Hello everybody, my name's Matthew, or just Matt for short.
This has been a huge project of mine for the past two years, but only recently I decided to give it the attention it deserves, so here we go.
In this game you assume the control of a powerful deity that was betrayed by their fellow gods. Imprisoned, against your will, for all eternity you had a long time to plan your revenge.
After you regain your freedom, travel across Hylaria and recruit acolytes to help you in your quest for retribution. Influence their future as you learn their past. Cultivate the kind of relationship you want to have with your followers, make them fear you, or be a kind leader and inspire respect.
Oh, and did I mentioned you are Death itself?
Features:
You can play as a god, goddess or a deity. Choose your sexuality, appearance, personality, an immortal creature for a pet, and a powerful weapon to wield. Be a merciless monster or a benevolent being. Feared or revered? Your actions decide how mortals and gods perceive you.
This game is heavily focused on relationships so expect a lot of romance. Speaking of which, I have 6 romanceable characters planned as of now, 2 being gender-locked to male and the gender of the other 4 can change based on your choices.
Romance Options (spoilers)
Azaādeh Asayesh āThe Desert Jewelā
(Male or Female)
The Mahdi of the Ahara Desert first dwellers, the Emir, and former high priest/priestess of the followers of Taiājik, the god of deserts. Through great sacrifice and worship they were able to acquire magical skills, that in turn were used to protect their people from their mortal enemies. Azaādeh puts the safety of their people above all else, they would go to great lengths to keep them away from harm. With a rich dark-skinned complexion and bright emerald green eyes, they are sure to attract everyoneās attention.
Wulfric āThe Beastā
(Male)
One of the Wildmen, considered by many as a bunch of uncivilized and savage people. Some say they are not even humans but beasts, who take the form of monsters when angered. Worshippers of the great goddess of fertility, Vaal, they are protected by her and whatever the truth may be, people tend to stay clear of the rain forests up north. Itās up to the MC to learn for themselves if the myths are true or just stories told by crazy old hags.
Ćoin āThe Morticianā
(Male or Female)
The faithful follower. Maybe the last human in all Hylaria to worship the Forbidden One, in secret, obviously. Still follows in their familyās footsteps, by taking care of the Yskari Mortuary. With a shy and reclusive personality, they prefer the silent company of the dead over the noisy living. Long weeks tugged away underground has given them an extremely pale complexion that only serves to accentuate their bright blue eyes and fiery locks.
Kazael Crane āThe Necromancerā
(Male or Female)
Kazael was born an orphan and lived most of their early life wandering the streets of Luanya. After a rather traumatic event they became aware of things other people couldnāt even dream of, not that they would want to. As they delved deeper into this new somber world, not becoming numb to the deaths happening around them seemed impossible. With deathly pale skin and slick jet-black hair, they resemble more a walking corpse than a living being.
Sol āThe Sun Godā
(Male)
God of the sun, light, music and civilization. Sol embodies the life essence itself, being the second god to acquire physical form after the Great Sacrifice. A calm, wise and passionate god, but also wrathful towards the evil and cruel. Is up to the MC to decide what kind of relationship they had with Sol in the past; lovers, friends or nemesis, the choice is yours. With glowing sun kissed skin, a muscular powerful towering body, and eyes of liquid gold, he represents the epitome of perfection.
Leon/Leona āThe Golden Prince/Princessā
(Male or Female)
The beloved prince or princess of Solarys, the greatest city of Hylaria. As their fatherās only child they grew up being showered in the most expensive gifts gold could buy, until their brother came along. The tales of their heroics, kindness and generosity are forever etched into the hearts of their people that they care so much about. But as their fatherās health deteriorates with each passing hour, they must adapt, against their will, to the role of King/Queen.
Amorr āThe Deity of Loveā
(Gender-fluid)
Amorr is the Furyan deity who embodies love, beauty and carnal pleasure. Their presence alone evokes compassion in the hearts of mortals and gods alike, although that wasnāt enough to spare you of a terrible fate. As probably the only furyan god who completely regrets their role in your imprisonment, Amorr will jump at the opportunity of atonement for their past sins, is up to you to decide their fate.
About the ROs
- This game is heavily (really) focused on romance, because for me thatās the whole reason iām interested in IF.
- At some point in the story you will be given the choice to choose one of the ROs, and the romance will be locked from then on. Solās an especial case, you will decide what type of relationship you had with him in the past, if you choose romance than you will be locked out from other romance pursuits, and if you choose nemesis or just friendship you will not be able to romance him later in the game. The reason behind this will be apparent when the time comes. wink
- I may implement a poly route, but I need to figure it out how to do that first. Iāll probably make a poll on Patreon so you guys can help me choose which character would be best, and other details about their relationship.
The Pantheon
The pantheon of Hylaria is formed by the Ten Furyans, including the MC, and some minor deities. Iāll give a brief overview on the most important ones. I aim to do more in depth character sheets on all of them for my patreon on a later date.
Amorr āDeity of Loveā
Amorr is the Furyan deity who embodies love, beauty and carnal pleasure. They are known to excite passion in the hearts of gods and men, and for being both insatiable and unattainable, but also compassionate and loving. As the essence of love, theyāre the patron deity of newlyweds, and they are given special reverence during weddings and honeymoons.
Chamion āGod of the Seasā
God of the seas, rivers and travelers, responsible for the safe travel of merchants or their ultimately demise. As the patron god of pirates, Chamion is depicted as been violent, ill-tempered and ruthless, behavior that is reflected on his dominion. His particularly hatred towards the Abyssal might be entirely justified though.
Hulda and Helmos āGods of Warā
The warmonger twins. Hulda rules over the violent and physical untamed aspect of war, embodying the physical aggression necessary in successful battles, and Helmos, rules over the military strategy and generalship, better known for his level-headedness and strategic skill in warfare. They are never seen apart and together are a force to be reckoned with.
Quaboth āGod of Fireā
The Abyssalās younger brother, his loyalty to them is unmatched. The god of volcanoes and smiting, responsible for forging the mightiest weapons in all Hylaria, using the metal only found in his dominion. His explosive and temperamental behavior is consistent to his dominion, but he is also playful and very popular with the kids.
Namur āGod of Wisdomā
The blind god, and also the god of knowledge and foresight. He is described as being a patient and austere god, barely showing any emotion even in times of distress. As the patron god of scholars he gives his blessings to those who seek to avoid ignorance.
Vaal āGoddess of Natureā
Mother of nature and the goddess of motherhood and fertility in general. She is often seen as a all-producing and all-nourishing mother, being the matron goddess of all women and those who bear offsprings. Vaal, as her dominion entails, is loving and nurturing but her emotions can be mercurial when sheās disrespected or when those under her protection are threatened.
Nemeya āGoddess of Nightā
The Abyssalās sister and the goddess of secrets and spies. Nemeya, since the creation, is depicted as been an ambitious divine, shrouded in mystery and an enigma even to the king of the gods. Her thoughts are her own, and she cares little for mortal affairs.
Sol āGod of Lifeā
The Abyssalās potential lover, friend or nemesis. Sol is the embodiment of life itself. As the god of the sun, healing and civilization, Sol assumes the role of king of the gods. He chooses to rule with kindness and equity, striving to preserve the peace among the gods, is fair to say heās not always successful in this task.
F.A.Q
Frequent asked questions
(please read before asking any questions, thank you)
I - Will there be more than one book? Yes! I plan the series to be at least three books long.
II - If I romance Sol will I be locked from romancing the other ROs? Yes you will, the reason for this will be explained further in the books. Although, that wonāt mean you will be forced to stay in a relationship with him.
III - Will Sol be gender-locked to male? Yes, he will. Since when I first started creating the world Iāve always envisioned Sol as a male character. However, Iām open to do a DLC or something of the sort after the bookās release, for free of course!
IV - Romanced Sol had kids? Did he cheat on me? That idea is still being thought out. I plan to give an option, somehow, for the player to choose how did Sol had his kids, and if they are biologically related or not, or even if Sol had any kids at all.
V - If I choose the friend route with Sol will I be able to romance him? Iām thinking about the idea of making this possible, iām really into the whole idea of: Iāve crushed on you for thousands of years, but iāve never acted on it for fear of you rejecting me.
VI - Thereās only 6 ROs? Any chance of you adding more options? Thereās always a possibility of me adding one more. wink
VII - When is the next update coming? Iām working on a very tight schedule, iām a dentistry student and I have classes every day, all my free time is dedicated to the story, so iāll be trying to release updates every month.
Change Log
Demo posted 30/04 (word count: 13k)
Chapter 1 finished 15/05 (word count: 26k)
Chapter 2 first-half 07/10 (word count: 45k)
Play the demo here: DEMO
Patreon with bonus content: patreon.com/holtzmann
The Abyssal Tumblr: theabyssal.tumblr.com
If you want to give Death a coffee: ko-fi.com/holtzmann
Disclaimers:
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Warning: The Abyssal contains detailed descriptions of violence, blood, death (duh), sexual content (on later updates), and offensive language;
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Any critiques and suggestions about the writing, pacing, plot and code will be very well received;
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English is not my first language. I would really appreciate it if you guys could help me find spelling and grammar mistakes so I can fix them!