I have to express my excitement about seeing how this project will progress. I love your wonderfully eloquent style of narration that just drips opulence. Perfect for a royal story!
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@Rav3nsblad3 Thank you so much! That was definitely my goal when writing this. I wanted the tone to feel luxurious, so Iām glad I managed to succeed. 
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I hope Olarion is one of the siblings my mc can influence, as he would like at least one real brotherly brother and Olarion seems like he thinks for himself at least.
For me, I can get becoming vegetarian, but veganism is a bridge too far and, as you said, like your brother experienced a significant health risk for a lot of people. With all the talk about and indeed proposals from my own party to have our public, basic healthcare penalise smokers I think vegans should be included in that. No offense to your brother.
IMO our current human template is ill-designed for a vegan diet and even vegetarianism is probably less than optimal.
Awwā¦fortunately I think my mc can give as good as he gets. Still again I hope to his verbal sparring with Olarion will be, snarky and witty but also affectionate and brotherly.
Youāve succeeded, though my mc himself will probably only start caring for luxury, fancy clothes and his own appearance once heās a fair bit older around 14-15 or so. Before that heāll mostly be a little rapscallion, when he isnāt busy reading something that is. 
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Your relationship with Olarion is definitely one of the more malleable ones, of all the characters. Depending on your choices, he can become a steadfast ally or a formidable enemy. Of your siblings, heās only one who can be pushed so far to either extreme. You may have difficult, perhaps hostile, relationships with Baelira or Terrisen, but theyāll not be a proper enemy, not like Olarion can be.
The only sibling whose relationship comes close to being as widely variable as Olarionās is Ilythis. I canāt say as to why that is, though, as that is a MAJOR spoiler. 
Iāve known people whoāve adopted a vegan diet due to gastrointestinal issues (Celiac, etc), and it vastly improved their quality of life. Itās all very subjective, largely dependent on how you approach it and then your own genetic make-up. Some people are well-suited to a vegan diet, while others are not. Vegan foods and diet plans have come a very long way over even just the past five years, making it not so unreasonable anymore.
It has always been my goal to let the MC form opinions (about people, about religion, etc) that they can later change as they get older and have new experiences, so youāll definitely be able to canonically have your MC be like that. 
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Hmmmā¦I was mistakenly diagnosed with āirritable bowel syndromeā for most of my youth and I more or less lost my youth due to having undiagnosed Celiacās. All the veganās Iāve known seem to have a diet thatās 98% gluten, so pure poison for me.
I couldnāt get around and stay healthy without my milk and eggs. I could give up my meat, thatās true, but I prefer not to.
Youāre likely right, Iāve been ācleanā for nearly a decade now and prefer not to obsess about food so much now that I donāt have to anymore, except to avoid gluten. Even if itās safer now veganism still wouldnāt be for me, Iāve obsessed about food enough for two lifetimes during my youth and if I know anything about vegans itās that they really do tend to obsess about it, whether or not it is more feasible and carries less health risks now.
My mc really wouldnāt want to make his most adorable big bro his enemy, particularly since heās likely to be the only person around whoās actually smarter than he is.
Of his siblings he also seems the only one who likes learning and discovery as much as my mc, although Olarion seem to have a more academic approach to it, whereas my mc would prefer to be the daring adventurer archaeologist.
Hmmmā¦my mc would probably rather become a kickass archer and keep his swordsmanship training to the minimum required for an Ophaesian prince.
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Well, this certainly tickles my fancy. An epic style, Royal focussed, Renaissance-era fantasy that allows me to both follow and subvert tropes? Yes please.
A request if I may, please, for my own personal enjoyment. Please, please, please can you find it in your heart to look up some historical fighting manuals of the era? I loathe the anachronistic single handed, lighter is better, swing edge on at everything approach that most authors take to weapons fighting. This seems like the kind of game where that kind of knowledge would get a lot of use anyway.
Also, one thing bothered me a little. When choosing a name it is stated your name is uncommon. Yet, since I decided I didnāt like the name given I wanted to set my own, while still remaining lire friendly. Thing is, I have no idea what is and isnāt a common name here. Perhaps a naming guide or some such might not go amiss?
Looking forward to more.
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Will the MC start martial training at some point? I was surprised to not see a wooden sword amongst the birthday gifts.
Not to high-jack this thread, but since the subject is already brought up and I am a vegan who has since declared my major in nutrition (on the path to becoming a registered dietitian), and kind of offended, Iām going to say that there is a lot of misinformation out there. Iām going to put in under a spoiler to try and derail as little as I can.
There is nothing you canāt get from a vegan diet and nothing you need supplements for besides B12. B12 comes from bacteria in dirt and some animals produce it in their gut. Humans used to eat fruit and vegetables covered in traces of said dirt, but itās now heavily washed and stripped of cobalt (something the bacteria need to live) so instead we now need supplements. The animals you eat are given B12 supplements that you then consume too, so thatās a moot point.
If you are unhealthy on a vegan diet, you are not eating correctly just as any food lifestyle. Thatās like comparing someone who eats burgers and fried chicken for every meal as a marker to all meat eaters. Almost all of the human population can be healthy on a vegan diet and rare cases come from having a type of condition that makes you allergic to a variety of things like nuts, legumes, categories of types of different fruits and vegetables (like all tubers for example), and such that I have seen before in an extreme case of Crohnās disease. Not to mention only about 25% of people are actually lactose persistent (75% intolerant), which is an abnormality. Not being able to process breast milk, from another species or no, is normal once in adulthood.
Humans are closer to frugivores anatomically and as the way we digest and process things anyways, and humans are the only āomnivoresā that get atherosclerosis naturally from eating animal products. The only thing you get from animal products but not plants is cholesterol. And the number one killers in developed countries are from health problems linked directly to the consumption of animal products. The vegan population is on average is just as healthy/healthier than the meat eating one based on studies, regardless of anecdotal evidence or stereotypes.
Basically, almost anyone can be vegan and can be just as healthy, if not healthier do to lack of anti-biotics, cholesterol, hormones found in dairy, and etc., on a plant-based diet. 
No offense is meant by this response truly. As someone who is vegan for ethical reasons, discouraging a plant-based diet (which a lot of people turn to for health reasons) with misinformation and likening it to smoking is just something I have to speak up on.
But anyways, I have been meaning to comment on this thread for awhile. I lurked when it was first posted and I fell in love. Now I can finally shower you in compliments. 
First off, itās very impressive that you offer a large range of choices that feel natural to the flow of the story and that let you shape your characterās personality. I usually dislike when a certain relationship dynamic is expected of a character to their parental figures/siblings and youāve somehow managed to set such a type of dynamic but while still allowing our own response to it. That is quite hard to pull off and youāve done it very well.
Secondly, I love the characters. You said in the āwhat to expectā at the end that it will have a huge focus on character relationships and that is something I absolutely love. (And something not in a lot of games.) Especially the part where they have their own life outside of the main character, because it often happens that they seem to exist solely in the realm of furthering the mc. I canāt wait to see where you take it and when we get to meet them all eventually.
Thirdly, I adore the world. You have a set history and a realm with its own history and rules, and your world-building really shines through even in the demo. Itās rather exciting that we will get to experience, and rebel against, social norms of the setting and possibly leave a lasting impact. Itāll be another opposing force among the others that gives more than one thing to focus one.
So, basically, amazing work. I canāt wait to see where you amazing mind takes this!
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All of the vegan talk has got me thinking 
I wonder what sort of cuisine is common in Ophaesia?
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@KingMe Iād still like to make my mostly anecdotal rebuttal.
Summary
My mom and the occasional clinic doctor who actually tried to pretend to give a damn had me cycle through so many diets during my youth, except the one I needed it turns out. But Iāve never felt more consistently miserable then when I was 17 and we tried the vegan diet. Like I said 98% gluten in my case. Not even when I was actually malnourished and on disability later on did I feel that consistently miserable again.
Still me and my observations, as well as @Fawkes brother, do all fall under the anecdotal evidence.
Well congrats to you then. Yes, I do agree that diet and exercise are among the areas with the most misinformation out there, which makes it rather unfortunately that people like young me canāt afford people like you who do know it and have to make with a well-meaning mom, the occasional doctor and mostly outdated or hyped information from the local library.
Only if you can afford to buy anything and everything in the local reform shop, which is out of reach for most people.
The younger and presumably more affluent vegan population, Iāve seen the statistics from my own country, the Netherlands, and the over 40ās do seem to be worse off. That could be due to wrong habits, misinformation or a lack of information but it still holds true, for now anyway.
Then again my lack of affluence back then may have been the prime reason for never getting the diagnosis and treatment I needed until it was too late.
In Europe the numbers are (much) higher I believe, whereas intolerance really common in Asia and Afrika and somewhat in South America, all of which have (much) higher populations. So while your numbers are right I think they need a lot more nuance here.
As for me, being lactose persistent may be my bodyās way of coping with my absolute intolerance of gluten by imposing the cow as a middle man who eats the poison, digests it and gives me something wonderful, or at least something on which I can actually survive in return.
In any case I wonāt personally endorse it until the government includes proper dieticians in the basic public health insurance, as again from my anecdotal observations until that happens cases like @Fawkes brother and one of my former colleagues will remain all too common. I also refuse to go on diets which are bread, bread, bread and then some more bread. Tossed that stuff from my diet nearly a decade ago and I donāt want to look back.
I sincerely hope it isnāt based around wheat. 
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Summary
Oh no, that does sound really terrible. 
Honestly, I would not take a doctorās dietary recommendation without other consultants. Doctors, on average, get less than 20 hours of nutrition education of the course of four years. In a 35 page list of requirements for internal medicine doctors, nutrition is not listed once. Basically, they get taught next to nothing about food and diet.
I think your case was probably the gluten aspect, and not the plant-based. There isnāt anything that abstaining from meat, eggs, and dairy would do to make you feel like that. The foods youāre eating however, for sure, and eating that much gluten-based product would most certainly have its effects if you have a sensitivity towards it. (I donāt touch soy or gluten much because Iām not a fan of things theyāre often in. You can still be a vegan without them! And bread. No bread required.)
Edit: You donāt have to answer me of course, but do you have Celiacās? It sounds like it was pretty severe and was just wondering if that might be it. If so, steering clear of gluten is really important.
Thanks! I could go on a novel-length rant about this, haha. Iāve already touched on how little doctors receive above, but in general health has become a business. I wish it was easily accessible and better understood, and it is scary how much food education is controlled by the industries profiting off of it. Like, eggs canāt legally have the word āhealthyā on them where I live. (Theyāre basically cholesterol bombs.) Milk has been linked to osteoporosis and testicular cancer. Red meat is a group 1 carcinogen. And yet, in school itās always pushed from a young age that thatās whatās good for you. (And complex carbs are not bad for you ahhh! I donāt know how that started but it makes me sad.)
Even the cnpp will recommend a ālow cholesterolā diet in length, but then in short say that you should be getting around 6 servings of animal products in the next breadth which is counter to the first statement. If you look at a lot of health āresearchā you will see that it is directly funded by the industry it is promoting. (Thatās why finding unbiased reports is so important) Scary stuff.
This is something I hear a lot but I think is another misconception. Luxury vegan items? For sure way more expensive and ridiculously so. But plant-based whole foods are some of the least expensivet things in the world. Beans, rice, potatoes, vegetables and fruits in seasons, etc are some of the cheapest things on the market. There is a reason that meat was once a reserved luxury item and a lot of impoverished countries eat mostly plant-based. Now animal products are so subsidized that itās insanely cheap. But, I have actually saved money since going vegan! I wish I could make easy/cheap meal plans for everyone because nutrition is something I love.
I think a lot of dietary problems are the route of misinformation. Yeah, the weak/sickly vegan stereotype came about because there are people who feel like crud after attempting it. In most cases Iāve seen though, theyāre most often under-eating (since plants are far less calorie dense) and not eating varied foods to get all their nutrients. A lot of animal products are heavily supplemented and when you go from eating them consistently to not, and not having a grounded idea on where to start, you can for sure go downhill. Plus a lot turn to āmeatā replacers, aka faux meat, which are just as unhealthy as their counterparts. (But again, not limited to a vegan diet. Only around 3% of Americans even get their daily fiber intake. 98% are potassium deficient. Etc. People who eat badly eat badly.) And again, lead killers are most often caused by an animal-based diet.
Thereās an app/website (website is free, app casts a few bucks) called Cronometer. You plug in all of the food you ate in a day and it will show you everything youāre missing. When talking to people who have felt negatively, I usually ask them to plug in a dayās worth of what they might have been eating when attempting plant-based and they usually fall short in several places.
Mhm, almost all of the persistent are European heritage. However, I would still not encourage milk/dairy. Itās full of sugar, cholesterol, fat, and hormones (A lot of estrogen from the cow that has just given birth,accounts for about 60-80% of consumed estrogen, and androgenic properties that raise testosterone). Basically, a spike of both of them at the same time that messes up your own + blood-sugar swings. (And also has about an eyedropper worth of pus, aka somatic cells, per glass. Not unhealthy since itās been pasteurized, but still gross to me.) Most often antibiotics as I mentioned, too, which is starting to lead to an epidemic of antibiotic resistance. Basically, great for a bovine calf that needs to grow a few hundred pounds in a very short amount of time. Not so great for adult humans.
Thatās okay, I understand that it is pretty controversial right now. I just ask that people donāt actively discourage it or spread false information. Or that it had such a negative connotation. I know a lot of people struggle with it, especially if they donāt have a lot of nutritional education, but that isnāt because of the lack of animal products. It is one of the healthiest lifestyles if done correctly! (Plus the only proven to reverse heart disease!) Anddd it doesnāt contribute to the biggest environmental destruction industry/polluter and the horrific treatment of animals. Win, win, win.
But definitely, eating a profusion of bread doesnāt seem viable. Sorry that you got recommended such a diet. Truly. 
Okay, Iām done I promise! No more derailing from me. 
But if anyone would ever like to discuss anything (nutrition, veganism, etc.) feel free to pm me. I love talking about it!
Ooh, yeah. Diet and food has played a major part in cultures throughout history, and it would be interesting to see what they have available and how they utilize that in this one. Since this game seems very much full of its own history, I think itād be another well of knowledge. (Even if there are no scenes in game detailing such, I love hearing authors go on about their worlds and unique cultures. Or if they align to the real-world, itās cool to see the influence touched on.) 
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ā¦Now I canāt help but be curious.
Sheās married to the King of Merlios, so perhaps this is because the relationship between Ophaesia and Merlios can change sigificantly depending on the MCās actions? On the other hand, that shouldnāt necessarily change the relationship with Illythis herself, and besides, the MCās other siblings are going to be married to princes/kings as well.
ā¦Hmm.
Given that Illythis relationship with her husband is said to be āanything but romanticāā¦is/will she be having an affair? Revealing that to the King of Merlios (or, well, anyone) could certainly turn her into an enemy.
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Or the king could be the one having an affair?
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Iād say you nailed Olarion in that description, though Olarion does have his impulsive moments, which your character can witness eventually. Iām actually very excited to write one scene in particular which displays his impulsivity and to see how you guys react to it. Itās a ways off, but itās been one Iāve looked forward to since I posted the first chapter. 
My biggest flaw is that Iām a perfectionist, which is to say that I will do inordinate amounts of research regarding weapons and fighting, more than Iāve done already, which is not insignificant.
The first game idea I ever had for a ChoiceScript game was of a classical Regency romance in the vein of Austen and Heyer. I had quite a bit of content sorted out, but I couldnāt write 200 words without having to research something (and then something else) because I had to have 100% accurate. Since the game featured people of all social classes throughout England (and elsewhere), the amount of research needed to do for titles, etiquette, laws, culture, manner of dress, technologyā¦ Not to mention how much research into the political climate required, as well as research into history, particularly of warsā¦ It was, quite honestly, ridiculous. All for what I thought would be a cute little game.
That is a big reason why I prefer writing fantasy to historical, because with fantasy, you make up your own rules. If I really wanted to, I could say the Ophaesian militaryās fighting style includes hurling apples at the enemy while singing some bawdy ballad to distract them because itās a fantasy world I created and no one can argue with it. I am God, and my word processor is my domain.
Anyway, to properly answer your question, I do intend to do a lot of research into historical fighting styles employed during the era Iām basing the setting on. I imagine the Ophaesians would have some intricate, showy fighting style because they really are just extra like that.
I actually do intend to include a naming game! It will be on the website Iām creating for Seven Heirs, as well as an FAQ (question ideas are very welcome, by the way!), a pronunciation guide, character information, and various other bits of lore and such. Iāll link to it on the stats page with the next update and add the link to the first post once the website is ready. (It is close to being done, more or less. I just need to add the content.)
Oh, definitely! If I follow my outline, the training will more or less begin in chapter two. This goes for either gender.
@KingMe Ahhh, thank you so much for your kind words! I really appreciate it. I really wanted to create the kind of game I would want to play, with all the things Iāve wanted in CoG games. My goal is that a playthrough of the game could read as an actual book, that characterization isnāt sacrificed for interactivity. A daunting task, I think, but one Iām passionate about.
Iām incredibly fond of the characters Iāve created and the world Iāve build. Iāve created a lot of fantasy worlds (and a lot of characters, by extension), but Ophaesia is thus far my favorite. I wrote it as a world I (almost) want to live in myself.
Ophaesia is set in a region geographically similar to the Mediterranean ā it has some distinct Hellene influences ā so its food would be similar as well. I picture it as a sort of combination of Italian and French cuisine, with some medieval English influences ā Iām thinking of some specific Tudor recipes Henry VIII was fond of. Ophaesia has a large coast, so seafood would be common, especially in Pytensia, the capital. Ophaesia is also an epicenter for trade, so they would have a lot of spices.
I see Ophaesia as being full of layers and secrets, so I imagine their food would reflect that. Elaborate dishes with hidden little bits and complex flavor profiles. Needlessly intricate, and perhaps frustratingly so.
Ophaesiaās world has definite real-world influences, but mostly when it comes to names. Iām reworking some aspects of the other countries, fleshing them out and trying to make them feel more unique and less like renamed real-world countries. Some may be renamed or have their names tweaked in the process, but not Ophaesia. I think it feels unique enough. The same goes for Verey, as well.
But, to list the real-world influences of the current countries:
- Ophaesia - Ancient Greece, France, general Mediterranean
- Edoinel - France, Spain, general Western Europe
- Merlios - Roman Empire (especially with the names)
- Corsciana - Italy (of course)
- Verey - Russia, Romania, general Eastern Europe
- Dharsani Empire - Morocco, Egypt, North Africa as a whole
Corsciana needs the most work, I think. Verey is about as fleshed out as Ophaesia, so I doubt itāll change at all.
@bomsasa @lokidemon007 Obviously Iām not going to say what it is, but I will say youāre both not on the right track. Thatās all I have to say on the matter.
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Looking forward to seeing the other countries! I could help with Corsicana if you need any help.
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@Fawkes Good show for the lore website. I love lore and I love world building, actually more so than I like writing about those worlds. Funny that. Iāll delve in deep as soon as itās ready.
As for combat, while I applaud your dedication to plausible authenticity, I would say that getting the concept in place without going too far into the detail might be better. Real combat forms contain a lot of things that your average reader will find runs counter to their perceived understanding of how these things go. Plus a lot of it is dense as hell and obtusely written by Late-Medieval/Early-Renaissance authors with no skill at description and far too high an opinion of themselves (Looking at you, Fiore). Iāve been studying this stuff for years, still donāt get all of it.
But yeah, you want flashy? Try the works of Johannes Lichtenauer or Joachim Meyer. German swordmasters with a propensity for throwing their sword around at peopleās heads as fast as their hands could move. If you want later stuff, go for Bolognese style. Rapier is stunningly boring stuff. Complex, but boring.
Sorry, rambling. I get too into this stuff. But yeah, you do what you want with it. Iāll accept whatever you choose to go with, it is your world after all.
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Iām using a webhost that has a website builder, which means creating the website is actually fairly easy. Iām doing some tweaking at the moment, but mainly all I need to do to get it ready for the public is add the content.
(I normally would rather create a website myself from scratch, as Iām fairly proficient in HTML and CSS ā though I actually use Pug and SASS because I donāt hate myself. However, I knew I would need a blog incorporated into the website, which would require some backend coding that I know almost nothing about, so a webhost with a website builder was my best option. Customization is more limited than I would like, but hey, it does require considerably less effort!)
Anyway, the website isnāt far off from being ready. Maybe a week or two? For those interested, thereās a preview below. Some details are blurred, to keep you guys from finding the website before itās ready.
It helps that I coded a website from scratch a few months ago that looked very, very similar to this, haha.
That is definitely something to keep in mind, and I imagine itās something a lot of fantasy and historical writers struggle with. Iāll have to work to find the right balance between accurate, esoteric detail and vague, easy-to-understand approximations.
Really? Do you mind if I pick your brain at some point? Researching something is a lot easier when you have someone pointing you in the right direction.
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If you want to pick my brain, go ahead. Iām not the most accomplished scholar of the art, but Iām decent enough. Happy to help.
Also, I wonāt lie, I spent about ten minutes looking at that picture trying to find a clue to find this website.
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Sorry if this has been asked before, but how many uncles/aunts/cousins does the MC have? I know thereās Uncle Althorys, who gave the MC the harp, but does he have any children, and does the MC have any paternal extended relatives?
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As it turned out, I wrote a post before that last one. It was the exact same post, but I didnāt realize that when you upload a picture, it will show the name of the file, which had the name of website. I did a whole new post to make sure no one could see the name, not even in the edits of the original post, and I changed the name of the file. But just in case someone managed to catch the name of the site, I have it password protected now. There arenāt any spoilers right now, but itās definitely not ready for the public.
Donāt worry about possibly asking a question asked before. I donāt mind answering questions, even if theyāre repetitive.
Thereās a family tree in the first post which lists an aunt and a deceased uncle on your fatherās side and Uncle Althorys on your motherās. The MC has other relatives though that arenāt listed on there, including Ysoniaās other siblings (all brothers) and your cousins through your fatherās older sister Raelis and her husband Nadien (a boy and a girl). Ysonia has three brothers, theyāre all married, and they have eight children among them (two boys and six girls).
Names of those relatives, for the curious.
Raelis & Nadienās Children
- Raedyn, a son, married to Nytheris of House Corathin
- Phera, a daughter
Ysoniaās Brothers
- Methian, the oldest, married to Savena of House Peritha
- Althorys, older than Ysonia, married to Gathiya of House Otheran
- Sodrys, younger than Ysonia, married to Aleris of House Lerah
Methian & Savenaās Children
- Telathys, a son
- Maevia, a daughter
- Basitha, a son
Althorys & Gathiyaās Child
- Athosa, a daughter
Sodrys & Alerisās Children
- Eresia, a daughter
- Vethys, a daughter
- Selathin, a daughter
- Naphora, a daughter
There are still other relatives Iāve yet to mention, but these are your aunts, uncles, and first cousins.
(I use FamilyEcho.com for a full family tree of the MCās family, and boy, oh boy, itās HUGE. It has over fifty people on it.)
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