Brittleshade, a city nestled in myth and legend. Magic and science walk hand in hand in a city unlike any other. Once ruled by dragons, the capital of a great nation, but now it was a conquered city in the Alfar Nation. It had become home to all manner of creatures from the friendly Golbry to the ingenious Tibareni.
But everyone knows there is more to Brittleshade than meets the eye. Technology offers convenience but the true lifeblood of Brittleshade is magic. Possess the right kind and you could carve out your place in the brightest jewel in the land. But beneath the shiny veneer of a city that never sleeps lies secrets that many would keep buried. One such secret is that of your sister.
A single life hardly matters in the grand scheme of the five million that live in Brittleshade. Will you find the answer or will you too end up as just another foolish tourist who got lost in the dark.
Choice of Games Forum Post
Demo on DashingDon
Main character Descriptions
Sunday Snippets
Game contains depictions of violence, murder, foul language, corpses/zombies and mentions of animal cruelty and nudity.
FaQ under the cut
Why does the MC start off so weak in their power?
Plot has gotta plot. But outside that, I wanted it to feel more like the player is developing the character the way they see fit. Itâs why things like age or exactly when the MC left the family (if that route is chosen).Â
Will the MC get more powerful?
Yes, the more the power is used, the stronger the character will get.
How powerful can the MC become?
Powerful enough to be a threat. Pyrokinetics for example, with a very specific chain of events, will be able to create fire instead of just controlling it.
Why only those three powers?
I wanted the powers to be mostly mental-based but nothing too revealing (like clairvoyance and telepathy) and are not already a power belonging to an NPC. If I can think of other powers that fit, I will add those in.
Will the MCâs powers affect the story?
Depending on power choice, there will be different story bits to reflect that power. Empathy is the exception as this will provide additional information at certain times about other peopleâs emotions.
Will the MCâs power affect the ending?
Yes and no. It depends on how the game gets played. The narrative will differ depending on player choices which means a different ending for someone who embraced their powers and someone who avoided them.
What is MC's age?
The MC is at least 1 year older than their younger sister who is considered an adult. Otherwise, this is up to the player.
What profession did they do when they leave the family?
This was left vague as I want to leave it up to a player's imagination and it might end up with too many options if I programmed in all the potential options for professions. There will be an opportunity for the MC to discuss what they did after they left the family (or what happened in the time between Catherine leaving and going missing) and their age if they did leave the family.
Will we see more of Brittleshade?
Yes. There will be options to venture into different parts of the city.
Will we see more of the world outside Brittleshade?
Not really. It might be referenced or seen in flashbacks/memories but the game is set in Brittleshade.Â
One of the options is to go to the police station. How does that work in a world of magic and abilities?Â
For the most part like it does in the real world. Specialty units deal specifically with powers and magic. Think magic SWAT team. There are also bounty hunters that specialize in hunting magic users.
Will we see more of the MCâs family?
Currently, the MC is the only one who came to Brittleshade. However, I donât have the individual scenes plotted out in my head (just the main story points) so it may be possible if my story ends up going that way. Most likely itâll be a no as the MC is persona non grata with the family and baby sis is now considered part of the Goldmans.
Who are the MCâs siblings?
Currently, they're non-entities and are only mentioned in passing. The only other sibling that has anything defined besides MC and Catherine is the oldest child if MC is not the oldest. In that case, it's an older brother who's a Telekinetic.
Will we learn/see more about other powered human families?
They may be mentioned later but there wonât be any main characters from the other families.Â
The game mentions Golbry, Tibareni and Alfar. What are those?
Golbry and Alfar are two of the races youâll encounter in the story. Tibareni are a race that is responsible for most of the modern technology in Brittleshade. Find out more about races here.
What other kinds of races are there?
There are shapeshifters, Northmen and Helfar. If I continue past Catalyst, these would come into play in a second story.Â
How many love interests are there?
Currently 6. If I have the time (and interest) I will program in additional ones. The background stats will be there already in the game in case development goes that way.Â
Will the love interests be non-human?Â
Yes. Only two are fully human, three are non-human and the last one depends on player choices.
Are the human love interests Zachariah and Rebecca?
Yes, theyâre the human love interests. There can be a third depending on player choices.
What are the genders of the love interests?
Currently 2 male, 2 female, 1 non-binary and 1 genderfluid.
So, I ended up with bronchitis in July. To finish off a shitty summer, my aunt passed away at the end of August. Low energy and a bad mental state have kept me from doing much writing in the last few weeks but I will be back with regularly scheduled updates and Sunday Snippets after the start of the new school year.
Hope everyone had a better summer and see you all on the next update.
Not much to report here, I've been sick on and off since the end of June (I am my immune system's punching bag with this weather).
I have written out the introductions of the other potential allies of the MC and have finished most of the GET scenes. I've also debated redoing the stat increases/decreases so that it only occurs at the end of a chapter. Right now, everything is a fairmath equation so we'll see.
I was struck by the appearance of the woman. She was easily seven feet tall, perhaps more, and built like a weight lifter. Her dark hair was braided close against her head with little silver rings added in. Sharply contrasting with that dark hair was skin that was so pale it was almost translucently white. Her eyes were ice blue in color but they looked at me with an almost curious expression.
Her head cocked owlishly to the side before back again. As if she was trying to figure something out.
"You... are... related to Catherine, yes?" She said in a heavy and unfamiliar accent.
"Blame Zachariah." Rebecca said with a shrug. "He likes plants."
"You're telling me, Zachariah planted all these?"
"These? No. But they're all cuttings from plants he grew in his little greenhouse." She said with a shrug before driving the car up the driveway.
The gate closed behind us and I got a better view of the property. There was nothing overly unusual about it, just a large plot of land that was dotted with trees and a well manicured lawn. Just another hint of the wealth associated with being a Goldman.
Perhaps it was the way the light seemed just a little too bright. Or the strange softness of everything around me. Even though I knew this was the Silverstein nursery, it had never been quite this soft.
"Another failed child." A voice echoed from outside the door.
"That has yet to be confirmed." Another answered.
Vaguely, they sounded like the Elders of the family but I could not quite place them. I just knew the sound of disgust in their voice. The same tone I had heard growing up.
And another small update for this week. My lovely spawn brought home the last flu of the school year (Iâm hoping anyway) while my immune system has decided it will vacation in the Bahamas.
About 1500 words written in addition to the following minor edits.
Changed the nickname for the default/random character⊠again.
Changed wording on stats menu to better reflect explanation to Xion (visit or missing sister) as well as if R/Z are told about being Catherineâs sibling. Lying still results in no entry.
In the Apartment, MC will no longer say their full name if they lied to R/Z about being Katieâs sister as it seemed weird to be âIâm Player Silversteinâ.
Asking about the Zombie Dogâs name will now automatically move into asking about Catherine instead of making players choose that option by itself.
Stating you donât need a babysitter no longer autoroutes into waiting for morning with Zachariah. Night or Morning can be chosen. Morning is still reserved for an outing with Zachariah but the MCâs reaction will be a bit more annoyed/testy about it as he pretty much forces his way along.
There is more in the Wip now, however, this is a test phase of Zachariahâs Garden Consequences path (I just canât get the save function to work outside DashingDon and this is easier for me to test the connecting points). It ends just before phase 2 of the Monster fight.
Small update for this devlog but will begin posting these regularly here as I do on CoGâs website.
Continued Zachariahâs portion of the Garden Consequences. Itâs almost complete, I just need to finish the first encounter with the Beast that occurs at the end. Unfortunately, I suck at writing fighting scenes so this is taking a bit longer.
Rebeccaâs portion of Garden Consequences is also mostly done, I just want to flesh out the descriptions of her manor and the servants a bit more. After that, itâll just be moving on to her version of the Beast encounter to finish off her section.
Updated posts to reflect the names of the romanceable/friendable characters. I only intended to have a few initially but the story in my head makes more sense with the 6 I have.
Yes, but it's not fully defined as romantic or platonic. Rebecca, Zachariah and one other character (I'm still indecisive on their name) all had feelings for Catherine which is why they initially join you to try and find her.
"$!{player}, back towards the door." Zachariah's voice quickly tore my attention away from the sight. He was clearly trying to keep his tone neutral but there was something urgent in his voice.
I glanced to him but a resounding bang brought my attention back to the monster.
It had slammed its head against the glass. It pulled back and opened its mouth, only it did not stop where a jaw should have kept it. The mouth opened further and further, revealing rows upon rows of jagged teeth.
The most prolific race in the Brittleshade World. Humans live pretty much everywhere and fit in almost every role in Brittleshade. Humans are capable of magic and abilities. Abilities, such as pyrokinesis and telekinesis, are passed down through bloodlines and any individual with human lineage can inherit abilities.
Among humans, there are families that possess abilities. These families are considered the ânoblesâ of the human world even if they tend to manipulate things from the shadows.Â
Golbry
Golbry are physically similar to humans but with a single color for their eyes (pupil, sclera and iris are all the same color). Communal and friendly, they generally have tattoos highlighting where they are from and what role they perform their own society. Theyâre fond of jewelry but place value more on âprettyâ than on the materials used.
Golbry communities are called Warrens and every city has one. Warrens are also given a negative reputation due to Golbrys having a very open view on what others would consider criminal or improper behaviour. They tend to police themselves which makes contacting city police one of the last - if ever - considered options.
Tibareni
Tibareni are shorter than humans on average but otherwise incredibly similar to humans. However, they are incapable of using magic of any kind. Due to this, they have developed the most technological advancements the modern world uses. Tibareni are also very insular and prefers not to deal with the outside world. This makes them one of the only civilizations not conquered by the Alfar and rarely seen outside their home country.
Alfar
Alfar are taller than humans and often believed to be of âotherworldly beautyâ. The truth is that only the high born Alfar are seen outside their home cities so the false perception has become commonplace. They are the ruling power in the Brittleshade World with several Councils or Regents depending on the situation. Alfar are all naturally gifted in magic to varying degrees and all Alfar children are expected to attend training for their magic.
Alfar look down on all other races and consider them beneath them. However, it is well understood that other races have their uses. The exception to this is half-blooded Alfar who are basically only used for magical batteries and seen as non-people.Â
The more I looked, the more I felt a growing sense of discomfort. This level of organizing just seemed far too extreme. A sudden thought crosssed my mind that I was going to end up as some unsolved mystery and that my body would be found dumped in a river or ravine.
"Something wrong?" Zachariah's voice jarred me out of my over-active imagination.
Romanceable characters as they appear in the WIP. More info will be added as the story develops.Â
Catherine Silverstein - Human, MediumÂ
Your younger sister. The cause that brought you to Brittleshade in the first place. Said to look like you with the same color hair and possessing the Silverstein eyes. The one sibling you were always close with even if time may have caused you to drift apart. She has gone missing and no one seems to know why or even care as much as you do.Â
Xion - Golbry, Shaman-in-training, Romanceable
Xion is one of the first people you meet âoff the busâ. Literally. Like all Golbry, theyâre incredibly friendly (annoyingly friendly, really) and seems intent on worming their way into your life. However, itâs clear from that first meeting that they used some sort of magic on you. Which is definitely one way to leave an impression.Â
Rebecca Goldman - Human, Necromancer, Romanceable
A friend of your sisterâs. Normally bubbly, happy, and gives off the vibe that she may have been a cheerleader in High School but the situation with your sister has made her personality a bit dour as of late. The youngest of her siblings but a powerful Necromancer which has presented other problems.
A friend of your sisterâs. A bit stoic, he tends to be the more serious of the two Goldmans you encounter. He definitely looks like he was born into a wealthy family but heâs not quite as terrible about it. Even though heâs strong in his necromancy, heâs not quite as accepting of it as Rebecca.
Neveah Kynrel - Human?, Unknown, Romanceable
A woman you encounter when you visit the Garden for the first time. Considered the âcaretakerâ of the Garden. Doll like in action, she seems interested in you and why youâve come to Brittleshade even if she does not show it. Upon your next meeting, however, she is vibrant and alive.
Soliathin - Alfar, Unknown, Romanceable
An Alfar you meet when visiting the Embassy. He becomes almost instantly curious about you, and less so about your sister. Haughty and rude, he embodies many traits of an Alfar nobleman.
Anaisa - Unknown, Unknown, Romanceable?
Unmet Character as of yet.
Belcan - Unknown, Unknown, Romanceable
Unmet Character as of yet.
Keith Goldman - Human, Necromancer
Keith was the man your sister came to Brittleshade to marry. The more you learn about him, the more you question that decision. Known for being cruel and ruthless. He is the current heir to the Goldman family.
What is MC's age? And what do they do when they leave the family, I mean profession?
Both are vague with the only set-in-stone fact being the MC is at least 1 year older than their younger sister who is considered an adult.
This was left vague as I want to leave it up to a player's imagination and it might end up with too many options if I programmed in all the potential options for age and professions.
That being said, there will be an opportunity for the MC to discuss the general idea of what they did after leaving the family (or what they've done between Catherine going to the Goldmans and her being missing) and the age if they did leave.
Currently, they're non-entities and are only mentioned in passing. The only other sibling that has anything defined besides MC and Catherine is the oldest child if MC is not the oldest. In that case, it's an older brother who's a Telekinetic.
Right now, I don't have plans on having them in the story but if inspiration strikes, they may show up. However, their relationship with the MC and appearance will be based on the MC and player choices.
