[Austin Wolfe|Aonar]

This work was created for a pilot study on storytelling in VR for a PhD thesis. The title “Aonar” is translated as “alone” in Scottish Gaelic. The story is based on Scottish folklore, and features two main characters, one of which is a Selkie. The “player” in the story represents the main character’s (lighthouse keeper) sense of loneliness as a physical albeit translucent embodiment. Throughout the story the lighthouse keeper is disconnected from this feeling, and ignores the player. This fisherman meets a Selkie and falls in love, but eventually she has to return the sea. At the end, the lighthouse keeper finally acknowledges his feelings, and reconnects with the player by inviting them to sit beside him. This work is interactive. Although the story’s outcome does not change by the players actions, how the player experiences the plot changes based on what they choose to interact with.