Moirae's Mirror - May

Hi everyone!

For the Mirror this month, I thought I'd go into some detail about what the last four (most likely) chapters of FoA's first book are likely to contain—that is, chapters 7, 8, 9, and 10. This will give you sorta the last pieces of plot overview for FoA, and you can see how it all hangs together!

It almost goes without saying that there are major FoA spoilers here, so if you don't want to see those, this would be a good month to skip, heh.

So. Chapter Seven is tentatively titled Quake and Tremble which is kind of a silly pun on my part. In summary, Hera finally departs the Underworld, and the PC's prayer-based issues are resolved, at least for the moment. Pyri and Hermes think this sounds like a perfect time for decompression, so they suggest a party. The PC can make a couple activity suggestions, but otherwise it's an excuse to have a large-group scene, since its been a while since there was one of those that wasn't extremely serious. Lethe probably puts in an appearance, looking not great but better now that she's getting help. There's a short scene with one of the ROs, whether platonic or with a bit of a romantic bent. Unfortunately, the event is interrupted by an earthquake. Styx drops in to inform the group that someone, seemingly one of the dead, has freed a minor Titan or two from Tartarus, and they're trying to get to the surface! In the chapter's final choice, the PC selects who, specifically, to accompany for the task of dealing with this issue, as everyone has a different role to play. This choice doubles as the "route" choice for the game, and will lock the player into their selection of RO/PO (poly options to be included at a later point). 

Chapter Eight, tentatively titled Rogue Element, follows immediately from the previous chapter, as PC and friends set out to deal with the fact that a rogue titan is on the loose. Everyone has a slightly different job where this is concerned, and yet all paths converge at the site of the confrontation, where the titan is dealing heavy damage to the surroundings. In their efforts to help their RO, the PC inadvertently bonds their magic together. The titan is defeated, and the fallout of this development is discussed. The chapter concludes with a more heartfelt scene between the PC and the RO, where the PC is offered some variety of Underworld food, and can choose what to do with it.

Chapter Nine begins with a bit more discussion of the consequences of the last events, and if the culprit is not already known to PC, they will be now, as well as why it is difficult for anyone to do much about it. The good news is, Hekate has figured out how to handle the illness, and Lethe is going to make a full recovery. Some of the backstory surrounding the Titanomachy is made known, and a damage report on the Underworld is given. The PC is asked to spend some time in the audience chamber with Hades and the others, to reassure people that the situation is now under control. But at that audience session, Orpheus appears in Hades's court, and asks for the death god's dispensation to return his beloved Eurydice to life. The PC has a chance to influence the outcome of the classic myth, and the incident is resolved. 

In Chapter Ten, tentatively titled The "Escape," another myth is woven into the story as the PC is approached in the middle of the night by two more intruders, Pirithous and Theseus. Their intention is to, at the request of Demeter, discreetly remove the PC from the Underworld and return them to Olympus. The PC may go along with this or fight it, but the demigods have come properly equipped to handle matters, and with the help of some divine intervention the PC is returned to Olympus and their mother whether they like it or not. The PC gets some scenes with Olympians, but they aren't there long before the entire Underworld crew shows up on their front doorstep, and a very dramatic multiple-way confrontation ensues, culminating essentially in the player's choice of ending, with some complicating factors thrown in based upon previous decisions, of course. 

At the moment, I have a "non-standard game over" planned, which allows the choice to remain on Olympus for good and never see the Underworld again. Hades will agree to have the marriage annulled, and the PC remains with their mother and friends on Olympus. Otherwise, there will be a time-splitting option, akin to but not completely the same as the original ending of the myth, where some amount of time is spent on Olympus and some in the Underworld. The third option, of course, is to prefer the Underworld wholeheartedly, and to want to return to Olympus either only rarely or not at all. 

There's likely to be a "epilogue-for-now" after Chapter Ten, but it won't be all that long since future books are planned. I do think, though, that I want to provide a satisfying ending of sorts, just because it should feel like a fairly complete story, even if there are definitely going to be a few loose plot threads remaining.

And that's the summary of what remains to go for FoA. There's a few small things that I haven't mentioned, and of course I'm bound to add and modify as I get to them as always, but I hope this all sounds like fun, and that you've enjoyed getting to hear about it. :)