Dragon's Rise: Flesh and Blood

Hi! I’m Erin. I’ve had fun playing ChoiceScript games for years, but Dragon’s Rise is my first foray into trying my hand at creating one myself.

Dragon’s Rise will be heavily focused on character interactions and shaping your own narrative as the protagonist. Though the MC will encounter magic and adventure (and, of course, a dragon or two), my goal was to create a human story about a cast of characters and a world that will be shaped by the MC’s actions, as well as the person they choose to become.

Currently, my WIP is sitting at about 22,000 words total, not including command lines. It’s still early in the process, and a couple routes are not caught up as far as the rest, so I’ve made those unselectable for now.

If you find yourself interested, any feedback on the story so far is greatly appreciated!

I’ll be sharing updates roughly once a month, though this may become more or less frequent as my schedule allows. All content in the demo is subject to change.

Story

Dragon’s Rise: Flesh and Blood is a fantasy interactive fiction game. You take on the role of a teenager from a nomadic desert tribe, coming of age and finding your way in a fractured world.

Fifty years ago, the last living dragon was slain by the armies of the Cildarei Dominion, bringing their centuries-long purge to a close. With few obstacles left in their path, the Dominion and its neighbors swept across the continent, subjugating those they could, and making war with those they couldn’t.

You grew up listening to hushed stories of a time when your ancestors lived alongside bonded dragons, a time when boundless skies were their domain—but the reality of your life has always been quite different. You live in a land long scarred by war, famine, and plague. Warring realms scrabble for wealth and power, and you and your people are caught in the middle.

On what should have been a routine desert crossing, an unexpected encounter sets you on the trail of something you never thought you’d find; a dormant dragon egg. You and your allies must find a way to steal it out from under the nose of those who would exploit its power. Should you succeed, you’ll have to find a way to deal with the consequences, too.

This time, the stories are yours to shape. Will you be able to hatch, protect, and raise a fledgling baby dragon? And will the bond between you and your hatchling dragon be strong enough enough to keep you both safe?

Will you rekindle the glory of an ancient age? Will you chart your own path, forging a new future for your people?

Or will your discovery shatter the only home you’ve ever known?

Gameplay
  • Play as male, female, or nonbinary, whether cisgender or transgender, with your choice of pronouns and gender identity.
  • Customize your traits and skills; train and acquire proficiency in a variety of different weapons. Learn and obtain intellectual mastery over your chosen areas of lore.
  • Look for love among four different romance options. Befriend—or make enemies out of—a wide cast of characters.
  • Open new doors as you make choices that influence your standing with each of the major factions of your world, for better or for worse.
  • Ally yourself with an orphaned baby dragon; influence and shape the future of your bonded hatchling as you create a monster, forge a symbol of hope, or simply find a new friend.
  • Take advantage of free time to get to know your companions… or work to enhance yourself, your bonded dragon, and your tribe. You’re going to need it.
  • Explore the world and uncover buried secrets. Who were the dragonlords, exactly? And who will you become?
ROs

There are four different ROs to choose from; one male, one female, one nonbinary, and one who may be either male or female depending on player choice. All four are bisexual and romanceable by a main character of any gender. They have platonic routes as well, so feel free to pursue friendship/found family bonds to your hearts’ content!

As of the current demo, Noa and Myr/Myrra have not yet been introduced.

Adiye (f)

A compassionate huntress who would do anything for the people she loves. Adiye has a big heart, and she’s always had a soft spot for children and animals—but she’s also a force of nature on the battlefield. A perfectionist to her core, Adiye has high expectations for both herself and others. Stubborn and unshakable when she sets her mind to something, she takes her responsibilities seriously and works hard to keep everyone together. Alongside Safir, you’ve known Adiye for nearly as long as you can remember, the three of you having been raised to prepare yourselves for an uncertain future as warriors of the nomadic Koyukh tribe.

Adiye has deep brown skin, onyx-black eyes, and long black hair that she typically wears in braids or twists. For someone with such a bright, sunny exterior, she hides an impressive number of knives in her clothes. She’s tall for her age, with a willowy frame. Her left eyebrow is split by a scar she got as a child, while defending her best friend Safir.

Safir (m)

A trickster who plays his own cards close to his chest, Safir’s childhood shyness has evolved into a charming, yet aloof demeanor. He never quite seems to take himself—or anyone else—seriously, but he’s quietly brimming with curiosity for the world just over the horizon. Alongside Adiye, Safir has been your shadow for nearly as long as you can remember, the three of you having been raised to prepare yourselves for an uncertain future as warriors of the nomadic Koyukh tribe. His past before being adopted by the tribe is shrouded in mystery, but for as long as you’ve known him, he’s been determined to leave it buried. He might be willing to open up to you, if you let him.

Safir has a narrow, angular build, with olive skin and dark, wavy brown hair. His smile comes easily around the people he trusts—as well as the people he’s trying to con. He has an excellent poker face, with sharp green eyes and a calculating gaze.

Noa (nb)

A softspoken aspiring storyteller and historian, Noa has always had an eye for details that others may miss, the hidden beauty—and tragedy—of the desert they call home. Noa was frail as a child, and prone to illness, leading to long hours spent studying alone. Somehow, they’ve managed to find their own peculiar brand of peace in the knowledge that waking up to see the next sunrise is never a guarantee. Though well-intentioned, they sometimes forget that other people aren’t quite as blasé about death as they are.

Noa wears fabrics dyed in colors that evoke the summer sky at dusk. They have a soft, slight frame and a steady presence; quiet, but assertive. Noa has warm brown skin, grey eyes, and ashen-black hair that, despite their youth, is already streaked with silver. Sometimes it’s hard to tell whether they’re paying attention.

Myr/Myrra (m or f)

A peerless fighter, Myr/Myrra took up leadership over their late father’s warband at a young age, relentlessly defending the title from all challengers. Bold, confident, and larger-than-life—with the hard-earned skill to back it up—Myr/Myrra gives off the impression of being both unflinchingly fearless and fiercely loyal. They’re used to proving themselves, to putting their life on the line for others, and they’re happiest astride a swift horse, weapon in hand. All Myr/Myrra wants is a bright future for the people they’ve sworn to protect, but it’s a goal that won’t be easily achieved.

Myr/Myrra has sun-browned skin, laughing amber eyes, and windswept, tangled copper hair, which they decorate with an array of braids, beads, and tiny bells. Both genders, Myr and Myrra, are tall and muscular, with a warrior’s grace, and wear dark kohl around their eyes. Myr (male) sports a sleek beard.

Content Warnings

Dragon’s Rise will feature themes and instances of violence, death, warfare, fantasy-based xenophobia/racism/discrimination, possible animal death and animal cruelty, torture, fantasy- and magic-based human exploitation and enslavement, kidnapping, child endangerment, references to a forced marriage, trauma, and strong language.

This list of warnings is not yet comprehensive, and will be updated as the story progresses.

The story would likely be rated for ages 16+.

Changelog

9/1/21
Initial demo posted
22,084 words, not including command lines

Here is the DEMO link!

261 Likes

Hi! Nice demo :+1: I have a question: do the stats change at this point or you have not really tweaked them? It’s just none of the stats, even name and appearance change. Except for health status. I was just wondering if it was supposed to be like that or there had to be other changes too.

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Love the story. Can’t wait to see what happens next. Question though. Are all the dragons dead or do you find an egg and a dragon hatches and bonds with you? (Watching Eragon movie right now while playing this and thought that would be cool if it happened here) :joy: Carry on the good work :+1:t3::metal:t3::facepunch:t3:

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If you need any help with plot points or any ideas with how the story will proceed, feel free to DM me. (I’m a big movie nut and I feel that i might be able to help) But you don’t have to if you don’t want to. I just thought I’d offer my help.

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cool

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You had me at Dragon in “Dragon’s Rise”. :wink:

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Well it’s a very good premise and I love the look of the stat screen, looks really promising

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Really enjoyable! Can’t wait to see more of this world.

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I like the looks of this so far!

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Thank you! :hearts:

Yeah, that’s just because I don’t have those changes reflected on the stats page yet, but I’ll implement that (and try to make the stats pages look more organized in general, ha) within the next few days.

(some rambling about stats)

The biggest impact of the early choices in the demo are to the MC’s personality, as well as their relationships and reputations with other characters. But the way that I end up tracking/displaying those variables is definitely subject to change as I get better/more knowledgeable about ChoiceScript.

I have a pretty detailed outline of the where the narrative can take you, but gameplay balance is something I’m learning as I go. So as the WIP gets further along, stats, skill checks, etc. are definitely an area where I’m happy to hear what people hate, or don’t!

The plan is to make the stat variables feel like they’re opening new doors and giving you new paths to explore, not limiting the player to a single playstyle (so, not feeling like ‘well, I did something stealthy at the beginning, so I guess I have to keep doing that forever’). But I’ll talk more about that when I share the next major update, where you’ll choose your main traits.

Thank you for the kind words! Very minor spoilers: Yes, you’ll be hearing about a lead on a lost dragon egg, and then it’s up to you to steal it before it falls into the wrong hands.

You might genuinely hope to bring dragons back to the world, you might not want potential enemies to have control over something so powerful, or you might just be worried about the baby dragon being turned into a living weapon, or caged in a menagerie… but whatever your motivation is, you’ll have to figure out how to hatch the egg and raise the dragon. Even if the MC is initially reluctant to get attached, it’s going to imprint and form a bond as soon as it hatches, so good luck with that!

I loved the Eragon books when I was a kid, though I haven’t read them in forever. The bond between Eragon and Saphira was probably an inspiration in the direction this story takes, now that I realize it.

And thank you for the offer of help! I am definitely always happy to hear what people think about plot stuff.

@K_T
Ah, thank you for the heads up! I’ll figure out what’s going on there and fix it.

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The bond between the two is what i love about the movie/books. And as i said, if (and i mean IF) you need help, you can always DM me. I’ll be more then happy to help out.

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Really like the concept. I do have a slight feeling that their are a few dragons out their. But it could be just hope.

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Nice choice, I always love this.

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This is really promising. I think your writing is really solid and I’m looking forward to seeing where the plot goes.

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It looks like I had an error with determining whether the MC was adopted or not; the issue with the ‘I wanted to prove myself to someone’ choice should be fixed now. Let me know if you have any more issues, though. Thank you!

And thank you to everyone who’s tried it out and given me feedback. I’m looking forward to sharing future updates!

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@silvertree you got a very promising game here I look forward to what is to come and the result of that initial fight.

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Sounds good is it only dragon and mc that bonded

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You are definitely not the only person interested in getting your hands on a dragon egg. I’ll say that, for now. ¬‿¬

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