Click here for the demo: >> Demo Link <<
The NSFW discussion thread can be found here: >> NSFW thread. <<
✧ Description
In a dark world overrun by monsters from the shadow plane, you exist as a hybrid monster hunter called a helvling, a human whose very soul has been Bound to one such entity. Travelling from warded settlement to warded settlement with your surly Keeper, Shea, you have the thankless task of defending the common folk against these horrors from Hel.
Usually, a fate such as yours is only reserved for the lowest of criminals, as penance for their loathsome deeds… You wouldn’t know if your fate has been deserved, however, since upon completion of your Binding seven years ago, all former memories of your human life have been lost.
You’ve been moulded into a weapon by the Virtuous Order, trained to be an unfeeling and ruthlessly efficient hunter… But is that who you are? Who are you, truly?
✧ Features
- A fully customisable main character, including pronouns, gender identity, sexual orientation, physical appearance, etc.
- Choose to be Bound to one of four different helspawn entities, all of which have their own unique appearance and abilities: the deadly basilisk, the mighty sylvan, the alluring nokken, or the terrifying barghest.
- Find your way in a world that treats you with scorn, whilst trying to retain what’s left of your humanity.
- Encounter terrifying creatures and entities from the distorted shadow plane called Hel.
- Seek answers to the mysterious origins of a world-breaking event known as the Catastrophe, which ushered in an era of darkness over 100 years ago.
- Help or hinder a small ragtag group of rebels intent on disrupting the Order’s iron grip.
- And perhaps finally discover the truth of your past…
✧ Characters
Over the course of the game, you will meet eight romanceable characters in total; six of which that can be flipped between male or female and two that can be flipped between male, female, or nonbinary.
- Shea, your ever-present grim-faced Keeper. Stoic, serious, and aloof.
- Elexis, an enigmatic member of the Royal Guard. Forward, charismatic, and inscrutable.
- Idris/Idrissa, a gifted mage. Confident, intelligent, and arrogant.
- Penrose, a mighty templar. Good-natured, compassionate, and thoughtful.
- Guinn, an idealistic youth. Genuinely good, kind, and innocent.
- Eir/Eiri, a cynical mercenary. Abrasive, sarcastic, and harsh.
- Sutton, a standoffish druid. Hot-tempered, passionate, and reserved.
- Sinclair, a flirtatious scoundrel. Jovial, mischievous, and charming.
Detailed RO info
Your Keeper
Shea Clane.
F/M. Age 39. Height 6’1”/186 cm. Glossy black hair, olive skin, pale grey eyes.
Shea has served as your Keeper for the past six years, turning you from a feral monster into a person that somehow resembles something approaching human. They’re not unkind, but they’re very stern and have a strong preference for a strict routine. They rarely show any sign of emotion.
Shea is tall and broad-shouldered, with a powerful, muscular build most often hidden behind layers of armour, warm furs, and a thick dark cloak. Their black hair is pulled back in a low ponytail and the left side of their face is marked by two long scars, crossing down their cheek and over the line of their jaw.
The Enforcer
Elexis Selwyn.
F/M. Age 24. Height 5’11”/180 cm. Bright-red straight hair, fair skin, blue eyes.
Not much is known about Elexis except for the fact that they’re employed by the royal family in some capacity. They have some history with Shea, but your Keeper is tight-lipped about it. Elexis likes to take jabs at people and press their buttons, to see what makes them tick.
Elexis is of slightly taller than average size, with a nimble and athletic build. They most often wear form-fitting leather armour that has been dyed a wine-red colour with a long dark cloak. Their hair, an unusual bright red colour not unlike the colour of freshly spilled blood, reaches to just below their shoulders. They have a curved scar on their chin that continues along the bottom of their jaw.
The Mage
Idrissa/Idris Renske.
F/M. Age 29. Height 5’9”/176 cm. Wispy black hair, tawny skin, dark brown eyes.
A brilliant and gifted mage, Idris(sa) turned traitor after making a shocking discovery about the inner workings of the Virtuous Order. They’ve had a privileged upbringing due to their previous position in life and therefore may sometimes appear arrogant or pretentious. However, they’re willing to make amends for past mistakes and do what must be done, for the good of the realm.
Idris(sa) is of average height, with a slender and graceful build. They mostly dress in elegant yet practical clothing in various shades of dark blue, gold, or black. Their wispy hair is long, reaching to their mid-back, and is usually tied up in a top knot or half-up.
The Protector
Penrose Sadrahar.
F/M. Age 32. Height 6’5”/196 cm. Curly dark brown hair, dark skin, dark green eyes.
A stalwart companion of Guinn, Penrose can never be found too far away from them. Having served as their guardian for the past 11 years, the two have become nearly inseparable. Despite their occupation, Penrose is actually very kind-hearted and thoughtful. They’re compassionate, good-natured and show their affections easily.
Taller than most and outfitted with a gleaming suit of armour, Penrose strikes an intimidating figure. Despite their formidable build, they carry themselves with grace and restrained strength, usually preferring a gentler approach. Their angular face is framed by loose, shoulder-length curls, the top locks most often tied back in a short ponytail.
The Dreamer
Guinn Bedirsa.
F/M/NB. Age 22. Height 5’6”/167 cm. Poofy light brown hair, bronze skin (freckled), black eyes.
Guinn has spent their entire life being watched over in a gilded cage. They long to be free, to use their powers for good, to just experience the world and all it has to offer. The only person that they feel they can trust completely is Penrose, who has practically raised them from a very young age. Guinn likes to see the good in everyone and they are hopelessly optimistic. They’re genuinely good and kind, which is something you don’t see very often.
Guinn is of average height and build, unaccustomed to any form of physical labour or activities. They’re dressed in various layers of simple grey clothes and their forehead is marked with a silvery, eye-like rune. Their poofy light brown hair is streaked with golden highlights and frames their face like a halo.
The Liquidator
Eiri/Eir Finvrir.
F/M/NB. Age 26. Height 5’9”/174 cm. Lanky white blonde hair, deathly pale skin, icy blue eyes.
How Eir(i) came to join the group is a mystery, but nevertheless the acerbic mercenary has joined forces with them… for now. They have a caustic personality and find most social interactions very tedious. Their outlook on life is extremely cynical.
Eir(i) is of average height and has a lean, sinewy build with long legs. They’re mostly dressed in all-black or dark grey, with various wickedly sharp knives hidden upon their person. Their lanky hair is uneven but reaches to about chin-length, and it usually looks like they’ve messily brushed it back too many times with their hands. The bridge of their nose is marked by a long, horizontal, jagged scar.
The Druid
Sutton Kinney.
F/M. Age 27. Height 6’2”/189 cm. Wavy gold blond hair, tan skin, light hazel eyes.
If it was up to Sutton, they’d rather not have joined the group at all, but fate has conspired against them it seems. All but forced to team up, they lend their considerable skill in nature-based magick to the group. Naturally a very stand-offish person, Sutton has no patience for people who are frivolous or otherwise airheaded (in their opinion). They’re extremely hot-tempered and not always successful in keeping all of it contained.
Sutton is a tall person with a lean and agile build, honed whilst spending years in the outdoors. They’re usually clad in brown hide armour and furs, wearing a dark blue shirt underneath. Their hair is about shoulder-length, the sides of it shaved and the top pulled back in a messy knot, braid, or ponytail. Black tattoos mark their face and an old scar slants across their left eyebrow. They wield a longbow and an engraved bearded axe.
The Scoundrel
Sinclair Colepepper.
F/M. Age 24. Height 5’8”/172 cm. Curly ginger hair, rosy skin, blue/green eyes.
Sinclair’s reasons for joining the group aren’t entirely related to the thwarting of the Empire or the Order, but Sinclair is never one to turn down an adventure. Their greatest skill is the use of their mouth, in more ways than one. They possess a natural sort of charm that most people can’t help but find appealing and Sinclair makes great use of this, conning people out of their valuables left and right. Their personality can be described as jovial, flirtatious, and slightly mischievous.
Sinclair is of average height with a lithe and willowy build. They like to wear colourful and stylish clothes which show off their best assets. If male, their curly ginger hair is kept short and messy; if female, it is kept long and flowy. They’re not very skilled with weapons and only carry a small dagger with them (more for looks than anything else, really).
Notes: Public demo last updated on 3 February. Unfortunately, due to the fact that I changed how the code works, you will have to start a new game!
For in-depth update info and other stuff, please check out my blog on tumblr. I also have a Kofi as well as a Patreon now if you’d like to support me!
New: The game now also has its own Discord server!
Changelog
- (Feb 3, 2021) Update 2.01: word count updated to 51,687, average playthrough 16,725 words. Includes more tweaks to chapter 1 and a chunk of chapter 2.
- (Nov 29, 2020) Update 1.5.1: word count updated to 34,860, average playthrough is at 10,411 words. Includes lots of tweaking and rewriting (to Shea’s branch in particular) as well as code and typo fixes!
- (Nov 23, 2020) Update 1.5: word count updated to 30,614, average playthrough is at 9,644 words. Includes a nightly visit to Shea and I added some more text to the inn encounter. Also, people doing shady things in the woods!
- (Nov 20, 2020) Update 1.4: word count updated to 27,110. In this update, the PC can visit Elexis!
- (Nov 15, 2020) Update 1.3: word count updated to 18,504! This update includes a lot of changes and has one additional branching path, please check the pinned post at my tumblr for more info.
- (Nov 4, 2020) Update 1.2: word count updated to 8,266, prologue completed, over half of chapter 1 completed
Next update
- River district branch.
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