Diaspora is an Interactive Fiction Game written in ChoiceScript about a clan of people forced to flee their homeland and establish themselves elsewhere in the world.
The Cine, of which the Player Character is a part, are traditionally a raiding culture, accustomed to theft and piracy as a way of life, meaning that few will welcome them as neighbors. Throughout the story, the PC will have opportunities to shape the perception of their clan, as well as the direction their people will take with their new settlement. Will you stick to traditional values at the steep diplomatic cost that may entail? Or, against the advice of your clan’s leadership and some of your close friends, will you try to change the very fate of the Cine, their role in the world around them?
The first seven chapters are available to play here
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This show provides examples of:
- Abandon Ship: If you choose the right course of action in your first sea battle you can force your enemy to do this.
- Authority Equals Asskicking: The Governor of Tarracina is in her late middle age and still able and willing to kick ass. Your clan tends to follow this as well.
- Beware the Silly Ones: Pan is playful, charming, teasing, and always smiling. They will behead their enemies with a red hot sword.
- Boisterous Bruiser: Your second in command Cormac is big, cheerful and delighted by the chance to take on a half dozen warriors on his own.
- The Chief's Daughter: If you play as a woman.
- Childhood Friend Romance: If you pursue a relationship with either Cormac or Aisling, both of whom you've known nearly all your life.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: If you choose all the right options in battle scenes, you can thrash your enemies either without taking on any damage at all or not more than superficial damage.
- Disappeared Dad: Your father sailed off one day and didn't return.
- Dreaming of Things to Come: At least one character is established to have accurate prophetic dreams.
- Elemental Powers: Pan favors fire, while Aisling is more of a water girl.
- Fantasy Pantheon: The Castulians worship twin goddesses, one of which Pan serves, who seems to be mostly Durga as interpreted by ancient Romans.
- Fantasy Counterpart Culture: The Cine are basically Vikings, while the Castulia is heavily based on Ancient Rome.
- Featureless Protagonist: The player character is implied to be shorter than two other (unusually tall) characters and... that's about it.
- Four-Star Badass: The Governor of Tarracina is also a General and is more often referred to as such than by her political title.
- Gray-and-Grey Morality: None of the three factions are obviously in the wrong or malicious. They just have competing interests.
- I Am Not Left-Handed: Sangarinus is not right-handed.
- Proud Warrior Race Guy: The Chief's Number Two isn't at all happy about the idea of trading instead of raiding.
- Purely Aesthetic Gender: Apart from pronouns, your character's gender is irrelevant.
- Tribal Face Paint: The Cine paint their faces with woad, both for battle and because it looks pretty.
- White Magician Girl: Shrinking Violet Aisling is able to use magic for combat... but she'd really rather use it to heal her friends.
