#hadea lore

[nyehilismwriting]

is earth still around? like.. do people know about it? do people still live there?

aha . well . so I think previously I've said hadea takes place in an alternate universe where earth never existed, but I've since come around to the decision that that's Dumb. I guess my intent there was not to have to deal with the implications of that - the grieving of a native planet that's been lost, or if it's still around, the implications for culture and nationality and religion in a species that's now spread across space, the way that would interact with human identity when they come up against the bugs...I think there's a lot that deserves to be discussed there, and hadea likely won't get into any of it, which is a shame, but there's only so much I can include.

alternatively, if hadea takes place so far in the future that all trace of earth has been lost, I think....then you've got to tackle things like evolution, and technological advances that don't track with the worldbuilding (galaxybuilding?) of hadea; tech isn't so advanced as to be unrecognisable, and humans are, essentially, still human.

all this to say: I'm ignoring it<3 I think it's fun if earth still exists and people still live there, or perhaps it's preserved as a kind of memorial, but it doesn't hold the cultural and emotional significance for a lot of people that you'd expect it to as the birthplace of humanity.

[employee210]

His voiceclaim is Noel from Ride the Cyclone

NOAH GENTRY / NYNETTE MOULIN

Noah is the softer, less abrasive twin to Marlise. He's more emotionally in tune with less destructive habits. However, he can be quite intrusive and smothering when he's convinced he's in the right. He hates messes and chaos, from the home to his relationships. He's orderly to a fault. Noah is also quite flirtatious and a hopeless romantic. He works as an independent courtesan, but still holds on to the idea of true love.

His tastes are wholly feminine. He loves to cook and bake, and he's nearly an expert at it. He dreams of leaving Hadea with his sister and owning a restaurant/bakery.

He moonlights as a burlesque dancer for clubs such as The Brass Lion and The Sundew Room under the stage name Nynette Moulin. He prefers it over his main job, but it pays significantly less.

[beetlebethwrites]

hi hi! first of all I want to state how much I adore your IF so far, I haven't found many IF that are purely slice of life and I am loving it ❤️ 😍 💖 second! do you have any recommendations for IFs? I've just started moving away from the CoG forums and the content here on tumblr is just 🤌 but I'm not too sure where to start? tysm 😊

I mean, I have so many recommendations tbqh. It's a hell of a list and hopefully, I haven't forgotten anyone by the end. I would say that if you've been around for a hot minute you probably know most of these but I'm old and rarely see new stuff atm because I'm a busy bean so...

Recs under the cut;

@northern-passage is such an easy recommendation for me. I'm not super into your more 'classic' fantasy as a genre but Kit has really built up their characters to be something special. The concept of the hunter is a great one and the branching Kit does is insane. I'm so interested to see where it goes and also ready for it to destroy me emotionally.

I haven't played @speakergame in a little while but the cosy vibes I try to get into YLAF are also here. It's not slice of life but it's similar to that with a heap of supernatural stirred in. I'm also excited for @partiallystarsif, which promises to be a game that I've been wishing someone would write.

Project Hadea by @nyehilismwriting is one of the most top tier sci-fi I've read in a while. It has a great MC, a badass partner in Nash and also BUGS. Again, I'm super looking forward to seeing what happens in the next chapter after that cliffhanger. Shit is about to hit the fan and I am here for it.

@if-eventhorizon is written by actual love of my life Brigid. Event Horizon is your pretty typical crew in space doing stuff they shouldn't be kind of sci-fi and I adore it! Can't wait to find out what everyone has done in their past to be there and unravel the situation. Love it! Brigid is also an incredibly talented artist, also writes @if-closedloop and...

@if-lostbirds is again written by Brigid, and although they profess post-apocalyptic Western sci-fi to be niche, I whole heartedly disagree. I adore the writing in this one, they really did something there and I think everyone will get something out of this one. If you're looking for something a little different with fewer (but super meaningful) choices then this is for you! Also I did convince them to put the big worm back into it so... worm.

For someone who would say she doesn't like a western, @larkin-if is also a bit of me. It's got vampires and cool character dynamics between the Preacher (MC) and their father figure Wyatt. Not to mention the ROs are all really cool. I'm excited to meet Ace in the future but it's the whole plot of attempting to hide your true identity that really hooked me in.

@bodycountgame is currently on a little bit of a hiatus because Nell is super busy with real life 😷 but it's still a stand out fave for me, undoubtedly worth the wait. If you want something that's campy, written in proper British dialect and is basically love island with a hell of a twist then this is for you! I can't recommend body count enough, it's what got me moved way from CoG games and into this little community we have!

@thistooshallpass-if is an IF with some of my favourite characters (not hurt by the fact that thyme is also one of my fave people!) I can't wait to see where it goes as I've been promised angst and knowing them I have no doubt! I'm also mega excited for @writingnights because different takes on supernatural creatures is always fun to me.

When Twilight Strikes by @evertidings is popular for a reason. I'm a few chapters behind but just writing about it has made me want to sit down and catch up! Kristi's characters are fun and feel like people to me with their real quirks, which is always something I enjoy. I can't wait to solve the mystery with this one.

@attollogame is a pretty hard one to describe to me so I'd say just play it? The writing and lore surrounding it is so so solid. It's all pretty much just a vibe, and a good one at that. I am not up to date at all but everyone should be better than me and read it!

Golden by @milaswriting is amazing! It's a supernatural romance game and you can just tell that Mila cares so much about the characters she writes, it really comes through in her writing. She's also over at @milaswrittenworld and I'd encourage a follow all around because she is just a really lovely gem of a person.

I haven't read @ofna in a little while but I absolutely adored what I did read (god knows how many updates ago it was). The writing is amazing and, again, I can't wait to get to solve the mystery 👀

I've undoubtedly forgotten so many but these are ones that come to my covid addled mind 😅 I hope this is a good starting place for you, anon 💛

[northern-passage]

Love your writing! I’ve played a few IFs and very few of them stand out in terms of quality: A compelling plot, three dimensional characters, an enjoyable MC, and relevant player choices. Yours is one of them!

Do you have any favorite IFs?

thank you so much!!

since i've started writing, i haven't really been reading IFs like i used to, and there are a lot of newer games that i haven't had the chance to play, and others that i've not had the time to catch up on. but here are some of my favorites, in no particular order:

god of the red mountain by @friendlybowlofsoup - i love this game so much. there is a lot of replayability here and i love the setting & the huge cast of characters. i could go on and on but honestly just go play it if you haven't!

diaspora by @diasporatheblog - another game with a lot of replayability and a lot of really interesting characters. the opening of this game has always stuck with me. also the game design itself is something i aspire to with tnp.

virtue's end (18+) by @crimsiswrites - my fellow monster hunter... another game where i really love the setting, and the worldbuilding with helvlings and their keepers. currently undergoing a rewrite, & i recommend checking out all the info on the blog before playing through the old demo.

project hadea (18+) by @nyehilismwriting - every time i read this game i get an uncontrollable urge to write sci-fi and watch alien. writing is very compelling and i love the alien designs, refreshing to actually see something... alien!!

scout: an apocalypse story by @anya-dev - i am behind on updates (sorry fake fan) but i love scout so much, one of the few games where i really love all of the companions, also we all know i am weak for friends to lovers.... i also really love apocalypse stories that feel... hopeful? and that are about community, rather than individual survival.

crosshollow foundations by @townofcrosshollow - i love the character creation in this one, and i love being an "observer" and guiding the characters in their choices. i've linked crosshollow's itch.io page here because jasper has a few other games that revolve around the universe of crosshollow.

snakeroot & walk with me by @cerberus-writes - cer has such a beautiful way with words... he knows this i scream about his writing all the time & i can't recommend them enough. snakeroot is a modern horror fantasy, another fellow monster hunter! walk with me is a bit different, with bitsy gameplay, where you take a walk and have a conversation with a god.

a tale of crowns (16+) by @ataleofcrowns - another game i am unfortunately not up to date on (i’m so sorry) but i did stay up super late reading the first three or four chapters all at once! a really great fantasy game with a refreshing setting and a really great cast of characters. also love the attention to detail and the small touches that go into personalizing the crown.

body count (18+) by @bodycountgame - oh this game is so fun, fun writing, fun characters, a fun premise! this is actually my favorite kind of modern horror, where a group of fun young adults are off to have a cute adventure or something but then... something terrible happens! murder! maybe an unexpected twist or two! also i love bad reality television so like... truly it’s perfect.

a limber love by @copperspines - ohh i love this game, i’ve played through for all seven endings and i just love speculative horror fiction like this. good atmosphere and i love the illustrations.

the spirited: origins by @yuveim - my other favorite kind of modern horror: ghost hunting!!! really good horror writing in this, and i’m excited to see how the relationships between all the characters unfold going forward, and how exactly we’re going to deal with the whole demon thing...

the exile (18+) by @exilethegame - another game where i really like the character customization and the worldbuilding, and no one should be surprised i like playing characters like the commander. this game has a lot of replayability and lots of secrets to uncover.

blood moon (18+) by @barbwritesstuff - werewolves, ghosts, and vampires, oh my! updates when the moon is full (yes i am behind on this one barb writes so fast it’s insane). a great cast, lots of choices and branching and replayability. werewolves are the superior supernatural love interest and i will die on this hill.

the goodfellows & creature’s cradle by @thecuriouseye - the goodfellows is so interesting, again the worldbuilding and lore in this one is just chef’s kiss!! dark fantasy with giant monsters and heavy consequences. creature’s cradle is a supernatural post-apocalyptic story with zombies, vampires, werewolves, and more. the current demo is short and sweet but i’m excited for more.

boundary pass by @boundarypass-if - as someone who has worked as both a park ranger and a forest ranger, this game really gets me. i love the kind of horror you can only experience when you’re alone out in the wilderness....

when it hungers (16+) by @roast-ifs - i love the setting of this one: fantasy 1910s. really cool species available for character customization, and some good horror writing. i love the team dynamic of the main cast, and how the main character struggles to find their place in it without their memories.

greenwarden by @fiddles-ifs - yet another fantasy horror game! modern setting this time. really interesting main character, with a past that seems to be haunting them... but right now there’s a mystery to be solved and a monster to track.

contrition by @nihilnovisubsole - i’ve recommended this one before but i really love it, the atmosphere, the writing, everything about it... it’s stuck with me and it’s a great read.

this is by no means a complete list of IFs i enjoy but hopefully there is something new for you in here that you like. i’m sure i’m forgetting some that i will curse myself for later... there’s a lot of talent in the IF community and there are a lot of new stories just getting started that i just haven’t had the time to read, but you can always browse my other games tag for newer intro posts as well.

[employee210]

How can I get to know more about Mar and her story/lore etc?

You can ask questions! I have a toyhouse but her bio there is an au version of her for my fictional town Hadea

[nyehilismwriting]

Within the Project are there rivalries between operators with different specializations? Do techs have to deal with the dreaded “In English (or whatever language they speak), nerd” whenever they talk? Low effort “combat specialists are dumb” jokes?

while the specializations are mechanically distinct in the game, they're not actually representative of separate "classes" of operative - you're all operatives, and you all have different strengths which inform how and where you're deployed, and for which types of mission.

there's definitely a certain amount of ribbing, but it's more personal than a general stereotyped "combat specialists are idiots" (which. also. in a world of highly advanced technology and weapons development, having the capacity to use, maintain, adapt and modify a wide range of weapons is nothing to sneer at, intellectually) - for example, people will take the piss out of nash for their driving, but no-ones calling them a coward for being a sniper, yknow??

[nyehilismwriting]

What sort of calender is used in the PH universe? I assume the humans bugs use different calenders, but how different? How many days are in a year?

ohohoho. SO, much like there is standardised language, there is a standardised calendar, which is used for interplanetary trade and communications, as well as applying to long-haul space travel ("days" don't mean much when you're not orbiting a sun, but you still need to keep track of units of Time as relative to yourself and your crew). this standard calendar is, like ours, base-60 - 60 seconds in a minute, 60 minutes in an hour, 24 hours in a day (largely because if i say anything else here i'll immediately forget and then make some glaring error later on) but galactic years are standardised to 12 30-day months - 336 days per year.

individual planets have their own calendars, since they still need to keep track of seasons, tidal events, and relative time; for a lot of societies, galactic time is exclusively used to align with other planets, and doesn't feature in day to day life.

[employee210]

the worst bitch on the planet

JEREMY KUBIAK / ARI BLACKBURN

Ari is, by all means, a charismatic leech. He carries himself with a devil-may-care attitude that has gotten him in trouble with relationships and the law. He's a pathological liar that weaves intricate stories to get people to do what he wants. One of his many lies is that he's an anomaly, specifically part vampire. But the only vampire he is is an emotional vampire, draining people of their happiness and funds until he dumps them and moves on to another victim. All of his friends are either gullible, young, or just as degenerate as him.

[nyehilismwriting]

I'm sorry if you've answered this before, but is there any art of the bugs? I keep imagining Garrus from Mass Effect with a tail in my mind but I can't tell if it's accurate :^/

all the art of them should be in the bug lore tag! you could also check the hadea fanart tag, but bug lore will get you there faster :-)

[hadea]

DIRECTORY

LORE / LOCATIONS

SPECIES

CHARACTERS

HADEA IS AN EXPERIMENTAL, FICTIONAL CITY SET BETWEEN 2000-2005. IT HAS MANY SPECIES WITH THEIR OWN SOCIO-POLITICAL CONTEXTS. FEEL FREE TO EXPLORE AND ASK QUESTIONS.

CAUTION: THIS WORLD AND THIS BLOG CONTAIN ADULT THEMES AND POTENTIALLY TRIGGERING CONTENT. PLEASE DO NOT ENGAGE IF YOU ARE A MINOR

[nyehilismwriting]

How does everyone view their own gender? What are their ✨feelings✨ towards themselves (and maybe about how the world views them) on that matter? Like, we know that Rhaxa doesn't really fit on the whole human gender spectrum and just uses they/them for convenience, but what about everyone else?? Has Leanna or Ki-ha ever questioned their own gender?? Spill the teaaa 😔✋

ough okay. got long and rambly so putting individual character breakdowns below the cut <3

as a rule, i think the hadea world falls somewhere between contemporary western society and an idealised future in terms of gender roles, misogyny, and transphobia. while nonbinary and trans identities are far more widely accepted and normalised as a whole, it’s a strongly wealth-driven society, which results in a fair amount of rainbow capitalism - nash and the commander, for example, are highly successful, well-regarded nonbinary people at the top of their fields in paramilitary espionage. the director is a powerful, driven, successful woman who orders corporate assassinations on a regular basis. it’s a combination of much wider personal freedom, with more limited medical access and a general idea that any group of people can be exploited for profit, regardless of their identity.

so rhaxa doesn't care, lmao. if i had to use contemporary terminology i'd describe them as agender - this doesn't 100% apply since it still assumes an opposition to other genders/an existing binary, which isn't something the aliens have. even within alien society, though, rhaxa's never had to put much thought into their role or position, which is part of the reason they're so relaxed about pronouns and the identities people might be projecting onto them. they're very confident in themself, and gender doesn't play any role in their identity so it's all just. 🤷‍♀️

i've talked a bit about imxa's particular pronoun use in this post - obviously, this is based on some not entirely accurate preconceptions about human ideas of gender, and missing some nuance about misogyny and such, but those aren't things imxa has much of a clue about. people tend not to try to be misogynistic towards you when you're a giant scary bug, strangely enough.

nash is... nonbinary. ik this is kind of a null statement but that's how they see themself: they're not transmasc or transfemme, they're just. themself. which I think is part of the reason they started identifying that way, and have done for a long time; they’re very firmly in the “i just work here” camp, with a side of “whose business is it anyway”.

with rohan, i kind of oscillate a bit; xe’s always pretty femme regardless of the pronouns you choose for xem, but i think xir gender is always a bit more of a Presentation. whatever it is xe’s doing - whether it’s leaning into hyperfeminity or gnc-ness, it’s always a bit of a performance. i tend to think of xem as a little more fluid than the others, and that’s definitely in part bc xe’s gender-selectable, but i think that there’s an element of using it as armour there, too; xe’s obviously got a lot of Stuff going on (got a ‘send rohan to therapy’ anon literally as i typed this answer) and the more layers xe can put between xemself and the outside world, the better. i also have a lot of thoughts about the gender-selection mechanic: i’m not fully decided whether i’m happy with the choice to describe xem as a man/woman/person as a way of deciding xir pronouns, and that’s something i might edit at some point, cause i do think regardless of what you choose, xe’s up to some shit, there. even if you choose she/her pronouns and end up with a feminine woman, there’s a lot of performance around that choice; it’s not a subconscious decision on xir part, it’s always very deliberate. at least in part, it’s a way of making xemself seem nonthreatening, both physically and socially.

leanna’s always been pretty settled into her identity as a cis woman; she’s a lesbian, which is a big part of how she IDs, but i think she’s spent most of her life in various lgbt circles. she approaches it from a fairly pragmatic perspective; she’s a cis woman, not because it’s the default or the ‘assumed’ gender for her, but because she’s decided that’s what suits her.

ki-ha...he’s a very private person. he has thought about it a lot, done the gender questioning thing, but i do have relevant stuff planned for him ingame so i’m gonna 🤐 same with skylar - i have a lot of thoughts for my lil guy that have yet to resolve into a solid plan. i just have to sit very still and not look at them directly until they come to me.

[nyehilismwriting]

Did Nash choose their codename or was it assigned to them?👀

I think probably they would've picked it off a list of predefined names... they wouldn't go in for inventing one themself but they also wouldn't want anything super highkey or out there lmfao

[nyehilismwriting]

hi! I've got a question about Scytha and their hiring process?? What are the specific requirements (other than endurance and other things) that they look at? Would they prefer operatives without familial ties? (because after getting on the ship, its implied there's very little survivors so I'm wondering how Nash would be holding up after everything?

for their basic recruitment, there's a minimal level of fitness, a psych evaluation (standards there are... not high) and a background check. exclusion criteria include any criminal record, any dependents, or undesirable political leanings - this is the advantage of recruiting young, as people don't get as many chances to meet any of these criteria, but it does happen. they are also prone to 'scouting' people and grooming them to sign on as soon as they're old enough, or their circumstances allow; these people often get fast-tracked through the interviews and can often snag better starting positions within the company.

once you're on the payroll, you tend to get shuffled around a lot according to management's perception of your skills; recruitment into the confidential projects, like hadea, happens at a very high level and is wrapped in a lot of secrecy. it's likely neither you nor Nash knew what you were really getting into when you were assigned to the project, just that you got a huge bump in pay and your training intensity went through the roof. selection for these projects is a very very careful process - few/no familial ties is definitely a point in favour, along with consistent performance in previous missions & the right 'attitude'.

nash hasn't been in touch with their family for quite a while, since before they were recruited to the project; that doesn't mean they aren't worrying about them, though. esp right now, you and nash don't really have any sense at all of how many people survived the attack, and you're both kind of assuming the worst. it's not an ideal situation to be in😔

[nyehilismwriting]

the hadea codenames are so badass, how did you come up with them?

mythology + celestial bodies + good mouthfeel

deimos, callisto, crux, and orion are all constellations/moons (mostly named for mythological figures)

lethe is one of the five rivers of hades

shrike is just a cool fun gruesome little bird and one of my fave hozier songs

reave is my fave ability from mass effect😌

[nyehilismwriting]

If this has been asked b4, I'm sorry, but search didn't bring it up (not that that means anything), but what does 'Hadea' come from? I looked it up myself and came up with the Hadean geologic eon, which was named after Hades. But also the name Hadea from Islamic origins, which means guide/guided, which I thought was interesting when paired with what we learned about IVI. 👀

ooooh👀gotta admit i wasn't aware of the islamic name but that's very cool. there's a loose thread of greek mythology refs throughout the game (note some of the codenames, the original planet you start on being called koreth as a ref to kore/persephone, some others that haven't come up yet) and 'hadea' is another one of those. like you said the geological era of earth was named for hades bc of the 'hellish' conditions, and hades being god of the dead, it seemed like the right balance of ironically fitting and pretentious for a super secret paramilitary black ops project lmao

[nyehilismwriting]

Hi! Out of curiosity, does the main cast know any languages other than English? I think I remember you saying that PH takes place in a universe where Earth and its related cultures don't really exist so I was just curious about that. Also: are the characters actually speaking in English/a common language or does everyone wear like a translator earpiece that translates in real time?

this is actually touched on briefly in ch4 but ki-ha, leanna, and skylar all know sign language (at least, a sign language- there are several) - the operative and nash know some too, although it's a slightly modified version designed for use in the field.

ki-ha speaks a second language, native to the planet/country he grew up in; joia grew up in a bilingual household, and spoke two languages at home with her parents, and imxa has some rudimentary grasp of other human languages.

everyone's speaking a common language in-game - when it comes to interplanetary communication, languages evolve and develop very quickly, so there's a Lot of dialects out there, many of them pretty far evolved from their common roots. for ease of communication there's a standard language, originally designed for use in trade and transport, that's widespread across the whole galaxy, and that's what you're all speaking. that's the only human language rhaxa knows, and the only one imxa is fully fluent in.

as for the operative, I'll leave any third or fourth (or first or second, depending on where you place the primary language or sign language) languages up to headcanon :)