{ WIP Introduction } The Romance Of The Demigods

{ WIP Introduction } The Romance of the Demigods

Content warnings (for full novel) : fantasy violence, potential er*tic elements

THE QUEEN OF THE EARTH and THE KING OF THE SKY--the capricious Fae-gods have had dominion over the land of Brennenhaugh since time immemorial, from their thrones in the far Erye. The Old Way has long struggled against the encroaching fist of the worshipers of the SONNELIC HOST, the gods that number among the sun and stars.

The conversion of the aging king of Brennenhaugh to the New Faith heralds the death of the tenuous peace between Man and Fae. Practitioners of the Old Magic are tried as witches. Weapons of iron are forged with Fae blood. The commonfolk cower beneath the gauntlet of the Paladins of the Host. And the Fae and their gods watch on from above, around, and below...

Kesh is one-of-a-kind, and it fucking sucks. Born of an unprecedented union between human and Fae, she is destined (or, more accurately, cursed) to wander--when she's not outrunning the furious storms of an insulted god, she's ducking the Paladins of the Host, who would like very much to put an abomination like her to the sword. Luckily enough, with the blood of the Erye warming her cheeks, she changes appearance like breathing, and enjoys a life of mostly-pleasant rambling, roving, and romancing. Free to soak in existence and all of its adventures. Nothing quite heralds adventure, however, like a princess in dire need of help. And, hell, maybe healing the rift between Man and Fae will stop everyone wanting to see her dead...

Nysa, the so-called 'Moon-Kissed Princess', has always excelled at finding third options. When pressed between 'wed the Hierophant of the Sonnelic Host' and 'be assassinated', she chooses instead to flee the once-safety of the palace. Her aim is clear--she must seek the Fae-gods and beg their assistance in the fight for the Old Way, and for her kingdom. She finds the way forward in infamous shapeshifting Demifae, one who claims to know the way to the Aiamede, the fabled domain of the Queen of the Earth. For all that her wits have kept her alive, she has little clue just how close she marches to the arms of the Hierophant...

Eve has known one thing her entire life--she owes her existence to the clergy of the Host. Taken in by the clerics, she has devoted years of training mind and body in service of the Heavenly Bodies. Serving as a paladin is her life's purpose--or so she tells herself. Despite her total immersion in the Sonnelic faith, she can't dispel the gnawing feeling that a spiritual truth exists that the clergy of the Host cannot teach her. When she stumbles into the path of a nearly-assassinated princess, a Demifae that shouldn't exist, and a mysterious former clergyman who shares the strange dreams that have plagued her, Eve sees a path to the truth of the world, and the truth of her nature--though she would rather it come in any other form. Everything she has known no longer seems so simple...

The Sonnelic Host holds the kingdom hostage. Something watches from the Stars. Man and Fae are closer to war than ever before.

Hearts are pulled into the orbit of oblivion, the Heavens fall to the Earth, and somewhere, a Mother yearns for her lost Child.

The key to truth and peace lies in the hands and the blood of those who walk between the worlds.

And no one knows this neck of the woods like Kesh.

THE ROMANCE OF THE DEMIGODS is a New Adult high fantasy romance saga featuring a lively cast of idiots who can't stop falling in love with each other.

THEMES

The joys and pains of romantic love; belonging; self-understanding; multiracial/multicultural identity; organized religion vs. personal faith/spirituality; interpersonal cycles of love and discord & togetherness and separation; passion & devotion (spiritual, romantic); sapphic sexuality & carnality

STATUS

Drafting...

CAST

(non-exhaustive, more TBA? if i'm not lazy about drawing)

Kesh Akesheen fyr Edevanza

“Demifae” to some, “Kesh” to others, the shapeshifter makes a habit of wandering, avoiding iron, and falling in love with just about everyone... except for Eve, the most recent paladin to try and put a sword through her. Tied together by circumstance, Kesh is ready to fight or flee at a moment's notice. She has to admit, though, that as dangerous as it is to lend her magic to a New Faith paladin... it's nothing like she's ever experienced before.

Evening Star "Eve" Aurelim

A paladin of the Sonnelic Host, haunted by disorienting dreams of giant, burning lights, and darkness that stretches to infinity. When she's forced by circumstance into borrowing the magic of the wicked Demifae, the doubts surrounding her faith and her place in the world become all too real. In all of her flailing and questioning, Eve fears more than anything that her true nature will draw her closer and closer to those whom she abhors most.

Nysean "Nysa" of the Royal House au Lloergen, Crown Princess of Brennenhaugh

Nysa is far from accustomed to traveling the open road--and even more unfamiliar with fleeing from the clergy who swore to serve her kingdom. After throwing her lot in with the infamous Demifae, she's plunged into a torrent of adventure and feelings the likes of which she could scarce imagine. As much as she yearns to return to her true love, Nysa must find the court of the Queen of the Earth before she and her allies are caught by the Church of the Host. For the Church will surely take their due--her hand, or her head.

Irial au Ghrianach

An enigmatic former clergyman of the Host, Irial seeks peace in the kingdom of Brennenhaugh above all else. When his ominous dreams draw him to a Princess, a Paladin, and a Demifae, Irial finds that there is much yet to learn about the world outside the Church, and there are yet many roads to peace.

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Wouldn’t my writing be worse off if I forced in elements like diversity?

If you are asking this question, you have yet to challenge the “default” of your culture’s media. Consider that the majority of modern Western media fill their casts with white men, and when there are women or POC, they stick out conspicuously. Many people view adding diversity as tweaking some white man characters by toggling race or gender. But this assumes that “white man” is some default, standard character template.

If you feel pressured to include diversity in your writing, distance yourself from this pressure and ask yourself why you feel it. If you feel attacked when seeing campaigns for more diversity or criticism of all-white, uninclusive media, sit with the discomfort and ask yourself why those who are different from you say they need diverse media.

These are people whose voices and faces are rarely visible in entertainment. Despite this, they enjoy an adventure as much as anyone, and have become accustomed to projecting onto white characters. Yet, when the reverse is asked of white audiences to acknowledge protagonists of color, it becomes a difficult ask. These character choices are immediately questioned, discredited, fought against, and accused of being “woke” or “unrelatable.”

This resistance reflects a larger issue: the imbalance between audiences’ empathy towards the majority/“default” and empathy towards those perceived as Other.

By mostly reading about white people, they become easier to relate to. By the same token, if we are not reading media and histories from the perspective of POC, we end up with more people who literally fail to relate to POC. When we talk about hope-deficits, increased alienation and lower self-worth among marginalized populations, underrepresentation in media is a big factor. Imagine for a moment: never the beautiful princess in the tower, never the badass hero riding dragons; always the two-second sidekick.

People of color are people and want to be seen and treated as such. Not as a burden to devote your time to, but people who have a place in the world, fictional or no. Really, writing a world in your story that is all or mostly white is more unrealistic, more forced—after all, there are far more non-white people on Earth. Becoming comfortable with diversity requires unlearning White as the Default and POC as the Other. It takes setting aside feelings of pressure to emphasize, open your heart and listen.

Wayfarer

Links

✦ Play the Game ✦ FAQ ✦ Patreon ✦ Ko-fi ✦ Discord ✦ Bug Report ✦ Dev Logs ✦ Character Art ✦ Character Roster ✦ Character References ✦ Romances ✦ Ask Guidelines

The Game

Wayfarer is a dark fantasy interactive fiction game. You play as a Wayfarer, a member of an order of warriors born with magical immunity in a world dominated by magic. It is currently in development and releases episodically. The full game will include three acts and a total of 15 episodes.

The Story

When your mercenary work backs you into a corner, you take the only option available and accept a contract: to travel to the city of Velantis and steal an ancient artifact said to be blessed by the gods. Simple, right?

But Velantis holds more than you bargained for. Gathering a ragtag party of malcontents and renegades from across the city, you must navigate enemy factions, meddling guilds, and escalating political tensions. Your choices will ultimately determine the city’s fate – and the fate of every person who lives there.

Key Features

✦ Create a customizable player character, selecting:

Gender [male, female, and nonbinary options]

Pronouns [choose a preset or set your own]

Name [including nicknames and aliases]

Ancestry [choose from 5 fantasy species that unlock unique attributes]

Origin [choose from 6 different backgrounds that unlock unique story moments]

Appearance [including regular choices such as hair and complexion, as well as tattoos and scars that unlock unique story content]

✦ Upgrade 4 skills which will determine your successes and failures. Skill level is mixed with a dice roll on skill checks, adding an element of risk vs reward to your choices ✦ Unlock traits that reflect your character’s choices, providing bonuses and hindrances ✦ Recruit companions, build your relationships, and perhaps find romance

Relationships include friendships and rivalries

Romances are optional and include straight, gay, bisexual and asexual characters, alongside monogamous and polyamorous options

✦ Build rapport with 6 factions and choose whether to support or betray them ✦ Encounter timed choices on key decisions, with alternative results if time runs out or you choose to abstain ✦ Build a codex as you explore the world and encounter people, places, history, lore, magic and monsters ✦ Navigate thousands of branching choices for a unique, re-playable experience and story

The Main Cast

A childhood friend and a fellow Wayfarer. What does he know about the Order’s past and what lengths will he go to keep it hidden?

A Guild mage on the run who keeps her secrets closely guarded. What plot is she involved in and how deep does it run?

A disinherited scion to a mercantile empire. She’s hunting for her sister’s murderer, but what conspiracies will she uncover instead?

A former assassin who abruptly quit the league and turned himself over to the authorities. How far will he go to kill his past?

The extravagant leader of a theatre company and a brilliant con artist scamming the social elite. Behind the flashy exterior, what dark history is he hiding?

An ambassador from a secretive city in the mountains that recently opened its borders. Why is she here and what higher purpose does she serve?

A gifted alchemist searching for the truth behind the source of magic. What devastating answers will he uncover?

The Public Build [Version 1.1.2.]

Playable Content: Prologue, Episode 1, Episode 2

Average Playtime: approx. 8.5 hours of gameplay

Average Word Count Per Playthrough: approx. 156,000 words

Total Word Count: approx. 927,000 words

First Published: September 9, 2021

Last Updated: July 1, 2022

Last Patch: June 10, 2023

[Play Here]

The Alpha Build [Version 1.1.3.]

Playable Content: Prologue, Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3 Part 1

Average Playtime: approx. 9.4. hours of gameplay

Average Word Count Per Playthrough: approx. 177,000 words

Total Word Count: approx. 1,300,999 words

First Published: September 9, 2021

Last Updated: May 26, 2023

Last Patch: June 5, 2023

Only available to Patrons and Playtesters

[Play Here]

Content Warning

The story is rated MA-17 for fantasy and medieval violence, depictions of blood and gore, death, explicit language, sexually suggestive themes, and drug and alcohol use. Player discretion is advised.

Discord Community

Wayfarer has an official Discord server! You can join it here. Please note that the server is 17+ only.

Support

Wayfarer is a passion project and creating it is a full-time job. If you enjoyed the game, please consider supporting its development on Patreon. Patrons receive access to the alpha build, bonus content, and tutorials in writing and game design, among other perks.

I also have a Ko-fi.

If you aren’t in a position to support financially, reblogs, shares, and spreading the word about the game are much appreciated and do a lot to help me out. 💕

Credits

Cover art and companion portraits by Rory Yaya (@sunshinemage). Wayfarer sigil and logo design by Jessica Roy. All other image assets as credited in-game.

POST UPDATED: 06.10.2023