Sail to a lush island of warrior-mages where dragon runes grant immortality and love runs deep. When mystery tempts, how do you answer?
Ink an Intrigue is a standalone Heart’s Choice game set in the same world as Their Majesties’ Pleasure. Beta testing has wrapped up and the game has gone to copy edit!
Thanks to everyone who played the demo and participated in beta testing! I’ve taken the dashingdon demo down in anticipation of the full game being released in the near future!
This is the place for general discussion of Ink and Intrigue.
This game includes optional spicy scenes which can be discussed over here.
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Ink and Intrigue:
Plunge into a world where magic calls the passion in your soul and join a clan of immortal warrior-mages. Will you bond with a tattoo artist, a feisty initiate, a playful sage, or a maverick with an unfulfilled quest?
You’ve been a spy for the kingdom of Minare since you were ten, when the king deemed you too clever and sent you off for training. Now a seasoned spy, you’re sent to infiltrate the Kitherin warrior-mages, whose tattoos give them supernatural abilities and whose blood rites bond them to powerful creatures from another world. When the call of the Kitherin sounds in your soul, do you befriend a dragon, griffin, or phoenix? What paths will you take as an initiate?
Befriend or romance the soft spoken artist who paints dragon ink on your skin, the master warrior who plots to sabotage a corrupt regime, the feisty initiate on her third round through the challenges, or the playful sage who teaches you what reciprocity truly means.
Shop from the finest market in the nine seas, surf azure waves, and dance at a full moon celebration where you might indulge in magical elixirs and intimate moments. Get dragon rune tattoos and learn to wield their power, show your prowess on the sparring field, and soar in the skies of the otherworld. Arrange a marriage alliance, meddle in the affairs of the mage council, incite a lawful rebellion, or resort to poison to get what you want.
Will you confess the clandestine role you’ve played for your king, or keep your secrets and let the past die? No matter what you’ve done, your lover will stay by your side. When you pass your initiations and bond with your kindred, you will be joining the ranks of the Kitherin warrior-mages who bring balance to the interconnected worlds.
- Romance a passionate artist, a Fae-blooded sage, a feisty initiate, or a master warrior.
- Play as male, female, or nonbinary; gay, straight, bi, or asexual.
- Choose high-heat or sweet options, or avoid sex scenes entirely.
- Dive through portals and explore other worlds.
- Bond with a dragon, a griffin, or a phoenix.
- Indulge in magic elixirs and delectable food.
- Apprentice as a tattoo artist and learn about dragon runes.
- Go surfing with your friends beneath a full moon and watch the sun rise over the sea.
- Explore a steamy island paradise crowned with temples, magnificent gardens, and a hidden library.
- Forge alliances as an emissary, gather intelligence as a spy, decide the fate of a maleficent mage, and shape the leadership of the Kitherin.
Uncover the mysteries of the Kitherin and discover the soul-deep love that awaits!
This is a Heart’s Choice game. The PC is gender-variable, and the ROs are male and female. It contains explicit sex scenes and is 4/5 peppers on the HC spice scale.
Feedback
- Post general feedback on this forum thread.
- Please keep feedback and discussion of adult content to the Ink and Intrigue NSFW forum topic.
Setting / World Building
Rzskador is a land so wide it contains mountains and deserts, lush jungle and tropical paradise. The islands of Ra’zai are part of Rzskador’s domain and lie off its western coast. Home to the Kitherin warrior-mages and their families, villages dot the sides of the mountains that rise from the ocean, while temples, training grounds, and the ritual grounds where blood-bonds are formed crown the higher elevations. The tropical climate makes for an abundance of food, flowers, and herbs that offer a breadth of culinary, medicinal, and mind-altering possibilities.
Rzskador embraces magic in all its forms and is made up of four kingdoms which govern with respect that has resulted in lasting peace. Meanwhile, to the east, the kingdom of Minare is ruled by a cruel king born from a long line of cruel kings. Nearly thirty years ago, in an attempt to shift the pattern of oppression in the nations of Minare and Rumia, two of Rzskador’s princesses agreed to marry kings they did not love in hopes of raising a new generation of rulers who value respect and kindness.
In Their Majesties’ Pleasure, Rumia’s heirs Lissa and Julian prove themselves worthy of their mother’s Rzskadorian blood. Only some of the heirs in Minare show the same promise. Minare’s king grows old and greedy, lusting after the power of the Kitherin while fearing their magic so much he is unwilling to correspond with them directly. He sends the PC to gather information in hopes of finding a way to manipulate the Kitherin to fight for him against an empire with which his family has had a blood feud for over a thousand years.
The Kitherin are a clan of warrior-mages that hail from all corners of this world and others accessed through portals. They are a multi-cultural community that adheres to the Rzskadorian values of respect, compassion, and excellence in every endeavor. Though many mages (and Rzskadorians in general) have Fae blood, others do not. Their magic comes from dragon runes and ritual blood-bonds with powerful allies (called kindred) that hail from a world inhabited by creatures such as dragons, griffins, phoenixes, kraken, and hydras. Reciprocity is sacred to the Kitherin and their kindred, and together they seek to maintain balance in the interconnected worlds through which they travel.
The island of Ra’zai is nearly invincible, thanks to a complex tangle of political, philosophical, and physical devices. As part of Rzskador, the archipelago Ra’zai belongs to is protected by one of the largest, most politically powerful countries in the world. And, being home to the Kitherin, who have largely stayed out of this world’s politics and could obliterate any army with the help of their kindred, no empire or kingdom has been foolish enough to come conquering since the Fire Temple was erected.
Characters
PC: You’ve been a spy for the king of Minare since you were ten. Now you’re a seasoned veteran at gathering tasty secrets that the king uses to bribe and blackmail monarchs and nobles on every continent. Your latest assignment is to infiltrate the Kitherin warrior-mages and gather intelligence that can be used to the king’s favor, but you see another option: a true alliance. When you arrive in Ra’zai, with the entirety of Rzskador between you and Minare, you have a chance at the freedom you’ve long sought. You can escape the king forever, or arrange a marriage between a Kitherin warrior-mage and one of Minare’s heirs. When the call of the Kitherin sounds in your soul, will you bond with a dragon, a griffin, or a blue lightning phoenix? And as you face the initiations that lead up to the blood-bond, who will be your friends and who will be your lover?
ROMANCE OPTIONS:
Re’anna (Rae), FEISTY ROOKIE: Rae is on her third round of initiations after not being able to complete the trials at the end. She might’ve failed the first two times around, but she learned a lot and is determined to get to the blood-bond no matter how many times it takes. Curly hair. Wicked grin. A fun, sassy diva, she’s from Rumia, and used to perform at the Cabaret. You can help her pass her initiations with spy tricks and encouragement.
Matteo (Teo), TATTOO ARTIST: Soft spoken, kind, and passionate, Teo spends his days tattooing dragon runes on initiates and masters in one of the temples atop Ra’zai’s largest island. The tattoo process is done by painting a potent solution of herbs and dragon blood on the person’s skin. The process is painful, but he brings a calmness to it that is more than comfort: peace emanates from him and the dragon runes that cover his body. Long hair, dark brown eyes that shine amber when in resonance with his dragon kindred. He will take you on as an apprentice if you show interest in learning his trade.
Alexius Kai (Kai), WARRIOR-MAGE: Messy hair, electric-blue eyes that shine with gold and purple when he calls on his power. Kai is one of few Kitherin who have been through three blood-bonds. His kindred are a purple dragon, a giant tiger, and a blue-lightning phoenix. He harbors an unfulfilled mission the mage council does not support, so he’s biding his time in Ra’zai while planning to overthrow a government in another world. You can help him convince the council to approve his mission, and leave the council forever changed.
Theandra (Thea), PLAYFUL SAGE: Thea is one of the guardians of the pool to the otherworld and also holds space in the temple of reciprocity. She’s serene. Serious. Patient. Sometimes talks in riddles. She also has a playful side. Her green eyes take on hues of sea blue when in active communication with her dragon. You can help Thea and her dragon bring balance to the multiverse, and assist her in being elected to the mage council.
KINDRED:
Sia, PC’s DRAGON: Patient. Wise. Sense of humor. Vast well of magic. Spins dragon runes through space-time for fun. Increases secrecy stat.
Gavriel, PC’s GRIFFIN: Playful. Fast. Can track anything, anywhere. Increases prowess stat.
Nala, PC’s PHOENIX: Blue-lightning phoenix. Far-seeing mind, electric energy. Cryptic conversationalist. Increases creativity stat.
Ginea, RAE’S PHOENIX: Fire phoenix. Waiting impatiently for Rae to complete her initiations so they can enact the blood-bond.
Lovato, TEO’S DRAGON: Devoted. Ancient. Amber scales range from golden to reddish-orange. Donates blood for Teo’s tattoos.
Vijrasa, KAI’S DRAGON: Tolerant but deadly. Dark sense of humor. Something of a legend in the otherworld. Kai’s first kindred.
Jilash, KAI’S TIGER: Alpha. Hunter. Hungry for food and sex. Kia’s second kindred.
Hazima, KAI’S PHOENIX: Blue-lightning phoenix. Blunt. Mysterious. Makes connections in patterns through time.
Chandria, THEA’S DRAGON: Water dragon. Keeper of the records of Kitherin and kindred bonds. On the council of kindred working together to maintain balance in the multiverse.
FAQ
Q: When will Ink and Intrigue be released?
A: Soooooon. Updates will be announced on this thread, or by Heart’s Choice/Choice of Games.
Q: What is the estimated total word count?
A: Over 200k.
Q: Are any of the characters from Their Majesties’ Pleasure in this game?
A: No, but some are mentioned and you’ll learn more about the Cabaret from Rae, who is from Rumia.
Q: Are there poly options in Ink like there are in Their Majesties’ Pleasure?
A: No, but there’s still lots of fun to be had. None of the ROs in Ink and Intrigue are in romantic relationships when you meet them. While you can be with more than one person before committing, there are no commitment options that include multiple partners. However, the ROs don’t mind if you enjoy the company of your other friends, and there are plenty of opportunities to create meaningful friendships.
Q: Who did the art for the game?
A: Adrien Valdes did the official art for Ink and Intrigue and Their Majesties’ Pleasure.