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August '19 Polls
Hello patrons and welcome to another set of patron polls!
This month we'll be polling on a niche topic, specifically, the fate of Claire's mother!
As you may already know, Claire's mother sacrifices herself for Claire to escape, and once Claire leaves Hookton, she doesn't look back as the Continent is engulfed in war.
However, we've had a lot of interest in the fate of both Claire's mother. As such, I'd like to probe the thoughts of patrons with regards to this!
Would you like to be able to have Claire's mother reappear in the Isles, brought along as part of a group of fleeing refugees?
In such a scenario she'd be somewhat 'broken', and repressed into a state of dementia. Claire's goal would be to try and have her recover from this state.
Would you prefer an extended Prologue session where Claire can attempt to venture backwards after the initial scene with the pigmen, and try to rescue her mother?
Or would you prefer we don't explore this approach at all, and focus on the Isles' content?
Vote now with your opinion!
- Claire's mother should reappear in the Isles, and a quest should be dedicated to finding her and helping her recover.
- Expand the Prologue; add the option to turn back to Fairfax and try to rescue Claire's mother at the beginning.
- Add both the possibility of Claire's mother reappearing in the Isles, and the option to turn back for her at the Prologue.
- The fate of Claire's mother should be left as-is; focus on other content.
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Blog 155
Hello all and welcome to another blog post!
Two main points to discuss today: namely, the outcome of our patron polls from July, which will be followed by a discussion of expanded questlines.
Let's get started!
July's patron polls asked the question "What kind of monsters would you like to see in the upcoming Shieldmaiden questline?" (That aren't already in-game)
Taking the lead with a whopping 351 votes were Minotaurs, and so they shall be the topic of the first quest in the Shieldmaiden series. Though believed to be ferocious, mindless beasts, the Minotaurs are possessed of a rudimentary intelligence, and have carved out a primitive civilization for themselves, even trading and co-existing with local gypsy tribes.
In second place at 227 votes is the Ogre, a two-headed giant of immense strength
and intellect. However, the two heads are in constant argument, and this dual nature of the Ogre will form the crux of the story in the second quest for the Shieldmaiden questline.
At 218 votes, in third place, are the Gnolls. Humanoid canine monsters who move in packs and obey the strongest creature around without hesitation, they have been known to accept non-Gnoll monsters, and even particularly strong humans, as their leaders. They breed incredibly quickly, and will hump
anything. However, their quarrelsome nature means that when their population spirals out of control and cannot be sustained by the local environment, an all-out civil war for resources will begin... And the Shieldmaiden questline puts you in the thick of it.
And these are the three confirmed monsters and quests for the Shieldmaiden questline! The runner-ups, in order of popularity, were Dragon (209), Giant Ants (184), Harpy (136), Gargoyles (121), and Mimic (120). While they failed to win the top three, they came close enough that we will strongly consider adding them in later quests for the Shieldmaiden questline.
Moving on, let's discuss the questlines for Claire's Quest!
In future updates, the Quest Log will be updated, and instead of showing the generic "Major Questline" category, it will specify
which major questline that particular quest is in.
Furthermore, both Rathpike and Valos will now sport up to four major questlines each, as well as one extended job questline, or job line, per area. A job line is basically a job quest that has multiple iterations and ends up with Claire owning an actual business rather than just working for money. So basically, a major questline but for a job. Shown in detail below...
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IN VALOS:
- Ranger Questline
-- Claire joins the Rangers, a paramilitary group devoted to maintaining balance in the Brugginwood, and making sure animals and humans in the Valosian countryside can coexist.
- Temple Questline
-- Claire joins the Sisters of Fertility, a religious sect responsible for maintaining the fertility of the Valosian fields as well as the population at large. Secretly, the Sisters worship a pagan deity, who grants select members the ability to manifest immense power and a hermaphroditic appearance.
- Plutocrat / Five Families Questline
-- Claire wins the favour of the Five Families, the wealthiest and therefore most powerful citizens in the plutocratic society of Valos. She becomes privy to the unbridled debauchery, political intrigue, and shadowy power plays of the upper echelons...
- Refugee Questline
-- A continuation of the story from the Continent; Claire finds the other refugees who escaped from the Continent in a sorry state. She must find food, shelter, and opportunity for them, and ward off any threats that could destabilize the newfound home of the refugees.
- Rancher Jobline
-- After proving herself by working in various stables, bullpens, and perhaps even kennels, Claire can purchase her own ranch, hire her own dedicated breeders, purchase livestock, and set to work establishing a flourishing breeding ranch.
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IN RATHPIKE:
- Thief Questline
-- Claire joins a group of heroic outlaws led by an idealist named Pliny, who steal from and blackmail the rich and powerful, giving their ill-gotten gains to the poor and impoverished. They seek to break the grip of the militant oppressors and criminal underbelly who rule over Rathpike.
- Shieldmaiden Questline
-- Claire signs up with a band of brash northerners who find themselves stranded in Rathpike, far from home, and who must collect a number of priceless artifacts for a ruthless Casino proprietress in exchange for a way to get back home. The only problem is - these artifacts are all located in monster-infested islands. Fortunately, these northerners are known for their monster-slaying abilities and antics.
- Mercenary Questline
-- Though they oppress the people and rule over Rathpike with a iron fist, the Mercenaries have brought stability to a land wracked by centuries of internal bickering and mindless bloodshed. Though they have secured the city, their authority is unwelcome elsewhere, and even their own officers have succumbed to corruption and rebellion. Claire can sign up with the Mercenaries, and help them put down civil unrest, root out corruption, and earn the respect of the populace.
- Urchin Questline
-- War, crime, crippling poverty... There are a multitude of reasons, but the outcome is the same: a band of orphans who have decided enough and enough, and banded together to form a group of outlaws who are as merciless as they are innocent-looking. Claire can try to earn their respect, submit to their fiendish ways, or even dominate their little operation...
- Monstrologist Jobline
-- With the aid of a number of compatriots, once Claire figures out that monster parts are deadly useful and can be made into highly valuable products, she is approached by unscrupulous investors, and can setup a monster-capturing, breeding, and extracting operation... What could go wrong?
And that' s all for now! Stay tuned for more news!
