DEMO [TBD] You've Always Been Angry.

DEMO [TBD] You've always been angry.

Rage comes naturally to you. With how much life has messed with you it's only fair that you use your anger. That's why you became a boxer. The thrill of breaking an opponent. And hoping they might break you in turn. They never do though. Every fight is a disappointment, almost as much of a disappointment as they pay for each fight.

Enter Jackie Roth, club owner, mob boss, and former god. When she offers you a job you can't say no. Not that you would, not when she and everyone in her gang feel so familiar to you. At least with this job you'll be able to use that rage inside you more.

As you learn the ways of the criminal underground you reconnect with people you never met. Reforge bonds that you've never made. And recall memories you've never had. You were a god once upon a time, can you become one again?

God Syndicate is an interactive novel where you play the newest incarnation of Ares, The God of War. It's 18+ for violence, explicit sexual themes, drug use, morally questionable behavior, and more.

Customize your MC, play male, female, or nonbinary. With transgender options and pronoun selection. Customize your appearance and develop your personality.

Romance or befriend a cast of characters, including gods with more issues than you can count or even a mortal! Asexual and Aromantic options available.

Show the gods why you were feared all those years ago or prove that you're better than your past lives.

Uncover the mystery of disappearing gods as well as the mystery of your past.

Help out Elysium, the club where you'll practically live from now on. It seems to attract gods and that isn't always good.

Take out your anger on people who might even deserve it.

Zeus: Jackie Roth - She/Her. [Not an RO]

Jackie is The King of The Gods and she makes sure everyone knows it. Her word is law in Elysium and beyond. Fail her and you'll have a storm waiting for you. In the years since your disappearance Jackie's love for her family has seem to only grow. But she has a criminal empire to run and you're just the weapon she needs.

Hermes: Riley Liao Zhi - Gender Selectable. [RO]

The Messenger of The Gods. Or in Riley's case, the ever bored personal assistant to Jackie. Riley's an adrenaline junkie with a heart of gold. As the one who found you they feel almost responsible for you. But why do they also seem so afraid of you?

Apollo: Franco Valerio - He/Him. [RO]

As expected of The God of Music, Franco's your classic rich and famous rock star. Well he would be, if only he could get out of Elysium. His love of singing and love of his family are two chains he can't break that tie him here. Will your arrival help break those chains or tighten them?

Aphrodite: Damiana "Dame" Rivette - Gender Selectable. [RO]

Quiet and Serious, Dame is no longer The God of Love they once were. The passion of their life faded and now bitterness grows where love should. The only friend they have in Elysium seems to be their fiance, Johnny. To make their life even worse, you arrive.

Nemesis: Verne Mercer - They/Them. [RO]

Protective? Vindictive? As the God of Retribution Verne can be described as both perfectly. As the bouncer of Elysium and Jackie's right hand Verne refuses to allow a threat near them or their friends. And what are you if not a threat?

Dionysus: Mitch Dorsey - He/Him. [RO]

It's almost cliche that Dionysus is the bartender for Elysium. But if Mitch needs to fall into old habits to help pay for his daughter's life then he will. He's tired of his life here and has never tried to hide it. Now with you coming back he wonders how long he can protect his daughter from The Gods. (Optional Poly route available with Sigourney)

The Mortal: Sigourney Hawthorn - She/Her. [RO]

Newly divorced from Mitch she struggles with juggling her (demigod) child, relentless job, and love life. As her daughter, Claudia, grows she wonders if she can keep up or if she'll be left behind. And now with your arrival Claudia's godly family gets bigger and her presence gets smaller. (Optional poly route available with Mitch)

Artemis: Rebel Reyes - She/Her. [RO]

How can The God of the Hunt thrive in the city? The prey here are either too weak or too annoying to hunt. The only thing Rebel craves is to feel that thrill again. With your arrival she has a perfect chance, who better to hunt than the God of War? She can't wait to meet you.

Nike: Johnny Noble- He/Him. [Not an RO]

How can you beat the God of Victory? When fate itself decides that it's special little boy gets to win then he wins. In any competition you can name, love included, he wins. You can't beat him so don't even try. He's engaged to the God of Love, friends with everyone in Elysium, and worshiped by everyone who meets him. You might as well join. No matter how insufferable he might be.

There is an ichor creeping its way through Wonderland, devouring residents never to be seen again. That's how you got your "promotion" to the Role of the Cheshire Cat. You thought things would be okay until an Ink Well appeared right in the middle of the Red Queen's garden and took out half of the court gathered there. Now you're tasked with finding the source of the ichor and stopping it before it consumes all of Wonderland.

The Ink Stained Chessboard is a WIP and interactive CYOA novel. It is a fantasy adventure romance story with heavy focus on plot, romance, and stats. It is inspired by Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. It will most likely be written in Choice Script.

This is the basic introduction post and a proof of concept as I have 2 IFs already in progress. Once one of those are finished, work on this one will begin in earnest.

Note: Because this is a WIP the name of some places or people may change between now and the final version.

Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, Romance

Rating: Not rated as of right now.

Tracked Tag: #ink stained chessboard

Demo || Romance Options || Side Characters || FAQ || Tag Navigation

In The Ink Stained Chessboard, you play as a Wonderland resident who's been "promoted" to the position of the Cheshire Cat. You were simply minding your own business one day when you were ripped from your original Role and put into the Role of the Cheshire Cat one day. You've been in the Role for a little bit now. As for who put you in the role? Wonderland, itself did that. A bit bizarre, but it does have a mind of its own.

Without the interference of an "Alice" figure, life is pretty normal. Odd but normal. It's not always wacky and nonsensical in Wonderland, believe it or not. When an "Alice" appears, Wonderland moves all of its pieces to tell the story again and again like a play. That's how its supposed to work anyways. But ever since this strange ink-like substance appeared the story hasn't been running smoothly like it should.

When an Ink Well appears during a tea party in the Red Queen's garden and consumes half of the court, you decide it's time to do something about this. With a group of pretty unlikely allies, you set off to find what's causing the ichor to appear and stop it.

Play as a male, female, or nonbinary Cheshire Cat

Customize the way you look, including your ears and tail. You are humanoid with cat ears and a tail

Choose what your Role was before Wonderland made you the Cheshire Cat. Your previous Role will give you exclusive abilities not available to other roles

Choose to romance 1 of 4 (or 5) options or none at all

Figure out what's going on with the ichor and why it's appearing and where do the residents it absorbs go

Make a decision with the fate of Wonderland in your hands

The Cheshire Cat - You (he/him), (she/her), or (they/them)

You play as the Cheshire Cat. You possess all the typical things associated with the cat, such as disappearing and reappearing and your iconic grin. Your previous Role will also give you specific abilities. Being put in a Main Role made you functionally immortal so you don't know how old you really are, but physically, you appear to be in your mid-twenties (24-26).

The people of Wonderland sometimes call you Chess/Chessie.

Appearance: Player Determined, although your base figure is humanoid with cat ears and a tail

The Alice - Alice/Alex Liddle (she/her) or (he/him)

A is the newest "Alice" to Wonderland. The 103rd "Alice" to be exact. Because of the ichor, their story broke apart pretty early on leaving them basically stranded in Wonderland with no direction. It's good that they're a precocious person and found their own way to the Red Queen's garden. They're a bit naive but are earnest and kind and was one of the first people to volunteer to go with you. Their only stipulation: to go home when it's done.

Appearance: A is on the shorter side of average in terms of height. Alice is 5'3 and Alex is 5'8. They both have fair skin with freckles and loosely curly blonde hair. Alice has long hair while Alex's is about medium-length. Their eyes are light blue and their frame is lithe and thin. They appear to be in their early twenties (20-23).

The Mad Hatter - Olivia/Oliver (she/her) or (he/him)

O is the Mad Hatter. They aren't the "original" Mad Hatter, but they've been in their Role longer than you've been the Cheshire Cat. They are eccentric and a bit unpredictable. That's probably why they were the second person to volunteer to go with you to figure out what's going on, after Alice/Alex. You two don't really get along, bickering often when not in your Roles, so you're surprised when they volunteered. Being a Main Role, like you, they also are functionally immortal, but appear to be in their mid-twenties (24-26), as well.

Appearance: O is pretty tall with Olivia being around 5'9 and Oliver being about 6'1. They both have clear tanned skin and orange-red hair. Their hair is mixed textures with some strands being straight and others wavy. They always keep their hair down, even if it's inconvenient. They have brown eyes and a lanky frame.

The Red Queen/The Queen of Hearts - Isabelle (she/her)

Isabelle is the Red Queen and the Queen of Hearts. You find her Role varies from "Alice" to "Alice". She's fairly new to the Role, having acquired her position around the same time you became the Cheshire Cat. She's a bit stiff and serious, trying to figure out where her role stops and where she begins. She, like her predecessors, has a passion for roses and it was her garden that was destroyed by the Ink Well. You aren't surprised when she says she's coming with you "for her rose garden". As a Main Role, she is also functionally immortal. She physically appears to be in her early thirties (30-33).

Appearance: Isabelle is a woman of about average height, standing at 5'5. She has soft brown skin and straight black hair. She has red eyes and a fuller figure.

The Jabberwocky - Fenrir (he/him)

Fenrir is the Jabberwocky. He is the second Jabberwocky ever in Wonderland. His role, like Isabelle's, varies from "Alice" to "Alice". Some "Alices" don't ever go near him while others face him. He's solemn and fairly stoic and serious. He's the last person you expected to volunteer since he prefers to be solitary, although you suspect it's because he just wants to get this over with and go back to minding his own business. As a Main Role, he is functionally immortal, but physically appears in his late twenties (27-29).

Appearance: Fenrir is pretty tall, standing at a wild 6'5. He has tanned skin and black hair with streaks/highlights of dull blue and green. His eyes are grey and he has an fit figure, not too muscular but not lanky either. He has a few light scars on his face.

Wonderland - ??? (it/its)

Wonderland is... Wonderland. It has a personality of its own and is the one who moves you and the others around when there's an "Alice". It's in charge of making sure the "Alice's" story runs smoothly and to get them in and out quickly. Due to the ichor appearing, it's no longer running smoothly, often forgetting to move pieces around causing a disruption of the cycle. When the Ink Well appeared in the Red Queen's garden, it seems to have stopped "working" all together.

Appearance: It's a land, so far. Notable chessboard fields?

??? - ??? (???)

???

Three hundred years ago, the Covens fell. Sovereign institutions of magick that had stood for a millenia, laid low by the Hounds of Víla, a viscous order of witch hunters that arose in the wake of the great tragedy at Mírgrave.

What witches survived took to the forests and mountains, scattering, forsaking bonds long held in the hopes of surviving. A brave few settled at the fringes of society, as apothecaries and wisefolk, eking out what meager lives they could.

Your mother is one such witch, the farmers nearby willing to look the other way in return for services only she can provide. This isolated existence was lonely, of course, but for love, at least, you never wanted. Until the Hounds caught wind of a hedge witch.

Your home is gone, your mother missing. Your only option is to run and hope to outpace the Hounds on your trail  or bite back.

Customizable MC, from gender to appearance

Choose a familiar to join you on your journey

Romance your companions (or don’t!)

Kestrel: he/they 

A Hound. He and his mentor destroyed your home. Prickly and hard to read, they spared you for a reason, you just don’t know why.

Appearance: Average height, with an athletic build. Tawny skin and hazel eyes with softly curled, ear length brown hair.

»»———-　　———-««

Emery: she/her

The daughter of an innkeeper. She agrees to hide you while you figure out what to do next, on the condition that you take her with you. Insatiably curious. She wears her heart on her sleeve.

Appearance: Tall and chubby with pale, densely freckled skin. Shoulder length, frizzy red hair and large brown eyes.

TBA

The game is written in Twine and will be posted on itch.io.

This is my first time writing IF. Criticism is welcomed!

You weren't supposed to be here. Why were you here? You know full and damn well that you setting foot on this planet could spell catastrophe for any unfortunate form of life that lived there if you were ever to be found.

But it's not as though you had a choice. Where else would you go? So, you did what any other terrified being did. You fled. That fate-sealing choice was what brought you here.

What brought you to her.

You had fallen from the sky and into some poor, unsuspecting woman's territory. She had been holding a glowing box-shaped object in her hand, staring at you with those mesmerizing scarlet red eyes of hers. She didn't seem bothered at all, albeit a little shocked.

Crouching down to your trembling form, she tucked a strand of her black hair behind her ear, quirking a brow at you. A strange, playful grin stretched across her pretty face.

"Who the hell are you?"

ST☆RSTRUCK is a (probably) upcoming 18+ dark fiction interactive novel where you play as a runaway alien from a different galaxy, find refuge on a planet called Earth, and befriend a worldwide famous girl while also trying to fit into society and avoid getting caught by the cosmic gods.

DEMO: TBA

Play as an otherwordly being! Choose between male, female, and anything in between. You'll be able to change pronouns whenever you see fit.

Romance from a choice of characters. I see characters as having their own identity as a human would, so some RO's are gender-specific.

Try to blend into human society! You'll be able to shape the Star's (MC) personality through choices.

Customize your Star's alien appearance and human form!

Choose a special ability: telekinesis, empath, mind reading, super strength, teleportation, mind control, necromancy, light manipulation, and more!

Make allies if you choose to tell others about being an eldrich monster! Watch your back, though. It would be wise to not be too trusting.

Uncover dark secrets about characters, the universe, and yourself as you go. Some things aren't as they seem.

Decide whether or not you belong on Earth, or if your place is within the universe.

Save humanity! Or destroy it. You do you.

...Fight a space kitten?

ROMANCE OPTIONS

Embry Harrison (F) || The Popst☆r

The young human that found you — probably because you literally crashed into her backyard. She's the only person who knows what you are. Embry is fun, not to mention she's drop-dead gorgeous. Playful, free spirited, mischevious, she's also your best friend who happens to be a worldwide famous popstar, actress, and model. She's just the person you need when it comes to knowing how to hide yourself under a facade...or perhaps she's the worst if you'd like to keep a low profile, due to her constantly being stalked and bombarded with crazed fans.

Could she be hiding something beneath that smile?

"Ah, I keep forgetting you're from a different planet or whatever. Okay, check it out! This is what we mortals call a phone..."

Special: Poly Option with Shade or Love Triangle

Trope: Best Friends to Lovers or Unrequited Love/Idolization

Shade "Prince" James (M) || The Prince

A childhood close friend of Embry's. He's the eldest son of a billionare CEO and the heir to the company. He also seems to hate your guts, for some reason. You've never been able to work out why. Standing at 6 foot 3 with an attractive face and more money than he knows to do with, Shade could get anything he wanted and any woman he asked for. However, that sour attitude and introverted nature drew everyone away, much to his appreciation. The only people he seems to truly care about are his siblings and the very few true friends that he has.

"What do you want?"

Gender-Locked: Female/Male MC's

Special: Poly Option with Embry or Love Triangle

Trope: Enemies/Frenemies to Lovers

Axel James (M) || The Eclipse

Axel was used to being ignored, it was expected. His older brother was made to take over in their father's place eventually; he was just a backup. Always coming second, desperately wanting his parent's attention. He never held it against Shade, though. He loved his brother. He was used to finding out his friends weren't actually his friends, or his crushes were merely there to get closer to Shade. He felt pathetic, being in the spotlight but having no one you could truly rely on. Did anyone truly care? If he just disappeared, would anyone bother to look for him? Those thoughts plagued his mind for years and years, and every passing moment, he started to believe they were true.

...Well. Until he met you.

"...Hey. Uh, I'm — shit, okay — sorry. Thanks for...well, being here, I guess."

Trope: Friends to Lovers or Unrequited Love

Epiphany "Pip" James (F) || The Sun

Could she even be counted as a true 'James'? She was the result of an affair an unfaithful Mr. James had. Once Mrs. James had found out of this, she forbid her from speaking to her half-brothers.

Did she let that stop her? Hell no.

In secret, the trio of siblings texted and called and met up. They were close, all three of them. It was amazing, really; how someone who had been shunned by society and harassed daily managed to stay so positive, bringing energy wherever she went. She was the personification of sunshine and rainbows.

Or so you think.

"Oh, hey! Listen, listen! I found this SUPER cute café yesterday and - huh? Oh, it's okay. I don't care what everyone else thinks as long as you like me."

Gender-Locked: Female/NB MC's

Trope: Friends to Lovers

Astro (Selectable Gender) || The Supern☆va

You remember this person vaguely. They have the same name, the same voice, the same mannerisms as someone you knew long ago.

But that couldn't be possible.

They were dead.

"I missed you."

Trope: ??? to Lovers

"Khaos" (M) || ???

No...no. He couldn't have found you. You hid so well. You're just imagining things. Yeah, that's it. There's no way you just saw [REDACTED]'s haunting gaze boring into your mind — you were overthinking this; playing tricks on yourself because you were stressed.

...That had to be it. He's not here.

He'snotherehe'snotherehe'snotherehe'snotherehe'snot—

"Found you."

Trope: ??? to Lovers

This tale sweeps you up and drops you back 3500 years into the past, straight onto the banks of the Nile, in the glory days of the Egyptian Empire. Under the looming threat of war, some powerful artifacts have been stolen and the king entrusts you with their recovery. You don't know what awaits you on this journey but you know one thing for sure: if you don't catch the enemies of the empire, you will risk open war and even execution. Take your fate into your own hands, solve mysteries, meet new friends, fall in love, learn about magic, monsters, spirits, and gods and have fun in the ancient Egyptian kingdom in this historical fantasy novel.

Choose from 4 different backgrounds, each with a unique backstory: noble, priest, captain of the city guard, or a petty thief.

Play as male, female or non-binary; gay, straight or bi.

Build friendships, rivalries, or find love with a young prince, a mysterious spymaster, a brooding spirit, an elite warrior… or even the pharaoh himself.

Play as a merciful defender of justice or a ruthless executioner.

Warning: This story is a work of fiction. As much as I like historical accuracy, this is NOT historically accurate and isn't meant to be. The story also includes depictions of violence, swearing (lots of swearing, seriously), dealing with trauma, death and other subjects that can be upsetting for certain readers. It is recommended for mature audiences only. Read at your own discretion.

I will include a complete list of triggering content as the story goes on. In the future, I will also add optional sexual content that you will be able to turn on or off at your own discretion.

Currently, the demo includes: Chapter 1 with one of the four available backgrounds.

Word count (with code): 56 000 words

Last update: 13. Aug. 2024.

LINK TO THE DEMO

🔗DEMO TBA (see info at bottom)

17+ The Fall of House Black — A gothic, supernatural, mystery interactive fiction story. Lightly inspired by The Fall of the House of Usher and Frankenstein media. (Work in Progress)

Synopsis has mentions of death and suicide. See extended content warnings below.

The fall of House Black, your house, was an imminent thing. A name had never been so cursed that all it could do was bring about death.

First, your younger sister in a swimming accident, then your older brother in a case of mistaken identity. As the rest of your family sought to grieve and bring justice to your brother, your older sister was killed in a hunting accident at the end of your father’s bow.

The three of you, mother, father, and child, became inconsolable. Broken beyond repair. Your mother unable to bear the weight of life any longer took her own while your father disappeared, gone into the night. When you remain the sole survivor of House Black, you know you must leave, and on the night of your decision, your home goes up in flames with you inside.

Then, you awake, dazed with no recollection of anything, and when you look down at your body, you scream. It is wrong. So wrong.

Play as a reanimated, customizable character.

Learn how to be a person again.

Try to survive in a society that fears the unknown.

Develop relationships. (4 ROs: All gender-selectable + 1 secret RO)

Aid in the investigation of your family’s untimely deaths.

Learn about your family’s curse.

*Appearances will be written in their profiles. (Coming soon)

Aesop/Almira Hammond | Detective | 36 Years Old | RO

[Profile]

A is an observant and clever person, stoic in nature. They put their all into their work, striving to find the truth in every case. They take on the case of your family’s sudden deaths despite pushback from others. It was an occurrence of events all too strange, and they are determined to figure it out.

Cyprian/Cecilia Atterton | Writer | 28 Years Old | RO

[Profile]

C is an imaginative and creative person, quiet in nature. They write not only from their own experiences, but the experiences of others as well. They are interviewing people about House Black, intending on writing a book about your family’s ill fate and eventual demise.

Sebastian/Sabina Farwell | Doctor | 34 Years Old | RO

[Profile]

S is an intelligent and kind person, caring in nature. They are a most trusted doctor, hardworking and honest. They were the young doctor that tried to help your father and sister. They helped without question, never calling your family cursed as you so often were.

Elias/Elosia Osborne | Coroner | 30 Years Old | RO

[Profile]

E is an empathetic and hardworking person, cheerful in nature. They put their heart into their work, aiming to bring closure to people as swiftly as possible. They are the one who investigated and confirmed the death of your elder sister. They never could for you though.

Unknown | ??? | ??? | RO

A secret. Who knows when they will appear.

SUBJECT TO CHANGE

Mentions of death, child death, suicide, violence, blood, injury, burning alive, body horror, mutilation, amnesia

asks are welcomed! → “the grave🪦”

DISCLAIMER

this is a demo/work in progress. everything is subject to change until the final version. it is by no means a finished or polished work.

LINKS

→ demo | same one, just another link

→ itch.io | my creator page

→ @ethersic | my main, art, etc. blog

INFO

currently: working on the prologue (editing + coding)

estimated release: late january/february

written with twine (tweego)/sugarcube