So Sad, Been Trying To Remember An IF I Read A While Back But Cannot For The Life Of Me Find It. I Just

Completely sober in the club googling worst medieval executions

he made a mistake

Fantasy Guide to Building A Culture

Culture is defined by a collection of morals, ethics, traditions, customs and behaviours shared by a group of people.

Hierarchy and Social Structures

Within every culture, there is a hierarchy. Hierarchies are an important part of any culture, usually do ingrained that one within the culture wouldn't even question it. Hierarchy can be established either by age, gender or wealth and could even determine roles within their society. Sometimes hierarchy can may be oppressive and rigid whilst other times, ranks can intermingle without trouble. You should consider how these different ranks interact with one another and whether there are any special gestures or acts of deference one must pay to those higher than them. For example, the Khasi people of Meghalaya (Northern India), are strictly matriarchal. Women run the households, inheritance runs through the female line, and the men of the culture typically defer to their mothers and wives. Here are a few questions to consider:

How is a leader determined within the culture as a whole and the family unit?

Is the culture matriarchal? Patriarchal? Or does gender even matter?

How would one recognise the different ranks?

How would one act around somebody higher ranking? How would somebody he expected to act around somebody lower ranking?

Can one move socially? If not, why? If so, how?

Traditions and Customs

Traditions are a staple in any culture. These can be gestures or living life a certain way or to the way a certain person should look. Traditions are a personal detail to culture, they are what make it important. Tradition can dictate how one should keep their home, run their family, take care of their appearance, act in public and even determine relationship. Tradition can also be a double edged sword. Traditions can also be restrictive and allow a culture to push away a former member if they do not adhere to them, eg Traditional expectations of chastity led to thousands of Irish women being imprisoned at the Magdelene Laundries. Customs could be anything from how one treats another, to how they greet someone.

How important is tradition?

What are some rituals your culture undertakes?

What are some traditional values in your world? Does it effect daily life?

Are there any traditions that determine one's status?

Values and Opinions

Values and Opinions are the bread and butter of any culture. This is the way your culture sees the world and how they approach different life hurdles. These may differ with other cultures and be considered odd to outsiders, what one culture may value another may not and what opinion another holds, one may not. There will be historical and traditional reasons to why these values and opinions are held. Cultures usually have a paragon to which they hold their members to, a list of characteristics that they expect one to if not adhere to then aspire to. The Yoruba people value honesty, hard work, courage and integrity. Here are some questions to consider?

How important are these ethics and core values? Could somebody be ostracised for not living up to them?

What are some morals that clash with other cultures?

What does your culture precieved to be right? Or wrong?

What are some opinions that are considered to be taboo in your culture? Why?

Dress Code

For many cultures, the way somebody dresses can be important. History and ethics can effect how one is meant to be dressed such as an expectation of chastity, can impose strict modesty. While other cultures, put more importance on details, the different sorts of clothes worn and when or what colour one might wear. The Palestinian people (من النهر إلى البحر ، قد يكونون أحرارا) denoted different family ties, marriage status and wealth by the embroidery and detailing on their thoub.

Are there traditional clothes for your world? Are they something somebody wears on a daily basis or just on occasion?

Are there any rules around what people can wear?

What would be considered formal dress? Casual dress?

What would happen if somebody wore the wrong clothes to an event?

Language

Language can also be ingrained as part of a Culture. It can be a specific way one speaks or a an entirely different language. For example, in the Southern States of America, one can engage in a sort of double talk, saying something that sounds sweet whilst delivering something pointed. Bless their heart. I have a post on creating your own language here.

Arts, Music and Craft

Many cultures are known for different styles of dance, their artwork and crafts. Art is a great part of culture, a way for people to express themselves and their culture in art form. Dance can be an integral part of culture, such as céilí dance in Ireland or the Polka in the Czech Republic. Handicrafts could also be important in culture, such as knitting in Scottish culture and Hebron glass in Palestine. Music is also close to culture, from traditional kinds of singing such as the White Voice in Ukraine and the playing of certain instruments such as the mvet.

Food and Diet

The way a culture prepares or intakes or treats certain foods are important to a culture. In some cultures, there is a diet yo adhere to, certain foods are completely banned. With Jewish culture, pork is prohibited along with fish such as sturgeon, along with shellfish and certain fowl. Meat must also be prepared in a certain way and animal byproducts such as dairy, must never be created or even eaten around this meat. This is known as kosher. The way one consumes food is also important to culture. In some cultures, only certain people may eat together. Some cultures place important on how food is eaten. In Nigerian culture, the oldest guests are served first usually the men before the women. In Japanese culture, one must say 'itadakimasu' (I recieve) before eating. Culture may also include fasting, periods of time one doesn't intake food for a specific reason.

What are some traditional dishes in your world?

What would be a basic diet for the common man?

What's considered a delicacy?

Is there a societal difference in diet? What are the factors that effect diet between classes?

Is there any influence from other cuisines? If not, why not? If so, to what extent?

What would a typical breakfast contain?

What meals are served during the day?

What's considered a comfort food or drink?

Are there any restrictions on who can eat what or when?

Are there any banned foods?

What stance does your world take on alcohol? Is it legal? Can anybody consume it?

Are there any dining customs? Are traditions?

Is there a difference in formal meals or casual meals? If so, what's involved?

Are there any gestures or actions unacceptable at the dinner table?

How are guests treated at meals? If they are given deference, how so?

longmei龙梅 blossoms in drizzle, 普安禅寺pu'an chansi, yongjia, wenzhou, zhejiang province in china (cr 沈愈之)

tragedy enjoyers when even good intentions lead to ruin

↳ YOU ARE A SCAVENGER; a lone wanderer of the galaxies barely scraping by on your derelict secondhand ship. You hunt down abandoned ships and settlements, stripping them of what useful parts you can find and selling those to whoever will pay your prices. It's a dangerous, solitary life, but you don't have much choice in the matter. You have too much of a past to trust a crew or to settle down planetside.

But everything will change when you discover the salvage of a lifetime. Among the ruins of a planet older than you thought possible, you discover an ancient prison, containing something that you thought existed only in myth.

You don't remember what happens next; but when you wake, you're a prisoner on a Consortium ship — and you are no longer alone in your own mind.

↳ YOU ARE NOW A VESSEL; the last vessel of the lost god.

Or is is the lost vessel of the last god? Either way, life as you know it is over. The Consortium — the conglomeration of various companies and governments that rule known space — want your head. The rebels want your power. But what do you want?

Escaped the Consortium with the aid of a fellow prisoner and a disgraced officer. Find a new ship, gather a crew of your own, and forge your place in a universe in which you are now something other than human.

And don't forget.

Gods may rise, but they also fall.

↳ Play as The Last Vessel of the Lost God, a human who's mind and body has been invaded by a symbiotic (or parasitic?) deity.

↳ Customize your character — choose your gender (female, male, non-binary), pronouns (he/him, she/her, they/them), appearance (height, weight, skin color, hair color, scars, tattoos, & piercings), cybernetic enhancements, and backstory.

↳ Six potential romance options and three optional encounters.

HOLLIS GALLOWAY ↳ the grifter (they/them)

DAISUKE SAITŌ ↳ the traitor (he/him)

AMANI HAMMOUD ↳ the captain (she/her)

SEBASTIAN JĖZ ↳ the mechanic (he/him)

MARÍSOL ESPINOZA ↳ the psychiatrist (she/her)

SALEM SMITH ↳ the adherent (they/them)

& ENCOUNTERS; ↳ Felix Whitaker; the commodore (he/him) ↳ Renata Zhukova; the rebel (she/her) ↳ Esmé Delacroix; the data broker (they/them)

"the 'power of love' trope is such an overused and cliche gimmick" i do not care i will love it always and forever. love prevails and explodes the enemy

Trying to world build without overcomplicating the fuck out of everything.

Mission: Very Hard

+18, details at the last few sections.

"You are nothing more than the avatar of the sin you possess." "But will you surprise me and show me that a true sinner's urges can be quenched by mortal exposure, or will you be Hell's pride and joy as you stay unencumbered and indulge in your desires to the deep end?"

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Summary

You are a demon.

..Actually, maybe it's more accurate to say that you used to be a demon.

You know you used to be a proud member of the demon realm, someone who held power above most of its residents. You know you used to be important.

At least, until you got kicked out for god knows what. Beyond that, you haven't got a single inkling about it all. After all, they stripped you of your memories and your traits as a powerful demon, leaving an amnesiac human-like being slumped in a sketchy alleyway somewhere without anything to wear.

It's been quite a while now (two years, if you can recall correctly) and you're feeling quite good about where you've ended up in life. You're starting to make a living at a humble café, you know some good people... The only things you really need to worry about is tending to your vice and paying rent!

But then somehow one thing after another happens, and your peaceful life suddenly turned into anything but. First a girl gets attacked because she turns out to be something similar to the holy grail. Then that leads to you awakening your dormant powers after this whole time? After that, you have no choice but to get comfy in a new job at a strip club while finding out your true identity?

..Man, maybe your therapist needs a pay rise.

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Features

A wide range of customisation for your character, in terms of both physical appearance and personality, amongst other things!

Multiple love interests to choose from. Differing backstories, route scenes and possible past trauma included in the package, hooray! Some of them are susceptible to polyamory for those who can't choose, and those that don't want romance can take a hit at the friendship route because who said demons can't have friends?

Aside from LIs, you get to meet, interact and even influence a colourful cast of characters here. Maybe you want to be nice to them, or maybe you want to be the worst possible specimen towards them. Who knows, maybe you'll get something out of it.

Find out who you were before your banishment from Hell, along with why you were banished. As the truth slowly unravels itself, will you do everything to make your way back to your original post in the demon realm or will you stay and be part of something greater for yourself?

As time passes and you experience things day by day, your powers start to return to its true potential. Whatever you want to do with them is up to you, though do be mindful of the fact that consequences are a thing.

You have a certain vice that you cannot simply leave alone, lest you want to literally destroy yourself. You know this has something to do with your demonic origins but don't actually know what to do about it. Now that multiple possibilities have been opened to you, will you continue to tend to your vice or find a way to end the feeling of addiction once and for all?

Work in a strip club as a bartender! Put those barista skills to good use in the nightlife, yeah? (Note: I'm not a bartender so forgive me for any mistakes made lmao)

Talk to your therapist. You're going to need her. And maybe the therapist needs a therapist too, but she's getting paid to listen to you so she's determined.

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Love Interests (incomplete list)

Ashlynn Whitlock - she/her, pansexual, magus.

"My ideal day off is a day in my house. It spares me from trouble outside of it. After all, look what happened when I went out a week ago..."

Due to her wealthy yet distant upbringing, Ashlynn grew up to be a quiet girl, anxious without much of a will or an opinion.. until she does. She also ended up being bound to you an impromptu contract that neither of you have an idea how to get out of. Instead of protesting or even reacting, she simply shrugs, emotions dulled out after years of neglect. How will your presence influence her sense of self, and would it be for the better or for worse?

She usually ties down her naturally white hair in a low tail despite not being albino or her age, though that's due to her bloodline. Her skin is extremely pale with light, faded scars littering it from the neck down and her eyes shine a vibrant amber colour. She also wears glasses and practically cannot see without it.

Alistair Whitlock - he/him, straight, magus.

"And you're telling me to.. 'work for it'? Right... Listen, who the hell do you think I am?"

The proud son of the Whitlock family, Alistair is who Ashlynn isn't—charismatic and proud to a fault. Showing off all that he possibly can, ranging from mind-blowing works to even the slightest action such as drinking a whole cup of water as quick as possible. Behind all that bravado, however, is a hell of a lot of insecurity. And maybe a bit of guilt over his sister. Will you be able to have him finally let down their guard and just be himself, or will he double down?

Like Ashlynn, he has white hair too and it's usually swept to the side. With jade green eyes and pale skin, he takes pride in his appearance. There's a faint scar on his temple, though he pretends that it doesn't exist.

Jacqueline "Jackie" De La Fontaine - she/they, lesbian, witch.

"Sometimes I cannot fathom why my patience is lasting longer than my full name."

Despite not being straight herself, Jackie is the one who sets everyone on the straight and narrow, including the club's owner himself. She thinks of herself like the sardonic older sister, though the others deem her more like a protective mother with a sarcastic streak with her cards very close to her chest. Will you be the first person (in a while) to see her hand, or will she see you as another mistake?

She dyed her hair pink due to a stupid bet but ended up keeping it because she looked good with it. She usually keeps it in a bun. With an olive skin tone and striking blue eyes, it's easy to see how she far surpasses the beauty standard. Her friends notice that she never ages, though. How strange. And lucky. But mostly strange, even for a witch.

Kazuki Fujioka - he/him, bisexual, ???

"Hey, listen... When you think about it, the word 'bed' looks a lot like an actual bed, right? Riiiight? I'm not wrong, am I?"

Kazuki may as well dye his hair blonde because he is the perfect depiction of a golden retriever. Eager to please and extremely curious, you can count on him to do his very best, no matter what. Surprisingly, though, his heart is closed off from everyone, wearing a happy grin despite whatever may be behind it. It feels like there's something mildly eerie and fundamentally wrong about him... Will you find out why, and will you embrace it or not?

He has shaggy, jet black hair and similarly black eyes. His skin is practically blessed by the melanin gods, having the perfect amount of tan to suit him best. He has multiple ear piercings too!

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Links

Demo (not released)

Full character list (includes non-LIs, not released)

Character portraits (not released)

Pinterest boards (not released)

Author blog



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Content Warnings (added onto as the project goes on)

Depictions of blood and violence

Depictions of trauma and mental illnesses

Substance abuse (both alcohol and drugs)

Sexual content

Plus the possible inaccurate depiction of the supernatural in this work. I'll try my best though!

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Notes (added onto as the project goes on)

I will say right now that updates will be irregular due to juggling my life, so while I want to constantly work on this, I don't have the capacity to do that. Please be patient for the updates and let them come on their own, thank you! I'll do my best to give out updates and stuff on my part.

This WIP is still at its very early stages, with the original idea being in ChoiceScript before I scrapped the first idea and went onto Twine instead.

Feel free to drop asks and stuff :D.

Hope this gains your interest and hope you have a nice day ^^.

Route to Eutopia - New WIP IF

You have one year left to live.

But are you afraid of dying? Probably not. Since you don’t even know how to live your life. You have been hidden away from society's eye since young. And the only friend you have is an Alter, genetic-modified species born to only serve other people and nothing else. Alters live so ‘people like you’ could live.

That makes the two of you. Alive. But never here. Never lived.

If opportunities arise, would you take a chance to change it? Only you can answer.

In a world where feeling nothing at all is better than letting your emotions rule over you, your choice to break those rules and make a change will paint a new shade of history that no one ever could. 

Hidden behind shut doors to live your quiet life as a secret child of Bastien Palmer, Sole Leader of Eutopia paradise, you never experience anything except for repeating the same old routine your entire life. You are the existence which should not be known, not just for the reason that you are the byproduct of your father and his secret lover. But also because of your frightening ‘Alter-like’ eye color, most of it is silver like any Stargaze–but nevertheless… tinted shamefully by crimson streaks.

You are told to stay away from public eyes for the sake of Palmer’s reputation in which you feel obliged to. However, your life of peaceful solitude will never be the same again after tonight…

Route to Eutopia is a violent dystopian loosely-conceptual interactive story where you are a bystander surrounded by The Chosen One of your own choice. You are to designate whether this story will head towards the direction of mutual peace between Alters– a human-like specie believed to be plagued by uncured disease since birth– and Stargazers —a group of survivors whose ancestors once lived on a faraway planet before an inevitable disaster occurred and forced them to flee into another dimension, or towards a doom fate that cannot be reversible.

To be noted; RtE is a heavily-relationship based game (not necessarily in platonic/romantic sense) each of your interactions with any character will determine the tone and purpose of their motivation. Any choice you have chosen, make sure to embrace the consequences of your action at your own expense.

With that being said, it is also worth mentioning that you don’t need to engage into a romance or specific relationship with any character to complete the story.

RtE also rated 18+ for explicit contents, disturbing topics such as discrimination against race, gender or sexuality and more… which will be tagged and cautioned about once the demo is released.

Settings

RtE takes place in a post-apocalypse society where the concept of time is lost and any history known was only speculations at best and rumour at worst. Trying to maintain their sense of utopia, Stargazers built and operated their space colony as a temporary base for self-preservation (in which only fews know details about) called ‘Eutopia’. 

In this dystopian paradise people’s sole purpose of living was fixated on surviving. And in order to do that, the whole population creates a solid ground rule not to let themselves ‘feel’ about other emotions that do not serve for public favors. Hence, you will be challenged to adapt to several situations and handpick the best flavor of your actions based on the emotions you have learnt or developed from your surroundings.

Who do you play as?

For now, you will be playing as a secret child of Bastien Palmer, the leader of Stargazers who already has a wife and two other perfect children, your younger sister and brother. Ones you have never interacted with nor you ever get the chance to.

MCs subjectively considered a white sheet which you can paint anything on by your preferences. Explore the world full of colorful emotions or bottomless pit of numbness by your own choices. 

But remember, Eutopia is a place where everything goes according to one simple rule ‘To survive’ hence the marriage between a man and woman will be set as the norm and only truth, and someone who will state otherwise must face and suffer the ugliness of social standards accordingly. However, I do not encourage any transphobic/homophobic behavior of the characters in this story. Please kindly be assured of that.

There might be a chance where you can start off as other characters, that is, however, still a subject-to-change matter as of now.

Introduction to the Chosen Ones [ ROs]

**Please be aware of mild spoilers below**

Vegaris (M/F) 19 Star-crossed lovers or Nemesis route, The Rebel.

They would do anything to survive, even if it means to betray the only person who trusts them deeply… like you.

Vegaris is an Alter who has so many sides hidden behind closed doors. Unpredictable, cunning, hot and cold are the words that describe them best. Due to their traumatic childhood (much like other Alters on Eutopia), they have a deep-root hatred for Stargazers. Although they were brought in by your family and treated almost the same as one of your father’s own kids. They still witness the unfairness of being an Alter in society and never afraid to point the wrong in other people’s doings. 

Their usual mask, however, is one where you cannot crack open that easily. They always remain calm and composed in front of you, and only show their fangs when circumstances arise.

Dana/Darren Regency (M/F) 22 Childhood friends, Forbidden route, The Face.

For a person who seems to be easy to read as much as an open-book, they sure talk with silence better than with their own voice.

A poster girl/boy for Regency Academy. Your former childhood friend (for some unknown reason, they're trying their hardest to avoid you) and an only child to the Head of Deans at Regency, Sandalphon. They are the precise image of how one should raise a Stargazer. Being a honor student. A model citizen. And a perfect ideal partner. They are assigned to be married with the most capable genetic-wise fiancé. As popular as they appear to be to the public, their private life (as private as it can be) is still a gigantic loophole for most imprudent reporters trying to catch even just a glimpse.

It seems like what they are trying to avoid is not just you, but the entirety of Eutopia.

Sandalphon Regency (M/F) 40 Age-difference, Single-parent route, The Pacifist.

Do you believe in something just because it's true, or it becomes the truth only when you believe in it?

Sandalphon is the most powerful influence among the deans of Regency. A group of people that has control over governing matters even beyond that of Bastian Palmer, the President. For Sandal, they are anything and everything people could ever ask for in a Regency. Kind, generous, well-versed with every branch of knowledge in the universe. Never wrong in anything. And never judge anyone based on their bias.

If only people knew the truth, they’d probably beg to differ.

Maybe they are just good at hiding beneath that gentle facade, maybe a calculated mind with strings to pull works best with neutral suggestions... who knows?

One more hidden character will be revealed in the demo, Into the Madness route, The Savior.

[ Classified info. ]

**There will be two sub ROs and flings to be introduced later in the story.**

More info will be announced.

Demo TBA.

Datalog is completed roughly til the end of the story. Coding and polishing will certainly take time. Any more updates will be announced solely on this blog.

Follow & Reblogging is appreciated. Thank you!