Pyre (video game)
| Video game fandom | |
|---|---|
| Name | Pyre |
| Abbreviation(s) | none |
| Developer(s) | Supergiant Games |
| Release date | Released July 2017 |
| External link(s) | Official Website |
| Related articles on Fanlore. | |
Pyre is a fantasy video game released by Supergiant Games in 2017. It is a cross between an action rpg and a visual novel which takes place in the Downside, a harsh underworld to which enemies of the ruling Commonwealth are exiled.
Canon
During the game, the player acts as Reader for the Nightwings, a team of exiles working through a set of quasi-religious Rites to return to the Commonwealth and overthrow it. As the Reader, the player controls the entire team during Rites. The Rites are where most of the action of the game takes place, pitting the player's team against a team of three from a different group. Every so often, a Liberation Rite occurs. There the player will have the opportunity to send one member of the team back to the Commonwealth if they win, advancing the attempted revolution, while if they lose, a member of the opposing team will be freed.
There are many endings to the game, depending on the player's choices: win or lose, when the Rites are done, any Nightwings returned to the Commonwealth will try to overthrow the ruling regime. Their success depends on the events of the game. By the end, some number of Nightwings will always be left in the Downside, no matter the outcome.
Characters
As Pyre has many important characters, only the main characters and those most common in fanworks are currently listed here.
Main Characters
- The Reader (Pyre)
- Volfred Sandalwood, former member and organizer of the Nightwings
- Hedwyn
- Jodariel
- Rukey Greentail
Other Major Characters in Fanworks
- Oralech, a former Nightwing, presumed dead
- Sandra the Unseeing, a ghost trapped in the Beyonder crystal to train the Nightwings
- The Vagabond Girl, an originally-nameless stowaway who joins the Nightwings
- Tariq, the Lone Minstrel
Fanworks
Pyre has a fairly small but active community of fic writers and fanartists, as well as a handful of cosplayers. Despite the small numbers, some common tropes and ships have emerged, such as works concerning the character's lives post-canon, Volfred/Oralech shipping, and the Sandra/Reader ship. Since the player character is never depicted in canon, most fanworks keep the player's face obscured and their features anonymous.
Example Fanworks
| Examples Wanted: Editors are encouraged to add more examples or a wider variety of examples. |
- Learning to Write by Sootsprites_in_the_Chimney, The story of trying to undo the mistakes of the past and the present. (Rated T, Reader/Jodariel/Pamitha Theyn)
- When It's Cold by harpydora, You come back to yourself slowly, like hauling yourself out of a warm pool while wearing all your winter clothing. Altered consciousness streams off of you like water. You lose your grip on things as they flow through your fingers: the heft of Jodariel's mask in her hands; the way Rukey's claws scrabble across the ground; the warm rush of pride that blooms in Hedwyn's chest. It all slides away, leaving you slumped over your Book of Rites, spent and cold and alone in your head save the ringing echo of the Voice. Scribes, this never seems to get easier. (Rated G, Reader/Everyone)