Author Answers (July)

General

#tellmeeverything What part are you most excited to write next?

I think Chapter 10! I’m quite itchy to get on with the main plot, but I think it won’t hit quite the same unless we’re at least somewhat caught up with the interludes or have solidified some of these relationships further. I can’t promise that I’ll wait for everyone to be caught up completely by the time I start, but everyone should at least be in a good spot by then!

Which chapter was your favorite to write and why: because of the setting, the conflict, the development of certain relationships - and which chapter was the most challenging? Was there a character that surprised you by becoming a fan favorite?

I have a lot of ties--hope that's okay! My favorite chapters to write so far have been Chapter 6 (Lockwood), Chapter 7 (Wallmire), and Chapter 9 (the Sun Court). For Chapter 6, it was really fun writing about the girls' dynamic with each other (sleepover/random one-night-stand/beating the shit out of people drunk is so fun and chaotic) and getting a first taste of court intrigue in Lockwood, and Angant Hainn and the Elementals were also surprisingly fun to write! For Chapter 7, the boys' dynamic was also really fun, but also the atmosphere and creepiness of that chapter slots well into stuff I just generally enjoy writing: I'm realizing a lot of my best work tends to involve undertones of horror and murder (see: my first book lol). So I felt very at-home with writing that kind of content! For Chapter 9, again, I love court intrigue, and the "format" of that mission was a lot of fun for me: splitting up and talking to lots of different characters in kind of their own standalone "quests" scratched an itch in my brain that I didn't know was there. I think it's because I like those missions a lot when I play them in other games--this was essentially "Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts," Shepherds-style, if you played Dragon Age: Inquisition--so I loved that!

The most challenging chapters have been Chapter 2 (Black Sun), 4 (the Reach), and 5 (Heth Macoll) for different reasons. Chapter 2 and 4 just had a ton of branching, possibly overly ambitiously so: you are essentially cramming several different missions' worth of content by having such drastic splits. Following Chase versus staying with Riel, then going with Riel to the gala (which itself has to split into a different mission entirely if Prihine is dead) or going to the factory with Chase was just a lot of branching, and they create more permutations the more you mix and match. Same with the Reach--falling and meeting Mekduk versus never meeting her at all, and also falling and then everything that you can choose afterwards, is an extremely complex amount of content to grapple with. Chapter 5 was easy when it came to writing the prose, but the turn-based battle system of the arena was really tough to code mechanically, especially with all of the stat checks and branching involved there (did you forfeit to Nathe, are you fighting Briony or the wyvern, are you fighting the wyvern with Briony, etc...). Battles are always tough for me because there are at least 13 permutations (4 different weapon choices, 9 different specializations) that you have to account for, so it can be a bit tedious--let alone the fact that writing combat in general is hard!

I don't know if she can be called a "fan favorite," but Prihine's popularity definitely surprised me: I was expecting everyone to hate her, and also for far more people to let her die! Everyone else has pretty much met expectations: I knew Croelle would have his own niche of fans, lol. --Actually, Chandry and Pan's popularity ended up surprising me, too. Chandry was originally just a weird quirky one-off, I was not expecting so many people to want a clown bestie lmao, and I feel like there are some people who low-key lust after Pan that I would have never expected, lol!

What your favourite relationship/ pairing so far and are there any plans for more RO’s in the future?

Probably boring answer, but I truly don't have a favorite pairing or relationship, I really love them all because they're so different from each other! The ultra-comfortable "best friends to lovers" dynamic between Trouble and MC is so different from the romantic angsty tension between Blade and MC is so different from the "respected colleagues and mature adults start to court each other" dynamic between Riel and MC is so different from the "princess and her knight" thing going on with Lavinet and MC is so different from the "carefully navigating a shy crush between friends" dynamic between Shery and MC is so different from the crazed messiness of the FWB between simp Chase and MC is so different from actual functional and respectful FWB (but I'm falling in love with you against my better instincts, helplessly and uncontrollably even though I thought I had full control over my feelings, surprising even me) between Tallys and MC is so different from the blunt "hey I like you, I think you like me, what are we doing here? but also, you are challenging my deepest emotional vulnerabilities. maybe we should address that. no, too late" dynamic between Ayla and MC is so different from the "ahhhh besties!! unless... 🥺? I love you?" dynamic with Briony and MC is so different from--

I suppose if you forced me at swordpoint, I think the dynamic between Red and MC who are exes is so fun lmao. Exes who hate each other is one thing--and is not something I'm confident I'd be able to pull off well--but exes who parted on amicable terms as dumb teenagers is such a funny dynamic to me!

This is mentioned in the FAQ, but yes, there will probably be one more RO added in the future: it will be a vote here on Patreon between Halek and Croelle!

Congrats on hitting the Ascendency festival! How are you approaching writing each characters route for this? And bonus - which character would you like to attend the festival with? (just as friends of course)

Thank you!! And I’m basically just picking which character I’m going to write next by going by current mood and vibes, and how clearly I see them acting during their festival scenes! I have a short outline written out for each of them where it goes Meeting Up -> 3 Activities -> Chandry’s Play -> Ending/Possible Confession. (I should take a moment here to note that not all characters are going to confess at the Ascendancy Festival. Every romance is on a different pacing structure, so for some ROs, it would be too soon, and for others, the festival just isn’t the ideal place for them to bring up that particular topic just yet! Just so no one gets their expectations too high.) (Also, it was originally going to be 2 activities, but because I couldn’t decide between the petting zoo or the perfume-making for dang Riel, I gave him both, so then everyone had to have 3. 😔) 

As for who I’d like to attend the festival with: I think Chase, Red, or Briony have the same kind of energy that I have a lot of fun with among my own friends! They’re either laidback, easygoing, and fun to be around, or outright excited and infectious in their enthusiasm! Trouble is a great pick, too, but I’d be worried about falling in love with him based on how casually handsy and affectionate he is even with just a friend LOL. And while Riel isn’t the first person I’d pick to go to a festival with me in real life (I like trying new things and being excitable, and he’s so finicky and critical and sarcastic that I feel like our energies wouldn’t match lmao, I would be like LOOOK THEY HAVE A BUCKET OF MINI COOKIES!!! and he’d give me this look like you want to eat out of a bucket?? like a pig??), his running commentary is also so funny to me that it would still be a fun time in its own way! Thanks for your question!

What kind of cleaning team does the Shepherds employ? Are there a ton of maids running around, is it magic, or do people have to take shifts to clean up around the communal areas?

Good question! It’s largely hired staff: just as there are hostlers and keepers who maintain the ahfuri, horses, and stables, there are non-officer custodians and kitchen staff who keep areas like the refectory, bathrooms, hallways, and other common rooms and communal areas clean! They’re all technically under Shery’s jurisdiction as quartermaster, although they have a lot of team leaders and department hierarchies that they interface with much more often! For example, the head steward is in charge of the overall cleanliness and upkeep of the building, with a team of cleaning staff and attendants under him. The head cook is in charge of all kitchen-related matters, including preparing meals and coordinating menus, and is aided by a provisions steward (in charge of the pantry and food inventory) and an army of kitchen scullions and assistant cooks.

There’s also an army of laundresses to take care of washing, mending, and cleaning things like uniforms, towels, and bed linens. Each Shepherd officer is responsible for keeping their own personal quarters clean, though, so no maids or turn-down service; you just sort your dirty laundry into a labeled canvas bag outside of your door on an assigned day at a specific time, and it’ll typically be returned with clean laundry by evening (unless further repairs or heavier maintenance are needed, at which point you might receive a substitute to tide you over until then). If you miss the window, though, you’re out of luck and will have to wait until the next time, unless you can nip down there and sweet-talk a friend on the staff! But again, no maids or personal attendants, per se, and your rooms are subject to intermittent routine inspections (military-style) so it’s up to each individual to keep things clean and sanitary!

Also, a lot of recruits get sentenced to laundry duty as a punishment, or to other maintenance duties like swabbing the bathrooms, polishing suits of armor, so a lot of menial work ends up getting done that way too LOL. 

Yay!!!! So honestly I don’t think this has been asked but what’s the Thieves Guild policy on kids? I’m guessing there are street rat guttersnipe kids who pickpocket (or try) and commit other petty theft- was there ever a time in guild history, recent or not, where they would be recruited to join (I’m thinking a Fagan from Oliver Twist situation)? Is it guild-dependent, as in left to the discretion of each cities’ guild leader? I can’t see Chase wanting to bring in kids, but I also see that getting some kind of protection and guild backing could keep those types out of harm’s way especially if they have nowhere else to go, and will go on doing it regardless of the danger.

The Thieves Guild policy on kids is guild-dependent, as in left up to each guild leader. I would say 90% of them do recruit kids, though they tend to be older urchins (like 12 and up) than really young tykes, primarily for the fact that kids can be really useful in spy, scout, and pickpocketing capacities! Many Thieves Guild post kids up on street corners to gather intel or serve as discreet alarm systems when heists and whatnot are going on. Of course, they're also not charities, so they only take in kids with high potential and cunning! It's not really about protection or shelter, but about usefulness and practicality!

Chase himself disallows having children join the guild. He makes a big bluster about it "cramping his style" and not wanting to have to rein in the "wanton hedonism" that takes place in the guild, but in actuality he just wouldn't be able to stomach the responsibility. He already feels very uncomfortable with having responsibility over the other thieves, anyway, and subtly chafes against it; adding kids into the mix would be too much. His predecessor also didn't use child thieves, primarily because he didn't have a need for them rather than any hard rule, but Kato was very young (like around 17 or 18) when he joined up, which Chase alludes to and why Chase treats him as a kind of younger brother, and I think that's as young as Chase would allow!

I (almost) always play my MC as an enchanter, using glamour, illusions and bewitchments is more my thing than say being a battle mage. However, I never really thought about how fucked up that ability really is. It kinda hit me when MC and Riel were sneaking into Sibella’s room and MC had to distract the guard and he made a comment about it. And tbh, it’s a totally valid feeling. So my questing is, how do the ROs feel about a MC who is a pretty powerful enchanter (and who is using their powers for good, no manipulating of friends or innocents)? Blade is my absolute favorite RO and I can’t help but feel that he would prefer a MC with a more physical power like a battle mage or maybe an elementalist.

Also, just another quick question that’s been on my mind. When they are on their way to Wallmire and Blade and Chase finds the abandoned camp, the way they described their findings made me think of the Dyatlov Pass incident. Was that an inspiration or is that just a coincidence?

Hiya, I think the #magic tag would interest you, as it has posts both on how the ROs feel about the different schools of magic as well as how the general public feels about it (and why Enchanting magic is so feared/unpopular). Hopefully that helps answer your question! And yes, regarding the Dyatlov Pass, that was an inspiration and is talked about a bit more here! :)

In a modern AU, what snacks the Shepherds would like best?

Blade: if the man snacks at all, he's probably eating the blandest, unsweetest protein bars he could find 😔

Trouble: cold pizza would be his favorite, if it's around; ditto for just throwing together a sandwich (yes, he is the kind of person who considers a whole sandwich "a snack"). If needs are dire, he is not above going into the kitchen and rummaging for slices of salami and cheese!

Tallys: I imagine trail mix--dried fruit and nuts--would be a staple for her, but she seems like she'd also be into carrots and hummus, a handful of berries, or an apple with nut butter! AKA very healthy snacks!

Shery: she's got to be the type who has a circular tin of shortbread cookies, chocolate biscuits, and jam cookies lying around! And maybe she'll whip up a spot of tea while she's at it!

Riel: he'd always have some manner of pastry lying around, ladyfingers and petits fours and little sweets to take the edge off. And candy. He definitely has jars of candy in his office for that extra brain fuel! (help him, he's so unhealthy) There's probably a tray of croissants lying around somewhere in his vicinity, too!

Chase: I don't think he snacks--I think if he gets hungry he either eats a full meal or downs like an energy drink or something LMFAO. If we're keeping consistent with his character I don't think he's the type to even have food in his place to snack on, since he's out and about so much--that man does not go grocery shopping or cook for himself, he has neither the foresight nor the inclination nor the semblance of that kind of routine--so I imagine if he wants to snack, he'd stop in and get, like, fries or a potato spiral or a bag of chips or something, I imagine he likes salt! (Trouble even mentions it in his Ascendancy Festival interlude, lol). But if we don't care about consistency and just want to laugh, I think he has kind of gremlin pizza Lunchables vibes too lol. Just a full stack of them in his fridge

Red: toast and butter. he's a simple man, lol! grilled cheese (possibly made in the toaster oven) if he's really hungry and in a pinch!

Ayla: I think Ayla's "snacks" would be full blown meals to most people--a taco here, a pita wrap there, a burrito at 10 AM! She burns up a lot of fuel, what can she say?

Briony: does bubble tea count as a snack?? If not, fruit roll-ups and gushers lol

Lavinet: she seems like an acai bowl or avocado toast kind of girl! And of course, she has to have a bar of chocolate or chocolate truffles stashed away somewhere for the real snacking emergencies! Or a pint of ice cream!

Halek: FULL-BLOWN CHARCUTERIE BOARD. He doesn't snack, he grazes. On a casually thrown-together platter of delectable gourmet meats and cheeses! The man's such a food snob lol

q&a time!!! what would each shepherd present on for a powerpoint party, and how polished/cursed are their graphic design choices?

The way I rushed to do this lol--

Blade:

he did not understand the vision. why are we having a party so you guys can do more work? you usually hate the presentations he gives at work. well whatever. he did what you asked. he had a belated epiphany that using the color red would force you to pay more attention LOL

Trouble:

He'd go in for the weird conspiracy theories and absurd rabbit holes and delight in trying to explain them to his incredulous audience. He's a bit better off than Blade in that he uses (badly-blown up, blurry) pictures and a template, but he's still using Calibri and putting in minimal effort graphic design-wise lol. Other areas he'd tackle would be UFOs, how the Shining admitted to faking the moon landing, weather machines, and Amelia Earhart!

Tallys:

Combining her love of history and the ability to read people to filth?? She's all in! She makes an effort to make it pretty, but she uses the exact same slide format for every single slide thereafter, so she really only had to make two lol

Shery:

Her Baking 101 series, intended to introduce her friends to her love of baking and the actual art and science that goes into making these treats!! She tried so hard to make hers cute, even though I think she misunderstood the spirit of a PowerPoint party the same way Blade did and it's not funny at all lol, just earnest and informative!

Riel:

Unlike Shery and Blade, he did understand the intention of this party, he just spitefully chose to disregard it

Chase: he could really only go one of two ways...

(and yes, he DID take screenshots of text conversations or conversations people have had on their social media and WILL be conducting group analysis of the screenshots and whether or not they have any rizz)

or

purely to enrage Riel

Red:

cue groaning and shrieks

He does understand the mission, but he is SEIZING the opportunity to force his friends to sit through a lecture about his special interests with 0 interruptions. His filibuster moment, if you will. He has seized control of the house floor

Ayla:

this would just be a thinly-veiled rant/vent session about all the behaviors that piss her off, like tailgating or not flushing the public toilet after yourself

Briony:

hers would be cute and very high-effort (she'd probably be a canva girl) and surprisingly accurate!!

Lavinet:

Friends and their celebrity lookalikes (plus paired Met Gala looks)--she would be so good at this!! The whole presentation would be immaculate!

Halek:

make no mistake, this is a roast. it's also barely legible. he did not put any effort into the graphic design

Spoilers

spoilerific question here, but the Voices tell MC that they were crafted. were they physically based off of MC's adoptive parents? the narration mentions that MC shares physical traits with their mom, so I was wondering if that was the case!

The gods basically made MC the way we make characters in a character creator, though perhaps “through a mirror dimly” or with a vague, abstracted air of throwing some features together: they haven’t always looked the same across several of these resets! Any resemblance they share with their mom was either coincidence or the hopeful beliefs of a family who wanted to belong to each other!

Hi! For the Ascendency festival, for the characters that MC doesn’t go with; who do they end up going with/ what are they getting up to?

Hi, good question! There are a lot of potential configurations here, since the numbers would alter according to who went with MC, but here's a quick breakdown:

If they didn't go with MC, they went with...

Blade: no one, he probably worked overtime or went to bed early LMFAOOOO. Maybe Trouble would be able to drag him out with some others, but it'd probably take some manhandling and a pinch of physical violence! Blade's not a big fan of crowds and ✨ general frivolity ✨ unless it's with the aim of spending time with someone specifically!

Trouble: assuming one of them wasn't occupied with MC, he probably would have gone in a group with Ayla, Briony, Red, and Chase! Could have also gone with Tallys and Shery, which I think would have been cute. He also could have gone with some random other friends he's made in the Shepherds: he's a popular guy and knows a ton of groups within the rank and file. Basically whoever snagged him on the way out!

Tallys: she would have gone with Shery; or Shery, Riel, and Halek, if somehow that group miraculously formed. Team introvert!! However, she would have only gone if asked; if left to her own devices (and if not specifically inviting MC herself), I think she would have stayed in/ignored that the whole thing was happening, it being the basis of Autarchy propaganda, and all. 😅

Shery: she would have gone with Tallys; or Tallys, Riel, and Halek; or she might have even gone with Caine, in a sad alternate world where none of the adults asked her or indicated they wanted to go (which would have never happened, tbh!). She wants to go to the festival but is too shy to go by herself, and doesn't want to impose on the others if they didn't feel like going!

Riel: honestly if he didn't go with MC, he also probably would have tried to catch up on work LOLLLL or possibly in a specific scenario, he was dragged out of his office and convinced to "take a walk" and "take in the air" for a bit with Tallys, Shery, and Halek! Aerin already blasted off with her own fun plans for the evening, so it'd be up to them to dig him out of there XD

Chase: I could see multiple scenarios; he probably would have gone with Trouble, Ayla, Briony, and Red; he might have gone with some of his thieves, like Ari and Kato (but it also might have felt like 'work' because they'd feel all itchy with the many opportunities to pickpocket people and he'd have to be the 'good law-abiding leader' and tell them not to do it); or he might have just gone by himself and gotten up to his own mischief, just depends on how circumstances fell into place!

Red: he would have either gone with the Trouble-Ayla-Briony-Chase group, or tagged along with the Tallys-Riel-Shery-Halek group if he happened to amble out of his workshop on their way out, or he would have gone with Pan and Neon and some Circle friends; he had a lot of invitations, so it just would have depended on the scheduling and his mood!

Ayla: she would have gone with Trouble, Briony, Red, and Chase, or maybe even with some other tentative friends she's made in the Shepherds if the others weren't available for some reason, but she wouldn't have felt as comfortable and probably would have made an excuse to dip out early in the latter case!

Briony: she would have gone with the Trouble-Ayla-Red-Chase group first and foremost, and if that fell through then she would have gone with Group Introvert (and stuck out like a sore thumb lmao--she's like vibrating with excitement and all of them are just like 🙂 or 😑), or she would have gone with some Circle Mages she befriended, or some other Shepherd officer friends! She can basically seamlessly attach herself anywhere, so she'd have had no shortage of places to go, though they'd have to be prepared to handle her energy because this is the first festival she's ever been to!!! In her memory, anyway!

Lavinet: I left Lavinet out of a lot of the above configurations because, honestly, if she didn't go with MC, I fully see Lavinet taking advantage of the festival to network with her non-Shepherd connections, which she's making good use of now that she's settled in Haven. The likeliest possibility is that she would have gone out with a group of young nobles like Alystair and his cohort, Prihine and her friends (if alive), etc.--she certainly would have received those kinds of invitations, and would have answered them if she didn't go with MC. So she was probably out with noble friends, but in some other scenario, I could also see her joining/organizing a party of herself, Shery, Briony, Tallys, and Ayla as a kind of girls' trip through the festival!

Halek: he would have gone out with the aforementioned party, or probably tagged along with the Red, Neon, Pan group if they weren't around. He doesn't really want to bother with the crowds but he wants to sample all of the festival food LOL

Caine: he was out for a while with his friends, but they had curfews, so he was back in the compound with two other friends by the time the fireworks started!

#tellmeverything

who has the harden stats (i lowk forgot who did beside chase blade briony) and what does hardeninfg do or change?

All of the characters have harden stats, and at this point, all of them have had opportunities to add or subtract from it, too! The hardening mechanic has been discussed a few different places, including here  and in past Q&As. If you’ve ever played Dragon Age: Origins, this is where the name for the stat comes from, though it works a bit different conceptually—they basically only share the name. In short, “hardening” a character in Shepherds doesn’t mean “making them literally hardened/toughened/thick-skinned”—it means influencing their base personality or shoring up certain character traits they have. Think of it like, um, a butterfly in a chrysalis, or a Metapod before it turns into a Butterfree… For example, confronting Tallys about her biases towards Norms (in a convincing and persuasive way) can increase her harden stat. Encouraging Briony to look into her past or Shery to become more assertive does the same. In the inverse, reaffirming or encouraging people to keep to the same core personality traits, like telling Trouble not to learn to manage his temper, supporting or joining Ayla in remaining naturally suspicious of the Shepherds/the prospect of stability, or basically telling Chase he can’t or shouldn’t reform his ways all decrease their harden stats. Basically “hardening” a character means encouraging them to grow or change in new ways! I tend to think of it as a good thing, but people are free to disagree: it’s a hidden stat for a reason, and it’s not always required! For some characters, the state of their harden stat influences their endings or what endings are available to them; for others, it only comes into play in very specific scenarios; for still others, it doesn’t influence an ending at all, but can change their flavor text or behavior or choices during the game itself. For example, I think Tallys’s harden stat influences whether or not it’s possible for her and Lavinet to become friends in Chapter 8.5! Some characters’ harden stats are pretty important, whereas some have hardly needed it at all. Hope that all makes sense!

#tellmeeverything This ask isn't like, a desire to be shitty to chase but just curious about his character, if him and MC entered a relationship and he was in love and it started sliding to the toxicity he had with Saya - 'do everything for me, no matter what'" kind of shit, would he allow himself to go through this path again get burnt and suffer or would he instantly dip

He wouldn't instantly dip, but to be honest he would become very very uncomfortable if MC ever started showing shade of Saya, to the point of becoming very triggered by it. His behavior would alter--he would become quiet and more withdrawn and actively uncomfortable. He would seem like a totally different person, less vibrant and open and free-wheeling! To be honest this is where the harden stat would matter: if he's been hardened, he might try to communicate his concerns and feelings to MC and explain why this is not a healthy dynamic for him and open up a discussion about it all. If he hasn't, then I think he would find an excuse to break up with them and then dip!

NSFW

#tellmeeverything NSFW: Would Red be down to do the Deed 👀 in his workshop (Assuming poor Archimetius has been sheltered away)

Absolutely. This is the primary workplace hookup spot for him because he can usually get away with putting a big sign on the door that says DO NOT DISTURB and no one would risk doing it for fear of getting blown up or disturbing whatever eldritch combustible experiment he has going on down there. Meanwhile he's just blowing out MC's back (or getting his back blown out) LOL (also don't worry about scattering his notes, he'll just pick them up later :'))

I love the Q&A's! (NSFW:) Recently, an ask was sent in talking about how using Blade's Commander title in... non-official capacities winkwonk might actually be A Thing for him (and honestly, my MC uses people's titles as terms of affection a lot, so going this step further is chef's kiss). What are some (non-standard) endearments that can be used for the LIs (+Halek/Croelle) that might prompt a more 'intense' reaction than they might initially expect?

Blade: "Commander" pretty much nailed it 🤣

Trouble: I could see him reacting equally intensely to MC calling him by his real name during lovemaking (in a melting, tender way) or in a different but equally intense way to being called "Alder" (something about the inherent bossiness/authority of it does something to him lol)

Tallys: I think MC calling her by an Elvish endearment like "elan" or "mel'ein" (my love, my beloved, my eternal) would make her extra passionate, but more in a sentimental way than in a flustered, blushing way!

Shery: "good girl" or "Sher" 😳

Riel: "master" or "Master Syndran" (especially in the context of roleplay) could really do it for him....... 😳 also possibly Commander or Guildmaster would work too lol!!

Chase: honestly, as much as he's about nicknames and endearments, I don't think anything does it for him like hearing his own name straight from MC's lips! So just hearing "Chase" can drive him wild!

Red: don't try "Archmage" or "Liefred" on him, he'll get all awkward and thrown-off about it, lol! I can't really think of any non-standard endearments that would elicit an unexpected reaction in him. "Professor"??? But again, that's more in the context of roleplay rather than just coming out with that, lol! Mayhaps a "yes, sir" would catch him pleasantly off-guard with how much he liked it.......

Ayla: This is more standard, but hearing "love" in a certain context would pretty much make her melt, like softly encouraging and sweet and safe--it would elicit a lot of reactions from her!

Briony: I think calling her "sweetheart" or "baby" in the right context could definitely turn her on in surprising ways!

Lavinet: "Yes, ma'am" would definitely do it haha!