blue-blooded — an interactive fiction | romance, low fantasy, drama
What would you do, if you knew how it would all end?
Your story begins where you die, and your fate is far more grim than the pretty fables recounted in books of fantasy and enchantment. With your untimely demise comes the world's end, all whilst you lock gazes with the person who caused it.
But before you can proceed, you are thrown back to the beginning— back to day zero, in a tranquil village on the outskirts of a kingdom where magic vibrates in the very air and power is worn as a royal mantle.
The day the herald’s prophecy comes to fruition, a knight arrives to your village, bearing the emblem of the Crown. By will of the Crown, you are forced to join the blue-bloods who are flocked like cattle into a carriage drawn by horses. You and your neighbor are taken from your homes to be trained within the imperial stronghold.
Despite your predicament, there's something itching the back of your mind… Your neighbor’s eyes oddly remind you of something.
A customizable MC— from gender (non-binary inclusive) and sexuality, to appearance and personality!
Choose to pursue a cast of complex RO’s (gender-locked & gender-selectable)
...Or simply build up (or down) your relationships with the various characters you will encounter on your journey.
Make decisions that MATTER and break the fourth wall.
Get taken from your family, live at the Crown’s mercy (or attempt to escape), and train your skills in the royal stronghold.
Choose your path to unlocking your true abilities.
Unveil the secrets lurking in the shadows of your neighbor’s past and the throne— or don’t.
Dictate the fate of the world and save it from inevitable perish— or don’t!
The Neighbor (m/f)
With a posture ever still as a statue, the soft glow of the furnace illuminated the cold features of a face seemingly void of emotion, “Home? Such an empty word holds no bearing to me.”
VALENS, your neighbor, the true protagonist. Although you grew up side-by-side and possess a similar inclination for magic, their elusive nature and standoffish personality had barred you from ever growing close, despite having saved your life once. And yet, they seem oh so familiar...
The Knight (m)
The gallant knight is praying before the altar. He turns to you, with fingers interlocked and a smile, “Repentance is just about your own salvation, it never saves the one you wronged.”
CALDER is strikingly handsome; like those valorous princes from tales of old, who gallop in on white steeds and save the damsel in distress. His eyes are as his heart: easy-to-read and kind, and yet his fierce loyalty to the throne trumps all. Although he may treat you with compassion, do not be fooled: his devotion forever lies elsewhere.
The Companion (m/f/nb)
With a furrowed brow and wide eyes, they held your gaze carefully, almost as though they were seeing a ghost. They laid their hand atop your own, “I had three visions of you— where you died, are about to die, or are dying.”
Although you don’t meet SIBYL in the most favorable of conditions, they have an air about them that makes you feel like all will be well. Despite being blind in their left eye and plagued— or, by some standards, gifted— with visions of possible futures, they always maintain a positive disposition. Even if it is at the cost of their own happiness.
The Crown (m/f)
The midnight air was cool and crisp, the kind that burnt your throat if inhaled too sharply. But nothing compared to their piercing look from upon the throne. A smirk danced on their lips, “Tell me, what shade of blood would you dye my blade?”
With their brother mysteriously falling ill and unrest seizing the kingdom, ERIS is forced to ascend the throne and rule with an iron grip. Merciless and conniving, they turn out to be a feared and rarely a loved ruler. It is rumored that there exists a gentleness within the hard exterior. Their true nature and intentions remain unknown.
LORE | RO APPEARANCES | VALENS TAG | CALDER TAG | SIBYL TAG | ERIS TAG | ANSWERED ASKS
Hi! How would the RO's react if MC has a crush on a fictional character (from a book or something)?
Ooh fun question, anon! 📚
VALENS would roll their eyes. At first, they would make little snide remarks like, “You do realize they do not exist, yes?” but once they see you truly have a crush on that character, they would never let it go. The next time you landed yourself in trouble, Valens would appear at your side with a wry smirk, drawling “And where is your beloved now?", waiting for you to plead with them before stepping in to help out.
For CALDER, it would depend less on who the fictional character was and more on what exactly MC sees in them. He would ask a few mild questions here and there, smiling as though he were merely indulging your enthusiasm. A valiant hero would earn approving nods; a charming villain or tormented antihero would interest him far more. “And what, precisely, do you find forgivable in them?” he would ask, with an intensity that feels strangely personal.
SIBYL would secretly acquire the book and read the entire thing in one night, partly out of curiosity and partly because they desperately want to understand what makes this fictional person so special to you. They would begin unconsciously borrowing little habits from the character— how they speak, how they dress, perhaps even recreate a scene for you, all in hopes of getting you to like them more.
ERIS would regard it as an act of insolence. They would have the book silently disposed of and replaced with several lavishly bound volumes chronicling the royal bloodline, every chapter concerning Eris conspicuously marked. One volume would even bear a hauntingly beautiful portrait of them on its cover. If confronted, they would scarcely glance up. “I merely ensured you have better things to occupy your imagination.”
So i don't know if what i found i a bug or a doubled passage, but during the scene of the beheading, when you choose not to watch it states that the body is dragged away after opening the eyes again, but in the next sentence it states how the swords stikes.
Thank you for catching that and letting us know, anon!! Just double checked the scene and it is indeed a bug; we noted it down so that we can fix that in the upcoming update. Please accept our sincerest apologies for making your MC watch against their will 😭
For real, I am the edge of my seat, I'm sat for however long it takes for the overarching plot/what the timeloop is FOR and what the perfect outcome/outcome to make it stop coming to light will be.
Because for my Valensmancing MC it's just like WHY are you KILLING ME!!! I am on your side, I love you, also I am trying to save this kingdom!!! Has also killed Eris for their tyranny with her own hands at least once.
Meanwhile for my Erismancing MC, she's the 'light to their darkness' type and also wants best for the kingdom, but I'm guessing her love dooms her everytime and Valens is just like 'stop trying to redeem Eris you stupid fool, they cannot be redeemed!!!!!' *Kills her*
Also the friendship triangle choices gave me the big oof because out of the trio of MC, Valens, and Rhiannon whether it's actually true or not that two of the three are closer to each other than the other, that always leaves one feeling left out/sidelined for whatever reason and like they're not actually needed.
For example for Alanna (my Valens MC), I picked for her and Rhiannon to be the closest pair, but in reality she'd be like 'why would I have to choose, both of them are my friends, both are important to me. I feel about them equally, but differently. Rhiannon's like a sister and Valens is my crush.' So for having to pick one over the other, it's Rhiannon by a very thin margin only. And she demonstrates that she feels close to Valens as well as often as she can (plus she follows the music and asks Valens for a dance.)
For Lior (my Eris MC) I picked for Rhiannon and Valens to be the closest in the trio and like ouch, because whether MC's observations on their relationship making them think that they are the closest pair out of all of them are actually true or not in the minds of the other two, it's sad to still feel like an outsider even with "your own people." The final nail in the coffin being when Valens saying that they hate her cemented her feelings of isolation, and is probably the catalyst of what drove her into Eris's arms in the first place.
And for MC and Valens being the closet pair (which I'm never going to pick, for what I'm about to say next) Rhiannon might only think that they're friends with her only out of pity for the sick girl. And since Valens always picks saving MC over her no matter what, she might even have died thinking that at least she's "no longer a burden to them or anyone" anymore. And that's way too sad to contemplate.
I also wonder if Valens tried saving Rhiannon over MC from drowning at least once, but then the universe said 'nuh-uh' and then reset the timeline after MC died instead.
I'm also looking forward to seeing the tarot card flavour text, will be very intersection. Alanna The Chariot, and Lior The Hanged Man.
All this to say, everything we have so far is so juicy, and I'm looking forward to the rest of the story. <3
ANON, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SENDING THIS IN THIS WAS AN ABSOLUTE JOY TO READ 🩵 AND ALSO COMPLETELY HEARTBREAKING. Alanna and Lior fit into the narrative so beautifully with the way you’ve interpreted their choices and relationships.
You caught onto so many little details and implications woven through the story and dialogue, almost all of which we can neither confirm nor deny. Just know that several parts of this rendered us completely speechless LOL
The trio dynamic is absolutely something that will continue to ripple through many aspects of MC’s life. The choice is rooted in a child’s limited and potentially skewed perception— but that does not mean the loneliness they felt was any less real, whether the imbalance truly existed exactly as MC understood it or not.
So an MC like Lior, who grew up feeling like the outsider and later finds themselves drawn toward ERIS partly due to that, creates a very real and painful dynamic that the narrative will explore! There is also something especially compelling about an MC who sees Eris as the person capable of perhaps understanding that isolation— while also wanting to reach the parts of Eris that seem beyond saving. Whether Eris will make that easy for them is, of course, another matter entirely (HINT: THE EMPEROR card)
Choosing Rhiannon and MC as the closer pair also does not mean Valens mattered any less; it only reflects how MC understood them at that age. Rhiannon may have been the one most openly reaching for MC, while Valens is more withdrawn and their affection lies in gestures that are much harder to recognize (which Alanna, who danced with Valens, surely got to see hehe). The idea of MC later realizing just how deeply Valens cared especially after everything that happens is also something the story will also explore if you go down that route!
The characters personalities, insecurities, and circumstances keep things from ever feeling truly equal. That perception and the resentment, guilt, or grief it leaves behind will matter.
The Hanged Man seems very befitting of Lior, and The Chariot for Alanna will make for a very interesting combination... 👀 Thank you for playing and we're super excited to serve up some extra juicy scenes for you next chapter<3
Poor of that mc getting Eris visiting them every year and then they are obligated to go to the city by the Crown's order
At least they are not forced to a marriage .... yet ...
ERIS'S MANDATORY ANNUAL CHECK-UP 😭😭 AU MC probably forgot about the whole encounter already meanwhile the Crown and Eris are duking it out back at the castle over who gets to do the annual rounds and who's staying behind.
(The palace declines to comment on matters of betrothal at this time.)
That AU is kinda cute but also absolutely hilarious with how petty Eris is. Them clearly trying to use MC to one-up their brother and meanwhile my MC is just like "yay new friend :) "
Oh MC, blissfully unaware they're at the center of royal beef </3 ERIS may not be the true heir, but they are the reigning monarch of petty. Though VALENS might be next-in-line to the Throne of Petty, unless MC would like to contest that spot.
In an AU where child eris went to a expedition with their family to all the cities of the realm, when they got to mc town. How different would be their route if by any chance mc and eris met and left a good impresion on eris?
Ooh, that's an interesting AU to contemplate 👀 So interesting in fact, that we wrote a little snippet for it! Perhaps this will also glean some further insight into ERIS and their family dynamic (aka trauma)... ERIS POV SNIPPET BELOW THE CUT:
The carriage takes the cobbled path at a crawl. Eris grimaces at every jolt, one hand resting on the hilt of their new sword— their fourteenth nameday gift from Father— until the gilded metal presses into their palm. They look through the window at the village falling away behind them: crooked roofs, a narrow road, a collection of small houses gathered around the river. Their sword is worth more than the whole place, Eris thinks. The thought offers little comfort.
“Whatever is the matter, my darling?”
Eris looks up, but Mother is not speaking to them. Their brother has both hands pressed against the carriage window, watching Eolias disappear behind the hills.
"Must we depart so soon?" he asks. "I would have liked to stay a while longer."
Mother smiles gently and brushes the hair from his forehead "There is a great deal more to see, my darling, and far grander cities than this. One day, all of it shall be yours. You ought to know it well."
Yet even with that, their brother is not consoled.
"But I shall miss playing with them," he mumbles. Mother tilts her head, her long dark hair cascading over her shoulder. "With whom?"
Eris knows with whom. The child from the river, the one who had waded into the shallows and drawn their brother into some game without bowing or waiting to be addressed. It had angered Eris to watch. The heir, barefoot, laughing and playing in the shallows like a village brat; a future king making himself ridiculous.
The child had caught Eris scowling from the bank. Instead of cowering, they had come over and pressed a wrapped sweet into Eris’s hand—one finger held to their lips, smiling as though the two of them now shared some secret.
Eris tightens their grip around the hilt, the sweetness still lingering on their tongue. They do not know what possessed them to eat it. It could have been a trick, or even poisoned. Yet every suspicion had been clouded by those bright eyes and that uninhibited smile, unlike anything they had ever seen at court, where every kindness concealed a hungry noble and every generosity demanded repayment twofold.
Eris’s lips pull into a crooked smirk.
“Merely some commoner he has taken a liking to,” they reply to Mother in their brother’s stead. “Are you so easily won by a pretty smile, dear brother?”
He goes scarlet and sputters. “I-I am not! We only played, is all!”
Eris turns back to the window and lets him squirm. So, dear brother had taken a liking to that child.
Eris rolls the last of the sweetness across their tongue and swallows it, thinking with a satisfaction entirely unbefitting of such a small victory:
Perhaps there are some things even the heir does not get to have.
PLAY THE DEMO HERE ✦ FORUM
P.S. ERIS would likely seek MC out again some day before their brother can.
Is there a way to promise to find Rhiannon’s mother later on if you choose to visit Valens’ house?
We've received a few asks about this, so we've decided that MC will be able to do at least two of the activities before Calder and the knights arrive— so yes, you'll be able to make that promise and visit Valens. This'll come with the next update!
Light NSFW (the song... Has vibes), but Eris truly just gives me the same fibe as the song "Rule 34" by Fish in a Cage. They definitely have a peculiar relationship with possessiveness, making sure that it is solely theirs... And destroying what is in their way to grab it.
I do wonder : is there a reason for it ? A reason for this development ? We know they were not supposed to have the throne... Perhaps it is linked ? Or perhaps it's in their nature ?
I imagine having a star sibling could definitely do that to someone who's politically oriented...
Could there possibly be a universe where he has a different outlook on things ? Perhaps if they were chosen as heir ? Or if they were born as a noble, instead of the crown ?
Love the game, by the way ! The countdown is such a nice addition !!
We loved listening to that song, it 100% suits ERIS's vibe, especially these verses:
I have you strung,
Strung in my web
[...]
Forget yourself,
Surrender your mind
Thank you for the spot-on rec, anon! And the spot-on deduction LOL
Of course, perhaps Eris's means to an end are highly... morally questionable and unconventional— but come the reveal, you may even find yourself compelled enough by their reasoning to stand by their side. Eris is a product of their circumstances as much as their nature. As you said, they are the second-born and therefore not truly entitled to the throne. But MC will get the chance to discover that it is, in fact, not the biggest differentiating factor between them and their older brother, the Crown 👀 (no spoilers!)
In some other timeline, under different circumstances, maybe they indeed wouldn't feel the need to possess all that which they think may slip their grasp (they'd definitely retain their desire for prestige and to protect what is theirs by any means, though).
Thank you for playing and we're so happy to hear you're enjoying it so far!! 🩵 As the dawn draws nearer, we plan to make the countdown even more precise— down to the month/day/hour.
When Eris falls in love with the mc, do they view the mc as a weakness or a strength?
P.s. F!Eris is my weakness, my heart can't handle toxic sexy women 🛐
ERIS doesn't think in those terms, even when emotions are involved. A strength is an asset; an asset is something you hold. A weakness is something someone else can reach. So the question was never whether MC is a strength or a weakness— it's whether MC is theirs. All hail Their Highness 🛐
ANON ASKING THE REAL QUESTIONS 🙏 Unfortunately Eris' bedchamber is off-limits as of now, BUT Eris may or may not be paying MC a little visit next chapter… of sorts. 👀
May I ask why you use we/us pronouns when answering asks? Is this account run/the IF written by multiple people? Are you plural? Totally okay if you don’t wanna answer ofc, I don’t mean to intrude :)
Hi anon, of course! We are two people working on this IF— we go by the initials C & D, which is why the bottom banner on our ask and update posts contains those initials! ^^
Just found this - it's so engrossing! You write really lovely, cinematic prose, and your characters are such interesting puzzles. Cool mechanics too. Can't wait to see how the mystery/plot unfolds!
Thank you so much for your kind words, we're so glad to hear you're enjoying the writing and the characters!! 'Puzzles' is a great way to put it; we really wanted the cast to all feel like individual pieces that click together to form the 'bigger picture'. The coding does kick our butts sometimes, but it's all worth it if it means the mechanics are actually working and well-received. Chapter 4 will delve deeper into the main plot and its mysteries, so we're excited to share it with you soon!<3 Thank you for playing!
