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Chapter Four is here!

Hey, everyone, it's the 22nd here in Australia, so that means it's time for the public demo update.

You can find Chapter Four, and its various adventures, here.

I really hope you enjoy it. I had fun writing the various plots this time, with their myth references, cameos, and not-so-minor appearances, in some cases. It's a wild world out there, but I hope this brings you a little bit of joy.

Cheers.

P.S. If you'd like to support me as I go, consider joining Patreon. Every little bit helps!

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I don't think anyone actually asked for this, but considering how many people replay the game to try out different routes and Crowns, I have now added a cheat sheet functionality that shows you which choices get you points for which personality trait! Should make it easier to customize your Crown on repeat playthroughs, though of course, for first time players I recommend they play it with the cheat sheet off.

Restart the game from the starting screen, and you should get an option to turn it on or off from the beginning ✨

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Blood of the Living Chapter Three

Hello, everyone!

I’m pleased to announce that Blood of the Living’s public demo has now been updated to include the entirety of Chapter Three, adding a rather large 157,000 words to the game, bringing its total current wordcount to 277,000-ish.

Some features of this new update:

See (or don’t) Demeter

Talk with (or don’t) Iasion, with or without Demeter

Spend some alone time with your RO/PO

This chapter is quite branched, depending on the route you chose in the last game, as many of them will be from here forward. I hope you enjoy potentially-awkward family dynamics and a bit of downtime with the characters.

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Book 4 Demo Spoilers!

I know we’re all excited to see how UB will react to the detective telling them that they are actively dying, but is anyone else kind of hoping that UB will be tricked into believing the detective is actually dead at some point 😶

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My impression of D’s route! I’m so hooked on them

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me, seeing the differences in chapter 12 routes when you choose either to face kham directly or go to the peri trader in disguise:

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being able to potentially befriend alima and getting her to almost smile on a M romance route feels like WINNING

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dashingdon is shutting down at the end of the month - anyone with cs demos should move them over to the new provider manually, or find somewhere else to host them. at the very least, make a backup of your files so they aren't lost forever!

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DEMO - Latest release on 11/15/2024 - Current wordcount 90k.

COG forum 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.

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

Newly divorced from a god, Sigrouney 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.

Artemis: Rebel Reyes - Gender Selectable [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 they have a perfect chance, who better to hunt than the God of War? They can't wait to meet you.

The Old Flame: Harper Ward - Gender Selectable [RO]

A friend from a better time. Harper and you were once inseparable. They saw you at your darkest and kept you calm. Years after an explosive break up they've reemerged into your life far different than you knew them. Can you find the dying embers of your old friend? Is it even worth the pain?

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Hum Kham, girl, what is this?

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this is the cutest concept ever, i need 5000 mg of it injected directly into my bloodstream

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New Chapter Released!

Hello again! Hope your winter has gone well ❄️

With the public release of this new chapter we’re continuing with the Crown's development as a monarch, while romance and courtly intrigue build further:

Friendship scenes to deepen your Crown's relationship with the other characters outside of your main love interest

Diverging paths depending on whether you chose to meet the peri trader in disguise, or arrange a meeting with Kham instead

Within those diverging paths, you will make further decisions on how to handle the peri trader and/or Kham, with big consequences for future chapters

Romance specific scenes, of course, with your chosen love interest!

A and R both have very different scenes for their high romance and low romance routes! D and X romancers are in the clear... for now

If you find any coding errors, typos, pronoun mistakes and such while playing, you can report those through this form! Thank you for all your patience and support, I hope you enjoy the new chapter with the nearing end of 2024 💖

For those that are unfamiliar with the game

A Tale of Crowns is a high fantasy romance story, told in the form of a text-based interactive novel with choice mechanics. The setting is inspired by Kurdish culture as well as other historical settings in the Middle East such as Ancient Persia, but it also draws heavily from other cultures and countries in the region.

Your character is native to Arsur, a vast empire overseen by a single ruler known as the Crown. Unlike traditional monarchies, however, the title is not inherited through blood. Whenever the Crown dies, their famed golden eyes pass on to the one chosen by the Spirits of this world to be the new Crown. In this story, your MC takes on that role.

There are four different love interests to choose from, whose genders will be customized to suit the preferences of your Crown. You can find more info about them on the blog page!

Also note that this current version of the game is safe for those 16 years and older.

Like the premise so far? Play it and give it a try! The entire game is free!

If you enjoyed the game, please reblog! Share it with your friends! Recognition and reader interaction is just about the only thing I get in return for creating it ❤️

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Chapter 12 Release Dates

Hiya, I hope everyone’s been doing well ✨

Here are the estimated release dates for Chapter 12:

Public release: December 28

Patreon tier 1 early access: December 26

Patreon tier 2 early access: December 24

Patreon tier 3 early access: December 19 💕

If anything changes, I’ll let you know, but if delays are necessary then those will only affect the Patreon early access. The public release is definitively on the 28th, so it will drop then no matter what!!

For now, thanks so much for your patience!! 💖

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please tell me, i want to know

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can’t imagine living in a world where authors aren’t allowed to explore darker themes and topics through literature

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Blood of the Living - Demo 1

Hello everyone!

As promised, today I have released the first public demo for Blood of the Living, sequel to Fields of Asphodel.

You can play here.

The demo contains the character creator from FoA, plus a basic 'save creation' system, so that at least some of the flavor text in BotL will reflect your FoA playthrough of choice.

Keep in mind, of course, that only playthroughs that resulted in the Underworld Ending (those where the PC chose to spend half time or more in the Underworld), will be carried into the sequel. The Olympus Ending is a complete story as-is, and the sequel will not continue from it.

Chapters One and Two of the game are both included in the demo, to a total of approximately 120,000 words.

Features:

Tone indicators are making a comeback. You'll have to turn them on from the stats screen, as they are off by default.

A new feature that allows you to more permanently set touch preferences is also available from the stats screen. By default, the game will still periodically inquire whether your inclinations or aversions regarding physical touch have changed, but if you'd rather just set this and forget it, the new option may be for you.

NPC initiative also returns, and is on by default. More information on all these settings can be found in the stats screen, if you're not sure what I'm talking about.

I sincerely hope you enjoy the demo!

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Demo Announcement - BotL

Hey everyone!

The early access cycle for the first demo of Asphodel's sequel, Blood of the Living, begins tomorrow. That means my Patrons get access to it in staggered groups for the next ten days and, importantly, the public release of the demo should take place on Saturday, October 26.

As it stands, the demo consists of a character and 'save creation' system, plus 130,000 words, or the first two complete chapters. I hope you'll look forward to reading it.