I love your take on the werewolf story. A lot of previous story go, “I find out I am a werewolf, I fight my wolf nature (or, I save my pack from “X” threat),we all live happily ever after”. I think it would be fascinating to delve into the day to day dynamics of pack life a bit more and I wish you the best should you choose to pursue this project. I will be looking forward to this. Just a quick question, regarding the setting. Are you going to place the pack in a more urban setting, which would result in more dynamic moments, or a more suburban/rural setting, which might allow more development of more of a normal pack dynamic? Thanks.
2 Likes
Update (Oct 7, 10PM): I’ve worked on adding more variations to the test scenes. So far, Azure is nearly done and Vermilion’s scenes are getting re-structured. I’ve also managed to work on the hidden achievements because I couldn’t figure out how the hell that was done for the longest time! I dug through the forum a bit, but I found a solution. Or, rather, I hope I did. LMAO!
I do need to fix a couple of things with the stat variation. This probably means I’ll be lessening how many points you get via character creation. Ahh, things got a bit wacky during interactions. I think if I lessen the points earned, it’ll make things more balanced. I’ll… I’ll figure it out.
I’m hoping that once I get all four men done and their variant scenes I’ll send out a demo for it. That way you guys can check out the little scenes while I work on Chapter 1 some more.
Romance Variation Example with Azure
Those gorgeous cerulean gems were glistening as the concern increased on his face. The pout turns into a small frown as he nears you. A hand reaches out to touch you, but it retracts. As if he’s afraid to harm you. You wonder how long it’ll be before he’s comfortable initiating touch.
Romance Variation Example with Vermilion
The glistening pair of apricot instantly hardens into the fiery irises you’re accustomed to seeing when Vermilion’s rage boils within him. The sight brings a rush of emotions you can barely decipher. This wasn’t a rage towards you, but a rage to all those that wish to cause you harm.
Side Note: I got distracted doing this:
He’s a bit more rendered. xD
Character Drabble, Chapter Plotting
Orders are Orders
Nexus Headquarters (NexHQ), West Wing - Control Sector.
Handler: “You can’t be serious!” It took nearly all you had from snarling the words out your mouth, but your eyes - there might as well had been a raging fire within them.
Overseer: “Oh, I can ensure you, Handler.” He says without bothering to meet your eyes. The slight scraping sound of the pen against paper can be heard as Overseer Kinsley works through one document to the next. “The council is serious.” Kinsley’s tone is straight, and to the point.
Handler: “How the hell do they expect my men to fight Wildlings if 90% of their powers had been sealed off?!” This time your tone is raised as the anger inside is building. “We’re supposed to rehabilitate these men, not use them as cannon fodder!”
Overseer: A pair of pale icy blues met the glaring heat you’re tossing his way. “Handler ${surname}!” Kinsley’s voice is a sharp knife cutting through your thoughts. A wince is felt through you as the pressure in the air rapidly intensifies within the office.
“May I remind you that it is your job to rehabilitate them, not the council’s.” Another wince, another moment of intensifying power before it all dissipate as soon it was conjured.
You watch as the Overseer breathes in a long breath of air before exhaling. When his eyes met yours, you swear they had softened a slight.
“Besides, whether they live or not - wouldn’t matter. If you fail to rehabilitate them, they will be decommissioned. If they die in battle, at least they’ll die with their dignity.”
Handler: Scoffs.
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This is true of every piece of interactive fiction. You havent actually told us what the concept of the story is aside from one where we make decisions and there are consequences. That could just as easily describe Creme de la Creme, a high society private school slice of life, Choice of Rebels, where you organise a rebellion in a fantasy world, or Night Road, where you deliver UPS packages and also feast upon the flesh of the unworthy.
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@lighter_night Will you have a situation like Teen Wolf with True Alpha’s (an alpha who can become one through force of will) or demon wolves?
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@swilson50125 I already have something written so I’m confident I can publish the prologue relatively soon.
The setting is a bit of both. MC was taken captive in the city, but the pack has a house a bit outside of it in the countryside, with fruit trees they feed from and sell what’s left. This will also allow the werewolves to shift more frequently in the open without all the issues of living in the city.
@Ghoslestat I am not very familiar with the series so I had to look it up, but from what I understood it should be a bit different. Here, one is born alpha and cannot become one. Also, werewolves do retain their consciousness when they shift and they can shift whenever they want without pain (like, I believe, a demon wolf). Full moon only forces werewolves to shift and to howl at the moon, leaving them a bit disoriented the day after.
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Admittedly I’m making this game regardless, and chapter one is already outlined and in progress, as well as I already have a tumblr for the game development (and this information is mostly copy-pasted from the info posts on there). But chapter one seems to have reached a size where I think it would be appropriate to put it up on the forum, so I’d like to see what the interest for my idea might be. So!
The Book of Broken Candles
Several months ago, something inside you snapped. You shouldn’t have opened that book and devoured its precious information the way you did. But you’d do it again and again. You learned things you- no, no human should know. It was power. It was curse. And it liberated you. But the sentence for your crime was death.
Luckily, Dearest Mother had one final string to pull for her wretched precious child.
And that’s how you arrived to the city of Vodon in handcuffs.
The Book of Broken Candles is an eldritch horror slice-of-life romance game set in a fictional 1920s following MC’s exile to the former prison city Vodon as punishment for their pursuit of Forbidden Knowledge. With multiple storylines to find based on your choices, one of three jobs to work, one (or two) of five romances to pursue, do your best to cope with your fraying mind and lingering hunger for that which you shouldn’t know!
…So, if anyone here knows one of my old, cancelled works here on this forum, a couple of the following details might be familiar. Just wanted to note that. I’m reusing one of the characters from that work in this work, but not only that, I’ve expanded and am reusing the original species he belonged to, the Vulks. That’s right, this is an All-Vulk cast! Don’t worry, I’ve also included the necessary information on this species below.
The Vulks
The Vulks (or the Vulkillian People) are an underpopulated species descended from a race of cannibalistic, unholy wolves.
For their crimes against the world, the wolves were Damned by the God of Death to all seven Hells.
As the wolves evolved into humanoid beings near indistinguishable from humans and adopted the name Vulk, they split off into three clans who bear traits both gifted and cursed from their respective Hells and markings to denote their existence as Damned.
Culturally, Vulks do not go by forenames and surnames like most of the world, but they do have two names: Their common name, the one they will be referred by most, and their family name. This is a name used by individuals who are very close to the Vulk as to be considered, in some way, family.
Clan #1: Dolumni
The Clan of Invention.
Damned by the Hells of Superbia and Invidia. Pride and Envy. Their colors are blue and orange.
The most populated clan, as the clan most welcome in society. They are the scholars and inventors of their kind. Very intelligent, as gifted by Superbia, yet secretly suffering from crippling self-esteem issues, as cursed by Invidia.
Their physical traits include brown skin, orange hair, and blue eyes. Their markings can be orange and/or blue.
Clan #2: Vesani
The Clan of Insanity.
Damned by the Hells of Gula and Ira. Gluttony and Wrath. Their colors are black and red.
An endangered clan, as so few exist to this day. They are reclusive by choice, but the most shunned of any of the clans. Gifted with immense strength and Black Flame magic by Ira, they are also cursed by Gula to never taste anything that isn’t sickeningly sweet or painfully spicy. Inexplicably, and the so-called signature trait of the Vesani, they also suffer from mental health issues, ranging from mild depression to severe catatonia. They frequently experience hallucinations of many kinds and dissociation.
Their physical traits include pale skin, black hair, red eyes, and black nails. Their markings can be black and/or red.
Clan #3: Canii
The Clan of Luck.
Damned by the Hells of Luxuria, Acedia, and Avaritia. Lust, Sloth, and Greed. Their colors are purple, gray, and maroon.
The most unusual clan, as their traits are not set one way the way the other two are. They are gifted by the Hell of Avaritia with abstract luck, but cursed in different ways by Luxuria and Acedia. Physically and emotionally, they can suffer from either feeling too much or not feeling enough. They also suffer from either chronic fatigue or insomnia. A strange coin toss for their fate.
Their physical traits include any skin tone, and hair and eye colors from any of their clan’s colors. Their markings can be purple, gray, and/or maroon.
The ROs
Day:
Family name: Daiya.
He/Him. Vesani. A stoic, generally unfriendly man with the misfortune of being responsible for MC now. Due to an incident with his brother, he was sentenced to prison, but managed to negotiate rehabilitation by way of working for the City Guard; the likely source of his grumpiness. He has two dogs, Skoll and Hati.
He is 6’5 with a somewhat lean and toned body. Short black hair. Red eyes. Pale skin. Black nails. His markings consist of two slashes one after the other on his cheeks below each eye, one black and the other red.
Night:
Family name: Novah.
He/Him. Vesani? A maskingly bright, friendly, and rather bawdy man. Not much is known about him, except he does tend to inexplicably be around at opportune times. Also frequently seen with Day. No relation, however.
He is 6’5 with a fit body and toned arms from archery. Short, white hair. Blue eyes. Pale skin. Blue nails. His markings consist of two slashes one after the other on his cheeks below each eye, one black and the other blue.
Bat:
Family name: Baiyan.
He/Him. Canii. An easygoing, gentle, albeit slightly withdrawn man. A former courtesan, he now lives off of his savings as well as being a part-time waiter at a bar in the low end of town. Prone to insomnia and difficulty feeling anything emotionally, but has a hyper sensitive body.
He is tall with a strong body and several vulgar tattoos. Medium-length, maroon hair. One gray eye with a dark undereye circle, the other covered by a chained eyepatch. Tan skin. His markings consist of something jagged and purple beneath his eyepatch, and a gray circle right below each ear, with a slash following the border beneath his jaw.
Myra:
Family name: Mirin.
She/Her. Canii. A low energy, blunt woman with poor social awareness, although she tries to be nice. At night, she’s a gambler and an underground fighter. During the day, she works as Dominya’s assistant. Struggles to feel anything, physically, and is frequently sleepy.
She is somewhat short with a toned body. Long, grey hair (usually in a bun.) Purple eyes. Pale skin. Her markings consist of random dots like constellations under her eyes, and shapes like sickles with round handles on either shoulder.
Dominya:
Family name: ?
She/Her. Dolumni. A very kind and empathic woman. Living up to her clan’s reputation as inventors, she founded Delphi ThinkTank, a business responsible for many of Vodon’s recent modern advances. Estranged from her family, she works hard to support herself and bring her ideas to life.
She is very tall with a slender body. Shoulder-length, orange hair. Blue eye. Brown skin. Her markings consist of none on her face, but sweeping markings over her shoulders where they split, across her collarbone and up the sides of her neck.
The Jobs
As MC is living in a new city and will need to start making rent, they need a job. Players will have a choice between three positions their mother worked out for them:
- The City Guard. Much like Day, you can escape you punishment via the City Guard’s “rehabilitation program.” However, due to the severity of your charges, you won’t be an official officer and won’t be asked of much as you shadow Day for the year. It’s more of a very long, very strict probationary period. But it’s the prime position to team up with Night to annoy Day.
- Dominya’s assistant. The city’s most famous genius could use all the help she can get. Especially because half of that help is Myra. And who knows, maybe you have some… suggestions for Dominya, based in your, shall we say, previous studies?
- The local Death House, aka the mortuary, working for Mx. and Mr. Paint and Noel Scosa. Don’t get ahead of yourself, you won’t be doing any autopsies or embalmings. Mostly Noel, as the funeral director, will be needing your assistance before his spouse, the mortician known as Paint, starts asking more and more for your help with the bodies. Unlike the other two, it’s not a job that’ll net you more interactions with the ROs, but it may just allow you to open your mind further to the corners of this reality others can’t see. It’s a bit lonely, though… may make it a tad hard to cope with that new knowledge.
The Trigger Warnings
Be warned, this is a non-exhaustive list. These are only the confirmed warnings while the game is in its early stages.
Unavoidable Content
- Explicit memories and discussions of child abuse - physical and mental
- Themes of trauma and mental health
- Themes of horror
- Other characters dissociating
- Sexual content in the form of dialogue
Technically Avoidable Content
- Non-explicit discussions of child sexual abuse or assault (Two ROs’ backstories feature this and, if pursuing these ROs, this content in unavoidable)
- Themes of unreality and dissociation (This might be hard to avoid, given the mechanics of the game, but not impossible)
- Discussions of sex work (One of the ROs is a former sex worker and, if pursuing this RO, this content is unavoidable)
- Death (might actually be unavoidable. Currently only unavoidable in the mortuary job (naturally))
- Romance (it’s a romance slice of life game, the character and romantic interactions are basically the entire plot. However, there is one (1) storyline that hinges on pursuing no romance)
Completely Avoidable Content
- Sexual content in the form of sex scenes (Completely optional to engage in these. I’m also thinking carefully about allowing the option for MC to be asexual and how I’d implement it)
I think that’s all my bases covered for now. I can’t promise a timeframe for when chapter one will be released, but hopefully before December. Let me know what y’all think and if you have any questions! (Feel free to direct them at the tumblr, too. Whichever you’re comfortable with.)
35 Likes
I think it sounds great! I’m definitely going to follow it once you get a demo going. I can’t wait to romance the boys and befriend the girls
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I started a WIP thread if anyone’s interested
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I absolutely love your suggestion. Since I’m leaning towards changing the title, I think I’ll adopt your idea.
Although I have some potential alternatives to the ‘My’ part but ‘Butterfly Effect’ is golden.
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Eldridge horror slice of life. Sign me up
I would love Winx Club type IF
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Howdy folks.
Been working on (another) idea for a little story. Hopefully I’ll finish the prologue soon enough. Meanwhile, here’s a little sneak peak at what I’m working at.
“Justice is what you make of it. Justice is when the wronged are helped and saved, it’s to make their lives fair once again, to protect and to make sure no one else gets hurt. Justice is cold and impartial, it’s a tool to set law and order, something not to be guided by blind emotion. Justice is when the guilty get fair retribution for their foul acts, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth; it’s when the wicked get vanquished and suffer the consequences of their actions. What facet of Justice will you embody?”
You play as an Herald of the forgotten God of Justice, chosen to enact and execute divine judgment upon mortal kind. You’ll roam the lands in a quest to revive your Patron to their former glory, all the while meeting and forming relationships with other heralds, in particular an Herald of Love, an Herald of Fortune, an Herald of Hope and an Herald of War. (There will be options to romance these four characters.)
What I most want with this game is for the player to employ their own version of morality and ponder what they think is just. I will throw various grey scenarios and let the player decide what to do, with no cannon “good” or “bad” choices, as everyone has different beliefs of what justice entails and I intend to account for that.
Here’s a little portion of the prologue, still unpolished and unfinished. It still doesn’t show the judgment mechanic that I will implement, which will happen in the beginning of the first chapter, which I have not yet finished enough to showcase.
The mechanic itself simplified for those curious:
This is how the player will enact their judgment upon meeting a person who has killed, robed or anything of the sort. The player is able to get into the person head and feel/see/sense all the life that that person led. After that the following choices will appear.
How do you judge this person:
-Guilty
-Innocent
If guilty, the following can be done:
-Show Mercy: even though the person is guilty, the punishment would be gratuitous as they know they done wrong and will not likely repeat it.
-Curse: the person will be inflicted with a curse that will only be lifted upon certain conditions, like repaying all they stole to the people that suffered, or being magically prevented from harming another person, or being forced to do charity work until their debt is fulfilled, etc etc (depends on situation)
-Execute: the only punishment this person deserves is death, they are irredeemable and/or unworthy of life.
If innocent, the following can be done:
-Heal and Sooth: this person has suffered a lot and deserves their guilt (if existent) to be soothed, and for their mind/body to be healed of signs/memories of the acts that lead them to be judged.
-Acquittal: at the eyes of the law and the gods this person is deemed innocent, their wrongdoings acknowledged but not condemned due to their particular situation.
-Brand: this person has done bad things but such were justified, as such they will not get a guilty verdict however, they will be branded as a reminder of what they did wrong. The brand can be physical or mental, such as a tattoo or a memory of the person they hurt feeling what was done to them.
Example of a possible case: Person A steals from person B because A was desperate for money for medical reasons. What was stolen was borrowed of person C who now demands a steep but fair, compensation that leads person B to lose their house.
Anyways I appreciate any constructive feedback you may grace me with :))
23 Likes
@Anna_B @Clara_Wolfenstein Thank you for your support!! I’m excited to combine my two beloved things: Boys and eldritch horror.
Update (Oct 9, 5:40PM): I’m editing the passages and making sure it’s a smooth ride to get to the scene list. I’m thinking about skipping the character creation story and making the quick character creator the main one. The reason is that version is much more stable than the other one. I rather have that as the main priority because my focus is making sure the passages and stats work fine for ya’ll.
I tweaked the stats gained during cc, and so far there haven’t been any errors.
I’m waiting on something to go wrong - as usual. LMAO!
Here’s another possible chapter event that’ll pop into the story. I haven’t decided on adding these into the story as they’ve been writing exercises and a well-needed break after hours of coding. Lemme know what ya’ll think~
Handler being comforted by A & I (Poly-ish)
Inmate Dormitory - D13, interior - living room.
You’ve been sitting in silence, tense silence.
Your eyes locked on the red folder placed on top of the dark oak coffee table. Glaring at it as if your stare would set it ablaze and preventing you from doing what is issued within.
The thought of it…
You scoff, crossing a leg over another as you’re leaning back in frustration. A hand running through your ${hairstyle}, knowing full well you’re just scuffing it into a mess.
What can you do?
The order must be fulfilled or else…
Or…
Else…
“Handler?”
The gentle chimes of Azure’s voice were not what you needed right now. It was so fully laced with worry that you didn’t need to look at him to know what expression is on his face. How those cerulean eyes were always an open view to every emotion the wintry fae felt.
It was like a hot knife stabbing your insides.
*if (body >25)
It took all you had to stop the images of his death in your mind.
Instead of focusing on what you felt, you dared to look into his eyes with a sweet, albeit small, smile. He happily returned it.
“Are you well, Handler?”
He takes your more relaxed state as permission to be nearer. Although he doesn’t sit next to you on the beige sofa, he does perch on the armrest. The soothing waft of mint and fresh snow calms your nerves.
“I’m fine, Azure. No need to worry.”
A snort is heard to your right. You nearly jumped at the sight of Indigo nonchalantly chomping on an apple on the other side of the sofa, also perched on the armrest.
A part of you wants to joke about having an angel and devil on your shoulder considering the two’s position.
“Are ya? 'Cause I can sense the turmoil raging inside ya from the second floor.” Another piece is greedily chomped on.
*if (indigo >= 15)
His pale green eyes never left your sight. If anything they are filled with concern for you while anger builds inside. It didn’t take a genius to figure he was coming up with ways to soothe your woes and slay your foes.
“If there is anything we can do…,” Azure begins.
*if ((azure >= 15) and (indigo >= 15))
You felt the lulling caress of a brisk breeze blow your way like a tender hug. The weight of an arm resting behind you as you feel Indigo’s strong hand already working at the aching muscles. You had to bite back a moan. How did he know where to touch?
Your eyes met Azure’s, smiling when he does.
“Please, let us know.”
And here’s a poll to help me figure out what ya’ll are more curious to see! There are no wrong answers considering I’ll be writing these for later chapters. Most scenes will either be in the story or brainstorming interactions to get the right tone. It would also make the demo happen sooner or later.
- Add Poly Route Examples in the Demo’s Scene List
- Add Harem Route Examples in the Demo’s Scene List
- Add Combat Route Examples in the Demo’s Scene List
- Keep the Scene List with Examples of Romance/Non-Romance Routes
0 voters
Update (Oct 9 7:46PM): Vermilion’s mini-scenes are done. I’m currently finishing Azure’s then it’s Crimson’s and Indigo’s to do! Ahh! My only issue is that the “being sweet to V” route isn’t appearing. I have no idea why. There’s no hidden code to keep it hidden. I’m honestly at a loss.
Another Romance Variation, but with Azure.
Romance Variation, Azure not pouty for once
*if (azure >=15)
The soft cerulean gems of pure emotions had steeled into frigid ice that brought a pleasant shiver down your spine. This was different. Completely new.
“Do not fear, Handler. Call upon me and all your worries shall be swept away.”
*if (azure >= 15)
You have no doubt that Azure would even conjure the northern winds to freeze all those in your path.
You can hear the chiming gust of wind whirling in the back of your mind.
2 Likes
I’ve seen you talk about a harem route before, but I’m not entirely sure what that means… so I guess I know which one I’m voting for 
2 Likes
Lmao!!! That’s fair! It has all four men as your husbands. The Poly route is made for just two of the men Romanced with you. Harem is basically when you’ve decided to go complete Max Corruption and have them under your command or with Max Empathy you can have them fall for you and definitely not think about destroying humanity the minute they escape.
Love dominates conquers all, I guess? xD
6 Likes
It’s a funny thing, family. They’re there, even when you don’t think they are. They love you, and you love them back. You spend time together, you learn about the world together, and you come into the world with a bond that’s nearly unbreakable. You’d do nearly anything for them, right?
… Well, what about doing something to them?
The Katahara family is pretty small, which is not unusual for a space station. It consists of Mama Katahara, the engineer chief that makes sure the station’s systems keep pumping oxygen and gravity, and it consists of you, Mama Katahara’s sole child, who spends his days either helping mom as a grease monkey, or serving the station’s (nearly) always empty cantina during daytime.
You never met your father, and your mom has never seemed very interested in talking about him. The rest of the station doesn’t know him either- by the time your mom showed up to the station, she was already pregnant with you, and quite definitely alone. Still, the lack of a father isn’t something that has ever really affected you. After all, your mother loves you, the station has always been a good home, and you even have a job to occupy your days. You never think about your dad.
Which is why you were very confused when, one day at the cantina, a group of mech brigadiers – protecting a freighter that stopped by to resupply and have their systems checked – seemed so very interested in you. They said you reminded them of an old friend. They had served together a few times, but they hadn’t seen him in a while. You kind of looked like him, and – they know it’s a really long chance, honest – and they were wondering if maybe you’re related. Maybe he lives here with you? They could chat for a bit, and maybe even tell you a few-
You didn’t really catch the end of the offer, slamming a pitcher on the head of one of them after he tried to grab his gun, but you’re pretty sure you weren’t interested anyway. After escaping, you tell your mom what happened, and start asking questions. About who she is, about who your father was, and about who the hell the two of them must have pissed off.
You’re given both good and bad news.
Good news: You do have a dad! He was a very well-known mech pilot in a mercenary brigade, and after meeting your mom and having you on the way, it was decided he’d retire to raise you together. He left your mom in the small space station they’d make their home, and he’d be doing one last job, supposedly as a personal favor and for some extra spending money just in case.
Bad news: That job was supposed to have taken a month. Two months, tops… And instead it’s been over 20 years.
With the revelation that your father was not only a legendary mech pilot, but also that his enemies and rivals can recognize you off of physical resemblance alone, you decide you don’t want to lack answers anymore. You’re going to find him, or at least, find out what happened to him.
And as luck would have it, his old Brigade is expanding. They need new members, and hey, what better place to get info than with the very same guys dear old dad spent years bleeding in the trenches with? You’ve taken the best first step you could.
… So why, exactly, did the Azure Syndicate, one of the three best known criminal organizations in the galaxy, send two enforcers to threaten you to stop digging- ‘before you set off the whole minefield?’
This is another idea I’m flirting with. It’s actually building up on a character concept I came up with for a Lancer RP. It’d also have to wait until after AToH is finished, but it’s an idea that I want to build more on. As a contract-based mech Brigade, you’d be doing odd jobs for basically all the factions in-setting, all the while trying to get more information about your dad. It’s a whole new galaxy, with whole new nations, empires, and nations stuck between empires.
31 Likes
You had me at mechs. Just say no more.
4 Likes
Oooooh, mechs.
Also, people who want me to not dig into something?
buys an excavator
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It’s genderlocked male?
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