Rise of theether (Visual Novel)

A visual novel development blog. Genre: adventure, detective, dark fantasy, steampunk, romance. Rating: +18. Setting: an alternate 19th century steampunk Europe.

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EPISODE 3 IS OUT NOW!

Early winter mornings, crisp air, and the festive rush—there’s no better time to cozy up with cocoa and dive into a gripping story.

And we’ve got one for you: continue your deep dive into the investigation! Download now

What to Expect in Episode 3:

Meet a new character;

New full CG art;

New animation frames;

Updated soundtrack;

Your first chance to pursue a character’s route;

Refined visual effects;

New case details;

“A Different Perspective”: Bernard’s take on the story;

Expanded animation count;

Smoother animation playback (no lag);

Redesigned settings menu—now fully aligned with the mockup;

Added save reminders;

NPCs now feature silhouette previews;

A new view from the bridge overlooking the Slid River (plus additional scenes and backgrounds).

Support Development: Boosty DonationAlerts

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Coat of Arms of the Thornton-Carlisle Family

History of the coat of arms.

The seal’s metal smoldered as it cooled when the master set aside his chisel. Under his hands, what emerged was no mere pattern, but the intertwining of two destinies—two lineages, two separate currents of history, converging at the altar into a single stream. Thus the Thornton-Carlisle coat of arms was born: not a monument to the past, but a manifesto of the future.

From the Thorntons, the emblem inherited primordial resilience. Their very name was carved onto the map-a settlement by the thorn hedge. The branches of the thorny sentinel became its first symbol. Their thorns were not a threat, but a vow of protection: they traced an unyielding boundary, sheltering all within. Yet the true might lay in their interweaving-like trunks fused in a storm, they embodied a family whose strength multiplies through unity.

The Carlisles’ gift was different—the quiet audacity of life itself. Their ancestral relic was the flower of that same thornbush: five pearl-white petals unfolding in early spring upon bare branches, blackened by the cold. To them, it was a visible miracle—a hope unafraid to tread thorny ground; a purity that conquers even the harshest frame; a promise of beginnings bestowed by the most unyielding world. Raymond and Mary’s union demanded a new banner. And the two truths—the thornbush and the blossom—did not clash, but forged a silent pact. Upon an emerald field, the hue of ever-renewing life, rose a shield: a radiant fusion of two legacies. At its heart now rests a silver blossom, encircled yet unconfined by the woven thorns. So speaks the new coat of arms. Its language is that of mutual finding. The impregnable fortress has discovered its purpose: to guard the fragile bloom. And the tender blossom has found its reason to be—to be that for which the fortress stands unshaken. Thorns deflect the storms; petals bestow spring. One cannot exist without the other. Ever since, this seal’s impression has sealed more than mere contracts. All who behold it in wax will see the formula of union—simple as a thorn, deep as a root. The merging of resilience and tenderness, protection and hope, from which springs the unique minting of every destiny: rooted in the past, yet coined for the future.

On the Creation Process.

While designing the coat of arms, after finalizing the key elements it should contain, I began researching heraldry fundamentals—because I work best when I understand the structure and underlying principles behind each design choice.

The shield itself (the shape housing the heraldic elements) is entirely invented—I selected the form that would be most practical to work with.

Elements: The surname Thornton has English origins and literally means “from a town surrounded by thornbushes.”

Thorny branches symbolize protection, resilience, and the ability to overcome adversity (via thorns). Their interwoven structure represents unity and unbreakable family bonds.

The flower embodies hope, spring, new beginnings, and purity—a reminder that even from the harshest conditions (a thorny bush) something beautiful can emerge.

Regarding the Colors: Green is tied to nature, life, and fertility—it represents vegetation and evokes youth, freshness, and hope. Yellow signifies wisdom, nobility, and strength, while also reflecting the generosity of the coat of arms’ bearer.

These colors were chosen with this symbolism in mind.

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The name Lucas derives from the Latin word “lucas,” itself rooted in the Latin “lux,” meaning “light.” Thus, the name’s core significance can be interpreted as “luminous” or “bringer of light.”

It also carries Greek origins. In Greek, the form “Loukas” may be linked to deities of light, such as Apollo. In this context, the name symbolizes enlightenment, clarity, and wisdom.

His surname honors William Harvey—an English physician and naturalist, one of the founders of modern physiology and embryology.

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What did you choose during the fork in the embankment?

Go straight to the office

Go to the bridge

Before that, I chose to go with Lucas

Voting ended onJan 14

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For players who’ve already completed Episode 3: Share your thoughts with us! We’d love to read every comment and take your feedback to heart.

What moment stuck with you the most? Was there a scene you loved—or one that left you wanting more? And how did you feel about the new character?

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Transcript of Mary's letter..✍️

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The letter at the end of the episode

While passing through the living room, you discover Mary’s letter. At the episode’s end, Freya opens it—revealing an encrypted message.

The letter contains a clue: a reference to the “Three Old Women,” with emphasis on the number three. This hints that the digit three is key to deciphering the text.

Here’s a clearer hint: the message was encrypted using a Caesar cipher.

Below, we’ll explain how it works—and later, we’ll share the decrypted letter with the solution.

About the Cipher:

The Caesar cipher—also known as a shift cipher—is one of the simplest and most widely recognized encryption methods in history.

It works by replacing each letter in the plaintext with another letter positioned a fixed number of places down or up the alphabet. For example, with a shift of 3:

In English: A → D, B → E, C → F;

This transformation is often labeled ROTN, where:

«ROT» stands for rotate (cyclic shift),

«N» is the shift value (e.g., ROT3 for our letter).

Next: The decrypted letter and its meaning.

Caesar Cipher with a Shift of 3:

A is replaced with D B is replaced with E and so on Z is replaced with C

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Hey there! How are you spending your first day of the new year? Whatever you're up to, we hope the coming year-despite PC parts getting pricier-still brings you something truly good and unforgettable.

And hey, we bet you'd love to hear New Year wishes not just from us, but from the characters too! For that, head over to our interactive page and click on the Christmas ornament: https://risse-gloom.github.io/New-Year-s-greetings2026/

Share in the comments what message you got!

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Time to wrap up this year’s milestones

While setting up all the New Year decorations in our Telegram channel, I actually caught the holiday spirit! 🎄 Time to wrap up this year’s milestones.

What we accomplished in 2025:

Launched the visual novel;

Released 3 episodes;

Wrote nearly 4 additional episodes’ worth of script;

Crafted 96,000 characters of text;

Created 42 animation frames;

Produced 5 CG artworks (we know it’s not much-just you wait for 2026!);

Designed 42 background scenes;

Composed 6 original tracks (with 4 more in the pipeline);

Edited 26 short video cutscenes;

Recorded 114 voice acting takes;

Completed optimization ahead of schedule;

Developed a bot and even localized it into another language;

Launched 2 holiday-themed web events;

Welcomed 13 new team members! Each brought unique talents-some already showcased, others still in bloom. (Of course, we also faced departures—personal time is a limited resource, after all.)

Processed countless sound effects and UI assets (honestly, we lost count!);

Connected with fellow VN and game creators, even forming genuine friendships. Every collaboration was inspiring-I loved diving into their worlds as much as sharing ours;

Joined an indie game jam with a playable demo;

Stockpiled mountains of character art (much of it confidential). Next year, I’ll animate multi-angle frames;

Prepared concept sketches for upcoming CGs;

Unexpected bonus: Created phone-call UI frames for Freya’s conversations with characters who own mobile devices;

Most importantly: We survived 2025! 💥

Personally, I think it’s mind-blowingly awesome!

For our entire team, this is our first visual novel project-and the fact that we’re already celebrating our second New Year (the first while developing the VN, this one after its release), despite how brutally challenging this year has been, means something profound.

A special thanks to our Telegram community for uplifting indie creators-especially @letodigest.

Also, thank you to everyone who reaches out with helpful feedback when you spot something we might have missed. We genuinely strive to incorporate your insights. And speaking of feedback: we read every single comment you leave. We don’t always have time to reply or react immediately (personal lives demand attention too!), but please know we see and value each word.

As for the future-our top priority is the Steam release (and thanks to your support, we’re so close). Here’s what’s next:

Releasing Episodes 4–5;

Animating the remaining character sprites (with multi-angle frames!);

Creating more diverse animation frames and CG art (some assets are reserved for distant episodes-I’ll likely share sneak peeks on Boosty);

Updating the main promotional poster;

Launching a trailer! After reworking its concept, it’s finally feasible—and timely, as the last character’s full portrait has just been completed;

Participating more actively in game jams and industry events, plus publishing dev articles;

??? (Let’s just say… surprises are brewing 😉).

Happy New Year to all of you! 🌱

[riseoftheether]

EPISODE 3 IS OUT NOW!

Early winter mornings, crisp air, and the festive rush—there’s no better time to cozy up with cocoa and dive into a gripping story.

And we’ve got one for you: continue your deep dive into the investigation! Download now

What to Expect in Episode 3:

Meet a new character;

New full CG art;

New animation frames;

Updated soundtrack;

Your first chance to pursue a character’s route;

Refined visual effects;

New case details;

“A Different Perspective”: Bernard’s take on the story;

Expanded animation count;

Smoother animation playback (no lag);

Redesigned settings menu—now fully aligned with the mockup;

Added save reminders;

NPCs now feature silhouette previews;

A new view from the bridge overlooking the Slid River (plus additional scenes and backgrounds).

Support Development: Boosty DonationAlerts

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How to Transfer Your Previous Save Files

In your previous patch folder, locate the «game» folder and open it;

Find the «save» folder inside;

Copy its contents to the «save» folder in your new patch directory.

Important! If you saved at the very end (during the credits sequence), you’ve already exited the episode and are on the title screen. When loading this save, the game will restart from the beginning.

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We’ll be releasing the patch with Episode 3 any day now! For now—here’s a riddle and a screenshot from it: what’s hidden behind the black square?

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If you've already played through the second episode, we'd love to hear your feedback! We're interested in reading everything you have to say and taking it all into account.

Did your view on the characters shift?

Do you better understand their motivations?

What was your favorite or most memorable part?

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A fortune from a cookie popped up at the end of the episode. What did your fortune say? Share with us!

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EPISODE TWO IS LIVE!

Hey everyone! It's finally here—we've pushed through some necessary delays and are so excited to release the second episode of our visual novel, Rise of the Ether.

Itch page

We can't wait to hear what you think!

P.S. If you didn't save your progress during Episode 1, you will have to skip ahead to Episode 2.

Support (all donations will go toward future project development):

Boosty

Alerts

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A brief step‑by‑step — how the menu was made.

All changes and the char

acter styling were done in Photoshop.

Animation was done with two approaches: the girl was animated in DragonBones, and the swords were animated using Ren'Py’s internal mechanics (specifically via transforms).

The second part of the image you see after clicking is an edited video made in CapCut.

For complex elements that require a lot of layer fiddling and bone-based flexibility (usually characters), I prefer to use DragonBones and animate there. It saves the project frame-by-frame, which works well for importing into Ren'Py. For small elements (the blades) or those that only need simple animations, I use Ren'Py transforms. Why don’t I do everything in DragonBones? The reason is that a lot of frame-by-frame elements rendered in a single frame overload Ren'Py, causing slow loading. So I lighten its load a bit. As for the video part: it was easier to make that segment as a cutscene and add it before the main game loads.

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Improvements Coming in Patch v1.2:

New font for better readability

Typos and awkward phrasing corrected

Added disclaimer: Extra legal protection

New settings guide: Quick-start instructions for controls/saving

Audio adjustments: Music volume lowered by default

Main menu polish: Smoother fade-in animation.