Writing Samples
Ash & Sooth (Original Fantasy IP)
A cinematic, lore-rich fantasy world told across multiple narrative formats: screenplay, animation, and design documentation.
The Opening Sequence — “Ash & Sooth: The Bazaar” (Pilot Script, 8 pages)
Format: Screenplay (Celtx)
Purpose: Establishes tone, world, and protagonist through environmental storytelling and dialogue.
The first scene follows Samir, a cunning thief, through a bustling city bazaar at sunset. This sequence introduces the world’s visual tone, lore hints, and early tension between myth and skepticism.
Excerpt:
Through the hubbub of laughter and shouting, a young man with a devilish smile hurriedly pushed past—huffing, smirking, half-cackling. An angry shout punctures the air, fading away as the young man weaves in and out of spaces between people, walking faster and faster.
The eyes of onlookers barely trace his appearance. His golden brown hair caught the fleeting rays of the sun, locks neatly tucked away in a low ponytail. Draped in a pink-and-purple checkered cape lined with golden accents, the young man underneath it sported neat black slacks, a powdery white shirt, and a silk sash wrapped around his waist. Disguised as an aristocrat, he blends in with his targets.
Tightly clutching a stolen satchel, coins jingling inside between each step, each stride, adrenaline carried him through the winding streets of Helkano.
He grips the corner of an alleyway, dragging himself into the darkness. He held his breath. Stiffened. Listened.
It's quiet.
"Thank the Twins," he grinned.
The Meeting — “Ash & Sooth: The Oracle’s Chamber” (Cutscene Script, 6 pages)
Format: Cinematic Dialogue Script
Purpose: Character chemistry and emotional tension.
The first meeting between Samir and Ruhe — thief and oracle — balances humor, tension, and power dynamics. Dialogue-driven and performance-ready, it represents a playable cinematic moment within the game narrative.
Excerpt:
He fell silent. Crossing his arms, furrowing his eyebrows, twiddling between hell no and well, maybe... He huffed in defeat.
"I'm all ears."
"Well, you're in luck!" Ruhe cheered. "If the legends are what brought you here, I'm sorry to say, " she sighed regretfully, "this book is useless without me. I'm the only one who can read it."
Samir's face dropped.
The World — “Ash & Sooth: Game Design Bible Excerpt” (Design Document, 7 pages)
Format: Narrative & Gameplay Documentation
Purpose: Demonstrates integration of story with gameplay systems, environment, and player experience.
All eyes turn to the Royal Family of Kram as the sudden death of the King sparks the search for the prized Book of Sooth, the Oracle, and the thief who stole both of them.
This excerpt details the cooperative gameplay mechanics, character bios, and environmental worldbuilding that anchor Ash & Sooth in an interactive context.
Gameplay Synopsis:
In Ash and Sooth, the game opens with a playable premise where the player, starting as the thief, must go through the Royal Palace to find the Book of Sooth and attempt to steal it. As they successfully move through the guards and other obstacles, the player is caught in their attempt to steal the book, and is subsequently taken to a holding cell to await punishment in the morning. This introduction to the game is unique in that it defines success and failure in terms of the thief’s true element (stealth), yet it follows a linear progression as it introduces the player to the core elements of the story: the Book of Sooth, and the Oracle.
The core mechanic of this game is cooperative combat, but in contrast to conventional action RPGs, Ash and Sooth juggles the freedom to explore the world and the secrets it contains, as well as follow the more linear path of the narrative at their own pace.
The setting of Ash and Sooth primarily takes place in between the mountainous and snowy urban capital of Kram and the sandy port settlements of Iberis, set in a fictional Renaissance-like era where magic has become limited to the hands of the wealthy. The style of these buildings will depend on which region you reside in: Kram will be taking elements from Elvish, Nordic, Greek, and loosely Islamic architecture, whereas Iberis will be taking elements primarily from Islamic, Babylonian, and Greek architecture. Certain deviations in between both regions will explore more architectural elements from the Puebla, using Mesa Verde as inspiration. In this environmental focus, it will establish the degree of history each region has in conjunction with one another, as well as the present-day disparities Kramian and Iberic societies face against each other.
The overall look and feel of Ash and Sooth aims for a fantastical, illustrated, and heavily stylized aesthetic as it combines both 3D characteristics in an existing 2D space, similar to Hades (2018).
Heartdecker (Original Comedy-Fantasy IP)
A comedic fantasy about curiosity, control, and friendship in a card-ruled kingdom where feelings decide the odds.
