The Blackened Pond

The entrance of The Blackened Pond.

The Blackened Pond is the first area of YIIK: A Postmodern RPG, and the first area exclusive to YIIK I.V. It acts as a prologue to the story. The Blackened Pond shows up often in Kisage X's films, where it often relates to a parallel world.

In Kisage X's Films

In The Blackened Pond (1992), a girl stares into it and witnesses a mirror reality that is better than the one she currently lives in. After comparing it to their own reality, they begin to criticize the reality they live in. In an unnamed screenplay Asuka discusses with Chondra and Claudio, she mentions the story of a boy who pushes her sister into the blackened pond, forcing her to live in a mirrored reality where she is someone else's sister. This closely matches Nameless Child's story. In Black Pond Cocktail (1978), a fish boy named Sakana attempts to drink from the Blackened Pond, but is threatened by a monster within the depths. He tells Sakana he will let him live if he can answer the question: "Why do we live? Why do we die? Why do we suffer?"

Story

After the intro cutscene concludes, a disheveled Alex is seen in chains at the top of a tower, while the Nameless Child plays at the edge. He pushes the Nameless Child off, and she ends up landing in the Blackened Pond.

After exploring and scaling a mountain, an angel (Asuka playing the role of one) bestows her the name of Carrie. Carrie then leaves to attend a party that the locals have been mentioning. On the way, she is told to "seek the Good Brother". After sighting the Good Brother, she tries to follow him, but steps on poop with Dali's head on it, afflicting her with squeaky shoes. Following the path the Good Brother took leads to a room with the Handsome Krow, who denies her passage due to not being on the "guest list". In the previous area, where the two thrones are, a golden hero hints that an "unwise invitation" awaits behind the nearby wall of rocks.

Crossing it, Carrie enters a bedroom, waking the man sleeping there with the squeak of her shoes. She asks William if he has an invitation for the party. William questions why she wants to go, and how she entered the Blackened Pond in the first place. She isn't sure about the latter, as the fall left her memories fuzzy. William informs her that it's a birthday party, and he's the birthday boy in question. She wishes him Happy Birthday, mentioning that she also wants to attend in order to flee from her Bad Brother and the memories of him. William then asks if she has anything to trade for the invite. Carrie only has her name, but hesitates as she only just got it back. William gets angry, asking if she wants to go or not. She gives up her name, and William gives her an invite.

Presenting the Handsome Krow with the invite infuriates him, as he was paid handsomely to keep her out. He ultimately relents and lets her pass, apologizing for his greed. Interacting with the rightmost iron maiden sends the Nameless Child skyward, ending up in a bright party-esque room with a TV and a pixel Krow. The player selects a name and body type, and Chapter 1 begins.

Gallery

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  An odd baby embedded in the base of the tower comments on the Nameless Child’s situation.
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  A four-way crossing.
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  The Nameless Child, receiving the Flame Walker Field Card.
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  Climbing the mountain.
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  Speaking with the angel, who sympathizes with the Nameless Child’s nameless-ness.
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  The golden hero’s advice.
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  The Nameless Child falls (again).
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  The Eggleston estate with a retro coat of paint.
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  William’s bedroom (William included).
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  Handsome Krow apologizes for his gatekeeping.
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  Krow's questionnaire.

Trivia

• Once the Nameless Child receives her name, the change is reflected on save files (any saves made while carrying the name are "Carrie" instead of "Nameless".)
• Despite William already having a unique look, this version of him looks just like Wilfrid.
• Entering William's bedroom earlier than the story calls for leaves William startled by Carrie's presence, but he fake-sleeps until she leaves.
• According to the Field Card associated with the party invite, the party is named "NG+ Birthday Bash".
• The squeaks made by the squeaky shoes are the same sounds made by Dali while moving across the Overworld.
• In previous YIIK I.V demos for livestreams, the opening sequence featuring The Blackened Pond was stripped out.
• Crossing a wall of rocks after being explicitly warned against doing so may be paralleling the events of the Alex Planet.