Hello, Mythies!
Last month I asked y'all to submit your questions to "Ask Mythos Anything!" These questions could be toward me or any of the characters in the game (or games, since Book Two characters were on the table). Indeed, the questions were asked!
Most of the questions were for me, which makes sense; all of Book One is done so there's not much left to ask those characters. Little is known about the Book Two cast, but each of them got at least one question! Heck, even Morgana (my real-life spouse) got some questions.
Please note that there are hella spoilers for Book One in here, so if you haven't finished the first game you may not wanna look any further.
Without further ado, let's start with the questions given directly to me...
For Nine: Will each book be a murder mystery, or will there be different kinds of stories in the Mythos world?
Nine: I plan on each book being at least a “mystery” in the sense that “something is happening and you need to figure out why”. They won’t all be murder mysteries, because that’d be kinda weird after a while.
They’ll also have a different narrative structure regarding the central mystery. For example, the mystery of Book One (Lisa’s death) happened before you even start the game. In Book Two, you spend more time getting to know the characters before the mystery even appears.
For Nine: Which character in Book 1 was the hardest to work with and why?
Nine: … I can tell B is probably glaring at me, but she wasn’t really the hardest because writing her lines came pretty naturally. I’d say the hardest to write for was probably Sophia. It’s not just because her mindset is so inhuman, but I have to remind myself not to use contractions or abbreviations constantly. I personally hate acronyms and avoid them as much as possible, but Sophia takes this to a whole new level.
For Nine: Aside from numbering, do the books have proper subtitles? (i.e. Mythos: Gaslighting a Beacon)
Nine: “Gaslighting a Beacon” is pretty good! But yes, all the books do have proper subtitles. Other than Book One (Lisa’s Story), all the other games are going to have their subtitles stated from the very beginning. Book Two’s has even been announced: Legendary Lore.
For Nine: Are there any return/cameo characters from Book 1?
Nine: Oh, for sure! Two of the love interests in Book Two (Jodi and Violet) were characters in Book One, and some others are going to be back in non-romantic capacities.
For Nine: Which character do you relate to the most in Book One? And (without spoilers, of course) the same question for Book Two as well.
Nine: They say there’s a little bit of the author in every character they write, and that’s definitely true of Mythos. However, the ones I most relate to in Book One are certainly Kylie and B. Kylie has a lot of my real-life backstory built into her, and B has a lot of my personality.
As for Book Two characters, it’s hard to say until I actually start writing more as them, but I have a sneaking feeling that Jodi is gonna be pretty relatable for me.
There’s also the Waitress in Book One. I definitely see something of myself in her.
For Nine: Can we have a pet in Book Two?
Nine: I was actually going to have a pet in Book One, but I thought they’d be a little redundant with the cats. Vic may have a pet, but I haven’t really thought that far.
For Nine: If someone gave you a time machine and you could go back in time and start making Book One from scratch, what would you do differently? What would be your first change?
Nine: Well, the first thing I’d do is not try to store all my variables as classes. Not everyone is going to know what that means, but it wreaked hell when Ren’Py updated and broke a lot of my variables.
I originally had the idea of “stats” for the characters, so Ky would have actual numerical values for “funny” and “intelligent”, and there’d be “love points” for all the love interests. I got rid of the stats because they didn’t really accomplish anything, and I got rid of the “love points” because the characters' relationships should be focused more on important decisions rather than “you’ve done 6 nice things, here’s some sex.”
For Nine: Will we see some characters "unlock their inner animal spirit", like we saw with Tara?
Nine: To say Tara “unlocked an inner animal spirit” isn’t quite accurate; Tara can change into several animal forms (in the game, she uses wolf and raven forms), but none of them are due to any personal spiritual connection with said animals. One could say that’s a more genetic thing, really. If you know, you know.
However, spiritual animalism is definitely something some characters have. Rin is the most obvious example, but there are some more on the way.
For Nine: How does someone become a Celestial? Is the faith of the people enough, or is something else needed? And approximately how many people's convictions are needed for this? Did the Roman emperors become gods, like the pharaohs? Is it possible in the world of Mythos for an ordinary person, such as the MC, to become a celestial?
Nine: I clustered all these questions together because they’re all in the same general category. Not only that, but they’re actually a central theme of Book Two (thus the title “Legendary Lore”).
“Celestial” is a very blanket term that covers basically any being that could be associated with divinity. Thus, it’s all the gods, angels, demons, devas, holy spirits, and so forth. However, as seen in “The Ascent of Hatshepsut”, mortals can ascend to Celestial status through a sort of apotheosis.
Being as this is likely going to be a big part of Book Two, I won’t go too deep into how these things work mechanically, but this is something even the Celestials don’t fully grasp. Clearly, Hatshepsut wasn’t the only Celestial to be lost to time, but (with Seshat’s help) she was the first to come back from that fate. Is she the same Hatshepsut, or a copy created through humanity rediscovering her? You could ask the same question of her original ascent: Did Hatshepsut the mortal become Hatshepsut the Celestial, or was the Celestial formed completely anew?
What I will say right away is that not all Celestials were worshipped as deities. Some legendary characters of folklore have become Celestials through the belief and love of humanity, as well as some mortals who have captured the hearts and minds of the people. This is also a big part of Book Two.
For Nine: Have you read Riley Sager's book, Home Before Dark? If so, are you planning a similar story in Mythos?
Nine: I’ve actually never heard of it, but having just read the synopsis, I may just pick it up soon…
For Nine: Will Book Two also be a comedy?
Nine: According to some people, Book One wasn’t even a comedy! Hah.
But seriously, yes, I plan to have the entire series keep a comedic tone, even if some of the subject matter can veer into heavy territory. If there’s a bit of the backstory that needs to be more serious, I try to relegate that to the “Tales from Mythos” series. I would not approach topics as serious as those seen in “Never Again” through a comedic lens.
For Nine: Have you ever exercised?
Nine: I actually have, off and on. I’m awful at sticking with it, though. I still have an active gym membership, and I really prefer to do cardio to strength training, but I know I have to get back to it in some form.
In my younger days, I was far more active. I’d actually studied two different martial arts in my 20s (budo taijutsu and muay thai). I don’t think I’ll get back into that, but I should at least hit the elliptical a few times a week.
For Nine: As a writer, are you satisfied with Book One, or is there anything you would change?
Nine: I think I’m largely satisfied with Book One, as far as the main story goes. I’ve said many times that it was originally written without a romantic arc in mind (let alone six of them), so I’m trying not to let those being added be part of my own self-critique.
Though I will say that being satisfied with it doesn’t mean there aren’t things I wouldn’t change. If I were to write Book One as a standalone novel (like it was before it was a game), I would definitely do things somewhat differently. Tara would be the only love interest until Lisa reappears and causes some interesting conflicts. B would become a person of indeterminate gender; in the original novel, B was written with a running joke that nobody knew what gender B was, and they were afraid to ask. This was before I really understood non-binary people (let alone come to realise I was one, myself), so now I’d just say B is They/Them. Rain would go back to appearing like an old woman. I’d probably drop Area 42 entirely, since they were mostly included to widen the suspect pool.
There’s probably a bunch of things I’d change from the writing side that I’m forgetting, but those are the changes that come to mind.
For Nine: Now that Book One has been available on Steam for a little while, how is it faring commercially? And how does its commercial success compare to your goals (or hopes) leading up to the launch?
Nine: Going toward the Steam release, I had a sort of range of what I was hoping for. I didn’t really have a set goal going into it; my humble expectation was that if I sold 100 copies, that’d be fair. Of course, there was a little part of me that was hoping Mythos would rake in “quit your job” levels of money, but… that’s certainly not where it ended up.
However, I am happy with how Mythos is performing so far. I know it’s more niche than most adult games, since the adult content is such an afterthought, so I’m pleased it’s doing any numbers at all.
For Nine: What if I don't want to submit my questions and would rather dominate them?
Nine: I can’t even begin to fathom how one would do this…
For Nine: What is your favourite mortar calibre? Light, easy carrying 60mm, versatile 81mm, powerful heavy 120mm?
Nine: I think there has to be a joke in here I’m missing. Otherwise, I really have no idea how to answer the question! I suppose I could check the War Thunder Discord and look up all the government secrets to educate myself…
For Nine: With which AVN devs are you currently in contact?
Nine: I still regularly talk to RJ Rhodes (Come Home), Joss from ViM Studios (A Shot in the Dark/Prince of Suburbia), Droosk (Between Two Worlds), Storm and Slockie (AlterWorlds), Aya (Sakura Blossom Games), and Moonlight (Glowing Stones). We’re all pretty busy people, so it’s not like I talk to all of them every day, and there are a few others I’d consider to be friends that I don’t speak to as often as I like (ClassyLemon, NaughtyRoad, Dax, and others I feel awful for probably forgetting).
For Nine: Do you plan to put some references to other games in Book 2?
Nine: I would surely like to, but I don’t know how many I can do. Back when I first started working on Book One, I was still playing a lot of other games. Nowadays, I don’t really keep up with any other adult games, so the crossover potential is a lot lower. If another dev wants to work something out, I’d of course be happy to! I just don’t have any other games I’m playing right now where I’d even think to approach another developer for that sort of thing.
For Nine: Do you prefer players who use a lot of rollback to decide which path they like best or players who just stick to their choice and let nature take its course?
Nine: I don’t really have a preference, per se; I’m a big advocate for “play how you want”. For example, I don’t mind people who “cheat” at single-player games, so rollback certainly isn’t something I’m against (hell, I do it myself if I don’t like where I see a choice going). That’s why I try to make my games in such a way that a mod isn’t needed.
People have still made mods, but I honestly don’t know what they’re for.
For Morgana: Do you and Nine talk about Mythos? If so, do you provide them with ideas or perhaps criticism?
Morgana: Yes… and yes. And sooooo much criticism. But it’s helpful criticism that they adore and have never had an issue with ever.
For Morgana: Have you ever used any of the great jokes used in Mythos on Nine, or ever did a mimicry of one of the characters?
Morgana: Every day, all day.
For Morgana: “Morgana did some kind of WWE shit on me when she got home from work and that helped." I'm quoting Nine (from the Discord) here. This might be a funny question, but what special trick did you do that helped Nine with their back problem?
Morgana: Basically a “Razor’s Edge” (WWE move), without the throwing at the end.
For Morgana: May I ask what kind of muscular build Morgana has that she easily lifts Nine?
Morgana: I’m a warehouse manager! I lift things up and put them down professionally! I’m 4’11”, but I’m strong!
For the main cast: For each of the main girls, what is their favourite thing about themselves?
Tara: I’m funnier than Ky. Hell, I’m funnier than all these other bitches.
Sophia: I am smart enough that I do not need to overcompensate with humour.
B: How am I supposed to pick one thing? I’m fucking perfect!
Rain: I can always get what I want, even when it looks like I haven’t.
Mara: I, um… well, I’m immune to magic, apparently, so that’s cool?
Lisa: I’m not dead, anymore. Or never was, I guess.
For Becki (With an I): Where did you meet Ennai? How long have you two been together?
Becki (With an I): Well, looks like someone didn’t read my side-story! Humph! But the short answer is that he came to me offering a way to help my mother survive, and I accepted his offer. That was… gosh, just a little bit after high school, I think?
For Ennai: In your first talk with Ky, you said between two and three and a quarter guardian angels. The first two are obvious, as is the quarter. Who is number three?
Ennai: The quarter is obvious? Well, I’ll leave that one alone then, and let the people who haven’t figured it out to wonder. Number three, though, is myself. Arguably I’m still an angel, even if the angels don’t think I am.
For Ennai: How do you perceive Cult of the Void activity, since Ky is surrounded by it, and I just don’t see it?
Ennai: The Cult has some giveaways to their activity, when you know where to look. One of their biggest tells is that they want there to be strife between the factions of supernaturals, as well as between humans and supernaturals. The death of Lisa was obviously cult-motivated since that would turn all the magic-types against everyone, while making the Bureau look like villains is another. Then involving the police? Brilliant moves, really.
For Violet: What was your most embarrassing magical accident to date?
Violet: Magical… accident? I guess there was the one time I shrunk Desmond’s pants. I don’t even remember what I was trying to do. I don’t know why he was so mad about it, though.
Desmond: I was wearing them at the time!
For the Waitress: How are you since the disaster that struck T's Diner?
Waitress: Me? Oh, goodness, I’m fine, thank you for asking! I mean… I kinda of expected it, honestly, the way I— er, I mean the way Nine was having so much difficulty rendering in the diner.
For the Waitress: Did you have good insurance on T’s Diner?
Waitress: Oh, it was good… but sadly not good enough for me to consider rebuilding and reopening it. I don’t think you’ll be seeing T’s Diner again.
For the Waitress: Any chance we will see you again in Book Two?
Waitress: I think, if you look very closely, you may see me in Book Two.
For Nine: Is there a tentative cast list for Book 2?
Nine: Tentative? I actually have a full cast list! I won’t go over every single character that appears (or may just loom in the background), but the main characters are Vic Mercury (the main character) and four love interests (Hattie, Melanie, Jodi, and Violet - articles linked). And it looks like some people have questions for them, already…
For Vic: What's your problem with the supernatural?
Vic: My problem? It should be bothering everyone! Like why is everyone so calm about fuckin’ wizards and shit? Am I supposed to be okay with the idea that I could be walking down the street and a vampire jumps out and bites me?
Sylvia: We… don’t really do that, anymore…
Vic: Back off, bitey, or I’m gonna throw a handful of garlic powder in your eyes.
B: You just keep that shit in your pocket or something?!
For Melanie: Can you only heal physical injuries/illnesses, or mental issues as well?
Melanie: If I could heal mental issues, I wouldn’t have to heal the physical issues so often. Any medical professional will probably tell you, most of the injuries we have to deal with are from patient stupidity. Skiing is dangerous as hell, but every year we have something like 600,000 people getting hurt because they wanna throw themselves down a mountain.
Yeah, I’ll still heal you, but god damn are you stupid for letting it happen in the first place.
For Hattie: What does your power manifest in? Did all pharaohs become gods/goddesses?
Hattie: Well, now! It would appear some of you have already figured out who I am. It’s revealed rather early on in Book Two, so I don’t believe I’ll be ruining things by answering your questions.
All the Pharaohs, at some point, did become Celestials, yes. Due to the belief in our divinity, we sort of ascended after death by default. Sadly, many of us have passed on due to being totally forgotten. As far as I know, I’m the only one to return.
For Hattie: Did you take revenge on your brother?
Hattie: Revenge? Quite the opposite; I believe he has learned of my return and is plotting in the shadows as we speak. With the supernatural being known to the public, he may not even need to be quite as subtle about it.
For Hattie: As a celestial being, are you above human emotions?
Hattie: If Celestials were above human emotions, B wouldn’t even be part of these stories.
B: Rude! Fair, but rude!
For Jodi: What do you actually do for a living?
Jodi: You seem to think there’s more to me than working for an insurance company? What else could there be to me?
For Jodi: Did you know your cousin is a beacon?
Jodi: I’m not even sure what that means. Do they glow in the dark or something?
For Jodi: You were in all three “Nelson’s Sick Day” stories, but they were all different from each other in ways that go beyond just POV bias. How did things happen from your perspective?
Jodi: My perspective? I don’t remember that day at all.
For the cast: Dear Mythos. Nipple piercing for men. Yay or nay?
Ennai: Ooooh, yay!
Becki: Not in my body, you ain't!
Ennai: Boo. Maybe we can pierce Aiden's, then...
Aiden: ...
Lilith: I may pierce a man's nipple as I stab him through the heart.
B: Wow, really overplaying the whole "villain" thing...
Nine: Ooookay, I think that's a good place to leave it for now!
Be on the lookout for Book Two news coming soon! The main plot has all been worked out, so I just gotta start banging out scripts and getting my PC upgraded so I can start doing renders, again (one of the critiques I got a lot was that the renders look "dated" in Book One, so I wanna take my game up a notch).
If you read this much, thank you! If you didn't, you're not seeing this anyway, so I can say anything I want. Aardwolf piss titanium nail clippers. See? You can't see that.
Keep the legends alive!
- Nine