#ro: soillere dujardin

[theblackrivergame]

RO Playlists (Part 1)

Some more playlists! To avoid overloading everyone, I’ll be doing just the ROs who appear in chapter 1 for now. I will also say, these playlists have some songs that relate to certain specific story elements that won’t always be common for people to see (which is to say, if you find a song particularly depressing, the likelihood is that it relates to a character’s Bad ending and not them in general lmao).

Annos’ Playlist

Our Lady’s Playlist

Soillere’s Playlist

Tehemia’s Playlist

Vanator’s Playlist

[theblackrivergame]

hi ^^

i found your game yesterday and have been playing the demo, im really liking it so far but i have a few questions.

ive been playing with all the hints and everything on and a few things caught my attention

(i haven't finished the demo yet so maybe some of the questions get answered in the part i haven't read yet. feel free to ignore if thats the case 😅)

1. when you first meet soillere and ask him questions, there's this option that gives +1 to his 'ascension' stat. what is the ascension stat? what does it mean/do?

2. is there a way to check your relationship with the characters? there have been several chances to increase or decrease the relationship and i like keeping check of how everyone feels about the MC, so i was wondering if that is already in the demo or will be added eventually? (or not)

3. what are all the different familiars you can get if you play as Lamerran?

thank you!

Hi, thank you for your message!

Some of these have some spoilers of various levels in their answers, so I'll give a brief explanation first and then go a bit more in-depth under a cut so that people can avoid spoilers if they prefer.

1. each of the characters has a secondary stat that helps govern their behaviour and some of their decision-making. These can be raised or lowered completely separately to their base approval stat, though in some cases things like being cruel to the character might lower a Trust stat as well as their approval, for example.

2. If you click on the link marked "Character" at the bottom of the UI, it will take you to a page where you can view various stats regarding your character; as you progress through the game, your pc will write down some thoughts regarding each of the characters you've encountered. It doesn't open up properly until partway through the chapter, though, so you might need to play a little longer to reach it. Currently this - a text-based summary - will be the only way to really check on your relationships with the characters (other than how they behave towards you in the game at least), as I don't plan to display a numerical measurement of peoples' relationships.

I know some games do that, and some players like it as a system, but I just personally don't feel that it fits very well with the game's mood and tone. Being able to use the hints to see which choices raise and lower certain things should at least give an idea of which direction you're heading in, hopefully.

3. This is an exciting question! I've been hoping someone would ask haha.

The non-spoilery answer is that your soul-familiar is determined at least in part by your faction (which god you choose to follow, or whichever one is randomly selected if you choose to have amnesia). Because lamerran soul-familiars often reflect aspects of their partner's personality, members of each of the four churches almost always have a familiar that reflects the symbolism of their gods.

Your soul-familiar will be determined outright in the next chapter when you select a class (there's a different one each for magic users, ranged fighters and melee fighters), if you don't have amnesia. (It's a Bit more complicated if you do.)

More spoilery answers below here!

Regarding the Ascension stat in specific, it's a stat that all four of the main ghost characters (Soillere, Barthelemy, Bettina and Gervaise) each have, that governs in general how each of them feels about moving on to their next lives to reincarnate. You can raise or lower this stat without any real correlation with approval in most cases (although again something like being cruel isn't likely to make them feel At Peace); it's more closely related to the PC's faith than whether or not they're good friends with the characters in question.

At the start of the game, Soillere, Barthelemy and Bettina's Ascension stats all begin quite low (functional 0), whereas Gervaise's is sort of... middling. Obviously if you're looking to pursue a relationship with any of the three ROs involved, you might want to consider which options you think are best, but the whole thing will obviously become more complex and nuanced as I write more of the game.

As for the soul-familiars, the full list is here:

The Hallowed Heart

magic user: turtle dove

ranged fighter: kangaroo

melee fighter: ram

The Spectral Court

magic user: owl

ranged fighter: wolverine

melee fighter: stag

The Judiciary

magic user: blue kingfisher

ranged fighter: giant river otter

melee fighter: tiger

The Gatherers

magic user: raven

ranged fighter: dog (a Romanian Raven Shepard Dog, to be exact)

melee fighter: black bear

Thank you again for your ask! I hope that all this helped to answer your questions!

[theblackrivergame]

The Relationship Options

Please note that not all of the relationship options involve romance; some characters are aromantic, and are only available for Friends-With-Benefits-type relationships, or QPRs. In addition, some of the characters are comfortable with open relationships, but they can really only be combined with each other, not with other characters who are monogamous. All of this should be made pretty clear with in-game context, but it might be worth double-checking before you start playing if you want to know who is interested in what.

Also a brief note here about bisexuality vs pansexuality - all of the ROs are able to be romanced by someone of any gender. As someone who is biromantic myself, the representations of bi/pansexuality in my characters are naturally filtered through the lens of my own experience. I don’t and never have viewed the difference between the two as involving one excluding nonbinary gendered people, but it occurred to me too late that readers can’t magically see into my brain to know that (hence this clarification).

Where a character is listed as bisexual or biromantic, that means that they experience sexual or romantic attraction to same and other genders, but that there may be some variance in that attraction between genders (ie. they might find something attractive in a man that they wouldn’t in a woman or nonbinary person, etc.), whereas characters that are pansexual/panromantic experience attraction regardless of gender, without such defined variances. This doesn’t have to be your personal definition of bi/pansexuality, but I just have to write from my own perspective.

Annos (he/him) – PRESENT FROM CHAPTER 1. Tossed into the same heady cauldron of sacrifice and trauma as the MC, Annos suffered worse at the hands of your tormentors than any of the rest of you, but none of you can figure out why, as he also has the worst case of amnesia. The last thing he remembers is working for an archaeological expedition five years ago… so why do guns seem to fit so comfortably in his hands? And why does he keep dreaming of the darkness under the mountains?

A silver-skinned thym’ani with hair the colour of brass and pale green eyes. Pansexual (allo, ace and open relationship options available).

Our Lady (she/her) – PRESENT FROM CHAPTER 1. There’s something a little bit strange about her, though it’s hard to tell exactly what. Maybe it’s her glowing eyes, or maybe it’s the way she feels a bit like solid rock to touch, or maybe it’s her intimate-seeming knowledge on the subject of terrible sacrificial rituals. Whatever it is, she is very probably the MC’s best chance of finding a way home, so you’re going to have to work with her. Getting answers, though? That’s another story altogether.

A brown-skinned… human?... with long black hair and luminescent golden eyes. Asexual biromantic (ace relationship option only available).

Soillere Dujardin (he/him) – PRESENT FROM CHAPTER 1. Sailing on the open seas is all that Soillere has ever wanted to do with his life. Granted, the Black River isn’t exactly like the ocean, but he’s had 350 years’ worth of doing what he loves, and it’s never been as hard to him as it has been for some of the others. He cares deeply about his fellow crewmembers, but he feels them being pulled in their own directions gradually. Someday, perhaps, someone will want to join him on his journey…

A ghostly human with black skin, thickly-curled black hair, and brown eyes. Aroace (QPR relationship option only available).

Tehemia Wawatai (they/them) – PRESENT FROM CHAPTER 1. Coming from the rugged southern islands, you would expect Tehemia to be tough. Serving the Gatherers in a place like that, you would expect them to be even moreso. But they still manage to blow all expectations out of the water–Tehemia is as sturdy as the mountains, and about as emotionally open as them, too. Can MC help them open up a bit as they deal with the world falling apart together, or will they close off for good?

A fawn-skinned human with curly black hair and light brown eyes. Bisexual demiromantic (allo, FWB (no romance) and open relationship options available).

Vanator (he/him) – PRESENT FROM CHAPTER 1. It takes a lot to be considered an enigma on a ship practically full of them, but Vanator manages to make it look easy. He won’t say who he is, where he comes from, how he ended up where he is, what he’s planning to do, or where he’s planning to go next. All you know is that he’s on your side for now… and sometimes things are that drastic that that’s all you need. But what if, just maybe, his secrets were more connected than even he thought?

A brown-skinned human? with black hair and dark brown eyes. Bisexual (allo and ace relationship options available).

Barthelemy Emile l’Olonnais (he/him) – PRESENT FROM CHAPTER 2. Barthelemy has been a doctor for more than 350 years, but he’s still never quite managed to develop an approachable bedside manner. Though to be fair, dying ten years into that career might have something to do with it. All he wants is peace, but the violent arrival of MC and their compatriots may have put paid to that–for good. But maybe there’s something lurking beneath his surly exterior that friendship can uncover…

A ghostly human with olive skin, black hair and brown eyes. Pansexual aromantic (FWB (no romance, open) and QPR relationship options available).

Gervaise Annick Suvillier (they/them) – PRESENT FROM CHAPTER 2. Nothing is ever as permanent–or transitory–as it seems. Gervaise took a job as a navigator hoping to avoid their family for a few weeks, but they find themself still at their post now, more than three centuries later. 300 years of doing the same thing, day-in day-out, is almost enough to make them want to let everything go… but they’ve been holding on, for some reason. Maybe one of these days they’ll find out what it is…

A ghostly human with fair skin, brown hair and hazel eyes. Demisexual panromantic (allo and ace relationship options available).

Hwang Namsun (they/them) – PRESENT FROM CHAPTER 2. The High Judicar of Nabhuti has a lot of duties to tend to, and though it hasn’t often been a high priority, with everything that has happened Namsun now finds ‘save the entire world’ jumping right to the top of their to-do list. Guarded by their amur leopard soul-familiar, they plan to find out what’s going on and put everything back in order. What lengths will they go to in order to try and save their goddess… and will it be too far?

An ochre-skinned lamerran with long brown hair and dark brown eyes. Pansexual (allo and ace relationship options available).

Ia (they/them) – PRESENT FROM CHAPTER 2. One doesn’t often find wealthy socialites on the front lines of trying to stop the apocalypse. Ia would argue that absolutely nothing about them is ‘usual,’ so why should this be any different? Can’t have a good party while the world’s end is going on outside, can you? Whatever their reasons, they’re willing to help, and they’re certainly handy with a sword (or four). But something tells you that they’re not quite as unflappable as they’re putting on…

A brown-skinned thym’ani with brown-black hair and golden-brown eyes. Bisexual (allo, ace and open relationship options available).

Kebisa Malindile (she/her) – PRESENT FROM CHAPTER 2. Good healers aren’t exactly in short supply in the ranks of the Spectral Court, but Kebisa was always one of the best. Her magical abilities pushed the boundaries of medical knowledge beyond what people thought was possible, but she’s a teacher and a surgeon, not a fighter. When the crisis unfolded, she went to seek help–and wound up finding the MC. Perhaps, if you’re lucky, she’ll find a little more than just aid and support.

A black-skinned human with black natural afro hair and brown eyes. Bisexual (allo and ace relationship options available).

Dassine ult Sidi (she/her) – APPEARING MIDWAY THROUGH THE GAME. Dassine has been a loyal warden in the service of the Judiciary since the day she finished her education. When chaos descends on the world, she and her fennec soul-familiar set out to find the person she trusts the most to handle everything: the High Judicar, Namsun. What she finds will set her on a path that leads to meeting MC and learning to believe in herself more–with or without MC’s help.

A black-skinned lamerran with braided black hair and dark grey eyes. Aroace (QPR relationship option only available).

Luminita Damaschin (she/her) – APPEARING LATER IN THE GAME. Luminita served as Chief of Security to the throne of the Wolven Empire for many years, beating out all her competition–literally. When the Emperor became indisposed and his sister began undoing his many good works, Luminita turned rebel, and eventually the discoveries that she made will lead her to the MC. Whether she shares those discoveries or not is largely up to you… just beware her bite. It’s nasty.

A fair-skinned wolven with blonde hair and dark blue eyes. Bisexual aromantic (FWB (no romance, open) relationship option only available).

There are also four hidden Relationship Options with a slightly different structure for each of their relationships’ development... perhaps you could see if you can find them all!