The Extra Story is here!

Thank you all so much for your support and for waiting for this update! I'm honored you're letting me share my stories with you, so I hope you'll enjoy this "tidbit" (it's actually a 19k words monster heh) of story I'm bringing today. It's a pleasure to have you beside me on this project, so don't be shy! Share your thoughts with me! ♥ 

Now, for the update...

• Age suggested: 16+ for non-explicit sexual scenes and some soft swearing.

Content in this post:

• What you'll see in the extra story.
  
• Why an Extra Story and not Chapter 3?
• Where to get it.
• How to quick-start your game and choose a new personality and relationship with Mathias for the Short Story.
• Questions!
  
• When to check for more info and constant dev updates?
• Where can I see the full Update Notes?
• I've found a bug! / I have a concern about the story / I want to chat and say hi! Where can I get in touch?

• WHAT you'll see in the extra story.

"These words which ail me" is set 5 years before the main story began, one week before you and Mandra leave for Oscanza, the territory in which you suffered the biggest defeat of your career. By this point, Mathias still hadn't made the choice that creates the chasm between you two, and Mandra is still the loyal and combative sibling they used to be. 

The impact of the personality-related choices you made in the main game will be *smaller* (although still present) in this short story since your Dragon Commander's personality is still developing. This time, the way you, Mathias, and Mandra interact is closer to the relationship you had as children. But beware; you're all adults, which means certain feelings, fears, insecurities, and desires are all present in this story too.

You can also expect a possible romantic rendezvous with Mandra, in case you're curious about this Chaos-bringer enigma. ;) Depending on your choices, you'll see firsthand one of the biggest mysteries in the Opalean Castle's modern history. 

If you decide to spend the night there or not, I just hope you'll have loads of fun with this new adventure I prepared for you. ♥

In short:

1. A new exclusive menu art that will be removed in the next update, 
2. New Sprites, 
3. Six new Backgrounds
4. Three new black and white CGs
5. New "Quick-start" tool so you can experience all the Short Story's routes easily
6. Some code improvement in general
7. Plus more world-building, elements of the Magic System in Five Kingdoms, and more character development.

• WHY an Extra Story and not Chapter 3?

As I expanded the outline for chapter 3 and began working on it, I realized there were many minor details of world-building and the shared history between Mathias, Mandra, and the MC that didn't fit the tone I was going for in the narrative. 

To make the story as concise as the first two chapters, I decided to separate all the info I couldn't place in the main game and create a softer, more relaxed short story that could give the player all the info they'd need to really (hopefully!) enjoy the 3rd chapter while also having a great time! :)

• WHERE to get it.

"These words which ail me" is free and already part of the new game. All you need to do is to update your game, load your latest save for the character you want, then press Esc and choose "Extras" / "Extra Stories":

• HOW to quick-start your game and choose a new personality and relationship with Mathias for the Short Story.

You can now quick-start a new game to experience all the Short Story's routes easily. :)

This means you can choose what kind of relationship you and Mathias have + what type of personality your character is more inclined to have in the future. To access these choices:

• Start a new game in the Main Menu 
• Choose a different name for your character, so your past choices won't be erased. 
• Once you've chosen your name and gender, press Esc and start the Extra story. 

You'll be prompted to choose your personality and relationship with Mathias on a screen like this:

To know more about the Personality Archetypes, you can check my Ko-fi! I'll be soon making a new post there with the complete update notes plus loads of goodies. :3

• QUESTIONS!

Wanna comment, but you're not sure what exactly to say? Here're a few things I'd love to know:

• Did you enjoy having a more intimate look at your Dragon Commander's past? Should I make more of this type of thing or nah?
• What was your favorite and least favorite thing about this update?
• Which character would like to learn more about?

Bonus Question! This one is for those of you who enjoy creating loads of content for your MCs/OCs:

• Do you feel you're having enough space to create your own Dragon Commander? 

• WHEN to check for more info and constant updates?
  

From now on, I'll make updates on my tumblr and on my ko-fi page every two or three weeks at least, and monthly updates here on itch. If you'd like to keep tuned on what's happening or if you just want to say hello, you know where to find me! ♥♥♥

• Where can I see the full Update Notes?

On my Ko-fi! <3

• I've found a bug! / I have a concern about the story / I want to chat and say hi! Where can I get in touch?

On tumblr, itch, and ko-fi! ;) You can also check my Wattpad page to read my books. :3

Thank you all soo much for playing! I hope you have fun. :)))

Ligia