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the-shadowbane-fiction · 2 years

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The Shadowbane - an interactive fiction WIP

The Shadowbane was a hero of Tavaria during its founding days. According to historians, it was them who faced the first incursion of Shades and won. They banished the Shades back behind the veils, a magical barrier separating the land of mortalkind and the northern waste. This singular action gave Tavarians a long respite to rebuild and prosper. However, the happy days ended when an unknown source of magical power breached the veil, releasing the vile creatures from the captivity. Tavaria, struck unprepared, suffered defeats after defeats, its fair lands ravaged and its king perished in battles. In a desperate attempt to fight back, the Shadowbane was resurrected.

Or so they thought. For when you woke up, you could not remember anything.

In this game, you can:

Save the Kingdom of Tavaria by banishing the Shades. Or join the foes to destroy everything.

Find out who you really are.

Uncover the secrets behind the Shades. Where did they come from? Who made them?

Romance or build friendship with any of the 7 possible companions. You will get to experience an exclusive route with them after the end of the common route.

Gather your party and venture forth!

1. Ser Wymond

Ser Wymond is the younger brother of the late king of Tavaria. He is loyal and steadfast, with his whole heart devoted to the restoration of his beloved country. Mallaidh, the sky witch who travels with you, claims that he is stubborn and inflexible as a bull, but that is probably because the pair never sees eye to eye. As the other heir of the royal line, he takes his duty seriously, but he often doubts his ability to lead, considering he has always followed his brother’s command.

He is a man in late thirties with the distinctive Tavarian royal features. His hair, eyes and skin are pale, with a prominent nose and a sharp cheeks. There are streaks of silver in his hair and lines around his eyes, but his hold of shield remains steady, and his skill of sward play is unmatched among his peers.

2. Princess Kaelyn

Princess Kaelyn is the only daughter of the late king of Tavaria. After her father’s fatal defeat at the hands of Shades and Marauders, she gathered what was left of his army and marched south to recover. However, her quest to seek aid in Shairia has met with different levels of jeers and dismissals, for a monarch without a Kingdom holds no sway in the eyes of Southern Lords.

It does not help that she appears quite unconventional in their eyes. Tall and pale with an iron mask always fastened on top of her face, the Princess earned her moniker “The Iron Maiden” with her harsh and aloof personality. Nobles of southern origins snicker at her mask behind her back, claiming that she must be disfigured to wear it all the time.

3. Arvid the Shapeshifter

Arvid was a spy of the Marauders. He defected to your side to save his own skin, but that earns him no love from the Tavarians. Only Mallaidh finds him intriguing, but her interest is purely academic. His ability to shapeshift into a nightingale is useful as a scout, but like the bird, Arvid lacks courage to actually excel at the role.

When he arrives at Shairia, he is instantly entranced by the culture of merry-making. He likes to disguise himself as a Shairian, and it would work if not for his distinctive northern features. He is gangly with a long nose and a narrow chin, a mop of wild brown curls and a pair of bright blue eyes. His voice is lovely, however, and that earns him some affection among the Shairian folks.

4. Mallaidh, the Lumian Sorceress

Mallaidh is one of the mysterious Lumians - the first creation of the sun-god Bael. She is a formidable witch wielding Light Magic, and an exceptional healing should the situation calls for it. Wymond distrusts her, not because of her intentions but due to her methods. To him, her ways seem overly cruel, but Mallaidh simply considers them effective ways to end the threats of Shades once and for all.

You learned that she is the only ever ventured out for so long. Like her sisters, she is created to appear beautiful in the eyes of men, with a face that rivals art itself, and a thick pelt of shimmering golden feathers covering the top of her head and the end of her limbs. Unlike men, she has talons instead of hands, and they prove to be an effective weapon should she need to defend herself.

5. Scribe Seraphinus

Scribe Seraphinus seems to stand out from the fair-headed, pale-skinned northmen, with his olive skin and raven-black hair. Indeed, he is a man of eastern origin, a former slave in the Azure Empire. Princess Kaelyn found him in a flesh market, and freed the man once she knew Seraphinus speaks at least sixteen different tongues. Seraphinus, grateful for the rescue, pledged his service to the princess. He serves as a guide when she stays in Shairia.

Seraphinus is reserved and elusive, but he can be quite passionate when talking about knowledge of any kind. True to his nature, he has taken up the task of scourging for your origin. The place he stayed is rather dusty, but the man does not seem to mind. He even has a small magical workshop set up inside, where he studies magic systematically. To him, magic is learned, unlike Mallaidh who is born with the innate talent to master it.

6. Caitrín of Aramore

Caitrín is the mythical companion of the Shadowbane. She is said to be a fearsome warrior maiden, towering over both the champion and the first king of Tavaria. According to a popular Shairian ballad, she was in love with the champion, although they never reciprocated it. In the end, she was heartbroken when the hero perished in the final act of sacrifice. There is no records of her afterwards, but the ballad suggested that she was no mortal, and was merely hiding deep in the mountains near the Everpeak, mourning for her long-lost heart’s desire.

If the ballad is telling the truth, Caitrín was a woman with silky black hair and lovely hazel eyes. She protected the champion in many occasions, placing herself between them and danger. The steadfast loyalty she displayed never failed to move the more romantic audience to tears.

7. ???

You are not sure what they are, but you get the sense that they are a being as ancient as the sun-god Bael. Mysterious and formless, they seem to come to your defense at your most precarious moment, without asking anything in return. You are unsure if you should trust them, despite their proclamation that they have no ulterior motives.

Forum thread to report bugs/provide feedback: Link

Note that since it is still in early stages, I plan to implement the save feature once the common routes are completed.

Currently it’s about 2 chapters done, and I plan on updating every 4 weeks.

Cover image is by my roommate Jo, and they are planning to draw some of the characters as well!

#interactive fiction #if #the shadowbane #hosted gamed wip #wip

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