High Priestess in Rags

It’s the sort of place the hero might pass through, on their way to slay the demon king.

And yet, the town was full of the most unexpected people. People full of secrets, mysteries and a vibrant love of life.

I know there was a murderer on the loose. It’s true, those dark magics threatened the entire town.

But do you know what I was really thinking? I was thinking about someone in need who crossed my path. And the limits of kindness. How far is too far?

(Early Access) High Priestess in Rags is a new visual novella about the ordinary people who live in an epic fantasy town and the incredible lives they lead. Experience a thrilling ride, as the story builds to a conclusion that will rock the entire town.

Don’t worry, though. There’s a mystery, but it’s not like the game’s going to ask you to solve it, or anything... Right?

Cast

Wexley, the novice from the Cathedral, with unexpected links to the underworld.

Miss Bantham, who fell from grace to become a cog in the machine that churns up unfortunates.

Jeremy & Beatrice, the powerful counselor and his wife, facing family tragedy.

Randol, the townsguard, who develops his ‘modern detecting methods.’

A mysterious foreign woman, on a path of vengeance.

And Jemma, a governess and the unlikely custodian of an ancient and feared religion. Ostracized by birth, can she avoid her life spiraling into darkness?

• BTW, a "novella" is a short novel (short enough to get through in a few sittings, but long enough to have full character arcs.)
• The full story is included, and is the equivalent of around 50,000 words. This game is quite narrative focused.
• You'll find a mix of gritty european fantasy styles and some anime influences.

Made with care and attention

• This is the work of a solo developer (see my itch page, I might put some background there sometime)
• Check back in the future for more stories in this style and learn more about the town and the mysterious traveler
• This may become part of a larger work that combines narrative elements with interactive elements, to create a breathing world to explore
• If you’d like to support me, tell me what you liked about the story in a comment below (or feel free to donate a small coffee)

Early access

There is brand new technology in this work, and a new engine for displaying visual novels like you've never seen them before. Please verify that it works on your machine before donating.

Requirements:

• Vulkan 1.2 is required (most PCs have this automatically, but certain laptops/tablets older than about 5 years may not)
• A discrete GPU helps, but isn't required. On integrated GPUs you might get slowdowns on some of the VFX.
• Check the readme.txt for latest trouble-shooting help

Only Windows for the moment, though if you'd like to see it on another platform, please comment below.

Content advisory

This work contains some light descriptions of adult situations. It's not vulgar or explicit, but it is intended for mature audiences. If you feel you may be offended by suggestive (but affectionate) descriptions, this may not be the story for you.

Next story

Follow me and check back in a few weeks. You may find a story about Cate and Callie.

Cate — the duke’s exchequer, living in a grand mansion in the inner bailey

Callie — the Lyceum dropout and whirlwind of anger and resentment

Why would these two mismatched people have such an all-consuming rivalry? What happens when they are touched by the powers of an ancient being, who has long hidden from the Triad but now seeks return? And what do they intend to do with a magic that creates unthinking machines out of people?

I'll promise you only one thing: their story is stranger than you expect.

We’ll explore a little of the economy of the town, and see our first glimpses into the Lyceum district, and the bailey within the inner wall.