I'm arriving here after my first playthrough, and I'm blown away by the depth of the story you're weaving. You've got me completely hooked.
One thing I forgot to mention in my survey is that I love the use you make of the ritual phrases. Every time I've got to "hug the man, hug the bull, hug the friend back together" I melted. I'm not ashamed to admit I cried in several moments.
Thank you so much.