Nightbound is one of the many stories of Pixelberry's Choices: Stories You Play collection and also a spinoff of their vampire story, Bloodbound.
You always knew visiting New Orleans would be a life-changing experience ... you had no idea how right you would be.
Tropes:
- 11th-Hour Superpower: Chapter 16 has Alex's powers come back on after their death after meeting Lord Elric in the afterlife.
- Abusive Parents: Lady Smoke emotionally and psychologically abused Vera, resulting in her running away from home.
- Cal implies his dad was physically abusive towards all his sons.
- And This Is for...: Chapter 16 has Alex give this out to Bloodwraith!Thomas as they beat him down with their new powers.
- Badass Boast: One option Alex can tell Tialo in Chapter 12 what would happen if Tialo laid a hand on their new half-sibling is that they have two Nighthunters, a werewolf and a Reimonenq who are quite protective.
- Betty and Veronica: The love interests are divided up this way with Cal (sensitive and artistic) and Vera (sweet and enjoying happy things) as the Bettys and Nik (Tough and protective) and Katherine (mysterious and quiet) as the Veronicas.
- Big Bad: Thomas, the one responsible for the Bloodwraith's murderous rampage.
- Big Brother Instinct: Cal hires Nik (and by extension Alex) to find his younger brother Donny. Chapter 4 shows him headbutting his brother and taking his place to fight the minotaur.
- The Big Easy: The story takes place in New Orleans, even starting by dropping you off in Bourbon Street.
- Birthday Episode: The first chapter has Alex celebrating their birthday with their best friend Kristin Jones.
- Bodyguard Crush: Alex's relation with Nik can turn into this.
- Breather Episode: The second half of Chapter 14 and most of Chapter 15 are these. Soon as Alex makes eye contact with the Fate, all hell breaks loose as Thomas returns.
- Came Back Strong: Chapter 16 has Alex revive from their death, able to give Bloodwraith!Thomas a Curbstomp Battle for once.
- The Cameo:
- A premium scene in Chapter 7 has a cameo from Priya Lacroix.
- One of the ghosts in Chapter 8 is Josephine Vance.
- Child of Two Worlds: Alex is the child of Lord Elric, a Fae noble with a human named Jacqueline.
- Catapult Nightmare: The game starts with Alex being chased by a zombie like thing. No matter what choice is made, they die and wake up in the cab.
- Cute Kitten: A premium choice in Chapter 12 allows you to buy a feathered cat called a perrikin with the default name of Cassie.
- Darker and Edgier: This series quickly becomes this compared to Bloodbound, the series it spinned off from. Within two chapters Alex sees a man get torn in half, Kristin is rendered catatonic, and Alex learns that someone wants them dead and has sent a monster known as a Bloodwraith after them.
- Den of Iniquity: Persephone is a supernatural one of these that involves sex, drugs, and fight clubs.
- The Dreaded: While Lady Smoke is a feared mob boss because of the Reimonenq Curse, the Fate is a bigger one that even she won't cross her. The Fate is the top boss in magic hierarchy in New Orleans.
- Evil Poacher: Chapter 12 has Nik tell a story of tracking a missing pegasus and finding a group of poachers hunting magical creatures which also involves such things as chupacabras and griffins.
- Expy:
Word of God has confirmed that Nik Ryder was inspired by Dean Winchester. Both of them are cynical monster hunters who were introduced to the supernatural world by their deceased fathers. - Facial Horror: Thomas has several vein-like scars covering his face.
- Flash Back: The monster tears of certain supernatural figures show flashbacks of the corresponding character's past to Alex.
- The first is Kristof Jensen's. It shows him and Octavia hunting a bear.
- The second is Lady Smoke's. It shows her torturing a drug dealer and manipulating her daughter Vera into killing him.
- The third is the Fate's. It shows her in Ancient Greece as the Oracle of Delphi telling visions to a young woman, a soldier, and a king.
- The fourth is Cassiopeia's. It shows her being ostracized for her necromancy and resurrecting a man named Thomas, who she had feelings for. It also reveals that Thomas persuaded her to create the Bloodwraith that wrought havoc in New Orleans.
- The fifth is Lord Elric's. It shows him dealing with the dragon Black Valerian because he's the only one capable of speaking to dragons fluently, being able to heal her and being offered a ride on her back.
- The sixth is Thomas's. He and his family were on a road trip to New Orleans when a shadow monster attacks, killing his wife and daughter and then him.
- The seventh and final one is Nik's. It involves him as a child getting mentored by Elijah about monster hunting while hunting a Feral vampire. It corners Nik and even after hitting it with holy water, Elijah's not there. Nik picks up a stick and stabs it dead, and Elijah gives him a rule: You can’t rely on anyone and when it comes down to the wire, he's on his own.
- Fantastic Racism: Thomas hates all supernatural beings due to being killed by one. He refers to them as abominations and believes that he is cleansing the world by eliminating them.
- Tialo is bigoted towards non-Fae, and tries to kill Alex due to them being his father's half-mortal bastard child.
- Gas Leak Cover Up: Bloodwraith!Thomas's attack is covered up as one of these in the end. Going with Vera in Chapter 16 shows Lady Smoke was the one behind the cover-up.
- Godzilla Threshold: Chapter 16 shows that Bloodwraith! Thomas is so much this that the Fate has to get personally involved to try and stop him.
- Gratuitous French: The title of Chapter 15, "Laissez les Bons Temps Rouler," means "Let the good times roll."
- Half-Human Hybrid: Chapter 11 reveals that Alex is half-Fae due to being Lord Elric's bastard child. The number of half-fae can be counted on one hand.
- Half the Man He Used to Be: The bouncer at the club in Chapter 1 is torn in half by the Bloodwraith.
- Hello, [Insert Name Here]: Like all Choices characters, you can name your character whatever. The default name here is Alex.
- Hereditary Curse: The Reimonenq touch which is passed down to all the children of each generation of the family.
- The Hero Dies: Alex is killed by Thomas at the end of chapter 15.
- I Choose to Stay: The premium choices in Chapter 16 are who Alex stays in New Orleans with between Nik, Cal, Katherine and Vera.
- I Have No Son!: After Tialo's failed murder of Alex, Lord Elric banishes him from Lamrian and the royal family, saying he has no son outside of a male Alex.
- It's Always Mardi Gras in New Orleans: Justified in Chapter 15 which takes place during Mardi Gras.
- Invisible to Normals: Monsters do walk among humans in glamours, but only those familiar with their kind and have items to help (Nik and Katherine) or have unknown powers (Alex) can see through them.
- Like Mother, Unlike Daughter: Vera's a kind, helpful individual who hates hurting others, in stark contrast to her mother Lady Smoke, a ruthless mob boss who pits supernatural creatures against each other in gladiator fights.
- Luke, I Am Your Father: Chapter 11 reveals that Lord Elric is Alex's father.
- Necromancer: Cassiopeia has the power to raise the dead, including animals, to the point that it horrified her mother as a child. Because she used it to revive one of her coven sisters, the Fate has her exiled from New Orleans. She also used it to revive a man named Thomas who washed up in her swamp.
- Our Minotaurs Are Different: Donny's opponent in the cage fight is a minotaur. Alex can either have an Oh, Crap! moment or be unimpressed.
- Paranoia Fuel: In-Universe in Chapter 14, Alex can have this reaction along with Krom in the Mardi Gras warehouse, like every float head is staring at them.
- Pegasus: A premium scene with Nik in Chapter 13 has him tell that not only did they exist in the bayou, but he was hired to wrangle one. Their disposition is much nicer compared to unicorns.
- Primal Fear: A premium scene with Nik in Chapter 11 can have Alex be afraid of heights or the opposite of the trope.
- Psychic Link: Pets in the Fae Realm form psychic links with their owners. If Alex buys Cassie in Cahpter 12, She then warns them not to trust “the jealous boy.”
- Shipper on Deck: A premium choice in Chapter 6 allows Alex to help Krom work up the courage to ask out Garrus. It works and the rough and tumble rock troll becomes boyfriend to the lithe and sensitive fae bartender.
- The Queenpin: Lady Smoke herself.
- Shout-Out:
- In Chapter 12 as Kathryn describes the ever shifting alliances of Fae society, Alex calls the “a bunch of Lannisters.” She also throws in Borgias, Tudors and Xia. A premium scene with Nik telling how he hunted down a group of poacher had him inflitrate them under the name “Carl Drogo.”
- Slasher Smile: Thomas' happy expression depicts him as having a psychotic grin.
- Tarot Troubles: A premium scene in Chapter 3 allows Alex to have their fortune read by Luc. When asked about what's happening to them, they get the Reverse World and Upright Moon. The next cards that are pulled are the Magician, the Queen of Cups and the Devil. The next card revealed is the Prince of Swords. Then he finally pulls the Nine of Swords, the Wheel of Fortune and Reverse Emperor.
- Time Abyss: The Fate is this, having existed since Ancient Greece as the Oracle of Delphi.
- Trapped by Gambling Debts: Chapter 4 has Cal's brother, Donny, reveal he's in debt from gambling and that he's working at the fight ring in Persephone to pay it off.
- Touch of Death: The Reimonenq Curse, as described by Vera in Chapter 7, is one given to her family when her ancestor burned down a coven of witches down to their children. For that, their descendants kill anyone they touch. Vera utterly hates it while her mother, Lady Smoke, embraces it.
- Well-Intentioned Extremist: Despite being a psychopath with a black and white view on the supernatural, Thomas believes that he is helping ordinary people by killing supernatural creatures and their sympathizers.
- Wham Line:
- Chapter 12. “The wards are down!”
- Wham Episode:
- Chapter 10 reveals Cassiopeia is the one who made the bloodwraith for her lover, Thomas, who's using it to hunt down every last supernatural being and supporter in the city.
- The ending of Chapter 14 reveals that Thomas survived the fight in the warehouse and he has bonded with the Bloodwraith.
- Chapter 15. Thomas attacks the Mardi Gras parade and seemingly kills Alex.
- What the Hell Is That Accent?: Invoked in universe with one guy trying to hit on Alex and Kristin by using a bad French accent.
- "Where Are They Now?" Epilogue:
- Krom is in the Graveyard Shift making drinks to please Garrus. It doesn't work, so he ends up teaching his new boyfriend how to make better drinks.
- Ivy and Luc are with Vera to help her cure the Reimonenq curse. If Alex is there, she'll test it on them. Sadly, it doesn't work.
- Cal is whittling when Octavia comes over to make peace, telling him that she hasn't sent the Pack after him.
- Nik is in the bayou hunting an undead monstrosity trying to take it out stealthily only for Katherine to jump out and kill it loudly. As the two bicker, they hear other monsters and know they're not alone.
- Alex returns to Lamrian (optionally with Cassie) and their love interest to meet Lady Thalissa and learn magic from her.
- If you collected all the Tears, a scene is shown of Tialo believing his family and clan have turned on him, struggling to survive in the mortal world and vowing revenge on Alex. With that, he feels he needs to destroy their friends and family before killing them. If Alex blew the horn in Chapter 10, the spirit alligator appears and eats Tialo. Otherwise he summons a shadow demon that kills him. Another scene is shown of the ghost ship as Nik catches up to the Fate, guessing that she was his mystery client who hired him to protect Alex.
- Why Won't You Die?:
- Said by Vera in Chapter 15 when her death touch barely slows down Bloodwraith!Thomas.
- Nik also says it to Bloodwraith!Thomas as he keeps peppering him with crossbow bolts.
- You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: Thomas sics the bloodwraith on Cassiopeia, only having used her to make it after she brought him back to life.
