Cantata
Last updated February 13, 2026; approx. word count 185k
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Synopsis
The story is set in Saleste, a vast empire with a long history of expansionism and colonization. Within the empire, technically citizens but not, are the Iredicci. The Iredicci can hear and feel the cordis, the harmonic pulse that connects all living things, and they connect to it through song. Iredicci have excellent hearing, but their defining feature is their voice—they have an echo to their voice, a resonance of two pitches at once.
A simple, nomadic people, the Iredicci were traditionally welcome in all corners of the Saleste Empire. But as steam technology progressed and the push for new resources grew, a prejudice developed against them. Over the years they stopped being welcome. Eventually, their travel was restricted, and the Iredicci were forced to live in settlement camps.
You are one of the Iredicci, born into such a camp. The elders sing songs of past travels and wonders you have never seen. Ever the optimists, the elders tell you to take heart. To be thankful you are among friends and family. That things can’t possibly get any worse.
Until they do.
Historians and politicians would call it The Proelium, a righteous battle against the traitorous Iredicci. What it really was, was the systematic genocide of your people. In one night, soldiers attacked every settlement camp across the empire. No one was spared—not the elders, not the children, not your mother.
It was mere whim that you snuck out of camp that evening, a mischievous escapade with a friend that ironically saved your life. You are taken in by your friend’s family and kept safe. But with survivors being hunted and killed, you must conceal your identity. So, you pretend to be deaf and mute.
Journey through the empire of Saleste and beyond. Grow from a child into an adult. Make friends, lovers, allies, and enemies. How will they react when your secret comes to light? Will you abandon your song in favor of machine? Join the rebel forces against the tyrant regis? Will you heal the wounds of the realm and restore balance? Or plunge it further into chaos?
Features
- Play as male, female or nonbinary—you’ll be able to choose your pronouns independent of your body type.
- Customize your character’s appearance and personality.
- Choose your attunement/proficiency with the cordis. This choice will heavily influence gameplay, affecting combat, weapon specialization, character interactions, and problem-solving situations. Choose wisely!
- Create 2 character names: your birth name and an alias. The Iredicci have culturally unique names, so your birth name will be limited to a preset selection. But you will go by an alias of your own choosing for most of the story.
- Develop your relationship with your adopted sibling. Are you friends or rivals?
- Romance! Or not. Romance 1 of 5 possible love interests, including a secret RO! Or choose the platonic route with the best of friends.
- Save a wild animal from a hunter’s trap and gain a steadfast companion. Because fur baby.
The MC
The game begins with you at age 7. When you are 12, your camp is slaughtered during The Proelium, and you are adopted into a friend’s family. With your voice and heightened hearing identifying you as Iredicci, you pretend to be deaf and mute in order to hide your heritage. The main game occurs 13 years after The Proelium, when you are 25.
Romance Options
Calliope Cato (she/her)
The inventor/artificer, Calliope can build and fix any machine. She is 2 years younger than you, petite, with gold eyes, rich brown skin and black hair in multiple braids. Her hair and clothes are adorned in rings, belts, and pins which double as tools. She carries a man’s cane sword with her everywhere, which she wields in a fight along with a hand crossbow. She’s curious, optimistic, excitable, and easily distracted by her many projects, but much of that is to keep her mind occupied. In quiet moments when she thinks no one is looking, you glimpse a profound sadness on her features.
Corinne Xenakis (she/her)
The leader of the rebels, Corinne works to overthrow the monarchy and aid the surviving Iredicci where possible. She is 6 years older than you. She is tall, with long, sandy brown hair usually worn in a messy bun or loosely braided bun, hazel eyes, and beige skin tanned by the sun. Quiet, serious and aloof, she feels a tremendous responsibility for those under her command. Corinne is a contradiction—she has the grace and manners of a noblewoman, yet fights with military precision that is uncommon for females of noble lineage. She is deadly when double wielding her flintlocks or axes. While not cold, she is not overly familiar or friendly with anyone, and very tight-lipped about her past. What does she guard so fiercely behind her armor?
Vicente Aloi (he/they)
The bastard prince, Vicente is calculating, ruthless and driven. They are the same age as you, and they, too, lost their mother the night of The Proelium, though under different circumstances. But while you were adopted into a loving family, he is the unwanted son of the regis, trained to be a lethal tool. He has long, midnight blue-black hair, icy blue eyes, and high defined cheekbones. The edges of a tattoo are barely visible on his neck above the collar of his doublet… wings, perhaps? It’s beautiful. He’s beautiful, though you’d never tell him for fear he’d take his rapier to your neck simply for looking. Will your plans align with his, or are you merely another pawn in his schemes?
Bayram Durmaz (he/him)
The son of the Aydem, the matriarchal leader of Tinebaille. Bayram is 4 years older than you. He has golden-honey skin, light brown eyes, and dark brown, tightly-curled hair that he usually wears back in a ponytail or half ponytail. He is tall and broad, muscular but not toned, with a rounded edge to his stomach and chest. A sprawling, colorful tattoo, the mosaic artwork of his people, covers the entirety of his back. He is boisterous, bold, and a shameless flirt. With his young sister bearing the weight of succession, he’s been free to explore the islands to his heart’s content, and is familiar with every bay, inlet, and harbor. He is equally skilled at wielding a spear, sailing a ship, and charming hearts.
About the Artist
All the illustrations on this page are commissioned works done by the extremely talented Isabela Zaneti, the same artist who did Viatica. I am so grateful to her for bringing my characters and world to life, and I encourage you to check out her website!
Content Warning
This story is intended for mature audiences. Possibly triggering topics present in the story include blood, violence, death (including child death), trauma & PTSD, mature language, sexual content (optional), classism, sexism, bigotry, and the persecution of a fictional people. Be advised, you are also pretending to have a disability for at least half the story.
The music is intentionally loud in certain parts of the story. This is to mimic the noise and emotions that the MC is experiencing, as sound is an integral feature of your race. It may be uncomfortable for some readers, so please read with caution.
Disclaimers
“Cantata” is a low fantasy IF loosely based on the Italian Renaissance period, with a steampunk edge. While I took inspiration from real world cultures and languages - most notably Italian, Latin, Greek, and Turkish - the world is still my own and not intended to be historically accurate.
Photo used in background by Olga Brajnovic on Unsplash
Development log
- Cantata Chapter 5 is Live!15 days ago
- One Year Anniversary + Early Access35 days ago
- Chapter 5 Progress Update80 days ago
- New KoFi Member Subscription LaunchedNov 02, 2025
- Cantata Chapter 4 is Live!Oct 10, 2025
- Update NewsSep 13, 2025
- Update News/Check InAug 02, 2025
- 5th ROJun 09, 2025
Comments
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My god reading this fully with the update is a ROLLERCOASTER, I have been screaming at my screen and loving needling Vicente so much.
But the choice between Vicente and Tellus... I am going to be in SO MUCH TROUBLE.
Lol, glad you’re enjoying it! Good luck with that choice! 🫡
Leaving a comment just to say how awesome a read this was! I started this as like a "I'll read for 30 minutes before I go to bed" and ended up reading all the way through chapter 5 and going to sleep at 4 am because I could not put it down. Truly excellent work! The world you have built is beautiful and I cannot wait for more.
Thank you for your kind words! ❤️ I hope you’ve caught up on sleep! 😅
OMAGAAAAA ME ENCANTAAAAA, ya decia yo que me iba a gutar, pero llego esto muy lejos JAJKHS, amo a Bayram y Tellus, sobre todo a mi querido musculoso, quede flechada por lo que dijo JAJDHSH, ahi me veian como loca leyendolo una y otra vez, espero con ansias el proximo cap :))
I had to pop this into Google translate and it was so worth it! Thank you so much, I'm glad you're enjoying the story!
I love this i started and couldnt put it down until i reached the end of chapter 5 and only because that was it.😀
Lol, more is coming soon!
this is one of, if not my absolute favourite IFs. i find myself as invested in the story as i am in the relationships between the characters (platonic, familial and romantic) and every update has me literally beaming. also i named my ferret dirk.
Thank you! I’m sure that name annoys Vicente to no end! 😆
I just finished reading Chapter 5, and I have to say how beautiful this story is! I knew I would like Cantata when it first came out, but wow! Your ability to craft such an intriguing and interesting world is amazing, and I always enjoy reading your work! Every chapter is such a joy to read and contributes so much to the story. Though I have to say Chapters 4 and 5 are probably my favorite so far, I especially loved the very last choice in Chapter 5 (if you know, you know) and it genuinely brought tears to my eyes. Thank you for sharing your wonderful stories with the world, and I can't wait to see how this story continues to unfold!
You are most welcome! Thank YOU for your kind words!
Hello! I really like your game and would like to know what sound/melody/motif resemble Iredicci's songs the most? Personally, when I play, I imagine it as mesmerizing, hypnotic sounds that unite nature and the souls of people. For me, it's Nordic music. During battles, I imagine the unbreakable viking songs. But that's my interpretation. What's actually closest to canon, in your author's opinion?
Hello! This is ironic because one of the bands I listen to when writing is Skald, which is a French Nordic band. Their music very much has a viking-esque feeling to it! Another band I listen to often when writing is Faun, which is a German band that has a folk/pagan/medieval vibe going on. All of the above are what I picture for the Iredicci, but feel free to headcannon whatever you like best!
Wow, this is insanely good! The writing is top quality. All the characters feel real, the choices have weight, the emotions are intense... I'm saving this with my all-time favourite games.
Aww, thank you so much! ❤️
made an account just for this wonderful gift to the world... the unprecedented (for me) amount of emotions I had compounded with the how attached I got with each character & the world is just proof of your talented writing... I feel like a changed man after this! Looking forward to following this beautiful piece of literature! <3
Thank you for your kind words, and for creating an account in order to share them!🫶🏻 I look forward to sharing future chapters with you!
i adore this story so bad and i run to read it whenever i see it's been updated. also, i said this last time but i still cannot decide who i wanttt ahhhhhh i need them all and i will definitely be replaying for every route once this is eventually completed
Lol, thanks for following along with the story! I love hearing when readers can’t decide on a route. 😁
Every chapter has been such a pleasure to read. I fell in love with every single character in this story, from their backstories to their personalities. There were so many times were I bawled my eyes out, truly a masterpiece.
That’s wonderful to hear, thank you!
Oh wow! I was not expecting that confession from Corinne. I love that we're getting more backstory on her, not only on her time in the army but of her family life as well. I can't wait for her reaction when we confirm her suspicions.
I love the individual moments we get to share with each RO, even with the fight at the end, it felt like a moment of reprieve to enjoy time with them after the battle. The teasing and banter at the planning table made me chuckle.
You're doing great work, can't wait to see what comes next. 👍💜💜
Thank you, Power! ❤️ I’m glad you enjoyed that! I was like, FINALLY we can get these characters together and have some real conversations. 😁
i've been wanting to play this game for a while, and i just like to point out how illustrative the words are. it flows, and it really paints a picture. I also love the little easter egg i found where you name your fox/ferret/badger tellus and they recognise it
Thank you for finally giving my story a try and for your kind words!
i just keep crying and laughing. it's such a wonderful story so far. I watch with great interest and earnest hope for your futures.
Thank you for your kind words!
hi guys hi horse nerd here👀, love the game, love the new chapter, love every chapter ❤❤
HOWEVER. (Spoilers??)
Chapter 5, Tellus, his horse, a "she", but also a stallion? Stallion are older male horses who have not been gelded. Again, love your work so much , I've probably cried to it like 3 times by now, but the horses.....💔
Hello, I appreciate the lookout, but I think you’re confusing MC’s horse with Tellus’s. I doublechecked and everywhere I could see, I refer to Tellus's horse as "he". I do know what a stallion is. 😉 MC's horse is a mare.
Oh my gosh you're right I'm sorry 😭 I didn't mean to make it sound like you didn't know anything about horses but looking back it did, I just didn't read it properly 😞
Forgive me...? 💔
I do! I apologize, too, I did get a little defensive. 🥴
TELLLUSSSSS
AHHHHUHHHHH MY BOYYYYY
i've been yapping to my friend of how he hurts me so i love him
Lol, well I appreciate you yapping to your friend about him!
WE ARE SO BACK RAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH
fir and fireweed you have done it again. thanks for ripping my heart out with this disgustingly sweet chapter im forever never recovering!!!! hopefully nothing bad happens to mc's accord!!!!!!!! 👁️
but as always phenomenal job, absolutely love love LOVE your writing and i can't wait for chapter six to be released!!! 🙏💕
Angel!! 🙌🏻 Welcome back! I love seeing your name pop up here and I’m glad you enjoyed this chapter!
At least this time it was a good cry, right? Right? 😅
goodness was it a GOOD cry. genuinely one of those pieces of literature i had to put my laptop down for and take a lap around my room to calm down (re: scream) multiple times. phenomenal job and kudos, fir!! 💕💕
I found this because another IF author reblogged your announcement on Tumblr. I spent an afternoon and evening playing through all five chapters. I was engrossed. The worldbuilding is so good and I love all the characters. The ROs are all intriguing and I can't wait to replay it to experience all the routes. I'm looking forward to the rest of the game.
Thank you for giving my story a try! Already plugging away at Chapter 6. 💪🏻
I forgot to mention that I love your use of musical terms! I've played a bit myself and listened to cantatas at church, so that was part of what intrigued me when I saw the recommendation.
Oh, thank you! I’m Italian (though unfortunately don’t speak it) and have played music too, so this was a great way for me to incorporate all that together. ❤️
Music has been part of my life since I was little. I thought I recognized bits of Italian. My sibling studied Italian in college and I studied Spanish, so my brain made the leap. I've now played through all the romances and I love how differently they play out and that we can choose our flirty reactions. Also, teasing Eva about Nik is a *blast*. Just like how I'd tease my own siblings.
How I'm pulling up with my water attunement.
THE UPDATE IS FINALLY HERE YAY. I was waiting till my free time to play it and hello?? !! this did not disappoint. Mane I cannot choose between Vincente and Tellus/Coda.. LIKE I want that childhood friend to lovers trope BUT URGHH Vincente is so lovely as well. Thank you for updating, this was beautiful as always
You’re welcome! Thank YOU for reading! A lot of readers seem to be stuck between those 2. 🤭
Just finished Chapter 5 and I cried. Again. My heart feels so full, I love MC's found
familyaccord so much- 🥺😭Thank you so much for a phenomenal update (as usual)!
Take care!! 🥰💕💕💕
Thank you for your kind words, it’s great to see you retuning! ❤️
IT'S BACK! YAY!
Nothing quite gives me a giddy feeling like seeing that Cordis attunement go up. And the interaction for that in Chapter 5 was so fun. I REALLY look forward to future updates, thank you so much for gracing my life with this.
Best of luck!
Aww, you’re welcome! That cordis stat will actually come into play very soon! 😉
i cried so hard. tellus...... oh tellus.....
🫂
Awe, that was a wonderful chapter. I also owe Tellus an apology for suspecting him of being the lone holdout. xD But I really enjoyed that chapter, between all the interactions between everyone and the more intimate moments with Tellus. Plus that small battle. And that final bit at the end... such a good sense of all types of family in this chapter. ^^
And yes, Vicente is a grumpy kitty. xD I look forward to his route in a future playthrough.
Thank you! I very much enjoy writing all the friendship and family moments, so I’m glad they resonated with you, too. 😁
i was chrcking in to see any month updates id missed and YOU RELEASED CHAPTER FIIIVEEUHH?? im so excited to read!!!
Hi Soli! 👋 Yep, released a week early. I hope you enjoy it!
i definitely enjoyed it! you always manage to wrap up a chapter and leave me aching for more so well, i dont know how you do it!! so grateful for the early release, thank you so much x
You are most welcome! 🫶🏻
Vicente Aloi, the grip you have on my heart is unmatched and somehow keeps growing stronger in this Ch.5 update
🤭
no way to choose height or build anymore? It just forces short and slender on me know, On the first page of Chapter 2 there is no options and on the second page it only lets you pick hair color and if i go into stats it says short and slender
You can still choose; you must have simply missed the choices. It’s right in the beginning of chapter 2 when you’re approaching Lucia’s market stall.
That's what I thought but i scrolled through it several times and saw nothing blue or anything that would let me click on it
You pick all those stats on the same passage: hair color, hair length, hair style, body type, height, and attire.
I haven't read this after chapter 3 came out, but the beginning of chapter four and the after the first major battle hit me in the emotional gut. I usually never cry when I read anything, but man it had my eyes watering.
I’m glad you enjoyed those moments, and thank you for returning!
Beautifully done, once again. Chapter 5 has my heart in shambles, I don't know when it will recover, but I need to reread everything again. I've unfortunately forgotten a lot of the story since I first stumbled upon it.
Thank you!
Sobbing😭 this story resonates too hard with me in some aspects and it's so beautiful.
Aww, thank you! 🫶🏻
hey, i think i found a bug? some of the text does this too, whenever i get to something for which the path might diverge
That is the most bizarre thing I have ever seen. 😳 Are you code diving? It looks like you’re looking at some backend version of my story.
It has to be something on your end, I’m afraid, maybe a browser issue? I’ve never heard of such a problem before.
i didn't look at any backend versions to take this picture, even though it looks really similar. i'm using what i think is the most recent version of firefox? i will open the save in another browser tomorrow, when i'm back at my computer desk 🫡 thank you for responding! great to know it's an issue on my end rather than yours
Idk if this is a bug orrr if I'm just dumb but on turn 99 there's no "next" button or any dialogue choices or anything and I haven't gotten to chapter 5 yet and I'm just kinda confused is this on purpose? 😅
You’ll need to be more specific. What chapter/scene are you looking at?
Are you playing a very old save? When I released chapter 4, I mentioned you’d need to start over, as any saves made prior to the chapter 4 release wouldn’t work.
Ohhhh yeah i completely forgot about that lol. Thanks for clearing that up!
👍🏻
ahh loved this update !! u really are so good at writing <33 love both vincent and tellus but i do have a bit more of a soft-spot for tellus rn lolz, can't wait for the next update !! <33
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, thank you!
Spoilers
I KISSED CALLIOPE OH MY GOSH IM SO HAPPY. I LOVE CALLIOPE SHES SO ENERGETIC AND JOLLY AHHHH FANGIRLING SO HARD
Omg, the amount of squealing that was done when the drawing Vicente made was revealed got me a fair amount of concerned judgement from my sister but it's worth it. Totally worth it.
Hahahaha, best reaction ever! 😆
THE WAY I JUMPED WHEN I SAW THE UPDATE IM SO EXCITED OMD
🥳
Finished chapter 5 >:3 Vicente my beloved
❤️
Just started reading IF's again today, and I see this got an update. Perfect time for an all-nighter, ig. Brent Faiyaz released recently too.
just finished my first playthrough of chapter five..
so dang wholesome, that ending. Awesome writing as always, I loved the variation!
Time to go on my other save and do it again :]
Thank you!
the soundtrack is lovely. i would definetly play this after my exams😭🤍