Ecstasy of the Saints: Pilgrimage is a short interactive fiction story in which you play as a nameless traveler searching for your Beloved. Unfortunately, the trail's gone cold and you're out of supplies. Thank goodness there's a store nearby! Hopefully nothing happens while you're restocking...
Who are you? Who are you searching for, and why? Most importantly, w̶̢͒ẖ̵́e̸͍͌r̶̻͐ḙ̴̀ ̶̻͝i̶̘͌s̴̨͋ ̵̚ͅy̶̱̋o̸͓͛u̶͑ͅr̵̨͛ ̸̺͝B̷̯͝e̷͔͛l̶̹̓o̸͉̊v̷͇̓è̷̟d̴̫̀?̸̭̑
Hi, this is my first game! It was created in Twine for the Love is Unconventional game jam (thank u Connie for telling me about it and encouraging me!). It's around 7K words long and the story acts as a prequel to a yandere game I hope to create in the future. If you're interested in gothic vibes and dark romance, especially ones where you get to be the monster too, please give it a try!
Mild spoilers below for the yandere in question and also a picture my friend drew for me based on the main game description!
Then there was the tenant. It was a man. Ridiculously tall, broad-shouldered, and wrapped in a dark coat that barely stirred in the wintry wind. Ink black curls fell past his shoulders, the front strands tied into a loose knot at the back of his head, revealing half-lidded, pitch-black eyes beset by equally dark circles.
The bottom of his face was obscured by a black surgical mask, which he pulled down to reveal a scarred nose overlooking a rough, stubbled jaw. The injury was old, and darker than the cool sepia of the surrounding skin. It split his face almost in two, starting from the bridge of his broad nose and just narrowly missing the lingual and carotid arteries on the other side of his head. That he wasn't blind or dead was what mortals might call a miracle.
ngl when i see any criticisms of the MC being too mean/emotional/weak, I can't help but feel like people are viewing the game as an RPG or a life sim (e.g., Our Life). As if the game was ever marketed as such, as if having a set of canon traits isn't standard for all VNs in order to fit the plot and because it would be incredibly difficult to write a story that encompasses every single potential decision. Scarlet Hollow tried that, and that first came out in 2021! It's still not finished! And that's at least one unified story rather than 5 routes!
this is only on my mind because I was playing ADWD Remnants and I was thinking "lmao the MC is so chatty and annoying, I understand why 5012 is pissed off, I would never act like this". And I love the game! I think it's fun! But the MC is not me. The MC is their own character that you get to step into the role of. They are not actually You the Player.
I think I also thought of how all the world is a stage and....[searches up the rest because i forgot]
Yes yes this fits dramaturgy well too. Yes yes as you said information is power. Its more overt in this visual novel but i think it relates too to how we live in whats called the information age iirc. Wars being waged or control exerted largely through control of information. Thats the larger scale of it. And of course the smaller scale in personal social lives. And also that thing about if a tree falls with no one to hear it, does it make a sound kind of thing. Scientifically it's a duh. But its about being seen, perceived, witnessed.
Ok thats all i got for now
Edit: oh and also that thing about recognition of the other (being recognized as an Other? I havent really gone deep into it myself). And how sometimes you lose your sense of self when isolated, which seems to come into clarity when around someone/others. How its like you have to see someone else, different and the same, to grasp who you are. "That part is like me. That part is not like me." It's discerning, discriminating, perceiving. And it can result in division but also connection
While we're in this train of thought I want to emphasize the current surveillance state and the resurgence of censorship. Censorship is so old. A cycle again. Everyone is being watched. What everyone is watching (reading, consuming, understanding, learning, knowledge) is being watched, being controlled. To watch to receive information. To watch to control information. So true so real this horror vn is fucking hitting us right in the guts of today. But also timeless problems
Thinking of how well some lis would handle cockwarming like
Ais. I think might not at all lmao i feel like hed be like "wtf is this bullshit" and just rams into you
Vere...i feel like he could make it into a competion to see whos the first to break. Hed find ways to get you to break first. Hed play dirty like slap your ass when you dont expect it so you tighten on him and you feel him in you even more. Cheeky mf would get a laugh out of it too prolly. Hed probably find ways to tease you until you lose and start begging him to move or you move yourself.
Leander. Omfg. This annoying bitch. I bet hes so fucking annoying. Mr chivalrous tries to be patient but this mf will probably find ways to move a little but make it so slight he can pass them off as accidents or just shifting around a little. Imagine the mf gaslighting u abt his cock in you 💀 "Wym i moved??? 😊 idk what ure talking abt" He'll turn on the pretty boy eyes and kiss your hands too trying to get you to melt and give in. Also he never shuts the fuck up. I bet he's like a horrible audio porn actor that keeps rambling about how good you feel on his cock and how amazing it all is and "you wanna move? Me? Im fine. But do you? It's okay you know. You can move if you want to." This bitch. Framing it to be abt u when hes the one who clearly wants it.
I told myself I wasn't gonna show any WIPs of my Leander centered fic at all but this was too important not to share
HOW DOES THIS KEEP HAPPENING TO ME, I'M FLYING TOO CLOSE TO THE TOUCHSTARVED SUN GUYS I'M TOO LOCKED IN ON THE HYPERFIXATION. LEANDER I KNOW WHAT YOU FUCKING ARE (UNDEAD AND CAME BACK WRONG)
editing is so funny because it's like "damn, i wrote 'before' two times within three paragraphs. they are going to stone me in the town square for this"
So, there's a lot of symbols blended into one for the Adderstone, and on Leander's spell circle, so I figure why not look at each one of them?
I do want to preface this by saying it's really interesting that Leander uses a spell circle when he's branding someone. Maybe it was so there an was interesting visual with symbolism, but it could also hint it's a more powerful spell, since in the prologue the Alchemist MC noted that it was unusual for Leander *not* to use a spell circle when casting. Maybe he's doing more than just a physical mark when he brands an Adder.
I sincerely hope this is coherent because I've written it all over the course of 12 days and most of the time I wrote parts in isolation.
Anyways, symbol analysis/observations below the cut, and because of how entwined everything in Touchstarved is, the symbols appear elsewhere and the analysis is not limited to Leander and the Adderstone.
The Celtic Knot (specifically: Triquetra)
This symbol also appears on Mhin's cloak.
It stands for trinities, just as the triple moon on Leander's belt does. It also represents interconnectedness and unity.
Touchstarved as a game has a lot to do with how things are intertwined since it takes heavy influence from alchemy, so it's another symbol tying things together. Its meaning for 'unity', though, is probably why Leander chose it. When explaining the Adderstone to MC, he stressed the importance of community and loyalty. Having a symbol of unity being branded into an Adder's skin really solidifies how there's no turning back once someone joins.
It's also used as a protective symbol, perhaps suggesting that as long as the Adders stick together as one, they'll be safe.
As for how it appears on Mhin's cloak... Mhin seems to value community, which is why they don't allow themselves to have it. It's a rather ironic. And despite the fact that they aren't an Adder, they do work with Leander, who does want to recruit them officially. Maybe a hint towards their association. There's also associations with the triquetra and the Morrígan, but that's for another post when I've done more research.
2. The Circle w/Moon phases
This appears on the symbol itself and inside of the spell circle Leander casts.
Firstly, the moon phases. Only full, new, and waning half are shown. Typically, moon phases represent time, change, cycles, and rebirth, which are all heavy ideas in Leander's design (triple moon on his belt, ouroboros earring, lilies he summoned in the prologue, infinity knot on his key).
Secondly, the circles. Traditionally, represents cycles and protection. In alchemy, the spirit, transmutation and the divine feminine.
So, the symbol boils down to change and cycles. Potentially, in context of the Adderstone, inescapability. Leander won't leave you and you won't leave him. Change and cycles are also important concepts in alchemy.
3. Crescent w/ Star
The star appears in a few other places as well.
(yes i'm counting the Halloween art)
Typically the star and crescent do not have a 4-point star, so this feels deliberate.
4-point stars are associated with both Venus (the Morning Star, associated with Lucifer) and the Star of Bethlehem (and generally Jesus' birth). The star is also associated with knowledge. One symbol representing sin, salvation, and knowledge. And it always appears in places associated with all of those things: Kuras (the Divine Teacher), the Senobium, and Leander (connections to the Magician tarot card and he clearly values information, promising to help MC but clearly hiding something).
The 4 points also represent a lot of sets of 4: the cardinal directions, the classical elements, seasons, equinoxes/solstices, which leads it to be associated with balance and interconnectedness.
The crescent and star together are often seen as a symbol of Hecate and were used on various currencies. Fitting with knowledge being the currency of Eridia. Typically, the moon and star, when interpreted as Venus, depicted the two in conjunction.
Overall, the symbol strikes me as meaning 'the time is right' and general calculation, both things associated with the Magician card.
4. Downwards triangle
In alchemy, a triangle pointing downwards means 'water'. Leander has other triangles on his outfit representing the elements, and the Adderstone symbol adds more 'water' to the set.
His outfit has fire, the upwards triangle, and earth, the downwards triangle with the line. On his collar/harness, he has the water symbol as well.
Since the Adderstone brand also has the water symbol, I see this as them being an extension of his influence. But as far as I can tell, he does not have air. He doesn't have every elemental symbol, there is something missing. The painting that was never finished.
There's two interpretations I could see: that Leander is missing freedom and room to breathe (taking 'air' more literally), or that he does not have ultimate power (taking 'air' as the heavens or height = power).
Now slight theory time, MC represents all the things Leander is missing: they have no ties to anyone, no expectations of who they should be. And they have their curse, which Leander refers to as a power. He could see MC as a way to complete himself.
Moving on, it's another set of 3, with only fire, water, and earth present on Leander.
Now if he does have the air symbol somewhere on him and I just cannot find it: ignore all that 👍 but I do think MC's not having ties is part of why he's drawn to them. Easy target n all that.
(EDIT: He does have an air symbol, it's the sword on his earring; check comments for elaboration on that by @/deadbe)
ANYWAY in addition again, combined with the star above the crescent in the entire symbol, it reminds me of 'as above, so below'.
Last point, it's interesting that he has several symbols for water when water symbolism is most heavy with Ais, especially since water as an element often means transformation.
5. Twined Crosses (?)
Yeah I'm not sure if these are called anything.
I don't believe they're any specific symbol (or two overlapping symbols), although if anyone can find something, I'm interested. All I can figure is the way they intertwine is another reference to alchemy, how everything is inseparable and affecting everything else.
So, the symbols largely represent unity, protection, cycles, and transformation.
Protection and unity are huge parts of the Adderstone, especially with a potential translation of the writing on the wall being 'rise together, fall apart' (not my translation, translated here)
Cycles and transformation are very important in both magic and alchemy, but considering...
...it feels more like a 'you made this choice and you can't escape'.
The core of the Adderstone, reflected in every symbol that makes up the brand, is the idea that loyalty is a choice and you will be given protection and the ability to change Lowtown, and once you make that choice, there is absolutely no backing out for you.
The last thing I want to say about it is the placement of each symbol. Symbols reflecting unity are placed in the center, while water is at the bottom and the crescent and star at the bottom. I think it represents the hierarchy in Eridia.
The symbol for knowledge is at the top, the symbols for unity and protection are in the center, and the symbol for change is at the bottom. Going from bottom to top, it feels like saying through the willingness to change by standing together, the gap between Hightown and Lowtown can bridged. What 'bridged' means in Leander's mind, though, remains to be seen.
(Disclaimer: this post references a new UI element from the April 2026 backer/patron update, a plot point from Doki Doki Literature Club, and a mechanic from Life is Strange.)
There's a recurring thought about Leander I've been wanting to share for a while now, but not to be taken seriously, so don't read too deep into it (!) Fans have already discussed his character design, general trivia, symbolism and "red flags" over the years of production by now, but the devs themselves seem to have been building a little something around him, both through their socials and the writing itself. A kind of running meta-joke, beyond his manipulative tendencies and obsession with the MC… So what if Leander, in his own quiet way, knows a little more than he should?
˙✦ The character card (Dec 2022):
When his card first dropped, players spent a lot of time speculating about what his redacted flaw might say. Among the five LIs, Leander is the only one whose entry is hidden. Every other character has theirs visible: Ais "lets his emotions rule him", Mhin "resists change at any cost", and so on. But Leander's is deliberately censored, with this teasing caption from the studio:
"We could've sworn something was written here, but it looks like it was scratched out… What do you think it said? 🔍"
⬩➤ About the framing: the devs wrote it as if the redaction happened to the card rather than by them, like the scratching-out is something that occurred in-world. Maybe it's a simple story spoiler the team wants to protect. Maybe it's just the studio being silly, as we know by now. Or it could be a subtle hint that whatever's wrong with Leander is something he'd rather we didn't see.
˙✦ The matchmaker quiz (Feb 2023):
About two months later, the devs released a quiz to find out which LI would be your match. Most results were playful in tone, describing the kind of player who'd end up with each character: Kuras was for people who "think very deep thoughts and not talk to anybody", Vere was for those who "live dangerously or just constantly make very bad decisions", and Ais's and Mhin's followed in the same register.
But Leander's? It broke from that pattern entirely, pleading with the player not to even think about going back for a different answer:
"You're attractive, funny, nice and perfect… JUST like Leander, which is why the two of you are dating now. No take-backs! Don't you dare take this quiz again to try and get Ais instead. Don't you dare click retake. NO!!"
Which doesn't really read as him being possessive, but more like the quiz itself (or maybe Leander through it?) reaching for us, almost like a Stanley Parable-style narrator who doesn't want you to wander off-script... A rather pointed writing choice, for a quiz result.
˙✦ The first demo prologue and 2.0 version (2023 to 2025):
For longtime players, this was the very early prototype, back when the "Hound" origin still existed (later reworked into the "Exile") and the gang we now know as the "Adderstone" was still called "Bloodhounds". A lot has been refined since, but one thing that didn't really change is how Leander handles your impressions of the other LIs. Whenever you asked him about any of them, his response would shift depending on what you said first. Whichever way you leaned, he pushed the other direction just enough that your read couldn't quite settle.
Fans have been pointing out this exact behavior since 2022, so none of it is a new observation. But it's worth noticing that this pattern has been visible since the earliest prototype, and the writers kept it intact through every build, with last year's version only making it smoother.
And here's where the game structure makes it interesting: by the time you have this conversation with him, you've already picked his route anyway. There's no narrative reason left to keep you uncertain about the other LIs. That choice is locked. Whatever undoes it lives at the player's level, not the character's.
˙✦ The Tumblr post (Nov 25, 2024):
During the original demo's run, the studio also posted this little joke that caught the eye of some fans. A short video clip of Leander standing in the MC's room, arms crossed, staring directly at the camera, with the sky outside looking a little uneasy in a way that's hard to articulate but feels intentional. The caption was simply "Just Leander 🙂" and the studio tagged it with #:) among the usual game tags.
For anyone who's watched a playthrough or played Doki Doki Literature Club, the reference is pretty clear. It's a direct visual nod to Monika, a character whose whole thing is fourth-wall-breaking awareness inside what looks like a normal dating sim. The cryptic smileys feel like the studio winking at fans who'd recognize the staging.
And of all five LIs, that meta joke landed specifically on Leander. Again.
˙✦ The rewind UI (April 2026):
The studio recently introduced a new rewind UI in their April 2026 update for backers and Patreon supporters. I won't include the visual here since it doesn't feel like my place to be the one to put that out there yet. But anyone who's also played or watched Life is Strange will remember the concept immediately, since the devs themselves brought up LiS as an example. The two UIs are designed differently (a small swirl in LiS, more of a gauge bar in Touchstarved), but they share the same core idea: keeping the rewind option visually present as a continuous on-screen element, rather than the small text buttons or mouse-wheel inputs most VNs use alongside their Skip, Auto, and Backlog options.
That's a design choice worth pausing on, since LiS is a franchise built specifically around choice and consequence, where rewinding lets you test small decisions before the big ones become permanent. And in a game where Leander has been coded with fourth-wall-flavored details since 2022, the visual borrowing stands out a little more than it might in another title.
Now to be fair, Red Spring Studio has been clear that they're adding this "as a UX improvement, to make the existing rewind feature less buggy and harder to click by accident", especially with the Switch release down the line. So I'm not claiming they meant it as a thematic nod or foreshadowing something. But for someone who spent hours replaying chapters of Life is Strange years ago, the fact that the devs reached for that specific reference was the small nudge that finally made me want to share this theory.
˙✦ Anyway:
Whether the devs leaned into it intentionally or not, I keep finding myself coming back to this little meta association. It's a different flavor from the usual running jokes (like Mhin being the cast's eternal smol bean, bless them), but it lingers all the same. And it was enough to make me start wondering what his story might really be about, since Leander is the only love interest whose motives for offering the MC a cure have been kept hidden for years now, while the studio continues presenting him as the "heroic mage" with a sinister duality underneath.
Quick aside (and this one stays inside the game itself rather than around it): that specific line in the prologue where Leander tells the MC he knows the others "probably more than some of them realize" also stands out, as well as the ouroboros showing up twice in his design, once as an infinity symbol on his official keychain charm and once stabbed through by a dagger on his earring. Maybe like Monika, he's aware he's inside a romance game, one that loops the way the snake keeps eating its tail. But that's a thread for another potential post.
Again, none of this is a serious theory, and I'm not trying to crack a code. It's more that the flags keep stacking up in a way that's fun to put in chronological order across the game's development. The writers can take Leander in whatever direction makes sense for their story, and most of these patterns probably have simpler in-world explanations.
But if we ever do get a "Just Leander..." moment of our own at some point, well, I'm just saying, the breadcrumbs were there... (^^)⊹ ࣪ ˖
