#@interact if

[krogpile]

A Shriek of Ash and Fire -Update 19- Cult Leader (approx +56k, 1.74 Million words total)

Update 19, Cult Leader (approx 56K, 1.74 million words total)

(Note- It is advisable to start a new story and use the Tester Saves, else you might encounter bugs due to variable changes.)

Hi Freemasons, Legionaries, Yonders, Ghouls and Slaves, here is the link to Update 19, Cult Leader.

Squad 3 finally arrives at the wreck of the Pale Lady. Yonders, legionaries and ghouls find a battle already raging and are picked to head a probing mission into the rotting hulk.

Slaves are dragged from the coil array and thrown into the Pale Lady to provide a meat shield for the accompanying squad.

Observe the fate of the Road Pirates and Zuan.

Fight through the Abyss-infected decks to confront the beating heart of the Pale Lady.

Emerge as a hero, victorious over a greater demon.

Find your position aboard the Grey Torment, which has undergone significant changes. You now walk the fleeting first steps of a living legend. All eyes are on you now.

As a ghoul, ascend to become an Enshrined.

A load of earlier typos were fixed, and I squashed a few bugs.

The threads of fate have now knotted around our MC. A change is coming, and next month, we will take a pivotal role as the slaves finally go on strike.

To all the demon hunters out there, if you find that the Abyss has manifested in typos and bugs, please let me know!

Join the discussion in the Hosted Games Forums:

A SHRIEK OF ASH AND FIRE 1(WIP) [approx 56K UPDATE, 1.74 Million TOTAL-19th January 2026] (1.82 Million on Patreon)

NEW LINK- One of the foundations of testing HG and CoG WIPS, Dashingdon, is sadly closing down. Play the demo from this new link, and please

Continue the story as a Krog-Tier Patreon, gaining access to lore, polls and the latest build:

Get more from Krog Pile on Patreon

Writing Interactive Fiction

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A Shriek of Ash and Fire -Update 22- Rebel Love (approx +90k, 2 Million words total)

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This only affects the Rebel Despair’s Demise Path.

If you are the chancellor or a councillor, explore the Despair’s Demise as some folks give way to revelry, while others question their arrival in green lands as ‘too good to be true’.

Or be labelled a ‘pretender’ and rot in a cell.

Finally commit to an RO: Sera with Coireal, Sera alone or Gibleti.

Or, have a final knees-up with your Roachpede pals.

During the morning after, the green paradise finally shows its true colours.

Okay, so, like I said, I have multiple uploads for this month, since I had loads of time last month and released several Patreon updates. HG Forum must catch up!

I am uploading with a different fileset so as not to muck stuff up on the most advanced set. I hope this doesn’t lead to bugs. If so, let me know.

In general, please report any bugs or typos too!

Peace and love, ashland hippies!

As always, let me know if you have any comments or find any bugs and typos.

Join the discussion on the Hosted Games Forum:

A SHRIEK OF ASH AND FIRE 1(WIP) [approx 90K UPDATE, 2 Million TOTAL-13th April 2026] (2.07 Million on Patreon)

NEW LINK- One of the foundations of testing HG and CoG WIPS, Dashingdon, is sadly closing down. Play the demo from this new link, and please

Continue the story as a Krog-Tier Patreon, gaining access to lore, polls, and the latest build. Krog Tier patrons can play through to the very start of the concluding events.

Get more from Krog Pile on Patreon

Writing Interactive Fiction

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A Shriek of Ash and Fire- Update 24, Cold Road Machine Love! (approx 140K, 2.21 million words total)

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The Road Fleet has lost sight of the Despair’s Demise. Set up camp and await news as suspicions rise about this new land.

Depending on your choices, commit to Tinnafri, Zuan, Micraik or Chesucsi. Each has a new ‘big scene’ not shared across other paths.

The Basilisk path must come to terms with failing machinery and invasion. Escape with Avalina.

An extended scene, for those who get close to Avalina, has been added.

Cold Pact Reapers, Saints, or Firebrands find the Grey Torment rusting and decaying. Can they withstand the lingering curse of Malachar?

Cold Pact ROs include Pickles, Ironwill, Frans or Scram. Or, for non-Reapers, enjoy a night with the crew playing with ‘pastry zombies’.

Basilisk and, especially, Cold Pact paths can probe further into what awaits them…

Behold, the last of the ‘Love’ updates, for those who chose to be amorous. Otherwise, we can strengthen our bonds with our friends and crewmates. All paths for this and last month share a similar theme: a trap is placed around us that springs at the end of our selected route, though we experience it from slightly different angles.

Next month will be the ABHIDHAR update. Sera gets roped in, no matter what, although the outcome will depend on how deeply she has been corrupted. Some of us may, indeed, be the prime Abhidhar. For those who are not, we will witness terrifying events, including the invasion of our crawler or an attack on the Road Fleet.

Please report bugs and typos.

Most of all, I hope you enjoy it, though we totter on the edge of the Abyss.

Join the discussion on the Hosted Games Forum:

A SHRIEK OF ASH AND FIRE 1(WIP) [approx 140K UPDATE, 2.21 Million TOTAL-24th May 2026] (2.37 Million on Patreon)

NEW LINK- One of the foundations of testing HG and CoG WIPS, Dashingdon, is sadly closing down. Play the demo from this new link, and please

Continue the story as a Krog-Tier Patreon, gaining access to lore, polls, and the latest build. Krog Tier patrons can play through to the very start of the concluding events.

Get more from Krog Pile on Patreon

Get more from Krog Pile on Patreon. Writing Interactive Fiction. Support Krog Pile and get exclusive access to their work.

[krogpile]

A Shriek of Ash and Fire- Update 23, Royal Love (approx 70K, 2.07 million words total)

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Please take into account that some RO scenes are shared between the Rebel and Royal paths and the scenes following the ‘morning after’, with minor differences.

This only affects the Royal Despair’s Demise Path.

If you are Revira’s Lady/Gentleman at Arms, find the crawler bewitched by her magic and rituals. She demands not loyalty born of duty but adoration.

On Revira’s path, she refuses to share you with anyone.

If you are Raith’s King’s Shadow, find the crawler given over to hedonism as the king opens the stores and demands celebration.

On Raith’s path, he requires your attention and, in your case, doesn’t want to share it.

If you are the Supreme Protector, you will hold a meeting and try to keep things together as Revira and her mysterious ally prowl the decks.

As the Supreme Protector, depending on choices, you can spend time with Sera, Sera and Coireal, Coireal, Gibleti or General Thrayton. Here, you do not have to have previously started an RO to pair up with Gibleti or Thrayton. Gibleti is not picky. The General admires your rise to the position of Protector. Or, spend an evening with your Roachpede pals

Please report any typos and bugs!

Glory to the King/Queen/Supreme Protector!

Join the discussion on the Hosted Games Forum:

A SHRIEK OF ASH AND FIRE 1(WIP) [approx 70K UPDATE, 2.07 Million TOTAL-26th April 2026] (2.21 Million on Patreon)

NEW LINK- One of the foundations of testing HG and CoG WIPS, Dashingdon, is sadly closing down. Play the demo from this new link, and please

Continue the story as a Krog-Tier Patreon, gaining access to lore, polls, and the latest build. Krog Tier patrons can play through to the very start of the concluding events.

Get more from Krog Pile on Patreon

Writing Interactive Fiction

[krogpile]

A Shriek of Ash and Fire -Update 21- Wicked Games (approx +90k, 1.91 Million words total)

LINK

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The world was on fire, and no one could save me but you It’s strange what desire will make foolish people do I never dreamed that I’d meet somebody like you And I never dreamed that I’d lose somebody like you

No, I don’t wanna fall in love (this world is only gonna break your heart) No, I don’t wanna fall in love (this world is only gonna break your heart) With you, with you (This world is only gonna break your heart)

What a wicked game to play to make me feel this way What a wicked thing to do to let me dream of you What a wicked thing to say, you never felt this way What a wicked thing to do to make me dream of you

Highly advisable to start a new playthrough. Old saves will encounter errors.

Hi, saints, firebrands and reapers!

This is it, our final play to claim the Grey Torment. Not going to lie, the strike was child’s play compared to what’s coming.

We are gifted a semi-customisable companion. Pickles is given a body by Malachar to appease our MC.

We will discover the story behind Malacher and Signy.

Yet, the plot thickens. Whether to free the living folk from the clutches of the liches or to grab power for yourself, we begin to make our plans.

Depending on our path and who we have befriended, we travel through the crawler to build a force capable of storming the upper sanctums. Those who are enshrined will also be able to supplement their ranks with the undead.

Lead the attack on the upper sanctums, directing who will lead the ambush, who will storm in to hold the line, and who will rescue Zuan.

Finally confront Malachar… and be greeted with a somewhat unexpected last gasp.

Included are a huge number of typo fixes for earlier scenes and several bug fixes, a few major ones too.

Added a new section to the lore page on the stats screen: Find out about each of the known ash crawlers- and a few of the failures.

Now in the far reaches of Zthullu, Malachar is uneasy. The Cold Pact deplores his actions, whether he agreed to free the slaves or destroyed some of the phylacteries for a sudden boost in power, turning even some of the liches against him. He feels control slipping and needs to root out all discontent, using any leverage he can.

Perhaps, if he can destroy the Despair’s Demise, he can regain his high standing with the Council of Yonderfolde. But, to do so, the Grey Torment must be reliable; the denizens aboard, whether living or undead, must bow to his authority.

Alas, Malachar, there’s a young lad or lass from Grandardgard who has other ideas…

As always, let me know if you have any comments or find any bugs and typos.

Join the discussion on the Hosted Games Forum:

A SHRIEK OF ASH AND FIRE 1(WIP) [approx 90K UPDATE, 1.91 Million TOTAL-1st April 2026] (2.07 Million on Patreon)

NEW LINK- One of the foundations of testing HG and CoG WIPS, Dashingdon, is sadly closing down. Play the demo from this new link, and please

Continue the story as a Krog-Tier Patreon, gaining access to lore, polls, and the latest build. Krog Tier patrons can play through to the very start of the concluding events, including the climactic scenes for our chosen RO, if we have one.

Krog Pile | Writing Interactive Fiction | Patreon

[krogpile]

HG Forum Free Update, Update 25: The Abhidhar (160K; 2.37 Million Total Words)

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The Road Fleet, Despair’s Demise and Grey Torment are under attack, and it seems hopeless. Deal with the immediate repercussions on your respective paths.

On the Royal, Rebel and Road Fleet paths, make a desperate dash across the wastes to try and save Sera from the Curse of the Abhidhar.

Or become the Abhidhar if chosen or corrupted enough, and find out what fate has in store for you.

Discover Zuan’s fate, depending on our choices… Perhaps we can decide his fate for ourselves…

Fight against the dragonflies with Avalina on the Basilisk route.

As a saint or firebrand, you, too, desire to rescue your friend. Otherwise, a Lich senses that the opened Abyss may grant their failing minds the solace they need.

Every path is expanded here, and all wind to the same point. Our enemies are prepared and numerous. The world itself is placed under peril… We catch sight of something vast flying through the skies…

Please report bugs and typos.

Please report bugs and typos.

Most of all, I hope you enjoy it, though we totter on the edge of the Abyss.

Join the discussion on the Hosted Games Forum:

A SHRIEK OF ASH AND FIRE 1(WIP) [approx 160K UPDATE, 2.37 Million TOTAL-25th June 2026] (2.52 Million on Patreon)

NEW LINK- One of the foundations of testing HG and CoG WIPS, Dashingdon, is sadly closing down. Play the demo from this new link, and please

Continue the story as a Krog-Tier Patreon, gaining access to lore, polls, and the latest build. Krog Tier patrons can play through to the very end of book 1.

Get more from Krog Pile on Patreon

Get more from Krog Pile on Patreon. Writing Interactive Fiction. Support Krog Pile and get exclusive access to their work.

[krogpile]

A Shriek of Ash and Fire -Patreon Update 22- Rebel Love! (approx 90k, 2 Million words total)

LINK

2 million words! Some of these are comments and various clots of unused text throughout the scenes that need to be deleted once I am finished. Perhaps not a true 2 million, but just about.

Rebel Love, Update 22: 90K of new content.

This only affects the Rebel Despair's Demise Path.

If you are the chancellor or a councillor, explore the Despair's Demise as some folks give way to revelry, while others question their arrival in green lands as 'too good to be true'.

Or be labelled a 'pretender' and rot in a cell.

Finally commit to an RO: Sera with Coireal, Sera alone, or Gibleti.

Or, have a final knees-up with your Roachpede pals.

During the morning after, the green paradise finally shows its true colours.

Tomorrow, I will begin 'Royal Love'. I hope to get it out before the end of the month. This will deal with the aftermath of the royalist Despair's Demise arriving in green pastures and associated romance scenes. Some of the RO scenes will be virtually the same as the rebel ones. However, we will also get scenes with Thrayton and either Raith or Revira.

Peace and love, asland hippies!

@interact-if