Marble's Story Studio

❀ Chapters 0-3 Out Now! ❀ Itch ❀ Official Spotify Playlist

❀ Will you embrace your destiny or choose to avert your gaze?

Betrayed by your mothers and sent away to become a prophet, loneliness became an old friend, and an intense longing for connection stirs deep within you.

Hoping to escape the monotony of your life—training to become a Living Prophet and delivering parcels all over the Southern Territories isn’t as fun as it sounds—you seek solace in the nightflowers that grow in Caligo. 

It’s not like you have a choice, anyway, considering your dwindling medication and the irritating withdrawal symptoms (you've blown up one too many dormitories). Maybe you shouldn’t have put this off for so long, but the thought of being in your parents’ old home… well, let’s just say you aren’t ready to revisit their memory.

❀ Welcome to Caligo. Our Sovereign is pleased with your interest.

Caligo exists in the Dark Realm, home to the Sovereign and her Crimson Court. Famous for its nightflowers, Caligo is the place to go if you want medicine, poisons, glamours, or even cures.

Twin moons cast an ethereal glow upon you, illuminating the blue haze that swirls through the land. 

Unclimbable mountains overlook lush, fertile land that covers Insomnium, Umbra, Tenebrae, and the Crimson Court in nightflowers.

Though wet, chilly, and sunless, the beauty of this ancient place still prevails.

Hi,

If you’re still following me after all this time, thank you. This past year has been full of unfortunate events, and staying active with the community has been tough.

NBV actually turned 1 last month! I first started conceptualizing the story in 2021, began writing in 2022, and now it’s been played 3,500 times. That may not seem like much, but it’s honestly more than I ever expected.

As many of you know, Itch recently updated their NSFW policies due to issues with their payment processors. I had planned to include paid NSFW content in the later half of NBV, listed separately since it would be 18+, while the current version is rated 16+.

Unfortunately, ever since I listed the game, it hasn’t shown up in searches at all. Even searching my studio name brings up nothing. I contacted Itch support about it, but all I got was a suggestion to review the documentation—something I’d already done multiple times. The game is still unlisted to this day, only accessible through a direct link. I’m incredibly grateful to all of you who have reblogged, reposted, and boosted this game on various forums—without you, people wouldn’t even know it exists.

Because of the new NSFW restrictions and the lack of support I’ve had from Itch (maybe the game just isn’t big enough for them to care), I’ve decided to move NBV and future installments of Aphni’s Quartet to another platform. The demo will stay up on Itch until it’s completed and published elsewhere. I haven’t settled on the new platform yet, but it’ll likely be Choice of Games or Hosted Games. Each has its own rules, so I’m preparing my application now.

That does mean I’ll need to recode the entire game since it’s currently built in Twine. Some features will change or be removed because of the formatting differences, but I think the tradeoff will be worth it. It’ll let me focus less on aesthetics and fighting the unlisted status, and more on what actually matters—writing. Of course, this also means the full release will be delayed while I make the move and rebuild.

Thanks again for sticking with me on this journey. I’ve got some extra content queued up here on Tumblr and I plan to start being more active here.

Field Notes from Caligo

Entry #014: Sunsway Lizards

Classification: Symbiotic Performers

Habitat: Universal; common in glades, ruins, marshlight groves, seashores

Written by the Lady Eleansta Varnela, Xenoanthropologist of the Seventh Spire at Elucido

Overview:

Despite their name, Sunsway Lizards are not bound to sunlight. In fact, they thrive in the moon-lit wilds of Caligo just as easily as in canopy breaks on Terra or the seashore in Elucido. These creatures are living motion: iridescent ribbons of rhythm that bring warmth to the everdark. They are never seen alone, and when they appear, they always arrive in pairs, weaving their bodies through the air in tight, synchronized patterns.

Each lizard is about ten inches in length, slender and supple, with liquid-like scales that shimmer and shift in rhythmic waves. These scales constantly cycle between radiant reds, amber tones, and soft yellows, mimicking the hues of imagined suns. The movement of this pigmentation is intentional, emotional, and mesmerizing.

Reader is to note that much of the information drafted here is informed by my previous experience with these lizards on Terra and in my native home of Elucido.

Notable Traits:

Adaptability: Sunsways are surprisingly resilient. They adjust to their surroundings—changing the intensity of their glow, altering their rhythms, even quieting their movements to match the tone of the region. Some suspect a deep-rooted connection to the unseen celestial forces that still pulse beneath Caligo’s gloom, drawn to the remnants of the Archangels that we still do not understand.

Living Rhythm: Their scales are thought to respond to unseen cosmic patterns. Observers have noted that when multiple Sunsways are nearby, their scales will shift in perfect unison, as though reacting to the same hidden music. Some druids believe they are tuning into the “heartbeat of the realm.”

Bonded Behavior: They always come in bonded pairs. These bonds are lifelong and unbreakable. Attempts to separate a pair have led to rapid deterioration of both creatures, followed by vanishing behavior. They disappear entirely without trace.

Performer’s Instinct: Sunsways are drawn to energy—musical, emotional, or kinetic. Travelers who hum, sing, or move rhythmically may suddenly find themselves adopted. Once chosen, the lizards will climb the traveler’s limbs and begin a performance, often using the person’s body as a stage. These dances are emotionally resonant, capable of lifting spirits or calming anxious minds.

Field Notes:

Despite their radiant appearance, Sunsways are native to Caligo and entirely comfortable in the dark. They have been sighted in deeproot cave systems, fog-drenched marshes, and even drifting silently over necroblooms. Their presence is seen as auspicious, though a bit chaotic as they bring both joy and distraction.

It is believed that Sunsway Lizards communicate exclusively through motion and scale modulation. Entire sequences of emotional expression can be exchanged between pairs without a sound. Attempts to interpret this language have been included in the growing Joysong Script—a movement-based codex created by the Prophet Aurelia Joysong.

Advice to Travelers:

If you find yourself suddenly sparkling, you’re not hallucinating. Check your shoulders. Sunsways often appear without warning, choosing the moment you most need levity. Don’t panic. Remain still, let them dance, and try not to sneeze. Once their performance ends, they may curl around your neck or arms and settle into a warm doze, glowing gently.

Field Notes from Caligo

Entry #076: Melodimoth

Classification: Resonant Entity

Habitat: Near leyline corridors and scattered throughout the forest of Caligo

Written by the Lady Eleansta Varnela, Xenoanthropologist of the Seventh Spire at Elucido

Overview:

The Melodimoth is a loveable being of contrast, and a surprisingly kind creature. Steel and spirit, weight and wind, silence and song. Enormous in wingspan and presence, these living relics drift slowly through Caligo’s forest, humming faint melodies that seem to resonate more in the soul than the air. They are part organic, part biomechanical—shimmering plates of deep cobalt and storm-gray sheath an inner warmth that is soft and pulsing.

First created in the labs of the CRD (Caligan Research Division) for experiments long since buried, Melodimoths were once tools. Now, they are witnesses. Set free after the Sovereign deemed them too sentient to destroy, they wander the realm in search of memory, harmony, and perhaps something deeper.

Reader is to note that I interviewed His Majesty Dominic Vidius, who is the head of the CRD, for more information on these unique creatures. Reader is also to note that His Majesty is a terrible flirt.

Notable Traits:

Living Metal: Their exoskeletons gleam like a stone, flexible and cold to the touch. Beneath lies muscle, warmth, and sorrow. When grounded, they move awkwardly, but in flight, they are effortless—like thought given form.

Melodic Wings: The most defining feature. Their wings vibrate with layered sound: tonal structures that carry emotion, memory, and, some argue, language. Not true music, nor mere noise. Their hums bypass comprehension and lodge directly in the subconscious.

Memory Echoes: Those who spend time near a Melodimoth report strange emotional phenomena: feeling grief for events not experienced, joy from forgotten moments, or nostalgia for things that never happened. Many believe the moths carry ancestral memories—perhaps their own, or perhaps stolen.

Defensive Harmony: Normally peaceful, a Melodimoth under threat will emit a dissonant frequency capable of rupturing eardrums, stunning attackers, or shattering crystal and bone. Once provoked, they will defend with staggering force, often leaving the air reverberating and entire clearings stripped of sound for days.

Field Notes:

Melodimoths are drawn to quiet places. They rarely appear near the city. Travelers may first notice them not by sight, but by the music: a faint lofi rhythm, barely audible, similar to a memory surfacing from beneath a dream.

They communicate not in words but in feeling. Some say their songs encode entire lives, or civilizations. Others say they are mourning what they once were, trapped in a body never meant to be alive.

Despite this, Melodimoths are kind. When approached calmly, they will circle travelers, weaving a gentle melody that many describe as “being seen.”

Advice to Travelers:

Field Notes from Caligo

Entry #24: Tesseran Crawler

Classification: Riftstalking Predator or Guardian of Time?

Habitat: Cluster zones, broken leyline corridors

Drafted within an inch of my life, by the Gentleman Aarav Soontels of the Seventh Spire at Elucido

!!! CAUTION. AVOID THESE CREATURES AT ALL COSTS. DO NOT APPROACH. DO NOT ENGAGE. DO NOT RUN. !!!

Overview:

The Tesseran Crawler is not simply a predator or a scary story for children.

It is an anomaly given flesh. Reptilian in build but wholly unnatural in movement, this creature folds space around itself to traverse the world in ways no ordinary lifeform can. It was roughly the size of a jungle cat: its low-slung, serpentine body is sheathed in black and white scales that subtly ripple, even when it stood still. Its legs were short but muscular, enabling a creeping gait when it chose not to blink out of reality entirely.

Its most striking feature was its eyes—tall, vertical slits that seem to pierce through time as well as space. Locking eyes with a Tesseran Crawler was deeply disorienting; I experienced both a spinning sensation and momentary time-loss after prolonged exposure.

Reader, in my advanced years filled with many danger-rife adventures, I have never been so afraid. Had it not been for the intervention of Her Majesty Rene Vidius, I am sure I would have died or been dragged into a cluster. 

Reader should note that Her Majesty informed some of the more gruesome details included in this note.

!!! CAUTION. AVOID THESE CREATURES AT ALL COSTS. DO NOT APPROACH. DO NOT ENGAGE. DO NOT RUN. !!!

Notable Traits:

Phasing Locomotion: The Crawler did not walk so much as it shortcuted—folding between locations by exploiting dimensional rifts known as clusters. To onlookers, this appears as vanishing and reappearing, often mid-lunge. Witnesses rarely see its full approach. I certainly did not.

Paralytic Venom: This beast injects a fast-acting neurotoxin via retractable fangs hidden in its lower jaw. The venom induces temporary paralysis in most organic forms within seconds, and induces vivid hallucinations in rare cases. Some believe these visions are glimpses into alternate timelines. I was lucky enough to not experience this.

Cluster Ambush: Most commonly encountered near broken ley corridors or reality-thinned zones, Tesseran Crawlers lie in wait for hours, partially phased, before attacking in a moment of spatial collapse. Dragging prey into a cluster is a signature behavior, though what happens inside remains uncertain.

Mercy Manifestation: On extremely rare occasions, the Crawler appears, observes a traveler, then does not attack. Instead, it may bow its head, purr, or emit a low harmonic vibration. This behavior is seen as a temporal omen—either of protection or impending transformation. In my case, Her Majesty managed to calm the creature and it purred a disturbing kind of growl, then blinked away. She dismissed me before I could inquire why.

!!! CAUTION. AVOID THESE CREATURES AT ALL COSTS. DO NOT APPROACH. DO NOT ENGAGE. DO NOT RUN. !!!

Field Notes:

Upon further research, the Tesseran Crawlers are feared and respected in equal measure. No two creatures are alike in appearance, and no seasoned traveler in Caligo walks through ley-split groves without keeping salt rings or echo wards on hand (of which her Majesty scolded me for being ill-prepared). Yet, despite their danger, followers of the Prophet Rowena Linden, revere the Crawlers as enforcers of balance—correcting aberrations in fate and removing those who threaten temporal stability.

Some reports speak of travelers spared by a Crawler only to find themselves later marked by shifts in fortune, reality, or even memory. It is unclear whether the creature reads timelines or chooses who belongs in them.

Again, my encounter was cut short by Her Majesty’s intervention. I have yet to experience such side effects, though I did wake up quite groggy and unsure of the day or time today.

Advice to Travelers:

Her Majesty recommends that if you see vertical eyes watching from the trees, do not run. Running will not help.

Do not draw steel. Blades will not reach it before it blinks. 

Instead, still your breath. Speak softly, offer no challenge, and do not make any sudden movements. If it phases out and reappears without aggression, bow in return. It may mark you as kin to its cause or simply spare you for reasons known only to time.

Never assume it’s gone for good. Move locations immediately and clear your tracks.

Field Notes from Caligo

Entry #06: Mycosworn

Classification: Gentle Behemoth

Habitat: The forests of Caligo

Written by the Lady Eleansta Varnela, Xenoanthropologist of the Seventh Spire at Elucido

Overview:

Among the many denizens of Caligo’s moon-lit wilds, few embody the strange harmony of decay and life like the Mycosworn. These lumbering, moss-draped giants move with surprising quiet through the mists and mire, their great bulk cushioned by years of softened peat and fallen leaf. Despite their imposing size—often taller than a grown deer-elk at the shoulder—the Mycosworn is a harmless wanderer, more curious botanist than beast.

Eyeless, noseless, and nearly faceless save for a rounded, gaping mouth, the Mycosworn navigates the world through a pair of thick, constantly twitching antennae. These sensory appendages read vibrations, scents, and even minute changes in fungal growth, giving them a detailed perception of their surroundings without need for sight. 

Skin texture ranges from soft moss-greens to wet loam-browns, with a spongy, slightly damp touch. Their scent is earthy and clean, reminiscent of turned soil after warm rain, or the underside of a living log, despite the fact that they thrive in swamp-like environments. Reader is to note that I have never seen a Mycosworn before, until this cherished visit to Caligo.

Notable Traits:

Sporeholes: Lining the Mycosworn’s flanks are six to twelve spore-vents: soft-pored openings that puff out clouds of fragrant spores when the creature feels safe, relaxed, or curious. These spores are not only non-toxic but calming to most nearby lifeforms. I suspect this is a result of their gentle nature yet deceivingly intimidating appearance. Inhalation often results in mild euphoria or emotional peace. The scent is floral, typically resembling rose mallow or ghost-biscus, though some record cinnamon, orchid, or petrichor variants depending on region. The Caligan Mycosworn seems to prefer the scent of ghost-biscus.

Social Interactions: Though solitary by nature, Mycosworn are not antisocial. When encountering travelers, they often pause to inspect, gently brushing with their antennae or observing from a distance. A puff of spores is considered a mark of affection or interest. Attempts to ride or herd them are discouraged—not out of danger, but out of reverence. The Sovereign has notably prosecuted those who attempt these actions, including a young Shadowelf barely the age of 10 years old.

Behavioral Pattern: Diurnal in deep Caligo (though “day” is a relative term here), Mycosworn tend to follow moss trails, fungal blooms, or leyline shifts. They are sometimes seen resting near rings of Spirling Flora, absorbing ambient magical frequencies in a form of passive hibernation.

Field Notes:

Mycosworn sightings often precede flourishing fungal growth and increased ambient harmony. Some druids believe they are stewards of balance between rot and rebirth. Others, especially those from Hollowroot Circle, consider them to be sacred fungal pilgrims. 

What is clear: they are not beasts of burden, nor pets—they are their own quiet mystery. When a Mycosworn chooses to approach, it is never random.

Advice to Travelers:

If you hear a distant, wet slurping sound and the forest hushes, there is no need to panic. Let it approach. Do not shout, brandish fire, or touch its antennae. If it puffs spores in your direction, breathe deeply.

Let it pass. 

I hope you're doing good. Are you open to character asks?🥺

Honestly, I have been waiting for this IF ( the revamped version ) to drop and the wait was worth it!! ^⁠_⁠^ Been playing/reading it over and over again bcs I loved it!! Especially Xander! I love that man idc what anyone says 🤬🤬 /j.

You should keep up the great work ( No pressure!!! ) and also, I'm so sorry for what has been happening to you recently! I hope you'll be able to overcome it :D

( sorry! I'm not good with words and idk how asks works 😔 but i js wanted to let u know that i like and appreciate ur work!!! )

I am so sorry for answering this so late!

I really appreciate your kindness and I'm so glad you love it!!

Omg, hi, it’s been a while.

Basically, life got lifey—I experienced a violent crime, I had to move, and then I got really depressed.

The revamp I promised back in January is now out as well as chapter 3. The rest of the game will be released at the end of this year.

Here’s what you can expect with this release:

New prologue

Expanded lore

Compendium

Music

Stats are fully coded

Autosave should work (but tell me if it doesn’t)

~30k words total

Start a new run, don’t use any old saves. Let me know any bugs or typos or stuff. 

Also, I want to make something clear: I am not a lore-dumping kind of writer. I will not spend pages on pages talking about lore or backstory. You will know what I want you to know when I want you to know it and through actual interactions with the world or people in it. But, I get that people want that clarification. So that’s why I made the compendium. You’re also always welcomed to send me an ask and I’m more than happy to answer.

Hi! I'm so sorry for my delay in answering this.

I use a combo of methods. First, I like to mind map everything. Conception of this project looked like me just dumping ideas into a Canva board.

After that, I made broad outlines for each. The books are interconnected; so events that occur in book 1 also occur in book 2, but from a different perspective, events that occur in book 3 occur in book 2, vice versa, etc etc.

Because the player character is a different character in each book, coding it into 1 thing would be an absolute nightmare for me. I'm not looking forward to book 4 for this reason lmao.

THEN I made detailed outlines in a spreadsheet where I track the synopsis, word count goal, actual word count, etc. This helps me keep track of my goals and that I'm hitting on all the things I want the chapter to be about.

In a separate visual flowchart, I track variations and the routes. There is 1 Common Route and 3 RO/FS routes. I found that flowcharting is the easiest way for me to understand my variations; tracking it in a document was not working well lol.

I hope this makes sense 😭