weaponry are refined and mass-produced, bestiaries become readily available, and unexplored areas start to appear suddenly.
The Magic[]
The magic system of this world is very ill-defined within and outside it. A person's magic is dictated by their passions and interests, often in the form of an element that relates to the latter. For example, a chef who unlocks his magic might either have an ability based on fire (as it is needed to cook), plants (as fruits grow from such), or animals (required for obvious reasons). Various esoteric elements exist as well, and no person has ever had the ability to produce more than one elemental magic... that we know of.
The People[]
The nature of the various sentient species of Gallimaufrey is just as diverse as their lands.
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Korora | A species native to the archipelago of Kaitia, a race of talking penguins themed after Vikings and the Maori people. Excellent swimmers with the natural ability to breathe underwater, they are frequent travelers who tend to move settlements after only a few days, always in the search of good food and other stuff, collectively giving them an adventurous and restless spirit. |
| Wenua | A name given to particular Korora who stay in one spot, tending to populate the areas closest to the mainland. Living off farming and other ventures, they have a generally more calmer disposition that's matched by the fact that, due to the unstable conditions that motivate Korora to move across the isles, made them a hardy, protective and closely-knit group. |
| Raroana | A subspecies of Korora that completely live under the sea, gaining growths of ice resembling various types of hair and horns. The most aggressive and solitary due to the dangers of the ocean, they tend to raid various settlements across the coasts of Gallimaufrey for fun. Natural Elem users with particular affinity for ice. |
| Seranga | A diverse species of insectoids who live in the subcontinent of Zarang, where everything is much bigger than normal. One of the most technologically-advanced species on Gallimaufrey, they were the first to discover and invent various amenities throughout the land. Themed after the myriad cultures of maritime Southeast Asia and Western Africa, albeit heavily futurized. |
| Labala | Giant arachnid-esque subspecies adapted to the denser, darker jungle areas of Zarang, developing venom and the multitude of limbs their parent species had lost and living more agragrian lifestyles. |
| Ketam | A crustacean-based subspecies who evolved to battle the harsh seas. Rivals to many a Korora clan, especially those who live at the bottom of the sea. |
| Tlanti | Said to have their homeland cursed to rise from the ocean, these fish-like land lubbers of sundry appearances revere water due to its scarcity in the now sandy and hot Lemuat. Culturally resembling a mix of Ancient Egypt and the Aztec Empire, almost all Tlanti are now under a vast empire. |
| Elasm | Bigger and tougher, resembling sharks, rays, and other types of fish in the same family. Whether alone or in packs, Elasm are fierce warriors who mostly spend their time searching for things to battle, especially monsters twice their size, with many tribes making their homes inside the beasts they've slain. All of them inexplicably have Australian accents as well. |
| Viands | Possibly one of the strangest of the Gallimaufreyans, the Viands are humanoid food of various kinds, including drinks. Very European in style, and one of the most actively hostile towards each other generally, especially between the most influential states known as the Kingdom of Sucre and the Republic of Pretaman. |
| Flourish | A subspecies made up of humanoid fruits, vegetables, and grains. Very connected to nature and thus easily attuning to nature-based magic, they are in an uneasy truce with both Pretaman and Sucre due to being a huge resource provider for both nations. |
| Automat | Mechanical lifeforms created by unknown, highly-mythologized precursors. |
| Spielz | Tinier versions of Automat that were once toys now brought to life. Tending to live inside already inhabited homes, Spielz are fiercely loyal and protective in comparison to their ferocious independent brethren, but tend to be naive and childish due to growing alongside children. |
| Golem | A subspecies created by implement a mechanical system into a natural physical body, such as stone or a tree. This turns the object into an Automat, but also imbues them with a connection to various physical Elements almost immediately after birth, making them a prized object for war and other industries. |
Summary[]
For the full storyline, WIP.
Characters[]
The Main Party/The Order of Something or Other[]
An adventuring group Ronaku starts even though she wanted to go solo. Despite their initial misgivings, friendships, tame rivalries, and even romance is forged between members. Alongside their self-proclaimed classes are the 'official' designations given by the guild of Venturon.
| Name | Class | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Ronaku | Explorer (Rogue) | A Korora ready for adventure and the fame and fortune that can come with it.
As a Rogue-type class (warriors specializing in tactics, tricks, and other tools over pure strength) |
| Hanchrian | Knight (Fighter) | A Spielz Automat |
| Gateauborg | Baker (Artificer) | A birthday cake Viand and a proud chef. Exiled for using the resources of Pretaman for their cooking, her recipes end up greatly appreciated by the party, easily convincing her to join them. |
| Pop Star (Bard) | ||
| Gentleman (Thief) |
Areas[]
The many locales to quest in Ronaku.
Venturon[]
The third biggest hub of exploration and questing in Gallimaufrey, what it lacks in the prestige of Anyanwu and the technological advancement of Hangarau Bay, it makes up for in its general freedom and lax administration granted to their adventurers.