Progress Report 2021-03-08

Hi friends,

The first week of March has been extremely busy on the game development front! I am pushing through new Chapter 1 content. I have completed just over one third of the Viridian Lady sequence and also drafted the Route B version of the encounter with Malsara (if the player goes to Rat Alley, she will always waylaid the MC and Aeran after they visit their first location and then the player must decide whether to go with her and talk to Zenaida or refuse to follow her). 

I’ve written about 18,000 words of new content since March 1 and the new material is currently sitting at 30,000 words (prior to edits). I’m a little tired, but I am very happy with the progress and I can’t wait to get this section written and coded, I think it’s going to be a lot of fun to play.

Alpha Build

At my current pace, I can’t quite accurately predict a date for the alpha build update. I’m still trying to decide how much material I want to complete before I update the alpha build. This has to do with the coding process (in general it’s easier for me to connect sequences together when I have existing material; it’s more difficult to add new sections in after the fact, especially if it’s extremely interconnected or intertwined). But I have a general goal of updating the alpha build by mid-March, so we’ll see where this week takes me. Fingers crossed for finishing the sequence!

Patreon Updates

This month’s bonus content for all Patrons will be a writing tutorial on characterization and character creation. I’m currently drafting out a few ideas and the tutorial’s structure. I will be releasing it on March 25.

I am doing my first Creator Q & A this month! If you are in the Recruit tier or above, please check out the Q & A post here. We’ve had a few questions submitted, but I need a few more to round things out. I’m aiming to do this the last week of March, so if you’d like to submit a question, please do before March 22.

Misc Updates

Rory Yaya, the artist who does Wayfarer’s artwork, is doing a Wayfarer character portrait series! You can check out her new portraits for Alexia, Aeran, Ren, Calla and Melchior on her blog here.

I love Rory’s art so much and she is an incredible artist to work with. Please do check her out on tumblr, Instagram and Twitter.

I hope you all have a great week! Enjoy this WIP snippet from the VL sequence.

***

WIP

“Regardless what Cere Nalos has told you, the Chalice is a powerful artefact,” the Lady says. “And so, Wayfarer, my question is this—what will you do if you find it?” She draws closer, standing merely inches away. The quiet buzz of the magical energy running down her blade fills your ears. “Would you attempt to break its bindings and unravel its magic? Would it even be possible with an artefact of such ancient potency? Or will you return it to Nalos, intact, collect your reward and disappear into the horizon?”

You pause. You’ve been focused on finding the damn thing, you haven’t thought about what you will do with it when you do. You’ve been hired to hunt artefacts in the past; the world is littered with them. Anyone with a basic understanding of rune bindings and engineering can create objects that contain or channel magic. Aside from slaying monsters, breaking curses, and hunting rogue mages, finding missing artefacts ranks high on the list of services performed by a Wayfarer. Usually in such cases, you wear gloves or use another physical barrier when handling the artefact to prevent unintentional erosion of its enchantments or bindings.

The idea that you could return the Chalice to the Count without its powers intact had not occurred to you. But considering what the Lady has told you about the Chalice’s origins… it may be a moot point all together.

 You raise your chin and meet the Lady’s eyes. 

1. “I was hired to do a job. That’s all that matters.”
2. “I don’t know. I’ll decide when I find it.”
3. “Frankly, my lady, what I do is none of your business.”