Difference between revisions of "The Spyder in the Cathedral"

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If you name the player '''ApexPlayer''', then you'll start the game with all the starting monsters at level 100 (max evolution).
If you name the player '''ApexPlayer''', then you'll start the game with all the starting monsters at level 100 (max evolution).


= Summary =
= Plot =
== Paper Town ==
* The game begins with a recording of the [[Omnichannel CEO]].
* The action begins in [[Paper Town]], where you line up to get a [[Starting Tuxemon]] at the STORE but don't have the [[Gold Pass]] required - your [[Rival]] does though! They choose the tuxemon that you wanted.
* After resting at your HOME (introducing your [[Mom]]), you can head back to the STORE
* After a hint left by [[Dante]], the Shop Assistant, you do fish a thrown-away, unofficial tuxemon out of the rubbish - but your RIVAL catches you and is scornful, and battles you.
* If you wander around town, you might meet the RIVAL'S [[Granny]], who runs the [[Daycare Centre]], or see the [[Riverboat Station]].
* In Route 1, you encounter wild tuxemon for the first time.


== Cotton Town ==
''The Spyder in the Cathedral'' takes place in the Fondent region, a country dominated by five powerful corporations known as the Pillars [Cathedral]]. Although officially separate, the Pillars secretly collaborate under the Cathedral’s authority to seize full control of the region. Their plan targets the creatures central to everyday life—tuxemon, living companions that people train, battle with, and rely on. By weakening tuxemon, reviving ancient species, and deploying engineered hybrids, the Pillars aim to control both the population and the creatures they depend on.
* The first large town you come across is [[Cotton Town]]. You are invited to swing by the Cafe.  
* You also see the [[Omnichannel HQ]], and may be rebuffed by the [[Enforcer]]s when you try to enter.
* You enter a Cafe, meet [[Team Bazaar]] and get the [[Tuxepedia]] app.
* From Cotton Town, [[Route 2]] leads into [[City Park]].  


== Leather Town ==
== The Pillars’ Conspiracy ==
* In [[Leather Town]], you find the first traces of a Pillar - [[Shaft]], which mines in [[Route 3]] beyond town.
The five Pillars coordinate a multi‑stage scheme built around manipulating tuxemon:
* In [[Route 3]], you run into a [[Fisher]], who gives you a [[Fishing Rod]].
* In the [[Wayfarer Inn]], you find [[Booster Tech]], encounter the VIRUS for the first time, and fight ENFORCERS.
* From [[Route 4]] you can make your way to the next settlement.


== Flower City ==
* Scoop spreads the Spyder virus, a manufactured disease that weakens any tuxemon lacking the corporate vaccine. 
* In [[Flower City]] you face your second Pillar - [[Nimrod]]
* Shaft excavates and revives fossils of extinct dragon‑type tuxemon. 
* You have to go out of town to find TEAM BAZAAR (forcing you to go to STORES for paid healing until you get there), and are intercepted by your [[Rival]] who mock your weak tuxemon and talk about the great stuff you can buy from the PILLARS
* Greenwash uses its Fusion technology to combine these revived dragons with Nimrod’s military robots, creating powerful hybrid creatures.
* When you get to the [[Mansion]] that TEAM BAZAAR hang out in, you get a [[Dojo Pass]].  
* Omnichannel, the media monopoly, broadcasts propaganda and directs covert Spyder agents who coordinate the operation from the shadows.
* In Flower City, the [[Dojo of the Elements]] introduces many people to fight and teaches you about the mechanics of battle. And who should be in the final room of the DOJO to challenge you for a final test of your skill but your RIVAL? They mention that they've gotten the TUXEPEDIA APP themselves, and they admire your edits - and have done some of their own!
* Also in [[Flower City]] is a broken-into house with someone who was working on a cure for [[Spyder Bite]], and when you go through you find the person who broke in - a [[Spyder Rookie]].
* [[Route 5]] leads on to Timber Town.


== Timber Town ==
Together, the Pillars intend to monopolize tuxemon ownership, suppress resistance, and consolidate political and economic control over the region.
* In [[Timber Town]], the [[Riverboat Station]]s reopen, and so has the [[Daycare Centre]] you saw in [[Paper Town]] all that time ago. You should go back and drop a tuxemon off.
* Also in Timber Town, you face your third Pillar - [[Scoop HQ]]
* You head along [[Tunnel B]], which soon goes underground, and upon surfacing you are on Route 6.
* There's a mass of people on [[Route 6]], formed by employees of the fourth Pillar - [[Greenwash]]! This route heads to Candy Town, but there's ENFORCERS blocking the way.
* Dialogue with the protesters indicates that there's a new technology called [[Fusion Report|Fusion]] developed at GREENWASH, and they reckon that's why the ENFORCERS are interested! But the [[Greenwash Boss]] tricked everyone into leaving the building, and has locked themselves in while they wait for the ENFORCERS to get through.  


== Candy Town ==
== Journey Through the Region ==
* When you arrive in [[Candy Town]], your tuxemon are confiscated by ENFORCERS because they allegedly have SPYDER BITE - and are taken to the [[Hospital]] for quarantine! You'll have to battle with your B team for a while.
The protagonist begins in [[Paper Town]], where they fail to obtain an official starter tuxemon and instead recover an unofficial creature discarded as rubbish. As they travel from town to town, they encounter wild tuxemon, train their team, meet allies such as [[Team Bazaar]], and gradually uncover signs of corporate corruption.
* You might try to enter the HOSPITAL, but the scanner rejects any known tuxemon DNA. If only there were a way to scramble tuxemon DNA so it couldn't detect it ...
* You can break into [[Greenwash HQ]] by going through the greenhouses - which are full of experimental tuxemon! Creepy, but make sure you catch them all!
* When you beat the [[Greenwash Boss]], you get the [[Fusion Report]] and can upload it to TUXEPEDIA! Now anyone can fuse any unlocked tuxemon! And now [[Greenwash HQ]] is safe, since there's nothing for the ENFORCERS in there
* FUSION lets you get past the DNA detector at the [[Hospital]], and fight your way through the [[Spyder Rookie]]s - who reveal their plan was to use the quarantine as an excuse to confiscate all other tuxemon. SPYDER is a conspiracy within the Pillars, and it goes right to the top of Omnichannel!
* You grab the [[Spyder Keycard]] off the [[Spyder Boss]] in the HOSPITAL, and retrieve your confiscated tuxemon, and free the SCIENTISTS who can heal all unlocked tuxemon by looking at their DNA


== Dragon's Cave ==
Key discoveries include:
* You can head along [[Sea Route C]] to find [[Dragon's Cave]], and when you defeat [[Drokoro]] it leaves a path straight to [[Cotton Town]].
* Your RIVAL intercepts you! They are tired of your meddling, just let the CATHEDRAL find a cure! After you beat them, they notice that your tuxemon are cured. You mean it was that simple? Just unlocking them and checking their DNA? Then why did the ENFORCERS take our tuxemon? The seed of doubt has been planted in your RIVAL'S minds ...


== Cotton Town (again) ==
* Evidence of the virus and Enforcer involvement in [[Leather Town]]. 
* At [[Cotton Town]], you fight your way through the [[Spyder Rookie]]s at [[Omnichannel HQ]] ... but then two of the PILLAR BOSSES challenge you at once! You'd be in trouble, but who should arrive but your RIVAL?! The whole VIRUS debacle convinced them that freedom and openness are the way to go, and so they join you for a two-on-two battle with the BOSSES.  
* Nimrod’s militarization and Omnichannel’s influence in [[Flower City]].
* You triumph, and bring down SPYDER! All tuxemon are unlocked, and there's only a few more tuxemon you need to add to TUXEPEDIA!
* Greenwash’s secret experiments and the first hints of the Spyder conspiracy.
* The confiscation of the protagonist’s tuxemon in [[Candy Town]] under the false accusation of “Spyder Bite.”


= Some thoughts on the concept of the game =
== Uncovering Spyder ==
The concept is that how tuxemon are restricted in the game world is analogous to how creative works are restricted in the real world ("creature" and "creative" both come from "create"; a creature was originally a created thing).  
In Candy Town, the protagonist infiltrates [[Greenwash HQ]], obtains the [[Fusion Report]], and uploads it to the Tuxepedia, enabling open fusion for all unlocked tuxemon. Using fusion to bypass DNA scanners, they infiltrate the [[Hospital]], defeat Spyder agents, recover their confiscated tuxemon, and free imprisoned scientists who reveal the truth: Spyder is a conspiracy run by the Pillar bosses themselves.


But we can use the creatures/creative works that we have to challenge the wicked corporations that would restrict them. As our creatures/creative works grow stronger and more numerous, the wicked corporations are defeated and fewer creatures/creative works are restricted until the protagonist's victory where no creatures/creative works are restricted.  
== Turning Point ==
After defeating the dragon [[Drokoro]] in [[Dragon’s Cave]], the protagonist returns toward Cotton Town. Their rival confronts them, insisting the Cathedral will find a cure—until they realize the protagonist’s tuxemon are already healed simply by being unlocked and examined. This revelation plants doubt about the Pillars’ motives and the legitimacy of the quarantine.
 
== Final Confrontation ==
Back in [[Cotton Town]], the protagonist storms [[Omnichannel HQ]], battling Spyder agents. Two Pillar bosses challenge them simultaneously, but the rival arrives to fight alongside them, having rejected the corporate narrative. Together, they defeat the Pillars and dismantle Spyder.
 
With the conspiracy exposed, all tuxemon are unlocked, corporate restrictions collapse, and the region begins to move toward openness and freedom.
 
== Themes ==
The story uses tuxemon as a metaphor for creative works. Corporate attempts to restrict, lock, and monopolize tuxemon mirror real‑world struggles over ownership, openness, and the freedom to create. As the protagonist unlocks more tuxemon, they symbolically unlock creativity itself, culminating in a world where creations are free and accessible to all.


I think that's a clever and subtle conceit for an open source game to have. It gives the player a goal, and a reason for battling. The use of battling creatures makes sense, because they're a metaphor for the battle of ideas. "As it is above, so it is below" - both Tuxemon: The Game and a tuxemon in the game world are creations that help win the battle of ideas for freedom and open source.
I think that's a clever and subtle conceit for an open source game to have. It gives the player a goal, and a reason for battling. The use of battling creatures makes sense, because they're a metaphor for the battle of ideas. "As it is above, so it is below" - both Tuxemon: The Game and a tuxemon in the game world are creations that help win the battle of ideas for freedom and open source.

Revision as of 10:23, 2 March 2026

Synopsis

The Spyder in the Cathedral plot takes place in the Fondent region, which is dominated by five nominally separate corporations, called Pillars (see Cathedral). Not content with profitability, the Pillars want to take full control of the region and they hatch a plan to do so:

Scoop, the fast food and retail empire, will transmit a disease, the Spyder virus, that weakens tuxemon that don't have the vaccine, putting any opposition on the back foot. Meanwhile, mining company Shaft will extract and revive fossils of powerful extinct dragons. Agro-business and genetic engineering corporation Greenwash will use its fusion technology to combine these dragons with arms manufacturer Nimrod's killer robots, allowing them to steamroll any opposition already weakened by Scoop's virus. Behind the scenes, news media monopoly Omnichannel puts out propaganda and coordinates the scheme through its Spyder agents.

Main Story

New spyder map.png

The main story is The Spyder in the Cathedral, set in the Fondent region. It follows a familiar model of the protagonist traveling from town to town, catching and battling creatures. However, the protagonist ends up discovering cruelty and corruption at the very heart of the region, and defeating their villainous scheme.

The main story is set in an unnamed country. There were plans to make the country Ancient Egypt-themed, as can be seen in some of the concept art. However, we have heavily used existing art assets, and therefore there is not currently an observable Egypt theme.

The game opens with the Introduction, which ends with the Protagonist being escorted to their home in Paper Town.

These are the country's locations, roughly in order as the protagonist heads through the game:

Full map

The towns are loosely named after wedding anniversary gifts.

Travel

Your Mom gives you a Surfboard that can go over water. This is required to progress the game once you reach Candy Town; it's also required to access Volcoli in Dryad's Grove, Dragon's Cave in Sea Route C and the wild encounters in Route 6.

When you reach Timber Town, the Riverboat Stations open up for places you've visited so far. When you visit Candy Town, it becomes available too. The complete list is:

Cheat Codes

Cheat codes are a way to make the game easier (eg without spending too much time in leveling up and by focusing on the plot).

If you name the player ApexPlayer, then you'll start the game with all the starting monsters at level 100 (max evolution).

Plot

The Spyder in the Cathedral takes place in the Fondent region, a country dominated by five powerful corporations known as the Pillars [Cathedral]]. Although officially separate, the Pillars secretly collaborate under the Cathedral’s authority to seize full control of the region. Their plan targets the creatures central to everyday life—tuxemon, living companions that people train, battle with, and rely on. By weakening tuxemon, reviving ancient species, and deploying engineered hybrids, the Pillars aim to control both the population and the creatures they depend on.

The Pillars’ Conspiracy

The five Pillars coordinate a multi‑stage scheme built around manipulating tuxemon:

  • Scoop spreads the Spyder virus, a manufactured disease that weakens any tuxemon lacking the corporate vaccine.
  • Shaft excavates and revives fossils of extinct dragon‑type tuxemon.
  • Greenwash uses its Fusion technology to combine these revived dragons with Nimrod’s military robots, creating powerful hybrid creatures.
  • Omnichannel, the media monopoly, broadcasts propaganda and directs covert Spyder agents who coordinate the operation from the shadows.

Together, the Pillars intend to monopolize tuxemon ownership, suppress resistance, and consolidate political and economic control over the region.

Journey Through the Region

The protagonist begins in Paper Town, where they fail to obtain an official starter tuxemon and instead recover an unofficial creature discarded as rubbish. As they travel from town to town, they encounter wild tuxemon, train their team, meet allies such as Team Bazaar, and gradually uncover signs of corporate corruption.

Key discoveries include:

  • Evidence of the virus and Enforcer involvement in Leather Town.
  • Nimrod’s militarization and Omnichannel’s influence in Flower City.
  • Greenwash’s secret experiments and the first hints of the Spyder conspiracy.
  • The confiscation of the protagonist’s tuxemon in Candy Town under the false accusation of “Spyder Bite.”

Uncovering Spyder

In Candy Town, the protagonist infiltrates Greenwash HQ, obtains the Fusion Report, and uploads it to the Tuxepedia, enabling open fusion for all unlocked tuxemon. Using fusion to bypass DNA scanners, they infiltrate the Hospital, defeat Spyder agents, recover their confiscated tuxemon, and free imprisoned scientists who reveal the truth: Spyder is a conspiracy run by the Pillar bosses themselves.

Turning Point

After defeating the dragon Drokoro in Dragon’s Cave, the protagonist returns toward Cotton Town. Their rival confronts them, insisting the Cathedral will find a cure—until they realize the protagonist’s tuxemon are already healed simply by being unlocked and examined. This revelation plants doubt about the Pillars’ motives and the legitimacy of the quarantine.

Final Confrontation

Back in Cotton Town, the protagonist storms Omnichannel HQ, battling Spyder agents. Two Pillar bosses challenge them simultaneously, but the rival arrives to fight alongside them, having rejected the corporate narrative. Together, they defeat the Pillars and dismantle Spyder.

With the conspiracy exposed, all tuxemon are unlocked, corporate restrictions collapse, and the region begins to move toward openness and freedom.

Themes

The story uses tuxemon as a metaphor for creative works. Corporate attempts to restrict, lock, and monopolize tuxemon mirror real‑world struggles over ownership, openness, and the freedom to create. As the protagonist unlocks more tuxemon, they symbolically unlock creativity itself, culminating in a world where creations are free and accessible to all.

I think that's a clever and subtle conceit for an open source game to have. It gives the player a goal, and a reason for battling. The use of battling creatures makes sense, because they're a metaphor for the battle of ideas. "As it is above, so it is below" - both Tuxemon: The Game and a tuxemon in the game world are creations that help win the battle of ideas for freedom and open source.

Timeline

Origins

  • The Universe was shaped by—or gave rise to—the thirteen elements.
  • Life appeared: plants, tuxemon, and eventually humans.
  • Tuxemon naturally battle each other to grow stronger through elemental competition.
  • Humans, especially those drawn to Metal tuxemon, began building relationships with them.

Ancient Times (about 5,000 years ago)

  • The first known human civilizations emerged.
  • Early humans began interacting with tuxemon, mostly those found in nature.

Early Engineering (about 1,500–1,250 years ago)

  • Humans created the first tuxemon—possibly made from glass, pottery, or bronze.
  • Over time, they got better at designing and modifying tuxemon for farming, combat, and other uses.

Collapse (about 1,000 years ago)

  • Human interference disrupted the world’s balance.
  • Wars and ecological disasters broke out, destroying cities and farmland.
  • Civilization collapsed as tuxemon warfare spiraled out of control.

Recovery (about 500 years ago)

  • The environment slowly stabilized and adapted.
  • Human-made tuxemon became part of nature.
  • Human societies began rebuilding, but most records of the past were lost.

Rebirth (about 150 years ago)

  • Industrial technology was rediscovered.
  • Tuxemon biology was studied again, and new societies emerged.
  • A group called the Cathedral became a community-oriented governing force with local Enforcers.

Boom Times (30–50 years ago)

  • The region experienced strong economic growth.
  • Five major companies—called the Pillars—gained influence.
  • Tuxemon capture tech was invented, leading to conflicts over control of tuxemon.
  • The Cathedral allowed private ownership of tuxemon designed by people, but resisted claims over ancient or natural ones.

Corporate Era (the last 25 years)

  • The Pillars took over most of the region’s industries.
  • The Cathedral began partnering with corporations and allowing them onto its board.
  • Enforcers became less community-based and more corporatized.
  • Corporations pushed the idea that all tuxemon were man-made to justify monopolies.

Links

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