Two excellent questions and one very flattering comment.
First of all yes there are currently three planned ‘splits’ where the story diverges. As you guessed, the first will be a tale of political intrigue where you become the adopted heir of Lady Calinas and a vital lynchpin in her plans to secure political power (by hopefully marrying you off to one of the King’s children).
The key influences here are the works of Alexandre Dumas, particularly The Count of Monte Cristo, to my mind the perfect revenge story.
The second story is your ‘abduction’ by a rebellious gang known to the locals as ‘The Yeomen’ (Radjack and his friends). Between the harsh living conditions of the city and the insane lengths the authorities will go to take you back, the city is a powder-keg, waiting to blow.
The key influences here are Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables and Terry Pratchett’s Night Watch, don’t worry, the singing will be kept to a minimum.
The third story is the strangest of the bunch, following the Magister Arinthas leads you on a divine quest for redemption and the Freedom of Mankind from its self-imposed prison. The world this story takes place in is surrounded by a great circular wall, and no human being has set foot outside in more than 4000 years. Arinthas believes that the human race with wither and atrophy if it lives in fear of the outside world, and so he had made it his life’s goal to open the gate and take Humanity home to reclaim its ancestral holdings.
Unfortunately to do this he must find a way to communicate with the Nomad, a two-mile high metal giant who stalks the untamed lands near the outer wall. The Nomad is the Guardian of the Way, and only when Humanity is proven worthy will it open the Great Iris.
So a little harder to trace the influences there, but lots of anguish, pop philosophy and moral bargaining, aided by a Mephistopheles-like holographic avatar that follows Arinthas trying to undo his works at every turn.
Regarding the ROs, I’d like a fairly diverse set of love interests, and would welcome any input on things like gender and sexuality.
On the Noble Path, there are four romantic options as yet:
Prince Etienne and Princess Echo, the twin children of the reigning king. He a socially aloof dreamer, she a rebellious and artistic soul with dangerous ideals.
Ser Farah of Strom is absolutely a romantic option, a career soldier searching for absolution and moral peace in a cruel world.
The enigmatic Mr Gray has a fire that burns within him, one that will surely set him or the world ablaze. Do you have what it takes to soothe the burning wounds of his tragic past?
On the Rebel path, there are currently two romantic interests (with an option on a third and fourth)
The smiling beggar-prince Radjack is a natural (if unwilling) leader of men, seemingly carefree and smart-mouthed in equal measure. Could you be the one to see past the endless disguises and see the man underneath?
Kataka Moshi (Mosh to her fellow Yeomen) has been tending bar at the Stone and Hewer since she was a little girl. She’s as pretty as a summer-flower and harder than a coffin nail, and she’d challenge the King himself to a fistfight to protect a fellow underdog. Is there a softer side behind all the anger and noise?
As for the Mage Path, Arinthas is at least 240 years old, so he’s not really into the whole romance thing.
His two robotic thralls Vitruvian and Ariadne though? They’re totally up for learning about this strange human emotion called love.