The exact answer to this question may vary slightly by playthrough (your actions and chosen backstory are relevant), but one common element is revealed in chapter 4; the MC discovered there was, potentially, a way to leave hell. This is information Rangdan wanted secret (hence making the MC themselves forget it). I wonāt say more about the specifics of why she wanted it secret because, well, thereās more game to come to reveal it in! I can promise that this information will be revealed in all runs.
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thanks for the answer author
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No problem 
Iām really liking the story, especially the characters. They are all very interesting to interact with and figure out. Like Kruach. I can fix him. With the power of 
love.
And maybe a lobotomy
I also just noticed that when you argue with Talos that you are merciful, the requirement to say that you saved the angel is freed_prisoners and not spared_angel
But more importantly, will we be able to keep the shroom as a pet? They were very nice, very fren shaped
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This is absolutely shaping up to be a favorite under the official CoG label for me. It avoids the problems I almost always have with CoG label gamesā standard formula, and thatās a huge relief with how much I was interested in the premise (which also handedly delivers). Iām not feeling Iām being pulled in a dozen different directions with barely any ability to engage with them[1], the stat adjustments/checks are clear with the ability to label them[2], checks have felt totally fair and my character completely feels good at what Iāve built them for. All in all Iām very happy. I always am so wary of CoG label games because of the rambling whining Iāve given, so Iām super glad about this one not hitting my typical complaints. Iām not even terribly bothered by it being a bit stat heavy because A) the option for CLEARLY LABELED CHECKS 
, and B) theyāve felt really balanced/appropriate. Iām really loving how my build has shaped up, with two good social skills for options and just utterly overwhelming physical power for combat challenges. And regarding stats, I loved the (spoiling just in case) physical change from the one stat upgrade (not finished reading, in 3, so donāt know if it happens more than once). Was unexpected but super welcome, had to check all the options when it happened. Donāt know if itās entirely because Iām taking part in the time-honored tradition of Diablerie, but either way. Love getting more powerful is physically shown as getting stranger. If that continues Iām greatly looking forward to more weird changes
Also, as said, the premise has been delivered upon very well. Glad demons arenāt just red humans with (never used) wings; like the variety of appearance and the world building stuff like scavenging what is given to the dead or how locations become āaliveā with their own will based on thoughts towards it. All neat fun stuff and Iām greatly looking forward to more/release
Final edit (unlikely but hopefully), a meme that came to mind
dumb thought
With Eryx (think I got that right, guy who wanted a sip of blood) and his wife, made me think about how Raum might be an RO. After completing destroying their attempt to call a bluff on my āa form youāre comfortable inā, Iād like to think they saw this looking back completely unphased
Final final edit (2)final, having finished now. Since there are personality checks, feel should comment given my earlier shit that theyāre what they should be; that is, a test of reputation more than like saying you straight up canāt do X because youāre not impulsive or whatever and you fail and it sucks. That and there was a āyouāre too stoic you canāt rhymeā which was funny. 4 spoilers, enjoyed that learning of our past wasnāt held on for the whole game. Got spoiled so knew it was coming but still, I appreciate that, that it wasnāt held on as a string forever. Very curious about the world splitting shit, but beyond that nice to have something in common with Raum as previously talked about. All fun options there. And the vault is a cute little friend (see attached permit), feel bad theyāre so afraid. Hereās hoping fungus amongus will be a cute little friend/pet/little guy who hangs around getting memories. Eryx no eat friend >:(
Often showing as like, four downtime options in the whole game and in each you have to pick between interacting with a singular character (including RO, potentially the only time they come up), raising a stat (which is sometimes near necessary due to the stat focus of the official label), or progressing one of three side plotlines, all of which are directly related to the main plot in some fashion. In a video game you can do all the side quests, in addition to all character interactions and also farming/grinding if you need to, before the next main quest, but with those stories youāre so limited and it sucks and is very overwhelming and unpleasant imo. ā©ļø
And thereās not personality stat checks, which I consider a sin; just because I didnāt move my Cautious/Impulsive bar enough one direction shouldnāt mean a choice either completely fails or is outright greyed out/removed. Come on, sometimes a generally impulsive person is cautious, give a bit of flavor text acknowledging but donāt make it totally fail, thatās ridiculous. ā©ļø
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@leo_not_leo Good spot on the bug; I have squashed it. Nothing is fixed or final, but for players who chose not to kill/eat/sell it, the shroom can meet other, kinder fates later.
Kruach is one of those characters that I fell in love with once I started actually writing him. Iāve already expanded his role, though heās not a main character (he can be killed in chapter 3, after all). As such, love interest isnāt currently on the cards for Kruach but weāll see what happens. Nothing is fixed or final. Start a petition. 
@ElliWoelfin That was very encouraging to read, thank you. Itās lovely to see someone noticing the little details like the physical change (which is not locked to a Devouring route, though I do plan for characters who eat a lot of souls to undergo some unique changes later on). More changes will come but they will be constrained for my coding sanity (youāre not going to sprout a new pair of arms early on so I have to account for that in all descriptions of the player using their hands, for example).
I donāt intend to lock any characterisation choice behind personality traits. Just because you were Stern earlier doesnāt mean you canāt crack a joke, for example, and I feel that often the time a person acts out of character is the most interesting. While itās unusual, I think a player pivoting midgame (becoming kinder, crueller, more stoic, etc) is a cool and valid choice. That said, I use a fair few passive checks where, for example, high Mocking players behave more smugly and crack more jokes, and your personality-as-reputation will be tested from time to time.
Raum is 100% a potential RO, one of the spicier ones as theyāre largely amoral. They should pair nicely with your Devouring route. Very happy to see someone calling Raum calling the MCās bluff; itās one of those fun little interactions you write knowing very few people will actually see (like the player trying to have the last nod with the Margrave in chapter 1, or some MCs being very bad at rhyming).
Lovely to hear about characters people are enjoying, though do feel free to (politely) criticize about any characters that arenāt working for you and why. Obviously some of this may come down to personal preference (and some of them are not meant to be likeable), but itās still potentially helpful for me.
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I have to ask can the scars that was given to us can they be reversed because if they cannot I will always continue choosing the horns to be broken because at least between will not be that physically damning of an injury but i want to ask what was the region thinking imitating a leg or removing fingers when she punish a the fighter Mc their job is literally to fight and doing this just make their job harder
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an incredibly promising read already
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The start of this looks really fun! Iām very much looking forward to diving in further.
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@Ronin_101 Iāll have a think about it but thereās no current plan to heal the MCās scar, even with bodily changes. Youāre in a cruel place.
As to why Rangdan would maim her soldier/assassin/etc, ultimately, to a cruel despot, youāre a disposable tool. You might be a very effective tool, but youāre not irreplaceable and sometimes youāre more valuable as an example. They may even have been an element of her wanting to humble the MC. Tyrants often purge or punish their most competent underlings, viewing them as potential threats.
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Honestly, Iāve not like genuinely disliked any of the characters at all, which is quite surprising considering how easily I tend to go āman this guy sucks and I never want to see them againā. Like, the Archivist kinda bounces off of my PC due to differing values, like my PC being a big fan of fighting and him kinda just rolling his eyes at like the Margrave duel, but he just has a small stick up his ass and I like his personality and role and such, have nothing against him. The menagerie of weirdo nobles in the casino, theyāve all felt like theyāve hit their intended role and like, again Iāve not found anyone so despicable and annoying that I just dislike interacting with them. Two headed guy (sorry Iām awful with names; I recognize the shape of the letters more than keep track of the spelling/pronunciation) who lead to my gal getting maimed, theyāre a sleezy asshole(s) but thatās kinda the point and theyāre fun to manipulate. The Masqued and the Chorus people have understandable intentions, so nothing against them (and I actively like the one gang "arch"demon, wolf head guy and if course burned lady has a lot going on, being pretty major player). Eryx and his wife are fun weirdos, the dude with the battlefield curse I feel super bad for because heās clearly struggling a lot especially after the casino, and yeah.
So like I said, at least to me, Iāve yet to find anyone I have irl found so aggravating that I actively avoid interacting with them because it very genuinely annoys/angers me. That character(s) is a common thing to find for me given my wealth of mental problems and Very Big Opinions, so it does a lot to make playing this very fun and pleasant in general. Not felt bad at any point, just had a really good time.
Sorry Iām not really giving criticism but Iāve not had anything to criticize 
Oh, while Iām here, about munching on people. A thought Iāve been having about it is like, eating the angel was a spur of the moment āman Iām not getting this chance againā kinda deal, but the Commodore, for her the thought I had was that I didnāt want her soul to just disappear at final death, that maybe I could keep some of her going because I genuinely liked her a lot. Thatās a mindset thatās pretty prominent in a lot of societies with actual cannibalism, and since it has direct evidence here itās where my mind went to. I donāt know if thatās something youād want to integrate in some fashion, like doing it as an āact of kindnessā (at least within the PCās mind) but I wanted to mention it because maybe that could be an interesting twist to take with it. Like, if an RO dies, munch munch munch and now did they really die (from PC perspective)? Not saying like āhey I want this to be taken as Morally Good Diablerieā, could be like just warped perspective trying to justify the act, but it was a thought I was having at the time and why I chose to eat her.
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theres also the question of how soul eating should interact with native MCās
Summary
you know, cthonian born
i would assume that they would be alot better suited than others for this sorta thing, or at least they SHOULD imo (since thats kind of literally how they gained sentience in the first place)
especially since theres literal precedent for that with the lil tongue wife
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Have to say a determination/stamina build is fun.
To paraphrase Terminator- He doesnāt feel fear, or remorse, or doubt, and will not stop until the task is done.
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right?
JUST STANDING HERE, MENACINGLY
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Admittingly, Iāve only skimmed through this iF at the moment, but how non-humanoid are we?
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@ElliWoelfin and @Maethendias Now the MC knows who/what they are, there will be some conversation about this. For chthonian MCs, this will discuss soul devouring. Even for chthonians, however, overindulgence is very possible and thereāll be an achievement for it in the final game.The idea that Devouring could be viewed, in some contexts, as a kindness is one that will be explored further; an option to Devour the fungal heart out of kindness was cut from chapter four.
@stsword Resolve is the hardest skill to write actively but often the most fun. I was especially happy with āyou can use me as a punching bag to clear your headā.
@Darkk_est The MC is outwardly fairly humanoid, I didnāt push the boat out too far for them (and coding for a variety of unusual bodyplans would be a lot). Barring your chosen injury, the MC has two arms, two legs, the usual number of eyes, etc. They also have wings and horns.
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Yeah Iām wondering since ElliWoelfi mentioned that the demons arenāt the usual āhuman but redā thing that you usually see in media. So Iām wondering whatās the difference there
Thereās a lot more variety in the NPCs, in terms of inhuman physical appearance. Stuff like two heads, constantly burning, head covered in eyes, wolf and other animal parts, nearly featureless faces, etc. For the PC you get a selection of wings, skin (/scales/other stuff I think), eyes, and horns. Thereās some cool options in there, like wings covered in constantly shifting fractal patterns, eyes that looks like space complete with falling stars, etc. Even being broadly more humanoid than some of the others, thereās just a lot of cool options that can really push your appearance in neat directions beyond the basic red human. Like my gal with the black star eyes and wings covered in razor blade-like metal scales, a crown of horns, and an eternally bleeding wound on its chest. Plus as I said like your wings actually function and itās actively noteworthy since not all demons have them/can fly.
I think I was referring to some other stuff with that comment, I really donāt remember for various reasons, but yeah physically youāre still humanoid in a way not all the demons are, but thereās cool options for the customizing that make it so I at least never felt basic or anything
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As noted, NPCs are quite physically diverse. Iām committed to letting the MC use their wings when it makes sense; theyāre not just ornamental. Horns are, admittedly, pretty ornamental but Iāll probably sneak some text where an MC with big ones gores someone somewhere. Presumably on a Brutality option. There are a few bits of text keyed to specific aesthetic options currently; off the top of my head thereās one for on chapter 4 for MCs with rotting wings and/or ulcerated skin. I actually cut an antennae option for horns and I may add it back, but it was cut because it created more trouble that you might expect.
I suspect @ElliWoelfin was talking about the fact the MCās body changes slightly in chapter 3. I currently plan for some greater changes, but these will be later in the game and route/choice dependent. This comes with the constant warning that at this stage nothing is fixed or final; it may be too much work, my editor and/or beta testers may hate it, I may change my mind, etc. However, if something gets a really positive reception here Iāll work/fight for it harder (and if thereās something that proves very unpopular I may reconsider it).
I will say while I am committed to letting the MC get weird, playing as a red skinned guy with regular horns and reptilian wings will always be an option for those who want it. Itās a classic, after all.
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I really enjoyed playing this <3.
Despite giving quite a bit of information about the world in the beginning, I wasnāt bored and didnāt zone out because it was too much info before I was emotionally invested. At least part of that was because the setting is very unique and intriguing, and also because the MC was doing something interesting that encouraged me to get invested quickly.
I also loved the they/them title being Eminence. Itās not only cool, but fits the setting perfectly instead of making me feel like Iām an outsider/lesser than, with an awkward title.
I did get bored and quit reading in the casino, after talking to Caecilia. Honestly, I was hoping I wouldnāt have to talk to everyone on the options list, and not even potentially getting to play with throwing knives could keep me there. I think because Iād already done a lot of talking with Caecilia and Raum, I was kind of tired of it. With Shrike and the Archivist, the talk went along with action, the plot moving forward, and the choices felt meaningful, but that was less so with Raum and even less with Caecilia.
[Okay, replaying the scene above with a different mc was illuminating. If you lose the fight in the alley and have to run, deciding whether or not to leave Caecilia behind makes the scene feel much more important and interesting. To me, anyway. I hope this is useful information? Iām trying to give you information I would feel was valuable if I was writing the story. I would want to know where readers got bored, for instance, but if you donāt find it valuable for whatever reason, no hard feelings!]
I really felt like I had no way to discern if Caecilia was being sincere or not. Personally, Iām very inclined to believe change in behavior over pretty words, and comparing her to Thane also felt like a point in her favor, but I still wasnāt particularly convinced and kept thinking of the Archivistās warning about those whoād pursue the throne. Maybe thatās intentional? I donāt remember there being a choice to be uncertain or to give her the benefit of the doubt for the time being, but I would want there to be.
All that being said, Iām also not into āpolitikingā so that could just be me, interacting with parts of the plot I found less inspiring of interest.
Also, when talking to Drekavac I wanted the option to state that my mc is only interested in getting answers. Although, stating they were interested in more than power and then refusing to expand on that was nicely satisfying, lol.
I was a little frustrated when Drekavac asked if they would betray him, because betrayal indicates having some kind of arrangement or relationship which the two of them donāt have. And honestly, the question āwould you betray someone?ā is meaningless, because of the infinity of all the possible circumstances around it. If a person betrays someone who is abusing them, most wouldnāt consider it a betrayal or would justify it by saying the abuser betrayed them first, but the abuser wouldnāt see it that way, and so on. Iād want to be able to respond with something in that vein if someone asked me that.
āCarnifex. What you have done today does not entirely erase the stain and the shame of what you did, but it has shown you are worthy of respect. Our quarrel is done, in accordance with law and custom.ā ā I got this dialog from the Margrave after winning the duel, but Iām uncertain what heās referring to. Is it the choice we made in the beginning of what kind of disability/scar we have from our failure to please Rangdan? If so, I wouldnāt consider it a quarrel āwith him.ā I havenāt had a quarrel with him at all, so I thought it might be a bug.
Going along, I loved the little detail of Raum growing extra arms to clap, and how growing their wings makes ichor splatter everywhere. Leaning into the oddity of your characters and setting, even at the risk of turning some people off of it, shows your dedication to your vision and attention to detail. Itās impressive and remarkable when art these days is so often sanitized in attempts to appeal to everyone(ās wallets). AND, thank you for letting my mc make the Archivist blush, 10/10, hope to do again, <3.
When it comes to Kalkydra, I was confused why my carnifex was supposed to make a deal with them before they could check if the info was good? And are war or peace the only options to pursue? I was kind of going for a neutral non-interference sort of relationship between hell and heaven, so I didnāt want to pursue a deal and had my carnifex refuse, sending Kalkydra back with the message. [When I replayed this, I noticed that Kalkydra vows their truthfulness and if you make a contract, then you could be assured it was so.]
As for the Vault, when Caecilia reappeared, there was the option, āReal or not, let her die a third time at my hand.ā But I had never killed her.
āWhen you next open your eyes, you see Consul Drekavac preparing into a cauldron. A challenge, a trial by ordeal.ā Iām not sure if āpreparingā is the wrong word, or if thereās a missing word or two in this sentence. Also, the choice to endure the trial this second time and the choice to allow the memory to play out, had my carnifex withstanding pain, when Iād chosen for them to fail at providing glib replies to Drekavacās insults to be their failure.
Choosing the endure the trial and succeeding also doesnāt give a stat boost? I understand this isnāt supposed to be real, but it seems real enough, so I kinda expected it. No biggie, but I thought Iād mention it in case there was supposed to be a stat change there.
āUse it [the vaultās soul] to pay Eryx.ā
While they kept the option open, my mc never made any sort of deal with Eryx and never spoke them. I chose to take the soul with me, and the following page referenced that my mc would find some other way to pay Eryx, though again, I had no deal with them.
One thing in particular Iād like to see, is some information on the stats page on the best strategy for boosting the stats in your game. Should the player focus on two stats, to avoid failing as the stakes (and presumably the stat checks) rise higher and higher as the story progresses? Or maybe three is a better bet? Are there stats that work best/worst together in ensuring the player tends toward having more options to succeed?
All in all, I replayed this several times wanting to see everything and quite enjoyed myself, you have a good thing going here and Iām truly impressed.
Some typos and such:
āLook around you. Look at these hateful pricks, all of them looking to protect their hides no matter what happens. Donāt want to wipe the smug looks off their faces?ā [you]
Iāll leave; I want to know the show ends. [how]
Before long, half of the people you have met already know what you['re looking for. The message spreads without you, until it reaches the ears of Talos. [this one is pretty obvious]
The Archivist has his back to the door. His cane lies in pieces; he uses a long knife and a stolen as best he can. [a stolen what?]
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@alienburger That was comprehensive and extremely helpful, thank you. Iāve fixed the typos you spotted, including the cauldron part. I also spotted a missing underscore which is almost certainly the reason you got the wrong memory scene in chapter 4. Updated files are now uploaded.
Regarding the duel in chapter 3, Iām trying to work out if itās a bug or not. Did the Margrave challenge you to the duel? If he challenges you to a duel he should explain why (you lied to him about killing Gyges and/or freed the prisoners in chapter one). If you did neither of these things, the duel is optional and more friendly so you shouldnāt have had that text (meaning it was 100% a bug). Did you free the prisoners and/or lie about killing Gyges?
On the Eryx note, I have lightly tweaked this text and the earlier choice (how you responded to Eryxās letter) to make this a bit clearer. Thank you. I have also very lightly reworded the option to ākillā the āghostā in the vault and lightly tweaked some Drekavac text (including adding a small āI want the truthā option) in chapter 3.
Regarding the Caecillia scene, Iāve tinkered with that scene a lot to make it shorter/literally punchier/etc, conscious of the need to not trap players in too much politics chat (though I know some people love that). Not being able to easily discern if Caecillia is sincere or not is very much intentional, though you get a better idea if you eat her soul later. That scene exists to establish her before the murder and introduce the factional politics a little bit. Though the player will often have the option to ignore/sideline the factions, they will be a part of the game going forward and canāt be entirely ignored. Iām also trying to build up the Eternal Battlefield a little; I daresay you can guess why.
Options to make the Archivist blush will absolutely continue. Heās romanceable. Iād say it will be an odd romance, but I think all the romances will all be pretty weird in this game.
On stats and builds (and providing final advice for them), this will be finalized once the entire game is drafted and beta tested. Generally Iām trying to make a game that isnāt too mechanically punishing regardless of build and embraces āfail forwardā where possible. I am trying to make the choice to go wide or tall rewarding. A wide playstyle (focusing on more than two skills) should generally succeed more commonly but I do want some tests to include extra mechanical rewards for a ātallā playstyle to prevent it from being objectively inferior. The Margrave duel/game/schmooze in chapter 3 gives extra rewards for anyone who makes the choice to boost the relevant stat over 70 (which I expect to be uncommon), for example. Similarly, anyone who chooses to boost their worst skill will be able to beat the check when reliving their worst defeat in chapter 4.
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