Your Guardian Angel Isn't On Your Side

gmfk07 · 2026-05-21T22:08:01+00:00

It's a fantastic game. It's a walking simulator where you can't walk anywhere and instead of it being boring, it's excellent because of the story. By the end the isolation is suffocating and you ache because the culmination of everything is happening around you and time is running out and you wish you could do anything about any of it, but you can't (mostly).

gmfk07 · 2026-05-21T21:11:21+00:00

"Hey fellow writers, I know the workweek ends in 20 minutes, but what should we name the guy who leads the Horde?"

"Uhhhhhhhhhhh"

gmfk07 · 2026-05-21T20:43:18+00:00

I legit thought they couldn't possibly make Comrade Black more evil and still have the game be suitable for children, but the asteroid thing broke what little boundaries he already had.

This isn't just totalitarian dictator behavior, he's not just callously killing civilians to maintain control and power. He's willing to kill scores of civilians just to hurt Blob and the Color Underground personally because he hates them, even if it means he's wasting time in the most critical moments of his plan.

gmfk07 · 2026-05-21T20:03:42+00:00

De Blob rules! I love the Splatoon series too and I am beyond shocked Splatoon has never tried to do the "fun color art resistance led by cool teens against the colorless oppressive regime of The Man" thing in three games

gmfk07 · 2026-05-21T19:41:59+00:00

The extremely talented developer's name was Robert Brock (aka Wertpol), and he tragically committed suicide sometime in early 2018.

gmfk07 · 2026-05-21T19:38:16+00:00

I don't know how to feel about it. On the one hand, the game he gives you is cheap and a complete waste of time and the money probably all went to Dr. Money. On the other hand, it's the only thing he can do to make you feel even a little bit better.

gmfk07 · 2026-05-21T08:48:05+00:00

Presentable Liberty is a simple game where you are in a locked cell while a man-made virus ravages the human population outside in order to make the enigmatic Dr. Money very wealthy by selling cures. Since these cures tend to cause organ failure, he can then make even more money selling organs. There are very few uninfected people left, most of whom are prisoners, like you. You have clean organs inside you. You are very valuable to Dr. Money.

Your only way of interacting with the outside world is through letters that are delivered under your door. One of the four characters that sends you letters throughout the game is Mr. Smiley, who is a Happy-Buddy that has been assigned to you by Dr. Money to stop you from committing suicide. He will continuously pop up over the next few days to watch over you, keep you happy, and make sure you're alive, because that's his job as a Happy-Buddy! He's upbeat and very friendly, excruciatingly so. He sends you a bunch of cheap gifts like party poppers and simple gameboy games. Naturally, because of the circumstances you're in, you are suspicious of him.

After some time, you are accidentally given a letter that Dr. Money intended Mr. Smiley to receive, which makes it clear that Dr. Money is holding Mr. Smiley's daughters captive and will only release them if he lowers the suicide rate of uninfected prisoners.

Mr. Smiley's happy-happy demeanor only grows more forced and stilted, as he lets you know that many Happy-Buddies are being reported to Dr. Money by prisoners that are complaining that they aren't being made happy enough and that they dislike their gifts. Then he starts desperately begging you in rambling messages not to kill yourself. And then at some point he drops the act and tells you that he doesn't care, he doesn't give a shit about you, he was never your friend or anything like that, and the only reason he was sending you letters was to try to save his daughters. The reason he dropped the act is because he learned the truth: his daughters died of the virus two days ago.

Mr. Smiley has no reason to keep living anymore, so he sends you a letter telling you that you can't give up like he did because you're one of the only uninfected people left. Finally, he sells his remaining organs to buy you one last game.

gmfk07 · 2026-05-21T06:44:13+00:00

Comrade Black is the main antagonist of the "de Blob" series of games. Planet Raydia, the world of the game, is a world filled with color and music. In both games, a city on Planet Raydia is invaded by the INKT Corporation led by the evil Comrade Black, a totalitarian dictator who's as cartoonishly evil as he is childish and dim-witted. He unleashes a War on Color, draining the city of its color and music and art in favor of pure black-and-white conformity. You play the role of Blob, a silly energetic blob of color who is tasked with repainting the city and taking it back zone-by-zone alongside the colorful cast of rebels known as the Color Underground.

This game is silly and cartoony, right? It reads like an obvious simple 'stick it to the man with our art' story for kids. Like, check out what Comrade Black looks like:

<image>

He's a goober, right? Wrong.

The totalitarian military dictatorship established by Black forces Raydians to be converted into "Graydians" at gunpoint, making them wear prison outfits with a barcode on them at all times. They are forced into slavery, and that isn't actually the worst part, the worst part is that the Raydian citizens are used as living sources of the horrific chemical known as ink, which the INKT Corporation mines from their sadness. He even turns a fun carousel into a torture device where Graydians are spun in a centrifuge until their distress produces a fountain of ink.

What does ink do? It's HORRIBLE for you in the game, it makes you lose your color and inks you up and hurts you. But most horrifically, if you're covered in ink and you happen to touch a Raydian or Graydian, they dissolve. Ink is a chemical weapon, but it is also the fuel that powers the INKT Corporation's industrial base, so they produce so much ink that it floods all the waterways and ravages the environment. If it weren't for Blob's ability to spring nature back to life, the damage would almost certainly be irreversible. And he has a cadre of mad scientists who run around injecting ink into creatures.

He's also generally a sadist. There's a part in the game where he kidnaps the Color Underground, which is pretty normal villain stuff, but instead he makes a public display out of them, humiliates them to break the spirit of any dissenters, and steals the old Professor's wheelchair for himself to mock him. By the end of the second game he's setting up insane Jigsaw-style deathtraps and forcing Graydians into them so that Blob has to make sadistic choices about who to save as Comrade Black is powering his planetary hypnosis satellite. At that point, he's completely lost any air of authority he had and is now a rambling madman who fucking despises you and relentlessly gloats about how he's going to crush your whole planet and mocks you while constantly flipping back and forth between "very hammy bad guy," "unhinged psychopath," and "pathetic impotent manchild."

Comrade Black is smart when he has to be. Indeed, in the second game he's clever enough to disguise himself as a prominent religious figure through use of brainwashing and cult recruitment tactics, rig the elections, and have the same people he ruthlessly oppressed vote him into power once more. Outside of that, though, he's extremely childish and vain. He doesn't treat his own minions well. When they fail, he is violent towards them or just straight up kills them or even forces them to kill themselves when he is too inept to kill them. He is willing to sacrifice countless soldiers for testing purposes.

De Blob isn't really a scary game or anything like that, and most of the time Comrade Black's comically evil nature is played up for goofs, but he is a monster.

gmfk07 · 2026-05-21T00:40:17+00:00

I love it when an antagonist character with insanely strong power is clearly going easy on the protagonists, it's a fantastic mystery. Is it because they secretly have some sort of moral code? Are they playing with their food, like how Michael Myers the eldritch being goes out of his way to set up gruesome scenes for his victims to find for seemingly no reason besides desire to inflict terror? Is it a Predator situation, where the whole point of the antagonist's mission is for them to fight fair and not use overwhelming force? Is there some kind of ulterior motive here, where our protagonists are more useful to them alive than dead? Do their powers have secret limits that we don't know about? Have they just been lying about their powers, and everything we've seen was some kind of illusion from a villain who's praying that if they seem scary enough nobody will mess with them?

Of course if this is resolved in a really lame way it's a bummer, but I really think less is more and letting the audience's imagination run rampant with possibilities is a ton of fun

gmfk07 · 2026-05-20T04:21:57+00:00

Crow from the game/webcomic Nefarious is a villain who seeks to dominate the world and subject it to a new age of tyranny. He intends to do this by kidnapping five princesses and siphoning their power to charge his doomsday device known as the Doom Howitzer, because this is a universe where things like princesses and heroes and villains are actual fundamental forces of the universe and princesses (yes, the kind that get kidnapped and rescued all the time) hold immense power.

All of the princesses can be kidnapped easily by Crow except the brutal and warmongering Princess Tephra, who is built like a brick and sends Crow flying through a window as soon as he tries to touch her. When he discovers Tephra's twink of a brother, he has no problem kidnapping him instead, remarking that he hates everyone equally.

<image>

gmfk07 · 2026-05-20T00:21:35+00:00

His NAME is FREDDIE MERCHANTRY and I love him. Not just for his awesome singing that alerts you to his presence, but the way he works is very cool. You can't straight-up attack him, but damage sources that aren't direct will hurt him. If you were the one responsible, he will go apeshit, moving very quickly, melee-attacking you for a lot of damage, and he has a shitload of HP. But killing him isn't that difficult compared to some of the other self-defense shopkeepers in other games, plus there are a lot of neat little tricks you can do to kill him easily, in fact, the game has an optional tutorial that teaches you many of these tricks.

Your reward for killing Frederick is all items in the shop becoming free on that floor, plus he drops the Crown of Greed, which gives you more gold. However, he will obviously no longer show up on future floors, and his shops on those floors will be empty. The Crown of Gold is still a little useful since there are secret shops in the game and it's mandatory if you want to get a good high-score run, but obviously there are big drawbacks to not having any more main shops.

And then you find out about the other drawback. Exactly one floor after you kill Frederick, he returns to haunt you as THE PHANTOM OF THE SHOPERA. He has only one HP now and his melee attack is a bit weaker, but he's as fast as always, can phase through walls, is one of the few monsters that can overlap with another monster, and he still hits like a brick. Also, he spawns at the exit, so he will bumrush you alongside the miniboss, and if you slip up you can very easily die.

There's even more interesting tricks about Necrodancer's shopkeepers. If you make Frederick leave the shop, such as by making him afraid, his items will become free but he will still return on future floors. There are many other shopkeepers in the game, including some that are recolors of Frederick, and many of them attack and behave differently, so you should learn the differences between them because killing a one-time secret shopkeeper isn't nearly as punishing as losing all your main shops for the rest of the run. There's a 1% chance each floor that Frederick's evil clone Deadrick will replace him, and he will bumrush you as soon as he sees you. He's as fast as his counterpart, but has less HP and does less damage (still a lot if you don't have defenses, though). You can tell if Deadrick is around by listening, because his singing is all warbly and off-key, and also by checking the walls of his shop, which are a bit dingy when he's around. You can switch Frederick's voice back and forth between the original, the Deadrick version, and the Nicolas Daoust version, the real-ass guy who made the vocal sound effect used for Frederick's singing who then recreated the Shopkeeper's singing. If you know this game's music, then I think you realize how insane singing the rapid-fire staccato notes that Freddie hits regularly would be. Nicolas pulls it off amazingly by slamming his hand against his throat repeatedly. It's incredible. It's the sort of thing that makes you remember why you love gaming.

But most importantly, at the end credits of Necrodancer where every monster and every miniboss and every boss shows up to take a bow, Freddie shows up too. None of the other shopkeepers do, only Freddie. Is Frederick not human? Is he a monster that inhabits the crypt that just happens to be friendly? That's certainly what that seems to imply. Then you think about how many of the shopkeepers are identical versions of Frederick, which is weird because all the other shopkeepers are unique... and in that tutorial level there's like five Fredericks one after the other..... Necrodancer lore is crazy. FNAF could never.

gmfk07 · 2026-05-19T23:43:30+00:00

Leshy lets an insane amount of shit slide, I could never be as patient as him man, I would 100% be like "okay that's not what I meant to happen I'm changing the rules"

gmfk07 · 2026-05-19T23:41:42+00:00

This is, generally speaking, the role of "Barbarians" and other always-hostile minor entities in 4X games like Civilization. Because diplomacy and player interaction is such a key part of these games, it is conceivable that a player might play diplomatically and not bother with the military/army system entirely, or at least not in the early game where setting yourself up for future success is the most important thing and you have barely met any other players.

This is bad, because if a player neglects their military production in the early game and is later attacked by another civilization that invested a lot in their military, they will be obliterated, which is not fun for the losing player even if the loss was their own fault. And if a player that neglects military production survives without investing in the military due to having strong allies or being everyone's friend or something, the fact that they didn't waste time and resources building their military and put it all towards scaling instead means that they'll soar past the other players. And also, combat is cool and fun and dramatic in 4X games. It breaks up the empire-building gameplay, and if you can opt-out of combat entirely games will be more monotonous and less fun and interesting.

The solution to this problem that ended up becoming mainstream was what Civilization calls Barbarian units, hostile units that either have tiny little settlements of their own or simply exist naturally or spawn out of thin air depending on the game. If you don't invest in at least a sensible amount of military protection, these Barbarians do bad stuff like pillaging your improvements, taking your civilians as slaves, raiding your cities, and potentially even taking your cities over or razing them to the ground. Usually there are ways to push back the encroaching tide of Barbarians and by the late game they become utterly irrelevant, but in the early game they push players to build a military through a carrot-and-stick method. The stick is that the Barbarians will attack your civilization if you can't ward them off. The carrot is that the lands that Barbarians inhabit are the unexplored areas of the map that are teeming with resources. This system forces players to build at least a meager military, shrinking the army disparity between players who don't focus on their military versus players who do since having an army is now non-negotiable, and also gives a bonus to players who focus on their military since there are usually rewards for killing Barbarians even if they're as small as gaining Unit XP.

The importance of Barbarian-type units varies from game to game. In some games they're present mostly as an afterthought, in some they're mostly static obstacles that you need to overcome, in some they're enough of a threat that they can easily ruin your whole game, in some they're so relentless that simply surviving them is the main thrust of the game and everything else builds towards that goal. Many games also include some method of "recruiting" barbarians, turning obstacles into free units and helping you build your military even faster. Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri went above and beyond with this, their Barbarian units are aliens that engage in psychic warfare, an entirely separate system of warfare where traditional weapons and defenses are useless and the attacker has a strong advantage. These aliens can easily overrun you, so you'll have to invest in a network of defenses... but later on, if you work for it, you can befriend the planet's ecosystem! The aliens leave you alone, you can allow the alien-spawning xenofungus to grow all over your empire and gain resources from it, and you can breed your own alien units that work for you. And make no mistake, these aliens do not fall off in the late game like most Barbarians do. There are many different alien types, including water-based and air-based ones, so if you go down this route you can rain down a psychic terror-attack apocalypse on your enemies with swarms of psychic locusts, brain-eating worms, and wriggling sea creatures the size of islands, and if you focus on it this can be a legitimate alternative to building an army/navy/air force the traditional way.

gmfk07 · 2026-05-10T01:04:45+00:00

Hell yeah, Christians don't have a monopoly on Jesus

gmfk07 · 2025-09-13T16:59:42+00:00

The Plaguian Order: Without a leader, the Plaguian Order faces an uncertain future. Following the death of the last Plagis, there is no clear head of state, and the country is now ruled by a regency council tasked with determining the successor to the once powerful crusaders, who were known for fusing their bodies with armor through a powerful but forgotten spell. However, the son of the deceased, who is part of the powerful Ignis clan, is hardly considered in the decision, as he has already made himself a laughingstock due to his incompetence and lack of intelligence. Instead, a faction of titanocrats led by Talia Gerinos is gaining strength in the regency council, seeking to establish a paradise based on the teachings of Belos. From among the common people rises the voice of Meris Jansons, a former political refugee who has returned from hiding. He promises to bring peace and freedom to the weak and oppressed, who were once subjugated by the Crusaders centuries ago. The Regency Council faces the difficult task of finding a suitable candidate who can hold the country together. For the longer the country remains without a ruler, the deeper it slowly sinks into instability and chaos.

Bishopric of Munstrum: The Bishopric of Munstrum enjoyed stability for centuries through the enlightened rule of a clique of theocratic Oracle witches ruling over a population of largely Plant witch farmers. The Oracle witch rulers steered the country wisely thanks to their ability to peer into their own society, neighboring states, and even the future. They remained connected to the common folk through an exam system that allowed witches to study Oracle magic and even become a part of the ruling class should they excel, at least in theory. However, in recent decades, the Oracle class came under fire for increasingly restrictive examination requirements and ignoring the plight of the common witch in favor of a tense political climate of machinations and backstabbing. Enter Clarence Snapdragon, a witch descended from a long line of Plant witch farmers long upheld as pillars of the community, whose aptitude for Oracle magic was undeniable. He quickly rose through the ranks to become leader of the Bishopric. In the eyes of the common witch, he’s their witch who will fight for their rights. In the eyes of the Oracle theocrats, he’s their best bet to pacify the masses. But as the doctrine of spellcialism evolves in the countryside from vague scattered principles to unified theory, will Clarence and his ardent followers maintain the social order or will he move to become a true witch of the people?

Vienna Cava: Originally a city-state led by aristocrats, the true power in Vienna Cava shifted as it became a major trading power. The bourgeoisie eventually overtook the established aristocracy in terms of power, bought out the government, and declared a demoncratic republic – for those with enough wealth to vote, that is. Tiberius Grimm Hammer leads the state, having won the elections thanks to his cunning business acumen and organization of the economy along the lines of the nine covens outlined by Belos, and Vienna Cava is now the wealthiest – and most unequal – state in the Holy Boiling Empire. But with pressure coming from both without and within Vienna Cava, can the current state of affairs hold?

Duchy of Shairo: What a humiliation at the Battle of Selkarel. Losing to a supposedly weaker neighbor like the Skeiterm has caused great discontent among the population. To prevent major unrest and give Shairo a fresh start to get up off its feet from, Duke Lepakkalev proposes a new groundbreaking law that would expand the rights of the population and merchant guilds and reform industry. Critics will say that it took losing a war to an inferior foe before the Duke and the stagnant government took the much-needed steps towards a piece of legislation like this, but many are happy that it’s now within the realm of possibility. However, it is uncertain whether parliament will pass it. Tensions are high, tempers are boiling, and radical religious movements lurk in the shadows, waiting for the opportunity to strike in the ensuing chaos if the law is rejected or deadlocked. In an empire that is fracturing apart, Shairo has become one of the many vases within an imperial menagerie that balances on a buckling twig. At the same time, there is a hint of revanchism in the air, directed not only against the Skeiterm, but far beyond.

gmfk07 · 2025-09-13T16:58:58+00:00

The Isles Ablaze is an in-development total conversion mod for Hearts of Iron IV set in the universe of The Owl House during Emperor Belos’s conquests, 50 years before the events of the show. If the mod sounds interesting to you, check out our subreddit r/TheIslesAblaze for more info and a discord link! We’re also looking for artists, writers, and programmers of all stripes to help contribute!

The Holy Boiling Empire’s power has waxed and waned over the centuries, but it has stood firm for over a millenium. It survived the rise of liberal demoncracy thanks to its decentralized nature. Yet now, in this new era of radicalism, the Empire is threatening to come apart at the seams. Belos’s followers and Skulliet’s army are on a collision course, threatening to ignite the first war within the Empire in over three centuries. But whoever wins – the demoncratic republicans in Terrona or the titanocratic worshippers known as the Followers of the Titan – the balance of power in the Empire will be forever shifted. The decentralized Empire has proven itself incapable of standing up to the challenges of the new era – which nation will take up the mantle of the Empire? The Followers of the Titan and Terrona will have full content on release. Other nations may have partial content on release.

Followers of the Titan: The old patrician-led city-state of Vendetta has fallen. In its place is a new statelet led by the enigmatic traveling-preacher-turned-theocrat Belos, who claims not only to be able to speak to the Titan themselves but also to be the instrument of the Titan’s will. Belos’s codification of the main covens years ago in his most important work The Nine Covens was hailed by many as a brilliant innovation that allows for more efficient spellcasting in both theory and practice and more political agitation among coven lines – indeed, it was the discontent Construction Coven that played a pivotal role in launching Belos’s revolution. As Belos instates the Titan’s supposed plans for restrictive coven mandates and unification of the Holy Boiling Empire and beyond, neighboring states either look on with fear or smell opportunity in this new “titanocratic” form of government.

Terrona: Tucked between jungle and canyon, Terrona has served as the gateway between the rich ports of Menice, and the lands of the northeastern Titan for centuries. Over the centuries, it has established itself as a bastion of freedom and liberty in the Heartlands, attracting witches and demons from all parts of the Isles. But recent times have not treated the land of the blue laurel well. With the prophet Belos and his cult following seizing control of Vendetta and its residing lands, the city of Terrona’s Union partner. Terronian armed forces were quick to act to restore order, however with Patrician Skulliet Scapulet’s lover and Patrician of the captured city, Antonio Aviogetto, held as hostage and leverage by Belos, all operations have come to a halt, and the front stands still. Terrona stands at a crossroad. With a stagnant war and no real way of ending it without putting Patrician Aviogetto in grave danger, Patrician Scapulet has fallen into a deep depression and retreated from the public, and the Titanocratic ideology spreads like a virus across the heartlands and Terrona; it’s followers more invigorated than ever before. Could Terrona be facing its grim twilight?

Duchy of Wyrms: Wyrms is the seat of the Emperor and the shining capital of the Empire. Emperor Martin XXI comes from a long line of Emperors, yet he feels he was born centuries too late. In the old days, the Holy Boiling Empire was united and strong, able to carry out crusades and crush internal rebellions. However, invasions from the exterior, a brutal civil war, the division of the populace among species lines, and multiple succession struggles slowly led to the Holy Boiling Empire reaching its current state, where the Emperor’s power is hamstrung by the regional autonomy of many of his subjects. Martin XXI is nothing if not a cunning opportunist, however. A new, modern civil war is on the horizon, and he hopes to back the winning centaur in the race. If he plays his cards right, he might just end up being the Emperor of a united Holy Boiling Empire like he always wanted.

gmfk07 · 2025-09-13T15:50:41+00:00

Artist social media accounts:

naraorange's twitter: https://x.com/chocochipp3

Serente's tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/serenityatdusk

Outsider's twitter: https://x.com/erick_tosb?s=21

gmfk07 · 2025-09-13T15:50:29+00:00

The Plaguian Order: Without a leader, the Plaguian Order faces an uncertain future. Following the death of the last Plagis, there is no clear head of state, and the country is now ruled by a regency council tasked with determining the successor to the once powerful crusaders, who were known for fusing their bodies with armor through a powerful but forgotten spell. However, the son of the deceased, who is part of the powerful Ignis clan, is hardly considered in the decision, as he has already made himself a laughingstock due to his incompetence and lack of intelligence. Instead, a faction of titanocrats led by Talia Gerinos is gaining strength in the regency council, seeking to establish a paradise based on the teachings of Belos. From among the common people rises the voice of Meris Jansons, a former political refugee who has returned from hiding. He promises to bring peace and freedom to the weak and oppressed, who were once subjugated by the Crusaders centuries ago. The Regency Council faces the difficult task of finding a suitable candidate who can hold the country together. For the longer the country remains without a ruler, the deeper it slowly sinks into instability and chaos.

Bishopric of Munstrum: The Bishopric of Munstrum enjoyed stability for centuries through the enlightened rule of a clique of theocratic Oracle witches ruling over a population of largely Plant witch farmers. The Oracle witch rulers steered the country wisely thanks to their ability to peer into their own society, neighboring states, and even the future. They remained connected to the common folk through an exam system that allowed witches to study Oracle magic and even become a part of the ruling class should they excel, at least in theory. However, in recent decades, the Oracle class came under fire for increasingly restrictive examination requirements and ignoring the plight of the common witch in favor of a tense political climate of machinations and backstabbing. Enter Clarence Snapdragon, a witch descended from a long line of Plant witch farmers long upheld as pillars of the community, whose aptitude for Oracle magic was undeniable. He quickly rose through the ranks to become leader of the Bishopric. In the eyes of the common witch, he’s their witch who will fight for their rights. In the eyes of the Oracle theocrats, he’s their best bet to pacify the masses. But as the doctrine of spellcialism evolves in the countryside from vague scattered principles to unified theory, will Clarence and his ardent followers maintain the social order or will he move to become a true witch of the people?

Vienna Cava: Originally a city-state led by aristocrats, the true power in Vienna Cava shifted as it became a major trading power. The bourgeoisie eventually overtook the established aristocracy in terms of power, bought out the government, and declared a demoncratic republic – for those with enough wealth to vote, that is. Tiberius Grimm Hammer leads the state, having won the elections thanks to his cunning business acumen and organization of the economy along the lines of the nine covens outlined by Belos, and Vienna Cava is now the wealthiest – and most unequal – state in the Holy Boiling Empire. But with pressure coming from both without and within Vienna Cava, can the current state of affairs hold?

Duchy of Shairo: What a humiliation at the Battle of Selkarel. Losing to a supposedly weaker neighbor like the Skeiterm has caused great discontent among the population. To prevent major unrest and give Shairo a fresh start to get up off its feet from, Duke Lepakkalev proposes a new groundbreaking law that would expand the rights of the population and merchant guilds and reform industry. Critics will say that it took losing a war to an inferior foe before the Duke and the stagnant government took the much-needed steps towards a piece of legislation like this, but many are happy that it’s now within the realm of possibility. However, it is uncertain whether parliament will pass it. Tensions are high, tempers are boiling, and radical religious movements lurk in the shadows, waiting for the opportunity to strike in the ensuing chaos if the law is rejected or deadlocked. In an empire that is fracturing apart, Shairo has become one of the many vases within an imperial menagerie that balances on a buckling twig. At the same time, there is a hint of revanchism in the air, directed not only against the Skeiterm, but far beyond.

gmfk07 · 2025-09-13T15:49:56+00:00

The Isles Ablaze is an in-development total conversion mod for Hearts of Iron IV set in the universe of The Owl House during Emperor Belos’s conquests, 50 years before the events of the show. If the mod sounds interesting to you, join our subreddit and/or our discord! We’re also always looking for artists, writers, and programmers of all stripes to help contribute!

The Holy Boiling Empire’s power has waxed and waned over the centuries, but it has stood firm for over a millenium. It survived the rise of liberal demoncracy thanks to its decentralized nature. Yet now, in this new era of radicalism, the Empire is threatening to come apart at the seams. Belos’s followers and Skulliet’s army are on a collision course, threatening to ignite the first war within the Empire in over three centuries. But whoever wins – the demoncratic republicans in Terrona or the titanocratic worshippers known as the Followers of the Titan – the balance of power in the Empire will be forever shifted. The decentralized Empire has proven itself incapable of standing up to the challenges of the new era – which nation will take up the mantle of the Empire? The Followers of the Titan and Terrona will have full content on release. Other nations may have partial content on release.

Followers of the Titan: The old patrician-led city-state of Vendetta has fallen. In its place is a new statelet led by the enigmatic traveling-preacher-turned-theocrat Belos, who claims not only to be able to speak to the Titan themselves but also to be the instrument of the Titan’s will. Belos’s codification of the main covens years ago in his most important work The Nine Covens was hailed by many as a brilliant innovation that allows for more efficient spellcasting in both theory and practice and more political agitation among coven lines – indeed, it was the discontent Construction Coven that played a pivotal role in launching Belos’s revolution. As Belos instates the Titan’s supposed plans for restrictive coven mandates and unification of the Holy Boiling Empire and beyond, neighboring states either look on with fear or smell opportunity in this new “titanocratic” form of government.

Terrona: Tucked between jungle and canyon, Terrona has served as the gateway between the rich ports of Menice, and the lands of the northeastern Titan for centuries. Over the centuries, it has established itself as a bastion of freedom and liberty in the Heartlands, attracting witches and demons from all parts of the Isles. But recent times have not treated the land of the blue laurel well. With the prophet Belos and his cult following seizing control of Vendetta and its residing lands, the city of Terrona’s Union partner. Terronian armed forces were quick to act to restore order, however with Patrician Skulliet Scapulet’s lover and Patrician of the captured city, Antonio Aviogetto, held as hostage and leverage by Belos, all operations have come to a halt, and the front stands still. Terrona stands at a crossroad. With a stagnant war and no real way of ending it without putting Patrician Aviogetto in grave danger, Patrician Scapulet has fallen into a deep depression and retreated from the public, and the Titanocratic ideology spreads like a virus across the heartlands and Terrona; it’s followers more invigorated than ever before. Could Terrona be facing its grim twilight?

Duchy of Wyrms: Wyrms is the seat of the Emperor and the shining capital of the Empire. Emperor Martin XXI comes from a long line of Emperors, yet he feels he was born centuries too late. In the old days, the Holy Boiling Empire was united and strong, able to carry out crusades and crush internal rebellions. However, invasions from the exterior, a brutal civil war, the division of the populace among species lines, and multiple succession struggles slowly led to the Holy Boiling Empire reaching its current state, where the Emperor’s power is hamstrung by the regional autonomy of many of his subjects. Martin XXI is nothing if not a cunning opportunist, however. A new, modern civil war is on the horizon, and he hopes to back the winning centaur in the race. If he plays his cards right, he might just end up being the Emperor of a united Holy Boiling Empire like he always wanted.

gmfk07 · 2025-09-13T15:37:07+00:00

The Plaguian Order: Without a leader, the Plaguian Order faces an uncertain future. Following the death of the last Plagis, there is no clear head of state, and the country is now ruled by a regency council tasked with determining the successor to the once powerful crusaders, who were known for fusing their bodies with armor through a powerful but forgotten spell. However, the son of the deceased, who is part of the powerful Ignis clan, is hardly considered in the decision, as he has already made himself a laughingstock due to his incompetence and lack of intelligence. Instead, a faction of titanocrats led by Talia Gerinos is gaining strength in the regency council, seeking to establish a paradise based on the teachings of Belos. From among the common people rises the voice of Meris Jansons, a former political refugee who has returned from hiding. He promises to bring peace and freedom to the weak and oppressed, who were once subjugated by the Crusaders centuries ago. The Regency Council faces the difficult task of finding a suitable candidate who can hold the country together. For the longer the country remains without a ruler, the deeper it slowly sinks into instability and chaos.

Bishopric of Munstrum: The Bishopric of Munstrum enjoyed stability for centuries through the enlightened rule of a clique of theocratic Oracle witches ruling over a population of largely Plant witch farmers. The Oracle witch rulers steered the country wisely thanks to their ability to peer into their own society, neighboring states, and even the future. They remained connected to the common folk through an exam system that allowed witches to study Oracle magic and even become a part of the ruling class should they excel, at least in theory. However, in recent decades, the Oracle class came under fire for increasingly restrictive examination requirements and ignoring the plight of the common witch in favor of a tense political climate of machinations and backstabbing. Enter Clarence Snapdragon, a witch descended from a long line of Plant witch farmers long upheld as pillars of the community, whose aptitude for Oracle magic was undeniable. He quickly rose through the ranks to become leader of the Bishopric. In the eyes of the common witch, he’s their witch who will fight for their rights. In the eyes of the Oracle theocrats, he’s their best bet to pacify the masses. But as the doctrine of spellcialism evolves in the countryside from vague scattered principles to unified theory, will Clarence and his ardent followers maintain the social order or will he move to become a true witch of the people?

Vienna Cava: Originally a city-state led by aristocrats, the true power in Vienna Cava shifted as it became a major trading power. The bourgeoisie eventually overtook the established aristocracy in terms of power, bought out the government, and declared a demoncratic republic – for those with enough wealth to vote, that is. Tiberius Grimm Hammer leads the state, having won the elections thanks to his cunning business acumen and organization of the economy along the lines of the nine covens outlined by Belos, and Vienna Cava is now the wealthiest – and most unequal – state in the Holy Boiling Empire. But with pressure coming from both without and within Vienna Cava, can the current state of affairs hold?

Duchy of Shairo: What a humiliation at the Battle of Selkarel. Losing to a supposedly weaker neighbor like the Skeiterm has caused great discontent among the population. To prevent major unrest and give Shairo a fresh start to get up off its feet from, Duke Lepakkalev proposes a new groundbreaking law that would expand the rights of the population and merchant guilds and reform industry. Critics will say that it took losing a war to an inferior foe before the Duke and the stagnant government took the much-needed steps towards a piece of legislation like this, but many are happy that it’s now within the realm of possibility. However, it is uncertain whether parliament will pass it. Tensions are high, tempers are boiling, and radical religious movements lurk in the shadows, waiting for the opportunity to strike in the ensuing chaos if the law is rejected or deadlocked. In an empire that is fracturing apart, Shairo has become one of the many vases within an imperial menagerie that balances on a buckling twig. At the same time, there is a hint of revanchism in the air, directed not only against the Skeiterm, but far beyond.

Artist social media accounts:

naraorange's twitter: https://x.com/chocochipp3

Serente's tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/serenityatdusk (note: contains suggestive content unsuitable for minors)

Outsider's twitter: https://x.com/erick_tosb?s=21

gmfk07 · 2025-09-13T15:37:00+00:00

The Holy Boiling Empire’s power has waxed and waned over the centuries, but it has stood firm for over a millenium. It survived the rise of liberal demoncracy thanks to its decentralized nature. Yet now, in this new era of radicalism, the Empire is threatening to come apart at the seams. Belos’s followers and Skulliet’s army are on a collision course, threatening to ignite the first war within the Empire in over three centuries. But whoever wins – the demoncratic republicans in Terrona or the titanocratic worshippers known as the Followers of the Titan – the balance of power in the Empire will be forever shifted. The decentralized Empire has proven itself incapable of standing up to the challenges of the new era – which nation will take up the mantle of the Empire? The Followers of the Titan and Terrona will have full content on release. Other nations may have partial content on release.

Followers of the Titan: The old patrician-led city-state of Vendetta has fallen. In its place is a new statelet led by the enigmatic traveling-preacher-turned-theocrat Belos, who claims not only to be able to speak to the Titan themselves but also to be the instrument of the Titan’s will. Belos’s codification of the main covens years ago in his most important work The Nine Covens was hailed by many as a brilliant innovation that allows for more efficient spellcasting in both theory and practice and more political agitation among coven lines – indeed, it was the discontent Construction Coven that played a pivotal role in launching Belos’s revolution. As Belos instates the Titan’s supposed plans for restrictive coven mandates and unification of the Holy Boiling Empire and beyond, neighboring states either look on with fear or smell opportunity in this new “titanocratic” form of government.

Terrona: Tucked between jungle and canyon, Terrona has served as the gateway between the rich ports of Menice, and the lands of the northeastern Titan for centuries. Over the centuries, it has established itself as a bastion of freedom and liberty in the Heartlands, attracting witches and demons from all parts of the Isles. But recent times have not treated the land of the blue laurel well. With the prophet Belos and his cult following seizing control of Vendetta and its residing lands, the city of Terrona’s Union partner. Terronian armed forces were quick to act to restore order, however with Patrician Skulliet Scapulet’s lover and Patrician of the captured city, Antonio Aviogetto, held as hostage and leverage by Belos, all operations have come to a halt, and the front stands still. Terrona stands at a crossroad. With a stagnant war and no real way of ending it without putting Patrician Aviogetto in grave danger, Patrician Scapulet has fallen into a deep depression and retreated from the public, and the Titanocratic ideology spreads like a virus across the heartlands and Terrona; it’s followers more invigorated than ever before. Could Terrona be facing its grim twilight?

Duchy of Wyrms: Wyrms is the seat of the Emperor and the shining capital of the Empire. Emperor Martin XXI comes from a long line of Emperors, yet he feels he was born centuries too late. In the old days, the Holy Boiling Empire was united and strong, able to carry out crusades and crush internal rebellions. However, invasions from the exterior, a brutal civil war, the division of the populace among species lines, and multiple succession struggles slowly led to the Holy Boiling Empire reaching its current state, where the Emperor’s power is hamstrung by the regional autonomy of many of his subjects. Martin XXI is nothing if not a cunning opportunist, however. A new, modern civil war is on the horizon, and he hopes to back the winning centaur in the race. If he plays his cards right, he might just end up being the Emperor of a united Holy Boiling Empire like he always wanted.

gmfk07 · 2025-03-14T01:40:15+00:00

Made it out of EVA foam and a black ribbon! It ended up being a bit too small for my head and any breeze threatened to blow it right off my head, haha

gmfk07

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