chapter # - Anything referencing what may occur in the next update/chapter (Ex: "chapter 2")
snippet - Is, or might be, a quote or section of text from the game
bonus content - Non-snippetābut still noteableāportions of writing for TKH
Venegard family - For categorizing purposes
Mordred my beloved - For categorizing purposes
Morgana we stan - For categorizing purposes
The Round Table Knights - For categorizing purposes
magic lore - For categorizing purposes (magic system lore, MC's abilities, magical objects like Excalibur, etc...)
stats - Posts with info on game mechanics and stats
Personal Tags:
mango rambles - Anything I respond to that's not exclusively written in tags, or that I post
Keep an eye on :D - Intro posts or demo announcements of games I'd like to go back to or keep up with
/not if related - Anything that isn't specifically meant for the IF community, such as posts I've reblogged that remind me of characters or just friendly interactions
To tie you over until the official update, and to reward everyone for being so patient, here is the complete first scene of the next update, picking just after MC left with Saraah.
SPOILER
Camelot, the Kingās private chambers
Arthur fixes once again the cape around his shoulders.
āHow do I look?ā he asks, turning around.
Tristan steps forward, his movements measured and heavy, posture rigid as it almost always is. He is Arthurās oldest Round Table Knight, and he bears the sign of age as well as numerous scars acquired during his years close to King Uther. The majority of them arenāt battle scars, but Arthur doesnāt allow themselves to think about it, because it would surely make the spiral.
āYou look like a King.ā
Despite the cool tone of his voice, bordering on detached formality, his words bring Arthur a sort of soothing comfort that is there regardless of the meaning of the words themselves. Even that is only temporary, though. Arthurās lips curve up in a hesitant, slightly strained smile.
āWill it be enough?ā
Tristan takes a step forward. Slowly, just brushing him, he fixes a stray lock of his Kingās hair.
āYes, it will. It needs to be.ā
The discomfort, though, doesnāt lessen around Arthurās insides. Instead, it only grows when Tristan lowers his arm and takes a step back. Immediately, he misses the contact. His mind buzzes in the same way it did when, trembling, he would walk at night towards the Knights barracks and seek Ser Tristanās embrace after what his father put him through.
He doesnāt-
He-
Suddenly, Tristan is holding him again. His body isnāt warm, the armour poking Arthur in a way it could become uncomfortable if not for the way the static slowly leaves his brain, leaving a mess of uncertainty and fear behind.
Arthur buries his face in the crook of the older knightās neck. āI donāt know what to do...ā
āYou are doing everything Uther would not have done,ā Tristan says, evenly. Arthur feels the warm caress of validation on his prickling skin.
Tristan would know.
He lets the silence stretch for a few moments before he murmurs, in a hushed confession, āthey are a battle mage. The one who disfigured Bedivere.ā
Tristan doesnāt pull away from the embrace yet; even though these days his physical contacts with the King are much shorter in length than they were when he was a terrified child. Arthur soaks up his presence now, while he can.
āThe Venegard child?ā Tristan asks.
Arthur nods against his neck.
āI will speak of it with them soon. Otherwise, they will rightfully think-ā Arthurās voice fades.
āā¦my father would have put them-ā he starts to say, voice trembling and cracking on the last word. Anticipating their anxious, spiralling thoughts, Tristan pulls back, though leaving a hand on the Kingās arm.
āNone of that. He is dead and buried. As for you, donāt burden yourself with more than you can carry.ā
Arthur exhales. The weight that has settled heavily on his stomach doesnāt lessen.
āJust as the kingdom is my responsibility, my spouse is my responsibility as well.ā
The older knight is about to answer when a knock interrupts him. Arthur wipes his face, curving his lips in a slightly wobbly smile and calling, āyes?ā
Ser Ector enters first, placing himself at Tristanās side and leaving space for Mordred to approach Arthur. Some of the previous stress is replaced by tenderness at the sight of him so put together, face set in a formal expression.
āOh, look at you,ā Arthur canāt resist his cooing. āAre you all set?ā
Modred nods, solemn. He stays silent, as he often does, though Arthur has to say that he has been quite less closed off around his soon to be spouse. It might be a naĆÆve hope, but he still does wish for Mordred to grow closer with them. Arthur has tried his best butā¦ obviously, if Mordred feels comfortable around someone, even if it isnāt him, he will welcome it with open arms.
āThe Venegard child is about to enter the Chamber of Lords,ā Ector announces, ever so direct.
Arthur inhales, straightening himself up as much as he is able to.
āWell then. We shall go. It wouldnāt do to be late to my own wedding.ā
Also violently. I want very violently. I want her to go scorched earth. I want five scenes earlier to see her husband being diplomatic and calming down a situation so no one gets hurt because his wife is in danger. And then something happens and now he's unconscious and being threatened and his wife just absolutely levels a seven block radius with the force of her refusal to let anyone hurt him.
There is nothing better than the antagonist finding out the husband was the humane restraint on a woman who can make the Furies go āā¦wow, okay, thatās maybe a bit much.ā
I just wanna sayā¦. I wanna call out the favoritism of Kal. Anytime someone says they are gonna vote for someone thatās not Emyr you are like ā:) excellentā but when someone says the are gonna vote for Emyr you act like a kicked puppy. Thatās not very professional of you bestie. I think we all should vote for Emyr to make Kal suffer. Reverse torture
I wanna make clear that I love Emyr but I love making you suffer more <3
Cova is so right you are making us fight for your own amusement like we are in the gladiatorial arena. We need to band together against tyranny š¤ You and me Cova
In fact Kal, I actually demand Venegard fluff as compensation for the emotional injuries that have been caused. OBJECTION!!! Thatās right, weāre taking back whatās ours š¤š¤š¤
I vote for Emyr and I aināt afraid to admit it. I want all of them to live but if I gotta choose Iām choosing emyr. Adrei has already sacrificed so much for her family she doesnāt deserve to also die for her family, she deserves a happy ending. Ghaven has a happy life with their spouse and I love them >:c a nice big sibling. Radel is basically our twin and has anger issues and I want him to get better and rebuild our relationship. Emyr is not having the best time and I do want him to get out and better butā¦.. someone has to go and the MC doesnāt have that much of a relationship with him soā¦.. š
WGAT??? Emyr has been through hell for the Venegard family and he never got a choice in the first place since he got married off so young, if anyone deserves to live itās him.
Cova, you and me, weāre beefing rn. Put āem up
Will there be a route for us angst loving folk that mc can be completely unattached/distant from all of the cast with them possibly hating us š„²
The cast won't ever come to hate MC, just because MC won't ever do something that is properly deserving of hate. Even if they have killed and maimed, it was to fight against a King their family thought would capture and experiment on them - this the ROs can understand.
You cannot be distant from anyone - because this game's main trope is found family- but you can play as a Hound who is very reserved, and who struggles or is hesitant to open up.
Just for clarification, Arthur does know about MC being in the war right? Or is it more that he doesn't know to what extent MC's role was and how much blood was shed by them personally?
Yes exactly. He doesn't know for certain, but suspects MC was at least involved in the rebellion. However, imagining MC as a fighter or as a battle mage is a wildly different experience
I have decided, while plnning and writing the next update, that the options to flirt with the ROs (which are either bold or subtle) will appear to your Hound only after you have grown a bit close to said RO, so only once the platonic stats gets a few points.
THANK YOU
In most IF, we can/ have to flirt right away to obtain enough romantic flags to be in a romance with a RO. So that's what I do even though that's not what my OCs would do. So thank you so so much, i think it'll feel more natural that way :D
I end up doing the same in my playthrough in other IFs too, and when I really have to select flirt options soon into the story it always feels a bit weird (with some exceptions).
I plan to let you also be able to set the pace of the romantic relationship(s). Your MC can court the ROs a bit more frequently/clearly and may enter a relationship sooner, or you can make them pine, and pine. And pine. And enter the relationship in the second arc of the game, where MC is 27.
You might already know that each RO will have two separate stats, one measuring the platonic closeness with them, and the other measuring the (possible) romantic closeness.
I have decided, while plnning and writing the next update, that the options to flirt with the ROs (which are either bold or subtle) will appear to your Hound only after you have grown a bit close to said RO, so only once the platonic stats gets a few points.
This is so that MC will firstly build some trust with the characters, and then they will possibly start to harbor romantic interest in them.
This likely means that in the whole chapter 2, and part of chapter 3, there won't be any flirt options - but you will instead have choices to grow closer to whichever character you want to.
Hi Kal! A bit of weird question and im not the best at explaining, but how was Arthur sure that his new spouse was a good person? Considering they met once and Arthur dosent actually knows much about mc besides the fact that they are part of the rebelling houses.
You did say part of the rewrite would show the characters being more guarded and....distrusting?
But still, how was Arthur able to be so kind and accepting towards a person who could possibly be hostile? When someone is supposedly your enemy and you have no idea whats their motivation and opinions towards you, how can Arthur find it in themselves to trust the mc and welcome them?
That's a good and valid question, anon!
Arthur is a foundamentally caring person. That is what drives him, and brings him to welcome someone that could potentially be hostile towards him. He would find extremely tasteless and cruel to show outright suspicion or to be distant towards someone that will be his spouse soon, and that has come to the castle losing the comfort of their home and family.
However, that doesn't mean he is completely trusting. He has carefully arranged things so that his future spouse will be attended by Gwyar - who is amongst the most loyal to Arthur themself - and escorted by the more trusted Round Table Knights (Yniol, Kai, Gawaine). MC's chambers are the most guarded after his own, to ensure MC's safety but also to ensure the safety of everyone else.
Arthur will always welcome everyone with a smile. But they are also preparing themselves to be stabbed in the back too.
How angsty is the new chapter gonna be now that everyone is more hating on mc?
Well, I wouldn't say hating, more like... guarded. Still, Yniol is gentle as always, and Evaine is careful and courious of MC as before.
As for the second chapter... it's a bit on the angst side, but I hope it will also have its comforting moments. And finally you can choose to spend some with your RO(s) of choice.
