Aesemyr: The Withering (WIP) [Updated 11/1/24]

UPDATE: The first part of chapter two is now playable!


Magic comes with a price.

That is an inevitability every mage has to face. But when you lose your powers in a freak accident, you are certain that the price has been paid in full.

You settle down in the peaceful countryside, far away from any conflicts or conspiracies, all the while focusing on your recovery. And for two years, your life is quiet.

Until an untimely visit thrusts your fate into a stranger’s hands and you are forced to embark on one last journey to save yourself and your family. Yet the secrets you uncover might very well bring about your downfall, as well as the undoing of everyone in Waledria.

The Withering approaches. Will you make it before you lose yourself?


Hello everyone!

Aesemyr: The Withering (previously named A Rhapsody in Blue) is a fantasy IF game with a focus on story and characters, with some elements of romance and adventure. It’s planned to be a two-part series.

I’ve been working on the idea behind this for a while, but as I’m generally very nervous about posting stuff on the Internet, it always takes me a bit to actually do it. I’m also learning to code as I go, so I apologise for any errors in advance.

As of now, the demo contains the prologue, chapter zero, chapter one and part of chapter two.

Features
  • Play as a man, woman or non-binary.
  • Customise your appearance and shape your personality.
  • Follow the teachings of a specialised Way and gain access to different skill sets.
  • Find romance with one of the five ROs; or choose to stay as friends.
  • Set off on a journey that will bring you closer to the truth about the accident that nearly cost you your life.
  • Unearth a secret that might mean the end of the kingdom you call home.
  • Be devoured from within; or fight till the last breath.
Summary

Welcome to Lyyra, a kingdom where magic means innovation. As the leading force in the acquisition of Ruun - a natural source of magical energy - Lyyra has thrived for almost a century now.

Being the foundation upon which the kingdom continues to build, it comes as a great honour to be born as Ruun-touched. These so-called mages are able to manipulate and shape the magical energies that criss-cross the world around them. You are one such person.

Trained by the prestigious Academy, a place of wisdom and learning, you are part of one of many teams tasked with protecting the citizens, as well as Lyyra’s interests. However, when you find yourself caught in a devastating explosion, your old life is torn away from you as you are stripped of the very essence of your being - your magic.

For two years, you stay in a small town called Helys, focusing on recovery and figuring out your life; that is, until the peace and quiet is interrupted by an unexpected visitor.

What follows is a series of events that no one could have predicted. Your life hangs in the balance once more as you struggle on the path you were set upon by others. The secrets that come to light bring nothing but ill tidings, both for yourself and the kingdom; and as tensions rise to a boiling point, you are caught in the middle of it all with only a few trusted allies by your side.

However, the worst is yet to come.

ROs

There are altogether 5 ROs so far: one female, one male, two gender-selectable and the last one is unfortunately a bit spoilery :wink:

Valia Kainen (F)

You’ve known Valia for more than a decade now. Having met while studying at the Academy, she has always been a quick study and a diligent learner. Hence it is no surprise that she has risen through the ranks to the position of the Academy’s Headmistress at a much younger age than most of her predecessors. This is often attributed to both her exceptional skills and ruthlessness - her cold exterior only adding to her reputation. In spite of all that, she is mainly driven by her love for her friends and family and she makes quick work of anyone who dares hurt them.

While she’s no longer the girl you used to know, some things still remain the same; her dislike of you being one of them.

Appearance: Average height and athletic build. Shorter light brown hair that barely touches her chin. Light green eyes. Permanently set jaw and furrowed brows. A small scar across the left eyebrow. Tanned skin.

Lucenis Yu Jie Veldari (M)

A popular poet and the younger brother of the current king of Lyyra, Lucenis tends to keep his distance from the affairs of the royal court. In the past year, he has seemingly withdrawn from the public eye as well, though that doesn’t appear to dim the love the general populace has for him. He is well-known for his gentle nature, soothing voice and willingness to help those in need - be it an unfortunate soul or a struggling researcher. Throughout the years, numerous rumours have emerged, about both him and his mother; none have ever been proven true.

He is a good friend of your brother and Valia, the three of them often seen together in the city.

Appearance: Tall and lean build. Long dark brown hair that reaches to his mid-back and that usually frames his face as he keeps it loose. Black eyes and warm beige skin with a sickly pallor.

Cerin Melista (M/F)

Cerin is a part-time librarian in one of the capital’s largest public libraries. At the same time, they are also finishing up their studies to officially become a professor of history at the most prestigious university in Lyyra. They are a passionate collector of ancient tomes and relics, often going to great lengths to acquire them. Despite their popularity among their students, they are usually feared or shunned by the more superstitious folk - their heterochromatic eyes being seen as an ill omen in many places. However, that doesn’t seem to dampen their spirit, their outgoing personality and boundless enthusiasm being the proof of that.

Yet there is an unsettling presence about them, something in the sharpness of their gaze, as if they can see straight into your soul.

Appearance: Average height and slim build. Shoulder-length red hair kept in a messy ponytail. Heterochromatic eyes – one is a striking blue, one hazel. A smattering of freckles across the cheeks. Fair skin.

Tevshedi “Tev” Zanue (M/F)

Tev has been a mercenary since a young age. They have travelled around the world in search of work for many years and that has not only hardened them, but also turned them into a fierce warrior. Not too long ago, however, they left that life behind, instead applying for the position of Lucenis’ personal bodyguard. Good humoured and loyal to a fault, they often joke that they are not paid enough for keeping the man safe, especially from himself. But even so, they seem to be enjoying their new life in the royal palace, as adaptability and being able to handle unexpected situations is something they excel at.

Their amiable personality has helped them in establishing various connections among both the common folk and nobility. This has allowed them to build a vast information-gathering network without any interference.

Appearance: On the taller side with a muscular build. Short black hair, coiled. Brown eyes. Dark brown skin. Has a rather nasty scar travelling from their collarbone to their chin.

Other characters

These are major characters that will either appear or be mentioned throughout the story. These include your brother, as well as the team you used to be a part of.

MC’s twin brother

Your younger twin brother, by two minutes. Raised by your father, you both joined the Academy at the age of fourteen when your magic manifested. Since then, you started growing apart as you decided to pursue different fields of study. Unlike you, he chose the path of research, rather than combat; he is quite well known in his circles, mainly for his study of Ruun in connection to translocation.

Appearance: Similar to the MC. Short hair, brushing his ears. Very dark circles underneath his eyes. Faint smile lines around his mouth.

Captain Kal Poita

The captain of your team and someone you could always depend on. Your group is like a family to him and he is very protective of you all, even if it doesn’t feel like it sometimes.

Appearance: Average height, broad shouldered. Close-cropped brown hair. Light brown eyes. Tanned skin. Various small scars on his hands and arms, a scar across the corner of his mouth.

Vera Harwe

Charismatic and always up to no good, Vera liked you from the moment she met you. While she regrets choosing this path in her life and often talks about retiring, she would never abandon any of you.

Appearance: Average height, lean build. Short blond hair, falling into her eyes. Light blue eyes. Fair skin.

Ash Riven

Reckless and seemingly without any regard for their own life, the fun-loving Ash participates in most of Vera’s escapades; except for those that involve too many people, as they tend to shy away from larger crowds and strangers.

Appearance: Tall and lanky. Shoulder-length white hair, kept in a ponytail when needed. Stormy grey eyes. Sharp cheekbones. Very pale skin.

Delos Kyysta

Delos, or “Del” as everyone calls him, is the quiet conscience of the group, with a careful and contemplative nature. Often at odds with Vera, he is all but fed up with the shenanigans his teammates think of.

Appearance: Average height, athletic build. Short curly black hair. Dark brown eyes. Olive skin.

Feedback

Please, let me know if:

  • you catch any mistakes, weird grammar, sentences that don’t make sense (English is not my first language).
  • there are any errors that pop up.
  • you think some paragraphs/pages should be shorter.
  • you would like there to be an extra choice or choice option somewhere.

Other than that, I would love to hear what you all think, so don’t hesitate to tell me!

Updates

26/12/22: prologue + chapter zero posted (around 20k words)

09/03/23: part of chapter one posted (7k words)

30/04/23: second part of chapter one posted (around 16k words)

11/07/23: third and final part of chapter one posted (around 9k words)

11/01/24: first part of chapter two posted (around 18k words)

NEW DEMO: here
Old Demo: here
Tumblr: here
Ko-fi: here

Thank you for reading!

342 Likes

I haven’t checked the demo out yet but I love the title, I’m a huge George Gershwin fan.

Also it took a lot of courage to put yourself out there and posting the demo. So huge kudos on that.

I’m sure that there are quite a bit of authors that have felt the lack of confidence and the anxiety so you aren’t the only one. Stephen King had similar anxiety and low confidence when he first started writing.

I really love the premise of the story, and I will definitely check it out later today.

6 Likes

This was quite good! The plot seems quite promising, can’t wait for more. As a non-native speaker, had you not said it wasn’t your first language I would’ve not guessed as the prose of your writing and overall grammar sounded perfect to me. I wish I could offer more helpful feedback but this is all I can offer…

As someone who is also very anxious, I very much understand how you feel and must commend you on sharing this demo with us all for I’m sure wasn’t an easy step. I hope you’ll have a pleasant experience with having done it.

Regarding the coding issue, do not hesitate to ask for help around the forum. You’ll find that there will always be someone willing to help you out with it :))

4 Likes

I loved it so far, can’t wait to read more :heart:

2 Likes

I loved demo! Waiting to read more!

4 Likes

I love the demo

2 Likes

The save slots are broken

2 Likes

The demo is great! The only negative is that the save slots aren’t working but that isn’t a big deal.

2 Likes

Thanks for letting me know. They should be working now.

Thank you so much, I’m glad you’ve enjoyed it :slight_smile:

2 Likes

Thank you for your kind words :slight_smile:

(Also, Gershwin’s music is great!)

1 Like

Not at all, you taking the time to write a comment is enough of a feedback for me, so thank you! :slight_smile:

Thank you. I think putting the demo here was the right decision, even if it took quite a bit of courage. It’s encouraging to see what people think about what I wrote!

4 Likes

I really really loved the demo so far! A very interesting concept that at least I, personally, feel that I have not come across before in IF. I am very excited to see more! I also really enjoyed your writing style and to be honest, as a native English speaker, I wouldn’t have guessed it wasn’t your first language! I thought that the dream part was well-written in terms of being realistic to the way a traumatic event could have a lasting impact on a person, and all of the choices had options that fit with what I thought the character would feel/do given the history of the MC and my own personal preferences. I am excited to see more of this story, it’s easily taken a place as one of my favorite demos currently!

1 Like

Thank you so much for your feedback. :heart:

I’m also excited to finally get to what happens next and for you to meet some of the characters!

3 Likes

This topic was automatically closed 60 days after the last reply. If you want to reopen your WiP, contact the moderators.

Author requested reopening.

It’s alive?! :heart_eyes:

5 Likes

Yes, still alive and kicking. :joy:

Also back with a short update!

16 Likes

Oh, I love your WIP, it’s awesome!! Even when we didn’t meet the RO’s I love my little brother and the interaction with him were sweet and kind. I like the old lady Mrs. Rivers, she’s an great and kind woman. I hope we can meet her again. I’m looking forward to read more :grinning: :heart:

2 Likes

Thank you. :heart:

I’m glad that you like the characters so far. I promise that you’ll meet the ROs very soon! :wink:

5 Likes

Demo Update: 30 April 2023

Hello.

Part two of chapter one is now up! Continue travelling with your twin, have some overdue conversations and finally, meet some of the ROs!

Before you start playing, please read through the updated content warnings.

Coming next, part three will conclude chapter one with some important stuff happening. :scream:

I hope you enjoy the update! :slight_smile:

Play it here.

25 Likes