(WIP) Those Long Dead

Off-Topic Other Interactive Fiction
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NOTE: This WIP has moved to Twine. No more updates will be made to the Choicescript version. You can find the Twine version here: Itch.io

Hello there! You can call me Anna, or Aevum Games, which is the pen name I’ve taken for my IF project, Those Long Dead. This is my first Choicescript game, so I’m learning as I go, but I’m very passionate about this project, so I’m hoping you all will give this IF a chance! This is also my first time posting on this forum, so please forgive me if the formatting isn’t quite right.

Those Long Dead is a medieval fantasy story, with angelic imagery and themes worked in, and a focus on romance. The current demo is rather short, but will be updated soon.

Note: Those Long Dead is rated 18+ for depictions of swearing, potential sexual themes, violence, and death. More warnings may be added as development goes on.

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Three generations.

That’s how long it’s been since this kingdom was conquered. In a time of great upset, the First Queen led a rebellion against reviled rulers and oppressive laws. Waging war with unmatched cunning, she rallied many powerful soul mages, known as angels, to the cause. From that conflict, the kingdom of Calcherth was born, built on the bones of the old empire. The First Queen ruled with great compassion and wit, but not all sins are forgiven with time. For the deaths she had caused during the war, the First Queen was murdered by the very people she had endeavored to lead.

The loss of its ruler did not spell the end of Calcherth, however. The coup was quickly suppressed, and the First Queen’s son took the throne in her place. Now, many years later, the scars on Calcherth’s short history have faded, and advances in soul magic improve lives for many within its borders. However, those same advances are viewed as a threat by Calcherth’s neighboring kingdom, and many fear war is on the horizon once more. To make matters even more dire, the Second King has suddenly passed away, leaving his youngest son to succeed the throne long before he is old enough.

The effects of these events are so far-reaching, than even you are beginning to feel them, far to the southwest in the remote town of Lest. You are the child of a retired knight of the kingdom, who traded in his sword for the deed to Lest’s tavern. The Fool’s March, your father has named it, and the humble, but beloved tavern has been the center point of your entire life. But now, with rumblings of war, your father plans to pick up a blade once again, heading to the capital to enlist and leaving you behind in your childhood home. With him no longer by your side, what will you do when a threat to the entire kingdom comes for you? What will you do when you find out you may be a soul mage, yourself?

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  • Adult characters, with the main cast being mid twenties to early thirties.
  • Customizable MC. Select your first name, last name, custom pronouns, detailed appearance, and manifestation of powers.
  • Five romance options of varying gender and personality, who you can interact with as you choose.
  • More to come as development continues!

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Kaine Breckem (he/him)

The blacksmith’s former apprentice, who your father took in and hired at the tavern a few years ago. A kind, but mischievous individual, Kaine cares about others a great deal, but that doesn’t stop him from being full of snark. Kaine can be your closest childhood friend, or someone you unfortunately work with; the choice is yours to make. Regardless, he’s rather protective of you… but who will protect him when he needs it?

Vermillion "Millie" Lousat (she/her)

A descendant of a noble family, Millie has extensive education and combat training… and is also quite the social butterfly. It doesn’t matter if it’s the docks or the Gilded District, if you want connections somewhere, Millie has them. She wears her heart on her sleeve and doesn’t care about the consequences. Maybe you’ll catch her eye, somewhere amidst the mass of other’s trying for her affections?

Leon Calcherth (he/him)

Technically a prince, Leon is the standoffish older brother of the Young King, Caleb, but is no longer considered to be in line for the throne. He greatly regrets the situation this has put his younger brother in, as they’re very close. Leon is not easy to get close to because of the way he acts, but maybe the prickly prince has a softer side underneath the thorns?

Milo Lance (they/them)

The commander of the Order of Light, and they absolutely live up to the position. Practically raised in Gilramore’s guard barracks, Milo’s personality tends to come across as stiff and business-like, but in actuality they simply enjoy being effective and to the point. A truly gentle soul in a warrior’s suit of armor, if you can persuade them to let down their guard.

Clementene Fairwreight (she/her)

Celementene is a talented soul mage for the Order, but she is a researcher at her heart; field work isn’t particularly for her. A slightly nervous disposition and bad eyesight really only add to her penchant to stay within Gilramore’s white stone walls. Her surprisingly daring experiments with magic captivate most of her attention, but maybe she’ll find something in you that can capture her focus as well?

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(last updated 10/13/2023, currently at 11,679 words in total)
DEMO (WIP) | TUMBLR | PATREON | DISCORD SERVER

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I love the imagery, a sign of passion for your work

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This Wip has my interest

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From the details you’ve posted this sounds like it would be an absolute blast to read. Hopefully it’s as fun for you to make as I’m sure it will be for the community to read. Best of luck in developing and I can’t wait to see how this story will turn out!

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Thank you so much! That means a lot to me, particularly because I’m so invested in this story, and I’d love to see other people enjoy it as well. Also, it’s actually been very fun to develop so far, as I enjoy both the creative freedom of writing a story that’s entirely my own, and the Choicescript coding aspect of it. It’s really neat to watch the flags and variables interact with each other after I’ve written them out!

I’m actively working on more to update the current demo with, so I hope it’ll be worth the wait for you! :smiling_face:

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Sounds interesting can’t wait by the way soul mages can you explain them a bit more are they people just with magic

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Not a bad start. I want to learn more about the mages and the population’s option on them. Are they feared, respected or both? Either way this wip has promise.

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The dynamic between kaine and mc seems really interesting so far :slight_smile: can’t wait for more ^^

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Thank you both! I have much more exposition on the setting planned for the rest of the chapter, including information on soul magic, mages, and angels, but I will also summarize it for you here if you’re curious! I’ll spoiler it in case anyone wants to wait for the in-game explanations.

Essentially, all magic in this universe is drawn from the power of the soul. Since everyone has one, anyone can become a soul mage, but typically only people who intentionally go to study at the academy in the capital (or from a experienced tutor, or at another academy in a different kingdom) for that purpose ever become mages. It’s not really something that just happens on its own, if that makes sense? Still, mages and magic are very present and commonplace in Calcherth’s main city, and most of the comforts of that city are due to advances in soul magic. Running water is powered by magic, there’s enchanted fireplaces and stoves that are lit using magic, most medicine is interwoven with magical healing, and so on and so forth. Because of this, your typical run-of-the-mill mage is very widely accepted, even welcomed, because there may be problems that only they can help you with.

These things, however, are different from the more powerful version of soul mages: angels. These are seemingly average people who are born with somewhat unnatural colorings, maybe dark purple eyes or blue-tinged hair, though in rare cases they can look perfectly ordinary. But once they reach anywhere from teens to early twenties, there’s a moment where their access to magic suddenly comes to life, and they can suddenly perform spells naturally, as if on instinct, and without necessarily being taught how. They can still study magic of course, and improve their skills, but casting magic is like breathing to them. The reason they’re called angels is because, typically when performing spells, their power can manifest as magical, glowing angelic wings and a halo, though the exact appearance of those features differs from angel to angel. One could have purple wings, another could have a black halo, etc.

Angels are where things become a little tricky, because I really want to create a positive, accepting world in my story, but also I don’t want to just avoid realism all together. So, the opinion of angels is somewhat divided among the population; some people fear or dislike them, others view them as a blessing or as a useful tool. Still, because of the way Calcherth was founded, angels are heavily tied into its history and even current government, so there is a basic level of acceptance there. It’s a bit hard to explain, you might just have to wait and see how it works in the context of the story.

I hope that helps!

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This is very much on my radar in a good way, I’m excited to see where this goes, I hope the writing process treats you well!

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Thanks for answering my question. Good luck with the story

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So, I made a post about this change on the blog, but I wanted to make one here too. While I am working hard on writing more of the first chapter, I also just finished going back over everything I have written and overhauling the personality stats and friendship flags. In doing so, I’ve made the previous harsh personality now more of a callous, but not necessarily mean, or completely uncaring personality that I enjoy writing much better.

Because of this change, however, in the future demo update it will no longer be possible to play an out-rightly mean and hostile character. Hopefully no one was too attached to that personality path, and if anyone was I’m very sorry, but I need to do what’s best for me and the future of the IF’s development. :bowing_woman:

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The graphics for this game are really well done! Excited to see where it goes.

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What an interesting read! I will be waiting for more updates c:

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Not a lot but, it seems to have potential. Would love to see where it goes and hope to see this diamond in the rough, bloom. Keep up the good work. Looking forward to the next update :smiling_face:
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Hi guys! Been a while, had to take a break from writing for a month or so cause unfortunately life happens, oof. I’m starting up again soon though! Excited to get back to this story.

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Updated the demo today! It’s now 11,547 words.

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Loving the demo! Can’t wait to see where it goes!

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Love it.

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Update was great! Excited for more!

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