Nov 15, 2019 2:06:22 GMT
Plot
... Or, so went the message on the back of the postcard you received the other day. Most Treasured, I hope this missive finds you well. You do not know me, but your grandfather was once a very dear friend of mine, to whom I have offered many a service. As I advance in age, however, it comes time that I must ask for one in return.. I own an observatory, you see. The one you see on the image before you, where the ocean meets the sky. I fear I have become too old, too weak to continue with its upkeep, and must embark upon the long road soon - and that is where I must ask for your assistance. Your grandfather tells me that you have a good heart, and that you yourself hunger for something more purposeful to fill your time in this life. I am inclined to believe him . Enclosed, you will find a map to my home - now yours - upon Barlow's Point. Please make haste in your arrival. I hope to meet you soon. Yours most sincerely, - K |
How it came into your possession is as much a mystery as its contents - for those with addresses, it was slipped under the door, still slick from the puddle of water it came dripping from. For those without, a damp patch would find its way into your pocket, revealing the crumpled thing you now held in your palm. Magic, you might be inclined to call it. Or maybe just a bizarre prank, if you aren't a superstitious sort. Or maybe, if you weren't the sort to fuss the mention of a grandfather that may or may not be alive at this point, free real estate!
Whatever your story might have been, you were someone who responded to the call and braved the arduous road to Barlow's Point... only to be greeted with a reality that's a little more... muddy, than you perhaps may have initially anticipated.
The voice that greets you in the tower at the end of the cliff informs you that there is no 'K' living there - hasn't been for years. The Observatory is owned by the town that has apparently been built up around it, and, while she gives you her sincerest apologies, it is not in need of any real upkeep at the present time. You are not the first to have been duped by these strange postcards, and they are working on finding a solution to the matter. If you were to stop by the inn in the Twilight District, you may stay there for the night, but there exists no place for a housesitter here.
...
But, were you to go out into the town... it seems there is not only no place for a housesitter, but no place for anyone. There's no bustle in the market district, no families at the beach - even the inn, which you are told you may stay in free of charge, is staffed by only one individual. He tells you the town is empty. That he sold his possessions and moved here, and was unable to return to his old life... but that no longer matters. Barlow's Point is a peaceful place to live. The ocean is filled with fresh fish, the cave beside it with mushrooms, and the fields are loaded with good quality forge if you know what's edible. And so, figuring he might help these 'others' the odd attendant mentioned, he appointed himself innkeeper. It's not like the Town Hall has ever bothered him over it - if anything, it seems they're bringing him business now. Perhaps if you had nowhere to go, or nowhere you wanted to go back to... well. The buildings are empty and your options, open.
After all while it may not be as a housesitter, there will always be a place for you here, if you're willing to make it your own.
Across Our Stars is a Harvest Moon / Stardew Valley-inspired village role play with a side of mystery. Duped into relocating to a tiny village by the allure of free real estate, you're offered a chance to start your life over in a town where no one knows your name... or much of anything, really, considering the previous residents of Barlow's Point seem to have vanished. Will you be the one to seek them out, or perhaps the one to take their place? Or maybe fate will demand you join them? Time will tell.
