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greatprotector-if · 2 years

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DEMO: SOON...

The Great Protector is a 16+ interactive fiction story where you play as the knight responsible for protecting the crown of the tiny kingdom of Tabalos.

(Please keep in mind that this game is in very, very early development. Updates will most likely be very slow as I’m a full-time university student and also just a very slow writer.)

STORY

Forced out of your family's farm against your will, you are now an ocean away from home, and you have somehow been chosen to be the main protector of the heir to some kingdom you’ve hardly even heard of. The spot's only open because the former protector died of old age, so that's probably a good indicator that it won't be as strenuous as it sounds. But despite that, you pour yourself into your work. You can't help it. You feel safer decked out in armour, and you like having something you're trusted to look after.

Protect some royalty, cover all your blind spots, and try not to worry about all you've left behind.

FEATURES

Customize your name, appearance, pronouns, gender, and magic elemental affinity.

Speaking of magic, yours is... faulty. Always has been. But now that you're out in the world, maybe you'll be able to find a way to fix it.

Three ROs: the carefree crown of Tabalos, the stoic town healer, or your fellow royal knight who doesn't like you very much.

See the sides of the royal family the public never will.

Build relationships with a variety of different characters and find your place within the town. When you’re not out knight-ing, you can do other things like... gardening or searching for escaped sheep?

Meet a kid who reminds you a little too much of the past you’ve been running from.

Will be updated as the game develops!

YOUR BIGGEST FANS

Sacha [wind (former), they/them]

The kid, never seen without their chunky blue cap. Their parents dropped them off in Ritherport with the promise to return soon, and two years later, they're still waiting. They're a little arrogant due to their former life as a child of prophecy, but they're well-meaning and a hard worker—and it seems like they've fixated on trying to impress you.

Teddy [duck, she/her]

Sacha's pet duck. She's white and fluffy and absolutely adorable.

ROMANCE OPTIONS

Kallias [fire, m/f/nb]

The heir to the kingdom of Tabalos—and also your liege. To put it frankly, they make you feel like more of a babysitter looking after a toddler with no sense of self-preservation than a knight for a grown adult. They seem to be determined to make your job as difficult as possible, with their insatiable lust for doing stupid, reckless things like sneaking out of the palace in the middle of the night without telling anyone to fist fight a wild animal in the woods, all with an ever-present smile on their face. Perhaps what you’ve really been hired to protect Kallias from is themself…

Though they love to joke, they’re surprisingly humble for someone who’ll literally rule the entire kingdom some day. Sure, it’s a really small kingdom, but it’s a kingdom nonetheless. In fact, they don’t really act like royalty at all, which can probably at least partially be attributed to them spending more time in the city than in the palace. The Queen doesn’t know about this though, so shh, don’t tell.

Kallias has a lean build, freckled light brown skin, and wavy pink hair that they try to keep swept up and out of their face. Their hair is about shoulder length, and it’s always windswept and artfully messy--and also long enough that it's constantly getting in their eyes so they’re always combing it back with their hands. Their eyes are hazel, but they always look especially green in the sunlight. They have a half-sleeve tattoo as well as multiple small ones in various places, all easy to cover up if they need to. They have eight piercings in each ear and one in their tongue.

Galen [water, m/f]

The town’s only healer, and also most definitely the only reason Kallias is still alive. They were born with superhuman physical strength, and they have the thick arms to match. They’re diligent and responsible which helps them be very good at their job. Alas, they aren’t very personable... yet they’re still almost shockingly popular, always offered warm greetings from the townspeople the rare times they’re out and about in the streets. They never smile back, but they greet each of the townspeople by name, and no one seems to mind.

They look a little intimidating at first glance—and they’re still a little intimidating at the fiftieth—but if you pay attention you’ll notice how gentle they are with their patients, and the care they take to regulate their strength when interacting with others. You'll be hard pressed to find a better healer, much less someone who can heal as painlessly as they do, and given your job you’ll probably be getting to know them pretty well.

Galen has a stocky build, warm brown skin littered with scars, and curly black hair, though despite being so young they have the beginnings of a salt and pepper thing going. Male Galen’s hair is short and curls around his ears, but it's still a little too long for his liking. Female Galen has long flowing hair that goes all the way down to her mid back, though she keeps it in a bun with a hair scarf while she’s working. They have thick eyebrows, long, pointy ears outlined by their own bones (don't worry they're fine it's just like nails!) and their eyes are gold. If you can manage to get them to smile, you might even discover that they have dimples, but who knows?

Victoryne/Valen/Vail [f/m/nb]

V is the only nephilim of your fellow royal knights, and they are determined to make one thing clear to you from the moment you meet: they hate your guts. More specifically, they harbour a deep grudge against you for somehow being chosen by the crown themself to be their royal protector, despite your... rather severe lack of experience in the field. V trained their whole life to get where they are, so to have some random farmer's child just show up and steal their dream job from right under their nose? Infuriated doesn't begin to describe how they feel.

Few things in this world are certain, but there is one thing you can know for sure! V will always have you in their thoughts, wishing on your downfall.

V is considered rather short for a nephilim (and feel free to interpret for yourself what that means), but they're quite toned. They have olive skin with a few scattered beauty marks and curly brown hair. Victoryne wears her hair long though she lacks the patience to do anything with it but tie it back in a simple braid or ponytail. They only have one eye, and it is gray. The other one they were born without, but it looks like it was clawed out because of the scars they received later in life. They have three pairs of wings on their back—though one wing never grew to its full size. The skin on their arms tapers off to an ink black once it reaches their wrists, and the same happens on their legs about mid-calf.

The Great Protector is my first ever IF game, and this is also my first time using tumblr, so I have no idea how any of this works! If you have any feedback feel free to let me know!

#if wip #cyoa #interactive fiction #interactive games #interactive fiction wip #the great protector if #twine #twine game #twine if #wip #work in progress #lgbtqia #lgbtq

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dilf-din · 4 months

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Tethered (to The Story We Must Tell)

For @therebelcaptainnetwork Secret Santa

WC: 3400

A/N: Merry Rebelcaptain-mas @mistressorinoco !! I hope you like this glimpse into a magical world with everyone’s favorite tragic heroes!

It was a quiet life Jyn had made for herself, tucked into the whispering woods, far from the irksome hustle and bustle of the nearby village. Nothing greeted her in the morning except for the sun and the birds as she floated to the well to draw her water each day. No other beings disturbed her as she foraged in the afternoon, finding herbs to dry on her windowsill, save the rabbits and squirrels whose noses would twitch in a secret language she had come to understand over the years. They were all she had to talk to after the loss of her parents left her achingly alone in the world, with not much else to do than listen to the Earth as She groaned. None of the townspeople would come within twenty feet of her on the days she had to venture in for the supplies she could not grow on her own. It was just her and the forest, and she liked it that way.

The truth was, nobody liked witches. But she had always thought that maybe they just didn’t understand them. Her father was one of the most powerful warlocks of their time. Jyn had spent every second she could in his presence, soaking up his knowledge. She would peek over the bannister at night as he communed with other powerful men of the great age, straining her ears to pick up bits and pieces of their hushed conversations. Galen Erso was well regarded across the realm for his deep rooted wisdom and power. With him gone, she knew she had to carry out his legacy. Mix balms and potions to heal the sick, care for the spirit of the wood, bless the grounds to yield plentiful crops.

For months now, she had been so busy preparing for autumn that she almost forgot about the prophecy, the legacy of the Erso family that her father had told her of long ago. One day, their magic would save the entire kingdom. One day a man would show up on her doorstep and beg her for help. She just didn’t expect that day to be today.

Her focus was on the pot in front of her, simmering over the fire. A rich, earthen smell filled every corner of the room, breathing life into the old beams. Jyn’s nimble hands were carefully dosing out dried petals and crushed up stems to add to the bubbling mixture when her cat started to weave itself through her legs, getting tangled in her skirts, and mewling loudly.

“Alright, alright. One second,” she sounded annoyed, but when she lifted her eyes, a light caught her eye from the other side of the room.

She quickly wiped her hands on her apron and rushed to the old crystal ball that stayed perched on its ornately carved base in the main room. Deep red rubies decorated the solid gold pillar showing long forgotten constellations charted out by the witches of old. The very center showed the phases of the moon carved out in opal, an homage to their guiding light. Jyn had used the ball from time to time when she was in search of a hard to find root as her father had taught her— and she certainly didn’t use it to get tangled up in the affairs of men, so this would be the first time it had shown her something unprompted.

Jyn watched the orb in front of her with an amused smile twitching at her lips. Deep smooth glass revealed hazy images of a dark haired man scrambling over roots and briars, falling several times in quick succession only to get up and keep going. He looked panicked, but determined. Competent but a wild card. He was following the path that was marked out for him long ago, he just didn’t know it yet. Outside her cabin, a strong wind swept through the trees, rustling the leaves loudly, signaling the man’s impending approach. Chills danced up her own arms in anticipation, and beside her on the table, an inky black cat hopped up to stare into the ball with deep green eyes mirroring Jyn’s own.

“So it begins, Pollux.”

——

Pounding. His head was pounding in sync with his steps. Each heavy footfall echoed through his body and made his head ring. For a moment, Cassian was afraid he would pass out. He didn’t have time for that though. Lord Vader’s ghouls were on his tail. Cassian was zigging and zagging through the trees, trying his best to shake the ghastly figures. Occasionally, he would hear their groans and see a flash of white, and it was like a fresh wave of adrenaline in his veins to keep going.

They weren’t dangerous from a distance. In fact, they were a lousy shot. But he didn’t want to know what would happen if he got within arm’s reach of them. Long slender fingers jutted out of the tattered sleeves of stark white robes. They were a gruesome mix of bone and metal, the result of a dark magic no sensible person would ever tamper with.

Cassian saw a clearing ahead and pushed into one final sprint. The ghouls came from several directions at once, screeching and wailing as he stumbled out of the tree line, tripping over one last root. He rolled to his back to accept his fate, having spent every drop of strength to make it this far. Cassian clamped his eyes shut and waited, but was surprised after a few moments that nothing happened. He tentatively peeked to see the crowd of ghostly figures pounding against an invisible wall that he happened to be on the other side of. His head swiveled to see an entire circle of pale blue light that sparked bright cerulean as they beat their eldritch fists against it, their distorted voices muffled by the barrier.

They were deterred almost instantly, fading back into the tree line while Cassian took the time to catch his breath. He had been chased for several kilometers and feared that his lungs would always feel that stab of fire when he breathed too deeply.

Having been given time for his thoughts to settle, he frantically patted his body until he felt the familiar lump in his pocket and gave another sigh of relief. With everything on his person intact and accounted for, he really started to take in his surroundings. He had landed next to a short stone well when he fell. Any farther, and he probably would’ve busted his head against the jagged base. And what the heck was that blue thing that stopped the ghoul troopers? He furrowed his brow and scrambled to his feet, slowly approaching the edge of the property. Cassian stuck a tentative hand out and was met with nothing but the chilled fall air. No pushback, no wall of energy, just a light peaceful breeze.

The cottage behind him stood humbly, weathered boards and a shingled roof not even cresting the nearby treetops. Vines of deep green ivy climbed two trellises on each wall, mirroring each other. Tendrils of heart shaped leaves spilled over the awning covering the door like a tuft of bangs, making the house seem almost human. The wide mouth of the door was stained a deep brown and hung on brass hinges so tarnished they were a dull, ashen color. The back of the house was almost flush with the treeline, leaves and branches seemed to hold on to it tightly, as if it belonged there. It was perfectly nestled in the wild of things, set apart from the rest of the kingdom.

A gust of wind brought a cocktail of new smells to his nose. Sweet things, earthen things, ancient things. Cassian took a deep breath. Something about the energy there felt like a lightning bolt through his bones, addicting, unfamiliar, and yet, like coming home, a feeling he had searched for his whole life. Along his arms, the hairs stood on end with anticipation as he approached the door, a hesitant knuckle reaching out to knock.

He gave three sharp raps and waited. Though there was no peephole, he couldn’t shake the feeling of having eyes on him, almost as if the trees had their guard up, ready to strike should he try anything with whoever stood on the other side of the door.

An eternity passed in the seconds he waited to hear the click of the lock, followed by the muffled sound of several chains and latches, before it finally swung open to reveal a girl. She came up to about his shoulder with green eyes wilder than the forest engulfing them. She had layers of lace and other thin fabrics covering her. Each piece turned into long, flowing sleeves or skirts of a different length cinched with a belt and a leather vest atop of stockings and knee high boots. Almost every finger and knuckle was adorned in silver rings of varying thicknesses, and on her neck sat a collection of necklaces on chains of different lengths, but the one that caught his eye, was a pale white crystal hanging low on her torso. It was shaped like a tear drop.

“Hello, Cassian Andor. I have long awaited your arrival,” she spoke with an almost sultry voice and a sly smile.

Suddenly, his mouth was dry and his palms were wet. Cassian was worried that if he spoke, it wouldn’t come out as more than a squeak. How did she know his name? What did she mean she had been waiting for him?

Thankfully, she ushered him inside before he found the nerve to speak. He took a second to take in the large open space they now stood in while she re-fastened all of the latches. The walls were lined floor to ceiling with shelves holding all sorts of odds and ends. Stacks of books, magnifying glasses and other gadgets, jars that held what he hoped were animal bones, more books, candles, and all sorts of loose papers. From the age of the cottage and the wear of the leather spines closest to him, he guessed it did not all belong to her. The living area was connected to the open kitchen with a staircase and small storage room at the back of the building. A wide window over the sink shed hazy light on bundles of herbs and flowers carefully wrapped and hung to dry in the sun. Every wall was wood, save for the back one adjacent to the sink that housed the large stone hearth currently holding a large pot over lazy orange flames.

Cassian recognized it as the same smell from outside, and wondered what it was that she was making. A black cat appeared seemingly out of nowhere and rubbed his leg, purring loudly.

“I’m sure you must have a million questions,” Jyn continued, turning to face him after drawing the curtains in the den, “And it is my goal to have a million answers. Shall we begin? My name is Jyn. Jyn Erso.”

Cassian was intrigued by her eccentricity. Even now, she was continuing over to the hearth to tend to the pot on the fire as if his coming there had interrupted her daily routine.

He watched her move with precision and intent. She never hesitated, never second guessed herself. She was everything he wasn’t, and he began to feel quite small.

“What brought you to me?” she asked over her shoulder.

Cassian took a few steps forward, being careful to not trip over the very affectionate cat that was now glued to his side.

He tried to collect his thoughts in a coherent way, knowing he needed to do his best to make his story a believable one. He prayed she would have pity on his urgency and point him in the right direction.

“I work for the king. Well, not exactly. I just work in the stable. But the king, see, he’s sick, so his council sent me to find a sorcerer. They said there was a man in the woods who could heal him. Do you know who they’re talking about?”

Jyn smiled at the floor, a sad smile full of longing, and turned to face Cassian, “They sent you in search of my father.”

“Is he here?”

“He died last winter.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” his voice came out thick with sincerity. He barely knew this girl but he could see how deeply the loss had struck her. Cassian hesitated before asking, “Do you think you could help us?”

“Of course,” she almost scoffed, “He taught me everything he knew. Well, close to everything. Anything he didn’t have time to is written down in one of these journals,” she gestured to the walls lined with books. “I’ve read them all cover to cover. Tell me what troubles your king.”

Cassian leaned against the kitchen counter, and the cat hopped up beside him, “He’s being poisoned by Lord Vader. He’s been deteriorating, wasting away. He fell ill a fortnight ago, but none of our best doctors have been able to cure him. We don’t think he has much time left. It’s like Vader is draining the life out of him somehow. His name is the only world he’s spoken in days.”

Jyn listened intently as Cassian spoke of the king’s mind and body slipping away from him. The table of her mind had journals and papers spread out as she combed through her archives to figure out what kind of enchantment he might be under. She could feel the warmth of her father’s hands on her shoulders, and for a second, she almost reached out to grab one.

“And they gave me this,” Cassian paused to fish something out of his pocket, offering a white teardrop shaped crystal identical to the one around Jyn’s neck, “They said it would lead me here, and it did. I’m not sure how to explain it. Its like I could hear it—“

“Talking to you,” Jyn finished with a smile on her lips. Her arms wound around her own neck and she undid the clasp to the necklace with ease. She plucked the other half from Cassian’s hand and held the two pieces together. They fit seamlessly and began emitting a pale blue glow, as it being one again filled the stone with some sort of power.

“The Kyber heart has been passed through my family for generations. This half belonged to my mother. She gifted it to the king many years ago as a blessing of protection. His taking it off is what led to his mind being poisoned. The two halves long to be together. Though they may separate for a time, they will always come back as one,” she finished softly, this time looking deeply into Cassian’s dark eyes.

“The other half belonged to your father,” he said gently, not breaking the gaze, and Jyn nodded.

“Keep it,” he smiled, reaching his hand forward to close her fist around it, but she shook her head.

“It’s yours now. It chooses its master. Some people are said to be born with Kyber in their own hearts. The stones are drawn to certain auras. They particularly like those who possess great courage within their hearts,” she explained as she reached around his neck to fasten the necklace.

A heavy weight settled in his chest, something akin to honor. The moment was quickly broken by the cat yowling loudly in Jyn’s direction.

“I know,” she said to the small creature as she smiled and leaned down for it to head butt her, “This is Castor. He was my mother’s cat. It seems he approves of you as well. She died when I was very young. I don’t see him come out often.”

Cassian smiled and reached out a hand for him to sniff while another cat hopped up beside Jyn. Sleek and black, identical to Castor.

“This is Pollux. He belonged to my father.”

Identical crystals. Identical cats. All this talk of fate had Cassian questioning his role in this story. If what she was saying was true, the gravity of this place was always going to find him. He would always find himself back in Jyn’s orbit. He so desperately wanted that to be true.

Against all odds and presumptions, Cassian began to feel at home, in these walls breathing the same air as her. He tried to shove it down, but it was like a geyser erupting in his stomach, a warm feeling spreading through his limbs. He had never believed in fate, but she spoke as if the cosmos were pulling the strings to his life and led him here, and it had never sounded more convincing.

He couldn’t let himself get caught up in this, not yet.

“Now what?” he asked, “I don’t mean to sound in a hurry, but I’m afraid the King hasn’t got much time.”

“Now, we search for the spell to break the enchantment,” she crossed the room to a stack of journals and plucked them from the shelf, “Luckily for you, I remember reading about this very thing recently. Tell me, Cassian Andor, is this a coincidence as well?” she spoke as if she could read his rambling thoughts and a flush crept into his cheeks.

Her lips held a knowing smile as she cracked open the journal on top, an aged leather with thick gold threading around the border.

“What we’re looking for is called ruptor vitis, more commonly known as a weed killer,” she explained as she began to thumb through pages, handing Cassian the next journal in the stack to aid in the search.

Pages turning, fire crackling, cats purring. Their eyes and hands worked quickly to find the information they needed. It was a race against time. The old grandfather clack across the room ticked ominously as they searched.

Cassian saw recipes for healing potions, hexes for confusion, spells for protection. A quick scan of that particular page confirmed that was what he encountered when he stumbled onto the property. They were designed to keep out everyone but the pure of heart. Another odd tug in his chest as he continued to cautiously approach the idea that he might be more than a lowly stable boy. The gem around his neck chose him. Castor chose him. The king’s court chose him to be the messenger.

All his life he had been nameless. All his life he had been alone. Now he was standing in a warm cabin a mere two feet from someone who looked at him like he was worth something. She said his name with confidence. She listened intently as he spoke, taking in every detail, every stumble, every hesitation in his breathing. His apprehension had been palpable, but he could feel it melting away.

A few more flips, and he saw himself staring at the words Ruptor Vitis in thick, neat writing.

“Jyn,” he called, drawing her attention to the aging book in front of him.

She scanned it with careful eyes, her lips parting almost imperceptibly as she read each line to herself. With a nod, she closed the journal and tucked it under her arm. She snapped her fingers, and the fire in the hearth snuffed out, a wispy trail of smoke drifted into the open room while she grabbed her cloak from a hook by the door.

“We’ll need to pick up a few things in town, but I know how to make it work,” she explained, tucking the book into a basket along with a few candles.

Cassian stood frozen, not knowing what to do next.

“Are you ready?” she reached out to give his hand a squeeze, and he felt that aforementioned courage flood into his veins. Suddenly it all became crystal clear.

He nodded.

“Lead the way,” she smiled.

And something in him must have changed, because when Cassian pushed the door open with no hesitation to trek back out into the forest, and the kyber around his neck hummed a melody outside of time, he didn’t stop to question why a powerful enchantress like Jyn would defer to someone like him.

#rebelcaptainsecretsanta #the Rebelcaptain network #rebelcaptain #rebelcaptain fic #rcss 2023 #jyn x cassian #cassian x jyn

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