Surprise post! (even to me)

I wasn't planning on doing this as I thought to do side love interest introductions during dev logs, but I actually made good progress in the last 2 days so here we are.

Welcome our first side girl of Aether:

Niinäri (pronounced: NEE-nah-ree)

Niinäri is a girl with a mysterious past who claims to come from a remote, rural place in the vast northern reaches of Sarmatia. However, she possesses grace, elegance and a degree of refinement you wouldn't expect from someone coming from those harsh lands. There are times when she may seem disarmingly innocent, but she holds remarkably deep passion and lust within her. There's clearly more to her than meets the eye and while her encounter in the Prologue may be short, she holds the first clues for something far bigger than one might presume.

-Khronarch

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

 

Hi everyone!

This is a harem story, but just a quick note - the MC (default name Hector) has a girlfriend in the first release. This will only be "enforced" in the Prologue as this is an introductory chapter that provides background on the characters, events and the world. In Chapter 1, Hector will not be "forced" to be with his girlfriend anymore. (Haaareeem~)

Since I can't shut myself up, there's a lot of damn yapping in this, so you can pick what you want to read, there are 3 sections for each LI:

📖 Backstory
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The protagonist – Hector Morien (first name can be changed)

Age: 20

Family: Morien, the younger son of two

Interests: Games, Fantasy stories, Wasting time on the internet

Hopes and dreams: A life worth living

The younger son of the Morien family, born five years after his older brother Victor. Despite the age difference it didn’t stop the two of them to have a solid relationship, just like how Hector's relationship with his parents have always been nothing but loving throughout his life. 

Since the Morien family was close friends with the Linwood family, their two sons had often spent time with their three daughters – Ella, Sofia and Leila. The five of them were close friends all throughout childhood while they could, as the Morien family moved to the other side of the planet when Hector's father had to make a decision due to his work commitments.

For Hector, if not for the unfortunate circumstances he found himself in when he was but a child after they had moved away, one could say he's had a perfect life, with no worries and problems. However, different people live through struggles in different ways and Hector had to deal with the aftermath of an irrational fear. Perhaps if they had stayed in the city of Lithama, close to the Linwood family, he would've never had to deal with such problems.

Nevertheless, he's moved back on his own about two years ago as he was starting his UF (University Foundations) education and the Linwood family welcomed him with open arms.


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Sofia Linwood

"I open my eyes to see your face – and my heart flutters."

"I hear your voice – and my worries vanish."

"I smell your scent – and my desire swells."

"I feel your touch – and my body trembles."

"I sense your soul, claiming mine – and I know, I'm home."

Age: 20

Family: Linwood, the 2nd of the three daughters

Relations: Girlfriend of Hector

Interests: Violin, Psychology, Devotion to the Thaeikos, Reading

Hopes and dreams: A life and a family with Hector; being able to carry out her divine duty, according to the Thaeikos' will (like teaching her future daughters about the ways of the gods)

Since they were children, Sofia and Hector always enjoyed being around each other. However, for her, their time spent together meant more as she already had a childish, young love for Hector when they were friends during their childhood. 

While their separation weighed heavy on both of them, more for Sofia, as her father also left about a year before the Morien family moved away, the distance didn’t stop her from caring about Hector. Being far away from each other just meant she had to stay in-contact through the phone while Hector and his family lived on the other side of Gaia. It wasn’t perfect, but it kept a fire in Sofia's heart, no matter how little they would often speak as they were growing up in their teenage years far away from each other. 

Even though she's happy today and has high hopes for her life with Hector, the suffering of the past has left its marks on her. Her obsessive vision of an idyllic family shattering once her father left, along with the absence of Hector, caused her immense pain and countless nights of endless crying throughout her teenage years. While the changes in her are subtle, they are there. But deep down she knows being together with Hector is enough for her wounded heart to never have to think about crying again.


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Leila Linwood

"I dream. I still dream my wishes can come true."

"I dream that my hopes and desires aren't just a waning light in the eyes of the Thaeikos – that perhaps one day they'll listen."

"Even if I'm only granted just one thing, I'll treasure it more than my own life, I really will."

"I don’t want to be seen as selfish, but please…"

Age: 18

Family: Linwood, the youngest of the three daughters

Relations: A friend of Hector

Interests: Piano, Drawing, Stargazing, Devotion to the Thaeikos

Hopes and dreams: Getting what she desires without being seen as selfish; visiting other planets; being able to carry out her divine duty, according to the Thaeikos' will

Leila, being the youngest daughter of the Linwood family was always the innocent, comforting and pleasant company, whether she was around the four children or their parents. Her radiance had brought happiness to the people around her without exception. 

This unfiltered, positive presence however got sullied by the experience of her father leaving their family behind. Her ability to feel emotions with very high intensity often made her confused and ultimately led to a lot of pain on her part. She also deeply missed the two Morien brothers who had moved away, and while she felt happy when Hector moved back to Lithama, she yet again was feeling overwhelmed by her emotions. 

Nowadays, it's much rarer for her radiance to shine through the darkest of clouds. However, without exception, she's herself again every time she plays the piano, for it’s the moment she embraces everything she feels.


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Maria Linwood

"Where did I go wrong?"

"What mistake of mine led us to all this?"

"I try my best, and with the little help we get, at least we can continue staying in our home."

"But this is only sustainable while the girls live here. What happens once they move out to live their own lives, building their own families?"

"Will I just stay alone for the rest of my life in this large empty house, hoping until the end that I could be loved again?"

Age: 44

Family: Linwood, the mother of three daughters

Relations: Mutual respect – mother of Hector's girlfriend

Interests: Family, Cooking, Devotion to the Thaeikos, Romantic stories

Hopes and dreams: Her daughters having a happy life, feeling like she deserves to be loved again romantically, becoming a grandmother one day

Maria, just like many other women on Gaia, married young and had children early. While her marriage was stable and happy that produced three daughters, the moment of her husband leaving was unexpected. It changed their lives completely and Maria had to shift into a different role in the family. 

Before, all her focus was on the family and the household. She followed her divine duty of learning about the Thaeikos, connecting her soul on a deeper level with the gods and to ultimately teach their ways to her daughters. 

After her husband left, she had to start working to keep the family afloat and despite the difficult times, and the burdens she had to bear, she refused to sell their house, which her husband simply left behind to them, nor was she willing to ask for help from her daughters. She was determined to allow her daughters to do what she could when she was younger and to follow their divine duties. All she's ever wanted is for them to have a happy, beautiful life, filled with the Thaeikos' blessings. 

However, in the back of her mind that dread of loneliness always gnawed at her – can she ever be loved again or will she die alone?
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That's all for now. If you've read all that, hats off to you. If not, that's okay, you'll meet all three of these ladies in the Prologue. The rest of the love interests will be shown in next week's Dev log.

-Khronarch