Welcome to the Developer Diary thread for Noblesse Oblige! This is part of the Crème de la Crème series aka the collection of games including Crème de la Crème (of course!) and Royal Affairs. This is a standalone game that takes place between the two, with a brand new player character.
Spark a whirlwind romance in a crumbling mansion! You have traveled far from home to work as a conversation partner for a lonely aristocrat on a desolate foreign island. Will you throw caution to the winds as you grow closer with your companions?
Sneak through the estate to uncover the dark secrets of your loved ones, catch clandestine moments and midnight trysts, and fan the flames of romance! Your job on this remote island has just begun: work hard for a secure future or blow up your life for love. Who will you betray and who will win your devotion?
Noblesse Oblige is an interactive romance novella of clandestine romance, crumbling majesty, and unfettered zeal.
Playable Genders and Orientations
You can play as male, female, or non-binary; gay, straight, bi, pan, asexual, and/or aromantic. You can input custom pronouns for your protagonist.
Setting
You are a university dropout from Westerlin, a country with a staid, formal culture especially in the upper echelons of society.
Jezhan is a country much larger than Westerlin, stretching from western lakes and warm tourist destinations in the south to the much colder north. The Isle of Teteriuk sits to the far north, where craggy mountains and moors look up to the Northern Lights.
Jezhani religion, the Church of Jezhan, is threaded through society at every level and there is little to no separation of church and state. It is a polytheistic religion in which gods are worshipped through formal ceremonies, communal celebrations, shrines at home, and sacrifice (plants, objects and symbols rather than animal).
The Jezhani royal family is structured with a High Queen, the High Consort whose children are heirs to the throne (Heir Darian can sometimes marry Heir Rosario after Crème de la Crème), other multiple Consorts and their children (known as Potentates), and the High Queen’s extended family. Potentates are almost entirely ceremonial figures, though they are capable of wielding political and influential power. The High Queen is also the head of the Church of Jezhan.
Jezhani culture has a strongly stratified class structure, but with major industrialisation the growth of the middle classes over the last few decades has put the aristocracy on the back foot. Many sprawling estates have been sold off piecemeal to up-and-coming tradespeople and factory owners. The aristocracy no longer hold all the power or the purse strings here; the merchant classes, new money, and the Church hold much more influence.
Befriendable and Romanceable Characters (Spoilers)
All major characters have selectable pronouns (he/him, she/her, they/them).
Pascha is a Jezhani aristocrat your age, and is excitable, intense, and intellectual. You’ll spend most of your time with Pascha, teaching accurate communication in Westerlind. Like almost all Jezhani citizens, Pascha follows the Church of Jezhan, but in this case with a little more… zeal.
Appearance: Brown skin and large, animated dark eyes. Short, with an angular frame, a sharp jawline, and thin mouth. Speaks very correctly in Jezhani, less so in Westerlind, but you’re here to teach, right?
Unknowns: Pascha moved here recently, and is now living with your boss, the elderly Countess Iravan. But no one seems to want to talk about why Pascha’s here or even when the move occurred, and Pascha doesn’t seem entirely content with the situation.
You might want to get close to Pascha because: Pascha’s alert and enthusiastic, and is always hungry to learn more about you! With a taste for adventure and the unknown, you’ll never have a dull moment.
Getting close to Pascha is a bad idea because: Pascha’s guardian will be displeased. If things get messy, it’ll mess with your job. There’s a frantic glint in Pascha’s gaze - not all the time - but often enough that - well - it sends a chill down the back of your neck. Maybe that’s unwelcome. Maybe it’s not?
Tomi Danelak is the housekeeper at Teteriuk Manor. In some places that would be a position of authority, but in practice Danelak keeps the household ticking along while being a general dogsbody for your elderly employer, Countess Iravan. Friendly and direct, Danelak is easygoing and a bit irreverent, and will eagerly take a break for a chat or a card game.
Appearance: Squarely-built, with wide shoulders; tallish, and walks with long, loose strides. Has brown skin, short dark hair, and green, deep-set eyes beneath heavy brows. Speaks Jezhani with a far-northern drawl; doesn’t speak much Westerlind.
Unknowns: Countess Iravan treats Danelak pretty rudely for someone who runs her household. Is that just her manner - she’s abrupt with you too - or is there some history you don’t know? And Danelak seems to know everything about the manor. That’s just familiarity, right?
You might want to get close to Danelak because: Danelak means what they say, and a compliment is always what it says on the tin. They’re always up for a good time. Also, they give incredible hugs.
Getting close to Danelak is a bad idea because: you’re working together, and everyone will be watching. You’re in each other’s pockets. And there’s a feeling - just a feeling - that Danelak’s laidback friendliness gives you. Could they be holding something back?
The Countess’s new secretary Rys isn’t at the manor when you arrive, and you don’t know them. Yet.
Rys will be arriving soon, surprising everyone - even the household staff, who usually know everything that’s going on. But the Countess needs help sorting out her study and paperwork, Rys is who she’s hired, and she’ll hear nothing against them.
Rys is eager to like everything they encounter and charm everyone they meet, from the servants to the Countess. You’re no exception.
Appearance: Tall, sturdily built, with dark skin, dark, wide-set eyes, and full lips. Has black, coiled hair worn in twists, falling past the shoulders. Often mirrors other people’s body language and way of speaking.
Unknowns: why would someone as flamboyant and well-travelled as Rys decide on Teteriuk as a destination? How exactly have they charmed the notoriously severe Countess?
You might want to get close to Rys because: they’re flirty, fashionable, and shower you with compliments. Rys really seems to like you and want to get to know you better. And who doesn’t want a bit of glamour in a very unglamorous situation?
Getting close to Rys is a bad idea because: beneath their surface charm, they’re careful to reveal only the tiniest sliver about themselves. Will it be a thrill to dig deeper… or dangerous?
The story so far: I started working on this game in September 2021. It came out on August 25th 2022 at 140K words!
Cover art by Adrien Valdes:
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