| “ | Ivan is just the beginning. Soon you'll all be pictures on the wall! | „ |
| ~ Dark Cloud |
| “ | If you're feeling sorry for this town...don't! They deserve EVERYTHING that happened to them! | „ |
| ~ Dark Cloud |
Dark Cloud is the tragic villain of the computer game Shivers 2: Harvest of Souls. He is a dark lord that uses evil ancient Native American magic to turn the entire city of Cyclone, Arizona into petroglyphs. His true identity is Max Wharton, a shy man who was driven into a rage when his wife was hit by a drunk driver.
History
The town of Cyclone is a small community built in a canyon in Arizona. Because the town is so small, everyone in the city knows each other. The town council is highly corrupt and unethical. The council is made up four men: Tad Mtthews, the city banker; Phil Dunlop, the owner of the grocery store; George Bellairs, the town's pastor; and Charles Spencer, the manager of the motel. They routinely bribe the sheriff, Andy Washington, in order to continue their illegal activities. After a night of heavy drinking, the four men, drunk off alcohol, decide to drive home, and wind up getting into a massive car accident with a young woman named Norah. Norah dies in the crash while the four men survive. Because of their bribing of the sheriff, the sheriff blames the car crash on Norah, saying SHE was the one drinking, and closes the case.
Norah's widower, Max, becomes heartbroken and infuriated because his wife's killers are free, and decides to seek revenge. He studies ancient Native American dark magic, and becomes the dark sorcerer Dark Cloud. He decides to make the entire town pay, and turns all of the residents into petroglyphs. His first victim is Charles Spencer's father, Ivan, the town barber. The sheriff has almost no clues from the disapearance, and suspects it may have been a break in.
Dark Cloud's next victim is Phil Dunlop's son, Jason, and as with Ivan, almost no trace or clues of Jason are left. One by one the citizens continue to disappear. An indie rock band who are staying in the town at the time, discover the secrets of the disappearances, and decide to stand up to Dark Cloud. However, Dark Cloud's magic easily overpowers the band, and they too are turned into petroglyphs.
At the start of the game, the player plays as a member of the band who arrives late to Cyclone, after a nightmare about the fatal car crash that killed Norah, the band member decides to investigate. Dark Cloud continuously provokes the player, telling the player that they must become "the warrior" to save the other band members. To become the warrior, the player must return Native American prayer sticks to a cave.
Norah's ghost appears to the player and offers her help in an attempt to stop her husband. After the player returns all the prayer sticks to the cave, Dark Cloud appears, and reveals his true identity. Depending on the player's choice, four different endings can be seen. The best ending, involes the player taking a magical stone called the Ianyi, and warding off the evil spirits and Dark Clouds magic. Max, blinded by his desire for revenge and power, chases after the spirits in an attempt to get their power. Norah's ghost begs him to stop and chases after him.
Trivia
- Although Dark Cloud is first presented in the game as a frightening dark and evil sorcerer. After his identity is revealed, he is portrayed as a tragic anti-villain, who the player is meant to sympathize with. Dark Cloud turned to evil because he was filled with so much sadness and anger from the death of his wife and seeing her killers get away with murder, that he felt he had no other choice but to seek vengence.