Week One | Changes & Adjustments

Here is the first open breakdown of the changes coming to Bride of Shadows next month. Some of it will be things we've already discussed in the Darksinger/Duskweaver posts and some will be new stuff I'm sharing for the first time. Feel free to leave feedback, I'm free all evening to answer questions. Only the things I've marked as ★ Debatable ★ are things I'm interested in changing, however I will make a note of any other changes requested or things you think I overlooked. Sorry if there are typos, it's super long.

The Interface

Last night I posted a sneak peak of the new interface on Tumblr. If you haven't yet seen it, here it is:

I still have some work to do on the stat and bondweave pages but I'm leaving those for next week so I know how much time I have to fret over making them pretty. As I mentioned on Tumblr, you'll be able to click on blue text to toggle to a definition, like so:

All fantasy terms will be toggleable so you never have to worry about remembering that duvkrovyr means divine blood or that Draugahav is the name of The Winter Sea. These quality of life changes will make easier reading for you and better writing for me, as I won't have to alternate between terms to ensure readers remember what's what. It'll also lay the groundwork for learning Wyransith. As you learn, more words will be highlighted, allowing you to click to translate them.

Tendencies & Traits

Tendencies will simply be called "traits" henceforth and they've been revamped for the Nightborn version. We'll now have opposed traits, meaning that your personality will be balanced on a 1 to 100 scale. Each trait serves a specific purpose within the story.

Daring / Measured – (Action Trait)
Determines your MC's level of initiative and boldness.

Defiant / Devout – (Faith Trait)
Determines how your MC responds to divine authority and religious norms.

Cynical / Idealistic – (Worldview Trait)
Determines how your MC approaches trust, love, and (to a lesser extent) morality.

Intuitive / Erudite – (Cognition Trait)
Determines how your MC navigates uncertainty, be it through knowledge or instinct.

Stoic / Tender – (Emotion Trait)
Determines how your MC expresses vulnerability and handles emotional closeness.

Provocative / Demure – (Sexual Trait)
Determines how your MC expresses sexual longing.

Just as before, your first few nights will determine your personality. Once it's set, you'll stop gaining opportunities to change your personality apart from at major life events.

✧ Note ✧
While certain traits might give you an edge with a particular love interest, they're designed to be your traits, not tailored to suit a man. This is the only time I will urge you to be good feminists and not let a man define you. I am not writing different personalities for the sake of Serax and Valdricht, but so you can have the type of MC you can see yourself in. They will come to love you for who you are, it might just take a bit longer if your personality conflicts with theirs.

Logic behind the change: The old system just sucked. It was all over the place and it wasn't intuitive when each trait might impact your story. Now your scenes will have simple stat checks that measure the applicable trait and route you accordingly. For example, if you're 80% Measured and 20% Daring, you aren't likely to launch a snowball at Serax's face. If you're 70% Cynical and 30% Idealistic, you might be able to discern that the beggar in Meyrrvik is attempting to deceive you. As such, rather than naively offering her coins as your Idealistic counterpart would, you'll unlock a special conversation with Valdricht.

It will seldom be a simple 51/49 check. Each decision choice will have specific parameters for unlocking it which will align with your character's unique personality. This ensures that you have a consistent internal tone and external behavior.

This also means a narrowing of choices, especially once your personality is set. I will largely be removing arbitrary choices. I want most choices to be meaningful, in that they're going to change something about your character or the way others interact with her. That's why you'll notice a whole lot of choices in early chapters and then very few in later ones. That doesn't mean it will become a completely linear story, you'll still have decisions about life events, questions of morality, and most importantly in romantic conversations.

★ Debatable ★
Feel free to let me know if you think any of these traits miss the mark, just have alternatives to suggest.

Nights & Chapters

Nights will no longer be how we mark updates, they'll instead be Chapters. I wanted to call them Verses but idk if that's too cutesy and it'll confuse/annoy people.

Logic behind the change: An aspect of the story that anyone who follows Mortish lore knows is that the Nights (as Chapters) thing is driving me nuts. With the varying lengths, you might have a Night that's 12,000 words long and another that's 50,000 which is really sloppy. Also, some end in places that aren't full nights, others during days, etc etc. I'll instead be doing a three act structure with a prelude and chapters.

The prelude will focus on building your character's core personality both through your backstory and your early interactions with the ROs. Once your character is defined, you'll transition into Act I: Chapter One.

Chapters are going to be fairly short, between 10,000 and 20,000 words. This will mean I can update multiple times a month and keep the story going at a steady pace.

★ Debatable ★
If you prefer we do a fancier name for chapters, let me know.

Story Routes

There will be two core story routes: Poly Route and Fated Mates Route. You will choose these at the beginning of the story, like so:

The Poly Route will look similar to the story you've already read. Due to plot adjustments I'll be making, you'll have a lot more time in early chapters to flesh out your relationship with Serax and Valdricht, building meaningful bonds with them prior to intimacy. The choice you make in the above screenshot will determine what sort of sex scenes you have. MFM/MMF will be defined via a link to a lengthy explanation in the story, I'm not going to rehash that here, there's a whole post on it.
✧ Follows the Soul-mate Valdricht, Body-mate Serax structure so you'll have logical bonds to each RO.
✧ Pre-sex marriage will not be an option.
✧ Twins Only, you select sex & which LI sires which twin.

The Fated Mates Route is its own beast and will be exclusive to The Nightborn Edition. It will have a lot of parallels in the early chapters but diverge considerably as the story progresses. It's an AU storyline written with a heavy focus on building a deep relationship with Valdricht. Most of the lore and backstories will be shared between the two routes but not all.
✧ Soul-mates w/Valdricht, no romantic bond with Serax. Befriend him or make him a rival.
✧ Pre-sex marriage will be an option.
✧ Single baby & twins will be an option.

Logic behind no Serax MF: Serax isn't equipped to carry a relationship on his own at the beginning of the story. He isn't suited for a solo romance. He needs Valdricht to curb his darker impulses, otherwise the MC won't survive him long enough to love him. His character arc in the Poly Route is deep and nuanced, but you'll hate him before you love him.

Logic behind no MFM route: It's just too much writing. There are so many ways an MFM story can break down into a million story branches, assuming it even functions at the start given the power disparity between Serax and Valdricht. Let me get through the main story line and we can circle back and discuss options.

★ Debatable ★
Single baby drama in the Poly Route. If enough readers really want it I will write it, but it will add a lot of extra writing. Twins in the Poly Route ensures both Serax and Valdricht have a vested interest in the pregnancy and we can focus on the plot rather than partner angst.

On Mothers...

The Weaver and The Dawn Mother will be taking a backseat to two new goddesses. Before I introduce them, let's discuss the new roles each will have.

The Dawn Mother will still be the same goddess and naturally the patron goddess of both the Elodari faith and the vestals. The MC will be raised to believe in her and worship her just like before. However, in her backstory your MC will be able to select a minor goddess that she feels a sense of kinship with, one who reflects her personality and her emotional struggles. This goddess, not The Dawn Mother, will be an integral part of the MC's story.

The Weaver will be a lot less front-and-center. She'll still be in the background pulling the strings, but the MC will be largely unaware of her machinations until much later in the story.

In Summary
✧ No more Weaver orders.
✧ Minimal crying over The Dawn Mother.
✧ Baby/Babies will come as a surprise.

The logic behind the change: The angst with The Dawn Mother always irked me. The MC was literally burned alive crying for DM and she was ignored, then The Weaver comes and gives her a new body and a new life with these hot guys and she's either angsty about The Dawn Mother or still going the process of losing her faith.

I hear you barking religious players. Faith through adversity is an integral part of most major religions, such as in the stories of Job or Ayyub. However, that sort of narrative doesn't make sense in this story because The Dawn Mother is a empty goddess; she's not listening to the MC's prayers, waiting for her to prove herself, and/or rewarding her suffering. I also think this aspect does a disservice to players who are religious, as it essentially punishes them for wanting to play a character of faith with a you-actually-believed-that-sky-mommy-story narrative.

It's just too much on top of everything else that's going on. It makes the MC kind of neurotic, constantly fretting over a ton of baggage when most players want to focus on the romance.

...and Daughters

A lot of readers liked the emotional arc of the Unaligned Zealot and her determination to hold onto her faith despite the pressures of The Weaver or the disparagement of Serax. They also wanted the option to play a character who is both devoutly religious and scholarly. That's not going away.

Likewise, a lot of readers connected with the Heretic MC because they had poor experiences with religion in childhood or because they simply don't care for institutional faiths. These readers will also be represented in the rework.

In many ways, The Zealot and The Heretic were like twins separated by divergent backstories, which is why Selyra and Lirael would be perfect minor goddesses to represent them. They're figures I cut out of the current story, mostly because I underestimated how much readers would enjoy the worldbuilding/lore. With the changes to the DM and Weaver, this is the perfect space for them to take center stage. In your MC's backstory you'll choose which of the twin goddesses you feel the greatest sense of kinship with.

The Silent Oracle | Devotion & Defiance

Selyra is the goddess of memory; the patron goddess of scribes. She was born with the gift of prophecy. As a child her predictions were viewed with admiration and awe, but when it became apparent that nothing could be hidden from Selyra, the gods began to fear her. When one of her prophecies doomed her twin sister, her mother decided it was time to act. In an effort to protect her--or to curb her before she grew too powerful, Elodine sealed her mouth shut, rendering her mute. Forever silenced, Selyra endures as the archivist of the gods, endlessly writing all that was and all that will be.

Devout players who choose Selyra as their patron will consider the pursuit of knowledge to be a high calling. They will be skeptical of those who try to pervert knowledge to suit their aims. They will have a passion for riddles and boundless curiosity, but like their goddess they will never betray a secret. Like Elodine, they recognize that knowledge without restraint is a dangerous thing.

Defiant players who choose Selyra as their patron will crave all things hidden and heretical. They'll seldom accept a story at face value and can't resist prodding until they find the uncomfortable truths behind pleasant fictions. If Elodine's punishment taught them a lesson, it was that even the gods fear knowledge.

The Muse of Misery | Devotion & Defiance

Lirael is the goddess of inspiration; the patron goddess of playwrites, poets, and bards. The twin of Selyra, she was born with the gift of myth. From an early age she could spin fantastic tales, so captivating that the gods would set aside their grievances to gather on Varjotun and listen to her stories. That changed on the day her sister prophesized that all those who heard Lirael's stories would know the deepest miseries. After that, the gods grew fearful of Lirael's tales. Lirael kept silent for a time, but before long a great myth took shape in her mind and she couldn't resist sharing it.

As no one else would listen to her, Lirael descended to the underworld to share her story with Beorath--the god of misery himself. If anyone could endure her tale, it would be the deformed and blighted son of Haardis. Indeed, it was her finest tale yet. It was so divinely captivating that Beorath forgot his pain as he listened. But when Lirael finished her tale and attempted to depart, Beorath imprisoned her, forcing her to continue the story. To ensure she couldn't escape, Haardis locked Lirael away in the deepest chamber of the underworld. There, she was wed to Beorath and must continue spinning her myth until the end of time.

To this day, it is believed that the greatest inspiration must come from profound suffering. Only those who sink to the depths of misery can hear Lirael's voice and receive divine inspiration.

Devout players who choose Lirael as their patron will will revere the creative power. They'll be fascinated by stories, both oral and written. Historical texts and knowledge of what is will matter less to them than fiction and fantasies. Oftentimes, they'll intuit hidden meanings in tales.

Defiant players who choose Lirael as their patron will view the creative gift as a reward for their suffering. Lovers of subversive tales and skeptics of objective truth, they thumb their noses at those who think they have the answers just because they read something in a book.

✧ Note ✧ These are just the basic interpretations of each goddess per the Elodari faith. Interested readers will be able to learn a lot more about their goddesses. Readers who aren't into lore will be able to focus on other aspects of the game.

The logic behind the change: With Selyra and Lirael serving as proxies for The Dawn Mother and The Weaver, you'll be able to make a character with faith in a deity that aligns with your values but doesn't have to shoulder the burden of your grievances. Like your MC, both goddesses have suffered tragic fates. The Devout/Defiant aspect will allow you to create a vibe that is more Zealot-like and Heretic-like without changing too much about the plot.

★ Debatable ★
I'm not sure how much there is to debate yet, imo wait and see how it's implemented.

Intimacy & Semi-structured Gameplay

Not too much changing here. As I've mentioned before, pregnancy is the core of the plot and the story is focused on getting your MC pregnant sooner rather than later. However, it's also not intended to be a smut game (rather, a game with smut) so there will be an increased focus on relationship building in early chapters. The previous nights are being expanded, giving you more scenes to get to know the guys and build a relationship and chemistry with them.

The Poly Route will have sex prior to reaching Meyrrvik. The Fated Mates Route will have sex after reaching Meyrrvik. Your sex scenes will be tailored to your MC's Sexual, Emotional, and Action traits. If you forgot what those are: scroll up.

Once you leave Meyrrvik, you'll fall into a routine with the love interests. You'll become familiar with the rhythms of their days and nights, and help with the day-to-day tasks. You'll be able to develop hobbies that align with your personality, such as reading, storytelling, and crafts. You can even give hunting a try, assuming you're in good enough with Serax that he'll risk pissing Valdricht off.

You'll also have the opportunity to learn Wyransith. Learning the language isn't as arbitrary as it might seem. It's the language of the gods, as Valdricht will surely inform you, and it'll be handy in later chapters.

Finally, you'll be able to choose which love interests you spend time with, be it in conversation or in intimacy. Not all chapters will have detailed sex scenes, most will be fade-to-black. Each in-game week will have a fully detailed sex scene. These scenes won't be there for the sake of sex, but rather to develop the relationships through sexual compatibility. We'll talk more about that later.

Previously I referred to these as "unstructured" nights but there will be some structure to them. They're not a free-for-all and the things you do may influence future events.

Every few chapters you'll have a more structured chapter, which will be long and plot heavy. As an example, the pregnancy reveal will be on a longer chapter where the plot will be mostly linear apart from things you decide to say. It won't be 'omg-im-pregnant and now I'll decide if I'm going to read a book on Mergalti philosophy or practice the flute.'

★ Debatable ★
You can advocate for less traditionally-feminine/potentially dangerous hobbies, but you'll be arguing with Valdricht, not me. Good luck convincing the 2,000-year-old demigod that his precious mate and the mother of his unborn child is going to spend her nights learning how to sword fight or track sithrak.

A Tale of Two Maidens

Once upon a time there were two lovely maidens who began playing Bride of Shadows. One was seeking a spellbinding fantasy romance with toe-curling intimacy and roguish anti-heroes with whom she could weave a beautiful story. The other was seeking a pair of villains to bind her and shove a nice, thick story down her quivering throat.

Now, there's a story for both with Dark Maiden Mode! For readers who like their romances dark and their love interests scary, you can play Dark Maiden Mode, which will be exclusive to The Nightborn Edition. DMM will strip the veneer of civility from Serax & Valdricht. Sex will come before love, and love will look a whole lot like Stockholm Syndrome.

There are a heap of caveats that are non-negotiable, at least for now. It's exclusively MMF. I won't be writing a different version for MFM sex or the Fated Mates Route. Your choices will be much narrower. Your personality traits will have minimal impact on the story. It is ideal for players with a submissive kink. While I won't be writing anything illegal or that will violate Itch's platform rules, the romance won't just be taking a back seat--it'll be tied up in the trunk. It's going to have a double trigger warning and I will not accept complaints about it because if you click it then you're going to take what I'm giving you and keep your dirty mouth shut.

The logic behind the change: Dark Maiden Mode will scratch the itch for players who want a dark romance that doesn't pull punches. The regular storyline will still be dark fantasy romance, just not excessively fucked up. All the normal trigger warnings will apply, but the guys will be nicer and the romance will be a priority. If Dark Maiden Mode alarms you, you're probably a well-adjusted person. Please don't read it.

★ Debatable ★
You can advocate for a DMM on the Fated Mates storyline. I won't write it yet, but I'll add it to my list potential storylines for later.

★ Special Requests ★
My Anon asks are open on Tumblr. You can go there, hide your identity and ask for a specific kink you'd like included in DMM. I won't know who you are, so feel free to be weird. I won't answer it publicly, I'll just make a note of it. If it's a kink I like or am interested in exploring, I'll incorporate it.

The Lorehall

In the menu, you'll be able to access a special archive that will contain maps and lore of the world. Everything from calendars to pantheons--I'll be dumping all of my worldbuilding fundamentals in there. Note, I said fundamentals. It'll be up to you to discern fact from fiction, as much of the information will take the form of excepts from various Elovyrian authors. They'll have their tones, prejudices and biases, and writing styles. If you want to learn more about Elovyr or like me you got a copy of D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths from a thrift store as a kid and it re-wired your brain, you'll love it.

In Conclusion

Well this took basically all day to write, but I think it's pretty comprehensive. Darksinger/Duskweaver members can look forward to checking out the new prologue next Friday. I think it goes without saying, but your save games won't carry over, you'll be starting from scratch. Now that I'm writing full-time (thank you, patrons!) I intend to blaze through the first few chapters and get you caught back up ASAP.

While the changes seem like a lot, each one (apart from DMM) is designed to cut out what is unnecessary, improve upon what's good, and ensure we're getting new chapters every week or two. I think once you have the new demo in hand, the improvements will be evident. As always, I'm grateful for your support and I hope you like what's on the horizon.

-Mortish