lyrae lux studios

blog for writing/vn projects of lyrae lux studios; currently working on south asian-inspired high fantasy interactive fiction project: the starweaver's dream

[lyraeluxstudios]

In an empire where the heavens have gone silent, only you can speak to them.

The Starweaver's Dream is an upcoming romantic high-fantasy interactive fiction inspired by the rich tapestry of South Asian history and mythology. It is currently in progress and will be serialised on itch.io.

RO Profiles | Previews | Updates | Tips on Designing Your MC | more links to be updated

Questions? I will do my best to give you answers.

Genre: High Fantasy / Romance / Court Intrigue Word Count: > 48k words (in progress)

Possessed of a rare gift long dismissed as myth, you harbour the ability to divine using the literal threads of starlight that form the tapestry of time. When your sacred power finally draws the attention of the palace, the royals summon you to the capital and give you the title of Nursrava, the voice of the divine light. Once you arrive, you expect to live out your days in quiet service to the royal family.

Instead, you discover that the kingdom is on the brink of a collapse. A desperate crisis is unfolding beneath the palace's majestic facade, and your power makes you the ultimate prize. You are no longer a guest but rather a pawn caught up in the struggle between those who seek to exploit your power and those desperate to protect you and your precious gift.

Within the palace's vast stone halls, those you choose to mingle with may decide your fate. Whether your growing closeness arises from a forbidden glance during an encounter or a whispered promise in the dark, you must choose whom to trust with your life — and your heart.

Amidst the swiftly crumbling politics of this kingdom, you are the only one who can see the truth — but in a court built on lies, the truth may be more dangerous than you realize. As the walls close in, you must decide: will you surrender to the duty expected of you, or risk everything for the one who finally captures your heart?

Choose your gender (male, female, non-binary), physical traits and the gender(s) you are attracted to.

Shape your personality to reflect the kind of Nursrava you want to be.

Pick one of four potential romance options (either all male, all female or a random mix of genders): The Silver Tongue, The Exiled Sun, The Silent Shadow or The Celestial Anchor.

Shift the balance of courtly alliances and choose how involved you want to be in the kingdom's future.

Sameer/Samira [m/f]: The Silver Tongue (moodboard)

A lithe, kohl-rimmed blur of wit and charm, S is the palace's "necessary evil". The reformed thief who now deals in information, they navigate the royal court with a cynical charm and a sharp-edged attitude that is as much a weapon as it is a garment. They have no patience for "destiny" or the "divine", preferring to trust in the daggers at their hips and the opportunities they make for themselves. S is unpredictable, resourceful, and entirely too fond of a well-timed double entendre.

Devraj/Devika [m/f]: The Exiled Sun (moodboard)

D enters any space like a summer storm — all heat, noise and with undeniable magnetism. As the Citadel's most-loved military instructor, they wear their larger-than-life charisma like armour. They don't shrink themselves for anyone or any space, favouring bold laughter and storytelling that borders on the legendary. While they claim to be guarded against the nobility that view them — and their tumultuous past — as a threat, their generous heart is as open as the training grounds they command.

Najim/Nejma [m/f]: The Silent Shadow (moodboard)

Observed but rarely and truly seen, N is the quiet heartbeat of your daily life in the palace. Clad in the functional uniform of a bureaucratic aide, they are a master of the understated — always present with a cup of herbal tisane for your headaches, or a path cleared of obstacles for your ambitions. There is an intuitive stillness to them and a physical grace hidden beneath the facade of a civil servant. N speaks little but sees everything, moving through the court's shadows with a loyalty that feels ancient and absolute.

Jai/Jaya [m/f]: The Celestial Anchor (moodboard)

A figure of towering, lean elegance, J moves through the palace with the unshakeable gravity of the constellations they chart. Draped in heavy silks and accompanied by the rhythmic chime of gold jewellery, they represent the pinnacle of traditional scholarship and courtly prestige. As a master of astrology, a precise and logical discipline that relies upon mathematics, they are inherently suspicious of your esoteric sight. To J, the universe is a series of solved equations, but you are the variable that threatens to break their proof.

This work currently contains no content warnings. More will be added as it continues. The story is rated 16+, or for mature audiences.

@interact-if | @if-news-again

[lyraeluxstudios]

hi I just came from your nsfw blog and I just wanna clarify something on that lore drop about polyamory in your story: are all the ROs polyamorous? I don't mind optional poly content at all but what if my mc is monogamous and doesn't like sharing? 😅

Hiya! To clarify that little bit of lore drop: polyamory is optional in this world! It’ll probably make a bit more sense why when I finish writing up the post on marriage and family in this world, but it’s kind of based on the idea that certain marriages are less of a ‘two halves of a soul meeting together for life’ and more of an arrangement between two consenting individuals who have decided to make a life together without needing permission from family or a religious ceremony. In that vein, you can see why it’s just as easy to have more than 2 ‘building blocks’ in the marriage. However, as with any other good relationship, an arrangement like that is something that would have to be discussed and desired by all parties involved.

As for that ask, my only real reason to mention it there was so that I could differentiate between the two different reasons for jealousy! Hurt due to feeling like you’re not being chosen vs hurt due to feeling like you’ve fumbled the baddie 4ever who now belongs to someone else, you know?

As far as the ROs go, I, uh… kind of forgot that polyamory was an option I could build in so as of right now, the way it’s structured doesn’t really allow for it. So let’s just say that the base game has no polyamorous content, and I could go and treat it like a DLC after the actual story has been completed. However the possibility exists for anyone who would like to theorise it!

[lyraeluxstudios]

As a concept, gender and its expression has a very fluid role in the world of The Starweaver’s Dream. As you dive into it, you’ll notice that the people of Arkavala use familiar terms like man, woman and person, but the way they perceive these identities is rooted in an ancient, spiritual history quite different from other lands.

Long before the palace was built, the ancients of Arkavala did not see people as "male" or "female." but rather through contribution to the world around them. According to their origin myth, the Protectors wove the world out of cosmic thread, and it is the obligation of humankind to maintain that fabric through the act of contribution to society. They were broadly categorised into three types of expression:

Kinetic movement: through the power of physical transformation including but not limited to agriculture, metallurgy, construction etc

Finesse motion: through the rhythm of connection and expression including but not limited to commerce, the arts, culinary skills etc

Intellectual Rigor: through the observation and understanding of the universe around its people including but not limited to science, philosophy & ethics, literature, mathematics etc

As Arkavala expanded and encountered outside cultures, they faced a linguistic challenge. Foreigners brought "linear" concepts of gender—rigid categories tied strictly to biological sex. Over centuries of trade and diplomacy, these ideas began to conflate.

The people of Arkavala adopted the outside world's pronouns and titles (he, she and they, amongst others) for ease of communication and as a way to translate their inner spirit for the rest of the world. Yet they kept their own soul-deep philosophy. The core Arkavalan truth never changed: gender is an active choice. It is not something assigned to any person, but a declaration of how they feel aligned to the universe the Protectors wove. It is akin to the styling of the soul, as personal and deliberate as the jewellery one chooses to wear or the trade one chooses to master.

The core of Arkavalan identity can be summed up by a favourite proverb of the elders:

"We are not bricks fired in a kiln, but malleable clay still spinning on the wheel."

[lyraeluxstudios]

One thing about J is the fact that they can love someone to the ends of the universe and back, but it would absolutely not stop them from debating at any given moment with the same person tbh.

I had this thought late, but imagine a MC that purposefully says something that's wildly incorrect to J 'cause MC wants to argue. Being a brat is their love language lmao

Ragebaiting J could be an Olympic sport tbh. And a brat MC could very well excel at it, but tbf I don’t see J being much of a tamer. They’re just #ragebaited.

[lyraeluxstudios]

Hello! I love your demo concept so much!! I love South Asian culture and art along with the story and characters you have written so much!!!

Also I love all the beautiful posts you have made!! Do you by any chance have a small playlist (about 2-3 songs) for each character or for the demo altogether in mind currently?? Like any music or songs you would like to link to give the feel of the concept?? Just curious as I'm a big fan of all types of South Asian music, and I noticed that you've reposted some scenes of old and less older bollywood movies that fit the demo's aesthetic and concept. Like Mughal-e-Azam, Umrao Jaan, etc...

So I would love to know what your thoughts are on this and if you have any songs or music in mind for the demo to give us a feel of certain love interests or certain vibes about the demo. I would also like to recc some or maybe share some songs for fun if you're interested or decide to go through with this idea.

Also I just really love how unique is your concept and how beautiful and colorful. Btw...I always had wanted to play a IF about South Asian culture, so I thank you alot for making such a unique IF and demo that combines this with your beautiful creativity to make this all complete!!! ❤️

I genuinely have never seen such a intriging and unique concept for a IF before!! Also I love all your post abt the Starweaver's Dream!! Especially the outfit posts abt the RO's and also the beautiful architecture posts too!! 😊🥹💖 Best of luck and I hope this is hopefully released soon. However no pressure or any rush!! I just am rlly excited and rlly love that you have chosen to write such a beautiful and unique IF.😊💖

Thank you so much for sending this in!! Seeing this put the widest smile on my face during a particularly difficult day. It really made my day, my week, my month!

I was pretty much raised on Indian cinema between the 50s and 70s tbh 💖 If I had to be brutally honest, it's hardly a fair comparison when looking at historical films from those days vs something modern like, say, Baahubali duology. Nonetheless, a lot of the older movies have such a darling charm and the costumes are very pretty!

As for music right now, I haven't actually put together anything. I keep on going back and forth, wondering if I want to lean into the soundtracks or the instrumentals. I overthink playlists all the time, so even the one I have for D was after a lot of agonizing and tbh I am currently doing the same for N's playlist. I'm just ooooooone song short before I can be happy with it.

If I had to suggest some songs off the top of my head (not necessarily only South Asian or Bollywood), here are some:

Modern songs: Pasoori, Tum Tak, Wala (5, 7, 10), Jashn-E-Bahaaraa, Chaiyya Chaiyya, Masakali, Allah Yihmeeki and Radha.

Retro Indian Cinema songs (for me, the lyrics matter here most): Abhi Na Jao Chhod Kar, Taarif Karoon Kya Uski, Lag Ja Gale Se Phir, Chaudvin Ka Chand Ho, Jhumka Gira Re, Pyaar Kiya Toh Darna Kya and Aaja Tujhko Pukare Mera Pyaar

The genres are very mixed but a lot of these songs, in my mind, fit this world either by melody, instrumentation or lyrics. And I would absolutely love to hear others' suggestions for music!

[lyraeluxstudios]

The exiled sun plays Where Winds Meet headcannon and The Silent Shadow plays Onmyoji headcannon... The Silver Tongue plays singlemode minecraft headcannon...The celestial Anchor plays color match headcannon...

I’m like the world’s most terribad gamer so I had to look up some of these but they all seem so good!

Really vibing with J enjoying color match tbh. That really does seem like their vibe.

[lyraeluxstudios]

Already in love with the exiled sun! Let me proclaim myself as the no. 1 fan! ☀️☀️☀️ genuinely love sun motif characters though, so immediately camped!! All the best to you!!

Thank you ahhhh! I hope they live up to your expectations 🫶

Fun fact: they were actually the first RO I conceptualised as a fellow ☀️ lover

[lyraeluxstudios]

Might have been answered already, but how good are the ROs in unarmed fighting?

If we’re talking just like hand-to-hand combat, no weapons, I’d say the ranking goes like this: D > N > S > J

D’s a given, this is literally like a part of their professional wheelhouse.

You’d think S would be higher but their entire style is based on using their little ‘gadgets’ (e.g. serrated edges concealed in their leather cuff bracelets which they can flick out and use at a moment’s notice, their handy dandy scarf having weights sewn into one edge that helps them turn that into a weapon too etc). Without those, S is probably mostly just trying to dodge and position themselves on better terrain instead of focusing on outright attack.

Therefore N ends up higher on the ranking. I mean surely being a palace aide has taught them the basics of how to disarm someone and basic self-defence, no?

J is about as inclined to partake in combat as the sun is likely to have ecliptic latitude (i.e. mathematically impossible). I think I said it earlier but their only potential weapon is a prayer for divine intervention — without it… well, forget about it, lol.

[lyraeluxstudios]

One thing about J is the fact that they can love someone to the ends of the universe and back, but it would absolutely not stop them from debating at any given moment with the same person tbh.

[lyraeluxstudios]

Devraj is such a Himbo (and Devika is such a Female Himbo if that's a thing), cant wait to romance them!

I love that you love them! D is so full of heart and love, their antics definitely need some love too!

[lyraeluxstudios]

ROs reactions to MC saying they can hold the whole world in their hands befire cupping ROs face and going "You are my world"?

I'm actually really convinced that some of you all send in the most adorable asks with the explicit goal of making J's life difficult LOL. It's fine, they deserve to have their life made more difficult in this manner.

S would probably freeze up a little and, honest to God, get a teensy bit flustered. They'd probably laugh and tell MC to stop messing around, lol.

D would probably be sooo happy if MC did that to them. They'd laugh brightly and hold MC's face in their own hands, commenting something like "how funny, then, that mine can be held so easily as well."

N would probably try and play it cool, replying with a hum and a 'how sweet of you' kind of comment. Internally they are dying of cuteness aggression.

...which is probably a slight bit less embarrassing than J, who's likely to be dying of the profoundly deep mix of adoration, embarrassment, and the fact that they were actually super ready to argue with MC on how mathematically impossible it would be for one person — even the great giants of legend — to be able to wrap their hands around the calculated equatorial circumference of 3,300 yojana.

[lyraeluxstudios]

no rush!!!!! take your time!!!!!💛💛💛

Thank you for being so kind 🫶🫶 I’m probably the most eager to get this out there, as everyone knows, but life does happen

[lyraeluxstudios]

TBH I suppose this just means that you’ll get more lore/worldbuilding posts from me before the prologue is published :D

I have ones in the works right now about gender expression in Arkavala, and another one about marriage/family etc. If there’s any other kind of lore you’d want to know more about/prefer its own post on, feel free to let me know! Even if I can’t do it immediately, I’d definitely work on it if I can.

[lyraeluxstudios]

So absorbed are you in your late-night meal that you do not notice the all-too dangerous gleam in your mother's eyes. "Oh," she begins, "before I forget…" You freeze. Something in her tone makes you wary. She crosses her arms as she turns to face you, resting her hip against the cabinet. "Someone was asking about you at the stepwell today." You groan softly. "Maa, not now…" "I'm just the messenger, child," she continues, unfazed. "Everyone wants to know more about our village's prodigy, and mystery has a way of attracting attention — whether you like to or not." Before you can get in a word edgewise, she begins counting off the names on her fingers, each candidate delivered with careful consideration. "There was the merchant's son, polite — too polite, if you ask me. Couldn't meet my eyes, tripped over his own tongue every time your name came up." You look down at your half-eaten dinner, realising now that she has you lovingly trapped. As much as this conversation is embarrassing — and one you do not want to be having right now — the temptation of continuing your hot meal is too good to pass up. Resigned, you continue eating as your mother continues speaking. "And then there was that woman who wears jasmines in her braid all the time. The clever one who smiles at the right moments and learns more than she gives away. She lingered longer than she needed to, you know." When you look up at your mother, you find her looking back at you with an impish smile. "So, $mc, who has caught your attention?"

I didn't plan on sharing this, but given the circumstances I feel like one more preview ought to be shared. Malli is a delightful force of nature, and I hope you enjoy every moment of being her child :D

[lyraeluxstudios]

no rush!!!!! take your time!!!!!💛💛💛

Thank you for being so kind 🫶🫶 I’m probably the most eager to get this out there, as everyone knows, but life does happen

[lyraeluxstudios]

Just wanted to inform you all that release will be delayed beyond June 12.

Disheartening, i know, but irl things have gotten in the way. When I get a confirmed date from the UI artist, I will be able to lock in an updated date. 💖

[lyraeluxstudios]

ROs reactions if MC was a childhood friend (and possible crush) they lost contact with only to meet again now?

The sweetest scenario omg, I'm super weak to stuff like this... so I ended up thinking a lot more about it than I probably needed to LOL

Note that this answer is canon-adjacent, not quite compliant since the RO's childhoods will be explored further in the narrative! I'd like to keep them under wraps just for a bit longer. Circumstances would differ but their personalities would not, so with that in mind...

For S, it's kind of bittersweet because out of all the ROs, they're the one who feels the weight of adulthood the most. MC would be one of the few people who knew this self-made chameleon before they became who they are now, and was perhaps even a partner in crime with S. They would try and play off the reunion as a playful kind of serendipitous moment to play off how deeply affected they probably are deep down. Might even flirt a little to keep the feelings at bay (very S-core).

D would be delighted, of course. It'll allow them to go into protector mode so easily, because now they get to guard both a precious childhood memory. The moment they spot MC in the crowd, their face lights up with a massive, brilliant grin that completely blindsides anyone standing near them. They would easily slip back into that easy, playful banter they shared with MC as kids, but with a definite adult spark.

When it comes to N, honestly they would probably know about MC's arrival into the capital even before MC would think it. As far as their behaviour goes, they're probably the least different from what MC remembers them to be, After all, MC remembers being a quiet companion who used to sit quietly with N in the library when everyone else thought they were too unreadable, they were kindred souls, in that way. N would use their flawless mastery of the palace's proceedings and administrative authority to make sure MC is never in danger, though.

MC probably knew J before they were forced to wear heavy, suffocating ceremonial silk drapes, back when they both used to sneak away from the tutors to trace old, unpolished stone carvings on the lowest tiers of the palace. Therefore seeing MC after all this time would undoubtedly shake up the astrologer, and their first instinct is absolute terror—not for themselves, but for MC. In J's mind, the palace is far too unsafe a place right now, and to have the person they secretly pined for as a child drop into the middle of it is not something they want. Yet, they couldn't bear the thought of being separated from MC once again, I'd imagine... It's a tumultuous swirl of feelings for J, for sure.

[lyraeluxstudios]

"Am I so scary that you have to get drunk to tell me this?”

the game isn't even out yet and I already have plans for my mc, including his reply to that being "As scary as a small kitten." with a shit eating grin stretched across his face. Throw in the fact that he loves small animals too. He's getting beat up isn't he

The good thing is that J couldn’t fight a worm even if they wanted to, so your MC is totally safe from any beating up.