First, one must explain what this project is and where it is going. For a long time, I have been worldbuilding and storyboarding a story here, and only now do I feel it is time to go and make it.

From the beginning, I envisioned this as a visual novel or even a game itself, but I think at my level of coding and game design alone, I won’t get anywhere, so a visual novel is more than enough of a solo challenge.

This will have to go down the Patreon route of funding in these initial days, but I don’t care that much for money at this point past the idea that it will be necessary to use it to expand the project with outside help, such as artists and the like.

It will be first person since I have always liked first person more than 3rd, even if sometimes it is more difficult. First drafts will likely be going through here and Patreon first to get it down in writing and also see how things feel easing into forming a story. When creating a story, the first pages are by far the most difficult. How does one introduce a world without leaving them totally confused, while also not overwhelming them? In this case, I will go with a method that actually is quite similar to Fate/stay night or ASOIAF in which I start with a perspective separate from the protagonist for the prologue, which helps to introduce exposition while disconnecting it from the protagonist’s initial journey, which is better without having to do too much exposition dumping.

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Items.

I have always loved the way Elden Ring/Dark Souls seamlessly integrated its lore into the world while doing almost nothing to force the story on players. While this is of course not what I will do in writing a story, I still love how items and artifacts have deep stories of their own which are optional exposition for those that love it, and perfectly skippable for those that would be bored by it. This is how to incorporate deep worldbuilding while not having it drag down the story itself with minutiae which is a big issue with many worldbuilders who write.

This goes beyond items. Sorts of people, states, mythical beasts, spells, gods and more all ought to be a repository learned over the story and unlocked as optional reading. That is a trope I love deeply and I would wish to implement it. Important characters would get their own character sheets built in itself.

Aurelia is not so much a traditional RPG itself though, it is not relying on D&D or dice or numbers even. At this scale it is a story with RPG elements which ought to be hidden under a letter scale. In a way I think the overall the system will look like a heavily modified alteration to Fate/stay night’s letter graded system of skills, parameters and the like. I already designed it but that ought to be a post on its own.

Now for an example of items one would find in the repository which we can call the Codex.

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Beastiary example:

Designation: Inkeater (A-14)

Type: Aberation

Threat Rank: C- (Individual) E (Swarm)

Habitat: Unkept libraries, sewers,

Behavior: Inkeaters are drawn to written language, ink, and memory-imprinted materials. They slither as black ichor with feathery appendages resembling ink-stained quills. Predatory mimic-intellect, their intelligence seems to correspond with the knowledge they devoured. When agitated, they form eel-like bodies or squidlike masses that lash with tendrils. Their size depends on the amount of Ink they have devoured.

Abilities:

Script consumption (Devours magical or mundane text, leaving pages blank. Inkeater grows in size depending on size of text eaten.)

Mimicry (Feeding on written memory allows temporary mimicry of voices, movements, or spell-phrases.)

Inkshift (Can dissolve into ink to pass through barriers, reconstituting when words are near.)

Mythos & History: Inkeaters are the ancient enemies of writers of all types since ancient times. Their origins are unknown and their form, being ink itself, marks them as a sort of aberration to the world, something that ought not to exist. It is unknown what their true purpose is nor what their full anatomy is since dissection is impossible.

If it comes to the point that knowledge of great importance is lost to an Inkeater, it is imperative that that Inkeater is not killed. In that case, the Inkeater must be contained within a cylinder of Pure Ringestone so one can create a Lexiphage. A Lexiphage contains an Inkeater, preventing it from accessing magical energy, but can also force it to respond to queries through the transmission of electrical and arcane energy. In some instances, a Lexiphage is known to be a far more efficient method of storing and finding information, and since Inkeaters can absorb the knowledge of even mostly faded ink, it may also be the only way of restoring knowledge from ancient tomes.

Some Lexiphages are known as being the result of an Inkeater that consumed an entire library or truly ancient and valuable knowledge. These Lexiphages are among the most valuable artifacts of the academic world.

Vulnerabilities: They are known to be easier to deal with in a swarm as they engage in self-cannibalism when faced with their own kind which they seem not to distinguish from just more ink. Thus, a solitary Inkeater is known to be a far greater threat than a swarm. Some libraries are known actually to keep Inkeaters in containment and in the case of an outbreak to release it as it will naturally attack its fellow Inkeater. This method may also backfire.

Inkeaters are also known to favor some types of inks over others; thus, books of little import use what is known as sweet ink to give time for a containment team to arrive. In terms of containment, it can be very tricky. Although water and fire, magic or mundane in form, are the best and simplest methods of eliminating ink, that also applies to the rest of the library as a whole. Thus, it is imperative that a trained Ink Magus (usually the duty of the library scribe) is on site of any library of worth at all times, for only they can contain an Inkeater without the high risk of collateral damage.

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Item example:

Name / Alias: Funeral Seal

Type: Conceptual Item

Rank: D

Origin:
A sanctified object ussually placed into an amulet. Each seal bears a ritual etching from a designated Mortifier, often engraved with an excerpt from the Lament verses of the Aurelian Church hymms. Standard issue among Aurelian Mortifiers, death-rites officiants, and travelers passing through Veil-thin territories.

Effect (Passive):
Allows one to enter into places of great death without sucummbing to the effects of the sorrow and rages of the dead. Absorbs negative spirits and energies up to B rank. Prevents corruptive effects.

Effect (Activated):
Releases the latent negative energies of hostile spirits. In a psychiclly neutral location, this will cause all nearby peoples negative effects such as confusion, agiation and anger. Continous release of negative energies will turn a zone of death. If done in a holy place, the negative energies are purified from the world forevermore.

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Unit Example

Ringelander Men-at-Arms

Designation: Ringelander Men-at-Arms
Common Names: Crestbearers.
Faction Origin: Empire of Ringeland
Unit Class: Heavy Infantry

Combat Proficiency

• Melee Combat: C
• Formation Discipline: A
• Arcane Resistance: D (without support)
• Anti-Beast Tactics: D
• Morale: B (dependent on officer presence)
• Mobility: D
• Siege Utility: B (defensive garrison roles)

Equipment and Armament

• Armor: Crestplate (iron lamellar with reinforced chest and limbs)
• Weapons: Heavy spear, standard shortblade, hook-dagger (utility)
• Shield: Full tower shield bearing unit or provincial sigil
• Auxiliary Tools: Command whistle, sigil banner, ritual cord (for discipline or oath-tying)

Doctrine and Role

Ringelander Men-at-Arms serve as the backbone of Ringelander military formations. Their doctrine prioritizes cohesion, immobility, and obedience. Discipline is emphasized over combat prowess, resulting in perhaps the most cohesive infantry in the world. They also make a great contrast against the Ringelander knights, which tend to be trained in bastions from conscripted or volunteer recruits; they are conditioned to hold lines until command is broken or reinforced. Training focuses almost entirely on the pneumatic point of grip; the idea being an army becomes invincible if no one drops their weapon.

Used for suppression, occupation, and siege defense. Formations are signaled through visual or auditory relay—officer loss often leads to rapid breakdown.

Main Strength

Exceptional formation discipline and shield cohesion under command.

Main Weakness

Dependent on officers; collapses without clear leadership.