I really loved the extended demo. The first one looked already very professional and promising, but it was too short to get a full impression of the characters and the world. Now we learn a lot more about everyone and everything. I was particularly impressed by how complex the characters are. Even the side characters have their very own personality and motives. I'm so fascinated that I want to share some thoughts about it.
---The following part contains SPOILERS(!!!) and speculations---
From all the characters I've seen so far, Fawn turned out to be my favorite. I'm surprised how complex and deep he is. If you first see him, he seems rather shy and unsure and he has obvious difficulties with speaking. But if you get to know him better you start to recognize how brave and good with words he actually is and how far he would go to save the one he loves. It's no wonder he and Raen get along so well from the start. They're like soul twins. The connection between them is very deep and there's a natural bond they share with each other. I found it interesting how Fawn even felt wrath towards an enemy who threatened Raen in the forest at some point. This was another unexpected but very interesting side of him. He doesn't seem to enjoy violence naturally like Leos does, but he's so protective towards Raen, that he doesn't hesitate a second to stand by his side. And if someone threatens him, he instinctively feels wrath and rage. His love is so pure and strong. I even guess it was love at first sight. And I'm sure he knows very well that he loves Raen. He just doesn't want to say it out loud, because he's insecure and Raen doesn't seem to understand what love is. Fawn and Raen compliment each other very well. Raen shows Fawn what kind of strong person he really is and how confident he can be about himself, and Fawn shows Raen how deep love and friendhip can go and what hidden meanings the world has to offer - that there's more on this planet than what the eyes see.
Leos is my second favorite. He can be a bit snarky and annoying somtimes, but beneath his unapproachable facade it's obvious how insecure he really is and how much he needs someone to love. It's kinda fascinating if you think about it further. No matter how different they are (or maybe because they ARE so different), he and Raen depend on each other very much. Leos is a capable mercenary and good at protecting Raen. He also teaches him to be more careful towards others and to not believe everything they say. Raen, on the other hand, is very caring and always nice in front of other people. That's why he's usually easily loved by them. Compared to him, Leos doesn't let anyone get near him. He's like the typical lone wolf - always catious and suspecting the worst in others. Only Raen seems to get through to him, because he's so stubborn and able to see something nice even in the most unfriendly people. He teaches Leos what it feels like to be loved, no matter what you've done and what you will do. It's just a guess of course, but I think Leos is so snarky and spiteful towards others, because he's actually spiteful of himself and he hates the things he's done. So he probably thinks he's unworthy to be loved.
The only one I didn't become comfortable with was Cyne, but it's probably because we only met him at the end of the demo and I still have to get to know him better. We only saw the flirty/casual side of him so far. I'm sure there's something deeper behind his facade. Maybe he's afraid of love? I guess it's diffcult for someone of his social standing to love someone without serious conesquences. Maybe something tragic happened in his past, because of feelings he allowed himself to have. No matter what it is, I suppose he actually longs for someone who he can have a deeper connection with. Maybe that's the true reason why he joined Raen in the first place - even if he might not recognize it yet.
I'm also very interested in Illran and Veras. If I understand it correctly, Veras is the bird we've seen together with Illran, or rather he can turn into a bird. He has a mystical aura and I'm interested to find out the secrets he may hold. Illran seems rather protective of him. I had the feeling he feels more about him than just friendhsip, even if he didn't really mention it when Raen asked him about love. They seem to have a really special relationship that I'd like to uncover.
Lilas, Nikos, and the children are very likeable. Nox seemed kinda mysterious at first glance - desperate, but not really unfriendly. The atmosphere at the end of the game was so spooky, it sent chills down my spine (in a positive way, since I like horror elements in games). My guess at this point is that Nox is actually the monster who kills other people, but he doesn't do it wilfully. There's probably something more going on than meets the eye.
Apropos, I wonder how the Speaker turns out to be. So far we just know that he's not the kind of person he seems to be at the beginning. His motives are kinda dark, but I guess he has a good reason for the lies he created and for all the (gruesome) things he probably did. I'm really looking forward to the extra game with him. Is he responsible for the discarded bodies who lie in the forest and whose souls don't find peace? Although we don't know much about the story yet, elements of it remind me of the movies 'The Island' and 'The Village'. I'm very eager to find out the truth behind all of this. The story seems really interesting so far and I can't wait to unravel the mystery. Also, I'm really interested to find out why the love interests have the feeling to know Raen for so long even if they just have met. Maybe there's a hidden meaning behind it.
BTW, I love the diary you created. It adds more depth to the lore and makes it easier to remember things. That was a really good idea.
What else can I say? I love the artistic aspect of the game. The backgrounds, the sprites, the CG's, the music, the voices, the singers, the writing. Everything's just brilliant and adds lots of beauty and atmosphere to the world. "Fates Journey" is a very sweet song and brings this special Middle Age/tavern feeling with it. "The Forgotten" sounds very mysterious. I love the clear and soft voice in it. I whish more VNs had singing voices. It adds so much atmosphere to the game.
There's only one part in the game that maybe should be done differently. I'm talking about about the tavern scene where Fawn sings. The melody of the voice doesn't really go hand in hand with the melody of the background music (probably because you can determine the pace of the scene by yourself). Maybe it would be better to have a fix pace during the song, so the voice doesn't seem out of rhythm? That's the only thing I've noticed, though.
Finally, I have some questions, if you don't mind:
1) How many words will the final game have?
2) How many words will the extra game with the Speaker have?
3) If I understand it correctly, Aurelia Cavella is hidden by the outside world and can't be entered. How was Leos supposed to come back after killing Raen, then? Or is it different for him, because he's Aurelian himself?
4) I don't know how to activate the song "Spring Bloom" in the music box. What do I wrong? I have watched all scenes and yet, I can't find the song. Or have I overlooked something?
That's everything I wanted to say. Sorry for writing so much, but I really wanted to share my thoughts about this gem. Many thanks for creating this wonderful game and for giving us such a long and well done Demo.
Kudos! : )