#ink and intrigue

[leiatalon]

An intimate moment with TEO from Ink and Intrigue

Teo is something special. You'll find an intimate moment with him below the cut. But first, here's a bit about this mysterious RO...

Matteo (Teo), TATTOO ARTIST: Soft-spoken, kind, and passionate, Teo spends his days tattooing dragon runes on initiates and masters in one of the temples atop Ra’zai’s largest island. The tattoo process is done by painting a potent solution of herbs and dragon blood on the person’s skin. The process is painful, but he brings a calmness to it that is more than comfort: peace emanates from him and the dragon runes that cover his body. Teo has long hair and dark brown eyes that shine amber when in resonance with his dragon kindred. He will take you on as an apprentice if you show interest in learning his trade.

Teo might be calm and collected now, but he wasn't always so. The world he's from was destroyed by war and rage used to consume him. Now, he reserves anger for when it's truly necessary. You'll get to see it if you go on the mission with Teo and Kai.

Here's an excerpt from a pivotal moment in the story, which you might reach if you choose Teo as your lover...

"I'm drawn to you," you say.

Teo moves a heartbeat closer. "And no one else?"

"No one else."

His hand comes behind your back, bringing you in as he hums a low note in his throat. "Good. Because I don't like to share."

Teo's eyes flare amber-gold. As the gold fades, it ripples over his skin, following the lines of his tattoos.

You want him. He wants you.

Tonight is only the beginning.

Play the demo of Ink and Intrigue for FREE!

[moontyger]

Ink and Intrigue review

I bought this IF game, Ink and Intrigue, when it came out this weekend. I had liked the author's previous game, so I was really looking forward to it! But... I am honestly not sure i like it. Maybe I made all the wrong choices? But...

It has a lot more worldbuilding than the previous game and I was fine with that. That's great! I love lore. Give me all the lore. (Also the worldbuilding is really interesting. I'd like to see more of this setting.) Slower pace? Sure, that's fine, too. I actually think a lot of these have too many time skips and go too fast.

The problem starts with the fact that just over halfway into the game, there's a sudden hard turn into an entirely different genre. Suddenly instead of a fantasy game about bonding with magical creatures and getting mystical tattoos, it's an action movie in a modern-ish setting. And your character, who is from the fantasy world and has never seen a gun before this, can go along on this extremely violent action movie part, but that just made me feel like someone's little sister. Allowed to be there because of her relation to someone else, but not really understanding what's happening and definitely not as good at anything and kind of a burden everyone else has to protect. Even worse that your character has not finished training at this point, so they aren't even a rookie; they're less than that. At the very least, this part of the game should wait until your character is no longer just an initiate.

You do go back to the original setting after this section, but it still permanently changed my view of the game. I'd like to think this part is somehow avoidable and I just made the wrong choices, but it's tied in enough to the main plot that I doubt that's the case.

While I have yet to do it, you can instead choose to stay behind for this. But I doubt staying behind during this feels any better. I can't imagine how being left behind and just, idk, waiting for the other characters to return or not could possibly feel better. Also the fact that of the possible love interests for this game, the women stay behind and the men go on the mission feels not great.

This part of the game has a ton of violence and seems like it should be very traumatic, but while characters being traumatized after is described to us, I feel like conversations characters should have about it are kind of skipped over and it's dealt with more lightly than it should be. I really expected some hard conversations here about what my character had done and they did not happen. There's not really even any scenes of our character comforting any of the others and it definitely feels like there should be.

But the worst part, to me, is that this part of the game is when I really realized that my character was not the main character. The actual main character is stronger and more special than our character can ever be and we're just playing the love interest or friend. This realization then made everything that character did after that I think the author meant to feel supportive instead feel patronizing, like "You'll never be as good as me, but it's cute that you're trying and of course I'll support you in that." I don't think the author intended it to come across that way, but it does and I doubt I'll be the only one to feel that way.

Interestingly, I think Choice of Games knew this, because this is the first game of theirs I've played that allowed you to go back and play previous chapters again whenever you finished one. At first I thought this was meant to be a quality of life change, but having finished the game, I think it's more that they know that if people replay at all, they're going to want to stop partway through.

I'd have fewer problems with this setup if this were just a book. I'd think "Oh, interesting choice to tell this story from the viewpoint of someone other than the protagonist." But for games, I feel strongly that the player character should be the main character. If the player character is just watching other characters do cool stuff, that's a bad game and should probably just be a movie or an anime or something that doesn't involve the player interacting with the story. There's nothing wrong with movies or books and I'm not trying to shit on them here! They just aren't the same thing as games and I have different expectations because of the more personal involvement in the story.

(One can argue that IF is more like a book than a game, but with both the name of their site and selling their works on Steam, Choice of Games is definitely marketing them as games. The existence of a player character who you name and make choices for makes it feel more gamelike to me than a more passive form of entertainment as well.) And while it's true that a video game protagonist does not have to be the most powerful character in their world and it can be very interesting if they're not, I just didn't like it here. I guess I just don't like playing the sidekick and there being nothing your character could ever do to be as good made it feel worse. Like you're stuck forever as Robin and will never get to graduate to being Nightwing. (The fact that IF games use second person makes it feel more personal than if they used third, which very much does not help with something like this).

Lastly, since I've listed this as a review instead of just my criticisms of the game, I should mention that despite being listed as an explicit game (4 chili peppers rating on the Heart's Choice portion of Choice of Games' site) and the author's previous game, Their Majesties' Pleasure, having quite a lot of explicit sex, this game, despite being much longer, does not have nearly as many sex scenes. I feel like they were mostly a bit shorter and less explicit as well, though YMMV on that. (That might just be my perception or it may depend on who you choose to date.) This isn't my main complaint, but merits mention because of course explicitness is part of how this is marketed.

At some point just before or just after the first possible sex scene, the character you chose to have it with will ask if your character wants to commit to only them. This is on the third day after your arrival, so you've know them about two-and-a-half days. You can, at least, say you aren't ready to commit yet, but it still feels really weird that they even ask at that point.

Overall, I didn't hate it, but I was very disappointed. I'd been really looking forward to it and my best reaction was "I enjoyed the worldbuilding and the first part was okay." Unlike most of the other IF games I've played, I have little desire to replay to see other choices and if I do, I am unlikely to want to play the second half of the game again, which is unfortunate.

Edit to add: A Steam review mentioned something about the game's ethics that I really should address here, but it requires more extensive spoilers, so I'll put it behind a cut.

While you are in the action movie segment of the game, you find prisoners who have been experimented upon. Your team plans to blow up the building and you have to argue to convince them to save even some of these prisoners (other than the two with a personal connection to one of the characters). They will then agree to take the ones who can still walk, but leave the rest of them to die when the building explodes. This is never addressed again and is not really even treated as a great tragedy and especially not as the worst thing that happens during the mission. (After your return to the main setting, you can say that you're upset about the amount of violence in general, but there's no response for saying you are specifically upset about leaving helpless innocents to die. Either you're fine with all of it or upset about all of it.) Even when one of the trials asks you ethical questions that relate to this sort of decision in the abstract, it is not mentioned, and your character never seems to experience any doubts or guilt about it.

[berlingotesque]

Sheep sheep sheep…

Today is 18th April so you know what that means : happy birthday Sammy !

[elizakai]

inkmare🖌️🐙

dynamic 1 🔼

dynamic 2- 🔼

[thecryptidart1st]

—TERMINATED EMPLOYEE—

[midnightfire830]

😏

Stay tuned…It’s new AU time…

[mars-ipan]

No idea why he tasted of lemons. Assumedly the ink he was printed with? It has made me headcanon that he smells of lemons now though

spike chunsoft agrees with you anon

[leiatalon]

Ink and Intrigue: Romantasy IF

It's here! It's here! 🎉

The game is out and you can play it now! ❤️‍🔥

Play the demo for free!

Heed magic's call! Find love on a lush tropical island among immortal warrior-mages as you explore ancient mysteries, craft dragon-rune tattoos, and discover your true loyalties. When mystery tempts, how do you answer?

Ink an Intrigue is a standalone Heart’s Choice IF fantasy romance adventure set in the same world as Their Majesties' Pleasure.

Plunge into a world where magic calls the passion in your soul.

Choose your kindred: a powerful dragon, a shapeshifting griffin, or a blue-lightning phoenix.

As you train to become a warrior-mage, do you romance or befriend a sexy tattoo artist, a feisty initiate, a playful sage, or a maverick with an unfulfilled quest?

Ink and Intrigue is an interactive high-heat fantasy novel by Leia Talon, where your choices control the story. It's entirely text-based—300,000 words and hundreds of choices, without graphics or sound effects—and fueled by the vast, unstoppable power of your imagination.

As a seasoned spy from the kingdom of Minare, you have been sent as an emissary to the Kitherin warrior-mages of Ra'zai, whose tattoos give them supernatural abilities and whose magical rites bond them to powerful creatures from another world.

But, as soon as you enter Ra'zai, you hear the call of the Kitherin. The magic has chosen you, and now, your fingertips tingle and your heart pounds. An unnamed need grows within, like a thirst that can't be quenched. Magic infuses your very breath.

As your magic expands, so does your heart. Which of your new Kitherin companions calls to you?

TEO: Are you attracted to Teo, the soft-spoken tattoo artist whose muscular body is covered in tattoos and whose eyes blaze with amber fire? When he paints dragon runes onto your skin, do you feel the power of his heart as well as his magic?

KAI: Or to Kai, whose dark hair contrasts with brilliant blue eyes: his mastery as a warrior is unmatched, but his quest to overturn a corrupt regime has earned him the opposition of the Kitherin Council.

RAE: Perhaps you prefer Rae, a feisty fellow initiate, with her dark skin and wicked smile. Rae's determination is legendary—she has failed the trials before, but never stops trying—and her boisterous spirit is unbreakable.

THEA: Or maybe Thea is the one for you, with her sea-green eyes and copper hair. Elegant and serene, dedicated guardian of the temple—but if you earn her trust, she will show you her playful side, and sing the songs of her Fae ancestors.

What does the call of the Kitherin mean for your duty to the crown? Will you confess the clandestine role you've played for your king, or keep your secrets and leave your past behind? What information will you send back? Will you use your position to build alliances with the Kitherin Council and other nations, or will you use your spy skills of blackmail and poison to get what you want?

Play as male, female, or nonbinary; gay, straight, bi, and/or asexual.

Romance a passionate artist, a serene sage, a feisty initiate, or a determined warrior.

Choose high-heat or sweet options, or avoid sex scenes entirely.

Form a psychic bond with a magical creature: choose a dragon, a griffin, or a phoenix.

Learn how to craft dragon-rune tattoos, and infuse your art with powerful magic.

Explore a lush island paradise crowned with ancient temples, peaceful healing gardens, a hidden library, and sun-swept beaches with the perfect waves for surfing.

Indulge in magic elixirs and delectable food as you revel under the full moon.

Dive through portals to strengthen your ties with your bonded creature, and explore other worlds!

When magic calls, where will your heart find its home?

Play the demo of Ink and Intrigue and try the first three chapters free to see if the adventure sucks you in!

Big shout out to everyone who has given feedback on the WIP demo and during beta testing. Thank you so much for your suggestions and for sharing in the excitement for this game!

I can't believe Ink and Intrigue is 300k words! It's actually upwards of 375k words including repeated text (much of which still has to be edited for different situations). I meant to write it much shorter, but I accidentally wrote a whole extra chapter during beta testing and added to all the paths.

There are so many gems to uncover in this game!

If you have any asks, hit me up! I'll do my best to answer. Just please be patient as sometimes I forget to check socials for days at a time. 🤣 After working for a year straight on this game I'm taking a breather. I'll rest, you play. Let me know what you think!

Play the first three chapters for free!

Ink and Intrigue is published by Heart's Choice, the romance division of Choice of Games. Game art by Adrien Valdes.

[bmpmp3]

yesterday in vocal synth news

[buwheal]

Okay, I know we can't help spamton by giving him stuff BUT WE CAN GIVE THE POOR GUY FUGGIN THERAPY!! I MEAN, YOU CAN STILL TALK TO US ABOUT YOUR PROBLEMS! MAYBE IT WILL DO SOMETHING FOR YOU, I DON'T KNOW!

(Also idea. Can't we just send him money....like virtually augh maybe?)

not answering with any art because there isnt anything to be answered by spamton himself, but i can give you a hint and tell you guys youre starting to get on the right track. albiet in an unusual way but kinda swerving around in the right direction nonetheless. do what you will with that i guess. And no, you cannot send him money. For multiple reasons. He'd eat it anyways so it really doesnt do much either. Sorry. ^_^

[thatonecrookedsmile]

I made these sketches the week SOTM launched, and I didn't think about posting them at the time. I recently looked at them again and thought "hmm, why not". In my own way, I decided to add a *little* color to make it a little more nice,and I edited the image *just* a little,and boom, here it is. My Riley Wells design. There's not much to say about the process of creating her design. I only used the portrait you find in the game as a reference, and I made a design of her at the time she joined JDS and then Gent. There's not much to say,really.

These were sketches made after I made an initial sketch of her to put the idea of her design on paper, and were made to help solidify and test out her design better. I haven't drawn her since.

So, yeah. They aren't much, and I don't have much to say about them. But I wanted to eventually show my design that I made of her. Plus, those sketches turned out quite nice,so there's that.

Other than a small idea that I don't know when I'll do, I don't have anything in mind that could result in drawing Riley again in the future. But hey, in case one day I end up wanting to draw her again, at least I have a design prepared for the occasion.

As a bonus, here is the first sketch I made of her. No editing or colors.

[hopefulomens]

sometimes i’ll wanna ask my friends about their interests cuz i wanna learn more and i think it’s cool and maybe wanna get into the same things. but then i’ll remember that i like bic pens genuinely and wholeheartedly and use them very often as my go to. and then i don’t ask my friends about their interests

[icouldhyperfixatehim]

having loads of fun with midnight museum!! or as i'll be thinking of it

[discountalien-pancake]

The friendship harem has started up some good old analog correspondence, so I fell down a fountain pen rabbithole and splurged on some new materials. Did I choose a very expensive ink purely because it was glass green and named Cinderella’s Slipper? Absolutely.

In the meantime, I dug out a very old, inexpensive dried up pen that I have no idea where it even came from. Took it apart and tossed the nib and cartridge into a bottle full of water to dissolve the old ink.

Something about this image of my dimly lit desk covered in art supplies and papers and random junk, with a bottle of bright blue water smack in the middle of it is immensely pleasing?? No idea why.

Anyway, perhaps I will pick up a bottle of less expensive, more versatile blue-black ink tomorrow so I can put my cheap pen to use while I wait for my nice pen to arrive.

[lilacthebooklover]

lilarky crayon song gets ruined animatic who 🤭

(started making it this afternoon & colours are assigned purely by Vibes. your blog might be themed around one specific colour, you might have an absolute favourite, your name might be a colour-- too bad for you ig, you get the colour whose lyrics best suit you instead 🤭🤭🤭)