The Longest Journey

=== Setting ===
The Longest Journey takes across two parallel worlds formed from the division of Earth: one known as Stark, a world driven by science and logic; the other known as Arcadia, a world governed by magic and inhabited by magical races and creatures. Prior to their creations, Earth originally was home to the powers of science and magic, which co-existed alongside each other until they were abused by humans. An alien race known as the "Draic Kin" (bearing the appearance of dragons) that had lived on Earth before the rise of humans, devised a plan to separate the powers of science and magic from each other before humanity destroyed itself. This plan required a single human to be chosen to become a divine cosmic being called the Guardian - an individual who would have powers that would make them live for a thousand years and be capable of keeping the two worlds separate. This harmonious division is referred to as "The Balance", protected by a group of twelve humans known as the Sentinel - six in Stark, and six in Arcadia - in order to prevent chaos being spawned and destroying both worlds.
Stark (based on the real-life Earth and its history, and set in the future within the year 2209) is depicted with many notable science fiction elements, including mega-corporations, genetics, new religions, hovercars, and space-travel and planetary colonies. By contrast, Arcadia is depicted with many notable high fantasy elements, including various fantasy-styled races and creatures, magic and a fictional fantasy-styled languages. The game's story takes place between the worlds of Stark - within the fictional US West Coast city of Newport - and Arcadia - within and around the lands and waters surrounding the city of Marcuria - alongside the realm of Guardian where the Balance between the two worlds is maintained.

Synopsis

April Ryan, an art student residing in Newport in 2209, finds herself experiencing odd dreams. After her latest one involves a meeting with a being called the "White Dragon", April is shocked when she experiences surreal dream-like events, some of which are witnessed by others. Seeking answers, she agrees to seek help from a local resident of her college neighbourhood of Venice, Manny Cortez, who sends her through a portal into a parallel world called Arcadia. On the other side, April finds herself in a temple within the city of Marcuria, where she encounters Tobias Grensret, a priest who serves a group called the Vestrum of the Sentinel. Initially unable to understand him, April decides to listen and magically gains the ability to speak in All-Tongue. Tobias, seeing she can now understand him, decides to explain to her what is going on.
April discovers that her world, referred to by Tobias as Stark, and Arcadia, are both parallel worlds created from a division of Earth thousands of years ago, in order to stop humanity abusing the powers of science and magic. To ensure a balance was maintained between the two worlds, a group of twelve individuals, six for magic, six for science, were led by four Draic Kin, dragon-like beings, into separating Earth into two worlds. To ensure the division would be successful and the worlds kept separate until the time of reunification, a single human was picked to act as a Guardian, who would be able to live for a thousand years, and preserve the worlds in harmony - referred to as the Balance. Before the four Draic Kin split up, two for each worlds, they left behind two discs: one to power the Balance in the Guardian's realm; the other to replace it should it ever break. Tobias further reveals that April has the power of a Shifter - an individual with the magical power to move between Stark and Arcadia freely, which Cortez had drawn out of April in order to send her to Arcadia.
Seeking to get back to Stark, April tracks down a Starkian named Brian Westhouse, who provides her with a pocket watch Cortez gave him before he came to Arcadia back in the 1930s. Returning to Stark, April learns from Cortez that the Balance has become endangered, as the current Guardian left their realm when their replacement failed to show, and a rogue group of Sentinels in Stark, calling themselves the Vanguard, seek to reunify Earth despite this being too soon to happen. Because of the Guardian's absence, April is told that recent events show chaos is beginning to be sown across Stark, and that Arcadia will be hit as well - the Vanguard attempting to influence people there to join in their efforts for reunification. To prevent this, Cortez explains that April must find several things - the second disc; information on the Vanguard and the location of the Guardian's successor; and the entrance to the Guardian's realm.
April manages to secure information on the Vanguard from the Newport police, and has it decoded by a hacker named Burns Flipper. Through the data, she learns the Vanguard are led by wealthy magnate Jacob McAllen, aided by Gordon Halloway - the Guardian's missing successor, who was experimented on by the Vanguard, changing him into a cold, logical man. Whilst waiting for a fake ID to be made by Burns, April experiences a Shift and returns to Arcadia. There she focuses on finding the second disc, as well as the gems needed to power it, completing a series of prophecies to claim each one on a journey beyond Marcuria, given a magical talisman by Tobias, while accompanied on her travels by a talking bird she calls Crow. Upon returning to the city with three of the Draic Kin gems, April is forced into a Shift back to Stark, where she learns Cortez was abducted during her time in Arcadia. Returning home to her college accommodation, she finds Halloway waiting for her with Vanguard troops, ready to seize what she acquired.
Forced to flee after the Vanguard kill some of her fellow roommates, April manages to escape through a Shift into the realm of Lady Alvane - the narrator of the story at the beginning. Despite some confusion, April is helped by Alvane to return to Arcadia, where she recovers the final gem for the disc, while learning the Vanguard's allies in Arcadia murdered Tobias. After discovering the second disc hidden in a library, April returns to Stark via a Shift, and then uses her power with her artwork to revisit the White Dragon. Before they die, they reveal April is their child, and sister to the next Draic Kin after her. Returning to Stark, April visits Burns for the fake ID needed to infiltrate the Vanguard's corporate front in Newport. Upon infiltrating their stronghold, April discovers that Cortez and McAllen are actually Draic Kin, with the latter forming the Vanguard in hopes of reunifying Stark and Arcadia, despite his brethen being against this. Cortez helps April to escape, whereupon he and McAllen seemingly die upon reverting back to their true form.
Returning to Burns, April finds the hacker was betrayed by the Vanguard, who stole the data he had acquired on the gateway to the Guardian's realm. Before dying, he reveals the gateway lies near to a space station, prompting April to pose as a colonist to board it. Whilst there, April encounters the missing Guardian, a man named Adrian, who warns her of the challenges she will face in his realm, believing her to be his successor. Venturing into the realm, April faces several trials, aided by Crow whom she reunites with, before facing off against Halloway. As Adrian fights with him, April uses the talisman she has to restore Halloway, by reunifying his logical self with his chaotic half that had been hounding April. With Halloway restored, he agrees to take over and become the new Guardian to restore the Balance, powered by the replacement disc.
In Lady Alvane's realm, she ends the story and sends away her listeners. Shortly afterwards, an elderly Crow arrives to meet her as an old friend, whereupon Alvane hints about telling another story concerning the events that would lead to the reunification of the world.