Spirit shattered, they are made a puppet of destiny once again.
And as they scour the Mists and the jails trapped within - searching for that glimmer that ever eludes them - they wonder how long a puppet can last before it đđ§đđđ đš altogether.
Far beyond, in a place unknowable, the Dark Powers smile as they pull the strings they have nurtured for millennia.
A Dread Reflection is an upcoming 18+ horror interactive fiction game based in the D&D setting of Ravenloft. The game is currently in early development and is being made with Twine.
Content warnings for the game include: graphic violence, blood, injury, mental illness, body horror, psychological horror, kidnapping, death, strong language, and optional suggestive content. More warnings may be added as development progresses. Please read at your own discretion.
DEMO (TBA)
It was supposed to be the happiest day of your life. With a new ring on your hand and your childhood friend by your side, your future was supposed to be spent in comfort and married bliss.
A shame the only thing adorning your hands that day was a stain of red you werenât sure would ever wash off.
Forced to flee into the dangerous Mists to escape a horrible fate, you stumble into Vhage Agency with nothing but the clothes on your back and a life in shambles. Whether out of pity or desperation, Vera Vhage makes you an offer: join her detective agency and become her eyes and ears within Ravenloft.
With no other choice, you agree and begin your investigative training in earnest.
Youâre not sure what you expected to happen when you finally became a certified investigator months later. It certainly wasnât the arrival of a suspicious letter at the agency's doorstep, promising answers to the burning questions you had about your past. Answers you would get only if you proved yourself to the mysterious sender.
With letter in hand, you set off determined to find out more about that fateful day. Whether you burn for revenge or wish to put your ghosts to rest, what you must do next is clear:
Fully customizable MC - including gender, pronouns, physical appearance, personality, sexuality, and some background elements.
Choose your stats and select from several classes and skills to craft the perfect investigator. Are you dexterous and perceptive enough to find what you need while sneaking in the shadows? Perhaps your natural charisma can persuade those around you to divulge their worst secrets? Maybe the gifts (curses) you have gained can help you (crush everyone in your way)?
Make rolls to see just how well you succeed at your chosen actions - or how spectacularly you fail. Not to worry, though: failure isnât always the end. It may lead to new outcomes and opportunities you werenât expecting.
Meet a cast of nine companions for you to befriend or romance (or betray). Will you claw past their walls and find a place in their hearts? (Will you drag them into the darkness with you?)
Solve all seven cases detailed in the letter and find out the truth of your past. Remember, though - Ravenloft is not a gentle place. You may find more in your investigations than you bargained for.
You watch as they run into the distance, the fog of the moors swirling around them like a loving embrace. Their own embrace still lingers on your cooling skin - the memory of it warm and comforting and painful. It conjures other memories in your mind, filling you with nostalgia and longing. Taunting you with the life you took for granted until now. Our Guardian in the Mists, you pray as the last air in your lungs passes the smile on your lips. Protect and guide them on their way now that I cannot. You know this is dangerous, to yearn and mourn so deeply while you lay upon the ground. While the red puddle underneath you spreads and your skin goes from cooling to cold. Everyone in Mordent is told from childhood what happens when you cling too desperately to a life that is no longer yours. Those unlucky enough even witness it firsthand. But despite the risk, you do not look away - even as the fog grows thicker and their figure blurs in the mist. Even as the blur grows stronger from the tears you do not allow yourself to shed.
Your tears and smile remain even after your soul departs.
introduction / playlist / tag
The Ghost
F - Romanceable by all MCs
As the last notes of your lute drift across the Crystal Club, you cannot help but tense with anticipation. The cheers of the audience bring a dazzling smile to your lips, and you take a practiced bow as their applause reverberates within the room. Straightening, you sweep your eyes across the crowd and scan the faces there. Instinctively, you search for a face you always hope you will see. Consciously, you search for a face you always pray you will not. Finding neither, you sigh both in relief and disappointment as you reluctantly leave the safety of the stage to maneuver through the venue. Praise and invitations to drink shower down upon you as you go, but you wave them away with a quip and a smile. Tonight you are restless, your skin burning and itching with something you canât quite name - your soul howling with something you donât quite want to. Finally reaching the chill night air, you breathe in deeply and turn your head to the night sky to watch the full moon shining past the clouds.
In the shadows of the cave behind you, a sharp smirk widens as even sharper claws glint in the moonlight.
introduction / playlist / tag
The Mists
M - Romanceable by all MCs
With a sigh, you unceremoniously drop the tome you have urgently studied throughout the night. It was supposedly a long lost relic from the hidden libraries of Scholomance - or so the traveling peddler hawking it had claimed. You knew it was a scam even before your coins entered her palms, but continuous disappointments such as this have made you grow desperate in your search. Some have called you foolish to hunt so fervently for knowledge you are unsure exists. On days where the hellish shadow of your past clings less tightly to your mind, you can even swallow your pride and acknowledge the truth in their words. But as you watch tendrils of fog pool at the windows of the caravan you travel in - the Mists surrounding you almost seeming to push against the glass - you know this cannot deter you. You would rather be a fool one thousand times over than return to what you were before. You will find the knowledge you seek and escape this wretched existence.
Even if you must destroy the world around you to do so.
introduction / playlist / tag
The Marionette
NB - Romanceable by all MCs
Walking the streets of Ludendorf at night has always been your favorite pastime. The quiet stillness of the desolate roads is a balm to your anxious mind, and the smog-covered snow drifting from the sky adds a sense of peace to the city. Here, there is no judgement or prejudice: the snow does not care whose skin it falls upon. It does not care where that skin has been - or who that skin used to belong to. A shame the same cannot be said for people. Their fearful gazes and hurled insults replay in your mind if you can even call it your own, and your hands shake from these recollections as you stare at the snow falling upon them. In a rare moment of selfishness, you decide to drink in this peace while you can. You know from prior experience that as soon as the man you carry over your shoulder awakens, this calm will be shattered immediately. He will look at you with that same gaze and scream those same insults as soon as he sees what hides underneath your hood.
The dead flesh haphazardly stitched together is a sight straight out of his worst nightmares, after all.
introduction / playlist / tag
The Executioner
F/M/NB - Romanceable by all MCs
The wooden door in front of you creaks as it eases open, and you wince slightly as every eye in the tavern swivels towards you. Straightening your posture, you steadily approach the counter across the room. The clanking of your sabatons is the only sound echoing in the silence that now permeates the air. You are used to the glares burning into your back and the contempt you can feel within them, which is why your smile does not falter when the owner informs you there are no vacancies left for the night. Though you may have defended the town from a zombie swarm mere hours ago, a Knight of the Shadows is never welcomed by those they protect. You feel your left hand twitch as it subtly inches to your blade, a pressure beginning to build in your temples. The voice that appears in your mind is both familiar and unwelcome, and it gives a shrill cackle as you ignore the hex it viciously chants. Clenching your twitching hand into a fist, you stride out into the night and resolve to continue on to the next town in need of help.
Maybe there you will finally find the one you swore your oath to all those years ago - someone you will actually be happy to defend.
introduction / playlist / tag
The Beast
F - Romanceable by f!MCs and nb!MCs
As you feel your fist connect with the jaw of the woman before you, you do not even try to stop the feral grin that splits your lips at the sound of snapping bones. Your opponent stumbles back with a hiss, clutching at her lower face as she bares her teeth in a snarl. Before she can recuperate, however, you are on her once again: your clawed hands digging into her temples as she is lifted off the ground, desperately thrashing. You had expected more of a challenge from a member of the notorious Kargatane when you found this woman sniffing around the camp during your nightly patrol, but so far she has been nothing but a disappointment. Thankfully, you can make this woman give you more than a subpar fight. Squeezing her head even tighter, you feel her anger and terror flow into you, ebbing the hunger that is ever present. You drink these feelings in until you are satiated, then crush her body to you in one sudden movement. Roughly yanking her head to the side, your smile widens as you lean in closer.
The woman cannot even scream before a flash of your fangs silences her forever.
introduction / playlist / tag
The Seer
M - Romanceable by m!MCs and nb!MCs
Just like every other night, you dream. Disjointed and often blurry scenarios flood your mind at a rapid rate, each one demanding to be seen - to be heard - to be remembered. Try as you might, you are powerless to ignore them as they play out before you. You look into probably the past and see a child running through the woods, an unknown horror doggedly pursuing them. You look into the maybe future and witness a family torn asunder as the thing that now wears their fatherâs face preys upon their fears. Time itself distorts to show you these visions, assaulting your senses with realities both false and true until you can barely tell what is the past future truth. Just like every other night, you wake disoriented and nauseous with a scream silenced by ancient magic choking your throat. Shaking, you cover your mouth and wonder what accursed fool would call something like this a gift: even more than the magic that silences your tongue, this power feels like a curse meant to cause perpetual suffering.
Once more, like every other night, you soundlessly weep in a present you want no part of.
introduction / playlist / tag
The Donjon
NB - Romanceable by all MCs
Obscured by mist and shadow, you lurk underneath the canopy of the dense forest and survey the city it borders. A slight wind blows at the fog that envelops you, causing it to swirl and shift into strange shapes. The absence of any sound save the windâs soft howling only adds to the eerie atmosphere of your surroundings, but you pay it no mind. As an investigator, you are used to environments like this, allowing you to focus on your task. It was only a few days ago that a cryptic letter arrived at your door, foretelling the reappearance of a semicentennial crime spree that none had solved before. At first you dismissed it as an exaggeration, but after poring over the periodicals and papers at your disposal you scrounged up enough clues to prove it was true. Solving this when others could not would finally give you what you always desired: indisputable proof that you have surpassed your instructors and become the best in the field. Almost immediately, you set off to the location detailed in the letter - a city of lies and betrayal.
Here, the greatest case of your career is about to begin. Here, you will prove yourself once and for all.
introduction / playlist / tag
The Tempter
NB - Romanceable by all MCs
Seated on a pew in the Great Cathedral, you cannot help but smile at the beautiful sight before you. The light shining through the stained glass windows creates a dazzling array of colors that reflect on the church floor - each one painting a mosaic onto the pale stone below. Within the kaleidoscope made by the grandest window sits a young man in priestly garments and shackles, flanked by figures in dark robes with grim expressions. The man rocks and babbles as the inquisitors stare down at him, the few coherent thoughts left in his mind forced out into the open by psychic coercion. He speaks of a figure with blood-red lips and haunting eyes who appeared in his time of need. He raves about his home, a far-off hamlet at the edge of this domain - set ablaze with no survivors. A necessary tragedy to combat the evil he saw in his neighborsâ hearts - or so the figure claimed. Madness swirls in the priestâs eyes as he is dragged off to the cellars below - eyes that widen when they land on your figure sitting in the light.
With a smirk of your red lips, you saunter out of the cathedral to the sounds of his howls and cries - ready to search for the next mind to corrupt.
introduction / playlist / tag
Vera Vhage
F - Mentor and owner of Vhage Agency
As mysterious as she is intelligent, Vera remains an enigma even months after your first meeting. She says little about herself, and any questions about her past are waved away with a shrug and a smile. If you want to get closer to your puzzling mentor, youâll have to put all your training to the test. Will your deductive skills be good enough to unveil the secrets she hides? Or will she forever be hidden behind smoke and mirrors?
introduction / tag (coming soon)
???
??? - ???
You sense it in your moments of solitude on the road: a piercing gaze that sends icy chills down your spine. It bores into you, pinning you in place. Every aspect of yourself feels like it is on display for this stranger - even your very soul. However, try as you might, you can never spot the perpetrator when the scrutiny finally ends. They seem to fade away like mist as soon as you return their attention. Who is this elusive figure that follows your every move - and are you better off not knowing?
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How would I react if the next time they meet the mc they see that mc is wearing necklace with an engagement ring in it? (And if they didn't already know it was for them before they died, how would they react if when they ask about it mc just smile sadly and say "i mean, they're back now but i don't know if it's a good idea anymore... I love them, i really do, but i don't want to get my hopes up just to be hurt again..."
đđđ
Iâm going to do the version where I doesnât know itâs for them. The first one is⊠Actual Spoilers.đ€ Also, Iâm assuming they both had unresolved feelings before The Incident.
Sorry this one took a bit longer, it kind of got out of hand⊠as you can see.đ I need to work on cutting down on the set-up in the future⊠And maybe have longer ones like this be a once in a while thing. Hope you donât mind the length, anon.đŁ
Iâll put it under a read more because, try as I might, thereâs still gonna be some spoilery details. I just be like that.đ€·ââïž
âââ
As you both sit within the dim lighting of your cramped room, huddled together between stacks of tomes and papers, I stares at you.
Theyâre supposed to be helping you prepare for the next case in your letter by searching the records hemming you in, but at some point I glanced over to ask you a question and realized they couldnât look away.
Theyâve noticed that happening a lot, since you found each other again.
Itâs because youâre different from how they remember. Not drastically - they can tell it hasnât been that long since your parting - but itâs like coming back to a place you call home and realizing that itâs changed in your absence; that time didnât stop turning while you were gone.
Itâs these changes that draw Iâs gaze. Freckles on spots where there used to be none. A ring hanging from a chain round your neck. Faint scars cutting across your skin, never fully healed. A ring hanging from a chain round your neck. Weariness in your eyes that was not there when they left you.
A ring hanging from a chain round your neck.
If they still had any breath to draw, they think it would have died on their lips.
Itâs not one they recognize from your years together: itâs too pristine, and worth more than even your families would normally spend. Whoever the accessory belongs to, they must have spent a small fortune. They must also mean a great deal to you - why else would you keep their engagement ring so close to your heart?
Of course, whispers a small voice in their mind. You are always too late. Too late to save them. Too late to keep them. Too late, too late, too late -
âYouâre staring, I.â
They startle, blinking as they are yanked out of their spiraling thoughts. Youâve turned from the book you were flipping through and are now studying them instead. They hate that they canât read the look on your face. They always used to know what you were thinking.
âŠWould the owner of that ring know what was in your mind right now?
âSorry,â they manage to breathe out past the lump in their throat. âI wasnât aware.â
You give them a small smile, eyes still filled with that strange mix of emotions they canât define. Slowly, as if approaching a wild animal, you reach over and lay your hand on top of theirs. The warmth from your touch is still alien to them after so long apart, and they feel their fingers twitch in surprise. Idly, they wonder what the contact feels like to you - can you even sense anything underneath your palm?
âSomethingâs troubling you,â you say after a few moments. Itâs a statement, not a question. I tries not to grimace, but they can tell their mouth still pulls into a frown.
âNot at all!â they reply, too quickly. Theyâre sure a blush is forming on their face as they try again. âItâs - itâs nothing. Iâm fine.â
You hum in acknowledgement, but you also donât stop staring, which means you arenât convinced. If this were the past, I would have kept insisting they were alright - that there was nothing for you to worry about.
If this were the past, they would have avoided the subject and ran away.
Look where that got them, though: sitting on a floor they barely feel beneath them while you proudly wear a token of someone elseâs affection. So even though they canât move their gaze from your joined hands, they still find the courage to ask their next question.
âThat ringâŠâ they begin, clenching the hand you donât hold when they feel you stiffen. âIs it - I mean, uh, whose - who does it belong to?â
Youâre quiet for so long that the air becomes stifling. Congratulations, I, the voice in their mind snarks. You just had to be nosy. Theyâll never talk to you again.
Before they can fully panic, you finally reply. âItâs mine,â you say with a carefully neutral voice. âI bought it for someone, but - â A pause. â - well, they never got it, as you can see.â I hates the self-deprecating laugh that accompanies the last part.
They wish they were brave enough to see what face you make. An uncomfortable silence follows your confession, and I searches for the words to soothe you. What do they even say? âIâm sorry?â âTheir loss?â
âChoose me insteadâ, supplies their traitorous mind, but they squash that thought before it hurts the both of you.
âI see,â is all they manage, and if they knew how they would disappear right then and there.
âI could always give it to them now, I supposeâŠ,â you continue, running your thumb over the ringâs surface, âbut Iâm not sure itâs a good idea. Getting my hopes up⊠would probably just hurt me again.â The hand still resting on Iâs trembles.
I bites their lip, swallowing down the words that threaten to spill out - let me keep it, and Iâll make sure you never suffer again. A surefire way to destroy your rekindled friendship. Instead, they look at you and earnestly say, âThey - they would be foolish not to accept it⊠whoever they are.â
The words taste bitter on their tongue, but the gentle smile that blooms on your face is worth the acridity.
âThank you, I.â They watch your gaze become wistful as it turns to the hands still joined between you. âMaybe in the future, then.â
If they still had a heart to break, they think it would have shattered at that moment. Silently - selfishly - they send a prayer to Ezra, though it fills them with guilt and self-loathing.
A prayer that the future you hope for arrives long after they are gone.
For as long as they can remember, I has been by your side. Born to the wealthy Winrow family in the domain of Mordent, they were a sickly and isolated child who spent more time reading than interacting with others. A tragic event in their early childhood left them gravely paranoid and anxious, and this coupled with their frail constitution meant they had no social life to speak of. Their only companion during these early years was you - whether you wanted to be or not. As they grew older, I found safety and purpose in the beliefs of the Mordentish Sect of the Church of Ezra, joining their ranks to help others also haunted by events of the past. Their service to the church continued until they came of age, when a marriage of convenience was arranged between you for the sake of both your families.
A marriage that never actually came to pass.
I is now nothing more than a memory to you, left in the past. But the past haunts Mordent every moment - and I is no exception.
Characteristics:
I is a wise and intelligent person, both mentally and emotionally. Their insatiable appetite for knowledge has made them an expert in history, while their proficiency in religion and medicine comes from their dedication to their faith. Kind and gentle to a fault, I is willing to help whoever they can and seems incapable of holding grudges. Their isolation has instilled a sense of awkwardness into their mannerisms and speech, and they often have difficulty interacting with others.
Personality Trait: Nothing can shake my faith in the Lady of the Mists.
Personality Trait: I treat everyone with kindness and generosity, no matter who they are.
Ideal: Charity. I will use my life to help whoever I can, no matter what it costs me.
Bond: My best friend is the only one I have left. I will do anything to protect them.
Flaw: I can be slightly obsessive when it comes to my beliefs.
Appearance:
A bit on the shorter side, I could never be described as intimidating. They have a doe-eyed stare, the chartreuse color bright against their pale skin. Freckles litter their face and shoulders, covering the blue-green veins that appear through their skin. Their wispy chestnut brown hair is always in slight disarray: Ian wears his to just below his ears, with short bangs; Irisâ hair reaches her upper back, her longer bangs parted to each side; Isa has shorter bangs that also part to each side, their hair just brushing their shoulders. I tends to wear well-made but subdued clothing - favoring brown and darker green colors - and the years spent reading by candlelight have forced them to acquire a small pair of spectacles that they wear on occasion.
Specific content warnings for Iâs route include: bullying, emotional abuse, and mental illness (anxiety, panic attacks, PTSD).
So, for race there is going to be some restriction on what the PC can be. The MC always has to be half human (since their mother is a human woman from one of the noble families of Mordent), but there are six options for the race of your other parent. No matter which race you pick, the MC begins the story ostracized by others due to Reasons.
The option that you choose impacts the beginning stat bonus you get and gives you additional customization options for your characterâs appearance, as well as different flavor text during the story.
How would the ROs react to a wizard MC that always uses fireball for any situations without any concern for the safety of themselves or others
Oh, boy⊠đ
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I: Constantly Stressedâą. What if you hurt someone?? What if you hurt yourself?! Pleads with you to find another spell to use - or at least to be more careful! Probably cries - they donât want to be separated again.đą They donât like it, but theyâll stay with you to try to minimize the risk. Would be more unhappy the longer you do it.
Akriel: She thinks itâs fun - the first few times. As the novelty wears off, though, she starts to get concerned. Donât you think this is a bit⊠much? Youâre putting the group in danger. And even she thinks youâre drawing too much attention to them. Mysteriously vanishes each time you do it - she canât have anything ruining her reputation.
Firan: Judges you, hard. You do realize you are a wizard, correct? There are so many spells you could learn - you can even raise the dead! Yet you insist on almost blowing yourself up. He will even be gracious enough to teach you some spells, if you beg properly. As long as he isnât in danger, though, he sees no reason to stop you.
Clove: Youâre scaring them.đ° They donât really like loud noises - or all the attention you draw to them with your antics. They wonât ask you to stop, though - theyâll just suffer through it. Probably the one in most danger from the explosions: when theyâre raging, they might not notice whatâs happening. I donât see it ending well for them if no one stops you.
E: Activates Protective Mode. Already bodily carrying you away from the scene before the spell is even completed: they made an oath to keep you safe, and they intend to keep it - even if they have to protect you from yourself!đ€ Not happy that youâre putting other people at risk. If they canât stop you, theyâll just have to take out the enemies before you can.
Lei: Doesnât really care about it. It doesnât matter to her whether you blow yourself or someone else up. If you put her in danger, though, she will be pissed: MC will probably have to watch their back for a while.đ As long as sheâs safe, though, feel free to use Fireball as much as you want⊠just leave some of the enemies for her.
Dimitrius: Not really surprised: his Sight warned him this would happen. Heâll let you do whatever you want so long as you donât endanger him or his grandmother. Will intervene if he Sees youâre going to get hurt - he was hired to guide you, and he canât do that if youâre dead. The one expressionlessly watching on as you burn something down - again.
Noel: âŠAre you a fool? You are an investigator, not an arsonist. How are they going to find anything if you keep blowing up everything around you? They arenât particularly concerned for your safety, but are worried for everyone else. Will argue with you about it, but if she canât make you stop then she will eventually leave the party.
Uriel: Cheers you on - from a safe distance, of course. He enjoys the chaos you create, since it makes everything a little less boring. Acts as the devilâs advocate for any arguments from the other party members. She would probably be a bit sad if you got hurt, but not enough to tell you to stop. The only one happy with the situation.đ
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Quick question are you aware of a dnd magic item called the ring of spell storing just in case you donât know itâs a ring were a spell caster could store a spell then they could give it to non-spell castors to use a spell
So imagine the chaos ensued if a necromancerïżŒïżŒïżŒ MC gives these rings to their undead servants and store all the rings with fireballs
đ€Ł I hope you donât mind, anon, but the thought of this was too funny - I had to write it out.
âââ
âWe need to talk,â E declares, falling into step beside you as you search the misty graveyard. Their voice is determined - the one they use when theyâre preparing for an argument. On your other side, Noel silently appears with a glint in their eye - never a good sign.
âAbout what?â you ask, though you already know the answer. Youâve been subtly trying to avoid this conversation for weeks. Itâs unfortunate the suspect of your current case decided to flee to such a deserted location - itâs given your companions the opportunity they needed to strike.
âYour servants,â Noel states plainly, confirming your fears. âThey are becoming a liability.â
Before you can begin to protest, E interjects. âThereâs nothing wrong with using whatever spells you want! We just think itâs gotten a bit⊠excessive.â
âI donât think so,â you pout.
Noel gives you a blank stare. âThey nearly burnt our wagon to a crisp last week - as well as the entire forest around it. Is it truly necessary for them all to cast Fireball?â
âThat was an accident! And they took care of all the dire wolves, didnât they? Theyâre useful!â
âThey are a menace to society,â she replies.
ââŠUriel likes them,â you grumble petulantly. You know that might be proving their point, but you feel you have to defend yourself somehow.
âLook,â E begins, placing their gauntleted hand on your shoulder. âWe arenât saying to get rid of them. All weâre asking is for you to rein them in a little. Maybe cut back on the explosions.â
âAbsolutely cut back on the explosions.â
Two sets of eyes stare at you expectantly, one pleading and the other exasperated. This is exactly why you wanted to avoid these two - their combined pressure is suffocating.
ââŠI suppose I could do that,â you acquiesce, and watch as Eâs face lights up with a bright smile.
âThatâs great!â they exclaim, relief palpable. âEven though your zombies arenât here right now, I was still kind of worried about being set on fire.â
âAbout that -â you begin to say, but a guttural howl drowns out your words. A hulking monstrosity of flesh and bone bursts out of the crypt just a few yards away, oozing both blood and malice. Your runaway suspect, you assume.
E immediately brandishes their shield - physically blocking you from the creatureâs sight - while Noel tightens their grip on the handle of their cane, poised and ready. Before either can make a move, however, they both go rigid with shock - though not because of the creature.
You imagine they werenât expecting the sound of half a dozen spells dissipating to fill the air.
ââŠWhat.â
âMC, no - â
âI can explain!â you frantically shout as your undead servants materialize around you.
âYou gave them invisibility spells?!â Noel splutters. You believe this may be the most emotion they have shown since you met them.
âI thought it was a good idea! Then they could come with me wherever I go!â
âBelenusâ balls,â is all E says, their face white.
âThere were still some slots left in the rings,â you try to explain. âWhat was I supposed to do, just let them go to waste?â
âYes.â Noel grits out, fuming. You think you hear something sounding suspiciously like âincorrigible idiotâ muttered after, but itâs too quiet to tell.
âIt could be worse,â E supplies, trying to be optimistic. âAt least it wasnât the other spell!â
Their smile fizzles out when they see the look on your face.
âRun, now,â Noel orders, immediately sprinting away from the scene. E is quick to sweep you into their arms and set off behind them. The explosion of fire that follows a few seconds later is near cataclysmic - the heat sweltering even dozens of feet away. Your ears are still ringing when E eventually lowers you to the ground, the three of you (plus six singed zombies) surveying what used to be the graveyard - now reduced to a burning, smoldering ruin.
âWell,â you say brightly when the incredulous silence becomes uncomfortable. âWhatever that was, itâs definitely dead now!â
E mumbles a prayer beside you, and you can almost physically feel Noel rolling their eyes. Your zombies continue to stare dead-eyed into the distance, uncaring of the terrible destruction they just wrought.
âLike I said earlier,â Noel deadpans, giving your servants a wary look while smoke rises in the distance. âA menace to society.â
This time, youâre not sure itâs the zombies they are describing.
They give their all for the oath they swore to follow.
But how long can they continue before resentment clouds their mind?
Basics:
Name: Emma/Emmett/Emery Blackbourne
Age: 25
Gender: F/M/NB (selectable)
Height: 6âČ4âł
Orientation: Omnisexual
Faith: Church of Belenus
Alignment: Lawful Good
Background:
E tries to think of their early childhood as little as possible. Most days, they succeed - distracted by a town in need of rescue, or a monster that must be vanquished. But on days where the throbbing of their hand and the cackle in their mind become impossible to ignore, they remember.
Golden fields and a crown of white camellias. The flames of a torch casting shadows on a cloak of translucent wings. Vicious teeth stained a deep red blocked by a shining shield of silver.
The same shield now rests upon their own back, adorned with the image of an eclipsed sun. It was gifted to E the day they swore their oath: to protect the weak from needless sacrifice at the hands of villainous monsters. Since then, they have traveled the domains to spread justice and light to those who need it - but not without difficulty. The Knights of the Shadows are notorious for making enemies who would like nothing more than to enact revenge. Most refuse to associate with the knights out of fear of this eventual retaliation, and some react with outright hostility to their presence. Despite this, E ventures on.
Even when the shadows of their own past threaten to eclipse the light they have so carefully cultured.
Characteristics:
E would say their greatest asset is their strength, honed through physical training since they were a child. They are athletic enough to wield their longsword and tower shield without tiring - a fact they secretly view with pride. Though they can seem a bit thick-headed, E is actually very wise. Years spent traveling have made them well-versed in survival, and they have a keen insight that many would not expect. E is almost single-minded in their commitment to their oath, with a dedication that borders on obsession. Outgoing and honest, they are loyal to those they care for and strive to protect them. This heroic attitude can be dangerous, however, since they seldom think of their own safety. Deep down, a part of them resents the treatment they receive from those they defend - a feeling slowly being fed by the voice that haunts them.
Personality Trait: I never run from an enemy: all evil I encounter must fall to my blade.
Personality Trait: I am honest and direct to a fault.
Ideal: Greater Good. It is my duty to protect those who cannot protect themselves.
Bond: I fight so that no one will have to suffer like I have.
Flaw: I have little regard for my own safety when it comes to helping others.
Appearance:
E has strong features: a sharp jawline, piercing violet eyes, and straight brows. Their beige skin is littered with scars and freckles, and their golden blonde hair seems to shine underneath the sun. Emma keeps hers tied back in a low ponytail, though locks still manage to escape around her face. Emmett keeps his cut just below his ears and swept out of his face. Emeryâs hair is a bit longer, reaching chin length at the back while also being kept out of their face. E is almost always wearing their armor, a set of silver plate-mail with the symbol of their order engraved on the breastplate. The black and gold cloak they wear also has the clasp fashioned into this same symbol, and their sword and shield are always at hand. So much armor makes it hard for E to complete any tasks requiring dexterity, and they are abysmal when it comes to stealth.
Specific content warningâs for Eâs route include: animal death, body horror, cults, forced captivity, and intrusive thoughts.
Finally freed from one cage, he searches for the knowledge to escape the next.
Will he find what he seeks before the past catches up to him?
Basics:
Name: Firan Zalâhonan
Age: 30
Gender: M
Height: 5â9â
Orientation: Pansexual
Faith: Atheism
Alignment: [redacted]
Background:
No one knows much about Firanâs past. He claims to be from a noble family, though never shares which domain they call home. His bearing and abundance of knowledge mark him as a scholar, though his expertise is far too esoteric to be learned at any school. He studies accursed sites most would dread to enter, waving away any concerns with a haughty smile.
And he travels the domains like a man possessed, always looking over his shoulder.
Firanâs one constant companion throughout his travels has been his piebald raven, Skeever. Large and pitch black, most who have come across the pair on their journey claim to feel a sense of unease around the bird - as if it is staring into their very souls. One of the few unaffected by its stare is a recent addition to the group - a young woman hired for protection to make up for the strength Firan lacks. Together, the trio search the domains for the secret Firan desperately seeks.
At the same time, the Mists search the domains for the one soul that has ever escaped them.
Characteristics:
Those who have met Firan would describe him as both intelligent and charismatic. He knows much about the history of the domains he travels, and whatever he does not know he is able to persuade others to divulge. Many have been awed by his complete understanding of the arcane - there seems to be almost no magical knowledge that eludes him. Though friendly to those he deems useful, Firan is both arrogant and impatient. He has little time to waste on people he believes are unimportant, and even less for those who impede his research. Once he has decided on something, there is no changing his mind: he will do what he must for his goals, no matter the consequences.
Personality Trait: I always have a plan, even when things go awry.
Personality Trait: I study those around me to see who is the most useful for my goals.
Ideal: Knowledge. Every secret I learn about the domains is another step towards my goals.
Bond: Iâve already escaped once. I can do it again.
Flaw: I always know what is best. Everyone else is wrong.
Appearance:
Many would describe Firan as a handsome scholar, much more suited to his studies than anything athletic. His hooded eyes are a rich amber color, though sometimes they can seem almost orange in the light. Thick, dark brows rest above them - a contrast to his ivory skin. His black hair is chin-length and curls around his ears, with bangs swept to the side. Firanâs clothes are practical but expensive, favoring blacks and dark reds. The gold detailing on them is exquisite, and matches the only accessory Firan wears - a small golden amulet shaped like a dragonâs skull.
Specific content warnings for Firanâs route include: cults, forced marriage (past), and mass death.
