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 let me know if there are any problems, as it is a new site for me and things might not be working as intended: https://cogdemos.ink/go/3345
My brand new patreon!
(Not so brand new now.)
My Tumblr, mostly about An Unexpectedly Green Journey, will be shifting its focus to A Shriek of Ash and Fire as time goes by: Tumblr
In A SHRIEK OF ASH AND FIRE, you play as a male or female tearaway at the tail end of adolescence, a petty thief running with the street gangs of Grandardagard, the vast capital of Ardland. The city is teeming with the ideas and products born from the Industrial Revolution. Rumours abound of a new advisor guiding the hand of the unimpressive king, to clean up the city and embark on a âvery certain future.â
Consider this large game a âheroic originsâ simulator. It is designed for exploration and replayability, where, in every path, we can learn more about the world and the events leading to its breaking. Rather than a single, huge story, the game is heavily branching to allow us to control how our MC rises from insignificance into someone of influence, someone who one day may be able to alter the balance in a continental war. We will craft our origins and put ourselves on the path of future legend.
A small confrontation leads to violence and banishment. You and your mates will find yourselves pressganged into Zthullu, the dangerous ash continent to the West, potentially joining the crew of an immense ash crawler.
Here, untold mineral wealth waits for the daring and nefarious. But thereâs also talk of revolution and war. Events tumble to a knife edge as the certainties of the past clash with utopian dreams of a future.
You, a mere street rat may play a pivotal role in events which will change the world foreverâŚ
This game takes a different approach from my previous one. Here, the narrative will be tighter, though you will get an immense amount of choice as you forge your reputation in Zthullu, in preparation for a life of banditry, wealth and influence, exploration or revenge.
As well as being influenced by the good old favourites, LOTR and Warhammer, thereâs a dash of Mad Max and Immortal Engines to proceedings this time (maybe a bit of Dune sprinkled in for good measure).
RO Stuff
*Now with hints on the Player Notes stats page on how to find each RO.
During their journey, your MC may find people they grow attached to, and there will be opportunities for amorous encounters. Some of these encounters may lead to relationships of a deeper, more meaningful magnitude, though life in Zthullu is a thing of suffering and survival. Attachments are often free-and-easy things born out of desperation. Apart from the Sniper, all ROs are potentially obtainable regardless of MCâs sex, though most are path-specific. There are also a few casual encounters thrown in, though of smaller consequence.
Main ROs, this may be adjusted and fiddled with. The Brakka-Cold Pact path may have one or two new ones.
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Coireal the Siren
Colonel Thrayton, a minor Ardlander noble in the Ash Marines.
Free Agent, Man-Without-Title, Zuan, a Nagarese mage
Gibleti the Head Swab, and a goblin
Avalina the Facilitator, the Basilisk-affiliated half-elf.
Lady Evagrey the Younger, some say her mother was a Scorned Elf, though this is officially denied.
Lord Evagrey the Younger, some say his mother was a Scorned Elf, though this is officially denied.
Serafina, your lifelong companion in trouble and tussles, an elfing (of halfling and elven heritage).
Tinnafri, the kind-hearted lead gadgetician (mechanic) of the Road Fleet
The Sniper, they will be the opposite sex to the MC (explainable in the plot).
Just added- Pickles, the ghost.
Update 24: Cold Road Machine Love! (140K; 2.21 million total words â 24th May 2026)
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The Road Fleet has lost sight of the Despairâs Demise. Set up camp and await news as suspicions rise about this new land.
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Depending on your choices, commit to Tinnafri, Zuan, Micraik or Chesucsi. Each has a new âbig sceneâ not shared across other paths.
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The Basilisk path must come to terms with failing machinery and invasion. Escape with Avalina.
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An extended scene, for those who get close to Avalina, has been added.
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Cold Pact Reapers, Saints, or Firebrands find the Grey Torment rusting and decaying. Can they withstand the lingering curse of Malachar?
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Cold Pact ROs include Pickles, Ironwill, Frans or Scram. Or, for non-Reapers, enjoy a night with the crew playing with âpastry zombiesâ.
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Basilisk and, especially, Cold Pact paths can probe further into what awaits themâŚ
Update 23, Royal Love (approx 70K, 2.07 million words total- 26th April 2026)
Please take into account that some RO scenes are shared between the Rebel and Royal paths and the scenes following the âmorning afterâ, with minor differences.
This only affects the Royal Despairâs Demise Path.
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If you are Reviraâs Lady/Gentleman at Arms, find the crawler bewitched by her magic and rituals. She demands not loyalty born of duty but adoration.
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On Reviraâs path, she refuses to share you with anyone.
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If you are Raithâs Kingâs Shadow, find the crawler given over to hedonism as the king opens the stores and demands celebration.
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On Raithâs path, he requires your attention and, in your case, doesnât want to share it.
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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.
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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
Update 22, Rebel love (approx 90K, 2 million words total- 14th April 2026)
This only affects the Rebel Despairâs Demise Path.
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If you are the chancellor or a councillor, explore the Despairâs Demise as some folks give way to revelry, while others question their arrival in green lands as âtoo good to be trueâ.
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Or be labelled a âpretenderâ and rot in a cell.
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Finally commit to an RO: Sera with Coireal, Sera alone or Gibleti.
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Or, have a final knees-up with your Roachpede pals.
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During the morning after, the green paradise finally shows its true colours.
Peace and love, asland hippies!
Update 21, Wicked Games (approx 90K, 1.91 million words total- 1st April 2026)
Highly advisible to start a new playthrough. Old saves will encounter errors.
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We are gifted a semi-customisable companion. Pickles is given a body by Malachar to appease our MC.
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We will discover the story behind Malacher and Signy.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Finally confront Malachar⌠and be greeted with a somewhat unexpected last gasp.
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Included are a huge number of typo fixes for earlier scenes and several bug fixes, a few major ones, too.
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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 failiures.
Update 20, Strike (approx 80K, 1.82 million words total- 1st March 2026)
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As a slave, all your hard work in gaining allies and advantages comes to fruition. Become free workers and put your lives on the line for the sake of your ideals.
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Or, as an Enshrined, a legionary or a Yonder, put down the strike or provide solidarity for the movement.
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Regardless of your actions, you will be made an offer. Will you choose power over the lives of the downtrodden? Are you really willing to see the slaves slaughtered as a blood sacrifice and claim their murdered souls as your own?
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During the chaos, before the walls of Fort Ard, Zuan plays his hand and summons the AbhidharâŚ
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Squashed a few bugs and corrected some typos.
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Added a few paragraphs at the very start of the game for foreshadowing, something the concluding segments of the game will call back to. A small change, but it will add a narrative thump to the ending.
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A huge amount of typos fixes and several bug fixes.
Update 19, Cult Leader (approx 56K, 1.74 million words total- 19th January 2026)
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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.
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Slaves are dragged from the coil array and thrown into the Pale Lady to provide a meat shield for the accompanying squad.
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Observe the fate of the Road Pirates and Zuan.
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Fight through the Abyss-infected decks to confront the beating heart of the Pale Lady.
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Emerge as a hero, victorious over a greater demon.
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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.
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As a ghoul, ascend to become an Enshrined.
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A load of earlier typos were fixed, and I squashed a few bugs.
Update 18, Hot War (approx 90K, 1.68 million words total- 18th December 2025)
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Begin the battle of New Yeirshee, an outmatched foe.
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Break through the lines and go mage hunting or enter the ruins of New Yeirshee.
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Form a squad after the battle and stamp the Cold Pactâs authority on the scattered communities of southeastern Zthullu using mercy or brutality. Forge your reputation.
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Encounter the Zthullu Zoomers and Ashland Angels gangs.
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Gain respect to aid your rise in the Cold Pact.
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Of course, ghouls can handle things with their own increased savagery.
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As a slave, further your schemes with Scram to, one day, take a stand.
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Perhaps we blackmail Krayvas, found at the scene of a murder.
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We might charm a rather weird group of Yonders, a book group with Frans among them, who have made a little reading corner in an old storeroom.
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We could venture into a tomb containing wayward Enshrined, powerful undead set aside by the liches, deemed failures and called Deshrined.
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Or, we may uncover a secret group of sneakers hiding in the lower vents, ex-slaves eking out a living through theft.
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Finally, put all the pieces of our plan together and decide on a more peaceful or militant approach.
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You, or Scram, will get pickled.
Update 17- Cold Torment (approx 110k, 1.59 Million words total- 21st November 2025)
*As a dwarf, join the 5th Cavern Deep Legion and earn a place in the ranks of the Grey Tormentâs garrison. Youâll train in martial skills and, perhaps, tinker with gadgets.
*Non-dwarves can join the hopefuls vying for a place among the Yonder scholars and sentinels, potentially, one day, becoming a citizen of Yonderfolde. Train with a farsnipe and learn some of the magical arts used to power the Grey Torment, as well as mess with the undead. Charm a wraith or an undead orc and turn a zombie into a ghoul.
*Or become a slave, pushing the cranks to power the vast coils. Suffer bullying and indignities⌠and plot against your oppressors.
*I have also linked all appropriate paths, including failed Road Pirates, to the Grey Torment. Here, you are destined for slavery.
*Become a mindless zombie, and then something much, much more horrifyingâŚ
*Added 3 new testing Cold Pact starts after you create your character.
Update 16- Spirals and Fireworks (approx 50k, 1.48 Million words total- 23rd October 2025)
*Overpower the Cold Pact Crawler Grey Torment in a display of overwhelming efficiency and might. Hopefully.
*Investigate the cause of persistent errors under the suspicious gaze of the Collective. Rise to a position of trust, or be declared an erroneous variable in the machine of Certain Destiny.
*Find out more about Avalinaâs intentions. Perhaps from a bond which will have far-reaching ramifications in Book 2.
*Investigate a Zthullan anomaly, a cavern strewn with dragon bones and traces of an element known as pre-ether.
*Endure an attack from the Bastion Knights and an old friend, now turned foe.
*Wrestle control from the Basilisk⌠Or fail and damn yourself.
UPDATE 15 (approx 70k, 1.43 Million words total- 27th September 2025)
EDIT: It is advisable to start a new save. An old save may result in unforeseen errors.
*Relax in camp with your mates before you probe the deepest reaches of the wastes.
*Take one of 2 routes, each presenting its own hostile encounters.
*Defend the crawler from an attack by the Silver Angels.
*Fall into the grasp of corruption as the ash continent makes one final play, not with a physical attack, but with an attempt to stir your deepest fear and break your mind once and for all.
*I have added a selection of relevant background lore to read, available on the stats screen. Orc and Krog Tier patrons will have read these before.
*Added a brief âPlayer Notesâ screen, also available from the stats screen, designed to give new players a heads-up.