#fantasy if

[softlyopulent-if]

Softly, Opulent is a dark fantasy romance, an interactive fiction not suited for those under 17.

Demo. [Prologue and Chapter One.]

The Queen dies the night you’re born. And your family locks you away.

All of King Adder’s children are a mystery to the common folk, but you—you are nothing but a ghost. A ghost, that spends eighteen years locked away in the deepest part of the palace, so that no eyes may lay upon you.

And those that do—they do not treat you kindly.

And when you are finally of age, at last, you are betrothed to the child of the King of a far away kingdom, to secure an alliance that your father has been seeking for years.

And you are swept away to a place even more foreign than your own land, to be wed to a stranger that looks at you with contempt. To live in a kingdom of citizens that despise you.

And perhaps, just perhaps, fight a war.

Content Warnings: Softly, Opulent contains many upsetting themes, such as: arranged marriage, child abuse, child neglect, assault, death, murder, suicide, sexually suggestive scenes, and more. Viewer discretion is advised, and this story is only appropriate for those 17+.

Customize your main character. (Name, Pronouns, Appearance, Personality.)

Romance one of four characters. (All of which are gender selectable.)

Overcome your past trauma.

Befriend many side characters.

Learn magic, learn how to fight.

Possibly overthrow your father, the tyrant King.

Attend balls, and witness the viper pit that is high society.

Fight an undead army.

The Betrothed, Aleksandar/Aleksandra. (Gender Selectable. She/Her. He/Him.) - They are the heir to the throne of Aslerea and your betrothed. But it’s the last thing they want to be. They seem to hold something against you. They are serious and spend hours upon hours training—they’re preparing for something. Their engagement to you is quite the hinder, but can you make them see it differently? Their duty blinds them, but you can change that.

The Pirate Captain, Rhys/Rhea. (Gender Selectable. She/Her. He/Him.) - They are a mystery. They are a pirate—the very embodiment of freedom and sea, yet they choose to remain in the kingdom of Aslerea more often than not. They stand to gain something by being there, but you don’t know what. There’s something in you that tells you that you can’t trust them, but their smile is so pretty, and their flirtation so constant that you want to. But maybe—just maybe, if you play your cards right—they will treat you as tenderly as their dearest treasure.

The Shadow, Calixta/Calix. (Gender Selectable. She/Her. He/Him.) - They are your betrothed’s younger sibling, and so no one pays quite as much attention to them. Though they seem content in their sibling’s shadow—content with their lack of responsibility—you can’t help but wonder if there’s more to it. They are as lazy as a bump on a log, and they likely sleep more than anything else—but there’s an interest in their eyes when they look at you. Is it something deep, or just a longing to claim what their sibling has? You could find out.

The Tutor, Mestra/Mestrn. (Gender Selectable. She/Her. He/Him.) - They are assigned as your tutor and tasked with the great undertaking of making you fit to lead. But they are also close with the people in the palace, and help the servants when they can. They know commoners by name and spend nights in the tavern, surrounded by free drinks. And while they are kind, there is something beneath it all that suggests a person that will go far to protect those they care about. Whether it’s because of their kind nature or something else, they have no enemies.

OTHER LINKS.

RO APPERANCES.

RO HEIGHTS.

#interactive if #romance #fantasy #twine game #twine #arranged marriage #softly opulent #SO #interactive fiction #interact if #if #romance if #fantasy if #dating sim #if story #interactive story

[dishonestlies-if]

(Dis)honest Lies

Demo: TBA || About The Archivists Age Rating: 16+ CW: Violence, death, child endangerment, child death/descriptions of child death, classism, manipulation, forced isolation/confinement (technically?), parental neglect, mild homophobia RO-specific CWs (contains spoilers): here

The king is dead, cries the crowd of mourners that line the path towards the Royal Tombs. As you walk down behind your father's coffin, you note that there are no commoners among them. Not surprising, given they are not allowed to entire the palace grounds, though you wonder if anyone beyond these walls are mourning with you. Your father was a much-beloved king, but no one beyond the Court had ever met him - or you, for that matter, or any of your predecessors since the Curse took effect. You wonder briefly what the outside world is like - the Advisors describe it as a beautiful place of wonder and innovation, at least in the capital. Perhaps the people are holding their own ceremony out there, in honour of your father.

You turn your attention back to the procession. There will be time to ponder this later.

You have a speech to give, a coronation to attend, a kingdom to rule.

There is no place for such pointless thoughts. You were born in this palace, and in this palace will you die. You will never see the outside world.

Will you?

Play as the newly crowned monarch of Batrinoa! Bring your kingdom to new heights, or send it plummeting into chaos - the choice is yours, and yours alone. After all, you are the monarch - who would dare defy your authority?

Customize the MC Veridas (27) (name changeable); gender, appearance, personality, etc!

Be swept off your feet by five potential love interests (gender selectable) - or don't! You can be swept off your feet by friends, too. And enemies. But that might be a bad idea.

Ally with your neighbours, or start a war - Batrinoa is powerful, why not utilize your military and expand your territory?

Solve problems that arise in your nation, or make them worse - where there's money to be had, who really cares if a few peasants die?

Face crushing moral dilemmas that make you question your reality!

Find the truth behind the web of lies that surround the Court - there are many hidden secrets, and if you look in the right places, you might find them. Assuming, of course, that they don't kill you first.

And why in the name of the Divine do you keep seeing the Archivist-in-training in your dreams?! You barely even know her!

Love Interests

The Guard Caelum/Celestine/Calytrix Hildebrand (28) is the fourth child of the Hildebrand family, your best friend and confidant, and godparent of your daughter. As children, you were inseparable, and even when C was in the army you kept in touch. Now they serve as your loyal guard - wherever you go, they will follow. It is their duty, after all; what the monarch wants, the monarch will get, nevermind how they feel about it. So long as it makes you happy, there is little they won't do to achieve it.

The Silver-Tongued Minister Elias/Elora/Elwyn Alinac (29) is Head of the House of Alinac, one of the Four Great Families and a member of the Advisors. They are, without a doubt, the Court's most charming noble. Intelligent and quick-witted, Batrinoa's Director of Foreign Affairs is well-versed in the art of communication, especially when it pertains to getting what they want. There are flocks of men and women alike who would kill to hold E's attention for even a fraction of a second. Fortunate, then, that they only seems to have eyes for you.

The Unapproachable Advisor Orpheus/Odette/Odilon Marchand (26) is Head of the House of Marchand, one of the Four Great Families and a member of the Advisors. O is rather unpopular with the nobility and common folk alike; their blunt speech, cold demeanour, and prickly personality make for rather unpleasant company, though none can deny their skill as Batrinoa's newest Minister of Finance. They maintain a professional distance from everyone around them, but perhaps you can close that gap - surely it must be a lonely existence, to hold everyone at arm's length as they do.

The Revolutionary Mervyn/Maira/Maverick (27) is a commoner of Batrinoa, a tailor who lives with their mother and three siblings near the slums of the capital. Passionate and rebellious, they abhor the monarchy and how the nation is run, and everyone knows it; M is an outspoken critic of the throne, and far from the only one. As the new monarch, you are the very pinnacle of everything they despise - can you show them that you are willing to do what your predecessors would not, or will you just add fuel to the fire?

The Flirtatious Informant Legacy (29) is the best informant in your employ (and the best assassin). They once swore loyalty to your father; now, they serve you. They're a shameless flirt, and never serious - about anything, really, not even their own life. You've asked where they came from, but you've received 14 different back stories at this point and you're not sure they're even capable of telling the truth if it doesn't pertain to their job. You wonder how Legacy ended up in this employ; surely this is not a job most would willingly choose to pursue?

Other Characters

Alix Morozov - your late spouse, the other biological parent of your daughter, and a relative of Drelix's King Vsevolod. They died three years ago, leaving you a single parent. Your marriage was for two reasons only - to end the war between your kingdoms, and to produce a precautionary heir for the Batrinoa line. Having succeeded in both, you considered them a good person and a dear friend, though there was never any love in your relationship.

Luminosa 'Lumi' Batrinoa (5) - your daughter from your marriage with Alix. Now that you are monarch, she is heir to the throne and the only other member of the Batrinoa bloodline. A lofty title that may be, though it paints a massive target on her back. You can only hope you will not need to arrange a political marriage for her.

Beau Marchand (32) - the disgraced son of the Marchand family, his reputation for debauchery and excess is known far and wide throughout the capital. You remember him vaguely, having interacted with him as a child, though you haven't seen him since he was disowned thirteen years ago. O has since restored Beau to the family, but you have yet to see him return.

Dolion (53) - the Archivist, sometimes called the Secret-Keeper. One of the Blessed, his Miracle naturally makes people rather wary of him, and his sour demeanor does nothing to help his case. At the very least, none of the Advisors seem to like him, though you're fairly certain that's more because he was born a commoner rather than a child of the nobility.

Fialova Solanaceae (20) - Dolion's successor, the current Archivist-in-training. Timid and shy, she seems to dodge you at every opportunity, though you often catch her staring as if she has something she'd like to say. There's more to her than meets the eye, but are you brave enough to seek out the skeletons in her closet?

Helianthus Solanaceae (54) - Head of the House of Solanacaea, one of the Four Great Families and a member of the Advisors. She is the supreme judge of Batrinoa's legal system and handles all legal affairs within the kingdom's borders. As your godmother, she cares greatly for your well-being. She would happily spoil Luminosa rotten if you didn't stop her in time.

Volker Hildebrand (61) - Head of the House of Hildebrand, one of the Four Great Families and a member of the Advisors. Arrogant and conceited, he takes great pride in being the Minister of War. Objectively the most powerful member of the Council, he has the nation's military at his beck and call and takes great joy in lording over the other Advisors. The Court has no great love for him, though none can deny that it was mainly thanks to him that the war with Drelix went as well as it did. Though he has little interest in anything besides battle and bloodshed, he has returned to the capital for your coronation and to assist you in acclimating to your new position.

#interactive fiction #interactive novel #if #interactive game #twine if #if wip #if game #cyoa game #cyoa #twine interactive fiction #interact if #(dis)honest lies #upcoming if #fantasy #fantasy if #ch: c hildebrand #ch: o marchand #ch: e alinac #ch: luminosa #ch: m #ch: legacy

[remnantsofthepast-if]

Update - Chapter 8

Chapter 8 – Mending souls

And the storm arrived.

---

Man, writing this chapter was tough! Between real life stuff, illnesses, working on the Patreon page, and the usual complications of the writing process itself, this has taken longer than I thought! It's also longer than I initially anticipated, reaching around 45k words, which seems a bit crazy for a single chapter. Obviously, all the routes are included in that number, but it still makes for quite a lengthy one.

Speaking of the chapter itself, it's time for all the decisions made throughout act 1 to come together and reveal the final outcome for the world of Thaon! How will it look and what will happen in the future with that resolution? Only time will tell, but it will undoubtedly be crucial, and certain, um, things need to be taken into account. But, of course, that's something I'll have to deal with in the future, so you don't worry... too much ;).

With this chapter, there's only one more left to finish the act! I can hardly believe it, to be honest. It still feels like I'm in chapter 5 or so, hahaha! However, there's still a lot of story ahead, but we're making progress little by little!

I hope you enjoy Chapter 8, and I'll see you in the next one :D!

#rotp update #remnants of the past #rotp if #interactive fiction #if #fantasy if

[wundergarten-if]

Hidden in the depths of the Forest of Curses is a nursery for supernatural beings. Every day, the creatures of the forest bring in their children, and have them interact with each other and learn through giggles and games.

You have seen it all; it's 800 years since the nursery came to be, after all. Creatures have evolved since. And particularly supernatural beings, who now have to take care of their day jobs too, and thus, entrust their kids to you.

You are the caregiver, responsible for the children—ages one to twelve, and watch over them until the last child is picked up and sent back home. It is your duty to protect the nursery from the outside world.

But lately, your magic has been waning. The barriers aren't as strong as they used to be, and without your protection, the Forest of Curses is bound to become much darker and sinister with the arrival of strange creatures from beyond.

Will you find a way to replenish your strength and keep the nursery safe? Or will you be forced to watch everything crumble, and leave your children to the mercy of the monsters that lurk outside the forest?

Play as an aroace main character that simply wishes to help every being that passes by their nursery. Customize appearance, gender and pronouns!

Become the children's precious role model and keep them away from harm—make bad decisions or guide them down the path of righteousness!

Develop friendships and learn about the lives of some parents (give relationship advice from an outsider's perspective...or don't)

Build a community of supportive families and fill the gaps in their broken hearts!

Keep the darkness and dangers away from the nursery...unless you want to say goodbye to everything and everyone you've ever loved.

Maeve and Lorna (both F)

An ancient couple trapped in eternal youth. Their curse was set a couple thousand years ago, but as they failed to find a cursebreaker, it has never been lifted—not that they let it stop them.

Mothers to a young half-fae called Mirna (8). She is enthusiastic and easy to impress, and has lately become obsessed with something humans like to call "chemistry". Her parents oftentimes drop her off with boxes full of tubes, spoons and chemicals.

That, according to her, is all "sciency-stuff".

Despite your worst fears, she has turned out to be neat and organized when it comes to her experiments. She hasn't made anything explode so far. You trust her with your life.

Louis the werewolf (M)

Considering he's an old friend of yours, you can safely say that you've seen his decline from a young, energetic wolf pup to an exhausted parent in his forties. He's a recent divorcee that regularly tries to spend time with his children.

You have offered to help him more than once, because his kids can be some of the rowdiest werewolves in the area. He couldn't deny the help he very much needed, but only two of his eight kids attend your nursery... something you are grateful for.

Zar (6) and Kali (6) are fraternal twins—they can never quite agree on which one was born first. They are rascals, with the bulky Zar being tamer than his sister, but you adore them despite their countless schemes and play fights that often end badly.

Keep an eye on them, will ya?

Haelin the fae (NB)

Faeries don't have biological parents, as you are well aware. They are born from a baby's first laugh, and swept away by the wind until they gather enough strength to build a corporeal form for themselves.

Haelin never had parents either, but they found a newborn fae stuck on a leaf and decided it was probably best to care for the poor thing, unless they wished for it to grow without love.

Samor (10) is fast, possibly one of the fastest supernatural beings you've ever met, and he regularly trains his fae abilities like disappearance and teleportation, which only gets you in trouble.

He's surprisingly lazy otherwise. You have to insist a lot for him to do anything that doesn't ignite his interest, and even then, he will probably not listen.

Aclis the vampire (F)

She's goth, she's the moment. Aclis has gone around with her band for decades, and just recently settled in the Forest of Curses for a much deserved vacation. Obviously, she brought her kid with her.

Whisper (3) is a Kakoburra mix. You're not quite sure what to make of her. With only three years of age, Whisper has yet to grow any eyes or feathers. So far, only her horns have started to grow.

She is shy, to the point she doesn't speak a word to you or to anyone at the nursery. She does speak to her mother, though.

Aclis' boyfriend, Sawyer, picks Whisper up sometimes, when her mom's busy. He's a cool dude. Very goth. Nate, Sawyer and Aclis' boyfriend, also stops by often to check how she's doing. He's very kind and nice. He's not goth, but, in Aclis' words, "Exceptions can be made...for the right person."

Your child (F/M/NB)

Your child is twelve years old, right at the age limit for the nursery you've established, but this one has never left the safety of the place, not even once.

Not since you found them.

It has always been hard for them, and you are aware of this fact. They don't exactly get along with the other kids, they eat very little and whenever they look at you it's with saddened, hurt eyes. You don't know how to help them.

And it's tearing you apart from the inside.

Wundergarten (Garden of Wonders) is meant as a side project, so the demo will take some time to drop. I'm currently working on the demo for another IF, and I really need to finish working on that one before I start this one, but I wanted to write the concept and ideas down before I forgot, so here they are!

Warning (read): this is not a romance story. Side characters may fall in and out of love with each other, but the MC won't be part of any romances or love triangles of any sort, at any point of the game.

#interactive games #if #interactive fiction #twine game #twine wip #interactive novel #fantasy interactive fiction #fantasy if

[moody-mae]

Looking for a pastime? A new game to play? A new story to immerse yourself in? A new role to play? A bit of magic? Bit of drama? Bit of murder mystery? Bit of college simulation?

Might I recommend Disenchanted, an interactive fiction game on itch.io . I finished playing the demo just the other day and really enjoyed myself.

I got to pick my mythical species (I chose siren, but there are lots of other cool options, like cambion, nephilim, banshee, and more). I got to customize my appearance, including the COLOR OF MY SCALES. How awesome is that? And my personality is beginning to solidify with every choice I make. I'm establishing relationships with other characters already, and there's a diverse and intriguing cast playing dynamic roles in the story.

I recommend this IF very highly, and I very much look forward to chapter updates. So far, Chapter One constitutes the entirety of the demo, but with fan support, I'm sure the capable dev will accomplish lots!

Screenshots:

Link to Disenchanted Demo

Link to Disenchanted Forum

So go take a peek. Transform into a mythical being. Grapple with the sociopolitical fallout of being dubbed "Unchosen". Make friends and enemies. Solve murder (on the DL ;) ).

DISCLAIMER: I'm not affiliated with the developer of this game. I'm just a fan who wants to spread the news about its excellence and support the game and its dev in any way I can. So, yeah, this is just my genuine and delighted take on Disenchanted as a fan.

#disenchanted if #interactive fiction #interactive novel #interactive story #indie game #indie game review #interactive fiction recs #if game #if recs #fantasy game #fantasy if #fangirling #game hype #play indie games #rpg #role playing game #rpg recs #game recs #reader insert

[probablybadrpgideas]

The Monster Manual but it's blatantly written by the monsters

#rpg #roleplaying game #D&D #fantasy #meta

[and-corn]

are evil dragons really evil, or are they just vitamin D deficient?

(pt 2)

#comic #comics #web comic #webcomic #comic art #fantasy art #fantasy comic #dragons #funny comic #comic strip #original comic #storyboard #storyboarding #storyboard sequence #storyboard art #humorous #comedy #humor #relatable comic #shower thougths

[daily-spooky]

#funny #lol #haha #humor #meme #memes #tweet #twitter #goth #gothic #dank memes #dark humor #witch #witchcore #witchblr #vampirecore #fantasy

[brennan-lee-mother]

Diversity win! Ancestral curse recognises non-biological parenthood!

#what more can I say #fantasy high junior year spoilers #fantasy high junior year #fhjy #fantasy high #dimension 20 #fh #mera speaks #d20 #fig faeth #figeroth faeth #gilear faeth #10k #20k #30k

[blumineck]

"Why are there so many female archers in fiction?"

Please forgive the clickbait-y title! This is a super complex and interesting topic that I barely scratch the surface of here, but I hopefully will be able to do more justice to things like this in the future!

Also, it's not the point of the video, but I had fun with the outfits in this- do you have any faves?

As always, please consider supporting me on Patreon if you can, or watching on youtube if not!

#archery #fantasy #nerd #trick shot #archer #female archer #katniss everdeen #merida #aloy #kate bishop #etc

[mimimar]

the woman who holds the moon

prints available here. my cover for this month's issue of baffling magazine.

#i can finally share this piece! #this cover was based on a short story called “moon bearer” by celia daniels that features on this issue of the magazine #the character designs are mine #also there's a sale on inprnt again so my prints are cheaper than usual! #illustration #artists on tumblr #illo #lesbian #wlw #sapphic #lesbian art #wlw art #sapphic art #queer art #baffling magazine #blue #moon #night sky #queer fantasy

[t00thpasteface]

here's something stupid: the catcatfish

some quick facts:

they're nocturnal and tend to roam around while awake.

they have keen senses of smell and hearing, but terrible eyesight. despite this, they also have a tapetum lucidum, making their pupils "glow" in the dark.

their fur is short, dense, and oily to waterproof them.

they prefer a diet of mostly meat and are attracted to strong-smelling food like fish, cheese, and anything fermented.

the elongated dewclaw on each front paw is sharp, flexible, and nonretractable. it injects a venom that causes respiratory failure and cardiac arrest in prey and, in extreme doses, humans. veterenarians typically remove the dewclaw venom glands during the neuter/spay procedure.

they grow to an average of 1m and 23kg (3ft and 50lb) but can reach up to double that length and triple the weight!

#drew these bad boys in ichthyology lecture 🐟 #art #sketch #orig #meme redraw #cat #fish #catfish #blue catfish #fantasy species #original species #hybrid #animal hybrid #speculative biology #catcatfish

[faithschaffer]

-Medusa-

I've had this sitting around as a sketch for awhile, finally had time to finish it! Hoping to do more mythology illustration this year.

#medusa #myth #mythology #gorgon #artists on tumblr #fantasy

[charliejaneanders]

Random writing thought: the best stories are often the ones that only you could have written — but also the ones that you could only write at this one moment.

I couldn't write All the Birds in the Sky from scratch now if I tried. But the me of 2013 couldn't have written The Prodigal Mother either.

#writing #am writing #am revising #fantasy #am writing fantasy #book tumblr #bookworm #bookworld #science fiction #books

[53v3nfrn5]

Weiner dog wearing armor at the Michigan Renaissance Festival (2002)

#weiner dog #dog #dogs #animals #animal #cute animals #cute #renaissance #armor #aesthetic #2002 #photography #cutecore #cute doggo #fairycore #princesscore #softcore #fantasy #cottagecore #puppy #miniature dachshund

[twinwound]

mary shelley writing about a monster rejected and abandoned by its creator and dedicating it to her own father i need to smoke a blunt with her i need to give her head

#there are parallels even in the creature’s journey to geneva to find frankenstein and matilda’s fantasies of a pilgrimage across the world #in search of her father #searching for eden finding yourself in hell #the fall into monsterous womanhood #and so on