Reincarnated in Submission — v0.4.5b — Aedryssian Abstract This paper analyzes the worldbuilding, themes, mechanics, and community impact of Reincarnated in Submission — v0.4.5b — Aedryssian, an indie interactive fantasy narrative (hereafter RiS v0.4.5b). It examines the work’s core systems of reincarnation and social hierarchy, stylistic features, player-driven emergent storytelling, and modifiability. The paper situates RiS within contemporary trends in interactive fiction and adaptive storytelling, and proposes avenues for future development and research. 1. Introduction
Scope: Close reading of RiS v0.4.5b’s narrative content, mechanics, and player reception up to the current minor release. Method: Textual analysis, playthrough synthesis (multiple runs to capture branching), comparative context with similar indie interactive works, and consideration of community-produced mods and discussion.
2. Background and Context
Author/Creator: Attributed to "Aedryssian" (indie developer/author identity). The work blends high-fantasy elements with systemic mechanics around reincarnation and social submission. Genre and influences: Interactive fiction / narrative-driven RPG with roguelike reincarnation loops; influences drawn from reincarnation literature, power-dynamics explorations, and modular game design. Reincarnated in Submission -v0.4.5b- -Aedryssian-
3. Worldbuilding and Setting
Cosmology: A layered metaphysical structure where souls persist across lifetimes; reincarnation is semi-systematized and often linked to social status, spiritual debt, or cosmic contracts. Society and hierarchy: The setting features hierarchies that institutionalize submission—rituals, guilds, and legal frameworks that shape character roles and incentives. Culture & aesthetics: Combines baroque ceremonialism with ascetic iconography; language and rites emphasize cyclical renewal and the aesthetics of servitude as honor.
4. Core Mechanics and Systems
Reincarnation loop: Players’ deaths reset certain attributes while preserving others (memories, debts, karmic markers), enabling strategic long-term play across runs. Progression: Persistent unlocks (talents, social standing, access to factions) contrast with ephemeral character-level choices, fostering meta-strategy. Submission mechanics: In-game mechanics represent submission not merely as roleplay but as currency—access, favors, penalties—implemented via choices, reputation meters, and faction trust. Risk-reward balance: High-reward paths often require deeper submission or debt, creating meaningful trade-offs and emergent dilemmas.
5. Narrative Design
Branching vs. emergent narrative: The work uses both authored branches and procedural triggers tied to reincarnation state; memory fragments and recurring NPCs create continuity and evolving relationships. Characterization: NPCs evolve across reincarnations, remembering players differently depending on accumulated markers—this fosters emotional continuity. Themes: Power exchange, identity persistence, consent and coercion, cycles of agency and constraint, and the ethics of systems that commodify submission. Reincarnated in Submission — v0
6. Stylistic and Linguistic Features
Tone and voice: Alternates between formal ritual prose and intimate first-person reflection in memory sequences. Symbolism: Recurring motifs (chains, mirrors, thresholds) underscore transformation and cyclical identity. Pacing: Early runs function as tutorial and exposition; later runs accelerate as meta-knowledge shifts player expectations.