History VideoGame / TheTraderOfStories

* ''A Grain of Truth'': In her search of a [[MagicalGuide wiseman]] who might know where to find her past, Myosotis must first unravel the mystery of the Floating Rocks. [[http://www.zamolski.com/agot/ Play it here]].

* ParentsAsPeople: Gofung is a bit of a BumblingDad, but loving and responsible. Aumur and Aislin, however, were so [[ParentalNeglect negletful]] their son ran away from home, but they really, really regret that.

* StoryBreadcrumbs: Myo gathers them. It's her job.

* WhamLine: The ending of ''A Grain of Truth''. All we're gonna say.

-->'''Adalbert''' (pushing through the crowd): Excuse me. Myosotis, is that you? Gods, it is you!

* {{Worldbuilding}}: With love.

* DoesNotLikeShoes: Myo, as expected of anyone dressed like a HotGypsyWoman.
** And also the Wiseman.

* DreamWeaver: Dew, the Guardian of Dreams.

* SpotOfTea: Old lady Willow ''loves'' her tea so much she has a tea merchant visit her every couple of Blossomings solely for the purpose of buying some. Or so [[TheChessmaster she says]].

* BadassMustache: The elder trees' bark grows in a way that resembles bushy mustaches.

* HistoricalHeroUpgrade: Possibly. ''Chapter II'' begins with Myo's account of how Bark was founded. Later, she's told that her version differs a lot from the history books, notably Enora was, officially, much less [[ManipulativeBastard manipulative]] and more saintly. We don't know who's got it right.

* BettyAndVeronica: Myo's {{Love Interest}}s in ''Chapter II'' are Ugo, an {{Adorkable}} BoyNextDoor whose only fault is FantasticRacism towards Shadowchildren (which may or may not have to do with his rival being one) [[spoiler: and who [[TakingTheBullet defends Myo with his life and limb]], even if she's been standoffish to him]]; and Scath, an exotic, mysterious, [[ArtistsAreAttractive artsy]] and suave [[InterspeciesRomance Shadowchild]] [[spoiler: [[AllGirlsWantBadBoys dream thief]] and the unrepentant [[DatingCatwoman villain of the episode]].]] Also, you are free to play a MasterOfTheMixedMessage if you like.

* DubNameChange: First Born Jaśmin turns into Cedar in English, because "Jasmine" would be too girly.

** Clickable areas can be highlighted via a button, preventing a PixelHunt.

Developers' blog is found [[http://traderofstories.blogspot.com/ here]].

* ''Trader of Stories, Chapter I'': The first of a number of planned {{prequel}} games that deal with Myo's backstory, this one tells of the time she spend in the [[HiddenElfVillage Forest of Dancing Trees]] immediately after contracting the LaserGuidedAmnesia. Play it [[http://www.rudowscy.com/tos1/ here]].

* AlchemyIsMagic: ''Bell's Heart'' features potion making.

* TheCallLeftAMessage: [[spoiler: Dew's sword has been patiently waiting in its box since before Baccataxus came back from his travels]]. And that's a ''long'' time ago.

* TheFairFolk: Very mild -- the Icy Butterflies are perfectly friendly, but wary of humans and inscrutable. The Dancing Trees fit the "HiddenElfVillage deep in the forest" mould.

* MiniGame: Mahjong and jigsaw puzzle in ''A Grain of Truth''.

** In ''Chapter I'' the lock puzzle can be overridden.

** The above is Jossed by ''Chapter I'' where we learn exactly how she spent these Blossoms (with the Dancing Trees, not learning her real name, because they didn't know it).

The first installments star a young woman named Myosotis, a traveler who makes it her business to buy stories from people -- because, suffering from a severe case of LaserGuidedAmnesia, she hopes to find the story that is her own. WordOfGod says that future games are going to have a more diverse cast.

* AlternativeCalendar: The ForestBed measures years in "Blossoms" and days in "Breaths". This is because the light in this world comes from the Great Tree, in twenty-four hour "breath" cycles resembling our days and nights, while the Tree's blossoming marks years.

** Also, the wiseman in the same game.

* DrowningMySorrows: Omorica after it turns out it was her sister Pinutros has an interest in her, not her.

* FanService: Some of the poses Myosotis strikes in Chapter 1 are rather egregious.

** In {{flashback}} sequences of the prequels we meet some of the Oak's Children, who are all named directly after trees. The Dancing Trees tend to take their personal names from botanical nomenclature.

** Jossed by ''Chapter I'' where we learn exactly how she spent these Blossoms (with the Dancing Trees, not learning her real name, because they didn't know it).

* SteamPunk: Mild example -- the wiseman owns scientific equipment [[spoiler: including a movie projector]].

The first installments star a young woman named Myosotis, a traveler who makes it her business to buy stories from people -- because, suffering from a severe case of LaserGuidedAmnesia, she hopes to find the story that is her own. WordOfGod says the future games are going to have more diverse cast.

* AlternativeCalendar: ''A Grain of Truth'' measures years in "Blossoms" and days in "Breaths".

* BreakingTheFourthWall: Myosotis, in the second game, [[DeadpanSnarker talks back to the player]] when asked to do things she deems stupid. Some characters even ask who she's talking to.

* CallASmeerpARabbit: The people of Forest Bed sometimes use words we know in different ways. For example they call their steeds "horses" despite them being different sorts of creatures.
** "Breaths" are their days, "Blossoms" are their years. JustifiedTrope -- the light in this world comes from the Great Tree, in 24 hour cycles resembling our days, and the Tree's blossoming marks years.

* DeadpanSnarker: Myosotis, more so in the second game.

* DisabledDeity: In the story Myo learns in prequel ''Chapter I'', [[spoiler: goddess Willow weeps so hard her [[ProphetEyes eyes become dull and unseeing]] ]].

* DrowningMySorrows: Omorica after it turns out Pinutros was interested in her sister, not her.

** Try asking the Wise Man (who talk like Yoda) about [[spoiler: the Force]].

* {{Foreshadowing}}: The ending of the second game hints at [[spoiler:the possible destruction of the world]] in the near future, and Myosotis' amnesia is somehow connected to it.

* MeaningfulName: Myosotis is the scientific name of [[IronicName forget-me-not]].

* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Ticordata in the forest of Dancing Trees.
* RipVanWinkle:[[spoiler:In ''A Grain of Truth'', when Myosotis wakens from connecting with the Great Oak, she finds that it's been 10 "Blossoms" (years).]]

* AlternativeCalendar: ''A Grain of Truth'' substitutes "Blossoms" for "year" and "Breath" for "day".

* ShoutOut: A possible one to ''{{Literature/Discworld}}'''s Duck Man: If you ask the wiseman about the bird on his head, the response is "What bird?".

* StrangeSyntaxSpeaker: The Wiseman. Like Yoda, he sounds. Intentional, [[WordOfGod it is]].

* FloralThemeNaming: In {{flashback}} sequences of the prequels we meet some of the Oak's Children, who are all named directly after trees. The Dancing Trees tend to take their personal names from botanical nomenclature.

* GeniusBonus: Derrida is a PosthumousCharacter in ''Bell's Heart''. [[spoiler: Now have a good look at the town's mayor...]]

''The Trader of Stories'' (also known as ''The Big Old Tree That Dreams'') is a series of indie {{Adventure Game}}s set in the [[SceneryPorn very beautiful]] [[ConstructedWorld world of Forest Bed]]. The games, produced by the Polish brothers Marek and Marcin Rudowski [[http://www.hardydev.com/2009/10/25/interview-with-marek-rudowski-the-trader-of-stories/]] are of the [[PointAndClickGame point-and-click]] sort and web-based - just [[FreewareGames click the link to play]].

The first installments star a young woman named Myosotis, a traveler who makes it her business to buy stories from people - because, suffering from a severe case of LaserGuidedAmnesia, she hopes to find the story that is her own. WordOfGod says the future games are going to have more diverse cast.

* AwfulTruth: ''A Grain of Truth'' hints there might be something really, really bad in Myo's past, and the Wiseman knows all about it. [[LockedOutOfTheLoop But won't tell]]. [[spoiler: She might be a LivingMacGuffin, ChosenOne and/or DarkMessiah - or possibly just very unlucky.]]

** "Breaths" are their days, "Blossoms" are their years. JustifiedTrope - the light in this world comes from the Great Tree, in 24 hour cycles resembling our days, and the Tree's blossoming marks years.

* CrueltyIsTheOnlyOption: [[EyeOfNewt Ingredients for the two potions]] in ''Bell's Heart'' include: cat's fur, hair of the person you want [[CharmPerson charmed]], an amulet and a pot to boil these together - and the last two you have to [[KleptomaniacHero swipe]] from the old lady's house. Okay, maybe she doesn't mind much, but you only find this out if you talk to her, and you don't have to.

* TheFairFolk: Very mild - the Icy Butterflies are perfectly friendly, but wary of humans and inscrutable. The Dancing Trees fit the "HiddenElfVillage deep in the forest" mould.

* SteamPunk: Mild example - the wiseman owns scientific equipment [[spoiler: including a movie projector]].

* PlantPerson: The Dancing Trees, or most of the cast in prequel game ''Chapter I''.

* StayInTheKitchen: The Dancing Trees seem to have a strongly traditionalist society were men typically become soldiers and guards while women all work in the nursery taking care of the children. Unfortunately, despite the events of the game they still seem to hold onto this belief all the way to the end are unlikely to change it anytime soon.

* TheAlcoholic: The inn patron in ''Bell's Heart''. Claims it's due to being spooked by the ghost. The barkeeper are okay with that,since he drink enough for ''6'' people.

** The second game's map allows for FastTravel.

* AmbiguouslyBrown: Myosotis resembles a Romani or a Native American in looks and dress (but is actually neither, since it's not our world.)

* CallASmeerpARabbit: The people of this world sometimes use words we know in different ways. For example they call their steeds "horses" despite them being different sorts of creatures.

* ChickMagnet: Derrida in ''Bell's Heart''. He only loves the School teacher though, despite their [[StarCrossedLover racial divide]].
* CrueltyIsTheOnlyOption: [[EyeOfNewt Ingredients for the two potions]] in ''Bell's Heart'' include: cat's fur, hair of a person you want [[CharmPerson charmed]], ''an old lady's amulet and the pot to boil all those ingredients''. (Okay, maybe she doesn't mind much and give you permission, but you didn't physically asked her so it looks like you just stole them right in front of her)

** Try asking the Wise Man (who talk like Yoda) about [spoiler: the Force]].

* FloralThemeNaming: In {{flashback}} sequences of the prequels we meet some of the Oak's Children, who are all named directly after trees. The Dancing Trees tend to take their personal names from the botanical nomenclature.

* IndecisiveMedium: Intros, outros and all the cutscenes are made of static comicbook panels, especially in ''Bell's Heart''. Probably because the demo (which reworked as ''Bell's Heart'') is created as side story for a comic book the creator wrote in school.

* QuirkyTown: Everywhere she goes, Myosotis meets people of unusual personalities or occupations (some more than others.)
* ShoutOut: A possible one to ''{{Literature/Discworld}}'''s Duck Man: If you ask the wiseman about the bird on his head, he asks "What bird?".

* SteamPunk: Mild example - the wiseman owns scientific equipment [[spoiler: including a movie projector.]]

** The fact that the Big Oak "dreams" is also mentioned. [[spoiler: It takes form of the cloud. The floating stone in ''Grain of Truth'' is their crystalized form.]]
* TravelingSalesman: Myosotis. Selling and buying stories. She did it in hopes that one day, she will meet someone who have ''her'' story.

* CrueltyIsTheOnlyOption: [[EyeOfNewt Ingredients for the two potions]] in ''Bell's Heart'' include: cat's fur, hair of a person you want [[CharmPerson charmed]], ''an old lady's amulet and the pot to boil all those ingredients''. (Okay, maybe she doesn't mind much and give you permission, but you didn't phisically asked her so it looks like you just stole them right in front of her)