Blood and Runes (WIP) -- Updated January 10th

I’ve begun work on my new game Blood and Runes. In it, you play as a member of the King’s Order, an elite society of mages who serve as his assassins, diplomats, generals and more.

You live comfortably – luxuriously, even – but not all is well in the world.

A gluttonous upper class; a starving peasant class; a resentful merchant class; a hated mage class.

In the Kingdom of Reian, corruption runs rampant, tensions are rising and revolution is coming. And you must choose a side.

To play the demo, go here: https://dashingdon.com/play/dawn1000/blood-and-runes/mygame/

To go to my tumblr, go here: Tumblr Blog

To go to my discord, go here: Blood and Runes

Romance

The game has seven romance options and eight romance routes. The ROs go as follows:

Aariz (M21) – The Arbitrary Assassin:
One of your two childhood best friends, Aariz has been by your side for as long as you remember. Considered to be a magical prodigy, he is arrogant and vain with a penchant for apathy, but he loves you fiercely and is loyal to those he deems worthy. Can you ensure that you will not lead him to his death?

(Aariz has an optional poly route with Dalia)

Aariz is tall and wiry with loose, light brown shoulder-length curls, deep bronze skin and brown, almond-shaped eyes. He has a crooked nose from where Dalia broke it once. A large part of his skin is decorated by rune markings. His right arm, metal from his shoulder to the tips of his fingers, is a prosthetic. Aariz loves jewelry and will often adorn himself in earrings, necklaces and bracelets.

Dalia (F25) – The Dutiful Officer:

The other of your childhood best friends, your memories are filled with Dalia. She has risen quickly through the ranks of the King’s Order, and she is considered to be a rising star. But ever since her promotion, she has been distant to both you and Aariz; almost cold. Can you worm your way back into her now hardened heart?

(Dalia has an optional poly route with Aariz)

Dalia is short and muscular. She has dark umber skin, high cheekbones and a full mouth. She has heterochromia, with one azure blue eye and one light gray eye. Her kinky black hair, which she usually ties back, falls to her shoulders in tight coils. A multitude of scars of scars race across her body, each one carrying with it a memory.

Adys de Resham (M22) – The Wastrel Lord:
Adys de Resham is the only son of Duke Malic de Resham, the second most powerful man in Reian, and his only child by his second wife, Duchess Serala de Lyn. He is a hedonist and a fop, a drunkard and a stain on his house. But beneath his fool’s act, when he thinks no one is looking, his dazed expression grows sharper, his gaze more aware. There is, perhaps, more to this spoilt lordling than meets the eye. Can you unravel the layers to him?

(Adys can only be romanced by male MCs)

Adys is a man of average height and possesses an average build. He has tawny skin and dark brown curls which fall to brush against the line of his clean shaven jaw. His face is round and heart-shaped and he is seldom seen without his cane, which he leans on often now ever since his injury five years ago. Adys dresses flamboyantly, all brightly colored silks and feathered hats and wafting perfumes.

Ralys de Amars (F20) – The Powerless Princess:

The King of Reian has no sons, and as his eldest legitimate daughter, Ralys is his heir. Under the patriarchal structure of her father’s realm, her wings have been clipped and she has been isolated from power all her life, trapped in a gilded cage of luxury. But Ralys has ambitions, and she does not mean to stay as powerless as she is. Can you protect her from both outside threats and herself as she flirts with treason?

Ralys is around average height for a woman with copper skin, wavy, dark brown hair and dark brown eyes. She has a heart-shaped face and a curvaceous build. There is one mole at the base of her throat and an identical one beneath her right eye. She often dresses in deep reds and maroons.

Idar Melios (M31) – The Merchant Prince:

The head of one of the most powerful guilds in the kingdom, Idar is extremely wealthy, extremely influential and extremely determined. His radical leanings have brought him the attention of the king, and you, as a member of his order, have been tasked with killing him. Can you find it within yourself to carry through with it, or will his revolutionary ideology catch your attention?

Idar is tall and muscular with olive skin, wavy black hair and soulful brown eyes. His body, including his face, is littered with scars. He has high cheekbones and a long, straight nose. His features are roguish and chiseled. He likes to dress in fashionable but practical clothing.

Zara Esyn (F21) – The Lady Tycoon:

The daughter of a powerful merchant family and wed to Duke Malic de Resham’s only son and heir, Zara wields political importance as well as financial importance, holding in her hands a level of influence rarely seen from women in Reian. Bold, proud and fiercely intelligent, she has been educated in finances, the lifesblood of kingdoms, her entire life. She protects the interests of her and hers and no one else. Can you become close enough to her to say you are among their number?

(Zara can only be romanced by female MCs)

Zara is tall and slender with golden-brown skin, honey-brown hair that falls to her shoulder blades in messy curls when she lets it down, and deep emerald eyes. The angles of her face are too sharp to be beautiful, all cutting cheekbones and strong jawline and aquiline nose. Often she keeps her hair in a stylish updo, leaving a few strands to curl at her temples and ears.

Arassa de Tibrem (F34) – The Fragile Flower:
Beloved by the nobility and common people alike, Arassa is the favorite wife of King Remys IX of Reian. Well connected, she holds considerable influence across Reian, not just in her husband’s court. Still, sickly and frail, she is frequently underestimated by almost everyone, even those who claim to love her. But there is steel to her, more than anyone could ever guess. Will you be the one to discover it?

Arassa is thin and of average height. She has fair skin, deep red hair and pale green eyes. She possesses a round face and several dimples that reveal themselves when she smiles. A long, uneven scar runs from the inside of her right thigh down to her knee.

Changelog
  • January 29, 2022: Uploaded chapter 1
  • June 18th, 2022: Uploaded chapter 2
  • January 10th, 2023: Uploaded chapter 3

Feedback is appreciated (both negative and positive) but I mainly just do this for fun and this is my first work, so please keep that in mind. If you find any bugs or typos, please let me know! I’ve done my best to comb through everything but I’m only one person and some stuff might have escaped my notice.

594 Likes

The demo and premise(as well as the ROs) got me hooked. Looking forward to see you flesh out your story.

Ambitious princess? Hoo hoo yeah.

15 Likes

Looking forward to seeing how this grows but for now good job :smiley:

3 Likes

I gotta admit this looks damn cool!

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I get that the choice at the gate is supposed to set the stage for our top stat, but what’s not clear is what exactly the outcome of the choices will be in-story. I know what they do for our stats, but the choice text isn’t exactly reflective of our character’s specific actions.

I’d also like some more background on what level of authority we actually have.

2 Likes

wonder wip you have here. always down to play a cool assassin. also when you choose the sword option for the weapon, the text after it says twin daggers.

2 Likes

So as of chapter 1, the choices you make for your stats do not immediately come into play. They will later, whether it be flavor text or stat checks : )

This is something that I plan on expanding upon as the story goes on! For now: The King’s Order has a great amount of power thanks to the throne, but they are deeply unpopular.

Thank you!

Thanks! I hope your opinion only improves as it goes on <3

Thank you! The ROs – particularly Ralys, in some respects – are characters who I am very excited to write. I hope they meet your expectations!

Thank you for letting me know! I’ll have to fix that. What path were you on when it said that? Right wing or left wing?

5 Likes

i was on the right wing

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Sorry, that wasn’t what I meant. I mean that, for example, the option “You feel the runes on your skin beginning to warm.” does not mention absolutely anything about tricking people using illusion magic. It doesn’t even begin to suggest that. The other options are similar: They are far too vague for the player to accurately predict what the character will do.

Also, as for the twin dagger text bug, it says that on the left wing too.

5 Likes

Playing an assassin’s always cool, particularly interested in meeting Dalia, wonder if we’ll find out why getting a promotion made her so cold and why she hate us now lol.

1 Like

Now that you bring it up, I think you’re right. I’ll definitely focus on making the choices clear in the future.

These bugs should be fixed now!

Thank you for your kind words! Dalia is… complicated, but I hope that won’t dissaude you if you decide to pursue her!

3 Likes

So does she actually hate us or is it something else, went from childhood best friend to hate lol. Also I hope there’s options not to deal with her mess and be an asshole to her if possible.

Found some typos

Summary

You have always been the calmer one, between the two of you; the one more willing to wait, and on missions like this, it shows. “Come one,” Aariz whines as you raise an eyebrow at him,“don’t look at me like that. You know I’m a man of action!”

You indulge him good-naturedly
You feel a headache building between your eyes.
You reprimand him and tell to calm himself

and

Summary

The hallway you walk through smells of sweat and dream dust and sex. As you travel through it, the light from the parlor fades and, if it is possible, you descend further and further into the shadows. Your breath rasps against the metal of your mask and you adjust it mindlessly; a habit you picked up from Dalia, years ago.

Several of the rooms are not in use, you find, and it takes you a while before you discover one which actual inhabitants. As the sounds of intercourse filter through the door, your hand twitches for the doorknob.

You rip the door open, eager to get this job done with already.
You approach the door cautiously.

Curse my incapacity to post images! imagine a generic, pained scream here

1 Like

I noticed you’ve listed the ROs ages, but what is the MC’s age? It seems like the MC is either approximately Aariz’s age or possibly younger, but it’s not entirely clear.

You don’t have to be kind to any of the characters; if you’ll notice, you could be rude to Aariz as soon as your second choice. Whether or not there will be consequences for those actions is a different matter.

Oh, and Dalia doesn’t hate you. She’s cold and distant, now, but she doesn’t hate the MC.

The MC is twenty-three, but if you wanted to headcanon them as a little younger or a little older that works too.

Thank you! I’ll have to iron those through when I get the chance.

8 Likes

You should add a save system

3 Likes

I don’t mind an 8-year gap, but some people might so I just figured it would be important to know for Idar’s route.

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That’s great, can’t wait for the update and meeting her next chapter.

2 Likes

Definitely a game worth looking out for. Interesting cast of characters. I’m looking forward to romancing the princess. I like me a go-getter girl.

2 Likes

“smiling BEHIND his mask”, I presume?

“one WITH actual inhabitants”, though I presume these people don’t live here, so perhaps consider “occupants” instead?

I am now responsible for coitus interruptus. Is there nothing so low and base that working for king won’t make me descend to? :anguished:

I’d picked a sword, actually, not the twin daggers. Do we have both, or is this a hiccup:

That whole final sequence, from the moment Aariz falls through the ceiling and the end of the demo, in my opinion goes too many screens without a choice. Even if you don’t want to put something there that increases skills of influences personality, I suggest putting in a cosmetic (i.e., no actual numerical effects) choice.

Gotta confess that “murderous enforcer for an evil king” is not really my jam, but I’m curious enough for future installments and to see if and how much we can divert from that (maybe by siding with the princess and/or the merchant?).

EDIT: I agree with @geldar that the choice on how to handle the door guards doesn’t really tell you how you’re handling it besides “which skill”, especially in the case of the magic option. Maybe retext it to “time for some magical misdirection” or something like that?

4 Likes