Three hundred years ago, the Covens fell. Sovereign institutions of magick that had stood for a millenia, laid low by the Hounds of Víla, a viscous order of witch hunters that arose in the wake of the great tragedy at Mírgrave.
What witches survived took to the forests and mountains, scattering, forsaking bonds long held in the hopes of surviving. A brave few settled at the fringes of society, as apothecaries and wisefolk, eking out what meager lives they could.
Your mother is one such witch, the farmers nearby willing to look the other way in return for services only she can provide. This isolated existence was lonely, of course, but for love, at least, you never wanted. Until the Hounds caught wind of a hedge witch.
Your home is gone, your mother missing. Your only option is to run and hope to outpace the Hounds on your trail.
Customizable MC, from gender to appearance to personality
Choose how your magick lineage manifests
Choose a familiar to join you on your journey
Romance your companions (or don’t!)
Kestrel: he/they
A Hound. He and his mentor destroyed your home. Prickly and hard to read, they spared you for a reason, you just don’t know why.
Appearance: Average height, with an athletic build. Tawny skin and hazel eyes with softly curled, ear length brown hair.
»»———- ———-««
Emery: she/her
The daughter of an innkeeper. She agrees to hide you while you figure out what to do next, on the condition that you take her with you. Insatiably curious. She wears her heart on her sleeve.
Appearance: Tall and chubby with pale, densely freckled skin. Shoulder length, frizzy red hair and large brown eyes.
TBA
Teaser: released Oct 30, 2024
Genre: high fantasy
Tentatively rated 16+
The game is written in Twine and will be posted on itch.io.
This is my first time writing IF. Criticism is welcomed!
You know what? I believe that you can finish your writing project. I believe you can update your fic. I believe you can work on your WIP. I don't care if you think it's cringy or bad. I don't care if we've never met or interacted in our whole lives. I believe in you. Keep going - you've got this.
What is a King to a God, and what is a God to a non-believer?
DEMO ☥ PINTEREST
This game is geared for mature audiences and as such is strictly 18+.
Ancient shackles bind you to the mortal realm, a soul severed from a home lost to the sands of time. A curse on you, a blessing for those who take command; Who wouldn't like to own a God?
You're the highly revered deity of fortune. Or you were, five thousand and eighty-two years ago. Now you're nothing but a glorified plaything to one of the most powerful families in the world. Every demand you must fulfill, no matter how vile or self-serving. The illusion of choice is all but shattered, there's nothing you can do to change it.
Or is there?
It takes a simple thing for something to shift. A fragment from the past, an ageless, flickering hum of power that unfurls the hands of fate and unearths buried sparks of hope. No one would've thought that an ancient sherd would hold the first hint to your freedom, a warm, familiar sensation of your soul locked in a tomb somewhere where no mortal has stepped in well over five thousand years.
Let's hope the decay doesn't take you before you find your way back home.
☥ FEATURES ☥
Two separate sides to customization; The one mortals perceive, and your true form. Choose names, appearances, gender, pronouns, sexuality, romantic orientation, and more.
Shape the personality that starts to re-emerge after being dulled for the better part of history. Reconnect with yourself, and get in touch with memories and feelings you lost so long ago.
Experience a character-driven story full of twists and turns that eventually determine how each of the three endings play out.
Romance one (or two) potential love interests from a cast of characters; A shunned archaeologist, a primordial God, the reincarnation of a priestess, or the mysterious man you can't quite place. Or don't, it's up to you.
And last but not least: Don't let the decay reach your heart. Every change of fortune has consequences, and mindfulness is encouraged. This game does have bad endings.
☥ CAST OF CHARACTERS ☥
Zain/Zaina Tharset ∆ M or F, 28
"You're my birthright, and I'd sooner have you dead than let you make a fool out of me."
Z is your charge. Loud, obnoxious, and entitled; They don't care about your feelings or protests. Every desire that leaves them only serves them alone, and it's on brand for most of the charges you've had before. In simple terms, Z is not a good person, and the more time you serve under them, the less you believe they have any redeeming qualities.
Like everyone in the family, Z has warm brown skin with golden undertones, and eyes in light shades of brown. Their hair is naturally curly and shaved on the sides, leaving a strip of hair on the top and back, like a fashionable mohawk. Zaina's hair reaches the middle of her shoulder blades, while Zain's stops at the nape of his neck.
Being bound to them is painful, but you have no choice. Trying to retrieve your soul will be an ordeal, and it might not be worth the agony.
Rami Tharset ∆ M, 28, RO
"Just because the world has forgotten you, forgotten them, doesn't mean I will."
Rami is the twin brother of your current charge. Kind and humble, it's difficult to imagine him a part of the Tharset family on count of how different he is from that pit of vipers. He keeps to himself, usually holed away in a library or study where he digs into the history of, well, you. Or the ancient world you came from. This has caused the rest of the archeological community to shun him, the name of your old empire nothing more than a myth and a glorified fairy tale.
Rami shares his family's warm brown skin tone, and the black curly hair that's usually a messy mop that sits on top of his head, unstyled and naturally chaotic. It reaches just the stop of his ears, and is shaved in the back. Light brown eyes that are quite blurry without his glasses, but the gold-tinted pilot-framed lenses fit him nicely.
He's one of the few friendly faces you face in the Tharset circle, and you curse your misfortune that you couldn't have him as a charge instead.
Maluset ∆ M, N/A, RO
"For all I am, all I have controlled, still I could not keep you safe. Forgive me, old friend."
The God of the Night, and everything that you have left of an age and life long forgotten. While the rest of your pantheon faded one by one, he remained. You've always known Maluset as a calm presence, a steadfast and unperturbed God that never let himself be shaken, by mortals or his siblings.
While Mal prefers manifesting as his animal motif - a jackal made of black marble and eyes like consolidated galaxies - he does have a human form too. If he must appear mortal, his skin takes the color of what the mortals of your time had; bronzed, medium brown with a golden undertone. His hair would be jet black and curly, medium length, and he likes it naturally tousled by the winds. If necessary, he'll let his eyes appear dark brown in color, but he prefers the starlit skies in them instead.
He's been a constant in your life, at least until he disappeared three centuries ago. You know he's still out there since the realm where you take shelter is his, and it hasn't yet disappeared.
Rory Ewing ∆ F, 23, RO
"I can't remember, but your face, it stirs something in my heart. Why? Who was I to you?"
Rory is a new acquaintance to you, but there's something very familiar about her. She might just be a student now, her curiosity bringing her close to you, but you can feel an old connection whenever she's close by. Her voice reminds you of prayers long ago, even if her modern vernacular is closer to 'damn, that shit's the bomb' than hymns sung in your praise. Then again, reincarnation has a way of changing people.
It doesn't, however, change appearances. Back in your day, Rory's vessel was a traveler from the north; Her skin was light beige, rosy in its undertones. Her hair was thick and a subdued red, woven into an intricate braid that hung over her shoulder, reaching her midriff. Her eyes were also uncommon to you; pale green, vibrant but ghostly.
She doesn't remember you, and maybe that's for the best. Her new self is a stark contrast to who she was, and you don't think she'd enjoy the idea of donning priestess garb over the punk-rockish getup she wears now.
Taz Arian ∆ M, 34, RO
"Funny, isn't it? How some people seem familiar, even when they shouldn't be."
Taz is... Someone. He appears out of nowhere to join your journey, his knowledge of old ruins and tombs handy but somewhat worrying when he shouldn't even be able to see you. There's a strange thrum of power coming from him whenever he speaks, and you swear you've met him before, but where? It might be easier to find out if he didn't deflect and flirt his way out of things, but it does help with mortals that can't see you.
His appearance is nothing extraordinary; Dark brown hair that's held up in a bun, and you could assume it reaches his shoulders when loose, the loose curls pulling it a tad shorter. His eyes are light in color, almost golden in the right light, glinting with mischief. His skin is weathered, and golden bronze in color, with an intricate tattoo of an eagle spanning across his chest. He also sports a short beard, which gives him a rogueish look.
There is something about him that tugs at your memories, but you can't catch that thread of remembrance for long enough to recall him. Still, he doesn't seem to mind and resorts to teasing you instead.
I'm sorry I haven't been very active. We took in a couple of stray cats at the end of October and they've taken up a lot of my free time the past couple weeks. But, now that they've settled in and formed their own routines, I'll have more time to devote to writing and such.
I kinda want to gush about the cats, so I'll put all that under the cut.
This is Pippin and he's a year old! He was the first I was able to bring inside. He's super chatty and a little ornery (we call him our angsty teen). He's very curious about human food, and always investigates whatever we're eating or making, though takes "no" very well. When we take him off the counter or the table (or our laps when we're lazy and eating on the couch), and tell him no, he doesn't try it again. Though he will yell at us to share, and sometimes we'll give him a little piece if it's safe for him (he LOVES bread, eggs, and cheese).
We live on a corner lot, and he loves going from window to window to watch everything. We've put perches under all the windows for him, but his favorite is the kitchen window where we put a cubby up. He curls up in the top cubby and watches the squirrels, or the kids walking home from school.
We're trying to harness train him since he's still interested in going outside, which is going pretty well. Haven't really gotten the hang of the leash though.
This is from his first night inside. He slept for pretty much three entire days. Though when he did wake up, if our heads were in reach he'd walk back and forth, headbutting our faces (it was so sweet).
This is Honey and she's five! She came in a few days after Pippin. We moved into the house in June and she's been around since at least then, but she was very skittish and it took a while to earn her trust. Everything scared her and she wouldn't let us within ten feet of her. At first we thought she was feral, as there are a few feral cats around we also care for, but she eventually became comfortable enough with us to allow us to pet her, and that was it. She started purring so hard and so loudly, I felt it in my chest. We hoped we'd be able to bring her in as she also showed interest in the house. When we'd leave the door open, she'd investigate and explore the entryway, but bolt the moment she heard anything. People scare her, the sounds of shoes scare her, and she flinches if you try to pet her head first (though if you pet her back or side first, she'll beg for cheek and chin scritches).
She wants love so badly and it breaks my heart that someone clearly broke her trust. She's a big cat (nearly twice the size of Pippin), but she's so meek and her meows are so quiet. But she's really warmed up to us and we're happy to give her all the love she could ever want! Her favorite spot is the ottoman under the entryway window and she follows me to bed to sleep at my feet.
This from her first night. She was purring up a storm and working overtime making biscuits. It melted my heart when she shoveled her head under my hand the first time.
It's only been two weeks, but I love these two so much, and I'm so glad we were able to give them a warm, loving home.
Look at this creature. He likes to lay in front of the tv when I put cat tv on, rather than watch it, and instead of the toys we bought him, he LOVES playing with hairties and little knit knick-knacks I made forever ago.
But he's so sweet. He goes to bed when my wife does and he headbutts our heads whenever they're in reach. I love him so much <3
Why the hell would you gimme that teaser like tht 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
And then it ends!!!
Oof. That was so sad. No. But also if anyone touches Ceri i will be cutting off hands!
Haha, well that's kinda the purpose of a teaser! I wanted to give you all a sense of MC's and their mother's relationship to effectively set up that feeling of sadness and loss (which it seems I succeeded, lol).
I'm glad you like Ceri! She's very sweet and shy. She'll spend a lot of time curled around MC's neck for comfort, especially if MC has long, loose hair or is wearing a hood or cowl.
This month has been a little slow, I've been sick a lot (thanks to a weak immune system and a wife who works at a school) and haven't had much energy or brain power. I did release a teaser yesterday (which you can find here, if you haven't seen it yet and want to check it out), so that is something tangible.
As for November, my goal is to have the prologue and chapter one fully written and edited, with a tentative December release for the demo. This time of year tends be a bit iffy for me healthwise, so progress will be a little slow for the next few months.
Since it's going to be a busy day for me, I won't be able to stick to the 4pm release time for the teaser, so I went ahead made it available! It's really only a proof of concept, just a memory and a couple disjointed bits from chapter one.
Since it's going to be a busy day for me, I won't be able to stick to the 4pm release time for the teaser, so I went ahead made it available! It's really only a proof of concept, just a memory and a couple disjointed bits from chapter one.
Since the J. Paul Getty Museum launched its Open Content program back in 2013, we've been featuring their efforts to make their vast collect
They’ve released not just digitized works of art, but also a great many art history texts and art books in general. Just this week, they announced an expansion of access to their digital archive, in that they’ve made nearly 88,000 images free to download on their Open Content database under Creative Commons Zero (CC0). That means “you can copy, modify, distribute and perform the work, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission.”
88,000 new free images just dropped, to use however you like.
You are travelling to Talesmoth to find the Black Hare, a notorious criminal who has evaded capture for years. Two paths lay before you:
> You are going to take him down,
once and for all, and avenge your father.
> You are going to make him notice you, and become his apprentice.
FEATURES
Choose between two main routes: Vigilante or Apprentice.
Choose between three core personality traits: Integrity, Outlaw, and Risktaker.
Customize your character as the story progresses, building them throughout the experience.
Choose from 4 secondary characters to help you on your quest - or choose to go it alone, and see where the story takes you…
No romanceable characters.
An original fantasy setting with rich worldbuilding and lore.
Enter the world of The Black Hare, and interactive fiction set in a fantasy world where you can either become the criminal, or put a stop to him at last.
I got some nice yarn for my birthday and started a sweater over the weekend. Unfortunately for me, this means that my brain wants to do nothing but knit.
Next Wednesday, October 30th, at 4pm CST, I'll be releasing a teaser for Witchblood. I've been sick on and off since mid September and I'm not happy with the demo, so instead I'm releasing an interactive teaser.
I'm not sure when I'll be able to release the demo, but by giving myself more time, I'm hoping to release the prologue and chapter one at once. Hopefully I'll have more to say about it come my end of month devlog.
I hope you all are having a pleasant October, and I'll see you all next Wednesday!
