One Knight Stand [Demo]

It's the end of the world... and you don't feel fine.

It's just another humdrum day as the weekend winds to its inevitable end. All is as expected. The pandemic has stretched on for a decade now. A new serial killer stalks the streets. And your completely normal club is waiting. Just another ordinary day.

Just ignore the sounds in your living room. Just ignore that shadow scuttling across the floor. Just ignore the lies of the 'friend' who's known you for years. He's lying. She's lying. That stranger on the street is lying. And the voices whispering in your mind are definitely lying.

Everyone is lying... especially the traitor who's infiltrated the group.

But that's fine...

This is a demo that will eventually cut off at Chapter 4. The site of the main beta for playtesting the game can be found at Oneknightstand.co with Patreon receiving earlier updates.

Links: Main Beta | Patreon | Tumblr | Choice of Games Forum | Site

Sound Effect Alert: Turn Down Your Volume At Start of Game 

• Open Beta ( Chapter 2-2) | Patreon (Chapter 2-3 + ~50k words)
  
• Total Word Count: 815,000+
• Including Code: 1,120,000++
• Average Playthrough: ~65,000 words+
• Average if you play ‘ask Adrian and Merlin five million questions around the city’: Considerably longer

You’re a Harbinger of the Apocalypse… or so it’s been claimed. The destined reincarnation of a legendary hero from the time of Camelot. For the sake of the world, reclaim your past memories & powers and discover the true identities of yourself and your current companions.

For the sake of your survival, make certain that you’re a member of the successful Greater Circle… because in the end, only thirteen are needed and it doesn’t have to include you. The two previous Circles have failed and all their members paid the price for it…

…but third time’s the charm, ̷r̸i̷g̵h̴t̶?

Everyone is lying. That most certainly includes you. And one is an enemy infiltrator who’s entire purpose is to (murderously) sabotage this last and final circle. Who will you trust and who will you trick? The fate of both you and the world hangs in the balance.

Genres: Dark Urban Fantasy (with mystery/thriller/horror elements). The Camelot flashback sections are more High Fantasy.

MERLIN (M/F/NB) The nominal leader of this motley crew and the only one who knows what’s truly going on… or so they claim.

A shape shifting incubus who takes on the most appealing form of whoever is viewing them. Always elegant, always smiling, always for the greater good… a beautiful facade that hides a heart that’s entirely inhuman.

Unlike the others, they will never directly lie to you… lies of omission don’t count, right?

“Dear child, that’s for me to know and for you to find out, as they are wont to say. Shall we try again?”

ADRIAN BENONI (M) A close friend, an unrequited crush, a passing acquaintance, a suspected stalker… the tone of your relationship may change, but what does not is that you’ve known this guy for years. A familiar presence within a world that’s suddenly become ever-so-strange.

But what darkness hides behind the ever amiable front that he always presents around you? Well…maybe not always. Why does he seem so desperate to like you even while keeping you an arm’s length away?

“I’m sure that if we all just came together in solidarity that we— h-hey you don’t have to laugh that hard about it!”

PERCY T. LONGSPEAR (M) Someone who marches to the sound of his own drum… on a different planet somewhere in a galaxy far, far away.

Most assuredly the most strangely perceptive of the group, if only anyone could understand exactly what he’s saying. A potential soulmate to a very certain version of the MC.

Who his past reincarnation seems to be is so blatantly obvious that it’s the very height of suspicion.

“Why did I come in through the vents? Why would I use a *door*?”

CASSANDRA DE VAUX (F) A detective who intercepted the group during an investigation of… well, it’s not exactly complete chaos that you’re leaving in your wake, is it?

No-nonsense when on the job, but playful during down times, she joined with little convincing or fanfare… but has she truly allied with the cause or is this just another sting operation to her?

And why does she seem so much more… wait what were we talking about again?

“Scintillating. Now please explain again from the top… you were doing *what* in the museum that night?”

GWYNETH REYNARD (F) A vivacious and sweetly cheerful member of the group that pulls off true optimism far better than certain other members… even if she wears that sunny disposition like a suit of armor.

You found her wandering in an abandoned nineteenth-century mental asylum. A perfectly normal place to meet. (After all, you were there too!) And certainly there’s a completely sensible explanation for why she doesn’t want to head back home as well.

“Oh, are we making claims on who we want to be now? Then I want to be Buttercup from the Princess Bride!”

LORELEI GUERRIER (F) An Olympic archer who is as unflappable as she is coolly distant. She has the rather laudable capability of beating down a lesser hellhound with nothing but a mop for a weapon.

Certainly her joining would be nothing but a boon to the group. Too bad she possesses nothing but cynicism and antipathy for the idea of chivalry and knights in shining armor.

But surely she’s a champion of Camelot, right?

“The virtue of a knight? Someone that parades around in self indulgence, all for the glory of their own pride, while better people are left wanting. That’s the true face of your so-called chivalry.”

BRODERICK DOE (M) A grumpy, recalcitrant, and somewhat foulmouthed addition to the group. He really, really doesn’t want to be here. He thinks you’re all insane. (He may be right in certain instances.)

But someone has to keep an eye out during all this craziness, right?Especially if there’s a kernel of truth to this apocalyptic nonsense.

Of course, there’s no one in this city, this state, this country registered as ‘Broderick Doe’.

“And let me be clear here… I don’t trust a single one of you chucklefucks!”

̶̇̊͒̋͜4̸̼̕͜0̸͖̭̎͝4̴̹͈̍ ̸̯̱̦͓͑̑Ȩ̵̧̺̩̉̈́ŗ̸̔̄͊̍r̷̙̾̓̇o̷̧̩̻͇̽̊͗̋r̵̮̘̒̓ ̴̧̳̺͐̆̾̅N̵͕͐o̶̘͍͗t̴̫͋́̆̋ ̵͔͒͑͐F̵̹̍̈́̿ó̵̡̹͒͆ũ̴͈̠͘n̶̢̺̰̬̋ḑ̶̲͛̔͗̕ (???)

T̶O̵O̶ ̴L̷A̸T̸E̷ ̵T̴O̸O̵ ̷L̸A̵T̴E̶ ̴T̸O̶O̶ ̵L̴A̵T̸E̶ ̴T̸O̴O̷ ̶L̴A̴T̵E̶ ̴T̴O̷O̷ ̴L̶A̶T̴E̶ ̴T̸O̵O̶ ̶L̶A̸T̷E̴ ̵

CAMELOT ROMANCE OPTIONS (Currently sealed away, so you can only interact with them in dreams and flashbacks) 

ARTHUR PENDRAGON (M) The Once and Future King, the doomed High King of Camelot who is fated to return at humanity’s greatest moment of need and lead them in survival during the end times.

The ideal that always had a surprising streak of pragmatism to it. If only he would wake up. He’s so very, very late you see. And things have spiraled wildly out of control in his absence.

A figure that’s currently haunting your dreams.

“You think I missed my calling as a troubadour? Mayhaps… for what is politics but a form of mummery?”

VIVIAN (F) The third and current Lady of the Lake. One of the fae who is aligned with your side through blood oaths and promises as strong as compulsion.

One of the ones who sealed Merlin away and who remains bound at the very edge of the Veil even now. The tales never mentioned the part where she’s a mari-morgan that drowns people, did they?

“Hear this song… come along… just drift a little closer, pretty thing of mine. Simply a step closer… merely a bit *deeper*.”