Tintype Of What Appears To Be A Light-hearted Spot Of Stabbing Between Friends, Circa 1880

Source: It is known among the wise

"Keep an eye on them."

This was supposed to be another mission like any other. The conflict between Drenea and its twin kingdom, Kysia, is broiling once again. Spies amongst the Drenean court once again becomes a growing concern. Tasked to keep track on a suspected spy and follow them back to their hideout, you instead find yourself in the frigid region of Kasal.

The snow continues to pile high and the winds rage on. The sudden blizzard shows no signs of relenting. Thrown off course, you are forced to take refuge in an abandoned manor in the mountains. Worse yet is the company, a soldier that hails from your kingdom's greatest enemy nation. But it's either them or the howling storm and whatever starving beasts lie in the woods beyond the manor.

You just hope the manor will be enough to stave off the cold.

Rating: 16+ (subject to change)

Customize your gender, pronouns, and appearance.

Choose from three backgrounds: Noble, Orphan, Performer.

Choose a combat style and how your magical companion manifests.

Determine how you navigate your forced partnership.

Survive the cold of Kasal, and perhaps find out what secrets it holds.

MC (Hey it’s you!)

Drenea's Shadow, the ever loyal and skilled spy and assassin of the kingdom. You are the blade hidden in plain sight by the royal family, a warning to all who may oppose them. A blight on scheming nobility and the boogeyman used to scare naughty children, your reputation far precedes you. Loved or hated, you are a tool for the royal family, a blood sniffing hound kept on a short leash.

The Lupine Knight (they/them)

There is so much to say about the Lupine Knight, yet at the same time there is so little. They are one half to the greatest military duo in Kysia, some may say in all the continent. Working side by side with the second prince of the enemy nation. Citizens of Kysia sing their praise to the divines, and the elite of Drenea cannot deny the skill they possess. But outside of martial might, there exists nothing but rumors and speculation. 

Demo: TBA 

+18, details at the last few sections.

"You are nothing more than the avatar of the sin you possess." "But will you surprise me and show me that a true sinner's urges can be quenched by mortal exposure, or will you be Hell's pride and joy as you stay unencumbered and indulge in your desires to the deep end?"

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Summary

You are a demon.

..Actually, maybe it's more accurate to say that you used to be a demon.

You know you used to be a proud member of the demon realm, someone who held power above most of its residents. You know you used to be important.

At least, until you got kicked out for god knows what. Beyond that, you haven't got a single inkling about it all. After all, they stripped you of your memories and your traits as a powerful demon, leaving an amnesiac human-like being slumped in a sketchy alleyway somewhere without anything to wear.

It's been quite a while now (two years, if you can recall correctly) and you're feeling quite good about where you've ended up in life. You're starting to make a living at a humble café, you know some good people... The only things you really need to worry about is tending to your vice and paying rent!

But then somehow one thing after another happens, and your peaceful life suddenly turned into anything but. First a girl gets attacked because she turns out to be something similar to the holy grail. Then that leads to you awakening your dormant powers after this whole time? After that, you have no choice but to get comfy in a new job at a strip club while finding out your true identity?

..Man, maybe your therapist needs a pay rise.

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Features

A wide range of customisation for your character, in terms of both physical appearance and personality, amongst other things!

Multiple love interests to choose from. Differing backstories, route scenes and possible past trauma included in the package, hooray! Some of them are susceptible to polyamory for those who can't choose, and those that don't want romance can take a hit at the friendship route because who said demons can't have friends?

Aside from LIs, you get to meet, interact and even influence a colourful cast of characters here. Maybe you want to be nice to them, or maybe you want to be the worst possible specimen towards them. Who knows, maybe you'll get something out of it.

Find out who you were before your banishment from Hell, along with why you were banished. As the truth slowly unravels itself, will you do everything to make your way back to your original post in the demon realm or will you stay and be part of something greater for yourself?

As time passes and you experience things day by day, your powers start to return to its true potential. Whatever you want to do with them is up to you, though do be mindful of the fact that consequences are a thing.

You have a certain vice that you cannot simply leave alone, lest you want to literally destroy yourself. You know this has something to do with your demonic origins but don't actually know what to do about it. Now that multiple possibilities have been opened to you, will you continue to tend to your vice or find a way to end the feeling of addiction once and for all?

Work in a strip club as a bartender! Put those barista skills to good use in the nightlife, yeah? (Note: I'm not a bartender so forgive me for any mistakes made lmao)

Talk to your therapist. You're going to need her. And maybe the therapist needs a therapist too, but she's getting paid to listen to you so she's determined.

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Love Interests (incomplete list)

Ashlynn Whitlock - she/her, pansexual, magus.

"My ideal day off is a day in my house. It spares me from trouble outside of it. After all, look what happened when I went out a week ago..."

Due to her wealthy yet distant upbringing, Ashlynn grew up to be a quiet girl, anxious without much of a will or an opinion.. until she does. She also ended up being bound to you an impromptu contract that neither of you have an idea how to get out of. Instead of protesting or even reacting, she simply shrugs, emotions dulled out after years of neglect. How will your presence influence her sense of self, and would it be for the better or for worse?

She usually ties down her naturally white hair in a low tail despite not being albino or her age, though that's due to her bloodline. Her skin is extremely pale with light, faded scars littering it from the neck down and her eyes shine a vibrant amber colour. She also wears glasses and practically cannot see without it.

Alistair Whitlock - he/him, straight, magus.

"And you're telling me to.. 'work for it'? Right... Listen, who the hell do you think I am?"

The proud son of the Whitlock family, Alistair is who Ashlynn isn't—charismatic and proud to a fault. Showing off all that he possibly can, ranging from mind-blowing works to even the slightest action such as drinking a whole cup of water as quick as possible. Behind all that bravado, however, is a hell of a lot of insecurity. And maybe a bit of guilt over his sister. Will you be able to have him finally let down their guard and just be himself, or will he double down?

Like Ashlynn, he has white hair too and it's usually swept to the side. With jade green eyes and pale skin, he takes pride in his appearance. There's a faint scar on his temple, though he pretends that it doesn't exist.

Jacqueline "Jackie" De La Fontaine - she/they, lesbian, witch.

"Sometimes I cannot fathom why my patience is lasting longer than my full name."

Despite not being straight herself, Jackie is the one who sets everyone on the straight and narrow, including the club's owner himself. She thinks of herself like the sardonic older sister, though the others deem her more like a protective mother with a sarcastic streak with her cards very close to her chest. Will you be the first person (in a while) to see her hand, or will she see you as another mistake?

She dyed her hair pink due to a stupid bet but ended up keeping it because she looked good with it. She usually keeps it in a bun. With an olive skin tone and striking blue eyes, it's easy to see how she far surpasses the beauty standard. Her friends notice that she never ages, though. How strange. And lucky. But mostly strange, even for a witch.

Kazuki Fujioka - he/him, bisexual, ???

"Hey, listen... When you think about it, the word 'bed' looks a lot like an actual bed, right? Riiiight? I'm not wrong, am I?"

Kazuki may as well dye his hair blonde because he is the perfect depiction of a golden retriever. Eager to please and extremely curious, you can count on him to do his very best, no matter what. Surprisingly, though, his heart is closed off from everyone, wearing a happy grin despite whatever may be behind it. It feels like there's something mildly eerie and fundamentally wrong about him... Will you find out why, and will you embrace it or not?

He has shaggy, jet black hair and similarly black eyes. His skin is practically blessed by the melanin gods, having the perfect amount of tan to suit him best. He has multiple ear piercings too!

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Links

Demo (not released)

Full character list (includes non-LIs, not released)

Character portraits (not released)

Pinterest boards (not released)

Author blog



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Content Warnings (added onto as the project goes on)

Depictions of blood and violence

Depictions of trauma and mental illnesses

Substance abuse (both alcohol and drugs)

Sexual content

Plus the possible inaccurate depiction of the supernatural in this work. I'll try my best though!

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Notes (added onto as the project goes on)

I will say right now that updates will be irregular due to juggling my life, so while I want to constantly work on this, I don't have the capacity to do that. Please be patient for the updates and let them come on their own, thank you! I'll do my best to give out updates and stuff on my part.

This WIP is still at its very early stages, with the original idea being in ChoiceScript before I scrapped the first idea and went onto Twine instead.

Feel free to drop asks and stuff :D.

Hope this gains your interest and hope you have a nice day ^^.

being an if writer is having an idea for a new if game completely separate from your current project rattling around in your head CONSTANTLY. just clinking around there like you're shaking a piggy bank. doesn't matter how many games you already got going there's always gonna be another idea out there that's equally enticing

WHY YOU SHOULD WRITE HORRIBLY:

1. You’ll never write anything if you don’t

Okay now that that writing about vampires is out of the way I need to go draw them for art fight,

back to our regularly scheduled winter adventure. I gotta get back onto crowning north and that lil project juiced up my brain for it! So excited to get back to writing the prologue 💪

foxglove is an 18 + interactive fiction novel under development that will feature, but is not limited to, the following : in-depth depictions of grief, mental illness, the usage of drugs and alcohol, descriptions of gore, religious undertones, themes of psychological horror, foul language, and explicit sexual content.

reader discretion is advised.

i am a martyr to the sins that i have committed and the vices that pollute the vessel that makes me whole.

and yet, even befallen with that conviction, i mutilate the very flesh of those who claim i cannot overcome the kismet ordained of me.

in the bustling metropolis of virela, an ethereal flourish of opulence and the very core for those ambitious and opportunistic, is built on the legs of their status; of being known as a universal sanctuary. the prospect has captivated many to bend to the confines of the city, a kind of vivid hope gleaming in their eyes for greater horizons. however, it is also no secret either that there are a multitude of disappearances that plague virela.

there are no unambiguous connections to those who disappear. no matter how thoroughly the authorities may search, there is not even a remnant of the person lingering at the very place that they were last seen at.

then, before the authorities may have the chance to conclude one of several cases cold, those who have been missing abruptly return, petrified, and are unable to recall what had happened to them. in lieu, many others return as a corpse — disjointed; mutilated — to be discovered by the eyes of passerby.

you have resided in virela for most of your life.

your grandmother tended to you, raising you from your adolescence onward. she had always been keen on remaining by your side for however long time would allow it.

then, she disappeared on your fifteenth birthday.

now, you are much older, in attendance of her funeral.

in the aftermath of the conclusion, you return to your grandmother's apartment - reminiscing, mourning the memories of the past.

you struggle to sleep that night, but when you finally do, it is late in the tenebrous hours of the morning.

however, whenever your eyes reopen, you are rested on the comfort of bitten pavement in a world that you do not recognize.

FOXGLOVE is set in xinthero, a semi-modern underworld that is overrun by disfigured creatures and those of the supernatural. fear is a lingering narcotic that could attract the unknown. every decision is vital.

will you allow this very world to consume you, or will you be able to escape and overcome it all?

✧ customize your character's pronouns, sexuality, personality, and physical appearance.

✧ choose what makes you unique; how you break out of definite situations.

✧ be cautious. not every situation requires you to be prideful.

✧ romance one out of five potential love interests. ( two female, one male, one non-binary, and one gender-selectable )

✧ survive xinthero, do not let it enrapture you.

ACHILLES — THE BRUTE. { M }

a lunar-struck supernatural, in opposition of the instincts of his very nature, achilles slaughters the multitude of entities that plague this world in an underlying attempt to stave off his indiscriminate hunger. he has been able to rescue you once, but do be wary to not become too comfortable in his presence.

ECHO — THE OCCULTIST. { F / M / NB }

echo is a bundle of nervous energy upon first introduction. they make it a point to affirm that they are only a student of the occult and just a lone wanderer that has been lost within the depths of xinthero for what could be almost a decade. it makes you almost question how they have been able to last as long as they have alone. it is a repetitive question that lingers, however you always end up keeping it to yourself without fail. there are a lot more questions than answers whenever it comes to echo; there seems to be a lot more then meets the eye.

LETHE — THE COURIER. { F }

an almost eternal shepherd for those who are first brought into the confines of xinthero. lethe is a constant that, albeit a woman of not so many words, prioritizes those that are under her care. accompanied by her fae companion, she makes it her responsibility to assist you in escaping this world.

FABLE — THE HAUNTED. { NB }

corrupted with the fragments of a remnant soul within the edges of their mind, fable is a mercenary, a disposable entity to those who are able to compensate them for their services. they are not afraid to make decisions that may be deemed risky. fable is uncaring in others’ well-being, however, if it adds a handful of coins into their pocket they don’t bother to bat an eye.

??? — THE EXECUTIONER. { F }

an enigmatic servant of the crimson veil, an organization infested throughout most of xinthero's terra firma, ??? serves as one of their many exterminators. the both of you seem to continuously encounter each other — to the point it almost doesn't feel like a simple coincidence. it manifests an anomalous kind of curiosity in you; a desire to know a bit more about this mysterious stranger.

DEMO T.B.A. ✧ PLAYLIST

being in a completely normal nonthreatening scenario & environment and thinking “i have GOT to get the fuck out of here” with the intensity of some trapped neurotic prey animal

Fantasy Guide to Building A Culture

Culture is defined by a collection of morals, ethics, traditions, customs and behaviours shared by a group of people.

Hierarchy and Social Structures

Within every culture, there is a hierarchy. Hierarchies are an important part of any culture, usually do ingrained that one within the culture wouldn't even question it. Hierarchy can be established either by age, gender or wealth and could even determine roles within their society. Sometimes hierarchy can may be oppressive and rigid whilst other times, ranks can intermingle without trouble. You should consider how these different ranks interact with one another and whether there are any special gestures or acts of deference one must pay to those higher than them. For example, the Khasi people of Meghalaya (Northern India), are strictly matriarchal. Women run the households, inheritance runs through the female line, and the men of the culture typically defer to their mothers and wives. Here are a few questions to consider:

How is a leader determined within the culture as a whole and the family unit?

Is the culture matriarchal? Patriarchal? Or does gender even matter?

How would one recognise the different ranks?

How would one act around somebody higher ranking? How would somebody he expected to act around somebody lower ranking?

Can one move socially? If not, why? If so, how?

Traditions and Customs

Traditions are a staple in any culture. These can be gestures or living life a certain way or to the way a certain person should look. Traditions are a personal detail to culture, they are what make it important. Tradition can dictate how one should keep their home, run their family, take care of their appearance, act in public and even determine relationship. Tradition can also be a double edged sword. Traditions can also be restrictive and allow a culture to push away a former member if they do not adhere to them, eg Traditional expectations of chastity led to thousands of Irish women being imprisoned at the Magdelene Laundries. Customs could be anything from how one treats another, to how they greet someone.

How important is tradition?

What are some rituals your culture undertakes?

What are some traditional values in your world? Does it effect daily life?

Are there any traditions that determine one's status?

Values and Opinions

Values and Opinions are the bread and butter of any culture. This is the way your culture sees the world and how they approach different life hurdles. These may differ with other cultures and be considered odd to outsiders, what one culture may value another may not and what opinion another holds, one may not. There will be historical and traditional reasons to why these values and opinions are held. Cultures usually have a paragon to which they hold their members to, a list of characteristics that they expect one to if not adhere to then aspire to. The Yoruba people value honesty, hard work, courage and integrity. Here are some questions to consider?

How important are these ethics and core values? Could somebody be ostracised for not living up to them?

What are some morals that clash with other cultures?

What does your culture precieved to be right? Or wrong?

What are some opinions that are considered to be taboo in your culture? Why?

Dress Code

For many cultures, the way somebody dresses can be important. History and ethics can effect how one is meant to be dressed such as an expectation of chastity, can impose strict modesty. While other cultures, put more importance on details, the different sorts of clothes worn and when or what colour one might wear. The Palestinian people (من النهر إلى البحر ، قد يكونون أحرارا) denoted different family ties, marriage status and wealth by the embroidery and detailing on their thoub.

Are there traditional clothes for your world? Are they something somebody wears on a daily basis or just on occasion?

Are there any rules around what people can wear?

What would be considered formal dress? Casual dress?

What would happen if somebody wore the wrong clothes to an event?

Language

Language can also be ingrained as part of a Culture. It can be a specific way one speaks or a an entirely different language. For example, in the Southern States of America, one can engage in a sort of double talk, saying something that sounds sweet whilst delivering something pointed. Bless their heart. I have a post on creating your own language here.

Arts, Music and Craft

Many cultures are known for different styles of dance, their artwork and crafts. Art is a great part of culture, a way for people to express themselves and their culture in art form. Dance can be an integral part of culture, such as céilí dance in Ireland or the Polka in the Czech Republic. Handicrafts could also be important in culture, such as knitting in Scottish culture and Hebron glass in Palestine. Music is also close to culture, from traditional kinds of singing such as the White Voice in Ukraine and the playing of certain instruments such as the mvet.

Food and Diet

The way a culture prepares or intakes or treats certain foods are important to a culture. In some cultures, there is a diet yo adhere to, certain foods are completely banned. With Jewish culture, pork is prohibited along with fish such as sturgeon, along with shellfish and certain fowl. Meat must also be prepared in a certain way and animal byproducts such as dairy, must never be created or even eaten around this meat. This is known as kosher. The way one consumes food is also important to culture. In some cultures, only certain people may eat together. Some cultures place important on how food is eaten. In Nigerian culture, the oldest guests are served first usually the men before the women. In Japanese culture, one must say 'itadakimasu' (I recieve) before eating. Culture may also include fasting, periods of time one doesn't intake food for a specific reason.

What are some traditional dishes in your world?

What would be a basic diet for the common man?

What's considered a delicacy?

Is there a societal difference in diet? What are the factors that effect diet between classes?

Is there any influence from other cuisines? If not, why not? If so, to what extent?

What would a typical breakfast contain?

What meals are served during the day?

What's considered a comfort food or drink?

Are there any restrictions on who can eat what or when?

Are there any banned foods?

What stance does your world take on alcohol? Is it legal? Can anybody consume it?

Are there any dining customs? Are traditions?

Is there a difference in formal meals or casual meals? If so, what's involved?

Are there any gestures or actions unacceptable at the dinner table?

How are guests treated at meals? If they are given deference, how so?