DEMO | KO-FI | TUMBLR | DISCORD | PATREON
Everything out here in Gaile is dirty—that is a fact you can no longer deny. Dust continues to invade your nose, the fog hinders your sight wherever you go, and there is a distinct smell that no one can seem to get rid of. A smell stronger than the muck that spills on its grounds. More repulsive than the scent of sweat. Of stagnant water. Of the decaying leaves and grass.
It’s the underlying scent of blood and death that somehow wafts over the air, pushing its way to your insides with such familiarity and haste.
Deeper. And deeper.
And deeper.
They call you Ripper.
It’s a horrendous name to give to a detective like you, and definitely not one you chose for yourself, but you suppose it’s to be expected given your reputation for putting powerful people behind bars. Businesses feared you. The other cops hated you. Local gangs despised your entire existence. Yet, despite all of that, you remained untouched.
Until that day, when all the lies and the deception and the foolish mistakes turned your life upside down.
But perhaps that’s not where it all began. Perhaps it rooted from the decades the city has suffered, through the failed revolutions and corruption that sucked the life out of it, turning it into an insurmountable void of hopelessness and grief. The deaths you can swear you have once seen but cannot remember.
Now, as you attempt to rectify what happened and fix your honor, you find yourself entangled in webs of conspiracies and betrayal with each step you make, and you will have to make wise decisions to discover the connections among the events disturbing Gaile City once more.
A grisly murder. Enigmatic hallucinations plaguing certain people. Recurring explosions . And the one thing that troubles even you and your overprotective brother–the strange, vivid nightmares and an ominous group that may be behind them.
Find the truth. Protect whomever you can. Survive. Remember.
But beware. In this forsaken city, the truth is everyone’s enemy. Just as it may be yours.
- Customize your character - gender, pronouns, sexuality, appearance, and motivations
- Reclaim your honor or be viewed as another corrupt socialite, while having the choice to hide your true intentions.
- Cultivate your relationships. Romance, befriend, or turn the closest people around you into enemies.
- Let past sins be forgiven or slowly go down the path of revenge.
- Deal with a shady government, haughty politicians, and bloodthirsty groups who may not have your best interest in mind.
- Have the choice to delve deeper into the Ripper’s nightmares and turn them into an advantage (at the cost of something else).
- Solve a murder, though you might not like the answer.
- Save. Sacrifice.
- See it. Hear it. Feel it.
[Please bear in mind that this is a story that focuses on the concept of grief, family issues, loss, death, and has heavy emphasis on corruption, which might not be suitable for some people’s tastes.]
Relationship Options
F. Wesley [M/F]
- Age: 24
- Appearance: Has short light brown hair with styled smooth waves (some strands barely touching the jawline for Finn when let loose; reaching the shoulder for Faye). Their uncallused fair skin easily burns whenever exposed to too much sunlight for too long, though they do use clothes that cover much of it anyway. Wesley also has almond-shaped hazel eyes with soft-arched eyebrows, a sharp nose, and has an average weight with average height. They mostly wear a calm expression that doesn’t betray much of their emotions, accompanied with a habit of showing off confident smiles when in public—mostly facades. Comfortable using clothes with long sleeves and scarves, complemented by a perfume.
A friend. A lover. No matter what role they had in your life before all this, it is the case no longer. Still, while the recent events that transpired have set you apart, the young journalist pushes on, all alone amidst a crowd of questionable connections who might end their life anytime they falter. Change the city; destroy corruption; create a better world–they will reach for those goals no matter whom they have to approach. They will keep on chasing, broken and lost as they are, to prove that every decision they once made has been worth it. To prove that leaving you was for a right reason. Was it?
E. Alonzo [M/F/NB]
- Age: 30
- Appearance: Has thick, black straight hair reaching the end of their ears and with sharp curly ends—several strands falling in front of their eyes. Their skin has a deep brown color, scars and calluses filling their hands and tattoos surrounding their right arm, and they always wear a black silk glove that covers up to their left hand’s wrist (which happens to be their dominant side). Alonzo also has a flat nose and hooded dark brown eyes that seem to appear tired most of the time; their glares tend to be the nasty kind. Tall with an athletic body, they give off an imposing posture, coupled with a clothing choice that mostly comprises of wearing long coats and turtlenecks of dark colors.
Hatred fills their eyes whenever they meet with yours, and you haven’t the slightest idea why. There has to be a reason, though. There has to be a reason why despite the small, vulnerable moments you share with them, it is as if a switch is flipped every time and their gaze grows cold all over again. One thing is clear–they have a plan. A plan against the marshal, the very person they’re working for, and your existence may or may not become a hindrance on the steps they’ll have to take. What that means for you, that is the question.
Owen Russell [M]
- Age: 26
- Appearance: Owen has short black hair with thick, soft curls that his sisters have always loved messing with. He has a dark brown complexion, a round nose and likewise round blue eyes. Taller than Wesley but shorter than Alonzo, his broad shoulders can give off an intimidating impression, though his frequent smiles offset this. Sweaters are his go-to for clothing as he gets cold quite easily, and he does wear his prescription glasses when at work.
Selfless, responsive, family-oriented. A resident doctor at the hospital your father built, Owen is one of the few people in Gaile City who made a conscious choice to be there, a decision he made without a sliver of regret. But of course, no one can be ever spared from the cruelty that the city brings upon its dwellers. As Owen gets entangled in the vicious cycle of crimes, as he witnesses the struggles of the same people who’ve been plagued with mysterious hallucinations, his ideals will be tested; and you can either stay beside him to help him remain the way he is, or become the reason for his tremendous change.
Jade Stein [F]
- Age: 23
- Appearance: She has long wavy auburn hair reaching past her shoulders, a delicate nose, and sharp protruding brown eyes bearing promises of danger. Her skin is of a russet-brown complexion similar to her brother Richard, though she is definitely much shorter with a toned build. The practical style of clothing Jade adapts (though she is also a fan of plaid shirts) lets her blend easily among the crowds, and her knowledge of the most obscure paths within the city has repeatedly allowed her to hide from suspecting eyes.
A reporter who restlessly roams the city for stories to tell, or at least she used to be. You don’t actually know what she’s been up to the past few years. There was a time when you thought she was like you, seeing her lack of reservations in targeting powerful politicians, until it was revealed that she did so by planting rumors of her own. Despite that, despite the mistakes she once made and the festering relationship she has with her brother Richard, she’s coming home. She’s coming home, secrets lying underneath the apparent bluntness, and she will do anything to ensure that the only family she has will survive.
???
Update Log
1/11/2021
- 27,000+ words
3/19/2021
Total Word Count w/o commands: 73,632 words
- Chapter 1 uploaded (44,633 words w/o commands)
- Romance Options and family introduced
- Choose appearance, sexual orientation, and motivations
- Feedback for Prologue applied (additional choices and scenes)
- More lore about the city
- Choose your character’s cover
- Confront Bale. Again.
- Peek into the MC’s past.
2/25/2022
- Prologue Revised (Chapter 1 pulled out for further testing–now over 60k words)
- Current Word Count in the Demo: 38,673 words
- Added interactions and scenes
5/08/2022
- Chapter 1 Revised
- Current Word Count in the Demo: 96,023 words
- Additional interactions
6/24/2022
- 2nd Route for Chapter 1 uploaded
- Edited sections from previous updates
- Current Word Count in the Demo: 105,728 words
10/08/2022
- Chapter 2 Part 1 added
- Nickname option added to Chapter 1
- Current Word Count in the Demo: 164,584 words
Feedback Needed
GENERAL FEEDBACK
- choices that put you off or make you uncomfortable
- inconsistencies in the plot or in the dialogue
- grammatical errors or weird lines/ text - I’m a stickler for accuracy in this area and English wasn’t my first language, so this would be very helpful
- lengthy and boring blocks of texts - I would prefer it if the readers would be able to pick up on the most important details, so if a segment’s long enough that it makes you skip some paragraphs, it would help me to know.
- Are there scenes where you’d prefer to have more detailed descriptions?
- Other feedbacks you could think of that aren’t specified here
Content Warnings
- Violence and gore
- Alcohol use (depending on the MC’s choice)
- Hallucinations
- Nightmares
- Panic attacks
- Character death
- Fire/ Explosions
Please don’t hold back on giving feedback and suggestions, especially if you spot inconsistencies. I’m also entertaining questions, if you have some. This would be the first book in a series, but I’ll make sure that every part will still be able to stand on its own, each with its own secrets to unfold.
This will be a journey full of sadness, betrayal, clash of ideals, and reconciliations with the past. So brace yourself and enjoy the game!
I’ll take note of that and include it for the next update.
