Dev log #2 | Character introductions #2

Hi everyone!

Just a quick report on what's going on with development and then we're getting into some more love interest introductions!

For this Dev log I'll be quick and brief because it's been a tough two weeks:

This is a passion project of mine and I'm trying to put all my free-time into it, which is unfortunately not a lot per day - but I freaking love working on Aether so I would love it if I can actually get stuff done and not stare at config files or figure out why updating mods and plugins breaks everything. Nevertheless, I'm hoping the next two weeks will be better and I can get more done, not having to spend hours and hours fixing technical problems.

Sidenote: I already know that I'll be re-organizing my "lore, world-building, events" documents which are about 57000 words long collectively. Currently, they're a bit all over the place and it's difficult doing lore-work and planning future events and scenes when assessing how things fit together in the world.

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Ella Linwood

★ Quote

"Going home should feel like getting into a warm bed on a cold night."

"I dreamed of this moment since I left – when I can go back to my sisters and Mom, putting all this bullshit behind me."

"I was imagining it every night while I was away. The warmth of our house. The presence of family. The pure joy and comfort of that life."

"…So, why?"

"Why did you have to do this? Why did you take all that away from me?"

"Haven't I been punished enough in your divine eyes?"

         

📌 Profile

Age: 24

Family: Linwood, the oldest of the three daughters

Relations: Haven't seen each other in years, talked very little – a friend from childhood

Interests: Dancing, Working out, History of the Thaeikos and knowledge about them, Guitar

Hopes and dreams: Making things right regarding past mistakes; knowing her sisters and mother are happy and safe; to have the courage to change and be better

📖 Backstory

Mirella, who nicknamed herself Ella as a toddler and never really stopped, the oldest daughter of the Linwood family, went through many different phases in her life. Sometimes she was filled with unwarranted negative emotions towards the people closest to her, while at other times she felt so much love and responsibility towards those same people that nobody could understand how both of those emotional states could exist within her.

Her initial envy felt towards Sofia when she was born due to suddenly receiving less attention from her parents swung in the opposite direction with such intensity that by the time Leila was born, she couldn’t be pulled away from her sisters. She didn’t want to attend school and she even snuck back home a few times, making up stories about school shutting down for the day just to be around her sisters more. The only thing that could come close to her fierce devotion to her sisters is her passion for dancing, which she's had for the longest time.

During her teenage years, she's gone through conflicting emotions and very difficult times, and all that frustration often manifested in pointless arguments with her mother. She's always had strong opinions and is stubborn in her ways, which made parenting even harder for her mother. However, especially now that she's lived far away from home for a while and had time to introspect, she feels nothing but immense love for her family – except for her father, who she resents for leaving them behind.

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Ayame Shinaki

★ Quote

"I hear them. I see them. I can feel their presence."

"I pray to the Thaeikos every day and I pledge my soul to our protectors."

"And yet I hear more and more of the prophecy of the Black Doom."

"My very being torn between two sides."

"I try to focus on the little things in life, but I don’t know what's happening beyond our control."

"I'm scared…"

📌 Profile

Age: 19

Family: Shinaki

Relations: Stranger

Interests: Myths and old stories, Tarot, Gaming, Tattoos, Hidden knowledge

Hopes and dreams: Conquering her fears; finding out the truth

📖 Backstory

Ayame was born into a very old family line who've contributed significantly over the course of history to the prosperity of their home province – Yamatai. While the name Shinaki held significant weight even a few hundred years ago, due to unfortunate circumstances their family had gotten smaller and smaller, with each generation fathering less and less sons, and hence carrying their name forward less often.

However, their family's fate fell even deeper into the darkness. Ayame's parents and her brother died in an accident several years ago, which forced her to fall into the care of her only living relative in Yamatai – her grandfather. Ayame's relationship with her parents and her brother was filled with love, and their untimely passing had scarred her deeply, but thankfully she found solace in her grandfather as a guardian. He even reminded her of her own father quite often, perhaps making enduring the pain just slightly less torturous.

Her grandfather could take care of her initially, but his health had been slowly deteriorating, causing Ayame to shift into a caretaker role herself, leading to her doing worse at her studies. Her teenage years were filled with a lot of challenges, obstacles and even anger and hate. The fury she felt towards the world for taking away her family, shaped her into a girl of a rebellious nature – it was her act of defiance and also her shield from all the pain she felt. It manifested in many different ways, including a difficult social life which had left her equally independent and also deeply yearning for human connections.

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Reina Nikoyama

★ Quote

"They respect me, yet they whisper behind my back."

"They look up to me, yet they aim cruel jokes at me."

"They want to befriend me, but it's all for selfish gain."

"They don’t know who I am and what my life is like."

"They see wealth. They see glamour and luxury. Hence all they feel is envy."

"But they don’t see the dark shadow looming above my head, screaming at me to be better."

📌 Profile

Age: 20

Family: Nikoyama

Relations: Stranger

Interests: Success, Money, Influence, Fame, Supremacy, Discouraged to have any

Hopes and dreams: To prove her worth; being able to overcome her insecurities

📖 Backstory

Reina's life is one that many people wish for – beauty, intelligence, wealth, fame, influence and a family name that holds more weight than most. The business empire her father had built is truly impressive, and Reina's two older brothers had already joined according to their father's wishes, something that is expected of her as well once she finishes her education.

While her childhood was filled with joy and the warmth of family, after the unexpected death of her mother, her father had changed and became increasingly focused on his company's success, making him grow more distant. He became obsessed with gathering enough wealth and influence for him to achieve his goals – whatever they are. He also became demanding, pushing Reina to be nothing but the absolute best. The once kind-hearted father who stroked her cheek softly as she went to sleep had become a man who had the highest of goals in mind and that tainted his attitude towards his own family. Despite his expressed good intentions, all Reina could feel was sorrow, for she had lost the father she knew growing up. Perhaps it's been a sense of revenge on her part to do certain things in secret that her father would disapprove of.

Today, everyone believes she has it all and her arrogance is a product of her insufferable nature and skewed view on life. However, they don’t know what she had to endure, being the daughter to the owner of Allagos, one of the largest mega-corporations on Gaia – whenever expectations were not met, there were consequences she had to face.

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[???]

★ Quote

"Soon."

"..."

"Back on the precipice... of eternity."

📌 Profile

[unknown]

📖 Backstory

[unknown]

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And there you have it! On this list of love interests, only Ayame will show up in the Prologue, and only briefly, but of course there'll be plenty of content for all our main girls in the future!

Now, I'll get started on lore-work...

Have a good one!

-Khronarch