A Vessel of Frustration

From the Devs

You play as Julia, a being out of this world. You return to your hometown after a decade of escapism, but no one recognizes you. But that doesn’t matter, because you're not here for them. 

You are here for her. 

Midgårdsormen, singer and artist, pervert and goddess! She will perform in your town tomorrow, and you will finally get to meet her outside of your dreams. 

You call yourself a goddess as well, but truth be told, you’re still too human for your own taste. And you suspect that this woman of your dreams is the same; something undoubtedly beyond this tangible world, while still being stuck within it, torn between human and divine. 

Perhaps, together with her, combined as one, you could leave the heavy burden of shame and sorrow completely, and reach true divinity!

It takes place 13 years after The Shame of a Daydreamer, and can be seen as a sequel, but can also be played independently.

Within this vessel of frustration you can find: 

• choice and consequence focused gameplay

• magic and beings inspired by folklore and religion; such as 

  • demi-gods, magicians, shapeshifters, werewolves, hulders, mind control and weather related abilities

• a main character who calls herself a goddess, but wants to get even closer to divinity - at the end of the game, hopefully she will not have any bit of human remaining within her!

• consequences that are tangible but don't prevent you from making bad choices - your character is a goddess, you can do what you want!

• complicated families with morally debatable backstories and filthy secrets that could change EVERYTHING

• hand drawn characters, environments and animations

• original music 

• A LOT of good writing - so be prepared to read!

A Vessel of Frustration is a narrative rpg/visual novel handdrawn and painted with watercolors, with focus on a choice and consequence gameplay. It takes place during a weekend, and both content and outcome heavily depends on the player’s own actions. As the player, you walk around in a small Swedish seemingly normal town and interact with people you know are, just like you, out of this world. If you aren’t careful enough in your exploration, who knows what might be unleashed. 

The possible branches you could end up on are many, and even the most destructive choices can lead to new paths. Use your powers to reach the outcome you desire, whether that is getting closer to becoming a true goddess, joining Jack in his plans to let the supernaturals rule the world, killing god or getting closer to the ones you once loved.

There are no wrong choices, only different paths to end up on, and different levels of destruction. You are something of a divine being, after all, so you can decide yourself what moral compass to follow, if any.

Some characters in the game: 

JULIA

This is who you play as! She is some kind of supernatural being, that’s for sure. But you are not sure of how far her potential reaches. She can visit dreams, and she might be a shapeshifter? Very sneaky. Can even the player trust her?

MIDGÅRDSORMEN

Singer and artist, pervert and goddess, a being truly out of this world. Her music is controversial, but it touches you like no other music has before. And not to speak of the countless dreams you’ve had of her. Is she visiting your dreams, like you can visit others’? She will play live for the very first time, in your very small hometown out of all places in this big world - that must mean that there’s some kind of connection, right?

THE SNAKE BASTARD

He looks like a regular human man, except for his split tongue. He is seen as a god but not respected as one. He can create life, both carnally and divinely. His actions are not for protecting or guidance, forgiving or punishing, but for entertainment. No one knows the limit of his power. Is he almighty, or more of an observer? 

SEBASTIAN

He is seen as a god and respected as one. He protects and guides, forgives and punishes. He is capable of destroying the whole world with an emotional storm, but only The Snake Bastard is capable of restoring it afterwards. He is a descendant of The Snake Bastard, among other supernatural sources.

JACK

A politician and magician who wants to take over the world. He wants to let the supernatural walk free and open, and not “hide in the shadows anymore”. He wants Sebastian to join him, but Sebastian is firmly against these plans. 

ARON

A (former?) religious man, obsessed with Sebastian in a similar way you’re obsessed with Midgårdsormen. He says that The Snake Bastard visits his dreams and leaves traces in the form of scars and an incurable disease. He cannot forgive the gods for intruding on his dreams like this, and wants them to be stopped. Somehow.

LEVI

Sebastian’s daughter, but no one would believe this by looking at them, since they, look the same age, so officially they call each other sister and brother. She should probably start calling her son her brother as well, as he’s getting close to thirty. She is both so very strong and so very weak. Cruel and pathetic. But you might not know her as well as you thought you did.

FELIX

Levi’s son. He moved away from the town and hasn’t really stayed in contact with his family.

SJ

He was once part of you.

ELIAS

A child of the moon, and a young father.

ROSENKVARTS

Also known as Heart. One of the four men created divinely by The Snake Bastard. He can feel no pain and knows no morals, and therefore always needs a master whose words can be his law. This person used to be The Snake Bastard, but is nowadays Sebastian.

ELDUR

Some kind of creature with a tail like a troll, fangs like a beast and a tongue like a snake. His music is enchanting.