Ahriman's Prophecy is the prequel to the Aveyond series. Unlike the officially-named Aveyond games, Ahriman's Prophecy was made on RPG Maker 2003, and is a freeware game.
 This article provides detailed information on the game's story and characters, and thus includes spoilers. Proceed with caution. |
Blurb[]
"Amaranth Games introduces Ahriman’s Prophecy, a beautiful fantasy world doomed to be destroyed by the demon, Ahriman.
In a desperate attempt to stop the prophecy, the Daughters of Light send you, a young but powerful magic wielder, on a difficult quest to unlock the secrets of the prophecy and hopefully, learn how to stop it.
If you enjoy classic RPGs like Final Fantasy 6 and Chrono Trigger, you’re going to love Ahriman’s Prophecy."[1]
Plot[]
Backstory[]
In a ploy to gain power, the younger of two princes, Lord Zorom of Candar, attempts to assassinate his elder brother. When his failure leads to his exile, he instead aims to resurrect the dead warlock emperor, Ahriman, whose history in battle and warfare is legendary.
Ahriman's Prophecy[]
Talia Maurva goes to be named, a custom from her village where a teen is given their adult profession. Instead of seeing a future in her hometown of Elden for her, however, Talia's naming ceremony points her towards preventing the summoning of the demon Ahriman. Talia, accompanied by Devin, a boy from her village, travels to the mainland kingdom of Thais to train as a Magic Wielder at the Collegium of War and Magic.
Just after she completes her training three years later, Talia is summoned into a dream by her headmaster and a High Priestess of the Dreamland. She is sent across the continent to warn another order of priestesses that Ahriman is being resurrected, and that the prophecy surrounding his resurrection must be stopped before the thirteenth moon. In order to do this, Talia and Devin must obtain six powerful Relics to form the legendary Agea, a stone which will unlock Ahriman's stronghold and allow Talia to defeat him.
Endings[]
False Ending[]
At the very beginning of the game, when Talia learns her destiny, she returns home to tell her Grandma the news. The player can choose to lie and tell her that she's been named Herbalist, and the game ends there. Ahriman is ultimately resurrected and reigns destruction across the world, but Talia, in secluded Elden, has no idea, and lives happily. This ending prompts a Game Over.
True Ending[]
At the final battle of the game, Talia and her party fight against Zorom, who merges with the partially-summoned Ahriman. They defeat him, and go on with their lives relieved that the world is saved. However, unbeknownst to them, Zorom had successfully completed the summoning, and although he was killed in battle, Ahriman lives on, leading to the events of Aveyond 1: Rhen's Quest.
Mechanics[]
Ahriman's Prophecy relies on keyboard input. The player navigates with arrow keys and spacebar, accesses the Menu through ESC, and saves with 1.
Although there are six possible party members in the game, only four can be in the party at a time. Talia and Devin are both mandatory. The others can be swapped out throughout the game. When a character leaves the party, they return to their home, where they can be recruited again.
Unlike the rest of the series, the game uses a real-time battle system. As the player walks around the map, enemies within a certain ranged distance will attack. The player attacks back by hitting the spacebar (or ESC to open the battle menu and select skills). The player will cycle through their party members with every action used in battle.
Ahriman's Prophecy relies on the Attraction Points system for its Party Relationships, allowing the player to marry either Devin and Talia or Devin and Alicia over the course of the game.
Like the rest of the series, the game allows for multiple endings (two). However, one of these ends the game very early on in the story. If the player actually proceeds with the plot of the game, there is only one possible ending.
Important Characters[]
Party Members[]
- Talia Maurva (mandatory): A peasant girl from a small village who aspires to become a herbalist when fate yanks her life into a different path. She becomes a Magic Wielder and can class into one of five guilds over the course of the game. She is the Chosen One, prophecized to save the world from Ahriman.
- Devin Perry (mandatory): A blacksmith apprentice from Talia's village who long dreamt of becoming a knight. He offered to accompany Talia on her mission to protect her, and trains alongside her at the School of War and Magic, becoming a knight.
- Jack: A thief. A rascally youngster making a life picking locks and pockets. He allows the party to open sealed vats and locked chests.
- Alicia Pendragon: The Crown Princess of Thais, who loves swordfighting and dreams of becoming a mercenary.
- Frederick le Mew: A Shapeshifter whose default form is a lizard man. He is growing tired of his classes and would love to learn to turn into other creatures than just a chicken.
- Haddan Albardk: A dwarven Mercenary with exceptional strength. While he cares little for the world around him, he will provide assistance for the right price.
Non-Playable Characters[]
- Lord Zorom: The younger Prince of Candar, and the game's main antagonist. Attempting to summon Ahriman and take over the world.
- Ahriman: A long-dead emperor with enormous and dark magic power.
- Gevolda: The Head Priestess of Mysten Far, who guides Talia on her journey.
Version Differences[]
The broadly available version of Ahriman's Prophecy is Version 2.1, and is what this page describes. Earlier versions had notable differences, including different graphics and battle mechanics (with Version 1.0 using random turn-based encounters).
Credits[]
Developer: Aveyond Studio
Publisher: Amaranth Games
Game Designer: Amanda Fitch (credited as Amanda Fae)
Game Level Designers: Amanda Fitch (credited as Amanda Fae), Lord_Tomahawk
Graphics: Bob the Taco, First Seed Graphics, Mack and Blue, Amanda Fitch (credited as Amanda Fae)
Music: Ron Clarke, Aaron Walz (credited as Arron Waltz), Morten Gjermundsen, Bijorn Lynn Annwn
Sound: A1 Free Sound Effects
Game Engine: Enterbrain
System Requirements[]
Operating System: Windows 98/XP/Vista
Ram: 256 MB
Reception[]
Ahriman's Prophecy was generally well-received by both critics and fans, and negative aspects of reviews were largely tempered by the game being free to play. Edward Zuk of Game Tunner commented that "While Ahriman's Prophecy adds little that is new to the RPG genre, it's a pleasing mix of familiar elements."[2] Download.com's Editor's Review stated "we found the game's twee period music a guilty pleasure that reminded us of our last visit to Ye Olde Renaissance Faire. And considering the game's free, you get a heck of a lot of adventuring for your money", awarding it a score of 4/5[3].
References[]
| Ahriman's Prophecy | |
|---|---|
| Party Members | Talia Maurva • Devin Perry • Jack • Alicia Pendragon • Frederick le Mew • Haddan Albardk |
| Equipment | Armor (Ahriman's Prophecy) • Weapons (Ahriman's Prophecy) |
| Locations | Elden • Devenshire • Thais • Candar • Tar Vedron • Venwood |