I just got told that Dashingdon is being taken down. That obviously has big implications for Relics 3. (And also for my incomplete Shadowrun game, in case anyone still plays that).
Apparently, there's a new alternative hosting site out there. I'm going to try to get Relics 3 and Neon Fire uploaded onto that site in the next few days. This is likely to destroy any saves which you may have on Dashingdon, but it should at least ensure that the games stay available. I will keep you all posted on this as soon as I have managed to get it all set up! Thanks, and don't panic, I'll do everything I can to ensure that Relics 3 doesn't disappear forever!
Heyo! This is the second of the 6 drawings I have planned for Pride Month!
The Relics Trilogy is one I thoroughly enjoyed, and the ending legitimately made me cry. It was perfect and I loved it so much.
So this is a little thing I drew and wrote for my Olivia Spillane and Esme Fairfield.
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We Have the Time
“Esme? Sweetheart? Where are you?”
You stand at the bottom of the stairwell as you shout, hands cupped around your mouth and your voice echoing back at you from the emptiness of the lofty entrance hall. Silence is all that greats you and you sigh, your foot beginning a nervous tap the sound dulled somewhat by the plush red carpet on which you stand. You remove your fob watch from the pocket of your faded waistcoat to check the time which only results in your free hand starting a restless drumming against your thigh.
“Esme! We’re going to be late!” You shout again, slipping the watch back into its resting place as the familiar sound of loud yet fond laughter spills into the lobby from above.
“Late for what Darling?” comes the amused reply soon after, accompanied by the sound of footsteps making their way down the winding staircase, “We’re in no hurry!” Esme’s laugh tickles your ears as she finally comes into view, standing atop the landing in a dress of green and yellow backlit by the rare occurrence of early afternoon sun. As she starts her way down the last lot of stairs towards you you find yourself enraptured by her visage, “I know we’re both used to rushing around…” she starts as her foot leaves the last step and the sun abandons her form, “And normally Darling you know I would be all for it.” She wears an easy smile as she strides over, stopping just before you and reaching to cup your face with her soft hands, “But right now, I’d just like to enjoy the day with you. We have the time.” She smiles and the fingers that had been pitter-pattering against your leg stop their motions the same time as your foot rests perfectly still against the carpet.
You huff out a small laugh before leaning forwards, Esme meeting you halfway in a brief yet sweet kiss, “I’m sorry. I guess it’s still hard for me to relax after everything.”
“You and me both.” The smile she gives you this time doesn’t quite reach her eyes and what years ago had started off as a merely a seed of guilt, before growing to a small sapling as it sent out roots and anchored itself into the center of your chest, sprouts even further. Unaware of your thoughts you watch as Esme steps back a few paces and looks you up and down, “Really?” she rolls her eyes yet still they twinkle, “You’re wearing your expedition gear to a picnic?” Though she teases you still link arms as you head towards the door.
“Isn’t that the same dress you wore to one of Rémy’s more tame parties?” You feel the corners of your lips quirk upwards as you fail to hide the grin that finds its home on your face. You continue speaking as you pull the creaking wooden door open and you both step into the pleasantly warm air of the day, “I’m surprised that you managed to get that stain out.”
“Oh quiet you!” she hushes as you pull the door shut, lock it up, and place the brass key safety into the pocket of your forest green pants. You laugh and the sound of crunching gravel fills the air as you walk across to your bright red Morris Eight, the top down and the picnic basket visible on the back seat. As you approach the vehicle you pull slightly ahead of Esme and open the passenger door, slipping your arm from hers as you mock bow.
“My lady,” you drawl in a ridiculous attempt at a British accent, “Your buggy awaits.” You receive a light slap on the shoulder and you straighten back up.
“Quit it!” Esme’s fixes you with a glare and you laugh, leaning towards her to place a kiss on her cheek.
“You know you love me,” you smile as she shakes her head with a sigh, squeezing your arm before stepping into the car. You shut the door, round to the driver’s side, and get in before turning in your seat you lean over into the back to open up the hinged lid of the wicker basket.
“Honey?” Esme’s voice reaches your ears as you roll up your sleeves to the crook of your elbows and begin checking through the contents of the basket.
“I just want to make sure that everything’s here,” you reply without turning to face her, “We don’t get a lot of days like this and I just want to make sure everything is perfect.” As you feel a hand gently place itself upon your shoulder you stiffen.
“Honey…” you stop your rummaging, “It doesn’t have to be perfect.” Esme squeezes your shoulder lightly but doesn’t let go, instead slowly but insistently she begins to pull you back up. You reluctantly allow her to do so, making sure the lid of the basket is closed and latched before turning back around completely.
“I…” you struggle to find the words as lay your arm across the back of your seat and your fingers begin to drum against the washed-out black leather.
“Olivia, it’ll be fine.” She smiles at you and the world seems brighter for it, “And if something is missing, though knowing you I doubt it will be-“ A hand rests against your restless fingers to stop the tapping you didn’t realize you were still doing, “We’ll adjust.” As her soft fingers curl around your own and squeeze you take a deep breath and sigh.
“Thank you Esme. You always know the right things to say.” You spare her a warm smile before pulling your arm away and righting yourself in your seat. You place the key in the ignition, turn it and hearing the comforting purr of your trusty cars engine puts you at ease. As you pull away from your home and begin to accelerate, Esme shouts to be heard above the wind,
“How about we take the scenic route!” You glance at her and she grins, “We have the time!”
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“This was a great idea Olivia,” Esme pats your knee with her free hand before taking a bite of her sandwich. You watch as she closes her eyes, a smile curving her lips as she turns her face into the sun to soak up its warmth.
All you do is watch her.
All you can do is watch her.
She looks nothing short of an Angel, and you feel all the more blessed to be allowed to bask in her radiance. You don’t realize you’re drumming your fingers on your thigh until Esme is looking at you with a frown, her eyes momentarily flicking down to your hand. You curl your fingers into your palm and give her what you hope is a convincing smile but you’re a shit liar and she knows your tells by now.
“Something’s bothering you. And don’t try and deny it.” She shakes her half-eaten sandwich at you and you snort a brief laugh as some of the fillings drop out.
“Just thinking about how lucky I am to have you.”
“That’s all well and good-“ You knew she’d be able to see through your feeble attempt at diverting her question, “- but you’ve been restless since you first woke up this morning.”
You sigh, “You’re right. I’m sorry. I just want this to be a nice day and I keep overthinking, and I know you said you don’t care about it being perfect but I want to make it perfect for you, and I know I’ve been rushing but weather like this hardly ever lasts long and-“ your rambling is stopped short as you watch Esme throw her sandwich to the side and tackle you to the ground. A squeak of surprise leaves your mouth as your back hits the scratchy fibers of the blanket beneath you.
“Olivia Spillane,” Esme mumbles as one of her arms flops over your waist. You smile and maneuver an arm beneath her, allowing her the rest her head upon your breast, “You think far too much.” You begin stroking your fingers through her golden hair, your other arm moving to grasp her upper arm and you pull her closer to you, “You always think so much. It’s what makes you you.” You hum in agreement, “But the war is over. We’re married. We have a stunning house and fantastic friends and you can afford to let your mind rest.”
“I just…”
“Shhhh,” Esme shushes you and you let out a soft laugh. She squeezes your waist and you lay your hand flat against her hair, drawing her just that bit closer to you as you rest a cheek atop her head and close your eyes against the glare of the sun overhead, “No thinking. No talking. We can just lay here, take in the sun, and relax.” You smile at her words, “We have the time.”
What are Men against a King? What are Kings against a Monster? What are Monsters against a God? What are Gods against a Woman?
Nothing.
Hi hello i am. being normal. about being monstrous in my own rights. and. can i just say. Relics mc, Helene Spillane, owns my heart & body & soul this fine halloween night :)
Relics 3 is not going to be released on the Hosted Games label.
I just sent an email to Jason revoking my permission for the company to publish the files. I’m just so fucking sick of that company, the shitty way they conduct themselves and their unacceptable approach to managing the Forum. I don’t want those cunts to make another cent off anything that I make.
And so I’ll be putting the game up for free for everyone to access on Dashingdon. It’ll be a little while before I put it up. Since there will now no longer be a save import function, I’ll have to reimplement the “enter your choices” thing at the start so that people can continue their adventure with the same character from Relics 2. I’ll be rediverting my focus from Neon Fire to get that implemented over the next few weeks, and will let people know (prob here rather than on their awful Forum) when it’s up and ready to go.
I’m sad that I won’t make any money from a game I worked super hard on, but that’s still preferable to letting that company make money off me. I’m one of the tens of thousands of UK academics on strike this week. That probably means that I’m in a particularly anti-authoritarian mood right now, so this is me sticking it to the man.
In Europe’s darkest hour, an even deeper darkness is stirring. One hero stands against the triumph of absolute evil. You.
It’s 1940, and the long-feared war has broken out in Europe. Our intrepid archaeologist is working as a spy for the British, undertaking daring operations to strike at Nazi interests across Europe. But soon a new threat emerges. The Nazis have obtained a stockpile of a devastating ancient weapon, and in order to activate it they are scouring the world in pursuit of long-lost Archives which can teach them how to use it. You must get there first, overcoming the odds to beat the forces of evil and prevent them from unlocking powers with which they can sweep aside any opposition and conquer the world. Can you beat the odds stacked so heavily against you, or will you fail and plunge the world into a thousand years of darkness?
Relics 3: Ashes for Gold is the epic final instalment in the Relics Trilogy, and the sequel to Relics of the Lost Age and Relics 2: The Crusader’s Tomb. It is an exhilarating 580,000 word interactive adventure novel by James Shaw, where your choices control the story.
Step into the weathered boots of a swashbuckling 1940s archaeologist-turned-spy and travel widely in a painstakingly-reconstructed vision of the world at war, facing overwhelming odds at every turn, armed only with your fists, your wits and your motley collective of memorable friends and allies. Do you have what it takes to save the world again, one last time?
Play as male, female, or non-binary; gay, straight, bi, poly, asexual, or aromantic.
Continue to develop your romance from Relics of the Lost Age or Relics 2: The Crusader’s Tomb, or embark on a new relationship with any of the seven ROs in the series.
Fight memorable villains in a race against time to prevent the forces of evil from conquering the world, against the terrifying backdrop of world war.
Ride out into the Nevada desert in the footsteps of a legendary Old West outlaw, scour the sands of Egypt for the secrets of the pharaohs, investigate occult mysteries and Nazi traitors amid the dreaming spires of Oxford, search for sunken pirate treasure in the Caribbean Sea, unearth Inca enigmas in the wild Andes, and go deep into enemy territory in wartime Japan.
Experience epic gunfights, visceral brawls, and wild stunts in vintage vehicles.
Make choices that will determine the future of the world as you close in on an ancient weapon of unimaginable power.
The game is FREELY AVAILABLE on Itch.io, at the following link: https://jamesshawgames.itch.io/relics-3-ashes-for-gold
If you want to play Relics 1 and 2 to get up to speed, they are currently available through Hosted Games.
Also, just realized one other advantage of releasing Relics 3 for free on Dash. I can actually have saves in it, thus giving readers something that the COG company has so persistently and pig-headedly failed to implement despite the clear wishes of its users. Hooray!
There is now a version of Relics 3 on Dashingdon, in addition to on Itch.io!!! This version incoporates the save plug-in, so you’ll be able to save your progress at any point as you play. It should also be more friendly to mobiles and ipads and macbooks, I think.
For Reasons, I can’t 100% guarantee that this version will be up there forever, but it’s available now, so if you prefer to play on Dash rather than on Itch.io, that could be a good solution for you!
You can find it here: https://dashingdon.com/play/schliemannsghost/relics-3-ashes-for-gold/mygame/
