The Lure of the Gallows by Killian Faust is a modern urban fantasy interactive fiction novel developed using the Choicescript format and updated through COGDemos on a chapter-by-chapter basis. Originally posted as the first entry in a trilogy through Dashingdon, it is now adapted to be one novel with three main arcs.
In the unsuspecting small town of Washington Bay, Delaware, you have just become the last living seer after a fatal house fire killed your parents. When the town's designated Council of the Paranormal descends into havoc and refuses to pursue the investigation into the murders, you are forced to launch your own campaign to find the person responsible, even at the cost of your own life.
Across the country, in the modest tourist town of Melchior, Oregon, you are its most dangerous secret after the sudden disappearance of your father. Ever since you were a child, you have mastered the ability to control cell regeneration: with a wave of your hand, you can decay living organisms to the point of no return… or even revitalize them, if you so choose. In your greatest time of need, your father has vanished with only one, simple instruction: go to Washington Bay, and find the last Seer living there before it’s too late.
You are not alone: you have allies and friends, enemies and family. The truth of your ancestry is an ancient, terrible beast, and he has a familiar face. Yet as worlds collide and burn in fantastic light, you may find that the face you recognize the best, the one you’ve known in the mirror your whole life, could be the only thing you cannot turn away from.
And it could be the very thing that finally, truly kills you.
[PLAY THE DEMO]
There are two playable protagonists and nine romancable options:
✒ THE SEER || 19 || PLAYER CHARACTER
One of the playable protagonists, the Seer is capable of experiencing future events before they come to fruition. This ability is uncontrollable, which leaves them young and inexperienced when their mother, the only other seer they knew, dies so suddenly. Armed with grim premonitions and allied with merely a few friends, they must establish their own path and discover the truth about their own ancestry.
✑ THE NATURALIST || 19 || PLAYER CHARACTER
As the other playable protagonist, the Naturalist is a dangerously gifted supernatural with the ability to control cell regeneration in people, plants, and animals. Their ability is unmatched compared to their closest peers, and they have been properly marked as a threat to humanity. Tasked with finding a seemingly unremarkable seer living across the country, they are flanked by enemies and allies alike and haunted by the violent truth hanging over their head, breathing down their neck, and threatening the precarious life they built for themself.
♖LEO GIDEON || 19 || THEY/THEM || SHAPESHIFTER
The unfortunate heir to one of the most influential shapeshifter hierarchies in Washington Bay, Leo is wrought with overbearing responsibility and plagued by a familial downfall.
As the forgotten young magician of the once well-respected Abernathy bloodline, Eli is a temperamental yet steadfast ally in a time of true chaos.
♕ WARREN SINCLAIR || 20 || HE/HIM || INCUBUS
A societal outcast and proud of it, Warren devotes his lonely life to the history of the supernatural and all of its grim shadows despite the dangers that loom above.
☽ FINLEY RAMSEY || 19 || THEY/THEM || HUMAN
At first glance, there seems to be nothing remarkable about Finley, and yet they remain one of the most elusive marvels of the world.
A frustratingly vague personality and a sharp contrast to their more stern partner-in-crime, Jules prides himself on the unknowable. It’s their specialty.
Ω HAZEL HUDSON || 19 || SHE/HER || SHAPESHIFTER
Under the order of her Alpha, Hazel has traveled far to reach you and unearth the secrets that torment the shapeshifter community.
☠ FAYE CATHAL || 20 || SHE/HER || BANSHEE
Plagued by the presence of the dead and the dying, Faye is intent on saving the lives that still have a chance, even if that means leaving behind the only life she's ever known.
WASHINGTON BAY, DELAWARE is a fictional town near the coast of Delaware that was established in the earliest days of European colonization. The ratio of humans to paranormal beings are about 2:3 according to the Council’s annual mandatory census surveys. The Council of the Paranormal is the officially elected group of representatives for the paranormal population in town. There are currently four members to reflect the highest supernatural populations: a shapeshifter, a vampire, a half-blood, and a spirited.
MELCHIOR, OREGON is a fictional town near the coast of Northern Oregon that was established in the early nineteenth century as a trading town for those crossing the national border. The town’s residents are overwhelmingly human compared to the supernatural population in a 3:1 ratio, and as such there is no official Council of the Paranormal. Rather, there are two representatives (a vampire and a shapeshifter, respectfully) that conduct supernatural business on behalf of the entire town.
IN THE UNITED STATES there are four different classifications of supernaturals: the Creatures, the Sorcerers, the Manipulators, and the Diviners. Worldwide, there are different names and systems in place to recognize the same variety of supernaturals.
Throughout the course of the novel, the player will encounter a variety of supernatural beings, and explore the limits of their own abilities...
For archival purposes, the original Dashingdon demo can be played here. The official Choice of Games forum page for TLOTG closed in January 2019, and as I’m moving to Twine, I have no plans to reopen the thread. I will update about the game on this blog pretty much exclusively.
There is an official Discord server for the game where the community shares information about their Seers/Naturalist, and I like to drop small sneak peeks for new content to keep things exciting. Everyone is very welcoming, and I monitor the server often; I do not tolerate misconduct. If you want to share your own Seer/Naturalist or simply enjoy what others are saying/see mild spoilers for new chapters, feel free to join!
I have a Ko-Fi that may occasionally be used for commissions if I have more free time during certain seasons. Every donation is simply extra money and I appreciate each and every one. :)
I track #the lure of the gallows and #tlotg if you are interested in posting something and want me to see it! Or you can tag the main blog, of course.
As always, I hope that I can use what little platform I have to promote important social issues, specifically ways that you, even as an individual, can help stay informed and take action.
Please take the time to appreciate this website and it’s resources! The main topic is BLM, but there are links at the bottom of the website to other social issues such as Help Palestine and Anti-Asian Violence Awareness. There are petitions and donation links that deserve as much recognition as possible.
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What the heck is wrong with the dads!? It might be a bit of an unreliable narrator and circumstances that make Rhys seem kinda like a jerk, but the MC dads both seem to suck so immensely that it isn't even covered up by vague narration. Daddy issues for everyone, it seems!
Also I adore the Naturalist POV with the trunk banter, but somehow despite my MC there being a bit of a menace, Fin's cheerful proposition and general attitude there are actually way more terrifying! I love that a lot, bc it adds a lot of depth to their relationship and the roles they play for each other. Fin being a bit feral at times also makes them seem less like the pitiful dependent MC tends to tag them as and more of an equal participant. (and somehow also way too eager)
I love the update, thank you for writing, persevering and sharing!
The way I initially thought 'hey, it's not that bad!' then remembered that yeah, the dads are kinda bad! Found family is one of my favorite tropes, so that usually leads to bad parenting (or at least the illusion of one). I promise there are bad moms, too, though. Equal trauma for all. :)
I'm VERY happy to hear that Fin's reaction gave off the perfect impression! Their role in the Naturalist's life sort of seems like a mirror to Leo and the Seer's, until you peel back the curtain and realize that the cheerful demeanor doesn't translate to ignorance. Fin is not scared of the life their best friend is stuck in. Which is good, because Fin is not entirely free of it, either.
Also!! Thank you for sending me your thoughts, I love knowing what y'all think about the game events so far! This story has been in my head for a decade, now, so it's easy to get lost in it. I'm always wondering what comes across to the reader.
Still have no idea who to romance in this damn thing 😭
Usually, by now, I'd have a favorite, but everyone is so great, and i doubt these are the only ROs we've encountered so far. I swear I'm gonna end up with an MC that seriously accidentally romanced multiple people 😭
Fully blame u! ❤️
I take the blame fully and unrepentantly :)
The best part of condensing the trilogy into one giant game is that the player gets every RO thrown at them at once, and I am so excited to introduce each of them properly! Especially the poly routes.
In the prologue and ch1 Rhys seems like they treat MC like everyone else in their family, MCs stays over, MC eats with them and he was their when MCs mom died but then in ch2 when MC comes back from the backyard and meet him at the steps you make it seem like he doesn’t really care for MC.
Hello!
Rhys has a very complicated relationship with the Seer. Above all else, however, he is devoted to protecting his people and his family. That includes protecting the Seer, at least until a greater danger threatens those under his care, because their wellbeing is directly related to Leo's.
This might explain a little more about how complicated his relation to the Seer is.
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Are all the ro's for both protagonists? Or are they half and half? One half for the Seer, the other for the Naturalist?
Hello! I'm answering these together, but for the most part, it's fairly unrestricted.
Leo is romancable by the Seer only, which also includes the Love Triangle route between them and Warren.
Hazel is lesbian, so her route is locked to a specifically female-presenting Seer/Naturalist. Nonbinary player characters can potentially romance her too, and they get a special little conversation about it.
For this version, yes! In my mind, Leo is genderfluid, and I don't see them conforming within strict gender roles. Having the player choose their 'gender' doesn't make them cis, it's more like the preference for the moment, if that makes sense.
Killian i need u to know how not okay i am about this IF.
Like I'm obsessed with both MCs and i made them completely different in vibes and personality. I want them to romance each other's friends so i can cause fights lol
I also wanna romance both L and W and have them side eye each other over my first MC.
I love L so much as a bestie tho. 😭
I am so excited for our journey with your writing. 💓
This ask is older but it's still so sweet! 🥺 I'm genuinely grateful and amazed that other people love this silly little game as much as I do. Character relationships are always a priority in my writing so I'm excited to show off their dynamics when everyone meets up!
If it helps, Leo can definitely become close with the Naturalist, and that adds to the tension of the Love Triangle route... :)
The entirety of Chapter Two is officially up! I am very sorry in advance. I am, however, very glad I took the time to separate the chapter POVs to fully immerse myself in both the Seer's and the Naturalist's scenes without feeling overwhelmed. This chapter ended up being about 24,000 words, so it's easy to get lost in one protagonist over the other. So I might be doing that again next month. :)
Thank you for playing, and feel free to message me with any feedback/questions/general observations you have!
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"If you don't believe us, I still have a souvenir," Fin interrupted, and grinned at the flat look Leo offered them in turn. They jingled the key enticingly. "It's only about two thousand miles that way."
"No, thank you," Leo said. "I wouldn't need that. I can smell her on you."
Fin wasn't dissuaded. "Neat."
Leo Gideon and Finley Ramsey: The First Meeting was something I commissioned @rennybu to capture, and Andy nailed it! Here, have a very skeptical Leo versus a very sweet-faced Fin. :)
"If you don't believe us, I still have a souvenir," Fin interrupted, and grinned at the flat look Leo offered them in turn. They jingled the key enticingly. "It's only about two thousand miles that way."
"No, thank you," Leo said. "I wouldn't need that. I can smell her on you."
Fin wasn't dissuaded. "Neat."
Leo Gideon and Finley Ramsey: The First Meeting was something I commissioned @rennybu to capture, and Andy nailed it! Here, have a very skeptical Leo versus a very sweet-faced Fin. :)
"If you don't believe us, I still have a souvenir," Fin interrupted, and grinned at the flat look Leo offered them in turn. They jingled the key enticingly. "It's only about two thousand miles that way."
"No, thank you," Leo said. "I wouldn't need that. I can smell her on you."
Fin wasn't dissuaded. "Neat."
Leo Gideon and Finley Ramsey: The First Meeting was something I commissioned @rennybu to capture, and Andy nailed it! Here, have a very skeptical Leo versus a very sweet-faced Fin. :)
The first half of Chapter Two (Seer's POV) is uploaded. I intended to upload both parts as one update but I am being consumed by the Naturalist's shenanigans, so you guys will get a fun update next month with their POV. :)
Thank you for playing, and feel free to message me with any feedback/questions/general observations you have!
Hey do have any plans to update the Twine demo or are you sticking to COG for now? Just curious
Likely just CoGDemos for now! Ultimately, I would like to have it updated across both platforms, but since Twine is a different language it's easier to focus on one and I know Choicescript better.
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hi! I love your game!! your writing is beautiful. i hope it's okay to submit an error I found, when the seer is in the kitchen , if I check the option for Leo to take the rag I get this error
