The title today, commonly used to represent a body of text, yields as both the topic and heading of todays log: the volume of writing which has come to be known as Court of Ashes. A volume which spans over 110,000 words and hundreds of pages of dialogue in the main story and affinity scenes alone. Following from this, it is difficult to estimate the number of words in the scenarios, of which there are over 250, but here is one scenario with the outcomes removed for your consideration:

Fallen Priests

While escorting a group of the displaced citizens to the capital, a number of priests were slain in Memreal. No witnesses remain but you have it on good authority that the party was felled by a group of Memrealan horticulturists, mistakenly believing the refugees to be the bandits that had been stealing fruit from the farmers orchards. Still, there is a lot of active fighting going on in the area, and it would be easy to report this as a Viteran attack. The capital has issued no response yet and the Church of Light is dispatching an inquisitor to consider the matter. How will you respond?

Allow the inquisitor to conduct an impartial investigation

Support the inquisitors effort to investigate the matter without interference and, if the Memrealans are found to be the culprits, turn them over to the Church of Light for judgement.

Redirect the search

Without any witnesses, and with a few days to prepare, the evidence could be made to convince the inquisitor that Vitera was responsible for the attack.

Self-Report

While youre not completely certain of the story that youve heard, accidents do happen and good faith needs to be exercised. Reporting the rumors might demonstrate the Crown's goodwill in the face of adversity. In creating more than 250 individualized scenarios, the impetus has been on creating situations which only exist inside of the universe which we create. While it is difficult to have supremely original ideas on all counts, the interplay between the situation, the factions involved, and the outcomes constitute a mini-narrative which may only take place within the individualized setup that is Court of Ashes. With regard to characters, the same prudence is applied. In the manifestation of the five council members, each has their overarching personality and purpose. While in possession of distinct ideas, those singular characteristics do not always declare themselves as one-note responses to all situations. By adapting to a changing narrative, the Coinmaster contemplates management theory in a back alley brawl, the Alchemist Royal attempts to power the countrys trade caravans with turtles, and the Rector to Her Holiness considers whether the Book of Light is actually telling the faithful that cannibalism is the true path to righteousness. More prosaic still, but the General of the Armies refuses to deploy the troops when a battle looms and the pacifist Chief Minister puts citizens in the direct line of combat. These responses are not driven by some thoughtless eccentricities (though there are plenty of eccentricities) for the sake of writing farfetched scenarios, but responses to situations as befits the talent and understanding of each council member at the moment of their presentation. What is certain is that through each flawed application of an idea, the characters of Court of Ashes grow, adapt, and become more equipped to deal with matters of state. The games tagline is Learn to Rule before there is nothing left to Rule Over and I could think of no more fitting a summary to 110,000 words and counting. Inquiring minds wonder, how would you respond to the Church of Light and its inquisitor? Respectfully yours, Chris Cratel