Lord of Lies Devlog #8

October 28th 

Hey guys, it’s Joy! I can’t believe this is my 8th devlog 💀 I also can’t believe how much progress I’ve managed to make. I have to thank Alex yet again for all his hard work in keeping the lore straight for this project… and another project connected to this one… 👀. But! That’s a tale for another time lol. As well as helping me with the combat system and specifically the class skills and enemy/boss skills my main focus for November, which is almost here omgggg. 

(Keep in mind none of this is finalized, and all is subject to change in the game itself)

Halloween marks the ⅓ of my time gone, as my deadline is December 31st, which simultaneously feels far away and way too close. I will feel a lot more confident this time next month hopefully! As I have planned for December to be laid back in terms of development, so one more month of grinding hopefully. 

So for this week’s Devlog I’d like to talk about ✨Character Dynamics ✨much like how I did between Lawrence and Gala last week. Thanks to my friend Lacy, of lacydigital for asking some more specific questions regarding my inspirations for said dynamics!

The next relationship that is almost as important as Lawrence and Gala’s is Lawrence and Charles’.

Lawrence and Charles Dynamic

Lawrence and Charles are brothers, perhaps not by blood, but it was extremely important to me to make it clear that their relationship is no less important or real because they aren’t biologically related.

I’ve had friends who have felt like siblings, and step siblings in my day and I care for them very much!

Lawrence and Charles are 7 years apart so their dynamic sometimes delves into more fatherly from Lawrence as he has had to look after Charles since he met him. 

After experiencing a traumatic event in their youth they’ve been bound together ever since. (Their hound as well).

Their relationship experiences a lot of ups and downs. Moments of understanding and resentment. And all the fun of a sibling relationship. 

Sometimes they are at each other’s throats bickering about essentially nothing, the next they are the bestest of friends. 

Fun fact! Charles has undergone the most changes from Princess Poison the novel to Princess Poison the game, to now Lord of Lies. 

Charles was always a child in every iteration of the story until now. Being 13/14 years old in the novel and subsequent game, and I even debated having him be a teenager now, (but opted out of it since he is conventionally attractive and didn’t want to go through the whole- Charles is a child, please stop simping lol) But he’s 18 he’s barely an adult as is.

Charles used to have Lawrence’s current power of detecting lies, and was mostly a plot device. 

Lawrence and Charles were friends in the original novel (as much as a 25 year old and 13 year old can be friends that is…). Charles was also the last witch hunter member you meet in the story. It’s very silly looking back on it.

Lawrence was mostly creeped out by how this literal child was involved in such a dangerous witch hunting group and Charles was basically a shounen anime protagonist in how useful and mature he was.

I read the novel to a close friend of mine and she really liked Charles (despite him having barely been in the novel to begin with) and I’d said I would expand more on his character in the rewrite of the novel I planned at the time. I never rewrote the novel, but I did not lie that I would expand on him and make him more relevant then he ever was before.

So I made the decision (for Princess Poison the original game) to give Lawrence and Charles more time to develop a brother-like relationship. I still hadn’t made them brothers officially, but as the story went on it practically was. Then I decided later to just make them siblings. Still not blood related for reasons I can’t say, but brothers, without having to go halfway through the story to experience it.

It also worked well since Lawrence and Gala both have a younger (moody) brother.

I am older sibling myself, (I have a younger brother) and am married to someone who has 3 little sisters, so I know a thing or two about raising your younger siblings, and being super close to them.

So writing the older sibling part of Lawrence has been super easy and fulfilling, and of course relatable. 

And I suppose all you babies can relate to younger siblings: Charles and Prince.

Charles and “The Hound” Dynamic

If there is one thing you should know about Charles it’s that he is the kind of guy to dread going to a party, goes to party sticks to the wall, and is relieved when there is a dog/cat to spend time with.

The Hound is a venomous dog breed known as a ‘Bane” (yes just like Lawrence’s last name) that are born in the swamplands of New Hampton that are super dangerous. But, “The Hound” (nameable in the game itself) imprints on the siblings and sticks by them through everything. Lawrence loves “The Hound” and vice versa but, Charles is “The Hound’s” favorite human and are rarely ever seen without each other.

They hunt together, eat together, and sleep together. As a major dog lover,(I worked/lived at a Dog Sanctuary for 3 years) I love when dog’s have their specific human that they stick to. 

“The Hound” is female, and is incredibly intelligent. She can do everything short of speak English, but can clearly understand the others. She prefers to just sleep and snack in her free time when she’s not fighting in your party.

“The Hound” is based off of black German Shepards, but secrete a venomous green neurotoxin that can kill 3 grown men with a single bite. (Unless you’re Gala who is immune to poison)

“The Hound” is quite tame but defends the party, and Charles specifically with all her heart.

Last dynamic for this week is…

Gala and King

King I haven’t spoken much about since he is tied to most of the plot stuff. He is the leader of the Noble House Witch Hunter group. He’s the highest ranked member of: King- Princess, Prince, Duchess, Duke, Knight, and Chancellor.

King and Gala’s relationship is a close one. King practically raised Gala and Prince for 10 years of their lives, teaching them to be true warriors.

Gala respects King more than anyone in her life. She has dedicated her life to repaying him for saving her and her brother’s lives.

As a result, Gala has worked hard to one day replace him as the highest ranked Witch Hunter when he can no longer.

King is a lot more laid back than Gala in every way. King is all about enjoying the finer things in life, women, booze, sleeping, creating and consuming art.

King tries to get Gala to loosen up and not take her job so seriously, but she feels the need to accommodate for his lackadaisical nature.

She respects his strength, but is astonished (and a tad envious of) how accomplished he is by barely trying in the first place.

King is a veteran general of the Jaqulier White royal military and a living legend/hero, but despite such incredible titles he’s a simple guy who desires to live the rest of his days out in peace. (King is in his 50’s)

He’s the author of a best selling adventure novel series entitled: “The Adventure’s of Justice Hale” the main character: Justice is an adventurer who gets into nearly every situation imaginable. They are based heavily on King’s own experiences as a warrior and traveler. 

They have been described by critics as campy and self indulgent, but even so they have garnered fans all across Fae. 

Gala finds the novels to be unrealistic and exaggerant. Prince however, is a great fan of them and hopes to one day take them over when King can no longer.

King entrusts the things he’s built: The Witch Hunting Group, and his novels to his two pupils whom he trusts fully.

King, Gala/Princess, and Prince are all from the land of Jaqulier White and look quite similar, but King is not related to them outside of being from the same country. 

Gala and King are often mistaken for being lovers which really bothers her, but King laughs it off. 

Next Week’s Devlog Sneak Peak

So that’s it for this week! I got a weekend busy of finishing Act 2, I wasn’t able to finish the entire story in a month, however, by Halloween I will have 75% of the story finished. I feel good and comfortable with the progress I am making and am well on schedule to hitting my deadline! Almost all the CG’s are done for the game so on the art side we are nearly done!

Happy Early Halloween guys, hope you eat lots of candy and the weather is nice and chilly.

Next week I will talk about some more specific dynamics between characters, especially Duke and Duchess who I have avoided speaking about so far. Until then, have a good weekend!