Masquerada: Songs and Shadows

Story

Navigate the masked deceptions and deadly magic of a vibrant Venetian city in this fully voiced intermission tactical RPG! In the riot-plagued Citte della Ombre, religion has no influence. Only the songs sung about one's deeds carry an Ombrian's legacy beyond death. Those who have even a little bit of power do everything they can to ensure that their songs live on. These are the Mascherines - masks from an ancient time that enable their wearers to transform the elements into destructive magic. The Mascherinas have perpetuated a culture of inequality between the power-hungry guild members, the Masquerada, and the impoverished lower classes, the Contadani. A long civil war, instigated by Contadani rebels who stole the Masquerada's Mascherines, has since left only scars of distrust in the city. Players follow the trail of Cicero Gavar, an experienced investigator who was exiled five years ago for a crime against the state. Cicero has now been called back to Ombre to investigate the mysterious kidnapping of diplomat Razitof Azrus, which has left a trail of death in its wake. As other members of the Masquerada join Cicero's investigation, all doubting each other in this culture of deception, their faith is stretched to the limit as a deeper conspiracy lurks in the shadows of Ombre. Cicero and his four companions each have their own class, of which there are three distinct types: the mischievous Sicario, the monolithic Pavisierre and the bardic Dirge. Each of Cicero's companions specializes in one of these stances in combination with a specific element, while Cicero himself can choose his own element and switch between stances at will. Players can utilize the synergies between each character's spells using the elemental tag system. By casting certain elements in succession, you can use element-based status effects to control the crowd, such as blinding smog or a paralyzing cloud of steam. An earth spell, for example, provides an enemy with an earth elemental tag, which can be triggered by a water spell to engulf the enemy in breathtaking mud. Skill modifiers allow for more variations in battlefield tactics. For example, with Zephyr - Cicero's teleportation spell - players can choose an offensive modifier that emits hot air when Cicero reappears. A defensive modification could emit cold air to freeze enemies in Cicero's original location, giving him time to recover or cast other spells. Positioning on the battlefield is very important in Masquerada. All player characters, NPCs and enemies have armor (whether physical or magical) that must be overcome before they can be harmed. For flanking attacks, armor can only mitigate half of the damage dealt to a target, and attacks from behind deal the full damage. It is therefore important to plan and place your magic attacks well.