corvusasteris

[corvusasteris]

animal familiar poll

whenever I play dnd, my characters somehow always end up with a collection of animal familiars. so, in order to carry this theme over to the IF, I am turning to democracy.

#self rb

[corvusasteris]

Guys we gotta let the crow win in the poll so we can make it say 'Nevermore'.

you're in the middle of a crisis, turn to your feathered friend to ask whether you'll ever stop being hunted by the empire and the crow just goes "nevermore". great moral support all around.

#asks #ravens are in the crow family so yeah same thing #quoth the raven nevermore #interactive fiction

[corvusasteris]

🐉 DRAGON — what is your oc's favorite mythical creature?

for all or any!

hey! weird mix of mythical and creatures from folklore here but:

Jasper - griffins. or really any creature that is a mix of other creatures and makes an entirely new one. like a chimera, or a gajasimha, or a hippalectryon.

Leonora - sea serpents. she would say that she has a healthy respect for the power of the ocean and all that could be within it, hence a fascination with all the strange and dangerous creatures that could be in it.

Augustine - a phoenix. especially the ideas of renewal and cyclical time. also they just think it looks cool.

Mira - she finds anything that borders being human/inhuman fascinating. think the fey, especially tellings of them as being nature-spirits.

Theodorus - the wild hunt. not a creature, but finds it interesting as an omen/concept. fully believes that it exists.

#interactive fiction #asks #asks: character #went down a rabbit hole about hybrid creatures. there are so many of them. #does a variation of the wild hunt actually exist in this world? now that is a question.

[corvusasteris]

Hiii! How are you?? 💙 I come here just to say something, very important... Who are these people who are NOT choosing the chicken option and what is wrong with youuu?????

IMAGINE THE GREAT AND FEARED MAGE, in search and capture for their crimes, people tremble to hear their name and, at their side, theie loyal friend and familiar member, Pío the chick! Tsk, that is the shit I'm into, such a good opportunity wasted

Also, why nobody pick the doggo option? I feel bad for the poor doggo option, I like doggies xDD

hello !

the mental image of the mc having to run away from some imperial guards with their pet chicken squawking under their arm is absolutely sending me. I'll probably have four/five options so there's hope for the chicken yet!

#interactive fiction #asks #the chicken option is inspired by a scene I cut from the chapter yesterday where theo accidentally steals a chicken #anyway it might go back in if enough people want a chicken

[corvusasteris]

animal familiar poll

whenever I play dnd, my characters somehow always end up with a collection of animal familiars. so, in order to carry this theme over to the IF, I am turning to democracy.

#interactive fiction #poll #I'm planning on there being a choice but among fewer options. otherwise the variations would end me #I'm enjoying the power I have to put so many options. #tw snake mention #tw spider mention

[corvusasteris]

details about ocs!

send an emoji/description of emoji to learn more about a writer's oc! many of these are taken from my munday asks meme, because i thought it would be fun to make a version for characters too! the prompts are categorized by emoji type and given descriptions in case anyone can't see the symbols. can be used for roleplayers and any general writers alike! for roleplayers, these can also be used for your interpretations of canon characters if you so desire as well!

𝐎𝐁𝐉𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐒. 💭 THOUGHT BALLOON — what is your oc's MBTI, enneagram, and/or other personality aspects (if known/interested in)? 🚗 CAR — does your oc have a driver's license? can they drive/operate any automobiles/machinery besides cars? ✈️ AIRPLANE — does your oc like traveling, or do they consider themselves a more homey person? 🎮 VIDEO GAME CONTROLLER — what are three of your oc's favorite hobbies? 💍 RING — does your oc have any piercings? do they want any (more) piercings? 🖊️ BALLPOINT PEN — does your oc have any tattoos? do they want any (more) tattoos? 📚 BOOKS — what level of education has your oc most recently completed/is currently in (GED, undergraduate, grad school, phd, etc)? ��� VIOLIN — does your oc play any instruments? what is their skill level (beginner/intermediate/advanced/virtuoso/etc)? 🩹 ADHESIVE BANDAGE — does your oc have any physical and/or mental disabilities? 🩸 DROP OF BLOOD — what is your oc's blood type?

𝐒𝐘𝐌𝐁𝐎𝐋𝐒. 🎶 MUSICAL NOTES — what type of music does your oc like? do they listen to music very often? 💯 HUNDRED POINTS SYMBOL — share three random facts about your oc that others may not know. 💤 SLEEPING SIGN — is your oc a light sleeper or a heavy sleeper? how are their sleeping habits? 🔱 TRIDENT EMBLEM — can your oc swim? do they enjoy swimming? 🔺 RED TRIANGLE POINTED UP — does your oc know how to use any weapons? 🔶 LARGE ORANGE DIAMOND — does your oc know cpr? do they have any other medical expertise? 🚫 PROHIBITED — does your oc drink/smoke? do they do it regularly, or is it more on occasion or for special events?

𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄. 🌈 RAINBOW — what is your oc's sexual orientation/gender identity? what pronouns do they use? 🎄 CHRISTMAS TREE — what is your oc's favorite holiday? 🐶 DOG FACE — does your oc have any pets? 🐈 CAT — does your oc prefer a wide circle of friends or a few close friends? 🐷 PIG FACE — what is your oc's favorite animal? 🐉 DRAGON — what is your oc's favorite mythical creature? 🍃 LEAVES FLUTTERING IN WIND — what is/was your oc's favorite subject in school? 🌴 PALM TREE — does your oc have a green thumb? do they enjoy gardening? 🍎 RED APPLE — where was your oc born? do they still live in/around their place of birth or do they live somewhere else? how do they feel about their birthplace?

𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐒. ❤️ RED HEART — what are three of your oc's positive traits? 🤍 WHITE HEART — what are three of your oc's neutral/questionable traits? 💔 BROKEN HEART — what are three of your oc's negative traits? 💘 HEART WITH ARROW — what and/or who do(es) your oc consider the most important to them? 🧡 ORANGE HEART — does your oc tend to prioritize family or friends? 💛 YELLOW HEART — how many languages does your oc speak? what language(s) are they learning, if any? 💚 GREEN HEART — does your oc prefer being inside or outside? 💙 BLUE HEART — does your oc have any cool/special powers and/or abilities? how are they with magic, if it exists in their world? 💜 PURPLE HEART — what is your oc's ancestry/genetic background? 🖤 BLACK HEART — has your oc killed or seriously wounded anyone before? have they broken someone's heart and/or broken someone's trust?

𝐅𝐎𝐎𝐃𝐒. 🎂 BIRTHDAY CAKE — when is your oc's birthday? how old are they? what are their sun, moon, & rising signs (if known)? what about their tarot card, ruling planet, & ruling number (if known)? do they fit the typical traits of these sun, moon, & rising signs? 🍝 SPAGHETTI — what is/are your oc's favorite food(s)? 🍰 SHORTCAKE — what is/are your oc's favorite sweet(s)/dessert(s)? 🍦 SOFT ICE CREAM — what is/are your oc's favorite ice cream flavor(s)? 🍔 HAMBURGER — is your oc good at cooking? are they good at baking? which one do they prefer? 🥯 BAGEL — what does your oc's typical breakfast look like? do they usually eat breakfast? 🥪 SANDWICH — what does your oc's typical lunch look like? do they usually eat lunch? 🍛 CURRY AND RICE — what does your oc's typical dinner look like? do they usually eat dinner? 🍸 COCKTAIL GLASS — what is your oc's favorite alcoholic drink, if they can drink? ☕️ HOT BEVERAGE — does your oc prefer coffee, tea, hot chocolate, milk, water, or some other drink? how do they like to take this drink (ex. coffee with milk, hot chocolate with whipped cream, a specific kind of tea, etc)?

𝐏𝐄𝐎𝐏𝐋𝐄. 😊 SMILING FACE WITH SMILING EYES — what are your oc's career/general life desires? what do they want to get the most out of life? 😖 CONFOUNDED FACE — is your oc an introvert, an extrovert, or an ambivert? do they let people in easily, or are they more reserved? 🤔 THINKING FACE — what are some of your oc's quirks/mannerisms? 🧐 FACE WITH MONOCLE — is your oc more logical or emotional? 🤓 SMILING FACE WITH GLASSES — is your oc chatty or quiet? are they at ease in social situations, or are they more shy? 🤩 FACE WITH STARRY EYES — is your oc a planner, or are they more spontaneous in their actions? 😥 SAD BUT RELIEVED FACE — is your oc prone to getting stressed out, or is it easy for them to keep their cool? 😓 DOWNCAST FACE WITH SWEAT — is your oc open-minded or stubborn? are they inquisitive or do they prefer to keep to their bubble of knowledge? 😞 DISAPPOINTED FACE — does your oc attract others, or do they tend to be left alone? 🤒 FACE WITH THERMOMETER — does your oc get sick easily? 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 FAMILY WITH MOTHER, FATHER, SON AND DAUGHTER — how many people are in your oc's immediate family? how many people are in your oc's extended family? do they have aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, etc? who in their family are they closest with? are they close with their birth family, or do they have a found family?

#the longer I look at this chapter the worse my headache gets #so! if anyone wants to send in one of these no pressure but would be fun

[corvusasteris]

progress update 20/08

writing chapter 1, currently at just over 6k words. at the same time, going back and editing parts of the prologue. chaper 1 is looking to be around 16 scenes and I've written about 3 (ish) of those. I have no idea how long it will take me because I do have days where I can write 4k in a sitting but just not this week!

made some pinterest boards for the characters. will be adding to them slowly and might make one for aiolos at some point.

#progress update #interactive fiction #looking back at the prologue is sending me because wow were there sections where I clearly gave up on life #the editing has mainly been removing stupid things like the same word 3 times in one sentence. #anyway. it's a learning process.

[corvusasteris]

Most embarrassing memory for each RO?

jasper - once got himself locked inside a library. gave up trying to escape and went to sleep and got woken up the next morning by quite an irate collection of librarians and his tutor.

leonora - as a child, lost an expensive dagger that she had secretly taken from her mother in a stream because she was dared to climb the tree and fell in. then had to explain this to her mother, who was not impressed. she's definitely done things that are objectively more embarassing since but this one always sticks with her.

augustine - accidentally poisoned themself because they were testing out a potion and got the bottles mixed up. in their defence they were very sleep deprived at the time. with hindsight they find it more amusing than embarassing but at the time they were full of shame.

mira - was performing a song about the beauty and attractiveness of a certain individual. turned around to see aforementioned individual standing at the back of the room, looking less than impressed with the performance. wanted the ground to swallow her up very much in that moment.

theodorus - left the castle in the middle of the night, the door locked behind him and was too awkward to ask to be let in so just. stood outside the window hoping someone would spot him and take pity on him. it was winter. they got hypothermia and then had to explain to their father exactly why.

#asks #asks: character #miras individual may or may not have been a member of the royal family #omg this has been in my drafts for 2 weeks i thought I'd posted it. embarassing. #my most embarrassing moment is every time I lose posts in the drafts instead of posting them. #interactive fiction

[corvusasteris]

My first playthrough MC is failing Every Single skill check like the icon they are 😭😭😭 They're taking L after L, I'm crying

nooo shdjdh that's so funny your MC is definitely having the epitome of a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.

#asks #the good news is you can't game over no matter how much of a disaster your MC is #fully support every MC who is just a walking beacon for bad luck

[corvusasteris]

prologue ending poll

I'm curious as to what was the most common ending to get at the end of the prologue. so:

#interactive fiction #I have no idea how easy it was to get certain routes. so. #unfortunately I can't clone myself to play it without extra knowledge so tumblr poll it is #why are the only options a day or a week #if i was intelligent I'd have done this earlier. unfortunately. #not me forgetting what my own endings are in the middle of this

[corvusasteris]

tag game: thanks to @cheerstotheelites-if for the tag. I have no idea who's done this or not so if you see this then have fun with it

pov: you're in a horror movie quiz / image thing

the final girl - congrats, you're the one who makes it to the end. your instincts, paranoia, and/or pure fucking stubbornness guide you every bloody step of the way. when the dawn finally breaks, you're the last one left standing. sure, it cost you friends and loved ones and you're going to have one hell of a therapy bill, but at least you're alive

I feel this far overstates my general common sense abilities. but I'll take it. would be pretty in character to not die powered by sheer stubborness and faint irritation.

#not if related #tag game

[corvusasteris]

aiolos world information

map: (states + capitals)

state information:

Illyosia: a sprawling and disparate empire struggling to keep hold of its territory. ruled by the Illyosarchoi : dual rulers each claiming familial descent from a foundational divine sibling. sucession has always been a dubious affair, dependant more on the military strength of the claimant than their birthright: backstabbing and assassination are the preferred methods of dealing with rivals among both royalty and aristocracy. its capital, Melera, is a traditional centre of magical learning, reflecting the widespread use and knowledge of magic within the empire, and a thriving port. the current illyosarchoi are Alexius Brenas & Silvia Laskris: Alexius is nearing death and his sucession is not yet settled, but the favourite for the throne is his youngest daughter Antonia, who will stop at nothing to claim power.

Thalasseon: a newly-formed empire, who through strategic alliances and military conquest is looking to make the most of Illyosia's weakening. yet in it's burning desire to expand and enrich itself, the great king, Ateas, is said to be ignoring growing internal corruption among a nobility who sense weakness in the new and inexperienced king. rich in resources and with a regional history stretching back thousands of years, it is both a mercantile power and a growing centre of learning and ideas.

Erialos: a league of city-states who broke away from Illyosian control and allied with each other under the banner of a shared culture and history. a particulary strong naval power, but fractures are beginning to form within the alliance as each city state competes for dominance, and traditional rivalries threaten the stability. broadly speaking, is more wary of magic and prefers to focus on technological advancement over magical solutions.

Nesos: a recent break-away from the Illyosian empire, after a general mutinied with their troops and took control of the province. overwhelmingly rural, it is nevertheless known for its distinctive metalworking and artistic tradtions. the island is rocky and densely forested, and tends towards isolation. reportedly, the spirit realm has an unusual number of crossing points across the archipelago.

Leine: is less of a unified state and more of a loose alliance of tribes. traditionally, each ruler leads a group of people not a territory, however as some move away from a semi-nomadic way of life, the spliting up of territory & people under multiple heirs is becoming more common than sole inheritance. this has lead to a growing instability as heirs look to outside powers for support to grow in power. is known for the quality of its horses from the central grasslands, and the martial skill of its people throughout.

Luria: a kingdom who has held its power-base in the westernmost part of Aiolos for hundreds of years of relative stability, helped by the natural defenses of the western mountains and the booming trade routes along it's southern coastline. known for it's architecture and music, the kingdom has a strong bardic tradition of storytelling centred around its court which is ruled by two rulers, who each control a differing aspect especially regarding the spiritual life of the kingdom: a fine balance of power always in danger of tipping over.

spirit realm information:

see this ask

#interactive fiction #worldbuilding #I could talk about worldbuilding for days. this content really has a target audience of one (me). #had the realisation yesterday that Nesos was a placeholder name that I um forgot to replace #was doing a translation and realised I had named an island island. great job all around. #map is done w azagaars fantasy map generator #can't remember if this went in to the characters post but: Leonora is from Illyosia. Jasper from Thalasseon. Theo from Leine. #Mira from Luria. Augustine from [spoiler territory] #questions etc askbox is open even though I think it eats asks sometimes #I should stop rambling in the tags and post this.

[corvusasteris]

progress update 13/08

the good news is that I'm now home and have started writing chapter 1. the bad news is that I've got a cold and generally feeling pretty rubbish so going is slow. managed to spend several hours yesterday fiddling with maps instead of doing anything productive so i will probably post those with some more general world info later: if anyone wants specific info let me know and I'll stick it on the post.

ideally the chapter will be out before september but that very much depends on my time management skills. so we'll see!

#interactive fiction #progress update #the essay which I've been ignoring all summer is haunting me slightly

[corvusasteris]

Can you possibly do picrews of the ROs? Thank you!!

hello ! I most certainly can :

Jasper:

Leonora :

Augustine:

Mira :

Theo

#asks: character #I'm so sleepy I meant to put this post out uhhhh 2 hrs ago #these are like roughly accurate more than absolute to the dot truth #also feels odd using crowesns picrew for not a tiefling because I always make my dnd tieflings with it but I really like it so here we are #there is a fly in my room I am going to go mad its so annoying #and im rambling and I should sleep #if anything is wrong with this bc I forgot someone's eye color or smth I'm sorry #asks

[corvusasteris]

progress update 05/08

chapter 1 is mostly planned. I'm on holiday and paradoxically very very busy learning ancient languages so focus has definitely shifted to one side for the time being.

I don't have a timeframe for completion yet - I can't start writing at least for another week and the chapter will definitely be longer than the prologue, and thats all I can say for now.

#interactive fiction #progress update

[corvusasteris]

Can you tell us about the spirit realm?

hello ! I most certainly can.

the spirit realm is not a seperate place but instead lies almost over the mortal one, unable to be normally sensed. think of a fine veil draped over the visible land.

there are areas where the barrier between the two is naturally weaker, often places where many spirits have crossed over at the same time e.g. a battlefield. connections/links can be made between the two realms - communicating with spirits on the border between them is dangerous but a great deal easier than summoning. this is because, when you summon, if you are not careful you can unintentionally pull through a) multiple spirits and weaken the barrier between the realms or b) a hungrier and more desperate spirit (a shade or shadow).

shades and shadows are formed where the spirit who does not make peace with their death - they hunger for life and eventually over the years they will become even less human-like than normal spirits are. the spirit realm affects each spirit differently - some have unnaturally clear memories of their lives, some remember very little.

Aiolos as a whole is, by chance, unusually close to the spirit realm: it behaves differently to elsewhere in the world. Some hypothesise that magic is linked in some way to the spirit realm.

#asks #asks: worldbuilding #this is mostly information that a relatively informed person (such as the mc) would have #anyway. not sure you envisaged four paragraphs of info when you asked this but ! given any opportunity to talk about worldbuilding I will

[corvusasteris]

ROs hobbies?

hey !

Jasper - reads. mainly about the spirit realm but also learns new languages frequently (both dead and living ones).

Leonora - she enjoys travelling/exploring new places & generally being active (sparring, training, running etc.)

Augustine - map making. often when they can't sleep they'll go outside and try to map out the constellations. also potion making: want a weird and specific potion? they'll probably have the one you need.

Mira - pretty much anything to do with music and storytelling. playing a lyre, retelling myths, and finding all kinds of obscure stories to draw inspiration from.

Theo - in general they enjoy the act of making things, especially drawing. the thing about coming back from being dead is they're discovering most activities for the first time.

#ask #asks: character #I feel like I think about these for far too long but at least I am relatively thorough