When Balagir awakens at the fire with no recollection of his past, he discovers he is an ashen—a mysterious group of black-eyed vagabonds, addicted to the smoke they must pay the ghostly piper in exchange for power. With the help of the kalaqai (a sentient spark) and a band of nefarious companions, Balagir will have to traverse the northern wilds, cross seas and survive foreign wars if he is to discover the truth behind the Ashen Levels.
What the what, now?
Understanding that blurb might take some addicting smoke.
Wasn’t that addictive smoke stuff the plotline of that “The Shining” sequel?
Pretty sure it’s a video game:
Random substance you have to collect? Check.
The ability to trade aforementioned random substance for power-ups? Check.
A little assistant that follows you around? Check.
Multiple maps to explore? Check.
And, of course, “levels.”