Alpha Preview Update (August) (Patreon)

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Password: chapter9_next ⬅ ❗️

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Incomplete routes guide ⬅ ❗️please check if you suspect your game ended early :)

What's New:

• 12,000 words of new content!
• The end of Chapter 8.5! Next month will start Chapter 9!
• New Commander-Legate activity in your day off hub!
• New Blade character interlude! Potentially beat him in a sparring bout (though the methods you use will have to be dirty)!
• For the Blademancers: straddle him?????

Developer's Notes:

Hi everyone, I hope you've been well! I rushed to try to get this update to you in time for the weekend--as it's quite late over here, I'll try and keep this update short!

Everything has been proceeding as usual this month: I've been plugging away at the Twine build and finally finished converting Chapter 2, so three full chapters are fully reviewed and thoroughly playtested! Our composer Ivan Duch is wrapping up his work on Trouble, Chase, and Red's theme songs this week, and the very first album of the Shepherds of Haven OST should be complete soon! We've also had a nice little spurt of commissioned art, what with the weapon codex entries, Lavinet's character sheet, and the various tarot cards we've finished up... There have been lots more things puttering on in the background, as usual, but I can't talk about them much until they're closer to being able to be talked about!

Chapter 8.5 and the Quel-Qanaeon mission finally draws to an end in this update, and we're rocketing right along to Chapter 9, which I've already written just a smidgen for (though that bit will debut next month)! (It's mostly Riel being irritated by Sibella de Vespe and Lavinet commiserating him so far, but I find it quite hilarious!) Very curious to see what you guys decide to do with the heartwood tree!

I've also added a new "day off" activity to your hub, though you'll only be able to access it if you accept Blade's offer of becoming Commander-Legate, so you'll have to go back to the start of Chapter 8 (and the day off that takes place before the Labyrinth) to experience it! (I actually finished two interludes for that particular activity this month, but you won't be able to access the second one until next month, once Chapter 9 commences.) We stan work-life balance as much as anybody, but I do recommend giving this new activity a try at least once, because the decisions you make in it can have some far-reaching consequences on your playthrough...

Also for the Caine lovers, there's a nice bit in this month's Commander interlude if you feel like doing our collective son a good turn!

Finally, a new Blade character interlude has been added! This interlude, if you're spending as much time with Blade as possible, is intended to be read directly after the events of the Phantom Shore, and the conversation actually changes slightly if you spend it with him while in Solhadur (before departing for the Reach) versus some other chapter--so if you're a Blademancer, it might be worthwhile to go back to Chapter 4 to read this interlude, as you get a bit more content and context out of it than if not. However, it's not strictly necessary (and unnoticeable if you're not romancing him), so you can also just use the quickbuild to read it from Chapter 8 if you like! Or you can play the whole thing from the get-go, whatever you want!

[Edit: changed a line if you're of Elven heritage in Chapter 8.5 and a few lines in Blade's section if you straddled him--08/26]

Total wordcount: 1,008,716 words without code

(WOOHOO!!!! WE HIT 1 MILLION!!! 🎉❗️😱 I am now officially the author of a 1 million word project... and you are now officially the readers and supporters of a game that's 1 million words long! 🥹 Thank you for being a part of this journey! 💖)

What's Next:

I did start Trouble and Shery's next day off interludes, but couldn't finish them in time to publish this month in any seemly or sensical manner. They will probably roll out next month, and definitely with the start of Chapter 9! A surprise guest is going to be a huge part of the next chapter: I wonder if anyone has guessed who it is yet... XD

I really hope you enjoy! Leave your thoughts here, on Tumblr, or on Discord as always, and have a very happy weekend and end to your August! 💛