Fading Between Pages

Fading Between Pages An Unexpected Account of Pre-Colonial American Interactions [[Start Game]]

You are a college student. You are extremely tired from scouring the library in search of sources for an English project that is due in a few hours. You have a bit of background on the topic (early virginia and pre-colonial interactions) but you can't help but wish there was an easier way... You notice a book on the shelf in front of you. It's jutting out a bit further than the rest and it doesn't have a title on the spine. Intrigued, you reach out and [[grab the book]].

Author’s Statement: “Fading Between Pages” is an interactive storyboard game that aims to teach the player about pre-colonial Virginia through a literary lens. The game takes place from the point of view of a tired college student who is accidentally transported into early Virginia through a book at the local library. The player must navigate the early landscape of America and gather information for their upcoming project which is due the next day. The player is represented by a college student in order to provide a relatability factor as well as an unbiased view of both peoples who interacted with each other at the time. The world building, which incorporates pieces of Thomas Harriet’s A Briefe and True Report of the New Found Land of Virginia, provides examples of interactions between colonists and their environment from an “otherworldly” perspective. The main focus of this game is to highlight the interactions of different environmental factors colliding with one another without the player being intrusive or directly influencing the landscape in any capacity. There are multiple accounts of the colonists and their interactions particularly regarding the natural environment and Native peoples. One of the main points I wanted to explore more through this game was the differences in perception between the colonists and Natives. The most interesting aspect of these interactions that I hope to portray is the dichotomy between the Natives's openness toward the white settlers juxtaposed with the settler's implicit desire to overpower the Natives. By having my character possess background knowledge of these early American actions it gives the story a unique perspective which I think will be helpful for players when it comes to the material. My character is given multiple opportunities to observe and gather pieces of information for their project and the player can take multiple routes to collect them all. This “collecting” aspect makes my game almost like scrapbooking information which can be studied or analyzed further upon completion of the game.

You look around and brush a layer of dust off the book, its shimmery...how odd. You decide to cut the anticipation and open the book to see what it could contain. All of a sudden the world goes dark. You fall. (text-rotate-x:9)+(text-rotate-y:49)[Down] (text-rotate-z:333)[Down] (text-rotate-z:33)[Down] You hit the ground with a sharp thud and [[open your eyes.]]

When you open your eyes you are in a forested area, the sun is peaking through the trees and you hear many strange sounds. There is singing and conversation coming from the [[left]] but it is quiet except for some slight rustling to the [[right]]. You wonder which way you should go...

You decide to go to the left, after all the sounds could be coming from people like you. You walk away from the forest and into a clearing which reveals a village. There are two types of people you see. You see traditional Native Americans (like the ones you were reading about!) as well as what appear to be colonists. [[The colonists are holding a book and the Natives appear curious.]] You want to get a closer look but you are scared they will notice you. You decide to... [[Step closer]] [[Go back->open your eyes.]]

You decide to go to the right, who knows what could be making those noises anyway. You figure its safer to explore the landscape of this world you find yourself in first. As you look around you [[notice the wide variety of fruits, nuts, and animal life.]] [[After a while you decide to return to the clearing, finding no people or answers ->open your eyes.]]

You decide to move closer to the people, hoping to get more information for your project since you now realize where you are. You tiptoe quietly through the woods, hiding behind trees to avoid being seen. As you're walking right at the edge of the village you notice a small hut. You hear soft cries of people which seem to be in pain... You [[approach the hut]] curious but nonetheless fearful...

This display reminds you of Thomas Harriet's discussion of religion and the influence of colonists on Native peoples. You recall one quote in particular: "And although I told them the book materially & of itself was not of any such virtue, as I thought they did conceive, but only the doctrine therein contained; yet would many be glad to touch it, to embrace it, to kiss it, to hold it to their breasts and heads, and stroke over all their body with it; to show their hungry desire of that knowledge which was spoken of.” You are now sure of what you saw, what a great firsthand account of Native American and colonist interaction! It is interesting how the Natives are so overcome by these new ideas while the colonists seem to be marking their weaknesses...you note this observation.

There is colorful maize (corn), squash, beans, melons, chesnuts, strawberries, and many other delicious foods to be found in the forest. There are some areas which look to have been farmed though at a rudimentary level. The wildlife is undomesticated and you notice the large amounts of deer, rabbits, and foul. You briefly recall Thomas Harriet's descriptions of early Virginia...the resemblance is uncanny. You keep walking, now with more assurance of where you find yourself.

It is just as you assumed, the people in the hut are gravely ill. This is likely due to the colonists prescence and the Native's lack of immunity to foriegn illness. You [[wonder]] if the colonists know of the trouble they have caused and if they are using it to their advantage. Despite wanting to help the Natives you can't help but fear being caught. You [[turn back]], deciding to take notes of this interaction rather than helping.

Thinking back for your project you remember another section of Thomas Harriot's manuscript, this time, the part about European infection in Native villages. "Some people could not tell whether to think us gods or men, and the rather because that all the space of their sickness, there was no man of ours known to die, or that was specially sick: they noted also that we had no women among us, neither that we did care for any of theirs."

You decide to return to the clearing where you originally came from, after all your prescence here is unknown and you don't want to intrude on history. You gather your notes from your journey and reflect on the firsthand encounters you had with the early Virginian landscape. You know your project will be very insightful and you are grateful for the experience here. You take a deep breath and indulge in the crisp woodland air before picking up the strange book that brought you here. Taking a final look over your shoulder you open the book and [[close your eyes. ->Start Game]]