Mortala is a thriller interactive fiction with slight themes of SCI-FI set in a rotting, dystopian world, more specifically, a seedy city called Ardeo– not-so-affectionately nicknamed “The Cinders." // Fay, She/her
Mortala, the word, derives from the Latin adjective "Mortalis." meaning "subject to death." Comparable to the English word "Mortal." meaning the same.
—
You live in a rotting world. And that's not a metaphor.
You've known that since you can remember. It's a fact that's been drilled into your mind on repeat.
A rotting world that you must not explore. Stay where you are, stay where you're familiar with, stay where you're comfortable— In The Cinders with your older brother.
The Cinders might not look pretty, but it's not horrible. Steer clear of most streets, keep your head down, don't poke around in other people's business, and you'll be fine. You've learned to navigate pretty well, not to toot your own horn.
Plus, you've got a job, and so does your brother. Not good ones, but ones that can, with a joint salary, keep a crumbling roof over your heads.
—
Another thing that's been forced into your mind since you were spoon-fed is to never, ever disobey Belamour.
Belamour is a peaceful organization that was made to keep you safe. To do this, they have strict laws in place, and officers crawl over the cities to make sure you follow them. They are not a government, and they make it very known that they are not.
If you fail to obey, you'll get sent to your city's rehabilitation center! Isn't that nice? Or, on the worse side, you can end up in the Belamour Rehabilitation Center all the way in The Frost.
You and your brother made an agreement when you were very little that you would stick together, and neither of you would break any of the rules for fear of being sent to a rehabilitation center.
. . . An agreement your brother broke.
Now you have to find out how to get him the fuck out of there.
Mortala is a 16+ game due to explicit language, violence, death, anxiety, mention of past emotional abuse (not of MC), messy relationships, and more. A detailed trigger warning list will be listed before every chapter.
Customize the flawed main character, ranging from their gender to their style. (Semi-set personality. Set last name and age.)
Make risky choices that might result in you dying or being injured.
Build relationships between characters, romanceable and not.
Finally wipe The Cinders' ashes off you and explore more than just the burnt city you grew up in.
Go against everything you were taught growing up.
Lie to save your (and your brother's) skin.
These characters are not all romanceable, and you will not meet most of these characters until Chapter Two. Also, it's important to note that not all these characters have plot armor. This does not include sub-romances or all the characters you'll interact with.
FINNLEY ROSE. ✩
----
Finnley has raised you since you were 5, making him 11 when you started to rely on him. You never really understood the gravity of that until you were in your late teenage years, and that's when you really started to appreciate him. You regret things you've said to him, how you've hurt him— and lately, with his absence, that's all you can think about.
----
His skin is a shade lighter than yours, the same textured hair as yours, and he has brown hooded eyes outlined with eyelashes that make you jealous. He stands at 6 feet, 2 inches. (187.96cm)
HIRO LA'EI. ✩
----
Hiro has been your best friend since you were in diapers. You know everything about him, and he knows everything about you. You genuinely think he might be one of the sweetest people alive, despite what others might assume, and he jumps at the chance to help you with anything. . .
----
He has tan skin, wavy dark brown hair, and pretty doe-like brown eyes. He stands at 5 feet, 10 inches. (177.8cm)
! Option to have a crush on him— it goes nowhere, though.
MEDUSA CALIXTE. ♡
----
Medusa. What can you say about Medusa? To put it plainly, she's your best friend's ex-girlfriend. She broke up with him and gave no reason. At the time of their relationship, you thought she was. . . interesting, for lack of a better word, and when she left your best friend, it took a huge toll on him, and from the looks of it, it barely affected her.
----
She has russet brown skin, coiled light brown hair, often shoulder-length and worn in dreads, and upturned hazel eyes. She stands at 5 feet, 2 inches. (157.48cm)
MONROE HALILI. ♡
----
Your brother's best friend. They're concerned, and not just about their best friend. They're observant, annoyingly so, and can tell how bad his leave has affected you. Obviously, due to their status, they've taken it upon themselves to check on you- wanted or not.
----
They have deep tawny skin, curly black hair with white underneath, and dark brown monolid eyes framed with long, naturally curled eyelashes. He stands at 6 feet tall. (182.88cm)
! Option to have a childhood crush on them. (Three-year age gap.)
LIVIA ALARIE. ✩
----
Monroe's daughter. From what you heard from your brother, she's incredibly timid- Oh, and she's smiled at him. (He wouldn't shut up about it for a week.) You've never seen her or talked to her yet.
----
She has tawny skin, wavy black hair that reaches below her ears, and dark brown almond eyes. She stands at 3 feet, 7 inches. (109.22cm)
VIVIAN DE LA CRUZ. ♡
----
Your ex. You still think about them occasionally— you don't date someone for 5 years and forget about them even if you want to. You don't like how things ended, but you don't know if you want to see them again.
----
They have warm golden skin, light blue wavy hair, and downturned brown eyes. They stand at 6ft, 1 inch. (185.42cm)
! Details of the past relationship in their character profile.
Character profiles
Hiro La'ei
Medusa Calixte
Monroe Halili
Vivian de la Cruz
Informational posts
The Cities
Belamour Organization
Outside of Tumblr links
Playlists
Pinterest
Demo/Proof of concept
Extra
My other interactive fiction blog @destined-if
My personal account @bunnifly
Important
My banner is by Thomas Dubois
This interactive fiction is very loosely inspired by The Hunger Games
Hey everyone, please consider buying the 2024 itch.io Palestinian Relief Bundle- it's 373 games, game-making assets, tabletop roleplaying games, zines, and comics for a minimum of just 8 USD! They have a goal of 100,000 USD, and as of the time I'm writing this post, they have 8 more days to reach it.
Amazing news!! They reached their goal of 100,000 USD! There is now a second goal of 250,000 USD! Remember, this is 373 games, assets, and comics for a minimum of 8 USD- a bundle of items which would normally be ~1,667 USD! Let's reach that second goal as quickly as we reached the first goal!
Fantastic news!!! The 250,000 USD goal has been met, and there is now a third goal of 500,000 USD! The deadline has also been extended, and as of the time I'm writing this update, there is 13 more days to reach their newest goal!
The money raised so far has already been incredible. Let's maintain this energy and continue to provide support for the PCRF!
Hi! I have a question. Who is Livia's mom? Or the other parent, whatever! And what are they like?
hii!!
her other dad is named avery and he's an ASSHOLE!!!!!!!!!
that's all i'm gonna say about him for now (unless more ppl ask) 'cause he comes up pretty early in the game, and even if people ask ab him, i'm gonna try to keep anything involving him and monroe's relationship subtle as it's a big part of monroe's route!!
the only thing liv really got from avery is the last name. liv looks and acts sooo similarly to monroe!!
AND SCENE—an 18+ slice of life plunges you, a nepotism baby, into the major spotlight as the lead in a highly anticipated movie, navigating swarms of hate, swirling scandals, dating rumours, false tabloid reports, and invasive paparazzi.
Breaking news—the love interest role in Claire White's latest blockbuster finally has a star, and it's none other than [MC], pictured above, the youngest offspring of Hollywood moguls. Brace yourselves for a wild ride as [MC], usually seen in their parents' flicks, takes on a meatier role in one of next year's most hyped movies.
But hold the popcorn—whispers on the red carpet suggest [MC]'s previous filmography is more "meh" than marvellous.
Is this casting coup the pinnacle of Hollywood nepotism, or will [MC] flip the script and prove they're a force to be reckoned with? Love them or hate them, one thing's for sure: this star-studded spectacle is about to kick off, and only time will spill the juiciest deets straight from the set.
So, grab your shades, folks, because this Hollywood rollercoaster is just getting warmed up and PinkCelebTea will report every step of the way—you know how it is!
View comments
NEXT UP: Our insiders spill the tea—L Alvarez ain't exactly doing cartwheels about acting alongside what they're dubbing an 'untalented and undeserving' co-star. Trouble behind the scenes already?
# Choose the movie genre & title + those of your previous 4 films.
# Customise your MC & public persona.
# Navigate drama in front and behind the screen.
# Shoot the movie cover & go on press tour.
# Prove you're more than just a nepo kid...or don't.
# Romance one out of four love interests.
# Maybe even snag a few nominations by the end!
THE CO-STAR [M/F]—Louis/Luna Alvarez.
Appearance: 6'0. Brunette with curly hair (short for m, chest-length for f), pale skin and dark brown eyes. Signature style includes a white shirt/blouse, top buttons undone, and loose pants. Always impeccably dressed, with a flair for full-on glamour on special occasions, such as the red carpet.
Personality: Reserved and quiet. While not everyone can pull off that demeanour, they do it flawlessly. Fans absolutely adore their composed exterior, noting, "it adds to their mystique."
THE MAKEUP ARTIST [F] — Red.
Appearance: 5'7. Long ginger hair, tanned skin adorned with freckles, and green eyes. Often dressed in skintight black or dark attire, with a scarlet shade coating their lips.
Personality: Red exudes calm confidence with a soft-spoken demeanour, yet she's not one to be underestimated. She holds herself in a thoughtful, sensual, and quick-witted manner.
THE BARTENDER [M/F] — Zayn/Zara Lao.
Appearance: 5'11. Brunette with wavy hair (short for m, just below shoulders for f), tan skin, brown eyes, and a distinctive left brow slit. They've also got tattoos all over their body. Since the club gets hot quickly, you'll usually find them in something small and non-constricting, like a vest top and a pair of jeans.
Personality: Unapologetically outspoken, they don't hold back. Blunt yet surprisingly charming, they've become somewhat of a local favourite in the area, rubbing shoulders with the right kind of people.
THE RIVAL [M/F] — Phoenix Ryder.
Appearance: 5'11. Black tightly curled hair (short for m, long for f & often styled differently), dark skin, and brown eyes. They sport a 90s-inspired style—often seen in loose-fitting denim jeans, a breezy shirt/crop top, and adorned with silver rings.
Personality: Suave, charismatic, confident, and a touch cheeky—checking all the Hollywood boxes. As noted by many, "a legend in the making."
17+ The Fall of House Black — A gothic, supernatural, mystery interactive fiction story. Lightly inspired by The Fall of the House of Usher and Frankenstein media. (Work in Progress)
Synopsis has mentions of death and suicide. See extended content warnings below.
The fall of House Black, your house, was an imminent thing. A name had never been so cursed that all it could do was bring about death.
First, your younger sister in a swimming accident, then your older brother in a case of mistaken identity. As the rest of your family sought to grieve and bring justice to your brother, your older sister was killed in a hunting accident at the end of your father’s bow.
The three of you, mother, father, and child, became inconsolable. Broken beyond repair. Your mother unable to bear the weight of life any longer took her own while your father disappeared, gone into the night. When you remain the sole survivor of House Black, you know you must leave, and on the night of your decision, your home goes up in flames with you inside.
Then, you awake, dazed with no recollection of anything, and when you look down at your body, you scream. It is wrong. So wrong.
Play as a reanimated, customizable character.
Learn how to be a person again.
Try to survive in a society that fears the unknown.
Develop relationships. (4 ROs: All gender-selectable + 1 secret RO)
Aid in the investigation of your family’s untimely deaths.
Learn about your family’s curse.
*Appearances will be written in their profiles. (Coming soon)
Aesop/Almira Hammond | Detective | 36 Years Old | RO
[Profile]
A is an observant and clever person, stoic in nature. They put their all into their work, striving to find the truth in every case. They take on the case of your family’s sudden deaths despite pushback from others. It was an occurrence of events all too strange, and they are determined to figure it out.
Cyprian/Cecilia Atterton | Writer | 28 Years Old | RO
[Profile]
C is an imaginative and creative person, quiet in nature. They write not only from their own experiences, but the experiences of others as well. They are interviewing people about House Black, intending on writing a book about your family’s ill fate and eventual demise.
Sebastian/Sabina Farwell | Doctor | 34 Years Old | RO
[Profile]
S is an intelligent and kind person, caring in nature. They are a most trusted doctor, hardworking and honest. They were the young doctor that tried to help your father and sister. They helped without question, never calling your family cursed as you so often were.
Elias/Elosia Osborne | Coroner | 30 Years Old | RO
[Profile]
E is an empathetic and hardworking person, cheerful in nature. They put their heart into their work, aiming to bring closure to people as swiftly as possible. They are the one who investigated and confirmed the death of your elder sister. They never could for you though.
Unknown | ??? | ??? | RO
A secret. Who knows when they will appear.
SUBJECT TO CHANGE
Mentions of death, child death, suicide, violence, blood, injury, burning alive, body horror, mutilation, amnesia
asks are welcomed! → “the grave🪦”
DISCLAIMER
this is a demo/work in progress. everything is subject to change until the final version. it is by no means a finished or polished work.
LINKS
→ demo | same one, just another link
→ itch.io | my creator page
→ @ethersic | my main, art, etc. blog
INFO
currently: working on the prologue (editing + coding)
SCRATCH THAT.. LITERALLY ANY OF THE ERRORS IN HERE. im leaving them because i cannot be bothered icl BUT HOW CAN I SEE THEM AND IM BASICALLY HALF ASLEEP
OOOoo this sounds interesting!! What parts of the MC personality are set? I don't usually play IFs with set or semi sets personalities at all, but I think I'd 100% be willing to give this a gander. I love anything even somewhat similar to The Hunger Games
hiii!!!
first off!! thank you for giving my IF a chance!!! i understand the freedom of all chosen traits. still, with this IF, it just wasn't possible since the plot is heavily impacted and only continues due to flaws MC has... and if i gave a completely customizable MC, there'd either be tons of variables for flaws (and i am VERY new to coding) or the plot would feel awkward. maybe both.
by semi-set, i don't mean you won't get the basic choices of kind/rude and things of that sort-- just that some downfalls to MC have been put in place.
under the cut due to slight spoilers
the flaws that MC does have is possessiveness. not in a romanticized or obsessive way, and it's very subtle in most routes. it could come off as jealousy if you squint. definitely not the main point and doesn't show up a lot. (their possessiveness doesn't mean that they want their RO all to themselves. its not like that.)
another is that their actions seem slightly... selfish... and do things that contribute only to them and finding their brother-- they're loyal to a fault to Finn, pretty much.
one of the biggest ones is that they are manipulative. and they lie. they don't manipulate the main cast, but they do lie to them... a lot.
(and there might be choices to add to this list by the player, but that is 100% not set in stone)
this story is messy. the characters, not just the MC, are messy. they all have problems that they need to solve within themselves. this story is set in a very cutthroat and dangerous world, so you can imagine what living in these kinds of environments would do to them.
feel free to ask about any and all of these!! i also want to note that none of these are healthy things to have-- that is why they're called flaws-- and it isn't treated like that. MC is well aware of this.
Yet here you are walking straight into the unknown. You should have listened to them you could've avoided this. Your already married to a prince and now the same people you grew up with seem different as it its a different reality. But even if you decided to listen now it would be too late.
Your fate is unwritten don't try to write it.
DEMO
☆ Customizable MC: choose your name, nickname, appearance, gender, and pronouns.
☆ Romance: 4 males, 2 female (so far its not in stone), and 1 possible poly route.
☆ If you don't want romance, you could just make friends with everyone, or the opposite.
☆ Your not the only one here.
☆ The choices you make may have consequences later.
☆ Will you find the truth?
Queen Hera
"You are a royal now. Take responsibility."
Head of the family, your family, and the Queen of Florin. She oversees the well-being of the kingdom and its Civilians. A close Friend of Idris, the General.
She is a caring and kind person. Although he is more strict and harsh with her family including you.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
General Idris (RO)
"I never said it would be easy."
The General of Florins army. Sarcastic, coy, and a natural leader. He always gives his very absolute best. He's extremely loyal to the royal family.
They value loyalty above anything and everything else and will stand beside you whenever you need them; as friends or possibly more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Astoria (RO)
"I hope you know that I will never let you get hurt."
Apart of the Royal Guard. Almost always with a smile and a happy personality. She's usually training the newer guards but whenever she has free time she loves to just talk with you.
She's a just a kind person but she can crack when certain things happen especially when it happens to someone she cares about.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Prince Ivan (RO)
"People like me aren't supposed to have someone like you, I think fate was being a bit harsh on you."
Your husband and friend. He may look harsh, but really, he's easygoing and always finds time to crack jokes to make the best of your arranged marriage. He likes to train in his free time when hes not stuck in his royal duties.
He's loyal and holds honesty as a priority but he still holds secrets from you only because he doesn't scare you away.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Shadow (RO)
"Not listening to me won't get you anywhere"
The Whispers and the one who guides you in your mind. He is the reason you're still alive. His real name is 【ｃｅｎｓｏｒｅｄ】.
He's 【ｃｅｎｓｏｒｅｄ】 and 【ｃｅｎｓｏｒｅｄ】
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Flora (RO)
"I know how this will end."
She is the chill best friend. She's your sunshine protector of you,the sunshine, She's protective of you. And she might become your shelter in the storm.
She mostly hangs out at the park or library just to relax and enjoy the atmosphere.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Prince Emir (RO)
"I think you are going to end up getting hurt."
He's the younger prince. He has quite a slight contrast to his older brother. While even though he is not very expressive, he's a very good listener.
You can find him in the palace courtyard and library.
if you had to rank the routes from happiest to the saddest, what would the rankings be?
hii! i was originally going to include the sub-romances, but I've decided against it since... you don't know who those ppl are LMAO
none of them are very happy (they all have their problems) BUTTTTT i still ranked it for you cause i love you anon, hugs 🎀🎀
medusa - vivian - monroe
under the cut for a further explanation, but not very detailed as i want things to be surprises!!
For Medusa's route, I'd give her a 7.5/10. It's not so much the relationship that brings her so low- it's the work-up, and this ranking might be surprising 'cause... like... Hiro... but if you saw my outlining for the others, you'd understand. (Her route's ranking may vary if you're a Hiro-lover or a Hiro-hater)
For Vivian's route, I'll give them a 5/10. Maybe self-explainable? MC has to prove themself to them since the last relationship they slacked HARD LMAO. That and then some... 🤭
For Monroe's route, I'll give him a shining, whopping, BEAUTIFUL 3/10. I'm keeping his route's details kinda close to my chest, but let's just say they BOTH have some problems they need to sort out before they even THINK about getting together.
902-word drabble. Hiro ranting to CRUSHING!MC about Medusa for the first time. MC is flawed and has a semi-set personality. They are not perfect and never will be. They are possessive in this and in general. Possessiveness is not a good or healthy trait to have and shouldn't be treated like one. MC knows it's a problem, and so does Hiro. Feel free to ask more!
The sun creeps into Hiro's cluttered room from his rusty windows, the harsh light gazing onto his form. He and you have been sitting on his bed, the sheets sprawled half off the mattress, and he's been ranting about some girl named Medusa for over half an hour. The lovesick expression on his pretty features makes you actually sick, your stomach churning with suppressed emotions. At the same time, your mind races with defenses, and your tongue is laced with hypocritical remarks that you struggle to swallow.
This hasn't been the first time he's done this, blabbering about a newfound crush- not even close- but it always makes your throat close- and your eyes prickle, your demeanor bubble up into unbridled annoyance. But, it's not like you're going to say anything. . . you're just going to sit there, nodding along to each honeyed word that falls from his lips. He always listens to you, right? What kind of friend would you be if you didn't listen to him. . ?
Your name falls off Hiro's tongue smoothly, confusion drawn around each syllable, and it snaps you back into reality, your head tilting to the side while your eyes focus back on him rather than a spot on the wall devoid of paint. "Are you listening?" He asks, his soft smile tainted downward.
"…Yeah, of course," you reply, shuffling and tugging up one of the blankets he patched in a sewing phase in his early teens, "She seems nice." The compliment is practiced, lazy, and repeated- you have not been listening. You can tell he knows when his smile dissolves completely. You scramble to fix it. . . right your answer- to pull the corners of his lips back up. "I mean. . . like, you guys seem like you'd be really cute together." You offer up, a placating grin added along with it. The words don't feel right- they leave a sense of bitterness tanging your mouth. Your nails press into the skin of your legs where they lay idly.
"Really?" He beams, pointy teeth shining, "I think so too," he shifts forward, grabbing your hands like it's the easiest thing in the world. It is- to him- but it makes your breath hitch, your attention glued to the absent-minded touch. Your fingers twitch, "She's so pretty, and her voice. . ." he trails off, dramatically at a loss of words, as if nothing could describe it.
"Hiro," you say, and you catch the shake in your voice at the beginning, inwardly cringing. His brows furrow, cocking his head, doe-like eyes staring at you with traces of concern and puzzlement. You gently bring your hands back to yourself, placing them in your lap. With your withdrawal, worry attacks him, lips parting, no doubt with reassurements about to leave him. This has happened multiple times before- your jealousy showing itself- but it still manages to irk you every time, even if you're the one who made your discomfort aware. You wish you had kept your mouth clamped shut and let him ramble on about the girl, who you've already forgotten the name of.
"What's wrong?" He questions. He knows you're jealous, but not because you're in love with him. He thinks you're worried he'd get distracted by the girl and forget about you, let your friendship fade. You guess he's half-right, but the in-love part… has started to outweigh that. But you can't confess to that. You don't want to. So, you let the silence hang heavy in the air until he continues. He eventually does once he realizes you won't answer,
"You're my best friend, okay?"
. . .Yeah. That's the problem.
"I won't let some relationship ever change that." He promises, looking like he's about to reach for your hands again and squeeze tight, but he composes himself, keeps his hands to himself- part of you wishes he wouldn't. He's smiling gently at you, an expression reserved only for you, this kind of unmeasured love. Platonic love.
You force yourself to nod, a trembling grin plastered onto your face, "Yeah, I know. . . I'm just dramatic." You look at him, tight-lipped, and he shakes his head in disagreement with your claim. You're not dramatic- you're possessive. You know you are. You've been called it by him and Finn- jokingly, of course. You know they sorta mean it. They aren't wrong, though. Every time Hiro- or Finn- mentions someone new, all your breath leaves your lungs, and a tightness settles into your chest, swirling and clinging to you.
After a moment, he slants forward, pats your thigh, then leans back. "It's fine, don't worry about it. I think it's cute. It reminds me that you love me." He grins. He's teasing, but it still sends shocks down your spine and causes your posture to turn slightly rigid.
"Who would love you?" You retort, scrunching up your features with faux distaste. He laughs, eyes crinkling, the sound shimmering.
"You, duh."
You know you'll always be seen as his best friend, even if it makes you want to scream, but you guess being his friend is better than being nothing to him. At least he loves you in some way, even if it's not in the way you want him to. You're less than content with it, but it's not like you'll act on it- especially not when he's spewing infatuated nonsense.
