So... what's going on?

[dusty flare]

Heya hello!, I must say I haven't been quite hyped for a game on premise alone in a long long time, I just need to ask a few things to get my preliminary lore itch scratched:
1- What's the point of divergence here, or more accurately when does Napoleon unleash the plague, during the invasion of Russia, or the retreat from Russia?
2- How long since the unleashing of the plague is the game events going to happen?
3- How much of Europe has been infested by the plague?
4- Can we know how the plague works, like are the infested people conscientious, or zombie-like?
5- Are the soldiers with the legionary-like face plates Grenadiers of the Imperial guard, or are they part of something else?
6- so the protagonist, gotta say the least believable part of all the lore I've seen so far is an Englishman fighting for Napoleon, what was the thought processes behind William's backstory?
7- Following up, what kind of research are you guys doing on the Napoleonic period?, as far as I've seen the uniforms are top notch, but what about the other aspects?
8- I must ask, is the big boss from the end of the trailer Marshal Ney?

[earnest lion]

I summon @sinful cypress

[subtle sparrow]

I'm not a dev, but from pre-alpha video (https://youtu.be/_2T41ORGrr8), answer to 8
It's General Lothaire, The Eagle-Bearer

[sinful cypress]

Ad. 1
The turning point in our timeline is the Battle of Waterloo. In our world, it was Napoleon's greatest victory. Against all odds, he crushed the coalition forces. The "official" story praises the Emperor's tactical genius and the incredible morale of the Napoleonic soldier. Allegedly, some of them, out of sheer love for their Emperor, were willing to fight on even after receiving mortal wounds... And some others gave their lives for him more than once...

Ad. 2
We're now in the 1820s. After his triumph at Waterloo, Napoleon establishes the Eternal Guard. These are elite units that directly utilize the weapons and tactics first unleashed at that pivotal battle. "Valor Mortis" is the name of this new doctrine of warfare.

Ad. 3
As the game begins, the main hotbed of conflict is in Central and Eastern Europe. The rest of the continent is relatively quiet, politically subservient to Napoleon.

Ad. 4
The "plague" you've heard about is the primary focus of scientists in this era. Most of the research is conducted under the strict control of the French government and military. The official name for the substance being studied is "Nephtoglobin."

Ad. 5
These are the members of the Eternal Guard - elite units that evolved from the Imperial Guard.

Ad. 6
Our protagonist, like many other young people from all over Europe, joins the International Legion of the Napoleonic army. He's drawn in by the enlightenment ideals that Napoleon preaches: Equality before the law, meritocracy, etc... It all sounded great in theory. How that turned up, you'll have the chance to experience first hand when playing the game 🙂

Ad. 7
We're trying to be really thorough with our research to create a "believable" world. That being said, the game's events take place almost a decade after the first widespread use of "nephtoglobin." Since then, military technology has changed dramatically compared to what we know from history books...

Ad. 8
No. But you can expect cameos from historic figures...

[dusty flare]

Sorry for the late reply, gotta say that is an interesting scenario so far and my hipe for the game has certainly increased seeing you guys are having your creative vison for the lore based on real history, I am tempted though to ask some more questions though
1- So after Napoleon reconquers Europe after Waterloo, what's the fate Napoleon's turncoat allies of of Austria, Prussia and pretty much every minor German state?, does he raze Berlin to the ground?, does he keeps his in-laws in Vienna in power or does he just conquer it all?
2- Has he managed to cross the channel and conquer the UK?, is there any part of mainland Europe resisting him?
3- The game is in the early 1820's, Napoleon died of cancer in 1821, I don't think there were any treatments to stop it irl at that time, at most he'd live a few years extra due to getting adequate treatment, so is he using Nephtoglobin to prolong his life?
4- So the "Plagued" areas are generally places close to battlefields right, it doesn't spread like a fungus?
5- Safe to say the Duke of Wellington and Talleyrand did not have a fun time after Napoleon's victory at Waterloo right?

[obsidian lily]

@soft merlin

[sinful cypress]

These are all very valid questions - and I'm very happy that our alternative timeline has sparked them. When creating the world of Valor Mortis, we ran a kind of simulation of how alternative history unfolded. But most of this story must remain a secret for now, which you will be able to discover while playing the game.

Additionally, to manage expectations - Valor Mortis is a first-person action game. The historical background is very important, but it still remains a background, and not the central aspect.

Ad. 2 Napoleon did not conquer the UK
Ad. 3 Napoleon is in good health
Ad. 4 Nephtoglobin is under the scientific scrutiny of the mightiest minds of the era
Ad. 5 Define "fun" 😉