You awaken in a swamp…or is it the woods? You don't know. You don't know where you are, you don't know what you are.
A human, or something else entirely?
A vessel, or a monster in your own right?
Whatever you are, whoever you are, you've picked a hell of a time to wake up in The Wardens. Mysterious deaths, missing dead bodies, and a supposedly incurable disease that's slowly killing the forest around you.
Not to mention that man (?), the one that only you can see, that only you can hear, who keeps trying to tell you to get away whilst you can.
Recover your memories soon, my little lamb, before paradise crumbles and the deities abandon you all..
Play as an amnesiac in completely unfamiliar territory...you're pretty sure. Make friends, make enemies, develop a crush, maybe even play detective, the choices are yours to make.
Just...maybe make sure you jog that memory a little, lest you become the next ashen body to end up face down in the swamp (again, in your case).
Choose Learn your name, sexuality, and gender, as well as certain aspects of your appearance as you navigate your surroundings and interact with the people in them.
[characters of note below the cut]
Important Encounters ;
The Annoyance - he / they
He's always there, just behind your shoulder, hovering like a concerned parent (or maybe a mosquito you can't quite swat away). On a good day between the two of you, you just about remember how to walk and talk, yet despite that he can pretty accurately guide you away from perceived trouble. Will you choose to listen to him, or will you disregard him as a paranoid hallucination?
The Medic - she / her [RO]
She's patient and gentle, everything you could ever ask for from a healer, and surprisingly in tune with your needs even despite being strangers. Still there's a lingering concern as more bodies vanish, as more trees begin to wilt, a pressure mounting on the Medic to fix it somehow. Will you find a way to ease her burden a little, or will you become yet another problem adding weight to her shoulders?
The Guard - he / him [RO]
He's quiet and stoic, but not cruel, patrolling the town with an unrelenting vigilance that serves to put many people at ease with how consistent he is. His task is to ensure the safety of the townsfolk, so he regards you with suspicion wherever you go, the timing of your appearance an unfortunate coincidence. Will you prove his suspicions unfounded, or will you give him reason to kick you out like he's wanted from the start?
The Priestess - she / they [RO]
Sheltered and a little timid, it's the Priestess' job to monitor the Central Tree, the life of the surrounding area, making sure the deities stay peaceful. She is the first one called, right after the medic, about your markings, in the hopes that she could discern what they were. Her quietness is a little uncomfortable at times, sure, but she's perceptive and kind (if a little awkward). Will you let her help as best they can, or will you listen to the voices saying that there's more to her than meets the eye?
The Enigma - they / he [RO]
Your neighbour whilst you stay in The Wardens, though you rarely ever see him at home. He's charming and playful, helping out here and there, and entertaining the kids with simple magic tricks. Yet...you don't really know much beyond their first name, in fact you're not even sure their whole appearance is natural, now that you look closer. Will you uncover their secrets, or will you let him fade from your mind in a distant whisper?
The...what is that? [who] is that...?
Don't worry, little lamb, you'll find out soon enough. It's watching, after all, and you make for such good entertainment. It can't help but show its appreciation.
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If you have any questions regarding any of them, then please feel free to send in an ask! I'd love to hear from you (+ I love a good excuse to yap lol).
Links to my projects:
PARASITIC - a horror IF set in a fictional world. You play an amnesiac trying to regain your memories (if you can), and maybe prevent the death of everyone in town. Maybe.
PROGRESS: demo updated 09/11/25 to contain prologue - chapter 2 ; draft for half of chapter 3 complete, not added yet
[NAME TBD] - a fantasy set in a fictional world. You play as a fugitive attempting to find out what happened to your brothers without being caught out as a fae. Run, or fight. Hide, or go out with a bang. You decide.
PROGRESS: beta demo contains prologue - chapter 1 ; draft for half of chapter 2 complete, not added yet
THE ADVISOR'S GAME - a mystery/romance set in a fictional world. You play as an assassin, infiltrating the palace as a royal advisor. Your task: to kill the crown royal. Yet...is everything as it seems?
PROGRESS: on hiatus. will be overhauled.
OTHER LINKS;
my art account here ; comms are open
my (mostly for lurking) personal blog here ; rarely respond on here
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
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If you had to choose a song for every RO, which songs would you pick?
And do you also have one for MC? :)
:D hi Lamy
will copy half the answer i sent in the server :)
Kellen - Break (Good Kid)
Mel - You Are Here (James Marriott)
Rowan - Thus Always To Tyrants (The Oh Hellos)
Bella - Half Return (Adrianne Lenker)
MC - Me And The Devil (Soap&Skin)
If authors need to start writing their stories first and then uploading them or writing a big chunk like 3 chapters then releasing. Especially for itch io. The amount of twine stories that will never finished seems to grow as the platorm becomes more popular. Like a few weeks they release an episode but everything was already written. The process of writing as they go along isn't working for a lot of authors as there are such big gaps in release times, hiatues and people just leaving. We need to change how we upload our stories or else were gonna keep seeing the same patterns. Just because one method is popular doesn't mean you're not allowed to branch out and see what works for you. Releasing chapters as they write only proves to be a horrible idea as they are so few itch io stories that are never completed. Whatever it is, the community needs to start coming up with some new methods.
Someone lend me their strength because I don't have it.
Crazy how many words they used to say: pretty much fucking nothing. Wild take to put into the public space really but let's break it down real nicely.
I can see why you stayed on anonymous because you had to have realised this wasn't going to be popular with the authors that see it. You can't demand people give you more of their hobbies because you're impatient - followup to that, you can't demand and demand and demand, then expect people to continue enjoying their hobby. Newsflash: we won't, you'll actually probably just make us hate it! Good job!
I think if I smacked you upside the head with basic human decency that might not even fix it because clearly the entitlement has seeped into your brain and switched off the part that makes you realise other people exist outside of your wants (newsflash 2: the world doesn't revolve around what you want). IF first got its huge community, give or take, around peak Covid lockdown - when nobody had anything else to do really, because the world was shut down. That: isn't the case anymore. Most of us have lives outside of writing: kids, jobs, education. Those don't just vanish because you really want to read IF XYZ's latest update right now right this second.
"If authors need to start writing their stories first and then uploading them or writing a big chunk like 3 chapters then releasing." Yeah..shut the fuck up? Do you know how long the coding takes? Not to mention variables, branching stats, gender selectable options, flavour text, PC/MC customisations...
I think I could probably keep that list going but I'm sure you get the point. Even if we had fully written stories just...somehow laying around, it would still require porting out of a traditional writing style and into an IF. Now if you mean writing as in finish that much of the IF itself within Twine or Choicescript before releasing then your point makes even less sense because it would still take the exact same amount of time? You'd still have to wait for an update, it doesn't magically appear by express shipping, we still have to put the work in.
"Hopefully im not the only one who feels this way." Realistically? You're probably not. But! You and all the other shit-for-brains Anons that come on this godforsaken fucking website and send asks like this, the asks that demand or harass or guilt-trip Authors into feeling bad for taking time with their hobbies, for updating slowly, for writing when they have the motivation, etc. etc.
You guys are the reason we all quit! So good job! Great job even! Maybe next time you look at someone's free content, that they put work into and enjoy, you should shut the fuck up and consider the fact that nobody owes you shit all.
if you care that much write your own IF. See how much work goes into it. Then crawl back and apologise for being an insensitive shit.
have an encounter with a horror of your choosing :)
As I said before I have not fixed the bugs yet, as they are at the beginning of ch1 and really don't effect gameplay all that much - they will be fixed eventually, but not right now.
quick bug patch; hypothetically fixed the few bits of code that were totally fucked + some grammar/pacing mistakes pointed out by my lovely beta testers
have an encounter with a horror of your choosing :)
As I said before I have not fixed the bugs yet, as they are at the beginning of ch1 and really don't effect gameplay all that much - they will be fixed eventually, but not right now.
+ progress update; July 24th (ish) - November 3rd (ish)
Hi there, forgive the radio silence (or don't), but here's a long overdue update.
I was mainly absent due to some personal things happening with a couple of my flatmates, alongside my family coming over from abroad for my graduation - however I should be freed up a little now to be a bit more active.
...Maybe.
Anyway, onto the main announcement.
The Parasitic demo update will drop on Friday (November 7th)
This update will bring you the entirety of chapter 2 (at the absolute minimum), though I will admit I haven't fixed the two minor bugs in the coding for chapter 1 - they don't break the game, so they are low on my list of priorities.
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Free to watch • No registration required • HD streaming
I think Kellen and Melanie are both delighted, Melanie outwardly and Kellen inwardly, because they grew up being little forest explorers.
Arabella would carefully set the frog back into the forest, by the water if she's near some. They have no problem with frogs, they just worry for the little critters' safety.
Rowan...probably wouldn't love them on his skin, but he wouldn't mind on clothes! They would still be released back into the wild ASAP though.
Lamy responded, a little more snippy but justified considering ey said 'no' to answering an ask and was criticised for...not sugarcoating a boundary well enough(?), and clarified. But now you're just...you're basically punching several brick walls (because none of us are backing down here) in an attempt to defend a point I don't think any of us outright made (it comes across like you think we all have a personal vendetta against people who like toxic romance or whatever - we don't, it's not for us but like...you do you).You're on Anon, you don't lose points for just...not interacting with things you don't like anymore, you don't have a reputation or community to represent/defend - you're just like...'Anon Going After Bellamy Defenders', which is...again, you do you.
also, point by point:
i didn't criticize them for not sugarcoating, my "criticism" (if it can be called that) was over the personal attack against anon over their like of a trope in fiction
Bellamy ranted in the first reply to me about how Wrong and Bad it was to like toxic relationships in fiction, literally telling me and other people who like toxic relationships in fiction to stop reading IFs and to "go read shitty YA literature and OOC fics on AO3"
attacked me about how i supposedly want them to change their characters when i never said that and even clarified that it's simply a trope i enjoy, not a necessity and I'd never ask em to change the ros
like your literally doing the same thing, acting like I said toxic relationships are a must and I don't enjoy stuff without it. when all I said is that it is fun in fiction sometimes. and claiming I'm "throwing around insults" wheb I haven't insulted anyone even once. I guess calling em an ass could count, but they started it.
i will put all this under the cut so people who don't want to read can scroll passed a little easier - there's another RO ask coming after this, not to worry for those who want more game content :]
I can't screenshot on my laptop and I'm not switching accounts on my phone just for this, so apologies for the low quality screenshot but I'm not giving this multiple posts.
I might be misunderstanding, but I'm pretty sure that's what that says - screenshot from Lamy's post.
=
For the rest:
in the first response to me
So...which one are you? Because the first response to an ask making the point 'yikes this is toxic' is:
Which says nothing of the sort. If that isn't you, and we assume that every Anon that repeated the point is a different person, then you had to be a minimum of third in line to harp on about a point that Lamy had already said ey were uncomfortable addressing - and even if we look at the third ask in the 'Toxic Romance' collection that came through:
As seen here - still nothing saying how awful and bad you are for liking a trope, more frustration at the fact that you're still arguing over not getting an answer to an ask that makes them 'icky' (as they put it).
At no point did I say or assume you would only consume content with (very?) toxic romance in fiction. Considering you were on aelvsbyn-if to begin with, I sort of assumed you would read other content - it's a horror so obviously there are some red flags, but they are mild compared to a lot of taboo/toxic/red flag content.
Finally: considering you managed to immediately point out the very direct insult in question, after saying you 'haven't insulted anyone even once', I'm sure you don't need me to address that point.
Hello Jester, I bring palette cleansers, but i haven't played this game yet so forgive me; how do the ros react to gifts? Do they prefer practical, thoughtful gifts? Sentimental ones? Handmade? Also, whats their love languages?
hi there, little jestee :]
that is a-ok! there's barely any RO content in the public demo at the moment anyway, so it wouldn't have helped for an RO ask lol
anyway! here you go ;
KELLEN ;
complete confusion. he appreciates gifts, truly! he's just...not really sure what to do. a hug? a handshake? just a simple 'thanks'? he usually settles for getting you a gift in return, leaving it on your doorstep with a simple note of gratitude
he likes practical gifts, mostly, he worries that handmade or sentimental ones will get damaged - he has a lot of siblings + he's the head guard, so his existence can get a little rough lol
receiving ; quality time + touch / giving ; words of affirmation
ARABELLA ;
a little flustered, romanced or otherwise! she's pretty shy, but she'd absolutely be very grateful, after she calms down a little, there would likely be profuse thankings in the future lol
they prefer sentimental gifts over anything else. things that let them know you've been thinking of them, even if its something a little silly. they don't really need anything 'practical', and they worry what the deties will do with something handmade
receiving ; words of affirmation + quality time / giving ; acts of service
ROWAN ;
absolutely delighted! you will be lifted and twirled!! he's not shy about his gratitude in the slightest, and won't hesitate to make a big deal out of the smallest of things, big goofy smile and all
they prefer handmade gifts, though those are often sentimental to them as well, so maybe a mix of both? in truth they're pretty well off when it comes to money, so material objects mean very little, they much prefer things like handmade bracelets, homecooked meals, etc.
receiving ; gift giving (conditional on homemade gifts) + quality time / giving ; quality time
MELANIE ;
much cooing, and one big warm hug. she is also not at all shy about her gratitude, though she isn't as overly excited as Rowan is. she'll probably give you something in return, a freshly made pastry perhaps, when she gets the time to do so.
she doesn't mind! anything you give her will be received with the same joy and gratefulness, she doesn't have a preference either way - sentimental or homemade will remain safely at home, and practical would likely be used at the clinic
receiving ; touch / giving ; quality time + acts of service
telling original anon "please work on yourself to become less jealous" over an ask wasn't respectful, it was a personal attack based on nothing. so no, Bellamy wasn't "really respectful", ey were an ass.
Ey then clarified in one of the posts I'm pretty sure is responding to you(?) that it was directed at MC - a.k.a a character, even if it is a self-insert, there's no way to be 100% accurate, so it's still a fictional character.
If you're expecting an apology or an 'I take it back' then you...won't get one, not from a single one of us, I'm afraid. If we exclude that then I'm now curious...what point are you exactly trying to make?
Fine, the first post tags upset you, you made that point and we all got it loud and clear. Lamy responded, a little more snippy but justified considering ey said 'no' to answering an ask and was criticised for...not sugarcoating a boundary well enough(?), and clarified. But now you're just...you're basically punching several brick walls (because none of us are backing down here) in an attempt to defend a point I don't think any of us outright made (it comes across like you think we all have a personal vendetta against people who like toxic romance or whatever - we don't, it's not for us but like...you do you).
You're on Anon, you don't lose points for just...not interacting with things you don't like anymore, you don't have a reputation or community to represent/defend - you're just like...'Anon Going After Bellamy Defenders', which is...again, you do you.
ur literally writing one of the most toxic relationships i've ever seen in an if lmao
THE ANON WENT AFTER ME LMAOOO
damn right i'm doing a trauma-bonded relationship between a captor/captive including stockholm syndrome. you might notice the buzzwords that were just used right now, and this bad boy that i slapped in my intro post:
Sanctum is not a romance game, anon. not a romance game. one good friend can attest to my annoyance with media that romanticizes abuse and manipulation. i'm not shying away from these grim topics, but i'm calling it what it is.
but i digress—whether or not you're the first anon who sent that weird ask at Bellamy, she has the full right to be frustrated when her characters are blatantly misinterpreted and to refuse acting out a Netflix original teen drama scenario and calling it cute (the ROs are all grown ass adults???)
no author is ever forced to bend to anyone's will. let's also not pretend that this behavior is romantic. this is a reminder for everyone that jealously and possessiveness is not healthy. you're not an awful person if you do feel these emotions, but please seek professional help if they become a problem. you know what's hot? communication and setting boundaries yassss
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I have an ask for you I haven't seen on your blog yet (only on your other game):
In an orpheus and eurydice scenario, who would not look back at all and live? Who would look back early, and who would look back close to the end, when things become more difficult?
BELLAMY :D
sorry it took so long to get to you :( however! here you go <3
under the cut for length
DOESN'T ;
ARABELLA ;
Being as anxious as they are, you'd think Bella would look, right? Wrong. Given her role as head priestess, and her consequent regular contact with the deities, Bella trusts them almost entirely (a faith she finds both reassuring and terrifying). If the deities say don't look? Then Bella isn't looking. Sure, they may tremble and cry the whole journey, murmuring prayers and reassurances, but they remain resolute until the end - and the smile on her face, and seeing yours, is worth every second.
KELLEN ;
He'd be tempted, I think, desperate to ensure your safety, but in the end? He wouldn't look. Kellen has the mind of a soldier, in the end, stubborn and well-trained - he'll follow his orders even if it kills him. Besides, if the deities aren't lying to him, how would he forgive himself if he ended up sending you right back to death? Kellen's joy isn't as visible as one might expect, but you do earn yourself a bone-crushing hug and a loyal shadow for the next...several months at least.
DOES ;
MELANIE ;
She doesn't trust the deities one bit. Not that she doesn't believe in them, not that she's too logical of a 'doctor' to believe them. No, Mel just...doesn't trust a word out of their mouths. She might try, for you, but in the end? She turns. Mel never forgives herself for that, not once, but she can't say she regrets it either, not entirely. It would've been out of character to trust a deity, so at least she stayed true to herself - even at the cost of her dearest one.
WELL... ;
ROWAN ;
Well. I'm...honestly not sure about Rowan. I think it would depend a lot on how long you had been gone, how long you had been together, etc. etc. - also which deity of death was making the request. There are too many factors to consider. However:
If Rowan does look - he would...honestly probably come join you, Rowan doesn't have much left to live for anyway, and if he's truly attached then...well, you are his reason.
If Rowan doesn't look - if you weren't married before then you will be now. in fact, either way he would probably insist on another wedding (a renewal or something). then? you're going travelling, living life to the fullest (and never leaving Rowan's sight for too long again lol).
If the main cast (or whichever ones you feel like answering for) were sent into a nightmare that preys specifically on their worst fear to keep them trapped, what would it be like?
RAHHH okay i don't want this to get too long, so i will be doing Kellen and Arabella - they have different fears, so its two ends of the spectrum
under the cut for length - and a TW for somewhat disturbing imagery
KELLEN - fear of betrayal and failing loved ones
Kellen could still feel the burn. Could hear the sizzle of flesh. Could feel the branch, still flickering with embers, hit his nose with enough force to break it, the sickening crunch ringing in his ears as pain exploded over his face. He couldn’t remember their face anymore, didn’t need to really, it didn’t matter who was carrying the weapon that left such an ugly scar. Besides, what was stopping his mind filling in the blanks - strangers, friends, his younger siblings, a rotating cast of loved ones cursing and beating him over and over.
It hurt. It hurt, it hurt, it hurt.
He curled himself into a ball, writhing and squirming, mouth open in a silent scream. His hands clawed at his face, pulling at his skin as though that would help somehow. It did help, for only a moment, the pain vanishing just long enough to let him stumble to his feet.
Then? It began all over again.
=
ARABELLA - fear of the deities turning against her
There were so many eyes. So, so many eyes. They were large, unfathomably large, filling the sky and embedded in the tree trunks. Wide and narrow, long lashes and short, all different in appearance.
The similarity? They were all watching her.
Every move Arabella made was followed the rapid shifting of irises, the black void of hundreds of pupils. They could see everything, they could judge everything. Each step, no matter how small Arabella tried to hunch, it just seemed like the eyes were growing larger and seeing more.
It made her skin crawl. Like thousands of tiny bugs scuttling over her spine. Like nails running over her flesh, tugging at her hair almost playfully, disappearing every time she turned around.
