Lords of Aswick - First of His Blood
You were born into a family of minor gentry. Your childhood was comfortable, certainly, but no one would have had you figured for a major player in the future of the Kingdom of Norwall. When your father arranges for you to serve as squire to one of the realm’s greatest knights, however, it’s your chance to shine, especially when war threatens with Valmagne, Norwall’s traditional enemy. You’ll become a knight in your own right, and when you come to the king’s attention you’ll be granted a noble title over the lands where you grew up. When you’re not managing your own lands, you may find yourself drawn into the intrigues of the royal court. You’ll build lifelong friendships, participate in thrilling tournaments, watch the world change around you in response to victories and disasters and contact with other lands - and of course, you’ll be expected to produce an heir.
In Lords of Aswick - First of His Blood, Teo Kuusela illuminates the life of a medieval nobleman from the announcement of his birth to the final sensations flickering through his mind at death. And whether that death is on the battlefield or in the bedroom of a manor, it comes at the end of a richly eventful life. This game has a little bit of everything: war, romance, political machinations - with outcomes determined by the player’s choices and skills (which range from martial prowess and courtly graces to religious devotion), as well as an element of randomness.
The amount of research Kuusela put into this game is obvious. For the most part, the setting is medieval Europe with the serial numbers filed off; even readers who can barely find Europe on a map will recognize “Norwall” as England and “Valmagne” as France. There are several pages of world information available from the stats page under such headings as “Geography and Nations” and “Medieval Concepts,” which will feel almost entirely familiar if you have a decent grasp of history, but provide a fairly solid overview if you don’t. Hardcore history buffs will appreciate nods to the Domesday Book, new foods introduced by returning Crusaders, and the evolution of the Romance languages. Where Kuusela has done some actual worldbuilding is in the area of religion; although the structure and worldly influence of the “Trinitarian Church” bear obvious resemblance to medieval Christianity, the triune Godhead consists of Mother, Holy Spirit, and Voice as revealed through the prophets, and some of the associated symbols and ceremonies are invented.
First of His Blood is certainly not without its flaws. I would have preferred more of an emphasis on family relationships; my siblings were occasionally mentioned, but never by name, and I rarely got to interact meaningfully with my wife or children in ways that developed either character involved. There are often several (fairly lengthy) pages of text at a time without any choices; almost all the choices that do appear are crucial to the course of the story, but I would have appreciated some flavoring choices as well to keep the game immersive and engaging. Also, although there’s a copyeditor listed in the credits, there are a lot of conventions errors throughout the game; I rarely found them bad enough to hinder understanding, but frequently bad enough to be distracting.
If you can play only one realistic medieval Europe-expy Hosted Games title, go with I, the Forgotten One - but First of His Blood isn’t at all bad if you’re craving more. Kuusela actually started work on a second Lords of Aswick game, one set several generations later, to be called Voice of God; it’s been on indefinite hiatus for about eight years now, so it seems unlikely ever to be completed, which is unfortunate. But even if this game is all we ever get, it’s still a journey through history and the human lifespan well worth taking.