(WIP) Beyond the Gilded Veil (Grim Fantasy, Romance | 48k | v2 | Updated 2025/04/15)

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Hey yall! I’ve become addicted to interactive fiction over the past year, and after running through all the available games in the particular style I like, I’ve decided to write my own.

Introducing Beyond the Gilded Veil, with about 42k words total right now, with one chapter and the beginning of the second released. I’ve writen a potential prologue, which I’ll be adding to the main project probably next update once I’ve finished butchering the first chapter (check planned progress for details.)

The game itself incorperates several elements that I’ve liked, or disliked the absence of, in other games such as:

  • An elaborate combat and magic system
  • Actual references to the player’s appearence throughout the game
  • Gender-choice romance options
  • Dialogue that dosen’t sound wierd and unatural
Summary

Beyond the Gilded Veil is a grimdark fantasy interactive story where you take the role of an heir apparent to one of Aurivale’s most powerful noble houses. An anomaly of nature, in a world where every noble holds the One God’s gift, you are the only one to have somehow escaped His notice. Despite this, your claim to the pa(ma)triarchy holds strong, and your arranged marriage to the Prince(ss) even stronger. What could go wrong?

You can immerse yourself with a fully customizable protagonist and choose what path you will take. With a (mostly implemented) extensive magic and combat system, you can be assured that every fight and every encounter will push you to your limits. And what is war without love? You will have access to a total of 7+ love interests* with customizable genders.

*1 introduced and partially implemented, 6 possible varations of technically the same interest introduced and to be implemented, and more depending on popular demand.

Current Version (v2)

48k words, prologue completed, chapter 1 to be reworked, chapter 2 begun.

Devlog

v1.1 → v2
I’ve released a potential prologue to (obviously) add to the world-building before the first chapter. About 6k words total, link at the bottom.

✤✤✤

v1 → v1.1
Hey yall! Got cracking on starting chapter 2, and I’ve now realised how grossly ive been underestimating how long this’ll take. Anyways, word count has gone from 32k → 42k, and I’ve made a couple changes:

  • Fixed a bug during Pythia’s ambush where the combat focused “stand your ground” action was mistakenly checking intrigue.
  • Replaced skill checks with the required number (Low Speech → Speech 10).
  • Options that increase a skill will now indicate so.
  • Reworded some text and dialogue.
  • Chapter images will now display “Chapter X” if they fail to load.
  • Introduced a new opposed stat: Corruption/Control. Succumbing to corruption allows your gift to take hold, granting you immense power at a rapid pace, but are you ready to pay the price?
  • Introduced 6 new spells
  • Compiled loose downloadable file into a playable .exe.

I’d suggest waiting until I deploy more updates before going back into the game, for all those who’ve played before. There’s nothing more anyoing then playing the same chapter over and over again to get to the new part. But you am I to judge, y’all can go ahead and blow up my analytics for all I care. Toodles!

Planned Progress, and Spoilers (update every ~1 week)

Still gonna do all this eventually:

I’ll be introducing 3 new romance options in chapter 2, all gender-choice. One priestess with a questionable sense of morality, a cult leader with a questionable lack of morality, and a mystery contractor (mystery because I want to add suspense, not because I haven’t actually fully fleshed out their role yet, obviously…)

The prologue is technically completed, but I’ll leave it up seperately for people to comment and suggest changes, if any. I’m working on an extension to the first chapter where the player will get a full day of heir duties and stuff, exploring the citadel, establishing better early relashionships with npc’s, all that good stuff. Oh, and world-building, that’s important too. Right before that, there’ll be essentially a series of flashbacks to important childhood events, the main thing being establishing an actual link with Pythia and not just having her as a tier 1 hater. (As @Niko_Farrell pointed out, among other good samaritans). Anyways, her character is also going to be, consequently, reworked to make her more, uh, human I guess.

Next Version Fixes (Bugs/Errors I know about)
  • “never be necessary when she possessed the gift of Aegis” (Wrong pronoun)
  • “and head off to rejoin her exasperated escort” (Wrong pronoun)
  • “barely reacts as her escort barks” (Wrong pronoun)
  • “your control voer your actions and” (Typo)
  • “Their lies, their betryal, and false justice.” (Typo)
  • Stance rerolls on viewing the stat page in combat (Bug)

This is my first game, so please go ahead and leave comments and suggestions. I’m learning as I go.

Demos:
Itch: Beyond the Gilded Veil by MightyBane
COGDemos: https://cogdemos.ink/play/andri-ruel/beyond-the-gilded-veil/mygame (Images dont seem to load, so I’ll figure that out eventually, just fyi)
New Potential prologue link: CoGDemos

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Hello @Bob_Ross2
First of all yes it’s right category, and yes you are aloved.
Now plod looks interesting. I wil play when I found time and wil give ful feedback.

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Seems off to a good start but I think magic brought in too early with premise of the MC being different. You added options what we think about it but it’s pointless if we literally get magic a minute later. There should of been a bigger time frame before adding it to make it more impactful so we could more of a feel for non powered MC even if it’s just one day. The combat was awesome even if we get owned after beating the guards. I’m just a bit iffy on the stat checks. I had good combat skill but the option to try to block it was grey for some reason resulting in an early attack ambush which at the very we should of blocked before starting combat even if we’re meant to lose that fight. Maybe u should check the skill checks to make sure they are working properly.

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Alright, thanks. I’ll check if there’s a bug involved with the stat check, but if there isint, do you think just giving the necessary number would be better?

As for building suspense, you raise a good point. I’ll make a blueprint to add an intrim “chapter” where the mc expores his role and relationships.

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I think giving a number is probably better instead just low or high even if it not a bug. It becomes easier to understand that way.

For building suspense try maybe adding a flashback or memory from an earlier time. That interim chapter will make it easier to connect with the MC understanding them better with some backstory as well as meeting some people.

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your link dosent work^^ edit works now

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Yeah weird glitch happened to me as well.

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Can the MC become a monster after what happened to them

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I’m planning on adding multiple ending based on your chosen “drive”, being revenge, love, knowledge, ect… As for the becoming a monster, the dialogue and actions will branch out significantly, so you can hold on to your humanity or let yourself be consumed by the rage and act in consequence, with your environement and npc’s reacting accordingly.

TLDR; Yeah.

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Can you please make the game downloadable @Bob_Ross2?

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So how the father and the sister reaction to realizing their actions have created a monster if it isn’t spoileryif it isn’t spoilery

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This is interesting I will try and play it tomorrow

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I made the game file accessible. I don’t know how to execute it by itself, so you’re on your own from there.

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Thank you so much!

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Obviously, I’ve only written chapter 1 and plan on reworking it, but here’s what I’m planning for later: Obviously, the Patriarch is dying, so by the time you reunite there’ll be some sort of scene where you interact with him on his deathbed. For the sister, I’m planning on making her one of the final bosses, once both the player and her get stronger.

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Is it possible to get the download for android or is it just made/optimized for windows?

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I’ll enable it for android, but I dont know if it’ll work. Good luck though.

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Yeah it became pretty obvious what role she would play. Shes too strong right now. I wasn’t planning on let her live anyway for obvious reasons. Her job is just to destroy us for now so we have a reason to venture out and build strength

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so after reading it i like where it will go and the plot sounds good what put me a bit of was the fast pace on the begining when we get our magic a bit more lore or wolrd bulding would be nice there

are you planing to realse the wip on COG ?

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I didn’t know it was possible, I thought COG only accepted completed games. Regardless, I’d rather keep it in one place to have it easier to track. However, if enough people are interested in having my game on COG, I’ll take the necessary mesures. Anyways, thanks for the suggestion. I’m writing up some sort of prologue right now where the protag explores their role as hier before setting off into Chapter 1.

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