corvus-witchcraft

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It’s safe to assume Callum won’t ever come back right? Like physically, or in this case spiritually. I mean, MC is dead but broski over there is dead dead. And I’d probably shit my pants if I just see ghost Callum walking (or floating) around doing who knows what.

Fun fact: due to not having bodies, ghosts can't excrete bodily waste!

Therefore, you won't have to worry about shitting your pants if you ever see ghost Callum, which means it is indeed safe to assume he won't come back.

That assumption may or may not be correct, but you can still make the assumption without fear!

Sometimes, being dead has its perks.

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Maybe the real Secret RO was the friends we made along the way!

Wow, please don't post spoilers, it's supposed to be a surprise!

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When are you going to confirm Charlotte as Secret RO? 😩

Right now!

Just kidding, the secret RO is actually Chloe. But don't worry, I'm sure you'll come to love her just as much!

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make callum a spirit too so my MC can hurl insults at him while simultaneously wanting to kiss him super bad /j

Fun fact: unless you're in a magically resonant world like Alfheim, ghosts can't touch each other either!

You could hurl insults at him all you want, though.

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Can mc adopt Valerie🥹

Legally? No, Valerie is an adult.

Also, you're dead.

Symbolically? I guess you can think of your relationship with her that way. Age gets kind of fungible when you're a ghost, so while some MCs may still think of themselves as young adults (hence why Valerie is an RO), you can think of your MC as feeling their age, and therefore being of appropriate metaphorical adult adoption age.

Of course, that might make things weird if you try to romance anyone else, but I suppose stranger family units have happened!

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Just got back to the harsh reality after taking my time to savor the update (and reread everything as it had been some time I did so) 😭😭

MC finally got a hug after 800 years 😭😭🥺 (& Val greatly needed one too 🥰)

And the mirror scene 😭😭😭

And being called handsome 😌 So handsome they have to be painted even, MC be winning (🤔 well, at least for the former)

I love Val’s character voice (is that the term?) like yes girl ramble on ! I’m listening (even if my MC sometimes isn’t 🤭) unfortunately my MC will not stop bothering her until she’s tucked in bed to get a full night of sleep 😔 so that won’t end well

(also pin collection buddies 🤝 she won me over so fast)

After surviving bickering duo n°2 (I looove my bickering duos, MC is so over it tho lmao) it was nice to learn more about Kira, she’s such a cool character 🥰

I’m also 👀 at the next memoriam since I imagine the 2 branches should start to be pretty different, I wonder how that’s going to look. I really love how the two stories are intertwined, & the switch are always a mix of « nooo I want to know what happens next » and « yesss back to the others let’s see what other tragedy is going to unfold today »

Wishing you well in writing and in general 🙌

Thanks, I'm glad you're enjoying the story and characters!

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I'm so happy to see you here. Easier for me to follow the updates 😊

One thing i would like to clear up there's only one secret Ro which can be either prince or rowan depending on our choices right ? -sarah

No, I'm afraid those were both joke answers. The real secret RO is actually Sister Adeline.

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God Cortez is such an asshole 🙄 (I want him so bad)

My deepest condolences.

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i know that the past character has the ability to "romance" callum and charlotte, but is there anyone else they could build a budding relationship with?

To be clear, there is currently no indication that the MC's relationship will Charlotte will ever be romantic, although it is possible for them to become closer to her. However, if that were ever to lead to romance, it would mean she was the secret RO, and we all know that's not the case, because the secret RO is Rowan Arcturus.

To make clear the distinction, the reason I haven't classified Callum as an RO despite his "romantic" content is that the prologue makes it clear that this relationship will not last and has no positive end state—at least not currently.

To answer the actual question posed, I can't really say with utmost certainty if there will be past opportunities for flings, fleeting courtships, or pseudo-romances besides Callum's, but my inclination is probably not, or at least none that are explored in particular detail.

This doesn't count Prince Willem, of course, who as we all know is the secret RO. The secret RO, as always, is exempt from all other rules, where romance is concerned.

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Hello, sorry if this have been ask before but judging from ur profile which is bloodborne (correct me if I'm wrong) do u enjoy the game? And so far what souls game is ur favourite? (P.S bloodborne was my first intro to the souls series and I'm both traumatized and in love with the genres 😂👌🏻)

Yep, Bloodborne is one of my favorite games, and easily my favorite of the From titles specifically. While I myself mostly work in the fantasy genre, I find the dark, Gothic aesthetic very compelling—maybe, if you look very closely, you can tell.

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"Well—" Valerie starts.

"I wasn't asking you." Cortez focuses his attention on you. Of course.

"Actually, I think Valerie can sum it up just fine."

This option actually makes the Magus deduct his respect towards the Ghost? Is it alright to ask why, or is he really such a asshole? Does this have some kind of secret implication?

There's a hidden variable that tracks Cortez's opinion of and trust in Valerie, which can be directly or indirectly affected by your choices.

In this case, if his opinion of Valerie is low, he'll cut her off, because he doesn't trust her to provide a cohesive summary. If it's very low, as it appears to be in your playthrough, he'll refuse to accept her answer even if the MC tries to defer to her.

Given these parameters, he loses respect for the MC in this scenario because he believes that their faith in Valerie is misplaced, and it makes him less likely to trust their judgment generally.

I'll leave it for you to decide how much of an asshole you feel that makes him.

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wait a minute. am *i* the secret RO??

Yes.

I'm sorry you had to find out this way, but I'm glad we can finally be honest about it. Everyone look forward to Anonymous's route, it's an emotional one!

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Content Warning

Stuff depicted in uploaded chapters:

Semi-graphic violence, mass death, and war

Intense, traumatic scenarios

Possible suicidal ideation (depending on player choices)

Moderate profanity (f-word and below)

Classism, sexism/chauvinism, mentions of other prejudicial attitudes

Mental and emotional child abuse (mostly, but not exclusively, limited to accounts rather than onscreen depictions)

Bullying and harassment

Mental illness, including (but not necessarily limited to) depression, anxiety, narcissism, bipolar disorder, and PTSD

Stuff depicted in future chapters (subject to change/expand):

Transphobia, possible homophobia

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General FAQ

How long will this game be?

The plan is to have ten chapters for each timeframe—both present-day and the medieval-era flashbacks—plus the prologue and epilogue (and Chapter 0, I guess, if you want to count that). Given the length of the game so far and how much more I have left to go, I honestly suspect that the whole game will be somewhere upwards of 1,000,000 words. But we’ll see.

How often do you plan to update?

Honestly, my work ethic is pretty garbage, so expect updates scarcely and sporadically. The day I announce an official update schedule is the day you’ll know that I’ve finally been killed and impersonated.

When will this be finished?

I have no earthly idea. Given the length of the game and the snail-pace at which I’m writing it, probably years from now.

Wait, how do you have a Frequently Asked Questions section when nobody has actually asked you any of these questions?

Hey, I didn’t say people asked me these questions! They’re frequently asked in general! Well, except the ones that are about my game specifically. I guess those are just excuses for me to talk to myself.

Why even bother writing a FAQ when nobody is going to read it, and everybody is just going to ask all these questions anyway?

So I can shame people for not reading it, I guess. Consider yourself one of the lucky few to avoid this ill fate.

Setting FAQ

Where does Soulbound take place? Do real-life countries exist, and is Stillport in one of them?

The world that Soulbound takes place in is technically fictitious, but it's still essentially a version of Earth, and (at least in the modern day) a pretty close approximation of the world we live in. The countries in our world probably don't exist in exactly the forms we're familiar with, but since international politics aren't really relevant to the present-day storyline, I don't feel particularly inclined to define that one way or the other. I guess the best I can give you is that Stillport is probably somewhere in the Soulbound equivalent of the US, just because I'm from there, and therefore all the terminology and dialect in the game will be American. I guess this doesn't really explain why the characters in the past era all talk like modern-day Americans too, when the flashbacks implicitly take place in the equivalent of medieval Europe, but I'm willing to leave that one up to people's suspensions of disbelief.

Shouldn't the MC be speaking Middle English? What about the flashbacks? Why do they all sound so modern?

This is a fair concern, and if I'm being honest, I don't have a great explanation for it, but consider that Middle English would be completely incomprehensible to anyone today. Remember how little you understood of Shakespeare when you first studied it? The MC comes from a time that's even older than that. The alternative on my end is that I could render the MC's speech (and that of all the flashback characters) in vaguely old-timey English—which would most likely resemble language from just a century or two ago, in order to be legible—but this wouldn't really be that much closer to reality, and while it may feel better to some, I honestly don't think it's worth the time and effort it would take on my end to reconfigure all the past characters' speech while still trying to maintain distinct voices and speech patterns for everyone. If it helps, you can assume that the MC picked up on the evolution of their language over time, and their memories of their past are filtered through this new perception—which is perhaps a tad implausible, but personally, I consider this an acceptable break from reality, like aliens in a sci-fi story all speaking English, or my above point about how Soulbound's universe is arbitrarily similar to ours despite featuring different countries.

How does magic work? Can anyone learn magic? Can I?

This requires a more complex answer than I can give right now (there's some optional exposition about this in-game, if you're still interested by then), but the long and short of it is that magic flows through all people, but only people born with the "gift" can learn to actually harness it. As a ghost, you're sort of an exception—since your current state of existence is inherently magical in nature, as is the bond you form with Valerie, you'll gain the option to learn a limited selection of magical effects, including a few that approximate what one could consider "spells".

What do the magical specialties mean? Are there different kinds of magic?

This information will be covered in optional info dumps in Chapter II of the story. The short answer, though, is that there are twelve schools of magic—Conjuration, Transmutation, Dispersion, Direction, Conversion, Disruption, Divination, Apparition, Vexation, Amplification, Animation, and Affliction—sorted into four branches of three schools each, known as the Weave, the Whelm, the Will, and the Wight, which correspond to the elements of matter, energy, thought, and life/soul, respectively. Mages have different strengths and weaknesses when it comes to the various schools of magic, and while all mages are theoretically capable of mastering any or all of the schools, most specialize in one and dabble in two or three others (often, but not always, within the same branch). For example, Cortez is a master of Direction, but he's also proficient in Conversion and Disruption, all three of which are schools in the Whelm branch.

Game FAQ

How do I get ___ to like me? I'm always nice/supportive with them, but their relationship stats aren't going up!

It's definitely possible that it's a bug or misjudgment on my part (even I make mistakes sometimes!), but it's also worth considering the possibility that being nice or supportive just isn't what the character wants or needs in that scenario. Every character is different, and the simplest solution isn't always the correct one—not everyone wants mindless praise, for example. My recommendation is to take some time and put some thought into figuring out who each character is and what kind of behavior they'd likely be receptive to. This might take some trial and error when you're first getting to know someone (not everyone is open with their feelings, after all), but my hope is that over time, readers will be able to identify patterns in the ROs' tastes on their own. If you're really struggling with this and need some hints, though, feel free to make a query on the subject and maybe I'll give you some pointers…if I'm feeling generous.

How do I romance ___? How does romance work in general?

So, romance is in the early stages of development right now, and some changes could still happen. It's also a little complicated compared to other systems you might be used to! But for those interested in the nitty-gritty, the way I'm currently implementing it is this: There are three stats that relate to romance with a given character: the flirt stat, which measures how often you flirt, and two attraction stats, one that measures your attraction to the character in question (as determined by your choices), and one that measures their attraction to you. The three stats are technically independent from one another; flirting won't necessarily increase either attraction stat, for example. Generally speaking, the first attraction stat (MC to RO) will change the way the narration describes the character in question and unlock flirting options. The second attraction stat (RO to MC) can be increased in many ways, flirting only being the most obvious—but sometimes, just being nice can increase an RO's attraction to the MC. Increasing this stat will never actually lock you into a romance, but some of the ROs might develop crushes on you even if you didn't necessarily intend for them to. (Sorry for the people who don't like this. But don't worry, you can let them down easy!) ROs will respond differently to the MC depending on their attraction stat, as well as how often the MC has flirted with them, but I should note this: neither of those stats are actually necessary to initiate the romance. My plan is for the MC to make a final choice on whom to romance in Chapter IX (you won't be locked in, or out of, any of the romances before this). If the RO in question has a high enough attraction stat at this point, you're set; if not, the RO will either reconsider their feelings toward you and realize that they might like you after all (if you then pass a stat check based on their relationship values), or they'll, well, reject you. Hopefully, this system will work well enough that the latter won't happen too often. The secret RO, of course, is an exception to all these rules, because that romance is structured differently from all the other romance paths. But that's all I'm going to say on that front for now!

So romance is going to be slow-burn, then?

I guess so. I'm aware that's not everyone's preference when it comes to romance, but it's the only kind I have even the remotest idea how to write, so it's what I'm sticking with.

Why are some of the romances gender-locked?

Because I write my characters with canon sexualities. I understand why some people don't like this, but it's how I prefer to do things, and that's probably never going to change. Sorry if that's not your cup of tea.

Will the secret RO be similarly restricted by gender?

No, the secret RO is pan.

Who is the secret RO, anyway?

Well, it wouldn't be very "secret" if I just told you—

It's Callum, isn't it?

Uhh, I mean, I'm not definitively ruling that possibility out, but—

What about the villain? Can I romance the villain??

I haven't even said who the villain is in this post!

But can I romance them??

… Maybe.

Oh man, I love violent, unhealthy romances with selfish, homicidal bad guys! I can't wait!!

…Well, you'll have to. Also, that's not a question.

Hey, can I be the selfish, homicidal bad guy? I'm so sick of all these games that force you to play as a decent, reasonable person who doesn't kill or manipulate anyone!

…Uh. Right. Apparently a lot of people feel this way? Which is, you know, completely normal and not at all unnerving. In all seriousness, though, I guess my answer would be…sort of. There will never be an option to play a sociopathic, serial-killing psycho. (Apologies to all the serial killers reading this.) The protagonist is fundamentally written as a character who believes (or once believed) in something, and their entire backstory is fueled by an innate desire to right perceived wrongs in the world. However, there will be options later in the game that could be considered "evil" in the deontological sense, where you can go against the conventional definition of "good" and make selfish, extreme, or even ruthless decisions—and people might die as a result. Hopefully that's close enough to satiate your bloodlust!

Will you make ___ an RO?

The only ROs, now and in the future, are the ones mentioned in the "Romanceable Companions" post—nobody else will be "made" into one. If the character you're asking about isn't one of the six main companions, your best bet is to hold onto that desperate glimmer of hope that maybe, just maybe, the object of your desire will happen to be the secret RO.

Speaking of which, who is the secret RO? Is it—

Next question!

Will there be any poly options?

No. Romance in general is already pretty far outside my wheelhouse, so I don't expect this to change in the foreseeable future, either.

What about sexual content?

Probably not. There might be some implied sex, but definitely nothing explicit.

Why are all these questions about romance?

Because that's what people on Tumblr care about, I guess!

But there's stuff in this game besides romance, right?

Yes, very much so. Romance is 100% optional, and even in the romance paths, the explicitly romantic content will actually comprise a pretty small percentage of the game. Buuuut, I know a lot people like to plan their whole playthroughs around who they'll eventually end up with, so I'm fine with clarifying stuff on that front.

Like who the secret RO is? I'm really hoping it's a bad guy—

Oh, look, it's the end of the FAQ!

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Valerie Castella

Direct link for 360 view

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Callum Vance

Age: Same as you Gender: Male Magical Specialty: Animation (AKA Spirit Magic) Appearance: Pale. Average build, on the tall side. A mop of black hair that naturally looks good, even though he does nothing to style it. Stormy gray eyes that later start to swirl with black as his magical power increases. Kind of a pretty boy. Wears dark clothing.

Your most loyal companion, until he wasn't. Secretive, irreverent, and smug since the day you met him, and yet he never gave you a reason to truly distrust him, until the day he slaughtered half your army and ripped your soul out of your body.

Worse, you can't help but notice that the recent attacks on Stillport bear an eerie similarity to his style of magic…

Charlotte Townsend

Age: One year younger Gender: Female Appearance: Fair skin. Slight build; short as a teenager, but later undergoes a growth spurt and becomes rather tall. Thin face, delicate features. Long wavy strawberry blonde hair, light green eyes. Tends to wear greens and blues. Likes frilly, feminine clothing, sometimes to the point of impracticality.

Callum's childhood sweetheart, and a royal pain in your ass for a significant portion of your life. Pompous and elitist, and possibly the most stubborn human being you have ever encountered in over 800 years of existence.

You feel like you've forgotten a lot about her over the years…or maybe you're just willfully blocking her out of your memory.

Dyren of Landry

Age: Six years your junior Gender: Male Appearance: Fair skin. Lanky, tall. Extremely unkempt blond hair. Blue-gray eyes. Generally looks gaunt and poorly-rested. Dresses simply.

Your best scout, despite his relative youth. Somber and skittish, and perennially distrustful of magic—not helped by his persistent animosity with Callum.

He really looked up to you, until you got him killed.

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Valerie Castella

Age: 23 Gender: Female Magical Specialty: Transmutation Romanceable by: Any gender Appearance: Fair skin. Average height and build. Shoulder-length auburn hair, hazel eyes flecked with silver, with round glasses. Wears a fancy cap at a jaunty angle, and an olive-green jacket with several pins attached to it, over a plaid flannel shirt. Generally looks like she tried to blend 'trendy' with 'hipster' and ended up with something that didn't quite accomplish either one.

An impulsive and excitable young mage with a penchant for biting off more than she can chew—and your soulbound companion, for better or worse.

Haphazardly self-taught, which makes her staunch confidence in her abilities troubling at best and life-threatening at worst (that second one is the part that concerns you).

Not as smart as she thinks she is.

Rawlin Cortez

Age: 32 Gender: Male Magical Specialty: Direction (AKA Telekinesis) Romanceable by: Male and female Appearance: Light brown skin. Tall, lean. Well-groomed black hair with a Van Dyke goatee, dark brown eyes swirling with a hint of purple. Wears a dark blue suit at all times, accompanied by a magus cloak while on magical business.

A cool and confident magus, savvy negotiator, and typically the most capable person in any given room. The current head of the illustrious Cortez family of magical adepts, despite being the youngest of his generation.

Exactly as smart as he thinks he is, and not afraid to show it.

Kira Watanabe

Age: 28 Gender: Female Magical Specialty: Witchcraft Romanceable by: Female only Appearance: Unusually pallid skin. Average height, unhealthily thin. Long black hair, deep red eyes. Wears a long black gown with feathers adorning her shoulders, and a wide-brimmed witch hat that crooks at the tip. Frowns often.

A surly and fastidious witch who rarely interacts with other people, and would very much prefer to keep it that way.

Despite her relative youth, she earnestly believes that the "old ways" of magic are better, and still insists on mixing her potions in cauldrons, making dangerous contracts with otherworldly beings, and generally being as feared and misunderstood as humanly possible.

She is never too far from her imp familiar, Qolvar, which is frankly all the company she needs, thank you very much.

Merrow

Age: Unclear Gender: Male Magical Specialty: Apparition (AKA Illusion) Romanceable by: Any gender Appearance: Fair skin. Tall and wiry. Intentionally messy blond hair; eyes are obscured behind a fancy white Venetian-style half-mask. Wears a somewhat ostentatious white suit with gold trim and a cravat.

A mysterious and eccentric masked man who somehow worms his way into your company. Generally regarded as both convivial and melancholic, in more or less equal measure. He seems unusually interested in you, or perhaps he just likes the cut of your jib (he claims it's the latter).

May or may not be harboring a deadly secret.

Dr. Andrei Malikov

Age: 31 Gender: Male Magical Specialty: Theory Romanceable by: Female and nonbinary Appearance: Lightly tanned skin. Somewhat short for a man; average build. Messy ash-brown hair, blue eyes with round glasses. Wears plain, professional clothing that he probably hasn't properly ironed in a while.

A cheeky, enthusiastic physicist and tinkerer who finds himself on the wrong side of history. Nevertheless, a genuinely affable man who passionately believes that there exists an undiscovered theory that can scientifically reconcile magical principles with Newtonian physics.

Always eager to discuss and debate his theories with others, even (or especially) those who disagree with him. Your existence fascinates him more than is, perhaps, entirely healthy.

Det. Farah Kensington

Age: 27 Gender: Female Magical Specialty: N/A Romanceable by: Male and nonbinary Appearance: Dark skin. Above average height, athletic build. Bushy black hair, haphazardly tied back; light brown eyes. Dresses professionally while on the job, but switches to a black leather jacket and scarf when off-duty.

A passionate young police detective who (initially) has no knowledge of magic, but quickly intuits that there's something deeply unnatural about the mass deaths around the city. As such, she has dedicated herself to a one-woman hunt for truth and justice.

Unfortunately for you, her prime suspect at the moment is your hapless partner in crime, Valerie Castella.

Secret RO?

Age: Secret Gender: Secret Magical Specialty: Secret Romanceable by: Any gender (not secret!) Appearance: Secret

In addition to the above six, there will be one (1) secret RO, whose identity shall remain hidden for their own protection. In fact, they may not even be a present-day companion, like the other characters here!

Like many secrets, this one may well defy categorization, even as we scramble to foist the stark burden of identity upon it. Remember, always, that everything I say is a lie.