To play the demo: A Shriek of Ash and Fire (dashingdon.com)
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
A follow up to An Unexpectedly Green Journey, set more than a millennium after the events of the founding of the Green Empire. Playing the first game is not necessary but will add context.
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 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
A small confrontation leads to violence and banishment. You and your mates will find themselves 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
Romance is not a focus of this game, adventure and revolution are. But there will be opportunities for amorous encounters. Some of these encounters may lead to relationships of a deeper, more meaningful magnitude.
At present characters who are potential ROs, or at least those with possible âromanticâ encounters, are (this list may, and probably will, change while the game is developed):
Coireal (potential)
Colonel Thrayton
Free Agent, Man-Without-Title, Zuan (potential)
Gibleti the Head Swab, and a goblin
Avalina the Facilitator, the Basilisk-affiliated half-elf.
Lady Evagrey the Younger
Lord Evagrey the Younger
Serafina
Vincent (potential- now this has been suggested- Vin, being an orc, doesnât function the same way that us disgusting mammals do- but in a world of magic there could be a potential liaison down the line, though it would have to involve some rather far-out tinkering, the likes of which are only done by gods, demons or arch wizards and witches. Or, something elseâŚ)
UPDATE 7 (approx 90K, 700k total- 14th January 2025)
I have included many TESTING start options after you pick your name and race, which places you straight into Fort Ard, when you first arrive and leave the crawler. These may come with additional bugs- please report these similarly though be aware that each prepared start locks you into certain choices. It is very helpful to have some starting options allowing testers to explore newer content, though you can still start again if you wish.
Please note- the Basilisk path, after the events at the Iron Hill Pub, is available on Patreon and will be updated here next month.
*-Start your game in Fort Ard using the TESTER OPTIONS after you have created your character.
-Join the rebels and gather allies to your cause.
-Discover a lost goblin tribe, with baborcs!
-Engage in an artillery duel with the Despairâs Demise.
-Fight a battle on the ash plains against the crawlerâs road fleet.
-Board the crawler to begin retaking it for your cause.
-OR, join the royalists.
-After fighting your way to the Baronâs Quarter, discover the nefarious events within.
-Just what has the Baron been up to? You will decide his fate before returning back to the crawler.
-OR, flee the city in various ways and join the New Yeirshee Pirate fleet.
Please report all bugs and typos you come across!
UPDATE 6 (approx 80K, 612k total- 19th December 2024)
-All will get a scene in the Iron Hill pub, where Basilisk cultists try to take control.
-Royalists will get a longer path, finishing at the battle of the Baronâs Quarter. Here, you may see Father Roach make an appearance. You may also get to don the Bastion Armour if you are an ash marine who has joined that secretive order.
-Rebels will get a longer path, finishing when affiliated engine mates fire Fort Ardâs artillery at the Despairâs Demise. Among, other options, you may find a hidden goblin tribe or have Sera unleash the full extent of her demonic abilities.
-Basilisk cultists currently have their path end after the Iron Hill meeting.
-Those who have not sufficiently supported the Royalists or Rebels, and if they take control of events, will be forced into exile. This path ends soon after the Iron Hill pub meeting.
Please report typos and bugs. This is a very complicated scene to piece together and your help is much appreciated.
UPDATE 5 (50K, 531k total- 11th November 2024)
Here, you have the first part of the Fort Ard Update, 50k+ bringing this version of the game to over 500k words. How will you spend your time on the eve of revolution?
-Take the load off and enjoy a street festival.
-Or, if your cloth is cut properly, enter an exclusive club.
-Or, kick back in a pub with the rest of the crawler boys and girls.
-Lots of variable-dependent events. This scene could pass quickly or not, depending on your choices. Some choices are only available to certain professions.
-Potentially, get closer with Colonel Thrayton, Sera or add a notch to Gibletiâs, already hacked-to-pieces, bedpost.
-If you have become one of the Evagrey twinsâ favoured bootlickers, get a chance to delve into their past and uncover another side of this sadistic pair.
Many new variables which may mess with old saves. As always, I am open to feedback and bug/typo fixes though might be slower on the uptake this month.
Best wishes to you all!
UPDATE 4 (103K, 481k total- 13th October 2024)
This update is mostly events and stories, rather than game systems, conentrating on one of the crawler escape paths. Brakka is much denser than New Yeirshee. It has more issues. And more ways of handling these issues.
-Make a life in Brakka for a short period of time.
-Work in the mines, on the pit level, or in the gun towers on the crust.
-Visit the Gristle in the Bristles pub to join the Cold Pact and the bearded dwarves.
-Or join the actions of beardless dwarves and escaped human conscripts, deserters and wanderers to plan their escape.
-There are 4 missions for supporters of the beardless folk, to wreak havoc in Brakka. Or 3 missions to put the damn beardless in their place- making the scene very replayable.
-If you mess up you might die. More than likely though, youâll be locked up to await a terrible fate as a slave in one of the Cold Pactâs crawlers, which will be a future playable path.
-Oh, and if you are a dwarf, you can grow a beard!
Any help with typos and bugs is much appreciated. I will resolve to fix any issues ASAP.
UPDATE 3 (128K, 378k total- 15th September 2024)
-Travel to New Yeirshee and explore this weird scab of a town
-Join the Ash Land Road Pirates and become a road warrior, earning a âroad nameâ.
-Fight against other vehicles using the road combat system.
-If you are inclined towards magic, enhance your skills with the formidable, dark powers of Naga magic and become the legendary Abhidhar of Zthullu.
-Potentially, get much closer to Zuan, the Man Without Title.
-Keep up to date with events back in Behatland by viewing the ânews portalâ in the communal mess.
UPDATE 2 (97K, 250k total- 14th August 2024)
-With Vin and Sera, with a squad of ash marines, venture into Zthullu to confront a Yonder threat.
-Take part in an intense battle and uncover the secret behind a new enemy weapon.
-Return from your expedition in the ash lands and report to none other than Commodore Evagrey, the Lord of Despair.
-Spread dissent for your favoured faction or weaken your enemies.
-Investigate sightings of an intruder⌠depending on how your expedition in Zthullu went.
-Potentially get closer, very close, to Sera, Gibleti, the Evagrey Twins and/or Colonel Thrayton.
-Learn new skills.
-Prepare for the coming revolution.
UPDATE 1 (87k, 153k total- 5th July 2024)
-Expanded the Crawler paths for each profession. Now, you can settle into your new job, meet a few new people and get involved with some of the politics and mysteries of crawler life. This is the main content of the update by far.
-If you have fled the crawler, you have a small expansion of events heading north or south. Go north to find the town of Brakka, home of many outcasts, or south to New Yeirshee, where you will join ash pirates and be able to pick a weapon and vehicle.
-Added a new âpamphletâ section to the stats screen, where I can handily add bits about lore which would be useful for playing the game. Right now, there is a summary of names for various mixtures of the races of Behatland- mostly because I found writing things like half halfling half-elf terrifying.
-Split up the lore stats screen a bit, to avoid scrolling issues on mobiles.
UPDATE 0 (66k- June 9th 2024):
-Very early stages and everything is up for change and development. Less than 10% complete.
-Create your character and choose their heritage; dwarf, goblin, elf or halfling.
-Hone your starting skills in your gang, the Roachpedes.
-Begin to form relationships with factions which will alter your destiny.
-Arrive in Zthullu and begin your journey in this most blighted of places, as a runaway or as part of an ash crawler crew.
-From the stats screen, find the political map of Behatland and read about how the world has changed since An Unexpectedly Green Journey.
-If you join an ash crawler find a page detailing its immense size and power. Can such a mechanical beast survive?