#(ooc: the map is so bad quality so let me say-)

[nyajiang-irl]

Hello, Nya darling~ I know we got off to a bad start(in real life and Tumblr) but let’s put our differences aside.

Do you have a map to Ed and Edna’s house? Because I keep getting lost in your ocean eyes.

-@harumi-irl

So sorry if I misjudged you because you bullied my friends and threatened to kill my in-laws. I'd be happy to point you in the right direction!

You'll want to go to this island, right here! It's one hell of a commute but it's very much worth it to get to see Ed & Edna for the sake of my Yin's family

[iamnmbr3]

I saw the ask about having the person feeling like that the Loki show is objectively bad. I liked the show, here is why.

I love Loki, and I love the MCU, but I don’t go into any of it expecting consistency. Tony and Loki are my favourite.

Tony goes through character development in his own movies, IM3 especially that main canon just kinda ignores. So I didn’t go into work he Loki show expecting them to get him consistent or right. I just went in prepared to enjoy the show for what it is in isolation. I also know that no one looks at the stories they write for the MCU critically, so I try and turn off that for a first time watch.

I really like the show, that doesn’t mean I think they made it consistent or in character for Loki. I get why people don’t like it.

I really like the TVA and all the concepts it introduced. I really liked seeing Tom acting his heart out. And I really like Loki/Sylvie because I find something very compelling about a character who hates themselves, meeting another version of themselves and being able to love them. It is not a ship I’m going to write fic about but I like them within the show.

Basically what I am saying is that I go into MCU media with the expectation they will mess up at least one character or plot point badly every time. I like the media for what it is, and I appreciate whatever it brings to the table that I can then cannibalise into da works.

Yeah that's fair. Everyone has a right to their own opinion. Fandom is better when there are a diversity of opinions and we can all respect each other and engage in open and good faith discussion rather than attacking people for having the "wrong" views or trying to harass them out of fandom.

For me personally I feel like the show fails on 3 fronts.

1) To me it fails as a Loki show. I really enjoy Loki as a character and I wanted a show about him. And I didn't personally see him in the show at all. I saw a completely different character who does not behave, speak, act, respond, react, stand, emote, or make choices like Loki does. He doesn't even LOOK like Loki because they did his hair and makeup wrong. And that's really what I wanted. I didn't want Larry (as I call the show character). I wanted Loki. That was what was advertised and to me he was so ooc that he was unrecognizable. If I just saw a clip out of context and didn't know what it was from I would have assumed I was seeing Tom in a totally different role.

Thor Ragnarok felt like a different take on Loki that definitely retconned some of his personality and history, but still felt like an alternate interpretation of the same character in the sense that I could recognize the character as Loki (albeit a different version of him); some people liked that, other didn't. But here it wasn't that. It just felt like a completely new (and to me far less interesting and compelling) character. And beyond that it felt like the show went out of its way to make a mockery of the character played by Tom and by extension anyone who ever cared about Loki's character. Like it felt like a mean spirited caricatured parody. Loki is also extremely sidelined in what is supposed to be his own show. And it most certainly didn't feel like a show about Loki, which is what I wanted. So for me the show didn't provide what I was looking for.

2) To me it also fails on its own merits. If I view it in isolation without comparing it to previous canon and just view it as its own thing it also fails. The quality of the dialogue felt very poor. None of the humor made me laugh and it all felt very juvenile and forced. The plotting and characterization seemed nonsensical and all over the place. Like Sylvie sets off those charges and the episode ends on a cliffhanger with that but then it's never addressed later.

The reason that Loki and Syvie allegedly falling in love breaks the timeline didn't really make sense. Sylvie is going around murdering timekeepers and yet Mobius somehow immediately like and trusts her and says he prefers her to Loki. Loki and Sylvie are simultaneously presented as the same person and also totally different people. Loki allegedly learns self love but we never see that - we see him call himself degrading things like pathetic. And we see him think that Sylvie is better than him. That doesn't seem like self love. The romance feels extremely rushed and unrealistic and awkward and we aren't given a compelling reason for why they are in love or what they even have in common. Sylvie doesn't really have much of a character. Mobius and Loki don't interact much and Mobius consistently mistreats him but Loki somehow thinks of him as a friend. Mobius is portrayed as a good guy for cheerfully carrying out the TVA's ends but Kang is a villain for creating the TVA. The TVA seems to be all made up of humans even though it's in charge of all reality.

If Loki did bad things, then the TVA did worse things and thus are not moral authorities. If the TVA’s actions are acceptable then so are Loki’s. If Loki was wrong to violently impose his will on a planet (let’s forget about the context with Thanos for a minute) then the TVA is wrong to violently impose its will on all of reality in order to eliminate free will. If Loki was wrong to kill a few people, then the TVA was certainly wrong to kill trillions. And thus neither Mobius nor the TVA are moral authorities when it comes to Loki because they are infinitely worse. If the actions that Mobius and the TVA took are acceptable, then there is no reason to criticize Loki because he did far less than them. Etc etc etc.

The cinematography is also very poor and unprofessional and the costumes look extremely cheap and unprofessional. The whole story feels confused and disjointed. The directing is bad because the actors are all very capable but the performances often feel wooden and forced and fake. And the pacing is terrible. A lot of it drags and then plot twists come out of nowhere with no setup so it just makes them feel jarring rather than earned or entertaining. 

3) To me it also fails on a moral front. The show contains a lot of problematic depictions and messages and promotes messages that are offensive or even downright harmful.

Mobius gleefully subjects Loki to physical torture by leaving him to be repeatedly beaten in the genital area. This is a very clearcut and straight forward example of physical torture. And Mobius feels no compassion for Loki or remorse over what he has done to him. If anything he seems to find it amusing. And certainly the audience is supposed to find it amusing (which is gross and harmful messaging on Disney’s part). He also subjects Loki to psychological torture. This is a fact. There are multiple instances in the show where the TVA and Mobius subject Loki to treatment that would meet the legal definition of torture under both US law and international law. Furthermore, Mobius and the TVA are holding Loki against his will and forcing him to labor without compensation or any hope of release because they view him as belonging to a group of people (Variants) that they view as inferior and not really people. That’s a pretty textbook case of slavery. So objectively Mobius is Loki’s jailer, torturer, captor, and enslaver. And yet Mobius is presented as justified in what he does to Loki. The writer and director have even called it therapy. And a result many people have parroted this which is very harmful.

The queer “representation” feels straight out of bigoted propaganda. Loki’s personality traits have been retconned to map onto harmful stereotypes about queer men. He is overly expressive, makes grand gestures, is flamboyant, cowardly, dishonest, weak, bad at fighting, lazy, spineless, meek, unused to exercise etc. Now a person could be all these things and also happen to be queer. However, Loki was never like this before. His character was retconned to be this way only in this series where he is confirmed to be queer.

Furthermore, the entire premise of the series seems to be that it is funny and entertaining and justified when Loki is dehumanized, mocked, humiliated, hurt, tortured, beaten, assaulted, and/or robbed of his dignity. That’s the premise. That’s the whole show.

In addition to pro torture and pro authoritarianism and pro victim blaming messaging the show also has problematic depictions of black characters  (see here and here), Asian people (see here) and also has a lot of fludphobia and transphobia issues. And much more.

@nikkoliferous has put together a great compendium here of various posts explaining the various issues with the show if you're curious about why some people disliked it.

[inkdemonapologist]

IF YOU HAVENT READ BOO’S RECAP for the previous session (chapter 4) of our Call of Cthulhu But With Bendy Added game YOU REALLY SHOULD......

okay are u caught up? You got the reveal? 

okay cool

SO WE FOUND OUT WE’RE DEAD!!! Well, specifically Sammy and Joey have been killed(?) and this whole adventure it’s just been Henry haunted by his two friends, and we have just been POSSESSING HENRY every time we interact with the world in any tangible way, and every time we have a conversation it’s just been Henry Having A Conversation With Himself to everyone else’s eyes, WHICH I GUESS EXPLAINS why everyone has been acting so unsettled and frightened every time we start bickering with each other!! I have been just LOSING IT thinking back through everything we’ve done and imagining Joey and Sammy’s expressions and body language on Henry’s physical form. INCREDIBLE.

Also, while Sammy’s mind/spirit/???? is stuck with Henry, his ink-drowned body appears to have gone a bit prophet-y and is running around with this cult talking about serving his lord and sacrificing sheep, which Sammy would just rather not deal with. Sammy Being Deeply Embarrassed By His Ink Self is my favourite genre of comedy

(also credits to @sketch-cryptid for their henry design..... he’s just, v soft,)

OUT OF CONTEXT QUOTES AGAIN!

[Sammy is played by me, Joey is played by Boo (inkyvendingmachine), Henry is played by Maf (sketch-cryptid), and Thren (haunted-hijinxer) is our GM!]

[Sammy] [ooc] Unless one of them decides, “I'm not going to follow Henry, he seems responsible,” and just stays put at the hotel, then that doesn't help us-- [Joey] Well, Henry's "crazy," so [Henry] Honestly, yeah, I think maybe if we have Henry and Joey split off, then those might be the ones that they'll follow, which... leaves..... S a m m y  to talk to Senegal I guess;;;??? [Sammy] ...I don't know how to feel about the way that you said that.

[Joey] I guess once Joey's downtown he's going to, kind of look around and see if he was followed. [GM] Make a Spot (hidden) roll! [Joey] *rolls* [Joey] ... he is not going to look around and see if he was followed!

[Henry gets a hidden message in his sketchbook, "They're doing all they can, please don't blame them for leaving you."] [Henry] Okay, then, he's going to write back "who do you mean?" [GM] "Who do you mean?" [Henry] Yeah, who is "they"? [Sammy] Unclear antecedent. That's what I'm writing in the book, "unclear antecedent."

[Joey] Once he's back at the table, Joey is definitely drinking Henry's drink. I don't think he's noticed that it's not his, just, his hand came in contact with it and now he is drinking it.

[GM] Looking out the window, you don't see any guards, but you do think you see some black drips on the balcony-- [Sammy] UHHH CLOSING THE WINDOW. NOT ENGAGING. [Joey] Sammy Does Not See It... Sammy is Looking Away,

[GM] After a bit, he probably starts distantly hearing That Song again. [Sammy] WHY ME. UM.......... THAT’S FINE. It's just very annoying. It's hard to play music when someone is playing music loudly next door. [GM] It's quiet. But it's also Sammy.

[GM] There is a tough-looking individual that is holding a gun onnnnnn..... Henry! [Henry] Why me? [Joey] WHY HENRY?!

[GM] "Correct me if I’m wrong, but you're with Joey Drew Studios?" [Joey] Yes! And it's about fucking time you talked with us! [Joey] [ooc] Sorry, I rolled a one on my Bad Decision dice.

[Joey] [to our kidnappers] ...Can we have a car? [GM] ...........make another Fast Talk check.

[Sammy] ...Tom is the one being stabbed, right? [Joey] I guess? If he's already hosting whatever it is-- [Sammy] My dream ended with me getting stabbed... [Joey] Joey's gonna take a moment to kind of process that, and says something along the lines of, Well, we can't let that happen! Who else is going to write the songs? [Sammy] tHANKS,

[Henry] Really!! Can I get-- [Sammy] an amen [Henry] --a straight answer!

[Joey] Joey pockets the map, and he looks between the two of them............. and he bolts! [Sammy] oKAY, [Henry] Can I roll... to grab him.... [Sammy] Runs after Joey! [Henry] runs after Joey..., [GM] Um, okay -- [Henry] I want to make a roll to grab him, I will wrestle him to the ground. [Joey] I want to make a roll to lose them! [GM] uhhhh..... in retrospect I should've looked up the chase rules.....

[GM] *still looking up chase rules* Why is it all about cars?!? [Sammy] Get back in the car, chase after Joey! Sammy's gonna hit him with a car! [Joey] This is why he needs the cane later.

[Henry] DREW. You are not leaving us! You're not going by yourself, you're going to get yourself killed. [Henry] And then he's going to try to drag him to a halt. [Joey] I do think, Joey is just going to kind of stare at him,,, he wasn't ready for Henry to take that tone with him,,,,

[Sammy] I'm not really sure what decisions my past self thought most wise. Apparently, my past self thought coming on this trip was a good idea! [Henry] *mumbling* I don't think any of us thought this was a good idea.

[Sammy] Sammy really is impressed at the way that Joey is able to weaponise his worst qualities.

[GM] Make Spot (hidden) checks too, just for funsies. [Sammy] Oh! Oh just for funsies! Just a little, a fun activity, planned just for us!

[Henry] Have we ever gotten Binoculars’ name? [Joey] No. [GM] I know it, but no, you haven't. [Sammy] [in character voice] "Binoculars" works! We all know who we're talking about! [Henry] Oh, no, that wasn't in character! That was just ME wondering. [Joey] Henry's also wondering this, but just not saying it. [Sammy] Sammy just takes a moment to think about how much we don't need to know Binoculars' name!

[Joey] He is going to take out his gun, and then-- [Sammy] Oh! That's right! We have guns!

[Joey] Joey is going to toss the mask on the ground and step on it with his foot to break it. [GM] It... it snaps! [Sammy] [ooc] NO, MY LORD

[Joey] Sammy, is that you...? [GM] No reply. [Joey] ...Binoculars?! [Sammy] ........we really should've got his name.

[Joey] *pushes Sammy's voice out of the way*

[Sammy] We’ve gotta bring Joey back to life, so we can strangle him.

[Henry] Oh my god. I didn't expect ANY of this!! [Henry] I expected this game to be a short, fun session of, you know, Oh! That's neat! That's a Bendy, that's a Bendy right there! I DIDN'T EXPECT... THIS.

[Sammy] [ooc] I CAN’T BELIEVE THAT HENRY’S BEEN FAST-TALKING WHILE POSSESSED BY THE SPIRIT OF JOEY DREW.

[Sammy] Sammy thinks it'd be a great idea for you to go back and grab one of those Bendy masks, and put it on. [Henry] *sighs* ...would it make you feel better, if I went back and grabbed a Bendy mask? [Joey] NO.

[GM] And you hear a voice from the bushes say, "Anything for my Lord!" [Sammy] Oh god, it's me.

[Henry] NO WAIT, this is Sammy, I can't kill him! [Joey] Hit him with the back of the axe! [Sammy] Throw a projector at him, that works really well!

[GM] The creature skids to a halt, and the snickering happens again, and it says "I had you going that time, though, didn't I?" [Henry] Henry, uh, hesitantly stops running, [Henry] Uh, yeah, you did! Is this a trick, should I keep running. [Sammy] Well THAT's the sort of question that ALWAYS gets answered honestly!

[GM] It seems they're implying that whoever is currently the host made a deal that ended up with the Lurker starting to look like Bendy, and Henry being unable to die. [Joey] *distressed noises of realisation* [Sammy] That sure sounds like the kind of deal Joey would make, doesn't it?! DOESN'T THAT SOUND LIKE SOMETHING JOEY WOULD WANT, FOR HENRY TO NEVER DIE?!?!

[Joey] Joey is having his own breakdown now, because he finally accepted that he did something wrong, and thus his brain has gone into both overdrive and.... it's like a computer that's overheating, [Sammy] Joey doesn't know how to function when things are his fault.

[GM] Increasing your spiritual power, for lack of a better way to put it -- which you've repeated now, how many times? [Sammy] This buff stacks? That seems like an oversight. [Henry] No, don't tell the devs! [Sammy] I mean, admittedly, Joey has done a bit of, of cheating, I think? Which is unsurprising for him.

[Sammy] If Joey's the host, I wouldn't be surprised if whatever deal he made might result in him not dying in addition to you. [Henry] Yeah, it sounds like, in all the previous loops, either I died, or he died. [Sammy] I'm not really sure what I got out of this arrangement. [Henry] I'm not sure either. [Joey] *hopefully*... some quality time in Haiti?

[Henry] [to the ink demon lurker creature] Anything else we should know? [GM] It does a shrug. It looks real weird.

[sanrionharbor-blog]

For Everybody Still Worried About the Leaks

Clues from the Cast Interviews, GRRM Hints, and My Own Gut Feelings

Disclaimer: Hey, nobody knows nothing, but life’s too short to stress about things we can’t control, and stories are supposed to be maps to help us learn more about ourselves and about life in general–not hair-pulling inducements.  So I’m going to enjoy all the speculating that I can regarding the GOT season finale, and want to share some thoughts on why I think certain “leaks” are most likely bunk.

I’m mostly focusing on the pervasive “Does Tyrion die by trial?” leak, and everything that links to that, including any betrayals or major deaths.

Tyrion’s Ending and The Ending, In General

First, let’s quote Peter Dinklage himself:

I had all these ideas in my head and a version of one of them is how it ends up [for Tyrion]. David and Dan have a brilliant version of what I had. If I use any adjectives it will give it away. But I love how it ended up. And how it ends up for everybody. They had a beautiful gentle touch with some, and a hard touch with others.

But that’s just on Tyrion’s ending. Before I get into what that quote tells us, let me quote what other people have said about the Overall Ending of Game of Thrones:

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau:

I’ve never read anyone who got the whole thing. And when I read it the first time, I was blown away.

George R.R. Martin:

So many readers were reading the books with so much attention that they were throwing up some theories, and while some of those theories were amusing bulls*** and creative, some of the theories are right…At least one or two readers had put together the extremely subtle and obscure clues that I’d planted in the books and came to the right solution.

What the above quotes tell me is:

No one has guessed the ending completely–but parts of the ending? Yeah, they’ve been guessed. Which just goes to show how much this show and its themes have resonated not only with GRRM, but with his audience. Because,as a writer, I can tell you that no storyteller tells a story alone. There’s something guiding us and we can’t put a finger on it but it’s often the source of our best ideas. And it’s the same ineffable something that stirs all of us when we’re creating, sharing, and participating in stories. It’s the reason you see the same patterns in stories over and over. In short, the fact that part of the ending CAN be guessed is NOT a bad thing. It’s natural. Some postmodern storytelling theories have taught us that tricks and surprises are where it’s at–but a story isn’t true unless it can surprise us and, in retrospect, give us the only answer that makes any sense. You can see a pithier version of this kind of storytelling in Ye Olde Riddle–for example, the Sphinx in Oedipus Rex could tell us the answer to her riddle is orange, and that would throw us for a loop, but it would tell us nothing and mean nothing and add nothing to the story and thus would be forgotten. Surprise doesn’t count unless it has a ripple effect. So, about-face turns and OOC arcs may shock and subvert, but they’ll ultimately end up as dross and not as gold. (But hey, more on my thoughts on what can and can be accepted as canon in the last blurb below!).

Now, has anybody assumed that Tyrion would betray Daenerys and end up dead simply for 1) loyalty to the Lannisters, 2) suddenly losing faith in humanity?, or 3) suddenly wanting to usurp power himself? No. This is not a popular theory by a longshot. Tyrion dying? Sure. Somebody betraying Daenerys? Sure. Tyrion as a ruler? Sure. But this very specific, shoehorned version of the story is simply too contrived to have been picked up by fans organically.

The leaks so far have painted nothing but harsh endings for ALL the characters. Don’t tell me those leaks are pro-Stark. Those leaks point out backstabbing, loneliness, and emotional stagnation–forget what characters live, think about what these leaks have said about these characters. Not only does this not jive with the “bittersweet” aspect of the ending, it doesn’t jive with Dinklage’s assertion that, while some characters will go down harshly (R.I.P. Missandei especially–at least Edd and Jorah and Beric got heroic deaths and funerals), others will be treated gently. A heartbroken Brienne? A cold, lonely, manipulative Sansa? A suddenly hopeless, headless Tyrion? I don’t think so. (I also don’t think that means that Brienne and Jaime will necessarily ride into the sunset–but I do think we’ll have Jaime’s feelings for her confirmed, along with the completion of his redemption arc. I also don’t think that means Tyrion definitely won’t die–but I don’t think he’ll be character assassination, either. And I also don’t think that Sansa WILL end up in a canon relationship–but, logically, they can’t leave all the Stark’s COMPLETELY UNABLE TO LOVE, and um, somebody has to be willing to have legitimate heirs to the Stark House. Ok, just to continue this aside, but it seems theoretically impossible to me that the Stark House, which is all about the continuation of the Starks and the independence of the North, would not be given any canon marriages/alliances at the end of their arc. Arya’s already rejected marriage, Bran drove Meera away, and Sansa’s always wanted a happy marriage, even if she’s got very understandable trust issues right now. Anyhow–).

Peter Dinklage was able to guess how his character arc ended. What are the odds that Betraying Somebody He Cares About Without Good Reason (Daenerys–I could see him betraying her reluctantly, but not easily)/Being Betrayed By Somebody He Cares About (Sansa)/Dying Guilty After All The False Trials His Character Has Been THrough were in the mix? I don’t think so. Dinklage has gone on record multiple times to say how much he admires Tyrion and thinks he’s a good person. He’s also gone on record stating that Sansa and Tyrion’s relationship is full of true affection. Even if Tyrion dies and/or he and Sansa don’t end up as a couple, betrayal just seems so far out of the scope of what these characters’ storylines have been building to. And again, I can’t see that being even one version of one of Dinklage’s headcanons. What I think is most likely? A) Hand to the Ruler, B) Part of a new council that replaces or supplements the King/Queen, C) the King himself, or D) a heroic death.

How Long They’ve Planned the Ending:

They had talks with GRRM in 2014

They’ve been planning the ending for five years

They’ve known it was Arya who would take out the NK for three years

So some decisions weren’t set in stone, even by GRRM (such as who would take out the NK…an interesting thing not to know, actually, but that just points out how inflated the importance of the Others/White Walkers was–do I still think it will be handled better by GRRM, yes, but that’s another story), and even if D&D’s execution feels more like “here’s an outline of what’s happening” rather than “here’s the organic progression of that storyline,” I can only imagine that if core pieces were given by GRRM AND they’re not completely winging it, then there will be a certain amount of narrative cohesion once this comes full-circle.

Let’s not forget, we still have a third WTFudge moment that was came straight from GRRM himself, with the other two shockers being Hodor’s origin and Shireen Baratheon’s death. Could this third twist be Dany going completely mad? Maybe, though it doesn’t fall into the same category of completely-unexpected-but-honestly-possible, like Shireen and Hodor. Only because the foreshadowing for Dany’s madness was heavy-handed in the last few seasons (taking away the ‘unexpected’ bit), and is now quite uneven here in Season 8.

I think the third twist will likely be a specific action (a la Shireen’s death) or another origin story-type twist (a la Hodor). Some people have speculated that “Tyrion’s Trial” would make for that final twist, but here’s why I don’t think so:

The Nature of the Leaks

It’s very interesting to me that this leak, supposedly this Huge Most Important Leak, was one of the very first ones released. Like, months ago. While the rest of the leaks, the ones that have actually been accurate, are usually only released at the max a few days before each episode airs.

It’s also interesting to me that HBO has not done more to shut down this particular leak.

And, I would not put it past HBO to have actually filmed one entire fake-out scene. Most of the Dragon Pit/South scenes were filmed after the first three episodes, so they probably knew that they had the time and money to just throw fans for another loop. Sound tinfoily? Perhaps, but the idea that this big twist–and a twist that so far doesn’t make much sense given what we’ve seen in what is now ⅔’s of the season–was such an easy leak just makes me suspect.

Another possibility? Tyrion IS on trial, but is pardoned. Or Tyrion thinks he’s on trial, but it turns out to be somebody else’s funeral (a la that Littlefinger Fake Out 2.0.). I’m not saying any of this makes for the best handling of his character or for a particularly compelling scenario, but considering we haven’t seen it, I can’t say for certain.

GOT’s Recent “Plot Twist” Pattern

D&D have switched to information-withholding tactics in the last few seasons. Just look at Sansa and Arya’s arc and the Littlefinger Fake Out. Were these well-written? Not entirely–but they don’t make for the worst entertainment either. Yeah, we had better quality storytelling in the first four seasons, but soap opera can still be fun.

And how long have they been teasing Dark!Sansa without actually delivering? And let’s not forget–show-Sansa’s arc is still, broadly, based on book-Sansa’s arc. Book-Sansa remains far more in tune to the archetype of the Lady/Maiden, while show-Sansa is slightly blended with Jeyne Poole’s arc (and, unfortunately, a dash of Pop Feminism). But the fact remains that whatever meeting D&D had with GRRM back in 2014 contained information based on the broad trajectory of Sansa’s arc as GRRM has been writing it. (I’m writing a character arc meta on Sansa that’ll be out…soonish).

And let’s just say I don’t see Dark!Sansa hinted very well in the books at all. Sansa learning to pull strings like Littlefinger and Cersei and Margaery? Heck yes. But Sansa will do it Sansa’s way.

So, given that D&D usually try to shock us by hinting at a character’s worst possible tendency AND by withholding information AND by trying to get us to see one scenario while giving us another (another example being Jon Snow vs. Night King actually being Arya vs Night King), I can very well see them turning Sansa into a reluctant last-minute ally of Daenerys, Tyrion being pulled out of hot water at the last minute, Jaime’s running to Cersei being about taking out Cersei not making out with Cersei (yeah sorry/not sorry about that one), and heck, maybe Dany won’t go mad–she’ll just realize she doesn’t want the Iron Throne anymore, or the Iron Throne shouldn’t exist, or she dies tragically but not as a monster. Time will tell.

Who We Haven’t Seen So Far That Can Introduce New Complications

1. Edmure Tully

Tobis Mennzies (Edmure Tully) has been confirmed to return this season. Could it just be a cameo? Maybe. But I wouldn’t put it past Sansa, Arya, and Bran to be planning a back-up plan to help out Jon (and thus Dany). Arya is probably planning on killing Cersei, Sansa can rally what’s left of the Tully’s, and Bran will hopefully do something Three-Eyed Ravenish (or regain some of Bran’s humanity–which would be a twist worth waiting for).

2. Khal Drogo

Motherhood is an important theme in Dany’s life. I think ultimately, book and show wise, it’s what’s truly important to her. She just doesn’t realize it. In this way, Dany is a very interesting parallel with Cersei. Both of these women are tempted to replace their intimate losses with power. They believe power will protect them and their own. And that mentality can slowly shift into the classic Mother Bear conundrum: Us vs. Them.

Now, Khal Drogo not only represents a happy time in Dany’s life where she was both powerful and protected, but where she was a mother. After her losses, she gained her dragons. She truly loves her dragons as children, but they are also a liability to everyone but Dany. Interestingly, Dany’s human child with Khal Drogo was a liability to everyone but the Khalasar. The priestess from season 1 knew this, and so she prevented it. It doesn’t make the loss any less of a tragedy, however.

Will we see the same thing play out here in the final act of Game of Thrones? I’m not sure, but Khal Drogo’s presence will be heavily symbolic. Either Dany will meet him in the afterlife or reject death another time–but perhaps she’ll realize that her true desires were always for belonging and motherhood (just not at the expense of her own free will).

And, as an aside–I’ve really come to see Dany in a different light this season. I’ve always been anti-Daenerys as Ruler, but Daenerys as a character is truly fascinating. So what I see implied in her final arc is truly heartbreaking (and I hope it’s handled better overall than it was, in snapshot, here in 8x04). [Dany’s also my dad’s favorite character, haha, and I respect my dad’s opinion almost more than anyone else’s, so she gets props for that too lol].

3. Robin Arryn

I have a feeling this will be a cameo, but honestly the worst-case scenario for me would be Sansa being engaged to him lol. It would certainly be a Margaery Tyrell move on her part (knowing she won’t have to marry him for some time and he’ll be easy to influence), but the Knights of the Vale are already dedicated to her and I’m a Sanrion shipper so you know where I stand on any other Sansa ship. ;-)

Regardless, the Vale could become an important wrinkle in the plot, and I’m all for us not having a complete Doomsday scenario.

And In The Worst Case Scenario

The worst case scenario is that the leaks are legit. Bran as an emotionless king? The Starks are forever alone? Tyrion’s character assassination? Bleh.

But I’ve already hinted at my philosophy on canon storytelling.

Look, most fanon is crap–but so is most fiction. There are millions of stories out there, but it’s hard to find (and tell) one that resonates across all borders of sex, ethnicity, age, and epoch. You know what CAN exist in both fanon and canon–and what actually matters as canon in the end? The stories that are true.

If characters don’t act true to themselves, if deep-in-the-bones themes suddenly drop off, if crucial scenes that are present in every single successful outline are missing (don’t go postmodern on me–just read The Story Grid), then that story is incomplete. And it’s a lie.

Madeleine L’Engle once said “All truth is God’s truth.” She was trying to make the point that fantasy, and fiction in general, is important because it tells the truth. It’s not about the facts (dragons aren’t real! This is just a TV show! Etc.). It’s about the truth (dragons can be beaten! There is wonder in the world! We are united by our mythologies!).

So no, fanon can be a lot more than making heterosexual characters gay or inserting fluff without dealing with the consequences of character actions or erasing parts of canon. Fanon can be more true than canon when the author is on the tail of the actual Story.

Steven Pressfield does a much better job of explaining this in The War of Art. Madeleine L’Engle does a much better of explaining this in Walking on Water. Shawn Coyne does a much better job of explaining this in The Story Grid.

So don’t just take my word for it.

For me, then, I’m excited to see how the show plays out. And I’m fine if certain things that I only WANT don’t happen–but if the story doesn’t have what NEEDS to happen, then I’ll sadly and reluctantly reject it, and wait for GRRM’s books to come out, or simply contribute to the ASOIAF lore as best as I can. Hopefully not as wish fulfillment, but simply to respect the core of the story itself.

Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk.

[tangomango2017]

Thoughts on the Chinese DotA Animated Series, The Tower Will Go On, and its two main characters

It’s been five years since this animated series based on Warcraft 3 Dota was made. The fan forum is still alive, and it’s amazing to witness the fan dedication to this work, in the form of essays, debates and even a ridiculously detailed second-by-second analysis of the opening theme.

But I barely got a glimpse of those essays before they were removed, apparently to be scrutinized by their internet police for objectionable content. The series itself has also been taken off all China websites, such that China’s fans themselves can’t watch them even if they wanted to revisit. Which makes me so glad that I have all the episodes in HD.

Anyway, on to the show itself. It’s divided into two parts:

Season One is about Crystal Maiden forming her rag-tag team of Radiant/Sentinel heroes. It’s light-hearted and full of jokes. The heroes die a lot and revive at the fountain every time. Sniper’s death count reaches above 300 at one point.

Season Two (titled Death for the Reborn) is darker as the team clashes with the Dire/Scourge and the war intensifies. The plot gets more complicated with internal factions, spying and conspiracies. The rules change: the river that revives dead heroes gets corrupted, so deaths are permanent.

One’s reaction to this show would likely be: “No! This isn’t Dota. This isn’t Invoker at all! What travesty is this?!”

But first, let’s consider these two things:

Firstly, the story is set in the game map. All hero skills and items stay faithful to the game. There is no ‘lore’ to speak of, as this series came out before Valve took over Dota. During that period, ownership of Dota was attributed to Ice Frog, who’s referenced in episode 2.

Eul’s Scepter in the show

Old Eul’s Scepter in Dota 1

Secondly, it’s fan-made. And as with all fan creations, anything’s possible.

For example,

It’s possible for Bloodseeker to be gay with a jungle creep(centaur) and foster a baby centaur.

Bloodseeker X Jungle Centaur in the show

Old Strygwyr in Dota 1

It’s possible for a carry to be so fed, he’s ten times the size of another:

Daddy Doom and his Little QuoP

Love it or hate it, this fan tribute to Dota is in a class of its own. It’s entertained me for hours, made me laugh, sigh, cringe, think; it was one hell of a nostalgic ride back to Warcraft Dota days. And it will always have a special place in my heart.

And now, on to the main characters…

The protagonist - a tribute to Support Heroes

‘Little Ice’ (China’s pet name for Crystal Maiden) is a fan-service kind of character whose appeal is mostly sexual and emotional. I won’t talk much about her but I won’t write her off completely either.

So Little Ice starts off with a dream to rise above her destiny as a position 5 support. She’s left her team carry (Dragon Knight) as she resents him for being overbearing and overly task-oriented. (It’s unclear what’s the relationship between the two, though they hug a couple of times). She tries to carve a career for herself, forming her own rag-tag team. But reality is a wet blanket, and like her role in the game, her impact on the story is limited and she ends up having her heart broken several times.

Old Crystal Maiden from Warcraft 3 Dota

In the show, she is depicted as a klutz with a bad sense of direction and is sometimes impulsive, casting Freezing Field at the most ridiculous, anti-climactic moment and generally doing stuff that would be considered ‘bad decision making’ in the game.

But despite her limitations, the girl has a mind of her own. She stands firm in her beliefs and is courageous enough to try to protect her male teammates. Even when said teammate is the Dragon Knight being bashed up by Roshan.

She is also fiercely loyal, refusing to abandon the dying Bristleback and instead managing to persuade DK to risk a Roshan fight to get the Aegis.

Overall, I’d say her character serves two purposes here: as a shoutout to under-appreciated Support players, and as a symbol of innocence. This trait of hers is seen as a weakness and is used to comical effect, yet, at the same time it is also something to be prized and guarded. The Queen of Pain (portrayed as a man-hater with lesbian tendencies) mocks her several times for her naivety, yet she admits that CM represents the innocence that she’s lost and that she needs to protect.

From Zero to (Anti) Hero

The central character, Kael (pronounced Ka-er, I’ll refer to him as Carl since it matches the Chinese pronunciation) appears in the second episode and drives the entire story with his zero to anti-hero arc. The title of Season Two refers to him being reborn from the ashes (he was Doomed and almost killed in a fire). He is the only one besides QoP to have a backstory (both underwent the trauma of having their entire homeland and families destroyed).

Invoker from Warcraft 3 Dota

Invoker from Season One of the show

Invoker from Season Two

While this Invoker is as OOC as he can get, there’s no denying the detail that has been put into his design. For example, in Season 2 his orbs are actually faces, perhaps representing the connection of Invoker’s volatile temperament to his elemental powers.

Just as the two parts of the show are divided into a dichotomy of light and dark, there are two different depictions of Invoker in each part.

Season One Invoker

If you’ve ever played this hero, Season One will remind you of how it felt the very first time you tried him in a game. Clueless, powerless, the butt of your teammates’ jokes perhaps.

Carl first appears in episode two quoting that famous line from Shakespeare’s Hamlet. It sounds really pretentious (not that surprising for Carl), but considering that Hamlet killed someone by accident in the play, it’s also a kind of foreshadowing of what will happen later on.

So Carl is introduced as a depressed guy trying to hang himself. In a comically tragic manner, he tells his story as a former prince who lost his home, sought refuge with the Dire/Scourge but is constantly scorned for being useless as he hasn’t figured out his spells.

With a background like that, who wouldn’t be damaged for life? But CM sees him as even more vulnerable than her, and he brings out the encouraging and protective side of her. Of course, the naive part of her ignores the fact that he is a defector from the enemy side.

Carl is of course extremely grateful, having found the acceptance he’s always longed for, and one can see the beginning of a pure, somewhat platonic love between the two.

In China, Invoker/CM are almost regarded as canon pairing, with roots going back to Kael’thas/Jaina from Warcraft.

Initially, she brings out the good qualities in him, such as courage and self-sacrifice. Noob Carl is actually quite lovable, even willing to take one for the team by ‘donating’ blood to the Bloodseeker. He forges a strong friendship with the gang and they have a lot of fun fending off their one enemy in Season One.

Although he’s harmless at this point, his uselessness repeatedly emphasized by all characters, there are glimpses of his more complicated self, such as when he uses his knowledge and cunning to get the team out of trouble. More foreshadowing of who he is to become is given by the Queen of Pain, who tries in vain to warn CM about his potential for evil.

Meteoric Rise to Power

Two events serve as catalysts to the awakening of his powers. First there’s the excessively bloody whipping that Queen of Pain gives him, just because she feels like it. This happens in the middle of a team fight and in his state of desperation, it is his thoughts of CM (whose nickname is literally, Little Ice Ice) that unlocks his first skill, Ghostwalk. At the same time, the sinister side of him awakens as he turns the tables on the Queen and blinds her in one eye before burying her alive.

And then he gets punished by Doom, who’s rather high up in the hierarchy here. Doom (whom everyone calls ‘Daddy’) is furious to find out that his beloved god-daughter, his Little QuoP has been hurt. He finds out about this in an interesting manner - by devouring the jungle centaur that witnessed the incident.

Doom: WHO ATE THE COOKIES?

Tiny, CM, etc: (keeps quiet)

Doom: Very well, I shall find out the truth (devours jungle creep).

(everyone watches on nervously)

Doom: …CARL!

Carl: Yes Daddy?

Doom: How dare you eat my cookies!

Carl: I don’t get what you’re talking about, Daddy

Doom: You’ll get THIS, you little shit.

Season Two Invoker

After being doomed and running into the forest in agony, Carl goes missing for a while. A flashback later shows Dazzle’s saved him and bandaged him up like a mummy. By chance, Windranger finds him when her Powershot arrow accidentally hits him. Probably out of guilt, she brings him home and cares for him for three months. When Ogre Magi harasses WR and sets her house on fire, Carl rises from the ashes with a complete makeover, a costume change, full mastery of magic and a marked change in personality. The change feels really abrupt and I’d have preferred something more gradual. But the writers probably wanted a striking contrast between the two seasons.

So he helps her fend off the Ogre and she falls in love with him. But he stays true to CM.

Despite what this shot in the opening theme suggests, WR doesn’t force herself on him. She’s really cool.

In Season Two, Carl’s personality becomes much more conflicted, longing to return to CM yet afraid to endanger her with Doom hot on his heels. While she thinks about him in her quiet moments, he watches over her in invisible form. The next triggering event is when the Dragon Knight beats him to rushing to CM’s rescue. He is consumed by jealousy and the fire element comes to the forefront. From then on, his emotional instability deteriorates further, and with some goading from Dazzle, he forms a plan to destroy DK with Ancient Apparition’s Ice Blast dealing the killing blow.

However that plan goes tragically wrong when his old friend Bristleback walks into the Sunstrike spot. One mistake leads to another, and he ends up killing QuoP as well. That confrontation between the two is one of the most dramatic scenes I’ve ever seen. When the Queen threatens to reveal his bad deeds to CM, he starts grovelling and begging her for forgiveness, but it turns out it’s all an act allowing him to get close to her for a tornado. Despite the cringeyness there is a special kind of satisfaction in seeing one’s favourite video game character display the whole range of emotions, just as it’s satisfying seeing him perform the whole shebang of spells after being abused for the first ten episodes.

Carl’s final move is one that completely breaks CM’s heart. He steals the Aegis meant for saving Bristleback’s life. However, his motivation isn’t very clear and was the topic of much debate and speculation among the Chinese fans at that time. But going by his character’s trajectory, it’s highly likely he’s doing it for self-preservation. After all, Doom’s absolutely livid that he’s killed QuoP and the Aegis is his only chance at standing against Big Daddy Doom. But the ending leaves questions unanswered. Now that he’s pissed off both sides, what’s to become of him? Is his character totally irredeemable? How will the war end? Season Three was supposed to be in the works, but never materialized. 

[loopy777]

Maybe this is just me having played too many Star Wars games but I got serious Revan/Malak vibes from the main character of retroactive and Long Feng

I’ll have to take your word for it. My one and only playthrough of the actual KotOR game didn’t get past Manaan, and so my only experience with Malak is as Cutscene Vader Wannabe.

For people dismayed by this, you have to understand that I loathe CRPGs such as KotOR. I’ve never thought that RPGs in general do combat well, and CRPGs are so heavily focused on it. I can kind of tolerate it in old-school 2D pixel-art games where the level of abstraction is so high, so I can more easily go with the idea that I’m dealing with a simulation. But KotOR has 3D graphics and I’m navigating what looks like a real environment, up to even being able to aim my guns at enemies, so the commands and turn-based gameplay feels so stifling. Jedi Outcast has the exact quality of graphics and even visual style, but when I aim a gun there, I’m actually in control of shooting d00ds. KotOR lets me aim a gun, but then it tells me that no, it may look like I shot that d00d right between the eyes, but the dice say I actually didn’t.

I’m also not fond of games that claim to be about “choice” but then have optimal choices and suboptimal choices. I can’t craft a persona if I need to keep my Light Side Points up to get the right powers (and the choices don’t map to my perception of what the Light and Dark options would be). I can’t feel like I’m exploring a world when I can walk through a door and without warning I’ve kicked off a cutscene that’s going to keep me from completing a whole bunch of sidequests that I hadn’t gotten to yet. I can’t enjoy the two companions I’ve taken with me to explore this planet if I’m worried that companions with better dialogue were left back on the ship. I don’t know how to optimize my character’s stats when I don’t know what the game is going to throw at me.

I know that stuff like this is to create replayability, a chance to go back and do it again in a better or different way, but I’d rather get a great experience my first time through. Replays are for mastering the gameplay and finding secrets, not finally achieving an experience that feels good.

And yes, there’s stuff like all these complaints in tabletop RPGs, but what you’re missing is that those give me and my friends the freedom to mess around with whatever mechanic we want and have OOC communication to make sure we’re all going to have fun. CRPGs have all the bad points of tabletop RPGs but none of the good.

That’s not to say I’m criticizing KotOR. I’m just explaining why I don’t get any actual enjoyment out of playing it. What I will criticize is the stupid Solve The Mystery minigame on Dantooine where the right choice is, “Aha, it’s actually cloudy right now!” while the the sun is shining so brightly right into the camera that the game is simulating lense-flare. I save-scummed that one hard and felt fully justified.

But the KotOR comic is one of the best things ever done with Star Wars.

So, hey, how ‘bout that Retroactive?

[therevaliir-blog]

Announcements: 08-15-2017

Wiki Changes and Additions:

Thank you to Nadine Hydria for his work writing this piece about Lacriamium! Lacriamium: A Goddess's Tears Reborn It is now a subcat. of this new article: Materials of Revaliir I hope to get more of the materials and stories about them up on the wiki as we go!

Site Changes:

Mo'Mey Steppes has undergone changes!

-Language has been changed to Belarusian

-Capital has been renamed to Sviet

-The tribe has been renamed Adorany

-Map of Sviet has been added to the description of the area for Mo'Mey

Added Kujishoku to the Language Guide in the wiki

Redid/Better described other places with new languages / better definitions

Reuploaded the images for Stairway to the Skies and Canelux's Wings for the Wiki. You can see them again!

Changed General Discussion's overhead area to O.O.C. Pub! More fun! Links are still the same :)

Wishing Well and Wish Upon A Star now roll on Sundays

I started the x2 silver boost Area Spotlight! The first area is Baltil. These spotlights will last for 2 weeks so get your silver boost! I do have a schedule for this!

The O.O.C. Pub's description now links to the debate and game forums without using a quick link.

Tidied up the Synth/Alchemy Spreadsheet, made the link to the spreadsheet open up in a new tab!

Kirika Maze was changed to Kirika Lake since it was the bigger attraction! The description for the maze is still there :) 

Something is Happening! As the Moon Parvpora enters into its fullest state, and her sister Canelux waxes strong in the sky, an aurora spreads across the sky, originating from somewhere in the Jasumin Plains. As the green, blue and purple bands fill the sky, magical energies feel more potent, and minds feel sharper, while spells seem to have an added effect: the fading image of an ornate eye inside a triangle.

EVENT:  Sanguine Tenebris Conclusion

Many brave souls made an attempt to battle their way through the Circulorum Inferni. A select few were strong enough to make it all the way to Domus Tenebris to seek counsel with the Reaper. She heard their pleas, for it was her decision whether or not the mortals deserved her mercy. Their dedication did not go unnoticed by the Goddess - after several had successfully made their way to her, she appeared once more to the people of Adeluna. “Good people of Adeluna, it seems you have learned your lesson on this day. Let this serve as a reminder that greed is a dangerous thing, and that appearance is not always what it seems. Let this remind you that while Death may be cruel, it can also be merciful and forgiving. Write of this in your histories, and do not let it be forgotten. As for the Apothecary that brought this plight upon your town… do not fear. He serves in the deepest of my Circles now… pay him a visit if you please.” With a devilish wink, the Reaper was gone from sight.With Dalanesca’s appearance, it seemed that the effects of those under the spell of Sanguine Tenebris faded immediately, leaving many people with a loss of time and memory - a notion probably for the best. Perhaps the effects of Sanguine Tenebris have taught a lasting lesson to the people of Adeluna and Revaliir - greed is never worth it… but then again, the souls of mortals have always been weak, and more powerful things could always come about…. — Sanguine Tenebris has come to a close! Thank you to all who participated - I hope you enjoyed! Hopefully, this shows that Dalanesca isn’t alllll that bad.

We finally finished the capital of Railoch's description! Gobethio will be a subarea of Railoch unless people really want it to be separate. You can find it here: Railoch's Area Description OR YOU CAN READ ABOUT IT BELOW! The Unwavering City of Gobethio: Capital of Railoch Because of the persistent thunderstorm overhead, much of Railoch remains an inhospitable wasteland filled to the brim with ruins and strange machines leftover from a bygone era. However, despite the tempest's best efforts, the heart of civilization still beats in the eye of its storm. Gobethio, the once abandoned city now called the motherland of Revaliir's archaeologists, stands as the last city yet to succumb to the sky's unending fury. No one is quite sure how Gobethio has lasted so long; not even the inhabitants themselves. It is one of Parvpora's greatest mysteries, especially given the city's remnant, advanced technologies. Gobethio is the only major settlement in all of Revaliir that is known for having hydraulic and electrical power. The entire city, while Adelunian in architectural style, is lined with magical conduits and aqueducts that harness power from the storms overhead and channel it into luxuries that the rest of the world can only dream about. From trams throughout the city to indoor plumbing and electrical lights, Gobethio has many comforts that no one else has been able to recreate. As for the city itself, it is quite sprawling even if more of a research outpost than a typical settlement. Some sight-seeing focuses can be found here and there, thanks to the elevated city center and many waterfalls that flow down to the boundaries. There are also trading hubs and inns scattered throughout the city's limits, but these are hardly the main focus of Gobethio's splendor. The numerous guilds and their halls that dot the landscape capture that role, especially with their tendency toward ornate design. Gobethio's residents are particularly fascinated with lights, and so they often devote a great amount of resources toward flashy buildings when they want to impress. Yet despite this shiny and bustling exterior, Gobethio does play host to a multitude of secrets. The reason for its high volume of archaeologists is because of the oddities that surround the settlement. The implementation of all of its technology, save for the production of additional lightning rods, light fixtures, and pipes, is completely lost on anyone that lives there now. What lies above ground and what has been implemented or repaired since the city was first resettled is not nearly grand enough to provide all of the creature comforts that the people have come to expect. There are vaults of machinery deep underground, guarded by traps and unspeakable monsters. The archaeologists have gotten rich off of the wonders within that they have managed to plunder, but no one is sure how far down the complex goes or whether it is smart to find out.

Announcement:

Our Twitch Affiliate Naki introduced me to his good friend Arthzull, a professional graphic designer, who has generously given us a huge discount on designing us not only a logo but also a header for Revaliir. We will have our own images and truly be unique. Normally logos are $70 but when he heard about our troubles he gave us a huge discount down to $20 and is giving us a header. Naki also is throwing money down so that our header is professional sketched by someone that Arthzull knows. We'll be able to watch Arthzull's twitch when he starts to work on Revaliir's logo and I am working with him to make sure it is the best that Revaliir deserves. I can't thank everyone enough for supporting us and it has made me tear up greatly. I hope that we can continue making Revaliir unique and wonderful, a place where we can truly be ourselves and enjoy our creativeness together. Thank you to both Arthzull and Naki! Make sure to thank them both. -Brittlez, Revaliir Admin

Apply to Become a God(5 month warning):

Before I get started I just want to remind people that we have no tangible NPC gods. You can say your character worships a deity that isn't a PC but you can't interact with them. These are our rules please respect them. We even have a place where people can practice the old faiths here on the site. See the City of Abed for the Tower of Edhit. The God Applications are coming and we will be giving instructions in December. We are giving you guys a 5-month heads up to get your activity up. There will be only 1 spot to round us out to 6 spots.

You must: 1. Be able to write 10 posts a month. 5 the first two weeks 5 the last two weeks. 2. Be an active member of the OOC boards. Remember that being a god isn't a status symbol. It's a staff position. 3. Post with more than 1 person. Meaning you can't just post with me on all my different accounts(example). 4. Have a yearly event idea. 5. Be a role-model. This means behaving yourself. 6. Be prepared for conflict. This isn't all sunshine and rainbows. Staff discussions can get heated and you must be able to deal with that. 7. Be actively present for staff decisions, this means being in touch with us not all of the time but we prefer most of the time. You will be a deciding factor on future changes. This is the Application (though it may change by the time we get to December so be prepared for that. DO NOT send us it. We will throw it out and you will have to redo it/resend it) We'll tell you when the time frame to send us it starts. Application Form to Fill Out: 1. Username: 2. Character name: 3. Brief character history (max 150 words): 4.Our gods and goddesses don't have domains per se, for they have a title or function that defines them, which you can see just under the title of their temples. Our question is: what would your title be, and what would it mean for your character as a deity? How would they function as such? (Max 250 words) 5.What would be your character's three god powers? (bear in mind that this does not have to be absolutely definitive as they would be subject to approval (should you be selected) but a general idea would be helpful.)(If you need an example check Angela's signature) i. ii. iii. 6. As a deity, you would be expected to run events from time-to-time(Once a year). Describe one such event that you would like to run. (max 150 words.) 7. Why do you think you would make a good deity? This is your chance to tell us about yourself, why you feel qualified for the position, what qualities you feel you could bring to the deity mix and how you would function as a part of our expanding community. (max 250 words.) 8. Provide us with an example of your writing. This can be from a thread you have already written, or it could be a piece you have specially written for this application. Whatever the case, it should feature the character you are applying with. (250 words max) Sample Application (I used Toya, Ang's sister, for the App since doing one for Ang wouldn't have been as fun… I will admit Toya looks fun to play as for a Deity >.>; This is how we expect your app to look like in format. No links to posts or links to other documents.): Username: Toya Character name: Toya Rose Brief character history (max 150 words): Toya is the queen of the White Court in Arri. She was the youngest and raised by her four older sisters. Her life has been met with fire and destruction much like her soul. She has the soul of a dragon and the madness that goes with it. She does what she has to for her family even if her attitude says otherwise. Toya is the queen of Wildfire and Innocence; the innocence due to her ignorance. The queen is a person who speaks with her fists instead of logic, a formidable foe. One of a few mortals ever to punch a god and survive. Toya is also the Tactician in Arri, meaning she has good standings with how to win a war as long as you don’t leave the talking and negotiations to her. Our gods and goddesses don't have domains per se, for they have a title or function that defines them, which you can see just under the title of their temples. Our question is: what would your title be, and what would it mean for your character as a deity? How would they function as such? (Max 250 words) The Fire Wrath, The Dragon. Toya is a creature made of fire and destruction. Her heart is always in the right place but her mind leads her down the destructive path. The saying the road to Hell is paved with good intentions defines her. She would rather fight to get her way and ignite the world on fire when it isn’t. Diplomacy is lost on her and she would be the first one to throw a punch if things weren’t going her way. What would be your character's three god powers? (bear in mind that this does not have to be absolutely definitive as they would be subject to approval (should you be selected) but a general idea would be helpful.) i. Toya is able to have a volcanic eruption so the battlefield is in a haze with volcanic soot. ii. She is able to make things that would normally have a good effect become destructive. EX: Picking up a glass and having it break from the slightest grip. iii. Anything can become her firestorm, a massive fire attack. EX: Couch cushions lighting on fire or Ice cubes even. As a deity, you would be expected to run events from time-to-time. Describe one such event that you would like to run. (max 150 words.) The Dragon’s Nest. It is a tournament on the back of dragons. The ultimate aerial battle between warriors. The catch is that the dragons don’t want you on their back and they have been told to do whatever necessary to fling the competitors off. This would be a writing competition about a changing battlefield that just happens to be a dragon. Why do you think you would make a good deity? This is your chance to tell us about yourself, why you feel qualified for the position, what qualities you feel you could bring to the deity mix and how you would function as a part of our expanding community. (max 250 words.) I am an active member of the community. I run not only the Wishing Well but also heavily stalk the help forums looking for people to help. I have a standard of twenty threads I’m in at all times for roleplay. I’m also one of the veteran roleplayers for the Greenhorns’ Guild. I draw icons for the shops and for events in my spare time. I also always answer my PMs from people when they get sent. I can post upwards of 60 posts a month for a good month. A bad month is 20. I also multitask with 36 other characters. Provide us with an example of your writing. This can be from a thread you have already written, or it could be a piece you have specially written for this application. Whatever the case, it should feature the character you are applying with. (250 words max) She wasn’t sure that this is what Blaine had meant by ‘finding a new hobby’. She wasn’t even sure if this would be a get out of jail free card. The lycan was protective of his slightly psycho mate. Toya had a tendency not to understand when she was taking things way too far. Her recent activities included being a grand champion in Torn’s arena; it kept her out of trouble. However, when she woke up after one of her victories she found herself tied up to the bed with a quite displeased Blaine at the foot of it. She was more disobedient than a child being told no. Saddling her dragon she heard about the unrest that was in the ice lands. Her blood ran hot naturally and there were plenty of nights that Blaine had thrown all of the blankets off the bed just to deal with how hot her body tended to be. It was the flame elemental in her that stirred; go figure the crazy one had the destructive powers of fire. Climbing up onto the golden dragon they were soon off. Through the thick of blizzards and giant clumps of snow she found herself wanting to be back in the desert, she wasn’t cold but she wasn’t happy here. Her eye was visibly twitched as she landed the dragon. If it was one thing that she had a gifted talent in it was using her nose. Tips Your Event and You: I think this is one of the most intimidating and hard things on the application. (I know it made me really nervous when I applied for my spot) It is absolutely alright to ask people for help with this. Personally, I would pm past deities or current deities for tips and tricks. This absolutely does not have to be an event that you will follow through with. Make it practical and within our reason of doing. To help you out a bit here is how our event system works: You can have 3 prizes, 2-3 synth drop to make the prizes, it can be site-wide, in a pre-existing area, in your own area of your making, you can choose to do a hit point event where you heal or strike down health. For example; Angela needs priests to save 75,000 crops. People post and it will raise the bar from 0 to whatever. If people make it you could have a prize or if they don't you can have a bad result. For a creature, you could do KILL THE DRAGON! 75,000 health and each post will knock its health down. You can do other things with the health bar as well. I think Rhylana did her event it was healing Rhylana. Be creative nothing is set in stone just because it says hit point/heal doesn't mean you have to do it that way. You would work with me to determine just how much health/heal would be alright for the activity on our site. Obviously, having too much or too little is a bad thing. Your Title & You: Don't make it like an enigma where we or normal members can't understand where you are going with it. I should be able to tell what your positions are by reading your name. Angela's original title was She who gifts Fertility and Holds the Cornucopia (Fertility and Earth) Also your deity can hate their title. Angela hates hers now and I did that to show that the world gave her the title, not the other way around. You can see her title now: Master Artisan of Life and Keeper of the Cornucopia. Long and she hates but gives her story. You do you: When you get to why you want to be a deity think about everything you do for Revaliir. We want people who are a part of our community, people who help out, and who are friendly and least likely to cause conflict. You should join our Discord/Skype to find out more about our community and get to know everyone. People who are staff are required or will be to be part of our chatbox/discord/skype in some way. Your Post Sample & You: Get a post sample you have on the site and grammar check it. We highly suggest making it best. You can even do an entry that hasn't been done. Anything that shows up why your character is the spot you are applying for. Remember the character is the spot not the spot, is the character. Your God Powers & You: These god powers should be for god modding outside of your temple. In your temple, you can god mod all you want. For instance: Angela's relic making I could take off and most likely will for something I can actually god mod same with her desires. It requires cooperation with other roleplayers, therefore isn't god modding. Even I make mistakes and so do the other gods. These powers can change over time as we adjust and get better at what we're doing. They should be relative to your spot. Something I could replace her relic making with is: Her Earth Magic is stronger than anyone's at any given time. Few other things: The deity position is a job. You guys will be expected to actually work. When we say you have to be active we mean it. Even in times of slow posting where we disband the quota, there is a mandatory log in time where you guys have to spend on the site. If you didn't show up for your job you would get fired, this is no different. PMing Dalanesca and myself to see how your app was, if we got it, or ANYTHING like that will be considered prying and we won't hesitate to throw it out. If for whatever reason you are worried your application didn't make it through the pm system (which is doubtful) please pm another staff member and they will check. Dalanesca and myself cannot and will not look over your apps. You don't send your future employer your application and be like "Is this what you want?" That won't work. It's not here. No favoritism. I don't know how many time I have to say this but I will say it again: I don't care who you are. I've thrown other people's applications out who I've been friends with for years. I don't believe in favoritism and neither does Dalanesca. We might hurt your feelings but understand we have our reasoning. It is by no means a betrayal in our friendship. I'm friends with everyone on the site. I'll be best friends with you all but that will not get you this spot. Your talent, dedication, and time on Revaliir will. Be careful about what titles you choose and what areas you choose. Make sure that it isn't anything that can be made out as if you are trying to take a current deity's spot. Don't apply to be: The Gifter of Fertility knowing full well that we have a goddess in that range. This has been a problem. Make sure your app is clear. Make your spot known in the application and not all over. Look over your powers and make sure that they don't overlap with other gods. If you want to know if you can you can ask that god if that's ok. (I really don't care about god powers being close to Angela's so have at it but the others might care). Don't use this application as a platform to complain about some injustice done to you. I have a paper shredder with your name on it. Don't waste ours or your own time. Do not link us to stuff in your app. We will ignore you. We were lenient last time with this stuff but this time around we will ignore it. If you want it in your app make room for it. This includes; backstory, post sample, etc etc. You wouldn't link stuff off your application for a real life job don't do it here either. Do not send us a half-filled out applications. (This has happened) Be professional. If I or a staff member catches someone intimidating members not to apply I will strike you or worse. I don't care who you are – this is not okay. Sell us your character don't just write it down and be like "Whatever". SELL IT. You want it this bad you make sure we can tell. I can tell when people don't really care so trust me it shows. Don't apply if you want to just advance your plot and act like you have nothing left to rp but be a god. Let me tell you something: We don't trust that and we don't appreciate it. What's stopping you from making god and getting bored with it? This is a spot you should plan to have long term. I've held my deity position before Revaliir and I intend on keeping it. We're in for the long haul and you should be as well. We're dedicated to serving Rev for the greater good even if we're the only ones left rping. That was the promise we the creators made ourselves when we built Rev. It will always be here. Always. Do not be intimidated: What I posted above are guidelines. As we evolve we have to set new standards for ourselves and for Revaliir. I do not want people to think: Well gosh my character is off the wall I'll never make it. On the contrary, anyone has the possibility of making it. Personally, I like off the wall ideas but I'm only 1 of the selectors for applications. I don't suggest trying to play into our likes or dislikes (People know me they know what I like) because I become hardened when I do applications. I, for the most part, am the one who delivers the bad news to friends, spouses, etc, etc. I want the best for this site and so do the other ladies. We can also tell from past posts and other things. Most importantly have fun with it. If you don't think you can handle quota and think it will ruin your experience… Don't torture yourself. I had a good friend apply and get his spot and I ended up demoting him because he lost all interest because quota ate him alive. 10 posts a month doesn't sound like a lot but when it is expected of you quota becomes a burden you have to bear.