If you go to the character profiles menu and select Imperial Family, you can get to this screen.
Ah I have not click on that one before, thought it was just a in depth bio for the characters so I always just look at Relationships and Factions
Hi. Iāve been an Internet friend of Azanās from a long time and I thought Iād post my fanart of my main character/OC, Yram Lin-daghkt Flavia:
This was my first real portrait, and itās probably the most complex scene Iāve ever executed as an artist, at least as art not graphics. Very proud of the end result.
The piece is titled,
clears throat,
YRAMLINDAQ [PHLABHIA, BEARER OF SEVEN DAGGERS, STAR-DAUGHTER OF THE LUCKY STARS ISHTAR AND NINURTA), BARAQA I, LEGIO X, CADANY [Y III)
or translated more accurately into english:
Flavia Hieramlindaghkt, [Colonel of the 1st Barracks āWheel and Heavens,ā born in the sign Aries and Goddaughter of the planets Venus and Saturn), Legate of the 10th Legionary Corps of Engineers, at the Siege of Cadanu during the [Third Year of the Reign of the Empress Iulia)
The dress is typical of a high-ranking Legionary Engineer of the period: A good frock coat, bandolier for pre-measured charges of powder, a cravat, a loose-fitting undershirt, a and a skirt. The sword at her side is of typical design: long, thin thing, perfect for fighting in the dense trenchworks or winding alleys of a city at siege.
Unusually, the subject is not idealized. Ash and soot cakes her face, sand and dust coats her skirt and undershirt. This paints the particular artist who Flavia commissioned to produce this piece as a member of the Kyro Realist school.
Immediately behind her is a siege engine of some great antiquity. Only three are even known to exist in the entire world, fire lances of unusual size and sturdy construction. They are jealously guarded by the Sorceresses of Kyro. It is said that takes 50 oxen to even pull it, 150 slaves and free women to even set it up, and specially laid roads needed to keep the thing from falling into the mud and sand the moment it starts moving! It is clearly with some pride that Yram Flavia gets to use it in her siegeworks!
The siege tower in the background is more typical of Iudian siegecraft. The tower itself has a drawbridge at the top for going over the walls, arrow slits in the edifice for archers and firelancers to defend the tower and support troops going over the walls, and at the top, the crown jewel of Iudiaās legions: The Flamesiphon of the Holy Fire!
The mysterious substance that fuels the tower is stored in its base, where it is protected from the enemy the most and acts as ballast. It then is sent up to an intermediary pump station, where pump-slaves under the close watch of a Sorceress recharge the Holy Fireās pressure and split it into a high-pressure and low pressure line. From there, the low pressure line goes directly to a lampwick, and the high pressure line goes to a tank pressurized by yet more pump-slaves, terminating in a fearsome nozzle.
The end result is a true terror: an engine capable of shooting flames that stick to anything they touch, at a range of dozens or even, if horror stories are to be believed, a hundred meters into the air. How exactly this all works is Iudiaās best kept secret, and the Sorceresses make sure it stays that way by any means necessary.
Returning to the full scene, there is the text:
The Iudian language is written right to left, top to bottom, or when written vertically top to bottom, left to right. The cartouche that translates to [PHLABHIA, BEARER OF SEVEN DAGGERS, DAUGHTER OF THE RAM, STAR-DAUGHTER OF THE LUCKY STARS ISHTAR AND NINURTA) is typical of cartouches across the Empire. They act as personal seals or signatures, used for signing or notarizing documents, or accepting gifts from important dignitaries. They are often stored on cylinder seals. Cartouches are also used for denoting regnal years, [Y 3) or Iulia III in this case.
Finally there is the the siege camp itself, bearing on a tree trunk the Great Standard of the Barracks, āThe Wheel and Heavens.ā Smaller trunks bear many colorful signal flags on similar standards.
When a truly memorable disciplinary action is needed, āThe Heavensā are removed from the trunk. Then, disobedient troops are impaled onto the trunk. Then āThe Heavensā placed back on top. The instigator of the mutiny or barracks revolt in question is broken on āThe Wheelā instead.
The shattered remains of the women and men can remain for days or even weeks up there before being mercy-killed, their weeps and moans amplified by the stones their former comrades throw at their raw, sunburnt naked bodies for amusement.
And at sunrise, noon, and sunset, they get to hear these words from the camp priestess every single day, be it their last or simply yet another living nightmare:
āOnce-proud free women forcibly conscripted into the ranks of the Living Dead, mere effigies of what happens to those who defy the will of the Empress in this life and the next. Their souls will never taste freedom ever again, no matter how long they wait in the afterlife. They will be slaves to the lucky star Nergal forever!ā
* * *
Another thing I came up with in a similar mold:
De Re CocinaraāFlavia Iramicalindichta
Mulled Posca
- Take any dry sugary punch and dish it out onto a tumbler to your desired liking.
- Cover the kool-aid with fine balsalmic vinegar.
- Add peppercorns, a few dashes of ground pepper, and nutmeg.
- Add star anise that has soaked in ethanol for a long time. I used the foreign liquor known as āJuniper Engineā and it worked very well. My star anise has had time to soak in Juniper Engine for about four months.
- Add boiling water, stir, let sit, then serve it forth.
Flaviaās Notes:
I met once a man from the slave camps who to please his mother and the head of his house made this drink and called it wine.
I congratulated him on his work before killing him on the spot for adulteration of the wine trade.
May his soul rest highly in the Goddessās slave-city of Dis!
Lore question (sorry if this has previously been asked). How did Gainism develop in Iudia? The fact that it seems like Iudia has been Matriarchal for ages implies that it didnāt have a big conversion story like irl Christianity did. And the power of these central clerics seems to imply a larer consolidation around a central cleric compared to the Pentarchs. How is religion different in the provinces? Is Caesaropapism a historical development, or have the clerics always been more dominant? Were there christiological adjacent controversies and ecumenical councils?
Small update, Chapter V is going strong! At this rate, I hope to have it in your hands by new yearās, considering Iām averaging 3 - 5k words a day, and it will be the longest chapter thus far, though it is mostly broader in scope before we tie it all up in one place at the end of the first act.
Hereās a sneak peak of that, which shall change instantly since Iām currently in the middle of a writing sprint lol
Gaia was one of the primary deities of the pantheon generally worshipped throughout Iudia for much of recorded history. Gaia was generally the āpatron goddessā of the city-state of Kyro, so the local elites even before republican institutions were founded modeled themselves after the politically influential priestesses, in a matriarchal bent. However, this was not as dominant as it is in todayās Iudia.
Over time, the priesthood consolidated, but it was only upon the Day of Revelation, with the founding of the sorceresses (Mother of Sorcery) and formalization of the Church (High Matron) that the other idols of Iudia were destroyed and effaced from history. This was followed by a wave of legal reform that further restricted the rights of men to serve as heads of household and any religious offices in the Empire. Amid the power of sorceryās revelation, any outcry was stamped out.
The existence of the old Iudian deities is largely unknown except to a small number of scholars and isolated villages due to the uncanny effectiveness of the Church in standardizing a religious dogma.
Due to the centralization of the faith, and the presence of sorceresses assigned to certain provinces and even cities to bolster the work of appointed clergy leaders, the Church is able to keep a close eye on how the faith is practiced. Of course, as the Empireās authority decays in the frontiers, so does the central authority of the Church. Should the decay continue, local interpretations, doctrinal differences, syncretized practices (such as those encouraged by the Legate) and even outright heresy may find more fertile ground to grow.
Doctrinal disputes are hastily solved within the Church, for it is said they merely pose the question to the Goddess and come away with answers. Of course, whether this is actually true or not remains unknown, but it is known that when the priestesses congregate in the Grand Cathedral to settle such disputes, they always have an answer to declare to the faithful within the day.
That rocks. Thank you so much for the explanation, and your work on the update. Iām gonna start playing the Age of Decadence to lock in.
So, any plans on adding the ācheat modeā for the next update or is that still way off in the future?
At this point I wouldnāt be surprised if the Goddess in question is just a super advanced AI that is used by the highest echelons of the Church. ChatGPT on steroids, if you will.
Going through one Tyranny playthrough really gets me into that āmorality is subjective and barbeques are totally fineā mood.
Not on my radar currently, no.
This is one of the best IFs Iāve read, on par with Paul Wangās Infinity series. The writing is engaging and the choices/Stat system are well implemented.
I really like how you actually implemented and explained the treatment of different genders via your storytelling. I think most IF writers fail to do that (reason why gender locked stories are typically more well written.)
Merry Christmas and Happy Hannukah to everyone! I figured Iād provide more frequent updates with how fast Iām writing this update. Slight Spoiler, I teared up while writing one variation tonight, so have fun looking out for that route!
Thank you! I hope to keep it coming!
Iāve enjoyed the way I can explore different social dynamics through interactive fiction, gender for one is something thatās never that interesting when itās only a cosmetic set dressing for character creation. I particularly like to write new variations of scenes based on how the world sees your MC differently, it helps me imagine a more fully realized setting.
oh, oh no⦠Iām scared
Definitely a relic of the prehistoric civilization that the sorceresses are using, probably mentally connected or interfaced to Julia at the very least and possibly also to the Holy Matron or other Church officials.
The origin of the Iudian Empire is definitely connected to this prehistoric civilization and the sorceressesā ability to use its tools.
If you use the inspect menu, you can change any stat to your liking in any Choicescript game.
Iām thinking the Prefectās death, preceded immediately by the death of Augusta.
Donāt you dare say such things. Iāll accept that the prefect may face their end if they mess up but Augusta⦠that would hurt.
But then again, considering the various story permutations ā there are things more emotionally painful in storytelling than death.
Think about what happened to the Galerii daughters, even the infants. This is a game about power and itās effects on people. If Julia is not on the throne, whoever takes power, either on the Imperial throne or whatever comes after, will have little need for Augusta. At best, she will be married off for legitimacy like Titus. At worst, she will be put to the sword.
Unfortunately, Augustaās future is tied to her motherās. Thatās why Julia must survive as Empress, in addition to my Prefectās affection for her, of course.
Then I will just take the throne. Checkmate Iudians! Screw you and your penchant for royal infanticide!
I would cast doubt on the idea that Augustaās fate is inexorably linked to Juliaās. Of course itās a decisive factor, but the Prefectās choices are equally important. If the Prefect becomes the supreme power in Iudia (in whatever form it may be), then Augusta can be preserved, perhaps in her current position, even with Julia getting a one-way ticket to the afterlife.
I would rather have them both be fine and dandy in our disfunctional family, but if forced to choose, wellā¦
I reject both outcomes! Augusta has better instincts for ruling than Julia ā Iāve raised her well. She will be a civilis principissa ā a just ruler with classical virtues who rules with the consent and on behalf of the Senate and People! The first citizen, not a tyrant. She will ensure the Empire survives into the future. But I also am not going to steal my daughterās throne!
She will be an excellent empress and I will be by her side helping her, but the whole point is to raise her to be a smart and independent ruler. Ideally she wonāt even need me to be successful.
Thatās what winning looks like. All for my kiddo Augusta, long may she reign with justice, liberality, and wisdom. <3
Correct! But just for clarity, I donāt have āgame overs.ā I just donāt find player death like that interesting in IF, itās often more a frustrating mechanic.
However, when we reach the end of the story, watch out for it, since each death will have an actual ending and lead into the epilogue. I hope that will provide more satisfactory closure than a āwell you didnāt have the right stat, sucks to suck,ā type game over screen.
How to access the inspect menu??
THANK YOU. Iāve always found that frustrating.