Oh Dear

When I was a kid me an my buds knew this dude who listened to all the same music as us but who always got the names of things slightly wrong. The one I will never forget is that he always referred to American rock and roll musician Jimi Hendrix as John Hendrix. So we, in our mockery, decided that John Hendrix must be like the royalty-free knockoff version of Jimi Hendrix, famous for such hits as Beige Clarity and Oh Howdy There Joey

The Mark of the Devil is a colonial-era horror/adventure IF game developed on Choicescript. The game is narrative-based and recommended for mature audiences.

Synopsis: The year is 1722. A pestilence known as The Rot plagues the New World, and the Witch Trials have been raging for 3 decades. You are an indentured servant of the Church, seeking an unattainable penance for a sin that cannot be undone; a pact with the Devil, sealed with blood on the eve of your 13th birthday.

In an attempt to save a child's soul, the Church calls upon you to help save a possessed boy, which thrusts you into a perilous adventure that can determine the fate of the New World.

You will have the chance to perform an exorcism, travel west across a Rot-infested colonial America, choose who joins your group, and fight to keep them alive. You will have to face human foes along with devils, demons, and creatures of American Folklore.

The demo features 73,000 words, with the second chapter still being written. Play as either male or female at the start, with additional gender options available later. You can customize your character's appearance, personality, and sexuality. The game offers two romance options, both of which are gender-selectable.

ROs:

Jude (Sister Judith/Brother Judah) is a (nun/monk) present in the Town of Saint Peter's. Like you, Father Elijah mentors them. Unlike you, they are a prominent member of the clergy, trusted by all three sects. Jude walks a righteous path, but beneath their grace, they simmer with suppressed troubles.

Ash (Ashira/Ashael) is marked similarly to you. They are a dangerous outlaw following the orders of a hellish benefactor. They don't judge you for your sins, but can you trust someone who walks the path of the damned?

Additional characters:

The Possessed Boy: After becoming possessed by a demon, the battle for this child's soul sets off a chain of events that spiral through a perilous journey west, through Rot-infested lands.

Father Lazarus: Is an exorcist from the old world, on a righteous mission to defeat the demon possessing the child. He also claims to be the only one who can save your soul.

I am begging the UK trans community and its allies to attend the Mass Lobby at Parliament on June 25th, 11am-4pm, organised by Trans Solidarity Alliance.

The new EHRC Code of Practice pushes trans people out of toilets, hospital wards, and community spaces. It normalises gender policing based on appearance and stereotypes. It becomes statutory guidance in the UK by the end of June.

Trans people are now legally their assigned gender at birth and must join gendered spaces accordingly, but if they are perceived as their lived gender, they can also be ejected from those spaces. The guidance says: either break the law, or don’t pass too well.

A mass lobby is where you invite your MP to discuss your concerns with you in-person. Ask your MP to:

Demand full parliamentary scrutiny, debate, and use their free vote on the EHRC Code of Practice.

Support any motions rejecting the EHRC guidance. As of June 4th, Labour MP Nadia Whittome has submitted a prayer motion - Early Day Motion 240.

Write to Bridget Phillipson, the Minister for Women and Equalities about our concerns

Your MP does not have to be an ally, they do not have to respond to your email for you to show up and greencard them (details below the cut.) What matters is that as many people as possible show up.

I cannot stress this enough: Showing up in person matters. It is much more effective than petitions, emails, and letters.

It is a horrible, stressful time, and I am so sorry if you're trans and live in the UK. But I was at last year's mass lobby and the line for greencarding alone stretched around the back gates. It was a record breaking mass lobby and made us impossible to ignore. Let's do even better this time. Details under the cut: